Sports Release
August 31, 1999

FOOTBALL
Season Opener at WNMU
The Eastern New Mexico football team opens the 1999 season on Sat., Sept. 4 at Western New Mexico University. Kickoff in Silver City, N.M. is set for 1:00 p.m. (MST).

Last year, the Greyhounds routed the Mustangs, 62-3, at Greyhound Stadium. ENMU leads the all-time series, 26-8 (5 wins in a row). ENMU finished 1998 with an 8-3 overall record and a 6-3 mark in the Lone Star Conference South Division (2nd place). ENMU ranked as high as a tie for 11th in the NCAA Division II Poll during the season. Western New Mexico was 2-7 in 1998.

The Mustangs opened the 1999 season Aug. 28 with a 27-20 road win over Fort Lewis College.

RODRIGUEZ RETURNS TO LEAD OFFENSE
Quarterback Bobby Rodriguez, a senior from Santa Teresa, N.M. (Las Cruces H.S.) returns as the leader of ENMU’s offense. Last year, in his first season as a starter, Rodriguez completed 73 of 172 passes for 988 yards and 9 TDs. He also ran 112 times for 371 yards and 2 TDs. Rodriguez was named 2nd Team All-LSC South in 1998.

He will be joined in the backfield by senior fullback Bruce Hatch (Bloomfield, NM/Bloomfield H.S.), senior RB Siegan Keys (Oakland, CA/Chabot College) and junior transfer RB Antoine Lacy (Richmond, CA/Contra Costa J.C.).

Hatch rushed for 862 yards in 1997 and 434 yards in 1998. Keys, who gained 403 yards in 1997, returns after sitting out last season.

Brian Weimer, a junior from Clovis, N.M. (Clovis H.S.), returns at wide receiver. Weimer led the Greyhounds in receiving last year, with 25 catches for 370 yards and 2 touchdowns.

WALTON, WHITE, WILLIAMS
AT CENTER OF ENMU DEFENSE
The Greyhounds return all three starting linebackers who helped ENMU finish 9th nationally in total defense in NCAA Division II last season. Middle linebacker Michael Walton (Sr., Earth, TX/Texas Tech), strong side linebacker Garett Williams (Jr., Monahans, TX/ Monahans H.S.) and weak side backer Floyd White (Pampa, TX/Pampa H.S.) combined for 224 tackles, 46 tackles for losses and 16 QB sacks in 1998.

Walton led the LSC in total tackles for the second consecutive year, earning 117 stops, including 60 solo tackles. He had 24 tackles for losses. He was named to four All-America teams.

White added 87 tackles (58 solo) and 17 tackles for losses. He tied Walton for the team lead with 7.5 sacks, and blocked 2 kicks. Williams earned 30 tackles, including 5 for losses.

LIVE COVERAGE ON KSEL-FM & TEAMLINE
All of ENMU’s football games will be broadcast live on KSEL radio, 95.3 FM. Don Elder will provide play-by-play, with Phil Clabaugh adding commentary throughout the season. For those not in KSEL’s listening area, broadcasts may be obtained by calling Teamline at (800) 846-4700 and entering ENMU’s code (8813).

Please note that long distance charges apply when you listen to the games through Teamline. Call Teamline at (800) 225-5321 for more information with no obligation.

VOLLEYBALL
3-1 Overall
The Zias opened the 1999 season at the Lady Buff Classic hosted by West Texas A&M, Aug. 27-28 in Canyon, Texas. ENMU went 3-1 in the tournament and tied for second place with Nebraska-Omaha. The Zias will compete at the Adams State Fall Brawl this weekend in Alamosa, Colorado, before returning to Portales for the home opener versus Lubbock Christian on Sept. 7 (7:00 p.m. MST).

ZIAS START SEASON WITH SOLID WEEKEND
The Lady Buff Classic at West Texas A&M provided a great start to the season for the ENMU volleyball squad. The Zias defeated Bellarmine College (Kentucky), downed Colorado School of Mines, and defeated St. Mary’s University (Texas).

Eastern’s only defeat came against Nebraska-Omaha, which entered the event ranked 17th in NCAA Division II.

ENMU’s first match was against Bellarmine. The Zias prevailed 15-10, 15-17, 15-4, 15-11. Outside hitter Irma Cobos (Sr., Kermit, TX/Kermit H.S.) produced a career high 22 kills during the match, topping her previous best of 21 versus Tarleton State on Nov. 7, 1997. Cobos earned a .563 hitting percentage during the match.

Other top players for ENMU were senior right side hitter Heather DesMarais (Yakima, WA/Columbia Basin College) with 13 kills, junior middle blocker Aubrey Gladstone (Kennewick, WA/Columbia Basin College) with 10 kills, 10 digs and 6 total blocks, and senior setter Lindsey Davison (Kelso, WA/Columbia Basin College) with 57 assists.

The Zias had difficulty stopping Nebraska-Omaha’s attack in the second match, as the Mavericks earned a .325 hitting percentage. All-America selection Tracy Ankeny led UNO with 17 kills (.444).

The Zias were led by DesMarais with 9 kills, and by Cobos with 8 kills and 11 digs. UNO won the match, 15-9, 15-3, 15-10.

ENMU returned to the victory column with solid wins Aug. 28 against Colorado School of Mines, 3-1, and St. Mary’s, 3-0. The Zias downed CSM, 15-13, 10-15, 15-2, 15-4 by taking command of the 3rd and 4th games.

Against St. Mary’s, ENMU won 15-8, 15-3, 15-13, while recording 17 block assists and holding St. Mary’s to a .139 attack percentage. Junior outside hitter Tanya Heyko (Salem, OR/Chemeketa C.C.) led the Zias with 13 kills and a .500 attack percentage against Colorado Mines. In the match with St. Mary’s, Cobos (10 kills) and Gladstone (9 kills, .538) spearheaded the three-game sweep.

GLADSTONE NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT
Eastern New Mexico University middle blocker Aubrey Gladstone, a junior from Kennewick, Washington Columbia Basin College), was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Second Annual Plains National Bank Lady Buff Classic, at West Texas A&M Aug. 27-28. Gladstone helped the Zias earn a 3-1 record ( 2nd place tie). Gladstone earned 28 kills and a .265 attack percentage during the tournament.

In four matches, she recorded 25 digs, 12 block assists, 3 block solos, and 3 aces. Her 15 total blocks tied for the team lead, and her 25 digs placed her second on the ENMU squad. Gladstone earned 10 kills against Bellarmine and blasted 9 kills against St. Mary’s.

Gladstone is in her first season at Eastern New Mexico. She previously played two seasons at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash. She helped CBC win the NW Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) East Region championship in 1997.

UP NEXT FOR THE ZIAS
The Zias travel to Alamosa, Colo. this weekend to compete in the Adams State College Fall Brawl, Sept. 3-4. On Friday, ENMU is scheduled to battle Central Oklahoma at 10:00 a.m. (MST) and Western New Mexico at 3:00 p.m.

On Saturday, the Zias will play College of the Southwest at 10:00 a.m., then take on Adams State at 7:00 p.m. ENMU plays its first home match of the season on Tues., Sept. 7, when the Zias host Lubbock Christian at 7:00 p.m. (MST) at Greyhound Arena.

Last year, ENMU earned a 13-2 record in home matches.

CROSS COUNTRY
Season Opens Sept. 2
The ENMU men’s and women’s cross country teams open the season on Sept. 2 at West Texas A&M. The dual scrimmage gets underway at 3:00 p.m. (MST). The Greyhounds and Zias will use the competition to help prepare for the Texas Tech Classic, Sept. 11 in Lubbock, Texas.

Hawk Harris (Sr., Hobbs, NM/ Hobbs H.S.) is ENMU’s top returning runner on the men’s team. Mindy Clark (Jr., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) will lead the women’s squad.

Head Coach David Segura enters his first season on the coaching staff at ENMU. Segura previously coached at Saint Michael’s High School in Santa Fe, N.M. for five seasons, from Fall, 1992 through Spring, 1997. He replaces Jeff Arthur, who coached the cross country teams for three years.

Segura received a B.S. degree in Secondary Education from ENMU in 1990. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and was named Outstanding Men’s Undergraduate in Education. He set the NCAA Division I record in the marathon while attending the University of New Mexico for two years prior to transferring to ENMU.