April 28, 2010

Misialek, Ray named Student Athletes of the Year; Bacastow, Jr. Tiger Booster of the Year

With Tiger athletics ranking first in the nation out of 525 schools in the current NATYCAA (National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators) Cup standings, a record crowd of more than 440 people attended the college’s 2010 Athletic Awards Banquet Tuesday night in the Arkansas City Agri Business Building.

“This is a way for us to honor the outstanding men and women we have here at Cowley that can compete at the national level,” Cowley College athletic director Tom Saia said. “They do it in the classroom and the athletic fields. I am proud of the young people we are associated with here at Cowley.”

Saia, along with Tiger Booster Club President Mark Patrick, provided a run down of the Tiger athletic programs. Those in attendance were then treated to a steak dinner and slide show prior to the awards ceremony.

Saia thanked Jim Miller and Robert Rogers for preparing the dinner for the evening, as well as the individuals in the Foster Parent program, which take their time to support Tiger athletes that are away from home.

Then came time to announce the college’s Male and Female Student Athlete’s of the Year. This year’s winners were, B.J. Misialek of the Tiger baseball team, and cross country/track and field athlete Robin Ray.

It was then time to announce the winners of the Conrad and Janet Jimison Tiger Booster of the Year. Conrad spent 37 years working at Cowley College prior to retiring in 2005.

This year’s recipient of the award was Albert Bacastow, Jr. of Arkansas City. Along with serving as a member of the Cowley College Board of Trustees, Bacastow is an avid Tiger supporter. He and his wife, Karen, can be seen at numerous Cowley College sporting events.

The couples’ daughter, Kim, graduated from the school in 2007 and Albert’s sisters, Linda Neal, and Rose Anne Hendrickson, each graduated from Cowley. His father, Albert Sr., also attended the school.

Bacastow, who graduated from Cowley in 1965, was surprised to hear his name called as Tiger Booster of the Year.

“This means a lot to me,” Bacastow said. “Cowley is such a great place, it is fun to be involved with it.”
Bacastow began attending Tiger basketball games with his father, Albert Sr., while in junior high school.

“It’s just something I enjoy,” Bacastow said. “It’s amazing how the athletic program has evolved. The quality of athletes and people that work here make it a great organization.”

With so many outstanding boosters to choose from, the decision was not an easy one.

“He is one of many wonderful boosters that we have,” Saia said. “This award is long overdue, he loves Cowley athletics and gives us tremendous support. I am honored to present this award to him because he is a good friend, a great man, and has a great family.”

The awards for Student Athletes of the Year were also difficult to determine with so many worthy candidates. However, you can’t go wrong by selecting B.J. Misialek and Robin Ray.

Misialek is a Pre-Engineering major from Edmond, Oklahoma. He was named the school's January Student Athlete of the Month and the April Student of the Month. He also was recently crowned Mr. Cinderfella.

“It’s nice to be recognized again, especially because there are so many others that are deserving as well,” Misialek said.

Along with being a standout member of the baseball team, Misialek was a Cowley Captain last fall and serves as a resident assistant in the Storbeck Dormitory.

As a freshman, Misialek batted .377 with a team-leading nine home runs and 58 runs batted in as he helped the Cowley baseball team capture its third straight conference title. Misialek also helped Cowley win the Region VI championship and advance to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, CO. where he belted two home runs in the Tigers’ three games.

Cowley had to win five games in three days to earn the right to play at the JUCO World Series. Misialek played a pivotal role in Cowley advancing as he went 12-for-28 with seven RBIs at the Region VI Tournament.

Misialek was named Second-Team All-Conference as a freshman, and was also selected Academic All-Conference. He currently maintains a 3.82 grade point average.

This season, Misialek has helped Cowley to a record of 31-13 overall and 25-7 in the Jayhawk East. The Tigers have won 10 of its last 11 games with Misialek batting .361 with 14 doubles, three home runs and 39 runs batted in. He also has 10 stolen bases and an on base percentage of .445 while playing second base for the Tigers.

Robin Ray is a pre-med major that grew up in McAlester, OK. She recently signed a letter of intent to run cross country and track at the University of Oklahoma.

Along with her success as a member of the cross country and track and field teams at Cowley, Ray is also involved in Phi Theta Kappa, Math and Science club, ACES, IMPACT and intramurals. She also serves as a student ambassador, Cowley Captain, and Cowley tutor. She was named the IMPACT Student of the Year as a freshman and was this year’s October Student Athlete of the Month, and December Student of the Month. She also was chosen for a Member Award for her work with PTK, and was nominated for the Cowley College Student of the Year award.

“This just really tops off my year and is the icing on the cake,” Ray said.

Despite her busy schedule, she has managed to maintain a 3.71 grade point average.

Ray had a solid first season with the Lady Tiger cross country team as she was named an all-conference and all-region runner. However, her first season accomplishments pale in comparison to what she was able to achieve as a sophomore.

This year, she placed third in the region and was the Jayhawk East conference champion as she helped the Cowley College women’s cross country team capture the region title for the first time in the program’s history, and win its first conference title since 2002.

Ray went on to be named a NJCAA All-American as she helped the Lady Tigers place fourth out of 35 teams at the NJCAA Division I National Championships held in Peoria, IL. The fourth place finish tied the program’s highest ever national finish as Cowley also placed fourth in 2006.

At the national meet, Ray was the first American born runner to finish the race as she placed seventh with a time of 18:20. She has left her mark on the Cowley program as her time of 18:20 was the second fastest time in school history.

She capped her brilliant sophomore cross country campaign by placing third at the NJCAA Half Marathon Classic in Overland Park. Her third place finish, which garnered her another set of NJCAA All-American honors, was a big reason why Cowley finished first at the meet.

Ray is coming off an indoor track season in which she was named the Region VI Female Athlete of the Meet. Ray was the conference and region champion in the mile run (5:15.18) and 3,000-meter run (10:26.75). She was also the conference champion in the 5,000-meter run (18:41.39), while placing second in the region.

Her performance helped Cowley capture its first conference and region titles since 2007. She wasn’t finished there as she went on to become the national champion in the 3,000-meter run, was the national runner-up in the mile run, and was third in the 5,000-meter run at the NJCAA National Indoor Championships. Ray earned NJCAA All-American honors in all three events and broke the school record in the 3,000-meter run (10:12.10) and mile run (5:09.72).

Last weekend, Ray placed first in the 1,500 and 5,000-meter runs at the Southwestern Relays.

The evening concluded with TBC President Mark Patrick thanking the student athletes, coaches, and Saia for their hard work and dedication to Tiger athletics.

“Tom does a wonderful job with our athletic department and sets a great example to the people in Arkansas City,” Patrick said.

2009-2010 Student Athletes of the Month that were recognized at the banquet:

• September — Jamie Blackim, Women’s Tennis
• October — Robin Ray, Women’s Cross Country
• November — Ashley Spencer, Softball
• December — Michelle O’Dell, Volleyball
• January — B.J. Misialek, Baseball
• February — Jory Custar, Men’s Track
• March — Kaneesha Lee, Women’s Basketball
• April — Lloyd Bruce-Burgess, Men’s Tennis
• May — Katie Gillmore, Women’s Track