Missouri Southern has been recognized through awards this past week. Lions have been named honorable mention, as well as a coach earning a coach of the year award. 

Jamie Burnham is your MIAA men’s cross country coach of the year. Burnham has gotten this award now for the second time in three seasons. 

He helped lead his team to a MIAA championship this year as well. A 31-point performance from the Lions was the second best in the MIAA in 23 years. It’s only second to his own teams 22-point performance in 2014. 

Burnham has consistently led a successful program here at Missouri Southern and is recognized greatly for doing so. 

Honorable Mention

The Lions didn’t earn any first, second, or third team All-MIAA athletes, but they did have six players named honorable mention. Those six players were, punter Riley Hathorn, offensive linemen Matt Griffin, and Mike Dzierzega, defensive lineman Levi Marlay, linebacker Akel Beard, and defensive back Korenzo Credit. 

Hathorn was 38th nationally in punting and sixth in the MIAA. He averaged nearly 41 yards per punt, and he broke a single-season record for the Lions with 83 punts on the year. 

Griffin and Dzierzega led an offensive line that allowed the fewest tackles for a loss in the MIAA (38th nationally), as well as sacks allowed (39th nationally).

Marlay finished with 31 tackles. Beard finished with 61 tackles (2.5 for loss), good for third on the team, and he broke up three passes, and forced a fumble. Credit led the team with three interceptions, and he finished with 25 tackles and five pass breakups.