by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The Green Bay Packers drafted former Miner Aaron Jones on Saturday afternoon. The running back was drafted with the 36th pick in the fifth round (182nd overall).
The last time a Miner was drafted was in 2008 when a trio was selected.
Tackle Oniel Cousins was selected by the Baltimore Ravens (third round, 36th pick, 99th overall), free safety Quintin Demps was chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles (fourth round, 18th pick, 117th overall) and running back Marcus Thomas was picked by the Dallas Cowboys (fifth round, 31st pick, 166th overall).
Aaron Jones set multiple school records during his prolific junior season including earning AP All-American third team and All-Conference USA first team honors. The El Paso native rushed for a single-season school-record 1,773 yards, while climbing his way to the top of the program’s career-rushing list with 4,114 yards, breaking John Harvey’s 28-year old record.
The three-time letter winner averaged 7.7 yards on 229 carries and scored 17 rushing touchdowns (third most in program history). Jones added three more receiving scores, while tallying 2,006 all-purpose yards (fourth best single-season performance in school history).
Jones capped the 2016 campaign with a career-high 301 yards and a career-best four rushing touchdowns against North Texas. Jones’s 301-yard effort is the second most yards rushed in a single contest in UTEP history. He finished the season ranked third in the nation with his 147.8 rushing yards per contest.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
BIRMINGHAM, Al. – UAB (19-29, 10-9 Conference USA) poured on five runs in the first inning to take an early lead against UTEP (11-34, 5-16 C-USA) on its way to a 5-0 victory. The contest was called in the fifth inning after heavy rainfall on Sunday at Mary Bowers Field.
The Blazers jumped on the Miners early when Joanna Fallen put her squad on the board first with a RBI single to right that scored leadoff hitter Destini England. Molli Garcia put two more runs with a single through the left side, while Amy Waters drove in the fifth run on a double to left field.
Cortney Smith and Kiki Pepi led off the fourth with back-to-back singles, while Smith advanced to third and Pepi to second on the throw. But the Miners couldn’t sustain more offense to punch the runners across the home plate.
UTEP recorded five hits on the day as Brianna Red reached base twice (walk in third inning, single in fifth).
Kaitlin Ryder and Lindsey Sokoloski each went 1-for-3. Kaitlin Fifield (2-9) got the start and Erika Harrawood finished the contest, throwing 4.0 frames.
Up Next
UTEP will finish out the 2017 season by hosting defending C-USA champions Florida Atlantic on Senior Weekend (May 6-7). The Miners and Owls will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 3 p.m. Sunday’sSenior Day contest will start at 1 p.m.
Seniors Kaitlin Fifield, Taylor Grohmann, Miranda Gutierrez, Erika Harrawood and Kiki Pepi will be honored following the contest. Part of the Senior Day festivities will include the fathers of each senior throwing out the first pitch.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
UTEP softball head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk announced on Wednesday that pitcher Julia Wright will join the program prior to the 2017 fall season. Wright has played the last two seasons at Ranger College.
“We’re super excited to bring Julia onto the pitching staff for next season,” Echo-Hawk said. “Since we’ll be three pitchers short heading into next season, she’ll definitely add depth to the roster. Julia throws hard and places the ball well. We know Julia is excited to play at the Division I level and it’s great to add someone with collegiate experience in the circle.”
Wright, a native of Langley, British Columbia, will have two years of eligibility with the Orange and Blue and will add to a pitching staff that will lose three senior pitchers (Kaitlin Fifield, Taylor Grohmann & Erika Harrawood) following the 2017 campaign. Wright will join current freshmen hurlers Devyn Cretz and Allie Johnson.
Wright (17-11) ranks tied no. 36 nationally among NJCAA Division I pitchers in wins and has fashioned an ERA of 3.52 in 151.1 innings of work with 89 Ks. Wright has started 28 games with 32 appearances and registered 16 complete games. She has also tallied a save and 60 walks. Wright has four at bats with an RBI single.
One of Wright’s highlights in 2017 was tossing a no-hitter during a victory against Western Oklahoma State College on Feb. 25. She threw 5.0 frames, stuck out five and walked one during the 15-0 triumph. Wight hurled a season-high seven strikeouts in only 3.0 frames of work in a win against Mountain View College (April 19).
She tallied six Ks in 5.0 innings against Northern Oklahoma College-Enid (Feb. 18). Wright registered five strikeouts and allowed only one hit in 5.0 frames during a victory versus Cloud County Community College (Feb. 17). Wright went 1-for-3 with a RBI during an 8-0 win at Rose State College (March 18), while recently tossing a one-hit win in 5.0 innings against Vernon College (April 22).
She earned her lone save on March 1 at North Central Texas College, throwing an inning with a strikeout during Ranger College’s 7-5 win.
In 2016, Wright threw 213.0 innings and recorded 134 Ks. She finished 17-18 in 35 starts (41 appearances) and saved a pair of games. Wright recorded a career-high nine Ks in 6.0 innings, while allowing only three hits at Western Texas College on Feb. 29. She tallied seven strikeouts in three different contests, while registering six Ks in four different games her freshman season.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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TEXARKANA � The UTEP men�s golf team defeated Southern Miss (4-1, semifinals) and Charlotte (4-1, finals) in match-play format to win the 2017 Conference USA Men�s Golf Championship at the Texarkana Country Club on Tuesday.
It is the first conference title since 1985 and only the second in program history. The Orange and Blue also punched their ticket to the NCAA Regionals for the first time as a team since 2004.
It was the fitting conclusion to the three-day event for the Miners, who notched the top seed in match play after their first-place showing in stroke play (15-over 879; 287-294-298).
�You have a lot of moving parts going on,� sixth-year head coach Scott Lieberwirth said. �It�s tough to judge [the match]. The best part is we got the first two points on the board. Knowing that we had leads in two other matches, we knew we just needed to hang on and close out one of those matches.�
Battling in a match that was too close to call early, Nicklas Pihl got the Miners off to a solid start in the championship vs. Charlotte. The match with the 49ers� Conor Purcell was all square through eight holes before Pihl found another gear. He won two of the next three holes to go 2UP through the 11th hole, and Purcell could never recover.
UTEP pushed its team advantage to 2-0, thanks to Charles Corner knocking off the 49ers� Matty Lamb, 2UP. Corner started fast by taking the first two holes, an edge he maintained through the turn. Lamb�s comeback started on the back nine with wins at both 10 and 13 to make the match all square. Corner remained steadfast, winning both the 15th and 18th holes to put Lamb away.
Charlotte tried to claw back into the championship with Tyler Young edging Aaron Terrazas, 1UP. The match was all square through 15 holes but Young found the necessary separation after carding a 3 and Terrazas recorded a 4 on the 17th hole. Both golfers fired 4s on the 18th hole to give the 49ers a team point.
The lone senior on the team Frederik Dreier then took center stage. The reigning C-USA Golfer of the Year was in a back and forth match with Charlotte�s John Gough. All squared through 10 holes, Dreier won three of the next five holes to take control of the dual. Gough claimed hole No. 16 to get within two, but Dreier prevailed, sending the Miners into celebration.
�It was very emotional,� Dreier said. �This being my last conference [tournament] ever and to win it with the guys was amazing.�
Those sentiments were expounded upon by Lieberwirth.
�I think fittingly, it was Frederik Dreier�s match that clinched it for us, him being a senior, him being the reigning Conference USA Player of the Year,� Lieberwirth said. �It couldn�t have been a better ending for us to have Freddie finish it.�
Andreas Sorensen lost the first two holes to the C-USA individual medalist Seth Gandy before a stunning reversal. He squared with Gandy by the fifth hole and vaulted out to 3UP through hole No. 13. Gandy�s rally came too little, too late, as Sorensen won 1&2.
The Miners made it to the final round of match play after a hard-fought 4-1 win over Southern Miss. The tournament was shortened a day due to a forecast of inclement weather on Wednesday.
�It [weather] forced us to have to play two rounds in back-to-back days, which is something we never do,� Lieberwirth said. �Without question, fatigue was a factor for both teams. We were fortunate to get to that championship match. It�s difficult for everybody involved, but our guys fought through it, they continued to play well throughout the afternoon. They just did a great job.�
Pihl set the tone against the fourth-seeded Southern Miss Golden Eagles with a 3&2 conquest of Walker Kesterson. It was all squared through the opening six holes before Pihl won two of the next three to make the turn 2UP. The Golden Eagle briefly cut into the lead on hole No. 11, but Pihl recovered immediately on No. 12 and never looked back.
Sorensen raced out to a huge lead, taking each of the first five holes from the Golden Eagles� Derick Kelting. The margin remained five heading into the 13th hole, before Kelting mounted a rally, winning four of the next five to make the dual tight going into the 18th hole. Sorensen did not flinch however, matching Kelting with a 4 and winning the dual.
USM�s Ryan Argotsinger and UTEP�s Dreier battled back-and-forth early on, with Argotsinger 2UP at the turn. Dreier�s aspirations of a comeback didn�t come to fruition, with Argotsinger posting a 5&4 victory.
As it turned out, that proved to be the lone team point in the match for Southern Miss. The Miners clinched the team win thanks to Corner�s 1UP vanquishing of Matt Lorenz. Terrazas downed Matt Codd 1 & 1 to punctuate the victory.
Corner quickly dug himself an early hole, with Lorenz jumping out to a 2UP lead through three holes. Corner responded brilliantly, tasting victory on six of the next seven holes to stand 4UP through the 11th hole. Lorenz fought back and eventually clawed back to all square through 17 holes but Corner won the 18th hole.
It was a compelling match between Terrazas and Codd, with action all square through 16 holes. Terrazas found a way to get it done, though, carding a 3 while Codd was saddled with a 5 on the 17th hole.
The NCAA Regionals are slated to begin on May 15.
�I feel like we have got a lot of grown men,� Lieberwirth said. �They act mature, I think they play the game the right way and I think they act the right way, which is something that we want from our program. I couldn�t be any prouder than I am right now.�
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Korir etched himself into the UTEP recordbooks with the second-fastest time in program history, just .02 seconds behind Bert Cameron�s time of 44.58 set in 1980.
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UTEP�s freshman Emmanuel Korir was named Conference USA Athlete of the Week after his performance on Saturday at Kidd Field, announced the league office Tuesday afternoon.
The Kenyan clocked the nation�s second-fastest time of 44.67 in the 400m and broke the 37-year old stadium record (Billy Mullins, 45.03, USC, 1980).
Korir etched himself into the UTEP recordbooks with the second-fastest time in program history, just .02 seconds behind Bert Cameron�s time of 44.58 set in 1980.
This is Korir�s second weekly award of the outdoor season. Last weekend, the mid-distance runner clocked the fourth-fastest time in school history with a time of 1:47.19 in the 800m, which rates him 12th in the nation in the event.
The UTEP track and field team travel westbound to Berkley, Calif. for the Brutus Hamilton Open at Edwards Stadium. For live results and breaking news follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
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by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The Reno Aces scored in five different innings Monday and beat the El Paso Chihuahuas 12-1. It was the second Monday in a row that Reno handed El Paso an 11-run loss, as the Aces beat the Chihuahuas 13-2 last Monday in Reno.
Reno scored five runs in a nine-batter first inning, the second consecutive game the Aces brought in four runs or more in the first frame. Ketel Marte went 4-for-6 and came inches away from hitting for the cycle, as his second double of the game hit the top of the right field fence near the foul pole.
Former Chihuahuas outfielder Reymond Fuentes went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Reno.
Reno’s Jake Winston picked up a three-inning save in the lopsided game. El Paso catcher Rocky Gale had three hits and a run scored in the loss. The Chihuahuas used five pitchers and got scoreless outings out of relievers Jason Jester and Keith Hessler.
With a win Tuesday, the Chihuahuas will split their eight-game homestand.
Box Score | Team Records: Reno (11-8), El Paso (8-11)
Next Game: Tuesday, 6:35 pm at Southwest University Park. Reno RHP Frank Duncan (1-2, 6.11) vs. El Paso RHP Dinelson Lamet (1-0, 0.69). The game will air on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com.
Reno 12 El Paso 1 – Monday
WP: Payamps (1-0)
LP: Jenkins (1-2)
S: Winston (1)
Time: 2:47
Attn: 5,549
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
TEXARKANA – The back nine of the Texarkana Country Club golf course was the breakaway point for the UTEP men’s golf team as they pulled away from their tie with North Texas to take sole possession of first place in the final round of stroke play at the Conference USA Men’s Golf Championships and the top seed going into tomorrow’s match play.
The Miners shot 15-over 879 (287-294-298) to best North Texas, who came in second with 19-over 883 (283-297-303) and third place Charlotte, who shot 28-over 892 (289-292-311). Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss tied for fourth with 29-over 893 and will battle in a one-hole playoff tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. CT for the fourth and final spot in the match play portion of the tournament.
The winner will face UTEP while Charlotte and North Texas will compete in the other semifinals match play, with the winners battling for the C-USA team championship.
The first round of match play at the Texarkana Country Club (par 72/6,969 yards) tees off at 7:30 a.m. CT concluding with the second round at 12:30 p.m. CT to determine the 2017 Conference USA Men’s Golf Champion.
Charlotte senior Seth Gandy fired a 2-under 214 (67-71-76) to take individual medalist honors.
“First things first, our goal was to get to the match play, whatever seed it was,” sixth-year head coach Scott Lieberwirth said. “Fortunately, we are the No. 1 seed heading into match play, but tomorrow everything is wiped clean. We have to come out and take care of business in the first match. We’re not sure who that’ll be, the playoff [between Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss] will run tomorrow morning. Whoever we get, we know we’re going to get their best shot. We have to show up ready to go.”
The Miners were the only team in the tournament to have a three round total below 300.
“Throughout the day, and in the afternoon especially, we had a pretty large buffer on those teams trying to make the match play cutoff,” Lieberwirth said. “The golf course was playing extremely difficult this afternoon, the greens were extremely firm and fast as well, that made for very difficult scoring, plus being the second round of the day that these student athletes were playing, fatigue was setting in. It was an extremely long day, but I thought our guys really hung in well. We played that back nine well. I think that was more than anything why we pulled away. We just kind of hung in there and kept playing reasonably well. North Texas and Charlotte both struggled coming in late, which, to be honest, was not hard to do, it was really tough out there.”
The last time the Miners made the match play portion of the Conference USA Championships was in 2015. Though they fell to UAB that year, UTEP’s finish of third place marked the best placing in program history since the institution entered Conference USA in 2006. The team just missed out on last year’s match play when they placed fifth in stroke play.
All five Miners placed in the top-50, but three placed in the top-10. Junior Charles Corner spearheaded the Miners’ run, firing 3-over 219 (73-70-76) to finish in sixth place, five strokes out of first place. Corner made birdie on hole No. 16 in the final round and his second round score of 70 was the lowest of the day for the Miners.
Frederik Dreier and Aaron Terrazas helped the Miners’ first place effort, tying for seventh with 4-over 220. Dreier shot a round of 77 and 72, collecting four birdies, two on the front nine and two on the back nine while bogeying four times on the difficult back nine. Terrazas fired 73 and 74 while tallying a birdie on hole No. 8 and only bogeying once on the back nine.
“They were solid,” Lieberwirth said of Corner, Dreier and Terrazas. “Especially the spring, we haven’t had any great individual performances, meaning top-5s or wins, but we have had consistent, solid play out of all of those guys. They were great. Freddie got a couple of unlucky breaks on the last nine holes, but he played very well. Aaron was solid, start to finish, but you know I feel like we’ve got a group of very solid players that I trust and that I feel confident going into tomorrow with.”
Breaking into the top-20 was Andreas Sorensen, who shot 7-over 223 (70-77-76), finishing with four birdies, three of which came in the third round, to finish with a share of 17th place. Nicklas Pihl rounded out the Miners’ scorecard in a tie for 42nd with 17-over 233 (79-74-80). The junior saw his best round of the tournament in his score of 74 in round two.
“I’m proud of how my guys played,” Lieberwirth said. “They did a great job. I wouldn’t say that was the best day of golf that we’ve played all year, but that was some of the toughest golf we’ve played, without question. I credit my guys for hanging tough.The scores didn’t look great, but the effort that was given and the way that we fought over the last nine holes, I’m very proud of that.”
The Conference USA men’s golf champion will be crowned following the results of the second round of match play. Live stats will be available via golfstat.com.
“You have a good field in this conference, as you can see by the scores,” Lieberwirth said. “We understand nothing is given at this point. In match play, anything can happen. We just have to show up tomorrow and be the better team.”
2017 Conference USA Men’s Golf Championships Stroke Play Final:
Team — Score
1. UTEP – 287-294-298=879 (+15)
2. North Texas – 283-297-303=883 (+19)
3. Charlotte – 289-292-311=892 (+28)
T4. Middle Tennessee – 294-292-307=893 (+29)
T4. Southern Miss – 296-299-298=893 (+29)
6. Marshall – 297-299-304=900 (+36)
7. UTSA – 302-300-300=902 (+38)
8. UAB – 295-298-310=903 (+39)
9. Rice – 299-308-298=905 (+41)
10. WKU – 299-306-305=910 (+46)
11. Louisiana Tech – 307-302-310=919 (+55)
12. Old Dominion – 307-296-317=920 (+56)
13. Florida Atlantic – 307-314-318=939 (+75)
