Monday, May 02, 2016

Padilla and Miranda-Carr Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team visited Lone Star Conference and regional powerhouse West Texas A&M last weekend. In the final road trip of the season, ENMU stayed within striking distance in each of Saturday’s games. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Chris Padilla and Chris Miranda-Carr, from the baseball team.
   
Leading the Greyhounds from the plate over the weekend series against West Texas A&M, Chris Padilla appeared in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader and would go to finish with a .429 batting average on 3-of-7 hitting.  The freshman outfielder finished the contests with one RBI and one extra base hit, while also having one multi-hit game.  He also led the team in slugging and on base percentages, with a .571 and .429, respectively.

Starting one contest and pitching relieve in another in just as many days, Chris Miranda-Carr finished the weekend with a 4.76 ERA over 5.2 innings pitched.  Only allowing three runs and six hits, the young arm kept the Greyhounds in the running in his start.  In his relief effort, Miranda-Carr came in and got Eastern out of a jam in the first inning of game one, giving up no hits and allowing no runners to reach base.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Coronado, Szych, Ripple, Ward, Filippini, and Smith Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams turned in exceptional performances last weekend, despite competing in windy conditions at New Mexico Junior College. The softball team concluded its season with a big win, while the baseball team had a couple tight games in conference play. The rodeo teams concluded their regular season and will be preparing for the College National Finals Rodeo. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Julian Coronado (men’s track & field), Klaudia Szych (women’s track & field), Katie Ripple (softball), Daniel Ward (baseball), Hank Filippini (men’s rodeo), and Taylor Smith (women’s rodeo).
   
Julian Coronado turned in a strong performance in last weekend's New Mexico Junior College Ross Black Open, and qualified for the NCAA championships in the 4x100 relay. The freshman joined with three teammates to win the 4x100m relay with a provisional qualifying time of 40.62. Coronado was exceptional in the 100m dash and would have automatically qualified for the championship meet with a season-best time of 10.29, had it not been for windy conditions.

Klaudia Szych won the women's 800-meter run at the New Mexico Junior College Ross Black Open, with a time of 2:12.86. Although it will not count due to windy conditions, the time met provisional qualification standards for the NCAA championship meet and was nearly four seconds ahead of West Texas A&M's Nikolina Hrelec.

Katie Ripple hit safely in three out of four games against Tarleton State last weekend. The junior had two multiple-hit games, which included a two for three outing with three runs scored, a homer and two runs batted in, during ENMU's first road win over the TexAnns since the 2006 season. Over the weekend, Ripple hit .500 with runners in scoring position, and in critical two-out situations.

Daniel Ward went 7-for-12 from the plate in the Greyhounds weekend series against Texas A&M-Kingsville, leading his team offensively with .917 slugging and .615 on base percentages.  He also recorded a team-high four RBIs.

Hank Filippini won the steer wrestling as the ENMU men’s rodeo team concluded the season at Tarleton State. Filippini's average of 11.1 earned 50 points to edge Coy Surrett from South Plains College. He scored 5.3 in the first round and 5.8 in the short round.

Taylor Smith split sixth and seventh in the breakaway roping at Tarleton State. She split fourth and fifth in the long round of the event.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Sirag and Jackson Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University softball team picked up a notable pair of wins last week, while the baseball team had a pair of competitive contests in conference play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kyra Sirag (softball) and J’Daylin Jackson baseball).
   
The Eastern New Mexico University softball team’s record for runners caught stealing was set on April 28, 2001, by Sarah Rempp, when she tossed three runners out. That mark was matched by Dalia Flores (4/26/2002), Maegan Rhoten (4/26/2002), and Tonya Crockett (4/15/2011). It took five years, but with another strong April performance, senior catcher Kyra Sirag set a new ENMU record, with four base runners caught stealing against regionally-ranked Texas Woman’s University. For the week, she tossed out six base runners, smashed three doubles, and a homer. Sirag’s performance paced ENMU to come from behind victories over Oklahoma Panhandle State and Texas Woman’s.

“Greatness follows Kyra,” said head softball coach Katie Welborn. “I expect her to do great things all the time. Nothing about her surprises me.”

J’Daylin Jackson threw 5.2 innings over the weekend series against the Texans and although he finished with a 6.35 ERA, the young lefty had a series high four strikeouts and allowed only four earned runs.  His play gave the Greyhounds a strong chance to win, especially the fact that he threw over 100 pitches in relief and went deep into extra innings.

"Jackson has been a little bit banged up, but today he said he felt well so we said, 'okay, let's do this," said Greyhound head coach David Gomez.  "I think he pitched well enough to win the game, but we really need to clean things up behind him and I think we will be ok."

Monday, April 11, 2016

Coronado, Norcross, Green. Williams, Lord, and Barry Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University track & field team had a strong week, with two NCAA qualifying marks set at the West Texas A&M Classic. The baseball and softball teams both faced tough competition in Lone Star Conference play, while the rodeo team had another competitive weekend. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Julian Coronado (men’s track & field), Coley Norcross (women’s track & field), Morgan Green (softball), Tregra Williams (baseball), Eli Lord (men’s rodeo), and Tawny Barry (women’s rodeo).

Julian Coronado registered an outstanding performance at last weekends' West Texas A&M Classic & Multis, and provisionally qualified in two events. His time of 21.01 in the 200m leads the Lone Star Conference and is fifth in the nation. Coronado also finished third in the event's 100m dash, with a time of 10.60.

Coley Norcross registered a strong performance in the 5,000-meter run at the West Texas A&M Classic & Multis. Her third-place time of 19:28.62 was nearly 30 seconds ahead of Midwestern State's Leticia Shaban.

Morgan Green batted .500 for the Eastern New Mexico University softball team and drove in a team-high four runs against second-ranked West Texas A&M. She hit safely in three of the four games, with a pair of multiple-hit games. Her first inning homerun on Friday staked ENMU to its first lead over WT since 2013. Green also played perfect defense at third base with 14 opportunities.

With the Greyhound baseball team returning to action last week with a road series against Angelo State, Tregra Williams had a standout performance against one of the Lone Star Conference’s best pitching rotation.  In three games, Williams went 3-for-10 to lead his team with a .300 batting average.  He had an on base percentage of .364 and a slugging percentage of .500, both team-highs.

Eli Lord turned in a second-place performance in the steer wrestling at last weekend’s Howard College Rodeo. He split fifth and sixth in the first round of the event, but bounced back with a third-place effort in the short go, to pace the team to a third-place finish in standings.

Tawny Barry finished third in the goat tying at Howard College. Her efforts paced the ENMU women’s rodeo team to a fourth-place finish.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Swanson, Grube, Sirag, and Lemmon Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field team had a strong week, with two athletes posting NCAA qualifying marks. The baseball and softball teams both faced tough competition in Lone Star Conference play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Augustus Swanson (men’s track & field), Laura Grube (women’s track & field), Kyra Sirag (softball), and Alec Lemmon (baseball).

Last week, Augustus Swanson provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships, with a third-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles at Texas Tech. He was the top NCAA Division II finisher in the race and leads the Lone Star Conference in the event. Swanson's time of 52.53 is currently the fifth- best in the nation.

Laura Grube turned in a strong performance in three field events for the Greyhounds at the Texas Tech Open. Her throws in the hammer (142') and discus (137'-11") were the fourth and fifth best in the Lone Star Conference, this season. Grube tossed the javelin 125'-02" and placed in the top five in all three events at the meet.
   
Kyra Sirag batted .526 over five games against Lubbock Christian and Texas A&M-Kingsville. She drove in 10 runs, had two doubles and a grand slam. The grand slam was ENMU's team-record fourth of the season and part of the highest scoring game in team history (36 combined runs vs Texas A&M-Kingsville. Sirag hit safely in all five games, with three multiple-hit games and a three-for-five performance with two runs and six batted in against the Javelinas. With a nine-for-15 outing against Texas A&M-Kingsville, she became the fifth player in team history with 200 hits, and is one shy of moving into fourth place.

Alec Lemmon put in a complete seven inning game Saturday, holding the 18th-ranked West Texas A&M Buffs to only three hits and one run.  The freshman left hander finished the day with a 1.29 ERA while only giving up three total hits. Holding the No. 18 team in the nation and No. 1 team in the Lone Star Conference to a .158 average from the plate is a feat in itself, but for a freshman in only his second career start to record a complete game is even more impressive. 


 

Monday, March 21, 2016

Cruz, Sirag, and Jordan Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field team had a strong week, with two athletes posting NCAA qualifying marks. The baseball and softball teams both faced tough competition in Lone Star Conference play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Victor Cruz (men’s track & field), Kyra Sirag (softball), and Wesley Jordan (baseball).
   
Victor Cruz registered a strong performance for the Greyhounds at Saturday's Cactus Cup Meet. He provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships with a time of 10.56 in the 100-meter dash. The time earned him a third-place finish, before he took fourth in the 200-meter dash.
   
Kyra Sirag registered another outstanding week for the Greyhound softball team and batted .500 against Cameron University. Over the series she led ENMU in average, runs (T-3), hits (5), homers (T-1), and slugging (.900). Sirag had at least one hit in three of the four games, with a three--for-four outing in the second game, which saw her miss the cycle by a triple. She currently ranks sixth in career hits at Eastern, with 197.

In eight at bats Wesley Jordan recorded three hits, but every one of his hits drove in at least two runs and he was a key factor in the Greyhound’s lone win of the series against the Javelinas.  Coming in to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jordan singled to left field to drive in two scores and put Eastern within one run of tying the contest, 11-10.  Besides his late game heroics, Jordan also recorded a three run homerun earlier in the series, his second homerun of the season.  The first baseman finished the week leading his team with an .875 slugging percentage.


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Szych, Sirag, and Klein Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field team closed the indoor portion of its schedule, with a pair of athletes competing at the National Championship meet. The baseball and softball teams both earned wins in Lone Star Conference play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Klaudia Szych (women’s track & field), Kyra Sirag (softball), and Scott Klein (baseball).

Klaudia Szych represented the Eastern New Mexico University indoor track & field team at least week’s National Championships. She registered a 15th-place performance in the women’s 800-meter run, with a time of 2:15.64.
   
Over last weekend's Lone Star Conference series against Texas A&M-Commerce, Kyra Sirag paced the Greyhound softball team in runs (4), hits (8), triples (2), runs batted in (4), slugging (1.154), and on-base percentage (.615). Her performance improved as the series progressed, as she batted .750 with a 1.625 slugging percentage over the final two contests. In Eastern's win, she just missed the cycle by a double, and drove in four runs. Sirag had a two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning, and caught the potential game-tying run in a steal attempt at third base, to end the game.

Scott Klein helped Eastern New Mexico earn their first Lone Star Conference win of the season Monday, throwing three shutout innings in relief while allowing only three batters to reach base. Klein finished the contest with a 0.00 ERA and earned his first win of the season.


Monday, March 7, 2016

Zerr, Ward, Connor, de la Cerda, Aguirre and Clark-Coronado Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams concluded the season at the Lone Star Conference tournament, while the outdoor track & field team opened the season. The baseball and softball teams both competed against tough regional opponents. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Mikaehla Connor (women’s basketball), Deyton de la Cerda (men’s basketball), Kiana Zerr (softball), Daniel Ward (baseball), Alexis Aguirre(women’s track & field), and Julian Clark-Coronado (men’s track & field).
   
Against regional powerhouses Lubbock Christian, Kiana Zerr posted a .286 batting average along with two homers and seven runs batted in. In Eastern's second-ever road win over Angelo State, she based two homers over the final two innings, for seven runs batted in. After allowing a pair of first inning runs, Zerr limited the Rambelles to a single hit from the second through the sixth inning, to set up Easter's rally. Her win on Saturday snapped a six-game skid in the series against Angelo State.

During a weekend series with Angelo State where the Greyhounds were having some troubles from the mound, Daniel Ward showed that he is a dependable start from the mound.  In only his second start of the season, Ward found himself in trouble early, walking three batters and giving up two earned runs, but made the needed adjustments moving forward, throwing for six innings while striking out a series-high nine batters.  His 3.00 ERA led the team for the series.

Deyton de la Cerda turned in a strong performance for the men’s basketball team against Midwestern State. Against top-seeded and eventual tournament champion, Midwestern State, he drained two of her three three-point shots and finished his career with a 10-point performance. De la Cerda also added a steal and assist, as the Hounds pressed the Mustangs throughout the early parts of the game.

Mikaehla Connor registered a team-best 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists, in a Lone Star Conference tournament game against Angelo State. When the Greyhounds trailed by eight points to open the second quarter, she scored eight consecutive points to tie the game against the eventual tournament champion.

At the Joe Gillespie Invitational hosted by Tarleton State, Alexis Aguirre not only took first place in the javelin toss with a distance of 142’10”, but also set a Eastern New Mexico record with the throw.  Perhaps more impressive is the fact that Aguirre, a standout for the Greyhound volleyball team, was competing in her first ever collegiate Track and Field event.

Julian Clark-Coronado finished first in both the 100m and 200m races with times of 10.64 and 21.59 at the Joe Gillespie Invitational hosted by Tarleton State.  His 200m time set a new school record while he was only .05 seconds off the school record for the 100m.  The true-freshman was also part of the 1x400 relay team that not only set another school record with their time of 41.30, but also took first place.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Stinnett, Domingo, Chandler, Nault, and Hart Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams concluded the regular season on Saturday, and are headed to the Lone Star Conference tournament. The baseball and softball teams both earned hard-fought wins, while the rodeo team resumed competition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball), Lawrence Domingo (men’s basketball), Susannah Chandler (softball), Dylan Nault (baseball), and Sid Hart (rodeo).
   
Sarah Stinnett poured in 22 points in Eastern's regular-season finale against 12th-ranked West Texas A&M. In addition to her scoring, she grabbed eight rebounds and helped control the game's tempo, which allowed ENMU to hold a lead late in the third quarter. The contest marked Stinnett's third 20-point performance in the last five games.

Lawrence Domingo had one of his season's best performances Saturday night, recording his team-leading sixth double-double of the season on his last night in Greyhound Arena. Domingo led the way for his team on senior night, grabbing a game-high 15 boards as well as a team-high 19 points.

Susannah Chandler turned in an excellent weekend for the Greyhounds, with a .533 batting average, 1.067 slugging percentage, and seven runs batted in. She had a sacrifice fly in Eastern's first win over Midwestern State since the 2008 season, and multiple-hit games in the other three. In the second game of both days, she registered three hits, which included a double and homerun. At shortstop, she committed just one error in 15 opportunities and helped turn a double play.

Dylan Nault led his team in total hits and RBIs, recording six and seven, respectively. Nault’s .462 average from the plate helped the Hounds go 2-1 over the weekend against Adams State, snapping a five game skid. Nault’s hitting streak stretched to 12 games, leading the team.

Sid Hart placed first in the steer wrestling at the Odessa College rodeo over the weekend. He bounced back from a fifth-place finish in the first go to win the short round and average.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Adame, Rasher, Green, Ward, Domingo, and Connor Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
  
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University indoor track & field teams put together a strong weekend at the Lone Star Conference Championships. The baseball and softball teams both faced tough competition, while the basketball teams played on the road in LSC action. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Adilene Adame (women’s track & field), Avery Rasher (men’s track & field), Morgan Green (softball), Daniel Ward (baseball), Lawrence Domingo (men’s basketball) and Mikaehla Connor (women’s basketball).
Adilene Adame registered a superlative performance for the women’s indoor track & field team at the Lone Star Conference championships. Finished fifth in the weight throw with a team-record distance of 50’-3.25”.
Avery Rasher provisionally qualified for the National Championships with a time of 49.86 in the 400-meter dash. The performance earned him fifth place in the LSC. He also reached the conference finals in the 200-meter dash
Morgan Green started at third base for all of last week's seven games and batted .400 with four doubles and six runs batted in. She also was strong defensively and committed just one error for a .962 fielding percentage in 25 opportunities. Green hit safely in all but one of the seven games and reached base in all seven. Against Lubbock Christian, Green doubled, drove in a pair of runs, and drew a walk.
With his fifth home run of the season, Daniel Ward once again sits atop the Lone Star Conference standings, with five bell ringers on the season and a LSC leading 1.057 slugging percentage.  Over the weekend the third baseman recorded a .462 batting averaging, getting six hits with two doubles and one home run.  He led the team with five RBIs.

With Lawrence Domingo’s 27 points over the week, he has moved into the spot of third leading scorer in ENMU history since 2001 (889).  He also has the third most field goals made (360).  He also moved into third in rebounding (483) and is only four boards behind the second place holder.  Domingo finished the week with 27 points and 15 rebounds, both leading the team.

Mikaehla Connor registered a strong performance on defense for the Greyhounds last week. She blocked three shots and pulled down six defensive rebounds in games against Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce. Against the Lions, she poured in a career-best 18 points, grabbed six rebounds, blocked two shots and recorded a steal.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Stinnett, Edwards, Jones, Clark-Coronado, Ward, and Velasquez Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams got off to strong starts, while the track & field team finished preparations for the LSC Championships. The women’s basketball team rallied from double-digit deficits throughout the week, while the men’s basketball team had some outstanding performances.. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball), Stephon Edwards (men’s basketball), Shelby Jones (women’s track & field), Julian Clark-Coronado (men’s track & field), Daniel Ward (baseball) and Audrey Velasquez (softball).

Last week, Sarah Stinnett registered one of the best week's for any Greyhound this season. Her clutch performance allowed Eastern to continually rally from deficits against Lone Star Conference competition. Against Texas Woman's, Cameron, and Midwestern State, Eastern faced deficits of at least 14 points. The Hounds managed to at least pull even in all three games. Stinnett poured in a season-best 26 points at Cameron, as ENMU trailed by 15, tied the game and trailed by 15 again in the second half. Her basket with 10 seconds remaining gave ENMU its only lead. Her play against Midwestern State allowed the Hounds a 27-3 advantage on fast break points, which helped rally from a 19-point deficit in the second half. That contest saw her surpass her season-best effort with 28 points. For the week, she dished out 10 assists, had 10 steals and shot .423 from the floor.

In ENMU’s two losses, Stephon Edwards averaged five points game but made his presence felt both offensively and defensively, snagging a team-high 14 boards and recorded five blocks.  His three blocks against Midwestern was a career-high.  Edwards cleaned the glass for a team-high 11 rebounds. 

The shot put was an exceptionally strong event for the Greyhounds at the Northern Arizona University Invitational. Shelby Jones paced the women’s team in the event, with a throw of 40’-2.0” to finish eighth.

Julian Clark-Coronado finished sixth in the men's 200m at the Northern Arizona University Invitational, with a time of 21.97. His finish was just .01 behind Central Arizona's Samson Nathaniel.

Daniel Ward had the best week of his career and helped ENMU go 3-0 over the stretch, going 8-13 from the plate, leading his team in hits, batting average (.615), slugging percentage (1.692) and extra base hits (two doubles, four home runs).  His three home run performance against Lane College on Feb. 13 tied the ENMU record for most home runs in a single game - a record that had stood since 1999.  Ward now leads the LSC early in the season in home runs and sits at second in batting percentage, recording .600 on the season. 

Audrey Velasquez registered a strong opening week for the Greyhound softball team and registered a base hit in all seven games. Her performance paced Eastern to four wins, which included the first 2-0 start in team history and an 11-6 win over 12th-ranked St. Mary's University. Velasquez batted 4-for-6 with five runs, four RBIs, and two doubles against Oklahoma Panhandle on opening day. She also homered against Fort Lewis and had a hit against the Rattlers. For the week, Velasquez had a .708 slugging percentage, .500 on-base percentage, and a .967 fielding percentage, with one double play turned.

Monday, February 08, 2016

Martinez, Patterson, Szych, Clark-Coronado, and Gray Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams continued its strong start, while the basketball teams both picked up wins in Lone Star Conference play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Eliza Martinez (women’s basketball), Brady Patterson (men’s basketball), Klaudia Szych (women’s track & field) and Julian Clark-Coronado (men’s track & field).

Eliza Martinez's standout defensive effort allowed Eastern to split a pair of Lone Star Conference games, last week. The performance held the opposition to just 54.5 points per game and a .284 shooting percentage, which included just a .178 shooting percentage outside the three-point line. Last Wednesday, Martinez blocked four shots, had a steal, scored seven points, and had six caroms, to lift ENMU to a 67-42 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. In that game the Hounds set season-bests with a .237 field-goal percentage allowed and nine blocked shots. Eastern limited the Javelinas to just five points in the third quarter. Martinez also blocked four shots at Angelo State and helped hold the Rambelles to just .167 from outside the three-point line.

Brady Patterson shot .429 from the floor as the men’s basketball team split games with Texas A&M-Kingsville and Angelo State. He averaged 11 points per game and connected on seven of his nine shots from the free-throw line for the week. Patterson poured in a season-high 14 points at ninth-ranked Angelo State. In Wednesday’s victory over the Javelinas, he scored eight points and had five rebounds.

Klaudia Szych registered a fourth-place finish in the women’s 800-meter run at University of New Mexico and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships, with a time of 2:12.02. Her time was .13 better than fifth-place finish Alexandria Sokolova from NCAA Division I Lamar College, and stands as the eighth-best time in Division II.

Also at University of New Mexico, Julian Clark-Coronado finished 26th in the 60-meter preliminaries, with a time of 6.93. Clark-Coronado also won his section in the men’s 200m dash.

Jerrott Gray tossed a complete-game shutout as the baseball team opened the season with a 3-0 victory at Oklahoma Panhandle. He scattered seven hits over seven innings and fanned four batters.


Monday, February 01, 2016

Stewart, Stinnett, Szych and Clark-Coronado Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
  
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams posted four provisionally qualifying marks over the weekend, while the basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Ladarius Stewart (men’s basketball), Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball), Klaudia Szych (women’s track & field) and Julian Clark-Coronado (men’s track & field).

Ladarius Stewart hit almost 60 percent of his shots from the floor to set a new career-high with 24 points in the Eastern New Mexico men’s basketball team’s loss to rival West Texas A&M. He also led the Hounds on the glass, and snagged a team-high seven boards.

Sarah Stinnett paced the Eastern New Mexico University women’s basketball team with 11 points and five rebounds against seventh-ranked West Texas A&M. Seven of her points came in the second half.

Klaudia Szych placed third in the women’s 800-meter run at last week’s Pittsburg State Invitational to earn provisional qualification to the NCAA Championships. Her time of 2:14.29 leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 14th in the country.

Julian Clark-Coronado posted his second provisional qualification in the 60-meter dash, with a time of 6.90 at the Pittsburg State Invitational. He currently ranks fourth in the LSC in the event.


Monday, January 25, 2016

Stinnett, Mumtaz, Huelga and Clark-Coronado Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams both earned hard-fought wins over Texas A&M-Commerce last week, while the indoor track & field team opened their season. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Javaan Mumtaz (men’s basketball), Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball), Sabrina Huelga (women’s track & field) and Julian Clark-Coronado.

Sarah Stinnett provided tenacious defense for the Greyhounds last week and registered seven steals over two games. Her effort allowed Eastern to rally from double digit deficits twice, and post a Lone Star Conference win over Texas A&M-Commerce. Stinnett's presence limited the opposition's outside shooting, while allowed just a .281 conversion rate from beyond the three-point line, while her ability to draw fouls kept opposing threats off the floor and saw her go 13-for-14 at the free-throw line. Stinnett contributed 18 points at Tarleton State and 17 points against Texas A&M-Commerce. The Lions were limited to 28.1 percent from the field in the second half of Saturday's win.

Javaan Mumtaz continued his hot scoring streak, putting in 20 against Tarleton followed by a career-high 23 points against Commerce in the Greyhounds first Lone Star Conference win since March, 2014.  The sophomore guard went 8-16 from beyond the arc while hitting almost 60 percent of his shots from the floor.  His scoring output over the last three games has helped the team hit its stride and hopefully will translate to more wins on the season and is a sign of the bright future for the Greyhounds in the coming seasons.

Sabrina Huelga registered a strong performance from the women’s indoor track ^ field team at last week’s Cherry & Silver Invitational at University of New Mexico. Her time of 5:08.49 in the one-mile run was just one second away from provisional qualification and currently ranks 17th in the nation. Huelga also had a strong showing in the 3,000-meter run, with a time of 10:24.38.

Julian Clark-Coronado turned in a superlative effort in the men’s 60-meter dash at New Mexico and posted a time of 6.87 to qualify for the semifinals. On Saturday, his time of 6.91 earned him sixth place in heat 2. Clark-Coronado also won his section of the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 22.22.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Connor and Domingo Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued their conference schedules last week and received a number of strong performances. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Lawrence Domingo (men’s basketball) and Mikaehla Connor (women’s basketball).

Lawrence Domingo averaged a double-double for the week against Texas A&M-Kingsville and No. 15 Angelo State. Against TAMUK the senior forward scored 25 points and pulled down nine rebounds. In the contest with Angelo, Domingo hauled in 11 boards and scored 12 points for his fourth double double of the season. He is now fifth in the LSC in scoring average with 17.0 ppg (conference stats only) and third in rebounding at 9.8 boards a game.

Mikaehla Connor’s strong week for the women’s basketball team was highlighted by a 5-for-12 outing against Angelo State, for a career-best 16 points. She also poured in 10 points in the Hounds’ first Lone Star Conference win over the season at Texas A&M-Kingsville, to average 13 points for the week.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Stewart and Stinnett Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams opened their conference schedules last week and received a number of strong performances. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Ladarius Stewart (men’s basketball) and Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball).

Ladarius Stewart, after missing practice and game time over the holiday break due to weather delays, the red shirt freshman immediately made his presence felt against Cameron, scoring 20 points on 8-11 shooting. More impressive perhaps is his 20 points came in only 20 minutes of playing time. His second game back against No. 6 Midwestern saw Stewart go 6-12 from the floor and score 14 points against the Lone Star Conference’s best.

Sarah Stinnett turned in a strong performance offensively for the ENMU women's basketball team, and averaged 14 points over three games. She reached double figures in contests against Texas Woman's, Cameron, and Midwestern State, with an 18-point performance against the Aggies. Stinnett dished out 10 assists, with four in games against TWU and MSU. For the week, she hit .333 from outside the arc, and connected four times on three-point shots against Cameron.


Monday, January 04, 2016

Hill and Harris Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
        
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams made their Greyhound Arena debuts on December 31, with both teams earning victories. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Chaunce Hill (men’s basketball) and Kassandra Harris (women’s basketball).

Chaunce Hill recorded his second double-double of the season on his way to a career-high 17 rebounds and 12 points.  His 17 rebound performance landed him in third place for most rebounds in a single game and his five blocks tied the record books for second place for blocks in a single game.  Wayland Baptist shot 37 percent from the floor in Eastern’s win over the Pioneers.  The 6-7 big man logged 31 minutes for the Greyhounds and now has a team high 11 blocks and 10 steals on the season.  He is averaging 5.4 rebounds a contest and 6.4 points per game. 

Kassandra Harris paced the Greyhounds in a 71-60 victory over Northern New Mexico College. She poured in 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to notch her first double double of the season. Harris shot a sizzling 70 percent (7-10) from the floor and connected on both of her free-throw attempts.

                        
            Monday, December 21, 2015

Connor and Mumtaz Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams made trips to opposite coasts last week, with the women’s team playing in Seattle, while the men’s team visited Florida.. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Mikaehla Connor (women’s basketball) and Javaan Mumtaz (men’s basketball).

Mikaehla Connor turned in a strong performance for the Greyhounds at the Sodexo Tip-off classic, and was selected to the all-tournament team for her efforts. She averaged 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and scored a career-best 15 against Concordia. Against the Cavaliers, Connor connected on 60 percent of her attempts from the floor.

Javaan Mumtaz shot a sizzling 56 percent from the floor and averaged 13.3 points per game, during the Greyhounds’ three-game trip to Florida. He was exceptionally accurate from three-point range, where he connected on 10 of his 18 attempts. Mumtaz poured in a career-high 19 points against defending NCAA Division II Champion, Florida Southern. He connected in seven of his 10 shots in that game, which included a five-for-seven performance outside the arc. Mumtaz followed with 10 points at Eckerd College and 11 points and Tampa.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Harris Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athlete of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University women’s basketball team dropped a hard-fought decision to Wayland Baptist last weekend, despite a strong attempt to rally. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athlete of the Week was Kassandra Harris (women’s basketball).
   
Against the Flying Queens, Harris reached double figures for the fourth time in the last five games and led ENMU with 16 points and seven rebounds. In the second half, she poured in nine points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Harris, Gilliam, and Frye, Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams split games at tournaments over the weekend, with both teams making impressive showings. The volleyball team closed its season at the Lone Star Conference Tournament. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kassandra Harris (women’s basketball), John Gilliam (men’s basketball), and Lauren Frye (volleyball).

Kassandra Harris registered a strong performance for the ENMU women's basketball team against a pair of tough regional opponents. On Friday, she shot .529 from the floor and poured in a season-high 21 points against 14th-ranked Lubbock Christian. Harris followed with 12 points and six rebounds in a four-point win over Texas-Permian Basin. For the season, she is sixth in the Lone Star Conference in scoring.

John Gilliam exploded for 27 points per game over the weekend and propelled the Greyhounds to their first win of the season. He registered a career-high 31-point outburst, hit better than 62 percent from the floor and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line in a close loss to Western State. One day later, Gilliam poured in 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a come-from-behind win over Colorado Mesa. He had 10 points in a key second half which lifted the Hounds to an 86-82 win.

Lauren Frye was selected to the Lone Star Conference All-Tournament team after she registered a 15-kill performance against top-seeded Tarleton State. For the season, Frye registered a team-best 496 kills and is the fifth player to reach 1,000 kills in a career. With 1,149 kills, she ranks fourth at ENMU and is just 118 away from tying recent Hall of Honor inductee, Irma Cobos-Hernandez.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Moore, Stewart, Frye, and Stevens Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams opened their seasons and received strong performances from a number of newcomers. The volleyball and football teams both concluded their regular seasons. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Miranda Moore (women’s basketball), Ladarius Stewart (men’s basketball), Lauren Frye (volleyball, and Charles Stevens (football.

Miranda Moore was part of a strong defensive showing by the ENMU women’s basketball team, as the season opened last weekend. She led the Hounds with seven steals, which proved to be crucial, as ENMU outscored Adams State 21-0 in points off turnovers in the first half. Moore also had four steals and a blocked shot against Fort Lewis. In addition to her defensive performance, Moore converted 10 of 12 attempts at the free throw line and averaged 15 points per game.

Over the course of two games, Ladarius Stewart averaged 10.5 points and seven rebounds for the ENMU men’s basketball team. He exploded for 19 points in the season-opener against New Mexico Highlands and connected on 50 percent from outside the arc. IN the second half of that game, he poured in 16 points, as Eastern nearly rallied from a 23-point deficit.

Lauren Frye once again led the Greyhounds on the court, recording a game-high 22 kills and leading the team in efficiency, recording a .265 hitting percentage, the highest of anyone over thirty attack attempts.  The junior outside hitter now has 481 kills on the season, looking to close in on the 500 mark.

Charles Stevens thwarted a pair of Angelo State drives with the first two interceptions of his career. The first came late in the second quarter, with the Rams facing a first and 10 at their own 38-yard line. The second interception came in Eastern's end zone, late in the fourth quarter.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Maiga, Aguirre, Moxley, Viveros, Saiz and Merhege Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University soccer and cross country teams wrapped up their season last week. The volleyball team earned a sweep over Oklahoma Panhandle, while the football team had a strong performance against 11th-ranked Midwestern State. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Ibrahim Maiga (football), Alexis Aguirre (volleyball), Melissa Moxley (women’s soccer), Carlos Viveros (men’s soccer), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), and Trevor Merhege (men’s cross country).

Ibrahim Maiga registered a strong performance in Saturday's Lone Star Conference playoff game at Midwestern State. After Eastern seized a 14-3 lead in the first quarter, he registered an interception to set the Hounds up at their own 35-yard line. Late in the third quarter, Maiga forced a fumble, which helped stall a MSU drive.

Alexis Aguirre helped the Greyhounds to a win over Oklahoma Panhandle last week, recording 147 assists, nine kills, a team-high four service aces and 26 digs, over four matches.  The sophomore has played an integral role this season and is now approaching 1,000 assists on the season (currently at 980).

Carlos Viveros scored one goal off three shots this week against No. 2 Midwestern State University in the Greyhounds 4-2 loss to the region’s best.  In his last match in an Eastern uniform, He also helped fellow senior Alexis Medina score with an assist in the first half. Viveros goal was his fourth of the season.

Melissa Moxley registered a strong performance for Eastern in the Lone Star Conference tournament. She led a Greyhound defense which limited Texas Woman’s to just one goal in the match. She also garnered Second Team All-LSC honors, prior to the tournament.

Amber Saiz paced the ENMU women’s cross country team to a tenth-place finish at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional championships. She placed 25th overall in the 6k run with a time of 22:28.30.

Trevor Merhege completed the 10k run at the regional meet with a time of 32:58.20.


Monday, November 02, 2015

Cass, Biel, Hampton, and McManus Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s soccer team picked up a pair of wins over the weekend, while the volleyball team also garnered a victory. The football and women’s soccer team both dropped hard-fought games at West Texas A&M. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kamal Cass (football), Brooklyn Biel (volleyball), Baylee Hampton (women’s soccer), and Ryan McManus (men’s soccer).

Kamal Cass topped the 180-yard mark for the second straight week, with 184 rushing yards against West Texas A&M in the Wagon Wheel Game. His three-touchdown performance brought his total to 16 for the season, with five consecutive multi-touchdown games. Cass' first touchdown on fourth-and-three from the WT 22-yard line marked the second fourth-down conversion against the Buffaloes all season. He also registered a 47-yard kick return in the fourth quarter.

Brooklyn Biel had quite a performance this week, helping the Greyhounds to a 2-2 record over the span and taking the Lone Star Conference’s No. 1 team, Tarleton State University, to five sets. Biel recorded 42 kills with a team leading .267 hitting percentage.  She also led the team with 13 total blocks, five of which were solo stuffs. 

Baylee Hampton staked the ENMU women’s soccer team to a 1-0 lead, 3:23into Friday’s contest at West Texas A&M. She tallied the first goal of her career on a hard kick from 30 yards out.

Ryan McManus broke his way into the ENMU record books, scoring three goals against the Crimson Storm of Southern Nazarene University for the hat-trick and tying him for the No. 1 spot for most goals in a single game.  The feat has only been accomplished four times in Greyhound history, with the last coming in 2010. Not only did the team captain double his season total to six goals but his nine shots against SNU tied McManus for third all-time for a single game as well.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Lang, Lawson, Saiz, Merhege, Quintero, and Caro Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams had a strong week, with the football team using the nation’s top ranked scoring offense to cruise past 24th-ranked Angelo State. The volleyball earned a win over New Mexico Highlands, while the soccer teams both had to deal with weather-related postponements. The cross country teams turned in stellar performances at the conference championships. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Maanaima Lang (football), Courtney Lawson (volleyball), Danielle Caro (women’s soccer), Cesar Quintero (men’s soccer), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), and Trevor Merhege (men’s cross country).

Maanaima Lang and the Greyhound offensive line turned in a standout performance in Saturday’s home finale against 24th-ranked Angelo State. In the final scheduled game at Blackwater Draw, he helped block for an ENMU single-game record 583 yards, shattering the previous mark of 512, set against Bacone College in 2007. The Hounds finished the game with three runners topping the 100-yard mark and came within three yards of the Lone Star Conference record, set in 1978.

Courtney Lawson recorded her fifth double-double of the season, the most of any player since 2001.  She now has sixth double-doubles for her career, also a record since 2001. Lawson recorded her double-double against Texas Woman’s University on Saturday, Oct. 24.  She finished with 13 kills and 10 digs.  The junior finished the week with 23 kills and 25 digs, along with six total blocks and five service aces.

Amber Saiz seventh-place performance at the Lone Star Conference Cross Country Championships paced the Greyhound women’s team to a second-place finish. She crossed the finish line with a time of 23:08.90. The performance garnered Saiz All-LSC status, just days after she was named to the LSC All-Academic Team.

Trevor Merhege finished tenth at the Lone Star Conference Cross Country Championships, to earn all-conference status. He completed the 8k run with a time of 26:14.70.

Cesar Quintero scored his second goal of the season against out-of-state rivals West Texas A&M University.  The goal was the second of his career and the lone goal scored by ENMU against the Buffs. One of four seniors for the Greyhounds, Quintero has played a major role for Eastern on both defense and offense this season.  Honored by his teammates and head coach as one of the most consistent, hardest working members or the team, Quintero has made the most of his last season in New Mexico.

Danielle Caro staked the women’s soccer team to a lead 22:35 into Saturday’s game at Texas Woman’s University. The goal was her second of the season and fourth of Caro’s career at Eastern.


Monday, October 19, 2015

Buurma, Lawson, Dicun, Stinson, Adcock, and Lord Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
       
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams had a strong week, with the football team earning a crucial road win at Tarleton State. The volleyball team registered a 2-0 record in Lone Star Conference play, while the soccer teams both defeated Texas-Permian Basin. The rodeo teams concluded their fall season at Texas Tech. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jeremy Buurma (football), Courtney Lawson (volleyball), Karissa Stinson (women’s soccer), Ignacio Dicun (men’s soccer), Lindsey Adcock (women’s rodeo), and Eli Lord (men’s rodeo).

Jeremy Buurma turned in an outstanding performance in leading the Eastern New Mexico University football team to a 49-44 win at Tarleton State. He passed for 141 yards with a 35-yard touchdown pass and scored three rushing touchdowns. On 22 attempts, Buurma rushed for a career-high 118 yards.

Finishing the week with 19 kills and 36 digs, Courtney Lawson once again played a crucial role in ENMU’s success.  The team finished the week 2-0, beating Cameron University and Midwestern State University 3-1 in both games.

Ignacio Dicun helped the Greyhounds to a 3-0 win over University of Texas-Permian Basin Tuesday, getting ENMU their second shutout of the season. He scored his second goal of the season late in the match off a beautiful cross from Ryan Sinclair.  Dicun led the Greyhounds with two shots on goal.

Karissa Stinson turned in a pair of outstanding performances last weekend and limited both #5 Angelo State and Midwestern State to single-goal games. She made a career-best 10 saves on Sunday against the Mustangs.

Lindsey Adcock finished sixth in the first round of the goat tying at Texas Tech, but bounced back to win both the short round and average of the event. Her performance led the ENMU women’s rodeo team to a second-place finish.

Eli Lord was tenth in the first go of the steer wrestling at Texas Tech. He rebounded to earn a fifth-place finish in the average.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Hardin, Frye, Gutierrez, Fairbanks, Saiz, Merhege, Lord and Gray Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams had a strong week, with the football team registering a historic effort on the road. The volleyball team defeated longtime nemesis West Texas A&M for the first time since 2004, while the soccer teams received significant efforts against difficult competition. The cross country teams performed well as they prepare for the conference meet, while the rodeo teams both finished in the top five at Frank Phillips. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week Brad Hardin (football), Lauren Frye (volleyball), Morgan Fairbanks (women’s soccer), James Gutierrez (men’s soccer), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), Trevor Merhege (men’s cross country) Tierra Gray (women’s rodeo), and Eli Lord (men’s rodeo).

Brad Hardin paced the Eastern New Mexico University with eight tackles to lead a defensive effort which limited Bacone College to just 157 yards. He was a disruptive presence throughout the game, with 3.5 tackles for a loss, which included 2.5 sacks. Hardin forced a fumble and recovered two for touchdowns to become the first ENMU player in at least a decade with multiple defensive touchdowns in a game.

Lauren Frye led the team on offense over the three game stretch, recording 46 kills and 10 total blocks.  She finished the home stand with 4.18 kills per set.  The team’s leading offensive player, Frye was unstoppable all week long.

The ENMU men’s soccer team’s defense was superb on Sunday, frustrating the top-ranked Mustangs all match.  Midwestern State University did record four shots on goal, but James Gutierrez was on point all match and anchored the Greyhound defense, recording four saves on the day.

Morgan Fairbanks tallied her second goal of the season to stake the women’s soccer team to a late 1-0 lead against Texas Woman’s on Sunday. For the week, she had two shots with one on goal.

Amber Saiz registered a second-place performance for the women’s cross country team at the New Mexico Junior College Invitational. She crossed the finish line with a time of 19:19.1 and paced the Hounds to a first-place finish.

Trevor Merhege pace the men’s cross country team at NMJC with a seventh-place finish. He crossed the finish line in the 8k run with a time of 25:36.4, and was the only runner in the top-ten that was not from South Plains College.

Eli Lord turned in a second-place finish in the steer wrestling at the Frank Phillips College rodeo, last weekend. He split fourth and fifth in the first go but bounced back to claim second in the short round and average. Lord’s performance paced the men’s team to a fourth-place finish.

Tierra Gray dominated the field in the breakaway roping to finish first and allow the women’s team to split fourth and fifth place at the Frank Phillips College rodeo. She placed fifth in the first go, but claimed first in both the short round and average.

Monday, October 05, 2015

Cass, Aguirre, Moxley, Zatarain, Saiz, Merhege, Segelke and Lord Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams had a strong week, with the football team posting a big homecoming win after a lightning delay. The soccer teams faced tough opposition, while the volleyball squad nearly upset an undefeated opponent. Cross country performed well in the biggest meet of the season, while the rodeo team had another superlative performance. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week Kamal Cass (football), Alexis Aguirre (volleyball), Melissa Moxley (women’s soccer), Roberto Zatarain (men’s soccer), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), Trevor Merhege (men’s cross country) Paxton Segelke (women’s rodeo), and Eli Lord (men’s rodeo).
   
Kamal Cass turned in a career performance on Saturday to lead the Eastern New Mexico University football team to a 56-31 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. His 26 carries, 164 yards, and four touchdowns all were career bests. Cass' one-yard plunge on Eastern's first possession and followed two six-yard touchdowns and a 55-breakaway scoring run.

In ENMU’s 3-2 loss to at the time an unbeaten Cameron University, Alexis Aguirre helped the Hounds take the first two sets and push a fifth, falling in the final 15-9.  The sophomore recorded her second double-double of the season with a career-high 46 assists and 20 digs.  She leads the team in both categories this season.

Melissa Moxley had a pair of shots in the women’s soccer team’s game at Midwestern State. She also had a shot on goal in the second half.

Roberto Zatarain scored one goal this week coming against Newman University.  Out of the two games, he was the only player to score a goal for the Hounds. Against Newman the senior forward recorded one goal with three shots, two of which were on goal.

Amber Saiz registered an 82nd-place performance for the ENMU women’s cross country team at the Chili Pepper Festival. Her performance paced the Hounds to a ninth-place finish.

Trevor Merhege finished 102nd for the Greyhound men’s cross country team at the Chili Pepper Festival. The team finished 23rd in the standings.

Paxton Segelke won the goat tying at the Vernon College rodeo. She won both the average and short round, which helped Eastern to a second-place finish in the team standings.

Eli Lord took third in the steer wrestling at the Vernon College rodeo. His performance earned 80 points for ENMU.
 

                              Monday, September 21, 2015

Horton, Landreth, Polizzi, McManus, Adcock, and Vick Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University soccer teams faced some tough competition, while the football team hit the road to face top-20 opposition. The rodeo teams continued their season, while volleyball earned a win over nearby University of the Southwest. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week Adrian Horton (football), Laura Landreth (volleyball), Amber Polizzi (women's soccer), Ryan McManus (men's soccer), Lindsey Adcock (women's rodeo), and Logan Vick (men's rodeo).
 
Adrian Horton turned in a stellar performance in the Greyhounds game at 20th-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce. He tossed a 65-yard touchdown pass in the opening quarter to even the game at 14-all and hauled in a go-ahead six-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter. Horton registered career highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (95) in the game. His performance helped Eastern register a season-high 550 yards of total offense.
 
Laura Landreth recorded 25 kills and finished the week with a .207 hitting percentage.  She also led the team with two solo blocks and 18 block assists for 20 blocks total. Landreth was one of six players to play all 15 sets for the Greyhounds.
                                        
Amber Polizzi turned in a big performance for the Greyhound soccer team last week, with a three-point match against Texas A&M-International. She picked up an assist on the first goal of the game and tallied the game-winning score four minutes later.
 
Ryan McManus scored his third goal of the season this week against St. Mary's (TX).  In two games played he took five shots with three shots on goal for a .600 shooting percentage, leading the team for the week.
 
At the Sul Ross State rodeo, Lindsey Adcock rebounded from a sixth-place performance to take first in the goat tying She won both the short round and average in the event.
 
Logan Vick placed fifth in the steer wrestling for the men's rodeo team.


Monday, September 21, 2015

Buurma, Bost, Fairbanks, Zatarain, Saiz, Merhege, Barry and Lord Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams had a strong week, with the women’s rodeo and cross country teams both posting first-place finishes. The soccer teams both earned tightly contested home victories, with the men getting an overtime win while playing shorthanded. The football and volleyball teams both faced tough Lone Star Conference opposition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week Jeremy Buurma (football), Lindsay Bost (volleyball), Morgan Fairbanks (women’s soccer), Roberto Zatarain (men’s soccer), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), Trevor Merhege (men’s cross country) Tawny Barry (women’s rodeo), and Levi Lord (men’s rodeo).
   
Jeremy Buurma accounted for 285 yards of total offense for the Greyhounds against Midwestern State at the Lone Star Conference Football Festival. He rushed for a career-best 88 yards on 23 carried and passed for 197 yards and a touchdown. The passing yardage marked Eastern's highest total since the 2013 season.

Lindsay Bost  helped her team pick up a win over New Mexico Highlands, last Week. She appeared in all 10 sets for the Greyhounds and tied a single game career-high in service aces with five against Texas A&M-Commerce and recorded nine of the teams 19 aces over the series. 

Morgan Fairbanks tallied the first game-winning goal of her career at the 19:11 mark of Wednesday's game against New Mexico Highlands. She played well on both sides of the field to lift ENMU to a 1-0 win over its cross-state rival.

Roberto Zatarain scored two goals Saturday in the ENMU men’s soccer team win 2-1 over Dallas Baptist University.  He now leads the team with four goals on the season.  His second goal came just over two minutes into the second overtime when the Greyhounds were down to only nine men on the field.

Amber Saiz registered a first-place performance in the 6k run at the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede. Here time of 23:20.10 paced the ENMU women’s team to a first-place finish at the meet.

Trevor Merhege was Eastern’s top finisher in the men’s 8k run at West Texas A&M. He crossed the finish line with a time of 27:13.91.

Tawny Barry set the tone for the two-time defending Southwest Regional Champions, as the season opened. She finished in first place in the first go, short round and average of the goat tying event of the ENMU College “Daze” Rodeo. Her performance lifted the women’s team to first place in the team standings.

Levi Lord, along with his brother Eli, won the team roping event at the College “Daze” Rodeo. The duo also placed first in the short round.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Doucette, Frye, Dicun, Hendrickson, Saiz, and Merhege Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football and men’s soccer teams remained undefeated with key performances on the road. The women’s soccer team earned its first win, while the volleyball team split four matches. The cross country teams opened their seasons and had a strong showing. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jeremy Doucette (football), Lauren Frye (volleyball), Ignacio Dicun (men’s soccer), Tori Hendrickson (women’s soccer), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), and Trevor Merhege (men’s cross country).
 
Jeremy Doucette averaged 4.6 yards on 18 carries in a 44-30 win at Adams State. His back-to-back touchdowns in the second and third quarters gave the Greyhounds a lead they would not relinquish on the way to the road win.

Lauren Frye recorded 66 kills over the weekend at the Steel & Silver Classic, setting a new career high of 26 kills in a single game.  The 26 kills puts her tied for fifth place all time in a single game for ENMU.  Frye helped her team to a 2-2 record at the tournament, getting wins over SEU and WSCU.  She also led the team in hitting percentage with a .250.
 

Ignacio Dicun helped the Greyhound men’s soccer team tie Wayland Baptist University Friday, scoring a timely header with 25 seconds left in regulation, forcing a double overtime.  The goal was his first of the season and assisted by James Gutierrez.  Dicun was a perfect 1.000 percent on the day, making his only shot attempt on goal.  The tie helped the Greyhounds to stay undefeated at 2-0-1 and gave a quality tie against a talent WBU team.
 

Tori Hendrickson tallied the first goal of her career in a 2-1 win at Texas A&M-International. Eastern trailed at halftime, but the Hounds pulled even and won the game on Hendrickson’s score with 16:59 left.
 

Amber Saiz turned in a fifth-place performance at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational, hosted by the University of Texas-El Paso. The women’s race was approximately 5k and she finished with a time of 18.13.2.
 

Trevor Merhege registered a 12th-place finish for the men’s cross country team at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational. The men’s race was approximately 6.5k and he finished at 21:24.1

Monday, September 07, 2015

Cass, Lawson, Moxley and Gutierrez Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall season opened last week with strong showings by all of the teams. The football team earned a convincing win over New Mexico Highlands, while men’s soccer opened with a pair of wins. The volleyball team picked up two wins at a tournament, while women’s soccer played Lubbock Christian to a tie. The Goeasternathletics.com Student-Athletes of the Week were Kamal Cass (football), Courtney Lawson (volleyball), Melissa Moxley (women’s soccer), and James Gutierrez (men’s soccer).
   
Kamal Cass paced a Greyhound rushing attack which produced 352 yards in a win over New Mexico Highlands. He set career highs with 11 carries, 95 yards and a touchdown. Cass' 61-yard touchdown capped a 19-point third quarter and was ENMU's longest running play since a 64-yard sprint from Jordan Wells, early in the 2013 season.

Courtney Lawson turned in a stellar performance for the Greyhound volleyball team at the 2015 Britkare Lady Buff Classic. She registered a pair of doubles, which included an 18-kill, 14 dig performance in a win over Lubbock Christian. Over the four matches, Lawson averaged 2.65 kills and 2.47 digs per set, in addition to five blocks and five service aces.

Melissa Moxley turned in a strong performance last week, as the women’s soccer team opened their season at Southern Nazarene and Lubbock Christian. She paced the team with six total shots, which included five shots on goal. Moxley tallied the game-tying goal with under 20 minutes in regulation in Saturday’s double-overtime tie at Lubbock Christian.

James Gutierrez earned a pair of wins in net for the men’s soccer team. On Thursday the Hounds opened victoriously against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and followed with a win over Adams State.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Segelke-Todd, McCullar, Huelga, Lantz, Kendrick, and Green Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University rodeo teams registered a strong performance at Tarleton State, with the women’s team earning their second straight regional title. The track & field team registered a strong showing at West Texas A&M, while the softball team concluded its season. The baseball team earned a road win and remains in contention for the postseason. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Hayden Segelke-Todd (women’s rodeo), Miles McCullar (men’s rodeo), Morgan Green (softball), Clyde Kendrick (baseball), Sabrina Huelga (women’s track & field), and Benjamin Lantz (men’s track & field).

Senior Hayden Segelke-Todd (Sr., Snyder, Colo.) was the all-around cowgirl at the Tarleton State rodeo and finished the season as the all-around cowgirl for the Southwest Region. Her performance at TSU helped the Zias to finish third. She was second in the goat tying and won the first go of the barrel race. Segelke-Todd helped lead the Zias to their second straight regional title.

Miles McCullar (Jr., Lake Arthur, N.M./Lake Arthur HS) was the top performer for the men’s rodeo team at Tarleton State. He registered a first-place finish in the steer wrestling.

Sabrina Huelga (Sr., Lancaster, Calif./Paraclete HS) earned the ENMU track and field team’s highest finish this weekend at the West Texas Open Twilight meet, finishing second in the women’s 1500m run.  Huelga ran the event for the first time during the 2015 outdoor season, recording a time of 4:41.16.
   
Benjamin Lantz (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M./Manzano HS) placed eighth in the 800m run at the West Texas Open Twilight over the weekend, finishing with a time of 1:58.52.  His time was his best this season in the event, including indoor and outdoor.  It was only the second time he broke the two minute mark.

After a rough start the previous weekend against Texas A&M-Kingsville, Clyde Kendrick (Jr., P, Vicksburg, Miss./Holmes CC) came back with a vengeance to pitch six innings against Cameron University and helped the Greyhounds to their lone win of the series.  The hard throwing lefty went six innings from the mound, striking out a series-high eight batters while allowing only one earned run and five hits.  Kendrick finished the day with a 1.50 ERA.

Morgan Green (Jr., 3B/1B, Carmichael, Calif./Del Campo HS/Sacramento City College) turned in a strong performance in the Zias final series of the season, against Tarleton State. Entering the weekend, she had hit two homeruns for the season, but matched that total in the first two games against the TexAnns. With a slugging percentage of .923, all four of Green's base hits went for extra bases. She registered at least one hit and RBI in three of the four games, with three RBIs in the opener.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Segelke-Todd, Lord, Stinson, Waterhouse, Sirag, Ward, and Velasquez Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams continued to perform well, while the rodeo team notched another superlative performance. The baseball and softball teams faced top level Lone Star Conference opposition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Hayden Segelke-Todd (women’s rodeo), Levi Lord (men’s rodeo), Elizabeth Velasquez (softball), Daniel Ward (baseball), Karissa Stinson (women’s track & field), and Nicholas Waterhouse (men’s track & field).

Senior Hayden Segelke-Todd (Sr., Snyder, Colo.) registered a second-place performance in the barrel race at the Ranger College rodeo, last weekend. She also reached the short round in the goat tying. Segelke-Todd’s performance this season has the Zias leading the South Central region, heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Levi Lord (Fr., Sturgis, S.D./Sturgis HS) turned in a second-place performance in the team roping at Ranger College. After a fifth-place finish in the first go, he placed second in both the short round and average.

Karissa Stinson (Fr., Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho HS) participated at two events at the New Mexico Junior College Ross Black Open, scoring two personal records over the weekend.  In the javelin throw she placed with a distance of 34.25m (112 feet 4.4 inches), beating her previous distance by several feet.  In the discus throw she placed 8th with a distance of 35.62m (116 feet 10.3 inches), beating her previous distance by almost four meters.
   
Nicholas Waterhouse (Sr., Farmington, N.M./Piedra Vista HS) participated in the 100m and 200m dashes this weekend at the New Mexico Junior College Ross Black Open.  Placing 11th in the 100 with a time of 11.02, Waterhouse broke the ENMU school record in the 200m with a time of 21.78.  He finished 9th in the 200m.

Daniel Ward (So., 3B, Cleveland, Ohio/Clovis CC) recorded five hits over the weekend for an even .500 batting average.  The sophomore slugger had seven RBIs and a series-high 1.300 slugging percentage, the highest single series percentage for the team this season.  Ward hit two homeruns and a triple in the first contest of the series, helping his team earn a 19-9 win over the Javelinas.

Elizabeth Velasquez (Sr., 3B/LF, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) registered three multiple-hit games for the Zias last week against Lubbock Christian and Texas Woman's. She batted .467 and closed the week on a three-game hit streak.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Saiz, Pfupajena, Velasquez, Sirag, Paul, and Segelke-Todd Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams continued their strong start to the outdoor season, while the baseball and softball teams played high-level opposition. The women’s rodeo team earned another first-place performance. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Hayden Segelke-Todd (rodeo), Kyra Sirag (softball), Justin Paul (baseball), Amber Saiz (women’s track & field), and Tanaka Pfupajena (men’s track & field).

Senior Hayden Segelke-Todd (Sr., Snyder, Colo.) turned in a superlative performance to lead the Eastern New Mexico University women’s rodeo team to a first-place finish at the Howard College Rodeo, last weekend. She registered a first-place finish in the all-around with her performances in multiple events. Segelke-Todd placed second in the goat tying after a first-place finish in the short round with a time of 9.4 seconds. She also won the first go in the barrel race with a time of 16.44.

Amber Saiz (Jr., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) placed second in one event over the weekend, participating in the women’s 1500 meter (4,921 feet) run.  In the first event, Saiz recorded a time of 4:40.06, which was less than two seconds off of the first place time.  Her time was not only a personal record, but broke the previous school record for the 1500 meter run.
   
Tanaka Pfupajena (Sr., Harare African Township, Mashonland East Zimbabwe/ Marondera HS) earned his second top-five finish of the season in the men's javelin throw, recording a 48.91 meter (160.46 feet) throw.

Justin Paul (Jr., OF, Papillion, Neb./ Lavista South HS) went 6-for-11 from the plate and recorded three RBIs and earning a team high seven total bases.  His .545 batting average over the weekend series gives Paul the highest batting average of any player during any single series on the year and puts his team leading batting average to .357.  He also leads the team with the longest active hitting streak of nine and is tied for the longest streak of the season.

Kyra Sirag (Jr., C, Garden Grove, Calif./Ranchos Alamitos HS) turned in a strong week and hit .389 with a .722 slugging percentage against two of the top teams in the region. She batted .571 against Lubbock Christian and posted a .429 on-base percentage against second-ranked West Texas A&M with a double and homer. Sirag batted safely in five of the week's six games and had a pair of two RBI games against the Lady Chaps.

Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Saiz, Pfupajena, Velasquez, Paul, and Green Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams continued their strong start to the outdoor season, while the baseball and softball teams continued to pick up wins last week. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Morgan Green (softball), Justin Paul (baseball), Amber Saiz (women’s track & field), and Tanaka Pfupajena (men’s track & field).
   
Amber Saiz (Jr., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) competed in two events at the Texas Tech Open over the weekend, finishing second and seventh in the competition. She finished seventh in the women's 800 meter run with a time of 2:17.70. She finished second in the women's 1500 meter run with a time of 4:41.38. Neither event is her focus in track, yet the talented athlete managed to finish in the top ten in both events.
   
Tanaka Pfupajena (Sr., Harare African Township, Mashonland East Zimbabwe/ Marondera HS) competed in the men's javelin throw at the Texas Tech Open over the weekend, finishing third with a distance of 52.22 meters.

Justin Paul (Jr., OF, Papillion, Neb./ Lavista South HS) Paul helped the ENMU Greyhounds split a four game series with TSU over the weekend, going 6-for-14 from the plate with a .429 average and five runs batted in. He current holds the longest active hitting streak on the team, with six straight games recording at least one hit. He also leads the team in multiple RBI games with eight on the season. The junior slugger now sits at 10th overall in the LSC with a .337 batting average and second in RBIs with 24. In conference only, Paul is fourth in batting average with a .343.

Morgan Green (INF, Carmichael, Calif./Del Campo HS/Sacramento City College) keyed a doubleheader split with New Mexico Highlands last week with her bat and glove. She fell a single short of the cycle over the two games and played stellar defense at third base for Eastern. With ENMU trailing by three runs in the opener, she started a crucial inning-ending double play in the fifth inning. The defensive play fueled the Zia offense, as Green belted a two-run homer in the next inning. She also doubled in the nightcap and started another inning ending double play in the sixth inning, when the Cowgirls brought the game-tying run to the plate.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Velasquez, Gray, Grube, Pfupajena and Smith Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team earned its first ever four-game series win over Angelo State, while the women’s rodeo team earned another first-place finish. The outdoor track & field season opened with an athlete earning qualification to the NCAA Championships, while the softball team played in an extremely hard fought series. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Audrey Velasquez (softball) and James Gray (baseball), Laura Grube (women’s track & field), Tanaka Pfupajena (men’s track & field), and Samantha Smith (women’s rodeo).
   
Audrey Velasquez (So., INF, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) batted .562 with three doubles and four runs batted in during last weekend's series at Texas A&M-Kingsville. She registered multiple hits in all four games, with a three-for-three performance and a double in the third contest. Velasquez is on a 10-game hit streak and has reached base safely in each of her last 28 contests. She has a team-best 16 multiple-hit games this year.

James Gray (Sr., RHP, St. Petersburg, Fla./East Carolina) cemented himself in Eastern New Mexico University baseball history Saturday, pitching seven innings and throwing the second most strikeouts ever recorded in a game with 13 K’s.   The previous record of 14 strikeouts was thrown in a 12 inning game, making Gray’s 13 in seven innings all the more impressive.  Gray gave up six hits and one run, holding the opposing Rams to a .231 batting average in the contest and earning his first win of the season.

Laura Grube (Jr., Crow, Ore./Crow HS) was Eastern's top performer in the field events during last weekend's Texas State Bobcat Invitational. Her throw of 140'-2" in the javelin earned a fourth place finish, along with provisional qualification to the NCAA Championships and was the top distance in the Lone Star Conference. Grube also ranked fifth in the LSC in the hammer throw and eighth in the discus after her performances at Texas State.
   
Tanaka Pfupajena (Sr., Harare African Township, Mashonland East Zimbabwe/ Marondera HS) registered a third-place finish in the men's javelin at The Texas State Bobcat Invitational. His throw of 171'-0.36" was the longest by a non-NCAA Division I Athlete and ranks fifth in the Lone Star Conference.

Samantha Smith (Fr., Rimbey, Alberta, Canada/Rimbey HS) registered a first-place performance in the barrel race at the Western Texas College rodeo. She finished third in the first go with a time of 13.92, but bounced back with a time of 13.55 to win the short round and finish first in the event with a total time of 27.37 on two. The runner up finished with a time of 27.75 on two. Her performance helped Eastern win the rodeo and maintain its hold on first place in the region.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Chandler, Pope, Boggs and Bonner Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University rodeo teams opened their spring season in Odessa, and received a number of strong performances with the women’s team earning another first-place finish. The Greyhound and Zia softball teams also had very strong outings while hosting Cameron in weekend series. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Susannah Chandler (softball) and Cody Pope (baseball), Cassidy Boggs (women’s rodeo) and Clay Bonner (men’s rodeo).
   
Susannah Chandler (So., SS, Farmington, N.M./Piedra Vista HS) turned in a stellar week against Cameron, with a .538 batting average and a .917 fielding percentage at shortstop. In the Zias 7-3 win over the Aggies, she batted four-for-four with four runs batted in and a double. Chandler hit safely in three of the four contests and batted three-for-three with a homer and three RBIs in the second game.

Cody Pope (Sr., RHP, Kingman, Ariz./Williston State College) earned his fourth win of the season, putting his overall record at 4-1.  Against Cameron University over the weekend, Pope pitched a complete seven inning game recording a series-high eight strikeouts, a 1.29 ERA and giving up only four hits and one earned run.  The Eastern ace is now tied for third place in the conference for most wins, and in the top ten in ERA and strikeouts in conference play.

Cassidy Boggs (Gr., Cyrill, Okla./Cyrill HS/Tarleton State) registered a first-place finish in the breakaway roping at the Odessa College rodeo. She posted a total time of 5.0 on two after she finished second in the first go and first in the short round. Boggs’ performance earned the team a first-place finish in the team standings and kept Eastern in first place in the region.

Clay Bonner (Sr., Portales, N.M./Portales HS) led the men’s rodeo team with a 10th-place finish in the calf roping. Along with teammate Madison Anderson, he also placed third in the team roping.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Huelga, Velasquez and Kendrick Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University indoor track & field team was represented by Sabrina Huelga at the NCAA Division II Championships, while the softball and baseball teams faced tough Lone Star Conference opposition on the road. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Huelga (indoor track & field), Audrey Velasquez (softball) and Clyde Kendrick (baseball).

Sabrina Huelga (Sr., Lancaster, Calif./Paraclete HS) turned in a 17th-place performance in the preliminary 800m run at the NCAA Division II Indoor track & Field Championships. She crossed the finish line with a time of 2:15.34, for her second-best time of the season.
   
Audrey Velasquez (So., INF, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) turned in a strong weekend for the ENMU softball team with a .429 batting average with a double and three runs batted in. She hit safely in three of the four games and went two-for-five with two RBIs and one runs scored in Eastern's win over Texas A&M-Commerce.

Clyde Kendrick (Jr., P, Vicksburg, Miss./Holmes CC) put in five innings of work from the mound, pitching five innings and recording nine strikeouts while allowing only two hits and no runs scored. Kendrick held the opposing team to a .118 average from the plate while setting his career-high in strikeouts. Kendrick's nine strikeouts puts him second on the team with 27 total strikeouts on the year. He leads the team in opponent batting average, holding opposing batters to a mere .169 on the season.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Martinez, Cooper, Stinnett and Gilliam Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams concluded their seasons at the LSC Championships, while the baseball and softball teams each registered wins in LSC play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Amanda Martinez (softball), Blake Cooper (baseball), Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball) and John Gilliam (men’s basketball).
   
Amanda Martinez (Sr., CF, Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown HS/El Paso CC) turned in a stellar series against sixth-ranked Angelo State, with a .600 batting average, a double and three runs batted in. She hit safely in all four games and batted six-for-seven with two runs scored and two RBIs over the last two. In Eastern's win over the Rambelles, she batted three-for-four with a RBI and made a homerun saving catch in centerfield.

Blake Cooper (R-Sr, INF/OF, Long Beach Calif./Long Beach Wilson HS/Golden West College) turned in strong play for the Greyhounds in the West Texas A&M series over the weekend.  He recorded three hits and a team-high six RBIs. The senior made a crucial play in the Greyhound’s win, with a homerun over the centerfield wall to drive in three runs and secure Eastern’s lead over the Buffaloes.  Cooper recorded no errors and had 30 putouts during the contests, to earn a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. He is on pace to break his career-high eight homeruns from last season, already recording four on the season.

Sarah Stinnett (Jr., G, Fort Sumner, N.M./Howard College) poured in 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out four assists and had five steals against Midwestern State at the Lone Star Conference Tournament. She was especially effective in the second half, with 17 points and three steals.

John Gilliam (Jr., San Bernardino, Calif. / Upland HS/Chaffey College) scored 18 points, blocked a pair of shots and pulled down five rebounds in the Greyhounds Lone Star Conference Tournament game against top-seeded Tarleton State. He scored 13 points in the opening half.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Sirag, Stinnett, Bailey, Saiz and Samaniego Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University softball team rallied from seven-runs down for a doubleheader sweep, while the track & field teams registered strong performances at the Lone Star Conference Indoor Championships. The basketball teams concluded their regular seasons and will be headed to the LSC Championships. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kyra Sirag (softball), Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball), Seth Bailey (men’s basketball), Amber Saiz (indoor women’s track & field), and Justin Samaniego (men’s indoor track & field).
   
Kyra Sirag (Jr., OF/DP, Garden Grove, Calif./Rancho Alamitos HS) batted five-for-seven in Wednesday's doubleheader sweep over University of the Southwest, with a 1.143 slugging percentage. Her three-run homer in the second game, sparked the Zias rally from a seven-run deficit, for a 10-9 win.

Sarah Stinnett (Jr., G, Fort Sumner, N.M./Howard College) poured in 22 points at fourth-ranked West Texas A&M and shot 50 percent from the floor. She also dished out four assists, with just two turnovers. Stinnett's performance marked the first time a Zia scored 20 points against the Lady Buffs, since January 23, 2013.

Seth Bailey (Sr., Texico, N.M. / Texico HS) scored 11 points against West Texas A&M Saturday, Feb. 28, where he went three-of-six from beyond the arc and two-for-two from the free throw line.  The senior also recorded six rebounds in 24 minutes played.  His 11 points and six rebounds are career highs for the senior, along with his 50 percent three-point shooting.

Junior Amber Saiz (Jr., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) registered a strong performance at the Lone Star Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, compiled more than enough points to earn All-LSC status and propel the team to a fourth-place finish. Her time of 5:05.27 was a season-best in the one-mile run and earned her a second-place finish in the event. Saiz also was the runner up in the 3,000-meter run and third-place finisher in the 5,000-meter run.

Justin Samaniego (Sr., Rubidoux, Calif. / Riverside CC) was the top performer for the Greyhound track team at the LSC championships. He registered a season-best time of 15:48.74 and finished fourth in the 5,000-meter run. Samaniego also posted a season-best time in the 3,000-meter run to place sixth.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Ramirez, Kendrick, Tucker, Wyms, Wolfram and Eligulachvili Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University softball team is off to its best start in years, while the baseball team earned a big win over the weekend. The basketball teams had busy weeks in preparation for the upcoming Lone Star Conference tournament, while the track & field teams continued to set records. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Vanessa Ramirez (softball), Clyde Kendrick (baseball), Tori Tucker (women’s basketball), Chris Wyms (men’s basketball), Jenae Wolfram (indoor women’s track & field), and Ilia Eligulachvili (men’s indoor track & field).
   
Senior pitcher Vanessa Ramirez (Lubbock, Texas/Lubbock HS) made a pair of big relief appearances last week, to help the Zias win five of their six games. Over 4.2 innings, she held New Mexico Highlands and Newman University hitless and scoreless with two strikeouts. Ramirez registered the first save of her career after two relief innings against Newman and earned a win in 2.2 innings against NMHU.

Clyde Kendrick (Jr., RHP, Vicksburg, Miss./Holmes CC) earned the only win of a three game series against Lubbock Christian University. The junior earned his first career win in his first career start while giving up only one earned run through six innings pitched and recording a career-high eight strikeouts. The first time starter gave up only one extra base hit in 98 pitches thrown.

Tori Tucker (Sr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) averaged 24 points, 6.3 rebounds and connected on all 20 free throws in three Lone Star Conference games last week. Her performance enabled the Zias to upset Texas A&M-Commerce and put the team in a position to edge Texas Woman's until the final seconds of the game. Against the Lions, Tucker scored a career-high 32 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists and had a pair of steals. Her biggest play in that game was taking a charge in the final five seconds, to set up the game-winning free throws. Tucker followed with a 21-point outburst against Texas Woman's, with 14 points coming in the second half. Her week at the charity stripe is part of a stretch of 31 consecutive successful free throw attempts, dating back to a miss in the first half against Texas A&M-Kingsville, early in the month.

Chris Wyms (Jr., G, Carson, Calif. / King Drew Medical Magnet HS / Cerritos College) scored a combined 32 points in this week’s two games against Tarleton State University and Texas A&M Commerce.  Going 11-for-24 from the field, the junior guard shot an extremely efficient 8-for-14 from beyond the arc for 57.1 percent three-point shooting.  Averaging a team-high 33.5 minutes a contest, Wyms also recorded seven rebounds and three steals on the week.

Jenae Wolfram (Jr., Bosque Farms, N.M./Valencia HS) competed in the women's weight throw and shot put at the Texas Tech Red Raider Open. The junior had her best finish of the season, placing second in the weight throw with a distance of 49’10.43”. Wolfram also placed seventh in the shot put with a distance of 42’2.69”. Both top ten places were career best for her.

Ilia Eligulachvili (So., Bat-Yam, Israel/Western Kentucky University) participated in the men’s 800 meter run over the weekend at the Texas Tech Red Raider Open, Feb. 20.  He broke the previous school record in the 800m event, which he set with a time of 2:00.28 at the University of New Mexico Lobo Open.  His time of 1:57.99 in the event at Texas tech placed him seventh in the standings

Monday, February 16, 2015

Secheslingloff, Dodd, Johnson and Domingo Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams both registered strong performances over the weekend, while the basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference play. The women’s indoor track & field team won the distance medley event at Adams State. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Aja Secheslingloff (softball), Keenan Dodd (baseball), Jasmine Johnson (women’s basketball) and Lawrence Domingo (men’s basketball).
   
Aja Secheslingloff (Fr., P, Acampo, Calif./Lodi HS) turned in a stellar performance for the Zias at the Desert Stinger Classic with a 3-1 record and 2.00 earned run average over four games with 11 strike outs and just four walks. She blanked St. Cloud State on three hits in the opener and followed with a two-hitter against Fort Lewis. On Saturday, she allowed just three runs to Texas-Permian Basin to become the first Zia pitcher to open the season with a 5-0 record. Secheslingloff allowed just two earned runs in Sunday's setback to Central Washington and fanned four batters.

In a four game series against New Mexico Highlands University, Keenan Dodd (Fr., INF, Albuquerque, N.M./Hope Christian Academy) helped the Greyhounds win their first meeting 13-4 with one hits and two RBIs. Dodd came up big in scoring situations, especially late in the game, recording some of the best stats on the team this season in those positions. Dodd had a .429 average with runners in scoring position, .333 with two outs, .556 advancing runners and went three-for-five when he was the leadoff man.

Jasmine Johnson (Sr., F, DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto HS) shot a team best .444 from the floor last week against Cameron and Midwestern State. She averaged 10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds and had a 14-point, nine-rebound outing at Midwestern State.

Lawrence Domingo (Jr., F, Union City, Calif. / Community Charter Early College High School/Stoneridge Prep) averaged 11 points per game with a .471 shooting percentage against Cameron and Midwestern State. He poured in 10 points and grabbed six rebounds against Cameron and followed with a 12-point outing at Midwestern State.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Stinnett, Gilliam, Martinez, Pope, Huelga and Eligualachvili Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams both posted a pair of wins in the opening weekend of action, while the track & field teams continued to set new records. The women’s basketball team earned a pair of Lone Star Conference wins, while the Hounds faced some of the toughest competition in the country. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball), John Gilliam (men’s basketball), Amanda Martinez (softball), Cody Pope (baseball), Sabrina Huelga (women’s indoor track & field) and Ilia Eligualachvili (men’s indoor track & field).
   
Sarah Stinnett (Jr., G, Fort Sumner, N.M./Howard College) turned in a strong week for the Zias, which saw Eastern register a 2-0 record in Lone Star Conference play. In Saturday's win against Angelo State, she challenged the program's scoring record with 37 points and added 10 rebounds for the first double double of her career. Stinnett scored 30 of the team's first 60 points in the contest and continually thwarted Rambelle rallies as Eastern rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half. She also registered a six-point performance at Texas A&M-Kingsville along with five assists and a steal. Over the two games, Stinnett converted on .522 of her field goal attempts.

John Gilliam (Jr., G, San Bernardino, Calif./Upland HS/Chaffey College) turned in a strong week for the Greyhounds, with a team-leading 19.5 points per game average, .455 shooting percentage from three-point range, 14 rebounds and five assists. He poured in 25 points at Texas A&M-Kingsville and hit nine-of-10 free throws, to reach the 20-point mark for the eighth time this season. Gilliam followed with 14 points against sixth-ranked Angelo State and connected on three-of-five shots from three-point range.

Amanda Martinez (Sr., OF, Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown HS/El Paso CC) picked up right where she left off last season and batted .600 with six runs scored over the first three games of the season. She had multiple hits in all three games, which included a two-for-four performance with three runs, a double and RBI in the Zias second-ever win over Washburn. Martinez also went two-for-two on stolen base attempts over the weekend and currently ranks seventh on the ENMU career list in that category.

Cody Pope (Sr., RHP, Kingman, Ariz./Williston State College) led the Greyhounds to a 17-5 win in their season opener against Adams State University. The senior pitcher recorded no hits and two strikeouts in his first inning.  Giving up no earned runs, Pope gave up only one extra base hit, which was a double. His 10 strikeouts is a career high and a season-high for the Greyhounds.

Ilia Eligualachvili (So., Bat-Yam, Israel/Western Kentucky University) placed 18th in the men's 600m run at the University of New Mexico Collegiate Classic with a time of 1.22.63. The sophomore also helped his team place 12th in the men's 4x400 relay with a time of 3:25.63.

Sabrina Huelga (Sr., Lancaster, Calif./Paraclete HS) continued her success from her previous meet, earning a seventh place finish in the women's 800m run at the University of New Mexico Collegiate Classic.  The senior also helped her team place first in the women's distance medley with a time of 12:18.98, a full 23.69 seconds ahead of the second place team.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Stinnett, Wyms, Huelga and Dominguez Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University indoor track & field teams turned in a number of record-breaking performances at the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open, while the basketball teams hosted West Texas A&M. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball), Chris Wyms (men’s basketball), Sabrina Huelga (women’s indoor track & field) and Matt Dominguez (men’s indoor track & field).
   
Sarah Stinnett (Jr., G, Fort Sumner, N.M./Howard College) poured in 15 points against sixth-ranked West Texas A&M along with three assists and four rebounds. Two of her baskets gave the Zias leads over the Lady Buffs, early in the first half.

Chris Wyms (Jr., G, Carson, Calif./King Drew Medical Magnet HS/Cerritos College) poured in 19 points and dished out four assists in the Greyhound's wild game against West Texas A&M. He connected on three treys during a run late in the first half, which turned a six-point deficit into a one-point halftime lead, on a buzzer-beating shot.

Sabrina Huelga (Sr., Lancaster, Calif./Paraclete HS) registered a fourth-place performance in the women’s 800-meter run at the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open, finishing with a time of 2:17.90, less than two seconds behind the event’s first-place finisher.

Matt Dominguez (Sr., Las Cruces, N.M./Mayfield HS) shattered his own school record in the 800-meter run, with a time of 1:58.07, to finish 19th. He edged 20th-place finisher Tony Perez (Barton County) by just .01 and was .30 behind 18th-place finisher Joey Gonzales (Wayland Baptist).

Monday, January 26, 2015

Tucker, Balark, Blind and Barber Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference play, last week, while the indoor track & field teams opened their 2015 season. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tori Tucker (women’s basketball) and Demetrius Balark (men’s basketball).
   
Over a four-day stretch, Tori Tucker (Sr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) led the Zias in scoring (13 points/game), rebounding (6.7/game) and three-point percentage (.583). Her 18 defensive rebounds prevented the opposition for getting too many second chances and she contributed one of Eastern's three blocked shots along with a pair of steals. Tucker contributed 20 points and five rebounds as the Zias rallied from an 11-point deficit, to nearly claim a road win over Texas Woman's.

Demetrius Balark (Jr., G, Glendale, Ariz./Raymond S. Kellis HS/Cochise College) shot a blistering .524 from the floor and averaged 15.5 points against a pair of regionally-ranked opponents. He poured in 14 points at Texas A&M-Commerce and followed with a 17-point outburst against Tarleton State.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Tucker and Gilliam Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference play, last week, with the Zias posting one of the biggest come-from-behind wins in at least a decade. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball) and John Gilliam (men’s basketball).
   
Tori Tucker (Sr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) led a Zia defensive effort which led Eastern to a pair of Lone Star Conference wins. Her efforts helped limit Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville to a .152 conversion rate from outside the arc and 57 points per game. After the Zias fell behind by 22 points at Angelo State, Tucker and the ENMU defense limited the Rambelles to 16 points, .261 from the floor without and no three-point buckets in 10 shots, over the final 16 minutes of play. Her nine rebounds were more than double the total of the next closest Zia in that game.

Junior guard John Gilliam (San Bernardino, Calif./Upland HS/Chaffey College) turned in a strong week for the Greyhounds, with 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game against Texas A&M-Kingsville and 10th-ranked Angelo State. He shot .846 from the free-throw line, which included a career-best 14-for-16 at ASU. Gilliam also blocked three shots and had a steal against the Javelinas.


Monday, January 12, 2015

Stinnett and Gilliam Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams opened Lone Star Conference play, last week. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball) and John Gilliam (men’s basketball).
   
Junior guard Sarah Stinnett (Fort Sumner, N.M./Howard College) paced the Zias in scoring, assists and field goals, last week. She reached double figures in both games, with 10 points at Cameron and a career-high 20 points against Midwestern State. Stinnett added four assists against the Aggies and pulled down seven rebounds against the Mustangs.

Junior guard John Gilliam (San Bernardino, Calif./Upland HS/Chaffey College) was Eastern's leading offensive threat last week and averaged 23 points per game at Cameron and against Midwestern State. He shot .407 for the week, 128 points above the team shooting percentage of .279. Gilliam has scored at least 19 points in each of the last four games and converted 20 of 24 free throw attempts in last week's two games.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Wyms and Stinnett Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams both earned big wins over tough competition from the Heartland Conference, last week. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Chris Wyms (men’s basketball) and Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball).
           
Chris Wyms (Jr., G, Carson, Calif./King Drew Medical Magnet HS/Cerritos College) led the Greyhounds in their rally from a 14-point deficit at University of Texas of the Permian Basin, for a 102-99 win. He finished the contest with a career-high 29 points and was a perfect five-for-five outside the three-point line and a near perfect three-for-three at the free throw line. In the second half, he accounted for 25 of Eastern's 64 points and committed just a single turnover in 17 minutes. ENMU trailed 98-97, when Wyms hit four straight free throws to give them the lead for good. The contest marked the second straight 20-point performance for Wyms.

Junior guard Sarah Stinnett (Fort Sumner, N.M./Howard College) scored a career-best against defending Heartland Conference champion Texas A&M-International to go along with five rebounds and three assists. In the second half, her 11 points and four rebounds helped the Zias to seal the victory, with four points and two caroms in the final five minutes.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Wyms and Tucker Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team earned another dramatic win on a late shot, while the women’s basketball team had two exhibitions against NCAA Division I opposition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Chris Wyms (men’s basketball) and Tori Tucker (women’s basketball).
           
Chris Wyms (Jr., G, Carson, Calif./King Drew Medical Magnet HS/Cerritos College) averaged a team-best 19 points and dished out 7.5 rebounds in addition to shooting 50 percent from the floor and hitting all 10 free throw attempts. In the Hounds’ 91-90 win over Northern New Mexico, he poured in 27 points and dished out nine assists. One of Wyms’ passes led to the game-winning bucket with just six seconds left. He also had 11 points, six assists and nine rebounds against Texas-Permian Basin.

Senior forward Tori Tucker (Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) averaged 17 points and 4.5 rebounds last week, in exhibition games against The University of Texas-E Paso and New Mexico State. Against the Aggies, she exploded for 30 points on a 10-for-16 performance from the floor. Her total exceeded her career-best 29 points, scored against Tarleton State, last season.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Gilliam and Stinnett Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams hit the road for some early season tournament action, with the Greyhounds earning a dramatic win on a buzzer-beating shot. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were John Gilliam (men’s basketball) and Sarah Stinnett (women’s basketball).
           
John Gilliam (Jr., G, San Bernardino, Calif. / Upland HS / Chaffey College) came through for Eastern New Mexico in the clutch Saturday against Harding at the Pak-A-Sak Thanksgiving Classic, nailing a three-pointer from 30 feet out at the buzzer for a 76-73 Greyhound victory. He recorded his first career double-double in the win as well with 21 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Gilliam has scored 20 points in two of his last three games. For the week he averaged a team-high 17.0 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game while adding 3.0 assists per game and making 12-of-16 shots at the free throw line.

Sarah Stinnett (Jr., G, Fort Sumner, N.M./Howard College) averaged a team-best 12 points against Fort Lewis, Texas-Permian Basin and Lubbock Christian. She poured in a season-best 17 points against Fort Lewis, to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. Stinnett followed with a 16-point performance against seventh-ranked Texas-Permian Basin. Over the three contests, she connected on more than 50 percent of her shots from the floor.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Tucker, Gilliam, Saiz and Roa Selected as Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University cross country teams closed their 2014 season at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships, while the basketball teams swept Western New Mexico at The Pit. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were John Gilliam (men’s basketball), Tori Tucker (women’s basketball), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country and Kevin Roa (men’s cross country).
           
Tori Tucker (St., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) led the Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team to a 77-61 win over Western New Mexico, last weekend at The Pit. She registered her second 20-point performance of the season and connected on a career-high 12 free throws. She hit all eight of her free throws over the final 42 seconds of play, to seal the win.

John Gilliam (Jr., G, San Bernardino, Calif. / Upland HS / Chaffey College) averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in three games for Eastern New Mexico last week. He made 14-of-29 on field goal attempts while going 5-for-10 from beyond the arc and connected on 11-of-15 shots at the free throw line. Against Western New Mexico at The Pit, Gilliam scored a season-high 25 points as he made seven-of-ten shots, five-of-six of his three-point attempts and converted all six of his free throw attempts.

Amber Saiz (Jr., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) earned NCAA Division II All-South Central region, for her 19th-place performance at Saturday’s regional championship meet. She crossed the finish line with a time of 23:40, to improve on her 36th-place finish from the 2013 championship event.

Kevin Roa (Sr., Salinas, Calif./North Monterey County HS) paced the Greyhounds at the NCAA Division II South Central Region Championships, with a 38th-place finish. He crossed the finish line with a time of 33:59 and moved up from his 41st-place finish from the 2012 championships.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Buurma, Barron, Randle and Tucker Selected as Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University football team picked up a win over West Texas A&M in the season finale, while the volleyball team registered a strong performance at the Lone Star Conference tournament. Both basketball teams had impressive showings to open their seasons. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jeremy Buurma (football), Lindsey Barron (volleyball), Michael Randle (men’s basketball), and Tori Tucker (women’s basketball).
           
Jeremy Buurma (R-Jr., QB, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) turned in a strong game against West Texas A&M, and accounted for five touchdowns in the 55-45 victory. He finished the contest with 239 yards of total offense, and has guided Eastern to its first three-game win streak over the Buffaloes since a run from 1999-2002. For the game, he completed seven of his nine passes, but he was four-for-four for 157 yards and three touchdowns in situations that Eastern trailed. One of those plays was a first-and-25 at the ENMU 26-yard line, and Buurma completed a pass for 36 yards and a first-down. With Buurma at quarterback, Eastern closed the season with three straight victories to notch their second consecutive seven-win season.
   
In the four-set match against Lone Star Conference tournament finalist Angelo State, Lindsey Barron (R-Sr., OH, Mandeville, La. / Fontainebleau HS / Central Arkansas) had 12 kills and a .440 attack percentage. She recorded only one attack error in the match which came in the fourth and final set. Over the final two sets, Barron had eight kills with four in both of the sets. She also finished the match with three digs and a block assist to finish with 12.5 points as the Zias won their first set at the conference tournament in 10 years. It also marked the first time ENMU had taken a set from the Rambelles in five seasons.

After scoring 17 points in 12 games last season, Michael Randle (Sr., G, Houston, Texas/James Madison HS/Paris JUCO) averaged 20 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals per game at the Angelo State Tip-Off Classic. He scored a career-high 22 points on seven-of-eight shooting including making all four of his three-pointers in a 92-88 overtime win over Texas A&M International in the season opener. His lone missed shot attempt came at the end of regulation. Randle followed up with an 18-point, three-assist, two-rebound and two-steal performance in a shootout victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State.

Tori Tucker (Sr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) paced the Zias in the first two games of the season and reached double figures both times. She poured in 22 points with six rebounds in the opener against Colorado School of Mines. Tucker also contributed 14 points, six boards and a career-best five assists against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. Dating back to last season, she has posted at least 14 points and five rebounds in five consecutive games.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Bailey, Gibbons, Prince and Gutierrez Selected as Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University football team claimed the Wagon Wheel Game for the second straight season, while the volleyball team made its final regular-season road trip. Both soccer teams earned big wins, with the Zias coming within inches of claiming the conference title. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Seth Bailey (football), Agatha Gibbons (volleyball), Alyssa Prince (women’s soccer), and James Gutierrez (men’s soccer).
           
Seth Bailey (R-Sr., LB, Texico, N.M./Texico HS) keyed a defensive effort which limited West Texas A&M to a season-low 266 yards of total offense, below their average of 427.4 yards per game. In the first half, Eastern allowed just 35 offensive yards and charged to a 21-point lead. With the Hounds leading 14-0 in the first quarter, Bailey forced a fumble, which led to a Greyhound touchdown, just three plays later. The turnover marked the fifth time this season in which Bailey was involved in a turnover.

Agatha Gibbons (Sr., MB, Suva, Fiji / St Joseph’s Secondary School / NMMI) led the Eastern New Mexico volleyball team with 33 kills, 3.67 k/s, a .282 attack percentage and 10 blocks in three matches this past week. She recorded a career-high 16 kills in a sweep at the University of the Southwest last Monday while also matching the Mustangs’ kill total for the entire match by herself. In her past six matches, Gibbons has had at least 11 kills in five of them.

For the second time this season, Alyssa Prince (Sr., MF, Las Cruces, N.M./Mayfield HS) netted the game-winning goal against Texas Woman's University for a 2-1 victory. For the season, she has scored a team-high four game-winning goals, pulling into a tie with Samantha Lawrence on the ENMU single-season list.

This past week, James Gutierrez (R-Fr., Albuquerque, N.M./la Cueva HS) made 14 saves in two games while recording a .875 save percentage. He helped the Greyhounds win their first game ever on the road against Midwestern State with a 10 save performance. His save total in Wichita Falls is tied for the third most by an Eastern player and the most since Matt Malak also had 10 stops at MSU in 2011. Gutierrez also made four saves in a 1-0 defeat at home to the Mustangs this past Saturday.

   
Monday, October 27, 2014

Spight, Gibbons, Wilson, Roa and Blind Selected as Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team won two of three games, while the women’s soccer team moved into second place in the Lone Star Conference. The men’s and women’s cross country teams took first place at the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede, while the Greyhound football team had a number of big performances. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were E’lon Spight (football), Agatha Gibbons (volleyball), Fabienne Wilson (women’s soccer), Beth Blind (women’s cross country) and Kevin Roa (men’s cross country).
           
E'lon Spight (Sr., FB, St. Louis, Mo., Hazelwood East HS/Grossmont College) rushed for a single-game high 196 yards at Angelo State and crossed the goal line twice. Of his 40 carries in the game, 14 resulted in Greyhound first downs. His one-yard touchdown run on fourth down staked Eastern to a 7-0 lead, in the first quarter. Spight is the only player in the LSC with 1,000 yards rushing this season and is tied for the conference lead, with 14 touchdowns.

Agatha Gibbons (Sr., MB, Suva, Fiji / St Joseph’s Secondary School/NMMI) paced the Zias with 37 kills, 3.08 k/s, 17 blocks with six of them being solo, and a .408 attack percentage in three matches last week. She had double-digit kills in all three contests including tying her career-high with 14 in a four-set defeat at Texas-Permian Basin. In the team’s lone LSC match of the week, Gibbons recorded 11 kills with a .435 attack percentage and seven blocks as three were solo rejections.

Fabienne Wilson (Sr., GK, Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS/Garden City CC) posted an .8546 save percentage on the road against Lone Star Conference powerhouses Angelo State and Midwestern State. Her performance allowed Eastern to stay within a goal of the Rambelles, despite being shorthanded for nearly the entire second half. Wilson made seven saves at MSU to post her fourth shutout of the season, in a game where the Mustangs outshot the Zias by a 14-8 margin and held a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks.
   
Kevin Roa’s (Sr., Salinas, Calif./North Monterey County HS) first-place finish at the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede marked the first time a Greyhound had won a meet since October 15, 2013, when Kaspars Briska won the ENMU/WT dual meet. It also marked the first for Roa, when he crossed the finish line at 26:03. His performance propelled the ENMU men's cross country team to a first-place finish in the team standings, by almost 30 points.

Beth Blind's (Sr., Kennedale, Texas/Kennedale HS) third-place finish at the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede led the Zias to a first-place finish in the team standings. She crossed the finish line at the 22:39 mark, seven seconds ahead of the next finisher.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Bailey, Frye, Wilson, Gutierrez, Cleveland and Lord Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
 
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University soccer teams both completed season-series wins over West Texas A&M, with the Zias sweeping for the first time in team history. The volleyball team picked up a mid-week win over Texas-Permian Basin, while the football team had a big matchup of last season’s co-LSC champions. The rodeo team concluded its fall season at Texas Tech. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Seth Bailey (football), Lauren Frye (volleyball), Fabienne Wilson (women’s soccer), James Gutierrez (men’s soccer), Kortney Cleveland (women’s rodeo) and Levi Lord (men’s rodeo).
   
Seth Bailey (R-Sr., LB, Texico, N.M./Texico HS) paced the Greyhound defense against Tarleton State, with 10 tackles, which included 2.5 for a loss. He also had an interception during Eastern's second-half rally and blocked a field goal.

Lauren Frye (Amissville, Va./Highland School) had double-digit kills in all three matches last week, finishing with 47. She averaged 3.92 k/s with a .315 attack percentage. Against Texas-Permian Basin, Frye had 19 kills and career-best .615 attack percentage as she nearly matched the Falcons kill total of 21 for the match.

Fabienne Wilson (Sr., GK, Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS/Garden City CC) made six saves, to earn her second shutout over West Texas A&M, this season. She made a critical diving save in the first half, during a flurry of action in front of the Zia net. Wilson has three shutouts for the season and five over her career.
 
James Gutierrez (R-Fr., Albuquerque, N.M./la Cueva HS) made six saves in a 0-0 draw with West Texas A&M to earn his third shutout of the season. He helped the Greyhounds win the season series for the second time ever over the Buffaloes. Gutierrez lowered his GAA to 0.944 while seeing his save percentage increase to .833 on the season.

Kortney Cleveland (Sr., Murrieta, Calif./Julian Charter HS) registered a second-place performance in the barrel race at the Texas Tech rodeo. She rallied from a sixth-place finish in the first go, to place second in the short round. Cleveland currently ranks fifth in the region in the event, while Eastern is the top team in the rankings.

Levi Lord (Fr., Sturgis, S.D./Sturgis HS) finished third in the team roping at Texas Tech. He opened competition with a second-place performance in the first go. He is currently tied as the 14th-ranked heeler in the region.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Spight, Gibbons, Prince, Viveros, Lozano, Blind, Segelke-Todd and Vick Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University football team registered a record-breaking performance in its road win over McMurry, while both soccer teams picked up crucial wins. The cross country teams both won the Wagon Wheel Dual meet, while the rodeo team notched a first-place performance. The volleyball team faced extremely tough competition at home and on the road. The rodeo teams continued to perform at a very high level. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were E’lon Spight (football), Agatha Gibbons (volleyball), Alyssa Prince (women’s soccer), Carlos Viveros (men’s soccer), Jacob Lozano (men’s cross country), Beth Blind (women’s cross country), Hayden Segelke-Todd (women’s rodeo) and Logan Vick (men’s rodeo).
           
E'lon Spight (Sr., FB, St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood East HS/Grossmont College) led the Greyhounds at McMurry and set career highs, with 189 rushing yards and four touchdowns. On his 27 carries, he averaged an incredible seven yards and crossed the first-down marker 11 times. Spight is just the sixth ENMU player since the 1998 season to score four touchdowns in a game. His performance helped the Hounds to set a new team record for points in a road game at 62. The previous record stood since the 1990 season.

Agatha Gibbons (Sr., MB, Suva, Fiji / St Joseph’s Secondary School/NMMI) led the Zias with 33 kills, a .296 attack percentage and nine blocks over three matches last week. She set a career-high with 14 kills at home against New Mexico Highlands. She nearly tied the mark with 13 kills in a four-set setback at Cameron.

Alyssa Prince (Sr., MF, Las Cruces, N.M./Mayfield HS) netted the game-winning goal against eighth-ranked and then-undefeated Angelo State, on Sunday afternoon. The goal was the first given up in a span of 785:17 by the Rambelles and snapped a streak of seven consecutive shutouts. In the second half, she added an insurance goal to become the first player with multiple goals against ASU since September 7, 2013. The game-winning goal was the fifth in Prince's career and moved her into a tie for fifth place on the ENMU career list.
   
Carlos Viveros (R-Jr., Katy, Texas/Morton Ranch HS) set a new Greyhound single-game record at Dallas Baptist with three assists. He surpassed the previous mark of two assists that had been accomplished 18 times including twice this season. He had a part in all three goals ENMU scored against the Patriots in the 3-1 victory as the Greyhounds extended their unbeaten streak to five games.

Jacob Lozano (Sr., Hobbs, N.M./Hobbs HS) paced the Eastern New Mexico University men's cross country team with a third-place finish at West Texas A&M's Wagon Wheel Meet. He was the first ENMU or WT runner to finish the race and crossed the finish line with a season-best time of 25:57.06.

Beth Blind (Sr., Kennedale, Texas/Kennedale HS) turned in a third-place performance at West Texas A&M's Wagon Wheel Dual Meet. She crossed the finish line at the 22:35.32 and paced the Zias to a win over the Lady Buffs.

Hayden Segelke-Todd (Sr., Snyder, Colo.) registered a second-place performance in the goat tying at the West Texas A&M rodeo, to lead the ENMU women’s team to a first-place finish. She won the first go and placed fifth in the short go.
   
Logan Vick (Jr., Byers, Colo./Byers HS) split third and fourth in both the short go and average in the steer wrestling. He was ENMU’s top performer for the men’s team at the West Texas A&M rodeo.

Monday, October 06, 2014

Reaves, Barron, Moxley, Crosby, Segelke-Todd and Bonner Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — It was a banner weekend for Eastern New Mexico University teams, with the football and women’s soccer teams earning wins on fields they had never experience victory on before. The volleyball rallied for a crucial win on the road, while men’s soccer had its strongest week of the season. The rodeo teams continued to perform at a very high level. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kevin Reaves (football), Lindsey Barron (volleyball), Melissa Moxley (women’s soccer), Abayneh Crosby (men’s soccer), Hayden Segelke-Todd (women’s rodeo) and Clay Bonner (men’s rodeo).
       
Kevin Reaves (Sr., DB, Albuquerque, N.M./Manzano HS/NMMI) blocked a pair of Texas A&M-Kingsville field goal attempts, which included one on the first possession, which allowed ENMU to strike first, en-route to a 31-0 win. He also returned a punt 20 yards and made six tackles. The performance marked the first time a Greyhound player had blocked two kicks in a game since Nathan Uland in the 2009 season

Lindsey Barron (R-Sr., OH, Mandeville, La. / Fontainebleau High School / University of Central Arkansas) helped lead the volleyball team to a 2-1 record last week including an incredible comeback at Texas A&M-Commerce. She averaged a team-best 3.27 k/s with a .235 hitting percentage. Against the Lions, Barron recorded a season-high 21 kills while hitting a career-best .487 as the Zias came back from trailing two sets to none and 14-9 in the fifth set to win the match.

Melissa Moxley (Jr., D, Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho HS) netted the game-winner 31:27 into Friday's victory over West Texas A&M. The goal was her second of the season at the first for ENMU in a game at West Texas A&M since October 28, 2011.
   
Abayneh Crosby (Sr., MF, Humble, Texas/Atascocita HS) extended his goal streak to four games with one apiece at Lubbock Christian and the University of the Southwest. His streak is tied for the second longest in program history with Ryan McClanahan (2007) and Emerson Rodrigues (2009). Crosby is currently two behind the team’s all-time record of six set last season by Kal Herbert. Against Lubbock Christian, he scored to tie the game 2-2 while the Greyhounds were playing a man down.

Hayden Segelke-Todd (Sr., Snyder, Colo.) registered a first-place performance in the goat tying at the Vernon College rodeo, to lead the ENMU women’s team to a third-place finish. She finished with a time of 13.9 on two, after also winning the first go.

Clay Bonner (Sr., Portales, N.M./Portales HS) split second and third in the calf roping at the Vernon College rodeo. With a time of 9.7 seconds, he split second and third in the short go.

Monday, September 29, 2013

Johnson, Catano, Prince, Crosby, Saiz and Lozano Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week
   
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team continued to roll, with a two conference wins, while both soccer teams earned impressive victories. The cross country team notched impressive performances at Oklahoma State, while the football team squared off with one of the top teams in the conference. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jacob Johnson (football), Kennedi Catano (volleyball), Alyssa Prince (women’s soccer), Abayneh Crosby (men’s soccer), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country) and Jacob Lozano (men’s cross country).
   
Eight of the Greyhounds nine completed passes went to Jacob Johnson (Sr., WR, Idalou, Texas/Idalou HS) for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Six of his receptions resulted in first downs, while another throw to him resulted in a pass interference penalty. For the game, Johnson averaged 19.9 yards per catch.

Kennedi Catano (Sr., S, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) helped lead the Eastern New Mexico volleyball team to a 2-1 record last week against Lone Star Conference foes and moved into fourth place on the program’s career assist list. She had a season-high 29 assists in a five-set thriller against Midwestern State. With her third assist against Angelo State, Catano moved surpassed Barbara Lynn (1983-86) on the career assist list. She ended the week with 18 assists in a sweep of Tarleton State on Saturday night.

Alyssa Prince (Sr., MF, Las Cruces, N.M./Mayfield  HS) had the Zias only shot on goal in overtime against Texas Woman's and she made it count, connecting on her second game-winning goal of the season. Her shot on goal was one of the Zias only two, after the first period ended. Prince's goal gave Eastern its third road victory in the series against Texas Woman's University.
   
Abayneh Crosby (Sr., MF, Humble, Texas/Atascocita HS) scored two of the Eastern New Mexico men’s soccer team’s four goals last week. His first came against Newman to tie the game 1-1 as he put in a rebound off an initial save. He tacked on his second goal on a header off a free kick versus Oklahoma Christian that put the Greyhounds ahead 3-0 in the first half. For the week, Crosby also led the team with eight shots and put six of them on goal.

Amber Saiz (Jr., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) completed the five-kilometer race at Oklahoma State, with a time of 19:12.87, to finish fourth among competitors attached to a school. She crossed the finish line with a time of 19:12.87, almost six seconds faster than Wayland Baptist's Selene Gomez.

Jacob Lozano (Sr., Hobbs, N.M./Hobbs HS) finished the men's eight-kilometer run at Oklahoma State, with a time of 26:16.97, to place tenth among attached runners. His time was more than 10 seconds faster than that of Oklahoma Christian's Bryant Keirns.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Spight, Barron, Perez and Davilla Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University women’s soccer team heated up last week, while the men’s team nearly took a tight game. The football team got off to a quick start at AT&T Stadium, while the volleyball team played against one of the top teams in the country. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were E’lon Spight (football), Lindsey Barron (volleyball), Victoria Perez (women’s soccer), and Edgar Davilla (men’s soccer).
   
E'lon Spight (Sr., FB, St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood East/HS/Grossmont HS) registered career highs with 30 carries for 142 yards against a tough Midwestern State defense at the LSC football festival. In addition to his 4.7 yards per carry average, his 31-yard touchdown gave the Hounds a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. Six of his runs resulted in ENMU first downs in the game.

Lindsey Barron (R-Sr., OH Mandeville, La. / Fontainebleau HS / University of Central Arkansas) led the Eastern New Mexico volleyball team with 10 kills and a .364 attack percentage at West Texas A&M. In the final two sets, she hit .533 with nine kills to just one error as the Zias posted hitting percentages of .375 and .250, respectively, in the sets. Barron also recorded a dig and block during the match as well.

Victoria Perez (Sr., D, Rio Rancho, N.M./ Rio Rancho HS) tallied the game-tying and game-winning goal for the Zias, in their first-ever meeting with Texas A&M-International. She leads Eastern with three goals this season and has netted the game winner in each of the last two matches.
   
Edgar Davila (R-Fr., Santa Fe, N.M. / Santa Fe Waldorf HS), a center back, helped shutout St. Edward’s for nearly 87 minutes in a 1-0 defeat on Monday. He also attempted a shot, his second of the season, that went just over the crossbar in the second half.

Tuesday, September 16, 2013

Wade, Frye, Lozano, Prince and Jamison Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team continued to roll, with a dominant win over Adams State. The volleyball team made an impressive showing at Texas A&M-Kingsville’s tournament, with a 3-1 record. The Greyhound and Zia soccer teams turned in a number of strong performances. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jordan Wade (football), Lauren Frye (volleyball), Alyssa Prince (women’s soccer), and John Jamison (men’s soccer).
   
Jordan Wade (R-So., OL, Houston, Texas/Cypress-Ridge HS) led an outstanding effort by the Greyhound offensive line in Saturday’s dominant win over Adams State. The performance allowed the offense to generate the most total yards (608) since September 2009, and post the first 400-yard rushing day (442) since September 2007. The Hounds registered 29 first down to just six from the Grizzlies and held the ball for 38:11 of play.

Lauren Frye (So., RS, Amissville, Va./Highland School) had a dominating performance at the Emerald Beach Hotel Javelina Volleyball Invitational as she helped lead Eastern New Mexico to a 3-1 record. She finished with 66 kills, a .410 attack percentage, averaged 4.40 k/s and had 12 blocks in four matches. She set a career-high in attack percentage at .545 (15-3-22) over four sets against Texas A&M-Kingsville. Frye followed up with a career-best 22 kills in a four-set victory over Fort Lewis and ended the weekend with 19 kills and a .485 attack percentage in a sweep versus Adelphi..

Alyssa Prince (Sr., MF, Las Cruces, N.M./Mayfield  HS) netted the game-winning goal in the Zias’ victory over Adams State. She had three shots for the game.
   
John Jamison (So., MF, Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS HS) scored in the Greyhounds 1-1 double overtime tie at St. Mary’s University. He had three shots on goal in the contest and provided strong defense from the midfield position, which helped limit the Rattlers to seven shots on goal.

Monday, September 8, 2013

Johnson, Saiz, Lozano, Lawson, Gutierrez and Moxley Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team opened the season in dominant fashion and earned their seventh straight win. The cross country teams both opened with third-place finishes at Adams State, while the volleyball team made an impressive showing at the West Texas A&M tournament. The Greyhound and Zia soccer teams made strong debuts with the Hounds earning a win over University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jacob Johnson (football), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), Jacob Lozano (men’s cross country), Courtney Lawson (volleyball), James Gutierrez (men’s soccer) and Melissa Moxley (women’s soccer).

Jacob Johnson (Sr., WR, Idalou, Texas/Idalou HS) turned in a dominant performance against New Mexico Highlands to lead the Greyhounds to their first season-opening win since the 2010 season. He finished the game with touchdown receptions of 22, 36 and 49 yards, for his first three-touchdown game. Johnson finished the contest with a career-high 178 yards and a 44.5 yards per catch average on four receptions. The yardage was the most for any ENMU receiver since Jessie Poku posted a 180-yard game against Northeastern State on November 6, 2010.

Amber Saiz (Jr., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) registered the 11^th-best 8k time in team history and led the Zias to a third-place finish at the Joe Vigil Open. She crossed the finish line at 19:08.38, the fourth time in her career she posted a sub-20 minute time. Saiz finished 11.20 ahead of the 13^th-place finisher, Maddie Krueger from Fort Lewis.

Jacob Lozano (Sr., Hobbs, N.M./Hobbs HS) took seventh at the Joe Vigil Open and led the Greyhounds to a third-place finish. He crossed the finish line in the men's 8k with a time of 25:58.57 and was almost four seconds ahead of Adams State's Dominic Cabada.

Courtney Lawson (So., OH, Rio Rancho, N.M./V. Sue Cleveland HS) registered an outstanding performance for the volleyball team at the BritKare Lady Buff Classic. She averaged 1.5 kills per set (25 total), 2.44 digs per set (39 total) and had five service aces. In Friday’s win over UC-Colorado Springs, she had nine kills and 17 digs. She registered the 12^th double double of her career, with 10 kills, 13 digs and three service aces against Adams State.

James Gutierrez (R-Fr., GK, Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) registered a strong performance last week and posted a 1.0 goals against average and an 8.75 save percentage. He blanked Adams State in regulation and made eight saves. On Sunday, he made a crucial stop of a penalty kick and made six saves in a win over University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

Melissa Moxley (Jr., D, Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho HS) tallied the first goal of the season for the Zias. The score ignited the Zia offense and nearly brought the team back from a 3-0 deficit against Western State.Monday, May 5, 2014

Nault, Hedrick, Samoei, and Jones Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team concluded its season with a series win over Angelo State, while the track & field team registered a number of outstanding performances at the Lone Star Conference championships. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Dylan Nault (baseball), Sam Hedrick (baseball), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field) and Alesha Jones (women’s track & field).
   
Dylan Nault (So., INF, Anaheim, Calif./Cypress College) came through in the clutch twice against Angelo State as he had two 10th inning walk-off singles to help give Eastern New Mexico their first winning season since 2000 and only the fourth in program history. For the week, he batted .625 (5-for-8) with four RBI, scoring once and posting a .700 on-base percentage after drawing two walks. With a depleted roster in the series opener, Nault was three-for-five with two RBI and scored once as the Greyhounds came back from a 6-1 deficit to keep the LSC Tournament hopes alive. He followed up with by going one-for-two and driving in a run in game two of the series. Nault came on as a pinch hitter with an out in the 10th and sharply hit the pitch past a diving third baseman for the walk-off victory.

Sam Hedrick (Sr., DH, Fairfield, Calif./Sacramento City College) turned in a strong performance for the Greyhounds against Angelo State, despite playing hurt throughout the weekend. He batted three-for-five in both wins and had a RBI in both games.

Senior Isaiah Samoei’s (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) first-place performance in the 5,000-meter run marked the sixth time he has claimed the championship in an event at a Lone Star Conference track & field meet, since debuting in the 2012 season. He crossed the finish line with a time of 14:44.28, almost 25 seconds faster than runner-up Dylan Willett from Tarleton State. He also took fourth in the 1,500m, with a time of 4:04.63.

Alesha Jones (Jr., Wilcox, Ariz. / Wilcox HS/Eastern Arizona CC) crossed the finish line in the 800m with a time of 2:14.12, just .14 behind champion Bailey Brikel from Texas A&M-Commerce. Her time was more than .50 ahead of third-place finisher Rhemecka Graham from West Texas A&M.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Quezada, Ripple, Samoei, Pendleton and Segelke Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University women’s rodeo team posted another first place finish and clinched its first regional crown since the 1992 season. The baseball and softball teams both posted big wins, while the track & field team had its final preparation for the Lone Star Conference Championships. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jorge Quezada (baseball), Shelby Ripple (softball), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Breanna Pendleton (women’s track & field) and Heyden Segelke (women’s rodeo).

Jorge Quezada (Sr., RHP, San Ysidro, Calif./Castle Park HS/William Penn Univ.) shutdown Cameron in the series finale over the final 3.1 innings. He struck out six, the most for him in a Greyhound uniform, and did not walk an Aggie while allowing only one hit and an unearned run. Opposing batters hit a miniscule .083 off him as only two reached base, on an error and base hit, and he retired the final seven batters in order. Quezada is now 2-1 on the season with his ERA dropping to 3.98.

Shelby Ripple (Jr., 3B/C, Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho HS/Temple College) batted .500 against Texas A&M-Kingsville with more than half of her hits going for extra bases. For the series, she batted three-for-four with runners in scoring position and finished with a team-best five runs batted in. In the series finale, she batted four-for-five, scored twice, drove in two runs and missed the cycle by a triple. Ripple's fifth inning, three-run homer came with the Zias trailing by four and snapped a seven-game homerless streak. She cracked a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning, to lift ENMU to a split with the Javelinas.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) registered a first-place finish in the men's 3,000m run at the West Texas A&M-Classic. His time of 8:46.99 set a facility record at WT. He also turned in a sixth-place performance in the 1,500m run, with a time of 3:59.12. Samoei's time in the 1,500m was ranked seventh in the Lone Star Conference.

Breanna Pendleton (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif./Centennial HS) placed third in the hammer throw at the West Texas A&M Classic. Her throw of 155'-6" was a team record and ranks second on the Lone Star Conference performance list.

Hayden Segelke (Jr., Snyder, Colo.) registered a first-place performance in the goat tying at the Tarleton State Rodeo, last weekend. She split second through fourth in the first go of the goat tying with a time of 7.5 seconds, but won the short round with a time of 6.8 seconds to take the average. Segelke’s performance helped the team finish in first place for the eighth time in 10 rodeos, and win the regional title for the first time since the 1992 season.


Monday, April 21, 2014

Burks, Caporal, Samoei and Jones Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams turned in strong performances in a pair of meets in California. The baseball and softball teams both picked up wins against tough competition, last week. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Matthew Burks (baseball), Beatriz Caporal (softball), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field) and Alesha Jones (women’s track & field).

Matthew Burks (Jr., CF, Vacaville, Calif. / Diablo Valley College) led Eastern New Mexico with a .467 batting average as he went 7-for-15 at the plate while scoring five times and driving in four runs. He also paced the Greyhounds for the week with a .733 slugging percentage and .556 on-base percentage while stealing his ninth base and being hit by the pitch for the 12th time this season. The junior outfielder extended his home run streak to four consecutive games with a bomb at Wayland Baptist that gave him eight for the season and tied for the conference lead. In the three-game series at Texas A&M-Kingsville, Burks had six hits that included a four-for-four performance in the second game of the series. He currently has a 15-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 24 straight games, tied for the 10th longest in program history since 1999.

Beatriz Caporal (Sr., SS, Paramount, Calif./Paramount HS/Odessa College) registered multiple hits in four of her six games last week, and finished with a two-for-two performance at top-ranked West Texas A&M. In a win over University of the Southwest, she hit two-for-three and drove in a pair of runs. For the week, Caporal did not commit and error in 20 opportunities, while playing shortstop for the Zias.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) posted a 5,000-meter time of 14:04.92 at the Mt. Sac Relays, which was the fastest in the Lone Star Conference this season and set an Eastern New Mexico record. His time is the seventh fastest in the nation and was fourth best at the meet for Division II runners.


Junior Alesha Jones (Wilcox, Ariz./Eastern Ariz.) compete twice last weekend in the 800-meter run at the Mt. Sac Relays and Long Beach Invitational with two great races. At the Mt. Sac Relays on Friday, she went from 17th to eight over the final 200m of the race to finish with a time of 2:13.37. She followed up the next day at the Long Beach Invitational with an even better time of 2:13.21 to placed fifth in her heat and 45th overall out of 140 runners. Her time at the Long Beach Invitational is the third best in the LSC this season and is a NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Burks, Martinez, Samoei, Grube, Smith and Sisneros Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University women’s rodeo team notched its seventh win of the year at Howard College, while the track & field teams turned in strong performances in Canyon, Texas. The baseball and softball teams both picked up wins, last week. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Matthew Burks (baseball), Amanda Martinez (softball), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Laura Grube (women’s track & field), Taylor Smith (women’s rodeo) and Dustyn Sisneros (men’s rodeo).

Matthew Burks (Jr., CF, Vacaville, Calif. / Diablo Valley College) hit .375 over four games against sixth-ranked West Texas A&M and 12th-ranked Lubbock Christian, last week. In those contests, he posted a blistering 1.091 slugging percentage and became the first Greyhound to homer in three consecutive games, since Freddy Carmona, during the 2008 season. Burks is currently on an 11-game hitting streak and drove in five runs against the Buffaloes. He batted three-for-five against LCU, last Tuesday.

Amanda Martinez (Jr., OF, Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown HS/El Paso CC) extended her hitting streak to five games, with base hits in all four contests against Oklahoma Panhandle and West Texas A&M.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) turned in a first-place performance in the men’s 800-meter run at the West Texas A&M, last Saturday. He finished the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.96, just .13 ahead of West Texas A&M’s Martin Puga. The event marked the first time Samoei has run an outdoor event with a distance of less than 1,500m for Eastern.

At the West Texas A&M Open, Laura Grube (So., Crow, Ore./Crow HS) finished third in both the discus and javelin. She threw the discus 132’-5”, more than five feet further than the fourth-place competitor. Grube’s team-record throw of 140’-4” in the javelin, was just six inches behind third-place finisher Michelle Traynham, from New Mexico Highlands.

Taylor Smith (Jr., Rimbey, Alberta, Canada) was the all-around cowgirl at the Howard College rodeo and led the ENMU women’s rodeo team to their seventh first-place finish in nine rodeos, this season. She was fourth in the breakaway roping and was 6.5 seconds on two and was second in the first go. Smith split second, third and fourth in the goat tying, with an average of 21.4 seconds on two, after she finished second in the first go. She finished with a total of 203.33 points.

Dustyn Sisneros (Fr., Santa Rosa, N.M./Santa Rosa HS) turned in a fourth-place performance in the first go of the team roping at Howard College, along with Tierra Gray (Fr., Lovington, N.M./Tatum HS).


Monday, April 7, 2014

Ackerman, Medina, Samoei, Blind, Weger and Garcia Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team swept a Lone Star Conference series to move up in the standings, while the softball team took a doubleheader from cross-state rival, New Mexico Highlands. The track & field team continued to rewrite the record books, while the women’s rodeo team registered its sixth win of the year. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Brett Ackerman (baseball), Alberta Medina (softball), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Beth Blind (women’s track & field), Keely Weger (women’s rodeo) and Rodney Garcia (men’s rodeo).

Brett Ackerman (Sr., SS, San Diego, Calif./San Diego Mesa College) registered an outstanding performance at the plate and in the field, during the Greyhounds first series sweep of Tarleton State, since the 1997 season. He batted five-for-10 with two doubles and four runs batted in over the three games. Ackerman had either a base hit or RBI in all three contests, with a four-for-five performance that included a pair of doubles and three RBIs in the opener. He also provided stellar defense, with just one error in 12 defensive opportunities, to go along with 10 assists.

Alberta Medina (Jr., 1B, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) hit .533 over five games last week with a double. She hit safely in four of the week's five games, with multiple hits in three of them. Medina batted 7-for-10 in the first three contests of the week, including the doubleheader sweep of New Mexico Highlands.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) set an ENMU record in the men’s 10,000-meter run at the Stanford Invitational. His time of 29:19.38 earned him a ninth-place finish and put him just .15 behind Jose Madera from University of San Francisco, for eighth place and tied him with Timo Goehler from Portland. The time is currently fifth in the NCAA Division II and earned Samoei provisional qualification to the national championship meet.

At the Texas Tech Open, Beth Blind (Jr., Kennedale, Texas/Kennedale HS) finished the 5,000m in a school record time of 18:14.51, was the top finisher attached to a school and placed ahead of runners from New Mexico State, SMU and Texas Tech. Her time was 25 second better than the previous program mark set by Nicky Reid in 2010.

Keely Weger (Jr., Mead, Okla./Vernon College) won the breakaway roping at the Western Texas Rodeo, to lead the ENMU women’s rodeo team to its sixth victory, this year. She placed fourth in the first go, but split first and second in the short go, to win the average. Weger was 2.2 second on her first calf and 2.2 second in the short go to finish 4.4 on two to win the average.

Rodney Garcia (Sr., Odessa, Texas/Odessa HS/Odessa College) placed third in the team roping at the Western Texas rodeo, along with his partner, Eli Lord. The duo took second in the first go and third in the short round.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Burks, Piñon, Samoei, Blind, Gray and Medlin Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams turned in strong performance, while the women’s rodeo team posted its fifth win of the year. The baseball and softball teams faced off against tough Lone Star Conference opposition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Matthew Burks (baseball), Marleyna Piñon (softball), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Beth Blind (women’s track & field), TiAda Gray (women’s rodeo) and Logan Medlin (men’s rodeo).

Matthew Burks (Sr., OF, Vacaville, Calif./Will C. Wood HS/Diablo Valley College) led Eastern New Mexico with a .450 batting average as he went 9-for-20 with three doubles, a home run, two RBIs, seven runs scored and was hit by a pitch against Angelo State. He had a hit in all four games with three being multi-hit contests. He recorded three base knocks in game one, two being doubles, and game three. Burks came around to score three times in the series opener and twice in the third and fourth games. He hit his fourth home run of the season, tied for the third most in the LSC, in the series finale while driving in runs in games three and four.

Marleyna Piñon (So., OF/DP, Rio Rancho, N.M./Volcano Vista HS) turned in an outstanding week and led the Zias in hitting (.579), slugging (.895). She hit safely in five of Eastern's six games, with multiple hits in three of them, including a 4-for-4 outing with three runs and four RBIs at Oklahoma Panhandle. Piñon also batted 3-for-four in the third game of a LSC series against defending champion Texas Woman's, with three RBIs and a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) crossed the finish line with a time of 3:59.23, to earn a second-place finish in the men’s 1,500-meter run at the Bobcat Invitational.

Beth Blind (Jr., Kennedale, Texas/Kennedale HS) registered an eighth-place finish in the women’s 1,500-meter run at the Bobcat Invitational. She crossed the finish line with a time of 4:42.38. She was also part of the Zias 4x800 relay team at the Texas Relays, which was the top non-NCAA Division I finisher, with a time of 9:15.25.

TiAda Gray (Sr., Lovington, N.M./Tatum HS) finished second in both the average and short go of the breakaway roping at the Ranger College Rodeo. Her performance lifted the Zias to their fifth first-place performance in seven rodeos, since September. Eastern is first in the Southwest Region and more than 300 points ahead of Texas Tech.

Logan Medlin (Sr., Tatum, N.M./Tatum HS) turned in a second place performance in both the short go and average of the men’s team roping at Ranger College.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Artalejo, Garmon, Buchanan, Moore and Gray Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams both hit the road last weekend, while the track & field teams returned to outdoor competition. The rodeo teams opened the spring season, with the women’s squad posting a first-place finish. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Matthew Atralejo (baseball), Cailin Garmon (softball), Brittany Buchanan (women’s track & field), Michael Moore (men’s track & field) and TiAda Gray (rodeo).

Matthew Artalejo (Jr., RHP, Westminister, Colo./Stanley Lake HS/Northeastern JC) pitched a school-record 11 innings in a complete game, 1-0 shutout over Cameron in the second game of the series. The Westminister, Colo. native struck out four while allowing just four hits and two walks as he held the Aggies to a .118 batting average. He put CU batters down in order six times and had seven assists. For the season, Artalejo is now 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 23 strikeouts.

Cailin Garmon (Fr., P/DP, Sacramento, Calif. / Inderkum HS) posted a team-best 3.77 earned run average at Tarleton State and allowed just two runs over her last nine innings of the series. She also tied for the team lead in batting average at .364, with a .417 on-base percentage along with a pair of stolen bases.

Senior Brittany Buchanan (Albuquerque, N.M./Hope Christian HS) set a school record at the Warhawk Classic, with a time of 11:21.44 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, breaking the previous mark held by teammate junior Alesha Jones (Wilcox, Ariz./Eastern Arizona CC) by just over two seconds. Buchanan finished nearly 58 seconds ahead of the second place finisher from McMurry. She also was part of the Zias’ first-place distance medley relay team.

Sophomore Michael Moore (Lancaster, Calif./Eastside HS) had a high jump of 6' 8" to place second ahead of jumpers from Tarleton State and West Texas A&M.

Tiada Gray’s (Sr., Lovington, N.M./Tatum HS) second-place performance in the breakaway roping paced the Eastern New Mexico University women’s rodeo team to a first-place finish at the Odessa College Rodeo. She took second in both the average and short go, after a first-place finish in the short go

Monday, March 17, 2014

Samoei, Cooper and Candelaria Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Senior Isaiah Samoei (Sr., Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) represented the Eastern New Mexico University track & field team at the NCAA Division II Championships, while the baseball and softball teams continued Lone Star Conference play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Laura Grube (women’s track & field), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Blake Cooper (baseball) and Jacqueline Candelaria (softball).

Samoei turned in a third-place finish in the men's 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division II Championships, with a team-record time of 14:10.39. As one of the top eight finishers in the race, he earned All-America status. The event was held at the JDL Fast Track. He finished one-tenth of a second ahead of fourth place finisher, Johnnie Guy, from Southern Indiana and more than seven seconds ahead of the fifth-place performer. Samoei, along with the other top four finishers, all surpassed the facility's top time in the event of 14:13.77, set by Paul Katam, from University of North Carolina-Greensboro, on February 24, 2013. One day later, he registered an 11th-place finish in the 3,000-meter run, with a time of 8:28.10.

Blake Cooper (Jr., OF, Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Wilson HS/Golden West College) led Eastern New Mexico with a .471 batting average as he had a team-high eight hits in 17 at-bats. Cooper belted four doubles and his fifth home run of the season to tie for the most in the Lone Star Conference. He began the weekend with a walk-off double to end an eight-game winless streak to the Javelinas. Cooper also led ENMU with five RBIs, an .882 slugging percentage and was a perfect 2-for-2 in stealing bases. In the field, he made 15 putouts while not committing an error.

Jacqueline Candelaria (Jr., 2B, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) batted .500 over two games, last weekend at the Lone Star Conference Showcase. Her three-for-four performance against Angelo State marked the first time a Zia registered at least three hits against the Rambelles, since Rebecca Quiñones batted three-for-four in the second game of a home doubleheader on March 19, 2010.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Grube, Rivera, Domingo, Burks and Velasquez Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams successfully opened their outdoor season, in Stephenville, Texas, while the men’s basketball team closed its  season at the Lone Star Conference tournament. The baseball and softball teams faced tough conference opposition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Laura Grube (women’s track & field), Jesus Rivera (men’s track & field), Lawrence Domingo (men’s basketball), Matthew Burks (baseball) and Audrey Velasquez (softball).

Sophomore Laura Grube (Crow, Ore./Crow HS) took first in the women’s javelin at the Tarleton State Invitational. Her throw of 134’7” in the javelin was nearly a foot beyond runner-up Britni Smith’s from South Plains. Grube also placed fourth in the discus, with a throw of 135’-7” and sixth in the hammer, with a toss of 142’-6”. 

Freshman Jesus Rivera (Texico, N.M./Texico HS) was the runner-up in the men’s javelin at Tarleton State. His toss of 180’-7” , was more than two-feet further that third-place finisher, Seth Pearson from Angelo State.

Sophomore forward Lawrence Domingo (Union City, Calif. / Community Charter Early College HS) scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Greyhound basketball team’s Lone Star Conference tournament game against Texas A&M-Commerce. For the game, he shot .750 from the floor and blocked a shot.

Junior center fielder Matthew Burks (Jr., CF, Vacaville, Calif./Will C. Wood HS/Diablo Valley College) led Eastern New Mexico with a .333 average and three RBIs in a series against West Texas A&M. He had two games with two hits and recorded a double in the first two contests of the series. Burks plated two runs in the series opener and scored a run. In the Greyhounds 6-5 extra-inning victory, he had two hits, was plunked twice and scored two times. Burks also came around to score on a failed pick-off attempt to put ENMU up 5-4 in the eighth inning. In the field, he made 11 putouts and threw out a runner at home in game one.

Audrey Velasquez (Fr., SS, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) batted .500 over three contests against Midwestern State, with one homerun. She batted two-for-three in each of the first two games, with a two-run homer in the first game.


Monday, March 3, 2014

Samoei, Saiz, Tucker, Love, Moore and Velasquez Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams team picked up Lone Star Conference wins, while the track & field team set a number of school records at the conference championships. The men’s and women’s basketball teams concluded their regular seasons, with the Hounds advancing to the LSC Tournament. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Amber Saiz (women’s track & field), Tori Tucker (women’s basketball), Rafael Love (men’s basketball), Steven Moore (baseball) and Elizabeth Velasquez (softball).

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) won the 3,000-meter run in a time of 8:20.05 to set a meet record at the Lone Star Conference Indoor Championship Meet on Saturday. He crossed the finish line over 26 seconds ahead of the second place finisher while he broke his own school mark by five seconds. Samoei was also a part of the distance medley team, which set a program record with a time of 10:15.85 that placed third.

Amber Saiz (So., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) as part of the Zia distance medley team, which set a team record of 12:18.20, to finish third at the LSC championships. She also placed seventh in the 800-meter run, with a time of 2:19.49.

Tori Tucker (Jr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) turned in a strong performance on both ends of the court against Western New Mexico and West Texas A&M. She averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and 1.5 steals per game. With the Zias down by nine points to the Lady Buffs, she scored nine consecutive points over 49 seconds, to pull Eastern even. Just a couple minutes later, she hit another trey, to give ENMU a lead over the sixth-ranked team in the nation. She finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two assists. Against Western New Mexico, Tucker registered her fifth double double of the season, with 19 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, a steal and three assists.

Senior guard Rafael Love (Woodland Hills, Calif./College of the Canyons) scored a game-high 19 points in a 94-63 victory over rival West Texas A&M on Senior Night for Eastern New Mexico. He was 7-of-10 from the field and made a season-high five three-pointers. Love scored 16 of his points in a 61-point first half for the Greyhounds.

Junior catcher Steven Moore (Jr., RHP, Westminister/Stanley Lake HS /Northeastern JC) had two home runs including what would by the game-winning grand slam as Eastern New Mexico ended a 15-game skid to Tarleton State in the third game of the series. He had six RBIs which is the most by a Greyhound in two seasons. He also added a double and drove in a run in the series finale as all three of his hits in the series went for extra bases. In the field, Moore had 13 putouts and two assists in recording a perfect fielding. 

Elizabeth Velasquez (Jr., 3B, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) batted .429 in the Zias Lone Star Conference opening series at Cameron. In the series opener, she batted three-for-three, with a two-run homer.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Tucker, Domingo, Artalejo and Sirag Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team continued its strong start and swept two doubleheaders, while the softball team rallied for another win. The men’s and women’s basketball teams turned in strong performances as the season winds down. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tori Tucker (women’s basketball), Lawrence Domingo (men’s basketball), Matthew Artalejo (baseball) and Kyra Sirag (softball).

Tori Tucker (Jr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) averaged 18 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steams during a week which saw Eastern play contests against Tarleton State, Texas Woman's and Texas A&M-Commerce. Despite playing three games over four days, she wrapped up the week with a career-high 29-point outburst against the TexAnns. In that contest, she hit five-of-nine from outside the three-point arc, grabbed seven rebounds and had a steal. At Texas Woman's, Tucker poured in 12 points and grabbed six board. She opened the week with her third double double of the season, with 13 points, 13 rebounds and three steals at Texas A&M-Commerce.

Sophomore forward Lawrence Domingo (Union City, Calif./Community Charter Early College HS) had a career night against No. 3 Tarleton State as he recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, nine coming on the defensive glass, coming off the bench. He also blocked a career-best four shots. Domingo was 6-for-10 from the field in the game. At Texas A&M-Commerce, he scored eight points while making all three of his field goal attempts and was 2-for-3 at the charity stripe. Domingo also grabbed four rebounds, three defensive, had a block, steal and an assist. For the week, he averaged 11.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.5 bpg and 1.0 apg while making 9-of-13 (69.2%) of his shots.

Junior right-hander Matthew Artalejo (Jr., RHP, Westminister/Stanley Lake HS /Northeastern JC) pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out four and giving up just two hits and a walk in a 4-1 extra-innings win over Texas-Permian Basin. The Falcons hit just .077 off of him as he pitched six 1-2-3 innings in the contest. Artalejo improved to 2-0 with a miniscule ERA of 0.45 in 20 innings this season.

Kyra Sirag (So., C/OF, Garden Grove, Calif./Rancho Alamitos HS) batted .400 over five games last weekend and hit safely in four of them. She registered a base hit against 14th-ranked St. Mary's and hit .500 against Oklahoma Christian's pitching in two contests. Sirag split time at catcher and outfield and posted a perfect fielding percentage, with one base stealer tossed out.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Jones, Samoei, Henry, Griffin, Forkel and Ripple Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University indoor track & field teams turned in numerous standout performances at the “Big Meet” at Grand Valley State and Texas Tech, with two athletes earning provisional qualification, while the baseball team earned their second straight series win over Highlands, while the softball team picked up four hard-fought wins at the West Texas A&M Tournament. The men’s and women’s basketball teams both turned in strong performances against conference opposition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Alesha Jones (women’s track & field), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Phil Henry (men’s basketball), Lakeeyscia Griffin (women’s basketball), Ryan Forkel (baseball) and Shelby Ripple (softball).

Junior Alesha Jones (Wilcox, Ariz. / Wilcox HS/Eastern Arizona CC) turned in a stellar performance for the Zias at “The Big Meet” at Grand Valley State. She posted a sub one-minute time in the 400-meter dash, placing 11th at 59.19. She also was part of the distance medley team, which set a new team record, with a time of 12:10.38. Jones also set a team record, with a team-record time of 2:13.34 in the 800-meter run.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) posted qualifying marks in both the 5,000-meterrun and the 3,000-meter run, over the weekend at the “The Big Meet” at Grand Valley State. His time of 8:20.18 earned him a first-place finish in the 3,000m and eclipsed his own team record by more than five seconds. Samoei also finished second in the 5,000m, with his team-record time of 14:19.89 tailing only a runner from NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois.

Senior forward Phil Henry (F, Marlton, N.J./Cherokee HS/Highland College) tied his career-high with five blocks for the second time this season against Midwestern State. His first rejection of the game versus the Mustangs set the Eastern New Mexico single season record. He currently has 40 for the season and 66 in his career, eight shy of breaking the school's career record. Also against the Mustangs, Henry added six points and grabbed five rebounds. He helped hold Cameron to just 37.7 percent shooting in an 11-point victory on the road for the Greyhounds. In the game he grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, six on the defensive glass, scored a team-high 16 points and added an assist and a block.

Lakeeyscia Griffin (Jr., G, El Paso, Texas/Riverside HS/South Plains College) turned in an outstanding performance for the Zias last week, with 12.5 points, 6.5 assists and a .474 shooting percentage. Over the two contests, Griffin committed just one turnover. She poured in 15 points and dished out eight assists against Midwestern State. In the contest, Griffin connected on six-of-12 from the floor, grabbed six rebounds and dished out eight assists. At Cameron, she scored 10 points and had five assists.

Ryan Forkel (Sr., LF, Yorba Linda, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS / Saddleback College) paced Eastern New Mexico offensively with a .714 batting average, six RBIs, five runs scored, .786 slugging percentage, .733 on-base percentage and two stolen bases in two attempts in a four-game series against New Mexico Highlands. He drove in at least one run in each game and plated three in the third contest of the series. Forkel also had three hits in games one and three and two base knocks in games two and four. In the field, he made five putouts in left field.

Shelby Ripple (Jr., 3B/C, Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho HS/Temple College) paced the Zias 4-1 week, with a .500 batting average, .700 slugging percentage, four doubles and four runs batted in. She registered multiple hits in four of the week's five games and had three-hit outings against Colorado-Mesa and Adams State. Ripple's walk-off single against Fort Lewis in the first game of the week ignited the Zias run of late-game heroics. While splitting time at third base and catcher, she committed no errors, had 12 assists and tossed out a potential base-stealer.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Jones, Samoei, Blackmon, Cooper, Hedrick and Velasquez Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University indoor track & field teams turned in numerous standout performances at the UNM Collegiate Classic, while the baseball team opened their season strong. The softball team had numerous strong performances as did the men’s and women’s basketball teams. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Alesha Jones (women’s track & field), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball), Jordyn Cooper (women’s basketball), Sam Hedrick (baseball) and Elizabeth Velasquez (softball).

Junior Alesha Jones (Wilcox, Ariz. / Wilcox HS/Eastern Arizona CC) set a team record in the women's 800-meter run, to lead the Eastern New Mexico University women's indoor track & field team at the University of New Mexico Collegiate Classic. She finished the 800m with a time of 2:16.94 and her fourth-place finish paced four Zias in the event. Her time shattered the previous ENMU record of 2:19.96, set by Amber Saiz (So., Belen, N.M./Belen HS).

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) registered a fourth-place finish in the one-mile run at the University of New Mexico Collegiate Classic, with a time of 4:16.03.

Senior guard Rodney Blackmon (Sr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./David Starr Jordan HS/West Los Angeles College) scored 24 points at Angelo State as six of his seven made shots were three-pointers. He made 4-of-6 free throw attempts and dished out two assists. Blackmon also set a new career-high with six steals in the game. In an overtime win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, he scored 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting, tied his career-high of seven rebounds, dished out three assists and was credited with a block and a steal. For the week he averaged 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.5 assists in 37.5 minutes of action per game while making 42.3 percent (11-of-26) of his shots and 35.3 percent (6-for-17) from beyond the arc.

Jordyn Cooper (So., G, Texico, N.M./Texico HS) registered 12-point outings against both Texas A&M-Kingsville and Angelo State, last week. She shot over 40 percent from the field and three-point range and went four-for-five from the free-throw line. Cooper has connected on at least one three-point basket in nine consecutive contests.

Sam Hedrick (Sr., 3B, Fairfield, Calif./Sacramento City College) hit safely in all four of the Greyhound’s games against Adams State, for a .500 batting average. In the third game, he registered a two-for-three performance with three runs batted in. He also stole five bases over the four-game series and drew a pair of walks.

Elizabeth Velasquez (Jr., INF, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) batted a team-high .333 against regional powerhouse Lubbock Christian, with a double. She hit safely in two of the three contests, with a two-for-three performance in the finale.


Monday, February 03, 2014

Blind, Samoei, Cammock and Johnson Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University indoor track & field teams turned in numerous standout performances at the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open, last weekend. The men’s basketball team earned a pair of wins, while the women’s basketball team faced one of the top teams in the nation. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Beth Blind (women’s track & field), Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Cornelius Cammock (men’s basketball) and Jasmine Johnson (women’s basketball).

Junior Beth Blind (Kennedale, Texas/Kennedale HS) placed fourth in the women’s one-mile run at the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open. Her time of 5:06.16 not only set a new team record, but nearly eclipsed the previous record by 12 seconds.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) placed third in the men’s 3,000-meter at the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open. With a time of 8:26.19, he established a new Greyhound mark and was the top finisher from a NCAA Division II school.

Senior forward Cornelius Cammock (Austin, Texas/Reagan HS/Abilene Christian) scored a career-high 21 points including the game-winning buzzer-beater shot to defeat rival West Texas A&M on the road. The win was Eastern New Mexico's second straight in Canyon, a first in school history. Cammock was 7-for-14 from the field and 7-of-8 at the free throw line in the game as he scored 17 of his points in the second half. He also grabbed a team-high five rebounds, blocked two shots and had an assist and a steal. On Thursday against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Cammock set a career-high with five assists while contributing eight points on 4-for-4 shooting, two steals and a block. For the week he averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 bpg, 1.5 spg, made 11-of-18 (61.1 percent)of his shots and went 7-for-8 (87.5 percent) at the free throw line in helping ENMU win both games.

Jasmine Johnson (Jr., F, DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto HS) poured in 15 points and grabbed four rebounds at sixth-ranked West Texas A&M. She shot .636 (7-11) from the floor and hit her only free throw attempt. Johnson has reached double figures in four of her last six games.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Williford and Love Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams registered strong performances last week, with both squads picking up a win in Lone Star Conference action. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Amber Williford  (women’s basketball) and Rafael Love (men’s basketball).

Amber Williford (Jr., G, DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto HS) turned in a strong performance for the Zias last week, especially on the defensive side of the court. She registered four steals, which included three at 17th-ranked Tarleton State and finished with 5.3 rebounds over a three-game stretch. She also averaged 10 points, which included a career-best 18-point outburst against Texas A&M-Commerce.

Rafael Love (Sr., G, Woodland Hills, Calif./Grant HS/College of the Canyons) led Eastern New Mexico in scoring (18.0) and rebounding (6.0) while also dishing out 1.0 assists per game over two contests. In a win at home against Texas A&M-Commerce, he scored 16 points on 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) shooting that included going 2-for-3 (66.7 percent) from beyond the arc while making 4-of-5 (80.0 percent) free throws. Love also grabbed eight rebounds and had two assists with no turnovers. He followed up with 20 points at Tarleton State. Love made 6-for-8 (75.0 percent) field goal attempts, 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) on three-pointers, and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the charity strip while retrieving four boards. He increased his scoring and rebounding averages on the season to 13.0 and 4.7, respectively.



Monday, January 20, 2014

Johnson, Henry, Lozano, and Buchanan Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams registered strong performances last week, with both squads coming up with a pair of wins. The Greyhound and Zia track & field teams returned to action and continued to rewrite the record book, with a strong performance at Texas Tech. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jasmine Johnson  (women’s basketball), Phil Henry (men’s basketball), Jacob Lozano (men’s track & field) and Brittany Buchanan (women’s track & field).

Jasmine Johnson (Jr., F, DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto HS) shot a team-high .588 from the floor and tallied 12 points in consecutive games. At Texas A&M-Kingsville, she shot six-for-11, and grabbed five rebounds to lift Eastern to victory. On Saturday, Johnson shot an efficient four-for-six from the floor and four-for-five from the line, to lead ENMU to a win over Angelo State. In 52 minutes of play, she committed just three turnovers, while contributing an assist and steal.

Senior forward Phil Henry (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee HS/Highland College) scored a career-high 27 points on 9-of-11 (72.2 percent) shooting and a 9-for-11 (72.2 percent) performance at the free throw line as Eastern New Mexico won at Texas A&M-Kingsville for the first time since the 2010-11 season. His field goal and free throw attempts and makes also set new career-bests for him in a game. He also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds in the contest as well. Henry followed up with nine points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals in a career-high 37 minutes of action as the Greyhounds defeated Angelo State at home in overtime. Henry is now second in school history, during the NCAA era in blocked shots.

Senior Jacob Lozano (Hobbs. M.M./Hobbs HS) completed the 5,000m race in a time of 15:42.16, 10 seconds ahead of his closest competitor. His time is also the third fastest in school history.

Senior Brittany Buchanan (Albuquerque, N.M./Hope Christian HS) posted a school record time of 18:41.61 in the 5,000m run for a sixth place finish.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Tucker and Love Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams registered strong performances last week, with the Zias earning a come-from-behind win over Cameron University. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tori Tucker (women’s basketball) and Rafael Love (men’s basketball).

Tori Tucker's (Jr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) paced the Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team with 12.5 points per game and hit .500 from three-point range in games against Cameron and Midwestern State. She led the Zias in their come-from-behind win over Cameron, outscoring the Aggies 15-5, over the final four minutes of play, by herself.

Rafael Love (Woodland Hills, Calif./College of the Canyons) led Eastern New Mexico in scoring in both Lone Star Conference games last week as he averaged 14.0 points per game. He posted 15 points at home against Cameron with eight coming in the final minute of the game on 5-of-10 shooting, 2-for-5 from beyond the arc and a perfect 3-for-3 at the free throw line. Love followed with 13 points at Midwestern State as he was the lone Greyhound to reach double-figures in the contest. On the glass, he grabbed four rebounds against the Aggies and a season-high eight boards versus the Mustangs. Over the two games he also averaged 1.5 assists and steals per game.


Monday, December 16, 2013

Tucker and Blackmon Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams registered strong performances last week, nearly pulling off wins in non-conference action. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tori Tucker (women’s basketball) and Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball.

Tori Tucker (Jr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) poured in a career-best 22 points at Wayland Baptist, exceeding her previous career high by 10 points. She converted on six of her nine three-point attempts, helping Eastern finish with 14 treys for the contest, just one shy of the team record. From the floor, she shot .615 for the game and grabbed five rebounds.

Rodney Blackmon (Sr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./ David Starr Jordan HS/West Los Angeles College) registered a career-best 29 points against Henderson, along with five steals, three assists and a .714 shooting percentage from outside the arc. He contributed eight points and four steals in the second half of the game.


Monday, December 9, 2013

Tucker, Blackmon, Moore and Pendleton Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams registered strong performances last week, with both squads earning a win, while the indoor track & field team eclipsed six records in the season opener. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tori Tucker (women’s basketball), Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball), Michael Moore (men’s track & field) and Breanna Pendleton (women’s track & field).

Tori Tucker's (Jr., F, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) standout performance helped limit University of the Southwest to a .175 shooting percentage and just 36 points. Her 17 rebounds, which included 13 off the defensive glass, helped ENMU to outrebound the Mustangs by an incredible 69-39 margin, which led to a 17-0 edge in second-chance points. Tucker already had four rebounds, 9:20 into the game, as Eastern built an insurmountable 14-0 advantage. She also added two steals and 12 points.

Rodney Blackmon (Sr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./ David Starr Jordan HS/West Los Angeles College) scored a game-high 24 points in Eastern New Mexico's 90-66 win over Northern New Mexico on Saturday. He was 9-for-15 from the field including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc while also dishing out three assists, committing zero turnovers and grabbing two rebounds. Blackmon scored the Greyhounds' first eight points of the game and 13 of ENMU's first 15 in the first 4:48 of the game. Currently, he leads the LSC in scoring at 19.8 ppg and has reached double-figures in points in all six games he has played in this season.

Michael Moore (So., Lancaster, Calif./Eastside HS) finished second in the high jump at Adams State, with an ENMU indoor-record height of 6’-6”.

Breanna Pendleton (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif./Centennial HS) registered a strong performance in the field at Adams State for the Zias, coming in fourth in the weight throw and seventh in the shot put. In the weight throw, she made an ENMU indoor record toss of 48’-2.75”. Pendleton’s throw in the shot put cleared a distance of 35’-4”.


Monday, December 2, 2013

Griffin and Davis Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams registered strong performances last week, with both squads earning a win. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Lakeeyscia Griffin (women’s basketball) and Devone Davis (men’s basketball).

Lakeeyscia Griffin (Jr., G, El Paso, Texas/Riverside HS/South Plains HS) registered an outstanding performance in leading the Zias to a win over Oklahoma Panhandle State. She hit all six free throw attempts in scoring 12 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed four steals

Devone Davis (Sr., G, Brooklyn, N.Y./South Shore HS) put up 15.7 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.7 minutes of action over three games for Eastern New Mexico. He scored 20 points on 7-of-9 (77.8%) shooting as the Greyhounds nearly came back to defeat Pittsburg State in the Pak-A-Sak WT Thanksgiving Classic. Davis followed the next day with a 19-points, 7-assist and 7-rebound performance versus Southwestern Oklahoma State while going 7-for-8 (87.5%) at the free throw line. His seven boards were a new season-high for him. Against Lubbock Christian, Davis had eight points, two rebounds and a team-high five assists.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Davila, Frye, Griffin, and Davis Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University cross country team was represented at the NCAA Division II Championships, while the volleyball team played in the Lone Star Conference tournament for the first time since 2004. The men’s basketball team rallied from a late deficit, while the Zias made a strong showing against NCAA Division I New Mexico State. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Mikey Davila (men’s cross country), Lauren Frye,  (volleyball), Lakeeyscia Griffin (women’s basketball) and Devone Davis (men’s basketball).
   
Junior Mikey Davila (Moreno Valley, Calif./Riverside CC) from the Eastern New Mexico University men’s cross country team turned in a 54th-place performance at the NCAA Division II National Championships, held at the Plantes Ferry Complex, in Spokane, Wash. He registered a time of 31:33.9, to edge the next competitor, Brandon Cushman (Ferris State), by less than one second. Davila passed numerous other competitors as the race proceeded, and was the second runner from the Lone Star Conference to cross the finish line.

Lauren Frye (Fr., OH, Amissville, Va./Highland School) had 10 kills on 19 total attacks and posted a .316 attack percentage along with a block assist and dig in the Zias first LSC Tournament appearance in nine years. She was the only underclassman that was named to the LSC Tournament team.

Lakeeyscia Griffin (Jr., G, El Paso, Texas/ Riverside HS / South Plains College) scored five points and dished out six assists against NCAA Division I New Mexico State University. She also had one blocked shot.

Devone Davis (Sr., G, Brooklyn, N.Y. / South Shore HS) scored 24 points, registered seven assists and hit all six free throws, to lead the Greyhounds to a win at Lubbock Christian. Six of his points came at the charity strike in the final three minutes, when the Hounds rallied from a nine-point deficit.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Long, Couch, Love, and Tucker Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team clinched a share of the Lone Star Conference title for the first time since the 1991 season, while the volleyball team is headed to the LSC tournament for the first time since the 2004 campaign. The Greyhound basketball team showed an explosive offense against Southwest, while the Zias played a tough Lubbock Christian squad. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Christian Long (football), Hayley Couch,  (volleyball), Rafael Love (men’s basketball) and Tori Tucker (women’s basketball).
   
Christian Long (Sr., RB, Memphis, Tenn./Dobson HS/Eastern Arizona College) registered a Lone Star Conference season high 32 rushing attempts in the Greyhounds’ 42-35 victory at Texas A&M-Commerce. He finished with 106 yards and two touchdowns to record his third 100-yard performance of the season. His first touchdown staked Eastern to a 7-0 lead, while his six-yard touchdown gave ENMU the lead for good, 35-28, late in the third quarter. During the Greyhounds’ six-game win streak, Long has posted four multi-touchdown games. 

Hayley Couch (Sr., L, Santa Fe, Texas/Santa Fe HS/San Jacinto College) averaged five digs per set, last week, along with a .986 reception percentage in 72 attempts. She also chipped in four service aces. She registered 22 digs, two service aces and a perfect reception percentage, in leading ENMU to a win in its home finale against New Mexico Highlands. Couch added 33 digs over matches at Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman’s, and committed just one reception error over 44 attempts during those matches.

Rafael Love (Sr., G, Woodland Hills, Calif. / Grant High School / College of the Canyons) poured in 18 points and grabbed four rebounds to lead the Greyhounds to a 114-62 win over University of the Southwest in the team’s home opener. He shot a sizzling .750 from the floor and .600 from three-point range. Love’s performance allowed the Hounds to post their highest point total since November 16, 1990.

Tori Tucker (Jr., G, Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds against a tough Lubbock Christian team. She shot .400 from the field for the game and blocked a shot.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Brinton, Couch, Davila, Saiz, Johnson, Blackmon and McManus Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team rallied picked up its second-straight win over a ranked opponent, while the volleyball team earned two hard-fought wins. The cross country team saw one of its athletes reach the NCAA Championships, while the basketball teams tipped off their seasons. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Connor Brinton (football), Hayley Couch (volleyball), Mikey Davila (men’s cross country), Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), Jasmine Johnson (women’s basketball), Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball) and Ryan McManus (men's soccer).
   
Connor Brinton (Jr., S, Fountain Hills, Ariz./ Fountain Hills HS / Mesa CC) made a team-high nine tackles with six solo stops in the Greyhounds win over 12th-ranked Midwestern State. He also played a key role in coverage, with a 23-yard interception return in the fourth quarter to seal the game and a pair of pass break ups.

Hayley Couch (Sr., L, Santa Fe, Texas /Santa Fe HS/San Jacinto College) averaged an incredible 5.82 digs per set, to lead the Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team to wins over Lubbock Christian and Tarleton State. She also posted a near-perfect .968 reception percentage, with just two errors in 62 opportunities. Couch had 25 digs and a .964 reception percentage in Eastern’s first win over LCU since the 2005 season and 24 digs, with a  perfect reception percentage in ENMU’s first win over Tarleton State, also since the 2005 season.

Mikey Davila (Jr., Moreno Valley, Calif./Riverside CC) registered for the NCAA Cross Country Championships, with a 23rd-place finish at the South Central Region meet. He completed the 10k run, with a time of 31:20. His performance lifted the Greyhounds to a seventh-place finish.

Amber Saiz (So., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) placed 36th in the 6k run at regionals, with a time of 22:37. She led the Zias to an eighth-place finish.

Jasmine Johnson (Jr., P, DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto HS) paced the Zia basketball team over the weekend, with 11 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, along with a .556 shooting percentage. She poured in 17 points and grabbed five boards against Colorado State-Pueblo.

Rodney Blackmon (Sr., G, Los Angeles, Calif. / David Starr Jordan HS / West Los Angeles College) poured in a game-high 25 points, dished out five assists and grabbed two steals in Eastern’s opener against Missouri Southern State.  The contest marked the 14th time that he has reached the 20-point mark as a Greyhound.

Ryan McManus (St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, Abertay University) tallied two goals for the men's soccer team, in the season finale at Lubbock Christian. He connected on the game-winner midway through the first half.

Monday, November 04, 2013

Long, McCoy, Niessen, Wilson, and Frye Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team rallied from a 21-point deficit to earn its first Wagon Wheel win in nearly a decade, over West Texas A&M. The men’s soccer team picked up a tie against nationally-ranked Midwestern State, while the women’s team concluded its season. The volleyball team matched up with a tough West Texas A&M team. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Christian Long (co-football), Bracy McCoy (co-football), Severin Neissen  (men’s soccer), Fabienne Wilson (women’s soccer) and Lauren Frye,  (volleyball).
   
Christian Long (Sr., RB, Memphis, Tenn./Dobson HS/Eastern Arizona College) turned in a career performance at 15th-ranked West Texas A&M. He set career highs in with 27 carries and three touchdowns. Much of his career-best 121 rushing yards came after contact, with 78 yards coming in the second half. With the Greyhounds trailing 38-17, he scored the final three touchdowns of the game as ENMU rallied from 21 points down to claim their first Wagon Wheel win since the 2004 season. 

Bracy McCoy (Sr., DE, Freeport, Texas/Brazosport HS) turned in a big game defensively, to lead the Greyhounds to a win over 15th-ranked West Texas A&M. He finished with a game-high three tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks, in addition to five total tackles. He was in on a sack and 1.5 tackles for a loss in the fourth quarter, which allowed Eastern to outscore the Buffaloes 15-0 during the period. On third and one, from the ENMU 14-yard line, he made a tackle for a loss, which forced a WT field goal attempt. After that attempt was missed, the Hounds drove for the game-winning touchdown.

Severin Niessen (Fr., GK, Cologne, Germany / Erzbischofliche Liebfrauenschule Koln) made three saves against seventh-ranked Midwestern State, to lift the Greyhounds to their second scoreless tie of the season against the Mustangs. The shutout was his fourth of the season and he boasts a 1.40 goals against average.

Fabienne Wilson (Jr., GK, Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS/Garden City CC) made 10 saves and posted a .769 save percentage in matches against Texas Woman’s and Texas A&M-Commerce.

Lauren Frye (Fr., OH, Amissville, Va. / Highland) registered seven kills and two blocks against sixth-ranked West Texas A&M, to go along with a .250 attack percentage. Four of her kills came in the second set, when she hit for a .286 average.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Briska, Baker, Barnard, Splanemann, Wilson, Gibbons, Adcock, Holgate and Hall Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team registered it’s fifth-ever win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, to extend its win streak to three matches, while the cross country team hosted the Lone Star Conference championships. The soccer teams both registered overtime contests, while the volleyball team made a strong showing at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The rodeo teams closed the season at Sul Ross. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Christopher Barnard (football), Kaspars Briska (men’s cross country), Bayleigh Baker (women’s cross country), Raphael Splanemann (men’s soccer), Fabienne Wilson (women’s soccer), Agatha Gibbons,  (volleyball), Lindsey Adcock (women’s rodeo), Shawn Holgate and Connor Hall (men’s rodeo).
   
Junior Kaspars Briska (Riga, Latvia / Riga Imanta HS / Cloud CCC) registered a fifth-place performance at the Lone Star Conference Cross Country Championships, to lead the Eastern New Mexico University men's cross country team to a second-place finish.

Bayleigh Baker (So., Albuquerque, N.M./Sterling College) finished eighth in the 6k run, to lead the Zias to a program-record fourth-place finish at the Lone Star Conference Championships. She ran a season-best time of 22:56.8.

Christopher Barnard (Sr., LB, Melrose, N.M./Melrose HS) registered a strong defensive performance for the Greyhounds in their 13-10 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. Four of his nine tackles were solo stops and he registered a third-down sack in the fourth quarter. Barnard's performance helped Eastern limit the Javelinas to no first downs in the fourth quarter.

Raphael Splanemann (Fr., MF, Berlin, Germany /Askanische Oberschule) tallied his second goal of the season, as the Greyhounds played to a double-overtime tie against nationally-ranked West Texas A&M.

Fabienne Wilson (Jr., GK, Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS/Garden City CC) posted a shutout against Angelo State, the top team in the Lone Star Conference standings. She made seven saves to lift the Zias to a double overtime tie against the Rambelles. She also made seven saves against Midwestern State.

Agatha Gibbons (Jr., MB, Suva, Fiji / St Joseph’s Secondary School / NMMI) turned in a strong match against Texas A&M-Kingsville, with a .235 attack percentage, eight kills and four blocks.

Lindsey Adcock (Fr., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) won the women’s all-around at the Sul Ross State rodeo. She was fifth in the average of the goat tying and placed third in the first go of the breakaway roping.

Shawn Holgate (So., Crownpoint, N.M./Crownpoint HS) and Conner Hall (So., Capitan, N.M./Dora HS) were third in the team roping at SRSU, after a third-place finish in the short go.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Long, Niessen, Wilson, Frye, Briska and Saiz Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team picked up where it left off last week, to route Northeastern State on the road, while the cross country teams turned in strong outings against West Texas A&M. The soccer teams both registered strong outings at West Texas A&M, while the volleyball team notched a win against Cameron.The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Christian Long (football), Severin Niessen (men’s soccer), Fabienne Wilson (women’s soccer), lauren Frye (volleyball), Kaspars Briska (men’s Cross country) and Amber Saiz (women’s cross country).
   
Christian Long (Sr., FB, Memphis, Tenn./Dobson HS/Eastern Arizona College) set career highs with 21 carries for 102 rushing yards in Eastern's 35-14 win at Northeastern State. He posted the first multi-touchdown contest of his career, finding the endzone twice in the first half of play. Long converted a third-and-six situation with a six-yard run, during the Hounds' first scoring drive of the game.

Severin Niessen (Fr., GK, Cologne, Germany / Erzbischofliche Liebfrauenschule Koln) made four saves against 15th-ranked West Texas A&M. His performance kept the game scoreless for more than 80 minutes.

Fabienne Wilson (Jr., GK, Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS/Garden City CC) made four saves to lead the Zia soccer team to a scoreless double-overtime tie at West Texas A&M. The shutout was the first of her career and the first ever for the Zias on the road against WT. The tie, paired with an earlier win over the Lady Buffs, gave Eastern its first season-series win over West Texas A&M.

Lauren Frye (Fr., OH, Amissville, Va./Highland HS) turned in an explosive performance for the Zia volleyball last week, averaging four kills per set, with a .278 attack percentage and 14 blocks. She registered 17 kills, a .275 attack percentage and seven blocks against ninth-ranked West Texas A&M, with seven kills and a .500 attack percentage ni the second set. Frye followed that performance with a career-best 20-kill outing in a win over Cameron, with a .389 hitting percentage and five blocks.

Junior Kaspars Briska (Riga, Latvia / Riga Imanta HS / Cloud CCC) turned in a first-place performance in the Wagonwheel Dual Meet, to lead the Greyhound cross country team past West Texas A&M. He finished the 8k run with a time of 25:47.9, good for 20th on the ENMU all-time list.

Sophomore Amber Saiz (Belen, N.M./Belen HS) turned in a fourth-place finish at the Wagonwheel Dual Meet against West Texas A&M. She completed the 6k run with a season-best time of 23:19.78

Monday, October 14, 2013

Wells, Niessen, Ortiz, Catano, Devenport and Medlin Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team put together one of the greatest rallies in team history, coming from 28 points down to win at Angelo State. The soccer teams both earned ties against tough competition, while the volleyball team made a strong showing against Lone Star Conference competition. The rodeo teams both made strong showings at Frank Phillips College.  The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jordan Wells (football), Severin Niessen (men’s soccer), Alyxandra Ortiz (women’s soccer), Kennedi Catano (volleyball), Macy Devenport (women’s rodeo) and Logan Medlin (men’s rodeo).

Jordan Wells ( Jr., RB, Austin, Texas/Round Rock HS) registered 103 all-purpose yards, with 69 coming in the second half at Angelo State. Both of his second-half receptions went for touchdowns, and helped Eastern rally from a 28-point deficit to post a one-point victory.

Severin Niessen (Fr., GK, Cologne, Germany / Erzbischofliche Liebfrauenschule Koln) posted a 1.35 goals against average last week and made six saves in a scoreless tie against Midwestern State.

Alyxandra Ortiz (So., GK, Rio Rancho, N.M./V. Sue Cleveland HS) played all 210:26 and made 17 saves last week against Angelo State and Midwestern State, two teams tied for fifth in the South Central region. She made a career-high 10 saves on Friday, which allowed the Zias to tie MSU. Both contests went into double overtime. The setback at ASU was just her second defeat this season, as Ortiz boasts a record of 4-2-3.

Kennedi Catano  (Jr., S, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) dished out 65 assists over two matches last week, along with 24 digs and a service ace. She finished with a season-high 41 assists against Texas A&M-Commerce.

Macy Devenport (So., Escondido, Calif. / Julian Charter HS) finished first in the breakaway roping for the women’s rodeo team. She was the runner up in the short go after splitting first and second in the first go.

Logan Medlin (Sr., Tatum, N.M. / Tatum HS) along with Billy Bob Brown from Tarleton State, swept the competition in the team roping at the Frank Phillips College rodeo. The duo placed first in the first go, short go and average.


Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Monday, October 7, 2013

Saiz, Davila, Kanemitsu, Jones, Torres, Frye, Rita and Garcia Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University cross country teams turned in a strong week, with many sports in the record book falling. Both soccer teams won their matches, while volleyball and football competed against high level opposition.  The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Amber Saiz (women’s cross country), Mikey Davila (men’s cross country), Eishu Kanemitsu (men’s soccer) Maurisa Jones (women’s soccer), Anthony Torres (football) and Lauren Frye (volleyball), Shelby Rita (women’s rodeo) and Rodney Garcia (men’s rodeo).

Amber Saiz (So., Belen, N.M./Belen HS) turned in a first-place performance at the South Plains College Collegiate Cross Country Festival, completing the 5k run in an ENMU-record time of 18:37:05. Her performance paced the Zias to a first-place finish. Prior to Saturday, the Zias had just one sub-19 minute 5k run in team history.

Mikey Davila (Jr., Moreno Valley, Calif./Riverside CC) paced the Greyhounds to a second-place finish at the South Plains College Collegiate Cross Country Festival, by finishing the 8k run with a time of 25:01.22. His second-place finish was the top performance by a runner attached to a school. Davila's time put him more than four seconds ahead of the third-place finisher.

Eishu Kanemitsu (Sr., F, Tokyo, Japan/Emily Carr Secondary) paced the Greyhounds with two goals and an assist last week, for five points. He tallied the game-winning goals against Lubbock Christian and University of the Southwest.

Junior forward Maurisa Jones (Goodyear, Ariz./Estrella Foothills HS) tallied two goals for the Zias in a win over West Texas A&M, last week. The two goals matched the previous team high against the Lady Buffs.

Anthony Torres (So., P, Las Cruces, N.M./Mesilla Valley Christian HS) averaged 36.8 yards on six punts, which included kicks of 45 and 52 yards. Two of his punts were inside the Tarleton State 20-yard line

Lauren Frye  (Fr., OH, Amissville, Va./Highland School) paced the Zias with 3.67 kills over three matches and had two blocks. She finished with 11 kills against nationally ranked Angelo State and 14 kills with a .229 attack percentage against Tarleton State.

Shelby Rita (Fr., Sunset Beach, Hawaii) registered a first-place performance in the breakaway roping, to lead the women’s rodeo team to the championship at Vernon College.

Rodney Garcia (Sr., Odessa, Texas/Odessa Texas/Odessa College) along with Eli Lord (Odessa College) placed third in the team roping after a third-place finish in the short round in the team roping.


Strickland, Roberts, Armijo and Lawson Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s soccer team rolled up three road wins last week, while the women’s soccer team tied the team record for overtime matches in a season. The football team nearly upset a Division I opponent, while volleyball picked up a crucial conference win.  The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were David Strickland (football), Julian Roberts (men’s soccer), Carolyn Armijo (women’s soccer) and  Courtney Lawson (volleyball),

David Strickland (So., LB, Roswell, N.M./Goddard HS) returned a blocked point-after-touchdown attempt at NCAA Division I University of the Incarnate Word, to give the Greyhounds two points, late in the opening half. He also made four tackles and had an interception in the third quarter in UIW territory.

Julian Roberts (Sr., M, Rio Rancho, N.M./University of N.M.) propelled the Greyhound soccer team to an explosive week, scoring a goal and dishing out four assists. He had both a goal and assist in a 4-2 win at Texas-Permian Basin and dished out two assists on a 4-1 victory at Oklahoma Christian. On Monday, he had an assist in a 3-0 victory at University of the Southwest.

Carolyn Armijo (So., MF, Messila Park, N.M./Las Cruces HS) poured in a team-best three points last week. She scored early in the second half to put Eastern ahead of Texas A&M-Commerce. Armijo also had an assist on the game-tying goal against Texas Woman's, in the waning minutes of Sunday's double overtime tie.

Courtney Lawson (Fr., OH, Rio Rancho, N.M./V. Sue Cleveland HS) just missed  her sixth double double of the season, with nine kills and 16 digs, to lead the Zia volleyball team to a sweep at Midwestern State. The contest marked ENMU’s first win over the Mustanfs since September 27, 2004. She also received 24 service attempts without committing an error.


Monday, September 23, 2013

 

Herbert, Prince, Lawson, Jones, Samaniego and Mikell Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University cross country teams performed well in a preview of the NCA Division II South Central Regional, while the volleyball team opened conference play with a win. The soccer teams saw hard fought competition during the week, while the football squad played an exhibition at the United States Air Force Academy. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kal Herbert (men’s soccer), Alyssa Prince (women’s soccer), Courtney Lawson (volleyball), Alesha Jones (women’s cross country), Justin Samaniego (men’s cross country) and Cameron Mikell (football),

Kal Herbert (Sr., M, Williston, England/Neston HS) is on a four-match goal-scoring streak. Last week, he tallied goals in a tie with Texas A&M-International and in an overtime-win against Dallas Baptist.

Alyssa Prince (Jr., MF, Las Cruces, N.M./Mayfield HS) scored with 16:12 left in regulation, to lift the Zia soccer team to a 1-0 win at Adams State. The goal improved Eastern to 2-0 this season, in games decided in regulation.

Courtney Lawson (Fr., OH, Rio Rancho, N.M./V. Sue Cleveland HS) averaged four kills per set over two matches last week and posted 25 kills, two aces, 25 digs and seven blocks. She posted double doubles in both matches, with a 10-kill, 14 dig, six block outing at Cameron. Lawson followed with 14 kills and 11 digs against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Alesha Jones (Sr., Wilcox, Ariz./Eastern Arizona CC) registered an eighth-place performance for the Zias at the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede. She finished with a time of 23:24.63 and lifted Eastern to a third-place finish.

Justin Samaniego (Jr., Rubidoux, Calif./Riverside CC) turned in a sixth-place performance in the 6k run at the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede. he ran a season-best 26:29.40, to lift ENMU to a fourth-place finish.

Junior running back Cameron Mikell (Sacramento, Calif./Rio Linda HS/Butte CC) scored on a pair of three-yard touchdown runs, to lead the ENMU football team to a 42-35 exhibition win over the United States Air Force Academy junior varsity team. His second touchdown of the day came with just over two minutes remaining and snapped a 35-all tie.


Monday, September 16, 2013

Pedro-Langford, Herbert, Ortiz, Couch and Samaniego Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team picked up a big win at AT&T Stadium, while women’s soccer earned a shutout against the sixth-ranked team in the country. Men’s cross country finished sixth at Texas Tech, while men’s soccer split a pair of games in Colorado. The Zia volleyball team played against tough competition at a tournament in Las Vegas, N.M. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Benjamin Pedro-Langford (football), Kal Herbert (men’s soccer), Alyxandra Ortiz (women’s soccer), Hayley Couch (volleyball), and Justin Samaniego (men’s cross country).

Benjamin Pedro-Langford (Jr., LB, Pago Pago, American Samoa/ Kanona Falls HS/NMMI) turned in a stellar all-around performance for the Greyhound defense in Friday's 55-24 win over Sul Ross at the Lone Star Conference Football Festival. He led ENMU with nine tackles, with six solo stops, forced a fumble, recovered two fumbles, registered a sack and a quarterback hurry. Pedro-Langford also returned a fumble 39 yards for a score in the third quarter, to push Eastern's lead to 34-18.

Kal Herbert (Sr., M, Williston, England/Neston HS) tallied goals against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and CSU-Pueblo last week. His goal at UCCS at the 28:23 mark was the only score of the contest and set a new ENMU mark for game-winning goals at seven. Against the Thunderwolves, he tallied the 20th goal of his career.

Alyxandra Ortiz (So., GK, Rio Rancho, N.M./V. Sue Cleveland HS) made a career-best nine saves to earn a shutout against sixth-ranked Colorado School of Mines. She made a leaping save in the second overtime, which preserved the fourth scoreless tie in school history. Ortiz’s shutout performance came against an NCAA powerhouse which entered the game having outscored the opposition by an 8-1 margin over the first three games of the season.

Hayley Couch (Sr., L, Santa Fe, Texas/Santa Fe HS/San Jacinto College) turned in a strong performance for the Zias at the New Mexico Highlands tournament with 5.44 digs per set. Her 33 digs against Western New Mexico was just one away from her career high, set against Texas A&M-Kingsville, last season.

At Texas Tech, Justin Samaniego (Jr., Rubidoux, Calif./Riverside CC) paced the Greyhounds in the 8k run, with a 34th place finish and a time of 27:53.34. His time led ENMU to a sixth-place finish.


Monday, September 09, 2013

McCloud, Lawson, Armijo and Wilkinson Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball and women’s soccer teams both notched their first wins of the season over the weekend, while the football team and men’s soccer played in some competitive contests. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Darrelyn McCloud (football), Courtney Lawson (volleyball), Carolyn Armijo (women’s soccer) and Andy Wilkinson (men’s soccer).

Darrelyn McCloud (Sr., CB, Anderson, Ind./Manzano HS/NMMI) made an impact for the Greyhounds in his first career start. He made five tackles, with four solo stops. His 33-yard interception return ignited a run of 21 consecutive points for the Hounds, to help erase a 24-7 deficit.

Courtney Lawson (Fr., OH, Rio Rancho, N.M./V. Sue Cleveland) led the Zias to a pair of wins at Midwestern State’s Hampton Inn-Vitational over the weekend, with a strong 3.29 kills per set, four service aces, 44 digs and four blocks. She registered three double doubles in four matches, with 13 kills, 11 digs and two blocks in Eastern’s win over McMurry. Lawson followed with 12 kills, 10 digs and four service aces against Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Carolyn Armijo (So., M, Mesilla, N.M./Las Cruces HS) tied for the team lead last week, with three points. She scored a goal and dished out an assist in the season opener against a tough Regis University squad.

Andy Wilkinson (Sr., M, Brighton, England/Sussex Downs 6th Form College) tallied a game-tying goal for the Greyhound soccer team in the season opener at Wayland Baptist.

Jones, Roa, Velasquez and Enriquez Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field team registered strong performances at the West Texas A&M Open, while the softball team earned its first-ever road-series win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. The baseball team took soon-to-be Division I Incarnate Word to extra innings, twice. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Alesha Jones (women’s cross country), Kevin Roa (men’s cross country), Elizabeth Velasquez (softball) and Andres Enriquez (baseball).

Alesha Jones (So., Wilcox, Ariz./Eastern Arizona CC) won the 800-meter run at the West Texas A&M Open, with a time of 2:13.28, which currently ranks 21st in the NCAA Division II rankings. She also was part of a relay team, which was the runner-up in the 4x400-meter, with a time of 4:03.41.

Kevin Roa (Jr., Salinas, Calif./ North Monterey County HS) was the runner up in the 5,000-meter run at the West Texas A&M Open, with a time of 15:33.83.

Elizabeth Velasquez (So., 3B, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) turned in a strong performance last week, with a .600 batting average with two doubles and two walks over four games. She reached base safely in all four games, starting with a three-for-four outing against University of the Southwest. Velasquez drew two walks in the series opener at Texas A&M-Kingsville and hit three-for-five over the final two games of the series. She scored a run in all four games. In 19 defensive opportunities, she did not commit an error, at third base.

Andres Enriquez (Jr., 3B, San Ysidro, Calif./ San Ysidro HS / Southwestern College) batted .400 over four contests at Incarnate Word, scored two runs and had a pair of doubles. In the series opener, he went a perfect three-for-three at the plate with a double. Enriquez played error-free defense at third base in the series, in 12 opportunities..

Monday, April 8, 2013

Jones, Samaniego, Ramsay and Quiñones Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field team registered numerous records at the Texas Tech Open, while the baseball and softball teams both picked up key victories. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Alesha Jones (women’s cross country), Justin Samaniego (men’s cross country), Katie Ramsay (softball) and Luis Quiñones (baseball).

Alesha Jones (So., Wilcox, Ariz./Eastern Arizona CC) registered an ENMU-record performance in the 800m run at the Texas Tech Open, last week. She finished first in her heat with a time of 2:15.52.

Justin Samaniego (So., Dubidoux, Calif./Riverside CC) turned in a second-place performance at Texas Tech in the 10,000-meter run, with a time of 33:15.36.

Katie Ramsay (So., P, Keller, Texas/Keller HS) registered a win over Tarleton State and a save against New Mexico Highlands. She also led ENMU at the plate, with a .417 batting average, 1.000 slugging percentage, two home runs and a double. She tossed 5.1 innings in her victory over Tarleton State and batted two-for-three in the game with a RBI and a double.

Luis Quiñones (Sr., LF, Las Cruces, N.M../Mayfield HS) batted .375 for the week with a double and drove in three runs. He hit safely in all five games, with a double and two runs batted in against Wayland Baptist and a two-for-four outing in the opener against Angelo State.

Briska, Creamer, and Sandoval Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field team turned in a strong performance at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, while the baseball and softball teams were on the road. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kaspars Briska (men’s cross country), Peter Creamer (baseball) and Aurelia Sandoval (softball).

Kaspars Briska (So., Riga, Latvia, Riga Imanta HS/Cloud CCC) set an ENMU record by 15 seconds, when he finished the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:04.71. The performance earned him a ninth place finish at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and has him third on the list of NCAA Division II provisional qualifiers, in the event.

Peter Creamer (Sr., C, Boston, Mass./Santa Rosa CC) was batted .667, last week against Abilene Christian. He hit two-for-three in the Greyhounds 11-inning victory and had a three-for-three performance in the finale. Creamer finished the series with eight hits in 12 at bats.

Aurelia Sandoval (So., C, Farmington, N.M./Piedra Vista HS) led the Zias with a .400 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage against eighth-ranked Texas Woman's, last week. She batted two-for-three in the finale, with a double.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Creamer, and Medina Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams both turned in strong weeks. The baseball team posted a 5-0 record against N.M. Highlands and Cameron, while the softball team won a Lone Star Conference series from defending LSC tournament champion, Incarnate Word. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Peter Creamer (baseball) and Alberta Medina (softball).

Peter Creamer (Sr., C, Boston, Mass./Santa Rosa CC) was eight-for-17 (.471) with two doubles, seven RBIs, six runs scored and was a perfect three-for-three in stolen base attempts in five games. He was one-for-three with a double and run driven in a 6-4 victory against New Mexico Highlands. He started the series against Cameron by going one-for-five at the plate with a runs scored and RBI but followed with a three-for-three performance at the plate with a double, three RBI and three runs scored. In the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday, Creamer was 2-for-3 at the plate including a single in the sixth that turned into the game-winning run. He finished the series versus the Aggies by driving in a run and going one-for-three.

Alberta Medina (So., P/DP, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces, HS) posted a 2.76 earned run average over four appearances last week and picked up wins over Oklahoma Panhandle and Incarnate Word. For the week, she limited the opposition to a .186 batting average, fanned 10 batters and walked just four. She also batted .400 for the week, with a four-for-five performance, three doubles and five RBIs in the finale against Incarnate Word.

Blackmon, Altheide, Grube, and Candelaria Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams wrapped up their seasons at the Lone Star Conference tournament, while the softball team opened conference play. The track & field team turned in strong performances at Tarleton State. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball), Hannah Altheide (women’s basketball), Laura Grube (women’s track & field), and Jacqueline Candelaria (softball).

Rodney Blackmon (Jr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./David Starr Jordan HS/West Los Angeles College) scored 26 points, grabbed six rebounds and five steals, in addition to five assists, in the Greyhounds’ Lone Star Conference tournament game against Tarleton State. He especially stepped up for ENMU in the second half, when he scored 20 points on a five-for-seven performance from the floor and had five steals. The performance marked the 13^th time this season, Blackmon had reached the 20-point plateau.

Hannah Altheide (Sr., G, El Paso, Texas/Chapin HS) registered her first double double in the final game of her career for the Zias. Against LSC Champion, Midwestern State at the tournament, she hit five of her nine shot attempts to score 11 points. She also grabbed 11 rebounds during the game.

Laura Grube (Fr., Crow, Ore./ Crow HS) won the javelin toss at Tarleton State, with a throw of 128’-11, a throw more than a foot longer than the closest competition. She also placed fifth in the discus.

Jacqueline Candelaria (Fr., CF, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) hit safely in two of the Zias three games against 22nd-ranked Midwestern State. Her home run was Eastern's only hit, in the series opener.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Love, Peterson, Sirag, Sims, Buchanan and Samoei Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams split Lone Star Conference games last week, while the baseball team swept a four-game series to open the season. The track & field team performed well at the Don Kirby Open, while the softball team competed against two nationally-ranked opponents. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Rafael Love (men’s basketball), Nelsha Peterson (women’s basketball), Kyra Sirag (softball), Colton Sims (baseball, Brittany Buchanan (women’s track & field) and Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field).

Rafael Love (Jr., G, Woodland Hills, Calif./ Grant HS/College of the Canyons) averaged 22.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game in two contests, at home against Cameron and on the road at Midwestern State. He recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 19 points and 11 rebounds against the Aggies while playing 39 minutes. He was 6-of-11 shooting including 2-for-4 from three-point range and 5-of-8 at the free throw line. Seven of Love's rebounds were on the defensive end while four were offensive. He also had an assist and steal against CU. Love led Eastern with 26 points as he played the entire game. He made a career-high 11 field goals on a career-high 22 shot attempts and was also 4-for-6 on three-pointers. He grabbed six rebounds, three apiece on each end, dished out one assist, blocked a shot and was credited with a steal.

Nelsha Peterson (Fr., F, Palestine, Texas/Mesquite Horn HS) matched a career-high, with 16 points, in a winning effort against Cameron, last week. She also finished the game with eight rebounds and shot .412 from the floor.

Kyra Sirag (Fr., C, Garden Grove, Calif./ Rancho Alamitos HS) hit safely in three of the week's four games, and crushed a grand slam against 16th-ranked University of Central Oklahoma. She also tossed out a potential base stealer in the second meeting against Abilene Christian. In the second contest against UCO, she batted two-for-four, with a double and two runs batted in.

Colton Sims (Jr., 2B, Reno, Nev./ Earl Wooster HS / Lassen College) turned in an incredible performance as the Greyhounds opened the season against Adams State. He batted an incredible eight-for-nine (.889) with five runs scored, five runs batted in and a homer. He also drew five walks to post a .929 on-base percentage and stole four bases. Sims registered three multiple-hit games, including a three-for-three performance in the second game. He successfully stole a base in each of the four contests.

At the Don Kirby Open, junior Brittany Buchanan (Albuquerque, N.M./Hope Christian HS) placed third in the women’s 3,000-meter run and 13^th in the one-mile run. Her times were 11:20.27 and 5:35.41, respectively.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) paced the Greyhounds at the Don Kirby Open, last week. He was the runner up in the one-mile, with a time of 4:20.58 and turned in a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter run, with a time of 8:47.70.

Cooper, Blackmon, VonSchriltz, Milks and Buchanan Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams both turned in strong performances and combined for three wins in four games, while the track & field and softball teams opened their seasons. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jordyn Cooper (women’s basketball), Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball), Kuuleiokealoaha VonSchriltz (softball), Brittany Buchanan (women’s track & field) and Ricky Milks (men’s track & field).

Jordyn Cooper (Fr., G, Texico, N.M./Texico HS) became the second Zia player to reach the 20-point mark in a game this season, pouring in a career-best 20, in Eastern's first win over Abilene Christian, since the 2000-01 season. She connected on seven of her eight attempts from the floor, which included an incredible five-for-five effort from three-point range. Cooper also added an assist and steal in the winning effort.

Rodney Blackmon (Jr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./David Starr Jordan HS/West Los Angeles College) continued his strong play for the red-hot Greyhound basketball team, with 16.5 points per game, in wins over Angelo State and Abilene Christian. He poured in 15 points, grabbed six boards and dished out seven assists, as Eastern rallied from 17 down, to win at Angelo State in overtime. On Saturday, Blackmon scored 18 points as the Hounds edged Abilene Christian.

Kuuleiokealoaha VonSchriltz (So., 2B, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) started all five games for Eastern, last week and posted a .333 batting average with a double and triple. She recorded multiple-hit games against St. Edwards and Texas-Permian Basin.

At the Texas Tech Red Raider Open, junior Brittany Buchanan (Albuquerque, N.M./Hope Christian HS) finished first in a time of 11:13.87 in Heat 2 of the women’s 3,000-meter run.

Also at Texas Tech, Freshman Ricky Milks (Las Cruces, N.M./Mayfield HS) was one thousandth of a second away from qualifying for the men's 55-meter dash finals with a time of 6.57 to finish 17th overall.

Pierson and Blackmon Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams faced nearby-rival West Texas A&M, twice last week, with the Hounds capturing a crucial road win. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Ashlee Pierson (women’s basketball) and Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball).

Ashlee Pierson (So., G, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) became the first Zia to reach the 20-point mark this season and shot 50 percent from the floor at home, against West Texas A&M. She also finished the game with nine rebounds, with six off the offensive glass, in addition to registering four steals.

Rodney Blackmon (Jr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./David Starr Jordan HS/West Los Angeles College) averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in two games last week as Eastern New Mexico split the regular season series against West Texas A&M. Blackmon has now scored 20 or more points in four consecutive games. At home against the Buffaloes in an overtime loss, Blackmon scored a game-high 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field including 3-for-7 on three-pointers while making 3-of-4 free throws. He also grabbed four rebounds, dished out five assists and was credited with a block and a steal. Blackmon scored 18 of his game-high 21 points in the second half as the Greyhounds shot 72.7 percent from the field and scored 47 points to defeat WT. For the game, he made 7-of-13 field goal attempts with two made field goals coming from beyond the arc and was 5-of-7 at the charity stripe. He handed out a game-high eight assists, grabbed four rebounds, had two steals and blocked a shot.

Peterson and Blackmon Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams returned to Greyhound Arena last week, with the Greyhounds earning their first win over Tarleton State since 2007, while the Zias stretched the defending Lone Star Conference champions to the limit. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Nelsha Peterson (women’s basketball) and Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball).

Nelsha Peterson (Fr., F, Palestine, Texas/Mesquite Horn HS) shot an incredible .917 from the field over two games last week, missing just one of her 12 shots. At Texas A&M-Commerce, she hit all seven of her attempts for 16 points, including 10 points, in a stretch, which cut Eastern's deficit from 23 points to just six. Peterson went four-for-five from the floor against Tarleton State, for eight points and a blocked shot.

Rodney Blackmon (Jr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./David Starr Jordan HS/West Los Angeles College) Averaged 22.5 points and six assists in games against Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce last week. He shot 39.0 percent (16-41) from the field and 50.0 percent (12-24) from beyond the arc. Blackmon scored 20 points against the Texans including the game-winning three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in the game to give Eastern New Mexico their first victory over Tarleton since Feb. 2007. He was 7-of-18 from the field and 5-for-11 on three-point shots while dishing out five assists and received credit for a steal against the Texans. Blackmon scored s game-high 25 points versus Texas A&M-Commerce while making 9-of-23 shots including 7-of-13 three-point attempts... His seven made three-pointers were the most by a Greyhound player since Jan. 2011. He also had seven assists, five rebounds and one block against the Lions.

Candelaria Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University women’s basketball team women's basketball team was the lone team in action last week and played a non-conference game at NCAA Division I University of Texas-El Paso. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week was Alexa Candelaria (Jr., G, El Paso, Texas, Hanks High School / Howard College).

Candelaria shot a team-high 40 percent against UTEP and paced the Zias with 10 points on Saturday, with one steal. The performance came against a Miner team which boasts an 8-1 record this year, with a 21-2 record at home since last season.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Love and Peterson Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team opened Lone Star Conference play with a pair of wins, while the women’s basketball teams registered their toughest performances of the season. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Rafael Love (men’s basketball) and Nelsha Peterson (women’s basketball).

Rafael Love (Jr., G, Woodland Hills, Calif./Grant HS/College of the Canyons) averaged 14.5 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field and three-point range, to lead the Eastern New Mexico University men's basketball team to a 2-0 start in Lone Star Conference play. He poured in 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked a shot and hit three of his four three-point attempts, to lead Eastern to a win over Angelo State. All 12 of his points against Abilene Christian came in the second half, as Eastern went on to a two-point win.

Nelsha Peterson (Fr., F, Palestine, Texas / Mesquite Horn HS) shot a blistering .909 from the floor and averaged 13.5 points per game, as the Zias opened Lone Star Conference play against Angelo State and Abilene Christian. She connected on five of her six shots, for 12 points against ASU, and all five of her attempts for 15 points at ACU.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Love and Cooper Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team bounced back from a mid-week loss to win a pair of games in Canyon, Texas. The Zia basketball team turned in a strong performance against nearby-rival Wayland Baptist. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Rafael Love (men’s basketball) and Jaylyn Cooper (women’s basketball).

Rafael Love (Jr., G, Woodland Hills, Calif./Grant HS/College of the Canyons) registered three double doubles last week and has led Eastern in rebounds in all five games. For the week, he averaged 17.7 points, 11 rebounds, shot .633 from the floor and connected on .563 of his three-point attempts. Love poured in a season-high 27 points against Missouri Southern and grabbed 11 boards, to lead the Hounds to their first win over a MIAA team since 2004.

Jaylyn Cooper (Fr., G, Texico, N.M./ Texico HS) scored a season-best 13 points against Wayland Baptist on Saturday, in addition to grabbing three steals.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Samoei, Love, and Pierson Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s cross country team turned in an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Championships and registered its first All-American of the NCAA era. The men’s basketball team posted a victory over Lubbock Christian, while the women’s basketball team played some tough competition at the Grand Canyon University Tip-Off Classic. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Isaiah Samoei (men’s cross country), Rafael Love (men’s basketball) and Ashlee Pierson (women’s basketball).

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) became ENMU’s first All-American during the NCAA era and the first overall to earn the honor, since the 1976 season. His 10k time of 29:25.8 at the NCAA Championships broke his own team record and was the first sub 30-minute time in Greyhound history. Samoei turned in an eighth-place finish at the event, after a 66th-place finish, last year.

Rafael Love (Jr., G, Woodland Hills, Calif./Grant HS/College of the Canyons) registered 22 points, nine rebounds three steals and a block in the Greyhounds win over Lubbock Christian, last week. In the second half, he poured in 20 points and had two steals. For the game, he shot a sizzling .600 from the floor, along with seven of his eight free-throw attempts.

Ashlee Pierson (So., G, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) shot 50 percent from the floor last week, in games against 13th-ranked Grand Canyon University and Southern Nazarene. Defensively, she contributed two steals.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Johnson, Barron, Johnson and Blackmon Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football and volleyball teams concluded their season last week, while both basketball teams tipped-off the 2012-13 season, on the road. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jacob Johnson (football), Lindsey Barron (volleyball), Tara Johnson (women’s basketball) and Rodney Blackmon (men’s basketball).

Jacob Johnson (Jr., SR, Idalou, Texas/Idalou HS) accounted for more than half of the Greyhounds passing offense at Texas A&M-Kingsville. He set career-highs, with nine catches and 120 yards. Five of his receptions resulted in ENMU first downs, including two catches of at least 20 yards.

Lindsey Barron (Jr., OH, Mandeville, La./ Fontainebleau HS/ Central Arkansas) turned in a strong week for the Zias, with 60 kills (4.62 per set). On Friday, she registered 29 kills against Incarnate Word, the highest single-game total for a Zia player since at least the 2001 season. She also turned in an 11-kill, six-dig performance against tenth-ranked West Texas A&M. In Saturday's season finale against Texas A&M-Kingsville, Barron finished with 20 kills, five digs and a block assist.

Tara Johnson (Sr., G, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) recorded five steals and grabbed nine rebounds in the Zias' season opener at Oklahoma Panhandle State. She also scored seven points and connected on 50 percent of her shots from the floor.

Rodney Blackmon (Jr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./ David Starr Jordan HS / West Los Angeles College) hit 40 percent from the floor and all eight of his free throws, to lead the Greyhounds with 27 points and five assists in the season opener at Texas A&M-International.

Samoei, Buchanan, Kanemitsu, Serda and Barron Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University cross country teams turned in stellar performances at the NCAA Division II Regional Championships, with the men’s team advancing to the National Championships for the second straight year. The football team turned in a strong performance in a 7-3 win over Texas A&M-Commerce, while the volleyball team wrapped up its final road trip of the year. Men’s soccer closed out its second season with double digit wins. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Isaiah Samoei (men’s cross country), Brittany Buchanan (women’s cross country), Eishu Kanemitsu (men’s soccer), Jayson Serda (football) and Lindsey Barron (volleyball).

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) registered a second-place finish at the NCAA Division II Regional Championships and lifted the Greyhounds to a NCAA Championship appearance, with a fifth-place finish. His time of 32:10 in the 10k run was just one second off the time of champion Kevin Batt (Adams State), for first place. Samoei was the only runner to finish in the top ten, who wasn’t with champion Adams State, Western State or Colorado School of Mines.

Eishu Kanemitsu (Jr., MF, Tokyo, Japan / Emily Carr Secondary School) tallied his career-best sixth goal of the season on Sunday at Midwestern State. The goal came midway through the opening half and pulled the Hounds even with the Mustangs.

Brittany Buchanan (Jr., Albuquerque, N.M. / Hope Christian HS) registered a 34^th-place finish at the regional championships, to lead the Zias to a best-ever eighth-place finish at the event. She completed the 6k run with a time of 23:36, taking more than a full minute off her time from last year’s regional championships. The performance led the women’s team to the second top-ten finish in program history.

Jayson Serda (Jr., S, Albuquerque, N.M./Manzano HS) turned in a strong performance for the Greyhounds in their four-point win over Texas A&M-Commerce, with seven tackles and interception and four passes batted down. His interception came at the ENMU one-yard line, with the Lions holding a 3-0 lead. In the fourth quarter, he batted down a fourth-down pass in the end zone, to allow Eastern to run out the clock. ON A&M-Commerce's previous possession, he deflected a third-down pass attempt to force a punt.

Lindsey Barron (Jr., OH, Mandeville, La./ Fontainebleau HS/ Central Arkansas) paced the Zias with 3.57 kills per set, at Midwestern State and Cameron. At Cameron, she finished with 16 kills, to reach double figures for the 14th time in 22 matches. Barron also had nine kills against Midwestern State and added a combined 12 digs over the two matches.

Wood, Samoei, Buchanan, Kanemitsu, Thurman and Maddams Selected as

Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s cross country team repeated as Lone Star Conference champions, while the women’s team placed fifth. The football and men’s soccer teams both hosted nationally-ranked opposition, while the women’s soccer and volleyball teams continued their conference schedules.. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Wesley Wood (football), Isaiah Samoei (men’s cross country), Brittany Buchanan (women’s cross country), Eishu Kanemitsu (men’s soccer), Danielle Thurman (women’s soccer), and Kaitlyn Maddams (volleyball).

Wesley Wood (Sr., QB, Muleshoe, Texas/Muleshoe HS) accounted for 267 yards of total offense and all three touchdowns against 17th-ranked West Texas A&M, in the Wagon Wheel Game, last week. He rushed for 79 yards (5.3/carry) against the conference's top run defense, with a 34-yard touchdown sprint. Wood also connected on scoring passes of 19 and 32 yards against the LSC's top pass rush. He helped to convert seven third downs and one fourth down.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) won the Lone Star Conference cross country championship for the second consecutive season and in doing so, paced the Greyhounds to their second straight team title. His time of 24:43 was the fourth-best 8k time in team history.

Brittany Buchanan (Jr., Albuquerque, N.M. / Hope Christian HS) paced the Zias to a fifth-place finish at the Lone Star Conference championships, finishing the 6k run, with a time of 22:43.

Eishu Kanemitsu (Jr., MF, Tokyo, Japan / Emily Carr Secondary School) tallied his fourth goal of the season on Friday, to lead the Hounds to a 1-all tie against 21^st-ranked Midwestern State.

Danielle Thurman (Sr.-R, MF, Albuquerque, N.M./Del Norte HS) scored her career-best sixth goal of the season, on Sunday at Incarnate Word.

Junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Maddams (Gresham, Ore. / Sam Barlow HS/ Mt. Hood CC) paced the Zias with 14 kills against Texas Woman’s. That performance matched her career high for a three-set match. For the week, she registered 29 kills on 17 attacks.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Bailey, Barron, Crosby, Thurman, Samoei and Buchanan Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University soccer teams both picked up key wins last week, with the Hounds earning their first road win over a ranked opponent and the Zias completed a season-sweep over Midwestern State. The cross country teams both continued to rewrite the record books, while the football and volleyball teams hit the road to face Lone Star Conference opponents. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Seth Bailey (football), Lindsey Barron (volleyball), Abayneh Crosby (men’s soccer), Danielle Thurman (women’s soccer), Isaiah Samoei (men’s cross country) and Brittany Buchanan (women’s cross country).

Seth Bailey’s (Jr., LB, Texico, N.M./Texico HS) signature play in Saturday’s Lone Star Conference contest at Abilene Christian, when he forced a fumble on a Wildcat punt return, and recovered it, to set up a game-tying ENMU touchdown. He also finished with a team-high 12 tackles, which included five solo stops and a sack.

Lindsey Barron (Jr., OH, Mandeville, La. / Fontainebleau HS/ Central Arkansas) turned in a strong performance on the Zias’ LSC road trip last week, with 25 kills. She accounted for more than half of Eastern’s kill total over the two matches and had an 11-kill performance at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Abayneh Crosby (So., F, Houston, Texas/Atascocita HS) wasted little time, giving Eastern the advantage at #18 Fort Hays State. He tallied the game-winning goal, just 2:47 into the contest. Crosby has scored three game-winners for Eastern this season.

Danielle Thurman (Sr., M, Albuquerque, N.M. / Del Norte HS) tallied the overtime game-winning goal, in Friday afternoon’s 2-1 victory over Midwestern State. The goal was her team-high fifth of the season and her second game-winner, with both coming against the Mustangs.

Isaiah Samoei (Sr., Eldoret, Kenya / Iowa Western CC) turned in a sixth-place performance at South Plains College, to lead the Hounds to a second-place finish at the event. His time of 24:59.74 was the fourth best 8k time in program history.

Brittany Buchanan (Jr., Albuquerque, N.M. / Hope Christian HS) paced the Zia cross country team to a second-place finish in the team standings at South Plains College, by running a personal-best 5k time of 19:00.13. She placed seventh in the competition and her time was the second-best in team history.


Monday, October 1, 2012

Sellers, Perez, Viveros, Couch, Samoei and Buchanan Selected as

Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team picked up a huge Lone Star Conference win over Cameron, while the women’s soccer team earned a win over Incarnate Word. Cross Country registered a strong outing at Oklahoma State, while the rest of the teams were in action during Homecoming week. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Perron Sellers (football), Victoria Perez (women’s soccer), Carlos Viveros (men’s soccer), Haley Couch (volleyball), Isaiah Samoei (men’s cross country) and Brittany Buchanan (women’s cross country)..

Perron Sellers (La Marque, Texas, La Marque HS/Fullerton JUCO) made a game-high 11 tackles for the Greyhounds, against Angelo State. He also recovered a fumble, which he returned for a 40-yard touchdown.

Victoria Perez (So., D, Rio Rancho, N.M. / Rio Rancho HS) scored the first two goals of Friday’s game against Lone Star Conference rival, Incarnate Word. Later in the game, she had an assist, as the Zias picked up an insurance goal.

Carlos Viveros (So., MF, Houston, Texas / Morton HS) took a team-high three shots on goal in the Greyhounds’ Lone Star Conference opener against West Texas A&M.

Haley Couch (Jr., L, Santa Fe, Texas / Santa Fe HS/ San Jacinto College) turned in a strong week for the Zias, averaging 4.83 digs per set, along with a .975 reception percentage. She also registered five service aces, including two against both Cameron and Angelo State.

Brittany Buchanan (Jr., Albuquerque, N.M. / Hope Christian HS) turned in a 10^th-place finish for the Zia cross country team at the Oklahoma State Jamboree, completing the 5k run, with a time of 19:33.07. The time ranked 11^th on the ENMU career list.

Isaiah Samoei (Sr., Eldoret, Kenya / Iowa Western CC) registered a 20^th-place finish for the Hounds at Oklahoma State. He completed the 8k run, with a time of 25:28.36, good for 12^th on the career list.

Wood, Thurman, Nieto, and Bolton Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University women’s soccer team picked up a huge Lone Star Conference win over Midwestern State, while football turned in a strong performance at nationally-ranked Tarleton State. The men’s soccer team opened a home stand, while volleyball was on the road all week. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Wesley Wood (football), Jose Nieto (men’s soccer), Danielle Thurman (women’s soccer) and Courtney Bolton (volleyball).

Wesley Wood (Sr., QB, Muleshoe, Texas/Muleshoe HS) accounted for 286 yards of total offense and three touchdowns at Tarleton State and was sacked only once. He tossed a pair of touchdown passes, including an 80-yard strike to Dillon Metzger. He also sprinted 21 yards in the third quarter, to pull the Hounds within four points. For his career, Wood holds the ENMU records for total offense and touchdown passes, with 8,000 yards and 61 touchdowns, respectively.

Danielle Thurman (Sr.-R, M, Albuquerque, N.M./Del Norte HS) scored in back-to-back games, including matches against Abilene Christian and Midwestern State. Her goal 8:31 into Sunday’s contest at Midwestern State lifted the Zias to their first-ever road victory against the Mustangs.

Jose Nieto (Fr., MF, Dallas, Texas/North Crowley HS) tallied his first goal of the season, on Wednesday, against Wayland Baptist.

Courtney Bolton (Jr., MB, El Cajon, Calif. / Santana HS/ Grossmont College) posted a team-best .312 attack percentage over three matches last week, with 19 kills and three blocks. Against New Mexico Highlands, she registered eight kills and followed with a .444 attack percentage at Texas Woman’s.

Thomas, Huelga, Samoei, Crosby, Perez and Maddams Selected as

Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football picked up a huge Lone Star Conference win over Incarnate Word at the Lone Star Conference Football Festival, while both soccer teams registered key wins. The cross country teams turned in stellar performances at Missouri Southern, while the volleyball team nearly upset Abilene Christian. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were De’Coreyon Thomas (football),, Sabrina Huelga (women’s cross country), Isaiah Samoei (men’s cross country), Abayneh Crosby (men’s soccer), Victoria Perez (women’s soccer) and Kaitlyn Maddams (volleyball).

De'Coreyon Thomas (Jr., RB, Dickinson, Texas/Dickinson HS) posted career-highs in rushing yards (115) and all-purpose yards (139), in leading the Greyhounds to a win over Incarnate Word. On the game-winning drive, he had three carries for 39 yards, with a five-yard touchdown run, to put ENMU ahead, 28-24. Thomas's broke his longest run of the game on that possession, for 30 yards, in addition to hauling in a 24-yard reception, two plays later.

Sabrina Huelga (So., Lancaster, Calif./Paraclete HS) set a Zia record, by running the first sub 19-minute 5k in team history. Her time of 18:53:77 earned a seventh-place finish and led ENMU to a first-place finish at the Southern Stampede.

Isaiah Samoei (Sr., Eldoret, Kenya/Iowa Western CC) turned in an eighth-place performance at the Southern Stampede, with a time of 25:24.34. He led Eastern to a fourth-place finish at the event.

Abayneh Crosby (So., F, Houston, Texas/Atascocita HS) tallied two goals in a victory over Dallas Baptist. His first goal of the game was his second game-winning goal of the season.

Victoria Perez (So., D, Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Ranch HS) tallied the only goal of the game, in a 1-0 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce. Her performance helped the Zias earn their first conference win of the season and allowed Eastern to pick up its fifth win in the last six home conference matches.

Kaitlyn Maddams (Jr., MB, Gresham, Ore. / Sam Barlow HS/ Mt. Hood CC) turned in a strong performance, last weekend against Abilene Christian. She paced the Zias with a .480 attack percentage, had 14 kills and three blocks.

Sellers, Crosby, Sandoval, and Lubbers Selected as

Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football and women’s soccer teams both earned their first wins of the season, while the volleyball and men’s soccer teams also picked up wins during the week. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Perron Sellers (football),, Diego Santos (men’s soccer), Angela Sandoval (women’s soccer), and Emily Lubbers (volleyball).

Perron Sellers (Sr., LB, La Marque HS/Fullerton JUCO) turned in one of the strongest performances of his career, in a hard fought win over Sul Ross State. Eight of his team-high 13 tackles were solo stops, with four tackles for a loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks. Sellers forced a punt with a third-down sack in the fourth quarter, which set up a go-ahead touchdown for the Greyhounds.

Abayneh Crosby (So., F, Houston, Texas/Atascocita HS) tallied the game-winning goal in the Greyhounds victory over Adams State. He took four shots for the week, with two on goal.

Angela Sandoval (So., M, Albuquerque, N.M. / Sandia HS) scored the second game-winning goal of her career, late in the opening half of Sunday’s match against Adams State. The goal lifted Eastern to its seventh home win since the start of the 2011 season.

Emily Lubbers (Sr., Yuma, Colo./Yuma HS) had a breakout weekend as she collected a season and career-high for digs in a match. In four matches, Lubbers only committed one reception error for a .981 reception percentage. Over 15 total sets played, she averaged 5.07 digs per set, scooped up a team leading 76 digs, and tied for the most service aces, with eight. In the Zias win over Wayland Baptist, Lubbers led the dig count with 38 and was the first Zia to collect 38 digs in a single game since the 2008 season. Since the 2001 season, Lubber’s 38 digs is good for second overall for a five set single-game dig performance.

Monday, September 03, 2012

Durand, Brown, Santos, Romero, Samoei and Huelga Selected as
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall athletic teams got off to a strong start, with the volleyball team posting a 3-1 tournament record, while the men’s soccer team opened 2-0 for the third straight season. The women’s soccer team made a strong showing in their trip to Hawaii, while cross country performed well at the University of New Mexico. The Greyhound football team got off to a quick start, but dropped a tough decision at New Mexico Highlands. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Amber Durand (volleyball), Noah Brown (football), Diego Santos (men’s soccer), Renee Romero (women’s soccer), Isaiah Samoei (men’s cross country) and Sabrina Huelga (women’s cross country).

Senior outside hitter Amber Durand (Onalaska, Wash. / Onalaska HS/Columbia Basin College) averaged 4.27 kills and 2.93 digs per set, in leading the Zia volleyball team to three wins in its first four matches, for the first time since the 2002 season. She posted a 20-kill, 17-dig performance in the season-opening win over Texas-Permian Basin and followed with a 21-kill outing in a five-set victory over Western State.

Defensive lineman Noah Brown (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M./Valencia HS) made eight tackles against New Mexico Highlands, with three for a loss and had 1.5 sacks for the game. He forced two second-quarter punts, with third-down sacks.

Senior midfielder Diego Santos (Natal, RN, Brazil / Universidade Federal de Rio Grande de Norte) tallied two goals on five shots, last week, helping the Greyhound soccer team open 2-0, for the third straight year. On Sunday, he tallied the fourth game-winning goal of his career, coming against Adams State.

Sophomore defender Renee Romero (Albuquerque, N.M. / Volcano Vista HS) turned in a strong performance for the Zia soccer team during their trip to Hawaii. Over two games, she led an ENMU defense, which allowed 1.5 goals per game with an average of 5.5 shots on goal.

Senior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya / Iowa Western CC) paced the Greyhound cross country team at the University of New Mexico Lobo Invitational, with an 18^th-place finish and a time of 20.04.8.

Sabrina Huelga (So., Lancaster, Calif./Paraclete HS) turned in a 15^th-place finish at the Lobo Invite, with a time of 20:06.4, in the 5k run, for the Zia cross country team.

Samoei, Jones, Draper and Daugherty Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week, the Eastern New Mexico University track & field team turned in a strong performance at the Lone Star Conference Championship Meet, in Commerce, Texas. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Isaiah Samoei (men’s track), Alesha Jones (women’s track), Daniel Draper (men’s field) and Kassie Daugherty (men’s field).

Junior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya / Iowa Western CC) claimed Lone Star Conference championships in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs, at the championship meet, in Commerce, Texas, last weekend. He finished the 5k, with a time of 14:51.91 and crossed the finish line in the 10k, with a time of 31:21.10. Samoei also set an ENMU record, with a time of 3:54.36, in the 1,500-meter run, to place second in the event.

Alesha Jones (Fr., Wilcox, Ariz./ Wilcox HS/Eastern Arizona CC) set a Zia record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the LSC Championships, crossing the finish line, with a time of 11:23.98. The performance earned her a fourth-place finish and eclipsed Nicole Reid’s (Sr., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) record, set during the 2010 season. She also ran the final leg of a 4x400-meter relay team, which also set an ENMU record, with a time of 3:49.88.

Daniel Draper (Sr., Moriarty, N.M./ Moriarty HS) turned in a third-place finish in the javelin at the LSC Championships, with a throw of 195’-10”. He also took seventh in the shot put and sixth in his flight in the discus throw.

Kassie Daugherty (Sr., Bridgeport, Texas/ Bridgeport HS) placed fourth at the LSC Championships in the discus, with a toss of 137’-7.97”. She also placed seventh in the hammer throw and seventh in her flight in the shot put.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Samoei, Spiller-Coleman, Hemmer and Wolfe Selected Goeasternathletics.comStudent Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week, the Eastern New Mexico University track & field team shattered a number of records and had a championship qualifier at the West Texas A&M Open. The baseball team concluded their season with a pair of wins in their last three games. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), LaDawn Spiller (women’s track & field), Gabriel Hemmer (baseball) and Mitch Wolfe (baseball).

Junior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya / Iowa Western CC) set a new Greyhound record in the 1,500, crossing the finish line at the West Texas A&M, with a time of 3:55.15. The performance topped the event and was his third first-place finish this season.

LaDawn Spiller-Coleman (Sr., Killeen, Texas/ Killeen HS) registered a NCAA provisionally qualifying mark in the long jump, clearing a distance of 18’-6.5”. Her performance earned a third-place finish at the West Texas A&M Open.

Gabriel Hemmer (So., P, Yuma, Ariz./College of the Desert) turned in his first complete game of the year, going all nine innings for a 5-2 win at West Texas A&M. He fanned four batters and scattered 11 hits, while holding the Buffaloes to a .091 (1-11) batting average with runners in scoring position.

Mitch Wolfe (Sr., 1B, Litchfield Park, Ariz./Agua Fria HS) closed his ENMU career on an 11-game hit streak and had a double, homer and three runs batted in, during the Greyhounds' split at West Texas A&M. He had two hits and a RBI in the series opener and contributed a base hit and a run in the Hounds' rally from a 6-0 deficit to post a 7-6 win in the second game. Wolfe doubled and drove in a pair of runs, to lead ENMU to a 5-2 victory in the series finale.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Samoei, Saiz, Medrano and Wolfe Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week, the Eastern New Mexico University track & field team turned in two record-breaking performances, while the softball team narrowly missed qualifying for the Lone Star Conference tournament. The Greyhound baseball team took on Texas A&M-Kingsville, one of the top teams in the LSC. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Isaiah Samoei (men’s track & field), Tyler Saiz (men’s track & field), Katlyn Medrano (softball) and Mitch Wolfe (baseball).

Junior Isaiah Samoei (Eldoret, Kenya / Iowa Western CC) turned in an outstanding performance at last week’s Mt. Sac Relays, with a sixth-place finish in the 10,000-meter run. He set an ENMU record in the event, with a time of 29:20.11, to become the Hound’s first automatic NCAA qualifier in any event. Samoei’s time tops the Lone Star Conference in the event and is the sixth best in the country.

Tyler Saiz (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M./Del Norte HS) shattered his own 5,000-meter record and turned in a seventh-place finish in his heat at the Bryan Clay Invitational. His time of 3:57:57 eclipsed his previous mark of 3:59.53, set at the Mesa Classic.

Senior Katlyn Medrano (1B, Tecumseh, Kan. / Shawnee Heights HS / Western Texas College) hit safely in all four games last week, with two homeruns and seven runs batted in. For the week, she batted .500, with a 1.100 slugging percentage. Medrano’s first inning grand slam in the opener against Cameron was part of a two-for-four performance with six RBIs, which set the tone for the Zias winning the series. She also hit a game-tying solo homerun in the second game against the Aggies, accounting for Eastern’s first run of the game, on the way to a 2-1 win.

Mitch Wolfe (Sr., 1B, Litchfield Park, Ariz./Agua Fria HS) hit safely in all five games last week, to extend his hit streak to seven games. He turned in a two-for-four performance and hit his third homerun of the season on Tuesday against University of the Southwest, Wolfe also had a double in the opener of the Texas A&M-Kingsville series and drive in a run, in the second game.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Daugherty, Oakley, Aguirre and Crenshaw Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week, the Eastern New Mexico University track & field team shattered three team records at the Texas Tech Open, while the softball and baseball team picked up wins on the road. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kassie Daugherty (women’s track & field), Marcus Oakley (men’s track & field), Josette Aguirre (softball) and Derek Crenshaw (baseball).

Senior Kassie Daugherty (Bridgeport, Texas/Bridgeport HS) turned in a stellar performance for the Zias at the Texas Tech Open, last weekend, setting ENMU records in the shot put and discus. Her shot put of 41’-0.5”, eclipsed the previous record (39’-1.25”), set by Nicole Valdez, during the 2004 season, while she eclipsed her own record in the discus, with a throw of 150’-7”. Daugherty took first place in the discus, to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Championships and took ninth in the shot put.

Junior Marcus Oakley (Alamogordo, N.M./ Alamogordo High School) finished second in the hammer throw at Texas Tech, with a toss of 162’-7”. He also posted a season-best throw of 159’-1” in the hammer throw, to place seventh in his section (A) of the event.

Josette Aguirre (Sr., RF, Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty HS) hit .308 over five games last week, including a two-for-three performance with two runs and two runs batted in, during the Zias win at Abilene Christian. She hit her fourth homer of the season in the fourth inning of the win and singled in the game-tying run in the top of the sixth inning.

Derek Crenshaw (Jr., RF, Pinole Valley Calif./ Solano CC) hit three-for-three with a homerun and scored three runs, in the Greyhounds victory over Wayland Baptist. Overall, he hit safely in three of the week’s four games, with a two-for-four performance with a double, against Incarnate Word, to finish with a .545 batting average.

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s soccer team opened with two wins, while the cross country teams turned in strong performances against Texas Tech. The Zia volleyball team received strong performances at the Lady Buff Classic, while football and women’s soccer faced tough competition to open the season. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Matt Malak (men’s soccer), Angela Sandoval (women’s soccer), Malcolm Butters (football), Tyler Saiz (men’s cross country), Sabrina Huelga (women’s cross country) and Amber Durand (volleyball).

Tyler Saiz (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M./Del Norte HS) turned in a first-place performance against Texas Tech, in the Ruidoso Open, completing the four-mile run with a time of 22:19. His performance led the regionally-ranked Greyhounds to a victory in the dual meet with the Red Raiders.

Sabrina Huelga (Fr., Lancaster, Calif./Paraclete HS) notched a sixth-place finish at the Ruidoso Open, with a time of 19:10, in the three-mile run. She was the top Zia finisher against the three-time Big 12 champion Red Raiders, a team that finished third at the NCAA Division I Championships, last year.

Amber Durand (Jr., OH, Onalaska, Wash. / Onalaska HS/Columbia Basin College) turned in a strong performance at the 2011 Lady Buff Classic, and averaged 18 kills per match. She registered a career-high 22 kills against Adams State, and became the first ENMU player since 2006 to post at least 20 kills and digs in a match, with 21 kills and 24 digs against Southwest Baptist. Durand also became the first Zia since Anna Bellum in 2004, to register at least 20 kills in three straight matches.

Matt Malak (Fr., GK, Doncaster, England / Chesterfield College) stopped 80 percent of the shots he faced in wins over University of the Southwest and University of Texas of the Permian Basin. In opening the season 2-0, Malak has registered a 0.50 goals against average.

Angela Sandoval (Fr., MF, Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) tallied her fist goal of the season, early in the second half against NCAA tournament participant, Colorado School of Mines. She scored on a header inside the far goal post, which came off a corner kick.

Malcolm Butters (Jr., DE, Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho HS) was an extremely active defender in the season opener, making nine tackles, forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble. Eight of his tackles were solo stops, with 2.5 for a loss and half a sack. In the second quarter, Butters forced and recovered a fumble in ENMU territory.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Noor, Reid, Draper and Daugherty Selected as Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams turned in strong performances at the Lone Star Conference Championships last week, with the Greyhounds recording their best finish in team history. The Goeasternathletics.com student athletes of the week were Daniel Draper (men’s field, Mohammed Noor (men’s track, Nicole Reid (women’s track and Kassie Daugherty (women’s field.

Mohammed Noor (Jr., Lewiston, Maine, Lewiston HS/Garden City CC) turned in a strong performance, earning a combined 14 points after winning the 5,000-meter win and turning in a fifth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run. He finished the 5000m, with a time of 15:18.91 and concluded the 1,500m with a time of 4:06.70.

Nicole Reid (Jr., Pueblo, Colo., Pueblo East HS) paced the Zias with a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and a fifth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run. She completed the steeplechase with a time of 12:03.54, to garner six points and followed with a 4:59.37 in the 1,500-meter, finish fifth and gain four more points.

Daniel Draper (Sr., Moriarty, N.M., Moriarty HS) turned in a second-place performance in the javelin, with a throw of 210’-10.31”. The performance marked his third throw of the season which cleared a distance of at least 210 feet. Draper is currently ninth in the country in provisionally qualifying for the javelin throw.

Kassie Daugherty (So., Bridgeport, Texas/Bridgeport HS) turned in a 10th-place performance in the discus throw, clearing a distance of 124’-10.43”.
Sunday, May 1, 2011

Eaton, Smith, Howard and Roufosse Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams concluded their 2011 seasons last weekend, with the baseball team picking up a sweep against Northeastern State. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Chris Eaton (baseball), Anthony Smith (baseball), Taylor Howard (softball) and Erin Roufosse (softball).

Chris Eaton (Sr., 1B/2B/3B, Albuquerque, N.M./Cibola HS) batted .700 with six runs batted in and two stolen bases, to help the Greyhounds sweep Northeastern State. He played error free defense at three infield positions, with nine chances. In the first game of the series, Eaton pounded out a career-high five hits, stole a base and drove in four runs. He also had a walk and sacrifice fly over his final two at bats in Eastern's come-from-behind win in the second game of the series.

Anthony Smith (Sr., RHP, 29 Palms, Calif./29 Palms HS) allowed just one hit over four full innings of relief against Northeastern State. He entered the game in the top of the sixth inning and inherited two base runners with no outs, but used a strikeout and double play to escape the jam. In all, Smith faced 13 batters, registered six strikeouts and did not allow a walk.

Taylor Howard (Sr., 1B, Midland, Texas/Midland Lee HS/Midland College) hit safely in all three games at West Texas A&M, including the first triple of her career in the second game. In the opener, Howard finished with two runs batted in, with a RBI single in the top of the first inning.

Erin Roufosse (Jr., P, Gibsons, British Columbia/ Heritage Woods Secondary School/Seward CCC) registered a 4.32 earned run average over three appearances against West Texas A&M, the highest scoring team in the Lone Star Conference. In the finale, she scattered seven hits, allowed just one earned run and struck out four batters.


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Patching, Emms, Montoya and Squire Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams picked up wins last week, while the track & field team turned in an outstanding performance at Texas Tech. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Daniel Patching (baseball), Samantha Emms (softball), Nicole Reid (women’s track & field) and Bill Squire (men’s track & field).

Daniel Patching (Jr., 2B, Dawesville, Australia / Halls Head CC / West Hills CC) hit safely in all four games last week, including a three-for-five performance against University of the Southwest with a Lone Star Conference record, three triples. His performance helped the Greyhounds rally from a 7-0 deficit to post a 13-10 win. Patching batted .400 over three games at Tarleton State, including a two-for-three outing in the finale. He committed just two errors in 21 defensive chances for the week.

Samantha Emms (Fr., 2B, Albuquerque, N.M./ Early College Academy) hit .571 with three doubles and six runs batted in for the week. Her performance helped the Zias pick up victories over new Mexico Highlands and Incarnate Word. Emms registered multiple hits in all but one game and notched a two-for-three performance with two doubles and two runs batted in, during the win over Incarnate Word. In 19 opportunities, she committed just one error to finish the week with a .947 fielding percentage.

Adrienne Montoya (Fr., Estancia, N.M./Public Academy for Performing Arts) placed 3rd overall and finished with a time of 4:55.78 in the 1500-meter run at the Texas Tech Invitational last Friday.

Junior Bill Squire (Hagerman, N.M., Hagerman HS) participated in three events and turned in two NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks with three top-five performances last Friday at the Texas Tech Invitational. He set a personal record in the shot put with a provisional qualifying toss of 54’-10”, which placed him second in the meet, and propelled him to 17th in the nation. Squire also finished second in the hammer throw with a toss of 181’-05” for another provisional mark. Rounding out the meet, the junior tossed the discus 159’-11” which was good for 5th place.


Sunday, April 17, 2011

Thomsen and Howard Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team picked up series wins over Wayland Baptist and Angelo State, while the softball team rallied from a five-run deficit. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Blake Thomsen (baseball) and Taylor Howard (softball).

Blake Thomsen (Jr., OF/P, Alamogordo, N.M./ Alamogordo HS/NMMI) set the table for the Greyhounds to post a 3-1 week, batting .529, scoring seven runs, drawing two walks and stealing two bases. He led off the Greyhound order in all four games, posted a .619 on-base percentage, hit safely and scored in all four games. At Wayland Baptist, Thomsen batted four-for-seven, scored three runs and drove in two. In the second game against Angelo State, he hit three-four four and drove in two runs. Thomsen's performance helped Eastern take the season series from WBU for the first time since 2002 and from Angelo State for the first time ever.

Taylor Howard (Sr., 1B, Midland, Texas/Midland Lee HS/Midland College) hit safely in three of the Zias six games last week, with two multiple-hit games. In the finale against Tarleton State, she homered twice, drove in four runs, scored three and walked three times. With the performance, Howard moved into a three-way tie for sixth place on the ENMU single-season homerun list.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Squire, Reid, Thomsen and Colburn Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams continued their strong start, turning in strong performances last weekend, in Arizona. The baseball team earned a Lone Star Conference road victory at Abilene Christian, while the softball squad played at LSC South leader, Angelo State. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Bill Squire (men’s track & field), Nicki Reid (women’s track & field), Blake Thomsen (baseball) and Paige Colburn (softball).

Junior Bill Squire (Hagerman, N.M./ Hagerman HS) participated in three events and turned in two top fifteen performances last Friday at the Arizona Sate Sun Angel Classic. Squire broke into the top ten with a 10th place finish in the hammer throw with a toss of 188’-00”, topping the requirement for a provisionally qualifying spot in the NCAA championships. Squire also placed 13th in the shot put with a throw of 50’-02.50”. Rounding out the meet, Squire tossed the discus 134’-08” which was good for a 26th place finish.

Junior Nicki Reid (Pueblo, Colo./ East HS) put in a season best performance at the Arizona State Sun angel Classic last Saturday. Reid placed 15th in the 3000m steeplechase finishing with a time of 11:46.09.

Blake Thomsen (Jr., LF, Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS/NMMI) turned in a strong week for the Greyhounds, batting .500 and scoring four runs over four games. In Eastern's win at Abilene Christian, he batted one-for-one, scored twice and drew a walk. He also went three-for-five, doubled and drove in two runs at New Mexico Highlands.

Paige Colburn (Jr., SS/3B, Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East HS/Fort Scott CC) batted a team-best .571 in the Zias Lone Star Conference South Division series at tenth-ranked Angelo State. She had at least one hit and one run batted in each game and went two-for-three with two runs scored in the second contest.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Draper, Spiller, Eaton and Colburn Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams continued their strong start, with a number of athletes qualifying for the NCAA Championships. The baseball team picked up wins over University of the Southwest and Southeastern Oklahoma, while the softball team had several strong performers at the LSC Crossover. The baseball team picked up a LSC victory at East Central. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Daniel Draper (men’s track & field), LaDawn Spiller (women’s track & field), Chris Eaton (baseball) and Paige Colburn (softball).

Daniel Draper (Sr., Moriarty, N.M./ Moriarty HS) turned in another top performance in the Javelin toss last Saturday at the Texas Tech Open. Draper’s toss of 211’-7” was good for a second place finish at the meet, a personal best and a team best toss record. Draper, who already has a provisionally qualifying spot for the NCAA championships, was just shy of picking up an automatic qualification.

LaDawn Spiller (Jr., Kileen, Texas/ Kileen HS/ Highlands CC) placed ninth in the long jump at the Texas Tech Open, with a jump of 18’-7.75”. Spiller’s jump set a team record and would have provisionally qualified her for the NCAA championships, under non-windy conditions.

Chris Eaton (Dr., IF, Albuquerque, N.M./Cibola HS) batted .667 for the week as the Greyhounds split four games, including a one-run victory over Lone Star Conference co-leader, Southeastern Oklahoma State. In the second game against SOSU, he batted three-for-three, walked and drove in all three of ENMU's runs. In one plate appearance against University of the Southwest, Eaton hit a two-run homer.

Paige Colburn (Jr., SS/3B, Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East HS/Fort Scott CC) hit .385 at the Lone Star Conference Crossover and registered multiple-hit games against Southwestern Oklahoma and Northeastern State. Against NSU, she batted two-for-three with a double. Colburn singled against Cameron, scored a run and stole two bases.


Monday, March 28, 2011

Medrano and Quiñones Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University softball team won four out of seven games last week, including a Lone Star Conference South Division win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. The baseball team picked up a LSC victory at East Central. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Katlyn Medrano (softball) and Luis Quiñones (baseball).

Katlyn Medrano (Jr., 2B, Tecumseh, Kan. / Shawnee Heights High School / Western Texas College) hit safely in all seven games last week, to post a .545 batting average and a .909 slugging percentage. She registered four multiple-hit games, including a three-for-three performance in the finale against Texas A&M-Kingsville, with three runs batted in, a double and a homer. In that game, Medrano's two-run blast in the third inning, gave ENMU the lead for good. Over the seven-game stretch, she hit .500 with runners in scoring position, to lead Eastern with eight RBIs.

Luis Quinones (So., CF, Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield HS) turned in a strong series at East Central, hitting safely in all three games, with multiple-hits over the last two. In each of the final two games, he batted two-for-three with two RBIs.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Alderette, Schultz and Wolfe Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball took a three-game series from Texas A&M-Kingsville, while the softball squad earned a win at Texas Woman’s. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Mitch Wolfe (co-baseball), Alex Schultz (co-baseball) and Melanie Alderette (softball).

Melanie Alderette (Jr., CF, Albuquerque, N.M./ Valley HS / Luna CC) hit safely in all three games at Texas Woman's last week. She turned in a three-for-four performance with two doubles, four runs scored and a walk, in the Zias series-opening win. Over the course of the series, Alderette stole four bases in five attempts.

Alex Schultz (Jr., SS, Tempe, Ariz./Red Mountain HS/Eastern Arizona College) turned in a superlative effort for the Hounds at shortstop last week, making a number of key defensive plays, which allowed the Greyhounds to control two of the three games against Texas A&M-Kingsville. For the series, he batted a .333 and registered a perfect fielding percentage.

Mitch Wolfe (Jr., 1B, Litchfield Park, Ariz./Agua Fria HS ) led the Greyhounds to a Lone Star Conference series win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, last week, leading ENMU in nearly every category. He had multiple hits in all three games, including a four-for-five performance with three runs, three doubles and a run batted in, during the series-opening win. In the series finale, he homered twice, including a grand slam, for six RBIs. The performance marked both the first grand slam and multi-home run game by a Greyhound since he accomplished the feat last April, against Central Oklahoma.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Huwer, Howard, Draper and Reid Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball and softball teams participated in Lone Star Conference games, while the track and field teams got off to its best start in recent memory. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Joe Huwer (baseball), Taylor Howard (softball), Daniel Draper (men’s track & field) and Nicole Reid (men’s track & field) .

Joe Huwer (Jr, C, DH, Boise, Idaho, Timberline HS/Wenatchee Valley College) recorded two multiple-hit games at Incarnate Word, including a two-for-four performance, with a double, homer and four runs batted in. He followed with a three-for-four performance with a walk, in the finale.

Taylor Howard (Sr., 1B, Midland, Texas/Midland Lee HS/Midland College) batted .600 last week over five games, with an incredible 1.267 slugging percentage and a .722 reached-base percentage. She hit safely in all five games. with multiple hits in three, including a three-for-four performance against Abilene Christian. In the second game against University of the Southwest, Howard drove in a career-high seven runs, with a three-run homer and a grand slam. For the week, she hit three home runs.

Junior Nicole Reid (Pueblo, Colo./ East HS) put in two strong performances at the Tarleton State Invitational last Thursday. Reid set Eastern New Mexico University school records in both the 800 -meter runs Reid finished second in the 800 meter with a time of 2:24.35 and fourth in the 1500 meter with a finishing time of 4:55.53.

Senior Daniel Draper (Moriarty, N.M./ Moriarty HS) turned in the top performance in the Javelin toss last Thursday at the Tarleton State Invitational. Draper’s toss of 194’-0.34” was good for a first place finish and a provisionally qualifying spot for the NCAA championships.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Carrier, Wolfe and Fioritti Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team played in the Lone Star Conference tournament for the first time in five years, while the baseball team picked up a pair of victories. The softball team played in a highly competitive tournament in Canyon, Texas. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Max Carrier (men’s basketball), Tessa Fioritti (softball) and Mitch Wolfe (baseball).

Max Carrier (Jr., F, Canyon Lake, Calif. / Rancho Verde High School / Irvine Valley Community College) registered his seventh double double of the season in ENMU’s Lone Star Conference tournament game against #7 Central Oklahoma, with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He also had a blocked shot and a steal.

Mitch Wolfe (Jr., 1B, Litchfield Park, Ariz./ Agua Fria High School) batted .625 over four games with an .813 slugging percentage, five runs scored and six runs batted in. He had multiple hits in three of the four games, including a four-for-five performance with four runs scored, two doubles and three runs batted in, during the Hound's 20-3 win over Wayland Baptist. Wolfe hit two-for-four with one RBI in Eastern's 4-2 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State.

Tessa Fioritti (Fr., OF, Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin High School) reached base safely in all four games last week and had two multiple-hit games. In Eastern's tightly contested game against Washburn on Saturday, she batted two-for-four, scored twice, drove in a run and stole a base. In the second game against sixth-ranked West Texas A&M, she hit two-for-three, with both of the Zias' runs batted in.


Sunday, February 27, 2011

Brown, Clay, Roufosse and Huwer Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team reached the Lone Star Conference tournament for the first time in five years, while the women’s basketball team closed the season strong. The softball team picked up a key win over Texas-Permian Basin, while the baseball team played the 16th-ranked team in the country. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Gerald Brown (men’s basketball), Cat Clay (women’s basketball), Erin Roufosse (softball) and Joe Huwer (baseball).

Gerald Brown (Sr., G, Houma, La./Terrebonne High School/Kilgore College) turned in a strong performance in the final week of the regular season, registering three steals, two blocks, seven assists, 5.5 rebounds and eight points per game, against Texas A&M-Kingsville and West Texas A&M. His performance helped the Greyhounds qualify for the Lone Star Conference tournament for the first time since the 2005-06 season. In Eastern's win over the Javelinas, he scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out two assists, had two steals and a blocked shot. Against Texas A&M-Kingsville, Brown scored nine points, grabbed six caroms, had five assists, a steal and a blocked shot.

Cat Clay (Sr., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) connected on 52.6 percent of her three-point attempts against Texas A&M-Kingsville and West Texas A&M. In the Zias win over the Javelinas, she poured in a season-high 23 points and four assists. During the game, Clay connected on seven consecutive three-point attempts to help Eastern pick up the win. On Saturday, she finished with 13 points, as ENMU nearly upset West Texas A&M.

Erin Roufosse (Jr., P, Gibsons, British Columbia/Heritage Woods Secondary School/Seward CCC) appeared in all four of the Zias games last week, pitching 18.2 of the 28.1 innings. On Friday, she pitched 2.2 innings against Texas-Permian Basin and allowed two hits to pick up the win.

Joe Huwer (Jr., C. Boise, Idaho/Timberline HS/Wenatchee Valley) batted .500 in the Greyhounds series against 16th-ranked Cameron. He had multiple hits in the first two games of the series and did not allow a stolen base.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Edwards, Herrin, Howard and Wolfe Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team picked up three exciting wins over a six day span, while the women’s basketball, softball and baseball team played a number of tight contests. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Aaron Edwards (men’s basketball), Precious Herrin (women’s basketball), Taylor Howard (softball) and Mitch Wolfe (baseball).

Aaron Edwards (Jr., F, Long Beach, Calif./ Gardena HS/ San Bernardino Valley College) averaged 17 points and 7.7 rebounds over three games in six days, leading the Greyhounds to their first three-game LSC South winning streak since January, 2007. He reached the 20-point mark in road games against Angelo State and Incarnate Word, pouring in 24 points and grabbing nine boards against the Cardinals. Edwards shot at least .500 from the floor in all three-games and converted on 70 percent from the free throw line.

Precious Herrin (Jr., F, Shreveport, La./ Southwood HS/Jacksonville College) averaged 19 points, six rebounds and shot .477 from the floor as the Zias played three games in six days. She had seven points, five rebounds and two blocked shots at Angelo State, before pouring in a career-high 31 points and grabbing 10 caroms against Abilene Christian. Herrin concluded the week with a 19-point performance at Incarnate Word.

Taylor Howard (Sr., 1B, Midland, Texas/Midland Lee HS/Midland College) finished with nearly half of the Zias hits at the Midwestern State Invitational, batting six-for-12, with two homers and six runs batted in. She registered a career-game against Drury, batting four-for-four with five runs batted in, three runs scored and two home runs. Against Missouri Southern, Howard had two hits, a RBI and a run scored.

Mitch Wolfe (Jr., 1B/DH, Litchfield Park, Ariz./Agua Fria HS) batted .556 against West Texas A&M, hitting safely in all three games, including a three-for-four performance in the finale, with two runs scored and a run batted in. He also drew a walk and hit a sacrifice fly. Wolfe ended the week on a four-game hit streak, dating back to last week.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Carrier, Clark and Shergill Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference South Division play last week, with the Hounds and Zias playing tight games against Midwestern State, while the baseball team picked up a win in its first weekend of action. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Max Carrier (men’s basketball), Lace Clark (women’s basketball) and Jaspret Shergill (baseball).

Max Carrier (Jr., F, Canyon Lake, Calif./ Rancho Verde High School / Irvine Valley CC) turned in a strong defensive performance against Midwestern State and Tarleton State, last week. He registered four steals against the Mustangs, including two during a late stretch, which saw Eastern pull to within a single possession. At Tarleton State, Carrier added two steals and four defensive rebounds.

Lace Clark (Jr., G, Keene, Texas/ Keene HS) turned a strong performance for the Zias last week, averaging 11.5 points and connecting on 53.8 percent of her three-point attempts. She scored 12 points against Midwestern State, hitting four-of-eight from behind the three-point line and followed with an 11-point performance against Tarleton State.

Jaspret Shergill (Jr., RHP, Woodbridge, Ontario / Emily Carr Secondary / Soak Valley CC) one-hit Colorado School of Mines for two shutout innings, to earn the Hounds first win of the season. He also made an appearance against Wayland Baptist retiring two of the three batters he faced and induced and inning-ending double play.

Monday, February 07, 2011

Reid, Herrin and Howard Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference South Division play last week, with the Hounds picking up a big win over 16th-ranked Incarnate Word, while the softball team opened its season. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Victor Reid (men’s basketball), Precious Herrin (women’s basketball) and Taylor Howard (softball).

Victor Reid (Sr., F, El Paso, Texas / Cochise CC) shot 63.6 percent from the floor and scored 16 points, leading the Greyhounds to an 84-62 victory over 16th-ranked University of the Incarnate Word.

Precious Herrin (Jr., F, Shreveport, La./Southwood HS/Jacksonville College) reached 20 points for the fourth time this season, pouring in 21 points and blocking two shots against Incarnate Word.

Taylor Howard (Sr., 1B, Midland, Texas/Midland Lee HS/Midland College) paced the Zia softball team offensively, hitting .462 at the St. Mary’s tournament with five runs batted in. Against Texas A&M-Kingsville, she batted three-for-three, scored three runs, drove in three runs and homered twice.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Mirabal and Herrin Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference South Division play last week, with both teams splitting a pair of Lone Star Conference South Division games. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Stefan Mirabal (men’s basketball) and Precious Herrin (women’s basketball).

Stefan Mirabal (Jr., G, Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) connected on 57.1 percent of his three-point attempts for the week and averaged 24.5 points. In Saturday's win over Abilene Christian, he connected on eight of his 12 three-point attempts, for a career-best 28 points, three assists and two steals. His effort helped Eastern tie a team record with 17 three-point baskets in the game. Against Angelo State, Mirabal poured in 21 points and three assists.

Precious Herrin (Jr., F, Shreveport, La../Southwood HS/Jacksonville College) registered her third double double of the season in a win over Angelo State, pouring in 19 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking four shots. She followed with a 16-point performance with two blocked shots at Abilene Christian.

Monday, January 10, 2011

O’Neal and Jefferson Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference South Division play last week, with both teams turning in strong performances. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Vanessa O’Neal (women’s basketball) and Tyler Jefferson (men’s basketball).

Vanessa O'Neal (Sr., G, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) averaged 11 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last week, and hit 44.4 percent of her shots from the floor. Against 25th-ranked Tarleton State, she registered her first double double of the season, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. At Midwestern State, O'Neal scored 10 points, grabbed nine boards, dished out three assists and blocked a shot.

Tyler Jefferson (Sr., F, Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley HS/Tyler JC) averaged 14 points and 5.5 rebounds, while hitting 55.6 percent of his shots from the floor at Midwestern State and Against Tarleton State, last week. He just missed a double double against TSU, pouring in 18 points, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out an assist, blocking a shot and connecting on 57.1 percent of his shots. At Midwestern State, he notched a 10-point performance, while hitting 75 percent of his free throws.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Mirabal and Tate Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams opened Lone Star Conference South Division play last week, with the both teams defeating Texas A&M-Kingsville, while the men’s team picked up a win at West Texas A&M. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Stefan Mirabal (men’s basketball) and Kiara Tate (women’s basketball).

Stefan Mirabal (Jr., G, Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) connected on 50 percent from three-point range and averaged 15.5 points per game, to lead the Greyhounds to wins in their first two Lone Star Conference South Division games. He connected on a career-best six of his eight three-point attempts for 20 points, to lead the Hounds to their first road victory over #19 West Texas A&M since the 2003-04 season. Mirabal also registered an 11-point, three-assist, two steal performance to open LSC South play with a win over Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Kiara Tate (Jr., G, Chicago, Ill./ Southridge HS/McLennan CC) registered 12 point six assists, five steals and 4.5 rebounds as the Zias split their first two Lone Star Conference South Division games. Her defensive performance helped hold the opposition to just 65 points per game, as Eastern played Texas A&M-Kingsville and West Texas A&M. Tate finished with multiple steals in both games.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Harden and O’Neal Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued Lone Star Conference Crossover play last week, with the men’s team picking up two wins, while the women’s team finalized preparation for division play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tralyn Harden (men’s basketball) and Vanessa O’Neal (women’s basketball).

Tralyn Harden (Jr., G, Itasca, Texas/ Itasca HS/McClennan CC) averaged 19 points and hit 66.7 percent from three-point range for the Greyhounds in Lone Star Conference Crossover wins at East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma. Against SOSU, he shot 80 percent from three-point range and scored a career-high 26 points. During the decisive second-half run, Harden connected on five treys. Against East Central, he scored 12 points and grabbed three steals.

Vanessa O'Neal (Sr., G, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) paced ENMU offensively last week, pouring in 14.5 points and five rebounds per game, while connecting on 50 percent of her shots from the floor and 84.6 percent from the free throw line. Against East Central, she scored a career-best 18 points, hitting five-of-nine from the floor and eight-of-ten from the charity stripe to go along with three steals. Against Southeastern Oklahoma, O'Neal led the Zias with 11 points.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Carrier and Herrin Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams played continued Lone Star Conference Crossover play last week, with both teams taking on nationally-ranked competition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Max Carrier (men’s basketball) and Precious Herrin (women’s basketball).

Max Carrier (Jr., F, Canyon Lake, Calif./Rancho Verde HS/Irvine Valley CC) nearly had double doubles against both Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma, falling just a single rebound shy on both nights. Against NSU, he scored 14 points, grabbed nine board, blocked a a shot and hit all four free throws. On Monday, against the 13th-ranked Bronchos, Carrier scored 18 points, had nine boards and dished out three assists.

Precios Herrin (Jr., F, Shreveport, La., Southwood HS/Jacksonville College) registered scored 16 points and 15 rebounds against seventh-ranked Northeastern State, recording her second double double of the season and the first given up by the Riverhawks. She followed with a seven-point performance against Central Oklahoma.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Carrier and Ford Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams played continued Lone Star Conference Crossover play last week, with the Zias earning a big road win. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Max Carrier (men’s basketball) and Krista Ford (women’s basketball).

Max Carrier (Jr., F, Canyon Lake, Calif./Rancho Verde HS/Irvine Valley CC) posted his fourth double double of the season, coming against Texas A&M-Commerce. He finished the game with 10 points and 10 boards, including eight on the defensive side. Carrier also contributed three assists, two blocks and a steal.

Krista Ford (So., G, Lubbock, Texas/ Frenship HS) scored a career-high 15 points in last week's win at Texas Woman's University, shooting .571 from the floor and converting on all four of her free throw attempts. Ford followed with an 11-point performance at Texas A&M-Commerce.

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Carrier and Tate Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball played four competitive home games as they opened Lone Star Conference crossover play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Max Carrier (men’s basketball) and Kiara Tate (women’s basketball).

Max Carrier (Jr., F, Canyon Lake, Calif./Rancho Verde HS/Irvine Valley CC) recorded back-to-back double doubles for the Greyhounds against Southwestern Oklahoma and Cameron. He registered 27 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a steal against Southwestern Oklahoma and followed with a 16-point, 10-rebound, five-block performance against Cameron. Carrier's performance marked the first time a Greyhound has posted double doubles in consecutive games since Justin Redman-Trotter against Central Oklahoma and New Mexico Highlands in December 2007.

Kiara Tate (Jr., G, Chicago, Ill./Southridge HS/McLennan CC) registered seven steals and nine defensive rebounds over two Lone Star Conference crossover games against Southwestern Oklahoma and Cameron last week. Against Southwestern Oklahoma, she scored a career-high 18 points, dished out five assists and grabbed four steals. On Saturday, she had a six-point, five-assist, six rebound, three-steal game against Cameron.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Mirabal and Herrin Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in a strong week, posting wins at home. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Stefan Mirabal (football) and Precious Herrin (women’s basketball).

Stefan Mirabal (Jr., G, Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) paced the Greyhound offense with a career-best 18 points in a 75-72 win over NAIA powerhouse, Lubbock Christian. He connected on four of his eight three-point attempts and shot .467 from the floor. Over 32 minutes of play, he dished out two assists and did not commit a turnover.

Precious Herrin (Jr., F, Shreveport, La./Southwood HS/Jacksonville College) sparked the Zias in the second half of Saturday’s win over New Mexico Highlands, scoring 16 of her 26 points and hitting nine of her 12 shots, while blocking four shots. For the game, she shot .480 from the floor and blocked six shots, more than any ENMU player since at least the 2000-01 season.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Noor, Reid, Carrier, and Herrin Selected Goeasternathletics.com
Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the cross country teams turning in their best regional finishes in team history. The men’s basketball team picked up a win on their trip to Colorado, while the women’s basketball team played NCAA Division I Texas-El Paso. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Precious Herrin (women’s basketball), Max Carrier (men’s basketball), Mohammed Noor (men’s cross country) and Nicole Reid (women’s cross country).

Max Carrier (Jr., F, Canyon, Lake, Calif./Irvine Valley CC) turned in a strong performance last week from the Greyhounds during their three-game trip to Colorado, averaging nearly a double double with 18 points and eight rebounds. In Wednesday's win over Western State, he poured in 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds, including seven offensive boards, along with three steals. Carrier finished with 20 points on a .600 shooting percentage against Fort Lewis, with two steals. He finished the week with a 19-point, 13-rebound, three-steal performance against UC-Colorado Springs. Carrier had one blocked shot in each game.

Precious Herrin (Jr., F, Shreveport, La./Southwood HS/Jacksonville College) scored 14 points and blocked a pair of shots against NCAA Division I University of Texas El Paso. She hit all six of her free throw attempts and dished out an assist, while committing just one turnover in 28 minutes of play.

Mohammed Noor (Jr., Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston HS/Garden City CC) became the second Greyhound to achieve All-South Central Region status and the first since the 2006 season. He completed the 10k run at the regional championships with a time of 32:16.13, to place 13th.

Nicole Reid (Jr., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) turned in a 33rd-place performance at NCAA Division II South Central Regionals, improving on her 36th-place finish from a year ago. She completed the 6k run with a time of 23:53.44.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Valenzuela, Bigelow, Herrin, and Edwards Selected
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the football team closing their season with a big win at Tarleton State, while the men’s basketball team came from behind for a season-opening win. The women’s basketball team opened their season with the NCAA Division II runner up. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tony Valenzuela (football), Tavius Bigelow (football), Precious Herrin (women’s basketball) and Aaron Edwards (men’s basketball).

Tony Valenzuela (Sr., CB, Burlington, N.C./Williams HS/Louisburg JC) rushed for 92 yards in the Greyhounds win at Tarleton State, helping Eastern post its first road win of the season and their first win in Texas since September 2005. He scored a career-high three touchdowns in the game and caught two passes for nine yards.

Tavius Bigelow (Sr., CB, Burlington, N.C./Williams HS/Louisburg JC) returned two interceptions for 29 yards and took a lateralled interception 20 yards for a touchdown in Eastern's first win over Tarleton State since 2000. The score pushed the Hounds' lead to 21-3 in the second quarter. he also made seven tackles in the game.

Precious Herrin (Jr., F, Shreveport, La./Southwood HS/Jacksonville College) made her Zia debut with a double double against NCAA Division II runner up, Fort Lewis College. She connected on 50 percent of her shots to score 20 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds.

Aaron Edwards (Jr., F, Long Beach, Calif./Gardena HS/San Bernardino Valley College) turned in a dominant performance against Northern New Mexico last week, making his Greyhound debut with a double double (16 points, 18 rebounds). He had eight defensive rebounds, a blocked shot and three steals. In the first half alone, Edwards had nine points, 10 rebounds and two steals. He helped preserve the tight win for the Hounds, registering five rebounds in over the final 8:37 of play.

Sunday, November 8, 2010

Noor, Reid, Poku, Valdez-Kent, and Plair
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the cross-country team registering their best finishes in team history at the Lone Star Conference championships. The volleyball team closed with a win over N.M. Highlands and came within inches of upsetting #20 Abilene Christian. The football and men’s soccer teams turned in strong performances against LSC competition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Mohammed Noor (men’s cross-country), Nicole Reid (women’s cross-country), Jessie Poku (football), Veronica Valdez-Kent (volleyball) and Dreaux Plair (men’s soccer).

Mohammed Noor (Jr., Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston HS/Garden City CC) turned in a second-place finish in the 8k run at the Lone Star Conference Championships, leading the Greyhounds to their best finish (second place) in team history. His time of 24:28.86 is the first sub 25-minute 8k time in team history and earned him the first spot on the All-LSC team since Nimrod Lelei following the 2006 championships.

Nicole Reid (Jr., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) registered a fourth-place finish at the LSC Championships, completing the abbreviate 4.5k race with a time of 16:32.72. Her performance paced the Zias to the best finish (fourth place) in team history.

Jessie Poku (Sr., WR, Murphy, Texas/Richardson HS) hauled in 12 passes for 180 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, to start the Greyhounds' rally from a 10-point deficit to force overtime. Three of his receptions converted either third or fourth downs, including a third-and-19 on the field-goal drive, which forced overtime. Poku also returned a pair of punts for 20 yards.

Veronica Valdez-Kent (Sr., S, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) averaged 10.33 assists and 3.33 digs per set last week, while committing just one ball handling error in matches against New Mexico Highlands, Angelo State and Abilene Christian. In Eastern's win over Highlands, she dished out 49 assists along with 15 digs and two blocks. On Saturday, when the Zias took 20th-ranked Abilene Christian to a fifth set, Valdez-Kent had 47 assists and 20 digs.

Dreaux Plair (Sr., D, Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS) scored the Hounds first goal against second-ranked Midwestern State since October 2006. The goal was his first of the season and snapped the Greyhounds scoreless streak of 714:53 against the Mustangs.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Stevens, Kalisch, Durand, King, Thurman and Herbert Selected
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the football team winning their final home game and the women’s soccer team recording the quickest goal in team history. Volleyball made strong showings against regionally-ranked competition and the men’s soccer team faced the 17th-ranked team in the nation. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tillman Stevens (football), Matt Kalisch, (football), Jessica King (volleyball), Danielle Thurman (women’s soccer) and Kal Herbert (men’s soccer).

Tillman Stevens (Sr., DB, Baytown, Texas/Sterling HS) led the Greyhound defense against Southeastern Oklahoma State, with 18 tackles, a sack and a blocked extra point. In the game, he tied for the seventh-most single-game tackles in the nation this season. Eight of Stevens' 18 tackles were solo stops, while his block allowed the Greyhounds regain the momentum after the Savage Storm scored to pull within 14-6. The contest marked the second time in his career in which he made at least nine tackles and blocked a kick.

Matt Kalisch (Sr., DE, Harker Heights, Texas/Harker Heights HS/NMMI) recorded a career-high 2.5 sacks against Southeastern Oklahoma State, leading an ENMU pass rush that registered a season-high seven sacks in the game. He also finished with two quarterback hurries.

Jessica King (Jr., MB, Las Cruces, N.M./Oñate HS) averaged three kills per set against regionally ranked opponents, West Texas A&M and Tarleton State last week. She had 11 kills, a .314 attack percentage and two blocks against West Texas A&M. At TSU, she registered 10 kills, two service aces and three blocks.

Danielle Thurman (Jr., M, Albuquerque, N.M./Del Norte HS) set an ENMU record, scoring the quickest goal in team history, 18 seconds into Friday's match at Southwestern Oklahoma State. The goal proved to be the game winner as Eastern won, 2-0. The goal marked the second consecutive contest in which Thurman scored a goal.

Kal Herbert (So., M, Willaston, England/Neston HS) had two of the Greyhounds three shots on goal against 17th-ranked Incarnate Word.


Monday, October 25, 2010

Noor, Reid, Durand, Valenzuela, Wilkinson and Tydings Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the cross country teams turning in some of their best performances of the season, while the volleyball team picked up a big Lone Star Conference win. Women’s soccer picked up their first LSC win of the season, while the men’s team continued their conference schedule. The football team competed against the third-ranked team in the nation. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Mohammed Noor (men’s cross country), Nicole Reid (women’s cross country) Amber Durand (volleyball), Tony Valenzuela (football), Andy Wilkinson (men’s soccer) and Justine Tydings (women’s soccer).

Mohammed Noor (Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston HS) registered a first place performance at the East Central University Tiger Chase, leading the Greyhounds to a first place finish against a field that included the 25th-ranked ECU Tigers. He completed the 8k run with a time of 25:49.9, good for seventh on the ENMU all-time list, despite running against intense winds.

Nicole Reid (Jr., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) recorded a first place performance at the East Central University Tiger Chase, leading the Zias to a third place finish. She completed the 5k run with a time of 19:44.2, good for fifth on the ENMU all-time list, despite running against intense winds.

Amber Durand (So. OH, Onalaska, Wash./Onalaska HS/Columbia Basin College) turned in a strong week for the Zias, registering a .968 reception percentage in 31 opportunities along with 5.14 digs per set. In Eastern's win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, she recorded a perfect reception percentage in 16 chances, 21 digs, three blocks and 12 kills. For the week, she also averaged 2.57 kills per set.

Tony Valenzuela (Sr., RB, Seagraves, Texas/Seagraves HS) turned in the first 100-yard rushing performance of his career, running for 105 yards against third-ranked Abilene Christian. ACU entered the contest ranked 17th in the nation and currently rank second in the Lone Star Conference in rushing defense. He averaged 5.2 yards on 20 carries and caught a 26-yard pass to finish with 131 all-purpose yards.

Andy Wilkinson (Fr., M, Lewes, East Sussex, England/Sussex Downs 6th form college) scored the third hat trick in Greyhound history, coming against Northeastern State. With Eastern facing a 2-0 deficit, he scored the first two goals of the second half. Wilkinson scored his third of the game with ENMU trailing by a goal. For the season, he has scored six goals, including two game-winners.

Justine Tydings (Sr., D, Albuquerque, N.M./Valley HS) anchored a defense that allowed just 14 shots, including six shots on goal over two overtime contests last week. She tallied the first game-winning goal of her career, less than two minutes into the extra period against East Central.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Durand, Sellers, Brooks and Serrano Selected
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, the volleyball snapping a 30-game skid against the LSC in road games. The football and soccer teams had strong performances, several coming against regionally-ranked teams. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Ambur Durand (volleyball), Perron Sellers (football), Jehmaine Brooks (men’s soccer) and Brook Serrano (women’s soccer).

Amber Durand (So. OH, Onalaska, Wash./Onalaska HS/Columbia Basin College) turned in a strong week for the Zias, helping the team split a pair of matches on a Lone Star Conference road trip. For the week, she posted a perfect reception percentage, seven service aces, 23 digs and 29 kills. In Eastern's win at East Central, she registered 19 kills, four aces, 11 digs and a block. She followed with 10 kills, three aces and 12 digs. For the season, Durand has eight double doubles.

Perron Sellers (Jr., LB, La Marque, Texas/La Marque HS) made 11 tackles and the first interception of his Greyhound career, at East Central. His first tackle resulted in a third-down stop in the first quarter and his interception came at the ENMU 10-yard line in the fourth quarter, with the Hounds holding a 19-14 lead.

Jehmaine Brooks (Fr., D, Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Notre Dame Catholic Secondary) scored his second goal of the season early in the second half, against regionally-ranked Texas A&M-International. The goal proved to be critical as the Greyhounds went on to a double-overtime tie against the Dustdevils.

Brook Serrano (So., F, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) scored her sixth goal of the season, coming in Lone Star Conference action at Incarnate Word. The goal tied her for eighth on the Zia single-season list.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Poku, Stevens, Quintana, Russell, Cardenas and Beck Selected
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with football and volleyball teams picking up big conference wins. The soccer teams went on difficult road trips, with the Greyhounds picking up a win at Permian Basin. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jessie Poku/Tillman Stevens (football), Pablo Quintana (men’s soccer), Sierra Cardenas (women’s soccer) and Kristen Beck (volleyball).

Jessie Poku (Sr., WR, Murphy, Texas/Richardson HS) registered the third three-touchdown performance of his career, hauling in nine receptions for 94 yards. He caught scoring passes of 35, 5 and 10 yards, with two of the three giving the Greyhounds the lead. During the game, Poku set a new ENMU record for career touchdown catches, at 24. He has scored at least one touchdown in four of Eastern's six games this season.

Tillman Stevens (Sr., DB, Baytown, Texas/Sterling HS) turned in a stellar defensive performance in Eastern's win over Central Oklahoma, with a career-high three interceptions along with 10 tackles and two passes broken up. In the fourth quarter, he sealed the game by returning an interception 62 yards for a score. For the game, Stevens registered 81 yards on interception returns. The contest marked his second consecutive multiple-interception game and fourth straight with double-digit tackles.

Pablo Quintana (Fr., M, Lewes, East Sussex, England/Sussex Downs 6th form college) tallied his fifth goal of the season, 22:31 into Sunday’s contest at University of Texas of the Permian Basin as the Greyhounds went on to post a 2-1 win.

Sierra Cardenas (Jr., GK, Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge HS) made eight saves last week in games against Abilene Christian and Midwestern State. MSU entered the week ranked 21st, while ACU was receiving votes in the national poll.

Kristen Beck (Jr., MB, Odessa, Texas/Odessa HS/Midland) paced the volleyball team with 25 kills and a .231 attack percentage last week, helping the Zias to pick up a Lone Star Conference win over Cameron and improve to 3-2 at home this season. Against Midwestern State, she had 12 kills, and followed with a 13-kill, .423-hitting percentage, three service-ace performance in the sweep over Cameron.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Stevens, Wilkinson, Cardenas, Russell, Montoya and Noor Selected
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with men’s soccer team earning their first-even national ranking and the cross country teams placing first and second at West Texas A&M. The volleyball team picked up a landmark win, while the football and women’s soccer teams continued conference play. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tillman Stevens (football), Andy Wilkinson (men’s soccer), Sierra Cardenas (women’s soccer), Dallas Russell (volleyball), Adrienne Montoya (women’s cross country) and Mohammed Noor (men’s cross country).

Tillman Stevens (Sr., DB, Baytown, Texas/Sterling HS) turned in a stellar game for the Greyhounds at Southwestern Oklahoma State. He intercepted two passes and returned a blocked kick, in addition to making a team-high 11 tackles. Eight of Stevens' tackles were solo stops. Eastern's touchdown in the third quarter came after his second interception.

Andy Wilkinson (Fr., M, Lewes, East Sussex, England/Sussex Downs 6th form college) scored the final goal of the Greyhounds double-overtime tie with eighth-ranked Incarnate Word with 5:18 left in regulation and helped limit the Cardinals to just one shot over the two overtime periods. He also had an assist in Sunday's game against St. Edwards.

Sierra Cardenas (Jr., GK, Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge HS) allowed 1.5 goals per game in Lone Star Conference matches against Texas Woman's and Texas A&M-Commerce. The two opposing teams took a total of 23 shots over those matches.

Dallas Russell (So., L, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) registered 4.6 digs per set last week and a .951 reception percentage. She topped the 20-dig mark in both of Eastern’s matches against University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Adrienne Montoya (Fr., Estancia, N.M../Estancia HS) registered the fifth best 5k time in ENMU history, placing third at the West Texas A&M Buff/Lady Buff Stampede, with a time of 19:53. She was the first NCAA Division II competitor to cross the finish line.

Mohammed Noor (Jr., Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston HS) turned in a second-place finish at the West Texas A&M Buff/Lady Buff Stampede, finishing the 8k run with a time of 26:53. He was the first Division II runner to cross the finish line. Noor recorded the seventh-best 8k time in ENMU history.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Kalisch, Herbert, Serrano, Durand, Reid and Noor Selected
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with football team successfully debuting in the LSC North and the men’s soccer team winning their fifth straight game. The cross country team turned in strong performances at Oklahoma State, while the women’s soccer team defeated a nearby rival. Volleyball had some strong showings in Lone Star Conference competitions. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Matt Kalisch (football), Kal Herbert (men’s soccer), Brook Serrano (women’s soccer), Amber Durand (volleyball), Nicole Reid (women’s cross country) and Mohammed Noor (men’s cross country).

Matt Kalisch (Sr., Harker Heights, Texas/Harker Heights HS/NMMI) led a strong defensive effort by the Greyhounds in their LSC North opening win against Texas A&M-Commerce, making six tackles with two for a loss, half a sack and seven quarterback pressures. Three of his quarterback hurries came in the opening quarter, while the game was still close. Kalisch was a disruptive presence throughout the game, helping Eastern's defense forced three-and-outs on nine TAMU-Commerce possessions, including five of their first six in the game.

Kal Herbert (Willaston, England/Neston HS) scored two goals in the final 1:15 of the first half at Northeastern State, on Friday, lifting the Hounds to their first-ever win in Tahlequah, Okla. On Sunday, he netted the game-winning goal, 10:17 into the second half at Newman. For the week, he scored three goals, including two game-winners and had two assists.

Brook Serrano (So., F, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) tallied two goals, including the game-winner in the Zias 5-3 win over University of Texas of the Permian Basin last week. She had three shots in the contest, all on goal.

Amber Durand (So., OH, Onalaska, Wash./Onalaska HS/Columbia Basin CC) registered a perfect reception percentage in 24 opportunities along with 17 digs last week, in matches at Central Oklahoma and Southwestern Oklahoma State. She also had two blocks, along with 3.17 kills per set.

Nicole Reid (Jr., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) set a new ENMU 5k record, finishing in 19:16.92 at the Oklahoma State University Jamboree, last week. Her performance earned a seventh-place finish out of 190 participants from 30 schools.

Mohammed Noor (Jr., Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston HS) turned in a third-place finish at the Oklahoma State University Jamboree, finishing the 8k run with a time of 25:58.31. He was the first Division II runner to cross the finish line.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Herbert, King, Tucker, Montoya and Noor Selected
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the men’s soccer team posting a win over West Texas A&M, while the volleyball team earned their first Lone Star Conference win. The cross country team turned in a strong outing at Texas Tech, while women’s soccer split a pair of games. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kal Herbert (men’s soccer), Sydney Tucker (women’s soccer), Jessica King (volleyball), Adrienne Montoya (women’s cross country and Mohammed Noor (men’s cross country).

Kal Herbert (Willaston, England/Neston HS) anchored a defense that limited West Texas A&M to six shots, including just two on goal. His performance allowed the Hounds to post a 2-1 win over the Buffaloes and improve to 5-1 on the season.

Sydney Tucker (Fr., F, Redmond, Ore./Redmond HS) registered a five-point game against Wayland Baptist, scoring back-to-back goals in the second half along with an assist.

Jessica King (Jr., MB, Las Cruces, N.M./Oñate HS) registered 3.67 kills per set along with four blocks. Her 13-kill performance on Saturday enabled the Zias to snap a 46-match losing streak in Lone Star Conference play.

Adrienne Montoya (Fr., Estancia, N.M./Estancia HS) shattered the ENMU 5k record, finishing in 19:21.59 at the Texas Tech Open, last week. Her performance earned a 10th-place finish. She was the top Division II finisher at the meet.

Mohammed Noor (Jr., Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston HS) turned in a sixth-place finish at the Texas-Tech Open, finishing the 8k run with a time of 25:12.74. He was the third Division II runner to cross the finish line.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Rodrigues, King, Cardenas, and Stevens Selected
Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the volleyball team charging to a five-game win streak, while men’s soccer defeated Texas-Permian Basin. The football team faced on of the top teams in the country and the women’s soccer team had two overtime games, including one against #14 Fort Lewis. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Emerson Rodrigues (mens soccer), Jessica King (volleyball), Sierra Cardenas (womens soccer) and Tillman Stevens (football).

Emerson Rodrigues (Sr., F, Natal, RN, Brazil/Colegio Objectivo Portugar) tallied the second hat trick in Greyhound soccer history and the first one since October 7, 2007. His performance lifted the Hounds to a 4-0 win over University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Jessica King (Jr., MB, Las Cruces, N.M./Oñate HS) posted a .340 attack percentage with 44 kills last week, helping the Zias to register a 4-1 record. She also had seven blocks, 14 digs and four service aces. King's performance helped Eastern register its first five-match win streak since the 2004 season.

Sierra Cardenas (Jr., Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge HS) was called upon to make 19 saves over two games last week, posting a .792 save percentage and taking both contests to overtime. Against #14 Fort Lewis, she made 10 saves, including several off deflections to force double overtime.

Tillman Stevens (Sr., DB, Baytow, Texas/Sterling HS) made a team-high 15 tackles against #13 Midwestern State last week, including three solo stops.


Monday, September 06, 2010

Beck, Mosby, Noor, Montoya, Serrano and Wilkinson Selected Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the cross country teams turning in second and fourth place performances at Midwestern State, while the volleyball team picked up a win over Western State. Men’s Soccer won twice, while the women’s team played a tough St. Edwards team on the road. The football team played a down-to the wire game against Lone Star Conference rival, Angelo State. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kristen Beck (volleyball), Linvel Mosby (football), Mohamed Noor (men’s cross-country), Adrienne Montoya (women’s cross-country) Brook Serrano (women’s soccer) and Andy Wilkinson (men’s soccer).

Kristen Beck (Jr., MB, Odessa, Texas/Odessa HS/Midland) turned in a strong weekend for the Zias at the West Texas A&M Tournament, posting a team-high .231 attack percentage with 26 kills, five aces, 12 digs and nine blocks. In Eastern's win over Western State, she finished with 12 kills, a .435 attack percentage and two blocks. Beck also recorded seven kills against Dallas Baptist.

Linvel Mosby (Fr.-R, S, Odessa, Texas/Odessa Permian HS) recorded a team-high 14 tackles for an ENMU defense that held Angelo State to no fourth-down conversions on four attempts. He also recovered a fumble in the opening quarter.

Mohamed Noor's (Jr., Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston HS/Garden City CC) second-place finish in the 6k run at Midwestern State paced the Greyhounds to a second place finish in the team standings. He crossed the finish line with a time of 18:54.22.

Adrienne Montoya (Fr., Estancia, N.M./Public Academy for the Performing Arts) finished eighth in the 4k run at Midwestern State Stampede, with a time of 15:05.23. Her performance paced the Zias to a fourth-place finish.

Brooke Serrano (So., F, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) scored a goal in the Zia soccer team’s season opener at St. Edwards University.

Andy Wilkinson (Fr., M, Lewes, East Sussex, England/Sussex Downs 6th form college) tallied the game-winning goal against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, with 2:23 left in the first overtime period, lifting the Greyhounds to a 2-0 record for the first time in the history of the program.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University football team dominated their season-opening match up with Southern Nazarene, en route to a 59-21 win. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Wesley Wood and Matt Kalisch.

Wesley Wood (So., QB, Muleshoe, Texas/Muleshoe HS) passed for 391 yards and seven touchdowns in leading the Greyhounds to a 59-21 win over visiting Southern Nazarene. He completed over 71 percent of his passing attempts and rushed for 51 yards to post 442 yards of total offense.

Matt Kalisch (Harker Heights, Texas/Harker Heights HS/NMMI) turned in a stellar game for the Hounds against Southern Nazarene, registering two sacks, including one in the first quarter, while the game was still in doubt. He finished with 10 tackles, including seven solo stops and one quarterback hurry.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Daniel Draper Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Junior Daniel Draper (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty HS) from the Eastern New Mexico University men’s track & field team has been selected as the ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week for his performance in the javelin throw last Saturday. Draper became the second javelin thrower to qualify for the NCAA Championships and the first since Zach Gerleve, in 2007. Entering the competition ranked 15th in the country, Draper’s 187’ throw earned him 11th place at the championships, the highest finish for Eastern in any event at the National Championships.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Martinez and Reid Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams turned in a strong performance last week at the University of the Incarnate Word Last Chance Meet, held in San Antonio, Texas. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Pedro Martinez (men’s track & field) and Nicole Reid (women’s track & field). Pedro Martinez (Fr., Keller, Texas/Fossil Ridge HS) took first place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Incarnate Word Last Chance Meet, with a time of 9:51.50. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) placed second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Incarnate Word Last Chance Meet, finishing with a time of 11:31.08.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Squire and Reid Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track & field teams turned in a strong performance last weekend at the Lone Star Conference Championships, held in San Angelo, Texas. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Bill Squire (men’s track & field) and Nicole Reid (women’s track & field). Bill Squire (So., Hagerman, N.M./Hagerman HS) won the Lone Star Conference championship in the shot put, with a toss of 53'-1.75"; and took second place in the hammer throw, with a distance of 166'-02". At the championship meet, he compiled 18 points for the Greyhounds in those two events. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) finished with a team-high 20 points last weekend at the Lone Star Conference championship. She took second place in both the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 5,000-meter run. Reid completed the steeplechase with a team-record time of 11:30.04 and finished the 5,000-meter run in 18:39.99. She also placed sixth in the 1,500-meter run, with a time of 4:57.27.3.

Monday, May 03, 2010

Crouse, Lale, Draper and Reid Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University softball team concluded its season with a win for the fifth straight year, while the track team turned ina strong performance in Abilene, Texas. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kimberly Crouse (softball), Amanda Lale (softball), Daniel Draper (men’s track & field and Nicole Reid (women’s track & field). Kimberly Crouse (Sr., P, Round Rock, Texas/Hill College/Round Rock HS) split a pair of games against Texas Woman's University last week, striking out 21 batters and walking just three over 18 innings. On Saturday, she tossed 173 pitches, fanned a career-best 16 batters and allowed just three earned runs in an 11-inning loss. On Sunday, she concluded her career at ENMU with a victory over the Pioneers, striking out five and walking none. Amanda Lale (Fr., DH/1B, Mesquite, Texas/Horn HS) batted .455 against Texas Woman's last week and drove in a team-best four runs. In Sunday's win, she hit two-for-three and hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning to give Eastern a 4-3 lead. Daniel Draper (Jr., Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty HS) tossed the javelin a distance of 193'-1" to turn in a first-place finish at the Abilene Christian/Oliver Jackson Open. The throw was his second best of the season and marked the second time he surpassed a throw of 190' this year. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) turned in an ENMU record time of 4:55.93 in the women's 1,500-meter run to place fifth at the Abilene Christian-Oliver Jackson Open. She had previously set the ENMU record for the 1,500-meter run of 5:07.05, exactly one month ago, at the McMurry Relays.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Crouse, Wolfe, Draper and Reid Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University softball team picked up wins over NM Highlands and Abilene Christian, while the baseball team picked up a win at West Texas A&M. Numerous records fell for the track and field team as they travelled to Tempe, Ariz., for the Sun Devil Open.. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kimberly Crouse (softball), Mitch Wolfe (baseball), Daniel Draper (men’s track & field and Nicole Reid (women’s track & field). Last week, Kimberly Crouse (Sr., P, Round Rock, Texas/Hill College/Round Rock HS) posted a 2-1 record with a .175 earned run average, with wins over Abilene Christian and New Mexico Highlands. Her 3-2 win at Abilene Christian on Saturday was Eastern's first road victory in the LSC South Division since last February, snapping a 13-game skid in those games. Over Crouse's 20 innings last week, she struck out 17 batters, while walking just two and allowed just three extra base hits, all being doubles. Mitch Wolfe (So., 1B/DH, Litchfield Park, Ariz./Agua Fria HS) hit safely in all four games at West Texas A&M last weekend, including a two-for-three performance with one run scored and three runs batted in during the third game of the series. Daniel Draper (Jr., Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty HS) provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the javelin at the Arizona State Sun Devil Open. He placed second in the event with a throw of 199’-4”. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) set team records in both the 800-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing with times of 2:25.24 and 11:48.86. Her 3000-meter steeplechase time earned her a second place finish in the event at the ASU Sun Devil Open.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Crouse and Wagner Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University softball team won three of their five games last week, including a 5-0 shutout of 17th-ranked West Texas A&M. The baseball team remains in contention for the Lone Star Conference tournament, despite a tough weekend in Tahlequah, Okla. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Kimberly Crouse (softball) and Ethan Wagner (baseball). Kimberly Crouse (Sr., P, Round Rock, Texas/Hill College/Round Rock HS) pitched in all but one of the Zias five games last week, winning two games and earning a save, while limiting the opposition to a .203 batting average. She allowed one run in picking up a win over Oklahoma Panhandle, and scattered two hits over three shutout innings to earn the save in the second game against OPSU. On Sunday, she scattered three hits and struck out six batters to snap17th-ranked West Texas A&M's six-game winning streak, handing them just their fourth shutout loss of the season. On Monday, Crouse limited WTAMU to five hits and struck out five batters. She also batted .438 for the week with two doubles and two runs batted in. Ethan Wagner (Sr., RF, San Antonio, Texas/Cisco JC/Churchill HS) hit safely in three of five games last week, including a three-for-four performance in the second game at Northeastern State. His two runs batted in at NSU marked the 15th consecutive LSC series in which he has driven in at least one run.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Wolfe, Quiñones, Squire and Draper Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team posted their first series win over Central Oklahoma since 1997, while the track and field team continued the rewrite the team record book at two different meets. The Zia softball team played split a pair of games against Texas-Permian Basin. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Mitch Wolfe (baseball), Rebecca Quiñones (softball), Bill Squire (men’s track & field) and Samantha Draper (women’s track & field). Mitch Wolfe (Jr., 1B/DH, Litchfield Park, Ariz./Agua Fria HS) turned in a stellar week for the Hounds, leading them to their first series win over Central Oklahoma since 1997. He hit safely in all four games, including a 3-4 performance in the opener with two home runs and six runs batted in. The contest marked the first two-homer game for ENMU this season. Wolfe doubled in the second game and drove in two runs in the finale. Rebecca Quiñones (Sr., 2B, Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) batted .500 over two games at University of Texas of the Permian Basin last week, posting a 1.000 slugging percentage. In the first game, her first-inning, two-run homer gave the Zias the lead. She also staked ENMU to a lead in the second game, with a first-inning RBI double. Bill Squire (So., Hagerman, N.M./ Hagerman HS) set an ENMU record in the hammer throw at Texas Tech, provisionally qualifying for next month’s NCAA Championships with a toss of 180’-8”. The performance claimed second place for Squire in the event, while he also took fourth in the shot put and seventh in the discus. At the Texas Tech Invitational, Samantha Draper (Jr., Escalon, Calif./Modesto JC/Escalon HS) set an ENMU record, placing 15th in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:28.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Cotten, Lale, Smith and Reid Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team split their series at East Central, while the track and field team continued the rewrite the team record book. The Zia softball team played in a pair of one-run games at Tarleton State. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Justin Cotten (baseball), Amanda Lale (softball), Brian Smith (men’s track & field) and Nicole Reid (women’s track & field). Justin Cotten (Jr., RHP, Dallas, Texas/Eastfield College/Trinity Christian HS) pitched a complete-game shutout at East Central on Saturday, striking out a career-high eight batters, while scattering eight hits. The performance marked the third complete game of his career and was his first shutout. Amanda Lale (Fr., P/DP, Mesquite, Texas/Horn HS) batted a team-high .636 against Tarleton State, registering the first three multiple-hit games of her career. In the second game of the series, she batted three-for-four with a double and two runs batted in. Brian Smith (Jr., Midland, Texas/Midland Lee HS) set an ENMU record at the McMurry Relays, finishing third overall in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 10.59. The time would have met the standards for provisional NCAA Championship qualifications, had there not been excessively windy conditions. Smith also completed the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.45. At the McMurry Relays, Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) set ENMU records in both the 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase. She placed third in both events, with a finishing time of 5:07.05 in the 1,500m and 12:10.51 in the steeplechase.

Sunday, March 29, 2010

Johnson and Mayo Otis Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team split a key Lone Star Conference series with Southwestern Oklahoma State, while the softball team earned hard fought wins against Adams State and Southwestern Oklahoma State. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jereme Johnson (baseball) and Alex Mayo Otis (softball). Jereme Johnson (Sr., LF, Roswell, N.M./NMJC/Goddard HS) turned in a strong week, hitting safely in all four games against Southwestern Oklahoma State, with an extra base hit in three of the four contests. In the third game, he batted three-for-three with a double, a run batted in and a run scored. His single in the first inning staked the Hounds to a 1-0 lead. For the week, he posted a .909 slugging percentage. Alex Mayo Otis (Sr., RF/DH, Phoenix, Ariz./St. Mary’s HS) turned in a strong week for the Zias, hitting safely in seven of the team's eight games, with multiple hits in five contests. On Saturday, she turned in a career-game against Northeastern State, batting four-for-five with two home runs, including a grand slam, two doubles and eight total runs batted in. Her second home run of that game was Mayo Otis' 246 career hit, breaking the previous career record at ENMU, set in 2002 by Rachel Mohler.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Aguirre and Wagner Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team picked up its 18th last at bat win of the last two seasons on Friday, picking up a win over 11th-ranked Abilene Christian. The Zia softball team also worked some late-game magic, walking off with their first-ever win over St. Edwards. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Ethan Wagner (baseball) and Josette Aguirre (softball). Ethan Wagner (Sr., RF/DH/San Antonio, Texas/Cisco JC/Churchull HS) registered team-highs in hitting (.462), slugging (.692) and runs batted in (4), during the Greyhounds series at Abilene Christian. During Sunday's three games, which lasted nearly nine hours, he posted a .462 batting average, with a hit in all three games. In the series finale, he hit three-for-four. Josette Aguirre (Jr., CF, Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty HS) hit safely in all four games last week, including a two-for-three performance with a double and a run batted in against St. Edwards. In the second game, her leadoff double helped set up the game-winning home run. In the first game against SEU, she made two plays in the fifth inning, including firing a strike to third for a double play, keeping the contest tied.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Wagner, Mayo Otis, Squire, and Reid Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team continued their strong start, picking up three wins and rallying from an eight-run deficit at Angelo State. The track and field team set numerous team records at Tarleton State, while the softball team made a strong showing in their conference-opening series. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Ethan Wagner (baseball), Alex Mayo Otis (softball), Bill Squire (men’s track & field) and Nicole Reid (women’s track & field). Ethan Wagner (Sr., RF/DH/San Antonio, Texas/Cisco JC/Churchull HS) batted .619 for the week with a home run, three doubles and six runs batted in as the Hounds defeated University of the Southwest and split a four-game series against Angelo State. Against the Rams, he hit .706, striking out just twice in 17 at bats and hit a perfect five-for-five with runners in scoring position. In the third game of the series, he batted three-for-three with a home run, a double and three runs batted in over the final three innings as ENMU rallied from an eight-run deficit for a 14-10 win. Alex Mayo Otis (Sr., RF, Phoenix, Ariz./St. Mary’s HS) extended her hitting streak to nine straight games, hitting .636 against Texas A&M-Kingsville. She hit a career-best four-for-four in the second game of the series, scoring both of the Zias runs in the contest. Bill Squire (So., T, Hagerman, N.M./Hagerman HS) overcame windy conditions at the Tarleton State Relays to win the hammer throw with an ENMU-record toss of 174'-4.51". His throw was nearly 20 feet farther than the runner up in the event. Squire also tied for third in the discus throw. At the Tarleton Relays, Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) placed 12th in the 1,500-meter run, in an ENMU record time of 5:07.78. She also placed seventh in the 800-meter run.

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Eaton and Cruickshank Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team picked up a split with 22nd-ranked New Mexico Highlands, while the softball tem registered their first-ever win over Washburn. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Chris Eaton (baseball) and Kristen Cruickshank (softball). Chris Eaton (Jr., 2B, Albuquerque, N.M./Cibola HS) hit safely in five of six games last week and in all five starts. In the Greyhounds' season-opening win against Texas A&M-Kingsville, he batted three-for-four, scored three runs, drove in four runs and cracked his first home run of the season. For the week, he batted .400 with a .600 slugging percentage. Kristen Cruickshank (Sr., P/1B, Glendale, Ariz./Deer Valley HS) hit safely in all four games, last week, extending her hitting streak to seven consecutive games. On Saturday, she picked up the Zias first-ever win over Washburn, striking out four batters and driving in two runs with a triple. Sunday,

February 28, 2010

Marshall, O’Neal and Cruce Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team continued their strong start, picking up their first series win over Tarleton State since 2005, while the basketball teams turned in a strong finish to their seasons. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jimmie Marshall (men’s basketball), Vanessa O’Neal (women’s basketball) and Sean Cruce (baseball). Jimmie Marshall (Sr., G, Milwaukee, Wis./Iowa Lakes CC) helped the Greyhounds to win their final two games of the season and record season sweeps against Abilene Christian and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Four times, ACU tie the game in the second half and on three of those occasions, Marshall either scored or had an assist on the Hound’s go-ahead basket. He finished that game with 16 points, 10 assists and two steals. On Saturday, he dished out five assists and scored six points to close out his career. Vanessa O’Neal (Jr., G, Clovis, N.M./ Clovis HS) recorded six steals over the Zias final two games and fell just one point shy of her career high, pouring in 16 points in Eastern’s 75-61 season-ending win over Lone Star Conference tournament participant, Texas A&M-Kingsville. For the week, she shot .833 from the free throw line, including 8-10 against the Javelinas. Sean Cruce (Sr., 3B, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) turned in a stellar performance for the Greyhounds as they picked up a Lone Star Conference series over Tarleton State. He hit .545 for the series with five runs batted in, five walks and no strike outs. Over the first two games, he reached base in eight of his nine plate appearances, had a sacrifice bunt and a walk-off single in the series opener. In the series finale, he tied the game with an infield single in the eighth. Cruce also played error free a tthird base in 14 defensive opportunities.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Clay, Darby, Smith and Cruickshank and Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team continued their strong start, splitting a four-game series at 19th-ranked Cameron, while the softball team make a strong showing with a pair of hard fought wins in Oklahoma. The basketball teams turned in strong performances at Angelo State. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Cat Clay (women’s basketball), Equs Darby (men’s basketball), Anthony Smith (baseball) and Kristen Cruickshank (softball). Cat Clay (Jr., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) poured in 18 points at Angelo State to move into 16th place on the ENMU career-scoring list with a total of 884. She shot .429 from three-point range in the game and hit seven-for-eight from the free-throw line. Equs Darby (Sr., F, Lake City S.C./Feather River CC) hit seven of his nine shots to score 16 points against Angelo State. He registered a .778 shooting percentage for the game and blocked a career-high three shots. Anthony Smith (Jr., RHP, 29 Palms, Calif./Cal-State Stanislaus) held 19th-ranked Cameron scoreless over 4.1 innings, limiting the Aggies to two singles and a .143 batting average. He picked up two saves during the series, helping the Greyhounds earn a crucial split in a Lone Star Conference road series. Kristen Cruickshank (Sr., P/1B/Glendale, Ariz./Deer Valley HS) hit safely in four of Eastern's five games, including two multiple-hit games. In Saturday's win over Northeastern State, she hit three-for-seven with two runs scored and six runs batted in. In the 12th inning of that game, she snapped a 9-all tie with a three-run homer. She also appeared in four games as a pitcher, striking out nine batters over 12 innings.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

O’Neal, Darby, Wagner and Anderson and Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team made their home debut in grad fashion, posting their first series win over Southeastern Oklahoma State since 2005, while the women’s basketball team completed a season-sweep over Midwestern State for the first time since the 2004-05 season. The men’s basketball team had tough contests against the two top teams in the LSC South, while the softball team played one of the top teams in the NAIA. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Vanessa O’Neal (women’s basketball), Equs Darby (men’s basketball), Ethan Wagner (baseball) and Michelle Anderson (softball). Vanessa O'Neal's (Jr., G, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) defensive performance led the Zias to a season sweep of Midwestern State, limiting the Mustangs to just 49 points and a 27.4 shooting percentage. She grabbed a pair of steals in the game after posting a four-steal, 10-point performance against Tarleton State. Equs Darby (Sr., F, Lake City S.C./Feather River CC) recorded the third double double of his career with a 17-point, 12-rebound performance at sixth-ranked Midwestern State, shooting .583 from the floor. Earlier in the week, he shot .400 against Tarleton State in a five-point, four-rebound performance. Ethan Wagner (Sr., RF, San Antonio, Texas/Cisco JC/Churchill HS) batted .333 with a team-high six runs batted in, to lead the Greyhounds to a 3-1 series win over Southeastern Oklahoma State. He hit safely in all four games over the weekend, recording two multiple-hit games. Michelle Anderson (Sr., C/3B, Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) paced ENMU offensively against NAIA powerhouse, Lubbock Christian, batting .583 with two doubles. She recorded three multiple-hit games, including a three-for-four outing in the series finale.

Monday, February 08, 2010

Jefferson, Fifer, Cruickshank and Cotten and Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams just finished a tough rivalry week with two games apiece against West Texas A&M, while the baseball and softball teams managed to open their season, despite weather delays. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tyler Jefferson (men’s basketball), Til-Lois Fifer (women’s basketball), Kristen Cruickshank (softball) and Justin Cotton (baseball). Tyler Jefferson's (Jr., F, Fort Worth, Texas/Tyler JC) performance helped the Greyhounds to split with West Texas A&M and remain in contention for a berth in the upcoming Lone Star Conference tournament. Over the week, he stepped to the free throw line 27 times, connecting on 81.5 percent from the charity stripe. Over the final 10 minutes of regulation of the two games, he hit scored 16 points, hitting 10 free throws and a .750 shooting percentage from the floor. Til-Lois Fifer (Jr., F, Tulia, Texas/Tulia HS) averaged nine points and 4.5 rebounds over two games against eighth-ranked West Texas A&M. She also hit on 71.4 percent of her 14 attempts from the free throw line. Kristen Cruickshank (Sr., P, Glendale, Ariz./Deer Valley HS) tossed 28.1 of the Zia's 44 innings last week, posting wins over New Mexico Highlands, Texas A&M-Intenational and Cameron. For the week, she limited the opposition to a .271 batting average, struck out 14 and walked just eight. She also helped her cause at the plate, batting .300 with two doubles and five runs batted in. Justin Cotten (Jr., P, Dallas, Texas/Easfield HS/Trinity Christian HS) limited New Mexico Highlands to two runs on five hits over four innings. He allowed no walks and struck out seven batters.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Nelson and Altheide Selected as ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.—The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued their LSC South schedules last week, with both the Zias and Greyhounds dropping last-minute heartbreakers to Angelo State. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Reggie Nelson (men’s basketball) and Hannah Altheide (women’s basketball). Reggie Nelson (Jr., G, Tyler, Texas/Tyler JC) recorded the Greyhounds' first 30-point game since Justin Redman Trotter accomplished the feat two seasons ago at West Texas A&M. He finished with a career-best 31 points, connecting on eight of his 17 shots from the floor and an incredible 13 of his 14 attempts from the free throw line. Nelson also dished out five assists, while committing just one turnover. His performance helped ENMU rally from a 13-point deficit and seize a lead late in the game Hannah Altheide (Jr., F, El Paso, Texas/Chapin HS) exploded for a career-best 13 points against Angelo State, connecting on four of her five three-point attempts.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Clay and Nelson Selected as ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.—The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued their LSC South schedules last week, with the Zias snapping a 15-game skid in the division with a victory over Midwestern State, while the Hounds played a tight home contest against MSU in front of the largest home crowd of the season. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Cat Clay (women’s basketball) and Reggie Nelson. Cat Clay (Jr., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) turned in a stellar week for the Zias, averaging 14 points per game and connecting on nearly 45 percent of her three-point tries. Midway through her 17-point outburst against Midwestern State, she moved into 19th place on the Zia career scoring list. She also contributed on the defensive side of the floor, with 11 rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots. Reggie Nelson (Jr., G, Tyler, Texas/Tyler JC) paced the Hounds last week in LSC south games against Tarleton State and #11 Midwestern State, with 10 points and four rebounds per game. He scored nine of his 13 points against the Mustangs during a key second half run, which saw Eastern rally from a 14-point deficit to tie the game.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Reid and Clay Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University men’ basketball team is 2-0 in the Lone Star Conference South Division for the first time since the 2006-07 season and the women’s team played a pair of tough opponents in conference play as well last week. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Victor Reid (men’s basketball) and Cat Clay (women’s basketball). Victor Reid (Jr., F, El Paso, Texas/Cochise CC) shot .542 from the field and averaged 16.5 points per game, enabling the Hounds to snap a 24-game LSC South Division skid, including 12 straight road games. He scored 20 points and grabbed seven boards against Abilene Christian and followed with 13 points and eight boards at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Reid's performance allowed the Hounds to snap the Javelinas' 13-game home winnings streak. Cat Clay (Jr., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) connected on 50 percent of her shots from the field, leading the Zias with 15 points per game against Lone Star Conference South Division opponents, Abilene Christian and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Against ACU, she scored 17 points and dished out four assists.

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Nelson and Northcutt Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams concluded Lone Star Conference crossover play last week, with tough games at Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State, as they prepare to open division play. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Reggie Nelson (men’s basketball) and Tori Northcutt (women’s basketball). Reggie Nelson (Jr., G, Tyler, Texas/Tyler JC) turned in a 13-point, five assist, five rebound performance at Central Oklahoma and followed with a 17-point outing at Northeastern State. For the week, hit shot 90 percent from the free throw line and averaged 15 points. Tori Northcutt (Jr., G, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) averaged 11 points and 4.5 assists last week and connected on seven of her eight attempts from the free throw line. At Central Oklahoma, she registered 10 points, three steals, four assists and five rebounds. She followed by shooting 80 percent from the floor at Northeastern State to finish with 12 points.

Monday, January 04, 2010

Jefferson and Fifer Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams played tough competition to open the new year, with the Hounds visiting NCAA Division I Brigham Young and hosting Fort Lewis. The Zias hosted seventh-ranked Fort Lewis College. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tyler Jefferson (men’s basketball) and Til-Lois Fifer (women’s basketball). Tyler Jefferson (Jr., F, Fort Worth, Texas/Tyler JC) averaged 11.5 points against NCAA Division I Brigham Young University and Fort Lewis College, recording multiple steals in both contests. He shot .714 from the field against FLC and had six rebounds against the Cougars. Til-Lois Fifer (Jr., F, Tulia, Texas/Tulia HS) scored nine points against seventh-ranked Fort Lewis, dished out three assists and went five-for-seven from the free throw line.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Clay and Marshall Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in strong performance at last week, with the Zias picking up wins over New Mexico Highlands and Texas Woman’s, while the Greyhounds played a tight game against Texas A&M-Commerce. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Jimmie Marshall (men’s basketball) and Cat Clay (women’s basketball). Cat Clay’s (Jr., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) performance last week led the Zias to a pair of wins over three games. She averaged 16.7 points and connected on all but one of her 12 free throw attempts. Against Texas A&M-Commerce, Clay registered her second double double of the season, with 22 points and 11 rebounds, including a go-ahead jumper with nine seconds left in the game. Against Texas Woman's, she scored 13 points, hitting the game-winning three-point basket with four seconds left. Earlier in the week, Clay had 15 points in a win at New Mexico Highlands. Jimmie Marshall (Sr., G, Milwaukee, Wis./Iowa Lakes CC) recorded a career-high five steals against Texas A&M-Commerce, marking the fourth game this season with at least three steals. He also finished with three defensive rebounds and tied for the team lead with 11 points.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Jefferson and Clay Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in strong performance at Cameron last Saturday, with the Zias picking up a win and the Hounds dropping a tightly contested game. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tyler Jefferson (men’s basketball) and Cat Clay (women’s basketball). Tyler Jefferson (Jr., F, Fort Worth, Texas/Tyler JC) accounted for 40 percent of the Greyhounds points against Cameron University, pouring in a game-high 22 points and grabbing nine boards to just miss his third double double in the last four games. He connected on 61.5 percent of his shots from the field and went six-for-eight from the free throw line. During a late-game 8-3 run, which the Hounds pulled to within two points, he had four points over a 30 second span. Cat Clay (Jr., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) paced the Zias with a 22-point performance, leading ENMU to a 79-74 win at Cameron. She connected on seven of her nine attempts from the free throw line and hit five three-pointers. The performance marked the third time this season Clay has reached the 20-point plateau.

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Nelson and Northcutt Selected as ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.—The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams opened their Lone Star Conference crossover schedules last week, with tough contests against Southeastern Oklahoma State and East Central. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Reggie Nelson (men’s basketball and Tori Northcutt (women’s basketball). Reggie Nelson (Jr., G, Tyler, Texas/Tyler JC) paced the Hounds last week in LSC crossover games against Southeastern Oklahoma and East Central, pouring in 22.5 points per game and hitting 50 percent of his 20 three-point attempts. Against ECU, he scored a career-high 27 points and had three assists, four steals and six rebounds. Tori Northcutt (Jr., G, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) had three steals against both Southeastern Oklahoma State and East Central along with seven rebounds for the week. She dished out 14 assists, while committing only six turnovers and shot .750 from the free throw line.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Jefferson and Clay Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball in a strong week, with the Greyhounds picking up two wins and the Zias earning a hard fought win over the defending RMAC champions. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Tyler Jefferson (men’s basketball) and Cat Clay (women’s basketball). Tyler Jefferson (Jr., F, Fort Worth, Texas/Tyler JC) averaged 12.5 points and eight boards in victories over Lubbock Christian and Western State. At LCU, he poured in 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Jefferson followed with a 12-point, seven-rebound outing against Western State. Cat Clay (Jr., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) averaged .500 from the field and was even better from three-point range, connecting on .533 of her attempts. In the Zias win over two-time defending RMAC champion, Colorado State-Pueblo, she hit five treys, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Reid and Clay Selected as ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

Portales, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams opened their seasons last week, with the Greyhounds splitting a pair of games with cross-state rival Western New Mexico, while the Zias played an extremely difficult schedule as well. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Victor Reid and Cat Clay. Victor Reid (Jr., G, El Paso, Texas/Cochise CC) paced the Greyhounds with 13.5 points and 6.5 boards in their season-opening series against cross-state rival Western New Mexico. He connected on five of his 10 attempts from the field, last Tuesday, scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds to lead Eastern to an 83-68 win. For the week, he connected on nine of his 11 attempts from the free throw line. Cat Clay (Jr., G, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) averaged 16.7 points per game in the Zias opening three contests of the season, reaching the 20-point mark and hitting six treys against both New Mexico Highlands and Missouri Southern State. In the season opener against NMHU, she shot 60 percent from outside the three-point arc, scoring a team-high 24 points.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Wood, Dimitroff, James, Kogo, Reid, and Murphy Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the football team rallying for another season-ending win, while the cross country teams closed what may have been the best season in team history. The volleyball team picked up the first road win in Las Vegas since the 2003 season, while men’s soccer closed out the best season in team history. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Wesley Wood and Derek Dimitroff (football), Michael James (men’s soccer), Richard Kogo (men’s cross country), Nicole Reid (women’s cross country) and Caitlin Murphy (volleyball). Wesley Wood (Fr., QB, Muleshoe, Texas/Muleshoe HS) entered the season finale late in the fourth quarter and completed five of his seven pass attempts for 101 yards and a touchdown as well as a two-point conversion. On the game-winning drive, he connected on three of his four attempts for 88 yards, including a 51-yard strike to Matt Handler (So., WR, Argyle, Texas/Argyle HS) and an eight-yard touchdown pass to Darian Dale (So., WR, Bay City, Texas/Bay City HS). Derek Dimitroff (Sr., LB, Ft. Sumner, N.M./NMMI/Ft. Sumner HS) turned in a strong game against Incarnate Word, making 10 tackles, including three for a loss, a sack and recovering a fumble. Michael James' (Sr., D, Dallas, Texas/Bishop Lynch HS) concluded his career with the Greyhounds having played in 44 matches and scored seven goals with four assists. In 2009, the Hounds won a team-record 11 matches. Richard Kogo (Jr., Eldoret, Kenya/West Texas CC) turned in a 34th place finish at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships, finishing the 10k run with a time of 32:54.01. His performance led Eastern to a ninth-place finish at the meet, eight slots better than last season's 17th-place finish. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) turned in a 36th place finish at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships, finishing the 6k run with a season-best time of 23:16.68. Caitlin Murphy (Sr., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) averaged 4.56 digs per set and posting a strong .981 reception percentage as the Zias split matches at New Mexico Highlands and #5 West Texas A&M. On Tuesday, she recorded 18 digs and a career-high six service aces, lifting ENMU to its first win at Highlands since the 2003 season.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Harp, Zamora, James, Lawrence, and Ovalle Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the soccer teams both getting dramatic goals from seniors in one-goal wins. The football team turned in a strong effort against 13th ranked Midwestern State, while several young players continue to emerge for the volleyball team. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were J.J. Harp and Edward Zamora (football), Michael James (men’s soccer), Samantha Lawrence (women’s soccer) and Rocio Ovalle (volleyball). J.J. Harp (So., QB, Argyle, Texas/Argyle HS) registered his fifth 400-yard passing day of the season, connecting on 42 of his 63 attempts for 431 yards and two touchdown passes. He is just two touchdown passes shy of tying the ENMU single-season record. Edward Zamora (Sr., OLB, San Antonio, Texas/NMMI/Taft HS) turned in a strong game against Midwestern State, making 14 tackles, applying pressure to the quarterback and forcing a fumble early in the second quarter. Michael James' (Sr., D, Dallas, Texas/Bishop Lynch HS) presence on defense helped ENMU limited the opposition to just 13 shots per game last week, with just a total of seven on goal. He netted the game-tying goal with three seconds remaining at St. Mary's, leading to an overtime victory. Samantha Lawrence (Sr., F, Roswell, N.M./Goddard HS) concluded her ENMU soccer career by scoring the 13th game-winning goal of her career in a 1-0 win at Northeastern State. She ends her four-year career at Eastern holding nearly every offensive career record. Prior to Lawrence's goal, the Zias had never won in Tahlequah, Okla. Rocio Ovalle (Fr., OH, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) paced the Zias last week with 3.17 kills per set, including a career-best 12 kills at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Mills, Stevens, Lozano, Reed, Caldwell, Sjue, and Murphy Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the men’s cross country team recording the best finish in team history, placing third at the Lone Star Conference championships, while the Zias improved on last year’s performance with a seventh-place finish. The football team came within a touchdown of 14th-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville, and the women’s soccer team defeated Abilene Christian, the top team in the LSC, Abilene Christian. The volleyball team took sets from East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma, while men’s soccer faced Midwestern State, one of the toughest teams in the country. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Stefan Mills and Tillman Stevens (football), Jacob Lozano (cross country), Nicole Reid (cross country), Alistair Caldwell (men’s soccer), Jordan Sjue (women’s soccer) and Caitlin Murphy (volleyball). Stefan Mills (Fr., RB, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) became the Greyhounds first 100-yard rusher this season, helping Eastern stay within striking distance of 14th-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville. He finished with career-highs in carries (27), rushing yards (100) and touchdowns (2). Tillman Stevens (Jr., DB, Baytown, Texas/Sterling HS) turned in a strong game at Kingsville, recovering a fumble and blocking a punt in addition to making five tackles. Jacob Lozano's (Fr., Hobbs, N.M./Hobbs HS) 11th place finish at the Lone Star Conference championships paced the Greyhounds to the best finish at the meet in school history. He crossed the finish line of the 8k race with a time of 26:27 to place 11th out of the 69 competitors. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) placed 15th at the LSC Championships, completing the 6k run with a time of 25:00.4. Her performance led the Zias to a seventh-place finish at the event. Alistair Caldwell (Fr., GK, Kilmarnock, Scotland/Grange Academy) made a career-high eight saves, helping to limit #2 Midwestern State to two goals.. Jordan Sjue (Sr., D, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) tallied the game-winning goal on Friday as the Zias picked up a win over Abilene Christian, the top team in the Lone Star Conference. Caitlin Murphy (Sr., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) averaged an astounding 6.88 digs per set last week and posted a .970 reception percentage over two matches, committing just two errors in a team-high 67 attempts. She had 29 digs and was perfect in 29 reception attempts against East Central and followed with a 26-dig performance in the home finale against Southeastern Oklahoma State.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Jackson, Mitchell, Caldwell, Sumner, and Murphy Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the men’s soccer team picking up their tenth win of the season, while the football team controlled the opening half against #13 Tarleton State. Women’s soccer dropped a tightly contested game against nationally-ranked Midwestern State, while volleyball played tough competition in the conference. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Arvin Jackson and Rodney Mitchell (football), Alistair Caldwell (men’s soccer), Michelle Sumner (women’s soccer) and Caitlin Murphy (volleyball). Arvin Jackson (So. WR, Houston, Texas/Westside HS) hauled in 13 passes for 81 yards against 13th ranked Tarleton State, falling just one catch shy of the team record.. Rodney Mitchell (Jr., CB, Sarasota, Fla./NMMI/Palmetto HS) was involved in two turnovers against TSU, intercepting his seventh pass of the season in the second quarter and forcing a fumble, which he recovered in the third quarter. Mitchell also broke up a career-high five passes and made six tackles, including four solo stops. He leads the LSC in interceptions and pass break ups and entered the week tied for fifth in Division II in interceptions.. Alistair Caldwell (Fr., GK, Kilmarnock, Scotland/Grange Academy) made seven saves to preserve Eastern's 3-0 victory of the season and improved to 5-2-2 on the season with three shutouts. Michelle Sumner (Sr., D, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) played a strong defensive game for the Zia soccer team, helping to shut 22nd ranked Midwestern State out during the first half and limiting the Mustangs to just three shots on goal in the contest. Caitlin Murphy (Sr., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) averaged 5.33 digs per set, including 19 against Cameron University. For the week, she posted a .969 reception percentage with just one error.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Preston, Mitchell, Cardenas, Rodrigues, and King Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the men’s soccer team picking up a win and a tie, while the football team made a strong showing in the Wagon Wheel game. Women’s soccer made a delayed trip to Texas, and the volleyball team picked up a win at Oklahoma Panhandle. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Dominic Preston and Rodney Mitchell (football), Sierra Cardenas (women’s soccer), Emerson Rodrigues (men’s soccer) Jessica King (volleyball). Dominic Preston (So., WR, College, Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated HS) posted the first multiple-touchdown game of his career against West Texas A&M. He caught seven passes for 81 yards, with both touchdowns coming in the fourth quarter, when the Hounds were attempting to come from behind.. Rodney Mitchell (Jr., CB, Sarasota, Fla./NMMI/Palmetto HS) blocked a punt in the first quarter against West Texas A&M, setting up a field goal which staked the Greyhounds to a 10-7 lead. In the second quarter, after the Buffaloes took a 14-10 lead, he stopped a potential scoring drive by recording his sixth interception of the season, at the ENMU goal line. Mitchell finished the contest with six solo tackles. . Sierra Cardenas (So., GK< wheat="" ridge,="" colo./wheat="" ridge="" hs)="" made="" 11="" saves="" against="" texas="" woman's="" and="" texas="" a&m-commerce="" over="" the="" weekend,="" holding="" tamu-commerce="" scoreless="" through="" regulation.="" emerson="" rodrigues="" (jr.,="" f,="" natal,="" rn,="" brazil/colegio="" objectivo="" potiguar)="" made="" all="" three="" of="" his="" shots="" on="" goal="" count="" last="" week,="" scoring="" eastern's="" only="" goal="" in="" a="" 1-1="" tie="" at="" hardin-simmons="" and="" twice="" more="" in="" enmu's="" 3-0="" win="" at="" adams="" state.="" his="" final="" goal="" of="" the="" week="" snapped="" a="" tie="" for="" the="" greyhounds="" career="" goal-scoring="" lead,="" moving="" rodrigues="" into="" first="" place="" in="" that="" category.="" jessica="" king="" (las="" cruces,="" n.m./oñate="" hs)="" led="" the="" zias="" last="" week="" in="" kills="" (27)="" and="" blocks="" (10).="" she="" turned="" in="" a="" 14-kill,="" six="" block="" performance="" in="" tuesday's="" win="" at="" oklahoma="" panhandle,="" hitting="" .476="" for="" the="" match.="" she="" had="" seven="" kills="" and="" a="" service="" ace="" against="" southwestern="" oklahoma="">

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Preston, Uland, Thurman, Stewart, Kogo and Reid Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the women’s soccer team splitting a pair of Lone Star Conference matches, while the cross country teams turned in stellar performances at Oklahoma State. The men’s soccer team picked dropped a LSC match against 16th ranked West Texas A&M, while the football team fell to Angelo State. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Dominic Preston and Nathan Uland (football), Danielle Thurman (women’s soccer), Michael Stewart (men’s soccer) Richard Kogo (men’s cross country) and Nicole Reid (women’s cross country. Dominic Preston (So., WR, College, Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated HS) posted career highs in receptions (13) and yardage (167), including a 36-yard catch against Angelo State. Nathan Uland (Jr., LB, Denton, Texas/Ryan HS) made a career-high 20 tackles against Angelo State, including two for a loss of two yards. . Danielle Thurman (So., MF, Albuquerque, N.M./Del Norte HS) netted the overtime game-winning goal for the Zias in their victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State. Michael Stewart (Fr., D, Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch HS) played strong defense for the Greyhound soccer team at 16th ranked West Texas A&M last Wednesday. Richard Kogo (Jr., Eldoret, Kenya/West Texas CC) registered his third top-ten finish of the season, placing eighth in the 8k run at the Oklahoma State University Jamboree, running a season-best 25:45.40. His performance led the Greyhounds to a first-place finish in the team standings. For the fourth time in four meets, Nicole Reid (Jr., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) was Eastern's top finisher. She ran a season-best 20:06.30 at the Oklahoma State University Jamboree, placing 33rd overall. Reid's performance led the Zias to a 15th place finish.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Kalisch, Thompson, Murphy, Bear, and Thurman Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the women’s soccer team posting back-to-back shutouts against sixth-ranked West Texas A&M and New Mexico Highlands, while the football team nearly upset second-ranked Abilene Christian on the road. The men’s soccer team picked up two more wins, while the volleyball team received several strong performances. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Matt Kalisch and J.T. Thompson (football), Caitlin Murphy (volleyball), Edgar Bear (men’s soccer) and Danielle Thurman (women’s soccer). Matt Kalisch (Harker Heights, Texas/NMMI/Harker Heights HS) turned in a stellar performance against Abilene Christian, setting up Eastern’s first touchdown with a fumble recovery and another scoring drive, when he sacked an ACU quarterback, forcing a fumble. J.T. Thompson (Jr., WR, Sweetwater, Texas/Sweetwater HS) J.T. Thompson caught six passes for 51 yards, including touchdowns of 13 and 10 yards. His first touchdown gave Eastern a 13-6 lead at second-ranked Abilene Christian, while his second gave the Hounds a 27-16 lead in the third quarter. Caitlin Murphy (Sr., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) averaged 6.91 digs over three matches last week, along with six service aces and a .962 reception percentage in 53 opportunities. She had at least 23 digs in all three matches, with a weekly high of 28 against Texas-Permian Basin. Murphy already has 366 digs over 18 matches this season and is less than 300 away from her own single-season record. Edgar Bear (Jr., MF, Houston, Texas/Ross S. Sterling HS) netted the game-winning goal last Friday against University of the Southwest and tallied his second goal of the season in Sunday's victory over Adams State. His second goal moved him into sixth place on the ENMU career-points list. Danielle Thurman (So., MF, Albuquerque, N.M./Del Norte HS) assisted on three of Eastern's four goals last week, including on the Zias' game-winning goals against sixth-ranked West Texas A&M and New Mexico Highlands. Her performance has contributed to the Zias winning five straight games.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Henry, Harris, Lozano, Reid, King, Castañeda and Padilla Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the football team shattering the team record for points in a game, the cross country teams turning in great performances at Texas Tech and the soccer teams strong performances. The volleyball team powered their way to a sweep over Texas-Permian Basin. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Texavier Henry and Troy Harris (football), Jacob Lozano (men’s cross country), Nicole Reid (women’s cross country), Jessica King(volleyball), Luis Castañeda (men’s soccer) and Kandace Padilla (women’s soccer). Texavier Henry (Sr., LB, Pearland, Texas/Pearland HS) intercepted two passes and made 13 tackles in the Greyhounds' 76-56 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce. His interceptions came in the second and fourth quarter. Troy Harris (Fr., RB, Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho HS) continued to emerge as a threat for the Greyhounds out of the backfield, rushing for 69 yards and four touchdowns and catching five passes for 35 yards. Just six days after placing fifth at West Texas, Jacob Lozano (Fr., Hobbs, N.M./Hobbs HS) turned in a ninth place finish for the Greyhounds at Texas Tech, completing the 8k dash in 26:00.44. His performance led Eastern to a third place finish at the TTU Open. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) was Eastern's top finisher for the third straight week, placing 24th at Texas Tech. She completed the 5k dash with a time of 21:25.43. Jessica King (So., MB, Las Cruces, N.M./Oñate HS) averaged one block per set over three matches, rejecting a total of 11 attacks and averaged 2.36 kills per set to go along with a service ace. Her performance helped the Zias sweep a three-set match at Texas-Permian Basin. Luis Castañeda (So., MF, Chaparral, N.M./Gadsden High School) became just the third player in ENMU history to record a five-point match, scoring twice and passing for an assist against Wayland Baptist. Kandace Padilla (Jr., MF, St. John’s, Ariz./ St. John’s HS) scored in each of Eastern’s wins last week, posting a .750 shots on goal percentage. Her performance helped lead the Zias to wins over Wayland Baptist and Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Harp, Cannon, Kogo, Reid, Valdez-Kent, Herbert and Lawrence Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the football team continuing their assault on the NCAA record book, the cross country teams turning in great performances at West Texas and the soccer teams recording wins in their home openers. The volleyball team avenged an early season loss against Fort Hays, picking up a thrilling five-set victory on Saturday. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were J.J. Harp and Taylor Cannon (football), Richard Kogo (men’s cross country), Nicole Reid (women’s cross country), Veronica Valdez-Kent (volleyball), Kal Herbert (men’s soccer) and Samantha Lawrence (women’s soccer). J.J. Harp (So., QB, Argyle, Texas/Argyle HS) set overall NCAA records with 64 completions and 94 pass attempts for a NCAA Division II record 695 yards. His performance also helped the Greyhounds set a NCAA record with 47 first downs. For the third time in three games, he tossed three touchdown passes. On the first play of ENMU's final possession, he moved the Greyhounds into position for a potential game-winning field goal, connecting on a 47-yard pass to the Southeastern Oklahoma 23-yard line. Taylor Cannon (SO., K, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) tied an NCAA Division II record with six made field goals last week against Southeastern Oklahoma State. He also hit all three PAT attempts to lead the Greyhounds with 21 points scored. He averaged 63.6 yards on 11 kickoffs, with one touchback and none going out of bounds. Richard Kogo(Jr., Eldoret, Kenya/West Texas CC) turned in a fourth place finish in the 8k dash at the West Texas A&M Stampede, leading the Greyhounds to a second-place finish in the team standings. The performance came just nine days after leading the Greyhounds to a first-place finish at Midwestern State. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) placed second in the 5k dash at the West Texas A&M Stampede, with a time of 20:33. Her performance helped the Zias to record a first place finish in the team standings for the first time in recent history. Veronica Valdez-Kent (Jr., S/OH, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) registered 24 kills, 8 assists, 27 digs and 2 blocks over three matches at the Rockhurst Tournament, with statistics pending from the five-set victory over Howard Payne. Kal Herbert (Fr., F, Willaston, England/Neston High School) recorded the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Howard Payne University. His performance helped propel the Greyhounds to their best start in team history. Samantha Lawrence (Sr., F, Roswell, N.M./Goddard HS) scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Howard Payne, tying the Eastern New Mexico University career-goals scored record at 33. She leads the Zias with three goals this season.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Harp, Mitchell, Kogo, Reid, Valdez-Kent, Rodrigues and Cardenas Selected ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams turned in a strong week, with the football team posting a 45-7 win against Southwestern Oklahoma, the Greyhound and Zia cross country teams finishing first and sixth at Midwestern State, the volleyball team winning a pair of matches and the soccer teams combining to win three matches.. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were J.J. Harp and Rodney Mitchell (football), Richard Kogo (men’s cross country), Nicole Reid (women’s cross country), Veronica Valdez-Kent (volleyball), Emerson Rodrigues (men’s soccer) and Sierra Cardenas (women’s soccer). J.J. Harp (So., QB, Argyle, Texas/Argyle HS) just missed his second consecutive 500-yard passing day, hitting 61.7 percent of his throws for 492 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-7 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State. He also rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown. He finished with 520 yards of total offense, surpassing an ENMU single-game record which has stood since the 1984 season. Rodney Mitchell (Jr., CB, Sarasota, Fla., NMMI/Palmetto HS) posted his second consecutive game with two interceptions, increasing his season total to four. Mitchell's first interception against Southwestern Oklahoma resulted in a scoring drive. Richard Kogo (Jr., Eldoret, Kenya/West Texas CC) turned in a sixth place finish in the 6k dash, recording a time of 19:39.67. His performance lifted the Greyhounds to a first place finish at the Midwestern State Mustang Cross Country Stampede. Nicole Reid (So., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) placed eighth in the 4k dash at the Midwestern State Mustang Cross Country Stampede, with a time of 16:06.87. Veronica Valdez-Kent (Jr., S/OH, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) registered 38 kills, 43 assists, 21 digs and 14 blocks over four matches at the ENMU Tournament. She finished with 13 kills against Missouri Western, before posting a .381 attack percentage, eight blocks and 37 assists in a win over CSU-Pueblo. Emerson Rodrigues (Sr., F, Natal, RN, Brazil/Colegio Objectivo Potiguar) scored in two of the Greyhounds' three games last week, netting both goals in a 2-0 win at Colorado Christian and the first goal in a win at Colorado-Colorado Springs. Seven of his nine shots were on goal. Sierra Cardenas (So., GK, Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge HS) posted a shutout in a victory over Colorado Christian and had a shutout through regulation at Fort Lewis, making seven saves in the game.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

James, Cardenas, Uland and Murphy ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— For the third time in the last four seasons, the Eastern New Mexico University men’s soccer team opened their season with a victory. The Zia volleyball team faced one of the toughest tournament fields in the country and managed to take sets from ninth ranked Truman State and perennial Gulf South Conference powerhouse, North Alabama. The football and women’s soccer teams had a difficult trip into Colo., to begin their seasons. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week were Michael James (men’s soccer), Sierra Cardenas (women’s soccer), Nathan Uland (football) and Caitlin Murphy (volleyball). Michael James (Sr., D, Dallas, Texas/Bishop Lynch HS) turned in a stellar performance on both sides of the soccer field last Friday, registering a three-point game. He launched a through pass to Kal Herbert (Fr., MF, Willaston, England/Neston High School) for the first goal of the game and tallied a goal of his own in the second half as the Hounds clinched a 3-1 win at University of the Southwest. Sierra Cardenas (So., GK, Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge HS) posted a 1.5 goals against average in the Zias’ first two games of the season, making nine saves against Colorado Christian and 23rd ranked Regis University. Caitlin Murphy (Sr., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) picked up right where she left off last season, averaging 5.29 digs per set against a field which included third ranked Emporia State and ninth ranked Truman State. Over the four games, she recorded 74 digs, a .943 reception percentage and a .400 attack percentage. Against TSU, she recorded a season-high 27 digs. Nathan Uland (Jr., LB, Denton, Texas/Ryan HS) blocked an extra point and created the opportunity for another extra point block, which was returned for a defensive two-point conversion. For the game, he had 12 total tackles, including six unassisted stops and a quarterback pressure.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Thompson and Vega Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University track and field teams turned in strong performances at last weekend’s Lone Star Conference Championship meet in Kingsville, Texas. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the week were J.T. Thompson (men’s track and field) and Vyanca Vega (women’s track and field). J.T. Thompson (Jr., Sweetwater, Texas/Sweetwater HS) turned in a third place performance in the 400-meter dash at the LSC Championships, finishing with a time of 49.29. One day earlier, he placed sixth in the preliminaries and second in his flight with a time of 49.33 to qualify for the finals Vyanca Vega (SR., Cloudcroft, N.M./ Cloudcroft HS) turned in a fifth place finish the hammer throw at the conference championships with a throw of 128’ 2”.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Wagner, Draper and Bryant Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team made their first-ever trip to the Lone Star Conference championship tournament, playing the 16th and sixth ranked teams in the country. The track and field teams turned in a strong performance at Abilene Christian, winning two events. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the week were Ethan Wagner (baseball), Daniel Draper (men’s track and field) and Megan Bryant (women’s track and field) Ethan Wagner (Jr., RF, San Antonio, Texas/Cisco JC/Churchull HS) batted .571 for the Greyhounds at the Lone Star Conference championships, with a double, triple and two runs batted in. He had two hits against both 16th ranked Angelo State and sixth ranked Cameron. Over the two games, he hit .667 with runners in scoring position. Daniel Draper (So., Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty HS) won the javelin toss at the Abilene Christian University Oliver Jackson Open with a throw of 186' 1". Megan Bryant (Fr., Carlsbad, N.M./Carlsbad HS) notched a first-place performance in the 5000-meter run at the Abilene Christian University Oliver Jackson Open, completing the race with a time of 22:26.98.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Carmona, Quiñones and Kogo Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team picked up a series win against West Texas A&M, clinching its first ever bid in the Lone Star Conference tournament, while the softball team picked up a doubleheader sweep of Oklahoma Panhandle to register a winning season. The men’s track and field team turned in a strong performance at the Drake Relays and saw team alumni Mike Boit honored as one of the top athletes of the century. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the week were Freddy Carmona (baseball), Rebecca Quiñones(softball) and Richard Kogo (men’s track and field) Freddy Carmona (Sr., C, San Antonio, Texas/Ranger College/William H Taft HS) batted .500 against West Texas A&M, drove in five runs and helped the Greyhounds post their first winning season since 2000 and reach the Lone Star Conference tournament for the first time in team history. He posted three multiple-hit games in the series and had a double in the finale. He tossed out a potential base stealer in the series opener and made a diving inning-ending tag at the plate while ENMU was trailing 1-0. Rebecca Quiñones' (Jr., 2B, Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) pinch hit single in the top of the sixth inning tied the Zias at 1-all at Oklahoma Panhandle and sparked ENMU's offense to a 3-2 victory in extra innings. Over that contest, she batted a perfect two-for-two. Quiñones also recorded a base hit in the nightcap against OPSU, helping the Zias to close the season with a 3-0 win. Richard Kogo (Jr., Eldoret, Kenya/West Texas CC) set a team record in the 10,000-meter run at the Drake University Relays, running a personal-record 32:35.22, finishing 3.23 ahead of University of Tulsa’s Brett Koehn.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Young and Cruickshank Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team earned a crucial series split against Central Oklahoma to stay in contention for a possible berth in the upcoming Lone Star Conference tournament, while the softball team picked up a doubleheader sweep of New Mexico Highlands.. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the week were Clayton Young (baseball) and Kristen Cruickshank (softball). Clayton Young's (Sr., LF, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) performance helped the Greyhounds split a LSC series at Central Oklahoma last week, posting team highs in runs, hits, doubles, on-base percentage and tied for the lead in slugging percentage. He hit safely in all four games and registered multiple hits in three of the four. In 16 plate appearances, Young reached base 10 times and did not strike out. His five runs scored in the series vaulted him past former ENMU standout Greg Haston, into second place on the Greyhound career runs scored list. Kristen Cruickshank (Jr., 1B/P, Glendale, Ariz./Glendale High School) recorded three multiple-hit games over the week, going six-for eight with five runs batted in and a double over a two-game sweep over New Mexico Highlands. She also turned in a two-for-four performance against 13th ranked Abilene Christian.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Johnson, Thompson, Harris and Ruffin Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team earned a crucial series win against East Central and vaulted into fifth place in the Lone Star Conference standings, while the track and field teams saw one athlete provisionally qualify for NCAA’s, while others set team records. The softball team rallied to earn a one-run victory at University of Texas of the Permian Basin. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the week were Jereme Johnson (baseball) Laura Thompson (softball), Kyle Harris (men’s track and field) and Chenavia Ruffin (women’s track and field). Jereme Johnson (Jr., RF, Roswell, N.M./NMJC/Roswell HS) turned in a stellar performance as the Greyhounds' leadoff hitter in their series against East Central, batting .600, drawing three walks, scoring eight runs and driving in three runs. Four of his nine hits went for extra bases with three doubles and a triple and he stole three bases in three attempts. Laura Thompson (Sr., CF, Towcester, Northants, England/Vernon College/Sponne School) hit safely in three of four games last week, turning in a perfect three-for-three performance with a double and a run batted in during the Zias 3-2 victory over University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Kyle Harris (Jr., Altamonte Springs, Fla./NMMI/Lyman HS) provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships with a jump of 48' 0.75" in the triple jump at the University of New Mexico Tailwind Invitational just two days after recording first place finish at Texas Tech with a jump of 49' 10.5". Chenavia Ruffin (So., Orlando, Fla./Olympia HS) bested her school record performance from Texas-El Paso and placed 13th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:00.69 at Texas Tech.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Quiñones and Clabaugh Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University softball team picked up two victories in their three-game series at Western New Mexico, while the baseball team earned a victory against Southwestern Oklahoma State and remained in a tie for fifth place in the Lone Star Conference standings. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the week were Rebecca Quiñones (softball) and Seth Clabaugh (baseball). Rebecca Quiñones (Jr., 2B, Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) helped the Zias to win their series at Western New Mexico with a .583 hitting performance over the three games, with a double, home run and five runs batted in. Over 12 at bats, she did not strike out and registered a perfect batting average with runners on second or third base. Quiñones notched multiple hits in all three games, including a three-for-four outing in the second game, with a homer and three RBIs. Seth Clabaugh (Sr., 1B/P, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) hit safely in all five of his games last week, including a two-for-three performance with three runs scored, two homers and two walks in a 16-6 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma. His lead off home run in the top of the second inning gave the Hounds a lead they would not relinquish in that game. In the series opener, he pitched a two-hitter through six innings, striking out a career-best eight batters. In the final game of the series, he batted four-four six with four RBI's.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Cook, Stephens and Draper Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week, the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team turned in a huge performance in splitting a four-game Lone Star Conference series with ninth ranked seventh-ranked Abilene Christian and defeating New Mexico Highlands. The track and field teams turned in a strong performance as they opened their season. Garrett Cook (baseball), Britney Stephens (women’s track & field) and Daniel Draper (men’s track & field) were the ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the week. Garrett Cook (Jr., SS, Deming, N.M./Lamar CC/Deming HS) turned in a stellar week for the Greyhounds, batting .455 over five games, including a .500 hitting performance in a four-game series split against seventh-ranked Abilene Christian. He hit safely in all five games with three-multi-hit performances, including a perfect four-for-four performance in the series opening win against ACU, with three runs, two RBIs, two doubles and a triple in that game. In Sunday's win, which clinched at least a series split, he had two hits and three RBI's. Britney Stephens (So., Miliani, Hawaii/ Miliani HS) turned in a strong performance for the Zias at the University of Texas-El Paso Springtime Classic last week. She placed 15th in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 13.36 that was less than two seconds off the top time of the sprint. In the 200-meter dash, Stephens crossed the finish line with a time of 27.48. She also ran the second leg of the 4x400 relay for ENMU. Daniel Draper (So., Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty HS) placed second in the javelin in the season opener at the University of Texas-El Paso Springtime Classic, with a throw of 172' 7". His performance paced five ENMU participants which finished in the top six in the event.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Carmona, Clabaugh and Quiñones Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week, the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team turned in a huge performance in splitting a four-game Lone Star Conference series with ninth ranked Angelo State, propelling head coach Phil Clabaugh to his 500th career victory, last Friday. The softball team earned a 6-1 victory over Texas A&M-International. Seth Clabaugh and Freddy Carmona shared ENMUSPorts.com Student Athletes of the week for the baseball team, while Rebecca Quiñones was the Player of the week for softball.. Freddy Carmona (Sr., C, San Antonio, Texas/Ranger/William H. Taft HS) batted .571, helping the Greyhounds to earn a split in a crucial Lone Star Conference series against ninth ranked Angelo State. In both victories, he turned in identical performances, hitting two-for-four with one run batted in. In the series finale, he batted three-for-three with four RBIs, including a game-tying, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning. Seth Clabaugh (Sr., P/DH/1B, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) scattered five hits over 5.2 innings, keeping the offense of ninth ranked Angelo State in check, allowing the Greyhounds to stay within striking distance. In the bottom of the ninth inning of Friday's series opener, hit walk-off RBI single up the middle plated the game-winning run, propelling his father, head coach Phil Clabaugh to his 500th career win. For the series, he batted .429 with two doubles and two RBIs. Rebecca Quiñones (Jr., 2B, Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) hit safely in all four of the Zias games last week, cracking two doubles and a three-run homer in the series finale against Tarleton State. In Eastern's victory over Texas A&M-International, she batted two-for-three with a double and a run scored.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Doughty and Thompson Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week, the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team picked up a Lone Star Conference series win at Kingsville, while the softball team picked up a sweep of University of the Southwest and played a LSC South series against top-ranked Angelo State. The ENMUSPorts.com Student Athletes of the week were Tyler Doughty (baseball) and Laura Thompson (softball). Laura Thompson (Towcester, Northants, England/Vernon College/Sponne School) batted .500 over five games last week with a .722 slugging percentage, six runs scored and four runs batted in. She hit safely in all five games, including three contests against top ranked Angelo State. Tyler Doughty (Sr., RHP, Pampa, Texas/Frank Phillips/Pampa HS entered the series finale against Texas A&M-Kingsville in the fifth inning, facing a 2-1 deficit. Over the final four innings, he faced just two batters over the minimum, holding the Javelinas to one unearned run on three hits, struck out three and did not issue a walk.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Crouse and Wagner Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week, the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team earned a hard-fought split with at Tarleton State, while the softball team picked up victories over New Mexico Highlands and 24th ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville. The ENMUSPorts.com Student Athletes of the week were Ethan Wagner (baseball)and Kimberly Crouse (softball) Kimberly Crouse (Jr., P, Round Rock, Texas/Hill College/Round Rock HS) posted a 1.94 earned run average over 8 innings last week, allowing just five earned runs and fanning 12 batters, while allowing no walks. In her victory against 24th ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville, she allowed just two singles and struck out four batters. For the week, she batted .308 with a double, triple, two RBIs and drew two walks. Ethan Wagner (Jr., San Antonio, Texas, , N.M., Cisco JC/Churchull HS) hit three home runs and drove in nine RBIs in a four-game split at Tarleton State. In the series finale, he batted three-for-four with three runs scored, five RBIs and two homers in a 12-10 victory. He hit safely in all four games and is currently on a ten-game hitting streak.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Mayo Otis, Orsak, Clay and Wilson Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last week was a strong one for the Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams as the baseball team split with 11th ranked Cameron University and the softball team posted three wins in five games. The basketball teams closed out their seasons with hard fought contests against Abilene Christian. The ENMUSPorts.com Student Athletes of the week were Evan Orsak (baseball), Alex Mayo Otis (softball), Cat Clay (women’s basketball) and Brandon Wilson (men’s basketball). Alex Mayo Otis (Jr., RF, Phoenix, Ariz./St. Mary’s HS) batted .500 over five games last week, with a .778 slugging percentage, which included two triples and a double. She hit safely in all five games, notching multiple hits in three contests. Her top performance came in Friday's victory at Texas Woman's, when she batted three-for-four, scored a run and drove in a run. Mayo Otis is currently on a 15-game hitting streak, the longest for any Zia since Kristina Goodman set the record with a 23-game stretch in the 2006 season. Evan Orsak (Sr., RHP, Andrews, Texas/Andrews HS) made two appearances in Eastern's four-game series againth 11th ranked Cameron, limiting the Aggies to no runs on three hits over six innings. On Saturday, he proivded four innings of scoreless relief if the series finale, limiting CU to two hits as the Greyhounds rallied from a 5-2 deficit for a 6-5 victory. Orsak has 12 consecutive scoreless innings of relief and has not given up a run since the season opener on February 1, 2009. Cat Clay (So., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) hit .500 from beyond the arc and .556 overall from the floor, pouring in 14 points against Abilene Christian. In 30 minutes, she dished out three assists and grabbed two steals, while committing just two turnovers. Brandon Wilson (Jr., F, Dallas, Texas/Jacksonville College/W.H. Adamson HS) turned in one of his best games of the season against Abilene Christian, pouring in 17 points and registering two steals.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Davis, Johnson, Grant and King Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball season is winding down, with the Greyhounds and Zias preparing for their season finale this week. The softball team is coming off their fourth straight victory, while the baseball team is looking to rebound from a series loss in Durant, Okla. The ENMUSPorts.com Student Athletes of the week were Jeremy Johnson (baseball), Samantha Davis (softball), Karen Grant (women’s basketball) and Aaron King (men’s basketball). Samantha Davis (Fr., C, Farmington, N.M./Farmington HS) turned in a stellar week behind the plate for the Zias, batting .800 with five runs batted in, a 2.200 slugging percentage and .833 on-base percentage. Three of her four hits went for extra bases with the first two home runs of her career. Against University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Davis turned in a three-for-three performance with three runs scored, five RBI, a double and two homers. Jeremy Johnson (Jr., CF, Roswell, N.M./New Mexico JC/Roswell HS) batted .533 with a sizzling .800 slugging percentage over a four-game LSC Series at Southeastern Oklahoma State. He hit safely in all four contests, including three multiple-hit games. Johnson's top performance of the series was a three-for-five performance with two Runs batted in and a homerun in the second game. Karen Grant (Fr., G, Lubbock, Texas/ Estacado HS) averaged 7.5 points and hit 45.5 percent from the floor, including an 11-point, two-assist performance in Lone Star Conference South Division action against Texas A&M-Kingsville. Aaron King (Los Angeles, Calif./Cerritos CC/Mayfair HS) averaged 15.5 points per game, converted on 50 percent of his shots from the floor and 54.5 percent of his three-point attempts against LSC South opponents, Texas A&M-Kingsville and Angelo State. Against ASU, he hit four-for-six from behind the three-point arc, and led the Hounds with a 20-point performance.

Monday, February 15, 2009

Carmona, Cruickshank, Clark and Wafer Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University winter and spring teams faced tough competition last week, with the basketball teams playing Tarleton and Midwestern, while the baseball team hosted Northeastern State. The softball team traveled to Phoenix, Ariz. For the Schutt Sports Leadoff Classic The ENMUSPorts.com Student Athletes of the week were Freddy Carmona (baseball), Kristen Cruickshank (softball), Lace Clark (women’s basketball) and Dannon Wafer (men’s basketball). Kristen Cruickshank (Jr., 1B/P, Glendale, Ariz./Deer Valley HS) turned in a prolific week at the plate in the Schutt Sports Leadoff Classic, batting .563 with six home runs including a walk-off blast and 16 runs batted in. He slugging percentage over the five games was a blistering 1.526 with seven extra base hits in 19 at bats. She also posted a 3.00 earned run average on the mound and posted a 2-0 record with 11 strike outs and just four walks over 15 innings. After batting .208 over the first six games of the season, Freddy Carmona (Sr., C, San Antonio, Texas/William H. Taft HS) got his bat going, hitting .615 in Eastern's conference opening series against Northeastern State, scoring seven runs, driving in three runs, cracking two doubles, drawing three walks and recording one sacrifice hit. He also led the team in slugging (.769) and on-base percentage (.688). Carmona hit safely in all four games, including back-to-back three-for-three performances with two runs scored in each of the two games. His performance helped the Hounds to win three of the four games in the series. Lace Clark (Fr., G, Keene, Texas/ Keene HS) averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds against Lone Star Conference opponents, Tarleton State and Midwestern State. She reached double figures in both contests, scoring 11 points against TSU and 10 against MSU. For the week, she connected on five three-point attempts. Dannon Wafer (Jr., G, Galveston, Texas, Trinity Valley CC/Galveston Ball HS) averaged 12 points, five rebounds, 2.5 assists and three assists in a week that saw the Greyhounds play at Tarleton and against Midwestern State. On Saturday, he connected on all five of his attempts from the floor and seven of his 10 shots from the free throw line, pouring in 17 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out four assists and grabbing four steals against MSU.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Vendrely, Cruickshank, Clay and Darby Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University winter and spring teams faced tough competition last week, with the basketball teams playing West Texas A&M twice, while the baseball team hosted NAIA powerhouse, Wayland Baptist. The softball team earned extra inning victories over Incarnate Word and St. Leo. The ENMUSPorts.com Student Athletes of the week were Paden Vendrely (baseball), Kristen Cruickshank (softball), Cat Clay (women’s basketball) and Equs Darby (men’s basketball). Kristen Cruickshank (Jr., 1B/P, Glendale, Ariz./Deer Valley HS)batted .500 at the highly competitive St. Mary's Classic, including a three-for-five performance with six runs batted in, a double and a homer in a 9-7 win over Incarnate Word. She hit safely in four out of the five contests, registering four multiple-hit games. On the mound, she recorded a 1-1 record with nine strike outs. Paden Vendrely (Jr., C/DH, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) batted .833 (5-for-6) in last weekend’s doubleheader against Wayland Baptist, drove in five runs and hit a home run. His slugging percentage for the two games was a blistering 1.333. Vendrely’s performance lifted the Hounds to a doubleheader split with the Pioneers. Cat Clay (So., F, Deming, N.M./ Deming HS) averaged 12.5 points and hit 42 percent from the floor, including a seven-for-14 performance from beyond the arc. Equs Darby (Jr., F, Lake City, S.C./Feather River CC/Lake City HS) averaged eight points per game and connected on 47.1 percent of his shot from the floor against. He also dished out four assists and grabbed a pair of steals.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Northcutt, Wafer and Aragon Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in strong performances last week, despite dropping hard fought decisions against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Angelo State. Tori Northcutt (women’s basketball) and Dannon Wafer (men’s basketball) were selected as ENMUSports.com Student-Athletes of the Week for the second consecutive week, while Matthew Aragon (baseball) turned in a strong performance for the baseball team in their first week of action Tori Northcutt (So., F, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) played all 80 minutes over contests against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Angelo State, hitting nine of 11 shots from the free throw line, averaging 10.5 points, 7.5 boards and six assists. She shot 50 percent from the floor against Kingsville and hit six of her seven attempts from the free-throw line. Dannon Wafer (Jr., G, Galveston, Texas, Trinity Valley CC/Galveston Ball HS) averaged 13.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game in LSC South contests against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Angelo State. Against the Rams, he nearly posted a double double in the first half, finishing the game with 13 points, 12 boards, three assists and a blocked shot. He also had 14 points against the Javelinas. Matthew Aragon (Sr., RHP, Albuquerque, Texas/Del Norte HS) turned in a stellar performance in his debut on the mound for the Greyhounds in their victory over Sul Ross. He allowed just three hits over seven innings, fanning seven batters and issuing just one walk. Aragon’s performance helped the Greyhound pitching staff post back-to-back shutouts for the first time since February 10, 2001.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Northcutt and Wafer Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in strong performances last week, despite dropping hard fought decisions against Tarleton State and Midwestern State. The ENMUSports.com Student-Athlete of the Week awards went to Tori Northcutt (women’s basketball) and Dannon Wafer (men’s basketball). Tori Northcutt (So., F, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) shot .714 from the floor, averaging 9.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. Against Tarleton State, she poured in 10 points, dished out five assists and grabbed six boards. Northcutt hit five of her seven attempts from the free throw line in the contest. On Saturday at Midwestern State, she scored nine points, dished out six assists and hit two of her three attempts from the three-point arc. Dannon Wafer (Jr., G, Galveston, Texas, Trinity Valley CC/Galveston Ball HS) averaged eight points and six rebounds over a pair games. At Midwestern State, he grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass and dished out three assists. Wafer recorded eight points in both games and shot .500 from the floor for the week.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Clay and Marshall Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in strong performances last week, despite dropping hard fought decisions at Abilene Christian. The ENMUSports.com Student-Athlete of the Week awards went to Vanessa Cat Clay (women’s basketball) and Jimmie Marshall (men’s basketball). Cat Clay (So., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) shot .545 from outside the three-point arc at Abilene Christian, scoring 21 points and grabbing six rebounds without committing a turnover in 32 minutes of play. She also shot 75 percent from the free throw line. Jimmie Marshall (Jr., G, Milwaukee, Wis., Iowa Lakes CC/Milwaukee Madison Univ. High School) poured in 10 points and dished out five assists in a tight game at Abilene Christian. He connected on five of his nine field goal attempts. Marshall's 10 points was nearly double his 6.1 points per game average, and he contributed on the defensive side of the court as well, with three steals.

January 11, 2008

O’Neal and King Selected as ENMUSports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in strong performances last week, despite dropping hard fought decisions to Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman’s University. The ENMUSports.com Student-Athlete of the Week awards went to Vanessa O'Neal (women’s basketball) and Aaron King (men’s basketball). Vanessa O'Neal (So., G, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS averaged 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in road contests against Lone Star Conference North Division opponents, Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman's. On Saturday, she notched the first double double of her career, scoring 17 points grabbing 12 boards, and four steals, all career highs. Aaron King (Jr., G, Los Angeles, Calif./Cerritos CC/Mayfair HS) scored a team-high 17 points at Texas A&M-Commerce, helping the Hounds pull within seven points several times after trailing by 16 points. The junior guard connected on a team-high three three-point baskets, including two within a 13-second span with less than 3:40 remaining in the game.

Monday, January 05, 2009

Clay and Darby Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in strong New Year’s performances, with the Zias splitting four games, including two Lone Star Conference crossovers, while the Greyhounds posted a 2-1 record. The ENMUSports.com Student-Athlete of the Week awards went to Cat Clay (women’s basketball) and Equs Darby (men’s basketball). Cat Clay's (So., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) 18.3 points per game average helped the Zias split four games, including an 18-point outburst in a hard fought loss to 11-1 St. Mary's. On Monday night, she scored 13 points, connecting on 42.9 percent of her three-point attempts to lead Eastern to a victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State. Equs Darby (Jr., F, Lake City, S.C./Feather River CC/Lake City HS) shot 64.3 percent over three games, in which the Hounds posted a 2-1 record. He poured in 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, going six-for-six from the free throw line as Eastern closed 2008 with a victory over Lubbock Christian. He grabbed eight boards on Saturday as the Hounds defeated Cameron in LSC crossover action and scored a career-high 23 points, hitting 10 of his 12 attempts from the floor in a tight loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Wafer and Fifer Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.—Dannon Wafer (men’s basketball) earned his third selection as ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week for his strong play at the St. Mary’s University River City Classic, while Til-Lois Fifer (women’s basketball) picked up her second selection of the season, for her performance in the Zias’ victory over New Mexico Highlands. Dannon Wafer (Jr., F, Galveston, Texas/Trinity Valley CC/Galveston Ball HS) averaged 11.5 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, connecting on a blistering 78.6 percent of his attempts from the field. He notched his third double double of the season against Arkansas Tech, pouring in 16 points and grabbing 10 boards. Til-Lois Fifer's (So., F, Tulia, Texas/Tulia HS) double double led the Zias to a 79-64 win over New Mexico Highlands last week. She connected on 54.5 percent of her shots to finish with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Fifer and Darby Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams turned in a busy weekend, with the Zias splitting a pair of Lone Star Conference crossover games, while the Greyhounds suffered a pair of two-point heartbreaking losses. The ENMUSports.com Student-Athlete of the Week awards went to Til-Lois Fifer (women’s basketball) and Equs Darby (men’s basketball). Til-Lois Fifer (So., F, Tulia, Texas/Tulia HS) averaged 12 points per contests as the Zias split a pair of games on back-to-back days. On Sunday, she grabbed seven rebounds and poured in a career-high 19 points, helping Eastern snap a four-game losing streak in a 58-52 win at East Central.. In just 36 minutes over a two day span, Equs Darby (Jr., F, Lake City, S.C./Feather River CC/Lake City HS) registered a team-best 25 points, a .600 field goal percentage and 10 rebounds. He connected on all six of his free throws and the only three-point shot he took. On Saturday, he poured in 15 points, five rebounds and two steals against Southeastern Oklahoma, scoring seven of the game's final 11 points. On Sunday, he turned in a 10 point effort against East Central with five rebounds.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Marshall and Bible Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The ENMUSports.com Student-Athlete of the Week awards for last week went to Kara Bible (women’s basketball) and Dannon Wafer (men’s basketball). Jimmie Marshall (Milwaukee, Wisc./Iowa Lakes CC/Milwaukee Madison Univ. High School) averaged nine points, three steals, three rebounds and two assists in games against Northeastern State and sixth ranked Central Oklahoma last week. Against UCO, he had a career-high 12 points and three steals. Kara Bible (So., C, Albuquerque, N.M./Cibola HS) averaged a team-best eight rebounds per game along with 7.7 points. She grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds in the Zia’s match up with defending Conference USA champion, Texas-El Paso and had a strong nine-point, seven rebound outing against 11th ranked Central Oklahoma..

Monday, December 01, 2008

Wafer and Clay Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams combined for a 5-0 record last week, with the ENMUSports.com Student-Athlete of the Week awards going to Cat Clay (women’s basketball) and Dannon Wafer (men’s basketball). The men’s team picked up two home victories, while the women’s team won all three games on their trip to Puerto Rico. Dannon Wafer's (Jr., G, Galveston, Texas/Trinity Valley CC/Galveston Ball HS) performance last week lifted the Greyhounds to victories over University of the Southwest and previously undefeated New Mexico Highlands. He recorded his second double double (16 points, 12 rebounds) of the season against 3-0 Highlands, a team that had not previously trailed in the second half this season, connecting on 75 percent of his eight attempts from the free throw line. Cat Clay (So., G, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) averaged a team-best 15.6 points per game on Eastern's trip to Puerto Rico, scoring 20 points and grabbing eight boards in a victory over Inter American-San German. Her performance helped the Zias top 90 points in all three games and post their first five-game win streak since the second half of the 2003-04 season.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Clark and Wafer Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University basketball teams continued the non-conference portion of their schedules last week, with the ENMUSports.com Student-Athlete of the Week awards going to Lace Clark (women’s basketball) and Dannon Wafer (men’s basketball). Lace Clark’s (Fr., F, Keene, Texas/Keene HS) performance helped the Zias to win games against Texas-Permian Basin and American University-Bayamon. She poured in 13 points against UTPB and 10 more against Bayamon, grabbing seven boards in each game. For the week, she averaged 11.5 points, seven rebounds and posted a .471 shooting percentage. Clark’s efforts have helped the Zias open their season by winning three of their first four games. Dannon Wafer (Jr., G, Galveston, Texas/Trinity Valley CC/Galveston Ball HS) recorded his first double-double from the Hounds on Friday against Western New Mexico, hitting for 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. For the week, he posted a .467 shooting percentage, while averaging eight points and 6.5 rebounds.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Franklin and Clay Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— With the beginning of November, the fall sports have ended and the Eastern New Mexico University men’s and women’s basketball teams have tipped off their seasons. The ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week awards go to Kelvin Franklin (men’s basketball) and Cat Clay (women’s basketball). Kelvin Franklin (Jr., G, Aurora, Colo./Western Nebraska JC) paced the Greyhounds in their season opener at New Mexico Highlands, pouring in 18 points and hitting a perfect seven-for-seven from the free-throw line. Franklin and the Hounds will continue their season on Monday, when they host Emporia State. Cat Clay (So., F, Deming, N.M./Deming HS) led the Zias with 12 points, hitting four of her six attempts from beyond the three-point line. The Zias will continue their road trip on Monday, visiting New Mexico Highlands.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Banyard, Wilson, Horak, Manzanares and King Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Last Saturday, all of the ENMU Fall teams concluded their seasons. This weeks’ selections have made significant contributions both in the record books and on the field, with the ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week awards going to Joseph Banyard (football), Kyle Wilson (football), Peter Horak (men’s soccer), Gilbert Manzanares (men's cross country and Jessica King (volleyball). Banyard rushed for a career-high 131 yards and three touchdowns, while Kyle Wilson had 3.4 sacks with 4.5 tackles for a loss, as The Greyhound football team snapped a 7-all second quarter tie against a tough Oklahoma Panhandle defense and pulled away for a 59-13 victory to close the season. Horak played the final 134:21 of the season in net for the Hounds as Eastern closed their season against 24th ranked West Texas A&M and top ranked Midwestern State. Manzanres was the top ENMU finisher at Saturday's NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championship, held in San Antonio, Texas. He placed 79th in the 10k run. King hit .337 over the week with 25 kills, including 13 kills in the season finale against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Harp, Lawrence, James and Murphy Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— With the fall season winding down, numerous changes have occurred in the team record books. This weeks’ selections have made significant contributions both in the record books and on the field, with the ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week awards going to J.J. Harp (football), Samantha Lawrence (women’s soccer), Michael James (men’s soccer), and Caitlin Murphy (volleyball). J.J. Harp (Fr., QB, Argyle, Texas/Argyle HS) set new Greyhound single-game records for completions (37) and pass attempts (70) in Eastern’s Lone Star Conference South Division finale at Midwestern State. In passing for 303 yards, he became the first ENMU quarterback since Mike Scott on October 21, 1989 to throw for at least 300 yards in a game. In tossing two touchdown passes, he has recorded multiple touchdown passes in four straight games. Samantha Lawrence (Jr., F, Roswell, N.M./Goddard HS) continued her prolific season, shattering the team record for game-winning goals in a season with her seventh, lifting the Zias to a 2-1 overtime victory at Angelo State. She has shattered nearly every ENMU offensive record this season. Michael James (Sr., D, Gloucester, England (Bishop Lynch High School) netted the game winner on Sunday, as the Greyhounds picked up a 2-1 victory at St. Mary’s. Caitlin Murphy (Jr., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) recorded 52 digs over the week, becoming just the third player in ENMU history to reach 600 digs in a season and the first in 19 years. She had 24 digs against East Central and two service aces against regionally ranked Southeastern Oklahoma State.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Stevens, Nylaan, Monarrez and Weitz, Robertson and Martin Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall teams turned in strong performances last week, with the ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week awards going to Tillman Stevens, Jr. (football), Samantha Lawrence (women’s soccer), Artur Oliveira (men’s soccer), Megan Weitz (volleyball), Logan Robertson (men’s cross country) and Jerri Martin (women’s cross country). Tillman Stevens Jr. (So., DB, Baytown, Texas/Sterling HS) made a team-best six unassisted tackles against regionally-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville, had an interception and a quarterback pressure. His performance helped the defense to force four turnovers, record three sacks and four QB hurries. Christie Nylaan (So., D, Keller, Teas/Keller HS) netted her third goal of the season, giving the Zias trimming the Zia’s deficit to one goal against Midwestern State with 1:23 remaining in the team’s lone game of the week. Gerardo Monarrez (So., F, Sunland Park, N.M./Santa Teresa) netted the first game-winning goal of the season, lifting the Greyhound soccer team to a 1-0 road victory over Midwestern State. The goal was his second of the season. Megan Weitz (Sr., MB, Richland, Wash/Columbia Basin CC/Richland HS) posted a team-best .357 attack percentage, finishing the week with 26 kills over 10 sets along with six blocks. On Tuesday, she hit .458 with 13 kills and just two attack errors against nationally ranked and once defeated Lubbock Christian. Weitz hit .235 and .333 against Cameron and Midwestern State respectively. Logan Robertson (So., Monroe, Wisc./Monroe HS) was the Greyhounds top finisher at the Lone Star Conference men’s cross country championships, finishing the 7,700-meter run in 26:01. Jerri Martin (Fr., Midland, Texas/Midland HS) was the first Zia runner to cross the finish line at the LSC Championships, completing the 6k run in 26:29.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Banyard, Lawrence, Oliveira and Murphy Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall teams turned in strong performances last week, with the ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week awards going to Joseph Banyard (football), Samantha Lawrence (women’s soccer), Artur Oliveira (men’s soccer), and Caitlin Murphy (volleyball). Joseph Banyard (So., RB, Sweetwater, Texas/TCU/Sweetwater HS) turned in his best performance of the season, gaining 8.3 yards per carry for a total of 91 yards against 17th ranked Tarleton State, the 15th best rushing defense in the country. In the first quarter, he broke through the line for a season-best 50-yard run, just five yards shy of the longest run given up by the TSU defense this season. Samantha Lawrence (Jr., F, Roswell, N.M./Goddard HS) netted her 14th goal of the season, giving the Zias an early lead against Texas A&M-Commerce. Six of her nine shots over the two games last week were on goal. Artur Oliveira (Jr., MF, Natal, RN, Brazil/Colegio Imaculata Conceilao) netted his first goal of the season, 21 minutes into Eastern's contest against Incarnate Word, tying the game at 1-1. UIW entered the contest ranked third in the South Central Region, while Eastern was tied for seventh in the latest NSCAA poll. Caitlin Murphy (Jr., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) Caitlin Murphy continued her string of strong defensive performances for the Zias last week, averaging more than six digs per set and posting a service reception percentage of .945 with just five errors in 91 opportunities. In 24 serves, she had one service ace and no errors. The junior libero currently ranks second in the Lone Star Conference in digs per set and 15th nationally in the NCAA Division II.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Perez, Cunningham, Garcia, Murphy, Robertson and Gamiz Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall teams turned in strong performances last week, with the ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week awards going to Allen Perez (football), Alicia Cunningham (women’s soccer), Odilon Garcia (men’s soccer), Caitlin Murphy (volleyball), Logan Robertson (men’s cross country) and Yared Gamiz (women’s cross country). Allen Perez (Sr., LB, Roswell, N.M./Roswell HS) recorded career highs in both tackles (12) and interceptions (2) against fourth ranked West Texas A&M. Perez's two interceptions, with one going for a 23-yard touchdown fueled Eastern's comeback attempt, with the team scoring 27 unanswered points, and was just the first game this season in which WTAMU quarterback Keith Null tossed more than one interception. Alicia Cunningham (So., F, Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) netted the first game-winning goal of her career, lifting the Zias to their first road victory of the season, a 1-0 win at Southwestern Oklahoma State. For the week, she had a .500 shot percentage. Odilon Garcia (Fr., MF, Ogden, Utah/Ben Lomond HS) netted the double-overtime, game-winning goal in Eastern's first victory over West Texas A&M last Wednesday. He had two shots in the game. The goal was his second of the season. Caitlin Murphy (Jr., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) recorded an incredible .986 service reception percentage for the week, with just one error in 71 total attempts. She finished with 51 digs over three matches with 21 against Texas A&M-Commerce. Logan Robertson (So., Monroe, Wis./Monroe HS) led the Greyhounds for the third time in four meets, turning in a fifth place finish in the 8k run at Texas-Permian Basin. His performance helped the Greyhounds place second at the meet, 60 points ahead of the third place finisher. For the second time this season, Yared Gamiz (Fr., Midland, Texas/Midland HS) paced the Zias, turning in an 11th place performance in the 5k run at UTPB and finishing with a time of 23:20.90. Her effort helped Eastern to place second in the team standings

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Green, Sumner, James, and Valdez-Kent Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall teams turned in strong performances last week, with the ENMUSports.com Student Athlete of the Week awards going to Ronald Green (football), Michelle Sumner (women’s soccer), Michael James (men’s soccer) and Veronica Valdez-Kent (volleyball). Ronald Green (Sr., NT, Lakeland, Fla./Miss. Valley State/Blake HS) turned in an outstanding week on the defensive line for the Greyhounds in their Lone Star Conference game at Angelo State. Not only did he make 11 tackles including 3.5 for a loss (19 yards), 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, but his presence allowed Texavier Henry (Jr., LB, Pearland, Texas/Pearland HS) and Jeremy Hibbler (Sr., DB, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) to make 14 and 12 tackles respectively. Green currently leads the Hounds in sacks (3.5) and is ranked in several statistical categories in the conference, Michelle Sumner (Sr., D, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) from the women’s soccer tallied her second goal of the season last Friday against Northeastern State and her defensive efforts on Sunday helped the Zias limit East Central to just four shots on goal. Michael James (Sr., D, Gloucester, England /Bishop Lynch HS) scored his third goal of the season against Texas A&M-International, heading a ball out of a crowd in front of the Dustdevil’s net to give Eastern a 1-0 lead late in the opening half. Veronica Valdez-Kent (So., OH, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) played strong both offensively and defensively for the Zias. Overall, she had team highs in kills (30) and attack percentage (.208). In a four-set victory over Texas A&M-International, she paced the squad with 18 kills and a .333 attack percentage.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Harp, Lawrence, Rodrigues, Robertson, and Murphy Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall teams turned in a strong week, with men’s soccer team posting a 1-1 record including a win over a tough Mesa State team. The women’s soccer team won both of their games and Volleyball picked up a hard fought win over Wayland Baptist. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week are J.J. Harp (football), Samantha Lawrence (women’s soccer), Emerson Rodrigues (men’s soccer), and Caitlin Murphy (volleyball). In his first collegiate start, ENMU quarterback J.J. Harp (Fr., Flower Mound, Texas/Argyle HS) not only tied a school record for completions, he accomplished the feat against Abilene Christian, the fourth ranked team in the country. Harp got off to a quick start, completing five of his first six passes, leading Eastern to five first downs on their first two possessions. In the second quarter, he showed poise, leading a 16-play, 76-yard touchdown drive, and he followed in the third quarter with a 12-play, 53 yard drive resulting in a field goal. During the game, he completed passes to 10 different receivers, with four players catching five or more passes. Samantha Lawrence (Jr., F, Roswell, N.M./Goddard HS) from the women’s soccer currently has a seven-game goal-scoring streak, finding the back of the opposition’s net a single-season record 12 times over that span. Last week, she became the first player in ENMU history to net multiple hat tricks in the same season, moved up on several single-season and career lists. Emerson Rodrigues (Natal, RN, Brazil/Colegio Objectivo Potiguar) continued his prolific season for the Hounds netting two goals against Mesa State, including the game-winner. So far this season, he has seven goals including two game-winning goals and has scored in four of the Greyhounds' seven games this season. Caitlin Murphy (JR., L, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) continued her to play outstanding defense for the Zias last week, registering 6.36 digs per set over three matches, more that a full dig per set above her season average of 5.16. She also paced Eastern with four service aces and had a .944 reception percentage in 72 opportunities. AS the Zias rallied from a two sets to one deficit to defeat Wayland Baptist, Murphy kept ENMU in the match with four service aces, a .963 service reception percentage and a career-high 37 digs.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Hibbler, Lawrence, Horak, Robertson, Martin and King Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall teams turned in a strong week, with men’s soccer team posting a 1-0-2 record including a win and tie in Southwest Soccer Conference action. The women’s soccer team split their two games and the cross country teams both placed seventh at Texas Tech. The ENMUSports.com Student Athletes of the Week are Jeremy Hibbler (football), Samantha Lawrence (women’s soccer), Peter Horak (men’s soccer), Jessica King (volleyball), Jerri Martin (women’s cross country) and Logan Robertson (men’s cross country). Jeremy Hibbler (Sr., DB, Canyon, Texas/Texas HS) from the football team paced the Hounds’ defense last week at Texas A&M-Commerce, making 13 total tackles including nine solo stops with one for a loss and forced a fumble. Through four games, He leads the team with 56 tackles including 22 solos with an interception, a forced fumble, a blocked kick and three passes broken up. Samantha Lawrence (Jr., F, Roswell, N.M./Goddard HS) from the women’s soccer currently has a five-game goal-scoring streak, finding the back of the opposition’s net seven times over that span. Last week, she scored twice, including her third game-winner of the season, in a 1-0 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State. She leads the team with seven goals this season and her 22 career goals trails only Megan Dozier’s 33, scored from the 2003 season through the 2006 season. Peter Horak (So., GK, Española, N.M./Los Alamos HS) posted two shutouts last week, including contests against a tough Texas-Permian Basin team and in the SSC opener against Missouri Southern. On Sunday, his shutout lifted the Greyhounds to their first ever victory over Northeastern State. Over the three games, he posted a 0.64 goals against average. Jessica King (Fr., MB, Las Cruces, N.M./Oñate HS) continued to emerge as an offensive weapon for the Zias, topping her season averages of 1.57 kills per set and a .147 attack percentage with 2.33 kills per set and a .353 attack percentage in last week’s match at New Mexico Highlands. Yared Gamiz was the top finisher for the women’s cross country team, for the third straight week, placing 43rd in the 5k run at the Texas Tech Jackrabbit Open with a time of 22:48.11. Logan Robertson (So., Monroe, Wisc/Monroe HS) from the men’s cross country team led the Greyhounds for the second time in three invitationals, placing 43rd in the 8k run at the Texas Tech Jackrabbit Open with a time of 28:11.32

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Koch, Uland and Elizondo Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— Three teams were in action last week for Eastern New Mexico University Athletics and the selections for ENMUSports.com Athlete of the Week were Nathan Uland (Jr., LB Denton, Texas/Ryan HS), Andrea Elizondo (Fr., MF, El Paso, Texas/Eastwood HS) and Sarah Koch (Fr., OH, Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho HS). Uland, a linebacker from the ENMU football team. reached career-highs in total tackles (14) and solo tackles (6) against Southeastern Oklahoma State. He also foiled SOSU's final drive of the first half by recovering a fumble in the Greyhound end zone for a touchback. Elizondo, a midfielder from the women’s soccer team, netted her second and third goals of her career last week, and had an assist on Samantha Lawrence's game-winning goal. She scored twice on her three shots on goal. Her performance propelled the Zias to a 6-2 win over Wayland Baptist. Koch, an outside hitter from the Zia volleyball team, turned in one of her best weeks so far in a Zia uniform, posting a .225 attack percentage and an .800 receiving percentage along with five total blocks and 46 kills. Her performance improved as the week continued, with her registering a team-best 2.62 kills and a .375 attack percentage in victories over East Central and Grand Canyon.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Baker, Green, Poku, Lawrence, Rodrigues, Vanderploeg, Martin and Baiywo Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University fall teams turned in a stellar week, with the football team defeating Southwestern Oklahoma, volleyball picking up two wins at the Cal State Monterey Bay tournament, women’s soccer picking up two wins, men’s soccer splitting two games and the cross country teams both placing fourth at Abilene Christian. Cory Baker (So., QB, La Vernia, Texas/La Vernia HS), Ronald Green (Sr., DT, Lakeland, Fla./Blake HS/Mississippi Valley State) and Jessie Poku (Jr., WR, Murphy, Texas/Richardson HS) all share football honors this week for their contributions to the Hounds’ bounce-back 37-24 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State Baker’s 34-for-46 passing performance came within inches of the Hounds’ record book, falling just two completions short of the ENMU single-game record, while his three touchdown passes was a feat last accomplished during the 1998 season. Green turned in another strong performance, anchoring the defense at nose tackle, and finishing with six tackles, three tackles for a loss including two sacks, a quarterback hurry and a pass broken up. Poku became the first ENMU receiver in at least a decade to reach double figures in receptions in a game, finishing with 10 receptions for 124 yards and a 40-yard touchdown catch. Samantha Lawrence (Jr., F, Roswell, N.M./Goddard HS) from the women’s soccer team showed that she knows where the back of the opponent’s net is, scoring three times in a 3-2 victory over Colorado Christian. She also scored a single goal against College of the Southwest. Lawrence now stands in third place on the Zias’ career points list with 39, trailing Anna Funck for second place by just two points. She also moved past Funck into second on the career goals list, and now has 19 after two full seasons and five games. Emerson Rodrigues (Fr., F, Natal, RN, Brazil/Colegio Objectivo Potiguar) from the men’s soccer team scored twice on Sunday, propelling the Hounds to their first win of the season, a 3-0 shutout of Colorado Christian. Nicole Vanderploeg’s (Sr., OH, Poway, Calif./NMMI/Poway HS) performance both offensively and defensively helped to propel the Zia volleyball team to a pair of wins at the Cal State-Monterey Bay tournament. She tied for the team lead in digs with 34, recorded an .885 reception percentage along with 26 kills and two service aces. The Zias opened tournament play with a three-set sweep of William Jessup before defeating Cal State-Stanislaus in four sets. Jerri Martin (Jr., Gallup, N.M./Gallup HS) was the top finisher for the women’s cross country team, placing 16th at Abilene Christian with a three-mile time of 20:58.06, almost three minutes better than her time from last week. Kennedy Baiywo (Sr., Eldoret, Kenya/Samoei HS) from the men’s cross country team crossed the finish line of the four-mile run at the 22:49.22 mark, almost five minutes better than his time (27:38.60) from the TTU/WBU Triangular.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Hibbler, Robertson, Martin, Murphy and Nylaan Selected ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week to open 2008 Fall Seasons

PORTALES, N.M.— The fall sports seasons at Eastern New Mexico University last Thursday and the quintet of Jeremy Hibbler (Sr., FB, Amarillo, Texas/West Texas A&M/Amarillo HS), Logan Robertson (So., MCC, Monore, Wis./Morgan HS), Jerri Martin (Jr., WCC, Gallup. N.M./Gallup HS), Caitlin Murphy (Jr., VB, Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS) and Christie Nylaan (So., WS, Keller, Texas/Keller HS) have been selected as the ENMUsports.com Athletes of the Week. Hibbler, a defensive back on the football team, recorded 14 tackles in the season opener at Southern Nazarene with three solo stops, an interception and a pass breakup. His performance helped to limit a Southern Nazarene offense that was on the field for 41:11 of the game to just 16 points. Robertson and Martin were the top finishers for the Greyhound and Zia cross country teams at the Texas Tech/Wayland Baptist Triangular. Robertson placed 17th in the four-mile run at 25:20.20, while Martin came in 15th in the three-mile run in 22:53.40. Murphy, a libero on the Zia volleyball team, averaged a team best 4.71 digs per game (66 total) over the weekend's four matches. In 100 total attempts, she posted a .930 service reception percentage with just seven errors. She also recorded two service ages, and five assists. She recorded at least 13 digs in all four matches, including 19-dig performances against Missouri Southern State and Rollins College. Nylaan, a defender on the Zia soccer team scored the team’s first goal of the season and the first overall of her career against Dixie State. The goal came 19:38 into the first half and gave ENMU a 1-0 lead in the game.