BOLIVAR, Mo – Fort Hays State improved to 9-3-1 overall and 5-1 in the MIAA with a 1-0 shutout at Southwest Baptist on Thursday. As a result, head coach Craig Shaw reached the 100th win of his career. The Tigers have now won three in a row. The Bearcats are still in search of their first win this season, now 0-12 overall and 0-6 in the conference.

Hannah Smith recorded the only goal of the game by burying a penalty kick in the 7th minute of the game. Both of Smith’s goals this year have been on penalty kicks.

Abbie Flax picked up her seventh win of the season in goal recording two saves, now 7-3-1 on the year. The Tigers controlled the match as they outshot the Bearcats 16-7.

The Tigers look for their fourth consecutive win on Saturday when they travel to Missouri Southern. The match is set for 11 am.

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State kicker Brandon Brown has been named the D2Football.com Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the 54-41 win at Pittsburg State last Saturday.

Brown was a perfect 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and 6-of-6 on extra point attempts. He converted field goals from 19, 38, 37, and 49 yards. The 49-yard field goal was a season long for Brown and tied the seventh longest field goal in FHSU history. He averaged 60.5 yards per kickoff, producing four touchbacks. Brown is now 13-of-14 on field goal attempts this year, with his only miss from over 50 yards.

Brown shares the honor this week with West Alabama kicker Jordan Bennett. Bennett’s numbers were similar to Brown’s for the week, converting four field goal attempts and six extra-point attempts.

Eric Poindexter from Quincy (Ill.) was the D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Week, recording 20 receptions for 317 yards. Brandon Jones of Texas A&M-Kingsville was the Defensive Player of the Week, recording four sacks and six tackles for loss.

FHSU Athletics

NEW ORLEANS – The Fort Hays State University women’s cross country team is ranked 17th in the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches’ Poll, released by the organization Wednesday (Oct. 12). It is the first time Fort Hays State has been recognized in the poll since 2007, when they were ranked 24th in the final poll before the National Championships.

The Tigers and Southwest Baptist are the only teams representing the MIAA in the poll, with the Bearcats sitting in 23rd. Two Central Region rivals rank in the top five, with U-Mary ranked third and Minnesota Duluth fifth. The top four teams at the 2016 Central Regional, hosted by Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D., will advance to the NCAA Championships in St. Leo, Fla.

The Tigers finished fourth in a packed field at the FHSU Tiger Open last weekend (Oct. 8), beating out previously-ranked Pittsburg State and finishing behind three of the top-11 teams in the country.

All five of the top Tiger runners posted new personal-bests on Saturday. Shea Bonine shaved nearly one minute off her personal-best 5k race, traversing the Sand Plum Nature Trail course in 17:36.5. The junior has finished in the top-14 in all four races so far this season, picking up her first collegiate victory in Emporia three weeks ago (Sept. 23). Sophomore Sophie Dalmasso was just behind Bonine, finishing in 17:37.6. Dalmasso hasn’t finished below 15th so far this year, winning the Sand Plum Invitational earlier this season (Sept. 15).

The Tigers will return to the course next weekend when they travel to Elsah, Ill. for the MIAA Championships, running a six-kilometer course for the first time this season.

FHSU Sports Information

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team picked up a pair of non-conference victories Tuesday night during its Fifth Annual Pass, Set, Pink Night. The Tigers coasted to a three-set victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State before outlasting Northwestern Oklahoma State in three sets.

Through t-shirt sales and silent auction items, the program raised in excess of $1400 to go towards the Dig Pink scholarship, established by the team to annually support an FHSU student directly impacted by cancer. The scholarship fund has now eclipsed $10,000 and is now a fully endowed scholarship.

Sandwiched between matches with Fort Hays State, Northwestern Oklahoma State swept OPSU in straight sets, 25-17, 25-21, 25-13.

The Tigers are now 18-5 overall and finish the year 14-1 in non-conference play, the best mark under head coach Kurth Kohler. Fort Hays State will return to MIAA play this weekend when they host No. 10 Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Fort Hays State 3, Oklahoma Panhandle State 0 (25-10, 25-11, 25-10)
The Tigers played all of one point while trailing Oklahoma Panhandle State to open the day, steamrolling their way to a three-set victory. The Aggies dropped to 3-17 overall with the loss.

Fort Hays State hit at a .400 clip for the match, its best outing this season. The Tigers held OPSU to a -.043 attack percentage, the second-lowest for an opponent this season and only behind the last time these two teams met (-.182). The Tigers picked up 17 more digs than the Aggies (47-30) with each team recording three total blocks.

Crystal Whitten led the match with nine kills while leading the Black and Gold with nine digs. The senior outside hitter added one block assist and one service ace. Callie Christensen added six kills on eight swings. Madison Elwood came off the bench to throw down three kills on six attempts, while Keely Ruby and Abbie Hayes both recorded the first kill of their collegiate career.

After taking an early 5-3 lead, the Tigers scored eight of the next 10 points to extend the lead to eight, 13-5. Five-straight Aggie errors helped FHSU score the final six points in the frame to secure the 25-10 victory. No Tiger picked up more than two kills in the frame, with just nine points coming off kills. OPSU recorded 10 errors in the set, leading to a -.133 attack percentage.

The Tigers were most efficient in the second set, swinging at a .455 rate with 17 kills and just two errors. Fort Hays State opened the frame with a 7-1 run and never looked back, leading by at least five for the remainder of the set. Back-to-back kills from Whitten followed by a powerful swing from Anderson made the score 13-4. After OPSU scored the next two, the Tigers captured eight out of 10 points, bringing the score to 22-8. Rebekah Spainhour delivered the final blow, giving FHSU the 25-11 win.

The Aggies scored the first point in the third set to take their only lead of the match, 1-0. Whitten followed with a kill and an ace to return the lead, and the rout was on. After OPSU tied the score at three, the Tigers went on an 11-1 run to put the game nearly out of reach. Later, the Tigers again scored seven straight, extending a 16-point lead, 21-5. Freshman Magan Alexander posted the final kill to finish off the match, 25-10. Becca Page was efficient distributing the ball, recording 13 assists at setter in relief of Hannah Wagy who recorded a team-high 17 in the match.

Fort Hays State 3, Northwestern Oklahoma State 0 (27-25, 25-13, 25-12)
After failing to seize an opportunity to beat the Tigers at the beginning of the season, Northwestern Oklahoma State opened the match with revenge on the mind. The sides battled back-and-forth for the entirety of the opening set before the home team finally ended things, ultimately coasting to its second straight-set victory of the night.

The Rangers did not look like a 3-19 team in the opening set, swinging at a .302 clip with just three attack errors. The Tigers were able to match NWOSU blow for blow, leading to 19 ties and eight lead changes in the frame with neither team leading by more than two. Rebekah Spainhour recorded three of her six kills in the set in a four-point span to give the team a 15-14 lead, but the Rangers had an answer at every turn. After a Ranger kill put the Tigers behind 24-23, Spainhour kept the set alive with a strong kill on pass from Hannah Wagy. NWOSU then won another shot at set point, but threw it away with a service error. A big block from Megan Anderson and Wagy gave the Tigers the serve with a shot at taking the set, and Crystal Whitten delivered with a strong swing to seal the 27-25 win.

The visitors came unraveled after their heartbreaking loss in the first set, scoring just 25 points in the second and third set combined. The Tigers jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the second set thanks to three Ranger errors, matching their first-set total in just seven rallies. With Fort Hays State leading by just one, three-straight kills from Whitten followed by another Ranger error quickly made it 12-8, prompting the NWOSU coach to use a timeout. The Tigers later used an 8-1 run to all but put the set away, taking a commanding 21-11 lead. Kills from Spainhour and Whitten gave the Tigers a chance at set point before another Ranger error handed the Tigers a two-set lead.

The Tigers led wire-to-wire in the final set, swinging a highly efficient .429 in the frame with 15 kills to just three errors. A seven-point run with Kailey Klibbe put the Tigers in front by 12, 20-8, and the rest was history.

Whitten led all hitters in the match with 14 kills, adding eight digs and two assists. Wagy posted 41 assists, second-most in a three-set match this season (43 vs UCCS). Spainhour added 12 kills and two blocks (one solo), while Sydney Dixon’s 10 kills helped her to double-digits for the second time this year (11 vs. Minot State). Callie Christensen was incredibly efficient, throwing down eight kills on 10 swings without an error while adding three blocks on defense (one solo). Klibbe worked for a match-high 20 digs, adding three service aces and four assists.

FHSU Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Fort Hays State Women’s Golf placed 12^th at the Bearcat Fall Classic, hosted by Northwest Missouri State at Mozingo Lake Golf Course. The Tigers shot 690 as a team over two rounds.

Hannah Perkins led the Tigers with rounds of 81 and 80, finishing alone in 20th. Madison Roether carded rounds of 85 and 86 to tie for 44th. Quillen Eichhorn finished in 62nd alone with rounds of 92 and 89. Taylor DeBoer and Lexie Schaben tied for 64th, each with a total of 185. DeBoer had rounds of 88 and 97, while Schaben shot rounds of 96 and 89.

Augustana won the tournament by 19 strokes with a total of 607. Central Missouri was second at 626, while Missouri Western placed third at 637. Shi Qing Ong of Missouri Western won the tournament individually with a total of 147, shooting rounds of 76 and 71. She won by one stroke.

The Tigers close out their fall schedule October 23-24 at the Northwestern Oklahoma State Invitational, being held in Enid, Okla.

FHSU Sports Informatoin

Fort Hays State Weekly Football Press Conference
October 11, 2016

Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown conducted his weekly press conference in advance of the Tigers road game at Washburn Saturday afternoon at Yeager Stadium. Brown and selected players met with the media inside Lewis Field on Tuesday, a session that can be heard by clicking on the links below.

Head coach Chris Brown

 

Senior cornerback Raheeme Dumas

Junior running back Kenneth Iheme

Sophomore quarterback Jacob Mezera

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Soccer slipped to No. 25 in the latest NSCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday (Oct. 11). The Tigers fell nine spots in the poll from No. 16 after going 1-1 in MIAA play last week.

Lindenwood jumped seven spots in the poll to replace FHSU in the No. 16 slot this week. The Lions knocked off the Tigers in Hays in the first meeting of the season between the teams on Sunday (Oct. 9). With the loss, FHSU slid down to No. 25 but has remained in the top 25 of every poll this season. Lindenwood and FHSU are the only two MIAA teams referenced in the poll.

Below is the NSCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Top 25 Poll for October 11, 2016.

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Rockhurst University	1	11-0-1
2	University Of Charleston	3	10-1-0
3	Simon Fraser University	2	9-0-1
4	Wingate University	6	10-0-0
5	LIU Post	4	9-0-1
6	St. Edward’s University	8	11-1-0
7	Tusculum College	10	10-0-0
8	Barry University	11	5-1-0
9	Regis University	5	9-1-1
10	Lynn University	15	9-1-1
11	Adelphi University	14	8-1-1
12	California State University-Los Angeles	13	7-1-3
13	Limestone College	9	9-1-0
14	Tiffin University	12	10-2-0
15	Midwestern State University	18	9-2-1
16	Lindenwood University	22	9-2-2
17	Palm Beach Atlantic University	25	6-2-1
18	Urbana University	RV	8-2-1
19	Merrimack College	24	9-2-0
20	Pfeiffer University	21	9-2-0
21	University of California-San Diego	RV	7-2-2
22	University Of Southern Indiana	19	10-2-0
23	University Of Tampa	7	5-1-2
24	Colorado Mesa University	RV	8-1-3
25	Fort Hays State University	16	7-3-1

Also receiving votes: Gannon University (14), Franklin Pierce University (6), Missouri University of Science & Technology (6), Notre Dame College (5).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Women’s Soccer received two more votes than the previous week in the latest NSCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday (Oct. 11). The Tigers are the second-highest receiving votes team in the poll.

The Tigers went 2-0 last week in MIAA play to improve their stock in the poll. They are only behind Florida Tech in the receiving votes section. FHSU is currently 8-3-1 overall.

The MIAA has two teams in the top 25 with Central Missouri at No. 4 and Northeastern State at No. 21. Central Oklahoma joins FHSU, Central Missouri, and Northeastern State in a tie currently for first place in the MIAA, all at 4-1.

Below is the NSCAA Division II Top 25 Women’s Soccer Poll for Tuesday, October 11.

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Western Washington University	5	11-0-1
2	Grand Valley State University	1	11-1-1
3	Colorado School Of Mines	7	11-1-0
4	University of Central Missouri	2	10-1-0
5	West Chester University	11	11-0-0
6	Columbus State University	9	9-2-0
7	Stonehill College	4	10-1-1
8	Rollins College	17	8-1-1
9	University of California-San Diego	8	10-2-0
10	Truman State University	10	11-0-1
11	East Stroudsburg University	3	10-1-1
12	Adelphi University	12	9-1-1
13	Minot State University	13	9-1-0
14	St. Edward’s University	15	8-1-1
15	University of North Georgia	16	7-1-2
16	University Of West Florida	NR	9-3-0
17	University Of Bridgeport	18	8-3-0
18	Limestone College	21	9-1-0
19	Sonoma State University	23	7-2-1
20	Nova Southeastern University	14	5-1-1
21	Northeastern State University	19	11-1-0
22	Bellarmine University	20	9-1-2
23	Kutztown University	22	9-3-0
24	Texas A&M University-Commerce	RV	8-3-0
25	Carson-Newman University	RV	10-2-0

Also receiving votes: Florida Tech (7), Fort Hays State University (3), Rockhurst University (3), Edinboro University (3), Central Washington University (3)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State quarterback Jacob Mezera and kicker Brandon Brown earned two of the three weekly MIAA Football Athlete of the Week honors on Monday (Oct. 10). Mezera was named the Offensive Athlete of the Week, while Brown was named Special Teams Player of the Week, following an impressive 54-41 win at Pittsburg State.

Mezera set a new Fort Hays State record for total offense in a game with 508 yards (446 passing and a team-high 62 rushing yards) in the 54-41 win at Pittsburg State. The performance ranks fourth all-time in the MIAA as he became just the fifth player ever in MIAA history to produce at least 500 yards of total offense in a game. He also tied the FHSU record for most touchdown passes in a game with five and had a hand in six touchdowns total, adding one rushing score for the day. His 446 passing yards were third most in a single game at FHSU, only behind Robert Long who had performances of 467 and 465 yards in 1985. However, with Long playing in the NAIA era, Mezera’s passing total was a new school record for the NCAA Division II era, going past Mike Garrison’s 435 at Missouri Western in 2010. He distributed the ball to nine different receivers with Charles Tigner as his top target (8 catches for 160 yards). The win marked the first time FHSU defeated PSU in consecutive games in Pittsburg for the first time since 1970 and 1972.

Brown was a perfect 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and 6-of-6 on extra point attempts in the 54-41 win over Pittsburg State. Brown converted field goals from 19, 38, 37, and 49 yards. The 49-yard field goal was a season long for Brown and tied the seventh longest field goal in FHSU history. He averaged 60.5 yards per kickoff, producing four touchbacks. Brown is now 13-of-14 on field goal attempts this year, with his only miss from over 50 yards.

WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State moved closer to the Top 25 in the latest AFCA Division II Poll, released on Monday. The Tigers are now the second-highest team among the receiving votes list after their 54-41 win at Pittsburg State. The result knocked Pittsburg State out of the list of receiving votes teams.

With the win in Pittsburg, the Tigers gained much more traction in the poll, going from eight votes last week to 48 this week. Only Ferris State (Mich.) has more votes in the receiving votes section with 76. Wayne State (Mich.), currently ranked No. 25, received 85 votes this week. The Tigers are still seeking to crack the top 25 for the first time in program history.

Northwest Missouri State and Emporia State continue to represent the MIAA in the top 25. Defending national champion Northwest Missouri State continues to hold the nation’s top ranking, now with 21 consecutive victories going back to the start of the 2015 season. Emporia State moved up six more spots this week to No. 12. Fort Hays State (48 votes) and Central Missouri (1 vote) are the only two MIAA teams among the receiving votes list.

If the Tigers want to continue their charge towards the top 25, they will have to end a streak of eight consecutive losses in Topeka this week. The Tigers have defeated Washburn six times since 1988, but all six wins have been in Hays. The last time FHSU claimed a victory over Washburn in Topeka was 1987.

Below is the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll for October 10, 2016.

Rank	School (1st votes)	Record	Pts.	Prev.
1.	Northwest Missouri St. (30)	6-0	750	1
2.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	6-0	717	2
3.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	5-0	686	3
4.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	5-0	665	7
5.	Tuskegee (Ala.)	6-0	613	8
6.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	6-0	588	9
7.	California (Pa.)	5-0	542	15
8.	Harding (Ark.)	6-0	514	16
9.	Texas A&M-Commerce	4-1	485	4
10.	North Alabama	3-1	459	11
11.	Ashland (Ohio)	5-1	428	17
12.	Emporia St. (Kan.)	5-1	364	18
13.	Indiana (Pa.)	4-1	358	6
14.	LIU-Post (N.Y.)	6-0	339	21
15.	Henderson St. (Ark.)	5-1	319	5
16.	Slippery Rock (Pa.)	5-1	304	19
17.	Valdosta St. (Ga.)	4-1	253	25t
18.	Assumption (Mass.)	5-1	200	22
19.	Azusa Pacific (Calif.)	5-1	179	10
20.	Florida Tech	4-1	149	23
21.	North Carolina-Pembroke	5-1	148	24
22.	Bemidji St. (Minn.)	5-1	132	25t
23.	Colorado Mesa	5-1	118	13
24.	West Georgia	4-2	90	12
25.	Wayne St. (Mich.)	5-1	85	NR

Others Receiving Votes: Ferris St. (Mich.), 76; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 48; Minnesota-Duluth, 46; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 24; Newberry (S.C.), 23; Southwest Baptist (Mo.), 14; Black Hills St. (S.D.), 9; Colorado School of Mines, 9; Truman St. (Mo.), 9; Southern Arkansas, 4; Notre Dame (Ohio), 2; Central Missouri, 1.