MWSU News Release

Fans will once again get to hear every exciting Griffon Broadcast during the 2011-2012 season on the “The Talk of St. Joseph” 680 AM KFEQ.  Griffon Broadcasts have aired on the 5,000 watt signal every year dating back to the 1990-91 season.  KFEQ will carry all regular season and post season football and men’s basketball broadcasts along with all MIAA women’s basketball contests, selected non-conference games and post season games.

The Griffon Broadcast team features some familiar faces as well in slightly different roles.  Dave Riggert, Sports Director for ESPN 1550 AM in St. Joseph moves into the full time lead play-by-play role.  This will be Riggert’s third season as part of the broadcast team and first in the lead role.

Riggert’s voice is no stranger to the radio airwaves in Northwest Missouri as has he has done numerous high school football, baseball and basketball broadcasts on ESPN 1550 and is the host of his own daily show “The Dave Riggert Show” from 12 PM – 1 PM on the same signal.  He has twice been recognized by the Missouri Broadcasters Association for his play-by-play talents as he won first place for medium size markets in 2010 and second place in 2011.  Riggert also serves as a fill in for the K-State Sports Network for select men’s and women’s basketball broadcasts.

Hall of Fame Broadcaster Bob Orf returns for his 29th season in the booth.  Orf will provide color and historical analysis on all football broadcasts, home men’s and women’s basketball broadcasts and select away basketball broadcasts.  Orf has won numerous awards for his talents over the years culminating with being inducted into the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame last September.

Brett Esely, Assistant Athletics Director for External Relations at MWSU begins his fifth full time season on the broadcasts.  Esely will serve as sideline reporter for away football broadcasts, color analyst for away men’s basketball broadcasts and play-by-play for away women’s basketball broadcasts.

Kent Heier, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Marketing at MWSU will serve as the sideline reporter for home football broadcasts and will fill in as needed on other broadcasts.

In addition to football and basketball broadcasts, selected contests of other Griffon sports will be broadcasted on ESPN 1550 AM.

Additional weekly Griffon programming that will once again return during the 11-12 season include the Uncle D’s Coaches Show featuring Head Football Coach Jerry Partridge and the Griffon Coaches Show every Friday morning from 9:30 – 10 AM.  Both programs will air on KFEQ.

Griffon Broadcasts can soon be heard anywhere in the world via the world wide web at 680kfeq.com.

For updates to the broadcast schedule as well as all the latest, most up-to-date information about your favorite Griffon teams, log on to the official website of Griffon Athletics at www.gogriffons.com.

MWSU Sports Information

Missouri Western head men’s golf coach Jim Perry has announced the signing of his second student-athlete to the National Letter of Intent for next season. Kenneth Stone a junior college transfer from St. Paul, Neb., will join James O’Brien from Easton, Mo. in the Fall of 2011.

Stone a junior college transfer from Central Community College in Columbus, Neb. played his high school golf at St. Paul Public School in St. Paul, Neb. At Central Community College, Stone was an Academic All-Conference and Team Co-Captain. In high school he qualified for state his junior and senior season and was an Academic All-Conference selection. He was a student ambassador at Central and a three member of the National Honor Society in high school. He has a scoring average of 77 and plans on majoring in pre law at Western.

“We are please to add a junior college athlete of his ability,” commented Coach Perry. “We look forward to him stepping up and playing immediately.”

MWSU Sports Information

Missouri Western baseball coach Charles “Buzz” Verduzco has announced the signing of four more student-athletes to the NCAA National Letter of Intent for next season. Shawn Egge a junior college transfer from Williston, ND, Clay Miller of Wentzville, Mo., Kyle Simpson a junior college transfer from Camdenton, Mo. and James Smelcer a transfer from Park University join Jerico Burasco of Lee’s Summit, Mo. and Dylan Roads of Kansas City, Mo. to next season squad.

Shawn Egge a junior college transfer from Longview Community College played his high school baseball at Williston High School in Williston, N.D. Egge, an outfielder was a captain, MVP and All-Region selection at Longview. In 2011 he hit .317 with 19 RBI, three home runs, 11 stolen bases and a .451 on base percentage. In 2010 he hit .346 with 69 RBI, 20 home runs, 13 stolen bases and a .460 on base percentage. In high school he was an All-State selection. He plans on majoring in health and exercise science at Western.

“We saw Shawn Egge play centerfield for two years at Longview CC and was very impressed with him,” commented Verduzco. “He can hit for power and average and will be an exciting player to watch in the MIAA.”

Clay Miller from Wentzville, Mo. played his high school baseball at Timberland High School. Miller, an outfielder was All-Conference as a sophomore, and over the past three years he has led the team in plate appearances, stolen bases, and sacrifices. During his junior season he helped his team go undefeated in Conference play and win the Gateway Athletic Conference North title, and this year the senior co-captain helped the team win the District title and advance to the State Quarterfinals. In 282 career at bats he hit .312 scoring 58 runs with 33 RBI, 24 stolen bases and 11 sacrifices. Miller plans on majoring in wildlife conservation management at Western.

“Clay Miller is very skilled High School outfielder who handles the bat well and shows knowledge for the game that you don’t always see from young players,” stated Verduzco. “He comes from a well respected High School program (Timberland High School, Wentzville, Mo.) that consistently contends for State titles each year.”

Kyle Simpson a junior college transfer from Longview Community College played his high school baseball at Camdenton High School in Camdenton, Mo. At Longview Simpson was an All-Region and All-District catcher/third baseman. As a freshman at Longview he hit .424 with six home runs while as a sophomore he hit .309 with two home runs. In high school Simpson earned All-Conference and All-District honors. Simpson plans on majoring in finance in at Western.

“Kyle Simpson is a solid corner player from Longview CC that will add a lot of power and consistency to our line up,” said Verduzco. “He is a great addition to our squad.”

James Smelcer a transfer from Park University played his high school baseball at Liberty High School in Liberty, Mo. At Park, Smelcer was a two year Academic All-Conference selection. In high school he .350 with three home runs during his senior season. He was a team captain as well as First Team All-Metro and Second Team All-Conference as a senior at Liberty. Smelcer is an infielder who is undecided on a major at Western.

“Jimmie Smelcler transfers to Western from Park University,” commented Verduzco. “He was one of the top area infielders out of High School two years ago and we are fortunate to have him here at Western. He is a very talented infielder who can play multiple positions as well provide a solid bat in our line up.”

MWSU Sports Information

Missouri Western junior defensive end David Bass (St. Louis, Mo.) has been named pre-season All-America by the Consensus Draft Services as announced by the organization on June 20.

Bass, 6-4, 254, was a 2nd Team All-MIAA performer last season leading the Griffons in sacks and tackles for a loss. He accumulated 47 tackles with 29 being assisted. He finished with 10.5 tackles for a loss with eight of them being sacks. He also had two interceptions to go along with four pass breakups, six passes defended and four quarterback hurries. With eight sacks he finished fifth in the MIAA. Bass had a career high 11 tackles against Truman State and had two sacks in three games last season which included the last two regular season contests.

The Griffons open up the 2011 regular season on September 1 with a 6 pm game at home against Pittsburg State University.

The complete list is below.

2011 CDS Division II Preseason All-American Teams

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
• QB Dane Simoneau, 6’2″, 200, Washburn
• RB Franklyn Quiteh, 5’9″, 198, Bloomsburg (So.)
• RB Nic Cooper, 5’10”, 230, Winston-Salem State
• WR Jake Soy, 6’2″, 210, Northwest Missouri
• WR Thomas Mayo 6’2″, 184, Concord
• TE Tony Carreri, 6’3″, 245, Grand Valley
• OT Tyler Hendrickson, 6’8″, 320, Concordia-St. Paul
• OG Amini Silatolu, 6’3″, 320, Midwestern St.
• C John Hancock, 6’2″, 280, Ferris St.
• OG Garth Heikkinen, 6’4″, 290, Minnesota-Duluth (Jr.)
• OT Joe Long, 6’6″, 305, Wayne St. (MI)
• K Michael Ziola, 5’10”, 155, Chadron, (So.)
• KR Stephan Neville, 5’8″, 175, Stonehill

DEFENSE
• DE Armonty Bryant, 6’5″, 245, East Central
• DL Brandon Williams, 6’3″, 325, Missouri Southern (Jr.)
• DL Brandon Martin, 6’3″, 270, Lenoir-Rhyne
• DE Zach Moore, 6’6″, 260, Concordia-St.Paul (Jr.)
• LB Nate Dreiling, 6’3″, 223, Pittsburg St. (So.)
• LB Shawn Loiseau, 6’1″, 240, Merrimack
• LB Alex Whitehill, 6’3″, 215, Fort Hays St.
• LB Chad Kilgore, 6’1″, 230, Northwest Missouri
• CB Darnell Evans, 5’7″, 181, Shaw (So.)
• CB Logan Kerr, 5’8″, 181, Ashland
• S Andre Lyles, 6’2″, 210, Fayetteville St.
• S Harrison Dreiling, 6’0″, 190, Valdosta St.
• P Ronnie Partridge, 5’10”, 183, Stillman
• PR Jordan Simmons, 5’9″, 190, Northwest Missouri

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
• QB Bo Cordell, 6’0″, 195, Tusculum (Jr.)
• RB Akeem Satterfield, 6’0″, 210, Slippery Rock (Jr.)
• RB Tommy Addison, 5’7″, 181 Shepherd
• WR Tyson Williams, 5’11”, 205, West Texas A&M
• WR Charles Johnson, 6’2″, 183, Southwest Baptist
• TE Demetrius Guice, 6’6″, 274, Central Washington
• OT Roy Richard, 6’3″, 297, Ouachita Baptist
• OG Colton Ables, 6’2″, 307, Northeastern St. (OK)
• OL Kevin Martin, 6’2″, 290, C.W. Post
• OG Ryan Sullivan, 6’3″, 285, Southeast Oklahoma
• OT Larry Wreidt, 6’6″, 320, West Liberty
• K Jason Fowler, 5’8″, 180, Ouachita Baptist (Jr.)
• KR Tyron Laughinghouse, 6’3″, 200, St. Augustine’s (Jr.)

DEFENSE
• DE Aston Whiteside, 6’1″, 270, Abilene Christian
• DT Randy Colling, 6’4″, 315, Gannon
• DT Andrew Iupati, 6’1″, 310, Humboldt St.
• DE Luke Black, 6’6″, 280, Fairmont St.
• LB Nick Thomas, 6’3″, 37, Wayne St. (MI)
• LB Billy O’Connor, 5’9″, 220, C.W. Post
• LB Lee Meisner, 5’11”, 242, CSU-Pueblo
• LB Zach Sheridan, 6’2″, 241, Slippery Rock
• CB Dontae Smith, 6’0″, 182, East Central (OK)
• S Shaquille Shedd, 6’2″, 190, Southwest Baptist (Jr.)
• S Dan O’Keefe, 6’2″, 215, Augustana
• CBNate Robinson, 5’9″, 160, Northwestern State
• P Kevin Berg, 6’0, 180, Chadron State
• PR Deante Steele, 5’9″, 185, Shepherd

NOTE: All players are seniors unless otherwise inidcated

HONORABLE MENTION – OFFENSE
• QB Clay Garcia, 5’11”, 200, Colorado Mines
• QB Cody Haffly, 6’0″, 210, Wingate
• QB Kevin Morton, 6’0″, 190, Kutztown
• QB Mitchell Gale, 6’1″, 220, Abilene Christian (Jr.)
• QB Micah Davis, 6’1″, 203, Delta St.
• QB Kevin Lynch, 6’2″, 216, Southern Connecticut
• WR Gerald Worsham, 5’8″, 186, West Alabama
• WR Deonte’ Gist, 5’8″, 170, Tusculum
• WR Joseph Jean-Pierre, 6’1″, 215, Virginia Union
• WR Willie Epps, 6’1″, 180, Southern Connecticut (Jr.)
• WR Brandon Bostick, 6’3″, 230, Newberry
• WR Jerrod Doucet, 6’0″, 184, Colorado Mines (Jr.)
• WR Rashaad Carter, 6’2″, 200, Tusculum
• WR Jon Meadows, 6’0″, 186, West Virginia Wesleyan
• RB Jesse Lewis, 5’5″, 173, CSU-Pueblo
• RB Daronte McNeill, 6’1″, 218, Elizabeth City St. (Jr.)
• RB Josh Renel, 5’7″, 187, Wayne State (MI)
• RB Joe Glendening, 5’9″, 188, Hillsdale (Jr.)
• RB Brian Kennedy, 5’8″, 174, Concord
• RB Rustin Dring, 6’0, 200, Nebraska-Kearney
• RB Tommy Addison, 5’7″, 181, Shepherd
• RB David Carter, 5’10”, 225, Morehouse (Jr.)
• RB Levi Terrell, 6’0″, 195, Nebraska-Omaha (Jr.)
• TE Sean McGrath, 6’4″, 255, Henderson St.
• TE Ben Gibbs, 6’3″, 240, Abilene Christian (Jr.)
• TE Ryan Shelley, 6’2″, 205, Southeast Oklahoma
• TE Brian Leonhardt, 6’4″, 255, Bemidji St.
• TE Blake Williamson, 6’3″, 230, California (PA) (Jr.)
• TE Greg Frantz, 6’2″, 245, Millersville
• OT Daron Rose, 6’5″, 320, North Alabama
• OT Andrew Gomez, 6’4″, 280, Henderson St.
• OT Adam Robinson, 6’6″, 300, Eastern New Mexico
• OT Brian Folkerts, 6’4″, 285, Washburn
• OT Daryl Kurtz, 6’3″, 315, Bloomsburg
• OT Will Khoury, 6’3″, 293, Wayne St. (MI)
• OT Ervin Una Smiley, 6’6″, 320, Western Oregon
• OG Larry McDonald, 6’2″, 300, Fayetteville St.
• OG Jason Slowey, 6’4″, 300, Western Oregon
• OG Kyle Smith, 6’2″, 280, Ouachita Baptist
• OG Logan Freeman, 6’3″, 290, Central Missouri (Jr.)
• OG Ian Saxton, 6’3″, 268, Missouri Southern
• OG Cory Fleisch, 6’4″, 270, Minnesota-Duluth
• OG Tim Hiett, 6’1″, 260, Chadron St.
• C Hector Rodriguez, 6’2″, 290, West Texas A&M
• C Matt Webber, 6’1″, 275, Abilene Christian
• C Cory Immermam, 6’0″, 285, Bemidji St.
• C Chris Steck, 6’0″, 275, Bloomsburg (So.)
• C Brandon Link, 6’1″, 280, Concord
• K Kelly Morgan, 5’9″, 170, Western Oregon (Jr.)
• K Aaron Jamieson, Central Missouri (Jr.)
• K Sergio Castillo, 5’11”, 195, West Texas A&M (So.)
• K Austin Turner, 6’2″, 240, Fayetteville State
• KR Pat Gondkoff, 6’0″, 183, Humboldt St. (Jr.)
• KR Rafael Thomas, 5’8″, 180, Southern Arkansas (Jr.)
• KR Jeremy Holt, 5’9″, 180, Harding
• KR L.J. McCray, 6’1″, 200, Catawba (Jr.)

HONORABLE MENTION – DEFENSE
• DE Barrington Morrison, 6’1″, 270, Abilene Christian
• DE Todd Storm, 6’2″, 240, Michigan Tech
• DE Tony Johnson, 6’3″, 225, Merrimack
• DE Tim Hume, 6’0″, 240, Cheyney
• DE Timothy Durant, 6’2″, 235 Virginia St.
• DL Jordan Morgan, 6’4″, 252, Ferris St.
• DL Charles Deas, 6’6″, 305, Shaw
• DL Gavin Drake, 6’3″, 285, Western Oregon (Jr.)
• DL Andrew Oney, 6’3″, 258, Central Washington
• DL Johnny Tivao, 6’0″, 351, Texas A&M-Kingsville
• DL Bracy McCoy, 6’2″, 264, Eastern New Mexico (Jr.)
• DL David Bass, 6’3″, 254, Missouri Western (Jr.)
• LB Max Davis, 5’10”, 225, Indianapolis
• LB Kenny Klatt, 5’11”, 205, Findlay (So.)
• LB Rocco DeLorenzo, 6’0″, 231, Adam State
• LB Jonathan Poth, 6’1″, 194, Stonehill
• LB Curtis jackson, 5’9″, 201, Eastern New Mexico
• LB Corey Robinson, 6’1″, 220, Miles
• LB Ronnie Modik, 6’0″, 225, C.W. Post
• LB Rudy Cabral, 6’1″, 230, Mars Hill (Jr.)
• DB Desmond Anderson, 5’7″, 180, New Haven
• DB Keon Robinson, 5’10”, 187, Shepherd (Jr.)
• DB Waylon Kimble, 5’9″, 175, West Georgia
• DB Juan McKeever, 5’10”, 175, Urbana
• DB Eric Walker, 5’9″, 175, Southeastern Oklahoma, (So.)
• DB Anthony Hooks, 5’9″, 185, Chowan (Jr.)
• DB Don Unamba, 6’0″, 192, Southern Arkansas
• DB Kwaheem Smith, 5’9″, 185, Lincoln (PA)
• S Don Hopkins, 6’0″, 205, Bentley
• S Bryce Pelia, 6’0″, 200, Western Oregon (Jr.)
• S O’Hara Fluellen, 5’11”, 190, Lincoln (MO) (Jr.)
• S Williams Miles, 5’10”, 190, Ferris St.
• S Creadell Pennon, 5’9″, 200, Central Oklahoma (Jr.)
• S Mike Virgin, 6’2″, 190, Tiifin (Jr.)
• P Chris Hill, 5’11”, 185, West Chester
• P Taylor Accardi, 6’2″, 200, Colorado Mines, (Jr.)
• PR Lucas Gonsalves, 5’9″, 175, Western Oregon (So.)
• PR Chris Muhammad, 6’1″, 205, Southwest Baptist
• PR Tony Goodman, 6’0″, 195, Chowan (Jr.)

MWSU Sports Information

The Missouri Western athletic department had 100 student-athletes named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll as announced by the league office.

In addition to the 100 named to the Academic Honor Roll, eight student-athletes earned MIAA Scholar Athlete and one was given the MIAA’s Academic Excellence award.

To be named to the Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 and have at least two terms of attendance. To earn Academic All-MIAA status, a student-athlete must have maintained a 3.50 cumulative GPA and have earned All-MIAA status during their respective championship seasons. To be given the Academic Excellence award, student-athletes must have maintained a cumulative 4.00 GPA in at least two terms of attendance. Redshirt athletes are not eligible for any of the awards.

Western’s MIAA Scholar Athlete winners were Drew Newhart from football, Sarah Brimeyer and Mary Ohm from women’s soccer, Natalie Bird from women’s golf, Rachel Luteyn from women’s basketball and Keri Lorbert, Toni Dance and Maegan Roemmich from softball.

Winner of the prestigious Academic Excellence award was Katie Field from women’s tennis.

A complete list of the 100 MWSU student-athletes on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll can be found by clicking on the link below.

2010-11 Academic Awards

MWSU Sports Information

Missouri Western State University earned three bronze awards from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA).

Initiated in 2003, the NACMA Awards program honors outstanding achievement in marketing and promotions. Awards are presented in 16 categories, with each category divided into three groups based upon institution size and conference affiliations to promote fairness. More than 782 entries were received for the 2010-11 year.

Western earned bronze awards in three different categories which were: Promotional/Schedule Poster, Student Promotion and Sales Piece.