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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:  Through four games this year, redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl has completed 72 of 132 pass attempts (54.5%) for 796 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions…RB Joe Peters has gained 300 rushing yards on just 46 attempts (6.5 average), returned six kickoffs for 168 yards (28.0 average), gained 70 yards on nine punt returns and scored three TD’s…Fellow RB Markus McFolling has also made quite an impact this season, having gained 451 rushing yards on 72 attempts (6.3 average) to go with 11 pass receptions for 125 yards and four TD’s (three rushing, one receiving)…McFolling now ranks third in the MSFA and sixth in the NAIA in rushing with an average of 112.8 yards per outing…WR Derrick McLean has pulled in 17 catches for 167 yards and two scores through the Pioneers’ first four contests…McLean had also contributed on special teams as he has tallied an average of 24.7 yards on nine kickoff returns (222 total yards)…DL Cody Carroll has racked up a team-high 23 total tackles this year, including six sacks…Carroll’s average of 1.5 sacks per contest currently ranks second in the NAIA…LB’s K.P. Fonseca and Matt Vick have posted 21 and 20 tackles, respectively…In addition to their tackle totals, Fonseca has also blocked a field goal and forced a fumble while Vick has one forced fumble and one fumble recovery… DB Jon Latimer has also made 20 total tackles with one tackle for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Taylor Notes – The Trojans fell 51-35 at home to NAIA No. 9 Saint Xavier (IL) University on Saturday as the visiting Cougars blocked three Taylor punts…The Trojans trailed by just three, 30-27, midway through the third quarter before Saint Xavier pulled away with three quick scores…Taylor is currently second in the MSFA (ranks third overall in the NAIA) in punt return yards per attempt with an average of 18.2 on 11 punt returns (200 total punt return yards with two TD’s)…The Trojans are fifth in the conference (17th in the NAIA) in turnover margin, having forced 13 while giving up nine (+4) through their first four games.

Taylor players to watch: QB Shaun Addison has completed 61 of 119 pass attempts (51.3%) for 866 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions…Addison, who currently ranks third in the MSFA and 18th in the NAIA with an average of 253.3 yards of total offense per game, is also a threat on the ground as he is Taylor’s leading rusher with 147 yards on 33 attempts and three rushing touchdowns…WR Trevor Terrell has caught 21 passes for 245 yards and one score…WR Trent Schmale follows with 15 catches for 297 yards and team-high five touchdowns…WR Ryan Magnuson has also made an impact in the passing game with 11 receptions for 211 yards and two scores…DB Pagel Williams has been a consistent playmaker for Taylor through the Trojans first four games as he has returned eight punts for 195 yards and two touchdowns while also posting 21 total tackles, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and six pass break-ups… Williams’ punt return average of 24.4 yards per attempt leads the NAIA while his average of 1.8 passes defended per game (six break-ups, one interception) ranks fifth in the nation…DB Brandon Mitchell has tallied a team-high 45 total tackles this season with 1.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, and four pass break-ups…LB Reed Smith follows with 38 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss…DB Marcellus Burton has registered a pair of blocked kicks this season and one interception to go with his 12 total tackles.

'09 Statistics: Malone - Taylor

Rosters: Malone - Taylor

Although it rolled to a 65-10 non-conference victory last Saturday at Anna Maria (MA) College, the Malone University football team dropped two spots from 21st to 23rd when the third NAIA National Top 25 Coaches' Poll of the season was recently released.

The Pioneers have posted a 2-1 record through the first three games of the year, having tallied a convincing 35-19 victory over The Apprentice (VA) School on September 5th before falling 34-14 to Saint Ambrose (IA) University on September 12th.

Malone returns to action this Saturday at home as it opens Mid-States Football Association Mideast League play with a 7:00 p.m. contest against the NAIA's fourth-ranked team, the University of Saint Francis (IN). 

NAIA National Top 25 Coaches' Poll - Week Three

Lori Ickes, of Wooster, Ohio (Smithville H.S.) and a junior outside hitter on the Malone University volleyball team, was recently voted the American Mideast Conference Volleyball Player of the Week after helping the Pioneers open conference play with three victories September 21-27.

Ickes averaged 2.82 kills and 4.82 digs per set in Malone’s wins over Ursuline College, Houghton (NY) College and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College.  She also posted three service aces and two blocks on the week.

Ickes is the second straight Pioneer to collect AMC Player of the Week honors as teammate Jennifer Gahagan (Jr., Ravenna Southeast H.S.) also received the award after leading Malone to a 4-1 record September 14-20.

With a 3-1 victory over the University of Northwestern Ohio on Tuesday evening, the Pioneers stretched their current winning streak to eight matches.  Malone, which has now notched victories in 13 out of its last 14 contests, will return to action on Friday evening with a 7:00 p.m. home match against Daemen (NY) College.

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   9/29/09

Game:        NAIA #4 University of St. Francis (IN)                         3-0  (1-0 MSFA Mideast)  

                  at NAIA #23 Malone University                                   2-1  (0-0 MSFA Mideast)

Date:         Saturday, October 3, 2009

Kickoff:       7:00 p.m. EDT at Fawcett Stadium

Broadcasts:WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com

                  6:45 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 Cougars hold a 10-1 advantage in the all-time series and have won each of the last ten meetings between the two teams.  The most recent matchup occurred on November 8th of last season as Malone fell on the road to Saint Francis by a final score of 45-24. 

Coaches:   

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 23-13 record, including a 2-1 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 43-16 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

St. Francis – Now in his 31st year of coaching college football, Kevin Donley has posted a 232-109-1 career record, including a 117-23 mark in 12 years at USF.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), St. Francis 12-1 (6-0 MSFA Mideast)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers returned from their bye week Saturday clicking on all cylinders as the squad rolled to a 65-10 victory at NCAA Division III Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts…Malone dominated on the ground in the contest as the squad set new single-game records for rushing yards (442), rushing attempts (70) and rushing touchdowns (8)…Following this record-setting performance, the Pioneers rank first in the 16-team MSFA (fourth overall in the NAIA) in rushing offense with an average of 260.7 yards per game.

Malone players to watch:  Through three games this year, redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl has completed 54 of 94 pass attempts (57.4%) for 650 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions…RB Joe Peters has gained 243 rushing yards on just 35 attempts (6.9 average), returned six kickoffs for 168 yards (28.0 average), gained 65 yards on eight punt returns and scored three TD’s… With these impressive numbers, Peters ranks first in the MSFA and 11th in the NAIA with an average of 166.7 all-purpose yards per contest…Fellow RB Markus McFolling has also made quite an impact this season, having gained 362 rushing yards on 57 attempts (6.4 average) to go with eight pass receptions for 105 yards and two TD’s (one rushing, one receiving)…McFolling now ranks second in the MSFA and sixth in the NAIA in rushing with an average of 120.7 yards per outing…WR Derrick McLean has pulled in 11 catches for 119 yards and one score through the Pioneers’ first three contests…DL Cody Carroll has racked up a team-high 20 total tackles this year, including six sacks…Carroll’s average of two sacks per contest currently ranks first in the NAIA…DB Jon Latimer has made 15 total tackles with one tackle for loss…LB’s K.P. Fonseca and Matt Vick have posted 15 and 14 tackles, respectively…In addition to their tackle totals, Fonseca has also blocked a field goal and forced a fumble while Vick has one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.   

St. Francis Notes – The Cougars opened MSFA Mideast League play last week with a 28-7 victory at home over Marian (IN) University…St. Francis currently leads the MSFA (ranks second in the NAIA) in total defense, surrendering just 188.0 yards per game…The Cougars also rank first in the MSFA (rank third in the NAIA) in total offense per game with an average offensive output of 510.7 yards.

St. Francis players to watch: Through the Cougars first three games, QB Shaine Tierney has completed 53 of 81 pass attempts (65.4%) for 656 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions…Tierney, who currently ranks second in the MSFA and 14th in the NAIA with an average of 273.3 yards of total offense per game, is also a threat to run as he has gained 164 rushing yards on 29 attempts with three rushing touchdowns…RB Daniel Carter has gained 324 rushing yards on 53 attempts (6.1 average) with five touchdowns…Carter currently ranks second in the MSFA (ninth in the NAIA) in scoring per game as he accounted for an average of 10.0 points per contest…WR Brian Schultz has caught 19 passes for 290 yards and two scores through three games…Schultz currently leads the MSFA in receiving yards per game (96.7) while ranking second in receptions per game (6.33)…WR Jared Clodfelter follows with 13 catches for 162 yards …DL Stephen Whited has tallied a team-high 22 total tackles this season with five tackles for loss, two sacks, and one forced fumble… Whited was named the MSFA Mideast Defensive Player of the Week last week after recording 10 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in USF’s victory over Marian…LB Adam Greene follows with 19 total tackles, including one tackle for loss, and one sack…DB Jordan Wise has notched 17 total tackles with two pass break-ups…DB Troy Hudson leads the squad with two interceptions and has also registered 15 total tackles with two tackles for loss, and one sack.

'09 Statistics: Malone - St. Francis

Rosters: Malone - St. Francis

Both Malone University cross country teams maintained their respective rankings when the third NAIA National Poll of the regular season was released on Wednesday afternoon.  The Pioneer men received 20 of a possible 21 first-place votes to remain in the No. 1 position for an incredible 26th straight week. 

The Malone women, meanwhile, held on to the No. 7 ranking for the second straight week.

Both Pioneer cross country teams return to action on Friday when they travel to Delaware, Ohio to compete in the All-Ohio Championship Meet. 

Men's NAIA Poll - Week Three

Women's NAIA Poll - Week Three

Two Malone University athletes recently received NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week honors following their impressive performances this past weekend (Sept. 18-19).  Aaron Melhorn, of the men’s cross country team, and Ben Smith, of the men’s golf team, each collected the national honor.

Melhorn, a junior from Navarre, Ohio (Fairless H.S.), helped Malone place third among 22 teams at the Iona (NY) College Meet of Champions on Saturday.  Competing against a mostly NCAA Division I field, Melhorn finished 12th overall in a time of 25:56.79.

Smith, a senior from Carrollton, Ohio (Carrollton H.S.), led the Pioneers to a first-place finish among eight teams at the Malone Fall Classic.  Smith won medalist honors on the third hole of a sudden death playoff over teammate Tyler Light (Fr., Perry H.S.) after both players posted a six-under-par score of 138 for the tournament.

Two Malone University athletes recently received NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Student Athlete of the Week honors following their impressive performances this past weekend (Sept. 18-19).  Aaron Melhorn, of the men’s cross country team, and Ben Smith, of the men’s golf team, each collected the national honor.

Melhorn, a junior from Navarre, Ohio (Fairless H.S.), helped Malone place third among 22 teams at the Iona (NY) College Meet of Champions on Saturday.  Competing against a mostly NCAA Division I field, Melhorn finished 12th overall in a time of 25:56.79.

Smith, a senior from Carrollton, Ohio (Carrollton H.S.), led the Pioneers to a first-place finish among eight teams at the Malone Fall Classic.  Smith won medalist honors on the third hole of a sudden death playoff over teammate Tyler Light (Fr., Perry H.S.) after both players posted a six-under-par score of 138 for the tournament.

After turning in solid performances at Saturday's Iona (NY) College Meet of Champions, the Malone University men's and women's cross country teams both remained in the Top 10 of their respective NAIA National Polls.  The Pioneer men earned 21 of a possible 22 first-place votes to hold on to the No. 1 rating for a remarkable 25th straight week.

The Malone women, meanwhile, earned the seventh position in their weekly poll, falling one spot from last week's rating of 6th.

Both Pioneer cross country teams will return to action on October 2nd when they travel to Delaware, Ohio to compete in the All-Ohio Championship Meet.

Men's NAIA Poll - Week Two

Women's NAIA Poll - Week Two

Although it was idle last week, the Malone University football team still managed to move up three spots to 21st when the second NAIA National Top 25 Coaches' Poll of the season was released Monday evening.

The Pioneers, who had been rated 25th in the preseason and 24th last week, have posted a 1-1 record through their first two games of the year.  Malone tallied a convincing 35-19 victory over The Apprentice (VA) School on September 5th before falling 34-14 to Saint Ambrose (IA) University on September 12th.

The squad will return to action this Saturday when it travels to Paxton, Massachusetts to take on Anna Maria College.  The AMCATS (0-3 overall) are members of NCAA Division III and are in their inaugural season of intercollegiate football.

NAIA National Top 25 Coaches' Poll - Week One

Jennifer Gahagan, of Berlin Center, Ohio (Ravenna Southeast H.S.) and a junior outside hitter on the Malone University volleyball team, was recently voted the American Mideast Conference Volleyball Player of the Week after helping the Pioneers tally a 4-1 record in matches played Sept. 14-20.

Gahagan averaged 3.55 kills and 3.3 digs per set while also notching five service aces and eight total blocks in Malone’s five matches.  The Pioneers began the week on Tuesday with a narrow loss to Walsh University before winning all four of their matches over the weekend at the Canton Comfort Inn Invitational (event co-hosted by Malone and Walsh). 

Angie Nutial, of Alliance, Ohio (Marlington H.S.) and a freshman goalkeeper on the Malone University women’s soccer team, was recently named the American Mideast Conference Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week following her strong performance in the Pioneers’ 1-0 shutout victory over Shawnee State University on Saturday.

Nutial, who was also recognized as the AMC’s Defensive Player Of The Week for matches played August 31 through Sept. 6, stopped all five shots she faced from the Bears on Saturday.  She has now recorded shutouts in back-to-back games (both 1-0 Pioneer victories) and has yet to surrender a goal through 255 minutes in front of the net this season. 

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   9/22/09

Game:        NAIA#21 Malone University                               1-1   

                  atAnna Maria (MA) College                              0-3

Date:         Saturday, September 26, 2009

Kickoff:    1:00 p.m. EDT at AMCAT Field (Paxton, MA)

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:       

Saturday’s game will mark the first ever meeting between the two teams as Anna Maria is in its first season of intercollegiate football.

Coaches:   

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 22-13 record, including a 1-1 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 42-16 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

Anna Maria – A 20-year coaching veteran, Marc Klaiman is in his first year as a head coach after having most recently served as the associate head coach/defensive coordinator for Merrimack College in Andover, Massachusetts.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), Anna Maria N/A (inaugural season)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers opened their 2009 campaign at home on September 5th with a 35-19 victory over The Apprentice (VA) School before falling to NAIA #13 Saint Ambrose (IA) University (also at home) on September 12th by a final tally of 34-14…Although it had a bye week last Saturday, Malone still ranks among the 16-team MSFA’s statistical leaders in numerous categories including total offense (ranks third with an average of  436 yards per game) and total defense (ranks fifth, surrendering an average of 326.5 yards per game).

Malone players to watch:  Through two games this year, redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl has completed 44 of 80 pass attempts (55.0%) for 532 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions…Brohl’s average of 266 passing yards per game ranks first in the MSFA and ninth overall in the NAIA…RB Joe Peters has gained 142 rushing yards on 20 attempts (7.1 average), returned five kickoffs for 152 yards (30.4 average) and gained 61 yards on six punt returns… With these impressive numbers, Peters ranks first in the MSFA and 10th in the NAIA in all-purpose yards per contest (177.5)…RB Markus McFolling has also made a significant impact this season, having gained 189 rushing yards on 38 attempts (5.0 average) to go with six pass receptions for 74 yards and two TD’s (one rushing, one receiving)…WR Derrick McLean has pulled in 10 catches for 113 yards and one score through the Pioneers’ first two contests…DL Cody Carroll has racked up a team-high 18 total tackles this year, including six sacks…Carroll’s average of three sacks per contest currently ranks first in the NAIA…DB Jon Latimer has made 14 total tackles with one tackle for loss…LB’s K.P. Fonseca and Matt Vick have posted 12 and 11 tackles, respectively…In addition to their tackle totals, Fonseca has also blocked a field goal while Vick has forced one fumble.

Anna Maria Notes – The AMCATS, members of NCAA Division III, opened their 2009 season with a 42-28 loss at Castleton State (VT) College on September 5th and have since suffered defeats to Fitchburg State (MA) College at home on September 12th and Husson (ME) College on the road September 19th…Although the AMCATS have tallied nearly 240 yards of total offense per game this season, Anna Maria has also surrendered a combined total of 1316 yards and 153 points in its three losses (averages of 438.7 yards and 51.0 points per game).

Anna Maria players to watch: Through the AMCATS first three games, QB Santino Simon has completed 21 of 52 pass attempts (40.4%) for 249 yards with three touchdowns and one interception…RB Nate Adames has carried to ball 57 times, gaining 251 yards (4.4 average) with one touchdown…WR Dom Concepcion has caught 11 passes for 186 yards and two scores through three games…WR Devon Nixon has has caught eight passes so far this year for 80 yards and one TD…Nixon has also contributed on special teams, averaging 18.0 yards on six kick-off returns…LB Kevin Fitzpatrick paces the squad (and ranks second in the eight-team Eastern Collegiate Football Conference) with 28 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery…Fellow LB Rich Brandt follows with 23 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss…DB Nii Quartey has registered 19 total tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery…DL Shawn Kelley has notched two sacks in Anna Maria’s three contests.

'09 Statistics: Malone - Anna Maria

Rosters: Malone - Anna Maria

The Hal and Barbara Smith Recognition Dinner will be held in conjunction with Malone University Homecoming activities on Saturday, October 10th at 6:00 p.m. in the Malone gymnasium (Osborne Hall).  Reservations may be made at the bottom of the following link:
http://www3.malone.edu/offices-and-services/alumni-relations/homecoming
A pre-dinner reception will be held in the Osborne Hall lobby from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. that evening.  Come help us celebrate the wonderful years that Hal and Barbara have given to Malone through the years !  Hope to see you there !

Mike Brown will join the Malone University men’s basketball staff as an assistant, Pioneer head coach Tim Walker announced today.  Brown, a native of Canton and graduate of McKinley High School, spent the last two seasons as the head coach of Heritage Christian School and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Christian Ministries at Malone.

A licensed minister and the current Community Program Director at the Canton YMCA, Brown graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  In addition to his varsity coaching experience at Heritage, Brown has also worked with the Canton YMCA’s AAU boys’ travel team and served as an assistant with the McKinley girls’ basketball squad from 1999-2001.

With his wealth of basketball experience and strong community ties, Walker is eager to bring Brown on board.  “I am very excited to have Mike Brown join our basketball staff,” commented Walker.  “Mike has a great deal of familiarity with Canton and he has a great report with young people. Most importantly, Mike understands Malone’s mission and he is excited to help our basketball program carry out that mission.”

The Malone University men's cross country team received the No. 1 spot in the NAIA National Top 25 Poll when the first regular season rankings were announced on Wednesday.  The Pioneer men received all 22 first-place votes and have now held the top spot in the NAIA National Poll for 24 consecutive weeks.

The Malone women, meanwhile, earned the sixth position in their poll, dropping one spot from their pre-season national ranking of fifth.

Both Pioneer cross country teams will open their respective seasons this Saturday when they travel to New York City, New York to compete in the Iona College Meet of the Champs.

Men's NAIA Poll - Week One

Women's NAIA Poll - Week One

The Malone University football team, which had been rated 25th in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, moved up one spot to 24th when the first regular-season rankings were announced Monday evening.

Malone has posted a 1-1 record through its first two games of the year, having tallied a convincing 35-19 victory over The Apprentice (VA) School on September 5th before falling 34-14 to Saint Ambrose (IA) University this past Saturday.  The Bees, ranked 13th in the preseason, climbed to 9th in Monday’s NAIA poll after having started the season 2-0.

The Pioneers are idle this week and will return to action next Saturday (September 26th) when they travel to Paxton, Massachusetts to take on Anna Maria College.  The AMCATS (0-2 overall) are a member of NCAA Division III and are in their inaugural season of intercollegiate football.

NAIA National Top 25 Coaches' Poll - Week One

Angie Nutial, of Alliance, Ohio (Marlington H.S.) and a freshman goalkeeper on the Malone University women’s soccer team, was recently named the American Mideast Conference Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week following her strong performance in the Pioneers’ 3-1 victory at Goshen (IN) College this past Friday (September 4).

In the first match of her collegiate career, Nutial made four saves, helping Malone record the season-opening victory by shutting out the Maple Leafs over the first 75 minutes of play.  Goshen did manage to tally a penalty-kick goal in the late stages of the contest (after Nutial had substituted out), but her solid play in front of the net over the first 75 minutes allowed the Pioneers to build a sizable 3-0 advantage that the Maple Leafs were unable to overcome.

Two Malone University football players were recently awarded Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week honors from the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League following their outstanding performances in the Pioneers’ 35-19 season-opening victory over The Apprentice School on Saturday at Fawcett Stadium.  Steve Brohl (left), a 6’3” quarterback from Almont, Michigan, collected the offensive award while Cody Carroll (right), a 6’2” junior defensive lineman from Chardon, Ohio (Chardon H.S.), received the defensive honor.

Playing in his first career game, Brohl, a redshirt freshman, completed 17 of 33 attempts for 262 yards and four touchdowns.  Each of Brohl’s scoring tosses went to a different receiver as he spread the ball around, ending his debut having completed a pass to seven different Pioneers.  Despite losing six starters from last season, the Malone offense picked up right where it left off a year ago, totaling 21 first downs and 497 total yards in Saturday’s contest.

Carroll posted a team-high 10 total tackles on Saturday, including 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.  Carroll’s 3.5 tackles for loss accounted for 18 negative Apprentice yards and his three sacks marked the highest Malone individual single-game sack total since current Pioneer assistant coach Brian Landies tallied 3.5 against Geneva (PA) College in 2005.

The Pioneers (1-0 overall), ranked 25th in the NAIA Preseason Poll, will return to action on Saturday against NAIA #13 St. Ambrose (IA) University (1-0 overall), a member of the MSFA’s Midwest League.  Kickoff for the MSFA crossover game is slated for 2:00 p.m. at Fawcett Stadium.

Malone University Football – Game Preview Notes                                   9/8/09

Game:        NAIA#13 Saint Ambrose (IA) University           1-0    (0-0 MSFA Midwest)

                  at NAIA #25 Malone University                          1-0    (0-0 MSFA Mideast)

Date:         Saturday, September 12, 2009

Kickoff:    2:00 p.m. EDT at Fawcett Stadium

Broadcasts:WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com, 1:45 p.m. EST 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:       

Saturday’s game will mark just the second meeting between the two teams.  The only previous contest between the Pioneers and Fighting Bees occurred at St. Ambrose in 1998 as Malone fell by a final score of 40-30.

Coaches:   

Malone – Mike Gardner is in his fourth season at Malone and has directed the Pioneers to a 22-12 record, including a 1-0 mark this year.  Gardner has compiled a 42-15 career record including a 20-3 mark in two seasons at Tabor (KS) College.

St. Ambrose – Mike Magistrelli is in his third year as the head coach at St. Ambrose after having previously served for three years as the Bees’ defensive coordinator.  Including last week’s season-opening victory against Trinity International (IL) University, Magistrelli has compiled a 17-7 mark at the school.

Last Season’s Records: Malone 6-4 (4-2 MSFA Mideast), St. Ambrose 8-4 (6-1 MSFA Midwest)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers opened their 2009 campaign at home this past Saturday with a 35-19 victory over The Apprentice (VA) School…The Malone offense averaged over 450 yards per game last season and, despite losing six starters, managed to pick up right where it left off a year ago as the unit piled up 21 first downs and a total of 497 yards in the Pioneers’ victory over the Builders…After week one, Malone leads the 16-team MSFA in numerous statistical categories including total offense (497 yards) and total defense (241 yards).

Malone players to watch:  In his first collegiate game on Saturday, redshirt freshman QB Steve Brohl completed 17 of 33 pass attempts (51.5%) for 263 yards and four touchdowns…In recognition of this impressive performance, Brohl was named the MSFA Mideast Offensive Player of the Week…RB’s Joe Peters and Markus McFolling each eclipsed 100 yards in the Pioneers’ victory over Apprentice as Peters posted 118 yards on 14 attempts (8.4 average) while McFolling totaled 120 yards and one TD on 19 carries (6.3 average)…WR’s Jeff Perri, Jason Malone, and Derrick McLean each posted solid numbers in the season opener as Perry caught five passes for 46 yards and one score, Malone hauled in four receptions for 101 yards and one TD and McLean snagged three receptions for 45 yards and one touchdown…DL Cody Carroll was honored as the MSFA Mideast Defensive Player of the Week after compiling a team-high 10 total tackles on Saturday with 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks…LB Antonio Scassa, a freshman, made an immediate impact in his first game as a Pioneer as he notched eight total tackles with two tackles for loss…DB Jon Latimer posted seven total tackles with one tackle for loss while DL Chris Story recorded six stops with one tackle for loss.   

St. Ambrose Notes – The Fighting Bees opened their 2009 season at home this past Saturday with a convincing 44-0 victory over Trinity International…The contest was scoreless at halftime, but St. Ambrose dominated the final 30 minutes, racking up 362 yards and 44 points over the final two quarters en route to the lopsided final…In all, St. Ambrose forced six turnovers on Saturday (two fumbles and four interceptions) while limiting the Trojans to 11 first downs and 250 yards of total offense.

St. Ambrose players to watch: Michael Hayward, a 2008 College Fanz Sports Network First Team All-American selection at the WR position, moved to QB prior to the start of this season and played well in the Bees’ first game, completing 11 of 21 pass attempts for 206 yards and two touchdowns…Hayward also ran the ball 11 times, gaining 42 yards with one rushing TD…RB Carter Oltman, a freshman, contributed right away for St. Ambrose as he averaged over 11 yards per carry on Saturday, totaling exactly 100 yards on just nine attempts, including a 64-yard dash to the endzone…WR Beau Foiles caught five passes for 21 yards in week one...WR Billy Rembold pulled in two catches for 75 yards, including a 62-yard TD reception … WR Jacob Rohde also contributed one of several big plays for the Bees on Saturday as he hauled in two catches for 71 yards, including a 50-yard scoring strike from Hayward…On the defensive side of the ball, LB Jim Forner turned in an incredible individual performance as he earned NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week recognition after notching nine total tackles, with 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one interception that he returned 32 yards for a touchdown…DB James Hannah-White followed with eight tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and one pass break-up…LB Steve Herbert contributed six tackles in week one with one interception.

'09 Statistics: Malone - St. Ambrose

Rosters: Malone - St. Ambrose

The Malone University women’s soccer program, led by second-year head coach Leta Gramlich, will open the 2009 season at Goshen (IN) College on Friday with a 21-woman roster, which reflects about a 25% increase in last year’s roster size.  While this is the good news, the fact that 17 of these players are freshmen is definitely something that the team will need to turn into a positive throughout the ’09 campaign. 

With the loss of five seniors from an already relatively small squad size last year, Gramlich knew that she would need to not only recruit numbers but recruit well to improve upon last year’s 5-9-1 overall record (5-7-1 AMC; 8^th place finish among 14 teams).  And she did just that by going out and obtaining the largest women’s soccer recruiting class in the program’s 13-year history but also one with a great deal of talent as well.

Four outstanding players make up the entire list of returnees to the ’09 team as junior captains Katie Heckman (Mars, PA), a midfielder, and Vanessa Schmidt (Lake H.S.), a defender, join sophomore midfielder Susanna Jonkka (Helsinki, Finland) and junior defender Danielle Plaisted (Butler, PA) as the core of this year’s squad.

Jonkka leads all returnees in points from last year as she posted two goals and three assists while earning honorable mention accolades for both the AMC and NCCAA East Region.  Schmidt, who will anchor the defense, also captured dual honorable mention honors last year for her efforts.

Heckman, who “brings experience and organization to the midfield” according to Gramlich, collected a goal and two assists last year while notching NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention.

A very talented group of newcomers, many of whom will obviously see playing time immediately, are led by Jennifer McFadden (Fr., M/F, Mass. Washington H.S.), Holly Stuchell (Fr., F, Good Shepherd H.S.) and sisters Kaitlin and Amanda Hanlon, freshmen from Willoughby South High School who will play defender and midfielder/forward, respectively.

Other top newcomers include defender Chelsie Howell (Fr., Chippewa H.S.), forward Sarah Heckman (Fr., Mars, PA) and midfielder Cassy Daniels (Fr., Perry H.S.).

“All of our freshmen come from strong programs,” commented Gramlich, “and so that is a real strength for us because they are very fundamentally sound.  We have had great team chemistry in the early going and the team is coming together nicely.  Everyone has gotten to know each other and they really click with each other.”

“The midfield will be where our strength will lie.  We have numerous solid midfielders who have good field vision and who are willing to work hard in the center of the field.  An area of concern, though, will obviously be getting our freshmen adjusted to the speed and physical nature of the college game.  They’ll get college experience quickly but how well they handle it will be a big key for our team this year.”

After opening its season at Goshen on Friday (Sept. 4), the team will play two other away contests before competing in its home opener on Saturday, September 19 (2:00 p.m.) vs. AMC foe Shawnee State University.

Malone University has hired Whitney Hartman as its new softball head coach, the University’s athletic director Charlie Grimes announced today.  Hartman, of Cuyahoga Falls, is a 2009 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky and was a three-year letter winner on the Patriot softball team.

Hartman began her collegiate softball playing career at Cedarville University where, as a freshman in 2005, she started every contest at first base for the Yellow Jackets.  Upon transferring to Cumberlands prior to her sophomore year, she immediately entered the lineup at first base and remained as a starter for the Patriots over the next three seasons.  She was tabbed Mid-South Conference Honorable Mention in 2008 following a strong senior campaign in which she batted .292.

Hartman also garnered Ohio All-State Honorable Mention accolades after an outstanding senior season at Franklin High School in Franklin, Ohio and is excited to take over the reins of the Pioneer softball program.  “I’m honored to join the Malone University Athletics staff as the softball head coach,” said Hartman.  “Serving Christ and softball are two of my greatest passions in life, and what better way to serve Him; to be a leader and a role model at an institution like Malone.  I’ve been blessed with a background in college sports where I quickly learned that winning is fun, but it means much more to give God all the glory.  I’m eager to start a fresh season of softball, to build character in my student-athletes, and to put Malone’s athletic vision into action.  Many thanks to Athletic Director, Charlie Grimes, for believing in me and providing this opportunity to represent Malone softball.”

There has indeed been change from one year to the next during the 44-year history of the Malone University men’s soccer program but perhaps none greater than the transformation from the 2008 squad to the 2009 unit.  The current edition of Malone men’s soccer, led by first-year head coach Chris Carmichael, not only has a new coach on its sidelines but the squad also sports the largest roster in school history with 36 total student-athletes donning the Pioneer red, white and blue.  And each one will be striving to help the team vastly improve upon last year’s 3-14-1 record (1-10 AMC).

Although Carmichael, who is also a full-time Biology professor at Malone, is a first-year coach for the Pioneers, he is no stranger to the game of soccer having coached numerous club teams since 1998, many of which won division titles and competed as state cup finalists. He was also a technical trainer for the University of West Florida men’s soccer program and was an outside midfielder and defensive back at Eastern Illinois University.  Chris has also earned his USSF D and NSCAA Advanced Regional and National diplomas.

Although only 13 players on the 36-man roster return from a year ago, this baker’s dozen still represents at least half of a potential 20-22 person varsity roster for any given contest.  Carmichael worked diligently prior to his initial campaign to recruit enough student-athletes to form a junior varsity squad.  Although last year’s team did make an effort to have a JV squad, the extra contests and additional players were limited.  This year, the Pioneer JV team will easily have an entire unit and will play a fairly hefty 10-game schedule throughout the team’s regular intercollegiate slate.

“We’re excited to be using a new reserve squad for the development of future varsity players,” commented Carmichael.  “And also to test different types of systems.  We’ll also likely have varsity players on this squad who maybe didn’t get much or any field time in the varsity contests to continue to develop their game as well.”

Leading the way for the returnees in ’09 is senior midfielder Ross Cochran (Paisley, Scotland), the captain for the team who has three years of collegiate experience and who is “our best player in terms of technical skill” according to Carmichael.  Others at the core of the team include sophomore forward Paul Traxler (Mason H.S.), last year’s leading goal scorer (3) and NCCAA All-East Honorable Mention, defender Jordan Smith (So., St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.), who also earned NCCAA honorable mention honors and who will “bolster down the defense, is technically very sound, and has good field vision and a good sense of the game” according to Carmichael.  

Equally as strong are midfielders John David Eades (So., Central Christian H.S.) and Josh Jones (Sr., Warren Local H.S.), and goalkeeper Warden Neuenschwander (Jr., Linden, VA), who posted a 2.51 goals-against average last season playing in nine games (most for a goalkeeper on the team).

Returnees also just as key to the program’s success include defenders Dan Wallace (Jr., Norton H.S.) and Jerome Robinson (So., Kingston, Jamaica), midfielders Josiah Mould (Jr., Loudonville H.S.), forward Francisco Espinosa (Mexico City) and goalkeeper Phil Bookhamer (So., Edinboro, PA), who posted complete games in the net in the final four contests of last season. 

In addition, two outstanding players who did not play last year but who were members of previous Pioneer squads are sophomore midfielders Luke Freckelton (Mannering Park, Australia), who took a year off and is “coming on strong” according to Carmichael, and Nic Ugrin (So., Pretoria, South Africa), who played for Malone in 2006 and has been playing impressively and will play a key role in the defense and midfield.

The Pioneers are also not short on solid incoming talent as top newcomers Sam Erchick (Fr., F, Alliance H.S.), Alex Hall (Fr., F, Mass. Washington H.S.), Allen Meffan (Fr., M, Lake H.S.), Adam Sharpnack (Fr., F, Pittsburgh, PA), Jake Zimmerly (Fr., D, Norwayne H.S.) and Brandon Morales (Fr., D, Brampton, Ontario) look to make immediate contributions.

Transfers Lucas Correa (Jr., M, Campo Grande, Brazil), from Adelphi University (NY), Vinicius DaSilva Morais (Jr., F, Porto Alegre, Brazil), from John Brown University (AR), Phil Fisher (Fr., M, Lake H.S.), from Lake Erie College, and Ryan Smith (So., D, Perry H.S.), from Freed-Hardeman University (TN) will also likely be key contributors to the team.

“We have an attack-minded bunch of players and I think that will be a real strength for us although we have to do a better job of finishing once we have an opportunity to do so,” noted Carmichael.  “We really have the best of both worlds with a strong attack and some new guys who can defend really well.  We’re very strong technically and we have good speed and good camaraderie.  And another strength is that these guys are very coachable and willing to do what is asked of them.”

 “An area of concern for us might be that, with all the new players we have, they’re just learning the difference between high school and college play, the speed of play, including handling time, distributing the ball effectively and using quick touches and making the correct off-the-ball runs and staying well connected on the pitch, and, learning news systems of plays and roles of various field players that they may not have seen before.  There are going to be many challenges early in the season, but with continued training, and hard work, we are confident they will be successful.”

After a loss to NCAA Div. III John Carroll University (away) to open the season on Tuesday, the team will host its home opener against Concordia (MI) University on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and then Aquinas (MI) College on Saturday in another 4:00 p.m. home contest as part of the Canton Comfort Inn-Subway Challenge

Complete 2009 Malone Men's Soccer Schedule

2009 Malone Men's Soccer Roster

Malone University student athlete, Julie Finley, a senior Intervention Specialist major form Collins, OH, will be the subject of the nationally televised program The Real Winning Edge, which airs nationally on FOX.  The member of the Pioneer Volleyball team has spent the past two years facing a different kind of opponent --  Lyme Disease  -- and is winning the battle.

Challenger Films, Inc., based in Duluth, GA, and the production company behind The real Winning Edge, will be visiting the Malone University campus Friday, September 18 to film a day in Julie’s life.

Recognizing the immense impact of television on today's youth, Challenger Films seeks to inspire youth to seek a life of integrity and character through projects such as The Real Winning Edge, a 26 week, 30 minute television series which profiles young achievers who are peer role models. These role models are introduced by well known celebrities.

Find out more at: http://www.challengerfilms.org/

Matt Hamons, of Willard, Ohio and a 2009 graduate of Willard 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.

Hamons, a 6’1” left-handed pitcher and outfielder, lettered for two years in basketball, three years in football and three years in baseball for the Crimson Flashes, collecting numerous honors throughout his high school career.  Following an outstanding senior season in which he batted .409 and clubbed six homeruns, Hamons was named to the Northern Ohio League’s (NOL) All-Conference Team as well as the Ohio District Nine First Team. In addition, he was also honored as the 2009 Willard baseball team’s Most Valuable Player.

Hamons intends to major in Business Administration at Malone and is the son of Robert and Mary Hamons of Willard.

With nine returnees back from last season, including six starters, the Malone University volleyball team is looking to put together another strong campaign in 2009.

 Last year, the Pioneers registered a 24-15 overall record, finishing in tie for sixth place (among 15 schools) in the American Mideast Conference regular season standings with a 9-5 mark in league play.  Malone then went on to compete in the AMC Postseason Tournament where it suffered an opening-round defeat to Mt. Vernon Nazarene University. 

Although her team exited the playoffs a little sooner than hoped last fall, 11^th year head coach Tanya Hockman believes the experiences of 2008 will pay substantial dividends in 2009. “The fact that we didn’t meet all of our team goals last year will help us to stay on task and remained focused on what we need to achieve as a group,” said Hockman.  “We have reached maturity and are no longer considered a young team.  We have good, solid experience under our belts and that should greatly help our chances to be competitive within the conference this season.”

Key components of that solid experience are a gifted group of returning players that includes junior outside hitters Jennifer Gahagan (Ravenna Southeast H.S.) and Lori Ickes (Smithville H.S.) along with senior middle hitters Kristen Schoolcraft (McKinley H.S.) and Erica Gann (Meadowbrook H.S.).

Gahagan was voted to All-AMC First Team and NCCAA All-East Region Team last fall after pacing the squad with a .252 attack percentage and an average of 3.26 kills per game.  She also registered 462 digs, 69 total blocks, and 30 service aces and will be looked upon to provide more of the same this season.  “Jennifer’s quiet, confident leadership is a real stabilizing force for us,” noted Hockman. “She loves to compete and is dedicated to the team.  She has had two outstanding seasons and we will be counting on her to be solid in all phases of the game again.”

Ickes, a 2008 All-AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention selection, will also be counted on for solid play this fall after posting a team-high 492 digs last year to go with 257 kills and 31 service aces.  “Lori is a fierce competitor and the fire that burns in her is a huge asset for our team,” stated Hockman.  “One of our challenges with Lori is to get her to hit smart, be confident in her abilities and work to exceed her own personal expectations.”

Another key returnee this fall is the 5’11” Schoolcraft, who was tabbed NCCAA All-East Region Honorable Mention last season after posting a team-best 135 total blocks.  Now with 415 career blocks, Schoolcraft is fifth on Malone’s all-time list and will continue to climb up the Pioneer rankings this season.  “People underestimate Kristen’s athleticism and what she brings to us in the front row in terms of her blocking and quickness off her feet,” commented Hockman.  “I am really excited because she is on the cusp of breaking some blocking records and joining some elite company.”

Gann is also back and at 6’3”, forms a formidable duo with Schoolcraft at the middle hitter position.  Gann posted 297 kills and 109 total blocks a year ago, earning All-AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA All-East Region Team accolades for her efforts.  In addition to these on-the-court accomplishments, Hockman also appreciates the intangibles she brings to the squad.  “Erica has provided a lot of great leadership on and off the court, said Hockman.  “When she is smiling on the court, it means things are going well.  This season we will be looking for her to contribute more offensively and quicken up her attack tempo.”

Also returning to the Pioneer lineup this fall is senior defensive specialist/libero Julie Finley (Western Reserve H.S.), senior setter/outside hitter Alyssa Dibell (Fairless H.S.), junior right side hitter Emily Beiting (Fort Thomas, KY), junior outside hitter Tabitha Streby (Fredericktown H.S.) and sophomore right side hitter Megan Fisher (Perry H.S.).  Finley notched a team-high 35 aces last fall while Dibell served as the squad’s primary setter, dishing out 5.82 assists per game.  Beiting, a 2008 NCCAA All-East Region Honorable Mention selection, contributed 1.70 kills per outing while compiling a .239 attack percentage.  Streby saw limited action in a reserve role and Fisher turned in a solid freshman campaign, averaging 1.23 kills in 83 games played. 

In addition to filling their 2008 roles, each of these returnees may also see time in the back row, one area where the squad lacks a lot of depth and experience after the departure of several defensive players from last season.  “We have to try to replace four really prominent pieces to our puzzle,” commented Hockman.  “We lost some intangibles that were vital to our success in the past, leadership being one of them.  We are going to have to work incredibly hard on the defensive phases of the game and serve receive.”

Stepping in with hopes of completing the puzzle is an exciting group of freshmen – setter Jackie Schwamberger from Madison Comprehensive, middle hitter Diana Wallace from West Branch and outside hitter Erika Votaw from Mt. Gilead Christian High School.  Each of the newcomers excelled during their high school careers and Hockman is anticipating substantial contributions in the near future.  “Jackie was coveted by a lot of schools and we are fortunate to have her at Malone,” noted Hockman. “She knows how to run a quick tempo offense and is the future of our program at the setting position.  Diana brings some height and depth to the middle hitter position and will be able to learn from our two starting senior middles.  Erika will help us at the outside hitter position and we are super excited that she came onboard.”

According to their head coach, areas of strength for the Pioneers in 2009 will be an abundance of depth at the right side and middle hitter positions along with their skill at the service line where Hockman believes the team “can create some easy points.” 

The Pioneers have also benefited from their opportunity to travel abroad this summer, doing some service and ministry work while on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic in late July.  “The trip was such an incredible experience,” said Hockman. “It created some solid team cohesion, provided an opportunity to serve others and gave us optimism for the future.”

The squad will open its season at home on August 28th & 29th as it hosts the Malone Invitational – one of two home tournaments that highlight the Pioneers’ 2009 schedule.  A few weeks later (September 18-19), Malone and Walsh University will co-host the Canton Comfort Inn Invitational.  In addition to some great volleyball action, the event in September will feature a food drive.  “We are excited to be collaborating with Walsh to help address some community needs,” stated Hockman.  “It is a great opportunity to use sport in a positive way to impact lives around us.”

Complete 2009 Malone Volleyball Schedule

2009 Malone Volleyball Roster

When fourth-year Malone University head football coach Mike Gardner and his staff began to assemble their 2009 recruiting class this winter, they knew there was a lot of work to be done.  Twelve starters, including quarterback Billy Bob Orsagh and All-American wide receiver Derek Deardorff had departed from a 2008 squad that compiled a 6-4 overall record and ended the year by making the Pioneers’ third straight appearance in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Victory Bowl. 

Although Malone’s roster included plenty of capable returnees, the coaching staff aimed to add a number of new faces that could provide some depth and create a little competition for the vacated starting spots.  These modest winter goals were more than exceeded months later when a group of 74 newcomers – the largest Pioneer recruiting class since Malone’s inaugural football season in 1993 – arrived on campus for the start of training camp in mid-august.  

This sizable group of first-year Pioneers includes not only a significant number of local high school standouts from Stark and Summit counties, but also several players from across the nation and even one athlete from across the globe – linebacker Guilherma Moreira, a native of Curitiba, Brazil.  California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Hawaii are just a few of the states represented in the group and, while the sheer number of players is impressive, Malone’s head coach also likes the potential for immediate contributions.  “I’m real excited about this class”, said Gardner.  “It is one of the best I’ve had in my 20 years of coaching.  There are a number of guys that could find themselves in the mix as time progresses.”

Not to be overshadowed by the host of talented newcomers is a solid core of returnees that includes a number of 2008 All-MSFA Mideast award winners.  The Pioneers averaged over 450 yards of total offense per game a year ago and a key cog of that unit, running back Joe Peters (Oakland, CA), is back and looking to duplicate a stellar junior campaign in which he collected All-MSFA Mideast First Team accolades after racking up 950 rushing yards on 166 carries (5.7 average) to go with 16 catches for 129 yards and 11 touchdowns (nine rushing, two receiving).  Following this strong performance last year, Gardner will be looking for more of the same in 2009.  “Joe has had a very good camp so far,” stated Gardner.  “He had a good year last year and we are expecting nice things from him again this season.”

Others who could also contribute at the running back position include redshirt junior Markus McFolling (Seaside, CA) and a pair of newcomers – junior Courtney Greer, a transfer from Kansas State University, and Akeem Isaac, a freshman from Lakeview High School in Campti, Louisiana.

Opening up holes for Peters and his fellow running backs will be an experienced offensive line that Gardner believes will prove vital to the Pioneers’ success this fall.  “The key offensively is protecting our young quarterback and being able to effectively run the football,” noted Gardner.

Effective pass protection and run blocking was the trademark of Malone’s offensive line last season and back to lead the way up front this fall are seniors Donny Lees (Wooster H .S.) and Kyle Julian (Jackson H.S.), who were both voted All-MSFA Mideast Honorable Mention a year ago .  Also likely factoring into the offensive line equation will be senior Shelby Santizo (Long Beach, CA), sophomore Tom Reed (Troy H.S.), sophomore transfer Chris Ciraldo from Ashland University (Walsh Jesuit H.S.) and three true freshmen with local ties - Corey Fuller (Northwest H.S.), Blake Seidler (Massillon Washington H.S.), and Tyler Guyton (Green H.S.).

Following Orsagh’s graduation, quarterback is one position where new faces will likely be found in the mix right away.  Those contending for the signal-caller role include last year’s backup, sophomore Ryan Hughes (Bloom-Carroll H.S.), redshirt freshmen Steve Brohl (Almont, MI) and Brynt Werntz (Orrville H.S.), Ashland University transfer Logan Francis (So., Troy Christian H.S.) and true freshman Jacob Gudeman (Livonia, MI).

Wide receiver is another area that will likely feature several newcomers after the departure of Deardorff and Josh Settlemire, the squad’s 2008 starting wideouts who ended their respective careers ranked first and second on the Pioneers’ all-time reception list.  Senior Jason Malone (Warrensville Heights H.S.) and redshirt freshman Ryan Murphy (Tuslaw H.S.) will compete for playing time at the position along with freshmen Derrick McLean (Laurel Hill, NC), Allen Strouble (Marlington H.S.), Matt Romanowski (Canal Winchester H.S.), Cameron Nabors (Rochester Hills, MI) and a pair of junior college transfers – junior Jeff Perri from Laney College in Oakland, California and junior Mike Medina from San Diego Mesa College in San Diego, California.

Although the squad will have a pair of new starters at the wide receiver spots, the tight end position will feature some experience with juniors Chris Carpinelli and Brent Altenburger both returning as reliable targets for the new quarterback.  Carpinelli will look to build upon a solid sophomore campaign in which he posted 16 catches for 134 yards and one touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Pioneers return seven starters from a unit that forced 24 turnovers and tallied 84 tackles for losses, including 25 sacks in 2008.  This generation of havoc for opposing offenses is exactly what Gardner hopes to see more of this season.  “The key defensively is to continue to create negative yardage plays and to be more effective in the red zone,” commented Gardner.  “We also need to continually try to force turnovers to put the offense in a good situation.”

With Nick Rousher (Sr., Canfield H.S.), Cody Carroll (Jr., Chardon H.S.) and Chris Story (Jr., Las Cruces, NM) back on the defensive line and Wesley Kauffman (Jr., Anchorage, AK) and Matt Vick (So., Perry H.S.) returning to the linebacking corps, a good situation should be found along Malone’s front seven throughout the year. 

Rousher and Story were each tabbed All-MSFA Mideast Honorable Mention after strong 2008 campaigns while Carroll tied for third on the team with 4.5 sacks.  Also likely to contribute on the defensive line this year is redshirt freshman Frank McCormick (Medina H.S.) and newcomers Andrew Smith (junior transfer from Southwest College in Los Angeles, CA), Donald Malone (Fr., Grand Bay, AL), and Nathan Nasrallah (Fr., St. Vincent/St. Mary H.S.).

Kauffman entered the starting lineup at linebacker midway through the year last year and took full advantage of his opportunity, ending the season ranked among Malone’s tackling leaders with 41 total stops.  Vick, meanwhile, contributed immediately as a freshman, totaling 48 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries.  In the mix to join the duo at the linebacker position is sophomore Matt Kerwin (Rochester, NY) along with freshmen Antonio Scassa (Massillon Washington H.S.), Nick Towns (Copley H.S.) and three junior college transfers from California – Montana Russo from Monterey Peninsula College, K.P. Fonseca from Pasadena City College, and  Trevor Lyne from Ventura College.

Despite losing a pair of dependable and consistent performers in Dennis Thornton and Doug Alford, the news is not all bad in the defensive backfield as three juniors - Eric Hart (Labrae H.S.), Patrick O’Malley (Padua Franciscan H.S.) and Jordan Scott (Oakland, CA) - return to anchor the position.  Others who are likely to see playing time at defensive back include freshman Anthony Pavia (Padua Franciscan H.S.) and junior transfer John Pearson from Monterey Peninsula College in addition to Steve Estime and Tim Claiborne, a pair of transfers from Louisburg College in Louisburg, North Carolina.

Like in many other areas of the roster, Malone will have plenty of depth in the kicking game as senior Mike Skvor (Long Beach, CA) returns after missing the entire 2008 season due to injury.  Last year’s starter, sophomore Nick Allison (Lake H.S.), is also back and will compete for kicking duties with Skvor and sophomore newcomer Jake Hardy, a transfer from Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina.

Taking into account last year’s success and the abundance of incoming and returning talent, Malone received a #25 ranking in the 2009 NAIA Preseason Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.  The Pioneers will once again be challenged by a demanding schedule this fall that includes a week-two MSFA crossover game against perennial Midwest League power St. Ambrose (IA) University, a squad which was ranked 13th in this year’s preseason poll.  Malone’s schedule also features an always taxing MSFA Mideast League slate that will be played over the final seven weeks of the season and includes matchups with the University of Saint Francis (IN) and Saint Xavier (IL) University, teams who came in at fourth and 17th, respectively, in the NAIA preseason rankings.

With this tough schedule, Gardner knows that filling the shoes of the departed players will not be easy but he is encouraged by the potential his sizable class of recruits provides.  “It is going to be hard to replace Billy Bob (Orsagh) and our corps of receivers,” said Gardner.  “It is going to be hard to replace Dennis Thornton and Doug Alford. But I think our strength is in our depth, which is something we haven’t had in the past.”

Malone will open its 2009 campaign on September 5th at home against the Apprentice School.  Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Fawcett Stadium.

2009 Malone Football Schedule

Complete 2009 Malone Football Roster

The Malone University men's cross country team, winner of the last two NAIA National Titles, has been voted No. 1 in the 2009 NAIA Men's Cross Country Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll.  The top ranking is nothing new for the Pioneers as the squad has been ranked No. 1 in 23-straight NAIA National polls, dating back to the 2007 season.

After finishing fourth at last season's NAIA National Championships, the Malone women's cross country team also returned to the top of the national rankings, receiving the poll's No. 5 spot.

Click here to view the complete polls and press releases from the NAIA:

2009 Men's Preseason Poll

2009 Women's Preseason Poll 

Shane Byler and Jesse Coblentz, both of Uniontown, Ohio and 2009 graduates of Lake Center Christian School, have each recently signed national letters of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for head coach Tom Crank and the Pioneers.  The duo excelled in multiple sports for the Tigers throughout their respective high school careers and helped Lake Center Christian capture an OHSAA Division IV District Baseball Title in 2009.

Byler, a 6’0” shortstop and pitcher, lettered four years in golf, basketball and baseball.  He was named First Team All-Ohio on the diamond while garnering All-Ohio Special Mention and Division IV, District Four Player of the Year honors on the court.  A Lake Center Christian Honor Roll student, Byler intends to major in Education with a minor in Sport Management at Malone.  He is the son of Doug and Joyce Byler of Uniontown.

Malone University has hired Tanya Gombera as its new women’s tennis head coach, the University’s athletic director Charlie Grimes announced today.  Gombera, of Cuyahoga Falls, is a 2009 graduate of the University of Akron and was a four-year letter winner on the Akron women’s tennis team. 

Gombera played three years at #1 singles for the Zips and received All MAC Second Team honors in 2007 and 2008.  She also was the first Akron player to achieve more than 100 wins since 1995 and is ranked in the top 10 in school history.  In addition, she was a two-time recipient of the Leanne Grimes Davidge Sportsmanship Award which is annually given to one MAC player who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship in all MAC play.  A native of Zimbabwe, Gombera competed in the All-African Games in 2003 and earned a silver medal for her country.

“I’m just happy to be a part of the Malone family, which has a wonderful athletic tradition,” said Gombera.  “I’m excited to be the new head coach and I’m looking forward to leading the team to much success both academically and athletically and also to providing spiritual leadership and nurturing as well.  I want to thank athletic director Charlie Grimes for giving me this wonderful opportunity.”

“Coach Gombera has outstanding tennis playing experience from her success in the Mid-American Conference and playing abroad,” commented Grimes.  “She also possesses great maturity and a deep commitment to the ideals that we hold highest here at Malone University.  I’m thrilled to add her to our staff and can’t wait to see the influence she will have with our student-athletes.”

The Malone University football team is ranked 25th in the 2009 NAIA Spring Football Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.  The Pioneers tallied a 6-4 record in 2008 and wrapped up their season by making their third straight trip the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Victory Bowl.

The University of Sioux Falls (SD), last season’s NAIA National Champion, received 17 of 18 first place votes to grab the poll’s top spot.  Joining Malone in the preseason rankings are fellow Mid-States Football Association Mideast League members the University of Saint Francis (IN) at #4 and Saint Xavier (IL) University at #17. 

The Pioneers narrowly missed out on the NAIA playoffs in 2008, ending the year ranked 22nd in the final NAIA National Poll.  The squad will look to tally its fourth consecutive winning season this fall as it opens its 2009 schedule at home on September 5th against the Apprentice School (VA).  Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Fawcett Stadium.

NAIA Preseason Top 25 Coaches' Poll

The Malone University football team, led by fourth-year head coach Mike Gardner, was recently voted to finish third among eight teams in the 2009 Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Mideast League Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

The Pioneers, who finished in a three-team tie for second place in the standings last season with a 4-2 conference record, received 44 points.  The University of Saint Francis (IN), a nine-time league champion, picked up all eight first-place votes from the MSFA Mideast coaches to grab the top spot with 64 points.  Saint Xavier (IL) University was second with 54 points, Marian (IN) College took fourth with 41 and Walsh University rounded out the top five with 37 points.

Malone ended its 2008 campaign ranked 22nd in the final NAIA National Poll of the season after having compiled an overall mark of 6-4.  The Pioneers will look to tally their fourth consecutive winning season this fall as they open their 2009 schedule at home on September 5th against the Apprentice School (VA).  Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Fawcett Stadium.

2009 MSFA Mideast Coaches' Poll

Treg Lunger, of Columbiana, Ohio and a 2009 graduate of Heartland Christian School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the Pioneers.  Lunger lettered four years in soccer and basketball for the Lions in addition to lettering two years in track and field.

A 6’4” midfielder, Lunger was twice named Heartland’s soccer MVP and helped the Lions earn ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) State Championships in both soccer and basketball during his high school career.

He intends to major in Pre-Physical Therapy at Malone and is the son of George and Christine Lunger of Columbiana.

The Malone University volleyball team, led by 11^th-year head coach Tanya Hockman, is currently in the Dominican Republic, having left this past weekend, as part of a Malone Service Learning Trip hosted by SCORE International.  Malone joins the Grace College volleyball team on this same trip that will conclude with the teams returning to their respective campuses on August 2.

Some of the ministry opportunities Malone will be involved with include: sports games and clinics, mime presentations, youth prisons, construction work, orphanage work, food distribution and back-yard Bible clubs.  The Pioneers will compete against the Dominican Republic national team and will also likely square off against the Grace team.

The Pioneer team members raised their own expenses for the trip since last fall and have also used some of their own money to supplement the cost of the trip.

The Dominican Republic shares the island Hispaniola with the country of Haiti.  It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.  Nearly 80% of the country's 49,000 sq. km is covered with mountains, but some 20 different topographical areas exist in the country.  Nearly 4 million of the country's 9 million residents live in Santo Domingo.

SCORE International is based in the town of Juan Dolio, between the towns of La Romano and Santo Domingo.  For more information visit www.scoreinternational.org.  Donations can be made directly to SCORE International on behalf of Malone University women's volleyball team.

Malone University Head Athletic Trainer and Green, Ohio resident Chris Watson was recently appointed to the USA Track & Field medical staff for the upcoming 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships that will be held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago July 31st through August 2nd.  The event marks Watson’s third USATF international appointment as he also served on the American medical staff at the 2007 Junior Pan Am Games in Brazil and the Chiba Ekiden in Chiba, Japan this past November.

The Pan American Junior Championships are open to athletes ages 16-19 and U.S. competitors were selected based on their performances at the 2009 U.S. Junior Track & Field Championships.

Watson is set to begin his seventh year as Malone’s Head Athletic Trainer this fall.  He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Malone in 2001 before receiving a Master’s of Education Degree from Ashland University in 2003.  Chris, his wife Angela, and their daughters, Amber and Kalie, currently reside in Green.

Melissa Wohlheter, of Navarre and a 2009 graduate of Tuslaw High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and to compete on the track & field team for the Pioneers.

At Tuslaw this past spring, Wohlheter finished third in the 300-meter hurdles and sixth in the 100-meter hurdles at the state meet.  In 2008, she was the state runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles (Div. II).

Wohlheter is currently undecided as to her major at Malone.  She is the daughter of Graydon and Karen Wohlheter of Navarre.

The Malone University men’s basketball team, led by first-year head coach Tim Walker, has recently signed eight student-athletes, five of whom are local, who have committed to attend Malone this fall and play basketball for the Pioneers.

Eric Coblentz (Lake H.S.), Colton Hostetler (Hiland H.S.), Jordan Lindesmith (Jackson H.S.), Oscar Martinez (Malvern H.S.), Nick Sommers (North Canton Hoover H.S.) and Kyle Lodermeier (Norwalk H.S.) along with Ebiowei Porbeni (Plainfield Central, IL H.S.) and Nick Watts (West Ottawa, MI H.S.) will attend Malone University this fall.

Eric Coblentz, of Hartville and a 2007 graduate of Lake High School, is a 6’2 guard who was a four-year letterman in basketball for the Blue Streaks and earned numerous awards throughout his high school playing career. He collected 2^nd Team All State honors and holds the Lake record for Most Points Scored in a Game, Season and Career along with Most Three Point Goals in a Season.  He also was a member of last year’s University of Akron team which won the MAC championship.  He is the son of Marion and Nancy Coblentz of Hartville and plans to major in Sports Management and minor in Bible & Theology.

Colton Hostetler, of Walnut Creek and a 2009 graduate of Berlin Hiland High School, is a 6’0’’ guard who was a three-year letterman in basketball for the Hawks and who earned numerous awards throughout his high school playing career. As a senior, he was named All-District and Special Recognition All-Ohio. In addition, he helped the 08-09 Hawks capture the first 20-0 regular season in school history en route to a district championship and an incredible 25-1 final record.  He is the son of Mark and Cindy Hostetler of Walnut Creek and he intends to major in Business Administration.

Jordan Lindesmith, of Massillon and a 2008 graduate of Jackson High School, is a 6’0’’ guard who was a two-year letterman in basketball for the Polar Bears and who was a member of the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University men’s basketball program in 2008-09.  At Jackson, he collected 2^nd Team All Federal and All-County Honorable Mention honors.  In addition, he was a multiple member of the Honor Roll.  He is the son of Jim and Carolyn Lindesmith and he plans to major in Math Education.

Oscar Martinez, of Madrid, Spain and 2009 graduate of Malvern High School, was an exchange student at Malvern and a member of the Hornets basketball program. The 6’4 forward plans to major in Computer Science at Malone and is the son of Jose Martinez and Maria Gonzalez of Madrid, Spain.

Nick Sommers, of Greentown and a 2009 graduate of North Canton Hoover High School, is a 6’3’’ forward who was a two-year letterman in basketball and a two-year letterman in baseball for the Vikings. He participated in the Chick-Fil-A All-Star Game and helped the Vikings en route to both a Federal League and District championship.  He is the son of Mitch and Lorrie Sommers of Greentown and he intends to major in Education.

Kyle Lodermeier, of Norwalk and 2009 graduate of Norwalk High School, is a 6’1’’ guard and was a two-year letterman in basketball and a three-year letterman in tennis for the Truckers.  He was a 2^nd Team All Conference recipient and, as a junior, helped Norwalk attain a sectional championship.  In addition, he was a member of the National Honor Society. Lodermeier, who is currently undecided as to his major at Malone, is the son of Jeff and Josie Lodermeier of Norwalk.

Ebiowei Porbeni, of Plainfield, Illinois and a 2007 graduate of Plainfield Central High School, is a 6’5’’ forward and was a two-year letterman in basketball for the school. A transfer from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, he competed for two seasons for the Trolls and, in 2007-08, averaged 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.  Porbeni is the son of Joshua and Margaret Porbeni of Covington, Kentucky.  He intends to major in Nursing at Malone.

Erika Votaw, of Marengo, Ohio and a 2009 graduate of Gilead Christian High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play volleyball for head coach Tanya Hockman and the Pioneers.  Votaw lettered four years in volleyball and four years in track and field for the Eagles, helping Gilead Christian advance to the district semifinals in volleyball this past season.

A 5’8” outside hitter, Votaw put together an outstanding senior season, tallying 186 kills as the Eagles posted a 21-3 record and finished the year ranked 14th in Ohio Division IV.  In recognition of her strong performance, Votaw was named First Team All-Central District and was selected to play on the Central District All-Star Team.

Academically, Votaw twice received Academic All-Ohio honors and was the valedictorian of her class.  Votaw intends to major in Nursing at Malone and was coached in high school by her father.  She is the daughter of Brian and Melanie Votaw of Morengo.

(L-R): Brian Votaw (father),  Erika Votaw, Melanie Votaw (mother), Malone head coach Tanya Hockman

Kurt Becker, of Bolivar and a 2007 graduate of Tuscarawas Valley High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers.  Becker was a three-year baseball letter winner for the Trojans in addition to lettering two years in basketball.

A 6’2” pitcher, Becker was twice named to the PAC-7 First Team and was also a two-time First Team All-Eastern District honoree.  

Becker will be a freshman at Malone and intends to major in Business Administration.  He is the son of Ron and Jane Becker of Bolivar.

Drew Forchione, of Massillon and a 2009 graduate of Perry High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers.  Forchione was a two-year baseball letterman for the Panthers, helping Perry finish as district runner-up in 2009.

The 6’0” outfielder, who participated in the 2009 Hank Miller All-Star Baseball Classic, was a Second Team All-Federal League selection this spring and holds the Perry single-season hit record.

Academically, Forchione was named to the Perry Honor Roll in both 2008 and 2009.

He is the son of Gino and Karen Forchione of Massillon and intends to major in Mathematics at Malone.

Joe Monnot, of Canton and a 2009 graduate of GlenOak High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers. Monnot was a three-year letter winner in both football and baseball for the Golden Eagles in addition to lettering two years in bowling. 

A 6’3” pitcher, Monnot participated in the 2009 Hank Miller All-Star Baseball Classic and was named First Team All-Federal League after a strong senior season.  Monnot also excelled on the gridiron and on the lanes, earning All-Ohio honors for both football and bowling.

He intends to major in Education at Malone and is the son of Joseph and Diane Monnot of Canton.

Michael Chack, of Uniontown and a 2009 graduate of Lake High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball for the Pioneers.  Chack was a three-year letterman in both baseball and football for the Blue Streaks, helping Lake capture a district championship on the diamond in 2007.

The 6’0” first baseman/centerfielder was a member of the Federal League’s Leadership & Sportmanship Council and collected numerous honors during his high-school career including being named First Team All-Federal League and Second Team All-District.

Chack also excelled in the classroom, earning Lake’s Academic Award as a freshman and being selected as the Board of Education & Lion’s Club Student of the Month this past December.

He intends to major in Exercise Science at Malone and is the son of Gary and Pam Chack of Uniontown.

Allen Strouble, of Louisville and a 2009 graduate of Marlington High School, recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play baseball and football for the Pioneers.  Strouble lettered four years in baseball, four years in basketball and two years in football for the Dukes, helping Marlington claim both the Northeastern Buckeye Conference Basketball and Baseball Championship s in 2008.

A 5’10” outfielder and wide receiver, Strouble earned numerous awards throughout his high school career including being named All-Ohio in both baseball and football.  As a senior, he was selected First Team NBC on both the diamond and the gridiron while earning All-NBC Second Team honors on the basketball court.  Stouble participated in the 2009 Stark-Summit All-Star Basketball Classic, the 2009 Hank Miller All-Star Baseball Classic and is set to take part in the 20^th Annual Repository East/West All-Star Football Game in July.

He intends to major in Business Administration at Malone and is the son of Carl and Beth Strouble of Louisville.

Alyssa Foldesy, of North Olmsted and a 2009 graduate of North Olmsted High School, has recently signed a national letter of intent to attend Malone University this fall and play soccer for the school.  The 5’2” defender was a four-year soccer letterwinner and two-year captain at North Olmsted.
As a senior, she was voted Second Team All Southwest Conference and also Honorable Mention All Greater Cleveland.  Foldesy led her team to the district semifinals and she was also a member of the Excalibur Premier Club which won the Erie Cup championship.
In addition, during both her sophomore and junior seasons, Foldesy also earned Honorable Mention All Southwest Conference and Honorable Mention All Greater Cleveland honors.  She led her team to the district semifinals as a junior as well.
Academically, she was a four-year member of the Honor Roll.  She  was also named a White and Gold Renaissance Scholar.  Foldesy intends to major in Business Administration at Malone.  She is the daughter of Dan and Kathy Foldesy of North Olmsted.

(L-R): Leta Gramlich (Malone head coach), Alyssa Foldesy, Dan Foldesy (father), Kevin Williams (Malone Admissions representative)

The Malone University men’s athletic program finished second in the American Mideast Conference All-Sports Award standings while the Pioneer women’s athletic program placed fifth in the competition for the 2008-09 academic year.  The awards take into account a school’s overall performance in the eight women’s championship sports and men’s seven championship sports.

With 49.0 points, the Pioneer men finished just four points behind Cedarville University which claimed the title in the 14-school field with 53.0 points.  Walsh University followed in third at 45.0, Mt. Vernon Nazarene University was fourth with 43.0 and Ohio Dominican University rounded out the top five at 42.0.  Malone captured AMC Titles this year in men’s cross country, baseball, and men’s golf while claiming a runner-up finish in men’s track & field.

Walsh claimed the championship in the 16-school women’s field with 69.0 points.  Cedarville and Ohio Dominican followed closely with 65.0 and 64.0 points, respectively. Shawnee State University was fourth at 54.5 while Malone claimed fifth with 50.5.  The Pioneer women posted AMC Titles this year in both cross country and track & field.

2008-09 marks just the second time in the 11-year history of the AMC All-Sports Competition that Malone has not finished first in at least one of the two divisions (The only other time that the Pioneers did not take first-place in either the men’s or women’s competition was in 2004-05 when both Malone programs finished second).  However, even without a title this year, Malone still easily owns the most all-sports trophies for both men (seven titles) and women (five titles).

Click on the following link to view the complete standings: AMC All-Sports Standings