Nov. 2, 2009
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Upcoming: UTEP tips off the 2009-10 season with an exhibition game versus New Mexico Highlands on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. in the Don Haskins Center. All tickets are $5.
2009-10 Preview: Seven letterwinners and three starters return as UTEP looks to build on the momentum generated from last year's 23-win season and berth in the CBI Championship Series. Guards Randy Culpepper (UTEP's career leader with 170 three-point field goals) and Julyan Stone (350 career assists) and forward Arnett Moultrie (302 rebounds as a freshman in `08-09) are all expected to rank among the nation's best players at their respective positions. Swingman Gabe McCulley and centers Claude Britten and Wayne Portalatin have also made multiple starts at the collegiate level. The influx of five newcomers includes four players (forward Derrick Caracter, guard Christian Polk, guard Myron Strong, forward Jeremy Williams) who have enjoyed success while playing at Division I schools in previous years. Caracter, a Louisville transfer, will become eligible to play on Dec. 13.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Upcoming: The Miners open the season with an exhibition against St. Mary's (Texas) on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. in the Haskins Center. Admission is free.
2009-10 Preview: Coming off a school record-setting third straight winning season, UTEP enters 2009-10 with aspirations of returning to the NCAA Tournament. Two-time Conference USA Player of the Year Jareica Hughes highlights a squad that returns four starters and seven letterwinners. Other notable returnees include fellow classmate Timika Williams, and sharp shooters Sviatlana Trukshanina and 2009 C-USA Freshman of the Year Dietra Caldwell. A talented group of newcomers gives head coach Keitha Adams depth across the board. Adams will become the winningest coach in school history with her next victory. The Miners are particularly deep in the frontcourt, featuring a program-best eight players taller than 6-0. That is in stark contrast to a year ago when injuries decimated UTEP and left it with just three healthy posts.
CROSS COUNTRY
Upcoming: The Miners will run at the NCAA Mountain Regional on Nov. 14 in Albuquerque.
Looking Back: The UTEP men edged Tulsa by one point to reclaim the Conference USA title on Saturday in The Woodlands, Texas. The Miners also claimed the women's individual title after Risper Kimaiyo dethroned last year's champion, Silje Fjortoft of SMU. Kimaiyo, the Conference USA Female Freshman of the Year, clocked in at 17:46.3 to earn the first women's individual title under UTEP coach Paul Ereng. The Miners also had the Conference USA Male Freshman of the Year as Elkana Rotich placed fourth, finishing the 8K race in 24:33.1. Ereng picked up his fourth Conference USA Coach of the Year honor after leading UTEP to its fourth men's title in five years. Tulsa's John Beattie repeated as the men's individual champion. All-American Nicodemus Ng'etich was the top finisher for the Miner men, taking second with a time of 24:26.7. Golden Hurricane runners finished third and fifth, with Rotich fourth and Robert Menjo sixth (24:22.1). Justice Chirchir crossed the finish line in eighth place (25:02.1). Aggrey Chirchir (11th, 25:16.1) and Felix Maritim (12th, 25:17.8) rounded out the UTEP scorers. SMU runners placed second, third and fourth as the Mustang women defended their title, scoring 28 points to UTEP's 42. Gladys Chumba was the Miners' second finisher, placing fifth with a time of 18:22.1, and Kathya Garcia was seventh in 18:26.7. Jepchirchir Kigen and Karina Garcia placed 13th (18:43.8) and 14th (18:46.2), respectively.
FOOTBALL
Upcoming: UTEP (3-5, 2-2 C-USA) starts a three-game road swing on Saturday at Tulane (2-6, 0-4 C-USA). The Miners must win three of their last four games to secure bowl eligibility. Saturday's game will be televised in El Paso on the CW Network beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Looking Back: Joe Webb passed and ran for a touchdown and added a 14-yard reception for a score as UAB won its first road game of the year, beating UTEP, 38-33, last Saturday in the Sun Bowl. UTEP couldn't score enough points to go with 607 yards of offense and couldn't slow UAB, which averaged 8.8 yards per play. Trevor Vittatoe completed 24 of 45 passes for 419 yards for UTEP, but threw two first-half interceptions in opponent territory for the second game in a row. Donald Buckram and Jeff Moturi also had big games for the Miners with 164 yards rushing and 161 receiving, respectively. Webb finished with 163 yards rushing and 127 passing to lead UAB.
MEN'S GOLF
Upcoming: Fall season complete. The Miners return to action at the Arizona Invitational Feb. 1-2 in Tucson.
Looking Back: UTEP took 16th place at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate last week in Las Cruces. The Miners had a 54-hole score of 876 with rounds of 289, 293 and 294. UNLV was champion of the 17-team field (829). UTEP's Tanner Taff and Devin Meirtschin each tied for 47th place with a five-over-par 218.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Upcoming: Fall season complete. UTEP opens its spring season at the Islander Invitational Feb. 28-March 2 in Corpus Christi.
Looking Back: The Miners claimed an 11th-place showing at the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate Oct. 19-20 in Greenville, N.C. The Miners posted rounds of 308, 301 and 301 for a total of 910 at the two-day tournament. Georgia State was champion of the 15-team field (879). UTEP's Rosana Gomez earned a spot on the All-Tournament team after shooting a five-over-par 218 (74-72-72) to tie for fourth place, seven strokes back of champion Tara McFadden of Elon University (211).
RIFLE
Upcoming: The Miners will shoot at Mississippi on Saturday.
Looking Back: Alix Moncada fired a team-high 592 in air gun against Nevada, but the Miners lost to the Wolf Pack on Saturday in Reno. Nevada ended the day with a combined score of 4610 (2342 air rifle/2268 smallbore), while UTEP finished with 4592 (2332/2260). Andrea Palafox shot 586, Josie Burzynski 574 and Hannah Muegge 573. Moncada notched a team-high 576 in smallbore. Muegge followed with a personal-best 566, and Burzynski and Morgan Glenn each posted scores of 559.
SOCCER
Upcoming: UTEP (13-6, 7-4 C-USA) is seeded fourth in the Conference USA Championship this week in Dallas. The Miners will face UAB on Wednesday at 4 p.m. A victory would propel UTEP into the semifinals and set up a showdown against top-seeded and No. 8 nationally UCF on Friday.
Looking Back: The Miners vaulted out to leads of 1-0 and 2-1 on goals by Jo Radcliffe (29:34) and Skye Schultz (63:16), but could not hang on as Brittany Lyman tallied five second-half strikes to lift Colorado College to a 5-2 triumph in the regular-season finale for both squads on Friday evening in Colorado Springs.
TENNIS
Upcoming: UTEP will participate in the New Mexico Fall Invite this weekend in Albuquerque.
Looking Back: Marina DeLuca notched a pair of victories to lead the way for the UTEP tennis team at the ITA Southwest Regional Oct. 16-18 in Waco. The Miners, who were participating in their third tournament of the fall, squared off against their toughest competition of the season to date. The event allowed the Orange and Blue to test themselves against some of the top talent in the region, while also providing valuable learning experiences in preparation for the 2010 dual-match season.
VOLLEYBALL
Upcoming: UTEP (10-16, 3-10 C-USA) will host Houston on Friday (7 p.m.) and Rice on Sunday (noon) in its final two home matches of the year.
Looking Back: The Miners lost 3-1 at Tulsa on Friday and 3-0 at SMU on Sunday. Catherine Chavez supplied 16 kills and 13 digs versus the Golden Hurricane, and Amy Sanders had a double-double of her own against the Mustangs with 13 kills and 10 digs.
