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Oct. 19, 2009 PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics Department had a very busy weekend as the volleyball team went 2-0, the cross country teams both finished sixth at the University of Delaware and the men's and women's basketball teams kicked off their practice seasons with Hawk Hysteria. MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL The 2009-2010 basketball season is underway as the men's and women's teams began their practices on Saturday. The W.P. Hytche Athletic Center was packed on Friday night as the teams hosted their annual Hawk Hysteria. The night started with 3-point contest, which was won by a team made up of redshirt sophomore Bria Jackson (Rochester, N.Y.) and junior Jamal Edwards (Mays Landing, N.J.). The women's team was then introduced and participated in an intra-squad scrimmage. The night ended with men's introductions and scrimmage. The men's team kicks off their season with an exhibition contest against Stevenson on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. The women's teams have an exhibition match against Salisbury on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. CROSS COUNTRY The men's and women's cross country teams both took sixth place at the University of Delaware's Blue and Gold Invitational held at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, Del. on Saturday. The Hawks earned 201 points in the men's eight-kilometer race, which was good for sixth out of 14 teams competing. Their average time was 29:38.46. Junior Amon Kiprotich (Kapsabet, Kenya) crossed first for UMES and 19th overall with a time of 26:50.63. Fellow junior and Kenyan Peter Sang (Kapsabet, Kenya) placed 24th with a time of 27:00.64 while sophomore Shadrack Maritim (Kericho, Kenya) ran 27:08.17, which was good for 26th. Senior Solomon Kirongo (Nairobi, Kenya) was the next Hawk finisher and placed 80th with a time of 29:51.25. Sophomore Jermol Dix (Catonsville, Md.) ran a 37:21.61, which was good for 108th place. The Lady Hawk runners placed sixth out of 14 teams competing with 188 points and an average time of 20:52.48 in the women's five-kilometer race. Junior Eunice Jones (Lanham, Md.) was a medal winner for UMES with her eighth place finish. She ran a season-best 19:24.64. Senior Tamica Thomas (St. Catherine, Jamaica) crossed 35th overall with a time of 20:25.65. Fellow senior Celia Whyte (Manchester, Jamaica) crossed in 21:00.50, which was good for 49th. Sophomore Cynthia Anais (Paris, France) finished 60th with a time of 21:18.72. Freshman Emilie Ducados and sophomore Jessica Abrantes (Scotch Plains, N.Y.) came in 84th and 86th with respective times of 22:12.87 and 22:15.04. Freshman Jennell Wade (Randallstown, Md.) and Kenesha Abrams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had respective times of 23:33.93 and 24:24.25, which were good for 110th and 118th places. Fellow freshman Melina Gallas crossed 121st with a time of 24:45.83. VOLLEYBALL Senior outside hitter Whitney Johnson (Prince Frederick, Md.) tallied a match-high 14 kills as the volleyball team defeated Hampton, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-13) in front of 2,131 at the W.P. Hytche Center on Friday. The Hawks recorded a season-high hitting percentage of .444 while committing just six attack errors to improve to 14-6 (3-0). UMES held the Lady Pirates to .143 from the floor as Hampton dropped its fourth of six matches. Senior Caylin Woodward (Garden Grove, Calif) registered seven kills and a match-best nine digs. Redshirt junior Samantha Chukwura (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in with six kills and freshman Bella Jade Romero (Arlington, Texas) ran the Hawks' offense with 25 of the team's 33 assists. UMES compiled its best single-game hitting percentage of the season breaking a mark of .413 set Sept. 12 against La Salle in the Delaware State Invitational. On Sunday the Hawks traveled to Baltimore and swept Coppin State, 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-7). Johnson and sophomore outside hitter Christine Edwards (Lakewood, Calif.) recorded double-digit kills. Edwards had 14 kills and Johnson 11 to go along with three and seven digs, respectively. With the win, UMES's sixth straight, the Hawks improved to 15-6 and 4-0 in the MEAC. Woodward and sophomore Rebecca Prado (Annandale, N.J.) each tallied a match-high eight digs on defense for UMES while sophomore Zoe Bowens (Long Beach, Calif.) registered three of the team's nine aces on the day. Romero had a match-best 34 assists. UPCOMING WEEK (Oct. 19-26) The cross country teams have off this week before hosting the MEAC Championships on Halloween. Volleyball next travels to play Howard in Washington, D.C. on Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. They then return home for a match on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. Sunday is also Domestic Violence Awareness Day. For complete recaps, results and news of Hawk athletics, please visit www.umeshawks.com. |
