Allen and Vela pick up double-doubles in a 3-1 win over the Falcons.

ODESSA – In a matchup between two top six teams in the Lone Star Conference standings, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball exited the UTPB Gym with a 3-1 win over the UT Permian Basin Falcons on Thursday night. The Lions fought off-set points to win the first set, 28-26, fell 25-21 in the second set, and won the match by winning the third and fourth sets by matching 25-21. 

Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had a double-double with 45 assists and 15 digs. She leads the LSC with an average of 10.36 assists per set. The Lions are 11-5 in LSC matches and remain fifth in the LSC standings. With one more game left in the regular season, the Lions cannot finish worse than fifth in the conference standings. 

Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) also had a double-double with 18 kills and 11 digs. Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.) recorded 14 kills and three blocks. Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) led the team with 19 digs, while Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty) had 14 digs. 

COACH CRAIG CASE’S POST-MATCH THOUGHTS

On fighting off three set points in the first set: “UTPB’s crowd was really good, they had good energy, and a home crowd advantage, it took us some time to fight that off. We made some tactical changes in the last two points of the first set, and it was a really good sign that it paid off in a playoff-like atmosphere.” 

On both teams exchanging long runs: “They have really good offensive players just like us, and we ended up in some defensive rotations, where if we didn’t do everything perfectly, we would have a hard chance winning the point. Our message was to just keep playing hard if we win or lose the point, and we need to be on the positive side of it at the end.” 

On late rally by UTPB in the fourth set: “I was pretty concerned, because their crowd is really good, and they were fighting to the very last point. We took the pedal off the gas a little bit, but they just flew by us. We were able to refocus during a long challenge break, but as the season gets longer, we won’t have that chance against teams like UTPB or teams that we are going to face here on out.”

The Lions won six of the first 10 points of the first set. Allen had three kills in the first six points. The Falcons won seven of the next eight to lead 11-7, but the Lions returned with a 6-2 run to tie the match. Nicki Gonelli (Round Rock – Stony Point) had two kills during that stretch. 

Both teams exchanged small runs but could not separate themselves until three straight kills by the Falcons gave them a 23-19 lead. The Lions answered with a 3-0 run, including a block by Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.) and Maiya Dickie (Huntsville), who led the team with six blocks. 

UTPB had a chance to win the first set on a kill by Taurie Magee at 24-22, but the Lions won the following two points to tie the set at 24 on a kill by Dickie and an assisted block by Dickie and Allen. The Falcons had two more chances to win the set at 25-23 and 26-24, but the Lions fought it off each time. 

An assisted block by Vela and Taryn Cast (Peaster) gave the Lions their first set point, and they won the set, 28-26, on a kill by Vela. 

The Falcons led the second set, 7-4, and led 13-10, but the Lions won the following three points to tie it at 13 on a kill by Rashford and took a 17-14 lead on another kill by Rashford. UT-Permian Basin tied the set at 17 and took a 22-18 lead as part of an 8-1 run and closed out the set, 25-21, on a kill by Stephanie Sanchez. 

UT Permian Basin again led to start the third quarter, 8-3, but the Lions led 10-8 following a 7-0 run. Four of the seven points came via errors by UTPB. The string of long runs continued as the Falcons took the lead on a 6-1 run. 

A kill by Chandra Reed gave the Falcons a 19-16 lead, but A&M-Commerce won five of the following six points to retake the lead. The Lions closed out the third set on a 4-0 run. 

The Lions did not trail in the fourth set. They started the set leading 6-2 on an ace by Pennington. They withstood a 3-1 run as well as a 5-1 run by the Falcons. A&M-Commerce extended its lead to nine on a 6-0 run to push the set score to 21-12. UTPB cut the set to 23-18, but a kill by Rashford gave the Lions a match point at 24-18. 

UT Permian Basin fought off three straight match points to pull to 24-21, but an attacking error ended the rally as the Lions won the fourth set, 25-21. 

Cast had four blocks. Vela, Andersen, Rashford, and Allen had three each. Dickie had eight kills, and Gonelli had seven kills. 

UP NEXT

A&M-Commerce closes out the regular season against Western New Mexico on Saturday at Noon central standard time in Silver City, N.M.

Five Lions named all-LSC, Morrison named Freshman of the Year.

RICHARDSON – The Lone Star Conference recognizes five Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team members during its annual soccer awards banquet on Thursday night. Karalie Morrison is named the 2021 LSC Freshman of the Year to highlight the awards for the Lions. 

Along with Morrison (North Richland Hills – Colleyville Heritage), Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) is also named first-team all-LSC. Cora Welch (Plano) is named second-team all-LSC, while Kara Blasingame (Oswego, Ill.) and Lauren Shaw (Livingston – The Covenant Prep) are all named to the all-LSC Academic team. Also, they named Morrison to the all-Freshman team. 

The Lions posted a record 9-7-2 in the regular season. They finished seventh in the LSC with a history of 7-5-1. A&M-Commerce takes on Angelo State in the semifinal round of the LSC Championship on Friday at 7:30 pm in Dallas. 

Morrison finished her freshman campaign with 12 goals, nine assists, and 33 points. All rank in the top three among all players in the conference. She scored four match-winning goals in 18 regular season matches and a hat-trick against UT Permian Basin on September 26. Morrison is the fifth player in program history to win the Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year award and the first since Campuzano in 2017. 

Campuzano caps her stellar five-year career by being named an all-conference player for the fourth time. She received the first team for the second year in a row, with nine goals and six assists in the regular season. Both are in the top-eight in the LSC. Her 24 points are top-10 in the LSC. 

Welch, like Campuzano, was named first-team all-LSC this past spring. She was named LSC Defensive Player of the Week on October 11. It is the third all-conference honor for Welch after playing as an attacking midfielder this fall and scoring seven goals and two assists. 

They named Blasingame to the all-academic team for the first time in her career. She was named CoSIDA Academic All-District earlier in the afternoon on Thursday after graduating with a bachelor’s in business administration. She obtained her master’s in business analytics and served as the A&M-Commerce Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president during the 2020-21 academic year. 

Shaw, the current SAAC president, is also named to the all-LSC academic team for the first time. Shaw is a Kinesiology & Sport Studies major and appeared in 12 matches during the regular season.

2021 LSC WOMEN’S SOCCER ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS
Player	School	Year	Pos.	Major	Hometown
Kira Miller	Angelo State	Sr.	GK	Exercise Science	Frisco, Texas
Melissa Jones	DBU	Grad.	MF	MBA	Round Rock, Texas
Delaney Schmidt	DBU	Grad.	F	Masters in Accounting	Burleson, Texas
Shadiana Haney	Lubbock Christian	Jr.	DEF	Early Childhood Education	Lubbock, Texas
Madison Mayben	Lubbock Christian	So.	DEF	Biology	San Angelo, Texas
Lauren Shaw	A&M-Commerce	Jr.	F	Kinesiology & Sport Studies	Livingston, Texas
Kara Blasingame	A&M-Commerce	Grad.	DEF	Business Analytics	Oswego, Ill.
Keely Chapman	Texas Woman’s	Sr.	F	Kinesiology	Norman, Okla.
Sarah Flannelly	UT Tyler	So.	MF	Kinesiology	Tyler, Texas
Hannah Kelley-Lusk	West Texas A&M	Grad.	F	Communication Disorders	Farmington, N.M.
Ashley Silvestre	West Texas A&M	Jr.	MF	Marketing	Amarillo, Texas

SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Academic Player of the Year: Hannah Kelley-Lusk, West Texas A&M

2021 LSC WOMEN’S SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS SPECIAL AWARDS
Player of the Year: Hannah Kelley-Lusk, West Texas A&M
Goalkeeper of the Year: Kira Miller, Angelo State
Defensive Player of the Year: Blythe Obar, DBU
Midfielder of the Year: Avery McNeme, Angelo State
Forward of the Year: Hannah Kelley-Lusk, West Texas A&M
Newcomer of the Year: Michelle Gonzalez, DBU
Freshman of the Year: Karalie Morrison, A&M-Commerce
Coach of the Year: Ryan Spence, Midwestern State

FIRST TEAM
Player	Team	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown
Avery McNeme	Angelo State	MF	Grad.	Lubbock, Texas
Cassidy Hill	Angelo State	DEF	Jr.	Forney, Texas
Kira Miller	Angelo State	GK	Sr.	Frisco, Texas
Delaney Schmidt	DBU	F	Grad.	Burleson, Texas
Michelle Gonzalez	DBU	MF	Jr.	Garland, Texas
Ashley Merrill	DBU	MF	So.	Frisco, Texas
Blythe Obar	DBU	DEF	So.	Frisco, Texas
Rachel Allen	DBU	DEF	Fr.	Waxahachie, Texas
Juni Ejere	St. Mary’s	F	Jr.	Weatherford, Texas
Megan Copeland	St. Mary’s	DEF	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas
Leslie Campuzano	A&M-Commerce	F	Sr.	Garland, Texas
Karalie Morrison	A&M-Commerce	MF	Fr.	North Richland Hills, Texas
Hannah Kelley-Lusk	West Texas A&M	F	Grad.	Farmington, N.M.

SECOND TEAM
Summerlyn Heller	DBU	F	Sr.	Bastrop, Texas
Abigail Olmos	DBU	MF	Sr.	Kennedale, Texas
Cassidy  Savoy	Midwestern State	F	So.	Fort Worth, Texas
Kelly Cannistra	Midwestern State	MF	Sr.	Gilbert, Ariz.
Randi Heaton	Midwestern State	MF	Sr.	Westminster, Colo.
Nicole Marsolek	Midwestern State	DEF	Jr.	Frisco, Texas
Rebecca Difronzo	St. Mary’s	GK	Fr.	Bari, Italy
Cora Welch	A&M-Commerce	DEF	Sr.	Plano, Texas
Alyssa Simien	Texas Woman’s	F	Fr.	San Antonio, Texas
Maddy Harper	Texas Woman’s	DEF	Sr.	Fort Worth, Texas
Reagan Matacale	West Texas A&M	F	Fr.	Lucas, Texas
Asha James	West Texas A&M	MF	So.	Canaan, Trinidad & Tobago
Emily Avila	West Texas A&M	DEF	Jr.	Albuquerque, N.M.

THIRD TEAM
Madison Stokes	Angelo State	MF	Jr.	Amarillo, Texas
Jenna Patterson	DBU	F	Jr.	Fate, Texas
Melissa Jones	DBU	MF	Grad.	Round Rock, Texas
Madison Mayben	Lubbock Christian	DEF	So.	San Angelo, Texas
Hannah Wise	Lubbock Christian	GK	Sr.	Midlothian, Texas
Katie Gay	St. Edward’s	F	So.	Plano, Texas
Sarah Preston	St. Edward’s	DEF	Sr.	Oviedo, Fla.
Alexis Lawrence	St. Mary’s	F	Sr.	Mesquite, Texas
Miranda Narvaez	St. Mary’s	MF	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas
Jazmine Navarro	Texas Woman’s	MF	Sr.	Tyler, Texas
Alyssa Valdez	Texas Woman’s	DEF	Fr.	Dallas, Texas
Faith Adje	UT Tyler	F	Fr.	Frisco, Texas
Maliyah Mendoza	West Texas A&M	DEF	Jr.	Dallas, Texas

2021 LSC WOMEN’S SOCCER ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Player	Team	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown
Grace Jordan	Angelo State	F	Fr.	Fort Worth, Texas
Rachel Allen	DBU	DEF	Fr.	Waxahachie, Texas
Lexi Beck	Midwestern State	MF	Fr.	Fort Worth, Texas
Isabella Cruz	Midwestern State	MF	Fr.	Pflugerville, Texas
Emilia  Nunez	Midwestern State	DEF	Fr.	Rockwall, Texas
Kyla Lovelace	Oklahoma Christian	F	Fr.	Mustang, Okla.
Alyssa Garcia	St. Edward’s	MF	Fr.	Katy, Texas
Rebecca Difronzo	St. Mary’s	GK	Fr.	Bari, Italy
Karalie Morrison	A&M-Commerce	MF	Fr.	North Richland Hills, Texas
Alyssa Simien	Texas Woman’s	F	Fr.	San Antonio, Texas
Alyssa Valdez	Texas Woman’s	DEF	Fr.	Dallas, Texas
Mya Alcala	Texas Woman’s	DEF	Fr.	Murrieta, Calif.
Faith Adje	UT Tyler	F	Fr.	Frisco, Texas

Blasingame named CoSIDA Academic All-District.

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer standout Kara Blasingame has been named to the 2021 Academic All-District Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). 

Blasingame (Oswego, Ill.) is one of 15 Academic All-District honorees from District 6, comprised of the Lone Star Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. She is now eligible to be selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team, the first such honor for the Lion soccer program. She has been the first Lion soccer student-athlete to be named to the Academic All-District team since Michelle Kotlik in 2018. 

On the field, Blasingame has played in over 5,700 minutes over her career, primarily as a defender. She has started 65 of 70 matches she has played and also scored six goals and 11 assists. 

In May, the senior defender was a summa cum laude graduate, earning her bachelor of business administration with a finance major. This past spring, she was named a Lone Star Conference Scholar-Athlete and has been named to the President’s List six times, the Dean’s list once, and the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll seven times. Blasingame is currently obtaining her master’s degree in business analytics and hopes to be a lawyer after leaving Commerce. 

Blasingame’s accolades off the field go beyond just the classroom. She was the A&M-Commerce Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President in 2020-21, and she is also a member of the Honors College and the Athletic Council. 

Her senior season is still in progress as A&M-Commerce faces Angelo State on Friday at 7:00 pm in Dallas for the semifinal round of the Lone Star Conference Championship.

NCAA DIVISION II – DISTRICT 6 (Lone Star, Rocky Mountain)

Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Major
GK	Sierra Roth	Colorado School of Mines	Gr.	Chemical & Biochemical Engineering (UG) / Quantitative Biosciences & Engineering (G)
D	Kara Blasingame	A&M-COMMERCE	Gr.	Business Analytics (UG) / MBA (G)
D	Michaela Dangler	Colorado Mesa University	Jr.	Elementary Education
D	Kate Giordano	Metropolitan State University of Denver	Jr.	Biology
D	Katie Koehler	Colorado School of Mines	So.	Electrical Engineering
M	Sophia Beames	Colorado Mesa University	So.	Biology
M	Ella Fischer	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	Sr.	Biology
M	Melissa Jones	Dallas Baptist University	Gr.	MBA
M	Abigail Olmos	Dallas Baptist University	Sr.	Psychology
M	Tarah Patterson	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	Gr.	MBA
M	Emma Peterson	Colorado School of Mines	Sr.	Mechanical Engineering
M	Ashley Silvestre	West Texas A&M University	Sr.	Marketing
F	Lila Dere	Colorado Mesa University	So.	Business Administration / Entrepreneurship
F	Hannah Kelley-Lusk	West Texas A&M University	Gr.	Communication Disorders (UG) / Sports & Exercise Science (G)
F	Delaney Schmidt	Dallas Baptist University	Gr.	Accounting

2021-22 Lion Women’s Basketball: A Simple Plan

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team has accomplished the following. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years, finishing as finalists in the Lone Star Conference Tournament the previous two years, picked to finish second in the conference this season, starting the season ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division II. With the impending move to NCAA Division I, the women’s basketball team has plenty of expectations for the 2021-22 season. Still, for eighth-year coach Jason Burton, the plan is simple, “Win the next game that is in front of us, and the rest will take care of itself.” 

UNPARALLELED SUCCESS

Last year, the Lions advanced to the NCAA South Central Regional Semifinal, its third straight South Central Regional appearance. After ending 2020-21 ranked No. 17 in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) top 25, the Lions start this season ranked No. 10. 

Burton has kept the team’s focus on this year and knows that every game will be a challenge for the Lions. 

“Between our past success, our current rankings, and move to Division I, we’re going to the get the best shot of every team we play. We may play a team with a losing record, but they are going to give their best shot to beat us. We can’t let our guard down at all,” said Burton. 

The Lions also return three players that have been named All-Americans during their A&M-Commerce careers by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Chania Wright (DeSoto) was named Honorable Mentioned All-America in 2019-20, while DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.) and Dyani Robinson (Langham Creek) were named All-Americans last season. 

TOUGH TEST IN THE ROCKIES

A&M-Commerce starts its season with a tournament hosted by Colorado Christian. The Lions face Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday and Colorado Christian on Saturday. 

Despite a losing record in 2020-21, Burton expects the Thunderwolves to be an NCAA Tournament caliber team this year. 

“Their record from last season is deceiving,” said Burton. “Based on their exhibition game against Wyoming, what they retained and brought in, they will in the NCAA Tournament this season. They added two really good Division I transfers along with retaining both of their top two scorers.” 

BATTLE-TESTED PRESEASON

Before the regular season, the Lions took on three Division I teams in exhibition games at Baylor, SMU, and Houston. The Lions fell in all three games, but Burton saw many things that are easily fixable going into the regular season. 

“We turned the ball over way more than we would have liked to, and a lot of it was self-inflicted,” added Burton. “A positive thing is that a lot of those things are correctable. Our mistakes are very correctable. We did not shoot the ball well from the three-point line, but every game, we scored more.” 

After facing elite competition in the preseason, Burton is looking forward to going up against the regional competition to pursue the LSC Championship. 

“I am excited for this team and excited to play some Division II competition. We are battle-tested and ready to go after the Lone Star Conference Championship,” said Burton. 

Laila Lawrence (Lewisville) scored in double digits in two of the three exhibition games. According to Burton, a player who will play Division I for most of her career, Lawrence is ready to make the jump. 

“She is a gifted player offensively, can score multiple ways and find a way to get to the free-throw line. She has to grow as a defender and rebounder but is someone that can make that jump next year”, said Burton. 

BACK TO NORMALCY 

A lot of the younger players from a year ago did not have a regular preseason last year. After being on campus throughout the summer and a regular preseason and exhibition games this fall, younger players, including Dorian Norris (Lake Dallas), Symmone James (McKinney – Boyd), and Makenzie Schott (Flower Mound), have progressed this fall. 

“We did not have a preseason last year, so a lot of the freshmen from last year are coming along. We were able to work them this summer,” said Burton. 

Ravae Payne (Pearland) is a veteran in the Lone Star Conference, transferring from Texas A&M-Kingsville before last season. Having a typical summer and preseason has allowed her to build even more chemistry with the team. 

“One big jump for us has been Ravae,” said Burton. “By not having the preseason last year, she did not have the same rapport with the rest of the team. This year, she is a way different player than last year.” 

FOCUSING ON THIS YEAR

Burton and the coaching staff have done an exceptional job in keeping the team’s focus on this season and not thinking about the move to the Southland Conference next year. 

“We do not talk about it. The landscape is constantly changing, and so we are only focusing on what is front of us, and the rest takes care of itself,” said Burton. 

Perennial appearances in the conference and national tournaments have laid the groundwork for the team to think about the next game. 

“Our mentality is, win the game, win the week, as we have for the last three years, and it is going to take care of itself,” said Burton. 

THREE-POINT LINE PUSHED BACK

THIS SUMMER, the NCAA announced that they would push back the three-point line in the women’s basketball game to match the WNBA and the international competition. The Lions were sixth in the LSC in three-point field goal percentage last season. 

Asiyha Smith (Conway, Ark.), DesiRay Kernal (Newton, Kan.), Chania Wright (DeSoto) finished last season among the leaders on the team in three-point field goals made. They return this year as well as sharp-shooters Norris, Schott, Dyani Robinson (Langham Creek), Juliana Louis (Long Beach, Calif.), and Ashley Shipley (Tucumcari, N.M.) as well as newcomers Mia Deck (Frisco – Lone Star) and Lawrence. 

“We have been shooting well in practice. The line moving back creates more spacing, but only if you are knocking down the three-pointers. It is going to be good for our team overall, but we have to shoot the ball well, it is going to be good for us from a floor-spacing perspective,” said Burton. 

DEEPEST CONFERENCE IN THE COUNTRY

In the preseason rankings, the Lions were ranked No. 2 by the LSC media, coaches, and sports information directors. Burton believes that the rankings do not accurately exhibit the conference as every team can beat anyone in the conference. 

“Eastern New Mexico is picked low in the LSC, but that is deceiving as they brought in some key transfers and also brought back good players. You have to respect every team in the conference. We have to be ready every single night and make sure that we stay poised and focused,” said Burton. 

The Lions’ first conference competition is against Midwestern State on December 31, but A&M-Commerce takes on four LSC teams during the non-conference portion of the schedule, beginning with December 11 against Oklahoma Christian. 

FAST PACE

The Lions are going to run their traditional system of transition. Having players on the bench capable of being key contributors allows the Lions to continue to play with the design, despite injuries or off nights by starters. 

“One of the keys for us has been our depth. We can go into a game, play 10-11 people, and feel comfortable doing it,” said Burton. 

“Our depth allows us to play through some foul trouble, injuries here and there. We still have players that can win in this conference. The fast pace style that we want to play, it allows us to stay fresh.” 

Burton’s message to the team as it begins the season is simple. Despite the most extended list of expectations, his goals for the team are simple. 

“Our goal first and foremost is to win this weekend, win the regular-season championship, win a conference tournament championship, which is not something we have done yet. We want a chance to be a No. 1 seed, host, and win a National Championship,” concluded Burton. 

There are plenty of opportunities to see the Lions in person at the Field House. Season and individual tickets are on sale, and you can find them at LionAthletics.com/Tickets.

 

Lion Football closes out the DII era against Greyhounds on Senior Day.

COMMERCE – For the final time as a member of NCAA Division II, the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team marches onto Memorial Stadium against Eastern New Mexico on Saturday afternoon. The Lions will bid farewell to its senior class with a pregame ceremony to honor the 21 seniors. 

WHO: A&M-Commerce vs. Eastern New Mexico

WHERE: Commerce | Memorial Stadium

WHEN: Saturday, November 13 at 4:00 pm

RECORDS: The Lions are 6-3 overall, and 4-2 in Lone Star Conference play. The Greyhounds are 3-6 overall and 1-5 in LSC games. 

RANKINGS: Neither team is ranked heading into the final weekend of the season. 

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=353493

TICKETS: http://www.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, 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. It consistently delivers on a promise that founder Professor William Leonidas Mayo made more than a century ago: “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.”

U.S. News & World Report has ranked several programs at Texas A&M University-Commerce among the best in the nation for 2021. • 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. 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.

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. The university maintains strong relationships with local industries to create relevant academic programs and valuable internship and networking opportunities to 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.

Morrison named Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week.

COMMERCE – They named Karalie Morrison the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team power to the Lone Star Conference Championship in this weeks Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week. 

Morrison (North Richland Hills – Colleyville Heritage) accounted for five points in two wins last week, including three assists in the 9-0 rout of Oklahoma Christian on Saturday. Morrison also scored the match-winning penalty kick on Wednesday at Texas A&M International.  

The freshman finished the regular season tied for first in the Lone Star Conference with nine assists, second in the LSC with 33 points, and fourth in the LSC with 12 goals. 

Morrison and the Lions play in the LSC Championship on Tuesday night at Midwestern State at 7:00 pm in the quarterfinal round. 

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
Oct. 18	Dominique Ramsey, Football
Oct. 25	Lyric Hebert, Volleyball
Nov. 1	Alex Shillow, Football
Nov. 8	Karalie Morrison, Soccer