JOPLIN, Mo. – Fort Hays State saw its losing skid reach a season-high eight games with an 18-2 run-rule loss to Missouri Southern Saturday afternoon at Warren Turner Field. The Lions (28-14, 18-13 MIAA) scored nine runs in the first then added eight in fifth on three hits, four walks, and three hit batters.

Collectively the Tigers (17-25, 11-20 MIAA) gave up 18 runs (15 earned) on 12 hits. They walked 13 batters and hit four.

FHSU  scored in the fourth on a Nick Hammeke single. Joe Mapes hit his eighth homer of the season in the seventh. three hits, four walks, and three hit batters.

Logan Herd took the loss for the Tigers in his shortest appearance of the season. The freshman lasted just 2/3 innings and gave up seven runs (six earned), on five hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Fort Hays State looks to avoid the series sweep in the finale on Sunday at noon.

FHSU Athletics

Kansas Relays Results

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Fort Hays State javelin thrower Estefania Lopez set a new school record in the javelin at the 2016 Kansas Relays. Just a week after teammate Madison Wolf set the record, Lopez regained the record in the event with a throw of 173 feet, 8 inches.

Wolf set the record at 170 feet, 10 inches last week at the KT Woodman Classic, edging Lopez’s old record of 170 feet, 8 inches set at the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Lopez took the record back on Thursday by besting that mark by nearly three feet. Lopez and Wolf rank second and third nationally in the event, two of just three competitors in Division II to throw over 170 feet this year. Allison Updike of Azusa Pacific has the top throw in the country so far this year at 175 feet, 11 inches.

Lopez finished second in the event overall, only behind the reigning Big 10 champion Sarah Firestone from the University of Nebraska. Firestone threw her furthest mark of the season at 181 feet, 9 inches. Wolf finished fourth in the event at 162 feet, 11 inches, but she and Lopez continued their streak of hitting automatic qualifying marks in every meet so far this season.

Several other FHSU women put up season-best marks in their respective events. The distance medley relay team of Shea Bonine, Mandy Wilson, Sophie Dalmasso and Micki Krzesinski posted a time of 12:20.73 to finish third in the event. Rachael Monteil threw 166 feet, 4 inches in the hammer throw to finish sixth. Bonine was seventh in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:42.16. The 4×100 meter relay team of Kelly Wycoff, Lexi Riedel, Amber Forbes and Mindy Wilson finished ninth with a time of 47.99 seconds. Mandy Wilson was 13th in the triple jump in a distance of 37 feet, 5.75 inches.

In prelims, Wycoff posted a season-best time in the 400 meters at 56.50 seconds. kara Simmons posted a time of 1:05.08 in the 400 meter hurdles.

Tabor College Invitational
On Saturday at the Tabor College Invitational, Selam Ball won the pole vault with a height of 15 feet, 9.75 inches, her best mark of the season in the event. Rachael Monteil was also victorious in the hammer throw with a distance of 162 feet, 6 inches.

JOPLIN, Mo. – Missouri Southern scored four runs in the eighth inning and rally past Fort Hays State 5-2 in the opening game of their three-game series at Warren Turner Field. The Tigers (17-24, 11-19 MIAA) have dropped seven straight while the Lions improved to 27-14 overall and 17-13 in the MIAA.

Missouri Southern scored in the bottom of the second inning but the Tigers evened the score in the third. With two outs, Nick Hammeke worked a full count and drew a walk. He then stole second and came around to score on an error.

FHSU took a 2-1 lead in the seventh. With one out, Connor Ross tripled to right center. Hammeke, who saw his team-best 14-game hit streak come to and end, plated Ross on a fielder’s choice.

The Lions had five hits off reliever Austin Unrein in the eighth inning, four of which were doubles. The Tigers had two runners reach base in the ninth, but weren’t able to score.

Starter Kyle Vogt pitched seven innings but did not receive a decision. He allowed one run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Unrein took the loss in his inning of relief.

Payton Walker of Missouri Southern picked up the win, tossing eight innings with just one earned run allowed on seven hits and four walks. He struck out four. Kyle McCulloch picked up the save, throwing the ninth inning with a hit allowed an two strikeouts.

FHSU Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lane Pauls of Fort Hays State Men’s Golf made a charge over the final two rounds at the MIAA Championships to finish in a tie for second place individually. The tournament was contested at Tiffany Greens Golf Club, a par-72 layout.

Pauls shot two consecutive rounds of 71 (1-under par) to move from eighth place after the first day to second by the end of the tournament. Pauls and tournament champion Blake Lammers of Lincoln University were the only two golfers in the field to shoot two of the three rounds under par. Pauls did it over the final two, while Lammers did it in the first and third rounds.

Lammers had the round of the tournament to win the championship on Wednesday, shooting a 4-under par 68 to run away at 6-under par overall. He was 2-under after the first round, then shot even in the second round. Pauls and Logan Gray of Central Oklahoma tied for second seven strokes back at 1-over par overall. Pauls shot rounds of 75, 71, and 71, while Gray shot rounds of 74, 72, and 71.

Fort Hays State took 11th as a team, shooting a three-round total of 959. Koby Beougher was 47th with rounds of 88, 74, and 80. Cash Hobson was 50th with rounds of 80, 84, and 88. Seve Sites and Kade Megaffin finished in a tie for 53rd, each with a total of 259. Sites shot 98, 77, and 84, while Megaffin shot 92, 82, and 85. Megaffin figured into the team scoring in all three rounds.

Central Oklahoma won the tournament as a team, shooting 882. Lindenwood was nine strokes back at 891 and Central Missouri was third at 892. Central Oklahoma also won the regular season team title with 52 points over the four sanctioned MIAA events for the season. Central Missouri was second with 49 points.

FHSU Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Women’s Golf completed its 2015-16 season on Wednesday at the MIAA Championships. The Tigers finished seventh out of the nine teams competing. The tournament was held at Swope Memorial Golf Course.

Women’s MIAA Golf Results

The Tigers shot 1053 over three rounds as a team. Northeastern State, the 11th-ranked team in the nation, won the tournament with a 922 total. Central Oklahoma, ranked 25th in the nation, finished second at 942. The RiverHawks prevented the Bronchos from claiming a fourth consecutive MIAA Championship.

Hannah Perkins led the Tigers overall, tying for 24th. She shot rounds of 87, 85, and 85 for a total of 257. Hannah Karasiuk was one stroke behind in 26th with rounds of 87, 84, and 87. Kelsey McCarthy had the best round on the team in the second round with an 83, which she surrounded with an 88 and 91 to finish in a tie for 29th. Kylie McCarthy rounded out the scorers for FHSU with rounds of 94, 92, and 90 to finish 38th. Hadley Tharp finished 44th with rounds of 97, 94, and 94.

FHSU Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Women’s Golf completed its 2015-16 season on Wednesday (Apr. 20) at the MIAA Championships. The Tigers finished seventh out of the nine teams competing. The tournament was held at Swope Memorial Golf Course.

The Tigers shot 1053 over three rounds as a team. Northeastern State, the 11th-ranked team in the nation, won the tournament with a 922 total. Central Oklahoma, ranked 25th in the nation, finished second at 942. The RiverHawks prevented the Bronchos from claiming a fourth consecutive MIAA Championship.

Hannah Perkins led the Tigers overall, tying for 24th. She shot rounds of 87, 85, and 85 for a total of 257. Hannah Karasiuk was one stroke behind in 26th with rounds of 87, 84, and 87. Kelsey McCarthy had the best round on the team in the second round with an 83, which she surrounded with an 88 and 91 to finish in a tie for 29th. Kylie McCarthy rounded out the scorers for FHSU with rounds of 94, 92, and 90 to finish 38th. Hadley Tharp finished 44th with rounds of 97, 94, and 94.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

KEARNEY, Neb. – Nebraska-Kearney scored the tying run in the eighth inning on a wild pitch then the game winner an inning later on a bases loaded walk as they rally for a 12-11 win over Fort Hays State on a rainy day Tueasday at Memorial Field. The Tigers (17-22, 11-18 MIAA) have lost six straight. The Lopers (17-21, 14-15 MIAA) win the season series after taking the first game in Hays last week.

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

 

The Tigers scored single runs in the first and second innings to take an early 2-0 lead but the Lopers  came back with two in the second, two in the third, a run in the fith and two in the sixth to g up 7-3.

The Tigers opened the seventh inning with three straight singles thens used a walk, another single and a sacrifice fly to score four and tie the game 7-7. UNK answered with three in the bottom of the inning to go up 10-7 but the Tigers use a triples, four walks and two hit batters to plate four in the eighth to to up 11-10.

Austin Unrein’s wild pitch with two outs in the eighth allowed the Lopers to tie the game 11-11. Unrein then issued a leadoff walk followed by a sacrifice bunt and an error, a hit batter and bases loaded walk to bring in the winning run.

Unrein (1-1) allowed two runs, one earned, on one hit with a walk and two walks and suffered the loss. Unrein, Connor Ross, Alex Weiss, Joe Mapes and Caleb Cherryholmes all had two of the Tigers 11 hits. Weiss, Mapes, Cherryholmes and Alex King all drove in two.

FHSU Athletics

Junior javelin thrower Madison Wolf has been named the MIAA Women’s Field Athlete of the Week on Monday following her performance at the KT Woodman Classic. She set a new FHSU record and moved to second on the national performance list with her winning throw of 170 feet, 10 inches.

Though she has been right behind senior Estefania Lopez in all previous meets this season, Wolf took home her first meet victory of the season in record fashion. She topped Lopez’s school record in the event by two inches. Lopez threw 170 feet, 8 inches at the NCAA Division II Championships last year to finish second nationally. Wolf had never thrown further than 162 feet, 6 inches (which she threw at the NCAA Division II Championships last year) until Friday. Wolf’s throw also set a new collegiate meet record at Wichita State, breaking the old mark of 169 feet, 10 inches.

Wolf joins Lincoln’s Venicha Baker as the weekly conference honorees in women’s track and field. Baker was named the MIAA Women’s Track Athlete of the Week.

FHSU Athletics

WICHITA, Kan. – Junior javelin thrower Madison Wolf set a new FHSU record and moved to second on the national performance list with her winning throw of 170 feet, 10 inches at the KT Woodman Classic. Wolf and six other Tigers posted season-best marks in events to help the team to a fourth place finish.

Wolf, who dealt with an injury the majority of the 2015 season and still finished fourth nationally, uncorked a career-best throw on her first attempt Friday. Though she has been right behind senior Estefania Lopez in all previous meets this season, Wolf took home her first meet victory of the season in record fashion. She topped Lopez’s school record in the event by two inches. Lopez threw 170 feet, 8 inches at the NCAA Division II Championships last year to finish second nationally. Wolf had never thrown further than 162 feet, 6 inches (which she threw at the NCAA Division II Championships last year) until Friday. Wolf’s throw ranks second on the national performance list.

Lopez was not far behind Wolf, throwing 169 feet, 5 inches, as she gave the Tigers a 1-2 finish in the javelin. They blew away third-place finisher Haley Pitko of Kansas State University by over 15 feet. Lopez moved to third on the national performance list with the effort. Both Wolf and Lopez continue to throw automatic marks at each meet, constantly pushing each other to the ultimate stage at the end of the season – the NCAA Championships. Both secured a spot at the championships in the first week of competition.

If the meet occurred last week, Wolf and Lopez would be first and second on the national performance list. But, just like last year at the NCAA Championships, they were upstaged by Azusa Pacific’s Allison Updike on Friday. Updike won her home meet with a throw of 175 feet, 10 inches, keeping a hold on her national lead in the event. She threw 168 feet, 6 inches two weeks ago to take over the national lead and extended her best mark of the season by over seven feet on Friday. That meet also featured the other two individuals among the top five nationally, Western Washington’s Bethany Drake and Katie Reichert, but they did not improve on their top marks for the season and fell behind Wolf and Lopez in the national standings at fourth and fifth respectively.

To accompany the amazing efforts of Fort Hays State’s top two javelin throwers, six women set new season-best marks in events for the season to help the Tigers to a fourth-place finish. Kelly Wycoff placed third in the 400 meters with a time of 57.69 seconds. Selam Ball was fourth in the pole vault with an effort of 11 feet, 6.5 inches. Shea Bonine (1500 meters) and Micki Krzesinski (10,000 meters) each had fifth-place finishes, Bonine at 4:44.13 and Krzesinski at 36:33.04. Rachael Monteil was sixth in the hammer throw at 166 feet, 2 inches. Mandy Wilson was ninth in the triple jump at 37 feet, 3 inches.

Fort Hays State scored 184.5 points as a team. Wichita State cruised to the meet win with 731 points, Iowa Central was second at 330 points, and North Texas was third at 225.5. FHSU did top Kansas State, which finished fifth at 178 points.

FHSU Athletics

WICHITA, Kan. – Fort Hays State Men’s Track and Field had six individuals set new season-best marks in events, helping the Tigers to an eighth-place finish as a team at the KT Woodman Classic.

Micheal Kinuthia turned in the top 800 meter time for a Tiger this year by running 1:54.72 to finish second in the event. He was the only Tiger with a top-three finish at the meet. Brett Meyer turned in a fourth-place finish in the event at 1:55.72.

Kolt Newell (high jump) and Jake Morrow (pole vault) each finished fifth in their respective events, but did not improve on their provisional marks nationally. Newell jumped 6 feet, 6 inches in the high jump, while Morrow cleared 15 feet, 9 inches in the pole vault.

Brenner Wells gained a provisional mark in the javelin with a throw of 194 feet to finish eighth. As of Friday, his mark would rank 27th on the national performance list.

TJ Dozier also had an eighth-place finish in the discus with a throw of 158 feet, 5 inches, a new season best for a Tiger in the event. Also posting season bests in events were Seth Parres in the 5000 meters (15:18.99), Israel Barco in the 1500 meters (4:03.30), Kal Hamm in the 100 meter hurdles (15.38 seconds-tied his season best), and Doryan Germany-Garner in the 400 meters (50.13 seconds).

The Tigers generated 160 points as a team. Wichita State won its home meet with 588 points. Iowa Central Community College was second at 356 points and Barton (Kan.) Community College was third at 257 points.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. – They were forced inside due to the much welcomed rain, but the Fort Hays State football team was able to complete spring practices with a scrimmage Saturday afternoon in the Schmidt-Bickle Indoor Training Facility.

The two hour workout, in front of a good gathering of Tiger fans, saw limited contact as several players recover from injuries suffered during the 2015 season.

Coach Chris Brown discusses Saturday’s spring scrimmage…

Redshirt sophomore Jacob Mezera appears ready to take over for senior Treveon Albert at quarterback…

Fort Hays State is coming off an 8-4 season which saw them play in the Mineral Water Bowl. They open the 2016 season on September 1st at home against Missouri Southern.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. – For the second time this season the Fort Hays State baseball team was swept in a three-game series at Larks Park. Missouri Western scored nine runs in the final three innings of their 13-2 win in the first game. They took the second game of the doubleheader 2-1. The Griffons (28-11, 20-8 MIAA) have won six straight and improve to 21-3 on the road. The Tigers (17-22, 11-17) have lost five straight and seven of their last eight.

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

 

MWSU scored three in the second to take the early lead in the opener. Caleb Cherryholmes two-out single in the bottom of the inning scored Connor Ross to cut the lead to one. Nick Hammeke’s RBI single in the fifth closed the gap to 4-2 but Brandon Downs hit a three-run homer over the right field wall to stretch the Griffons lead to 7-2. They added a run in the seventh and five in the eighth for the eight inning run-rule win.

Freshman Logan Herd (2-4) allowed eight runs on 11 hits over 6 2/3 innings and suffered the loss.

Game 1 Highlights

 

The Tigers took the only lead of the series in the first inning of the second game. After two errors and a hit batter loaded the bases, Connor Ross hit into a double play which scored Caleb Cherryholmes. Alex Heuring hit a two-out home run in the third to tie the game 1-1 then Nick Gawley’s single scored David Gloade in the sixth to give the Griffons the lead for good.

D.J. Carr (3-6) allowed both runs on five hits over six innings and takes the loss. MWSU starter Evan Jones overcame a shaky start to pick up the win allowing one run on three hits over seven innings.

Game 2 Highlights