Two former Missouri Western student-athletes to be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame
Apr. 4—On Thursday the MIAA Conference announced that eight former student-athletes, two former coaches and one former administrator will be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.
Two of those former eight student-athletes played their collegiate careers at Missouri Western, and are representing the Griffons on a big stage. The two inductees include Jackie Bishop, softball student-athlete from 2011-14 and Kasey Waterman, football student-athlete from 1998-2001.
Jackie Bishop tops the Missouri Western softball career record books with 96 wins, 977 strikeouts, a 1.44 era, 828 innings pitched, 142 appearances, 105 complete games and 29 shutouts. A four-time All-MIAA First Team selection, Bishop was tabbed the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2011 and was named MIAA Pitcher of the Year twice (2012, 2014).
She helped Western to its first-ever MIAA Softball regular season championship title, to which Jackie also was dominant in the circle as they won the MIAA Tournament Championship in 2014, also a program first. Bishop was named the Daktronics All-South Central Region Pitcher of the Year in 2012 and a First Team Daktronics All-South Central Region selection in 2012 and 2014.
She was also named to the NFCA Second Team All-South Central Region Team in 2012 and the NFCA First Team All-Region Team in 2014. In her final year with the Griffons, Jackie was named a Daktronics All-American. She still ranks second all-time in MIAA career pitching wins (96) and is still in the top five in career strikeouts (977).
Kasey Waterman graduated from Missouri Western as the most decorated quarterback in the program's history. The four-time All-MIAA selection was tabbed the 1998 MIAA Co-Freshman of the Year before breaking the Association's career passing record with 10,025 yards.
His career passing yards still currently ranks fourth all-time in the MIAA and second at Missouri Western. Upon graduation, Waterman was also the MIAA's career leader in total offense with 10,056 yards and still ranks fifth in that category. His 98 career touchdown passes are still an MWSU record as well as his 32 single-season touchdown passes in the 2000 season.
Waterman also owns MWSU records for pass completions in a single game and single season, and passing yards per game. He ranks second in career completions, third in career completion percentage and second in total offense.
Waterman was also a punter for the Griffon football team. His 5,015 career punting yards rank third all-time at MWSU.
Waterman was instrumental in leading the turnaround of the MWSU football program in the 2000 season, leading the team to an 8-1 MIAA record and capturing the program's first postseason berth in 21 years. Waterman was elected to the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Emporia State Hall of Fame in 2017.
The Hall of Fame induction will occur during the MIAA Awards Ceremony presented by Husch Blackwell, on Monday, June 3, in the Music Hall at the Kansas City Convention Center.
Calvin Silvers can be reached at calvin.silvers@newspressnow.com.
