INDIANAPOLIS – After a decisive vote from the league's sports information directors, Malone’s Bailey Byers was officially labeled as the winner of the 2020-21 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Female Athlete of the Year award on Monday afternoon.
The Great Midwest Female Athlete of the Year is traditionally presented on an annual level to a nominee based on athletic accomplishments and contributions to their specific sports and the institution’s overall athletic program.
Byers, a senior catcher/infielder, from Alliance, Ohio, had an impressive number of achievements surrounding her name and the Pioneers’ program in the spring of 2021 as she emerged as a consensus Division II All-American.
She slugged her way to D2CCA and NFCA First Team All-American honors and was also selected as the D2CCA Midwest Region Player of the Year and the Great Midwest Player of the Year. Byers helped her team to a third-place finish in the conference standings with a 15-7 league record.
Byers was also a finalist for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year.
Byers helped Malone lead the conference as a team in batting average as the Pioneers hit .328 in 36 games played. Malone also lead all teams in slugging percentage (.510) and finished second in home runs.
Byers was the catalyst for the offensive prowess this spring by head coach Kathryn Bzdafka’s program in Canton. The senior was the conference leader in batting average (.504), slugging percentage (1.044), on base percentage (.570) and home runs (15). She was second in total bases (118).
The slugging percentage number also represented a single-season conference record.
“Bailey has been instrumental in building the culture of our program the past four years,” said Bzdafka. “The legacy that she has built for herself goes far beyond stat lines or awards. Her ability to improve every year and make everyone around her better shows the standard and influence she has as a leader.”
Byers was also the conference player of the week two times and received NFCA National Player of the Week honors. She ranked ninth in Division II in batting average, tied for ninth in on base percentage and her slugging percentage was third nationally. Her home run total was tied for 11th with three other players.
“Bailey is truly worthy of the recognition and accomplishments that she has received as a student-athlete at Malone,” Bzdafka said. “However, the most impressive things about her is her humility. We are so proud of Bailey and are thankful for her time as a Pioneer!”
Additional finalists for 2020-21 Female Athlete of the Year included Ohio Dominican’s Angela Troyer (women’s basketball), Cedarville’s Ashlyn Huffman (women’s basketball), Findlay’s Jill Schmitmeyer (women’s golf), Ohio Valley’s Joslyn Goins (women’s golf), Hillsdale’s Kajsa Johansson (track and field), Tiffin’s Marisa Gwinner (track and field), Walsh’s Ndidiamaka Anaraodo (track and field) and Kentucky Wesleyan’s Tahlia Walton (women’s basketball). Each member institution's SID was permitted (1) male and (1) female nominee to put on the voting ballot for the most recently completed academic year.