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TAMUC – Sports

Lions pick up a 1-nil win over Ouachita Baptist in a home opener.·          

COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team scored a 1-0 win over Ouachita Baptist on Thursday evening. The Lions controlled the ball for much of the game. They were able to punch in the goal they needed to win. 

The win brings the Lions to 2-0-1 on the season, while the Tigers fall to 1-2-0 on the year. 

A&M-Commerce returns to action on Sunday with a home match against Emporia State. The game will be at Noon at the Lion Soccer Field. You can buy tickets to all Lion home matches by visiting WeAreLionsTix.comby calling (903) 468-8756, by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office in the Field House during business hours or by purchase at the gate. 

QUOTES AFTER THE GAME

Head coach Neil Piper (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiqhLMueiL0)

– On the team performance: I thought from the get-go, we took control of the game. That is the first time this year that we have done that. It was our best performance so far. Being at home in front of our crowd helped a lot. The only downfall was we probably should have been up by two or three at the half, but we kept them in it. But we had some good saves in the second half and kept them at bay.

– On the offense: It started to look more like what we want. We were more dangerous than we have been in previous games. We looked like we had a clue about what we were doing. The first two games, we were just out there. Today we had a plan and for the most part, did well. We should have scored more on some of those corners, but I’ll take a win. 

Junior Kara Blasingame (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7n9xQAFKLQ)

– On being back at home: “It felt awesome to play at home. We had not played at home in almost a year at our field. To have that night-time crowd, you really can’t beat it.

– Her thoughts on the goal: “It’s really been a goal of mine to contribute more for the team. I’ve been working a lot this summer on shooting and being able to be a bigger part of the team offensively. I’m happy that I could help my team out and we could get this win today.” 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Lions outshot OBU 20-9 in the match, the first time this season the Lions have won total shot attempts.

– Kara Blasingame (Oswego, Ill.) pushed in her first goal of the season in the 33rd minute. She found space and blasted the ball into the net with her right foot.

– Skylar Sorrell (Monroe, La.) assisted on the goal, her first assist of the season and had a shot on goal.

– Kasey Sorbers (Rowlett – Sachse) and Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) also had shots on goal. Naomi Sink (Plano – Plano East Senior) had a shot go off the crossbar.

– Jen Peters (Allen) had her third consecutive shutout, saving all four shots on goal. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions took control of possession early and held on for much of the first half. The Lions earned an early corner kick and had three shots all just miss the goal in the first two minutes of the half. 

Peters made a save in the ninth minute as the Tigers found some space. The Lions continued to control possession, firing multiple shots early in the half that was off the mark. The Lions also were able to earn several corner kicks in the first half, allowing them opportunities to attack. 

Sorrell had a shot on in the 30th minute that was saved by the OBU keeper. The Lions capitalized on their next chance. Sorrell found Blasingame down the left side of the pitch. Using her speed, Blasingame switched the ball from her left to right foot, finding space to fire the ball at the net. The ball met nylon in the upper right corner as the keeper could not react in time, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead. 

The Lions had ten corner kicks in the first half and had 13 total shots in the half, while OBU had five. 

The Lions had an opportunity to add to their lead in the 70th minute as a shot from Sink hit off the crossbar. The Lions found the rebound but a second shot was high and missed the net. 

Peters made a save in the 79th minute as the Tigers made one final push to tie the game. However, the Lion defense clamped down to end, and they came away with the win.

 

Timon Kemboi earns both LSC Runner of the Week and LSC Cross Country Freshman of the Week.

RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce student-athlete Timon Kemboi has been named the Lone Star Conference Male Runner of the Week, as well as the LSC male cross country Freshman of the Week. The awards were announced by the conference office on Wednesday. 

Kemboi– a freshman from Eldoret, Kenya, began his A&M-Commerce cross country career with a flourish. He won the individual championship and lead his team to the team championship at the Lions’ East Texas Shootout meet. In his first-ever collegiate cross country race, Kemboi finished the eight-kilometer course in 25:54.59, defeating the next closest collegiate competitor by more than 37 seconds.

He is the first Lion runner to win LSC Cross Country Runner of the Week honors since Turner Pool did so three times in 2016. 

Kemboi and the Lions will next race on Sept. 21 in Joplin, Mo. as part of the Missouri Southern Stampede. 

2019 LSC CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

Male

Sept. 11: Timon Kemboi, A&M-Commerce 

Female

Sept. 11: Leah Lewis, DBU 

Male Freshman

Sept. 11: Timon Kemboi, A&M-Commerce 

Female Freshman

Sept. 11: Emily Mackel, DBU

 

No. 12 Lions embark on the longest road trip in program history for WOU game.

 GAME NOTES ATTACHED

COMMERCE – The No. 12 Texas A&M University-Commerce football team heads west on its most extended road trip in program history for the second game of 2019, taking on Western Oregon University on Saturday afternoon. 

WHO: Texas A&M University-Commerce at Western Oregon University

WHERE: Monmouth, Ore. | McArthur Field

WHEN: 1:05 p.m. PDT (3:05 CDT) on Saturday, September 14

RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 1-0 after an 83-0 win over Selección Nuevo León. Western Oregon is 0-1 after a 20-45 loss at Angelo State.

RANKINGS: A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 12 in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll and the D2Football.com Media Poll. Western Oregon is unranked.

LIVE AUDIO: Lion Sports Network — KETR 88.9 FM, Commerce (http://www.ketr.org)

LIVE VIDEO: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/wou/

LIVE STATS: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/wou/

NOTES FROM NUEVO LEÓN

• The 83-0 win was the Lions’ most significant margin of victory since an 80-0 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Halloween in 1953.

• The 43 points scored in the first quarter set a program record for points in a quarter. The previous record was 32 points scored against Angelo State in the second quarter on November 2, 1991.

• The Lions did not set records for points in a half (57) or game (98), which happened against East Texas Baptist in 2014. A&M-Commerce scored 49 points in the first half vs. Nuevo León.

• The minus-83 yards allowed overall obliterated the previous record for fewest yards allowed. The Lions allowed 37 total yards (minus-35 rushing, 72 passing) vs. Northwest Missouri State in 1994.

• The minus-80 rushing yards allowed tops last year’s record of minus-69 rushing yards allowed at UT Permian Basin.

• The minus-3 passing yards is the first-ever negative passing yardage day for the Lions defense. The Lions had previously allowed no passing yards on three occasions – Sam Houston State in 1946, Angelo State in 1971, and Henderson State in 1993. 

BAILIFF BEGINS

• Lion Football head coach David Bailiff, hired in December 2018, is the 20th head football coach at A&M-Commerce.

• Since East Texas joined the Lone Star Conference as charter members in 1931, Bailiff is the 13th head coach of the Lions.

• Coach Bailiff was the head coach at Texas State University from 2004-06 and at Rice University from 2007-17. The Lions’ 2019 season will be Bailiff’s 15th season as a collegiate head coach.

 • As a collegiate head coach, Bailiff has led a team to the NCAA Division I National Semifinals and has made five total postseason appearances with a 5-2 postseason record.

• The 2005 Texas State Bobcats were Division I National Semifinalists, and Bailiff led the Rice Owls to four bowls with a 3-1 record in those games.

 • Coach Bailiff has led teams to 10-win seasons in three seasons (one at Texas State, two at Rice). Under his watch, the Owls had the most wins in school history over a two (18), three (25), and four (30) year periods. Rice’s 18-9 mark from 2013-14 was the second-best of any FBS program in Texas.

LION COACHES IN THEIR FIRST SEASON

Year Coach Overall LSC
2019 David Bailiff 1-0
2013 Colby Carthel 7-5 2-4
2009 Guy Morriss 5-5 5-4
2004 Scotty Conley 4-6 4-5
1999 Eddie Brister 4-7 4-5
1986 Eddie Vowell 2-9 1-5
1964 Ernest Hawkins 2-7 1-5
1954 J.V. Sikes 6-3-1 5-0-1
1951 M.A. “Catfish” Smith 9-2 5-0
1946 Bob Berry 2nd Stint 5-2-2 3-1-1
1942 Dennis Vinzant Only Season 4-3-1 2-0-1
1935 Bob Berry 1st Stint 6-2-1 3-1
1931 J.W. Rollins 3-6

WE’RE GOING STREAKING!

• By qualifying for their fourth straight NCAA Division II Playoff berth in 2018, the Lions have the third-longest active playoff streak in the nation.

• Only Northwest Missouri State (15 straight) and Ferris State (five straight) have longer active playoff streaks than A&M-Commerce.

• In Lone Star Conference history, only A&M-Kingsville (1992-98, 7 straight) has a streak of more than four appearances.

• The Lions have also advanced to the regional semifinal round for three consecutive seasons. National runner-up Ferris State has reached the regional semifinal four times in a row. 

LIONS CONTINUE RANKINGS RUN

• The Lions moved up to No. 12 nationally in the 2019 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll released Monday.

• A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 54 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll.

• It is A&M-Commerce’s 60th all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.

• In polls recognized by Division II as the top rating system, the Lions have been known as a nationally ranked team 109 times since joining Division II in 1981. 

SENIORS SUCCEED OVER CAREER SPAN

• The 2018 senior class claimed sole possession of the school record for wins in four years period with 43.

• The 2019 senior-class is already on pace to challenge that record, with a stat of 39-6 through 45 games.

• They are three games away from tying the school record for most games played by a senior class.

Years Record
2015-18 43-10
2014-17 42-10
2016-19 39-6
1951-54 36-5-2
2013-16 35-14
1957-60 34-7
1972-75 32-13-1
1936-39 31-8
1990-93 31-16-1

LION SUPPORT FANTASTIC ONCE AGAIN
• In six home dates, A&M-Commerce drew 45,296 total fans in 2018. That total attendance ranked second in Division II.
• In terms of average attendance, the Lion faithful turned out at a rate of 7,549 per game. That ranked eighth nationally.
• Over the last five years (available in the NCAA rankings database), the Lions have nearly doubled their average turnout since the 2013 season. The next closest season since 2009 was over 2,400 fans per game fewer.
• While unofficial in the NCAA books, the Lions’ 7,319 fans at the Nuevo Leon game ranked sixth in the nation in the opening week.

Year Home Gms Total Rank Average Rank
2019 1 7,319 6th 7,319 6th
2018 6 45,296 2nd 7,549 8th
2017 6 51,482 3rd 8,580 5th
2016 4 34,379 14th 8,595 7th
2015 7 40,049 12th 5,721 19th
2014 6 36,757 11th 6,126 18th
2013 5 21,673 40th 4,335 42nd
2012 5 11,774 2,355 95th
2011 4 9,002 2,251 98th
2010 5 7,352 1,470 125th
2009 4 13,640 3,410 56th
2008 5 12,504 2,501 88th

SHILLOW SHINES ON NATIONAL STAGE
• Redshirt junior defensive back Alex Shillow was announced as the National Chair of the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in January.
• Shillow has represented the Lions at the national level as the Lone Star Conference representative to the Division II National SAAC since 2018.
• He is the president of the A&M-Commerce SAAC, which has won the LSC SAAC Cup in three of the last four years, including 2017 and 2018, when Shillow in leadership roles on the A&M-Commerce SAAC executive board.
• He has also been announced as one of 137 nominees for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, one of the most prestigious off-the-field honors in college football.
• Shillow is one of 59 scholar-athletes from the Combined Divisions (FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA) vying for 11 spots on the Good Works Team.
• A second-team all-LSC selection in 2018, Shillow is a recipient of the 2018 Hunt County African American Leadership Conference – MLK Social Justice Award and a three-time LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree.
• He has also been an exemplary student, earning Lone Star Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll distinction and appearing on either the President’s List or Dean’s List in every semester since he has been enrolled at A&M-Commerce.
• He interned with IMG/Learfield during the summer and graduated with honors in August.
• He will continue at A&M-Commerce in his postgraduate studies as one of eight winners nationwide of the John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Award.

ALL-AMERICAN RETURNER … RETURNS
• Redshirt junior safety and return man Dominique Ramsey is the lone All-American returning to the Lions’ roster from the 2018 season.
• He was named the Associated Press’ First Team All-American as an all-purpose player in 2018 as a redshirt sophomore. He was also named First Team All-Lone Star Conference and D2CCA Second Team All-Super Region Four.
• He led the LSC in punt return average, punt return yards, and punt return touchdowns with two.
• Ramsey also led the LSC with two interception returns for touchdowns and had three total interceptions, including a 99-yard return for a touchdown against Angelo State.
• He returned an interception for an 84-yard touchdown against West Texas A&M.
• Additionally, he returned a punt for a touchdown against both Colorado St.-Pueblo and the regional quarterfinal road win at Minnesota Duluth.
• His 226 interception return yards led the nation in 2018.
• He has six career interceptions with two years of eligibility remaining.

SIMON STARS TO ANCHOR OFFENSIVE LINE
• Redshirt junior tackle Amon Simon was noted as one of the top offensive linemen in the region and the LSC in his first full-time season for the Lions in 2018, and his excellence is expected to continue
• Simon was a First Team All-LSC lineman and D2CCA Second Team All-Super Region Four, honoree.
• He is the conference’s only first-team all-league lineman to return, as the other four honorees were all seniors. Three second-team all-LSC honorees return to their respective rosters in 2019.
•Redshirt junior guard Christian Hernandez earned honorable mention to the all-LSC list and will also return in 2019.

DEFENSIVE LINE DOMINATED BY SENIOR STANDOUTS
• In terms of returning all-conference players, the Lions’ contingent is primarily comprised of defensive linemen.
• Senior defensive tackle Pierre Leonard earned honorable mention to the all-LSC list in 2018 with 53 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble.
• The charismatic man in the middle has 86 career stops with 14.5 tackles for loss in his career.
• Redshirt senior defensive tackle Peyton Searcy returns to the lineup after injury truncated his 2018 season. He earned honorable mention to the All-LSC list in 2017 on the way to the National Championship.
• He carries 82 total tackles and 14 tackles for loss into his final season in the blue and gold.

LIONS CONVERT TO VICIS ZERO1 HELMETS
• In July, A&M-Commerce announced it will equip its entire varsity full roster with the VICIS ZERO1 helmet for the upcoming 2019 football season.
• The ZERO1 has received the highest rating in the National Football League (NFL) and National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) helmet performance testing three years in a row.
• The ZERO1 is also top-rated in VIRGINIA TECH® Helmet RatingsTM for a collegiate and high school play.

GRADS KEEP ON TRUCKIN’
• Eight Lions are continuing their football careers after earning a degree. Here are the eight graduates and the school they earned their degree from
• Neema Behbahani – A&M-Commerce
• Terrell Collins – Arkansas
• L.A. Dawson – West Texas A&M
• Tyler Guice – A&M-Commerce
• Deion Malone – Arkansas
• Alex Shillow – A&M-Commerce
• Darent White – A&M-Commerce
• Preston Wheeler – A&M-Commerce

NEW STAFF LEADS LIONS
• New leadership will coach the Lions in 2019 under head coach David Bailiff.
• Xavier Adibi is the Lions’ defensive coordinator. He was a defensive analyst at Arkansas in the 2018 season and previously worked as a scout and analyst on Bailiff’s staff at Rice.
• Adibi was a college standout at Virginia Tech, earning first-team AFCA All-American and first-team All-ACC honors in 2007, after earning second-team All-ACC honors in 2006.
• He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and had a five-year NFL career, playing for Houston, Minnesota, Chicago, and Tennessee.
• Joining Adibi on the defensive staff are defensive line coach Casey Walker, cornerbacks coach Kyle Williams, and safeties coach Jaylon Finner.
• Billy Riebock is the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Riebock was the offensive coordinator at Bridgewater (Va.) College in 2018. The Eagles ranked fifth nationally in Division III in red zone offense and had three offensive all-ODAC picks and two offensive all-state selections.
• Riebock coached for Bailiff at Rice in 2017 after spending the previous three seasons as the wide receivers coach at Elon.
• Joining Riebock on the offensive staff is offensive line coach Famika Anae, running backs coach and special teams coordinator and long-time high school coach Jack Welch, and tight ends and receivers coach Mitch Ferrick.
• Joey Caldwell is the new senior director of sports performance.
• Prior to A&M-Commerce, Caldwell was the co-lead assistant strength and conditioning coach at Rice University.
• Caldwell was a middle linebacker at Auburn and has worked with numerous strength & conditioning legends.

OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION IS BACK
• Two running backs with a track record of production are back for the blue and gold, along with a top receiver.
• Redshirt junior Carandal Hale of Greenville earned honorable mention to the All-LSC list in 2017 and is back for his third year.
• He has averaged 4.8 yards per carrying in his Lion career and has 1,385 career rushing yards with 10 touchdowns, along with 401 receiving yards.
• Junior E.J. Thompson had his season cut short in 2018 but earned LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors with 150 yards against MSU Texas.
• He has averaged nearly five yards per carrying in his career and 775 career yards.
• On the edge, senior wide receiver Ryan Stokes comes back after earning honorable mention to the All-LSC list in 2018.
• He finished seventh in the LSC with 703 receiving yards on 40 catches, with five touchdowns. He averaged 17.6 yards per catch, providing many highlight moments in 2018.

DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD SET TO SHINE
• In addition to Ramsey, the defensive backfield has numerous all-star candidates returning who can make an impact for the Lions.
• Cornerback Kader Kohou was a Second Team All-LSC selection as a redshirt sophomore in 2018. He led the league with three forced fumbles and was second in the conference in passes defended with 18.
• He had 45 tackles with 16 pass breakups and two interceptions and enters his third season with 60 stops.
• Cornerback L.A. Dawson earned honorable mention to the All-LSC list with 33 tackles, two tackles for loss, and an interception in his first season after transferring to TAMUC.

“BASH BROTHERS” SET TO STEP UP
• After two all-star linebackers in Brucks Saathoff and Garrett Blubaugh graduated, a pair of up-and-comers are poised to fill their shoes.
• On the inside, Neema Behbahani enters his final season as the Lions’ leading tackler. He had 59 tackles as a redshirt junior in 2018.
• The 2017 honorable mention All-LSC pick has at least 50 tackles in every season of his collegiate career and has notched 178 career tackles.
• Terrell Collins has established himself in his starting role during fall preseason camp after transferring in from Arkansas.
• While primarily a special teams player for the Razorbacks, the senior had 24 tackles in a season at Iowa Western CC and was a state player of the year in Missouri.

NEW STARTER AT THE CONTROLS
• A new starting quarterback will see the primary action for the Lions in 2019.
• Miklo Smalls completed 57 percent of his passes, had three rushing touchdowns and passing touchdowns with 931 total yards of offense as a freshman at Rice in 2017 under head coach David Bailiff. The Plano East graduate had 227 passing yards and 99 rushing yards against UAB. He redshirted at Independence CC in 2018.
• Returner Preston Wheeler completed 72-of-131 passes for 735 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions in the 2018 season, including leading the great comeback against A&M-Kingsville in the season opener.

STATISTICAL CLARIFICATIONS FROM NL
• The NCAA and Lone Star Conference do not count the statistics or win from the Nuevo Leon game.
• A&M-Commerce will count the win towards the all-time win-loss record, and superlative records (fewest yards allowed, etc.) will be counted.
• However, individual statistics will not be included, in order to avoid confusion with official statistics.
• Highlights which will not be included in the official record include:
• Quarterback Miklo Smalls (Plano – East) completed all four of his passes for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Kelan Smith (Dallas – First Baptist) and Tyler Guice (Atlanta, Ga.) were on the receiving end of Smalls’ touchdown passes.
• Spencer Long (Mont Belvieu – Barbers Hill) had seven carries for 73 yards and a score and Antonio Lealiiee (Copperas Cove) carried the ball eight times for 65 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions had six rushing touchdowns, as Jaquorious Smith (Kilgore), J.T. Smith (Klein – Oak), and E.J. Thompson (Cy-Ranch) each had rushing scores.
• JaQuorious Smith also opened the second half with a 70-yard kickoff return for a score. Kader Kohou (Euless – Trinity) had a 66-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
• Devin Beamon (Forney – North Forney) made a tackle for safety as one of 22 Lion tackles for losses on 41 Nuevo León plays.
• Tali Amosa (Melbourne, Australia) had five tackles, all for loss, with a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery for the Lions’ final touchdown.
• Amosa, Kohou, and Christian Wise (Houston – Bellaire) had fumble recoveries, and Dominique Ramsey (Converse – Judson) and L.A. Dawson (Austin – LBJ) had interceptions.
• The Lions rotated kickers with Jake Viquez (Rockwall) making a 24-yard field goal and nine PATs, and Andrew Gomez (Richardson) made a 27-yard field goal.

THIS GAME IS FAR AWAY TM
• The Lone Star Conference and Great Northwest Athletic Conference have a new scheduling alliance and the Lions got a doozy this week, with the second-longest possible road trip in Division II football from Commerce.
• When Portland State was still in Division II, that playoff game was 2,068 miles away.
• The Central Washington playoff game in 2017 was 2,035 miles away.
• Using Google Maps, Monmouth is 2,127 miles from Commerce. That is direct driving with no trip through PDX Airport.
• The only farther possible trip in Division II football for the Lions would be Simon Fraser (Burnaby, British Columbia – 2,271 miles).

Site Years Miles One-Way
Monmouth, Ore. 2019 2,127
Portland, Ore. 1995 (NCAA) 2,068
Ellensburg, Wash. 2017 (NCAA) 2,035
Davis, Calif. 1999 1,771
Big Rapids, Mich. 2015 (NCAA) 1,109
Orlando, Fla. 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958 (Tangerine), 1977 1,062
Duluth, Minn. 2018 (NCAA) 1,062
Fargo, N.D. 1997 1,060
Allendale, Mich. 1990, 2016 (NCAA) 1,047

AGAINST THE GNAC
• This will be a short note. The GNAC was initiated in 2001 and the Lions’ only previous meeting with a GNAC team was the 34-31 double-overtime win in the regional semifinal at Central Washington in 2017 on the way to the National Championship.

WOU AGAINST THE LSC
• Since joining Division II for the 2001 season, the Wolves have played LSC foes eight times, with a 3-5 record. Three of those games were last season, and WOU is slated to see the LSC five times this season.

2006 A&M-KINGSVILLE W 36-10
2007 at A&M-Kingsville W 22-14
2011 at Abilene Christian L 35-51
2017 at Tarleton L 6-28
2018 ANGELO STATE L 17-24
2018 at A&M-Kingsville W 13-7
2018 at Eastern N.M. L 14-19
2019 at Angelo State L 21-45
2019 A&M-COMMERCE
2019 at A&M-Kingsville
2019 MIDWESTERN STATE
2019 EASTERN N.M.

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN
• This will be the Lions’ fifth all-time game against a team from the Pacific time zone.
• The Lions dropped the 1995 playoff game at Portland State and went 0-2 in a home-and-home series with UC Davis, playing the Aggies in Davis in 1999.
• The CWU victory was the Lions’ first against a Pacific time team.

UPCOMING IN THE SCHEDULING ALLIANCE
• The LSC/GNAC scheduling alliance is set through the 2021 season, and the Lions have three more GNAC games on the upcoming schedule.

2020
Sept. 3 or 5 SIMON FRASER COMMERCE
Oct. 3 at Azusa Pacific Glendora, Calif.
2021
Oct. 2 AZUSA PACIFIC COMMERCE

ON THIS DAY in Texas A&M-Commerce/East Texas State Football (4-1) :
• 1974 – The East Texas Lions open the season with a 26-0 shutout victory at Prairie View A&M. The win was the Lions’ fifth straight.
• 1985 – In a non-conference tilt, the Lions hold off Cameron’s Aggies for a 14-3 win in Commerce.

• 1991 – The Lions open up their home schedule with a 20-13 upset victory over Pittsburg State.
• The Lion victory ended a 56-game regular-season winning streak for Pitt State. That winning streak began when Dennis Franchione was the Gorillas’ head coach. He left Pitt State following the 1989 season to take the head coaching job at Southwest Texas State. His first defensive line coach for the Bobcats was David Bailiff.
• The Gorillas had ended the Lions season in the national quarterfinals of the 1990 NCAA Playoffs by a 60-28 count. PSU would later end the Lions’ 1991 season – also in the national quarterfinal round of the playoffs. The Gorillas were national champions in 1991.

• 1996 – In the second football game under the A&M-Commerce banner, the blue and gold earn a hard-fought 19-14 win over Henderson State at Memorial Stadium.
• 2002 – The Muleriders of Southern Arkansas hand the Lions a 27-23 loss in the season opener. 

 

Lion women set team records for 18 and 36 holes en route to third place at Texan Invitational.

GLEN ROSE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team carded the lowest team round, and 36-hole total in program history on Tuesday. It was en route to a third-place finish in the Texan Invitational. 

The Lions shot a 285 in Tuesday’s final round for a 36-hole total score of 583 (298-285, +7), both of which was six strokes better than the previous program record. The 3-under par performance in Tuesday’s round is also a program record concerning par.

“I am extremely proud of how our team performed the past two days,” said assistant coach Amy Ruengmateekhun. “Coming into our first event, the goal was to get the players to be comfortable and confident in their game. We knew DBU was the team to beat, and our team did a phenomenal job going low the final round and showing their ability to keep up with the best. Our team did a great job staying calm, committing to their shots as well as keeping a positive attitude throughout the round.

“Even though the ladies played their best round today, they’re hungry for a win, and they’re excited to come home, work even harder to get it next time. It’s fun to watch and coach this team, and I’m excited to continue to help the ladies sharpen their games and get ready for the next event.”

Three Lions shot under par in the final round with Sophie-Charlott Hempel (Pirmasens, Germany), Makena Thomas (San Antonio – Reagan), and Paige-Lee Garris (West Palm Beach, Fla.) each shooting 1-under par 71s. 

Hempel tied for sixth on the individual leaderboard at even par 144 (73-71), including an eagle in Tuesday’s round. Her 71 on Tuesday marked career-low round for the junior. 

Sarah Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand) also tied for sixth at even-par 144 (72-72). Both players had eight birdies scattered throughout their 36 holes performance. 

Thomas tied for 19th at 3-over par 147 (76-71), with the 71 Tuesday marking career-low round. Garris placed 28th at 5-over par 149 (78-71), and Lexi Bubenchik (New Concord, Ohio) tied her career-low with a 76 Tuesday on the way to a 43rd place finish at 153 (77-76, +9). Lauren Bentley (League City – Clear Creek) competed as an individual and placed 34th at 7-over par 151 (75-76).

 Dallas Baptist won the event at 571, with Midwestern State placing second at 580. 

The Lions have two weeks before their next event, when they will compete in the DBU Classic at Denton’s Robson Ranch Golf Club on September 23-24.

Rank   Team Scores  Total   Par 
1.  Dallas Baptist  289  282  571   -5
2.  Midwestern State  292  288  580   +4
3.  A&M-Commerce   298  285  583   +7
4.  St. Edward’s  299  286  585   +9
5.  Cameron  292  296  588   +12
 St. Mary’s  294  294  588   +12
7.  Tarleton  304  285  589   +13
8.  Central Oklahoma  304  293  597   +21
9.  UT Tyler  300  300  600   +24
10.  Tex. A&M-Kingsville  304  306  610   +34
11.  Arkansas-Ft. Smith  310  313  623   +47
12.  Angelo State  319  315  634   +58
13.  Lubbock Christian  333  336  669   +93
A&M-Commerce 298 285   583    +7   3rd
Sophie-Charlott Hempel 73 71   144   E   t-6th
Sarah Wongsinth 72 72   144   E   t-6th
Makena Thomas 76 71   147    +3   t-19th
Paige-Lee Garris 78 71   149    +5   t-29th
Lauren Bentley# 75 76   151    +7   t-34th
Lexi Bubenchik 77 76   153    +9   t-43rd

 

Lion men place 12th in season-opening Palmer Foundation Invitational.

AMARILLO – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team wrapped up the season-opening Palmer Foundation Invitational in 12th place on Tuesday. 

The Lions had a 54-hole total of 877 (296-286-295, +25) in the first event of the 2019-20 season, falling one spot from the completion of play on Monday. 

“It was clear that the men’s team struggled to come together and play as a united team. Their performance this week was not how we intended to start the semester,” said head coach Lauren Mason. “We were very rusty and unprepared. Our confidence levels were low across the board. One thing that our players did well was keeping a good attitude and a calm composure on course even when things weren’t going their way.” 

“We have a couple of weeks off to prepare before our next event. We will continue to grind and work hard to ensure we arrive in Albuquerque ready to compete at the top of the leaderboard and not at the bottom.” 

Blake Hartford (Spring – Klein Collins) was the Lions’ top finisher in 19th place at 1-over par 214 (72-70-72). In Tuesday’s final round, the senior had three birdies and tied for the Lions’ best of the day. 

Joe Wolcik (Cleveland – Tarkington) placed 27th at 218 (69-70-79, +5) with one birdie in Tuesday’s round. Alex Welch (League City – Clear Springs) tied for the Lions’ low round of the day at 72 on the way to a 41st place finish at 219 (79-68-72) with one birdie. He ended the series with 11 consecutive pars. 

Simon Haas (Lorch, Germany) placed 82nd at 232 (78-78-76, +19) and Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) finished in 85th at 233 (77-81-75, +20). 

The Lions have more than two weeks to regroup before their next competitive action. That is when they play in the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association’s South Central Fall Preview in Albuquerque, N.M., on September 30 and October 1.

 Rank   Team Scores  Total   Par 
1.  Oklahoma Christian  282  278  280  840   -12
2.  St. Mary’s  283  286  280  849   -3
3.  St. Edward’s  278  281  295  854   +2
4.  Midwestern State  284  289  284  857   +5
5.  Arkansas-Ft. Smith  285  285  289  859   +7
 Colorado St.-Pueblo  281  288  290  859   +7
 Hutchinson CC  284  291  284  859   +7
8.  Indian Hills CC  290  284  286  860   +8
9.  Central Oklahoma  288  291  287  866   +14
 Southwestern Oklahoma St.  280  291  295  866   +14
11.  Wayland Baptist  294  292  284  870   +18
12.  A&M-Commerce   296  286  295  877   +25
13.  West Texas A&M  290  294  295  879   +27
14.  Colorado Mesa  301  289  295  885   +33
 UT Tyler  295  293  297  885   +33
16.  Cameron  292  295  303  890   +38
17.  Lubbock Christian  300  307  294  901   +49
A&M-Commerce 296 286 295   877    +25   12th
Blake Hartford 72 70 72   214    +1   t-19th
Joe Wolcik 69 70 79   218    +5   t-37th
Alex Welch 79 68 72   219    +6   t-41st
Simon Haas 78 78 76   232    +19   t-82nd
Zach Burch 77 81 75   233    +20   t-85th

 

Jen Peters earns LSC Goalkeeper of the Week honors.·          

RICHARDSON – Texas A&M University-Commerce student-athlete Jen Peters has been named the Lone Star Conference women’s soccer Goalkeeper of the Week. The conference announced the weekly awards on Tuesday. It is the first time in her career that Peters has earned Player of the Week. 

Peters– a freshman from Allen– stopped every shot that came her way in her debut in goal for the Lions, earning two shutouts. The freshman faced 32 shots in her first collegiate game, including ten shots on goal. She made many diving stops to keep Westminster off the board, earning the Lions a 0-0 draw, including the save in the final seconds of regulation.

Against Northwestern Oklahoma State, Peters again was a brick wall, stopping six more shots, helping the Lions to a 3-0 win. After one week of play, Peters leads the LSC in saves per game, and for total saves and tied for the league lead in fewest goals allowed and shutouts.

Peters and the Lions are back in action on Thursday as A&M-Commerce hosts Ouachita Baptist in their home-opening match. The match will begin at 7:00 pm at the Lion Soccer Field.

Season tickets to the Lions’ nine home matches are at WeAreLionsTix.com, or by calling (903) 468-8756, or by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office inside the Field House during business hours. 

2019 LONE STAR CONFERENCE WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offense

Sept. 10 – Valerie Solis, Angelo State

Defense

Sept. 10 – Marissa Berry, Angelo State

Goalkeeper

Sept. 10 – Jen Peters, A&M-Commerce

 

 

Shelley Chapron named LSC Offensive Player of the Week.·          

RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce student-athlete Shelley Chapron has been named the Lone Star Conference Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week. The conference office on Tuesday made the announcement. It is the fifth time in her A&M-Commerce career that Chapron has earned a Player of the Week award. 

Chapron­– a senior from Houston (St. Pius X)– was in the hitting zone last week to begin the season, hitting .512 in the Lions’ opening tournament. She averaged 4.35 kills per set, while also adding five aces. She also was a factor on the block, recording 25 blocks over four matches. She had a career-high 25 kills against Henderson State, leading the Lions to the road victory. She also had 19 kills against Ouachita Baptist, 20 in four sets against Mississippi College and ten kills in their sweep of St. Edward’s. 

Chapron and the No. 20 Lions return to action on Friday as they head to Denver as part of the Colorado Premier Challenge. The Lions will begin by facing No. 1 Tampa, the defending national champions. Later in the day, the Lions will face host school, Regis. Based on results, the Lions will be placed in one of three brackets, with their two opponents on Saturday yet to be determined. 

After the Colorado Premier Challenge, the Lions will return home to play their home opening and conference-opening match on Sept. 20 against A&M-Kingsville. A&M-Commerce will host 12 home matches during the regular season, including 11 games against LSC opponents. Season tickets for Lion Volleyball home matches are available at WeAreLionsTix.com, by calling (903) 468-8756, or by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office inside the Field House during business hours. 

2019 LONE STAR CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offense

Sept. 10 – Shelley Chapron, A&M-Commerce

Defense

Sept. 10 – Sofia Tonga, Tarleton

Setter

Sept. 10 – Kayla Brannon, Tarleton

 

 

Josh Manck

Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce

Committed to a “Best in Class” student-athlete experience

Office: 903.886.5131 Mobile: 817.487.5136

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3011 | Commerce, TX 75429

Physical Address: 2600 Neal Street, Commerce, TX 75429

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Marcus Jensen

Director of Athletic Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce

Office: 903.468.3027 | Mobile: 801.624.8529

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