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Back Clinic UTEP (Local) RSS Feed. We are proud to present UTEP athletics as a recognized collegiate sports program distinguished by academic excellence, premier athletic teams, and strong moral principles. The athletics program will add value and advantage to the university through the cultivation of relationships. Through these sports stories, Dr. Jimenez’s goal is to get young kids interested in sports, not only to play but to understand the value of exercise, training, and movement. These are essential for a healthy, productive life.
UTEP (Local) RSS: Our training programs are designed for athletes that look to gain a competitive edge in their sport. We provide sport-specific services to help increase an athlete’s performance through mobility, strength, and endurance. Occasionally, however, the excess workouts can lead many to suffer injuries or develop underlying conditions. Dr. Alex Jimenez’s chronicle of articles for athletes displays in detail the many forms of complications affecting these professionals while focusing on the possible solutions and treatments to follow to achieve athlete’s overall well-being.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
IRVING, Texas – UTEP softball junior Courtney Clayton was named to the 2017 InTouch Credit Union Conference USA Softball All-Academic Team league officials announced on Wednesday.
It’s the second consecutive year that the Health Promotion major earned a spot on the academic team and is one of 14 student-athletes named to the exclusive list. Clayton fashions a 3.87 GPA, while being named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and recognized as a C-USA Academic Medalist for the third year in a row.
The Cornelius, Ore., native hit .314 (50-159) with four home runs and 21 RBI in 2017. Clayton led the squad in runs (29), while tallying seven doubles. She only struck out five times to rank in the top half of the nation in toughest to strikeout. Defensively, she recorded 109 putouts and 83 assists.
Clayton recently reached the 100-run club on the program’s all-time list. She’s the sixth player to accomplish the feat as she has crossed the dish 101 times. Clayton also ranks no. 5 on the program’s all-time hit’s list with 180 and is ranked tied no. 4 with Stacie Townsend in career doubles (38).
Last year, Clayton was the first Miner to be named to the academic team since Colleen Hohman received the honor in 2014.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
Jordan Alexander (Trinity Valley Community College), Leandra Echi (Vermont Academy/Beacon High School) and Neidy Ocuane (Seward County Community College) have each signed national letters of intent to attend UTEP and compete with the Miners starting in 2017-18, head women’s basketball coach Kevin Baker revealed Tuesday.
Alexander and Ocuane will have two years of eligibility while Echi has four.
A bio on each of them, along with a quote from Baker, follows below.
Jordan Alexander Forward 5-11
Trinity Valley Community College | Skyline High School Dallas, Texas
“Jordan will be a strong presence on both ends of the floor for us this season. She can play the stretch 4 position which means she can step out and make the three point shot. She also has the ability to score inside and post with effectiveness. Jordan’s biggest strength is her ability to rebound the ball on offense or the defensive end of the floor. Also, Jordan can defend a smaller guard and out work a larger post player in the paint. Jordan will be able to help our team immediately.” UTEP head coach Kevin Baker
Will have two years of eligibility with the Miners after playing one season each with Trinity Valley Community College (2016-17) and Louisiana (2015-16) … last year helped TVCC qualify for its 10th straight trip to the national tournament and finish with an overall record of 30-6 … put up 6.5 points/game while also grabbing 2.5 rebounds/game … played in 35 contests, including 12 starts … reached double figures in scoring in eight games, including tallying 18 points in a home triumph against Panola College (1/11/17) … was 6-6 from the floor and 4-4 at the free-throw line in the contest … as a freshman with ULL appeared in 27 games, including eight starts, for a team that finished 25-10 … earned 10.1 minutes/game, pitching in 2.4 points/game and 1.7 rebounds/game … nailed 43.0 percent (23-53) of her shots from the floor and 87.0 percent (14-16) from the charity stripe … four-year letter winner at Dallas Skyline High School (2011-15) under head coach Cassandra McCurdy … the team won the district championship all four years of her career … as a senior the squad earned runner-up honors in the state … daughter of Patricia and Bobby Alexander … has three siblings … her sister (Ratysha) and cousin (Khamra Echols) both played basketball at Sam Houston State.
**
Leandra Echi Guard 5-8
Vermont Academy | Beacon High School Beacon, N.Y.
“Leandra is a guard who can do it all. She has the ability to play the point guard position as well as shooting guard. She is extremely athletic and has a unique ability to make plays and scoring opportunities for others. She plays extremely hard at all times and has a motor that never stops running. She will help our team on the defensive end as well because she plays with so much energy.”– UTEP head coach Kevin Baker
Led the Vermont Academy Varsity Girls’ Basketball team to its first New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class D Championship … named the NEPSAC tournament’s MVP … posted a huge double-double (19 points, 21 rebounds) in the championship game victory against Southfield (3/6/17) … aided team to 17-6 regular-season record to earn the top seed in the tournament … joined the academy for a postgrad year while also reclassifying into the class of 2017 …also helped the Vermont Academy soccer team claim a league title, scoring the lone goal in the NEPSAC Championship victory against Hebron Academy (11/21/16) … prior to her time at Vermont Academy had been a standout guard at Beacon High School … accounted for 20+ points/game, 10 rebounds/game and five assists/game as a senior with Beacon HS … poured in 28 points while securing 18 rebounds in a 60-49 road win at Fox Lane (12/18/15) … effort allowed her to reach 1,000 points for her high school career … sustained a torn ACL during her junior season, which made her numbers the ensuing year even more impressive … paced the team in points (16) and rebounds (five) in a 52-49 road win at Our Lady of Lourdes (1/12/14), which was believed to be Beacon’s first win in the series in at least 30 years … member of National Honor Society.
***
Neidy Ocuane Guard 5-5
Seward County Community College | CFP Dom Bosco Maputo, Mozambique
“Neidy is a solid point guard who plays the position the right way. She looks to run the offense smoothly and makes very few mistakes that result in turnovers. She can score the ball a variety of ways. She can really shoot the ball from the perimeter, drive to the paint to draw a foul, and has tremendous vision in the open floor. Neidy is the complete package at her position and will help our team the minute she steps on to the floor.”- UTEP head coach Kevin Baker
Will have two years of eligibility at UTEP after earning a pair of letters at Seward County Community College … squad went a combined 57-10 in those two season and in 2017 won the program’s first conference title in eight years … burst into the starting line-up as a sophomore (2016-17) … started 34 contests, pacing the team in assists/game (4.7) and steals/game (2.4) while ranking fourth in scoring (11.2) … her 82 total steals ranked 37th nationally, an even more impressive feat considering she was called for a total of 35 fouls on the year … nailed 39.0 percent (130-333) from the floor, including 34.3 percent (60-175) from distance … also connected on 76.9 percent (60-78) at the charity stripe … hit double figures in scoring in 22 games, including a career-high 24 points in an 83-78 win at Cloud County Community College (1/25/17) … credited with at least five assists in 18 contests, including a career-best 11 against Cowley College (2/4/17) … named the Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week (1/6/17) after averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 steals in a pair of wins … appeared in all 33 games as a freshman (2015-16), earning 13.9 minutes/contest off the bench … chipped in 3.9 points per game and 1.5 assists per game … tallied a season-best 14 points in only 16 minutes in a romp against Pratt Community College (12/12/15) … drilled 4-6 from distance in the game … dished out seven assists vs. North Central Missouri College (10/31/15) … hails from Maputo, Mozambique … put up 10.1 points/game, 5.4 rebounds/game and 3.3 assists/game for Mozambique at the 2014 Afrobasket U18 Women’s Championships … accounted for 14.7 points/game, 3.5 rebounds/game an 2.0 assists per game with Mozambique in the2013 FIBA Africa U16 Championship for Women … played for Clube de Desportes do Costa do Sol under the direction of coach Calos Dezanove … selected as the team MVP after averaging 16 points and three assists … effort helped team post its fourth consecutive top-five finish … has two siblings.
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by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
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IRVING, Texas � �For the first time since 2008 and second time in program history, a trio of UTEP softball players were named to the All-Conference USA team.
Utility player Kaitlin Ryder, and infielders Taylor Sargent and Cortney Smith were announced to the second team as voted by the league�s 12 head coaches on Tuesday.
Ryder, Sargent and Smith each established career highs in respective categories during the 2017 campaign. Ryder set her career best with a .354 batting average, which ranked second on the team, while Smith led the Miners with career highs in batting average (.364), home runs (eight), slugging (.636) and on-base percentage (.438). Sargent led the squad with a career-high three triples, ranked fourth on the team with a career-best .326 average and recorded a career-high 19 RBI.
Ryder came up with big moments during the season as the junior racked up a career-high five RBI during UTEP�s 12-2 (5) triumph against Southern Miss. She also connected on a career-high two home runs at Incarnate Word to lead the Miners in an 11-3 (5) victory. The Chatsworth, Calif., native ranked second on the team in long balls (five) and RBI (28). She added 22 runs, seven doubles and a triple. Ryder played 31 contests in the outfield and 16 games behind the plate.
Sargent, who was hitting .250 after March 26, picked up the pace and finished with that career-high .326 average. The Albuquerque, N.M., native lit up the stat sheet the last 17 games of the season by hitting .429 (24-56) with 12 RBI, seven doubles, three triples, two stolen bags and eight runs. The junior set a career high with three RBI at UTSA (April 2) and crossed the dish a career-most three times during a 10-2 (6) win against WKU.
During UTEP�s epic 10-inning victory at UTSA, Sargent finished the 3-for-6 with a double and a RBI, along with 11 putouts at first base.
Smith returned her sophomore season, providing power to the lineup with her team-leading eight dingers. The Moreno Valley, Calif., native also established career marks in runs (26), hits (47), doubles (nine), triples (one) and RBI (22). Smith led the Miners past powerful Utah State, 8-5, when she connected on a career-best two home runs, a pair of solo shots. Smith recorded a career high three hits two times during the season, the first came on a 3-for-4 outing, while also tying her career most with three RBI at UC Riverside, and the second came on a 3-for-3 effort with a career-best three runs during a 12-2 (5) victory against Southern Miss.
Sargent and Smith were the backbone behind UTEP�s 30 double plays turned in 2017. Sargent led the team with 15 double play, while Smith ranked tied second with 12. Ryder contributed to one of the double plays behind the plate. The Miners� 30 double plays led C-USA and ranks tied third nationally. UTEP�s .63 double plays turned per game ranks second in the nation.
For Sargent and Smith, it�s their first accolade as Ryder was named to the All-C-USA Preseason team on Jan. 18. Ryder was also named the team�s MVP at Dinner with the Miners on April 27. The 2008 squad saw two first teamers in Camilla Carrera and Stacie Townsend, and second team pick Amber Bennett.
In 2015, a trio of Miners earned postseason awards as Kawehiokalani Netane was named first team, Ashley Eldridge was recognized to the second team and Courtney Clayton was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
UTEP track and field will be hosting the 2017 Conference USA Outdoor Championships from May 11-14 at Kidd Field.
The Miners women’s team will be looking to win its first outdoor conference title in program history. The women’s team comes into the competition full steam after claiming its third consecutive C-USA indoor title.
The Fastest Kid in El Paso race will be taking place on Saturday, May 13. Kids ages 5-13 are invited to participate in the 100m dash at 3 p.m. at Kidd Field. To sign-up for the race please, contact UTEP Marketing at (915) 747-6065.
Leading the way for the Miners will be sophomore Tobi Amusan. The All-American opened the outdoor season with the second-fastest time in the nation of 12.63 in the 100m hurdles registered at the UTEP Springtime. The hurdler has claimed six first-places finishes this season, including a stellar performance in the 200m that rates her eighth nationally with a time of 22.60.
Lucia Mokrasova will also highlight the Miners kicking off the championships on Thursday with the heptathlon set to start at 2:45 p.m. MTMokrasova enters the meet ranked eighth nationally with 5,671 points registered at Texas Relays.
Highlighting the distance races will be Middle Tennessee Agnes Abu. The senior comes into the championships ranked sixth in the nation in the 800m.
On the men’s side, freshman Emmanuel Korir will be the Miner to watch. The mid-distance runner was named to The Bowerman Watch List after posting the fastest time in the nation of 1:43.73 in the 800m. Korir also ranks third in the nation in the 400m with a time of 44.67.
Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. A four-day pass can be purchased for $20 or a daily ticket can be purchased for $8 for adults or $4 for kids. Students are able to attend the championship free with their Miner ID.
For additional athletes to watch at the championship, click here. For information about parking, tickets and live results, click here.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
UTEP softball head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk took her Senior Day lineup card and worked some magic as UTEP (12-36, 6-18 Conference USA) spoiled Florida Atlantic�s (35-20, 15-9 C-USA) bid for the no. 3 spot in the C-USA Tournament.
The Miners used three runs in the third that started with a Taylor Grohmann single to defeat the Owls, 6-4, in their final contest of 2017 on Senior Day at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
�The season hasn�t gone the way we wanted, but [the Miners] came out and they fought,� Echo-Hawk said. �That�s how we�ve been all year, we just keep fighting. It may not be pretty, it may not go the way we wanted it to but the team never quit. They just kept battling � even yesterday they were scrappy. Today they committed to each other, said they were going to show up and play with everything they have. As a whole, our entire team played a great game. And everyone contributed.�
One the of magical moves was when Grohmann, a senior pitcher, was inserted as pinch hitter in the no. 2 spot for junior Courtney Clayton in the third inning. Grohmann�s first career at-bat produced a single on a 2-1 pitch to left with junior Kaitlin Ryder on and two outs.
�It was nice because [Grohmann�s] mom last night asked me if I can give her an at bat and I said �absolutely�, this day is about [the seniors] and that�s the most important thing,� Echo-Hawk said. �She got up there and singled. We worked on some things this past week and, man, when she hit it, it was so exciting. You couldn�t ask for a better moment.�
Continuing the third frame, sophomore Cortney Smith reached after being hit by a pitch to load bases for Kiki Pepi who connected on a two-run single to right that plated Ryder and Grohmann to give the Miners a 2-0 lead. Smith would eventually cross the dish in the frame on an error to put her squad up, 3-0.
Pepi then used her third RBI of the game to put the Miners up 4-1 on a single to right that scored Clayton. In the sixth, sophomore Brianna Red led off with a bunt single, senior Miranda Gutierrez and Ryder each drew walks that set up a Clayton sacrifice fly to center to plate Red. Pepi then gave the Orange and Blue a 6-1 lead another sac-fly to center that scored Gutierrez.
The Owls, however, would not go down easily as they scratched out three runs in the seventh with two outs, but senior hurler Kaitlin Fifield would not let her team come out on the losing end. Fifield earned her third save of the season after throwing 2.2 frames and it was only fitting that Delaney Rickey grounded out to the pitcher to end the Senior Day contest. Fifield ended her career with five saves to rank no. 2 on UTEP�s all-time list.
Grohmann (2-2), whose bat was lit, earned the win after throwing an inning and tallying a strikeout. Senior Erika Harrawood made the start, her staff-leading 17th of the season. Harrawood pitched 3.1 innings, striking out three and walking none.
�It feels great to see our senior pitchers end their careers the way they did,� Echo-Hawk said. �It was a perfect ending for Grohmann to get her last career strikeout. For them to come out and pitch some of their best innings was just a great thing. I think it just shows they have a lot of heart and play for the love of the game.�
Back to the offense, the Miners registered seven big hits on the day, led by Pepi�s 3-for-3 outing. She also finished with four RBI to rank no. 7 with 103-career RBI on the program�s all-time list. Pepi, who was stuck at 99 RBI for the past few weeks, finally broke into the 100-RBI club; the seventh Miner to accomplish the feat. She also finished as the team leader in 2017 with 36 RBI.
�[Kiki] had a great weekend,� Echo-Hawk said. �We worked a little bit on scoring runners this week in practice and changing our mentality. She executed that plan and looked for the pitches we asked her to. To end her career on a RBI was pretty awesome.�
Clayton recorded her seventh double of the season in the fifth, while it was her 38th-career double to rank tied no. 4 with Stacie Townsend. Clayton will enter her senior campaign with 180 hits (ranked fifth) and 101 runs (ranked sixth). Clayton�s .349-career batting average is ranked fourth.
Ryder didn�t have a hit on the day, but did draw a pair of walks and scored run. She hit .455 this weekend and will enter her senior season ranked sixth with a .329-career average. Taylor Sargent finished her junior season with a career highs in RBI (19) and batting (.326), while leading the squad with three triples, also a career best. Sargent will enter her senior year with 650 putouts, ranking fifth on the school�s all-time list.
Smith singled and finished as the team leader in batting with a .364 average. Sophomore Lindsey Sokoloski only struck out once in 136 at bats as one of the national leaders in toughest to strikeout in 2017. She finished her second season with a .316 average. Sokoloski hit .625 (5-8) against FAU to lead the team.
�It�s always nice to know your team is going to play for these seniors to make sure they go out on a good note. It�s also good for our team for next year to end on a positive note,� Echo-Hawk said. �They showed what they�re capable of and moving into next year, we can ride that a bit.�
Photo courtesy UTEP Athletics
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP softball team recorded 23 total hits as senior Miranda Gutierrez connected on her first career hit in game one on her way to three total hits, and Lindsey Sokoloski and Kaitlin Ryder each collected five hits on the day.
Cortney Smith added four hits in the two-game set, homering in game two, while Courtney Clayton and Ryder connected on back-to-back home runs in the second contest. But Florida Atlantic took both games, 7-4 and 11-8, on Saturday night at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Owls (35-19, 15-8 Conference USA) pounded out 27 hits on Saturday and is vying for one of the top spots in the C-USA Tournament later this week. The Miners (11-36, 5-18 C-USA) had been struggling offensively the last few weeks but finally produced some runs on an Owls’ pitching staff that had a 1.94 ERA entering the weekend.
The Senior Day contest is Sunday with a 1 p.m. start. Seniors Kaitlin Fifield, Taylor Grohmann, Gutierrez, Erika Harrawood and Kiki Pepi will be honored following the game. The five fathers of each senior will toss out the first pitch prior to the contest.
UTEP 4, FAU 7
With the Miners down 5-0, they got within a run with a four-run third inning. Gutierrez led the third frame off with her first career hit, an infield single. Ryder followed with a single to left and Clayton reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Smith came up with a single to center that plated Gutierrez and Ryder to make the score 5-2. Pepi then reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, while being thrown out at second on a run down. But Clayton and Smith crossed the dish during the chaos to make the score 5-4.
But in the top fourth, Florida Atlantic star shortstop Emily Lochten hit a solo shot, her 18th long ball, over center and Tatum Buckley registered a RBI to pull away from UTEP.
Starting pitchers Erika Harrawood (3-13) and Amanda Wilson (15-9) then kept goose eggs on the scoreboard the rest of the way. Harrawood threw a complete game and struck out four batters on 162 pitches.
UTEP would get more base runners on which included another Gutierrez hit in the sixth, while also drawing a walk in the fourth. But the Miners couldn’t sustain more offense to punch the runners across home plate.
Gutierrez finished 2-for-2 with a run, while Smith went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Sokoloski went 2-for-3.
UTEP 8, FAU 11
The Owls struck first with two runs in the top first led by a Buckley RBI, and a stolen base each from Lochten and Madisyn Palmer.
The fighting Miners, after an intense talk from head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk in the middle first, would take a 3-2 lead in the home half as Ryder led off with a single to left. Clayton sacrificed Ryder over that setup Smith’s eighth home run of the season and first since April 1. Smith launched a two-run shot over left on the first pitch to tie the contest. Pepi followed with a single to right and would advance on a Taylor Sargent groundout. Sokoloski used her first double of the contest to drive home Pepi to take the 3-2 advantage.
The Miners would strike again in the fifth with the score 9-3. Ryder led the bottom half off with her fifth home run and Clayton smacked her fourth dinger of the season as both were towering shots over left field to make the score 9-5. After a pair of outs and a Sargent single through the right side, Sokoloski connected on her second double that scored Sargent to bring the Miners within three runs.
But the two squad would trade runs the next two frames. Smith registered her third RBI to tie her career high in the sixth and Sokoloski crossed the dish on an error on a Gutierrez at bat in the seventh. UTEP had runners at the corners, but again, couldn’t get that key hit to bring more runners home.
Sokoloski (3-for-3) tied her career high in hits and is hitting .321 on the season. The sophomore has only struck out once in 134 at bats to rank in the top three in the nation in toughest to strikeout. Smith went 2-for-4 and is currently leading the team with a .362 average. Ryder (3-for-5) also tied her career high in knocks and scored a pair of runs. Pepi finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Clayton registered a hit along with a RBI and run scored. Clayton now has 179-career hits, needing nine to pass no. 4-ranked Amber Bennett on the program’s all-time list. Clayton’s two runs on the day gives her 100 to rank sixth on the all-time list, needing eight to surpass Ashley Ellis. Clayton is the sixth Miner to join the 100-run club.
Fifield tossed a complete game, striking out three and only walking one on 141 pitches.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
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Several well-known Miners have formed an alumni basketball team and, with the support and votes from UTEP fans, hope to make a national tournament that pays the winners $2million for the win.
The team, known as the �Glory Road Boys�, is made up of five former players: Omar Duran, Earvin Morris, Brent Murphy, Ioana Tofi and Jason Williams. �The team is looking to make the The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a national basketball tournament to be held this summer, similar in structure to the NCAA�s annual college basketball tournament.
The main difference, according to the TBT website, is�64 teams (with 16 in each region) are either selected based on their fan vote totals or play their way into the tournament.
The top nine (9) vote-getters in each region as of June 1 @ 12p ET get in automatically. Six (6) additional teams in each region will be chosen at-large.
The final team in each region will play-in through the TBT Jamboree in Philadelphia, set for June 17th and 18th.
The winner-take-all $2 million purse is divided among the team, their coach, a booster, a top fan and 99 other fans who voted their team into the 64-team tournament.
The bio for the �Glory Road Boys� reads as follows:
�We are very excited for the opportunity to represent our University and the great city of El Paso. Our identity comes primarily from our school�s great basketball tradition. The fact that UTEP is the only school from Texas to win a National Championship is astonishing considering all the great Universities and tradition of great players from Texas. Also for the fact that the Disney movie Glory Road demonstrated how the 1966 team broke color barriers and changed basketball is very appealing to some who might not know the story behind it. We also have a strong competitive players that are elite on their teams overseas and want to represent a great basketball alumni group of UTEP.��Omar Duran, GM
Should the team get the required number of fans signed up and voting, the team would be part of the West Region. �To sign up to vote and support the team, click HERE.
