WTAMU track and field dominates at LSC championships
The West Texas A&M men and women’s track and field teams put on quite the show with both bringing home Lone Star Conference Outdoor championships for a fourth consecutive year from Thursday through Saturday in San Angelo.
The Buffs racked up their highest point total in program history with 284.50 points while the Lady Buffs achieved their second highest point total with 274.
If the Buffs and Lady Buffs distance squads competed as their own team, they’d each placed third overall in the team scores. Out of 10 distance events, WT scored eight first place finishes, one second place finish and one event where no one was entered to competed. WT won 80 percent of their distance races, had 28 athletes place in the top either, or achieved five podium sweeps.
Florance Uwajeneza and William Amponsah remained undefeated by taking first in the 5,000m and 10,000m. Both are national leaders in the 10,000m this season.
Betty Bajika won her first LSC Championship gold in the 1500m running in 4:30 marking the 10th fastest time in WT history. Freshman Sarah Koomson took second and Kalkidan Vincenduea third, respectively in the event. Koomson made the podium in both her events, the 1500m and 5,000m.
Aziz Mohammed placed first in his two events, the 800m and 1500m. In the 800m, Mohammed ran in 1:48.4 marking the third fastest time in WT history and in the 1500m he ran in 3:46.3 seconds to mark the fourth fastest for WT. He took first in the 1500m by four seconds ahead of second place WT teammate, Louis Moreau (3:50.7).
The Buffs and Lady Buffs both took first in the sprint relay and the 200-meter dash. Olympic qualifier, Isaac Botsio, easily ran ahead of the competition in the 100-meter at 10.22 seconds to garner first and defended his title from last year.
The Lady Buffs sprint relay consisted of Joy Udo-Gabriel, Deborah Acheampong, Amari Weatherford and DeOndra Green as they finished in 45.11 seconds.
Floydada graduate Luke Holcombe earned the most points for the throwers by making the podium in all three events. On Saturday he took gold in the shot put (16.94m) and added to his already bronze performances in the discus and hammer throw. Combined Holcombe brought in 22 points for the Buffs.
Lady Buff golf team wins West Regional championship
The West Texas A&M women’s golf team continued their success with another outstanding performance by winning the NCAA Division II West Regional championship at the Brookside Golf and Country Club in Stockton, Calif on Monday through Wednesday.
The Lady Buffs put together three superb days of golf firing a 54-hole total of 858 (6-under-par) to beat Dallas Baptist by nine strokes (867).
Anna Nomrowski was clutch for the Lady Buffs finishing second individually a 5-under-par 211 for the tournament including a 67 in the final round.
Teammate Rylie Cook moved up four spots to tie for fifth with her score 1-under (215). Lorenza Perini ended tied for 17th in the tournament at 5-over (221). Gam Songprasert jumped 17 spots on the leaderboard to end tied for 27th at 8-over (224). Sarah Reed ended tied for 32nd at 9-over (225).
WTAMU advances to the NCAA Division II national championships set for May 21-25 at the Orange County National Golf Center in Orlando, Fla.
Buffs men’s golf team makes school history
The West Texas A&M men’s golf team has taken major strides and it showed as for the first time in program history the Buffs have punched a ticket to the NCAA Division II national championships.
The Buffs carded a 54-hole round of 854 (2-over-par) that was good enough to finish fourth at the South Central/ West Regional held at the New Mexico State Golf Course in Las Cruces, N.M. from Thursday to Saturday.
Randall graduate and WTAMU freshman Wyatt Provence. The standout golfer posted a 3-under-par 210 (3-under-par) after rounds of 71-67-72. Provence placed tied seventh with teammate Luis Paloma who also shot 210 (3-under-par).
The NCAA Division II national championships will take place on May 21-25 at the Orange County National Golf Center in Winter Garden, Fla.
Lady Buff softball falls short in South Central Regional
A tremendous season came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday as the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs softball team fell to Oklahoma Christian 9-8 in eight innings during an NCAA Division II South Central Regional tournament clash at Schaeffer Park.
Despite the loss it doesn’t reflect on what the Lady Buffs accomplished in 2024. WTAMU finished a fantastic year at 50-8 overall, were the Co-Lone Star Conference regular season champions and the LSC Tournament champions. It’s also the first time in program history the softball program has posted back-to-back 50-win seasons.
WTAMU didn’t get off to the best start in the regional dropping Thursday’s double elimination tournament opener to Regis 4-3. With their backs against the wall the Lady Buffs showed resilience with a pair of victories Friday beating Angelo State 3-1 then getting revenge on Regis with a 7-0 shutout.
On Saturday, WTAMU needed to beat OCU two times to get back to the NCAA Division II College World Series.
However, it just wasn’t meant to be. In a game that went three hours and saw multiple momentum shifts, WTAMU came up short on a walk-off single into left from Grace Anderson in the bottom of the eighth that ended the contest.
Lauren Granger posted two home runs for WTAMU in the four games and LSC Player of the Year went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs against OCU.
Heidi Vortherms picked up both wins in the circle on Friday tossing a combined 13.2 innings scattering four total hits without allowing a run and six strikeouts.
