Missouri Western senior running back Michael Hill has been named one of the eight finalists for the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II Player of the Year. The eight have been trimmed from a field of 24 candidates after regional voting. Two players from each of the four regions made it into the top eight. The other player out of Region 3 is Henderson State quarterback Kevin Rodgers.

The finalists were selected by the NCAA Division II sports information directors in regional voting and will now be placed on the national ballot where all 155 of the division’s SIDs will select the award’s 27th winner. The top two players from each of Division II’s Super Regions advanced to the national ballot.

The list of 2012 finalists is comprised of four quarterbacks, three running backs and one receiver. Six of the finalists helped lead their teams into the NCAA Division II playoffs this season and two of this weekend’s second round playoff matchups will have Hill finalists facing each other.

Advancing from Super Region 1 are junior running back Franklyn Quiteh of Bloomsburg University (Pa.) and junior quarterback Zach Zulli of Shippensburg University (Pa.).

Super Region 2 is represented by senior wide receiver Chris Bowden of Wingate University (N.C.) and senior tailback Derrick Washington of Tuskegee University (Ala.).

Advancing from Super Region 4 are senior quarterback Taylor Housewright of Ashland University (Ohio) and junior quarterback Dustin Vaughan of West Texas A&M University. They will also face off Saturday in the Division II playoffs.

The winner of the 2012 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 27th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 14 at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year’s Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the 14th induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.

Tickets are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight and can be purchased by calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661. The NCAA Division II Championship Game is scheduled for December 15 at Florence’s Braly Municipal Stadium at noon. The Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence, Ala., Florence- Lauderdale Tourism, Opti-Net, the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa and Herff Jones.

Hill, from St. Joseph, Mo., is the 2012 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Offensive Player of the
Year after helping lead Missouri Western to an 11-1 record, an MIAA championship and into the second round of the Division II playoffs. He rushed for 187 yards on 24 carries last weekend in leading the Griffons to a three-overtime win over Minnesota-Duluth in an opening round playoff game and now has 1,996 rushing yards on 269 carries this season. He has carried the ball 269 times and averages 7.4 yards per carry and 166.3 yards per game. He has added 16 pass receptions for 186 yards and three scores.

Presently this campaign Hill has been the Griffons work horse…Hill has rushed for over 100 yards in 11 of the Griffons 12 games which includes rushing for over 150 yards eight times and 200 twice…He was the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MIAA…he has helped the Griffons to an 11-1 record which most victories in a season for the Griffons…He has also helped the Griffons to their first ever playoff victory last weekend over Minnesota-Duluth 59-57 in triple overtime…he had a career high 259 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-28 victory over Washburn…has helped the Griffons win five straight games against top-25 opponents…helped the Griffons open up 6-0 for the first time ever under head coach Jerry Partridge and the first time since 1981…helped the Griffons win two straight road games against teams that were ranked in the top-25 for the first time ever…beat #7 Pittsburg State 63-14 and #15 Emporia State 57-28…Hill had four touchdowns against Pittsburg State and two against Emporia State…the Griffons secured a school record 11 victories  this season and nine or more for the seventh time in ten years…rushed for a career long 92 yard touchdown against William Jewell College…has had a rush for over 20 yards in 11 of the Griffons 12 games this season…had 183 yards in the first half against Emporia State…has rushed for over 180 yards six times and has had over 200 all purpose yards five times…has 1,996 yards rushing this season…would be only the 7th player ever in the MIAA to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.

Leads the MIAA and is 2nd in the nation averaging 166.3 rushing yards per game…is second in the MIAA and tied for 22nd in the nation in scoring average at 9.0 points per game…has scored the most touchdowns in the MIAA with 15…is second in the MIAA and 8th in the nation averaging 181.8 yards per game…has helped the Griffons as a team rush for a league leading 282.2 yards per game which is also 7th in the nation…has helped the Griffons score 43.9 points per game which is 6th n the nation and first in the MIAA…rushed for or caught a touchdown in nine games this season…on the verge of setting records for most points scored in a season and career, most touchdowns scored in a season and career, most rushing attempts in a season and most rushing touchdowns in a season and career…his 166.3 yards per game is the best by a Griffon in a single season and he has set the record for most 100-yards rushing games in a career with 19…He has rushed for over 100 yards 11 times this season which ties the record for most in a season…Hill leads the MIAA in rushing, scoring, touchdowns scored and is second in all-purpose yards.

MWSU’s all-time leader in rushing with 4,797 career yards…he is the Griffons leader in all-purpose yards with 5,645…he has the record for most carries in a career with 886 and most carries in a game with 41…helped the Griffons break the single game yards per rush average of 9.7…the old record was 7.8…his 18 touchdowns this season ties a record for most in a single season…has 15 rushing touchdowns and is two away from tying the single season record…has 43 total touchdowns and is three away from tying the school record in a career…his 34 rushing touchdowns ties the record for most rushing touchdowns in a career…is averaging 166.3 yards per game which is a single season record if it holds up…is four points away from breaking the single season record for points in a season…had a career high four touchdowns against Pittsburg State this season which is one off the record for a single game…has the second and third highest mark for rushing yards in a game with 259 against Washburn in 2012 and 246 against Southwest Baptist in 2011…holds the record for most rushing yards in a season, currently has 1,996 and has the highest rushing average in a season at 7.4…is 27 carries away for getting the most carries in a season..2012: MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MIAA running back. 2011 Award List • MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on October 31, 2011 • First Team all-MIAA • Second Team Daktronics Super Region Four • Second Team Don Hansen Super Region Four • Honorable Mention Don Hansen all-American • Honorable Mention Beyond Sports Network all-American 2010 Awards honorable mention All-MIAA

Has helped the Griffons break the school record for highest average per rush in a game…MWSU averaged 9.7 against William Jewell which broke the old mark of 7.8…has helped the Griffons average 282.2 yards per game which would be a team record…the old record is 269.5 which was set in 1989…has helped the Griffon offense set records for Most Points Scored (527), Highest Scoring Average (43.9), Most Touchdown Scored (71), Most First Downs (284), Most Yards Gained (5,740), Most Yards Total Offense Per Game (478.3), Most Yards Gained Rushing (3,641), Most Rushing Yards Net (3,386), Most Rushing Yards Gained Per Game (282.2), Highest Rushing Average Per Carry (6.4) and Highest Completion Percentage in a Season (65-percent)….the Griffons have won nine or more games in seven of the last 10 seasons…the 11 victories is a single season record…helped the Griffons to three NCAA Division II Playoff Appearances and a Mineral Water Bowl appearance.

Fall 2008- MWSU Dean List ! for (3.5-3.99 GPA) Spring 2009 – MWUU Athletic Director Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA) Spring 2012 – MWSU Athletic Director Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA)

The Griffons will play in the second round of the Division II Playoffs on Saturday, Novmeber 24 against the Henderson State Reddies in Arkadelphia, Ark. Game time is scheduled for 12:00 pm.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western fell behind early but James Harris led the charge off the bench late to give the Griffons a 60-45 victory Saturday night at MWSU Fieldhouse.

The Hawks jumped out to a 20-12 lead with a 3-pointer by B.J. Dunbar. Later on in the half, Harris hit two free throws to tie the game at 23. Rockhurst eventually took a 31-26 lead into the half.

In the second half, the Hawks went up 41-32 at the 16:18 mark as David Wingerson nailed a 3-pointer, but after that, Rockhurst scored just three points in the second half.

The Hawks went 10 minutes and 53 seconds without a field goal, which included 7:16 without any points. They scored only 14 points in the second half as the Griffons went on a 28-4 run to end the game, winning 60-45.

Harris finished the game with 18 points to help the Griffons pull away. Besides Harris, Cedric Clinkscales had another huge night, going 4-for-4 with 12 points.

Up Next: The Griffons play Park University at 2:00 p.m. Friday, November 23 at the Rockhurst University Harvester’s Classic.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western’s women’s basketball team advanced to 4-0 on the young season with a 74-68 victory over Maryville University.

The Griffons led 8-2 early but Maryville came back to tie the game at 10.

After Missouri Western stretched its lead out to 34-27, Maryville’s Shelby Miller knocked down a 3 at the end of the half to make it 34-30.

The Griffons fell behind 53-49, they came back to notch things up at 53 with back-to-back layups by Heather Howard. The Griffons continued to apply pressure to the Saints, and Howard knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Griffons a slim, 59-57 lead.

Maryville took the lead back off of a jumper from Brittnye McSparron to make it 63-61, but MWSU came right back as Brittany Griswold nailed two clutch free throws to tie the game at 63.

The game settled at 64, but Lanicia Lawrence scored seven straight points to put Missouri Western up 71-64. Maryville threatened late but ran out of time as Alicia Bell hit two free throws to make it 74-68.

Jallisa Lewis added 11 points and four rebounds for the Griffons. Howard finished the night with a double-double, scoring 17 points and tallying 10 rebounds.

Up Next: The Griffons play Truman State in a nonconference game at 5:00 p.m. in Jefferson City, Mo. on Friday, November 23.

— MWSU Sports Information —

William Jewell used 10 3-pointers to down Missouri Western 76-60 at MWSU Fieldhouse Friday night in the first night of the Hillyard Classic.

The Cardinals came out on fire, going 15-for-27 from the field and knocking down 6 3s at a 50 percent rate. The Griffons fell behind early but came back to tie the game at 21.

William Jewell took a 40-30 lead into halftime, as the Griffons were led with nine points from Cedric Clinkscales and another seven from Dzenan Mrkaljevic.

After the break, the Griffons stopped the Cardinals from hitting the majority of 3-pointers shot, and made it a 6-point game halfway through the second half.

With a 57-50 lead, the Cardinals returned with a nice 3-point game, knocking down two more 3s to gain another double-digit lead, 63-50. They stretched their lead to 72-54 with just more than 3 minutes to play to all but end the night for MWSU.

William Jewell finished 10-for-22 from behind-the-arc, while Missouri Western went 2-for-17.

The Griffons received a nice, double-double effort from Clinkscales, who finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. He also added two blocks. This was MWSU’s third loss in the Hilllyard Classic since 2005 and first to William Jewell since 1991.

Up Next: The Griffons play in night-two of the Hillyard Classic against Rockhurst University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at MWSU Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Griffons fell behind in the first half but maintained their confidence throughout Friday night’s game to pull out the 57-54 victory against Illinois-Springfield. The win put the Griffons at 3-0 for the first time since 2004.

The Griffons shot just 30 percent in the first half, going 9-for-30 from the floor. They took a 4-3 lead in the first two minutes, but trailed the rest of the half, going into the break behind 28-22.

Sharniece Lewis nailed a 3-pointer at the 17:18 mark in the second half to begin the Griffons’ comeback after the score was 30-27. JaQuitta Dever put in a layup followed by Brittany Griswold’s layup to give Missouri Western its first lead since early in the first half.

The Griffons snatched a 10-point lead with 4:57 to play off of a layup by Alicia Bell to take a 53-43 lead, but Illinois-Springfield came back to make things interesting.

The Griffons had a 57-51 lead when Alex Saxen grabbed her second steal of the game, but Illinois Springfield’s Carly Goede brought the team back with a 3-pointer to mark the score 57-54 with 42 seconds to play.

MWSU played solid defense in the waning seconds, and the Prairie Stars couldn’t shoot the ball in the final 10 seconds as MWSU won the game 57-54.

Heather Howard had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Lanicia Lawrence had a solid performance, scoring eight points with five rebounds and four assists.

Up Next: The Griffons go to St. Louis to play Maryville University at 6 p.m., Saturday, November 17.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western Women’s Golf Coach, Cathy Habermehl, announced the signing of Madison Romjue, an All-state selection from Lincoln, Neb., for the 2013-14 season.

Romjue was a four year letterwinner at Lincoln Southeast High School. She was first team All-State and the champion of her district. She is also an outstanding student being named to the Lincoln Journal Star Academic All-State team, as well as, Academic All-Conference. Her greatest moment was when her team won Districts and she paced the way with a 77. She plans on majoring in Education at Missouri Western.

Missouri Western is coming off another solid fall campaign and looking to improve on a program second place finish at the MIAA Championships last year.

“We are excited to have Madison join our program at Missouri Western,” commented coach Habermehl “She is an exceptional player with good work habits, who will complement our team.”

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western men’s basketball team had 10 players score with four being in double digits as they cruised past Sterling College 75-44 on Tuesday evening. James Harris led the charge off the bench with 13 points while Dzenan Mrkaljevic had a double-double scoring 10 points and snaring 17 rebounds in his first actino as a Griffon. The Griffons improve to 1-0 with the victory.

The new look Griffons scored the first bucket of the game and never looked back as they led by as many as 17 in the first half against NAIA opponent Sterling . The Griffons jumped out to a 10-4 lead making three of their first four shots.

The Griffons pushed its lead to 13 going on a 11-4 run which was capped by a free throw by James Harris with 8:01 left in the first frame, giving MWSU the 21-8 lead. The Warriors cut the Griffon lead to nine at 23-14 after Braden Thompson hit a lay-up with 4:26 to play but MWSU closed the half strong going on a 11-5 run claiming the 34-19 lead at the half.

MWSU had 12 points off nine Sterling turnovers. The Griffons had seven players score in the first frame with Dylan Frantz leading the way with eight points on 3-of-3 shooting. Mrkaljevic had eight of the Griffons 20 rebounds. MWSU had nine assists on 13-of-32 shooting

The Warriros made just 8-of-27 field goals with Adam Brown leading the way with five points.

The second half belonged to the Griffons as they opened the first 12 minutes on a 31-8 run opening up a 36 point lead at 62-29 after Harris nailed a long range shot with 7:54 to play. The Warriors ended the game outscoring the Griffons by five but it was too late as MWSU took the 31 point victory.

The Griffons shot 42-percent (29-69) from the field and 8-of-11 from the free throw line. Cedric Clinkscales dumped in 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting while Frantz dumped in 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting. The Griffons had 45 points and 28 points off second chance opportunites. MWSU also had 29 points off 20 Warrior turnovers to go along with 35 bench points.

The 17 rebounds by Mrkaljevic was the most since January 17, 2012 when Lavonte Douglas had 17 at Southwest Baptist.

The Warriors were led by Brown with 12 points as they shot 36.2-percent (17-47) from the field.

The Griffons return to action on Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17 when they host the 21st Annual Hillyard Tipoff Classic. The Griffons are 35-5 all-time in the Hillyard. MWSU will take on William Jewell College on Friday and Rockhurst University on Saturday. Both games are set for 7:30 pm in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The All-MIAA football team was released Tuesday morning, with Missouri Western receiving 19 awards, including MIAA Coach of the Year for the first time. Jerry Partridge received the award after coaching his way through one of the best years in Missouri Western history. MWSU’s senior running back Michael Hill won the Offensive Player of the Year award for his outstanding play in 2012. Hill is the second winner in school history, first since 2001 when Jerris Evans won it. Freshman cornerback Mike Jordan won Freshman of the Year which is the third time that a Griffon has won this honor as Drew Newhart received it in 2007 and Roger Allen won it in 2005. The Griffons had five players named to the All-MIAA First Team who included; RB-Michael Hill, QB-Travis Partridge, OL-Macon Allan, DE-Ben Pister and DE-David Bass.

Senior running back Michael Hill earned MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MIAA for his impressive play this season. Hill has rushed for a single season record 1,809 yards averaging 7.4 yards per carry which is also the best rushing average in a season. Hill has found the endzone 14 times on the ground this season and has also added 14 receptions with three touchdowns. Hill is the MWSU all-time leader in rushing yards in a career with 4,610 yards on an MWSU record 862 carries. Hill is also on the verge of setting records for most points scored in a season and career, most touchdowns scored in a season and career, most rushing attempts in a season and most rushing touchdowns in a season and career. His 164.5 yards per game is the best by a Griffon in a single season and he has tied the record for most 100-yards rushing games in a career with 18. He has rushed for over 100 yards 10 times this season. Hill’s best game of 2012 occurred against Washburn on Nov. 3, 2012, when the senior had 259 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns and sat out for most of the fourth quarter. Hill leads the MIAA in rushing, scoring, touchdowns scored and is second in all-purpose yards.

Freshman cornerback Mike Jordan earned MIAA Freshman of the Year as well as Honorable Mention All-MIAA for his performance this season. Jordan started nine of the Griffons 11 games in is redshirt freshman campaign. He had 47 tackles and led the Griffons in interceptions with three. He took two of his INTs back for scores. He also had four pass breakups throughout the year, and had two tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Jordan helped the Griffon defense give up just 19.8 points per game which was second in the MIAA.

Head Coach Jerry Partridge earned MIAA Coach of the Year honors for the first time in his career. Partridge who is in his 16th season guided the Griffons to its first outright MIAA Championship outright, and their second title overall (2003). Partridge won 10 games for the first time in school history, and moved his team up the AFCA Coaches’ Poll to its highest ranking on Oct. 8, 2012, when the Griffons sat at No. 4 in the country. Partridge opened the season 6-0 for the first time in his career, and carried his team’s momentum all the way through the season to a 10-1 regular season record. Partridge holds a 122-63 overall record and is 93-49 in MIAA games.

FIRST TEAM
Junior quarterback Travis Partridge had his best season as a Griffon. The junior completed 159 of 249 attempts, and won three road games against ranked opponents, including last week’s victory against No. 4 Northwest Missouri State in which Partridge scored the game-winning touchdown. During the year, Partridge threw a league-leading 25 touchdowns and rushed for 11 more. He was the best quarterback in terms of passing efficiency at 158.8 and also completed a remarkable 64-percent completion rate. This marked the first time in his career that he was named to the All-MIAA First Team. He was an Honorable Mention All-MIAA a season ago.

For the second time in his career senior offensive lineman Mancon Allan has been named to the All-MIAA First Team. He continued to be arguably being one of the best offensive linemen to wear a Griffon uniform. The senior has started every game this year, adding to his streak of 47 consecutive starts for Missouri Western, Allan solidified the right tackle position for both Hill and Partridge to become the best rushing attack in the MIAA, securing 3,161 yards and 34 TDs. Allan has helped the Griffons rush for an average of 287.4 yards per game and 6.6 yards per carry which are both team records in a season.

The Griffon offense set records for Most Points Scored (470), Highest Scoring Average (42.7), Most Touchdown Scored (63), Most First Downs (259), Most Yards Gained (5,196), Most Yards Total Offense Per Game (472.4), Most Yards Gained Rushing (3,377), Most Rushing Yards Net (3,161), Most Rushing Yards Gained Per Game (287.4), Highest Average Rushing Yards Per Carry in a Game (9.7 vs. William Jewell), Highest Rushing Average Per Carry (6.6) and Highest Completion Percentage in a Season (64-percent).

For the second time in his career senior defensive end David Bass has been named to the All-MIAA First Team. Bass set the record for career sacks at Missouri Western in week two against William Jewell, and has since added onto it, recording 9.5 sacks this year. He has 38.5 sacks in his career. Bass set the record for most tackles for a loss in a career. He has 11.0 on the season and 51 in his career. The senior has recorded 39 tackles, and has two interceptions – one for a touchdown – and a forced fumble as well as a fumble recovery. Bass had a solid day against Pittsburg State down in the Jungle on Oct. 20, 2012, as he recorded five tackles, 2 ½ sacks and scored a touchdown that helped set the tone in the Griffons dominating performance to end the regular season.

Senior defensive end Ben Pister earned First Team All-MIAA for the first time in his career. He was a second team selection a year ago. Pister had his best season as a Griffon in 2012. Pister had 48 tackles on the season, with 19 ½ going for a loss. He is just ½ tackle for a loss from tying the record of 20 which was set by his counterpart, Bass a season ago. He added eight sacks and nine quarterback hurries throughout the season. He was also very crafty on the D-Line when he didn’t go after the quarterback, as he garnered four pass breakups this season.

SECOND TEAM
Griffon senior offensive tackle Colt Schulte started all 11 games this year for the Griffons. The left tackle covered Partridge throughout the season, and secured the left side. He has played in 45 games in his career for the Griffons. Schulte helped the Griffons give up just 15 sacks on the season and helped the Griffon offense break numerous records. He was an Honorable Mention All-MIAA selection a season ago.

Sophomore kicker Taylor Anderson had an outstanding season making 10 of 16 field goals which included a 53-yard field goal against Missouri Southern, a game in which he went 3-for-3. Anderson has made 66 straight extra points in his career which is a school record. He has also made 60 PATs this year which is a single season record. He has set the record for most points scored by a kicker in a season with 102.

Senior safety Shane Simpson had another solid season starting nine games. He recorded 37 tackles and had two interceptions. He missed two games with an ankle injury during the regular season, but hadn’t missed a step since his return. In 2011 Simpson was an All-MIAA First Team selection.

The Griffons had eight players earn Honorable Mention All-MIAA. Those players include Kyle Knox, Tyron Crockom, Reggie Jordan, Brian Chiles, Michael Yardley, Stephen Juergens, Ben Jackson and Mike Jordan.

The Griffons earned the #3 seed in Super Region 3 and will host #6 Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the DII National Playoffs on Saturday, November 17th. Kickoff is set for 12:00 pm in Spratt Stadium.

— MWSU Sports Information —