HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team came up short against Missouri Western on Saturday (Oct. 12), falling in three sets (11-25, 25-27, 13-25). The Tigers move to 6-11 on the year and 3-6 in MIAA play, while the Griffons are now 10-6 overall and 4-4 in league action.

Delaney Humm led the Tigers with 11 kills while adding eight digs and matching her season high with four blocks. Isabelle Reynolds added eight kills with Morgan West chipping in six. Emily Ellis and Morgan Christiansen led the way with five blocks each. Katie Darnell tossed up 24 assists alongside three digs, one block and one kill. Madison Miller and Abbie Hayes paced the team with 10 digs apiece.

The Tigers posted a .067 attack percentage in the match while totaling 10 blocks and 45 digs on defense.

After falling behind early in the opening set, the Tigers kept pace in the second frame. After the teams alternated points to a 7-7 tie, FHSU scored five of the next six points to force a Griffon timeout. West was a key to the big run, picking up three blocks and one kill in that span.

Missouri Western stormed back with an 8-2 run to retake the lead, 16-14. The Tigers fought back to tie the score seven more times in the set, but the Griffons never allowed FHSU to go back in front. Two Tiger errors allowed the Griffons to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers head back out on the road next week when they travel to play Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State. The road trip opens with a Friday night (Oct. 18) matchup in Joplin, Mo. against MSSU, with the first serve set for 6 p.m.

VICTORIA, Kan. – After placing four runners in the top 25, the Fort Hays State men’s cross country team finished third at the FHSU Tiger Open Saturday morning (Oct. 12). The Tigers hosted the eighth annual event at their home course, Sand Plum Nature Trail.

Fort Hays State picked up 71 points as a team, just two back of second place. Robbie Schmidt earned a 10th-place finish after traversing the eight-kilometer course in 24:57.6. Israel Barco finished 15th after crossing the line in 25:13.4. Seppe van ‘t Westende (22nd, 25:28.6) and Reed Rome (24th, 25:30.2) were the next two Tigers across the line, finishing less than two seconds apart. Robert Loeffler rounded out the Tiger scoring in 29th, recording a time of 25:37.7. All five runners in the scoring for FHSU recorded personal bests on an 8K course.

Colorado School of Mines topped the field with 31 points after all five runners placed in the top 19. Mines’ Derek Steele won the individual title with a time of 24:08.9. This year’s field in the gold division race consisted of 138 runners representing 13 schools.

In the men’s black division race, Wesley Banguria of Colby set a new course record by more than 21 seconds when he crossed the line in 23:11.8. Thirteen teams and 131 individuals completed the black division race, with Iowa Western taking the team title with 54 points.

The Tigers now have two weeks to prepare for the MIAA Championships, scheduled for Saturday, October 26 in Joplin, Mo. The men’s 8K championship race is set to begin at 11 a.m.

Complete FHSU Results
Place – Name – Time
10 – Robbie Schmidt – 24:57.6
15 – Israel Barco – 25:13.4
22 – Seppe van ‘t Westende – 25:28.6
24 – Reed Rome – 25:30.2
29 – Robert Loeffler – 25:37.7
45 – Justin Moore – 25:59.4
48 – Peter Franklin – 26:07.0
51 – Abraham Garcia – 26:14.8
53 – Kaleb Crum – 26:17.6
59 – Caleb Carrasco – 26:34.7
74 – Guillaume Plagneux – 27:03.9
83 – Michael Eisenbarth – 27:28.7
101 – Jorge Gallegos – 28:00.1

VICTORIA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women’s cross country team picked up a third-place finish at the eighth annual FHSU Tiger Open Saturday (Oct. 12). The Tigers placed three runners in the top 21 at their home event, totaling 107 points in the event hosted at Sand Plum Nature Trail.

Brooke Navarro was the top finisher for the Black and Gold, completing the five-kilometer course in 18:32.3. Abigail Stewart earned a 12th-place finish, crossing the line in 18:38.2. Tessa Durnell placed 21st with a time of 18:57.1, while Emily Salmans finished 37th in 19:25.9. Averi Wilson rounded out the team scoring after finishing the race in 19:30.3, good for 41st place.

Southwest Baptist edged out Colorado School of Mines for the team title, 40-43, after the Bearcats swept the podium with runners in first, second and third. Elysia Burgos of SBU captured the individual title with a time of 17:23.4.

In the black race, Faith Chepengat of Iowa Western Community College posted the second-fastest time in course history with a mark of 16:53.3.

The Tigers now have two weeks to prepare for the MIAA Championships, scheduled for Saturday, October 26 in Joplin, Mo. The women’s 6K championship race is set to begin at 10 a.m.

Fort Hays State (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) vs
Emporia State (2-3, 2-3 MIAA)
Saturday, Oct. 12 – 7 pm
Hays, Kan. – Lewis Field Stadium

Game Sponsor: Big Creek Crossing
Game Theme: Homecoming

Fort Hays State Football returns to action on Saturday at home against in-state rival Emporia State for the annual Homecoming game. The Tigers enter the game winners of three straight, now 3-2 on the season, while the Hornets enter at 2-3. Kickoff is set for 7 pm at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays. Listen live on KJLS (103.3) beginning at 6 pm with the Auto World Pregame Show.

The home team has been very successful in this series since FHSU joined the MIAA in 2006. The teams have played 13 times since, with the home team going 11-2 in that stretch. Fort Hays State has won the last two games against Emporia State in Hays, but ESU claimed last year’s meeting in Emporia by a score of 28-24. The home team has won the last four games in the series.

Fort Hays State is coming off a 35-7 win over Central Oklahoma last week in Edmond. The Tigers have now held their last two opponents to seven points or less after surrendering 28 or more to their first three. The Tigers are allowing 22.0 points per game, but that is good enough for second among MIAA teams (Pittsburg State leads the conference at 17.8 per game).

Emporia State is coming off a 34-23 loss to Northwest Missouri State last week in Emporia. The Hornets had a 17-12 lead at halftime in that game before being outscored 22-6 in the second half. The Hornets’ two wins this year were against Northeastern State and Lincoln, while their other losses were to Pittsburg State and Nebraska-Kearney.

Fort Hays State enters the game ranked eighth nationally in passing yards per game at 312.8. Quarterback Chance Fuller ranks seventh for individual average, throwing for 300.4 per game. He has thrown over 300 yards in three of five contests this year, including an output of 310 last week at Central Oklahoma. In that game, he tied the school record for passing touchdowns with five. Fuller ranks third nationally in passing touchdowns (17).

Harley Hazlett has been the top target for Fuller in the passing game, currently with 34 receptions for 497 yards. He ranks third in NCAA Division II for receiving touchdowns (8) and 15th in receiving yards per game (99.4). Both Charles Tigner and D.J. Hickman are averaging more than 70 rushing yards per game. Tigner has been key in the receiving game as well, averaging 112 all-purpose yards per game. Hickman is coming off a career-high 121 rushing yards at Central Oklahoma last week.

On the defensive side of the ball, Jordan Starks leads the Tigers in tackles with 40 after a career-high 11 at Central Oklahoma last week. Tanner Hoekman is right behind him with 39 for the season. Both have two interceptions. Linebackers Drew Harvey and Kolt Trachsel each have more than 30 tackles as well. The Tiger defense held UCO to 238 total yards last week, a new season low by a Tiger opponent.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s soccer team controlled the whole 90 minutes of play Friday evening (Oct. 11), improving its record to 7-3 (3-1 MIAA) after a 3-0 shutout of Missouri Western. The Tigers have won three straight conference games, all on the road, after dropping their league opener last month. Missouri Western falls to 4-6-1 and 1-3 in conference play.

The Tigers got on the board early and never let up, taking a two-goal lead in the first half. In the 15th minute, Jenna Prince intercepted a pass at the top of the penalty box and lofted a shot over the head of the keeper and into the net for her second goal of the year. Darby Hirsch followed Prince just three minutes later with her fourth of the 2019 season. Chloe Montano ripped a free kick from midfield that fell perfectly into Hirsch’s lap inside the 18-yard box. Hirsch cashed in on the chance, firing a shot into the upper left corner to hand FHSU held a 2-0 lead before halftime.

Fort Hays State struck again nine minutes into the second half when Zariah Smith picked up her first goal of the year. The junior took in a pass and made one move past a defender before sending a bullet screaming just inside the far post from 20 yards out. The defense and Megan Kneefel tightened up down the stretch, holding MWSU to just three second-half shots to give the Tigers their seventh victory of the year. Of those seven victories, the Tigers have only allowed one goal, tallying six clean sheets on the year.

FHSU fired off 13 shots, with seven of those on target. Cailey Perkins led the team with four shots and two shots on goal. Megan Kneefel (6-2) stopped all four of Missouri Western’s shots on goal for her 14th career shutout, just one shy of second place all-time.

The Tigers remain in second place in the MIAA standings with the win, moving within one point of the top spot.

The Tigers look to continue their hot streak on Sunday (Oct. 13) in Maryville, Mo. Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri State are set to kick off at 1 p.m.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s soccer team controlled the whole 90 minutes of play Friday evening (Oct. 11), improving its record to 7-3 (3-1 MIAA) after a 3-0 shutout of Missouri Western. The Tigers have won three straight conference games, all on the road, after dropping their league opener last month. Missouri Western falls to 4-6-1 and 1-3 in conference play.

The Tigers got on the board early and never let up, taking a two-goal lead in the first half. In the 15th minute, Jenna Prince intercepted a pass at the top of the penalty box and lofted a shot over the head of the keeper and into the net for her second goal of the year. Darby Hirsch followed Prince just three minutes later with her fourth of the 2019 season. Chloe Montano ripped a free kick from midfield that fell perfectly into Hirsch’s lap inside the 18-yard box. Hirsch cashed in on the chance, firing a shot into the upper left corner to hand FHSU held a 2-0 lead before halftime.

Fort Hays State struck again nine minutes into the second half when Zariah Smith picked up her first goal of the year. The junior took in a pass and made one move past a defender before sending a bullet screaming just inside the far post from 20 yards out. The defense and Megan Kneefel tightened up down the stretch, holding MWSU to just three second-half shots to give the Tigers their seventh victory of the year. Of those seven victories, the Tigers have only allowed one goal, tallying six clean sheets on the year.

FHSU fired off 13 shots, with seven of those on target. Cailey Perkins led the team with four shots and two shots on goal. Megan Kneefel (6-2) stopped all four of Missouri Western’s shots on goal for her 14th career shutout, just one shy of second place all-time.

The Tigers remain in second place in the MIAA standings with the win, moving within one point of the top spot.

The Tigers look to continue their hot streak on Sunday (Oct. 13) in Maryville, Mo. Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri State are set to kick off at 1 p.m.

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State men’s soccer netted three goals on Thursday night in its victory over Oklahoma Baptist, 3-1. The home match win marks the 21st consecutive victory at FHSU Soccer Stadium for the Tigers.

Fort Hays State controlled the majority of play in the first half. Santiago Agudelo began the scoring for the Tigers. In the 28th minute, Mauricio Etcheverry sent a cross into the box, finding Agudelo sprinting to the near post. The senior forward finished off the play with a diving header to redirect the ball into the back of the net.

Just three minutes later, Agudelo collected another mark on the scoresheet. From midfield, Agudelo sent a through ball to Arsenio Chamorro up the left side, who was pressuring the back line of the Bison defense. Seeing that Chamorro was set free, the striker followed the play and was ultimately rewarded on a smooth grounded cross from Chamorro to put the Tigers up, 2-0.

Coming out of halftime, the Bison used the wind at their back and increased pressure aggressively. Only taking two shots in the first half, Oklahoma Baptist rebounded by adding another 11 in the final 45 minutes. In the 72nd minute, the Bison managed to grab a goal of their own. Alejandro Castillo fired his shot from 35-yards past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Kieran Brown and into the top left corner of the goal.

Only at a one goal deficit, Oklahoma Baptist added even more intensity to their play. However, the intensity was handled well by the Tigers’ back four of McCain, Bevis, Walther, and Benitez. In the 84th minute, FHSU turned their defense into offensive poise. Senior Ross Boyd beat his defender down the right sideline and swung a grounded cross around the Bison defenders, who were sprinting to get back. Boyd’s cross reached the feet of Alonso Rodriguez who tapped the ball in past the keeper for the final goal of the night.

With the victory, the Tigers improve to 6-3-1 overall and 5-0-1 in the Great American Conference.

Fort Hays State totaled nine shots on Thursday night and only needed four saves by Brown at the other end of the field.

In his 86 minutes of play, Agudelo netted his eighth and ninth goals of the season, moving into the top-five of goal scorers across the entirety of NCAA Division II.

FHSU will be back in action on Saturday (Oct. 10) when they travel to Bethany, Okla. to go head-to-head with Southern Nazarene. That match is slated for a 4 p.m. kickoff.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball received a pick of fourth in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media Polls, released on Wednesday during MIAA Basketball Media Day at The College Basketball Experience. The Tigers were tabbed in the position where they finished last season.

Defending national champion Northwest Missouri State topped both polls following an undefeated 38-0 season. The top four remained consistent in both polls with Missouri Southern second, Washburn third, and Fort Hays State fourth. The top four of the polls nearly mirrors how the regular season standings finished last year, the only difference is Washburn finished second and Missouri Southern finished third in conference play. From fifth through 14th, picks vary in the polls.

Fort Hays State is coming off an 18-11 season in 2018-19. The Tigers went 12-7 in MIAA play to finish alone in fourth place. FHSU saw its season end in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals. The Tigers lost all three of their all-conference performers from last year, which included Brady Werth, Marcus Cooper, and Kyler Kinnamon.

The Tigers have six returners to the squad this season, however, only four were on the floor last year as two redshirted. Aaron Nicholson is the top returning scorer from last year. He averaged 9.0 points per game and led the team in 3-point field goals made (45). Devin Davis is the top scorer off the bench from last year, who averaged 8.6 points per contest. Jared Vitztum is the top returning rebounder, who pulled down 5.3 per game while chipping in 7.3 points per game. Nyjee Wright also returns after scoring 4.8 points per game last year.

Mark Johnson enters his 19th year guiding the Tigers. He is the longest tenured coach in the program’s history and also the program’s all-time wins leader with a career record of 359-172. He has led the Tigers to three conference titles and seven NCAA Tournament appearances.

Johnson brought in eight newcomers to this year’s squad. Five of the newcomers are transfers, while three are true freshmen.

The first action for FHSU will be on Thursday, October 24 in an exhibition contest at the University of Kansas. Tipoff is set for 7 pm at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.

Men’s Coaches Poll
1. Northwest Missouri (13) – 169 points
2. Missouri Southern (1) – 157 points
3. Washburn – 131 points
4. Fort Hays State – 124 points
5. Northeastern State – 99 points
6. Central Missouri – 96 points
7. Lincoln – 93 points
8. Pittsburg State – 92 points
9. Rogers State – 68 points
10. Emporia State – 66 points
11. Newman – 61 points
12. Missouri Western – 58 points
13. Central Oklahoma – 44 points
14. Nebraska Kearney – 16 points

Men’s Media Poll
1. Northwest Missouri (19) – 279 points
2. Missouri Southern (1) – 259 points
3. Washburn – 238 points
4. Fort Hays State – 198 points
5. Pittsburg State – 183 points
6. Lincoln – 156 points
7. Central Missouri – 140 points
8. Emporia State – 123 points
9. Missouri Western – 120 points
10. Newman – 103 points
11. Rogers State – 102 points
12. Northeastern State – 88 points
13. Nebraska Kearney – 64 points
14. Central Oklahoma- 46 points

KEARNEY, Neb. – Fort Hays State volleyball moved to 6-10 on the season and 3-5 in conference play following their 3-0 loss at Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday night.

To open the night, the Tigers and Lopers were going kill-for-kill. At an even set score, 9-9, Nebraska-Kearney began to break away after a few Tigers attack errors. Kills from Delaney Humm and Morgan West created a late push in the first frame by Fort Hays State, but that was ultimately shut down by Sami Mauch who concluded the set, 25-18.

Coming out of the switch, Nebraska-Kearney held all momentum. Beginning the second frame, the Lopers jumped out on a 6-0 run, before a Tigers timeout was called by head coach Jessica Wood-Atkins.

Fort Hays State attempted to produce a run late in the second set, which was ended by a kill from Nebraska-Kearney’s Julianne Jackson. The Tigers were able to snag a couple more points, before an attack error from Isabelle Reynolds finalized the set, 25-14.

Opening the third set, the Tigers and Lopers went back and forth. A kill from the Lopers sparked an 8-0 swing, who finished out the set, 25-11.

Reynolds, Humm, and West led the Tigers with seven kills each while Katie Darnell added 22 assists to her totals.

The Tigers will look to rebound against Missouri Western on Saturday (Oct. 12). The Griffons currently hold a record of 9-5 and are 3-3 in MIAA matches.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Golf finished 20th at the Holiday Inn Express Classic, hosted by Missouri Western. The tournament took place at St. Joseph Country Club, a par-71 venue.

The first round was Fort Hays State’s best, shooting 307 as a team. Unfortunately, the Tigers struggled in the second a third rounds to team scores of 330 and 334 and finished with a three-round total of 971.

Pete Carney led the Tigers individually, tying for 79th. He shot rounds of 80, 76, and 81 for a total of 237. Cole Gritton finished one stroke back of Carney at 238 after rounds of 71, 82, and 85. Marcus Willey shot rounds of 77, 85, and 83. Bryce Cowan and Isaiah Grover tied overall. Cowan shot rounds of 81, 87, and 85. Grover carded scores of 79, 89, 85.

Central Missouri won the tournament with a team total of 857. Washburn was five strokes back in second and Central Oklahoma was 14 strokes back of the lead pace in third.

Fort Hays State heads to the Blue Tiger Invitational next week in Jefferson City, Mo.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Fort Hays State Women’s Golf tied for 21st at the Midwest Classic, hosted by the University of Central Missouri (Oct. 7-8). The Tigers were consistent, shooting 335 as a team both rounds for a total of 670. The Tigers tied Arkansas-Fort Smith in the team standings. The tournament took place at Mules National Golf Club, a par-70 course.

Taylor DeBoer paced the Tigers with rounds of 77 and 83. She tied for 51st overall. Kira Mestl tied for 63rd after two rounds of 81. Kate Peterka posted rounds of 91 and 86, while Madison Roether shot 86 and 92. Katie Brungardt carded a 95 and 85.

Northeastern State won the tournament with a total of 596. Central Oklahoma was eight strokes back with a 604 and host Central Missouri was third at 609.

This was the final tournament of the fall for the FHSU women. They will resume action in spring of 2020.

KANSAS CITY, Mo – The Fort Hays State Tigers men’s soccer program has moved up to No. 20 in the latest national poll. FHSU, who was ranked No. 21 last week, have moved up one spot following a victory in a week with one match. The black and gold defeated Newman University, seeing goals come from Sergio Villalba, Moritz Walther, Santiago Agudelo, and Arsenio Chamorro.

The Tigers currently sit at 5-3-1 overall and 4-0-1 in conference play. The only other program to join Fort Hays State in the rankings is Rogers State who checks in at. No. 25. Meanwhile, Northeastern State and Harding are just outside the Top-25, looking in as both programs received votes this week.

FHSU will play two matches this week, facing off against Oklahoma Baptist in Hays on Thursday (Oct. 10) and ttraveling to Bethany, Okla. to take on Southern Nazarene on Saturday (Oct. 12) in a pair of conference games. Oklahoma Baptist is currently 3-6 in 2019, while Southern Nazarene is 2-7.

Below is the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll for October 8, 2019:

Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T
1	Azusa Pacific University	2	9-0-0
2	Maryville University of St. Louis	3	10-0-0
3	California State University-Los Angeles	5	7-0-0
4	Adelphi University	1	8-0-1
5	Florida Tech	11	7-0-0
6	Lake Erie College	9	10-0-0
7	Francis Marion University	7	5-1-1
8	Lynn University	17	6-0-1
9	Midwestern State University	13	8-1-0
10	University Of Charleston	20	7-2-0
11	Mercy College	8	8-1-1
12	Gannon University	4	7-1-0
13	California State University-San Bernardino	18	5-1-1
14	University Of West Florida	6	7-1-0
15	Coker University	NR	7-2-0
16	Texas A&M International University	10	6-1-1
17	Bellarmine University	22	7-0-2
18	West Chester University	14	7-1-1
19	Wilmington University	15	8-1-1
20	Fort Hays State University	21	5-3-1
21	Lander University	NR	5-1-1
22	West Texas A&M University	19	4-1-1
23	Simon Fraser University	24	5-1-0
24	Palm Beach Atlantic University	25	6-1-1
25	Rogers State University	RV	6-2-1

WICHITA, Kan. – FHSU Women’s Soccer improved its record to 6-3 (2-1 MIAA) with a 1-0 shutout over Newman (5-2-3, 1-1-1 MIAA) Sunday afternoon. Fort Hays State has won four out of its last five matches, including a big win at No. 14 Central Oklahoma on Friday night (Oct. 4). FHSU has outscored opponents 7-3 in that five-match stretch, allowing just one goal in the four wins.

There was not much going offensively for either side in the first half. Both sides only mustered up one shot and no shots on goal. A quiet first 45 minutes had both teams scoreless going to the locker room.

FHSU broke through just seven minutes into the second half. Sophomore forward Cailey Perkins notched a shot past keeper Jackie Lari in the lower left corner. Emily Reitz was credited with the assist. The Tigers were able to hang on for the victory thanks to a solid defensive effort, holding the Jets to just four shots for the entire match.

Fort Hays State put up four shots on goal with Perkins claiming half of those. Newman put three shots on goal, all by different players and all stopped by Megan Kneefel (5-2). Kneefel also recorded her 13th career shutout.

The Tigers complete the weekend with two conference road victories after a tough home loss in their MIAA opener. They will be on the road once again next weekend starting with a Friday night match at Missouri Western. The match is set for 6 pm in St. Joseph, Mo.