STATE SPORTS BRIEFS: Arkansas men finish sixth | UCA's Rochell invited to Senior Bowl | ASU women earn top honors

GOLF

Arkansas men finish sixth

The University of Arkansas men's team shot a 3-under 277 on Tuesday, moving up one spot to finish in sixth place at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in Vestavia Hills, Ala.

Three Razorbacks -- Julian Perico, Tyson Reeder and Manuel Lozada -- tied for 19th place individually at 1-under-par 209. Perico shot the second-best score of Tuesday, a 3-under 67, to move up 20 spots. Lozada had four birdies in the final round and 15 for the event. Reeder's round was bogey-free, with his only birdie coming on the sixth hole.

Mason Overstreet, like Lozada, had 4 birdies Tuesday and 15 for the event. He finished one stroke behind his teammates to finish in a tie for 29th place at even-par 210.

FOOTBALL

UCA's Rochell invited to Senior Bowl

University of Central Arkansas cornerback Robert Rochell became the third player in school history Tuesday to receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

Rochell, a 6-2, 195-pound senior, is a first-team All-Southland Conference selection, an FCS All-American and a three-year starter for the Bears. He has 10 career interceptions and 28 career pass breakups to go with 101 career tackles.

This season, despite missing two games with an injury, Rochell has 24 tackles, 3 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery that he returned 35 yards for a touchdown against Alabama-Birmingham.

The Senior Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 30 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala. UCA will face Eastern Kentucky in its final home game of the season Saturday.

SOCCER

ASU women earn top honors

Arkansas State University senior forward Sarah Sodoma was honored as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year on Tuesday, while senior goalkeeper Megan McClure was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Brian Dooley also was named Coach of the Year.

It marks the first time in program history that ASU players have won the conference's top offensive and defensive honors in the same season. Dooley is the school's first coach honoree, leading the Red Wolves to a 10-2-1 record (7-0-1 Sun Belt) and a regular-season conference championship.

Sodoma and McClure also earned first-team all-conference honors. Sodoma led the conference in several categories, including goals, game-winning goals and overall points, while finishing third in the league in shots and assists. McClure allowed just one goal in conference play as the Red Wolves had eight shutout against Sun Belt competition. She is the school's career leader in shutouts (21) and victories (22).

ASU defenseman Hailey Cloud was a second-team all-conference selection, as was University of Arkansas at Little Rock midfielder Morgan Smocovich, who was the only Trojans player honored.

-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services

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