The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced jointly Thursday that the two NCAA Division II conferences have entered into a Strategic Conference Football Scheduling Alliance, which will enable MIAA members Lincoln University and Southwest Baptist University to join the GLVC in the sport of football only.

The proposed four-year agreement, which is slated to begin in 2014, will give both Lincoln and Southwest Baptist associate member status within the GLVC.  Each school will remain full active members of the MIAA in all other sports and will continue those MIAA competitive schedules.

The Strategic Conference Football Scheduling Alliance provides scheduling stability and non-conference flexibility for both conferences moving forward, while also addressing two major scheduling goals for each league, including:

1.      The desire of Lincoln and Southwest Baptist to obtain more flexibility with their non-conference schedule.

2.      A scheduling model for the MIAA that would allow all conference schools to play one another; thus crowning a true league champion at year’s end.

3.      The GLVC’s interest in growing and stabilizing its football membership.

4.      A schedule for the GLVC that addresses challenges current membership has faced with non-conference scheduling.

“I am excited about this strategic alliance and believe it is a benefit to all MIAA institutions,” MIAA Commissioner Bob Boerigter said. “Grant Teaff (Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association) has encouraged Division II conferences to work together to help grow and sustain Division II football. GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich and I believe that this will help meet football scheduling challenges in both conferences.”

Commissioner Naumovich agrees.

“Since beginning our sponsorship of football in 2012, our coaches and administrators have advocated for an increase in conference games, which then enables our schools to be both flexible and selective when it comes to non-conference scheduling,” said Naumovich.  “The Strategic Conference Football Scheduling Alliance not only meets our needs, but the addition of Lincoln and Southwest Baptist also gives us two programs located within the conference footprint that have been common opponents, and in some cases, rivals, to our current football schools.  We are thrilled to embark on this unique venture with Commissioner Boerigter and the MIAA.”

Lincoln is located in Jefferson City, Mo., while Southwest Baptist resides in Bolivar, Mo., just 115 miles away.  Five of the current GLVC football schools – Missouri S&T (Rolla, Mo.), Truman State (Kirksville, Mo.), William Jewell (Liberty, Mo.), Quincy (Quincy, Ill.), and McKendree (Lebanon, Ill.) – are within a three-hour drive from Lincoln and a four-hour trip from Southwest Baptist.

The GLVC’s two newest associate members are excited about the changes.

“Our alliance with the Great Lakes Valley Conference allows our football program to play similar size schools within the footprint of our institution,” Lincoln Athletic Director Betty Kemmna said. “As a Historically Black College or University, it was our desire to have the opportunity to play other HBCU institutions that share our same mission. This alliance will enable us to schedule a few non-conference games within our schedule and it allows us to renew former rivalries with other HBCU’s and still play for a conference championship.”

“We are very excited about this arrangement,” Southwest Baptist Athletics Director Mike Pitts said. “It’s a win-win-win for the MIAA, the GLVC and SBU. Our fans are used to seeing us play the football schools of the GLVC. We are looking forward to great competition and good rivalries in football with the GLVC colleges and universities, while maintaining full membership in the MIAA with all other sports. We appreciate, very, very much – the leadership of Commissioners Boerigter and Naumovich over the last few weeks that turned this great idea into reality.”

The MIAA is expected to release its 2014 schedule by week’s end, while the GLVC will announce its new-look schedule at a later date.

— MIAA Media Relations —

The Fort Hays State women’s golf team finished third at the Nebraska-Kearney Fall Classic, which took place at Awarii Dunes Golf Course in Axtell, Neb. Samantha Hobson led the way for the Tigers on the par-72 layout with a two-round total of 168 to finish eighth individually.

Hobson shot rounds of 83 and 85 to pace the Tigers. She was 10 strokes back of tournament champion Kamie Rash of Kansas Wesleyan who shot two rounds of 78. Fort Hays State had team scores of 356 and 354 for a total of 710, 70 strokes back of tournament champion Nebraska-Kearney. Northwest Missouri State finished second, 18 strokes back of UNK.

Natalie Bethel tied for 15th individually with rounds of 86 and 90. Megan DeWerff shots rounds of 95 and 88 to finish 20th.Quillen Eichhorn tied for 22nd with rounds of 94 and 91. Kaycee Beilman also competed and shot rounds of 93 and 98 to finish in a tie for 23rd.

The Tigers return to action next Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 7-8) at the UCO Invitational in Oklahoma City, Okla.

-FHSU Sports Information-

Fort Hays State University moved up seven spots to No. 14 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll, released Tuesday.

The Tigers (6-1-1) are coming off a week that saw them defeat Harding, 3-0, and tie with No. 6 Northeastern State, 2-2, on the road.

FHSU will close out its four game road trip with matches on Thursday, Oct. 3 at No. 19 Lindenwood (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday, Oct. 5 at Southwest Baptist (1 p.m.).

— FHSU Sports Information —

NSCAA Poll (Oct. 1, 2013)
Rank      School           Prev.                        W-L-T
1            Simon Fraser                        1           8-0-0
2            LIU Post                                 2          8-0-0
3            Rollins                                    3           7-0-0
4            Drury                                     7           8-1-0
5            Lander                                   8           4-0-1
6            Northeastern State (Okla.)    6           3-0-2
7            Notre Dame (Ohio)                4           7-1-0
8            Lewis                                   12          6-0-2
9            St. Edward’s                         RV         4-1-1
10          UC San Diego                        22          6-1-1
11          Young Harris                        24          6-1-0
12          West Texas A&M                   5          6-1-0
13          Saint Leo                               17         5-1-0
14          Fort Hays State                     21          6-1-1
15          Post                                       RV         6-1-0
16          Rockhurst                              20          6-1-1
17          Slippery Rock                         NR         5-1-1
18          Cal State Los Angeles           NR         6-1-1
19          Lindenwood                           NR         7-0-1
20          Southern New Hampshire      NR         6-1-0
21          West Florida                           NR         6-2-0
22          Limestone                               RV         5-1-0
23          Millersville                               NR         5-2-1
24          Metro State                             NR         4-1-3
25          Tiffin                                       NR          6-1-0

Also receiving votes: Seton Hill, Queens (N.C.), Colorado Mines, Chico State, Saginaw Valley State, Mercyhurst, Wilmington (Del.), Nova Southeastern

Fort Hays State’s Jaccob Rangel has been named the MIAA Men’s Soccer Athlete of the Week. Rangel helped the Tigers go 1-0-1 for the week, including a tie with No. 6 Northeastern State, where he had the game-tying goal at 74:59.

His four points were tied for team-best with Daniel Peralta, and he had the game-winner against Harding.

The 5-8 sophomore is a native of Oklahoma City, Okla. where he competed at Putnam City North High School.

— MIAA Media Relations —

Fort Hays State University pushed its win streak to three with a sweep of its doubleheader with McPherson College on Monday night.  The Tigers took both matches, 3-0, winning 25-15, 17-25, 25-23 in the first and 25-16, 25-11, 25-14 in the second.

FHSU improves to 3-9 (1-4 MIAA) while MC drops to 10-11 (2-4 KCAC)

FHSU’s kill leaders for the night were Jenna Ulrich and Samantha Ledy, each with 10.  Additionally, Haley Corkill and Mallory Flagor had nine, while Sara Hewson, Rachel Szczepanski  and Madison Schwartz tied for third on the team with eight.

The Tigers were relatively even in assists, as Kelsey Broadwell had 30 on the night, followed by Libby Ary’s 21 and Raegan Vanderplas’ 19.

Defensively, Ulrich showed prowess at the net, leading the team with 10 blocks (two solo).  Flagor, Mares and Ledy each had three total blocks.

In the back row, FHSU again was spread evenly in digs, as Chelsea Payne had 16, Hewson had 15, Keanu Bradley added 14 and libero Makenzie Weinman notched 13.

The Tigers start a six-game road trip this Friday, Oct. 4 at Washburn in Topeka, Kan.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Match One
FHSU never trailed in the first set, as Corkill started the night with a kill to push the Tigers up, 1-0.  From there, FHSU would go on a 7-3 run to lead by five.  Though MC would eventually come within three (11-8), the Tigers rolled from there, record three different 3-0 runs to take the set, 25-15.

The Tigers would fall behind, 2-0 in the second set, but roar back to take an 11-6 advantage.  FHSU continued to pull away, two points at a time, until 22-17, when kills by Kylee Pywell and Lacie Shoemaker set he tone for a 25-17 win.

After intermission, FHSU would again fall behind, this time 3-0, to start the set.  Slowly, though, the Tigers would build back to a tie, at 17-17, and take the lead for good on a Camille Hubert kill.  MC would climb back to within one, 24-23, but Hubert’s fifth kill of the set sealed the match, 25-23.

Corkill and Szczepanski each had eight kills in the first match of the night, while Broadwell tacked on 30 assists.  Defensively, Payne had 13 digs and Shoemaker and Ledy each had two block assists.

Match Two
Coming off a strong performance in the first match, the Tigers battled in the first set until 9-9, when a four point FHSU run put FHSU in the lead for good.  At 15-13, Taylor Mares’ kill started a five-point stretch of unanswered points for the Tigers, helping the team close out a 25-16 win in the first set.

Set two watched the Tigers grab an early 5-1 lead and never look back, using two separate spurts of six and five unanswered points as part of a larger 11-1 run to pull away.  FHSU closed the match with a 3-0 run to win, 25-11.

In the final set of the night, the Tigers roared out to an 8-0 lead, sparked by two service aces for Hewson and kills by Schwartz, Ulrich and Mares.  Leading 13-8, FHSU would again erupt, scoring seven unanswered points before taking the set, and match, 25-14.

— FHSU Sports Information —