by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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The UTEP softball team will travel to Ruston to take on Conference USA West Division foe LA Tech April 14-15. Friday�s doubleheader will start at 2 p.m. CT/ 1 MT, while Saturday�s series finale will start at noon CT/ 11 a.m. MT.
The Miners (11-28, 5-10 C-USA) are currently tied with Southern Miss (5-10), while standing one game behind UTSA (6-9) in the West Division. The Lady Techsters (26-14, 9-3 C-USA West) are in first place and currently the no. 2 seed behind Marshall (14-1 East). FIU (8-4 East), Florida Atlantic (7-5 East), North Texas (8-7 West), Charlotte (5-7 East), WKU (6-9 East) and UTSA round out the standings. Middle Tennessee sits in last place (3-9 East).
The top eight schools, out of 12, will advance to the C-USA Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss, May 10-13. The top three teams from each division, while the next two schools with the best records will advance to the four-day championship. Seeds three and four will receive a bye, while the top two seeds earn a double-bye to advance to the second day.
UTEP won game one against WKU, 10-2 (6), while recording 30 hits during the weekend series. The Miners and Hilltoppers game two scoring fest ranks most runs (26) between both teams in C-USA. The Miners are ranked second in C-USA in team batting average (.307), while their 329 hits rank second. Lindsey Sokoloski is ranked no. 1 in the nation in toughest to strikeout after a K-less weekend and Taylor Sargent is ranked 17th in the C-USA with a .349 batting average. Sargent was hitting .250 after March 26.
In the 2015, LA Tech took care of UTEP in three games, while the Miners returned the favor by sweeping the Lady Techsters in El Paso last season. In 2014, during Tobin Echo-Hawk�s first season, her squad swept LA Tech in Ruston as it was the first ever sweep of a conference opponent in program history.
The Miners will have their bye week following the LA Tech series and will continue play at UAB April 29-30, while the regular season will conclude in El Paso against Florida Atlantic May 6-7 (Senior Weekend).
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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The UTEP football team will conclude spring drills on Friday at 6 p.m. with the annual Spring Game in the Sun Bowl.
Gates will be open to the public starting at 5 p.m. and admission is free. Parking will be available north of P-9 and outside parking lots. Consessions will be open to fans along, with food trucks in the concourse. The first 300 students will receive a free tank top.
Fans will get to see a variety of different lineup combinations, a live scrimmage and simulated game situations. Special in-game videos will pit the players against the coaches in a variety of grueling activities.
After the game, the seniors and head coach Sean Kugler will sign free complimentary spring game posters. There will also be a free football clinic for youth 13 and under.
Roster Rundown
UTEP returns 44 lettermen (21 offensive, 21 defensive and two special teams) from the 2016 team. The Miners have 14 starters (five offensive, seven defensive and two special teams) coming back. The offensive line will once again be counted on to provide stability with three starters returning from last season, including All-American Will Hernandez.
On defense, the linebacker core returns three starters (Alvin Jones, Dante Lovilotte and Jayson VanHook). Jones and Lovilotte rated first and second on the team in tackles last season. They combined for 182 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss. UTEP will also have 22 newcomers in the mix, with 17 coming out of high school, three junior-college transfers and two division I transfers.
Depth Cart Breakdown
The Miners� two-deep roster has a distinct El Paso flavor to it, with 12 projected starters (five offense, five special teams and two defense) hailing from the Sun City. There are also five immediate back-ups (four offense, one special teams) currently featuring El Pasoans. In terms of experience upperclassmen are expected to account for 18 (nine offense, seven defense and two special teams) of the 27 positions listed on the depth chart.
Protecting the Field
The offensive line for the Miners brings experience to the depth chart this season. The unit lost two starters from last season but return Will Hernandez, Tanner Stallings and Derron Gatewood. Leading the way for the squad will be Hernandez, who in 2016 became the first UTEP offensive lineman to garner All-American honors.
The senior has started every game (37) at the left guard position during his three years with the Miners. The Miners also return three linemen that have starting experience.
Adding depth will be 2016 All-Conference USA freshman team recipient Greg Long. Long started a game at right guard before starting three at left tackle. At the opposite side of the line, junior Jerrod Brooks started the first half of the 2016 campaign at right tackle. Also returning for the unit will be Derek Elmendorff. The senior has combined for 19 starts at right guard and will look to contribute this season.
All-American Status
Offensive lineman Will Hernandez has started every game in his three years with the Miners. Last season, Hernandez was the first offensive lineman at the school to receive AP All-American second team and FOX Sports� All-American honors. The senior was also first offensive lineman since 2009 to earn All-Conference USA first team recognition. Hernandez�s national recognition didn�t stop there, garnering Pro Football Focus Pass Protector of the Year. The Miners capped season off with two showings of more than 500 yards of total offense, including a season-best 384 yards rushing in victory over North Texas.
Amazin� Metz
Ryan Metz played in 11 games, starting seven during the 2016 season. Metz completed 64.7 percent of his passes, the second-best completion percentage during a single season in program history. Metz tossed 14 touchdowns, the most passing scores by a Miner since 2010. Metz also led the squad with 1,375 yards on 130-of-201 passing and only four interceptions.
In fact, the El Paso native increased his touchdown passes from 2015 (six touchdowns) and decreased his interceptions from the season prior (seven interceptions). Metz�s 141.14 passing efficiency was the program�s fifth best single-season performance, while it ranked sixth in Conference USA. Metz produced big numbers during a 5OT win at UTSA.
Metz tied his career high with three touchdown strikes against the Roadrunners and threw for 211 yards on 15-of-23 passing. Metz was named one of eight Manning Award Stars of the Week following his performance in San Antonio. Metz produced two more solid outings in front of his hometown fans, throwing three more touchdowns against Houston Baptist and registering two passing scores, including a career-long 72-yard toss against North Texas. Metz also showed fancy feet, as he tallied a career-long 42-yard dash against the Mean Green.
Alvin�s Impact
Alvin Jones is returning for his senior season in 2017 at the linebacker position. In 2016, Jones played in 10 contests, making eight starts and missing two games due to injury. The El Paso native earned All-Conference USA second team honors after leading the team in tackles 93 (44 solo) and ranking tied 11th in C-USA in total tackles. Jones also led team with 72 tackles on rushing plays and ranked fourth in C-USA in tackles per game (9.3).
The Burges High School graduate added 6.0 tackles for loss (28 yards), 2.5 sacks (22 yards) and a pass breakup. Jones has 241 career tackles (seventh most at UTEP since the 2000 season), 10.5 career sacks (needs 1.5 to crack the program�s all-time top 10 list), 29.5 career tackles for loss (needs 1.0 to etch name on all-time top 10 list). Jones opened his junior campaign with a 12-tackle performance, including, a tackle for loss, during a victory against rival NM State. Jones brought his best to the table when he established a caree best with 16 tackles (seven solo) against FIU.
The total tackles against the Panthers were the most by an individual UTEP player since the 2013 season (17 tackles). Five weeks later, Jones amassed 16 more tackles (11 solo) at Rice, while chipping in with a sack against the Owls. His junior season was capped with another 12-tackle outing, while registering a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss during a dominant victory against North Texas.
Making the Change
UTEP head coach Sean Kugler brought in four transfer players to make immediate impacts in 2017. Tight ends David Lucero and Josh Weeks, and a pair of defensive players, LB Kalaii Griffin and DB Kahani Smith, will don the Orange and Blue in 2017. After Hayden Plinke graduated, Lucero and Weeks will look to fill the tight end gap. Lucero, who is 6�5 and 230 pounds, saw action in all 12 games at Arizona Western College, catching nine passes for 91 yards and a score in 2016.
Weeks, who also possessees great physical attributes (6�4, 255 pounds), played in two games at BYU (three rec., 23 yards) in 2015. Griffin registered 40 tackles (30 solo) in nine games played at Ventura Community College in 2016. Smith was a playmaker at Riverside Community College, seeing action in 11 games at the strong safety position. Smith notched 36 tackles, four interceptions, 11 pass breakups and three touchdowns (a pick-six and two scoop-and-scores).
Bowl Mania
UTEP will face eight opponents in 2017 who made a bowl game in 2016. The Miners will open with Oklahoma (Sugar Bowl) on Sept. 2in Norman,Okla. After UTEP�s contest at NM State on Sept. 23, the next seven opponents are Army (Heart of Dallas Bowl), WKU (Boca Raton Bowl), Southern Miss (New Orleans Bowl), UTSA (New Mexico Bowl), Middle Tennessee (Hawai�i Bowl), North Texas (Heart of Dallas Bowl) and LA Tech (Armed Forces Bowl). Syracuse and Duke lead the list with 11 bowl opponents each, while South Florida will see 10. Florida and Tulsa will face nine bowl opponents, and East Carolina will take on eight in 2017.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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UTEP track and field member Tyler Ragin received the Conference USA Winter Spirit of Service Award, the league announced on Wednesday.
The junior has compiled more than 194 hours of community service this season, the majority of which was volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of Central Georgia as a tutor, coach and mentor. She dedicated 30 hours at the R.E.A.L Academy helping with camps and organizing activities for kids.
The Macon, Georgia, native is a staunch supporter of driving while sober, as she volunteered at Mothers against Drunk Driving greeting walkers and spent additional time walking to end breast cancer at the AVON 39 event.
She also helped promote SAAC Hunger handing out flyers promoting hunger week.
Ragin is an organizational and corporate communications major with a marketing minor and earned a spot on the C-USA Commissioner�s Honor Roll list.
Ragin set a personal best of 5.79m (19-0.00) in the long jump at the Cherry and Silver meet. She scored points for the Miners in the long jump helping the women�s team secure their third consecutive C-USA team title.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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The UTEP track and field team had three different athletes rewarded for their spectacular performances last week at the Texas Relays; Tobi Amusan (female track), Lucia Mokrasova (female field) and Michael Saruni (co-male track) all earned Conference USA Athlete of the Week accolades in their respective events.
For Amusan this is her second straight C-USA weekly honor after being named co-female track. The sophomore clocked the fastest-qualifying time (12.75) in the 100m hurdles at the Texas Relays.
On Saturday, Amusan shaved .03 seconds (12.72) off her preliminary time to defend her Texas Relays title, while also breaking the meet record set by Ashlee Williams (12.83) in 2005.
The hurdler continues to hold the No.1 spot nationally with her time registered last week at the UTEP Springtime.
Mokrasova set a personal best in the heptathlon scoring 5,671 points, breaking her previous record of 5,615 points. The junior had an outstanding first day at Texas Relays, clocking in a time of 14.06 in the 100m hurdles earning her 970 points. She then cleared 1.67m (5-5.75) in the high jump for an additional 818 points.
In her strongest event, the Slovakian registered a toss of 14.10m (46-3.25) to finish first in the shot put. Closing out the day, she sprinted to a 24.56 finish in the 200m with a total of 3,517 points.
Day two was a bit of a slower start as Mokrasova jumped out to 5.30m (17-4.75) in the long jump. In the javelin, she finished fourth with a mark of 39.94m (131-0). In the 800m, Mokrasova ran a time of 2:18.44 to earn 845 points and set the school record of 5,671 points in the heptathlon.
Mokrasova finished in eighth place at the Texas Relays and ranks fourth nationally.
On the men�s side, Saruni represented the Miners in the 800m run and captured gold with a time of 1:45.82. The freshman ran a patient race, biding time for a late kick with 120 meters to go in the final lap. The Kenyan competed against an outstanding field that included 2012 Olympic silver medalist (Leonel Manzano) and the collegiate record holder (Donavan Brazier).
Saruni�s time ranks second in the nation and first in C-USA.
The Miners will return to action April 13-15 at the Mt. SAC Distance Carnival and the UCLA Invitational. Follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter for live updates.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas � Taylor Sargent recorded a career-high three RBI on a pair of doubles and Kiki Pepi hit her second home run in as many days, but UTSA came up with timely hits in the sixth to earn an 8-5 victory on Sunday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
The loss puts the Miners (9-25, 4-8 Conference USA) and the Roadrunners (14-22, 4-8 C-USA) tied in the West Division. The series finale got off to a late start (4 p.m. CT) due to rainy conditions in the morning. The game was scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
In the first, Pepi connected a two-run liner over center to give the Miners an early 2-0 advantage. With the score 2-2 after UTSA tied the game in the second, Sargent helped her squad go up 3-2�with a hard double hit to center that plated Kaitlin Ryder during the third. Ryder had walked with one out and eventually reached second after Pepi reached first on an error.
The Roadrunners would tie the contest again in the fourth, but Sargent crushed her second double of the afternoon that scored Courtney Clayton and Pepi in the fifth. Clayton led off the inning with a single to right and Pepi drew a two-out walk to set up the runners in scoring position.
UTSA would go on to score five runs on four hits, a pair of walks and a fielding miscue in the sixth to run away with the win.
UTEP tallied seven hits led by Sargent�s 3-for-3 day, while she tied her career best with the two doubles. Sargent, who made the start at first base, came up with an amazing diving catch on a pop fly in the fourth. Kaley Pyles connected on a towering hit in the which the other infielders lost the ball in the sun and Sargent made a mad dash towards the circle to come up with the extended snag for the out.
Starting pitcher Erika Harrawood threw 5.0 frames (four earned runs), walked none and struck out a batter.
Up Next
UTEP will continue its San Antonio tour as Incarnate Word is on the Monday slate. The doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. CT/Noon MT. It was mark the final nonconference contests for the Miners. UTEP will continue C-USA action on April 8-9 when it hosts WKU.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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AUSTIN � Tobi Amusan continues to dominate in the 100m hurdles as she claims gold (12.72), while also setting a new meet record at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, presented by Spectrum.
�Tobi and Michael had an outstanding performance this week, breaking two meet records in a historic event like this is outstanding,� UTEP head coach Mika Laaksonen said. �We still have to work hard with most of our athletes to get them going by the championship season.�
The sophomore came into this weekend with the nation�s fastest-time after running 12.63 at Kidd field and continues her undefeated outdoor season. Amusan�s time of 12.72 sets a new meet record previously held by Ashlee Williams (12.83) set in 2005.
In the women�s 1,500m run, Lilian Koech ran a personal-best of 4:22.12 tying the seventh-fastest time in school history, earning a second-place finish. Her time registers as the eighth-fastest time in the nation. Samantha Hall garnered a sixth-place showing the discus throw tossing for 50.52m (165-9).
The 4x400m relay team of Dreshanae Rolle, Florence Uwakwe, Madison Gibson and Ada Benjamin clocked a 3:40.95
Jonah Koech earned a sixth-place showing in the mile run with a time of 4:03.75.
The UTEP track and field program returns to the track April 13-15 for the Mt. SAC Distance Carnival and the UCLA Invitational.
Follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter for live updates.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas � In a wild game two contest, Courtney Clayton and Cortney Smith each slammed solo home runs and Kiki Pepi gave UTEP the go-ahead lead in the 10th on a solo shot, lifting the Miners to a 7-6 victory after trailing 3-0 early in the game on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Softball Field.
�It was a battle all day and it�s one of those where after the first game we could�ve just laid down and chalked up a bad day,� fourth-year head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said. �The kids were just resilient; kept fighting and kept coming back with their backs against the wall. That is all I ask of them and they did a great job today.�
It was a great triumph following a Miners� (9-24, 4-7 Conference USA) game one, 8-1, loss to the Roadrunners (13-22, 3-8 C-USA). With the game two win, UTEP moves one game ahead of UTSA in C-USA West and snapped a five-game losing streak in the process.
�Sometimes life doesn�t care what happens to you,� Echo-Hawk said. �It�s all about how you respond because no one will ever feel sorry for you. You just need to keep fighting because it�s easy to quit and make yourselves victims. Short-term memory also comes into play. A few of our girls were having bad games and then came up with big hits.�
UTEP racked up 26 total hits in the two games, including a season-high 17 hits in the second contest � tied most during the Echo-Hawk. Clayton went 3-for-5 as it was her 12th multi-hit game of the season and no. 54 of her career, while Pepi (3-for-4) and Taylor Sargent (3-for-6) tied their career highs in hits.
Kaitlin Fifield won her first game of the season, as she threw a career-high 10.0 innings. Fifield now has 23 wins in her career, ranking behind Kelly Curan (24) and Danielle Pearson (25) on the program�s all-time list.
The series finale is Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. CT/Noon MT.
UTEP 7, UTSA 6 [10]
The Roadrunners took an early lead, scoring three runs in the second inning. But instead of rolling over, the relentless Miners fought back.
Smith started the comeback when she connected on her seventh home run of 2017, a solo shot over right center on a 2-1 count to get within two runs (3-1). It was Smith�s first home run since March 4 at Texas Tech. Smith finished the contest 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and two runs.
UTEP then took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on five hits. With one out, Ariel Blair used one of her two hits to single to left. Clayton and Kaitlin Ryder singled to center on back-to-back at bats to load the bases for Smith. The sophomore singled in Blair to bring the Miners within a run. Pepi, who tallied three RBI in game two, singled to right center, plating Clayton and Ryder to give her squad a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom sixth, UTSA tied the contest 4-4 after Kaley Pyles knocked in Bailee Baldwin, who led off with a single to right. Pyles, though, was thrown out at second base for the second out. Taylor Oberg doubled, but Fifield forced Angelica Nino to ground out to Smith to end the inning.
After a scoreless seventh, the runs started the cross the dish during the nail-biting last three frames.
Smith reached first after being hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Pepi advanced her teammate to second on a sac-bunt and then Sargent doubled down the left field line, plating Smith for a 5-4 advantage.
But the Roadrunners would answer in the bottom eighth. Baldwin doubled to right field off the fence with one out and Hailey Garza singled down the left line, advancing pinch runner Erica Sanchez to third. Pyles, as she did in the sixth, came up with another big hit that scored Sanchez to tie the contest 5-5.
In the ninth with two quick outs, Clayton launched a towering solo shot over left on a 1-2 pitch to give the Miners a 6-5 edge. It was her first dinger since March 11 at North Texas.
But the contest would not end there as UTSA tied the score in the bottom ninth. Lindsey Stewart led off the home half with a single up the middle, while proceeding to steal second base. Celeste Loughman reached on a bunt single and also followed by snagging a base to put runners at second and third with no outs. Rylee Rodriguez grounded out to Smith, but Randee Crawford tied the contest with a sac-fly hit to center in which Stewart scored. Fifield then forced Sanchez to pop out the second base as Clayton made an over-the-shoulder catch to halt the game-winning run from scoring.
The 10th inning drama was set up for Pepi, who had not homered since March 1 at NM State. Pepi saw seven pitches and finally connected on the eighth pitch, a liner over left on a 3-2 count that put the Miners ahead for good.
Fifield used only five pitches in the bottom 10th as the final three batters went down in order to conclude the epic contest. Fifield helped her cause on the defensive side when she recorded four assists from the circle.
The 10-inning game was the longest since the Miners fell at Florida Atlantic on April 19, 2014 in 11 frames. Saturday�s extra inning nail-biter is tied for fourth longest in UTEP history. The longest was a 13-inning affair on May 7, 2009 against the East Carolina at the Conference USA Tournament in El Paso with UTEP coming out on top 4-3. The Miners played 11 innings twice, as the second was on April 7, 2013 at UCF. UTEP and Southern Miss went 10 frames on April 16, 2011, while another 10-inning contest happened on March 20, 2007 against no. 5 Arizona State � an 8-7 Miners� win.
UTEP 1, UTSA 8
The Roadrunners scored five runs the second inning to pull away from the Miners. Crawford connected on her sixth home run of the season, a solo shot and Loughman doubled in a pair of runs in the second.
Loughman gave her squad an 8-0 lead after she hit a three-run home run over right center.
The Miners received a RBI single from Taylor Sargent in the fifth; Brianna Red scored the run in the pinch-run situation for Kiki Pepi, who drew a walk to lead off the inning. It was Sargent�s first RBI since Feb. 25 when she connected on a two-run single at UC Riverside.
The Miners connected on nine hits on the day, led by Courtney Clayton, Cortney Smith and Taylor Sargent who each finished 2-for-4. Sargent tallied her first multi-hit game since March 18 against Middle Tennessee.
