by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Los Angeles – The UTEP track and field team had a strong performance with seven different athletes recording a new personal best on Saturday at the Jim Bush Collegiate Invitational.
Lucia Mokrasova clocked a personal-best 14.09 in the 100m hurdles to earn a fourth-place showing. Lilian Koech in her second race of the outdoor season competed in the 800m run claiming a second place showing with a personal best of 2:05.86 and the fifth-fastest time in school history. Linda Koech notch a personal-best of 4:26.47 in the 1,500m run.
Sophomore Tobi Amusan clocked the 10th fastest time in program history and recorded a season-best 23.48 in the 200m dash. Israel Ramsay leaped to a second-place showing in the high jump with a season-best 1.70m (5-06.75). Samantha Hall tossed 54.62m (179-02.25) in the discus to earn second overall.
On the men’s side, Alejandro Alcazar notched a personal-best 50.22 in the 400m for 12th place overall. Yinka Oyebanjo-Odofin garnered fourth place in the 400m hurdles for a personal-best of 56.06. In the 1,500m Michael Saruni clocked a personal-best 3:47.73 to earn gold, while Evans Kiprono ran his personal-best 3:59.45 for 10th place overall.
In his first race of the outdoor season, freshman Michael Saruni won the 800m with a time of 1:57.19 and teammate Jonah Koech followed for a second-place finish stopping the clock at 1:49.99.
Sohpmore Karol Koncos garnered a fourth-place showing in the hammer throw with a toss of 61.24m (200-11). Donivan Ortega also earned fourth place in the triple jump with a leap of 14.00m (45-11) for a season-best. Senior James Bias clocked 10.70 for a third-place finish in the 100m dash.
The Miners will return to action April 22 for their second home meet of the season. For more updates be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Taylor Sargent’s bat has stayed hot but UTEP (11-31, 5-13 Conference USA) fell at LA Tech (29-16, 12-3 C-USA) on Saturday at Lady Techster Softball Complex.
The Lady Techsters jumped on the Miners in the first two frames, scoring a pair of runs in the first frame after Pauline Tufi connected on a two-run single up the middle. In the second, LA Tech took a 6-0 on a back-to-back two-run knocks by Jazlyn Crowder (ground rule double to left center) and Morgan Turkoly (single to left).
With the score 7-0, LA Tech would cross the dish in the fourth on a bases loaded walk.
The Miners registered six hits led by Taylor Sargent’s 2-for-2 outing. Sargent is hitting .553 with seven doubles (10 extra base hits, including three triples) the last 11 games. The junior singled in the second and doubled in the fourth. Kaitlin Ryder went 2-for-3, while Lindsey Sokoloski and Cortney Smith each recorded knocks.
UTEP will have its bye week and will continue action at UAB April 29-30.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Torrance, Ca. – Sophomore Winny Koech posted the fourth-fastest time (33:51.31) in program history in the 10,000m to highlight the action for the UTEP track and field team on the opening day of the Mt. SAC Relays.
Koech showed her competitiveness in the first 10,000m run of the outdoor season. Competing in the open elite invitational, which places amongst some of the best college and professional talent, the sophomore raced to a third-place finish.
Running in the 10,000m open, Gladys Jerotich finished with the eighth-fastest time (36:26.07) in program history to earn 29th overall.
On the men’s side, Daniel Cheruiyot competed in the 3,000m steeplechase. He grabbed 14th overall with a time of 9:03.31. That is the second-fastest time in C-USA this year.
Antony Kosgei ran in the 10,000m invitational elite. He clocked in at 30:25.77 for a 49th-place finish. It is the second-fastest-time in C-USA this season.
The Miners return to action April 22nd for the UTEP Invitational. For live updates follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Quarterbacks Ryan Metz, Zack Greenlee and Mark Torrez all engineered touchdown drives, and the defense registered four sacks in the annual UTEP Football Spring Game under the lights on Friday in the Sun Bowl.
“Kind of like our spring has been all along, both sides of the ball have shown tremendous flashes,” UTEP coach Sean Kugler said. “They are competing against each other. We got through the entire spring really with only one injury, and that’s [running back] Quardraiz Wadley. He has a shoulder injury, which we’re going to have to evaluate and see how that works going into the fall camp. Everybody else is completely healthy heading into fall camp, so we accomplished a lot this spring.”
Metz completed 12-of-17 passes for 94 yards, and was at the controls of the offense when Walter Dawn scored the team’s third and final touchdown of the night on a two-yard run. Greenlee finished 4-of-7 for 43 yards, including a nine-yard scoring run. Torrez was 3-for-9 for 20 yards, including a four-yard TD pass to tight end Josh Weeks.
“I thought Ryan was solid moving the ball,” Kugler said. “We got it stalled down there in the red zone, [and] he threw a nice fade ball there at the end for a touchdown. Ryan has had an outstanding spring. He is a leader and he works hard. Zack Greenlee moved the ball well tonight. Probably the guy that really had a great spring, and it’s not a surprise to me, is Mark Torrez from here in town. He’s got a lot of juice, he can run, throw, he’s got that moxie that you’re looking for in a quarterback. He’s going to be one to watch coming into the fall.”
Dawn led the Miners with 29 yards rushing on 11 carries. Ronald Awatt added nine rushes for 22 yards, and Kevin Dove had six carries for 21 yards. Even if Wadley can’t go, Kugler likes his depth at running back.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talent there,” he said. “We’ve got Ronald Awatt, Kevin Dove, TK Powell who was injured all spring and he’ll be back healthy in the fall, and then we add [incoming freshman] Josh Fields as well. We may add one more to that group. It’s a young group, but a very talented group. My biggest concern there would be more protection-wise when you have young guys like that, but we’ll be creative and make sure that we get that handled.”
Terry Juniel was UTEP’s top receiver with five catches for 47 yards, and Kavika Johnson chipped in with 29 yards on four receptions. Tight ends Weeks and David Lucero combined for four catches and 37 yards.
Two guys who have switched positions from last season, Dawn and Johnson, looked comfortable in their new roles.
“Walter Dawn is going to be a full-time running back and you saw him there stick the guy on third and one. Just because he’s small doesn’t mean he’s not tough,” Kugler said. “He can catch the ball. He’ll generate a lot of yardage back there catching the ball and also running the ball. He’ll be there full-time, and we’re leaving Kavika Johnson full-time at wide receiver. You saw what he can do tonight. He is going to be a talented player for us.”
Kugler said the Miners may add a player at wide receiver between now and the start of fall camp. “And Eddie Sinegal, right now he is suspended academically but we anticipate having him back in the fall as well,” he said.
Jerrell Brown, Alex Jean Charles, Josh Ortega and Barron Wortham Jr. recorded a sack apiece. Brown in particular was all over the field with four tackles, a tackle for loss and pass break-up. The defense was minus stalwarts Devin Cockrell and Dante Lovilotte.
Kugler said he has been very pleased with his team’s effort this spring.
“They compete against each other. They come out every day,” he said. “Really, going through spring ball, you would anticipate maybe having one bad practice. I think we only had one right there about the middle, we kind of jumped their tails about it and they responded well the next day. This team comes to work. As a head coach, this has been my most rewarding spring. We have had no off-the-field issues, knock on wood. These kids are taking care of business and they’re working hard in the weight room. I think they are ready to have a good summer and camp and they’re a hungry team. They feel like they’re kind of looked down upon and nobody gives them a chance, and that’s the way we like it.”
In fact, Kugler said this squad reminds him of his second team, the 2014 squad that finished 7-6 and played in the New Mexico Bowl.
“They’ve got a chip on their shoulder, they’re hungry, they work hard and there are no issues with these guys,” he said. “They come to work every day. I really like the team. This is the group we’re going to move into the season with, and I feel good about that.”
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Though they were full of fight, the UTEP Miners were edged by Interstate-10 rival NM State 4-3 on Senior Day Friday to close out the tennis regular season.
The Miners, who had six players for the first time since March 4, were able to field a full lineup. That helped the team get an early lead in the match, claiming the doubles point with wins on courts one and three. First, at the No. 1 position, Milou Pietersz and Lois Wagenvoort powered past NM State’s Vanessa Valdez and Rebecca Keijzerwaard 6-0, their first shutout as a pair.
Maria Paula Medina and senior Duda Santos, returning from injury, helped the effort with a 7-6 (7-5) victory over Lindsay Harlas and Gabrielle Joyce on court three. Senior Daphne Visscher and Raven Bennett fell 7-6 (9-7) to the Aggies’ Rimpledeep Kaur and Marie-Pier Thiffault.
For the first time since their Feb. 19 victory over Pac-12’s Colorado, the Miners entered singles play with a 1-0 lead. The Aggies did not go down easily, however, getting wins on courts one and five due to Santos’ and Bennett’s retirement from injury, and a 6-3, 6-2 Keijzerwaard victory on court three from Visscher.
The Aggies clinched the match with a win on court six, as Harlas upended Medina 6-4, 6-1.
Though they trailed 4-1, the Miners battled to secure a couple more points. The relentless junior Pietersz dropped her first set against Valdez 6-0 but dominated set two with a 6-1 victory and followed with a 7-5 triumph in set three. Wagenvoort took set one in a 6-3 fashion, but Thiffault evened up play with a 6-4 victory of her own. In the deciding set, Wagenvoort was able to work her way to a 6-4 victory.
The Miners will now look to prepare for the Conference USA Championships beginning April 20 in Denton, Texas.
FINAL: New Mexico State 4, UTEP 3
Singles competition
1. Kaur, Rimpledeep (NMSU) def. Duda Santos (UTEP) 6-7, 1-2, retired
2. Milou Pietersz (UTEP) def. Valdez, Vanessa (NMSU) 0-6, 6-1, 7-5
3. Keijzerwaard,Rebecca (NMSU) def. Daphne Visscher (UTEP) 6-3, 6-2
4. Lois Wagenvoort (UTEP) def. Thiffault,Marie-Pier (NMSU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
5. Arnaudova, Eli (NMSU) def. Raven Bennett (UTEP) 6-3, 3-2, retired
6. Harlas, Lindsay (NMSU) def. Maria Paula Medina (UTEP) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Milou Pietersz/Lois Wagenvoort (UTEP) def. Valdez, Vanessa/Keijzerwaard,Rebecca (NMSU) 6-0
2. Kaur, Rimpledeep/Thiffault,Marie-Pier (NMSU) def. Daphne Visscher/Raven Bennett (UTEP) 7-6 (9-7)
3. Maria Paula Medina/Duda Santos (UTEP) def. Harlas, Lindsay/Joyce, Gabrielle (NMSU) 7-6 (7-5)
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
RUSTON, La. – Taylor Sargent connected on a two-run triple in game one that gave UTEP an early 2-0 lead, but LA Tech rallied to win 4-2.
The Lady Techsters (28-15, 11-3 Conference USA) then came out on top 4-0 against the Miners (11-30, 5-12 C-USA) in the second game of the Friday doubleheader at Lady Techster Softball Complex.
The series finale will be played Saturday at noon CT/11 a.m. MT. UTEP will have its bye week following the contest.
UTEP 2, LA Tech 4
Sargent, who is hitting .528 the last 10 games (including Friday’s contests), came up with a two-out triple on a 2-2 pitch during the first frame. The junior sent the ball over right and off the wall as Kaitlin Ryder and Cortney Smith each crossed the dish to give UTEP a 2-0 advantage. Ryder drew a walk to reach, while Smith was hit by a pitch.
LA Tech scored a run in the bottom first off a Marilyn Rizzato RBI single, while the Lady Techsters took a 3-2 lead in the fourth after a Karlee Jensen RBI double.
The Miners would get base runners in innings five, six and seven, but couldn’t convert them into runs. Pauline Tufi recorded an RBI single in the fifth that gave her squad a 4-2 lead.
Prior to Tufi’s knock in the fifth, Kiki Pepi made a spectacular diving out on an attempted bunt by Rizzato. Pepi dashed from third base to dive for the bunted ball in front of the batter’s box and made the stretching tag in rhythm.
The Miners recorded five hits as Ryder, Smith, Sargent, Lindsey Sokoloski and Mallorie Cross each recorded knocks.
Sargent has registered nine extra base hits during the last 10 contests, which includes her team-leading three triples. Sargent has scored seven runs and tallied 12 RBI during the stretch (April 1-14).
UTEP 0, LA Tech 4
Kaitlin Fifield threw a solid outing, but LA Tech came up with a three-run second inning. Ali Galaz recorded a pair of RBI and Morgan Turkoly registered an RBI in the second.
The Miners tallied a pair of hits – a Pepi single in the second and a Sokoloski single in the sixth.
Sokoloski’s was big as she reached third on an error, but the Miners struggled to get runners across the dish. Tori Charters tacked on another run on an RBI single in the sixth to solidify the win.
Fifield recorded four assists in 6.0 innings of work, while tallying a strikeout looking.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Jessica Boyce has signed a national letter of intent to attend school and join the UTEP rifle team starting for the 2017-18 season, head coach Hannah Muegge announced Thursday.
“Moving our sights to next season, I strongly feel Jessica will be a great asset for us as we look to continue to improve upon our team goals and strengthen our team culture,” Muegge said. “Jessica has set some great goals as she aims forward to the collegiate level and the team is very excited to welcome her aboard.”
Boyce is on track to graduate from Maple Mountain High School (Spanish Fork, Utah) and intends to major in psychology.
Below is a brief bio on Boyce:
Boyce developed her love for competitive shooting by participating in the Utah High School Rodeo 3P sporter event in 2013, qualified for and took part in the 2014 High School National Finals.
2014-15 Utah High School Rodeo Rifle State Champion; began competing in precision rifle with the Springville Jr. Rifle Club in the fall of 2013. Also is a member of the Utah Precision Marksmanship Society and holds the range record in air rifle at the University of Utah.
Boyce competed in many NRA postal and sectional matches, receiving both local and national recognition, qualified for the Junior Olympics in 2015 (air rifle), 2016 (air rifle and smallbore) and 2017 (smallbore)
She helped her team take second place at the 2015 Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Western Regional Matches … also took place in the event in 2016 and 2017; posted the seventh-best individual score to advance to the finals in 2017. That effort earned her an individual invitation to compete in the CMP 3P Nationals.
Boyce has spent the past four years has teaching hunter education classes and mentoring younger shooters at her club. Boyce loves to read, be in the outdoors and travel with her family, and has a great love for animals.
She intends to major in psychology at UTEP. Boyce is the daughter of Steven and Krista Boyce and the big sister to Katie, her shooting partner.
