LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks have received an at-large bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the East Region. The 68-team tournament bracket was announced Sunday evening.

Making its 53rd all-time appearance in the tournament, Kansas will face No. 13 seed Cal Baptist in the first round on Friday, March 20 in San Diego, California. Tip from Viejas Arena will be at 8:45 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on CBS. The first-round matchup will be the first-ever meeting between Kansas and CBU.  

Kansas enters the Big Dance with a record of 23-10, and the Jayhawks tied for third place in the Big 12 Conference during the regular season with a 12-6 league mark. KU has appeared in each NCAA Tournament contested since 1990, with the 2026 event marking its 36th consecutive tournament appearance. Kansas has an all-time record of 113-50 in the tournament, with 15 Final Four appearances and four NCAA Tournament Titles, most recently in 2022.

The Jayhawks have four players scoring in double figures and they are led by a trio of All-Big 12 honorees. Flory Bidunga is the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Big 12 First Team selection, while Melvin Council Jr. is the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and earned all-league honorable mention. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson is an All-Big 12 Second Team selection, and KU's leading scorer at 19.8 points per game.

Head coach Bill Self is leading the Jayhawks to the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time. Under his guidance, Kansas has a record of 43-19 in the tournament with National Championships in 2008 and 2022.

From Riverside, California, the Cal Baptist Lancers are making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance as the champions of the Western Athletic Conference. CBU enters the tournament with a 25-8 record after defeating Utah Valley 63-61 in the WAC Championship game on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Kansas earns a No. 4 seed in the tournament for the seventh time and first since 2024, when the Jayhawks defeated No. 13 Samford, 93-89, in the first round before falling to No. 5 Gonzaga. Kansas is 9-6 all-time when competing in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed.

The 2026 NCAA Tournament tips off in Dayton, Ohio, with the First Four on Tuesday-Wednesday, March 17-18. The first weekend of competition will then include the first round on Thursday-Friday, March 19-20, followed by second round play on Saturday-Sunday, March 21-22.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773624438886.png" alt="Kansas Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas AthleticsLAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks have received an at-large bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the East Region. The 68-team tournament bracket was announced Sunday evening.Making its 53rd all-time appearance in the tournament, Kansas will face No. 13 seed Cal Baptist in the first round on Friday, March 20 in San Diego, California. Tip from Viejas Arena will be at 8:45 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on CBS. The first-round matchup will be the first-ever meeting between Kansas and CBU. Kansas enters the Big Dance with a record of 23-10, and the Jayhawks tied for third place in the Big 12 Conference during the regular season with a 12-6 league mark. KU has appeared in each NCAA Tournament contested since 1990, with the 2026 event marking its 36th consecutive tournament appearance. Kansas has an all-time record of 113-50 in the tournament, with 15 Final Four appearances and four NCAA Tournament Titles, most recently in 2022.The Jayhawks have four players scoring in double figures and they are led by a trio of All-Big 12 honorees. Flory Bidunga is the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Big 12 First Team selection, while Melvin Council Jr. is the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and earned all-league honorable mention. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson is an All-Big 12 Second Team selection, and KU's leading scorer at 19.8 points per game.Head coach Bill Self is leading the Jayhawks to the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time. Under his guidance, Kansas has a record of 43-19 in the tournament with National Championships in 2008 and 2022.From Riverside, California, the Cal Baptist Lancers are making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance as the champions of the Western Athletic Conference. CBU enters the tournament with a 25-8 record after defeating Utah Valley 63-61 in the WAC Championship game on Saturday night in Las Vegas.Kansas earns a No. 4 seed in the tournament for the seventh time and first since 2024, when the Jayhawks defeated No. 13 Samford, 93-89, in the first round before falling to No. 5 Gonzaga. Kansas is 9-6 all-time when competing in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed.The 2026 NCAA Tournament tips off in Dayton, Ohio, with the First Four on Tuesday-Wednesday, March 17-18. The first weekend of competition will then include the first round on Thursday-Friday, March 19-20, followed by second round play on Saturday-Sunday, March 21-22.

🏀 Kansas earns No. 4 seed in NCAA Tournament

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Sunday, March 15
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🎧 Eagle Media, Hull sports broadcast schedule

MANKATO, Minn. - The 14th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team came up short in the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Region semifinals Saturday, falling to No. 22 Concordia-St. Paul 59-53.

The Tigers end the season with a record of 25-6, tied for the seventh-most wins in program history, while the Golden Bears improved to 26-6 after their 18th-straight victory. FHSU has now won 20 or more games in 15-straight seasons, the longest active streak in Division II and fifth-longest across all NCAA Divisions.

Fort Hays State trailed by as many as 15 early in the second half before storming back to take the lead with seven minutes to go. But the NSIC tournament champions buckled down over the final seven minutes, limiting the Tigers to just one field goal down the stretch while hitting 7-of-12 from the floor to secure the win.

The Tigers hit 29.3 percent from the floor (17-of-58), their first time shooting below 30 percent in a game since 2022 (27.6, 16-of-58, vs. Southern Nazarene, 11/6/22).

Both teams struggled out of the gate, combining to hit just nine field goals in the first 10 minutes. FHSU led by as many as three early before the Golden Bears took a 14-9 lead into the second quarter.

The Tigers pulled within one possession on four separate occasions in the second stanza but were unable to claw in front, with CSP leading 31-22 at the break. The Golden Bears scored 12 in a row spanning halftime to push the lead as high as 15 before Talexa Weeter stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer. The junior proceeded to score seven in a row to trim the deficit to eight before an Ellie Stearns 3-pointer just before the end of the third quarter pulled FHSU within five, 41-36.

That basket kicked off a 10-0 Tiger run, with a Brooke Loewe 3-pointer giving the Tigers a 43-41 lead with 7:10 remaining. The Golden Bears answered with a traditional 3-point play to retake the lead, but a pair of free throws from Weeter with 2:02 to play again tied the score at 50.

Concordia-St. Paul closed the game by hitting their final three field goals in addition to shooting 3-for-4 from the free-throw line over the final 106 seconds to seal the win. Another Loewe 3-pointer helped FHSU pull within three with 13 seconds to go, but the Tigers were unable to steal the inbounds pass to gain a chance to tie the score.

Weeter led all scorers with 23 points while grabbing 10 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season and the 13th of her career. She finishes the season scoring in double figures in all 31 games while scoring 20-plus in 26 games, scoring 30-plus 12 times and scoring 40 or more twice.

Loewe added 16 points thanks to a trio of 3-pointers while adding seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Mortensen scored seven points and grabbed 11 rebounds, reaching double figures in rebounds for the third game in a row.

Stearns hit one 3-pointer in the game, giving her 142 long-range makes for her career to tie for sixth all-time at FHSU.

The Tigers outrebounded the Golden Bears by three, 41-38, but were doubled up in points in the paint, 32-16. FHSU held a significant advantage in second-chance points, totaling 17 points off 11 offensive rebounds while limiting CSP to just three second-chance points.

Weeter finishes the season with 852 points, setting the MIAA record and ranking 13th in a single season in Division II history. She led Division II and ranked second across all divisions of NCAA women's basketball with an average of 27.5 points per game, breaking the MIAA and FHSU school record for season scoring average.

Loewe finishes the season with 310 assists, second-most in Division II history while shattering a 27-year-old MIAA record. She is the sixth player in DII history and the 25th in the history of NCAA women's basketball to reach 300 assists in a season. She finishes the season averaging 10.0 assists per game, breaking the conference record and becoming just the fourth DII athlete to do so across an entire season. The Huxley, Iowa native is the only NCAA basketball player, male or female across all divisions, to average in double figures in assists this season. The senior finishes her career with 698 assists, fourth-most among active NCAA women's basketball players across all divisions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773556335029.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State women's basketball coach Talia Kahrs draws up a play in the huddle during a timeout of the NCAA II Central Regional semifinal game against Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Mankato, Minn. (FHSU Athletics/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State women's basketball coach Talia Kahrs draws up a play in the huddle during a timeout of the NCAA II Central Regional semifinal game against Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Mankato, Minn. (FHSU Athletics/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsMANKATO, Minn. - The 14th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team came up short in the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Region semifinals Saturday, falling to No. 22 Concordia-St. Paul 59-53.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283957002&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/kahrs-post-v-concordia-st-paul" title="Talia Kahrs Postgame vs #22 Concordia-St. Paul (March 14, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Talia Kahrs Postgame vs #22 Concordia-St. Paul (March 14, 2026)</a></div></div>The Tigers end the season with a record of 25-6, tied for the seventh-most wins in program history, while the Golden Bears improved to 26-6 after their 18th-straight victory. FHSU has now won 20 or more games in 15-straight seasons, the longest active streak in Division II and fifth-longest across all NCAA Divisions.Fort Hays State trailed by as many as 15 early in the second half before storming back to take the lead with seven minutes to go. But the NSIC tournament champions buckled down over the final seven minutes, limiting the Tigers to just one field goal down the stretch while hitting 7-of-12 from the floor to secure the win.The Tigers hit 29.3 percent from the floor (17-of-58), their first time shooting below 30 percent in a game since 2022 (27.6, 16-of-58, vs. Southern Nazarene, 11/6/22).Both teams struggled out of the gate, combining to hit just nine field goals in the first 10 minutes. FHSU led by as many as three early before the Golden Bears took a 14-9 lead into the second quarter.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283957695&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-wbkb-highlights-v-3" title="#14 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights vs. #22 Concordia-St Paul (March 14, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#14 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights vs. #22 Concordia-St Paul (March 14, 2026)</a></div></div>The Tigers pulled within one possession on four separate occasions in the second stanza but were unable to claw in front, with CSP leading 31-22 at the break. The Golden Bears scored 12 in a row spanning halftime to push the lead as high as 15 before Talexa Weeter stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer. The junior proceeded to score seven in a row to trim the deficit to eight before an Ellie Stearns 3-pointer just before the end of the third quarter pulled FHSU within five, 41-36.That basket kicked off a 10-0 Tiger run, with a Brooke Loewe 3-pointer giving the Tigers a 43-41 lead with 7:10 remaining. The Golden Bears answered with a traditional 3-point play to retake the lead, but a pair of free throws from Weeter with 2:02 to play again tied the score at 50.Concordia-St. Paul closed the game by hitting their final three field goals in addition to shooting 3-for-4 from the free-throw line over the final 106 seconds to seal the win. Another Loewe 3-pointer helped FHSU pull within three with 13 seconds to go, but the Tigers were unable to steal the inbounds pass to gain a chance to tie the score.Weeter led all scorers with 23 points while grabbing 10 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season and the 13th of her career. She finishes the season scoring in double figures in all 31 games while scoring 20-plus in 26 games, scoring 30-plus 12 times and scoring 40 or more twice.Loewe added 16 points thanks to a trio of 3-pointers while adding seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Mortensen scored seven points and grabbed 11 rebounds, reaching double figures in rebounds for the third game in a row.Stearns hit one 3-pointer in the game, giving her 142 long-range makes for her career to tie for sixth all-time at FHSU.The Tigers outrebounded the Golden Bears by three, 41-38, but were doubled up in points in the paint, 32-16. FHSU held a significant advantage in second-chance points, totaling 17 points off 11 offensive rebounds while limiting CSP to just three second-chance points.Weeter finishes the season with 852 points, setting the MIAA record and ranking 13th in a single season in Division II history. She led Division II and ranked second across all divisions of NCAA women's basketball with an average of 27.5 points per game, breaking the MIAA and FHSU school record for season scoring average.Loewe finishes the season with 310 assists, second-most in Division II history while shattering a 27-year-old MIAA record. She is the sixth player in DII history and the 25th in the history of NCAA women's basketball to reach 300 assists in a season. She finishes the season averaging 10.0 assists per game, breaking the conference record and becoming just the fourth DII athlete to do so across an entire season. The Huxley, Iowa native is the only NCAA basketball player, male or female across all divisions, to average in double figures in assists this season. The senior finishes her career with 698 assists, fourth-most among active NCAA women's basketball players across all divisions.

🏀 No. 14 Tigers bow out in Regional semifinals

2026 KSHSAA State Tournament GIRLS Class 6A Third Place Wichita East 59, Derby 51 Championship SM South 57, BV Northwest 45

Class 5A Third Place Andover 71, Shawnee Heights 55 Championship St. James Academy 49, Hays 48

Class 4A Third Place Rock Creek 66, Wellington 48 Championship Topeka Hayden 57, Bishop Miege 52

Class 3A Third Place Halstead 56, Holcomb 43 Championship Silver Lake 60, Osage City 44

Class 2A Third Place Eureka 61, Moundridge 49 Championship Salina Sacred Heart 43, Ellinwood 34

Class 1A, Division I Third Place Centralia 76, Pretty Prairie 16 Championship Little River 59, Wabaunsee 24

Class 1A, Division II Third Place Bucklin 54, Hutchinson Central Christian 35 Championship Linn 57, Hanover 50

BOYS Class 6A Third Place Mill Valley 69, Wichita Heights 61 Championship Olathe North 67, SM South 50

Class 5A Third Place Topeka Seaman 66, Topeka West 50 Championship Bonner Springs 53, Kapaun Mount Carmel 50

Class 4A Third Place Hugoton 69, Atchison 53 Championship Baldwin 66, Rock Creek 60

Class 3A Third Place Silver Lake 61, Hesston 45 Championship Wichita Collegiate 55, Burlington 42

Class 2A Third Place St Marys 85, Pittsburg St Mary's-Colgan 73 Championship Sterling 59, Berean Academy 49

Class 1A, Division I Third Place Norwich 62, Central Plains 52 Championship St John’s Beloit/Tipton 57, South Central 53

Class 1A, Division II Third Place Lebo 65, Cunningham 64 Championship Hanover 66, Axtell 60

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768839911264.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>2026 KSHSAA State Tournament GIRLS Class 6A Third Place Wichita East 59, Derby 51 Championship SM South 57, BV Northwest 45Class 5A Third Place Andover 71, Shawnee Heights 55 Championship St. James Academy 49, Hays 48Class 4A Third Place Rock Creek 66, Wellington 48 Championship Topeka Hayden 57, Bishop Miege 52Class 3A Third Place Halstead 56, Holcomb 43 Championship Silver Lake 60, Osage City 44Class 2A Third Place Eureka 61, Moundridge 49 Championship Salina Sacred Heart 43, Ellinwood 34Class 1A, Division I Third Place Centralia 76, Pretty Prairie 16 Championship Little River 59, Wabaunsee 24Class 1A, Division II Third Place Bucklin 54, Hutchinson Central Christian 35 Championship Linn 57, Hanover 50BOYS Class 6A Third Place Mill Valley 69, Wichita Heights 61 Championship Olathe North 67, SM South 50Class 5A Third Place Topeka Seaman 66, Topeka West 50 Championship Bonner Springs 53, Kapaun Mount Carmel 50Class 4A Third Place Hugoton 69, Atchison 53 Championship Baldwin 66, Rock Creek 60Class 3A Third Place Silver Lake 61, Hesston 45 Championship Wichita Collegiate 55, Burlington 42Class 2A Third Place St Marys 85, Pittsburg St Mary's-Colgan 73 Championship Sterling 59, Berean Academy 49Class 1A, Division I Third Place Norwich 62, Central Plains 52 Championship St John’s Beloit/Tipton 57, South Central 53Class 1A, Division II Third Place Lebo 65, Cunningham 64 Championship Hanover 66, Axtell 60

🏀 State Tournament results - Saturday, March 14

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays Post Sports

WICHITA - Hays High's bid for their first ever girls basketball title came up just short in a 49-48 loss to St. James Academy.

Hays (25-2) led just once in the game. Trailing 9-2 through the first six minutes, the Indians scored the final six points of the quarter to take a 10-0 lead.

That one point lead at the beginning of the second was the Indians only lead and it was short lived. St. James (23-5) opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run. That burst gave the Thunder a 19-12 lead at the 4:20 mark.

Hays scored the four points to get within three and had the ball but turned the ball over down 19-16. St. James held Hays silent for nearly three minutes. The Thunder used that time to build their lead to a first half high of nine at 25-16. Hays scored right before the first half ended for a 25-18 score into the locker rooms.

Hays scored the first four points of the second half while holding St. James scoreless for three minutes and closed within one possession at 25-22. The Thunder found their groove again and went on a 12-4 run which gave them their first double-digit lead at 37-26. Hays again scored the final points of the quarter on a three pointer from Jenna Schmeidler to pull within a 37-29 score.

The Indians continued to chip away at the fourth quarter deficit. Trailing 43-38, Hays could not score on their next four possessions, missing three shots and turning the ball over once.

St. James pushed their lead back to seven with 1:14 left with two of four shooting at the free throw line.

Brynlee Rupp and Schmeidler made back-to-back threes to pull Hays back within on point at 47-46 and forced a Thunder timeout on the inbound to avoid a five second call. Hays was forced to foul and St. James made both for a 49-46 score.

Hays missed a three on the next possession but St. James fell down with the rebound which was called a travel with 4.1 second left. Hays inbounded one last time but didn't get a look at a three and ended up with a layup at the horn instead, falling 49-48.

Hays ends the season with a school record in wins at 25. It is the programs second ever runner-up finish at the state tournament, tying for their best finish.

St. James win their first title in program history.

Rupp 7, Schmeidler 17, Humphrey 0, LaBarge 0, Armbruster 1, Turner 4, Newell 0, Buckles 8, Winter 11.

Earlier in the day Andover (25-2) defeated Shawnee Heights (22-6) for third place. It is the third consecutive year that Andover has finished in third place.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays Post SportsWICHITA - Hays High's bid for their first ever girls basketball title came up just short in a 49-48 loss to St. James Academy.Hays (25-2) led just once in the game. Trailing 9-2 through the first six minutes, the Indians scored the final six points of the quarter to take a 10-0 lead.That one point lead at the beginning of the second was the Indians only lead and it was short lived. St. James (23-5) opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run. That burst gave the Thunder a 19-12 lead at the 4:20 mark.Hays scored the four points to get within three and had the ball but turned the ball over down 19-16. St. James held Hays silent for nearly three minutes. The Thunder used that time to build their lead to a first half high of nine at 25-16. Hays scored right before the first half ended for a 25-18 score into the locker rooms.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283938921&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/03-14-26-hhs-wbkb-v-st-james-1" title="03-14-26 HHS WBKB v St. James Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">03-14-26 HHS WBKB v St. James Highlights</a></div></div>Hays scored the first four points of the second half while holding St. James scoreless for three minutes and closed within one possession at 25-22. The Thunder found their groove again and went on a 12-4 run which gave them their first double-digit lead at 37-26. Hays again scored the final points of the quarter on a three pointer from Jenna Schmeidler to pull within a 37-29 score.The Indians continued to chip away at the fourth quarter deficit. Trailing 43-38, Hays could not score on their next four possessions, missing three shots and turning the ball over once.St. James pushed their lead back to seven with 1:14 left with two of four shooting at the free throw line.Brynlee Rupp and Schmeidler made back-to-back threes to pull Hays back within on point at 47-46 and forced a Thunder timeout on the inbound to avoid a five second call. Hays was forced to foul and St. James made both for a 49-46 score.Hays missed a three on the next possession but St. James fell down with the rebound which was called a travel with 4.1 second left. Hays inbounded one last time but didn't get a look at a three and ended up with a layup at the horn instead, falling 49-48.Coach Len Melvin<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283938780&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/03-14-26-hhs-wbkb-v-st-james" title="03-14-26 HHS WBKB v St. James Coach Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">03-14-26 HHS WBKB v St. James Coach Interview</a></div></div>Hays ends the season with a school record in wins at 25. It is the programs second ever runner-up finish at the state tournament, tying for their best finish.St. James win their first title in program history.Rupp 7, Schmeidler 17, Humphrey 0, LaBarge 0, Armbruster 1, Turner 4, Newell 0, Buckles 8, Winter 11.Earlier in the day Andover (25-2) defeated Shawnee Heights (22-6) for third place. It is the third consecutive year that Andover has finished in third place.

🏀 Hays girls falls one point short of their first ever state title

Hays High vs St. James Academy Saturday, Mar. 14 - 4:30 - Games are running behind in Wichita. The game prior to Hays v St. James will start after 3:15 Wichita, Kan.

Radio:&nbsp;KFIX (96.9)&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> <a href="https://mix103fm.com/"></a>Video:&nbsp;Hays High Sports Network &nbsp; WATCH HERE - <a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/3825952">CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE</a> &nbsp;

The Hays High girls will appear in their second ever state title game late Saturday afternoon when they face-off with St. James Academy.

Hays (25-1) earned their spot in the championship game with a 66-41 win over Shawnee Heights on Friday afternoon. St. James (22-5) jumped out early against top-seeded Andover and won 61-44.

Neither team has won a girls basketball title.

Tip-off for this afternoon is set for 4:30. The Hertz Pregame Show will begin at 4:10 on 96.9 KFIX.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694699014932.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hays High vs St. James Academy Saturday, Mar. 14 - 4:30 - Games are running behind in Wichita. The game prior to Hays v St. James will start after 3:15 Wichita, Kan.Radio:&nbsp;KFIX (96.9)&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> <a href="https://mix103fm.com/"></a>Video:&nbsp;Hays High Sports Network &nbsp; WATCH HERE - <a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/3825952">CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE</a> &nbsp;The Hays High girls will appear in their second ever state title game late Saturday afternoon when they face-off with St. James Academy.Hays (25-1) earned their spot in the championship game with a 66-41 win over Shawnee Heights on Friday afternoon. St. James (22-5) jumped out early against top-seeded Andover and won 61-44.Neither team has won a girls basketball title.Tip-off for this afternoon is set for 4:30. The Hertz Pregame Show will begin at 4:10 on 96.9 KFIX.&nbsp;Video is available at the above link.

🏀📺 Hays girls shoot for their first state basketball title

2026 NCAA Division II Championship Women's Central Regional - Semifinals #14 (3-seed) Fort Hays State (25-5) vs. #22 (2-seed) Concordia-St. Paul (25-6) Saturday, March 14, 2026 • 5 p.m. Mankato, Minn. • Bresnan Arena

The 14th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team has advanced to the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Region semifinals where the Tigers will take on No. 22 Concordia-St. Paul Saturday evening. Tipoff between the Tigers (25-5) and Golden Bears (25-6) is slated for 5 p.m. inside the Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn.

Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;NCAA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/2026/03/12">CLICK HERE TO WATCH</a>

Quick Hits - The Tigers have now qualified for the NCAA Tournament 11 times, including 10 appearances in the Central Regional in the last 12 years, three more than any other school over the last dozen years (PSU and UCM, 7 each). - FHSU has reached the semifinals in seven-straight trips to the regional. - The Tigers are 2-5 in the tournament against teams they played earlier in the season. - FHSU is 6-1 all-time in games played in the state of Minnesota, including wins in five in a row. The lone loss you ask? At Concordia-St. Paul in 2014. - Talexa Weeter broke the MIAA scoring record with 829 points this season. That total is 15th-most in a season in DII history. She ranks second across all NCAA divisions with an average of 27.6 points per game. Weeter is 51 points away from Annette Wiles' school-record 880 points in 1990-91. - Weeter's 46 points on Friday tied FHSU's school record and are the most in the NCAA tournament in 10 years. - Brooke Loewe leads all NCAA basketball, men and women spanning all divisions, with 306 assists this season, breaking a 27-year-old MIAA record. That total is third-most in DII history, three away from second and 20 shy of the record. She is the sixth DII player and just the 25th in the history of NCAA women's basketball to reach 300 assists in a season. Loewe is the only player in all NCAA basketball averaging in double figures in assists this year. - Loewe's 16 assists are the most in an NCAA tournament game in 19 years (17, Katie LaViolette, Concordia-St. Paul vs. South Dakota, 3/9/07).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773494387911.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics2026 NCAA Division II Championship Women's Central Regional - Semifinals #14 (3-seed) Fort Hays State (25-5) vs. #22 (2-seed) Concordia-St. Paul (25-6) Saturday, March 14, 2026 • 5 p.m. Mankato, Minn. • Bresnan ArenaThe 14th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team has advanced to the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Region semifinals where the Tigers will take on No. 22 Concordia-St. Paul Saturday evening. Tipoff between the Tigers (25-5) and Golden Bears (25-6) is slated for 5 p.m. inside the Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn.Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;NCAA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/2026/03/12">CLICK HERE TO WATCH</a>Quick Hits - The Tigers have now qualified for the NCAA Tournament 11 times, including 10 appearances in the Central Regional in the last 12 years, three more than any other school over the last dozen years (PSU and UCM, 7 each). - FHSU has reached the semifinals in seven-straight trips to the regional. - The Tigers are 2-5 in the tournament against teams they played earlier in the season. - FHSU is 6-1 all-time in games played in the state of Minnesota, including wins in five in a row. The lone loss you ask? At Concordia-St. Paul in 2014. - Talexa Weeter broke the MIAA scoring record with 829 points this season. That total is 15th-most in a season in DII history. She ranks second across all NCAA divisions with an average of 27.6 points per game. Weeter is 51 points away from Annette Wiles' school-record 880 points in 1990-91. - Weeter's 46 points on Friday tied FHSU's school record and are the most in the NCAA tournament in 10 years. - Brooke Loewe leads all NCAA basketball, men and women spanning all divisions, with 306 assists this season, breaking a 27-year-old MIAA record. That total is third-most in DII history, three away from second and 20 shy of the record. She is the sixth DII player and just the 25th in the history of NCAA women's basketball to reach 300 assists in a season. Loewe is the only player in all NCAA basketball averaging in double figures in assists this year. - Loewe's 16 assists are the most in an NCAA tournament game in 19 years (17, Katie LaViolette, Concordia-St. Paul vs. South Dakota, 3/9/07).

🏀🎧 LISTEN: #14 FHSU women battle #22 Golden Bears in Regional semis

Saturday, March 14 KFIX: Hays High WBKB vs. St. James Academy, 4:10pm KJLS: Fort Hays State WBKB vs. Concordia-St. Paul, 4:35pm&nbsp;&nbsp;

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Saturday, March 14 KFIX: Hays High WBKB vs. St. James Academy, 4:10pm KJLS: Fort Hays State WBKB vs. Concordia-St. Paul, 4:35pm&nbsp;&nbsp;Sunday, March 15
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kingston Flemings scored 21 points, fellow freshman Chris Cenac Jr. had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and fifth-ranked Houston rolled past poor-shooting and lackluster No. 14 Kansas 69-47 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday night.

The second-seeded Cougars (28-5) held the third-seeded Jayhawks without a field goal for more than 10 minutes at point in the game, ultimately breezing into another championship matchup with second-ranked Arizona on Saturday night.

Houston beat the Wildcats 72-64 last year for its first Big 12 Tournament title.

Darryn Peterson had 14 points to lead the Jayhawks (23-10), who had beaten the Cougars in their only regular-season matchup. But the Jayhawks were a whole lot better that night in Allen Fieldhouse than they were at T-Mobile Center, where they were 6 for 31 from the field in the second half and shot 24.6% overall in their lowest-scoring game of the season.

With the relentless defense that's become a hallmark of coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars controlled the game right from the start, making things especially difficult for Kansas big men Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller in the paint.

Most of the Jayhawks' offense came from Peterson, the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. He had 12 at the break.

Things really unraveled for Kansas in the second half, though.

Houston forced Bill Self's team into missing its first 16 shots while going on a 22-2 run of its own spanning halftime. Even the bucket that mercifully ended the drought, a dunk by Bidunga with 10:42 to go, nearly rattled its way back out of the basket.

Houston led 51-31 at that point before coasting into its second consecutive championship game.

Houston lost to the No. 1 seed Wildcats at home on Feb. 21 in their only meeting of the regular season.

Kansas will likely be a No. 4 seed when the NCAA Tournament is revealed on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773456668540.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kingston Flemings scored 21 points, fellow freshman Chris Cenac Jr. had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and fifth-ranked Houston rolled past poor-shooting and lackluster No. 14 Kansas 69-47 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday night.The second-seeded Cougars (28-5) held the third-seeded Jayhawks without a field goal for more than 10 minutes at point in the game, ultimately breezing into another championship matchup with second-ranked Arizona on Saturday night.Houston beat the Wildcats 72-64 last year for its first Big 12 Tournament title.Darryn Peterson had 14 points to lead the Jayhawks (23-10), who had beaten the Cougars in their only regular-season matchup. But the Jayhawks were a whole lot better that night in Allen Fieldhouse than they were at T-Mobile Center, where they were 6 for 31 from the field in the second half and shot 24.6% overall in their lowest-scoring game of the season.With the relentless defense that's become a hallmark of coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars controlled the game right from the start, making things especially difficult for Kansas big men Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller in the paint.Most of the Jayhawks' offense came from Peterson, the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. He had 12 at the break.Things really unraveled for Kansas in the second half, though.Houston forced Bill Self's team into missing its first 16 shots while going on a 22-2 run of its own spanning halftime. Even the bucket that mercifully ended the drought, a dunk by Bidunga with 10:42 to go, nearly rattled its way back out of the basket.Houston led 51-31 at that point before coasting into its second consecutive championship game.<h2>Up next</h2>Houston lost to the No. 1 seed Wildcats at home on Feb. 21 in their only meeting of the regular season.Kansas will likely be a No. 4 seed when the NCAA Tournament is revealed on Sunday.

🏀  Houston routs KU to set up another Big 12 title game with Arizona

KSHSAA State Tournament&nbsp;Semifinals GIRLS&nbsp;&nbsp; Class 5A Hays 66, Shawnee Heights 41 St. James Academy 61, Andover 44

Class 3A Silver 50, Holcomb 36 Osage City 44, Halstead 39

Class 1A, Division I Little River 59, Centralia 47 Wabaunsee 49, Pretty Prairie 38

Class 1A, Division II Hanover 51, Hutchinson Central Christian 31 Linn 55, Bucklin 49

BOYS Class 6A Olathe North 65, Mill Valley 45 SM South 79, Wichita Heights 54

Class 4A Baldwin 65, Atchison 45 Rock Creek 73, Hugoton 53

Class 2A Berean Academy 61, Pittsburg St. Mary’s-Colgan 35 Sterling 73, St Marys 52

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768839911264.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>KSHSAA State Tournament&nbsp;Semifinals GIRLS&nbsp;&nbsp; Class 5A Hays 66, Shawnee Heights 41 St. James Academy 61, Andover 44Class 3A Silver 50, Holcomb 36 Osage City 44, Halstead 39Class 1A, Division I Little River 59, Centralia 47 Wabaunsee 49, Pretty Prairie 38Class 1A, Division II Hanover 51, Hutchinson Central Christian 31 Linn 55, Bucklin 49BOYS Class 6A Olathe North 65, Mill Valley 45 SM South 79, Wichita Heights 54Class 4A Baldwin 65, Atchison 45 Rock Creek 73, Hugoton 53Class 2A Berean Academy 61, Pittsburg St. Mary’s-Colgan 35 Sterling 73, St Marys 52

🏀 State semifinal results - Friday, March 13

WICHITA - Hays High never trailed in their semifinal victory over Shawnee Heights Friday afternoon as the Indians head to their second ever girls' state title game.

Hays (25-1) jumped out early with the first nine points of the game. Jenna Schmeidler scored seven of those points on her way to a career high 33. She scored 12 of the Indians 18 first quarter points. Zoe Winter added four and Molly Buckles two in the first frame.

Hays held three different double-digit leads in the first eight minutes and took an 18-7 lead to the second.&nbsp;

Annie Humphrey, Morgan Armbruster, and Zoe Winter combined for an 8-0 burst to start the second quarter as the Indians grabbed a 26-7 lead two minutes into the quarter. Shawnee Heights (22-5) stopped the run briefly with their first points at the 4:35 mark. Hays scored the games next seven points to take a 33-9 lead with 1:20 to go in the half.

The Thunderbirds scored on back-to-back possessions for the first time with a pair of field goals to close the first half at a 33-13 Hays lead.

Hays didn't have any let down at the beginning of the third quarter. Humphrey swished a three, Winter added a basket and Buckles completed a three point play for a 41-13 edge three minutes into the second half.

Heights put together their best run shortly after on a 9-1 spurt that cur the game down to 41-22. Schmeidler, Buckles and Winter made sure that was all the closer the Thunderbirds got, as the trio finished the quarter on a 7-2 run that ended the quarter with Hays leading 49-24.

Heights never got closer than 20 in the fourth quarter. Brynlee Rupp started a string of four straight three pointers for the Indians. Schmeidler supplied the other three which gave her seven made on the day.

Hays closed out the 66-41 victory to advance to the state title game.

Eight players scored and nine grabbed at least one rebound. Hays will face St. James Academy in the title game. Earlier in the day (5) St. James (23-4) beat (1) Andover (24-2) 61-44 to advance to the championship game at 4:30 on Saturday.

Rupp 3, Schmeidler 33, Humphrey 5, LaBarge 1, Koerner 0, Cunningham 0, Armbruster 2, Turner 0, Newell 0, Harrington 1, Buckles 9, Winter 12.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays Post SportsWICHITA - Hays High never trailed in their semifinal victory over Shawnee Heights Friday afternoon as the Indians head to their second ever girls' state title game.Hays (25-1) jumped out early with the first nine points of the game. Jenna Schmeidler scored seven of those points on her way to a career high 33. She scored 12 of the Indians 18 first quarter points. Zoe Winter added four and Molly Buckles two in the first frame.Hays held three different double-digit leads in the first eight minutes and took an 18-7 lead to the second.&nbsp;Annie Humphrey, Morgan Armbruster, and Zoe Winter combined for an 8-0 burst to start the second quarter as the Indians grabbed a 26-7 lead two minutes into the quarter. Shawnee Heights (22-5) stopped the run briefly with their first points at the 4:35 mark. Hays scored the games next seven points to take a 33-9 lead with 1:20 to go in the half.The Thunderbirds scored on back-to-back possessions for the first time with a pair of field goals to close the first half at a 33-13 Hays lead.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283395102&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-wbkb-highlights-v-shawnee" title="HHS WBKB Highlights v Shawnee Heights Mar 13, 2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS WBKB Highlights v Shawnee Heights Mar 13, 2026</a></div></div>Hays didn't have any let down at the beginning of the third quarter. Humphrey swished a three, Winter added a basket and Buckles completed a three point play for a 41-13 edge three minutes into the second half.Heights put together their best run shortly after on a 9-1 spurt that cur the game down to 41-22. Schmeidler, Buckles and Winter made sure that was all the closer the Thunderbirds got, as the trio finished the quarter on a 7-2 run that ended the quarter with Hays leading 49-24.Heights never got closer than 20 in the fourth quarter. Brynlee Rupp started a string of four straight three pointers for the Indians. Schmeidler supplied the other three which gave her seven made on the day.Hays closed out the 66-41 victory to advance to the state title game.Coach Len Melvin<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283389810&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/melvin-post-int-v-shawnee" title="Melvin Post Int v Shawnee Heights Mar 13, 2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Melvin Post Int v Shawnee Heights Mar 13, 2026</a></div></div>Eight players scored and nine grabbed at least one rebound. Hays will face St. James Academy in the title game. Earlier in the day (5) St. James (23-4) beat (1) Andover (24-2) 61-44 to advance to the championship game at 4:30 on Saturday.Rupp 3, Schmeidler 33, Humphrey 5, LaBarge 1, Koerner 0, Cunningham 0, Armbruster 2, Turner 0, Newell 0, Harrington 1, Buckles 9, Winter 12.

🏀 Hays girls advance to the 5A state title game

MANKATO, Minn. - The 14th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team lives to play another day after holding on to defeat No. 20 Harding 89-82 in overtime Friday in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Regional at Bresnan Arena.

Talexa Weeter erupted for 46 points on 16-of-23 shooting in the win, matching the school record set by Petrece Faulkner 23 years ago while scoring the most points in an NCAA DII Tournament game in 10 years (49, Kiana Johnson, Virginia Union vs. West Liberty, 3/14/16).

The first quarter featured eight lead changes, with neither side leading by more than four. Weeter was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor in the quarter, helping the third-seeded Tigers (25-5) pull within 18-16 after 10 minutes.

The sixth-seeded Lady Bisons (24-7) caught fire in the second quarter, knocking down 5-of-8 from behind the arc to lead by as many as 11. Olivia Mortensen gave the Tigers a 23-21 lead three minutes into the frame before Harding went on a 13-0 run, including a trio of long-range makes.

Weeter answered with 12 points over the final 3:15 of the half, including a pair of 3-pointers of her own, to help FHSU pull within 39-35 at the break.

Harding pushed its lead to eight early in the second half before the Tigers pulled even with an 8-0 run. Brooke Loewe and Kaitlin Schumann opened the run with baskets before Weeter scored on consecutive possessions, tying the score at 47.

The game of runs continued as the Lady Bisons answered with a 7-0 run followed by 13-straight points for the Tigers, giving FHSU a 62-57 lead early in the fourth quarter. Ellie Stearns and Talexa Weeter opened the fourth quarter with 3-pointers to give the Tigers their first lead since early in the second quarter.

The lead changed hands six more times through the fourth quarter, with both teams playing at a high level. The Tigers hit 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) from the floor in the fourth quarter, while the Lady Bisons countered by hitting 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) of their shots.

Mortensen put the Tigers up two with 2:12 on the clock with a 3-pointer from the left corner before the teams combined to hit five baskets in the final minute. Harding tied things up with a driving layup with 57 seconds to go before Mortensen hit a stick-back layup 10 seconds later to put FHSU back in front.

The Lady Bisons tied the score with a jumper in the lane with 38 ticks to go before Mortensen made a cut into the lane and scored after a perfect pass from Loewe, giving the Tigers a 75-73 lead with 18 seconds left. Harding again tied things up with 6.2 on the clock with a pull-up jumper before Mortensen's 3-pointer from the right wing rattled off the front of the rim at the buzzer, sending things to overtime.

After scoring the final nine points for the Tigers in regulation, Mortensen opened the scoring in overtime with a layup. Harding scored the next four points to take the lead before Stearns tied things up following another Loewe assist. After nearly two scoreless minutes, Mortensen put FHSU on top with 1:38 on the clock but Harding once again tied things up at 81 on the next possession.

The Tigers then hit 8-of-8 from the free-throw line over the final 47 seconds while getting a pair of stops on defense to secure the victory and advance to the regional semifinal in their seventh-straight regional.

Weeter has now scored 829 points this season, breaking a 20-year-old MIAA record and ranking 15th-most in a single season in Division II history. The junior added 12 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.

Mortensen matched her season-high with 27 points while collecting 10 rebounds for her second-straight double-double and third overall this season.

Loewe racked up 16 assists in the win, one off her school record and the most in an NCAA DII Tournament game since 2007 (17, Katie LaViolette, Concordia-St. Paul vs. South Dakota, 3/9/07). The senior now has 306 assists this season, third-most in a single season in Division II history and just 20 shy of the DII record. She is the sixth DII player and the 25th in NCAA women's basketball history to reach 300 assists in a season.

Stearns scored eight points thanks to a pair of 3-pointers, helping the senior move into a tie for seventh with 141 career 3-pointers at FHSU (Traci Keyser, 2009-13).

The Tigers hit 48.5 percent from the floor (32-of-66) while outrebounding the Lady Bisons by eight, 43-35. FHSU also hit 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) from the free-throw line.

Fort Hays State will next play #22 Concordia-St. Paul in the regional semifinal beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday (March 14) inside the Taylor Center. The Bears are the No. 2 seed and have won 17 in a row whish is tied for the third-longest active winning streak in Division II, however the Tigers defeated CSP in the opening game of the regular season 84-78 in St. Joseph, Mo.

Notes - Talexa Weeter's 46 points tied Petrece Faulkner's FHSU single-game scoring record (1993 vs. Adams State) while tying Sherika Tarpkins' NCAA DII Tournament single-game scoring record (2005, Fort Valley State vs. Central Arkansas). - Weeter now has 829 points this season, breaking a 20-year-old MIAA record (797, Jennifer Harris, Washburn). That total ranks 15th-most in a single season all-time in Division II. - Brooke Loewe now has 306 assists on the season, third-most in a single season in Division II history. She is the sixth DII player and the 25th player in NCAA women's basketball history to reach 300 assists in a season. - It was the seventh time Loewe totaled 14 or more assists in a game this season. All Division II combined for only four-such performances, with no other player doing so more than once. - Loewe's 16 assists are the most in the NCAA DII tournament in 19 years (17, Katie LaViolette, Concordia-St. Paul vs. South Dakota, 3/9/07). - This was the first game FHSU played as the No. 14-ranked team in DII. The Tigers have now played at least one game at all 25 spots in the WBCA DII poll. - The Tigers are now 10-9 all-time in the tournament, 3-1 against GAC schools, 7-2 in the quarterfinal round, 3-2 as the No. 3 seed, 3-0 against the No. 6 seed, 4-8 against nationally ranked teams. - It was the first overtime game the Tigers have played in the NCAA tournament.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773438929402.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Talexa Weeter (22) drives to the basket in the first half of an NCAA II Tournament game against No. 20 Harding on Friday, March 13, 2026 in Mankato, Minn. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Talexa Weeter (22) drives to the basket in the first half of an NCAA II Tournament game against No. 20 Harding on Friday, March 13, 2026 in Mankato, Minn. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsMANKATO, Minn. - The 14th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team lives to play another day after holding on to defeat No. 20 Harding 89-82 in overtime Friday in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Regional at Bresnan Arena.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283288350&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/3-13-26-fhsu-wbkb-coach" title="Talia Kahrs Postgame vs. #20 Harding (March 13, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Talia Kahrs Postgame vs. #20 Harding (March 13, 2026)</a></div></div>Talexa Weeter erupted for 46 points on 16-of-23 shooting in the win, matching the school record set by Petrece Faulkner 23 years ago while scoring the most points in an NCAA DII Tournament game in 10 years (49, Kiana Johnson, Virginia Union vs. West Liberty, 3/14/16).The first quarter featured eight lead changes, with neither side leading by more than four. Weeter was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor in the quarter, helping the third-seeded Tigers (25-5) pull within 18-16 after 10 minutes.The sixth-seeded Lady Bisons (24-7) caught fire in the second quarter, knocking down 5-of-8 from behind the arc to lead by as many as 11. Olivia Mortensen gave the Tigers a 23-21 lead three minutes into the frame before Harding went on a 13-0 run, including a trio of long-range makes.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283288683&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/3-13-26-fhsu-wbkb-dual-player" title="Talexa Weeter/Olviia Mortensen Postgame vs. #20 Harding (March 13, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Talexa Weeter/Olviia Mortensen Postgame vs. #20 Harding (March 13, 2026)</a></div></div>Weeter answered with 12 points over the final 3:15 of the half, including a pair of 3-pointers of her own, to help FHSU pull within 39-35 at the break.Harding pushed its lead to eight early in the second half before the Tigers pulled even with an 8-0 run. Brooke Loewe and Kaitlin Schumann opened the run with baskets before Weeter scored on consecutive possessions, tying the score at 47.The game of runs continued as the Lady Bisons answered with a 7-0 run followed by 13-straight points for the Tigers, giving FHSU a 62-57 lead early in the fourth quarter. Ellie Stearns and Talexa Weeter opened the fourth quarter with 3-pointers to give the Tigers their first lead since early in the second quarter.The lead changed hands six more times through the fourth quarter, with both teams playing at a high level. The Tigers hit 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) from the floor in the fourth quarter, while the Lady Bisons countered by hitting 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) of their shots.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2283289094&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/3-13-26-fhsu-wbkb-highlights-v" title="#14 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights vs. #20 Harding (March 13, 2026)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#14 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights vs. #20 Harding (March 13, 2026)</a></div></div>Mortensen put the Tigers up two with 2:12 on the clock with a 3-pointer from the left corner before the teams combined to hit five baskets in the final minute. Harding tied things up with a driving layup with 57 seconds to go before Mortensen hit a stick-back layup 10 seconds later to put FHSU back in front.The Lady Bisons tied the score with a jumper in the lane with 38 ticks to go before Mortensen made a cut into the lane and scored after a perfect pass from Loewe, giving the Tigers a 75-73 lead with 18 seconds left. Harding again tied things up with 6.2 on the clock with a pull-up jumper before Mortensen's 3-pointer from the right wing rattled off the front of the rim at the buzzer, sending things to overtime.After scoring the final nine points for the Tigers in regulation, Mortensen opened the scoring in overtime with a layup. Harding scored the next four points to take the lead before Stearns tied things up following another Loewe assist. After nearly two scoreless minutes, Mortensen put FHSU on top with 1:38 on the clock but Harding once again tied things up at 81 on the next possession.The Tigers then hit 8-of-8 from the free-throw line over the final 47 seconds while getting a pair of stops on defense to secure the victory and advance to the regional semifinal in their seventh-straight regional.Weeter has now scored 829 points this season, breaking a 20-year-old MIAA record and ranking 15th-most in a single season in Division II history. The junior added 12 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.Mortensen matched her season-high with 27 points while collecting 10 rebounds for her second-straight double-double and third overall this season.Loewe racked up 16 assists in the win, one off her school record and the most in an NCAA DII Tournament game since 2007 (17, Katie LaViolette, Concordia-St. Paul vs. South Dakota, 3/9/07). The senior now has 306 assists this season, third-most in a single season in Division II history and just 20 shy of the DII record. She is the sixth DII player and the 25th in NCAA women's basketball history to reach 300 assists in a season.Stearns scored eight points thanks to a pair of 3-pointers, helping the senior move into a tie for seventh with 141 career 3-pointers at FHSU (Traci Keyser, 2009-13).The Tigers hit 48.5 percent from the floor (32-of-66) while outrebounding the Lady Bisons by eight, 43-35. FHSU also hit 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) from the free-throw line.Fort Hays State will next play #22 Concordia-St. Paul in the regional semifinal beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday (March 14) inside the Taylor Center. The Bears are the No. 2 seed and have won 17 in a row whish is tied for the third-longest active winning streak in Division II, however the Tigers defeated CSP in the opening game of the regular season 84-78 in St. Joseph, Mo.Notes - Talexa Weeter's 46 points tied Petrece Faulkner's FHSU single-game scoring record (1993 vs. Adams State) while tying Sherika Tarpkins' NCAA DII Tournament single-game scoring record (2005, Fort Valley State vs. Central Arkansas). - Weeter now has 829 points this season, breaking a 20-year-old MIAA record (797, Jennifer Harris, Washburn). That total ranks 15th-most in a single season all-time in Division II. - Brooke Loewe now has 306 assists on the season, third-most in a single season in Division II history. She is the sixth DII player and the 25th player in NCAA women's basketball history to reach 300 assists in a season. - It was the seventh time Loewe totaled 14 or more assists in a game this season. All Division II combined for only four-such performances, with no other player doing so more than once. - Loewe's 16 assists are the most in the NCAA DII tournament in 19 years (17, Katie LaViolette, Concordia-St. Paul vs. South Dakota, 3/9/07). - This was the first game FHSU played as the No. 14-ranked team in DII. The Tigers have now played at least one game at all 25 spots in the WBCA DII poll. - The Tigers are now 10-9 all-time in the tournament, 3-1 against GAC schools, 7-2 in the quarterfinal round, 3-2 as the No. 3 seed, 3-0 against the No. 6 seed, 4-8 against nationally ranked teams. - It was the first overtime game the Tigers have played in the NCAA tournament.

🏀 No. 14 Tigers outlast No. 20 Harding in OT in Regional quarterfinal

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Fort Hays State baseball team rallied for an 8-7 extra-inning win over Missouri Western Friday , clinching a fourth-straight win. The Tigers (8-13, 5-6) trailed 7-4 entering the ninth inning before a Derek Woolwine three-run home run extended the game.

The Griffons (8-13, 3-7 MIAA) struck first with a two-run double in the second before FHSU took its first lead in the top of the fourth. Dylan Salcido and Mac Bowie started a two-out rally with back-to-back singles before Justin Lipka tied things up with a two-run double. Tyson Jimenez then reached on an infield single, plating Lipka and giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead.

Missouri Western answered with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth, while a Cooper Howell solo home run momentarily tied the score at four in the top of the fifth. The Griffons later pushed the lead to three thanks to an inside-the-park home run in the seventh.

Down three with three outs to go, Antonio Avila led off the ninth with a double. Howell then worked a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Woolwine came through with a first-pitch home run, moving into a tie for first in the MIAA with eight home runs this season and more importantly tying the game at seven.

Aaron Boutz (1-2) completed a long-relief outing with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, recording one strikeout, one groundout and one fly out to give the Tigers a chance in extra innings.

Lipka led off with his second double of the game before Jimenez walked. Avila then reached on a fielder's choice where all the runners were safe, loading the bases with no outs. Howell drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly before the Griffons got out of the inning without any further damage.

Brett Jacobs came on to throw in the bottom of the 10th and allowed a pair of baserunners on walks but completed the win with two strikeouts and a groundout to secure his second save of the season.

Cody Bruss worked the first 4.1 innings, striking out three Griffons while allowing six runs on nine hits and just one walk. Boutz earned the win after allowing just one run on two hits and one walk in his 4.2 innings of relief.

Salcido and Lipka recorded three hits each in the win, with Avila and Howell also recording mutli-hit games.

The Tigers and Griffons will wrap up the series with a doubleheader Saturday (March 14) beginning at 1 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773455294908.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Jordyn Bredenberg" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Jordyn Bredenberg</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Fort Hays State baseball team rallied for an 8-7 extra-inning win over Missouri Western Friday , clinching a fourth-straight win. The Tigers (8-13, 5-6) trailed 7-4 entering the ninth inning before a Derek Woolwine three-run home run extended the game.The Griffons (8-13, 3-7 MIAA) struck first with a two-run double in the second before FHSU took its first lead in the top of the fourth. Dylan Salcido and Mac Bowie started a two-out rally with back-to-back singles before Justin Lipka tied things up with a two-run double. Tyson Jimenez then reached on an infield single, plating Lipka and giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead.Missouri Western answered with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth, while a Cooper Howell solo home run momentarily tied the score at four in the top of the fifth. The Griffons later pushed the lead to three thanks to an inside-the-park home run in the seventh.Down three with three outs to go, Antonio Avila led off the ninth with a double. Howell then worked a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Woolwine came through with a first-pitch home run, moving into a tie for first in the MIAA with eight home runs this season and more importantly tying the game at seven.Aaron Boutz (1-2) completed a long-relief outing with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, recording one strikeout, one groundout and one fly out to give the Tigers a chance in extra innings.Lipka led off with his second double of the game before Jimenez walked. Avila then reached on a fielder's choice where all the runners were safe, loading the bases with no outs. Howell drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly before the Griffons got out of the inning without any further damage.Brett Jacobs came on to throw in the bottom of the 10th and allowed a pair of baserunners on walks but completed the win with two strikeouts and a groundout to secure his second save of the season.Cody Bruss worked the first 4.1 innings, striking out three Griffons while allowing six runs on nine hits and just one walk. Boutz earned the win after allowing just one run on two hits and one walk in his 4.2 innings of relief.Salcido and Lipka recorded three hits each in the win, with Avila and Howell also recording mutli-hit games.The Tigers and Griffons will wrap up the series with a doubleheader Saturday (March 14) beginning at 1 p.m.

⚾ Tigers open series at MWSU with extra inning win

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Fort Hays State men's wrestling senior Cason Lindsey turned in a 1-2 record at the 2026 NCAA Division II Championship on Friday. Lindsey finishes the year 17-7 overall and turns in a career record of 58-35.

Competing in the 165-pound national bracket, the Derby, Kan. native opened the day against fourth-ranked Grant MacKay of Gannon. Neither wrestler was able to secure a takedown in the match, with both earning quick escapes in the second and third rounds. The score remained 1-1 after both sudden victory rounds and the tiebreaker round, sending things to the ultimate tiebreaker. Lindsey started on bottom and nearly escaped twice but was ultimately unable to earn another point. MacKay then chose neutral and was able to stay upright for the final 30 seconds, with Lindsey nearly scoring a takedown with a single leg that was defended, giving MacKay the tiebreak win with riding time.

Lindsey then faced off with Kole Marko of Minnesota State in the first round of the consolation bracket. Lindsey opened the scoring with a takedown late in the first period, taking a 3-0 lead. Marko managed a pair of escapes to close within 3-2 early in the second before Lindsey was given the escape point to start the third period. Both competitors took good shots in the final period but neither were able to convert. Lindsey was given a pair of stall warnings to award Marko an additional point with 13 seconds to go, but was able to hold on for the 4-3 decision.

He then drew Nate Barrett of Ashland in the blood round, with Barrett taking an early 3-0 lead with a quick takedown. Lindsey escaped quickly before racking up a pair of first-period takedowns, establishing a 7-5 lead. Barrett regained the lead with a takedown with 20 seconds remaining in the second period, holding on for the final 21 seconds. Lindsey quickly escaped to start the third, closing within 9-8, but Barrett sealed a 12-8 decision with a takedown with 23 seconds remaining.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773453149941.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Jordyn Bredenberg" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Jordyn Bredenberg</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsSIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Fort Hays State men's wrestling senior Cason Lindsey turned in a 1-2 record at the 2026 NCAA Division II Championship on Friday. Lindsey finishes the year 17-7 overall and turns in a career record of 58-35.Competing in the 165-pound national bracket, the Derby, Kan. native opened the day against fourth-ranked Grant MacKay of Gannon. Neither wrestler was able to secure a takedown in the match, with both earning quick escapes in the second and third rounds. The score remained 1-1 after both sudden victory rounds and the tiebreaker round, sending things to the ultimate tiebreaker. Lindsey started on bottom and nearly escaped twice but was ultimately unable to earn another point. MacKay then chose neutral and was able to stay upright for the final 30 seconds, with Lindsey nearly scoring a takedown with a single leg that was defended, giving MacKay the tiebreak win with riding time.Lindsey then faced off with Kole Marko of Minnesota State in the first round of the consolation bracket. Lindsey opened the scoring with a takedown late in the first period, taking a 3-0 lead. Marko managed a pair of escapes to close within 3-2 early in the second before Lindsey was given the escape point to start the third period. Both competitors took good shots in the final period but neither were able to convert. Lindsey was given a pair of stall warnings to award Marko an additional point with 13 seconds to go, but was able to hold on for the 4-3 decision.He then drew Nate Barrett of Ashland in the blood round, with Barrett taking an early 3-0 lead with a quick takedown. Lindsey escaped quickly before racking up a pair of first-period takedowns, establishing a 7-5 lead. Barrett regained the lead with a takedown with 20 seconds remaining in the second period, holding on for the final 21 seconds. Lindsey quickly escaped to start the third, closing within 9-8, but Barrett sealed a 12-8 decision with a takedown with 23 seconds remaining.

🤼‍♂️ FHSU's Lindsey secures one win at nationals

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The Fort Hays State women's track and field team collected a pair of second team All-America honors on day one of the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships Friday.

Hays native Katie Linenberger opened the day in the high jump and easily cleared the first two bars at 5-4.25 and 5-6 on her initial attempts. She was then one of eight athletes to bow out on the 5-8 bar, finishing in a tie for ninth due to prior misses and earn second team All-American honors as a true freshman.

Emily Diercks McCullough later ran in the 5,000m, crossing the line in 16:44.85 to place 12th and also earn second team All-American status. The senior ran in 15th place after the first 1,000m but climbed into 12th by the midway point of the race. The honor is McCullough's third All-American distinction at the DII level.

Josiah Ball represented the Tiger men in the pole vault and was one of five competitors in the 18-man field who failed to clear a bar on the day. Competing at his second national championship, the sophomore made three attempts at the 16-5.25 bar, a height he surpassed three times this season.

The Tigers will wrap up the event on Saturday at 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) when Annabeth Baalmann competes in the women's pole vault.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773453266875.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsVIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The Fort Hays State women's track and field team collected a pair of second team All-America honors on day one of the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships Friday.Hays native Katie Linenberger opened the day in the high jump and easily cleared the first two bars at 5-4.25 and 5-6 on her initial attempts. She was then one of eight athletes to bow out on the 5-8 bar, finishing in a tie for ninth due to prior misses and earn second team All-American honors as a true freshman.Emily Diercks McCullough later ran in the 5,000m, crossing the line in 16:44.85 to place 12th and also earn second team All-American status. The senior ran in 15th place after the first 1,000m but climbed into 12th by the midway point of the race. The honor is McCullough's third All-American distinction at the DII level.Josiah Ball represented the Tiger men in the pole vault and was one of five competitors in the 18-man field who failed to clear a bar on the day. Competing at his second national championship, the sophomore made three attempts at the 16-5.25 bar, a height he surpassed three times this season.The Tigers will wrap up the event on Saturday at 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) when Annabeth Baalmann competes in the women's pole vault.

👟 FHSU women claim two second team All-American honors

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Fort Hays State moved to 11-10 overall on the season by splitting its first two MIAA games of the season with Central Missouri on Friday (Mar. 13). The Tigers fell in game one 7-1 before bouncing back for a 3-2 win in game two. Central Missouri is now 15-7 overall and also 1-1 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Central Missouri 7, Fort Hays State 1 The Tigers led the first contest initially with a run in the top of the first, but the Jennies scored seven unanswered runs from the third through fifth innings to win 7-1. UCM tied the game with a single run in the third, took the lead with another run in the fourth, then added on five in the fifth.

Three-straight singles opening the game gave FHSU its run-scoring opportunity. After Hannah Green, Peyton Shepard, and Audrey Gillespie all got on base by single, Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson drove in the only run for the Tigers on a fielder's choice. Shepard finished the game with a team-high two hits and scored the Tigers' only run.

Korryn Johnson threw the first 3.2 innings for FHSU and allowed two runs. Abbey Duarte surrendered four in 0.1 innings. Myah Wolfe allowed one in 2.0 innings of work.

Bailey Brumley of UCM had six strikeouts in a complete game for UCM. She also drove in two runs as a hitter, including the game-tying run in the third. Marisa Johnson led UCM with four RBIs in the game, all on a grand slam in the fifth.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 3, Central Missouri 2 Flipping the script in game two, Fort Hays State came from behind to win 3-2, scoring all three of its runs in the sixth inning. Central Missouri took an initial 1-0 lead after an inning, but the Tigers rallied past in the sixth and the Jennies managed only one run in their comeback attempt in the sixth.

Hannah Green led off the sixth inning with a triple to get the rally started. Peyton Shepard singled her home and then came in to score on the big two-run home run by Audrey Gillespie. Green led the Tigers with two hits in the game.

Solana Carpenter threw a solid game in the pitching circle, a complete-game effort with two runs allowed on six hits. She struck out five batters. Riley Bebb threw the first 5.0 innings for UCM and was charged with two of the runs allowed. Reliever Madelyn Ducheneaux gave up the homer to Gillespie and threw two innings.

Fort Hays State returns to action on Saturday at Missouri Western. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773453483607.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Parker Nisbeth" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Parker Nisbeth</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsWARRENSBURG, Mo. – Fort Hays State moved to 11-10 overall on the season by splitting its first two MIAA games of the season with Central Missouri on Friday (Mar. 13). The Tigers fell in game one 7-1 before bouncing back for a 3-2 win in game two. Central Missouri is now 15-7 overall and also 1-1 in the MIAA.Game 1: Central Missouri 7, Fort Hays State 1 The Tigers led the first contest initially with a run in the top of the first, but the Jennies scored seven unanswered runs from the third through fifth innings to win 7-1. UCM tied the game with a single run in the third, took the lead with another run in the fourth, then added on five in the fifth.Three-straight singles opening the game gave FHSU its run-scoring opportunity. After Hannah Green, Peyton Shepard, and Audrey Gillespie all got on base by single, Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson drove in the only run for the Tigers on a fielder's choice. Shepard finished the game with a team-high two hits and scored the Tigers' only run.Korryn Johnson threw the first 3.2 innings for FHSU and allowed two runs. Abbey Duarte surrendered four in 0.1 innings. Myah Wolfe allowed one in 2.0 innings of work.Bailey Brumley of UCM had six strikeouts in a complete game for UCM. She also drove in two runs as a hitter, including the game-tying run in the third. Marisa Johnson led UCM with four RBIs in the game, all on a grand slam in the fifth.Game 2: Fort Hays State 3, Central Missouri 2 Flipping the script in game two, Fort Hays State came from behind to win 3-2, scoring all three of its runs in the sixth inning. Central Missouri took an initial 1-0 lead after an inning, but the Tigers rallied past in the sixth and the Jennies managed only one run in their comeback attempt in the sixth.Hannah Green led off the sixth inning with a triple to get the rally started. Peyton Shepard singled her home and then came in to score on the big two-run home run by Audrey Gillespie. Green led the Tigers with two hits in the game.Solana Carpenter threw a solid game in the pitching circle, a complete-game effort with two runs allowed on six hits. She struck out five batters. Riley Bebb threw the first 5.0 innings for UCM and was charged with two of the runs allowed. Reliever Madelyn Ducheneaux gave up the homer to Gillespie and threw two innings.Fort Hays State returns to action on Saturday at Missouri Western. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12 p.m.

🥎 Tigers split MIAA opening series with Jennies

Hays High vs Shawnee Heights Friday, Mar. 13 - 3:30 - The games in Wichita are running behind. Wichita, Kan.

Radio:&nbsp;KFIX (96.9)&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> <a href="https://mix103fm.com/"></a>Video:&nbsp;Hays High Sports Network &nbsp; WATCH HERE - <a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/3818726">CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE</a> &nbsp;

The Hays High girls make their third ever trip to the state semifinals on Friday as they face Shawnee Heights.

Hays' (24-1) win on Wednesday was just their fifth state tournament win in program history. Shawnee Heights (22-4) trailed after three quarters in their victory over Bonners Springs.&nbsp;

Winner of this game plays for a state title at 4:30 in Koch Arena at Wichita State University. The third place game will be played at 9:30 a.m.&nbsp;

Tip-off for this afternoon is set for 3:30. The Hertz Pregame Show will begin at 3:10 on 96.9 KFIX.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694699014932.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hays High vs Shawnee Heights Friday, Mar. 13 - 3:30 - The games in Wichita are running behind. Wichita, Kan.Radio:&nbsp;KFIX (96.9)&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> <a href="https://mix103fm.com/"></a>Video:&nbsp;Hays High Sports Network &nbsp; WATCH HERE - <a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/3818726">CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE</a> &nbsp;The Hays High girls make their third ever trip to the state semifinals on Friday as they face Shawnee Heights.Hays' (24-1) win on Wednesday was just their fifth state tournament win in program history. Shawnee Heights (22-4) trailed after three quarters in their victory over Bonners Springs.&nbsp;Winner of this game plays for a state title at 4:30 in Koch Arena at Wichita State University. The third place game will be played at 9:30 a.m.&nbsp;Tip-off for this afternoon is set for 3:30. The Hertz Pregame Show will begin at 3:10 on 96.9 KFIX.&nbsp;Video is available at the above link.

🏀📺 Hays High girls from 5A State semifinals

2026 NCAA Division II Championship Central Regional - Quarterfinals #14 (3-seed) Fort Hays State (24-5) vs. #20 (6-seed) Harding (24-6) Friday, March 13, 2026 • Noon Mankato, Minn. • Bresnan Arena/Taylor Center

The 14th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team will face off with No. 20 Harding in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Region Championship tournament Friday afternoon. Tipoff between the Tigers (24-5) and Lady Bisons (24-6) is slated for noon inside the Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn.

Quick Hits - The Tigers have now qualified for the NCAA Championship tournament 11 times, including 10 appearances in the last 12 years, three more than any other school over the last dozen years (PSU and UCM, 7 each). - This is the third-straight season the Tigers have been the No. 3 seed in the Central Regional. - FHSU is 9-9 all-time in the tournament, 2-1 against GAC schools, 6-2 in the quarterfinal, 2-2 as the No. 3 seed, 2-0 against the No. 6 seed and 3-8 against nationally ranked teams. - The Tigers are 5-1 all-time in games played in the state of Minnesota, including wins in four in a row. - Talexa Weeter has been named D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year after also earning MIAA Player of the Year honors. Brooke Loewe was also a first team All-MIAA pick while Olivia Mortensen was on the third team. - Now with a Division II-best 783 points this season, Talexa Weeter is 14 points away from tying the MIAA record for points in a season (797, Jennifer Harris, Washburn, 2005-06). With 27.0 points per game, Weeter leads DII and ranks second in scoring across all levels of NCAA women's basketball. - Brooke Loewe leads all NCAA basketball, men and women spanning all divisions, with an MIAA-record 290 assists this season, breaking a 27-year-old MIAA record. Her 290 assists are 11th-most in DII history. - After recording the first FHSU triple-double in 4,076 days two weeks ago against ESU, Loewe needed just nine days to record another one, tallying 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the overtime win over PSU. She is one of three DII players and one of eight across all NCAA women's basketball with multiple triple-doubles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773345397753.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics2026 NCAA Division II Championship Central Regional - Quarterfinals #14 (3-seed) Fort Hays State (24-5) vs. #20 (6-seed) Harding (24-6) Friday, March 13, 2026 • Noon Mankato, Minn. • Bresnan Arena/Taylor CenterThe 14th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team will face off with No. 20 Harding in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Region Championship tournament Friday afternoon. Tipoff between the Tigers (24-5) and Lady Bisons (24-6) is slated for noon inside the Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn.Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;NCAA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/2026/03/12">CLICK HERE TO WATCH</a>Quick Hits - The Tigers have now qualified for the NCAA Championship tournament 11 times, including 10 appearances in the last 12 years, three more than any other school over the last dozen years (PSU and UCM, 7 each). - This is the third-straight season the Tigers have been the No. 3 seed in the Central Regional. - FHSU is 9-9 all-time in the tournament, 2-1 against GAC schools, 6-2 in the quarterfinal, 2-2 as the No. 3 seed, 2-0 against the No. 6 seed and 3-8 against nationally ranked teams. - The Tigers are 5-1 all-time in games played in the state of Minnesota, including wins in four in a row. - Talexa Weeter has been named D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year after also earning MIAA Player of the Year honors. Brooke Loewe was also a first team All-MIAA pick while Olivia Mortensen was on the third team. - Now with a Division II-best 783 points this season, Talexa Weeter is 14 points away from tying the MIAA record for points in a season (797, Jennifer Harris, Washburn, 2005-06). With 27.0 points per game, Weeter leads DII and ranks second in scoring across all levels of NCAA women's basketball. - Brooke Loewe leads all NCAA basketball, men and women spanning all divisions, with an MIAA-record 290 assists this season, breaking a 27-year-old MIAA record. Her 290 assists are 11th-most in DII history. - After recording the first FHSU triple-double in 4,076 days two weeks ago against ESU, Loewe needed just nine days to record another one, tallying 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the overtime win over PSU. She is one of three DII players and one of eight across all NCAA women's basketball with multiple triple-doubles.

🏀🎧 LISTEN: Tiger women face Lady Bisons in NCAA Central Regional

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays Post

Hays residents Jeremy and Tonya Schmeidler are accustomed to splitting up for road basketball games when two of their children play on the same night.&nbsp;

But Wednesday was an exception – one they will never forget.

Because of this year’s new format for scheduling state high school tournaments in Kansas, the Schmeidlers were able to watch their son Ty and daughter Jenna both play at Tony’s Pizza Events Center (TPEC) in Salina on the same day.

While that might not sound all that unusual at first, consider this: The Schmeidler siblings attend different schools of different sizes in different classifications in Hays. Ty is a junior at Class 2A Thomas More Prep-Marian, while Jenna is a sophomore at 5A Hays High.

In the past, each classification had its own separate site for state tourney action. But with the new format, the Schmeidlers were delighted when they learned that TMP-Marian’s boys would be playing its 2 p.m. quarterfinal game at TPEC, with the Hays High girls to follow later that evening in the same location.

“This is the pinnacle of high school basketball,” Jeremy said. “After all those years of driving them to club ball, having both your kids playing at the state high school tournament, representing their schools – and on the same day in the same place – is awesome.”

While Ty’s Monarchs suffered a disappointing loss in their game with St. Marys, Jenna and the Indians pulled off an exciting, 49-46 victory over Wichita’s Kapaun-Mt. Carmel in the last game of the day.

That marked the first win at state in more than 30 years for the HHS girls’ program, back when Indians’ Head Coach Len Melvin was still in high school in Colby.

The victory propelled them into today’s 3:30 p.m. state semifinals at Wichita State University’s Koch Arena. Saturday’s third-place game is set for 9:30 a.m., with the championship game at 4:30 p.m.

The Indians hope to be playing in Saturday’s late afternoon game. But win or lose, Jeremy is confident there will be a strong following for the Indians in the final four.

“The support is phenomenal,” he said. “I think it’s a community thing. Everyone just wants the hometown kids to do well.”

Two families that do get to watch their two favorite players at the same site every game are those of Hays High seniors Kinslee Newell and Annie Humphrey. Kinslee and Annie happen to be first cousins, and both are starters for the Indians.

That makes it easy for their grandparents, Stan and Joyce Newell from Hays, to attend every home game as well as a lot of the road games.

“We watch their games on TV if we can’t get to them in person,” Joyce said. “But it’s definitely not like sitting there in person watching them play.”

Junior Morgan Armbruster’s dad never misses a game, either. Dustin Armbruster, Voice of the Indians for Eagle Radio, broadcasts all HHS games – home and away.

The Newells are planning on joining their granddaughters’ parents (Clint and Becky Newell and Mike and Sara Humphrey) and their families this weekend for a couple of days of basketball in Wichita.

Anyone unable to make the trip in person can tune into KFIX FM Radio 96.9 to listen to the Indians’ games or video stream them through Hays Post.

“It’s so exciting. This hasn’t happened in a long time,” Joyce Newell said in reference to the Indians making the final four. “I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773410701180.jpeg" alt="Fans swarm Hays High players after the Indians’ state quarterfinal victory. Photo courtesy of Brody Burns." />
 <figcaption>Fans swarm Hays High players after the Indians’ state quarterfinal victory. Photo courtesy of Brody Burns.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays residents Jeremy and Tonya Schmeidler are accustomed to splitting up for road basketball games when two of their children play on the same night.&nbsp; But Wednesday was an exception – one they will never forget.Because of this year’s new format for scheduling state high school tournaments in Kansas, the Schmeidlers were able to watch their son Ty and daughter Jenna both play at Tony’s Pizza Events Center (TPEC) in Salina on the same day.While that might not sound all that unusual at first, consider this: The Schmeidler siblings attend different schools of different sizes in different classifications in Hays. Ty is a junior at Class 2A Thomas More Prep-Marian, while Jenna is a sophomore at 5A Hays High.In the past, each classification had its own separate site for state tourney action. But with the new format, the Schmeidlers were delighted when they learned that TMP-Marian’s boys would be playing its 2 p.m. quarterfinal game at TPEC, with the Hays High girls to follow later that evening in the same location.“This is the pinnacle of high school basketball,” Jeremy said. “After all those years of driving them to club ball, having both your kids playing at the state high school tournament, representing their schools – and on the same day in the same place – is awesome.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773410751060.jpeg" alt="Young TMP-Marian fans who showed up to cheer on the Monarchs at state were from left: Carter Werth, Jhett Sweeney and Wyatt Werth. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien" />
 <figcaption>Young TMP-Marian fans who showed up to cheer on the Monarchs at state were from left: Carter Werth, Jhett Sweeney and Wyatt Werth. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien</figcaption>
 </figure>While Ty’s Monarchs suffered a disappointing loss in their game with St. Marys, Jenna and the Indians pulled off an exciting, 49-46 victory over Wichita’s Kapaun-Mt. Carmel in the last game of the day.That marked the first win at state in more than 30 years for the HHS girls’ program, back when Indians’ Head Coach Len Melvin was still in high school in Colby.The victory propelled them into today’s 3:30 p.m. state semifinals at Wichita State University’s Koch Arena. Saturday’s third-place game is set for 9:30 a.m., with the championship game at 4:30 p.m.The Indians hope to be playing in Saturday’s late afternoon game. But win or lose, Jeremy is confident there will be a strong following for the Indians in the final four.“The support is phenomenal,” he said. “I think it’s a community thing. Everyone just wants the hometown kids to do well.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1773410815503.jpeg" alt="The Hays High coaching staff – with decades of combined experience – talks strategy in the final minutes of Wednesday’s state quarterfinal game. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien" />
 <figcaption>The Hays High coaching staff – with decades of combined experience – talks strategy in the final minutes of Wednesday’s state quarterfinal game. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien</figcaption>
 </figure>Other family tiesTwo families that do get to watch their two favorite players at the same site every game are those of Hays High seniors Kinslee Newell and Annie Humphrey. Kinslee and Annie happen to be first cousins, and both are starters for the Indians.That makes it easy for their grandparents, Stan and Joyce Newell from Hays, to attend every home game as well as a lot of the road games.“We watch their games on TV if we can’t get to them in person,” Joyce said. “But it’s definitely not like sitting there in person watching them play.”Junior Morgan Armbruster’s dad never misses a game, either. Dustin Armbruster, Voice of the Indians for Eagle Radio, broadcasts all HHS games – home and away.The Newells are planning on joining their granddaughters’ parents (Clint and Becky Newell and Mike and Sara Humphrey) and their families this weekend for a couple of days of basketball in Wichita.Anyone unable to make the trip in person can tune into KFIX FM Radio 96.9 to listen to the Indians’ games or video stream them through Hays Post.“It’s so exciting. This hasn’t happened in a long time,” Joyce Newell said in reference to the Indians making the final four. “I wouldn’t want to miss it.”HHS had also qualified for state last year but fell in the quarterfinal round in a three-point heartbreaker.Not this year. The Indians held off a late rally by Kapaun-Mt. Carmel, and when the final buzzer sounded, this time Hays High was on the winning end of a three-point score. The stands erupted, and students from both Hays schools joined the Indians on the floor.Multiple local connectionsCoincidentally, there were connections to Hays in some way or another at all five of Wednesday’s games at TPEC.Here are just a few of those connections:• Game 1, Centralia girls vs. Quinter.In the crowd was Hays native Teresa (Herman) Selensky, who now lives in Gove County, and her sons attend school in Quinter. Selensky is a 1985 graduate of TMP-Marian.• Game 2, TMP-M boys vs. St. Marys.Loyal Hays High fans showed up early in the day to also support the Monarchs. Some stayed to watch more games throughout the day. Others left to grab a bite to eat or to do a little shopping before returning in time for the finale.One Hays High student, Alex Loving, even sat in the crowd dressed in a TMP-M shirt, because “my best friend is number 20 (Grant Nehls).”• Game 3, Little River girls vs. Central Plains.Any Hays fans watching this game got to see a preview of what to expect the next few years from one of Fort Hays State University’s signees as Little River standout Arika Feldman helped the Redskins dominate rival Central Plains in a 30-point victory.• Game 4, Rock Creek boys vs. Eudora.The principal at Rock Creek High School is Sam Pahls, a former girls’ assistant basketball coach at TMP-M. Representing Eudora at that game were former Ellis County residents Bill DeWitt and Stu Moeckel. Pahls' wife Madison played basketball at Fort Hays State University.DeWitt, a TMP-M graduate who served as principal at his alma mater from 2009-13, is now the principal at Eudora. Moeckel, who grew up in Victoria and later coached there, is superintendent of Eudora USD 491. His wife, Summer, is the daughter of former long-time Hays High Athletic Director Mike Karl.• Game 5, Hays High girls vs. Kapaun-Mt. Carmel.The Indians saved the best for last, closing out the long day with a bang.Fans rooting for Hays High dwarfed Kapaun’s crowd. Some of the loudest were Ty Schmeidler and his TMP-M teammates, who stayed around to support his little sister.As Jeremy Schmeidler said earlier in this article, something that bears repeating, “I think it’s a community thing. Everyone just wants the hometown kids to do well.”