Missouri Southern men's track and cross country programs named tops in MIAA

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

New Orleans, La. - For the fourth time in the last five years, the Missouri Southern men's track and field and cross country program is the top program in the MIAA as the Lions finished seventh in the final United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Program of the Year standings released yesterday.

Teams earn points based on NCAA finishes in the cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.

The Lions finished 17th this year at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and followed that up with a 16thplace finish at the Indoor Track and Field Championships. Southern finished the year with a 17th place finish at the Outdoor Championships last weekend to earn 51.5 points and place seventh nationally.

Southern is one of just two MIAA teams in the top ten this year (Central Missouri was 8th) and once again the top program in the league. The Lions finished 9th in 2013-14, 7th in 2014-15. There were no MIAA teams in the top ten in 2015-16 and the Lions had the program's top finish ever with a 3rd-place finish last year.

This year's program saw Bryan Burns earn both the indoor and outdoor Regional Field Athlete of the Year honors and Burns capped off his career with a National Championship in the discus and two All-American performances in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Burns earned four All-American honors this year, picking up honors in the shot put and weight throw during the indoor season.

In all, Southern had five All-American honors in the indoor and outdoor seasons with Junior Joseph picking up honors in the indoor season.

"We're very proud of all of our programs," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Bryan Schiding. "The hard work and dedication that our student-athletes put in to representing Missouri Southern is outstanding. This only reinforces our team mentality and focus that we place on being a full team, for three championship seasons."

MSSU lefthander signs pro contract, earns first win the next day

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Wichita, Kan. -- A day after signing a professional contract to play with the Wichita Wingnuts, Corbin Osburn earned his first pro win in a victory over the Texas AirHogs this past Sunday.

Osburn, an All-MIAA pitcher this year for the Lions this year was the Lions' Friday night starter all year long, going 4-4 with a 3.99 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 85.2 innings. A native of Broken Arrow, Okla., Osburn transferred to Southern after a year at Division I Arkansas-Little Rock.

In his pro debut on Sunday, Osburn allowed one run on three hits, while striking out three in five innings.

The Wingnuts play in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, a group of 12 teams that range from Chicago to Sioux Falls to Winnipeg and Kansas City.

MSSU's Heckemeyer named Academic All-District

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern senior women's track and field athlete Allie Heckemeyer has been named a Google Cloud Academic All-District selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) today.

To be selected for the award, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore in academic standing, as well as not being a first-year transfer to the institution. Student-athletes must also maintain a minimum of a 3.30 GPA, as well as participate in at least 50 percent of their team's competitions. The award is voted on by sports information professionals throughout Division II.

Missouri Southern is part of District 7, which puts the Lions up against student-athletes in the MIAA, the Great American Conference and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Heckemeyer's name now goes on the ballot for Academic All-American.

This season, Heckemeyer has been named a Ken B. Jones Award finalist, an award that goes to the top student-athlete in the MIAA, as well as being named the E.O. and Virginia Humphrey winner (the top honor for an MSSU student-athlete).

She was a Glen Dolence Award Winner, given to a graduating senior for leadership by Missouri Southern. She is also a two-time NCAA Elite 90 Award winner, which goes to the top GPA in the gender at the NCAA Championships site. Heckemeyer is the school record holder in the indoor and outdoor triple jump, as well as the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon and was All-MIAA this year in four different events. She was the MIAA Champion in the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon.

She qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in both the heptathlon and triple jump and was an All-American in both events.

She is a team captain, a member of Catholics on Campus, Delta Kappa and Alpha Chi honor society and K-club and earned a 4.00 GPA in kiniesiology, graduating Suma Cum Laude.

Heckemeyer is one of three MIAA female student-athletes to earn the honor joining Jana Black and Christina Metzger of Pittsburg State.

Southern's Bryan Burns picks up another All-American, women's team ties for best NCAA finish

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Charlotte, NC -- Bryan Burns picked up his second All-American performance of the weekend and the Missouri Southern women's track and field team tied the best finish ever as the men and women finished up the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The 11th-place finish for the Southern women ties the program's highest-ever finish at the Championships, matching the team's finish in 2008. The women were the second-highest finishing MIAA women's program and the men tied for the second-highest finish of MIAA men's programs with a 17th-place finish.

Burns completed the meet with his third and final event, the shot put. He hit one legal attempt of the afternoon, but made it count as he connected on a distance of 59-00.25 to finish sixth and earn All-American honors.

Brendan Watkins finished just outside of All-American contention as he placed ninth in the triple jump with a distance of 50-00.75, just an inch off his personal best.

In all, the Lions had five All-American performances and one National Championship at the meet. A complete list of All-American performances is listed below.

All-American Performances
Bryan Burns - Discus (Champion), Shot Put
Allie Heckemeyer - Heptathlon, Triple Jump
Emily Presley - Pole Vault (Runner Up)

MSSU's Bryan Burns wins NCAA Division II national championship in discus

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Charlotte, NC -- Bryan Burns won the National Championship in the discus and Allie Heckemeyer picked up All-American honors in two separate events as the Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams competed in day two of the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships hosted by Johnson C. Smith University. Bryan Burns

Burns entered the discus as the second-ranked athlete in the event. He threw a distance of 183-4 in his first throw which stood as tops until the fifth round. Burns, however, went out and hit a distance of 188-10 in his final attempt that turned out to be the National Championship winning throw. It's Burns' first National Championship.

Heckemeyer started the day with a third-place finish in the heptathlon for All-American honors. Heckemeyer placed seventh in the long jump to start day two of the event, but followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the javelin and a third-place finish in the 800m to finish the event with 5,091 points, breaking her own school record in the event.
Allie Heckemeyer Heckemeyer then turned around and hit All-American gold again with a sixth-place finish in the triple jump. She hit a mark of 40-09.75 in her second attempt to secure the finish.

Jasmine Deckard failed to qualify for the finals of the 200m dash.

Day three will begin with the triple jump and Brendan Watkins representing the Lions at 12:45 pm. Burns will finish up his trio of events with the shot put at 3:40 pm.

MSSU offering summer athletic camps

(From Southern News Service)

A variety of skills camps for young athletes are planned this summer at Missouri Southern State University, designed to teach the fundamentals of the game, enhance techniques, or develop the speed necessary to compete in a variety of sports.

Times and cost per each camp varies. Unless otherwise noted, visit the “Camps” header at www.mssulions.com for detailed information.

Softball Camps: Prospect pitching camp, for ages 13-18, will be held June 18. Prospect camp, for ages 13-18, will be on June 19. Youth Camp, for ages 6-12, will be on June 20. For more information, visit www.mssusoftballcamps.com.

Men’s Basketball: Two sessions for grades 2-9 will be offered this summer. The first will be held June 11-13, and the second on June 14-15. A camp for varsity, junior varsity and nine-grade divisions is set for June 1-2.

Women’s Basketball: The high-school elite camp, for grades nine through 12, will be offered June 18-19. Team camp, for varsity, junior varsity and junior high, will be June 19-21. Grades four through eight can attend the young players camp June 25-27. Details: www.mssuwomensbasketballcamps.com.

Volleyball: High-school and junior-high clinics are set for July 15, 22 and 29. All-skills clinics, open to grades four through 12, will be held July 16. An elite overnight camp for grades 9-12 will be July 19-21. Visit www.mssuvolleyballcamps.com for more information.

Baseball: The annual youth camp for ages 8-12 will be offered June 5-7. For more information, visit www.mssubaseballcamps.com.

All-Sports Speed Camp: Designed to teach acceleration and speed for athletes ages 10-18, the camp will be offered June 11-14.

MSSU's Presley finishes second at NCAA Division II Championships

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Charlotte, NC -- Emily Presley finished second, narrowly missing out on her fourth national championship in the pole vault, as the Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams competed in day one of the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Johnson C. Smith University.

Presley was going for a third-straight title in the outdoor pole vault, but finished second on fewest misses after clearing a height of 12-11.50. Presley picked up All-American honors and eight points for the Lions in the process and earns her sixth All-American honor in her career.

Allie Heckemeyer sits in 10th place after day one of the heptathlon with 2,933 points. Heckemeyer finished 3rd in the high jump and 8th in the 200m, while placing 12th in the 100m hurdles and shot put. Heckemeyer has the long jump, javelin and 800m tomorrow starting at 10 am and is 188 points behind the leader going into the final day.

In other action on day one, Bryan Burns finished 16th in the hammer throw with a distance of 188-2. Destiny Akannam nearly broke a school record and just barely missed out on the finals in the 400m dash. The senior ran a time of 54.60, just .27 off of the MSSU record in the event and the final spot in qualifying.

Jasmine Deckard (100m) and Matt Willis (400m hurdles) both missed out on qualifying for the finals of their sprint events.

Day two will start off with the second day of competition for Heckemeyer in the heptathlon at 10:00 am. Burns will then take part in the discus at 4 pm, an event he holds the school record in and ranks second nationally. Heckemeyer will then compete in the triple jump at 4:45 pm where she was an All-American in the event during the indoor season. Deckard will close competition for the Lions on day two with the prelims of the 200m at 5:50 pm. She holds the MSSU school record in the event and ranks 11th nationally.

Missouri Southern athletes excel in the classroom

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

A total of 192 student-athletes in the Missouri Southern Athletic Department earned a 3.00 or better cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of the Spring semester.

With that success, the athletic department boasted a cumulative GPA of 3.08 as 12 of the 14 sports programs finished with cumulative team GPA's higher than 3.00.

The volleyball team had the highest GPA among programs with a 3.67 team GPA, while the men's golf program had the highest GPA among men's programs at 3.25.

With those 192 GPA's above 3.0, 98 student-athletes had a 3.5 GPA or higher and 24 had a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Thirty-six student-athletes participated in Spring Commencement ceremonies on May 12 with five student-athletes graduating Summa Cum Laude, one graduating Magna Cum Laude and three graduating Cum Laude. Along with the December graduates, a total of 63 student-athletes earned a degree from Missouri Southern this academic year.

Along with volleyball and golf, baseball (3.07), men's track and field/xc (3.10), softball (3.47), women's basketball (3.04), soccer (3.18) and women's track and field/xc (3.58) all had GPA's above 3.00.

"The true measure of a student-athlete is their ability to compete both in their sport and in the classroom," said Athletic Director Jared Bruggeman. "This is a testament to the hard work that each and every one of our student-athletes has put in day after day and I can't forget our coaching staff that place a priority on academics."

MSSU's Allie Heckemeyer named finalist for MIAA top female athlete award

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Kansas City, Mo. -- Missouri Southern senior track and field student-athlete Allie Heckemeyer has been named a finalist for the MIAA's Ken B. Jones Award, the league announced today.

The award goes annually to the league's top male and female student-athlete. Finalists were selected from a field of 12 male nominations and 11 female nominations at various MIAA member schools. A committee of 15 administrators in the MIAA and conference office ranked each nominee to determine the finalist.

The winner of the Ken B. Jones Award will be announced at the 2017-18 MIAA Awards Celebrations presented by Husch Blackwell on Monday, June 4 at the Truman Forum Auditorium in the Kansas City Public Library's Plaza Branch.

Heckemeyer was this year's E.O. and Virginia Humphrey Award winner as the top student-athlete at MSSU. She was a Glen Dolence Award Winner, given for leadership by Missouri Southern. She is also a two-time NCAA Elite 90 Award winner, which goes to the top GPA in the gender at the NCAA Championships site. Heckemeyer is the school record holder in the indoor and outdoor triple jump, as well as the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon and was All-MIAA this year in four different events. She was the MIAA Champion in the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon.

She has qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in both the heptathlon and triple jump. Heckemeyer ranks 5th in the heptathlon this year, while ranking 7th in the triple jump.

She is a team captain, a member of Cathlolics on Campus, Delta Kappa and Alpha Chi honor society and K-club and earned a 4.00 GPA in kiniesiology, graduating Suma Cum Laude last weekend.

Female Finalist
Taylor Bevis - Junior, Central Oklahoma, Volleyball
Mikaela Burgess - Senior, Pittsburg State, Basketball
Diana Cauldwell - Junior, Lincoln University, Track & Field
Allie Heckemeyer - Senior, Missouri Southern, Track & Field
Abby Rhodes - Senior, Central Missouri, Soccer

Male Finalist
Brad Currier - Junior, Lindenwood, Golf
Sedeekie Edie - Senior, Lincoln University, Track & Field
Bo Farrow - Senior, Pittsburg State, Football/Track & Field
Doyin Jibowu - Junior, Fort Hays State, Football
Brady Skeens - Senior, Washburn, Basketball

MSSU track teams to open NCAA Outdoor Championships Thursday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams will open up the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships this Thursday in North Carolina.

The 13th ranked women and the 18th ranked men will open up the championships which will be at the Irwin Belk Complex as Johnson C. Smith University serves as the host of this year's meet. All times listed below are Eastern Standard Time.

Allie Heckemeyer will start things off for the Lions as she competes in the heptathlon beginning at 11 am on Thursday. Heckemeyer ranks 5th in the event this year and is the defending NCAA Elite 90 winner. This year's award will be announced at the pre-meet banquet on Wednesday.

Bryan Burns will compete in the first of three events the senior will take part in this year as he opens up the hammer throw at noon on Thursday. Burns holds the school record in the event that he set at this year's MIAA Championships.

Emily Presley and Elena Bisotto will compete in the pole vault at 2 pm on Thursday. Presley is the defending National Champion in the event and is the top-ranked athlete coming into this year's championship. Bisotto is ranked 16th coming into the event.

Closing out the first day of competition will be the sprints where the Lions will have a trio of runners. Destiny Akannam will run in the prelims of the 400m dash at 5:55 pm. She ranks 13th nationally in the event. Jasmin Deckard will compete in the prelims of the 100m dash at 6:25 pm, where she holds the MSSU record and ranks sixth nationally. Matt Willis will take part in the prelims of the 400m hurdles at 7:40 pm. He was an All-MIAA selection this year in the event and ranks 19th nationally.

Day two will start off with the second day of competition for Heckemeyer in the heptathlon at 10:30 am. Burns will then take part in the discus at 4 pm, an event he holds the school record in and ranks second nationally. Heckemeyer will then compete in the triple jump at 4:45 pm where she was an All-American in the event during the indoor season.

Deckard will close competition for the Lions on day two with the prelims of the 200m at 5:50 pm. She holds the MSSU school record in the event and ranks 11th nationally.

Day three will begin with the triple jump and Brendan Watkins representing the Lions at 12:45 pm. Watkins was an All-MIAA selection this year in the event and ranks ninth nationally. Burns will finish up his trio of events with the shot put at 3:40 pm. An event he's already earned All-American honors in his career, Burns holds the school record in this event and ranks third nationally.

The final events of the meet for the Lions will be the finals of the sprints. If either of the trio of sprinters should advance to the finals, the schedule would be as follows: Akannam in the finals of the 400m at 4:35 pm, Deckard in the finals of the 100m at 4:55 pm, Willis in the finals of the 400m hurdles at 5:30 pm and Deckard in the finals of the 200m at 6 pm.

In total, the Lions sent eight individuals in 12 different events to this year's NCAA National Championships.

MSSU's Bryan Burns named Central Region Field Athlete of the Year

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern senior thrower Bryan Burns has been named the Central Region Field Athlete of the Year by the United Stats Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the organization announced today.

Burns, a Carthage native, wins the award for the second time this year as he was the Region Field Athlete of the Year during the indoor season.

This year, Burns won the discus championship at the 2018 MIAA Outdoor Championships as he set a meet record in the event. He holds NCAA AQ marks in both the discus and the shot put this year, while also holding the MSSU school record in those two events and the hammer throw.

Burns has qualified for the discus, hammer and the shot at this week's NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in North Carolina. He currently ranks second nationally in the discus, third in the shot put and 11th in the hammer.

MSSU women's basketball promotes Kelby Fritz to head assistant coach

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern Women's Basketball head coach Ronnie Ressel has announced the promotion of Kelby Fritz to head assistant coach going into the 2018-19 campaign.

Fritz served as the Lions junior varsity head coach as well as the second assistant coach on the floor. The Vinita, Oklahoma native now takes the role of head assistant coach with a huge emphasis on recruiting student-athletes toward becoming part of the pride.

"She is a young lady who really loves the game of basketball with a work ethic is unbelievable and I just felt really comfortable with moving her up to that position. Fritz has great knowledge of the MIAA, knows what it takes to win in this league, and understands the type of kids that we will need to recruit to be successful for future years," coach Ressel described.

Prior to joining Missouri Southern, Fritz assisted Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (NEO) to a National Junior College (NJCAA) Division I Region 2 and District title. While at NEO, Fritz was responsible for game preparation, scouting, game day duties, recruiting, strength and conditioning, and all aspects of team travel for the Lady Norse.

She played for the Lions from 2009 to 2012 before completing her college career at Rogers State University where she shot 42-percent from the three-point range and 85-percent at the free-throw line, while finishing out at 41-percent from the field as a whole. Fritz earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management with an emphasis in psychology in May 2013 from Rogers State University and then continued her education toward a Master's of Arts in Teachers Education at Hastings College in May 2016, where she was the Graduate Assistant Coach.

With Fritz moving up, the Lions program is in the process of filling the other assistant role and plans to make a decision in the near future.

"We have it narrowed down and hoping to have somebody on board by the beginning of June," coach Ressel explained.

Sarcoxie eighth grade archer named overall national female champion; Carthage, Lamar archers also fare well

(From the Missouri Department of Conservation)

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates the 961 Missouri student archers from 52 schools who competed in the National Archery in the Schools (NASP) Eastern National Tournament and NASP International Bowhunting Organization (IBO) 3D Challenge held May 10-12 in Louisville, Ky. More than 14,100 student archers in grades 4-12 from 896 schools competed.

Missouri student archers participated through the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP), which is coordinated through MDC in partnership with numerous schools and supporting organizations throughout the state. MoNASP is an affiliate of NASP.

Eastern National Tournament Individual Scores

Eighth grader Ally Nordwell from Sarcoxie Middle School was named overall female champion in this year’s Eastern NASP National Tournament. Nordwell’s finale score was 298 out of 300.

“I am so happy for Ally to become Missouri’s first overall national champion as an individual and to be able to out shoot 6,688 other female archers is quite an achievement. She’s only in eighth grade, so she has four more years to compete in NASP,” MDC MoNASP Coordinator Eric Edwards said. “Ally has posted good scores all season taking second in our state tournament in March. I was happy to see her shoot her best on the biggest stage.”

Sophomore Trenton Meyer from Carthage High School took second place overall in the male division. Meyer shot an impressive score of 298 out of 300. Sophomore Donald Holupka from Hillsboro High School wasn’t far behind by taking third place overall in the male division. Holupka shot a score of 297 out of 300.

Fifth grader Koen Littlejohn from Lamar Elementary shot a score of 285 out of 300 to take seventh place in the elementary male division. Junior Ivy Walton from Carl Junction High School shot a score of 294 out of 300 to take eighth place in the high school females division.

“I am pleased and pleasantly surprised to see all the final scores,” Edwards said. “I think we have built a competitive program here in Missouri that the other states are going to have to watch out for when we compete on a national level.”

Team Scores

Missouri’s Hillsboro High School took seventh place and Carthage High School took ninth place in the high school division this year. Carl Junction Middle School took tenth place in the middle school division with a score of 3,359 out of 3,600.

George Guffey Elementary School turned in an impressive score of 3,192 out of 3,600 to take fifth place in the elementary school division.

“I am so proud of all the teams that travel and compete in the national tournament. It takes a lot of dedication not only from the archers, but the coaches, parents, and school as well,” Edwards said.

For a full listing of scores from the NASP National Tournament, go to https://bit.ly/2rHV87d.

Eastern NASP IBO 3D Challenge

Many Missouri schools placed well in the NASP IBO 3D Challenge. Carl Junction High School, Carthage High School, and Sarcoxie High School took fifth, sixth, and seventh place in the high school team division. Lee Summit West High School rounded up the top ten teams in the high school team division.

Carl Junction Middle School took eighth place and St. Stanislaus took ninth place in the middle school division. Lamar Elementary also finished in the top ten in the elementary team division. Lamar Elementary took eighth place in the team division.

More than 4,400 student archers competed in the Eastern NASP IBO 3D Challenge, and many Missouri archers were among the top of their division. Sophomore Grant Fagg from Carthage High School tied for seventh place with several boys in the high school male division. One of those boys was freshman Donald Holupka from Hillsboro High School. Both boys shot a 294 out of 300.

Fifth grader Chris Lara from Sarcoxie Elementary School took fourth place with a score of 286 out of 300 in the elementary male division. Fourth grader Lauren Brooks from Sarcoxie Elementary School took tenth place in the elementary female division with a score of 274 out of 300. Final scores from the NASP IBO 3D Challenge are available at https://bit.ly/2k22JJz.

“Overall Missouri archers came out and competed very well against the best NASP archers from all over the country, I am very impressed with all of the trophies that are coming back to the Show Me State!” Edwards said.

NASP promotes education, self-esteem, and physical activity for students in grades 4-12 through participation in the sport of archery. Since NASP's beginnings in 2002, more than ten million students have participated in the program through 10,000 schools in 47 states and 10 countries.

More than 185,000 Missouri students from 670 schools participate in MoNASP. To learn more, visit the MDC website at http://on.mo.gov/2mCPWg4.

MSSU track teams move up in rankings

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams are both ranked in the top-20 this week as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association have released its final rankings prior to the National Championships.

The Southern women are ranked 13th in the final regular-season rankings. The Lions have ten NCAA provisional marks and one automatic qualifying mark, led by pole vaulter Emily Presley. Presley is the top-ranked vaulter in Division II and is the reigning Division II Indoor and Outdoor National Champion in the event.

The men move up three spots this week to No. 19. The Lions have 11 NCAA provisional marks and one automatic qualifying mark, led by Bryan Burns who ranks in the top ten nationally in three events (2nd in discus, 9th in shot put and 10th in hammer throw). Burns also has an NCAA automatic qualifying mark in the discus.

The squads were also well-represented as the All-Region teams were released this week. The men had six All-Region performances from three athletes and the women had seven All-Region performances from five athletes.

The women were led by Allie Heckemeyer who was All-Region in both the heptathlon and the triple jump. Freshman Jasmine Deckard was All-Region in the 100m and 200m and ranks in the top ten nationally in both events. Presley was All-Region in the pole vault and was joined by teammate Elena Bisotto in the event, while Destiny Akannam was All-Region in the 400m.

The men were led by Burns who was All-Region in the shot put, discus and the hammer. Brendan Watkins was All-Region in both the long and triple jump, while Matt Willis earned All-Region honors in the 400m hurdles.

Southern will await the announcement from the NCAA on which athletes have made the National Championship field. That list will be released later this evening.

Crowder baseball lands six on All-Region 16 team

(From Crowder College)

Crowder College Baseball had six players named to the all-Region 16 team.

Crowder players named to the All-Region 16:

·         Tyler Duncan – outfielder from Sooke, British Columbia (1^st team)

·         Kobe Morris – Infielder from Victoria, British Columbia (1^st team)

·         Freilin Cabrera – Infielder from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (1^st team)

·         Zach Jackson – Pitcher from Bryant, AR (1^st team)

·         Aaron Ashby – Pitcher from Kansas City, MO (1^st team)

·         Brinson Williams – Catcher from Benton, AR (2^nd team)

The Roughriders finished the season 46-15 and runner-up in the Region 16 tournament.

Crowder College softball players named to All-Region 16 team

(From Crowder College)

Crowder College Softball team had eleven players named to the All-Region 16 and All-Tournament teams.

Crowder players named to the All-Region 16:

· Daryan Torix from Mena, AR(1st team)

· Kristen Wade from Vilonia, AR(1st team)

· Kenzie Kallio from Oologah, OK (1st team)

· Maddie Massanelli from Rogers, AR(1st team)

· Baylor Miles from Van Buren, AR (1st team)

· Eila Infante from Trujillo, Venzuela(2nd team)

· Kenzi Spurgin from Mena, AR (2nd team)

Crowder players named to the All-Tournament team:

· Maddie Brown from Mt. Vernon, MO

· Makaila Leonhart from Nixa, MO

· Lexi McClellan from Ozark, AR

· Maggy Rieschick from Auburn, NE



The Roughriders finished the season 54-13 and runner-up in the Region 16 tournament.

MSSU men's, women's track qualify eight for NCAA Division II Championships

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Indianapolis, Ind. -- The Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams have qualified eight individuals in 12 different events for the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships to be held on May 24-26 in Charlotte, NC.

The 13th-ranked women have qualified five individuals in seven events. Allie Heckemeyer qualified in both the triple jump and heptathlon, while Jasmine Deckard has qualified for both the 100m and the 200m. Destiny Akannam has qualified for the 400m, while both Emily Presley and Elena Bisotto have qualified for the pole vault.

The 19th-ranked men have qualified three individuals in five events. Bryan Burns has qualified in the shot put, discus and hammer throw, while Matt Willis has qualified in the 400m hurdles and Brendan Watkins has qualified in the triple jump.

MSSU women's basketball adds 6-0 Division I forward

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

With two transfers already signed, Missouri Southern women's basketball head coach Ronnie Ressel signed another with the addition of forward Laure Assena of Lipscomb University who will join the Lions for the 2018-19 year.

"She will bring experience and leadership to our young team. Laure is an incredible young lady with a great work ethic on the floor and in the classroom."

Assena logged 244 minutes in 22 games, while recording 98 points, 69 rebounds, and a 77.4 percent clip from the free-throw line during her lone season at Lipscomb.

Prior to becoming a Bison, the 6'0 forward played two years at Arizona Western College and averaged 10.5 points (44.3 FG%) and 6.0 rebounds to end her sophomore year for second on the squad in rebounds per game, third in points, and fourth in field-goal percentage in 29 games. She registered double-digit scoring in 17 games, including a career-high 25 points against Pima while grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds at Glendale one week later.

Her efforts throughout the 2015-16 season earned the 6'0 forward All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) second team and All-Region 1 first team honors. She was also named the Matadors team captain coming off a rookie season of averaging a balanced 6.5 points and 5.4 rebounds as a freshman.

The Yaounde, Cameroon native competed for the country's under-20 national team at the age of 17 before hitting the college scene in the United States as well.

Assena is the daughter of mother Rachel Bandang and enters Missouri Southern having graduated with one year of eligibility left heading into next season.

"We are extremely excited to have Laure join the Lion Family."

Missouri Southern Hall of Fame to induct three people, one team

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Athletic Department will induct three individuals and one team as part of its 2018 Hall of Fame Weekend on October 20 this fall.

The list includes a football player, a men's soccer player, a women's track and field athlete and a team.

The newest class will be present at a social Friday evening and will be inducted at a brunch on Saturday. The group will be introduced as new Hall of Fame members at halftime of the Lions' football game vs. Northeastern State that Saturday. The lunch is open to the public. Registration and a social will take place from 11 am to 11:30 am on Saturday morning in the Academic Center inside the North Endzone Facility. The presentation and lunch will begin at 11:30 am and go to just before noon, with the induction speeches beginning at 11:50 am. Fans wishing to attend need to RSVP to the athletic department at 417-625-9317. Cost to attend the event is $15. 

Colin Bado (Football 2004-2007), Ben Butler (Men's Soccer 1996-99), Jessica Selby-Tallman (2005-08) and the 1978 Baseball team will all join the Missouri Southern Athletics Hall of Fame as the 2018 Induction Class.

Below are short biographies on each of the newest inductees.

Colin Bado (Football - 2004-07) - Bado will go down as one of the greatest receivers in MSSU football history. He holds the MSSU record for career pass receptions with 250 and the next highest is 54 fewer. He ranks third in receiving yardage with 2,789 and has 16 career touchdowns. Bado holds the top two single-season reception marks in MSSU history (88 in 2006 and 84 in 2007) and three of the top five in a single season.

Bado led all of Division II in 2006 with his 88 receptions that season, averaging 10.8 yards per catch. A three-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll selection and two-time All-MIAA selection, Bado served as a team captain and was a 2007 CoSIDA Academic All-District pick.

He graduated from MSSU in 2007 with a degree in education and currently serves a teacher and track and field/football coach in Texas.

Ben Butler (Men's Soccer - 1996-99) - Butler was a four-year starter in goal for the Lions in the late 90's and led the team in saves in each of his four seasons. He was a two-time first-team All-MIAA pick and was the MIAA Co-Player of the Year in 1998. He was an Academic All-District selection in 1999 and was a Ken B. Jones finalist in 2000.

Butler ranks third in MSSU history in career saves with 293, while ranking fourth in shutouts (13.5), sixth in goals against average (1.67), and fourth in minutes played (4,955). He was a two-time captain of the program.

Butler was the MSSU Outstanding Graduate in 2000, earning degrees in international business and Spanish. He went on to earn both an MBA and a JD from the University of Wisconsin and currently serves as a lawyer with the firm of Collins, Bargione and Vuckovich in Chicago. He and his wife, Kathleen have one child, Raleigh.

Jessica Selby-Tallman (Women's Track and Field 2005-08) - The most decorated female thrower in MSSU history, Jessica Selby-Tallman was an eight-time NCAA Division II All-American and finished her career with a National Championship in the hammer throw in 2008.

She was twice a national runner-up in the shot put. Selby-Tallman dominated the MIAA in the throws, winning four outdoor MIAA shot put titles, four indoor MIAA indoor titles, three MIAA hammer throw titles, and one weight throw championship. She was a three-time MSSU Female Athlete of the Year winner and holds the school record for the indoor and outdoor shot put, as well as the hammer throw. She also owns the facility records for the indoor and outdoor shot put.

Selby-Tallman was the USTFCCCA National Outdoor Field Scholar-Athlete of the year in 2008 and was a two-time Academic All-American. She was a finalist for the MIAA Ken B. Jones award in 2008 and earned multiple MIAA academic honors.

Selby-Tallman graduated from MSSU in 2009 with a degree in communications and currently is a Chiropractor with First Choice Chiropractic in Overland Park, Kan. She and her husband, Jamie have three daughters, Josie, Julia and Janna.

1978 MSSU Baseball Team - The 1978 MSSU baseball team had to overcome Mother Nature with 24 games rained out during the season and the Lions were just one game over .500 (15-14) at the conclusion of the regular-season, but that's when the team heated up.

Seeded fourth in the NAIA District 16 playoffs in Springfield, the Lions won the district with three-straight wins and went on to take three-straight in Wisconsin against Wisconsin-LaCrosse and Winona State to win the Area Championship and make it to the NAIA World Series.

The Lions won three-straight over Emporia State, Lewis and Clark and Lipscomb to start the World Series, but fell to Emporia State in two-straight to finish as the National Runners-Up. At one point in the post season, the Lions won nine-straight games to put themselves in the National Championship game.

Led by Hall of Fame coach Warren Turner and All-District players Greg Curran (2B), Red O'Dell (CF), Mike Allen (C), and pitcher Barry Jenkins, the Lions also placed O'Dell and Jenkins on the All-Area Tournament Team. Jenkins, Allen and Randy Cable were named to the All-National Tournament Team and Turner was named the NAIA Coach of the Year.

The Missouri Southern Athletics Hall of Fame was established to pay tribute and give deserved recognition while enhancing school tradition by honoring former athletic letter winners and/or coaches who have shown distinctive, unique or exceptional ability while at Missouri Southern or since graduation. The honorees must be graduates of Missouri Southern and there must have been a lapse of at least 10 years since the individual last participated in athletics at Southern.

With the addition of the 2018 class, the MSSU Athletics Hall of Fame now includes 124 members and three teams.

Burns breaks school shot put record, Presley wins pole vault during MSSU Last Chance Meet

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Bryan Burns and Emily Presley both hit NCAA automatic qualifying marks to highlight the MSSU Last Chance Meet today inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium.

Burns became the first Lion in school history to eclipse the 60 foot barrier in the shot put as he broke his own school record in the event by two feet with a third-place toss of 61-03.00, an NCAA AQ mark that sits him third nationally in the event this year. Burns followed that up with a win in the discus in a provisional distance of 179-10, while Josh Fulmer placed 7th.

Presley won the pole vault and increased her national lead in the event with an NCAA AQ height of 13-11.75, finishing eight inches in front of her nearest competitor. Elena Bisotto was fifth in the event at a provisional height of 12-08.00.

In other action, Kassidy Owens was 2nd in the 100m dash, while Korey Robinette and Dausen Gourley placed 4th and 6th, respectively in the men's 100m. Owens then followed that up with a 4th place finish in the 200m dash, while Ashlynn Vanatter and Sara Lin were 1st and 3rd in the 400m. Jon Johnson won the men's 400m.

Rachel Ray was 2nd in the women's 400m hurdles, while Matt Willis and Taylor Emery placed 2nd and 6th in the men's 400m hurdles. The 4x100m relay team of Gourley, Willis, Brendan Watkins and Robinette were 1st in a time of 41.65, while the 4x400m relay team of Tadd Capron, Nathan Painter, Jared Ozee and Victor Encarnacion won the event in a time of 3:30.76.

Wynter Nekola was 3rd in the women's high jump, while Andrew Wells and DeShaun Williams were 1st and 2nd in the men's high jump. Zach Wuest and Dean Howard tied for 5th in the pole vault, while Adrian Broadus was 7th in the long jump and 3rd in the triple jump.

Juinor Joseph was 3rd in the hammer with a provisional throw of 182-02, while Garrett Austin was 4th and Austin was 3rd in the javelin.

The Lions will wait to see how many athletes have qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships which will be held on May 24-26 in Charlotte, NC.

Crowder baseball to play for Region 16 championship

(From Crowder College)

The Crowder College baseball team defeated State Fair, 15-7, to advance to the Region 16 finals. They will play Jefferson today at noon. 

A win will have them playing again at 3pm for the championship in this double elimination tournament.

MSSU's Abi Corbett named first-team Academic All-District

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern senior outfielder Abi Corbett has been named a first-team Google Cloud Academic All-District selection as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

This is the second Academic All-District selection for Corbett as she was a second-team Academic All-American in 2017.

This year, Corbett was a first-team All-MIAA selection. She competed in all 52 games and recorded 71 hits for first in the MIAA and fourth in Division II, while also leading the conference in stolen bases (35).

On top of grabbing those numbers, the veteran capped off her career first in at-bats (741), hits (270), and stolen bases (107), to go along with a second place showing in games played (216) and runs scored (138) to ink herself into the MSSU softball record books.

Corbett's name will now go on the national ballot for Academic All-American.

Top-seeded Crowder plays today in Region 16 Baseball Tournament

(From Crowder College)

The Crowder College Baseball team advanced to the Region 16 Tournament which begins Thursday, May 10, at Joe Becker field in Joplin, MO.

The Roughriders earned the number one seed and will take on number four seed, State Fair at 4pm. A win will put them in the semifinals on Friday, May 11, 3pm.

The tournament is a double-elimination tournament with the winner advancing to the South Central District which includes region winners from Oklahoma and Louisiana. This year the Region 2 Champion (Oklahoma) will host the district tournament.

The Roughriders (44-13) are currently ranked number twelve in the country as they have been in the top twenty all season.

KNEO 91.7 FM in Neosho, MO will be broadcasting all the Crowder College baseball games during the Region 16 Tournament from Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, MO. Adam Winkler and Ben Wolcott of KNEO will be providing the play-by-play for each broadcast. The games can be heard live on KNEO 91.7 FM, live online at kneo.org, live on your smart phone via the KNEO iPhone and Android phone apps and the TuneIn Radio App.  

MSSU men's track places seventh in final day of MIAA Championships

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Kearney, Neb. -- The Missouri Southern men's track and field team placed seventh as the Lions competed in the final day of the 2018 MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney. 

The Lions scored 68 points as a team. Pittsburg State won the team title with 166.5 points, followed by Central Missouri with 103.5. Lincoln was third, followed by Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Nebraska-Kearney, Southern, Northwest Missouri, Lindenwood, Washburn, Missouri Western and Southwest Baptist to round out the team scores. 

Tadd Capron and Nathan Painter placed seventh and 11th in the 1,500m, while Nickson Kiptoo was third and Josh Webb was seventh in the 5k. Kiptoo finished in a time of 15:21.50 and earned All-MIAA honors in the process. Michael Shanahan was 21st and Jared Ozeeplaced 24th. Kiptoo placed fourth in the 3k steeplechase with a time of 9:29.52. 

Matt Willis was second in the 400m hurdles in a provisional time of 52.43 to earn All-MIAA honors. The 4x400m relay team of Jon Johnson, Willis, Painter and Capron placed tenth. 

DeShaun Williams was eighth in the high jump with a provisional height of 6-08.75, while Andrew Wells placed 12th. Brendan Watkins picked up his second All-MIAA honor of the weekend when he placed second in the triple jump with an NCAA AQ distance of 51-01.75. 

Bryan Burns was fourth in the shot put with a provisional distance of 201-11, while Junior Joseph was ninth, Josh Fulmer placed tenth and Trace Henault was 15th. Garrett Austin was sixth in the javelin with a provisional distance of 196-04. 

In all, the Lions had four All-MIAA performances and one champion at this year's Championships. 

The Lions will be back in action next Friday as Southern plays host to the Last Chance Meet inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium. 

All-MIAA Athletes
Bryan Burns - Discus (Champion)
Matt Willis - 400mh
Brendan Watkins - Triple Jump, Long Jump