Maroon Life - Spring Sports 2019

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MAROON LIFE

A home ďŹ t for

CHAMPIONS Outdoor stadium opens new doors for Aggie Track and Field

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THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS 04 || LACY & DOXAKIS 06 || BASEBALL PREVIEW 07 || TAHAR TRIKI 11 || E.B. CUSHING STADIUM 14 || JO EVANS 16 || SOFTBALL PREVIEW 2 0 1 9

17 || MARK FRENCH 18 || GARY BLAIR

S P R I N G

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P R E V I E W

MAROON LIFE

A home fit for

CHAMPIONS Outdoor stadium opens new doors for Aggie Track and Field

21 || SWIM & DIVE PREVIEW 22 || SPRING FOOTBALL

About the cover: Junior Jaevin Reed, head track and field coach Pat Henry and junior Devin Dixon pose on the balcony of E.B. Cushing stadium, which is set to open later this season.

Cover photo by Jesse Everett Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 3

FILE

The tradition of blowing bubbles at baseball games after the Aggies score started in 2015 when the baseball team brought a bubble machine to a game against Dallas Baptist.

LETTER FROM THE SPORTS EDITOR Franco emphasizes the importance of enjoying spring sports and supporting college athletes

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Howdy, 12th Man, his spring sports preview section is one that I am especially excited for you to read. As we continue the spring semester, there is a lot of anticipation surrounding all of the programs on West Campus.

However, I think there is no program more excited than track and field. This will be the first season that head coach Pat Henry will host an outdoor track meet at A&M. For many of the athletes on the roster, it will be the first time in their career that they will be competing on their own outdoor track.

Since Henry’s arrival on campus 15 years ago, he has coached student-athletes to be some of the best in the country and the world. Now, track and field has E.B. Cushing Stadium – a state-of-the-art facility that could one day host the NCAA Outdoor Championship.

Next door to Cushing Stadium lies Davis Diamond, the new home of Aggie Soft-

ball. The stadium made its debut last season, hosting Auburn on the weekend of April 27. At that time, many of the stadium’s amenities were still under construction. The facility is now complete, and Aggieland will play host to the 2019 SEC Softball Tournament. With 11 new players on the roster and only one returning starter, A&M head coach Jo Evans said she is looking forward to seeing her young team grow throughout the season to make a deep postseason run.

Back at Olsen, A&M head coach Rob Childress is hoping to find a pitching rotation that is both deep and productive, as the Aggies look to return to the top of the SEC and the national rankings. Despite the sour ending to last season, Childress said they are no longer looking back and are rolling full steam ahead.

As I finish this letter, I can’t help but think about how this is the last one I get to write for this magazine. As my time as a student in Aggieland comes to an end, I cannot stress enough how important it is to

make the most of your time here.

Learn to grow from the mistakes and cherish your accomplishments, but most importantly take care of yourself. College shapes you into a new person, and trust me when I say there is no better place to be than right here in Aggieland.

The spring sports will always have a place in my heart because of the important bonds I formed while attending games.

From meeting my best friend at an Aggie baseball game freshman year to spending time at softball games soaking in the electric environment, the spring sports have impacted me in so many ways.

I hope the stories in this magazine persuade you to go out and support A&M’s tremendous athletes, and enjoy the environments that make Aggieland unique.

Thanks and Gig ‘Em. Angel Franco is a telecommunication media studies senior and sports editor for The Battalion

SPRING 2019 Megan Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief Luke Henkhaus, Managing Editor Angel Franco, Sports Editor Abigail Ochoa, Sports Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Chief Meredith Seaver, Asst. Photo Chief Jordan Burnham, News Editor Sanna Bhai, Asst. News Editor Henry Mureithi, Asst. News Editor Kathryn Whitlock, Life and Arts Editor Hannah Falcon, Life and Arts Editor Samantha Mahler, Life and Arts Editor Jane Turchi, Special Sections Editor Brady Stone, Page Designer

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Left-handed pitching pair brings experience to young A&M bullpen

By Alex Miller @AlexMill20 Texas A&M head baseball coach Rob Childress hasn’t marked down left-handed pitchers John Doxakis and Asa Lacy as weekend starters with his crisp, distinct handwriting yet, but the Aggies’ skipper sure is excited about what the two southpaws could bring his ball club on the mound in 2019.

“Both of those guys have a chance to be overpowering,” Childress said. “Super talented guys, great preparers, great teammates and certainly are competitive with the ball in their hand. ... Those two guys are as talented of two left-handers as there are in the country.”

As A&M’s top two returning pitchers,

Doxakis, a junior who was a weekend starter for the final half of 2018, and Lacy, a sophomore who emerged at the end of the season, are likely to form a solid 1-2 punch for the Aggies this year.

The most telling sign of the duo’s potential is the way each finished last year.

Doxakis shook off four straight losses to end the regular season with strong outings

in tournament play.

With one start in both the SEC and NCAA tournaments, Doxakis threw a combined 13.1 innings, allowing only two runs on three hits while striking out 22 batters to two walks.

Likewise, Lacy’s second career start came against Georgia in the SEC Tourna-

ment, with the Aggies needing a win to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Lacy let loose, slinging 6.0 scoreless innings and striking out eight. He didn’t get to pitch in the regional, but Lacy said he feels ready to keep competing on the big stage.

While both finished strong in 2018, they each geared up slightly differently for 2019.

Doxakis said he found a way to get over the hump of allowing multiple runs during his outings last season and carried momentum into summer ball, playing with USA’s Collegiate National Team. The Aggies will need Doxakis to show why he’s one of college baseball’s best in 2019.

When Lacy wasn’t spending his free time fly-fishing in Alaska, he helped the Mat-Su Miners claim their third straight Alaskan Baseball League championship. Childress & Co. hope Lacy can reel in some big victories

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ATHLETE FEATURE: ASA LACY & JOHN DOXAKIS

TEXAS A&M’s 1-2 PUNCH 2018 STATS: W-L: 8-5 ERA: 2.70 IP: 93.1 K’S: 92

2018 STATS: W-L: 3-1 ERA: 2.75 IP: 39.1 K’S: 48

DOXAKIS

LACY for the Aggies this spring.

Back together in College Station, Lacy said Doxakis helped groom him into a starting role, noting how Doxakis had a similar path, moving from key reliever to starter as a freshman himself.

Lacy said working on his mechanics and developing a fourth pitch — a cutter — has helped him prepare to start in an SEC setting and consistently put together six-plus inning outings.

“As a starter, you get to get into a rhythm,” Lacy said. “As a reliever, it’s kind of get out there full speed and go and let it eat. As a starter, I’ve got to pace myself a little more, which I’ve had to work on this fall, and really getting in that rhythm sooner rather than later.”

Doxakis said helping Lacy transition into a starting role during offseason has made him compete at a higher level since they both push each other.

“Those two guys are as talented of two left-handers as there are in the country.”

Rob Childress, head coach

“It’s been a brother thing basically,” Doxakis said. “We’re both a little hard-headed, so we butt heads sometimes, which is good.

That’s what two guys do when they’re competing against each other.”

Some sophomores in Lacy’s position might feel a need to mature rapidly over their first offseason — especially someone like Lacy, who knows he will likely be of great value during his second season. However, Lacy said he didn’t feel any immense pressure to grow up quickly, and his maturation was natural.

“I didn’t push anything,” Lacy said. “The coaching staff didn’t push anything on me, the older guys didn’t push anything on me. They just kind of let me grow up on my own, and I still have some more room to grow, but I’m very thankful the way it’s turned out.”

With two pitchers having somewhat separated themselves, the Aggies’ pitching rotation has some stability.

Stability is important, considering A&M has zero seniors in its bullpen and Doxakis is one of only three junior pitchers. This means the Aggies will turn toward a trio of sophomores and a few freshmen to fill the rest of the

gaps. But that doesn’t worry Childress, given the approach taken by Doxakis and Lacy to lead the pitching staff.

“I think those guys feed off one another, but they’ve also done a great job bringing the young guys along as well because when you look at our pitching staff, not only are we going to count on a lot of sophomores, but we’re going to count on a lot of freshmen too,” Childress said. “Getting those guys up to speed as fast as we can is imperative with our older pitchers.”

Even though Doxakis and Lacy themselves appear young on paper, Childress said it’s their time to shine.

“They want to be a guy that’s going to carry a heavy load, and that’s why they come here,” Childress said. “Being a sophomore and junior, those guys are ready to accept that pressure and that opportunity, and I feel like they’re going to have great years.”

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 6

Building a strong

brotherhood Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

The Texas A&M baseball team will begin the 2019 season unranked. The home opener is Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Olsen Field.

Aggie baseball looks ahead to long season, moving out of 2018 slump

By Dylan Poitevint @Poitite The Aggies are looking to return to national prominence on their road to the College World Series after a 2018 season that fell short of high expectations.

With the first game of the season fast approaching, Texas A&M has been working hard in areas of strength and conditioning, team building and practice, preparing for the season and the strenuous SEC schedule that lies ahead.

The Aggies return to the diamond following a 40-22 record in 2018 and their 12th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. However, the team failed to make a Super Regional after a loss to Texas in the NCAA Regional. This broke a string of three straight Super Regional appearances from 2015-2017. The Aggies most recent Super Regional appearance led them to the College World Series in 2017.

A&M head coach Rob Childress believes not making the Super Regional has motivated players. Childress said he wants his team to focus in and work hard to prepare for opening night.

The Aggies return 17 letter-winners and six position players but will begin the 2019 season unranked. Childress said he is excited to get back to work and is not personally concerned with preseason rankings.

“Since the first day of the fall, it has mo-

tivated our guys immensely, especially the older guys,” Childress said. “They’ve done everything with a chip on our shoulder, and I would expect this to be no different moving forward.”

But before the team can look to the postseason, Childress said he and his fellow coaches need to find a pitching staff that can make it through the grueling season.

“We need to round out our starting rotation and find out who our starting nine are supposed to be or who our top 12 hitters are going to be,” Childress said. “The fall is always a staging process.”

Junior shortstop Braden Shewmake said he believes the Aggies need to treat this season as they would any other and focus on tasks at hand.

“We’re trying to take it like we do every single year, trying to get bigger, stronger, faster in the weight room — take as many ground balls as we can and hit as often as we can,” Shewmake said. “We haven’t tried to change too much, and we’re not going to look at any year differently. We want it all to be the same, and we want to work toward our goal of going to Omaha.”

While some focus has been put on last season, the team is getting back to regular ins and outs of practice. Junior pitcher John Doxakis said the team continues getting better by competing against one another in practice, especially when the pitching staff is working on techniques during practices and the rest of the team can take live batting practice.

“We believe that we have the best hitters in the country,” Doxakis said. “When

you face Blaum, Ducoff and Coleman back to back to back … I mean no one wants to do that. They’re going to be terror during the season. Obviously, facing Shewmake and Foster again, they all hit the ball hard no matter where it’s pitched, so it’s really hard to throw against those guys, and it gets you ready for the SEC.” Despite going up against one another in practice, Shewmake said the team bond only gets stronger, both on and off the field. According to Shewmake, there is an open communication policy in place for the players to have a solid practice and playing environment.

“Our team chemistry is big for us and our culture,” Shewmake said. “We do a good job of including everybody in everything. There’s six minutes in meetings for you to get anything off your chest you need to say, and anything we did good or anything we need to work on. Feelings are out the door at that point. It’s all about making your teammates better.”

Even though team cohesiveness is preached throughout the offseason, Childress said team unity may be challenged once the season begins. Since there are only nine positions out on the field, Childress can only select certain players, which may test the limits of some.

“You find out how unified and how close you are when you write one lineup and you run one pitcher out there, and you have really good players on the bench,” Childress said. “Each day we take the field we’re going to do the best to win that day, and it’s not about their feelings. It’s about what’s best for the team.”

Photos by Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Top: In 2018, junior outfielder Logan Foster had a .314 batting average and led the Aggies in home runs. Bottom: A&M head coach Rob Childress (right) is entering his 14th season at the helm of the baseball team.

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ATHLETE FEATURE: TAHAR TRIKI

FROM THE

HEART

Triki looks to honor family on his way to being the best in his sport

By Jack Holmes @ Jack_Holmes98 Tahar Triki has never forgotten the drives his father made to take him to the closest track and field facility. The daily two-and-a-half-hour round trip might have been his father’s greatest show of support.

There was no track in the town where Triki grew up near Constantine, Algeria, so the drive was necessary in order to perfect his craft. Now 21 years old, the junior is an NCAA Outdoor triple jump champion and has settled into his life at Texas A&M. However, there is a lot more to being an international student athlete than meets the eye.

Triki’s father passed away in early 2016, right as his son’s career was gaining mo-

mentum. Becoming an Olympic champion is one of Triki’s goals, which were also the goals of his first supporter — his dad.

“That is why I really want to achieve his goals,” Triki said. “It’s something from the heart. It’s not something that I just say.”

Triki had a comfortable childhood, he said, playing with his neighbors all the time.

Despite being one of the best jumpers in the world today, Triki’s first passion was to play soccer, and like many of his friends, he wanted to play for a famous team when he was older. However, his dad had a different plan.

“When I was 11 or 12, a coach back home told my father that I could be a really good track and field athlete,” Triki said. “My father told me, ‘Tahar, you better go to the track.’ I said, ‘No, I have to play soccer.’”

Triki’s reluctance continued for a short CONTINUED ON PG. 8

Junior jumper Tahar Triki is one of only four international track and field athletes.

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 8

Tahar Triki won the NCAA Outdoor Triple Jump title in 2018 with a distance of 55 feet, 1 inch.

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

time, as he didn’t want to let go of his soccer dream.

However, once he realized his talents lie in track and field, that became his sole focus.

“When I was 15 years old, I started to jump really far in both long jump and triple jump,” Triki said. “That was my first serious year in track.”

Success came quickly, starting at the 2013 Arab Youth Championship, where Triki swept the triple jump and long jump titles.

At the Arab Junior Championship in 2016, Triki set Algerian national junior records in both events, and in 2017 he swept the competitions in the Arab Athletic Championships.

Triki is now a four-time national champion in Algeria.

“Representing my country is always a big honor for me,” Triki said. “It’s something

that comes from the heart. Every time I won the Arabic Championships [or] the African Championships, when I listen to my country’s [national anthem], when the flag is going up, I really feel something special; I feel like I’m proud of myself.”

Triki felt like he was improving every year, and with this kind of success came recognition. However, it was not until the 2017 World University Games in China that he realized the opportunities he might have in the United States.

“I talked to a lot of people,” Triki said.

“They told me with my jumps that I had the opportunity to go to the U.S. to practice and to study at a high level for a really good program.”

Triki began looking for these opportunities, and when A&M head coach Pat Henry

offered him a full scholarship, he accepted.

Triki is only one of four international athletes on A&M’s track and field team, but Henry knew Triki would be a good fit.

“We recognize youth all over the world,” Henry said. “We look at people that might fit Texas A&M, and he was one of those guys.

He’s mature, both academically and as an athlete.”

Triki arrived in College Station in February of 2018, a short way into the spring semester and the team’s indoor season. He competed unattached at the final regular season meet, where he swept the triple jump and long jump titles. He planned to begin his Aggie career at the SEC Championships, but an injury put his debut on hold.

“I hurt my hamstring the night before SECs,” Triki said. “I was hurt in February,

March and April.”

With the help of his coaches and training staff, Triki was able to compete from the start of the outdoor season in March. Along with four regular season titles, Triki earned double All-American honors by winning the NCAA Outdoor triple jump title and placed eighth in the long jump. Just a few weeks earlier, he won the SEC triple jump title, with the longest winning distance in 17 years and placed fourth in the long jump.

Despite his success on the runway, the adjustment of moving across the world by himself came with its share of challenges. Triki said the hardest part was being away from his family and friends back home, but the cultural change and language barrier made life even more difficult.

“My English is getting better right now,”

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 9

“I want to be a positive man all my life, encouraging people and supporting people.”

Tahar Triki, long jumper

Tahar Triki is an Algerian four-time national champion.

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

Triki said. “I was worse last year to be honest. I started learning English in high school, but it was really easy English. … Every day I learn more and more.”

It didn’t take long for Triki to mesh with his teammates, according to junior middle distance runner Carlton Orange, who played basketball with Triki at the Rec during the offseason.

Triki said the team became his family away from home and allowed him to find his rhythm.

“I think for this young man, it was pretty easy,” Henry said. “If he’s on a team of 140, he’s got 139 friends right away. That’s important. A lot of young people come to college, and they don’t know anybody.”

According to Henry and multiple teammates, Triki has a reputation for doing things the right way, which has made him one of the most well-liked athletes on the team. In addition to a desire to be an individual champion, Triki loves being part of a team.

Henry said the jumper might have a chance to run with the 4x100 relay squad this season.

“He’s got a smile on his face, and he’s ready to go all the time,” Henry said. “That’s what I appreciate about him as much as anything. I’ve never seen him come to practice in a down mood. … He always wants to train hard and he always wants to get better.

That’s what you want in an athlete.”

Triki tries to contribute to his teammates’ success and supports them however he can, junior jumper LaJarvia Brown said. Triki is also an athlete that leads with his actions, according to junior middle distance runner Devin Dixon.

“He is a very hardworking person,” Dixon said. “He understands that he is a very good motivator for everybody else. If everybody else sees him working hard in his event, everybody else will want to work hard too. He’s one of those leaders that just leads by example.”

Triki’s leadership ability, and his positive attitude, is something he said his parents taught him at a young age.

In fact, Triki said they taught him how to do everything the right way.

Positivity is something Triki said he learned through his religion.

“I’m Muslim,” Triki said. “So it’s something good to smile and be cool with people. Even if you don’t know [them].”

As an agricultural leadership junior, Triki said he has many reasons to be happy with what A&M provides both athletically and academically.

“We have gotten a new facility and a new track,” Triki said. “There are a lot of things that motivate me to get better and a lot of things I like here — the track, the coaches and how they treat us, the trainers, everyone. The academics, and the people who I work with in the study halls and the learning centers — these are the good things here at Texas A&M.” Simply put, Triki has made it through his first year overseas with patience and a belief in himself. His goals include breaking the collegiate jumping records and winning national titles, as an individual and with a team.

However, there is something more important to him than any of that.

“To make my mom proud of me, achieve all of my goals and achieve my father’s dreams,” Triki said. “If I do that, I will be really happy. That is my goal in this life.”

Family is important to Triki, and he was able to visit them in Algeria over winter break. He talks to his mother almost every day and hopes to bring her to the U.S. during the outdoor season so she can watch him compete for A&M in person. His two sisters and older brother are also on his mind.

“They mean a lot to me,” Triki said. “My brother is my friend. Back home, we are always chilling together. We always support each other to do better in this life. My brother right now is like my father, but he’s my friend.”

When it is all said and done, Triki wants to make sure his legacy is one that reflects his attitude in life, and he hopes that aspiring athletes will follow his lead.

“I want to be an example for the people, for the new generations,” Triki said. “I want to be a good example for them. I want to be a positive man all my life, encouraging people and supporting people.”

After his time competing in the maroon and white, Triki plans on turning professional. For now though, there is one thing that he wants everyone to know about him.

“Right now, jumping is my life,” Triki said. “I really love it because one day I know I will be an Olympic champion.”

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 11

‘ HOME’ NOW WE HAVE A

Courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics

Texas A&M Track and Field hasn’t competed in a home outdoor meet in 15 years. This season, that will change when the Aggies host the Reveille meet at the new E.B. Cushing Stadium.

New outdoor facility opens up major opportunities for A&M Track and Field

By Jack Holmes @Jack_Holmes98 The last time Texas A&M hosted an outdoor track and field meet, most of this year’s graduating class was about 7 years old.

Over the team’s two decades of history in College Station, track and field has established itself as one of the most successful programs on campus and in the country. Between the men’s and women’s teams, the Aggies have won nine NCAA Championships and 18 conference titles.

There are high hopes for 2019, as the completion of E.B. Cushing Stadium, a brandnew outdoor facility, marks the beginning of a new era in A&M athletics.

“If you were any other team and you didn’t get to compete at home ever for 15 years, I think that you kind of set the environment a little bit for expectations,” head coach Pat Henry said. “We’ve actually won eight national championships outdoors, and we’ve never got to compete at home outdoors. I think that says a lot about the talent in our group. … But now we have a home.”

The Aggies’ most recent title came in 2017, as the men’s squad won A&M’s first NCAA Indoor Championship in dramatic fashion.

Mylik Kerley inched past Florida on the final straight of the 4x400 relay to claim the title by half a point. They would go on to be crowned SEC Outdoor Champions later that season.

“I did expect [us to win] because our team was hardworking from the jump that year,” said junior Devin Dixon, repeat conference champion in the 800m. “Everybody was on top of their stuff. … We had a lot of talent in

every event.”

In terms of big titles, the Aggies came up short in 2018. Henry said a lot of that was due to youth, but there was a larger factor in the mix.

“We competed very well both indoor and outdoor last year,” Henry said. “We just weren’t healthy when it counted. That was key for us last year.”

Even so, athletes are far from discouraged, and they use their belief in the program to gain confidence going forward.

“I think our team could have done better, but I think that makes our team do more and do the best that we can,” said senior Jazmine Fray, school record holder in the 800m. “We have great coaches here… and great everything at Texas A&M. … Even though we didn’t do as well as we wanted to, we know we can in the future because we have all of the parts to do well.”

Despite having Gilliam Indoor Stadium — A&M’s high-level indoor arena that has hosted multiple conference and NCAA Championships — the Aggies have lacked an outdoor stadium to call home. That will change in 2019, as E.B. Cushing Stadium is set to host its first meet in April.

The stadium will host three meets this season, starting with the Reveille Meet on April 6. E.B. Cushing is also set to host the SEC Outdoor Championships in 2020. However, A&M has yet to be scheduled to host a national meet.

“Getting an NCAA Championship outdoors, we’ve got to prove to the NCAA that we have the kind of facility that can host it,” Henry said. “We don’t have enough seats right now to host it, even in our new facility.

That’s the next challenge.”

The 90,500-square-foot, $39.8 million project will have an initial capacity of 2,200,

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THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 13

Texas A&M track and field’s new E.B. Cushing Stadium is a $39.8 million, 90,500-square-foot facility which seats more than 2,200 people and features a meeting room big enough to hold the entire team.

Photos by Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

according to 12thMan.com. The facility will boast an Olympic standard nine-lane track, a nine-lane sprint and hurdle straightaway centered in the middle and a dual field event area.

Longer throwing events will compete at the previous training facility, which will also function as a full practice and warm-up area.

According to Henry, the coaching staff is looking forward to recruiting in the building.

“Now we have a recruiting environment that’s so much better than what we had before,” Henry said. “It’s not even worth talking about what we had. Now what we have is as good as there is anywhere.”

For older athletes with more perspective, the new stadium offers a chance to reflect on their journey representing A&M. Many of them believe E.B. Cushing was built thanks to the effort and success of previous generations of athletes.

“The facility, I feel, is a good representation

of all the hard work of the people before us,” Dixon said. “All the training that they put in for us to have a facility like that. I feel like we should greatly appreciate it, and we should move forward by working hard and not taking anything for granted.”

Fray said she looks forward to the day former athletes come back to Aggieland and see the new facility. She said without them and their contributions to help make the program one of the best in the country, current track athletes would not have a new place to call home.

“I actually hope that one day we can bring all those alumni who won national championships back to the track just to show them that ‘you did this for us, you created this,’” Fray said.

For some athletes who are new to the program, the promise of a new stadium was a factor that played a role in their decision to compete at A&M.

“I actually hope that one day we can bring all those alumni who won national championships back to the track just to show them that ‘you did this for us, you created this.’”

Jazmine Fray, senior track athlete

“It definitely made me excited,” said sophomore Syaira Richardson, who recently transferred from Ohio State. “But at the same time, I don’t think it was the facility that finalized my decision. I really did like the coaching staff and how everything was professionally done here. … But the facility was definitely a plus as well.”

There is a tremendous buzz of excitement among many team members surrounding the first home meet.

“Oh my goodness,” Dixon said. “I don’t even know how to describe that. That will be fulfilling — to be able to run at home on an outdoor track for the first time. I’m very excited to see it happen.”

For Fray, thinking of her first outdoor meet at home makes her realize how fast her time in Aggieland has passed. Fray’s family will be there to watch her first race.

“That’s going to be very surreal because when I came here, they actually talked to me about the outdoor track being made,” Fray said. “That was five years ago. Now it’s my senior year and I’m actually going to be able to do it.”

The wide range of features in the new facility will allow the program to function better on a day-to-day basis, even with things as simple as team meetings, Henry said.

“One of the best things that has happened since we moved into the facility two weeks ago is we got to have a team meeting with 140 athletes, and they all got to sit in a chair instead of on the floor,” Henry said. “For the last 15 years, we’ve sat on the floor to have meetings.”

A film room will allow athletes to sit with coaches and watch their events to see how they can improve. Before, athletes had to go

to the coach’s office and watch it on a computer, Fray said. Along with this, a track-only training room will be available to athletes.

“I’m excited to go into the training room,” Fray said. “It is completely track and field, but we used to share [with other sports.] It was a lot.

Now we have it completely track and field, and they can specifically focus on us.”

E.B. Cushing Stadium provides athletes with other features that make their student-athlete lives easier. The locker room is spacious, with a locker for every athlete, something that the track and field team never had before, according to Arkansas transfer Carlton Orange. However, one feature is an overwhelming favorite.

“The lounge is the best place ever honestly,” junior All-American jumper LaJariva Brown said. “It’s so comfortable. There’s TVs everywhere. You can literally stay there all day.”

Overall, Dixon is looking forward to athletes

feeling like more of a team.

“I’m definitely most excited about team comradery and overall team chemistry,” Dixon said. “There will be a lot of communication between us. … I think that will just bring us closer together.”

The Aggies’ indoor season is already underway and will come to a close at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 8-9 in Birmingham, Alabama. The outdoor season will begin the following week, ending June 5-8 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin.

There is confidence around the program on both the men’s and women’s sides of the team.

Sophomore Kyree Johnson, who was part of last year’s NCAA outdoor silver medal 4x400 squad, is positive his team is good enough to bring home a trophy this season.

“We have so much depth and so much talent from everyone on the team that there is no

doubt we can make it all the way, both indoor and outdoor,” Johnson said.

The feeling is similar on the women’s squad, Richardson said.

“I do believe this team is capable of winning a title,” Richardson said. “We just have to put the pieces together and make sure everyone is healthy. … We definitely do have a team to win in every aspect and in every event.”

When the season comes to a close, the Aggies hope to be back on top of the collegiate track and field world, and Fray believes the team is primed for a title run.

“I would say our team, boys and girls, are ready to win a national title,” Fray said. “Seniors are very motivated because this is our last time, and freshmen are very motivated because this is their first time and they want to prove themselves. It becomes such a great combination.”

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 12

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 13

Texas A&M track and field’s new E.B. Cushing Stadium is a $39.8 million, 90,500-square-foot facility which seats more than 2,200 people and features a meeting room big enough to hold the entire team.

Photos by Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

according to 12thMan.com. The facility will boast an Olympic standard nine-lane track, a nine-lane sprint and hurdle straightaway centered in the middle and a dual field event area.

Longer throwing events will compete at the previous training facility, which will also function as a full practice and warm-up area.

According to Henry, the coaching staff is looking forward to recruiting in the building.

“Now we have a recruiting environment that’s so much better than what we had before,” Henry said. “It’s not even worth talking about what we had. Now what we have is as good as there is anywhere.”

For older athletes with more perspective, the new stadium offers a chance to reflect on their journey representing A&M. Many of them believe E.B. Cushing was built thanks to the effort and success of previous generations of athletes.

“The facility, I feel, is a good representation

of all the hard work of the people before us,” Dixon said. “All the training that they put in for us to have a facility like that. I feel like we should greatly appreciate it, and we should move forward by working hard and not taking anything for granted.”

Fray said she looks forward to the day former athletes come back to Aggieland and see the new facility. She said without them and their contributions to help make the program one of the best in the country, current track athletes would not have a new place to call home.

“I actually hope that one day we can bring all those alumni who won national championships back to the track just to show them that ‘you did this for us, you created this,’” Fray said.

For some athletes who are new to the program, the promise of a new stadium was a factor that played a role in their decision to compete at A&M.

“I actually hope that one day we can bring all those alumni who won national championships back to the track just to show them that ‘you did this for us, you created this.’”

Jazmine Fray, senior track athlete

“It definitely made me excited,” said sophomore Syaira Richardson, who recently transferred from Ohio State. “But at the same time, I don’t think it was the facility that finalized my decision. I really did like the coaching staff and how everything was professionally done here. … But the facility was definitely a plus as well.”

There is a tremendous buzz of excitement among many team members surrounding the first home meet.

“Oh my goodness,” Dixon said. “I don’t even know how to describe that. That will be fulfilling — to be able to run at home on an outdoor track for the first time. I’m very excited to see it happen.”

For Fray, thinking of her first outdoor meet at home makes her realize how fast her time in Aggieland has passed. Fray’s family will be there to watch her first race.

“That’s going to be very surreal because when I came here, they actually talked to me about the outdoor track being made,” Fray said. “That was five years ago. Now it’s my senior year and I’m actually going to be able to do it.”

The wide range of features in the new facility will allow the program to function better on a day-to-day basis, even with things as simple as team meetings, Henry said.

“One of the best things that has happened since we moved into the facility two weeks ago is we got to have a team meeting with 140 athletes, and they all got to sit in a chair instead of on the floor,” Henry said. “For the last 15 years, we’ve sat on the floor to have meetings.”

A film room will allow athletes to sit with coaches and watch their events to see how they can improve. Before, athletes had to go

to the coach’s office and watch it on a computer, Fray said. Along with this, a track-only training room will be available to athletes.

“I’m excited to go into the training room,” Fray said. “It is completely track and field, but we used to share [with other sports.] It was a lot.

Now we have it completely track and field, and they can specifically focus on us.”

E.B. Cushing Stadium provides athletes with other features that make their student-athlete lives easier. The locker room is spacious, with a locker for every athlete, something that the track and field team never had before, according to Arkansas transfer Carlton Orange. However, one feature is an overwhelming favorite.

“The lounge is the best place ever honestly,” junior All-American jumper LaJariva Brown said. “It’s so comfortable. There’s TVs everywhere. You can literally stay there all day.”

Overall, Dixon is looking forward to athletes

feeling like more of a team.

“I’m definitely most excited about team comradery and overall team chemistry,” Dixon said. “There will be a lot of communication between us. … I think that will just bring us closer together.”

The Aggies’ indoor season is already underway and will come to a close at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 8-9 in Birmingham, Alabama. The outdoor season will begin the following week, ending June 5-8 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin.

There is confidence around the program on both the men’s and women’s sides of the team.

Sophomore Kyree Johnson, who was part of last year’s NCAA outdoor silver medal 4x400 squad, is positive his team is good enough to bring home a trophy this season.

“We have so much depth and so much talent from everyone on the team that there is no

doubt we can make it all the way, both indoor and outdoor,” Johnson said.

The feeling is similar on the women’s squad, Richardson said.

“I do believe this team is capable of winning a title,” Richardson said. “We just have to put the pieces together and make sure everyone is healthy. … We definitely do have a team to win in every aspect and in every event.”

When the season comes to a close, the Aggies hope to be back on top of the collegiate track and field world, and Fray believes the team is primed for a title run.

“I would say our team, boys and girls, are ready to win a national title,” Fray said. “Seniors are very motivated because this is our last time, and freshmen are very motivated because this is their first time and they want to prove themselves. It becomes such a great combination.”

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 14

‘It’s in my DNA’ Texas A&M softball head coach Jo Evans is entering her 23rd season leading the Aggies.

Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

Head softball coach reflects on more than three decades of building teams

By Abigail Ochoa @AbigailOchoa88 Respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity, and selfless service — the Texas A&M core values are the foundation of the coaching legacy Jo Evans has curated for the past 23 years at the helm of Aggie softball.

Riley Sartain, senior infielder and one of two returning starters for A&M, said having a coach who embodies these values was the defining factor in her decision to become an Aggie and continue her athletic career with this program. “[Evans is] very much about the core values of Texas A&M,” Sartain said. “I wanted to come here because my parents went here, but it was also just because I knew that she would help me become a person with integrity that would respect other people. I would leave here a different person than when I walked in, and you can’t really say that about many programs.”

For Evans, deciding to become a softball coach was no decision at all.

“I knew that before I even got my first job,” Evans said. “It was just in my blood. I come from a family who loves sports and my parents both coached when I was younger — it’s in my DNA. There was never a question. The question was would I get an opportunity.”

As Evans walked out the door for her first day on the job at Colorado State in 1986 she was 24 years old and riddled with uncertainty and nerves.

In hopes of finding comfort, she called her brother Craig Evans. Craig gave her the one piece of advice she still lives by today: “Just be yourself.”

After five years as a head coach in Colorado, Evans took the head coaching job at her alma mater the University of Utah. Here, she would experience the kind of game that movies are made about.

On May 11, 1991, the Utah Utes and the Creighton Bluejays endured a 56-inning, 12hour game that didn’t end until 6:10 a.m. the next morning. Evans, who was only six years into her career at the time, said she will always remember how she felt that day.

“It was just a really interesting experience with those young people trying to manage their emotions and the highs and lows,” Evans said. “That would be for any coach, baseball

or otherwise, to have your team out there for 12 straight hours and just relying on each other in the thick of it to have the opportunity to go to the College World Series, which is your goal. It bonded us for life.”

The Utes would then travel to College Station to face the Aggies in hopes of going to the 1991 College World Series.

Five years and a trip to the world series later, Evans returned to A&M in the summer of 1996, this time as the head coach.

Evans said her decision to coach in Aggieland seemed like the perfect fit because of the traditions and values of the university.

“Those core values align with how I was raised,” Evans said. “It’s how my parents raised me and how they continue to teach me.”

While Evans will forever remember the time she coached a 56-inning game, her current players will take their own memories from their time on Evans’ team.

Sartain said Evans has the ability to be both a constructive and encouraging coach, and it’s these qualities that inspire the team on and off the field.

“Whenever we fall short of [excellence], it’s never something where she’s angry at us or she’s mad about something,” Sartain said.

“It’s always just about her pushing us to be

the best people we can be. It’s always motivating, it’s always hopeful and it’s never like a deterrent to us.”

Junior outfielder and fellow teammate Kelbi Fortenberry is taking something else away from Evans’ coaching practices.

Fortenberry said gaining more confidence on the field has been a game changer in her softball career, and Evans helped her through it.

“She knows I can go and get almost any ball that I try to,” Fortenberry said. “I kind of held back for a couple years and so now I’m just like, ‘You know what? We’re going to go catch everything — just trusting myself and knowing that I know the game and I know what works for me.”

With her 23rd season with the Aggies and 34 years as a head coach in her back pocket, Evans’ love for the game is still alive and bright, with no signs of disappearing.

“I still absolutely love it,” Evans said.

“There’s nothing else I’d rather do. I feel energized every day when I come to work, when I come to practice. I still have a lot of passion for the sport, and I love being around our players. … For me, I’m lucky to do it day in and day out.”

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 15

COACH FEATURE: JO EVANS

Phtots by Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Top: Jo Evans sways with her players during the Aggie War Hymn at the last game of the NCAA Regional.

Bottom: Evans discusses a call with an umpire after a play.

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

As head coach, Evans traditionally stands along the third base line and awaits players as they round the bases.

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 16

LOOKING TO REACH THE TOP AGAIN

The Texas A&M softball team debuted their new stadium, Davis Diamond, on April 27, 2018, during the series against Auburn.

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Aggie softball welcomes 2019 season with new stadium and 11 new players

By Jenny Streeter @ jennystreeter3 Throughout its long and storied history, the Texas A&M softball team has made 12 College World Series appearances and earned three national championship titles.

Last season, the Aggies had a 44-18 overall record and made it to the NCAA Super Regional, where they lost to the Florida Gators.

A&M head coach Jo Evans said the Florida game is always fun, and the Aggies are ready to compete against the Gators again. A&M hosts Florida on April 12 at home.

“It’s always fun to face Florida,” Evans said.

“They make you better, they play the game at such a high level that it typically should bring out the best in you. … But for a coach, every game is critical.”

Senior infielder Riley Sartain said they take

every game seriously, but the team is especially looking forward to facing Florida.

“We try not to take one game more serious than the next,” Sartain said. “But we’re also really excited to have a matchup against Florida again since our heartbreaking loss to them. We’re excited to get back on the field with them and hopefully give them a run for their money.”

This year, 11 new players have been added to the Aggies’ roster — eight freshmen and three transfers. As a result, the Aggies are focused on building team chemistry.

Junior outfielder Kelbi Fortenberry said she has a sibling-like relationship with her teammates.

“It’s just the little things we do together, like going to eat,” Fortenberry said. “We’re doing Galentines gifts for each other. We’re wanting to be like sisters in the game, on and off the field.”

Sartain said helping develop younger players is a major priority for her as she looks toward graduation.

“I’m just trying to impart some type of wisdom into their everyday lives so that whenever I leave, they can help their underclassmen out,” Sartain said. “To me, legacy is more about who you affect rather than how many championships you win.”

This will be Evans’ 23rd season at A&M. She has led A&M to advance to the NCAA postseason 19 times, including three trips to the Women’s College World Series. Evans said she is excited to start the season, especially with so many new players.

“I am eager to see this young team play together,” Evans said. “This is a fun team. I really enjoy coaching this team. I don’t have a dread because we don’t have all these returning starters. I’m actually just having a lot of fun with them.”

Since there is only one returning starter, competition for the starting lineup is strong.

According to Evans, two of the new players stand out: Baylee Klingler and Kelly Martinez.

Klingler is a freshman infielder who played on the USA Junior National Team. Martinez

— a catcher and utility player — is a transfer from the University of Utah.

Some of the returning sophomores are also fighting for a starting position. This includes infielder Gabby Morano, who Evans said performs well offensively during practice.

In addition to the new players, A&M softball also has a new home. Davis Diamond opened April 27, 2018, for a game against Auburn. Many of A&M’s SEC opponents have not played at Davis Diamond yet, and some team members said they are excited for everyone to see it.

The SEC Tournament will be hosted at Davis Diamond May 8-11. Evans said the softball program is looking forward to the opportunity to host a conference tournament.

“We’re excited to show the softball world and the country that Texas A&M stepped up and committed to our sport,” Evans said. “It’s an absolutely gorgeous facility, and we’re excited to show it off. We’re really proud of it.

We really believe that our history, our former players, their legacy really made this happen.”

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 17

ATHLETE FEATURE: MARK FRENCH

A shot worth taking From walk-on to scholarship player, French puts the success of Aggie basketball first

By Grant Spika @GrantSpika With 11 minutes and 33 seconds left in the first half of the Aggies’ victory over Kansas State on Jan. 26, junior guard Mark French checked into the game. This appearance marked the first time French has played in the first half of a game during his college career.

Soon after stepping in, French flew up the court and found sophomore guard and forward Savion Flagg, who hit a jump shot to give French the assist.

A&M head coach Billy Kennedy said French, as well as senior guard Chris Collins, are integral players who can come off the bench at any time to play major roles for A&M. “Mark French and Chris Collins did an unbelievable job in that first half spelling minutes and playing hard,” Kennedy said. “They got some deflections and were a big support for us.”

Not wanting to take representing A&M for granted, French said he will always do whatever it takes to make sure the Aggies are as successful as possible.

“I stress about winning so much,” French said. “I don’t really care if I play or not, as long as we win.”

As a former walk-on, French said having a coach who feels comfortable putting him in at any point reaffirmed his decision to stay in Aggieland.

“Knowing that Coach Kennedy had the confidence to throw me in the first half [against Kansas State], it just really meant a lot because all the work and hardships you go through, it builds you up,” French said. “Sometimes you don’t realize how far you’ve come until you get thrown in in a situation like that. That’s just my job — bring the energy, make all the smart basketball plays.”

On Jan. 25, the day before playing Kansas State, French’s life changed.

The official A&M men’s Basketball Twitter account posted a video of Kennedy telling French he was officially put on scholarship through the basketball program.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” French said. “When he said it, I was kind of in shock, but what meant the most to me was how my teammates reacted. They all kind of mobbed me and it shows that when you’re trying to be a good teammate and a friend outside of basketball, that stuff really matters, and I think they showed that by celebrating with me

there.”

French had playing time in the past as a walkon, playing in eight total games as a freshman and sophomore. In a 2017 win against Auburn, French scored the first four points of his career, making a three-pointer and a free throw.

His most notable appearance came in the Aggies’ blowout win over then-second seed North Carolina in last year’s NCAA Tournament. French entered the game with 43 seconds left and dribbled out the clock to seal one of the biggest wins in program history.

Originally from Tennessee, the point guard walked on to the Men’s basketball team after playing his last high school season at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano. French helped Prestonwood win the 2016 TAPPS State Championship and had over 1,200 points, 440 assists and 120 steals throughout his high school career.

“That was a crazy time in my life,” French said about transferring to Prestonwood. “Going to a basketball powerhouse in Dallas like that was really cool. Having to change from being ‘the man’ at one school to not knowing anyone and having to rebuild relationships real quick taught me a lot about life and how to adapt, and I think I brought that to A&M.” Around the team, French is known for his hard work and perseverance. A walk-on’s main job is to run the scout team, which helps prepare the scholarship players for upcoming games. French’s effort while running the team forces the scholarship players to give full effort in practice as well.

“He’s an incredible player,” sophomore point guard TJ Starks said. “He goes hard every possession and every play he’s giving his all, so he’ll give us a look on the offensive and defensive ends because we know he’s going to bring his effort every time. He just gives us a great look when we’re going through scout.”

French always felt like A&M was the place he was supposed to be, even after receiving offers from smaller schools where he would have more playing time. The struggle of working hard and not playing almost led French to transfer but he stuck it out and was rewarded by Kennedy.

“It’s been a really cool transition because I always believed in myself,” French said. “But I knew this was a really big stage, so I knew it was going to take a couple years of work. There were times I was going to transfer because I wanted to play somewhere, but at the same time, I knew this is where God had placed me and I needed to learn some perseverance and persistence.”

Photos by Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Junior Mark French was awarded a scholarship the day before the Kansas State game on Jan 24.

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 18

COACH FEATURE: GARY BLAIR

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M women’s basketball head coach Gary Blair entered the 2018-2019 season with a 765-314 collegiate head coaching record with a .709 winning percentage.

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 19

LARGER THAN LIFE Blair discusses career and coaching strategies both on and off the court

By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ With a national championship, 24 NCAA tournament appearances and over 750 career wins, it isn’t hard to see why Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is the longest tenured coach in program history.

Before he was a coach, Blair was in the Marine Corps serving a tour during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. After returning from overseas, he went back to Texas Tech to finish his undergraduate degree, which he received in 1972, majoring in health and physical education and minoring in journalism. Two years later, he earned his master’s degree in education from Texas Tech.

After Blair’s tour of duty, he could have attended Officer Candidate School but elected to return to civilian life at 23 instead of at 28 to start his career outside of the Marines.

“I still love the Marine Corps because you are servicing your country,” Blair said.

“That’s why the national anthem means so much to me. That’s why the Corps at A&M means so much to me.”

Blair said his time in the armed forces helped him appreciate the value of education.

“It taught me discipline, it taught me to be a rule follower, it taught me to also sprint back to Texas Tech and finish my last year of school,” Blair said. “There were some people in the enlisted part that did not have a college education and some of them didn’t have a high school education.”

With the skills and perspective he acquired during his time serving, Blair said he was able to focus more on his studies than he had before.

“It’s funny — after I got back from overseas — how much smarter I got in the classroom,” Blair said. “I paid attention more.”

More than a coach Blair prides himself on being more than just a basketball coach, by helping his players find a career outside of basketball after graduation. Blair requires his players to attend networking events like Aggie 100, which brings together the fastest-growing businesses in the country that are either owned or led by Aggies.

Blair said he hopes his efforts help players make connections with people in professions that align with their career goals.

“Most athletes in every sport are all thinking about the pro sports, but only one percent [will make it],” Blair said. “So why not get ready for that next career? Why not sit at a table full of engineers?”

Earlier in the spring semester, Blair took junior transfer Lauren Harrison to an engineering career fair and introduced her to representatives he knew. Blair said there is nothing more important than networking and connecting with people who are able to help current students achieve their goals.

“I think other sports need to do it,” Blair said. “I think the Corps needs to do it. Get your people around successful Aggies while they are in school. ... Do the networking.

Get internships.”

Blair said the experience his players gain by sitting with successful entrepreneurs and hearing their stories allows the athletes to collaborate with others while also coming up with their own ideas.

“It’s like going into a large shark tank,” Blair said. “Then all of a sudden finding out ‘this idea works.’ There’s a lot of creative people at A&M that might not have the money or the resources, but the ideas are that good.”

Commissioner Blair According to the NCAA website, the probability of college athletes turning professional after their eligibility is tremendously low. For women’s basketball in particular, there is a .09 percent chance of making it to

the WNBA. In the 2017 WNBA draft, there were 36 spots and 3,674 eligible players. Of those 36 players picked, 34 players were drafted from Division I colleges.

“If you’ve got 36 players being drafted every year, you’re only going to have 15 make a roster,” Blair said. “That’s all 12 first rounders and about three second and third rounders.

The [players] are staying in the league longer because they are making a living.”

“I’m envious of the Aggie Ring. If I had more years left in my body, I would try to get a doctorate from here, because I would want that Aggie Ring.”

Gary Blair

Blair said a strong educational background is essential because few athletes go pro. He said even when someone breaks into the league, it’s a lot harder for women to make a living playing basketball because of the salary.

“The trouble is, our girls are having to play 10 to 10 and a half months a year, whereas guys ... can make enough just playing in the NBA,” Blair said.

According to Forbes, the median salary in the WNBA is about $71,600 and the starting salary for an NBA basketball player is $582,100. However, Blair said the wages

are fair since the WNBA loses more money than it makes.

“They are paying what they can afford to pay,” Blair said. “The problem is, the WNBA is losing money each year, so you can’t necessarily up the salaries of the clubs that are losing money.”

In Blair’s eyes, the biggest challenge the WNBA faces is scheduling facilities and the timing of their season.

“The thing that hurts the WNBA is it’s played during the summer, when facilities are available, and they aren’t going up against college basketball,” Blair said.

According to the NCAA, 146 Division I players who were not drafted into the WNBA play internationally. Blair said more athletes are enticed to play overseas because of higher wages and exciting environments.

“Kids are going to Europe and making better money, and more people are in the stands,” Blair said. “They’ve got more corporate sponsors.”

If Blair was the commissioner of the WNBA, he said he would make major changes to the overall marketing approach of the league.

“Make it more fan friendly, get more corporations involved, have more day games where kids can come during the summer,” Blair said.

Ring envy Blair said A&M’s rich traditions are something he wishes he had experienced in college — especially when it comes to Ring Day, which he said is particularly unique.

“I’m glad I earned my ring a different way,” Blair said, looking down at his 2011 National Championship ring. “But I’m envious of the Aggie Ring. If I had more years left in my body, I would try to get a doctorate from here, because I would want that Aggie Ring.”

At 73, Blair said he won’t be slowing down any time soon. He plans to coach until he’s at least 85.

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THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 21

Competing in high waters

Josh Gleason — THE BATTALION

Senior swimmer Mateo Gonzalez took third place with his team relay in the 200-yard freestyle on Jan. 19 against LSU.

A&M Swim and Dive sets its sights on competitive post-season schedule

By Hannah Underwood @hannahbunderwoo While several Texas A&M teams are just kicking off their seasons, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are winding down and have their sights set on the end game: championship season.

The Southeastern Conference Championships, hosted by the University of Georgia, are set to take place Feb. 19-23, with NCAA Championships following March 27-31.

The No. 9 ranked women have won three consecutive SEC Championship titles and are 8-1 overall and 3-0 against conference opponents, while the No. 10 men’s team has a season record of 5-3 and is 1-1 in conference meets.

Women’s swimming head coach Steve Bultman said the competition in this year’s SEC Championships will be more challenging than in years past, comparing it to the team’s first championship win in 2016.

“It’s going to be a lot tighter than last year,”

Bultman said. “I think it will be more similar to our first one where we won and there were three schools [within] about 50 points.”

With the SEC and NCAA Championships rapidly approaching, both teams are starting to adjust their practices and weight training. Senior men’s diver Sam Thornton said training during this portion of the season is grueling.

“It’s the hardest dives I can do [and] as many of them as I can,” Thornton said. “Right now since we’re just under two weeks out from SECs, [we] go down in weight training, which we do Monday, Wednesday, Friday, so we can be more explosive come the time of Georgia.”

The women’s only loss of the season came from the University of Texas, who will host the NCAA Championship meet this year.

Senior swimmer Sydney Pickrem said this loss, though disappointing, doesn’t affect the team’s mentality heading into the second half of the season since they have lost to UT each of her four years at A&M. “There’s always that rivalry between us, [but] we always put our best foot forward and end up on top when it matters at NCAAs,” Pickrem said. “We didn’t perform the way we wanted to when it came dual meet season, but

when we go to NCAA’s, it’s not just about Texas. It’s about us as a team and trying to be the best in the country.”

The men’s focus for the remainder of the season is the little details, like turns and breathing patterns, men’s head coach Jay Holmes said.

“They get tired of hearing us talk about it, but they will all acknowledge that those details are going to be the difference,” Holmes said.

“We’re talking about, in all of our events, hundredths of seconds decide futures here.”

Thornton said in his last season at A&M, his goal is to secure both an SEC Championship and a Top 10 place at NCAAs. “I’m really looking forward to it because it’s my last one and I’m super excited to get out there,” Thornton said. “I’m hoping to bring an SEC title as a team. It would be great if I could win on my own, but I’d really like for the team to get one because I see the work we’ve put in and how much everyone has improved. That’s always been a goal — to win SECs and crack the Top 10 at NCAAs.” The SEC Championships are a five-day meet, while the national meet lasts four days, which is different from the one-to-two-day dual meets the teams are accustomed to.

Holmes said the length of the meet doesn’t cause a problem because the swimmers are used to longer meets.

“It’s a different ballgame, but all of our people growing up have been to big invites whenever they were in high school,” Holmes said. “It’s not necessarily an issue. The issue of an SEC meet is probably the intensity.”

Holmes said intensity is a result of the pride SEC teams have from being a part of the conference.

“I’ve been coaching for a number of years, and the other two conferences we were a part of, there just never was that sense of pride,” Holmes said. “Those schools value the SEC so much. I think they take a lot of pride in being able to say they won the SEC’s. It’s just a great meet because of the teams that are there and the competition.”

Pickrem said the spring half of the season is her favorite because it is where the team’s preparation and hard work pays off.

“We get to see a lot of the breakthroughs that people have been training through all year,” Pickrem said. “Someone that you’ve seen working so hard and you see them get that best time and it all pays off. This is where the fun begins.”

THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 22

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Head coach Jimbo Fisher meets with his team following the 2018 Spring Maroon and White football game at Kyle Field on April 14.

Reloading the A&M roster Heading into the offseason, Fisher welcomes new coaches, players

By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ March is traditionally known as the month college basketball takes over.

However, for Texas A&M, March means the first taste of real football in 2019.

The Aggies will kick off their spring slate of football by hosting their first practice of the new year on March 20, with the spring game wrapping up the season on April 13.

With the start of the offseason, there is a lot of coaching staff turnover — and A&M is no different. One of the biggest departures this offseason was offensive line coach Jim Turner, who took a job with the Cincinnati Bengals. Turner was one of the coaches to stay at A&M during the head coaching transition from Kevin Sumlin to Jimbo Fisher last offseason.

Fisher said while he wished nothing but the best for Turner in his NFL endeavors, he is not worried about filling the coaching vacancy.

“The three guys we signed are all outstanding players, and we’ve got a great nucleus coming back,” Fisher said. “I think the success we had playing in the SEC, being here at A&M, this job is extremely lucrative to a lot of guys and a lot of people have interest in it.”

In January when Fisher was visiting with high school football coaches around the state, Rodney Webb — Rockwall High School football coach and Texas High School Coaches Association president — tweeted that he and Fisher discussed the importance of head coaches of major college football programs dealing directly with high school coaches.

“You have to deal with coaches,” Fisher said. “That’s the number one force.

That’s the guy who deals with those guys every day. That is your lifeline. ... We’re always going to deal with the coaches, the parents… and do things the right way.”

There are several NCAA regulations concerning how much time coaches can interact with players during recruiting.

Additionally, there are several football camps, like Nike’s The Opening and Texas State 7on7 Organization, that col-

lege coaches are prohibited from attending. This is why Fisher said he preaches the importance of players attending A&M football camps, so the coaching staff can see potential recruits as much as possible.

“Getting them to our camp is the only way I can personally see them and our coaches can personally see them,” Fisher said. “I think all those camps are great and they’re very lucrative for those kids. …

[Players] need to get on that campus and work with those coaches to not only get evaluated but to help your game grow.”

After A&M’s bowl game victory in December, several players declared for the NFL Draft. Fisher said it was up to him and his staff to find players who are capable of replacing both seniors and early departures.

“First of all, you have to identify the need we have; then we went out to find guys,” Fisher said. “Can we win the SEC with them? Can we win the national championship with them? Do they have the chance to be a top round draft pick, an all-conference player? … All those guys [that signed with A&M] met our criteria to have the opportunity to do that.”

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher prepares to walk into Kyle Field for the last game of the 2018 season on Nov. 24 against LSU.

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THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 24

SPRING SPORTING EVENTS IN AGGIELAND

February 16 April 6-7 March 1 INDOOR TRACK: AGGIE TWILIGHT MEN’S GOLF: AGGIE INVITATIONAL EQUESTRIAN: vs AUBURN @ 11:00 A.M. @ 5:00 P.M. Traditions Club, Bryan Hildebrand Equine Complex Gilliam Indoor Stadium April 12 March 2 February 17 MEN’S TENNIS: vs MISSISSIPPI STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL: vs VANDERBILT WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: vs MISSISSIPPI Mitchell Tennis Center @ 5:00 P.M. STATE @ 1:00 P.M. *Senior Night - Reed Arena Reed Arena April 12-13 OUTDOOR TRACK: A&M INVITATIONAL March 8-10 February 19 E.B. Cushing Stadium BASEBALL: vs GONZAGA MEN’S BASKETBALL: vs ALABAMA Blue Bell Park @ 8:00 P.M. April 12-14 Reed Arena BASEBALL: vs AUBURN March 15-17 Blue Bell Park BASEBALL: vs VANDERBILT February 21 Blue Bell Park WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: vs TENNESSEE April 12-14 @ 8:00 P.M. SOFTBALL: vs FLORIDA March 17 Reed Arena Davis Diamond WOMEN’S TENNIS: vs KENTUCKY @ 12:00 P.M. February 28- March 3 Mitchell Tennis Center May 8-11 WOMEN’S SWIM & DIVE: SPEEDO SOFTBALL: SEC TOURNAMENT SECTIONALS Davis Diamond Rec Center Natatorium March 29-30 EQUESTRIAN: SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS Hildebrand Equine Complex May 16-18 March 1-2 BASEBALL: vs ARKANSAS SOFTBALL: TEXAS A&M INVITE Blue Bell Park Davis Diamond

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