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Bruno Rosa/Marcia Frost/Examiner
If you're a Rice Owl fan, you're lovin' life right now. The last three to four weeks have been packed with exctiement and success of Rice Sports programs. From Men's and Women's tennis to Rice Owls baseball to just this past weekend, Men's and Women's track and field---all have achieved success!
It might be time for reflection. So, let's review the headlines made in the last month or so. Take a quick look at the storylines below and click if you'd like to reflect further.
We begin with tennis. The Rice Owls faced LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tennis Tournament. How would they finish?
The 34th-ranked Rice Owls saw their season come to a close with a 4-0 loss to 27th-ranked LSU in the first round of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships in Baton Rouge. Rice ends the season at 17-11.
However, Bruno Rosa,earned a spot on the 2009 Intercollegiate Tennis Association, All-America Team. This is the second consecutive season that Rosa has earned All-America Status He is the first since Mike Estep achieved All-America status 3 consecutive years from 1969-71.
On the Women's side, Julie Chao, Rebekka Hänle and Ana Guzman were named to the 2009 All-Conference USA women's tennis teams. The teams were selected by the conference's 12 head coaches
Track and Field begin to take center stage along with baseball. We'll begin with Track and Field and review those headlines FIRST.
Former Rice University star track and field athlete, Funmi Jimoh, leaped to an all-time personal best mark of 6.96m/22-10 in the long jump event at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix 2009 in Doha, Qatar back in May, 2009. Jimoh's mark placed second in the meet to Brittney Reese's 6.99m/22-11.25 and it is also the No. 2 long jump mark in the world for 2009.
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Waite/Rice Sports Information
Current track and field performers Lennie Waite and Becky Wade earned All-America status with their gutsy perfomances this past weekend at the Women's NCAA Track & Field Championships on the campus of the University of Arkansas. The senior and now two-time All-American, Waite, would finish 5th in the finals of the 3000 meter steeplechase
Becky Wade, sophomore, crossed the finish line of the 10,000m run to take 11th place for a time of 34:38.9 at the same event. By finishing 11th, she secured the final spot to claim "All-American" status . Danette Doetzel of Providence finished first in a time of 33.:25.71.
Nicole Mericle (3000m steeplechase), Allison Pye (5000m), Callie Wells (5000m) were also selected to compete at the NCAA Championships. Mericle is a junior and should be returning. Pye is a sophomore, while Wells is a senior.
Rice women's track and field head coach, Jim Bevan, was named South Central Region Coach of the Year. This is his first region coach of the year award. Bevan previously was honored as the 2007 South Central Region Coach of the Year for Cross Country.
During the month of May, 2009, the Rice Women would capture their 3rd straight C-USA Outdoor Championship with131 points. Central Florida would finish second 20 points behind.
Colwick/Conference USA
The men's side saw junior Jason Colwick perform brilliantly at the Men's 2009 NCAA Track and Field Championship on the University of Arkansas campus. Colwick would dominate and claim victory in the Pole Vault event clearing the bar with an amazing 5.70m/18-8.25 to win the gold. He had previously won the 2009 NCAA Indoor championship with a clearance of (5.60m/18-4.5).
Rice junior decathlete, Philip Adam, placed 14th in the decathlon competition of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship, June, 2009. Ashton Eaton of Oregon would win the event with 8,241 points.
Adam, totaled 7,358 points for the two-day event passing his previous best mark of 7,331 points garnered at the Conference USA Outdoor Championship. Also, on Thursday, he posted a season-best time (4:34.85) in the 1500 and a season-best mark in the javelin (46.40m/152-3).
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Holt/Rice Sports/Info
Baseball! Wayne Graham's bunch would find their backs against wall during the NCAA Houston Regional held at Reckling Field the final weekend in May, 2009. They would lose to Kansas State on Saturday, only to win two on Sunday against Xavier and the Kansas State team that beat them on Saturday. They would face that same Kansas State Wildcat team on Monday for the right to advance to the Super-Regionals against LSU in Baton Rouge. The Owls would win and advance to play the number one team in the country, LSU. The Owls would lose both games to Tigers in Baton Rouge, 12-9 and 5-3 respectively---but not without a fight in both games. But, not only would they lose the game, they would also lose All-American Anthony Rendon,
However, the efforts of Rice Owls baseball team were not ignored as Rendon would be named 2nd team All-America by Baseball America, the Magazine and as five of their players would be drafted by Major League clubs during the 2009 MLB Draft. Brock Holt would be the first to go and was plucked by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ryan Berry was taken by the Baltimore Orioles. Diego Seastrunk---by the San Francisco Giants---Mike Ojala and Steven Sultzbaugh, by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Finally Volleyball! Rice star Ashleigh McCord, (Wylie, Texas), has been selected to the 12-player 2009 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team. See photo. This team will compete at the FIVB World Championship at Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, July 16-25. Prior to leaving for Mexico on July 14, the team will train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center at Chula Vista, Calif.
What now---football? Not quite!!! We will preview and project as we continue coverage of Rice Sports in the Examiner. Continue following us here for the latest. Also, follow me on twitter and at www.nateatwork.blogspot.com and post your comments. While you can't post here and get a replay, I can reply at the sites listed. Stay current!
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