Beyond the Pressbox

UTEP’s Simonsen ties for 27th at NCAA Regionals

UTEP freshman Martin Simonsen closed the book on an outstanding freshman season, tying for 27th place at NCAA Regionals on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

Simonsen shot a four-over-par 76 on the final round and finished with a seven-over-par 223 (72-75-76).  It wasn’t enough to make the NCAA Finals, as St. Mary’s Jonathan De Los Reye defeated San Diego’s Grant Forrest on the first hole (no. 18) of a playoff to earn the lone individual bid out of the regional.  De Los Reye and Forrest both fired a two-over-par 218.

Simonsen ended the campaign with a 72.6 scoring average in eight tournaments while becoming the first individual to represent UTEP at NCAA Regionals in three years.

 

 

UTEP’s Simonsen goes plus 3 on day two of NCAA Regional

UTEP freshman Martin Simonsen shot a three-over-par 75 on day two of the NCAA Norman Regional on Friday at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club.

Through 36 holes, Simonsen stands tied for 23rd place with a three-over 147 (72-75). The final round will be played on Saturday.

The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the finals, slated for May 29-June 3 in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

The top five teams after two rounds are Washington (286-281-567), Florida State (279-292-571), Texas (279-293-572), Illinois (284-291-575) and Georgia Tech (290-286-576). Simonsen is eight strokes back of the top individual not on those teams, Jonathan De Los Reye of St. Mary’s (Calif.), who is in third place with 139 (71-68). Simonsen finished strong on Friday with a birdie on two of his last three holes, but triple bogeyed the fifth hole.

The 2012 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Simonsen is the first UTEP individual to compete at NCAA Regionals since Roger Sloan in 2009.

UTEP men are No. 2 at C-USA Championships

The UTEP track and field men’s team is second after day two of competition at the 2012 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

 The squad has accumulated a total of 39 points in the championships, putting the Miners in good position heading into the finals Sunday. Houston currently leads with 49 points. 

Freshman Anthony Rotich claimed silver in the men's 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 8:56.39. Rotich put the Miners in second place as they wrap up the second day of competition. 

Junior Donovant Grant takes bronze at the C-USA Championships in the men's long jump. Grant posted a personal-best of 7.34m (24-01.00) earning the men’s team six points in the leaderboard.  

Action continues at 11 a.m. Sunday. 

 

 

UTEP men lead C-USA Championships

The UTEP track and field men’s team takes the lead after the first day of competition at the 2012 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in New Orleans, La. on Friday. 

The men’s squad is in first place accumulating a total of 25 points, followed by Tulsa with 15 points and Memphis with 13 points overall. 

Freshman Demetris Elia claimed silver in the men’s hammer throw Friday afternoon. Elia put the Miners on the board with a mark of 59.67m (195-09) earning the men’s team eight points. 

The distance team took the track for the men’s 10,000m giving UTEP the lead in the leaderboard. Elkana Rotich finished second in the race with a season-best of 30:50.99. Elphas Maiyo crossed the finish line fourth with a time of 31:00.54, following closely behind was Solomon Gardea taking fifth with a time of 31:07.63.

Senior Kathya Garcia took second place in the women’s 10,000m posting a time of 35:25.52. Sister Karina Garcia registered a time of 36:42.98 taking seventh place overall. 

Action continues on Saturday. 

 

Jackson takes third at Drake Relays

UTEP sophomore Janice Jackson finished third in the women’s 100m hurdles at Drake Relays on Saturday. 

Jackson posted a time of 13.55 in the hurdles finishing closely behind nationally ranked No. 19 Brittany Hyter (Arkansas) and No. 17 Morgan Snow (Texas). 

The women’s 4x100m shuttle hurdle relay kicked off the last day of Drake Relays on Saturday. The team clocked in a time of 57.49 earning them a spot in the finals. Running in the relay was Janice Jackson, Aeisha McDavid, Marine Menez and Samantha Sharper. 

On the men’s side, Demetris Elia was the only Miner on the men’s team competing individually. Elias recorded a mark of 55.57m (182-04) in the hammer throw claiming 19th-place overall. 14504

 

 

Miners post top 10 finishes at Drake Relays

Freshman Anthony Rotich took first place in the men’s 5,000m clocking in the nations 37th-fastest time of 13:57.09 on the opening day of the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. This is the first time this outdoor season that the freshman took part in the the 5,000m. 

Elkana Rotich crossed the finish line fifth in the 5,000m posting a time of 14:19.90, followed by El Paso native Solomon Gardea with a personal-best of 14:26.65, which was good enough for eighth. 

Freshman Elphas Maiyo competed in the men’s 10,000m for the first time and finished 12th overall with a time of 30:22.40. 

Senior Kathya Garcia recorded a season-best time of 16:31.69 in the women’s 5,000m finishing fourth. This is the second time this season that Garcia runs the event after having suffered an injury earlier this year.

 

 

Official weights for Saturday's fight card at Don Haskins Center

Abner Mares 119.5 vs. Eric Morel 120
(Vacant WBC super bantamweight championship)
Anselmo Moreno 117.5 vs. David de la Mora 117.5
(WBA bantamweight championship)
Antonio Escalante 128 vs. Francisco Camacho 125
Librado Andrade 173 vs. Rowland Bryant 173.5
Francisco Vargas 130.5 vs. Rafael Lora 130.5
Luis Ramos Jr. 135 vs. Daniel Attah 133.5
Venue: UTEP’s Don Haskins Center in El Paso
Promoter: Golden Boy

Trainer Todd Fincher sweeps both divisions of Copper Top Futurity

Trainer Todd Fincher had a big day on Saturday after sweeping both divisions of the Copper Top Futurity at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. The high percentage conditioner won the $120,989 Copper Top Futurity for colts and geldings with Kiss My Hennessy and then came back to win the fillies division with Hennessy Road.
 
Dismissed at 7-1 odds, Kiss My Hennessy scored a bold one and one-half length win in the colts and geldings division of the Copper Top. The former maiden ran a strong race and forced the pace throughout. The Roll Hennessy Roll gelding was empowered through the stretch and pulled clear of his opponents under a hand ride from leading jockey Miguel Hernandez. He caught the distance in 52.75 second through extremely blustery conditions. A $2 win ticket on Kiss My Hennessy was worth a generous $16.20.
 
Kiss My Hennessy earned $60,494 for owners Scott Bryant and Joe Dee Brooks of Levelland, Texas. Brooks and Fincher combined forces to win last year’s Copper Top Futurity for colts and geldings with I Play Dirty. 
 
Ridden by jockey Casey Lambert, Hennessy Road generated an impressive three and one-half length victory in the fillies division to the Copper Top. The Roll Hennessy Roll filly roared into action after breaking from the #9 post position. She ran boldly with a three-wide attack around the turn and never let up on the throttle. Lambert had his filly well in control in upper stretch. The 6-5 favorite marched home for another convincing win for trainer Todd Fincher.
 
Hennessy Road collected a $50,479 payday for her second career victory. She is owned by W. Davis and Lisa Moore of Lubbock, Texas. The winning time was a sharp 52.35 seconds.
   

Live racing resumes on Sunday at 12:45 p.m. A $35,158 Solo 6 carryover pool is on the line. The $217,146 West Texas Futurity (Grade 1) is the fourth race at 300 yards. The $100,000 Sunland Park Handicap is the 10th race at one and one-eighth miles.

The final day of racing is Tuesday. 

UTEP women's golf team finishes fourth at tourney

The UTEP women's golf team registered its third top-five finish of the season — and second in as many tournaments — by claiming fourth place at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic on Wednesday in Chandler, Ariz.

Coming off a title at the Uuniversity of Little Rock-Arkansas Classic, the Miners posted rounds of 301, 300 and 304 for a total of 905. Iowa was champion of the 24-team tournament with an 884 score. Senior Shang-Fan Huang tied for 12th place with a 7-over-par 223 to lead the Miners. 

UTEP now will compete in the Conference USA Championship on April 23-25 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

 

Distance team post personal-best times at Stanford Invitational

Senior Justice Chirchir and freshman Anthony Rotich post personal-best times at the 2012 Stanford Invitational on Friday night. Chirchir took second place in the men’s 5,000m run recording a personal-best 13:55.92. The seniors’ time earns him the No. 5 spot in the current national rankings and the top time in Conference USA for the event. Rotich continues to improve his time in the men’s 3000m steeplechase posting a time of 8:55.63 finishing third in section two of the event. The freshman ranks fourth in the nation for his performance at the Stanford Invitational. Senior Kathya Garcia clocked in a time of 34:19.26 in the women’s 10,000m run.