INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Missouri Western Women’s Golf student-athlete Shi Qing Ong has been nominated for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Ong was one of a record 585 female college athletes nominated for the award.

Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

The NCAA encourages member schools to honor their top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.

Ong was recently honored as Missouri Western’s first ever Women’s At-Large selection to the Google Cloud Academic All-America team, earning second team honors. She was also MWSU’s first-ever Ken B. Jones Award finalist, given each year to the top female and male student-athletes in the MIAA. Ong was named MWSU’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year following a remarkable season on the links. Ong was named WGCA All-American, WGCA All-Region and MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Year. Her MIAA honor was the second consecutive after claiming back-to-back MIAA Championship titles. Her conference tournament championship capped a run of five-straight individual event championships this past spring. Ong ended her career with an MWSU-record 14 individual titles.

“Chingy” was also named Missouri Western’s International Student of the Year for 2018-19. A four-time first team All-MIAA selection and four-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete award winner, Ong graduated from MWSU this past spring with a bachelor’s in biology/health sciences. She is currently enrolled in the physical therapy program at the University of Oklahoma.

Next, conferences will select up to two nominees each from the pool of school nominees. Then, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.

The selection committee will determine the top three honorees from each division from the Top 30 and announce the nine finalists in September. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics then will choose the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual award ceremony Oct. 20 in Indianapolis.

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA announced the football schedule for the 2020 season after it was approved by the Institutional Representatives’ Council (IRC) during the Association’s June Meetings.

The schedule was conducted by blind draw administrated by the Association staff. Similar to past seasons, the schedule will consist of 11 conference games. Teams that played six homes in 2019 will play five home in 2020 and teams that played five home games in 2019 will play six home games in 2020.

Below is the 2020 football schedule for Missouri Western.

Week 1 – at Central Oklahoma
Week 2 – vs. Fort Hays State
Week 3 – vs. Emporia State
Week 4 – at Washburn
Week 5 – vs. Northwest Missouri State
Week 6 – at Nebraska-Kearney
Week 7 – vs. Northeastern State
Week 8 – vs. Pittsburg State
Week 9 – at Missouri Southern
Week 10 – vs. Central Missouri
Week 11 – at Lincoln

AUSTIN, Texas – Griffon Women’s Golfer Shi Qing Ong was named second team Google Cloud Academic All-America as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Ong became Missouri Western’s first Google Cloud Academic All-America selection in two years and is Griffon Athletics first-ever Women’s At-Large recipient of the honor. At-large selections are highly selective with just one honoree per sport, per division on each team. The at-large program for the Google Cloud Academic All-America program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo for both men and women; bowling, crew and field hockey for women; and volleyball and wrestling for men. Since 1991, Missouri Western has had 16 student-athletes receive Google Cloud Academic All-America distinction.

The latest honor for the recent MWSU graduate adds to a highly decorated career. Ong was Missouri Western’s first-ever finalist for the MIAA’s Ken B. Jones award and was a two-time winner of Missouri Western’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She was twice named MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Year and was a four-time first team All-MIAA selection. Following her remarkable senior campaign, Ong was named second team All-American by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association and became a three-time WGCA All-Region selection. Ong won a Missouri Western record 14 career events and won five-straight individual titles her senior season, including her second consecutive MIAA title.

CoSIDA began the distinguished Google Cloud Academic All-America program in 1952, and since then, has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America scholar-athlete honors. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average. Nominees are first voted upon by district, with first team all-district honorees becoming eligible for Google Cloud Academic All-America distinction.

MISSOURI WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY GOOGLE CLOUD ACADMEIC ALL-AMERICA HISTORY

YEAR	NAME	SPORT	TEAM
1991	Deb Drysdale	Softball	2nd
1992	Deb Drysdale	Softball	2nd
2001	Nick Saccaro	At-Large/Men’s Golf	2nd
2002	Troy Gustafson	Baseball	3rd
2005	Marian Broderick	Volleyball	1st
2006	Leon Douglas	Football	1st
	Brice Garnett	At-Large/Men’s Golf	3rd
2008	Dustin Strickler	Football	1st
2009	Steven Jones	Football	2nd
2010	Steven Jones	Football	2nd
2013	Grant Fink	Baseball	2nd
2014	Sarah Faubel	Volleyball	1st
	Erica Rottinghaus	Volleyball	1st
2016	Josh Caldwell	Football	2nd
2017	Morgan Rathmann	Softball	2nd
2019	Shi Qing Ong	At-Large/Women’s Golf	2nd

 

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western Women’s Basketball head coach Candi Whitaker has added to her 2019-20 signing class with the addition of two transfer players, one with local ties. Whitaker announced this week the signings of Simone Rodney and Chris Wilson.

Rodney is a St. Joseph native and a 2017 graduate of Central High School before playing the past two years at St. Louis Community College. Wilson is originally from St. Louis and was a former teammate of Rodney’s at STLCC before spending one season at Flagler College.

Chris Wilson
5-10 | St. Louis, Mo. | Flagler College
Wilson was named second team All-Peach Belt Conference after averaging 13.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 26 starts last year at Flagler. She also led the team with 70 steals and shot 51.7 percent from the field. Wilson posted nine double-doubles and scored 30 points on 14-of-16 shooting at Augusta. She was twice named the PBC Player of the Week. At St. Louis Community College, Wilson was a two-time first team NJCAA All-American. As a sophomore at STLCC, Wilson averaged 14.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game to follow up her 17.1 point and 14.7 rebound average as a freshman.

Whitaker on Wilson: “Chris Wilson is a special athlete that brings great versatility to our team. She can score in a variety of ways and will rebound out of space. With Chris’s experience and maturity as a player, I expect her to impact us immediately.”

Wilson on MWSU: “I chose Missouri Western because of the chemistry I instantly got from the head coach. Campus isn’t too big and it seems like a quiet area. Also, I get to go to school with my sister again!”

Simone Rodney
5-7 | St. Joseph, Mo. | St. Louis Community College
Rodney pulled down 276 rebounds with 147 assists and 98 steals over two seasons at STLCC. She averaged 9.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game as a sophomore while shooting 48.6 percent. Rodney was named NJCAA 2^nd Team All-Region and All-Conference and was a first team NJCAA Academic All-America selection. At Central High School, she was named All-Conference, All-District and All-City.

Whitaker on Rodney: “We are excited to welcome Simone home! A native of St. Joseph, she will be a fan favorite. Simone is a versatile player with good length on the perimeter. She has all the intangibles to help our team win on and off the court.”

Rodney on MWSU: “The culture shift at MWSU is undeniable and Coach Whitaker is already bringing big energy. It’s more than basketball. It’s an opportunity to finish my career exactly where it started!”

The latest two signings bring the total of new student-athletes for Whitaker’s first season at MWSU to six, joining three other Whitaker signees and one who signed during the early period last winter.

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western head men’s basketball coach Sundance Wicks has announced the signings of four student-athletes for the 2019-20 season.

JaRon Thames, Logan Dolan, Nico Felici and Caleb Bennett will join Reese Glover and Alex John, who signed during the early signing period, as new Griffons next season.

“Let me start off by saying that I could not be more proud of our assistants, Will Martin and Ty Danielson, and the job they did developing meaningful relationships and recruiting outstanding young men in our 2019 class,” Wicks said. “This class as a whole is exactly what we envisioned in regards to filling our program’s micro and macro needs. We have impact players surrounded with tough-minded winners.”

Caleb Bennett
6-5 | St. Joseph, Mo. | Lehigh University
Bennett returns home to St. Joseph after two years at Division I Lehigh. Before a late-season injury cut his sophomore year short, Bennett averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds for the Mountain Hawks. As a freshman at Lehigh, Bennett averaged 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds with 24 assists and 11 steals. He scored a career-high 23 points vs. Boston University as a freshman and averaged 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds over his two seasons. Bennett was a three-time All-State selection at Lafayette High School. Following his senior season, Bennett was the No. 3 ranked player in Missouri by Prep Hoops.

Wicks on Bennett: “Impact Player. There aren’t too many things you can say about CB that haven’t already been spoken about him as a basketball player. He is an elite athlete with a tremendous feel for the game. CB makes difficult plays look extremely easy! Hidden behind his athleticism is his ability to shoot the ball. The city of St. Joseph gets to welcome back with open arms one of the most electrifying players in this country. However, what I am most excited about is his locker room leadership. Caleb is a veteran player that will be a fourth-year junior when he suits up for the Griffs. Since my first meeting with CB, I knew he had the right soul for this program. I love how Caleb approaches responsibility and leadership and he is going to have a huge impact on this community and our program. He is the perfect fit!”

Logan Dolan
6-5 | Broken Arrow, Okla. | Broken Arrow High School
Dolan was named Frontier Valley All-Conference and to the Skiatook All-Tournament Team. He averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists per game as a senior.

Wicks on Dolan: “Sniper; flat out torch! Logan is a long, rangy shooter with a great feel for the game. What I love most about his game is how well he moves without the basketball and can score with his feet. Logan is a tireless worker and a flat out gym rat. When Logan adds some weight to his long frame he will be one of the more elite shooters in our program. Logan wanted to be a Griff and we love guys who want to be Griffs!”

Nico Felici
6-2 | Bellevue, Neb. | Bellevue West High School
A four-year starter at Bellevue West, Felici averaged 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and two assists in his career. He became the fourth 1,000 point scorer in Bellevue history and was an 82 percent free throw shooter and a 40 percent three-point shooter. Felici was names second team All-Metro Conference and first team Bellevue Leader.

Wicks on Felici: “Tough Minded Winner; absolute winner. As we began to recruit Nico all we kept hearing about was his innate toughness and how he was always considered the most important player on his championship-level teams year in and year out. He is all of that and more. He is the type of player that will do anything in his power to help his team win and win consistently. He spends countless hours in the gym and gets better every time he steps on the court. Nico has a high basketball IQ and makes the right plays when they are needed. His leadership will be ever evolving in our program and I believe we got a steal with him!”

JaRon Thames
6-5 | St. Louis, Mo. | Trinity Catholic High School
Thames averaged 15 points, six rebounds and five assists at Trinity Catholic. He was named All-Conference and All-State. Thames helped Trinity Catholic to a 25-4 record last season, losing in the Class 3 quarterfinals to eventual state champion Vashon.

Wicks on Thames: “Swiss Army Knife. If you were going to put a basketball player in a body, you would make it in a Thames Frame! JaRon has such a unique combination of skill and length and that means he has the chance to make an immediate impact in our program. JT reminds me of Magic Johnson! He’s a 6-6 point forward with beautiful passing skills, an outstanding feel in the open court, three-level scoring ability and is deceptively athletic. Once this community gets to know JT they will see he has a great personality, a big heart and is going to be very impactful Griff on the court and in the community!”

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western head women’s basketball coach Candi Whitaker has announced the cancellation of the Griffon Girls Basketball Camp and the addition of the Candace Whitaker Elite Camp.

The decision to cancel the previously scheduled camps was based on the timing of the camps coming during a prime recruiting period for the program. Coach Whitaker has high expectations for camps and wants to ensure the quality and standard are at the level she and her first-year staff believe in. They look forward to including camps for all ages in the years to come.

Added to the camp schedule is the Elite Camp which will be hosted July 30 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Looney Complex at Missouri Western. The camp is designed for elite level players (entering 7th-12th grades) to learn from the Missouri Western Women’s Basketball coaching staff. The goal is to give campers the tools to develop a fundamental foundation and grow as a more complete basketball player. Elite Camp will allow players to showcase their skills against other elite players and in front of the MWSU staff. Camp highlights will include individual offensive skill development, MWSU offensive and defensive team concepts and competition against other elite players.

For more information or to register for the Elite Camp, click the link above for the camp flyer.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – First year Missouri Western head women’s basketball coach Candi Whitaker has announced the signings of three junior college transfers for the 2019-20 season.

This round of signees will join Logan Hughes as new Griffons next season. The signing class will give the Griffons added size, with all four standing at least 5-10.

“All three signees bring size and experience to our team at the forward and post positions,” Whitaker said. “They are also strong students and great people.”

Corbyn Cunningham
6-0 | Albuquerque, N.M. | Howard (TX)
Cunningham was named to the Western Junior College Athletic Conference All-Conference team last year. She averaged 16.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures in 26 of 29 games as a sophomore at Howard. Cunningham played 22.1 minutes per game and also averaged 1.7 assists per game her sophomore season. In her first season at Howard, Cunningham started 30 games and averaged 12.8 points and nine rebounds per game.
Whitaker on Cunningham: “Corbyn Cunningham is a terrific face-up player that can attack off the bounce from the high and low post. She is active on the glass and will impact us on the boards.”
Cunningham on MWSU: “I chose Missouri Western because I really like Coach Whitaker. She has great energy and experience. I like the size and feel of the campus as well as the support from the community.”

Miranda Stephens
6-1 | Willard, Ohio | Hill College
As a freshman at Hill, Stephens started 26 of 31 games, averaging 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She shot 33.5 percent from three-point range, making 64 threes in 31 games. In her sophomore season at Hill, she averaged 6.7 points and three rebounds per game, shooting 37 percent from three point range with 47 made three pointers in 23 games. Stephens was twice named NJCAA Player of the Week and was an Academic All-Conference selection both years at Hill.
Whitaker on Stephens: “Miranda Stephens brings great versatility being able to play the 3, 4 and 5. She is a terrific three-point shooter, but also can use her size to score and defend in the post.”
Stephens on MWSU: “I chose Missouri Western because right away I felt so comfortable. Everything was a perfect fit for me, the academics, athletics, facilities and how personable the coaches and everyone I met was. It made Missouri Western feel like a second home for me right away. I can’t wait to be a Griffon!”

Kyra Hogan
6-1 | Louisville, Ky. | Wabash Valley College
Hogan averaged 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore at Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Ill. She shot 48 percent from the field and scored a season-high 16 points against Southwestern Illinois College on 7-of-9 shooting. As a freshman, Hogan shot 50 percent from the field and averaged 3.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Hogan attended Louisville Male, one of the top high school programs in the nation where she averaged 11 points and six rebounds as a senior.
Whitaker on Hogan: “Kyra Hogan is a strong post player with soft hands. I love that Kyra knows how to use her size and strength inside, but has the skill set to step out and shoot the three.”
Hogan on MWSU: “I am thankful and beyond excited for the opportunity to continue my education and this basketball journey at Missouri Western. From the moment I stepped on campus and spent time with Coach Whitaker and the team, I felt at home. I am so ready to work hard and grow.”

Whitaker was named Missouri Western’s ninth head women’s basketball coach in April. The former Texas Tech and UMKC head coach took over a program that went 14-16 last season, advancing to the MIAA Championship quarterfinals for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.

— MWSU Athletics —

KINGSVILLE, Texas – Missouri Western’s Hanna Williams wrap up her sophomore season Thursday at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championship in Kingsville, Texas. Williams failed to advance to the finals in the 400 meter dash but she did finish 16th in the nation in the 400 meter preliminaries on Thursday.

Williams became the first Missouri Western female track & field qualifier for the NCAA outdoor national championships with the 17th fastest time in Division II this season. Thursday, she ran a 56.62 at Javelina Stadium on the campus of West Texas A&M University. She was sixth in her heat that included Lincoln’s (MO) Renea Ambersley and Christine Moss who were two of the eight qualifiers for Saturday’s finals.

The sophomore from Trimble, Missouri, qualified for her second national championship appearance. This past winter, she became the program’s first-ever automatic qualifier, but was unable to participate in the indoor track & field championships due to an injury suffered at the MIAA Championships.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western Baseball pitcher Anthony Castaneda picked up his second all-region honor following his senior season. Castaneda was named second team All-Central Region by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The first team All-MIAA selection was also tabbed second team D2CCA All-Central Region. He went 6-3 with one save and a 2.34 ERA in his senior season. His 111 strikeouts this season ranked as the second most ever by a Griffon pitcher and were compared to just 18 walks over 88 1/3 innings. Castaneda allowed just 23 earned runs all season and didn’t allow an earned run to score over his final five appearances, a string of 14 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. He posted a 0.99 WHIP and struck out 11.3 per nine innings. He twice tied the Missouri Western single game record with 14 strikeouts and posted back-to-back 12-strikeout games on Feb. 24 and Mar. 1. He also struck out 11 on Apr. 14 against Northwest Missouri.

All-NCBWA Division II Central Region First Team

Player of the Year: Erik Webb, Central Missouri, Junior
Pitcher of the Year: Max Steffens, Augustana, Junior
Coach of the Year: Tim Huber, Augustana

Starting Pitcher
Zach Parrish, Missouri Southern, Junior
Max Steffens, Augustana, Junior
Dominic Austing, St. Cloud State, Senior

Relief Pitcher
Jonathan Sprinkle, Central Missouri, Sophomore

Catcher
Ramon Enriquez, Oklahoma Baptist, Junior

First Base
Reed Hjelle, Minnesota Crookston, Senior

Second Base
Teddy Petersen, Minnesota State, Junior

Third Base
Freddie Landers, Missouri Southern, Senior

Shortstop
Caleeb Sneed, Southwest Baptist, Senior

Utility Player
Jordan Barth, Augustana, Sophomore

Designated Hitter
Kane Koenigseder, Southern Arkansas, Senior

Outfield
Erik Webb, Central Missouri, Junior
Jordan Hart, Minnesota State, Senior
Johnuelle Ponce, Northwest Oklahoma State, Senior

All-NCBWA Central Region Second Team
Starting Pitcher
Dylan Hall, Central Oklahoma, Junior
Anthony Castaneda, Missouri Western, Senior
Matt Lundh, Arkansas Monticello, Junior

Relief Pitcher
Matt Kortendick, Southern Arkansas, Junior

Catcher
Hunter Hisky, Southwest Baptist, Senior

First Base
Connor Quick, Northwest Missouri State, Junior

Second Base
J.T. Mix, Augustana, sophomore

Third Base
Tristan Thomas, Arkansas Tech, Junior

Shortstop
Nick Altermatt, Minnesota State, Freshman

Utility Player
Cam Kline, Minnesota State, Sophomore

Designated Hitter
Andrew Hanson, Wayne State, Sophomore

Outfield
Mason Janvrin, Central Missouri, Junior
Michael Borst, Minot State, Senior
Jake Gozzo, Oklahoma Baptist, Senior

All-NCBWA Central Region Honorable Mention Selections
Catcher
Tom Imholte, Minnesota State, Senior
Will Olson, Augustana, Sophomore

First Base
Mathew Meyer, St. Cloud State, Senior

Second Base
Austin Baker, Southern Arkansas, Junior

Third Base
Kyle Thompson, Wayne State, Senior

Shortstop
Jordan Joseph, St. Cloud State, Senior

Utility Player
Dylan McDearmon, Arkansas Tech, Senior

Designated Hitter
P.J. Harris, Oklahoma Baptist, Senior
Rafael Villela, Southwest Oklahoma State, Junior

Outfield
Riley Johnson, Augustana, Junior
Mitch Mallek, St. Cloud State, Senior
D.J. Miller, Lindewood, Senior

Starting Pitcher
Ryan Obrecht, Wayne State, Freshman
Issac Hale, Arkansas Tech, Senior
Luke Chevalier, Northern State, Senior

Relief Pitcher
Ryder Yakel, Harding, Junior

— MWSU Athletics —