Cardinals' Jack Flaherty named NL Pitcher of the Month for second straight month

(From the St. Louis Cardinals)

Jack Flaherty was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for the second consecutive month. 

How did he do it?

-He registered a 3-1 record with 53 strikeouts and a 0.82 ERA across six starts, while limiting the opposition to 17 hits and eight walks. Permitted just a pair of home runs.

-He concluded the regular season with 7.0 scoreless innings and six strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs in his start yesterday. 

-He loogged four scoreless starts with at least 7.0 innings pitched over the course of his dominant month.

In the second half of the season, he compiled a 7-2 record with 124 strikeouts, 23 walks and a 0.91 ERA over 99.1 innings pitched and 15 starts. Became the first Major League pitcher since 1915 to record at least 120 strikeouts while posting an ERA of 1.00-or-better in the second half of a season.

He finished his breakout campaign with an 11-8 record to go along with 231 strikeouts, 55 walks and a 2.75 ERA. 

Since 1885, he became the third pitcher younger than 24 years old to post a season in which he tallied at least 230 punchouts while permitting 55-or-fewer walks to go along with an ERA of 2.75-or-better, joining Clayton Kershaw (2011) and Mark Prior (2003).

MSSU volleyball to play at Central Oklahoma

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team will get back on the road as they head to Central Oklahoma tomorrow night to take on the Bronchos inside Hamilton Field House. First serve is slated for 7 pm.

The Lions are 8-6 on the season and 1-3 in conference play. Southern went 1-2 last week with a win at home over College of the Ozarks, but tough losses to nationally-ranked Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri.

This year, the Lions lead the MIAA in blocks, attacks, digs and assists, while ranking second in kills and third in attacks per set and digs per set. Individually, Morgan Nash leads the MIAA and is second nationally in triple doubles with three on the season, while Janelle Brehm ranks seventh nationally in total attacks and 31st in attacks per set. Alicia Pickett is 44th nationally and leads the MIAA in total blocks, while ranking third in the MIAA in blocks per set.

Central Oklahoma is 10-4 and 2-2 in MIAA play. The Bronchos split a pair of MIAA matches this past weekend, winning in four sets at Fort Hays State, but dropping a straight-set match at nationally-ranked Nebraska-Kearney.

UCO spreads the offense out with five different players averaging 2.00 kills per set or more. Lauren Jenkins and Amanda Desch both average 2.53 kills per set, while Dricka Scholl hits a team-high .317. Dssch and Sholl split time at setter, with Desch leading the way at 5.58 assists per set. Dominique Lipari averages 6.71 digs per set, while Regan Inglis has a time high 0.91 blocks per set.

After this match, the Lions will head to Missouri Western on Saturday for a 3 pm matchup with the Griffons.

MSSU women's golf takes fifth at Augustana

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Sioux Falls, SD - The Missouri Southern women's golf team moved up a spot from day one to day two to finish fifth at the Augustana Fall Invite hosted at Elmwood Golf Course.

The Lions shot 16 strokes better in day two, carting a 324 to finish at 664 for the two-round tourney.

Kylie Carnes and Hannah Torres finished tied for 20th as the pair shot identical 163's over the two days. McKayla Hussey was 29th with a 168, while Maggie Moore was tied for 32nd at 170. Kenzie Kirkhart shot a 182 and was tied for 50th.

Sioux Falls took the team title with a score of 618, while Augustana was second, eight strokes back. Northwest Missouri was third, followed by Minot state, the Lions, Southwest Minnesota State, South Dakota Mines, Black Hills State, MSU Moorhead and Minesota-Crookston.

The Lions will be at the Drury Fall Invitational on October 14 and 15 hosted at Silo Ridge Golf Club.

MSSU men's golf, Colby Cox finish third at Augustana Fall Invite

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Sioux Falls, SD - Colby Cox was third, while the Missouri Southern men's golf finished third overall as the Lions competed in the Augustana Fall Invite hosted at Elmwood Golf Course.

Cox shot a second-round 77 and finished tied for third at 148. Jon Lenz shot a 75 in round two to finish tied for 13th at 151, while Logan Greer and Jonathan Sanchez tied at 16th with scores of 152.

The Lions had all four scorers finish in the top 16 today and had a team total of 603. Sioux Falls won the event with a 591, six strokes in front of Augustana. The Lions were third, followed by the University of Manitoba, South Dakota Mines and Minnesota-Crookston to round out the team scores.

Southern will be back in action next week as the Lions travel to Missouri Western for the second MIAA points event of the fall season on October 7 and 8. The tournament will be played at St. Joseph Country Club.

MSSU football falls to Fort Hays State 44-3

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Hays, Kan. - The Missouri Southern football team picked up three turnovers, but had trouble converting to points as the Lions fell 44-3 on the road at Fort Hays State.

The Lions (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) saw Dwayne Lawson catch six passes for 120 yards, his third of the season in four games played. Lawson now has 24 catches for 465 yards and three scores on the season. Jacob Park threw for 173 yards and Sean Kelly added 107 as the team had 29 completions for 280 yards on the night.

Defensively, the Lions were led by Tyler Evans with ten tackles, seven solo, including a forced fumble and a pass break up. Richard Jordan Jr. had six tackles, including a sack for a loss of nine yards, while John Ejizu had an interception and a fumble recovery to go with seven tackles. Levi Had a fumble recovery of his own.

In total, the Lions' defense had seven tackles for a loss of 18 yards on the night, three takeaways and a quarterback hurry.

Riley Hathorn connected on a 30-yard field goal, while Paul Wolff averaged 41.4 yards in punting with a long of 47 yards.

The Lions led the time of possession battle and had 280 yards through the air to FHSU's (2-2, 2-2 MIAA) 255.

Southern will be back in action next weekend when the Lions play host to Central Missouri on Homecoming. Kickoff from Fred G. Hughes Stadium is slated for 2 pm.

MSSU women's golf sixth after first day at Augustana

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Sioux Falls, SD -- The Missouri Southern women's golf team is in sixth place after day one of the Augustana Fall Invite held at Elmwod Golf Course.

The Lions are led by Kylie Carnes who is tied for 18th after a round one 81. McKayla Hussey is tied for 29th with an 85, while Maggie Moore and Hannah Torres are tied for 36th with an 87. Kenzie Kirkhart is tied for 52nd after a 94.

The Lions shot a first-round 340, while Augustana leads the field with a 312. Sioux Falls is second, followed by Northwest Missouri, Southwest Minnesota, Minot State, the Lions, South Dakota Mines, Black Hills State, Minnesota St. - Moorhead and Minnesota-Crookston to round out the team scores.

Southern will play a final round of 18 tomorrow morning.

MSSU golf first, Colby Cox top individual at Augustana Invite

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Sioux Falls, SD -- The Missouri Southern men's golf team is in first, while Colby Cox is the individual leader after day one of the Augustana Invite held at Elmwood Golf Course.

Cox leads the way with a one-under par 71. Logan Greer is in third with a 73, while Jonathan Sanchez and Jon Lenz are tied at ninth with a 76.

The Lions shot a first-round 296, to lead second-place Sioux Falls by four strokes. South Dakota Mines is third, followed by Augustana, Manitoba and Minnesota-Crookston to round out the team scores.

Southern will be back at it tomorrow morning with a final round of 18 holes.

Brehm double-double not enough as MSSU volleyball falls to Northwest Missouri

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Janelle Brehm had ten kills and ten digs, while hitting .292, but the Missouri Southern Volleyball team fell three sets to none today to No. 11 Northwest Missouri inside Young Gymnasium. Individual set scores were 17-25, 18-25 and 20-25.

Brehm led the Lions (8-6, 1-3 MIAA) attack while Morgan Nash had eight kills and six digs. Kylee Kaaihue had 13 assists, while Shaylon Sharp added seven kills and eight digs. CC Pollard and Emalee Lowe had six digs each.

Northwest (11-1, 4-0 MIAA) was led by Morgan Lewis with 13 kills and a .522 attack average.

Northwest opened up set one on a 6-0 run before a kill from Brehm stopped the streak. The Lions went on an 8-5 run of their own, capped by a block from Brehm and Alicia Pickett to cut the lead to three (13-10), but that would be as close as the Lions would get.

Set two was back-and-forth and saw five tied scored and three lead changes. With the set tied at eight, Northwest went on an 8-2 run to open up a 16-10 lead. The Lions got within four (19-15) after blocks from Pickett and Sharp, but couldn't complete the comeback.

In set three, the Lions jumped out to an 8-6 lead after a kill from Pickett, but the Bearcats turned it around with a 6-3 run to lead 12-9. Southern then got within two (16-14) after a kill from Brehm and within three (23-20) after a kill from Sharp, but Northwest closed it out.

Southern will be back in action on Tuesday night when the Lions travel to Central Oklahoma to take on the Bronchos. First-serve is slated for 7 pm.

Northwest Missouri defeats MSSU soccer 3-1

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Freshman defender Ashton Manwill gave the Missouri Southern soccer team a 1-0 lead with six minutes to play in the first period, but the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats answered back with three goals toward a 3-1 win inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium Friday night.

The Lions (1-6) outshot the Bearcats 8-5 in the first period as sophomore forward Bailey Belcher led the squad with five shots while junior midfielder Meredith Belrose and Manwill each recorded two.

Freshman goalkeeper Riley Laver made six saves on 14 total shots faced in the match.

NWMSU's (2-4-1) Teagan Blackburn netted all three goals for the Bearcats for the hattrick in the win.

Missouri Southern hosts Missouri Western on Sunday at 1:00 pm to begin MIAA play.

MSSU volleyball falls to Central Missouri

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Morgan Nash and Shaylon Sharp both had double-figure kills, while Makenzie Fa'amausili-Cacoulidis dished out 33 assists, as the Lions fell three sets to none at home to No. 14 ranked Central Missouri. Individual set scores were 19-25, 22-25 and 16-25.

Southern (8-5, 1-2 MIAA) was led offensively by Nash who had 12 kills and nine digs. Sharp had 10 kills and six digs, while hitting .280 for the match. Janelle Brehm had nine kills, while Emalee Lowe had 14 digs. Fa'amausili-Cacoulidis had 33 assists and seven digs.

Central (7-4, 2-1 MIAA) had two with double-figure kills, as well, led by 19 from Sydney Lierz.

Set one saw the Lions push late and get within two (17-15), before Central scored four of the next five points to go up 21-16. Southern got three points off of the Jennies on set point, but Central put it away at 25-19.

Set two saw Central go up 19-12 and forced a Lions' timeout, but Southern came back and scored seven of the next 11 points to get within four (23-19). The Lions cut it to two (24-22), before the Jennies got a kill from Lierz.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as Southern plays host to No. 11 ranked Northwest Missouri. First-serve is slated for 1 pm from Young Gymnasium.

Watch Joplin-Branson football live

MSSU volleyball to play host to nationally-ranked teams this weekend

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team will welcome in a pair of nationally ranked teams this weekend as the Lions play host to Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri this Friday and Saturday. First serve on Friday is slated for 6 pm against the Jennies, while the Lions and Bearcats will start at 1 pm on Saturday.

The Lions (8-4, 1-1 MIAA) got a mid-week win this week as the team went out of conference to sweep College of the Ozarks on Tuesday night. 

This season, the Lions rank ninth nationally in total attacks, while ranking tenth in total digs, 22nd in kills, 29th in digs and 34th in attacks per set.

Individually, Morgan Nash continues to lead Division II with her three triple-doubles this season. Nash is averaging 2.06 kills per set and 2.66 digs per set, while playing all over the court. She also has 259 assists and 13 aces on the season, both of which lead the team. Janelle Brehm is fifth in D2 with 549 total attacks, while leading the league in that category, as well. Alicia Pickett leads the league in total blocks, while Brehm ranks third in attacks per set and fourth in total digs.

Central Missouri (6-4, 1-1 MIAA) comes into the match ranked 13th nationally as the Jennies split it's opening slate of matches in MIAA play, taking out Missouri Western in four sets, but falling to Northwest Missouri in four. The Jennies are led offensively by Audrey Fisher as she averages 2.48 kills per set, while Ally Offerdahl is dishing out an average of 10.24 assists per set. Defensively, Abby Skrastins averages just under five (4.95) digs per set.

Northwest Missouri (9-1, 2-0 MIAA) are ranked 11th nationally and have lost just one match this season to Drury in five sets. The Bearcats swept their opening matches, defeating Missouri Western in five and Central Missouri in four sets. Northwest is led by Hallie Sidney with 4.22 kills per set, while Maddy Ahrens is dishing out 10.59 assists per set. Defensively, the Bearcats have five individuals that average over 2.00 digs per set, led by Hannah Koechl at 3.10 per.

Both matches will have live stats and video and both links can be found above.

After this weekend, the Lions will head out on the road with matches at Central Oklahoma on October 1 and Missouri Western on October 5.

MSSU soccer to play Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western this weekend

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer team returns home to close out non-conference action versus Northwest Missouri State at 7:00 pm tomorrow night prior to a rematch with Missouri Western on Sunday at 1:00 to kick off MIAA play.

The Lions (1-5-0) celebrate Alumni weekend with two matches which includes a chance to avenge a 1-0 loss to the MWSU Griffons last Friday night.

Freshman Brianna Marquez scored the first goal of her college career last weekend against No. 8 Central Missouri to tie fellow freshman Ashton Manwill with one apiece. Sophomore Bailey Belcher remains the leader in the scoring category with two goals through six matches.

The Rundown

Friday: NWSU - Fred G. Hughes Stadium - 7:00 pm
Sunday: MWSU - Fred G. Hughes Stadium - 1:00 pm

TV/Stream:

NWSU - https://themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/
MWSU - https://themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/

Live Stats:

NWSU - https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
MWSU - https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary

What the Opponents are Bringing to the Battle!

Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (1-4-1)

Series: Northwest Missouri State leads, 15-14-3
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ... finished in last a season ago (2-15 / 1-10 MIAA) ... picked to finish last again in the conference preseason poll ... retained both All-MIAA selections from last in defender Emily Madden (3rd) and midfielder Izzy Roman (HM) who are both seniors ... three other starters join them with ten or more starts during the 2018 season ... despite having a slight advantage in the series, NWSU hasn't defeated the Lions in the previous two meetings ... have only been shutout once thus far through the first six matches ... head coach Marc Gordon enters his second season at the helm of the Bearcats after becoming the third soccer coach in school history in December of 2017 ... previously coached at Ottawa University where he led the Braves to three Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) regular-season and four conference tournament titles ... ended his time with the Braves by recording a 17-4-1 overall record and 10-1 in KCAC play where the team qualified for its sixth NAIA national tournament.

Missouri Western Griffons (3-2-1)

Series: MSSU leads, 11-8-2
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ... finished fifth last season (12-7 / 7-4 MIAA); fell in the first round of the MIAA tournament to Fort Hays State, 3-0 ... picked fifth in the conference preseason poll ... retained four of seven All-MIAA selections from last season in junior midfielder Lillian Davis (2nd), sophomore goalkeeper Anna Mayer (3rd), and junior forwards Claire Meyers (HM) and Taylor Schwartzkopf (HM) ... two other starters join them with ten or more starts during the 2018 season as the squad doesn't have a single senior on the roster ... is currently on a three-match winning streak including a win over the Lions at home by a score of 1-0 last weekend ... head coach Chad Edwards enters his ninth season at the helm of the Griffons as the all-time leaders in wins in program history ... registered a 40-19-1 record in the last three seasons and a 22-11 record versus MIAA opponents ... is an MSSU alum who played for the Lions from 1997 to 2000 and assisted the squad to a conference title in his freshman season.

Next Stretch

Missouri Southern prepares for its first MIAA road trip of the season against new member Rogers State at 6:00 pm next Friday and Northeastern State two days later at 1:00 pm.

MSSU women's golf finishes 11th at MIAA Fall Preview

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Axtell, Neb. -- The Missouri Southern women's golf team finished in 11th place today as the Lions competed in the first MIAA points event of the year, playing in the MIAA Fall Preview hosted by Nebraska-Kearney at Awari Dunes.

The Lions shot a 317 in round one and a 327 in round two to finish with a team score of 664. Maggie Moore shot a second-round 78 and combined with her 76 in round one, finished with a score of 154 and tied for 23rd.

Kylie Carnes finished tied for 35th with a 159, while Hannah Torres shot a 163 to finish tied for 44th. Kenzie Kirkhart was 53rd with a 170, while McKayla Hussey, who did not play yesterday, shot a second-round 86.

Central Missouri won the team title with a 587, while Rogers State and Sioux Falls tied for second, ten strokes back of the Jennies. Central Oklahoma was third, followed by Nebraska-Kearney, Northeastern State, Missouri Western, Fort Hays State, Northwest Missouri, Newman, Southern and Lincoln to round out the team scores.

The Lions will be back in action next week as the Lions travel to Sioux Falls, SD to compete in the Augustana Fall Invitational.

MSSU football on the road Saturday at Fort Hays State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team will head out on the road as the Lions take on the Tigers of Fort Hays State University this Saturday. Kickoff from Lewis Field Stadium is set for 7 pm.

Game Information

Team Records: MSSU 1-2, 1-2 MIAA | FHSU 1-2, 1-2 MIAA
Date: Saturday, September 28, 2019
Kick-Off: 7:00 pm, CT
Location: Hays, Kan
Site: Lewis Field Stadium (6,362)
Series Record: FHSU leads the series 16-13-1
Coaches: Jeff Sims (1-2 at MSSU, 1-2 overall - first year as a 4-year head coach) | Chris Brown (59-36 at FHSU/overall)

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, 101.7 and AM 1560; 88.7 FM KXMS - Mike McClure, Play-by-Play, Scott Boudreaux, Color
Video Webcast: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions
Live Stats: https://www.fhsuathletics.com.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball
Lions on Instagram: @mososports

The Series : Fort Hays State leads the all-time series 16-13-1. The Lions have a 6-8 record at Hughes Stadium and are 7-8-1 at Lewis Field in Hays. The two teams renewed their series in 2006 for the first time since 1988, with the Tigers snapping a season-long losing streak with a 10-0 win over Southern. Prior to that, the last time for the two to meet was when both schools were a member of the NAIA Central States Intercollegiate Conference. Southern won that game 21-10. Southern has won nine of the last 16 games against the Tigers, dating back to the 1983 season.

The Dish On The Tigers: The Tigers are 1-2 after picking up their first win of the season last week, 41-38 in overtime at Washburn. Chance Fuller leads the passing attack with 937 yards on 73-of-122 passing with eight touchdowns and one interception. Harley Hazlett has 20 receptions for 265 yards and a score, while Layne Bieberle has 203 yards on 12 catches with a score. 

The Tigers have three different receivers with 100 yards or more and another with 98. Charles Tigner leads the rushing attack with 58 carries and 234 yards with one score. Te'Correy Tutson has 22 carries and 63 yards with a score. 

Defensively, Tanner Hoekman has 25 tackles with a half a sack and one interception. Jordan Starks has 20 tackles with an interception. The team has three sacks and three interceptions total. As a team, the Tigers rank in the top 20 nationally in six different categories. FHSU averages 437 yards of total offense with 333 coming in the air and 104 coming on the ground.

A Victory vs. The Tigers Would: snap a six game losing streak to the Tigers. It would also be the first road win in the MIAA for the Lions since the 2016 season when the Lions won at Northeastern State.

Lions On Radio: The Lions will partner with Fox Sports Joplin this year as Southern can now be heard on three separate FM stations, as well as an AM station. Fox Sports Joplin will air the Lions' games on 101.3 and 101.7 FM, as well as AM 1560. MSSU's KXMS 88.7 will also simulcast the games giving the Lions a larger reach in the four-states than they've ever had.

Tough League/Region: The MIAA has three teams in the coaches top 25 this week. Northwest Missouri is 7th, while Central Missouri and Pittsburg State are tied at 18th. The Super Region Three, which the Lions are a part of, has four teams in the top ten and has nine teams in the top 25. There are 12 teams total that are either ranked or receiving votes in the poll from the region.

Lions On The Web: All of MSSU's football games are carried live online as part of the MIAA Network. Fans can go to www.mssulions.com to view live and on-demand games.

Streaming Options: Fans now have even more options to view the Lions online in their homes and on the road. Not only can you view on your computer, fans can now view The MIAA Network on its over the top apps for either Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Android TV.

NCAA Team Stats Rankings: The Lions lead Division II in fourth down defense and blocked punts allowed, while ranking seventh in passing offense, 15th in blocked punts and 19th in passing yards per completion. The Lions also rank 24th in first downs, 26th in kickoff defense, 28th in tackles for a loss allowed (fewest), and 30th in team tackles for a loss. The team is 40th nationally in scoring.

MIAA Team Stats Rankings: This year, the Lions lead the MIAA in fourth down defense, blocked kicks and punts, as well as blocked punts allowed and team tackles for a loss.

Individual Stats Rankings: Individually, Jacob Park ranks sixth in both passing yards and yards per game, while ranking seventh in total offense and eighth in yards per completion. JaTece Wright is second in punt return touchdowns, while Dwayne Lawson is eighth in receiving yards and receiving yards per game. Brian Boyd is 20th in yards per reception, while Ben Phillips is 25th. Richard Jordan Jr. is 30th in total tackles.

Defensive Touchdowns: The Lions had a pair of defensive touchdowns against Northwest Missouri as Southern blocked a punt that JaTece Wright returned for a score, while Jaylon Alexander returned an interception 55 yards for a score.

Record Setting Passer: Park, the Lions' starting quarterback, set a new school record with 442 passing yards against Northwest Missouri, surpassing the previous record of 422 from Adam Hinspeter in 2008. He also became the first quarterback since Hinspeter to throw for 400 or more yards in a game, as well as being the first player since 2008 to be responsible for 400 or more yards in a game (Hinspeter). Park's total of 442 yards is also fifth-best all-time in a single game at Southern.

Lawson With The Catch: Dwayne Lawson made the switch from quarterback to receiver rather nicely as the junior caught six passes for 179 yards and two scores. That included a 93-yard touchdown catch. The 179 yards is tied for fifth-best all-time in a single game at MSSU.

Run, Sean, Run: Sean Kelly came into the game at Lincoln in the second half and ran for 126 yards (zero negative yardage) and two touchdowns.

Tacklers Are Us: Richard Jordan helped lead the defense for the Lions against Nebraska-Kearney as he had the fourth-best single-game tackle mark with 18 against the Lopers in week one.

Watch Party Headquarters: For those wanting to catch the Lions on the road, but not able to travel, Gusanos in Joplin will host the official road watch party each Saturday. Come by their location at 7th and Duquesne to check out all the action.

Weather Report: The weather report for the Hays area on Saturday calls for a high of 70 and cloudy conditions. Precipitation chance is listed at 20% with an east wind of 13 mph.

Up Next: The Lions will head back home to welcome Central Missouri to Fred G. Hughes Stadium for Homecoming. Kickoff on Saturday, October 5 is slated for 2 pm.

Heavy rains cause cancellation of MSSU Fall Invite golf meet

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The final round of the 2019 MSSU Fall Invite was cancelled today due to heavy rains and the tournament was shortened to 36 holes with yesterday's results remaining final.

The Lions finished the tournament tied for 10th overall and Colby Cox and Jonathan Sanchez tied for 35th with a three-over par 147.

With this being an MIAA points event, the Lions finished as the fifth-highest MIAA team in the standings as Central Oklahoma took the top spot. Northeastern State and Washburn tied for second, while Central Missouri was fourth in the MIAA Points standings.

Complete results are above in the links.

The Lions will be back at it next week as Southern travels to Sioux Falls, SD to take part in the Augustana Fall Invitational at Elmwood Golf Club.

MSSU's Kimutai, Determan repeat as MIAA cross country runners of the week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern cross country runners Gidieon Kimutai and Juliana Determan have been named the MIAA Men's and Women's Cross Country Runners of the Week as the league announced the awards today.

Kimutai won the Southern Stampede this past weekend and led the Lions to the team crown. He traversed the 8K course in 24:04.1 for a 17-second victory over the nearest competitor. His time also marked a new personal best at the distance, an improvement of 43 seconds from his showing last year when he finished second.

Determan led the way for the Lions at the Stampede. She crossed the line on the 5k course in a time of 17:34.6 to place fourth. Her performance also helped the Lions to a third-place finish in the team standings. Determan was the top MIAA runner in the event.

The Lions will be back in action on October 5 as Southern competes at the Chile Pepper Festival at Arkansas.

MSSU volleyball sweeps College of the Ozarks

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team picked up a sweep at home tonight as the Lions took out visiting College of the Ozarks in straight sets at Young Gymnasium. Individual set scores were 26-24, 25-18 and 25-16.

The Lions (8-4) had two players with double-figure kills as Morgan Nash had 15 and Shaylon Sharp had 11. Nash hit .353 and Sharp hit .346. Alyssa Diaz had six kills and three blocks, while hitting .400. Makenzie Fa'amausili Cacoulidis had four kills, 39 assists and nine digs, while hitting a perfect 1.000. CC Pollard had a match-high 18 digs, while Janelle Brehm had seven kills and nine digs.

C of O (12-8) was led by Rielly Wallace with eight kills, 17 assists and eight digs, while she hit .667.

Set one saw two tied scores and one lead change as the Lions led from 2-1 on. The Bobcats tied it at 24 late, but the Lions scored the final two points on a kill from Pickett and a C of O error. Set two saw the Bobcats get out on top early, leading 7-4, before the Lions scored six-of-the-next seven points to lead 10-8. Southern pushed the run to 13-6 and led 17-13 to force a C of O timeout. The Lions closed out the set on an 8-4 run.

Set three was all Lions. The set was tied at four and five, before the Lions went on an 8-1 run to lead 13-6 and force a Bobcats timeout. The Lions closed out the match with a kill from Nash.

Southern hit .301 as a team in the match.

The Lions will be back in action this Friday as Southern plays host to 14th-ranked Central Missouri. First serve from Young Gymnasium is slated for 6 pm.

MSSU women's golf eighth after day one of MIAA Fall Preview

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Axtell, Neb. -- The Missouri Southern women's golf team is in 8th place after day one of the MIAA Fall Preview hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney at Awari Dunes Country Club.

The Lions shot a round one 317 as a team at the first MIAA points event of the season.







Kylie Carnes and Maggie Moore are tied for 12th individually as the duo shot a round-one 76. Kenzie Kirkhart shot an 82, while Hannah Torres shot an 83.

Central Missouri is first after round one, shooting 296 as a team. Central Oklahoma is second, followed by UNK, Sioux Falls, Rogers State, Northeastern State, Missouri Western, the Lions, Fort Hays State, Northwest Missouri, Newman and Lincoln to round out the team scores.

The Lions will play a final 18 holes tomorrow.

MSSU women's golf to participate in MIAA Fall Preview Tuesday, Wednesday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's golf team will be in action Tuesday and Wednesday as the Lions will participate in the MIAA Fall Preview hosted by Nebraska-Kearney at Awari Dunes CC.

The Lions finished 10th at Northeastern State in their first tournament of the season. Kylie Carnes and Maggie Moore both shot a two-day total of 156 at NSU. Carnes shot a 73 in day one and an 83 in day two, while Moore improved six strokes from day one to day two (81-75).

The Lions will bring Carnes and Moore, as well as Hannah Torres, Kenzie Kirkhart and McKayla Hussey to compete in the event. The teams will play 18 holes each day.

Southern will stay on the road and will head straight to Sioux Falls, SD after this tournament to compete in the Augustana Fall Invitational.

MSSU men's golf in 10th after first day of Fall Invitational

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Monkey Island, Okla. -- The Missouri Southern men's golf team is in tenth place after day one of the MSSU Fall Invitational hosted at Shangri-La Country Club.

The Lions shot a total of 589 over the two rounds and have four golfers in the top 50 of a tournament that is featuring 19 teams.

Colby Cox and Jonathan Sanchez both shot 147 in the first two rounds to finish tied for 35th after day one. Cox shot an even par 72 in round two after shooting a 75 in the opening round, while Snachez shot a one-under par in round one and finished with a 76 in round two.

Logan Greer and Jaime Suarez (playing as an individual) shot a total of 149 over the two rounds and are tied for 45th, while Jon Lenz is tied for 56th after shooting 150 over the two rounds. Taylor Haltom shot 155 and is tied for 75th, while Grant Sikes, the other individual for the Lions, shot a 161 and is tied for 91st.

The Lions shot a 294 in the first round and a 295 in the second round. Oklahoma Christian is 12-under as a team after day one and is four strokes up on Central Oklahoma. Both Washburn and Southwestern Oklahoma had golfers that did not fiinish their rounds and will complete them tomorrow morning.

Washburn is third, followed by Northeastern State, Henderson State, Southwestern Oklahoma, Central Missouri, Southern Nazarene and the Lions to round out the top ten. Hutchinson CC and Rogers State are tied at 11th, followed by Arkansas-Fort Smith, Missouri Western, Sioux Falls, Concordia-St. Paul, Fort Hays State, Newman and Lincoln round out the team scores.

The teams will play a final 18 holes tomorrow morning.

MSSU volleyball to play host to College of the Ozarks Tuesday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic Club)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team will be back in action tomorrow night as the Lions play host to College of the Ozarks. First serve from Young Gymnasium is slated for 7 pm.

The Lions (7-4, 1-1 MIAA) had a 1-1 record last week that saw the team drop a four-set match at Pittsburg State, but win in four on the road at Newman.

Morgan Nash had a triple-double double, her third of the season, with ten kills, 19 assists and 15 digs against Pittsburg State. For the week, Nash averaged 3.25 kills, 2.50 assists and 3.00 digs per set. Her three triple-doubles this season currently leads NCAA Division II.

The Lions lead the MIAA in total blocks, total attacks and total digs, while ranking second in attacks per set, third in assists, digs per set and blocks per set. The team ranks eighth in Division II in total digs and total attacks.

Individually, Janelle Brehm is fourth nationally and leads the MIAA in total attacks, while Alicia Pickett leads the MIAA in total blocks. Brehm and Pickett rank second in attacks and blocks per set, respectively in the league.

C of O comes into the match with the Lions 12-7 overall this year and the Cougars are coming off a 3-1 weekend at the Lincoln College Tournament.

The team averages 11.8 kills per set, 10.1 assists per set and 17.74 digs per set. Ryley Thixton leads the offensive attack with 3.36 kills per set, while Izzy Gibbany is averaging 4.96 digs per set.

Live stats and video will be available for the match and can be seen in the links above.

MSSU's Kimutai named U. S. Track and Field/Cross Country Male Runner of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern cross country runner Gidieon Kimutai has been named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Male Runner of the Week as announced by the organization today.

Kimutai, a sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya, won the Southern Stampede and led the Lions to a team crown over nationally-ranked Northwest Missouri State.

He traversed the 8K course in 24:04.1 for a 17-second victory over two-time NAIA national champion Oscar KipKoros of Oklahoma City. His time also marked a new personal best at the distance, an improvement of 43 seconds from his showing last year when he finished second.

Kimutai was a Division II All-American last year and this is the third time the program has won a National Cross Country Runner of the Week award.

MSSU soccer falls to Central Missouri 6-1

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Warrensburg, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's soccer team fell to No. 8 Central Missouri, 6-1, inside the South Recreation Complex Sunday afternoon.

Freshman Brianna Marquez launched a shot outside the box in the 83rd minute of the second period for her first goal since joining the Lions (1-4-1). Sophomore forward Bailey Belcher led the squad with two shots on the day in 43 minutes of action while junior midfielder Carina Calderon registered 83 minutes with a shot on goal.

UCM (5-1) held on after coming out scoring two goals in the opening ten minutes of the match. The Jennies added four more in the second period to secure the win.

Missouri Southern closes out non-conference play at home against Northwest Missouri State Friday night before opening MIAA action in a rematch with Missouri Western on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

MSSU men's golf to play host to tournament beginning today

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's golf team will be in action Monday and Tuesday as the Lions play host to the MSSU Fall Invitational at Shangri-La Country Club in Monkey Island, Oklahoma.

The tournament will feature 19 teams including the Lions, Central Oklahoma, Missouri Western, Rogers State, Fort Hays State, Washburn, Central Missouri, Newman, Northeastern State, Lincoln, Southwestern Oklahoma, Sioux Falls, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Minnesota State, Oklahoma Christian, Hutchinson CC, Southern Nazarene, Concordia St. Paul and Henderson State.

This will be the first of two MIAA points events of the fall. The Lions will take Colby Cox, Logan Greer, Jonathan Sanchez, Jon Lenz and Taylor Haltom as their scoring five with Grant Sikes and Jaime Suarez going as individuals. Cox is coming off a two-under par showing at Northeastern State where he finished tied for 15th.

Teams will have a shotgun start at 8:30 am and the event will feature 36 holes on Monday and another 18 on Tuesday.

MSSU football falls to Northwest Missouri 66-34

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team made it close, trailing by 11 with almost ten minutes left in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get any closer as the Lions fell to No. 7 ranked Northwest Missouri, 66-34 inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium.

Southern (1-2, 1-2 MIAA) had three different receivers with 100 or more yards as Dwayne Lawson had 122, Benjamin Phillips had 110 and Brian Boyd Jr. had 108. Lawson and Phillips had a touchdown each, while Jaedon Stoshak picked up a touchdown, as well.

Jacob Park threw for 442 yards on 29-of-66 with three touchdowns. He is the first Lion to throw for over 400 yards since Adam Hinspeter had 422 against Harding in 2008. He is also the first player since that same game with Hinspeter to have 400 or more total yards in a game.

Defensively, the Lions were led by Richard Jordan Jr. as he had nine tackles and two quarterback hurries. John Ejizu, Chris Leaks Jr. and Colton Winder had seven sacks each with Winder picking up a fumble recovery. David Rose had six tackles and five pass break ups, while Jamie Tago had six tackles, a sack, and three quarterback hurries. Jaylon Alexander had a pick six, returning an interception 55 yards for pay dirt. It was the first time since 2015 a player returned a touchdown for a score since EJ McKenzie did it against Pittsburg State.

Northwest Missouri State (3-0, 3-0 MIAA) got three touchdowns from Braden Wright as he hit Imoni Donadelle for two of those three.

After Northwest scored just 34 seconds into the game, the Lions got back on the board when JaTece Wright picked up a blocked punt and returned it eight yards to tie the game.

Northwest had a 31-7 lead before Phillips made the score 31-14 after Park hit him for 13 yards. A late touchdown from Park to Stoshak made the halftime score 38-21, Northwest.

Both teams scored in the third, with the Lions getting a score from Park to Lawson to make the score 45-27 to end the third and Alexander's pick six made the score 45-34, Northwest with just under ten minutes to play.

Northwest, however, scored three late touchdowns to put the game away.

The Lions will be back in action next week when Southern travels to Fort Hays State. Kickoff is slated for 7 pm.

MSSU women's cross country finishes third at Southern Stampede

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's cross country team finished third today as the Lions competed in the 30th running of the Missouri Southern Stampede at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin.

Julianna Determan led the way for the Lions as she crossed the line of the 5k course in a time of 17:34.6 to place fourth. Ashley Kuykendall was seventh at 17:44.3, while Kelie Henderson placed 12th in a time of 17:58.2.

Alice Evans was 50th in a time of 18:50.2, while Maegen Derfelt was right behind in 51st with a time of 18:51.7. Janna Hautala placed 61st, while Raye Moran was 75th. Mady Gepford was 87th, while Danielle Prince (96th), Abbi Rogers (112th) and Gabrielle Hill (125th) finish out the Lions' individual scores.

Missouri State won the team title with 100 points, while Cal State East Bay was second with 101 points, while the Lions were third with 106 points. Southwest Baptist was fourth, followed by Pittsburg State, East Central, Minot State, Dallas Baptist, Rockhurst and Washburn to round out the top ten.

The Lions will be in action on October 5 as the Lions travel to Fayetteville to compete in the University of Arkansas Chile Pepper Festival.

MSSU men's cross country captures team, individual titles at Southern Stampede

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's cross country team captured the team and individual titles as the Lions competed in the 30th running of the Southern Stampede today at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.

The 6th-ranked Lions finished 15 points in front of Northwest Missouri for the team title as Gidieon Kimutai was the individual champion.

Kimutai bettered his time from a year ago by 43 seconds as he traversed the 8k course in a time of 24:04.02, 17 seconds in front of the second-place runner. Nickson Kiptoo (25:05.33), Ryan Riddle (25:09.49) and Cody Berry (25:09.81) finished 10th, 11th and 12th, respectively.

Jared Ozee was 25th, while Kevin Koester and Josh Webb placed 35th and 39th. Michael Shanahan was 56th, while Charles Grigsby finished 255th.

The Lions had four runners in the top-12 and earned 55 points, topping second-place Northwest Missouri, who finished with 70. Alabama-Huntsville was third, followed by Hutchinson CC, Pittsburg State, Emporia State, Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoam City, Southwest Baptist and Missouri Western to round out the top-10 scores.

The Lions will be back on October 5 as Southern will travel to Arkansas to compete in the Chile Pepper Invitational.

MSSU volleyball wins in four sets against Newman

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Wichita, Kan. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team picked up an MIAA win tonight as the Lions won at Newman, three sets to one inside Fugate Gymnasium. Individual set scores were 20-25, 25-19, 25-13 and 25-22.

The Lions (7-4, 1-1 MIAA) dropped the first set, but stormed back to defeat the Jets (0-10, 0-1 MIAA) in four. Morgan Nash led the way with 16 kills and nine digs, hitting .282 in the match. Janelle Brehm had nine kills and 15 digs, while Alicia Pickett had seven kills and Alyssa Diaz had eight kills. Makenzie Fa'amausili-Cacoulidis dished out 34 assists and added seven digs of her own.

Newman had two with double-figure kills, led by 15 from Trinity Conley and 10 from Sophia Helsing.

After dropping the first set, the Lions led 13-7 in the second set after a kill from Brehm.The lead was 19-12 after an error from Newman and a kill from Pickett made the score 23-14 before the Lions would pull it out 25-19.

Southern opened the third set on a 10-0 run and led 13-3 midway through. Newman got as close as nine (20-11), but the Lions closed it out with a kill from Shaylon Sharp to take the third set 25-13.

The fourth set saw the Lions go on a 7-3 run midway through the set to go up 17-10. Newman got as close as two (19-17), but the Lions reeled off two quick points to lead 21-17 after a block from Diaz. A kill from Sydney dose finished off the match.

The Lions will be back in action next Tuesday with a non-conference matchup with College of the Ozarks, before going back into MIAA play with road trips to nationally-ranked Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri next weekend.

KY3 report; Grant Wistrom seeking medical marijuana license

Former Webb City High School and St. Louis Rams football great Grant Wistrom is preparing to enter a new business venture.

KY3 reports Wistrom, 43, has applied for a medical marijuana license.

From the KY3 report:

"Some people have been surprised that I'm getting involved in this but not the people that know me," Wistrom said. "They know how I feel about medicines and healing yourself naturally." 

According to surveys, the number one reason people use medical marijuana is for pain management, something Wistrom says NFL players live with daily because of all the violence collisions.

Wistrom says marijuana is not for everyone, but it is "a valuable plant that can be used to help a lot of people."

The accompanying video is from KY3.

MSSU soccer on the road this weekend against Missouri Western, Central Missouri

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer team continues its nonconference slate on the road against a pair of Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) opponents beginning with Missouri Western on Friday at 8:00 pm and followed by a meeting with the eighth-ranked Central Missouri on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

The Lions (1-3-0) captured their first victory of 2019 on a last-second goal at home against the Drury Panthers last Friday night as a kick from senior Jessica Edwards deflected off a Panther defender into the goal as time expired. Sophomore forward Bailey Belcher leads the squad with two goals through the first two weeks after scoring both of them in a double-overtime thriller against the East Central Tigers last Sunday.

The Rundown

Friday: MWSU - Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium - 8:00 pm
Sunday: UCM - South Recreation Complex - 1:00 pm

TV/Stream:

MWSU - TBD
UCM - https://themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/

Live Stats:

MWSU - https://gogriffons.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
UCM - https://ucmathletics.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary

What the Opponents are Bringing to the Battle!

Missouri Western Griffons (1-2-1)

Series: MSSU leads, 11-7-2

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ... finished fifth last season (12-7 / 7-4 MIAA); fell in the first round of the MIAA tournament to Fort Hays State, 3-0 ... picked fifth in the conference preseason poll ... retained four of seven All-MIAA selections from last season in junior midfielder Lillian Davis (2nd), sophomore goalkeeper Anna Mayer (3rd), and junior forwards Claire Meyers (HM) and Taylor Schwartzkopf (HM) ... two other starters join them with ten or more starts during the 2018 season as the squad doesn't have a single senior on the roster ... hasn't played on the road as the Griffons wrap up a six-game home stand this weekend and began with back-to-back 2-0 losses against former MIAA member Lindenwood and nonconference opponent Rockhurst ... defeated the Lions, 1-0, in the teams' last meeting in Joplin a year ago while holding a winning streak of five since 2014 ... head coach Chad Edwards enters his ninth season at the helm of the Griffons as the all-time leaders in wins in program history ... registered a 40-19-1 record in the last three seasons and a 22-11 record versus MIAA opponents ... is an MSSU alum who played for the Lions from 1997 to 2000 and assisted the squad to a conference title in his freshman season.

No. 8 Central Missouri Jennies (3-1)

Series: UCM leads 21-8-3

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ... finished second last season (19-5-1 / 8-2-1 MIAA) ... picked second in the conference preseason poll with five first-place votes ... retained three of five All-MIAA selections from lasts season in senior defender Allysa Gann (1st), junior forward Makayla Toth (2nd) and junior defender Skylar Drum (2nd) ... Toth finished third in the MIAA in points (43) and assists (11), and fourth in goals scored (16) ... four other starters join them with ten or more starts during the 2018 season ... saw its consecutive MIAA regular-season championship streak of eight (2010-2017) and MIAA championship tournament of four (2014-2017) streak of four snapped by Central Oklahoma who defeated the Jennies 6-1 in the tournament final ... held a 2-0 advantage over Missouri Southern in the first 44 minutes of the last years match, but was forced into the 2-2 draw after being outshot by the Lions, 20-16, and allowing them to score two unanswered goals; junior forward Sarah Tatum recorded one of them ... head coach Lewis Theobald enters his 13th season at the helm of the Jennies with a record of 217-32-9 (.858), leading the Jennies to five NCAA Central Region championships (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018) and a National Title in 2017.

Next Stretch

Southern wraps up nonconference action versus Northwest Missouri State on September 27 at 6:00 pm before opening MIAA play in a rematch with the Griffons two days later on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

MSSU volleyball to play MIAA newcomer Newman at Wichita

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team will be back in action tomorrow night as the Lions will travel to Wichita to take on Newman in MIAA play.

The matchup with the Jets marks the first time the two teams have played each other while members of the MIAA as this is Newman's first year in league play.

Southern (6-4, 0-1 MIAA) is coming off a 3-1 loss on the road at Pittsburg State. In the matchup, Morgan Nash recorded her third double-double of the season when she picked up 10 kills, 19 assists and 15 digs. Nash is tied for the Division II lead in that category.

Coming into the week, the Lions led Division II in total team digs and total team attacks, while ranking third in total kills, fourth in total assists and 11th in total blocks. Individually, Janelle Brehm leads Division II in total attacks, while ranking 11th in total kills and 14th in attacks per set.

Newman (0-9) is coming off an 0-4 tournament at Fort Hays where the Jets lost to Northwestern Oklahoma, Chadron State, Southern Arkansas and Western Colorado. Trinity Conley leads the Jets as she averages 3.56 kills per set, while pulling in 2.24 digs per set.

Southern will be back in action next week as the Lions will play host to College of the Ozarks on Tuesday night, before hosting Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri on Friday and Saturday.

MSSU cross country teams play host to Southern Stampede this weekend

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Nationally-ranked Missouri Southern men's and women's cross country teams will be in action this weekend as the Lions play host to the 30th-annual Southern Stampede ran at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.

The men come into the event ranked sixth and the women are 18th in Division II after both teams swept both the individual and team titles in their first meet of the season at Southwest Baptist. Gidieon Kimutai and Julianna Determan won the individual titles and were both honored with MIAA Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors.

The men dominated at SBU as the Lions had four of the top seven runners, six in the top 12 and seven in the top 23. Southern scored 25 points as a team, 42 points in front of second-place Central Missouri. The women had four runners in the top 13 and five in the top 20. Southern won the team title over Southwest Baptist by three points with a score of 45.

The field of collegiate runners will consist of more than 1,200 entries. The men's race will feature just one Division I team in Oral Roberts, while the women will see three Division I teams compete in ORU, Arkansas and Missouri State.

The Lions are the top ranked team on the men's side coming in at sixth, while Northwest Missouri at No. 19 is the only other ranked program. On the women's side, Southern is the top-ranked program at No. 18, while Dallas Baptist is at No. 20 and Oklahoma Baptist is at No. 23. Arkansas is ranked No. 5 nationally in Division I.

Races begin at 8 am with the college/juco women's race. The university open race for the women is at 8:30, while the college/juco men's race is at 9 am. The final collegiate race of the morning is the university open race starting at 9:45 am.

Live results can be found in the story links above, as well as a link to where results will be put once the races are finalized.