Track & Field Athletes Await NCAA Championships
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VOLUME XVII, NO. 41 KINGSVILLE, TEXAS 78363 MAY 17, 2017 Track & Field Athletes Await NCAA Championships Eight Texas A&M-Kingsville unit are LaGae Brigance, into last weekend’s competitions. …Christian Garcia, senior track and field athletes and one sophomore from Missouri City Zhgun had the second best from Eagle Pass, in the shot put. Javelina relay team were expected (Hightower); Plaserae Johnson, throw in the javelin and Lopez had …Rachael Somoye, to receive invitations Tuesday to senior from Glendale, Ariz., and the second best time in the sophomore from Houston (Alief participate in the NCAA Division Keandria Taylor, freshman from hurdles. Taylor), in the hammer throw. II Championships May 25-27 in Rosebud-Lott. The women’s sprint relay also The Javelina women are Bradenton, Fla. Javier Lopez, senior from was second best. ranked No. 10 in the national These were the Javelinas who Cordova, Spain, is automatically Other Javelinas who were ratings and the men are No. 20. were in position to receive the qualified in the 110-meter hurdles expected to receive invitations The men’s team was runnerup bids going into last weekend’s last and Vitaly Zhgun, freshman from were: for the national title last spring. chance meets throughout the Moscow, Russia, is automatically …Johnson in the 100 and 200. Ten members of the Javelina country. qualified in the javelin. …Brigance in the high jump. team participated in the West Kaina Martinez, senior from Martinez had the best time in …James Passley, senior from Texas Last Chance Meet last Seine Bight, Belize, was NCAA Division II in the 100 and Portland, Jamaica, in the long and weekend in Canyon. automatically qualified in the 100- the second best in the 200 going triple jumps. (Continued on Page 4) meter and 200-meter dashes and she was expected to also be invited to take part in the long jump. Four Events? She’s a member of the Kaina Martinez, senior from women’s 400-meter relay team that Seine Bight, Belize, was expected is automatically qualified for to receive invitations to partici- nationals. pate in four events at the NCAA Martinez was injured in her Division II Championships next last competition but is expected to week in Bradenton, Fla. She has be ready to compete in the automatically qualified in the championships. She will be one of 100-meter and 200-meter dashes as well as a leg on the 400-meter a few athletes who will be relay team. She was also expected qualified in four events. to be invited to long jump. Other members of the relay Baseball Ends Campaign With 31-18 (.633) Record The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball season came to a close last weekend at the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament in San Angelo. The Javelinas, seeded second after finishing runnerup in the LSC title chase, dropped a 3-0 decision to West Texas A&M in the opening round of the tournament and lost to Cameron, 9-4, in the consolation bracket. The Javelinas had a 31-18 season’s record and ranked in the With Highest Honors national polls most of the campaign. Meagan Cantu, Javelina golf team member from Monte Alto (Edcouch-Elsa), was graduated summa cum They were led in hitting by Pablo Hernandez, sophomore outfielder laude, with highest honor, last weekend. Left is J.M. Lozano, state representative for District 43 and commencement speaker, and right is TAMUK president, Dr. Steven Tallant. Cantu received a bachelor of (Continued on Page 2) science degree. Javelina Hash By Fred Nuesch, Coordinator of Athletic External Affairs THIS WEEK’S JAVELINA Highlights reaches a milestone in its 17 years of publication. It marks the first time that there has been a 24-page issue. There have been a few 20 pagers in the past. The news being generated by the Javelina athletic teams and individuals continues to be more than plentiful each week. The purpose of the Highlights is to give the fans information as to what is going on in Javelina Nation. And this week’s record number of pages shows that this flow of news grows and grows. THE CAMPUS WAS a beehive of activity again last weekend. Thousands of visitors came for the four graduation ceremonies in the Steinke Center, a beach volleyball clinic hosted by the Javelina volleyball coaches and high school baseball and softball playoff games. Included in the commencement programs were more than 80 Javelina athletes, coaches and staff members. KAINA MARTINEZ HAD the misfortunate of being injured recently at the Lone Star Conference track and field championships. If she hadn’t suffered the injury while running on the winning 400-meter relay team, there’s little doubt she would have been the outstanding female track athlete for the third consecutive year. Spring Graduates She was heavily favored to win the 100-meter and 200-meter Receiving degrees at last weekend’s commencement in the Steinke Center were, left to right, Lily Hospers, dashes but had to scratch from both. basketball player from Nelson, New Zealand; Ariana Munoz, softball player from Alice, and Nadia Grlj, Martinez won the 200 race three consecutive years, was the tennis player from Melbourne, Australia. Hospers received a bachelor of science degree and was graduated 100 champion twice, won the 400-meter dash in 2016 and was on summa cum laude, with highest honor. Munoz and Grlj also received bachelor of science degrees and Grlj the winning 400-meter and 1600-meter relay units in 2016. was graduated cumlaude, with honor. Her 12 gold medals, including this year’s sprint relay award, make her one of the all-time top performers in LSC track and field. Baseball Season Ends With 31-18 Record (Continued from Page 1) record on the mound and had a …Payton Geisinger, infielder THE AMERICAN VOLLEYBALL Coaches Association is from Havana, Cuba, with a .390 3.79 earned run average. from Wichita Falls. currently listing seven NCAA Division II schools with beach batting average. He has 21 Preston Plovanich, …Alec Kana, outfielder from volleyball programs. doubles, a triple and a home run. sophomore lefty from Santa Fe, Bastrop. The Javelinas are the only team in Texas. Christian Caudle, junior had a 6-4 record and a 3.79 ERA. …Kelm. The others are Carson-Newman (Tenn.), Colorado-Mesa, catcher from Houston (Klein), hit Isaiah Lybarger, junior …Hunter Lehman, catcher Concordia-Irvine, Eckerd (Fla.), Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) and .384 with 11 doubles, two triples righthander from Corpus Christi and pitcher from Kyle (Lehman). Spring Hill (Ala.). and a homer. (Carroll), had a 3.47 ERA and a 5-3 …Sebi Palacios, pitcher from Abilene Christian will become the fifth Texas school to have Levi Zents, junior third record. Premont. beach volleyball beginning next spring. The Wildcats join the baseman from Keller (Central), had Zach Wilson, senior …Perkins. a .348 average with four doubles righthander from Katy, had a 4-3 …Jimmy Roche, first baseman Javelinas, Houston Baptist, TCU and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. and Hunter Perkins, senior utility record and a 3.79 ERA and Nick from Corpus Christi (Calallen). player from Victoria (East), posted Masarik, junior righthander from …Wilson. MIDWESTERN STATE MAY be getting a new football stadium a .312 average with 12 doubles Columbus, ended the campaign on campus. and four home runs. with a 3-0 record and a 5.96 ERA. The board of regents will discuss its capital expenditure plan Kohl Ullman, freshman utility Jako Kelm, senior lefty from for 2018-22 which includes $18 million for the stadium. player from Houston (St. Pius X), Georgetown, led the staff in saves It will be paid for by private funds. rounded out the above .300 hitters with four. The Mustangs play in Memorial Stadium, which was once with a .306 percentage and eight The Javelina pitching staff owned by Midwestern but later sold to the public school district. doubles, a triple and a home run. had a cumulative ERA of 4.01. MSU pays to use the stadium. The Javelinas hit .298 as a Nine members of the team are There have been Mustang home football games that have had team. seniors: (Continued on Page 3) Seth Hubert, senior …Josh Croft, infielder from righthander from Riviera, had a 7-4 Powell River, British Columbia. Upcoming Javelina Events Javelina Hash May 18 –Baseball: NCAA Division II South Central Region By Fred Nuesch, Coordinator of Athletic External Affairs Championship, TBD. May 19 – Baseball: NCAA Division II South Central Region (Continued from Page 2) Championship, TBD. May 20 – Baseball: NCAA Division II South Central Region late starts because the stadium was being used by high school Championship, TBD. events. May 21 - Baseball: NCAA Division II South Central Region MSU is another in a series of Lone Star Conference schools to Championship, TBD. build new stadium. May 26 – Outdoor Track & Field: NCAA Division II Championships in Angelo State expanded its track and field stadium several years Bradenton, Fla. ago to serve as home of football games as well. ay 27 – Baseball: NCAA Division II World Series in Grand Prairie. Eastern New Mexico opened an on-campus stadium last year. Outdoor Track & Field: NCAA Division II Championships in Tarleton State is expanding its football stadium and announced Bradenton, Fla. last week that the west side would be named for athletic director May 28 – Baseball: NCAA Division II World Series in Grand Prairie. Lonn Reisman. Outdoor Track & Field: NCAA Division II Championships in The expansion is the result of a $2.4 million gift from Mike A. Bradenton, Fla. Myers. May 29 – Baseball: NCAA Division II World Series in Grand Prairie.