KEARNEY, Neb. – Nine Tigers ran away with first place finishes at the UNK Loper Invitational held Wednesday and Thursday. The Fort Hays State women’s track and field team also achieved eight provisionals at the meet, continuing their showing in the outdoor season.

Wednesday night gave the Tigers their first top finish as three FHSU athletes swept the top spots in the 5,000-meter. Lindsay Roberts claimed the event with her time of 17:57.56, with teammates Yessenia Gonzales (18:09.06) and Lauren Roberts (18:33.66) following close behind.

Thursday would see eight more top finishes for the women, starting with Amber Forbes claiming first place in the 100-meters at 11.93, a provisional mark as well as a personal best. Kelly Wycoff produced two championship performances on the day, both alongside provisional and personal bests. In the 200-meters, Wycoff defeated the field with her time of 24.08, while capping her 400-meter performance with a time of 54.95.This time sets Wycoff to the No. 2 position in Division II.

The two Tiger relay teams earned first in their respective differences. First, the squad of Forbes, Wycoff, Yanoudji Diarra and Sharee Zombo captured the 4×100 with a time of 46.84, a provisional mark and personal record for the group. In the 4×400 relay, Lindsay Schupe, Diarra, Forbes and Wycoff ran away from the field with their top time of 3:57.57.

Three first place finishes were completed in field events for Fort Hays State. Leading the way was Madison Wolf who continues her streak of winning every meet on the season, as she topped the javelin field with her provisional throw of 155 feet, 10 inches. Teammate Alexcia Deutscher was close behind in the runner-up position while also claiming a provisional at her distance of 143 feet, 5 inches. Two Tigers finished in the top-three in the pole vault, with Selam Ball claiming the field at 12 feet 3 ½ inches, a provisional mark. Halie Turner hit a height of 11 feet, 11 ¾ inches to come in third place. Summer Kragel out-jumped her competitors in the high jump, winning the event at 5 feet, 2 ¼ inches.

The Tigers are next in action April 19-21 as they travel to Lawrence for the Kansas Relays.

KEARNEY, Neb. – After moving up their competition to today, the Fort Hays State men’s track and field team wasn’t fazed by the shorter preparation time. The Tigers produced seven first place finishes, while earning five provisional marks at the UNK Loper Invitational held in Kearney.

The winning for the Tigers started Wednesday night as three athletes swept the top spots in the 5,000-meter run. Oscar Carmona won the event with his time of 15:03.91, followed by teammates Robbie Schmidt (15.17.97) and Layton Werth (15:28.71).

Malcom Gardner captured his provisional, while also claiming the top place in the 200-meter with his time of 20.97, a new personal record. Gardner also finished in the runner-up position in the 400-meters, coming in at 49.05. Kyle Comstock ran away with the first place finish in the 110 hurdles, finishing the task in 14.70. In the longer hurdles at 400-meters, Weston Riner claimed the victory at 54.85. Israel Barco took the 3,000-meter steeplechase event, clocking a time of 9:49.81.

The Tigers also remained dominate in field events, starting with Kolt Newell earning both first place and a provisional in the high jump with his height of 6 feet, 8 ¾ inches. Two provisionals were met in the pole vault, as Jake Morrow finished in the runner-up position at 16 feet, 9 ¼ inches, followed by teammate Sam Dreiling coming in just below at 16 feet, 7 ¼ inches. TJ Dozier claimed his first place in the discus with a throw of 173 feet, 9 inches. This mark was also good enough for a provisional. Dozier earned his second provisional by finishing in second place in the hammer throw, boasting a distance of 188 feet, 10 inches. Derek Bixenman also earned a runner-up finish in the javelin throw, going for 173 feet, 9 inches.

Fort Hays State is back in action April 19-21 as they travel to Lawrence for the Kansas Relays.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State dropped both games of a doubleheader at Missouri Western on Thursday (Apr. 12). The Tigers had a brief lead in the first game before the Griffons rallied for six unanswered runs in a 7-2 decision. In the nightcap, the Tigers could not find a timely hit in several run-scoring opportunities and fell 1-0.

Game 1: Missouri Western 7, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State held a brief lead of 2-1 after a Bailey Boxberger 2-RBI double with the bases loaded in the top of the third inning. However, Missouri Western took the lead back in the bottom half of the third when Lonnie Groves hit a 2-out, 2-run home run. The Griffons pulled away steadily from that point and won by a final of 7-2.

The Griffons initially took the lead with a run in the second inning on a two-out RBI double before the Tigers scored their only runs in the third. The Griffons went on to plate runs in all of their turns at the plate except the first inning. A solo homer added a run in the fourth, an error and RBI single brought home runs in the fifth, and another error produced a run in the sixth.

Sierra Rodriguez threw 4.2 innings in the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on 11 hits with a strikeout. Megan Jamison relieved for a third of an inning. Hailey Chapman threw the final inning and allowed an unearned run, while yielding a walk.

Boxberger and Rodriguez each went 2-for-3 at the plate, both recording doubles in the game. Candace Bollig and Terran Caldwell scored the runs for FHSU in the second on Boxberger’s double.

Kenzie Hilzer tossed a complete game, allowing five hits and two walks, while striking out three. One of her two runs allowed were earned.

Game 2: Missouri Western 1, Fort Hays State 0
Fort Hays State had plenty of opportunities to tie or take a lead in the nightcap, but a single run by Missouri Western in the first inning held up. The Griffons took the game 1-0 to sweep the doubleheader.

With two outs in the first inning, Missouri Western used a double and a Lonnie Groves RBI single to generate its only run. From that point, Tiger pitcher Hailey Chapman held the Griffons to just two hits the rest of the way and just four overall for the game.

The Tigers outhit the Griffons 6-4 in the game, but had nothing to show for it in the run column. In the first inning, the Tigers had runners reach first and third with one out thanks to a Griffon error. However, immediately following, a pop up on the infield and a fly out to left field ended the threat. In the second inning, the Tigers had consecutive singles with one out to put runners at first and second, but a foul out and line out ended that threat.

The Tigers had another excellent opportunity in the fourth when they had a pair of singles to open the inning. However, the Tigers’ struggled to move runners again with a strikeout, interference on the next play by a runner, and then a groundout to end the inning.

In the fifth, the Tigers got a runner on with one out due to an error, but then grounded into a double play to end another threat. With one out in the sixth, Grace Philop doubled, moved to third on a fielder’s choice, but a groundout ended another chance at a run. FHSU went down in order in the seventh inning, suffering its 20th straight loss away from Hays.

Kaili Hinds scattered six hits to go with two strikeouts in her complete game win for the Griffons. Hailey Chapman took another tough-luck loss, allowing just one run on four hits with five strikeouts. Grace Philop was the lone Tiger with a pair of hits in the game, going 2-for-3 at the dish.

Fort Hays State remains two games back of eighth place in the MIAA standings after Nebraska-Kearney lost twice to Northwest Missouri State. Nebraska-Kearney, Emporia State, Lindenwood, and Missouri Southern are all four games under .500 in MIAA play.

Another schedule adjustment has been made for Friday’s doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State. The games will begin at 10 am in Maryville, Mo.