LH’s Eastburn recognized
Regular-season champion Arkansas Tech took three Great American Conference individual volleyball awards, but Ouachita Baptist produced the league’s player of the year.
Senior right-side hitter Abby Pickett led OBU to the GAC tournament, which continues through Saturday at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. She led the league in kills per set while ranking third in points per set and seventh in hitting percentage. From Texarkana, Texas, Pickett is the first player in GAC history to earn all-conference honors in all four seasons.
Senior Kaitlin Lucy was named the league’s defensive player of the year as Oklahoma Baptist finished second in its conference debut. From Midlothian, Texas, Lucy set GAC single-season records for digs and digs per set. The Bison finished 19-11, although ineligible for the conference championship or postseason tournament as the league’s newest member.
Kristy Bayer was named GAC coach of the year after leading Arkansas Tech to a 15-1 conference record and the top seed in the conference tournament. The Golden Suns (25-6) came to Hot Springs seeking their third consecutive GAC tournament championship since it was moved from a neutral site in 2013.
Pacing Arkansas Tech on court were GAC freshman of the year Hunter Eshnaur (Russellville) and classmate Sarita Stegall (Fort Smith Southside), named the league’s top setter. Senior middle blocker Katie Huff (Springdale Har-Ber) also represented the Golden Suns on the all-conference first team.
Eshnaur is the third-straight Golden Sun to be named Freshman of the Year, following Emily Todd in 2013 and Madison Nagel last season. Stegall ranked in the top five in points, kills and aces per set, following in the footsteps of former Golden Suns Amber Cerillos and Sierra Nighswonger as the leagu’s top setter.
Libero Aahley Wake, a Ouachita junior who played at Fountain Lake, made the allGAC second team and was one of eight to receive a Crafton Tull Distinguished Scholar Award. Sophomore middle blocker Kori Bullard, a Ouachita sophomore from Lake Hamilton, earned all-conference honorable mention. Southern Arkansas junior libero Hannah Rice, of Bryant, is the only other Arkansas native honored.
Other first-team selections were Harding freshman middle blocker Zoe Hardin (Amarillo, Texas), Southern Arkansas junior outside hitter Serena LeDuff (Valencia, Calif.) and Southwestern Oklahoma State junior outside hitter Carly Zak (Wylie, Texas).
Football: JaQuan Cole of league champion Henderson State and Logan Genz of Arkansas Tech were named players of the year in Great American Conference football Tuesday. First-team honorees included Tech freshman fullback Chris Eastburn from Lake Hamilton.
Cole gained 972 yards in nine games with seven touchdowns, helping the Reddies win their third GAC championship in four seasons. He totaled 388 yards in victories over Arkansas Tech (school-record 245) and Southwestern Oklahoma State.
Nine Reddies made the allGAC first team, Henderson going 10-1 and advancing to the NCAA Division II playoffs against Sioux Falls at noon Saturday at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in Arkadelphia. Other HSU players on the first team were center Cory Stitle, defensive tackle Grady Ollison (Malvern), outside linebacker Josh Davis and safeties Gary Vines and Kenrick Burns, plus kicker Houston Ray and special teamer James Jackson.
With four straight 100-tackle seasons, Genz ranks second among active Division II players in stops. Eastburn helped block for the second-most proficient ground game in the GAC. Other Wonder Boys honored were Demetris Ford, the team’s sacks leader, and punter Clayton Watson. Tech earned a bid to the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl against Eastern New Mexico at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 in Copperas Cove, Texas.
Southern Arkansas quarterback Barrett Renner was named Freshman of the Yea, and Dan Cocannouer was selected Coach of the Year after leading Southwestern Oklahoma to an 8-3 record and a second-place tie with Arkansas Tech. Southwestern makes its first postseason appearance since 1996 in the Dec. 5 Live United Texarkana Bowl against former conference rival Central Oklahoma, starting at noon.
Ouachita had three firstteam honorees, including redshirt freshman running back Kris Oliver (Arkadelphia) with a GAC-high 1,176 yards rushing while scoring 21 touchdowns. Tight end Johnathan Powell earned all-GAC honors for the third time and lineman Mike Russell for the second-straight year.