We visit with MIAA commissioner Mike Racy at MIAA Basketball Media Day about the upcoming basketball season and changes in the MIAA.

We visit with MIAA commissioner Mike Racy at MIAA Basketball Media Day about the upcoming basketball season and changes in the MIAA.<div><iframe title="Mike Racy (MIAA Media Day)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=5udcg-14ced36-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

Defend the Fort Podcast: Mike Racy

&nbsp; HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Athletics will welcome eight new members into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 28, 2023. The inductees going into the Hall of Fame this year include Dale Votapka (Wrestling, 1959-60), Jim Beltch (Wrestling, 1958-62), Steve Boehmer (Track &amp; Field/Cross Country, 1967-71), Richard &amp; Tawnita Augustine (Women's Gymnastics, 1981-90), Daniel Traffas (Baseball, 1994-95), Shawn Behr (Football, 1994-95), Jamie (Heiman) Dreher (Women's Basketball, 1999-2003), and Tyrone Shephard (Men's Basketball, 2004-06).

The induction ceremony will take place the morning of Saturday, October 28 inside the Memorial Union on the campus of Fort Hays State University. Registration for the invitation only event begins at 8 AM and the ceremony begins at 9 AM. The new Hall of Fame class will then be recognized publicly at halftime of the Fort Hays State vs. Central Oklahoma football game, which begins at 1:00 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dale Votapka (Wrestling, 1958-60) A native of Oberlin, Kansas, Dale Votapka was a two-time NAIA All-America performer at Fort Hays State in wrestling. He was the first All-America performer in the program's history, placing third nationally at 115 pounds in 1959. He then finished as national runner-up at 115 pounds in 1960. His national title match in 1960 was against Gray Simons of Lock Haven, who is mentioned among the all-time wrestling greats in the United States as a four-time NAIA national champ, three-time NCAA champ, and two-time Olympian. Prior to enrolling at FHSU, Votapka served in the Navy and was on the All-Navy Wrestling Team in both 1956 and 1957. He placed fifth in the 1956 U.S. Olympic Trials. Once Votapka completed his tour of duty in the Navy, he attended FHSU. He was the Missouri Valley AAU champion three times. Votapka was elected to the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 1984. He officiated wrestling at the high school level for 23 years, including 10 consecutive state championship tournaments. Votapka passed away in 2007.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jim Beltch (Wrestling, 1958-62) A native of Goodland, Kansas, Jim Beltch was a two-time NAIA All-America performer at Fort Hays State in wrestling. He wrestled for four years at FHSU from 1958-62. He was the second All-America performer in program history at FHSU, placing third nationally at 115 pounds in 1961 and was national runner-up at 115 pounds in 1962. He gave FHSU a four-year run of having an All-America performer at 115 pounds, following Dale Votapka who was the program's first All-America performer with the same progression of national placements in 1959 and 1960 (3rd and 2nd). His national title match in 1962 was against Gray Simons of Lock Haven, who is mentioned among the all-time wrestling greats in the United States as a four-time NAIA national champ, three-time NCAA national champ, and two-time Olympian. Beltch was a four-time Missouri Valley AAU champion. He went on to coach in Kansas for 33 years, which included stops at Atwood Junior High School, Wellington High School, and Lawrence High School. He also served as a referee for 35 years at the youth, high school, and junior college levels. He was inducted into the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Steve Boehmer (Track &amp; Field, 1967-71) A native of Bern, Kansas, Steve Boehmer was the indoor 1,000-yard run national champion in 1971, running the distance in a time of 2:14, which gained him NAIA All-America honors. He was a member of the 1969 FHSU National Championship Cross Country team and contributed to a second-place team finish at nationals in 1970. Boehmer was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the 880-yard run in 1969. He was a member of the 2-mile relay team that finished second at the NAIA Indoor Championships in 1968. He was a member of a distance medley relay team that went undefeated at the Texas, Kansas, and Drake Relays.

Richard &amp; Tawnita Augustine (Women's Gymnastics, 1981-90) Richard and Tawnita Augustine served as coaches of the Fort Hays State women's gymnastics team from 1981 to 1990 and took over the head coaching role in 1983. The program had great success, producing eight All-America performers including Vicki (Thom) Smith, Amy Richardson, Shae Donham, Rena Lucke, Cary Hertel, Lisa Fenton, Carol Anne Leslie, and Jacque Douglas. They guided the program to Top-5 finishes in the NAIA five times (1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988). Within their time coaching the Tigers, they helped transition the program from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. The program competed in both NAIA and NCAA Division II in 1988. The sport of gymnastics was strong in Kansas when they started with the program, but over time the shrinking number of local high school programs led to the need to recruit the entire nation. The Augustines reached out far and wide to build FHSU into a national championship contender by the mid-1980s with athletes from all over the United States including Hawaii, New York, Alaska, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Kansas. By the last year of the program in 1990, FHSU was the only school remaining in Kansas with a women's team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Daniel Traffas (Baseball, 1994-95) A native of Sharon, Kansas, Daniel Traffas was a pitcher at Fort Hays State for two seasons. He was the 1995 Mile High Intercollegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Year as a senior, posting an 8-3 record with a 2.47 ERA. He made 12 starts that season and threw eight complete games. Three of those complete games were shutouts, with the last coming in the Mile High Intercollegiate Baseball League Tournament championship game that the Tigers won 4-0 over Mesa State at Larks Park to end a 34-13 season. Traffas struck out 65 batters in 76.2 innings of work and held opponents to a .213 batting average for the season. Traffas finished with a career record of 14-4 overall, which included a 6-1 campaign his junior year when he had 61 strikeouts in 52.1 innings of work and a 3.44 ERA. His .777 career win percentage at FHSU is still among the Top 10 in program history and his eight complete games in 1995 is tied for the most by a Tiger pitcher in a season since 1980. Traffas ranks seventh in career strikeouts per innings pitched rate (0.98). His 2.86 career ERA is ninth in program history, but best for the program since 1980.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Shawn Behr (Football, 1994-95) A native of Great Bend, Kan., Shawn Behr was an AP All-America First Team selection at quarterback during his senior year of 1995. That year he set a new single-season passing yards record at FHSU with 3,497, completing 211 of 365 attempts, helping FHSU to an 8-2-2 record overall and a tie for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title with Western State, both at 6-0-1 after tying in the regular season finale in Gunnison. His passing yards record stood for 15 years until 2010. He also set the school record for passing touchdowns in a season with 34, which stood for 24 years until 2019. Behr led NCAA Division II in passing yards for the regular season in 1995 with 3,158. He helped the Tigers rank as high as No. 18 in the nation that year, make an apperance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs, and tie the school record for wins in a season at the time. The 1995 season was the only year Behr was the Tigers' starting quarterback after serving as a back up to Dustin McEwen in 1994. Behr threw for over 300 yards in a game six times in 1995, with a season-high of 390 against New Mexico Highlands on 24 completions. Even with just his one year as a starter, Behr ranked third on FHSU's career passing yards (3,550) list at the end of his career, only behind Robert Long (7,002) and Dustin McEwen (5,718). Following his years at FHSU, Behr went on to play professionally in the World League of Professional Football for the Helsinki Roosters.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jamie (Heiman) Dreher (Women's Basketball, 1999-2003) A native of Baileyville, Kansas, Jamie Heiman was a three-time all-conference performer in women's basketball at Fort Hays State, playing from 1999-2003. She ranks seventh on the all-time scoring list at FHSU with 1,492 points, but ranked fifth when she completed her career. She was twice an All-RMAC East Division Second Team selection as a sophomore and junior before earning First Team honors as a senior. She averaged double figures in scoring all four years, finishing with a career average of 13.2 per game. She made 108 starts in 113 career games played. A 15.3 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game average were her highest single-season averages for each category, occurring during her junior year. She scored at least 388 points and pulled down at least 200 rebounds in each of her last three seasons. She ranks fifth all-time in rebounds at FHSU with 841, sixth in field goals made with 555, sixth in free throws made with 361, and seventh in blocked shots with 121. Heiman was also rock-solid in the classroom, named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Student-Athlete of the Year for Fort Hays State University in 2001-02 and she twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tyrone Shephard (Men's Basketball, 2004-06) A native of Seattle, Washington, Tyrone Shephard was the 2005-06 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year in a season where he helped Fort Hays State to a 27-4 overall record. The team reached the No. 1 ranking in the NABC Top 25 Poll and made it to the semifinals of the NCAA Central Regional. He was also an All-America Third Team selection that year by Daktronics and Division II Bulletin. He helped the Tigers go near-perfect in conference play with an 18-1 record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and had an 18-game win streak that season. Shephard was a two-time All-RMAC selection, earning second-team honors in his junior year of 2004-05 before the first-team and conference player of the year honors in 2005-06. Shephard led a very balanced team in scoring his senior year at 13.8 points per game, shooting 47.3 percent overall, 43.3 percent from beyond the 3-point line, and 78 percent at the free-throw line, reaching double figures in scoring 20 times that season with 32 being his top scoring mark of the season. Shephard also led the Tigers in scoring his junior year at 13.9 points per game and scored a total of 816 points over his two years at FHSU. Shephard went on to play professionally in Mexico for two years following his time at FHSU.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697216122602.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics&nbsp; HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Athletics will welcome eight new members into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 28, 2023. The inductees going into the Hall of Fame this year include Dale Votapka (Wrestling, 1959-60), Jim Beltch (Wrestling, 1958-62), Steve Boehmer (Track &amp; Field/Cross Country, 1967-71), Richard &amp; Tawnita Augustine (Women's Gymnastics, 1981-90), Daniel Traffas (Baseball, 1994-95), Shawn Behr (Football, 1994-95), Jamie (Heiman) Dreher (Women's Basketball, 1999-2003), and Tyrone Shephard (Men's Basketball, 2004-06).The induction ceremony will take place the morning of Saturday, October 28 inside the Memorial Union on the campus of Fort Hays State University. Registration for the invitation only event begins at 8 AM and the ceremony begins at 9 AM. The new Hall of Fame class will then be recognized publicly at halftime of the Fort Hays State vs. Central Oklahoma football game, which begins at 1:00 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dale Votapka (Wrestling, 1958-60) A native of Oberlin, Kansas, Dale Votapka was a two-time NAIA All-America performer at Fort Hays State in wrestling. He was the first All-America performer in the program's history, placing third nationally at 115 pounds in 1959. He then finished as national runner-up at 115 pounds in 1960. His national title match in 1960 was against Gray Simons of Lock Haven, who is mentioned among the all-time wrestling greats in the United States as a four-time NAIA national champ, three-time NCAA champ, and two-time Olympian. Prior to enrolling at FHSU, Votapka served in the Navy and was on the All-Navy Wrestling Team in both 1956 and 1957. He placed fifth in the 1956 U.S. Olympic Trials. Once Votapka completed his tour of duty in the Navy, he attended FHSU. He was the Missouri Valley AAU champion three times. Votapka was elected to the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 1984. He officiated wrestling at the high school level for 23 years, including 10 consecutive state championship tournaments. Votapka passed away in 2007.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jim Beltch (Wrestling, 1958-62) A native of Goodland, Kansas, Jim Beltch was a two-time NAIA All-America performer at Fort Hays State in wrestling. He wrestled for four years at FHSU from 1958-62. He was the second All-America performer in program history at FHSU, placing third nationally at 115 pounds in 1961 and was national runner-up at 115 pounds in 1962. He gave FHSU a four-year run of having an All-America performer at 115 pounds, following Dale Votapka who was the program's first All-America performer with the same progression of national placements in 1959 and 1960 (3rd and 2nd). His national title match in 1962 was against Gray Simons of Lock Haven, who is mentioned among the all-time wrestling greats in the United States as a four-time NAIA national champ, three-time NCAA national champ, and two-time Olympian. Beltch was a four-time Missouri Valley AAU champion. He went on to coach in Kansas for 33 years, which included stops at Atwood Junior High School, Wellington High School, and Lawrence High School. He also served as a referee for 35 years at the youth, high school, and junior college levels. He was inducted into the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp;Steve Boehmer (Track &amp; Field, 1967-71) A native of Bern, Kansas, Steve Boehmer was the indoor 1,000-yard run national champion in 1971, running the distance in a time of 2:14, which gained him NAIA All-America honors. He was a member of the 1969 FHSU National Championship Cross Country team and contributed to a second-place team finish at nationals in 1970. Boehmer was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the 880-yard run in 1969. He was a member of the 2-mile relay team that finished second at the NAIA Indoor Championships in 1968. He was a member of a distance medley relay team that went undefeated at the Texas, Kansas, and Drake Relays.Richard &amp; Tawnita Augustine (Women's Gymnastics, 1981-90) Richard and Tawnita Augustine served as coaches of the Fort Hays State women's gymnastics team from 1981 to 1990 and took over the head coaching role in 1983. The program had great success, producing eight All-America performers including Vicki (Thom) Smith, Amy Richardson, Shae Donham, Rena Lucke, Cary Hertel, Lisa Fenton, Carol Anne Leslie, and Jacque Douglas. They guided the program to Top-5 finishes in the NAIA five times (1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988). Within their time coaching the Tigers, they helped transition the program from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. The program competed in both NAIA and NCAA Division II in 1988. The sport of gymnastics was strong in Kansas when they started with the program, but over time the shrinking number of local high school programs led to the need to recruit the entire nation. The Augustines reached out far and wide to build FHSU into a national championship contender by the mid-1980s with athletes from all over the United States including Hawaii, New York, Alaska, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Kansas. By the last year of the program in 1990, FHSU was the only school remaining in Kansas with a women's team.&nbsp;&nbsp;Daniel Traffas (Baseball, 1994-95) A native of Sharon, Kansas, Daniel Traffas was a pitcher at Fort Hays State for two seasons. He was the 1995 Mile High Intercollegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Year as a senior, posting an 8-3 record with a 2.47 ERA. He made 12 starts that season and threw eight complete games. Three of those complete games were shutouts, with the last coming in the Mile High Intercollegiate Baseball League Tournament championship game that the Tigers won 4-0 over Mesa State at Larks Park to end a 34-13 season. Traffas struck out 65 batters in 76.2 innings of work and held opponents to a .213 batting average for the season. Traffas finished with a career record of 14-4 overall, which included a 6-1 campaign his junior year when he had 61 strikeouts in 52.1 innings of work and a 3.44 ERA. His .777 career win percentage at FHSU is still among the Top 10 in program history and his eight complete games in 1995 is tied for the most by a Tiger pitcher in a season since 1980. Traffas ranks seventh in career strikeouts per innings pitched rate (0.98). His 2.86 career ERA is ninth in program history, but best for the program since 1980.&nbsp;&nbsp;Shawn Behr (Football, 1994-95) A native of Great Bend, Kan., Shawn Behr was an AP All-America First Team selection at quarterback during his senior year of 1995. That year he set a new single-season passing yards record at FHSU with 3,497, completing 211 of 365 attempts, helping FHSU to an 8-2-2 record overall and a tie for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title with Western State, both at 6-0-1 after tying in the regular season finale in Gunnison. His passing yards record stood for 15 years until 2010. He also set the school record for passing touchdowns in a season with 34, which stood for 24 years until 2019. Behr led NCAA Division II in passing yards for the regular season in 1995 with 3,158. He helped the Tigers rank as high as No. 18 in the nation that year, make an apperance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs, and tie the school record for wins in a season at the time. The 1995 season was the only year Behr was the Tigers' starting quarterback after serving as a back up to Dustin McEwen in 1994. Behr threw for over 300 yards in a game six times in 1995, with a season-high of 390 against New Mexico Highlands on 24 completions. Even with just his one year as a starter, Behr ranked third on FHSU's career passing yards (3,550) list at the end of his career, only behind Robert Long (7,002) and Dustin McEwen (5,718). Following his years at FHSU, Behr went on to play professionally in the World League of Professional Football for the Helsinki Roosters.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jamie (Heiman) Dreher (Women's Basketball, 1999-2003) A native of Baileyville, Kansas, Jamie Heiman was a three-time all-conference performer in women's basketball at Fort Hays State, playing from 1999-2003. She ranks seventh on the all-time scoring list at FHSU with 1,492 points, but ranked fifth when she completed her career. She was twice an All-RMAC East Division Second Team selection as a sophomore and junior before earning First Team honors as a senior. She averaged double figures in scoring all four years, finishing with a career average of 13.2 per game. She made 108 starts in 113 career games played. A 15.3 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game average were her highest single-season averages for each category, occurring during her junior year. She scored at least 388 points and pulled down at least 200 rebounds in each of her last three seasons. She ranks fifth all-time in rebounds at FHSU with 841, sixth in field goals made with 555, sixth in free throws made with 361, and seventh in blocked shots with 121. Heiman was also rock-solid in the classroom, named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Student-Athlete of the Year for Fort Hays State University in 2001-02 and she twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tyrone Shephard (Men's Basketball, 2004-06) A native of Seattle, Washington, Tyrone Shephard was the 2005-06 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year in a season where he helped Fort Hays State to a 27-4 overall record. The team reached the No. 1 ranking in the NABC Top 25 Poll and made it to the semifinals of the NCAA Central Regional. He was also an All-America Third Team selection that year by Daktronics and Division II Bulletin. He helped the Tigers go near-perfect in conference play with an 18-1 record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and had an 18-game win streak that season. Shephard was a two-time All-RMAC selection, earning second-team honors in his junior year of 2004-05 before the first-team and conference player of the year honors in 2005-06. Shephard led a very balanced team in scoring his senior year at 13.8 points per game, shooting 47.3 percent overall, 43.3 percent from beyond the 3-point line, and 78 percent at the free-throw line, reaching double figures in scoring 20 times that season with 32 being his top scoring mark of the season. Shephard also led the Tigers in scoring his junior year at 13.9 points per game and scored a total of 816 points over his two years at FHSU. Shephard went on to play professionally in Mexico for two years following his time at FHSU.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FHSU Athletics announces 2023 Hall of Fame inductees

A familiar name is at the top of the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll as Kansas was chosen to win the 2023-24 regular season title in a vote of the Conference’s head coaches. In 28 seasons, KU has been picked outright or tied for first in 20 preseason ledgers and won or shared the regular season championship in 21 years. A coaches’ preseason poll was not conducted in the Big 12’s first season of 1996-97.

This season marks the first for the Conference to compete with 14 teams. The Jayhawks were the top pick on 12 ballots and totaled 168 points. New&nbsp; Conference member Houston received the other two first-place votes and compiled 153 points. Texas (third), Baylor (fourth) and TCU (fifth) rounded out the top five. The remaining spots were Kansas State (sixth), Iowa State (seventh), Texas Tech (eighth), West Virginia (ninth), Oklahoma State (10th), Cincinnati (11th), Oklahoma (12th), BYU (13th) and UCF (14th).

The Big 12 placed seven of 10 teams in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and captured consecutive national championships in 2021 (Baylor) and 2022 (Kansas). Conference teams played in four consecutive Final Fours from 2018-2022, including three straight national championship games (2019, 2021, 2022).

Head coaches and student-athletes from each team will appear at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tipoff, presented by Old Trapper in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday, October 18. Interviews with Kris Budden, Fran Fraschilla and Hannah Wing will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CT. A feed of head coaches’ press conferences will be available on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 9:10 - 10:50 a.m. CT and 1:30-3:25 p.m. CT. The regular season will start on Monday, November 6 with a full slate of non-conference games.

2023-24 Big 12 Preseason Poll 1. Kansas (12)&nbsp;&nbsp;168 2. Houston (2) 153 3. Texas 143 4. Baylor 137 5. TCU 113 6. Kansas State 106 7. Iowa State 95 8. Texas Tech 80 9. West Virginia 70 10. Oklahoma State 57 11. Cincinnati 55 12. Oklahoma 54 13. BYU 29 14. UCF 14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697217964177.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Big 12A familiar name is at the top of the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll as Kansas was chosen to win the 2023-24 regular season title in a vote of the Conference’s head coaches. In 28 seasons, KU has been picked outright or tied for first in 20 preseason ledgers and won or shared the regular season championship in 21 years. A coaches’ preseason poll was not conducted in the Big 12’s first season of 1996-97.This season marks the first for the Conference to compete with 14 teams. The Jayhawks were the top pick on 12 ballots and totaled 168 points. New&nbsp; Conference member Houston received the other two first-place votes and compiled 153 points. Texas (third), Baylor (fourth) and TCU (fifth) rounded out the top five. The remaining spots were Kansas State (sixth), Iowa State (seventh), Texas Tech (eighth), West Virginia (ninth), Oklahoma State (10th), Cincinnati (11th), Oklahoma (12th), BYU (13th) and UCF (14th).The Big 12 placed seven of 10 teams in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and captured consecutive national championships in 2021 (Baylor) and 2022 (Kansas). Conference teams played in four consecutive Final Fours from 2018-2022, including three straight national championship games (2019, 2021, 2022).Head coaches and student-athletes from each team will appear at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tipoff, presented by Old Trapper in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday, October 18. Interviews with Kris Budden, Fran Fraschilla and Hannah Wing will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CT. A feed of head coaches’ press conferences will be available on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 9:10 - 10:50 a.m. CT and 1:30-3:25 p.m. CT. The regular season will start on Monday, November 6 with a full slate of non-conference games.2023-24 Big 12 Preseason Poll 1. Kansas (12)&nbsp;&nbsp;168 2. Houston (2) 153 3. Texas 143 4. Baylor 137 5. TCU 113 6. Kansas State 106 7. Iowa State 95 8. Texas Tech 80 9. West Virginia 70 10. Oklahoma State 57 11. Cincinnati 55 12. Oklahoma 54 13. BYU 29 14. UCF 14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.

🏀 Kansas picked to win 2023-24 Big 12 men's title

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes knows the Kansas City Chiefs' offense is still trying to put everything together.

It was evident in the way they struggled against Denver on third down Thursday night. The way they kept getting bottled up in short-yardage situations. And in how they failed time after time to turn red-zone trips into touchdowns.

“Luckily for us,” Mahomes said, “our defense is playing great."

So great that Mahomes' lone touchdown pass and Harrison Butker's four field goals were enough to squeak out a 19-8 victory over the Broncos, whose own woeful offense could only manage 197 yards behind a shaky performance from Russell Wilson.

“We have guys that are starters on other teams that are trying to find a way on the football field, and when they get on the field, they're making plays,” Mahomes said of the Kansas City defense. “And they're playing with confidence.”

Mahomes finished with 306 yards passing and an interception, and a big chunk of his production went to Travis Kelce, who had nine catches for 124 yards with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">Taylor Swift again cheering him on</a>&nbsp;from an Arrowhead Stadium suite.

Still, the inability of the Chiefs (5-1) to score touchdowns rather than field goals nearly proved costly.

Butker's first three field goals helped them to a 16-0 lead, but Wilson's touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton — ruled incomplete but overturned upon review — with about six minutes remaining kept the Broncos (1-5) alive. And when Javonte Williams bulled into the end zone for the 2-point conversion, what had been a one-sided shutout was a one-possession game.

The Broncos' league-worst defense couldn't make a stop, though. Mahomes converted third-and-2 with a 28-yard pass to Rashee Rice, and that put Butker in position for a 52-yard field goal with 1:55 left that put the game away.

“Our defense was incredible tonight, as it has been,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “But we have to take care of business in the red zone. We had a lot of yards, positive yards, but you can't stall down there."

The Broncos have not beaten the Chiefs since Sept. 17, 2015, the year Peyton Manning led Denver to the Super Bowl. That was six head and interim coaches ago, and nothing changed with Sean Payton leading them Thursday night. In a league built for parity, their losing streak is the fourth-longest for any team against another in NFL history.

“I'm disappointed but I'm not discouraged,” Payton said. “Offensively we struggled throwing the ball. Our third-down numbers were poor. The turnovers, against a team like this, it's going to be tough to win the game, and yet we were still in it going into the fourth quarter. Sometimes you don't know how a game is going to unfold.”

As bad as the Broncos' defense has been this season, it was Wilson and their offense that kept dragging them down. He had 37 yards passing in the first half, and the only drive Wilson led past midfield ended on fourth down.

The Chiefs weren't doing a whole lot better.

Their first three forays into the red zone netted three points, thanks to an interception by Justin Simmons and a failed tush push out of a field-goal lineup on fourth down. Mahomes, who has struggled by his standards all season, only found his rhythm once in the first half, when he ended a 62-yard drive with a short touchdown pass to Kadarius Toney.

Butker made it 13-0 at the break when he drilled a 60-yard field goal as time expired.

The Chiefs' red-zone woes continued in the second half. They began by swiftly marching downfield and setting up first-and-goal at the Denver 8, but that soon turned into fourth-and-goal at the 7-yard line and Butker had to kick another field goal.

That was all Kansas City could muster until his clinching kick in the final minutes.

Thanks to the defense, that was all the Chiefs needed.

“I thought we did a lot of good things, just obviously red zone and some third downs we didn't execute at a high enough level,” Mahomes said. “I still think there were a lot of good things we can take from it.”

Swift watched Kelce and the Chiefs for the third time Thursday night. The two began a relationship a few weeks ago, when he invited Swift to a Chiefs game after failing to meet her during her Eras Tour. Swift flew in from Los Angeles, where she walked the red carpet on Wednesday night for the premiere of her concert film.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones had a sack in his eighth straight regular-season game, which trails only his own 11-game streak in 2018 for the longest in franchise history. With at least one in his first five this season, Jones broke the club record to start the season held by Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas.

Broncos: TE Greg Dulcich, who had just come off injured reserve, left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. It's the same injury that landed Dulcich on IR after hurting it in Week 1 against the Raiders.

Chiefs: S Justin Reid, who had an interception earlier in the game, briefly left in the second half. WR Justin Watson left in the fourth quarter with an elbow injury sustained while trying to make a diving catch.

Chiefs: Host the Los Angeles Chargers the same day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697192861414.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) makes a catch against Denver Broncos' Pat Surtain II (2) during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) makes a catch against Denver Broncos' Pat Surtain II (2) during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes knows the Kansas City Chiefs' offense is still trying to put everything together.It was evident in the way they struggled against Denver on third down Thursday night. The way they kept getting bottled up in short-yardage situations. And in how they failed time after time to turn red-zone trips into touchdowns.“Luckily for us,” Mahomes said, “our defense is playing great."So great that Mahomes' lone touchdown pass and Harrison Butker's four field goals were enough to squeak out a 19-8 victory over the Broncos, whose own woeful offense could only manage 197 yards behind a shaky performance from Russell Wilson.“We have guys that are starters on other teams that are trying to find a way on the football field, and when they get on the field, they're making plays,” Mahomes said of the Kansas City defense. “And they're playing with confidence.”Mahomes finished with 306 yards passing and an interception, and a big chunk of his production went to Travis Kelce, who had nine catches for 124 yards with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">Taylor Swift again cheering him on</a>&nbsp;from an Arrowhead Stadium suite.Still, the inability of the Chiefs (5-1) to score touchdowns rather than field goals nearly proved costly.Butker's first three field goals helped them to a 16-0 lead, but Wilson's touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton — ruled incomplete but overturned upon review — with about six minutes remaining kept the Broncos (1-5) alive. And when Javonte Williams bulled into the end zone for the 2-point conversion, what had been a one-sided shutout was a one-possession game.The Broncos' league-worst defense couldn't make a stop, though. Mahomes converted third-and-2 with a 28-yard pass to Rashee Rice, and that put Butker in position for a 52-yard field goal with 1:55 left that put the game away.“Our defense was incredible tonight, as it has been,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “But we have to take care of business in the red zone. We had a lot of yards, positive yards, but you can't stall down there."The Broncos have not beaten the Chiefs since Sept. 17, 2015, the year Peyton Manning led Denver to the Super Bowl. That was six head and interim coaches ago, and nothing changed with Sean Payton leading them Thursday night. In a league built for parity, their losing streak is the fourth-longest for any team against another in NFL history.“I'm disappointed but I'm not discouraged,” Payton said. “Offensively we struggled throwing the ball. Our third-down numbers were poor. The turnovers, against a team like this, it's going to be tough to win the game, and yet we were still in it going into the fourth quarter. Sometimes you don't know how a game is going to unfold.”As bad as the Broncos' defense has been this season, it was Wilson and their offense that kept dragging them down. He had 37 yards passing in the first half, and the only drive Wilson led past midfield ended on fourth down.The Chiefs weren't doing a whole lot better.Their first three forays into the red zone netted three points, thanks to an interception by Justin Simmons and a failed tush push out of a field-goal lineup on fourth down. Mahomes, who has struggled by his standards all season, only found his rhythm once in the first half, when he ended a 62-yard drive with a short touchdown pass to Kadarius Toney.Butker made it 13-0 at the break when he drilled a 60-yard field goal as time expired.The Chiefs' red-zone woes continued in the second half. They began by swiftly marching downfield and setting up first-and-goal at the Denver 8, but that soon turned into fourth-and-goal at the 7-yard line and Butker had to kick another field goal.That was all Kansas City could muster until his clinching kick in the final minutes.Thanks to the defense, that was all the Chiefs needed.“I thought we did a lot of good things, just obviously red zone and some third downs we didn't execute at a high enough level,” Mahomes said. “I still think there were a lot of good things we can take from it.”SWIFT IN THE HOUSESwift watched Kelce and the Chiefs for the third time Thursday night. The two began a relationship a few weeks ago, when he invited Swift to a Chiefs game after failing to meet her during her Eras Tour. Swift flew in from Los Angeles, where she walked the red carpet on Wednesday night for the premiere of her concert film.SACK SITUATIONChiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones had a sack in his eighth straight regular-season game, which trails only his own 11-game streak in 2018 for the longest in franchise history. With at least one in his first five this season, Jones broke the club record to start the season held by Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas.INJURIESBroncos: TE Greg Dulcich, who had just come off injured reserve, left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. It's the same injury that landed Dulcich on IR after hurting it in Week 1 against the Raiders.Chiefs: S Justin Reid, who had an interception earlier in the game, briefly left in the second half. WR Justin Watson left in the fourth quarter with an elbow injury sustained while trying to make a diving catch.UP NEXTBroncos: Host Green Bay on Oct. 22.Chiefs: Host the Los Angeles Chargers the same day.

🏈 Chiefs grind out home win over rival Broncos

HAYS - The Hays High volleyball closed out their home schedule with a pair of wins Thursday at the Hays High gym. 

The Indians swept Junction City (25-18, 25-15) then defeated Salina Central in three (25-14, 25-27, 25-16).

The Indians have won seven-straight and eight of their last nine and are 18-12 on the season.

They return to action Saturday at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Saturday in Dodge City.

Hays PostHAYS - The Hays High volleyball closed out their home schedule with a pair of wins Thursday at the Hays High gym. The Indians swept Junction City (25-18, 25-15) then defeated Salina Central in three (25-14, 25-27, 25-16).The Indians have won seven-straight and eight of their last nine and are 18-12 on the season.They return to action Saturday at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Saturday in Dodge City.

🏐 HHS extends win streak in home finale

HOXIE -&nbsp;TMP-Marian went 1-1 in opening round of the Mid-Continent League Tournament.

The Monarchs lost to the host Indians (16-25, 16-25) then beat Phillipsburg (25-17, 25-18). 

The Monarchs are now 15-17. The MCL Tournament continues Saturday.

Hays PostHOXIE -&nbsp;TMP-Marian went 1-1 in opening round of the Mid-Continent League Tournament.The Monarchs lost to the host Indians (16-25, 16-25) then beat Phillipsburg (25-17, 25-18). The Monarchs are now 15-17. The MCL Tournament continues Saturday.

🏐 TMP goes 1-1 in Hoxie

GREAT BEND - A solid day for the Hays High cross country teams at the Western Athletic Conference meet hosted by Great Bend at the Lake Barton Golf Course. The HHS girls finished second and the boys fifth. 

Arely Maldonado set a new school record for the girls' 4K (15:22) and finished second.&nbsp;Elijah McCullough placed fifth (16:54) to lead the boys.

Both earned All-Western Athletic Conference.

The Indians next meet will be regionals also hosted by Great Bend.

Hays PostGREAT BEND - A solid day for the Hays High cross country teams at the Western Athletic Conference meet hosted by Great Bend at the Lake Barton Golf Course. The HHS girls finished second and the boys fifth. Arely Maldonado set a new school record for the girls' 4K (15:22) and finished second.&nbsp;Elijah McCullough placed fifth (16:54) to lead the boys.Both earned All-Western Athletic Conference.The Indians next meet will be regionals also hosted by Great Bend.

🏃‍♂️ Maldonado, McCullough earn All-WAC in Great Bend

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior Arthur Kaluma and fifth-year senior Tylor Perry were each chosen as Honorable Mention selections to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team by the coaches, as the conference office released their preseason awards ahead of its annual media day on October 18.

Kaluma and Perry are the first Wildcats named to the Preseason All-Big 12 since Barry Brown Jr. and Dean Wade in 2018-19.

The Preseason All-Big 12 included Kansas' Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris Jr., Houston's L.J. Cryer, TCU's Emanuel Miller and Texas' Max Abmas. The Wildcat duo was among those named honorable mention, along with Baylor's Jalen Bridges, RayJ Dennis and Ja'Kobe Walter, Houston's Jamal Shead, Kansas' Kevin McCullar Jr., Texas' Dylan Disu, Tyrese Hunter and Dillon Mitchell and West Virginia's Jesse Edwards.

Dickinson was named both the Preseason Player and Newcomer of the Year, while Walter was given the nod as the Preseason Freshman of the Year.

A 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward, Kaluma transferred to K-State after an impressive 2-year stint (2021-23) at Creighton, where he helped the Bluejays to 47 wins, including 26 in BIG EAST play, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2022, 2023) and the school's first trip to the Elite Eight in 2022-23.

Kaluma averaged double-figure scoring both seasons at Creighton, totaling 758 points (11.1 ppg.) on 43.3 percent shooting (270-of-624), including 29.1 percent (68-of-234) from 3-point range, and 71.4 percent (150-of-210) from the free throw line in 68 games with 67 starts. As a sophomore, he averaged 11.8 points on 42.3 percent (146-of-345) shooting to go with 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in starting all 37 games for the Bluejays.

A 5-foot-11, 182-pound guard, Perry came to K-State as a graduate transfer after a decorated 2-year career (2021-23) at North Texas, where he led the Mean Green to unprecedented heights that included 56 total wins, including a school-record 31 in 2022-23, the 2023 NIT Championship and 2022 Conference USA regular-season title. In addition to being the 2023 Conference USA Player of the Year and NIT Most Outstanding Player, he was twice named to the C-USA First Team (2022, 2023) while was the league's Sixth Man of the Year as a junior in 2022.

Perry scored 1,043 points in his North Texas career on 43.1 percent (299-of-694) shooting from the field, including 41.3 percent (184-of-445) from 3-point range, and 85.9 percent (261-of-304) from the free throw line. He was the Mean Green's leading scorer (17.3 ppg.) in 2022-23 while leading the Conference USA in 3-point field goal percentage (41.3), free throw percentage (87.2) and minutes (34.2) and placing second in 3-pointers/game (3.11) and fourth in scoring. He scored in double figures in 33 of 36 games played with 14 20-point performances highlighted by his career-best 35-point effort vs. San Jose State on Nov. 25.

Prior to North Texas, Perry enjoyed a stellar 2-year career (2019-21) at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kan., where he led the Red Ravens to 53 wins and the 2021 NJCAA National Championship en route to earning NJCAA National Tournament MVP and Second Team All-America honors.

K-State returns six players from the 2022-23 season, including three starters, to along with one of the nation's top transfer classes and a top-30 freshman class. The Wildcats won 26 games – third-most in school history – and made their 13th trip to the Elite Eight last season.

A limited number of season tickets for the 2023-24 season are still available by calling (800) 221.CATS (2287) and/or online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets. Pricing for single-game tickets will be announced shortly. Ahearn Fund members will have the first opportunity to purchase single-game tickets starting Monday, October 16. Remaining tickets will be available to the general public starting Wednesday, October 18.

The Wildcats will play their only exhibition game on Wednesday, November 1 at 7 p.m., CT to tip off the 19-game home schedule before opening the season against the Trojans.

K-State SportsMANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior Arthur Kaluma and fifth-year senior Tylor Perry were each chosen as Honorable Mention selections to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team by the coaches, as the conference office released their preseason awards ahead of its annual media day on October 18.Kaluma and Perry are the first Wildcats named to the Preseason All-Big 12 since Barry Brown Jr. and Dean Wade in 2018-19.The Preseason All-Big 12 included Kansas' Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris Jr., Houston's L.J. Cryer, TCU's Emanuel Miller and Texas' Max Abmas. The Wildcat duo was among those named honorable mention, along with Baylor's Jalen Bridges, RayJ Dennis and Ja'Kobe Walter, Houston's Jamal Shead, Kansas' Kevin McCullar Jr., Texas' Dylan Disu, Tyrese Hunter and Dillon Mitchell and West Virginia's Jesse Edwards.Dickinson was named both the Preseason Player and Newcomer of the Year, while Walter was given the nod as the Preseason Freshman of the Year.A 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward, Kaluma transferred to K-State after an impressive 2-year stint (2021-23) at Creighton, where he helped the Bluejays to 47 wins, including 26 in BIG EAST play, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2022, 2023) and the school's first trip to the Elite Eight in 2022-23.Kaluma averaged double-figure scoring both seasons at Creighton, totaling 758 points (11.1 ppg.) on 43.3 percent shooting (270-of-624), including 29.1 percent (68-of-234) from 3-point range, and 71.4 percent (150-of-210) from the free throw line in 68 games with 67 starts. As a sophomore, he averaged 11.8 points on 42.3 percent (146-of-345) shooting to go with 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in starting all 37 games for the Bluejays.A 5-foot-11, 182-pound guard, Perry came to K-State as a graduate transfer after a decorated 2-year career (2021-23) at North Texas, where he led the Mean Green to unprecedented heights that included 56 total wins, including a school-record 31 in 2022-23, the 2023 NIT Championship and 2022 Conference USA regular-season title. In addition to being the 2023 Conference USA Player of the Year and NIT Most Outstanding Player, he was twice named to the C-USA First Team (2022, 2023) while was the league's Sixth Man of the Year as a junior in 2022.Perry scored 1,043 points in his North Texas career on 43.1 percent (299-of-694) shooting from the field, including 41.3 percent (184-of-445) from 3-point range, and 85.9 percent (261-of-304) from the free throw line. He was the Mean Green's leading scorer (17.3 ppg.) in 2022-23 while leading the Conference USA in 3-point field goal percentage (41.3), free throw percentage (87.2) and minutes (34.2) and placing second in 3-pointers/game (3.11) and fourth in scoring. He scored in double figures in 33 of 36 games played with 14 20-point performances highlighted by his career-best 35-point effort vs. San Jose State on Nov. 25.Prior to North Texas, Perry enjoyed a stellar 2-year career (2019-21) at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kan., where he led the Red Ravens to 53 wins and the 2021 NJCAA National Championship en route to earning NJCAA National Tournament MVP and Second Team All-America honors.K-State returns six players from the 2022-23 season, including three starters, to along with one of the nation's top transfer classes and a top-30 freshman class. The Wildcats won 26 games – third-most in school history – and made their 13th trip to the Elite Eight last season.A limited number of season tickets for the 2023-24 season are still available by calling (800) 221.CATS (2287) and/or online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets. Pricing for single-game tickets will be announced shortly. Ahearn Fund members will have the first opportunity to purchase single-game tickets starting Monday, October 16. Remaining tickets will be available to the general public starting Wednesday, October 18.The Wildcats will play their only exhibition game on Wednesday, November 1 at 7 p.m., CT to tip off the 19-game home schedule before opening the season against the Trojans.

🏀Kaluma, Perry Named to Preseason All-Big 12 Team

IRVING, Texas&nbsp;– Kansas men’s basketball senior Hunter Dickinson, redshirt-junior Dajuan Harris Jr. and graduate Kevin McCullar Jr. have been named to the 2023-24 Preseason All-Big 12 Team as voted on by the league coaches, the conference announced Thursday.

Dickinson is the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to earn both honors in the same season. Dickinson is joined on the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team by Harris, while McCullar is an honorable mention honoree.

A fourth-year transfer from Michigan, Dickinson earned many national and conference honors with the Wolverines, including Consensus All-America Second Team in 2021. The 7-foot-2 Alexandria, Virginia, center was a three-time All-Big Ten selection with first team honors in 2022 and 2023. Dickinson averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds for his career and led Michigan in points and rebounds each of the last three seasons. Dickinson has compiled career statistics of 1,617 points, 787 rebounds and 149 blocked shots entering 2023-24. A general studies major, Dickinson was named to the All-Big Ten Academic Team in 2022 and 2023.

“I appreciate the coaches recognizing myself, Dajuan and Kevin,” Dickinson said. “It says a lot about the potential of our team. Now we need to go prove it.”

The 2023 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Harris has started each of the last two seasons, including on the 2022 NCAA National Championship team. The Columbia, Missouri guard has led the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio each of the last two seasons. In 2022 and 2023, Harris was named All-Big Honorable Mention and to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Last season, Harris also led the Big 12 with 6.2 assists per game as he averaged 8.9 points and 2.2 steals per contest. For his career, Harris has played in 106 games with 77 starts at KU and ranks 14th on the KU career assists list with 455 and is tied for 15th on the career steals list with 165. Additionally, Harris is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection and was nominated for College Sports Communicators Academic All-America team in 2023. He graduated from Kansas in May 2023 with a liberal arts and science degree.

McCullar is appearing on the preseason team for the second straight season as he was also an honorable mention selection in 2022-23. The San Antonio guard is a three-time All-Big 12 selection, with two coming while at Texas Tech and an all-conference third-team honoree while at Kansas last season. McCullar has been a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Last year, McCullar averaged 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and was third in the Big 12 with seven double-doubles. A 2023 KU graduate, McCullar enters 2023-24 with 1,040 points, 589 rebounds, 231 assists and 178 steals for his career.

Historically, Dickinson is the 11th Jayhawk to collect the preseason player of the year award and the fifth to earn preseason newcomer. Kansas has had at least one player on the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team in all but two of the 28 seasons the conference has existed, since 1996-97. Dickinson and Harris are the 39th and 40th Jayhawks to be listed on the preseason all-league first team.

Kansas is coming off a 28-8 season in which it won the Big 12 regular-season title with a 13-5 league record. It was KU’s NCAA-record 63rd conference regular-season title and 16th&nbsp;under head coach Bill Self in his 20 seasons at Kansas.

2023-24 Big 12 Preseason HonorsPreseason Player of the Year – HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS, C, Sr.Preseason Newcomer of the Year – HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS, C, Sr.Preseason Freshman of the Year – Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor, F

Preseason All-Big 12 Team (listed alphabetically by school)Name, School, Pos., Cl.L.J. Cryer, Houston, G, Sr.HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS, C, Sr.DAJUAN HARRIS JR., KANSAS, G, RS-Jr.Emanuel Miller, TCU, F, Sr.Max Abmas, Texas, G, Gr.

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school):&nbsp;Jalen Bridges (Baylor), RayJ Dennis (Baylor), Ja’Kobe Walter (Baylor), Jamal Shead (Houston),&nbsp;KEVIN MCCULLAR JR. (KANSAS),&nbsp;Arthur Kaluma (Kansas State), Tylor Perr (Kansas State), Dylan Disu (Texas), Tyrese Hunter (Texas), Dillon Mitchell (Texas), Jesse Edwards (West Virginia).

Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.

Kansas’ Preseason Big 12 Player of the Years&nbsp;– Jacque Vaughn (1996-97), Raef LaFrentz (1997-98), Wayne Simien (2004-05), Brandon Rush and Julian Wright (2006-07), Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins (2009-10), Devonte’ Graham (2017-18), Udoka Azubuike (2019-20), Remy Martin (2021-22), Hunter Dickinson (2023-24).

Kansas’ Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Years&nbsp;– Mario Little (2008-09), Tarik Black (2013-14), Malik Newman (2017-18), Dedric Lawson (2018-19), Hunter Dickinson (2023-24).

KU AthleticsIRVING, Texas&nbsp;– Kansas men’s basketball senior Hunter Dickinson, redshirt-junior Dajuan Harris Jr. and graduate Kevin McCullar Jr. have been named to the 2023-24 Preseason All-Big 12 Team as voted on by the league coaches, the conference announced Thursday.Dickinson is the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to earn both honors in the same season. Dickinson is joined on the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team by Harris, while McCullar is an honorable mention honoree.A fourth-year transfer from Michigan, Dickinson earned many national and conference honors with the Wolverines, including Consensus All-America Second Team in 2021. The 7-foot-2 Alexandria, Virginia, center was a three-time All-Big Ten selection with first team honors in 2022 and 2023. Dickinson averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds for his career and led Michigan in points and rebounds each of the last three seasons. Dickinson has compiled career statistics of 1,617 points, 787 rebounds and 149 blocked shots entering 2023-24. A general studies major, Dickinson was named to the All-Big Ten Academic Team in 2022 and 2023.“I appreciate the coaches recognizing myself, Dajuan and Kevin,” Dickinson said. “It says a lot about the potential of our team. Now we need to go prove it.”The 2023 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Harris has started each of the last two seasons, including on the 2022 NCAA National Championship team. The Columbia, Missouri guard has led the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio each of the last two seasons. In 2022 and 2023, Harris was named All-Big Honorable Mention and to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Last season, Harris also led the Big 12 with 6.2 assists per game as he averaged 8.9 points and 2.2 steals per contest. For his career, Harris has played in 106 games with 77 starts at KU and ranks 14th on the KU career assists list with 455 and is tied for 15th on the career steals list with 165. Additionally, Harris is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection and was nominated for College Sports Communicators Academic All-America team in 2023. He graduated from Kansas in May 2023 with a liberal arts and science degree.McCullar is appearing on the preseason team for the second straight season as he was also an honorable mention selection in 2022-23. The San Antonio guard is a three-time All-Big 12 selection, with two coming while at Texas Tech and an all-conference third-team honoree while at Kansas last season. McCullar has been a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Last year, McCullar averaged 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and was third in the Big 12 with seven double-doubles. A 2023 KU graduate, McCullar enters 2023-24 with 1,040 points, 589 rebounds, 231 assists and 178 steals for his career.Historically, Dickinson is the 11th Jayhawk to collect the preseason player of the year award and the fifth to earn preseason newcomer. Kansas has had at least one player on the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team in all but two of the 28 seasons the conference has existed, since 1996-97. Dickinson and Harris are the 39th and 40th Jayhawks to be listed on the preseason all-league first team.Kansas is coming off a 28-8 season in which it won the Big 12 regular-season title with a 13-5 league record. It was KU’s NCAA-record 63rd conference regular-season title and 16th&nbsp;under head coach Bill Self in his 20 seasons at Kansas.2023-24 Big 12 Preseason HonorsPreseason Player of the Year – HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS, C, Sr.Preseason Newcomer of the Year – HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS, C, Sr.Preseason Freshman of the Year – Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor, FPreseason All-Big 12 Team (listed alphabetically by school)Name, School, Pos., Cl.L.J. Cryer, Houston, G, Sr.HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS, C, Sr.DAJUAN HARRIS JR., KANSAS, G, RS-Jr.Emanuel Miller, TCU, F, Sr.Max Abmas, Texas, G, Gr.Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school):&nbsp;Jalen Bridges (Baylor), RayJ Dennis (Baylor), Ja’Kobe Walter (Baylor), Jamal Shead (Houston),&nbsp;KEVIN MCCULLAR JR. (KANSAS),&nbsp;Arthur Kaluma (Kansas State), Tylor Perr (Kansas State), Dylan Disu (Texas), Tyrese Hunter (Texas), Dillon Mitchell (Texas), Jesse Edwards (West Virginia).Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.Kansas’ Preseason Big 12 Player of the Years&nbsp;– Jacque Vaughn (1996-97), Raef LaFrentz (1997-98), Wayne Simien (2004-05), Brandon Rush and Julian Wright (2006-07), Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins (2009-10), Devonte’ Graham (2017-18), Udoka Azubuike (2019-20), Remy Martin (2021-22), Hunter Dickinson (2023-24).Kansas’ Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Years&nbsp;– Mario Little (2008-09), Tarik Black (2013-14), Malik Newman (2017-18), Dedric Lawson (2018-19), Hunter Dickinson (2023-24).

🏀Kansas Trio Named Preseason All-Big 12

DOWNS – The TMP-Marian boys
cross country team finished fifth at the Lakeside Invitational held at the Downs
Golf Course Thursday.

Caden Becker led the
Monarchs with a 17th place finish (19:00.0). Zecharia Dickman placed 27th
(19:54.0), Mattias Marintzer was 39th (21:02.0), Nathan Stecklein 44th (21:52.0)
and Caleb Marintzer 46th (21:55.0) out of 70 runners.

Southeast of Saline had
the top four finishers and won the boys race by 67 points.

Arianna Ayarza led the
Monarch girls with a 41st place finish (23:35.0). Claire Schippers finished 46 th (26:39.0)
and Rachel Staab 48th (26:57.0) out of 70 runners.

Hays PostDOWNS – The TMP-Marian boys
cross country team finished fifth at the Lakeside Invitational held at the Downs
Golf Course Thursday.Caden Becker led the
Monarchs with a 17th place finish (19:00.0). Zecharia Dickman placed 27th
(19:54.0), Mattias Marintzer was 39th (21:02.0), Nathan Stecklein 44th (21:52.0)
and Caleb Marintzer 46th (21:55.0) out of 70 runners.Southeast of Saline had
the top four finishers and won the boys race by 67 points.Arianna Ayarza led the
Monarch girls with a 41st place finish (23:35.0). Claire Schippers finished 46 th (26:39.0)
and Rachel Staab 48th (26:57.0) out of 70 runners.

🏃‍♂️ Monarch boys fifth at Lakeside Invite

🎥Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

We visit with new Fort Hays State women's basketball coach Talia Kahrs at MIAA Basketball Media Day.

We visit with new Fort Hays State women's basketball coach Talia Kahrs at MIAA Basketball Media Day.<div><iframe title="Talia Kahrs (MIAA Media Day)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=vd2cs-14ccc4c-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Talia Kahrs

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team is holding a pair of promotions during their two home matches this weekend inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.

The team will hold a shoe drive during Friday's game against Missouri Southern. Fans will get in FREE when they bring a pair of new or lightly used shoes to donate.

Then Saturday's contest against Central Missouri will be the annual Dig Pink match, with fans again receiving FREE admission when they wear pink. The team will also be accepting donations for the Dig Pink Scholarship, an annual scholarship supporting a Fort Hays State University student that has been affected by cancer.

First serve is slated for 6 p.m. each evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697115146061.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team is holding a pair of promotions during their two home matches this weekend inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.The team will hold a shoe drive during Friday's game against Missouri Southern. Fans will get in FREE when they bring a pair of new or lightly used shoes to donate.Then Saturday's contest against Central Missouri will be the annual Dig Pink match, with fans again receiving FREE admission when they wear pink. The team will also be accepting donations for the Dig Pink Scholarship, an annual scholarship supporting a Fort Hays State University student that has been affected by cancer.First serve is slated for 6 p.m. each evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏐 Two promotions set for FHSU weekend matches

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are on their sixth head or interim coach since their most recent win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Perhaps Sean Payton will be the one to finally end the losing streak.

The Broncos head to Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night for the first of two games against Kansas City this season toting one of the most incredible skids in a league that prides itself on its parity.

Denver has not beaten the Chiefs since Week 2 of the 2015 season, when Gary Kubiak — and Peyton Manning — proceeded to lead the Broncos to a victory in the Super Bowl.

“They do a lot of things well. Quite honestly, they've found ways to win even when it hasn't gone as well as they would have hoped,” Payton said of the Chiefs, “and that's the sign of a really good football team — a championship team.”

That has been the case much of the season. The Chiefs (4-1) have not lost since their opener against Detroit but, other than a game against the woebegone Bears that was over by halftime, they have had to squeak out wins against everyone else.

Patrick Mahomes acknowledged that he has yet to play his best this season. The reigning league MVP already has thrown four interceptions while struggling to get help from one of the league's youngest wide receiver groups. But Mahomes is coming off a better performance in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-vikings-9ba44f8aec639988f8eeba3a31a101ad">last week's 27-20 win in Minnesota</a>&nbsp;and now faces what is statistically the NFL's worst defense.

“When you play a team like the Broncos, same as any division opponent, there's another level of intensity,” said Mahomes, who is 11-0 against Denver. “I'm not worried about a streak or anything like that. I'm worried about winning against a division opponent.”

The Broncos (1-4) are worried about winning against anyone.

Their latest letdown came&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-broncos-payton-hackett-wilson-5d14114ff481ffe30732151121c1bfe2">last Sunday against the Jets</a>, when any momentum they gained from their come-from-behind win over Chicago evaporated in the second half, allowing New York to rally for a 31-21 victory.

Yet the Broncos came out of the game optimistic they are on the right track. Two of their four losses are by a combined three points, proof they can hang around with just about anyone — except the Dolphins, who romped to a 70-20 win in Week 3.

“We really should and could be 4-1,” the Broncos' Russell Wilson said, "but ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda’ is not good enough.”

The Broncos coulda, woulda, shoulda ended their maddening streak against the Chiefs a year ago.

They trailed 34-28 early in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the go-ahead touchdown in Nathaniel Hackett's penultimate game as coach. Two weeks later, they trailed 27-24 in the fourth quarter but couldn't score again in interim coach Jerry Rosburg's debut.

“They've got a lot of talent on that team. Our guys looked at the tape and they understand that, and Sean is a heck of a football coach,” said Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid, who has presided over the entire 15-game win streak but brushed it aside this week.

“It doesn't matter right now,” he said. “That doesn't count for Thursday, right?”

All-Pro tight end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-travis-kelce-ed786490b06ec37014c45f018b6b1633">Travis Kelce is expected to play</a>&nbsp;against the Broncos after hurting his ankle late in the first half of last Sunday's win over Minnesota. He returned after the break and finished with 10 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. Kelce was listed as “did not participate” on Monday's estimated injury report, but he was back on the field Tuesday.

The Chiefs had 10 players catch a pass against the Vikings, and that is becoming the norm as they break in their young wide receivers while getting contributions from tight end Noah Gray and help out of the backfield. They have had at least 10 players catch a pass in four of their five games; they had a mere eight in their win over the Jets.

“When someone like Travis has 10 catches, teams know that and put plans together to stop them,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said, “but we have great wide receivers and they all have different strengths, and our job as coaches is to put them in certain spots where they can use their strengths.”

The Broncos haven't had problems getting off to fast starts, scoring 27 points on their five opening possessions. That trails only unbeaten San Francisco, which has scored 31. But it also means Denver has largely struggled in crunch time. They were outscored 23-8 by the Jets in the second half last week, and have been outscored 93-52 in the second half of games this season.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is under pressure to perform, given he will be a free agent after failing to secure a long-term deal after a holdout that stretched into Week 1. But the All-Pro has had at least one sack each of the past four weeks, which is tied with Derrick Thomas for the most consecutive games to start a season in franchise history.

Most teams worry about Mahomes dicing up their secondary, but the Broncos are trying to fix their run defense heading into Thursday night. The Jets’ Breece Hall ran for 177 yards against them last week, further cementing their place as last in the league against the run.

And with the Chiefs’ hard-charging Isiah Pacheco up next, the job won't be any easier.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are on their sixth head or interim coach since their most recent win over the Kansas City Chiefs.Perhaps Sean Payton will be the one to finally end the losing streak.The Broncos head to Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night for the first of two games against Kansas City this season toting one of the most incredible skids in a league that prides itself on its parity.Denver has not beaten the Chiefs since Week 2 of the 2015 season, when Gary Kubiak — and Peyton Manning — proceeded to lead the Broncos to a victory in the Super Bowl.“They do a lot of things well. Quite honestly, they've found ways to win even when it hasn't gone as well as they would have hoped,” Payton said of the Chiefs, “and that's the sign of a really good football team — a championship team.”That has been the case much of the season. The Chiefs (4-1) have not lost since their opener against Detroit but, other than a game against the woebegone Bears that was over by halftime, they have had to squeak out wins against everyone else.Patrick Mahomes acknowledged that he has yet to play his best this season. The reigning league MVP already has thrown four interceptions while struggling to get help from one of the league's youngest wide receiver groups. But Mahomes is coming off a better performance in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-vikings-9ba44f8aec639988f8eeba3a31a101ad">last week's 27-20 win in Minnesota</a>&nbsp;and now faces what is statistically the NFL's worst defense.“When you play a team like the Broncos, same as any division opponent, there's another level of intensity,” said Mahomes, who is 11-0 against Denver. “I'm not worried about a streak or anything like that. I'm worried about winning against a division opponent.”The Broncos (1-4) are worried about winning against anyone.Their latest letdown came&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-broncos-payton-hackett-wilson-5d14114ff481ffe30732151121c1bfe2">last Sunday against the Jets</a>, when any momentum they gained from their come-from-behind win over Chicago evaporated in the second half, allowing New York to rally for a 31-21 victory.Yet the Broncos came out of the game optimistic they are on the right track. Two of their four losses are by a combined three points, proof they can hang around with just about anyone — except the Dolphins, who romped to a 70-20 win in Week 3.“We really should and could be 4-1,” the Broncos' Russell Wilson said, "but ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda’ is not good enough.”The Broncos coulda, woulda, shoulda ended their maddening streak against the Chiefs a year ago.They trailed 34-28 early in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the go-ahead touchdown in Nathaniel Hackett's penultimate game as coach. Two weeks later, they trailed 27-24 in the fourth quarter but couldn't score again in interim coach Jerry Rosburg's debut.“They've got a lot of talent on that team. Our guys looked at the tape and they understand that, and Sean is a heck of a football coach,” said Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid, who has presided over the entire 15-game win streak but brushed it aside this week.“It doesn't matter right now,” he said. “That doesn't count for Thursday, right?”KELCE'S CONCERNAll-Pro tight end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-travis-kelce-ed786490b06ec37014c45f018b6b1633">Travis Kelce is expected to play</a>&nbsp;against the Broncos after hurting his ankle late in the first half of last Sunday's win over Minnesota. He returned after the break and finished with 10 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. Kelce was listed as “did not participate” on Monday's estimated injury report, but he was back on the field Tuesday.COMMITTEE APPROACHThe Chiefs had 10 players catch a pass against the Vikings, and that is becoming the norm as they break in their young wide receivers while getting contributions from tight end Noah Gray and help out of the backfield. They have had at least 10 players catch a pass in four of their five games; they had a mere eight in their win over the Jets.“When someone like Travis has 10 catches, teams know that and put plans together to stop them,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said, “but we have great wide receivers and they all have different strengths, and our job as coaches is to put them in certain spots where they can use their strengths.”HOT STARTThe Broncos haven't had problems getting off to fast starts, scoring 27 points on their five opening possessions. That trails only unbeaten San Francisco, which has scored 31. But it also means Denver has largely struggled in crunch time. They were outscored 23-8 by the Jets in the second half last week, and have been outscored 93-52 in the second half of games this season.UNDER PRESSUREChiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is under pressure to perform, given he will be a free agent after failing to secure a long-term deal after a holdout that stretched into Week 1. But the All-Pro has had at least one sack each of the past four weeks, which is tied with Derrick Thomas for the most consecutive games to start a season in franchise history.ON THE RUNMost teams worry about Mahomes dicing up their secondary, but the Broncos are trying to fix their run defense heading into Thursday night. The Jets’ Breece Hall ran for 177 yards against them last week, further cementing their place as last in the league against the run.And with the Chiefs’ hard-charging Isiah Pacheco up next, the job won't be any easier.

🏈 Broncos aim to end 15-game losing streak to Chiefs on Thursday night at Arrowhead

Fort Hays State head cross country coach Jason McCullough, men's soccer coach Gerry Cleary, women's soccer coach Tyson John and football coach Chris Brown join the program.

Fort Hays State head cross country coach Jason McCullough, men's soccer coach Gerry Cleary, women's soccer coach Tyson John and football coach Chris Brown join the program.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (Oct. 11, 2023)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=s8v48-14cb580-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk (Oct. 11, 2023)

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas announced Wednesday that an independent panel has downgraded five Level I violations lodged by the NCAA against the men's basketball program and Jayhawks coach Bill Self, ending a years-long saga by giving KU three years of probation and no other penalties.

The Jayhawks announced the details shortly before a scheduled news conference with panel officials.

The school had appealed the violations, which sprung from a 2017 investigation into college basketball corruption, through the Independent Accountability Review Process that was created to handle complex cases. Among the NCAA charges was a lack of institutional control and an allegation that Self failed in his responsibility to keep the program in compliance.

The case hinged on whether representatives of the apparel company Adidas were considered boosters — the school contends they were not — when two of them arranged payments to prospective recruits. The school never disputed that the payments were made, only that it had any knowledge of the inducements.

The school made its case during a hearing in April, and the independent panel ultimately decided that the case was merely a Level II infractions case. The panel also said that Self, who served a school-imposed four-game suspension last season, should be charged with a Level II violation and that the Hall of Fame coach would serve no additional penalties.

Kansas is expected to be the preseason No. 1 team when the AP poll is released next week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649033652138.jpeg" alt="Bill Self (Kansas Athletics photoO" />
 <figcaption>Bill Self (Kansas Athletics photoO</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas announced Wednesday that an independent panel has downgraded five Level I violations lodged by the NCAA against the men's basketball program and Jayhawks coach Bill Self, ending a years-long saga by giving KU three years of probation and no other penalties.The Jayhawks announced the details shortly before a scheduled news conference with panel officials.The school had appealed the violations, which sprung from a 2017 investigation into college basketball corruption, through the Independent Accountability Review Process that was created to handle complex cases. Among the NCAA charges was a lack of institutional control and an allegation that Self failed in his responsibility to keep the program in compliance.The case hinged on whether representatives of the apparel company Adidas were considered boosters — the school contends they were not — when two of them arranged payments to prospective recruits. The school never disputed that the payments were made, only that it had any knowledge of the inducements.The school made its case during a hearing in April, and the independent panel ultimately decided that the case was merely a Level II infractions case. The panel also said that Self, who served a school-imposed four-game suspension last season, should be charged with a Level II violation and that the Hall of Fame coach would serve no additional penalties.Kansas is expected to be the preseason No. 1 team when the AP poll is released next week.

🏀 Kansas basketball violations downgraded, no additional penalties

We had a chance to visit with Fort Hays State men's basketball coach Mark Johnson about the upcoming season at MIAA Basketball Media Day on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

We had a chance to visit with Fort Hays State men's basketball coach Mark Johnson about the upcoming season at MIAA Basketball Media Day on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.<div><iframe title="Mark Johnson (MIAA Basketball Media Day)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=r6arw-14cb1b2-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Mark Johnson (MIAA Media day)

WICHITA, Kan. - In an electrifying showdown at Wichita's Wilkins Field, the Fort Hays State men's soccer team showcased their prowess with a pivotal 2-1 victory over the Newman Jets. 

The Tigers (4-5-2, 3-1-2 GAC) wasted no time asserting their dominance, delivering an impressive display of teamwork that resulted in a goal in the 11th minute. Tadhg Walsh&nbsp;netted his third goal of the season, capitalizing on a precise assist from Mike Leue. 

The second half witnessed a tense standoff, with both teams battling for supremacy. In the 81st minute, the Jets (2-6-3, 1-4-1 GAC) rallied, as Alberto Romano notched his fourth goal of the season, leveling the score at 1-1. Yet, it was Fort Hays State who had the last word. In the 88th minute, Elias Ovelar Semenuik&nbsp;displayed his goal-scoring prowess, seizing a critical opportunity with a composed finish. This well-executed play, coupled with an assist from Luca Garcia, marked Semeniuk's second goal of the season, propelling the Tigers ahead with a score of 2-1.

Throughout the game, Scott Pengelly&nbsp;made a series of critical saves, concluding with a total of four, firmly securing the team's victory. Meanwhile, on the opposing side, Juan Carlos Cordova made six saves but couldn't prevent the Tigers from clinching the win.

The Tigers return home for the start of a five-game home stretch, starting with No. 22 Rogers State, Saturday, October 14 at 6:00 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696992364505.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsWICHITA, Kan. - In an electrifying showdown at Wichita's Wilkins Field, the Fort Hays State men's soccer team showcased their prowess with a pivotal 2-1 victory over the Newman Jets. The Tigers (4-5-2, 3-1-2 GAC) wasted no time asserting their dominance, delivering an impressive display of teamwork that resulted in a goal in the 11th minute. Tadhg Walsh&nbsp;netted his third goal of the season, capitalizing on a precise assist from Mike Leue. The second half witnessed a tense standoff, with both teams battling for supremacy. In the 81st minute, the Jets (2-6-3, 1-4-1 GAC) rallied, as Alberto Romano notched his fourth goal of the season, leveling the score at 1-1. Yet, it was Fort Hays State who had the last word. In the 88th minute, Elias Ovelar Semenuik&nbsp;displayed his goal-scoring prowess, seizing a critical opportunity with a composed finish. This well-executed play, coupled with an assist from Luca Garcia, marked Semeniuk's second goal of the season, propelling the Tigers ahead with a score of 2-1.Throughout the game, Scott Pengelly&nbsp;made a series of critical saves, concluding with a total of four, firmly securing the team's victory. Meanwhile, on the opposing side, Juan Carlos Cordova made six saves but couldn't prevent the Tigers from clinching the win.The Tigers return home for the start of a five-game home stretch, starting with No. 22 Rogers State, Saturday, October 14 at 6:00 p.m.

⚽ Tiger men win thriller over Jets in Wichita

LARCHWOOD, Iowa - The Fort Hays State women's golf team placed 10th&nbsp;at the Sioux Falls Invitational, hosted at the Grand Falls Casino &amp; Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa on October 9th and 10th.&nbsp;

Over the course of the tournament, the Tigers delivered commendable performances. Their journey began with a 322 in the first round, followed by a 334 on the second day. This collective effort resulted in a 36-hole total of 656.

Morgan Brasser&nbsp;emerged as the top Tiger, securing a share of third place among the 74 participants. Brasser had 22 pars and 7 birdies throughout the weekend, shooting an even-par 72 in round one and a 3-over par 75 in round two. After the initial day, she trailed by a single stroke and momentarily led the field during day two before finishing four shots off the winning score of 1-under par.&nbsp;

Corbyn Marquess&nbsp;made a notable contribution, tying for the 40th position after scores of 77 and 87. Marquess finished with 18 pars and three birdies during the tournament, finishing at +20 overall. Hayden York, who tied for 53rd place, accumulated 15 pars with two birdies, concluding at +28 with rounds of 88 and 84. Shauna Lee, with rounds of 85 and 91, secured a shared 59th position. Ella Neuhauser&nbsp;tied for 65th, shooting 94 and 88.&nbsp;

Augustana secured the team title at 17-over par overall, demonstrating their dominance on the course. Northwest Missouri State, finishing 14 strokes behind, took the second spot. Maggie Veenendall from the University of Sioux Falls clinched the individual title by a margin of two strokes, finishing at 1-under par overall.

The Tigers now turn their attention to the next challenge, the Midwest Classic in Warrensburg, Missouri on October 16-17.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696989812770.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Hayden York (FHSU Athletics photo/dee Welsch)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Hayden York (FHSU Athletics photo/dee Welsch)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsLARCHWOOD, Iowa - The Fort Hays State women's golf team placed 10th&nbsp;at the Sioux Falls Invitational, hosted at the Grand Falls Casino &amp; Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa on October 9th and 10th.&nbsp;Over the course of the tournament, the Tigers delivered commendable performances. Their journey began with a 322 in the first round, followed by a 334 on the second day. This collective effort resulted in a 36-hole total of 656.Morgan Brasser&nbsp;emerged as the top Tiger, securing a share of third place among the 74 participants. Brasser had 22 pars and 7 birdies throughout the weekend, shooting an even-par 72 in round one and a 3-over par 75 in round two. After the initial day, she trailed by a single stroke and momentarily led the field during day two before finishing four shots off the winning score of 1-under par.&nbsp;Corbyn Marquess&nbsp;made a notable contribution, tying for the 40th position after scores of 77 and 87. Marquess finished with 18 pars and three birdies during the tournament, finishing at +20 overall. Hayden York, who tied for 53rd place, accumulated 15 pars with two birdies, concluding at +28 with rounds of 88 and 84. Shauna Lee, with rounds of 85 and 91, secured a shared 59th position. Ella Neuhauser&nbsp;tied for 65th, shooting 94 and 88.&nbsp;Augustana secured the team title at 17-over par overall, demonstrating their dominance on the course. Northwest Missouri State, finishing 14 strokes behind, took the second spot. Maggie Veenendall from the University of Sioux Falls clinched the individual title by a margin of two strokes, finishing at 1-under par overall.The Tigers now turn their attention to the next challenge, the Midwest Classic in Warrensburg, Missouri on October 16-17.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⛳ FHSU women place 10th at Sioux Falls Invitational, Brasser third

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men's golf team finished in 14th&nbsp;place on Tuesday (Oct. 10) at the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by the Missouri Western State Griffons. The tournament was played at the St. Joseph Country Club which is a par-71, 6,612 yard course.

The team was able to record their best team round at the St. Joseph Country Club in more than 15 years with a 291. The course presents numerous challenges with six par-3 holes and five par-5 holes. The Tigers finished in seventh in par 3 scoring out of the 17-team field.

Cooper Scheck&nbsp;led the way for the Tigers with a 19th&nbsp;place finish. Scheck stayed consistent over all three rounds with scores of 74, 72, and 72. Scheck finished the tournament with seven birdies. Out of MIAA competition Scheck finished in 11th&nbsp;place, earning himself and the Tigers five conference points.

Cole Streck&nbsp;finished in a tie for 41st&nbsp;place after three round scores all in the 70's. Streck had his best round in round two with a 72. Streck finished with 223 total shots. Tanner Copeland&nbsp;tied for 62nd&nbsp;place. Copeland managed to shoot an even par in his final round.

Jackson Rader&nbsp;finished in a tie for 65th&nbsp;place. Rader improved each round after shooting an 80 in the opener. Rader finished with a 75 and 74 with three birdies in his final round. Parker Krob&nbsp;placed in a tie for 73rd. Krob shot rounds of 75, 77, and 79. Jacob George&nbsp;competed as an individual and placed 95th.

Missouri Southern took home the team title on Tuesday, finishing the tournament as the only team to post a sub-par score for the three total rounds. MSSU was two strokes below par, beating second place Central Oklahoma by 13 strokes. The Lions shot a 277 in the second round of play and also had three players finish in the top 10 on the individual leaderboard.

Jeffery Johnston from Missouri Western State won the individual title with an 11-under. Johnston was at least 2-under par in each of his three rounds with scores off 66, 67, and 69. Johnston finished the tournament at 1-under on par 3 holes and carded 18 birdies.

The men's golf team will compete again next Monday-Tuesday (Oct. 16-17) at the Super Regional Preview in Edmond, Okla.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696986604039.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men's golf team finished in 14th&nbsp;place on Tuesday (Oct. 10) at the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by the Missouri Western State Griffons. The tournament was played at the St. Joseph Country Club which is a par-71, 6,612 yard course.The team was able to record their best team round at the St. Joseph Country Club in more than 15 years with a 291. The course presents numerous challenges with six par-3 holes and five par-5 holes. The Tigers finished in seventh in par 3 scoring out of the 17-team field.Cooper Scheck&nbsp;led the way for the Tigers with a 19th&nbsp;place finish. Scheck stayed consistent over all three rounds with scores of 74, 72, and 72. Scheck finished the tournament with seven birdies. Out of MIAA competition Scheck finished in 11th&nbsp;place, earning himself and the Tigers five conference points.Cole Streck&nbsp;finished in a tie for 41st&nbsp;place after three round scores all in the 70's. Streck had his best round in round two with a 72. Streck finished with 223 total shots. Tanner Copeland&nbsp;tied for 62nd&nbsp;place. Copeland managed to shoot an even par in his final round.Jackson Rader&nbsp;finished in a tie for 65th&nbsp;place. Rader improved each round after shooting an 80 in the opener. Rader finished with a 75 and 74 with three birdies in his final round. Parker Krob&nbsp;placed in a tie for 73rd. Krob shot rounds of 75, 77, and 79. Jacob George&nbsp;competed as an individual and placed 95th.Missouri Southern took home the team title on Tuesday, finishing the tournament as the only team to post a sub-par score for the three total rounds. MSSU was two strokes below par, beating second place Central Oklahoma by 13 strokes. The Lions shot a 277 in the second round of play and also had three players finish in the top 10 on the individual leaderboard.Jeffery Johnston from Missouri Western State won the individual title with an 11-under. Johnston was at least 2-under par in each of his three rounds with scores off 66, 67, and 69. Johnston finished the tournament at 1-under on par 3 holes and carded 18 birdies.The men's golf team will compete again next Monday-Tuesday (Oct. 16-17) at the Super Regional Preview in Edmond, Okla.

⛳  Tiger men finish 14th in St. Joseph

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State fell in straight sets to No. 9 ranked Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday evening at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Lopers were scorching hot on the attack, winning by scores of 25-16, 25-9, and 25-8 to improve to 18-1 overall and 8-1 in the MIAA. The Tigers moved to 7-11 overall and 1-8 in the MIAA.

The Lopers only got hotter on the attack as the match progressed, hitting .355 in the first set, .450 in the second set, and then .480 in the third set. The Tigers were unable to get any runs going against the Lopers as UNK's sideout percentage in the first set was 87 percent, then they were a perfect 100 percent in sideout percentage in the second and third sets. UNK had 39 kills to just seven errors in the match on just 76 attempts, hitting .421 for the match.

Taylor Hawkins&nbsp;led the Tigers in kills with seven, followed by Emily Ellis&nbsp;and Gracie Rains&nbsp;each with five. Calva Stucky&nbsp;had 15 assists and Hawkins had a team-high nine digs. Claire Olson had a team-high six blocks for the Tigers.

Five of the UNK attackers went errorless in the game, led by an eight-kill effort from Abby Rose. Peyton Neff recorded 35 assists and Lauren Taubenheim led UNK in digs with nine. Rose also had a team-high three blocks for UNK.

The Tigers will host Missouri Southern (Friday, Oct. 13) and Central Missouri (Saturday, Oct. 14) this weekend at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Both matches are set to begin at 6 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696986254770.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State fell in straight sets to No. 9 ranked Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday evening at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Lopers were scorching hot on the attack, winning by scores of 25-16, 25-9, and 25-8 to improve to 18-1 overall and 8-1 in the MIAA. The Tigers moved to 7-11 overall and 1-8 in the MIAA.The Lopers only got hotter on the attack as the match progressed, hitting .355 in the first set, .450 in the second set, and then .480 in the third set. The Tigers were unable to get any runs going against the Lopers as UNK's sideout percentage in the first set was 87 percent, then they were a perfect 100 percent in sideout percentage in the second and third sets. UNK had 39 kills to just seven errors in the match on just 76 attempts, hitting .421 for the match.Taylor Hawkins&nbsp;led the Tigers in kills with seven, followed by Emily Ellis&nbsp;and Gracie Rains&nbsp;each with five. Calva Stucky&nbsp;had 15 assists and Hawkins had a team-high nine digs. Claire Olson had a team-high six blocks for the Tigers.Five of the UNK attackers went errorless in the game, led by an eight-kill effort from Abby Rose. Peyton Neff recorded 35 assists and Lauren Taubenheim led UNK in digs with nine. Rose also had a team-high three blocks for UNK.The Tigers will host Missouri Southern (Friday, Oct. 13) and Central Missouri (Saturday, Oct. 14) this weekend at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Both matches are set to begin at 6 p.m.

🏐 No. 9 Lopers defeat Tigers in mid-week conference match

HAYS -&nbsp;The Hays High boys
soccer lost 2-1 to Wichita Trinity Tuesday at Hays High School.

The Indians trailed 1-0 at halftime with both team scoring a goal in the second half.

The Indians are now 6-6-1 on the season. They close out Western Athletic Conference play at home Thursday against Garden City.

Hays PostHAYS -&nbsp;The Hays High boys
soccer lost 2-1 to Wichita Trinity Tuesday at Hays High School.The Indians trailed 1-0 at halftime with both team scoring a goal in the second half.The Indians are now 6-6-1 on the season. They close out Western Athletic Conference play at home Thursday against Garden City.

⚽ HHS falls at home to Wichita Trinity

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Regan Hodsden&nbsp;of Fort Hays State was named the MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Tuesday. She was the champion of the Emporia State Invitational last weekend, helping the Tigers to a team title as well.

Hodsden topped a field of 48 competitors in the 5K race, helping Fort Hays State win the team title by 60 points. Hodsden covered the course in a time of 17:34.79. She has won both races she has competed in this fall, also winning the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic held by Hutchinson Community College back in early September. Hodsden was an All-America performer in cross country last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696973949221.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Regan Hodsden&nbsp;of Fort Hays State was named the MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Tuesday. She was the champion of the Emporia State Invitational last weekend, helping the Tigers to a team title as well.Hodsden topped a field of 48 competitors in the 5K race, helping Fort Hays State win the team title by 60 points. Hodsden covered the course in a time of 17:34.79. She has won both races she has competed in this fall, also winning the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic held by Hutchinson Community College back in early September. Hodsden was an All-America performer in cross country last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏃‍♀️ FHSU's Hodsden named MIAA Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA revealed the 2023-24 Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches and Media Polls on Tuesday (Oct. 10) as part of its annual Basketball Media Day in Kansas City. Fort Hays State was picked third in the Coaches Poll and fourth in the Media Poll. The Tigers are coming off a 21-9 season in 2022-23, tying for third place in the MIAA regular season standings with Emporia State.

Fort Hays State has put together back-to-back 20-plus win seasons, but was just outside the mix of teams to make the NCAA Tournament each year. FHSU went 23-6 in 2021-22, it's best mark under head coach Mark Johnson when not being selected to the NCAA Tournament, and had another strong season in 2022-23 at 21-9 finishing third in the perennially tough MIAA for a second-straight season. The Tigers have now won 20 or more under Johnson 11 times in his 22 years of guiding the program. He enters his 23rd season with a career record of 428-212, among the Top 25 winningest active coaches in NCAA Division II.

The Tigers have finished third in the MIAA regular season standings in each of the last two years. In 2021-22, they were just one game back of co-champions Northwest Missouri State and Central Oklahoma with a mark of 17-5 in the conference. Last year, Northwest Missouri returned to the top alone with Central Oklahoma second and then FHSU and Emporia State tying for third at 15-7. Northwest Missouri State has won or tied for the MIAA regular season title in each of the last 10 seasons. Fort Hays State and Central Missouri tied for the crown in 2012-13 season, which was the last time NWMSU did not win at least a share of the title.

The preseason polls have Northwest Missouri State as the favorite once again in 2023-24, but there is a bit of a shakeup among the top four teams in the conference from last year in the No. 2 through No. 4 positions. FHSU was picked third in the Coaches Poll and fourth in the Media Poll. Emporia State was tabbed second in the Coaches Poll and third in the Media Poll. Central Oklahoma was fourth in the Coaches Poll and second in the Media Poll. FHSU, ESU, and UCO all received one first-place vote in the Coaches Poll, while Northwest Missouri took the other 11 first-place votes. In the Media Poll, NWMSU and UCO were the only two teams to garner first-place votes.

The Tigers return all three of their All-MIAA performers from a season ago. All-MIAA First Team selection Kaleb Hammeke returns at point guard after averaging 16.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in 2022-23. He was also an NABC All-District Second Team selection in the Central Region. He led the MIAA in minutes per game (36.3) and ranked sixth in the conference in scoring and fifth in assists. Hammeke scored in double figures in 27 of 30 games for FHSU last year. Joining him are All-MIAA Honorable Mention picks Elijah Nnanabu and Bjarni Jonsson. Nnanabu averaged 10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while Jonsson added 8.6 points and 3.7 points per game. Jonsson was also named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team for a second straight season.

Traejon Davis, Jaheim Holden, and Lucas Hammeke also return to the floor this season, while 2022-23 redshirts Kyle Grill and Nathan Hawk look to work their way into the mix. They join the three all-conference selections as the eight returners to the program this year. The Tigers have six newcomers, which includes four transfers and two true freshmen.

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 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA revealed the 2023-24 Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches and Media Polls on Tuesday (Oct. 10) as part of its annual Basketball Media Day in Kansas City. Fort Hays State was picked third in the Coaches Poll and fourth in the Media Poll. The Tigers are coming off a 21-9 season in 2022-23, tying for third place in the MIAA regular season standings with Emporia State.<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/1636740918&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/miaa-basketball-media-day-mark-johnson-and-talia-kahrs-oct-10-2023" title="MIAA Basketball Media Day - Mark Johnson and Talia Kahrs (Oct. 10, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">MIAA Basketball Media Day - Mark Johnson and Talia Kahrs (Oct. 10, 2023)</a></div></div>Fort Hays State has put together back-to-back 20-plus win seasons, but was just outside the mix of teams to make the NCAA Tournament each year. FHSU went 23-6 in 2021-22, it's best mark under head coach Mark Johnson when not being selected to the NCAA Tournament, and had another strong season in 2022-23 at 21-9 finishing third in the perennially tough MIAA for a second-straight season. The Tigers have now won 20 or more under Johnson 11 times in his 22 years of guiding the program. He enters his 23rd season with a career record of 428-212, among the Top 25 winningest active coaches in NCAA Division II.The Tigers have finished third in the MIAA regular season standings in each of the last two years. In 2021-22, they were just one game back of co-champions Northwest Missouri State and Central Oklahoma with a mark of 17-5 in the conference. Last year, Northwest Missouri returned to the top alone with Central Oklahoma second and then FHSU and Emporia State tying for third at 15-7. Northwest Missouri State has won or tied for the MIAA regular season title in each of the last 10 seasons. Fort Hays State and Central Missouri tied for the crown in 2012-13 season, which was the last time NWMSU did not win at least a share of the title.The preseason polls have Northwest Missouri State as the favorite once again in 2023-24, but there is a bit of a shakeup among the top four teams in the conference from last year in the No. 2 through No. 4 positions. FHSU was picked third in the Coaches Poll and fourth in the Media Poll. Emporia State was tabbed second in the Coaches Poll and third in the Media Poll. Central Oklahoma was fourth in the Coaches Poll and second in the Media Poll. FHSU, ESU, and UCO all received one first-place vote in the Coaches Poll, while Northwest Missouri took the other 11 first-place votes. In the Media Poll, NWMSU and UCO were the only two teams to garner first-place votes.The Tigers return all three of their All-MIAA performers from a season ago. All-MIAA First Team selection Kaleb Hammeke returns at point guard after averaging 16.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in 2022-23. He was also an NABC All-District Second Team selection in the Central Region. He led the MIAA in minutes per game (36.3) and ranked sixth in the conference in scoring and fifth in assists. Hammeke scored in double figures in 27 of 30 games for FHSU last year. Joining him are All-MIAA Honorable Mention picks Elijah Nnanabu and Bjarni Jonsson. Nnanabu averaged 10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while Jonsson added 8.6 points and 3.7 points per game. Jonsson was also named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team for a second straight season.Traejon Davis, Jaheim Holden, and Lucas Hammeke also return to the floor this season, while 2022-23 redshirts Kyle Grill and Nathan Hawk look to work their way into the mix. They join the three all-conference selections as the eight returners to the program this year. The Tigers have six newcomers, which includes four transfers and two true freshmen.The Tigers will play an exhibition contest at the University of Kansas on November 1 before opening their regular season November 10-11 in Emporia, Kan., playing Southwestern Oklahoma State and Arkansas Tech in the MIAA/GAC Challenge. The first home action of the season will be on November 21 against Central Christian College after the Tigers play their first three games of the season away from Gross Memorial Coliseum.Below are the 2023-24 MIAA Preseason Men's Basketball Polls.COACHES POLL 1. Northwest Missouri [11] – 166 points 2. Emporia State [1] – 151 points 3. Fort Hays State [1] – 147 points 4. Central Oklahoma [1] – 138 points 5. Missouri Southern – 120 points 6. Washburn – 106 points 7. Missouri Western – 92 points 8. Rogers State – 88 points 9. Northeastern State – 60 points 10. Central Missouri – 59 points 11. Pittsburg State – 55 points 12. Lincoln – 46 points 13. Newman – 24 points 14. Nebraska Kearney – 22 points MEDIA POLL 1. Northwest Missouri [19] – 291 points 2. Central Oklahoma [2] – 260 points 3. Emporia State – 252 points 4. Fort Hays State – 229 points 5. Missouri Southern – 193 points 6. Lincoln – 163 points 7. Washburn – 162 points 8. Missouri Western – 141 points 9. Rogers State – 138 points 10. Central Missouri – 110 points 11. Pittsburg State – 96 points 12. Northeastern State – 87 points 13. Newman – 47 points 14. Nebraska Kearney – 36 points