Nov. 30, 2006

DALLAS - Jodie Heinicka of the University of Missouri Gymnastics team was named the 2006 Big 12 Female Sportsperson of the Year. She will be honored by the conference at the Big 12 Championship football game on December 2, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. She is currently a Graduate Assistant with the University of Missouri's Total Person Program pursuing a master's degree in Education Leadership Policy.

The Big 12 annually recognizes its top male and female sportsperson. The Sportspersons of the Year Award was started prior to the 2000-01 academic year to recognize student-athletes who displayed an extraordinary degree of sportsmanship and/or community service during the academic year.

Heinicka, a native of Seminole, Fla. spent her time in Columbia as an active participant in university and city activities. She was involved in the Can Food Drive for Central Missouri Food Bank, participated in the Dance-a-thon for children's diseases and visited the children's Cancer Patient Ward at the University Hospital. Heinicka organized a Habitat for Humanity project to help a local family in Columbia get their first home. At Christmas she helped organize an Adopt-A-Family project and wrapped Christmas presents for a number of local families. She also worked at the water station for the Domestic Violence Half Marathon Race, volunteered at the local Boone Hospital and visited Columbia grade schools to read and mentor children.

Every morning at 6 a.m., Heinicka helped a quadriplegic male with his morning routine of exercises, getting dressed and putting him in his wheelchair. The man was at her gymnastics meets cheering from the stands. In addition to these activities, Heinicka represented Missouri on the Big 12 Student Athlete Advisory Committee and was elected to be the student athlete representative for the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee. She also served as vice president for SAAC and was chosen to complete a public service announcement television commercial.

Female
2001		Kim Woodlee, Kansas State; basketball
2002		Natalie Ritchie, Texas Tech; basketball
2003		Laura Pilakowski, Nebraska; volleyball
2004		Jessika Stratton, Baylor; basketball
2005		Richelle Simpson, Nebraska; gymnastics
2006		Jodie Heinicka, Missouri; gymnastics
Male
2001		Dan Alexander, Nebraska; football
2002		Cael Sanderson, Iowa State; wrestling
2003		Jeff Leise, Nebraska; baseball
2004		Mark Clayton and Lynn McGruder, Oklahoma; football
2005		Ahmard Hall, Texas; football
2006		Parker Dalton, Texas A&M; baseball