TAMIU Annual Report 2020

DUSTDEVIL ATHLETICS 2020: HIGHS AND LOWS 2019-2020was the beginning of a newera for Dustdevil Athletics. The department experienced the highest of highs, with teamsmaking theNCAATournament for the first time, and the lowest of lows, with multiple spring seasons cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Dustdevils began the year by joining the Lone Star Confer- ence, helping tomake it one of the largest conferences innot only the NCAA Division II, but all three levels of the NCAA with 19 members. The men’s soccer team was the brightest light of the season as they achieved unprecedented success finishing with a 12-7-1 record andgoing 7-3 in their first season in the Lone Star Conference. TAMIU gained national attention as they cracked Top 10 national rankings for the first time since 2014. After entering the Lone Star Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed, the Dustdevils made it all the way to the semifinals. Their complete season performance earned them a spot in the NCAA National Tournament for the first time in school history as they traveled to Azusa, CA and battled Colorado School of Mines in a hard fought 2-1 loss. Things took a turn in the spring though, as men’s and women’s golf, baseball and softball all saw their promising seasons cut short by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite all the struggles of the 2019-2020 season, TAMIU’s student- athleteswere quite resilient and excelled in the classroom. TheDust- devils racked up accolades for their academic accomplishments with 96 student-athletes named to the Lone Star Conference SpringHonor Roll, 25 receiving Division 2 Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards andmultiple student-athletes receiving regional and national academic awards. Dustdevil Athletics also saw the addition of several new head coaches, welcoming JonHussak (Women’s Soccer) and BrittanyHarry (Volleyball) in January of 2020. Rodney “Mac” McConnell (Men’s Basketball) joined TAMIU inMarch, and the Dustdevils added Philip Middleton (Baseball) in October. VIEW MORE AT GODUSTDEVILS.COM DUSTDEVIL ATHLETIC ALUMS SHINE OFF THE PLAYING FIELD TOO When the University first began in 1970, the notion of organized athletics on campus seemed a distant dream. Faculty members, students and administrators would occasionally field recreational teams in soccer or volleyball…or participate in charity benefits. Inter- national studentswere especially fondof soccer andhelped encourage weekend rivalries. Today, TAMIU athletics are a fully integrated part of the TAMIU experience. Student-athletes are a dynamic and familiar sight as they cross the campus in their branded team wear. Part of the Lone Star Conference, TAMIU is home to 11 sports. Let’s catch up with some Dustdevil Athletics alums and see how they’ve scored: Dr. Sarah Jenkins Volleyball (’03 - ’06) Volleyball standout Dr. Sarah Jenkins is a high achiever andher unrelentingwork ethic has carried her fromTAMIU to serving as aMicrobiologist with the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Raúl Quiñones Men’s Soccer (’04 - ’08) An award-winning and record-earning team captain, Raúl served a three-year enlistment in the U. S. Army, playing for Army andArmed forces teams. He’s gone on to a career as a Border Patrol Agent. GregMulamba Men’s Soccer (’05 - ’08) Greg Mulamba and brother Oliver arrived in Laredo from South Africa in 2005 to begin colle- giate soccer careers. Austin-based Greg owns his company, FalseNin9 Soccer Development. Oliver earned his Ph.D. at Texas Tech University and is Chief Technology Officer at AquaSmart Enterprises. Catch upwith other Dustdevil Athletics Alums at: go.tamiu.edu/ar20-catchingup 28