by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- The UTEP women’s tennis team fell short in getting the much-needed doubles point and ultimately fell 4-0 to New Mexico at the Estes Tennis Center in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday. High winds moved the match indoors.
On court one in doubles play, Milou Pietersz and Lois Wagenvoort were unable to close against the Lobos’ Rachana Bhat and Dominique Dulski, falling 6-2 to give the Lobos the point and lead due to a forfeit on court three due to injury. Daphne Visscher and Raven Bennett had a 3-2 lead over Emily Oliver and Diana Wong on court two before their match was called.
In singles action, Pietersz fell to Burguiere 6-0, 6-3 to give the Lobos the set and match.
The Miners will look to get healthy in the next two weeks and will be back in action to defend their home court in the first and only Conference USA match April 9 against UTSA.
First serve against the Roadrunners is 11 a.m. at the El Paso Tennis and Swim Club.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP track and field team will open the outdoor campaign at the first of three meets at Kidd Field this Saturday.
UTEP will host the UTEP Invitational (April 22) and the Conference-USA Championships (May 11-14). The Miners will compete at the Texas Relays (March 28-April1), Mr. SAC Distance/UCLA Invitational (April 13-15), the Brutus Hamilton Open & Challenge (28-29).
The women’s team will head into the outdoor season after celebrating it’s third consecutive C-USA championship title. The Miners will look to start the outdoor season on the right foot after a fourth-place finish last year.
On the women’s side, All-American Tobi Amusan returns to her prime event in the 100m hurdles. Amusan competed at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics placing 11th in the world. The sophomore will take the track at 2:35 p.m. MT.
Florence Uwakwe will run the 400m set for a 4:30 p.m. start. The senior holds the school second fastest time in that event.
Michael Saruni will compete in the 400m set to start at 4:55 p.m. Saruni won gold at the C-USA championships in both the 800m and the mile run. The freshman was named C-USA athlete of the week during the indoor season and was named an All-American during the indoor season.
Live results will be available at www.spato.us and follow UTEPTrack on twitter.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Kaitlin Ryder and Erika Harrawood were game one heroes for a second consecutive week as UTEP took care of Southern Miss, 12-2 (5) in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
Ryder registered a career-high five RBI, while Harrawood (3-7) chalked up her first complete-game victory in her career and second triumph in her hometown. Harrawood won her first game in El Paso last Saturday against Middle Tennessee.
“[Harrawood] has done a tremendous job this year,” fourth-year head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said. “I know we haven’t necessarily got the wins that she deserved, but all year she’s just kept improving. She’s been solid and just her presence on the mound is exactly want you want in a pitcher. She’s calm, collective and knows what she has to do. It’s not flashy, but she does her job.”
The Orange and Blue also tallied season highs in runs (12) and hits (15).
“We had a lot of clutch hits from a lot of different people,” Echo-Hawk said. “Even that pinch hit from Macey Brown was big; she’s been kind of clutch for us lately. It’s nice to know that they can handle that pressure.”
The Golden Eagles (15-15, 2-6 Conference USA) rebounded to win game two, 6-2. But the Miners (8-20, 3-5 C-USA) still hold a one-game lead in the C-USA West Division.
The series finale is Sunday with the first pitch slated for 11 a.m.
UTEP 12, Southern Miss 2 (5)
The Miners jumped on the Golden Eagles in the second inning, crossing the dish four times. Courtney Clayton put her squad on the board first with a RBI single to left. Cortney Smith scored run after she singled to left with one out. Ryder, with bases juiced, was hit by a pitch to earn a RBI the hard way, plating Mallorie Cross, who walked to reach base. Kiki Pepi put the Miners up 4-0 with a two-run single through the right side that scored Ariel Blair and Clayton.
Southern Miss answered with a pair of runs in the third, but Harrawood kept its bats in check the rest of the way.
Harrawood started strong, as she retired eight of the first nine batters. The tenth batter, Lauren Holifield, put her team on the board with a two-run single. Harrawood only allowed three hits the rest of the way. Harrawood threw all 5.0 frames, allowing only five hits and striking out three.
More run support came Harrawood’s way as the Miners tacked on five more runs in the third, led by two RBI from Ryder and one each from Brown, Cross and Pepi. Brown delivered her fourth RBI in her third pinch-hit situation (3-for-3) the last few weeks.
With UTEP up 9-2 in the fourth, Cross singled in Smith for the run-rule to come into effect. Ryder then punched in a few insurance runs on a double to left center, paving the way for Blair and Lindsey Sokoloski to cross the dish.
Chase Nelson led off the fifth by reaching on an error and Samantha Reynolds reached on an infield single, but Harrawood struck out Arille Pollock on a full-count pitch for the first out. Holifield reached on a fielder’s choice as Nelson rounded second only to be called out on an unassisted out by third baseman Pepi. Tori Dew ended the contest by flying out to center.
Clayton went 2-for-3 for her 10th multi-hit game of the season and no. 52 for her career. Three Miners tied their career highs in hits as Ryder went 3-for-3, Pepi notched a 3-for-4 outing and tallied three RBI, and Smith was a perfect 3-for-3 while setting her career high with three runs. Cross finished with a career high in RBI (two) and runs scored (two).
UTEP 2, Southern Miss 6
UTEP’s nemesis Samantha Robles pitched a complete game, while defeating the Miners for the fourth time in four starts. Robles tallied three wins against UTEP in 2016 (two in the regular season and one in the C-USA Tournament), while earning a save in game one of the regular season series in Hattiesburg.
The Miners took an early 1-0 advantage on Robles in the second on a Cross sacrifice fly to left that plated Hope Moreno.
But the Golden Eagles scored a trio of runs the next frame as Eva Scott led off with a walk and Nelson singled to third, advancing Scott to third base. Both runners would steal bases while Scott’s base snag tied the game 1-1. Holifield gave Southern Miss the go-ahead lead on a sac-fly to center and Dew reached first on an error by Clayton, also paving the way for Ciarra Cherry to score, who walked earlier in the inning.
UTEP got within a run in the third on a Pepi RBI double that scored Ryder. But the Golden Eagles put up two runs in the sixth and another run in the seventh to seal the victory.
Devyn Cretz (5-6) started the game, throwing 3.0 frames with two earned runs, while Kaitlin Fifield hurled 4.0 innings with one earned run.
Clayton, Ryder, Pepi, Moreno, Smith and Sokoloski registered all six hits for the Miners.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
UTEP sophomore hurdler Tobi Amusan clocked the fastest 100m hurdle time (12.63) in the world for 2017 on Saturday afternoon at Kidd Field in the UTEP Springtime.
Amusan exploded out of the blocks and dashed to a first-place finish, setting a school record in the process. The previous standard was held by Kim Turner (12.95, 1983) and had stood for 34 years.
Getting the day started was Fayon Gonzales in the hammer throw. The senior notched a fourth-place finish with a throw of 50.16m (164-7), followed by Adebola Akomolafe (157-1.25) in fifth place. Gonzales also captured silver in the javelin with a toss of 39.37m (129-2.25).
The Miners swept the 1,500m run with Linda Cheruiyot (4:31.81), Winny Koech (4:34.41) and Gladys Jerotich (4:51.60). Melanie Crittenden notched fourth place in the high jump with a mark of 1.53m (5-0.25).
Senior Ada Benjamin clocked the clocked the fourth-fastest time (53.16) in the nation in the 400m. She also took silver in the 200m (24.02). Lucia Mokrasova tied for second (14.00) in the 100m hurdles and secured a fourth-place finish in the 200m with a time of 24.52.
Lilian Koech notched the seventh-fastest time nationally (2:08.98) in the 800m. Samantha Hall took home gold in the discus by throwing for 52.61m (172-7.50). Israel Ramsay (5.88m, 19-3.50) and Tyler Ragin (5.79m, 19-0) took second and fourth overall in the long jump.
On the men’s side, freshman Karol Koncos won gold in the hammer throw by tossing for 61.84m (202-11), followed by Kevin Rincon with a toss of 49.70m (163-1) to finish third overall. Rincon returned in the javelin to take silver, launching for 59.31m (194-7.25).
Austin Ondijo took second in the high jump leaping over 1.97m (6-5.50). The 1,500m run featured the most Miners in one event. Cosmas Boit (3:49.46) took home silver, Antony Kosgei (3:56.28) finished fifth, Daniel Cheruiyot (3:57.44) finished sixth and Evans Kiprono (3:59.90) finished seventh overall.
In the 200m Asa Guevara took the number one spot running 21.06, followed by James Bias (21.50) to finish fourth overall.
UTEP has a short rest before returning to the track, this time in Austin, Texas, for the Texas Relays March 28-April 1. Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter for live updates.
