by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
AUSTIN �� Lucia Mokrasova set the school record with 5,671 points in the heptathlon while freshman All-American Michael Saruni broke a meet standard to win the 800m at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, presented by Spectrum on Thursday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
�Lucy didn�t have the start that we wanted today, but I think she recovered well and finished strong to break her record from last year,� UTEP head coach Mika Laaksonen said. �She competed well and looks like she has a lot more left in the tank.�
Heading into day two of competition with 3,517 points, Mokrasova opened the day by leaping out to 5.30m (17-4.75) in the long jump, where she earned 643 points. She tallied 666 points after throwing for 39.94m (131-0).
After two events the junior notched 4,942 points and needed to run her time from a year ago (2:22.59) to tie her previous record of 5,615 points. The junior ran a 2:18.44 in the 800m to earn 845 points, breaking her previous record by 56 points.
Mokrasova finished in eighth place in a field of 23 and her total score ranks first in Conference USA.
The other big highlight of day two at the Texas Relays for UTEP Saruni�s star-studded performance. The Kenyan competed in the Invitational (including professionals) 800m run and finished by setting a Texas Relays meet record with the fastest time in the nation (1:48.82). In his heat was the 2012 Olympic silver medialist (Leonel Manzano) and the collegiate record holder (Donavan Brazier). Saruni will participate in the mile run scheduled for Saturday at 2:45 p.m. MT.
�Michael, what can you say a freshman running that times, considering the competition he faced,� Laaksonen said. �For him to come in and break the record is impressive.�
In the women�s Invitational 800m run, Lilian Koech finished in eighth place with a time of 2:11.42. She was the fourth collegiate athlete to finish.
Yanique Bennett clocked a time of 59.92 in the 400m hurdles on her way to a 20th-place finish in a field of 73. Teammate Dreshanae Rolle followed with a time of 1:00.23 to a 24th-place finish.
Cosmas Boit garnered a silver medal in the 1,500m run with a time of 3:49.90 and Daniel Cheruiyot clocked a 9:18.57 to finish in fifth place in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Winny Koech, Gladys Jerotich, Linda Cheruiyot and Antony Kosgei closed out the night in the 5,000m run. Koech (16:22.26) led the way to a gold-place finish with the fifth-fastest time in the nation, Cheruiyot (16:44.76) finished fourth and Jerotich (17:34.28) finished 17th overall. In the men�s race, Kosgei paced to a bronze showing with a time of 14:16.60.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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EL PASO � UTEP Athletic Department officials announced on Wednesday that football series with old Western Athletic Conference (WAC) rivals Nevada and New Mexico have been renewed for future seasons.
�We�re excited to renew rivalries with old WAC foes New Mexico and Nevada,� said head coach Sean Kugler. �Both are teams that El Paso fans are very familiar with and will be excited to see.�
The Miners will play host to the Wolf Pack on Sept. 21, 2019, and travel to Reno, Nevada on Sept. 12, 2020.� UTEP is scheduled to meet the Lobos on Sept. 25, 2021 in the Sun Bowl while paying a visit to Albuquerque, N.M. on Sept. 17, 2022.
UTEP squared off with Nevada on three occasions (2000-02) previously. �The Wolf Pack has a 2-1 series edge, with the Miners emerging triumphant in Reno (45-22) during their WAC championship 2000 season.
The last time the Miners faced the Lobos was in the 2014 season opener at Albuquerque. UTEP defeated New Mexico 31-24 on its way to an appearance in the New Mexico Bowl.
The UTEP-New Mexico series is the second-longest in school history (78 games) next to NM State (94 contests). New Mexico leads the series, 43-32-3. The Miners and the Lobos were joint members of the WAC from 1968-98.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP softball team, after its eight-game home stand, will take the road again as San Antonio is the next destination point for five games.
UTEP will take on Conference USA West Division foe UTSA on April 1-2 and will follow with a two-game set at Incarnate Word on April 3.
The Miners (8-23, 3-6 C-USA) and the Roadrunners (12-21, 2-7 C-USA) will start their two-game set on Saturday, starting at noon MT/1 p.m. CT, while the series finale is at noon MT on Sunday. The Miners will then play their final nonconference contests, facing the Cardinals (5-26) in a doubleheader starting at noon MT.
UTEP is coming off its first home stand of 2017. The Miners tallied a pair of victories against Middle Tennessee, a 7-6 win on March 18 and a 10-7 triumph on March 19. The Orange and Blue registered a run-rule win over Southern Miss, 12-2 (5), on March 25.
Following the San Antonio road trip, the Miners will return to Helen of Troy to host WKU April 8-9 and will hit the road again at LA Tech on Easter Weekend prior to the bye week (April 22-23).
UTEP is coming off a pair of losses to rival NM State. The Miners fell in game one, 8-4, but did gather up 14 hits in the contest. It was tied for second most hits against the Aggies during their rivalry. UTEP then fell in game two, 13-4 (5).
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. UTSA
UTEP is 7-12 all-times versus UTSA dating back to Feb. 11, 2005, but has won the last two of three contests. Last season, the Miners won the first two contest on April 2, 5-3 and 9-2. Lindsey Sokoloski was the game one hero when the Miners were down. With the score 3-1 in favor of the Roadrunners, Sokoloski came up with a pinch-hit inside-the-park grand slam in the sixth that propelled the Miners to a 5-3 victory. Kaitlin Fifield picked up the win, throwing a complete game with three strikeouts.
In game two, UTEP won the series on a 9-2 victory.Hope Moreno finished 2-for-5 with a career-high five RBI. Moreno surged the Miners to victory when she connected on a three-run home run during a five-run sixth frame. UTSA rebounded to win game three, 10-5. Kiki Pepi went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI in the loss. Prior to the two victories last season, the Miners had lost five in a row and eight of nine contests dating back to Feb. 12, 2010. UTEP defeated UTSA, 7-6, during Tobin Echo-Hawk’s first season (2014).
SCOUTING UTSA
The Roadrunners are coming off a 9-1 (5) loss against Texas on March 29 and have fallen to 12-21 overall on the season. UTSA also came off a sweep at North Texas and is now 2-7 in Conference USA action. The Roadrunners’ two C-USA victories came against UAB on March 17 (6-3, 8-0 [6]). UTSA is hitting .304 to rank third in C-USA.
Rylee Rodriguez (.336 avg.) has provided power, leading UTSA with eight home runs (tied fourth in C-USA) and 33 RBI (tied third in C-USA). Lindsey Stewart leads the team with a .395 batting average (45-114) and ranks tied third in C-USA with 45 hits. Lizzy Fox (9-11) leads the pitching staff in wins, ERA (4.26) and innings (97.0). Nicole Merrill leads the team in strikeouts (44) and walked batters (45) in 84.0 innings. As a team, UTSA ranks second to last in ERA (4.74).
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. INCARNATE WORD
UTEP is 5-1 all-time against Incarnate Word dating back to Feb. 14, 2014 – Tobin Echo-Hawk’s first season. The Miners and Cardinals opened the 2016 campaign with Incarnate Word coming out on top, 4-1, on Feb. 11.
The Miners answered with a game two, 13-3 (5), run-rule victory. Kiki Pepi established her career high with five RBI on a 2-for-4 outing, while Courtney Clayton went 4-for-4 and tying her career best with four RBI. Two days laterin Las Cruces, the Miners clipped the Cardinals again, 5-3, behind a RBI each from Clayton, Danielle Pearsonand Taylor Sargent.
SCOUTING INCARNATE WORD
The Cardinals are currently standing at a 5-26 overall record. One of these wins was over UTSA who the Miners will face in conference play this upcoming weekend. The Cardinals edged their way past the Roadrunners 5-4 in nine innings. Incarnate Word is hitting .228 as a team with senior Danielle Ramirez leading the squad, hitting .400 on 32 hits and three triples.
The Cardinals pitching staff has totaled an ERA of 6.19. Freshman Joanna Valencia has the lowest ERA at 4.87 with two wins and 20 strikeouts.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic
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Both UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull and Women�s Basketball Coach Keitha Adams released statements Wednesday night regarding Adams leaving UTEP for Wichita�State University.
UTEP Director of Athletics Bob Stull:
�Keitha was one of my first hires and has been with us for 16 years. She has done an absolutely unbelievable job. We hate to see her leave, but understand the desire to go home. We can�t thank her enough for everything she has done for UTEP Athletics and the women�s basketball program. She has enjoyed unprecedented success and has graduated all of her players. You won�t find a more quality person anywhere. The Wichita community will fall in love with her, just like El Paso has. She is a great coach and a great friend and we wish her the best.�
***
Keitha Adams:
�First off I want to thank Dr. Natalicio and Bob Stull for the opportunity and support in my tenure at UTEP. I want to thank my coaches for your efforts and hard work in our journey together. To all of the support staff and numerous individuals who helped our program succeed, thank you!! To all of the UTEP players, I�m so grateful and thankful to have you in my life. To the Miner fans, I will always cherish our memories and moments in the Don Haskins Center. I will always hold dear your support to me and our players. UTEP took me away from my home in Kansas. El Paso became my new home for 16 years. It is only for a unique and special opportunity that I would ever leave UTEP. Wichita State University is 36 miles from my hometown. It�s a special opportunity for me to share my passion for this game with my family and friends. I will always cheer for the Miners, I will always love El Paso. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God Bless and Go Miners!!�
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP softball team registered 21 hits in it two contests against NM State, but the Aggies (12-16) took both games, 8-4 and 13-4 (5), on a chilly and windy Tuesday night at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Miners (8-23, 3-6 Conference USA) will continue league action at UTSA on April 1-2, followed by a pair of contests at Incarnate Word on April 3.
UTEP 4, NM State 8
The Aggies took an early 5-1 advantage, but the Miners cut the deficit to one run after a three-run sixth. With one out, Mallorie Cross doubled up the middle and Bryanna Molina recorded her first collegiate hit, a single to right. Miranda Gutierrez was inserted as a pinch runner for Molina. Kaitlin Ryder, whose bat has been on fire, came up with a two-run double, while Blair crossed the dish later in the frame on an error by the catcher. But with two runners on and two outs, UTEP couldn�t sustain anymore offense.
NM State scored three runs in the top seventh to pull away for the victory.
The Miners racked up 14 hits in the contest, led by Ryder�s 3-for-4 outing (tied career high in hits). Lindsey Sokoloski went 2-for-4, while Blair finished 2-for-3. Cross registered a pair of hits on a 2-for-4 performance, while throwing two more base stealers out.
UTEP 4, NM State 13 [5] The Miners took a 1-0 lead on the first when Pamala Baber was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. But the Aggies answered in the next frame with nine runs led by a NIkki Butler two-run home run.
Ryder tallied an RBI in the second to make the score 9-2, but Victoria Castro connected on a solo home run in the third, and Butler hit her second dinger of the contest, a two-run shot in the fourth.
The Miners scored a pair of runs in the fifth as Cortney Smith and Courtney Clayton each tallied a RBI.
Blair registered two more hits, while Molina recorded her second collegiate hit.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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MAUMELLE, ARK. � The UTEP women�s golf team tied for third place at the Little Rock/ASU Invitational on Tuesday in Maumelle, Ark.
The Miners shot rounds of 304, 306 and 307 for a total of�917.��Central Arkansas was champion of the�13-team tournament (295-295-307-897), and�Arkansas-Little Rock was second (306-304-302-912).
Capturing individual medalist honors was�Central Arkansas� Ye Ji Lim, who�carded a�five-over-par 221 (72-72-77).
UTEP placed�two individuals in the top-10, with�Alisa Rodriguez tying for fourth place (74-75-74-223) and Lily Downs tying for 10th place (76-76-75-227).
The Miners��June Ting tied for 20th place (76-76-79-231),�Crystal Wu tied for 38th place (78-81-79-238) and�Abbie Anghelescu tied for 49th place (83-79-82-244).
UTEP will next compete at the�Wyoming Cowgirl Classic April 6-7 in�Maricopa, Ariz.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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Irving, Texas � UTEP sophomore Tobi Amusan was named the Conference USA Track Co-Athlete of the Week as announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
In her first outdoor race of the season, the sprinter ran the nation�s fastest time this year in the 100m hurdles (12.63).
Before the race could start there was a 30-minute delay due to a camera malfunction, but that didn�t freeze Amusan from running the ninth-fastest time in NCAA (outdoor) history.
The sprinter set the school record and looks to carry that momentum with her to Austin, Texas, where she will compete against some of the best around the nation at the Texas Relays. Amusan will compete in the 4x100m relay and the 100m hurdles on Friday.
This year�s meet will be available online at espn3.com and via the WatchESPN app for smartphones and tables.
For live updates, follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
