ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western cornerback Mike Jordan has been named an American Football Coaches Association All-American, becoming the first Griffon to earns the honor twice while at MWSU.

The senior cornerback is the only representative of the MIAA on the team and he is one of six repeat selections. Jordan was named a unanimous First Team All-MIAA selection, as well as First Team All-Super Region Three by the College Commissioner’s Association. Jordan is also a nominee for the Cliff Harris award, given to the nation’s top small college defensive player and has received invites to the East-West Shrine Bowl and the NFLPA Bowl.

The St. Louis native wrapped up his Griffon career as a three-time first team All-MIAA selection and four time member of the All-MIAA team. In 2012, Jordan was honored as the MIAA Freshman of the year. In 2015, Jordan totaled 41 tackles with a team-high five interceptions, 17 pass break ups and 22 passes defended (2nd in the nation). His 16 career interceptions are tied for second most in MWSU history.

In 2011, Greg Zuerlein was named to the AFCA All-America team for the second time in his career, the first coming while he was at the then University of Nebraska-Omaha.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western softball head coach Jen Bagley Trotter has announced the signing of six student-athletes for the 2017 season.

Sydni Beck | P | Carl Junction (Mo.) HS
Four-year softball letter winner…batted .397 with a .460 OBP and .692 SLG…carried a 2.89 ERA as a pitcher…four-time first team All-Conference…three-time first team All-District, two-time All-Region.

“Sydni will give the other two freshmen healthy competition with the upside of her abilities. She has long levers and will grow into an outstanding career with her ability to progress,” Trotter said.

Markee Brown | 3b | Southeast Polk (Iowa) HS
Hit .366 with a .445 OBP and had a .918 fielding percentage last summer…second team All-Eastern Division in 2015…lettered four years…All-Academic Award three times.

“Markee is an infielder with a healthy bat, she explodes with positive energy and determination. Being a Griffon is exactly where she wants to be and we couldn’t be happier,” Trotter said.

Taylor Goode | P | Norwalk (Iowa) HS
Has won three letters in softball…first team All-State all three years…three-time All-District and first team All-Conference…went 18-6 with a 1.73 ERA while striking out 166 and walking 24.

“Taylor Goode is standout from Norwalk. She will be in pursuit of a starting position with our young pitching staff. She brings a good combination of power, spin, and competitive drive,” Trotter said.

Kenzie Hilzer | P | Southeast Polk (Iowa) HS
Went 12-11 as a pitcher last year in 142 1/3 innings pitched…struck out 134 batters while walking 54…posted a 2.21 ERA and limited hitters to a .236 average…hit .350 at the plate with a .409 OBP and a .567 SLG…hit six home runs, drove in 27 and had eight doubles.

“Kenzie is one of our three freshmen pitchers looking to keep our ship on course. She has great energy and work ethic. We are excited to see her progression,” Trotter said.

Lauren Houston | IF | Kirksville (Mo.) HS
Batted .432 while slugging .595 and posting a 1.138 OPS last season to go with a .962 fielding percentage…academic All-State three times…All-Conference twice…All-District twice…All Region twice…three-sport athlete that also had four basketball letters and three track letters…twice qualified for state in long jump.

“Lauren Houston will add depth to our middle infield. She has great hands and instincts. Lauren has leadership qualities and understands the elements necessary to be great,” Trotter said.

Danica Meierhenry | Utility | Norris (Neb.) HS
Hit .456 and slugged .556 in senior season…school’s all-time leader in hits and singles…sits No. 2 in school history with 26 doubles and .382 career batting average…All-State in 2015…two-time first team All-Conference…two-time Academic All-Conference…has three basketball letters and four in track…three-time state qualifier in high jump with high-finish of third (two top-5s).

“Danica Meierhenry’s strength is her versatility. She is a balanced athlete that will provide depth to a number of positions on our team. A great talent, she was also the lead of Belle in Beauty and the Beast in her High School Musical! It is impossible not to love this kid,” Trotter said.

— MWSU Athletics —

BOLIVAR, Mo. – With eight minutes to go, things looked bleak for the 18th ranked Missouri Western Women’s Basketball team. The Griffons trailed by 13 points and had five players, including four starters, with four fouls. But a 27-8 run by Missouri Western in the final eight minutes lifted the team to a 93-87 win at Southwest Baptist and preserved the team’s unblemished record.

An 18-4 run after falling behind by 13 in the fourth quarter put Missouri Western up by one with 2:10 to go. Southwest Baptist tied the game at 84 with 1:26 left but Chelsea Dewey’s first field goal of the game with 1:19 left gave the Griffons a lead they would not surrender. Missouri Western used 61 percent shooting from the field and 89 percent shooting from the free throw line in the second half to close the gap and take its first lead in the game late in the fourth quarter.

The Griffons went to halftime down by 10 after shooting 25 percent from the field and battling through early foul trouble. The game featured 68 personal fouls and 88 free throw attempts. Missouri Western found itself in early foul trouble but battled through and used Southwest Baptist’s late foul trouble to its advantage.

Sarafina Handy led all scorers with 24 points. She added seven rebounds and four steals. Miliakere Koyamainavure and Jefferson both ended the game with 18 points. Jefferson scored 16 of those in the second half.

Missouri Western improved its record to 7-0 and 2-0 in MIAA play. The Griffons are 3-0 on the road, matching the away win total from the previous two seasons, combined. Pittsburg State will visit the Fieldhouse Thursday, Dec. 10 for a 5:30 tip.

— MWSU Athletics —

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team suffered its fourth consecutive loss Saturday at Southwest Baptist 79-76, as Trey Sampson missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied the game and given the Griffons a chance in overtime.

Sampson’s miss capped a comeback effort by Missouri Western that gave the Griffons a chance after trailing by as many as 14 points in the game and 11 in the second half. Missouri Western trailed by five with 24 seconds left in the game, but three pointers from Currie Byrd and Cole Clearman brought Missouri Western within one with nine seconds left. Nate Nahirny made two free throws to stretch SBU’s lead to three and to set up Sampson’s three to tie.

Sampson led Missouri Western with 17 points and four assists. Currie Byrd added 11 points and five rebounds and Kevin Thomas finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. The Griffons lost the rebound battle 4-30 and were outscored in the paint, 30-20. The Griffons shot 50 percent from the field and from three-point range in the second half, overcoming 27 percent shooting in the first half and 10 percent from the three-point line before the break.

Missouri Western falls to 2-6 on the year and 0-2 in MIAA play. The team returns home this week to host Pittsburg State on Thursday and Missouri Southern on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The 18th ranked Missouri Western Women’s Basketball team moved to 6-0 on the season with a 78-55 win at Central Missouri.

It was the first time the Griffon Women won in Warrensburg since 2007, a win that was later vacated. Officially, Missouri Western had not won at Central Missouri since 2004. It was also Missouri Western’s largest ever margin of victory in Warrensburg. The Griffons jumped out to an 8-0 lead, not allowing Central Missouri to score until mid-way through the first quarter and never let the Jennies get any closer than six points the rest of the game, building a 30-point lead late in the game.

The Griffons were held under their season shooting percentage average, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, but dominated the glass, 43-25, including 16 offensive rebounds. Missouri Western also continued to share the basketball, posting 19 assists on 28 made field goals.

LaQuinta Jefferson led Missouri Western with 16 points and eight rebounds, despite fouling out with nearly eight minutes left in the game. Mhykeah Baez added 11 points and four rebounds. Miliakere Koyamainavure scored 10 with five rebounds and five assists. The Griffons also got a career-high seven points from Melia Richardson in her 18 minutes played.

The Griffons stay on the road this week with a trip to Southwest Baptist on Dec. 5.

— MWSU Athletics —

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – In a game that mirrored the earlier women’s contest, with the opposite result for Missouri Western, the Griffon Men fell 74-59 at No. 12 Central Missouri to drop to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA.

Central Missouri opened the game on an incredible 26-2 run. The Mules didn’t miss a field goal until almost seven minutes into the game. Missouri Western didn’t make a field goal until seven minutes into the game. For the game, Missouri Western shot 35.5 percent from the field, 26.7 percent from three-point range. Most statistical categories were close between the two teams other than shooting percentage and bench points. Central Missouri got 45 points out of its non-starters to 21 from Missouri Western.

Aaron Emmanuel finished with a second consecutive double-double on 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Kevin Thomas added 12 points and five rebounds for Missouri Western. Trey Sampson scored 11.

Missouri Western stays on the road this week with a trip to Southwest Baptist on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Missouri Western senior cornerback Michael Jordan continues to add to long list of accolades over his career.  Jordan was selected to the First Team Super Region on Wednesday. He was already named first team All-MIAA and with his most recent accomplishment is eligible for All-American status.

The senior from St. Louis finished the season with a career-high five interceptions, giving him 16 for his career, the second most in MWSU history. Jordan led the MIAA and was third in all of Division II with 22 passes defended.

Jordan also was able to receive an invite to the 2016 East-West Shrine Bowl. The game is held on January 23rd at 3 p.m. in St. Petersburg, Florida and will be broadcast on the NFL Network.

— MWSU Athletics —

The Missouri Western women’s basketball team has moved up four spots in the latest USA Today Sports Division II Women’s Top 25 poll to No. 18, as the poll was released on Tuesday.

The Griffons are off to their first 5-0 start since the 2006-2007 season.  They entered the Top 25 last week for the first time since 2007 as they were 22nd before two decisive wins last weekend at the MWSU Holiday Inn Express Classic.  Western defeated Evangel 113-49 and Graceland 99-35.

There are two other MIAA teams in the Top 25 as Emporia State remains No. 1 in the nation, while Fort Hays State is up two spots to No. 5 this week.

Missouri Western is back in action Wednesday night as they begin MIAA play at Central Missouri (1-4).  The tip is set for 5:30 p.m. and you can listen on 680 KFEQ or here on StJosephPost.com.

Missouri Western senior guard LaQuinta Jefferson has earned a National Player of the Week honor after earning MIAA honors earlier this week.  Jefferson has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division II Women’s basketball Player of the Week.

The senior from Murfreesboro, Tennessee averaged 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in helping the Griffons to their first 5-0 start since the 2006-07 season with wins over Evangel (113-49) and Graceland (99-35). Jefferson also shot 80.6 percent (25-31) from the field, including 70 percent (7-of-10) from three-point range.

Jefferson recorded 30 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal against Evangel last Friday, going 13-of-17 from the field and followed that with 27 points on 12-of-14 shooting, netting all three three-point attempts, against Graceland on Saturday. Jefferson also had five rebounds, five assists and two steals in that win.

Missouri Western begins conference play Wednesday night when they travel to Central Missouri for a 5:30 tip.  The game will air live on 680 KFEQ or here on StJosephPost.com.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Missouri Western senior guard LaQuinta Jefferson has been named the MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week.

Jefferson shined in two wins over the weekend during the Holiday Inn Express Classic. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native averaged 28.5 points and 26.5 minutes while shooting 80 percent from the field and 70 percent from 3-point range. Jefferson added 10 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and three steals.

The two wins this weekend helped the team to its first 5-0 start since the 2006-07 season. The 22nd ranked Griffons now lead the nation in scoring offense (96.6) and scoring margin (41.2). Missouri Western is second in the nation, shooting 55 percent from the field, averaging 16 steals per game and carrying a plus 13.2 turnover margin.

Missouri Western begins conference play this week with a trip to Central Missouri on Wednesday.  The tip is at 5:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on 680 KFEQ AM.

— MWSU Athletics —