Sports – Page 188 – Hays Post Archive

Gillum helps Tigers advance to MIAA Tournament quarterfinals

Posted on February 27, 2018February 28, 2018

GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. – Only once since joining the MIAA has Fort Hays State failed to advance to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Hadley Gillum wasn’t about to make it twice. The Tigers lone senior scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in FHSU’s 71-65 victory over Lindenwood in the first round of the MIAA Tournament. They advance to the quarterfinals where they will face No. 2 seed Missouri Southern at 2:15 pm Friday.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Trey O’Neil Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Fort Hays State (18-11) never trailed, leading by seven at halftime and by as many as 13 with 13:44 to play. The Lions (16-13) closed the gap to two with 2:19 to play before Trey O’Neil drilled his fourth three-pointer of the game with 1:30 left to push the lead to five.

O’Neil finished with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Brady Werth added 14.

The Lions made only two shots in the final 9:52 but hit 16 of 18 free throws to stay within striking distance. They were led by Brad Newman who scored 26 points. Jackson Price added 20 and Adam Pohlman 11.

The Tigers shot 50-percent (23-46) and hit 9-of-21 from 3-point range and went 16-of-20 from the foul line.

TMP girls cruise in sub-state opener

Posted on February 27, 2018

By JEREMY McGUIRE
Hays Post

TMP 69, SE of Saline 36

HAYS, Kan.-The TMP Lady Monarchs showed why they are the number one seed in the Minneapolis 3A Sub-State on Tuesday night. TMP used a 29-3 run that spanned the first and second quarter to take complete control of the quarterfinal contest. The Lady Monarchs led 46-19 at the half behind 15 points from Kayla Vitztum, 10 from Savannah Yost and 9 from Kyleigh Allen.

TMP continued to push the lead in the third quarter. The Lady Monarchs led by 37 points a couple of times in the third quarter and took a 67-32 lead to the fourth quarter. The final quarter was a running clock as TMP picked up the 69-36 win. Vitztum finished the game with 17, Adell Riedel and Allen 11 and Yost 10.

Southeast of Saline finishes their season at 5-15. TMP improves to 18-2 and will face Riley County in Friday’s semi-finals. The Lady Falcons defeated Ellsworth 43-37 Tuesday.

ROSE MCFARLAND INTERVIEW

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Four Tiger men qualify for 2018 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships

Posted on February 27, 2018

Fort Hays State will be well represented at the 2018 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships as four Tigers have been selected to compete. The championships will be held on the campus of Pittsburg State University March 9-10.

Heading to nationals for FHSU will be Decano Cronin, Sam Dreiling, Brett Meyer and Jake Morrow. The four athletes all hold national rankings to their name in their individual events.

Cronin heads into the championships at No. 4 in Division II in the 800-meter run. With his best mark of 1:49.45, which was good for an automatic at the MIAA Indoor Championships last week, Cronin looks to better his time again on the big stage. Also competing on the track is Meyer who boasts a No. 22 national ranking in the mile run, reaching a 4:06.07 time. This will be the second-straight national appearance for both Cronin and Meyer.

FHSU brings two pole vaulters to the national scene with both Dreiling and Morrow. Dreiling heads back to Pittsburg with a No. 9 ranking on the national performance list in the event with a mark of 16 feet, 8 ¾ inches. For Morrow, he comes in with the thirteenth best height in the nation at 16 feet, 7 ¼ inches.

Meyer will be set to run in the men’s mile at 3:30 p.m. Friday with the finals in that event aimed for 5:40 on Saturday. Cronin takes off in the 800-meter prelims at 4:40 p.m. on Friday, with the finals in that event scheduled for 6:25 p.m. Saturday. Both Dreiling and Morrow look for their event to start at 4 p.m. on Saturday .

Brackets Released for the NCAA DII Championships

Posted on February 27, 2018

The brackets for the NCAA Division II Championships were released on Tuesday (Feb. 27). The Tigers have four wrestlers that qualified for nationals which is set to take place in ten days (Mar. 9-10). No. 3 Brandon Ball (141), No. 4 Efe Osaghae (149), Ryne Cokeley (157) and Rakim Dean (197) earned at least fourth place at the West Super Regional last weekend.

In the 141-pound weight class, third-ranked Brandon Ball (34-5) is set to begin his tournament by taking on fifth-ranked Nick Crume (20-3) of Indianapolis. There are three other wrestlers that Ball has faced this season, all on the top half of the 16-man bracket. Including Ball, nine of the 16 players are currently ranked in the nation.

In the 149-pound weight class, fourth-ranked Efe Osaghae (29-11) will begin his first national championships by facing Logan Grass of Mercyhurst. If Osaghae were to win in the first round, he could potentially go against the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country, James Pleski (26-1) of St. Cloud State. Three other wrestlers in the bracket are previous guys the redshirt-sophomore has faced this season. Of the 16 wrestlers in this weight class, nine are ranked individually in the country.

In the 157-pound weight class, junior Ryne Cokeley (12-10) will battle No. 4 Ryan Strope (38-11) of McKendree. This is Cokeley’s first appearance at the DII Championships. There are seven wrestlers among the top 12 wrestlers in the nation at this weight class.

Senior Rakim Dean (32-10) qualified for nationals in the 197-pound weight class. In the first round, Dean is taking on No. 9 Matthew Rudy (20-4) of Limestone. Nine of the top 12 wrestlers are in this 16-man weight class for nationals.

Gillum Named to All-MIAA Second Team

Posted on February 27, 2018

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior forward Hadley Gillum earned All-MIAA Second Team honors for the 2017-18 season, released on Tuesday (Feb. 27) by the conference office. This is Gillum’s second all-conference honor after earning an honorable mention nod last year.

Gillum leads Fort Hays State at 16.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season. He ranks eighth in the MIAA in scoring and 10th in rebounding. He ranks fourth in the conference in free-throw percentage, hitting at an 88.1 percent clip. With 468 points this year, Gillum pushed his career total over the 1,000 mark at Fort Hays State and now has 1,026 entering the MIAA Tournament. He became the 20th player to reach the 1,000-point milestone in a Tiger uniform and has since moved to 19th on the all-time scoring list. In his career, Gillum is averaging 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Earlier this season, Gillum scored a career-high 36 points in a double-overtime game at Colorado School of Mines. He has scored in double figures 44 times in his career, including 23 this season. He has 10 career double-doubles.

Below is the 2017-18 All-MIAA Men’s Basketball Team.

Player of the Year
Justin Pitts, Sr., Northwest Missouri

Defensive Player of the Year
Brady Skeens, Sr., Washburn

Freshman of the Year
Chris Rossow, Fr., Southwest Baptist

Coach of the Year
Jeff Boschee, Missouri Southern

All-MIAA First Team
CJ Carr, Sr., Missouri Southern
Trey Lansman, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney
Justin Pitts, Sr., Northwest Missouri
Spencer Reaves, Sr., Central Missouri
Brady Skeens, Sr., Washburn

All-MIAA Second Team
Corbin Byford, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Elyjah Clark, So., Missouri Southern
Hadley Gillum, Sr., Fort Hays State
Logan Hovey, Sr., Southwest Baptist
Chris-Ebou Ndow, Sr., Northwest Missouri

All-MIAA Third Team
Xavier Adams, Sr., Pittsburg State
Brett Dougherty, Sr., Northwest Missouri
Jakob Lowrance, Jr., Central Missouri
Terrance Smith, Jr., Lincoln
Joey Witthus Jr., Northwest Missouri

All-Defensive Team
CJ Carr, Sr., Missouri Southern
Brett Dougherty, Sr., Northwest Missouri
Jake Hammond, Sr., Central Oklahoma
DJ Richardson, Sr., Central Missouri
Brady Skeens, Sr., Washburn

Honorable Mention All-MIAA
DJ Richardson, Sr., Central Missouri
Marqueese Grayson, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Brandon Hall, Jr., Emporia State
Stephaun Limuel, Sr., Emporia State
Amariontez Ivory, Jr., Lincoln
Maurice Mason, Sr., Lincoln
Chandler Diekvoss, Jr., Lindenwood
Brad Newman, Jr., Lindenwood
Jackson Price, Jr., Lindenwood
Kinzer Lambert, So., Missouri Southern
Lavon Hightower, Jr., Missouri Western
Ty Danielson, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney
Lane Rohrich, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney
Jamir Andrews, Gr., Northeastern State
Donovan Franklin, Jr., Pittsburg State
Javion Blake, Jr., Washburn

Gillum named to All-MIAA Second Team

Posted on February 27, 2018

Below is the 2017-18 All-MIAA Men’s Basketball Team.

Player of the Year
Justin Pitts, Sr., Northwest Missouri

Defensive Player of the Year
Brady Skeens, Sr., Washburn

Freshman of the Year
Chris Rossow, Fr., Southwest Baptist

Coach of the Year
Jeff Boschee, Missouri Southern

All-MIAA First Team
CJ Carr, Sr., Missouri Southern
Trey Lansman, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney
Justin Pitts, Sr., Northwest Missouri
Spencer Reaves, Sr., Central Missouri
Brady Skeens, Sr., Washburn

All-MIAA Second Team
Corbin Byford, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Elyjah Clark, So., Missouri Southern
Hadley Gillum, Sr., Fort Hays State
Logan Hovey, Sr., Southwest Baptist
Chris-Ebou Ndow, Sr., Northwest Missouri

All-MIAA Third Team
Xavier Adams, Sr., Pittsburg State
Brett Dougherty, Sr., Northwest Missouri
Jakob Lowrance, Jr., Central Missouri
Terrance Smith, Jr., Lincoln
Joey Witthus Jr., Northwest Missouri

All-Defensive Team
CJ Carr, Sr., Missouri Southern
Brett Dougherty, Sr., Northwest Missouri
Jake Hammond, Sr., Central Oklahoma
DJ Richardson, Sr., Central Missouri
Brady Skeens, Sr., Washburn

Honorable Mention All-MIAA
DJ Richardson, Sr., Central Missouri
Marqueese Grayson, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Brandon Hall, Jr., Emporia State
Stephaun Limuel, Sr., Emporia State
Amariontez Ivory, Jr., Lincoln
Maurice Mason, Sr., Lincoln
Chandler Diekvoss, Jr., Lindenwood
Brad Newman, Jr., Lindenwood
Jackson Price, Jr., Lindenwood
Kinzer Lambert, So., Missouri Southern
Lavon Hightower, Jr., Missouri Western
Ty Danielson, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney
Lane Rohrich, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney
Jamir Andrews, Gr., Northeastern State
Donovan Franklin, Jr., Pittsburg State
Javion Blake, Jr., Washburn

FHSU, Tiger wrestling program perfect match for Nebraska siblings

Posted on February 27, 2018February 28, 2018

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing

Bailey and Brody Lewis didn’t have to wrestle very hard with the decision of where to attend college.

The youngest siblings of a close-knit farming family from south central Nebraska, Bailey and Brody trusted what other family members had been learning for four generations – that Fort Hays State University was the right fit for them.

Now, Bailey and Brody think so much of FHSU – and its wrestling program – that they stayed in Hays last weekend rather than head home for their favorite time of year: calving season.

The Lewis siblings, in their first year at Fort Hays State, decided to help work tables at the Class 3-2-1A State High School Championships at FHSU’s Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Brody, a freshman who wrestled some varsity matches for the Tigers this season, and Bailey, a junior who served as one of the FHSU wrestling team managers, jumped at the chance to be around their favorite sport and to experience the difference between state tournaments in Kansas and their native state.

The Lewis siblings – children of a long-time high school wrestling coach in Nebraska – have been around the sport their entire lives. Over the years, the Lewis family saw a lot of quality wrestling in Century Link Center Omaha, home to the state prep wrestling tourney for all four prep classifications.

After watching their dad’s teams compete at state for several years, Bailey and the rest of her family then got to cheer on Brody, who qualified for state all four years of his high school career. Both Bailey and Brody enjoyed Kansas’ version of high school state competition, too.

“It was pretty competitive for the most part,” Brody said. “There were some really close matches, and one of the finals went to overtime.”

“Here, it seemed like the whole town travels to state,” Bailey said. “It was nice to see all the families and community members who came to support their wrestlers.”

Bailey served as manager of her high school wrestling team all four years and was a talented athlete herself. She attended Cloud County Community College in Concordia on a volleyball scholarship for two years and knew she was going to transfer to FHSU this year.

Following a stellar high school wrestling career highlighted by two state championships and a runner-up finish, Brody said he was strongly considering FHSU. Then a scholarship offer from Tiger wrestling coach Chas Thompson confirmed the deal.

“I looked at some options, but Fort Hays State was a school I had been to before with my parents and sisters, and I really liked the way the school is set up,” said Brody, a four-time state qualifier who recorded a 153-16 career record at Franklin High School.

Following both his older sisters to FHSU seemed as natural a family tradition for Brody to keep as wrestling. Oldest sister Brittany also attended FHSU right out high school. Brittany, now married with a family and living back home, is taking online courses through FHSU to finish her degree in elementary education.

The Lewis family connection to Fort Hays State goes back a lot farther than that, though.

The Lewis siblings’ parents, Aaron and Brook, were high school sweethearts from neighboring towns in Nebraska and came to Fort Hays State together. They graduated in 1995 and 1997, respectively – Aaron with a degree in agriculture business and Brook, elementary education, then returned home to Nebraska to raise their family.

Decades before that, Aaron’s maternal grandmother, Ruth Glover from Jewell County, attended FHSU in the 1940s and received her normal training for a teaching certificate. Aaron’s paternal grandparents, Kenneth and Dorothy Lewis, also attended Fort Hays State and received their degrees in elementary education in 1963.

While wrestling will always be a part of Bailey’s and Brody’s lives in one way or another – their 4-year-old nephew, Gracin, already is competing – they also have set the bar high for their career goals.

Bailey is an accounting major with aspirations to become a CPA. Brody is an animal science in the pre-vet program. He plans to earn his bachelor’s degree from FHSU before applying for veterinary school at a larger university.

“It was great to get a wrestling scholarship to Fort Hays State,” Brody said, “but I really came here for the academic part. Something that sold me on (FHSU) was the high acceptance rate to larger schools.”

Both Brody and Bailey are also involved in other ways on campus.

Brody is part of the “Athletes Today, Leaders Tomorrow” Learning Community and also helps run the chute for the rope typing events for the FHSU rodeo team practices.

Bailey works in the admissions office on campus, where she serves as a student ambassador and gives campus tours to potential students and their families. She learned just recently that she has been chosen to serve as a New Student and Family Orientation Leader. That group staffs pre-enrollment sessions for freshmen and transfer students during the spring as well as Tiger Impact Fall Orientation Weekend during August.

Brody, who said he would like to coach or referee wrestling someday, said he thought Fort Hays State suited him better right out of high school than a larger university, and Bailey said FHSU is “the perfect size.”

The Lewises have found there are several benefits of siblings attending the same university. They eat lunch together on Tuesdays and attend a church group on Wednesday evenings. At least one weekend a month, they travel home together to help out on their family farm.

“It’s nice to have someone to ride home with you,” said Bailey, who lives in an apartment near campus with some other former Cloud County teammates.

“On Sunday nights, we have supper together,” said Brody, who lives in the Victor E. Village residence hall. “Bailey can cook a pretty good meal.”

Monday’s sub-state basketball scores

Posted on February 27, 2018February 27, 2018

Class 1A Division I Sub-State
Quarterfinals
Burrton 73, Fairfield 39
Frankfort 58, Troy 40
Lakeside 46, Sylvan-Lucas 40
Little River 78, Thunder Ridge 24
Pretty Prairie 40, Norwich 29
Valley Falls 54, Onaga 46

Class 1A Division II Sub-State
Quarterfinals
Argonia 60, Cunningham 25
BV Randolph 56, Linn 54
Ingalls 51, Western Plains-Healy 41
Marais des Cygnes Valley 61, Altoona-Midway 52
Palco 58, Natoma 45
Quinter 68, Deerfield 47
Stafford 65, Chase 37
Wetmore 59, Axtell 46
Wilson 63, Tescott 29

Class 3A Sub-State
Quarterfinals
Belle Plaine 68, Douglass 37
Beloit 40, Riley County 39
Caney Valley 71, Fredonia 31
Cheney 74, Wichita Independent 23
Cherryvale 60, Southeast 41
Council Grove 74, Eureka 42
Ellsworth 66, Hoisington 58
Garden Plain 58, Chaparral 55
Goodland 59, Cimarron 49
Halstead 68, Lyons 29
Haven 73, Hutchinson Trinity 55
Humboldt 52, West Franklin 51
Jayhawk Linn 58, Central Heights 45
Kingman 54, Conway Springs 52, OT
Lakin 63, Colby 44
Maur Hill – Mount Academy 51, Atchison County 23
McLouth 58, Mission Valley 35
Nemaha Central 62, Horton 33
Neodesha 51, Northeast-Arma 48
Osage City 62, Wellsville 60
Perry-Lecompton 58, Oskaloosa 43
Phillipsburg 63, Norton 34
Riverside 51, Pleasant Ridge 43
Riverton 72, Erie 70
Sabetha 45, Hiawatha 28
Scott City 48, Southwestern Hts. 32
Sedgwick 55, Hesston 53
Silver Lake 63, Rossville 44
Southeast Saline 51, Minneapolis 50
St. Mary’s 55, Royal Valley 45
Sterling 58, Remington 52
TMP-Marian 65, Russell 39

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL
Class 1A Division II Sub-State
Quarterfinals
Argonia 47, Attica 32
Fowler 62, Ashland 23
Marais des Cygnes Valley 49, Altoona-Midway 21
Palco 51, Natoma 21
Wallace County 51, Weskan 41

Class 2A Sub-State
Quarterfinals
Bennington 41, Republic County 38
Berean Academy 50, Hillsboro 28
Bluestem 51, Medicine Lodge 44
Central Plains 86, Ness City 21
Goessel 52, Canton-Galva 32
Heritage Christian 38, Oswego 25
Hill City 49, Oakley 40
Hoxie 44, Oberlin-Decatur 32
Inman 45, Moundridge 43
Jackson Heights 45, Madison/Hamilton Co-op 28
Jefferson North 61, Lyndon 30
Kinsley 36, Macksville 34
Kiowa County 49, Ellinwood 20
La Crosse 43, Pratt Skyline 28
Marion 40, Herington 24
Meade 60, Wichita County 18
Olpe 69, Burlingame 24
Pittsburg Colgan 60, KC Christian 13
Plainville 64, St. Francis 57
Pleasanton 46, Maranatha Academy 26
Sedan 58, Burden Central 35
Smith Center 48, Salina Sacred Heart 32
Solomon 44, Lincoln 33
Spearville 46, Johnson-Stanton County 35
Sublette 68, Elkhart 42
Syracuse 61, Hodgeman County 58
Trego 50, Ellis 42
Udall 59, Cedar Vale/Dexter Co-op 43
Valley Heights 67, Ell-Saline 43
Wabaunsee 54, Northern Heights 20
West Elk 55, Oxford 13
Yates Center 59, Uniontown 41

Class 3A Sub-State
Quarterfinals
Wellsville 79, Osage City 31

Seniors propel No. 6 Kansas to win over Texas

Posted on February 27, 2018

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Svi Mykhailiuk had 17 points, Devonte Graham added 10 and 11 assists and No. 6 Kansas beat Texas 80-70 Monday night.

The Jayhawks (24-6, 13-4 Big 12) used a strong night from seniors Mykhailiuk and Graham in what was the pair and walk-on Clay Young’s senior night and final game in Allen Fieldhouse. Their powerful start helped them control the game early, forcing the Longhorns (17-13, 7-10 Big 12) to burn four timeouts in the first half.

Kerwin Roach II led the way for Texas, scoring 18 points and dishing out eight assists just days after hitting the game-winner against Oklahoma State. Jacob Young posted 14 points and five rebounds.

The Longhorns were without star freshman Mo Bamba, who missed the game with a toe injury. Bamba, who leads the team in rebounds (10.6) and is second in points (13) per game, had 22 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high eight blocks against Kansas back in December.

Udoka Azubuike had another strong night down low for the Jayhawks, scoring a game-high 20 points and making 10 of 11 shots. Azubuike led the nation in field goal percentage entering the game (77.1 percent).

Kansas has now won 35 consecutive home finales, dating back to the 1983-84 season. The Jayhawks are locked in to the Big 12 tournament’s No. 1 seed.

Kansas is now 31-8 all-time against Texas, and has won all of the last nine meetings.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas seals an outright Big 12 championship after clinching at least a share of its 14th straight conference crown Saturday with a win over Texas Tech.

Texas remains on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament. If the Longhorns aren’t chosen, it will be just the third time in the last 20 years they’ve missed the NCAAs.

UP NEXT

Kansas wraps up its season on the road against Oklahoma State Saturday.

Texas will finish the year with a home tilt against No. 20 West Virginia.

Gorilla bats too much for Tiger baseball

Posted on February 27, 2018

PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team was unable to tame the explosive Pittsburg State offense Monday afternoon (Feb. 26), falling in the series finale, 18-5. The Tigers dip to 7-6 on the year and 3-0 in MIAA play, while the Gorillas are now 9-4 overall and 3-0 in league action.

The Gorillas took control early and never relented, batting around in each of the first three innings. Trailing 4-0 in the top of the second, the Tigers answered with a run when Jordan Wilkerson drew a walk to lead things off. After moving to third on a double off the bat of Marcus Altman, the junior came in to score when Jason Nicholson sent a sacrifice to the left side of the infield.

Nicholson added a second RBI in the fourth inning when he doubled to left center, bringing Ryan Grasser around to score.

Fort Hays State started a bit of a two-out rally in the sixth inning, putting up three runs to close within 18-5. Grasser worked a walk in the first at bat of the inning before the next two batters were retired. Nicholson then drew a walk before Bryce Baumwart picked up a pinch-hit single, loading the bases for the top of the order. Addison Kaasch came through with an RBI single before Clayton Basgall drove in two with a double down the left field line, but the rally ended there.

The Tigers loaded the bases once again in the seventh inning, but the Gorilla bullpen recorded one final strikeout to finish things off.

Ben Ramberg (2-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on four walks. Seven different Tigers took to the mound, with Cole Schumacher and Sam Capps both recording scoreless innings. Schumacher retired all three batters he faced, striking out two, while Capps picked up the only other strikeout for a Tiger pitcher.

Basgall collected three of FHSU’s eight hits on the day, including a pair of doubles. Altman added two doubles while Nicholson was 1-for-1 with a double, a sacrifice, a walk and a hit by pitch.

The Tigers will return to Larks Park on Wednesday (Feb. 28) when they host Northwestern Oklahoma State in a midweek matchup. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.

TMP boys advance with win over Russell

Posted on February 26, 2018

By JEREMY McGUIRE
Hays Post

TMP 65, Russell 39
3A Sub-State Quarterfinal

HAYS, Kan.-TMP showed why they were the number one seed in the 3A Minneapolis Sub-State with a 65-39 win over the Russell Broncos on Monday night at Al Billinger Fieldhouse. Things started a little slow in the first quarter as the two teams traded scores throughout with TMP on top after one, 11-8.

The second quarter slowed down early as TMP went scoreless for the first three and a half minutes. Russell was able to tie the game and then take a couple of two point leads. The Monarchs then used their defense to open up some offense as they finished the first half on a 7-3 run. TMP led 23-19 at the half.

The Monarchs turned things around in the third quarter outscoring Russell 18-8 to take control of the contest. TMP continued to roll in the fourth quarter outscoring the Broncos 24-12. Austin Price led Russell with 15 points. Ryan Karlin led three Monarchs in double figures with 17. Creighton Renz added 14 and Trenton Mayo 12.

Russell finishes their season at 4-17. TMP improves to 15-5 and will play the winner of Southeast of Saline and Minneapolis on Thursday in Minneapolis.

JOE HERTEL INTERVIEW

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Five Earn All-MIAA Honors, Legette Named to Second Team

Posted on February 26, 2018February 26, 2018

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Five student-athletes from the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team have earned All-MIAA honors for their performance during the 2017-18 season, announced Monday (Feb. 26) by the league office. Tatyana Legette picked up second team accolades while Carly Heim, Kacey Kennett, Lanie Page and Emma Stroyan were all named honorable mention.

The Tigers matched Central Missouri for the most All-MIAA performers this season. Five is also tied for the most All-Conference performers in a single season in program history, accomplished three previous times (most recently 2015-16).

These five players have made up Tony Hobson’s starting lineup 10 times this season, with the Tigers coming away victorious in all 10 contests.

Legette was listed on the All-MIAA roster for the second year in a row after picking up honorable mention status as a sophomore. The Topeka, Kan. native led the team in points, rebounds, and assists, averaging 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. She ranks in the top 15 in the MIAA in seven different statistical categories, including leading the league and ranking tenth nationally with a field goal percentage of 60.0 percent. She recorded six double-doubles on the year, tallying a career-high 25 points while adding 11 rebounds in the regular season finale against Southwest Baptist. She earned

Heim earned honorable mention honors for the second time in her career, also doing so as a sophomore. The point guard ranks second on the team with 11.9 points and 2.2 assists each night. The Hoxie, Kan. native played 32.3 minutes per game in the regular season, 11th-most in the MIAA. Heim turned things up a notch down the stretch, averaging a team-best 14.9 points over the final 11 games of the regular season. She led the team and ranked third in the MIAA with 2.1 steals per game. Heim eclipsed the 20-point mark four times this season, tied for the team lead.

Kennett picked up All-Conference honors as a sophomore after leading the team with 41 3-pointers on the year. The guard ranked third on the team with 10.5 points per game while adding 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals every night. Kennett made multiple 3-pointers 12 times this season, including a career-high five triples en route to a personal-best 20 points in a win over Pittsburg State. The Olathe, Kan. native swiped seven steals against Midland, tied for the most for a Tiger in a single game since 2004.

Page made quite an impact after transferring to FHSU at semester, earning All-MIAA honors after playing in just 16 games. The sophomore scored in double figures five times, including a pair of 20-point performances. She averaged 9.6 points per game, adding 1.6 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. She knocked down 22 3-pointers on the year, including multiple makes from behind the arc in a single game nine times. The Wamego, Kan. native dished out three or more assists five times. The Tigers were 10-0 with Page in the starting lineup this spring.

Stroyan was a commanding presence in the paint all season for the Tigers to pick up All-MIAA status as a senior. She averaged 9.4 points per game, adding 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks each night. The Bloomington, Ill. native ranked second on the team after making 51.7 percent of her shots while leading the way with a 81.6 percent rate at the charity stripe. Stroyan made 10 3-pointers on the year after making just four long-range attempts as a junior. The forward had a career game in a win over Emporia State, making 10-of-12 shots en route to a career-high 21 points while adding a personal-best six blocks.

The full list of All-MIAA Performers can be found below.

Player of the Year
Paige Redmond, Jr., Central Missouri

Defensive Player of the Year
Kayonna Lee, Sr., Central Missouri

Co-Freshman of the Year
Jaelyn Haggard, Fr., Northwest Missouri
Jo’Nah Johnson, Fr. Central Oklahoma

Coach of the Year
Dave Slifer, Central Missouri

All-MIAA First Team
Michaela Barry, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney
Mikaela Burgess, Sr., Pittsburg State
Melinda Murillo, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Paige Redmond, Jr., Central Missouri
Megan Rosenbohm, Sr., Southwest Baptist

All-MIAA Second Team
Kallie Bildner, So., Lindenwood
Desirea Buerge, Jr., Missouri Southern
Morgan Fleming, So., Central Missouri
Tatyana Legette, Jr., Fort Hays State
Reagan Phelan, So., Washburn

All-MIAA Third Team
McKenzie Brown, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney
Jesheon Cooper, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Paige Imhoff, Sr., Pittsburg State
Tyra Jones, Jr., Emporia State
Caylee Richardson, Jr., Southwest Baptist

All-Defensive Team
Jesheon Cooper, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Paige Imhoff, Sr., Pittsburg State
Kayonna Lee, Sr., Central Missouri
Megan Rosenbohm, Sr., Southwest Baptist
Jessica Wayne, So., Emporia State

Honorable Mention All-MIAA
Kayonna Lee, Sr., Central Missouri
Megan Skaggs, So., Central Missouri
Kelsey Williams, Sr., Central Missouri
Blake Blessington, Jr., Central Oklahoma
Carly Heim, Jr., Fort Hays State
Kacey Kennett, So., Fort Hays State
Lanie Page, So., Fort Hays State
Emma Stroyan, Sr., Fort Hays State
Gabby Walker, So., Lindenwood
Chelsey Henry, Jr. Missouri Southern
Cera Ledbetter, Sr., Missouri Western
Dossou Ndiaye, Jr., Missouri Western
Melia Richardson, Jr., Missouri Western
Alyssa Frauendorfer, Gr., Nebraska-Kearney
Kelsey Sanger, Fr., Nebraska-Kearney
Cailyn Long, Jr., Northeastern State
Jaelyn Haggard, Fr., Northwest Missouri
Tanya Meyer, Sr., Northwest Missouri
Madison Northcutt, Jr., Pittsburg State
Axelle Bernard, Sr., Washburn

Legette Earns MIAA Athlete of the Week Honors a Second Time

Posted on February 26, 2018February 26, 2018

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State women’s basketball junior Tatyana Legette has been named MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week for the second time this season, announced Monday (Feb. 26) by the league office.

The forward averaged 23.5 points per game in two wins for the Tigers last week, dropping in 22 points against Nebraska-Kearney before posting a career-high 25 points against Southwest Baptist. Legette added 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in the OT win against the Bearcats, picking up her sixth double-double of the season. The Topeka, Kan. hit 65.5 percent of her shots for the week (19-for-29), raising her field goal rate this season to 60.0 percent, tops in the league and tenth nationally.

Legette previously earned the award after the second week of the season (11/20/17), making her one of three individuals to pick up the honor multiple times this season. Fort Hays State has now earned three player of the week accolades (Kacey Kennett, 12/4/17), tied for the most for any team in the MIAA this season (Lindenwood).

The Tigers will open postseason play on Thursday (March 1) when they take on the winner of Emporia State and Northeastern State in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament. Opening tip is set for noon from Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.