TRACK AND FIELD
ASU wins first Sun Belt title since 2001
Darragh May won the high jump, the Arkansas State women’s team had six second-place finishes and six third place en route to compiling 138 team points while winning the Sun Belt Conference outdoor track and field championship Sunday in Gulf Shores, Ala.
ASU took a lead after the second day and held off second-place Georgia State and Texas State, which both finished with 129 points, to win its first outdoor title since 2001. It came after ASU finished second in the indoor Sun Belt meet.
ASU’s men scored 148 points and finished second to Texas-Arlington (166). ASU’s men won the indoor title this season.
ASU’s women got second-place finishes from Kristina Knott (100-meter, 200-meter dash), Rexi Parcells (1,500-meter run), Emenderlyn Iwuji (100-meter hurdles), Alexandra Pevtsova (pole vault) and Savannah Hutchinson (heptathlon). ASU finished third in the 400-meter relay, while Keturah Smith (400-meter dash), Parcells (5,000-meter run), Tilda Helgesson (3,000-meter steeplechase), Ivory Guyton (high jump) and Dalea Carr (discus) also finished third.
Roelf Pienaar won the men’s long jump and triple jump and Richard Chavez won the shot put, while ASU finished second in the 400-meter relay and had four other second-place finishers in Jaylen Bacon (100-meter and 200-meter dash), Joey Meyeter (400-meter dash) and Will Oliver (decathlon).
ASU finished third in the 1,600-meter relay while Wil Norris (10,000-meter run) and Chavez (discus) each finished third.
Jack Bruce finished third in the 1,500 for the UALR men’s team, which finished in eighth with 20 points. The UALR women did not record a score.
SOFTBALL
UCA to play Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament
Central Arkansas will play its first NCAA Tournament game against one of the sport’s most tradition-rich programs.
UCA will play No. 11 seed Oklahoma at 3 p.m. Central Friday in Norman, Okla., in the tournament’s first round. The field was revealed Sunday night and UCA was placed in the Norman, Okla., region that also includes Texas A&M (38-18) and Lehgih (39-7).
UCA (35-19) won the Southland Conference tournament Saturday to qualify for its first NCAA Tournament. Oklahoma (45-7) won the Big 12 regular season and is making its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance hoping to advance to the Women’s College World Series for the 10th time. The Sooners won the national title in 2013 and 2000 and were runners-up in 2012.
Friday’s game will be aired on ESPN3.com.
Henderson falls to Central Missouri
Henderson State lost 2-0 in the NCAA Central II Region Finals in Warrensburg, Mo., on Sunday.
Alex Leonhardt hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the Jennies (47-14) into next weekend’s Super Regional against Augustana.
Henderson State, which had three hits in the game, had an opportunity in the seventh when Sara Gipson led off the inning with a double. After Ashlyn White walked, Central Missouri pitcher Kate Shockey (25-6) retired the next three batters to record the victory.
Michelle Sorenson pitched the complete game for the Reddies, allowing 5 hits with 4 strikeouts.
Henderson State finishes the season at 43-15.
BASEBALL
Henderson State, SAU earn regional bid
Henderson State and Southern Arkansas each received bids to the NCAA Division II Central Regional in St. Cloud, Minn., when the national tournament field was revealed Sunday night.
The Reddies, who finished 27-19 on the season, will enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed and will play No. 1 seed St. Cloud State (50-3) on Thursday. It will be the Reddies’ first Division II tournament appearance.
Southern Arkansas (39-16) is the No. 4 seed in the region and will play No. 3 Emporia (Kan.) State (39-14), in first round. No. 2 seed Minnesota State-Mankato and No. 5 Missouri Southern play in the other first-round game.
The Muleriders won the regular-season Great American Conference title and beat the Reddies in the tournament final, 6-3, their fourth GAC tournament championship. They are entering the Division II Tournament for the eighth consecutive year.