Miner Pride - Spring 2014

www.MinerAthleticClub.com ‹ 1

On theHorizon

Miners AnxiouslyLook Towards

the 2014 Season

Track & Field Keeps Rolling Through

the Outdoor Season

Wayne Vandenburg Reunion Weekend

2 › Miner Pride › Spring Edition 2014

DUST IN THE WINDSophomore Sven Zellner hurdles to a top finish at the UTEP Springtime meet on 3/22. The Miners performed well at the first home invitational.




JUMP FOR JOYJunior Ashley Eldridge is congratulated by her teammates after making a top play against UTSA on 4/26. The Miners beat the Roadrunners, 7-6 in 9 innings.


Miner Athletic ClubBrumbelow Bldg., Room 109

500 W. University Ave.El Paso, TX 79968

www.minerathleticclub.com

Jeff DarbySenior Associate A.D. / Communication

Chris ParkSenior Associate A.D. for External Relations & Development

Jon TeicherAssistant A.D./ Director of Broadcasting

Omar CruzAssistant Director for Development

Mark BrunnerAssociate Director for Media Relations

Denise MataDirector for Media Relations

Drew BonneyAssistant Director for Media Relations

ContributorsJeff Amey, Jeff Eisenbaum, Audrey Westcott, Amanda Pulido, Mark MacDonald,

Jon Teicher, Michael Reese, April Aguilar, Aileen Martinez


14PARDON OUR DUSTThe track and field team looks to continue its mo-mentum off a successful indoor season. What will be the key factors for another conference title?

18 SENIORS MAKING STRIDESThe softball team continues to follow the leadership of their seniors as it wraps up the 2014 campaign under new head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk.

SAAC HUNGERUTEP student-athletes rise to the top in gathering canned goods for a food drive competition against other conference schools.

A TRACK & FIELD REUNIONUTEP Athletics recently hosted a reunion for Wayne Vandenburg’s track and field team. Read up on the laughs, memories and events from the weekend.

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STORIES

8 TEICH’S CORNER

22 FOOTBALL FOCUSED

26 DYNAMIC SENIORS

28 SARDINERO Q&A

30 AWAITING 2014-15

32 ROLLER COASTER SEASON

34 FACES IN THE CROWD

TABLE OF CONTENTSSpring Edition - 2014


TEICH’S CORNERJon Teicher - The ‘Voice of the Miners’

ow! What a ride our UTEP Women’s Basketball team took Miner fans on during

the recently completed 2013-14 season!

Anticipation could not have been greater as the season began with the Conference USA Tournament to be held in El Paso for the second time. Although the tournament results didn’t measure up, with the Miners bowing out in the semifinals, there were thrilling memories from season’s start to finish.

Coach Keitha Adams’ squad opened with nine consecutive victories, including a sweep of New Mexico State and conquests of the Big 12’s Kansas State and former C-USA rival SMU. Led by senior El Pasoan and first team All-League performer Kayla Thornton, who would become the all-time scoring and rebounding leader in program history, the Miners would navigate conference play with 12 wins in 16 games.

Senior Kristine Vitola and sophomore Jenzel Nash both bounced back successfully from season ending knee injuries sustained the previous year. Vitola concluded her career playing

more games than any other in a Miner uniform and Nash was tabbed C-USA’s sixth player of the year.

After the disappointment of the early exit from the league tournament and

the resulting exclusion from the NCAA Tournament field subsided, the Miners accepted an invitation for the first time from the WNIT.

Drawing a first round home game against Arkansas State, the Miners attracted 4,500 fans to the Don Haskins Center, resulting in victory

and similar outcomes against Saint Mary’s, Colorado, Washington and South Dakota State.

The crowds continued to grow, from 4,703 to 8,234 to 10,227 to a complete sellout, 12,222 for the first time in program history, for the semifinal matchup with South Dakota State.

Yet another sellout, accomplished in just two hours, followed for the WNIT Championship matchup with Rutgers.

Trailing by as many as 18 points early in the second half, the Miners came all the way back and actually enjoyed a brief lead before falling to the Scarlet Knights 56-54.

The final result aside, what a wonderful experience it was for the UTEP student-athletes and the exposure it gave the program to untold numbers of El Pasoans enjoying the women’s game for the very first time.

My guess is that most all of them will be back! Can’t wait for next season. How about you?

W

“...there were

thrilling memories

from season’s start to finish.”


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IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

FOOTBALLJune 13 Deadline to Renew Football Season TicketsAugust Football Season Tickets Mailed OutAugust 30 UTEP Football @ UNMSeptember 6 UTEP vs. Texas Tech Home Opener

MINER ATHLETIC CLUBMay 22 Team Fund Drive Kick-Off LuncheonJuly 27 Team Fund Drive EndsAugust 23 Orange Fever Fiesta

Spring Edition - 2014


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Get to Know Your Miners!

JADE BABCOCK - TRACK & FIELD

“My rituals for finals include studying and knowing that God will bless my efforts.”

DAVINA MEZA - TENNIS

“I don’t have any rituals, although I try to study in quiet places that will help me focus on the task at hand. Getting plenty of rest before a

major exam is also one of my top priorities.”

FREDERIK DREIER - MEN’S GOLF

“I like to prepare well in advance so I’m not cramming the night be-fore. Time management is one of my main priorities in getting ready for the end of the semester. Quiet background music also helps me relax before a test.”

Do you have any rituals or traditions to help you prepare for finals?


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Table for 10 at 2014 Orange Fever Fiesta



PARDON OUR DUST

Track & Field looks to carry the momentum of last year’s success

Already one of the most successful programs in school history, the UTEP track and field team has continued its longstanding run of excellence in 2014.

In the indoor season, the Miners racked up 20 titles with four All-Americans and one national champion.

Going the distance for the Orange and Blue once again is Anthony Rotich. The All-American captured the national title in the mile, leading the men’s team to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Rotich beat out Arizona’s Lawi Lalang, who holds both collegiate and NCAA meet records in the event.

Rotich is the first Miner on the men’s team to claim gold at the national indoor meet since 1997, when Obadele Thompson took first in the 200 meters. The Bowerman Watch List candidate is one of four Miners that have won an NCAA title in the mile indoors (Wilson Waigwa `77, James Munyala ‘78, Suleiman Nyambui ‘79, ‘80, ‘82). This is the junior’s second straight NCAA title; he previously won the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Teammates Mark Jackson, Janice Jackson and Nickevea Wilson also registered impressive showings at the NCAA Indoor Championships as they all garnered indoor All-American honors for the first time.


On the field, Jackson was runner-up in the triple jump as he recorded a personal-best leap of 16.38m (53-9).

The senior is one of four Miners to finish in the top-two at the NCAA Indoor Championship in the event (Bob Beamon ‘68, Arnold Grimes ‘75, ‘76, ‘77 and Norbert Elliott ‘85). His performance ranks fifth in school history.

On the women’s side, senior Janice Jackson captured a fifth-place finish in the 60m hurdles.

She joins Kim Turner as the only UTEP women to claim All-American recognition in the event. The hurdler clocked in with a time of 8.05 seconds to conclude her indoor collegiate career.

Wilson earned her first All-American honor as she placed eighth in the triple jump with a leap of 12.90m (42-4).

The last Miners to receive All-American status in the event were Olympian Blessing Okagbare and Nelly Tchayem in 2008.

“It was a tremendous effort from both sides at the national meet,” said head coach Mika Laaksonen. “We had four athletes compete at the national meet and all of them made first team All-American and scored valuable points for the team. It couldn’t have gone any better. I was very proud of those four athletes and their coaches.”

“...UTEP has sustained its

momentum as it continues to climb

to the top.”


Already halfway through the outdoor season, UTEP has sustained its momentum.

In the second meet of the season, the Miners took to the track for the highly acclaimed Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.

The women’s 4x400m relay dominated the competition as it claimed gold.

The lineup featured two freshmen, with Aiyanna Stiverne and Florence Uwakwe joining transfer Anna-Kay James and senior captain Janice Jackson. The squad crossed the finish line with a season-best time of 3:35.90 to rank fourth in program history.

Defending national champion Rotich posted an NCAA-leading time of 8:38.68 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at Texas Relays in claiming his first gold medal of the season.

Not only did he post a season-best time, but he outdid professional athletes Matt Cleaver and Austin Bussing in the process.

Rotich claimed his second crown of the season at the UTEP Invitational where he registered the fastest time in the nation in the 1,500m run (3:42.55). The performance was a personal-best and ranks ninth in program history.

The Miners will head to Houston, Texas to defend their title at the 2014 Conference USA Outdoor Championships.


ONE DIAMOND ONE GOALSeniors Lead With Character


ONE DIAMOND ONE GOALSeniors Lead With Character


Following a series of trying seasons, the UTEP softball team showed signs of progress in 2014 under the direction of a new head coach and with five talented seniors leading the way.

Erika Arcuri, Kayla Black, Colleen Hohman, Alanna Leasau and Miraya Montiel all improved statistically during their final year in the Orange and the Blue.

The team benefited as a result, increasing its conference win total considerably.

“This is a very determined group that wants to change the culture of our program,” coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said.

“They want to help bring a winning tradition to UTEP softball.”

During the 2014 season the Miners posted 17 wins, including nine over Conference USA opponents. UTEP was 2-21 in league play in 2013.

The Miners narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Conference USA Championship, finishing a game and a half back of Charlotte – the last team admitted to the eight-team field.

Last year’s Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, Arcuri hit

“This is a very determined group

that wants to change the culture of our program.”


a team-best .366 in 2014 as well as increased her RBI total from seven to 18 during the campaign.

Not only has she had success in the batters box, she covers great ground in center field.

Black more than doubled her 2013 RBI total from six to 14. The Clint, Texas native is also a solid outfielder as Miner fans have witnessed some spectacular catches. Black is the only senior to play all four seasons with the Miners.

Hohman had a spectacular season at the plate, hitting a team-leading 11 home runs while recording 28 RBI. The Naperville, Ill. native also hit .333, up significantly from 2013 (.218), with eight doubles.

In the circle, Hohman was instrumental during two sweeps of conference foes. She tallied two wins during UTEP’s sweep at

LA Tech – the first-ever road conference sweep in program history. She also won two games and notched a save during a weekend home sweep against Middle Tennessee.

Not only was she great on the mound, but she also hit two two-run home runs in the second inning during a 13-2 smashing of Middle Tennessee on April 12. The Miners connected on a program-record 15 hits during the epic 13-run frame.

Leasau hit a career-high .299 and cranked eight long balls with 29 RBI. She recorded four RBI (a two-run home run and a two-run single) during a come-from-behind, 6-5 victory over Middle Tennessee on April 13.

The Miners’ starting second baseman, Montiel, worked on her hitting during the offseason. The native of Tucson, Ariz. hit the first home run of her collegiate career – a grand slam no less -- during a win at LA Tech on March 15. She hit .301 with 11 RBI.

The seniors may have moved on, but a new group of leaders will emerge in 2015 as the Miners continue to move forward under Echo-Hawk.


Miners Made Strides During the Spring

Coming off a trying season, the UTEP football team was eager to make 2014 spring drills a fresh start.

“We did a lot of things differently,” second-year head coach Sean Kugler said. “We’re not naïve to think we’re going to do the same things and have different results.”

The Miners had three workouts the week of March 3, took a week off for spring break, then concluded spring drills with four consecutive weeks of practices.

“The main thing is we wanted to practice with energy and we accomplished that, particularly on the defensive side of the ball,” Kugler said. “There were drastic improvements made there, and it showed every day in practice. Guys were making plays.”

Following a two-win campaign, many starting jobs were up for grabs.

“We had a lot of competition at a lot of different spots,” Kugler said. “It made for an exciting spring ball from a coaching standpoint.”

Offensively, the Miners were set at quarterback (Jameill Showers), tailback (Aaron Jones) and tight end (Eric Tomlinson) heading into the spring. The top orders of business were putting the pieces together in the offensive line, building depth in the receiving corps following the departure of Jordan Leslie, and beginning the process of identifying a no. 2 quarterback.

Two players that stood out this spring – Eric Lee and Jarrad Shaw – are a big part of the offensive line and wide receiver equations.

“Lee hadn’t started for us and he’s going to be our starting center this year,” Kugler said. “He really took over. He’s what we want athletically and vocally at that position. He understands what’s going on and he communicates well, which is exactly what you need at center.

“Shaw has done a great job. We didn’t do much 11 personnel [with three wide receivers] last year. We implemented quite a bit of that this spring and he’s an excellent slot. He’ll fill that role



for us this year and he made a lot of big plays down the field.”

Showers, who missed the last five games of 2013 before his season ended with a separated shoulder, looked comfortable in his return to the pocket.

“I thought Jameill had a good spring,” Kugler said. “It was his first spring with us going through the system and getting the timing down with the receivers, the running backs and the tight ends.”

Defensively, UTEP is entering its second year under coordinator Scott Stoker, and that’s huge.

“These guys are not hesitating. They’re playing fast and playing with energy,” Kugler said. “The guy that probably stood out the most was Trey Brown at linebacker. He has kind of become the playmaker of the defense. He certainly was this spring, and those guys responded to him too because he’s an energetic guy.

“[End] Roy Robertson has made good progress, and he needed to for us to have a

“They’re playing fast and playing

with energy”


good defense. The young secondary kind of took their lumps last year. That will develop into a strength for us with those guys playing together and understanding the system.”

While emphasizing there are still a lot of questions to be answered and a lot of work to be done, Kugler seemed very pleased with his second spring ball in the Sun City.

“I think defensively we made huge strides,” he said. “And offensively the things we really improved upon were our screen game, throwing the ball vertically down the field and doing different personnel packages, getting more wide receivers on the field.”

The season opener versus New Mexico is still months away, and improvement will be measured incrementally.

“That’s our goal every day, just to get better,” Kugler said. “In football you’ve got to play with passion and energy, and I think a lot of that was lacking last year for many reasons. I like the way that these guys have come out. I think they’re committed to turning this thing around, as we are as a staff, and I think they want to be the team that does turn it around.

“I like their mentality, I like the way they’re working, and for me it has been fun to come to work every day. Ultimately as a head coach I’m judged on wins and losses, but what I’m looking for is effort and competitiveness, and that translates into wins and losses. If you’re asking me, I’m looking for a more competitive, more exciting team that plays with more energy, and I really feel we’re going to do that.”


UTEP Says Farewell to Three Dynamic Seniors

The UTEP women’s tennis program gained three young student-athletes in 2010. Seniors Rebeca Calvillo, Marie LeBlond and Gabi Vazquez made an immediate impact during their four years with the Miners, catapulting themselves into the school record book.

Calvillo ventured to the Sun City from Durango, Mexico, LeBlond from Montreal, Canada, and Vazquez from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

The trio recently played their last matches at the El Paso Tennis Club. Senior Day was on April 13, in which the Miners defeated Arkansas State, 5-2, to send the veterans off with a victory.

“It was emotional,” first-year head coach Myriam Sopel said. “Losing three seniors is a lot;

“Calvillo, LeBlond

and Vazquez exemplify

what being a student-

athlete is all about.”


they’ve had great results this season and career accomplishments. Our seniors have done a great job on the court, in the classroom and have been leaders.”

Calvillo set the program standard for doubles wins (74), surpassing Erica Wentz’s 68 victories from 1995-98. Her singles wins (77) are tied for third all time with Marina DeLuca. Calvillo’s 151 combined career wins are ranked second behind Tanja Magoc (167).

For the second straight year, she earned third team All-Conference USA honors in singles. She recorded a 20-14 record at the No. 1 position, including 13-9 in dual match play.

Calvillo has also won three fall tournaments – the NM State Fall Invitational (2010), the Rice Tennis Fall Invitational (2010) and the Aggie Women’s Invitational (2012). LeBlond ranks sixth-best in program history in career singles (62) and doubles (56) victories. LeBlond’s combined wins (118) are rated seventh-best in program annals.

During the 2011-12 season, LeBlond had her best performance, winning 21 singles matches. The 2012-13 campaign saw her post her most combined victories (34).

Vazquez’s 2014 season started during the spring, as she was injured during fall tournament action. She won 50 career singles and 50 doubles matches. Her combined victories (100) are ranked in the top 20 in program history.

The 2012-13 season saw Vazquez win 22 doubles matches, tied for second-best in program history. She won 42 combined matches that season – tied for sixth-best all time.

Not only have the three excelled as athletes, Calvillo, LeBlond and Vazquez have put in the necessary work in the classroom as well. They were recently named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fourth consecutive time.

Calvillo, LeBlond and Vazquez exemplify what being a student-athlete is all about.



Q & A with UTEP’sCamino Sardinero

Camino Sardinero is a junior on the UTEP women’s golf team. The native of Villanueva De La Canada, Spain led the team in scoring average for the second year in a row (75.9). She is a three-time recipient of a Conference USA Academic Medal for maintaining a grade point average of 3.75 or higher.

How did you wind up at UTEP?I started looking for schools in January of my senior year. I got offers from UTEP and a couple of schools way north in Chicago and North Carolina, but the weather there is not as good as it is here. I visited and I liked it here.

How was the adjustment coming from Spain to UTEP?It was easy because I had teammates that were from Spain. I knew if I had problems I could go to my teammates who were from the same place as me.

How would you assess your UTEP golf career to this point?I do feel like I’m getting better. Maybe my scoring average doesn’t show it. But I feel like I know what I’m doing on the course now. Maybe my 40 or 50-yard shots can get better, because that’s where you can get lots of birdies. And my chipping definitely can improve.

What is the number one thing that coach [Jere] Pelletier has taught you?Probably how to manage the course. He taught me how not to make mistakes that can save you a couple of shots every round.

What is your major?International Business and Finance. I won’t graduate until December 2015 or May 2016. I’m playing pretty well right now and I’m considering turning pro after I’m done. Hopefully it works out and I can play either on the LPGA or the European tour. Otherwise I’ll continue studying and get my masters.

How would you like your senior year to go? We haven’t had a really good year so I would want the team to get much better and be able to compete and have a chance to win tournaments, like we did my freshman year.


Miners Eagerly Await 2014-15 Season

The UTEP basketball team faced long odds after losing three scholarship guards in late December.

Instead, the Miners rallied to produce one of the most inspirational seasons in school history, fashioning 23 wins and finishing 12-4 in Conference USA play, a game behind the co-leaders.

UTEP was 20-7 overall and 10-2 in league play, tied for first place, heading into a key late-season matchup at Southern Miss (22-5, 9-3) on Feb. 22. The Miners were up by 12 points (31-19) late in the first half and by nine points (42-33) early in the second period.

After that, the wheels kind of fell off and the Golden Eagles rallied for a 77-68 victory. It was the start of a 3-4 finish to the season where the Miners dropped three closely contested games to C-USA co-champions Southern Miss (twice) and Tulsa, as well as to Fresno State in the first round of the CBI.

In the end, the Miners’ lack of backcourt depth may have finally caught up with them. C.J. Cooper played more minutes (1,075) than he did in his first two seasons combined. He shot 5-for-29 from the field in the last three games. Julian Washburn played a career-high 1,170 minutes. They averaged 35.9 and 35.6 minutes, respectively, in C-USA play as coach Tim Floyd had few other options to turn to.

Floyd and his staff made the most of what they had to work with when the team’s makeup changed dramatically shortly after Christmas. They employed a gigantic starting lineup that gave opponents fits. When the team won eight straight conference games from mid-January to early February, including an unprecedented 5-0 road start, fans began to dream of conference titles and NCAA Tournament berths. It wasn’t meant to be.

“I got greedy like the whole town of El Paso and wanted more,” Floyd said. “I wanted an NCAA Tournament

bid. You look at what we did [against Fresno State], and we probably wouldn’t have deserved it. I’m proud that our guys didn’t fold in December. I thought we had some guys get better. I thought we had a couple of guys who maybe didn’t finish as strong as they liked or as strong as we would’ve liked.”

Washburn certainly finished strong, scoring in double figures in all three postseason games. He led the team in scoring (13.1 ppg) while raising his three-point field goal percentage from .191 to .364 and his free throw percentage from .700 to .787. He’ll begin his senior year ranked 18th in school history with 1,186 points.

Vince Hunter just missed breaking Randy Culpepper’s freshman scoring record, clearly hampered by a jammed thumb late in the year. Cooper put together solid numbers across the board before hitting the wall in the final week. Cedrick Lang was his usual reliable self, averaging 6.5 points and 5.4 rebounds as the Miners’ sixth man. Matt Willms was most productive


Men’s Hoops Wrap Upin the last month of the season, averaging 7.2 points over the last nine games.

“Matt played the entire year with a torn labrum as one of our eight scholarship players,” Floyd said. “He will have surgery during the offseason [already completed at press time]. It’s a five-month recovery, which is going to take him out of the weight room that he desperately needs. But we hope he’ll be an improved player, and we hope the rest of them will come back and improve next year.”

On paper, the Miners will return eight of their top nine scorers next season. The exception is John Bohannon, who will go down as one of the top players in school history statistically with 1,204 points, 825 rebounds and 163 blocks. Bohannon and Floyd didn’t always see eye-to-eye over the last four seasons, but Floyd made it clear he’s sorry to see the big man go.

“Our hope would be that John Bohannon would become a graduate of the university and try to make something of himself outside of basketball,” Floyd said. “We’ll try to stay on top of our guys this offseason in all areas – personal improvement, academics -- and we’ll continue to recruit as a staff.”

Floyd announced on April 16 that guards Marqywell Jackson (Detroit, Mich.), Earvin Morris (Memphis, Tenn.) and Lew Stallworth (Newhall, Calif.) and forward Terry Winn (Monroe, La.) have signed national letters of intent to play for the Miners beginning with the 2014-15 season. UTEP has now landed a total of seven signees, including guards Omega Harris (Bethany, Okla.), Chris Sandifer (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Trey Touchet (Lafayette, La.), who all put pen to paper back in November.

“Our needs became obvious in late December in the fact that we had three scholarship perimeter players,” Floyd said. “We feel like we have really enhanced our backcourt and our ability to post up with both perimeter players and inside players. One thing that has always

been very important to us is whether our players impacted winning where they were. For the most part these guys have won at a high level.”

“The three young men we signed in the fall went on to have great years. Omega Harris’ team lost in the state finals and he was runner-up for Player of the Year in the state. Trey Touchet lost in the state semifinals on a team that had lost four starters from the previous year. He was the back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana. Chris Sandifer was an explosive scorer as a senior, including a 51-point game against Long Beach Cabrillo High School.”

Jackson was rated a four-star recruit by Rivals, averaging 26 and 24 points per game his junior and senior year respectively. Morris averaged 14.4 points this season at Tallahassee Community College, shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from three-point range. Stallworth was appointed the 2014 Foothill League Player of the Year after averaging 20 points per game at William S. Hart High School, which posted a combined mark of 51-6 over the last two years. Winn averaged a double-double (24 ppg/13 rpg) in his lone season at Westwind Preparatory Academy after playing at Melrose High School in Memphis as a senior.

The Miners should be one of the favorites in Conference USA next season, along with Louisiana Tech. Tulsa departs for the American Athletic Conference, along with East Carolina and Tulane. Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss lose a bunch of seniors. Western Kentucky joins the league. The Hilltoppers are a wild card, coming off a 20-win season with their top four scorers due back.

UTEP will tackle a loaded 2014-15 non-conference schedule.

“We’ve got Washington State rolling in here next year,” Floyd said. “We’ve got Arizona rolling in here. We’re at Colorado State. We’re in a big tournament out in Anaheim [over Thanksgiving]. We’re going to continue to try to build our schedule. We’ll have younger guards next year and we’ll have some older players that should be ready to go and try to compete for an NCAA berth.”


What a Sensational Season!

The UTEP women’s basketball team set or equaled 18 single-season school records during an outstanding 2013-14 season. The Miners recorded an unprecedented third straight and the fifth 20-plus win season in school history, and finished with a school and Conference USA record-tying 29 victories. They also established program standards for assists (542), defensive rebounds (1029), double-digit wins (21), field goals (955) and attempts (2353), free throws (697) and attempts (964), games (37), home games (25), home wins (22), offensive rebounds (577), points (2825), points per game (76.4), rebounds (1606), steals (355), three pointers (218) and attempts (697).

Those numbers, impressive as they are, don’t begin to tell the tale of the 2013-14 season. The story of the season is what happened over a span of 16 days when the city of El Paso fell in love with the UTEP women’s basketball team during a magical run in the 2014 WNIT. It was a run that no one could have envisioned, especially after UTEP was bounced by Southern Miss, 84-70, at home in the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament. UTEP’s aspirations of making history and hanging another banner in the Don Haskins Center were seemingly dashed. Yet amidst the disappointment, an opportunity presented itself in the form of an at-large bid to the 64-team WNIT. The Miners, thanks to a loyal fan base and the financial backing of the UTEP administration, continued to place bids to host contests for as long as they remained in the tournament. UTEP Head Coach Keitha Adams sensed that history could be made, and encouraged the city to help her make a dream come true. “I’ve always dreamed of 12,222 fans at our game,” she said two days before UTEP played host to Arkansas State in the first round. “We are home, and we are playing in the WNIT Friday night. Why not make history?”

The goal seemed far-fetched. UTEP had averaged 2,249 fans during the season and the school-record of 7,255 had been set in a “free game” versus SMU on Feb. 28, 2008. There was a good crowd on hand in the contest (4,500), and the Miners beat the Red Wolves, 74-64, to advance in the first WNIT contest in program history. With the Miners being awarded another home game, Adams again made her pitch to sell out the Don


Women’s Hoops Wrap Up

Haskins Center. The attendance figure (4,703) jumped slightly, but more importantly the Miners toppled Saint Mary’s, 76-64, on March 24 to punch their ticket to the WNIT Sweet 16. History was made in the next round, with a school-record 8,234 fans cheering UTEP on to a 68-60 conquest of Pacific-12 member Colorado. That standard stood for three days, with a staggering 10,227 fans helping lift the Miners past another Pac-12 foe, Washington, 70-63. That victory propelled UTEP into the Final Four of the WNIT, setting the stage for Adams’ dream to come true. With the Cinderella run captivating the city, UTEP sold out the Don Haskins Center seven hours before tip-off against South Dakota State on April 2. The Miners made the most of the moment, toppling a very good Jackrabbits team, 66-63, to advance to the final. Thanks to the gracious offering by Franklin Graham and the Festival of Hope team to relocate their event, which had been booked for more than year at the Haskins Center, to another spot on campus, the Miners were able to host one more contest.

Tickets went on sale following the victory against SDSU, and all 12,222 were gone in less than two hours to set the WNIT record for fastest sellout.

The Miners squared off against Rutgers in the title tilt, and played their hearts out in a 56-54 defeat. UTEP battled back from 18 points down, only to have Tyler Scaife convert a coast-to-coast layup with two seconds left to lift the Scarlet Knights to the championship.

The crowd was quieted as the Miners’ run for a title was denied by Scaife, but the silence was fleeting. Loud repetitive chants of “UTEP” broke out as the Miners left the court to a standing ovation.

The Miners lost the game, but what they won was far more valuable than a championship trophy. It was the greatest victory they will ever achieve because they won the hearts of El Paso.

“I’m proud of the team,” Adams said following the contest. “I am so proud of El Paso for these two weeks. It has been amazing, just incredible.

“This is something we’ll remember forever.”


For the past five years, the Conference USA Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) has hosted a conference-wide community service initiative known as the “Let’s SAAC Hunger Food Drive.” The UTEP SAAC committee won the 2013 C-USA “Let’s SAAC Hunger” title by collecting the most food by weight in the league. With the help of the El Paso community, the UTEP campus, UTEP fans, UTEP housing, and the UTEP Athletic Department, student-athletes have captured the title for the first time.

UTEP collected a total of 27,873 pounds of nonperishable goods, which quadrupled last year’s fourth place finish of 7,300 pounds.

Each C-USA school worked within their respective communities to conduct a campus-wide canned food drive for one week during the fall semester.

This year C-USA also partnered with YouGiveGoods, a for-profit company that facilitates online food drives. This partnership allowed C-USA student-athletes to reach a much larger audience.

All student groups and alumni were encouraged to participate. Each institution selected a local food bank to receive their donations. UTEP’s contributions went to El Pasoans Fighting Hunger.

“We are grateful for the chance to be community leaders and service those in need,” said Mandy Pulido, UTEP Athletics SAAC Advisor. “The SAAC hunger food drive is a great way to promote school spirit and unity within C-USA.”

UTEP SAAC partnered with nine schools that conducted their own food drives, those including O’Shea Keleher Elementary, Cielo Vista Elementary, Carlos Rivera Elementary, Fannin Elementary,

Athletes SAAC HungerStudent-athlets unite for a good cause and even better future


Dr. Green Elementary, Clendenin Elementary, Desertaire Elementary, Montwood Middle, and Eastwood High School.

Student-athletes collected donations at UTEP volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball games, where fans graciously donated $2,200 to the initiative. Student-athletes also went door-to-door asking for canned goods in the community near UTEP.

More than 44 tons of food, totaling a C-USA “Let’s SAAC Hunger” record 88,581.9 pounds, which equates to nearly 75,000 meals, was collected conference-wide.

Ten C-USA schools collected more than 2,000 pounds of food donations during their drive week, while UTSA and Tulane collected more than seven tons of food.

UTEP Athletics would like to thank all that helped with this initiative. Next year the UTEP SAAC committee will attempt to keep its title and aims to raise over 30,000 pounds of food for the El Paso Community.

If interested in helping the UTEP SAAC and athletic department retain the title, please contact Mandy Pulido at [email protected] or by phone at (915) 747-6203.

“We are grateful for

the chance to be community

leaders and service those

in need.”


In what was the golden age of UTEP athletics – a high-water mark just begging to be topped -- the Miners under Coach Don Haskins won the 1966 NCAA basketball championship. Less than a year later, the football team, led by linebacker Fred Carr and quarterback Billy Stevens, beat a Southeastern Conference team, Ole Miss, in the Sun Bowl.

If those storied UTEP teams of yesteryear were long shots, consider the teams that soon after won championships in track and field, and titles in cross-country. Suddenly, the race for national prominence on the cindered oval had a sleeper of its own, and the dark horse had a name: Wayne Vandenburg.

Having just turned 24, with exactly zero (0) years of head coaching experience, Vandenburg showed up with just as much ceremony as wardrobe -- not much of either.

In a beater VW Beatle, Vandenburg sped out of Albuquerque where he had been an assistant track coach and drove straight to El Paso. He arrived at the break of dawn, without so much as an appointment, much less a job interview. Vandenburg stopped at a service station on Paisano Street, using the men’s room to change out of his shorts and T-shirt. Only in the gathering light did he realize he had driven past the darkened campus of what was called Texas Western College.

Undaunted, Vandenburg thought he looked sharp in his cheap suit. “I was a hotshot -- in my own eyes,” Vandenburg said in a recent phone interview from TVO Groupe real estate investment offices in Chicago. “I didn’t know a soul in El Paso. I just knew I wanted the track and field coaching job.”

With that, Vandenburg drove from downtown back to campus where he posted up (the late Coach Haskins would be proud) on the steps of Memorial Gym, the very steps of destiny, it turned out. When Athletic Director George McCarty arrived, Vandenburg stood and – for the only time, maybe ever – didn’t waste words. “I want to be your next track and field coach,” Vandenburg announced. Startled by the upstart young man with a gift of gab and big ideas, McCarty recovered in time to give the kid a little time, as a courtesy. Four hours later, UTEP had itself a new track coach -- and the Miners were about to explode onto the national scene, in yet another sport. “I went all over El Paso, from the Lions Club, everywhere,” Vandenburg says with a chuckle. “I would speak to any group that would listen. I was too young to know defeat, too young to know any better.

“I told them all the same thing … in three years we would win the national title.” The Miners did in two, winning the NCAA cross country title. Before he left the University in 1972, UTEP roared to the national forefront, finishing in the top 10 nationally seven times. Indoors or out, the Miners – local sports writers called them “Vandies Dandies” -- were a juggernaut. Meets at Kidd Field drew capacity crowds. When good seats near the finish line were filled, fans clambered on the rocks next to Holliday Hall, overlooking the stadium. World-class athletes beat a path to UTEP – distance ace Kerry Ellison, sprinters J.J. Jackson, Clyde Glosson, Olympic gold medalist and world record-holding long jumper (very long) Bob Beamon, shot-putter Fred DeBernardi. In turn, those athletes beat nearly all comers. Vandenburg was an equal opportunity recruiter. Regardless of race, color or address, if a kid could compete, Vandenburg was there with pen in hand.

Miners are ForeverTrack & Field’s Hall of Famer Wayne Vandenburg - by Mark McDonald Sr.


He signed sprinters Steve and Harold Williams from New York and the fleet Michael Fray from Jamaica. Closer to home, he found the late hurdler Paul Gibson in Carlsbad, N.M., pole vaulter Dennis Sledge in Midland and, just down the street at El Paso Austin, shot-putter John Birkelbach.

Just as it was no accident that UTEP’s roster read like a United Nations roll call, Vandenburg seemed headed for the center stage, right from the start of his freshman year at the University of New Mexico. The kid from Chicago who thought he wanted to study architecture wound up designing and building, all right. “My teammates said that within a week, I knew everybody on campus,” Vandenburg says, chuckling at his own brash ways. “Between classes, I would go to the library and read out-of-town newspapers. I read the performances across the nation, and I would tell coach ‘we need to bring in this guy. Or, let’s go get that guy.’” Soon, the Lobo head coach had heard enough. With a sigh, he threw up his hands, and handed Vandenburg his office keys and a phone credit card. “Coach said, ‘Hey, you call those guys and tell them you’re me. They won’t know me any way. Get after it.’” Vandenburg says. With the vibrant young fellow beating the bushes, no prospect was safe from his phone calls … Olympic middle distance man John Carlos, sprinter Orenthal James Simpson (yes, that O.J.), hurdler Richmond Flowers and dozens more. Meanwhile, under Hackett (and Vandenburg) UNM developed a serious track program. When the brash understudy finished grad school and started looking for a job, rumor ripples from El Paso reached Albuquerque … UTEP’s legendary trainer Ross Moore, who then doubled as the track coach, was about to cut back, focusing on his training duties. Enter Wayne Vandenburg.

Already the best pitchman this side of Whitey Ford, the new coach sold his program non-stop. Athletes who had never even heard of El Paso found themselves wearing orange, a credit to timing, Vandenburg said. And blind luck. “There was a certain energy to the city,” Vandenburg recalled. “Downtown was bustling, growing, the school was growing.”

When the Miners hosted the likes of powerhouse Oregon, Illinois and University of Southern California for dual or triangular meets, the atmosphere was electric. As runners pounded toward the finish, fans would rise as one. With mountains next to Kidd Field trapping the sound, you didn’t hear the roar; you could feel it in your chest. “He brought all that to UTEP,” says Birkelbach, today a successful attorney with a prominent El Paso law firm. “Wayne had great charisma. A tremendous promoter. Even guys on other teams loved him.

“As a recruit, he would tell you that he would get you into the very best meets, against the top competition. And that’s exactly what he did. He gave us the chance to compete at the top level.” And athletes loved him for it. Still, it was a cheese-and-crackers operation. As head track coach, administrator, mentor, cheerleader and chief fund-raiser, Vandenburg was paid $5,400 a year. He shared a makeshift office at Holliday Hall with Coach Haskins. To shave expenses, Vandenburg and his first wife, the late Katherine, who died of cancer, lived the first floor of Miners Hall, an adventure in its own right.

The couple had a son, David, who works in the family real estate firm, and daughter, Kellyn, whom friends know as “Kiki.” Today, the former coach admitted to shamelessly doting over his three grandchildren. The ageless former coach, now 72, has the energy of a teenager, juggling incoming phone calls with appointments and interviews, business with family matters. He is eager to work deep into his 80s, he says. “Never stop working,” he said, fairly shouting into the phone. “Never stop recruiting. Never stop raising money. Never stop making it happen.”

The lightning rod made his triumphant return to El Paso recently, the centerpiece of a reunion during the El Paso Invitational Track and Field meet at memory kettle of Kidd Field. Athletes from all over the nation returned to El Paso, toasting their timeless coach and telling tales, some of them true. “It was a wonderful time that I will cherish forever,” Vandenburg said. At the reunion, 40-plus years since UTEP track added to the gilded era of UTEP athletics, time had been compressed. “My greatest joy is seeing what transpired with all those young men since the last time we had been together,” he said. “It was like we picked up a conversation where we left off just yesterday. “It was not good. It was fabulous. Still is.”


Faces in the CrowdThank-A-Thon, WNIT Tournament,

& Pregame Basketball Dinners



THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

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Documents

Miner Pride - Spring 2014