State sports briefs

UCA’s Howard named player of the year

University of Central Arkansas guard Jordan Howard was named Southland Conference Player of the Year on Monday.

Senior guard Mathieu Kamba was an honorable mention All-Southland selection, and freshman center Hayden Koval was selected to the all-defensive team.

Howard, a 5-11 senior, had one of the best statistical seasons in league history. He led the conference in scoring (25.8 points per game), three-pointers (104), free throws made (189) and free-throw percentage (89.6 percent).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Four from UCA honored

UCA had four players recognized on the All-Southland Conference teams, the league announced Monday.

Seniors Taylor Baudoin and Kierra Jordan were named to the second team, and junior Kamry Orr was selected to the third team. Sophomore Taylor Sells made the all-defensive team.

SOFTBALL

McEwen, Haff Earn SEC weekly honors

On the strength of their standout performances that helped the Razorbacks to a 7-0 homestand, the freshman duo of Hannah McEwen and Mary Haff were honored by the SEC on Monday.

McEwen was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week while Haff was selected as the SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season.

McEwen registered a .500 batting average (10 for 20) with 3 home runs, 16 RBI and 7 runs scored. She had at least one RBI in each game, including four in each of the first three games of the week.

In five appearances last week, Haff was 4-0 with a save and a 0.00 ERA. She recorded 40 strikeouts, gave up just 6 hits and issued only 4 walks in 26 innings of work while holding the opposition to a .072 batting average. Haff threw the seventh no-hitter in program history in Arkansas’ victory over Northern Colorado.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Schultz qualifies for NCAA championships

Freshman diver Brooke Schultz qualified for the NCAA championships Monday, finishing fourth overall with a 615.80 in the 1-meter springboard event at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships in Minneapolis.

Schultz becomes the second Razorback this season and first diver to qualify for the championships in Indianapolis next week, joining freshman Peyton Palsha (1650 freestyle).

GOLF

Arkansas men seventh in Mexico

The No. 19 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville men’s golf team moved four spots up the leaderboard Monday to sit in seventh place after the second round of the 2018 Querencia Cabo Collegiate at Querencia Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico.

The Razorbacks shot a 2-under 282 for seventh among the field of 15 teams. Arkansas leads six top 25 programs, including No. 2 Vanderbilt and No. 5 Baylor. Top-ranked Oklahoma State has a one-shot lead at 10 under, while No. 13 California is 9 under and No. 29 Arizona State is 4 under.

Arkansas’ 282 was its second-lowest score at the event in five years, behind a 5-under 279 during the final round last year. Alvaro Ortiz, Luis Garza and William Buhl all shot a 2-under 69, and Ortiz played his way into the top 15 entering the final round, tied for 11th overall.

ATU men tied for fourth

The Arkansas Tech University men sit in a tie for fourth place after two rounds at the Las Vegas Desert Classic at the Royal Links Golf Club in Las Vegas.

Tech is tied with Lindenwood at 594. West Florida leads the field at 573, followed by Oklahoma Christian (588) and Grand Valley State (592).

Putter Srinoon carded the lowest round for the Wonder Boys, shooting a 1-under 71 to sit in a tie for eighth with a score of 145. West Florida’s Chandler Blanchet is in first with a 132.

Struck’s 78 leads ATU women

Arkansas Tech, led by Avery Struck’s team-low 78, is in seventh place after Monday’s first round of the Diffee Ford-Lincoln Invitational in Edmond, Okla.

Struck’s score puts her in a two-way tie for 13th, seven shots off the lead. Struck led the Golden Suns, who shot a 323, with 11 pars, and her 1-under score on the course’s par five holes is tied for third-best among the field.

Henderson State’s Taylor Loeb shot a 1-over 71 and is in firstplace. The Reddies have a two-shot lead over Northeastern State compiling an opening round team score of 306.