TOPEKA, Kan. – Fort Hays State shot only 31-percent and were held 30 points below their season average as they drop their first MIAA road game of the season 69-58 at Lee Arena Wednesday. The Ichabods (6-3, 1-0 MIAA) used a 14-4 run to turn a five-point deficit into a five-point lead in the first half, closing on an 18-9 run to go up eight at the break.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers pulled within five on several occasions early in the second half but could get no closer. A 7-0 Washburn run pushed their lead to 12 with 10:20 to play and it was never less then eight the rest of the game.

Hadley Gillum scored 11 points to lead the Tigers before fouling out with 5:51 to play. Kyler Kinnamon and Peyton Stephens both added 10.

Brady Skeens led Washburn with 16.

The Tigers held the MIAA’s top offensive rebounding team to only two offensive rebounds and had 15 of their own but managed only nine second chance points. The Tigers had 12 steals and forced 18 Ichabod turnovers but it wasn’t enough to overcome their second poorest shooting game of the season.

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team was unable to hold on to a 14 point second half lead and lost 62-59 to Washburn Wednesday night at Lee Arena. It’s the Tigers first loss of the season as they fall to 7-1 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA. Washburn bounces back from their first loss of the season last week and Newman and improves to 7-1 and 1-0 in conference play.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers used a 10-2 second quarter run to build an eight point lead and led by nine at halftime. They went on a 8-0 run in the third quarter to go up 41-27 with 7:19 in the third. The Ichabods answered with a 21-4 run to go up one early in the fourth after holding the Tigers to one field goal and two free throws over the final 6:24 of the quarter.

Emma Stroyan hit a couple of 3-pointers to help the Tiger go up three with 2:47 to play but they would not score again as Washburn closed the game on a 6-0 run.

Carly Heim led four Tigers in double-figures with 14 points. Stroyan added 12 off the bench while Tatyana Legette and Taylor Rolfs both added 10.

Alexis McAfee hit four 3-pointers and led Washburn with 18 points. Reagan Phelan overcame early foul trouble to add 17. Mackenzie Loe came off the bench to chip in 15.

WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State senior defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd received All-America First Team honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) for the 2017 season on Wednesday (Dec. 6). This is the second straight year a defensive lineman from Fort Hays State earned AFCA All-America First Team honors after Sie Doe, Jr., earned the distinction in 2016.

AFCA Division II All-America Team

Shepherd is the fourth AFCA Division II All-America selection in Fort Hays State’s history. Punter Adam Ryan was the first in 2000 earning first team honors and offensive lineman Tyler Strong was an honorable mention selection in 2003 prior to Doe and Shepherd earning honors the last two seasons. Shepherd has accepted invites to the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl on January 20 and the Reese’s Senior Bowl on January 27, where he will compete with top collegiate prospects in the nation looking to make the step to professional football.

The AFCA named Shepherd one of the top four defensive linemen in the nation in NCAA Division II. He joins Zach Sieler (Ferris State), Marcus Martin (Slippery Rock), and Blake Nelson (Colorado Mesa) as first-team selections at the position.

Shepherd, like Doe a season ago, earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Year honors. He helped FHSU to its first-ever MIAA Championship as the Tigers posted a spotless 11-0 record in regular season play. Shepherd finished the year with 38 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks, but constantly disrupted offenses by drawing double and triple teams on the line.

In his three years at Fort Hays State, Shepherd amassed 168 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. He is an All-America selection for the second straight year after earning an honorable mention nod from the Don Hansen Football Committee last year. He is a three-time All-MIAA selection, earning first team this year, second team in 2016, and third team in 2015.

The AFCA’s Division II All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA’s seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the teams are chosen.

The women’s basketball team will hit the road for the first time in nearly a month Wednesday (Dec. 5) when they travel to Topeka, Kan. to take on Washburn. First tip is set for 5:30 p.m. inside Lee Arena.

Tony Hobson Weekly Press Conference

Carly Heim visits with the media

The Tigers enter the contest 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA, while the Ichabods open their conference schedule 6-1 on the year.

Fort Hays State won a thriller in its last trip to Topeka, defeating the Ichabods 61-60. FHSU trailed by as many as 19 after a 10-0 Washburn run to open the second half, but an unbelievable 29-4 run capped off by a half-court buzzer beater from Nikola Kacperska put the Tigers in front for good. Sarah Pimentel hit a free throw with five seconds left to put FHSU in front by four before Washburn hit an inconsequential buzzer beater of its own.

FHSU is 32-46 all-time against the Ichabods, and 15-23 against WU in Topeka. Tony Hobson is 7-11 against the Ichabods, including a 2-6 mark inside Lee Arena. The Tigers have won the last five games against WU, including two straight in Topeka for the first time since 1993-95. A win Wednesday would give the Tigers three straight wins in Topeka for the first time since 1980-82 and would match FHSU’s longest winning streak in the series (6 games, 1976-79).

The Tigers turn the ball over just 10.1 times per game, fewest in all NCAA Division II. FHSU is also among the national leaders in assist/turnover ratio, ranking seventh with a mark of 1.39.

Two Tigers are averaging more than 15 points so far this season in Tatyana Legette (15.6) and Kacey Kennett (15.4). FHSU has not had multiple players finish a season with more than 15 points since Hobson’s first year at the helm. (2008-09, Erica Biel 15.9 and Naomi Bancroft 15.4). Legette also leads the Tigers in rebounds (8.7 rpg) and assists (2.9 apg) and is the only player ranked in the top 10 in the MIAA in all three categories. Whitney Clampitt continues to impress in her freshman season, averaging 8.6 points and ranking second on the team with 2.6 assists per game. Belle Barbieri was a rebounding machine last week, grabbing 19 rebounds over the two games while making her first career start against Pittsburg State.

Washburn is coming off its first loss of the season after losing last week at Newman, 52-45. The Ichabods average 73 points per game, good for 8th in the MIAA. WU is 4-0 inside Lee Arena so far this season. Reagan Phelan is the leading scorer for WU, ranking 18th in the league with 14.0 points per game while ranking 5th in the MIAA with 2.3 steals each night. Axelle Bernard grabs an average of nine rebounds each game, tied for sixth-most in the conference. Denesia Smith dishes out more than three assists per night, good for sixth in the MIAA.

Riding a four-game win-streak, Fort Hays State hopes to extend the run to five in its first conference road game of the season at Washburn on Wednesday night (Dec. 6). Tip is set for 7:30 pm inside Lee Arena. The Tigers own a 6-2 overall record alongside a 2-0 mark in the MIAA. FHSU survived its first two conference games against Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State last week by seven and three points.

Mark Johnson Monday Press Conference

Brady Werth Address the Media Monday

The Tigers will take on a Washburn team, which has yet to play a conference game yet, but holds a 5-3 record, including wins in its last three contests. Last season, Fort Hays State claimed both games over Washburn during the regular season.

Senior Hadley Gillum has been the on-court leader for the Tigers throughout the first eight games. Gillum boasts a team-best 18.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest. He ranks fifth in the MIAA in scoring and sixth in rebounding. Gillum owns two double-doubles on the season. Brady Werth and Trey O’Neil also account for double-digit scoring each game, averaging 11.4 and 10.4 per game respectively. O’Neil brings in 2.3 three-pointers per game, with 18 made so far.

Javion Blake leads the scoring charge for the Ichabods with his average of 16.1 points per game. Brady Skeens has put forth the most complete effort averaging 12.4 points per game, along with team-highs of 18 blocks, 15 steals and 10.3 rebounds per contest. The Ichabods are shooting 50.7% from the floor.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State sophomore Brandon Ball was named MIAA Co-Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday (Dec. 5) for his efforts this past week in the conference dual against Central Oklahoma and his performance in the Bob Smith Open. He shares the honor this week with Noel Torres of Newman.

Ranked third in the nation at 141 pounds, Brandon Ball turned in a runner-up finish at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open, but took the nation’s top ranked Division I wrestler the distance in a tight match for the championship. Ball blazed his way to the semifinals with an 8-0 major decision and 10-5 decision before taking on highly touted wrestlers in his final two matches. In the semifinals, he held on for a 6-5 win over Oklahoma State’s Michael Megaldo to get the opportunity to face the top ranked wrestler in Division I, Dean Heil from Oklahoma State. Heil, the two-time defending national champion at 141 pounds, had to hold on for a tight 5-3 win over Ball in the championship. Ball had control of Heil at the end of the match, but was unable to roll him to his back on several attempts in the closing seconds in an effort to tie the match. Heil extended his overall win streak to 54 matches, while Ball took his first loss of the season and now sits at 13-1 overall. Oklahoma State currently ranks No. 3 in NCAA Division I as a team. Ball faced three Division I wrestlers in the tournament and his first opponent was from Division II affiliate Adams State. Ball also defeated Rio Zamora with a 7-0 decision in the dual against the Bronchos on Friday (Dec. 1).

Torres took home the individual title in the FHSU-Bob Smith Open in the 184-pound weight class after pinning his first two opponents and then defeating conference foe Joel Dixon of Central Oklahoma to advance to the semifinals. Torres defeated Keegan Moore of Oklahoma State with an 8-3 decision and Heath Gray of UCO with a 6-2 decision. Noel Torres has put together a solid 10-0 start to his redshirt-senior campaign.

Thanks to a 7-0 start to the regular season and a victory over a ranked team in Pittsburg State, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team was recognized in the latest iterations of both national Division II polls. The Tigers are receiving votes in the WBCA Coaches’ Poll and have been ranked 10th in the D2SIDA Media Poll, released Tuesday (Dec. 5) by both organizations. The coaches’ poll is comprised of ballots from 24 Division II coaches across the country, while the media poll is made up of votes from 16 sports information directors in Division II.

The Tigers picked up 18 points in the voting process in the coaches’ poll, placing them 15 points and four spots outside the top 25. FHSU earned 249 points in the media poll, three points clear of the 11th place team.

This is the first time this season the Tigers have been mentioned in the coaches’ poll. FHSU was receiving votes in last week’s rendition of the media poll. The media poll also includes a regional poll, in which the Tigers jumped to the No. 1 spot after defeating Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State over the weekend.

Fort Hays State has now been mentioned in the coaches’ poll six years in a row. The Tigers are 51-22 all-time while ranked in the Top 25 and 47-21 under head coach Tony Hobson.

Two other MIAA programs are ranked in the coaches poll, with Central Missouri slotted 10th and Central Oklahoma ranked 25th. Nine Central Region programs are recognized in the latest coaches poll, including six teams in front of FHSU. UCM is the top team in the region, with No. 14 Northern State, No. 19 Southwestern Oklahoma State and No. 23 Augustana joining the two MIAA programs in the top 25.

The Tigers are set to hit the road for the first time in nearly one month when they travel to play in-state rivals Washburn and Emporia State. First up is a date with the Ichabods Wednesday (Dec. 6) in Topeka.

Below is the WBCA Division II Coaches’ Poll for December 5, 2017, followed by the D2SIDA Women’s Basketball Media Poll.

2017-18 WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll
Rank Team (1st) Record Points Last Week
1 Ashland (24) 8-0 600 1
2 Alaska Anchorage 8-0 574 2
3 Bentley 8-0 553 3
4 West Texas A&M 7-0 517 5
5 Indiana (Pa.) 7-0 486 7
6 Lubbock Christian 9-1 451 8
7 Drury 7-10 401 9
8 Carson-Newman 9-0 383 15
9 Virginia Union 7-1 360 10
10 Central Missouri 5-1 347 12
11 California (Pa.) 7-1 346 4
12 Rollins 7-1 297 6
13 Azusa Pacific 11-1 277 17
14 Northern State 6-1 276 16
15 Wingate 6-1 258 14
16 Edinboro 7-0 229 24
17 University of the Sciences 6-0 219 20
18 Michigan Tech 8-1 194 18
19 Southwestern Oklahoma St. 8-0 167 25
20 Fort Lewis 6-1 166 11
21 Seattle Pacific 6-1 153 13
22 Southern Indiana 8-0 123 RV
23 Augustana 7-0 95 RV
24 Cedarville 5-1 92 RV
25 Central Oklahoma 6-1 33 21Others receiving votes: Grand Valley State (7-1) 21; Minnesota State Moorhead (5-1) 20; Glenville State (6-1) 19; Colorado Mesa (8-0) 18; Fort Hays State (7-0) 18; Union (TN) (7-1) 17; Montana State Billings (7-0) 14; North Georgia (5-1) 10; Southeastern Oklahoma State (5-2) 10; Pittsburg State (6-2) 8; Stonehill (5-1) 8; Lander (5-2) 7; Embry Riddle (6-1) 5. Seven teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 26 combined points.

2017-18 D2SIDA Women’s Basketball Week 3 Media National Poll
Rank Team (1st) Record Points Last Week
1 Ashland (15) 8-0 399 1
2 Alaska Anchorage (1) 8-0 378 2
3 IUP 7-0 357 4
4 Bentley 8-0 352 3
5 Lubbock Christian 9-1 327 7
6 Carson-Newman 9-0 315 8
7 West Texas A&M 7-0 287 9
8 Rollins 7-1 268 5
9 Southern Indiana 8-0 256 14
10 Fort Hays State 7-0 249 RV
11 USciences 6-0 246 13
12 Azusa Pacific 11-1 229 15
13 Edinboro 7-0 212 16
T14 Southwestern Oklahoma 8-0 171 25
T14 Michigan Tech 8-1 171 18
16 Wingate 6-1 129 24
T17 Union 7-1 124 RV
T17 Colorado Mesa 8-0 124 RV
19 St. Thomas Aquinas 7-0 123 22
20 Augustana 7-0 92 NR
21 Virginia Union 7-1 83 NR
22 Drury 7-1 58 NR
23 North Alabama 7-0 55 NR
24 UC San Diego 6-2 47 RV
25 Black Hills State 8-0 37 NR
Others receiving votes: Lander (31), California (21), Arkansas Tech (19), Seattle Pacific (13), Eckerd (6), Grand Valley (5) Limestone (3)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State sophomore Kacey Kennett has been named the MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week, announced Monday by the league office. It is the second time a Tiger has earned the award this season, and the first such honor in Kennett’s career.

Kennett was a key cog in two Tiger wins over the weekend, helping FHSU maintain its perfect 7-0 record by averaging 19 points and four rebounds per game. The guard was on fire from behind the arc, knocking down better than 41 percent (7-of-17) of her long-range attempts. In addition, she missed just two of 13 attempts from the charity stripe.

The Olathe, Kan. native set a new career high with 18 points against Missouri Southern, but that mark was short lived. Kennett followed up that performance with a 20-point outing against No. 19 Pittsburg State, knocking down five 3-pointers against the Gorillas. She added a team-high four steals in the victory over PSU.

MOBILE, Ala. – Fort Hays State senior defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd accepted the invitation to compete in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on Saturday, January 27, 2018. This is the second collegiate all-star event that Shepherd has been invited to compete in. He will also participate in the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl a week earlier on January 20.

Senior Bowl Website

The Reese’s Senior Bowl has long been a prestigious all-star game for top professional prospects from the collegiate ranks and holds a critical place on the timeline of the NFL Draft. Over 100 participants from last year’s game are on NFL teams’ payrolls this season. This game is a showcase for prospects aspiring to play at the next level. Shepherd will be the first-ever Fort Hays State player to compete in the event.

The game will air on the NFL Network at 1:30 pm CT on January 27. The game is held in Mobile, Alabama at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The Senior Bowl is a collegiate football all-star game that has been held every year since 1950.

Shepherd concluded his senior year with the Tigers on November 25 when FHSU fell in the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs to Ferris State, 31-21. Shepherd earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Year honors, helping the Tigers to an 11-1 overall record, an MIAA Championship, and undefeated regular season. Shepherd finished the season with 38 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. He is a three-time All-MIAA selection, earning first team honors this year, second team in 2016, and third team in 2015.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team hosted the annual Bob Smith Open at Gross Memorial Coliseum on Sunday (Dec. 3). There were a total of 211 wrestlers from 18 teams including the likes of Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Central Oklahoma and Newman. Brandon Ball and Rakim Dean captured runner-up finishes.

The Tigers had 20 wrestlers compete in the home event with three seniors, five juniors, three sophomores, three redshirt-freshman and six true freshman.

Ranked second in the nation in Division II, Brandon Ball opened the Bob Smith Open receiving a bye. Ball defeated Dylan Udero of Adams State with an 8-0 major decision to advance to the quarterfinals of the 141-pound weight class. He moved on to the semifinals with a 10-5 decision over Christian Miller (unattached). For the third time this season, Ball entered the title bout of his weight class. He did so with a 6-5 decision over Michael Magaldo of perennial power Oklahoma State. Ball faced Dean Heil of Oklahoma State in the 141-weight class title match. Heil, arguably one of the best athletes in the country, is the top ranked wrestler in Division I.

In a match of two of the best wrestlers in the nation across all classes, Ball was taken down early in the first set allowing Heil to earn 1:39 of riding time. Heil started the second period in the bottom position and escaped Ball’s grasp. Heil then used a takedown to pick up another two points, giving him a 5-0 lead. Ball escaped his hold and was on the board, trailing 5-1 after two periods. Ball was in the bottom position to start the third period and used a nifty reversal to grab two points to cut into Heil’s lead, making the score 5-3. Ball was gaining ride time by decreasing Heil’s earned ride time from the first two periods. Heil was then called for a stall warning, but nothing else happened as time expired. Ball dropped his first match of the year to Dean Heil, a two-time national champion for OSU.

Rakim Dean was the other Tiger to take home a runner-up finish as started the Bob Smith Open with a bye in the first round of the 197-pound weight class. Dean defeated Jacob Stoneberger of Newman with a 10-3 decision to advance to the quarterfinals. He moved on to the semifinal match with a 3-2 decision over Colton Wolfe (unattached). Dean earned a spot in the title bout after an injury cut Max Wright’s (Air Force Prep) day short. Dean competed against Andrew Marsden of Oklahoma State for first place but was pinned in 4:41 and settled for second place.

Oklahoma State captured eight of the ten weight class titles as Newman (Noel Torres, 184 pounds) and Nebraska (Mikey Labriola, unattached in the 174-pound weight class) grabbed the other two for the tournament.

The Tigers will have a week to prepare for the Reece-Wright-Conklin Jet Invite on Sunday (Dec. 10) in Wichita, Kan. The tournament is slated to begin at 9 a.m.