HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team took to the mat against rival Central Oklahoma on Friday (Dec. 1). The Tigers fell to the Bronchos in the first MIAA dual of the season for FHSU 22-14.

Conrad Cole made a statement in the first bout of the evening as he upset the fourth-ranked wrestler in the nation in the 125-pound weight class, Joshua Lindsey, with a 16-1 technical fall victory to put the Tigers up 5-0 early. In the second match, Blake Dauphin cut into the FHSU lead with a 6-2 decision over Dy’Juan Carney in the 133-pound class to make the match score 5-3 in favor of the Tigers.

At 141 pounds, second-ranked Brandon Ball increased the Tigers lead to 8-3 in the dual as he defeated Rio Zamora with a 7-0 decision extending his undefeated start to the season in check as he moves to 10-0 in his sophomore season.

In the 149-pound bout, true freshman Brody Lewis dropped his match to Will Steltzlen by a 9-1 major decision as the Bronchos inched a little bit closer to the Tigers as the lead fell to one, 8-7.

Efe Osaghae battled with the #7 ranked wrestler in Division II, Bryan Dutton, until giving up an escape in the fourth overtime period. Dutton won with a sudden victory to give the Bronchos their first lead of the night in the match, 10-8.

In the 165-pound bout, Marty Verhaeghe didn’t hold up against Mason Thompson for long as Thompson pinned Verhaeghe in 1:44 to give the Bronchos a bit of breathing room in the match as they doubled their lead over the Tigers 16-8.

Dylan Wiesner took to the mat in the 174-pound weight class against the eighth-ranked Miguel Barreras to fall short after picking up a few stalling points on Barreras in the third period. Wiesner dropped the bout 8-5 and UCO started to pull away from the Tigers as they now lead 19-8.

The Tigers were not quite done as Micah Felton competed against Ried Rodich in the 184-pound class. Felton held on to the end of the bout to claim a 3-0 decision over Rodich and make the match score 19-11.

Rakim Dean picked up where Felton left off and added a few more points for the Tigers in the 197-pound bout as he squeaked a 6-5 decision by Colton Looper.

In the last bout of the evening, Dakota Gulley took the mat in the 285-pound match. Gulley wasn’t able to overcome an early takedown from fourth-ranked Caleb Cotter as Gulley dropped the bout 6-3 and Central Oklahoma won the match with a final score of 22-14.

The Tigers will take tomorrow off and come back on Sunday (Dec. 3) as they host the annual Bob Smith Open here in Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Open is set to commence at 9 a.m.

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State landed six players on the 2017 D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Team, released on Friday (Dec. 1). FHSU had four first team selections, including running back Kenneth Iheme, offensive lineman Travis Talley, defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd, and safety Doyin Jibowu. Second team selections went to kicker Brandon Brown and linebacker Jose Delgado.

D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Team

Fort Hays State had the most selections to the D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Team with six, voted on by sports information directors throughout Super Region 3. Ferris State and Southern Arkansas each had five.

Iheme ranks second among Super Region 3 running backs in rushing yards, finishing the year with 1,380 on 230 carries. DeShawn Jones of Missouri S&T, who joins Iheme as a first-team selection, led the Super Region in rushing yards with 1,579. Iheme averaged 6.0 yards per carry for the season and 115 rushing yards per game. He produced seven 100-yard rushing games, with 189 as his season high against Pittsburg State. He was one of 34 candidates considered for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II Player of the Year), finishing the season with 1,690 all-purpose yards. With 2,569 rushing yards in his career, Iheme finished seventh on the all-time rushing list at FHSU. He is eighth on the all-time all-purpose yards list at FHSU with 3,458. Iheme adds this honor to a unanimous All-MIAA First Team selection this season.

Talley anchored the Fort Hays State offensive line this year at right tackle, helping the team average 441.5 total yards of offense per game. The Tiger offense was balanced in 2017, averaging 257.3 passing yards per game and 184.2 rushing yards per game. Talley was also an All-MIAA First Team selection.

Shepherd, one of the nation’s top defensive linemen, earns a first-team nod after earning MIAA Defensive Player of the Year and All-MIAA First Team honors. Shepherd had a profound impact on opposing offenses this year, often double and triple teamed. He finished the year with 38 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. Shepherd was a three-time All-MIAA selection at FHSU, finishing his career with 168 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. He has an invite to participate in the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl, held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Jibowu, a junior defensive back, earns a first team selection at safety. Playing the bandit back position (safety-linebacker hybrid), Jibowu finished the year with 62 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, nine pass break-ups, and two forced fumbles. Over three seasons, Jibowu now has 219 tackles and seven interceptions in his career at FHSU.

Brown earns a second-team nod at kicker after earning MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year honors for the 2017 season. Brown finished the year with 94 kicking points to set a new single-season record at FHSU. It broke his own mark of 88 set the previous year. He was a perfect 49-of-49 on PAT attempts and went 15-of-21 on field goal attempts for the season. Brown finished his two-year career at FHSU with 31 field goals and 89 PATs for a total of 182 kicking points, ranking fourth all-time in kick scoring at FHSU.

Delgado, a junior linebacker, earns a first-team selection at linebacker after leading the Tigers in tackles at the position. He finished with 107 tackles for the season, including 11 for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Delgado now has 285 tackles in his career along with 6.5 sacks. He is already seventh on the career tackles list for the NCAA era at Fort Hays State and will enter his senior year 76 shy of the record.

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Senior midfielder Derick Gonzalez has been named to the D2CCA All-America Team for the 2017 season. Gonzalez earned a second team selection as a midfielder.

Gonzalez had a big year for the Tigers as he led the nation in assists per match (.74). He finished with 34 points on the year with ten goals and a program record 14 assists. He led the Tigers in goal scored, assists, total points, shots taken (48) and game-winning goals (three). He set a program record for consecutive matches tallying a point with 15 straight matches. FHSU made its sixth-consecutive appearance in the Super Region Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Northeastern State in the Central Region Final.

Gonzalez adds this honor to MIAA Player of the Year, unanimous All-MIAA First Team selection, D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year and D2CCA & United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region First Team honors for the year.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State men’s soccer had two Tigers honored with United Soccer Coach All-Central Region selections for the 2017 season. Midfielder Derick Gonzalez and defender Luis Torres each earned the distinction.

A senior midfielder, Gonzalez claims his fourth all-region honor as a Tiger after being selected as the Central Region Player of the Year and earning D2CCA All-Central Region First Team honors. Gonzalez was named the MIAA Player of the Year and earned a unanimous First Team All-MIAA selection. He led the team in total points (34), goals scored (10), assists (14), game-winning goals (3) and shots taken (48). Gonzalez ended the season leading Division II teams averaging .74 assists per match throughout the season. Gonzalez also set a team record for assists in a season and consecutive matches recording a point (15).

Torres, a junior defender, was named to the D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team and earned All-MIAA First Team honors. He ranked second on the team in minutes on the pitch this season (1,501). This is Torres’ second straight season being named to the United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) All-Central Region First Team.

Nine of the 11 members of the United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region team represent the MIAA, with Lindenwood and Northeastern State each garnering three spots on the team.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Senior Eden Stoddard has landed another honor during her career as she was most recently named to the NSCAA All-Central Region. Stoddard captured a spot on the Third Team for the Central Region, selected by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. With the mention, Stoddard becomes just the fifth Tiger in program history to earn a spot on the list.

Stoddard, a native of Young, Australia, led the Tigers in 2017 with eight goals and five assists – both team highs – good for 21 points. Stoddard attempted 60 shots with half hitting near target and participated in 1,651 minutes for the Tigers. Behind her senior play, Fort Hays State ended the season with a 10-6-4 overall record and an appearance in the second round of the MIAA tournament.

Prior to this honor, Stoddard has also gathered mentions both within the MIAA and around the region. Stoddard landed on the D2CCA All-Central Region First Team earlier this month. Within the conference, Stoddard captured a First-Team mention on the All-MIAA list for her senior season. During her junior campaign, Stoddard achieved Second-Team status in the MIAA.

Along with Stoddard, 16 other MIAA performers were named the to All-Central Region list, led by Central Missouri with five players earning a spot.

Below is the 2017 NSCAA All-Central Region Teams.

First Team
Pos. Player Class School
GK Ana Dilkes Sr. Central Missouri
D Kayla Hamner Sr. Central Missouri
D Miranda Famestad Sr. Bemidji State
D Abby Nordeen Sr. Minnesota State-Mankato
MF Emmily Infante Jr. Oklahoma Baptist
MF Alesha Duccini So. Minnesota State-Mankato
MF Baylie Edwards Sr. Central Missouri
MF Madeline Cowell Jr. Missouri Western
F Alimata Rabo So. Southwestern Oklahoma State
F Jada Scott Jr. Central Missouri
F Rachael Norton Jr. Bemidji State
F Abby Rhodes Sr. Central Missouri
Second Team
K Catherine Arneson Sr. Bemidji State
D Rebekah Thoresen Jr. Augustana
D Bridget Blessie Sr. Missouri Western
D Rebecca Gleason Sr. Northeastern State
D Jennifer Goethe Jr. Oklahoma Baptist
MF Bethany Sutherland Jr. Harding
MF Skye Finley Sr. Minnesota-Duluth
MF Dani Nelson Jr. Bemidji State
F Samantha Tymkowicz Sr. Augustana
F Cassidy Menke Jr. Missouri Western
F Ruth King So. Oklahoma Baptist
F Sandra Nabweteme So. Southwestern Oklahoma State
F Paulina Chavez Fr. Northeastern State
Third Team
K Taylor Machacek Sr. Augustana
D Kelli Creese Sr. Minot State
D Alyssa Butler So. East Central
D Sierra Phillips Jr. Harding
D Ronise Miller Sr. Missouri Southern
MF Hannah White Fr. Oklahoma Baptist
MF Eden Stoddard Sr. Fort Hays State
MF Melissa Giles Sr. Northeastern State
MF Megan Lowery Jr. Mary
MF Caitlin Dooley Jr. Mary
F Allyson Smith Fr. Bemidji State
F Jenny Hoerter Sr. Minnesota State-Mankato
F Haley Berryman Jr. Minot State

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State’s Tatyana Legette has been named MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week, announced Monday (Nov. 20) by the league office. It is the first weekly honor for the Tigers since current graduate assistant coach Paige Lunsford picked up the honor in 2016 (1/18/16).

Legette posted a pair of strong performances over the weekend, helping the Tigers move to 4-0 on the season. The junior averaged a double-double against a pair of Division II opponents, averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds for the week while adding nine assists, four blocks and four steals.

The Topeka, Kan. native knocked down 7-of-9 shots against UC-Colorado Springs, leading the Tigers with 19 points and seven rebounds in the 81-51 victory. The forward also contributed two assists, two blocks and one steal against UCCS.

Legette followed that up with her seventh career double-double, picking up 17 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Newman. It was the first 15-15 performance for a Tiger since 2015 (Kate Lehman). While her scoring and rebounding were impressive on their own, Legette added a career-high seven assists, two blocks and three steals.

Legette and the Tigers will return to action this weekend when they face off with Sterling Saturday (Nov. 25) at 5:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.

GOLDEN, Colo. – Fort Hays State held a 10-point lead with a minute to go on the No. 9 ranked team in the nation, but missed several free throws down the stretch allowing Colorado School of Mines to produce a furious rally and force overtime. The Orediggers went on to win in double overtime, 109-101, extending their home court win streak to 19 games.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The game saw violent shifts of momentum. The Orediggers were in control early, up 14 with 5:32 to play before halftime by a score of 31-17. Fort Hays State, however, did not lay down for a top-10 ranked team that made the national quarterfinals last year. FHSU produced an 18-5 run, which included a 9-0 burst, to cut the lead down to one with just under a minute to play before the half. A Colorado Mines 3-point field goal was the final bucket of the half as it led 39-35 at the break.

In the second half, FHSU kept chipping away early and a Kyler Kinnamon layup gave the Tigers their first lead since the first basket of the game, 42-41, at the 17:29 mark. After trading the lead back and forth for a bit, the Tigers finally took control of the lead on a Hadley Gillum 3-point field goal at the 9:25 mark. From that point, the Tigers continued to nudge their way further and further away from the Orediggers, getting the lead to 10 on a pair of free throws from Grant Holmes at the 1:38 mark. At that point, the Tigers were 13-of-15 at the free-throw line in the game.

Then like flipping a light switch, Fort Hays State’s solid effort at the free-throw line turned poor at the worst time. Colorado Mines hit just one of two free-throws to make it a 9-point game with just over 50 seconds remaining, but Kyler Kinnamon was only able to counter with 1-of-2 as well. Then Oredigger freshman Mason Baker stepped up in a flash for his team. He made a layup to cut the lead to eight, Trey O’Neil hit just 1-of-2 free-throws to make it nine again, but Baker then hit a 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining to cut the lead to six. Kinnamon was unable to hit either of a pair of free throws that ensued, then Baker immediately buried another 3-pointer. All of the sudden, FHSU led by just three with 25 seconds remaining.

KeShawn Wilson took his turn at the line for FHSU, and hit just 1-of-2. After a scramble for a loose ball, Colorado Mines found Michael Glen in low for a dunk with six second remaining. FHSU led by just two. Aaron Nicholson had a chance to put the game out of reach at the line, but once again, just 1-of-2. Ben Sonnefeld of Colorado Mines then ran quickly up the sideline, and as the Tigers were trying to foul him on the floor, he went up in the air, arms flailing wildly, about 25-30 feet out from the basket. It was very questionable that Sonnefeld was even attempting to take a shot, being there was still three and a half seconds remaining. However, the officials saw the play otherwise, ruling that Sonnefeld was in the act of shooting. Sonnefeld attempted three free throws, and he buried all of them. In the blink of an eye, all the hard work FHSU gave to build a 10-point lead in the final 10 minutes of regulation evaporated due to a poor 4-of-10 free-throw shooting performance in the final minute. The game went to overtime, tied 83-83.

Fort Hays State gained the upper hand first in overtime and Colorado Mines tied the score three times in the first extra frame. A three-point play by Holmes with just under two minutes to go had the Tigers up four, but the Orediggers rallied back to get the game tied 93-93. FHSU had the last possession in the first overtime and a Trey O’Neil 3-point attempt was off the mark. Calvin Harrington tried a follow shot just before the buzzer, but it was no good as well. The teams went to a second overtime.

Colorado Mines scored the first basket of the second overtime and pushed the lead to four. The first basket at the 4:35 mark of the second overtime marked the first lead for Colorado Mines since the 13:22 mark of the second half. A Wilson 3-point field goal with 3:05 remaining cut the lead back to one, but the Orediggers were too good in this overtime period. The Tigers could not find a bucket over the next two and a half minutes as the Orediggers pulled away for the final of 109-101.

The Tigers outshot the Orediggers from the field, 51.9 percent to 50 percent in regulation, but in the overtime periods, the Tigers were just 3-of-16 from the field, while the Orediggers went 7-of-9. FHSU won the ball security battle with just 11 turnovers to Colorado Mines’ 19, but it was not enough as Colorado Mines finished 56.9 percent from the field for the game and FHSU finished at 41.6 percent.

Hadley Gillum had a career night for the Tigers, scoring a career-high 36 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field with three 3-point field goals, and an 11-of-12 effort at the free-throw line. He added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Kinnamon finished with 15 points, Wilson had 13, and O’Neil had 11. Holmes provided a nice spark off the bench late with eight points.

Luke Schroepfer led the Orediggers in scoring with 28 points, followed by Sonnefeld with 25 points. Baker, the hero for Colorado Mines to get the game close in regulation, had 17 points. Duke Douglas added 12.

The Tigers nearly had an upset of a Top 25 team for the second time in just four games this season, but they will have to rebound from this tough loss and get ready to face Kansas Christian on Tuesday night (Nov. 21) in Hays. Tip time is set for 7 pm at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Gross Memorial Coliseum will be the scene for the 2017-18 home opener for the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team, with the Tigers hosting a pair of Division II non-conference opponents this weekend. FHSU will face off with Colorado-Colorado Springs on Friday (Nov. 17) at 7 p.m. before turning around and matching up with Newman on Saturday (Nov. 18) at 4 p.m.

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There will be a total of four games played in the Coliseum this weekend, with Nebraska-Kearney playing the Jets on Friday and UCCS on Saturday two hours prior to FHSU’s first tip.

The Tigers (2-0) opened the season on a high note last weekend, cruising past regional opponents Upper Iowa and Southwest Minnesota State. FHSU is outscoring its opponents by 38 points per game during this young season, sixth best in the country. The Tigers held the first two opponents to an average of 37 points per contest, second fewest nationally and tops in the conference.

Kacey Kennett led the Tigers offensively over the first weekend of action, scoring 15 points in both contests. Tatyana Legette ranks ninth in the conference with 8.5 rebounds per contest so far this year, while transfer Gokce Aslan dished out five assists in Saturday’s win over SMSU.

The Tigers have won 13 consecutive home openers dating back to the start of the 2003-04 season, going 21-4 in home openers since joining Division II in 1992-93. The home crowds inside the Coliseum have helped the Tigers to a 76-4 record at home over the last five seasons. Fort Hays State has won its last 40 regular season non-conference games.

FHSU vs UC-Colorado Springs • Friday, November 17 • 7 p.m. • FHSU leads all-time series, 6-4
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Colorado-Colorado Springs (0-2) returns two starters from last year’s team that won the RMAC Tournament championship to qualify for the NCAA Division II tournament for the third year in a row. Kristen Vigil is the top returning scorer for the Cougars after averaging 4.3 points per game last season. UCCS lost three all-conference performers to graduation and its top five scorers. Shanah Leaf has averaged 15.0 points per game so far this season, while Maddie Golla has grabbed 8.5 rebounds per game through the first two contests.

This is the first meeting between the former Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rivals since 2005, FHSU’s final season in the RMAC. The Tigers are riding a three-game winning streak in the series and are 4-1 against UCCS in Hays.

FHSU vs Newman • Saturday, November 18 • 4 p.m. • FHSU leads all-time series, 14-1
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
The Jets are off to a 4-0 start after going 19-9 a year ago, good for sixth in the Heartland Conference. Guard Hannah Alexander was named on the preseason All-Heartland Conference team after picking up first team All-Conference accolades a year ago. The senior leads the team with 15.3 points per game on 49 percent shooting so far this season. Forward Abbey George is averaging 6.5 rebounds per contest in her redshirt-freshman season.

The Tigers have never lost to Newman at home, going 9-0 against the Jets in the Coliseum. The lone NU victory in the series came in 2010, with Fort Hays State winning the last four contests.

PHILIPPI, W.Va. – The Fort Hays State men’s soccer team ended their season with a heartbreaking loss after allowing the game-winning goal to Northeastern State in the final minute of regulation to fall to the RiverHawks 2-1 in the Central Region Final on Thursday (Nov. 16). The Tigers ended the year with an overall record of 11-6-2. Northeastern State took the season series two games to one and now lead the all-time series 7-6-5 in the six years between the teams.

The first half was a defensive battle between the Tigers and the RiverHawks as the two teams used their scouting reports to their advantage as both teams won on their home pitch in the previous two matches. However, this time it was as neutral as one could get with the Central Region Final on the home field of Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, West Virginia.

The teams could not take advantage of the limited scoring opportunities as the first 45 minutes ended with no score. The Tigers were outshot by the RiverHawks 6-4 in the first period.

The RiverHawks benefitted from a free kick opportunity as Joe Garcia found the back of the net from 20 yards out after beating Tiger goalkeeper Michael Yantz over his head and to his right. Northeastern State lead 1-0 in the 47th minute of the match.

Abdoulaye Cisse netted the equalizer in the 67th minute of the match to make it a 1-1 ball game. Raul Fierro set Cisse up for his ninth goal of the season and Fierro picked up his third assist of the year. Both teams were getting a little chippy at this point in the match as each team received at least 15 fouls on the night.

Northeastern State was able to slip past the Tiger defense in the final minute as Jacob Weaver scored the game-winning goal with 41 seconds remaining in the match. The Tigers were unable to get another shot off and time expired.

Yantz took the loss in goal tonight for the Tigers as his record dipped to 8-5-2 on the season. Yantz ends his time with the Tiger soccer program as the leader in victories in a career as a goalkeeper (29), the most shutouts in a career (14), the most goalkeeper matches started and played in (50) and the second most saves in a career with 180.

Senior Derick Gonzalez’s streak of 15 consecutive matches with a point was snapped after the RiverHawks were double and triple covering him most the evening as none of his teammates were able to give him a good look. Gonzalez career at Fort Hays State ended with a bitter loss to a familiar foe, however he lead the team in goals scored (10), assists (14), points (34), shots (48) and tied Cisse with three game-winning goals on the season. Gonzalez also owns the program record for most assists in a single season with 14 and ranks second in total points in a season in school history with 34, just one point behind Ricardo Yeverino who tallied 35 in 2011.

Killian Gorman completed his senior campaign by leading the Tigers in minutes played on the pitch this year with 1,627 total minutes as a rock on the Tiger defense. Gorman amassed a total of 5,311 minutes played on the soccer field in his career as a Tiger.

Eden Stoddard represented Fort Hays State on the D2CCA All-Central Region Team after being recognized on the First Team for her success during her senior campaign. The team is voted on by media relations directors within the Central Region. Stoddard was the only Tiger player this season to receive mention on the team.

Stoddard, the Young, Australia native and transfer from Larimer County Community College was also named to the All-MIAA First Team earlier. The senior secured her place on the All-Central Region Team after accounting for eight goals on the season and helping to lead her Tiger squad to a 10-6-4 overall record and 7-3-1 mark in the MIAA. Alongside her team-high eight goals, Stoddard recorded a team-tying five assists to accumulate 21 points during to conclude her senior campaign.

During her time as a Tiger the past two seasons, Stoddard has amassed 15 goals, six assists and 52 total points. Last season, Stoddard was named All-MIAA Second Team. This recognition is the first All-Central Region honor for the senior.

This is the second-consecutive season FHSU has landed a player on the D2CCA All-Central Region Team as last season Hannah Smith (First Team) and Baylie Schmitz (Second Team) also earned honors. All-time, Stoddard is now the seventh Tiger to be named on an All-Region Team, and just the third First Team honoree for the program.

2017 D2 CCA Women’s Soccer Central Region Awards

D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year
Alimata Rabo, So., Southwestern Oklahoma State, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

D2CCA All-Central Region First Team
Pos Name School Yr Hometown
F Alimata Rabo * Southwestern Oklahoma State So. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
F Jada Scott *$ Central Missouri Jr. Bel Aire, Kan.
F Abby Rhodes Central Missouri Sr. Olathe, Kan.
F Rachel Norton Bemidji State Jr. Mounds View, Minn.
M Baylie Edwards Central Missouri Sr. Lee’s Summit, Mo.
M Bethany Sutherland *^ Harding Jr. Orange, Calif.
M Eden Stoddard Fort Hays State Sr. Young, Australia
M Hannah White Oklahoma Baptist Fr. Norman, Okla.
D Kayla Hamner * Central Missouri Sr. Shawnee, Kan.
D Jennifer Goethe Oklahoma Baptist Jr. Shawnee, Okla.
D Miranda Famestad Bemidji State Sr. Sioux Falls, S.D.
D Abby Nordeen $ Minnesota State Sr. Cherry Valley, Ill.
GK Ana Dilkes *^! Central Missouri Sr. Wichita, Kan.

D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team
Pos Name School Yr Hometown
F Cassidy Menke Missouri Western Jr. O’Fallon, Mo.
F Sandra Nabweteme * Southwestern Oklahoma State So. Kampala, Uganda
F Ruth King Southwestern Oklahoma State So. Shawnee, Okla.
F Jenny Hoeter Minnesota State Sr. Stevens Point, Wisc.
M Megan Woolley *$ Central Missouri Sr. Kansas City, Kan.
M Alesha Duccini Minnesota State So. Dubuque, Iowa
M Madeline Cowell Missouri Western Jr. St. Louis, Mo.
M Dani Nelson Bemidji State Jr. Woodbury, Minn.
D Bridget Blessie Missouri Western Sr. Papilion, Neb.
D Erica Brunet Southwestern Oklahoma State Jr. Brampton, Ont.
D Rebekah Thoresen Augustana Jr. Minnetonka, Minn.
D Becca Gleason Northeastern State Sr. Lucas, Texas
GK Taylor Livermore Minnesota State Jr. Muscatine, Iowa

* = 2016 All-Central Region First Team
^ = 2015 All-Central Region First Team
$ = 2015 All-Central Region Second Team
! = 2014 All-Central Region Second Team

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State had six men’s soccer student-athletes named to the D2CCA All-Central Region Team on Wednesday (Nov. 15). The team is voted on by athletic media relations directors within the Central Region. Derick Gonzalez earned Central Region Player of the Year honors and joining him on the first team is forward Abdoulaye Cisse and defender Killian Gorman. Second team selections went to forward Raul Fierro, midfielder Luis Mendez, and defender Luis Torres.

Named the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Player of the Year and an All-MIAA First Team selection at midfielder, Gonzalez finished the regular season with a region-best 34 points, scoring 10 goals and adding 14 assists. The senior from Houston, Texas ranked 12th nationally in total points and second nationally in total assists as of November 6. Gonzalez enters the NCAA Tournament on a school record 15-match streak of recording at least one point (goal or assist).

Cisse has also been a force offensively for the Tigers with 23 points (8 goals, 7 assists). He ranks second on the team behind Gonzalez in both goals and assists. At one point in the season, Cisse had six consecutive matches with a goal. The Dallas, Texas junior was also an All-MIAA First Team selection this season.

Gorman, a senior from Manhattan, Kansas, is in his final year with the Tigers. He has been a constant in the Tiger lineup as a defender the last three years. He is helping the Tigers limit the opposition to 1.07 goals per match this year. Gorman also earned All-MIAA First Team honors.

Fierro, a junior from El Paso, Texas, is in his first year with the program. He has 16 points so far with seven goals and two assists. He had a hat-trick against Southwest Baptist in Hays on September 22. He was an all-conference second team selection.

Mendez, a first-team all-conference selection, earns second-team honors in the region this year after a first-team selection last year. Mendez was the MIAA Freshman of the Year last year and has done a solid job in the midfield once again with eight points this season (2 goals, 4 assists).

Torres, a D2CCA All-America selection last year, earns second-team honors in the region this year. Torres and Gorman were the only Tigers to log more than 1,500 minutes on the pitch during the regular season. Torres has four points with a goal and two assists.

Below is the 2017 D2CCA All-Central Region Team.

2017 D2CCA Men’s Soccer All-Central Region Team

First Team
Pos Name School Yr Hometown
GK Ryan Davis Northeastern State Sr. Dublin, Ireland
F Tinashe Chigede Ouachita Baptist Sr. Tulsa, Okla.
F Michele Ganz Lindenwood Fr. Agordo, Italy
F Abdoulaye Cisse Fort Hays State Jr. Dallas, Texas
F Thiago Dos Santos Oklahoma Baptist So. Natal, Brazil
MF Derick Gonzalez Fort Hays State Sr. Houston, Texas
MF Joe Garcia Northeastern State Jr. Grand Prairie, Texas
MF Gabriel Jaimes Lindenwood Sr. Pro La Cruz, Venezuela
MF Jason Diaz Harding Sr. Waco, Texas
D Christian Ramos Harding So. Denton, Texas
D Aaron Craig Harding Sr. Forney, Texas
D Killian Gorman Fort Hays State Sr. Manhattan, Kan.
D David Estrada Oklahoma Baptist Sr. Cancun, Mexico

Second Team
Pos Name School Yr Hometown
GK Tim Licht Lindenwood So. Munster, Germany
F Luis Romero Oklahoma Baptist Jr. Zaragoza, Spain
F Ruairidh Crawford Upper Iowa Sr. West Linton, Scotland
F Raul Fierro Fort Hays State Jr. El Paso, Texas
F Andre Cunha Harding Sr. Cristalina, Brazil
MF Alejandro Castillo Oklahoma Baptist So. Peralta, Spain
MF Luis Mendez Fort Hays State So. Arlington, Texas
MF Blaine Hickman Ouachita Baptist Sr. Royse City, Texas
MF Italo Martins Soares Upper Iowa Fr. Brasilia, Brazil
D Tyler Mouton Ouachita Baptist Sr. Flower Mound, Texas
D Luis Torres Fort Hays State Jr. Asuncion, Paraguay
D Jeremy Tutas Lindenwood Sr. Kewaskum, Wis.
D James Doyle Northeastern State Fr. Merseyside, England

Central Region Player of the Year: Derick Gonzalez, Fort Hays State, Sr., MF (Houston, Texas)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three student-athletes from the Fort Hays State volleyball team were named All-MIAA performers for their performance during the 2017 season, released Tuesday (Nov. 14) by the league office. Callie Christensen, Taylor White and Magan Alexander all earned a spot on the honorable mention list.

Christensen earned All-MIAA accolades for the second time after being named to the second team as a junior. The middle hitter led the league with 151 total blocks, averaging 1.19 per set. The senior led the Tigers with a .217 attack percentage, picking up a career-high 253 kills on the year. She now has 413 blocks for her career, ranking third at FHSU during the Division II era.

White picked up All-MIAA honors in her redshirt-freshman season, becoming the first Tiger freshman to earn all-conference accolades since 2015. The libero led the team and ranked fourth in the conference with 594 digs, averaging 4.71 digs per set. The Silver Lake, Kan. native picked up the most digs by a freshman in the program’s Division II history, crushing the previous record by 184 digs (410).

Alexander received All-MIAA honors for the first time, earning the honor after recording 245 kills and 27 blocks during her sophomore campaign. The outside hitter averaged 2.63 kills per set, second-best on the team, while posting three service aces.