Herd Insider Magazine vol 19 #14 June 2017

June 2017

www.HerdInsider.com

One Stellar Season

Jordan Dixon (9) and The Herd enjoyed one stellar softball season, going all the way to the NCAA tournament and a 42-12 record.

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UP FRONT

06.17

VOLUME 19 NO. 14

What a spring at Marshall!

What…you weren’t paying attention after football went 3-9?

compiled by Woody Woodrum Herd Insider senior editor Track and field had its best finish in the outdoors C-USA meet (among 13 teams), and has sent three participants to the NCAA East Regionals (no results at press time).

There were many good stories in Herd sports, starting with football takNine women have set indoor records in 10 events on the Jeff Small ing a step forward to erase the nine-loss-season taste from everyone’s Track, and five more outdoors records – including graduate senior Alexmouth with a good 15-days of spring football. is Montes’ 164-feet, 2-inches javelin toss that is 14th best in the entire East Region of NCAA Division I track and field. Montes, fellow javelin Softball just finished a year where they won a record 42 tosser Heidi Heinger (just a freshman) and triple jumper Antonique games, won the Conference USA regular season title (the third Butler, who qualified for a second straight year. time for doing that, fifth time winning a title and second since 2013.) More importantly, Shonda Stanton’s team made the NCAA field Tennis advanced to the second round of the C-USA Championas an at-large, based on being ranked as high as number 23 in the naships and finished the year 14-10 and 1-1 in C-USA. It was the 15th tion and going 40-8 in the regular season. non-losing season (including an 11-11 year in 2015-16) for coach John Mercer, and the 21st winning season in the past 22 years.

Morgan Zerkle is as good as any player - in any sport - to have played at Marshall, in this humble writer’s opinion.

Derya Turhan was 18-4 at No. 1 singles, Maddie Silver 15-6 overall (11-4 at No. 3) and both Stephanie Smith and Anna Pomyatinskaya won 13 Baseball fell back a bit when they missed the C-USA Tournament, finishing 24-29. But like softball, which lost three regular matches in singles. players that were seniors, baseball only loses four seniors and Pomyatinskaya/Turhan were 11-5 at No. 1 doubles, while Smith/Daniela returns a group who got bit a little early by the injury bug.

Dankanych were 11-4 at No. 3 doubles. However, the squad loses Turhan, Pomyatinskyay and Rachel Morales as seniors.

If the draft doesn’t cost the Herd more than 1-3 players, they should be ready for another winning season in 2018. Here’s hoping the Herd can fix the Route 2 facilities’ dugouts, bullpens, improve the press box, and Consider that Turhan finished with 84 singles wins, 63 doubles wins, 147 overall wins, 30 singles wins in 2017, 25 singles wins in 2016 and 54 add some “real” rest rooms and concession stands (and perhaps work overall wins in 2017, plus getting her undergrad degree in three years with the YMCA to add lights for Marshall, St. Joe and the Huntington — all those accomplishments end up ranking in the top 25 in Marshall Hounds AAU team games played there). tennis history.

Do that, and Marshall can then play ALL C-USA games at “home” and A pretty good spring, if you ask me. not at Beckley or Charleston.

WHAT WE’VE GOT

HERD INSIDER / June 2017 / 3

06.17

VOLUME 19 No. 14

4 Continued

BASEBALL

Momentum

Coach Jeff Waggoner hoped his 2016-17 team would continue the momentum built in the past two years.

BASKETBALL

Two More Times

8

Jon Elmore withdrew his name from the NBA Draft, then gained an extra year of eligibility thought to be lost.

10 One Stellar

SOFTBALL

Season

Marshall softball had a stellar year, going 42-12 and advancing to the NCAA tournament in Lexington.

This page: Marshall guard Jon Elmore plays bigger than his size. And now, he’ll be playing longer than he thought, after gaining an extra year of eligibility with which to dazzle Marshall hoops fans. photo by Greg Perry/HI staff On the cover: Marshall softball had a stellar season, and at the center of it was pitcher Jordan Dixon (9).

The Herd advanced to the NCAA tournament and a 42-12 record for the season. photo by Greg Perry/HI staff

555 Fifth Avenue Huntington, WV 25701 (304) 523-8401

General Manager Mike Kirtner Contributor Bill Cornwell

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Web Operations Alex Hackney All contents ©2017 Kindred Communications

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/ June 2017

COLLEGE

Tyler Ratliff led with 53 runs scored, 210 at-bats, three triples, three sac flies and 125 assists in the field in 2017. He is thought to be one of three or four players who may be taken in June in the MLB Draft.

BASEBALL

photographs by Clyde Click for Herd Insider

COLLEGE

BASEBALL

/ June 2017

/ HERD INSIDER /

5

Coach Jeff Waggoner’s baseball seniors finished 2017 with the goal of…

Continued Momentum

C

oming off the first winning season since 1994, hopes were high for the Marshall baseball program of coach Jeff Waggoner. With just two weeks left in the season, the Herd had won five games in a row and had swept the first Conference USA series to be played in Huntington since joining the league in 2006 when MU swept its rival from WKU at the George T. Smailes Sr. Field at the YMCA Kennedy Center on Route 2 north of campus.

But then Marshall was swept at Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La. last weekend and finished the year with a six-game losing streak when Charlotte took the third and final game of the series at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, 9-5, on Senior Day Saturday, to finish all home games 15-11.

Marshall finished the season 25-29, 12-18 in C-USA, and misses the

In the home game that closely resembled the regular season, Marshall led 2-1 after one inning, 4-2 after two and 5-2 in the fifth inning.

But Herd faltered late in the game, with Charlotte scoring off first baseman Logan Sherer third home run of the series, an error, a passed ball and a wild pitch to take a 7-5 lead in the seventh.

Charlotte added insurance runs in both the eighth and ninth innings. Marshall left 10 story by Woody Woodrum runners on base in the Herd Insider Magazine senior editor game, including two in the sixth and seventh and one in the eighth and ninth.

Herd starter Brad O’Connor went 3.2 innings in his seventh start, with the junior allowing two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and

Marshall finished the season in Charleston May 20, and honored seniors Sam Finfer (3), Billy Sager (9), Leo Valenti (13), and Tommy Lane (19). photo by Corey Dieteman for Herd Insider Magazine tournament starting Wednesday in Biloxi, Miss. Charlotte improved to 32-22, 18-12 in league play and finishes fourth in C-USA. The 49ers also take their first lead in the all-time series, now 7-6 against Marshall in 13 games all-time.

It was Senior Day on a Saturday, and four Herd seniors were honored with their families and friends before the game. Second baseman/catcher Sam Finfer (Bellevue, Wash.), first baseman Tommy Lane (Pendleton, Ore.), DH/outfielder Billy Sager (Kenova, W.Va. and Spring Valley HS), and shortstop Leo Valenti (Olympia, Wash.) were all presented with framed jerseys and flowers for their wives, mothers and grandmothers.

Coach Jeff Waggoner, disappointed the way this year ended for his seniors, remembered the part all of them played last year for the 34-21 year, 21-9 in Conference USA in 2016, a season the Herd was 19-9 at Appalachian Power Park and Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley, W.Va. That was the first winning season since 1994, when the Herd was 20-19.

“I’m so proud of our seniors,” Waggoner said. “The job that they’ve done that last couple of years has really helped this program get on the map. I wish them the best in the future and we will try to help them in every step possible, whether that’s going to professional baseball or any other career. Extremely excited about these guys. They are great kids, more than just baseball players.”

two walks. Sophomore Josh Shapiro came out of the bullpen to take the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits, a walk and two strikeouts to fall to 3-6 in a season that saw the starter injured early, then coming out of the bullpen later in the season. Hunter Sexton, Mark Meyer and Brandon Romero each pitched one complete inning and each gave up a run (Sexton’s run was unearned) and Meyer had the only strikeout of the three.

For the Herd, sophomore Shane Hanon was 3-for-5 with a RBI and continued a season that saw the first year starter in center field hit better and better down the stretch, finishing with a team-best .342 batting average. Finfer was 1-for-3 in his final game, scoring, driving in a run with a sac fly as well as being hit by a pitch and stealing a base, and finished second to Hanon with a .338 average — the only two batters for the Herd to finish over .300 in batting average.

Senior Valenti scored a RBI with a perfect sac bunt for a suicide squeeze, and scored a run on a walk, while Sager was 1-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and a RBI, starting in left field for his fourth outfield start in 31 starts on the season (27 as designated hitter, finishing with a .295 average). That tied for third on team with junior Tyler Ratliff, who was hit in the knee in the first inning and replaced by junior pitcher/ catcher/infielder Matt Reed. Lane was 0-for-4 in his final game. continued on page 6

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continued from page 5

Others for the Herd who had a good game individually when they got the starts included DH Matt Harrison from Nitro HS/Cross Lanes, W.Va., who got his second double, and redshirt-junior catcher Dakota Robbins from Miami, Fla. (via Savannah State), who had his first hit (in 14 at-bats), first run scored, first RBI and first 3-walk game (giving him six on the year) on a 1-for-1 day.

Reed, topping all pitchers but on as he and Sexton appearing in 24 games, finished as saves leader with five and had the top win-loss record on the season at 6-5. Best ERA went to Ratliff, who finished at 1.29 in four appearances with a 1-0 mark and three saves early in the season. Best ERA among regulars was sophomore starter Wade Martin, 3-4 on the year with a 4.24 ERA, who also led the Herd with 87.0 inning pitched, 14 starts, and 77 strikeouts, and with a 4.0 GPA made the C-USA All-Academic team named May 22.

Finfer led the Herd with 68 hits, 139 total bases, 17 doubles, 18 home runs (led C-USA), slugging percentage of .692, on-base percentage of .410, and 51 RBI. Ratliff led with 53 runs scored, 210 at-bats, three triples, three sac flies and 125 assists in the field.

Hanon and junior pitcher/infielder Will Ray were both 9-of-14 on stolen bases (Sager and Lane were 1-for-1, and Finfer was 8-of-9), Lane led the team with 32 walks, and Andrew Zban led regulars in the field with just one error and a .989 fielding percentage. Ray was hit by 10 pitches and Valenti led in sac bunts Sam Finfer led Marshall with 68 hits, 139 total bases, 17 with six. doubles, and 18 home runs.

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/ June 2017

COLLEGE

BASKETBALL

Jon Elmore went around the opponents’ back during a 2017 game against North Texas in Huntington.

photograph by Greg Perry/Herd Insider Magazine

June 2017 / HERD INSIDER /

One X Two More Times COLLEGE

BASKETBALL

9

Marshall basketball star Jon Elmore put his name in hat for the NBA draft this spring. Then, he regained a seemingly lost year of eligibility, and that changed everything for Marshall basketball fans.

J

compiled by Woody Woodrum from Marshall Sports Information

on Elmore withdrew from the NBA Draft on Wednesday morning, May 17, but it turns out that was only a portion of the good news for the Marshall men’s basketball program on the day. Elmore isn’t only returning for the 2017-18 season — he has the option for two more years of college basketball. Marshall learned late that same Wednesday afternoon that Elmore had received a release from the original letter intent he signed out of high school, which restores a year of eligibility.

Marshall announced earlier that day that Elmore had opted to withdraw his name from the list of early entrants into the NBA Draft.

Elmore, a Charleston native, now has two years to use two seasons of eligibility.

Elmore started his career at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 2014-15, but left school to tend his ailing grandfather in October. He enrolled at Marshall in January of 2015, but the administration at VMI indicated to Marshall they would not release Elmore from his commitment, so he sat out the early part of the 2015-16 season.

“I’m happy it is behind me,” Elmore said. “It’s been a long process — lots of ups and downs. I’m glad everything got resolved. I’ve got the year back and hopefully I can make the most of it and I have got two years now.”

“IT’S BEEN A LONG PROCESS – LOTS OF UPS AND DOWNS. I’M GLAD EVERYTHING GOT RESOLVED. HOPEFULLY, I CAN MAKE THE MOST OF IT.” Elmore became a Conference USA first team selection last season after leading the league in scoring and assists. He joined the Herd in 2015-16 season, eight games into the season. He was listed as a junior but last season (2016-17) was actually his sophomore season, with the year now given back. He will now be a junior for 2017-18 and a senior in 2018-19.

“Jon gets another year to develop and if he needs another year to develop after next year, he has options,” Marshall coach Dan D’Antoni said. “If we get him for one more year, we’ll look forward to it. If it’s two more years, we’ll look forward to that, too.”

“It was great that he put his name out there,” MU coach Dan D’Antoni said. “I think he’s an NBA type of player. Certainly just getting his name out and getting people talking about him a little bit and knowing who he is a little bit is a good thing.

“If he’d had gone first round, it would have been a good thing, too.

There was nothing bad about it. If he goes in the first round, it helps us recruit. If he comes back, we’re a better team. Certainly him coming back, it makes my nights better. I’ll sleep better.”

Elmore averaged 19.7 points and 5.9 assists in 35 games last sea-

son. He is the first player in MU history to eclipse 600 points and 200 assists in the same season.

After 60 career games, Elmore already ranks on the program’s alltime list for points (No. 44), 3-pointers (No. 12), 3-pointers attempted (No. 11), assists (No. 11) and steals (No. 49). He passed his head coach on the all-time points list and joined Mike D’Antoni as one of three players – Cornelius Jackson is the other – with 200 assists in a season.

Elmore’s other 2016-17 statistics alongside single-season ranks: 691 points (No. 6), 210 field goals (No. 22), 508 shots attempted (No. 8), 83 3-pointers (No. 9), 236 3-pointers attempted (No. 5), 188 free throws (No. 2), 233 free throws attempted (No. 3) and 40 steals (tied for No. 24). Elmore led the Herd to the finals of the Conference USA Championship at Birmingham, Ala. where Marshall fell to Middle Tennessee.

Jon is son of Gay Elmore (VMI ’86) who was a Jon Elmore already ranks high on the two time Southern program’s list for points (#44), three-pointers Conference Player (#12), assists (#11), and steals (#49). of the Year for the photo by Greg Perry/HI staff Keydets in 1986 and 1987, and was the MVP of the SoCon Tournament when he led VMI to the finals in 1985, losing 70-65 to Marshall under Coach Rick Huckabay. The elder Elmore finished his career as the school’s then all-time leading scorer with 2,422 points – a mark that stood for 22 years, and is one of five players at VMI to have their number retired.

Ot Elmore, Jon’s brother, is also a junior on the Herd, having transferred to Marshall from Texas Rio Grande Valley after also starting his career at VMI. Jon is majoring in public communications with a management minor.

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COLLEGE

SOFTBALL

Marshall pitcher Jordan Dixon was dynamite on the mound in 2017, racking up 32 wins. She cut her hair this spring to support her mother, who is battling cancer.

photographs by Greg Perry/HI staff

COLLEGE

SOFTBALL

June 2017 / HERD INSIDER /

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A 42-12 overall record and NCAA tournament bid added up for Marshall, becoming…

One Stellar Season T

he 2017 season came to an end for the Marshall softball team after a hard-fought 2-1 win over DePaul to stay alive, and then losing to Illinois 10-2 in the final elimination game of the NCAA tournament in Lexington, Ky. The Thundering Herd ended the year with a program-record 42 wins and just 12 losses, topping the 2003 team that won 41 games for the most wins in a single season.

Marshall won the Conference USA regular season title with a 20-4

team.

This was Marshall’s second trip to softball’s “Big Dance” since first winning the C-USA Tournament compiled by Woody Woodrum in 2013. This year, the Herd Herd Insider senior editor advanced once again to the Kentucky Regional, both appearances occuring at John Cropp Stadium on the UK campus.

C-USA Player of the Year Morgan Zerkle was a catalyst for the team all season long, especially in the batter’s box. mark, tying the best marks in a single regular conference season with the 2003 and 2005 seasons (and both years winning the regular season Mid-American Conference titles). Neither of those teams advanced to the NCAA tourney.

The Herd got into the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid, the first Marshall team to do that since the days of the I-AA Football championships (1987-96), when Marshall advanced five times on at-large bids versus winning the Southern Conference title three other seasons.

It is the first at-large in the Division I era since the men’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA in 1971-72 as an independent, at-large

On Friday, Marshall lost game one to Illinois, 3-2, in 12 innings — the third time in four NCAA tournament games the Herd went into extra innings — then came back to beat DePaul in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon that, of course, went eight innings in a 1-0 win.

Marshall and Illinois met again right after that game, with the Illini earning the right to play Kentucky for the regional title on Sunday thanks to a 10-2 run-rule, five-inning win over the Thundering Herd.

In game one Saturday, Marshall went to extra innings for the second time in the 2017 NCAA Regionals in a tight battle with the DePaul continued on page 15

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Senior Day Sendoff‌

Marshall softball player Morgan Zerkle received a big hug from coach Shonda Stanton during The Herd’s senior day festivities before the final home game against UAB in May. photo by Greg Perry/HI staff

June 2017 / HERD INSIDER /

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continued from page 11 Blue Demons. Both teams struggled offensively to find any rhythm through the first three innings. DePaul got on the board first with one run in the fourth. Marshall put runners on in the fourth and the fifth but were unable to score.

In the sixth, junior Elicia D’Orazio got the Herd going with a leadoff infield single. She then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Taylor McCord. D’Orazio then stole third, and then stole home to tie the game. The steal at third gave D’Orazio the Conference USA single-season record with her 58th and then the 59th stolen base of the year to score.

Marshall loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with Elicia Tribolet and senior Morgan Zerkle reaching. D’Orazio was intentionally walked but the Herd could not push the winning run across when McCord fouled off a strike three to the DePaul catcher.

Finally in the bottom of the eighth, senior Shaelynn Braxton led off the inning with an infield single — the 197th hit of her career — and advanced to second and third on the next two groundouts. With Braxton standing just 60 feet away from home, sophomore Abigail Estrada got her first hit in four at-bats in the form of a walk-off, line-drive single to left field that scored Braxton.

Senior Jordan Dixon went the distance allowing just three hits, one run and struck out five. It was her 32nd win of the season. Marshall survived the first elimination game to take on Illinois.

In game two, Illinois came out firing on all cylinders in the second game Saturday as the Illini jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and never looked back. Illinois scored six more in the third and two in the fourth to take a 10-0 lead. continued on page 22

Marshall is renown for their base-stealing prowess, and Shaelynn Braxton illustrated this against UAB in early May.

June 2017 / HERD INSIDER /

McKenzie Moran photo by Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch

St. Joseph (Huntington) High School Track and Field

When you think of excellence in track and field in Cabell County, you instantly think of both Huntington and Cabell Midland high schools, who have produced several team and individual state champions in Class AAA. One school which had never produced a state track titleist was Huntington’s St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, but that all changed at the recent state high school meet at University of Charleston Stadium and Laidley Field. The St. Joe Irish had four wins this year in the Class A competition, with one athlete winning three individual titles--sophomore McKenzie Moran.

Moran opened the meet by joining teammates Haven Lochow, Lindsay Bates and Bojena Gross in winning the 4 X 800 relay title in 9:56.78, beating Wheeling Central’s team by nearly ten seconds. The time was also an all-time best for the Irish runners, beating the previous top time by nearly 30 seconds.

Moran was just getting started, as she faced a full running schedule on the second day of the state meet with the 400-, 800- and 1600-meter runs. The hectic day didn’t seem to bother her as she won all three races on a hot, humid day in W.Va’s capital city.

Moran set personal best times in all three championship races as she accounted for 32-and-a-half of the 47 points that St. Joe accumulated in the Class A girls competition. Her time of 2;18.93 in the 800-meter race was also a meet record. Moran’s performance is even more impressive since she only had a 45-minute break between the 400- and 1600-meter runs.

Despite her youth, Moran is no newcomer to the W.Va. High School track scene when, as a freshman, she finished second to Wheeling Central’s Nikki Nolte in the 400-meter race. This year, Nolte finished second to Moran.

Moran was also a standout last fall in Cross Country, winning an individual title in the state meet at Cabell Midland.

—compiled by Bill Cornwell, HI contributor

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Marshall Track Sends Three To NCAA East Regional Championships story and photo by Marshall Sports Information Points in Team Standings), Denisha West, 9th (39 feet, 6.5 inches) The Marshall University track and field team sent three members •Javelin Throw Alexis Montes, 2nd (154 feet, 3 inches, Eight Points of its team to the 2017 NCAA East RegionlaOutdoor Track and Field Pre- in Team Standings), Heidi Heiniger, 5th (139 feet, 6 inches, Four Points liminary Championships. The meet took place in Lexington, Kentucky, in Team Standings), Torie Derrow, 8th (120 feet, 6 inches, One Point) May 25-27 and is the qualifying meet for the NCAA Outdoor Track and •High Jump Sarah Bever, Tied-10th (5 feet, 5.75 inches), Torie DerField Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 7-10. row, 19th (5 feet, 3.75 inches) Based on marks set throughout the season, Alexis Montes, Heidi •Shot Put Elena Marchand, 6th (47 feet, 11.75 inches, Three Points Heiniger, and Antonique Butler in Team Standings), Hasana Clark, will represent the Herd. The top-48 14th (43 feet, 10.75 inches), Ericka in each individual event qualifies Budd, 19th (40 feet, 9 inches) for the preliminary competition, •Running Events and here are notes on each qualifier •4x100 Meter Relay Finals from Marshall: Team of Kametra Byrd, Hope Alexis Montes: Montes Julmiste, Safiyyah Mitchell, Kayla qualified in the javelin throw with Haywood, 5th (45.73, Four Points in the 14th best mark in the East Team Standings) Region. Her qualifying mark of •100 Meter Hurdles Finals 50.03 meters (164 feet, 1 inch) was Safiyyah Mitchell, 5th (13.72, Four set at the High Point University Bob Points in Team Standings) Davidson Spring Kick-Off in March.

•5,000 Meter Finals Andrea The graduate senior competes in Porter, 23rd (19:12.72), Meagen Antonique Butler qualifies for the second consecutive season in the triple jump. her first NCAA Division I ChampiCarter, 26th (19:28.54), Taylor Craigo, onships, as last season she finished 31st (20:10.25), Samantha Graffius, seventh in the Division II National Championships.

35th (20:35.76) Heidi Heiniger: Heiniger also qualifies in the javelin throw with •4x400 Meter Relay Finals Team of Christianna Dogan, Breanna the 45th best mark in the East Region. Her qualifying mark of 45.12 Hargrove, Safiyyah Mitchell, Danere’a White, 4th (3:44.00, Five Points meters (148 feet) was set at the University of North Florida Spring Break in Team Standings) Invitational. The sophomore competes in her first NCAA Division I •Saturday Championships.

•Discus Throw Elena Marchand, 4th (157 feet, 11 inches, Five Points Antonique Butler: Butler qualifies for the second consecutive in Team Standings) season in the triple jump. Her qualifying mark of 12.72 meters (41 feet, •Long Jump Lauren George, Was not able to record a legal jump, 8.75 inches) was set at the Conference USA Championships in El Paso, fouled out Texas. The senior’s mark was the 37th best in the East Region.

•Running Events Earlier in May, the track and field team completed its season on a •1500 Meter Prelims Taylor Craigo, 17th (4:59.86), Madeline Armhigh note at the Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championstrong, 18th (5:01.17), Meagen Carter, 21st (5:02.18), Samantha Graffius, ships hosted by UTEP. The WKU men won their side of the bracket for 22nd (5:06.65) the second year in a row while the host Miners women’s team won their •100 Meter Hurdles Prelims Safiyyah Mitchell, 5th (13.66, Qualiside of the ledger again, their third title since 2015 and fourth overall fied forSunday Finals), Danielle Wright, 9th (14.09), Hannah Carreon, since joining the league in 2006.

15th (14.74) As a team, the Herd finished in seventh place with 43 points. This •400 Meter Prelims Danere’a White, 15th (56.26), Breanna Harwas the second highest finish ever for the team in both standings and grove, 18th (57.39) points at the outdoor conference championships. The top finish ever •100 Meter Prelims Hope Julmiste, 11th (11.78), Kametra Byrd, 13th was set in 2013 when Marshall finished fifth with 63 points. However, (11.85), Kayla Haywood, 22nd (12.03) 2013 featured only 12 schools as opposed to 13 schools this year.

•800 Meter Prelims Barkley Castro, 12th (2:16.93) “Our kids had 24 lifetime best performances,” Small said. “Every•400 Meter Hurdles Prelims Christianna Dogan, 12th (1:02.96) where you look the kids placed higher than they were seeded. Two •200 Meter Prelims Andrea Chidester, 27th (25.28) examples; our 4x400 meter relay was seeded 10th and finished fourth •3000 Meter Steeplechase Finals Andrea Porter, 8th (11:29.76, One and our 4x100 meter relay was seeded eighth and placed fifth.

Point in Team Standings) “We have had a strong recruiting year with 60 percent of our •Friday points being scored by our freshman and sophomores; the future looks •Heptathlon Torie Derrow, 7th (4919 Points, Two Points in Team bright. However, we will miss the eight seniors that we had on this Standings), Sarah Bever, 12th (4727 Points) trip.”

•Hammer Throw Hasana Clark, 8th (177 feet, 6 inches, One Point A full list of Marshall athletes who competed at the Conference in Team Standings), Ericka Budd, 16th (155 feet, 11 inches), Mercedes USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and their results follows: Dowell, 25th (143 feet, 2 inches) •Sunday •Triple Jump Antonique Butler, 4th (41 feet, 8.75 inches, Five

June 2017 / HERD INSIDER /

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WV High School North-South Game Slated For June 17 in Charleston

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — They were the senior players who led their teams during the 2016 football season, some winning championships and a few winning just a few games. But they are all among the best senior players last year in the state of West Virginia. Bob Mullett, game director of the West Virginia Athletic Coaches Association’s WCHS-TV/ FOX-11 North-South Football Classic, has announced the rosters for its 2017 event.

Chris Daugherty of Wheeling Park High School will be the head coach of the North Bears. He has served as the Patriots head football coach since 2009 and his teams have set a new school record by qualifying for the Class AAA playoffs six consecutive seasons. His 2015 team defeated Capital to win the Class AAA State Championship, while he was named USA Today’s West Virginia Coach of the Year that same season.

Danny “Yogi” Kinder of Mingo Central High School will guide Wheeling Park’s Chris Daugherty (left) and Mingo Central’s Yogi Kinder the South Cardinals. He was head football coach at Matewan High (right) will coach in the 2017 North-South Football Classic.

School from 1986 to 2010, before consolidation merged Matewan (with photos by Frank Salucci, WVMetroNews.com (left) and Tyson Murray, WVMetroNews.com Burch, Gilbert and Williamson) into Mingo Central High in the 2011 season, where he was the Miners head coach until his retirement in 2016.

The 2017 West Virginia Athletic Coaches Association’s WCHS-TV/FOX-11 North-South Football Classic will kickoff at 7pm on Saturday, June 17, at University of Charleston Stadium/Laidley Field in Charleston.

2017 SOUTH CARDINALS Name Position Casey Bradshaw OL/DL Darnell Brooks WR/DB Mason Brubeck RB/LB Joel Cannady OL/DL Payton Carey OL/DL Tracy Conliff WR/DB Austin Cook RB/LB Lucas Cooper RB/LB NuNu Cunningham RB/LB Robbie Daniels OL/DL Jeb Evans OL/DL Seth Finnegan WR/DB Cody Fuller QB/DB Chris Harris OL/DL JoJo Hayes WR/DB Joe Hunt RB/LB Jordan Johnson OL/DL Drew Keaton WR/DB Zack Kerns OL/DL Dylan Lucas RB/LB Caleb Lester RB/LB Tate Mays QB/LB Thomas Minniear OL/DL Jamal Minter WR/DB Matthew Molina K/P Silas Nazario RB/DB Garrett Roberts WR/DB Turan Rush TE/DL Dalton Sheppard WR/DB Tripp Shiflet RB/LB Corey Simmons OL/DL Grant Safford RB/LB Zach Standifur WR/LB Siebert Sweeney WR/DB Zach Wamsley OL/DL Jonah Wellman RB/LB

Height Weight 6’5 310 6’3 185 6’0 195 6’5 340 6’1 295 6’3 180 6’2 210 5’11 190 5’11 210 6’1 280 6’5 310 6’0 170 6’0 180 5’11 225 5’11 180 5’10 220 6’3 230 5’11 170 6’3 270 5’10 180 6’0 210 6’2 225 6’0 220 6’1 175 5’7 160 5’10 175 5’9 170 6’1 245 5’11 185 6’1 220 6’3 300 6’1 190 6’0 190 5’8 180 6’0 225 6’3 220

High School Wayne George Washington Spring Valley Wyoming East Herbert Hoover George Washington Sissonville Hurricane South Charleston Mingo Central Tolsia Huntington Bluefield Capital Mount View Mingo Central Tolsia Cabell Midland George Washington Buffalo Mingo Central Nicholas County Winfield Logan Cabell Midland Capital Scott Capital Mingo Central James Monroe South Charleston Point Pleasant Princeton Nicholas County Point Pleasant Spring Valley

2017 NORTH BEARS Name Jordan Allen Will Billeter Jacob Biser Skyler Eastman Alex Edgell Cody Enrietti Zach Eye Noah Feagin Tay Foster Corey Fowler Nathaniel Frazier Luke French Seth Friel Josh Goode Lucas Hall Colton Henson Trevor Hoosier Deavonta Johnson Eddie Kachmarek Gavin Maccubbin Tyler May Corey McDonald Scottie Meaige Geno Messenger Maezi Mosby Isaac Myers Kato Oliver Miquel Pereira Peyton Powroznik Ricky Robinson Karson Snyder Chase Street Zach Torbett Isaiah Utt Latrell Warr Chris Yachini

Position TE/DE QB/DB OL/DL OL/DL RB/LB TE/DL OL/DL OL/DL RB/DB OL/DL WR/DB OL/DL RB/LB OL/DL WR/DB WR/DB TE/DE RB/DB OL/DL WR/DB RB/LB QB/DB RB/LB OL/DL WR/DB QB/DB OL/DL K/P OL/DL TE/DE WR/DB WR/DB RB/DB RB/DL RB/LB WR/DB

Height Weight 6’1 240 6’3 185 6’0 230 6’4 325 5’11 205 6’3 240 6’1 260 5’9 275 5’10 200 6’3 305 5’10 165 6’4 315 5’11 195 6’1 270 5’8 170 5’11 175 6’5 220 6’0 180 6’6 235 6’0 200 6’1 205 6’0 175 5’9 210 5’10 225 5’10 155 6’2 210 6’0 280 5’9 170 6’1 250 6’3 245 6’2 180 5’9 180 6’1 185 6’1 280 6’1 220 6’1 180

High School Weir St. Mary’s Keyser Liberty-Harrison Brooke Weir Moorefield University Hedgesville South Harrison Lewis County East Hardy Bridgeport Martinsburg Martinsburg Spring Mills Williamstown Keyser Tucker County Washington Roane County East Hardy Wheeling Park Robert C. Byrd Wheeling Park Jefferson Jefferson Spring Mills University East Hardy Parkersburg Magnolia Wheeling Park University Musselman Brooke

20 / HERD INSIDER

/ June 2017

Conference USA Basketball Tournament Headed To Frisco, TX

IRVING, Texas – Conference USA commissioner Judy MacLeod has announced the 2018 and 2019 Conference USA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships will be hosted at Ford Center at The Star, in partnership with the University of North Texas, the Dallas Cowboys and Visit Frisco (visitfrisco.com).

Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star will be the presenting sponsor of the 2018 C-USA Basketball Championships, which are scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 through Saturday, March 10, with all 22 games – 11 men’s and 11 women’s games – being held at The Star.

The conference champions receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

“We are excited to have our men’s and women’s basketball teams compete at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco,” MacLeod said.

“This unique setting within an outstanding venue and a thriving area will truly add to the championship experience of our student-athletes and fans.”

The University of North Texas boasts nearly 120,000 alumni within the four Texas counties of Dallas, Denton, Collin and Tarrant. More than 25,000 total alums from the other 13 C-USA member schools also reside within that area.

“We are always looking to bring new experiences to student-athletes, their families and fans with our state-of-the-art facilities. Conference USA’s basketball tournament is a great opportunity to showcase the versatility of Ford Center as well as what The Star and the City of Frisco have to offer,” said Dallas Cowboys Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Jerry Jones, Jr. Jones, a National Football Foundation Board Member and the 2013 NFF Leadership Hall of Fame inductee, has recently been named the recipient of theSportsBusiness Journal/Daily Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017. He will be honored May 24 at the Sports Business Awards in New York City.

“As we look to spring 2018 to open Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research, we’re thrilled to be part of these tournaments,” said LaVone Arthur, Chief Integration Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Development, Baylor Scott & White Health. “The facility will neighbor Ford Center where these games take place, and will work to keep athletes healthy and playing at their highest levels.”

Frisco will be the eighth location to host the C-USA Men’s Basketball Championship and the 13th host city for the C-USA Women’s Basketball Championship. Conference USA has hosted two women’s basketball tournaments within the Metroplex area as the 2006 C-USA Championship was held at SMU’s Moody Coliseum in Dallas and the 2004 C-USA Championship was in Fort Worth at TCU’s Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

“We are excited to host the Conference USA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships,” said Frisco Mayor Maher Maso. “Frisco is a great location for these games because our community is active, collaborative and sport-centric. We’re also a fast growing community and extremely proud of the world-class facilities we have available to host events such as this. Hosting the Conference USA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships enhances our reputation as a tourist and sports destination while providing entertainment and economic benefits for our residents.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the city of Frisco and the Dallas Cowboys to bring the Conference USA basketball tournament to DFW,” said Wren Baker, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics at North Texas. “I believe the venue and experiences coupled with high quality teams will provide an incredible opportunity for people in the region to participate actively in March Madness. UNT looks forward to working with Conference USA to make the tournament special for fans as well as participating student-athletes and coaches.” continued on page 21

C-USA continued from page 20 Conference USA is an NCAA Division I athletic conference based in Irving, Texas, that services 14 institutions of higher education – Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU. Now in its third decade, Conference USA has adapted to the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics with an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity and leadership in competition, academics and community. More information about the league and its members is available at www.ConferenceUSA.com.

The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and practice facility in Frisco. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco and Frisco ISD, The Star features Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; and Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL. Throughout 2017, The Star will welcome The Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options.

Founded in 2003, Visit Frisco — the Frisco, Texas Convention & Visitors Bureau — has grown in tandem with the extensive growth of leisure travel, sports, and meeting facilities within the city. It’s their mission to generate a positive awareness of Frisco as a premiere destination for meetings, sporting events, conventions, trade shows, leisure travel, and to positively impact the economic base of the City of Frisco. Official accreditation recognizing excellence and achievement was awarded in 2009 by the industry organization Destination Marketing Association International. Learn more at visitfrisco.com or call 877-GO-FRISCO. Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star (ST&R) will be a world-class sports medicine facility opening in early 2018. On site will be a Sports Performance Center dedicated to athletes at all levels ranging from amateurs to nationally prominent professional sports figures. In addition, there will be an Urgent Care Center, Imaging Center, Ambulatory Surgery Center, Outpatient Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation, Pharmacy, Primary Care, and more. At the ST&R, athletes will have access to tools that help enhance physical performance, gain education and training on injury prevention, as well as treatment options for injury recovery.

Softball continued from page 15 Dixon started the game in the circle before being relieved by sophomore Ali Burdette in the third and Burdette pitched one full inning.

She was then relieved by freshman Kailee Williamson, who pitched the final one and one-third innings.

Zerkle finally broke the perfect game up in the bottom of the fourth with an infield single, and that hit kept alive Zerkle’s hit streak that moved up to 17 games. Eventually, both Zerkle and D’Orazio moved in to scoring position, but the Illinois defense made great plays to get out of the inning.

Marshall finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. The Herd needed to score at least three runs to stay in the ball game, and the Marshall offense put together a two-out rally when sophomore Samantha Loose was hit by a pitch with two-outs and no runners on base.

Junior Jordan Colliflower came back in to run at first, and sophomore Briana Daiss blasted her fifth home run of the season to left to cut

the lead to 10-2. Then Zerkle stepped up to the plate and ripped a line drive to right field for her record-breaking sixth triple of the season.

Unfortunately for the Herd, it could not push one more run across to move the game into the sixth inning and the season came to a sudden end.

Stanton talked about her senior shortstop, Zerkle, after the game as the C-USA Player of the Year finished one of the best careers in the history of Marshall softball, back to 1993.

“I think so many times in the grind you expect so much out of these athletes and you’re just constantly coaching, coaching, coaching and we’re all about trying to take a breath and savor it,” Stanton said.

“That was fun to be able to do that. I’m proud of our group (of seniors, Zerkle, Dixon and Braxton).

“We’re never defined by any single performance. It’s a special group that are champions. We had the most wins in Marshall softball wins with 42. We’re not defined by this last game. It’s a credit to them.”