In an effort to honor the achievements of exceptional student-athletes, the Missouri Valley Conference has created the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award. Twelve student-athletes have been named by Commissioner Jeff Jackson as the honorees for the 2024 Spring season.
This year’s Spring honorees include Sam Kirkpatrick, Belmont, Baseball; Mara Flaherty, Bradley, Women’s Golf; Savannah Ming, Drake, Women’s Outdoor Track and Field; Brooke McCorkle, Evansville, Softball; Brooke Beyer ,UIC, Women’s Golf; Ali Schrock, Illinois State, Women’s Golf; Jackson Krieg, Indiana State, Men’s Outdoor Track and Field; Kayla Pfitzner, Missouri State, Women’s Golf; Natalie Slezakova, Murray State, Tennis; Griffin Parker, Northern Iowa, Men’s Golf; Alexis Rudd, Southern Illinois, Softball; Kayla Skapyak, Valparaiso, Softball.
In order to be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must be in good academic standing, must demonstrate good citizenship through good sportsmanship and significant community service, and must participate in a sport, during the season of recognition. The Valley will recognize 12 student-athletes three times annually (Fall, Winter, Spring), for a total of 36 honorees. Institutions select their State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award honorees.
Sam Kirkpatrick, Belmont, Baseball, Senior
- 3.96 Cumulative GPA
- Dean’s List Honors (Fall 2020 – present; All semesters)
- 2024 Graduating Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award: Presented by Belmont University Athletics to the graduating male & female student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average.
- MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award (2023)
- MVC Conference Honor Roll (2023)
- Patriot League Academic Honor Roll (2022)
- Patriot League Academic Honor Roll (2021)
- Community Service
- Team IMPACT (Fellow) - Plan meaningful events to provide Levi (9-year-old with cystic fibrosis) with a community outside of a hospital. Participate in professional development at leadership conferences and skills training. Speak at hospitals, board meetings, and athletic department events to raise awareness and recruit other kids to the program.
- Bible Study (Belmont University) - Leads a Bible study for 10 male student-athletes, plan a reading schedule, and teach bi-weekly.
- Student Government Association (Belmont University)
- APA Foundation: Where We play Nashville (Panelist)
- Walk to End Alzheimer’s (Participant)
- Cooper Trooper Pumpkin Patch (Participant)
- Parkwood Clinic (Youth Coach)
- Athlete to Athlete (Mentor): Mentorship program for youth athletes
- i am Vulnerable (Founder) - Clothing brand to change the narrative or male mental health, particularly athletes.
- Student Athlete Advisory Committee (College of the Holy Cross)
- Class Vice President (College of the Holy Cross)
Mara Flaherty, Bradley, Women’s Golf, Graduate
- Master of Business Administration: (2023-current)
- Current GPA: 4.0
- Bachelor of Engineering: Manufacturing Engineering, Concentration in Lean Manufacturing (2019-2023)
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude, GPA: 3.97
- PNC Student Achiever Award 2024
- MVC Presidents’ Council Academic Excellence Award 2023
- Bunny Collins Endowed Scholarship
- WGCA All-American Scholar (2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20)
- MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award (2021, 2022, 2023)
- MVC Honor Roll (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020)
- First Team MVC Scholar-Athlete (2022)
- Bradley AD Honor Roll (Fall ‘19, Spring ‘20, Fall ‘20, Spring ‘21, Fall ‘21, Spring ‘22, Fall ‘22, Spring ’23)
- Braves Council Representative
- Vice President (2023-2024)
- Community Service Chair (2022-2024)
- National College Athlete Honor Society
- Tau Beta Pi- Engineering Honors Society
- Chi Alpha Sigma- National College Athlete Honor Society
- Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
- BOLD for Life Leadership Institute Member
- Community Service
- 2023 Carl Grose Service Award Winner
- Chair of the Community Service Subcommittee for the Braves Council
- Dream Center, Peoria
- Peoria Friendship House - Reverse Trick or Treating
- Clean Up BU and Peoria
- American Red Cross Blood Drive
- Peoria Public Schools
- Fiesta Texas Food Back
- Feed my Starving Children
- Red Response
- Darul Uloom Islamic School (Family Reading Night)
Savannah Ming, Drake, Women’s Outdoor Track and Field, Senior
- Majoring in Psychology and Rhetoric Media & Social Change
- Community Service
- Des Moines Public School System assisting with tours as well as Q&A panels
- Genesis Foundation where she volunteers and fundraises for the organization.
- Ladylike DSM Conference as well as volunteering at the Jim Duncan High School Meet
- At Drake University where she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is a C.M. with Drake Rec.
Brooke McCorkle, Evansville, Softball, Senior
- Graduate in May with two degrees: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Accounting
- 3.5 Cumulative GPA
- Dean’s List (Fall ’22, Spring’23, Fall ’23)
- Community Service
- Coach for her local softball team
- Cancer Pathways Center
- Ace Cares Ace Race
- School of Business Administration
- Totaled at least 180 hours in the last year (2023) alone
Brooke Beyer, UIC, Women’s Golf, Senior
- MVC Honor Roll (2022-23)
- Dean’s List (Fall ‘20, Spring ’23)
- Horizon League Honor Roll (Spring ‘22, Fall ‘21)
- Flames scholar-athlete (Fall ‘20, Fall ‘21, Spring ’22, Fall ‘22, Spring ’23)
- Community Service
- Volunteered for the Chicago Marathon (Fall ’21)
- Donated sample for Be The Match (National Marrow Donor Program) (Fall ’22)
- JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) One walk (Fall ’22)
- Feed My Starving Children (Spring ’22)
- Special Olympics volunteering (Spring ’23)
- Volunteered time at a collection event for UIC Athletics Food Drive (Fall ’23)
- Toiletry collection event for Women’s Shelter (Fall ’23)
Ali Schrock, Illinois State, Women’s Golf, 5th Year Senior
- Earned a Finance Degree – GPA: 4.0
- Currently Pursuing Masters Degree in Sport Management – GPA: 4.0
- ISU Athletics Honor Roll Every Semester of Career (Fall 2019-Current )
- MVC Honor Roll Every Year of Career (2019-Current )
- MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award (2020, 2021, 2022)
- MVC President’s Council Academic Excellence Award (2022-23)
- MVC All Academic First Team (2020, 2021, 2022)
- MVC Elite 17 Winner (2021-22, 2023-24)
- WGCA Academic All Scholar (2021, 2022, 2023)
- CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American (2022)
- CSC Second Team Academic All-American (2023)
- Community Service
- ISU Kid’s Free Golf Clinic
- Special Olympic Golf Clinic Volunteer
- Red Ribbon Ceremony Volunteer
- ISU Thank-A-Thon
- Oakdale Elementary Recess Buddies
- Oakdale Mentors
- St. John’s Lutheran Church Volunteer
- Weibring Golf Course Volunteer
- Gratitude Gala Volunteer
Jackson Krieg, Indiana State, Men’s Outdoor Track and Field, Senior
- 4.0 Master of Business Administration Student
- Earned Bachelors Degree of Finance in Spring of 2023
- Earned the distinctions of honor graduate student and Magna Cum Laude
- Community Service
- Princeton Community High School volunteer Track & Cross Country coach (2019-2022)
- Indiana State Dance Marathon (2022-Present)
- Jim Banks Campaign for Senate (2023-Present)
- Bethel Memorial Church (2000-Present)
Kayla Pfitzner, Missouri State, Women’s Golf, Senior
- Dr. Bruce Johnson Scholar-Athlete (2024)
- MVC Board of Directors Award (2024)
- WGCA All-American Scholar (2022)
- MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention (2022)
- MVC Honor Roll (2021, 2022, 2023)
- Maroon & White Scholar-Athlete (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (Fall ‘20, Spring ‘21, Fall ‘21, Spring ‘22, Fall ‘22, Spring ‘23, Fall ’23)
- Dean’s List (Spring ‘21, Fall ‘21, Spring ‘22, Summer ‘22, Fall ‘22, Spring ‘23, Fall ’23)
- Community Service
- Convoy of Hope
- Salvation Army
- Elks Lodge
- Bass Pro Marathon volunteer
- SAAC Marketing Committee
- Women in Business
Natalie Slezakova, Murray State, Tennis, Senior
- 3.96 Undergraduate GPA, 4.0 Graduate GPA
- Murray State Dean’s/President’s List (8 Consecutive Semesters)
- ITA Division 1 Scholar-Athlete (2020, 2022, 2023)
- OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2019-20, 2021-22)
- OVC Academic Medal of Honor (2021-22)
- MVC Board of Directors Academic Excellence Award (2022-23)
- MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award (2022-23)
- MVC Honor Roll (2022-23)
- Community Service
- Murray Parks & Recreation Community Tennis Clinics
- Racers Read Program
- Murray Calloway Need Line
- Season’s Reading, Inc.
- International Student Organization
- SAAC Vice President
Griffin Parker, UNI, Men’s Golf, Senior
- First team Scholar athlete in the MVC for 2021, 2022, and 2023. (The first time that has been done by a male golfer in UNI history)
- Dean's list (8 semesters)
- Double major in Accounting and Real Estate
- Community Service
- SAAC Executive team member at UNI
- UNI Hall of Fame Committee
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
- Volunteer for local elementary literacy nights
Alexis Rudd, Southern Illinois, Softball, Junior
- MVC Honor Roll (2021-22, 2022-23)
- SIU Dean’s List (Spring ‘22- Fall ’23)
- SIU Softball team earned 3rd highest GPA in D1 softball (2022-23)
- SIU Softball team earned Top 25 highest GPA in D1 softball (2021-22)
- MVC Commissioners Academic Excellence Award (2022-23)
- Community Service
- Participates in the Green Bandana Project to highlight mental health awareness
- Part of the Saluki Athletics Academics staff, organizing mental health awareness activities
- Community Trunk or Treat event for local youth (2023)
- Volunteer staff for Students vs Supporters softball game hosted by SIU Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office (2023)
- Participated in Saluki Unity walk (2021-22)
Kayla Skapyak, Valparaiso, Softball, Senior
- Dean’s List (Fall ‘20, Fall ‘22, Spring ‘23, Fall ’23)
- Student-Athlete Presidential Academic Honors Award Honoree (2022 and 2023)
- Community Service
- Coordinated donation drive and assembled 100 toiletry bags for women’s shelter, Turning Point, in Mt. Clemens, MI (Nov 2020)
- Member of Impact100 Metro Detroit, an all-female nonprofit serving nonprofits and providing grants in increments of $100,000. Serve on marketing committee supporting event coordination, communications and social media activities (2021-2024)
- DWI Valpo - ending the stigma around mental health for college athletes. Instrumental in starting DWI chapter at Valpo. Served as Marketing Chair (22-23) and currently President (23-24). Lead efforts to coordinate mental health games for all sports. Coordinated planning for former MLB player Drew Robinson to come speak to campus last November.
- SAAC- Serve as a member (22-24) and on EBOARD as the Social Media Chair (23-24). Coordinate meetings and ARC Award content.