The NCAA Division II postseason is here, so congrats and good luck to the Broncho teams and individuals who will be competing this weekend.
UCO's wrestling team will journey to Omaha, Neb. for their national tournament, which runs Friday and Saturday on the Nebraska-Omaha campus. The Bronchos have six qualifiers in Scott Berens, Derrick Adkins, Cody Rowell, Tanner Keck, Jarrett Edison and Dustin Finn.
David James' crew would pretty much need a perfect weekend to be a threat in the team race, but every one of those qualifiers is capable of placing in the top eight and earning All-America honors. Finn has the best chance at an individual title and he certainly should be motivated after coming up just short the past two years with runner-up finishes.
What a story Dustin has been in coming back from a serious back injury suffered in early January that kept him off the mat for several weeks. He didn't return to competition until the regional tournament on Feb. 28, losing a last-second decision in the finals there, and he's ready to go.
And congrats to Cody Rowell, a fifth-year senior who persevered through an up-and-down career to earn a national tournament berth in his final season. It would be quite the storybook finish for him if he could pull a few more surprises and earn All-America honors in Omaha.
Both UCO basketball teams will be in South Central Regional play this weekend in the big state of Texas, with the women in Canyon and the men in Wichita Falls. The teams are identical in a lot of ways, with both having won 22 games and both the No. 6 seeds in their respective regional.
UCO's women will face a familiar foe in the first round in Northeastern State and it will definitely be a tall task, but the Bronchos are obviously capable of knocking off the RiverHawks after the teams split their two regular season meetings.
UCO's men are looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance in last week's league tournament that saw the Bronchos fall to a West Texas A&M team that had routed by 30-some points two months early. UCO goes against Fort Hays State in what should be an interesting battle between a pair of clubs who like to hoist up a lot of 3-pointers.
Both regional tournaments require three wins in a four-day span to win a championship and each UCO team has shown during the season what they're capable of.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
A Little About A Lot
February is a busy time with basketball and wrestling in the meat of their schedule while the spring sports all get their seasons started . . . when Mother Nature cooperates anyway.
Both basketball teams had lengthy winning streaks stopped last Saturday at Northeastern State, though both continue to have great seasons. UCO's women had won nine in a row -- tied for the best winning streak in school history -- before falling to NSU, while the men had their school-record 16-game streak stopped by the RiverHawks.
Each team is already assured a spot in the LSC Tournament, which will be held in Bartlesville for the third straight year. The men will tie for the North Division title and earn the No. 1 seed with wins in their last two games, while the women will finish anywhere from first to third depending on what happens this week.
The final home games are Wednesday night against East Central, so come on out to Hamilton Field House to see two fine Broncho teams in action.
UCO's wrestling team begins post-season competition Sunday at the Super Regional Two Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. The top-four placers at each of the 10 weights advance to the national tournament, with the Bronchos hoping to qualify all 10 individuals.
That will be a tough chore in a regional that includes top-ranked Nebraska-Omaha and No. 4 Wisconsin-Parkside, but UCO has been getting primed for a late-season push with two-a-day practices.
The Bronchos are off to their best start since 1989 on the softball diamond at 7-1, including a pair of one-run wins last week over No. 8-ranked Missouri Western. UCO has yet to play a game that was on its regular season schedule, having had to scramble around to find games the last two weeks after having two tournaments and a three-game series cancelled by weather.
Cold, rain and snow has also plagued the baseball team, with the Bronchos having played just four of the 13 games scheduled to this point. UCO's early schedule has been brutal, starting with four games at No. 10-ranked Abilene Christian and to open the season and then hosting No. 1 Emporia State in the home opener last week.
The Bronchos lost three of four to ACU despite leading early on in every game, but then bounced back with an impressive 10-8 upset of the top-rated Hornets.
Women's tennis also got their season underway with a pair of matches, one indoor and one outdoor. The Bronchos fell to Oklahoma State on the indoor courts at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club before routing Cowley County CC last week at home.
Both basketball teams had lengthy winning streaks stopped last Saturday at Northeastern State, though both continue to have great seasons. UCO's women had won nine in a row -- tied for the best winning streak in school history -- before falling to NSU, while the men had their school-record 16-game streak stopped by the RiverHawks.
Each team is already assured a spot in the LSC Tournament, which will be held in Bartlesville for the third straight year. The men will tie for the North Division title and earn the No. 1 seed with wins in their last two games, while the women will finish anywhere from first to third depending on what happens this week.
The final home games are Wednesday night against East Central, so come on out to Hamilton Field House to see two fine Broncho teams in action.
UCO's wrestling team begins post-season competition Sunday at the Super Regional Two Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. The top-four placers at each of the 10 weights advance to the national tournament, with the Bronchos hoping to qualify all 10 individuals.
That will be a tough chore in a regional that includes top-ranked Nebraska-Omaha and No. 4 Wisconsin-Parkside, but UCO has been getting primed for a late-season push with two-a-day practices.
The Bronchos are off to their best start since 1989 on the softball diamond at 7-1, including a pair of one-run wins last week over No. 8-ranked Missouri Western. UCO has yet to play a game that was on its regular season schedule, having had to scramble around to find games the last two weeks after having two tournaments and a three-game series cancelled by weather.
Cold, rain and snow has also plagued the baseball team, with the Bronchos having played just four of the 13 games scheduled to this point. UCO's early schedule has been brutal, starting with four games at No. 10-ranked Abilene Christian and to open the season and then hosting No. 1 Emporia State in the home opener last week.
The Bronchos lost three of four to ACU despite leading early on in every game, but then bounced back with an impressive 10-8 upset of the top-rated Hornets.
Women's tennis also got their season underway with a pair of matches, one indoor and one outdoor. The Bronchos fell to Oklahoma State on the indoor courts at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club before routing Cowley County CC last week at home.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Basketball Teams On A Roll
Both UCO basketball teams are on a roll heading into Wednesday night's Lone Star Conference North Division doubleheader at Southwestern Oklahoma and each has a chance to set a school record for consecutive wins in the next few days.
UCO's men are riding an impressive 13-game winning streak and Terry Evans' Bronchos can tie the school record of 14 straight wins with a victory over the Bulldogs. So a win tonight would set UCO up with a chance to break the record that was set way back during the 1963-64 season at home Saturday when Cameron invades Hamilton Field House.
The Bronchos have seldom been tested in their current streak, one of the exceptions being an overtime win over Cameron a couple of weeks ago in Lawton when UCO needed a Chris Rhymes layup at the buzzer to escape, 71-69.
UCO has shown great balance this year, though Dauntae Williams has proven he's probably the best all-around player in the league and one of the best in Division II. He's a do-everything player who not only jumps center for the Bronchos but also plays point guard.
The six-game winning streak by UCO's women is modest when compared to the men's 13-gamer, but Guy Hardaker's squad needs just three wins to equal the school record for most consecutive wins.
The Bronchos can get close to that with wins tonight and Saturday against Cameron and could tie that nine-game mark next Wednesday at home against East Central.
UCO had three close games last week in moving into a tie for the LSC North lead, knocking off previously unbeaten Northeastern State by three before beating Texas Woman's by a combined eight points in two consecutive meetings. The first of those TWU wins was a 96-93 double-overtime thriller in Denton when Savannah Hamilton kept the Bronchos alive with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from way downtown that tied the game at the end of regulation and forced overtime.
UCO's men are riding an impressive 13-game winning streak and Terry Evans' Bronchos can tie the school record of 14 straight wins with a victory over the Bulldogs. So a win tonight would set UCO up with a chance to break the record that was set way back during the 1963-64 season at home Saturday when Cameron invades Hamilton Field House.
The Bronchos have seldom been tested in their current streak, one of the exceptions being an overtime win over Cameron a couple of weeks ago in Lawton when UCO needed a Chris Rhymes layup at the buzzer to escape, 71-69.
UCO has shown great balance this year, though Dauntae Williams has proven he's probably the best all-around player in the league and one of the best in Division II. He's a do-everything player who not only jumps center for the Bronchos but also plays point guard.
The six-game winning streak by UCO's women is modest when compared to the men's 13-gamer, but Guy Hardaker's squad needs just three wins to equal the school record for most consecutive wins.
The Bronchos can get close to that with wins tonight and Saturday against Cameron and could tie that nine-game mark next Wednesday at home against East Central.
UCO had three close games last week in moving into a tie for the LSC North lead, knocking off previously unbeaten Northeastern State by three before beating Texas Woman's by a combined eight points in two consecutive meetings. The first of those TWU wins was a 96-93 double-overtime thriller in Denton when Savannah Hamilton kept the Bronchos alive with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from way downtown that tied the game at the end of regulation and forced overtime.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Winter Is Still Here
The second major winter storm in a month invaded Oklahoma Thursday, with the snow and ice playing havoc not only with roads and schools but with sports schedules. UCO was forced to cancel Friday's wrestling showdown with Nebraska-Omaha and Saturday's big basketball doubleheader with Northeastern State has been postponed.
There's probably no way to reschedule the dual with UNO, the Bronchos' biggest rival on the mat in NCAA Division II. Finding another date that fits into both teams' schedule the rest of the way appears unlikely, meaning UCO misses out on a rare home date.
No such problem exists in the basketball postponement, with the teams now set to play Monday night at Hamilton Field House. Monday's games are huge for everybody involved as the Lone Star Conference North Division race heats up.
UCO's women have won three straight to get to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in the league, one game behind NSU in the division standings. UCO's men are on a much bigger roll, having won 12 straight -- the third-longest winning streak in school history -- to get to 16-4 and 5-0 while NSU is also unbeaten in the North at 4-0.
Monday's game will start a busy week for the women, who must play three games in six days now. Home with NSU on Monday, on the road at Texas Woman's on Wednesday and home again Saturday with TWU.
And don't look now, but baseball and softball is set to start next week. Both teams open at home on Feb. 5, with baseball hosting perennial Division II powerhouse Central Missouri and softball entertaining Missouri Western.
There's probably no way to reschedule the dual with UNO, the Bronchos' biggest rival on the mat in NCAA Division II. Finding another date that fits into both teams' schedule the rest of the way appears unlikely, meaning UCO misses out on a rare home date.
No such problem exists in the basketball postponement, with the teams now set to play Monday night at Hamilton Field House. Monday's games are huge for everybody involved as the Lone Star Conference North Division race heats up.
UCO's women have won three straight to get to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in the league, one game behind NSU in the division standings. UCO's men are on a much bigger roll, having won 12 straight -- the third-longest winning streak in school history -- to get to 16-4 and 5-0 while NSU is also unbeaten in the North at 4-0.
Monday's game will start a busy week for the women, who must play three games in six days now. Home with NSU on Monday, on the road at Texas Woman's on Wednesday and home again Saturday with TWU.
And don't look now, but baseball and softball is set to start next week. Both teams open at home on Feb. 5, with baseball hosting perennial Division II powerhouse Central Missouri and softball entertaining Missouri Western.
Monday, January 18, 2010
All-Decade Football Team
Time for the last of my Central Oklahoma all-decade teams of the 2000s and we'll finish up with football. Once again, some tough choices here and I'm sure some may disagree with my picks, but here's what I came up with.
I picked 11 players on offense, 11 on defense and four on special teams.
On the defensive line I went with Claude Davis, Danny Nephew, Ryan Cooper and Jermelle Cudjo.
Big Claude played just one year (2000) in this decade, but he was an All-American that season and is the most dominating d-lineman I've seen in 22-plus years of following the Bronchos. Nephew played in 2002-03 and was a two-time All-LSC North Division pick, while Coop had a steady -- and sometimes spectacular -- career from 2000-03. Jermelle finished his four-year tour with UCO last fall as a three-time All-LSC North performer and could often overwhelm an offense with his strength and quickness.
At linebacker we've got K.C. Asiodu, Terry Hardeman and Will Clewis, a superb trio of tacklers who all shared an intense competitive fire on the field.
Asiodu played at UCO just one year, but he made a number of huge plays in 2008 to win LSC North Linebacker of the Year and showed just how good he really is by making the St. Louis Rams roster this past fall. Terry ended his three-year career in 2009 and was the emotional leader of the Broncho defense his final two seasons. Will was an amazing talent who earned All-America recognition both seasons (2006 and '07) at UCO, racking up 230 tackles with 26 for loss in those two years.
Filling out the secondary is Anthony Byrd, Giorgio Durham, Fred Shaw and Brandon Smith.
A.B. (2002-05) started throughout his stellar four-year career and was as consistent a defensive back as I've seen at UCO. Durham just finished his sophomore season for the Bronchos last fall, but he was the LSC North Division Defensive Back of the Year and an All-American after picking off a conference-high eight passes. Shaw (2004-05) was a tremendous athlete, earning All-LSC North honors at defensive back as a junior and then making it as a receiver the following year despite not switching to offense until mid-way through the season. Smith was an excellent cover corner and a two-time All-LSC North selection in 2006 and '07.
On the offensive side we'll also start with the line and taking up my five spots are John Fitzgerald, Dustin Finn, Luke Sapolu, B.J. Bender and Bobby Brooks.
Fitz made it just one year in this decade (2000), but he was an All-American that season for the third straight time in finishing off one of the most decorated careers in school history. Dustin (2005-08) moved from defense to offense after his sophomore year and missed just a handful of snaps his last two seasons, earning LSC North Lineman of the Year accolades as a senior. He also has the distinction of making two all-decade teams as he was also my pick at heavyweight on the wrestling squad. Sapolu was UCO's starting guard in 2008 and switched to center last year, performing well enough to pick up LSC North Lineman of the Year honors in spearheading a prolific offensive attack. B.J. was a three-time All-LSC North peformer during his career from 2000-03, serving as a vocal team leader on UCO's last playoff team in his final season. Brooks (2003-06) earned All-LSC North recognition twice during his productive career.
My receivers are Dee Dee Carter, Zach Edwards and Brandon Whiteley.
Dee Dee (2000-03) burst on the national scene as a sophomore in 2001 when he set a school-record with 1,469 receiving yards in earning All-America honors. A big-play threat throughout his career, he averaged an astounding 19.4 yards a catch for his CAREER and owns school marks for all-time catches (173) and yards (3,357). Edwards caught seemingly every ball that got close to him during his two years (2003-04) with the Bronchos. He set a school record with 79 catches in '04 and had 126 receptions for 1,940 yards in just two years. Brandon (2000-03) was a two-time All-LSC pick at tight end who was a fierce blocker and clutch receiver throughout his career.
In the backfield is Alex Aguilar, Greg Briley and Brandon Noohi.
Aguilar is our blocking back who could also see action at tailback if needed. Alex is one of just four players in school history to earn all-conference honors four times and he was one tough cookie during his time with the Bronchos from 2003-06. Greg is perhaps the most under-rated running back in school history, even though he rolled up 3,263 rushing yards -- third on UCO's career list -- from 1998-01. Not as flashy or as fast or others who have carried the ball for the Bronchos, all Briley did was get the job done. Brandon got the nod at quarterback with his unique run-pass ability as he set nine school records while directing the offense in 2008 and '09. Noohi amassed 5,433 yards total offense in just two years, including 3,301 last fall when he passed for 2,757 and ran for 544.
Rounding out the all-decade team is our special teams unit of Jason Dixon, A.J. Haglund, Brent Ingram and Ryan Gallimore.
Dixon made the squad at punter, though he did those duties just one season while also serving as UCO's place-kicker in 2005-06. Jason had 22 punts downed inside the 20 during his one year as punter and he also made 22 career field goals. A.J. was a no-brainer pick as the kicker after setting school records for single-game (five), season (15) and career (40) field goals during his time from 2001-04. He ranks second in all-time scoring at UCO with 259 points and has been an ultra-successful kicker in the indoor professional ranks since leaving the Bronchos. Brent doubled as a wide receiver and was dangerous running back both punts and kickoffs during his career from 2000-02. Ryan is also a wide receiver of soon note -- having already caught 130 career passes with the 2010 season still to go -- and he can do damage as a kick returner on the side, having scored on a 95-yard runback.
There it is, the all-decade football team. Let the debate begin.
I picked 11 players on offense, 11 on defense and four on special teams.
On the defensive line I went with Claude Davis, Danny Nephew, Ryan Cooper and Jermelle Cudjo.
Big Claude played just one year (2000) in this decade, but he was an All-American that season and is the most dominating d-lineman I've seen in 22-plus years of following the Bronchos. Nephew played in 2002-03 and was a two-time All-LSC North Division pick, while Coop had a steady -- and sometimes spectacular -- career from 2000-03. Jermelle finished his four-year tour with UCO last fall as a three-time All-LSC North performer and could often overwhelm an offense with his strength and quickness.
At linebacker we've got K.C. Asiodu, Terry Hardeman and Will Clewis, a superb trio of tacklers who all shared an intense competitive fire on the field.
Asiodu played at UCO just one year, but he made a number of huge plays in 2008 to win LSC North Linebacker of the Year and showed just how good he really is by making the St. Louis Rams roster this past fall. Terry ended his three-year career in 2009 and was the emotional leader of the Broncho defense his final two seasons. Will was an amazing talent who earned All-America recognition both seasons (2006 and '07) at UCO, racking up 230 tackles with 26 for loss in those two years.
Filling out the secondary is Anthony Byrd, Giorgio Durham, Fred Shaw and Brandon Smith.
A.B. (2002-05) started throughout his stellar four-year career and was as consistent a defensive back as I've seen at UCO. Durham just finished his sophomore season for the Bronchos last fall, but he was the LSC North Division Defensive Back of the Year and an All-American after picking off a conference-high eight passes. Shaw (2004-05) was a tremendous athlete, earning All-LSC North honors at defensive back as a junior and then making it as a receiver the following year despite not switching to offense until mid-way through the season. Smith was an excellent cover corner and a two-time All-LSC North selection in 2006 and '07.
On the offensive side we'll also start with the line and taking up my five spots are John Fitzgerald, Dustin Finn, Luke Sapolu, B.J. Bender and Bobby Brooks.
Fitz made it just one year in this decade (2000), but he was an All-American that season for the third straight time in finishing off one of the most decorated careers in school history. Dustin (2005-08) moved from defense to offense after his sophomore year and missed just a handful of snaps his last two seasons, earning LSC North Lineman of the Year accolades as a senior. He also has the distinction of making two all-decade teams as he was also my pick at heavyweight on the wrestling squad. Sapolu was UCO's starting guard in 2008 and switched to center last year, performing well enough to pick up LSC North Lineman of the Year honors in spearheading a prolific offensive attack. B.J. was a three-time All-LSC North peformer during his career from 2000-03, serving as a vocal team leader on UCO's last playoff team in his final season. Brooks (2003-06) earned All-LSC North recognition twice during his productive career.
My receivers are Dee Dee Carter, Zach Edwards and Brandon Whiteley.
Dee Dee (2000-03) burst on the national scene as a sophomore in 2001 when he set a school-record with 1,469 receiving yards in earning All-America honors. A big-play threat throughout his career, he averaged an astounding 19.4 yards a catch for his CAREER and owns school marks for all-time catches (173) and yards (3,357). Edwards caught seemingly every ball that got close to him during his two years (2003-04) with the Bronchos. He set a school record with 79 catches in '04 and had 126 receptions for 1,940 yards in just two years. Brandon (2000-03) was a two-time All-LSC pick at tight end who was a fierce blocker and clutch receiver throughout his career.
In the backfield is Alex Aguilar, Greg Briley and Brandon Noohi.
Aguilar is our blocking back who could also see action at tailback if needed. Alex is one of just four players in school history to earn all-conference honors four times and he was one tough cookie during his time with the Bronchos from 2003-06. Greg is perhaps the most under-rated running back in school history, even though he rolled up 3,263 rushing yards -- third on UCO's career list -- from 1998-01. Not as flashy or as fast or others who have carried the ball for the Bronchos, all Briley did was get the job done. Brandon got the nod at quarterback with his unique run-pass ability as he set nine school records while directing the offense in 2008 and '09. Noohi amassed 5,433 yards total offense in just two years, including 3,301 last fall when he passed for 2,757 and ran for 544.
Rounding out the all-decade team is our special teams unit of Jason Dixon, A.J. Haglund, Brent Ingram and Ryan Gallimore.
Dixon made the squad at punter, though he did those duties just one season while also serving as UCO's place-kicker in 2005-06. Jason had 22 punts downed inside the 20 during his one year as punter and he also made 22 career field goals. A.J. was a no-brainer pick as the kicker after setting school records for single-game (five), season (15) and career (40) field goals during his time from 2001-04. He ranks second in all-time scoring at UCO with 259 points and has been an ultra-successful kicker in the indoor professional ranks since leaving the Bronchos. Brent doubled as a wide receiver and was dangerous running back both punts and kickoffs during his career from 2000-02. Ryan is also a wide receiver of soon note -- having already caught 130 career passes with the 2010 season still to go -- and he can do damage as a kick returner on the side, having scored on a 95-yard runback.
There it is, the all-decade football team. Let the debate begin.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
All-Decade Soccer Team
Today is the day for the Central Oklahoma all-decade women's soccer team and, man, were there some great candidates to choose from! The Bronchos enjoyed tremendous success in the 2000s, winning six regular season Lone Star Conference championships, five LSC tournament titles and making seven NCAA Division II national tournament appearances.
Some great players had to be left off, but this is a powerful team that has it all -- great scorers, suffocating defenders and excellent passers.
My three forwards are Carmen Davis, Sally Holmes and Kim Brown.
Davis played from 2005-07, earning LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-America honors as a senior while finishing her career with 26 goals. Holmes was with UCO just one year in this decade, but she was a scoring machine as a senior in 2000 when she punched in a school-record 35 goals while adding 11 assists to garner LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-Region acclaim. Brown had a remarkable career from 1999-02 as a four-time All-LSC and three-time All-Region performer, setting school marks for career goals (91) and points (209). She was also one of the toughest players I've seen at UCO, leaving a game once to go to the hospital and then coming back to play the second half after having a number of stitches put in her head.
In the midfield is Joy Hagemann, Jeorgia McGinty, Lindsey Hull and Valerie Gutierrez.
Hagemann (2002-05) had an under-appreciated career and was a tremendous field leader for the Bronchos who was an All-Region selection as a senior. McGinty was part of UCO's first-ever team in 1998, played through 2001 and is probably the fastest player I've seen in a Broncho uniform. She really opened things up for UCO with her passing ability, setting school records for single-season (14, twice) and career (48) assists while adding 26 goals. Hull (2003-06) was a two-time All-Region pick who was an All-American in 2005 and she finished her career with 29 goals, 14 assists and 72 points. Gutierrez was a creative offensive threat with great speed who earned first-team All-LSC honors three times from 2000-03 and ranks among the top five in all-time goals (38) and assists (37).
My defenders are Lisa Hansen, Stephanie Gulisao and Alli Miller, a terrific trio who helped shut down countless opponents during their sensational careers.
Hansen (1999-02) was a three-time first-team All-LSC selection who could mark up any team's top offensive player and started UCO's tradition of great fullbacks. Gulisao (2001-04) was one tough cookie and didn't back down from any challenge. She also earned first-team All-LSC honors three times, claiming Defensive Player of the Year acclaim twice, and was an All-American as a senior. Miller ended her career last fall as a a four-time first-team All-LSC pick, nabbing Defensive Player of the Year honors twice. Alli was, simply put, a stud.
At goalkeeper I've got to go with Carly Fischer. A model of consistency throughout her career from 2004-07, Carly finished with a career-record 252 saves, earning All-LSC and All-Region recognition three times.
There it is, the UCO all-decade women's soccer team. Next up is football.
Some great players had to be left off, but this is a powerful team that has it all -- great scorers, suffocating defenders and excellent passers.
My three forwards are Carmen Davis, Sally Holmes and Kim Brown.
Davis played from 2005-07, earning LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-America honors as a senior while finishing her career with 26 goals. Holmes was with UCO just one year in this decade, but she was a scoring machine as a senior in 2000 when she punched in a school-record 35 goals while adding 11 assists to garner LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-Region acclaim. Brown had a remarkable career from 1999-02 as a four-time All-LSC and three-time All-Region performer, setting school marks for career goals (91) and points (209). She was also one of the toughest players I've seen at UCO, leaving a game once to go to the hospital and then coming back to play the second half after having a number of stitches put in her head.
In the midfield is Joy Hagemann, Jeorgia McGinty, Lindsey Hull and Valerie Gutierrez.
Hagemann (2002-05) had an under-appreciated career and was a tremendous field leader for the Bronchos who was an All-Region selection as a senior. McGinty was part of UCO's first-ever team in 1998, played through 2001 and is probably the fastest player I've seen in a Broncho uniform. She really opened things up for UCO with her passing ability, setting school records for single-season (14, twice) and career (48) assists while adding 26 goals. Hull (2003-06) was a two-time All-Region pick who was an All-American in 2005 and she finished her career with 29 goals, 14 assists and 72 points. Gutierrez was a creative offensive threat with great speed who earned first-team All-LSC honors three times from 2000-03 and ranks among the top five in all-time goals (38) and assists (37).
My defenders are Lisa Hansen, Stephanie Gulisao and Alli Miller, a terrific trio who helped shut down countless opponents during their sensational careers.
Hansen (1999-02) was a three-time first-team All-LSC selection who could mark up any team's top offensive player and started UCO's tradition of great fullbacks. Gulisao (2001-04) was one tough cookie and didn't back down from any challenge. She also earned first-team All-LSC honors three times, claiming Defensive Player of the Year acclaim twice, and was an All-American as a senior. Miller ended her career last fall as a a four-time first-team All-LSC pick, nabbing Defensive Player of the Year honors twice. Alli was, simply put, a stud.
At goalkeeper I've got to go with Carly Fischer. A model of consistency throughout her career from 2004-07, Carly finished with a career-record 252 saves, earning All-LSC and All-Region recognition three times.
There it is, the UCO all-decade women's soccer team. Next up is football.
Monday, January 11, 2010
All-Decade Volleyball Team
A new week, a new Central Oklahoma all-decade team. Today, it's the volleyball squad of the 2000s.
The majority of this team comes from the early 2000s and five of my seven players actually played together in 2002. And that unit, not coincidently, was on my list of top 10 teams of the decade.
Leading the way and the runaway MVP in my mind is Alma Brahimaj, one of three outside hitters on my team. A four-time first-team All-Lone Star Conference North Division pick from 1999-02, Alma was -- quite simply -- amazing. Just a great, great player who owns school records for single-match (46), single-season (644) and career (2,404) kills, with the all-time mark also an LSC record. She had 600-plus kills in three of our four seasons and also ranks second in career digs at UCO with 1,833.
Another outside hitter who played the same years as Alma is Lexy Fortner. A three-time first-team All-LSC North performer in her own right, Lexy and Alma created quite a pair in spearheading a potent UCO offense and they led the Bronchos to 56 wins and back-to-back LSC North titles their last two years. Lexy finished with 1,555 career kills, fourth on the school's list.
My final outside hitter played only one year for the Bronchos, but what a sensational player Mari Araujo was. A remarkable athlete who could virtually do it all on the court, Mari collected 629 kills and 536 years in leading UCO to a school-record 32 wins and the second round of the national tournament in 2007.
My two middle blockers are Tori Walker and Katy Wallace, who played together a couple of years. Tori was at UCO from 2001-03 and Katy from 1999-02 and both were terrific blockers at the net who also had high attack percentages. Tori was a two-time first-team All-LSC North performer and had 337 career assisted blocks, while Katy earned second-team All-LSC North honors three times and ended with 366 career assisted blocks.
At setter I went with Stacey Meek, who owns school records for single-season (1,660) and career assists (5,604). Another great all-around athlete, Stacey received All-LSC North Division recognition all four years during her stellar stay from 2000-03.
Rounding out the team at libero/defensive specialist is Lacie Allen, who played from 2004-07. Lacie was incredible after being moved to libero her final two years, making some of the most unbelievable digs I've ever seen. She capped her career with a magical senior season, becoming UCO's first-ever NCAA Division II volleyball All-American while collecting a national-record 996 digs and she finished her career with a school- and LSC-record 2,765 digs.
So there it is, my all-decade volleyball team. Coming tomorrow, women's soccer.
The majority of this team comes from the early 2000s and five of my seven players actually played together in 2002. And that unit, not coincidently, was on my list of top 10 teams of the decade.
Leading the way and the runaway MVP in my mind is Alma Brahimaj, one of three outside hitters on my team. A four-time first-team All-Lone Star Conference North Division pick from 1999-02, Alma was -- quite simply -- amazing. Just a great, great player who owns school records for single-match (46), single-season (644) and career (2,404) kills, with the all-time mark also an LSC record. She had 600-plus kills in three of our four seasons and also ranks second in career digs at UCO with 1,833.
Another outside hitter who played the same years as Alma is Lexy Fortner. A three-time first-team All-LSC North performer in her own right, Lexy and Alma created quite a pair in spearheading a potent UCO offense and they led the Bronchos to 56 wins and back-to-back LSC North titles their last two years. Lexy finished with 1,555 career kills, fourth on the school's list.
My final outside hitter played only one year for the Bronchos, but what a sensational player Mari Araujo was. A remarkable athlete who could virtually do it all on the court, Mari collected 629 kills and 536 years in leading UCO to a school-record 32 wins and the second round of the national tournament in 2007.
My two middle blockers are Tori Walker and Katy Wallace, who played together a couple of years. Tori was at UCO from 2001-03 and Katy from 1999-02 and both were terrific blockers at the net who also had high attack percentages. Tori was a two-time first-team All-LSC North performer and had 337 career assisted blocks, while Katy earned second-team All-LSC North honors three times and ended with 366 career assisted blocks.
At setter I went with Stacey Meek, who owns school records for single-season (1,660) and career assists (5,604). Another great all-around athlete, Stacey received All-LSC North Division recognition all four years during her stellar stay from 2000-03.
Rounding out the team at libero/defensive specialist is Lacie Allen, who played from 2004-07. Lacie was incredible after being moved to libero her final two years, making some of the most unbelievable digs I've ever seen. She capped her career with a magical senior season, becoming UCO's first-ever NCAA Division II volleyball All-American while collecting a national-record 996 digs and she finished her career with a school- and LSC-record 2,765 digs.
So there it is, my all-decade volleyball team. Coming tomorrow, women's soccer.
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