By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Kate Bellamy hit two free throws with 3.5 seconds to give Northeastern State a 49-48 lead, then Beth Bohuslavsky’s long 3-point shot at the horn bounced off the rim giving the RiverHawks the one-point win at the NSU Event Center Saturday afternoon in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

The Lady Tigers trailed by 10 with 8:17 to play but put together a 15-4 run put them up 48-47 with :21 play following a Taylor Chandler steal and layup. Kate Lehman was called for a foul on a block of Bellamy’s shot giving NSU a chance to retake the lead at the line.

The Tigers shot only 31.5-percent from the floor and hit just 5-of-23 from 3-point range and only 9-of-18 from the free throw line and were outrebounded by six.

Fort Hays State struggled offensively in the first half, going over eight minutes without a field goal. The RiverHawks took advantage, going on a 13-2 run to build an eight point lead. The Lady Tigers responded by scoring the next nine points to grab the lead back, but NSU would take back a five point lead and held a 25-22 lead at the half.

Kate Lehman led two Lady Tigers in double-figures with 19 points but shot just 6-for-12 from the field. Chelsea Mason was just 3-for-12 from beyond the arc and added 11 points.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights
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FHSU Sports Information

Sixth-ranked Fort Hays State won five of the nine matchups with No. 5 Central Oklahoma, but dropped the dual, 22-16, on Thursday evening in Hays, Kan.

Due to an open weight class at 285 pounds, Fort Hays State would spot UCO six points at the conclusion of the dual, but at 125 pounds, Adam Ludwin started things off right for the Tigers.  The sophomore gave FHSU a 3-0 team lead with an 8-2 win over UCO’s Josh Breece – just missing the major decision.

At 133 pounds, Symon Seaton hung tough with UCO’s Casy Rowell (ranked fifth nationally) through the first period, but Rowell won by fall at the 4:39 mark of the match.

C.J. Napier gave FHSU another lead (7-6) at 141 pounds when he picked up an 11-3 major decision over Dustin Reed, but three straight wins for UCO’s top-ranked wrestlers at 149, 157 and 165 pounds put the Bronchos in the lead for good.

At 149 pounds, No. 1 Jordan Basks (UCO) won by major decision, 15-1, over Joey Dozier, and in the 157 pound weight class, No. 1 Cory Dauphin topped Mitchell Means, 6-3.

Bradley Little nearly pulled off the upset at 165 pounds, leading No. 1 ranked Chris Watson after the first period, 2-1.  Watson, however, tied the match, 2-2, in the second period and won by decision, 5-2.

With the Tigers down 16-7 in team scoring, Josh Rodriguez’s 6-2 decision over UCO’s Zach Aylor at 174 pounds started a string of three straight decisions for the Tigers, tying the match at 16-all.

Jon Inman led Znick Ferrell throughout his 184 pound match, winning 6-4, and Zack Grimes closed out the night for the Tigers with a 4-2 decision over Garrett Henshaw (197 pounds).  Grimes and Henshaw were tied, 1-1, heading into the third period, but after a UCO stalling point, Grimes scored a late takedown to gain the upper hand.

No. 8 Cody Dauphin earned the forfeit for UCO at 285 pounds, giving the Bronchos a victory in team scoring.

The Tigers will travel to Kearney, Neb., this Saturday (Jan. 18) for the Midwest Duals.  FHSU will face off with Northern State, Minot State, Southwest Minnesota State and California-Baptist at the one-day tournament.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

The Fort Hays State Tigers rallied from six points down with 0:47 to play and force overtime then outscored Central Oklahoma 10-6 in the extra period for a 101-97 win Thursday night in Edmond. The Tigers were down 14 with under a minute to play in the first half and trailed by as many as 13 in the second half before mounting the comeback.

The win is the Tigers fifth-straight since the Christmas break and improves them to 13-3 and 5-3 in the MIAA. The Bronchos fall to 10-5 and 4-4 in the conference.

Craig Nicholson, who scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists, hit a 3-pointer with 0:10 to play to tie the game at 91. Aaron Anderson drew a foul driving to the basket with 0:01.4 to play but missed both free throws. The Tigers scored the first six points of the overtime and never led by less than three the rest of the way.

Central Oklahoma outscored the Tigers 25-10 over a 7:40 stretch of the first half in building 14-point lead with 0:54 to play and led by 11 at the break.

FHSU shot 63-percent from the floor in the second half and hit all six of their free throws in the overtime. UCO, who hit 57-percent from the floor in the first half, hit just 2-of-9 in overtime and were just 1-for-6 from beyond the arc in the extra period.

Dwayne Brunson led five Tigers in double-figures with 31 points and nine rebounds. James Flemming scored a season-high 20, Tomislav Gabric 11 and Carson Konrade 10.

Josh Gibbs led UCO with 25 before fouling out late in regulation.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Fort Hays State used an 23-2 run, which included three-straight 3-pointers from Chelsea Mason, Nikola Kacperska and Jill Faxon, to build a 23-point second half lead and go on to beat Central Oklahoma 64-38 Thursday night at Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Oklahoma.

The Lady Tigers hold the Bronchos 15 second half points as they win their fourth straight and improve to 12-2 and 6-2 in the MIAA. UCO sees their two-game win streak snapped and falls to 9-6 and 4-4 in the conference.

The Tigers hit five of their 10 three-point attempts in the second half, hitting on 40-percent for the game and outrebound UCO by 18

Fort Hays State stole back-to-back inbound passes to fuel an early 12-0 run which saw them build a nine-point lead with 16:52 to play in the first half. They would then go scoreless over the next 7:23 as Central Oklahoma pulled within one. A Taylor Chandler 3-pointer with 3:06 to play in the half pushed the lead to eight, but FHSU wouldn’t score again before halftime and led 28-23 at the break.

Kate Lehman led the Tigers with 18 points and 12 boards. Kate Lehman and Chelsea Mason both added 11.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Fort Hays State’s most decorated softball player is not done with her playing career. Maddie Holub, who became the first Tiger to be named First Team All-American by both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and Daktronics in the same season, has signed to play this spring in Italy.

Holub will play for Collechio baseball softball club, an international club. Holub says the invitaion to play abroad came as a surprise. “The manager for the team I am going to play for contacted coach (Erin) Kinberger. I guess they found my stats somewhere” Holub said. 

The European league Holub will be playing in allows two foreign players on each team. As of now Holub says she will be the only American on her team. “I’m replacing an American that was playing their last year. At the end of January I’ll know if they’ll be another American. They’re trying to pull another one that played for an Italian team last year” Holub said.

The season begins March 29th and runs through July 5th. If her squad finishes in the top-four of the league, they qualify for the championship series which is played in Holland in September. Because of the timing, Holub will be leaving the Tigers in mid-season.

Holub finished 2013 at 29-4 overall with a 1.03 ERA, 26 complete games, 13 shutouts, three saves, and 345 strikeouts in 224 innings pitched. Holub was also one of the nation’s top hitters with a .426 batting average, 19 home runs, 10 doubles, three triples, 56 RBI, 62 runs scored, an .841 slugging percentage and .516 on-base percentage.

Maddie Holub talks about playing in Italy

(To play audio clip, move cursor to left of media player and left click)

FHSU Sports Information
After a fifth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals over the weekend, the Tigers jumped from outside the Top 20 to No. 6 in the latest Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll, released Wednesday.

FHSU knocked off Indianapolis (previously No. 8), Kutztown (previously No. 7), Upper Iowa (previously No. 10) and Colorado State-Pueblo (RV) in Des Moines, Iowa, losing only to Newberry (now ranked second nationally).

Individually, 125 pounder Adam Ludwin remained ranked, dropping just one spot from No. 6 to No. 7.  While 285 pounder Trey Page fell out of the rankings, FHSU’s Tanner Kriss is now eighth at 197 pounds.

This week, the Tigers will take on No. 5 Central Oklahoma in a conference dual on Thursday (Jan. 16) at 7 p.m., in Hays, Kan., and travel to the Midwest Duals in Kearney, Neb., on Jan. 18.  At the Midwest Duals, FHSU will take on Northern State, Minot State, Southwest Minnesota State and California Baptist (receiving votes in poll).

The complete team rankings are below…

Rank	School (State)	Points	Last Ranking
1	Notre Dame (Ohio)	159	1st
2	Newberry (S.C.)	142	4th
3	St. CloudState (Minn.)	141	5th
4	Nebraska-Kearney	132	2nd
5	Central Oklahoma	131	3rd
6	Fort Hays State (Kan.)	116	NR
7	Kutztown (Pa.)	108	7th
8	Upper Iowa	103	10th
9	WesternState (Colo.)	86	9th
10	Indianapolis (Ind.)	80	8th
11	AdamsState (Colo.)	62	6th
12	Mercyhurst (Pa.)	56	11th
T13.	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	54	12th
T13.	Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)	54	14th
15	McKendree (Ill.)	53	13th
16	Lake Erie (Ohio)	48	19th
17	Ashland (Ohio)	41	16th
18	ColoradoMesa	36	18th
T19.	Maryville (Mo.)	27	15th
T19.	San FranciscoState (Calif.)	27	NR

Others receiving votes:  Augustana (S.D.), California Baptist, Colorado State-Pueblo, Gannon (Pa.), Minnesota State-Mankato, Wisconsin-Parkside.

FHSU Sports Information

The Fort Hays State women’s basketball made its debut in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 this week, pulling in 85 votes to sit at No. 23 in the latest poll, released Tuesday (Jan. 14).

FHSU (11-2, 5-2 MIAA) is in the midst of a three-game winning streak, and outscored MIAA opponents Southwest Baptist, Lindenwood and Lincoln by an average of 31.3 points last week.

The Tigers had received votes all season, but broke into the actual Top 25 for the first time this season – and the first time in nearly a year.  The last time FHSU was listed in the Top 25 was last season’s Jan. 15th poll, where the team was No. 21.

Other MIAA teams listed in the poll are No. 3 Emporia State, No. 8 Central Missouri, Missouri Southern (RV – 12) and Pittsburg State (RV – 3).

The complete poll from Jan. 14 is below…

Rank	Institution – First Place Votes	Previous Rank	Record	Points
1	Bentley University (Mass.) -27	1	14-0	793
2	Gannon University (Pa.)	2	16-0	751
3	Emporia State University (Kan.) -4	3	16-0	747
4	Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) -1	4	12-0	706
5	Colorado Mesa University	5	14-0	660
6	Harding University (Ark.)	8	15-0	591
7	West Texas A&M University	7	11-1	590
8	University of Central Missouri	6	12-2	548
9	Delta State University (Miss.)	9	11-1	533
10	Drury University (Mo.)	10	12-1	512
11	Wayne State College (Neb.)	11	16-1	508
12	Glenville State College (W.Va.)	12	13-2	399
13	Rollins College (Fla.)	14	13-2	389
T14	Tarleton State University (Texas)	15	12-1	378
T14	University of Indianapolis (Ind.)	16	13-2	378
16	Virginia State University	21	13-1	267
17	Cal State Poly – Pomona	T24	10-2	206
18	Quincy University (Ill.)	23	11-2	204
19	North Georgia College & State University	NR	11-1	139
20	Wayne State University (Mich.)	NR	11-1	118
21	Adelphi University (N.Y.)	13	12-2	110
22	Minnesota State University – Mankato	17	10-4	108
23	Fort Hays State University (Kan.)	NR	11-2	85
24	Georgia College	22	11-2	84
25	Lewis University (Ill.)	NR	10-2	83

 

 

Dropped Out: Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho); Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Northern Michigan University; Clayton State University (Ga.).

Others Receiving Votes: Simon Fraser University (BC) 48; Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho) 46; Northern State University (S.D.) 38; Indiana University of Pennsylvania 36; University of Alaska – Anchorage 33; Saint Mary’s University (Texas) 30; Augustana College (S.D.) 29; Michigan Technological University 28; Northern Michigan University 28; Wingate University (N.C.) 22; University of District of Columbia 21; Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.) 16; Concordia University (Minn.) 15; Saint Leo University (Fla.) 15; Lubbock Christian University (Texas) 13; Missouri Southern State University 12; Saint Edwards University (Texas) 12; Saint Martin’s University (Wash.) 12; Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania 8; University of Southern Indiana (Ind.) 8; Clayton State University (Ga.) 7; Young Harris College (Ga.) 7; Edinboro University (Pa.) 6; Minot State University (N.D.) 5; Stonehill College (Mass.) 5; California State University – East Bay 3; Clark Atlanta University (Ga.) 3; Pittsburg State University (Kan.) 3; Seattle Pacific University (Wash.) 1; University of Missouri – St Louis 1; University of West Florida 1.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Former Washburn All-American linebacker Zach Watkins is returning to his alma mater to be the co-defensive coordinator after spending the last three seasons as an assistant at Fort Hays State where he coached the defensive line for two seasons and the inside linebackers for one.

Washburn made the announcement Monday on their website.

Watkins was a four-year starter at linebacker for Washburn from 2006-09 under current Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown and defensive coordinator Cooper Harris. He put together a historic career for the Ichabods, registering 100 or more tackles in each season, compiling a school record 473 for his career. That mark also places him third all-time in NCAA Division II history.

Watkins, a native of Independence, Mo., graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Washburnin December of 2009 and completed his master’s degree in Sports Administration at Fort Hays State University in 2013.

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State’s Chelsea Mason was named the MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week, announced Monday by the conference.

Mason, a sophomore guard from Bellevue, Neb., averaged 23.3 points per game to help the Tigers go 3-0 in the conference last week. She had at least 20 points in all three games, and shot 52.6 percent from beyond the arc. Game-by-game, Mason had 20 points versus Southwest Baptist, 25 versus Lindenwood and 25 versus Lincoln. More impressive, the guard played just 69 minutes of game action – or just over half of the the possible 120 regulation minutes available.

The Tigers travel to Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State this weekend as they continue their trek through the MIAA. FHSU is 11-2 overall on the season and 4-2 in the MIAA.

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State knocked off two Top 10 opponents on Day 2 of the NWCA National Duals, finishing in fifth place after taking down No. 10 Upper Iowa, 25-21, in the consolation semifinals, and No. 7 Kutztown, 23-15, in the consolation finals.

FHSU finished the tournament at 4-1, grabbing three Top 10 victories en route to the fifth place finish.

A breakdown of matches is below…

Fort Hays State 25, Upper Iowa 21
Adam Ludwin rebounded from a tough Day 1 at 125 pounds, starting the Tigers off with a 3-0 lead after his 4-2 decision over Mitch Funk.

From there, a back and forth battle of pins erupted between the squads, as Upper Iowa’s Matt Paulus pinned Symon Seaton (FHSU) in 4:24 at 133 pounds, followed by C.J. Napier’s (FHSU) pin of Jordan Roth’s in 3:59.  The falls didn’t stop there, as Edwin Cooper, ranked fifth nationally, took down Joey Dozier in 34 seconds, giving the Peacocks a 12-9 advantage.

At 157 pounds, though, Mitchell Means regained the Tiger lead with a pin of his own – and the fourth straight in the dual.  Means stuck Zak Benitz in 4:37 to put the Tigers ahead, 15-12 heading into the heavier weights.

Brady Little added some breathing room for the Tigers at 165 pounds, continuing his impressive showing (now 3-0) at the tournament with a 7-1 decision over Dalton Westerlund.

In the 174-pound match, Josh Rodriguez also rebounded from a tough Day 1, pulling out a close 3-2 decision over Colbey Vance, and giving FHSU a 9-point lead, 21-12.

Jon Inman sealed the match for the Tigers, using a 13-2 major decision over Brock Gobin at 184 pounds to extend the Tigers team lead to 13 (25-12) with two matches to go.  Inman was dominant in the match, racking up over 4:30 of riding time in the top position.

With the match in hand, FHSU sent Tanner Kriss (197) to the mat against No. 2 Carl Broghammer.  An injury default, however, gave Broghammer the match just 1:40 into the first period.

Trey Page (285) closed out the first match of the day for the Tigers, dropping a 5-2 decision to Logan Hopp.

Dual Results
125 – Adam Ludwin (Fort Hays State) over Mitch Funk (Upper Iowa) Dec 4-2
133 – Matt Paulus (Upper Iowa) over Symon Seaton (Fort Hays State) Fall 4:24
141 – C.J. Napier (Fort Hays State) over Jordan Roths (Upper Iowa) Fall 3:59
149 – Edwin Cooper (Upper Iowa) over Joey Dozier (Fort Hays State) Fall 0:34
157 – Mitchell Means (Fort Hays State) over Zak Benitz (Upper Iowa) Fall 4:37
165 – Bradley Little (Fort Hays State) over Dalton Westerlund (Upper Iowa) Dec 7-1
174 – Josh Rodriguez (Fort Hays State) over Colbey Vance (Upper Iowa) Dec 3-2
184 – Jon Inman (Fort Hays State) over Brock Gobin (Upper Iowa) Maj 13-2
197 – Carl Broghammer (Upper Iowa) over Tanner Kriss (Fort Hays State) Inj 1:40
285 – Logan Hopp (Upper Iowa) over Jack Page (Fort Hays State) Dec 5-2

Fort Hays State 23, No. 7 Kutztown 15
Adam Ludwin improved to 2-0 on Day 2 of the NWCA National Duals by starting the Tigers out with a dominating 14-4 major decision at 125 pounds.  Ludwin topped Nick Lamoreaux to give FHSU a 4-0 lead in the consolation finals.

Symon Seaton (133) helped extend the lead for FHSU, picking up his first victory of the tournament with a 7-3 decision over KU’s Brandon Davis.

With the team leading 7-0, C.J. Napier looked for his second win of the day in a 141 pound bout with Mitch Voelker.  Napier just missed a major decision, but took the match, 10-3.

Mitchell Means grabbed his second win of the day at 157 pounds, defeating Matt Martoccio, 7-3, with two minutes of riding time.  Means’ win put FHSU ahead, 13-6 in team scoring.

Bradley Little (165) closed out his perfect tournament run with an 11-5 decision over KU’s Justin Heller, extending the Tigers’ lead to 16-6.

Josh Rodriguez and Bionojel Candelaria squared off at 174 pounds, and though the two were tied, 3-3 at the end of the third period.  Rodriguez had racked up over two minutes of riding time for a 4-3 decision.

Jon Inman clinched the match for FHSU for the second consecutive dual – taking a 10-1 major decision (his second of the day) over Giovanni Ortiz.  Inman’s victory gave FHSU a 23-6 lead with just two matches to go.

FHSU defaulted at 197 (Kriss was injured in the previous dual), and at 285 pounds, Trey Page lost by decision, 5-1, to Ziad Haddad.

Still, FHSU took the match, and fifth place, with a 23-15 team score.

Dual Results
125 – Adam Ludwin (Fort Hays State) over Nick Lamoreaux (Kutztown) Maj 14-4
133 – Symon Seaton (Fort Hays State) over Brandon Davis (Kutztown) Dec 7-3
141 – C.J. Napier (Fort Hays State) over Mitch Voelker (Kutztown) Dec 10-3
149 – Jackson Stabile (Kutztown) over Joey Dozier (Fort Hays State) Fall 4:39
157 – Mitchell Means (Fort Hays State) over Matt Martoccio (Kutztown) Dec 7-3
165 – Bradley Little (Fort Hays State) over Justin Heller (Kutztown) Dec 10-5
174 – Josh Rodriguez (Fort Hays State) over Bionojel Candelaria (Kutztown) Dec 4-3
184 – Jon Inman (Fort Hays State) over Giovanni Ortiz (Kutztown) Maj 10-1
197 – Brandan Clark (Kutztown) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Ziad Haddad (Kutztown) over Trey Page (Fort Hays State) Dec 5-1