ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western men’s basketball head coach Brett Weiberg and his staff has announced the signing of five student-athletes to their 2017-18 roster.

The class features four junior college transfers and one incoming freshman. This class also brings a winning pedigree as two of the signees are coming off seasons that produced a high school state championship and Junior College national championship.

Alex Martin
6’7 | 220 | PF
Wichita, Kan. |Cloud County Community College
Martin averaged 5.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 28 games. He shot 45 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point arc for the T-birds.

Coach Weiberg on Alex Martin
“Alex is a hard-working, competitive kid that plays hard. He is a good player that can and will rebound the basketball. He will be able to stretch the floor and can also score with his back to the basket. Alex has been coached at a high level for the last two years. ”

Lavon Hightower
6’5 | 200 | Wing
Charlotte, N.C. | Southwest Iowa Community College
Hightower averaged 11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting over 60 percent from the field and 47 percent from the 3-point stripe. He had a decorated junior college career as he won the NJCAA Division II National Championship and was named all-tournament first team for the Spartans. Hightower was also named all-region and was a NJCAA Division II National Player of the Week.

Coach Weiberg on Lavon Hightower
“Lavon is a very versatile player. He played three different positions in junior college and defended three different positions as well. He can make threes, drive the ball and rebound the basketball. Lavon is a good teammate that will compete and wants to win.”

Trevonta Robertson
6’3 | 180 | Wing
New Orleans, LA | Collin County Community College
Robertson started in 28 of 29 games this season, averaging 12.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He was 51 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three point line. Robertson earned all-region honors for the Cougars.

Coach Weiberg on Trevonta Robertson
“Trevonta is a true wing that can really drive the basketball. He played for a legendary junior college coach in Jim Sigona at Collin County Community College. Trevonta is a good athlete and a good person. He fits what this team needs. ”

Cheickh Fall
6-6 | 215 | Forward
Dakar, Senegal | Kilgore College
Fall averaged 5.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He also shot 57 percent from the field for the Rangers.

Coach Weiberg on Cheickh Fall
“Cheikh is a great athlete. He is an outstanding rebounder that is continuing to get better and develop his offensive skill set. He will bring a level of athleticism that we have not had here that last couple of years. Cheikh is a great person and will be an outstanding teammate.”

Trey Brown
5’11 | 175 | PG
Topeka, Kan. | Topeka Shawnee Heights High School
Brown shot 43 percent from three-point range as he averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He had a stellar career, leading the Thunderbirds to the Kansas 5A state championship. Brown was named Topeka Player of the Year, first team all-class and 4A first team all-state.

Coach Weiberg on Trey Brown
“Trey Brown had an outstanding senior year. He is a true point guard that makes other players around him better. Trey competes at a high level and plays to win. He is a good person and we look forward to coaching him.”

— MWSU Athletics —

FINDLAY, Ohio – Missouri Western freshman Chong Yong of Griffon women’s golf shot a 79 in her final round at the NCAA national tournament at Findlay Country Club Saturday and finished tied for 58th with a four round total of 327.

She played her best round of the tournament on the final day as she dropped two strokes from the previous day. As the tournament went on, Yong continued to improve as she posted lower scores every round.

Yong became the first individual to qualify for the national tournament in program history. For back-to-back years, MWSU was represented at the national tournament as it qualified as a team last year.

Marie Coors of St. Leo won the individual title with a 295 as Barry University won the team championship with a four round total of 1222.

— MWSU Athletics —

EMPORIA, Kan. – The Missouri Western baseball team (32-22) fell to Central Oklahoma (34-20-1) 5-2 in an elimination game at the NCAA central regional Friday night. The loss ends the Griffons season after qualifying for back-to-back NCAA tournaments for the first time in program history.

NOTABLES
– Central Oklahoma took advantage of an early error but Missouri Western’s defense would limit the threat to just one run in the top of the third inning

– Alex Heuring tied the game at 1-1 as he scored on a Nick Gawley single to center field in the bottom of the third inning

– A sacrifice fly from Andrew Curry allowed David Glaude to put the Griffons up 2-1 in the sixth inning

– Nate Hunter retired 16 straight batters from the top of the 3rd inning to the top of 8th inning for Missouri Western

– Logan Marston led off the bottom of the eighth inning but MWSU would strand him at third base in the bottom of the eighth inning

– Three consecutive hits with two outs in the top of the ninth inning gave the Bronchos the lead 5-2

TOP PERFORMERS
– Nate Hunter tossed 8 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and allowed only one walk

– Nick Gawley was 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI

– Central Oklahoma’s Kyle Miskovsky went 3-for-4 with two runs scored

– J.D. Cameron threw 7 1/3 innings for the Bronchos allowing two runs with five strikeouts

— MWSU Athletics —

EMPORIA, Kan. – Missouri Western’s first round NCAA Central Regional tournament baseball game against St. Cloud State has been postponed to Friday at 10 a.m. due to inclement weather in the Emporia, Kansas area.

The teams were originally scheduled to play at 7:45 p.m. Thursday, but threatening weather delayed the game before tournament officials determined the game could not be played Thursday night.

If the 6th-seeded Griffons (32-20) defeat No. 3 seed St. Cloud State (39-16) on Friday, they will play Minnesota State at 10 a.m. on Saturday. That winner’s bracket game was originally scheduled for 7:45 p.m. on Friday.

If Western would lost to St. Cloud State they’ll play Central Oklahoma in an elimination game at 4 p.m. Friday.

All Missouri Western game can be heard on ESPN 1550 AM or click here.

— MWSU Athletics —

FINDLAY, Ohio – Missouri Western freshman golfer Chong Yong shot an 83 in her second round at the NCAA national championship tournament at Findlay Country Club. Yong currently has a two day total of 167.

Starting from the 10th tee box to open the round, Yong started with four straight pars. For the day, she carded eight pars.

Anna Paramerter of Dallas Baptist leads the field with a 146. Yong tees off the third round Friday at 7:45 a.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Two members of the Missouri Western baseball team received all-region honors as released by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Division Two Conference Commissioner’s Association, Thursday.

Senior second baseman David Glaude was named second team on both all-region teams with Nick Gawley receiving honorable mention on the NCBWA All-Central Region team.

Both Griffons are currently with their team in its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Central Region tournament played in Emporia, Kansas.
Glaude was named second team All-MIAA and entered the regional with a .351 batting average, a team-high eight home runs, 13 doubles and two triples. The Canadian broke the MWSU career home run, RBI and doubles records this season and was a first team NCBWA and second team D2CCA All-Region selection last year.

Gawley was named first team All-MIAA and led the Griffons with a .359 batting average and 18 doubles. The senior outfielder also broke the MWSU single-season stolen base record and entered the regional with 38 stolen bases.

— MWSU Athletics —

FINDLAY, Ohio – Missouri Western freshman Chong Yong shot an 84 in the opening round of the NCAA National Championship Golf Tournament at Findlay Country Club in Findlay, Ohio.

Yong started her day off by paring the first three holes. She would go onto par eight of her eighteen holes battling extremely windy conditions throughout the round.

Four players share the first day lead with a 1-over-par 73. Yong tees off her second round Thursday at 9:25 a.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western softball senior Katie Klosterman picked up her third postseason honor of the 2017 season by being named second team Division Two Conference Commissioner’s Association All-Central Region.

It was Klosterman’s second time on the D2CCA All-Region team after being named to the first team as a junior. The Omaha native was named first team All-MIAA and first team NFCA All-Region in addition to being the MIAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. She finished her final season as a Griffon batting .294 with seven doubles and 10 home runs. She had 87 RBIs and committed just seven errors, starting all 58 games for Missouri Western.

Klosterman, who played third base for the Griffons, was named first team D2CCA All-Central Region in 2016. The D2CCA All-Region and All-American teams are nominated and voted on by sports information personnel at each member institution.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – For the first time in program history, the Missouri Western baseball team will make back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

The Griffons will be the No. 6 seed in the Division II Central Regional and will face No. 3 seed St. Cloud State Thursday in Emporia, Kansas.

Emporia State was awarded the No. 1 seed. Missouri Western and Emporia State were two of four MIAA teams to make the regional, joining No. 4 seed Lindenwood and No. 7 seed Central Oklahoma.

Missouri Western advanced to the semifinals of the MIAA Baseball Championships after finishing second in the league standings by winning 13 of its final 14 regular season games. The Griffons went 3-2 at the MIAA tournament and will enter the regional tournament with a 32-20 record.

St. Cloud State (39-16) finished third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and finished as runner-up to No. 2-seeded Minnesota State in the NSIC Baseball Championships.

Times for the double elimination tournament will be announced later.

No. 1 Emporia State vs. No. 8 Arkansas-Monticello
No. 2 Minnesota State vs. No. 7 Central Oklahoma
No. 3 St. Cloud State vs. No. 6 Missouri Western
No. 4 Lindenwood vs. No. 5 Southern Arkansas

— MWSU Athletics —