OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University recognized
Noah Barks as its male student-athlete of the year and
Kennedy Jackson as female student-athlete of the year in the 2021-22 Jim Wade Awards on Sunday at the Petree Recital Hall.
Jim Wade Award winners annually have been selected by OCU's athletic department as those who best represent the Stars in and out of competition and reflect the spirit of the award's namesake, the late Gen. Jim Wade. Each OCU team named its own Jim Wade Award winner to be considered for the overall awards. The Stars honored their latest induction class into Chi Alpha Sigma, a national student-athlete honor society, as well as the OCU men's track & field team, which took the Stars' latest national championship in the NAIA indoor national meet in March.
Barks, a senior from Mustang, Okla., has spearheaded Oklahoma City to a 37-3 record, 16-2 SAC mark and the No. 5 ranking in the NAIA. Barks has turned in a .352 batting average, two home runs, 29 RBIs, a .429 on-base percentage, 16 doubles, a triple, 11 stolen bases and 38 runs scored this year.
In his career, Barks has delivered a .339 average, five homers, 93 RBIs, 192 hits, 141 runs scored, 51 doubles, five triples and 32 steals. Barks collected all-Sooner Athletic Conference acclaim as a freshman.
Barks owns a 3.70 cumulative grade-point average entering 2021-22 studying biochemistry. Barks' academic accolades are two-time NAIA scholar-athlete, two-time SAC scholar-athlete, two-time academic all-conference and two-time SAC commissioner's honor roll. Barks aims to pursue a doctorate after completing his undergraduate work.
Jackson, a senior from Moore, Okla., has become a three-time NAIA softball all-American, National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-American, three-time all-region performer, four-time all-conference selection, NFCA golden shoe award winner and SAC player of the year.
Jackson owns the most stolen bases in Oklahoma City softball history with 186. Jackson surpassed Cathy Hayes' 167 she stole from 1988-91 with her 10th steal this season Feb. 19 against Columbia (Mo.) in Chickasha, Okla. She has led the Stars to a 30-4 mark, 16-3 in the SAC, and the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA. In her Stars career, Jackson has posted a .446 average, 355 hits, 297 runs scored, 27 doubles, 14 triples and 103 RBIs.
An elementary education major, Jackson has produced a 3.78 cumulative GPA. Jackson has been recognized for her academic work as a two-time CoSIDA academic all-American, two-time academic all-district, two-time NAIA scholar-athlete, two-time SAC scholar-athlete, four-time academic all-SAC, four-time conference commissioner's honor roll recipient and NFCA all-America scholar-athlete. Jackson has accepted the head fastpitch softball coaching position for Wilson High School in Wilson, Okla.
Oklahoma City collected the national title in the NAIA men's indoor track & field championships on March 3-5 in Brookings, S.D. OCU owns 71 national championships in all sports with at least one national crown captured over the past 29 years dating back to 1993-94.
Wade competed for OCU in baseball, basketball and football and became an OCU Athletic Hall of Famer and university trustee emeritus. Wade was a general in the U.S. Air Force who was decorated for service in the Korean War and had tours of duty in World War II and the Vietnam War. He earned his bachelor of arts from the university in 1949. OCU's baseball field, office suites and soccer press box bear his name.
Jim Wade Award Winners
MALE
2006–Jeff McLaughlin, baseball
2007–Kameron Gray, men's basketball
2008–Kameron Gray, men's basketball
2009–Brandon Hull, men's soccer
2010–Ben Bench, men's golf
2011–Chad Carman, baseball
2012–Chad Carman, baseball
2013–Charlton Jones, men's basketball
2014–Mark Anderson, men's golf
2015–Ryan Wright, baseball
2016–Hunter Marcum, baseball
2017–Terence Bonhomme, men's basketball
2018–Terence Bonhomme, men's basketball
2019–Quinton Walbergh, baseball
2021–David Meyers, men's golf
2022–
Noah Barks, baseball
FEMALE
2006–Randi Scheer, softball
2007–Roxie Luegge, women's rowing
2008–Viola Beybeyah, women's basketball
2009–Mindy Crabaugh, softball
2010–Jenni Gaby, softball
2011–Brittany Tibbs, women's soccer-softball
2012–Emily Davis, women's basketball
2013–Lauren Gober, women's basketball
2014–Elia Folch, women's golf; Beatrize Martinez, women's wrestling
2015–Emily Webster, women's wrestling
2016–Caroline Goodin, women's golf
2017–Caroline Goodin, women's golf
2018–Aminat Olowora, women's cross country & track & field
2019–Cassidy Jasperson, women's wrestling; Dominique Kopecky, competitive cheerleading/STUNT
2021–Cierra Foster, women's wrestling
2022–
Kennedy Jackson, softball
2021-22 JIM WADE AWARD WINNERS BY SPORT
Baseball: Noah Barks
Men's basketball: Elie Ghomsi
Men's cross country/track & field: Zouhair Talbi
Men's golf: Dalton Daniel
Men's soccer: John Woodhead
Men's wrestling: Keegan Luton
Rowing: Nikola Uveric
Women's basketball: Abby Selzer
Competitive cheerleading: McKenzie Landes
Competitive pom/dance: Jordyn Pierson
Women's cross country/track & field: Cailen Jolley
Women's golf: Natalie Gough
Softball: Kennedy Jackson
STUNT: Kristin Oliphant
Women's soccer: Madison Caputo
Volleyball: Isabel Harwell
Women's wrestling: Destiny Lyng
2021-22 CHI ALPHA SIGMA INDUCTEES
Aubrey Armstrong, women's soccer
Pedro Becerra, men's track & field
Manuel Belmonte, men's soccer
Sofia Carvajal Granados, women's soccer
Landy Champlin, competitive dance
Dalton Daniel, men's golf
Dane Drennan, competitive cheerleading
Alexandra Eckelbarger, competitive dance
Megan Filler, STUNT
Paige Graham, women's soccer
Grace Keen, women's rowing
Sarah Koopman, competitive dance
Elizabeth Heffernan, women's cross country/track & field
April Hill, women's soccer
Braden Hill, baseball
Cailen Jolley, women's cross country/track & field
Kaitlyn Jones, softball
Jusung Kang, men's soccer
Josie Knox, women's soccer
Mallorie Lane, women's soccer
Laurel Marsh, competitive cheerleading
Mallory McCoy, softball
Thomas McElyea, men's soccer
Madison McEwin, women's soccer
Holly Parker, competitive dance
Harvey Paul, men's soccer
Angeli Pena, competitive dance
Emma Petherick, competitive dance
Charles Pitman, competitive dance
Tyler Polk, baseball
Irene Sanchez, women's wrestling
Millie Templeman, women's soccer
Sydney Turbeville, competitive dance
Nicola Uveric, men's rowing
Alejandro Viera, men's soccer
Olivia Williams, STUNT
