Lions post final qualifying marks at WT Last Chance Meet.

CANYON – The Texas A&M University-Commerce track and field teams ventured back to the Texas panhandle Sunday for the West Texas A&M Last Chance meet, posting multiple qualifying marks.

Notably, on the men’s side, J.T. Smith (Klein – Oak) posted the nation’s sixth-quickest 200 meter dash time at 20.92 seconds with the altitude adjustment. It will almost certainly qualify him for the national meet in three events, all of which he ranks in the top six in the country. 

Danielle Nicholson (McKinney – North) posted the 12th-fastest time in the nation in the 400-meter dash at 54.98 seconds altitude adjusted on the women’s side. 

She was also part of the 4×100 meter relay team with Braeja Johnson, Ro’Nisha Simpson, and Shadaria Hall that posted 46.21 with the altitude adjustment. It is tied for the 13th-fastest school in the country in this event after last chance meets. 

The last meet in which student-athletes could post a qualifying mark for the NCAA Division II National Championships, as the field will be determined tonight and posted on Tuesday, May 18. 

The National Championships will be at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., on May 27-29.

Lions qualify for third straight NCAA Tournament; Host South Central Regional Wednesday-Saturday.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team will participate in the 2021 NCAA Division II Softball Championships as the fifth seed. A&M-Commerce will host the South Central Region tournament at the John Cain Family Softball Complex on Wednesday, May 19, through Saturday, May 22. 

Tickets for the regional tournament are now available at WeAreLionsTix.com, with the Cain Family Complex limited to 50% capacity. All games will also be live-streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network, free of charge. 

The Lions won the right to host the six-team, double-elimination South Central Regional Tournament through a competitive bid process earlier in the spring. The second time the Lions will host the NCAA softball regional action, after also hosting in 2019. 

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION SEEDS

No. 1	Oklahoma Christian
No. 2	West Texas A&M
No. 3	Angelo State
No. 4	Colorado Mesa
No. 5	A&M-COMMERCE
No. 6	Texas A&M-Kingsville

The Lions advance to NCAA postseason play for the fourth time in six available seasons and the third appearance. A&M-Commerce went to regionals in 2019, 2018, and 2016, advancing to the Super Regional round in 2018. There is only regional action and no super regional this season due to COVID-related field reduction across all sports in Division II. 

A&M-Commerce enters the regional tournament with a 28-16 record and is currently ranked 10th nationally in the NFCA Coaches’ Poll after finishing third in the Lone Star Conference regular season. 

SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL SCHEDULE

All games played at Commerce’s John Cain Family Softball Complex

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19

Game 1	Noon	No. 4 Colorado Mesa vs. No. 5 A&M-Commerce
Game 2	3 p.m.	No. 3 Angelo State vs. No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville
Game 3	6 p.m.	Loser of Game 1 vs Loser of Game 2

THURSDAY, MAY 20

Game 4	Noon	No. 1 Oklahoma Christian vs. Winner of Game 1
Game 5	3 p.m.	No. 2 West Texas A&M vs. Winner of Game 2
Game 6	6 p.m.	Loser of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 5

FRIDAY, MAY 21

Game 7	Noon	Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
Game 8	3 p.m.	Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 6
Game 9	6 p.m.	Loser of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8

SATURDAY, MAY 22

Game 10	Noon	Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9
Game 11	to follow	Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 (if necessary)

 

The No. 10 Lions fall to TAMIU in LSC quarterfinals, 9-3

OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 10 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team lost in the Lone Star Conference Championship quarterfinals to Texas A&M International on Friday, falling by. A 9-3 score. 

The Lions’ LSC Tournament ends with an overall record of 28-16, while TAMIU advances to the semifinals with a 26-18 record. 

A&M-Commerce now awaits the final decision of the Division II Softball Committee, which will announce the six-team field for the South Central Regional on Sunday at 9 p.m. on NCAA.com. 

Kimber Qualls (Humble – Atascocita) had a two-run home run, and Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) drove in a run with a single to account for the Lions’ runs. 

A&M International had 15 hits in the game off Lion pitching, with nine of those going as doubles.  Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) went 4.0 innings in the start and allowed seven earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. 

The Dustdevils took a one-run lead in the top of the first, but the Lions immediately responded when a pitch hit Qualls, moved to second on a Samantha Dutton (Tulsa, Okla.) sacrifice bunt, and scored on LeBlanc’s single to tie the game at 1-1. 

TAMIU hit three straight doubles to start the second to score a pair of runs to make it 3-1. Jasmine Mott (Emory – Rains) and Uxua Modrego (Burlada, Spain) had singles in the second but became stranded after a pair of strikeouts by TAMIU’s Erika Cortez, who struck out 10. 

The Dustdevils extended their lead with four runs on three doubles and a single in the third and tacked another run in the fifth to make it an 8-1 game. 

Ta’Lyn Moody (Mansfield – Legacy) walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth, and Qualls bashed an 0-1 pitch over the left-field fence for her first homer of the season in limited action, cutting the lead to 8-3. 

Though the Lions’ spirits were up after the round-tripper, Cortez was efficient for the rest of the game, allowing only another Mott single in the final nine outs. TAMIU scored an unearned insurance run in the seventh, and the Lions went down to end their tournament trip.

Wongsinth becomes Lions’ first-ever WGCA All-Region honoree.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golfer Sarah Wongsinth has been named All-West Region by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, becoming the first player in program history to earn this distinction. 

In a season where the Lions finished ninth nationally and consistently ranked in the top 10 in the Golfstat rankings, Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand) was a top performer for the Lions Second Team All-Lone Star Conference honors. 

She played 20 rounds in eight events for the season with four top-five finishes, five top 10 finishes, and a 74.75 stroke average, six-round under par. She had career lows of 208 for 54 holes, 143 for 36 holes, and 68 for 18 holes during the season. She was the champion of the West Texas A&M Desert Invitational and runner-up at the Palm Valley Classic. 

Wongsinth is the Lions’ career leader in scoring average at 74.67 strokes over three seasons and holds the top three entries in the record book for single-season stroke average.

2020-21 WGCA All-West Region
Faith DeLaGarza, DBU
Monica Dibildox, St. Mary’s
Hanna Harrison, DBU
Faith Kilgore, Colorado Christian
Olivia Mitchell, Dallas Baptist
Sofia Ruescas, St. Mary’s
Anahi Servin, Academy of Art
Loukyee Songprasert, West Texas A&M
Jaycie Stewart, DBU
Sarah Wongsinth, A&M-Commerce

 

Lion women wrap up Division II Championships in ninth place.

DEARBORN, Mich. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team wrapped up its initial appearance at the NCAA Division II Championships in ninth place on Thursday. 

The Lions shot a 314 on Thursday, completing the stroke play tournament with a score of 935 (+71, 324-297-314). A&M-Commerce was one spot short of advancing to the medal match-play bracket. 

Sarah Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand) was the Lions’ top finisher in 22nd place at 13-over par 229 (79-73-77). She had three birdies in the front nine on Thursday. 

Sophie-Charlott Hempel (Pirmasens, Germany) had three consecutive birdies on Thursday on the back nine and finished in 26th place at 15-over par 231 (86-71-74). 

Michelle Becker (San Antonio – Reagan) placed 42nd at 236, Inma Ortiz Prieto (Huelva, Spain) ranked 64th at 245, and Karlee Nichols (Smithson Valley) placed 66th at 246 while leading the tournament in par three-scoring. 

It completes the Lions’ first-ever trip as a team to the national tournament.