ENMU Athletics News

By Adam Pitterman and Will Edwards

Greyhound Athletics Registers a Strong Year in the Classroom

The 2016-17 year was a highly successful one for the ENMU Department of Athletics in competition and in the classroom. As a group, the Greyhound student-athletes posted a 3.08 gradepoint average for the academic year.

“At ENMU, we are very proud of our student-athletes both in the classroom and in their sports,” said ENMU President Dr. Steven Gamble. “I congratulate both the players and the coaches for their demonstration of ‘student success.’”

“These term GPAs and cumulative GPAs represent the respect, commitment and dedication that our student-athletes have for their academic pursuits,” ENMU Athletic Director Dr. Greg Waggoner said. “We applaud their efforts and academic results, as well as their coaches and other athletic staff that set a standard of expectation for our student athletes, as well as support and advise them.”

As far as overall grades, ENMU athletics performed extremely well for the year compared to the University’s student body. Eastern’s women’s teams posted a combined GPA of 3.27 for the year, ahead of the female portion of the student body, which was an impressive 2.96. The men’s teams combined for a GPA of 2.88, slightly ahead of the 2.76 GPA of ENMU’s male student population. The women’s cross country team boasted a 3.52 GPA for the year, while all seven women’s teams finished with combined GPAs of at least 3.08. The baseball team paced the men’s teams with a 3.18 GPA for the year.

Softball Team Reaches 20 Wins for First Time Since 2007

The Greyhound Softball team also had a banner year, with second-year Head Coach Katie Welborn moving into fifth on the career win list. With a doubleheader sweep at Oklahoma Panhandle State on April 19, the Hounds clinched their first 20-win season since 2007. One key highlight of the year was a perfect 7-0 mark against in-state opposition.

Senior Audrey Velasquez concluded her career as the recordholder for games played (213) and at bat (692). She also was fourth in runs scored and doubles. Freshman Kaylee Rogers posted 15 wins in the circle, the most since 2007, and fourth on the ENMU single-season list. Erikka Burke continued her habit of knocking the ball out of the park, and tied for second on the single-season list with 13.

Junior first baseman Erikka Burke earned Second Team All-Lone Star Conference honors, while shortstop Susannah Chandler made third team. The selections marked the third time in Chandler’s career that she has earned All-LSC honors. Burke’s selection was her first. The duo were among the top defensive players in the conference this season.

Baseball Team Surges to Second-Most Wins in Program History

In early May, the Greyhound baseball team concluded a season for the ages. Eastern posted the second 30-win season in program history, and just missed the Lone Star Conference tournament. Eastern’s 32 victories were the most since the 1996 team’s record of 34.

Junior second baseman Alex DeLaCruz set the program record for runs scored in and earned a First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region and All American.

The year included a pair of wins over Lone Star Conference Champions Angelo State and West Texas A&M. On the final weekend of play, ENMU came within one game of claiming a tournament spot for the second time in team history.

All-American Alex DeLaCruz turned in a historic season for the Greyhounds to earn a First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Region Selection before garnering All-American status. The second baseman set the program record for runs scored in and finished second in the Lone Star Conference in average, second in on-base percentage, fourth in hits, tenth in doubles, sixth in total bases, and sixth in stolen bases. He has consistently been the best hitter in the Lone Star Conference, leading the league in batting average, runs scored, hits, total bases, slugging percentage, third in doubles, sixth in home runs, sixth in RBI, tenth in walks, 14th fewest strikeouts, third run on-base percentage and second in stolen bases.

Barry Wins Goat Tying, ENMU Rodeo Finishes in Third in National Finals

ENMU rodeo senior Tawny Barry won the goat tying event at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo. After a 23rd-place finish a year ago, the Carter, S.D., native reined in the top spot with a time of 6.4 seconds in the short go, besting Wyoming’s Amelia Anderson by 0.1 seconds to win the event.

Rodeo teammates junior Celie Vick with seniors Tawny Barry, Lindsey Adcock and Tierra Gray all competed in the National Rodeo Finals, where the team placed third.

The ENMU rodeo team wrapped up a third-place finish, marking the third time in the last four years the women’s team has finished in the top-three nationally. Celie Vick finished in seventh-place in the short go of the goat tying with a time of 7.7 seconds. Tierra Gray reined in a time of 2.3 seconds in the breakaway roping, but was saddled with a pair of no-times to finish in a four-way tie for 30th at the CNFR. Lindsey Adcock finished with an average of 21.1 seconds in the goat tying after runs of 7.3, 7.1 and 6.7 seconds.

Ryan Spence Tabbed as ENMU Women’s Soccer Coach

When Ryan Spence returns to Portales to become the fifth ENMU women’s soccer coach, don’t be surprised if he finds the town familiar. A former player and assistant coach at rival Midwestern State, he also served as an assistant at Texas A&M University-International.

“The opportunity to come back into the region I played and am familiar with is a great one,” said Spence. “Coming into a small town is a good thing, considering where I’m coming from. The Lone Star Conference is one of the top conferences in division II. I think there is a good group of girls coming back and I’m excited to progress ENMU women’s soccer in the future.”

Seven Greyhounds Qualify For NCAA Outdoor Championships in Six Events

ENMU attended the Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet in Bradenton Florida, with seven athletes qualified to participate in six events. Leading the way for the Hounds was the men’s 4x100m relay team. The quartet of Jacques Hall, Marcus Parker, Avery Rasher and Julian Coronado entered the event as the top seed. That group includes three of the four runners (Rasher, Hall, and Coronado), that placed seventh at last year’s championship and earned All-American status.

Parker and Coronado also qualified to compete in the 100m dash, while Parker also ran in the 200m dash. Augustus Swanson competed in the 400m hurdles. For the women’s team, Melina Gryschka participated in the 3,000m steeplechase and Alexis Aguirre reached the championship meet in the javelin toss.