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National Sports Regularly
Updated
Updated
That Demons team spirit prevails in
all the sports
all the sports
An ongoing thank you for the contributions
of Matthew Bonnette and Doug Ireland
from the Sports News offices of
Northwestern University for their
contributions about local sports.
of Matthew Bonnette and Doug Ireland
from the Sports News offices of
Northwestern University for their
contributions about local sports.
NSU wraps up season with SLC series at Stephen F. Austin
After batting .556 in Northwestern State ’s last conference series, sophomore
Randi Stuard will lead the Demons into their final Southland set to conclude the
season, visiting Stephen F. Austin beginning Saturday at noon.
“We’ve actually had a good week of practice and I expect the girls to battle
hard this weekend and finish strong,†said NSU head coach Becky McMurtry.
NSU (8-44, 3-23) cannot qualify for SLC tournament play this season, sitting last in
the standings. SFA (32-21, 17-9) currently sits in the third slot, but can finish as
high as second or as low as fourth, depending on this weekend’s results.
“Even though we can’t get into the tournament, we can still have an impact on
the way the seeding falls,†said third year coach McMurtry. “It helps to know
you are still a factor when you prepare for a game.â€
Stuard went five-for-nine in the last SLC series, with a slugging percentage of .778.
She knocked a triple and had two RBI to go along with seven total bases. Stuard
leads the team on the season with three home runs and ranks second with a .282
batting average.
The Ladyjacks dropped a mid-week game to Baylor after falling twice in SLC play last
weekend to Texas-San Antonio. SFA has notched a 3-1 record at home in April, with
two wins and a loss against Texas State and a win against Houston Baptist.
The two teams will battle in a doubleheader on Saturday before wrapping up the
series and the Demon season with a single game on Sunday at noon.
Adam Jonson
Northwestern State
After batting .556 in Northwestern State ’s last conference series, sophomore
Randi Stuard will lead the Demons into their final Southland set to conclude the
season, visiting Stephen F. Austin beginning Saturday at noon.
“We’ve actually had a good week of practice and I expect the girls to battle
hard this weekend and finish strong,†said NSU head coach Becky McMurtry.
NSU (8-44, 3-23) cannot qualify for SLC tournament play this season, sitting last in
the standings. SFA (32-21, 17-9) currently sits in the third slot, but can finish as
high as second or as low as fourth, depending on this weekend’s results.
“Even though we can’t get into the tournament, we can still have an impact on
the way the seeding falls,†said third year coach McMurtry. “It helps to know
you are still a factor when you prepare for a game.â€
Stuard went five-for-nine in the last SLC series, with a slugging percentage of .778.
She knocked a triple and had two RBI to go along with seven total bases. Stuard
leads the team on the season with three home runs and ranks second with a .282
batting average.
The Ladyjacks dropped a mid-week game to Baylor after falling twice in SLC play last
weekend to Texas-San Antonio. SFA has notched a 3-1 record at home in April, with
two wins and a loss against Texas State and a win against Houston Baptist.
The two teams will battle in a doubleheader on Saturday before wrapping up the
series and the Demon season with a single game on Sunday at noon.
Adam Jonson
Northwestern State
NSU student-athletes salute faculty members on Student-
Athlete Day
Members of the Northwestern State Student-Athlete Advisory Council saluted some
of their favorite teachers in a ceremony that was a focal point of the university's
recent Student-Athlete Day observance.
Each SAAC member invited one of the faculty members to join them in a pregame
recognition at Brown-Stroud Field before NSU's game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
"Our faculty is very dedicated and student-centered. Our student-athletes certainly
benefit from their caring approach to teaching and the SAAC members were proud
to be able to spotlight some of our outstanding teachers in this ceremony," said
NSU director of athletics Greg Burke. "I know that in many cases the student-
athletes were really agonizing over which of their professors to invite. Our young
people appreciate the faculty and the educational opportunity they have at
Northwestern, so this was meant as a token of appreciation not only to the teachers
who were invited but to every professor and instructor at NSU."
Those participating in the ceremony:
Dr. Rocky Colavito, professor of language and communications, invited by
basketball's Dominic Knight, a health and human performance major;
Cindy Davis, instructor in the department of health and human performance, and
women's basketball player and psychology major Dorothy Knox;
Dr. Stephen Elliott, professor in the college of business, invited by basketball player
and journalism major Logan McConathy;
Dr. Patrice Moulton, professor of psychology, invited by Lady Demon basketball
player Courtney Shead, a psychology major;
Dr. Trey Cunningham, assistant professor of health and human performance, with
soccer student-athlete and health and exercise science major Chelsea Brozgold;
Dr. Charles Pellegrin, assistant history professor, invited by softball player Ainsley
Pellerin, a business administratn major;
Assistant business professor Dr. Kris Swimberghe, invited by business
administration major Cary Bruno, also a softball student-athlete;
Jody Biscoe, assistant professor of psychology, and football player Drew Branch, a
business administration major;
William Sexton, a criminal justice assistant professor, and football student-athlete
Dudley Guice, majoring in criminal justice and additiction studies;
Dr. Paula Furr, associate professor of journalism, invited by women's tennis player
and journalism major Boo Patzer;
Jim Crawford, assistant professor of language and communications, with women's
tennis student-athlete Dani Posada, a criminal justice major;
Dr. Todd Whitehead, assistant professor of health and human performance, invited
by track and field athlete Chad Leath, a health and human performance major;
Dr. Frank Serio, mathematics professor, invited by Chris Pearson, a business
administration major competing in track and field;
Dr. Janet Lee, assistant journalism professor, with journalism major and track and
field competitor Trecey Rew;
Dr. Nicholas Long, assistant professor of political science, invited by consumer
science major DeJon Griffin , also a track and field student-athlete;
Shannon Hale, instructor in the psychology department, with biology major and
volleyball student-athlete Megan Dockery;
Dr. Ron McBride, education professor, and volleyball competitor Yelena Enwere, a
health and exercise science major;
Dr. Marcelline Fusilier, business professor, invited by Justin O'Neal, a baseball player
and business administration major, and;
Dr. Ben Rushing, professor of mathematics, invited by Heath Hennigan, an industrial
technology major and baseball student-athlete.
Athlete Day
Members of the Northwestern State Student-Athlete Advisory Council saluted some
of their favorite teachers in a ceremony that was a focal point of the university's
recent Student-Athlete Day observance.
Each SAAC member invited one of the faculty members to join them in a pregame
recognition at Brown-Stroud Field before NSU's game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
"Our faculty is very dedicated and student-centered. Our student-athletes certainly
benefit from their caring approach to teaching and the SAAC members were proud
to be able to spotlight some of our outstanding teachers in this ceremony," said
NSU director of athletics Greg Burke. "I know that in many cases the student-
athletes were really agonizing over which of their professors to invite. Our young
people appreciate the faculty and the educational opportunity they have at
Northwestern, so this was meant as a token of appreciation not only to the teachers
who were invited but to every professor and instructor at NSU."
Those participating in the ceremony:
Dr. Rocky Colavito, professor of language and communications, invited by
basketball's Dominic Knight, a health and human performance major;
Cindy Davis, instructor in the department of health and human performance, and
women's basketball player and psychology major Dorothy Knox;
Dr. Stephen Elliott, professor in the college of business, invited by basketball player
and journalism major Logan McConathy;
Dr. Patrice Moulton, professor of psychology, invited by Lady Demon basketball
player Courtney Shead, a psychology major;
Dr. Trey Cunningham, assistant professor of health and human performance, with
soccer student-athlete and health and exercise science major Chelsea Brozgold;
Dr. Charles Pellegrin, assistant history professor, invited by softball player Ainsley
Pellerin, a business administratn major;
Assistant business professor Dr. Kris Swimberghe, invited by business
administration major Cary Bruno, also a softball student-athlete;
Jody Biscoe, assistant professor of psychology, and football player Drew Branch, a
business administration major;
William Sexton, a criminal justice assistant professor, and football student-athlete
Dudley Guice, majoring in criminal justice and additiction studies;
Dr. Paula Furr, associate professor of journalism, invited by women's tennis player
and journalism major Boo Patzer;
Jim Crawford, assistant professor of language and communications, with women's
tennis student-athlete Dani Posada, a criminal justice major;
Dr. Todd Whitehead, assistant professor of health and human performance, invited
by track and field athlete Chad Leath, a health and human performance major;
Dr. Frank Serio, mathematics professor, invited by Chris Pearson, a business
administration major competing in track and field;
Dr. Janet Lee, assistant journalism professor, with journalism major and track and
field competitor Trecey Rew;
Dr. Nicholas Long, assistant professor of political science, invited by consumer
science major DeJon Griffin , also a track and field student-athlete;
Shannon Hale, instructor in the psychology department, with biology major and
volleyball student-athlete Megan Dockery;
Dr. Ron McBride, education professor, and volleyball competitor Yelena Enwere, a
health and exercise science major;
Dr. Marcelline Fusilier, business professor, invited by Justin O'Neal, a baseball player
and business administration major, and;
Dr. Ben Rushing, professor of mathematics, invited by Heath Hennigan, an industrial
technology major and baseball student-athlete.
Demons' McConathy wins LABC's coach of the year honor
After leading Northwestern State to its fourth straight Southland Conference
Tournament championship game, the nation’s second-best streak of postseason
tournament success, Mike McConathy has been voted the state’s “Major College
Coach of the Year” by the members of the Louisiana Association of Basketball
Coaches. McConathy will receive the “Tommy Joe Eagles Memorial Award”
presented each year to the winner of the LABC’s major college coaching honor. He
will be among award winners honored at the LABC’s 34th Annual Awards Banquet
Saturday evening, May 10, at 6 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Baton Rouge.
Only Gonzaga, with 11 consecutive trips to the West Coast Conference Tournament
finals, has enjoyed more extended conference postseason success than McConathy
and the Demons. Oral Roberts has also reached the last four Summit League
Tournament championship games to share second with Northwestern. Kansas and
Texas have squared off in the last three Big 12 Conference Tournament finals. “In
his nine seasons as coach, Mike McConathy has forged NSU Demon basketball into a
nationally-respected championship-level program.
This latest honor gives us another opportunity to express our pride in a coach and
a program that has Northwestern State University in a class alongside some of the
elite programs in college basketball — Gonzaga, Kansas, Texas and Oral Roberts,”
said director of athletics Greg Burke. “That’s awfully strong company to be keeping,
and that’s the caliber of job that Mike has done for us.” McConathy is just shy of
the 500-win plateau with a 498-294 record after 25 seasons as a college coach, the
first 16 at Bossier Parish Community College. He is 146-135 with the Demons,
including two NCAA Tournament wins (2001 opening round game over Winthrop,
2006 first-round over 15th-ranked Iowa). Northwestern has played in six SLC
Tournament title games in McConathy’s nine seasons, also second-best nationally
over that span. Austin Peay has been in the Ohio Valley Conference championship
game six times in the last nine seasons, bettered only by Gonzaga’s remarkable
string. Holy Cross has reached six of the last nine Patriot League finals. Texas has
played in five of the last nine Big 12 championship games. Bucknell and Holy Cross
had squared off in three straight Patriot League Tournament championship games
before both failed to reach the finals this March.
After leading Northwestern State to its fourth straight Southland Conference
Tournament championship game, the nation’s second-best streak of postseason
tournament success, Mike McConathy has been voted the state’s “Major College
Coach of the Year” by the members of the Louisiana Association of Basketball
Coaches. McConathy will receive the “Tommy Joe Eagles Memorial Award”
presented each year to the winner of the LABC’s major college coaching honor. He
will be among award winners honored at the LABC’s 34th Annual Awards Banquet
Saturday evening, May 10, at 6 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Baton Rouge.
Only Gonzaga, with 11 consecutive trips to the West Coast Conference Tournament
finals, has enjoyed more extended conference postseason success than McConathy
and the Demons. Oral Roberts has also reached the last four Summit League
Tournament championship games to share second with Northwestern. Kansas and
Texas have squared off in the last three Big 12 Conference Tournament finals. “In
his nine seasons as coach, Mike McConathy has forged NSU Demon basketball into a
nationally-respected championship-level program.
This latest honor gives us another opportunity to express our pride in a coach and
a program that has Northwestern State University in a class alongside some of the
elite programs in college basketball — Gonzaga, Kansas, Texas and Oral Roberts,”
said director of athletics Greg Burke. “That’s awfully strong company to be keeping,
and that’s the caliber of job that Mike has done for us.” McConathy is just shy of
the 500-win plateau with a 498-294 record after 25 seasons as a college coach, the
first 16 at Bossier Parish Community College. He is 146-135 with the Demons,
including two NCAA Tournament wins (2001 opening round game over Winthrop,
2006 first-round over 15th-ranked Iowa). Northwestern has played in six SLC
Tournament title games in McConathy’s nine seasons, also second-best nationally
over that span. Austin Peay has been in the Ohio Valley Conference championship
game six times in the last nine seasons, bettered only by Gonzaga’s remarkable
string. Holy Cross has reached six of the last nine Patriot League finals. Texas has
played in five of the last nine Big 12 championship games. Bucknell and Holy Cross
had squared off in three straight Patriot League Tournament championship games
before both failed to reach the finals this March.