ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western men’s basketball head coach Brett Weiberg has announced the signing of three student-athletes for the 2015-16 season. All three signees have ties to the state of Iowa and one has a family connection to Griffon Basketball.

Mataika Koyamainavure
Suva, Fiji / Southwestern Community College
6-8, Forward

Brother of Griffon Women’s Basketball student-athlete, Miliakere Koyamainavure…second team All-Region at Southwestern Community College where he averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game…won MVP awards all four years as a high school player at Marist Brothers High School…his favorite athlete is Tim Duncan…plans on majoring in communications…dream job would be broadcasting.

“Mataika is an exceptional young man,” Weiberg said. “He is a quality student and is the type of person we want here at MWSU.  Mataika is a big, physical power forward that can post and also play facing the basket.  He will come in and compete for playing time immediately.  Mataika played for Todd Lorenson at SWICC and Todd has done a great job developing Matiaka.  I also believe his better days are ahead of him.”

Trey Sampson
Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Des Moines Area Community College
6-0, Guard

Second team All-Region, averaging 10.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game at DMACC…two-sport athlete at Xavier High School…second-team All-Conference and first team All-Metro in basketball…first team Alll-State and All-Metro in football…second team All-Conference in football…plans on majoring in biology…would like to be a marine biologist…favorite athlete is Bo Jackson…chose MWSU because it felt like family.

“I am pleased that Trey has decided the join the Griffon Basketball Family,” Weiberg said. “He is a young man that can really shoot the ball.  Trey defends at a high level and he was a very important part of the DMACC team that won their conference and made it to the Final Four of the NJCAA National Tournament.  Trey plays with passion and plays hard.  Most importantly, Trey is an outstanding young man, a good student and a fantastic teammate and competitor.  Coach BJ McGuinn and his staff have done an excellent job developing Trey.”

Miles Wentzien
Ft. Madison, Iowa / Ft. Madison High School
6-3, Guard

Lettered four years in basketball and golf and two years in baseball…all-time leading scorer at Fort Madison High School…averaged 23 points, eight rebounds, three steals and five assists per game…host of honors as a high school basketball player, including conference MVP, Academic All-Conference, All-District and All-State (on-court and academically)…undecided on his major.

“Miles is a young man that we have recruited all year,” Weiberg said. “He is a strong, physical guard.  Although Miles is the all-time leading scorer at Fort Madison High School, we feel that one of his best attributes is defending.  We believe Miles is a competitor and a leader and we expect him to have an opportunity to play.  More importantly, Miles is a good young man, a good student and will be a great teammate.  Miles played for Jon Schmitz at Fort Madison.  Coach Schmitz has done a great job with Miles.”

Koyamainavure, Sampson and Wentzien join Calvin Winker as signees to the 2015-16 team. Winker’s signing was announced in November. The team went 12-15 and 8-11 in the MIAA in Weiberg’s second season as the head coach. They advanced to the MIAA Tournament, losing in the first round at Central Oklahoma. Weiberg and his staff will be looking to replace four departed seniors, including All-MIAA honorable mention selection Cortrez Colbert. Zack Price, Dareon Jones and Hans Thun were the team’s other three seniors.

— MWSU Sports Information —

EDMOND, Okla. – The Missouri Western women’s tennis team fell to Central Oklahoma 5-4 after returning to action on Sunday afternoon. The Griffons are now 10-8 overall and sit 4-5 in MIAA competition, ranking them sixth in the conference.

Missouri Western fell behind early in singles matches with the No. 1, No. 2 and No.3 positions all coming up short. The Griffons did manage to snag two singles victories, coming from Yasmine El Ghazi and Meara Smith. El Ghazi won 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 4 position and Smith earned a 6-1, 6-2 victory in her match.

In doubles matches, the Griffons won the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. Sarah Giraldo and El Ghazi won their match 8-4 while Sophia Aguilera and Kayla Dysart won 8-6.

Missouri Western will finish up their trip to Oklahoma on Monday with a match against Southern Nazarene and Northeastern St. starting at 9 a.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team stayed offensive in sweeping a doubleheader at Southwest Baptist on Friday. The pair of wins clinched the series for MWSU, three games to one. It’s the first time the team took a series on the road since winning three of four at Emporia State in February.

GAME 1: MWSU 9, SBU 6

Banks Born picked up his fifth win, Richard Peoples earned his fifth save and the Griffon bats stayed hot in a 9-6 win in the first game of the day. Missouri Western got home runs from Ryan Degner and Trevor LaHonta and got two insurance runs in the top of the seventh to help preserve the win.

MWSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first but SBU got one in the bottom frame. Degner’s solo shot in the second inning put MWSU up 4-1. Southwest Baptist pulled within one after the third with two runs in the inning but the Griffons stretched their lead again with three in the fourth. A Christian Binger three-run home run in the sixth pulled the Bearcats back within one. LaHonta’s two-run home run gave Peoples the cushion he needed to complete his fifth save of the season.

Degner finished 3-4 with three runs and an RBI. LaHonta was also 3-4 with two driven in and two runs scored. Cosimo Cannella and David Glaude each drove in a pair with one hit apiece.

GAME 2: MWSU 8, SBU 6

Second verse much like the first only this time it was Southwest  Baptist getting an early lead, Missouri Western catching up and the Griffons eventually holding on for the victory.

SBU got one in the first and one in the second then MWSU tied it at two in the third with RBI singles from Orencio Fisher and Cody Childs. SBU jumped back ahead in the fifth with two more runs before the Griffs plated five in the top of the sixth that included a solo home run by Cosimo Cannella. SBU scored two more in their half of the sixth to pull within one, 7-6, but another RBI single from Childs in the ninth provided some insurance for MWSU.

Matt Russell went the final three and a third innings to get the win for MWSU. Russell did not allow a hit and struck out two. Grant Woods went the first four innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Josh Lansangan lasted just a third of an inning in relief, giving up two runs on three hits. Weston Caindec gave up two runs on two hits while recording just two outs. Fisher was 3-4 with two RBIs, while Dylon Kock, Brandon Downs and D’Andre Heggie each picked up two hits in game two.

Missouri Western improved to 26-18 overall and 19-13 in the MIAA. The Griffons will host Northwest Missouri State in the team’s final series of the regular season, next weekend.

— MWSU Sports Information —