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Griffon CB Mike Jordan named to InstantScouting Preseason All-America team

MWSUMissouri Western football senior defensive back Mike Jordan has been named to the InstantScouting Division-2 Preseason All-American Team.

Jordan is a two-time first team All-MIAA selection and was named to four All-American teams following the 2014 season, including first team AFCA and D2football.com. His four interceptions in 2014, were tied for the most on the team and he led the MIAA with 16 passes defended. The St. Louis native has 11 career interceptions and was the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2012. Jordan was the only member of an MIAA football school to make the list.

InstantScouting is a Canadian based independent global scouting service that is committed to helping aspiring athletes at the collegiate and free agent level showcase their abilities to all professional football teams in North America and Europe. They offer coaches and professional scouts the opportunity to view some of the best football talent from around the world right from their computers. The InstantScouting All-American teams are chosen exclusively by scouts who work to create professional football opportunities for athletes.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Griffon volleyball earns AVCA team academic award

riggertMissouriWesternLEXINGTON, Ky. – The Missouri Western volleyball team is one of 113 programs in Division II and 676 total teams to receive the 2014-15 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award.

The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale. Griffon Volleyball went 22-8 last season and 16-6 in the MIAA, setting a new program record for MIAA wins in a season and winning the most overall matches since 1998. Seniors Erica Rottinghaus and Sarah Faubel were named first team Captial One Academic All-Americans. Rottinghaus was also named MWSU Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Both earned MIAA Academic Honor Roll and MIAA Scholar Athlete awards, while Faubel also received an MIAA Academic Excellence Award. Kelsey Olion also received an MIAA Academic Excellence award and MIAA Scholar Athlete Award. Overall, Griffon Volleyball had 14 student-athletes named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and five receive MIAA Scholar Athlete Awards.

“A hearty congratulations to all the volleyball coaches whose teams won the AVCA Team Academic Award,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “Teams do not succeed in the classroom by accident any more so than they do on the court. The same coach who taught them volleyball skills cared enough about their academic achievement to gather their grades, calculate their GPA, and submit a nomination on their behalf. In doing so, these coaches sent a clear message that classroom success is just as important as volleyball success. All involved should celebrate this award!”

The AVCA Team Academic Award has become one of the AVCA’s fastest growing awards programs, seeing an impressive surge in teams honored over the past several years. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients have increased every single year but one, while amassing a 476 team increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award’s inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 752.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Mizzou football sets fan appreciation day for August 9

riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. – The Mizzou Department of Athletics will hold its 13th annual Football Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday, August 9, at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium. Gates will open to the public at approximately 3:15 p.m., and the team and coaches will be on hand to sign autographs until 4:45 p.m. Admission to this fan favorite event is free.

At Fan Day, Mizzou’s followers will have the opportunity to go onto the field and meet Tiger players and coaches and get autographs. Players will be limited to signing one item per fan, with free schedule posters available on the field for those interested. Guests bringing multiple items to the gate will be asked to return additional items to their vehicle.

Fans should enter the stadium via Gates 1 or 2W beginning at 3:15 p.m. Those with disabilities should enter through Lot G and park in the area south of the stadium and enter through the southwest field level gate. There will be free water on hand at field level, but fans are encouraged to bring their own sealed bottled water to help beat the potential heat as well. Other outside food and beverages will not be permitted.

Parking for the event is free, and fans are encouraged to park in the lots to the west and south of Memorial Stadium (Founder’s Lot A, Lot C, Lot D and Lot G).

— MU Sports Information —

Kansas State announces 2016 athletics Hall of Fame class

KSUMANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics will honor a group of 10 outstanding individuals with induction into its Athletics Hall of Fame in January, school officials announced Wednesday.

The 2016 Hall of Fame class includes former student-athletes Steve Anson (baseball), Michael Bishop (football), Dawn Cady (volleyball), Martin Gramatica (football), Max Moss (men’s basketball), Nicole Ohlde (women’s basketball), Sean Snyder (football), Connie Teaberry (track and field) and Kendra Wecker (women’s basketball) as well as former Voice of the Wildcats Mitch Holthus.

“Following our re-launching of the hall of fame in 2013, we are excited to announce this year’s diverse group of 10 individuals and welcome them into the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame,” said Kenny Lannou, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications and K-State Athletics Hall of Fame Chairperson. “Each of these inductees has made a lasting impact on K-State Athletics and Kansas State University, and we look forward to welcome them back to Manhattan this winter for a special induction weekend.”

The class is the 11th in the history of the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame, including the charter class of 1990, and will be honored during the weekend of January 29-30. Official induction ceremonies will take place on Friday, January 29, before the inductees are recognized at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Ole Miss on the following day.

More ceremony details, including ticket information, will be announced later this fall.

K-State Athletics Hall of Fame – Class of 2016 Biographies

Dr. Max Moss, men’s basketball (1961-64)

A three-year letterman from 1961-64, playing for head coach Tex Winter…  Helped the Wildcats to a pair of Big Eight titles in 1963 and 1964 and a trip to the Final Four in 1964… Was a captain of the 1964 Final Four team, averaging 9.1 points as a senior… Averaged 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 58 games… Has continued to be a contributor to both the university and athletics department.

Mitch Holthus, Voice of the Wildcats (1984-96)

“Voice of the Wildcats” from 1984-96 while earning Kansas Sportscaster of the Year honors in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 from the National Association of Sportswriters and Sportscasters… Youngest broadcaster to receive every major sportscasting award in the state of Kansas… Currently in his 20th season as play-by-play analyst for the Kansas City Chiefs… Also broadcasts college basketball games on ESPN.

Steve Anson, baseball (1973-76)

Four-year starter from 1973-76… Member of K-State baseball’s All-Century Team… All-Big Eight First Team in 1974… Career .349 hitter… Never hit below .333 in any of his four seasons… Won the Big Eight batting title in 1974… Led Wildcats in batting average for four-straight seasons, the only player since 1960 to do that in school history… Also led the team in hits and triples four times, RBIs and doubles twice (1975-76), and home runs once (1975)… K-State record holder for career triples (19)… Also among the school’s top-10 for career slugging percentage (.561)… Helped K-State finish second in the Big Eight in 1974, winning 14 conference games, which until 2009 was the school record… Also helped lead the team to a program-record 31 overall wins in 1974, a record that was broken two years later when Anson and the Wildcats won 35 games in 1976… Went on to be the head baseball coach at Washburn for 35 years before passing away in June of 2014… Won 844 games with the Ichabods.

Michael Bishop, football (1997-98)

The 1998 Heisman Trophy runner-up, 1998 Davey O’Brien Award winner and finalist for the 1998 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm and Maxwell Awards… Led K-State to its first No. 1 national ranking and two Big 12 North titles…. Was 22-3 as a starter including a 15-1 mark in conference games… Rushed for 1,314 yards and 23 TDs while throwing for 4,401 and 36 TDs in two seasons… Set 34 school records and still holds eight of those…. Also set 14 Big 12 records and still holds four… Two-time All-Big 12 performer and 1998 First Team All-American… 1997 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

Dawn Cady, volleyball (1996-1999)

Key player in beginning the winning tradition at K-State… Helped team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1996 and went all four years, starting a streak of 10 straight trips to the tournament for K-State… Currently Associate Head Coach at Iowa State… An AVCA All-America Second Team, Volleyball Magazine All-America Team honorable mention pick in 1999… Unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team in 1999… AVCA National Player of the Week: 9/27/99… Three-time Big 12 Player of the Week… 24 double-doubles in 1999 ranks tops in a season in school history… 26 career matches w/ 20+ kills: ranks second in school history… 14 matches w/ 20+ kills in 1999: ranks first in school history for a season… One of four players in school history with 1,000+ kills and 1000+ digs… Had three seasons with 300+ kills and 300+ digs… Ranks third in school history in career kills (1611) and attacks (4216); fifth in digs (1258)… Four matches in career with 30+ kills, most in school history.

Martin Gramatica, football (1994-98)

Member of the K-State Football Ring of Honor…. 1997 Lou Groza Award winner and Consensus All-American… Two-time All-American… Set NCAA record for scoring by a kicker in a season with 135 points in 1998… Runner up for 1998 Lou Groza Place-Kicker Award… Finalist for Mosi Tatupu Special Teams Award… Blasted a 65-yard field goal against Northern Illinois for the fourth-longest field goal in NCAA history and the longest in NCAA history without the use of a tee… K-State’s game, season and career kick scoring record holder… Also holds records for career field goals made and season and career field goals attempted… Lettered four years… Went on to play 10 years in the NFL.

Nicole Ohlde, women’s basketball (2000-04)

Two-time Consensus First Team All-American – Kodak/WBCA, AP and USBWA (2003, 2004)… Two-time State Farm Wade Trophy and Naismith National Player of the Year awards finalist (2003, 2004)… John R. Wooden Award Finalist (2004)… Two-time Big 12 Conference Player of the Year (2003, 2004)… 2004 CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America… 2002 AP Honorable Mention All-American… Three-time Kodak All-District selection (2002, 2003, 2004)… 2002 ESPN The Magazine Center of the Year Finalist… Three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District… Four-time All-Big 12 selection (2002, 2003, 2004, first team – 2001, third team)… 2001 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year… Three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection (2002, 2003, 2004)… WBCA Division I Player of the Month (January 2004)… Senior CLASS Award finalist (2004)… Two-time Honda Women’s Basketball Award Finalist (2003, 2004)… Collegiate Basketball Award of Excellence recipient (2004)… Drafted No. 6 overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2004 WNBA Draft… Won two gold medals as a member of the USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Teams in 2002 and 2003… The most decorated player ever in school history, her No. 3 jersey was retired on March 3, 2004… Named Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year in 2004.

Sean Snyder, football (1991-92)

A Consensus 1992 First Team All-American as a punter… A Third Team All-American in 1991 by Football News… Twice named First Team All-Big Eight and was the 1991 Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year… Selected to play in the Senior Bowl in January 1993… K-State’s special teams MVP in both 1991 and 1992… Holds K-State record for punting yardage (3,572) and average (44.65 in 1992) in a season… Ranks second all-time in career punting average (42.96)… Averaged 52.5 yards on 12 punts against Colorado in 1992… Member of K-State’s Football Ring of Honor.

Connie Teaberry, women’s track and field (1989-92)

An eight-time letterwinner in track and field (4 indoor and 4 outdoor)… Four-time outdoor All-American in the high jump during her career from 1989-92… Earned indoor All-America honors in the high jump in 1990 and 1992… Won the Big Eight indoor titles in the high jump in 1991 and 1992… Set the K-State indoor high jump record with a leap of 6.02.25 in 1992… That mark currently ranks third in school history… Also ranks tied for third outdoors in the high jump in school history with a clearance of 6-01.50… Competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Kendra Wecker, women’s basketball (2001-05)

Kodak/WBCA All-American (2005)… Big 12 Conference Player of the Year (2005)… Senior CLASS Award Recipient (2005)… Collegiate Basketball Award of Excellence finalist (2005)… Two-time AP Third Team All-American (2003, 2004)… Two-time USBWA All-American (2003, 2005)… Three-time Naismith National Player of the Year Award finalist (2003, 2004, 2005)… Three-time All-Big 12 First Team selection (2003, 2004, 2005) and 2002 All-Big 12 Third Team selection… Two-time Wade Trophy and John R. Wooden Award finalist (2004, 2005)… Three-time CoSIDA  Academic All-District (2003, 2004, 2005)… Three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection (2003, 2004, 2005)… Ranked first all-time in career scoring (2,333) and first all-time in career rebounding (1,087) at K-State… Also holds school records for most career double-doubles (52), career field goals made (935), career field goals attempted (1,913), career minutes played (4,141) and most consecutive free throws made (28)… Became the first Wildcat and second player in league history to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career… Her No. 53 jersey was retired on Feb. 26, 2005… Drafted No. 4 overall by the San Antonio Silver Stars in the 2005 WNBA Draft.

— KSU Sports Information —

Four Bears earn preseason MVFC honors; Missouri State picked fifth

riggertMSUST. LOUIS – Led by senior Robert Booker (C, Ozark, Mo.), Missouri State landed four players on the Missouri Valley Football Conference Preseason Team, the 10-member conference announced Monday (July 27) in advance of its annual preseason teleconference. Additionally, the Bears were picked to finish ninth by the league’s coaches, media and sports information directors.

In addition to Booker’s selection to circuit’s 28-man top preseason squad, junior Dylan Cole (LB, Rogersville, Mo.) and sophomores Calan Crowder (RB, Bartlesville, Okla.) and Sam Ellifrits (OL, Nevada, Mo.) received honorable mention recognition from the Valley pollsters Monday.

A second-team STATS FCS Preseason All-America choice, Booker made all 12 starts at center in 2014, carrying out 83 percent of his assignments and grading out at 86 percent overall with 67 knockdown blocks. The Ozark, Mo., product was a second-team All-MVFC selection last fall after being tabbed MSU’s Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance vs. North Dakota (Sept. 13). Booker was also an AP All-America and first-team All-MVFC selection as a sophomore in 2013 and has started each of the Bears’ 24 contests over the last two seasons.

Cole recorded eight or more tackles six times and ranked second on the club with 92 stops for the year to claim MVFC honorable mention recognition in 2014. He finished 11th in the league in total tackles (7.7), while posting 1.2 TFLs per game, which ranked fifth in the Valley during the regular season and 55th nationally. He recorded team-highs of 54 solo stops and 14.5 TFLs with a pair of interceptions and eight total passes defended for the year. Cole was named CFPA National Linebacker of the Week on Sept. 8 after turning in six tackles for loss at Oklahoma State.

A 2014 Valley All-Newcomer Team selection, Crowder led MSU and ranked ninth in the Valley in rushing last fall, totaling a Bears’ freshman record 766 yards on 153 carries, an average of 5.0 yards per attempt. The Bartlesville, Okla., product started the final seven games of the season, twice topping the 100-yard rushing plateau. He carried the ball 13 times for 119 yards vs. North Dakota on Sept. 13 and later accrued a Bears’ season-high 120 yards on 25 carries vs. Southern Illinois on Nov. 8. Crowder was also named to the CFPA FCS National Freshman of the Year Watch List.

Ellifrits was a FCS Freshman All-America (TonySoftli.com) choice last fall, starting each of the last eight games at right tackle. He was named MSU’s Offensive Lineman of the Week two times (Sept. 20 and Oct. 25), carried out 79 percent of his assignments and graded out at 82 percent overall for the season with 59 knockdown blocks. The Nevada, Mo., native was also named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team in 2014.

The conference also announced its preseason poll, with four-time defending NCAA Division I FCS champion North Dakota State earning the top spot with 389 total points, including 32 of the 40 first-place votes. Defending MVFC co-champion and national runner-up Illinois State (366) was picked second after receiving the remaining eight first-place votes. UNI (300), South Dakota State (261) and Indiana State (190), who each earned a playoff spot in 2014, were slated third, fifth and sixth, respectively. Youngstown State (265), one of two league schools with a new head coach (MSU is the other), was picked fourth in the poll. Southern Illinois (143), Western Illinois (139), MSU (91) and South Dakota (66) rounded out the order of finish.

The MVFC’s preseason favorite has claimed the league crown 17 times in 29 previous seasons a poll has been conducted. Valley Football is celebrating its 31st season in 2015, with six FCS national championships to its credit.

The MVFC Preseason Teleconference is scheduled to get underway at 9:30 a.m. (Central) Monday, and first-year Missouri State head coach Dave Steckel is slated to speak at 9:40 a.m. Members of the media may join the call by dialing (877) 393-4731.

The Bears return 41 lettermen and 12 starters from last year’s 4-8 team that finished ninth in the Valley. MSU players will report to campus on Aug. 2 for fall camp in preparation for the team’s Sept. 5 season opener at Memphis.

— MSU Sports Information —

K-State’s Lockett named Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year

riggertKansasStateMANHATTAN, Kan. – One of the greatest wide receivers and return specialists in Kansas State history, Tyler Lockett was named the Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year on Monday, the conference office announced.

Lockett is the second Wildcat in the last three years to be tabbed the best among all male athletes in the conference, joining former Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein following the 2012-13 season.

A product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lockett became the 10th Consensus All-American in school history in addition to winning the 2014 Johnny “Jet” Rodgers National College Football Return Specialist Award. As a senior, he led the nation in punt return average (19.1) and ranking third in total receiving yards (1,515), all-purpose yards (2,296) and punt returns for touchdowns (2) and seventh in receptions (106). He topped the Big 12 in receiving yards and all-purpose yards, bettering the player in second place by 26.6 yards per game in the latter category.

Lockett also led the conference in punt-return average, while finishing second in receptions per game and ninth in kickoff return average. Lockett had eight 100-yard receiving games to tie the school record, including finishing the season with a school-record five straight 100-yard games.

Lockett became Kansas State’s first four-year All-American following the 2014 season and is one of just three players in school history to earn four straight all-conference designations. Lockett, who tied the Big 12 record for kickoff-return average and ranks third in conference history in all-purpose yards and kickoff-return touchdowns, was a two-time Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year honoree, just the sixth player in league history to earn two conference player of the year awards on either offense, defense or special teams.

Lockett broke 17 school records, including career marks for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns that were previously held by his father, Kevin. A third round draft pick by the Seattle Seahawks in May, Lockett left K-State with 249 career catches for 3,710 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also broke the school record for career 100-yard games with 17, seven more than the previous record held by current Green Bay Packer receiver Jordy Nelson.

In addition to his accolades on the field, Lockett was just as dynamic off the field as he was named the Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football and was an Academic All-Big 12 performer. He was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy and the Senior CLASS Award while also being named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete.

In addition to Lockett, Oklahoma softball infielder Lauren Chamberlain earned top female honors from the Big 12. Other male nominees were Trayvon Bromell (Baylor), Kyven Gadson (Iowa State), Michael Stigler (Kansas), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Michael Freeman (Oklahoma State), Preston Morrison (TCU), Will Licon (Texas), JaCorian Duffield (Texas Tech) and Juwan Staten (West Virginia).

Other female candidates included Nina Davis (Baylor), Christina Hillman (Iowa State), Chelsie Miller (Kansas), Akela Jones (K-State), Natalja Piliusina (Oklahoma State), Chelsea Prince (TCU), Haley Eckerman (Texas), Janine Beckie (Texas Tech) and Kadeisha Buchanan (West Virginia).

Nominees are submitted by each Big 12 institution and selected, based on athletic performance, academic achievement and citizenship, by a media panel as well as fan voting conducted through the Big 12’s social media platforms.

Mizzou’s Mauk, Nebraska’s Armstrong named to Manning Award watch list

ManningCOLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou redshirt junior quarterback Maty Mauk (Kenton, Ohio) has been named to the Manning Award Watch List, as announced by the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Thursday (July 23). The annual award honors the nation’s top quarterback and is named in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only college football quarterback award that includes the candidates’ bowl performances in its balloting; therefore, it is presented annually following the completion of the bowl season. The winner is selected by a panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings.

Mauk is one of 30 quarterbacks nationally to make the list and one of four SEC signal callers, joining Arkansas’ Brandon Allen, Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott.

Mauk, who was a Manning Award Star of the Week on Sept. 8 last season, is 14-4 in 18 career games as a starter and helped guide Mizzou to a second consecutive SEC Eastern Division Championship in 2014. Mauk threw for 25 touchdowns last season and rushed for two more, accounting for 2,648 total passing yards and 3,021 yards of total offense. Mauk’s 2,648 passing yards a season ago are the third-most of any returning SEC quarterback.

Inclusion on the Watch List is not necessary for the quarterbacks to be selected for the honor. Midseason additions to the Watch List will be announced on Wednesday, October 14. The list of 10 finalists will be released on Wednesday, November 25. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 13.

This year’s Watch List includes players from all 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences. The ACC leads the way with five selections, followed by the SEC, the Pac-12 and the American with four each. There are 15 seniors on the list while the junior class is represented by 10 quarterbacks and the sophomore class has four.

University of Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong earned his second watch list recognition Thursday afternoon, as he was named to the Manning Award Watch List.

The 6-1, 220-pound Armstrong has engineered the Nebraska offense each of the past two seasons, compiling a 16-5 record as the Huskers’ starting quarterback. In 2014, Armstrong compiled 3,400 yards of total offense, the third-best single-season total in Nebraska history. Armstrong passed for 2,695 yards and 22 touchdowns, while rushing for 705 yards. The Cibolo, Texas, native set Nebraska sophomore records for passing yards, passing touchdowns and total offense in 2014.

Armstrong is one of three Big Ten quarterbacks on the watch list. The list of 10 finalists will be released on Wednesday, November 25. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 13.

— MU & NU Media Relations —

Griffon football announces additions, changes to coaching staff

riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH – Four new faces have joined the Missouri Western Football coaching staff for 2015. Head coach Jerry Partridge has also announced some other minor changes to assignments with returning members of the staff.

Andy Ball joins the staff as an assistant coach and will work primarily with offensive linemen. Offensive Coordinator Todd Throckmorton will focus on working with tight ends after also working with linemen in previous seasons. Ball is no stranger to the area. He was born in St. Joseph while his father, Randy, was an assistant at MWSU. Randy was a head coach at Western Illinois and Missouri State and is now a pro scouting assistant for the Kansas City Chiefs. Andy comes to MWSU from Truman State University where he was offensive line coach, co-recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator for three seasons. He also spent four seasons as an assistant at Missouri S&T and three seasons as an assistant at Culver-Stockton College.  The 2001 Central Missouri graduate worked as a student assistant and graduate assistant on the Mules coaching staff for three seasons.

Scott Groner will step right out of his Griffon uniform and into the shoes of his mentor Jay White. Groner will be the team’s equipment manager in addition to working with specialists. The three-time All-American punter will also serve as assistant facilities director for the athletic department, assuming the role formerly filled by White, who accepted a position with the Kansas City Chiefs this spring.

Colin McQuillan and David McGarvey have joined the staff as graduate assistants. Neither are strangers to Griffon Football. McQuillan was a student assistant from 2010-12 and graduated from MWSU in 2012 with a bachelor’s in Physical Education. Since then, he has coached in the high school ranks, spending two seasons at Riverside High School in Wathena, Kansas and two at KC Wyandotte High School. He was also the head girl’s basketball coach at Union Star High School from 2008-2011. McGarvey’s father, Stan was the head coach at MWSU from 1991-96. McGarvey recently graduated from Missouri Valley College. His coaching experience includes two stints at Missouri Valley, where he worked with running backs and fullbacks in addition to serving as junior varsity head coach and offensive coordinator. He was also offensive coordinator at Marshfield High School, in Marshfield, Missouri from 2009-12. McQuillan will work with defensive backs while McGarvey will focus on wide receivers at MWSU.

Joel Beard will assume the role of passing game coordinator after working exclusively as a quarterbacks coach the previous two sesaons. Beard will now work with both the quarterback and wide receiver position groups to coordinate the Griffon passing attack. Longtime assistant Regi Trotter has been given the additional title of assistant head coach. Now in his 11th season as an assistant at his alma mater, Trotter also coaches defensive backs. After nine seasons as the wide receivers coach, Aaron Bell resigned from the Griffon coaching staff earlier this summer.

Partridge enters his 19th season as head coach and is the winningest coach in program history. His 107 MIAA wins rank him third all-time and first among active MIAA coaches. 2014 marked the 10th consecutive season his team had a record of .500 or better and the sixth-straight over .500. The 2015 team features 36 returning letter winners and 15 returning starters from last year’s team that went 7-4.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Big 12 Conference restricts football live contact opportunities

riggertBig12Irving, Texas – The Big 12 has announced the adoption of a conference-wide limit on football in-season live contact opportunities to no more than two times per week, including game-day, per student-athlete. The limit will be in effect beginning with the upcoming 2015 season and will be included in the Big 12 Conference Policy for Concussion Diagnosis and Management.

“The Big 12 Conference continues to take the lead in the area of player safety as the first conference to enact more restrictive contact polices than currently permitted,” commented commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “Our policy is a 33-percent reduction in the number of contact opportunities allowed under NCAA guidelines. Limiting the number of live contact practices and giving medical practitioners unchallengeable authority on return to play decisions unequivocally demonstrates the commitment of our membership to the health and safety of Big 12 student-athletes. I applaud our athletics directors on implementing an industry leading approach.”

Current NCAA Year-Round Football Practice Contact Guidelines allow for two live contact practices a week.  The Big 12 policy limits a student-athlete to two contacts per week including competition, or two practices if a student-athlete does not participate in a game that week.

NCAA guidelines define live contact practice as “any practice that involves live tackling to the ground and/or full-speed blocking. Live contact practice may occur in full-pad or half-pad (also known as “shell,” in which the player wears shoulder pads and shorts, with or without thigh pads).”  Live contact doesn’t include:  (1) “thud” sessions, or (2) drills that involve “wrapping up;” in these scenarios players are not taken to the ground and contact is not aggressive in nature.  Live contact practices are to be conducted in a manner consistent with existing rules that prohibit targeting to the head or neck area with the helmet, forearm, elbow, or shoulder, or the initiation of contact with the helmet.” The Big 12 live contact policy applies to in-season practices and includes open dates.

Bowlsby also noted that the Big 12 had previously enacted policy beyond current NCAA Autonomy legislation empowering institutional medical staff with autonomy and the unchallengeable authority to determine management and return to play of any ill/injured student-athlete, and ensure that no coach serve as the primary supervisor for any medical provider, nor have hiring, retention and/or dismissal authority over that provider.

— Big 12 Release —

Missouri picked 3rd in SEC East in preseason media poll

SECriggertHOOVER, Ala. — The competitiveness of the Southeastern Conference was showcased in the annual media voting at SEC Media Days, as for the first time in the 23-year history in the poll, media were divided on divisional champion and overall SEC Champion. By a narrow margin, the Auburn Tigers were picked by media in attendance to capture the 2015 SEC Championship. Auburn received 96 SEC Championship votes, while the Alabama Crimson Tide was close behind with 80. The Georgia Bulldogs were third with 28 votes.

Alabama, however, was picked to win the SEC Western Division with 1,405 total points, while Auburn was second with 1,362. Alabama received 92 first-place votes in the West, while Auburn collected 108. The Crimson Tide won the Western Division vote due to receiving just three votes for fourth place or lower in the Western Division, while Auburn received 26 such votes. Points were awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.

Georgia was selected to win the SEC Eastern Division with 1,498 points, including 166 first-place votes. Tennessee was second with 1,231 points and 36 votes to win the division, while Missouri was third with 1,196 total points. The two-time defending East representative in the SEC Championship game also received 20 votes to win a third consecutive division title.

Five times since 1992 the SEC Media Days predicted champion has proceeded to win the SEC Championship, including Alabama last season.

SEC Champion
School     Points
Auburn     96
Alabama     80
Georgia     28
LSU     9
Arkansas     3
Ole Miss     3
Tennessee     2
Texas A&M     2
Florida     1
Mississippi State     1

Eastern Division (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
Place     School     Points
1.     Georgia (166)     1498
2.     Tennessee (36)     1231
3.     Missouri (20)     1196
4.     South Carolina (1)     830
5.     Florida (1)     768
6.     Kentucky (1)     534
7.     Vanderbilt     243

Western Division (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
Place     School     Points
1.     Alabama (92)     1405
2.     Auburn (108)     1362
3.     LSU (10)     870
4.     Arkansas (6)     821
5.     Ole Miss (3)     732
6.     Texas A&M (4)     628
7.     Mississippi State (2)     482

— SEC Press Release —

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