Josh Boateng was named LSC Field Athlete of the Week.

RICHARDSON – Texas A&M University-Commerce thrower Josh Boateng has earned Field Athlete of the Week honors from the Lone Star Conference, as announced Wednesday. 

Boateng (St. George’s, Grenada) automatically qualified for the outdoor national meet in the discus throw last weekend, winning the competition at the David Noble Relays with a national-best mark of 197-0 (60.04m). He is one of five collegians to top 60 meters this season. 

The Lions host the East Texas Invitational this Saturday. 

2021 LONE STAR CONFERENCE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Date	Men’s Track	Men’s Field	Women’s Track	Women’s Field
Mar. 17	James Majenge, Cameron	–	Summer Grubbs, UT Tyler	Mya Tovar, UT Tyler
Mar. 24	Ezekiel Kipchirchir, West Texas A&M	Decio Andrade, Angelo State	DeOndra Green, West Texas A&M	Zada Swoopes, West Texas A&M
Mar. 31	Benjamin Azamati, West Texas A&M	Deoux Deysel, Angelo State Ushan Perera, A&M-Commerce Dhanushka Sandaruwan, West Texas A&M	Minna Svaerd, A&M-Commerce	Zada Swoopes, West Texas A&M (2)
Mar. 31	Benjamin Azamati, West Texas A&M (2)	Josh Boateng, A&M-Commerce Trpimir Siroki, Angelo State	DeOndra Green, West Texas A&M (2)

Five Lions earn LSC recognition for the Spring 2021 season.

Davidson, Hebert, Andersen named all-LSC, Rashford all-freshman, Gonelli repeats as All-Academic.

RICHARDSON – The Lone Star Conference’s release recognizes five Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball student-athletes for the 2021 spring season, with three named to the All-Conference team, one called to the All-Freshman team, and one named Academic All-Conference. 

Named to the All-Freshman team were Riley Davidson, Lyric Hebert, and Sydney Andersen. Nicki Gonelli was named Academic All-Conference. 

The Lions went 7-7 overall and 6-6 in Lone Star Conference regular-season play, finishing in second place in the LSC Central Division. 

Davidson – a senior from Commerce – played in multiple positions for the Lions, starting the libero season before moving to outside hitter. It is her first all-conference honor. She was one of the league’s top defensive players, averaging 4.98 digs per set. Her previous season’s best was 2.98 digs per set, and she now has 908 digs for her career. She was also in on 11 blocks, had 11 aces, and had 23 kills. She had double-digit kills in every match this season. 

Hebert – a junior from Arvada, Colo. – took over libero duties in mid-season and averaged 4.04 digs per set, which ranked 14th in the conference. She was especially impressive in the first round of the LSC Tournament against Oklahoma Christian, where she had 32 digs in four sets, which was the most in a four-set match in the league this year. 

Andersen – a senior from Placentia, Calif. – earned her second career all-LSC honor after ranking 17th in the conference in kills per set at 2.58, which led the Lions. She had three double-doubles on the year, starting the season with a pair of 20 dig matches with 10-plus kills in her two seasons as a Lion, including the shortened spring 2021 campaign. Anderson has 494 kills. She was also in on 14 blocks and had 99 digs in 14 matches. 

Rashford – a redshirt freshman from Placentia, Calif. – had an excellent opening campaign for the Lions, ranking 11th in the league in hitting percentage at .249 and 29th in kills at 2.49 per set. She had double-digit kills in four matches, including 17 in the LSC Tournament win over Oklahoma Christian. 

Gonelli – from Round Rock and Stony Point HS – earned Academic All-LSC honors for the second consecutive season while also averaging career bests at 2.21 kills per set and a .233 hitting percentage. She graduated with honors with her bachelor of science in sociology in December 2020 and is pursuing a graduate degree in counseling. They have named Gonelli to the President’s List six times, the Dean’s List once, the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll seven times, the Best In Class Honor Roll six times, and the Athletics Director’s List once. She’s also been a recipient of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award twice. 

SPRING 2021 LSC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS

SPECIAL AWARDS

Player of the Year: Kailyn Gilbreath, Angelo State

Offensive Player of the Year: Torrey Miller, West Texas A&M

Defensive Player of the Year: Ayanna Jackson, Texas A&M-Kingsville

Setter of the Year: Emily Witt, Texas A&M-Kingsville

Libero of the Year: Chandler Vogel, West Texas A&M

Newcomer of the Year: Mikayla Ware, UT-Tyler

Freshman of the Year: Ayanna Jackson, Texas A&M-Kingsville

Coach of the Year: Lyndsay Mashe, UT-Tyler

Player	Team	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown
Kailyn Gilbreath	Angelo State	RS	Jr.	Fort Worth, Texas
Chloe Patton	Angelo State	L	Jr.	Gillette, Texas
Sophia Berg	Angelo State	MB	Jr.	Georgetown, Texas
Lindsey Ledyard	Angelo State	S	Sr.	Cedar Park, Texas
Grace White	Angelo State	MB	Jr.	Helotes, Texas
Ariana Navarrete	Cameron	OH	So.	Tucson, Ariz.
Sofia Black	DBU	MB	Jr.	Houston, Texas
Alyssa Pevehouse	DBU	L	Sr.	Red Oak, Texas
Jalee Sims	Lubbock Christian	S	Jr.	Amarillo, Texas
Lauryn Bourne	Midwestern State	OH	Fr.	Cypress, Texas
Lissette Lefforge	Midwestern State	MB	Sr.	Otis, Colo.
Jaycie Fuller	Midwestern State	L	Sr.	Ft Worth, Texas
Morgan Demuth	Oklahoma Christian	MB	Fr.	Mansfield, Texas
Kelsie Scheifelbein	Oklahoma Christian	MB	Jr.	Peoria, Ariz.
Kaitlyn Krafka	St. Edward’s	OH	Jr.	Kyle, Texas
Maya Smalls	St. Edward’s	MB	So.	San Antonio, Texas
Emily Tran	St. Edward’s	S	Jr.	Eagan, Minn.
Julia Deais	St. Mary’s	MB	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas
Mackenzie Catalina	Texas A&M International	OH	Jr.	Cedar Park, Texas
Regina Tijerina	Texas A&M International	L	Jr.	Brownsville, Texas
Riley Davidson	A&M-Commerce	OH	Sr.	Commerce, Texas
Lyric Hebert	A&M-Commerce	L	Jr.	Arvada, Colo.
Sydney Andersen	A&M-Commerce	OH	Sr.	Placentia, Calif.
Emily Witt	Texas A&M-Kingsville	S	Jr.	Rose Hill, Kan.
Ayanna Jackson	Texas A&M-Kingsville	MB	Fr.	San Antonio, Texas
Nicole Murff	Texas A&M-Kingsville	L	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas
Roxanne Morris	Texas A&M-Kingsville	OH	Sr.	Goliad, Texas
Kailey Estrada	Texas A&M-Kingsville	MB	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas
Tabitha Spray	Texas Woman’s	RS	Sr.	Denton, Texas
Kaia Saylor	Texas Woman’s	OH	Fr.	Aubrey, Texas
Courtney Crownover	UAFS	S	So.	Waxahachie, Texas
Hannah Holland	UAFS	MB	So.	Fort Smith, Ark.
Reagan Macha	UAFS	OH	Fr.	Wichita Falls, Texas
Julia McCown	UAFS	OH	So.	Ozark, Mo.
Lexy Lexis	UAFS	L	So.	Phoenix, Ariz.
Aquincia Strambler	UT Permian Basin	OH	Jr.	Midland, Texas
Analise Lucio	UT Permian Basin	S	Jr.	Justin, Texas
Christina Escamilla	UT Tyler	RS	Jr.	Arlington, Texas
Savannah Guzman	UT Tyler	L	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas
Mikayla Ware	UT Tyler	OH	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas
Hattie Murray	UT Tyler	MB	Jr.	Krum, Texas
Taylor Stoops	UT Tyler	S	Jr.	Waxahachie, Texas
Torrey Miller	West Texas A&M	OH	So.	Brownwood, Texas
Chandler Vogel	West Texas A&M	L	Sr.	Hereford, Texas
Kayla Elliott	West Texas A&M	MB	Jr.	Wildomar, Calif.

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Elsa Lamphere	Angelo State	OH	Fr.	Aurora, Colo.
Lauryn Bourne	Midwestern State	OH	Fr.	Cypress, Texas
Maddy Rashford	A&M-Commerce	OH	R-Fr.	Placentia, Calif.
Ayanna Jackson	Texas A&M-Kingsville	MB	Fr.	San Antonio, Texas
Kaia Saylor	Texas Woman’s	OH	Fr.	Aubrey, Texas
Reagan Macha	UAFS	OH	Fr.	Wichita Falls, Texas
Evelyn Torres	UT Tyler	OH	Fr.	Fort Worth, Texas

SPRING 2021 LSC VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS

Player	Team	Yr.	Pos.	Major	Hometown
Sophia Berg	Angelo State	So.	MB	Biology	Georgetown, Texas
Morgan Preston	Angelo State	Sr.	DS	English	Vicksburg, Mich.
Kailyn Gilbreath	Angelo State	Sr.	RH	Kinesiology	Fort Worth, Texas
Chloe Patton	Angelo State	Sr.	DS	Biology	Gillett, Texas
Arianna Navarrete	Cameron	So.	OH	Psychology	Tucson, Ariz.
Jalee Sims	Lubbock Christian	Jr.	S	Middle School Education	Bushland, Texas
Kaitlyn Krafka	St. Edward’s	Jr.	OH	Kinesiology	Kyle, Texas
Emily Tran	St. Edward’s	Jr.	S	Behavioral Neuroscience	Eagan, Minn.
Mackenzie Catalina	Texas A&M International	Jr.	OH	Accounting	Cedar Park, Texas
Nicki Gonelli	A&M-Commerce	Jr.	OH/RS	Sociology /Counseling	Round Rock, Texas
Isela Murillo	UT Permian Basin	Sr.	OH	Nursing	Laredo, Texas
Callie Craus	UT Tyler	So.	S	Health Studies	Grapevine, Texas
Hattie Murray	UT Tyler	Jr.	MB	Kinesiology	Krum, Texas
Sadie Snay	West Texas A&M	Jr.	S	Sports & Exercise Science	Kingman, Ariz.

 SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Academic Player of the Year: Sadie Snay, West Texas A&M

 

Lions ranked No. 4 in NFCA Coaches Poll.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team fell two spots in this week’s national rankings, as the Lions are ranked fourth in the national coaches’ poll released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Wednesday. 

It marks the 42nd consecutive poll in which they ranked A&M-Commerce in the nation’s top 25. The Lions were ranked second in the three previous weeks. 

The Lions are 21-8 on the season after the Easter weekend break in the Lone Star Conference schedule. They received one first-place vote.

A&M-Commerce has seven teams in this top 25 on this year’s schedule, including No. 1 Augustana, No. 5 UT Tyler, No. 10 West Texas A&M, No. 12 Texas A&M-Kingsville, No. 13 Oklahoma Christian, No. 22 Rogers State, and No. 24 Southern Arkansas. Lions are currently 7-5 against teams in the national rankings at the time of the game. 

The Lions face two tough LSC series on the road this weekend, taking on Texas A&M International, who is receiving votes for the poll, in Laredo at noon Friday, followed by No. 12 A&M-Kingsville at noon Sunday. 

2021 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll – April 7

Rank	School	Points	Record	Last
1	Augustana (10)	389	17-3	t2
2	North Georgia (4)	383	18-2	1
3	Valdosta State (1)	365	22-3	4
4	A&M-COMMERCE (1)	351	21-8	t2
5	UT Tyler	331	21-5	5
6	Rollins	315	10-1	6
7	Indianapolis	307	21-2	9
8	Lincoln Memorial	303	25-4	7
9	Young Harris	264	21-6	11
10	West Texas A&M	261	21-7	10
11	Winona State	239	16-3	13
12	Texas A&M-Kingsville	220	21-6	12
13	Oklahoma Christian	190	21-5	14
14	Concordia Irvine	174	12-7	8
15	Alabama-Huntsville	172	20-7	t17
16	Saint Anselm	153	5-1	16
17	Grand Valley State	145	16-4	15
18	Central Oklahoma	134	21-7	t17
19	Colorado Mesa	110	19-1	19
20	Minnesota State	95	13-4	20
21	West Florida	83	21-10	22
22	Rogers State	62	18-10	21
23	Kutztown	40	18-4	24
24	Southern Arkansas	32	13-6	25
25	Saint Leo	26	13-6	23

New to Poll: None.
Dropped Out: None.
Receiving Votes: Western Washington (15), Lubbock Christian (13), Texas A&M International (10), Biola (9), Auburn Montgomery (3), Southeastern Oklahoma State (3), Northwest Nazarene (2), Anderson (1).

Lions’ LSC Championship run ends with a 4-0 loss at West Texas A&M.

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team saw its Lone Star Conference Spring Championship run coming to an end in the quarterfinal round Tuesday with a 4-0 loss at West Texas A&M. 

The Lions’ season ends at 4-3-0, while the Lady Buffs will take a 7-3-0 record to the LSC semifinal round. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– The Lions were under attack all night, as WT outshot A&M-Commerce 30-13.

– Goalkeeper Jen Peters (Allen) tied a school record for saves in a match, stopping 15 Lady Buff offerings. She shares the record with Tiffany Wilcox from the 2001 season.

– Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) had four shots to lead the Lions, with two on goal. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

With the wind howling in the Panhandle, having the wind at a team’s back would seem to preclude more shots. That held in the first half, as West Texas had a 15-7 shot advantage. Despite the wind advantage, the Lions had the best chance of the half in the 32nd minute, when a Campuzano shot hit the crossbar and Cora Welch (Plano Senior) smoked a shot just outside the post. 

After the scoreless first half, the Lady Buffs broke the game open in the 48th minute, when Emily Avila scored a direct free kick from about 30 yards out. The Lions did not get a shot on goal in half for over half an hour, and WT had stretched the lead by then with goals from Hannah Kelly-Lusk and a pair from Noir Hawash. 

The Lions had two chances to cut into the scoreline late, but Daniela Estrada saved both attempts.

Wongsinth and Lions take titles at WT Desert Invitational.

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team shot the lowest round of the day. It maintained the tournament lead all day on the way to a victory at the West Texas A&M Desert Invitational on Tuesday. 

The Lions shot a 308 for the day’s best round by three strokes. They were on the way to a 36-hole event total of 603 (+27, 295-308). A&M-Commerce earned the win by eight strokes over West Texas A&M. 

A&M-Commerce had more pars than any team in the field, led the tournament in par-five scorings, and finished second in birdies, par-three scoring, and par-four scoring for the Lions’ second win of the spring semester after starting the 2021 portion with a win at the Jack Brown Memorial in Laredo. 

Sarah Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand) earned individual championship honors for the first time the season and the second time in her Lion career. Her two-day total of 147 (+3, 71-76) was enough to hold off Colorado Christian’s Faith Kilgore and WT’s Loukyee Songprasert by one stroke. 

Wongsinth’s only birdie of the day came on the 12th hole, but that one stroke helped give her the win. She’s earned three top fives and four top 10s in five events this season. For her Lion career, she has two wins, 11 top fives, and 17 top 10s in 22 events. 

Inma Ortiz Prieto (Huelva, Spain) shot a 75 with a birdie on Tuesday, one of the top five rounds of the day. It vaulted her up to fifth place at 152 (+8, 77-75). She has four top-five finishes in eight events this season. 

Karlee Nichols (Smithson Valley) had two birdies on the way to a seventh-place finish at 153 (+9, 76-77). It is her third top 10 finish in seven events this season. 

Sophie-Charlott Hempel (Pirmasens, Germany) and Michelle Becker (San Antonio – Reagan) tied for 25th at 160 (+16). 

This event wraps up the most successful regular season in program history, as the Lions have been ranked as high as fourth in the Golfstat statistical rankings – for now – and finished in the top five of every tournament. 

The Lions will compete in the Lone Star Conference Championships next Monday-Wednesday at the Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington.

Rank	Team	Scores		Total	Par
1.	A&M-COMMERCE	295	308	603	+27
2.	West Texas A&M	300	311	611	+35
3.	Colorado Mesa	310	315	625	+49
4.	Point Loma	308	321	629	+53
5.	Midwestern St.	320	313	633	+57
6.	Biola	313	325	638	+62
	Cameron	319	319	638	+62
8.	Colorado Christian	322	318	640	+64
9.	Colorado-Colorado Springs	315	329	644	+68
10.	Angelo St.	320	331	651	+75
	Westminster	326	325	651	+75
12.	Tex. A&M International	324	330	654	+78
13.	MSU Denver	336	323	659	+83
14.	Chadron St.	333	342	675	+99
15.	St. Martin’s	336	348	684	+108
16.	UT Permian Basin	350	354	704	+128
17.	Hawai’i-Hilo	363	358	721	+145

 

A&M-Commerce	295	308	603	+27	1st
Sarah Wongsinth	71	76	147	+3	1st
Inma Ortiz Prieto	77	75	152	+8	t-5th
Karlee Nichols	76	77	153	+9	t-7th
Michelle Becker	71	89	160	+16	t-25th
Sophie-Charlott Hempel	80	80	160	+16	t-25th

Lion men shoot Tuesday’s lowest round to move up to second on DBU Classic final leaderboard.

DENTON – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team carded the lowest team score of the final round at the DBU Men’s Classic on Tuesday, allowing the Lions to climb up to second in the team standings. 

The Lions shot a 4-under par 284 in Tuesday’s final round, which was the day’s best round by five strokes. They finished the tournament at 864 (291-289-284), which is even par for 54 holes at the Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch. The Lions tied for tournament runner-up honors with St. Mary’s, two strokes behind event winner Oklahoma Christian (862). The Lions led the tournament in par four scoring and holes parred. 

Brody Blackmon (Sulphur Springs) was the Lions’ top finisher in the sixth pl­ace at 5-under par 211. He shot a 2-under par 70 in the final round on Tuesday, with four birdies. It marks Blackmon’s first top 10 finish as a Lion. 

Tripp Wallace (Wolfforth Frenship) placed 12th with a 54-hole score of 1-under par 215, including a 1-under par 71 Tuesday with four birdies.

Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) had the Lions’ lowest round of the day with a 3-under par 69, including four birdies. He completed the event in 22nd place at 3-over par 219. 

Nathan McCulloch (Edinburgh, Scotland) had three birdies Tuesday on the way to a 2-over par 74 for the day and a 27th place finish at 4-over par 220. Simon Haas (Lorch, Germany) placed 60th at 13-over par 229, and Jovin Tan (Taiping, Malaysia) ranked 70th, competing as an individual at 16-over par 232, notching four birdies Tuesday. 

This event closed out the regular season for the Lions, who had one event win, one runner-up, and top-five placements in six of eight tournaments this season. 

A&M-Commerce’s men return to the links on April 19-21 in Arlington at Tierra Verde Golf Club for the 2020 Lone Star Conference Championships.

Rank	Team	Scores			Total	Par
1.	Oklahoma Christian	284	283	295	862	-2
2.	A&M-COMMERCE	291	289	284	864	E
	St. Mary’s	290	282	292	864	E
4.	Midwestern St.	288	301	289	878	+14
5.	Lubbock Christian	299	289	291	879	+15
	Tex. A&M International	288	294	297	879	+15
7.	Cameron	299	287	295	881	+17
8.	Dallas Baptist	293	294	295	882	+18
9.	Southeastern Oklahoma St.	301	293	296	890	+26
10.	West Texas A&M	298	307	291	896	+32
11.	UT Dallas	294	301	305	900	+36
	UT Tyler	301	297	302	900	+36
13.	Dallas Baptist B	303	305	309	917	+53
14.	Arkansas-Ft. Smith	294	315	309	918	+54

 

A&M-Commerce	291	289	284	864	E	t-2nd
Brody Blackmon	74	67	70	211	-5	t-6th
Tripp Wallace	70	74	71	215	-1	t-12th
Zach Burch	74	76	69	219	+3	t-22nd
Nathan McCulloch	73	73	74	220	+4	t-27th
Simon Haas	78	75	76	229	+13	t-60th
Jovin Tan#	80	77	75	232	+16	t-70th

Lions face a rematch with WT in LSC Tournament divisional semifinal.

COMMERCE – The A&M-Commerce Lions look to continue their Lone Star Conference Tournament run on Tuesday evening, traveling to the Panhandle to take on West Texas A&M in a divisional semifinal. 

WHO: A&M-Commerce at West Texas A&M

WHERE: Canyon | The Pitch

WHEN: 6:00 pm on Tuesday, April 6

RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 4-2-0 overall and earned the third seed in the division. West Texas A&M is 5-3-0 overall and reached the second seed in the division.

TELEVISION/LIVE VIDEO: LSC Digital Network

LIVE STATS: http://statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=tame 

The Lions had a one-goal differential in all five matches in the regular season, with two overtime matches. They outperformed Oklahoma Christian in every phase on Saturday for a 3-0 win, allowing no shots on goal.

The Lady Buffs fell behind in their divisional quarterfinal to Texas Woman’s, then scored the match’s last three goals for a 3-1 win. 

The two teams have similar resumés on offense, with WT averaging 2.375 goals per match and the Lions averaging 2.333 goals per match. WT concedes 1.75 goals per match, and A&M-Commerce allows 1.67 goals per match. 

A&M-Commerce’s Leslie Campuzano (5.5) and WT’s Hannah Kelley-Lusk (4.63) take more shots per match than any other LSC players. Kelley-Lusk’s 0.875 goals per match are second in the conference, and Campuzano’s 0.833 is third. 

Campuzano averages 1.0 assists per match and ranks second in the conference in points per match at 2.67, followed by Kelley-Lusk’s 2.0. 

Prepared are both defenses for the formidable challenge of two speedy teams on the turf in Canyon. It is the Lions’ first match on an artificial surface this season. 

The last meeting

WT was a 4-3 overtime winner in Commerce on March 26. The Lady Buffs led three separate times, and the Lions equalized three times in regulation. Skylar Sorrell, Melissa Storey, and Lauren Shaw scored for the Lions, with Campuzano passing out two assists. 

In the series history

It is the 45th all-time meeting between the Lions and the Lady Buffs, with WT holding a 26-16-2 lead. The Lady Buffs have a 12-6-1 record in Canyon. The Lions are searching for their first win in the Panhandle since 2014.

Becker and Wongsinth top leaderboard as Lions lead WT Desert Invitational.

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team leads the West Texas A&M Desert Invitational by five strokes and two Lions tied at the top of the leaderboard after 18 holes. 

The Lions shot a 295 (+7) in the first round and were the only team in the 17-school field under 300. West Texas A&M is in second at 300, and Point Loma is in third at 308. The Lions had the most pars and birdies in the round, lead the field in par three and par four, and are second in par-five scoring. 

A duo leads A&M-Commerce at 71 (1-under par), tied for the individual lead by one stroke. The Lions’ four counting scores are all in the top 20 of the field. 

Michelle Becker (San Antonio – Reagan) is one player with 71, setting a low round for her collegiate career. She had four birdies and was 3-under at one point in the round.

Sarah Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand) was incredibly consistent on the way to her 71, notching 15 pars, two birdies, and a bogey. She was bogey-free for the final 16 holes. 

Karlee Nichols (Smithson Valley) is in 14th place at 4-over par 76, with three birdies on the card. Inma Ortiz Prieto (Huelva, Spain) is in 16th place at 5-over par 77 with two birdies, and Sophie-Charlott Hempel (Pirmasens, Germany) is in 31st place at 8-over par 80 with two birdies. 

The Lions’ final 18-hole round of the regular season commences on Tuesday morning.

Rank	Team	Total	Par
1.	A&M-COMMERCE	295	+7
2.	West Texas A&M	300	+12
3.	Point Loma	308	+20
4.	Colorado Mesa	310	+22
5.	Biola	313	+25
6.	Colorado-Colorado Springs	315	+27
7.	Cameron	319	+31
8.	Angelo St.	320	+32
	Midwestern St.	320	+32
10.	Colorado Christian	322	+34
11.	Tex. A&M International	324	+36
12.	Westminster	326	+38
13.	Chadron St.	334	+46
14.	MSU Denver	335	+47
15.	St. Martin’s	336	+48
16.	UT Permian Basin	348	+60
17.	Hawai’i-Hilo	363	+75

 

Tex. A&M-Commerce	295	+7	1st
Michelle Becker	71	-1	t-1st
Sarah Wongsinth	71	-1	t-1st
Karlee Nichols	76	+4	t-14th
Inma Ortiz Prieto	77	+5	t-16th
Sophie-Charlott Hempel	80	+8	t-31st

 

Lion men in third after two rounds at DBU Classic, Blackmon in top 10

DENTON – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team is in third place after 36 holes of action at the DBU Men’s Classic on Monday at the Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch. 

The Lions shot a 4-over par 580 (291-289) over the opening 36 holes, sitting behind Oklahoma Christian (567) and St. Mary’s (572). Texas A&M International is just behind A&M-Commerce at 582. The Lions led the field in par four scoring, at a 4.13 average, and the two eagles carded tied for the tournament lead. 

Brody Blackmon (Sulphur Springs) leads the Lions in eighth place at 3-under par 141. In the second round, he shot a 5-under par 67. That tied for the lowest of the day. It matched his collegiate-best from the first tournament of his freshman year at Ole Miss. After one birdie in the first round, the graduate transfer had a bogey-free second round with three birdies and an eagle on the par-five 12th hole. 

Tripp Wallace (Wolfforth Frenship) is in 16th place at even-par 144 (70-74). He had an eagle and three birdies in the opening round, including a run where he was four under in five holes with an eagle on the par-four 16th. He had two birdies in the second round. 

Nathan McCulloch (Edinburgh, Scotland) is in 21st place at 2-over par 146 (73-73). He had three birdies in the first round and two in the second round. 

Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) is in 49th place at 6-over par 150 (74-76) with five total birdies, Simon Haas (Lorch, Germany) is in 65th place at 9-over par 153 (78-75) with four birdies, and Jovin Tan (Taiping, Malaysia) is in 84th competing as an individual at 13-over 157 (80-77) with three birdies. 

The Lions close out the regular season with 18 holes on Tuesday, starting at 8:30 am.

Rank	Team	Scores		Total	Par
1.	Oklahoma Christian	284	283	567	-9
2.	St. Mary’s	290	282	572	-4
3.	A&M-COMMERCE	291	289	580	+4
4.	Tex. A&M International	288	294	582	+6
5.	Cameron	299	287	586	+10
6.	Dallas Baptist	293	294	587	+11
7.	Lubbock Christian	299	289	588	+12
8.	Midwestern St.	288	301	589	+13
9.	Southeastern Oklahoma St.	301	293	594	+18
10.	UT Dallas	294	301	595	+19
11.	UT Tyler	301	297	598	+22
12.	West Texas A&M	298	307	605	+29
13.	Dallas Baptist B	303	305	608	+32
14.	Arkansas-Ft. Smith	294	315	609	+33

 

A&M-Commerce	291	289	580	+4	3rd
Brody Blackmon	74	67	141	-3	8th
Tripp Wallace	70	74	144	E	t-16th
Nathan McCulloch	73	73	146	+2	t-21st
Zach Burch	74	76	150	+6	t-49th
Simon Haas	78	75	153	+9	t-65th
JoVin Tan#	80	77	157	+13	t-84th

Courtney Washington named Associate AD for Compliance and Student Services.

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce has announced Courtney Washington’s hiring as the Lions’ Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Student Services. 

“What a thrill to welcome Courtney Washington to our Lion Athletics family,” Director of Athletics Tim McMurray said. “Courtney quickly emerged from a deep and talented pool of compliance professionals during this process. She demonstrated tremendous expertise and knowledge, along with authenticity for serving student-athletes and coaches that was evident. Her professional acumen aligns perfectly with our Best in Class mission and core values, and it is a thrill to have her as a teammate.”

Washington comes to A&M-Commerce from Alcorn State University, where she served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance & Student-Athlete Services for the Division I Braves’ program since November 2019. 

“I’m excited to join the Lion family, and I look forward to meeting all the student-athletes and coaching staff,” Washington said. “They’ve been doing amazing things in athletics and the classroom, and my goal is to keep that tradition going and hopefully add more to it.” 

Before Alcorn, she served at the University of Memphis as its NCAA Compliance Certification Officer. She has experience working with both Division I and Division II programs. 

Before she arrived at Memphis, she worked at Delta State University as the Records and Compliance Specialist and at Auburn University at Montgomery as a Compliance Assistant. Washington has an immense passion for athletics and the promotion of competitive, prepared student-athletes who can join society well-equipped and knowledgeable.

Before her athletics career, Washington taught high school in the Mississippi Delta, and that experience sparked her passion for education and student development. 

A native of Cleveland, Miss., in the Mississippi Delta, she holds a Bachelor’s in Public Policy from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Education in Sport Management from Auburn University at Montgomery. 

Washington is also a member of the National Association for Athletics Compliance and National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals.

Lauren Flowers named to AVCA Thirty Under 30

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Texas A&M University-Commerce assistant volleyball coach Lauren Flowers has been recognized as a recipient of the “Thirty Under 30” Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, as released Monday. 

Flowers is in her second full year as an assistant coach for the Lions and has helped lead A&M-Commerce to a record of 31-14, a Lone Star Conference North Division championship and NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 2019, and a 7-7 record in the abbreviated 2021 spring season. 

“It is amazing to be recognized by an organization like the AVCA and to represent Lion Athletics and NCAA Division II,” Flowers said of her recognition. “Our whole program has worked so hard in the last year, and I’m really blessed to work with our student-athletes and staff every day.” 

Of the 30 coaches recognized by the AVCA, Flowers is one of only three Division II coaches who earned the award. 

While not competing during fall 2020, Flowers and Lion Volleyball worked off the court to accomplish the AVCA Community Voting Award for 100% voter registration and participation. The Lions also had a record-breaking Fall 2020 team grade point average of 3.7, with 11 student-athletes receiving a 4.0. In addition to the postseason appearance and divisional championship in 2019, Flowers helped coach two AVCA All-Americans and six all-LSC selections. 

“I’m really proud of Lauren and for her receiving this recognition by the AVCA,” said head coach Craig Case. “Her dedication and her commitment to both becoming better herself and improving those around her every day is very inspiring. Any success we have on and off the court is in large part due to her efforts and passion. I couldn’t be happier she is being recognized by the AVCA, and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.” 

Before coming to Commerce, Flowers coached for two seasons at UT-Permian Basin and two seasons at Western New Mexico. She coached three all-LSC players and a conference player of the year at those stops. 

“I want to learn as much as possible about this game and become the best coach I can. I am much less interested in titles than I used to be and have really tried to focus on my personal best and the overall excellence of the program I’m with. I would love to continue pursuing a career in coaching and use it to connect with other people in this amazing community! Volleyball has given me so much, and I’d like to focus on ways I can continue to grow and then give back,” Flowers added. 

She has her bachelor of arts from Azusa Pacific and her master of arts from Western New Mexico. Lauren’s husband, Steven, is a volunteer assistant coach for Lion Volleyball, and the couple’s daughters Joy and Micah are an ever-present part of the program.

Named to the LSC Athletic Performance Team – Hempel and Sanchez.

RICHARDSON – They announced the second annual Lone Star Conference Athletic Performance All-Conference Team with Texas A&M University-Commerce’s Sophie-Charlott Hempel and Steven Sanchez honored. 

The all-conference team recognizes student-athletes who excel in work ethic, dedication to process, attendance, communication, leadership, and growth. The individual awards are voted upon by the league’s athletic performance staff. 

Hempel – a senior golfer from Pirmasens, Germany – is ranked 45th in the nation with two career top-five finishes and 12 top 10 placements. She has finished in the top 10 in six of the seven events she’s played in this season.

According to sports performance graduate assistant Adam Markley, “Sophie is the first golfer to the weight room each day, and she demonstrates a high work ethic and leadership. Sophie has shown great improvement throughout the school year.” 

Sanchez, a graduate thrower on the Lion track and field team from New Braunfels, has been a top performer for the Lions. He earned points in the weight throw at the LSC Indoor Championships earned LSC All-Academic and USTFCCCA All-Academic awards twice in his career. 

According to the director of sports performance Lance Farmer, “Steven has demonstrated a strong work ethic over the course of his career. Steven is active with SAAC and is currently student teaching while practicing and competing. During weight room sessions, he will give technique tips to fellow teammates on the surrounding platforms.”