Benedictine College head women’s basketball coach Chad Folsom has announced that Chris Emery from Tampa, Fla., has joined the Ravens coaching staff as a Graduate Assistant for the upcoming season.

Emery comes to Benedictine from Florida Gulf Coast University where he was a manager for the NCAA Div. I women’s basketball team the past two seasons.  Each year that Chris was part of the program the Lady Eagles qualified for the Women’s Div. I National Tournament, beating Oklahoma State University this past season.

“We are very excited that Chris will be joining our women’s basketball coaching staff,” stated Coach Folsom. “He brings a great deal of experience having been a part of a very successful NCAA Div. I basketball program. Chris is a hard worker and very eager to learn and will be a strong asset to our Lady Raven basketball program.”

Chris graduated from Florida Gulf Coast with degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Sport Management. He will be pursuing his M.B.A. while assisting the women’s basketball program.

“I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to further my education at Benedictine College,” Emery said. “I am looking forward to learning under Coach Folsom, spreading my knowledge with the team and gaining valuable experience coaching at Benedictine College.”

The Lady Ravens went 26-9 last season and earned a No. 17 ranking in the final NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. The team earned an automatic bid to the NAIA Div. I Women’s Basketball National Championship, held in Independence, Mo., after winning the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and played into the Round of 16 at the Tournament.

Also Monday, Benedictine head baseball coach Anthony Everman has announced the addition of Adam Hilker to the baseball coaching staff.

“We are very excited that Adam has joined the Raven family.” Coach Everman said. “He has a lot of passion for helping players reach their full potential and he will be a big asset on the recruiting trail.

“Adam understands the vision of Benedictine College and he will be a great fit for our program as we continue to move forward.”

Hilker is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado where he earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. He was also a member of the baseball program where he was a second team All-Great West Conference shortstop selection and team captain for three seasons.

“I am extremely thankful for the opportunity given to me by Coach Everman and the administration here at Benedictine to work at such a great institution,” Hilker said. “I look forward to getting started working with the student athletes and further my coaching career.”

After wrapping up his playing career at Northern Colorado, he served as the Director of Baseball Operations for his alma mater while pursuing his Master’s and continued as a Volunteer Assistant Coach until July 2014. He has served as a head coach for two summer collegiate leagues, most recently leading the Melville Millionaires of the Western Major Baseball League in Melville, Saskatchewan, Canada.

— BC Athletics —

The 25th ranked Benedictine football team opened up their 2015 campaign on Saturday with a 24-14 win over Evangel University thanks in large part to two big defensive plays in the first half.

The Ravens Dre Graves returned a Brett Diers pass for 80-yards to score the first touchdown of the season in the first quarter for Benedictine and then a blocked field goal set up a five-play, 70-yard drive that was capped off by a Diego Rodriquez two-yard run pushing Benedictine ahead 14-0 early in the second quarter.

After a Derek Rodgers 22-yard field goal extended Benedictine’s lead to 17-0 at the half, the Crusaders were finally able to break through on the scoreboard late in the third quarter.

The Ravens answered on a 18-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Koester to David Claypool in the fourth quarter before Evangel closed out the scoring with one minute left in the game.

Koester finished with 244 yards passing off 16 completions for the Ravens while Tyler Henness anchored the rushing attack with 85 yards on 19 carries. Henness finished with 128 all-purpose yards as he added 43 yards receiving off four catches. Christian Haack led the Raven receivers with 69 yards off three receptions.

In all, Benedictine gained 403 yards off 67 plays with a total of 159 on the ground to go with Koester’s total through the air.

Defensively, Shane Baumann led the Ravens with 11 tackles while Josh Rhodes and Graves each added eight tackles. The Ravens recorded two sacks for a loss of 15 yards and four tackles for a loss of 25 yards. They finished with three interceptions as Burl Brisbane and Kenny Barrow accounted for the remaining two.

The Ravens take to the road for the second game of the season as they travel to Kansas City, Mo., for a 1 p.m. game against Avila University.

— BC Athletics —

ATCHISON – Benedictine College men’s basketball coach Ryan Moody announced on Tuesday, the promotion of long-time Raven assistant coach John Peer to the role of Associate Head Coach.

Peer has been a member of the Benedictine men’s basketball program for 14 years, 10 as an assistant coach and the last four as an assistant on the staff of Coach Moody. He has been a part of two consecutive NAIA Division I National Tournament teams and the first ever Heart of America Athletic Conference regular season championship in program history.

“John is a major reason for our recent success,” said Coach Moody. “He is an outstanding recruiter and on-court coach. His dedication to our team’s preparation and individual development of our players has made a positive impact on our program. He is a mentor to our players and an outstanding reflection of our program both on campus and in our community. I appreciate all of John’s hard work and I look forward to the future of Raven basketball.”

Last year Peer helped the Ravens to a 24-9 record and the second consecutive trip to the NAIA Division I National Tournament. Three players received All-Heart honors in John Harris Jr. (First Team), Jallen Messersmith, (Second Team and Defensive Player of the Year) and Jonathon Anaekwe (Honorable Mention).

During his tenure at Benedictine College, Peer has recruited and coached 16 All-Heart players and five NAIA All-America selections, two of which were post players.

“As an alum and knowing how many people truly cared and were invested in me as a student-athlete, it has been an honor to be part of a staff that still holds those values.” Peer said, “I am very thankful to Coach Moody for the opportunity and it has been great working with him as a coach and as a friend. I am very proud of where our program is and am really excited about where it is heading in the future.”

Peer is involved in all aspects of the Raven program.  His primary responsibilities are recruiting and post player development.  His other duties include on-court coaching, opponent scouting, film breakdown, scheduling and assisting with the day-to-day operations of the basketball program.

Coach Peer played four seasons for the Ravens, ending his career in 2004 as the Ravens 20th-leading scorer in school history with 1,202 points. He left BC as the fourth-ranked 3-point shooter in the program’s history with 195.

Peer holds a pair of degrees from Benedictine College. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 2004 and his MBA in 2005. He married his wife Lauren in August 2014.

— BC Sports Information —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Heart of America Athletic Conference commissioner Lori Thomas has signed a historic agreement with the Niles Media Group to televise football games for the 2015 season. Games will be available on ESPN3, as well as in the Kansas City area on KSMO-TV, an affiliate of the Meredith Corporation.

Niles Media, located in Liberty, Mo., will produce a 13-game schedule that will be carried live in the Kansas City area on KSMO-TV as well as on ESPN3 with a consistent kickoff time of 11:00 a.m. CT.

As part of the broadcast schedule, the Raven Football program will be featured four times – Sept. 12 vs. Missouri Valley College, Sept. 19 at MNU, Oct. 10 vs. Culver-Stockton College and Oct. 31 at William Penn (Iowa) College.

“This is a great opportunity for the Heart of America Athletic Conference,” said Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis, chair of the conference’s council of presidents. “We are excited to have our alumni and friends that aren’t able to be at the games in person to be able to enjoy them on ESPN3 and KSMO-TV. The Heart is regarded as the best small college football conference in the country with six teams rated in the preseason top 25, so it is a nice opportunity to show off the Benedictine Ravens and the rest of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.”

All 12 teams will make at least one appearance on the schedule, while 11 of the 12 teams will have the opportunity to show off its respective campuses with a home contest. With the conference introducing divisional play for the 2015 season, the final game of the schedule will be kept open as a “flex” selection, providing the opportunity to select a game with championship implications.

“My goal as commissioner is to look for opportunities to improve the experience for student-athletes and coaches while raising the profile for institutions and the conference,” said Thomas. “To televise a 13-week football schedule achieves all of that. I want to thank Niles Media Group for their work and partnership with the Heart of America Athletic Conference to make this happen.”

“Niles Media Group and KSMO in Kansas City are proud to partner with the Heart of America Athletic Conference to produce and broadcast athletic events that showcase the institutions and student-athletes of this great conference,” said John Sprugel, Partner, Niles Media Group. “The Heart of America Athletic Conference and commissioner Lori Thomas are forward-thinking partners in their desire to brand, market and tell the great stories that these institutions and student-athletes exemplify in their daily pursuit of excellence. It is our honor and privilege to be actively involved in this partnership.”

Beginning on Saturday, August 29, at least one game will be televised each Saturday through the conclusion of the regular season on Saturday, November 14. Week two will include a doubleheader when Graceland travels to four-time defending conference champion Missouri Valley at 11:00 a.m. Conference newcomer Grand View will travel to Central Methodist in the second half of the doubleheader with kickoff set at Davis Field for 2:30 p.m.

2015 Television Schedule  
Aug. 29 – Baker at Grand View, 11:00 a.m.
Sept. 5 – Graceland at Missouri Valley, 11:00 a.m.
Sept. 5 – Grand View at Central Methodist, 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 12 – Missouri Valley at Benedictine, 11:00 a.m.
Sept. 19 – Benedictine at MNU, 11:00 a.m.
Sept. 26 – Central Methodist at Graceland, 11:00 a.m.
Oct. 3 – Missouri Valley at Culver-Stockton, 11:00 a.m.
Oct. 10 – Culver-Stockton at Benedictine, 11:00 a.m.
Oct. 17 – William Penn at Peru State, 11:00 a.m.
Oct. 24 – MNU at Baker, 11:00 a.m.
Oct. 31 – Benedictine at William Penn, 11:00 a.m.
Nov. 7 – Evangel at Avila, 11:00 a.m.
Nov. 14 – Matchup TBA, 11:00 a.m.

— Courtesy Benedictine College Sports Information Office and Heart of America Athletic Conference —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Heart of America Athletic Conference has initiated the process of expanding its profile and that of its member institutions by unveiling a new logo to spearhead its rebranding efforts going into the 2015-16 school year.

Seeking to create a cohesive and uniform visual identity with the conference adding Grand View University and William Penn University for the 2015-16 academic year, as well as the acceptance of Clarke University and Mount Mercy University for the following season, the league has been aggressive in its efforts to communicate with its key audiences.

The new logo includes four important characteristics to define what the conference represents:

– The “A” represents the member institutions shown as America – meaning freedom, independence and autonomy.

– The star represents the student-athletes within the institution – the heart of the institutions’ athletic programs.

– The three points of the star characterizes the common goals of each institution – education, cultivation and graduation.

– The forward movement of the “A” signifies the conference’s constant growth and transformation.

“The new logo is the foundation of the Heart’s brand identity,” said Heart commissioner Lori Thomas. “Changing the look and feel was a priority to raise awareness, relevance and resonate with member institutions, coaches and student-athletes.”

Partnered with its new brand identity, the conference will be extending its reach into a new geographic area with its expansion and have the opportunity to spread its message of character-driven, championship-level collegiate competition.

As part of the rebranding effort, the conference will also be known as “the Heart”, dropping its previous moniker that included its four initials. This change aligns with the overall efforts to be known as the heart of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and be known as the premier conference of the association.

The Heart currently consists of the following institutions: Avila University (Kansas City, Mo.), Baker University (Baldwin City, Kan.), Benedictine College (Atchison, Kan.), Central Methodist University (Fayette, Mo.), Culver-Stockton College (Canton, Mo.), Evangel University (Springfield, Mo.), Graceland University (Lamoni, Iowa), MidAmerica Nazarene University (Olathe, Kan.), Missouri Valley College (Marshall, Mo.), and Peru State College (Peru, Neb.).

— Heart of America Athletics Conference Press Release —

Benedictine College Athletic Director Charlie Gartenmayer announced on Thursday the resignation of head track & field coach Darin Schmitz.

“We want to thank Darin for his time at Benedictine,” Gartenmayer said. “And we wish him the best of the luck in the future.”

According to Gartenmayer, Schmitz’s resignation will take effect immediately with assistant coach Rex Lane taking over as interim head coach for the remainder of the outdoor season.

Coach Lane served as the head track & field coach prior to Schmitz. Lane currently serves as the distance coach as well as Benedictine’s cross country coach.

A search for a new head track & field coach will begin immediately with no time table announced for the hiring of the new coach.

— BC Sports Information —