2018-19 AWARDS PRESENTATION


 

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MARSHALL, Texas – Developing character and continuing to win championships, the 2018-19 athletic year became a "Year of the Student-Athlete" for East Texas Baptist University. ETBU athletics earned several national and conference individual awards while all the teams made the American Southwest Conference Tournament for the first time in over 10 years.

Nationally, ETBU produced four All-Americans and two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. Casey Combs (baseball), Richard Johnson (football), Beatriz Lara (softball), and Elisa Kendall (women's tennis) were named All-Americans. Combs and Dylan Sumpter were then honored as CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in baseball.

ETBU also had six major American Southwest Conference awards given to them. Combs was voted the ASC Athlete of the Year and is just the second time that a male student-athlete has won the award for ETBU. Beau Billings (cross country) and Mullika Seekhieo (women's tennis) were the Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Athletes of the Year sweeping the award for the first-time ever. It is the third time for a male student-athlete and second time for a female student-athlete to be given the award for ETBU. Mack Brossard (men's track & field), Jordan Gray (men's basketball), and Combs (baseball) won the ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete award voted on by sports information directors. Seven ETBU teams were then given the ASC Team Sportsmanship award in football, men's cross country, women's cross country, men's soccer, baseball, men's track & field and women's track & field. 

Seven student-athletes earned player of the year awards from the American Southwest Conference from being the top player to freshman of the year or the top newcomer. Combs (baseball) and Beatriz Lara (softball) were voted the top players in their sport. Combs was named the player of the year while Lara was the pitcher and freshman of the year. Kendall was the ASC East women's tennis player of the year while Broussard was the men's track and field Most Outstanding Track Athlete and High Point Athlete. Almalisseth Rodriguez (women's cross country) and Spencer Cochran (men's basketball) were the ASC freshmen of the year for their sport and Kendrick Clark was the ASC East Newcomer of the Year.

Six student-athletes gained CoSIDA Academic All-District awards. For the first time in over 10 years, football and men's basketball had an All-District selection in Brian Baca (football) and Gray (men's basketball). Kendall (women's tennis) and MacKenzie Anderson (softball) earned All-District awards for the first time and Combs and Sumpter were both first-team selections for baseball.

Nine ETBU teams qualified for the ASC Championship tournaments claiming one championship in softball. Women's tennis played in their third ASC tournament championship match in four years and finished as runners-up. Advancing to the semi-finals in their sport were women's basketball, men's soccer, and baseball. The men's soccer team hosted and won their first-ever ASC Tournament match in program history.

Below are recaps of each team, a quote from the coach, and their 2018-19 awards.
 

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Football
 
For the fourth straight season, the ETBU football team had a winning record which is a program best. With a third place finish in the American Southwest Conference at 6-3, ETBU finished 6-4 overall that included  wins over Southwestern University (55-1), Belhaven University (46-20), Howard Payne University (54-28), Louisiana College (48-27), Sul Ross State (60-14), and McMurry University. Wide receiver Richard Johnson caught 11 touchdowns on the season giving him 40 career touchdown receptions to set a new program record. This broke the previous mark of 33 held by Tyler Bates.
 
Quote: Brian Mayper
"We had a lot of growth this past season as a team. We constantly preached to our team about being united (Henotace) and loving one another (Romans 12:10). We made great stride as we saw growth of our men physically, mentally, but most important, spiritually. Finishing the conference in third place is definitely not where we want to be; however, we had a great spring and off season to make sure we move forward in a positive direction. Our returners understand and are committed to do all they can to relentlessly pursue excellence on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community. We had a great recruiting presence throughout Texas and Louisiana, as we are excited about the group of young men starting their journey this fall at ETBU."
 
ASC Awards

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Volleyball
Making the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament for the 17^th time in program history, ETBU finished second in the East Division at 7-7. Finishing overall at 14-15, their season included a five-match winning streak from Sept. 4-8 that were all sweeps. Six of the seven ASC wins came in sweeps, too, over Louisiana College, LeTourneau, Belhaven, Sul Ross State, and Howard Payne. A new era begins in 2019 as former assistant coach Darby Graff was promoted to head coach.

Quote: Darby Graff
"In sports, we are always looking to be on the winning side at the end of competition. The 2018 season was one whose strengths were not defined by the stats in the win/loss columns, rather the ability of the team to grow together while seeing individual members overcome obstacles and reach goals along the way."

ASC Awards

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Men's Soccer
The ETBU's men's soccer team put together their best season in over a decade compiling a 10-6-2 record and were 6-3-2 in the American Southwest Conference for a fourth place finish. The season included a six-match unbeaten streak that included the program's first ASC Tournament win and post-season win in the NCAA Division III era. In the six-match unbeaten streak, ETBU secured four one-goal victories including an upset over #25 Texas Dallas, 2-1, in overtime. The program's first ASC Tournament win came in a 1-0 thriller over the University of the Ozarks when Silas Sangano netted the lone goal in the 82^nd minute. ETBU would then battle Texas Dallas in the semi-finals of the ASC Tournament falling in the last seconds of double overtime, 1-0.  At the end of the season, Chris Crawford stepped away as the head coach handing the program over to Chad Cox.

Quote: Chad Cox
"This past year was a big year for ETBU soccer. We saw our guys accomplish many goals and set new standards on and off the field for this program. We are very excited about the group of returning players, and the mix of incoming freshmen that are joining the family this fall! There are a lot of high expectations for this group come fall 2019 and we cannot wait to get back to work!"
 
ASC Awards

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Women's Soccer
ETBU's women's soccer team posted an 8-8-1 record and made the American Southwest Conference Tournament for the fourth straight year. They started the year off 2-0-1 with shutout wins over Mississippi University for Women and Austin College. ETBU would finish the regular season winning six of their final nine games to qualify for the ASC Tournament but their season ended in the first round. Former head coach Erik Solberg left the program for a position at a NCAA Division II school and ETBU promoted assistant coach Kristin Cox to head coach.
 
Quote: Kristin Cox
"This past year was a time of preparation for the ETBU women's soccer program. We prepared and learned on the field with working on technical skills and team connection, in the weight room with increasing our strength exercises and energy, and spiritually through our mission trip to Costa Rica increasing our team unity. I'm excited to continue to see the growth from the seeds that were planted this year."
 
ASC Awards

 

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Cross Country
 
Cross Country once again had another sensational season. Mack Broussard became ETBU's first-ever American Southwest Conference individual champion and Almalisseth Rodriguez is the first female runner to be named the ASC freshman of the year. The men had their best finish of the season in their first meet at LeTourneau University in second place finish. Broussard led ETBU all season with four first place finishes. ETBU would finish in third place at the ASC Championships and qualify as a team to compete at the NCAA Division III Regional Meet in Georgia. It was only the second time in program history that ETBU had their entire team at regionals where they finished 25^th out of 33 teams.
 
The women's team started their 2018 campaign with a second place finish at LeTourneau University which was their best finish of the season. The Tigers then added three top five finishes at their home meet (4^th), McMurry University (3^rd), and the ASC Championships (5^th). Melissa Kidder, Almalisseth Rodriguez, and Rachel Morrison qualified for the NCAA Division III Regional Meet.
 
Quote: Natalie Bach-Prather
"This was such a special season for our team and what we accomplished. Both teams had tremendous growth in each meet and I am so proud of what they did and where this program is going."
 
ASC Awards

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Women's Basketball
Finishing with back-to-back 20-win seasons, the ETBU women's basketball team posted a 23-4 record and were 14-3 in the American Southwest Conference. They started the season winning their first six games, which featured two out-of-state wins against Colorado teams on their Thanksgiving break. From there, ETBU won 16 of their final 19 games, including a season long 10-game winning streak from January 12^th to February 12^th. ETBU was ranked as high as 9^th during the season and went 12-1 in Ornelas Gym.
 
Quote: Rusty Rainbolt
"The 2018-19 season was one filled with extreme joy and fulfillment. We had an amazing group of young women and coaches that truly cared for each other and for Jesus. It was a record setting year on the court, but more importantly, we saw extreme growth and fruit come from the efforts of this team."
 
ASC Awwards 

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Men's Basketball
 
Advancing to their sixth straight American Southwest Conference Tournament, the ETBU's men's basketball program completed their 2018-19 season at 12-14 overall with a fourth place finish in the East Division. They started the season 5-2 with wins over Texas Lutheran, Hendrix College, Concordia, Sul Ross State, and Howard Payne. Later in the season, ETBU would go on a stretch winning six of seven games, including a pair of overtime victories against the University of the Ozarks and the University of Texas Tyler.
 
Quote: Brandon Curran
"We went into 2018-19 with high expectations and excitement for the season. We encountered a lot of adversity and had many different guys step up and perform major roles that helped us to the ASC Tournament for a school record 6th straight year. We learned to lean on our faith and persevere despite injuries and difficult circumstances. In 2019-20 we return everyone and we've added a tremendous recruiting class.  The struggles we faced this year will benefit us going into next season and will make us a better team and a tougher team going forward. "
 
ASC Awards

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Hockey
It was a historic season as the ETBU hockey team competed in a conference for the first time. They finished in second place in the Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference and won their first-ever tournament game, 9-2, over Texas Christian University. Posting a 14-12 record, ETBU had their third straight winning season and won six of their last seven games to end the season. ETBU also went on a mission trip in January to Slovakia where they played against local professional and national teams.

Quote: Alain Savage
"We produced a great season bringing together our new and returning players. Being able to win a conference tournament game in our first season was fun to see. This team has a lot of potential for the future and we are only going to get better in our fourth year of the program next year."
Awards

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Baseball
For the third time in four seasons, the ETBU baseball program won 30 games and finished in the top tier of the American Southwest Conference. Producing a 30-14 record and going 17-7 in the ASC to finish in third place, ETBU would start the season with a 3-0 shutout win over eventual national champion Chapman University. ETBU posted an 11-game home stand in which they racked up nine wins that helped propel them to the top of the ASC standings. ETBU end their season going 2-2 in the ASC Red Bracket tournament. ETBU head baseball coach Jared Hood became the all-time leader in program wins with 133 wins and senior Casey Combs was drafted by the Miami Marlins after being named the ASC Baseball Player and ASC Athlete of the Year.

Quote: Jared Hood
"We had a very talented group this year. They competed well, grew together, and milestones were met.  To be able to win 30 games in a season just goes to show how hard this team worked day in and day out.  What was so enjoyable about this year, is that this team was as fun to be around as any team that I have ever had.  Every day showing up to the field was fun, and that being mainly because of the attitudes of the players we had.  They enjoyed competing, enjoyed being pushed, and enjoyed getting better.  I am so proud of the growth that our senior class showed this year.  Leading this team and setting an excellent example for the younger players will be the foundation that we continue to work off of for the years to come."

ASC Awards

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Softball
Winning their ninth American Southwest Conference Championship in program history, the ETBU softball team won 39 games and hosted the NCAA Division III Marshall, Texas Regional. ETBU started off the season 20-0 and went 22-3 at Taylor Field. In the national poll, ETBU reached as high as #2 and have been ranked for 90 straight weeks ending the season at 12th. Finishing 26-1 in ASC play, ETBU went 3-0 in the conference tournament ending with a 2-1 championship win over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Head coach Janae Shirley won her 400^th career game and was also the ASC Coach of the Year.
 
Quote: Janae Shirley
"Going into this season, we were not sure what to expect from this young team. This group really impressed me. We had so many young players step up, contribute and lead this year. They were not only fun to coach but a pleasure to be around. They truly got along well and competed hard every day for each other. This group really did a great job of setting the foundation and understanding the culture which will lead us through the next few seasons."
 
ASC Awards

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Track & Field
It was a historic year for the ETBU men's and women's track and field teams earning NCAA National Meet qualifications, numerous American Southwest Conference individual champions, and several athlete of the week awards. On the men's side, ETBU claimed third place at the ASC Championships as Mack Broussard led the way with three individual championships being named the ASC Most Outstanding Track Athlete and High Point Athlete. Also claiming ASC Championships were Detaveon Lewis, (100m dash), Xavier Montgomery (200m dash), and the 4x100 meter dash (Lewis, Montgomery, Zack Biles, Leo Brownfield). These five along with Stephen Brown were named to the All-ASC squad for their performances. Biles would also qualify for the NCAA Division III National Meet in the pole vault finishing in 13^th place.

The women's team finished fourth at the ASC Championship Meet scoring the most points in program history. They were led by Tia Steen-Baker, who had two ASC Championships in the 100 meter and 200 meter dash. She also helped the 4x100 meter relay win the third ASC Championship with teammates Randa Slone, Aaryn Honeywood, and Triniti Wilson. Gracie Almond added a fourth in the high jump. The biggest historic moment was Steen-Baker becoming the program's first qualifier for the NCAA Division III National Track meet in the 100 meter dash finishing in 21^st.

Quote: Natalie Bach-Prather
"This season has been our best track season since yet since we started the program with school records, conference championships, and athletes qualifying for the national meet. Each year we have gotten better and the athletes strive for more once they see where the program is going. The process has been so much fun to be a part of and I can't wait to take this hunger for success into our next season."

ASC Awards
Men's Track & Field

 
Women's Track & Field

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Acro & Tumbling
It was the inaugural year of ETBU acrobatics and tumbling where head coach Farrah Dunaway molded young women into a special team. ETBU opened their new season hosting four-time NCATA National Champion Baylor University facing the best in the field. Even though ETBU fell to the Bears, they had a chance to face the best. History was made in the fourth meet of the year when ETBU was victorious over Belmont Abbey College, 197.81-126.90. This would be ETBU's only win in the inaugural season the team become stronger and continued to build a great foundation for the future.

Quote: Farrah Dunaway
"I am reminded of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:9; 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'. We made it our priority to build everything we did on the foundation of Christ no matter the level of success or adversity. I am beyond grateful for the faithfulness of the provision of the Lord from the health and protection of my athletes to the perseverance through training and competition in addition to the posture of their hearts for each other and the university.  Their desire to continue to build on this foundation for the future of our program fills me with joy and excitement for what the Lord has in store for next season."

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Tennis
The ETBU tennis programs continue to be one of the best in the American Southwest Conference. Both teams once again made the ASC Tournament with the women finishing as the runners-up. In the fall, each team came away with great results from the ASC Individual Championships.

The women's team opened up the fall season winning seven of nine individual titles at the ASC Tournament. Elisa Kendall then won the ITA Southwest Regional tournament which would secure her a trip to the ITA National Tournament. In the spring, ETBU would win their first-ever ASC East Division title going 4-0. They reached the ASC Tournament Championship for the third time in four seasons and finished as the runners-up. Kendall was named the ASC East Division MVP and head coach Jeff Bramlett and his staff were the "Coaching Staff of the Year." ETBU was regionally ranked all year and Kendall reached as high as 14^th nationally in the rankings.

The fall became a starting point that jump started a season that helped ETBU to their fourth straight ASC Tournament. Andrew Deutsch and Tyler Howard would win the consolation matches while Ty Tarver reached the finals in his flight at the ITA Tournament in the fall. ETBU would take second in the ASC East Division at 3-1 and finished 7-9 on the year. They also made history by being ranked regionally in the top 20 for the first time in program history.

Quote: Jeff Bramlett
"This was one of our best overall combined seasons. To have seven ASC titles in the fall and Elisa reaching the ITA Nationals and becoming an All-American was amazing. Then for the women's team to win the East Division and reach their third conference title match in four seasons continues to show how well the girls have improved on and off the court. But also, credit to the men's team, who achieved their first regional ranking. Their hard work over the years paid off by being recognized nationally. I'm super proud of our teams and can't wait to see what next year brings."

ASC Awards
Men's Tennis

 
Women's Tennis

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Bass Fishing
For the fourth consecutive year, the ETBU bass fishing team qualified for a national tournament. ETBU won two tournaments to send two boats to the 2020 FLW National Championships. In November, Brett Clark and Cody Ross won the program's first-ever FLW Tournament on Toledo Bend that qualified them for the 2019 FLW Championship on the Potomac River in Maryland. Clark and Ross then won the FLW Tournament on Sam Rayburn for their second national qualification to the 2020 championships. Jacob Keith and Mason Beatty came in second on the Sam Rayburn Lake to also qualify. In June, ETBU took two boats to the FLW College National Championships in Maryland where Clark and Ross came in 57^th and Jake Sanders and Chad Poulsen were 64th. ETBU participated in 10 tournaments in 2018-19 and had six top 25 finishes winning two tournaments.

Quote: Cam Burger
"The 2018-2019 season was historic for the ETBU Tiger Bass Team. With winning our first tournament for the program in November 2018 and then placing 1^st and 2^nd in the next tournament, it gives me high hopes for the future of the program and success we will have in the seasons to come."

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Golf
The ETBU golf program started their first season and produced incredible finishes throughout the year.  The men's fall season began with a sixth place finish at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Invite where Hank Crain finished tied for third earning him a spot on the all-tournament team. It was in the spring that history was made as ETBU won their first-ever tournament at the Hal Sutton Invite in Shreveport, La. Three players (Crain, Brady Wright, Riley Griffin) led the way with finishes in the top ten to propel them to win. In their first ASC tournament, ETBU finished seventh of nine teams as Wright would finish in the top five and be named ASC All-Tournament.

The women's team had a fifth place finish at the UMHB Invite in in their first tournament. They would continue to improve their team finishes with a fourth place finish at Brownwood Country Club before completing back-to-back third place finishes in both the Pinecrest Invitational in Longview, Texas, and the Hal Sutton Invite in Shreveport, La. ETBU ended their season at the ASC Tournament with a fifth place finish out of nine teams led by Elizabeth Hardy who made the ASC All-tournament team.

Quote: Syndey Harvey
"I was so proud of the men and women and how they competed during the first year of competition. The women competed so well during the spring and continued to show grit and determination. The men winning a tournament in their inaugural year is really special and something I will never forget throughout my coaching career. The growth in their spiritual life and on the golf course was so fun to witness. I look forward to expanding on this first year of competition."

Men