WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football is receiving votes in the first regular season edition of the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll, released on Monday (Sept. 4). The poll voters gave FHSU 14 points following its 41-point win in the season opener over Missouri Southern.

The Tigers will have a chance to strengthen their case for top 25 consideration this week when they host No. 13 ranked Central Missouri on Thursday night (Sept. 7) at 7 pm. It will be the first home game of the season for the Tigers. FHSU fell to the Mules last year in Warrensburg 34-17 when UCM owned a No. 16 ranking.

Fort Hays State continues to look for its first-ever top 25 spot in the AFCA Poll, which began in 2000. The Tigers received votes in seven editions of the poll last year. The last time FHSU held a spot in the top 25 of the official NCAA Division II Poll was September 16, 1996, when it was No. 6 in the nation. The Tigers fell out of the poll the following week. The poll at that time was organized by the NCAA Football Committee.

Northwest Missouri State continues its hold on the No. 1 ranking in the nation after a win over then No. 4 ranked Emporia State in the first week. Emporia State fell to No. 15 with the loss. Central Missouri jumped from No. 21 to No. 13 this week after a comeback win over Pittsburg State in the first week. Washburn joins FHSU as MIAA schools receiving votes this week.

Below is the AFCA Top 25 for September 4, 2017.

Rank School (1st votes) Record Pts. Prev.
1. Northwest Missouri St. (34) 1-0 850 1
2. Ferris St. (Mich.) 0-0 799 3
3. Texas A&M-Commerce 1-0 776 5
4. Shepherd (W.Va.) 1-0 726 7
5. California (Pa.) 1-0 675 8
6. Indiana (Pa.) 1-0 649 9
7. Colorado St.-Pueblo 1-0 644 12
8. Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 1-0 541 13
9. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 1-0 502 17
10. LIU-Post (N.Y.) 1-0 486 14
11. North Alabama 0-1 468 6
12. Minnesota St. 1-0 412 20
13. Central Missouri 1-0 401 21
14. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 0-1 338 2
15. Emporia St. (Kan.) 0-1 310 4
16. Midwestern St. (Texas) 1-0 298 24
17. Colorado Mesa 1-0 293 23
18. Indianapolis (Ind.) 1-0 246 NR
19. Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) 1-0 201 NR
20. Albany St. (Ga.) 1-0 197 NR
21. Minnesota-Duluth 0-1 139 10
22. Tuskegee (Ala.) 1-0 138 NR
23. Henderson St. (Ark.) 1-0 126 NR
24. West Chester (Pa.) 1-0 101 NR
25. West Georgia 1-0 79 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Valdosta St. (Ga.), 76; Florida Tech, 68; Arkansas Tech, 66; Colorado School of Mines, 60; Harding (Ark.), 53; Central Washington, 43; North Greenville (S.C.), 43; Ashland (Ohio), 32; Delta St. (Miss.), 28; Southern Arkansas, 22; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 20; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 19; North Carolina-Pembroke, 16; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 14; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 14; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 13; Bowie St. (Md.), 13; Minnesota St.-Moorhead, 11; Assumption (Mass.), 8; Gannon (Pa.), 8; Eastern New Mexico, 7; Southwest Baptist (Mo.), 5; Virginia St., 5; Findlay (Ohio), 2; Notre Dame (Ohio), 2; Winona St. (Minn.), 2; Angelo St. (Texas), 1; East Central (Okla.), 1; Mars Hill (N.C.), 1; Ohio Dominican, 1; Washburn (Kan.), 1.

LEBANON, Ill. – The 11th-ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team took a lead into halftime against McKendree University, but the Bearcats tallied two goals within a minute late in regulation to come back and defeat the Tigers 3-1 Saturday evening (Sept. 2). The Tigers fall to 0-1-1 on the season with the loss, while it was the season opener for the Bearcats.

Mauricio Etcheverry scored the first goal of the season for the Tigers in the opening minutes of the match. Tobias Patino provided the assist as he set up Etcheverry just two minutes into the match. Fort Hays State held on to the one-goal lead for the remainder of the first half, thanks in part to its defense limiting McKendree to just two shots in the period. The Tigers attempted five shots (two on goal) in the opening half.

The Tigers surrendered the equalizer in the 48th minute as Gonzalo Correa scored for the Bearcats on a pass from Alec Waller. The Tigers were aggressive the rest of the match, attempting eight shots in the second half (two on goal). However, none of the shots would find the back of the net.

The Bearcats pulled ahead in the waning minutes when Correa netted the game-winning goal in the 86th minute, his second goal of the match. McKendree doubled its lead just 59 seconds later when Blake Johnson scored the third and final goal to seal the victory for the Bearcats.

Michael Yantz was charged the loss in goal after saving two of the five shots on goal he faced. His record dips to 0-1-1 on the season. Patino led Fort Hays State with four shots in the contest, while Derick Gonzalez attempted three shots on the night.

The Tigers will be in action again next week with a pair of matches in Oklahoma starting on Thursday (Sept. 7) when they look to right the ship against Rogers State and No. 6 Midwestern State.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team wrapped up the opening weekend with a pair five-set victories Saturday (Sept. 2) at the Country Inn & Suites Invitational, hosted by the University of Sioux Falls. The Tigers rallied to defeat Black Hills State in the morning before going the distance against William Jewell later that evening.

FHSU moved back to .500 for the season, improving to 2-2 overall, while both the Yellow Jackets and Cardinals finished the opening weekend 1-3.

Three of the four matches the Tigers played this weekend went to five sets. In comparison, FHSU went the distance in five matches all last season, going 4-1 in those contests.

Callie Christensen earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for her performance this weekend. The senior asserted her dominance at the net, recording an astonishing 30 total blocks (1.67 per set). She added 39 kills, leading the team with a .218 attack percentage.

Logan Wallick had a strong day offensively, leading the Tigers in kills in both matches. She opened the day with 19 kills in the first match, the most kills in a match for a freshman at FHSU since 2011 (Sara Hewson, 9/16/11, at Pittsburg State). After accomplishing a feat that hadn’t occured in 176 matches, it took Wallick mere hours to duplicate it, leading the way with 19 kills in the nightcap.

The Tigers will return to action next weekend when they head to North Canton, Ohio for five matches, starting with a contest against Roberts Wesleyan College Thursday (Sept. 7).

Fort Hays State 3, Black Hills State 2 (25-20, 19-25, 12-25, 25-19, 15-13)

Despite a slow start, the Tigers rallied for a five-set victory over Black Hills State to open the day. FHSU kept its poise after falling behind early in each of the first four sets, putting together big rallies to win the first and fourth frames. The teams then traded points for much of the fifth set before the Tigers scored four of the last five points to secure the match.

Logan Wallick went off for a match-high 19 kills, adding three block assists and three digs. Callie Christensen (10 kills, six total blocks) and Kylie Rollman (10 kills, two block assists) also reached double-figures in kills. Amirah Bentley tossed up 43 assists in the win, adding 11 digs, one block, one service ace and two kills. Libero Taylor White once again led the way with 28 digs, while Abbie Hayes (14) and Azlyn Cassaday (13) also reached double figures.

Black Hills State held a slight advantage in hitting as a team, totaling a .147 hitting percentage compared to FHSU’s .139. The Tiger front line totaled eight team blocks, but couldn’t keep up with the Yellow Jackets as they blocked 11 attempts.

The Tigers came out of the gate a bit sluggish, falling behind by as many as five early in the first set. BHSU maintained its lead until the Tigers scored eight-straight points to rally from 18-14 down to go in front 22-18 with Kailey Klibbe serving. FHSU went on to secure the set five points later, ultimately using an 11-2 run to win 25-20. Wallick had five kills down the stretch, including the set-winning kill on a pass from Bentley.

The Yellow Jackets bounced back by dominating the second and third sets to take an authoritative 2-1 lead in the match. FHSU never led in either set, and the lone tie came at 1-1 in the second frame. Black Hills State bookended the third set with a pair of seven-point runs, going in front 7-0 before winning the game with seven straight points.

It was more of the same in the fourth set, as BHSU scored six of the first seven points to quickly take the lead. The Tigers went on a run of their own after trailing 10-7, winning nine of the next 10 rallies to grab a 16-11 lead. The Yellow Jackets closed the gap to two, but a pair of kills from Wallick helped FHSU even the match at two.

The teams went back and forth for much of the final set, with neither side scoring more than two points in a row until the Tigers closed it out on a 4-1 run. There were 12 ties and seven lead changes in the final set alone, with Christensen putting FHSU in front for good with back-to-back kills. Sydney Dixon then handed the Tigers the victory with a strong kill from the left side.

Fort Hays State 3, William Jewell 2 (25-17, 25-13, 24-26, 30-32, 15-4)

The Tigers wrapped up the weekend with a five-set victory over William Jewell. Four Tigers reached double figures in kills, led by Logan Wallick (19), Sydney Dixon (13), Kylie Rollman (13) and Callie Christensen (10).

Christensen led a strong team performance at the net defensively, leading the Tigers to 14 team blocks. The senior middle hitter had nine blocks of her own, including three solo. Tatum Bartels added five (one solo) while Dixon added four. Becca Page took over setting duties in the second set, taking advantage of the opportunity by tossing up a match-high 42 assists. Taylor White added four assists and led the way with 22 digs, while Abbie Hayes contributed a career-high 19 digs.

The Tigers hit .172 as a team while holding WJC to a miniscule .036 attack percentage. The Cardinals held their own at the net, tallying 13 team blocks.

Fort Hays State fell behind early in the first set, but consecutive kills from Wallick gave the Tigers the lead for good, 11-10. FHSU used a 6-1 run to take a commanding 21-14 lead before a Cardinal attack error sealed the victory later in the set.

Both teams went on incredible runs in the second set, with William Jewell opening the frame by scoring the first 10 points and 12 of the first 13. The Tigers swapped out setters at that point, and that is all it took to steal all the momentum. FHSU responded with an astounding 24-1 run, including 17-straight points to run away with the set, 25-13.

The next two sets were close for their entirety, with neither team leading by more than four points. There were 28 ties and 14 lead changes through the two sets. The Tigers led the third set 22-20, but WJC rallied out of a timeout to stay alive with a 26-24 victory. After keeping trading the lead for the entirety of the fourth set, FHSU fought off a pair of set points to tie things up at 24. Consecutive kills from Wallick gave the Tigers a chance to seal the match, but the Cardinals were not finished. The Tigers had another match point opportunity at 29-28, but WJC went on a 4-1 run to send the match to a deciding fifth set.

Thankfully the Cardinals rally came up just short, as the Tigers dominated the fifth set to take the match. FHSU captured the first six points behind a pair of kills from Rollman and two big blocks. The Tigers took care of business the rest of the set, swinging at a .389 clip while limiting WJC to a -.200 attack percentage. Bartels and Dixon teamed up for a block to seal the win.

TOPEKA, Kan. – It’s two wins in two games for the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team as they captured a 2-0 win over Upper Iowa in Topeka this afternoon to conclude their first weekend of play for 2017. With the win, the Tigers are now 2-0 to start the season after defeating two NSIC programs at Washburn this weekend.

Eden Stoddard is back where she was at this point last season, as she now has three goals to her name through two matches. Stoddard sealed the victory late in the game with a goal assisted by Darby Hirsch. Stoddard had two shots in the contest with both hitting on frame.

The go-ahead goal for the Tigers came at the feet of Catalina Hernandez as she netted an unassisted goal twenty minutes into the second half. This goal was Hernandez’s second in two matches for the Tigers.

Senior Kristen Thompson stood her ground in the net for Fort Hays State as she gathered three saves in three shots on goal against her. Thompson picks up her second win of the season in net for the Tigers.

FHSU limited the Peacocks to just six shots in the ninety minutes, while the Tigers recorded 12 with half hitting on target. In both early season matches for Fort Hays State, the Tigers have held their opponents in scoring, going 8-0 over their two opponents combined.

The Tigers continue their 2017 season on the road with the next four matches being away from Hays. Next up for Fort Hays State, the team travels to Minot, N.D. for two late-week contests against Augustana (Sept. 8) and Minot State (Sept. 10.)

TOPEKA, Kan. – It’s two wins in two games for the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team as they captured a 2-0 win over Upper Iowa in Topeka this afternoon to conclude their first weekend of play for 2017. With the win, the Tigers are now 2-0 to start the season after defeating two NSIC programs at Washburn this weekend.

Eden Stoddard is back where she was at this point last season, as she now has three goals to her name through two matches. Stoddard sealed the victory late in the game with a goal assisted by Darby Hirsch. Stoddard had two shots in the contest with both hitting on frame.

The go-ahead goal for the Tigers came at the feet of Catalina Hernandez as she netted an unassisted goal twenty minutes into the second half. This goal was Hernandez’s second in two matches for the Tigers.

Senior Kristen Thompson stood her ground in the net for Fort Hays State as she gathered three saves in three shots on goal against her. Thompson picks up her second win of the season in net for the Tigers.

FHSU limited the Peacocks to just six shots in the ninety minutes, while the Tigers recorded 12 with half hitting on target. In both early season matches for Fort Hays State, the Tigers have held their opponents in scoring, going 8-0 over their two opponents combined.

The Tigers continue their 2017 season on the road with the next four matches being away from Hays. Next up for Fort Hays State, the team travels to Minot, N.D. for two late-week contests against Augustana (Sept. 8) and Minot State (Sept. 10.)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team opened the 2017 season with a pair of losses on day one of the Country Inn & Suites Invitational, hosted by the University of Sioux Falls. The Tigers dropped a heartbreaker against Arkansas-Fort Smith to open Friday (Sept. 1) before falling in straight sets against Sioux Falls.

Callie Christensen had a strong opening day of the season, totaling 15 blocks (1.88 per set) while adding 19 kills and swinging at a .286 clip. Redshirt-freshman libero Taylor White led the team with 31 digs on the day while freshman Amirah Bentley served as the primary setter in both matches, tossing up 78 assists on the day.

The Tigers look to even out their record Saturday (Sept. 2) when they face off with Black Hills State at 9 a.m. and William Jewell at 4:30 p.m.

Arkansas-Fort Smith 3, Fort Hays State 2 (21-25, 25-23, 25-16, 23-25, 18-20)

The Tigers nearly upset perennial power Arkansas-Fort Smith, winners of two NCAA Division II South Central Region titles in the last three years and enters the year receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll. UAFS captured the opening set before the Tigers took control, winning sets two and three. The Lady Lions showed their poise down the stretch, holding off FHSU to take the fourth set before fighting off four match point opportunities in the final frame, ultimately winning the fifth set 20-18.

Kylie Rollman went off for a career-high 20 kills, her first double-digit kill performance at FHSU, while adding five block assists and one service ace. Senior Callie Christensen turned in her first career double-double, throwing down 15 kills while leading the way with 10 total blocks (one solo). The Raymond, Neb. native posted a game-high .438 attack percentage. Sydney Dixon chipped in 11 kills on a team-high 54 swings, adding five digs and two total blocks (one solo).

While upperclassmen led the charge at the net, several freshmen turned in strong performances in their collegiate debut. Amirah Bentley stepped into the primary setter role in her first game as a true freshman, tossing up 55 assists while adding 14 digs, two block assists and one service ace. Redshirt-freshman Taylor White led the team with 20 digs while serving as the libero. True freshman Tatum Bartels was also called upon to start, leading the team with two service aces while chipping in five blocks (three solo), six kills and six digs.

After setting the rally scoring era record for team blocks last season, the Tigers kept that trend going by swatting away 16 Lady Lion attempts. UAFS recorded just eight blocks in the match.

The Tigers took an early lead after winning the first two points of the match, but the Lady Lions jumped in front for good by scoring five of the next seven points. FHSU kept it close for the entirety of the set, forcing eight ties and never trailing by more than four. But each time the Tigers put together a rally, UAFS went to heavy hitter Anna Demmer to take back momentum. The outside hitter recorded seven of her game-high 29 kills in the first set. Additionally, Demmer broke the school record for kills in a match.

Arkansas-Fort Smith turned the tables and jumped out to an early advantage in the second, leading by as many as six, 9-3. The Tigers closed within one, 12-11, behind an 8-3 run of their own before finally taking the lead, 16-15. The advantage would be short-lived, however, as UAFS grabbed it right back two points later. Facing a 23-20 deficit, the Tigers were seconds away from falling behind 2-0 in the match. Instead, Fort Hays State rallied after a timeout called by head coach Kurt Kohler to win the final five points and take the set, 25-23. Rollman and Christensen combined for a block to start the rally before Rollman tied things up with an ace two serves later. Another block from Christensen and Wallick gave the Tigers a set point opportunity before a strong kill from Wallick secured the victory.

The Tigers dominated the third set, 25-16, the only frame to be decided by more than four points. After swapping points for the first half of the set, FHSU scored seven-straight points to extend a 19-9 lead. Christensen recorded a kill and two blocks during the stretch while Bartels added one kill and one service ace. The Lady Lions put together a small rally, closing within seven, but kills from Christensen, Dixon and Bartels finished off the frame and put the Tigers in front 2-1.

Although Fort Hays State never led in the fourth set, the Tigers didn’t go away quietly. The Lady Lions led by as many as five early in the game, but FHSU slowly clawed back before kills from Magan Alexander and Rollman tied things up at 19. UAFS rallied after calling timeout, scoring five of the next six points to reach set point. The Tigers closed within one by scoring three straight points, but a kill from Demmer evened the match at two.

Both teams threw away chances to put away the fifth and final set before UAFS finally capitalized on the seventh match point of the game. The Lady Lions established a four-point lead midway through the set, 10-6, but FHSU kept its cool to stay within striking distance. After the Tigers used a 5-2 run to close within one, 12-11, UAFS answered back to reach match point, 14-12. A block from Christensen and Bentley extended the match before Dixon tied things up at 14 with a kill. Another block from Bartels and Dixon gave the Tigers a chance to secure the win, but Arkansas-Fort Smith bounced back to stay alive. FHSU went on to have three more match point opportunities, but the Lady Lions scored to extend the match each time. After trailing 18-17, UAFS won three straight rallies to win the set, 20-18, and secure the victory.

Sioux Falls 3, Fort Hays State 0 (21-25, 20-25, 20-25)

After taking the Arkansas-Fort Smith to the brink early in the day, the Tigers were unable to keep pace with Sioux Falls in the evening session, losing in straight sets. Fort Hays State struggled offensively, hitting .036 as a team compared to a .204 attack percentage for USF.

Sydney Dixon led the team with six kills, adding two block assists and three digs. Callie Christensen picked up five more blocks (one solo) while chipping in four kills. Amirah Bentley tossed up 23 assists and recorded two service aces.

The Tigers kept things close through much of the first set, taking an early lead before holding the deficit within three. Kylie Rollman helped the Tigers tie things up at 18 with a kill and a block with Tatum Bartels. After a kill from Bentley tied the score at 19, USF scored four straight points to take their largest lead of the set. Rollman and Logan Wallick responded with back-to-back kills, but the Cougars captured the next two points to secure the victory.

Fort Hays State appeared to be in control early in the second set, leading by as many as five. The teams traded points until late in the set when USF used a 9-2 run to rally from 18-16 down to win the set, 25-20.

Sioux Falls jumped in front to open the third frame, but the Tigers used a 6-1 run to take the lead, 14-13. The Cougars scored two points coming out of a timeout to retake the lead, but FHSU won four of the next five points to go up by two, 18-16. Sioux Falls answered back with another 9-2 run, clinching the match with a 25-20 victory.

FHSU Sports Information

TOPEKA, Kan. – For the third-straight season, the FHSU women’s soccer team is kicking off the 2017 season with a shutout over Southwest Minnesota State. The Tigers matched up with the Mustangs in Topeka and captured a 6-0 victory to go up 1-0 on to start the season. Fort Hays State now has defeated SMSU in four-straight season openers.

It took under 10 minutes for the Tigers to get on the board as Catalina Hernandez netted the go-ahead goal at 5:56 into the game for the first goal of the season for FHSU. Just sixteen minutes later, last season’s leading scorer for the Tigers, Eden Stoddard, found the back of the net as she put FHSU up 2-0 at the 21:58 mark. The final goal in the first 45 came at the feet of Darby Hirsch with an assist by Savannah McClease just seven minutes after Stoddard’s goal.

The second half was much the same for the Tigers as they netted three additional goals. Silvana Romero started off the half with a short cross goal assisted by Stoddard seven minutes in to go up 4-0 over the Mustangs. Stoddard then got in on the action by recording her second goal of the game assisted by Alexa Franks with just under 25 minutes left to play. The final goal of the night for the Tigers saw Franks netting her own with an assist from freshman Olympia Katsouridis at the 83 minutes mark.

The Tigers were able to muster up a dominating offensive match as they recorded 15 shots with 10 on goal led by Stoddard with four. The Mustangs attempted four shots as well, with just one hitting on target.

Kristen Thompson for the Tigers picked up her first win of the season between the pipes with her one save.

Next up for FHSU is another contest in Topeka as they meet up with Upper Iowa on Saturday (Sept. 2) at 2 p.m.

FHSU Sports Information

Hays, Kan. – The 11th-ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team opened the 2017 season Thursday night (Aug. 31) hosting No. 3 Rockhurst in a rematch of last season’s national quarterfinals. After losing to the Hawks twice last season, FHSU held the perennial powerhouse in check, leading to a scoreless draw. The Tigers are now 4-1-2 all-time in season openers and 0-2-2 against the Hawks. Both teams begin the season with a record of 0-0-1.

The first half began with an aggressive start for both sides as they combined to take nine shots in the half. The Tigers controlled possession for much of the frame, totaling six shots and four corner kicks. However, none of their attempts were on frame.

Momentum seemed to shift after the break as Rockhurst controlled field position for the majority of the second half, leading to a five to one advantage in shots. The Hawks seemed poised to steal the win late in regulation when Umoh Ufot sent a screamer off the post. The ball deflected back in front of goal, where RU’s Ben McDonald was waiting to strike. McDonald fired on net, but Michael Yantz was there to make a game-saving save with four minutes left on the clock.

The two overtime periods were a defensive battle as neither team attempted a single shot in the first overtime period. Both squads had their chances in the second overtime period combining to take five shots, but Yantz once again contributing a crucial save in the final minutes to secure the draw.

Tobias Patino and Luis Torres both attempted two shots for the Tigers, while Antonio De La Torre came away with the lone shot on goal. Yantz finished the match with four saves, earning his 10th career clean sheet.

The Tigers return to action Saturday (Sept. 2) as they travel to Lebanon, Ill. to take on the Bearcats of McKendree University. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

JOPLIN, Mo. – Fort Hays State scored on their first five possessions, racing out to a 41-7 halftime lead and beat Missouri Southern 48-7 Thursday night at Hughes Stadium.

Jacob Mezera, who completed 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards, rushed for a score on the Tigers first possession to give them the early lead. He connected on touchdown passes to Harley Hazlett and Monterio Birchfield as the Tigers raced out to a 27-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Chris Brown Postgame Interview

Nathan Shepherd Postgame Interview

Kenneth Iheme Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Kenneth Iheme rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown. The Wichita senior also hauled in five catches for 33 yards as the Tigers finished with 487 yards of offense, 305 of which came in the first half.

Layne Bieberle was one of 11 Tigers to catch a pass and lead the team with six receptions for 83 yards.

Kicker Brandon Brown booted field goals of 39 and 36 yards and made all six of his extra point tries.

FHSU Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team opens the 2017-18 season ranked 11th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released Tuesday (Aug. 29) by the league office. The poll is comprised of votes from all 11 coaches in the conference. Coaches do not list their own institution on their ballot.

The Tigers earned 16 points in the voting process, up from 13 a year ago. This year’s roster consists of 11 returners and four newcomers, including three junior transfers and one true freshman.

Central Missouri was picked to win the conference, earning nine first-place votes. Defending champion Central Oklahoma was listed second, picking up the final two first-place picks. Lindenwood was ranked third followed closely by Washburn in fourth.

The regular season gets underway September 11-12 when the Tigers travel to Warrensburg, Mo. for the Mule Invitational.

2017 MIAA Preseason Men’s Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (9) – 99
2. Central Oklahoma (2) – 90
3. Lindenwood – 78
4. Washburn – 75
5. Northeastern State – 59
6. Missouri Southern – 52
7. Missouri Western – 49
8. Nebraska-Kearney – 36
9. Southwest Baptist – 30
10. Lincoln – 21
11. Fort Hays State – 16

FHSU Sports Information

KANSAS City, Mo. – The Fort Hays State University women’s golf team was ranked eighth in the 2017 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released Tuesday morning (Aug. 29) by the conference office. The Tigers received 28 points in the voting process.

Northeastern State, the defending MIAA champions, claimed the top spot with seven first place votes while receiving 79 total points. Central Oklahoma comes in second with the three remaining first place votes and a total of 70 points. Lindenwood was picked third and Missouri Western was tabbed fourth. Central Missouri rounds out the top five, while Northwest Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney take the two spots ahead of FHSU. Southwest Baptist came in ninth with Lincoln finishing 10th in the voting.

The Tigers return six golfers from last season, including junior Hannah Perkins, who became the first Tiger to qualify for nationals and finished in a tie for 64th at the Division II Women’s Golf National Championship. She also placed fifth at the Central Super Region Championship. Head coach Rich Guffey signed a pair of freshman to the squad to add some competition to the roster.

FHSU will travel to Olathe, Kan. to open the season in the Central Region preview on September 5-6.

2017 MIAA Preseason Women’s Coaches Poll
1. Northeastern State (7) – 79
2. Central Oklahoma (3) – 70
3. Lindenwood – 66
4. Missouri Western – 57
5. Central Missouri – 53
6. Northwest Missouri – 38
7. Nebraska-Kearney – 33
8. Fort Hays State – 28
9. Southwest Baptist – 16
10. Lincoln – 10

Fort Hays State Weekly Football Press Conference
August 29, 2017

Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown conducted his weekly press conference in advance of the Tigers season opener at Missouri Southern Thursday night. Brown and select players met with the media inside Lewis Field on Tuesday, a session that can be heard by clicking on the links below.

Head Football Coach Chris Brown

Junior Bandit Back Doyin Jibowu

Senior Running Back Kenneth Iheme

Junior Quarterback Jacob Mezera