Jena Morrow, a junior golfer from Fort Gibson, Okla., and Evan Piche, a junior tennis player from Houston, Texas, earned the weekly honor, becoming the 10th and 11th UA Fort Smith student-athletes to earn the award.

Morrow has compiled a 3.77 grade-point average while majoring in business administration. She helped lead the Lady Lions to a second-place finish in the Show Me Summer Shootout and a fourth-place finish in the Harding Bison Classic earlier this fall.

Piche has compiled a 3.15 grade-point average while majoring in business administration. He advanced to the semifinals of doubles play in the Collin County Community College Fall Open and was 4-2 in singles play and 4-4 in doubles play during the Lions’ fall matches.

UA Fort Smith student-athletes have accounted for 11 of the 15 academic student-athlete award winners this semester. Morrow and Piche join tennis players McKenzie McCullough of Henryetta, Okla.; Matheus da Silva of Brasilia, Brazil; and Cameron Terrell of Little Rock; volleyball players Lucia Najselova of Nitra, Slovakia; Heidi Luks of Tallinn, Estonia; and Fabiane Nass of Santa Catarina, Brazil; and golfers Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith, Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark.; and Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla.

Hendrex, a junior golfer from Fort Gibson, Okla., has compiled a 3.42 grade-point average while majoring in English. Hendrex helped lead the Lady Lions to a second-place finish in the Show Me Summer Shootout and a fourth-place finish in the Harding Bison Classic earlier this fall.

She is the ninth UA Fort Smith student-athlete to earn the weekly academic honor, joining tennis players McKenzie McCullough of Henryetta, Okla.; Matheus da Silva of Brasilia, Brazil; and Cameron Terrell of Little Rock; volleyball players Lucia Najselova of Nitra, Slovakia; Heidi Luks of Tallinn, Estonia; and Fabiane Nass of Santa Catarina, Brazil; and golfers Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith and Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark.

UA Fort Smith’s SAAC will conduct its “Bundle Up Fort Smith” community service project on Nov. 17 when the UA Fort Smith men’s basketball team hosts the University of the Ozarks Eagles in its season opener at 7 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center.

Fans are encouraged to bring a coat, a pair of shoes or both with them to the game, and members of SAAC will be on hand to collect these clothing items at both entrances of the Stubblefield Center.

The clothing items collected will go to help those in need to stay warm this winter.

“With the winter season approaching, some people don’t have coats or jackets to stay warm or shoes to keep their feet warm,” said UA Fort Smith director of athletic compliance Will Collier, who is the SAAC sponsor. “This is an opportunity for our student-athletes to do something to help those in need in our community and help improve their quality of life.”

This project is a part of SAAC’s on-going community service project aimed at assisting those in need in the Fort Smith area. Earlier this month, SAAC members participated in a canned food drive to collect food for Thanksgiving food baskets for needy families in Fort Smith. The group visited 398 houses and collected 1,019 canned food items, as well as $110 in donations.

SAAC is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight of the student-athlete experience and offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses. It also is a public service organization and participates in various community service projects throughout the year.

Fogleman, a golfer from Marion, Ark., has compiled a 3.50 grade-point average while majoring in business administration. He recently earned co-medalist honors in the Newman University Fall Invitational, shooting a 7-over par 151 to help the Lions win the tournament.

Eight of the 12 student-athletes who have earned the weekly honor have been from UA Fort Smith.

Fogleman joins tennis players McKenzie McCullough of Henryetta, Okla.; Matheus da Silva of Brasilia, Brazil; and Cameron Terrell of Little Rock; volleyball players Lucia Najselova of Nitra, Slovakia; Heidi Luks of Tallinn, Estonia; and Fabiane Nass of Santa Catarina, Brazil; and golfer Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith.

Fifty-two students and student-athletes went door-to-door throughout Fort Smith neighborhoods on Saturday collecting canned food items for Thanksgiving food baskets they will prepare for needy families.

“One of the guys who was in my group was like ‘I feel really good that I used a Saturday to help people,’” said UA Fort Smith tennis player Cameron Terrell, who helped organize the food drive. “It was cool. That was pretty much the common sentiment among everybody. They were excited to be there and really glad they could help.”

The group visited 398 houses and collected 1,019 canned food items, as well as $110 in donations. Terrell, a sophomore from Little Rock, Ark., said the group was really excited about the response.

“Most of the people who were home were really excited about helping us,” Terrell said. “They were glad they could give, too. They were glad we included them in the giving process.”

Initially, Terrell said the group had hoped to collect enough food to make baskets for 40 families but because of the overwhelming outpouring of support from the community that they now hope to make baskets for 60-75 families.

The group is working with the Community Clearinghouse, which will provide them with a list of needy families. They expect to make their food basket deliveries the week before the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We had a lot of help from Caring for the Northside and Sebastian Commons,” Terrell said. “Sebastian Commons provided us pizza, and Caring for the Northside provided the T-shirts and the transportation, which we really needed.”

The door-to-door food drive also was a community service project adopted by the UA Fort Smith Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

SAAC is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight of the student-athlete experience and offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses. It also is a public service organization and participates in various community service projects throughout the year.

Student-athletes representing men’s and women’s tennis and baseball participated in the food drive.

“A huge part of SAAC is community service, and it was great to see our student-athletes jump on this opportunity to help a large number of people in our community,” said UA Fort Smith compliance director Will Collier, who is the SAAC sponsor. “Too often athletes are criticized for only wanting to do things for themselves, and it’s exciting that our athletes want to help others and be a positive influence in their community.”

UA Fort Smith SAAC members, along with members of Caring for the Northside, will be collecting canned food for Thanksgiving meals for those in need in Fort Smith.

SAAC is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight of the student-athlete experience and offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses.

SAAC also is a public service organization and participates in various community service projects throughout the year.

UA Fort Smith, which held a two-stroke lead after Monday’s opening round, shot a 27-over par 315 during the second round and finished with an overall 44-over par 620. The Lions beat host and fellow Heartland Conference member Newman University by eight-strokes.

Newman shot a 52-over par 628 to finish second. Newman’s second team shot a 101-over par 677 and finished third, while fellow Heartland Conference member Oklahoma Panhandle State carded a 149-over par 725 and finished fourth.

Juniors Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., and Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith each carded 7-over par 151 to earn co-medalist honors to lead the Lions. Sophomore Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., finished fifth with a 13-over par 157. Junior Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., finished 10th with a 17-over par 161, and sophomore Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., finished 14th with a 30-over par 174.

It was the Lions’ first win of the fall season and their final fall tournament.

UA Fort Smith shot a 17-over par 305 while playing in 55-degree temperatures with a 20 mile-per-hour wind. Host and fellow Heartland Conference member Newman University is close behind after shooting a 19-over par 307.

Newman’s second team is in third place with a 55-over par 343, and Oklahoma Panhandle State is fourth with a 75-over par 363.

Junior Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., leads the Lions contingent and is tied for the overall lead with a 1-over par 73. Junior Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith is third overall with a 3-over par 75, sophomore Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., is tied for fourth with a 4-over par 76, junior Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., is 11th with a 9-over par 81 and sophomore Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., is tied for 12th with a 14-over par 86.

It is the second week in a row that UA Fort Smith has had a student-athlete earn the honor. Last week, McKenzie McCullough, a junior tennis player from Henryetta, Okla., earned the honor.

Najselova, a junior setter from Nitra, Slovakia, earned NJCAA Academic All-American honors last year after compiling a 3.71 grade-point average while majoring in psychology.

She played in a team-high 153 games last fall. She had a team-high 1,363 assists and was fifth on the team with 196 kills and second on the team with 66 aces. She was fourth on the team with 201 digs and fifth on the team with 42 blocks.

Najselova was named a preseason NJCAA Division I first team All-American, NJCAA first team All-American, AVCA first team All-American, NJCAA Division I Player of the Week and NJCAA Region II MVP.

She was named MVP of the UA Fort Smith Mattalee Fawcett Invitational and the MSU-West Plains Tournament of Champions. She was named to the MSU-West Plains Grizzly Invitational All-Tournament Team and the NCTC Invitational All-Tournament Team.

Adamson, a junior golfer from Fort Smith, compiled a 3.07 grade-point average last year while majoring in business administration.

He won three golf tournaments this past season, including the NJCAA Region II tournament, and finished seventh in the NJCAA national tournament. Adamson also tied for medalist honors in the season-opening Show Me Summer Shootout on Sept. 1 at Tanglewood Golf Course in Fulton, Mo.

Unfortunately for the Lady Lions and Lions, they couldn’t deliver a repeat performance during Tuesday’s second round at Tanglewood Golf Course in Fulton, Mo.

The Lady Lions shot a 51-over par 339 during the second round and finished second in the two-team field with a two-day score of 68-over par 644. Host William Woods University, which trailed UA Fort Smith by 10 strokes after the opening round, won the women’s division.

Junior Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., shot an 8-over par 80 and finished the tournament with a 22-over par 166. Juniors Jena Morrow and Johannah Hendrex, both of Fort Gibson, Okla., each shot a 14-over par 86 and finished with a 19-over par 163. First-round leader Sidney Tallon, a sophomore from Muskogee, Okla., shot a 17-over par 89 and finished with a 19-over par 163.

Freshman Jordan Bozeman of Canton, Texas, carded a 15-over par 87 and finished with a 20-over par 164.

The Lions trailed first-round leader William Woods University by only two strokes, but they, too, struggled down the stretch, shooting a 7-over par 295 to finish third behind Williams Woods and McKendree College.

Junior Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith shot an even-par 72 and finished the tournament with a 3-under par 141 to tie for medalist honors. Junior Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., and sophomore Patrick Willey of Conway, Ark., each shot a 1-over par 73 and finished with a 4-over par 148.

Sophomore Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., carded a 5-over par 77 and finished with a 9-over par 153, and sophomore Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., shot a 6-over par 78 and finished with a 17-over par 161.

The Lady Lions shot a program-best 17-over par 305 and own a 10-stroke lead over second-place William Woods University, which is the only other team competing in the women’s division.

Sophomore Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., led the Lady Lions’ five-player contingent with a 2-over par 74. Tallon also is the overall tournament leader.

Juniors Johannah Hendrex and Jena Morrow, both of Fort Gibson, Okla., and freshman Jordan Bozeman of Canton, Texas, each carded a 5-over par 77. Junior Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., shot a 14-over par 86.

“I am really excited about how the women’s team played,” UA Fort Smith coach Mark Curlett said. “That was a great first round for them.”

The Lions are well within striking distance of the lead after the opening round after shooting a 7-over par 295. They are only two strokes behind leader and host William Woods University. McKendree College is close behind in third with a 296, Baker College is fourth with a 298 and Pittsburg State is fifth with a 302.

UA Fort Smith two-time All-American Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith is tied for the overall lead with a 3-under par 69. Fellow junior Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., and sophomore Patrick Willey of Conway, Ark., each carded a 3-over par 75, sophomore Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., shot a 4-over par 76 and sophomore Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., carded an 11-over par 83.

Tryouts will be for the spring semester, and prospective players must be current UA Fort Smith students.

Prospective walk-ons must have had a physical within the past six months and have documentation from a physician on file with UA Fort Smith director of sports medicine/head athletic trainer Jeff McGee prior to the tryout.

Also, prospective players must fill out a UA Fort Smith walk-on form and have it on file with UA Fort Smith compliance director Will Collier prior to the tryout. The walk-on form is available at www.uafortsmith.edu/attach/Athletics/Nav/UAFSWalk-onForm.pdf.

For more information, contact Curlett at mcurlett@uafortsmith.edu.

The NCAA has granted UA Fort Smith provisional Division II membership status beginning with the upcoming academic year. UA Fort Smith athletic director Dustin Smith received official notification from the NCAA during a conference call on Thursday afternoon.

“A lot of work has gone into getting to this point. By no means is it over, but it is a huge step in the right direction and a positive movement for the institution and the athletic department,” Smith said. “A lot of worries have ended with this decision. We are one step closer to the prize, and that prize is active membership in Division II.”

As a provisional member, UA Fort Smith will compete at the NCAA Division II level this upcoming season, but its teams will not be eligible to compete for conference or region championships or participate in postseason play.

Once the provisional year is completed, UA Fort Smith will be eligible for full active membership. That decision will be made by the NCAA in July 2010. Smith said he expects UA Fort Smith to be granted full active membership at that time.

“In the whole process if (the NCAA) doesn’t feel that you have done what you are supposed to do, you repeat the year that you are on,” Smith explained. “I can’t ever say that (full active membership) is a done deal, but hopefully a year from this time, we can say that it’s a done deal and that we are an active Division II school.

“We have the pieces in place, and I would not foresee them saying that we would have to repeat the third year (the provisional year).”

UA Fort Smith announced its intentions to leave the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and pursue NCAA Division II membership prior to the start of the 2007-08 season.

UA Fort Smith completed the first year of the two-year exploratory phase required for Division II membership and was given approval by the NCAA on July 24, 2008, to move to the second year of the membership process for the 2008-09 academic year.

Two members representing the NCAA membership committee conducted a two-day, on-site visit at UA Fort Smith this past April, during which time they toured the campus and the athletic facilities and interviewed administrators, faculty and staff about the university’s academic and athletic policies and procedures.

Their favorable report – as well as UA Fort Smith’s work throughout the early stages of the membership process – was instrumental in the committee granting the university provisional membership status.

“My goal in this whole process was to do as much as we could on the front end to look and present ourselves as a Division II school,” Smith said. “We looked at a lot of institutions both in the state and in the region to give us some guidance and to set a standard for us to follow.

“My whole philosophy was that ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Obviously, there are schools around us who have been successful as Division II schools. We wanted to implement some of the things they do, and (UA Fort Smith Chancellor) Dr. (Paul) Beran has given us great guidance in doing that and has been very supportive of that. I think the (membership) committee was pleased with what we have done.”

This past spring, UA Fort Smith accepted an invitation to join the Heartland Conference and will begin competition in the league beginning this fall. The Heartland Conference is the newest Division II conference. The conference, which was founded in 1999, covers a distance of more than 1,050 miles from north to south and 610 miles east to west.

UA Fort Smith will join current Heartland Conference members Dallas Baptist University, Incarnate Word University, St. Edward’s University, Lincoln University, St. Mary’s University, Newman University, Texas A&M International University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University and the University of Texas - Permian Basin.

UA Fort Smith shot a 38-over par 1,190 to match its best tournament finish ever. The Lions also finished fourth last year.

The Lions finished 29 strokes behind national champion John A. Logan (Ill.) College, which carded a 9-over par 1,161 to win the title by three strokes over Darton (Ga.) College.

Adamson shot rounds of 74, 71, 73, and 70 for an overall even-par 288 and finished in seventh place. The former Southside Rebel became the Lions' first two-time All-American. He was a first team All-American as a freshman and earned second team All-American honors this spring.

Lions freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., shot a 9-over par 297 and tied for 25th; freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., fired a 17-over par 305 and tied for 50th; freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., shot an 18-over par 306 and finished 53rd; and sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., shot a 19-over par 307 and tied for 58th.

UA Fort Smith fired a 14-over par 302 – only the seventh-best score among the 17 teams in the third round – and enters Friday’s final round of play in sixth place with a combined score of 30-over par 894. The Lions trail leader South Mountain (Ariz.) Community College by 25 strokes.

The Cougars enter the final round with a 5-over par 869.

Sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith carded a 1-over par 73 during the third round and is tied for 13th place with a 2-over par 218. Freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., shot a 2-over par 74 and is tied for 33rd place with an 8-over par 224. Freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., shot a 6-over par 78 and is tied for 46th place with a 12-over par 228. Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., carded 7-over par 79 and is tied for 54th place with a 13-over par 229.

Freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., shot a 5-over par 77 and is tied for 60th place with a 14-over par 230.

Better weather and a change in venue allowed the women’s NJCAA national tournament to finally be completed, albeit in a shortened format.

The tournament was originally a four-round event scheduled to begin on Monday at LPGA International Golf Course in Daytona Beach, Fla. However, rain on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday forced tournament officials to move the tournament to Providence Golf Club in Davenport, Fla., and shorten the event to just one 18-hole round.

UA Fort Smith was represented by three players competing as individuals. Sophomores Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., and Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., each shot a 12-over par 84 and freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., carded a 17-over par 89.

Overall individual results were not available as of Thursday night.

NJCAA Region II champion Redlands Community College won the overall team championship.

UA Fort Smith shot a 1-over par 289 during the second round but only moved up to seventh place. The Lions have shot a combined 16-over par 592 and are 17 strokes behind new leader South Mountain (Ariz.) Community College, which has shot a blistering 1-under par 575 through two rounds at Goosepond Colony in Scottsboro, Ala.

Four of the five Lions greatly improved on their first-round performances.

Sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith shot a 1-under par 71 on Wednesday to again lead the Lions contingent. Adamson, who finished tied for second overall last year, is tied for 13th place with a two-round score of 1-over par 145.

Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., followed his first-round 5-over par 77 with a 1-over par 73 and is tied for 38th. Freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., countered his first-round 6-over par 78 with an even-par 72 and is tied for 38th. Freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., countered his opening-round 5-over par 77 with a 1-over par 73 and is tied for 38th.

Freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., struggled during the second round. After shooting a 3-over par 75 during the opening round, he fired a 6-over par 78 in the second round and is tied for 64th.

The four-round event was originally scheduled to begin on Monday, but rain in and around the LPGA International Golf Course in Daytona Beach, Fla., has wreaked havoc on the tournament all week.

Play was suspended after only three holes on Monday and two attempts to resume play have been futile. Continued heavy rain on Wednesday prompted some local flood warning advisories, and the LPGA tournament course was deemed unplayable.

Weather permitting, the teams will play a one-round, 18-hole, winner-take-all championship beginning with a 10:30 a.m. shotgun start on Thursday at Providence Golf Club in Davenport, Fla.

Three players are representing UA Fort Smith in the tournament – sophomores Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., and Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., and freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla.

After the first round was canceled on Monday because of rain, the tournament was again postponed on Tuesday because of heavy rain. The golfers were scheduled to play 36 holes on Tuesday in hopes of keeping the tournament on schedule.

Weather permitting, the tournament will begin on Wednesday.

Three Lady Lions are representing UA Fort Smith in the national tournament – sophomores Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., and Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., and freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla.

The tournament will continue, weather permitting, on Tuesday morning with the golfers playing 36 holes to keep the tournament on schedule.

Three Lady Lions are representing UA Fort Smith in the national tournament – sophomores Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., and Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., and freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla.

It’s been almost a month since either team has played an opponent other than themselves. UA Fort Smith last played on April 20-21 when the Lions won the NJCAA Region II tournament championship and the Lady Lions finished second at El Reno Golf Course in El Reno, Okla.

The Lions will end the unusually long break on Tuesday when they begin first-round play in the national tournament at Goosepond Colony in Scottsboro, Ala. The four-time Region II champs are looking to improve on last year’s program-best fourth-place finish.

UA Fort Smith won four tournaments and one dual match during regular season and posted a 10th-place finish in the Illinois Central Tournament, which was hosted by Goosepond Colony.

The Lions are led by sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith. Adamson, who earned first team All-American honors as a freshman, won two tournaments this season – the UA Fort Smith Classic and the Region II tournament.

The Lady Lions will begin tournament play on Monday at LPGA International Golf Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.

UA Fort Smith finished eighth in last year’s national tournament – the Lady Lions’ first time to compete as a full team in the event. However, they did not qualify as a team for this year’s tournament, but three Lady Lions qualified to compete as individuals.

Sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., and sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., will represent the Lady Lions at the tournament.

Martin, who became the first Lady Lion to ever win a golf tournament, won two tournaments and one dual match during regular season – the Bison Classic, the South Central Kansas Invitational and the Seminole State dual match.

UA Fort Smith posted its first wins in the program’s four-year history during the regular season, winning the Harding University Bison Classic and the Seminole State dual match.

Sophomore Ethan Adamson shot a 2-under par 142 to lead the University of Arkansas –Fort Smith Lions to their fourth-consecutive NJCAA Region II golf tournament championship on Tuesday afternoon at El Reno Country Club in El Reno, Okla.

The Lions shot an 11-over par 587 to dominate region rival Seminole State College by 19 strokes. The Trojans, who only trailed the Lions by six strokes after the first round, shot a 30-over par 606.

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M finished third (623), and Western Oklahoma State College finished fourth (630).

Adamson, who’s from Fort Smith, shot a 1-under par 71 during each round to repeat as region tournament champion. The former Southside Rebel shot a 6-over par 150 last spring to win the region tournament at Fort Smith’s Ben Geren Golf Course.

He wasn’t the only Lion to break par during the second round. Teammate Trent Hill, a freshman from Fayetteville, Ark., followed his first-round 75 with a 71 on Tuesday to finish with a 2-over par 146.

Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., shot a 3-over par 147 (73-74), freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., shot an 9-over par 153 (73-80) and freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., shot an 16-over par 160.

The Lions clinched their fourth-consecutive berth in the NJCAA national tournament, which begins on May 19 at Goosepond Colony in Scottsboro, Ala. UA Fort Smith finished a program-best fourth place in last year’s tournament.

The Redlands Community College Lady Cougars also completed their region tournament repeat, beating the Lady Lions by 81 strokes. Redlands shot a 35-over par 611, while UA Fort Smith carded a 116-over par 692.

Seminole State College was third (702), and Western Oklahoma State College was fourth (811).

Redlands sophomores Nicola Race and Andrea Kaelin each shot a 5-over par 149 (76-73) to earn medalist honors.

Sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., shot a 25-over par 169 (84-85) to lead the UA Fort Smith contingent. Freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., shot a 26-over par 170 (86-84), sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot a 28-over par 172 (87-85) and sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot a 37-over par 181.

Martin, Tallon and Hendrex each qualified as individuals for the national tournament, which begins on May 18 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

UA Fort Smith shot a 4-over par 292 during the opening round to lead the four-team field going into Tuesday’s final round. The Lions own a six-stroke lead over rival Seminole State College, which shot a 10-over par 298.

Western Oklahoma State is third (311) and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M is fourth (312).

UA Fort Smith sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith shot a 1-under par 71 and leads the entire tournament field. Teammates Will Fogleman, a sophomore from Marion, Ark., and freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., each carded a 1-over par 73, while freshmen Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., and Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., shot a 3-over par 75 and a 9-over par 81, respectively.

The perennial national championship contender Redlands Lady Cougars are well on their way to another region tournament title, too. The Lady Cougars shot a 26-over par 314 in the opening round and own a 35-stroke lead over UA Fort Smith, which carded a 61-over par 349.

Seminole State is third (352) and Western Oklahoma State is fourth (416).

Redlands sophomores Nicola Race and Andrea Kaelin are tied for the tournament lead after each shot a 4-over par 76.

UA Fort Smith sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., shot a 12-over par 84 to lead the Lions contingent. Freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., shot a 14-over par 86, while sophomores Johannah Hendrex and Jena Morrow, both of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot a 15-over par 87 and a 20-over par 92, respectively.

The region championship team plus the next five best scorers will advance to their respective national tournaments.

McKown fired a 1-over par 72 on Tuesday afternoon to win the weather-shortened Oklahoma Baptist University Bison Classic at Shawnee Country Club in Shawnee, Okla. The Van Buren, Ark., native clipped Oklahoma Baptist’s Alex Hamilton by one stroke to earn medalist honors.

Oklahoma Baptist edged Southwestern College by one stroke to win the classic, which featured NJCAA, NAIA and NCAA Division II teams. Oklahoma Baptist carded a 22-over par 306, while Southwestern College shot a 23-over par 307.

UA Fort Smith finished third with a 31-over par 315 and was four strokes ahead of fourth-place Seminole State College, which shot a 35-over par 319.

The classic was originally scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, but first-round play was scratched after 14 holes on Monday because of wind and cold temperatures.

McKown was one of three Lions to score a Top 20 finish. Sophomore Brett Hubbard of Alma, Ark., and sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith each finished tied for 12th with an 8-over par 79 and sophomore Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., finished tied for 26th with a 14-over par 85.

Three Lady Lions carded Top 20 scores as UA Fort Smith finished third in the women’s classic. UA Fort Smith shot a 93-over par 377 and finished 23 strokes behind classic champion Southern Nazarene University, which shot a 60-over par 344.

Freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., topped off one of her best outings of the spring with a sixth-place finish. Tallon shot a 19-over par 90 to lead the UA Fort Smith contingent.

Sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., finished tied for 12th with a 23-over par 94, sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., finished tied for 16th with a 24-over par 95 and sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., finished tied for 22nd with a 27-over par 98.

And Mother Nature didn’t help much.

The final round was delayed by an hour because of rain and thunder, and then wind played havoc on the golfers the rest of the afternoon. That made for an even tougher day for the Lions, who finished last place in the 18-team field.

UA Fort Smith shot a 34-over par 322 during the final round – one stroke better than Missouri State University – but finished the mostly-NCAA Division I classic with a 104-over par 968. The Lions finished 89 strokes behind champion Lamar University, which rallied to clip host UALR by three strokes to win the title.

Hutchinson Community College, which was the only other junior college in the classic, shot a 64-over par 928 and finished 15th.

Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., shot a 17-over par 233 and finished tied for 65th to lead the Lions, who were in last place after Monday’s opening two rounds.

Freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., shot a 22-over par 238 and finished tied for 78th, sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith shot a 25-over par 241 and finished tied for 85th, freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., shot a 42-over par 258 and finished 94th and freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., shot a 44-over par 260 and finished 95th.

He had every reason.

The Lions will have a lot of work ahead of them during Tuesday’s final round as they try to move out of last place in the 18-team field. Final-round action will begin with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. at Chenal Country Club.

UA Fort Smith, which is one of only two junior colleges competing in the mostly NCAA Division I field, shot a 70-over par 646 during Monday’s opening two rounds. The Lions are 67 strokes behind host and leader UALR.

Huchinson Community College, which is the other junior college in the classic, is 15th after shooting a 38-over par 614.

UA Fort Smith freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., is tied for 64th after shooting an 11-over par 155. Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., is tied for 70th after shooting a 12-over par 156.

Sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith is 85th after shooting a 17-over par 161. Freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., is 95th after shooting a 30-over par 174, and freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., is 96th after shooting a 32-over par 176.

UA Fort Smith shot a 59-over par 911 to finish 36 strokes behind champion Darton Community College, which shot a 23-over par 875.

Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., shot a 10-over par 223 and finished tied for 24th to lead the Lions contingent. Sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith shot a 12-over par 225 and finished tied for 30th. Freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., shot a 16-over par 229 and finished tied for 41st.

Sophomore Brett Hubbard of Alma, Ark., and sophomore Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., each shot a 24-over par 237 to finish tied for 65th, and freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., shot a 25-over par 238 and finished tied for 68th.

The Lions shot a 78-over par 646 – 38 strokes behind invitational champ Lon Morris College. UA Fort Smith did finish eight strokes ahead of Region II rival Seminole State, which finished last in the eight-team field.

Sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith finish tied for 20th to lead the UA Fort Smith contingent with an 18-over par 160. Freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., tied for 25th (161), sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., finished 29th (163), freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., tied for 36th (166) and sophomore Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., tied for 38th (168).

The Lady Lions shot a 147-over par 715 on their way to a fourth-place finish – 57 strokes behind invitational champ Western Texas Community College. UA Fort Smith finished eight strokes behind region rival Seminole Sate.

Sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., finished ninth with a 27-over par 169 to lead the UA Fort Smith contingent. Freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., tied for 14th (176), sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., finished 17th (178) and sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., finished 23rd (192).

Athletic director Dustin Smith announced on Monday that UA Fort Smith has accepted an invitation to join the prestigious Heartland Conference, a now 10-member league based in Waco, Texas.

UA Fort Smith will begin play in the Heartland Conference with the start of the 2009-10 season.

“It’s a historic day for UA Fort Smith athletics as we continue our transition to NCAA Division II status,” Smith said. “We are thankful to now have a home, and we feel the Heartland Conference fits the mission and goals of our institution and athletic department.”

UA Fort Smith, which is in its final year as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, is currently in the second year of the three-year Division II membership process.

UA Fort Smith will be a provisional Division II member next season while competing in the Heartland Conference. UA Fort Smith’s teams, however, will not be eligible to compete in postseason play until the 2010-11 season, when it becomes a full-fledged member of Division II.

“We are excited about beginning play in Division II next year and being a member of the Heartland Conference,” UA Fort Smith chancellor Dr. Paul B. Beran said. “We will be playing schools that will be on par with us. … This is a great moment.”

The Heartland Conference is the newest Division II conference. The conference, which was founded in 1999, covers a distance of more than 1,050 miles from north to south and 610 miles east to west.

UA Fort Smith will join current Heartland Conference members Dallas Baptist University, Incarnate Word University, St. Edward’s University, Lincoln University, St. Mary’s University, Newman University, Texas A&M International University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University and the University of Texas - Permian Basin.

“We look forward to establishing ourselves at the Division II level, and the Heartland Conference will be a great opportunity for us to showcase our program – athletically and academically,” Smith said.

The Heartland Conference sponsors six men’s sports – cross country, soccer, basketball, baseball, golf and tennis – and seven women’s sports – cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, golf, softball and tennis.

UA Fort Smith currently competes in four men’s sports – basketball, baseball, golf and tennis – and four women’s sports – volleyball, basketball, golf and tennis. Next season, it also will field men’s and women’s cross country teams.

Smith said the Heartland Conference not only is a great fit for UA Fort Smith athletically but academically as well.

Universities in the Heartland Conference offer a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. The strength of the student-athlete concept is well supported by the many NCAA scholar-athletes in each school, the high cumulative GPA of the student-athletes in each school and the high number of student-athletes who graduate from each institution in the Heartland Conference.

“We are proud of their commitment to academics at the conference level,” Smith said. “That’s what we expect of our student-athletes.”

Smith said he is looking forward to a long relationship with the Heartland Conference.

“We are excited about being a member of the Heartland Conference and look forward to playing in the conference for many years to come,” Smith said.

Adamson shot the low score of each round during the two-day classic to help the Lions defend their tournament title with a seven-stroke win over Bi-State Conference rival Seminole State Tuesday afternoon at Hardscrabble Country Club.

The Lions, who trailed Seminole State by two strokes after the first round, fired a 42-over par 602 to beat the Trojans, who shot a 49-over par 609 on one of the most challenging courses in the region.

Adamson shot an even-par 70 during the first round and followed the spectacular round with a two-over par 72 on Tuesday to earn medalist honors. Lions freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., finished tied for third (76-74), sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., was fifth (77-76), sophomore Brett Hubbard of Alma, Ark., tied for ninth (79-78) and sophomore Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., tied for 22nd (81-82).

Lions freshmen Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., tied for 19th (83-78) and Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., tied for 22nd (79-84) while competing as individuals.

The Lady Lions trailed the NCAA Division II Arkansas Tech Golden Suns by four strokes after the first round but couldn’t close the gap during the final round, finishing four strokes behind the Suns.

Tech defended its classic title, shooting a 132-over par 692. UA Fort Smith shot a 136-over par 696.

Courtney Nupport of Southwestern College earned medalist honors with a 24-over par 164. Nupport shot the low score of the first round (80), while teammate Kayden Johnson shot the low score of the second round (82).

UA Fort Smith sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., shot a 27-over par 167 to finish tied for second overall. Freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., finished seventh (86-86), sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., finished 10th (89-87) and sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., finished 14th (92-89).

The Lions and Lady Lions are in second place but well within striking distance of the lead after Monday’s first round at Hardscrabble Country Club. Final-round play will begin a shotgun start at 9 a.m. today.

The defending champion Lions shot a 22-over par 302 and are just two strokes behind NJCAA Region II rival Seminole State. The Lady Lions shot a 68-over par 348 and are four strokes behind NCAA Division II Arkansas Tech University, which is the defending champion.

“We’ve got a fight on our hands,” UA Fort Smith coach Mark Curlett said. “We had an average day. We didn’t play great, but we didn’t play bad either.”

UA Fort Smith sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith shot an even-par 70 to lead the Lions and the field going into the second round. Freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., is tied for fifth (76), sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., is tied for seventh (77) and sophomore Brett Hubbard of Alma, Ark., and freshman Trent Hill are tied for 10th (79).

Sophomore Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., is tied for 16th (81) and freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., is 25th (83), and while competing as individuals for the Lions.

“Ethan Adamson had an excellent round with a 70,” Curlett said. “We have a lot of work to do, though. The spring is a new season, and we have some work to do. Seminole had a great first round for Hardscrabble.”

UA Fort Smith sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., shot an 11-over par 81 to lead the Lady Lions. She is one stroke behind leader Courtney Nupport of Southwestern College, who shot an 80. Lions freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., is tied for sixth (86), sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., is 12th (89) and sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., is tied for 15th (92).

UA Fort Smith Lions Classic

First Round Team Results

Men

Team Score

1. Seminole State College 300

2. UA Fort Smith 302

3. Harding University 315

4. Central Baptist College 331

5. University of Arkansas - Monticello 335

6. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 337

7. Western Oklahoma State 341

8. Des Moines Area CC 348

Women

Team Score

1. Arkansas Tech University 344

2. UA Fort Smith 348

3. Southwestern College 365

4. Seminole State College 368

5. Des Moines Area CC 377

6. Western Oklahoma State College 440

7. University of Arkansas - Monticello 517

UA Fort Smith Lions Classic

First Round Individual Results

Women

Individual/School Score

1. Courtney Nupport, Southwestern College

2. Lacy Martin, UA Fort Smith 81

3. Madi Fischels, Des Moines Area CC 85

3. Kimber Quinn, Seminole State 85

3. Casey Wheeler, Arkansas Tech University 85

6. Kyla McIsaac, Arkansas Tech University 86

6. Danielle Lewis, Arkansas Tech University 86

6. Sidney Tallon, UA Fort Smith 86

6. Sam Pingel, Des Moines Area CC 86

10. Lizi Sweetnam, Seminole State 87

10. Alyssia Duvall, Arkansas Tech University 87

12. Jena Morrow, UA Fort Smith 89

13. Kayden Johnson, Southwestern College 91

13. Ana Morales, Arkansas Tech University 91

15. Johannah Hendrex, UA Fort Smith 92

15. Jennifer Alury, Western Oklahoma State 92

17. Lacie Holbert, Southwestern College 96

18. Maria Servin, Seminole State 98

18. Courtney Underhill, Seminole State 98

18. Amy Kellner, Southwestern College 98

21. Amber Smallwood, Seminole State 99

22. Jesse Krull, Des Moines Area CC 100

23. Caitlin Peterson, Des Moines Area CC 106

24. Jessica Carter, Western Oklahoma State 108

25. Amber Barmettler, Western Oklahoma State 114

26. Doni Gratham, Des Moines Area CC 115

27. Leigh Sadler, UA Monticello 116

28. Laurisa Soap, Western Oklahoma State 126

29. Rebecca Smith, UA Monticello 129

30. Kim Gibson, UA Monticello 134

31. Cayla Knapp, UA Monticello 138

Blair Koehn, Southwestern College DNF

UA Fort Smith Lions Classic

First Round Individual Results

Men

Individual/School Score

1. Ethan Adamson, UA Fort Smith 70

2. Derek Nagel, Seminole State 74

2. Clint Bailey, Seminole State 74

4. Nathan Harris, Seminole State 75

5. Matt McKown, UA Fort Smith 76

5. Devin DeBray, UA Monticello 76

7. Mariano Newton, Seminole State 77

7. Will Fogleman, UA Fort Smith 77

7. Dusty Gourley, Harding University 77

10. Brett Hubbard, UA Fort Smith 79

10. Bruce McMullin, Harding University 79

10. Dustin Richter, Harding University 79

10. Trent Hill, UA Fort Smith 79

14. Matt Hedrick, Central Baptist College 80

14. Michael Sitler, Harding University 80

16. Taylor Owens, UA Fort Smith 81

16. Camron Hurst, UA Monticello 81

16. Rick Hutchinson, Central Baptist College 81

19. Andrew Wander, Harding University 82

19. Nolan Couch, NEO 82

19. Chad Longley, NEO 82

19. Trey Lawson, Western Oklahoma State 82

19. Jake Anderson, Des Moines Area CC 82

19. Forest Carvajal, Central Baptist College 82

25. Jacob Embry, UA Fort Smith 83

26. Tanner Lowery, NEO 84

26. Brad Lorenz, Des Moines Area CC 84

28. Hayden Hughes, Seminole State 85

29. Dallas Wigington, Western Oklahoma State 86

29. Casey Williard, Western Oklahoma State 86

29. John Watkins, Western Oklahoma State 86

32. Nick Iness, Western Oklahoma State 87

32. Scott Harvey, Des Moines Area CC 87

34. Jarod Durham, Central Baptist College 88

35. Calvin Becker, NEO 89

35. Trey Halferty, Central Baptist College 89

35. Jared Dutton, UA Monticello 89

35. Matt Diffie, UA Monticello 89

39. Richard Eberle, UA Monticello 91

40. Brett King, Western Oklahoma State 94

41. Scott Montgomery, Des Moines Area CC 95

42. Nick Davidson, Des Moines Area CC 97

43. Jacob McGhee, UA Monticello 98

44. Stephen Cate, NEO 100

UA Fort Smith will look to build off that early success when the spring season begins on Monday with the annual UA Fort Smith Lions Classic at Hardscrabble Country Club. Play in the two-day tournament will begin at 9 a.m. each day with a shotgun start.

The Lions are the defending classic champions but will battle a competitive field of seven other teams from the junior college and NCAA Division II ranks – Harding University, Des Moines Area Community College, University of Arkansas - Monticello, Western Oklahoma State College, Seminole State College, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Central Baptist College.

UA Fort Smith won two of its three fall tournaments – the Arris’ Pizza Fall Invitational and the Bison Fall Classic – and won its only dual match, beating Bi-State Conference rival Seminole State.

The Lions are led by sophomores Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith, Ark., and Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark. Adamson was a NJCAA first team All-American a year ago, and Fogleman was a second team All-American.

Fogleman won the classic a year ago with a four-over par 144.

The Lady Lions had a solid performance in last year’s Lions Classic, finishing third in a competitive field. They will again face tough competition from six other teams in their bid to win their own classic – Southwestern College, Des Moines Area Community College, University of Arkansas - Monticello, Western Oklahoma State College, Seminole State College and Arkansas Tech University.

Arkansas Tech is the defending women’s classic champion.

UA Fort Smith won one of its three fall tournaments – the Arris’ Pizza Fall Invitational – and won its only dual match, beating conference rival Seminole State.

The Lady Lions are led by sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark. Martin became the first Lady Lion golfer to win a tournament this fall, winning the Harding Bison Classic and South Central Kansas Fall Invitational.

She also won the dual match against Seminole State College.

MONDAY’S TICKET

UA FORT SMITH LIONS CLASSIC

TIME: 9 a.m.

SITE: Hardscrabble Country Club, Fort Smith

DEFENDING TEAM CHAMPIONS: Women – Arkansas Tech University. Men – UA Fort Smith

DEFENDING INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS: Women – Blair Koehn, Southwestern College; Emma Cuttmore, Dodge City Community College. Men – Will Fogleman, UA Fort Smith.

TEAMS: Women – UA Fort Smith, Southwestern College, Des Moines Area Community College, University of Arkansas - Monticello, Western Oklahoma State College, Seminole State College and Arkansas Tech. Men – UA Fort Smith, Harding University, Des Moines Area Community College, University of Arkansas - Monticello, Western Oklahoma State College, Seminole State College, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Central Baptist College.

UA Fort Smith Chancellor Dr. Paul B. Beran received the official notification of the decision made by the President’s Council of the Gulf South Conference during Wednesday’s session of the NCAA National Convention, which is being held this week in Washington, D.C.

In making its decision, the President’s Council cited the current balance within the conference’s two divisions – eight teams in the West Division and eight teams in the East Division – as being the desired management structure that they want to maintain for the conference.

“UA Fort Smith has a strong athletic program, excellent facilities, and most importantly, dedicated and energized athletic personnel,” Beran said. “The athletic department administration and I will immediately begin to pursue other conference opportunities.”

This past July, the athletic department received approval from the NCAA Division II membership committee to proceed to the second year of the two-year exploratory phase of the three-year membership process.

UA Fort Smith is currently competing in its final season as a member of the NJCAA.

“UA Fort Smith has demonstrated full ability to be a strong member of any NCAA Division II conference,” Beran said. “We will move forward to not only join another conference of equal or greater quality and stature, but also we will move forward to show our huge capacity for being the university of choice for student athletes.”

Both UA Fort Smith teams are ranked in Golfstat.com’s NJCAA Division II Top 10 Head-To-Head rankings released earlier this week. The Lions are ranked No. 5 and the Lady Lions are No. 6 in the standings, which are a round-robin, head-to-head comparison of all teams.

The Lions won two of their three fall tournaments – the Arris’ Pizza Fall Invitational and the Bison Fall Classic – and won their only dual match, beating Bi-State Conference rival Seminole State. The Lady Lions won one of their three fall tournaments – the Arris’ Pizza Fall Invitational – and won their only dual match, beating conference rival Seminole State.

Statistically, the Lions are fourth in par 5 scoring (4.78), and sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith is third in Par 5 scoring (4.38) and tied for fifth in subpar strokes per round (4.5)

The Lady Lions are third in par 3 scoring (3.6), fifth in par 4 scoring (5.16), fourth in par 5 scoring and fifth in subpar strokes per round (0.75).

Sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., is second in par 3 scoring (3.19), tenth in par 4 scoring (4.53) and tied for sixth in par 5 scoring (5.38). Sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., is tied for eighth in par 3 scoring (3.38), and freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., is tied for sixth in par 5 scoring (5.38).

The sophomore from Harrison, Ark., shot a 3-over par 73 to lead the Lady Lions to a 26-stroke win over NJCAA Region II rival Seminole State. UA Fort Smith carded a 348, while Seminole State shot a 374.

It was Martin’s third win this fall and the Lady Lions’ second-ever win.

“To shoot 73 here at Hardscrabble for the ladies is just fantastic,” UA Fort Smith coach Mark Curlett said. “If you shoot 73 at Hardscrabble, you’ve played a good round of golf. Lacy has really played well this fall.”

UA Fort Smith sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot an 88; freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., shot a 91; sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson shot a 96 and freshman Keshia Lowery of Cecil, Ark., shot a 128.

Sophomore Kimberly Quinn of Fulshear, Texas, led Seminole State with an 86. Sophomore Emily Kiesel of Seminole shot a 91, freshman Maria Servin of Mexico City, Mexico, shot a 97; freshman Amber Smallwood of Henryetta, Okla., shot a 100; and freshman Courtney Underhill of Henryetta shot a 104.

The Lions used a balanced team effort to beat Seminole State and earn their third win of the fall. UA Fort Smith shot a 297 – 27 strokes ahead of Seminole State.

Sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith and sophomore Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson each shot a 73 to lead the Lions. Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., shot a 74, and Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., and freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., each carded a 77.

Lions sophomore Brett Hubbard of Alma, Ark., and freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., competed as individuals and shot a 77 and a 79, respectively.

“It was a team effort, and that’s what we’ll have to have in the spring,” Curlett said. “We’ll need everyone to do their part in scoring.”

Seminole State’s Luke Morgan of Muldrow, Okla., shot an even-par 70 to win medalist honors. Clint Burley of Stillwater, Okla., shot an 83; Derek Nagel of Mansfield, Texas, shot an 84; Jon Balmain of Westville, Okla., shot an 87; and Nathan Harris of Vian, Okla., shot an 88.

JUNIOR COLLEGE GOLF

WOMEN

UA FORT SMITH DEF. SEMINOLE STATE, 348-374

UA Fort Smith 348

Lacy Martin 73

Jena Morrow 88

Sidney Tallon 91

Johannah Hendrex 96

Keshia Lowrey 128

Seminole State 374

Kimberly Quinn 86

Emily Kiesel 91

Maria Servin 97

Amber Smallwood 100

Courtney Underhill 104

WOMEN

UA FORT SMITH DEF. SEMINOLE STATE, 348-374

UA Fort Smith 297

Ethan Adamson 73

Taylor Owens 73

Will Fogleman 74

Matt McKown 77

Jacob Embry 77

Individuals

Brett Hubbard 77

Trent Hill 79

Seminole State 324

Luke Morgan 70

Clint Bailey 83

Derek Nagel 84

Jon Balmain 87

Nathan Harris 88

Martin won a three-hole, sudden-death playoff on Tuesday afternoon to win the South Central Kansas Fall Invitational at Winfield Country Club in Winfield, Kan.

The sophomore from Harrison, Ark., shot 21-over par 165 to finish tied for first place, but she birdied the third and final playoff hole to capture medalist honors.

It is the second-consecutive tournament win for Martin, who last week became the first UA Fort Smith Lady Lion to win a tournament.

Martin’s strong two-day performance – she shot rounds of 81 and 84 – helped the Lady Lions shoot 709 (368-341) and finish second in the invitational. Host Southwestern College won the tournament.

Along with Martin, freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., shot 173 (92-81), sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot 183 (100-83), sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson shot 188 (95-93) and freshman Keshia Lowery of Cecil, Ark., shot 225 (115-110).

Sophomore Ethan Adamson, who won last week’s Harding University Bison Classic, shot a 4-over par 148 (76-72) to finish runner-up in the men’s division. Adamson, who’s from Fort Smith, helped the Lions shoot 618 (309-309) and finish runner-up. Southwestern College won the tournament.

Along with Adamson, freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., shot 153 (78-75), sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., shot 157 (76-81), sophomore Taylor Owens of Muskogee, Okla., shot 160 (79-81) and freshman Jacob Embry shot 175 (82-93).

UA Fort Smith will finish its fall schedule on Oct. 8 when it hosts NJCAA Region II rival Seminole State College in a match at Hardscrabble Country Club in Fort Smith.

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lady Lions and Lions golf teams each beat out a field of mostly four-year teams on Tuesday to win their respective championships in the Harding University Bison Classic at Stone Links Golf Course in Little Rock, Ark.

The Lady Lions shot a 642 over the two-day tournament to edge host NCAA Division II Harding University.

It was the first tournament win in the four-year history of the women’s program, and sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., became the first Lady Lion ever to win a golf tournament. Martin shot a 9-over par 153 to lead the Lady Lions’ contingent.

Freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., carded a 14-over par 158, sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot a 22-over par 166, sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., carded a 23-over par 167 and freshman Keshia Lowrey of Cecil, Ark., shot a 60-over par 204.

“That was the first tournament win ever for the women’s program,” UA Fort Smith coach Mark Curlett said. “They’ve really been working hard, and I’m really proud of them.”

It was the first time, obviously, that the Lions and Lady Lions have swept a tournament. The Lions shot a 1-over par 577 to edge out Harding University.

It also was the first time UA Fort Smith has swept medalist honors. Sophomore first-team All-American Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith shot a 3-under par 144 to win his third collegiate tournament.

Sophomore second-team All-American Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., shot an even-par 144, freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., shot an even-par 144, freshman Trent Hill of Fayetteville, Ark., shot a 5-over par 149 and freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., carded a 9-over par 153.

“The guys played a great round of golf on the second day, and they won another tournament,” Curlett said.

The Lions and Lady Lions are atop their respective leader boards after Monday’s first round of the Harding University Bison Classic at Stonelinks Golf Course in Little Rock, Ark.

The Lady Lions will carry a comfy 10-stroke lead into the second round of play on Tuesday, while the Lions will carry a slim two-stroke advantage into the final round.

“Both of them are leading after the first day, and I’m real pleased with that,” Curlett said. “The ladies have played great, and the guys have played well. But, we can do better.”

UA Fort Smith is competing against a field made up mostly of four-year programs like Southern Arkansas, Lyon College, Hendrix College, Central Baptist College and Harding.

UA Fort Smith shot a tournament-record 12-under par 564 to win the William Woods University/Arris Pizza Fall Invitational on Tuesday afternoon at Tanglewood Golf Course in Fulton, Mo.

The Lions finished Monday’s first round two-strokes behind NCAA Division II University of Central Missouri but rallied during the second round to eclipse the Mules by one stroke.

“That’s a great start to the season,” UA Fort Smith coach Mark Curlett said. “That was just fantastic golf. It was a total team effort, and all the guys shot great rounds.”

Freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., led the Lions with a second-place overall finish. McKown carded a 140 with rounds of 69 and 71.

“Matt shot two great rounds,” Curlett said.

Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., finished fourth overall after shooting a 141 with rounds of 71 and 70. Sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith rallied from a tough first round to finish fifth after shooting a 142 with rounds of 74 and 68. Freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., shot a 146 with rounds of 72 and 74, and sophomore Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot a 147 with rounds of 69 and 78.

The Lady Lions were in third place after Monday’s first round and kept pace during the second round, finishing third with an 891. William Woods won the women’s invitational.

Lady Lions sophomore Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., finished sixth overall with a 157, shooting rounds of 79 and 78. Sophomore Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot a 161 with rounds of 79 and 82, freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., fired a 175 with rounds of 92 and 83, sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot a 187 with rounds of 98 and 89 and freshman Keshia Lowrey of Cecil, Ark., carded a 211 with rounds of 109 and 102.

“The ladies played great,” Curlett said.

UA Fort Smith shot a 7-under par 281 and will enter Tuesday’s final round only two strokes behind first-round leader Central Missouri University.

“I’m really proud of the guys. That was a good round of golf,” UA Fort Smith coach Mark Curlett said. “Our guys were solid all the way through.”

Sophomore Taylor Owens of Fort Gibson, Okla., and freshman Matt McKown of Van Buren, Ark., each shot a 69 to lead the Lions’ contingent. Sophomore Will Fogleman of Marion, Ark., shot a 71, freshman Jacob Embry of Huntsville, Ark., carded a 72 and sophomore Ethan Adamson of Fort Smith shot a 74.

The Lady Lions are in third place going into the second round of the invitational after firing a 59-over par 347. Sophomores Lacy Martin of Harrison, Ark., and Johannah Hendrex of Fort Gibson, Okla., each shot 79 to lead the Lady Lions. Freshman Sidney Tallon of Muskogee, Okla., shot a 92, sophomore Jena Morrow of Fort Gibson, Okla., shot a 97 and freshman Keshia Lowrey of Cecil, Ark., fired a 109.

“Johannah and Lacy shot two fine rounds of golf,” Curlett said.