TAMUC – Sports

 

TRACK AND FIELD

Robins and relay close out Texas Relay with solid performances.

AUSTIN – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s 4×400 meter relay finished in fourth place at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays built by The Home Depot, while Anitial’a Robins put up a provisional qualifying mark.

The relay team of Jude Christine, D’Lance Sharp, Dedrian Windham, and Rashard Clark finished the 4×400 race with a time of 3:08.01, good enough for a fourth-place finish. The Lions are the only team to go under 3:10 this season, having done so in the preliminary round as well.

Robins threw the discus 45.37 meters (148-10) for a provisional qualifying mark that ranks as the 14th-best in Division II this season.

The Lions are next in action at the David Noble Relays hosted by Angelo State next Thursday through Saturday.

TEXAS RELAYS QUALIFYING MARKS
Florian Obst – Men’s Decathlon – 7,681 points
Hailey Wanoreck – Women’s Hammer Throw – 52.90 meters
Minna Svaerd – Women’s 400m Hurdles – 1:00.47
Hudson Hall – Men’s Pole Vault – 5.15 meters
Men’s 4x400m Relay – 3:07.91
DeVontae Steele – Men’s Triple Jump – 15.67 meters
Malcolm Woods – Men’s 100m – 10.54 seconds
Jasmine Roberts – Women’s Triple Jump – 11.95 meters
Anitial’a Robins – Women’s Discus Throw – 45.37 meters

 

TRACK AND FIELD

Lions put up two national best marks in another strong day at Texas Relays.

AUSTIN – The Texas A&M University-Commerce track and field teams saw two more national best marks posted in Friday’s action at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays built by The Home Depot.

DeVontae Steele extended his national-best mark in the men’s triple jump, while the men’s 4×400 meter relay team’s blazing time set a school record and took the nation’s top spot.

Steele was in the “A” flight of the prestigious field at the Texas Relays and advanced to the final, placing fifth. His jump of 15.67 meters (51-5) is the longest jump in Division II this season, an automatic qualifying mark for the national meet, and the fourth-longest mark at all collegiate levels this season.

The relay team of Jude Christine, D’Lance Sharp, Dedrian Windham, and Rashard Clark flew around the Mike Myers Stadium track in a time of 3:07.91, taking the top qualifying time into Saturday’s final. It is the first Division II automatic qualifying mark of the season by over two and a half seconds. It is also only the ninth time under 3:08 in all levels of collegiate track this season. The Lions will run in the event final at 4:35 p.m. Saturday.

Malcolm Woods earned a provisional qualifying time in the men’s 100 meters at 10.54 seconds, the eighth-fastest time in Division II this season.

Jasmine Roberts earned a provisional qualifying mark in the women’s triple jump at 11.95 meters (39-2 ½). It is the fifth-longest mark in Division II this year.

In addition to the men’s 4×400 meter relay final Saturday, Anitial’a Robins will compete in the women’s discus throw at 10:00 a.m.

 

SOFTBALL

No. 9 Lions sweep series against ENMU with an 11-3 win.

PORTALES, N.M.– The No. 9 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team defeated Eastern New Mexico 11-3 in five innings on Friday. The win finished the Lions’ 3-0 sweep of the Greyhounds.

With the win, the Lions are now 31-3 for the season and 16-2 in the Lone Star Conference. The Lions have now won 15 games in a row. The Greyhounds fall to 15-22 and 8-13 in conference play.

The Lions return to action on Friday for a nationally-ranked home matchup against No. 14 West Texas A&M for a PACK THE PARK weekend. Admission for fans with a voucher picked up from a local business or with a local identification will be admitted free of charge for all three games. The teams will play a single game on Friday at 7 p.m. and a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday. All games will be at the John Cain Family Softball Complex in Commerce.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Jodie Hill hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Kinsie Hebler and Kimber Neal both hit solo home runs in the fifth inning.
– Ciera Nunez, Hebler, Hill, Kayla Kilcrease and Monica Cherry all had multiple hits.
– Hill had three RBIs. Baylea Higgs, Hebler, Mariah Jameyson, Bri Sims, Cherry and Neal all had an RBI.
– Hill and Nunez both had two steals. Higgs, Kilcrease, and Cherry also had stolen bases.
– Emily Otto got her 12th win of the year. She pitched 3.1 innings and had four strikeouts against four hits. Katie Dean started the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions got on the board in their first chance. Hebler hit a single and scored on a single from Jameyson. The Lion defense also was sharp to begin the game. After a fielder’s choice got the first out, Higgs made a diving catch in center field to get an out. She quickly got to her feet and threw to second, getting a force out on the runner who left too early. The Lions led 1-0 after one.

The Lions added to their lead in the second inning. Hill and Kilcrease both singled and stole a base, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. Cherry singled to bring a run across. Another run came across on an error. Cherry scored on a groundout by Higgs, and the Lions led 4-0.

The Greyhounds brought two runs across in the bottom of the inning. A walk and a single put two runners on. Two more singles brought two runs across, and the Lions held a 4-2 lead after two complete innings.

Hill singled in the third inning and stole second. She advanced to third on a Cherry single and scored on a passed ball to give the Lions a 5-2 lead. Otto came into pitch and had a strikeout to keep the Lions up three after three complete.

A&M-Commerce added four runs in the fourth inning. Higgs singled and stole second base. Hebler hit an infield single, and Jameyson walked to load the bases. Sims hit a groundout but brought Higgs across. Hill then hit a home run into left-center field to score three more, and the Lions led 9-2. Otto had two more strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth to keep the Lions up seven.

The Lions added two more in the fifth inning. Neal led off with a home run to left field. Hebler also homered in the inning, and the Lions led 11-2. ENMU hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, but another strikeout for Otto got an out and Higgs robbed a home run on the final at-bat to get the Lions the five-inning win.

 

SOFTBALL

No. 9 Lions sweep the day against ENMU to push streak to program-record 14.

PORTALES, N.M.– The No. 9 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team defeated Eastern New Mexico twice on Thursday. The Lions beat the Greyhounds 12-5 in the first game and 13-5 in the second game.

With the wins, the Lions are now 30-3 for the season and 15-2 in the Lone Star Conference. The Lions have now won 14 games in a row, setting a new program record. They are now in sole possession of first place in the LSC. The Greyhounds fall to 15-21 and 8-12 in conference play.

The Lions and the Greyhounds will meet for the final game of the series Friday at Noon MDT. The game will be at Greyhound Field in Portales, N.M.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game 1)
– Jodie Hill had two home runs, two runs scored, four RBIs and a stolen base.
– Mariah Jameyson had three hits including a home run. She had two-RBI.
– Bri Sims recorded three hits, including a solo home run. She scored three runs.
– Kinsie Hebler and Baylea Higgs both had two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Higgs also had a steal.
– Kimber Neal had two hits and two stolen bases. Ciera Nunez, Chloe Horn and Monica Cherry also had stolen bases.
– Kayla Kilcrease also had a hit. Cherry scored two runs. Precious Thompson and Nunez also scored a run apiece.
– Katie Dean pitched five innings to earn her 12th win of the season. Emily Otto pitched two innings to close the game and had four strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1)
The Lions got the scoring started early in the game, bringing two across in the first inning. Nunez reached on a walk and stole second base. After a groundout advanced her to third, a double from Hebler brought her across. Hebler scored on a single from Jameyson. A single from Sims brought Jameyson into scoring position, but the Lions could not get her across as the final two batters struck out. The Lions led 2-0.

The Greyhounds answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first. After the first two batters had HPs, the next hitter doubled to bring a runner across. A groundout brought another run across, and the Greyhounds tied the game at two after one complete inning.

Neither team could get a run across in the second inning. Jameyson changed that in the third inning. She came up and blasted a shot to center field, giving the Lions back the lead. After Sims walked, Hill came up to bat and hit a two-run shot over the left field fence, giving the Lions a three-run lead. The Lions weren’t through. Cherry drew a walk and advanced to third on a single from Neal. Neal stole second, prompting a throw. Cherry went on to take home, and the Lions took a 6-2 lead. A quick bottom of the third kept the Lions on top by four.

Higgs singled to start the fourth inning and stole second. After advancing to third on a groundout, she saw a passed ball go by the catcher. She could not get there quick enough as she was thrown out at home to keep the Lions off the board. The Greyhounds put another run across in the bottom of the fourth. A walk was followed by a double to put two runners in scoring position. A fielding error allowed a run to score and the Greyhounds trailed 6-3.

The Lions smoked two more dingers in the fifth inning. Sims led off with a shot to center field. Hill followed her and hit a homer to left field. The Lions drew three walks to load the bases. Higgs hit into a fielder’s choice but brought Cherry across, and the Lions led 9-3 going into the bottom of the fifth. The Greyhounds it a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to bring the score to 9-5 after five complete.

The Lions brought two more runs across on in the top of the sixth. Jameyson singled to lead off, and Sims also singled. Kilcrease hit a double down the right-field line to bring in a run. Another run scored on a single from Hill and the Lions led 11-5. Otto came in to pitch in the bottom of the sixth and retired the batters in order, including a strikeout to keep the score at 11-5.

The Lions brought another run across in the top of the seventh. Two Greyhound errors aided them, and Higgs scored, bringing the Lion lead to 12-5. Otto continued to pitch well in the bottom of the seventh, striking out three more, and the Lions left with the 12-5 win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game 2)
– Jodie Hill went 3-for-3 with a grand slam, four-RBI, and two runs scored. She also had a stolen base.
– Mariah Jameyson led off the game with a three-run homer. She has now homered in five consecutive games.
– Baylea Higgs had a single and a triple with four RBIs. She also had a stolen base.
– Kimber Neal had two hits and scored three runs. Kinsie Hebler had a single and scored a run.
– Ciera Nunez scored two runs and had two steals. Bri Sims, Precious Thompson, and Monica Cherry also scored runs.
– Emily Otto pitched the final three innings to get the win. She had three strikeouts and did not give up an earned run. Selena Rima started the game and had a strikeout.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2)
The Lions got the scoring started early in the first inning. Nunez reached and stole second base. After Hebler walked, Jameyson cranked a three-run home run over the left field fence. The Lions didn’t stop there. Hill singled and stole second base. She scored on a single from Kilcrease, and the Lions took a 4-0 lead.

The Greyhounds scored a run in the bottom of the first. After a hit batter, Kilcrease advanced on a groundout and scored on a single, bringing the score to 4-1.

The Lions scored another run in the second inning. Neal walked and stole a base. Nunez also stole a base, and on an errant throw, Neal came in to score. The Greyhounds responded with two runs in the bottom of the second. A single and a walk with the bases loaded brought in two runs. The Lions led 5-3 after two innings.

The Lions went scoreless in the top of the third inning, and the Greyhounds scored another run. Two walks and a single loaded the bases. A fielder’s choice brought a run across to bring the Lion lead to 5-4 after three innings.

The Lions broke the game open in the fourth inning. Neal led off with a double, and she scored on a single from Higgs. Hebler singled, and Jameyson walked to load the bases. Hill came to the plate and blasted a pitch to center field, hitting her first career grand slam. ENMU scored a run in the bottom of the inning, and the Lions held a 10-5 lead after four complete.

The Lions scored three more runs in the fifth inning. Cherry and Nunez walked, and Neal doubled to load the bases. Higgs came to the plate and smacked a pitch into the gap in the center, scoring all three runners on her triple. Otto finished the game, and it ended in shortened fashion.

 

TRACK AND FIELD

AUSTIN – Led by Florian Obst’s record-breaking decathlon performance, the Texas A&M University-Commerce track and field team had an outstanding showing Thursday at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays built by The Home Depot.

Four Lions competed Thursday, with all four posting national qualifying marks, including another national best from Obst.

The senior from Emmering, Germany, completed the decathlon with 7,681 points which are the fourth-best mark in all divisions of college track this season, a new A&M-Commerce school record, and an automatic qualifying mark. This is the highest mark in Division II this year by 583 points.

Obst’s score is less than 100 points outside the Division II all-time top 10, which has only had one addition since 1999. Based on available documentation, this is the best score in Division II since the 2006 National Championship.

He was the top finisher in the prestigious field in the shot put with a toss of 14.86 meters (48-9), was second in the discus throw at 45.34 meters (148-9), and third in the javelin throw at 56.92 meters (186-9).

EVENT	MARK	Event Pts	Running Total
100 meters	10.87	890
Long Jump	7.00m	814	1704
Shot Put	14.86m	781	2485
High Jump	1.89m	705	3190
400 meters	49.86	821	4011
110 meters hurdles	14.82	871	4882
Discus Throw	45.34m	774	5656
Pole Vault	4.60m	790	6446
Javelin Throw	56.92m	692	7138
1,500 meters	5:02.92	543	7681

Hailey Wanoreck established a new school record in the women’s hammer throw and earned a provisional qualifying mark with a long throw of 52.90 meters (173-7), placing 15^th in the field of 24 throwers.

Minna Svaerd improved her provisional qualifying time in the women’s 400 meters hurdles with a time of 1:00.47, which is the fourth-best time in Division II this season.

Hudson Hall improved his provisional qualifying mark in the men’s pole vault, clearing 5.15 meters (16-10 ¾). This is the third-best mark in Division II this season.

Friday’s action at the Texas Relays for the Lions includes:
9:35 a.m. – Women’s 4x100m Relay – Mackenzie Clark, Courtlyn Gant, Kamryn McKee, Nei Nei Paul
9:55 a.m. – Men’s 4x100m Relay – Malcolm Woods, LT Jessie, Stadrian Taylor, Brice Ashburn
10:45 a.m. – Men’s 100m Dash – Malcolm Woods, Stadrian Taylor
10:45 a.m. – Women’s 100m Dash – Mackenzie Clark, Courtlyn Gant
11:15 a.m. – Women’s 4x400m Relay – Minna Svaerd, Ro’Nisha Simpson, Joy Spann, Kamryn McKee
Noon – Men’s 4x400m Relay – Jude Christine, Dedrian Windham, D’Lance Sharp, Rashard Clark
12:30 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump – Jasmine Roberts
3 p.m. – Men’s Triple Jump – DeVontae Steele

 

Josh Manck

Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce