GOLF
AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE GOLFER OF THE WEEK
Competitions: April 6-10, 2018
MEN’S GOLFER OF THE WEEK: Seger Howell, Jr., Concordia Texas
Concordia University Texas junior Seger Howell (Live Oak, Texas) won his third Player of the Week award of the year and ninth of his career after he shot back-to-back under-par rounds on Monday and ran away with his third-straight individual tournament title at the West Region Invitational. He fired a one-over 72 in the final round, to win by eight shots. It is the third win of the season for Howell, tying a school record, and the seventh of his career, a program record.
WOMEN’S GOLFER OF THE WEEK: Katelyn Hicken, So., UT Tyler
The University of Texas at Tyler sophomore Katelyn Hicken (Frisco, Texas) won her second straight tournament title after winning the D3 West Region Invitational on Tuesday at Berry Creek Country Club in Georgetown. Hicken, who recorded a hole-in-one during her final round, shot an 80-77=157 during the final regular season tournament of the season for the tournament title.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
MEN
UT Tyler junior Tyler Uhlig (Magnolia, Texas) went 3-0-1 at the DIII Match Play Invite in Greensboro, N.C. to lead the Patriots to a runner-up finish at the prestigious event. Uhlig won 3&2 in the finals against Hope after also securing a 3&2 win in the semifinals of a 3-2-0 win by UT Tyler over Greensboro. Uhlig’s only non-win came with an all-square result against Mary Washington after he had won a 5&3 decision last Friday to start the event in the first round.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor senior Kyle Revis (Temple, Texas) fired a 72-75-77=224 to tie for fifth place at the West Region Invitational. He posted his second top-five finish this season and helped lead the Cru to a third-place team finish.
WOMEN
Mary Hardin-Baylor senior Emily Ming (Lynden, Wash.) finished in third place at the West Region Invitational after shooting 79-85=164. She posted the low individual finish for the Cru women and had her first top-five finish of the season.
Concordia Texas freshman Loren Nevers (Comfort, Texas) Loren Nevers improved her final round score by one stroke to finish in a tie for fourth at the West Region Invitational on Tuesday. For the tournament, she shot an 83-82=165.
TENNIS
AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE TENNIS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Matches: April 6-9, 2018
WEST DIVISION WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kathy Joseph, So., UT Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas sophomore Kathy Joseph (Williston, Vt.) earned her fourth Player of the Week honors of the season by going 2-0 in singles play, and 2-0 in doubles action as the Comets split a pair of matches over the weekend. In UTD’s 9-0 home win over McMurry, Joseph claimed a straight-set victory 6-2, 6-1, after earning an 8-2 win with partner Sindhu Ravula at No. 1 doubles earlier in the match. In Sunday’s 6-3 loss at No. 20-ranked Trinity, Joseph had two of the Comets’ three wins. She and Ravula partnered up again, earning an 8-4 win over TU’s Mary Kaffen/Andrea De Leon, the No. 11-ranked doubles team in the region. Joseph closed her week with a 6-0, 6-1, win at No. 2.
EAST DIVISION WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Alexis Arrieta, Sr., UT Tyler
The University of Texas at Tyler senior Alexis Arrieta (Georgetown, Texas) picked up her second Player of the Week award of the year. It was the third of her career with a perfect week of play by going 2-0 in first doubles with partner Alexandra McKissick and also winning two singles matches at No. 2 in victories over Ozarks and LeTourneau at home. Arrieta and McKissick won both of their matches with 8-1 margins, while Arrieta was a 6-0, 6-0 winner against Ozarks on Sunday and then rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 first singles win over LeTourneau.
WEST DIVISION MEN’S PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Carlos Martinez, So., McMurry
McMurry University sophomore Carlos Martinez (Monterrey, Mexico) improved his team-leading singles record to 12-2 after picking up first singles wins over Howard Payne (6-2, 6-1) and UT Dallas (6-3, 7-6 (11-9)). He also teamed with Clayton Pope in number one doubles for victories against HPU and UTD to extend their winning streak to four.
EAST DIVISION MEN’S PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Melle Van Duijn, So., Ozarks
University of the Ozarks sophomore Melle Van Duijn (Nelson, New Zealand) earned his second Player of the Week award of the season by posting a 2-0 record at No. 1 doubles and a 1-1 record at No. 1 singles. Van Duijn and Spencer Turner teamed up for an 8-5 win over LeTourneau to start the weekend. Van Duijn also had a 6-2, 6-3 win in singles play against the YellowJackets. Van Duijn and Turner later posted a big 8-6 win against No. 30 UT Tyler to cap an intense weekend of play.
OTHER WOMEN’S PERFORMANCES
Sul Ross State University senior Alexa Gallardo (El Paso, Texas) posted an undefeated record in doubles and singles competition last week. Gallardo registered a pair of wins at No. 2 singles against Mary Hardin-Baylor and Concordia Texas and teamed up with Annette Posada at No. 1 doubles for two victories.
Concordia University Texas sophomore Justus Aarhus (Georgetown, Texas) improved to 7-4 on the season in singles matches, including a 5-4 at line one, defeating Sul Ross State in straight sets on Saturday.
Hardin-Simmons University senior Michaela Ellison (Lampasas, Texas) dropped both of her matches at Southwestern but helped the Cowgirls to their first win of the season at Howard Payne. She won 9-7 at No. 1 doubles with Abigail Kennedy and won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.
OTHER MEN’S PERFORMANCES
Mary Hardin-Baylor sophomore Jace Mahan (Lufkin, Texas) was undefeated in singles play and went 1-1 in doubles last week. His wins at third singles and second doubles helped propel the Cru to an ASC West Division victory over Sul Ross State. Jace added a gritty, three-set win at fifth singles to give UMHB one of its points in a non-conference loss to Southwestern.
Concordia Texas junior Hoanh Le (Phan Thiet, Vietnam) went 2-0 on the week, winning both his singles and doubles matches handily over Sul Ross State in the top spot.
UT Dallas senior Ryan Morton (Odessa, Texas) earned a win at singles and doubles on Saturday as the Comets earned a 7-2 win over McMurry in ASC West action. Morton and teammate Eric Chen collected an 8-2 win at No. 3 doubles. Morton then added a 6-4, 6-0, win at No. 6 singles over the War Hawks.
Hardin-Simmons sophomore Jordan Davis (Andrews, Texas) won 6-1, 6-4 over Southwestern at No. 5 singles for the Cowboys’ only singles win against the Pirates. He also won 6-0, 6-0 against Howard Payne. At No. 1 doubles, he went 1-1 on the week.
UT Tyler freshman Jose Currea (Bogota, Colombia) went 4-0 last week with two singles wins, and two doubles win as the No. 30 Patriots rolled through matches against Ozarks and LeTourneau. Currea, who is now 8-3 in singles play this season, started with a 6-0, 6-0 third singles win over Ozarks on Sunday and then cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 third singles win over LeTourneau. In doubles play, Currea and his partner Alexandre Bouchard were 8-4 third doubles winners on both days and are now 3-0 as teammates this season.
TRACK AND FIELD
AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Competitions: April 5-8, 2018
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Raul Villalpando, Jr., Concordia Texas
Concordia Texas junior Raul Villalpando (San Antonio, Texas) ran a season-best 14.95 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, placing second at the Texas Lutheran Bulldog Relays. He would also finish fifth in the 400-meter dash in 56.29.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Austin Parrish, Fr., LeTourneau
LeTourneau University freshman Austin Parrish (Carthage, Texas) earned his second Athlete of the Week honors of the year by clearing 16 feet in the pole vault for the first time in his career. He placed fourth behind a trio of NCAA Division I athletes by vaulting 4.90 meters (16 ft.-.75 in.). Parrish’s mark ranks fifth in the nation in Division III.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Hannah Smith, Jr., Ozarks
Ozarks junior Hannah Smith (Blue Eye, Mo.) ran her fastest time and an ASC-best 12:05.08 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to place second overall Little Rock Open. Smith also placed seventh in the 1500 meters with a time of 5:09.32. It is Smith’s second Athlete of the Week award in her career.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Alexiz Hunter, Jr., McMurry
McMurry University junior Alexiz Hunter (Georgetown, Texas) had a career-best heave of 47.57 meters (156 ft.-1 in.) in the discus, placing third behind two NCAA Division II competitors at the Angelo State David Noble Relays. Her effort ranked first in ASC, second among NCAA III competitors and led the NCAA III South/Southeast Regional rankings by better than 20 feet.
OTHER TOP MEN’S PERFORMANCES
Belhaven University senior Andric Thomas (Delta City, Miss.) led the Blazers with 16 points at the Rhodes 7-Way Meet in Memphis, Tenn. He won the 200-meter dash in 23.02 seconds and placed third in the 400 meters in 51.79.
Concordia Texas junior Gabriel Spivey (San Antonio, Texas) won his second long jump event of the season, leaping 6.56 meters (21 ft.-6.25 in.), at the Bulldog Relays.
McMurry junior Krystofer Campos (Knox City, Texas) had a career-best shot put of 15.28 meters (50 ft.-1.75 in.) to place eighth at the Angelo State David Noble Relays. His mark leads the ASC and ranks 22nd in the country.
East Texas Baptist University sophomore Thomas Reynolds (Marshall, Texas) was the top Division III thrower against Division I competition at the SFA Carl Knight Invitational. He places ninth in the shot put with a throw of 14.52 meters (47 ft.-7.75 in.)
Ozarks freshman Michael Harris (Elkins, Ark.) finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:02.72 at the Little Rock Open.
East Texas Baptist freshman Roderick Monroe (Shreveport, La.) placed 12th in the 100-meter dash and was the top DIII runner at the SFA Carl Knight Invitational with a time of 11.10 seconds. He also ran the 200 meters in 23.55.
OTHER TOP WOMEN’S PERFORMANCES
Concordia Texas junior Emily Villines (Huntsville, Texas) ran a personal-best in the 800 meters with a time of 2:28.04, finishing third at the TLU Bulldog Relays.
Concordia Texas sophomore Stefanie Saenz (San Antonio, Texas) threw a season-best hammer throw at the Bulldog Relays with a distance of 25.61 meters (84 ft.)
Belhaven junior Aliah McPhaul (Leesville, La.) led the Blazers with 28 points at the Rhodes 7-Way Meet. She won the shot put with a throw of 12.38 meters (40 ft.-7.5 in.) and took first in the discus at 40.47 meters (132 ft.-9 in.). McPhaul was also second in the hammer throw at 36.86 meters (120 ft.-11 in.).
East Texas Baptist freshman Chloe Woodson (Chireno, Texas) finished seventh at the SFA Carl Knight Invitational in the javelin with a throw of 29.78 meters (94 ft.-5 in.).
Cody Usher
Assistant Commissioner
American Southwest Conference