December 2014 – Page 72 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Benedictine men now ranked No. 6 in NAIA Top 25 poll

Posted on December 10, 2014

Off to an 8-2 start, the Benedictine Men’s Basketball team moved to No. 6 this week when the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the first regular-season Div. I Men’s Basketball Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.

Benedictine moved down two spots into a tie with Talladega (Ala.) for the No. 6-spot with 198 points.

The Ravens are the highest-rated member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the first regular season poll.

Evangel University slipped from No. 20 to No. 24 while Culver-Stockton College fell from No. 24 to No. 25.

Heading into the final weeks of December, the Ravens are ranked fifth in scoring defense per game (59.2) and field goal percent defense (0.362). They are also ranked sixth in free throw percentage at 74.6 percent.

Individually, Jallen Messersmith ranks fourth in NAIA Div. I in blocks (25) and blocks per game (2.5).

The Ravens host NAIA Div. II York (Neb.) College at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium.

— BC Sports Information —

Missouri’s Pinkel, Ray, Murphy earned individual SEC honors

Posted on December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

The Mizzou Football program earned quite a bounty of individual awards today as the Southeastern Conference announced that Head Coach Gary Pinkel has been voted by league coaches as the 2014 SEC Coach of the Year. In addition, junior DE Shane Ray (Kansas City, Mo.) has been selected as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, while senior back Marcus Murphy (DeSoto, Texas) has been named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year.

Pinkel won coach of year honors after leading his Tigers to a 10-3 regular season and a second-straight SEC Eastern Division title, thanks to a 7-1 league record. Mizzou entered the season picked fourth in the SEC East by pre-season pollsters, a year after going 12-2 in 2013. Under Pinkel’s watch, Mizzou has now won conference divisional titles in five of the last eight seasons (2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014), which is tied for most in the nation during that stretch (along with Alabama and Florida State). Additionally, the Tigers’ 75 wins from 2007-14 is the 5th-most among FBS “power five” conferences.

This is the second time that Pinkel has won conference coach of the year honors at Mizzou. He won the same distinction in 2007 in the Big 12 Conference for leading Mizzou to a 12-2 record and a #1 national ranking late in the season. It marks the fifth time a Tiger coach has won conference coach of the year honors, and Pinkel is the first to win twice (Al Onofrio-1972; Warren Powers-1983; Larry Smith-1997; Gary Pinkel-2007, 2014).

Ray’s honor means that he is now the league’s unanimous defensive player of the year, as he’s been voted as such by both the Associated Press and league coaches.

Ray emerged from the shadow of 2013 standouts Michael Sam and Kony Ealy, who were both first-team All-SEC picks a year ago, and forged his own path, breaking records along the way. The first-year starter set a school record with 14.0 quarterback sacks, and he also totaled 21.0 tackles for loss, while ranking fifth on the team with his 61 tackles on the year. Ray leads the SEC and ranks 3rd nationally in sacks, while he ranks 2nd in the league, and 6th nationally in tackles for loss.

He is now the third Tiger to ever win conference defensive player of the year honors, matching former standouts Jeff Gaylord (A.P. – 1981) and Sam (A.P./Coaches – 2013).

Murphy’s award comes a day after he was twice named a first-team All-SEC performer by league coaches – on offense as an all-purpose back, and on special teams as a return specialist. Murphy emerged as one of the nation’s most versatile players and dangerous return men, as he ranks second in the SEC in all-purpose average (131.9 yds.). He is the only player in the nation to score TDs in 2014 via all four all-purpose categories: Rushing (4), Kickoff Returns (2), Punt Returns (1) and Receiving (1), and improved from 2nd-Team All-SEC acclaim in 2013.

Mizzou is off from practice until this Saturday, when they begin on-field preparations for the 2015 Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl against Minnesota, set for Jan. 1st in Orlando, Fla.

— MU Sports Information —

Five Griffons named to the Don Hanson All-Super Region 3 team

Posted on December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

Five members of the 2014 Missouri Western football team have been named to the Don Hansen All-Super Region Three Team.

Kicker John Schmiemeier was named to the second team along with defensive back Michael Jordan and punter Scott Groner. Running back Raphael Spencer and offensive lineman Travis Anderson were both third team selections.

Schmiemeier was also named second team All-MIAA. The senior led the conference in field goal percentage (72%) and tied for the league lead in made field goals (18). The Fenton, Missouri native was also perfect on point after attempts and was named MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week twice.

Jordan adds to his list of postseason honors. The junior was also a first team AFCA All-American and first team All-MIAA pick in addition to making the DAKTRONICS All-Super Region 3 second team. His 16 passes defended were tops in the MIAA. He also tied for the MIAA lead with four interceptions this season. He took one of those interceptions back 39 yards for a touchdown at Washburn. He was the MIAA Freshman of the year and an honorable mention pick in 2012.

Groner was also a first team All-MIAA selection. He led the MIAA with a 42.2 yard per punt average. He boomed 15 kicks over 50 yards, including a long of 70 yards in the season opener against Central Missouri. The senior also forced 15 fair catches and induced just four touchbacks on 60 punts.

Spencer rushed for 1,126 yards on 243 carries on his way to being named first team All-MIAA. He also moved into third on the all-time rushing list at MWSU after his 145-yard rushing performance at Missouri Southern. The junior rushed for seven touchdowns and averaged 4.6 yards per carry and just over 102 yards per game.

Anderson was the other Griffon to land on the All-MIAA first team. The redshirt sophomore started all 11 games for the Griffons at left guard. He helped Spencer to another 1,000-yard season and also was a key part of an offensive line that allowed just 1.6 sacks per contest.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Nebraska gets upset by Division I newcomer Incarnate Word

Posted on December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Kyle Hittle hit a contested baseline jumper after Nebraska’s Terran Petteway threw away an inbound pass, and Incarnate Word upset Nebraska 74-73 on Wednesday night for the biggest victory in the Cardinals’ one-plus seasons making the transition from Division II to Division I.

The Cornhuskers looked like they might survive after Shawn Johnson made 2 of 3 free throws to leave Incarnate Word (6-1) down a point with 6.7 seconds left.

But Petteway threw to no one on the inbound play, and the ball rolled out of bounds near the half court line. Mitchell Badillo inbounded to Hittle, who took two steps and made his 10-footer along the baseline.

Petteway’s desperation shot at the buzzer was short.

Jontrell Walker scored 19 points to lead five Incarnate Word players in double figures. Shavon Shields had 19 to lead the Huskers (5-3).

— Associated Press —

MWSU’s Rottinghaus, Faubel named Academic All-Americans

Posted on December 10, 2014

Missouri Western volleyball players Erica Rottinghaus and Sarah Faubel have been selected to the Capital One Academic All-America first-team. The seniors are the first Griffons to earn the honor since their coach, Marian Carbin (Broderick), was a first-team pick in 2005.

It’s the second All-American honor this season for Rottinghaus, who was also picked as an honorable mention on the AVCA All-American team, becoming the first Griffon to land that distinction since Shelly Lowery in 1995. She led the Griffons with 396 kills for a 3.6 average per set and ranked fifth in the MIAA in kills per set average. The Seneca, Kansas native was second on the team with 438.5 points and third with 59 total blocks. She was also second on the team with 279 digs. Rottinghaus was also named first team All-MIAA, fist team AVCA All-District, received an MIAA Scholar Athlete Award, first team CoSIDA Academic All-District and MIAA Academic Honor Roll. A health & exercise science major, Rottinghaus has a 3.92 GPA.

Along with being named first team CoSIDA Academic All-District, Faubel also received an MIAA Scholar Athlete Award, was named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and was a second team All-MIAA pick. The senior finished her career as the Griffons all-time digs leader, finishing with 427 this season and 1,799 for her career. The Lincoln, Nebraska native averaged nearly four digs per set and committed just 24 reception errors for an average of .22 per set. A business major, Faubel has a 4.0 GPA.

— MWSU Sports Information —

14 Wildcats named All-Big 12; Lockett, Finney earn individual honors

Posted on December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

Led by Special Teams Player of the Year Tyler Lockett and Offensive Lineman of the Year B.J. Finney, Kansas State had 14 players named to the All-Big 12 teams as the conference office announced the coaches’ selections on Wednesday.

Lockett – a first-team member as both a wide receiver and kick returner – and Finney are the second and third players in school history to earn four-straight all-conference designations following Ty Zimmerman from 2010 to 2013. They are joined on the first team by fullback Glenn Gronkowski, defensive end Ryan Mueller and defensive back Randall Evans.

Second-team selections include quarterback Jake Waters, wide receiver Curry Sexton, offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, linebacker Jonathan Truman and defensive backs Dante Barnett and Danzel McDaniel.

Kansas State’s honorable mention selections are defensive lineman Travis Britz, place kicker Matthew McCrane and offensive lineman Boston Stiverson. Additionally, Lockett earned votes for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Mueller was an honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and linebacker Elijah Lee earned votes for Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. Four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year Bill Snyder also earned votes for the 2014 honor.

The 14 players named to the All-Big 12 teams are tied for the third most in school history. The duo of Lockett and Sexton are the second set of receivers in school history to be named to the first or second teams as Quincy Morgan (first team) and Aaron Lockett (second team) were both honored in 1999.

Lockett is the sixth player in Big 12 history to repeat as the conference’s player of the year on either offense, defense or special teams and the second in league history to earn two special teams accolades (Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State, 2011 and 2012). He led the Big 12 with 170.6 all-purpose yards per game – nearly 20 yards per game more than the player in second place – and also paced the conference by averaging 112.6 receiving yards per game. He held a 19.0 punt-return average (361 total yards), which included a 58-yard touchdown against UTEP and a 43-yard score at West Virginia. The Big 12’s leader in career kickoff-return average at 29.1 yards, Lockett also returned 15 kickoffs for 318 yards during his senior campaign.

A product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lockett, a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, hauled in 93 receptions for 1,351 yards during the regular season to rank second in school history in both categories. The school’s career leader in catches, yards and touchdowns, Lockett ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards and ninth in receptions heading into the bowl season.

Finney, a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, has started all 51 games in his Wildcat career, including the last 50 at center. He is the first offensive lineman in school history and fifth player overall to be voted a team captain three times, while he is one of four linemen nationally with 51 consecutive starts. Finney shared Offensive Lineman of the Year honors with Baylor’s Spencer Drango.

One of the top blocking fullbacks in the league, Gronkowski has played in all 12 games with three starts and has been a receiving threat out of the backfield yet again. The sophomore, who was an honorable mention selection last season, has caught four passes for 92 yards – an average of 23 yards per catch – which included a 62-yard touchdown at then-No. 11 Oklahoma.

Mueller earned his second-straight First Team All-Big 12 designation, the first Wildcat defensive lineman to accomplish the feat since Ian Campbell in 2007 and 2008. The Leawood, Kansas, product came away with 33 tackles in 2014, including 9.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks. He pushed his career sack total to 19.5, which ranks seventh in school history.

Evans, a native of Miami, Florida, picked up All-Big 12 honors for the first time in his career. The senior ranks third on the team with 61 tackles, while he has paced the squad with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. A former walk-on, Evans is tied for third in the league in interceptions as all four came in conference play, including a current streak of three-straight games with a pick.

The second-year starter at quarterback, Waters has had a banner year by throwing for 3,163 yards and 20 touchdowns on 231-of-349 passing while adding 471 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. He leads the Big 12 in passing efficiency among quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts with a 157.6 mark, while he is fourth in overall total offense (302.8 yds/gm) and second in conference-only total offense (320.0 yds/gm).

Waters, a product of Council Bluffs, Iowa, broke the school’s single-season record for offensive yards (3,303), while he ranks second in completions and yards, and tied for fourth in touchdowns.

A native of Abilene, Kansas, Sexton has 69 catches for 955 yards and five touchdowns this season after entering his senior campaign with three-year career totals of 50 receptions, 564 yards and one score. He ranks fourth in the Big 12 in receptions and seventh in yards, while he has teamed with Lockett for the most combined yards by two receivers in a single season in K-State history (2,306). With 45 yards in K-State’s bowl game, Sexton can record the ninth 1,000-yard season in school history and combine with Lockett to mark the first time two Wildcat receivers have eclipsed the 1,000-yard barrier in the same season.

Barnett ranks second on the team with 73 tackles, including four for loss, and three interceptions to go along with eight breakups. Four of his breakups came against Texas en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Barnett’s defensive backfield mate, McDaniel, has 55 tackles, including five for loss, one sack and three passes defended. His lone interception of the year came at Oklahoma when he jumped a route and returned it five yards for a touchdown.

Whitehair, a native of Abilene, Kansas, earned second-team honors for the second year in a row, while Britz is also a two-time honorable mention selection. McCrane, who is 16-of-17 on field goals and broke the K-State freshman record for points with 86, is a first-time honoree along with Stiverson.

No. 11 Kansas State faces 14th-ranked UCLA in the 2015 Valero Alamo Bowl on Friday, January 2, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game, which kicks off at 5:45 p.m., will be televised nationally by ESPN.

Coaches’ All-Big 12 Awards/Teams

Special Teams Player of the Year: Tyler Lockett

Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year: B.J. Finney

First Team All-Big 12: Glenn Gronkowski (FB), Tyler Lockett (WR and KR/PR), B.J. Finney (OL), Ryan Mueller (DL), Randall Evans (DB).

Second Team All-Big 12: Jake Waters (QB), Curry Sexton (WR), Cody Whitehair (OL), Jonathan Truman (LB), Dante Barnett (DB), Danzel McDaniel (DB).

Honorable Mention All-Big 12: Travis Britz (DL), Elijah Lee (Defensive Freshman of the Year), Tyler Lockett (Offensive Player of the Year), Matthew McCrane (PK), Ryan Mueller (Defensive Lineman of the Year), Bill Snyder (Coach of the Year), Boston Stiverson (OL).

— KSU Sports Information —

Doctors face steep Medicaid cuts as fee boost ends

Posted on December 10, 2014

RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study says primary care doctors seeing low-income patients face a steep cut in Medicaid fees next year when a temporary program in President Barack Obama’s health care law expires.

That could reduce access for patients just when millions of new people are gaining Medicaid coverage under that same law.

Wednesday’s study from the nonpartisan Urban Institute estimates the cuts will average about 40 percent nationwide. But they’ll be 50 percent or more for primary care doctors in California, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois — big states that expanded Medicaid under the health law.

To improve access for the poor, the health law increased Medicaid fees for primary care doctors from 2013 to 2014. But that boost expires Jan. 1, and an extension got bogged down in Congress.

House renews government terror insurance backstop

Posted on December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed long-sought legislation to renew a government program that’s credited with reviving the market for insurance against terrorist attacks after the Sept. 11 attacks.

But the measure passed Wednesday may face a bleak future in the Senate because of opposition to an unrelated item involving a rewrite of a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank overhaul of financial services regulations.

The terrorism risk insurance program was originally enacted in 2002 after the 9/11 attacks led the private market for terrorism insurance to collapse. It provides a government backstop in the event of catastrophic losses.

The legislation is important to economic sectors such as construction, real estate, hospitality and major sports leagues, which fear crippling insurance costs if the program expires.

Six Kansas football players earn All-Big 12 honors

Posted on December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

A trio of Kansas football seniors picked up first-team honors as the 2014 All-Big 12 football awards were announced by the conference office Wednesday. Linebacker Ben Heeney, punter Trevor Pardula and cornerback JaCorey Shepherd led the way as first-team honorees as a total of six Jayhawks were recognized by the Big 12. The selections were made by the league’s 10 head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players.

KU’s trio of All-Big 12 First Team honorees mark the first time a Jayhawk has earned the distinction from the league office since wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe was recognized in 2009. The three players being tabbed for the first team are the most for Kansas since four Jayhawks were lauded by the conference coaches in 2007.

Senior tight end Jimmay Mundine was tabbed for the second team, while senior BUCK Michael Reynolds and senior safety Cassius Sendish each earned honorable mention nods. Additionally, Heeney and Pardula were honorable mention honorees as Defensive Player of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year, respectively.

Heeney, who had taken home second team All-Big 12 honors in each of the previous two seasons, finished the 2014 campaign with 127 total tackles, just one shy of the Big 12 lead. He led the NCAA and Big 12 in solo stops, with 7.3 per outing. Heeney recorded the 2014 Big 12 single-game high of 21 stops in KU’s game at Texas Tech, including 17 solo tackles. His 17 solo hits marked the second-most in a game in conference history.

A Hutchinson, Kansas native, Heeney completed his final season in the Crimson and Blue with seven double-digit tackling performances to go along with 12.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, four quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Pardula, who was an honorable mention honoree as both a punter and Special Teams Player of the Year in 2013, led the Big 12 in punting this season, averaging 44.3 yards per kick. He recorded 29 punts of 50 yards or longer on the year, including a game at Duke where he booted the ball 70 yards or more twice. A native of San Jose, California, Pardula dropped 24 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard and finished the year with 83 punts, which ranks second-most in Kansas single-season history.

A Mesquite, Texas native, Shepherd led the Big 12 Conference and ranked third nationally with 19 passes defended on the year. Among his 19 passes defended, were 16 pass breakups and he recorded a team-leading three interceptions. Shepherd’s six passes defended in KU’s win over Iowa State marked a season-high in the NCAA in 2014. Shepherd, a former wide receiver-turned cornerback, only allowed two passing touchdowns all season.

Shepherd, who earned honorable mention honors in 2013 as both a kick returner and a defensive back, is also a finalist for both the Senior CLASS Award and the Lee Roy Selmon Community Spirit Award for his work in the community in addition to his standout play.

Mundine, who hails from Denison, Texas, was the Kansas leader in both receptions with 45 and receiving yards with 584 on the year. An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient in 2012 and 2013, Mundine averaged 13.0 yards per catch and scored three touchdowns in his final year as a Jayhawk. A John Mackey Award semifinalist, Mundine set the KU single-game record for receiving yards by a tight end with his 137-yard performance in the Jayhawks’ win over Iowa State. Of his 45 receptions on the season, 33 resulted in first downs for the Kansas offense.

Reynolds was honored by the conference for the first time in his career following a standout senior season that saw him lead the Big 12 in forced fumbles with five. Additionally, the Wichita, Kansas native was fourth in tackles-for-loss with 14.5 and fifth in sacks with 7.0 on the year. Reynolds’ 14.5 TFLs rank 12th in KU single-season history.

Sendish, who calls Waldorf, Maryland home, ranked third on the KU defense and among the top 30 tacklers in the Big 12 with 69 total stops in 2014. A first-time all-conference honoree, Sendish picked up a fumble and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown at Oklahoma. He also had an interception, two pass breakups, 2.0 TFLs and 1.5 sacks during his final season as a Jayhawk.

— KU Sports Information —

The mystery of where Earth’s water came from deepens

Posted on December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — Where did the Earth get its water?

It’s a mystery that got murkier today as some astronomers essentially ruled out one of the chief suspects: comets.

Over the past few months, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta space probe closely examined the type of comet that some scientists believed could have brought water to our planet 4 billion years ago. It found water, but the wrong kind. It contains more of a hydrogen isotope than water on Earth does.

The author of a study in the journal Science says it could be that asteroids brought water to Earth. But others disagree.

Many scientists have long believed that Earth had water when it first formed, but that it boiled off, so that the water on the planet now had to have come from an outside source.