KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sterling Swopes and Dante Brown earned MIAA Football Athlete of the Week honors on Monday (Nov. 11). Swopes earned Defensive Athlete of the Week, while Brown earned Special Teams Athlete of the Week for the fifth time this season.

Swopes had a strong day on defense for Fort Hays State in a 58-0 win over Northeastern State. He recorded six tackles from his defensive end position, adding in a half sack, a forced fumble, two tackles for loss, and a pass breakup. He helped the Tigers limit the RiverHawks to 190 total yards of offense.

Brown made all three of his field goal attempts for Fort Hays State in a 58-0 win over Northeastern State. He connected from 24, 21, and 29 yards to push his season total of field goals to 26. Brown also punted the ball once in the game for 35 yards into a stiff wind. He connected on all seven PAT tries he had in the game, finishing the contest with 16 points. That allowed Brown to break the single-season scoring record at Fort Hays State, now with 114 points on the season. His 26 field goals and 36 PATs has now passed the 112 points produced by Clint Bedore (18 TDs, 2 two-pt PATs) in 1995. Brown also broke the MIAA single-season record for field goals made, going past the mark of 25 set by Simon Mathiesen of Northwest Missouri State in 2015.

Joining Swopes and Brown for the weekly honors from the MIAA are Co-Offensive Athletes of the Week, Braxton Marstall of Emporia State and Josh Caldwell of Northwest Missouri State.

HAYS, Kan. – Despite trailing Upper Iowa in shooting percentage on the night, the 12th-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team used 16 steals and 29 offensive rebounds to cruise past the Peacocks Saturday evening 69-36. The 29 offensive rebounds were the most in a game against an NCAA DII opponent in more than 10 years (29 vs. Missouri Western, 2/16/08). Fort Hays State is now 2-0 to start the year while UIU leaves town with an 0-2 mark.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Whitney Randall Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Fort Hays State continued to control the ball in the second quarter, grabbing seven offensive rebounds and making five steals in the frame. By halftime the Tigers had attempted 44 shots to 16 for UIU. Page hit two more triples to record a team-high 12 points before the break, while Tatyana Legette finished 3-for-3 with eight points and two steals in the opening 20 minutes.

The third quarter quickly became the Whitney Randall show, with the sophomore scoring all of her career-high 14 points in less than nine minutes of action. Randall found gaps in the Peacock defense all period, slashing to the bucket for layup after layup. She finished 6-for-7 from the floor in the quarter and added a pair of free throws in and-one situations. Four of her six buckets were assisted, including one perfect pass through the lane from the elbow from Taylor Rolfs. After the Alva, Okla. native singlehandedly outscored UIU in the quarter, Fort Hays State led 57-26 with one frame to play.

After shooting just 16.7 percent from behind the arc in the first three quarters, the Tigers found their stroke in the final period. A pair of triples from Rolfs and one from Whitney Clampitt early in the quarter helped the Tigers knock down 42.9 percent from deep (3-of-7), allowing them pull in front by as many as 41 midway through the frame, 69-28. FHSU did not score in the final 5:09, but the Tigers did plenty over the first 35 minutes to secure the win.

Page finished with 17 points, including a career-best five 3-pointers. Page and Randall were joined in double figures by Rolfs (13 points) and Legette (11). Legette and Barbieri grabbed eight rebounds apiece, while Rolfs dished out a team-best three assists. Four Tigers swiped three steals, including Legette, Page, Heim and Clampitt.

The Peacocks ended the game with a slight edge in shooting percentage, 30.6-30.4, but the Tigers held an incredible 53-34 advantage in rebounds and made just 10 turnovers compared to 24 from UIU. Fort Hays State outscored the Peacocks in second chance opportunities, 29-2, and off turnovers, 29-8.

Fort Hays State will take 10 days off before returning to action on Tuesday, November 20 on the road against Newman. Opening tip in the women’s and men’s doubleheader is set for 5:30 p.m.

LINDSBORG, Kan. – The No. 17 ranked Fort Hays State wrestling completed the Bethany Swede Open on Saturday (Nov. 10) with 11 placers and four individual champions. No. 4 Brandon Ball (149 pounds), No. 5 Efe Osaghae (157 pounds), Aryus Jones (165 pounds) and Micquille Robinson (184 pounds) all emerged victorious at the individual champions for the Tigers.

Freshman Isaiah Luellen (165-unattached) and sophomore Marty Verhaeghe (174 pounds) earned runner-up finishes. In the 149-pound class, redshirt-freshmen Jonathan Ball and Pedro Ordonez shared third place, while sophomore AJ Cooper finished third in the 285-pound class. True freshmen Riley Tubbs (133 pounds) and Tyler Boone (184-unattached) earned fourth-place finishes.

No. 4 ranked Brandon Ball started off his junior campaign with his ninth regular season individual title, this time in the 149-pound weight class. Ball began the tournament with a bye in the first round. He defeated Jacob Beeson (Unattached-UCO) with an 8-0 major decision. Ball advanced to the semifinal bout after defeating Cody Eastman (Unattached) with a 10-0 major decision. The Great Bend, Kan. native defeated teammate Pedro Ordonez with a 1-0 decision to move on to the title match. Ball wrapped up the title with a 15-13 decision over Newman’s Kameron Frame.

No. 5 ranked Efe Osaghae began his sophomore season with a commanding 16-1 technical fall victory over Tyler Johnston of Hastings College in the first round of the 157-pound weight class. Osaghae advanced to the semifinals with a 15-4 major decision over Mario Rodriguez (Unattached). He then used a 21-5 technical fall victory over Justin Peterson of Northeast Oklahoma to enter the title bout unscathed. The St. Louis, Mo. native defeated Gable Howerton of Barton with a 20-4 technical fall to begin the year 4-0.

Redshirt-freshman Aryus Jones went 5-0 on the day in the 165-pound weight class. He pinned Jayden Miller (Unattached) in 1:07 in the first round before using a 16-0 technical fall to defeat Zackary Suniga of Ottawa in the second round. Jones advanced to the semifinals with a 6-0 decision over Nicolas Desch. He then defeated Kyle Caldwell of Northeast Oklahoma with an 8-4 decision. The Junction City, Kan. native began his season with an individual title after a 9-4 decision over teammate Isaiah Luellen (Unattached-FHSU).

Senior Micquille Robinson emerged victorious in the 184-pound weight class after picking up three decisions in his first three bouts over Joey Ewalt (5-2), Ivan Balavage (7-5) and Kevin Murry (5-0). In the semifinal match, Robinson pinned Brett Barefoot of Schreiner University in 5:00. The Wichita, Kan. native improved his overall record to 9-0 after Northeast Oklahoma’s Alex Kauffman bowed out due to injury in the championship match.

True freshman Isaiah Luellen defeated Jarret Jurgens of Hastings College with a 9-1 major decision in the first round of the 165-pound weight class. He used a 24-5 technical fall to defeat David Taylor of Central Christian in the second round. Luellen then advanced to the semifinals with a 5-2 decision over Dominique Evans of Midland. He used a 3-2 decision over Brandon Archuleta of Bethany to earn a spot in the title bout. The Rossville, Kan. native was defeated by fellow teammate Aryus Jones after a 9-4 decision in the championship match.

Sophomore Marty Verhaeghe defeated Kalin Winkler of Northeast Oklahoma with a 4-3 decision in the first round of the 174-pound weight class. He then defeated Nate Panagakis of Newman with an 8-7 decision. Verhaeghe used an 8-6 decision to defeat Devin Crawl (Unattached-UCO) in the semifinals before falling to Gage McBride of Barton in a 12-8 decision in the title bout.

In the 149-pound weight class, redshirt-freshmen Jonathan Ball and Pedro Ordonez shared third place after bowing out of the consolation championship match. Ball went 4-1 in the other matches with two technical falls (17-1 and 15-0) as well as a 9-1 major decision. Ordonez also went 4-1 in the other matches, earning a fall in 2:27 along the way.

Sophomore A.J. Cooper finished the Swede Open 5-1 on the day, capturing third-place in the 285-pound weight class. Cooper defeated Lexington Plummer of Kansas Wesleyan with a 4-1 decision in the first round. He then used a 14-1 major decision to defeat Robert Hernandez of Schreiner University to advance his way to the quarterfinals. Cooper pinned Andrew Poumele (Unattached) in 2:36 to earn a spot in the semifinals. He was charged with a 9-3 decision defeat at the hands of Antonio Andrade of Northeast Oklahoma. Cooper fought his way back to the consolation championship after picking up a 14-2 major decision over Joshua Molinar of Northeast Oklahoma to claim third in his first tournament of the season.

True freshman Riley Tubbs wrestled in the 133-pound weight class. In the first round, Tubbs was defeated by Gage Gomez of Barton by a fall in 3:49. Tubbs maneuvered his way back on the consolation side after picking up a major decision (8-0) over Jake Abeyta and two decisions over teammate Conrad Cole and Joshua Crager of Kansas Wesleyan. He fell to Tyler Lawley of Newman by fall in 1:15, finishing his first collegiate tournament in fourth-place.

True freshman Tyler Boone also earned a fourth-place finish at the Swede Open. Boone began his day by pinning Preston Allen of Ottawa in 2:49. He then picked up a 10-4 decision over Tarron Adams of Hastings College in the second round of the 184-pound weight class. Boone grabbed another pin of Noah Manly of York College in 1:08. He suffered a decision defeat to Alex Kauffman of Northeast Oklahoma before battling back in the consolation semifinals with a 5-2 decision over Joey Ewalt. Boone fell to Ivan Balavage in the third-place match.

The Tigers are back in action next weekend when they compete in the Nebraska-Kearney Open on Saturday (Nov. 17). The tournament is slated to commence at 9 a.m.

Fort Hays State faced #20 Southwest Minnesota State on day two of the MIAA/NSIC Challenge in Marshall, Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.  Both teams lost on the first day.  The Tigers losing to the University of Sioux Falls and the Mustangs dropping a game to Emporia State.

SMSU opened the game on a perfect seven of seven shooting and built an early ten point lead at 18-8 less than five minutes into the game.  The Tigers kept their shooting above 60% for much of the first half but couldn’t keep pace with the three point shooting of SMSU.  The Mustangs made 13 of 16 three pointers in the first half and shot 77% overall to build a 56-36 lead at the mid-game break.

Highlights

 

Fort Hays State saw their deficit grow to 25 over the first thirty seconds with second half, trailing 61-35.  The Tigers then played their best basketball of the young season.  Over the next six minutes FHSU took off on a 22-0 run to get within three points at 61-58.  The Tigers had the ball twice down that score but missed on a pair of shots.

Southwest Minnesota State went on a 9-0 run while leading by four to push their lead up to 87-74 and the Tigers could only get within nine rest of the way.  The final fell the way of the Mustangs 96-85.

Coach Mark Johnson

 

SMSU made 19 of 26 three point attempts and shot 66% overall.  FHSU shot 55% and made 9 of 16 threes.  Marcus Cooper led the Tigers with a career high 26 points, Devin Davis scored 16 in just his second game with FHSU and Aaron Nicholson added 13.

The Tigers fall to 0-2 and SMSU is 1-1.

HAYS, Kan. – Kacey Kennett matched a career-high with 20 points and Tatyana Legette added a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team to a 91-56 win over Southwest Minnesota State in front of 1,750 Friday night at Gross Coliseum.

Tony  Hobson Postgame Interview

Kacey Kennett Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers (1-0) raced out to an 8-0 lead only to see the Mustangs (1-0) tie the game 17-17 late in the first quarter. A 16-4 run helped FHSU build a 47-32 lead at halftime.

The Tigers pushed the lead to 21 midway through the third but SMSU responded with a 14-4 run to pull within 11 with under two minutes to play in the third quarter. FHSU outscored the Mustangs 25-6 in the fourth, closing the game on a 21-2 run.

Belle Barbiera scored 12 points while Carly Heim and freshman Hailey Walker both added 11.

The Tigers shot 40-percent from the floor including 10-of-27 from beyond the arc and hit 25 of 33 free throws. They outrebounded the Mustangs by 18 and outscored them 23-7 on second chance points.

The Tigers are back in action Saturday night against Upper Iowa at 7:30 p.m. The Peacocks lost 67-58 to Missouri Western Friday.

Fort Hays State opened their men’s basketball season at the MIAA/NSIC Challenge in Marshall, Minnesota on Friday afternoon.  The Tigers opened the year with the University of Sioux Falls Cougars in a neutral court game.

Fort Hays State and Sioux Falls swapped the lead back and fourth several times over the first four minutes with the Tigers landing a 16-15 lead at the 14:15 mark.  It was all Sioux Falls for the remainder of the half.  The Cougars went on a separate 10-0 and 13-0 runs on their way to a 44-23 halftime lead.

Highlights

 

The Tigers never got closer than 18 points in the second half.  Sioux Falls shot 59% from the field and made 12 of 25 three point attempts on their way to a 89-70 victory.  Fort Hays State shot 45% in the game.

Coach Mark Johnson

 

Aaron Nicholson and Jared Vitzum each scored 11 in the game.  Marcus Cooper added 10 in the loss.

The 0-1 Tigers play Southwest Minnesota State Saturday at 3:30

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team had two representatives listed on the 2018 All-MIAA teams, released Thursday (Nov. 8) by the league office. Junior setter Bre Becker was named second team all-conference while senior Azlyn Cassaday earned honorable mention accolades.

Bre Becker earned a spot on the All-MIAA second team after leading the Tigers with an average of 6.64 assists per set. The setter also led the team with 21 service aces. Becker eclipsed 20 assists 15 times throughout the year, including three 40-plus assist performances. The Pratt, Kan. native recorded seven double-doubles on the year, averaging 2.38 digs per frame.

Azlyn Cassaday contributed all over the court for the Tigers, ranking second in kills, aces and digs to earn honorable mention accolades. The Aurora, Colo. native averaged 2.59 kills and 2.90 digs per set while adding 15 aces and 35 blocks. Cassaday posted seven double-doubles on the year, eclipsing 10 kills 10 times and reaching double figures in digs 14 times. She posted single-match highs of 20 kills and 22 digs.

Fort Hays State moved up to No. 17 in the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday. The Tigers jumped five spots in the poll after holding the No. 22 ranking last week.

Fort Hays State knocked off Northwest Missouri State this past Saturday by a score of 17-16 in Maryville. The Bearcats were previously No. 5 in the D2Football.com Poll, but slide down nine spots this week to No. 14 after the loss to the Tigers. The teams are tied for the MIAA lead at 8-2 with one week to play.

Fort Hays State plays for its second straight MIAA Championship on Saturday (Nov. 10) in Hays when it hosts Northeastern State at 2 pm. The Tigers are looking for a fifth straight win over the RiverHawks and could win consecutive conference titles for the first time since a three-year run of titles for the program all the way back in 1934, 1935, and 1936. A win would also solidify Fort Hays State’s position in the NCAA Playoffs. The Tigers are looking to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in program history.

In the AFCA Top 25 Poll released on Monday, Fort Hays State moved back into the Top 25 at No. 22, while Northwest Missouri State slipped from No. 10 to No. 19.

Below is the D2Football.com Poll for November 6, 2018.

Team

Record Previous
1 Minnesota State 10-0 1
2 Ferris State 10-0 2
3 West Georgia 10-0 3
4 Ouachita Baptist 10-0 4
5 Minnesota Duluth 10-0 6
6 Valdosta State 9-0 7
7 Tarleton State 9-0 10
8 Grand Valley 9-1 8
9 CSU-Pueblo 9-1 11
10 West Chester 9-0 12
11 Indianapolis 8-1 13
12 Notre Dame 10-0 14
13 LIU-Post 9-0 16
14 Northwest Missouri 8-2 5
15 Midwestern State 7-2 17
16 Colorado Mines 9-1 9
17 Fort Hays State 8-2 22
18 Central Washington 8-2 18
19 Texas A&M-Commerce 8-2 19
20 Lenoir-Rhyne 9-1 23
21 Harding 8-2 21
22 Kutztown 8-1 24
23 Hillsdale 9-1 NR
24 Tiffin 9-1 NR
25 Slippery Rock 9-1 NR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 11 ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team had 12 players named to the 2018 All-MIAA Team, released on Wednesday (Nov. 7). The Tigers have seven first team selections, four second team selections and one honorable mention selection. Brett Parker was named Coach of the Year, Agudelo was named MIAA Player of the Year and Rogelio Lopez was named MIAA Freshman of the Year.

First-Team Selections for the Tigers were forwards Santiago Agudelo and Abdoulaye Cisse, midfielders Tobias Patino and Moritz Walther, defenders Raul Fierro and Luis Torres and goalkeeper Fernando Pina.

Second team selections went to forward Arsenio Chamorro, midfielders Rogelio Lopez and Alonso Rodriguez and defender Sergio Villalba. Caesar Jones earned Honorable Mention honors as a defender.

Agudelo, a junior, earns All-MIAA First Team honors for the first time, while earning MIAA Player of the Year. He leads the Tigers in goals (26), points (58), shots (99), shots on goal (56) and game-winning goals (eight). He leads the nation in points per match (3.41), total points (58), goals per match (1.53), total goals (26), game-winning goals (eight), shots per match (5.82) and shots on goal per match (3.29).

Cisse, a senior, makes his second-consecutive All-MIAA First Team list. He has put up solid numbers again this year as he ranks second on the squad in points (38), shots (38) and shots on goal (16). Cisse was named to the D2CCA All-Central Region First Team last year.

Patino, a senior, earns his third All-MIAA honor after a first-team selection this year. Patino leads the team in assists (nine).

Walther, a sophomore, makes debut on the All-MIAA First Team list. Walther ranks second on the squad in assists (seven) and third in shots (28). Walther provided the game-winning penalty kick goal against Northeastern State to seal the second-consecutive MIAA title for the Tigers.

Fierro, a senior, makes his second-consecutive All-MIAA team. Fierro ranks fourth on the team in minutes played on the pitch (1,423). Fierro was named to the D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team last season.

Torres, a senior, makes his third All-MIAA First Team honor as a defender. Torres has accumulated five goals and two assists while playing the most minutes on the pitch for the Tigers (1,510). Torres was the lone All-America selection in 2016. He was named to the D2CCA All-Central Region team two-consecutive seasons.

Pina, a senior, earns his first All-MIAA First Team selection as a goalkeeper. Pina has recorded a .63 goals against average and a .829 save percentage on his way to a 9-0-1 overall record in goal for the Tigers. He ranks 12th in the country in goals against average and save percentage.

Chamorro, a sophomore, earned All-MIAA Second Team honors as a forward. Chamorro was named an All-MIAA honorable mention selection as a redshirt-freshman in 2016. Chamorro scored four goals while tallying two assists on 25 total shots this season.

Lopez, a true freshman, earned All-MIAA Second Team honors as a midfielder. Lopez was also named MIAA Freshman of the Year. Lopez scored five goals and produced one assist.

Rodriguez, a freshman, makes his debut on the All-MIAA Second Team as a midfielder. Rodriguez connected on four goals and two assists in 2018.

Villalba, a junior, earned his second honor on the All-MIAA team as a defender in his Tiger career. Villalba provided a hat trick against Rockhurst in the 4-1 upset earlier this season.

Jones, a senior, makes his second-consecutive All-MIAA team, with honorable mention honors this season. Jones recorded two goals and one assist as a defender in 2018.

Coach Brett Parker was named the Coach of the Year in the MIAA for the second-consecutive season. He helped the Tigers to a program-record 15 victories this season, as well as a program-record 12-match winning streak.

Below is the 2018 All-MIAA Men’s Soccer Team

Player of the Year
Santiago Agudelo, Jr., Fort Hays State
Freshman of the Year
Rogelio Lopez, MF., Fort Hays State
Coach of the Year:
Brett Parker, Fort Hays State

First Team
GK: Fernando Pina, Sr., Fort Hays State
D: James Doyle, So., Northeastern State
D: Luis Torres, Sr., Fort Hays State
D: Raul Fierro, Sr., Fort Hays State
D: Ben Watson, Jr., Northeastern State
MF: Joe Garcia, Sr., Northeastern State
MF: Tobias Patino, Sr., Fort Hays State
MF: Fernando Cordero, Sr., Lindenwood
MF: Trevor Reed, Sr., Northeastern State
MF: Moritz Walther, So., Fort Hays State
F: Santiago Agudelo, Jr., Fort Hays State
F: Flynn Semmerling, Fr., Northeastern State
F: Thomas Hutcheson, Jr., Lindenwood
F: Abdoulaye Cisse, Sr., Fort Hays State

Second Team
GK: Thomas Salenbien, Jr., Northeastern State
D: Sergio Villalba, Jr., Fort Hays State
D: Seth Russell, Jr., Upper Iowa
D: Luke McBeth, Fr., Lindenwood
MF: Marko Cirko, Jr., Upper Iowa
MF: Rogelio Lopez, Fr., Fort Hays State
MF: Alonso Rodriguez, Fr., Fort Hays State
MF: Leon Silva, So., Lindenwood
F: Gaspar Alvarez, Jr., Lindenwood
F: Italo Martins-Soarez, So., Upper Iowa
F: Arsenio Chamorro, So., Fort Hays State
F: Aaron Ugbah, Jr., Northeastern State
F: Josh Peloquin, Jr., Southwest Baptist

Honorable Mention
Fort Hays State: Caesar Jones, D
Lindenwood: Aleksa Nenadic, GK
Northeastern State: Bailey Weeks, D
Upper Iowa: Robin Stoffels, D, Efrain Gonzalez, MF

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior forward Abdoulaye Cisse has been named MIAA Men’s Soccer Co-Athlete of the Week, announced Tuesday (Nov. 6) by the league office. This is the first time Cisse has achieved the honor. Cisse shares the award with Northeastern State’s goalkeeper Thomas Salenbien.

Cisse recorded one goal and one assist for a total of three points in the victory over the University of Mary on Saturday (Nov. 3). He helped the team finish off the regular season with a 12-match winning streak.

The now No. 11 ranked Tigers will play host to the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament for the second time in three years. The Tigers will host the No. 18 ranked Northeastern State RiverHawks in the Central Regional Final next weekend.