Athletics update

The Ides of August had a new feel in 2012 when the McMurry University fall sports athletes reported to campus in preparation to get their feet wet as NCAA Division II competitors. For the first time since 1977, the War Hawks will be trotting out teams that now include student-athletes receiving athletic-based scholarships.

FOOTBALL

Head coach Hal Mumme—entering his fourth season—will not only be introducing what looks to be a promising class of recruits in 2012, but also taking the wraps off of a $2.2 million renovated Wilford Moore Stadium.

Mumme’s War Hawks return nine starters—five offense and four defense—including national honors candidate Jake Mullin off of its 9-3 NCAA III playoff team last year. Mullin was an NCAA Division III AllAmerican in 2011, and the transition to Division II apparently hasn’t diminished what others think of his potential. The senior quarterback has been honored on no less than three pre-season All-America teams entering the 2012 campaign.

Mullin enters 2012 with 8,979 yards and 89 touchdowns in his McMurry career, approaching the lofty 10,000-yard/100 touchdown club. He already owns virtually every War Hawk passing and total offense rec ord—game, season and career—and is already looking to add to those totals in guiding the team again this year.

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball has high expectations, as well, after a 28-5 campaign in 2011. Head coach Cammie Petree lost just two seniors to graduation and welcomes back a strong foundation that includes NCAA III AllAmerican M.J. Vickers.

Vickers, a senior right-side hitter, averaged 3.78 kills per set and had a .278 attack percentage. She also averaged 3.20 set assists and .61 blocks per game.

Junior middle blocker Kasi Conners (1.92 kps & 1.53 bps) and sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Henry (2.69 kps) both return, as well. Conners was first team all-conference, while Henry was an honorable mention choice.

The War Hawks volleyball squad welcomes eight freshmen and two junior college transfers in 2012.

MEN’S SOCCER

McMurry’s men’s soccer team will have an international flavor along with some big roster numbers heading into 2012. McMurry head coach Paul Tate will have 30 new faces on a roster that is expected to be at 42 players.

The team will have 20 freshmen and 10 transfers. Additionally, Tate’s team will field representatives from Mexico, Venezuela, Nigeria, Brazil and the United Kingdom. Three players come to the War Hawks fresh off of a Junior College National Championship run at Cloud Community College.

Senior co-captains Tyler Tarango and Ryan Prince will spearhead the veteran players, along with Cody Gentry in the center midfield.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Women’s soccer head coach Alan Riches has worked to lay a strong foundation for the War Hawks women’s soccer program during his first two seasons and now, entering season three at McMurry, is ready to start building on those efforts. Riches looks to do so with a handful of key returning talent, surrounded by 11 newcomers on his 19-player roster.

The War Hawks will have eight college transfers on the pitch, providing some proven skilled players to go along with five freshmen.

Riches returns a trio of former all-conference players—junior Rachel Moore, along with sophomores Kristen Grant and Paige Harwell—to facilitate the integration of the newcomers towards the team’s 2012 success.

CROSS COUNTRY

Cross country head coach David Chandler will

lead his programs’ run into NCAA Division II with a solid mix of the old and new.

The War Hawk women’s harriers return six runners—including second team all-conference finisher sophomore Alyssa Fields and senior Brittany McGuire (29th in conference)—to the fold. Those numbers will be bolstered by the addition of one transfer and two freshmen in 2012.

McMurry’s men’s cross country team will have many more new faces— seven freshmen and one transfer—among its players. However, on a roster which has no seniors and no returning juniors, the second team all-conference duo of Michael Dowd (11th place) and Naoshi Okamoto (14th place) will lead the War Hawks.

ringing Out the Old...

McMurry University’s final athletics event as an NCAA Division III institution—the Outdoor Track and Field National Championships at Claremont, California, on May 24-26, 2012— provided quite a sendoff for the War Hawks! McMurry crowned three individual and one team national champion en route to the title, two alone from senior Kevin Cunningham. Cunningham defended his championship in the 400 meter hurdles (51.13), coming from behind at the finish. He also won the open 400 meters (46.98) for the 12th All-America award of his career, the secondmost in McMurry school history. Sophomore shot putter Paul Davis won his first NCAA title in a tough competition. In the 4x100 relay, McMurry's group of Josh Zu-Bolton, Trevon Odom, Gavan Bass and Kenneth Turner closed out the field in a time of 40.62 to claim the championship. In all, the War Hawks earned five other All-American honors besides its collection of national titles and head coach Barbara Crousen was named the men’s national “Coach of the Year.”