College
QUINCY — The only way to truly understand how the Quincy University football coaches handled a situation none of them enjoyed would have been to be one of the few on the sidelines or in the coaches’ booth wearing a headset. Without being privy to those conversations, it’s difficult to claim the Hawks chose to…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Waking up Monday morning, I realized there is one undeniable truth in life. The world is a better place when there is a weekend filled with football. Here’s why: Football is about connections more than it is collisions. Friday night, with my pickup truck parked next to the fence wrapped around the Airstrip…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The video from Saturday’s 89-0 sandblasting of Madonna University could be an invaluable tool for Quincy University football coach Gary Bass and his staff to use in molding the depth chart this season and evaluating how to build future rosters. Now the coaches possess film on everyone. The highest-scoring game in program history…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy University football team established new single-game records for points scored and margin of victory during Saturday’s 89-0 lambasting of Madonna University at QU Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was on the sideline and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy University volleyball team was pushed to the limit to complete a sweep of the Quincy Invitational field on Saturday night. The Hawks outlasted Upper Iowa 25-11, 23-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-12 in the final match of the weekend, ending the event with three victories and improving to 6-1 overall this season. Forced…
Read Full Article QUINCY — After playing 13 consecutive matches on the road, the John Wood Community women’s volleyball team finally had the chance to come home Wednesday night. The Trail Blazers showcased why the road seemed friendly. A dominant effort at the net and quality serving enabled JWCC to sweep Lewis & Clark 25-15, 25-13, 25-18 at…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Alex McCulla had one thing in mind during his walk through the woods. “Can I just get to the tee and tee off?” he said. Unaware he carried a three-stroke lead to the 18th tee Monday in the third round of the Island Resort Intercollegiate at Sage Run Golf Club in Bark River,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Dayson Croes proved he was more than a professional hitter during his rookie season in the American Association. He was All-Star material, too. The former Quincy University All-American infielder was named to the American Association’s postseason all-star team after leading the Winnipeg Goldeyes in hitting with a .351 average and leading the league…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A new number. Same attitude and effort. Peyton Plunkett’s aggressive approach to playing linebacker for the Quincy University football team is why he is considered a lynchpin of the Hawks’ defense. It showed in the season-opening 35-34 loss to Chadron State as Plunkett helped the Hawks dig out of a 22-0 hole to…
Read Full Article MARSHALL, Mo. — Struggles offensively led to the Culver-Stockton College football team suffering its second consecutive road loss to open the season. The Wildcats managed just 60 yards rushing and amassed just 268 total yards in a 28-7 loss to Missouri Valley College on Saturday night at Gregg-Mitchell Field. C-SC played without starting quarterback Brock…
Read Full Article ST. LOUIS — Mitchell Murphy owns the bragging rights this time around. A magical goal gave him that. The former Quincy Notre Dame all-state soccer player netted the game-winning goal five minutes into the second half of Saturday night’s Bronze Boot Game against Saint Louis University, powering SIU-Edwardsville to a 2-0 victory at CityPark, the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The first weekend of the college football season puts familiar faces in new places, new roles and new positions. Here is a look at some area football products as their seasons get underway: • A pair of Clarence Cannon Conference products are expected to play a role in the Truman State football team’s…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Some may see it as the same old song and dance. Jackson Connell insists it’s a different tune, and he’s been around the Quincy University football program long enough to know the difference. Sure, the self-inflicted wounds responsible for allowing Chadron State to sneak out of QU Stadium on Thursday night with a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy University football team opened its season Thursday night, rallying from a 22-point deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter before Chadron State scored in the final minute to snare a 35-34 victory at QU Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was on the sideline and put together this…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Alex Lehmann doesn’t want youth to be the Quincy University men’s soccer team’s crutch. “I made a mistake that cost us a goal,” the senior defender and captain said. “So it’s not the young guys. We’re a team. Win as a team, lose as a team.” Respond as a team, too. The Hawks…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The youthful Quincy University men’s soccer team showed some resolve and the ability to create scoring opportunities. The Hawks also struggled defensively, losing 5-3 in their season opener Thursday afternoon to Wisconsin-Parkside at Legends Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman put together this photo gallery after spending the afternoon with the Hawks:
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy University football team kicks off its season Thursday night by welcoming Chadron State, an NCAA Division II program in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, to QU Stadium. The Hawks are coming off a 4-7 season — their seventh consecutive losing season — but have the advantage of playing eight home games…
Read Full Article MRN’s Bob Gough talks to QU basketball coach Steve Hawkins about his team’s upcoming fundraiser with special guest Tom Izzo, the legendary basketball coach at Michigan State. The event is Sunday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. and you can purchase tickets at www.quincy.edu/tipoff.
Read Full Article YANKTON, S.D. — Houston Swan nearly engineered a drive to remember Saturday night. Instead, the Culver-Stockton College football team has to figure out how to regroup. Forced into action when C-SC starting quarterback Brock Nellor was ejected after receiving a second unsportsmanlike penalty, Swan, the redshirt freshman backup quarterback, took the reins of the offense…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Expectations remain high for the Quincy University women’s volleyball team, while the Hawks have something to prove in men’s and women’s soccer. The Great Lakes Valley Conference released its fall preseason coaches polls this week with the volleyball team still earning respect after winning the league’s regular-season championship last fall and grabbing the…
Read Full Article AMES, Iowa — Jirehl Brock’s career with the Iowa State football program is over, and with it, his time playing at the NCAA Division I level likely is as well. According to a story published by the Des Moines Register on Monday afternoon, Brock voluntarily left the Cyclones football program. The Register said the information…
Read Full Article CANTON, Mo. — Although she’d earned her spot as the Culver-Stockton College women’s soccer team backup goalkeeper, Rylee Loftus never expected to play in Saturday’s season opener against Avila. She certainly wasn’t thinking she’d start. When junior starting goalkeeper Mackenzie Frizzell suffered an injury during the pregame warmups, C-SC coach Tyler Tomlinson went to Loftus…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Hall of Fame college basketball coach Tom Izzo will be the featured speaker during the Quincy University men’s basketball program’s annual Tip-Off Banquet, scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 17 in Pepsi Arena on the QU campus. Izzo has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995. Izzo was elected to…
Read Full Article AMES, Iowa — A week ago, during the Iowa State football program’s media day, Cyclones coach Matt Campbell acknowledged Quincy High School graduate Jirehl Brock had been the only running back on the roster to not participate in practice. Campbell did not provide an explanation for Brock’s absence. Asked to elaborate, Campbell simply said, “We…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Lucas Loos is a making a case to be the Prospect League’s Player of the Year. Friday night, the case grew stronger. The Quincy Gems third baseman belted his league-leading 13th home run during a 13-3, seven-inning victory over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp. The Payson Seymour graduate finished 3 for 4 with…
Read Full Article CANTON, Mo. — The Culver-Stockton College football team finds itself in a familiar preseason position. Chasing Grand View in the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division. The reigning Heart champion is picked to win the North Division for the fifth straight year, according to a poll of the league’s coaches. Grand View went 5-0…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Alayna Vela has watched enough of past Women’s World Cup events to understand how incredibly passionate and unique the fans are. Now, she gets to see it up close. Vela, a sophomore midfielder on the Quincy University women’s soccer team, is part of the Hawks’ 45-person traveling party heading to Australia this week.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Griffin Kirn happened to be enjoying a relaxing midsummer afternoon when Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel unexpectedly called. “I figured it was to check in and see how my summer was going,” said Kirn, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior left-handed pitcher. There was a little more to this call. Schissel had been contacted…
Read Full Article FRANKLIN, Wis. — Throughout Dayson Croes’ three-year stint as an All-American infielder for the Quincy University baseball team, his coaches continually used a two-word phrase to describe Aruba native. Professional hitter. He’s proving just how accurate that is. The left-handed hitting Croes will represent the Winnipeg Goldeyes in Tuesday’s American Association of Professional Baseball all-star…
Read Full Article CANTON, Mo. — The interim coach responsible for stabilizing the Northwestern football program during a tumultuous offseason began his coaching career at Culver-Stockton College. Last Friday, David Braun was elevated from defensive coordinator to interim head coach by the Northwestern administration. He replaces Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired last week amid a hazing scandal in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Word of Chase Gockel’s electric fastball, the kind that made Quincy University baseball fans anxious to see how high the velocity would register, brought Major League Baseball scouts to the stadium. How he used the fastball in unison with his slider made them take note. Ultimately, the Los Angeles Angels liked the combination…
Read Full Article MACOMB/MOLINE, Ill. — Tayler Onion will join Western Illinois University athletics beginning Monday, July 24 as the assistant athletic director for development. Before coming to WIU, Onion had been the head of curriculum development for Game Plan in Tampa, Fla., since January 2022. She has served as an assistant director for Student-Athlete Enhancement for the…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — Trenton Massner’s history-making efforts as a senior on the Western Illinois University men’s basketball team were noticed far beyond the Summit League borders. Coaches with the Miami Heat liked what they saw. Massner, the 6-foot-2 shooting guard from Wapello, Iowa, inked a free-agent deal with the Heat after going undrafted in last…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Former Quincy University men’s basketball coach Luke Strege is moving back to the NCAA Division I level. After eight highly successful seasons at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., Strege recently was hired as an assistant coach at North Dakota State University. The Bison went 16-17 overall last season and 11-7 in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Do you believe in Magic? The Illinois girls all-stars certainly do. Q-City Magic, that is. Six of the 10 players on the Illinois roster for the Saturday’s Muddy River Showcase began playing together in sixth grade as part of the Q-City Magic program coached by the late Gayland Blakemore. It allowed the Showcase…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The depth of talent that will be on display Saturday during the second Muddy River Showcase is quite impressive. Consider these stats: • Among the 40 players comprising the four rosters, 14 scored 1,000 or more points in their high school careers; • There are 14 planning on playing basketball in college; •…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The number of former Quincy University baseball players pursuing professional playing careers more than doubled in the last month. One of the Hawks chasing their big-league dream moved a step closer to that reality Tuesday. Left-handed reliever Riley Martin was promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs after a sterling first two months coming…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A record-setting season on the field should end with a worthwhile honor off it. The John Wood Community College baseball program received that Monday. Freshman outfielder Payton Mansfield was named an NJCAA Division II first-team All-American, becoming the first JWCC product to earn All-American honors since 2015 and just the fourth first-team selection…
Read Full Article QUINCY — There is one thing each of the players participating in the second Muddy River Showcase have in common. They can call themselves alumni. The top senior basketball players from West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri have all officially graduated from their respective high schools, but they will team up to represent their communities and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Capping a record-setting season with a first-in-school-history honor is quite special. Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel earned that. Hawks catcher Luke Napleton earned his All-American honor, too. Schissel, the second-year skipper who led the Hawks to a 47-11 record while winning both the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships, was…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Two starters from the record-setting Quincy University baseball team are among four Hawks who are entering the NCAA transfer portal. Junior catcher Luke Napleton and junior shortstop Gino D’Alessio are exploring opportunities to move to the NCAA Division I level, while senior infielder Logan Voth is seeking the chance for more at-bats and…
Read Full Article CANTON, Mo. — A Wildcat is coming home, and he has experience coaching on The Hill. Former Culver-Stockton College men’s soccer player Tyler Hamilton, who enjoyed success the last six seasons coaching at the high school level, is returning to his alma mater to become C-SC’s next head men’s soccer coach. Wildcats athletic director Pat…
Read Full Article BURLINGTON, Iowa — The Quincy Gems had the tying runs on base with one out in the top of the ninth inning, but a strikeout and a flyout ended the game as the Burlington Bees won the Prospect League season opener for both teams in a 10-8 decision. The Gems gave up five runs in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Gems open play Wednesday night in the Prospect League with a road game at Burlington. After a road game Thursday at Springfield, the Gems open the home season with games on Friday and Saturday against Clinton and Sunday against Burlington. The Gems return eight players from last year’s team, which finished…
Read Full Article QUINCY — That’s just baseball. Those three words were the only way the Quincy University baseball team could make sense of an unlikely finish to an incredible season. The Hawks were ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball. However, they saw their…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The weather hasn’t always been ideal, but Saturdays at QU Stadium throughout the spring have been perfect nonetheless. One more flawless Saturday is needed. The Quincy University baseball team finds itself in a win-twice-or-it’s-over scenario following Friday’s 4-3 loss to Indianapolis in the opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Spencer Walker never saw exactly where Luke Napleton caught the fastball or where it crossed the plate. He didn’t think he needed to look. With runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the eighth inning Friday at QU Stadium, the Quincy University senior right-hander felt he’d painted the…
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