In an effort to honor the achievement of exceptional student-athletes, the Missouri Valley conference has created the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award. Eleven student-athletes have been named by Commissioner Jeff Jackson as the honorees for the 2026 Winter season.
This year’s winter honorees include Tuti Jones, Belmont, Women’s Basketball; Claire McDougall, Bradley, Women's Basketball; Taedyn Gray, Drake, Women’s Basketball; Evelyn Chin, Evansville, Women's Swimming and Diving; Malloy Kroeger, UIC, Women's Swimming and Diving; Delany Boulden, Illinois State, Women’s Swimming & Diving; Brenna Woodruff, Indiana State, Women’s Swimming & Diving; Haven Ford, Murray State, Women’s Basketball; Kaylynn Janes, Northern Iowa, Women’s Basketball; Kelowna Ngoyi, Southern Illinois, Women’s Basketball; Eli Liebmann, Valparaiso, Men Swimming & Diving.
Tuti Jones, Belmont, Women's Basketball, Graduate
- 2025 DI-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team
- 2024-25 CSC Academic All-District®
- 2024-25 MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team
- 2024-25 Allstate NACDA Good Works Team Winter Nominee
- 2024 DI-AAA ADA Postgraduate Scholarship Recipient
- 2024 DI-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team
- 2023-24 CSC Academic All-District
- 2023-24 MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team
- Community Service:
- Childcare Assistant at Harvest Hands - Nashville, TN (January 2021 - Present)
- Food Server at Dream Street Grocery Delivery - Nashville, TN (January 2022-May 2022)
- Food Server at Second Harvest Food Bank - Nashville, TN (January 2023 - May 2023)
- Food Preparation at Harvest Hands - Nashville, TN (January 2024-Present)
- Participates in the annual “Shop with the Bruins” event to provide holiday gifts for economically disadvantaged families
- Participates in TAK PAK with Belmont Athletics – a fundraiser providing backpacks and school supplies for Nashville-area foster children
- Helped with Belmont’s basketball clinic for The Covenant School on April 13, 2023. The clinic was put on for all Covenant School families less than a month after the tragic events of March 27, 2023, at The Covenant School.
Claire McDougall, Bradley, Women’s Basketball, Senior
- Sports Communication Major and Health Minor with 3.88 Cumulative GPA
- Bradley University Spring Spotlight Student (2025)
- Dean’s List: Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025
- Athletic Directors Honor Roll: Fall 2023-Fall 2025
- MVC Honor Roll: 2023/2024
- MVC Commissioners Academic Excellence Award: 2024/2025
- Braves Council Representative and Secretary- Fall 2024-Current
- Member of BOLD Institute- student leadership Institute (2025/26)
- Community Service:
- Bradley University “Bid for the Braves” (2023-Current)
- Group Leader for Bradley University’s Power of Sport Initiative with Peoria elementary & middle schools (Fall 2024-Current)
- Peoria Friendship House- Back to School Block Party
- Peoria Riverfront Farmers Market
- Morton Pumpkin Festival
- Bradley University Homecoming- Lighting of the B
- Heller Center for Kids with Cancer
- Proctor Rec. Center- After School Reading Program
- OSF Almost Home Kids
- 50/50 raffle seller at Men’s Basketball Games (2024)
- Night Out with the Braves
Taedyn Gray, Drake, Women's Basketball, Senior
- Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication Public Relations
- Dean's List: Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025
- Community Service:
- Active volunteer with Boys & Girls Club
- Volunteer with Miracle League of Urbandale
- Participant in the Hospital Elder Life Program at UnityPoint Health
- Volunteer at UnityPoint Health Cancer Center
- Visited The Arbordale for social night with residents
- Participated in Books with Bulldogs
- Volunteered at Habitat for Humanity ReStore
- Volunteer with ChildServe
Evelyn Chin, Evansville, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Junior
- Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science
- Dean’s List every semester of attendance at Evansville
- 3.988 GPA
- Community Service:
- Works in the athletic training room at University of Evansville as part of her degree program
- Created a swimming school providing swim lessons to individuals in need within the community
Molly Kroeger, UIC, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Junior
- Maintains a 4.0 GPA in Biomedical Engineering
- Dean’s List every semester of her collegiate career
- Honored as a Flames Scholar-Athlete
- 2024–2025 Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete
- Recipient of the Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award
- Selected to the CSCAA 2025 Spring Scholar All-American Second Team
- Named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team
- 2025 All-MVC Scholar-Athlete Team
- Community Service:
- Committed to community building through swimming and pediatric support, reflecting the values of the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award
- Team IMPACT Student Fellow—plans and executes major service events including the Chicago-area All-In 5K and UIC x Team IMPACT Awareness Game
- Volunteers at youth-focused activities such as Chicago Area Field Day, strengthening connections with children facing serious illnesses
- Participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign in 2022, raising nearly $10,000 individually and contributing to a team total of $50,000
- Taught water safety to children through the No More Under Swim Safely Series, promoting drowning prevention and safe aquatic access in underserved communities
- Contributed to fundraising for gastrointestinal cancer research and patient support via Eisenopoly with the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation
- Active member of the student-Athlete Advisory Committee Community Service Subcommittee (2024–present), organizing initiatives and volunteering across UIC and Chicago
- Helped lead a campus “food fight,” donating over 1,750 items to UIC Pop-up Pantry
- Known for empathy, initiative, and inspiring fellow student-athletes; service impacts children, families, and the broader community
Delaney Boulden, Illinois State, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Senior
- Nursing Major
- Carries a 4.00 cumulative GPA
- Illinois State University Athletics Honor Roll Every Semester of Career- Fall2022-Current
- Illinois State University Dean’s List- Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring2025, Fall 2025
- MVC Honor Roll- 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26
- MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award-2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26
- Illinois State University Honors Program
- Student Nurses Association
- Illinois State University Athletics SAAC Representative (2023-Current)
- Served on SAAC Executive Board as Events Coordinator (2024-25)
- Serves on SAAC Executive Board as Vice President (2025-26)
- Community Service:
- Illinois State University Athletics SAAC Canned Food Drive
- Illinois State University Athletics Pen Pals Program
- Boys and Girls Club of Kansas City
- Lee’s Summit School District Volunteer
- Coldwater Non-Profit Donation Center Volunteer
- Bridging the Gap Trash & Waterway Clean Up
- Bloomington/Normal YMCA
- Happy Bottoms Diaper Non-Profit Volunteer
- Bloomington/Normal Midwest Food Bank
- Bloomington/Normal Shelter Donation Drive Volunteer
- Illinois State University Athletics/State Farm Million Meals Volunteer
- Illinois State University Homecoming Window Painting Volunteer
- Illinois State University Athletics Play4Kay Volunteer
- Red Cross Blood Donation Volunteer
- Illinois State University Women’s Basketball Cancer Fundraiser Volunteer
- OSF St. Joseph’s Medical Center Hospital Cancer Fundraiser Volunteer
- CIDSO Buddy Walk
- Jeremiah 33:6 Non-Profit Food Pantry and Medical Health Screening Volunteer
Brenna Woodruff, Indiana State, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Senior
- 3.7+ GPA in Applied Medicine with public health minor on the pre-PA Track
- Dean’s List every semester
- Community Service:
- President of SAAC and spokesperson/leader for the mental health subcommittee
- The leadership team of Fellowship of Christian Athletes serves through many events, including:
- Happiness bag
- The yearly grace gala (a prom hosted for special needs individuals)
- Yearly FCA banquet
- As well as other organizations through FCA, as well as pre-huddle and huddle every Monday night
- Medical scribe at Union Hospital Emergency Department
- Critical Care Coordinator at Union Hospital Emergency Department
- Gymnastics coach at Wabash Valley Tumbling and gymnastics coaching levels 4, 5, 6, and 7, mentoring the younger athletes and helping set them up for success
- Front desk worker in the student athlete success center, while also tutoring athletes on the subjects of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and pathophysiology
- Working with Kairo, a visualization coaching app, spreading awareness on the importance of visualization for younger athletes and college-level athletes
- Athlete-to-athlete mentorship program, mentoring younger athletes through the sport of gymnastics and diving
Haven Ford, Murray State, Women’s Basketball, Junior
- President’s List (4.0) – Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025
- Community Service:
- Murray-Calloway County Need Line,
- Sleep in Heavenly Place (built beds),
- Journey Church (Back to School Bash, sorting donations, set up for events, etc.),
- Murray/Calloway County Special Olympics and their Champions Ball,
- Racers Day of Service,
- Murray Elementary School Tackle Hunger,
- Classroom of the Month,
- Seasons Readings (reading to students at different elementary schools and preschools),
- Family Resource Center (helped prepare garden bags),
- Racers Food Drive,
- Kids Day (different elementary schools and grade levels came to campus to experience various sports),
- High Attendance Day at Murray Middle (encouraging students to not skip school),
- Murray Middle School (helped set up for various summer programs they have),
- Explore Murray (helped set up an event held in August that shows students and their families what there is in Murray),
- CFSB at Sunset at the Doran Arboretum (helped with games and trail of treat)
Kaylynn Janes, Northern Iowa, Women’s Basketball, Junior
- Majoring in Kinesiology (Exercise Sciences) with a minor in Coaching and Sports Administration
- 3.93 GPA
- Dean's List: Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025
- 2024–2025 Missouri Valley Conference Honor Roll
- 2024–2025 Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete
- 2024–Current member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
- Community Services
- Coach and trainer for young basketball players in camps and training sessions for local Iowa youth
- Community Service:
- Helped host UNI Women’s Basketball Golf Charity Event (2024 & 2025)
- Helped host/volunteer at UNI’s Hoops for Heels Charity Event (2024 & 2025)
- Catered and volunteered at UNI’s Rally in the Valley Night (2024)
- Participated in UNI’s Pack the Dome Charity Event (2025 & 2026)
- Participant and volunteer in UNI’s Live Purple Give Gold Event (2024)
- Volunteer at local church Sunday dinners
- Volunteer at nursing home events
- Volunteer at House of Hope
- Volunteer at community events around UNI campus (Sturgis Parade, Trunk or Treat, Unity Walk, etc.)
Kelowna Ngovi, Southern Illinois, Women's Basketball, Sophomore
- 3.91 GPA in Computer Science, Graduating May 2026 in her sophomore season
- SIU Dean’s List 2024-25 and Fall 2025
- 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Honor Roll
- Community Service:
- Don’t Dirty the Dale community clean-up
- Prairie Living Nursing home visit
- Special Olympics Adopt-A-Duck fundraising campaign
- Volunteer at recess at Lewis Elementary
- 9/11 Stair Climb Challenge
- Hopewell Baptist Church Vacation Bible School volunteer
Eli Liebmann, Valparaiso, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Senior
- Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award (2024–2025)
- Cumulative GPA: 3.013
- Community Service:
- Over 250 hours of service over the past 3 years
- Active member of Phi Kappa Psi, heavily involved in philanthropy
- Indiana Dunes Cleanup
- Dorchester Swim
- Valpo Freshman Move-In
- Chefs Around the Table
- Boys & Girls Clubs
- Smart Start Learning Center
- St. Don Bosco Children’s Center
- Bringing Children Hope
- Valpo Athletics
- Served two summers at One life Camp Role: Camp counselor—led daily activities, Bible devotions, conflict resolution, and ensured campers felt valued and included