Category: Sports

By Benny Rogers/TVCC Sports Information

The Trinity Valley Community College Rodeo Team competed at Hill College last weekend with several members still in the fight to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo.

Sophomore Chase Shafer from Terrell placed 3rd in bull riding with a score of 79. Sophomore Justus Whitcher from Athens placed in tie down roping with a time of 9.9 seconds. Sophomore barrel racer Kacey Kirby held her 3rd place position in the Southern Region National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association standings.

The top three in each event qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo held in June in Casper, Wyo.

“We are needing a strong finish at the Wharton Junior College Rodeo, which will be our last regional rodeo, especially from Kacey and Justus who both have a chance at the College National Finals Rodeo,” said TVCC rodeo coach Brent Bratton.

The Wharton Junior College Rodeo will be held April 25-26.

By Benny Rogers/TVCC Sports Information

Nominations for the 2014 induction class for the Cardinal Hall of Fame are currently being accepted at Trinity Valley Community College. The nomination deadline is Monday, May 5.

The hall of fame, created in 2008, is a recognition program designed to honor former student athletes, coaches and contributors to the athletic department who have exhibited exceptional ability and performance in their selected field of athletics and have represented TVCC in an exemplary manner.

To be considered for the honor, nominees must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Participation for at least one year as a player on an intercollegiate athletics team at TVCC or five years as a coach at TVCC. (Exception: The five-year requirement for a coach is waived if coach won a national championship); and
• A period of at least five years between last date at TVCC as a full-time student-athlete or coach. (Exception: The period of at least five years between the last date at TVCC as a coach is waived upon retirement); and
• Must commit to attending induction ceremony/events upon being notified of selection to Hall of Fame. If unable to commit, selection will be withdrawn and considered in the future.

As many as five nominees from 1970-to-present will be selected for induction and as many as two from prior to 1970.

To date, 41 and the 1989 cheerleading squad have been inducted into the shrine.

Nomination forms are available at the Athletic Office, located in Cardinal Gym. Nominations are also being accepted online at http://www.tvcc.edu/Hall-of-Fame/files/HOF-Nomination-form-2014.pdf.

The 2014 induction class will be selected in the summer and the induction ceremony is scheduled Saturday, Oct. 18.

For more information, contact Benny Rogers at 903-675-6322.

Trinity Valley Community College released the 2014 Cardinal football schedule yesterday. Important dates to note include:

• September 20: Family Day vs. Kilgore
• October 4: Battle In The Valley vs. College of DuPage
• October 18: Homecoming/Hall of Fame vs. Arkansas Baptist.

TVCC Sports Information Office Benny Rogers wrote that “Interesting aspects of schedule are opening with conference games against Tyler and Navarro and 3 of 4 games in middle of schedule are non-conference games. 3 of first 4 are at home and 4 of first 6. Playing SE Prep on the road for the first time.”

 

Trinity Valley Community College head women’s basketball coach Elena Lovato was named the NJCAA Division I Coach of the Year today.

Carrying on the winning tradition of Trinity Valley women’s basketball, Lovato has established a new era in the program’s history in only her second season. After guiding the Cardinals to a national championship in her first year at the helm, Lovato repeated the feat this year by leading Trinity Valley to their third straight national title – a first in the history of NJCAA basketball.

Following this season’s 36-1 finish, Lovato now boasts a record of 72-2 in the past two seasons with the Cardinals and has yet to lose a game in the spring. Prior to arriving in Athens, Texas, as a head coach in 2012, Lovato was a Cardinals assistant in the 2009-10 season before being promoted to interim head coach for the final 11 games.

Following that season, Lovato earned the head coaching job at Grayson (Texas) before moving on to NCAA program Nebraska-Omaha as an assistant. She also served as an assistant at Houston and Pittsburg State following a successful career as a high school coach in Missouri and New Mexico.