SAU places 18 on GSC Spring All-Decade Teams
By: Houston Taylor
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Arkansas is represented by 18 selections across three sports on the Gulf South Conference spring All-Decade teams released Thursday, highlighted by the Muleriders being honored as the baseball team of the decade, and placing 12 members on the baseball West Division All-Decade squad.
The spring All-Decade teams include all five conference sports (baseball, softball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis), excluding women’s golf which wasn’t added as an official league sport until 2005. The decade covered seasons from 2001 to 2010.
Student-athletes could only be nominated if they had competed in at least two seasons during the decade and had received first team all-conference honors at least once. Players and coaches of the decade for each sport were also voted on, as well as honorable mention selections being made for those athletes who only participated in one season.
All-decade teams for each of the sports were recognized using a formula based on how each school’s team finished in the All-Sports Trophy standings over the past 10 years.
BASEBALL
SAU and Delta State, the perennial baseball powers across the league over the past decade, matched each other with 12 selections apiece on the All-Decade team, the most of any school among both divisions. Southern Arkansas earned 140 points out of a possible 161 to the Statesmen’s 134.5 to edge them as the top team of the past 10 years.
The Muleriders are led on the baseball All-Decade team by 2010 MLB 
first round draft pick Hayden Simpson (Magnolia), who is the unanimous West Division pitcher of the decade, receiving all 45 points possible in the voting. Simpson completed one of the most outstanding three-year careers in Division II history this spring, receiving numerous awards including national pitcher of the year honors and was the national player of the year runner-up. He was a three-time first team All-America selection for two consecutive seasons, received back-to-back South Region pitcher of the year accolades and was a three-time first team All-GSC selection. Simpson was 35-2 over his three seasons with a 2.39 ERA, 13 complete games with seven shutouts, and compiled 323 strikeouts in 271 innings.
Delta State outfielder Jud Thigpen (2001-2004) was voted West Division player of the decade and Statesmen Head Coach Mike Kinnison earned coach of the decade honors.
Eight players across both divisions were unanimous selections on the baseball team, with three coming out of the West. Besides Simpson and Thigpen, SAU’s Cannon Lester (El Dorado) received the other unanimous nod, making the first team as the second baseman.
Lester is the GSC’s all-time career leader in doubles (75), runs scored (247) and shares the career mark for hit by pitch (68). An All-America
and All-South Region selection the past two years, Lester was one of 36 semi-finalists for the 2010 Tino Martinez National Player of the Year award. He was a two-time first team All-GSC pick and finished his four years at Southern Arkansas hitting .379 for his career with 75 doubles, 5 triples, 41 home runs, 219 RBI and a .651 slugging percentage. Lester’s RBIs and total bases (498) are third all-time in the GSC and he stands fourth in hits (290).
Joining Simpson and Lester on the West Division All-Decade first team are first baseman Bobby Beeson (Magnolia), who also made the second team as a starting pitcher, designated hitter Tracy Geffre (Mandan, N.D.) and starting pitcher Cody Jones (Springhill, La.).
Beeson (2002-2004) was a third team All-America and first team 
All-Region selection his junior season en route to being picked in the 10th round of the 2004 MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals. He received the GSC Commissioner’s Trophy that year and was the West Division Player of the Year and a first team all-conference pick at both first base and pitcher, one of only two in league history to achieve this trifecta. A two-time first team All-GSC selection, Beeson hit .364 in his three seasons with 40 doubles, 5 triples, 23 home runs and 165 RBI. He was 21-5 on the mound with a 3.34 ERA, tossed two shutouts in nine complete games, and had 150 strikeouts in 172 1/3 innings.
Geffre (2002-2003) provided the Muleriders with the first of two back-to-back GSC player of the year honorees, preceding Beeson in 
2003. He was the first SAU player to claim first team All-America honors in the NCAA era, doing so in his senior season of 2003, and was also a first team All-Region honoree that season. One of Southern Arkansas’ all-time greatest sluggers, Geffre finished his career hitting .414 with 33 doubles, 4 triples, 32 home runs, 101 RBI and a .781 slugging percentage. His career slugging percentage stands second all-time in the GSC.
One of the all-time pitching greats in school history, Jones (2005-2008) left the Muleriders sharing the most career wins, and was 
second in career strikeouts and had the highest single-season total (115), all before Simpson came along. He had a stellar sophomore season in 2006 when he was 12-3 with a 2.98 ERA and 115 strikeouts, and was a third team All-America and first team All-Region honoree. An arm injury slowed Jones his junior season, but he still compiled a career record of 32-11 with a 3.86 ERA, had 20 complete games with six shutouts and struck out 269 in 368 1/3 innings. He stands second all-time in the GSC in career innings pitched and shutouts, is fourth in career wins and seventh in strikeouts.
Former SAU players making the West Division second team are Jeremy Triche (La Place, La.) at catcher, Andrew Whittington (Texas City, Texas) at shortstop, Aharon Eggleston (Las Vegas, Nev.), John Long (Smackover) and Skyler Stromsmoe (Etzikom, Alberta, Canada) at three of the four outfield spots, and Beeson as one of the three starting pitchers. Former Head Coach Allen Gum rounds out the Southern Arkansas contingent as the second team coach.
Triche (2006-2007) was a third team All-America and first team All-Region pick in 2006 and received first team All-GSC honors in each of his two seasons. A two-year starter at catcher, he hit .324 over 
both seasons with 28 doubles, 25 home runs and 124 RBI. Another one of the Muleriders’ great sluggers, Triche claimed the most outstanding player honor in the 2006 league tournament, in which he hit one of the longest home runs in history at Olympic Stadium in Millington, Tenn.
Whittington (2009-2010) concluded his stellar career this past season by being taken in the 33rd round of the MLB draft by the Arizona 
Diamondbacks. He was a third team All-America and first team All-South Region and All-GSC pick each of the last two years. Whittington’s career totals include hitting .381 with 39 doubles, a school record 14 triples, 13 home runs and 132 RBI, with a .603 slugging percentage from the leadoff spot. This spring he rattled off a GSC record 37-game consecutive hitting streak and his career triples rank third all-time.
Eggleston (2004-2005) patrolled center field for two seasons for SAU, claiming third team All-America and first team All-Region honors in 2004, and was a two-time first team All-GSC pick. His career numbers
include a .404 average with 31 doubles, 9 triples, 5 home runs, 95 RBI and 66 stolen bases. Eggleston’s 103 hits in 2004 is the school record and his .431 batting average that year is the highest single-season average by a Southern Arkansas player over the past decade.
After being limited to just 30 games his junior year, Long (2007-2008) garnered first and second team All-America and first team All-Region 
honors in 2008. A transfer who started his career with the Arkansas Razorbacks, he hit .389 his two seasons with 29 doubles, 3 triples, 22 home runs and 100 RBI, with a .728 slugging percentage that stands fourth all-time in the GSC. The left fielder hit .415 his senior year with 21 doubles, 18 home runs, 74 RBI and slugged .800.
One of the most versatile players to don a Mulerider uniform, Stromsmoe (2005-2007) covered center field for SAU, but moved to the infield as needed when injuries hit. His own hand injury limited him to just five games his first year, but he rebounded with two
spectacular seasons, claiming first team All-Region honors in 2007 and was a two-time first team All-GSC selection. Stromsmoe was also twice voted an academic All-American. He finished his career hitting .331 with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs and 76 RBI, while stealing 103 bases, which stands third all-time in the conference. His 48 consecutive stolen bases is second all-time in the GSC, and he swiped 52 his senior year for the school record. Stromsmoe is currently in his fourth minor league season and is with the San Francisco Giants’ AA team in Richmond, Va.
Gum (2006-2010) finished his five-year career at Southern Arkansas as the winningest coach in the GSC over the last half of the decade in both wins (226-68) and win percentage (.769). During that span he guided his teams to a league-best record of 87-16 (.845), with two conference championships (2006, 2009) and two consecutive West 
Division titles the past two years. Gum currently stands second all-time in conference history in win percentage among coaches with a minimum of five years service. He was named GSC coach of the year in both 2006 and 2009 and the NCBWA South Region coach of the year in 2009. His teams combined for a GSC best 17-7 mark in five consecutive trips to the post-season tournament, claiming the two championships and reaching the semi-finals in 2008 and the finals this year. Gum led his teams to four NCAA Division II region tournament appearances, including three consecutive (2008-1010), advancing to the semi-finals three times and to the championship final in May in Tampa. His teams posted five consecutive 40-plus win seasons, with a school record 52-11 mark in 2009 that led the nation in both wins and win percentage. Gum guided the Muleriders to the national No. 1 ranking in each of the past three seasons, with final season rankings of 18th (2006), 12th (2008), 4th (2009) and 6th (2010). Over his five years, he coached eight players that were MLB draft picks, including the highest selection in school history, eight players who received 11 All-America honors, 14 All-Region picks and 43 All-GSC selections, including 28 first team honorees.
MEN’S GOLF
SAU had no representatives on the men’s golf All-Decade team and the squad wasn’t broken down by divisions as the other sports were. North Alabama’s Brett Munson, the 2010 Jack Nicklaus player of the year, was voted the GSC player of the decade, and West Florida’s Steve Fell received coach of the decade honors, with the Argonauts also being named the team of the decade.
SOFTBALL
Former Arkansas-Monticello first baseman Meredith Heckel and Delta State outfielder Alyse Hasty highlight the West Division All-Decade softball team as the players of the decade, while Cotton Blossom ace Lindsey Kight, a former graduate assistant for the Southern Arkansas softball team, was named West Division pitcher of the decade. UAM continued its domination of the West Division squad with current Coach Alvy Early voted as the coach of the decade. The East Division’s Alabama-Huntsville is the team of the decade.
SAU placed five former members on the softball All-Decade team, including West Division first team selection Lauren Frazier (Houston, Texas) at third base. Second team honorees are third baseman Tisha Thompson (Jefferson, Texas), outfielder Lyndsey Knight (Atlanta, Texas), designated player Cassie Blackwood (Forney, Texas) and pitcher Krystal Poulin (Marana, Ariz.).
Frazier (2002-2005) garnered first team All-South Region and All-GSC honors her junior season in 2004 and helped lead Southern Arkansas to
the championship game of the conference tournament. She hit .380 the next year to repeat first team all-conference accolades. Frazier finished her four-year career hitting .317 with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 1 home run and 35 RBI, while stealing 96 bases, which is eighth all-time in the GSC. She is the career leader for the Lady Muleriders in runs scored (140) and stolen bases, is second all-time in batting average, at-bats (684) and hits (217), and holds the school season records in at-bats (205), runs (47) and hits (78).
Thompson (2004-2007) hit a school record .381 in 2007 in being named second team All-South Region and first team all-conference. A 
four-year starter, she missed only five games her freshman season and ended her career with a .306 average, 36 doubles, 27 home runs and 128 RBI. Thompson is the career leader at SAU in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage (.522), on-base percentage (.434), walks (87) and hit by pitch (43), is second all-time in games played (207) and total bases (282), and third in career doubles (36), and holds seven school season records.
One of the earliest recruits after Southern Arkansas resurrected its softball program in 1999, Knight played right field for the Lady Muleriders from 2001-2004. She was a two-time first team All-GSC 
performer her final two seasons after being a second team pick as a sophomore. As the leadoff hitter, she finished her career with a .311 average, 6 doubles, 3 triples and 34 RBI, while scoring 98 runs with 29 sacrifice hits and 95 stolen bases. She posted .340 and .353 batting averages her final two seasons. Knight’s career stolen base percentage (.913, 95-104) is eighth-best in GSC history and she’s ranked 10th in career stolen bases. Her 43 stolen bases in 2003 ranks fifth in the conference and is a school record. She’s second all-time at SAU in career stolen bases and sac hits.
Blackwood (2002-2005) was a versatile four-year starter during her career, playing both the outfield and infield and pitching. She was a 
first team All-South Region pick her junior season of 2004 and a first team All-GSC selection in 2005 after earning second team laurels the previous three seasons. Over her career she hit .297 with 40 doubles, 2 triples, 15 home runs and 97 RBI, and was 33-31 in the circle with a 2.70 ERA and 5 saves in 97 appearances with 54 starts. She had nine shutouts while tossing 36 complete games, recording 235 strikeouts. Blackwood is the career leader at Southern Arkansas in pitching appearances, innings pitched (467) and saves (5), is second all-time in doubles, and third in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage (.458) and total bases (253).
The most dominant pitcher in Lady Mulerider history, Poulin (2002-2004) has tossed the school’s only two perfect games and had four no-hitters to her credit. She finished her three-year career with
19 double-digit strikeout performances, including five outings of 15-plus, with a school record 17 twice. Poulin received second team All-South Region honors in 2003, was a first team All-GSC honoree her final two seasons, received the GSC Commissioner’s Trophy as the league’s top female athlete in 2004, and was an academic All-American. She concluded her career with a 39-29 record and 1.51 ERA in 81 appearances, throwing 18 shutouts and 49 complete games in 70 starts, while recording 497 strikeouts in 446 innings and limiting opponents to a .182 batting average against her. Poulin is tied at third all-time in the GSC in both perfect games and career no-hitters, stands third in career strikeout ratio (7.8), and is eighth in consecutive scoreless innings pitched (32.1) and career strikeouts. She holds the GSC season record for strikeout ratio, fanning an average of 10.4 batters per seven innings, and is ranked in the top seven in four other season pitching categories. She holds a total of 17 SAU pitching records.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Ouachita Baptist’s Brenda Magnetti was tabbed the GSC West Division women’s tennis player of the decade, while current Lady Tiger Coach Betsy Danner earned the West Division coach of the decade honor. West Florida was the overall team of the decade.
Southern Arkansas’ final representative on the GSC spring All-Decade team is Rachel Vinsant (Greenville, Texas), who was voted to the West Division women’s tennis second team.
Vinsant (2004-2008) was a first team All-GSC honoree in 2005 and 2007, while earning second team laurels in 2006 and 2008. She completed her four-year career with a 41-37 singles record and was 
37-47 in doubles play, both primarily at No. 1, and led the Lady Muleriders to their first-ever NCAA region rankings. Vinsant was a four-time ITA scholar-athlete, three-time GSC All-Academic team honoree and was twice named a first team academic All-District selection.
Athletic Conference Change Update
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The chief executive officers of nine universities in Arkansas and Oklahoma announced on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, that they intend to apply to the National Collegiate Athletic Association for permission to create a new NCAA Division II conference.
The members of the proposed new conference would be the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Arkansas Tech University, East Central (Okla.) University, Harding University, Henderson State University, Ouachita Baptist University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Southern Arkansas University and Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
“The intent of the conference is to group together similar institutions in terms of budgets and goals,” said the presidents, chancellors and directors of athletics from the nine institutions in a joint statement. “Furthermore, the conference is intended to be made up of universities that field an intercollegiate football program. Our most important goals in this new endeavor are to limit time away from class and limit our travel costs.”
The nine member institutions plan to submit a conference strategic plan, a conference constitution and conference by-laws to the NCAA by Dec. 1, 2010.
No decisions have been made regarding the name of the new conference or the location of the conference office.
The pursuit of creating the new conference will not affect athletic schedules for the 2010-11 academic year.
STATEMENT REGARDING POSSIBLE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHANGE
STATEMENT FROM:
Jack Lassiter, Chancellor, University of Arkansas at Monticello
Robert C. Brown, President, Arkansas Tech University
John Hargrave, President, East Central University
David Burks, President, Harding University
Charles Welch, President, Henderson State University
Rex Horne, President, Ouachita Baptist University
Larry Minks, President, Southeastern Oklahoma State University
David Rankin, President, Southern Arkansas University
Randy Beutler, President, Southwestern Oklahoma State University
The presidents, chancellors and directors of athletics from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Arkansas Tech University, East Central (Okla.) University, Harding University, Henderson State University, Ouachita Baptist University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Southern Arkansas University and Southwestern Oklahoma State University held a meeting in Russellville, Ark., Friday to discuss the possibility of forming a new NCAA Division II conference.
Our ongoing discussion is producing positive results as we analyze the feasibility of creating a new conference that would reduce the amount of missed class time by our student-athletes and reduce our operating costs.
We found during the course of our meeting that we have similar concerns and that we are like-minded in our approach to intercollegiate athletics.
Regardless of the final results of these discussions, our athletic schedules for the 2010-11 academic year will not be affected.
Official SAU Statement on Possible Athletic Conference Changes
It has been noted that discussions have taken place between the Arkansas member institutions of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) and some Oklahoma institutions gauging interest in forming a new athletic conference.
Most of the GSC presidents and chancellors are attending the NCAA Division II President’s and Chancellor’s Summit in Indianapolis this weekend and will be meeting there Friday to further discuss this issue. The GSC presidents and chancellors’ annual summer meeting will be held at the end of next week in Birmingham where more discussion will take place.
“The GSC is a great conference, but the geographic expanse does pose travel length and expense issues,” stated SAU President Dr. David F. Rankin. “No official decision has been made, but discussions are ongoing and advanced.”
GSC Announces Spring All-Academic Teams
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Gulf South Conference has released the 2010 Spring All-Academic Teams and Academic Honor Roll, which includes a league-leading 45 Southern Arkansas student-athletes, seven of them named to the elite conference All-Academic Teams. A total of 79 student-athletes across the conference were named All-Academic, including seven three-time selections, and 16 who are repeat members.
The GSC All-Academic Teams are nominated by the conference sports information directors (SIDs) and selected by the SIDs and faculty athletic representatives in a joint vote. Nominees must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or better on a 4.00 scale for their entire academic career and may not be a freshman or first-semester transfers.
All-Academic Team honorees from SAU are Andrew Whittington, Anthony (Cole) Lohden, Dean Malthouse and Gavan McCauley in baseball, Maggee Becker in women’s golf, Katie Lenderman in softball, and Caitlin Korensek in women’s tennis.
Whittington and Lohden were unanimous selections on the baseball All-Academic team, while Korensek is one of the seven three-time honorees from across the GSC and the only such honored on the tennis team.
Whittington (6-2, 200, Sr., Texas City, Texas) is one of eight 
unanimous picks from both divisions of the GSC and one of three from the West Division to receive the baseball all-academic honor, sporting a 3.94 GPA in physical education, wellness and leisure. He was recently voted first team on the prestigious ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), and also received a first team nod on their Academic All-District VI team. Whittington is now a two-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll, and is a three-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List (4.00 GPA) and a member of the Dean’s List (minimum 3.50 GPA). In April at the annual SAU all-sports banquet, he received one of two male Scholar-Athlete awards.
Playing shortstop, Whittington was honored on the field this season as a third team All-American on the Rawlings/ABCA, Daktronics and NCBWA teams, was a first team All-South Region selection on all three of those squads and was a unanimous first team All-GSC pick.
Also a unanimous selection, Lohden (6-4, 220, Sr., Frisco, Texas) posted a 3.41 GPA in history. The senior was honored in May as ESPN
The Magazine Second Team All-District 6, is now a two-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and has twice made the SAU Dean’s List.
Malthouse (6-0, 200, Sr., Altona Meadows, Victoria, Australia) served 
as the Mulerider’s reserve catcher and posted a perfect 4.00 in accounting. He also was a second team member on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 squad, has twice been named to the GSC academic honor roll and is a four-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List, making all A’s in his four semesters at the school.
SAU’s starting center fielder, McCauley (5-10, 150, So., Prescott) has a 3.31 GPA in physical education, wellness & leisure. He is a two-time 
member of the GSC academic honor roll and a member of the SAU Dean’s List.
Becker (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) is one of only four members named 
to the women’s golf all-academic team, finishing the year with a 3.27 GPA in pre-veterinary science. The sophomore has twice been on the conference academic honor roll and is a member of the Southern Arkansas Dean’s List.
The starting third baseman for the Lady Mulerider softball team, Lenderman (5-7, Sr., Plano, Texas) boasts a 3.70 GPA in physical 
education, wellness & leisure. Making the softball all-academic team in her first eligible season, the senior has twice made the GSC academic honor roll and is a four-time member of the SAU Dean’s List.
Korensek (Ennis, Texas) compiled an impressive 3.90 GPA in early childhood education over her four years at Southern Arkansas and graduated Summa Cum Laude in May with her B.S.E. One of the elite three-time all-academic team honorees, she competed in No. 1 singles 
and doubles for the Lady Mulerider tennis team this year. Korensek has now made the GSC academic honor roll four times and is a three-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete. Six times she made the Southern Arkansas President’s List and was a two-time member of the Dean’s List. Korensek received the SAU athletic department’s women’s Auburn Smith Award this year, the highest honor a Southern Arkansas athlete can receive.
Of the 14-member institutions in the GSC, North Alabama had 10 student-athletes named to the All-Academic Teams, followed by Valdosta State (9), West Florida (8) and Southern Arkansas (7), with the remaining 10 institutions placing six or less.
Members of the GSC Academic Honor Roll must post a minimum of a cumulative 3.00 GPA and have competed during their respective season. All student-athletes, including freshmen and first-semester transfers, are eligible for the honor roll.
Southern Arkansas led all the GSC institutions with 45 student-athletes named to the conference Academic Honor Roll, while Harding had 43. West Florida placed 36 and Valdosta State and Henderson State had 35 each.
Other members of the Mulerider baseball team making the GSC Academic Honor Roll include Jacob (Jake) Astor, a junior with a 3.70 in exercise science; Dillan Black, a junior with a 3.18 in biological science; Seth Bryant, a sophomore with a 3.05 in psychology; Brandon Choate, a junior with a 3.32 in human performance, recreation and community service; Christopher (Chris) Harrison, a junior with a 3.14 in business administration-organizational management; Patrick (Pat) Johnson, a junior with a 3.05 in human performance, recreation and community service; Cannon Lester, a senior with a 3.09 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Nicholas (Nick) Paschal, a senior with a 3.03 in biological science; Tyler Pickett, a sophomore with a 3.59 in mathematics; Hayden Simpson, a junior with a 3.02 in exercise science; Jared (Cody) Springer, a junior with a 3.50 in business administration-general business; Richard (Alan) Trayler, a junior with a 3.24 in physical education, wellness & leisure; and Derrick Wynn, a junior with a 3.19 in physical education, wellness & leisure.
Members of the SAU men’s golf team on the honor roll are Goki Fukushima, a junior with a 3.89 in exercise science; Guy Martin, a freshman with a 3.17 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Zachary Schrick, a sophomore with a 3.54 in psychology; and Tyler Watson, a freshman undecided major with a 3.68.
Other Lady Mulerider golf team members joining Becker on the honor roll include Whitney Johnson, a freshman with a 3.03 in criminal justice; Katy Webster, a sophomore with a 3.09 in pre-dentistry; and Lynzi Williams, a senior with a 3.61 in physical education, wellness and leisure.
Joining Lenderman on the softball honor roll are Ernestina (Denise) Amador, a junior with a 3.36 in physical education, wellness & leisure; Brittany Chaney, a sophomore with a 3.22 in early childhood education; Brittany Chreene, a junior with a 3.46 in pre-radiologic technology; Alexandra (Alex) Doyle, a junior with a 3.64 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Jennifer Dyke, a junior with a 3.75 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Julie Essary, a sophomore with a 3.51 in early childhood education; Cristina Fiesel, a sophomore with a 3.16 in human performance, recreation and community service; Julie Glaze, a senior with a 3.66 in general studies; Courtney Johnson, a freshman with a 3.90 in exercise science; Chelsea Knox, a sophomore with a 3.08 in early childhood education; Magan McDaniel, a sophomore with a 3.34 in exercise science; Stephanie Montes, a sophomore with a 3.48 in political science; Courtney Ray, a sophomore with a 3.63 in chemistry-science; Kelsey Rodenroth, a freshman with a 3.37 in early childhood education; and Brittany Wood, a freshman with a 3.90 in physical education, wellness and leisure.
Other members of the SAU women’s tennis team joining Korensek on the honor roll include Adrienne (Elizabeth) Colvin, a freshman with a 3.10 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Leslie Miller, a freshman with a 3.90 in physical education, wellness and leisure; and Megan Phinny, a senior with a 3.56 in exercise science.
Southern Arkansas Hosts Annual All-Sports Banquet
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Tennis student-athlete Caitlin Korensek (Ennis, Texas) and baseball standout Cannon Lester (El Dorado) were honored Wednesday with the coveted Auburn Smith Awards at the annual Southern Arkansas University All-Sports banquet in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
Also receiving laurels were volleyball’s Maggie Glover (Waxahachie, Texas) and cross country and track athlete Michaela Krcova (Trnava, Slovakia), and baseball’s Andrew Whittington (Texas City, Texas) and football’s Ben Williams (Texarkana, Texas), all being named as this year’s Scholar-Athlete Award winners. Director of Athletics, Jay Adcox, presented the annual honors.
The Auburn Smith Award, given annually to both a women’s and men’s student-athlete, is the most prestigious honor a student-athlete can receive at SAU. The award is named in memory of Auburn Smith, who served as athletics director, administrator, coach, and instructor at Southern Arkansas. Athletic ability, performance, character, and scholastic achievement are all considerations by a selection committee of head coaches and athletic administrators at the university who select the honorees.
Korensek, a four-year member of the Lady Mulerider tennis team, holds 
a 3.88 GPA in early childhood education, and was honored on the courts this season in being a second team All-Gulf South Conference selection.
Three times Korensek has been named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association scholar-athlete and has twice been selected to the Gulf South Conference All-Academic Team. She is a three-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll, a five-time member of the SAU President’s List (4.00 GPA) and a two-time member of the SAU Dean’s List (minimum 3.50 GPA).
A 5-11, 185-pound third baseman on the Mulerider baseball team, Lester is the fourth consecutive baseball student-athlete to win the Auburn Smith honor. A senior, Lester has compiled a 3.06 GPA in physical education, wellness & leisure.
Leading the team in hitting with a .426 batting average, Lester has helped lead Southern Arkansas to a 39-6 record, a school record 24-game winning streak, the national No. 1 ranking, and to its 12th consecutive, and 13th overall, Gulf South Conference tournament 
appearance.
Lester was a first team All-America selection on both the ABCA/Rawlings and Daktronics teams and a second team pick on the NCBWA team in 2009. He was named to the first team on three All-South Region squads, and was a first team All-GSC and GSC All-Tournament honoree. Five times Lester has been named the GSC West Division player of the week, twice this season, and the most in league history. This season he set a new conference record with 69 career doubles, and he currently owns seven SAU career records, one season record and two single-game records.
In the classroom, Lester is a three-time member of the GSC academic honor roll, and has been named to the SAU Dean’s List.
The esteemed Scholar-Athlete Award is also given to both a female and male student-athlete. The nominee must have a minimum of a 3.00 GPA, have completed at least 56 semester hours, with at least one semester at SAU. Selection of the honorees is done by a committee considering GPA, athletic accomplishments, and citizenship.
The SAU scholar-athlete honors are normally awarded to only one female and male student-athlete, but a tie in the voting provided four winners this year.
Glover, a junior with the Lady Mulerider volleyball team, carries an impressive 3.73 cumulative GPA in psychology, with a minor in sociology.
Glover was named this past fall to the conference all-academic team. She is a four-time member of the conference academic honor roll, a three-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List, and is a two-time member of the school’s Dean’s List.
On the court, she was named a second team All-Gulf South Conference selection for the second consecutive year, and led the squad this season with a .242 attack percentage, 77 blocks and 316.5 points scored, and added 237 kills.
A senior, Krcova sports a perfect 4.00 GPA in business administration-finance. She has twice been honored as first team on the prestigious ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 team and selected twice to the GSC all-academic team. She is a three-time member of the GSC academic honor roll and a seven-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List with all “A’s” in her seven semesters.
In competition, Michaela placed 15th at this year’s GSC cross country championship, earning second team All-GSC accolades.
A 6-0, 200-pound shortstop, Whittington has a 3.93 GPA in physical education, wellness and leisure. He is a past member of the conference academic honor roll, a two-time member of the SAU President’s list, and has also been named to the Dean’s List.
On the field this season, Whittington set a new Gulf South Conference record by hitting safely in 37 consecutive games. Last year, he was honored as a NCBWA third team All-America selection and was named first team on both the NCBWA and ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region teams. Whittington was also a first team All-GSC pick and has twice been named the GSC West Division player of the week. He currently holds one SAU school career record, two season records and shares one single-game mark.
Williams graduated Cum Laude this past December with a 3.58 GPA in Chemistry-Science. The 6-1, 218-pound linebacker was a four-year letterman and started the past two seasons for the Muleriders.
Last year Williams received a nuclear and radiochemistry fellowship from the American Chemical Society and did his studies in California over the summer. He was voted three times to the GSC all-academic team, is a four-time member of the honor roll, a member of the SAU President’s list, and a four-time member of the Dean’s List.
In other honors, outstanding athletes were named in their respective fields by their head coaches or sponsors. Maggee Becker (Glenwood, Colo.) received the accolade for women’s golf, Peyton Mitchell (Quitman, La.) in men’s golf, Hannah Thomas (Waycross, Ga.) for women’s rodeo, Korensek and Krcova in tennis and women’s cross country, respectively, Kevin Perez (Cabot) for men’s cross country, Heather Rochelle (Texarkana, Texas) in women’s track, Colton Connelly (Comfort, Texas) for men’s track, Lester in baseball, Katie Lenderman (Plano, Texas) for softball, Elizabeth Myrick (Hot Springs) in cheerleading, Sanchez Dade (El Dorado) for men’s basketball, Lynzi Williams (Martin’s Mill, Texas) in women’s basketball, Glover for volleyball, Cedric Thornton (Star City) in football and Jessica McKenzie (Camden) received the student athletic training honor.
Dan Gregory, with KVMA/KVMZ radio served as emcee for the evening’s event.
Lady Mulerider Tennis Struggles with Henderson State
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas’ tennis struggles continued as the Lady Muleriders dropped an 8-1 Gulf South Conference match to Henderson State (2-6, 1-1 GSC) Tuesday at the SAU tennis complex.
The Lady Reddies’ experienced squad took advantage of a young Southern Arkansas team, sweeping all three doubles matches by 8-0 margins and five of the six singles. It’s been a long, learning season for the Lady Muleriders (0-9-1, 0-5 GSC), which counts five true freshmen among their seven team members.
Senior Caitlin Korensek (Ennis, Texas) picked up SAU’s only win of the day with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Meredith Massey at No. 1 singles. Southern Arkansas’ other senior, Megan Phinny (Gladewater, Texas) lost a 6-2, 6-2 decision at No. 3 to Stephanie Schnobel.
The contest was the Lady Muleriders’ final conference match of the year. They close out their season April 9-10 with matches against Arkansas-Little Rock and Southeast Missouri State in Little Rock.
Doubles
1. Massey/Staton (HSU) def. Korensek/Phinny (SAU), 0-8
2. Schnobel/Lau (HSU) def. Miller/Carroll (SAU), 0-8
3. Foster/Nguyen (HSU) def. C. Colvin/Toloria Harris (SAU), 0-8
Singles
1. Caitlin Korensek (SAU) def. Meredith Massey (HSU), 6-2, 6-0
2. Rebecca Staton (HSU) def. Leslie Miller (SAU), 2-6, 0-6
3. Stephanie Schnobel (HSU) def. Megan Phinny (SAU). 2-6, 2-6
4. Estephanie Lau (HSU) def. Elizabeth Colvin (SAU), 1-6, 1-6
5. Natalie Foster (HSU) def. Felicia Carroll (SAU), 1-6, 0-6
6. Theresa Nguyen (HSU) def. Caroline Colvin (SAU), 1-6, 0-6
Final Score: HSU – 8, SAU – 1
Season Record (W-L): HSU (2-6, 1-1 GSC); SAU (0-9-1, 0-5 GSC)
