by Erika Thornsberry | Apr 3, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Neither rain, wind nor cold weather can keep the Bisons from competing and succeeding. The Lipscomb Track & Field team competed in the two day Vanderbilt meet this past weekend. Vanderbilt, The Ohio State, Belmont, Austin Peay and Alabama A&M all took part in the meet. “This was the best meet we’ve had at Vanderbilt since I’ve been at Lipscomb,” Coach Bill Taylor said. “Traditionally, for some reason, we’ve struggled for the most part at this meet.” Setting the stage on Friday was Dani Walker winning the Invitational 1500 meters and setting a new school record with a record time of 4:21.34. Right behind her was Madi Talbert, who moved to No. 3 on Lipscomb’s all-time list. Ki’Ana Christy has really been excelling during this outdoor season. She has broken her jumping record for the second week in a row by jumping 11.36 meters. Setting her own personal record was Jazmyne McGill. She threw 38.09 meters in the hammer and in shot recorded 11.38 meters. Del McSpadden also found success in the hammer throw with a throw of 39.08 meters. Tucker Peabody found himself on the podium winning second place in the 200 meters with a 21.03 time. Peabody also came in second in the 100 meters crossing the finish line with a time of 10.55 “It’s very challenging to do the events in bad weather,” junior April Terry said. “In the rain it’s so easy to fall and slip. During your events, you have to have confidence, and you must trust yourself.” Confidence and trust are something the team proved they all possess throughout this meet. D.A. Lowery...
by Erika Thornsberry | Mar 17, 2014 | Sports
For any athlete the day must come when they have to hang up their shoes and say good-bye to the game they love, and for senior basketball players, Jess Reece and O’Neisha Smith, that day came March 11th as the Lady Bisons ended their season in the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament. Reece and Smith have had two different experiences during their time at Lipscomb. Reece finished her last minutes on the court, but due to double knee surgeries Smith was unable to play her senior year. Stepping back and reflecting on their four years as student athletes, they say they have learned a lot and made a lot of memories along the way. “One thing I will take from playing college basketball would be the importance of being positive and always working hard no matter what struggles you may encounter,” Reece said. “I think God made me realize that although I do love the game, it is just that, a game. He brought me to a place where I can glorify him through playing.” Both Reece and Smith traveled out of their home states to go to college. Being away from their hometown family and friends, they quickly learned to bond with teammates. “As far as memories go, I have too many to count. Most of them are not from games though, but rather bus rides and traveling and hanging out with my teammates,” Reece said. “I’ve made some amazing friends through playing and have met some great people.” “My favorite memory was freshman year when we traveled to Colorado to play Air Force,” Smith said....
by Erika Thornsberry | Feb 25, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Success has been something that Lipscomb Track & Field has had a taste of this year and it’s 2014 Indoor Atlantic Sun Championship was no different. The indoor conference championship was held at the JDL Fast Track in North Carolina this year. The men finished with their best ever in third place beating their old record of finishing in fifth. The women finished fifth, tying their best ever. Junior Kenny Smith is a member of the 4×400 relay team that picked up first place at the meet and is a veteran when it comes to the team’s success. “I feel that every year the team fights more and more for each other. When I say that, we fight for every point we can get,” Smith said. “This season the men’s team got the most points we have ever got. It shows we are going in the right direction.” Smith, along with Tucker Peabody, Brian Gentry and Colin Dempster are the men’s 4×400 meter relay team. A team effort led to a time of 3:18.57. For the second year in a row, Peabody won the 200 meter dash and came in second place in the 60 meter dash. Two stand out freshman are Wayne Newman and Christian Freeman. Newman earned the 1st place title in 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.07. Freeman placed 3rd in the men’s 500 meter and 2nd in the men’s 300 meter. With his finishing times, he was able to set new school records in both of these events. As for the women, Dani Walker was named most valuable performer for her second year in a row....
by Erika Thornsberry | Feb 22, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
For the Bisons men’s basketball team, this Friday night started out a little slow, but the end was anything but slow. Conference foe Northern Kentucky traveled to Allen Arena to play the victorious Bisons, who won the conference game 70-66. Northern Kentucky was first to get on the score board, and Bisons head coach Casey Alexander didn’t waste any time pulling out all five of his starters and putting in a fresh five. It didn’t take long after that for junior Malcolm Smith to get two three point plays (two baskets plus free throws) and for the momentum to start shifting in favor of the Bisons. “My teammates were really looking for me. We took advantage of the size mix-match down low,” Malcolm Smith said. “I focused on posting up hard, attacking the basket quick, and when I got to the foul line, knocking them down.” Going into halftime, senior Khion Sankey made a shot right at the buzzer making it 35-29 in favor of Lipscomb. That wasn’t the only big shot of the game as Martin Smith knocked down a 3 pointer with 34.8 seconds left giving the Bisons a 67-63 score. “It was a huge shot,” Malcolm Smith said. “That made it a two possession game. It helped us put the game away.” During time out, Coach Alexander drew a play up, but sometimes, once you’re out on the court, things don’t go exactly as planned. “That’s not the play we drew up, but we improvised well,” Alexander said. “J.C Hampton hit Martin right on the money, and he stepped up and hit the shot. He’s made a...
by Erika Thornsberry | Feb 20, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Top 25 is in reach for the Lady Bisons softball team as they moved up to No. 28 in the ESPN.COM/USA softball ranking. With the season just two weeks under way, the Lady Bisons have made their presence known with wins from Virginia Tech, Butler, Iowa, Drake, UAB and No. 15 Baylor. “It’s exciting to be ranked, and it honestly only motivates us that much more to continue to be the best,” senior catcher Rena’ Cothron said. Lipscomb found huge success when they traveled to Waco, Texas this past weekend to play in the Getterman Classic. Against Baylor, the Bisons won 1-0, which bumped the Bears from 14 down to 15. “So far, I think the season has gone great. 8-1 is a great start to a season, but it’s just that, a start,” Cothron said. “Every game we have won so far has been a complete team win. We just have to keep playing our game and take it one day at a time.” Junior Brianne Welch, junior Paige Neely (recently named Atlantic Sun Player of the Week) and sophomore Tanner Sanders made the Getterman Classic All-Tournament team. Welch found success during the tournament, as she had her first career home run against Iowa. “It feels pretty awesome being top 28,” Welch said. “It’s a great feeling to get recognition for the hard work we’ve put in.” Welch had a two run bomb against Iowa, but it was Sanders who was the winning pitcher. She was named A-Sun Pitcher of the Week for her performance in Texas. Junior Gracey Aguirre, who plays right field for the Lady Bisons,...
