Posts Tagged ‘Quincy University’
Glass cleaners: QU women’s basketball team owns rebounding edge in victory over Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — With the weather wiping out last Sunday’s matchup with Missouri-St. Louis, Quincy University women’s basketball coach Courtney Boyd said it felt like the Hawks hadn’t played in two weeks. It had only been seven days since their victory over Lincoln. “I don’t know why it felt that way, but it seemed like we…
Read MoreQU women’s basketball team finds itself right back in groove following Christmas break
QUINCY — Cymirah Williams’ eyes got big and her smile widened. Asked how comfortable the Quincy University women’s basketball players were getting back on the Pepsi Arena floor for the first time in three weeks and just the second time in the last five weeks, the senior forward gushed over how seamless the transition felt.…
Read MoreOne-point loss to Blue Tigers to gnaw at Hawks knowing they were one play away
QUINCY — The decision to postpone Sunday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup with Missouri-St. Louis due to impending weather was hardly ideal for the Quincy University men’s basketball team with no looming breaks in the schedule. Leaving the Hawks extra days to chew on Friday night’s 70-69 loss to Lincoln made it even worse. “It…
Read MoreCollege notebook: QU’s Dollard earns All-American honor, Truman State drops interim tag from Nesbitt’s title
QUINCY — Cleaning out the notebook as 2025 begins to take shape … QU’s Dollard receives All-American honor Quincy University running back Teon Dollard became the program’s third player in the past five years to be named a Don Hansen NCAA Division II honorable mention All-American. Dollard, a 6-foot, 205-pound graduate student who transferred to…
Read MoreHawks withstand Cardinals’ late surge, finish pre-Christmas slate above .500
QUINCY — Some opponents just won’t go away. The Quincy University men’s basketball team is learning how to make them. Sunday’s 82-70 victory over Saginaw Valley State in the final game of the Hansen-Spear Holiday Classic is a prime example. What seemed like a comfortable 18-point lead with eight minutes remaining in regulation dwindled to…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men’s basketball team heads into Christmas break after back-to-back victories
QUINCY — Christmas is a little more enjoyable when you take a win streak home. The Quincy University men’s basketball players will do so after sweeping their two games in the Hansen-Spear Holiday Classic, wrapping up the event Sunday with an 82-70 victory over Saginaw Valley State at Pepsi Arena. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…
Read MoreSharing is caring: Hawks take advantage of ball movement to blister nets in victory over Bears
QUINCY — Max Booher played it coy when it was suggested he likes shooting in Pepsi Arena. “A little bit,” Booher said with a wry smile. “Just a little bit.” Right now, no one shoots it better. Taking advantage of the Quincy University men’s basketball team’s increasingly better ball movement and several open looks from…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men’s basketball team erupts offensively against Barclay College
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s basketball team scored 65 points and made 12 3-pointers in the first half of Saturday’s 116-73 victory over Barclay College in the first round of the Hansen-Spear Holiday Classic at Pepsi Arena. The Hawks (5-5) will face Saginaw Valley State (4-4) at 3 p.m. Sunday. Muddy River Sports Editor…
Read MoreHawks fight through top-ranked Lakers’ relentless pressure to stay within striking distance
QUINCY — Mariann Blass nodded her head in agreement. Standing near Quincy University women’s basketball teammate Nicole McDermott as they discussed Friday’s 73-58 loss to No. 1-ranked Grand Valley State, Blass couldn’t help but react to a question posed to McDermott about the Lakers’ baseline-to-baseline defensive pressure. Was Grand Valley State’s relentless effort taxing? “Yeah,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU women’s basketball team fights to keep pace with No. 1-ranked Grand Valley State
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s basketball team put up a fight. The Hawks trailed top-ranked Grand Valley State by four points at halftime of Friday’s non-conference matchup at Pepsi Arena, saw the deficit balloon to 18 points and then whittled it back down to six with less than four minutes to play in regulation.…
Read MoreHawks earn first GLVC road victory, pull away in second half behind tenacious defensive effort
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Brad Hoyt admitted watching the Quincy University men’s basketball team play defense was fun. The offensive execution made him smile, too. A 19-6 run over the final eight minutes of the first half gave the Hawks a lead that continued to grow over the final 20 minutes Thursday night when Drury shot…
Read MorePanthers pull away over final six minutes, keep Hawks winless in GLVC play
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The next step in the evolution of the Quincy University women’s basketball team is obvious even if it isn’t so simple. The Hawks have to learn to finish. Three nights after suffering a double-overtime loss at Upper Iowa, Quincy held a one-point lead with six minutes remaining in regulation against Drury in…
Read MoreSeven-minute scoreless stretch spells doom for QU men’s basketball team in GLVC opener
FAYETTE, Iowa — A little more than halfway through the first half of Monday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference opener, the Quincy University men’s basketball team ran into a wall. There was no recovering from that. The Hawks led Upper Iowa 24-22 following El Sieger’s 3-pointer when the No. 25 Peacocks ripped off a 22-0 run…
Read MoreUpper Iowa outlasts QU women’s basketball team to win GLVC opener in double overtime
FAYETTE, Iowa — The inability to get to the finish line proved costly for the Quincy University women’s basketball team. The Hawks held a two-possession lead with three minutes remaining in both regulation and the first overtime of Monday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference opener, only to have Upper Iowa erase the deficit both times.…
Read MoreQU women’s volleyball team receives bid to NCAA Tournament, to face Grand Valley State in opener
QUINCY — A five-set loss in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament didn’t put the Quincy University women’s volleyball team in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament. It did make the postseason path quite a bit more difficult. The Hawks learned Monday night they had received an at-large bid to the…
Read MoreSizzling finish offensively lifts QU women’s basketball team to victory at Truman State
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — Some changes to the Truman State University women’s basketball team’s lineup Saturday — most notably the absence of post player Maddie Niemeier — created unique challenges and opportunities for Quincy University. The Hawks finally took advantage of them over the game’s final 16 minutes. Quincy whittled an eight-point deficit to two by…
Read MoreSchuckman: Lepper was big man with big heart, big laugh and big personality
QUINCY — When Tom Lepper stepped away from his role as an assistant coach with the Quincy High School boys basketball program two seasons ago due to health concerns, a number of people asked if a story would follow. The only way I’d write one, I continuously reiterated, was if he wanted to talk about…
Read MoreHawks stay composed in waning moments to earn road victory over Mules, extend win streak to three
WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Brad Hoyt isn’t naive enough to believe the Quincy University men’s basketball team will continue taking two steps forward without ever taking a step back. The Hawks just have to continue taking those first two steps. Thursday night, they navigated another one. Quincy saw a 10-point lead dwindle to two in a…
Read MoreQU’s Wijnbergen is named GLVC Player of the Year on eve of conference volleyball tournament
QUINCY — Emma Wijnbergen’s record-setting season earned her recognition as the best the Great Lakes Valley Conference has to offer. Wijnbergen, a senior attacker on the Quincy University women’s volleyball team, was named the GLVC Player of the Year on Thursday, becoming the first Hawk to receive the league’s top postseason honor. Wijnbergen led the…
Read MoreMotherhood changes everything for Schissel, who resigns as QU women’s soccer coach
QUINCY — Mackenzie Schissel hadn’t ever considered a life away from the game. “I was coaching until the day I died,” the Quincy University women’s soccer coach said. Then along came Marlee. The 1-year-old daughter of Schissel and her husband, Matt, who is the QU head baseball coach, made the coaching couple reassess everything and…
Read MoreSteal and score by Sieger in closing seconds puts exclamation point on Hawks’ comeback
QUINCY — El Sieger figured out Jaden Taylor’s modus operandi. So when the Missouri Southern basketball team’s leading scorer decided to attack off the dribble and headed toward the left elbow, Sieger knew where to be and how to react. “I just recognized he had finished over a couple of people before, so likely he…
Read MoreFourth-quarter surge allows QU women’s basketball team to rally to split weekend slate
QUINCY — Washburn guard Peyton Sterk’s 3-pointer half a minute into the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon could have been the dagger in a winless weekend for the Quincy University women’s basketball team. Instead, it brought out the fight in the Hawks. Mariann Blass answered with a 3-pointer that ignited a 24-point burst over the final…
Read MoreMissouri Western wears down QU football team in second half of season finale
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The challenge for the Quincy University football program moving forward will be finding a way to add the finishing touch. Lacking that Saturday cost the Hawks a shot at making history. Needing a win at Missouri Western to finish the season with seven victories — Quincy has not won more than…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QU coach Jason Killday discusses reaching five-win plateau in GLVC
QUINCY — The Quincy University football team’s struggles within the Great Lakes Valley Conference since the league introduced football as a championship sport have been well-documented. That narrative is changing. The Hawks finished the GLVC season with a 5-3 record, marking the first time they have won more than four games in league play ever.…
Read More‘The first one at home just feels right’: Hawks win Hoyt’s Pepsi Arena debut as head coach
QUINCY — Brad Hoyt wasn’t expecting to be hit by a tsunami from water bottles as he entered the Quincy University men’s basketball team’s locker room Thursday night. “I got soaked,” the Hawks’ first-year head coach said. “I think some of them refilled their bottles and got me again.” They wanted to make the celebration…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Strong second half carries Hawks to victory over Trojans in home debut
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s basketball team allowed Hannibal-LaGrange to score just 10 points over the game’s final 10 minutes to earn a 75-61 victory Thursday night in its home debut at Pepsi Arena. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreQU’s Wijnbergen, Kasavica receive GLVC weekly volleyball honors after weekend sweep
QUINCY — A record-setting weekend led to Emma Wijnbergen receiving another Great Lakes Valley Conference weekly honor. The same goes for Elena Kasavica. Wijnberegen, the Quincy University women’s volleyball team’s senior right side hitter set the program’s single-season record for kills as the No. 20 Hawks swept a pair of GLVC matches, beating No. 18…
Read MoreHawks reach new victory plateau in GLVC play as Dollard, offensive line dazzle in running game
BOLIVAR, Mo. — An unattainable number has finally been reached. Another is now within sight. Saturday’s 34-25 victory over Southwest Baptist allowed the Quincy University football team to finish its Great Lakes Valley Conference slate with a 5-3 record, marking the first time since the league added football as a championship sport the Hawks have…
Read MoreHaase’s big effort pushes Hawks to weekend sweep and perfect start to season
CEDARVILLE, Ohio — Game by game, the Quincy University women’s basketball team is erasing eight seasons of frustration and futility. After opening the season with a four-point victory Friday night — the Hawks hadn’t won a season opener since 2015 — they completed a weekend sweep in the GMAC/GLVC Regional Crossover by beating Cedarville 76-55…
Read MoreHawks unable to seal deal despite late lead, come home after losing twice in regional crossover
FINDLAY, Ohio — The process first-year Quincy University men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt and his staff are going through involves discovering what needs immediate attention, what can be fixed over time and what gets solved in recruiting. Finding a way to finish is one of those immediate attention sort of needs. The Hawks took a…
Read MoreQU women’s basketball team finishes strong, wins first season opener since 2015-16 season
CEDARVILLE, Ohio — One of the biggest takeaways from Courtney Boyd’s first season as the Quincy University women’s basketball coach was the Hawks needed to learn to finish what they start. Friday, they finished with a flourish. The Hawks kickstarted Boyd’s second campaign by responding to a fourth-quarter surge from Ursuline College by closing the…
Read MoreFindlay goes on late first-half run to put QU men’s basketball team in hole too big to climb out
FINDLAY, Ohio — An exasperated sigh is how Brad Hoyt summed up his debut as the Quincy University men’s basketball coach. “I think it was the first game for a whole bunch of new guys trying to figure things out,” Hoyt said. What the Hawks discovered is there is plenty of work to be done.…
Read MoreHawks ready to make significant strides in Boyd’s second season at helm
QUINCY — Learn from the past, but don’t dwell on it. That’s Courtney Boyd’s approach. Entering her second season as the Quincy University women’s basketball coach, Boyd saw the Hawks limp to the finish line, losing six of their final seven games to finish with a 10-18 record. Five of those six losses were by…
Read MoreHawks confident foundation for success is set, remain encouraged by progress being made
QUINCY — Mason Wujek doesn’t consider himself a Jenga expert by any means. “I’m not very good at it,” he said. The good thing is he doesn’t have to play it alone. Now in his third season with the Quincy University men’s basketball program and experiencing his second rebuilding project in that time, the 6-foot-8…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hoyt, Hawks ready to meet challenges game day presents
QUINCY — In the days leading up to their first road trip of the season, Quincy University men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt asked each of his players to come by his office for a one-on-one chat. “It’s a good check-in,” Hoyt said. All with a purpose. Hoyt can gauge the pulse of his new team…
Read MoreMcLaughlin steps aside as QU sprint football coach
QUINCY — Conner McLaughlin helped bring the Quincy University sprint football program to life. The next coach’s challenge will be to continue the upward trajectory. Late last week, McLaughlin resigned as the Hawks’ head coach after three seasons at the helm. QU athletic director Josh Rabe said a search for McLaughlin’s replacement begins immediately. A…
Read MoreCollege soccer notebook: Former QU skipper Musso earns Coach of the Year honor in OVC
St. CHARLES, Mo. — Dave Musso added another Coach of the Year honor to an already extensive collection. The former Quincy University women’s soccer coach earned his first postseason honor at the NCAA Division I level when he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year after guiding Lindenwood to a third-place finish…
Read MoreHawks’ Dollard earns GLVC weekly honor after rising to occasion in victory over Cardinals
QUINCY — Teon Dollard may not be the leading rusher in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, but he proved last Saturday he’s the best. In a head-to-head matchup with William Jewell’s Keandre McCullough, Dollard stole the show as he churned out 160 yards rushing on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead the Quincy…
Read MoreQuincy University inducts Class of 2024 into Sports Hall of Fame
QUINCY — Quincy University added six student-athletes, one team and four others to its Hall of Fame during induction ceremonies last Saturday in the Hall of Fame Room inside the QU Health and Fitness Center. The student-athletes inducted were Josh Breitbach (football), Torie Bunzell Kueker (softball), Ashley Kreis Skidmore (women’s soccer), Jessica Keller (women’s basketball),…
Read MoreLate goal forges tie, gives QU men’s soccer team hope of earning GLVC tourney spot
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s soccer team kept hope afloat on a variety of levels Sunday. After surrendering a goal in the 88th minute to allow Lincoln to take a 3-2 lead, the Hawks’ Carlos Moreno Henso ripped a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area into the upper left corner of the net…
Read MoreHawks’ tenacity and toughness not enough to overcome key miscues in loss to Bulldogs
QUINCY — Jason Killday’s coaching past ran into his future Saturday, and to no surprise, the two looked remarkably the same. That should leave those around the Quincy University football program encouraged despite the 28-21 loss to Truman State University in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at QU Stadium. The Hawks played the way Killday,…
Read MoreCOLLEGE ROUNDUP: QU football falls at Indy, but volleyball remains perfect in GLVC play; Wildcats host highly-ranked teams on the pitch
INDIANAPOLIS – The Quincy University football team faced #21 University of Indianapolis Saturday night and fell 47-10. The Hawks did strike first as quarterback Drake Davis hit Anthony Gilpin Jr. with a 28-yard touchdown pass on the game’s first drive to give QU a 7-0 lead. Quincy was within striking distance after the first quarter,…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QU men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt discusses start of preseason practices
QUINCY — The weather Saturday didn’t mirror what many of us think of when we talk about basketball season, which normally invokes images of a winter coats and snow-covered roads. However, the 90-degree sun-splashed day made it ideal for the Quincy University men’s basketball team to stay inside. The Hawks officially began practice for the…
Read MoreHawks bring Abe’s hat home after bounce-back effort leads to victory over Bearcats
L:EBANON, Ill. — If the hat is your reward, you might as well wear it. So some of the Quincy University football players — maybe even the head coach — donned the Abraham Lincoln-style black stove top hat that has become the traveling trophy for the annual Land of Lincoln battle with McKendree. The Hawks…
Read MoreCollege gameday: Hawks and Bearcats to square off in Land of Lincoln rivalry game
QUINCY — There’s a little more at stake when the only NCAA Division II football programs in Illinois square off Saturday. Quincy University and McKendree will play for the Land of Lincoln Trophy for the first time, as was announced by the schools in late August. The rivalry has been one-sided with McKendree winning 10…
Read More‘It’s not a good feeling’: Peacocks rally in second half to hand Hawks first loss of season
QUINCY — The Quincy University football players met a harsh reality as the clock ran out on Saturday’s game. “We learned we can be beat,” senior safety David Lewis said. “We’re not invincible.” Not that the Hawks believed they were immune to adversity following a 2-0 start to the season, but they never envisioned letting…
Read MoreBeretti’s barrage of kills catapults QU women’s volleyball team to GLVC victory over Missouri S&T
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s volleyball team fed the hot hand, and the Hawks parlayed that momentum into one of their most dominant sets of the season. In Saturday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference and homecoming match against Missouri S&T, Quincy sophomore outside hitter Susanna Beretti finished the third set with three straight kills, and…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU football team takes on Upper Iowa in homecoming game at QU Stadium
To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — The Quincy University football team allowed a fourth-quarter lead to slip away Saturday as the Hawks suffered a 29-27 loss to Upper Iowa in Great Lakes Valley Conference play on homecoming weekend at QU Stadium. Muddy…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QU linebacker Brock Wiley discusses homecoming, his birthday and defense
QUINCY — The Quincy University football team heads into homecoming weekend looking for just the second 3-0 start to a season since 1994, and it also is a birthday weekend for sophomore linebacker Brock Wiley, who turns 20 on Friday. Ahead of Saturday’s game against Upper Iowa at QU Stadium, Wiley joined Muddy River Sports…
Read MoreHawks display moxie in fending off Prairie Stars’ late push to earn tie in GLVC matchup
QUINCY — The dominoes aren’t falling the way they once were. Leading Illinois-Springfield by a goal deep into the second half of Sunday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup at Legends Stadium, the Quincy University women’s soccer team surrendered a goal in the 76th minute. It didn’t devolve into two or three goals, the same way…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU, UIS square off in GLVC soccer doubleheader at Legends Stadium
To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — Surrendering late goals cost the Quincy University men’s and women’s soccer teams the opportunity to come out on top in Sunday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against Illinois-Springfield at Legends Stadium. The QU men allowed a…
Read MoreBlocked punt kickstarts second-half comeback as Hawks rally for GLVC victory over Miners
ROLLA, Mo. — Jason Killday isn’t sure how accurate the stat actually is, but during his time as the offensive coordinator at Truman State University, he heard former Bulldogs coach Gregg Nesbitt say teams that block a punt win 90 percent of the time. Since taking over as the Quincy University football coach, Killday has…
Read MoreCollege Gameday: Quincy University at Missouri S&T
QUINCY — The early-season bye week meant it has been two weeks since the Quincy University football team last took the field, but the Hawks have used their time diligently to ensure the first Great Lakes Valley Conference road game isn’t a wasted trip. Missouri S&T has won seven of the last eight meetings against…
Read MoreCollege notebook: Anderson piles up assists, Hamm wins college tourney, GLVC honors go to two Hawks
ST. LOUIS — Seth Anderson’s newest moniker needs to be playmaker. Even his younger brother has been on the receiving end of Anderson’s skills at creating scoring opportunities. Anderson, a senior midfielder on the Saint Louis University men’s soccer team and a Quincy Notre Dame graduate, recorded his fourth assist of the season during Tuesday…
Read MoreSecond-half goals propel QU women’s soccer team to first victory of season
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s soccer team broke through by scoring its first goal of the season in Friday’s neutral site loss to Bemidji State. Sunday, the Hawks broke through for their first victory of the season. Olivia Nelson and Daniella Segall scored second-half goals and the Hawks shut out Lewis over the final…
Read MoreCann nets first career goal as Hawks erase deficit, salvage tie with Flyers in GLVC opener
QUINCY — Leo Cann’s first career goal and a stout defensive effort in the second half Sunday enabled the Quincy University men’s soccer team to salvage a 1-1 tie with Lewis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener at Legends Stadium. In doing so, the Hawks withstood a barrage. The Flyers outshot the Hawks 22-6…
Read MoreQU women’s volleyball team showcases tenacity, holds off Missouri S&T to finish weekend undefeated
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s volleyball team bookended its weekend by showing nothing is going to get it down. After opening the Hawk Invitational at Pepsi Arena on Friday with a four-set victory over William Jewell, the Hawks rebounded from two tough sets against Missouri S&T to win another four-set match Saturday and finish…
Read MoreVenvertloh’s goal sparks strong second half as Hawks knock off Pride
QUINCY — Carter Venvertloh and the Quincy University men’s soccer team notched their first goal, first victory and first upset in their final non-conference game. Venvertloh, the sophomore forward from Quincy High School, broke a scoreless tie when he scored off a Mathias Bringedal assist in the 49th minute, propelling the Hawks to a 2-1…
Read MoreQU men’s and women’s soccer teams shut out at home, both still winless in non-conference play
QUINCY — Two games into each of their respective seasons, the Quincy University men’s and women’s soccer programs find themselves in the same position. Winless and scoreless. The QU men suffered a 2-0 loss to Northern Michigan on Sunday in their home opener at Legends Stadium, while the QU women suffered a 1-0 loss to…
Read MoreOff and running: Ground game produces big results as Hawks win home opener
QUINCY — It’s a common theory that can lead to uncommon results. And there was nothing common about what transpired Saturday at QU Stadium. Backed by a ground game that churned out 248 yards rushing, the Quincy University piled up 515 yards of total offense in a 46-5 dismantling of Lincoln in the Great Lakes…
Read MoreStanding tall: QU defense’s unwillingness to budge results in season-opening victory
QUINCY — How the play impacted the scoreboard wasn’t of utmost concern. Certainly, the Quincy University football team’s defense didn’t want to allow a touchdown or wipe away the shutout it was pitching. But the Hawks knew making a goal-line stand at the start of the second quarter of Saturday’s home opener against Lincoln would…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU football team opens season with emphatic victory over Lincoln
To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photo,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — With thunderstorms washing out the second half of last week’s trip to Drake and turning that into a no-contest, the Quincy University football team’s game Saturday against Lincoln became the Hawks’ season opener as well as…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hawks’ Inman adding his own chapter to legacy of wearing No. 22
QUINCY — The legacy isn’t in the jersey number, no matter how meaningful it is for Brock Inman to wear it. That legacy lies in the leadership and leverage of how he plays. To that end, he’s upholding the legacy of No. 22 quite nicely. Inman is the third consecutive anchor of the Quincy University…
Read MoreCollege gameday: Lincoln University vs. Quincy University
QUINCY — The Quincy University football team finally will open its season — officially — after last week’s trip to Drake was washed out by weather. The Hawks and Bulldogs played one half and endured a two-hour delay before calling it a no-contest and wiping away all the stats. So Saturday’s home opener has become…
Read MoreWeather denies Hawks chance to rally in second half as season opener is ruled no contest
DES MOINES, Iowa — The process was always going to outweigh the outcome. Still, the Quincy University football players and coaches would have liked another 30 minutes to see what the outcome could have been. Trailing Drake 10-0 at halftime in Thursday night’s season opener at Drake Stadium, the Hawks were forced to endure a…
Read More‘I love the big guys up front’: Play of defensive line will bolster QU football team’s aggressive nature
QUINCY — Jaylin Vaughn wasn’t sure how to answer Quincy University football coach Jason Killday’s query. “At first, it caught me off guard,” the junior defensive tackle said. Killday kept coming to Vaughn and asking him, “Do you know what’s really fun?” The second-year transfer from Ellsworth Community College hesitated to give an answer, although…
Read MoreHawks’ offense will focus on running game, but Davis’ return will open up passing game
QUINCY — Drake Davis was more observer than participant last spring when the Quincy University football team went through its first practices under first-year head coach Jason Killday and a new offensive staff. That might have been for the best. The senior quarterback was able to study the concepts and learn the progression Killday and…
Read MoreCollege gameday: Quincy University travels to Drake
QUINCY — The Quincy University football team will open its season — and the Jason Killday coaching era — with a road trip to face an FCS opponent. The Hawks will square off with Drake University, a member of the Pioneer Football League that is coming off an 8-4 season and an FCS playoff appearance.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks continue showing growth halfway through fall camp
QUINCY — Jason Killday used one term to describe the second week of the Quincy University football program’s fall camp. Growth. The first-year head coach has watched the Hawks develop some consistency and maturity in their first two weeks of practice. After a lackluster end to the first week, the Hawks made certain the second…
Read MoreRecord-setting QHS quarterback values relationship built with QU coach, commits to play for Hawks
QUINCY — Each Quincy University football practice Bradyn Little attended last spring allowed the Quincy High School quarterback to foster a stronger relationship with first-year Hawks coach Jason Killday. “I know who he is,” Little said. With that comes a level of comfortability that can’t be matched. “I trust him,” Little said. “That’s big for…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hawks see accountability, confidence, consistency grow with each practice
QUINCY — The progression is designed to be natural. First, set the foundation. Then, add the layers. “We’re trying to build a structure here,” Brock Inman said. That’s why no one fretted when the Quincy University football team’s first fall practice wasn’t as crisp as anyone would have liked. The Hawks needed to lay the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU football team working way through first week of practice
QUINCY — Each day, the repititions get a little quicker, the reactions get a little better and the intensity gets a little stronger. By the time the Quincy University football players go to full pads, they should be ready to rumble at full speed. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time with the Hawks…
Read MoreGLVC will add men’s volleyball as championship sport beginning in 2025-26 school year
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s volleyball team is finally going to find itself on a more level playing field. Thursday, the Great Lakes Valley Conference announced it is adding men’s volleyball as a championship sport beginning with the 2025-26 season. The GLVC will have seven teams participate in men’s volleyball with the addition of…
Read MoreCrim: Former QU baseball coach releases book on his quarter-century spent scouting for MLB teams
QUINCY — One book is out, another is on the way. Former Quincy University baseball coach Jim Pransky has published a memoir based largely on the 25 years he spent as a scout for five Major League Baseball organizations. In “Baseball’s Test of Spirit: A Man’s Unlikely Odyssey into the Scouting World,” Pransky writes about…
Read MoreFormer QU All-American Croes will start in American Association All-Star Game
QUINCY — Make it two for two for Dayson Croes. An All-American infielder while playing for the Quincy University baseball team, Croes recently earned his second all-star honor in his second season playing professional baseball. He was named a starter for the West Division for the American Association of Professional Baseball All-Star Game. Croes, who…
Read MoreTwo former QU men’s basketball assistant coaches find new positions at D-I, juco levels
QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University assistant men’s basketball coaches — one of whom is a former Hawks player — have landed new coaching gigs. Jestin Anderson, who spent the past four seasons at Maryville and was elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2022-23 season, has joined the staff at NCAA…
Read MoreFormer QU assistant baseball coach becomes head skipper at NCAA Division II Saint Leo
SAINT LEO, Fla. — Josh Keim is climbing the coaching ladder. After four highly successful seasons at Black Hawk College in Moline, Ill., the former Quincy University assistant baseball coach was named the head coach at NCAA Division II Saint Leo University on Friday, replacing Rick O’Dette, who resigned June 13. Keim played for O’Dette…
Read MoreHoyt fills QU men’s basketball coaching staff with familiar names and faces
QUINCY — Brad Hoyt believed there was one vital element necessary when constructing his coaching staff. Familiarity. The first-year Quincy University men’s basketball coach needed at least one coach familiar with the community, one familiar with the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the NCAA Division II level, and one familiar with himself and his coaching…
Read MoreQuincy’s Kirn commits to West Virginia to play final season of collegiate baseball
QUINCY — Aside from the genuine interest the West Virginia University coaching staff showed in him, Griffin Kirn found another reason to believe he could succeed pitching for the Mountaineers. He saw what Derek Clark had done. A left-hander who transferred to West Virginia from NCAA Division II Northwood with one year of eligibility remaining,…
Read MoreSchuckman: College World Series pool is about friendship more than it is baseball
QUINCY — The first pitch came at noon from a pitcher I had never seen throw for a team I have never rooted for against a team I had no idea who was on their roster. Yet, I was all-in on the University of Kentucky baseball team. It will be the case when Arizona, UNC…
Read MoreQU’s Simpson receives first-team All-American honors, Palmyra’s Kroeger on second team
QUINCY — Austin Simpson’s ability to get on base was as good as anyone in the nation. The postseason honors he’s accumulating reflect that. The Quincy University redshirt junior first baseman was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association first-team All-American this week, becoming the seventh first-team All-American in program history. Simpson, a native of…
Read MoreFormer QU men’s basketball assistant coaches join new staffs
QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University men’s basketball assistant coaches have landed new jobs. Troy Potts has joined the staff at Frank Phillips College, an NJCAA Division I school in Borger, Texas, as an assistant coach. Meanwhile, Pat Richardson is headed to Jackson, Miss., to be an assistant coach on the Jackson State…
Read MoreKirn, Kroeger, Simpson collect All-Midwest Region honors from NCBWA
QUINCY — A pair of Quincy University baseball players and a Palmyra product earned first-team All-Midwest Region honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Hawks left-hander Griffin Kirn and Maryville left-hander Jacob Kroeger were two of the four first-team starting pitchers, while Hawks first baseman/designated hitter Austin Simpson was the first-team utility player. Simpson…
Read MoreHawks run out of gas in GLVC championship game, miss chance to make NCAA Tournament
MARION, Ill. — Hope lasted about six hours. Following Sunday’s 11-1 loss to Maryville in the championship game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, the Quincy University baseball players had time before and after a four-plus-hour bus ride home from Mtn. Dew Park to believe they might still get in the NCAA Division II…
Read More‘I pretty much got every stitch of that ball’: Simpson’s walk-off grand slam sends Hawks into GLVC Tournament title game
MARION, Ill. — The steakhouse Austin Simpson and his parents visited Saturday night had a 12-ounce ribeye on the menu. “I ate the whole thing,” the Quincy University first baseman said. He knew he needed to order it when he saw how it was labeled. “It was actually called ‘The champion,’” he said. How fitting…
Read MoreNever count ’em out: Hawks force extra innings, defeat Greyhounds on Simons’ single in 11th
MARION, Ill. — Connor Simons hadn’t had an official at-bat in nearly a month as he recovered from a concussion suffered in the final game of the Quincy University baseball team’s regular-season series against Indianapolis. So consider this a little bit of payback for putting him on the shelf. Simons drove a breaking ball on…
Read More‘I’m not letting go’: QU’s Ortiz makes game-saving, diving catch in bottom of ninth
MARION, Ill. — JD Ortiz needs to see a video replay of his diving catch to understand just how catastrophic the play could have been and just how remarkable it truly was. All he knows is he was determined to make the play at all costs. “I’m on the floor and my neck and my…
Read More‘That’s just the greatest feeling ever’: DuPont’s walk-off home run lifts Hawks in extra innings
MARION, Ill. — Dustin DuPont took off on a dead sprint toward first base, unsure where the ball he uncorked to right field would actually land. “It hit the back of the bullpen wall, but I thought it hit the fence,” the Quincy University catcher said. “I kind of started taking off a little more…
Read MoreHarrison, Hawks weather storm to pick up victory in first round of GLVC Tournament
MARION, Ill. — After left-handed reliever Roman Harrison navigated the top of the 10th inning without worry Wednesday, staff ace Griffin Kirn approached him in the dugout and asked if he was good to go back out for another inning. “I said, ‘No, we’re going to walk it off this inning,’” Harrison said. Not even…
Read MoreHawks’ Kirn receives GLVC Pitcher of the Year honor, while Broughton is league’s top freshman
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn proved unbeatable in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. David Broughton became the tone-setter for one of the GLVC’s hottest teams. The league’s coaches couldn’t ignore either player’s success. Kirn, the Quincy University baseball team’s left-handed ace, was named the GLVC PItcher of the Year on Tuesday night by a vote of…
Read MoreSchuckman: Relaxed play helps Hawks change outlook, open up world of possibilities
QUINCY — The game and everything about it felt tedious. None of the Quincy University baseball players will deny that. “When you’re getting your butt kicked, it is a chore,” first baseman Austin Simpson said. A five-run loss in the series finale against the University of Indianapolis on April 14 left the Hawks eight games…
Read MorePunctuating a sweep: Simpson’s homer caps Hawks’ perfect weekend against Prairie Stars
QUINCY — Austin Simpson knew he couldn’t go home empty-handed or he’d never live it down. His roommates — Dustin DuPont and Adam Lewis — both hit home runs Saturday in helping the Quincy University baseball team build an insurmountable lead in the finale of its Great Lakes Valley Conference series with Illinois-Springfield. So when…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks head to GLVC Tournament riding high after perfect weekend
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team had reason to celebrate Saturday afternoon. Not only did the Hawks honor the seniors following the final home game of the regular season, but the 21-7 victory over Illinois-Springfield punctuated a weekend series sweep that earned the Hawks the No. 4 seed for the Great Lakes Valley Conference…
Read MoreHawks secure spot in GLVC Tournament with three wins, look to complete sweep
QUINCY — The situations were strikingly similar, the circumstances decidedly different and the outcomes remarkably the same. Credit Logan Mueller and Roman Harrison for each having a little Harry Houdini in their act. Mueller, a sophomore right-handed reliever, was summoned from the Quincy University baseball team’s bullpen with the bases loaded and one out in…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU takes tripleheader, building serious momentum with postseason on horizon
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team is heading toward the postseason with some steam. The Hawks won three games Friday — the resumption of Thursday’s suspended game and both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader — to secure their spot in the GLVC Tournament. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks, Prairie Stars play five innings before thunderstorms shake QU Stadium
QUINCY — They waited as long as they could. Finally, the Quincy University baseball players had to leave QU Stadium before the threatening skies dumped rain and hail and ruined a Thursday afternoon at the ballpark. The Hawks and Illinois-Springfield were tied at 2 when lightning strikes within 7 miles of the stadium forced the…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hawks’ Boynton pours heart, soul, tears into chasing baseball dreams
QUINCY — The emotion spills out in ways Brock Boynton can’t always contain. Sometimes it’s a bat flip that goes a little too high or a little too far. Other times it’s the barbaric yawp everyone hears as he rounds the bases on a home run trot. And every now and then, it’s the toss…
Read MoreHuff and puff and blow Bearcats away: Hawks belt eight home runs in GLVC series finale
LEBANON, Ill. — Joe Huffman made certain the Quincy University baseball team went into the final week of the regular season with momentum. Jake Vitale helped ensure that, too. Huffman blasted three home runs Sunday and Vitale jacked two, the second of which gave the Hawks the lead for good in an 18-10 slugfest victory…
Read MoreSchuckman: Progress made, but for Hawks to succeed come fall, hard work must continue
QUINCY — The work isn’t done because the pads came off. Come August, Quincy University football coach Jason Killday and his staff will see if the players embraced that message. The Hawks wrapped up spring practice Saturday at QU Stadium with an energetic, determined effort that highlighted many of the positives gleaned from five weeks…
Read MoreBoynton’s blast highlights epic rally as Hawks earn split with Bearcats in rain-delayed doubleheader
SAUGET, Ill. — The Quincy University baseball team scored eight runs in the sixth inning of game two to earn a split of Saturday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against McKendree. The Hawks lost the first game 6-3 and rallied in a rain-delayed second game for an 8-6 victory at Grizzlies Ballpark. Weather forced the…
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