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Category: Sports
FHSU men’s soccer selected to NCAA Tournament for fourth consecutive year
FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State Men’s Soccer will compete in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. The Tigers join Upper Iowa as the two teams from the Central Region selected to compete in the national tournament.
Once again, the Tigers head straight to the round of 16 in the tournament, where they will meet Upper Iowa in the Central Region Final on either November 19 or 20. The location of the match will be determined by the highest seed remaining from the first two rounds of the Midwest Regional this coming weekend (Nov. 14-15).
The Tigers were the Central Region champions in 2014 when they advanced past Northeastern State on penalty kicks. The Tigers fell in the Super Regional Final (national quarterfinals) to Quincy University by a score of 3-2, just one win shy of the national semifinals.
The Tigers enter the tournament at 12-5-1 overall. Upper Iowa is 13-3-1 overall. The teams split the regular season series with FHSU winning 3-2 in Fayette, Iowa, and Upper Iowa winning 1-0 in Hays.
FHSU football outside of the latest Super Region 3 rankings
FHSU Athletics
The latest edition of the NCAA Division II Super Region Rankings were released on Monday (Nov. 9). Fort Hays State is still on the outside looking in at the top 10 in Super Region 3, meaning the Tigers would need a win on Saturday against Central Missouri and several other results to break their way to have any hope of making the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
After the No. 9 team in last week’s rankings lost, there was some hope that the Tigers may jump into this week’s region rankings with a 7-3 record. Instead, the 7-3 team moving into the rankings this week at No. 9 is Southwest Minnesota State. Western Oregon held steady at No. 10 with a 7-2 record against Division II competition.
Central Missouri remains the first team out of the top seven at No. 8 again this week. The top seven teams will make the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Emporia State is No. 6 in the latest region rankings. If the rankings were to hold steady, the Fort Hays State vs. Central Missouri game in Hays is essentially a battle for the automatic berth in the Mineral Water Bowl. But teams from the No. 7 through No. 10 ranking all have games against opponents with records of .500 or better this week. There may be a slim sliver of hope the Tigers may still be alive for a playoff spot, but it would take a big shake up in the rankings for it to happen.
If the Tigers win on Saturday, they would most likely keep the Mules out of the playoffs and would have a 2-1 record against regionally ranked teams (which might strengthen their case for jumping in the region rankings), with their only loss to No. 1 Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats are also the nation’s No. 1 ranked team this week. Fort Hays State’s win over a regionally ranked team was against Emporia State.
Below is the latest edition of the poll, with this week’s opponent (with record) out to the right.
Super Region 3 Rankings (Nov. 9)
| Rank | School | In-Region Record | Division II Record | 11/14 Opponent (Record) |
| 1 | Northwest Missouri State | 10-0 | 10-0 | Washburn (5-5) |
| 2 | Minnesota State-Mankato | 9-1 | 9-1 | Wayne State (Neb.) (4-6) |
| 3 | Humboldt State | 8-0 | 8-1 | Western Oregon (7-2) |
| 4 | Henderson State | 9-1 | 9-1 | Ouachita Baptist (7-3) |
| 5 | Augustana (S.D.) | 8-2 | 8-2 | Concordia-St. Paul (1-9) |
| 6 | Emporia State | 8-2 | 8-2 | Nebraska-Kearney (0-10) |
| 7 | Sioux Falls | 8-2 | 8-2 | Upper Iowa (6-4) |
| 8 | Central Missouri | 8-2 | 8-2 | Fort Hays State (7-3) |
| 9 | Southwest Minnesota State | 7-3 | 7-3 | Winona State (5-5) |
| 10 | Western Oregon | 6-2 | 7-2 | Humboldt State (8-1) |
FHSU’s Keehn and Bonine earn USTFCCCA All-Region Honors
FHSU Athletics
NEW ORLEANS – Two Fort Hays State cross country runners earned 2015 Division II USTFCCCA All-Region Honors in Joplin, Mo. on Saturday. For one to receive the All-Region honor, they must finish within the top twenty-five at their regional championship. Cory Keehn and Shea Bonine both attained the honor with Keehn taking second place overall in the men’s race and Bonine taking 25th in the women’s race.
Keehn completed the 10K course in 29:51, just 12 seconds back of Missouri Southern’s Vincent Kiprop, who was the only runner to beat Keehn at the MIAA Championships as well. With the second-place finish, not only did Keehn receive All-Regiion honors, but he qualified for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, also to be held in Joplin, Mo. This is the third time in Keehn’s career at Fort Hays State that he qualified for nationals.
Near the end of the 2015 season, Bonine became the focal point of the Fort Hays State women’s cross country team when she had one of the best races of her career at the MIAA Championships by finishing sixth. By finishing 25th at the regional, she helped her team to a sixth place finish at the Central Regional meet and earned her first career all-region honor. Bonine ran a time of 21:59 on the 6K course.
The 2015 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will take place on Saturday, November 21.
Tiger football no longer receiving votes in AFCA poll; host No. 20 Central Missouri Saturday
FHSU Athletics
WACO, Texas – The Tiger football team continued its trend of bouncing in and out of the AFCA Division II Poll receiving votes section on Monday (Nov. 9). FHSU received three votes in last week’s edition, but dropped back out of the receiving votes section this week. FHSU dropped out of the receiving votes section following Week 6, jumped back in after Week 7, fell out after Week 8, jumped back in after Week 9, and now dipped back out again following Week 10 even with a win. They take on a No. 20 ranked Central Missouri squad on Saturday (Nov. 14) in Hays at 2:30 pm in the MIAA Television Network Game of the Week.
The MIAA has three schools referenced in the top 25. Northwest Missouri State is No. 1, Emporia State is No. 19, and Central Missouri is No. 20. The Tigers are 7-3 overall and have matched their win total from last season. FHSU will be looking for its first eight-win season since 1995 when it faces Central Missouri on Saturday.
A win could also vault the Tigers into their first postseason game since the same year. The Tigers were not in the most recent edition of the Super Region 3 Rankings, but they have been on the outside looking in and the No. 9 team in the region rankings lost Saturday. Central Missouri was No. 8 in the most recent rankings. The top seven teams are selected to the NCAA Playoffs.
Even if the Tigers come up short of a playoff selection, a win could possibly secure a Bowl Game bid. The highest finisher in the MIAA standings that does not make the playoffs gets an automatic selection to the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo. A win would at least tie the Tigers for third place in the standings with Central Missouri, and possibly second pending on what happens with Emporia State on Saturday when it hosts Nebraska-Kearney. With a win, the Tigers would have the head-to-head advantage on Central Missouri in a two-way tie, and even Emporia State and UCM if there is a three-way tie for second. FHSU defeated a then No. 13 ranked Emporia State squad in Week 7 in Hays by a score of 27-24.
Below is the AFCA Division II Poll for November 9, 2015.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Record | Points | Previous Week |
| 1. | Northwest Missouri St. (29) | 10-0 | 796 | 2 |
| 2. | Ferris St. (Mich.) (2) | 9-0 | 768 | 3 |
| 3. | Ashland (Ohio) (1) | 10-0 | 712 | 5 |
| 4. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 9-1 | 711 | 4 |
| 5. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 9-0 | 672 | 6 |
| 6. | Minnesota St. | 9-1 | 636 | 7 |
| 7. | West Georgia | 9-1 | 568 | 1 |
| 8. | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 9-1 | 566 | 9 |
| 9. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 9-1 | 552 | 10 |
| 10. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 9-1 | 520 | 11 |
| 11. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 8-2 | 449 | 12 |
| 12. | Humboldt St. (Calif.) | 8-1 | 444 | 13 |
| 13. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 9-1 | 376 | 18 |
| 14. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 8-2 | 364 | 17 |
| 15. | North Alabama | 7-2 | 319 | 19 |
| 16. | Charleston (W.Va.) | 9-1 | 312 | 20 |
| 17. | Sioux Falls (S.D.) | 8-2 | 274 | 8 |
| 18. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 7-2 | 224 | 23 |
| 19. | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 8-2 | 212 | 14 |
| 20. | Central Missouri | 8-2 | 199 | 24 |
| 21. | Colorado Mesa | 8-2 | 157 | 16 |
| 22. | Bowie St. (Md.) | 9-1 | 148 | 25 |
| 23. | Assumption (Mass.) | 9-1 | 116 | NR |
| 24. | Tuskegee (Ala.) | 8-2 | 93 | 15 |
| 25. | Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | 8-2 | 78 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Augustana (S.D.), 44; Catawba (N.C.), 36; Virginia Union, 20; Indiana (Pa.), 18; Florida Tech, 8; Michigan Tech, 4; North Greenville (S.C.), 2; McKendree (Ill.), 1; Western Oregon, 1.
Five Monarchs earn MCL volleyball honors
After completing their second season in the Mid-Continent League, winning back-to-back league titles, the TMP-Marian Volleyball had five individuals named to the MCL All-League team.
Sophomore Kayla Vitztum and Junior Madyson Koerner were named to the first-team. They were joined on the first-team by Plainville’s Shania Werner, Phillipsburg’s Tatum Bartels and Rachel Coomes, Haven Hamilton from Stockton and Lexie McDowell of Hill City.
TMP’s Bailey Hageman was a second-team selection and Kendra Werth and Melissa Pfeifer were honorable mention picks.
| First Team | School | Grade | Height | ||
| Shania Werner | Plainville | 12 | 5’5″ | ||
| Tatum Bartels | Phillipsburg | 11 | 5’10” | ||
| Haven Hamilton | Stockton | 10 | 5’10” | ||
| Kayla Vitzum | TMP | 10 | 5’10” | ||
| Rachel Coomes | Phillipsburg | 12 | 6′ | ||
| Lexie McDowell | Hill City | 12 | 5’10” | ||
| Madyson Koerner | TMP | 11 | 5’8″ | ||
| Second Team | School | Grade | |||
| Bailey Hageman | TMP | 12 | |||
| Alexica Deutscher | Ellis | 12 | |||
| Sara Mann | Smith Center | 11 | |||
| Caitlyn Cox | Norton | 11 | |||
| Teghan Sells | Trego | 12 | |||
| Jenna Schoenberger | Ellis | 12 | |||
| Honorable Mention | School | Grade | |||
| Adrianna Nickelson | Hill City | 12 | |||
| Emily Conyac | Stockton | 11 | |||
| Cecelia Beck | Stockton | 11 | |||
| Kendra Werth | TMP | 11 | |||
| Melissa Pfeifer | TMP | 12 | |||
Colts’ offense gets back in sync, stun Broncos
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and Adam Vinatieri made a tie-breaking 55-yard field goal with 6:13 to play, giving Indianapolis a surprising 27-24 victory over Denver.
The Colts (4-5) ended a three-game losing streak and stayed atop the AFC South by ruining Peyton Manning’s return to Indy again.
Denver (7-1) was the only unbeaten team to lose this weekend.
Luck was brilliant, going 21 of 36 for 252 yards. He broke a 17-17 tie with a TD pass early in the fourth quarter, then helped snap a 24-24 tie by setting up Vinatieri for the field goal on the next drive. Indy ran out the final 5:57.
Manning was 21 of 36 for 281 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. He couldn’t break Brett Favre’s record for regular-season wins (186) by a quarterback and fell 3 yards short of becoming the NFL’s career passing leader.
FHSU men’s soccer posts win over Lindenwood in regular season finale
FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – The 25th-ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team picked up a big win on Senior Day over Lindenwood Sunday. The Tigers were able to outlast the Lions in a 1-0 nail biter after drawing 0-0 with the Lions earlier in the season.
The first half was evenly matched despite the heavy south wind blowing against the Tigers. Both teams were able to get off five shots in the half and both seemed to have several other opportunities before the half was over. The Tigers were able to make good on one of those opportunities, scoring the first and only goal of the game.
FHSU defender Killian Gorman launched a ball down the left side to find a streaking Brian Ness. Ness used his breakaway speed to pull away from the Lion defender to create a one-on-one with the goalkeeper who came charging out of his net. With the keeper approaching quickly, Ness slipped the ball past the diving keeper in the bottom right corner and across the goal line for his first goal of the season.
At halftime Fort Hays State thanked the senior members of the team with a nice ceremony involving their family members. Seniors Daniel Molina, Joe Albright, Kyle Markovits, David Lucio, Austin Clifton and Addision Pauler were all honored during this ceremony.
The second half produced a lot of action and tempers flared a bit as time was winding down. The Tigers were able to get off eight shots, and the Lions were able to produce five but neither team was able to find a way to get the ball in the goal thanks to some stout defense on both ends. Hard physical play throughout the entire match produced a yellow card for both teams and an ejection for Lindenwood, which required them to play the last 4:15 a man down.
Fort Hays State goalkeeper Michael Yantz was impressive in net all game stopping two shots he faced from the Lions and picked up his fifth shutout of the season. Andrew Hamerlinck took the tough luck loss for Lindenwood with three saves.
Fort Hays State will find out its NCAA Tournament fate on Monday evening (Nov. 9) at 5 pm Central Time during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on NCAA.com. The Tigers were No. 1 in the region rankings entering the final week of play and they finished with a record of 12-5-1. Upper Iowa finished at 13-3-1 and Northeastern State was 12-6. Several formulas go into the selection, so with the closeness of the records, it’s hard to tell if any team is a lock for the two spots up for grabs in the tournament. FHSU went 1-1 in the final week with a loss to Upper Iowa and the win Sunday against Lindenwood.
FHSU football finale vs. Central Missouri picked up by MIAA TV
FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The much anticipated matchup between Fort Hays State and Central Missouri next Saturday has been selected by the MIAA Television Network as the Game of the Week. Postseason opportunities will be on the line as the Tigers host the Mules Saturday at 2:30 pm.
The game was originally scheduled for 2 pm, but has moved to 2:30 now that it will be televised. The game can be viewed on Eagle Cable Channels 204 and 601.
Looking at the standings a few weeks back, the Tigers and Mules have been on a collision course for a huge battle in the final week that has postseason implications for both teams. Central Missouri is currently tied for second in the MIAA with Emporia State at 8-2, while the Tigers are a game back at 7-3.
Fort Hays State will be looking for its first eight-win season since 1995 on Saturday. A win could also vault the Tigers into their first postseason game since the same year.
The Tigers were not in the most recent edition of the Super Region 3 Rankings, but they have been on the outside looking in and the No. 9 team in the region rankings lost Saturday. Find out Monday if the Tigers have cracked the region rankings. Central Missouri was No. 8 in the most recent poll. The top seven teams are selected to the NCAA Playoffs.
Even if the Tigers come up short of a playoff selection, a win could possibly secure a Bowl Game bid. The highest finisher in the MIAA standings that does not make the playoffs gets an automatic selection to the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo. A win would at least tie the Tigers for third place in the standings, and possibly second pending on what happens with Emporia State on Saturday when it hosts Nebraska-Kearney.
Last year, Central Missouri was selected at-large for the Texarkana Bowl. The Tigers pulled even with the Mules for fourth in the MIAA standings last year by defeating UCM in the final week 45-17. Missouri Western also tied for fourth. The selection was not automatic like the Mineral Water Bowl. In fact, among the three teams to tie for fourth last year at 7-4, Central Missouri went 0-2. Missouri Western may have been the most deserving of the selection since it defeated FHSU and UCM, while the Tigers went 1-1 among the three-way tie. So, with that said, there is no guarantee of a bowl game outside of the team that gets the automatic selection to the Mineral Water Bowl.
A win Saturday should put the Tigers in great position for a postseason opportunity. A loss would most likely leave the Tigers with no guarantees.
Tigers build big lead, hold off Missouri Southern for seventh win
JOPLIN, Mo. – Fort Hays State scored on three of their four possessions to start the second half, building a 25-point lead and hold on for a 42-31 win over Missouri Southern Saturday at Fred Hughes Stadium. The Tigers improve to 7-3, matching last season’s win total.
Chris Brown Postgame Interview
Alex Schmidtberger / Evan Jennings Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Shaquille Cooper rushed for 99 yards and had five receptions for 68 yards including a 29-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Quarterback Treveon Albert ran for 71 yards and a touchdown while completing 13 of 23 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns.
Doyin Jibowu returned a fumble eight-yards on Missouri Southern’s first offensive play to give the Tigers the early lead they would never relinquish. FHSU led 42-17 in the fourth quarter before MSSU scored a couple of late touchdowns for the final score.
FHSU volleyball outlasts Bearcats in five
FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – After falling in a five-set match with Missouri Western on Friday, the Tigers bounced back with a win in another five-set match with Northwest Missouri State. The Tigers took the first and third sets before winning the decisive set 15-10. FHSU moved to 19-12 overall, 8-8 in the MIAA and pulled within a half game of NWMSU in the conference standings.
The match was fairly even, FHSU with 72 kills and NWMSU with 66. The Bearcats edged the Tigers in hitting percentage .250 to .241 and the teams were dead even in digs with 76 each. Each team had higher hitting percentages than the other in each set they won.
FHSU built a big lead in the first set and eventually won 25-19. In the second, FHSU had a 20-18 lead but NWMSU ended the set on a 7-1 run to even the match. The Tigers used a late 6-3 burst after a 19-19 tie to take the third 25-22. The Bearcats scored three of the final four points of the fourth set to force the decisive set with a 25-23 win. FHSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the fifth, which included a pair of service aces by Mallory Flagor. The Bearcats never caught the Tigers from that point as the Tigers won the final set by five.
Crystal Whitten led the Tigers with 20 kills and she added 19 digs for a double-double. Rebekah Spainhour had 15 kills, while adding a team-best five blocks. Flagor also had a double-double with 14 kills and 18 digs. Megan Anderson also reached double figures in kills with 11 and Sydney Dixon had nine with four blocks. Hannah Wagy matched her assist total from Friday night with 61. Ari Jacobson led the Tigers in digs with 23.
Maddy Bruder led the Bearcats in kills with 14, while Jackie Becker and Sofia Schleppenbach each had 11. Bruder finished with a double-double, adding 13 digs. Jordan Trimble and Megan Stilmock split setting duties, Trimble with 33 assists and Stilmock with 20. Aarika Wittenburg led NWMSU in digs with 22.
The Tigers close out the regular season schedule next weekend at home with matches against Missouri Southern and Southwest Baptist.
Victoria beats Minneola, advances to sub-state
The Victoria Knights advanced to the sub-state round of the 8-Man Division 2 playoffs Saturday with a 46-0 win over the Minneola Wildcats.
Victoria scored on their first two possessions of the game; scoring on a four-yard touchdown run by Lane Kisner and Joe Dortland added a one-yard run to put the Knights up 16-0 after the first quarter.
The Knights offense struggled toward the end of the first quarter and into the second allowing a sack and a fumble. But late in the second quarter Joe Dortland scored his second rushing touchdown of the first half, an 11-yard run to put Victoria up 22-0.
Then after forcing the Wildcats to punt with just over one minute to play in the first half the Knights drew up a double-pass from Dortland to Brady Dinkel who hit Parker Riedel for a 60-yard touchdown catch to give the Knights a 30-0 halftime lead.
Victoria got the opening kickoff of the second half and Collin Kisner returned the kick 60 yards for a touchdown, putting the Knights up 38-0. On their second possession of the third quarter they went to the bag of tricks again with Dinkel hitting Grant Weber on a 29-yard touchdown on a halfback pass. The two point conversion gave the Knights the win with 8:43 left in the third quarter.
Dinkel was 2-for-2 passing for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Dortland finished with 34 yard and two rushing touchdowns.
The Knights move to 10-0 and for a second straight season Victoria advances to the sub-state championship round of the playoffs. They will face the winner of Ingalls and Wallace County.
FHSU’s Keehn takes second at NCAA Central Regional to qualify for nationals; Tiger men eighth
FHSU Athletics
JOPLIN, Mo. – Fort Hays State’s Cory Keehn finished in second place individually at the NCAA Central Regional Cross Country Championships on Saturday. Keehn and Vincent Kiprop of Missouri Southern repeated their performances from the MIAA Championships as Kiprop was the individual champion and Keehn the runner-up on the 10K course.
Keehn covered the 10K course in 29:51, just 12 seconds back of Kiprop who won the race with a time of 29:39. They were the only two runners in the field to run sub-30 minutes.
Jacob Thomas was the next finisher for the Tigers in 38th with a time of 31:51. Troy Wineinger was 51st with a time of 32:03. Israel Baro took 59th in 32:12 and Seth Parres rounded out the scoring for FHSU in 67th at 32:24.
The Tigers took eighth as a team with 217 points and finished fourth out of the MIAA squads competing. Augustana won the team title with 82 points, the only team inside 100 points. East Central was second with 104 and Nebraska-Kearney was third with 119.