LSC Men’s Cross Country Preview for 2009

We would like to take a moment to welcome our new Special Contributor Don Garrett, who will be covering all of the Lone Star Conference Track for the LSC Scoop.

Don is one of the busiest track and field P.A. announcers in the southwest, working 14-16 meets each track season. Garrett was the announcer at the Lone Star Conference meet 3 of the past 6 seasons and also was a co-announcer at the NCAA D-II national indoor championships in Houston last March. Other meets in 2009 included being a co-announcer at the Texas Relays, JC national indoor championships, the Big 12 Conference outdoor championships and the Sun Belt Conference indoor and outdoor conference meets.

Garrett's first track and field love is the Lone Star Conference, since he started announcing meets for LSC schools. He views the LSC as one of the top 2 or 3 D-II conferences in the U.S. That will only get better, with WTAMU adding track in 2009 and Incarnate Word joining the LSC in 2010.

Welcome to the Scoop, Don!

Special Contributor: Don Garrett

Recently, the LSC released their preseason rankings in Cross Country and like most preseason rankings in most sports, the rankings are guesswork, based mostly on the standings from the previous year. They are seldom based on the actual rosters for the teams, since most of those rosters were completed after the rankings were published.

I have looked at the 2009 rosters of virtually all of the LSC schools, either on-line or as received from the coaches and this is a preview based on those rosters. Frankly, I don’t differ much from the preseason rankings from the LSC (at least on the men’s side), but I think there is a valid basis for each ranking.

ACU – 1st in 2008; LSC preseason pick – 1st; my pick – 1st.

Not exactly a stunning pick, ACU has won the last 18 men’s XC championships. ACU lost three kids who were in the top 6 at the conference meet: Julius Nyango (3rd), Serge Gasore (5th) and super-freshman Charles White (6th – not sure to where he has transferred).

However, ACU returns the top 2 returning runners from the conference meet – Daniel Maina (1st) and Cleophas Tanui (2nd). Also returning is Amos Sang, who was 3rd at the 2007 conference meet and may be the best of the three, plus Jake Schofield, who ran #6 for ACU in 2008 and finished 36th at conference.

ACU is adding some firepower, including internationals Romain Rybicki (France) and Craig Peters (a Welsh kid from the U.K.); Colby Delbene, a 9:03 2-miler from Pawling, NY; and Spencer Lynn, from White Oak, who was 2nd in both the 3A 1600 and 3200 on the track in 2009. I don’t see anyone upsetting the Wildcats.

Tarleton State – 2nd in 2008; LSC preseason pick – 2nd; my pick – 2nd.

Tarleton has 6 of their top 8 runners back, including Jared McNeil, who finished 9th at the conference XC meet in 200, but who really emerged in the spring and was the Track Performer of the Year at the conference track meet. Also, returning are Westyn Rosiles (15th), Ryan Quesada (16th), Jonathan Kern (22nd), Gerzain Valenzuela (24) and Kendall Styles (38th). A very solid core of returning runners that includes some, like Valenzuela, who could see a big improvement in 2009.

However, the Texans also lost 2 excellent runners from 2008, Kolin Styles (17th) and Rey Hinajosa (20th). The only new addition is Steve Cantwell, who was a good runner for McMurry last year, finishing 11th in the American Southwest XC meet. However, the ASC is D-III (non-scholarship) and it will be a big jump for him to D-II competition.

It looks to me like Tarleton might be a little stronger, but they are one really stud runner away from challenging ACU. They should still hang onto 2nd.

TAMU-Commerce – 3rd in 2008, LSC preseason pick – 3rd; my pick – 3rd (barely)

The Lions made a huge leap in 2008, moving into the top 3 and vying for 2nd place. Their top 3 runners – Tyler Tindell (4th), Cody Hughes (7th) and Robert Reed (8th) all finished in the top 10. Gerardo Delafuente (19th) ran #4 and was in the top 20 – then, there was a long dropoff to that all important 5th spot (Brandon Womack in 43rd place).

Commerce returns 6 of their top 7 runners for 2009, but the one they lost was Cody Hughes, one of their Three Musketeers in the top 10. Hughes, who has eligibility left, is a huge loss.

Commerce has recruited three high school kids with some promise, with Nathan White, from Wills Points (4th in the 3A 3200 at the state track meet last spring) and Laurencio Tamayo, from tiny Lingleville (8th A 3200 at the state track meet) the most interesting. However, these young recruits will not be able to make up for the loss of Hughes in 2009 and the Lions may have a hard time hanging onto that 3rd spot.

East Central – 4th in 2008, LSC preseason pick – 4th; my pick – 4th

The Tigers return 4 of their top 7 runners – Jimmy Sutrick (11th), Daniel Kiptoo (13th), Stefan Terrell (29th), and Tyler Jackson (46th). However, they lose their top runner from 2008, the other Sutrick brother, John (10th), plus their #4 kid Jacob Bussell (27th).

In order to finish as high as 4th again, ECU needs to find one more strong runner that can even break into the top 10, like John Sutrick did in 2008 and I think they may have found that guy. Armando Saldivar was a terrific HS cross country runner at Fort Worth Northside, winning the 4A state championship in 2005, back in that 5 year span when Northside ruled the world of Texas 4A XC. Armando went to UTA and consistently underwhelmed – never coming close to the promise he showed in high school. A new school might be just the thing that Armando needs.

ECU also brought in some strong Oklahoma high school runners – Austin Christian, from Kelleyville (the OK 3A 1600 champ on the track) and Chase McDaniel, from Caddo (the OK 2A runnerup in both the 1600 and 3200). Both of these kids could also help ECU in their first year on campus.

Angelo State – 5th in 2008; LSC preseason pick – 5th; my pick – 5th

Angelo returns 6 of their top 7 kids from 2008, including their top three – Shannon Cunningham (14th), Brian Carroll (16th), and Nate Gonzales (23rd), all of whom are highly competitive at the conference level. However, there is a huge dropoff to the #4 returner, Robert Hummingbird (46th).
The Rams have signed three solid kids from the Texas HS ranks, the most intriguing being Colten Dieterich, from Riesel (7th in the 2A 1600 in 2008 and 7th in the A 3200 in 2009 after Riesel dropped down a classification, as well as running 4th in the A XC meet last fall) and Hogan Campbell from Tom Moore HS in Ingram (5th in the Region I-3A 1600 and 3200 on the track). If any of their HS kids come through, Angelo could move higher in the standings.

Cameron – 6th in 2008; LSC preseason pick – 6th; my pick – 6th

Cameron is truly the wild-card in the standings for 2009. As usual, the Aggies have a talented international athlete as their top returner – Mohamed Khelalfa (12th in 2008), but they lost their #2 runner – Edwin Cheleshaw (21st) who had eligibility left. Cameron should get a boost by Casey Kreger (30th in 2007) returning after a redshirt year.

The Aggies are a wild card because they will have at least 8 new runners in 2009, highlighted by David Barmasai, the Kenyan who won the 2008 JC steeplechase on the track and who originally signed with WTAMU. Not sure what happened at WT, but Barmasai did not compete for them in 2008-9 and he is now at Cameron. He is capable of a top 10, even a top 5 conference finish.

Other interesting newcomers are Julius Korir Kiptoo, a transfer from NAIA Lindenwood in Missouri, who ran at the NAIA national XC meet in 2008; Ramiro Garica, another of the talented XC runners from Fort Worth Northside (8th in the Region I-4A XC meet last fall); plus 5 other high school recruits. If 2-3 of these kids come through, then Cameron moves up to somewhere around 3rd to 5th place. If they don’t, then 6th may too high.

West Texas A&M – 8th in 2008, LSC preseason pick – 7th; my pick – 7th

WT does not return its #1 runner from 2008, Jose Valesquez (28th), but it does have three kids returning who ran last year, including rising sophomores Thomas Harris (36th) and Andrew Striley (41st).

More important, the Buffaloes went out and got 7 new kids for the team, including 2 JC kids (Rolando Vasquez from Cowley County and Andrew Sanders from Iowa Western) and a Kenyan (Albert Kimutai Maina) for instant impact. Of the 4 incoming freshman, the ones who might have the most immediate impact include Robbie Ness, from Canyon (28th in the 4A XC last fall), Adam Lane, from Amarillo (1st in the District 2-5A 800 on the track) and Michael Janousek, from The Woodlands College park (9th in the uber-tough Region II-5A 3200 on the track.)

WT has gotten serious about its track and field program very quickly and that should pay off in cross country as well within a year or two.

Eastern New Mexico – 7th 2008, LSC preseason pick – 8th; my pick – 8th

One thing that the bottom three in the standings have in common - they will all be much, much more competitive than in the past. Coach Boll has recruited kids from three states to try and make the Greyhounds more competitive and the base is there for a much improved team.

ENMU returns its best runner from 2008, Logan Robertson (30th), plus 2 other runners, Derek Henio (#40) and Gilbert Manzanares (42nd). The improvement in the future will come from the 8 high school kids who are coming to Portales in 2009, including: Dustin Francke, from Hobbs (2nd in the NM 5A 800), Antwone Cobbin, from Lancaster, who was 8th in the Region II-4A 800 on the track), Mario Portillo, from Tucson’s Catalina HS (7th AZ 4A state XC meet) and Pedro Martinez, from Keller Fossil Ridge (27th in the 5A XC meet last fall). A very solid recruiting class.

TAMU-Kingsville – 9th in 2008; LSC preseason pick – 9th; my pick – 9th.

New track and field/XC Coach Dall found the cupboard bare when he moved from Duke University to Kingsville in 2008. The Javelinas return the one kid who did not run dreadfully at the conference meet – Kiya Dandena (33rd). The bottom 4 kids of the whole field were all Hoggies in 2008 – a painful exhibition for a once-proud XC program.

Coach Dall should also get an “A” for effort, as he has recruited an incredible 37 kids to the track program for 2009-2010 and 8 of them are male distance runners. None of them look like they are world-beaters, but there is some potential in the ranks and a lot of kids who have some solid HS experience, like Brett Arredondo from Kingsville (8th in the Region IV-4A 1600 on the track), David Johnson, from Rockport Fulton (53rd in the Region IV-4A XC meet) or Amanuel Belay, from Houston Bellaire (79th in the Region III-5A XC meet). This year will represent baby steps for Coach Dall as he tries to revitalize the program.

BONUS: Incarnate Word – 2008 1st in the Heartland Conference and picked #1 in the Heartland again in 2009.

UIW joins the LSC in 2010-2011 school year and the Cardinals should be instantly competitive. They won the Heartland in 2008, although the Heartland is not nearly as competitive as the LSC on the men’s side.

The Cardinals lost their top 3 kids from 2008, runners who placed 3rd, 4th and 6th at conference. However, they return Adrian Carrillo (7th), Jaro Rodriguez (9th), and Shayn Weidner (10th). Only Weidner is a senior this season and won’t be available when they transition to the LSC in 2010.

The Cardinals recruited a lot of bodies – 7 high schoolers and a Kenyan (Solomon Rotich). The most intriguing high schooler is Howard Gill, a home school kid who runs for the highly competitive home school team, San Antonio FEAST. Gill was named to the San Antonio newspaper All-Area team and has run a 4:20 1600. The Cardinals should be a middle of the pack team in 2010 in their first year, possibly able to break into the top 4.

RECAP

Well, I did not stray a single time from the LSC Preseason poll, as much as I wanted to do so. ACU still looks like the class of this conference. However, with a key recruit or 2, both Tarleton and TAMU-Commerce could have moved up to contend with the Wildcats this year. The bottom three teams in the conference should improve exponentially over the next year or two. While 2009 may go fairly close to form, I see the 2010 season being much more unpredictable.

Former SWOSU Head Coach Ryan Held joins CollegeCoaches.net

College Coaches Network announced the selection of Ryan Held for the position of senior manager, football effective immediately. Prior to joining College Coaches Network, Mr. Held was the head football coach at SW Oklahoma State University.

Matt Brandmeyer, general manager for College Coaches Network., said that Held brings a tremendous wealth of experience and understanding about football recruiting. He [Ryan Held] also brings a tradition of winning and a lifetime of competition from the field to our business in this management position in a very competitive marketplace. "Ryan will be invaluable asset to our growth plans. He’s experienced recruiting from every perspective imaginable and his passion for football and helping high school athletes realize their dreams are undeniable."

Held is graduate of the University of Nebraska and received his M.S., Sports Management degree from the University of Tennessee . His coaching experience includes serving as the head football coach at SW Oklahoma State University (Weatherford, OK), head football coach at Panhandle University (Goodwell, TX), and interim head football coach at Peru State College (Peru, NE). Mr. Held has also held coaching positions at the University of Tennessee ( Knoxville , TN ) and the University of Nebraska ( Lincoln , NE ). His coaching and playing career has yielded four national championship football titles and five conference championships.

Texas A&M-Kingsville - 2009 Recruiting Class

Need Help:
Running Back - lost leading rusher Billy Martin (2nd LSC South), who rushed for 730 yds and 5 TDs. Mryon Brew and Joe Williams return.

Need Depth:
Wide Receiver - lost leading receiver Jareko Taylor, Clavens Charles, Dante Higgins and Chase Nesbitt (a combined 101 receptions for 1,482 yards and 13 TDs). Ryan Lincoln, Damian Couthren and Darryl Malone do return. The trio combined for 106 receptions, 1,513 yards and 9 TDs.

Linebacker - lost three-year starter Mike Martinez and reserve Alex Lozano, but return Marcus Sanders, Arlen Childress and Hector Sobers.

Good Quality/Depth:
Quarterback - Starter Billy Garza and the top two backups (Daniel Ramirez and Logan Morris) all return. Nate Poppell also "had a really good spring" according to coach Atterberry. Garza and Morris are seniors, so some future prospects would be helpful.

Offensive Line - all five starters return, including Markeith Wesley (1st LSC South) and Jorge Guerra (HM LSC South) for their fourth year together as starters. Three of the starters will be seniors, so this is another area that needs prospects for the future.

Defensive Line - Starting defensive end Tyrell Herndon has moved on, but everyone else is back, including Jimmy Saddler-McQueen (Co-LSC South Defensive Lineman of the year) and Jimmy Lugo (HM LSC South). Jeff Edwards and Michael Talamantez should combine to replace Herndon, and Dondi Cooks and Jason Garcia will man the defensive tackle position opposite McQueen.

Defensive Backs: Jabir Perkins, the LSC South defensive back of the year, is gone, but 5 players who started at least 6 games (and all with 40+ tackles) are back. Three are seniors, so the team needs to look to the future.

The Javelinas made great strides last year, finishing one spot out of the NCAA playoffs, and they should be better this year, with 8 starters returning on both offense and defense. One spot that needed some attention was at running back. A healthy Joe Williams and returning Myron Brew will be joined by Connell Davis, a transfer from the University of Missouri, who flashed great potential this spring . Though there is no glaring hole at linebacker, Aaron Buckley (a 2008 Texas A&M signee) and Nathan Goldie "had good springs and will likely see a lot of playing time" this fall. Buckley redshirted at A&M last year, and has four years of eligibility remaining. Marc Kinney had a strong spring at safety, and should be ready to contribute. Ray Quintanilla, slowed by injuries this spring, is expected to be a big contributor in the fall on the offensive line.

With the team deep at most positions, TAMK may be in a position to redshirt most of their freshman class. Some players to watch for in the future: QB - Erik Nino and Dean Brantley; WR - Vernon Rogers and Robert Armstrong; OL Marcus Stager, Devin Shaw and Brady Brown; DL - Kier Wells; LB - Tronte Robinson; DB - Anthony Washington and Lavar Hart; K- Matt Stoll.

LSC Ranking - 3rd

Overall Grade - A
The Javelinas addressed their immediate needs with some talented transfers. The high school recruiting class is talented and has solid prospects at every position. There does not appear to be a need to rush them into playing before they are ready.

Conley blaims Budget, Administration Change and AD changes for dismissal

COMMERCE — After five years and a record of 24-27, Winnsboro native Scotty Conley was released as head football coach at Texas A&M-Commerce University.

Conley, 60, blamed the change on a shift in administration. “The president who hired me (Dr. Keith McFarland) retired over the summer,” Conley said. “The new president doesn’t know me. I coached there five years and I served under four different athletic directors. I did not fit in with the plans they had.”

Conley said he did rank his five years at the university as a positive experience, despite his release on Dec. 1.

“I got to work with some good people,” Conley said. “We had some quality young men I was fortunate enough to coach. I also worked with some very good and talented young coaches.”

Conley added “Texas A&M Commerce has a lot of potential. But I did not think I was on a level playing field with the other teams in the conference due to the budget. Our lower budget made a great difference in what we wanted to do. It was a battle.”

The coach said he was not ready to retire and wanted to stay in college coaching or take a job in school administration.

“I have been in contact with lots of friends, I made over the years,” Conley said. “I have been coaching in college since 1980, this is what I know best. I won’t rule out any option.”

Conley said he has enjoyed his association with coaching, dating back to an early job coaching in Sulphur Springs on the seventh grade level.

“I think this is the profession I know the best. I will listen to offers and see what comes up. I’ve had a lot of support from friends and that helps,” Conley said.

In a prepared statement Texas A&M University-Commerce athletic director Carlton Cooper announced effective Dec, 1 that he has relieved head football coach Scotty Conley of his duties.

"We are thankful for Scotty and his contributions to our football program, but as an organization we have decided to go in a new direction for our football program," said Cooper.

In 2008, Conley and the Lions opened up the season with a No. 18 nationally ranked and finished second in the Lone Star Conference North Division. A&M-Commerce posted a 5-5 record and a 3-2 mark in the LSC North. The Lions also made a return appearance in the inaugural Harvey Martin Classic at the Cotton Bowl, posting a 27-15 win over East Central. In 2007, A&M-Commerce shared a LSC North Division title after posting a 5-6 overall mark and 3-2 in the LSC North. The Lions also made an appearance on national television in its season opener against Pittsburg State.

“Winning constantly is something we expect to do at A&M-Commerce and it has been a challenge for our institution before the arrival of Coach Conley. I thank Coach Conley and his entire staff for their effort and attitude in attempting to improve our program. We have not met our expectations for football,” said Cooper.

A national search for a new football coach will begin immediately....


For the rest of the story, go to the Sulphur Springs News Telegram

A&M-Commerce Knocks off #14 Tarleton by 18

A 20-4 run midway through the second half led Texas A&M University-Commerce to an 85-67 victory over host No. 14 Tarleton State.

Junior Cardell Hunter scored 20 of his 22 in the second half and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds for his first double double as a Lion. Teammate DeUndrae Spraggins scored 12 of the first 20 points for A&M-Commerce, who finished the contest with 20 points in the win. The duo was in double figures for the fifth-straight game and joined by Rashad Brown, who recorded his second straight double double with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds and Dominique Taylor added 11.

With a 43-39 lead with 15:44 left after a Spraggins tip in, A&M-Commerce went on a decisive a 20-4 run en route to the win. During the run, 12 of the 20 points came in the point against a taller Tarleton State squad.

Tarleton State (4-1) senior forward Eric Williams hit six three pointers for a game-high 24 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds. In the loss, Tarleton State was held to 39% shooting from the field and outrebounded by the Lions by a...

Go to Lionathletics.com for the rest of the story.

Scooby Johnson Named to the 2008 Daktronics All-American Third Team

From Lionathletics.com

Johnson Becomes Only the 15th Player in School History to Earn All-American Honors

March 25, 2008

Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball senior Scooby Johnson on Tuesday was named to the 2008 Daktronics All-American Third Team.

Of the 15 players named to the Daktronics All-American teams, Johnson is the lone Lone Star Conference representative.

Named to the first team were Jonte Flowers and John Smith of Winona State, Steve Dagostino of St. Rose and Jonny Reibel of Rollins. On the second team were Jeremy Black of Tampa, Callistus Eziukwu of Grand Valley State, Chris Gilliam of Pitt-Johnstown, Anthony Hilliard of Elizabeth City State and Devin Peal of Humboldt State. Joining Johnson on the third team were Cory Abercrombie of Pittsburg State, Chris Commons of USC-Aiken, Jeff Fahnbulleh of Kentucky Wesleyan and Michael Sturns of Holy Family.

In his lone season, he led A&M-Commerce to the championship game of the Lone Star Conference Tournament, before dropping a 72-70 decision to NCAA Elite Eight participant Central Oklahoma. He was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 19.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in the three games. To reach the championship game, the Lions defeated the No. 1 team in the NCAA South Central Region and LSC South Division champion, West Texas A&M and defeated the No. 9 team in the NCAA South Central Region, Abilene Christian. Prior to the tournament, Johnson was named to the first team all-Lone Star Conference North Division as well as the Lone Star Conference North Division Newcomer of the Year.

Johnson led the Lone Star Conference in scoring with 20.7 points per game; third in field goal percentage, making 59.2% of his shots, fifth in rebounding with 7.7 rebounds per game and he ranks in the top 15 in steals, offensive rebounds and in defensive rebounds. Nationally, he ranks as one of the top players as he is 10th in the nation in scoring, 28th in field goal percentage, 95th in rebounds per game and 257th in steals per game.

Johnson scored in double figures in 29 of 30 games, including a stretch of 21 consecutive to begin his A&M-Commerce career and was a two-time Lone Star Conference North Division Player of the Week. Johnson recorded double-digit points and rebounds in seven games and scored 30 or more points in four contests.

Link to Daktronics Release