MVC Round-up: Four Lady Vikings earn all-America honors

Four Missouri Valley College athletes claimed all-America status by placing in the top six of their weight classes in the Women's College Wrestling Association National Championships held Saturday in the Burns Athletic Center.

Freshman Randi Beltz led the Lady Vikings with a second-place performance. The top-ranked grappler from St. Clair won her first three bouts in the 59-kilogram class, two by fall, before meeting No. 2 Missouri Baptist freshman Helen Maroulis in the finals, dropping a narrow 2-2, 2-1, 3-0 decision.

Freshman Jordan Hagerman (82 kilograms) split her first four matches, pinning one opponent, before stopping Jamestown (N.D.) freshman Justina Laufalamana with two seconds remaining in the second round for fifth place.

Valley had two sixth-place showings: freshman Keeya Skyes (44) splitting her first two matches prior to a 6-9, 3-1 to Cumberlands (Ky.) freshman J. Elise Woodruff in the trophy match and sophomore Britney Heatherly (48) also going 2-2 before being pinned midway through the second period by sophomore Jessica Nguyen, also of the Lady Patriots.

Junior Venus Barron (72) won her seventh-place match, but sophomore Brittany Bertolani (51) had to withdrawal from hers due to injury.

The Lady Vikings placed sixth in the 12-team, 150-wrestler field with 23 points. Oklahoma City easily took the team title with 124 points, well ahead of Cumberlands' 76 points for second and the 70 points tallied by Simon Fraser (B.C.) for third.

At a banquet the previous evening, Heatherly and junior Rachel Pike of Valley received WCWA Academic all-America honors.

The Lady Vikings are on hiatus until the spring, when they will compete in the USA Wrestling University Nationals, April 10 at Akron, Ohio.

Men's Volleyball

The Missouri Valley College men's volleyball team is off to a rough start, with four losses to begin the season.

The latest was Tuesday's 30-23, 30-32, 30-21, 30-21 MAMVIC West home loss to second-ranked Park, the 2008 national champion. Freshman Luis Zepeda led the Pirates (4-2, 2-0 MAMVIC) with 19 kills.

The Vikings opened the campaign Jan. 21 in Grocer C. Redford Gymnasium with a 30-24, 30-24, 30-24 non-conference loss to No. 8 Missouri Baptist, then fell at fifth-ranked league rival Lindenwood 30-20, 30-24, 30-16 on Jan. 26.

Third-ranked Hope International (Ill.) beat Valley on its home court Sunday, 30-22, 30-20, 33-35, 30-17.

Through their first four matches, the Vikings (0-4, 0-2) have been led offensive by sophomore Spencer Bishop with 53 kills and 49 from junior Josh DeLeon, also second on the team with 27 digs -- behind only the 33 of junior Jay Hanagami. Freshman Troy Peterson, a 6-foot-8 middle, has blocked 11 shots.

Valley will compete in the Hannibal-LaGrange Triangular this weekend, with two matches against the Trojans and another with Clarke (Iowa) before returning home Sunday to hook up with Mount St. Joseph (Ohio).

Machholz now Associate AD

Veteran head wrestling coach Mike Machholz has been named MVC's Associate Athletic Director.

Machholz, a Marshall native, has worked for the college since 1989. In 1994, he took over the wrestling program and led it to three NAIA championships (1996-97, 2003) and four second-place finishes while capturing 119 all-America medals.

"Mike has demonstrated extraordinary leadership qualities in his 20-plus years at Missouri Valley College," said Athletic Director Tom Fifer. "I am confident in his ability in advancing the Viking athletic program and assisting in the recruitment of coaches, trainers, and student-athletes."

Machholz has served as the Assistant AD since 2007.

Football busy on Signing Day

The Valley football team announced the signing of 43 football recruits Wednesday, the national signing day.

Among the athletes hoping to contribute to the Vikings is Sweet Springs senior Zach Thomas, a four-time all-I-70 Conference linebacker and two-time all-state offensive lineman. Not including Thomas, projected as a linebacker, Valley signed 12 players who could play on the offensive line.

The Vikings are coming off an 8-3 campaign, 8-2 for third place in the Heart of America Conference, and their third NAIA Championship Series appearance in four years -- falling in the first round at Morningside (Iowa), 24-6.