FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State cross country/track and field head coach Dr. Jason McCullough has announced a nationwide schedule for the 2022-23 season. The Tigers will compete in eight states across all four time zones in the continental United States during the upcoming season.
The cross country season kicks off on September 1 at the Terry Masterson Twilight (Hutchinson, Kan.) before the Tigers travel to the highly competitive Southern Stampede (Joplin, Mo.) on September 18. Fort Hays State will battle another tough field at the Gans Creek Classic (Columbia, Mo.) on September 30 hosted by SEC member Missouri before wrapping up the regular season on October 15 at the Trojan Invite (Colby, Kan.).
The championship phase of the fall season begins in Jefferson City, Mo. as Lincoln plays host to the MIAA Championships on November 5. The Tigers will then return to Joplin, Mo. for the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships on November 19 with a trip to University Place, Wash. and the NCAA Division II Championships (Dec. 3) on the line.
While the distance runners hope to wrap up their season at the national race in Washington in early December, the indoor track and field team will begin its season that same weekend at the UNK Pre-Holiday Classic (Dec. 2, Kearney, Neb.). The Tigers will compete once more before wrapping up the semester at the highly competitive Boo Rogers Combined Events and Crimson & Gold Invitational (Dec. 9-10, Pittsburg, Kan.). The Tigers broke seven school records and achieved 23 NCAA provisional qualifying marks last season at the Plaster Center on the campus of Pittsburg State.
After the calendar turns to 2023, the track and field programs will take a tour of indoor facilities in Kansas at the Washburn Rust Buster (Jan. 21, Topeka), the Jayhawk Classic (Jan. 27, Lawrence) and the Herm Wilson Invitational (Feb. 3-4, Wichita) before returning to Pittsburg State for the highly anticipated Gorilla Classic (Feb. 10-11). The regular season concludes the following week with a trip to the Bob Devaney Sports Center for the Nebraska Tune-Up (Feb. 17, Lincoln, Neb.). The Tigers will then travel to Pittsburg a third time for the MIAA Indoor Championships (Feb. 24-26) before heading to the east coast in Virginia Beach, Va. for the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships (March 10-11) at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
The outdoor season is slated to begin in late March before concluding with the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl in Pueblo, Colo. May 25-27. The Tigers will host the annual FHSU Alex Francis Classic late in the regular season on April 28 at the FHSU Track and Field Facility. Other regional competition in the spring includes trips to Wichita State (April 7-8), Nebraska-Kearney (April 1 and 15, May 13), and host of the 2024 and 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, Emporia State (March 24-25, April 22).
Outside of those regional competitions, the Tigers are planning trips to California and Texas for marquee events in pursuit of NCAA qualifying marks and school records. In 2022, trips to these two states produced seven school records, 17 NCAA Provisional marks and 15 FHSU DII era top 10 performances. The Tigers plan to make their inaugural trip to the highly acclaimed Stanford Invitational at the Cobb Track & Angell Field in Palo Alto, Calif. March 24-25. Fort Hays State will return to the Bay Area the following week the following week (March 30-April 1) to compete in San Francisco State's Mike Fanelli Classic, doing so for the first time since 2015. The Tigers will also send athletes to Austin, Texas that week (March 29-April 1) for the prestigious 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium on Texas' campus, doing so for the second year in a row.
The Tigers will return to southern California two weeks later, competing at three different venues between April 12-15. Fort Hays State will compete in Long Beach, Calif. at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate (April 13) and Beach Invitational (April 14-15) at the Jack Rose Track on the campus of Long Beach State. The Tigers will also attend the historically famous 63rd Mt. SAC Relays (April 12-15) at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut Calif., hosted by Mt. San Antonio Community College presented by Nike. Additional Tiger student-athletes will compete at the prominent Bryan Clay Invitational (April 13-15) at Cougar Athletic Stadium hosted by Azusa Pacific in Azusa, Calif.
After hosting the Alex Francis Classic in late April, the Tigers will head off to Jefferson City, Mo. for the MIAA Outdoor Championships as Lincoln once again assumes hosting duties May 5-7.
Fort Hays State returns an impressive crop of athletes that includes two national champions, 11 All-Americans, 14 NCAA Championship meet participants, 15 All-MIAA performers and 30 MIAA Championship meet scorers while adding a recruiting class that includes multiple high school state champions, medalists and junior college All-Americans.