FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State tennis dropped a conference match to 19th-ranked Southwest Baptist on Thursday at the FHSU Tennis Courts in Hays. SBU took the match by a score of 7-2 with FHSU picking up its wins by forfeit.

Led by the top ranked player in the region, Fanni Varga, who is also ranked No. 20 nationally, the Bearcats won all seven of the matches contested on the afternoon. SBU has four individuals in the top 20 of the region rankings, but only three were in action on Thursday as their second-best individual, Christina Zentai, was out of the lineup.

The No. 1 doubles team of Camille Caron-Bedard and Michelle Miller fell 8-0 to the region’s 10th-ranked team of Lani Tuemmers and Maria Josie Zehnder. The No. 2 team of Brittney Ricci and Katie Hipp fell 8-3 to Varga and Zorana Jovanovic. Jessica Johnson and Raven Dick received a forfeit win at No. 3 since SBU had only five players available for the dual.

In singles play, Varga defeated Caron-Bedard at No. 1, 6-1, 6-0. Zehnder blanked Ricci at No. 2 6-0, 6-0. At No. 3, Tuemmers defeated Miller 6-0, 6-2. At No. 4, Beatrix Federer defeated Hipp 6-2, 6-1. At No. 5, Jovanovic defeated Johnson, 6-0, 6-2.

The Tigers will be in search of their first MIAA win on Saturday when they host Lincoln University at 10 am.

FHSU Sports Information

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its 2015 Outdoor Track and Field Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday (Mar. 26). Fort Hays State’s men were selected sixth, while the women were picked 10th. Outdoor season begins this week for FHSU as it hosts its annual home meet, the Alex Francis Classic on Friday and Saturday (Mar. 27-28).

The FHSU men received 30 voting points in the poll, tying Lincoln University for the sixth spot. Pittsburg State received all first-place votes from the coaches, topping the list with 81 points. Central Missouri received a first-place vote from PSU since coaches cannot list their own team in the poll they fill out. The Mules are picked second in the conference at 73 points. Missouri Southern, Nebraska-Kearney, and Emporia State round out the top five.

Brady Tien was the only individual selected to compete in the NCAA Championships last outdoor season. He was just two places shy of earning All-America status in the outdoor pole vault last year, but he did grab All-America status during last year’s indoor season. Cory Keehn (distance) qualified for two events at indoor nationals this year and looks for a good outdoor season to cap his successful collegiate career on the track.

On the women’s side, FHSU received 23 points to hold the No. 10 slot out of 11. Central Missouri received all but one possible first-place vote with 99 points. Lincoln received two first-place votes and was selected second at 91 points. The UCM women are coming off a national championship as a team for the 2015 indoor season, but Lincoln is the defending outdoor national champion from 2014.

FHSU returns one of two individuals that were selected to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year in sophomore Madison Wolf. She burst on the collegiate scene last year to finish sixth nationally as a true freshman. She was the MIAA Champion in the event last year.

Below are the MIAA Preseason Coaches Polls for 2015…

2015 MIAA Preseason Men’s )TF Poll
1. Pittsburg State (9) 81
2. Central Missouri (1) 73
3. Missouri Southern 63
4. Nebraska-Kearney 59
5. Emporia State 49
T6. Lincoln 30
T6. Fort Hays State 30
8. Northwest Missouri 24
9. Lindenwood 22
10. Southwest Baptist 19

2015 MIAA Preseason Women’s OTF Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (9) 99
2. Lincoln (2) 91
3. Pittsburg State 81
4. Missouri Southern 74
5. Nebraska-Kearney 58
6. Emporia State 53
7. Southwest Baptist 52
8. Northwest Missouri 31
9. Lindenwood 30
10. Fort Hays State 23
11. Central Oklahoma 13

The two teams combined for eight home runs but a couple of errors and a passed ball end up being the difference in Southwestern Oklahoma State’s 12-10 victory over the Fort Hays State Tigers Wednesday at Larks Park. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out in the ninth and FHSU nearly escaped the jam, but a throw from third to first in an attempt to turn a double play got by Cooper Langley and SWOSU scored. A passed ball later in the inning allowed another run to score.

The Tigers had runners reach second and third in the bottom of the ninth, but an Alex King ground out ended the game.

Fort Hays State rallied with home runs from King and Cooper Langley to score five in the eighth to tie the game 10-10. That was after SWOSU had taken a 10-4 lead with a five-run fifth inning.

Giles Fox took the loss for FHSU. He entered at the start of the ninth, but allowed two hits and two walks with a strikeout. Only one of the two runs Fox allowed was earned.

Austin Unrein hit two of the Tigers four home runs. His three-run shot in the first gave FHSU the early lead. He later added a solo shot in the Tigers two-run fifth. Alex King added a two-run pinch homer along with Cooper Langley’s three-run shot in the eighth.

The Tigers drop to 5-18 on the season. They return to MIAA play Friday night with their annual “Pack the Park” game at 7pm against Northeastern State.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State needed eight innings to defeat McPherson College by a score of 11-1 by run-rule in eight innings on Tuesday evening in McPherson, Kan. The Tigers used four home runs to power their way to victory.

Kevin Czarnecki led the power surge for FHSU, hitting two home runs on the afternoon, while leading the team in RBI with four. He hit a two-run homer in the third and then a solo shot in the fourth. He also drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning to get the scoring started for FHSU.

Connor Ross and Andre Vieyra also homered for the Tigers. Ross got both of his RBI in the game on his two-run shot in the fourth, while Vieyra led off that inning with a solo shot for his lone RBI. FHSU had a total of three home runs in the fourth, a four-run inning.

Joe Mapes, Alex King, Cooper Langley and Clayton Basgall all drove in one run. Mapes had a sacrifice fly RBI, King and Langley each had RBI singles, and Basgall had an RBI groundout. By inning, FHSU scored three in the first, two in the third, four in the fourth, and single runs in the seventh and eighth.

Alex Cox picked up the win on the mound, tossing a pre-determined three innings in his start. He struck out four, while allowing just one hit and one walk. Trevor Rinne  threw three innings and allowed just two hits. Will Amen allowed the only run to McPherson in the seventh and he went 1.0 innings with three hits allowed and a walk.  Ty Thomas picked up the last three outs in the eighth, allowing one hit, while striking out two.

The Tigers return to action Wednesday at home in a non-conference contest against Southwestern Oklahoma State. Game time is set for 2 pm at Larks Park in Hays.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State men’s golf finished 14th at the Broncho Invitational in Oklahoma City, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma. The Tigers played at Gaillardia Country Club, a par-72 venue.

Dylan Wonnacott led the way for FHSU, shooting rounds of 74 and 73 (3-over par overall). He tied for fourth overall individually. Trey Herman was only three strokes back with two rounds of 75, finishing 6-over par. He tied for 15th.

With rounds of 80 and 87, Grant Storey finished in a tie for 83rd. Billy Frey finished 92nd with rounds of 88 and 84. Kade Megaffin finished 96th with rounds of 92 and 89.

As a team, FHSU shot scores of 317 and 319 for a total of 636. Central Oklahoma won the tournament with a total of 596 and Central Missouri was second five strokes back at 601.

FHSU returns to action in two weeks at the Lindenwood Invitational in St. Charles, Mo., April 6-7.

FHSU Athletics

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced today the eight 2015 United States Marine Corps/WBCA NCAA Division II Regional Coaches of the Year, all of whom are finalists for the Pat Summitt Trophy to be presented to 2015 United States Marine Corps/WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year.

The WBCA Region Coaches of the Year are as follows:
Trisha Brown, Stonehill College (East Region)
Bill Cleary, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (Atlantic Region)
Jonathan Norton, Columbus State University (Southeast Region)
Lisa Carlsen, Lewis University (Midwest Region)
Mark Campbell, Union University (South Region)
Mark Kellogg, West Texas A&M University (South Central Region)
Tony Hobson, Fort Hays State University (Central Region)
Ryan McCarthy, University of Alaska – Anchorage (West Region)

Hobson guided Fort Hays State to its first-ever Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Regular Season Championship in 2014-15. FHSU finished the year 30-4 overall, earned the No. 1 seed in the Central Regional of the NCAA Tournament (hosted the regional), and grabbed its first-ever NCAA Tournament wins (2), reaching the Sweet 16 (Regional Final) of the tournament. It was the first-ever 30-win season in Fort Hays State’s NCAA Division II history and added to a string of four consecutive seasons in which the Tigers won at least 20 games.

Hobson now has 13 “Coach of the Year” honors in his 23-year history as a women’s college basketball coach. This is the second this year after he was named the MIAA Coach of the Year. He has guided three different colleges to at least 30 wins in a season in his career (FHSU for the first time this year, Hastings College five times, and Barton (Kan.) Community College once). He now has an overall record of 545-177 as a college coach, a .755 win percentage.

The 2015 United States Marine Corps/WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year will be named during the Fifth Annual WBCA Awards Show on Monday, April 6, in the Grand Ballroom at the Tampa Marriott Waterside. This event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

“The WBCA congratulates these eight outstanding coaches on being named finalists for the Pat Summitt Trophy, presented to the 2015 United States Marine Corps/WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Each coach was selected as a finalist by their peers after leading their respective teams to exceptional seasons. The WBCA appreciates and applauds each coach’s commitment to their student-athletes, institutions, and communities.”

“The Marine Corps congratulates the finalists for the 2015 United States Marine Corps/WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year,” said Lieutenant Colonel Brian C. Proctor, Assistant Chief of Staff Diversity, Marine Corps Recruiting Command. “The hard work and dedication needed to achieve this recognition from their peers exemplifies the Marine Corps leadership values of honor, courage and commitment.”