Dear Sand Shark Friends, Family and Supporters,
Thank you for your support throughout 2009. We would like to share with you some highlights from the year. As many of you know we had three inaugural programs that began last January, including Baseball and Men’s and Women’s Track. These programs made a splash in the Sun Conference and in the NAIA. The Baseball program went 33-19 in their inaugural season, making it into the post season. Men’s and Women’s Track had an outstanding beginning as well with Antoinette Elam winning the 800 at the Sun Conference meet, and the men’s 4 x 800 team taking first place. Two Sand Shark runners, Katie Mock and Marshall Meyer, qualified for the NAIA National Marathon, with Meyer placing 18th overall as a freshman.
The spring was also very successful for the Men’s and Women’s Golf programs. The men’s Golf team had many season highlights; the most notable was placing 7th at the NAIA National Tournament. Reed Howard and George Thacker were named to Ping All-Region team; Thacker was also honored on the Ping Third Team All-American. In their first spring season, the women’s Golf team finished 3rd in the Sun Conference, falling one spot short of an invitation to the NAIA Nationals finishing 16th overall.
This fall has also been very productive for all our teams. Cross Country is the only program truly in-season, although the golf teams compete, and the baseball team scrimmage. Cross Country for the second year in a row sent runners to the NAIA Nationals, Stephen Wilson, Nic Tones, and Frank Tinsley and for the first time a representative from the women’s team, Katie Mock. In September the Men’s Golf team were ranked 4th in Golf World Magazine. Additionally the Men’s Golf Team shot a record low team score of 281 during a fall competition. The Women’s Team was also very competitive this fall winning the Battle at Bayonet.
Most recently the Men’s and Women’s Golf team are ranked 3rd and 13th respectively in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Preseason Poll, while the Baseball team received national consideration in the same preseason poll.
We hope you will continue to be a part of the success of the Sand Shark Athletics Programs. Please visit us on the web www.USCBAthletics.com for full stories and Spring 2010 Schedules. We appreciate you! Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
USCB Sand Sharks