Jamestown (uj.edu) University of Jamestown seniors Kylee Voigt and Kensaku Akiya have been selected as the Kennedy S. Wanner Memorial Trophy winners for the 2019-20 academic year.
Voigt, a native of Richardton, N.D., is a sprinter on the Jimmie women’s track and field team while Akiya, from Kawasaki, Japan, is a pitcher for the UJ baseball team.
The Kennedy S. Wanner Memorial Award was established by the brothers and sisters of Kennedy S. Wanner, a Jamestown College student killed in World War I.
The recipients of the Kennedy S. Wanner Memorial Trophy are selected by department’s coaching staff in consultation with the Athletic Director and Chairman of the Kinesiology Department. Selection is based on the student’s scholastic record, participation in intercollegiate athletics, and high ideals.
Kensaku Akiya is majoring in Health and Fitness was selected as a College Fellow and twice has made the Dean’s List.
In 2019, Akiya had a 7-0 record on the mound for the Jimmie baseball team while earning Great Plains Athletic Conference all-conference honors. He played a large role in helping Jamestown win the GPAC Tournament Championship. This spring Akiya was lauded by Collegiate Baseball as one of its pre-season players to watch.
“Kensaku is a first class individual and has been a team leader on and off the field for the Jimmies,” said head coach Tom Hager. “He is everywhere on our campus and community—work-study, fundraising, peer tutoring, and community service. He truly makes our team, school, and community a better place!”
Voigt is a seven-time NAIA Track and Field national qualifier (4×400-meter relay in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and outdoor nationals in the 4×400-meter relay in 2018 and 2019; indoor 400-meter dash in 2019 and 2020), seven-time conference champion (indoor 200-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay and outdoor 4×400-meter relay in 2017; indoor 400-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay and outdoor 400-meter dash in 2018 and outdoor 4×400-meter relay in 2019), and finished in the top eight of individual events or top three in relays 26 times to earn all-conference honors. Voigt is part of the school record 4×200 and 4×400-meter relay teams and has the second fastest time ever in the 400-meter dash and fifth best time in the 200-meter dash in school history.
She is majoring in Exercise Science and has been admitted to the University of Mary School of Physical Therapy. Voigt has been named to the Dean’s List five times, and is a two-time winner of the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Award.
“Kylee will go down as one of the best ever Jimmie track and field performers,” said head coach Megan Kuehl. “Her dedication on both the track and in the classroom has paid off. She has set a high standard for future Jimmies to uphold.”
