MISCELLANEOUS
Racing commission manager retires
Arkansas Racing Commission Manager Ron Oliver is retiring, agency officials said Tuesday. Oliver, who has been with the organization for eight years, will work through Aug. 25, Chrissy Horner of the racing commission said. A replacement has not been named. Oliver’s annual salary for the position is $77,538.86. The racing commission is responsible for regulating thoroughbred and greyhound racing in the state. Oliver was a former Democratic Party chairman before joining the racing commission.
— Jeannie Roberts
BASKETBALL
UALR sets times for home games
UALR announced times for its men’s and women’s basketball home games Tuesday.
UALR’s 10 Sun Belt Conference games will be consistent. Thursday night women’s games will begin at 5:15 p.m. followed by men’s games starting at 7:15 p.m. Saturday doubleheaders will begin with 4 p.m. women’s games and 6 p.m. men’s games.
The men’s home opener Nov. 14 against Central Baptist will begin at 3 p.m., and its home game against Centenary will begin at 5:15 p.m. UALR will host Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and Northern Arizona at 1 p.m. Dec. 20.
UALR’s women will open at home against LSU at 7:15 p.m.on Nov. 18. It will play Memphis at 5:15 p.m. Nov. 27, Texas at 2 p.m. Dec. 6, Tulsa at 2 p.m. Dec. 13 and Missouri State at 3 p.m. Dec. 20.
CROSS COUNTRY
Harding picked to defend title
The Harding women’s team received 10 first-place votes and was a unanimous selection to defend its Great American Conference title by conference coaches Tuesday.
Southern Arkansas received one first-place vote and was chosen to finish second, followed by East Central (Okla.), Southwestern Oklahoma and Southern Nazarene.
Arkansas Tech was picked to finish seventh in the poll. Ouachita Baptist tied with Northwestern Oklahoma in eighth place, followed by Henderson State and Arkansas-Monticello.
VOLLEYBALL
UAFS ranked in preseason poll
Arkansas-Fort Smith is ranked No. 21 in the AVCA Preseason top 25 coaches poll released Tuesday.
It’s the first time the Lady Lions have been ranked in a preseason poll during the program’s seven-year history in NCAA Division II. UAFS, which is the only Heartland Conference team to be ranked or receive votes in the poll, finished last season ranked No. 13 in the poll.
Defending national champion Tampa, which beat UAFS in the national semifinals last year, received 43 of the 48 first-place votes and sits atop the poll. Concordia-St. Paul is ranked second, followed by Southwest Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth and Nebraska-Kearney.