Sports Release
September 7, 1999

FOOTBALL
The ENMU Greyhounds started the 1999 season with a 33-13 win at Western New Mexico. The Hounds amassed 362 total yards and averaged 7.1 yards per play. ENMU plays its home opener this Saturday (Sept. 11) against N.M. Highlands at 6:00 p.m.

GREYHOUNDS DEFEAT WESTERN N.M., 33-13
Senior fullback Bruce Hatch (Bloomfield, NM/Bloomfield H.S.) ran for 130 yards on 15 carries and junior running back Antoine Lacy (Richmond, CA/Contra Costa J.C.) gained 100 yards on just two carries, as Eastern New Mexico opened the season with a 33-13 road victory over Western New Mexico, Sept. 4 at the Silver City H.S. field. WNMU fell to 0-2. ENMU was pinned inside its own 20-yard line on its first two possessions.

On the third possession, ENMU drove 60 yards in three plays to score the game’s first touchdown. Hatch opened the drive with a 50-yard run up the middle, then scampered 8 yards, moving the ball to the WNMU 2-yard line.

Senior running back Siegan Keys (Oakland, CA/Chabot College) scored on the next play. Erick Hernandez (So, PK/P, Amarillo, TX/Palo Duro H.S.) added the extra point for a 7-0 ENMU lead with 3:44 left in the first quarter.

The Hounds increased their lead to 14-0 on a 33-yard pass from quarterback Bobby Rodriguez (Sr., Santa Teresa, NM/Las Cruces H.S.) to wide receiver Brian Weimer (Jr., Clovis, NM/Clovis H.S.) with 11:03 left in the second quarter.

Less than three minutes later, Eastern scored again, when Lacy dashed 85 yards. A bad snap on the conversion led to a failed 2-point PAT attempt, but the Hounds still led, 20-0. A long kickoff return by Western’s Carl Richardson set up the Mustangs’ only score of the opening half.

Courtney Boyce (QB) scored from the 1-yard line at the 4:35 mark of the second period. The extra point kick was blocked by Nelson Smith (Jr., DT, Albuquerque, NM/U. of Miami (Fla.), and ENMU led, 20-6, at the break. Western threatened to rally in the second half.

The Mustangs scored midway through the third quarter on a 3-yard pass from Boyce to running back Eric Guyton to cut the ENMU lead to seven points, 20-13. Later in the third quarter, Western used a 57-yard pass to Guyton to reach the ENMU 10-yard line. Western came away without scoring when a 27-yard field goal sailed wide left. ENMU followed the missed field goal by driving 80 yards for a TD.

Hatch made two key plays — a 10-yard run on third-and-nine to the Western 18-yard line, and a 17-yard catch to the 1-yard line. Keys scored his second TD of the game on the next play.

The Greyhounds eliminated any WNMU hopes of a comeback just 26 seconds later, when freshman defensive back Justin Hibbler (Lubbock, TX/Estacado H.S.) intercepted a pass near the Western sideline and returned it 34 yards for a TD. Eastern missed the extra point following a personal foul penalty, but the Hounds led 33-13.

Eastern gained 285 rushing yards on 39 carries (7.3 yards per carry). Rodriguez was 5 of 10 passing for 70 yards, and ENMU finished the game with 77 yards on 7 completions. The Hounds gained 362 total yards.

Western New Mexico managed just 43 yards on 36 rushes. The Mustangs added 162 passing yards. Guyton led Western with 9 carries for 44 yards and 5 receptions for 64 yards.

NELSON SMITH NAMED LSC PLAYER OF WEEK
ENMU junior defensive tackle Nelson Smith (6’5”, 280 lbs., Albuquerque, NM/U.of Miami (Fla.)/La Cueva H.S.) has been named LSC South Defensive Player-of-the-Week. Smith earned the award for his efforts in ENMU’s 33-13 win WNMU Sept. 4.

Smith recorded 4 tackles and 7 assists (11 total tackles) against the Mustangs. He was involved in 6 tackles for 23 yards in losses, including 2 QB sacks. Smith also blocked a WNMU extra point attempt.

UP NEXT FOR ENMU
ENMU hosts N.M. Highlands on Sat., Sept. 11 at 6:00 p.m. (MDT). Last year, Rodriguez threw a 31-yard TD pass with 0:20 left for a 31-30 ENMU win. In 1987, ENMU won 34-31 on an 80-yard kickoff return by Charlie Ragle on the final play.

VOLLEYBALL
The Zias are 6-2 after going 3-1 at each of two tournaments. ENMU is hitting .239 as a team. Irma Cobos (Sr., OH, Kermit, TX/Kermit H.S.) has earned a team-high 94 kills.

ZIAS EARN 3-1 RECORD AT ASC FALL BRAWL
The ENMU volleyball team went 3-1 at the Adams State College Fall Brawl, Sept. 3-4, at Alamosa, Colo. The Zias tied for second in the tournament and improved to 6-2. ENMU defeated Central Oklahoma, 13-15, 15-12, 15-6, 15-2, and lost to Western New Mexico, 14-16, 14-16, 14-16, on Fri., Sept. 3. On Sat., Sept. 4, the Zias swept College of the Southwest, 15-7, 15-7, 15-8, and took three consecutive games from Adams State, 15-6, 15-3, 15-9.

In the opening match against Central Oklahoma, the Zias lost the first game, but rallied for the victory, The Zias hit .469 while winning the third game 15-6 and hit .545 in a 15-2 rout in the fourth game.

Junior middle blocker Aubrey Gladstone (MB, Kennewick, WA/ Columbia Basin College) led the Zias with 15 kills against the Lady Bronchos. Tanya Heyko (Jr., OH, Salem, OR/Chemeketa C.C.) added 14 kills and 7 digs, while Irma Cobos (Sr., OH, Kermit, TX/Kermit H.S.) contributed 13 kills and 18 digs. Lindsey Davison (Sr., Kelso, WA/Columbia Basin) earned 47 assists.

Against Western New Mexico, the Zias struggled on offense and recorded 40 hitting errors, but lost each game by just two points. Senior right-side hitter Heather DesMarais (Yakima, WA/Columbia Basin) led the Zias with 19 kills and a .349 attack percentage.

Cobos provided 17 kills and Davison recorded 53 assists. The Zias zoomed past College of the SW, as Heyko earned 10 kills and 9 digs. She led six ENMU players with 5 or more kills in the match.

Against host Adams State, the Zias received 12 kills apiece from DesMarais and Heyko. Heyko also added 13 digs and Cobos produced 12 digs. The Zias limited Adams State to a .037 team hitting percentage.

DESMARAIS NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT
ENMU right-side hitter Heather DesMarais (Sr., Yakima, WA/Columbia Basin College) was named to the All- Tournament Team at the Adams State College Fall Brawl, Sept. 3-4, in Alamosa, Colo.

She was one of eight players named to the All-Tournament Team. DesMarais finished the event with 51 kills, including a career high 19 against Western N.M. In ENMU’s four matches, she earned a .374 hitting percentage, 12 total blocks, 5 digs and 10 assists.

DAVISON CHOSEN LSC SETTER-OF-THE-WEEK
Eastern New Mexico senior setter Lindsey Davison (5’8”, Kelso, WA/ Columbia Basin) has been chosen Lone Star Conference South Division Setter-of-the-Week. She received the award for her efforts at the Adams State College Fall Brawl, Sept. 3-4, in Alamosa, Colorado. Davison helped ENMU earn a 3-1 record at the tournament.

She provided 167 assists in four matches, averaging 12.9 assists per game. She also achieved a .357 hitting percentage and 18 kills. Davison provided solid defense as well, earning 39 digs (3.0 per game), 2 block solos and 3 block assists.

UP NEXT FOR ENMU
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.

Eastern gets a rematch with rival Western N.M. on, Mon., Sept. 13 in Silver City, when the Zias take on the Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. (MDT). The Zias open Lone Star Conference play at TAMU-Kingsville on Fri., Sept. 17 at 6:00 p.m. (MDT).

CROSS COUNTRY
Veronica Samaniego (Sr., Sonora, TX/Sonora H.S.) placed fourth in the women’s race and Hawk Harris (Sr., Hobbs, NM/Hobbs H.S.) added a fourth place finish in the men’s race to lead the ENMU cross country teams in their first action of the season at the West Texas A&M Meet in Canyon, Texas.

The ENMU women’s team placed third in the event, just 10 points behind second place West Texas A&M. Eastern’s men did not record a team score because senior Henry Varela (Pecos, NM/Pecos H.S.) missed the event due to injury. South Plains College, with a score of 25, won the women’s division.

West Texas was second with 46 points, followed by ENMU with 56 points and Panhandle State with 119 points. In the men’s race, South Plains took first place with 24 points and West Texas was second with a score of 60. Wayland Baptist entered several runners but did not earn a team score.

Samaniego completed the women’s race in 22:51 to finish 46 seconds behind the individual winner, Lori Sanchez of South Plains (22:05). Samaniego was just 15 seconds out of third place.

Other top women’s finishers for ENMU were Mindy Clark (Jr., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) in 10th at 24:18, Michelle Rice (So., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) in 11th at 25:15, Lindsey Pfaff (Fr., Los Alamos, NM/Los Alamos H.S.) in 12th at 25:19, and Jamie Faubus (Roswell, NM/N.M. Mil. Inst.) in 18th at 27:42.

Harris recorded a time of 23:47 in the men’s race, finishing 14 seconds out of third place. Miguel Lira of SPC won the event in 23:20.

Other runners for ENMU were David Gonzales (So., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad. H.S.), who clocked in at 25:10 (11th), Juan Castanon (Jr., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) in 27:51 (15th), and Stephen Bogue (Fr., Albuquerque, NM/Monzano H.S.) in 33:51.

UP NEXT FOR ENMU
ENMU’s next cross country action is on Sat., Sept. 11 at Lubbock, Texas, when the Greyhounds and the Zias run at the Texas Tech Classic. The meet is scheduled to get underway at 8:00 a.m. (MDT).