They named Alex Shillow to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. – They selected Texas A&M University-Commerce football standout Alex Shillow to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. He is one of the 11 student-athletes selected for the Combined Divisions (FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA) team. 

Shillow, a senior defensive back from Pflugerville, was selected from 42 student-athletes nominated by sports information directors around the nation earlier this year. Since its inception in 1992, the award has shone a spotlight on selfless student-athletes. It honors their dedication to volunteerism, community service, and their commitment to enriching the lives of others. 

While they often recognize players for their accomplishments and achievements on game day, these student-athletes have made significant contributions to the greater good of society, inspiring future generations of young athletes and the larger college football community.

He is the fifth student-athlete from Lone Star Conference history, first since 2017, and first in Lion history named the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.  

Shillow was also nominated for the award in 2019 and is named to the team this year. As an active participant in multiple leadership roles for the Lions’ Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Shillow has led community service and fundraising efforts to raise awareness and funds for the Make A Wish Foundation. As a result, A&M-Commerce SAAC raised over $15,000 to grant two “Wish Kids” trips to Walt Disney World, as well as a trip to the NBA All-Star Game for the most recent “Wish Kid” at A&M-Commerce. Through fundraising initiatives and coordinated efforts, Shillow has also driven fundraisers and clothing donation collections to provide underprivileged families in the Commerce community with personalized gifts for Christmas. 

Shillow was also a leader of the “Make It Important” Campaign in the summer of 2020, which involved a video and an action plan to bring awareness to the social injustices going on in the country in response to the George Floyd shooting. He led in getting all his team registered to vote, along with other sports teams in the department, and initiated a conference-wide voter registration challenge. He sat on the university’s voter coalition committee to help make voter registration and voting more accessible for A&M-Commerce students. 

Shillow also led a virtual political open forum with two Texas state legislators – Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) and former Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Canton). It was in front of over 300 student-athletes and guests, moderating an insightful conversation and dialogue between Texas legislators and student-athletes. This initiative won 3rd place for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence this past year. 

Shillow is also a leader and a part of Athletes In Action – a student-athlete faith-based organization. 

Shillow has also served on the NCAA Division II National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee from 2018-21 and was the national chair of the committee from 2019-21. He led the discussion around mental health, professional development, name image and likeness, and many student-athlete well-being topics, all while being a student-athlete and involved heavily in the Commerce community. 

In the classroom, he has been honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-America twice. He is the third student-athlete in Lion Athletics history to win multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition and the first student-athlete in Lion Football history. 

Following the 2019 season, Shillow was honored as a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-America, the Lone Star Conference’s Fred Jacoby Academic Athlete of the Year, and the Lone Star Conference Academic Player of the Year in football. He graduated summa cum laude with his bachelor’s degree in sports management in August 2019 and his Master’s of Business Administration in December 2020. He currently continues graduate work in preparation for his final season of eligibility.  

Captain Voting Phase

Fans can cast their vote for this year’s Allstate AFCA Good Works TeamÒ Captain. The complete Allstate AFCA Good Works TeamÒ Captain, including Shillow, is listed on ESPN.com/Allstate, where fans can go online and cast their vote for Team Captain up until Monday, November 22, 2021. 

About the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field. AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate worked to present the award starting with the 2008 season. 

This year, Allstate is pledging $1 million to honor the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, as well as their non-profits of choice, for their remarkable commitment to community service. Made possible by new NCAA Name Image Likeness (NIL) rules, Allstate has an opportunity to financially empower athletes who serve their communities, opening the door to new possibilities for players and beyond. 

It is the most significant NIL investment for community impact by a college football sponsor—and insurer. Unlike other recent NIL announcements, Allstate is financially empowering players to recognize their work in local communities, not just their performance on the field. Community leadership aligns with Allstate’s values and is part of its longstanding commitment to creating positive societal change. 

“We dedicate resources to empower people financially,” said Terrance Williams, Good Works Team selection committee member, and Executive Vice President and General Manager, Allstate Agency Distribution. “This historic decision allowing college athletes to be compensated for the use of their Name, Image and Likeness means Allstate can foster equity for these athletes who are community leaders.” 

“Throughout the 30 years of the Good Works Team, we have honored individuals who create lasting impact in their communities and at school,” said AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry. “We have the perfect roster of outstanding individuals that continue that legacy for 2021 and beyond.” 

About the AFCA

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members worldwide, ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and the coaching profession. It also provides a forum for the discussion and study of all matters about football.”

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

Darien Rencher	Clemson University
Camren McDonald	Florida State University
Harry Miller	Ohio State University
Mac Brown	Ole Miss
Sean Clifford	Penn State University
Nakobe Dean	University of Georgia
Kenneth Horsey	University of Kentucky
Cal Adomitis	University of Pittsburgh
Mo Hasan	University of Southern California
Race Porter	University of Washington
Elijah McAllister	Vanderbilt University

Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and NAIA

Austin Phillips	Ashland University
Jaran Roste	Bethel University (Minn.)
Chibuike Odo	Davidson College
Deven Osborne	Dixie State University
Alnazir Blackman	Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham
Philip Green	Minot State University
Jessie Malit	North Carolina Central University
Alex Shillow	A&M-COMMERCE
Hunter Rodrigues	UC Davis
DeValon Whitcomb	University of South Dakota
Julius Wilkerson	Wayne State University

Honorary Head Coach

Matt Wells

Texas Tech University

Nathan McCulloch earns the LSC Golfer of the Week award.

RICHARDSON – Texax A&M University-Commerce men’s golfer Nathan McCulloch is named this week’s Lone Star Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week on Thursday afternoon. 

McCulloch (Edinburgh, Scotland) posted a score of 220 to finish tied for 10th place at the RJGA Invitational. The Lions, as a team, finished fourth in the 16-team event. McCulloch’s best round of 68 came in the afternoon on Monday. 

The reigning Lone Star Conference Newcomer of the Year, McCulloch, is the first Lion to be named LSC Men’s Golfer of the Week since Blake Hartford on April 11, 2019. 

UP NEXT

The Lions are off next week before trekking up to Pueblo, Colo., for the West/South Central Region Preview on October 4-5. 

Men’s

S-9 No nominees

S-16 Jake Doggett, Midwestern State

S-23 NATHAN MCCULLOCH, A&M-COMMERCE 

Women’s

S-9 Madison Head, DBU

S-16 Raelynn Hardgrave, UT Tyler

S-23 Sofia Ruescas, St. Mary’s

 

Shoffit and Blasingame score in a loss at No. 17 DBU

DALLAS – Mindy Shoffit and Kara Blasingame scored in the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team’s 6-2 loss at No. 17 ranked Dallas Baptist on Wednesday night at Patriot Soccer Field. 

The Lions and the Patriots began Lone Star Conference play on Wednesday, the Patriots are 1-0, and the Lions are 0-1. Dallas Baptist improves to 5-1 on the year and drops A&M-Commerce to a record of 2-3-1. 

The Patriots were awarded a penalty kick in the third minute of the match. A Lions’ foul, who were looking to force the Patriots out of the box, ended up in a penalty kick. Michelle Gonzalez converted the kick on the top-right corner of the goal to give the Patriots an early advantage. 

In the 12th minute, Gabrielle Heller attempted a cross pass towards the goal. Delaney Schmidt got in the way of the Lions’ Jen Peters’ attempt to catch the ball. The header from Schmidt bounced into the back of the net and gave DBU a 2-0 lead. 

A&M-Commerce quickly got the ball in its attacking third following the reset, and Karalie Morrison (North Richland Hills – Colleyville Heritage) had a shot that DBU’s Adrianna Schroeder saved. Morrison had three of the nine shots for the Lions. 

The Patriots continued their charge in the 18th minute when Summerlyn Heller served up a perfect cross pass for Ashley Merrill, who headed it in for the 3-0 lead. 

In the first half, DBU outshot A&M-Commerce, 11-4, had more shots on goals, 8-2, and corner kicks, 3-2. In the match, DBU had the 21-9 advantage in shots, 13-4 advantage in shots on goal, and 5-4 advantage in corner kicks. 

Peters (Allen) made four saves in the first half, and the Lions also had a team save. Lauren Banning (Pflugerville) checked in as the goalkeeper at halftime. She made two saves. 

The Lions got on the board in the 50th minute on a set-piece goal. A corner kick by Lydia Myers (Colbert, Wash.) followed with McKenna Keeley (Frisco – Memorial) on the front post. Shoffit (Wichita Falls – Rider) was waiting at the back post and headed it in for the goal. 

Merrill scored the Patriots’ fourth goal of the match. DBU was on a breakaway, and Merrill received the ball with a precise angle at goal and took a shot from about 20 yards out that went above Banning’s reach. 

Abigail Olmos added another goal for DBU in the 69th minute. The Lions attempted to clear the ball, but it landed right at Olmos’ foot, and she kicked it past Banning. Melissa Jones headed in a rebound off the post in the 81st minute to make it 6-1. 

DBU goalkeeper Breanna Bowen deflected a cross pass by Cora Welch (Plano) before landing near Blasingame (Osewego, Ill.), who kicked it in from inside the penalty box, making A&M-Commerce’s second goal.

UP NEXT

A&M-Commerce opens up the home portion of the Lone Star Conference schedule on Saturday at 2:00 pm against UT Permian Basin.

The No. 14 Lions finish fourth at RJGA Invitational.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Zach Burch rose 17 spots in the final round of the RJGA Invitational to help the Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team finished fifth among 16 teams at the UNM Championship Course. 

Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) tied for 31st place after day one. He shot a one-over-par, 73, on Tuesday to finish tied for 14th. Burch’s teammate, Nathan McCulloch (Edinburgh, Scotland), ends the tournament in a four-way tie for 10th place with a combined score of 220. McCulloch shot a 77 on Tuesday.

“The conditions were tough to start the day today,” said first-year coach Ryan Hand. “A fourth-place finish was not the goal. However, we have identified what we need to do to be a better golf team.” 

Colorado State-Pueblo ran away with the team title, shooting seven-under-par, 857, and winning by 26 strokes over Midwestern State. 

The Thunderwolves’ Matt Millar and Colorado Christian’s Adam Duncan entered the day in a tie for first place. Millar edged out Duncan by one stroke on Tuesday to win the individual title with a score of 210. 

Junior transfer Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk (Phuket, Thailand) finished tied for 22nd with a score of 223 over the three rounds, shooting an 80 in the third round. Tripp Wallace (Lubbock – Frenship) had a top-40 finish with a score of 229 (77-73-79). 

On Tuesday, Chance Mulligan (Dallas – Bishop Dunne) rounded out the Lions group with a 233, carding 80. 

“We will use the next week and a half to prepare for the regional preview. Congratulations to Nathan on a top 10 finish,” added Hand. 

UP NEXT

A&M-Commerce heads to Pueblo, Colorado, for the Sam Proal West/South Central Region Preview on October 4-5.

Pos.	Team	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
1	Colorado State – Pueblo	283	286	288	857
2	Midwestern State	296	288	299	883
3	Colorado Christian	289	293
4	A&M-COMMERCE	297	287	309	893
5	Colorado – Colorado Springs	292	301	201	894
6	Western New Mexico	287	290	318	895
7	Cameron	292	293	313	898
8	Colorado Mesa	296	298	309	903
9	Lubbock Christian	295	297	317	909
10	Fort Lewis College	297	306	307	910
11	Colorado School of Mines	320	290	308	918
12	UT Permian Basin	303	306	312	921
13	Texas A&M International	301	308	314	923
14	UT Tyler	315	298	318	931
15	Regis	302	309	333	944
16	Arkansas – Fort Smith	310	327	310	947

4	A&M-COMMERCE	297	287	309	893
T10	Nathan McCulloch	75	68	77	220
T14	Zach Burch	74	74	73	221
T22	Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk	71	72	80	223
T40	Tripp Wallace	77	73	79	229
T63	Chance Mulligan	79	74	80	233

Crow finishes 18th, and Lions place seventh at DBU Invitational. 

DENTON – In the first tournament of the 2021-22 season, the No. 14 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team placed seventh in a field of 19 teams after shooting 301 as a team in the final round of the DBU Invitational at Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch on Tuesday. 

Lynn University won the team title with a combined three-round score of 871, 30 strokes ahead of the Lions. Madeline Ananthasane from North Georgia carded an even-par 72 in the third round to win the individual title by five strokes in a field of 96 golfers. 

“It was a good start to the season, finishing well among other ranked teams. However, the conditions were tough again. The team had to be patient and wait for birdie opportunities,” said first-year coach Lise Malherbe.

The temperature hovered around 80 degrees all day, with winds gusting up to 20 miles per hour from the north. 

Entering the day in a tie for 34th place with a combined score of 150 on Monday, Julianna Crow (Odessa – Trinity School of Midland) rounded out her first collegiate tournament with a 72 on Tuesday to finish tied for 18th. 

Sarah Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand) shot 76 on Tuesday and finished the tournament with a score of 223, which tied for 22nd place. Sophie-Charlott Hempel (Pirmasens, Germany) carded a 77 in the final round to finish tied for 33rd with a total of 226. 

“I’m proud of our freshman Julianna on her performance this week and our senior Sarah for leading the way. So excited to be on the road again next weekend,” added Malherbe. 

Freshman Jordan Dusckas (Highland Village – Flower Mound Marcus) rose two spots on Tuesday, shooting a 79, and closed out the tournament with a score of 231 to finish tied for 49th. Benz Far-Arun (Bangkok, Thailand) placed 76th with a combined score of 239. She shot an 84 in the third round. 

UP NEXT

The Lions are off next week before heading Amarillo for the West Texas A&M Fall Invitational on October 4-5 at Tascosa Golf Club.  

Pos.	Team	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
1	Lynn	290	291	290	871
2	St. Mary’s	290	285	303	878
3	DBU	296	285	298	879
4	Indianapolis	299	285	298	879
5	West Texas A&M	300	291	303	894
6	DBU ‘B’	299	302	294	895
7	A&M-COMMERCE	304	293	304	901
8	Oklahoma Christian	304	293	307	904
9	Cameron	305	293	308	907
10	Tampa	297	302	308	906
11	Saint Leo	297	296	315	908
12	North Georgia	294	307	308	909
13	Missouri – St. Louis	311	294	308	909
14	Arkansas Tech	300	300	315	915
15	Colorado Christian	311	296	311	918
16	Central Oklahoma	306	305	314	925
17	UT Tyler	308	304	323	935
18	Midwestern State	313	305	318	936
19	Simon Fraser	325	332	334	991

7	A&M-COMMERCE	304	293	304	901
T18	Julianna Crow	75	75	72	222
T22	Sarah Wongsinth	74	73	76	223
T33	Sophie-Charlott Hempel	78	71	77	226
T49	Jordan Dusckas	77	75	79	231
T76	Benz Far-Arun	81	74	84	239

 

Lion Softball announces fall schedule.

COMMERCE – Coming off an NCAA Division II Regional Tournament appearance in 2021, the Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team has announced its fall schedule. 

“I am very excited to see our returning and incoming talent be put to the test this fall highlighted by top junior college programs as well as Division I programs, Baylor and Texas A&M,” said head coach Richie Bruister.  

The Lions begin the fall at Baylor with a doubleheader on October 2, then host Paris Junior College on October 8 and Cisco College on October 22. 

A&M-Commerce heads down to College Station to take on Texas A&M on October 24 and closes out the fall season with home doubleheaders against Weatherford College on October 29 and Grayson College on November 5. All home dates will be free to attend. 

The announcement of the 2022 spring schedule will be at a later date.

Date	Opponent	Time
Oct. 2	at Baylor	3 p.m.
Oct. 8	vs. Paris JC	4 p.m.
Oct. 22	vs. Cisco College	4 p.m.
Oct. 24	at Texas A&M	1 p.m.
Oct. 29	vs. Weatherford College	4 p.m.
Nov. 5	vs. Grayson College	3 p.m.

The No. 24 Lions go for the ninth-straight Chennault Cup.

COMMERCE – The Chennault Cup is for grabs at Javelina Stadium on Saturday when the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team takes on Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7:00 pm. The Lions look to snap their two-game losing skid. 

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

WHERE: Kingsville | Javelina Stadium

WHEN: Saturday, September 25 at 7:00 pm.

RECORDS: The Javelinas are 2-1 on the season, and 1-0 in Lone Star Conference play. The Lions are 1-2 overall and 0-1 in LSC games. 

RANKINGS: A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 24 in the D2Football.com poll and receiving votes in the AFCA poll.

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

LIVE VIDEO: https://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/tamuc/

LIVE STATS: https://javelinaathletics.com/sidearmstats/football/summary

TICKETS: https://javelinatickets.universitytickets.com/w/

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE JAVELINAS

• The Lions are 30-36-1 against the Javelinas all-time, having won the last eight meetings.

• The eight straight wins in the series are the longest winning streak for either team.

• The Lions won 33-6 in Kingsville in the last meeting during the 2019 season.

• A&M-Commerce’s last loss in the series came in 2011 in Kingsville. The score of that game was 39-21. 

A&M-COMMERCE AND MIDWESTERN STATE BEGAN TWO-YEAR SERIES AT CHOCTAW STADIUM

• The Lions and the Mustangs played at Choctaw Stadium on Saturday, September 11, with MSU winning 31-30.

• This was the Lions’ first regular season neutral site game since the Lone Star Conference Football Festival in 2014. They played the first Division II game at Choctaw Stadium, its second fall season as a football facility.

• “I think it will be an exciting opportunity for the young men on this football team to play at Choctaw Stadium,” A&M-Commerce head football coach David Bailiff said. “I went to several of the XFL games there last year, and it’s a beautiful venue with incredible amenities. I’m excited about this team and this university to show what we have there.”

• This Saturday’s game was the first of a two-game series between A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State at Choctaw Stadium.

• The 2022 game between the Lions and Mustangs will be played at Choctaw Stadium on October 8, with Midwestern State as the home team. 

MORRIS AND VIQUEZ EARN LSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK AWARDS

• Linebacker Xavier Morris was named Defensive Player of the Week, and kicker Jake Viquez was named Special Teams Player of the Week on September 6 after the 12-6 win over CSU-Pueblo. 

• Morris (Converse – Judson)- Part of the defensive unit allowed just six points and 219 total yards from scrimmage. The senior linebacker had nine total tackles to lead the Lions and caught an interception in the fourth quarter. 

• Viquez (Rockwall) – Responsible for all 12 points in the win over the Thunderwolves, he went 4-for-5 in his field goal attempts with makes of 30, 29, 40, and 52 yards. His 52-yarder tied for the second-longest field goal made in program history. He also had three punts.

 

Lions in seventh place after two rounds at DBU Invitational

DENTON – The No. 14 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team began its fall season on Monday at the Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch. The Lions tied for seventh place after the first two rounds of the DBU Baptist Invitational. 

The Lion women shaved off nine strokes in round two after posting a team score of 304 in the first round. The combined team score of 597 tied with Oklahoma Christian for seventh place. 

St. Mary’s leads the 19-team field with a score of 575, six strokes ahead of Dallas Baptist. 

A&M-Commerce rose from 11th place after the first round to close out the day in seventh place.

“We got off to a rough start this morning on the most difficult stretch of holes. However, we were able to finish strong on round one by capitalizing on some good birdie opportunities,” said first-year coach Lise Malherbe. 

“We learned from our mistakes in the morning and came back with a strong second round. The team showed great mental and physical stamina as the wind and heat both played a factor all day.” 

The teams battled harsh conditions with winds hovering around 15 miles per hour from the southern direction all day and temperatures rising above 100 degrees in the afternoon. 

The Lions’ top seed Sarah Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand), leads all Lions with a combined score of 147. She is tied for 23rd place, shooting a 74 in the morning and a 73 in the afternoon. 

Sophie-Charlott Hempel (Pirmasens, Germany) improved her score by six strokes in the second round. Hempel shot a 78 in the first round but bounced back to a 71 in the second round. She goes into Tuesday tied for 28th place. 

In her first two collegiate rounds, Julianna Crow (Odessa – Trinity School of Midland) shot matching scores of 75 in both games on Monday and tied for 34th place. 

Fellow freshman Jordan Dusckas (Highland Village – Flower Mound Marcus) shot a 77 in the morning and shaved off two strokes in the afternoon for 75. She tied for 54th place. 

The biggest improver for the Lions from the first round to the second round was Benz Far-Arun (Bangkok, Thailand), who improved by seven strokes in the second round. Her score of 158 (81-74) tied for 63rd place in the 96-player field. 

Madeline Ananthasane from North Georgia leads the field after Monday with a score of 137, two strokes ahead of the second-place golfer.

Two Lions tied for seventh after Day 1 of RJGA Invitational.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk and Nathan McCulloch are both tied for seventh place for the No. 14 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team. That comes after the first two rounds of the RJGA Invitational hosted by Western New Mexico at the UNM Championship Course on Monday. 

On Monday, the Lions carded a team score of 584, improving by ten shots in round two to finish tied in fourth place with Midwestern State. A&M-Commerce improved its positioning by five-position spots in the second round.

“The guys came back strong after a slow start to the tournament,” said first-year coach Ryan Hand. “It was exciting to see what this team is capable of doing, after being 11 under through 10 holes to start the second round.” “We need to play well tomorrow and move up the leaderboard. Excited to get back on the course tomorrow morning.” 

Colorado State-Pueblo has an eight-stroke advantage in the leaderboard ahead of Western New Mexico after day one in the tournament consisting of 16 teams. 

McCulloch (Edinburgh, Scotland) was in 41st place after shooting a 75 in the first round. He shot a 68 in the afternoon to improve his positioning on the leaderboard by 34 spots. McCulloch ends the day in a six-way tie for seventh place. 

On his first day as a Lion, Phaithuncharoensuk (Phuket, Thailand) was in a tie for a seventh-place throughout the day. The junior transfer from Ranger College shot a 71 in the first round. He carded a 72 in the afternoon for a combined score of 143, tied with McCulloch and four others. 

Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) remained consistent throughout the day, shooting a 74 in both rounds, and is in 31st place. Tripp Wallace (Lubbock – Frenship) carded a 77 in the morning but improved to 73 in the afternoon. He ends the day in a tie for 37th place. 

Chance Mulligan (Dallas – Bishop Dunne) is in 56th place with 153 (79-74). 

Two players are in a tie at the top of the player leaderboard, with a score of 139 after the first day, Matt Millor of CSU-Pueblo and Adam Duncan of Colorado Christian. The duo leads the field of 92 players.