LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL Golden Suns picked to win GAC
If the Great American Conference women’s basketball coaches are right, Arkansas Tech will be celebrating a third consecutive conference title in March.
The Golden Suns, who won the past two Gulf South Conference Western Division and tournament titles, were picked to win the first GAC title in a poll of league coaches announced Thursday.
Arkansas Tech, which finished 30-3 last season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, earned eight of the nine first-place votes and scored 64 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Ouachita Baptist, which returns two starters from its 2010 Division II tournament team, was picked second with 53 points, and Southeastern Oklahoma State, which also advanced to the tournament last year, earned the only other first-place vote and was picked third.
Harding was picked fourth, followed by Henderson State, East Central, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Arkansas.
Local team wins senior games title
The Arkansas Travelers recently won the gold medal in 3-on-3 basketball in the 55-59 age group at the Huntsman World Senior Games.
The Travelers defeated Total Package of Seattle 74-66 in the championship game of the world senior games, which are held each October in St. George, Utah.
The Travelers, the two-time defending national senior games champions, are John Hutchcraft, Donnie Smith, Larry Bray, Dewey Lambert, Rudy White, Joe Couch, Ken Andrews and Larry Hurtt.
VOLLEYBALL UAM gets home victory
Allison Beardsley had 14 digs and Amy Bazemore added 10 to lead Arkansas-Monticello to a 25-16, 25-14, 25-16 victory over Hendrix on Thursday in Monticello.
Bailie Jedlicka had seven kills and three blocks for UAM (6-21). Melissa Clement led Hendrix (14-18) with eight kills, while Jasmine Johnson and Ella Concabage-Nasar had six digs each.
GOLF Arkansas men first, UALR 10th in Mexico
The Arkansas men’s team holds the lead after Thursday’s first round of the Cabo Collegiate in Baja California, Mexico, while UALR sits in 10th place.
Arkansas shot a 3-under-par 281 and has an 11-stroke lead over St. Mary’s. Arkansas’ Sebastian Cappelen shot a 3-under 68 to share the first round individual lead with San Francisco’s Ji Hwan Park and Tyler Torano of Loyola Marymount. Arkansas’ Josh Eure (1-under 70) and Austin Cook (even par 71) are also in the top 10 individually. UALR’s Hunter Smith shot a 1-over 72 and is tied for 13th place.
Sports, Pages 19 on 10/28/2011