A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES WERE MADE DURING THE 2016-17 ATHLETIC YEAR AT EVANGEL. TAKE A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE AWARDS, CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TOP MOMENTS FROM THE YEAR.
Brock West was one of four Crusaders to earn NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors for his hard-work on and off the field. West also was named CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-America.
Junior Josh Evans was a First Team All-Heart linebacker and was also a finalist for the Cliff Harris Defensive Player of the Year award. Evans set the single-season school record for tackles for a loss and had the fourth most sacks in a single-season as he led the league in both categories. He is also the all-time tackles for a loss leader and ranks fifth in school history with 19 total sacks.
Sophomore defensive back Dalton Taylor returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown and blocked another field goal to help the Crusaders capture a Homecoming victory on October 22 vs Central Methodist. Taylor was not only named the Heart Special Teams Player of the Week, but earned national honors being named the NAIA National Player of the Week as well.
2016 Evangel Soccer
Coryell FIeld
Coryell Field was completed in September as the new home for Evangel men's and women's soccer and future home of Crusader football. The Evangel women's soccer team played the first ever match on Coryell Field September, 20.
In year two for Evangel men's soccer, the Crusaders finished the year 5-13 and also earned their first Heart victory. Kyler Moore paced the Crusaders with eight goals scored on the season and 17 points.
The Crusader women's soccer team captured the program's first ever win on the opening weekend of action at Stephens College on Aug. 26, with a 4-1 win.
Evangel started the season 3-0 including the program's first ever shutout, a 2-0 win over Williams Baptist. Lesleigh Fenton and Brooke Todd scored four goals each to lead the Crusaders offensively in 2016.
The Evangel Volleyball team finished the season 20-15 marking the 14th consecutive season with 20 wins.
Morgan Kensinger finished second in the nation in blocks as she set the all-time Evangel blocks record. Kensinger and Jackie Fugate were named to the All-Heart First Team while four other Crusaders earned all-conference accolades.
Senior Allie Dunton-Moss joined Morgan Kensinger as NAIA Scholar-Athletes. She also set an Evangel single-match record with 47 digs on September 9, and tied her own record on November 3, in the first round of the Heart Postseason Tournament.
Senior Devon Colegrove finished one of the best cross country careers in Evangel history. Colegrove earned his third consecutive trip to the NAIA National Championships after a sixth place finish at the Heart Championships.
The Evangel women were led by Leslie Perona who finished 21st at the Heart Championships. Perona also helped the Crusader women capture the title at the St. Louis XC Fall Classic as she crossed the finish line in fourth.
September 2016 Evangel Athletics inducted five new members into the Hall of Fame. One of the most decorated classes the 2016 Class included: Micah Cravalho (football), Matt Linehan (men's basketball), NaTasha (Neal) Moore (women's basketball), Demetric Phillips (football) and Kelly (Hartley) Richardson (volleyball)
The Evangel men's basketball team ended 2016 as one of the hottest teams in the Heart. Starting with a win over rival College of the Ozarks, the Crusaders picked up upset victories over #13 Grand View and Vanguard.
The Crusaders made a late surge to claim a spot in the Heart Postseason Tournament. Starting with a road win at 5th-ranked and defending national champion MidAmerica Nazarene the Crusaders finished February 5-2 before a tough exit in the conference tournament.
Allison Swanson and Taylor Longley were named to the 2017 All-Heart Second Team.
Swanson led Evangel in both points at 12.2 and rebounds with 8.2 per game this season. She ranked in the top 20 most of the season with 1.7 blocks per game and ranked top 50 nationally in total rebounds (239) and rebounds per game.
Longley led the Crusaders with 2.5 assists per game and was the second-leading scorer behind Swanson averaging 11.8 points per game which also ranked 19th in the Heart. Her 1.8 steals per game also ranked in the top 15 in the conference.
Senior Mairead Cleary finished the fall season with the Consolation Championship at the Wheat State Fall Classic.
Cleary also earned All-Heart First Team honors in singles during the 2017 season. A native of Sydney, Australia, the senior finished 4-3 on the season at the No. 1 singles position. She lost just once to a NAIA foe as the other two losses came against NCAA Division II opponents. She also played at No 1 doubles for the entire season with Alina Schweizer as the duo finished 4-3 this season. Cleary finished her second season with the Crusaders after transferring to Evangel.
The Crusader men's golf team saw junior Dylan Bekemeier win the 2016 Evangel Fall Invitational. Evangel earned back-to-back second place team finishes to end the season.
Grant Seifried and Dylan Bekemeier finished fifth and eighth respectively. Bekemeier earned five top 10 finishes on the season with a team best 76.3 average while Michael Fuehne was second after earning two top 10 finishes. Grant Seifried earned three top 5 finishes while Brain Cauldwell finished in the top 20 three times.
Blake McKnight is called up to Double-A Springfield
Junior catcher, Dustin Hargus, was joined by senior second baseman, Stevin Cisneros as Heart Gold Glove Award winners. Hargus was also named All-Heart Honorable Mention along with junior pitcher Dustin Eby, junior outfielder Ryan Frye and junior designated hitter Tanner McVey.
Junior Ryan Frye was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for his hard-work on and off the field. Frye was tabbed to the District 3 Team after posting a 3.78 GPA in mathematics at Evangel and advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot. The Normal, Ill., native hit .352 on the season for the Crusaders and finished with seven doubles. He was also perfect in the outfield finishing with no errors in 39 starts and 45 games played.
2017 EVANGEL SSOFTBALL
2017 HEART SOUTH DIVISION CHAMPS
The Crusaders turned in an impressive home record going 17-3 while posting a 22-14 mark in conference play to claim the Heart South Division Title. Evangel took 3-of-4 from Avila to earn the Division Title while also winning 31 games. Seven different Crusaders also broke into the top 10 in several categories during the 2017 season.
Seven Crusaders were honored during the 2017 season being named to either the all-Heart Team or Heart Gold Glove Winners.
Senior Cassidy Gillihan was recognized as one of the nation's top student-athletes for her combined performance athletically and in the classroom as part of the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Gillihan was named to the District 3 First Team after posting a 3.80 GPA in psychology as also advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot. A native of Sterling, Ill., Gillihan entered the postseason hitting over .400 and leads Evangel with 62 hits.
The Evangel track and field teams got off to an impressive start under first-year head coach Edward Sands. Two records fell during the season while three athletes earned NAIA Qualifying marks.
Freshman Terrell Posada earned NAIA-A Qualifying marks in the both the 100-meters and 200-meters. Posada also broke the Evangel record in the 200-meters on April 8 at the Central Methodist Open with a time of 21.40. Posada also moved into second with a time of 10.60 in the 100-meters in the same meet.
Allison Newport broke her own school record with a personal best in the javelin on April 1 at the Baker Relays. Newport's mark of 132'3" (40.32m) also earned a NAIA-B qualifying mark.
After an impressive cross country career, Colegrove has finished his track and field career with a NAIA-A Qualifying mark in the half marathon with a time of 1:10:36.00. The time was the second best in Evangel history as Colegrove also earned a personal best in 2017 in the 1,500-meters.