Newman University NCAA Division II sports is going into its ninth year. According to David Rung, Newman sports information director, the past 2015-2016 season was the athletics division’s most successful year yet, and they’re hoping for this year to be even more successful.
Newman has 18 different sports, 11 of which will begin this coming September, although seven home preseason events will take place in August. Below is a rundown of Newman’s major fall sports and their upcoming events, along with what’s new with the individual teams.
Triathlon: For the past few years a triathlon team sport has been in the works. This year Newman is proud to announce triathlon as a brand new sport. The team will have a major competition in Iowa. This event is important to the triathletes since these Midwest Region contests will determine whether they will move on to the National championships next spring. Their season opener is Sept. 18 at Cyman Triathlon in Iowa.
Women’s volleyball has some exciting new developments on their team. Destiny Clark, the head coach, led the women’s team to achieve the runner-up status in the Heartland Conference last year. This semester’s team features six new members. Their season opener is Sept. 2-3 at the Texas Woman’s Classic. Their first home game is at 7 p.m., Sept. 6. against Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Men’s soccer, as of this year, boasts 23 wins. Head Men’s Soccer Coach Cliff Brown is coming back for his 29th season. The season opener will be on Sept. 2 at Colorado State-Pueblo and their first home game will be 7:30 p.m., Sept. 8. against Southern Nazarene.
Women’s soccer got a new coach in January. Their season and home opener is Sept. 1. They will face off at 7 p.m. against Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Men’s and women’s cross country are preparing for another competitive season. One of the events where their hard work clearly shows and pays off is in the Heartland Conference. At this event–which is important to many Newman sports teams–Rung says, they have quite the competitive presence. Both cross country teams race on each of the first four weekends of the season. Their season opener will be the JK Gold Classic, Sept. 3, hosted by Wichita State University.
Men’s golf features a few new golfers. The team will participate in four events this fall, leading to the regular season in the coming spring. Their opening game will be held Sept. 12-13 at the West Texas A&M tournament.
Women’s golf, like the men’s, will have the same number of events this fall and spring. A noteworthy player returning this season is sophomore Imkeleen Meyer, who qualified for the NCAA regional championship last year. The women’s golf season opener is Sept. 12-13 at the Northeastern State Classic.
Men’s and women’s tennis teams will use this fall semester to ready themselves for the spring season. Both teams reached the Heartland Conference playoffs and ranked in the South Central Region last season. Their season opener is Sept. 2-3 at the Emporia State Invitational.
