KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State junior kicker/punter Dante Brown earned MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors for his efforts in the 20-16 win for No. 5 ranked Fort Hays State over No. 18 Central Missouri. Brown was solid for the Tigers in all facets of the kicking game, making both of his field goal attempts and averaging 47.6 yards per punt.

Brown had a big impact on the win over Central Missouri last Thursday. He made a pair of field goals from 30 and 31 yards to account for Fort Hays State’s points through three quarters. He tacked on a pair of PATs in the fourth quarter to help No. 5 FHSU to a comeback, 20-16 win over No. 18 UCM.

Brown was also huge in the punting game for FHSU, averaging 47.6 yards on seven attempts. He tied the school record for longest punt in the first quarter, booming a ball 84 yards from the FHSU 6 to the UCM 10. He matched the 84-yard punt produced by Adam Ryan during the 1997 season. Four of his punts resulted in drives starting inside the 20 and two were fair catches. Brown also averaged 60 yards on his two kickoff attempts in the game.

Brown joins Darrius Webb of Nebraska-Kearney (Offensive Athlete of the Week) and Parker Bass of Emporia State (Defensive Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference for football.

WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State remained No. 5 in the first regular season edition of the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Monday. The Tigers shared the No. 5 ranking with fellow MIAA member Northwest Missouri State in the preseason poll, but now hold the spot alone. The Tigers are coming off a thrilling 20-16 win at home over then No. 18 ranked Central Missouri.

Fort Hays State, Northwest Missouri State, and Central Missouri continue to represent the MIAA in the Top 25. The Tigers will play Northwest Missouri State’s opponent from last week, Missouri Western, this coming Thursday (Sept. 6). The Bearcats defeated the Griffons 28-6 at home to open the season. Central Missouri slides down only three spots after its loss to Fort Hays State this past week.

The Tigers have now seen their name in the Top 5 of the AFCA Poll four times going back to last season. The Tigers entered the final week of the regular season No. 5 last year before moving up to No. 4 entering the NCAA Playoffs. The Tigers held the preseason No. 5 spot this year and retain the position after one week of play.

The top seven teams in the poll remained unchanged, just with the exception of Northwest Missouri State slipping to No. 6 alone.

The AFCA Top 25 Poll for Sepetember 3, 2018 is below.

Rank School (1st votes) Record Pts. Prev. Season Opener Next Game
1. Texas A&M-Commerce (21) 1-0 797 1 D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 37-36 2OT Sept. 8 at William Jewell (Mo.)
2. West Florida (6) 1-0 775 2 D. No. 22 Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 19-9 Sept. 8 at No. 10 Midwestern St. (Tex.)
3. Minnesota St. (4) 1-0 753 3 D. Southwest Minnesota St., 49-13 Sept. 8 at Augustana (S.D.)
4. Indiana (Pa.) (1) 1-0 719 4 D. No. 15 Ashland (Ohio), 21-17 Sept. 6 vs. Millersville (Pa.)
5. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 1-0 676 5t D. No. 18 Central Missouri, 20-16 Sept. 6 at Missouri Western St.
6. Northwest Missouri St. 1-0 633 5t D. Missouri Western St., 28-6 Sept. 6 at Washburn (Kan.)
7. Harding (Ark.) (1) 1-0 625 7 D. Henderson St. (Ark.), 41-17 Sept. 8 vs. Southern Arkansas
8. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 1-0 588 10 D. No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.), 30-7 Sept. 8 at Delta St. (Miss.)
9. Ferris St. (Mich.) 1-0 551 8 D. East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 49-17 Sept. 8 vs. No. 19t Findlay (Ohio)
10. Midwestern St. (Texas) 1-0 516 11 D. Humboldt St. (Calif.), 55-12 Sept. 8 vs. No. 2 West Florida
11. West Alabama 1-0 466 12 D. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 36-32 Sept. 6 vs. Miles (Ala.)
12. Colorado St.-Pueblo 1-0 450 14 D. Dixie St. (Utah), 56-14 Sept. 8 vs. Chadron St. (Neb.)
13. West Georgia 1-0 412 19 D. Catawba (N.C.), 34-3 Sept. 8 vs. Limestone (S.C.)
14. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 1-0 312 20 D. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 27-24 Sept. 8 at No. 15 Winona St. (Minn.)
15. Winona St. (Minn.) 1-0 276 21 D. Wayne St. (Neb.), 41-28 Sept. 8 vs. No. 14 Sioux Falls (S.D.)
16. Central Washington 0-1 261 9 Lost to Eastern Washington, 58-13 Sept. 8 at Western Oregon
17. Ohio Dominican 1-0 229 23 D. California (Pa.), 28-23 Sept. 8 vs. No. 18 Ashland (Ohio)
18. Ashland (Ohio) 0-1 216 15 Lost to No. 4 Indiana (Pa.), 21-17 Sept. 8 at No. 17 Ohio Dominican
19t. Findlay (Ohio) 1-0 197 25 D. Kentucky Wesleyan, 69-19 Sept. 8 at No. 9 Ferris St. (Mich.)
19t. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 1-0 197 24 D. Northwestern Oklahoma St., 29-21 Sept. 8 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St.
21. Central Missouri 0-1 124 18 Lost to No. 5t Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 20-16 Sept. 6 vs. Northeastern St. (Okla.)
22. Indianapolis (Ind.) 0-1 118 13 Lost to No. 10 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 30-7 Sept. 8 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.)
23. West Chester (Pa.) 1-0 114 NR D. Bentley (Mass.), 44-6 Sept. 8 vs. Gannon (Pa.)
24. Minnesota-Duluth 1-0 91 NR D. Minot St. (N.D.), 49-3 Sept. 8 vs. Minnesota St.-Moorhead
25. Colorado Mesa 1-0 82 NR D. South Dakota Mines, 36-33 Sept. 8 at Eastern New Mexico

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s soccer team upset third ranked Rockhurst with a 4-2 victory behind the spectacular hat trick from junior Sergio Villalba on Sunday. The Tigers improved to 2-0 on the young season, while the Hawks began their 2018 campaign 0-1.

Looking for revenge from the past two years of going 0-2-1 against Rockhurst, the Tigers were able to put a number in the win column as Sergio Villalba (sixth hat trick in program history) and Arsenio Chamorro produced all four goals in the victory over the Hawks at Bourke Field.

FHSU struck first as Villalba scored his first goal of the season by converting a free kick from 25 yards, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute of the contest. This was Villalba’s first goal since the 5-0 victory against Southern Nazarene (Sept. 9) last season.

Rockhurst settled down and Federico Verlichi connected on the equalizer, inside the left post from six yards out, knotting the match 1-1 in the 35th minute. The Tigers acted quickly as Santiago Agudelo broke through the Hawks defense and set up Villalba for his second score of the contest as he banked the ball off the right post from six yards, putting the Tigers out front once more.

At the break, the Tigers led the Hawks 2-1. Rockhurst came out firing in the second half and tied the game 2-2 in the 49th minute on a goal from Gianluca Bottoni. In a span of the next 28:35, the teams combined for two yellow cards and 12 fouls.

The Tigers were able to forge ahead once more in the 77th minute as Villalba completed the hat trick on another free kick from about 20 yards. Things got a little interesting in the closing minutes as both the Tigers and Hawks were forced to play with only 10 men for the final six minutes.

Chamorro put the finishing touch on the match with his first goal of the season in the 90th minute, accepting a pass from Tobias Patino and connecting on a chip shot to the left side of the net from 10 yards out.

Tempers flared throughout the match as a total of 37 fouls were called between the teams. Cullen Fisch picked up the victory in goal for the Tigers as he moved to 2-0 on the season.

Fort Hays State is back in action Thursday (Sept. 6) when they face No. 5 Midwestern State on a neutral pitch match in Shawnee, Okla. The Tigers and Mustangs are slated to kick off at 5 p.m.

FAYETTE, Iowa – After getting the 2018 season off to a rocky start, the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team regained their momentum after a dominating 4-1 win over Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday. The Tigers, who suffered a loss in their first contest of the season, bounced back to end the weekend at 1-1. With loss dropped the Mustangs to 0-2 on the year, with both losses coming to MIAA programs.

Both the Tigers and Mustangs were near even in the first half with shot attempts, with Fort Hays State recording six compared to five from Southwest Minnesota State. It wasn’t until the 25th minute of the first half when junior transfer Chloe Montano found the back of the net right over the head of Mustang keeper Jessica Craigmile from 30 feet out. The goal gave the Tigers the 1-0 lead and would be the only score made in the first 45 minutes of play.

After the intermission, the play heated up on the field for the Tigers as they connected for three more goals. Freshman Cailey Perkins capitalized on an assist from Shayla Podlena deflected off the Mustang goalkeeper to put the Tigers up 2-0 at the 59th minute. However, just two minutes later Southwest Minnesota State highlighted on their own attempt as Morgan Darner headed an assist from Kelli Wentz past Fort Hays State goalkeeper Megan Kneefel to close in on the Tiger advantage.

With the match close at 2-1 with still plenty of time left for the Mustangs to come back, Montano picked up the pace to ensure a Tiger win. At the 72nd minute mark, Montano completed yet another 30 -yard strike from the right side to add to the Fort Hays State lead at 3-1. She wasn’t done there, though, as Montano again with just under 30 seconds remaining in regulation decided to capture another goal for the Tigers near the far post. Alongside Montano’s first hat-trick in a Tiger uniform, Fort Hays State was able to earn its first win of the season at 4-1 over Southwest Minnesota State.

Ultimately, the Tigers out-shot the Mustangs 13-8 with eight FHSU attempts on goal. Both goalies in the match each earned an even four saves as Kneefel picks up the win in her second game in goal while Craigmile suffers the loss.

The Tigers will once again hit the road in the early season, this time traveling to Colorado for two matches. First on Friday (Sept. 7), FHSU meets up with No. 3 UC-Colorado Springs for a late-night contest slated for 8 p.m. On Sunday, the Tigers prepare for a 12 p.m. meeting as they face CSU-Pueblo.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team earned a split on the second day of the Augustana Invitational. FHSU defeated the University of Mary in four sets before falling to No. 22 Augustana in straight sets. FHSU is now 5-3 overall on the season.

Fort Hays State 3, Mary 1 (16-25, 25-22, 25-12, 25-20)

Fort Hays State fell behind Mary early after a sluggish start to the match before closing out with three-straight set victories to begin day two of the Augustana Invitational with a bounce-back win. The Tigers came out soaring in the second set and never looked back, holding the Marauders to a .049 swing percentage after the opening set. After struggling with a .125 hitting percentage in the first set, the Tigers swung at a .268 hitting percentage the rest of the way.

Freshman Isabelle Reynolds led the way for the Tigers as she recorded a personal-best 14 kills and nine blocks. Reynolds hit .314 on 35 swings. Azlyn Cassaday and Tatum Bartels chipped in 10 kills each, with Bartels leading the Tigers after swinging at a .450 rate. Christianna Herron stepped up to the challenge and finished with nine blocks. Bre Becker completed the match by recording a double-double as the setter with 29 assists and 11 digs.

Mary controlled almost the entirety of the first set, aside from a 2-1 Tiger lead in the early going. The Tigers could not get anything more than three points in a row the rest of the set when Reynolds and Cassaday (twice) struck three-consecutive kills getting the Tigers within four, 15-11, halfway through the set. The Marauders held off another three-point spurt from the Tigers before putting FHSU away in the opening set, 25-16.

FHSU began the second set on a strong note with a quick 6-2 lead thanks to a couple kills from Herron and Kayla Vitztum. Mary made things interesting by collecting 15 of the next 20 points, taking a 17-11 lead over FHSU, forcing the Tigers to burn their second timeout of the set. After receiving words of wisdom from head coach Jessica Wood-Atkins, the Tigers finished out the set with a 14-5 run of their own. The late Tiger charge was led by Reynolds as she picked up three more kills to take the set 25-22.

The Tigers started out with an early 3-0 lead in the third frame before Mary drew the next three points, tying the set 3 all. Since that moment, FHSU took command of the set with a quick 5-0 burst from Reynolds (two kills) and three attack errors on Mary, forcing the Marauders to use a timeout. From then, the Tigers never let the Marauders within four by using a 7-0 run highlighted by four kills from four different Tigers. FHSU put away Mary in the end, 25-12.

In the fourth set, the Tigers held control with a 16-8 lead before the Marauders used a timeout. This break for Mary paid off with a 10-2 run, tying things at 18 each. Vitztum picked up three of her nine total kills in the final seven Tiger points to finish off the Marauders for good, 25-20.

Julianna Hughes led the Marauders with 12 kills, followed by Morgan Schnabel with nine. Sydney Murphy produced a match-high 36 assists for Mary and Breanna Donarski had 15 digs.

No. 22 Augustana 3, Fort Hays State 0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-16)

22nd-ranked Augustana was too much for the Tigers in the afternoon match, holding off FHSU for a three-set sweep. The Vikings hit .250 as a team with eight team blocks, while the Tigers hit just .135 with two team blocks.

Kayla Vitztum led the way for FHSU with nine kills, followed by Isabelle Reynolds and Tatum Bartels with eight kills each. Amirah Bentley finished with 12 assists, while Abbie Hayes had 16 digs.

Courtney Place averaged more than five kills per set, finishing with 17 to lead AU. Grace Haberland added nine kills. Setter Avery Thorson distributed 32 assists and Kaylea Ahrens led the Vikings in digs with 13.

The Tigers return to action on Friday (Sept. 7) when they compete in the GAC/MIAA Crossover hosted by Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Okla. FHSU faces Southeastern Oklahoma State at 10 a.m. before facing East Central University in the evening at 6 p.m.

FAYETTE, Iowa – Yet another season began with the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team traveling to Fayette, Iowa for their first road trip of the season. This time, the Tigers met up with host Upper Iowa for their first regular-season matchup, ultimately falling 1-0 to the Peacocks. FHSU starts the early season at 0-1 overall, while the Peacocks take a 1-0 to start the year.

In a game which saw the Tigers out-shoot the Peacocks 14-8 while also earning the advantage in shots on goal at 6-4, Fort Hays State could not find the back of the net before Upper Iowa. The match remained even until just about mid-way through the first half when the Peacocks took the edge after a corner kick led to a finish in the box by junior Hannah Dotter. This would be the lone goal for either team of the contest.

The Tigers were unable to pick a part the Peacock defense to gain an advantage in the second half. While neither team was able to score in the last 45 minutes, Upper Iowa maintained their lead to take the 1-0 win to start their season, dropping the Tigers in the opener.

Megan Kneefel takes the loss for the Tigers after recording three saves, but giving up the winning goal. Natalie Rudrud earns the victory for Upper Iowa, catching six saves in the match without giving up a goal. In the foul category, the Peacocks suffered six compared to just four for the Tigers.

The Peacocks now even up the all-time series against the Tigers at 2-2. This loss ends a Fort Hays State streak of four-straight opening-season wins. The last time the Tigers lost their first games of a new season was in a 1-0 loss to Southwest Minnesota State in 2013.

Next up for the Tigers is a mid-day Saturday tilt in Fayette against that same Southwest Minnesota State. Last season, Fort Hays State opened up the year in a 6-0 win over the Mustangs. The matchup this weekend is set for 12 p.m.

Fort Hays State Weekly Football Press Conference
August 27, 2018

Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown conducted his weekly press conference in advance of the Tigers first game of 2018 with #18 Central Missouri Thursday night at Lewis Field. Brown and select players met with the media inside Lewis Field on Monday, a session that can be seen by clicking on the video below.

(00:00 Doyin Jibowu, 07:05 Jacob Mezera, 14:35 Head Coach Chris Brown) 

GOODWELL, Okla. – Fort Hays State remained perfect on the season with a pair of wins on Saturday (Aug. 25) at the Aggies Challenge, hosted by Oklahoma-Panhandle State. The Tigers defeated University of St. Thomas (Texas) 3-1 in their first match before sweeping University of the Southwest in the nightcap.

Fort Hays State 3, St. Thomas (Texas) 1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 25-16)
Fort Hays State needed four sets to turn away the University of St. Thomas (Texas). The Tigers jumped out of the gates with a 25-22 win in the first set before dropping the second set by four. FHSU regrouped and took control with set wins of five and nine points to close out the match.

Azlyn Cassaday produced a new career high in kills with 20, hitting .204 for the match. Isabelle Reynolds and Tatum Bartels provided efficiency on offense. Reynolds produced 16 kills with a .394 hitting percentage, while Bartels added nine kills and four blocks with a .333 hitting percentage. Morgan West was right behind Bartels with eight kills.

Bre Becker produced 30 assists for the Tiger offense, while Amirah Bentley shared the distribution duties with 22 assists. Abbie Hayes averaged six digs per set to anchor the Tiger defensive effort, while Taylor White added 11 digs and Abby Groth had 10. The Tigers had 17 more digs than UST, holding a 68-51 edge in that category.

A 5-0 run by the Tigers in the first set, highlighted by a pair of service aces from Becker and kills from Reynolds and West, pushed the Tigers out to a 14-9 lead. St. Thomas closed the FHSU lead to one point three times, but a pair of kills from Bartels closed out the set. The Tigers produced a .448 hitting percentage in the opening set.

A rash of four straight attacking errors into the St. Thomas block put the Tigers down by three early. The Tigers knotted the score up at 14-14 with a 5-1 run and the remainder of the set was close until the Celts closed out the frame with a 3-0 run on Tiger mistakes (one bad set and two attack errors).

The Tigers used a 4-0 burst in the third set to push a two-point lead to six points. The Tigers coasted to a five-point win in the set thanks to a .317 hitting percentage in the set.

FHSU closed out the match by holding UST to a -.097 hitting percentage in the final set, using blocks to generate four points. A 7-0 run for the Tigers broke a 7-7 tie and they never looked back, leading by as many as 10 before the final margin settled at nine.

Bresha Orange led UST in kills with 13, while Brooke Garcia added 10. Hannah Westerlage had 22 assists and Kelsie Walker added 17. Libero Lauren Fernandez-Miller led the Celts in digs with 17.

Fort Hays State 3, University of the Southwest 0 (25-18, 25-6, 25-21)
Fort Hays State remained perfect on the season with a three-set win over University of the Southwest in its final match of the Aggies Challenge in Goodwell, Okla. The Tigers cruised to a 2-0 lead before having to make a comeback from seven points down in the third set to win 25-21 and sweep the match.

Ashley Webb and Kayla Vitztum led the Tigers with nine kills each, while Webb added four blocks for the match. Amirah Bentley (18) and Bre Becker (17) shared the assister role, while Abbie Hayes averaged six digs for the second straight match to finish with 18.

The Tigers held a steady lead all throughout the first set to eventually win by seven points, then dominated the second set with a 25-6 win. In the second set, the Tigers dominated with a .647 hitting percentage, while holding the Mustangs to -.208.

In the third set, the Tigers rallied from an 18-11 deficit to win the third set. Down 21-17, the Tigers reeled off the final eight points of the set to sweep the match. The final seven points came on Taylor White’s serve. Vitztum was a catalyst in the final push, putting down three kills in the Tigers’ run.

Lacey Clutts led the Mustangs with nine kills. Miranda Tapia had 17 assists and Autumn Lopez had a team-high 11 digs.

The Tigers return to action next weekend at the Augustana Invitational in Sioux Falls, S.D. FHSU starts the tournament with Black Hills State University on August 31 at 9 am.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s cross country team was ranked fifth in the 2018 MIAA Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll, released Friday (Aug. 24) by the league office. The Tigers picked up 54 points in the balloting process, tied with Pittsburg State for the fifth spot in the poll.

Fort Hays State also tied with Pittsburg State at last year’s conference championships, both finishing with 142 points, good for sixth place. Layton Werth was the lone Tiger to earn All-MIAA honors, crossing the line in 12th place.

Dr. Jason McCullough returns five of his top runners from a year ago to go along with a strong incoming class and multiple student-athletes returning from a redshirt year. Werth was one of three runners to score in all five meets for the Tigers alongside fellow returners Reed Rome and Brett Meyer. Other top returners include sophomores Robbie Schmidt and Alex Barbosa, who both finished in the top five for the Tigers four times as true freshmen a year ago.

Six runners coming off their redshirt season will compliment that group of returners, including Israel Barco, Oscar Carmona, Kaleb Crum, Justin Moore, Bill Oyet and D’corian Williams. All have had success at the collegiate level in the past and look to make big contributions for the Tigers this season.

Dr. McCullough rounds out his roster with eight newcomers, including six freshmen and a pair of transfers. Seppe van ‘t Westende hits the outdoor course for the first time as a Tiger this fall after transferring in last winter and contributing in the track and field season.

The Tigers will open the season next week (Sept. 1) when they traverse the Sand Plum Nature Trail for the 32nd annual Sand Plum Alumni Open. The men’s 5k is set to start at 9:45 a.m. After hitting the road twice in September, FHSU will wrap up the regular season back at home for the 7th annual FHSU Tiger Open on October 13.

2018 MIAA Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. Missouri Southern (4) – 94
T-2. Central Missouri (3) – 75
T-2. Lindenwood (3) – 75
4. Nebraska Kearney (1) – 72
T-5. Fort Hays State – 54
T-5. Pittsburg State – 54
7. Emporia State – 52
8. Washburn – 46
9. Northwest Missouri – 44
10. Southwest Baptist – 28
11. Missouri Western – 11

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The 2018 cross country season is soon to be underway, and the Fort Hays State women’s cross country team heads into the season ranked No. 4 in the MIAA. The conference poll, which was released Friday (August 24), placed the Tigers in the fourth position alongside 113 total points while receiving one first-place vote.

The MIAA is led by No. 1 Pittsburg State who garnered 11 first-place votes and 143 total points, followed by Southwest Baptist with one first-place vote and 121 points and Missouri Southern rounding out the top-three with 120 points.

The Tigers are coming off a second place finish at the 2017 MIAA Championships, where three FHSU runners captured All-MIAA honors. This was the best finish for the Tigers since joining the conference in 2006. FHSU earned 91 total points at the event to come in the runner-up position. The senior trio of Lindsay Roberts (fifth place), Lauren Roberts (eighth place) and Chelsea Jackson (15th place) all picked up All-MIAA accolades.

The 2018 squad will try to pick up where those three left off, as the new team is filled with strong talent. Senior Yessenia Gonzales looks to anchor the squad, following a 24th place finish at conference last season. Gonzales is the lone senior on the roster. She is joined on the team by seven freshman, two sophomores and three juniors. The Tigers are once again led by head coach Dr. Jason McCullough who enters his 14th season at the helm of Fort Hays State.

The action for the new season will commence with a home event as the Tigers host the FHSU Sand Plum Alumni Open on Saturday, Sept. 1 starting at 9 a.m. They will also be back on their home ground on Oct. 13 with the FHSU Tiger Open again with a 9 a.m. starting time.

Below is the 2018 MIAA Preseason Women’s Cross Country Coaching Poll.

2018 MIAA Women’s Preseason Cross Country Coaches’ Poll
1. Pittsburg State (11) – 143
2. Southwest Baptist (1) – 121
3. Missouri Southern – 120
4. Fort Hays State (1) – 113
5. Nebraska-Kearney – 99
6. Washburn – 95
7. Central Missouri – 75
8. Northwest Missouri State – 64
9. Missouri Western – 53
T10. Central Oklahoma – 46
T10. Emporia State – 46
12. Lindenwood – 27
13. Lincoln – 12