Women’s Sports 10

Texas A&M’s Mary Stoiana hits a backhand against Vanderbilt in NCAA tournament super regional action at the Mitchell Tennis Center. (Eagle file photo)

the nation’s against programs. “Maybe now we’ll be taken seriously as a golf school.”

A&M’s defining moment came in the final day regionals. The Aggies, coming off a ninth-place finish at the SEC championships, overcame a five-shot deficit in the last round to claim the final spot for nationals by one shot.

“I know that we learned a lot about ourselves [that day],” Chadwell said.

The tennis team had its own success story.

The Aggies reached the NCAA

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DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS tournament quarterfinals for the second time in program history, losing to Oklahoma 4-3. A&M was 33-2, setting a program record for victories as it won the SEC regularseason title and tournament title. The Aggies won 24 straight matches after dropping a 4-3 match to California in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s national indoor championships.

“It was such an amazing season,” A&M coach Mark Weaver said. “We went undefeated at home, undefeated on the road and undefeated in matches played outdoors. Our only two losses of the season were 4-3 matches indoors and we were playing for a national title on both occasions.”

A&M had a trio of All-Americans in junior transfer Carson Branstine, senior Jayci Goldsmith and graduate Tatiana Makarova. Its young talented players were led by freshmen Mary Stoiana, Gianna Pielet and Jeanette Mireles who combined to win 75 singles matches and were part of 63 doubles wins. A&M will add a highly ranked freshman class.

“The good news is that we will be back,” Weaver said. “This was only the beginning of something special here in Aggieland.”

Weaver, who was a standout with the A&M men’s tennis team, was rewarded for his efforts with a five-year contract extension through 2027.

A&M hired Georgia women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor and Arizona State softball coach Trisha Ford to replace its outgoing Hall of Famers, hopeful they can duplicate Chadwell’s first-year success. Taylor made an immediate impact in recruiting, landing former Georgia signees Janiah Barker, Sydney Bowles and Tineya Hilton who in November were rated the nation’s seventh-best recruiting class.

Ford was a dealt an early setback when two-time All-American Haley Lee entered the transfer portal, eventually deciding on Oklahoma. A&M will return seven position starters led by shortstop Koko Wooley who batted .359 with 26 stolen bases. The pitching staff includes fellow sophomore Emiley Kennedy (13-11, 2.94 ERA) who threw a staff-high 140 2/3 innings.

A&M expects a bounce-back season from the soccer program, which had made every NCAA tournament since 1995 until it was riddled with injuries last year. A&M was 7-9-2 last year, including 3-6-1 in SEC play. The Aggies return senior defender Katie Smith who was a second-team, all-conference pick. Forward Maile Hayes and defender Mia Pante made the all-freshman team a year ago.

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Texas A&M scored a huge victory over defending national champ Alabama last year, but by season’s end the Aggies were a pedestrian 8-4 and had to pull out of the Gator Bowl because of a depleted roster from season-injuries, COVID-19 issues and opt-outs.

A&M was down to approximately 38 scholarships when it decided not to play Wake Forest in Jacksonville, Florida. Eight months later, depth is a team strength heading in the 2022 season. The Aggies will replace 12 starters with talented candidates through keen competition. It will be a product of signing four straight Top 10 recruiting classes.

The most publicized battle heading into fall camp was quarterback with sophomore Haynes King battling junior Max Johnson. King earned the starting job a year ago, but suffered a season-ending injury last after starting the first two games. Johnson is a transfer from LSU where he started 14 games, including a 27-24 victory over A&M in the regular-season finale last year. Johnson in that game engineered a nine-play, 85-yard game-winning drive in the final two minutes capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left to get the Tigers to a bowl.

Haynes and Johnson had a great spring, though both struggled in the spring game, especially throwing deep. That was in part because of a 30-mph wind, but A&M kept throwing, despite the lack of success.

“Explosive plays are a huge reason you win,” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “And it’s a huge reason if you give them up on defense that you lose. That and turnovers are two of the most important stats that are out there today.”

A&M tied for 61st in turnover margin last year, forcing 16 turnovers, just one more than it had. The Aggies ranked only 88th in passing offense, averaging 208.6 yards per game. A&M averaged only 6.76 yards per pass attempt.

Fisher said the ability to successfully throw deep is a must. It’s something he did at Florida State as a head coach and at all his stops as an assistant coach.

“Last year we didn’t do it much,” said Fisher, adding that injuries at receiver played a big part. and after the season he transferred to Auburn.

“We’re going to take shots down field,” Fisher said.”

King, who had the ability to make plays with his legs before the injury, started to show flashes of his old self during bowl practices and was fully

Texas A&M center Bryce Foster, left, and right guard Layden Robinson, center back, block for running back Devon Achane as he carries the football against Alabama at Kyle Field in October 2021. Photo credit: Michael Miller, The Eagle

A&M also was inexperienced at quarterback with sophomore Zach Calzada pressed into a starting role when Haynes got hurt. Calzada ranked only 91st in passing efficiency recovered for spring drills.

Johnson also is a dual threat, rushing for 81 yards on eight carries in the 30-24 Maroon victory over the White in the spring game as the quarterbacks played for both teams.

“[Johnson] runs better than you give him credit for,” Fisher said. “Everybody thinks of him as a pocket passer, but he has really good mobility and a good feel in the pocket and he can run.”

They are backed up by freshman

Conner Weigman who is considered the program’s quarterback of the future. Last year, after Haynes was injured, A&M had walk-on Blake Bost as Calzada’s backup.

Weigman is part of A&M’s incoming 30-player class that was ranked college football’s best. He was one of 11 freshmen who graduated high school early to be part of spring drills. The other 19 newcomers joined the program in the summer.

“They look the part,” Fisher said in June at the Brazos County A&M Club’s Coaches’ Night. “I’d say they’re great show dogs. Now we’re going to find out if they’re hunting dogs.”

Five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart was one of the freshmen who had a strong spring. Stewart had seven catches for 75 yards in the spring game.

“Every day in the offseason program, he was out front leading everybody, running and doing things,” Fisher said.

A&M is looking for one or two wide receivers to complement senior Ainias Smith who opted to return for his senior season instead of declaring for the NFL draft.

“I feel like our receiver room has no ceiling,” Smith said after the spring game. “Everybody is getting better every single day.”

The offense’s strength will be the running game.

Junior Devone Achane will replace leading rushing Isiah Spiller who had 984 yards rushing, being denied back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons because of the bowl cancellation. A&M didn’t miss a beat last year with Achane who rushed for 861 yards and had the edge on Spiller in touchdowns (9-6) and average yards per carry (7.3-5.9). Achane also was a threat in the passing game, having 19 receptions for 189 yards with a touchdown. The 185-pound Achane had a banner spring on the track capped by earning honorable mention All-America honors in the 100-meter dash.

The offensive line has to replace first-round draft pick Kenyon Green and tackle Jahmir Johnson, who made 11 starts after transfering from Tennessee.