Wright One Step Closer To NCAA Championships
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Jarrick Wright finished second in his heat of the 100 meter dash to advance to the quarterfinals Thursday at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Austin.
Wright was clocked in 10.47 seconds, earning a berth in the next round as one of the top three finishers in a heat.
For the day, he stands 12th among the 24 athletes advancing.
In the next round, Wright must finish as one of the top 12 runners to earn a berth in the NCAA National Championships in Oregon in June.
The 100 meter dash quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday at 6:45 p.m.
Kristen Mitchell placed fifth in his heat of the 100 meters with a time of 10.34. He finished 31st in the competition.
Matt Viverette of Sam Houston just missed advancing to the quarterfinals of the 400 meter hurdles.
Viverette ran 52.29 to finish fourth in his heat behind Keaton Rickels of Iowa (51.28). He finished with the 25th best time in the event, missing the cut by .07 seconds. Bret Scheve of Boise State was the final quarterfinal qualifier with a time of 52.22.
Sam Houston continues action Friday in the women’s pole vault, men’s hammer and men’s 110 meter hurdles.
Friday, May 24
1 p.m. – Women’s pole vault
2 p.m. – Men’s hammer
5:30 p.m. – Men’s 110 meter hurdles first round
6:45 p.m. – Men’s 100 meter dash quarterfinals
7:45 p.m. – Men’s 400 meter hurdles quarterfinals
Saturday, May 25
6 p.m. – Men’s triple jump
7:20 p.m. – Men’s 110 meter hurdles quarterfinals
SHSU Brings In Collins As New Defensive Coordinator
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Mike Collins, formerly assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at McNeese State, is joining the Sam Houston State football staff, Bearkat director of athletics Bobby Williams and head coach Willie Fritz have announced.
Collins served two stints with McNeese State.
As an assistant to Bobby Keasler from 1991 to 1997, he coached linebackers as McNeese won four Southland Conference titles and played in the NCAA Division I national championship game in 1997.
“Mike Collins will be a super fit for us here at Sam Houston,” Fritz said. “I’ve known Mike a long time. He runs a similar defensive structure to what we have been doing here. We’re fortunate to get Mike at Sam Houston.”
Rejoining the Cowboy staff in 2008, he served as defensive coordinator and secondary coach.
The 2009 Cowboys were Southland co-champions and league runner-up in 2010.
While at McNeese, Collins coached six All-America selections as well as the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year three times.
“This is a great opportunity. I’m excited to be a Bearkat,” Collins said. “What interested me most about the position was the outstanding job Coach Fritz has done here at Sam Houston. I appreciate the way the team has played with such discipline. I’ve also seen the support the university administration has given the program. Sam Houston obviously is committed to success in athletics. I am thankful for the opportunity they have given me.”
Collins got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Louisiana-Monroe in 1983-84.
From there, he served as an assistant coach at Ouachita Parish High School before joining the staff at McNeese State in 1991.
He left McNeese after the 1997 season to work at his alma mater, Louisiana-Monroe, where he coached for five years.
Collins first served as linebacker coach in 1998 and then as the defensive coordinator for three years.
He took over as interim head coach at Louisiana-Monroe three games into the 2002 season before being named the teams’ permanent head coach on Nov. 20 of that year.
In 2003, Collins spent a season as an intern on the national championship staff of Nick Saban at LSU.
He then joined the Tiger staff full-time in March of 2004 as LSU’s linebackers coach.
In 2005 he moved to Northwestern State as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
In 2007 he served as linebacker coach at Kilgore High School before returning for his second stint in Lake Charles with the Cowboys in 2008.
Collins is a 1983 graduate of Louisiana-Monroe, where he lettered for four years as a center in football.
He earned his master’s degree from Louisiana-Monroe in 1984.
He is married to the former Terri Brinson and the couple has two children, John Michael and Matt.
His father, Pat Collins, coached Louisiana-Monroe to a national title.
Bearkats Falls Short In Decisive Game
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
A 5-4 loss to Northwestern State in a “winner-take-all” final Saturday in Natchitoches ended an amazing run by the No. 3 seeded Bearkats in the 2013 Southland Conference softball tournament.
After falling to 1-0 to Northwestern State in a game interrupted by a 15-hour rain delay Thursday and Friday, Sam Houston four consecutive victories, outscoring Lamar, Southeastern Louisiana, Central Arkansas and Northwestern State 30-9.
But the Demons bounced back from a 5-0 shutout in the first title game to win a shoot out that came down to the last out to earn the Southland’s NCAA playoff berth as the No. 2 seed.
“After 16 hours of softball, it came down to one run,” SHSU head coach Bob Brock. “I’m proud of how hard our kids fought today. I’m especially proud of the leadership our four seniors gave this year. The fact that all four earned all-tournament honors shows just how valuable they have been.”
Sam Houston appeared to be in the driver’s seat after a two-run homer by Kim Damian and an RBI single by Shelbi Tucker in the sixth inning gave the Bearkats a 4-3 lead.
But a two-run single by Cali Burke brought in the winning runs in the top of the seventh.
With runners at second and third and two outs, the Demons retired the Bearkats to earn the win.
Sam Houston ends the season with a 37-24 mark.
The Demons advance to the playoffs with a 40-13 record.
Designated Hillary Adams put the first run on the board with an RBI single to left field in the top of the first inning.
The hit scored second baseman Alyssa Coggins who singled and reached second on a wild pitch.
Brittany Virgoe evened the score at 1-1 with a solo home run over the left field bleachers, her eighth home run of the year and the first run for the Demons in nine innings Saturday.
Both teams left runners stranded on third base in the third inning.
Natalie Landry put the Demons ahead 3-1 in the top of the fourth inning with a two-run homer to left center.
Shelby Lancaster (15-8) was the losing pitcher for Sam Houston.
Following the tournament, six Bearkats were selected as all-tournament. They were Benavidez, Coggins, Damian, Tucker and Isbell.
Lightning Strikes Twice For SHSU Baseball
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