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The Malone University men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs have joined the Appalachian Swimming & Diving Conference, Malone athletic director Charlie Grimes and Pioneer head coach Alex Keyser announced today.

The conference affiliation only affects the sport of swimming & diving at Malone as the Pioneers join 14 other institutions and their programs that are members of the NAIA, NCAA Div. II and NCAA Div. III.

Information on the Appalachian Swimming & Diving Conference can be found at: http://www.fastlaneswimming.net/appalachianconference

Malone will compete in the conference championships February 18-19, 2011.

John Giannelli, of Calera, Alabama and a 2010 graduate of Massillon Washington High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers.  The 6’2” pitcher was a three-year letterman for the Tigers.

Giannelli received the “Top Pitcher” award for the Tigers in 2010 and was also selected to participate in the 2010 Hank Miller Senior All-Star Classic Game.  Academically, he received the 2010 Business Award (Outstanding Achievement).

Giannelli intends to major in Business Administration at Malone.  He is the son of Karrie and John Giannelli Sr. of Calera, Alabama (formerly residents of Massillon).

(L-R): Karrie Giannelli (mother), John Giannelli Jr., Tom Crank (Malone head baseball coach)

How did each of the 20 Malone athletic teams perform this past year?  Who received postseason awards?  What records were broken?  Find answers to these and all of your other 2009-10 Malone Athletics questions by reading the season recap for your favorite team.  

Click on the following links to check out each team's season summary:
Men's and Women's Cross Country
Football
Volleyball
Men's Soccer
Women's Soccer
Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving
Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Men's and Women's Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field
Baseball
Softball
Men's Golf
Women's Golf
Men's Tennis
Women's Tennis

Meet Malone's New Head Coaches For 2010-11:
Eric Hehman - Football
Alex Keyser - Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving
Tim Springirth - Men's and Women's Tennis

View How The Malone Athletic Department As A Whole Fared At The Conference And National Levels:
AMC All-Sports Standings
NAIA Directors' Cup Standings

Information About Malone's Transition To NCAA Division II Membership:
Malone Press Release
NCAA Website

The Malone University baseball team, under the direction of seventh-year head coach Tom Crank, capped another strong campaign this spring by competing at the American Mideast Conference Postseason Tournament and the NCCAA World Series for the third consecutive year.  The Pioneers posted a final overall record of 36-20, marking the fourth time in the last five years that the squad has eclipsed 35 victories. 

Malone opened its 2010 campaign by tallying a 10-4 mark during its annual spring break trip to Phoenix, Arizona.  The Pioneers then kept rolling upon returning to Ohio with wins in 11 of their next 12 contests.  Like it had done in recent years, Malone excelled in conference play, registering a 16-8 mark for a second-place finish among the AMC’s seven baseball squads.  The Pioneers travelled to Portsmouth, Ohio to compete in the three-team AMC Tournament in mid-May but were eliminated from the event on the first day of competition after dropping games to third-seeded Mt. Vernon Nazarene University and the event’s host, Shawnee State University. 

Although Malone’s hopes of qualifying for the NAIA World Series were dashed with the pair of tough losses, the Pioneers, who were ranked second in the final NCCAA national ratings, received a bid to compete as the third seed in the ten-team NCCAA World Series that was held at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.  Unfortunately though, Malone’s stay at the event was shorter than hoped as the squad was knocked out of the double-elimination tournament after falling 6-5 to sixth-seeded Olivet Nazarene (IL) University and 4-0 to seventh-seeded Southeastern (FL) University.

Junior left-handed starting pitcher Jeff Shenker (Twinsburg H.S.) and junior designated hitter Corey Hartong (Dalton H.S.) each put together outstanding seasons and were honored with numerous awards from the NAIA and NCCAA.  Shenker compiled an 8-2 record with a 3.17 earned run average over 82.1 innings pitched.  The 6’5” southpaw tossed four complete games in 2010, struck out a team-high 64 batters and limited opponents to a .245 batting average.  In recognition of this impressive performance, Shenker was named an NCCAA All-American, the AMC Pitcher of the Year, and the NCCAA East Region Pitcher of the Year.  In addition, he also garnered All-AMC First Team and NCCAA All-East Region accolades.

In his first season as a starter, Hartong batted .389 with 41 runs scored, seven doubles, seven triples, eight homers and 38 RBI’s.  He also notched a .675 slugging percentage, a .476 on-base percentage and finished the year one triple shy of tying Steve Buso’s 1993 single-season record of eight triples.  Hartong joined Shenker on the NCCAA All-America Team and also collected NCCAA East Region Player of the Year accolades to go with his All-AMC First Team and NCCAA All-East Region awards.

Senior left-handed starting pitcher Todd Liberatore (Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.) was voted to the All-AMC First Team and NCCAA All-East Region Team after tossing 67.2 innings and posting an 8-3 record with a 5.32 ERA.  All-AMC Second Team and NCCAA All-East Region recognition went to sophomore first baseman Matt Anderson (Jackson H.S.), sophomore catcher T.J. Rosenberg (United Local H.S.), and freshman centerfielder Allen Strouble (Marlington H.S.).  Anderson registered team highs for batting average (.400), runs (56), hits (68), RBI’s (39), and on-base percentage (.502), while also smacking eight doubles, three triples and six homers.  Rosenberg entered the starting lineup midway through the year and immediately contributed with 44 hits and 28 RBI’s in only 121 at-bats.  Strouble, meanwhile, wasted little time in adjusting to the college game as he posted a .329 batting average with 10 doubles and a team-high nine homers.  Strouble also drove in 39 runs, sharing the team lead for RBI’s with Anderson.

Other postseason award winners included sophomore rightfielder Marc Adams (Louisville H.S.), junior second baseman Justin Shiflett (Zane Trace H.S.), senior third baseman Alex Schmid (Canton Central Catholic H.S.) and freshman right-handed pitcher Jared Messer (Perry H.S.).   Adams was voted to the All-AMC Second Team while All-AMC Honorable Mention recognition was earned by Shiflett, Schmid and Messer.  Shiflett was also selected to the NCCAA All-East Region Team while Adams and Schmid were tabbed NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention.

Crank was also recognized with NCCAA East Region Coach of the Year honors.

The Malone University softball team, led by first-year head coach Whitney Hartman, overcame several preseason injuries to its pitching staff to finish its 2010 campaign with a 10-16 overall record and a 10-6 mark in American Mideast Conference play.  After dropping their first eight games of the year, the Pioneers rebounded in a big way, winning 10 of their final 16 regular-season contests to finish fourth in the conference standings and qualify for the AMC playoffs for the first time since 2006.  

After closing out the regular season with three straight wins, Malone travelled to Portsmouth, Ohio to compete in the four-team, double-elimination AMC Tournament that was hosted May 5-7 by Shawnee State University.  Unfortunately, Malone’s stay at the event was much shorter than the squad had hoped as the Pioneers opened the tourney with a 5-1 loss to the host Bears before being ousted from the postseason after suffering a tough 14-0 defeat to Walsh University.

Senior centerfielder Morgan Heacock (Mt. Gilead H.S.) was one of several Pioneers who turned in outstanding individual performances this season as she garnered All-AMC First Team, NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) East Region, and NCCAA All-America honors after batting a career-best .375 with 36 base hits, including two inside-the-park home runs, 25 runs scored, 16 RBI’s and 17 stolen bases.   

Sophomore shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer (Central Crossing H.S.) had another incredible season at the plate as she posted a team-high batting average of .424 with six doubles, three triples, eight homers, 28 RBI’s, 20 runs scored and a remarkable .847 slugging percentage.  Atzenhoefer, an All-AMC Second Team, NCCAA East Region, and NCCAA All-America selection, also tied a Malone and NAIA single-game record by clubbing three homers in a 19-0 rout of Carlow (PA) University on April 24th.

Leading the way for the Pioneers on the mound was junior Jessica Krska (Norton H.S.), who received NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention accolades. Krska ended the year with a 7-7 record while notching a 4.47 earned run average and 43 strikeouts over her 92.1 innings pitched.

Voted both NCCAA East Region and All-AMC Honorable Mention this season were junior leftfielder Elizabeth Sarkissian (Twinsburg H.S.) and junior catcher Laura Ronk (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.). Sarkissian batted.291 with 25 hits and 21 runs scored while Ronk caught every inning behind the plate for the Pioneers this season while batting .322 with five double, two triples and 14 RBI’s.

Other postseason award winners included freshman second baseman Nikki Eshelman (Wadsworth H.S.) and sophomore pitcher Kelsey Hatfield (Ostego H.S.), who were each tabbed NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention.  Junior first baseman Karre Thompson (East Canton H.S.) collected All-AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention awards while freshman outfielder Brittany Stevenson (Geneva H.S.) garnered All-AMC Second Team honors. In addition, Hartman was voted the NCCAA East Region Co-Coach of the Year.

Although the Pioneers will certainly miss Heacock, a four-time All-AMC outfielder, the rest of Malone’s starters will return in 2011 as the squad looks to build on this spring’s success by making a run at next year’s AMC title.

The Malone University men’s cross country team, led by veteran head coach Jack Hazen, captured its third straight NAIA national title (and fourth in school history) at the NAIA National Championships in Vancouver, Washington while the Pioneer women’s team posted an impressive third-place finish.  With the fourth national title for the men, only two other NAIA programs have more men’s national titles than Malone (Adams State, CO with 12 and Lubbock Christian, TX with 8).

The Malone men tallied 44 points, which was the lowest point total for the men’s meet since 1998, among a 32-team field for their national crown to easily win by one of the largest margins in meet history.  Concordia (NE) University was second with 166 points, Southern Oregon University took third at 188, Shawnee State University came in fourth at 229 and Embry-Riddle (FL) University rounded out the top five with 264 points.   In addition, Malone head coach Jack Hazen earned NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year honors.

The Pioneer women racked up 163 points for their third-place finish among a 32-team field as Cal State-San Marcos took the women’s team title with 137 points.  Biola (CA) University was second with 140 points, Simon Fraser (B.C.) University took fourth with 195 points while Azusa Pacific (CA) University rounded out the top five with 199 points.

For the men, Aaron Melhorn (Jr., Fairless H.S.) paced Malone with a third-place finish overall in a time of 24:36 while James Zeuch (Jr., Galion H.S.) was fifth overall in 25:15.  Paul Robinson (Sr., Field H.S.) finished 11^th in 25:27, Chris Sinick (Sr.,. Field H.S.) came in 12^th in 25:29 and  Evan Gaynor (Sr., Delta H.S.) placed 18^th in  25:39.  All five runners earned NAIA All-America honors by virtue of their Top 30 finishes.  Also competing for Malone were Tony Migliozzi (So., St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.), who finished 47^th (26:03), and Nick Meeson (Fr., Lakewood H.S.), who placed 55^th (26:11).

For the women, Sarah Hines (Sr., Northmor H.S.) led the way with a 29^th-place finish overall in a time of 18:54 to earn the lone All-America honor for the women.  Also scoring for Malone were Rebekah Genter (Sr., Van Wert H.S.) in 38^th (19:11), Erin Bauer (So., Loveland H.S.) in 40^th (19:12), Tynae Wilson (So., Fort Wayne, IN) in 51^st (19:21) and Lindsey Pifher (Jr., Colonel Crawford H.S.) in 64^th (19:29).  Others who competed for the team included Ashton Avery (So., McKinley H.S.) in 76^th (19:38) and Emily Grad (Jr., Field H.S.) in 112^th 19:59).

In addition, Malone University earned the Team Award for lowest combined score with 207 points (44 men, 163 women) and easily defeated runner-up Simon Fraser (B.C.) University, which had 470 points (275 men, 195 women).

The men’s squad also captured their third consecutive NCCAA National Championship, collecting the national title in Cedarville one week prior to the NAIA national meet, among a 23-team field. The Pioneer women’s squad finished second among the 19 teams.

The men’s squad, which again this year rested its top runners in preparation for the NAIA national meet, was paced by Meeson, who paced the Pioneers with a second-place overall finish in a time of 25:45.  Zach Mathias (So., Galion H.S.) placed third overall in 25:57, Migliozzi was fourth in 26:00 and Bryce Pulley (Fr., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.) grabbed eighth in 26:28. By virtue of their top 15 finishes, all four Pioneers earned NCAA All-America honors.  Jeremy Arthur (So., Medina H.S.) also scored for Malone and finished 19^th in 26:59.  Others who competed for Malone were Kyle Randolph (Jr., Galion H.S.), who placed 29^th in 27:23, and Nate Slaughter (Fr., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.), who finished 46^th in 28:22.  In addition, coach Hazen was named the NCCAA National Men’s Coach of the Year.

For the women, which also rested some runners, the team was led by Erin Bauer, who finished fourth-place overall in a time of 18:50 while Lindsey Pifher was close behind in sixth place in 18:55.  Brynn Chaskel (Fr., Liberty Benton H.S.), who placed seventh in 18:58, joined Bauer and Pifher as NCCAA All-Americans by virtue of their top 15 finishes.  Also scoring for Malone were Hannah Hartzler (Fr., Norwayne H.S.) in 19^th (19:24) and Gabrielle Wuensch (So., New London H.S.) in 21^st (19:25).  Melissa Roth (So., Celina H.S.), who placed 32^nd in 19:52, and Kalie Hauenstein (Sr., Ashland H.S.), who finished 50^th in 20:42, also competed for the team.

Cedarville also played host to the this year’s American Mideast Conference championships as the Pioneer men continued their streak of having never lost the conference/district/region meet by winning a 42^nd consecutive team title (since the 1968 inaugural meet) among a 12-team field to qualify for the NAIA national meet.

The Malone men pocketed the top six spots in the race as they tallied just 19 points to easily outdistance runner-up NAIA #6 Shawnee State University, which had 55 points.

The Pioneer women finished first as well in their 11-team field as they posted 32 points to defeat #7 NAIA ranked Cedarville, which had 44 points.

Melhorn won the individual title for the men, followed by Gaynor, Zeuch, Robinson and Sinick and each of these runners earned All-AMC First Team (top 7) honors. Meeson and Migliozzi were both named to the All-AMC Second Team.

Hines paced the Malone women with her fourth-place finish while Genter and Bauer finished fifth and sixth, respectively.  The trio was named to the All-AMC First Team for their efforts while Grad, Wilson, Chaskel and Avery earned All-AMC Second Team accolades. In addition, Hazen was named AMC Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.

In the last 26 years, only six different schools have won the men’s cross country NAIA National Championship and with three straight national titles, Malone has now even further established itself as a true cross country power within that elite group of multiple national title winners.

The Malone University men’s tennis team’s hopes for an AMC title and an NAIA national tournament berth came to a close in late April as the Pioneers finished in fourth place among six teams in the AMC, missing the chance to compete in postseason play and return to the NAIA National Championships, as they did in 2008.

Under the leadership of second-year head coach Steve Moroney, the Pioneers finished with a 4-10 overall record while posting a 2-3 record in conference play.  The squad was unable to improve on their 6-9 (3-3 AMC) record of 2009 but, despite battling injuries and facing some tough competition, never backed down against their opponents as they posted solid results against some excellent NAIA and NCAA teams.  The team fell to conference rival Walsh University in regular-season play for the second straight year and finished behind Walsh, University of Northwestern Ohio and Roberts Wesleyan College (NY) in the conference standings.

Malone opened the 2010 season with a 6-3 loss to The College of Wooster before bouncing back to defeat Oberlin College 7-2 in its second contest of the year.  After several more losses, the team picked up its second win of the season during its annual spring break trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (March 5-12).

The Pioneers posted a 1-3 record in Hilton Head with their lone win coming in a 7-2 victory over Northwestern College (MN). The team put forth solid efforts against national powerhouses Catawba College (NC) and Brevard College (NC) and fell to a more equally-matched University of Charleston (WV) squad despite #1 David Cairn’s limited playing time due to his recovering from foot surgery.

The first of the Pioneers’ final two victories on the year came against Notre Dame (OH) College 6-3. The team finished the season on a high note with a solid 6-3 win against conference contender Cedarville University as they swept doubles and won at the top three singles spots.

Junior David Cairns (Strongsville, OH), who was the lone Malone representative on the All-AMC Team, having earned Singles accolades, had a 2-4 record at #1 singles despite recovering from the foot surgery.  Senior Nathanael Rodd (Canton, OH) posted a 5-9 record while splitting most of his playing time between #1 and #2 singles.  Cairns and Rodd teamed up for a 2-4 record at #1 doubles while switching doubles partners several times throughout the season.

Freshman Nathan Davis (Southborough, MA) finished his season at 7-6 while playing #2 and #3 singles. Senior Tim Frazier (Beaver Falls, PA) compiled a 3-10 record, mostly at #4 singles. Davis and Frazier joined forces at #2 doubles with a 4-6 record while also switching doubles partners several times throughout the season.

 Freshman Hunter Atkins (Fredericksburg, TX) posted a 2-9 record, primarily at #3 and #4 singles while freshman Alex Steinmetz (Willard H.S.) finished at 6-8, mostly at #5 singles.  Atkins and Steinmetz partnered at #3 doubles and notched a 3-6 record.

 Senior Jonathan Snyder (Nazareth, PA) completed a winning season with a 6-5 record at #6 singles while freshman Andrew Rearick (New Cumberland, PA) garnered a 2-1 record while playing with Steinmetz at #3 doubles.

The Malone University women’s tennis team, led by first-year head coach Tanya Gombera, completed the 2010 season with a 4-13 record while posting a 3-4 record in the American Mideast Conference.  Despite a positive attitude and hard work, the young Pioneer squad fell just short of postseason play for the fourth consecutive year.

The Malone women struggled through most of their season, losing their first ten matches before winning three out their last four matches to end the season on a high note. The Pioneers finished in fifth place among an eight-team AMC field with a 3-4 record, just one place short of qualifying for the conference playoffs. The squad finished behind Cedarville University, University of Northwestern Ohio and Walsh University, which all tied for first place, and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College, which was fourth.

After starting out at 0-10, which included matches during their annual spring break trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina, the team collected its first match of the season against Marietta College 8-1 in late March.  The team then dropped its next three matches, including a 7-2 loss to rival Walsh University, to fall to 0-10 on the season. The Pioneers then rounded out their season with a 4-3 record over their final seven matches (including victories in three of their last four matches) with wins against Marietta College, Carlow (PA) University, Ursuline College and Shawnee State University.

Sophomore Alanna Phillips (Lexington H.S.), who was the lone representative for Malone on the All-AMC Team with Singles accolades, paced the Malone squad, posting an 8-9 record at #1 singles. Junior Lauren Armbrust (Chippewa H.S.) finished the season with a 5-12 record while alternating playing time between #2 and #3 singles.

 Freshman Kim Knisley (Marlington H.S.) finished the season with a 3-14 overall record while also splitting playing time at #2 and #3 singles. Freshman Julianna Blaisdell (Salem, NH) and sophomore Stephanie Prasnal (Hoover H.S.) split time with each competing at #4 singles.  Blaisdell posted a 1-7 record while Prasnal finished with a 1-13 record.

Playing mostly at #5 singles was freshman Hannah Swiger (Dover, OH) as she posted a 7-10 mark.  The #6 singles spot belonged mostly to freshman Savannah McDaniel (West Branch H.S.) as she compiled a 5-6 record.

Phillips and Knisley anchored #1 doubles for the Pioneers, posting a 9-7 record together.  Armbrust and Prasnal became the primary #2 duo while battling through an 0-9 record together. McDaniel, Swiger, and Blaisdell all shared time at #3 doubles with 3-6, 0-2, 1-6 overall records, respectively. Freshman Marie Konstan (Lutheran West H.S.) and freshman Kaitlin Burch (Yipsilanti, MI) both earned some playing time during the season as well. Burch went 0-2 in singles and 0-1 in doubles while Konstan compiled an 0-1 record in singles and a 4-8 record in doubles.

The Pioneers look to step up their performance for the 2011 season after two rebuilding years. Although this year was a struggle, the team was very pleased with winning four out their last seven and three out of their last four matches after starting the season 0-10. The squad is expected to perhaps return all its players for 2011 as the team looks to qualify for the AMC playoffs and make a run in postseason play.

The Malone University women’s golf team recently completed another successful season under the guidance of first-year head coach Heather Grovemiller.  In addition, the team completed the year with a solid second-place finish at the AMC Championships while top Pioneer golfer Elena Duncan (Sr., Winona Lake H.S.) captured the individual title at the event.

After battling through the first three matches of the fall ’09 season, in which the team placed sixth at all three events, the squad elevated its game to win the Phipps Memorial Tournament in the final tournament of the fall campaign.  At that event, Duncan fired a team-best round of 87 to take medalist honors.  Jen Blocker (Sr., Westerville North H.S.) finished second overall with a score of 91.

In the spring season, the Pioneers kept their winning streak going as they won the Urbana University Invitational, among three teams with a score of 382, followed by the Westminster (PA) College Invitational among a five-team field with a 361.  At the Urbana match, Duncan captured her second straight tournament title by taking tournament medalist honors as she posted a score of 87.  Jennifer Snyder (Jr., Wexford, PA) followed with a second-place finish overall at 90.  At the Westminster event, Snyder paced Malone and finished second overall with a score of 87, just two shots behind the tournament medalist.

In its final event of the season, Malone placed second at the four-team AMC conference tournament behind rival Walsh University as the squad just missed qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament for the second consecutive year.

At the four-team AMC event, the Pioneers compiled a two-day score of 724 (359-365) on April 19th at the Berkshire Hills Golf Course in Chesterland, Ohio.  Walsh took the team title at 681 (333-348). The University of Northwestern Ohio came in third with a score of 749 (381-368) while Ursuline College finished in fourth by tallying an 801 (396-405).

Duncan led the Pioneers to their second-place AMC finish by compiling an overall individual winning two-day score of 166 (82-84) at the AMC tournament.  Duncan received All-AMC First Team honors with her performance.  Despite winning the individual title at the event, Duncan did not receive an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships.  Normally, the individual winner and winning team earn an automatic berth to NAIA nationals but since fewer than six teams participated in the conference event, no automatic bids were permitted to be awarded. 

Snyder finished eighth overall with 181 (87-94) strokes while Blocker came in next for Malone with a score of 188 (97-91) to earn her eleventh-place overall finish.  Alyssa Westfall (Jr., Ashland H.S.) finished 12^th overall by tallying a score of 189 (93-96) while Natalie Reddaway (So., Perkins H.S.) rounded out the Malone scoring with a 196 (98-98) to place 17^th.

The Malone University men’s golf team, led by veteran head coach Ken Hyland, was ranked third in the NAIA’s final national poll heading into the NAIA National Championships at the TPC Deer Run in Silvis, Illinois in late May.  The team knew that an NAIA national championship was not out of the question.  With definite aspirations of earning the school’s second NAIA national title in men’s golf (2000), the Pioneers were on the brink of doing just that after holding a share of first place after day three of the four-day 72-hole event. 

Malone narrowly missed out on that goal, though, by a mere six strokes, as the team posted a score of 1190 (299-293-304-294) for a third-place national finish as Oklahoma City University won the national title with a score of 1184 (293-299-304-288).  Malone finished just one stroke behind runner-up Oklahoma Christian University, which had an 1189 (291-301-306-291).  South Carolina Beaufort finished fourth at 1191 (295-291-312-293) while Holy Names (CA) University rounded out the top five with a score of 1195 (296-302-305-292) among a 29-team field.  In addition, Ken Hyland was voted by his peers as the NAIA National Coach of the Year, an honor that typically goes to the coach of the national championship team.

The biggest story of the tournament, though, for Malone was the play of one Pioneer athlete in particular. Malone’s top golfer all season, junior Justin Lower (Northwest H.S.) capped off a truly phenomenal season by capturing the individual NAIA national title.  Posting an incredible four-under-par score of 280 on the par 71 course over the four days, Lower easily won the individual title by six strokes over the runner-up finisher, Brett Quitiquit of Madonna (MI) University who finished at +2 (286).  With rounds of 68, 70, 71 and 71, Lower was the only golfer at the national tournament to finish under par for the event.  In addition, he became the second golfer in Malone history to earn an NAIA individual national crown, matching his coach, Ken Hyland, who did it in 1969 (when Hyland became Malone’s first-ever NAIA All-American in any sport with the feat).

At the conclusion of the tournament, Lower was named to the NAIA Ping All-America Team and also received the NAIA Arnold Palmer Award presented by Callaway as the medalist of the NAIA championship.  The victory was Lower’s eighth of the 2009-10 year.  In addition to being named to the NAIA Ping All-America Team, Lower was also voted the NAIA National Player of the Year.

The team’s third-place finish would not have been possible without the outstanding play of the other four team members representing Malone at the event.  Ben Smith (Sr., Carrollton H.S.) finished second for Malone and 26^th overall with a score of 299 (72-76-79-72) while Tyler Light (Fr., Massillon Perry H.S.) was third for the team and 38^th overall at 303 (81-69-77-76).  Richie Schembechler (So., Massillon Washington H.S.) finished 69^th with a score of 312 (82-78-77-75) and Michael Strayer (Sr., Riverside H.S.) tallied a 317 (78-78-84-77) to finish 83^rd.

The Malone University men’s track & field team, led by head coach Mark McClure, finished 20^th among 69 teams scoring points at the NAIA National Championships in Marion, Indiana last Thursday through Saturday while the Malone women’s team placed in a tie for 37^th among 65 teams scoring at the event.  The Pioneer men tallied 17 points as Wayland Baptist (TX) University won the men’s national title with 70 points.  The Pioneer women’s team scored six points as Azusa Pacific (CA) University took the women’s national title with 61 points.

Three individuals on the men’s squad earned All-America honors while a Malone women’s relay team also pocketed All-America accolades.

For the men, the biggest story of the national event was the All-America honor won by senior Chris Sinick (Field H.S.) in the 1500 meters.  In the final weekend of competition in his Malone career, Sinick placed third in the 1500-meter finals in a time of 3:49.94 to earn his 11^th NAIA All-America recognition (including both track and cross country) at the school.  This honor moved him into sole possession of having the most NAIA All-America awards of any student-athlete in Malone history (all sports), breaking the three-way tie of 10 honors that he had been in with 2005 Malone graduate Dave Gramlich and current junior Aaron Melhorn (Fairless H.S.), who had been ill for the final few weeks of this season.

Evan Gaynor (Jr., Delta H.S.) also earned All-America distinction by placing third in the 10,000 meters in 30:43.37 while James Zeuch (Jr., Galion H.S.) collected All-America honors as he finished fourth in the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:08.82.

For the Malone women, the 4x800-meter relay team of Kayleigh Bildstein (Jr., Madison H.S.), Caitlin Sharp (So., East Canton H.S.), Amanda Theis (Jr., Seneca East H.S.) and Ashton Avery (So., McKinley H.S.) earned All-America accolades with an impressive third-place finish in a time of 9:03.24.

A few weeks earlier, the Pioneer men’s team captured the national title at the NCCAA National Championships in Upland, Indiana (hosted by Taylor University) last Thursday while the women’s squad finished as the national runner-up.

The Malone men tallied 170.5 points, among a 16-team field, to defeat runner-up Bethel  (IN) College, which posted 162.5 points, by eight points.  In addition, Malone was awarded the Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year award at the meet.

The Pioneer women racked up 153 points, among a 16-team field, for their runner-up finish as Bethel won the women’s national title with 191.5 points. 

Numerous athletes from both Malone teams earned NCCAA All-America status (top three in an event) and the Pioneers also had several athletes capture individual national title honors.

For the men’s team, five athletes earned individual national titles while the men’s 4x800 meter relay team also took first place.  Individual national champions for the men included Sinick in the 1500 meters (3:59.06), Paul Robinson (Sr., Field H.S.) in the 5000 meters (15:06.92), Zeuch in the 3000-meter steeplechase (9:20.10), Jason Rook (So., New Philadelphia H.S.) in the pole vault (15’ 9”)and Kyle Wagner (Fr., Green H.S.) in the decathlon (5884 points).  The men’s 4x800-meter relay team of Mitch Williams (Fr., Celina H.S.), Billy Latta (Fr., Metuchen, NJ), Bryce Pulley (Fr., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.) and Sinick finished first in a time of 7:44.66.

For the women,  three athletes claimed individual national crowns as Sarah Hines (Sr., Northmor H.S.) won the 10,000 meters (38:32.31), Lori Ickes took the javelin (128’ 5”) and Beth Costello (Jr., Canton South H.S.) captured the heptathlon (4111 points).

Other NCCAA All-Americans (top three finishers) for the Pioneer men’s team included Jeb Ford (Sr., Minerva H.S.) in the 400 meters (2^nd; 48.41), Sinick in the 800 meters (3^rd; 1:56.45), Pulley in the 1500 meters (3^rd; 4:02.88), Gaynor in the 5000 meters (2^nd; 15:07.10) and the 10,000 meters (2^nd; 31:27.91), Williams in the 3000-meter steeplechase (3^rd; 9:36.40), Anthony Lombardi (Fr., Tuslaw H.S.) in the high jump (2^nd; 6’ 6.75”), Johnnie Legrair (So., Copley H.S.) in the long jump (3^rd; 23’ 7.25”), Steven Young (Jr., Gladstone, MO) in the triple jump (3^rd; 46’ 1.50”), Tom Reed (So., Troy H.S.) in the shot put (3^rd; 47’ 5”) and Shane McLaughlin (Jr., Caldwell H.S.) in the decathlon (3^rd; 5035 points).

For the women, other NCCAA All-Americans included Melissa Wohlheter (Fr., Tuslaw H.S.) in the 400-meter hurdles (3^rd; 1:05.06), Gabrielle Wuensch (Jr., New London H.S.) in the 5000 meters (3^rd; 18:15.28), Kristen Downing (Jr., Lake H.S.) in the 10,000 meters (2^nd; 39:35.85), Danielle Wuensch (Jr., New London H.S.) in the 10,000 meters (3^rd; 39:47.15), Lindsey Pifher (Jr., Colonel Crawford H.S.) in the 3000-meter steeplechase (2^nd; 11:07.30), Ickes in the discus (2^nd; 125’ 5”) and the heptathlon (2^nd; 4110 points) and Molly Hanzie (Fr., Norwayne H.S.) in the javelin (2^nd; 122’ 2”).  In addition, the women’s 4x400-meter relay unit of Theis, Avery, Bildstein and Wohlheter placed third in a time of 4:03.11 while the women’s 4x800-meter relay squad of Avery, Sharp, Becky Neitzel (So., Malvern H.S.) and Bildstein finished second in 9:23.36.

At the AMC Championships in mid April at Walsh University, both teams finished first.  Among the six-team field, the men tallied 256.50 points while Cedarville University finished second with 232.  Among a seven-team field in the women’s meet, Malone chalked up 222 points as Cedarville again was runner-up with 175 points.  In addition, Pioneer head coach Mark McClure was named the AMC Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year. 

Event winners for the Malone men included Sinick in the 1500 meters in 4:08.37 and the 800 meters in 1:56.07, Rook in the pole vault at 14’ .5”, Young in the triple jump at 44’ 3.25”, Gaynor in the 5000 meters in 15:05.42, Ford in the 400 meters in 49.24, Aaron Melhorn (Jr., Fairless H.S.) in the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:23.80, Tony Migliozzi (So., St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.) in the 10,000 meters in 31:46.96 and the men’s 4x800-meter relay team of Zeuch, Williams, Pulley and Sinick in 7:52.93.

For the Malone women, several student-athletes took first-place honors including Ickes in the javelin (124’ 9”), Pifher in the 3000-meter steeplechase (11:18.53), Gabrielle Wuensch in the 10,000 meters (38:35.73), and the women’s 4x800-meter relay team of Bildstein, Neitzel , Sharp and Avery in 9:19.19.

The teams also competed in a number of other prestigious meets this spring including the Wake Forest University Open, the Wheeling Jesuit University Invitational, the Hillsdale “Gina” Relays, and the Allegheny (PA) University Gator Invitational.  In addition, the third annual Jack Hazen Open was held on Malone’s campus in early April.

For the indoor season, which concluded in early March, the teams capped off a great campaign in which the men’s team placed fifth at the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee

In its first year of intercollegiate competition at Malone University, the men’s and women swimming & diving teams posted very respectable campaigns for the 2009-10 season.   Led by first-year head coach Monica Bragg, the Malone student-athletes used the spectacular C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton as their home facility and continued to improve upon their times through the year. 

The teams started out the season with 11 men and 13 women on the roster and competed in five meets prior to the Christmas break before participating in four more regular-season meets in January and February.   One of the season’s meets was a “home” meet for the teams, having taken place at the Branin Natatorium, although it was actually hosted by NCAA Div. II Lock Haven (PA) University who wanted to prepare for the end-of-season national meet that they were also hosting at the same location.

Among the meets that the teams competed in this year were events at Ashland University, Youngstown State University, Wheeling Jesuit (WV) University, John Carroll University, Hiram College, Denison University and Notre Dame (OH) College.

Of all the regular-season meets the teams competed in, Malone, particularly the women’s squad, saved the best for last as the Pioneer women finished an impressive second among 14 teams at the Kenyon College Invitational in late February. 

With the teams consisting primarily of freshmen, Malone not only turned in respectable performances throughout the season but also concluded the season in fine fashion as the women’s team sent four women swimmers to St. Charles, Missouri for the NAIA National Championships in early March.  The 200 yard freestyle relay of Aubrey Hower (Fr., Ashland H.S.), Ashley Kuhn (Fr., North Royalton H.S.), Katie Radnich (Fr., Meadville, PA) and Michelle Wagner (Fr., Wadsworth H.S.) competed in the preliminaries of the event at the national event (hosted by Lindenwood University) after qualifying for the national meet with a time of 1:54.59 at the Kenyon Invitational on February 20th.  Although the team did not qualify for the finals of the event at the national meet, the squad did break its own school record by nearly half a second by posting a time of 1:54.17. 

In addition to the relay unit competing at nationals, Wagner also competed in the grueling 1650 yard freestyle race and finished 33rd with a time of 20:29.12.

With this newest of Malone’s intercollegiate sports now firmly in place, the head coaching position has gone from a part-time position to a full-time one.  And with Bragg also holding a full-time teaching position in the area, she has decided to step down as the Pioneer coach.  With a new full-time head coach on the horizon for the Pioneers, it is the hope of athletic director Charlie Grimes to really build up the rosters of these two teams in the near future and to make it as successful as the other Malone athletic programs.  Malone swimming & diving has gotten off to a fairly good start.

Throughout its 52-year history, the Malone University men’s basketball program has certainly had re-building years before.  But with only four student-athletes from the 2008-09 roster participating on the recent 09-10 squad, it had indeed been quite a while since a restructuring of this magnitude had taken place in the confines of Malone’s Osborne Hall. 

In the spring of 2009, Tim Walker took over as head coach of a program that finished with a 9-20 record in 08-09. For the previous seven seasons, Walker had been the head coach at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois and led the Trolls to a pair of NAIA Div. II national tournaments berths during his tenure.  He also posted consecutive 20-win seasons in his final two campaigns at Trinity Christian.  His goal was to bring this same tenacity and success to the Malone program.

Keeping just a core group of Pioneer players from the previous year, Walker brought in numerous new faces to compliment these returnees and began putting the program back on the course of success it has been accustomed to through the years.  And while the team’s ensuing overall record of 13-16 in 09-10 was not quite what Walker was shooting for, the turnaround of the program has definitely begun as a marked transformation of the team was evident from the first half of the season to the second. 

After a rough 4-12 start, in which Malone played NCAA Div. I University of Akron and seven teams that were ranked in the NAIA or NCAA Div. II top 20 (including defending NCAA Div. II University of Findlay), the Pioneers proceeded to tally an impressive 9-4 record over its last 13 games.  A highlight in the first semester was the team’s 68-59 win over NAIA Div. II #9 Indiana Wesleyan University.  In addition, the team went from a 1-4 AMC record early in the conference slate to finishing at 9-7 in the AMC and securing an AMC postseason tournament spot by tying for second among the six-team AMC North field.  A 65-64 overtime loss at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University in the regular-season finale kept Malone from hosting a first-round playoff game.  The Pioneers then lost to NCAA Div. II #14 Cedarville University 81-58 in the first round of the AMC tournament.

Leading the way for the Pioneers was sophomore transfer guard (University of Akron) Eric Coblentz who paced the team with 16.7 points per game (5^th in AMC).  Coblentz easily led the AMC in free throw percentage at 90.1 (82-91) and posted a team-high 87 three-pointers made (40%).  In addition, he earned All-AMC First Team, All NCCAA East Region First Team and NAIA All-America Honorable Mention honors.

Kyle Higgins (Jr., Columbus West H.S.), a transfer from Wheeling Jesuit (WV) College, followed with 10.8 points per outing.  He earned All-AMC Honorable Mention and All NCCAA East Region Third Team accolades.  Ebi Porbeni (Jr., Plainfield, IL), who played two seasons for Walker at Trinity Christian, tossed in 9.0 points per game and paced the squad in rebounds at 5.1 per contest.  He was named All-AMC Honorable Mention and All NCCAA East Region Second Team.

Kalamazoo Valley (MI) Community College transfer Nick Watts (Jr., Holland, MI) pocketed 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while point guard Jeremy Duerr (Sr., Lake H.S.),the lone starter returning from the previous season, scored 6.3 points per game and averaged a team-best 3.0 assists en route to earning All NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention accolades.

Senior Mark Young (Jackson H.S.), the only person on the squad to complete four years at Malone, started every game for the team and averaged 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest.  In addition, Jock Rottman (Jr., Triway H.S.), who averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, earned the All-AMC Scholar Athlete and NAIA Scholar Athlete award this season.

While the team indeed participated in many outstanding games this season, perhaps none was more memorable than one in which the team actually lost the contest.  In a late season game at home against then NAIA Div. II #1 Walsh University, Malone put on a performance better than any it had throughout the season in a heartbreaking 68-62 loss to the rival Cavaliers.  Fueled by the support of a capacity crowd, including a spirited student section that was clad in “White-Out” T-shirts (pictured above), Malone went toe-to-toe with its opponent right down to the wire as Walsh scored the final six points of the game to pull out the win.

The Malone University women’s basketball team, led by head coach Lori Wynn, battled through a tough 2009-2010 season to post a final overall record of 4-26, including a 1-18 mark in the American Mideast Conference. The Pioneers did not finish nearly as well as they hoped but they were successful in developing the young squad and building team chemistry.

Malone started the season on a good note with a 77-73 overtime victory over Ursuline College and then a solid 73-63 victory over Wilberforce University in the following week gave Malone a pair of victories in its first four contests. The team then lost eight straight contests before winning two games in a three-game stretch -- beating Marygrove (MI) College 86-71 and conference rival Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College 65-59. The Pioneers were unable to post a win in their final 15 outings on the season.

Junior guard Amy Kittle (Buckeye Trail H.S.) paced the Pioneer squad in scoring and assists, averaging 13.5 points per game and dishing out 63 assists on the season. Junior guard Allyson Wilson (Harvey F. Firestone) followed Kittle with 11.2 points per game while pulling down 9.2 rebounds per game and closing out the season with 52 steals to lead the team. Kittle and Wilson each received NCCAA All-East Region Second Team honors for their performances on the court. Kittle and Wilson, along with senior Bree Zehnder (Garaway H.S.), who primarily served an assistant coach due to injury this year, were also rewarded for their academic performances with AMC and NAIA Scholar Athlete awards.

Junior Ashley Speicher (Plymouth H.S.) finished third on the team in points per game at 8.4 while also grabbing 2.6 rebounds per outing.  She also pocketed 30 steals on the year which was third-best on the team.

Sophomore guard Kelley Anatra (Mansfield St. Peter’s H.S.) had a solid season on both ends of the floor as she led the team with 15 blocked shots on the season and was second on the team in steals with 47.  Anatra also averaged 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds on the year for the squad.  

Forwards Alison Schloz (Jr., St. Ursula Academy H.S.) and freshman Tara Kies (Fr., Cloverleaf H.S.) shared time at the fifth and final starting position with Kies starting in 16 contests, only two more than Schloz.  Schloz posted 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds and was third in blocks (nine) while Kies collected 5.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Freshmen Cindy Netti (Lake H.S.), and Elise Coudriet (Wadsworth H.S.) along with sophomore Tyler Darland (So., Lakota East H.S.) each averaged double digit minutes during the year and made solid contributions to the team.

With no seniors graduating from last year and the return of the starting five, the Pioneers hope to improve a great deal on the lessons learned and experience gained from an 09-10 season they would quickly like to forget.

After battling through a tough 5-9-1 campaign in 2008 which marked just the second losing season in the program’s 13-year history, the Malone University women’s soccer team bounced back this fall to post a 9-7 overall record, including a 5-6 mark in the challenging American Mideast Conference.  Under the direction of second-year head coach Leta Gramlich, the Pioneers ended 2009 on a strong note, winning four of their last five matches to conclude the regular season just one conference victory shy of qualifying for the AMC Postseason Tournament.   

Malone opened the year with a flourish by notching victories in each of its first four contests, marking its best start to a season since 2001.  However, a 5-0 defeat at NAIA No. 12 Indiana Wesleyan University on September 26th snapped the Pioneers’ winning streak and started a mid-season slide that saw Malone drop five of its next six match-ups.  Despite an extremely young lineup that featured seventeen freshmen on the 21-woman roster, the squad was able to regroup down the stretch, fighting back into the playoff picture with its late-season surge.

Following their excellent individual performances, six different Pioneers collected postseason recognition from the AMC and/or the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) East Region.  Junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA) was named NCCAA All-East Region and All-AMC Honorable Mention after registering four goals and four assists.  Her sister, freshman midfielder Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA), collected Honorable Mention accolades from both the AMC and NCCAA East Region after compiling four goals and seven assists for a team-high 15 points.  Freshman midfielder Amanda Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.) also made a significant impact in her first collegiate season, receiving All-AMC Second Team honors after posting one assist and pacing the team with five goals. 

Freshman defender Stephanie Nouissias (GlenOak H.S.), an All-AMC Second Team and NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention selection, notched one assist and a was a key component to a Pioneer defense that registered seven shutouts and compiled a 0.99 goals against average.  Also making substantial defensive contributions were sophomore midfielder Susanna Jonkka (Helsinki, Finland) and freshman defender Kaitlin Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.), who were each tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention after recording one goal and two assists apiece. 

With virtually its entire roster returning next season, Gramlich will have the Pioneers’ youthful lineup poised to make a strong AMC Postseason push in 2010.

With a new head coach, a new style of play, and 23 new players on its roster, the Malone University men’s soccer team experienced a substantial makeover in 2009.  However, despite all the changes, first-year head coach Chris Carmichael was able to lead the Pioneers to a 5-12-1 overall record, a two-win improvement over the squad’s 2008 mark of 3-14-1.

Malone stumbled out of the gate, starting the year with a tie and four defeats.  However, as all of the team’s new components began to mesh together, the Pioneers turned things around, claiming victories in four of their next five contests.  The squad was unable to maintain its momentum through the second half of the season, though, as a 2-0 defeat at home to rival Walsh University on October 6th started a string of seven consecutive defeats.  Malone managed to bring the late-season slide to a close in its season finale, ending the year on a high note with a 3-2 American Mideast Conference victory on the road against Shawnee State University.  After finishing in last place in the conference standings in 2008 with a 1-10 AMC record, the squad put together a 3-6 mark in 2009 for a seventh-place showing among the nine AMC men’s soccer teams.    

Several Pioneers had strong individual performances over the course of the year as six different players received postseason accolades from the AMC and/or the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) East Region.  Freshman forward Adam Sharpnack (Pittsburgh, PA) and freshman midfielder Alex Hall (Massillon Washington H.S.) were named both All-AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention.  Honorable Mention accolades from the NCCAA East Region also went to freshman forward Sam Erchick (Alliance H.S.), freshman midfielder Allen Meffan (Lake H.S.), and sophomore defender Jordan Smith (St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.) while freshman defender Jake Zimmerly (Norwayne H.S.) was tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention.

Erchick and Sharpnack paced the Malone offensive attack throughout the season as Erchick tallied three goals and four assists while Sharpnack found the back of the net six times and also dished out four assists.  Hall recorded one goal and one assist and tied for the team lead in shot attempts with 22.  Meffan posted two goals and one assist while Smith scored a pair of goals and teamed with Zimmerly to anchor the Pioneer defense throughout the year.

After the Pioneers’ talented young lineup gained a year of valuable experience this past fall, Malone will be looking to continue its climb up the rungs of the AMC ladder in 2010.

The Malone University volleyball team, led by 11-year head coach Tonya Hockman, ended the 2009 season with an overall record of 31-10 and an American Mideast Conference record of 7-5 and this year’s talented squad improved on last season’s win total by an impressive seven wins.   The squad opened up the first half of the season particularly strong with a 17-3 start and went on to post 31 victories, which was the most for the program since 2001.  With an extremely tough conference and its 7-5 AMC mark, though, the women just barely missed the AMC tournament finishing seventh in the conference, just one win (two spots) out of the five-team tournament. 

At the 10-team NCCAA national tournament in Kissimmee, Florida in early December, #6 seed Malone posted victories in three of its first four matches, making it to the national semifinals.  In that semifinal contest, Malone lost a 28-26, 23-25, 15-25, 16-25 decision to top seeded Mt. Vernon Nazarene. 

Leading the team for the ’09 campaign with another all-star caliber season was Jennifer Gahagan, (Jr., Ravenna Southeast H.S.) who was named to her third All-AMC First Team in three seasons and was voted to another NCCAA All-East Region First Team and NCCAA All-America Team.  In addition, she was voted to the NCCAA Nationals All-Tournament Team.  Gahagan led the team in kills with 2.99 per set and she also averaged 3.40 digs (second-best on the team) and .43 blocks per set. 

The big powerhouse in the middle, 6’0 senior Kristen Schoolcraft (McKinley H.S.), led the team with an outstanding 146 blocks (.93 per set) and was third on the team in kill average at 2.20.  Schoolcraft was also name to the NCCAA East Region First Team in her final year. 

Lori Ickes (Jr., Smithville H.S.), was another solid all-around player for the team.  Ickes ended the season leading the team in digs at 3.75 per set and finishing second on the team in kills (2.37).  She was named to the AMC Second Team, NCCAA East Region First Team and the NCCAA Nationals All-Tournament Team.

Junior Emily Beiting (Fort Thomas, KY), earning NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention accolades, made a solid contribution to the team, finishing second in digs (3.34) and fourth in kills (2.03).

In her first year of play was freshman standout, Jackie Schwamberger (Madison Comprehensive H.S.) who dished out 10.0 assists per set.  She also contributed 3.36 digs per outing and was named to the All-AMC Freshman Team.

After losing 12 starters from the 2008 squad, including quarterback Billy Bob Orsagh and All-American wide receiver Derek Deardorff, the 2009 Malone University football team was faced with a significant challenge this past fall in trying to replicate the success of the prior three years (2006-2008) in which head coach Mike Gardner had led the Pioneers to a 21-12 record, three straight NCCAA Victory Bowl appearances, and back-to-back-to-back winning seasons for just the second time in program history.  In addition to the substantial loss of veteran talent and leadership, Malone also had to deal with a tough 2009 schedule that featured four teams ranked among the NAIA’s Top 20.  Despite these factors, the young Pioneer squad battled hard throughout the season, ending the year with a 3-6 overall record and a 2-5 mark in the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League.

The 2009 season started with a 35-19 home win against The Apprentice (VA) School but in late February the Malone Athletic Department learned that the victory had to be wiped from the record books due to the NAIA not recognizing the match-up against the Builders as a “countable” contest.  The following week, the Pioneers lost a hard-fought game to NAIA #13 St. Ambrose (IA) University at home before bouncing back in a big way as the squad set new single-game records for rushing yards (442), rushing attempts (70) and rushing touchdowns (8) in a dominating 65-10 victory at Anna Maria (MA) College.  Unfortunately, the Pioneers were unable to carry the momentum from the big win over to conference play as the squad proceeded to drop its first four MSFA Mideast League games to fall to 1-5 on the season, effectively ending Malone’s postseason aspirations.  However, instead of giving up on the year, the Pioneers salvaged their season by winning two out of their final three contests with high-scoring victories of 48-12 over Trinity International (IL) University and 57-35 at Olivet Nazarene (IL) University.

A total of six Malone players earned All MSFA Mideast honors while senior punter Mike Skvor (Long Beach, CA) earned an impressive NAIA All-America accolade.  In addition to collecting an All-MSFA Mideast League First Team award, Skvor was also tabbed as the top NAIA punter in the nation when he was named an AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) NAIA First Team All American.  Skvor established two new Pioneer single-season records in 2009 after having 15 of his 43 punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and leading the NAIA with an average of 42.8 yards per kick.   Skvor joins Deardorff (2008) and former nose guard Moses Sherman (1996) as the only First Team All-Americans in the 17-year history of the Malone football program.

2009 All-MSFA Mideast Second Team honorees included junior defensive lineman Cody Carroll (Chardon H.S.), senior defensive back Jon Latimer (Dallas, TX) and senior running back Joseph Peters (Oakland, CA) while offensive linemen Tom Reed (So., Troy H.S.) and Shelby Santizo (Sr., Long Beach, CA) were both tabbed All-MSFA Mideast Honorable Mention.

Carroll wreaked havoc behind the line of scrimmage throughout the season as he ended the year with 44 total tackles, including 16.0 tackles for loss and seven sacks.  Latimer registered a team-high 66 total tackles and broke the Pioneer single-season record for interceptions with six.  Behind the strong blocking of Reed and Santizo, Peters put together an outstanding all-around performance as he racked up 1495 all-purpose yards.  Peters gained 930 rushing yards on 137 carries (6.8 average) with 10 touchdowns while also pulling in 22 pass receptions for 184 yards, returning 12 punts for 51 yards and totaling 330 yards on 14 kickoff returns.

After four successful seasons at the helm of the Pioneer football program, head coach Mike Gardner resigned in early December, deciding to return to serve as the head coach at Tabor (KS) College, the same position he had held prior to coming to Malone in January of 2006.  Several weeks later, Malone athletic director Charlie Grimes announced the hiring of Eric Hehman as the sixth head coach in Pioneer football history.  Hehman served as the head coach at NCAA Div. III Greenville (IL) College the past five seasons, leading the Panthers to a 7-3 record in 2009 including an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference South Division Championship and a berth in the NCCAA Victory Bowl.  In addition to his head coaching experience at Greenville, Hehman has also held assistant coaching positions at Trinity International and Taylor (IN) University, both current members of the MSFA Mideast League.

Brad Beachy, of Hartville and a 2010 graduate of Lake High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers.  The 5’11” 175 lb. catcher, pitcher and outfielder was a three-year letterman in both baseball and football at Lake.

In baseball, Beachy was a two-time Second Team Federal League selection and he was also named to the Hank Miller All-Star game.  He also helped his team to a district title in 2007 and to a district runner-up finish in 2008 and 2010.  In football, he earned Honorable Mention and Second Team Federal League honors and was also an All District selection.

Academically, Beachy was a member of the Honor Roll and earned four academic letters.  Beachy is currently undecided as to his major at Malone.  He is the son of Brad and Bev Beachy of Hartville.

Tim Springirth, a 2009 Malone University graduate and former Malone tennis player, has been hired as the new head coach for both the men’s and women’s Pioneer tennis programs, Malone Athletic Director Charlie Grimes announced today. 

Springirth, who will assume the part-time position effective immediately, was a four-year letterman for the Pioneer men’s tennis program.   Upon graduating from Malone, he was a tutor for Jackson Local Schools (Fall 2008) and a student teacher for both North Canton Schools and Canton Local Schools in the spring of 2009.  From July 2009 until last month, he was employed as a Moderate Intellectual Disabilities Teacher for Kennesaw Elementary in Kennesaw, Georgia.  He is currently on the teaching staff at Summit Academy in Canton.  Springirth resides in Canton.

Tim Springirth, a 2009 Malone University graduate and former Malone tennis player, has been hired as the new head coach for both the men’s and women’s Pioneer tennis programs, Malone Athletic Director Charlie Grimes announced today. 

Springirth, who will assume the part-time position effective immediately, was a four-year letterman for the Pioneer men’s tennis program.   Upon graduating from Malone, he was a tutor for Jackson Local Schools (Fall 2008) and a student teacher for both North Canton Schools and Canton Local Schools in the spring of 2009.  From July 2009 until last month, he was employed as a Moderate Intellectual Disabilities Teacher for Kennesaw Elementary in Kennesaw, Georgia.  He is currently on the teaching staff at Summit Academy in Canton.  Springirth resides in Canton.

LePear Smith, of Massillon and a 2010 graduate of Perry High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play football and run track for the Pioneers.  The 5’9”, 175 lb. cornerback and hurdler was a two-year letterman in both football and track for the Panthers.  In addition, he also lettered four years in swimming.

Smith was voted Second Team All-Federal League in football and was a state qualifier in swimming and track, in which he also earned All-Ohio honors.  Academically, he was a member of the National Honor Society.

Smith intends to major in Exercise Science at Malone.  He is the son of LePear and Linda Smith of Massillon. 


Back row (L-R) -  Rob Mizicko (Perry track coach), John Miller (Perry football coach), Eric Hehman (Malone football coach), Mark McClure (Malone track & field coach);  Front row (L-R):  Linda Smith (mother), LePear Smith, LePear Smith Sr. (father)

Bryan Smith, of Canton and a 2010 graduate of GlenOak High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the Pioneers.  The 5’10” defender was a three-year letterman in soccer for the Golden Eagles.

Smith was a team captain as a senior and was a two-time All-Stark County Honorable Mention (07-08 and 08-09) and Stark County All-Star selection.  Academically, he earned two academic letters (08-09 and 09-10) and was named a 2010 All-GlenOak Booster Club Scholarship Winner.

Smith intends to major in Nursing at Malone.  He is the son of Rick and Marybeth Smith of Canton.
 

Rick Smith (father), Marybeth Smith (mother), Bryan Smith, Chris Carmichael (Malone men's soccer head coach)

Tony Cono, of Vandalia and a 2009 graduate of Vandalia-Butler High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers.  The 6’2” infielder was a three-year letterman in baseball for the Aviators.

Cono amassed numerous athletic honors including being voted All State, All Area, All Conference, All Division, All Division Athlete of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year.  He also posted the team’s highest batting average on the season.  Cono helped his team to a league championship in 2009, a sectional title in both 2008 and 2009, and a district championship in 2008.

Cono intends to major in Sports Management at Malone.  He is the son of Tony and Paula Cono of Vandalia. 


Seated (L-R):  Paula Cono (mother), Tony Cono, Tony Cono Sr. (father)   Standing:  Tom Crank (Malone head baseball coach)

Malone University athletics has officially been granted approval for membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Div. II, the University’s athletic director Charlie Grimes announced today.

A current and long-time member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Malone will still hold NAIA membership for the next two years (2010-11 and 2011-12) and will also be in its first two (of three) years of exploratory membership with NCAA Div. II.   Malone will be eligible for NAIA postseason competition for the 2010-11 season.  After 2010-11 and 2011-12, Malone will hold its third and final year of NCAA Div. II exploratory membership in the 2012-13 year.  In that year, Malone will no longer be a member of the NAIA and will also not yet be eligible for NCAA Div. II postseason competition.  Malone will be a full member of NCAA Div. II beginning in the fourth year (2013-14).

Malone currently offers 20 intercollegiate sports, the most of any AMC institution.  These include football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming & diving, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s tennis.

Grimes is pleased that the NCAA has deemed Malone a worthy candidate for membership.  “Malone is deeply committed to providing student-athletes with the highest level of competition and support to enhance their educational experience,” said Grimes.  “We are very excited to take our “Christ’s Kingdom First” mission and place it on the NCAA stage.  This three-year transition will be challenging, but our athletic department is energized by the process, and our fine student-athletes are well worth the effort.”

For further information, please contact the Malone Sports Information Office at 330-471-8293.

Jack McDonald, of Canfield, Ohio and a member of South Range High School’s 2010 graduating class, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for head coach Tom Crank and the Pioneers.

A 5’10” pitcher/third baseman, McDonald was named South Range’s Most Valuable Player for the 2010 season.  He also collected Inter Tri-County League First Team recognition and wrapped up his outstanding high school baseball career by participating in the Northeast Ohio Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game that was held at Progressive Field on June 21st.

McDonald is a member of the praise and drama teams at Old North Church in Canfield and has taken part in several mission trips over the past few years.  He was a member of the National Honor Society at South Range and graduated with an honors diploma. 

McDonald intends to major in Physical Therapy at Malone and is the son of Keith and RaeAnn McDonald of Canfield.

Photo Order (seated l-r): RaeAnn McDonald (mother), Jack McDonald, Keith McDonald (father); (standing l-r): South Range Coach Brian Rupert, South Range Coach Jim Hanak, Malone University Head Coach Tom Crank, South Range Coach Dr. DeChellis

Alex Keyser has been named the new head coach of the Malone University men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams, Malone Athletic Director Charlie Grimes announced today.  Keyser takes over for Monica Bragg, who resigned this spring after guiding the program during its inaugural 2009-10 season.

Keyser served as the assistant swim coach at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky for the past two years.  During his time at the school, a combined total of 48 Eagle swimmers qualified for the NAIA National Championship Meet as Asbury’s men’s squad earned an 11^th place finish at the event in both 2009 and 2010.  The Eagle women also experienced plenty of success over the past two years as the squad followed up a ninth-place showing in 2009 by finishing eighth at NAIA Nationals this past March.

Keyser graduated from Asbury in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Sport Management from the United States Sports Academy.  He was a two-time NAIA national qualifier for the Eagles, earning All-America recognition in 2008 as part of Asbury’s 800-yard freestyle relay team.  In addition, he posted Top 16 finishes in both the 500-yard freestyle and the 1650-yard freestyle events at the 2007 NAIA National Championships. 

Keyser served as Asbury’s team captain during his junior and senior years and also gained experience as the head coach of the DuQuoin Swimming Indians, a youth swim team for ages 4-18 in DuQuoin, Illinois.

“I am excited about the opportunity to take the reins of the Malone Swimming and Diving program and join the Malone University community,” stated Keyser. “I look forward to the challenge of building a young program with the support of Athletic Director Charlie Grimes.  It is my priority to challenge each student-athlete to grow spiritually, academically, and athletically to their full potential.  I am excited about the vision Athletic Director Charlie Grimes has for Malone Athletics and am blessed to be part of it.”

“Alex has great experience as a competitive swimmer and as a coach at the small-college level,” stated Grimes.  “We are excited about his youthful enthusiasm and high-energy approach to the sport of swimming and diving.  I look forward to working with Alex to build upon the foundation that Monica Bragg laid last year.”

The Malone University athletics program finished 22nd overall in the final NAIA Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings for 2009-10.

The Pioneers tallied 433.50 points during the 2009-10 academic year to claim a Top 25 finish among the nearly 300 NAIA colleges and universities across the nation.  The Directors’ Cup is presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Learfield Sports and USA Today to the best overall collegiate athletic programs in the country.  Point totals were assessed based on how each school fared in NAIA national championship competition.

Azusa Pacific (CA) University posted 820 points to claim the overall title for the sixth straight year.  Simon Fraser (BC) University was a close second at 817 and Fresno Pacific (CA) University took third with 801.75 points.  Concordia (CA) University was fourth at 724.5 while Lindenwood (MO) University rounded out the top five with 715.5 points.

Malone registered four different Top 5 NAIA finishes during 2009-10 including a third consecutive national championship in men’s cross country, third-place finishes in both women’s cross country and men’s golf and a fifth-place showing in men’s indoor track & field.  The Pioneers also earned points for a pair of strong performances in outdoor track & field as the Malone men placed 20^th while the women took 37^th.

2009-10 marks the sixth time in the last seven years that Malone has earned a Top 25 finish in the final Directors’ Cup standings.  Three other members of the American Mideast Conference joined the Pioneers in the Top 50 as Cedarville University took 23^rd with 432.25 points, Notre Dame College was 26^th at 422.5 and Walsh University finished 47^th with 305.16.     

Josh Abend, of North Ridgeville and a 2010 graduate of North Ridgeville High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the Pioneers.

The 5’10” Abend lettered four years for the Rangers and collected numerous honors throughout his high school career.  Following an outstanding senior season in which he served as a team captain and racked up 23 goals and six assists, Abend was named to the Division I All-Lorain County First Team.  He also garnered North Ridgeville’s 2009 Offensive Player of the Year award and earned Second Team recognition from the Greater Cleveland Soccer Coaches Association.

Abend was honored with All-Lorain County Second Team and All-West Shore Conference Honorable Mention accolades in 2008.  In addition to his high school playing experience, he also competed for PSA United in 2007-08 and is currently a member of the Cleveland Kickers Soccer Club. 

Abend intends to major in Business Administration at Malone and is the son of Brad and Denise Abend of North Ridgeville.

Photo Order (left to right): Denise Abend (mother), Josh Abend, Malone University head men’s soccer coach Chris Carmichael, Brad Abend (father)

Hunter Potts, of Louisville and a 2010 graduate of Louisville High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for head coach Tom Crank and the Pioneers.

Potts, a 6’1” pitcher/first baseman, lettered four years in baseball and two years in football for the Leopards.  He wrapped up an outstanding senior year at Louisville by earning Northeastern Buckeye Conference Player of the Year honors in both baseball and football.  Potts collected numerous awards on the gridiron, including being named the 2009 Associated Press Northeast Inland District Co-Defensive Player of the Year in Division II.  He also excelled on the diamond as he was recognized with team Co-MVP honors after helping Louisville capture the 2010 NBC baseball title.

In addition to his athletic awards, Potts also received Louisville Student of the Month accolades this past September.  Potts intends to major in Business Administration at Malone and is the son of Scott and Melany Potts of Louisville.  His twin sister, Heather, also graduated from Louisville this spring and, like Hunter, will continue her athletic career in college as a sprinter and middle-distance runner at Mount Union College.     

Photo Order
Sitting (left to right): Melany Potts (Hunter’s mother), Heather Potts (sister), Hunter, Scott Potts (father);
Standing (left to right): Louisville Pitching Coach Tom Siegfried, Malone head baseball coach Tom Crank, Louisville head baseball coach Jason Siegfried, Louisville Athletic Director Rich Venuto

Chelsea Perry, of Canton and a 2010 graduate of McKinley High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University and compete on the Pioneer women’s swimming & diving team.

Perry was a four-time district qualifier for the Bulldogs and collected Second Team All-Federal League honors following an outstanding senior season in which she helped McKinley capture a sectional championship.  

Perry, who was also awarded with McKinley’s Bill Erlitz Booster Club Award this spring, intends to major in Special Education at Malone.  She is the daughter of Christopher and Kelly Perry of Canton.

Photo Order (left to right): Kelly Perry (mother), Chelsea Perry, Christopher Perry (father), Natalie Perry (sister)

Ashley Robey, of Ada and a member of Ada High School’s 2010 graduating class, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and compete on the Pioneer women’s swimming & diving team.

Robey lettered three years in soccer, one year in cheerleading and four years in swimming for the Bulldogs and collected numerous honors during her high school career.  She was a two-time all-conference swimmer and a three-time recipient of her team’s MVP award.  She also qualified for districts and set a school record as part of Ada’s 400-meter freestyle relay team.  In addition, she helped the Lima YMCA Swim Team capture a conference championship.

Robey intends to major in Zoo Biology/Pre-Veterinary Medicine at Malone and is the daughter of Donald and Angela Robey of Ada.

Photo Order (l-r): Angela Robey (mother), Ashley Robey, Donald Robey (father)

Kimberly Farkas, of Lakewood and a member of Lakewood High School’s 2010 graduating class, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and compete on the Pioneer women’s swimming & diving team.

Farkas lettered four years in swimming for the Rangers and was a four-time recipient of the Northeast Ohio Conference’s Scholar Athlete award.  During her senior season, Farkas served as a team co-captain and also received the Rangers’ Coaches Award.

Farkas excelled in the classroom at Lakewood as a member of National Honor Society, Honor Roll and Highest Honor Roll.  In addition, she received Student of the Month accolades from the Foreign Language Department in October of 2008.

Farkas intends to major in Art at Malone and is daughter of Steve and Marcia Farkas of Lakewood.

Photo Order (l-r):  Steve Farkas (Father), Kimberly Farkas, Marcia Farkas (Mother)

The Malone University men’s athletic program won the American Mideast Conference All-Sports Award for the 2009-10 academic year while the Pioneer women’s athletic program placed fourth.  The awards take into account a school’s overall performance in the eight women’s championship sports and men’s seven championship sports.

The Malone men captured the All-Sports Award for the fourth time in the last five years after totaling 43.0 points, five points in front of Notre Dame (OH) College which placed second in the 12-school field with 37.0 points.  Walsh University followed in third at 36.0, defending men’s champion Cedarville University was fourth with 35.5 and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College rounded out the top five at 26.0.  2009-10 saw Malone capture AMC titles in men’s cross country, men’s golf and men’s track & field while finishing runner-up in baseball.

Walsh defended its title in the 14-school women’s field with 58.5 points.  Shawnee State University and Cedarville followed closely with 56.0 and 55.5 points, respectively.  Malone was fourth at 43.0 while Notre Dame claimed fifth with 41.5.  The Pioneer women posted AMC titles this year in both cross country and track & field.

Malone has consistently dominated the AMC All-Sports Competition throughout the award’s 12-year history, having finished first in at least one of the two divisions 10 times.  The Pioneers own the most all-sports trophies for both men (eight titles) and women (five titles).

For complete results and standings, visit www.amcsports.com.

Malone University head volleyball coach Tanya Hockman, who will enter her twelfth season at the helm of the program this fall, was recently selected as the American Mideast Conference’s 2010 recipient of the NAIA Coach of Character Award.

Hockman was chosen from among nominees of all sports within the AMC.   Candidates for the award must be a head coach, been employed by their institution for at least five years, demonstrated community leadership through volunteering or service projects and displayed a strong commitment to character coaching by emphasizing integrity, respect, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship (which are the five core character values of the NAIA Champions of Character Initiative). 

Under Hockman’s guidance, the Malone volleyball team travelled to the Dominican Republic on a service trip prior to its 2009 season.  While there, the squad visited four different orphanages and donated meals to villagers in the town of San Pedro De Marcoris.  During their season, the Pioneers partnered with Walsh University’s volleyball team to sponsor a food drive, collecting over 850 canned goods at a volleyball tournament.  In addition to these acts of service, Hockman also strongly emphasizes integrity, character development and faith integration during preseason camp, practices and even in the midst of competitions.

Hockman’s strong commitment to coaching character was further reflected earlier this spring when one her volleyball players, junior outside hitter Lori Ickes (Smithville H.S.), was selected as the AMC’s 2010 recipient of the NAIA Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award.

A two-time AMC Coach of the Year, Hockman has also experienced plenty of on-court success throughout her career.  Under her direction, the Pioneer volleyball program has posted ten winning campaigns in her 11 years as the head coach.  2009 was no exception as Malone concluded a 31-10 season by advancing to the semifinal round of the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) National Tournament.

Tanya, who also serves as an instructor in the Department of Theology (Sports Ministry) at Malone, resides in North Canton with her husband, Scott, and their daughters, Jaidan, Kiara, and Nya.

After putting together a truly outstanding junior campaign in 2009-2010, Malone University men’s golfer Justin Lower (Northwest H.S.) has received the 2010 Jack Nicklaus Award from the Golf Coaches Association of America as the NAIA’s Player of the Year.  Lower joined Eugene Wong from the University of Oregon (NCAA Division I), Brett Munson from the University of North Alabama (NCAA Division II), Tain Lee from Claremont McKenna (CA) College (NCAA Division III), and Abraham Ancer from Odessa (TX) College (NJCAA) as the five Jack Nicklaus Collegiate Players of the Year.

Lower wrapped up 2010 by helping Malone place third at the NAIA National Championships and is the first Pioneer to garner the prestigious award which golf legend Jack Nicklaus helped to inspire and create in 1988.  Lower captured individual medalist honors at NAIA Nationals after shooting an incredible four-under-par score of 280 over the four days of competition, winning the title by six strokes.  With the victory, Lower joined current Pioneer head coach Ken Hyland as the only individual men’s golf national champions in Malone history.  A 2010 NAIA and GCAA First-Team All-American, Lower shattered the Pioneer school record for lowest individual round after shooting a six-under-par 64 on the second day of Muskingum University’s Spring Invitational in late March.  In all, he claimed eight tournament titles throughout the year and became the first Malone golfer to win an NCAA Division I event after securing individual medalist honors at Cleveland State University’s Telich/Sunlife Invitational in late September.  Lower then repeated the feat in October, claiming the program’s second-ever Division I tournament victory after carding an even-par 142 at the University of Dayton’s Flyer Invitational.

Prior to competing in the NAIA National Championships, Lower learned that he was selected to represent the United States at the World University Golf Championships that are to take place June 7-11 at the Antequera Golf Club in Malaga, Spain.  Lower will be joined on the six-man USA National Team by NJCAA golfers Kurt Slattery of Indian Hills (IA) Community College, Spencer Baldwin of Brevard (FL) Community College and Zach Primavera of Central Alabama Community College along with fellow NAIA representatives Dusty Drenth of St. Ambrose (IA) University and Austin Conroy of Indiana Wesleyan University.  The squad will be led by Central Alabama Head Golf Coach Dave Jennings and Saint Ambrose Head Golf Coach Jeff Griebel.

A women’s national team, comprised of six NCAA Division I golfers, will also compete at the event.  The World University Golf Championships are held every two years and are sponsored by the International University Sports Federation.  In the 2008 event held in South Africa, Team USA won the women’s gold medal among 13 teams while the men placed fifth out of a 14-country field. 

For more information on the GCAA or the Jack Nicklaus Award, please visit http://gcaa.collegiategolf.com

Malone University men’s golfer Michael Strayer, along with Pioneer baseball players Todd Liberatore, Jeff Shenker and Justin Shiflett were each recently named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athletes in recognition of their hard work in the classroom.  In order to qualify for the honor, each of these spring student-athletes must have reached junior academic standing and possessed at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Strayer, a senior Mathematics major from DeGraff, Ohio (Riverside H.S.), helped Malone finish third at the 2010 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championships while Liberatore, a senior left-handed pitcher and Early Childhood Education major from New Philadelphia, Ohio (Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.), Shenker, a junior left-handed pitcher and Middle Childhood Education major from Twinsburg, Ohio (Twinsburg H.S.), and Shiflett, a junior second baseman and Biology major from Chillicothe, Ohio (Zane Trace H.S.), were each key contributors during the Pioneers’ successful 2010 baseball season in which the squad tallied a 36-20 overall record and competed in its third straight NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) World Series.

Malone University men’s golfer Michael Strayer, along with Pioneer baseball players Todd Liberatore, Jeff Shenker and Justin Shiflett were each recently named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athletes in recognition of their hard work in the classroom.  In order to qualify for the honor, each of these spring student-athletes must have reached junior academic standing and possessed at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Strayer, a senior Mathematics major from DeGraff, Ohio (Riverside H.S.), helped Malone finish third at the 2010 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championships while Liberatore, a senior left-handed pitcher and Early Childhood Education major from New Philadelphia, Ohio (Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.), Shenker, a junior left-handed pitcher and Middle Childhood Education major from Twinsburg, Ohio (Twinsburg H.S.), and Shiflett, a junior second baseman and Biology major from Chillicothe, Ohio (Zane Trace H.S.), were each key contributors during the Pioneers’ successful 2010 baseball season in which the squad tallied a 36-20 overall record and competed in its third straight NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) World Series.

Jordan McKelley, of Canton and a member of St. Thomas Aquinas High School’s 2010 graduating class, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and participate in cross country and track & field for the Pioneers.

McKelley lettered four years in both cross country and track for the Knights.  He is a three-time All-Ohioan and helped St. Thomas Aquinas claim Ohio Division III Cross Country Championships in 2006 and 2007 and state runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009.

McKelley also excelled in the classroom at St. Thomas Aquinas as he was a member of the Honor Roll during his junior and senior years.  McKelley is the son of Patricia Kinlow and Brian McKelley and plans to major in Exercise Physiology at Malone.     

Lori Ickes, of Wooster (Smithville H.S.) and a member of the Malone University volleyball team who recently finished her junior year at Malone, was recently selected as the 2010 American Mideast Conference recipient of the NAIA Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award.

Ickes was chosen from among nominees of all sports within the AMC.   Nominees for the award must be a junior or senior, have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher, display campus and community leadership, embrace the five core character values of the NAIA Champions of Character Initiative (which are integrity, respect, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship), and excel in athletic achievement.

Ickes, a three-year starter for the team at the outside hitter position, had the second-most kills per set on the team last fall at 2.35 per set.   In addition, she led the team in digs at 3.75 per set.

Ickes in an Intervention Specialist/Early Childhood Education major at Malone.  She is the daughter of Michael and Mary Ann Ickes of Wooster.

Three members of the Malone University men’s golf team were recently named NAIA All-Americans in recognition of their outstanding performances throughout the 2009-2010 season.  Junior Justin Lower (pictured left; Northwest H.S.) was a First Team All-America selection, senior Ben Smith (Carrollton H.S.) earned Second Team All-America honors while freshman Tyler Light (Perry H.S.) was voted Third-Team All-America.

Lower capped a remarkable junior year by capturing medalist honors at the NAIA National Championships, joining current Pioneer head coach Ken Hyland as the only individual men’s golf national champions in Malone history.  In addition to claiming the NAIA National Title, Lower won seven other tournaments throughout the year and shattered the Pioneer school record for lowest individual round after shooting a six-under-par 64 on the second day of Muskingum University’s Spring Invitational.  Lower has now claimed All-America recognition in each of his first three seasons at Malone and is a strong contender for the NAIA Men’s Golf Player of the Year award that will be announced later this week.

Smith wrapped up his excellent four-year Pioneer career by placing 26th overall at last week’s NAIA National Championships.  Smith, who also received All-America recognition in 2008 and 2009, finished runner-up to Lower at this year’s American Mideast Conference Tournament and claimed medalist honors at the Malone Fall Classic and the Phipps Memorial Tournament.

Light made immediate contributions in his first collegiate season, finishing 38th overall at the NAIA National Championships.  Light won two tournaments this spring, capturing Capital University’s Purple and White Invitational and the College of Wooster’s Nye Intercollegiate.

As a team, Malone won its seventh straight AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament Title and placed third among 29 schools at the 2010 NAIA National Championships. 

Jenna Krause, of Erie, Pennsylvania (McDowell H.S.) and a transfer from Mercyhurst (PA) College, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play basketball for head coach Lori Wynn and the Pioneers.

Krause, a 5’5” guard, appeared in five games for the Lakers as a freshman during the 2009-2010 season after wrapping up an outstanding three-year high school playing career at McDowell.  Krause was voted First Team All-Region 7 following her senior year and helped the Trojans capture district titles in 2008 and 2009.

Academically, Krause was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in the top six percent of her class.  She is the daughter of Bill and MaryAnn Krause of Erie and intends to major in Chemistry at Malone.

Tyler Locke, of Bloomingdale and a 2010 graduate of Edison Local High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and compete on the Pioneer swimming & diving team.  The 6’ 0” Locke, who has earned two letters in swimming and one in golf, specializes in the breaststroke event and was a team captain for the Wildcats.

Locke’s top time in the breaststroke is 1:06.47 while his personal bests in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles, respectively, are 24.2 and 55.7 seconds.  He holds the school record in the 100-yard breaststroke and was a member of the school-record 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay teams.

Locke was a multiple Central District Qualifier having qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke, the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay in 2009 and 2010 and the 200-yard medley relay in 2010.

As a senior, he was named to the OVAC All-Conference Team after taking the OVAC championship title in the 100-yard breaststroke.  In addition, he was the Eastern Sectional champion in both the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard medley relay and was the Central District Medalist in the 200-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay.

Academically, Locke is a Diploma with Honors graduate, a State of Ohio Award of Merit winner, a President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence honoree and a three-year Academic Letter recipient.  He was also a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Club and the Beta Club (officer) and was a recipient of the Outstanding Student of America award.

Locke intends to major in Nursing at Malone.  He is the son of Edward and Regina Hashbarger of Bloomingdale.

(L-R): Regina Hashbarger, Tyler Locke, Edward Hashbarger

Trisha Seilhamer, of New Philadelphia (Garaway H.S.) and a transfer from Spring Arbor (MI) University, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University in the fall and play basketball for head coach Lori Wynn and the Pioneers.

A 5’4” guard, Seilhamer started 27 games as a freshman for the Cougars last season and averaged 4.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals.  After wrapping up an accomplished four-year playing career at Garaway High School in 2009, Seilhamer was named Ohio Division III District 5 Honorable Mention, East District Honorable Mention and Inter-Valley Conference Honorable Mention.  A four-year letter-winner for the Lady Pirate basketball squad, she also helped Garaway reach the state semi-finals in 2006 and claim a state runner-up finish in 2008.

Breanna “Bre” Hochstetler, of Orrville and a 2010 graduate of Orrville High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play basketball for the Pioneers. 

Hochstetler, a 6'0" post player, earned three letters at Orrville and was named an Ohio Cardinal Conference All-Star.  In addition, she helped her team to the district championship in 2007-08.  Academically, she has maintained just under a 3.00 grade point average at Orrville.

Hochstetler intends to major in Exercise Science at Malone.  She is the daughter of David and Stephanie Hochstetler of Orrville.

Two members of the Malone University softball team were recently recognized with NCCAA (National Christian College Atheltic Association) All-America honors when the awards were announced at last weekend’s NCCAA Softball World Series.  Sophomore shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer (pictured left; Central Crossing H.S.) was voted to the NCCAA All-America First Team while senior centerfielder Morgan Heacock (pictured below; Mt. Gilead H.S.) collected NCCAA All-America Second Team accolades. 

Atzenhoefer, who was also previously named to the NCCAA East Region Team and American Mideast Conference Second Team, started all 26 games at shortstop for the Pioneers this season and batted a team-high .424 with six doubles, three triples, eight homers, 28 RBI’s, 20 runs scored and a .847 slugging percentage.  Atzenhoefer also tied a Malone and NAIA single-game record by clubbing three homers in a 19-0 thumping of Carlow (PA) University on April 24th.

Heacock, a 2010 NCCAA East Region and AMC First Team selection, batted .375 on the year with 36 base hits, including two inside-the-park home runs.  Malone’s leadoff batter also tallied 16 RBI’s, crossed the plate 25 times and swiped 17 bases over the course of the season.

Atzenhoefer and Heacock are the first Pioneers to be selected as NCCAA All-Americans since Sarah Sweitzer (First Team) and Kathryn Bzdafka (Honorable Mention) earned the award in 2006.

Two Malone University baseball players were recently honored with NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) All-America accolades when the awards were announced prior to the start of this week’s NCCAA Baseball World Series.  Junior left-handed starting pitcher Jeff Shenker (pictured left; Twinsburg H.S.) and junior designated hitter Corey Hartong (Dalton H.S.) were each voted to the 17-man NCCAA All-America squad following their respective outstanding performances during the 2010 season.

Shenker, who previously collected the American Mideast Conference and NCCAA East Region Pitcher of the Year awards, posted a perfect 8-0 record during the regular season with a 2.91 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 68.0 innings pitched.  In 12 regular-season appearances, Shenker tossed four complete games while limiting the opposition to a .233 batting average.

Hartong, the 2010 NCCAA East Region Player of the Year, batted .417 in 47 regular-season contests with seven doubles, seven triples, eight homers, and 38 RBI’s.  Hartong also scored 41 runs while posting team-highs for on-base percentage (.500) and slugging percentage (.729).

The Pioneers, who ended their 2010 campaign with a 36-20 overall record, have now had at least two NCCAA All-Americans in each of the last three years.

Bradson Ephraim, of Antigua, West Indies and a transfer from John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Ephraim, a 6’7, 210 lb. forward/center, averaged 2.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game at John Wood C.C. as a sophomore.

“We are excited to add Bradson to our program for next year,” commented head coach Tim Walker.  “Bradson fits a need for size and athleticism and he is an outstanding student.  He has been well coached at John Wood and we think his best basketball is still ahead of him.”

Ephraim recently completed his Associate Degree at John Wood and will continue his education at Malone.  He intends to major in Mathematics at Malone.  He is the son of Joslyn Archibald-Arthur of Antigua, West Indies.

(photo courtesy of John Wood Community College)

Ashton Avery, of Canton (McKinley H.S.) and a sophomore middle distance runner on the Malone University women’s track and field team, was recently named the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week after her outstanding performance at the Allegheny (PA) College Invitational last Friday.

Avery broke a nine-year-old Malone school record in the 800 meters as she placed first in a time of 2:13.70, snapping Suzie Jeren’s old mark of 2:14.53 which was set in 2001.  The performance marked the 12th fastest 800-meter time posted in the NAIA so far this year and it automatically qualifies Avery for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships that are to be held May 27-29 in Marion, Indiana.   

Tara Lawson, of Minerva and a member of Minerva High School’s 2010 graduating class, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play volleyball for head coach Tanya Hockman and the Pioneers.

In addition to lettering three years in volleyball for the Lions, the 5’10” Lawson also lettered four years in softball and one year in basketball.  She collected numerous volleyball honors during her high school career including being named to the Northeastern Buckeye Conference First Team, the All-Stark County Division II First Team, and the Ohio District IV First Team following her senior season.  In addition, Lawson participated in the 2009 District IV All-Star Game, helped Minerva capture the 2007 NBC Volleyball Title, and currently holds the Lions’ single-season record for kills with 366.

She is the daughter of Bob and Cyndy Lawson of Minerva and intends to major in Nursing at Malone.

Kaley Kahoun, of Madison, Ohio and a member of Madison Perry High School’s 2010 graduating class, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play women’s tennis for the Pioneers.

The 5’7” Kahoun lettered four years in basketball and two years in softball for the Pirates in addition to lettering all four years in tennis.  She earned numerous awards on the tennis court throughout her high school career including being named to the Chagrin Valley Conference First Team and twice receiving her squad’s MVP award.  In addition, Kahoun helped Perry to a runner-up finish at the CVC Tournament and garnered the Ohio Tennis Coaches’ Association’s Golden Racquet Award in recognition of her hard work in the classroom.

Academically, Kahoun is a member of the National Honor Society and was a four-year Academic Excellent Student (Honor Roll) at Perry.  She is the daughter of Dave and Kim Kahoun of Madison and intends to major in Nursing at Malone.

Malone University will be offering a variety of summer sports camp in 2010 including volleyball, soccer, girls basketball, boys basketball, football, cross country and track & field (pole vault only) camp.  Listed below are camp offerings, dates, ages, cost and contact information.

Sport                     Dates                    Time                                      Ages                                      Cost
Volleyball:           June 14-16          9:00 a.m. – noon                     2^nd – 6^th grade girls and boys            $ 60
                          June 14-16          5:00 – 8:00 p.m.                     Junior High                                       $ 60
                          June 21-23          9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.              Junior High                                        $90
                          Information:  http://www3.malone.edu/athletics/teams/volleyball/volleyball-camp
                          Contact:     Tanya Hockman at thockman@malone.edu  or  330-471-8287

Football:              June 21-23          9:00 – 11:00 a.m.                 2^nd – 5^th grade                                    $ 60
                          June 21-23          1:00 – 3:00 p.m.                   6^th – 8^th grade                                     $ 60
                          Information:       http://www3.malone.edu/athletics/teams/football/summer-camps
                         Contact:       Cliff Schenk at cschenk@malone.edu  or  330-471-8300

Soccer               **The Boys and Girls Soccer Camp has been cancelled**

Girls Basketball     **The Girls Basketball Camp has been cancelled**

Cross Country       July 11-14          Overnight Camp/Commuter      Junior High – High School              $295/$195
                            Information:  http://www3.malone.edu/athletics/teams/cross-country/cross-country-camp
                            Contact:  Jack Hazen at jhazen@malone.edu   or  330-471-8291

Track & Field       **The Pole Vault Camp has been cancelled**

Boys Basketball     July 19-23         8:30 – 11:30 am.                   4^th – 6^th grade                                     $ 70
                           July 19-23         1:00 – 4:00 p.m.                   7^th – 8^th grade                                     $ 70
                            Information: http://www3.malone.edu/athletics/teams/mens-basketball/mens-basketball-summer-camp
                            Contact:  Tim Walker at twalker@malone.edu  or  330-471-8296    

In addition to their American Mideast Conference postseason awards that were announced late last week, nine members of the Malone University baseball team have also been recognized by the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) East Region in recent voting by the organization’s coaches. 

First baseman Matt Anderson (So., Jackson H.S.), second baseman Justin Shiflett (Jr., Zane Trace H.S.), centerfielder Allen Strouble (Fr., Marlington H.S.), designated hitter Corey Hartong (pictured left; Jr., Dalton H.S.), catcher T.J. Rosenberg (So., United Local H.S.) and starting pitchers Jeff Shenker (Jr., Twinsburg H.S.) and Todd Liberatore (Sr., Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.) were all named to the NCCAA All-East Region Team while rightfielder Marc Adams (So., Louisville H.S.) and third baseman Alex Schmid (Sr., Canton Central Catholic H.S.) received NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention accolades.

Hartong, Shenker and seventh-year head coach Tom Crank swept the NCCAA East Region Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Coach of the Year awards. 

Malone, 36-18 overall, is seeded third in the 10-team, double-elimination NCCAA World Series that will take place May 19-22 at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.  The Pioneers are set to begin play at the event on Wednesday with a 1:00 p.m. contest against sixth-seeded Olivet Nazarene (IL) University.

The Malone University baseball team will begin play at the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) World Series in Mason, Ohio on Wednesday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. contest against Olivet Nazarene (IL) University.  The Pioneers, led by seventh-year head coach Tom Crank, are set to compete as the No. 3 seed in the team-team double-elimination tournament that will take place May 19-22^nd at Legacy Field and Prasco Park.  Malone, 36-18 overall, was rated second in the most recent NCCAA National rankings and will represent the NCCAA’s East Region.

Olivet Nazarene, seeded sixth in the World Series field, finished runner-up at the NCCAA North-Central Region Tournament but earned an at-large bid due to holding the No. 4 spot in the most recent NCCAA National rankings.  The Tigers, winners of 10 out of their last 16 games, currently hold an overall record of 32-19-1.

The winner of Wednesday’s first round match-up at Legacy Field between Malone and ONU will move on to a winner’s bracket contest that is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at Prasco Park.  However, the loser of the Malone/Olivet Nazarene game will have to fight through the loser’s bracket, beginning with a 10:00 a.m. elimination contest on Thursday at Legacy Field.  The tournament action is scheduled to wrap-up on Saturday with the NCCAA National Championship Game at 11:00 a.m. (a second championship game, if needed, would follow at 2:00 p.m.).  

Other first-round match-ups slated for Wednesday include eighth-seeded King (TN) College vs. ninth-seeded Indiana Wesleyan University, fourth-seeded Judson (IL) University vs. fifth-seeded Spring Arbor (MI) University, and seventh-seeded Southeastern (FL) University vs. tenth-seeded Colorado Christian University.  Top-seeded Bluefield (VA) College and second-seeded North Greenville (SC) University have each received first-round byes.

Before the 10 teams take the field, each squad will participate in a Cincinnati-area service project on Tuesday afternoon.

Notes: 2010 marks the Pioneers’ fourth-trip to the NCCAA National Tournament in the last five years…After capturing its first NCCAA National Title in 2006, Malone took third place in 2008 before finishing runner-up last season… The Pioneers also made NCCAA World Series appearances in 1988, 2000 and 2001…Malone enters the NCCAA World Series with a team batting average of .333 and a team ERA of 4.86…Now with 341 RBI’s on the season, the Pioneers are 15 shy of tying the 2006 squad’s single-season record of 356 runs batted in…With seven triples so far this year, Corey Hartong (Dalton H.S.), the 2010 NCCAA East Region Player of the Year, needs one more to tie Steve Buso’s 1993 record of eight triples.   

NCCAA World Series Website
NCCAA World Series Bracket

Nate Morrison, of Alliance, Ohio (Marlington H.S.), and a sophomore right-handed reliever on the Malone University baseball team, was recently recognized as the American Mideast Conference Pitcher of the Week following his strong performance in games played May 3-9.

Emily Tomei, of Tallmadge and a 2010 graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and participate in cross country and track & field for the Pioneers.

Tomei finished ninth at the cross country state meet, earning First All-Ohio honors, and led the team to a state title in 2009.  In track, she finished fifth at the state meet as a member of the 4x800-meter relay team.

Tomei is currently undecided as to her major at Malone.  She is the daughter of Provie and Sue Tomei of Tallmadge.

A total of 10 Malone University baseball players were recently recognized with postseason honors from the American Mideast Conference.  Starting pitchers Jeff Shenker (pictured left; Jr., Twinsburg H.S.) and Todd Liberatore (Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.) along with designated hitter Corey Hartong (Dalton H.S.) were voted to the All-AMC First Team.  First baseman Matt Anderson (So., Jackson H.S.), catcher T.J. Rosenberg (So., United Local H.S.), and outfielders Allen Strouble (Fr., Marlington H.S.) and Marc Adams (So., Louisville H.S.) were each named to the All-AMC Second Team while third basemanAlex Schmid (Sr., Canton Central Catholic H.S.), second baseman Justin Shiflett (Jr., Zane Trace H.S.) and starting pitcher Jared Messer (Fr., Perry H.S.) were tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention.  In addition, after helping the Pioneers reach the AMC Postseason with a 16-8 conference record, Shenker was selected as the AMC Pitcher of the Year.

Shenker has put together an impressive 2010 campaign thus far as he has compiled an 8-1 record with a 2.96 earned run average over 76 innings pitched.  The 6’5” lefty has tossed four complete games in 2010, held opponents to a .237 batting average and struck out a team-high 59 batters.  Liberatore has put together a stellar senior campaign, compiling an 8-2 record with a 5.40 ERA over 61.2 innings of work.  2010 marks the third straight season that Liberatore has reached eight victories as the southpaw now holds a career record of 25-8 and is just five wins shy of tying Dan Walker’s all-time mark of 30.

Hartong entered the starting lineup this March and immediately began to contribute with his bat as, in 49 games played, he has compiled a .400 batting average with seven doubles, seven triples, eight homers, 38 RBI’s and 41 runs scored.  Hartong has also registered a .700 slugging percentage, a .489 on-base percentage, and is now just one triple shy of tying Steve Buso’s 1993 single-season record of eight triples.

Anderson, who has started all 54 of Malone’s games at first base this year, is also currently batting at a .400 clip and leads the team in multiple statistical categories including runs scored (56), base hits (66), walks (33) and on-base percentage (.500).  Despite not entering the starting lineup until midway through the season, Rosenberg has posted a .365 batting average with 42 hits and 28 RBI’s in just 115 at-bats.  Strouble has turned in an excellent freshman season, recording a .335 batting average with eight stolen bases, 10 doubles, two triples, and a team-high nine homers to go with 35 runs scored and 38 RBI’s.  Adams has also made significant contributions as he is batting .339 with 59 hits and 34 runs batted in.

Schmid leads the Pioneers with 42 RBI’s and has also compiled a .314 batting average with nine doubles and six homers.  Shiflett, the squad’s lead-off hitter, is batting .344 with 47 runs scored and 25 RBI’s while Messer has recorded a 5-2 record in his first collegiate season with a 5.47 ERA and two saves over his 49.1 innings pitched.

In addition to these all-conference awards, three Malone players were also recognized for their strong defensive play throughout the year as Adams, Schmid and Shenker were among the nine members of the 2010 All- AMC Rawlings Gold Glove Team.         

Although Malone, now 36-18 overall, was unable to defend its AMC Postseason Tournament Title last week after dropping contests to Mt. Vernon Nazarene University and Shawnee State University, the Pioneers will still likely receive a bid to participate in the NCCAA National Tournament that will be held May 19-22 at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.

All-AMC Baseball Team

The Malone University softball team had six players earn postseason recognition from the American Mideast Conference when voting for the All-AMC Team was announced on Thursday.  Senior centerfielder Morgan Heacock (pictured left; Mt. Gilead H.S.) was named to the All-AMC First Team, sophomore shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer (Central Crossing H.S.) and freshman rightfielder Brittany Stevenson (Geneva H.S.) were voted to the All-AMC Second Team while junior catcher Laura Ronk (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.), junior first baseman Karre Thompson (East Canton H.S.), and junior leftfielder Elizabeth Sarkissian (Twinsburg H.S.) were each tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention.

Heacock wrapped up her outstanding four-year Malone career with an excellent senior campaign as, in 26 games played, she batted a career-best .375 with 36 base hits, including two inside-the-park home runs, 25 runs scored, 16 RBI’s and 17 stolen bases.  In addition to posting the best batting average of her career this season, Heacock also tied or exceeded previous career highs for RBI’s, slugging percentage (.521), stolen bases, and fielding percentage (.972) as she collected All-AMC honors for the fourth straight season.

After an incredible freshman campaign in 2009, Atzenhoefer continued to hammer away at the opposition’s pitching this spring as she posted a team-high batting average of .424 with six doubles, three triples, eight homers, 28 RBI’s, 20 runs scored and a .847 slugging percentage.  Atzenhoefer also tied a Malone and NAIA single-game record by clubbing three homers in a 19-0 thrashing of Carlow (PA) University on April 24th.  Stevenson made a significant impact in her first collegiate season as she started all 26 games in rightfield, compiling a .288 batting average with 13 runs scored and three stolen bases.

Ronk caught every pitch behind the plate for the squad this year, earning All-AMC Honorable Mention recognition for the third straight season after batting .322 with five doubles, two triples, and 14 runs batted in.  Thompson also garnered her third All-AMC selection in three years as she batted .273 with seven doubles and 12 RBI’s.  Sarkissian, meanwhile, posted a .291 batting average, drove in 12 runs and crossed the plate 21 times.

Malone reached the AMC Tournament for the first time since 2006, wrapping up its 2010 campaign with a 10-16 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the conference.

All-AMC Softball Team

The Malone University men’s golf team, led by veteran head coach Ken Hyland, will compete at the 59^th annual NAIA National Championships at the TPC Deere Run Gulf course in Silvis, Illinois May 18 – 21.  The Pioneers are ranked third in the final NAIA national rankings this season (and the only northern school ranked in the top 10) and earned an automatic bid to the national event by winning the AMC/NAIA Region IX Championships at the Apple Valley Golf Course in Howard, Ohio April 29-30.

Malone collected its seventh straight AMC/Region IX title, among a 10-team field, winning by 55 strokes with a 54-hole score of 876 (288-296-292) over runner up Cedarville University (931).  In addition to their seven straight NAIA national tournament appearances, the Pioneers have qualified for 13 of the last 15 NAIA national events and earned a national championship in 2000.  Also, 42 years ago this month, the men’s golf team became the first-ever Malone intercollegiate athletic team to qualify for an NAIA national tournament (the team finished 22^nd at the tournament). 

In addition to this year’s AMC/Region team title, Justin Lower (Jr., Northwest H.S.) captured individual medalist honors with a 214 (67-71-76) while Ben Smith (Sr., Carrollton H.S.) was second overall at 216 (74-74-68).  Joining Lower and Smith on the All-Tournament (top 10 finishers and ties) for Malone were Richie Schembechler (So., Mass. Washington H.S.) in third at 220 (73-75-72) and Michael Strayer (Sr., Riverside H.S.) in sixth at 227 (74-77-76).  Tyler Light (Fr., Perry H.S.) narrowly missed All-AMC honors as he finished 11^th at 233 (76-76-81).

This same fivesome will represent Malone at the upcoming NAIA national event.  In addition, coach Ken Hyland was again named the AMC/NAIA Region IX Coach of the Year at the recent AMC event.

At last year’s national tournament, Malone finished sixth among a 29-team field.  This year’s 72-hole event again has 29 teams with a 54-hole cut after the third of four days in which only the top 17 teams and the top 40 individuals will play on the final day.

Front row (L-R): Michael Strayer, Ben Smith, Tyler Light; Back row - Head coach Ken Hyland, Justin Lower, Richie Schembechler

The Malone University baseball team will begin play at the American Mideast Conference Tournament in Portsmouth, Ohio on Tuesday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. contest against Mt. Vernon Nazarene University.  The Pioneers, led by seventh-year head coach Tom Crank, won five of their final eight AMC contests to qualify for the conference postseason tournament for the sixth consecutive year.

The three-team double-elimination event will run May 11-13 at Branch Rickey Park, the home field of 2010 AMC Regular-Season Champions, Shawnee State University (28-27 overall, 17-7 AMC).  The loser of the opening-round match-up between second-seeded Malone (36-16 overall, 16-8 AMC) and third-seeded Mt. Vernon Nazarene (29-20 overall, 14-10 AMC) will wrap-up day one of the tourney by taking on the host Bears.

Day two (Wednesday) will then begin with Shawnee State facing off with the winner of the Malone/MVNU match-up.  If the loser of Tuesday’s Malone/MVNU contest also loses to Shawnee State, then it is eliminated and the two remaining teams will play a best two-out-of-three series to determine the champion.

However, if all teams have one loss after game three, the match-up for game four will be determined by a draw and the team drawn will receive a bye to game five (championship game).

Notes:  Malone hosted the 2008 and 2009 AMC Tournaments at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton, Ohio… Last year, the Pioneers won the conference tournament and advanced to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round…Malone eclipsed 35 wins for the fourth time in the last five years and the fifth time in program history…The Pioneers split their four-game regular-season series with MVNU and took three out of their four 2010 contests with Shawnee State.

AMC Tournament

The Malone University women’s basketball team has hired two new assistant coaches for the 2010-2011 season.  Jeff Couto and Ken Conley, both former members of the girls’ varsity staff at Louisville High School, have joined eighth-year head coach Lori Wynn on the Pioneer coaching staff. 

Couto served as the Lady Leopards head coach from 1999-2008 during which time Louisville compiled a 127-74 overall record.  He received numerous coach of the year awards while at Louisville, earning Ohio Division II Coach of the Year accolades following the 2005-2006 season, the Stark County Coaches’ Association Coach of the Year Award following the 2007-2008 campaign and four consecutive Ohio District IV Coach of the Year recognitions from 2005-2008.  Cuoto also received the OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity award in 2003-2004 and the Akron Beacon Journal Clem Caraboolad Award in 2007-2008 in addition to garnering Northeastern Buckeye Conference Coach of the Year honors following the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 seasons.

Conley worked on Cuoto’s staff at Louisville from 2002-2008 and was responsible for developing post players, incorporating out-of-bounds plays and supplying instruction and guidance on zone defenses.  Prior to his stint on the Lady Leopards’ varsity staff, he served as one of the first youth coaches within the Louisville district, helping to advance both the boys’ and girls’ programs.

Over their last three seasons together at Louisville, Cuoto and Conley guided the Lady Leopards to a 39-3 NBC mark and three straight conference titles (2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008).

Andrew Fouts, of Mahomet, Illinois and a 2010 graduate of Judah Christian High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for head coach Tom Crank and the Pioneers.

Fouts, a 5’11” catcher, lettered for four years in baseball and also four years in golf for the Tribe, collecting numerous honors throughout his career.  His accolades include being named a 2007 All Conference selection, the 2007 Conference Batting Champion and a Baseball Christian Athlete of the Year for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons.  He also helped lead the Tribe to the ECIC Championship in 2007.  In addition, he was named a Golf Christian Athlete of the Year for 2009.

Fouts intends to major in Sports Ministry at Malone.  He is the son of Randy and Becky Fouts of Mahomet, Illinois.

L-R :  Randy Fouts (father), Andrew Fouts, Mark Bankert (Malone Associate Athletic Director)

The Malone University softball team will open play at the American Mideast Conference Tournament in Portsmouth, Ohio on Wednesday afternoon with a 3:00 p.m. match-up against the conference’s regular-season champion and tournament host, Shawnee State University.  The Pioneers, led by first-year head coach Whitney Hartman, won their final three AMC contests of the regular season to qualify for the conference tournament for the first time since 2006.   

The four-team double-elimination event will run May 5-7 and is set to get under way at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday when second-seeded Notre Dame College (22-23 overall, 12-4 AMC) takes on third-seeded Walsh University (20-18 overall, 11-5 AMC).  After fourth-seeded Malone (10-14 overall, 10-6 AMC) and top-seeded Shawnee State (25-22 overall, 12-3 AMC) square off at 3:00 p.m., the first-round losers will play an elimination game at 5:00 p.m.  On Thursday, the opening-round winners will play at 1:00 p.m. with a second elimination game at 3:00 p.m. The championship game will be held on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and, if another game is necessary, it will follow at 3:00 p.m.

Notes: The Bears took both games of their regular-season doubleheader with the Pioneers, recording victories of 2-1 and 11-5 in contests held at Shawnee State on April 17th…Malone enters the tournament with a team batting average of .306…The squad has been idle since April 24th when it swept its home finale against Carlow (PA) University by final scores of 7-3 and 19-0 (five innings)…In their last postseason appearance (2006), the Pioneers also traveled to Shawnee State as the Bears eliminated Malone from a best-of-three opening-round AMC playoff series with wins of 8-0 and 1-0.    

AMC Softball Tournament Bracket (pdf)

For the third time this spring, Malone University junior golfer Justin Lower (Northwest H.S.) has been selected for Student Athlete of the Week honors from the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association).  A native of Canal Fulton, Ohio, Lower earned the national award after leading the Pioneers to their seventh straight American Mideast Conference Tournament Title last week among a 10-team field.

Lower captured individual medalist honors at the event with a three-round score of 214 (67-71-76).  Paced by this strong performance, Malone outdistanced second-place Cedarville University by a whopping 55 strokes and earned an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships that will be held May 18-21 at TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.

David Phillips, of Eastlake and a 2010 graduate of Willoughby South High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University in the fall and play soccer for the Pioneers.  The 5’6” defender lettered one year in soccer.

Phillips’ academic achievements include being named to the North-South Leadership Conference as well as making Principal’s List and the Honor Roll.

At Malone, Phillips plans to major in Nursing.  He is the son of Neal and Jenn Bartone of Eastlake.

(L-R): Chris Carmichael (Malone head coach), David Phillips, Jenn Bartone (mother)

Sara Tucke, of Mineral City and a 2010 graduate of Tuscarawas Valley High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Tucke, a 5’7” guard, lettered four years in basketball for the Trojans and also three in volleyball and four in track.  In basketball, she led the Trojans to a PAC-7 Championship, Sectional Championship, and District runner-up finish.  As a senior, she was awarded PAC-7 Player of the Year, District 4 Player of the Year and Eastern District Player of the Year.   She was also a two-time First Team PAC-7 and a two-time First Team District 4 selection.  In addition, as a senior, she earned First Team Eastern District, Second Team All-Ohio, Team Offensive MVP, and Captains Award honors.  Tucke is also Tuscarawas Valley’s all time career and single-season three-point record holder. 

Academically, she earned Academic All-Ohio honors, the Ray Kroc Award and Buckeye Girls State accolades.  She was also a member of the National Honor Society and was awarded the Gold Scholarship Certificate from the Ohio Basketball Coaches Association.

Tucke plans to major in Pre-Medicine at Malone.  She is the daughter of Wesley and Shurina Tucke of Mineral City.

Michael Mazzan, of Louisville and a 2010 graduate of Louisville High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers.

Mazzan, a 6’ pitcher/ first baseman, was a two-year letterman in baseball for the Leopards and he also lettered one year in golf.  Mazzan garnered the team’s highest batting average in 2009 and helped lead that Leopard baseball team to a district title.  He was also named Second Team NBC in golf while shooting the team’s lowest average his senior year.  Academically, he was a member of the Honor Roll and was also a Scholar-Athlete.

Mazzan plans to major in Physical Therapy at Malone.  He is the son of Sharon and David Mazzan of Louisville.

The Malone University men's golf team climbed back to the No. 3 position when the final NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll of the year was released this past Friday.  The Pioneers, ranked fourth in the previous poll, returned to the third spot after earning 505 points, one point ahead of Savannah (GA) College of Art & Design, which secured the fourth position with 504 points.  Oklahoma City University received all 20 first-place votes for the second straight poll, holding the No. 1 ranked with 560 points.  Oklahoma Christian University was second with 542 points and Holy Names (CA) University rounded out the top five at 500.

Malone claimed its seventh consecutive American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX Title last week, placing first among a 10-team field with an impressive three-round score of 876 (288-296-292).  With the tournament victory, the Pioneers earned an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships that will take place May 18-21 at TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.

Sarah VanVoorhis, of Marysville and a 2010 graduate of Marysville High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

VanVoorhis, a 5’9’’ forward, lettered two years in basketball for the Monarchs and also won three letters in tennis.  In basketball, she won the MAA Spirit Award, the Teammate Award  and the Most Improved Player Award.  In addition, she competed at AAU nationals as well.  Academically, she was a four-year Scholar Athlete and a member of the National Technical Honor Society.

VanVoorhis plans to major in Nursing at Malone. She is the daughter of Tim and Wanda VanVoorhis of Marysville.

Spencer Preston, of Sunbury and a 2010 graduate of Tree of Life Christian High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the Pioneers.

Preston, a 6’0’’ forward, lettered all four years for the Trojans and also won two letters in baseball.  In soccer, he was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player for his team while achieving 1^st Team MOCAL and 3^rd Team Central District honors.

Preston is currently undecided as to his major at Malone.  He is the son of Rick and Carolyn Preston of Sunbury.

Jordan Fedor, of Mantua and a 2010 graduate of Crestwood High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers.

Fedor, a 6’2’’ pitcher, won MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors for the Devils.   Academically, he was a member of the Honor Roll for four years.

Fedor plans to major in Accounting at Malone.  He is the son of Sherry and Ron Fedor of Mantua.

Seated (L-R): Ron Fedor (father), Sherry Fedor (mother), Jordan Fedor, Bob Merritt (Crestwood baseball head coach)
Standing (L-R): Jack Sholtis (Malone asst. baseball coach), Tom Crank (Malone head baseball coach), Steve Kelly (Malone pitching coach)

Janelle Linder, of Canton and a 2010 graduate of GlenOak High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play tennis for the Pioneers.

Linder, a 5’7’’ two-year letter winner in tennis, also lettered two years  in basketball for the Golden Eagles.  In tennis, she claimed All Federal League Honorable Mention honors and helped her team to a third-place finish in the Federal League.  In basketball, she received a Scholar Athlete Award, the Senior Award and an Ohio Coaches Scholar Athlete Award (Gold).  In addition, Linder was a member of the National Honor Society and a member of the select vocal Jazz Ensemble (Drifters).

Linder plans to major in Communications/Public Relations at Malone. She is the daughter of Joe and Linda Linder of Canton.

Kristen Atzenhoefer, of Galloway, Ohio (Central Crossing H.S.) and a sophomore shortstop on the Malone University softball team, was recently named the American Mideast Conference Player of the Week following her outstanding performance at the plate April 19-25 as the Pioneers remained in the hunt for a postseason spot by tallying a 4-2 record.

Atzenhoefer, who also received AMC Player of the Week recognition for games played March 29-April 3, batted .429 (9-for-21) with five runs scored, a double, three homers and eight RBI's.  All of her extra-base hits and seven of her RBI's came during the Pioneers' 19-0 run-rule victory over Carlow on Saturday as she tied a Malone and NAIA record with three home runs in the contest.  Atzenhoefer narrowly missed a fourth homer in the lop-sided, five-inning win as her third-inning double smacked off the top of the leftfield fence.  In addition, she slugged .905 on the week while also accumulating a .478 on-base percentage.

With the 4-2 week, the Pioneers concluded their regular-season schedule with a 10-14 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the AMC.  Malone is currently in fourth-place in the conference standings and will now await the outcome of several other AMC contests to see if the squad will qualify for the four-team AMC Postseason Tournament that will take place May 5-7.

After 43 years of coaching at Malone University, there aren’t many “firsts” left for men’s and women’s cross country head coach Jack Hazen to experience.  But on Thursday (April 22), with the signing of Louisville High School’s top cross country runner Nick Fresenko, another first has somehow surfaced again for the veteran Pioneer mentor.

Fresenko signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and run cross country for the Pioneers, following in the “footsteps”, if you will, of his parents, Jerry and Deana (Hagestrom) Fresenko, who were both outstanding distance runners themselves in the late 1980’s at Malone.  Jerry ran for Hazen in both cross country and track while Deana was on the cross country and track teams that were under the direction of head coach Scott Armstrong.

The younger Fresenko is a four-year letterman in both cross country and track & field at Louisville and has numerous accomplishments, both athletically and academically, to his credit.  Most recently, Fresenko was the runner-up (3200 meters) at the indoor track & field state meet.  He also currently holds the best 3200-meter time in Stark County. In addition, he led the Leopards’ cross country team to four straight NBC championships (06, 07, 08, 09) and one regional runner-up finish.   He was also named Academic All-Ohio and Academic All-NBC.   Among other strictly academic honors, Fresenko was a member of the National Honors Society and a member of the Honor Roll.  He was also named a Student of the Month.

Nick’s father, Jerry, has also served as his head coach as Jerry is the boys track & field head coach at Louisville (the team is currently undefeated this season) while Nick’s mother, Deana, is the assistant coach for the team.  Nick was coached in cross country by head coach Bob Sudomir.  Jerry and Deana, both 1990 Malone graduates, were both outstanding runners over their four-year cross country and track careers.  In cross country, Jerry was a two-time NAIA All-American and four-year NCCAA All-American and, in track, was an NCCAA All-American and an NCCAA national champion in the steeplechase.  Deana earned numerous accolades in both cross country and track, most notably earning an individual conference title in the 1500 meters and the 10,000 meters.

“As far as I can recall, Nick is indeed the first second-generation runner that I’ve ever had at Malone,” said Hazen.  “We feel honored to have Nick, not only for his athletic ability, but for the fact that he is a great student in the classroom.  I feel even more privileged having him because we are fortunate enough to have had both his mom and dad run at Malone as well.  They are two quality individuals and so it’s easy to see how Nick has become such a fine runner and person.  It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to coach Nick and I’m really looking forward to this new experience.”

(L-R): Deana Fresenko (mother), Jack Hazen (Malone cross country head coach), Nick Fresenko, Jerry Fresenko (father)

Eight Malone University softball players were named to NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) All-East Region Team when voting for the squad was announced on Thursday.  Sophomore shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer (pictured left; Central Crossing H.S.), senior centerfielder Morgan Heacock (Mt. Gilead H.S.), junior leftfielder Elizabeth Sarkissian (Twinsburg H.S.), and junior catcher Laura Ronk (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) each garnered All-Region recognition while freshman second baseman Nikki Eshelman (Wadsworth H.S.), sophomore pitcher Kelsey Hatfield (Ostego H.S.), junior pitcher Jessica Krska (Norton H.S.) and junior first baseman Karre Thompson (East Canton H.S.) were all tabbed Honorable Mention.  In addition, first-year head coach Whitney Hartman was voted the NCCAA East Region Co-Coach of the Year.

Through the Pioneers’ first 22 games, Atzenhoefer leads the squad in multiple offensive categories including batting average (.411), doubles (five), triples (three), homers (four), and RBI’s (19).  Heacock, the squad’s leadoff batter, has tallied a .390 batting average so far this season with 32 hits, 21 runs scored, 13 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases.  Sarkissian and Ronk have also made substantial offensive contributions as Sarkissian has totaled a .297 batting average with 16 runs scored and four stolen bases.  Ronk, meanwhile, has started every game behind the plate so far this season, tallying a .324 batting average with four doubles, two triples and 14 RBI’s.

Eshelman has made immediate contributions in her first collegiate season, having compiled a .262 batting average with 13 runs scored and 12 RBI’s.  Hatfield and Krska have handled a majority of the pitching duties for Malone this spring with Hatfield posting a 2-5 record and 31 strikeouts over 42 innings while Krska has notched a 6-6 mark with a 4.53 ERA over 75.2 innings of work.  Thompson has also chipped in with 15 hits, including three doubles, and nine RBI’s.

Corey Hartong, of Navarre, Ohio (Dalton H.S.) and a junior designated hitter on the Malone University baseball team, was recently honored as the American Mideast Conference Player of the Week following his outstanding performance at the plate as the Pioneers posted a 3-4 record in games played April 12-17.

In last week’s seven games, Hartong batted .500 (11-for-22) with two triples, a homer, five runs scored and nine runs batted in.  He also posted a .818 slugging percentage and nearly hit for the cycle in game two on Thursday against Notre Dame (OH) College, going 3-for-3 with a single, triple, homer, sacrifice fly, two runs scored and five runs batted in.

The Pioneers, currently 28-12 overall and 10-6 in the AMC, will face local rival Walsh University in a nine-inning contest at Thurman Munson Stadium on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.  The squad will then travel to Portsmouth, Ohio over the weekend for an important four-game AMC series against Shawnee State University.

The Malone University men's golf team fell one spot to No. 4 when the fourth NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll of the year was released this past Friday.  The Pioneers received 502 points to claim the fourth position, just 11 points behind third-ranked Savannah (GA) College of Art & Design at 513.  Oklahoma City University received all 20 first-place votes to secure the top spot with 560 points.  Oklahoma Christian University was second at 542 and Holy Names (CA) University rounded out the top five with 482.  

Despite cold and wet weather conditions over the weekend, the Pioneers won their own Malone Spring Classic among a nine-team field.  The squad will return to action this Friday and Saturday at the College of Wooster's Nye Intercollegiate Invitational.

NAIA National Poll - Rating #4

Tyler Light, of Massillon (Perry H.S.) and a freshman golfer on the Malone University men’s golf team, led the Pioneers to a first-place finish among a 16-team field at the Capital University Purple and White Invitational last Friday and Saturday as the Pioneers posted a two-day score of 604 (302-302). Light and teammate Justin Lower tied for first place at the event after carding scores of 149. Light then brought home medalist honors after winning the fifth playoff hole. 

Elena Duncan, of Winona Lake, Indiana and a senior golfer on the Malone women’s golf team, led her team to a first-place finish among a three-team field at the Urbana University Invitational last Friday as she captured medalist honors at the event with a score of 87. Paced by Duncan’s strong performance, Malone shot a team score of 382 to surpass the host Blue Knights by 11 strokes (393).

Tyler Light, of Massillon (Perry H.S.) and a freshman golfer on the Malone University men’s golf team, led the Pioneers to a first-place finish among a 16-team field at the Capital University Purple and White Invitational last Friday and Saturday as the Pioneers posted a two-day score of 604 (302-302). Light and teammate Justin Lower tied for first place at the event after carding scores of 149. Light then brought home medalist honors after winning the fifth playoff hole.

Elena Duncan, of Winona Lake, Indiana and a senior golfer on the Malone women’s golf team, led her team to a first-place finish among a three-team field at the Urbana University Invitational last Friday as she captured medalist honors at the event with a score of 87. Paced by Duncan’s strong performance, Malone shot a team score of 382 to surpass the host Blue Knights by 11 strokes (393).

Leah Spangler, of Hilliard and a 2010 graduate of Hilliard Darby High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the Pioneers. The 5’2 defender has earned three varsity letters in soccer and one in track.

Spangler’s athletic achievements include being named 2^nd Team All OCC, Best Defensive Player and senior captain of the varsity soccer team.   She also earned the Scholar Athlete Award and Sportsmanship Award.  Academically, she was a member of the Honor Roll at Hilliard.

Spangler intends to major in Nursing at Malone. She is the daughter of Melvin and Dawn Spangler of Hilliard.

(L-R): Leta Gramlich (Malone head coach), Leah Spangler, Dawn Spangler (mother), Abbey Spangler (sister)

The Malone University men’s basketball program, led by head coach Tim Walker who recently completed his first season at Malone, will host the first annual Hal Smith Golf Classic on Saturday, May 1^st at the Sanctuary Golf Club in North Canton.  The event will be a shotgun start at 1:00 p.m. and a dinner to follow.  The format is a four-man scramble and you can register as a foursome or individually. The cost of the event is $50 per person or you can attend the dinner only for just $15.  There are also opportunities for companies to purchase hole sponsorships for $250 (please contact Tim Walker at twalker@malone.edu).

The purpose of this event is to connect with former players and friends of Malone basketball and to share the vision for the future of Malone basketball while enjoying a good day of golf and fellowship. 

“I’m thankful that Coach Smith has agreed to take part in this event and we are looking forward to having many of you join us,” commented Walker.

You can register for the event by e-mailing Walker at twalker@malone.edu or by calling his office at 330-471-8296.

Photos from the first annual event !!

Connor McCaulley, of Stow and a 2010 graduate of Stow-Munroe Falls High School, has signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play golf for the Pioneers.  McCaulley lettered three years in golf at Stow-Munroe Falls.

McCaulley was a two-time All-Conference selection and was also voted 2^nd Team All-Northern Ohio.  In addition, he earned the Coach’s Award and the Captain Award and he was also named a two-time team captain.  He also helped his team qualify for the 2009 state tournament.  Academically, he earned two leadership awards from the Stow Rotary Club.

McCaulley intends to major in Sports Management at Malone.  He is the son of Craig and Pauline McCaulley of Stow.

(L-R): Ken Hyland (Malone head coach), Connor McCaulley, Pauline McCaulley (mother), Craig McCaulley (father)

Joshua Kopka, of Carpentersville, Illinois and a 2010 graduate of Harry D. Jacobs High School, has signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play golf for the Pioneers.  Kopka lettered three years in golf at Harry D. Jacobs.

Kopka was All-Conference and All-Area in 2008-2009 and was a Sectional Qualifier in 2007 and 2009.  He also helped his team to become Conference Champions (2008), Regional Champions (2008), and the Huntley Invite Champions (2008).  Academically, he earned High Honor Roll all four years.

Kopka intends to major in Business Administration and minor in Marketing at Malone.  He is the son of Tim and Judy Kopka of Carpentersville, Illinois. 

For the second straight week, Malone University junior golfer Justin Lower (Northwest H.S.) has garnered Student Athlete of the Week accolades from the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association).  The Canal Fulton, Ohio native collected the award after leading the Pioneers to a first-place finish at John Carroll University’s 27-hole Pat Flowers Invitational this past Friday.

Lower earned medalist honors at the event after carding a score of 101 (70-31).  Led by this outstanding performance, Malone rolled to the team victory with a score of 413 (285-128), topping second-place John Carroll by 32 strokes.  The individual title marked the eighth tournament win of Lower’s career, breaking the previous Pioneer record of seven set by Scotty Jones (2003-2007).

Malone, ranked third in the most recent NAIA National Poll, is scheduled to continue its spring season April 9-10 at the Capital University Invitational in Columbus, Ohio.

Two members of the Malone University softball team recently collected Player and Pitcher of the Week accolades from the American Mideast Conference after helping the Pioneers register a 4-0 record in games played March 29^th through April 3^rd.  Kristen Atzenhoefer, a sophomore shortstop from Galloway, Ohio (pictured above left; Central Crossing H.S.), was named Player of the Week while Jessica Krska, a junior pitcher from Clinton, Ohio (pictured above right; Norton H.S.), was tabbed  Pitcher of the Week.

In Malone’s first four conference games of the season last week against Mt. Vernon Nazarene University and Ursuline College, Atzenhoefer batted an incredible .714 (10-for-14) with a double, a triple, a homer and six RBI's.  She also slugged an amazing 1.143, scored five runs and did not commit an error in 13 fielding chances at shortstop.  Atzenhoefer posted at least two hits in all four games and went a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate in Malone's doubleheader sweep of Ursuline on Thursday.

Krska also turned in an outstanding performance last week, notching a 3-0 record with a 1.58 earned run average over 17.2 innings of work.  Krska struck out 14 while walking just eight to improve her record to 3-2 on the season.  She tossed a complete game in Malone’s 8-3 win at MVNU last Tuesday and then picked up both of the victories during Thursday’s home twin bill against the Arrows.

The Pioneers’ record currently stands at 4-8 overall and 4-0 in the AMC.  The squad will return to action on Tuesday afternoon with a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader at local rival Walsh University.

Tyler Morrall, of Warren and a 2010 graduate of Champion High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the Pioneers. 

The 5’9” defender is a three-year letterman in soccer and also lettered four years in track.  Morrall earned AAC Conference Team honors and Scholar Athlete accolades and was also named a Senior All-Star.   In addition, he helped his team en route to their conference championships in 2008 and 2009.  Morrall also received the Academic Letter for his outstanding accomplishments in the classroom.

Morrall is planning on majoring in Political Science (with a minor in History) at Malone.  He is the son of Gary and Monica Morrall of Warren.

Seated (L-R): Monica Morrall (mother),Tyler Morrall, Gary Morrall    Standing (L-R): Anthony Carsone (Champion Asst. Principal), Chris Carmichael (Malone head coach), Michelle Stewart (Champion Principal)

The Malone University men’s golf team climbed two spots when the third NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll of the year was released this past Friday.  The Pioneers received 461 points to move up from fifth to third, now 17 points behind Oklahoma Christian University which earned the No. 2 ranking at 478.  Oklahoma City University received 16 of 18 first-place votes to grab the top spot with 497 points.  Savannah (GA) College of Art & Design was fourth with 455 while Holy Names (CA) University rounded out the top five at 439.

Malone, which received the poll's other two first-place votes, won John Carroll University's Pat Flowers Invitational this past Friday after posting a score of 413 (285-128).  The Pioneers will return to action over the weekend as they travel to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the Capital University Invitational at Foxfire Golf Course.

NAIA National Poll - Rating #3

Isiah Elliott, of Canton and a 2010 graduate of Canton McKinley High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Elliott, a 6’0” guard, was a two-year basketball letterman at McKinley.  He was voted First Team All Inland District, First Team Federal League, First Team Ohio Basketball Coaches Association, First Team Repository All County and Special Mention All-Ohio.  In addition, Elliott helped lead his team to a sectional championship last month.  In addition, he was selected to and competed in the Plain Rotary Stark/Summit All-Star Game held at Malone University on March 31^st.

Elliott intends to major in Sports Management at Malone.   He is the son of Michael and Alvena Elliott of Canton.

(L-R):Canton McKinley head coach Greg Malone, Isiah Elliott, Malone head coach Tim Walker

Justin Lower, of Canal Fulton, Ohio (Northwest H.S.) and a junior member of the Malone University men’s golf team, was recently honored as the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week following his outstanding performance at the Muskingum College Invitational which was held March 26-27 at the Eagle Sticks Golf Course in Zanesville, Ohio.

Lower led the Pioneers to a first-place finish among a nine-team field at the event, earning medalist honors after carding a two-day score of 133 (69-64).  Lower aced hole number 2 during a remarkable second round on Saturday as he broke both the tournament and Malone school records with a six-under-par score of 64.  Paced by Lower’s incredible performance, Malone carded a school-record eight-under-par round of 272 on Saturday to finish the tournament with a two-day score of 588, out-distancing second-place Mount Union College by an incredible 45 strokes (603).

The Pioneers, ranked fifth in the most recent NAIA National Poll, will resume play April 9-10 at the Capital University Invitational.

Shane Maier, of Chillicothe and a 2010 graduate of Unioto High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers. 

Maier, a 6’6 forward, was a two-year basketball letterman for the Sherman Tanks, in addition to earning four letters in track and three in football.  As a senior, he was named All Scioto Valley Conference and All District 14 Team and was also awarded his team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player.  In addition, he received a Sportsmanship Award in football last fall. 

Academically, Maier is a two-year member of the National Honor Society. In addition, he has a 3.90 GPA which ranks him in the top 10 percent of his class.

Maier is currently undecided at to his major at Malone.  He is the son of Rick and Angie Maier of Chillicothe. 

Seated (L-R): Rick Maier (father), Shane Maier, Angie Maier (mother)   Standing: Malone head coach Tim Walker

Malone University baseball head coach Tom Crank was recognized for his recent 200th Malone victory just prior to Malone's 2010 home opener (at Thurman Munson Stadium) on Wed., March 24th.  Crank collected his 200th Pioneer win in an 8-2 victory over Dakota State (SD) University during the team's annual spring break trip in Phoenix, Arizona.  Currently in just his seventh season as head coach at Malone, Crank has a current record of 213-128 (as of March 25, 2010).

(L-R): Malone Athletics Admin. Asst. Dory Jenkins, Associate Athletic Director Mark Bankert, Tom Crank, Compliance Officer-Athletics John Russell.

Matt Anderson, of Massillon, Ohio (Jackson H.S.) and a sophomore first baseman on the Malone University baseball team, recently received NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week honors after helping the Pioneers register a 5-1 record in non-conference play March 15-21.

Anderson batted .583 (14-for-24) over the six-game span while racking up 11 runs scored, one double, four home runs and 10 RBI’s.  Anderson extended his hitting streak to eight games after posting at least two base hits in all six of last week’s contests.  The 5’10 first baseman also slugged 1.125, posted a .577 on-base percentage and did not commit an error.

In addition to this national honor from the NCCAA, Anderson was also previously recognized with Player of the Week accolades from the American Mideast Conference.

Malone will open AMC play on Friday at home with a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader against Point Park (PA) University.   

The Malone University men’s golf team climbed one spot when the second NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll of the year was released last Friday.  The Pioneers received 436 points to move up to fifth, just six points behind Holy Names (CA) University which earned the No. 4 ranking at 442.  Oklahoma City University received 15 of 18 first-place votes to grab the top spot with 496 points.  Oklahoma Christian University was second at 477 while Savannah (GA) College of Art & Design was third with 445.

Malone, which held  the No. 6 position in the first poll of the season, will open the spring portion of its schedule this weekend (March 26-27) as it participates in the Muskingum College Invitational at Eagle Sticks Golf Course in Zanesville, Ohio.

NAIA National Poll - Rating #2

Cory Veldhuizen, of North Canton and a 2010 graduate of North Canton Hoover High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Veldhuizen, a 6’4 forward, was a three-year basketball letterman for the Vikings.  He was named First Team All Federal League, First Team All-Northeast Inland District Team, and Third Team All-Ohio. In addition, he was selected to the Ohio-Kentucky All-Star Game and he also helped lead the Vikings to a Federal League and district championship in 2009 along with a runner-up appearance in 2010.

Academically, he was a member of the National Honors Society and finished in the top 10 percent of his class.

Veldhuizen is currently undecided as to his major at Malone.  He is the son of Evan and Carol Veldhuizen of North Canton.

(L-R): Malone head coach Tim Walker, Cory Veldhuizen, North Canton Hoover head coach Randy Montgomery

Dakota Zickefoose, of Loudonville and a 2010 graduate of Loudonville High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Zickefoose, a 6’5 forward, was a four-year basketball letterman for the Redbirds, in addition to earning two in football and two in track.  He was named Third Team All Area and District 4 Honorable Mention.  In addition, he was a 2010 team co-captain and led the Redbirds to an MBC championship in 2009.

(L-R):Malone head coach Tim Walker, Dakota Zickefoose, Loudonville head coach Kelly Seboe

Matt Anderson, of Massillon, Ohio (Jackson H.S.) and a sophomore first baseman on the Malone University baseball team, was recently named the American Mideast Conference Player of the Week following his outstanding performance at the plate as the Pioneers tallied a 5-1 record in games played March 15-21.

In last week’s six non-conference games, Anderson batted .583 (14-for-24) with 11 runs scored, one double, four home runs, and 10 RBI's.  The 5'10 first baseman also slugged 1.125, posted a .577 on-base percentage and did not commit an error in 49 fielding chances.  Anderson registered at least two base hits in all six contests on the week to extend his current hitting streak to eight games.

After playing their first 20 contests of the season on the road or at neutral locations, the Pioneers will host their home opener at Thurman Munson Stadium on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. against NCAA Division III Baldwin-Wallace College.     

Che Richardson, of Canton and a 2010 graduate of Canton McKinley High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Richardson, a 6’3 guard/forward, was a two-year basketball letterman for the Bulldogs.  He was named Second Team All Federal League, Honorable Mention All-Northeast Inland District Team and as his team’s defensive player of the year. In addition, he was voted to the CYC All Star Game and he also helped lead the Bulldogs to a district semifinal appearance in the recent postseason competition.

Academically, he was nominated for All-Ohio Academic and was also selected as an OHSBCA Gold Certificate Academic Award Winner.

(L-R):Canton McKinley High School head coach Greg Malone, Che Richardson, Malone University head coach Tim Walker

The Malone University men’s and women’s track & field teams, led by second-year head coach Mark McClure, have recently completed another fantastic indoor season and have started focusing on sending as many athletes as possible to the 2010 NAIA Outdoor Championships in Marion, Indiana in late May.  The Malone men are coming off an excellent fifth-place finish at the recent NAIA Indoor  National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee where three Pioneer men’s student-athletes earned four NAIA All-America honors.

The Malone men will once again be led in their outdoor season by their ever-dominant distance team, which earned a third consecutive NAIA cross-country national title this past November. This year’s distance squad will be paced by Aaron Melhorn (Jr., Fairless H.S.), Chris Sinick (Sr., Field H.S.), Evan Gaynor (Jr., Delta H.S.), Paul Robinson (Sr., Field H.S), James Zeuch (Jr., Galion H.S), and Tony Migliozzi (So., St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.). Melhorn and Sinick both have amassed an incredible 10 NAIA All-American honors each (track & field and cross country combined), which is a school record for a Malone student-athlete (tied with Dave Gramlich, a 2005 graduate).  Sinick recently pocketed two All-America accolades at the recent NAIA indoor national meet in the 1000 meters (2^nd) and the one mile run (3^rd).  Gaynor, who now has four total All-America honors to his credit, earned one at the NAIA indoor national event earlier this month (3^rd in the 3000 meters) while Zeuch has a total of five All-American awards in his Malone career.

The sprint crew also looks to score plenty of points for the team as Jeb Ford (Sr., Minerva H.S.) paces the squad.  Along with Ford, Malone is paced by Jelani Alcott (Fr., Kea’au, HI), Daniel Bridenstine (Fr., Jackson H.S), Robert Johnson (Fr., Norton H.S), Nate Kaufman (So., Zanesville H.S), and Bryan Krieger (Sr., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.).

The Malone hurdle and jump crew also look to hold their own against the competition and will be led by Johnnie Legrair (So., Copley H.S), Shane McLaughlin (Jr., Caldwell H.S), Steven Young (Jr., Gladstone, MO) and Garrett Oliver (Sr., Benjamin Logan H.S) who earned NAIA All-America recognition at last year’s NAIA indoor nationals (distance medley relay).  Mtume Msikiz Jackson (Fr., Kea’au, HI) and Anthony Lombardi (Fr., Tuslaw H.S) are also expected to be heavy contributors.  Malone also looks to add many points via the multi-event group with Caleb Celuch (So., New Philadelphia H.S.), Kyle Wagner (Fr., Green H.S.), and McLaughlin.  

Jason Rook (So., New Philadelphia H.S.), a two-time NAIA All-American in the indoor pole vault (2^nd at recent NAIA indoor national meet), should score plenty of points throughout the season in the event while Kyle Shaffer (So., Mt. Vernon H.S.) should help the team’s point total in the race walk events.

The women’s team also looks to build on last year’s success with its distance team again leading the way.  The distance squad will be paced by ’09 NAIA cross country All-American Sarah Hines (Sr., Northmor H.S.), Tynae Wilson (So., Fort Wayne, IN), Lindsey Pifher (Jr., Colonel Crawford H.S.), and Emily Grad (Jr., Field H.S.), who was one of the 4x800 relay All-Americans at last year’s NAIA outdoor national meet.  Caitlin Sharp (So., East Canton H.S.), Becky Neitzel (So., Malvern H.S.), Erin Bauer (So., Loveland H.S.), and Brynn Chaskel (Fr., Liberty Benton H.S.) will also aid the distance unit.

The middle distance team also looks to make a strong showing for the 2010 Pioneers. Ashton Avery (So., McKinley H.S.) and Kayleigh Bildstein (Jr., Madison H.S.), who were also members of last spring’s 4x800 All-America relay team, along with Amanda Theis (Seneca East H.S.), will lead the team with Stephanie Noussias (Fr., Glen Oak H.S.) adding outstanding support as well.

Lori Ickes (Jr., Smithville H.S.) and Beth Costello (Jr., Canton South H.S.) are two outstanding multi-eventers who will look to add points for the squad.  While still competing in many events, Ickes will focus on the javelin, discus and high jump.

The jumpers will be led by Tara Leach (Jr., Ridgewood H.S.) and Rita Liberati (Jr., Union Local H.S.) while throwers Emily Alderfer (Sr., Urbana H.S.) and Kenzie Kaufman (Fr., Garaway H.S.) pace that unit and look to dominate the competition for the Pioneers.

Melissa Wohlheter (Fr., Tuslaw H.S.) will lead the hurdlers and looks to add some solid support to the team while pole vaulters Becky Rospotynski (Sr., Copley H.S.), who was an ’08 outdoor NAIA All-American, Laura Page (So, Stow H.S.), and Molly Hanzie (Fr., Norwayne H.S.) hope to have successful seasons again this year.

After competing in several outdoor away meets early in the 2010 season, Malone will host the third annual Jack Hazen Open track & field meet on Saturday, April 3, with events scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m.

2010 Malone Track & Field Rosters

2010 Malone Track & Field Schedule

Jock Rottman, of the Malone University men’s basketball team, along with Allyson Wilson, Amy Kittle and Bree Zehnder of the Malone women’s basketball team, have been named NAIA Div. II Daktronics-Scholar Athletes which, along with outstanding athletic achievements, recognizes outstanding work inside the classroom.  Each student-athlete must maintain a 3.5 grade point average (4.0 scale) to earn the recognition.

Rottman, a 6’3” junior guard from Wooster, Ohio (Triway H.S.), played in 24 total games this past season and averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.   Rottman also tossed in a solid 77.5% of his free throws for the 09-10 campaign (55-71).

Wilson, a 5’5” junior guard from Akron, Ohio (Firestone H.S.), ranked fourth in the American Mideast Conference this season in rebounding with an average of 9.2 boards per outing.  She also contributed 11.2 points, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Kittle, a 5’7” junior guard from Old Washington, Ohio (Buckeye Trail H.S.), started all 30 games for the Pioneers this year and paced the team in scoring with an average of 13.5 points per contest.  Kittle also tallied 4.7 rebounds per game and racked up a team-high 63 assists to go with 26 steals.

Jock Rottman, of the Malone University men’s basketball team, along with Allyson Wilson, Amy Kittle and Bree Zehnder of the Malone women’s basketball team, have been named NAIA Div. II Daktronics-Scholar Athletes which, along with outstanding athletic achievements, recognizes outstanding work inside the classroom.  Each student-athlete must maintain a 3.5 grade point average (4.0 scale) to earn the recognition.

Rottman, a 6’3” junior guard from Wooster, Ohio (Triway H.S.), played in 24 total games this past season and averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.   Rottman also tossed in a solid 77.5% of his free throws for the 09-10 campaign (55-71).

Wilson, a 5’5” junior guard from Akron, Ohio (Firestone H.S.), ranked fourth in the American Mideast Conference this season in rebounding with an average of 9.2 boards per outing.  She also contributed 11.2 points, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Kittle, a 5’7” junior guard from Old Washington, Ohio (Buckeye Trail H.S.), started all 30 games for the Pioneers this year and paced the team in scoring with an average of 13.5 points per contest.  Kittle also tallied 4.7 rebounds per game and racked up a team-high 63 assists to go with 26 steals.

Zehnder assisted head coach Lori Wynn from alongside the bench this year as she served as a student assistant after an injury last season had halted her playing career. 

Eric Coblentz, of Hartville, Ohio (Lake H.S.) and a sophomore guard on the Malone University men’s basketball team, was tabbed NAIA All-America Honorable Mention when voting for the team was announced prior to the NAIA Division II National Championship Game on Tuesday evening.

After transferring to Malone from the University of Akron, Coblentz put together an outstanding campaign in his first season in a Pioneer uniform as he tossed in a team-high 16.7 points per game while also averaging 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal.  The 6’2” sophomore buried 87 three-pointers on the year and ended the regular season as the American Mideast Conference’s leader in both free-throw percentage (90.1%) and three-pointers made per game (3.0). 

Off-season injuries are an unfortunate yet all-too-common issue that faces athletic teams at all levels.  However, the bite of the injury bug was especially vicious this past fall and winter for the Malone University softball team as three of the six hurlers on first-year head coach Whitney Hartman’s roster will likely miss the majority, if not all, of the Pioneers’ 2010 campaign due to lingering injuries.  And of the three pitchers entering the season with a clean bill of health, two, junior Katie Keslar (CVCA H.S.) and sophomore Kelsey Hatfield (Ostego H.S.), are returning to the lineup after off-season shoulder surgeries.

Although the absence of pitchers Jackie Kodrich (Sr., West Geauga H.S.), Shelby Snyder (Fr., Lima Bath H.S.) and 2009 All-AMC Second Team honoree Lauren Hershberger (So., Hiland H.S.) will certainly pose a challenge this spring, Hartman has faith that her squad’s athleticism, determination, and offensive prowess will help Malone improve upon last year’s 13-21 overall record and 9-11 mark in the American Mideast Conference.  “Despite our injuries, (the players) haven’t given up,” noted Hartman.  “We have tremendous heart and team leadership.  Our goal is definitely to take the conference and I think we can accomplish that if we just focus on one game at a time.”

Back to help the Pioneers reach this goal is a solid group of returning players, led by junior catcher Laura Ronk (pictured above; St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.).  A 2009 All-AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) All-East Region Honorable Mention selection, Ronk started all but three of Malone’s games behind the plate in 2009, tallying a .333 batting average with five doubles and 20 RBI’s.  In addition to her offensive attributes, Hartman also likes the intangibles that her catcher provides.  “Ronk is solid,” commented Hartman. “She is the anchor of our team.  She is mentally tough and keeps the rest of the team checked in.”

Hoping to stay checked in at the plate this season is shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer (pictured below; Central Crossing H.S.), a 5’5” sophomore who turned in a remarkable freshman campaign last spring, earning NAIA Second Team All-America honors after pacing the Pioneers with a .462 batting average, 49 hits, 39 RBI’s and a .736 slugging percentage.  Atzenhoefer, the first Pioneer softball player to earn All-American recognition in the 18-year history of the program, shattered the Malone single-season record for doubles last year with 21 two-base hits over her 31 games played.  She also ended the year ranked first in the NAIA in doubles per game (.677), fifth in RBI’s per game (1.258) and 22nd in batting average.

Also looking to replicate their strong offensive numbers from a year ago will be senior centerfielder Morgan Heacock (Mt. Gilead H.S.) and junior first baseman Karre Thompson (East Canton H.S.).  Heacock was voted to both the All-AMC Second Team and NCCAA All-East Region Team after compiling a .358 batting average with 32 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.  Thompson, who was tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA All-East Region Honorable Mention, ripped six doubles, totaled 15 RBI’s and ranked second on the team last season with a .367 batting average.

 Other returning position players include junior leftfielder Elizabeth Sarkissian (Twinsburg H.S.), and sophomore infielders Megan Lane (Hilliard Darby H.S.) and Kelsee Locker (Strasburg-Franklin H.S.).

While the rash of offseason injuries was certainly not a welcomed occurrence, Keslar, Hatfield, and fellow returnee Jessica Krska (Jr., Norton H.S.) are all back and more than ready to handle the pitching duties this spring.  Keslar received All-AMC Honorable Mention recognition in 2009 after tossing a team-high 91.2 innings while accumulating a 7-8 record with one save and a 2.75 earned run average.  Hatfield returned from an early-season injury a year ago to post a team-best 2.03 earned run average with one save over 20.2 innings of work.  Krska, meanwhile, will be looking forward to a more expanded role after seeing limited time last season.

Two freshman newcomers, rightfielder Brittany Stevenson (Geneva H.S.) and second baseman Nikki Eshelman (Wadsworth H.S.), also join the squad this year and will look to make contributions right away.  “Brittany and Nikki have come in and made an immediate impact,” stated Hartman.

With the injuries, a first-year head coach and its challenging schedule, several AMC foes may find themselves looking past Malone in 2010.  However, that is just fine with Hartman.  “I think we are coming in as the underdog, which I like,” commented Hartman.  “Nobody knows much about us or much about me, but I am looking forward to turning some heads this year and having some fun while doing it.”

The Pioneers will open their season on Thursday (March 18th) with a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader at Mt. Union College.  The squad’s home opener is slated for Saturday (March 20th) with a 12:00 p.m. twin bill against NCAA Division II Tiffin University.

2010 Malone Softball Schedule

2010 Malone Softball Roster

Dan Spiesz, of Bay Village and a 2010 graduate of Bay High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the Pioneers.

The 5’11’’ midfielder/forward is a three-year letterman in soccer.  Spiesz helped his team become the district champs for three years and regional champs for two years, and his team also was a state runner up.   He was named his team’s most improved player as well.  Other achievements for Spiesz included lettering two years in lacrosse and one in swimming & diving in which he qualified for districts in diving. 

Spiesz is planning on majoring in Physical Education when he attends Malone this fall.  He is the son of Jeff and Stephan Spiesz of Bay Village, Ohio.     

(L-R) Dan Spiesz, Jeff Spiesz (father), Chris Carmichael (Malone head coach)

Jake Valadez, of Bay Village and a 2010 graduate from Bay High School, has recently signed a letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the Pioneers.

The 6’2’’ midfielder is a letterman in soccer, track, and basketball.  Valadez helped his soccer team to a district championship and a state runner-up finish. 

Jake Valadez is the son of Jay and Deidre Valadez of Bay Village, Ohio.  Valadez is planning on majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Marketing when he attends Malone in the fall.

(L-R) Jay Valadez (father), Jake Valadez, Chris Carmichael (Malone head coach)

Two freshmen members of the Malone University baseball team were recently honored with Player and Pitcher of the Week accolades from the American Mideast Conference following their outstanding performances during the team’s spring break trip to Phoenix, Arizona March 8-13.  Allen Strouble, a leftfielder from Louisville, Ohio (pictured above left; Marlington H.S.), received the Player of the Week honor while Jared Messer, a right-handed pitcher from Massillon, Ohio (Perry H.S.), was tabbed Pitcher of the Week.

During the Pioneers’ 9-3 week at the Russmatt Greater Phoenix Invitational, Strouble batted .462 (12-for-26) with four doubles, two triples, one homer, nine RBI's, 11 runs scored, and three stolen bases.  Strouble also slugged .885, recorded a .563 on-base percentage and did not commit an error in 17 fielding chances.

Messer won his first two collegiate starts, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.64 earned run average in victories over Dakota State (SD) University and Trinity International (IL) University.  Messer struck out six and walked three over his 11 innings of work in Arizona.

Malone returned to Ohio over the weekend with a 10-4 overall record.  The squad is scheduled to open play in the Buckeye State on Wednesday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Ohio Dominican University.

Allen Strouble, of Louisville, Ohio (Marlington H.S.) and a freshman leftfielder on the Malone University baseball team, recently collected NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week honors following his outstanding performance at the Russmatt Greater Phoenix Invitational March 8-13. 

Strouble helped the Pioneers register a 9-3 record last week after tallying a .462 batting average (12-for-26) with 11 runs scored and nine runs batted in.  He also stole three bases and clubbed four doubles, two triples, and one homer in his 12 starts.

In addition to this national honor from the NCCAA, Strouble was also previously recognized with Player of the Week accolades from the American Mideast Conference. 

Malone returned from Arizona with a 10-4 overall record.  The squad is scheduled to open play in Ohio on Wednesday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Ohio Dominican University.

Shelley Loring, of Belmont, New York and a 2010 graduate of Houghton Academy High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and to play soccer for the Pioneers.  The 5’1 midfielder has earned four varsity letters in soccer, as well as three in softball and two in basketball.

Loring’s athletic achievements include being a 1^st team All-Star and playing in the Exceptional Senior game for the top seniors in the state.  Loring intends to major in Youth Ministry at Malone.  She is the daughter of Lynnae Loring of Belmont, NY.

(L-R): Shelley Loring, Malone Head Coach Leta Gramlich

Malone University is currently ranked in a tie for 16^th place in the most recent Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings for the NAIA for winter 2009-10.   The Pioneers currently have 260 total points as Simon Fraser (B.C.) University leads with 583.50 points.  Malone ranks second among American Mideast Conference schools in the rankings as Notre Dame (OH) College is 11^th with 319 points.  Cedarville University, in 20^th (234.75) is the only other AMC school in the top 50.

Malone recently earned 75 points towards its overall total with a fifth-place finish by the men’s track & field team at the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee March 4-6.

For complete standings, visit http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/naiamar11relstand.pdf

The Malone University women’s tennis team, led by first-year coach Tanya Gombera, has sported young squads in the past but perhaps none younger than the current edition of Pioneers.  Six of the nine players on the squad are freshmen, while one junior and two sophomores lead the way.  In addition, only two athletes return from last year’s 3-13 (3-3 AMC) team.

Team captain Lauren Armbrust (Jr., Chippewa H.S.) is back for her third year on the squad and will be counted on for leadership this season.  “Lauren is a hard worker, very competitive and has the ability to produce great results this season in singles,” commented Gombera.  Armbrust has jumped from playing the #5 singles position last year to the #2 spot this season (and also the #3 spot) and recently won a match (6-2, 4-6/10-6) in the team’s final contest in Orlando, Florida during spring break.

Christopher Sinick, of Brimfield, Ohio (Field H.S.) and a senior distance runner on the Malone University men’s indoor track and field team, was recently honored as the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week following his outstanding performance over the weekend at the NAIA Indoor National Championship Meet.

Sinick captured two All-America honors at the event by placing second in the 1000-meter finals in a time of 2:26.65 and finishing third in the one-mile run finals in 4:11.90.  With his two All-American honors at the meet, Sinick now has a total of 10 NAIA All-America awards to his credit (two cross country, eight track & field), moving him into a three-way tie with Dave Gramlich (’05 grad) and Aaron Melhorn (Jr., Fairless H.S.), who also have 10 each, for most NAIA All-American honors by a Malone athlete.

In addition, Sinick has now claimed NCCAA Student Athlete of the Week recognition twice this year as he also collected the award in late January after a strong performance at the University of Findlay Classic.

Two members of the Malone University women’s basketball team were recently honored with postseason awards from the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) East Region.  Junior guard Amy Kittle (above left; Buckeye Trail H.S.) was named to the Second Team as was junior guard Allyson Wilson (above right; Akron Firestone H.S.).

Four members of the Malone University men’s basketball team were recently honored with postseason awards from the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) East Region.  Sophomore guard Eric Coblentz (Lake H.S.) was named to the First Team, junior forward Ebiowei Porbeni (Plainfield, IL) was voted the Second Team, junior guard Kyle Higgins (Columbus West H.S.) was selected for the Third Team while senior guard Jeremy Duerr (pictured left; Lake H.S.) was tabbed Honorable Mention.

Coblentz led the Pioneers in scoring this year with 16.7 points per game while also grabbing 3.9 rebounds per contest and draining 87 total three-pointers.  Porbeni tossed in 9.9 points per outing while pulling down a team-high 147 rebounds.  Higgins made 42.0% (68 of 162) of his three-pointers on the year while posting averages of 10.8 points and 3.0 boards.  Duerr also made significant contributions as he tossed in 6.3 points per contest while pacing the squad in both assists (3.0 per game) and steals (2.2 per game).

In addition to this recognition from the NCCAA East Region, Coblentz, Porbeni, and Higgins all previously received postseason honors from the American Mideast Conference.

Malone University basketball is hosting a three-on-three event on Saturday, March 27 in Malone's Osborne Hall with all proceeds to benefit the Christian Fellowship Missions in Haiti.  Malone University men's basketball player Eric Coblentz's brother, Jared Coblentz, and Jared's wife Jalayne, are missionaries in Haiti and it is there missions work to the people of Haiti that will benefit from this charity event.
For other information on this event, including registration information, please click here.

Over the past few years, the Malone University baseball team has enjoyed one of the most successful chapters in the program’s storied history.  In fact, during the last four seasons, the Pioneers have tallied a 152-78 record (.661), made three trips to the NCCAA National Tournament and captured two American Mideast Conference regular-season titles. 

A key component of this success was a departed senior class that included shortstop Scott McIlvain, the 2009 AMC Player of the Year, right-handed pitcher Adam Boudler, the 2009 AMC Pitcher of the Year, along with catcher Zac Barson, first baseman Ryan Baechel, second baseman Mike Tozzi and right-handed starting pitchers Sam Campitella and Ryan Hartong.  While filling the shoes of these accomplished players will not be easy, the 2010 squad, under the direction of seventh-year head coach Tom Crank, is hoping to put together another strong campaign this spring.  “Our goal is to win the conference championship and conference tournament,” noted Crank, who has garnered AMC Coach of the Year honors in each of the last two seasons.  “The players have definitely worked hard to meet our ultimate goal which would be to win the NAIA National Championship.”

Malone broke the school record for wins in 2009, ending the year with a 47-16 overall mark.  The squad also competed in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round a year ago, claimed a runner-up finish at the NCCAA National Tournament and concluded the season with a final NAIA national ranking of 17th.  While McIlvain, Boudler and the rest of the 2009 seniors will certainly be missed, a strong group of returnees from last year’s record-breaking unit are back this spring to help the squad achieve its championship goals.

According to Crank, a solid pitching staff, led by left-handed starters Todd Liberatore (Sr., Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.) and Jeff Shenker (pictured above; Jr., Twinsburg H.S.) along with right-handed closer Bryan Bayer (Jr., Fairless H.S.), will be looked upon to be provide leadership for the Pioneers’ young lineup.  “Even though we are young, our pitching staff should be a strength for us,” noted Crank.

Liberatore was certainly a strength in 2009 as the southpaw earned both All-AMC First Team and NCCAA All-East Region accolades after compiling an 8-2 record with a 2.79 earned run average over 58.0 innings pitched.  Shenker was tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention after racking up a team-high 55 strikeouts while tallying a 7-2 record with a 3.30 ERA.  Bayer also made significant contributions, collecting NCCAA All-America honors after posting a 2-2 record with a 2.35 ERA and a school-record 16 saves in 27 relief appearances.  Although 2010 will mark just his third season in a Pioneer uniform, Bayer already owns the Malone career record for saves with 19.

Others returning to the pitching staff this spring include lefties Derek Smith (Sr., Norton H.S.), Alex Haines (Redshirt Fr., Stow-Munroe Falls H.S.), and Mike Yost (Sr., Marlington H.S.) and righties Camden Carter (So., Lake H.S.), Chris Burton (So., Manchester, MD), and Nate Morrison (So., Marlington H.S.).

The Pioneer batting order will also feature several familiar faces this year with the return of catcher Alex Schmid (Sr., Canton Central Catholic H.S.), second baseman Justin Shiflett (Jr., Zane Trace H.S.), right-fielder Marc Adams (So., Louisville H.S.), and Matt Anderson (pictured left; So., Jackson H.S.), last season’s starting left-fielder who will move to first base this spring.  “Our lineup is young,” admitted Crank.  “But with our strong work ethic, we will be a very good hitting team.”

Hard work paid off for Schmid in 2009 as he was voted All-AMC Honorable Mention after batting .346 with 16 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 47 runs batted in.  After splitting time with Barson at catcher and third base last year, Schmid will primarily handle duties behind the plate for the Pioneers this spring.  Shiflett recorded a .272 batting average with 12 stolen bases and team-high 35 walks a year ago while Adams and Anderson each made an impact in their first collegiate seasons as Adams batted .265 with seven doubles while Anderson drove home 41 runs and ranked second on the team with a .365 batting average.

Other returning position players include catchers T.J. Rosenburg (So., United Local H.S.) and Tyler Adkins (Redshirt Fr., Louisville H.S.), third baseman Sam Craciun (So., Strongsville H.S.), shortstop Joe Goddard (So., Wadsworth H.S.), leftfielder Andrew Adams (Jr., Louisville H.S.) and Corey Hartong (Jr., Dalton H.S.), who will see time both as a designated hitter and as a right-handed relief pitcher.

Not to be overshadowed by the talented cast of returning players is a sizable group of promising newcomers, many of whom will likely be counted to make contributions throughout the season.  New to the mound will be right-handers Jared Messer (Fr., Perry H.S.), Eric Evans (Fr., Ontario H.S.), Jesse Coblentz (Fr., Lake Center Christian H.S.), Justin Szydlowski (Fr., Twinsburg H.S.), Kurt Becker (Fr., Tusky Valley H.S.), Joe Monnot (Fr., GlenOak H.S.) and Cullen Bahler (Redshirt Fr., Wooster H.S.) along with lefties Matt Hamons (Fr., Willard H.S.) and Jordan Booth (Fr., Northwest H.S.).  New position players will include first baseman Michael Chack (Fr., Lake H.S.), second baseman Jimmy Cooperider (Redshirt Fr., Jackson H.S.), middle infielder Shane Byler (Fr., Lake Center Christian H.S.), catcher Tim Giesel (Fr., Keystone H.S.), outfielders Allen Strouble (Fr., Marlington H.S.), Sean Gorby (So., Lancaster H.S.), Jon Latimer (Sr., Oklahoma City, OK), and Drew Forchione (Fr., Perry H.S.) along with shortstop Kyle Sprague (So., Madison H.S.), a transfer from the University of Akron.  In addition to their pitching duties, Messer and Monnot could also see playing time in the infield while Hamons will be included in the outfield mix.

Following last season’s success and the abundance of new and returning talent on its roster, Malone received the No. 22 ranking in this year’s NAIA Preseason Poll.  Although the Pioneers were the only AMC team to receive votes in the preseason rating, Crank knows that claiming a third straight regular-season conference title will not be an easy task.  “The (AMC) is even tougher this year with all the teams in the conference improving,” stated Crank.

Malone will open its 2010 campaign by playing 14 varsity games during its annual spring break trip to Arizona March 6-13.  The Pioneers will then participate in several road contests upon returning to Ohio in mid-March before hosting their home opener at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium against Baldwin-Wallace College on March 24th at 4:00 p.m.

2010 Malone Baseball Schedule

2010 Malone Baseball Roster

NAIA Preseason Baseball Poll

The Malone University men’s tennis team, under the guidance of second-year head coach Steve Moroney, has its sights set on an American Mideast Conference title and an NAIA national tournament berth.  Although the squad lost two strong players from last season, the Pioneers are returning four players and are adding four new freshmen to the 2010 squad.  The team is determined and hungry for a conference crown.

Last season, the team finished at 6-9 overall and 3-3 in conference play. The Pioneers narrowly missed AMC postseason play by losing to Cedarville 5-4 in the last match of the season and finishing in fourth place in the conference.

The 2010 roster includes four freshmen, one junior, and three seniors.  The squad looks to improve on last season with the return of junior David Cairns (Strongsville, OH) and seniors Nathanael Rodd (Canton,OH), Tim Frazier (Beaver Falls, PA), and Jonathan Snyder (Nazareth, PA).  The Pioneers have also added some depth with the addition of freshmen recruits Hunter Atkins (Fredericksburg, TX), Nathan Davis (Southborough, MA), Andrew Rearick (New Cumberland, PA), and Alex Steinmetz (Willard H.S.).

Senior co-captain Rodd holds the #1 singles spot while playing #1 doubles with Atkins—who also competes at #3 singles.  Davis plays the #2 singles position and teams up with senior and #4 singles player Frazier at #2 doubles.  Steinmetz anchors the #5 singles position and plays #3 doubles, while Snyder plays at the #6 singles spot.  Rearick and Snyder alternate playing #3 doubles with Steinmetz.  The Pioneers eagerly await the return of junior co-captain Cairns as he heals from recent foot surgery. Cairns will most likely rise to his customary spot at #1 singles and #1 doubles when in full health.

Although the team is off to a slow 1-3 start, they look to gain valuable experience on their annual spring break trip (March 5-12) to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where they will face some tough NCAA DII and DIII competition.  The squad will start conference play shortly after returning from the trip. 

“We’ve struggled so far without our top player, but we hope to be at full strength when conference play begins in late March,” noted Moroney.  “As the saying goes, ‘it’s not how you start but how you finish.’”

Allyson Wilson and Amy Kittle both earned Honorable Mention recognition from the American Mideast Conference when voting for the All-AMC Team was announced on Wednesday.

Wilson (pictured above left), a 5’5” junior guard from Akron, Ohio (Firestone H.S.), ranked fourth in the conference this season in rebounding with an average of 9.2 boards per outing.  She also contributed 11.2 points, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Kittle (pictured above right), a 5’7” junior guard from Old Washington, Ohio (Buckeye Trail H.S.), started all 30 games for the Pioneers this year and paced the team in scoring with an average of 13.5 points per contest.  Kittle also racked up a team-high 63 assists to go with 142 rebounds and 26 steals.

Malone ended its 2009-2010 campaign with a record of 4-26 overall and 1-18 in the conference.  

All-AMC Women's Basketball Team

Three members of the Malone University men’s basketball team were recently recognized with postseason honors from the American Mideast Conference.  Eric Coblentz, a sophomore guard from Hartville, Ohio (pictured left; Lake H.S.), was named to the All-AMC First Team while Kyle Higgins, a junior guard from Columbus, Ohio (Columbus West H.S.), and Ebiowei Porbeni, a junior forward from Plainfield, Illinois (Plainfield Central H.S.), were each tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention in voting announced on Wednesday.

Coblentz poured in a team-high 16.7 points per game this season while also averaging 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal.  The 6’2” sophomore buried 87 treys on the year and ended the regular season as the conference’s leader in both free-throw shooting (90.1%) and three-pointers made per game (3.0).

Higgins tallied 10.8 points and 3.0 boards per outing while shooting a sizzling 42.0% (68 of 162) from beyond the three-point arc.  Porbeni led the team in rebounding with 147 boards while also contributing 26 total blocks and an average of 9.9 points per contest.

After a 4-12 start to the season, Malone won nine of its final 12 regular-season games to qualify for the conference tournament.  The Pioneers then fell to eventual AMC Tournament Champion Cedarville University in the opening round of the playoffs, ending the year with a 13-16 overall record and a 9-7 mark in the conference.

All-AMC Men's Basketball Team

The Malone University men’s and women’s track & field teams, led by second-year head coach Mark McClure, will send 22 athletes to the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee March 4-6.  Fourteen women and eight men will compete for the Pioneers at the national indoor event.

At last year’s NAIA indoor national meet, the Malone men finished in seventh place and earned an impressive 10 All-America honors including one individual national title while the Pioneer women did not score.  Paul Robinson (Sr., Field H.S.) returns to the meet again this year after his national title in the 5000 meters while Aaron Melhorn (Jr., Fairless H.S.), Chris Sinick (Sr., Field H.S.), James Zeuch (Jr., Galion H.S.) and Jason Rook (So., New Philadelphia H.S.) also return after earning All-America honors at last year’s indoor national meet.  Leading the way for the women’s team is Rebecca Rospotynski (Sr., Copley H.S.) who missed All-America honors in the pole vault by one spot at last year’s meet with a seventh-place national finish.

Schedule of Events (PDF)

Live Results

Competing for the teams this year (with events):

WOMEN:
Ashton Avery (So., McKinley H.S.)                         4x800 meter relay
Erin Bauer (So., Loveland H.S.)                             Distance medley relay (1200)
Kayleigh Bildstein (Jr., Madison H.S)                      Distance medley relay (800)
Brynn Chaskel (Fr., Liberty Benton H.S.)                5000 meters
Emily Grad (Jr., Field H.S.)                                   4x800 meter relay
Sarah Hines (Sr., Northmor H.S.)                          5000 meters
Megan Miller (Jr., Crestwood H.S.)                        4x800 meter relay (alternate)
Becky Neitzel (So., Malvern H.S.)                           4x800 meter relay
Lindsey Pifher (Jr., Colonel Crawford H.S.)            Distance medley relay (1600)
Rebecca Rospotynski (Sr., Copley H.S.)                  Pole Vault
Caitlin Sharp (So., East Canton H.S.)                      4 x 800 meter relay
Amanda Theis (Jr., Seneca East H.S.)                    Distance medley relay (400)
Tynae Wilson (So., Fort Wayne, IN)                       5000 meters
Melissa Wohlheter (Fr., Tuslaw H.S.)                     Distance medley relay (alternate)

MEN:

In its first year of intercollegiate competition, the Malone University swimming & diving program, led by head coach Monica Bragg, has worked extremely hard throughout the year.  Now, the women’s team in particular can be extremely proud of its efforts as the women’s  200-yard freestyle relay unit of Aubrie Hower (Fr., Ashland H.S.), Ashley Kuhn (Fr., North Royalton H.S.), Katie Radnich (Fr., Meadville, PA) and Michelle Wagner (Fr., Wadsworth H.S.) will compete at the NAIA National Championships in St. Charles, Missouri March 3-6.  

The team qualified for the national meet by posting an NAIA national qualifying time of 1:54.59 in the event at the Kenyon College Invitational on Saturday, February 20^th in which the Malone women’s team finished in second place among a 14-team field at Kenyon.  The alternate for the relay team is Catherine Kennedy (Fr., Wadsworth, OH).  In addition, Wagner also qualified for the NAIA meet in the grueling 1650-yard freestyle event as she posted a time of 20:18.43.  The relay team is set to compete on Friday while Wagner will compete in the 1650 on Saturday.

NAIA National Qualifiers (L-R): Aubrey Hower, Ashley Kuhn, Katie Radnich, Michelle Wagner, Catherine Kennedy (relay alternate)

Complete Schedule of Events (PDF)

Live Results

NAIA National Championship Webpage

With all five athletes returning this spring from last year’s American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX Championship squad, the Malone University women’s golf team, led by Heather Grovemiller, a 2007 graduate from Malone  and former golfer, the team is poised for a solid spring campaign. 

Malone put together an outstanding spring campaign in 2009 as the squad finished third out of seven teams in the AMC/NAIA Region IX Championship.  Malone then competed in four matches this fall, recording sixth-place finishes at the Walsh Invitational, the Bethel (IN) Challenge and the Ohio Dominican Invitational while also capturing a first-place finish at the Phipps Memorial Tournament. 

Returnees to the 2010 squad include Jen Blocker (Sr., Westerville H.S.), Elena Duncan (Sr., Winona Lake, IN), Jennifer Snyder (Jr., Wexford, PA), Alyssa Westfall (Jr., Ashland H.S.), Sarah Ramsey (Sr., Kenton Ridge H.S.) and Kahle Bryant (So., Westerville North H.S.).  Blocker, Duncan, Snyder, Westfall, and Bryant competed for the Pioneers at the AMC/Region IX tournament last May and will look to lead the way this spring as the squad battles to secure a regional crown.  Duncan was named to the All-AMC First Team after finishing in a tie for second place at last year’s AMC/NAIA Region IX Championship.  Blocker and Snyder were both named to the All-AMC Second Team after finishing ninth and 10^th at last year’s event.

 Duncan’s strong play continued this fall as she notched an average of 85.3.  Her solid play consisted of an 11^th-place finish at the Walsh University Fall Classic, shooting a 167 at the Sanctuary Golf Course.  She also tied for ninth at the Bethel Pilot Invitational in Indiana, shooting a 165.  Duncan then won the Phipps Memorial at Glenmoor Country Club, shooting an 87 (the only player to break 90).   

Blocker and Snyder followed Duncan with averages of 89.4 and 91.9, respectively.  Some of Blocker’s accomplishments included posting a low second day round of 82 at the Pilot Invitational and finishing second at the Phipps Memorial with a 91.  As for Snyder, she was the low scorer for the Pioneers at the Ohio Dominican’s Auld Crafter Kisor Classic, shooting a 174 for a 16^th-place finish.  

Westfall finished in 18^th-place in the AMC/Region IX tournament last spring while Sarah Ramsey competed in two matches in the fall and had an average of 110.7.  Ramsey also competed as an individual this fall in several events with a low score of 101 at the Ohio Dominican Invitational.  Bryant ended the AMC/Region IX tournament in 24^th and competed in two fall tournaments with an average of 114.7.  Individually, Bryant posted a low score of 106 (at the ODU Invitational) this fall.

New to the squad for the 2009-2010 season are sophomores Natalie Reddaway (Perkins H.S.) and Alysia Looman (Carrollton H.S.) and freshman Abby Froman (Strasburg-Franklin H.S.).  Reddaway competed in four matches this fall and had an average of 96.0 while Looman competed in one match and averaged a 114.  Froman competed in four and averaged a 96.1.  Reddaway’s lowest score this fall was a 90 on the second day of the Bethel Pilot Invitational while Froman’s was an 85 on day two of the Bethel Invitational. 

“We have a deep squad this year, led by seniors Elena Duncan and Jennifer Blocker,” said Grovemiller.  “Each of our six varsity players has the ability to break 90, and throughout the fall, a different lady could post our low score on any given day. What we need now to really see a success in the spring is a combined team effort, and a consistency from each individual player to always shoot her average or better.  We’ve been working hard in the offseason and I think that hard work will be what can give us that consistency and set us apart this spring.”

After an outstanding fall season in which it was runner-up at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championship and first in three other tournaments, the Malone University men’s golf team will be aiming for continued success this spring under the direction of veteran head coach Ken Hyland. 

Leading the way for the Pioneers as they look to capture their seventh straight American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX Title and strive to match or exceed their sixth-place finish at last spring’s NAIA National Championships will be 2009 NAIA All-Americans and team co-captains Justin Lower (Jr., Northwest H.S.) and Ben Smith (Sr., Carrolton H.S.).  Lower followed up his eighth-place finish at last spring’s NAIA national tournament with a stellar fall season in which he carded a team-best 72.5 fall average and also posted an incredible four-over-par performance of 220 (74-72-74) at NCCAA Nationals where he tied for fifth place.  Smith, who finished in a tie for third overall at the ’09 NAIA National Tourney, also put together an excellent fall season, posting a 73.4 average and joining Lower as a 2009 NCCAA All-American.   At the NCCAA national event, he finished in a tie for fifth with a four-over-par score of 220 (71-72-77).

Other returnees to the talented Malone squad include seniors Michael Strayer (Riverside H.S.) and Mark Zimmerman (GlenOak H.S.), juniors Ryan Gaughan (Lake H.S.), Zach Keller (Wynford H.S.), Quinn Parker (Canton Central Catholic H.S.), Kyle Sine (Shawnee H.S.) and Steven Robison (Jackson H.S.) and sophomore Richie Schembechler (Massillon Washington H.S.).

Strayer carded a 75.6 average for the fall while Parker was close behind with a 75.9 average.  Other top averages included Robison at 76.4 and Schembechler at 76.5.  Strayer, Robison and Schembechler also competed at last year’s NAIA national event for the Pioneers.

Newcomers to the team this fall included freshmen Tyler Light (Perry H.S.) and Jay Hollifield (Louisville H.S.).  Light competed in five matches this fall and posted a 75.4 average.

Men's Golf NAIA National Poll

Kyle Higgins, of Columbus, Ohio (Columbus West H.S.) and a junior guard on the Malone University men’s basketball team, was recently named the American Mideast Conference Player of the Week following his outstanding shooting performance Feb. 8-14 as the Pioneers clinched an AMC Postseason Tournament spot after tallying a 1-1 record in a pair of conference games.

Higgins averaged 21.0 points and 1.5 assists per contest as he shot an incredible 70.0% (14 of 20) from the field, including a sizzling 66.7% (12 of 18) from three-point range. He tallied a game-high 17 points on Tuesday in the Pioneers' narrow 68-62 home loss to NAIA Division II No. 1 Walsh University.  He then poured in 25 during Malone's playoff-clinching win at Point Park (PA) University on Saturday.  In addition to his hot-shooting, Higgins also sank a pair of free throws on the week while contributing three assists, two rebounds and one steal.

The 6’1” guard, who nailed 7 of 8 threes during the first half of Saturday's win at PPU, entered the week ranked third in the AMC in three-point percentage (42.9%) and fourth in three-pointers made (67).

The Pioneers have won nine out of their last 11 games and are currently in second place in the AMC North Division standings with a record of 13-14 overall and 9-6 in the conference.  The squad will wrap up its regular-season schedule on Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. contest at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University. 

Collin McArdle, of Orchard Park, New York and a 2010 graduate of Orchard Park High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and participate in the Pioneer swimming & diving program.

McArdle was the varsity captain for his club team for the 2009-10 season.  His personal records include a 58.10 in the 100 back, a 26.48 in the 50 back, and a 1:58.82 in the 200 freestyle.  He also helped Orchard Park to three undefeated seasons and he received the Herb Award for swimming and character for his club team. 

McArdle intends to major in Computer Science at Malone.  He is the son of Robert and Kristie McArdle of Orchard Park. 

(L-R): Malone head coach Monica Bragg, Collin McArdle, Kristie McArdle (mother), Robert McArdle (father)

Daniel Mullins Jr., of Fayetteville and a 2010 graduate of Fayetteville-Perry High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Mullins, a 6’3” guard/forward, was a four-year letterman in basketball.  He also lettered three years in soccer, one in football, one in cross-country, and three in baseball.  Mullins’ achievements include receiving various honors for his different sports as well as team recognition.  Prior to coming to Fayetteville-Perry, as a member of the Milford Christian Academy basketball team as a freshman, he helped lead that squad to an undefeated season.

Seated (L-R): Carl Newman (stepfather), Daniel Mullins Jr., Sherri Newman (mother); Standing - Tim Walker (Malone head coach)

Paul Robinson, of Suffield, Ohio (Field H.S.) and a senior distance runner on the Malone University men’s indoor track and field team, was recently honored as the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week following his outstanding performance over the weekend at the Division II Challenge hosted by the University of Findlay.

Robinson automatically qualified for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships after winning the 5000-meter event in a time of 14:53.09.  This impressive performance marked the sixth-fastest 5000-meter time recorded in the NAIA so far this year.

Christopher Sinick, of Brimfield, Ohio (Field H.S.) and a senior distance runner on the Malone University men’s indoor track and field team, was recently honored as the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week following his outstanding performance over the weekend at the University of Findlay Classic.

Sarah Samblanet, of Navarre and a 2010 graduate of Perry High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University in the fall and play softball for the Pioneers.  The 5’10” centerfielder was a two-year letter winner in softball for the Panthers and also lettered three years in cross country and one in track.

Samblanet’s softball achievements include earning the top on-base percentage her freshman year and helping her 18U Mad Dogs team qualify for nationals in Las Vegas.  Samblanet’s accomplishments in cross country include All-County and All-Federal League honors her freshman year; 1^st Team All-Federal and Coach’s Award accolades her sophomore year; and a 2^nd Team All-Federal honor her junior year.

Samblanet intends to major in Nursing at Malone.  She is the daughter of Kevin and Vicki Samblanet of Navarre.

Serena Groves, of Parma and a 2010 graduate of Normandy High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and participate in Malone’s Swimming and Diving program.

Groves was a three-year letter winner in swimming at Normandy.   Groves’ honors include winning the Coach’s Award as well as holding three records at Normandy.  She also helped her swim team win the Parma Championships in 2009.

(L-R) Karen Groves(Mother), Serena Groves, Head Coach Monica Bragg

Tommy Miano, of Silver Lake and a 2010 graduate of Stow-Munroe Falls High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University and play golf for the Pioneers this fall.  Miano has lettered three years in golf. 

Miano’s achievements include being named First Team All-Conference (All-NOC) in both 2008 and 2009.  He was a Div. I State Qualifier in the fall of 2009 and placed fifth in the sectional (as an individual) his senior year in the fall of 2009.  Miano helped his team win back-to-back conference championships in 2008 and 2009 and guided them to a Division I team state qualification in the fall of 2009. His team’s match record for the last two years is 19-1 with the lone loss coming by one stroke.  In addition, he was also named to the Academic All-Ohio Team. 

Miano intends to major in Business Administration at Malone.   He is the son of Al and Mary Ann Miano of Silver Lake.

Seated (L-R): Malone head coach Ken Hyland,Tommy Miano, Jessica Miano (sister), Mary Ann Miano (mother); Standing : Al Miano (father)

The Malone University women’s tennis team hosted The Malone Tennis Night Fundraiser at Towpath Tennis Center on January 23, 2010 from 6-9 p.m. The event was geared at raising money for the team’s trip to Orlando, Florida where they will be competing in several matches in early March. The team will begin its first spring season match by competing against Oberlin College on February 13, 2010 (at Oberlin).

The team is led by first-year head coach Tanyaradzwa Gombera and is comprised of six freshmen, two sophomores and one junior. The members of the team include Alanna Phillips (So., Lexington H.S.), Lauren Armburst (Jr., Chippewa H.S.), Kim Knisley (Fr., Marlington H.S.), Marie Konstan (Fr., Lutheran West H.S.), Hannah Swigger (Fr., Dover, OH), Katie Burch (Fr., Ypsilanti, MI), Savannah McDaniel (Fr., West Branch H.S.), Stephanie Prasnal (So., N. Canton Hoover H.S.) and Julianna Blaisdell (Fr., Salem, NH).

The event, a wonderful success for the team, was attended by Malone tennis fans, family and Towpath Center fans.  Participants had the opportunity to play with the current Malone tennis players in doubles. There were also great silent auction items that were available for bidding and prizes as well.

For more information on the team and upcoming events, contact:

Tanyaradzwa Gombera

2600 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, Ohio 44709

tgombera@malone.edu

James Zeuch, of Galion, Ohio (Galion H.S.) and a junior distance runner on the Malone University men’s indoor track and field team, was recently honored as the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week following his outstanding performance at this past Saturday’s Baldwin-Wallace College Mid-January Meet.

Two members of the Malone University football team were recently honored as 2009 All-Academic selections by the Mid-States football Association (MSFA).

Senior wide receiver Ryan Farr, a Youth/Sports Ministries major from Boardman, Ohio (Boardman H.S.), and junior defensive back Eric Hart, a Biology major from Southington, Ohio (Labrae Local H.S.), were each recognized by the conference for their hard work in the classroom.

Recipients must have been a junior or senior in academic standing, possessed a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.0 scale), and made significant contributions to his team.

Matthew Ludlow, of Middlefield and a 2010 graduate of Cardinal High School, has signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play golf for the Pioneers.  Ludlow will have lettered four years in golf at Cardinal.

Ludlow’s achievements include qualifying for state districts (2009-2010) and being named First Team All-Conference (two-time), Second Team All-District (Division II), Second Team All-Area, Second Team All-News Herald  and First Team All-County (Geauga County).  He was also a member of the 2009-2010 conference champions golf team at Cardinal.  Academically, he has earned Honor Roll and Principal’s List honors numerous times.

(L-R): Malone head coach Ken Hyland, Matthew Ludlow, Danette Ludlow (mother), Howard Ludlow (father)

Emily Duncan, of Lancaster and a 2010 homeschooled graduate from Lancaster, Ohio, signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and participate in Malone’s Swimming and Diving program.

Duncan was a member of the LYST Stingrays (coached by Heather Parkman).  Academically, she earned a 3.78 cumulative GPA.

Duncan is currently undecided as to her major at Malone.  

Lora Huffman, of Orrville and a 2010 graduate of Orrville High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and participate in Malone’s Swimming and Diving program.

Huffman, a breaststroke/freestyle swimmer, also was a four-year letter-winner in Track and Field. Huffman’s achievements include qualifying for swimming districts for the 100-yard breaststroke (1:16), the 50-yard freestyle (:27), and the freestyle relay.  Huffman also qualified for track and field districts in the 400 meters with a time of 1:05.

Huffman intends to major in Elementary Education at Malone.  She is the daughter of Theresa Conway of Orrville and of Tracy Huffman of Orrville.

(L-R) Lora Huffman, Head Coach Monica Bragg

Kori Knecht, of Mineral City and a 2010 graduate of Tuscarawas Valley High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University in the fall and play softball for the Pioneers.  The 5’3’’ shortstop/second baseman was a three-year letter winner in softball for the Trojans and she also lettered one year in volleyball and basketball.

Knecht has received numerous sports honors in softball.   She has won the Golden Glove Award and she played for the Ohio Thunder 18U Travel Team (in Canton South).  Academically, Knecht earned an Academic Letter. 

Knecht intends to major in Nursing at Malone.  She is the daughter of Bill and Julie Knecht of Mineral City. 

(L-R): Malone head coach Whitney Hartman, Bill Knecht (father), Kori Knecht, Julie Knecht (mother)

Jonathan Clark, of Clinton and a 2010 graduate of Jackson High School, has signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play golf for the Pioneers.  Clark will have lettered four years in golf at Jackson.

Clark has numerous honors to his credit including being named First Team All Federal League, First Team All Stark County, Federal League Player of the Year and Stark County Player of the Year.  Academically, he in a multiple recipient of the Honor Roll distinction at Jackson.

Clark intends to major in Business Administration at Malone.   He is the son of Paul and Kim Clark of Clinton. 

Photo order (L-R): Front - Ken Hyland (Malone head coach), Jonathan Clark, Jim Kish (Jackson head coach); Back - Kim Clark (mother), Paul Clark (father).

Eric Hehman has been named the new head coach of the Malone University football team, University Athletic Director Charlie Grimes announced today.  Hehman takes over for four-year head coach Mike Gardner, who resigned recently to take the head coaching position at his former institution, Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas.

Hehman has served as the head football coach at NCAA Div. III Greenville (IL) College for the past five seasons having led the Panthers to a 7-3 record in 2009 including a berth in the NCCAA Victory Bowl (losing to Geneva College, PA 29-28), the first postseason appearance for Greenville since 2000.  The team also captured the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference South Division Championship (3-0 record), which was the first Div. III conference title for the program.

Hehman also served as the Panthers’ Quarterbacks Coach this past season and as Special Teams Coordinator for the past two years.

Prior to Greenville, he served at Trinity International University (IL) for six seasons (1999-2004) – as the Assistant Head Coach in 2004 and also as Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach, Offensive Line Coach and Defensive Line Coach during his tenure there.  Hehman also coached at Taylor University (IN) from 1995-1999, serving as both the Offensive  Line (1998) and Defensive Line (1995-97) Coach.

During his tenure at Taylor, Trinity International and Greenville, the football programs he has been involved with had records of 1-9, 1-9 and 4-6 for his first year but have all reached playoffs and/or a bowl game during his stint there.  Both Taylor and Trinity International won MSFA conference titles during the time Hehman was coaching at the institutions.

“Eric has excellent experience working in the NAIA and NCAA,” commented Grimes. “He brings an awesome vision and philosophy to Canton, Ohio. Malone University athletics expects championship play and changed lives, and I believe Eric Hehman is exactly the man to help us do that.”

"I believe 100% this is where God wants us, and my goal in life is to do want he wants us to do and be where he wants me to be," said Hehman.  "Leaving Greenville is not easy. We are leaving a program that I love, a community that cares, and a church that is dynamic, but I am convinced that Malone is where God wants us. I believe in the Mission of the university, the leadership of Athletic Director Charlie Grimes and the potential of Malone football to be a premier Christian college football program. My family and I are very excited to partner with Malone to help create a dynamic and successful football program that the players, parents, students, alumni and community will be proud of.”

Heather Grovemiller, a 2007 graduate of Malone University and former Pioneer golfer, has been hired as the interim head coach for the Malone women’s golf team.  Grovemiller, a four-year letter winner on the Pioneer golf team, takes over for Max Baker, who had served for the past 6 ½ years as head coach but who is stepping down to focus more on his full-time work and to allow for more time with his family.

Grovemiller was the top golfer for the Malone program for nearly her entire four-year career at the college, having earned All Conference honors and also qualifying as an individual for the NAIA national tournament as a sophomore (after winning the NAIA Region IX tournament).

Malone University punter Mike Skvor, a senior from Long Beach, CA, was one of three specialists and the only punter selected to the 2009 American Football Coaches Association NAIA All-America Team in voting announced today.  In addition, he is only the third First Team selection in Malone football history.

Skvor, who was also honored as a Mid-States Football Association Mideast League First Team selection, had an outstanding 2009 senior season after missing the entire 2008 season due to injury.  The 6’0” punter ranked second in the NAIA this year with an average of 42.0 yards on 48 punts.  This impressive average and his total of 18 kicks downed inside the 20-yard line both established new Pioneer single-season records.

Skvor is just the sixth Malone football player to earn the prestigious NAIA All-American distinction and is the first Pioneer specialist to receive the award. Previous NAIA All-Americans include nose guard Moses Sherman, who was tabbed Second Team All-America in 1995 and First-Team All-America in 1996; defensive back Jeremy McClure, who garnered Second-Team All-America accolades in 1996; linebacker Jason Wallick, who collected Second-Team All-America honors in both 1996 and 1997; linebacker Christian Silveira, who received Second-Team All-America recognition in both 1998 and 1999; and wide receiver Derek Deardorff, who received First Team All-America honors in 2008.

A new professional soccer team, the Ohio Vortex, will be hosting a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Stark & Carroll Counties Fundraiser Night on January 2, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Canton Civic Center.  The team will play the Louisville Lightning.  Tickets are $11.00 for general admission and $13.00 for premier seating.  Eighty-five (85) percent of all proceeds from game day revenue will be donated to the designated non-profit organizations.  Please visit www.ohiovortex.org for further information or click here.

A new professional soccer team, the Ohio Vortex, will be hosting a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Stark & Carroll Counties Fundraiser Night on January 2, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Canton Civic Center.  The team will play the Louisville Lightning.  Tickets are $11.00 for general admission and $13.00 for premier seating.  Eighty-five (85) percent of all proceeds from game day revenue will be donated to the designated non-profit organizations.  Please visit www.ohiovortex.org for further information or click here.

Jacob Farran, of Canfield and a 2010 graduate of Heartland Christian High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Farran, a 6’0” guard, was a four-time letter winner (two in basketball, one in track & field and one in golf) for the Lions and earned many awards throughout his high school playing career. He was a captain on the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) state championship team in 2009, and also was a free throw champ at the Keystone State camp.  Academically, he holds a 3.6 GPA while Honors classes and he is also a member of the Honor Roll.

Seated (L-R): Chris Farran (father), Jacob Farran, Lisa Farran (mother); Standing - Malone head coach Tim Walker

Justin Troyer, of Dalton and a 2010 graduate of Dalton High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Troyer, a 5’10” guard, was a four-year letterman in basketball for the Bulldogs and earned numerous awards throughout his entire high school playing career. He has been selected to the Wayne County Athletic League (WCAL) Team, was a First Team District selection, and was also an All-Ohio player while at Dalton.  Academically, he was a member of the National Honor Society.

Seated (L-R): Rick Troyer (father), Justin Troyer, Stephanie Troyer (mother); Standing (L-R): Malone head coach Tim Walker, Dalton head coach Nate Stutz.

Blake Williams, of Stow and a 2010 graduate of Stow Munroe Falls High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University next fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Williams, a 6’0” guard, was a three-year letterman in basketball and a two-year letterman in baseball for the Bulldogs and he earned several awards throughout his high school playing career.  He was named to the First-Team Northeast Ohio Conference, All-GABCA Underclassman Team, Honorable Mention All- Northeast Ohio Inland District Team, and set the Stow Munroe High School record for three-point shots made in a season with 78.

Seated (L-R): Thomas Williams (father), Blake Williams, Melody Williams (mother); Standing (L-R): Stow Munroe Falls' head coach Dave Close, Malone head coach Tim Walker, Stow Munroe Falls' assistant coach Kevin Kovach.

Jennifer Gahagan, of Berlin Center, Ohio (Ravenna Southeast H.S.) and a junior outside hitter on the Malone University volleyball team, was recently honored with First Team All-America accolades from the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association). 

Gahagan, who was previously voted to the All-AMC (American Mideast Conference) First Team, NCCAA All-East Region Team, and NCCAA All-Tournament Team, put together an excellent 2009 campaign as she paced the Pioneer attack with 401 kills (2.99 per set) and 46 service aces.  Despite missing six matches at the start of the year due to illness, Gahagan also registered 455 digs (3.4 per set) and 58 total blocks.  This year’s award marks her third consecutive NCCAA All-American honor as she was tabbed Second Team All-America following both the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

Malone advanced to the semifinal round of the NCCAA National Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida and ended the year with a 31-10 overall record.

Jennifer Gahagan, of Berlin Center, Ohio (Ravenna Southeast H.S.) and a junior outside hitter on the Malone University volleyball team, was recently named the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week following her strong performance at the NCCAA National Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida December 3-5.

Gahagan, who was also recently honored with NCCAA First Team All-American and NCCAA All-Tournament Team accolades, led Malone to a 3-2 record at the national event after averaging 2.41 kills and 3.53 digs per set to go with seven service aces and 13 total blocks.   After tallying a 3-1 record in pool play, the sixth-seeded Pioneers advanced to the semifinal round of the 10-team tournament where they fell to top-seeded Mt. Vernon Nazarene University by a final tally of three sets to one.

Malone ended the season with a 31-10 overall record, marking the highest win total for the program since 2001.

Malone University leads the initial set of Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup fall standings for the NAIA as the Pioneers have accumulated 185 total points after taking home the men’s cross country NAIA national title and finishing third in women’s cross country.  Simon Fraser University (B.C.) trails the Pioneers by 33 points with 152 total points.  Cal State San Marcos is in third with 140 points.

Two of the six fall NAIA championships have been completed with the following institutions capturing titles: Malone (Ohio) (men’s cross country); and Cal State San Marcos (women’s cross country).

The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 14 sports -- seven women’s and seven men’s.

Malone University’s Mike Gardner has resigned his position as the Pioneers’ head football coach, the University’s Athletic Director Charlie Grimes announced today.  Gardner will return to serve as head football coach at Tabor (KS) College, where he was the head coach for two seasons just prior to coming to Malone in January of 2006.

In four seasons at Malone, Gardner led the Pioneers to a 25-18 overall record, three winning seasons and three NCCAA Victory Bowl appearances, including a victory in the 2007 Victory Bowl contest.  Prior to Gardner’s arrival at Malone, the Pioneers’ last winning campaign was in 1998 (7-4 record).  In his first three seasons at Malone, Gardner led the program to records of 7-4, 8-4 and 6-4 prior to the recent 4-6 record in 2009.  Malone was ranked numerous times in the NAIA Top 25 national poll throughout his tenure and, with the exception of this past season, earned a final end-of-season Top 25 national ranking each year.  He also coached numerous All-MSFA Mideast League student-athletes and two NAIA All-Americans, along with many NAIA Scholar Athlete recipients.

“Mike has served Malone very well,” stated Grimes.   “His excellent work ethic and passion for mentoring young men will be greatly missed on our staff.  I’m saddened that Mike’s tenure was somewhat short but we look forward to the next era of Pioneer football.  We respect his decision and will continually seek to improve the experience of our student-athletes in every way we can.”

“I really appreciate the opportunity I’ve had here at Malone to serve and will miss many of the people who have been a part of my experience, specifically our athletic director Charlie Grimes whose tireless passion and vision will continue to produce a great product athletically at Malone,” said Gardner.   “I’m confident that the next football coach here will be able to do as much or more than I have.  I have cherished the relationships that have been created between myself and the rest of the athletic department and I’m going to miss the players who I’m sure will have a great season next fall.”

Malone is currently seeking applications for the position of head football coach.  Those interested should send a cover letter and resume to Malone University Athletic Director Charlie Grimes, 2600 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, Ohio 44709.

Five members of the Malone University men’s soccer team were recently honored with postseason awards from the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) East Region.  Freshman forward Samuel Erchick (pictured to the left; Alliance H.S.), freshman forward Adam Sharpnack (Pittsburgh, PA), freshman midfielder Alex Hall (Massillon Washington H.S.), freshman midfielder Allen Meffan (Lake H.S.) and sophomore defender Jordan Smith (St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.) were each tabbed NCCAA All-East Region Honorable Mention in recent voting by the region’s coaches.

Erchick and Sharpnack paced the Malone offensive attack throughout the season as Erchick tallied three goals and four assists while Sharpnack found the back of the net six times and also dished out four assists.  Hall recorded one goal and one assist and tied for the team lead in shot attempts with 22.  Meffan posted two goals and one assist while Smith scored a pair of goals and helped anchor the Pioneer defense throughout the year.

In addition to this recognition from the NCCAA East Region, Sharpnack and Hall were previously named Honorable Mention by the American Mideast Conference.

The Pioneers ended their season with a 5-12-1 overall record. 

Kenny Earle of Massillon and a 2010 graduate of Massillon Washington High School recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play golf for the Pioneers. 

Earle lettered three years in golf and collected numerous awards throughout his high school career.  A standout on the golf course, Earle was First Team All County and a District Qualifier in 2009 and a Second Team All County selection in 2008.  He also helped lead his team to the Stark County Tournament in 2007. 

(L-R): Malone head coach Ken Hyland, Kenny Earle, Bob Earle (father), Dundee Earle (mother)

Aaron Melhorn, of Navarre, Ohio (Fairless H.S.) and a junior member of the Malone University men’s cross country team, was recently honored with NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week recognition for the fourth time this season after his outstanding performance at the NAIA National Championship Meet on Saturday in Vancouver, Washington.

Melhorn led the Pioneers to their third consecutive NAIA National Title after finishing third overall in a time of 24:36.  In recognition of his outstanding performance, Melhorn collected the 10th NAIA All-America award of his career (three cross country, three indoor track, four outdoor track), tying 2005 Malone graduate Dave Gramlich for the most individual NAIA All-America accolades in Pioneer athletics history.  

The Malone University volleyball team, led by 11th-year head coach Tanya Hockman, will travel to Kissimmee, Florida December 3-5 to compete in the 10-team NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) National Tournament.  The Pioneers wrapped up their regular season schedule with a 28-8 overall record and received an at-large bid to compete as the No. 6 seed at the national event.

The 10-team tournament field will be divided into two pools and each participating team is scheduled to play four pool-play matches over the first two days of the event.  The top two finishers from each pool will then advance to the semifinals slated for 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 5th.  The NCCAA National Championship game will then follow at 3:00 p.m.  

As the No. 6 seed, the Pioneers have been assigned to compete in Pool B along with No. 2 seed Campbellsville (KY) University, No. 3 seed Southwestern Assemblies of God (TX) University, #7 seed Spring Arbor (MI) University and No. 10 seed Pensacola Christian (FL) College.  Pool A members include top-seeded Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, fourth-seeded Northwestern (MN) College, fifth-seeded King (TN) College, eighth-seeded Bryan (TN) College and ninth-seeded Southeastern (FL) University.

The Pioneers are led by junior outside hitter Jennifer Gahagan (Ravenna Southeast H.S.), who earned American Mideast Conference First Team honors after averaging a team-high 3.08 kills and ranking second on the squad with an average of 3.38 digs during the regular seaosn.  Gahagan also led Malone with 39 service aces while posting 45 total blocks and a .224 attack percentage.  Junior outside hitter Lori Ickes (Smithville H.S.), a 2009 All-AMC Second Team selection, followed by notching 2.38 kills and a team-leading 3.77 digs per frame to go with 31 service aces and 39 total blocks.  Senior middle hitter Kristen Schoolcraft (McKinley H.S.) earned All-AMC Honorable Mention recognition after tallying 131 total blocks this season while also posting 2.15 kills per frame and a team-best .252 attack percentage. 

Malone, which last competed at the NCCAA National Tournament in 2004, will open play at the 2009 event on Thursday, December 3rd with a 2:00 p.m. match against Southwestern Assemblies of God.  See below for the Pioneers’ complete pool-play schedule.

Prior to taking the court, Malone and the nine other participating teams will take part in a Christian service project, assisting Campus Crusade for Christ in their annual Christmas Gift Distribution.  Athletes will sort and package Christmas gifts that will be given to children and families in need throughout the Kissimmee and Orlando area.

NCCAA National Tournament Website

NCCAA National Tournament Live Scoring and Video Streaming

Malone’s NCCAA Tournament Schedule

Thursday, December 3rd

2:00 p.m. - #6 Malone vs. #3 Southwestern Assemblies of God

6:30 p.m.  - Malone vs. #2 Campbellsville

Friday, December 4th

2:00 p.m. - Malone vs. #7 Spring Arbor

6:00 p.m. - Malone vs. #10 Pensacola Christian

Saturday, December 5th

10:00 a.m. – Semifinal #1

12:00 p.m. – Semifinal #2

3:00 p.m. – Championship Game

The Malone University football team had six players earn postseason recognition from the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League when voting was announced on Friday.  Senior punter Mike Skvor (pictured to the right; Long Beach, CA) was named to the All-MSFA Mideast First Team while junior defensive lineman Cody Carroll (pictured below; Chardon H.S.), senior defensive back Jon Latimer (Dallas, TX) and senior running back Joseph Peters (Oakland, CA) each garnered All-MSFA Mideast Second Team recognition.  In addition, offensive linemen Tom Reed (So., Troy H.S. ) and Shelby Santizo (Sr., Long Beach, CA) were both tabbed All-MSFA Mideast Honorable Mention.

After missing the entire 2008 campaign due to injury, Skvor put together an outstanding senior season as he ranked second in the NAIA this year with an average of 42.0 yards on 48 punts.  This impressive average and his total of 18 kicks downed inside the 20-yard line both established new Pioneer single-season records.

Carroll wreaked havoc behind the line of scrimmage throughout the season as he ended the year with 54 total tackles, including 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.  His averages of 1.95 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack per game both ranked fourth overall in the NAIA at the end of the regular season.

Latimer registered a team-high 73 total tackles this year with four tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, six interceptions and three pass break-ups.  In addition to breaking the Malone single-season record, his six interceptions also ranked as the third-highest total in the NAIA in 2009.

Peters put together an outstanding all-around performance as he led the MSFA with 1674 all-purpose yards.  He became the just the fifth Pioneer to rush for over 1000 yards in a single season as he finished the year with 1048 rushing yards on 151 carries (6.9 average) with 10 touchdowns.  Peters also pulled in 22 pass receptions for 184 yards, returned 14 punts for 91 yards and totaled 351 yards on 15 kickoff returns.

Reed and Santizo each provided strong and consistent blocking throughout the season and were key components of an offensive line that paved the way for Malone’s impressive average of 225.6 rushing yards per game.

In addition to the Offensive Player of the Week award that he received from the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League on Monday, Malone University freshman wide receiver Derrick McLean has also been honored as the NCCAA’s (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week following his impressive performance this past Saturday in the Pioneers’ 57-35 win at Olivet Nazarene (IL) University.

(Click here for new nomination procedure)

Four athletes were recently selected to the 25^th annual class of the Malone University Athletics Hall of Fame and will be officially inducted at a banquet on the University’s campus on January 29, 2010.  The inductees will also be recognized at halftime of a Malone men’s basketball home game on Saturday, January 30.

The newest Hall of Fame inductees include Don Andres (’67, men’s basketball), Dave Jones (’89, baseball), Brian Kelly (’92, track & field) and Chris Reuscher (’97, men’s golf).  With the addition of the four newest members, the current total of inductees now stands at 93.

Established in 1985, the Malone University Athletics Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in athletics while at the University. To qualify, athlete inductees must be graduates of Malone, must have graduated at least ten years prior to selection, must exemplify the highest ideals of intercollegiate athletics, and must have earned two letters in one or more sports. As a coach, they must have served the University athletics department ten or more years. In 2007, a new provision was established to allow athletics administrators or other support personnel to become eligible, again with a minimum of 10 years of athletics service to the University.

Don Andres, a 1967 Malone graduate (Social Studies Comp.), was a four-year letterman in basketball at Malone.  He was also a 1963 graduate of Niles McKinley High School.

Playing from 1963-1967, Andres was a three-year starter on the Pioneer basketball team and was an instrumental member of the first winning Malone basketball team (15-11) in the 1965-66 season.  He ranks 32^nd on Malone’s all-time scoring list with 1187 points and was the team’s leading scorer as a junior (15.6) and as a senior (18.1).  He was a two-time captain and the team’s MVP as a senior.  He earned Second Team All Mid Ohio Conference Honors and the team’s “Hustle” award as a junior and was voted First Team All MOC as a senior.  As a sophomore, he posted an impressive 87.3% free throw percentage which ranked seventh in the NAIA nationally.  In addition to basketball, Andres was a one-year starter and letterman on Malone’s 1965 baseball team and posted a .280 batting average.

After graduating from Malone, he took post graduate courses at Youngstown State University and then earned a Masters of Education degree from Westminster College (PA) in 1975.  He also took additional post grad courses at Kent State University in 1980 and in 1998.  Don was a head boy’s varsity basketball coach for 32 years prior to his recent retirement after the 2008-09 season at Howland High School, where he coached his last four years.  He also had coaching stints at Warren John F. Kennedy (5 years), Howland (10 years), Niles McKinley (10 years) and Reynolds High School (3 years).  He has a 341-292 record as a varsity boys coach.  Andres won nine sectional titles as head coach and was honored as the Trumbell County Coach of the Year nine times and the District Coach of the Year four times.  A teacher for 43 years and a “Who’s Who in American Teachers” honoree, Andres has been employed with the Howland Local School District for 34 years and currently holds the position of Ohio Work Adjustment (O.W.A.) Coordinator – a career based intervention program.  Don and his wife, Rebecca, reside in Niles, Ohio and they have three grown children (Heather, Kristen and Nikki) and three grandchildren.

Dave Jones, a 1989 Malone graduate (Business Administration), was a four-year letterman in baseball for the Pioneers.  Jones was also a 1985 graduate of Union Local High School.

At Malone, Jones was an excellent defensive outfielder but was best known for his hitting prowess.  As a sophomore, he posted a team-best .371 batting average and went on to pocket averages of .331 as a junior and .363 as a senior, for a career batting average of .327.  As a senior, he was selected as a First Team All Mid-Ohio Conference recipient and as an All-NAIA District 22 Honorable Mention honoree.  In his four years at Malone, the Pioneers posted an overall record of 94-72-2 including a 30-16 season in Jones’ junior year.

Jones is currently entering his 10^th season as an assistant baseball coach at Malone and he begins his 19^th season as a coach at the collegiate level.  As hitting coach, his work with the current group of young Malone hitters resulted in the best one-year team batting average increase in school history (.345 in 2008).  In addition, he was on the Pioneer staffs that directed Malone to the 2006 NCCAA national championship and to the most wins in school history (47) last season.  A Malone fixture, Jones was also a member of the coaching staff for Malone’s first football team in 1993.  After college, Jones continued playing competitive baseball, spending twelve seasons in the Canton Class “A” League and playing on nine championship teams in those 12 campaigns.  In 2006, he was inducted into the Stark County Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.  In addition to his assistant coaching duties at Malone, Jones is employed as a sales representative for Castings USA, Inc.  He and his wife, Kelly, reside in Canton and they have three children, Shelby, Ty and Logan.

Brian Kelly, a 1992 Malone graduate (Physical Education), was a three-year letterman in track & field for the Pioneers.  He was also a 1986 graduate of Green High School where he was the Div. I state champion in the pole vault as a senior.  He still holds the Ohio High School state indoor record at 16’1”.

After transferring to Malone from The Ohio State University in 1988, Kelly went on to have one of the most successful careers in the annals of the Pioneer track & field program. During his time at Malone, Kelly was the top pole vaulter in the NAIA and with five total chances to compete at the NAIA national meet (indoor and outdoor), he placed no lower than third at those national events.  In 1989, he placed third in the pole vault at both the indoor and outdoor NAIA national meets while also earning the NCCAA national title that year.  He then went on to become a two-time NAIA national champion, winning the outdoor title in the pole vault as a junior and a senior.  In all, he claimed five NAIA All-America honors including an indoor national runner-up finish as a senior.  He also earned the NCCAA pole vault national title in 1991.  In addition, Kelly was a three-time All-Ohio Champion (’89, ’90, ’91).  He still holds Malone’s indoor pole vault record at 17’0” and has the second highest jump in Malone history, only ¼” behind Tim Mack’s 17’5” (Mack was the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist).  Kelly has scored 6128 points in the decathlon, which still ranks him in the top 10 at Malone.

One of the most respected vault coaches in the state of Ohio, Kelly is currently an Assistant Track & Field Coach at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.  He works with jumpers and coached the 2008 Ohio Division II state runner-up in the girl’s pole vault.  Kelly also helped direct CVCA to the 2008 and 2009 Ohio Girls Division II Track & Field Championships.  In addition, he continues to train and jump himself.  Kelly is self employed as a financial advisor (Kelly Financial Services, Inc.) and resides in Cuyahoga Falls.

Chris Reuscher, a 1997 Malone graduate (Law & Society), was a four-year letterman on the Pioneer golf team.  He was also a 1993 graduate of Perry High School.

Two Malone University athletes recently received NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week recognition following their impressive performances on Saturday, November 7th.  Aaron Melhorn, of the men’s cross country team, and Allyson Wilson, of the women’s basketball team, each collected the national honor.

Melhorn, a junior from Navarre, Ohio (Fairless H.S.), led the Pioneers to the American Mideast Conference Title among a 10-team field as he finished first overall in a time of 25:17.  With the victory, the Pioneers extended their incredible streak of having never lost a conference/district/region meet.  Melhorn has now earned NCCAA Athlete of the Week honors on three separate occasions so far this season.

Two Malone University athletes recently received NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week recognition following their impressive performances on Saturday, November 7th.  Aaron Melhorn, of the men’s cross country team, and Allyson Wilson, of the women’s basketball team, each collected the national honor.

Melhorn, a junior from Navarre, Ohio (Fairless H.S.), led the Pioneers to the American Mideast Conference Title among a 10-team field as he finished first overall in a time of 25:17.  With the victory, the Pioneers extended their incredible streak of having never lost a conference/district/region meet.  Melhorn has now earned NCCAA Athlete of the Week honors on three separate occasions so far this season.

After capturing its second straight American Mideast Conference regular season title, setting a new school record for wins in a season (47), and competing in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round last spring, the Malone University baseball team has earned the No. 22 ranking in the 2010 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll.

Defending NAIA National Champion Lubbock Christian (TX) University received 23 of a possible 24 first-place votes to grab the top spot when the preseason rating was announced on Tuesday evening.  Point Loma Nazarene (CA) University followed at No. 2.  Oklahoma City University was third, Southern Polytechnic State (GA) University took fourth and Lee (TN) University rounded out the top five.  Malone was the only American Mideast Conference member to receive votes in the poll.

The Pioneers ended their 2009 campaign with a 47-16 overall record, a runner-up finish at the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) National Tournament, and a final NAIA National ranking of 17th.  The squad will open its season in early March with its annual spring break trip to Arizona.  Malone’s home opener is slated for March 24th at 4:00 p.m. against Baldwin-Wallace College. 

CLICK HERE to view the entire 2010 NAIA Preseason Poll

Four members of the Malone University volleyball team were recently recognized with postseason honors from the American Mideast Conference.  Junior outside hitter Jennifer Gahagan (pictured to the left; Ravenna Southeast H.S.) collected All-AMC First Team accolades, junior outside hitter Lori Ickes (pictured below to the right; Smithville H.S.) earned All-AMC Second Team honors while senior middle hitter Kristen Schoolcraft (McKinley H.S.) was tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention.  In addition, freshman setter Jackie Schwamberger (Madison Comprehensive H.S.) was one of eight athletes named to the All-AMC Freshmen Team.

Gahagan collected First Team honors for the third straight season after tallying a team-high 3.08 kills per set and ranking second on the squad with an average of 3.38 digs.  Despite missing five matches at the start of the year due to illness, she still led the squad with 39 service aces while also posting 45 total blocks and a .224 attack percentage.

Ickes also earned all-conference recognition for the third straight year (All-AMC Honorable Mention in 2008, All-AMC North Division Second Team in 2007) after notching 2.38 kills and a team-leading 3.77 digs per frame to go with 31 service aces and 39 total blocks.

2009 marked the third time in her four-year collegiate career that Schoolcraft was voted All-AMC Honorable Mention (she also collected the award in 2006 & 2007).  The 5’11” senior ranked fifth in the conference with an average of nearly one block per set (131 total blocks in 140 sets played) this season while also posting 2.15 kills per frame and a team-best .252 attack percentage.  Schoolcraft’s 546 career blocks currently ranks second on the Pioneers’ all-time list.

Schwamberger made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season as she ranked sixth in the AMC with 10.04 assists per set while also contributing 23 service aces and an average of 3.25 digs.

Derrick McLean, of Laurel Hill, North Carolina (Scotland H.S.) and a freshman wide receiver on the Malone University football team, was recently recognized as the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League Offensive Player of the Week after his outstanding all-around performance in the Pioneers’ 57-35 win at Olivet Nazarene (IL) University on Saturday.

McLean broke both the Malone and MSFA records for all-purpose yards in Saturday’s offensive shootout with a total output of 346 yards.  He caught eight passes for 186 yards and one touchdown, gained 49 yards on one rush while also tallying 111 return yards on special teams.  In addition to establishing a new Malone mark for all-purpose yards, McLean also posted the third-highest, single-game receiving yardage total in program history.

McLean wrapped up an impressive freshman season with 34 catches for 518 yards and four touchdowns.  He also made an impact on special teams by averaging 25.8 yards on 22 kickoff returns and 7.3 yards on nine punt returns.

Malone won two of its last three contests to end the 2009 campaign with a 4-6 overall record and a 2-5 mark in the MSFA Mideast.

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   11/10/09

Game:        Malone University                                                3-6  (1-5 MSFA Mideast)  

                  at Olivet Nazarene (IL) University                          2-8  (1-5 MSFA Mideast)

Date:         Saturday, November 14, 2009

Kickoff:    1:30 p.m. CST (2:30 p.m. EST) at Ward Field (Bourbonnais, Illinois)

Broadcasts: WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com

                  2:15 p.m. EST pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play)

Tickets:      $5.00 adults; $2.00 students/senior citizens; children 12 and under are free

Series:       

The Pioneers hold a 4-0 lead in the all-time series and defeated the Tigers on the road last season by a final tally of 43-3.

Coaches:

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 24-18 record, including a 3-6 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 44-21 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

Olivet Nazarene – Don Lee is in his first season at Olivet Nazarene after having compiled a 19-25 record in four years as the head coach at Belhaven (MS) College.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), ONU 4-7 (3-4 MSFA Midwest)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers suffered a hard-fought 28-24 loss on the road last week to Marian (IN) University as the Knights fought back from a 21-7 third-quarter deficit, scoring the game-winning touchdown with just 10 seconds to play…Malone currently ranks third in the 16-team MSFA (16th overall in the NAIA) in total offense with an average of 406.1 yards per game…The Pioneer defense ranks second in the conference (14th in the NAIA) in opponent first downs, having allowed just 145 through its first nine games.

Malone players to watch:  Redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl has completed 145 of 272 pass attempts (53.3%) for 1641 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions…RB Joe Peters has gained 926 rushing yards on 137 attempts (6.8 average), caught 18 passes for 171 yards, returned 13 kickoffs for 291 yards (22.4 average), gained 74 yards on 12 punt returns and scored seven TD’s…With these impressive numbers, Peters currently leads the MSFA (ranks eighth in the NAIA) with an average of 162.4 all-purpose yards per game while ranking fourth in the conference in rushing (11th in the NAIA) at 102.9 yards per game…WR Jeff Perri has caught a team-high 35 passes this season for 368 yards and four touchdowns… WR Derrick McLean follows with 26 catches for 332 yards and three TD’s…DL Cody Carroll has racked up 53 total tackles this year, including 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks…Carroll’s average of 2.2 tackles for loss leads the NAIA while his 1.1 sacks per contest rank as the third-highest average in the NAIA…DB Jon Latimer has registered a team-high 66 total tackles with 4.0 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions…Latimer needs one more interception to tie the Pioneer single-season record of five…LB K.P. Fonseca follows with 53 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick…LB Matt Vick has notched 46 total tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery…DB Tim Claiborne ranks first in the MSFA (eighth in the NAIA) with an average of 1.6 passes defended per game…Punter Mike Skvor leads the MSFA (ranks second in the NAIA) with an average of 42.2 yards per punt.

Olivet Nazarene Notes – The Tigers fell at home on Saturday to Taylor (IN) University by a final score of 45-35…Olivet Nazarene led 17-15 at halftime before the Trojans pulled away with four second-half touchdowns …The Tigers rank fourth in the conference (20th overall in the NAIA) in passing offense with an average of 251.0 yards per game…The squad has struggled on the defensive side of the ball, though, yielding an average of 47.6 points and 519.6 yards of offense per contest.

'09 Statistics: Malone - Olivet Nazarene

Rosters: Malone - Olivet Nazarene

After winning American Mideast Conference titles over the weekend, the Malone University men's and women's cross country teams both held on to their respective Top 5 rankings when the final NAIA National Coaches' Polls were released on Sunday evening.  The Pioneer men received 11 of a possible 22 first-place votes in their poll to finish second to No. 1 Southern Oregon University by just one point.  The Raiders claimed the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship over the weekend and received 612 points in the poll while Malone was right behind with 611 points.

The Malone women, meanwhile, remained at the No. 5 position in their poll for the fifth straight week.

Both Pioneer cross country squads will compete in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) National Championship Meet on Saturday before traveling to Vancouver, Washington on November 21st to compete in the NAIA National Championships.

Men's NAIA National Poll - Final

Women's NAIA National Poll - Final

The Malone University men’s basketball team, led by first-year head coach Tim Walker, will play at NCAA Div. I University of Akron on Saturday, December 12^th at 7:00 p.m.   The Dec. 12^th contest will be nearly 20 years to the day since the Pioneers last played an NCAA Div. I opponent.   On December 9, 1989, Malone played, and defeated, Cleveland State University 94-87.

             vs.      

Malone has approximately 900 general admission tickets available for purchase at the Malone Sports Information Office in Osborne Hall, 2600 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton.  These tickets are $5.00 each or $3.00 for Malone students (with ID).  Special group rates (youth groups, sports teams, etc.) are available (20 or more tickets).  For further information, please contact the Malone Sports Information Office at 330-471-8293 or Malone Sports Information Director Mark Bankert at mbankert@malone.edu.

The use of a young lineup in athletic competition can have both costs and benefits.  In the short term, a team’s youthfulness can sometimes produce less than desirable results in the win/loss column.  However, over the long term, the valuable experience gained from early playing time often provides significant dividends.

With freshman and sophomores accounting for nearly two-thirds of its minutes played last year, the Malone University women’s basketball team battled through a difficult schedule to finish the season with a 6-21 overall record, including a 3-12 mark in American Mideast Conference play.  Although her young squad was unable to fight its way into the conference tournament a year ago, seventh-year head coach Lori Wynn believes that last season’s growing pains will translate into substantial improvements for the Pioneers this winter.  “We are still pretty young,” noted Wynn.  “But I feel like we will be better than last year.  We should be deeper and I feel really good about our guards.” 

Without a senior on the roster, junior guards Allyson Wilson (Firestone H.S.), Amy Kittle (Buckeye Trail H.S.) and Ashley Speicher (Plymouth H.S.) will each be looked upon to provide leadership, as well as more of the strong and steady play that all three supplied throughout the 2008-2009 campaign as sophomore starters.

Wilson, who is entering her third year as the starting point guard, collected both All-AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA All-East Region First Team honors a year ago after pacing the squad in scoring (12.1 points per game), rebounding (6.1 boards per game), assists (58 total), steals (49 total) and minutes played (35 per game).  After this outstanding season, Wynn will be looking for more of Wilson’s solid, all-around play this year.  “Allyson has a lot of speed and quickness,” said Wynn.  “She has really good ball-handling abilities and gets to the rim really well.”

After seeing limited playing time as a freshman, Kittle started all 27 games last season and made the most of her opportunity, earning NCCAA All-East Region Second Team accolades after averaging 6.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per outing while ranking second on the team behind Wilson with 43 assists and 23 steals.  “Amy is very steady and consistent,” stated Wynn. “She plays hard, defends well, can play a lot of minutes and has really improved her three-point shooting.”

Shooting from beyond the arc is Speicher’s specialty as she ranked ninth in the 16-team AMC last season with an average of 1.85 three-point field goals made per game (50 total).  The 5’8” guard can also score closer to the rim, though, as she ranked second on the team last season with an average of 10.7 points per game and led the squad in free-throw percentage, knocking down 83.3% (50-60) of her attempts from the charity stripe. 

Other returnees in 2009-2010 include 6’2” junior forward Alison Schloz (St. Ursula Academy), sophomore forward Kelly Anatra (Mansfield St. Peter’s H.S.), sophomore guard Alivia Myers (Canton Central Catholic H.S.), sophomore guard Tyler Darland (Lakota East H.S.), and sophomore forward Hope Newton (Fredonia, NY).  After seeing limited playing time off the bench the past two years, Schloz will have more of an opportunity this season.  “Alison has gained some experience as a backup the last couple years,” commented Wynn.  “Now it is time for her to step it up.”

Anatra contributed 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 15 minutes per game last season and, like Schloz, is also likely to see more playing time.  Myers, Darland, and Newton will return to the lineup this fall after seeing limited or no playing time last year due to injury.

Seven newcomers will also join the roster this season, led by freshman guard Elise Coudriet from Wadsworth High School, freshman post player Jessica Anderson from Roosevelt Kent High School and freshman forward Tara Kies from Cloverleaf High School.  Each player brings plenty of talent to the team and Wynn will be hoping for immediate contributions.  “Elise is quick, athletic, and can really shoot,” said Wynn. “She can play several positions and is a great worker from a great program.  Jess is big, strong and aggressive in the post.  She is currently injured, but should be back on the court in December.  Tara can definitely shoot the ball and provides us with some depth up front.”

Also new to the squad this year is freshman forward Jasmine O’Neal (Roosevelt Kent H.S.)and freshmen guards Cindy Netti (Lake H.S.) and Catie Wolfe (Meigs H.S.).  Freshman forward Mary Pat Heckman (Canton South H.S.) will also join the team once she becomes eligible to play in January.

Members of the 14-team American Mideast Conference will play a 19-game divisional schedule this year.  The Pioneers will face divisional foes Carlow (PA) University, Daemen (NY) College, Houghton (NY) College, Notre Dame (OH) College, Point Park (PA) University, and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College twice and all other conference members once.  In addition to this always challenging AMC slate, Malone will also participate in 11 non-conference games, including match-ups with former AMC members Ohio Dominican University and the University of Rio Grande.

The Pioneers will open their season on November 7th with a 2:00 p.m. non-conference contest at Ursuline College.  Malone will then play at Walsh University on November 10th in the 14th annual Mayors’ Cup game.  The Pioneers’ first home contest will be on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 p.m. against NCAA Division II Ohio Valley (WV) University.

2009-2010 Malone Women's Basketball Roster

Complete 09-10 Malone Women's Basketball Schedule

The Malone University men's and women's cross country teams both maintained their respective rankings when the eighth NAIA National Poll of the season was released on Wednesday afternoon.  The Pioneer men received nine of a possible 22 first-place votes to take the No. 2 spot in the rankings for the second consecutive week, finishing just five points behind No. 1 Southern Oregon University.  The Malone women, meanwhile, stayed in the fifth position in their poll for a fourth straight week.

Both Pioneer cross country teams were idle last week and will return to action this Saturday at the American Mideast Conference Championship Meet.

Men's NAIA National Poll - Week 8

Women's NAIA National Poll - Week 8

The Malone University women’s soccer team had six players earn postseason recognition from the American Mideast Conference when voting for the All-AMC team was announced on Tuesday.  Freshman midfielder Amanda Hanlon (pictured to the right, Willoughby South H.S.) and freshman defender Stephanie Noussias (pictured below to the right, GlenOak H.S.) were each named to the All-AMC Second Team while junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA), sophomore midfielder Susanna Jonkka (Helsinki, Finland), freshman midfielder Sarah Heckman (Mars, PA) and freshman defender Kaitlin Hanlon (Willoughby South H.S.) were all tabbed All-AMC Honorable Mention.

Amanda Hanlon and Noussias each made significant impacts in their first collegiate seasons as Hanlon notched a team-high five goals to go with one assist while Noussias posted one assist and was a key component to a Pioneer defense that registered seven shutouts and compiled a 0.99 goals against average.

Sisters Sarah and Katie Heckman ranked first and second on the team in total points as Sarah scored four goals and dished out seven assists for 15 points while Katie compiled four goals and four assists to total 12 points.

Jonkka and Kaitlin Hanlon both made significant defensive contributions throughout the year while also posting one goal and two assists apiece.

The Pioneers ended their 2009 campaign with a 9-7 overall record, including a 5-6 mark in the AMC.  Malone has now tallied 11 winning seasons in the program’s 13-year history.

Three freshmen members of the Malone University men’s soccer team were recently recognized with postseason honors from the American Mideast Conference.  Jake Zimmerly, a defender from Sterling, Ohio (pictured to the right, Norwayne H.S.), Alex Hall, a forward from Massillon, Ohio (pictured bottom left, Washington H.S.), and Adam Sharpnack, a forward from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (pictured bottom right, North Allegheny H.S.), each collected All-AMC Honorable Mention recognition in voting announced on Tuesday.

Zimmerly started all 18 of the Pioneers’ matches this season and helped to anchor a Malone defense that tallied three shutouts on the year and surrendered a 3.29 goals against average.  Hall recorded one goal and one assist and tied for the team lead in shot attempts with 22.  Sharpnack paced the squad’s offensive attack with six goals and four assists.

Throughout its 52-year history, the Malone University men’s basketball program has certainly had re-building years before.  But with only four student-athletes from last year’s roster participating on the current 15-man squad, it has indeed been quite a while since a restructuring of this magnitude has taken place in the confines of Malone’s Osborne Hall. 

With a 9-20 record last season, under the direction of interim head coach Henry Cobb, the program now has its first “full-time” head coach, in Tim Walker, since longtime Pioneer head coach Hal Smith stepped down prior to the 2008-09 campaign due to health reasons.  For the past seven seasons, Walker had been the head coach at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois and led the Trolls to a pair of NAIA Div. II national tournaments berths during his tenure.  He also posted consecutive 20-win seasons in his final two campaigns at Trinity Christian.  Now Walker intends to bring this same tenacity to a team that battled through a disappointing 08-09 season, including a 5-8 American Mideast Conference record. 

Jeremy Duerr (Sr., Lake H.S.) is the lone starter returning from last year’s squad and is definitely in line to start at the point guard position again this season.  Duerr started in 25 of 29 games last year and averaged 8.9 points per game while posting a team-high 67 total assists and 3.6 rebounds per contest.  He also drilled a team-best 46 three-point baskets at a 36% clip.

Kyle Higgins (Jr., Columbus West H.S.), a transfer from Wheeling Jesuit (WV) College who averaged six points per game last year, will start at the shooting guard slot while Eric Coblentz (So., Lake H.S.), who transferred in from the University of Akron, will fill the starting three-man spot.

Kalamazoo Valley (MI) Community College transfer Nick Watts (6’4”, Jr., Holland, MI), who tossed in 15 points per contest last season, will start at a forward position while 6’5” returnee Mark Young (Sr., Jackson H.S.), who averaged 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds and who is the only person on the squad currently in his fourth year on the team, will get the nod at the post position.

Ebiowei Porbeni (6’5”, Jr., Plainfield, IL), who played two seasons for Trinity Christian averaging nine points and six rebounds per outing, will be a main contributor off the bench and will battle Young for playing time at that post spot.  In addition, 6’6” Vaso Aleksic (Jr., Bar, Montenegro), who transferred from Long Island (NY) University – C.W. Post, will also see minutes at the post position.

Besides Duerr and Young, the only other two players to return from a year ago are forward Jock Rottman (Jr., Triway H.S.) and guard Cody Miller (So., Lake Center Christian H.S.).  Rottman averaged 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds while Miller competed in 19 games for the squad.  Both are expected to give solid contributions off the bench as will guard Jordan Lindesmith (So., Jackson H.S.), who played at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University last season.

Others on the 2009-10 Pioneer roster who will look to make contributions include guards Colton Hostetler (Fr., Berlin Hiland H.S.) and Kyle Lodermeier (Fr., Norwalk H.S.), and forwards Nick Sommers (Fr., N. Canton Hoover H.S.), Evan Ferwerda (So., Lake Center Christian H.S.), who played for Malone as a freshman on the 07-08 team, and Oscar Martinez (Fr., Malvern H.S.).

“We have a lot of new faces including some very talented transfers,” commented Walker.  “We don’t have a whole lot of size and so we’ll rely on our perimeter game a great deal.  As a whole, I’m pretty pleased with how our kids have worked, in trying to pick up a new system and trying to learn how to play with each other.  We’ve had a lot of sickness during the preseason and so our early-season rotation will be pretty changeable as players battle for minutes and people get healthy.

“A strength for us this year will be shooting the ball from the perimeter.  We have several guys who are really capable of scoring.  And we have a good core group from a chemistry standpoint.  But a concern for us will be whether we can defend and rebound.  We’re working hard and I’m excited to get the season underway.”

Malone will open its regular season this Saturday (Nov. 7) at Calumet (IN) College of St. Joseph in a 1:00 p.m. CST contest (2:00 p.m. EST).  The Pioneers will face one of the toughest schedules for the program in recent years as four of Malone’s 12 non-conference games will be against top 25 teams including NCAA Div. I University of Akron (away on Dec. 12^th) and defending NCAA Div. II national champion University of Findlay (away on Nov. 19^th).  Malone’s first home contest will be against Goshen (IN) College on Saturday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m.  

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   11/3/09

Game:        Malone University                                               3-5  (1-4 MSFA Mideast)  

                  at Marian (IN) University                                     5-4  (2-3 MSFA Mideast)

Date:         Saturday, November 7, 2009

Kickoff:    1:00 p.m. EST at St. Vincent Health Field (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Broadcasts: WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com

                  12:45 p.m. EST pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play)

Tickets:      $5.00 adults; $2.00 students/senior citizens; children 12 and under are free

Series:       

The Knights are in their third year of intercollegiate football and have dropped both of their previous two meetings with the Pioneers, including a 45-37 loss to Malone at Fawcett Stadium last season.

Coaches:   

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 24-17 record, including a 3-5 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 44-20 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

Marian –Ted Karras Jr. is in his third season at Marian and has directed the Knights to a 13-17 record.  Now in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach, Karras has compiled a 57-43 career record.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), Marian 7-4 (2-4 MSFA Mideast)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers rolled to a 48-12 victory at home over Trinity International (IL) University on Saturday as the squad racked up a season-high 580 yards of total offense… Malone currently ranks third in the 16-team MSFA (17th overall in the NAIA) in total offense with an average of 408.9 yards per game…The Pioneer defense ranks second in the conference (10th in the NAIA) in opponent first downs, having allowed just 125 through its first eight games.

Malone players to watch:  Redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl has completed 123 of 238 pass attempts (51.7%) for 1431 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions…RB Joe Peters has gained 781 rushing yards on 118 attempts (6.6 average), caught 13 passes for 129 yards, returned 13 kickoffs for 291 yards (22.4 average), gained 77 yards on 11 punt returns and scored five TD’s…With these impressive numbers, Peters currently ranks second in the MSFA (12th in the NAIA) with an average of 159.8 all-purpose yards per game and third in the conference in rushing (12th in the NAIA) at 97.6 yards per game …Fellow RB Markus McFolling has also made quite an impact this season, having gained 698 rushing yards on 113 attempts (6.2 average) to go with 14 pass receptions for 150 yards and 10 TD’s (nine rushing, one receiving)…WR Jeff Perri has caught a team-high 30 passes this season for 314 yards and three touchdowns… WR Derrick McLean follows with 24 catches for 315 yards and three TD’s, including a school-record, 94-yard touchdown grab in Saturday’s win over Trinity…DL Cody Carroll has racked up 49 total tackles this year, including 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks…Carroll’s averages of 2.3 tackles for loss and 1.3 sacks per contest each rank first in the NAIA…DB Jon Latimer has registered a team-high 60 total tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions… LB K.P. Fonseca follows with 50 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick…Punter Mike Skvor, last week’s MSFA Mideast League Special Teams Player of the Week, leads the MSFA (ranks second in the NAIA) with an average of 41.9 yards per punt.

Marian Notes – The Knights suffered a heart-breaking 36-35 loss at home to Taylor (IN) University on Saturday as the Trojans notched the game-winning points on a 44-yard touchdown pass with no time remaining on the clock…Marian held a 35-18 fourth-quarter lead, but Taylor fought back to pull out the dramatic victory…The Knights rank sixth in the conference (16th overall in the NAIA) in rushing offense with an average of 188.0 yards per game…Marian ranks first in the conference in time of possession, averaging over 33 minutes per contest.

Marian players to watch: QB Matt Rogers has completed 74 of 165 pass attempts this season for 841 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions…Rogers is also a threat on the ground as he has totaled a team-high 428 rushing yards on 95 attempts with three rushing TD’s…RB Joey Nebereiza has tallied 336 yards on 72 carries with one touchdown…RB William Stubbs has notched 353 rushing yards on 80 attempts with four TD’s…WR JaQuan Patilla has pulled in 28 pass receptions for 296 yards and four TD’s…WR Chris Rutherford has snagged 12 catches for a 249 yards and four touchdowns…DL Chris White has registered 66 total tackles this season with 20 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one blocked kick…White leads the NAIA in total sacks, ranks second in fumbles forced per game (0.8) and is third in total tackles for loss…LB Brock Caraboa has totaled a team-high 71 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery…LB Isaac Jean has registered 59 total tackles on the year with 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries…DB Nate Toon has tallied a team-high four interceptions to go with six pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, one blocked kick and 32 total tackles.

'09 Statistics: Malone -Marian

Rosters: Malone - Marian

Mike Skvor, of Long Beach, California (Long Beach Poly H.S.) and a senior punter on the Malone University football team, was recently named the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League Special Teams Player of the Week after his strong performance in Saturday’s convincing 48-12 win at home over Trinity International (IL) University.

Skvor punted the ball three times in the contest for a total of 142 yards (47.3 average), including a career-long boot of 63 yards.  His other two kicks were downed inside the Trinity ten yard-line.  In addition to his impressive punting stats, Skvor also averaged 55.1 yards on seven kickoffs. 

On the season, Skvor has totaled 1716 yards on 41 punts and 15 of his kicks have been downed inside the 20 yard-line.  Skvor’s average of 41.9 yards per punt currently ranks second overall in the NAIA.

This is the second MSFA Mideast Special Teams Player of the Week honor for Skvor this season as he also received the award for his efforts in the Pioneers’ narrow 23-17 loss to Taylor (IN) University on October 10th.

Although it won the Walsh University Invitational over the weekend, the Malone University men's cross country team had its 29-week streak of being ranked first in the NAIA National Coaches' Poll came to end when the seventh rating of the season was released on Wednesday afternoon.  The Pioneer men received 12 of a possible 21 first-place votes to finish second in the rankings, just four points behind No. 1 Southern Oregon University.  The No. 2 ranking for the men's squad snapped a remarkable 29-week streak at No. 1 that dated back to August 22, 2007.

The Pioneer women, who also finished first at the Walsh University Invitational on Saturday, held on to their fifth place rating for a third straight week.  

Both Malone cross country teams will be idle this weekend and will return to action on November 7 at the American Mideast Conference Championship Meet.

Men's NAIA National Poll - Week 7

Women's NAIA National Poll - Week 7

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   10/27/09

Game:        Trinity International (IL) University                     0-9  (0-5 MSFA Mideast)  

                  at Malone University                                         2-5  (0-4 MSFA Mideast)

Date:         Saturday, October 31, 2009

Kickoff:    7:30 p.m. EDT at Fawcett Stadium

Broadcasts:WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com

                  7:15 p.m. EDT pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play)

Live Stats: http://multimedia.malone.edu/athletics/football/xlive.htm

Tickets:      $5.00 adults; $2.00 students/senior citizens; children 12 and under are free

Series:       

The Pioneers hold a 5-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Trojans and have won each of the last two meetings between the teams, including a 32-27 victory in the most recent matchup that occurred on September 1st, 2007.

Coaches:   

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 23-17 record, including a 2-5 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 43-20 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

Trinity International – Mike Gims is in his second season at Trinity International after having led the Trojans to a 1-10 mark in 2008.  Before taking over the reins at Trinity, Gims served as the head coach at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy from 2003-2007.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), Trinity 1-10 (0-7 MSFA Midwest)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers lost at home to local rival Walsh University on Saturday by a final score of 31-14…Malone held a 14-7 lead at halftime but the Cavaliers then rattled off 24 unanswered third-quarter points to pull away for the victory…Malone currently ranks fifth in the 16-team MSFA (12th overall in the NAIA) in rushing offense with an average of 211.4 yards per game…The Pioneer defense ranks second in the conference (14th in the NAIA) in opponent first downs, having allowed just 114 through its first seven games.

Malone players to watch:  Redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl has completed 110 of 219 pass attempts (50.2%) for 1187 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions…RB Joe Peters has gained 628 rushing yards on just 97 attempts (6.5 average), caught 13 passes for 129 yards, returned 12 kickoffs for 281 yards (23.4 average), gained 77 yards on 11 punt returns and scored four TD’s…With these impressive numbers, Peters currently ranks third in the MSFA (12th in the NAIA) with an average of 159.3 all-purpose yards per game and fifth in the conference in rushing (20th in the NAIA) at 89.7 yards per game …Fellow RB Markus McFolling has also made quite an impact this season, having gained 617 rushing yards on 99 attempts (6.2 average) to go with 13 pass receptions for 144 yards and seven TD’s (six rushing, one receiving)…WR Jeff Perri has caught a team-high 26 passes this season for 244 yards and three touchdowns… WR Derrick McLean leads the MSFA (ranks 27th in the NAIA) in kick returns with an average of 25.1 yards per attempt…DL Cody Carroll has racked up 41 total tackles this year, including 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks…Carroll’s averages of 2.1 tackles for loss and 1.1 sacks per contest each rank third in the NAIA…DB Jon Latimer has registered a team-high 52 total tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions… LB K.P. Fonseca follows with 48 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick…Punter Mike Skvor leads the MSFA (ranks fifth in the NAIA) with an average of 41.4 yards per punt.

Trinity International Notes – The Trojans fell at Taylor (IN) University on Saturday by a final score of 48-7…Trinity International has surrendered an average of 40.7 points and 422.8 yards of offense in its nine defeats so far this season.

Trinity International players to watch: QB Daniel Beals has completed 64 of 165 pass attempts this season for 688 yards with three touchdowns and10 interceptions…Beals is also a threat on the ground as he has totaled 218 rushing yards on 76 attempts with four rushing TD’s…RB Cole Bamburger has recorded 186 rushing yards on 54 carries…WR Brian Deighton has pulled in 13 pass receptions for 160 yards…WR Nigel Pinson has snagged 10 catches for a team-high 177 yards and one TD…DB Pete Miller has registered a team-best 78 total tackles this season to go with five interceptions and two forced fumbles…Miller’s five interceptions are tied for the MSFA lead (ranks eighth in the NAIA in interceptions per game) while his average of 8.7 tackles per game ranks second in the league and 38th overall in the NAIA…LB Tyler Boblit follows with 66 total tackles, including 12.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles…Boblit’s total of 12.5 tackles for loss ranks fifth in the MSFA and tenth overall in the NAIA…DB Jawon Spivery has registered 32 total tackles on the year with 2.0 tackles for loss, one interception, two pass break-ups and two forced fumbles…LB Dominic Morales has also posted 32 total tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and one pass break-up.

'09 Statistics: Malone - Trinity International

Rosters: Malone - Trinity International

For the eighth straight year, since the initiative’s inception in 2000, Malone University has been named an NAIA Champions of Character Institution for the 2008-09 academic year. 

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) named 231 colleges and universities to the list of Champions of Character institutions for the 2008-09 school year. This represents an increase of 31 institutions over last year. The mission of Champions of Character is to restore character values and raise a generation of students who understand and demonstrate in everyday decisions integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. The NAIA and member institutions use the Champions of Character program to instill an understanding of character values in sport, and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting. The program is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life.

To be considered a Champions of Character institution, schools must complete a form which is later reviewed by a team directed by NAIA Vice President of Champions of Character Rob Haworth. These schools incorporate the five core values in the campus community and educate student-athletes, coaches, parents and fans on specific standards and expectations.

“The Champions of Character program supports performance-driven athletics while defining expectations and standards that drive successful teams and athletic departments,” said Haworth. “I congratulate these fine institutions and thank the administrators, coaches and student-athletes for playing a role in advancing character-driven intercollegiate athletics.” 

For a complete list of institutions named as NAIA Champions of Character Institutions, please visit http://www.championsofcharacter.org/article/10.php.

To learn more about the NAIA visit www.NAIA.org and for additional information on Champions of Character visit www.ChampionsofCharacter.org.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.

Today, the NAIA strengthens its commitment to student-athletes and strives to enrich their college experience by supporting academic achievement and character development. NAIA Champions of Character is the association’s innovative flagship program designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves.

Malone University and Malone Athletics is partnering with Canton First Friends Church and Heaven Sent Ministries to help "Feed The Hungry" as part of a project that will take place at First Friends Church February 11-13, 2010.  The project hopes to draw 500 volunteers who will package the food and another 100 people who will serve as laborers to set up and tear down. The goal is to package over 108,000 meals in this three-day period.

For further information on this project and how you can help, please visit:

http://www.hsminc.org/Canton-Ohio---Mobile-Packaging.html

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   10/20/09

Game:        NAIA #20 Walsh University                                   5-2  (2-1 MSFA Mideast)  

                  at Malone University                                            2-4  (0-3 MSFA Mideast)

Date:         Saturday, October 24, 2009

Kickoff:    1:00 p.m. EDT at Fawcett Stadium

Broadcasts: WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com

                  12:45 p.m. EDT pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play)

Live Stats: http://multimedia.malone.edu/athletics/football/xlive.htm

Tickets:      $5.00 adults; $2.00 students/senior citizens; children 12 and under are free

Series:       

The Cavaliers lead the all-time series between the two schools 8-6 although the Pioneers have won each of the last three meetings, including a 24-21 victory last season.  The winner of the annual rivalry contest receives the rotating Dick Gallagher Memorial Trophy, named in honor of the late and former Executive Director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Coaches:  

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 23-16 record, including a 2-4 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 43-19 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

Walsh – Jim Dennison is in his 15th season at Walsh and has guided the Cavaliers to 101-58 mark, including a 5-2 record in 2009.  Overall, Dennison has compiled a 181-120-2 record in 28 seasons of coaching college football.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), Walsh 3-8 (1-5 MSFA Mideast)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers lost on the road to NAIA #8 Saint Xavier (IL) University this past Saturday by a final score of 66-31…The host Cougars pulled away in the early going of the contest by scoring a school-record 42 first-quarter points…Malone currently ranks third in the 16-team MSFA (17th overall in the NAIA) in total offense with an average of 402.5 yards per game…The Pioneer defense ranks second in the conference (12th in the NAIA) in opponent first downs, having allowed just 95 through its first six games.

Malone players to watch:  Redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl has completed 98 of 191 pass attempts (51.3%) for 1070 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions…RB Joe Peters has gained 559 rushing yards on just 51 attempts (6.9 average), caught nine passes for 104 yards, returned nine kickoffs for 240 yards (26.7 average), gained 77 yards on 11 punt returns and scored four TD’s…With these impressive numbers, Peters currently ranks third in the MSFA (11th in the NAIA) with an average of 163.3 all-purpose yards per game and fourth in the conference in rushing (17th in the NAIA) at 93.2 yards per game …Fellow RB Markus McFolling has also made quite an impact this season, having gained 512 rushing yards on 87 attempts (5.9 average) to go with 12 pass receptions for 129 yards and five TD’s (four rushing, one receiving)…WR Jeff Perri has caught a team-high 23 passes this season for 210 yards and three touchdowns…WR Derrick McLean has pulled in 21 catches for 209 yards and two scores through the Pioneers’ first six contests …DL Cody Carroll has racked up 35 total tackles this year, including 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks…Carroll’s averages of 2.2 tackles for loss and1.2 sacks per contest each rank second in the NAIA…LB K.P. Fonseca has registered a team-high 42 total tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick… DB Jon Latimer follows with 37 total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries…Punter Mike Skvor ranks second in the MSFA (seventh in the NAIA) with an average of 41.4 yards per punt.

Walsh Notes – The Cavaliers, ranked 20th in the most recent NAIA National Poll, tallied a 31-12 victory at Taylor (IN) University this past Saturday…Walsh held a slim 14-12 lead at halftime of Saturday’s contest but then registered 17 unanswered points in the second half to pull away for the victory…The Cavaliers rank third in the MSFA (sixth overall in the NAIA) with an average of 230 rushing yards per game…Walsh’s kickoff return average of 23.2 yards leads the MSFA and ranks 13th overall in the NAIA.

Walsh players to watch: RB Clinton Blossomgame has gained 1164 rushing yards on 213 attempts (5.5 average) to go with six pass receptions for 44 yards and 14 TD’s (13 rushing, one receiving)…Blossomgame currently leads the NAIA in total rushing yards while ranking second in both average rushing yards per game (166.3) and total scoring (84 points)… QB Jim Shiplett has completed 66 of 143 passing attempts (46.2%) for 1017 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions…WR Joe Morgan has tallied a team-best 34 pass receptions for 612 yards and three TD’s…Morgan currently ranks third in the MSFA with an average of 87.4 receiving yards per contest…DB Brian Williams leads the conference (ranks 19th in the NAIA) in kickoff return average at 25.9 yards per attempt (returned 14 kickoffs for a total of 363 yards)…Williams has also made significant contributions in the defensive backfield, having totaled 33 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, one interception, four pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks…LB Jason Stiel has registered a team-high 52 total tackles, including 4.0 tackles for loss with two sacks one forced fumble and one fumble recovery…DB Pat Kane has picked off three passes this season to go with 34 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and five pass break-ups…DB Mike Welce has forced three fumbles and posted a team-high seven sacks.  

'09 Statistics: Malone - Walsh

Rosters: Malone - Walsh

Two Malone University cross country runners recently received NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week honors following their impressive performances this past Saturday (Oct. 17) at the Bowling Green State University Invitational.  Aaron Melhorn, of the men’s team, and Sarah Hines, of the women’s squad each collected the national honor.

Melhorn, a junior from Navarre, Ohio (Fairless H.S.), led the Pioneers a second-place finish among a 19-team field at the event as Malone, ranked No. 1 in the most recent NAIA National Poll, finished runner-up to only Kent State University.  Melhorn finished third overall in a time of 24:24.1.

Hines, a senior from Galion, Ohio (Northmor H.S.), paced the women to a third-place finish among a 19-team field as she placed fifth overall in a time of 22:28.5. 

The Pioneer men’s and women’s cross country teams were ranked first and fifth, respectively, in the most recent NAIA National Polls.  The squads will both return to action on Saturday as they compete at the Walsh University Invitational.

After their strong performances at the Bowling Green State University Invitational this past Saturday, the Malone University men's and women's cross country teams both maintained their Top 5 rankings when the sixth NAIA National Coaches' Poll was announced on Wednesday afternoon. 

The Pioneer men received 19 of a possible 22 first-place votes to remain in the No. 1 spot for a remarkable 29th straight week.  The women also held on to their previous ranking, remaining at the fifth position for a second consecutive week.

Both Malone teams will return to action this weekend as they are set to compete at the Walsh University Invitational on Saturday.

Men's NAIA National Poll - Week 6

Women's NAIA National Poll - Week 6

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   10/13/09

Game:        Malone University                                                2-3  (0-2 MSFA Mideast)  

                  at NAIA #8 Saint Xavier (IL) University                  7-0  (4-0 MSFA Mideast)

Date:         Saturday, October 17, 2009

Kickoff:    1:00 p.m. CDT (2:00 p.m. EDT) at Bruce R. Denton Memorial Field (Chicago, IL)

Broadcasts:WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com

                  1:45 p.m. EDT pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play)

Tickets:      $5.00 adults; $2.00 students/senior citizens; children 12 and under are free

Series:       

The Cougars hold a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series between the two teams.  The squads have split the last four match-ups as Malone won the most recent meeting 27-23 at Fawcett Stadium on November 1st of last season.

Coaches:   

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 23-15 record, including a 2-3 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 43-18 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

St. Xavier –Mike Feminis is in his 11th season as the head coach at St. Xavier and has guided the Cougars to an 83-38 mark, including a perfect 7-0 record this season.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), St. Xavier 7-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers lost at home to Taylor University this past Saturday by a final score of 23-17…Trailing 17-14 at halftime, Malone tied the game early in the fourth quarter with a 22-yard field goal…However, the Trojans quickly regained the lead with a 20-yard TD pass and then ran out the clock to record the six-point victory…Malone currently ranks second in the 16-team MSFA (seventh overall in the NAIA) in rushing offense with an average of 225.2 yards per game…The Pioneer defense ranks second in the conference (tenth in the NAIA) in opponent first downs, having allowed just 76 through its first five games.

Malone players to watch:  Redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl has completed 83 of 158 pass attempts (52.5%) for 933 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions…RB Joe Peters has gained 460 rushing yards on just 67 attempts (6.9 average), caught eight passes for 99 yards, returned six kickoffs for 168 yards (28.0 average), gained 72 yards on ten punt returns and scored four TD’s…With these impressive numbers, Peters currently ranks third in the MSFA (11th in the NAIA) with an average of 159.8 all-purpose yards per game…Fellow RB Markus McFolling has also made quite an impact this season, having gained 460 rushing yards on 74 attempts (6.2 average) to go with 11 pass receptions for 125 yards and four TD’s (three rushing, one receiving)…WR Derrick McLean has pulled in 18 catches for 192 yards and two scores through the Pioneers’ first five contests…McLean has also contributed on special teams as he has tallied an average of 23.5 yards on 11 kickoff returns (259 total yards)…DL Cody Carroll has racked up a 25 total tackles this year, including seven sacks…Carroll’s average of 1.4 sacks per contest currently ranks second in the NAIA…LB K.P. Fonseca has registered a team-high 33 total tackles with two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick… DB Jon Latimer follows with 31 total tackles, including one tackle for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery…Punter Mike Skvor, this past week’s MSFA Mideast Special Teams Player of the Week, ranks second in the MSFA (eighth in the NAIA) with an average of 41.2 yards per punt.

St. Xavier Notes – The Cougars rolled to a 42-7 road victory over Marian (IN) University this past Saturday, giving St. Xavier its first 7-0 start in the program’s 17-year history…The Cougars held a commanding 28-0 lead at halftime of Saturday’s contest and racked up over 550 yards of total offense in the convincing win…St. Xavier currently ranks second in the NAIA (leads the MSFA) with an average of 529.0 total offensive yards per game …The Cougars also rank fifth in the NAIA (first in the MSFA) in scoring offense per game with an eye-popping average of 47.3 points per outing.

St. Xavier players to watch: Through the Cougars first seven games, QB Anthony Kropp has completed 142 of 218 pass attempts (65.1%) for 2114 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions…Kropp leads the MSFA in numerous statistical categories including passing average (302 yards per game), total offense (315.6 yards per game), and pass efficiency (178.3 rating)…He also ranks in the top five in the NAIA in each of these categories (fifth in passing average, fourth in total offense and fifth in pass efficiency)…WR Mike Maher has caught 51 passes for 700 yards and nine touchdowns…Maher currently ranks second in the MSFA (seventh in the NAIA) with 7.29 receptions per game while ranking first in the conference (ninth in the NAIA) with an average of 100 receiving yards per outing…WR’s Bill McKeon and Xavier Torres have also made substantial contributions in the SXU passing game as McKeon has tallied 31 catches for 483 yards and four TD’s while Torres has pulled in 30 pass receptions for 487 yards and eight scores… RB Donnie Selby has tallied 416 rushing yards on 71 attempts (5.9 average per carry) with eight rushing touchdowns…LB Mike Lally has registered a team-high 56 total tackles, including 14.0 tackles for loss with one interception and one forced fumble…Lally’s average of two tackles for loss per game ranks second in the MSFA and sixth in the NAIA… DB Pat Geary leads the NAIA with an average of two passes defended per game…On the season, Geary has also tallied 31 total tackles with two tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions…DL Corey Smith leads the SXU defense with 4.5 sacks.  

'09 Statistics: Malone - St. Xavier

Rosters: Malone - St. Xavier

Malone University has officially named its basketball court in Osborne Hall after its former and long-time men’s basketball head coach Hal Smith.  The unveiling of “Hal Smith Court”, complete with his signature roughly one foot by seven feet in size just on the court in front of the team bench area, took place at the Hal and Barbara Smith Recognition Dinner on Saturday, October 10^th right in the Osborne Hall gymnasium itself.

The dinner during Malone’s Homecoming weekend honored Hal and his wife for their 25+ years of service to Malone.  A slideshow tribute and personal tributes from a variety of speakers made up the majority of the program.  Among the speakers were Lake High School athletic director Bruce Brown, who served as the MC for the evening and who was diagnosed with the same liver disease (Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis) as Smith, and Dr. David Vogt, the surgeon who performed Hal’s first (of two) liver transplants back in April of 2000.

As the evening concluded, Malone President Dr. Gary Streit and his wife Marla, walked Hal and Barbara over to the spot where Hal paced back and forth for 25 seasons in front of the Pioneer bench.  Tears flowed from Smith’s face when the tarp was pulled back, revealing a permanent visual that marks his legacy at the University.

"To say the least, I am truly humbled and overwhelmed,”  Smith commented that night.   “It has been my privilege and honor to have been able to serve Malone all these years as a coach, an administrator, and a teacher.  Each day was a challenge and was filled with many rewards.  It all comes down to people.  I was blessed with those that were sent alongside my path.  My hope and prayer has always been that I have been able to be some help to them and be a positive impact on my players, co-coaches, friends, and competitors as we came in contact with each other.  My family and I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity afforded me to be a part of the Malone family."       

The winningest basketball coach in Malone's history, Smith posted a record of 485-323 (.600) in 25 seasons at the university and his 485 Malone wins is more than all other Pioneer men's basketball coaches victories combined.  In 35 seasons as a collegiate head coach, he amassed a 659-472 (.583) record.  In 2005, he became just the 49^th collegiate head men’s basketball coach (at all levels at the time) to reach 600 wins.  Smith led the Pioneers to 22 winning seasons in his 25 years at the helm, as well as directing the Pioneers to the NAIA national tournament twice.  In addition, he led Malone to the NCCAA Division I National Championship in 1996.

Ben Smith, of Carrollton, Ohio (Carrollton H.S.) and a senior member of the Malone University men’s golf team, was recently named the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Men’s Golf Student Athlete of the Week following his strong performance at the Phipps Memorial Tournament which was held October 8th at Glenmoor Country Club in Canton.

Smith led the Pioneers to a first-place finish among a three-team field at the event, earning medalist honors after firing a school-record-tying round of 66.  Malone shot a school-record eight-under-par 280 to capture the team title, outdistancing second-place Mt. Union College by an incredible 47 strokes (327).  Malone had posted a few seven-under-par team scores of 281 throughout its 45+ year history but Thursday’s score of 280 broke the record.

The Malone University men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams, led by head coach Monica Bragg, will open the inaugural season for this newest Pioneer sport on Saturday, October 17^th.  With the two programs, Malone now boasts 20 intercollegiate sports.  The initial splash for the fledging programs will take place at Ashland University, for a dual meet on the men’s side and a tri-meet on the women’s side that will also include Hillsdale (MI) College.  The meet is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.

In this season of firsts for the Malone men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs, the inaugural women’s team has a roster of 13 while the men’s team is comprised of 11 student-athletes.   In addition, each team has one individual who has a year of intercollegiate experience to their credit.  All other team members are in their first year of eligibility for swimming & diving although a few athletes have or are competing in other sports at Malone.

For the women, sophomore Jackie Sadler of Rochester, New York, is the lone athlete with intercollegiate swimming experience as she transferred in from NCAA Div. II Edinboro (PA) University where she swam for one season.  “Jackie was one of the top swimmers at Edinboro and will swim the sprints for us,” noted Bragg.  “She brings invaluable experience to the squad.”

Two other top swimmers for the women include Lindsey Pifher (Colonel Crawford H.S.), a sprint and butterfly swimmer who is in the midst of her third season of cross country at Malone, and Michelle Wagner (Wadsworth H.S.), who will compete in the breaststroke and the sprints for the team.  “Lindsey is an outstanding overall athlete who is a four-time cross country state qualifier in high school and who should be in the hunt for a national qualifying spot in track & field this year,” said Bragg.  “I’m confident that her athletic ability will carry over in to the pool.  And Michelle, among others, has been working hard in practice.  She’s been training with the top men’s swimmers and I’m looking for her to make big improvements throughout the season.”

Others on the women’s roster (with events) include Katrina Carosello (Tempe, AZ; fly/sprint), Abby Carr (Oakdale, PA; distance), Sasha Ingram (Jackson H.S.; diver), Catherine Kennedy (Wadsworth, OH; back/sprint), Ashley Kuhn (North Royalton H.S.; fly/sprint), Rachel Loveless (Minerva, OH; sprint), Katie Radnich (Meadville, PA; fly/IM), Tabitha Streby (Fredericktown H.S.; fly/sprint), Courtney Verel (Aurora H.S.; sprint) and Elishah Wilthew (Garrettsville, OH; distance).

For the men’s team, sophomore Eli Hawkins of Canton (McKinley H.S.), is the only athlete with intercollegiate swimming experience as he swam for a year at Oakland (MI) University.  He won’t be eligible until the second half of the season, however, as he was one credit short of being eligible this fall.  “Eli comes from a strong high school program at McKinley,” commented Bragg.  “His experience will obviously be a plus for us and we expect strong leadership from him.”

Two other top swimmers for the men include Josh Cronin (McKinley H.S.), who swam for four years for the Bulldogs, and Mason Geib (Massillon Washington H.S.), an athlete who has looked good in the early going.  Cronin will swim the fly, breast and sprints while Geib will compete in the fly and IM.  “Josh is a solid all-around sprint athlete who will do the fly, breaststroke and sprints for us,” said Bragg.  “And Mason has been swimming well in pre-season workouts.”

Others on the men’s roster (with events) include Luke Freckelton (Mannering Park, Australia; distance), Anthony McCartney (Minerva H.S.; diver), Chris Neal (Canton Central Catholic H.S.; back/sprint), Cordell Parker (Akron East H.S.; diver), Jason Rook (New Philadelphia H.S.; diver/sprint), Kyle Shaffer (Akron Buchtel H.S.; distance), Eric Sjoberg (Hodgdon, ME; distance) and Jonathan Wagner (Southern, MD; breast/sprint).

After its initial event at the Ashland meet on Saturday, Malone’s home site of C.T. Branin Natatorium will be the site for its second meet on October 24 (1:00 p.m.), a meet for which NCAA Div. II Lock Haven (PA) University will actually serve as host.  Other places at which Malone will compete this season are Youngstown State University, Wheeling Jesuit (WV) University, John Carroll University, Hiram College, Denison University, Notre Dame College, Edinboro (PA) University and Kenyon College.

The Malone University men's and women's cross country teams each received Top 5 rankings when the fifth NAIA National Coaches' Poll was released on Wednesday.  The Pioneer men earned 18 of a possible 22 first-place votes to remain at the No. 1 spot for an incredible 28th straight week.

Although both squads were idle last week, the Malone women climbed one spot from sixth to fifth, marking their highest national ranking since the regular season began.  

The Pioneer cross country teams will return to action this weekend as they compete at the Bowling Green State University Invitational on Saturday.

Men's NAIA National Poll - Week Five

Women's NAIA National Poll - Week Five

Mike Skvor, of Long Beach, California (Long Beach Poly H.S.) and a senior punter on the Malone University football team, was recently named the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League Special Teams Player of the Week after his strong performance in Saturday’s narrow 23-17 loss at home to Taylor (IN) University.

Skvor punted the ball seven times in the contest for a total of 298 yards (42.6 average). He pinned the Trojans inside their own 10 yard-line on three separate occasions with punts downed at the Taylor 2, 8, and 5 yard-lines over the course of the game.  In addition to the clutch punting, Skvor also averaged 56.8 yards on four kickoffs.

Malone, now 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the MSFA Mideast, will look to bounce back this Saturday when it travels to Chicago, Illinois for a 2:00 p.m. EST (1:00 p.m. CST) contest against NAIA  No. 9 Saint Xavier University (7-0 overall, 4-0 MSFA Mideast). 

Justin Lower, of Canal Fulton, Ohio (Northwest H.S.) and a junior member of the Malone University men’s golf team, was recently honored as the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Men’s Golf Student Athlete of the Week following his strong performance at the Cleveland State University Invitational which was held September 28-29 at Sand Ridge Golf Club in Chardon, Ohio

Lower led the Pioneers to a first-place finish among a 12-team field, marking the first time in the program’s history that Malone has captured a team title at an NCAA Division I event.  Lower became the first Pioneer golfer to ever win an NCAA Division I Tournament, earning medalist honors after firing a two-day score of 148 (71-77).

After their strong performances at last week's All-Ohio Championships, the Malone men's and women's cross country teams both remained ranked in the Top 10 when the fourth NAIA National Poll of the season was released on Wednesday afternoon. 

Coming off a fifth-place showing at the All-Ohio meet, the Pioneer women climbed one spot from seventh to sixth.  The men's squad, which finished runner-up to only the Ohio State University last week, received 20 of a possible 23 first-place votes in their poll to secure the No. 1 ranking for a remarkable 27th straight week.

The Malone cross country teams will each return to action on Saturday, October 17th at the Bowling Green State Invitational.

Women's NAIA Poll - Week Four

Men's NAIA Poll - Week Four

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   10/06/09

Game:        Taylor (IN) University                                          2-2  (0-1 MSFA Mideast)  

                  at Malone University                                            2-2  (0-1 MSFA Mideast)

Date:         Saturday, October 10, 2009

Kickoff:    1:00 p.m. EDT at Fawcett Stadium

Broadcasts:WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com

                  12:45 p.m. EDT pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play)

Live Stats: http://multimedia.malone.edu/athletics/football/xlive.htm

Tickets:      $5.00 adults; $2.00 students/senior citizens; children 12 and under are free

Series:       

The Pioneers hold a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series with the Trojans and have won each of the last four meetings between the two teams.  The most recent matchup occurred on October 11th of last season as Malone recorded a 42-17 road victory.

Coaches:   

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 23-14 record, including a 2-2 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 43-17 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

Taylor – Ron Korfmacher is in his second season as the head coach at Taylor after having guided the Trojans to a 2-8 mark in 2008.  Prior to becoming the head coach last year, Korfmacher had spent 23 years as an assistant at Taylor.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), Taylor 2-8 (0-6 MSFA Mideast)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers lost at home to the University of Saint Francis (IN), the NAIA’s fourth-ranked team, this past Saturday by a final score of 42-14…After falling behind 28-0, Malone fought back into game with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes…However, the Cougars then put the contest out of reach with a pair of long TD runs in the final minutes…Malone currently ranks third in the 16-team MSFA (eighth overall in the NAIA) in rushing offense with an average of 229.2 yards per game…The Pioneer defense leads the conference (ranks fourth in the NAIA) in opponent first downs, having allowed just 57 through its first four games.

Malone players to watch: