Pioneers score two in the second half to beat Lion Soccer.

DENTON – Two second-half goals by the Texas Woman’s Pioneers propelled the Pioneers to a 2-0 win over the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team at Pioneer Soccer Park on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. 

Both teams combined for five shots in the first half, but none ended up in the back of the net. Three of the five shots went on goal, which was all saved. 

The Lions’ Jen Peters (Allen) made a save each in each of the halves. TWU’s Alexandra Jacinto made two saves in the first half and did not face a shot on goal in the second half, improving the Pioneers to 8-2-2 overall and 5-2 in Lone Star Conference matches. 

The Pioneers took the lead in the 66th minute. The Lions deflected a throw-in by the Pioneers and made it across the field near Islas Rayne, who kicked an acrobatic kick past Peters. Rayne had three shots in the match, while the Pioneers had seven shots total. 

A&M-Commerce had four shots in the match total. Cora Welch (Plano) had three shots, including one on goal. Karalie Morrison (North Richland Hills – Colleyville Heritage) had another shot on goal for the Lions, who drop to 5-5-1 on the season overall and 3-3 in LSC play. 

In the waning minutes of the match, TWU’s Hayley Masoner took a shot at Peters, which she saved, but Alyssa Simien kicked in the rebound into the back of the net to give Texas Woman’s a 2-0 lead with four minutes left. 

The two teams combined for 25 fouls in the match, the Lions committed 13. The Lions had the 7-2 edge in corner kicks. 

They initially scheduled the match for 7:00 pm on Wednesday, but they moved it ahead to get in front of inclement weather. 

UP NEXT

A&M-Commerce is home for the next two matches. The Lions host Angelo State on Saturday as part of homecoming weekend at 11:00 am and welcome Midwestern State on Wednesday, October 20 at 6:00 pm. 

Brookshire’s signs on as “Official Grocery Partner of A&M-Commerce Athletics” in a multi-year agreement

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce and Brookshire Grocery Co. have entered a multi-year agreement designating Brookshire’s as the Official Grocery Partner of A&M-Commerce Athletics. 

The agreement is the second-largest general corporate partnership in Lion Athletics history, expanding on an already strong relationship between the Lions and Brookshire’s. 

“We are so pleased to expand our partnership with Brookshire’s,” A&M-Commerce President Dr. Mark Rudin said. “Not only are they key scholarship partners to our institution, but they now support our student-athletes and coaches in expanded and innovative ways. It always pleases me to see our students in the local Commerce store when shopping there, and we are so grateful to Brad Brookshire and his entire team for their support.” 

The expanded partnership includes activations such as Brookshire’s Tailgaters of the Game, Brookshire’s Red Zone, and prominent placement of Brookshire’s signage throughout Lion Athletic facilities. Brookshire’s is also the presenting sponsor of Saturday’s Homecoming football game. 

“Our partnership with Brookshire epitomizes our Best in Class mission,” A&M-Commerce director of athletics Tim McMurray said. “As we engaged in strategic discussions about linking our brands in new and unique ways, it has been an absolute pleasure to work with Brad and Brookshire’s team to maximize the partnership and give Brookshire’s a year-round presence with Lion Athletics. Whether tailgate supplies, weekend barbecues, or weekly grocery trips, it is extremely gratifying to walk in our Official Grocery Partner and see our logos aligned. This partnership has a very high ceiling.” 

As a long-time supporter of A&M-Commerce and its involvement in the Commerce community, Brookshire’s will offer discounts to TAMUC students, faculty, and staff and provide local charities opportunities to attend Lion Athletics through the Brookshire’s Community Ticket program. 

“We are incredibly excited to partner with the Texas A&M University-Commerce to be the Official Grocery Partner of A&M Commerce Athletics,” said Brad Brookshire, Charmain, and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Co. “As it has been for more than 93 years, our goal is to serve the customers with the very best grocery stores and employee-partner teams while also furthering our commitment and involvement in the community. We look forward to a long and meaningful partnership with TAMUC.” 

About Brookshire Grocery Co.

Brookshire Grocery Co. was founded on Sept. 1, 1928, when Wood T. Brookshire opened the Company’s first store in downtown Tyler. Throughout its over 93-year history, BGC has remained deeply committed to serving its customers and communities. 

BGC is a family business based in Tyler, Texas, and currently operates more than 185 stores in three states, Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, with three distribution centers and a corporate office. Customers who enter BGC stores can expect to find a great variety of quality fresh products and friendly employee-partners who embody BGC’s core values and are happy to help. Brookshire Grocery Co. has been family-owned since its founding, with members of the third and fourth generation leading the Company.

Lion Soccer match at Texas Woman’s moved up to Wednesday at 11:00 am.

DENTON – Due to forecasted inclement weather around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Wednesday’s women’s soccer match between Texas A&M University-Commerce and Texas Woman’s has been moved up to 11:00 am in Denton at Pioneer Soccer Park. 

Texas Woman’s University will still provide a live webcast on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network and live statistics for the match. 

Stay up to date on all things around Lion Athletics and Lion Soccer at LionAthletics.com and @Lion_Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For news on the Lion Soccer program, follow @Lion_WSoc on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Lion Football hosts the Mustangs on Homecoming weekend.

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team hosts Western New Mexico on Saturday at 4:00 pm as part of Homecoming weekend, presented by Brookshire’s at Memorial Stadium. The game on Saturday concludes a three-game homestand for the Lions. 

WHO: Western New Mexico at A&M-Commerce

WHERE: Commerce | Memorial Stadium

WHEN: Saturday, October 16 at 4:00 pm

RECORDS: The Lions are 3-3 season and 1-1 in Lone Star Conference play. The Mustangs are 1-5 overall and 0-4 against LSC opponents. 

RANKINGS: Neither team is ranked going into this week.

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

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

LIVE STATS: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=353491

TICKETS: https://lionathletics.com/tickets

GAME NOTES: TAMUC (PDF) 

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE ACCEPTS INVITATION TO SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE

• The Southland Conference, following the unanimous approval of its presidential Board of Directors, has extended an invitation of membership to Texas A&M University-Commerce, the league and institution announced Tuesday morning. The university, a longstanding NCAA Division II power located an hour east of Dallas, will officially join the Southland on July 1, 2022, and begin a four-year transition to Division I at the same time.

• Touting a “Best in Class” mission, mentality, and experience, Lions’ athletics features sponsorship of 14 varsity sports, including men’s sports of football, basketball, golf, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Women’s sports include basketball, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field.

The Lions have seen remarkable success in recent years, including winning the 2017 NCAA Division II Football National Championship, highlighting five consecutive postseason football berths since 2015. Overall, 53 A&M-Commerce athletic teams have earned NCAA postseason bids since 2015, including a record 11 teams in 2018-19. Other performance highlights include individual NCAA track and field national championships, an NCAA softball regional championship, and multiple recent NCAA berths in volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball.

• In addition to its 2017 NCAA title, the Lions’ football program also won the 1972 NAIA national championship. Other national championships have included men’s basketball (NAIA 1954-55), men’s golf (NAIA 1965), and men’s tennis (NAIA 1972 and 1978). Prominent student-athletes at A&M-Commerce have included NFL stars Harvey Martin, Wade Wilson, and Dwight White and noted U.S. Olympic medalist John Carlos.

• Founded in 1889, Texas A&M-Commerce serves rural and urban Northeast Texas with distinction, consistently delivering on a promise that founder Professor William Leonidas Mayo made more than a century ago. That was, “No industrious, ambitious youth shall be denied an education if I can prevent it.” To this day, the institution remains committed to its core mission: “Educate. Discover. Achieve.”

• Formerly known as East Texas State University, the 2,100-acre Commerce campus provides many opportunities for students to learn and grow. The university offers more than 135-degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. In addition, a vibrant student life experience includes 14 competitive NCAA athletic teams, a thriving Greek system, and more than 120 student organizations. Programs are delivered on-site at the Commerce campus and in Dallas, Frisco, McKinney, Mesquite, and Corsicana. A robust online academic menu of classes is also a point of distinction. U.S. News & World Report has ranked several programs at Texas A&M University-Commerce among the best in the nation for 2021.

• A member of The Texas A&M University System since 1996, the institution provides quality education to an inclusive community of diverse learners as one of the most affordable universities in East Texas. Students work with world-class professors who dedicate themselves to excellence in teaching and research. In addition, the university maintains strong relationships with local industries to create relevant academic programs and valuable internship and networking opportunities that prepare career-ready graduates.

• Serving nearly 12,000 students, Texas A&M-Commerce is a leader in competency-based education and is the nation’s first institution to offer an accredited competency-based bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and organizational leadership. The agriculture program is also a national stand-out, featuring one of the only programs where students grow their experimental crops on the university’s 1,500-acre farm. In addition, A&M-Commerce upholds a 130-year legacy as an exceptional teachers’ college, graduating more than 400 certified educators in 2019. In 2020, the university opened the 113,470-square-foot Nursing and Health Sciences Building, featuring a state-of-the-art simulation hospital.

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE MEMBERS ON JULY 1, 2022 – AS OF SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Institution	Offers Football?
A&M-COMMERCE	YES
Houston Baptist	Yes
Incarnate Word	Yes
McNeese State	Yes
New Orleans	No
Nicholls State	Yes
Northwestern State	Yes
Southeastern Louisiana	Yes
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	No

A&M-Commerce places sixth at Midwestern State Invitational

WICHITA FALLS – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team placed sixth among 19 teams at the Midwestern State Invitational this week hosted at the Wichita Falls Country Club. 

Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) finished in a tie for 11th place, trailing the tournament winner by 14 strokes. Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk (Phuket, Thailand) ends the tournament tied for 19th to lead the Lions. 

Midwestern State won the team title with 838 over 54 holes beating Hutchinson Community College by ten strokes. The Lions totaled 866 strokes as a team over three rounds.

“The conditions today played tougher. We will continue to work hard and come back stronger for the next tournament,” said coach Ryan Hand. “I saw some good things this week, but we need to be more consistent. Our focus is now on the Cameron Invitational.”  

Burch shot a 72 on Tuesday, and Phaithuncharoensuk carded a 75 in the final round. Nathan McCulloch (Edinburgh, Scotland) shot a 74 to finish in a tie for 38th place, while Luis Martinez (Caracas, Venezuela) finished tied for 68th with a Tuesday score of 80. Tripp Wallace (Lubbock – Frenship) finished tied for 70th place with a score of 76. 

The Mustangs went 1-2 at the top of the player leaderboard. Jake Doggett set a tournament record with a total score of 198, and he won by seven strokes over teammate Jake Leatherwood. 

UP NEXT

One more tournament remains for the Lions this fall. A&M-Commerce participates in The Hrnciar, hosted by Cameron in Duncan, Oklahoma, on October 18-19.

Pos.	Team	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
1	Midwestern State	281	278	279	838
2	Hutchinson CC	280	281	287	848
3	Colorado Christian	283	278	292	853
4	St. Mary’s	288	280	294	862
5	Cameron	289	282	293	864
6	A&M-COMMERCE	286	283	297	866
7	DBU	291	282	296	869
T8	Texas A&M International	293	292	290	875
T8	Colorado Mesa	291	284	300	875
T8	West Texas A&M	294	292	289	875
11	Midwestern State ‘B’	291	290	298	879
T12	UT Tyler	289	287	305	881
T12	Western New Mexico	299	286	296	881
T12	Arkansas-Fort Smith	291	285	305	881
15	Fort Lewis	293	294	297	884
16	New Mexico JC	297	283	305	885
17	New Mexico JC ‘B’	298	300	293	891
18	Lubbock Christian	293	307	302	902
19	Regis	306	281	319	906

 

6	A&M-COMMERCE	286	283	297	866
T11	Zach Burch	71	69	72	212
T19	Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk	74	66	75	215
T39	Nathan McCulloch	70	76	74	220
T68	Luis Martinez	71	75	80	226
T70	Tripp Wallace	78	73	76	227

Phaithuncharoensuk and Burch in top-10 after 36 holes at MSU Invitational

WICHITA FALLS – Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk carded a 66, the lowest score among all golfers, in the second round of the Midwestern State Invitational to finish in the top-10, along with teammate Zach Burch, after the first 36 holes at the Wichita Falls Country Club on Monday. 

Phaithuncharoensuk (Phuket, Thailand) jumped 41 spots on the leaderboard in the second round with a 66. He shot a 74 in the first round. Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) shot a 71 in the morning and a 69 to round out the day. Both Phaithuncharoensuk and Burch finish the day in a tie for ninth place.

“We have some ground to make up tomorrow,” said coach Ryan Hand. “We’re looking forward to getting back on the course and getting back to work.”  

After Monday’s action, the Lions are in fifth place with a team score of 569 through two rounds in the 19-team tournament. Midwestern State hosts lead the field by two strokes over Hutchinson Community College and Colorado Christian with a team score of 559. A&M-Commerce is one stroke back of St. Mary’s for fourth place. 

After the first two rounds, Nathan McCulloch (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Luis Martinez (Caracas, Venezuela) tied for 44th. McCulloch carded a score of 146 (70-76) on Monday. Martinez shot a 71 in the first round and 75 in the second round. Tripp Wallace also improved his score by five strokes in the second round, carding a combined score of 151 (78-73) on Monday. 

Midwestern State’s Jake Doggett is in the lead with 133 in the first two rounds. He was ahead with a four-stroke on Hutchinson’s Harry Crockett. A total of 108 golfers are competing in the tournament this week.

Pos.	Team	Round 1	Round 2	Total
1	Midwestern State	281	278	559
T2	Hutchinson CC	280	281	561
T2	Colorado Christian	283	278	561
4	St. Mary’s	288	280	568
5	A&M-COMMERCE	286	283	569
6	Cameron	289	282	571
7	DBU	291	282	573
8	Colorado Mesa	291	284	575
T9	UT Tyler	289	287	576
T9	Arkansas-Fort Smith	291	285	576
T11	Midwestern State ‘B’	291	289	580
T11	New Mexico JC	297	283	580
T13	Texas A&M International	293	292	585
T13	Western New Mexico	299	286	585
15	West Texas A&M	294	292	586
T16	Regis	306	281	587
T16	Fort Lewis	293	294	587
18	New Mexico JC ‘B’	298	300	598
19	Lubbock Christian	293	308	601

 

5	A&M-COMMERCE	286	283	569
T9	Zach Burch	71	69	140
T9	Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk	74	66	140
T44	Nathan McCulloch	70	76	146
T44	Luis Martinez	71	75	146
T78	Tripp Wallace	78	73	151

Lion Volleyball sweeps Aggies for the fifth-straight LSC win.

LAWTON, Okla. – The winning streak in Lone Star Conference matches improves to five for the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team, who swept Cameron, 3-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Aggie Gym. The Lions took the three sets by 25-20, 25-13, and 25-19, respectively. 

The win helps the Lions move to 6-7 overall and 5-3 in conference matches. The Aggies drop to 1-18 overall and 0-8 in LSC play. 

Cameron trailed 17-16 before A&M-Commerce won the following three points for some breathing room and closed it on a 4-2 run in the first set. The Lions won the set on an ace by Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty). The Lions had five aces in the match, served up by five different players. 

The Lions cruised to a 25-13 win in the second set. They led by as much as nine points in the middle of the set, 17-8. The Aggies pulled to 17-12, but the Lions won the set on an 8-1 run. They won the set on an attacking error by the Aggies. 

A&M-Commerce did not trail in the third set and won its fifth-consecutive conference match on a service error by the Aggies. The slimmest lead for the Lions in the set was at 17-15, but the Lions won the following five points. 

Taryn Cast (Peaster) led the team with nine kills. She also had three assisted blocks. Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) had nine kills and seven digs, and Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.) had eight kills. Fellow Placentia, California, resident Sydney Andersen had six kills and three blocks. 

Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had 32 of the team’s 35 aces. Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) had 20 digs, while Cast and Pennington had eight each. 

The Lions hit .170 in the match and held the Aggies to a hitting percentage of .045. 

UP NEXT

A&M-Commerce is at home during homecoming weekend. Lions take on Texas A&M International on Friday at 6:00 pm and Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday, October 16 at 1:00 pm.

Campuzano’s brace leads Lions over Lady Chaps.

LUBBOCK – Saturday’s match between the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team and Lubbock Christian through the first 76 minutes. The Lions scored three goals in the remainder of the game to sink the Lady Chaps, 3-0 at the LCU Soccer and Track Facility. 

Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) scored two goals for A&M-Commerce, who moves to 6-4-1 on the season overall and 3-2 in Lone Star Conference matches. Christina Hernandez (Denison) scored the third goal for the Lions in the 90th minute. 

The Lady Chaps lost just their second match of the year and held a 6-2-2 overall record. They are 3-2-1 in LSC matches. 

The Lions had 14 shots in the first half, including six that went on goal, but Lubbock Christian’s Hannah Wise saved all. A&M-Commerce had four shots on goal in the second half. Three went in the back of the net, and they held one. 

A&M-Commerce defense held LCU to just four shots. Jen Peters (Allen) did not see a shot on goal in the match. 

Campuzano’s first goal came at the 77th minute, and Karalie Morrison (North Richland Hills – Colleyville Heritage) assisted. Morrison and Skylar Sorrell (Monroe, La.) helped her second goal. The senior forward had ten shots, including seven on goal. 

Hernandez’s goal in the 90th minute was unassisted. Cora Welch (Plano) had four shots in the match. The Lions had 25 shots and 2-1 in three all-time meetings against the Lady Chaps. 

UP NEXT

The Lions are in Denton on Wednesday to take on Texas Woman’s University at 7:00 pm. In addition, A&M-Commerce welcomes Angelo State to Commerce as part of homecoming weekend on Saturday, October 16 at 11:00 am.

Cardinals tame Lion Football in overtime, 20-17

COMMERCE – Despite being held scoreless in the second half of regulation, the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals scored a six-yard touchdown in overtime to sink the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team, 20-17, on Saturday evening at Memorial Stadium. 

The Lions received the ball first in the overtime period and took their first lead on a 27-yard field goal by Jake Viquez (Rockwall). However, the Cardinals answered with a touchdown run by Tommy Scott. That dropped A&M-Commerce to 3-3 on the season, while the Cardinals improved to 3-3 as well. 

Viquez drilled a 31-yard kick as time expired in regulation to send it to overtime. After that, Viquez went 3 for 3 in field-goal attempts. His other successful field goal attempt came in the first half, which was good from 39 yards out. 

The Cardinals’ Colby Newman opened up the scoring with a one-yard touchdown in the first half. Then, in the second quarter, Saginaw Valley State added to its lead on a 74-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Nick Whiteside. 

Trailing 14-3 at halftime, Lions pulled to within three in the fourth quarter on a 29-yard touchdown catch by Chance Cooper (Leander – Rouse), thrown by Miklo Smalls (Plano East), who made his season debut and threw for 193 yards on 22 for 36 passing and two interceptions. Matt Childers (Henderson) caught a two-yard pass from Smalls to convert the two-point attempt. 

First, 10 of the 11 drives ended in either punts or turnovers for the Lion offense, while three of the last five finished with points added to the scoreboard. 

On Saturday night, the Lions had two turnovers in opposition territory: a fumble at the two-yard line and an interception just outside the red zone. 

Domininion Ezinwa (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) forced a fumble, which Dominique Ramsey (Converse – Judson) recovered for two yards. Ramsey led the team with nine tackles. He also had four punt returns for 54 yards. Mitchell McGarry (Tannum Sands, Queensland, Australia) kicked eight punts, averaging 35.8 yards per punt. 

The Lions had four sacks in the game. Ezinwa, Elijah Earls (San Antonio – Stevens), Anthony Hayes (Panama City, Fla.) had one each, while Daryion Taylor (Humble – Atascocita) and Jaylon Hodge (Houston – Fort Bend Travis) split a sack. 

A&M-Commerce outgained Saginaw Valley State, 278-127. The defense allowed just 24 passing yards and 103 yards on the ground, and A&M-Commerce had nine tackles for loss in the game. 

E.J. Thompson (Cy Ranch) had 16 carries in the game. He rushed for 39 yards. Cooper and Matt Childers (Henderson) caught ten passes each in the game. Cooper led all receivers with 68 yards, 34 coming after the catch, while Childers picked up 44 yards.

UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce concludes its homestand against Western New Mexico as part of homecoming weekend. The kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 pm next Saturday, October 16.

Fifteen Lion Softball student-athletes named NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fifteen Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team members have been named 2021 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

The Lions posted a grade point average north of 3.50 in the 2020-21 academic year. They were NCAA Division II South Central Region finalists, only one win away from the Division II National Finals. 

“Finishing above a 3.50 team GPA and No. 9 in the country speaks volumes of the success we had both on and off the field last year,” said coach Richie Bruister. “Huge thank you to Luci Ponce and Victoria Kisluk for all of their help in the Thrower Center. I am extremely proud of Lion Softball and how they continue to represent our university.”

Representing the Lions as NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes are:

Serina Aguilar

Delaney Boley

McKenna Cross

Daija Davis

Mairady Dempsey

Mackenzie Dugi

Abigail Gatlin

Uxua Modrego-Lopez

Ta’lyn Moody

Emily Otto

Cally Pausewang

Kimber Qualls

Madison Schaefer

Chealsea Slider

Saylor Williams

Around the country, over 8,800 student-athletes are named All-America Scholar-Athletes, which is an NFCA record. The team rankings and individual honors are submitted by member head coaches and recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across the Association’s membership categories.

Cora Welch received Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week.

COMMERCE – Posting two shutouts this past weekend, Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team’s standout Cora Welch received this week’s Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week. 

Welch (Plano) played all 180 minutes and captained the backline that did not allow a goal in two wins this past week. The Lion defense did not surrender a shot on goal in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Lubbock Christian. 

The senior defender also scored two goals and assisted in Wednesday’s 6-0 win over UT-Tyler. 

The Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week will be awarded by Lion Athletics each week through the remainder of the academic year.

2021-22 Under Armour Student-Athletes of the Week
Sep. 22	Alex Speer, Men’s Cross Country
Sep. 27	Leslie Campuzano, Soccer
Oct. 4	Celeste Vela, Volleyball
Oct. 11	Cora Welch, Soccer

A&M-Commerce sinks Midwestern State in four to win the fourth-straight LSC match.

WICHITA FALLS – After dropping the first set by a score of 25-20, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team took the following three sets, by scores of 25-15, 25-21, and 25-21, to beat the Midwestern Mustangs, 3-1 on Friday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. 

The Lions have won four Lone Star Conference matches in a row and hold a winning record for the first time this year at 4-3. They are 5-7 overall. The Mustangs fall to 3-12 on the season overall and 1-6 in LSC matches. 

The Mustangs were on the brink of forcing a deciding set, leading 19-16 in the fourth set, but the Lions put together a 5-0 run to take the lead and closed out the match with a 4-1 run to win the set, 25-21. Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.) delivered the game win on her 10th kill of the night, on Celeste Vela’s 37th assist of the match. 

Midwestern State won the first set by a score of 25-20. MSU trailed 10-7 in the set but went on a 4-0 to take the lead and withstood two 4-0 runs by the Lions to win three of the last four points of the set. 

The Lions answered with a strong effort in the second set, winning it 25-15. Midwestern State won the first point of the set, which was its only lead in the set. The Lions hit .273 in the set compared to .000 for the Mustangs. 

A&M-Commerce won the set an assisted block by Taryn Cast (Peaster) and Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.). Andersen had seven blocks (one solo, six assisted) in the match, Cast had five assisted blocks, and Maiya Dickie (Huntsville) had a solo block, and two assisted. 

On a kill by Lissette Lefforge, the Mustangs had a 13-12 lead in the third. However, the Lions won seven of the next eight to build a 19-14 lead. Midwestern State made it close, getting to within 23-21, but lost the set, 25-21, on a kill by Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum). Allen had a double-double for the second match in a row with 13 kills and 15 digs. 

Dickie also had 13 kills, and Rashford recorded ten kills. Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) led the team with 24 digs, Riley Davidson (Commerce) picked up nine digs, and Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had eight digs. 

Vela had 37 assists and a service ace as well. A&M-Commerce had seven aces in the match, with Hebert serving up two of them. 

In the match, the Lions outhit the Mustangs, .188 to .124. A&M-Commerce has won seven straight meetings over Midwestern State and 10 of the last 11. 

UP NEXT

The Lions are on the road for one more match before returning home for homecoming weekend. A&M-Commerce travels to Cameron to face the Aggies on Saturday at 2:00 pm.

Lion cross country teams close out the regular season at Alabama-Huntsville.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – In their last regular-season competition, the Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the Chargers XC Invitational at John Hunt Park on Saturday morning. Alabama-Huntsville hosted the meet. 

The men took 21st in the race, and the women took 28th. Pittsburg State won the men’s team title, while Lee University (Tenn.) took home the women’s team title. 

MEN

In his first race of this fall, Nicodemus Rotich (Eldoret, Kenya) paced the Lions with a time of 25:23.33 in the eight-kilometer race. He finished 71st overall. Alex Speer (Robinson) finished second on the team with a time of 25:34.08. 

Tanner Townsend (Royse City) raced to a time of 25:47.93. Casey Novelo (Burleson – Trinity) followed with a time of 26:48.43, Anthony Gonzales (Desoto) clocked in a time of 27:07.29, and Jan Lenfert raced to a time of 27:13.84. 

To round out the Lion contingent

Chris Navarrette (Laredo – Lyndon B. Johnson) timed 27:20.4

Chris Flores (Rocksprings) timed 27:31.3

Marshall Pate (Kaufman) timed 27:50.28

Nicholas Deutsch (Frisco) timed 27:56.61

Joshua Schutter (Rowlett – Sachse) ran a time of 28:31.13

Mykel Smith (Fort Worth – North Crowley) clocked 29:03.95

Colten Van Voorhis (Prosper – Rock Hill) timed 30:29.53. 

Ryan Riddle of Missouri Southern raced to the fastest time on the men’s side. He timed 23:47.76. 

WOMEN

Five women competed for the Lions on Saturday in the five-kilometer race. Katelyn Matthews (Burleson – Mansfield Legacy) ran a time of 19:43.60 for the fastest time on the team. Alondra Campa (Kaufman) followed behind Matthews with a time of 20:17.82. 

Evelyn Brown (Paris) finished third on the team with a time of 20:48.27. Yenifer Martinez (Irving – Nimitz) and Edith Branch (Denton – Lake Dallas) rounded out the Lions with marks of 21:04.53 and 21:23.16, respectively. 

Celine Ritter won the individual crown with a time of 16:47.09. 

UP NEXT

A&M-Commerce takes on the rest of the Lone Star Conference foes in Lawton, Oklahoma, on October 23 for the LSC Championships. Cameron University hosts the championship race.