Sports Release
October 7, 1999

FOOTBALL
(4-1 Overall, 2-1 LSC) Ranked #14 in NCAA II
The ENMU Greyhounds lost their 1999 Homecoming game to Abilene Christian, 31-28, and fell to 4-1 on the season and 2-1 in the Lone Star Conference. ENMU, ranked 7th in NCAA Division II last week, fell to 14th in this week’s poll.

Despite the loss, the Hounds continue to lead the LSC in rushing offense (276.0 yards per game) and total offense (404.8 yards per game). ENMU also leads the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 13.0 points per contest.

ACU DEFEATS GREYHOUNDS, 31-28
The Abilene Christian Wildcats, sporting a powerful offense, took advantage of four ENMU turnovers and defeated the 7th-ranked (NCAA Division II) Greyhounds, 31-28, in the Homecoming game at Greyhound Stadium on Sat., Oct. 1. Abilene Christian improved to 2-2 overall, 2-1 in the LSC South. ENMU fell to 4-1, 2-1 in the LSC South.

Both teams earned significant offensive numbers. The Wildcats gained 188 yards on 54 running plays, and ACU quarterback Steve Brenan was 16 of 33 passing for 255 yards and 1 TD. ENMU rushed for 296 yards on 43 carries, and gained 69 yards passing. The teams combined for 808 yards, with ACU earning 443 yards (87 plays) and ENMU achieving 365 yards (52 plays).

ENMU lost three fumbles and threw one interception, while ACU had just one turnover. Eastern’s first fumble occurred with the Hounds trailing 10-6. A lateral on an option to the right was misplayed and Duane Hosea picked up the lose ball and dashed 41 yards for a touchdown. With the extra point, ACU led 17-6.

Another key play occurred in the third quarter, with Eastern leading 21-20 and threatening to score. The Greyhounds took over at midfield following a 20-yard punt, then gained 47 yards on their first four plays. The drive included a 24-yard pass from quarterback Bobby Rodriguez (Sr., Santa Teresa, NM/Las Cruces H.S.) to wide receiver Brian Weimer (Clovis, NM/Clovis H.S.) that brought the ball to the 3-yard line.

On the next play, ACU forced a fumble by Siegan Keys (Sr., RB, Oakland, CA/Chabot College) inside the 1-yard line. Brandon Bonds of ACU returned the ball to the ACU 23. The Wildcats then drove 77 yards on 7 plays to take the lead, 28-21, on a 5-yard run by George Fisher and a two-point PAT pass to Casey Whittle.

ENMU fumbled at the ACU 34- yard line on its next drive, but the Wildcats fumbled the ball back four plays later. Nelson Smith (Sr., DT, Albuquerque, NM/Univ. of Miami) recovered for Eastern.

The Wildcats were also penalized 15 yards, giving ENMU the ball at the ACU 18. Five plays later, Antoine Lacy (Jr., RB, Richmond, CA/Contra Costa J.C.) scored from 2 yards out. Sophomore placekicker Erick Hernandez (Amarillo, TX/Palo Duro H.S.) added the extra point, and the game was tied, 28-28, with 2:28 left in the third quarter.

ACU scored the winning points at the end of a 13-play, 59-yard drive. The key play of the drive was a scramble by Brenan after he was nearly sacked for a sizable loss on 3rd-and-5 at the ENMU 30-yard line.

Instead, he managed to escape, and carried the ball to the 20-yard line. ENMU did not yield another first down, but Michael Freeman connected on a 37-yard field goal with 10:17 left in the game. The Wildcats ran 87 offensive plays and had the ball for 37:38, compared to 52 plays and 22:22 of possession time for the Hounds.

Eastern’s 4 touchdown drives lasted a combined 19 plays. ACU had 4 scoring drives that lasted at least 9 plays each. Keys finished the game with 8 carries for 121 yards for ENMU. Bruce Hatch (Sr., FB, Bloomfield, NM/Bloomfield H.S.) added 114 yards on 15 carries for the Hounds. Rodriguez scored two first-half TDs on runs of 19 and 4 yards, as ENMU overcame its early 11-point deficit to take a 21-17 lead.

The Greyhounds led 21-20 at the half. ACU rushed for 104 yards on 54 carries. Fisher led the way with 104 yards on 24 carries. Adrian Rascon carried the ball 20 times for 85 yards, and Whittle caught 4 passes for 71 yards.

Eastern’s Michael Walton (Sr., LB, Earth, TX/Springlake-Earth H.S.) led all players with 19 tackles (11 solo, 2 QB sacks). Quincy Scott (Jr., SS, Seaside, CA/Monterey Peninsula) and Waylon Mayfield (So., FS, Andrews, TX/Andrews H.S.) each added 12 tackles for ENMU. Derck Lyons led ACU with 12 tackles (9 solo).

HOUNDS FALL TO #14 IN NATIONAL POLL
The ENMU football team is ranked #14 in the NCAA Division II Coaches Poll released, Oct. 4. Last week, ENMU was ranked #7. The Hounds were defeated by Abilene Christian, 31-28, on Oct. 2.

Carson-Newman (Tenn.) remained #1 in the poll with a 5-0 record. Northern Colorado (5-0) was #2, followed by Central Oklahoma (4-0) at #3, Slippery Rock (4-1) at #4 and Nebraska-Omaha (5-0) at #5.

WHITE RECEIVES SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD
Floyd White received the Burger King Scholar-Athlete Award during a pre-game ceremony at ENMU’s Homecoming game on Sat., Oct. 2. The Burger King Corporation donated $10,000 in White’s name to Eastern’s general scholarship fund.

White was chosen for the Scholar- Athlete Award because of his 3.6 grade point average (Biology major), his athletic success on the ENMU football team, and his involvement with the HOSTS (Helping One Student To Succeed) mentoring program at Portales Junior High.

UP NEXT FOR THE GREYHOUNDS
The Greyhounds remain at home this weekend, when they host Angelo State University in an LSC South Division game on Sat., Oct. 9. Game time at Greyhound Stadium is set for 6:00 p.m. (MDT).

Last year, the Hounds edged the Rams, 10-7. Following its game with ASU, Eastern travels to Stephenville, Texas to play Tarleton St. on Sat., Oct. 16. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. (MDT).

VOLLEYBALL
(14-4 Overall, 5-1 LSC) Tied for #6 in Region
The Zias are 14-4 overall and 5-1 in the Lone Star Conference South Division. ENMU played three road games this past week, defeating Tarleton State and Midwestern State in three games each, before losing at #3-ranked West Texas A&M in three games on Tue., Oct. 5. WTAMU’s victory allowed the Lady Buffs to take over sole possession of first place in the LSC South.

The Zias, who are one game back in second, get a chance to even their season series with West Texas on Tues., Oct. 12, when the Lady Buffs come to Portales. Match time is set for 7:00 p.m. (MDT).

ZIAS SWEEP TARLETON STATE
The Eastern New Mexico Zias swept the Tarleton State TexAnns, 15-9, 15-9, 15-13, in a Lone Star Conference volleyball match, Fri., Oct. 1 in Stephenville, Texas. Eastern New Mexico improved to 13-3 overall and 4-0 in the LSC South. TSU fell to 13-4 overall, 3-2 in the LSC South.

Senior right side hitter Heather DesMarais (Yakima, WA/Columbia Basin College) led the Zias with 18 kills and 1 just kill error for a .630 attack percentage. Middle blocker Maricela Santos (Sr., Laredo, TX/Laredo C.C.) added 14 kills and 10 digs. Santos also achieved a .385 hitting percentage.

Setter Lindsey Davison (Sr., Kelso, WA/Columbia Basin College) had a solid match. She recorded 54 assists and provided 4 kills. She achieved a .444 hitting percentage during the match.

Outside hitter Tanya Heyko (Jr., Salem, OR/Chemeketa C.C.) added 12 kills, 11 digs, and 4 total blocks. Senior outside hitter Irma Cobos (Kermit, TX/Kermit H.S.) topped all players with 16 digs.

Jelena Miljanic of Tarleton State pounded out 17 kills (.304 hitting pct.), and also produced 10 digs. Sharon Lister had 10 kills and 13 digs for the TexAnns. Kara McCrory earned 12 digs and 4 total blocks.

EASTERN DEFEATS MIDWESTERN STATE
ENMU improved its record to 14-3 overall and 5-0 in the Lone Star Conference South Division with a 15-3, 15-12, 16-14 victory over host Midwestern State University, Sat., Oct. 2 in Wichita Falls, Texas. MSU fell to 1-15 overall and 0-6 in the LSC South. Eastern New Mexico is tied with West Texas A&M for first place in the LSC South.

The Zias travel to Canyon, Texas on Tues., Oct. 5 to take on the Lady Buffaloes at 6:00 p.m. (MDT). West Texas A&M is 20-0 overall and ranked #3 in the NCAA Division II Poll. Against Midwestern, the Zias received 11 kills and a .346 hitting percentage from Heather DesMarais.

DesMarais completed an outstanding weekend that included 18 kills and a .630 attack percentage against Tarleton State in a 3-0 road win Oct. 1. Irma Cobos (Sr., OH, Kermit, TX/Kermit H.S.) added 10 kills for ENMU against MSU. She also earned 10 digs. Senior setter Lindsey Davison added 33 assists, 6 kills (.500 pct.) and 14 digs for the Zias. Annette Luafale-mana-Tanielu (Jr., OH, Kaunakakai, HI/Eastern Arizona College) added 11 digs, and Christabell Mariner (Fr., Pago Pago, Amer. Samoa/Tafuna H.S.) recorded 10 digs.

The Lady Indians were led by Ashley Hester with 16 kills and 7 digs. Lynsey Coleman had 12 kills and 10 digs, and Sarah Stallman earned 11 digs. ENMU limited MSU to a .083 hitting percentage. Eastern ended the match with a .268 attack percentage.

WEST TEXAS DOWNS ZIAS IN LSC SOUTH BATTLE FOR FIRST
All-American Sarah Butler of West Texas A&M recorded 19 kills and 16 digs, as the Lady Buffs, ranked #3 in NCAA Division II defeated the visiting Zias of Eastern New Mexico, 15-6, 15-12, 15-9, Oct. 5 in Canyon, Texas. WTAMU remained undefeated at 21-0 on the season, and took over the lead in the Lone Star Conference South Division 6-0. ENMU dropped to 14-4 overall, 5-1 in the LSC South.

The first game started slowly, with West Texas A&M scoring a point, then ENMU and the Lady Buffs combining for 12 consecutive sideouts. WTAMU scored the game's first four points and also led 9-4. Eastern pulled within 9-6 on a kill by junior outside hitter Tanya Heyko and a ball handling error by West Texas.

The Lady Buffs scored the next six points -- three on hitting errors by ENMU -- to close out the game, 15-6. ENMU held the lead for a great portion of the second game. The Zias scored the game's first three points on their way to a 5-3 advantage.

Later, Aubrey Gladstone (Jr., MB, Kennewick, WA/Columbia Basin College) blocked a WTAMU kill attempt for a 7-6 Eastern lead. The Zias also led 8-7, but West Texas eventually moved in front, 12-10. The Zias tied the game at 12-12 on a solo block by Maricela Santos (Sr., MB, Laredo, TX/Laredo C.C.).

The Lady Buffs retook the lead 13-12, and after four sideouts, WT earned back-to-back kills for a 15-12 victory. WTAMU opened the third game with a four-point run. The Zias -- bolstered by 3 kills from Christabell Mariner pulled to within 6-3.

The Zias also trailed, 10-7, but never got closer. as WTAMU won the game, 15-9. In addition to Butler's performance, West Texas received 12 kills and 8 digs from Shannon Stroud, and 9 kills and 5 blocks from Megan Jacobson. Lauren Nichols added 16 digs.

Eastern New Mexico was led by senior outside hitter Irma Cobos, who earned 7 kills and 12 digs. Heyko provided the Zias with 5 kills and 10 digs, while Santos achieved 5 kills and 3 total blocks.

ZIA RECORD UPDATE
Seniors Irma Cobos and Lindsey Davison continue to improve their career statistical totals. Here’s an update on their current rankings all-time at ENMU: Cobos is 2nd in three categories.

She is second in career kills with 1,087, career digs with 1,412 and career service aces with 116. She trails only Jennifer Goble Poyer in kills (1,687) and service aces (153), and is behind only Stacy Tapper in digs (1,703).

Davison has 2,152 assists in her career, and needs just 13 more to reach Barbara Lynn (1983-86) in 2nd place with 2,165 assists. Davison needs 241 assists to catch Stacey Estlund in first place with 2,393 assists.

DAVISON NAMED LSC SETTER-OF-THE-WEEK FOR 4TH TIME IN 1999
Senior setter Lindsey Davison has been named Lone Star Conference South Division Setter-of-the-Week for her efforts in Eastern’s two matches during the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 3. It is the fourth time this year that Davison has been chosen LSC South Setter- of-the-Week.

She also received the award for the weeks of Aug. 30- Sept. 5, Sept. 13-19, and Sept. 20-26. Davison helped ENMU sweep two LSC road matches to improve to 14-3 overall and 5-0 in the Lone Star Conference South Division.

She provided 87 assists in six games during the week (14.5 avg. per game). She also achieved 10 kills on 21 attacks for a .476 hitting percentage. She did not commit even one hitting error during the week.

Davison also earned 18 digs (3.0 per game) and had 2 total blocks. ENMU defeated Tarleton State, 15-9, 15-9, 15-13, in Stephenville, Texas on Fri., Oct. 1. The Zias downed Midwestern State, 15-3, 15-12, 16-14, in Wichita Falls, Texas on Sat., Oct. 2.

UP NEXT FOR THE ZIAS
The Zias return to action Oct. 8-9 at the Texas Woman's Invitational in Denton, Texas. Eastern plays TAMU- Commerce (11:00 a.m. CDT) and Incarnate Word (3:00 p.m.) on Fri., Oct. 8. The Zias will play St. Edwards at 1:00 p.m. and Texas Woman’s at 5:00 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 9.

CROSS COUNTRY
Ready for Texas Tech Invitational
The Greyhounds and Zias, who did not compete last weekend, return to action on Sat., Oct. 9 at the Texas Tech Invitational in Lubbock, Texas. The event begins at 8:00 a.m. (MDT).

In the Texas Tech Classic Sept. 11, Veronica Samaniego (Sr., Sonora, TX/Sonora H.S.) placed 6th in the women’s with a time of 22:28 over the 5K course. She helped ENMU’s women earn 2nd place out of three teams in the team competition.

The ENMU men did not record a team score. Following this weekend’s race at Texas Tech, the ENMU cross country team is idle until Sat., Oct. 23, when Eastern will compete at the LSC Cross Country Meet at East Central University in Ada, Okla. The meet is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. (MDT).

TENNIS
ITA/Rolex Singles & Doubles Champions
Eastern New Mexico sophomore Layla Turner (Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.) and senior Julie Stiles (Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.) have advanced to the ITA/ Rolex NCAA Division II National Tournament after winning the ITA/Rolex Regional Tournament in Greeley, Colo., Oct. 1-3. Turner also advanced to the National Tournament in singles by claiming the Regional Tournament singles championship.

The ITA/Rolex National Tournament is scheduled for Oct. 21-24, in Memphis, Tenn. It is the only national tournament in Division II that determines singles and doubles champions. The NCAA Tournament, held in the spring, determines a team champion only.

Turner and Stiles were seeded #1 out of 26 doubles teams at the Regional Tournament. They received a first round by, then defeated Kasey Hawkins and Kristen Chumley of Abilene Christian in the round of 16, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. They also downed the team of Michelle Mathiesen and Patrice Shields from Colo.-Colorado Springs, 6-1, 6-2, in the quarterfinals, and moved past Lacy Johnson and Jenny Wallace of ACU in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-1. In the championship match, Turner and Stiles outlasted Jodie Sato and Portia White from Northern Colorado, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Turner also began the tournament seeded #1 in the 53-player singles draw. She moved through the first round with a bye, then defeated Andi Wildner of ACU in the second round, 6-4, 6-3.

In the round of 16, Turner defeated Ashley Beatty of Southern Colorado, 6-2, 6-0. Turner downed Sarah Taweel of ACU in the quarterfinals, 6-1, 6-4, then defeated White of UNC in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-3. In the title match, Turner defeated Daniella Ivana of Southern Colorado, 6-1, 7-6 (7-0).

In addition to teaming with Turner for the doubles title, Stiles battled her way to the consolation singles championship. She lost her first match to highly-regarded Lacy Jordan of ACU, but won her next 5 matches — losing just 10 games in 10 sets. She downed teammate Mandy Wells (Fr., Pampa, TX/Pampa H.S.) in the semis, 6-1, 6-1, then defeated Paola Botero of Metro State, 6-1, 6-1, in the consolation final.

Other players for ENMU at the ITA/Rolex Regional Tournament were Sarah Salazar (Fr., Albuquerque, NM/Saint Pius X H.S.), Lisa Weinman (Fr., Albuquerque, NM/West Mesa H.S.) and Sarah Pennington (So., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.).

Salazar lost her opening match, but reached the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket. Weinman won her first match, then lost to Wallace of ACU, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, in the 2nd round. Pennington also won her first match, but lost to Johnson of ACU in the 2nd round, 6-0, 6-1.

In doubles, Pennington and Wells opened with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Kendra Cable and Chris Good of Colo.-Colorado Springs, then fell to Jordan and Taweel of Abilene Christian, 6-2, 7-5. Salazar and Weinman were defeated by Danielle Sullivan and Debbie Pargaetzi of So. Colorado, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in the first round. No consolation bracket was played in doubles.

UP NEXT FOR THE ZIAS
Layla Turner and Julie Stiles will compete at the ITA/Rolex NCAA Division II National Tournament Oct. 21-24 in Memphis, Tenn. Due to the National Tournament, ENMU has canceled its dual match at West Texas A&M scheduled for Oct. 23. No make-up date has been selected.