Gorilla warfare

Zach Wagner | Collegio Reporter ROTC student cadets promoted their Gorilla Warfare day during Pitt State’s faceoff against Missouri Southern on Saturday by holding several fundraising activities at Carnie Smith Stadium. “This year’s Gorilla Warfare day as a whole went just as well as last year’s,” Senior Cadet Jesse West said. “However, for myself and the other seniors, escorting the football team into the stadium before the game started definitely made the experience more fulfilling.” As hundreds of Pitt State fans crowded behind the stadium, students gathered around tables set up by the cadets. “It’s pretty cool to see some of the guys I know in ROTC put together something that gets a little bit…

VICTORIOUS

Seth Stilling | Sports Editor The No. 7 Gorillas have No. 23 Central Missouri to thank for their first MIAA football title since 2004 after the Gorillas beat the visiting Missouri Southern Lions 51-28 in front of 7,886 fans at Carnie Smith Stadium on Saturday. Central Missouri defeated the No. 15 Washburn Ichabods 39-21 to give the Gorillas the crown, being the only one-loss team in the conference. John Brown was the man of the match for the Gorillas. The sophomore wide receiver tied a school record by racking up five touchdowns Saturday, three on the ground and two receiving. Brown gained 180 yards of total offense on the day and head coach Tim Beck…

Support, set, spike

Residence halls pack the stands at volleyball game ADRIANA GARMACEA  | Collegio Reporter Students from the residence halls showed their support for the PSU volleyball team by attending the match against Missouri Western on Friday. The hall residents competed among themselves by displaying banners and rooting for the team to see which could show the most support. Tambree Wilson, resident assistant from Willard, says that their advisers gave them the idea for the competition. “Our coordinators let us know about this initiative and gave us the idea of making banners, which they turned into a competition of banners between each hall,” said Wilson, sophomore in psychology. According to Wilson, the goal was to encourage dorm residents…

Volleyball team goes out with a bang

Alexandria Mott | Collegio Reporter The Pittsburg State volleyball team played its final matches of the season at home last weekend. The team came out victorious in both matches, defeating Missouri Western in four sets, 25-20, 19-25, 25-20 and 25-17, and defeating Truman State in five sets 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25 and 16-14. Head coach Ibraheem Suberu was pleased with the Gorillas’ final matches. “Offensive point production was the highest in back-to-back matches this year,” Suberu said. “We had better balance in point scoring from every offensive teammate.” The Gorillas’ strong offense helped lead them to the win against Missouri Western. The team earned a hitting percentage of .329 for the match. The team’s offense…

Early upset shows promise

Amelia Mallatt | Collegio Reporter The Pittsburg State women’s basketball team started the season strong, upsetting No. 20 Tarleton State 76-64 at the South Central Regional Challenge Saturday, Nov. 12, in San Antonio, Texas. The Gorillas found their A-game, hitting 56.8 percent of their shots and making 24 of 30 free throws. The defense was also strong as the Gorillas blocked eight shots. Senior Brooke Conley led all scorers with 25 points. Conley was 8 for 11 from the floor, including 1 for 2 from three-point range. Conley hit all eight of her free throws, added five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and even had two steals. Freshman Lizzy Jeronimus chipped in 15 points and led…

International runner gives true meaning to cross country

Zach Wagner | Collegio Reporter Leaving home is a challenge for any college freshman. It’s a time when a person is supposed to develop independence. However, when homesickness sets in, most students can simply make a weekend trip back home. That is not possible for freshman runner Nicholas Kiprono, who comes from Kenya. Kiprono has met various challenges in college, most of which are unfamiliar to other students. Through it all, Kiprono has become the fastest freshman runner on the team and the second-fastest runner on the entire roster. Growing up, Kiprono had various inspirations for what he wanted to do with his future. The biggest, however, was when his older brother Henry decided to choose…

A long time coming

Pitt State loses game, gains opportunity for growth Garett Mccollough | Sports Editor The Gorillas squandered their chance at perfection this past weekend with a loss to Washburn and they may become a better team because of it. In every sport, once greatness is seemingly reachable, it becomes much harder to obtain. This was the case last Saturday when the then No. 2 Gorillas were defeated by the No. 9 Ichabods. Hopefully, what Pitt State, primarily the offense, will realize is that starting slow will not work against the top teams in Division II. I am alluding to the tendency of Pitt’s offense to start slow against its opponents, no matter who they may be….

Volkert advances for second consecutive year

Zach Wagner | Collegio Reporter Pitt State men’s cross country team attempted to qualify for nationals at the Regional 10K race in Wichita Falls, Texas, last weekend. However, they fell short of their goal, placing fifth with a total time of 2:44:07, but they did manage to send one runner to nationals. Junior Adam Volkert placed fourth overall in the race with a time of 31:10:40, and qualified for nationals. “I had getting in the top five in mind going into the race,” Volkert said. “After the race, I couldn’t help but think I could’ve done better.” Nineteen teams participated in the meet and Pitt State struggled to stick together in the large race. The…

Team effort earns trip to nationals

Amelia Mallatt | Collegio Reporter The Pitt State women’s cross country team finished second in the South Central Regional meet, qualifying for the 2011 NCAA-II National Championships. The meet was held over the weekend in Wichita Falls, Texas. Melissa Peden took fifth place overall with a time of 21:56.10. The next Pitt State runner to finish was Kaley Temaat, who finished 22nd with a time of 22:38.80. Bridgette McCormick came in 34th with a time of 23:01.80, Erica Testa finished 37th with a time of 23:07.90, and Katelyn Henderson finished in 23:18.30, earning her 45th place. Head coach Russ Jewett praised the team after the meet. “It was truly a team effort,” Jewett said. “Melissa…

Gorilla grad opens local gym

TYLER SMITH | Collegio Reporter Aaron McConnell is no slouch when it comes to finding success. He earned big wins in both football and wrestling and even had a short stint with the Tennessee Titans. “I played at Pitt State from 2000-2003,” McConnell said. “I was the first four-time All-American at Pitt.” The former football player was a force to be reckoned with and he earned a national title while pulling double duty as a male cheerleader. “I have always been a guy that lived outside of the box,” McConnell said. “I love doing things that people say I shouldn’t.” One of his biggest accomplishments is his new gym, Mac Fitness Center, located off 11th…