What a fall to be a Bearkat
10/28/2014 8:30:00 AM | Athletics
There's never been a better time to be a Bearkat than the fall of 2014. The success of Sam Houston sports teams across the board this semester has fans excited about every program.
Less than a week before the end of October and look what's happening:
• The Bearkats' young football team is in a five-way tie for first place in the Southland Conference with an opportunity to earn an FCS playoff berth for the fourth year in a row.
• The women's soccer team is on the verge of its highest Southland finish in the 11-year history of the sport.
• Sam Houston's defending national championship bowling team is ranked No. 3 in the nation, winning its opening tournament of the season.
• The men's golf team already has two tournament titles under its belt including wins over Big 10 teams as the Kats look to defend their Southland championship.
• The women's golf team brought home a tournament championship trophy in September.
• The volleyball team is making another run at a successful season, standing third in the league race.
• Fabienne Gettwart became the first Bearkat tennis player to reach the Round of 16 at the annual NCAA/ITA women's regional championships this fall
• The cross country squad has shown well in meets against teams like Texas A&M, Alabama and Clemson.
“Definitely, there's a lot of things to be excited about if you are a Bearkat right now,” SHSU Director of Athletics Bobby Williams said. “Every team competing in the fall right now is in the hunt.”
The Sam Houston football team faces Stephen F. Austin in the 89th “Battle of the Piney Woods” Saturday at 3 p.m. at NRG Stadium. Four of the last five years, the eventual Southland Conference champion has emerged from the showdown as the victor.
Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese all have only one loss heading into the final four weeks of the season as the quintet battle to hoist the league championship trophy.
The Bearkat soccer team is second in the Southland standings with a 7-2 mark. With their final two home matches Friday and Sunday against Houston Baptist and Nicholls, respectively, the women are looking to post both their highest league finish and season victory total ever.
A runner-up finish would also give the soccer team a bye in the first round of the upcoming Southland post-season tournament which decides the league's NCAA championships representative.
The volleyball team is in the thick of the Southland race as well, standing in third place. Senior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson is the league's outstanding offensive player, having earned three Southland “Player of the Week” honors this season.
Volleyball returns home for matches against Houston Baptist Thursday and A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday.
The cross country team will compete next Monday in the annual Southland Conference men's and women's championships in Natchitoches, La.
The bowling team faces a talent-filled group of nationally-ranked opponents this weekend at the annual New Jersey Jamboree.
For ticket information for all Bearkat home athletic events, go to www.gobearkats.com or call the SHSU athletic ticket office at (936) 294-1729.
