by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
UTEP�s Winny Koech set the pace during the 25-lap race, crossing the finish line to garner the Miners� first gold medal (10,000m) at the Conference USA Championships on Friday evening.
Koech ran a time of 35:44.15 to gather 10 precious team points. Teammate Gladys Jerotich finished in fifth place with a time of 37:57.56 to grab five points.
On the men�s side, Antony Kosgei took silver with a time of 31:05.55, raking in eight points. Evans Kiprono clocked 31:36.33 to place fifth, adding another four points.
Lucia Mokrasova garnered silver in a valiant effort on day two of the C-USA Championship in the women�s heptathlon. The junior still earned the Miners eight crucial points.
Mokrasova finished with a final tally of 5,525 points. The heptathlete battled against Elizabeth Dadzie (Middle Tennessee) for the conference title for the second consecutive year. Mokrasova collected a mark of 5.52m (18-01.5) in the long jump, a heave of 39.79m (130-06) and an 800m time of 2:30.86 to close out the event.
The Miners had two third-place showings in the men�s and women�s hammer throw with a couple of personal-bests.� Senior Fayon Gonzales tossed 56.82m (186-05) in her last competition as a Miner. In his first conference championship, Karol Koncos rocked 64.29m (210-11), both garnering six team points.
The men�s team sits in second place with 18 points, while the women�s team hangs on to first place with 28 points through three events.
Saturday�s action will showcase plenty of action as the Miners will have Tobi Amusan, ranked No. 2 in the in the country in the 100m hurdles, Michael Saruni, No. 3 in the nation in the 400m and Emmanuel Korir, ranked first in the country in the 800m.
The action kicks off at 1:00 p.m. MT. For Live updates and breaking news be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
UTEP’s Lucia Mokrasova finished day one of the heptathlon in first place with 3,474 points at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships on Thursday night.
Mokrasova, the school record holder, ran the second-fastest time of any athlete in the competition in the 100m hurdles to kick off the first day of the conference meet. The junior clocked in a personal best of 13.78.
She followed that by clearing 1.64m in the high jump for 783 points. The junior concluded the field events launching a first-place finish in the shot put with a mark 13.53m. The Slovakia native, closed out the night with a second-place finish in the 200m with a time of 24.66 for 918 points.
Mokrasova holds a 37 point lead over Elizabeth Dadzie of Middle Tennessee, who won this event last year, after day one of the heptathlon. She will continue competing in the heptathlon tomorrow starting at 4:30 p.m. MT.
Also competing tomorrow will be Fayon Gonzales, Abedola Akomolafe and Cierra Chenault in the women’s hammer throw in the first event of the day at 10:00 a.m. Kevin Rincon and Karol Koncos will compete in the men’s hammer throw starting at 12:30 p.m.
Winny Koech and Gladys Jerotich will run the 10,000m final at 8:00 p.m. On the men’s side, Evans Kiprono and Antony Kosgei will compete in the 10,000m final set to start at 8:45 p.m.
For live updates and breaking news be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP football team has recorded the second-best Academic Progress Rate (APR) among all FBS programs in the state of Texas, according to the latest figures released by the NCAA on Wednesday.
“We take great pride in the fact that every single player in our program is on point to get their degree and be successful in life,” UTEP coach Sean Kugler said.
The Miners’ APR for the four-year period ending in 2015-16 is 980.
Rice tops the field with an APR of 984, followed by UTEP, North Texas (979), Texas (978), Baylor (973), UTSA (965), Texas A&M (962), TCU (955), SMU (951), Texas Tech (947), Houston (942) and Texas State (940).
The APR measures eligibility and progress toward graduation for student-athletes. The average football four-year APR released on Wednesday is 962.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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The UTEP track and field team will compete over the next four days as it hosts the Conference USA Championships. The Miners, along with the other 12 league members will take Kidd Field May 11-14.
The UTEP women�s team will be looking for its first outdoor conference title in program history. The women�s team has won three consecutive indoor championships. The men�s team will be seeking is first outdoor conference championship since they took home the hardware in 2013.
Tickets can be purchased online. 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.
The Fastest Kid in El Paso race will be taking place on Sunday, May 14. Kids ages 5-13 are invited to participate in the 100m dash at 3 p.m. at Kidd Field. To sigh-up for the race please, contact UTEP Marketing at (915) 747-6065.
For information about parking, tickets and live results please visit, C-USA Championship Central. �For live updates and breaking news follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram.
Events to Watch:
Thursday, May 11
Heptathlon (begins at 2:45 p.m.)
Junior Lucia Mokrasova will lead things off in the heptathlon. Mokrasova is a two-time defending indoor conference champion in the event.
Earlier this year she set the school record at the Texas Relays scoring 5,671 points and heads into the championship ranked tied for eighth nationally.
Friday, May 12th
Women�s Hammer Throw (Begins at 10:00 a.m.)
Fayon Gonzales and Abedola Akomolafe will be competing in the women�s hammer throw, set to start at 10:00 a.m.Gonzales ranks 11th in the league with a toss of 52.58m set at the UTEP Invitational. Akomolafe will compete in the hammer throw for the fourth time this season.
Women�s 10,000m Final (8:00 p.m.)
Winny Koech and Gladys Jerotich head into Friday�s final ranked second and fourth in the conference, respectively. Koech set a time of 33:51.31 at the Mt. SAC Relays finishing in third place.
Men�s Hammer Throw (12:30 p.m.)
Newcomer Karol Koncos and Senior Kevin Rincon will lead the miners in the hammer throw. In his first year competing in the orange and blue, Koncos ranks third in the league with a mark of 63.43m set at the UTEP Invitational. Rincon will compete for the last time for the Miners.
Men�s 10,000m Final (8:45 p.m.)
Antony Kosgei and Evans Kiprono will close out the day with the 10,000m final starting at 8:45 p.m. Kosgei ranks fourth in C-USA with a time of 30:25.77 set at the Mt. SAC Relays.
Saturday, May 13th
Women�s Discus Final (1:00 p.m.)
Senior Samantha Hall heads into the competition favored in the event. The thrower holds the school record with a toss of 58.50m set at the NCAA Regional meet last year. Hall ranks first in C-USA and 17th in the nation. Hall returns to the track on Sunday for the shot put competition where she ranks eighth with a toss of 14.30m registered at the UTEP Invitational.
Women�s Long Jump Final (3:30 p.m.)
Senior Isreal Ramsay (5.89m) and Sophomore Tobi Amusan (5.83m) hold the seventh and ninth best marks in conference this year.� This is the first of four events for Amusan.
Men�s Long Jump Final (3:30 p.m.)
Brandon Moss heads into Saturday�s competition with the eighth best mark in the league with a leap of 7.32m set at Brutus Hamilton Challenge.
Women�s 1,500m Prelims (5:00 p.m.)
Sophomore Lilian Koech and freshman Linda Cheruiyot (4:23.60) hold the third and fourth-fastest times in C-USA this year, respectively. Koech clocked in a time of 4:22.12 at the Texas Relays. Cheruiyot posted a time of 4:29.91 at the UTEP Invitational.
Koech will also compete in the 800m prelim at 7:20 p.m. The sophomore ranks third in conference and 20th in the nation with a time of 2:04.68.
Men�s 1,500m Prelims (5:15 p.m.)
Jonah Koech, Cosmas Boit and Michael Saruni will compete in Saturday�s race. The Miners rank third, fifth and seventh in the league respectively. Koech posted a time of 3:44.96 at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge.
Saruni and Koech will also run in the 800m prelim set for a 7:30 p.m. Saruni ranks fifth in the nation and second in the league with a time of 1:45.82.
Women�s 100m Hurdles (5:35 p.m.)
Sophomore sensation Tobi Amusan comes into the championships ranked second in the nation and first in C-USA. The hurdler registered a personal-best 12.63, setting the school record at the UTEP Springtime.
The sophomore will also run the 200m prelim, starting at 8:25 p.m., where she ranks eighth in the nation and first in the league with a time of 22.60 set at the UTEP Invitational.
Women�s 400m Prelim (6:10 p.m.)
Senior duo Ada Benjamin and Florence Uwakwe rank first and second C-USA. Benjamin posted a time of 53.27 at the UTEP Springtime. Uwakwe clocked in a 53.33 at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge setting a season best.
Men�s 400m Prelim (6:25 p.m.)
Freshman standout Emmanuel Korir has caught the nations earning The Bowerman Watch List recognition. Korir set a personal best of 44.67 in the 400m at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge. The mid-distnce runner set the school record in the event and sits at the No. 3 nationally. This will be the second time the freshman competes in the 400m.
Women�s 400m Hurdles Prelim (7:50 p.m.)
Senior Yanique Bennett and Sophomore Dreshanae Rolle rank first and fourth in the conference, respectively. Bennett set a season-best 58.57 at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge. Rolle set a personal-best 1:00.19 at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge.
Men�s 3,000m Steeplechase (9:20 p.m.)
Daniel Cheruiyot clocked 9:31.31 at the Mt. SAC Relays and holds the fourth best time coming into the conference championships.
Sunday, May 14
Men�s Tripe Jump Final (3:00 p.m.)
Donivan Ortega will be jumping at his first outdoor championships and holds the seventh-best jump in the conference with a mark of 14.83m set at the UTEP Springtime.
*Running event times are tentative
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | 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 DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | 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 DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | 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.
