Shi Qing Ong caps memorable career
One of the most decorated individual careers in Griffon Athletics came to a close this past spring as women’s golfer Shi Qing Ong competed for the final time.
Ong, from Malaysia, won all four spring tournaments she entered and won her 14th career and fifth consecutive event by becoming a back-to-back MIAA Champion. Her 14 individual titles were good for a new Missouri Western record, passing current PGA golfer Brice Garnett for the most ever as a Griffon.
Ong was named MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Year for a second consecutive season. She also became Missouri Western’s first finalist for the MIAA’s Ken B. Jones award which recognizes the top male and female student athletes in the MIAA. Ong was named second-team All-American by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, first-team All-Central Region by the WGCA and first team All-MIAA. She was also named Google Cloud Academic All-District® and was named Missouri Western’s Female Student-Athlete of The Year for a second time.
On the course, Ong helped the women’s golf team to its fourth consecutive NCAA Central Region Championship appearance, where she finished tied for second to advance to her third NCAA Division II Championships appearance. Ong carded her best round in her final round as a collegiate golfer to finish tied for 19th at the national championships, her highest-ever finish at the event.
Baseball
The 20th season of the Buzz Verduzco era and the 50th season of Missouri Western baseball produced a 21-24 record. Senior pitcher Anthony Castaneda was named first team All-MIAA and second team All-Region by three different organizations. Castaneda produced one of the most prolific seasons by a Griffon pitcher in recent memory, with his 111 strikeouts the second most in a season in Missouri Western history.
Men’s Golf
Patrick McCarthy earned a spot in the NCAA Central/Midwest Super Regional for a third consecutive year. The New Mexico native’s 72.35 scoring average through the regular season was the lowest ever recorded by a Griffon. He reached as high as No. 7 in the central region rankings and was named first team All-MIAA for the third time in his career.
Softball
Bad weather couldn’t rain on the parade of softball head coach Jen Bagley Trotter. Her 18th season leading the Griffons brought two major milestones for the coach and saw her program back toward the top of the MIAA.
Almost two months after earning her 600th career victory, Bagley Trotter became the MIAA’s winningest softball coach when her Griffons shut out nationally ranked Winona State 1-0 on March 23 at home. Her 615th career victory – all at Missouri Western – moved the Griffon head coach past one of her predecessors, Rhesa Sumrell, for the most wins ever by a softball coach in MIAA history.
Following the milestone for their head coach, the Griffons won 19 of their next 20 games, including an 18-game win streak that was snapped on the third day of the MIAA Championships by then No. 1-ranked University of Central Oklahoma. Missouri Western finished second in the MIAA standings and returned to the NCAA Central Region Championships for the 11th time in Bagley Trotter’s 18 seasons here. The Griffons went 1-2 at the regional, falling to eventual national champion Augustana and Winona State.
Seven Griffons were named All-MIAA, with Morgan Frost and Brea Blanton named first- team selections.
Track & Field
Sophomore Hanna Williams became the first female to represent Missouri Western at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Trimble, Missouri native qualified for the national championships in the 400 meter, just missing the finals.
In the indoor season, Williams became Missouri Western’s first automatic qualifier for the national championships, but was unable to compete after suffering an injury in the MIAA Championships.
The Griffons showed major signs of improvement in the second year of the resurrection of the programs. Eight members of the women’s team scored points in the MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and three competitors on the men’s side tallied points for the Griffons at the event.