KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA has announced it will return to the ASA Hall of Fame Complex, located in Oklahoma City, for the 2017 softball championship.  The tournament will be a three-day event, Thursday, April 27 – Saturday, April 29, 2017.  The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The championship will be an eight-team double elimination format and will be contested at the ASA Hall of Fame Complex, which previously served as the site of the 2015 NCAA Division II National Championship.

“We are excited that the 2017 MIAA Softball Championship will return to the ASA Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City next spring,” MIAA Commissioner Dr. Bob Boerigter said.  This venue will certainly provide a memorable experience for our student-athletes and fans”.

Widely recognized as the “Softball Capital of the World™”, the ASA Hall of Fame Complex is the ultimate destination in the softball world.  With four fields and other world class amenities, the Complex has played host to the best softball competition in the world, including USA teams that represent the nation in international competitions.  Annually, the ASA Hall of Fame Complex plays host to the nation’s No. 1 collegiate contest, the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS), which annually draws over 70,000 spectators from around the nation.

“We look forward to hosting the MIAA Softball Championships and welcoming teams to our facility,” said ASA/USA Softball Director of Championships Chris Sebren.  “We can’t wait for the fans, teams and officials to see the renovations at our facility while creating memories that will last them a lifetime.”

 

 

 

MIAA Release

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA has announced that Warren Turner Field on the campus of Missouri Southern State University has been selected as the site for the 2017 MIAA baseball tournament. The tournament will be held May 11-14, 2017. The winner of the 8-team tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

“The response and interest from our member schools to host this event was impressive,” stated commissioner Dr. Bob Boerigter. “Missouri Southern is poised to be terrific hosts in their superb state-of the art baseball facility and I am sure our student-athletes and fans will have a great experience there.”

“We are very excited for the chance to host the 2017 MIAA Baseball Tournament,” commented Missouri Southern Athletic Director Jared Bruggeman. “I want to thank the MIAA and commissioner Bob Boerigter for this tremendous opportunity. Warren Turner Field is a beautiful facility that has already been host to some great MIAA games, many high school and youth games, as well as professional baseball. We enjoy hosting events in all sports and especially enjoy giving the student-athletes the MIAA Championship experience they deserve. So it is wonderful to be designated as the home site for the many outstanding baseball players and teams of the MIAA!”

About Warren Turner Field
2015 marked the first time the MSSU Baseball Program has played on campus in more than 40 years when the new Warren Turner Field will open on the east side of campus near Fred G. Hughes Stadium and the MSSU softball complex.
The stadium opened in 2015 and features seating for 600, a full concession stand, two luxury suites and a top-of-the line press box.  Seating for all fans brings an impressive view as bleachers are installed on top of both dugouts, as well as on top of the press box, giving fans a view that not may in Division II can claim.  The field features artificial turf in both the infield and outfield which limits weather delays and potential cancellations.

Former Fort Hays State point guard Craig Nicholson has signed a contract to play professionally in Romania. Nicholson announced the news through social media Sunday. He will join CS Cuza Sport Braila, a professional club in the city of Braila, Romania, late this summer and early fall.

Nicholson was a four-time All-MIAA selection and a one-time All-America selection at Fort Hays State. He was also the MIAA Freshman of the Year and named to the Division II Bulletin All-Freshman Team in 2013.

Desite injuries which shortened his junior and senior seasons, Nicholson finished second in school history with 628 career assists, the most in FHSU’s Division II history. He ranks second with 161 career steals and is the school’s all-time leader in made free throws (481). His .803 career shooting percentage at the free-throw line ranks sixth in school history.

FHSU Athletics

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State head softball coach Adrian Mohr announced the addition of three more student-athletes for the 2017 season. Two transfers and one freshman join a list of five freshmen that signed in the early period with the Tigers. The latest commitments include Collette West, Candace Bollig, and Hailey Chapman.

West transfers to FHSU from Colby (Kan.) Community College and will be a junior in 2017. West led Colby in batting average for two consecutive seasons and earned All-KJCCC West Division Second Team honors in 2016 at catcher. West is a versatile player that can also play multiple infield positions. As a sophomore in 2016, she batted .403 with 30 extra-base hits (10 home runs, 18 doubles, 2 triples), while driving in 57 runs and scoring 56. She finished with a .699 slugging percentage for the season and also provided a threat with her speed by stealing 32 bases. As a freshman in 2015, she had a .349 batting average with 26 extra-base hits (8 home runs, 16 doubles, 2 triples), while recording 43 runs and 37 RBI. She added nine stolen bases that year. West is a native of Centerville, Utah.

Bollig is a local product from Ellis, Kan., who enters her junior year transferring from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College. She also earned All-KJCCC West Division Second Team honors in 2016, getting the nod at third base. Bollig also has a good balance of power and speed. She led the team in batting average at .408 with 27 extra-base hits (11 home runs, 12 doubles, 4 triples), while scoring 46 runs and driving in 41. She had an impressive .518 on-base percentage and .815 slugging percentage, while adding a team-best 12 stolen bases. Bollig played her freshman season at Barton (Kan.) Community College in 2014. She batted .425 with 25 extra-base hits (8 home runs, 14 doubles, 3 triples), while adding 46 runs and 37 RBI. She had five stolen bases that season.

Chapman was one of the top pitchers in Kansas Class 5A as a senior in 2016 at Salina South High School. She earned all-state second team honors and was twice an all-league first team selection as a pitcher. She helped the Cougars to a league championship during her senior year.

The five freshmen that signed in the early period includes Lexie Kimminau, Lily Sale, Jeni Mohr, Bailey Boxberger, and Tess Gray.

FHSU Athletics

ort Hays State Sports Information Director Ryan Prickett earned more national recognition in 2015-16 as four of his media guides earned national publication honors from CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). The 2015-16 Fort Hays State Women’s Basketball Media Guide was tabbed “Best in the Nation,” while the 2015 Football Media Guide, 2015 Volleyball Media Guide, and 2015-16 Men’s Basketball Media Guide all were voted third nationally in the College Division, which includes all non-NCAA Division I institutions (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA, and NJCAA).

The Women’s Basketball Media Guide earned “Best in the Nation” honors for the first time ever. After ranking third nationally for three straight years, the women’s basketball guide ascended to the top this year. Prickett earned the third “Best in the Nation” honor of his career after the 2011 and 2014 FHSU Volleyball Media Guides were tabbed with same title. Former sports information graduate assistants Doug Self (now Sports Information Director at Southwestern Oklahoma State) and Andrew Sogn (now Assistant Sports Information Director at Washburn), teamed with Prickett to produce the nation’s top volleyball media guides those years.

In his career as Sports Information Director at FHSU, Prickett has amassed 14 Excellence in Publications Awards from CoSIDA. All 14 are for media guides that ranked among the top four nationally (volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and football combined).

This is the first year of Prickett’s career where all four of his media guides produced at FHSU earned the Excellence in Publications Award from CoSIDA. Last year three of the four guides earned the distinction. This year the men’s basketball guide jumped into the top three (its highest ranking ever), while football remained third for the second straight year. The volleyball guide remained in the top three for the fifth consecutive year.

Jared Schiel of the FHSU Foundation designed the covers for the football and volleyball guides, while Prickett designed the covers for the women’s basketball and men’s basketball guides. Photos for the guides were provided by Mitch Weber, Emma Henry, Mark Shaiken, and Bob Duffy. Fort Hays State University Printing Services printed the guides. Prickett produced the entire layout of all four guides, including writing and design.

Prickett enters his 12th year as Sports Information Director at Fort Hays State University in 2016-17.

FHSU Athletics

SALINA, Kan. – Five of Fort Hays State’s future basketball players shined on Saturday (June 25) in the KBCA All-Star Games, held at Mabee Arena on the campus of Kansas Wesleyan University. Future FHSU men participating were Hays products Jared Vitztum and Isaiah Nunnery, while future FHSU women participating were Kacey Kennett, Taylor Rolfs, and Madison Mittie.

Boys Game
Even though both are from Hays, TMP-Marian product Jared Vitztum and Hays High product Isaiah Nunnery played on opposing squads Saturday. Nunnery had a big impact in pushing the Blue squad to a win, while Vitztum had a team-high 21 points and eight rebounds for the White squad. The Blue squad won the game 106-97.

With the game knotted at 81-81, Nunnery triggered a 7-0 run that would push the Blue squad into the lead for good. He broke the tie with a bucket at the seven-minute mark, then came up with a steal that led to two more points for his team 15 seconds later. Nunnery finished the game with seven points, going 3-of-5 from the field which included a three-point field goal.

Vitztum was very efficient on the offensive end for the White squad. He finished the game 8-of-10 from the field, canning his only three-point attempt. He was also a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. His eight rebounds led all players in the game.

Girls Game
Three of Fort Hays State’s signees combined for 65 points in the KBCA Girls All-Star Game. Kacey Kennett led all scorers in the game with 26 points, leading the White squad to a 109-103 overtime win, while Taylor Rolfs had 21 and Madison Mittie added 18 for the Blue squad.

Kennett delivered a big three-point field goal with just over a minute to play in regulation that capped a quick 6-0 run by the White to tie the game. Both teams traded two point buckets before regulation concluded. In overtime Kennett scored six points, including another three-point field goal, and three free-throws down the stretch to seal the win. She finished 8-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 beyond the three-point line. She was 7-of-8 at the free-throw line.

Rolfs and Mittie were just as efficient on offense for the Blue squad. Rolfs tied a team-high 21 points for the Blue, going 7-of-12 from the field with a 4-of-6 effort beyond the 3-point line and 3-of-4 effort at the free-throw line. Mittie went 9-of-13 from the field, getting all of her points inside the arc.

FHSU Athletics
INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State Women’s Basketball ranked second nationally in attendance for the second straight year in 2015-16 as the NCAA official basketball attendance numbers were released on Tuesday (June 7). FHSU averaged 2,293 fans per game and saw an impressive total of 34,395 total fans attend home contests in 2015-16. The Tigers ranked among the top five nationally for the fourth consecutive year and among the top 10 for the seventh consecutive year.

Fort Hays State’s average was nearly identical in back-to-back years. The Tigers averaged 2,293 fans per game in 2015-16 and averaged 2,289 the previous season, ranking second nationally both years. FHSU ranked third in 2013-14 and fourth in 2012-13. The rise on the attendance chart goes hand-in-hand with the program’s success on the court, reaching the No. 2 national ranking as a team in 2014-15 and finishing at 30-4 overall with an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Central Regional final. The Tigers reached the WBCA No. 1 national ranking for the first time in program history in 2015-16 and reached the NCAA Tournament once again with a final overall record of 25-6. Fort Hays State has now put together five consecutive 20-win seasons, with the last two producing the top two win totals in program history at the NCAA Division II level.

The state of Kansas had three of its four schools in the MIAA rank in the top 10 nationally for attendance. After FHSU at No. 2, Emporia State ranked third at 2,028 per game. Washburn was fifth at 1,649 per game. Two of the top programs nationally, Fort Hays State and Emporia State occupied the No. 1 national ranking until early January. Emporia State started the year as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team and held that position until early December when No. 5 ranked FHSU knocked off ESU in Hays. That win leapt the Tigers into the WBCA’s No. 1 national ranking for the first time in program history and they held the top ranking from December 8 to January 5.

The only school to draw more at home on average in 2015-16 was Northern State (S.D.) of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference at 2,880 per game.

With four teams in the top 10, the MIAA led the nation in attendance once again as a conference, averaging 1,117 fans per game. It was the only conference to average 1,000 or more fans per game. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, also in the Central Region, was second at 860 fans per game.

Below is a link to the NCAA Division II top 10 women’s attendance figures for the 2015-16 season.

2015-16 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Attendance Figures

FHSU Athletics

INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball ranked among the top five nationally in attendance for the third consecutive year in 2015-16 as the NCAA official basketball attendance numbers were released on Tuesday. FHSU ranked fifth nationally in 2015-16, averaging 2,471 fans per game and was one of three NCAA Division II schools to have more than 40,000 total fans attend home contests (joining Northern State and Augustana).

Northern State (S.D.) was the national leader once again in 2015-16, averaging 3,346 fans per game. National champion Augustana (S.D.) had an average of 2,726 fans watch its home contests to rank second for the second straight year. Midwestern State (Texas) was third at 2,553 fans per game, seeing a jump of 587 fans per game from last year, and fellow MIAA school Nebraska-Kearney was fourth at 2,539 fans per game, also seeing a healthy jump of 521 fans per game. Four of the top five schools in attendance are from the Central Region in NCAA Division II, with Midwestern State as the only exception among the top five.

Fort Hays State ranked third nationally in each of the previous two years, but continued its run of averaging more than 2,000 fans per game for the eighth consecutive season. The Tigers have been among the top 10 nationally in attendance for seven consecutive seasons, going back to 2009-10.

The large crowds at Gross Memorial Coliseum once again created a home-court advantage helping the Tigers to a 15-2 record on their floor in 2015-16. The coliseum is annually one of the toughest venues on opponents, where FHSU has a record of 338-53 since joining NCAA Division II, winning 86.4 percent of its games. The overall record for FHSU at the coliseum of 572-106 is equally as impressive, winning 84.4 percent of its games. The Tigers have reached at least 10 home wins in 38 of 43 seasons in the coliseum. FHSU has went undefeated at home four times in that span.

The Tigers won at least 12 games at home for the ninth-consecutive year, playing an average of 15 contests per year at home in that run. In the school’s 25-year NCAA Division II history, the Tigers have produced at least 11 wins at home in all but two seasons.

The Tigers helped the MIAA lead the nation once again in attendance as a conference. The average attendance at MIAA schools in 2015-16 was 1,419. The Lone Star Conference was second at 1,267 fans per game.

Below is a link to the NCAA Division II top 30 attendance figures for the 2015-16 season.

2015-16 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Attendance Figures

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State Men’s Golf announced the signing of two student-athletes for the 2016-17 season. Joining the Tigers next season will be Marcus Willey and Dalton Ayres. Willey will be a freshman, while Ayres is a junior transfer from Kansas City (Kan.) Community College.

Willey comes to Fort Hays State from Abilene High School in Abilene, Kan. He was a three-time state qualifier, most recently tying for third at the 2016 Kansas Class 4A State Championship. He tied for 15^th as a junior. Willey is the son Mark Willey, who played both basketball and golf at Fort Hays State.

Ayres is a native of Newton, Kan., who played two years at Kansas City (Kan.) Community College. He helped his team to the NJCAA National Tournament this season as KCKCC won the regional tournament to qualify for nationals. At nationals, KCKCC finished ninth as a team and Ayres fired four consecutive rounds in the 70s to finish 47th individually.

FHSU Sports Information
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball announced the addition of JaQuan Smith for the 2016-17 season. Smith will be a senior for the Tigers this upcoming season, transferring from Stephen F. Austin State University, a member of the Southland Conference in NCAA Division I.

Smith played in a limited role as a junior for Stephen F. Austin, appearing in 17 games. Prior to Stephen F. Austin, he played two years at Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa. As a sophomore, he averaged 6.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. Smith recorded a total of 79 blocked shots in 2014-15, helping the team advance to the regional championship with a record of 19-12. He was a member of the all-conference and all-regional tournament teams. As a freshman, he averaged 2.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocked shots per game. Smith holds the school record for both single-season and career blocked shots at NOC-Tonkawa.

Smith is a native of Baltimore, Md., where he attended Edmondson High School. He stands at 6 feet, 9 inches and looks to help the Tigers in the post next yea

FHSU Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State junior wrestler Jon Inman has been named a finalist for the MIAA Ken B. Jones Award for 2016, the conference’s honor for both its male and female student-athletes of the year. Inman joins Emporia State’s Brent Wilson (football) and Northeastern State’s Eric Crawford (soccer) as men’s finalists, while women’s finalists include Heavin Warner (Central Missouri – track and field), Natalie O’Keefe (Southwest Baptist – track and field), and Yanique Ellington (Lincoln – track and field).

The award, which is in its 23rd year, is named in honor of the man who served as the MIAA’s first full-time commissioner for 16 years. Jones retired in 1997 and passed away in May 2004. He was inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame in the inaugural Class of 2010.

Inman put together a very impressive junior season, earning All-America honors at 184 pounds with a fifth-place finish at nationals. He put together a staggering record of 38-4, with his only losses against Division II competition occurring at the NCAA Super Regional and NCAA Championships. Inman finished the year 25-3 against Division II wrestlers. He was the MIAA champion at 184 pounds for the second straight year.

Inman has also been impressive in the classroom for FHSU with a 3.85 GPA as a Justice Studies major. He is a three-time D2 Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic First Team selection and MIAA Scholar-Athlete recipient. Recently, Inman was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for At-Large sports, only one of 11 selections in the region to be considered for CoSIDA Academic All-America status.

Beth Bohuslavsky of Fort Hays State women’s basketball was one of 12 women nominated for the award this year. Bohuslavsky had an impressive resume as a three-time All-MIAA performer, while carrying a 3.89 grade point average as an Elementary Education major. She helped FHSU to an amazing record of 98-25 over four years and the program’s first-ever WBCA No. 1 national ranking.

A 15-member panel of athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors – including a representative from each member institution – select the finalists.

Each nominee is judged in four areas with a certain percentage of weight going to each category: 2015-16 athletic accomplishments (45%); career academic accomplishments (25%); 2015-16 campus/community service (15%); and career athletic and service achievements (15%).

The three men and women finalists are invited to Kansas City for the MIAA Awards Ceremony, which will be held June 1 at the Truman Forum Auditorium at the Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri. At the event one male and one female will be announced as the winners of the Ken B. Jones Award. The awards program, begins at 7 pm.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Commissioner Dr. Bob Boerigter has announced his retirement effective January 31, 2017 after 45 years of service to intercollegiate athletics.  Boerigter, the fourth full-time commissioner in MIAA history, has served in the position since the fall of 2010.

“It has been my honor to serve as the Commissioner of America’s finest Division II athletics conference. The experiences I have had, and the relationships I have been able to develop with CEO’s, athletics administrators, faculty athletics representatives, coaches and officials will be treasured for my entire life.  I will remain committed to serving our membership and to assist with the transition to a new Commissioner in the months ahead,” commented Boerigter.

During his time as Commissioner he has implemented an expansion program of both full-time and associate members to the MIAA. In addition, in 2012 he directed a year-long celebration of the MIAA Centennial and has been the principal figure in attracting NCAA national championships to sites within the MIAA.  Boerigter has overseen a great era of success in the MIAA. In his tenure, the conference has produced 10 national team champions in six different sports, in addition to a number of individual national champions.

“All of us in the MIAA are deeply grateful for the leadership Dr. Boerigter has provided to our conference and to the entire membership of NCAA Division II,” said University of Central Missouri President Chuck Ambrose.  “Of course we are biased, but we consider Bob the best commissioner of the best Division II Conference in the NCAA.  His work ethic, integrity, and service to our member institutions provides direct benefits to our student-athletes and the quality of their experience across the MIAA.  The quality of his leadership has been extended to the entire Association with significant gains in the overall quality of the DII experience. The MIAA is a better conference and is recognized as a leader because of Dr. Boerigter’s service,” added Ambrose.

“Bob Boerigter has been an outstanding commissioner for the MIAA during the past six years,” said Southwest Baptist University President Pat Taylor. “I have always believed that we have the very best commissioner in the NCAA. Bob has wonderful people skills. He is kind and considerate, but has the ability to make difficult decisions and to be tough when it is necessary. He is very knowledgeable concerning NCAA policies and procedures. Bob has had numerous leadership roles within the NCAA and is looked upon as a leader. He has a tremendous work ethic. We will miss Bob’s leadership for the MIAA and I will miss his personal friendship,” added Taylor.

With extensive experience within the NCAA governance structure, Boerigter’s impact has been felt far beyond the footprint of the MIAA. He has served as Chair of the Division II Football Committee, a member of the Division II Championships Committee and the Planning and Finance committee as well as having served on many other association-wide and Division II task forces and project teams. In 2013 he was the Chair of the Division II Management Council and has previously served as a member of the NCAA Executive Committee.
Boerigter came to the conference office after spending nine years as the director of athletics at Northwest Missouri State University.  In his time at Northwest he served as the lead administrator for the department of athletics/HPERD including recreational sports, club sports, campus recreation and the campus fitness center.

Prior to his time at Northwest Missouri State University, Boerigter served as the director of athletics, chair of the physical education department and professor of physical education at Hastings (Neb.) College for 13 years.  He is a recipient of the NAIA National Athletics Director of the Year award and he is a member of the Hastings College Athletics Hall of Fame.

In all, Boerigter has served as the director of athletics at five collegiate institutions, including Adams State (Colo.) College, Northwestern (Iowa) College and Whitworth (Wash.) College.

Boerigter is a graduate of Northwestern College with a bachelor of science in physical education in 1970, and received a Master of Arts degree in 1974 from the University of Northern Colorado and a doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Utah in 1978. Boerigter’s career in collegiate athletics began in 1972 at Northwestern College where he coached basketball, baseball, football and golf.

Boerigter and his wife, Mary, have two sons – Marc and John and four grandchildren.

The MIAA CEO Council will immediately commence a search for Boerigter’s successor, led by Doug Kristensen, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Kearney, and chair of the council.