Eagle Insider - Summer 2012

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EAGLE Insider FAST finish Jeremy Provence Saves His Best For Last 2012 summer issue

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University of the Ozarks Athletic Magazine - Summer 2012

Transcript of Eagle Insider - Summer 2012

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EAGLE Insider

FAST finishJeremy Provence Saves His Best For Last

2012 summer issue

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University of the OzarksUNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS has ap-proached education with an un-yielding search for truth.

That search led our founders to es-tablish the first co-educational col-lege west of the Mississippi. It set the stage for the first Arkansas woman to receive a college degree. And be-cause truth often defies convention, ours was the first historically white college in the state to admit African-Americans.

Every day, our history inspires Ozarks students to discover their own in-dividual truths.

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W H A T ’ S I N S I D E

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CONTENTS

Fab Six: Men’s Tennis Program On The Upswing

2COVER Story:

Hard Work Pays Off For Senior Jeremy Provence

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Broken Record: Clarksville’s Lacey Phillips Sets

New Assist Mark

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EAGLE Insider is a publication of the Sports Information Office.Editor: Josh Peppas

Photography: Emily Black, Zach Doty, Kaitlyn Williams, Mindpower Print Production: Hewlett-Packard (magcloud)

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FOUNDATION set

“Fab Six” Change Culture

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haun Wiseman had a plan, he just didn’t think it would happen this quickly. Wiseman, the head men’s and women’s

tennis coach, hauled in the program’s most talented men’s freshmen class in school history. And, the fab six – Todd Turner, Bishop Bass, Corey Dillard, Greg Knaggs, Bill Blake and Bryant Ford – have already made school history. That group helped the program post the most wins (10) in over a decade. They also

guaranteed the program a winning season, only the second time that has happened within the last ten years.

S Wiseman’s long-term plan included building the pro-gram’s foundation with this group. But what he didn’t real-ize was how quickly their impact would be felt. “They’ve raised their level of game so quickly,” said Wiseman, who is in his fourth year at Ozarks. “I knew they were capable of great things, but I didn’t know how long it would take. I had no idea it would happen so soon.” During the recruiting process, Wiseman sold the idea that each could be part of something special. “I let them know in the recruiting process that they would be the foundation for what we are building,” he said.

Greg Knaggs, Bryant Ford, Bishop Bass, Corey Dillard, Todd Turner and Bill Blake

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“I was hoping they would get to a higher level by just being around each other and playing.” Turner, Bass, Dillard and Blake are from Arkansas, while Knaggs and Ford hail from Texas. “They knew each other from different tournaments in high school,” he said. “They knew if they would all come together, they could accomplish something pretty special.” Special it was. Bass owned the team’s top singles re-cord at 12-3, playing all but one match as the No. 2 singles player. Turner, who plays No. 1, was 9-5 in singles, and teamed up with Bass to own a 11-4 doubles mark. Addi-tionally, Dillard, Knaggs and Blake posted winning records in singles. The six combined won an impressive 40 singles matches. Bass was named American Southwest Confer-ence East Division tri-Freshman of the Year as well as Second Team All-Conference. Turner earned All-Conference Honorable Mention. Both Turner and Bass were highly decorated high school players and could have played at NCAA I or NCAA II schools, according to Wiseman, who is currently pursuing his doctorate degree in athletic administration. “Todd is our No. 1 singles player, and that is lot to ask a freshman,” said Wiseman. “He embraces it. He’s a gifted tennis player. Bishop is one of the hardest workers we have and was our best doubles player. He is very comfortable at the net and has superb hand eye coordination. He has great touch. Both Todd and Bishop are very critical of their games, which can be detrimental, but it also fuels them to be so good.” “If there is any one individual who has ex-ceeded my expectations it would be Corey. He has moved his way up the lineup. He gives 110 percent every match. Greg has grown and gained muscle and is an im-posing player on the court. He has great talent and his hand eye coordination is unmatched. Bill has an incredible serve and one of the biggest fore-

hands I’ve seen. He is one that if he decides to put in the work he will play in the lineup all four years. When he fig-ures it out, he might be the best player in the conference. Bryant is a good doubles player. He has improved his game and takes pride in doubles. He has moved his way up into the varsity lineup, and I am proud of him for that.” Competitive practices have translated into more wins and better players. “Practice was heated at times,” Wiseman said. “It is intense. It is a friendly rivalry between them. But off the court, they are close friends. That is exactly what I want in my program.” The group has also excelled in the classroom. “Most of them will become academic all-conference next season when they become eligible,” said Wiseman. “They all care about school. They are able to grasp and balance academics and athletics equally. That is refresh-ing because that is the kind of kids I According to Wiseman, this class has displayed a team-first attitude. “They don’t play tennis as an individual sport, they play

it as a team sport,” said Wiseman. “That is a goal

for any coach. They have

bought into a team concept

even though it is a sport that

is typically played individually. They

continue to show team is bigger than I.”

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Todd Turner

want.”

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+Head Coach Shaun Wiseman. “I’m happy for them and we look forward to building upon it in the future.” Bass produced a spectacular freshman season by posting a 12-3 singles mark and a 11-4 doubles record. Bass and Turner compiled the third-most wins (11) in No. 1 doubles among ASC schools. Turner finished with a 9-5 mark in No. 1 singles and a 11-4 doubles record. Eibes ended the year with a 9-5 overall record. In doubles play, he finished 9-6 overall. Skimbo owned a 6-4 doubles re-cord and won six matches at No. 4 singles.

Bishop Bass was named the American Southwest Conference East Division tri-Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the ASC All-East Division Sec-ond Team as a No. 2 singles player. Bass and Todd Turner received Honorable Mention All-Conference honors in No. 1 doubles. Scott Eibes earned Honor-able Mention All-Conference at No. 5 singles. Eibes and Michael Skimbo also garnered Honorable Men-tion All-Conference honors in No. 3 doubles.

“Earning All-Conference honors is a testament to the work these guys have put in all season,” said

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Bass Named Freshman of the Year

Bishop BASS

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Pitcher Amber Rollins was named the American South-west Conference East Division Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the ASC All-East Division Second Team. Teammate Kelsey Stephens, a senior first baseman, was named to the ASC All-East Division Honorable Mention Team. Rollins had an outstanding rookie season by leading the ASC in strikeouts (172), innings pitched (194.1), appear-ances (35), games started (26) and complete games (25). She finished the season with a 10-16 record, a 3.31 ERA and two shutouts. She broke single-season school records

in appearances, innings pitched and strikeouts. She tied the school record with 12 strikeouts against Uni-versity of the Dallas. For the second straight season, Stephens hit above .350 and drove in double digit runs. She led the team in batting (.356), home runs (4), RBI (19), total bases (54), slugging percentage (.535) and fielding percent-age (.967). Stephens ranks among the top-10 in career batting (.330), slugging (.448), on-base percentage (.421), games played (152), hits (112), doubles (23), home runs (8), RBI (63), total bases (152) and walks (47).

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Amber ROLLINS>>

Amber Rollins: ASC’s Top Freshman

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+scored a season-high 29 points on 13-of-19 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds against East Texas Baptist Janu-ary 26. He was voted ASC Player of the Week once during the 2011-12 season. Bobb, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound native of Ponder, Texas, ranked eighteenth in the ASC in scoring (14.0), tenth in rebounding (7.0) and sixth in field goal percentage (57.6%). Bobb posted four doubles during the season, including a 35-point, 15-rebound effort against Concordia University Texas January 7. He was voted ASC Player of the Week once.

Junior forward Ronnie Dodd was named the American Southwest Conference East Division Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the ASC All-East Division Second Team. Marcus Bobb, a ju-nior forward, was named to the ASC All-East Division Honorable Mention Team. Dodd, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound native of Forney, Texas, ranked in the ASC’s top-15 in four different categories. He finished fifteenth in scoring (15.0),

thirteenth in rebounding (6.4), fifteenth in field goal per-centage (49.2%) and eighth in blocked shots (.9). He

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Dodd Voted Top Newcomer

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Ronnie DODD

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Senior guard April Young was named to the 2011-2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Women’s Basketball Second Team. Young advanced to the national ballot after being voted to the Capital One All-District Team, the third straight sea-son she has been Academic All-District. The 5-foot-7 native of Deer, Ark., ranked tenth in the ASC in scoring (13.8) and led the conference in three-point shots per game (2.4). She set the school record this sea-son in career three-pointers (192), breaking the previous mark of 177 set by Erica Eneks (2004-2008).

Behind Young’s play, the Lady Eagles qualified for the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament for the second straight season and posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in ten years. A biology major, Young is a three-time member of the ASC All-Academic Team. To be eligible for Academic All-America® honors, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter, maintain a cumulative grade point aver-age of 3.30 and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at their current institution.

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Young Becomes Academic All-American

April YOUNG>>

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+ Prusator’s best game of the season came against Mississippi College when he went 5-for-6 with two RBI. He totaled eight hits during a three-game series against the Choctaws. A chemistry major, he is a three-time member of the conference’s All-Academic Team and will attend graduate school at the University of Oklahoma. To be eligible for Academic All-America® honors, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at their current institution.

Senior designated hitter Michael Prusator was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Baseball Third Team. Prusator produced an outstanding senior season during the 2012 campaign. The Ochelata, Okla., na-tive ranked fourth on the team in batting (.312), third in RBI (22) and doubles (7), and fourth in total bases (51), hits (39) and slugging percentage (.408). The 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-handed hitter com-

piled eight multiple-hit games and drove in two runs four different times. In 33 starts, he hit safely in 25 games.

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Prusator Named School’s Fifth Academic All-American

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Chris DRIEDRIC

Michael PRUSATOR

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Junior forward Eloy Salgado was one of five men’s soc-cer players recognized as an All-Conference performer in 2011. Salgado earned All-ASC First Team honors following a standout season on the pitch. Senior defender Logan Hornback made the All-ASC Second Team, while senior forward Tony Santoro, freshman midfielder Shaun Keane and senior goalkeeper Neil Thompson were named to the All-ASC Honorable Mention Team. Senior midfielder Tanner Holman was named the ASC Co-Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year. Salgado ranked among the ASC’s top-10 in shots (54),

points (24), points per game (1.33), goals (9), goals per game (.50), assists (6) and assists per game (.33). Hornback started in all 18 matches and played the most minutes on the team as a defensive specialist. A team captain, Hornback punched in two goals. Santoro started in all 18 matches and scored six goals and recorded one assist. Keane started in 17 matches and scored two goals and had two assists in his rookie season. Thompson finished ninth in the ASC in goals against average (1.99), second in saves (80) and sev-enth in saves per game (4.44) and shutouts (3).

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Salgado Leads All-Conference Soccer Team

April YOUNG>>

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Eloy SALGADO>>

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+batting average and posted a .977 fielding percentage. Brill led the team in RBI (28), total bases (66) and home runs (4), and tied for the team-lead in hits (46), while finishing second in batting (.331) and doubles (8). Powers owned the team’s highest batting average (.336) and was fifth in the ASC in walks (26) and tenth in on-base percentage (.464). He tied for the team-lead in doubles (9), triples (1) and stolen bases (7). Bryan led the team in appearances (14), saves (2) and ERA (3.23). The right-hander tossed 30.2 innings in relief and finished with a 2-1 record.

Four baseball players were named to the Ameri-can Southwest Conference All-East Division Team following the 2012 season. Senior centerfielder Chris Driedric and junior second baseman Nick Brill were named to the ASC All-East Division Second Team. Junior shortstop Mitchell Powers and junior pitcher Ian Bryan earned ASC All-East Division Honorable Mention. Driedric led the team in at-bats (157) and runs

(27), while tying for the team-lead in hits (46), doubles (9) and triples (1). The left-handed hitter finished with a .293

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Brill, Driedric Produce Standout Seasons

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Chris DRIEDRIC

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Sophomore defender Monica Seiler and freshman for-ward Alex Cannon were named to the All-Conference Team. Seiler made the All-ASC Honorable Mention Team after starting in 17 matches. The 5-foot-8 Seiler spearheaded Ozarks defense all season in the back as a defensive force. Cannon was named to the All-ASC Third Team. The 5-foot-7 Cannon was among the most productive players in the ASC as a freshman. She ranked sixth in the ASC in shots (68) and eighth in shots per game (3.58). She led the team in goals (9), points (19) and game-winning goals (2).

The 2011 women’s soccer team was honored with the prestigious Team Academ-ic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The NSCAA

Team Academic Award is presented to those teams with a 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average for the 2010-2011 academic year. Under Head Coach Bry-an Drotar, Ozarks posted a 3.37 team GPA to receive the distinction, marking the fourth time the program has received the award.

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Lady Eagles Place Two On All-Conference Team

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Alex CANNON>>>>

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A t the urging of basketball teammates, Jeremy Provence began running cross country his senior year at tiny Mountainburg High School. Four years later he established himself as

one of the elite college runners in the region and American Southwest Conference. Provence, from the remote community of Winfry Valley in Crawford County, ran in only a few races at MHS. But the 5-foot-6, 135-pound senior led the Eagles at the NCAA III Regional finishing first among

ASC runners. There, Provence finished 11th overall and

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was named All-Region. “My goal is always to go out and run faster than the last race,” said Provence. “I wanted to be 15 seconds faster than what I ran at the conference championships.” Provence had an up-and-down collegiate running career, but things were different his final season. Head Coach Brian Hull believes the answer was simple. He worked hard in the offseason. “I think his work ethic is what sets him apart,” said Hull. “He wants to work harder and harder no matter what he does the previous race. He wants to get better. He doesn’t

COVER STORY:Provence Finishes Fast

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EAGLE Insider My dad always told me you

don’t get anything unless you work for it. That’s what I grew

up believing.

want to leave anything out there.” Provence realized in the spring of his junior year that he would have only one more season to run at the college level. He was determined to improve. “I knew in the spring I only had one more year to run so over the summer I worked hard,” said Provence. “I am not a natural born run-ner. I don’t have the build other than I am thin. I worked as hard as I could. Run-ning is part of me now. I love it.” Provence established himself as a force among ASC runners his senior season. He finished second overall at the ASC Championships October 29 with a time of 25:54.19, the fastest 8K time in school history. He was named All-Conference First Team for that performance. He was Ozarks’ top finisher in all six of its races and won individual titles at the Ozarks Invitational and the NCAA III Arkan-sas Championships. Known for his strenuous workouts, Provence wasn’t satisfied with just training. He pushed himself to pain. “I call it good pain,” he said. “It’s not an injury pain, but rather a different kind of pain. It’s just pushing myself to get better. A race wouldn’t be a race unless you went through pain and you have to go through pain to get better. I have a tendency to push myself.” Over the summer, Provence would run the mountainous terrain around his home, including those days after working long hours. Provence was also conscience of his eating habits. “During the summer, I counted and watched what I ate,” said Provence. “I made sure I ate healthy.

I never drank cokes or alcohol, and I drank decaf-feinated tea. I monitored my weight, too.”

The physical education major also did well in the classroom graduating with honors and earning Capital One Academic All-District honors for the 2011 season. Provence, who will con-tinue his education in either exercise science or physical therapy, was a member of the ASC All-Academic Team for three years. He was also the program’s first United States Track &

Field And Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honoree. No doubt Provence learned the value of hard work from his younger years. “I’ve helped my father with farm work since the time I was able,” he said. “The saw mill business is hard work, too. My dad always told

me you don’t get anything unless you work for it. That’s what I grew up believing.”

“ ”

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+said freshmen baseball player Matt Piker. “It gives us an opportunity to give back to the community and to spend time with others that don’t often get to enjoy what we enjoy.” Ozarks’ student-athletes have had a long tradition of helping with area Special Olympics events. The women’s softball team has helped with a softball tournament the last several years and the women’s basketball program has assisted with a number of basketball tournaments.

Student-athletes from Ozarks were well repre-sented at the 2012 Special Olympics Track and Field Meet held in April. Nearly 400 Special Olympics athletes from across Arkansas competed in Clarksville. Ozarks’ student-athletes were just 100 of the 600 volunteers that helped make the meet possible. Some Ozarks’ student-athletes cheered on the competitors or as-sisted with the staging areas, ran errands, or helped

in running the events. “I really enjoyed interacting with the athletes,”

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Ozarks’ Student-Athletes Assist With Area Special Olympics

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Baseball: Nick Brill, Chris Driedric, Mitchell Powers, Ian Bryan Men’s Basketball: Marcus Bobb, Ronnie Dodd Women’s Basketball: Sabrina Goddard, Lacey Phillips, April Young Men’s Cross Country: Tristan Cooper, Matt Friant, David James,Jeremy Provence Men’s Soccer: Logan Hornback, Shaun Keane, Eloy Salgado, Tony Santoro, Neil Thompson Women’s Soccer:Alex Cannon, Monica Seiler Softball:Amber Rollins, Kelsey Stephens Men’s Tennis:Bishop Bass, Scott Eibes, Michael Skimbo, Todd Turner

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2011-12 All-Conference

Nick BRILL

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CROSS COUNTRY

The 2011 men’s and women’s cross country teams earned NCAA III All-Academic Team recognition, as award-ed by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Under Head Coach Brian Hull, the men’s team posted a 3.36 GPA while the women’s squad had a 3.24 GPA. To be honored as an All-Academic Cross Country Team, teams needed a cumulative team GPA of at least 3.10 through the Fall 2011 semester. A total of 131 NCAA III men’s cross country teams earned All-Academic Team honors. 187 NCAA III women’s cross country teams earned the honor. The men’s team had nine run-ners make the American Southwest Conference All-Academic Team in 2011. The team included Ian Bryan, Tristan Cooper, Zach Doty, Matt Friant, Max Hilgendorf, David James, Freddy Prince, Jeremy Provence and Trent Ueunten. The women’s team had four runners on the conference academic team and included Tadera Garland, Samantha Sparks, Ash-ley Teague and Kara Willbanks. Additionally, senior Jeremy Provence earned an individual accolade as he was named to the USTFCCCA All-

Academic Team after posting a GPA of at least 3.30 and placing in the top-35 at the NCAA III Regional Championships.

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David JAMES

academics Senior cross country runners Jeremy Provence and David James were named to the United States Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region Team following strong perfor-mances at the NCAA III South/Southeast 8K Regional in the fall. The top 35 finishers in each region automatically earn All-Region honors from the USTFCCCA. The Eagles finished in the top-10 for the first time in school history. Provence ran a 26:46.3 for 11th-place overall. Provence missed qualifying for the national race by two spots and was the top finisher from the American Southwest Confer-ence at the regional.

James ran a 27:40.6 for a 33rd-place finish. It was the third straight year he was named All-Region. Provence, James and Tristan Cooper earned ASC All-Conference First Team honors after finish-

ing among the top-14 runners at the ASC cham-pionships held two weeks prior to the regional race. Matthew Friant was named to the All-Conference Second Team. At the ASC Championships, Provence finished second overall in the 8K with a time of 25:54.19, a new school record. Cooper followed with a time of 26:42.35, while James ran a 26:50.06. Friant was

tenth in the race with a time of 27:07.78. Ad-ditionally, senior Zach Doty was named the ASC

Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year. The Eagles finished second overall at the race. On the women’s side, Tadera Garland finished 24th after running a 25:54.02 and Ashley Teague was 27th following a 26:04.45 time posted in the

6K. The Lady Eagles finished seventh overall, the highest conference finish for the program since

2006.

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For the second time in five years, Head Athletic Trainer Chad Floyd was voted the American Southwest Conference East Division Athletic Trainer of the Year. The ASC Athletic Trainer of the Year award is presented by the Conference following voting by the membership’s athletic training staffs. All full-time athletic training staff members must be in good standing with professional or-ganizations and be either NATA or state licensed, and the head athletic trainer must have been at the institution for a minimum of two years. “Chad works with 180 student-athletes on an individual basis and does an outstanding job,” Ozarks Athletic Direc-tor Jimmy Clark said. “We understand what type of trainer and person we have. He gets them back on the field or court as soon as possible. We are proud of the work he does for Ozarks.” Floyd, a native of Ozark, Ark., is in his eleventh year at Ozarks. He also received the award in 2008. He was named the winner of the university’s Alvin C. Broyles Out-standing Professional Staff Award in 2008.

Floyd Wins Second ASC Award

The Aerie Club

Leadership in support of the scholar-athletes com-peting on behalf of the University of the Ozarks

Ozarks' new Aerie Club is made up of individuals and corporations who are proud supporters of Ozarks and of her athletic programs. This newly-formed club is a sup-porting organization for the ten Eagles' and Lady Eagles' athletic teams. Our student-athletes have always represented the university in a way that brings great pride to the fans, whether it be through good sportsmanship on the field, or excellence in the classroom. By becoming a member of the Aerie Club, you can enjoy some great sports action while showing your support for our athletes. With four levels of sponsorship available, you can choose the one that works best for you or your corporation. Ozarks is a member of NCAA Division III, and our teams compete in the American Southwest Conference (ASC). Because we are a Division III school, our student-athletes don't receive athletic scholarships to play here. As a result, your membership in the Aerie Club (at any level), means so much to our students...it shows that the community supports what they do, and that we recognize the importance college athletics can have for them! If you'd like more information about becoming a member of the Aerie Club, contact Kerry Taylor at [email protected] or 479-979-1304.

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To give is better than to receive. This is the approach senior guard Lacey Phillips took when she stepped on the court. The 5-foot-9 left-hander from Clarksville led the American Southwest Confer-ence her senior season in assists per game (5.7) and set a new single season school record with 148. For

her career, she accumulated 313 assists, fourth-most in program history.

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“A good-looking pass is way better than any shot in my opinion,” said Phillips. “I like to pass and when I’m out there, I don’t see the defenders, only my teammates. If more than one player scored a lot of points, we were a bet-ter team.” Head Coach Carl Ramsey was thankful for his player’s ability to distribute the ball. A guard who can drive and make the pass is much more difficult to cover one-on-one, according to Ramsey. “Lacey sees the floor so well,” said Ramsey. “She can throw that no-look pass and the pass off the dribble. She can dish the ball when she drives and that made her real difficult to guard.” Phillips was more than just a flashy passer during the 2011-12 season. She also displayed an all-around game few in the ASC could match. Prior to the playoffs, Phillips was one of only two players in the ASC that averaged more than ten points, five assists and five rebounds per game. She finished her senior campaign averaging 9.7 points, 5.7 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. “She was so versatile,” said Ramsey. “She was a threat to shoot the three, but she could also take the ball to the basket. She didn’t always lead the team in scoring or rebounding, but she was always among the top three in almost every category.” For her career, she has 705 points, 303 rebounds and 93 three-pointers. She was a two-time All-Conference per-former and received national recognition last season when she was named to the D3Hoops.com Team of the Week. Phillips also had the special opportunity to play college basketball in her hometown. Phillips starred at Clarksville High School and then chose the Lady Eagles over a num-ber of other schools. “I loved playing for my hometown college,” said Phil-lips. “My family was able to easily come watch. I know my grandpa said he was thankful that I went here so he could keep watching me play.” Phillips graduated in May with a physical education degree.

PHILLIPS Breaks Assist RECORD A good-looking pass is way better

than any shot in my opinion. - Lacy Phillips“ ”

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Women’s basketball player Sabrina Goddard and men’s cross country runner David James were named the school’s 2011-2012 Female and Male Athlete of the Year. Goddard capped her senior season by earning her second straight Athlete of the Year award. Goddard posted another All-Conference season after ranking third in the American Southwest Conference in scoring (16.0), eighth in rebounding (7.3) and second in blocked shots (2.0). The 6-foot-1 center was named to the All-ASC East Divi-sion First Team after helping Ozarks to its second straight conference playoff appearance. In 2011-12, she was the ASC East Division Preseason Player of the Year, ASC Player of the Week and earned the university’s Hurie Award. She is a three-time All-Conference performer, five-time ASC Player of the Week honoree and was a member of the Capital One Academic All-District Team. A native of Stroud, Oklahoma, she finishes her career ranked sixth at Ozarks

in points (1,350), seventh in rebounding (683) and re-corded 197 blocked shots. James produced one of the best four-year careers in program history. In 2011, James was named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Associa-tion All-Region Team after finishing in the top-35 at the NCAA III South/Southeast regional and helping Ozarks to its best finish (top-10) ever at the regional race. The 5-foot-7, 120-pound native of Parthenon, Ark., also helped the team to its second straight second-place finish at the ASC championship while finishing seventh overall. James, who has finished among the top-10 at each ASC championship race, earned a spot on the All-Con-ference First Team in 2011. For his career, he has been a four-time All-Conference performer, a two-time ASC Runner of the Week honoree, three-time All-Region per-former, ASC Freshman of the Year and ASC Sportsman-ship Athlete of the Year. He owns the second fastest 8K time in school history with a time of 25:57.84. Both have been on the ASC All-Academic Team dur-ing their collegiate careers.

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2011-2012 Athletes of the Year

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national awards2 Michael Prusator (Baseball) April Young (Women’s Basketball)

5 Tony Santoro (Men’s Soccer)April Young (Women’s Basketball)Jeremy Provence (Cross Country)Ashley Teague (Cross Country)Michael Prusator (Baseball)

2David James (Men’s Cross Country)Jeremy Provence (Men’s Cross Country)

1Jeremy Provence (Men’s Cross Country)

2Men’s & Women’s Cross Country

1Women’s Soccer

Capital One Academic All-Americans

Capital One Academic All-District

US Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region

US Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic

US Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team Award

National Soccer Collegiate Coaches Association of America All-Academic Team

Tony Santoro

conference-wide awards 13

ASC East Division Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year Zach Doty//Men’s Cross Country

Tanner Holman//Men’s SoccerAshley Teague//Women’s Basketball

ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete

Jeremy Provence//Men’s Cross Country Tony Santoro//Men’s Soccer

April Young//Women’s Basketball

ASC East Division Newcomer of the YearRonnie Dodd//Men’s Basketball

ASC East Division Sportsmanship Team of the YearBaseball

Women’s Basketball

ASC East Division Preseason Player of the YearSabrina Goddard//Women’s Basketball

ASC East Division Freshman of the YearAmber Rollins//Softball

Bishop Bass//Men’s Tennis

ASC East Division Trainer of the YearChad Floyd

Page 23: Eagle Insider - Summer 2012

www.eagles.ozarks.edu

Page 24: Eagle Insider - Summer 2012

2011-2012 Season Review

EAGLE Insider