Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

A tip of the cap to Adam Revelette, general manager of the Lexington Hustlers, for providing a season preview. …

The Lexington Hustlers open up their third season of play in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League on Friday, and possess a roster that gives head coach Kyle Medley a multitude of options. Lexington will represent 18 different collegiate institutions, several of which include conference champions and NCAA postseason contenders.

Hustlers season tickets will be on sale through Friday, and are $25/person. Upon purchase, season ticket holders will be put on a pass list that will get them into all regular season home games. General admission tickets are $5 each.

Here is a positional breakdown of the 2012 Hustlers roster:

Infielders

The 2012 Hustlers will flash some impressive leather at all infield positions. Morehead State’s Chase Greenwell had a phenomenal spring, batting .338 with a team-high 16 doubles in 2012. The Elizabethtown native also fielded an impressive .947 at shortstop for the Eagles.

Taylor Rozier will see most of his time at first base this summer, but can also play corner outfield. This past spring, Rozier batted .250 with six doubles in 29 games for Wofford College.

Corey Bays played in 20 games for Murray State as a true freshman, starting eight. Bays is an alum of Henry Clay High School, where the Hustlers will play their home games this summer.

Nick Sergakis, who redshirted this past season for Southern Conference champion Coastal Carolina, and Olney Central’s Caleb Eickhoff — who played for Medley’s Marion Bobcats last summer — will also play several infield positions over the summer. Another solid option is Matt Phipps, who played in 37 games for EKU in 2012, starting eight.

Also expected to be a solid contributor is Middle Tennessee’s Johnny Thomas, who was recently named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team. The native of Louisiana started all 59 games for the Blue Raiders this season, batting at a .277 clip with a team-leading 17 doubles and seven home runs. He made just five errors all season, turning in a sparkling .982 fielding percentage.

“We were really impressed with the success our infielders had this past spring, particularly with defense,” said Medley. “We know these guys are going to hit, but the ability to make the average play and to turn double plays is going to be very important. I also really like that most of these guys can play second, third and shortstop.”

Outfield

The Hustlers will boast an extremely talented and athletic core of outfielders this summer.

“I’m really excited to watch these guys play,” added Medley. “They all can really go get it in the outfield, and are going to be all over the base paths this summer.”

Duran Elmore, who made the OVC All-Freshman Team, started 50 games as a freshman at Morehead State, clubbing three home runs and swiping 16 bases for the Eagles.

David Simmons, who started 33 games for Western Kentucky, also has lightning speed and the ability to play all three outfield positions.

Matt Honchel, who earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors and was also a First-Team All-MAC selection, won the conference batting title, turning in a .401 clip during the regular season for the Miami Redhawks. Honchel, who prepped at Mercer County High School, led all NCAA freshmen in batting average.

2011 Great Lakes League All-Star Sam Kidd, who transferred from UK to Delta State, also returns for the summer. The Statesmen, who were NCAA Division II national runner-ups in 2012, started Kidd (who hit .310 with four  homers and stole 19 bases) in all 64 of their games this season.

Catchers

Medley will have the luxury of rotating three catchers in 2012, including Ryan Akins, who hit a blistering .340 at Berea College as a freshman. The versatile Stephen Hoagland will see action behind the plate and in both the infield and outfield this summer. The former Lexington Christian Academy standout appeared in eight games for Kentucky, who climbed to No. 1 in national polls this past spring. Steve Ferraro played in 25 games for OVC Champion Eastern Kentucky in 2012, starting 10.

Pitchers

The 2012 Hustlers will feature a balanced pitching staff this summer, with seven left-handers and seven right-handed arms.

“I’m looking forward to watching these guys settle into roles this summer,” said Medley. “We’re wide open in terms of our starting rotation and who were use out of the pen.”

Lefty Austin Clay went 4-4 in his freshman campaign at Western Kentucky, and emerged as one of the Hilltoppers’ top starting pitchers in 2012.

Connor Asay returns to the Hustlers for 2012. The versatile right-hander, who redshirted at USC-Sumpter this past season, threw 34.2 innings for the Hustlers in 2011 and started three games.

Brent Cobb pitched in 25 games for EKU this past spring, holding opponents to a .239 batting average against. Fellow Colonel Austin Rexroat, who appeared in 15 games, will also bolster the bullpen for the Hustlers in 2012. RHP Clay Cinnamon, another Mercer County product, appeared in eight games for Miami University, starting two.

Southpaw Jordan Cooper maintained a 3.74 ERA for Middle Tennessee in 2012, holding opposing batters to a .220 batting average.

Left-handers Jakson Deyer and Clay Hall, who  redshirted at Louisville and Georgetown (respectively) this past season, will also contribute valuable innings for Lexington.

Western Kentucky’s Ian Tompkins, who averaged better than a strikeout per inning in 21 appearances, is another southpaw that joins the squad for the summer.

RHP Trent Martin, who will be a redshirt freshman at Morehead State next fall, is a hard-throwing option out of the bullpen.

Georgetown College’s Shaun Meyer went 3-0 for the Tigers, owning a masterful 1.27 ERA. He surrendered just 18 hits in 35.1 innings, good for a .145 batting average against.

LHP Jake Hall went 5-3 with a 3.78 ERA at Lincoln Trail this past season. Logan Shaftner owned a 2-0 record for Parkland College, turning in a 4.82 ERA for the Cobras. Both will contend for starting roles.

Rounding out the staff, southpaw Matthew Miller will also see substantial innings for the Hustlers. Miller pitched in 20 games for the Atlantic 10 Champion Dayton Flyers.

“It’s going to be a blast to watch our players develop this summer,” Medley said. “Everyone in our organization is looking forward to a truly great season.”

The Hustlers host the Xenia Scouts on June 8 to open up their Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League season. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. All fans in attendance will receive a free magnetic schedule, while supplies last.

Kelly Wells

In the wake of Pikeville’s stunning run to the NAIA men’s basketball national championship, Kelly Wells has been named NAIA Coach of the Year. Wells led the Bears to their first national title, with a school-best record of 30-7.

Vic Moses

Pikeville’s Vance Cooksey, Georgetown’s Vic Moses and St. Catharine’s Kashiff Carr have each been named second-team NAIA All-Americans. Honorable mention goes to Georgetown’s Eddie Gray, St. Cat’s Ervin Williams, Cumberlands’ Matt Daniel and Mid-Continent’s Chris Ferguson.

Justin Johnson of Concordia (Calif.) is the NAIA National Player of the Year. He averaged 14.8 points per game, shooting 52 percent from the floor, and averaged 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals for a team that finished 32-4 and advanced to the NAIA quarterfinals.

Morehead’s Faried, Tyndall honored

Kenneth Faried

The National Association of Basketball Coaches has named Morehead State senior Kenneth Faried to its all-star team, while Eagles Coach Donnie Tyndall has been named NABC District 19 Co-Coach of the Year.

Donnie Tyndall obliging fans.

Faried, whose 1,673 career rebounds is a modern-day collegiate record, is among 20 collegiate seniors scheduled to play April 1 in the Reese’s College All-Star Game as part of the NCAA Final Four weekend at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

Tyndall, in his fifth season at Morehead, produced a school-record-tying 25 victories, capped by an NCAA Tournament victory over Louisville. He shares the District 19 award with Billy Kennedy, who guided Murray State to it second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship.

(All photos by Mark Maloney.)

NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball All-America Teams

Soufiane Bouchikhi

Eastern Kentucky University snared its fifth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championship in both men’s and women’s cross country Saturday.

Meanwhile, Louisville’s men placed second and the women took eighth in the Big East Conference meet.

EKU’s men placed 1-through-5 to score a perfect 15 points, only the fourth time that has happened in conference history. EKU also pulled off sweeps in 1965 and 1989, and Western Kentucky did so in 1980. The Colonels, who now have 19 OVC men’s crowns, were followed by Southeast Missouri with 40 points.

EKU’s women upended Eastern Illinois 20-45.

Competing at the South Hills Golf Course in Cookeville, Tenn., the Colonels also had both individual winners.

Freshman Soufiane Bouchikhi won the men’s 8,000-meter race in 24 minutes, 56.73 seconds.

Kat Pagano

Senior Kat Pagano prevailed in the women’s 5,000-meter event, timed in 18:23.00.

“Today was less about individuals and more about teams,” said Coach Rick Erdmann, who won his 25th Women’s Coach of the Year award and his 17th Men’s Coach of the Year. “Both teams ran together and competed together, and I’m really proud of that. Hopefully this will give us some momentum heading into regionals.”

The NCAA Southeast Regionals are set for Nov. 13 at Louisville.

Bouchikhi followed in the footsteps of former Colonels Jacob Korir (2004-07), Joseph Maina (2008) and Wesley Ruttoh (2009) by being named OVC Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year and OVC Male Freshman of the Year. Bouchikhi is the first freshman to win the event since Korir in 2004, and his time is the fastest in the event since 2007.

Pagano, already a two-time top 10 finisher in the OVCs, won her first title. She placed fifth in 2008 and fourth last year. She is the second straight Colonel to win the event and OVC Athlete of the Year honors, as Picoty Leitich won last year as a freshman.

EKU’s Hannah Miller, 12th in 19:10.40, earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors.

After Bouchikhi, EKU’s men had sophomore Victor Kemboi in 25:19.63, junior Evans Kiptoo (25:29.16), junior David Mutuse (25:35.22) and freshman Ole Hesselbjerg (25:43.19). SEMO’s Jason Lumpkin finished less than a second after Hesselbjerg.

EKU’s three non-scoring runners all placed in the top 14. Sophomore Daniel Jones came in 10th, with juniors Musa Kimuli and Chris Rice going 12-14. All eight Colonels earned all-conference honors.

After Eastern and SEMO came Eastern Illinois (95), Morehead State (108), Austin Peay (145), UT Martin (162), Tennessee Tech (189), Jacksonville State (211), Murray State (260) and Tennessee State (310).

EKU’s women won their 25th OVC title, sweeping the first three places and six of the top 12.

After Pagano came sophomore Jackline Barkechir (18:40.72) and Leitich (18:46.74). Senior Sylvia Bundotich placed sixth (18:58.83) and junior Danielle Mason took eighth (19:02.79).  Then came Miller, followed by freshman Natalie Field in 19th (19:41.30) and senior Ashli Joseph in 23rd (19:52.41).

After EKU and Eastern Illinois in the team standings, it was Murray in third (111), trailed by Jacksonville State (119), SEMO (158), Tech and Peay (181 each), Martin (183), Morehead (207) and Tennessee State (300).

All-OVC men

First team – Bouchikhi, Kemboi, Kiptoo, Mutuse, Hesselbjerg, Lumpkin, Brad LaRocque (Eastern Ill.)
Second team – Chris Loseman and Nate Shipley (SEMO), Jones, Enock Langat (Peay), Kimuli, Dustin Davis (SEMO), Rice.

All-OVC women

First team – Pagano, Barkechir, Leitich, Olivia Klaus (Eastern Ill.), Ericka Starn (Jacksonville), Bundotich, Gabriela Duenas (Eastern Ill.).
Second team – Mason, Brittany Arthur (Eastern Ill.), Katelyn Jones (Murray), Megan Gingerich (Eastern Ill.), Miller, Kasey Owens (SEMO), Erika Ramos (Eastern Ill.).

Eaton leads Louisville men

In the Big East Championships, held at Jamesville (N.Y.) Beach Park, Syracuse edged the U of L men 59-63. Villanova won the women’s title with 26 points, while Louisville rang up 272.

Michael Eaton, a senior, led Louisville’s men by placing second with an 8K time of 25:05.4. Lee Carey of Providence won in 24:56.8.

U of L’s Matt Hughes placed ninth (25:25.3). Tyler Byrne, 15th overall, was the top freshman in the race. Completing U of L’s scorers were Luke Lovelace and Gordon Dooley, 18th and 19th. The gap between Eaton and Dooley was a mere 53 seconds.

“I’m really proud of the men’s efforts today,” Cardinals Coach Brice Allen said. “They executed the game plan to a ‘T.’ We had the No. 1 senior and the No. 1 freshman in the conference.

“Michael ran the race today like a fifth-year senior. He was patient in the middle of the pack at the 800-meter mark; he moved into 15th place at the mile; by three miles, he moved into the top five; and with a mile to go he walked everyone down except the leader. That’s what you come to expect from a fifth-year senior.”

Emily Borsare led U of L’s women, placing 24th with a time of 21:55.1 for 6,000 meters. Kim Grieshaber was 43rd, Monica Hernandez 48th, Ariel Briggs 78th and Cassie Martin 79th.

“Emily ran a great race today,” Allen said. “She closed well and moved up 10 positions. To cap her cross country career, she ran well for the Cardinals.

“We’re looking forward to the regional race and the move on to nationals.”

Soufiane Bouchikhi

Eastern Kentucky’s Soufiane Bouchikhi and Picoty Leitich each shared Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Runner of the Week honors.

Bouchikhi, a freshman from Belgium, earned Male honors for a third week in a row. Co-Male Runner of the Week is Colin Johnson of Tennessee-Martin.

Competing in the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday, Bouchikhi led EKU to fourth place in the premier Gold Division. Placing ninth in a field of 323 runners, Bouchikhi covered 8,000 meters in 23:41.66. EKU, missing two of its top five runners due to injury, nevertheless beat regionally ranked foes that included Southern Illinois (No. 9 in the Midwest), Georgia (No. 5 in the South), Ole Miss (No. 6 in the South), Missouri (No. 15 in the Midwest), Kentucky (No. 14 in the Southeast) and Mississippi State (No. 8 in the South), as well as in-state rival Western Kentucky.

Picoty Leitich

Leitich, the defending OVC champion, edged teammate Kat Pagano and placed 19th out of 302 runners in the Gold Division. Her time for 5,000 meters was an OVC-best 17:37.53. The Colonels placed eighth and beat regionally ranked UK (No. 7 Southeast), Mississippi State (No. 13 South) and Georgia Tech (No. 14 South).

* The EKU men dropped one spot in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association ranking of the NCAA Southeast Region, to No. 7. Louisville moved up to No. 6.

EKU’s women moved up two spots to No. 11 in the Southeast, one spot behind Western Kentucky. UK dropped from No. 7 to No. 12.

A tip of the hat to Steve Fohl at Eastern Kentucky University for this press release …

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – In a pre-season vote of Ohio Valley Conference head coaches, the Eastern Kentucky University men’s and women’s cross country teams were picked as favorites for the 2010 season. Both teams enter the year seeking to extend the EKU cross country dynasty by winning their fifth consecutive OVC titles.

Last season, the EKU men’s team claimed its 18th OVC championship and fourth in a row while the Colonel women’s program took home its 24th overall title and fourth in a row at the event held at Edwin Warner Park in Nashville.

On the men’s side, EKU (81 points, nine first-place votes) was followed by a tie between Southeast Missouri State and Eastern Illinois (68) with Southeast Missouri receiving the other first place vote. The polling was rounded out by Jacksonville State (55), Morehead State (50), Tennessee Tech (34), UT Martin (33), Austin Peay (28), Murray State (21) and Tennessee State (12).

On the women’s side, EKU (81 points, nine first-place votes) was followed by Eastern Illinois (70, 1 first-place vote), Murray State (63), Southeast Missouri (59), Jacksonville State (47), Morehead State (39),  Tennessee Tech (29), Austin Peay (28), UT Martin (24) and Tennessee State (10).

The men’s team lost four of its five top finishers from 2009, including Wesley Ruttoh, who won last year’s championship and finished second at the Southeast Region Championships. However, the Colonels return a trio of veterans who ran well at last year’s OVC meet: juniors Chris Rice (ninth) and Alex Dreyer (12th) and sophomore Daniel Jones (13th).

Additionally, and possibly even more significantly, the Colonels return a pair of talented runners who redshirted last season, juniors Evans Kiptoo and David Mutuse, and a dynamic freshman, Soufiane Bouchikhi. Kiptoo finished third at the OVC Cross Country Championships in 2008 and was named All-Southeast Region that year as well. Mutuse won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the OVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the spring and, more recently, defeated nearly 5,000 runners in the Midsummer Night’s 5K in downtown Lexington. Bouchikhi, meanwhile, enrolled at EKU last winter and was promptly named the OVC Track and Field Freshman of the Year after winning three individual conference titles during the track season.

Conversely, the EKU women’s team returns all five of its top finishers from 2009, including last year’s champion and OVC Freshman of the Year, Picoty Leitich. Leitich became the first freshman to win the individual title since 2002 as she out-distanced the field by over 13 seconds.

Leitich is joined by seniors Sylvia Bundotich (third), Katherine Pagano (fourth) and Ashli Joseph (11th) and junior Danielle Mason (13th), who were all among the top 13 finishers last season and among the top 10 returners this season.

The 2010 OVC Cross Country Championships will be held October 30 in Cookeville, Tenn. with Tennessee Tech University serving as the host.

The Colonels open their 2010 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 4 when they host Marshall in the EKU vs. Marshall Relay at the Wood Chip Trail on campus.

2010 OVC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the OVC head cross country coaches)

TEAM                                                                     POINTS

  1.   Eastern Kentucky (9 first-place votes)     81

  2.   Southeast Missouri (1)                               68

        Eastern Illinois                                             68

  4.   Jacksonville State                                       55

  5.   Morehead State                                           50

  6.   Tennessee Tech                                          34

  7.   UT Martin                                                      33

  8.   Austin Peay                                                  28

  9.   Murray State                                                 21

 10. Tennessee State                                         12
(Teams awarded 9 points for a first-place vote, 8 for second, etc.)

Top 10 Men’s Cross Country Returnees
(Based on Finish at 2009 OVC Championship)

Runner                                                                  Yr.           2009 Finish (Time)

George Kiplagat, Jacksonville State                Sr.           6th (26:14.18)

Jason Lumpkin, Southeast Missouri               Sr.           8th (26:44.40)

Chris Rice, Eastern Kentucky                            Jr.            9th (26:50.16)

James Bowens, Morehead State                     Sr.           11th (26:54.17)

Alex Dreyer, Eastern Kentucky                         Jr.            12th (26:55.30)

Daniel Jones, Eastern Kentucky                      So.          13th (27:01.01)

Matt Feldhake, Eastern Illinois                          Jr.            14th (27:06.13)

Sam Taylor, Tennessee Tech                           Sr.           16th (27:17.61)

Tyler Mullen, Southeast Missouri                     So.          17th (27:23.27)

Josh Wakeman, Morehead State                     Sr.           18th (27:25.73) 

2010 OVC WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the OVC head cross country coaches)

TEAM                                                                     POINTS

  1.   Eastern Kentucky (9 first-place votes)     81

  2.   Eastern Illinois (1)                                       70

  3.   Murray State                                                 63

  4.   Southeast Missouri                                     59

  5.   Jacksonville State                                       47

  6.   Morehead State                                           39

  7.   Tennessee Tech                                          29

  8.   Austin Peay                                                  28

  9.   UT Martin                                                      24

 10. Tennessee State                                         10
(Teams awarded 9 points for a first-place vote, 8 for second, etc.)

 Top 10 Women’s Cross Country Returnees
(Based on Finish at 2009 OVC Championship)

Runner                                                                  Yr.                           2009 Finish (Time)

Picoty Leitich, Eastern Kentucky                      So.                          1st (19:29.05)

Sylvia Bundotich, Eastern Kentucky                Sr.                           3rd (19:57.30)

Katherine Pagano, Eastern Kentucky             Sr.                           4th (20:02.97)

Katelyn Jones, Murray State                             Sr.                           5th (20:11.46)

Olivia Klaus, Eastern Illinois                              So.                          8th (20:26.88)

Monica Noble, Southeast Missouri                  Sr.                           9th (20:28.72)

Ashley Stovall, Jacksonville State                    So.                          10th (20:29.25)

Ashli Joseph, Eastern Kentucky                       Sr.                           11th (20:30.60)

Danielle Mason, Eastern Kentucky                  Jr.                            13th (20:35.77)

Kayla Crusham, Murray State                           Jr.                            14th (20:38.57)

Latest rankings of NCAA Division I teams from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association have Kentucky and Louisville in a tight race.

With the regular season completed, the NCAA field is to be set Friday. The first round of the NCAA Championships will be held May 27-29 at Greensboro, N.C., and Austin, Texas.  

The Florida men and Oregon women have the No. 1 spots in the latest rankings.

Louisville’s men are 31st, two spots ahead of Kentucky. Western Kentucky is 56th.

UK’s women are rated No. 29, one spot ahead of U of L. WKU is No. 145.

Florida, winner of the Southeastern Conference championship, is among nine SEC men’s teams ranked in the nation’s top 25. The others: 5. LSU; 9. Auburn; 10. South Carolina; 12. Mississippi State; 15. Mississippi; 16. Georgia; 24. Alabama; 25. Arkansas.

The Big 12 leads the women’s top 25 with five ranked teams. The SEC has four in the top 25: 3. LSU; 6. Florida; 11. Auburn; 13 Arkansas.

For more on the rankings and links to guideline and rationale information, see:

http://www.ustfccca.org/rankings/division-i-rankings

Louisville’s men have a pair of athletes ranked among the nation’s top 10 in their events. Steve Hnat has the fourth-best mark in the shot put and Matt Hughes is No. 5 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

UK also has two men in the top 10: Rondel Sorrillo, seventh in the 200, and Sharif Webb, ninth in the 800. Sorrillo also ranks 11th in the 100 and is part of UK’s 20th-rated 4-by-100 relay.

Western’s Gavin Smellie is ranked No. 2 in the 200. He also is No. 48 in the 100 and runs on both the No. 16 4-by-400 relay and No. 27 4-by-100 relay.

Rankings in the Southeast Region have U of L fourth, UK 14th, Western eighth, Eastern Kentucky 36th and Morehead State 40th. (With rankings based on potential points, Western flip-flopped with UK from the national rankings. In other words, Western likely would score more points in regional competition, but UK would score more in nationals.)

UK’s ranked women are topped by Kristin Smith, fifth nationally in the hammer throw. Ashley Muffet is No. 6 in discus and No. 12 in shot put.

Louisville’s Jere’ Summers is ranked No. 1 in the discus, 7 in the hammer and 31st in the shot.

Regional team rankings have UK fifth, Louisville seventh, Western 11th, Eastern 38th, Murray State 42nd and Morehead 47th.

Virginia Tech’s men and Clemson’s women are the No. 1 teams in the Southeast Region.

National rankings

MEN

1. Florida; 2. Oregon; 3. Texas A&M; 4. Southern California; 5. LSU; 6. Arizona State; 7. Texas Tech; 8. Florida State; 9. Auburn; 10. South Carolina; 11. Brigham Young; 12. Mississippi State; 13. Stanford; 14. Oklahoma; 15. Mississippi; 16. Georgia; 17. Virginia Tech; 18. Baylor; 19. Kansas; 20. Nebraska; 21. Washington; 22. New Mexico; 23. Penn State; 24. Alabama; Arkansas.

WOMEN

1. Oregon; 2. Texas A&M; 3. LSU; 4. Oklahoma; 5. Virginia Tech; 6. Florida; 7. Penn State; 8. Clemson; 9. Florida State; 10. Texas; 11. Auburn; 12. Miami (Fla.); 13. Arkansas; 14. Texas-El Paso; 15. Southern California; 16. Indiana State; 17. Arizona; 18. Brigham Young; 19. Indiana; 20. Illinois; 21. Texas Tech; 22. Stanford; 23. New Mexico; 24. Southern Illinois; 25. Kansas.

Cats on SEC Community Service teams

Distance runners Andrea Halasek-Richardson, a senior, and Josh Nadzam, a junior, are UK’s selections to the SEC Community Service teams, which highlight an athlete from each school “who gives back to (the) community in superior service efforts.”

Women’s selection Halasek-Richardson, out of Scott County High School, compiled 124 1/2 hours of community service dating to 2006. She mentored at Johnson Elementary School and also contributed at Lansdowne Elementary, Cassidy Elementary, Habitat for Humanity and Wildcat Track Club.

Nadzam, the men’s selection, served 89 1/2 hours in 2009. Nearly half of that time was spent at the Ronald McDonald House. He also served at the Kentucky Refugee Ministry, Hope Center, Catholic Action Center, Monaca (Pa.) High School and Calvary Baptist Church.

Johnson will play for USA in Canada, Japan

UK's Molly Johnson

Kentucky senior Molly Johnson has been named to Team USA rosters for an international softball series coming this summer. The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America made the announcement.

Johnson, who plays primarily at shortstop, will play in the Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championships, July 7-11, at Surrey, British Columbia, as well as exhibitions July 13-14 at Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. (Lexington hockey fans may recall Whitehorse as hometown of Kentucky Thoroughblades captain Jarrett Deuling.)

Then, Johnson and Team USA will head to Sendai City, Japan, to play in the Japan Cup, Aug. 3-9.

For the third time in four years, Eastern Kentucky has the Male Outdoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Here’s a look at that item, along with EKU’s third-place finishes at the OVC Championships and what’s up with the University of Kentucky, which a conference Runner of the Week.

Track and field fans in the Lexington area will want to mark Thursday on the calendar. That’s when the public schools will gather at Paul Laurence Dunbar for the City High School Championships, starting at 6 p.m.

OVC Freshman of the Year

Soufiane Bouchikhi, from Antwerp, Belgium, is the OVC Male Freshman of the Year for the outdoor season, replicating what he achieved indoors.

Soufiane Bouchikhi

He follows in the footsteps of teammates Elkana Kurgat and Shannon Davis, who won OVC Male Freshman honors for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The award was created in 2005.

Bouchikhi posted the fastest 5,000 meters in the conference this season, 14:01.74, to place second at the Penn Relays – a mere two-hundredths of a second behind Lewis Woodard of William & Mary.

The full list of OVC award winners: Megan Gingerich, Eastern Illinois (Female Track Athlete of the Year); Kandace Arnold, Eastern Illinois (Female Field Athlete); Elizabeth Bond, Jacksonville State, and Jerika Lewis, Southeast Missouri (Freshman Co-Athletes); Chris Gill, Southeast Missouri (Male Track Athlete); Brandon Colbert, Southeast Missouri (Male Field Athlete), and Bouchikhi. 

OVC Championships

EKU’s men and women both placed third in last weekend’s rain-shortened OVC Championships at Tennessee Tech, winning eight individual titles.

Heading the list was Bouchikhi, who took the 5,000 in 15:00.37.

Eastern Illinois won the men’s title with 261 points, followed by Southeast Missouri with 128, EKU with 106, Tennessee State with 61 and Morehead State with 22.

EKU’s other male champions were Christopher Rengifo in the 1,500 (3:54.19), Joseph Maina in the 10,000 (30:23.75) and David Mutuse in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:39.72).

Eastern Illinois’ women prevailed with 212 points, followed by SEMO (155 1/2), EKU (131), Jacksonville State (73 1/2), Tennessee Tech (67), Austin Peay (66 1/2), Tennessee State (42 1/2), Murray State (30) and Morehead State (1).

EKU winners were Diamond Benjamin in the 100 (11.94), Lydia Kosgei in the 1,500 (4:39.99), Kat Pagano in the 5,000 (17:29.35) and the 4-by-100-meter relay team of Benjamin, Lutisha Bowen, Jazzmin Jeter and DanHeisha Harding (46.65).

Sorrillo, Banks win at Ohio State

Victories by Rondel Sorrillo, David Banks, Kristin Smith and Ashley Muffet highlighted Kentucky’s showing in the Jesse Owens Track Classic at Ohio State.

Rondel Sorrillo

Sorrillo, an Olympian from Trinidad and Tobago, showed that his progress is continuing after suffering a hamstring injury late in the indoor season. His winning time of 10.33 for 100 meters — his first try at the distance this season — puts him among the top 20 collegiate performers this season. Yet, he had to recover after stumbling out of the starting blocks.

No wonder the senior was named Male Runner of the Week in the Southeastern Conference.

Banks eclipsed his school record in the triple jump by half an inch, winning the event with a distance of 51 feet, 5 1/2 inches.

Ashley Muffet

Smith notched the second-best mark in school history to win the hammer throw at 208-7. That moved her from 12th in the national rankings to No. 4.

Muffet uncorked her best effort in nearly four years to take shot-put honors at 53-11 1/4. That improved her national ranking from No 16 to No. 11.

Other top performers for UK including Josh Nazdam, fourth in the men’s 1,500 (3:47.07) and Samantha Stenzel, who matched her school record (12-7 1/2) to tie for third in the women’s pole vault.

Aggies on top

Texas A&M is No. 1 in both the men’s and women’s rankings compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Aggies are defending NCAA champions in each.

The SEC has eight of the top 25 men’s teams (3. Florida; 7. LSU; 8. Auburn; 12. Mississippi; 13. Mississippi State; 16. South Carolina; 23. Georgia; 25. Arkansas) and four of the top 25 women’s squads (2. LSU; 9. Arkansas; 10. Florida; 14. Auburn).

Among area men’s teams, Louisville is No. 29, Kentucky is No. 43 and Western Kentucky is No. 54

On the women’s side, UK is 30th, U of L 32nd and Western 131st.

In-state individuals with top 10 rankings are U of L men Matt Hughes (4. steeplechase), Steve Hnat (8. shot put) and Tone Belt (9. long jump) and woman Jere’ Summers (6. discus and hammer throw); UK men Sharif Webb (8. 800) and Colin Boevers (10. discus), and women Kristin Smith (4. hammer throw) and Ashley Muffet (5. discus); and WKU male Gavin Smellie (3. 200).

For more details, see: http://www.ustfccca.org/featured/dual-defending-champion-aggies-move-to-nation%e2%80%99s-top-spot-once-again

For team-by-team reports, see: http://www.ustfccca.org/rankings/division-i-rankings

Murray State took advantage of six UK errors over the first six innings en route to a 7-5 victory at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

Six errors by the 22nd-ranked Cats are the most by a UK team since another six-spot in March 2005 vs. Toledo.

The Thoroughbreds beat UK for the first time since 1997 and for only the second time ever in Lexington.

The Wildcats used 17 players, including four pitchers. Or five, depending on your viewpoint.

Chris Craycraft

A game that began in 45-degree-and-falling weather also featured Murray’s Chris Craycraft, who began his collegiate career at UK, notching the save.

After starter Sam Kidd (1-1), Braden Kapteyn and Nick Kennedy came out of the bullpen. Mike Kaczmarek came on for the last two outs of the eighth inning. Kennedy, who moved from the mound to first base when Kaczmarek entered, went back to the mound to work a perfect ninth inning.

“Really pleased with Nick’s effort,” UK Coach Gary Henderson said. “Kept his poise. And even Sam Kidd’s poise was very good. We put him in a miserable spot and he kept battling. … And Mike Kaczmarek. The bullpen, they did a good job.”

Dan Huff

Murray right-hander Dan Huff (1-2) gave up four runs, including one unearned, and 10 hits over eight innings. He threw 131 pitches, 84 for strikes, fanning six and walking two.

Craycraft, out of Henry Clay High School, closed out his former team, but not before putting the potential winning run on base. Craycraft had thrown 104 pitches three days earlier.

“I wasn’t really expecting to throw today,” he said. “I just came to … see family and stuff. But it’s always fun when you get back out there and throw against them.”

Inheriting a 7-4 lead, Craycraft yielded two walks and two singles to make it 7-5 with the bases loaded and no outs.

“I couldn’t find the strike zone to start out,” Craycraft said. “I just figured I’d get my release point back, throw the corners and let them get themselves out.”

Wes Cunningham

He got Cory Farris to hit a sharp grounder. First baseman Wes Cunningham stepped on the bag, then fired to the plate in time to cut down Chad Wright for a double play. Gunner Glad then flied to left.

“That was a great play by Wes,” Craycraft said. “Stayed in front of it and made a good, strong throw to the plate.”

Henderson was gracious in sizing up Craycraft’s performance.

“Any time you see one of your ex-players do well you’re happy for them,” he said. “I’m glad things are going well for Chris.”

The Thoroughbreds (7-8) led 7-1 through 3 1/2 innings.

Two errors led to a run in the second. Cunningham belted a three-run homer in the third. Another error, a walk and hit batsman triggered a three-run fourth.

Braden Kapteyn

Chad Wright

Gunner Glad

UK (13-3) got solo homers from Kapteyn in the second, Wright in the fifth and Glad in the sixth. Farris singled and scored in the fourth and pinch-hitter Chris Bisson singled in a run in the ninth.

“We did a good job of chipping away but, obviously, the whole ball game is the errors,” Henderson said. “You put yourself in that big a hole, it makes it really tough to get out of it. While I appreciate our kids’ effort — and it was good — you can’t make a game that difficult for yourself.”

Wright, Glad and Murray’s Cunningham all had three-hit games.

The Cats outhit the Breds 12-7.

UK’s Andy Burns had a fifth-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Keenan Wiley also had a hit, stretching his streak to 10 games, and Kapteyn’s homer extended his hititng streak to nine games.

Both teams return to action at home on Wednesday. UK will take on Wright State at 6:30 p.m. Murray will face Southern Illinois at 3 p.m. (2 central).

Kentucky scored a run in the ninth and had the bases loaded with no outs, but could not score again as Murray State held on for a 7-5 non-conference baseball game at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

Jason Laws

The Thoroughbreds (as Murray is known in baseball only) put up an unearned run in the top of the second.

Jason Laws reached on a fielding error by first baseman Gunner Glad. DH Colton Moore hit a potential double-play grounder to Neiko Johnson. But the second baseman tried to tag Laws. He missed, dropped the ball, then put his throw towards first base into the UK dugout to put runners on second and third with no outs.

UK right-hander Sam Kidd got Jonathan Craycraft on an infield fly, but Laws scored when Bryan Propst grounded out to short.

Braden Kapteyn

The Wildcats took little time to tie. Braden Kapteyn led off the bottom of the second with his first homer of the season, lining a shot over the left-field wall.

Wes Cunningham

Murray’s three-run third got going when Zach Noonan drew a one-out walk. He moved to second on Elliot Frey’s single up the middle. Wes Cunningham cashed in with his sixth homer of the year, to the scoreboard in center field.

In the bottom of the inning, UK wasted a two-out double by Chad Wright.

Murray kept up the attack in the fourth, again helped by a UK defensive lapse.

Jonathan Craycraft, out of Henry Clay High School, led off with a ground ball. Second baseman Neiko Johnson bobbled the ball for his second error of the game. Bryan Propst’s single moved Craycraft to second and Cory Hodskins bunted the runners to second and third.

Brandon Elliott’s bloop single down the right-field line scored Craycraft and moved Propst to third. UK Coach Gary Henderson pulled right-hander Sam Kidd in favor of Kapteyn, the DH.

Kapteyn hit the first batter he faced, Noonan, to load the bases, then walked Frey to force in a run.

Another scored on Cunningham’s single to right, making it 7-1.

Only a nifty double play contained the damage, as Kapteyn got Laws to ground into a 3-6-1 (Glad-to-Black-to-Kapteyn) double play to end the inning.

The Wildcats scored a run in the bottom o f the inning. With one out, UK loaded the bases on Cory Farris’ line single off the glove of first baseman Cunningham, a bunt single by Gunner Glad and a Cunningham throwing error that enabled Keenan Wiley to reach base. Farris scored when Michael Williams grounded out to first.

Defensive changes for Kentucky: Glad moves to second base. Coming in to play first, batting in the leadoff spot, is Lance Ray.

In the fifth, Murray loaded the bases with two outs via a walk, error and hit batsman. Nick Kennedy came out of the bullpen to retire Noonan.

Chad Wright

Gunner Glad

UK cut the margin to 7-3 when Chad Wright knocked a one-out homer to the party deck in right-center, his second dinger of the season.

UK’s sixth error of the game helped put Kennedy in a jam in the sixth. With one out and runners at second and third, Kennedy fanned Colton Moore and got Craycraft to ground out.

Glad led off the bottom of the sixth with his third hit of the game — a home run to the scoreboard. Glad has two homers this season.

Neither team scored in the seventh or eighth.

Murray right-hander Dan Huff, who threw more than 130 pitches gave way to Chris Craycraft to start the ninth. Craycraft, a right-hander out of Henry Clay, began his collegiate career with UK.

After Luke Maile drew a leadoff walk, Wright laced his third hit of the game, a single through the right side. Pinch-runner Brian Adams advanced to second. Andy Burns drew a full-count walk to load the bases for pinch-hitter Chris Bisson.

His sharp single to center scored Adams and kept the bases loaded with no outs.

However, a hard-hit grounder by Farris was fielded by Cunningham, who stepped on first and threw home just in time to double-up Wright. Laws, the catcher, did well to hang on to the ball.

Glad flied to left, leaving Murray with the 7-5 win.

Starting lineups

Murray State — Zach Noonan, LF; Elliot Frey, CF; Wes Cunningham, 1B; Jason Laws, C; Colton Moore, DH; Jonathan Craycraft, 2B; Bryan Propst, RF; Cory Hodskins, 3B; Brandon Elliott, SS. Pitching: RH Dan Huff (0-2, 5.60).

Kentucky — Neiko Johnson, 2B; Chad Wright, LF; Andy Burns, 3B; Braden Kapteyn, DH; Cory Farris, RF; Gunner Glad, 1B; Keenan Wiley, CF; Michael Williams, C; Taylor Black, SS. Pitching: RH Sam Kidd (1-0, 6.23).

Umpires — Nathan Huber, HP; Brandon Cooper, 1B; Clarence Coleman, 3B.

EKU's Derek Hardman in action vs. Kentucky.

Derek Hardman, who started 46 consecutive games on the Eastern Kentucky offensive line, will play Saturday in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Football Challenge at El Paso, Texas.

The game will be televised by CBS College Sports at 2 p.m.

Saturday’s game format pits players originally from Texas or who played collegiate football in the state against players from the rest of the nation. Last year, 93 percent of the participants eventually signed NFL contracts.

Antwaun Molden represented EKU in the 2008 game.

Hardman’s coach this weekend is former University of Kentucky player and University of Louisville coach Howard Schnellenberger, now the head coach of Florida Atlantic.

Murray’s Lane rumbles 6 (yards) for 6 (points)

Austen Lane, Murray State’s All-American defensive end, came up big in last weekend’s all-star football highlights.

Lane, from Iola, Wis., returned a fumble for a 6-yard touchdown to help the North to a 31-13 victory over the South in the Senior Bowl at Mobile, Ala. Lane fell on the ball and didn’t run until teammates alerted him that the play was still alive.

“I forgot that it was NFL rules, so thankfully a teammate picked me up and helped me out,” Lane said. “I was in shock when I scored and once again didn’t know how to celebrate. I am going to have to work on my celebrations.”

Lane will continue to train in Florida, preparing for the NFL Combine scheduled Feb. 24-March 2 at Indianapolis.