ACU Today Spring 1999 Sports
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Softball team finishes second in LSC South Division

At the end of ACU's 2000 softball season, a fan asked head coach Carol Tabor ('89) if she would be attending the NCAA Division II national tournament.

"No," Tabor replied. "I've already played four of the eight teams in the tournament. Why would I want to see them again?"

Indeed the Wildcats did play North Dakota State, 1995 and 1996 national champion Kennesaw State (Ga.), Mesa State (Colo.) and West Florida - all of whom participated in the 2000 national tournament.

"We wanted to get our program to a national level, and we began to do that this year," Tabor said. "You never know how good you have to be to win a championship unless you play the type of teams we played this year. Now we know how far we have to go to get to that point."

The Wildcats, despite their 27-31 record, weren't that far away in 2000.

They were 5-9 in one-run games and 3-3 in extra-inning games. They were 0-6 against national champion North Dakota State, Kennesaw State, Mesa State and West Florida. However, three of those six losses were by three runs or less.

The Wildcats, who dominated the Lone Star Conference First Pitch Tournament in February (winning four games by a combined score of 22-1), re-grouped late in the season to finish 9-7 in the LSC South Division and earn the No. 2 seed from the South for the LSC Post-Season Tournament.

ACU was knocked out of the double-elimination tournament in its third game with a 4-0 loss to Texas Woman's. The Wildcats had previously lost to Northeastern State and then beaten East Central Oklahoma.

Several Wildcats, however, did earn post-season honors, led by junior shortstop Veronica Villa, who was named the LSC South Division co-Player of the Year, academic all-LSC, and first team GTE academic all-District VI.

Other Wildcats honored were senior outfielder Theressa Johnson (first team all-LSC South), catcher Lynee Velasco, outfielder Alicia Ortiz, and utility players Rebecca Elderidge and Amanda Cobb (second team all-LSC picks). Second baseman Betsy Paxton and Ortiz were named to the LSC all-tournament team.

Tabor was named LSC co-Coach of the Year.

Women's tennis team reaches nationals; men reach regionals

The ACU men's and women's tennis teams again proved to be among the best in the country as the women reached the NCAA Division II national tournament for the sixth straight season, and the men again earned a berth to the Midwest Region Tournament.

The ACU women finished 26-3 after reaching the national quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season. ACU was knocked out in the quarterfinal round by third-seeded West Florida, which beat ACU 5-0 and went on to finish third in the tournament, which was won by defending national champion BYU-Hawaii.

The Wildcats entered the tournament having won 18 straight matches, and they extended that streak to 19 with a first-round win over Bloomsburg (Pa.). Seven of ACU's 26 wins during the season came against NCAA Division I opponents.

Leah Ticer was one of the top singles players in the conference and finished her junior season with a 16-4 record to earn all-conference honors. She was also named academic all-LSC and was named to the GTE academic all-District VI team, as was senior Jenny Wallace.

The ACU men (14-16) struggled with injuries and a tough schedule, but still managed to reach the Midwest Region Tournament in Arkadelphia, Ark. After pulling out a 5-1 win over Colorado School of Mines in the semifinals, the Wildcats were beaten by eventual national semifinalist Ouachita Baptist in the regional final.

Jason Kirkland finished 16-14 in singles play, while Dean Petty was 21-6.

Golfers finish six strokes out of trip to national tournament

Head coach Vince Jarrett entered the 2000 spring season believing he had put together the team that could get the Wildcats back into the national tournament after a three-year absence.

And for most of the season it appeared as though this would be that team.

But a late stumble at the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament at Turlock Country Club in Turlock, Calif., cost the Wildcats that spot in the national tournament.

ACU reached the region tournament after missing it in 1999, and placed second after the first day. However, the Wildcats slipped to fifth following the second day and then finished ninth, six strokes out of sixth place and a spot in the national tourney.

Jarrett's team still had a good season with team championships at the Abilene Intercollegiate and the Charles Coody West Texas Intercollegiate, and a fourth-place finish at the LSC Championships.

Luke Alverson was named first team all-LSC while Trey Barnes and Brian O'Leary were voted to the second team. Alverson was named GTE academic all-district.

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