Women's tennis leads successful spring sports campaign for NSU

Office of Communications & Marketing |Northeastern State University
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- For the 14th time in the past 16 years, the NSU womens tennis team qualified for the NCAA Division II Championship Round of 16. This year, the competition was held at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Prior to the Round of 16, the womens tennis team defeated No. 33 Augustana College 5-3 on May 3 in Sioux Falls S.D. to win the 2014 NCAA Division II Central Region 2 Championship at Huether Tennis Centre.

The RiverHawks, who entered the Round of 16 ranked 20th, lost 5-0 in the first round on May 14 to No. 12 California University of Pennsylvania. Their overall standing for the season was 23-6.

"It was a great weekend for us. Making it back to the NCAA Round of 16 was our team goal from Day One, Coach Amanda Stone said. We didn't take the exact route we planned, but we did it. We played well and fought hard in both matches during our regional championship run. I'm proud of our team and all we've accomplished.

The womens tennis team wasn't the only group of RiverHawks to have a successful season.

On May 3, the RiverHawks softball team made history by making it to the finals of the 2014 MIAA Championship in Overland Park, Kan. The advancement of the No. 8 seed to the finals of a conference tournament was a first-time happening in NSU history. The RiverHawks lost 12-0 to Missouri West Southern University, finishing their season 29-30.

NSUs mens golf team finished in 18th place on May 7, in the final round of the 2014 NCAA Central/Midwest Super Regional, which took place at Fox Run Golf Club, a par-72, 7,120-yard course, in Eureka, Mo. The teams final score was 310, 64-over-par 928 (301-317-310).

Participation in this championship has proven to be a common occurrence for the RiverHawks, qualifying 14 of the last 15 years.

Sophomore, Brett Williamson barely missed qualifying for advancement to the final site as an individual after two double bogeys in the last three holes. He finished with a tie for 10th place at 6-over-222 (73-73-76).

In the 2014 MIAA Championship on May 9, the RiverHawks baseball team ended its season with a 10-3 loss to Emporia State, finishing with a season record of 26-28. The tournament took place at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.

Seeded No. 8, the RiverHawks started the tournament defeating the No. 1 seed Central Missouri in two games. They were 2-2 post-season.

For one NSU female golfer, this season proved especially successful.

Baylee Price finished in a tie for 23rd at the 2014 NCAA Division II Womens Golf Championship held at Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C., a par-71, 5,928-yard course, on May 17.

Price, a Broken Arrow native, finished 6-over-par 77 in the final round for a four-day total of 19-over 303 (77-73s-76-77). In her final round she holed in three birdies, registering nine birdies and one eagle total for the tournament.

This accomplishment makes Price the 25th womens golfer in NSU history to compete at the national championship, and only the ninth ever to finish in the top 25. She is the first to do so since the 2007 season.

For the 2013-14 athletic season, 9 out of NSUs 10 teams made post-season play.