Northwest Missouri State University Director of Athletics Mel Tjeerdsma announced on Monday that Andy Peterson has been named head golf coach for the Bearcats. Peterson will retain his role as Assistant Director of Athletics for Facilities and assistant men’s basketball coach in addition to the head golf coach position.

“I am excited to be able to lead the golf program,” said Peterson. “Being the head golf coach while I was at SWCC a few years ago was something that I truly enjoyed, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to do the same here. Northwest is so special to me and having the ability to hopefully make student-athletes’ times here as enjoyable as possible is something that I cherish. I look forward to doing whatever I can for every member of our roster to have a collegiate experience for the Bearcats as rewarding and enjoyable as mine.”

The golf team at Northwest was started in 2007-08 by former head coach Pat McLaughlin. The team has 16 all-time wins and has finished third at the MIAA Championships the past three seasons.

“We were very happy to have Andy step into this position for us,” said Tjeerdsma. “Being an administrative staff member, an assistant coach and a former student-athlete, we know he brings a real passion for Bearcat Athletics into everything he does. Our golf program has had a lot of success in a relatively short amount of time. I’m confident Andy can continue the high level we’ve come to expect here at Northwest.”

Peterson, who was the golf coach at Southwestern Community College during the 2010-11 season, was a five-year student-athlete at Northwest as a member of the Bearcat men’s basketball team. He is married to the former Emily Churchman who also was a Northwest student-athlete and is currently the assistant track and field coach.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The U.S. Under-19 National Football Team began play Monday against Mexico in the International Federation of American Football Under-19 World Championships in Kuwait City.

Representing Northwest Missouri State are redshirt freshmen Jordan Harold (St. Louis, Mo.), Nicholas Turner (St. Louis, Mo.) and Myles McIntyre (St. Louis, Mo.). At the conclusion of training camp, Harold and McIntyre were named team captains.

“It’s an honor to be selected as a captain,” McIntosh said in a release. “I was a three-year captain for my high school, so I am familiar with the responsibility that comes with it. It is a motivator for me to be honored my teammates this way.”

“The team is bigger than any one individual,” said Harold in the release. “It’s an honor for sure, but I’m just one part of the team. I just want to keep playing hard and do the right things and help the team be successful.”

Team USA also features former Bearcat Jay Eilers, who will serve as the offensive line coach for Team USA. Eilers, who holds the same full time position with Angelo State, was a four-year letterwinner at Northwest and a member of the 1998 National Championship team.

U.S. players and coaches will departs for Kuwait on July 2. The United States’ pool play schedule is:

Monday, July 7 – 1 p.m. (ET) vs. Mexico
Thursday, July 10 – 4 p.m. (ET) vs. Germany
Sunday, July 13 – 4 p.m. (ET) vs. Japan

Games begin at 8 and 11 p.m. local time. The gold medal game is 4 p.m. (ET) Wednesday, July 16, between pool winners.

A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows current college players to take part and for high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count among their two permitted all-star game appearances. The IFAF Under-19 World Championship is recognized as a national team competition.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State has announced that the Nov. 15 home football game against Washburn University will be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The game, which will retain the title “The Fall Classic,” will announce a kickoff time at a later date.

“Getting a chance to continue playing at Arrowhead was extremely important to our players, our program and our fans,” said Northwest head coach Adam Dorrel. “The entire Chiefs’ organization has been very good to our program for the past 13 seasons. There are so many positives from our end to continue playing in Kansas City that we made it a priority during the off season to return this year. We want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs organization and the administrative staffs both here at Northwest and at Washburn for working to make this happen.”

The Ichabods are coming off an 8-3 campaign in 2013. Washburn was ranked as high as No. 8 in the nation after beginning the season with eight consecutive victories. Over the past seven years, the Ichabods have averaged over seven victories including a 10-win season in 2011.

“Bringing in an opponent like Washburn adds new life to this event,” Dorrel said. “Northwest’s 9,000 or so alumni in Kansas City have helped make the Fall Classic what it is today. You get two programs that have enjoyed quite a bit of success in the past few years together in a venue like Arrowhead and it should be an amazing experience. We know how loud that stadium can get and I can’t wait to see what our fans come up with this year.”

Northwest is 9-3 all time at Arrowhead. In the past 12 contests at Arrowhead, the Bearcats have averaged over 29 points per game and have seven crowds of over 20,000. Last season, Northwest defeated PittsburgState, 24-15, in front of 17,369 in attendance.

“For us, this game represents so much of what we want to accomplish as a program,” explained Dorrel. “The experience for our players to be in an NFL facility for a game each year is an incredible selling point. Our recruiting takes a huge boost when we can explain to potential student-athletes about the atmosphere at Arrowhead and how much it means to our current and former players to be able to play here.”

Tickets for the game go on sale to Bearcat Booster Club members in July and non-booster club members can begin purchasing from Northwest in August.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Three members of the Northwest Missouri State golf team were named Women’s Collegiate Golf All-American Scholars by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) on Wednesday. Senior Cassie Lowell, junior Taylor Gard and sophomoreBrooke Byland represented the Bearcats on a list that included 664 total golfers from NCAA Division I, II and III.  To be eligible for this honor, student-athletes must have maintained a minimum GPA of 3.50 for the academic year.

For Lowell, this is the fourth time she has received the award. The 2012 MIAA Player of the Year concluded her career this season after qualifying for the NCAA Super Regional. She had eight all-time tournament victories and holds six Northwest individual records.

Gard, who also earned all-scholar honors as a sophomore, was second on the team this season with a 82.41 stroke average. She had five top 10 finishes and finished in the top five three times.

Byland earned the honors for the first time this season. As a sophomore, Byland played in seven events for the Bearcats.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Five outstanding former student-athletes, two longtime head coaches, a top ranked men’s basketball team and a collection of dominate women’s cross country and track & field teams will make up this year’s M-Club Hall of Fame class.

This year’s class features student-athletes Aaron Crowe (football), Sandy Cummings (women’s basketball), Diann Davis (volleyball), Eduardo Jarolim (men’s tennis) and Greg Teale (football). Former Bearcat coaches Richard Alsup (cross country/track) and Steve Tappmeyer (men’s basketball) will also be inductedthis fall. In addition, the 2003-04 men’s basketball team and a collection of women’s cross country (1995-97) and the indoor/outdoor track & field teams (1996 & 1997) will be officially enshrined this fall.

The Class of 2014 will be inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame during the annual festivities on Friday, Oct. 17 in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom and will be recognized during the Homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 18. Tickets for the Friday evening banquet are $20 each and may be purchased by contacting Michele Steinmeyer in the athletics office at 660-562-1977. The deadline to reserve your spot at the banquet is Friday, Oct. 3.

The 2014 class will bring the total of individual inductees to 124. The M-Club Hall of Fame was established for individuals in 1980 and teams were first enshrined beginning in 1989.

Individuals

Coach Richard Alsup (1977-08) – Cross Country/Track
Coached five individual NCAA Division II National Champions
Six-time MIAA Coach of the Year (1987, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2001, 2006)
1992 MIAA Indoor Track & Field team champions

Aaron Crowe (1995-98) – Football
First team AP Little All-American (1998)
Daktronics/CoSIDA first-team All-American (1998)
Two-time Football Gazette All-American first team (1998), second team (1997)

Sandy Cummings (1986-88) – Women’s Basketball
MIAA’s all-time leader in career steals (406)
Second all-time at Northwest in career assists (598)
Ranks 14th on Northwest’s all-time scoring list (1,234)

Diann Davis (1994-97) – Volleyball
MIAA’s all-time leader in career blocks (748)
Northwest’s all-time leader in career points (2,340.5)
Northwest’s all-time leader in career kills (1,740)

Eduardo Jarolim (1994-95) – Men’s Tennis
MIAA Champion No. 1 Doubles (1995) – Singles and doubles runner-up (1994)
Ranked No. 32 in NCAA Fall Rankings (1994)
Helped team to MIAA Championship and 21-3 record in 1995

Coach Steve Tappmeyer (1989–09) – Men’s Basketball
Northwest’s all-time leader in wins – career record of 408-208
Team won seven (7) MIAA championships (three regular season titles / four tournament titles)
Ten NCAA tournament appearances (two trips to the Elite Eight)

Greg Teale (1992-96) – Football
All-MIAA first team (1996)
Sixth all-time at Northwest in career pass completions (467) & TD passes (52)
Twice threw for a school record five TD passes in one game (shares record with five other players).

Teams

1995, 1996-97, 1997-98 Women’s CC/Track
These seven teams all captured team MIAA Championships.
Only time in Northwest women’s cross country/track & field history withback-to-back MIAA championships in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track (1996-97 and 1997-98) in the same school year.
Team breakdowns
1995 Cross Country = 1st in MIAA
1996 Cross Country = 1st in MIAA, NCAA finish = 10th
1997 Indoor Track = 1st in MIAA, 5 MIAA individual titles, 4 All-Americans
1997 Outdoor Track = 1st in MIAA, 4 MIAA individual titles, 5 All-Americans
1997 Cross Country = 1st in MIAA, 2 All-Americans, NCAA finish = 5th
1998 Indoor Track = 1st in MIAA, 4 MIAA individual titles, 3 All-Americans
1998 Outdoor Track = 1st in MIAA, 4 MIAA individual titles, 3 All-Americans

2003-04 Men’s Basketball
Started season 13-0, reached a No. 1 national ranking for the first time in school history
29-5 overall record (14-1 at home), won MIAA tournament
Advanced to NCAA Division II Elite Eight (second time in school history)

— Northwest Sports Information —

Former Northwest Missouri State athletic director and coach Richard Flanagan passed away on Thursday, June 19, at the age of 84 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Flanagan’s connection to Northwest began as a student-athlete in the mid-1950s as an offensive and defensive tackle. After a 13-year stint as a high school coach in the northwest Missouri area, he returned to Northwest in 1971 as amember of the Bearcat football coaching staff. He would go on to hold several coaching positions within the football staff, as well as being named the head track and field coach in 1973. He was named athletic director in 1978 and would hold that position until 1994.

He was selected for the Northwest Athletic’s M-Club Hall of Fame in 1996 and was also inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 AM, Monday, June 23 at the St. Gregory’s Catholic Church,  Maryville, Mo.  The burial will follow at the St. Patrick’s Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 22 at the Bram-Danfelt Funeral Home. At 7:30 p.m., aParish Rosary will be recited and a sharing time will follow.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State head men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum has announced the addition of four student-athletes to the 2014-15 roster.

The latest additions to the 2014-15 roster are Larry Fitzgerald (Milwaukee, Wisc.), Kyle Harrison (Overland Park, Kan.), Jared White (Desoto, Mo.) and Anthony Woods(Kansas City, Mo.). These four additions will join Vance Wentz (Leadwood, Kan.), Xavier Kurth (St. Joseph, Mo.) and Dray Starzl (Kearney, Mo.) who all signed with the Bearcats earlier this year.

“We are very excited about our class as a whole,” We continue to recruit high character kids and I feel we have done that with this class,” McCollum said. “I believe our teachers, fellow students, staff and fans will enjoy being around this group of young men. We will have a lot of work to do getting eight new guysacclimated with our program.”

Fitzgerald played the past two seasons at Butler County Community College. Last season, he started 31 games, averaging 11.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game. He also hit 41.5 percent (39-for-94) of his three point attempts. As a prep, Fitzgerald was a two time all-state and a three time all-league performer for Milwaukee Pius XI. He surpassed 1,000 career points during his senior season and was a participant in the Wisconsin WBCA All-Star game.

“Larry is a solid three-point shooter and has the chance to be a great offensive rebounder at our level,” said McCollum.” He plays extremely hard and we were very impressed with his energy and ability to communicate on the floor. He wants to win and will do whatever it takes to make his team better.”

Harrison helped Blue Valley Northwest to two state basketball championships, earning all-state honorable mention. He received All-EKL first team honors two years in a row. Harrison holds the record for all time career three-point field goals at Blue Valley Northwest. Harrison was also a first team all-state performer in football.

“Kyle is a competitor who is coming off back to back state titles in the largest class in Kansas,” said McCollum. “He is a very good shooter and has a very good feel for the game. Kyle adds to our freshman depth and we look forward to watching him grow.”

White was an all-region performer for coach Gene Bess at Three Rivers Community College. White graduated from Desoto High School where he received two all-state honors and four all-region honors. He was named conference MVP twice. He was a standout in football where he received all-state, all-conference, all-region and all-district honors during his career. Whitebegan his playing career at Division I Southeast Missouri State University.

“Jared is a tough and physical guard,” McCollum said. “His strength and athleticism makes him a tough match up. He can get to the basket and uses his strength to finish well around the basket. He comes from an athletic family and is extremely competitive.”

Woods appeared in 26 games last year during his only season at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb. He had four double-digit scoring contests as a senior. The point guard had a season-high 12 assists against Indian Hills CC on Jan. 29, 2014. Wood was an all-state performer and Suburban Conference MVP for Park Hill South High School. He was also named to the Missouri All-Starteam and was a first team all-conference selection.

“Anthony is very long and passes the ball extremely well,” McCollum said. “He has a chance to turn into a great defender with his length. His unselfishness and ability to make the right play jumped out at us when watching him play. He will have three years of eligibility after spending one year at Northeast CC.”

— Northwest Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State volleyball head coach Amy Woerthhas announced the additions of five student-athletes to the 2014 roster.

The latest additions to the 2014 recruiting class include Danielle Rubow (Chanute, Kan.), Gabby Torline (Wichita, Kan.), Darcy Sunderman (Clarinda, Iowa), Megan Stilmock (Omaha, Neb.) and Jordan Trimble (Platte County, Mo.). These five additions join Alexis Williams (Blue Springs, Mo.), Bristol Lewis (Stilwell, Kan.) and Sarah Dannettell (Windsor, Colo.), who signed with the Bearcats in November.

Rubow was a two-year starter for Lindsay Hill at Fort Scott Community College as a middle blocker. She started all 35 matches for the Greyhounds last season, recording 97 blocks and 112 kills. She was a three-sport athlete at ChanuteSenior High School, lettering in volleyball, basketball and softball. She played for FS Juniors club.

“Dani also brings in two years of college playing experience which will help strengthen our middle hitter depth,” Woerth said. “She has been well trained and will bring speed and athleticism to our team.”

Torline was a four-year standout for Kapaun Mt. Carmel in Wichita, Kan., under head coach Terri Hessman. She earned all-state honorable mention honors and was an All-Greater Wichita Athletic League performer. She was also a first-teamall-academic team member all four seasons. She played club for the ICT Mavs and coach Destiny Clark.

“Gabby’s strengths are her athleticism, platform and defensive skills,” said Woerth. “She loves to work hard. She has high level club experience which will help her quickly transition to the Division II college game.”

Stilmock, a setter, was an honorable mention all-state performer for coach Kim Brehm at Ralston High School in Omaha, Neb. She earned honorable mention All-River City Conference honors all four seasons and is the school record holder forsets in a career and sets during a match. She played club for the River City Juniors and was coached by Deb Grafentin.

“Megan is a smart and quick setter that will add depth in our setting position,” said Woerth. “I’m excited to see her development and I think she has potential to run an efficient offense with our squad.”

Sunderman played outside hitter and middle for Clarinda High School and coach Jessica Lewey. She was a four-time All-Hawkeye Ten Conference selection and was the Southwest Iowa Player of the Year three times. She was named to the all-state tournament team all four years and was also on the national volleyball all-tournament team in 2011. As a senior, she was in the Iowa Girls’ Senior All-Star Classic. She played club for River City Juniors and coach Deb Grafentin. Sunderman lettered in volleyball, basketball, track and softball.

“I’m looking forward to see Darcy develop in her career at Northwest,” Worth commented. “She has great athletic potential and with experience she will become a competitive threat. She will also add versatility to our team with experience playing multiple positions.”

Trimble was an academic all-conference performer for coach Delice Downing at Coffeyville Community College the past two seasons. She served as team captain both years and averaged 7.3 assists per set as a sophomore last season. Trimble was a three-sport standout at Platte County High School in Platte County, Mo., earning all-conference accolades in soccer, basketball and volleyball. She was an all-district and all-regional performer in volleyball as well, earning academic all-state honors while being named to the Missouri/Kansas Small Class All Star Team. She was a member of National Honor Society.

“Bringing in two years of collegiate setting experience, Jordan will use her strong leadership and defensive skills to fight for court time,” explained Woerth. “She does a great job running an offense that can keep the defense off balance.”

— Northwest Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State’s Trevor Adams was named the Ken B. Jones Award winner on Thursday evening at the MIAA Award Ceremony at the Kansas City Public Library. The Ken B. Jones Award is presented to the conference’s top male and female student-athlete.

The award, which is in its 21st year, is named in honor of the man who served as the MIAA’s first full-time commissioner for 16 years. Jones retired in 1997 and passed away in May 2004. He was inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame in the inaugural Class of 2010.

Adams was a National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar Athlete and was the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for football. He set a programrecord and led the nation in 2013 with a 72.5 pass completion percentage. He was the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and was named an honorable mention All-American by Don Hansen. Adams graduated with a 3.94 GPA in biology/psychology and is currently attending chiropractic school in Dallas, Texas.

He becomes the sixth Ken B. Jones Award winner for Northwest. Past Bearcats to win the award include: Tucker Woolsey (2001-02), Clint Prange (2004-05), Josh Lamberson (2005-06), Myles Burnside (2009-10) and Jake Soy (2010-11).

— Northwest Sports Information —