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McMurry posts best athletic year in its NCAA history
27. June 2008 09:14

 

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The 2007-08 athletic year proved to be the most successful in McMurry’s NCAA history as the school finished 41st in the United States Sports Academy Directors’ Cup Standings.

The No. 41 ranking is not only the highest in McMurry history; it is also the highest for any American Southwest Conference school in the 2007-08 athletic year.  Only Trinity, who finished 13th overall, was a higher-ranked Division III Texas school. 

The Directors’ Cup, in its 13th year, honors all-sports champions in the NCAA Divisions I, II and III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.  Points are awarded for postseason appearances (beyond conference tournaments) with more points awarded the further a school advances. 

It was a huge spring -- highlighted by McMurry’s first-ever national championship in any sport by the men’s outdoor track and field team -- that propelled the school to its highest point total and ranking ever.  After the winter sports concluded, McMurry sat in 104th place in the Directors’ Cup standings with 116 points.  But in the spring McMurry jumped 63 spots as the school accrued 242 points to give McMurry 358 points for the athletic year.

In the spring, McMurry’s national championship in men’s track and field received 100 points, while the women’s track and field team chipped in with 73.5 points by virtue of their sixth-place finish at the national meet.  The McMurry women’s golf teams earned 43.5 points for placing 15th at the national tournament and the baseball team received 25 points for its regional appearance.

McMurry earned 116 points from its winter sports.  The men’s indoor track and field team garnered 66 points for its 11th-place finish at the national meet, while the women’s basketball team earned 50 points for its NCAA tournament run. 

McMurry’s track and field program (the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor teams) tallied a combined 239.5 points for the school’s Directors’ Cup cause.   

There are 445 institutions that compete in the NCAA Division III and 305 placed points in the Directors’ Cup in 2007-08. 

Other ASC schools in the rankings included Mary Hardin-Baylor, who finished 68th with 264.5 points; the University of Texas at Tyler, who finished 116th with 164 points; Texas Lutheran, who finished 134th with 146 points; Howard Payne, who finished 166th with 100 points; Hardin-Simmons, who finished 224th with 50 points; and the University of Texas at Dallas, who placed 267th with 25 points.    

“This caps the finest McMurry athletic year since the formation of the ASC and McMurry’s move to the NCAA,” said McMurry athletic director Bill Libby.  “This is a tribute to the leadership provided by the coaches and the quality of our student-athletes.”


McMurry University are the 2008 Men'sTrack and Field National Champs
27. May 2008 10:53

2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships Web Site

OSHKOSH, Wis. - It came down to the 4X400-meter race. As the last entrant into the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships with the 14th-best time in the nation, McMurry's distance relay team needed to place at least fourth to be able to take home the national title. The quartet did one better, placed third, and gave McMurry University its only national championship of any sport in school history as the McMurry men won the 2008 Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

Behind the legs of junior Hann Ollison, McMurry finished with 35 points to edge SUNY-Cortland (33 pts.) for national crown. Ollison had placed second in the long jump Thursday, won the individual national title in the 400-meter race with the fastest time in the nation Saturday, helped the 4X100-meter relay team win its second consecutive national title, and then joined John Mikalik and freshmen Bryce Williamson & Terry Smith to place third in the 4X400-meter race.

“We made history today!” said head coach Barbara Crousen. “It was the most emotional feeling in the world. As soon as the mile relay was over with, hot tears hit my eyes, we had the points figured out, they knew what they had to do and watching it happen was so amazing.”

Other than Bert Green's eighth place finish in the 100-meter race, Ollison the Colorado City native, had a hand in 34 of McMurry's 35 points and finished as the meet's high-point athlete. He set J.J. Keller Field records in the 400-meter race (46.40) and in the 4X100-meter relay (40.47) preliminaries Thursday.

“When I recruited Hann, I knew he was good,” Crousen said. “But he’s more than exceeded my expectations of what I thought he could be. He’s the kind of athlete that he does everything you tell him to do. So watching him grow and gain that confidence over the three years has been awesome, and the strength he had this year was just fun to watch. I’m glad to have him and even more glad to have him another year.”

Based upon entrants, McMurry was favored to win the men’s national title and would look to ride the sprint relay team as momentum from the title in 2007. The same four runners who took home the gold a year ago at J.J. Keller Field did it again Saturday but this time with much more at stake. Senior Chris Kelley joined Mikalik, Green and Ollison for the tandem’s second-straight relay title with a time of 40.57 seconds.

Green narrowly made the finals in the 100-meter race with the ninth-best time, however, the senior was able to jump to eighth place in the finals with a time of 10.97 seconds to earn all-America status and provide a valuable point to the team score.

Ollison’s 46.50 second-time in the 400-meter race earlier in the season was the best in Division III in 2008 coming into the weekend’s national meet. The junior ran a 47.62 in the preliminaries Friday to qualify for the finals and then shaved over a second off his time in the finals to pass his personal best and crossed the line at 46.40 seconds to set a J.J. Keller Field record. That time was also the 10th best finish in NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field history.

The distance relay tandem of Ollison, Mikalik, Smith and Williamson was the last taken in the field of 14 relay teams for the national meet. However, Thursday in the preliminaries, McMurry posted the sixth best time to advance to the finals. Saturday, McMurry had 29 points and stood third going into the event, which was the last of the meet.

The four responded by running a time of 3:15.29 to place third and ensure McMurry and Crousen the first national title in school history.

“I knew if our first two legs could get us close, I knew that Mikalik and Hann could do it. If we could just get Hann the stick with any type of chance I knew they could do it,” said Crousen. “He told one of our other coaches, ‘If I’m close I’m not going to let these guys down and we’re going to win this national title.”

Ollison is now a 12-time track and field all-American at McMurry. The junior sprinter has 11 all-America awards in outdoor track and one indoor all-America award after winning the national title in the 400-meter race at the 2008 Indoor National Championships. He is now tied with former women’s track star Telitha Belcher, who also had 12 all-America honors while at McMurry, for the most all-America honors in school history.

Green wrapped up his two-sport career at McMurry as a seven-time all-American in McMurry’s track and field program. He won all seven national awards in just three seasons with the team. The 33-year old former Major League Baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers) also played football at McMurry where he was an all-conference honoree all three seasons.

Mikalik now has six all-America awards, Kelley wrapped up his career with two while Williamson and Smith earned their first all-America awards with the 4X400-meter relay team.

“It was great knowing everyone was a contributor,” Crousen said. “I know it was thrill for them and a thrill for McMurry University.”

McMurry’s women also had a strong showing at the outdoor national meet. After Holly Rollins set the tone with an individual national title in the women’s pole vault, McMurry scored 25 points as a team to place sixth.

Sheneice Johnson and Breanna-Anderson Burton placed fourth and fifth respectively Saturday in the triple jump to help McMurry’s women lock in the sixth-place position. For Anderson-Burton, it was her second all-America award of the national meet after placing fifth in the long jump Thursday. She jumped 39-02.25 Saturday in the triple jump while Johnson edged her teammate with a 39-03.00.

Friday, Krystal Jackson helped McMurry’s women by placing seventh in the high jump to earn all-America status.


McMurry University has the Best DIII Women's Basketball Player in the Nation
12. March 2008 14:43

The most prestigious award in NCAA Division III women’s basketball now belongs to Tarra Richardson. The senior from Fort Worth added to her plethora of accolades in a big way Tuesday as she was announced the winner of The Jostens Trophy Award by Jostens and the Rotary Club of Salem, Va. The award is given to one male and one female as the Outstanding Athletes of the Year for DIII basketball.

Ten male and female finalists were announced Feb. 26 with Richardson’s nomination as the only representative from the American Southwest Conference. After becoming the first player (male or female) in ASC history to reach 2,000 points earlier this season, she became the first ASC player to win the national award after several nominations over the past decade.

Her career ended Saturday night after McMurry fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Howard Payne. However, Richardson’s mark at McMurry will be left in both the conference and school record books. Among several other categories, she is both the conference and school leader in points, rebounds, blocks, field goals made and free throws attempted.



She joined Ronda Jo Miller as the only other NCAA Division III women’s basketball player in school history to have 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 300 career blocks. Richardson finished with 2,164 points, 1,015 rebounds, 304 blocks and 207 steals – all while shooting 55 percent for her career.

The Jostens trophy doesn’t stop at basketball. The national panel comprised of 32 members selects winners based upon three criteria: Excellence in basketball, academics and community service.

“This is the most exciting one fore me because it does recognize more than basketball,” Richardson said of receiving the award. “Most people know me just for basketball but I liked this award because it shows that it is important to work hard in school and in the community.”

Richardson has more than proven herself in the classroom. She has accumulated a 3.87 GPA as a finance major at McMurry and is a two-time academic all-America selection by ESPN The Magazine and CoSIDA. Most recently she earned first team academic all-America honors for her senior season after earning second-team honors as a junior.

Richardson has been very involved in both her hometown community in Fort Worth and her college town in Abilene. She helps with youth sports in Fort Worth and serves in the nursery at her home church congregation among other activities. In Abilene, she’s helped annually to help support the Kiwanis Club’s efforts in raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Among her many basketball accolades, Tarra has been named a pre-season all-American by D3Hoops.com twice, a post season all-American by D3Hoops.com, she was a WBCA all-American her sophomore year, and she is eligible for both D3Hoops.com and WBCA all-America selections in the coming weeks for her senior season.

Statistically, Richardson’s sophomore year proved to be the best. She averaged 20.3 points per game, had 80 blocks (a school and ASC record), and averaged 9.2 rebounds per game. Most recently her senior season, she averaged 19.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and had 71 blocks.

Most impressively, however, was Richardson’s ability to contribute from the day she stepped on the floor. In a time where the four-year collegiate athlete becomes more and more rare, her consistency allowed for her extraordinary career numbers.

“What Tarra brought to this team that may be different than the others was that she brought a stabilizing factor where the girls knew they could count on her,” said head coach Veronica Snow. “She was consistent in her abilities to make a bucket, to play defense and she was consistent in the fact that she was going to make a good decision on and off the court.”

She recorded 40 double-doubles in her career (four shy of the ASC record), was named the ASC Player of the Week on 10 different occasions and was the ASC West Division Player of the Year her sophomore season. She was an ASC all-tournament selection all three years McMurry was involved and earned all-conference honors all three seasons she was eligible (freshmen are excluded from the academic awards in the ASC).

Richardson will receive the award along with Snow, family and friends at next week's NCAA Division III Final Four. The presentation will be made at the Salem Civic Center Thursday at lunch at the Salem Rotary Club's weekly meeting. Troy Ruths of Washington University-St. Louis earned the Jostens Trophy for the men's side.

During her four years with the team, she helped McMurry to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, helped McMurry win its first outright ASC West Division title in 2006 - as well as the ASC Tournament champs that year, and Wednesday McMurry got its first NCAA Tournament win since 2000 thanks to Richardson’s 30 points.

No one can know how long Richardson’s record will stand at both the conference and school levels. However, Richardson is the No. 1 scorer in school history by 733 points (Kristi Risinger – No. 2 with 1,433), the No. 1 rebounder at McMurry by 328 boards, and the No. 1 school shot blocker by 225 blocks.

It’s safe to say that future players at McMurry will have a tough time catching Richardson’s numbers and it would be tough to imagine a more well-rounded player and individual.

“I think [her award] is the highlight of my time as athletic director,” said McMurry athletic director Bill Libby. “It helps people on the campus to see the role of the student athlete in Division III. She is a fantastic player with national recognition, but she also has received recognition both on and off campus for her grades all while doing community service at her church and for other organizations.”

In addition to the trophy, the Salem Rotary Club will award a $1,000 scholarship to McMurry through its Wooldridge Scholarship Fund.

As for the trophy itself, the Jostens Trophy sits two-feet tall, weighs 64 pounds and features an eight-inch crystal basketball. Richardson’s only problem won’t be getting help to carry it in her Fort Worth home, but said she’s not sure where she’ll put it.

“My room in Fort Worth?” said Richardson about the placement of the large trophy. “I don’t know where I’d put it, I haven’t really thought about it.”

Spring Preview Days
9. December 2007 22:21

Don't forget to clear your calendar for McMurry Preview.

 

February 16, 2008 or March 29, 2008

 

 

The Final Stretch
3. December 2007 17:47

Well Thanksgiving was last week and I got the opportunity to go home and spend time with my family and friends, which was so a lot of fun. I got back to school last Sunday and now we only have two weeks of classes left and then a week of finals. So you can only imagine the stress that is growing around campus. But I’m thankful for the faculty, staff, and family that I have at McMurry because they are doing all they can to keep us less stressed. For example, we are having the Christmas tree lighting and caroling tonight, and there are Christmas parties in all the dorms.

            Also, Religious Life Council is having a progressive dinner this weekend at different people’s houses. We are even getting to have dinner at Dr. Russell’s house (the president of McMurry). So it keeps us all focused but not as stressed.

 

    - Alyssa Cox, Sophomore, Class of 2010, Early Childhood Education

 

   “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”


My McMurry Homecoming
23. November 2007 09:15
    

Homecoming, OMG! Where do I start! Being a sophomore here at McMurry, I have looked forward to what even the school is going to surprise me with next. Homecoming is a time when the ENTIRE student body comes together and shows how much spirit they have. One of the things that surprise me was how important the “Beating of the Drum” is. Everyone tries to their very best to keep the same beat going for a long period of time; because we want our team to win (myth has it, if it gets messed up, we loose). I also enjoy seeing all of the little kids come to Teepee Village and learn more about all the different tribes. All together Homecoming is a Great Experience and not only that it is a time to hang out with your friends in a safe environment. Smile

   - Ashley Brown, Sophomore, Biology/PT

 

Check out more pictures of Homecoming here.

Or see what other have to say about Homecoming here.

   “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”


Home Away From Home
17. November 2007 08:22

My name is Vu Nguyen and I am an international student from Vietnam.
McMurry is really a family for me since I live far away from home. If I get sick, I can go to the nurse who always gives me the best answers for how to treat my sickness. Since I can only go home once a year, sometimes I do feel homesick. When that happens I can just go hang out with my McMurry friends until I feel better.

 

 When I first came here, I had a barrier in English and to master English, all the professors spent extra time outside of class with me, helping me understand the problem. I know I can always sit down and talk to them about any problems that I am having.

 

I have joined an international club here. We have about 30 members from all over the world: Mexico, Australia, Nigeria, China, etc. Every weekend we have dinner on Sunday night and talk the about the week and help each other get over our homesickness.
McMurry students are always very open about the difference between culture, and some of my friends enjoy listening to me telling them about Vietnam.
-Vu Nguyen, Sophomore, Business

 

For more information about how to apply as an International Student click here.

 

 

"Complete the process... and come imagine the possibilities..."


Student for a Day
16. November 2007 18:23

President for a Day

Or from another perspective…Student for a Day

 

While Hannah Lester held down the fort as McMurry’s “President for a Day”, I had an interesting opportunity to go back in time to when I was a sophomore in college—I was a student for a day.

I’d like to share some observations from that experience:

·         I could get used to a 10:00 start to my day…but I don’t think Gerri would share my enthusiasm.

·         Hannah sits in the front row…I never got near the front row when I was a sophomore.

·         There sure seems to be a lot more active learning than when I was a sophomore—sewing machines, voice lessons and group learning activities that demand participation from every member of the group!

·         You meet some interesting folks in “The Caf”…and learn some really interesting things.

·         Work study might be easy for some, but Cynthia New turned Hannah’s work study assignment into an aerobic event for the new guy.

·         The pressure associated with being student for a day is somewhat lessened when someone else will take the test/get a grade on the material covered in class…Sorry Hannah!

I was encouraged by the diversity of experiences I saw in the short segment of time I stood in for Hannah. The McMurry Experience can be as engaging as one chooses to make it. I enjoyed the breadth of Hannah’s activities in which I was fortunate to participate.

Student for a Day…not a bad day at all!   

Hear Dr. Russell's message here.

 

  “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”


President for a Day
15. November 2007 16:12

            My day as President of McMurry was completely different from what I expected! To be honest I was really unsure of how to respond when I heard the news that my name was drawn… I felt like it was just going to be a sort of tutorial of the President’s duties and a chance to relax in his office… but it turned out to be anything but!

            My earliest class this semester is at ten o’clock, so when I was told that I had to be in the office at 7:30 am I really panicked… (I don’t think my alarm even operates that early)

           

            Anyway when I got there I started getting a little more excited. I had a huge office to my own and a lot of quiet… until Jerri (my secretary for the day) handed me my agenda for the day.

            I spent that morning studying the different meetings that I was supposed to lead and talk with a few people who wanted a student’s opinion on certain things… and then I got called into a meeting that was not on my agenda. From then on I was in and out of meetings with a break for lunch with the trustee members.

           

            The most amazing part of the day was how welcoming and interested everyone was to my ideas as a student. I think an area a lot of schools are lacking in is that of a relationship between faculty and students. Some college students only know a picture and a stamped signature of their president. But here at McMurry we have leaders who know the true meaning of their job and how to be an effective leader to college students.

 - Hannah Lester, Sophomore, Class of 2010, Psychology

 

 

"Complete the process... and come imagine the possibilities..."

 

 


McMurry Volleyball
12. November 2007 08:03
 

We were able to catch up with one of the McMurry volleyball players and chat with them about their weekend and the team.


What did you do this weekend?
I was able to go and play in the ACS volleyball tournament.

How did it feel to make the tournament?
It was probably the best feeling ever. Last year we weren't able to go which for me it was very discouraging because it was my first year and last year was the first time MCM hadn't made it to the tournament. I felt like our team had accomplished so much from last year. It was a wonderful feeling, having worked so hard this year. It was very rewarding.

How did you do as a team?
The two weeks before the ASC tournament where really rough, it was as if we were in a slump, but we had a great practice and came together at the end when it was needed the most! We all worked hard together!

What else did you do besides playing the games?
We didn't do much after our games, we went out to eat (coach always feeds us well) and then back to the hotel to relax and hang out. On Saturday we were able to stay and watch the championship game.

What was your favorite part?
Play in the game against ETBU was the best; we all played so hard and worked together through out the whole game. Everyone was excited the whole time! It was great!
 

        -Danielle Kelton, Sophomore, Class of 2010, Business

  

 

 

 

Check out more McMurry Volleyball at http://athletics.mcm.edu/index.asp?path=wvball

 

 “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”

 

 


Kristin Taylor, Freshman, Exercise Science and Human Performance
1. October 2007 06:49

My first week here at McMurry has been a life-altering experience. I'm from a very small town in Illinois, and I’m very family oriented, so I thought coming here would be hard.  I was extremely nervous about meeting new people because I would be so many miles away from everything I knew. But once I got here, I was greeted by the friendly RA's in my residence hall and many other people that work here.

So far I really enjoy my classes. I have wonderful professors that actually listen to what you have to say, and they always make sure the students know that if we need any help, they’re always available.

One of the things I like about McMurry is the size of the campus. It’s a smaller campus, and it doesn’t leave you feeling overwhelmed like a larger campus might. I also like how the class sizes are smaller, allowing you to have more one on one time with the professors.

-Kristin Taylor, Freshman, Exercise Science & Human Performance

 

  “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”


Rodrigo Chiquini, Freshman, Pre-Engineering
29. September 2007 05:51

My first week was very good. I met a lot of new people at different events they had throughout the week. All my classes were good, and meeting new people is always fun. My schedule worked out pretty well. I like the fact that classes are small because you can focus better and learn more, unlike large classes where the professor doesn’t even know your name.

I like McMurry a lot! People here at McMurry are nice and friendly. The faculty members, upperclassmen and staff make you feel good, and you can always see them at school events, games or any other activities around school.

The professors are good.  They are prepared, have high degrees and experience, which makes me feel good because I know that I’m going to get a good education from them. They care about you and want you to be successful.

There are so many things to be involved in on campus. Pep rallies are fun, and there’s always a big crowd at every game, no matter what sport is being played. They try to get students involved with the school with new events and activities so you can have fun while you’re at McMurry.

I like everything about McMurry, but if I had to choose one thing, it would be how everyone is in some way involved with the school either by playing a sport or being part of a social club. Come to McMurry, visit the school and find out for yourself that McMurry will give you what you are looking for.

 

  “Complete the process… and come imagine the possibilities.”


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The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my McMurry University view in anyway.

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