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DALLAS – A school-record 174 UTEP student-athletes have earned placement on the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, the league office revealed Thursday.

The effort shatters the university’s previous standard (160), which had been established during the 2018-19 scholastic year.

Student-athletes named to the list have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

Below is a list of UTEP’s honor roll members by sport.

Men’s Basketball (13)

Ountae Campbell

Gilles Dekoninck

Daryl Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Keonte Kennedy

Jordan Lathon

Anieus Medrano

Isaiah Rhyanes

Anthony Tarke

Tydus Verhoeven

Eric Vila

Bryson Williams

Jules Williamson

 

Women’s Basketball (12)

Tia Bradshaw

Avery Crouse

Katia Gallegos

Jordan Jenkins

Arina Khlopkova

Sabine Lipe

Tatyana Modawar

Neidy Ocuane

Michelle Pruitt

Jade Rochelle

DeJaNae Roebuck

Katarina Zec

Men’s Cross Country (Five)

Alek Duran

Rodgers Korir

Kayn Quinones

Michael Sims

Kenneth Talavera

Women’s Cross Country (Five)

Carolyne Chepkosgei

Karoline Daland

Valerie Gonzalez

Andrea Lucero

Sarah Mwangi

 

Football (45)

Gavin Baechle

Miles Banks

Tanner Boston

Mckel Broussard

Sani Buckingham

Josh Caldwell

Cameron Cooper

Devaughn Cooper

Jacob Cowing

Mitchell Crawford

Camryn Curtis-Dozier

Reynaldo Flores

Gabe Flynn

Stephen Forester

Justin Garrett

Derron Gatewood

Kalaii Griffin

Treyvon Hughes

Adrian Hynson

Ty’Reke James-Quinney

Christian Johnson

Brandon Jones

Jalen Joseph

Elijah Klein

Robert Lazarin

Justin Mayers

Forest McKee

Andrew Meyer

Fabio Novoa

Jaime Perales

Robert Pufahl

Jimmy Quemado

Mark Ramos

Andrew Stokes

Trent Thompson

Jacob Trim

Jess Trussell

Tristin Tuialuuluu

James Tupou

Sione Tupou

Brady Viles

Cal Wallerstedt

Jerome Wilson, Jr.

Tyson Wilson

Michael Young

 

Men’s Golf (Six)

Oskar Ambrosius

Santiago Castilla

Eduardo Gonzales

Marcus Khaw

Jeffrey Lebeau

Jacob Presutti

Women’s Golf (Nine)

Abbie Anghelescu

Sophie Delfosse

Audrey Haddad

Valeria Mendizabal

Shannon O’Dwyer

Andrea Ostos

Naomi Ramirez

Taylor Stone

Crystal Wu

Rifle (Six)

Isabel Brooks

Amoret  McCartney

Samantha Miller

Morgahn Warner

Jonna Warnken

Jennie Windle

Soccer (16)

Bella Benavides

Vanessa Cabello

Tessa Carlin

Danielle Carreon

Lauren Crenshaw

Chardonnae Harvey

Adrianna Jimmerson

Emerson Kidd

Kori Lewis

Lily Marquez

Jackie Miller

Emily Parrott

Nicole Pugsley

Jackie Soto

Isabel Trevino

Hayley Vaughan

Softball (14)

Pamala Baber

Zaylie Calderon

Pate Cathey

Sky Estrada

Kasey Flores

Isabella Hanson

Allie Johnson

Cecilia Jurado

Isabella Kelly

Idalis Mendez

Bryanna Molina

Bryana Munoz

Ilena Santos

Ashley Williams

Tennis (Seven)

Thassane Abrahim

Ailyn Castaneda

Eve Daniels

Ana Gonzalez

Kathleen Percegona

Lina Sachica

Vanessa Valdez

 

Men’s Track & Field (10)

Sean Bailey

Arturo Ciriza

Jared Ledesma

Markiet Loggins, Jr.

Devin Mungro

Austin Ondijo

Misael Ortiz

Jevaughn Powell

Holden Rivera

Ethan Villa

Women’s Track & Field (Nine)

Geraldy Barron

Chantoba Bright

Cierra Chenault

Samantha Cordier

Yasmine George

Madison Gibson

Carshaylah Harrison

Sah-Jay Stevens

Roosa Ylonen                                       

Volleyball (17)

Izela Alvarez

Briana Arellano

Sophia Chacon

Alianza Darley

Kristen Fritsche

Cheyenne Jones

Martine Kragholm

Irbe Lazda

Syenna Masaki

Anamarija Mikovic

Abigail Padilla

Emily Perez

Priscilla Sanchez

Erika Sianez

Sofia Sifuentes

Alex Torres

Mallory Yost

The “Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher visits with UTEP Soccer Coach Kathryn Balogun in this week’s episode of the “Picks Up Podcast.”

This week, coach Balogun reviews the Miners’ much-improved 2019 campaign and discusses the team’s prospects for 2020.

Balogun, who enjoyed record-setting seasons as the women’s soccer head coach at Texas Southern University over five years, was named head coach at UTEP on Dec. 10, 2018.

She made an immediate impact in her first year at the helm of the Miners, guiding them to a record of 10-7-3. It was the first double-digit win total at the school in three years.

The Miners also went 5-4-1 in C-USA action to punch their ticket to the league championships for the first time since 2016. Furthermore, it marked the first winning season in league play since an effort of 6-2-2 in 2014.

The “Picks Up Podcast” takes an inside look at UTEP Athletics, offering perspectives and analysis not available anywhere else.

The “Picks Up Podcast” airs weekly on www.utepminers.com, with special guests including Miner coaches, staff, student-athletes and alumni.

To go directly to the podcast landing page, click here.

Basketball’s Bryson Williams was named the UTEP Male Athlete of the Year and Indoor Track & Field’s Chantoba Bright was chosen the UTEP Female Athlete of the Year, highlighting the 2020 Golden Pick Awards Presented by the Robbins Family. 

Women’s Basketball was selected the Team of the Year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacting large gatherings, the second annual Golden Pick Awards were presented virtually through UTEP Athletics’ social media platforms from April 20-May 1.

UTEP head coaches selected MVP’s for their respective sports and submitted nominees for the numerous specialty awards, with UTEP student-athletes voting on the winners.

MVP winners were Bryson Williams (men’s basketball), Katarina Zec (women’s basketball), Steffen Gregory (men’s cheerleading), Karly Sanchez (women’s cheerleading), Titus Cheruiyot (men’s cross country), Linda Cheruiyot (women’s cross country), Gabrielle Contreras (dance), Treyvon Hughes (football), Oskar Ambrosius (men’s golf), Valeria Mendizabal (women’s golf), Jonna Warnken (rifle), Lauren Crenshaw (soccer), Ilena Santos (softball), Chris Torres (sports medicine), football’s McKel Broussard (men’s strength & conditioning), softball’s Pamala Baber (women’s strength & conditioning), Lina Sachica (tennis), Sean Bailey (men’s indoor track & field), Chantoba Bright (women’s indoor track & field), Sean Bailey (men’s outdoor track & field), Winny Koech (women’s outdoor track & field) and Cheyenne Jones (volleyball).

The specialty awards went to indoor track & field’s Karol Koncos (Best Comeback), the softball team (Community Service Award), the women’s golf team (GPA Award), men’s basketball’s Ountae Campbell (Dr. Louis Robbins Award for Academic Excellence), the men’s basketball team’s comeback win over UTSA (Moment of the Year), basketball’s Bryson Williams (Male Newcomer of the Year), basketball’s Katia Gallegos (Female Newcomer of the Year), football’s Reynaldo Flores (Thomas Howard Walk-On Award) and women’s basketball’s Ariona Gill (Unsung Hero).

The Robbins family, including Dede, her sister Rachel, and their parents, Louis and Marie, have been life-long supporters of UTEP Athletics.

Dede has made prior gifts to the track and field program, and continued her commitment to UTEP student-athletes this year by setting up an athletic scholarship fund, and by sponsoring the Golden Pick Awards.

Male Athlete of the Year & Male Newcomer of the Year – Bryson Williams (Men’s Basketball)

Williams was named to the 2020 All-Conference USA first team and the NABC District 11 first team. Williams started all 32 games, ranking third in C-USA in scoring (17.8 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (7.2 rpg). He posted five double-doubles, recorded a trio of 30-plus point games, and was named the C-USA Player of the Week three times. He led the Miners in blocks (29), added 28 steals and shot 81.1 percent from the foul line.

Female Athlete of the Year – Chantoba Bright (Indoor Track & Field)

Bright won gold in the women’s long jump, leaping out to a personal-best 6.22m at the Conference USA Championships, while taking silver in the triple jump. She was named first team All-C-USA in the long jump and second team in the triple jump. Bright won the triple jump at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic and placed first in the long jump at the New Mexico MLK Invitational.

Team of the Year – Women’s Basketball

Picked to finish 12th in Conference USA coming off a nine-win season, the Miners took seventh in the league with an 8-10 record while finishing 16-14 overall.  UTEP advanced in the C-USA Tournament with a 95-67 rout of Florida Atlantic before its season came to an abrupt end.

Female Newcomer of the Year – Katia Gallegos (Women’s Basketball)

Gallegos set a UTEP freshman record with 154 assists and earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors.  She was third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.6 points per game, and topped the squad with 52 steals.

Best Comeback – Karol Koncos (Men’s Indoor Track & Field)

Koncos won the 35-pound weight throw at the Conference USA Championships after having minor knee surgery in the fall.

Unsung Hero – Ariona Gill (Women’s Basketball)

Gill was hurt the entire season.  She had a stress reaction and the staff worked hard to make sure it did not become a fracture.  Gill averaged 12.0 points (second on the team) and a team-best 8.5 rebounds.

Thomas Howard Walk-On Award – Reynaldo Flores (Football)

The Thomas Howard Walk-On Award is in honor of former UTEP football player Thomas Howard, who passed away in a car accident at the age of 30 in 2013.   A native El Pasoan, Flores sports a 3.8 GPA as a Engineering major and was a major contributor at running back and special teams for the Miners.  He was placed on scholarship at midyear.

Moment of the Year – Men’s Basketball Comeback Win Over UTSA

The Miners erased a 24-point deficit for a school-record comeback and beat the Roadrunners, 80-77, at the Don Haskins Center.

Community Service Award – Softball

Softball accumulated the most community service hours of all UTEP Athletics teams with 486 – an average of 24 hours per team member.

Dr. Louis Robbins Award for Academic Excellence – Ountae Campbell (Men’s Basketball)

Campbell boasted the top cumulative grade point average of all UTEP senior student-athletes (3.94) and earned a Conference USA Academic Medal for the second year in a row.

Team GPA Award – Women’s Golf

The UTEP women’s golf team posted a cumulative team GPA of 3.48 during the calendar year 2019, tops among all athletics sports programs.

Former UTEP star and quarterback guru Jordan Palmer is the guest on this week’s “Picks Up Podcast” with “Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher.

In this week’s installment, Palmer reflects on his time at UTEP, talks about his family and his current role of mentoring signal-callers.

The “Picks Up Podcast” airs weekly on www.utepminers.com, with special guests including Miner coaches, staff, student-athletes and alumni.

The “Picks Up Podcast” takes an inside look at UTEP Athletics, offering perspectives and analysis not available anywhere else.

To go directly to the podcast landing page, please visit the UTEP Miners podcast page.

Mariah Scott has signed a national letter of intent to attend UTEP and play with the Miner soccer program beginning with the 2020 fall season, UTEP head coach Kathryn Balogun announced Friday.

“Mariah will bring depth to our goalkeeping position. She is also is a great reminder to never burn bridges. I met Mariah and her family while recruiting for another school. I was happy for her when she took an offer somewhere else,” UTEP head coach Kathryn Balogun shared.

“Years later she reached out to see if we were looking for a goalkeeper, and after a year where we only had one health keeper on the roaster we were. I’m excited to see how she comes in to help our team and build our culture.”

  Scott, a San Antonio native, played one year with LSU Eunice, and will have three seasons of eligibility with the Miners.  While at LSU Eunice, she started 17 games, helping the team finish with a mark of 13-3-1.

She compiled 10 shutouts, yielded just 11 goals for a 0.70 goals against average and is credited with 53 saves for an .828 save percentage.  Overall, Scott logged a total of 1422 minutes of playing time on the season.

During a match against Hill College (10/19/19) Scott is credited with a career-high nine saves, with at least five stops in five other contests.

 “We are excited to add Mariah to our 2020 team. We think that Mariah will help push our goalkeeper group as soon as she steps on campus. She is a goalkeeper that likes to compete and work hard,” UTEP assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Stewart Givens said.

“In getting to know her and seeing her play it is apparent that she will fit in to our culture as a team and within our goalkeeper union. I can’t wait to start working with her and the rest of the goalkeepers to build on a strong start we had as a group after our first year together.”

For complete coverage of UTEP soccer, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPSoccer (Twitter),@UTEPMinersSoccer (Instagram) and on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.

Isabella Rios has signed a national letter of intent to attend UTEP and compete with the Miner rifle team starting for the 2020-21 season, head coach Austin Litherland announced Thursday.

“We are very excited to call Isabella Rios a Miner. I know she has the right attitude and work ethic to excel on the range. She is also an excellent student which will make her a wonderful student athlete…”- UTEP head coach Austin Litherland said.

Rios attended Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School in San Antonio.

UTEP officials share that Rios was introduced to rifle during her sophomore year and excelled throughout high school. Rios competed with the JROTC team for three years (air rifle), helping the team to numerous victories. She also shot for two years with Helotes 4-H team for two years, competing in smallbore competitions.

As a four-year participant in JROTC, Rios qualified with her team to the Army JROTC Service Championships in back-to-back years, as well as competing with her squad at the CMP National Championships and JROTC All-Service Championships.

Just last year, Rios took first place in the Bexar County Championships, and shot at the 2019 Western Regionals.

The “Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher visits with UTEP Volleyball Coach Ben Wallis in this week’s episode of the “Picks Up Podcast.”

This week, Coach Wallis reviews the Miners’ much-improved 2019 campaign and discusses the team’s prospects for 2020.

The “Picks Up Podcast” airs weekly on www.utepminers.com, with special guests including Miner coaches, staff, student-athletes and alumni.

The “Picks Up Podcast” takes an inside look at UTEP Athletics, offering perspectives and analysis not available anywhere else.

To go directly to the podcast landing page, click here.

Isis Lopes, formerly of Clemson, has agreed to attend school and play with the UTEP women’s basketball team, head coach Kevin Baker announced Friday.

“Isis is a very solid, quick, athletic and versatile guard. She has the ability to get the rim and create shots for others. She has tremendous court vision, and it allows her to distribute the ball at a high level,” Baker shared.

“Isis has a very high basketball IQ, which allows her to play PG or off guard. She excels on the defensive end of the floor by defending ball handlers with intensity. Isis is a great shooter and can score in many ways. She will be a tremendous addition to our team, and we cannot wait to get her to El Paso.”

University officials add that Lopes will have three years of eligibility.  Below is Lopes’ bio

Isis Lopes – 5-11, Guard   |   Melbourne, Australia

Played one year with Clemson, and will have three seasons of eligibility with the Miners … due to injuries was limited to 13 games played and 47 total minutes … set season highs for points (five), rebounds (two) and minutes (13) at North Carolina (2/2/20) … during her prep career she represented the Victorian State team at the U18 Australian Championships, helping her team earn a bronze medal … also starred at Caulfield Grammar High School … the team finished with an overall record of 27-3 during her career … she averaged 18.0 points per game … was a member of the 2016 and 2017 premiership winnings teams, being named MVP both years.

For complete coverage of UTEP women’s basketball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPWBB (Twitter), @utepwbb (Instagram) and on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics.

The “Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher checked in with coach Kevin Baker to discuss the latest happenings with the UTEP women’s basketball program on this week’s edition of the “Picks Up Podcast.”

The “Picks Up Podcast” takes an inside look at UTEP Athletics, offering perspectives and analysis not available anywhere else.  This week, coach Baker recaps the Miners’ exciting 2019-20 campaign, and looks forward to the future of the program.

The “Picks Up Podcast” airs weekly on www.utepminers.com, with special guests including Miner coaches, staff, student-athletes and alumni.

To go directly to the podcast landing page, click here.

Elina Arike, a key player for the U20 Finland national team has signed a national letter of intent to attend school and compete with the UTEP women’s basketball team beginning in the 2020-21 scholastic year, head coach Kevin Baker announced this week.

Baker shared that Arike will have four years of eligibility.

“We are very excited to add Elina to our roster for the upcoming season. Elina is a very talented and versatile player. She has the ability to do it all. She can shoot well from the perimeter, post-to-score on the block, handle the ball like a guard, and is a very special passer,” UTEP women’s basketball head coach, Kevin Baker shared.

“She will be able to help our team in many ways.  She also has a willingness to defend multiple kinds of players. Elina checks all the boxes. We look forward to great things from Elina as she joins the UTEP family.”

Elina Arike 6-0, Forward – U20 Finland/ Mäkelänrinne Upper Secondary School  |  Helsinki, Finland

Ample international playing experience with Finland at numerous tournaments, competing for the U18 and U20 teams … averaged 8.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in six games in summer of 2019 at the U20 European Championships Division B …  her efforts helped Finland take runner-up honors at the 12-country event.

Connected on 46.2 percent (18-39) of her shots from the floor, while also making a robust 83.3 percent (10-12) at the charity stripe … increased her scoring output as the tournament wore on, tallying double digits in both the semifinal and championship contests … tallied 12 points to go along with seven rebounds in the 86-68 win in the semifinals against Great Britain (8/10/19)

Arike hit 5-7 from the floor, including 2-2 on 3-pointers, in 25 minutes of action … scored 11 points (3-6 FGs, 5-6 FTs) while snagging six rebounds and dishing out two assists in the championship contest vs. Bulgaria (8/11/19) … competed on the club level with HAB Märsky … graduated from Mäkelänrinne Upper Secondary School in Dec. 2019.

For complete coverage of UTEP women’s basketball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPWBB (Twitter), @utepwbb (Instagram) and on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.

Division I transfers Maxine Franco (East Tennessee State) and Kristen Prevosto (Marist) have agreed to attend UTEP and compete with the Miner soccer program beginning with the 2020 fall season, UTEP head coach Kathryn Balogun announced Wednesday.

“We are excited for have both Kristen and Maxine join us,” Balogun said. “With all of the unanswered questions surrounding athletics, it a great honor that their families have entrusted our staff and program during this time. I believe each young lady will come in and make an immediate impact. They have experience and knowledge and fit well with the cultural direction the coaching staff wants to take the program.”

Assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Stewart Givens was instrumental in landing Franco and Prevosto.

“We are really excited to add Kristen and Maxine to our other three incoming players for 2020,” Givens said. “We believe that with these additions we have added a lot of quality and technical ability to take us to the next level in Conference USA.  After speaking with their respective coaches and having conversations with Kristen and Maxine we are confident that these are players that exemplify what we want to be about here at UTEP.  They are players that want to get better on and off the field and that want to play for championships.  We can’t wait for them to join us this fall and have them start competing with a strong returning group of players that are hungry for more in 2020.

Maxine Franco – Midfielder/Forward |  East Tennessee State  |  Diepenbeek, Belgium

UTEP head coach Kathryn Balogun on Franco:

“Maxine will bring experience and a left-footed threat to our program. She will come into our program and be able to invest three full years with great soccer knowledge and a high level of experience at the national team level.  She enjoys possession soccer and believes in our program’s playing style.”

UTEP assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Stewart Givens on Franco

“Maxine is a player that will compete to make a big impact this fall. Maxine has playing experience with the Belgian youth national teams and will help us in the attacking third of the field with her vision and ability to pick out some very difficult passes. Maxine is a player with a high soccer IQ who is a true student of the game and wants to continue to be pushed as a player to be the best she can be. We are looking forward to Maxine contributing this fall and helping her achieve the lofty goals she has set for herself.”

Franco’s bio – Played one year with East Tennessee State, and will have three seasons of eligibility with the Miners … appeared in 15 games off the bench with ETSU, including playing a season-high 42 minutes of action against Wofford (10/18/19) … registered five shots, including three shots on goal, during the year … fired two shots on target against South Carolina State (9/30/19) … previously garnered ample international experience while playing with the Belgian youth national teams … on the club level helped her team to a championship in the first division of Belgium in 2016 … daughter of Sabine and Denis Franco.

UTEP head coach Kathryn Balogun on Prevosto

“ Kristen is a hard working, gritty player who understands the tactical questions being asked within the midfield position. I believe she brings D1 college experience, knowledge and depth to our midfield, who we ask to solve problems and connect us from the defensive half into the attacking third. She might not be the tallest player we have, but she will also compete and challenge for everything.“

UTEP assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Stewart Givens on Prevosto

“We believe Kristen will compete to make an immediate impact for us in midfield. She is someone who has very high aspirations for herself as a player, and wants to be pushed. She has the ability to play both sides of the ball well. She will add to our possession-based style of game and help us control the tempo of the game. She is not afraid to make a hard tackle or win a header. We can’t wait to add Kristen this fall.”

Kristen Prevosto – Midfielder | Marist  |  Selden, N.Y.

Prevosto’s  Bio – Two-year starter at Marist who will year two years of eligibility with the Miners … started 32 of 36 career games with Marist, tallying five goals and three assists for 13 points … ranked second on the squad for goals (four), assists (three) and points (11) in 2019 … played in 18 contests, including starting the final 16 tilts … her four goals came on 10 shots on target … credited with a career-high two assists in a 5-0 win at Delaware State (9/1/19) … had a hot streak for scoring with four goals in a five-game stretch, including the match winner against Loyola Marymount (9/8/19) … logged at least 90 minutes of action in seven different contests … voted to the MAAC All-Rookie team in 2018 … played in 18 contests, including making 16 starts, as a freshman in 2018 … buried a chance against Rhode Island (9/2/18) for her first career goal … earned MAAC Rookie of the Week as result of her efforts … logged at least 90 minutes of action in the final four games on the season … at the prep level was a five-year varsity player for Newfield High School, securing numerous accolades … was All League (eighth and ninth grade), All Conference (10th grade) and All County (11th and 12th grade) … two-time state champion with the ISA Sting … daughter of Mike and Liz Prevosto.

For complete coverage of UTEP soccer, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPSoccer (Twitter),@UTEPMinersSoccer (Instagram) and on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.

DALLAS – UTEP men’s basketball Isaiah Rhyanes is among 14 honorees for the Winter Conference USA Spirit of Service Award, as officially announced by the league on Tuesday.

The C-USA Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize the community service efforts of our student-athletes.

Rhyanes gathered 14.5 hours of community service. The El Paso native and Andress High School graduate worked with Game Changers and UTEP Mente, while making trips to visit young fans at the El Paso Children’s Hospital, Loma Linda Elementary, East Point Elementary, and donated time at the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank and the Salvation Army.

In the classroom, Rhyanes graduated with a 3.2 grade point average in December 2019. He went on to continue his education, enrolling in graduate school this past Spring and continues to pursue a Master’s in Leadership Studies.

Rhyanes was also named to the 2018 and 2019 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.

The 6-foot-9 forward, also known as “Juice”, brought high-energy to practice every day. He contributed with the scout team and took pride in being a great teammate. For his hard work and efforts, UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry awarded Rhyanes with his first collegiate action on Nov. 15 against Eastern New Mexico in the Haskins Center.

Rhyanes capped the UTEP victory over the Greyhounds with a thunderous two-handed dunk that electrified Miner Nation and brought his teammates to their feet with enthusiasm.

Rhyanes made his first career start on ‘Senior Day’ against Southern Miss on March 1, recording a pair of rebounds.

The year was 1941.  A loaf of bread cost eight cents.  A couple of experimental TV stations were on the air.  The big band era was in full swing.

Neil Diamond, Faye Dunaway, Bob Dylan and Martha Stewart were born. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was beginning his third team as President of the United States.  America was on the brink of war.

And in El Paso, the Miner basketball team was winning its first conference championship.

UTEP was known as the College of Mines and Metallurgy back then.  And the game of basketball was different, too.  The two-handed set shot was standard, and players shot free throws between their knees.

Marshall Pennington moonlighted as the Miner basketball coach.  He was the business manager at the school by day.  Pennington did not have a recruiting budget to speak of.  Every so often the president of the university, Dr. Dossie Marion Wiggins, excused him from his duties in the business office at 4 p.m. so he could go out and find players.  Pennington would go to the YMCA and Vernus Carey, the athletic director there, would brief him on who all was playing – where they went to school, and what year they were.

Seven members of the ’41 team – Bud Lassiter, Don Lance, Mike Devlin, Lee Floyd, Billy Johnstone, Greg Ramsey and Doug Ramsey – had been on the same peewee team at the Y.

The Miners weren’t the most physically gifted bunch, but they made up for it with their camaraderie and quickness.  Lance, Lassiter, Floyd, Bill Rike, David Carrasco and Jesse Bulos were regarded as the team’s best players.

Lance, an All-Conference forward, was the Miners’ leading scorer.  He was nearsighted, and couldn’t see the basket until he passed midcourt.

Lassiter could play every position, and was the team’s unofficial rebound champion.

Floyd, another forward and the third-leading scorer, was the father of Tim Floyd, who was later head coach of the Miners.

Rike was a guard who didn’t score a lot, but still earned All-Conference recognition for his heady play.

Carrasco, who split time in the middle with Lassiter, was hampered with injuries that limited his mobility, but still made his presence known off the bench.

Bulos was a tough, hard-nosed guard who earned nine letters as a member of the Miner basketball, football and track squads.  Once he dislocated two fingers in a football game, but stayed in the contest.

The Miners played their home games at Holliday Hall, which seated about 250 people.  They beat Arizona State, 63-46, to clinch the outright Border Conference title – the first of 12 regular season league championship banners to fly in the Don Haskins Center.

Five different members of the UTEP rifle team have earned placement on the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholastic All-America list, it was recently announced by the organization.

 Amoret McCartney, Samantha Miller, Morgahn Warner, Jonna Warnken and Jennie Windle were all so distinguished for their efforts in the classroom.

“I’m always very proud of my athletes, but especially when they do well academically,” UTEP head coach Austin Litherland said. “They all not only work hard in the range, but also in the classroom. They all know that being a student comes first, and they show that through their grades.”

The quintet also helped the Orange and Blue thrive on the range in 2019-20. UTEP’s average aggregate (4588) tied as the sixth highest in program history. Aiding in that average was the Miners surpassing 4600 in three of the final four matches on the season, including a campaign-high 4610 against Jacksonville State (2/20).

UTEP nearly matched that total after firing a 4608 in the season finale during its NCAA Qualifier match (2/22).

To be eligible for the CRCA Scholastic All-American honors, a student-athlete must hold a 3.20 grade-point average.

UTEP’s CRCA Scholastic All-Americans

Amoret McCartney

Samantha Miller

Morgahn Warner

Jonna Warnken

Jennie Windle

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UTEP Football Head Coach Dana Dimel is the guest on this week’s “Picks Up Podcast” with “Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher.

In this week’s installment, coach Dimel discusses how he, his staff and team are preparing for the 2020 season with a large portion of the country sheltering at home due to COVID-19.

The “Picks Up Podcast” takes an inside look at UTEP Athletics, offering perspectives and analysis not available anywhere else.

The “Picks Up Podcast” airs weekly on www.utepminers.com, with special guests including Miner coaches, staff, student-athletes and alumni.

To go directly to the podcast landing page, click here.