Former MSSU golfer wins Oklahoma Amateur Championship

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

It was his first time ever competing at the Oklahoma Amateur Golf Championships, but former Lion Jamie Voegeli made it look like he was a seasoned veteran as he won the event on July 21-23 at the Patriot Golf Club in Owasso.

Voegeli played for the Lions from 2007-2011, including being part of a team that competed in an NCAA Regional in 2008 and 2009. His low round occurred in his junior season when he shot an opening-round seven-under par, 65 at the North Alabama Fall Classic.

Voegeli had stopped playing golf competitively, but recently started again after he and a friend of his, Tyler Hunt, teamed up to win the Tulsa Golf Association Four-Ball Championship in 2017. Both had entered the State Amateur Championship and ironically when the draw came out, the two could have faced each other in the finals, but it was just Jamie who made it there. Hunt, however, caddied for Voegeli in the final round providing support and advice to his friend.

After Voegeli had bogeyed the par-4 14th hole in the final day, he told Hunt how tired he was. Hunt reassured him that he just needed one good swing to get things back on track.

"After hitting a good drive on 15, we both were debating on what club to use on my second shot," Voegeli said. "He thought I may be a little hesitant to hit the three wood and suggested we go for the five iron and be safe. I told him that I really wanted to hit a three wood. I've had it since I was in seventh grade and it was my dad's and other than my putter, it's my favorite club in the bag. He said 'All right, commit to hit, hit it to the left side of the green and if it fades it'll be a perfect shot.' I hit it 260 (yards) in the air and had a 25-foot put for eagle. After that, I had a pretty good feeling I was going to close it out."

And close it out, he did. He made a birdie on 14 and another on 15 to put him three up with three holes to play. Voegeli sealed the match with a 10-foot birdie put on the 17th hole to take the final match 3 & 1. Overall, Voegeli won six matches over the three-day span. He played 104 holes with 26 birdies and four eagles, including a hole-in-one on a 194-yard shot with a six-iron. He defeated two top high school seniors to be and defeated four current collegiate players including three Division I student-athletes.

Voegeli earned a degree in industrial engineering technology from MSSU in 2011 and in 2013 began working for TD Williamson as a quality engineer. He transitioned to a project manager from 2015-19 and was named to his current position, a technical sales engineer, in 2019. In that position, Voegeli's territory covers all oil and gas transmission, distribution, gathering and refinery pipeline operators in Oklahoma and Kansas.

He married his wife Paige in 2017 and the couple is expecting their first child this September.

Voegeli said his game has improved the last few years and he's more consistent than his days at Southern. From here he has qualified for the Oklahoma Open, a 54-hole event held on August 20-22 at Oak Tree Country Club in Edmond, Okla. The field will consist of 144 players, mostly professional, with a few amateurs invited.

MIAA sets down rules for MSSU, other association schools for fall sports activities

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The MIAA laid out a guiding document for the start of fall activities. The document clarifies starting dates and activities for the fall sports seasons, and all other sports as they return to campus for the fall semester.

All voluntary activities as described by the NCAA Division II Administrative Committee during summer 2020 are permitted up until the start of each institution's first day of classes.

Starting from a member institution's first day of classes until August 24, football teams can conduct team/film meetings, strength and conditioning activities with no on-field/court activities with equipment or individual skill instruction, and each student-athlete is restricted to 15 hours per week with one day off per week. 

From August 25 through August 29, teams will be permitted to conduct their acclimatization period as specified in NCAA Bylaw 17.10.2.3. Teams would then be able to start full practice sessions on August 31.

Beginning on a member institution's first day of classes until Sunday, August 30, men's and women's cross country, women's soccer, and volleyball teams will be allowed to conduct team/film meetings, strength and conditioning activities with no on-field/court activities with equipment or individual skill instruction, and each student-athlete is restricted to 15 hours per week with one day off per week. Teams can begin full practice sessions on Monday, August 31.

For men's and women's golf and men's and women's tennis, all normal non-championship segment activities are allowed and will be excluded from the MIAA's adjusted start dates.

All MIAA sports that were not listed above can have no physical activity, which includes weight room and/or conditioning sessions until August 31. Team meetings and any physicals with medical officials are permitted, and each student-athlete is restricted to no more than eight hours of team activity per week during that time.

MSSU volleyball team earns national academic award

(From the MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team has been awarded the United States Marine Corps/American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award (AVCA), the organization announced this week.

The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale.

In terms of USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award winners by subgroup, girls high school led the way with 461 recipients. In all three NCAA Women's Divisions, over 50% of the membership won the award, led by 68% in DI, 57% in DII and 53% in DIII. 

In the emerging sport of beach volleyball, 49% of teams won the award and in the fastest growing sector of Collegiate Men, 38 schools were honored, doubling the number from the previous year.

This year, the volleyball team had the top team GPA in the athletic department at 3.583. The Lions had 12 players with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher and 14 with GPA's of 3.00 or higher. Alicia Pickett concluded her four-year career with a perfect 4.00 GPA.

"I am so proud of how our team adapted to online learning this semester," said head coach Kalie Mader. "This honor is just a small representation of how impressive this group of humans are."

MSSU track and field teams honored for academic success

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern track and field program was honored by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for its academic success this week.

Both the men and women earned the team academic award, while 11 women and one man earned individual honors. The Southern women carried a 3.45 cumulative GPA, while the men had a 3.05 GPA this past year. 

Individually, student-athletes must have a 3.25 cumulative GPA, at least 24 semester hours and have achieved either an automatic or provisional qualifying mark for the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Earning the honor for the women were Elizabeth Adeoye, Jordan Banker, Elena Bisotto, Jasmine Deckard, Kelie Henderson, Kiersten Leisinger, Claire Luallen, Alexandra Rodriguez, Lauren Sutherland, Megan Tramel and Lanea Wallace. Gidieon Kimutai won the honor for the men.

MSSU, other MIAA institutions to delay practices, games

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The MIAA and its member institutions announced a plan to delay the start of all intercollegiate athletic practices until the week of August 31, with the start of competition delayed until the week of September 28. 

The CEO Council will continue to monitor this plan and adjust it as necessary to protect the health and safety of all involved in MIAA athletics.

Restrictions and limitations on student-athlete and coach activities prior to the August 31 start of MIAA practices will be announced soon.

The CEO Council supported the recommendation to delay the start of all MIAA all intercollegiate athletic practices and competition; however, the group acknowledges the ability to execute this plan is dependent on our students, employees, and fans demonstrating socially responsible behavior during this public health crisis. In addition, it is important that student-athletes continue to practice socially responsible behavior to help protect the health of the team.

"This plan allows our student-athletes to get back on campus and get acclimated with the student body before we begin practices and competition," said MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy. 

"We remain hopeful that the MIAA student-athletes will be able to practice and compete this fall, but we need to be patient and make sure that we are doing that in a healthy and safe environment for our student-athletes, coaches, and administrators."

The plan will allow member universities to continue to monitor the COVID-19 global health pandemic, and to make decisions about athletics and other campus activities based on conditions in that community and with guidance from local and state health officials.

The health and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and communities in the MIAA continues to be the Association's top priority. The MIAA is taking these unprecedented actions to help our campuses and communities continue to address this public health crisis.

"While the situation is far from ideal, we are fully intending to have competitions this fall," said Director of Athletics Jared Bruggeman. "This delay allows for an opportunity to re-evaluate a very fluid situation without fully cancelling our entire fall semester of competitions. We need to approach this fall with the overall best interests of our health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, boosters and community in mind."

More information on schedule changes will be released in the coming weeks. 

MSSU Athletics cancels remaining summer camps

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Athletic Department has cancelled the remaining athletic camps on schedule for the summer.

Unfortunately, due to an increased number of Covid-19 cases, the University has made the decision to cancel all remaining summer camps this year. 

Campers that have paid already will receive refunds and those that paid a registration fee by credit card will not have their cards charged. Any questions should be directed to each individual sport coach for clarification.

The list below is each camp that was cancelled.

Baseball - July 9-12, July 23-26, July 30-1
Men's Basketball - Youth Camp July 20-24, Elite Camp Aug 16
Women's Basketball - Elite Camp Aug. 15
Football - Friday Night Lights Camp July 10
Soccer - Youth Camp Aug 3-5, ID Camp 8-9
Sofball - Pitching Camp July 14, Team Camp July 17, HS Team Camp July 20 and 27
Volleyball - Individual Camp July 13