Callaway Colleges

Lady Owls drop first two games at Alabama Artic Blast

The Lady Owls fell to No. 9 Bellhaven 3-1 in their second game at Alabama Artic Blast on Friday.

William Woods scored its lone run against Montgomery in the bottom of the seventh inning and already trailing 3-0. Junior catcher Grace Fritz singled in sophomore shortstop Shelby LeCuru, but it would be all the Lady Owls could do.

Lady Blue Jays picked third

in SLIAC preseason poll

Westminster totaled 55 points to finish third in the SLIAC preseason poll released on Thursday. Fontbonne earned 81 points, including nine first-place tallies in earning the No. 1 spot.

The Lady Blue Jays finished second in the SLIAC in 2013 with an overall mark of 15-11 and a 10-4 league record. They'll be led by senior Rai'an Harris, an honorable mention all-SLIAC selection at catcher last season. She'll be joined by senior outfielders Lori Jones and Becca Rose and senior pitcher Brittany Lee, who was a 10-game winner in 2013.

Westminster opens the season with a home doubleheader against the University of Wisconsin-Platteville at 10 a.m. on March 8.

Baseball

Viterbo 2

William Woods 1

JOPLIN -The Owls opened up play at the Joplin Tournament with a loss to Viterbo (Wisc.) University on Friday.

Junior starter Ryan Yuengel let up a run in each of the first two innings to take the defeat. He lasted 2 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits on four hits and two walks while striking out one.

William Woods' sole tally came on junior right fielder Nick Spagnola's RBI double in the top of the fourth inning to drive in junior pinch runner Austin Clapp.

Blue Jays slotted third

in SLIAC preseaon poll

Fresh off a second-place finish in 2013, Westminster was picked third in the SLIAC preseason poll released on Thursday. The Blue Jays earned 59 points, runner up Spalding got 73 points and a first-place vote while Webster took the top spot with 81 points and nine first-place votes.

Westminster returns seven of 16 starters from a year ago, headlined by all-conference returnee Tyler Branneky. Branneky - a junior third baseman - led all players with a .406 batting average, hit five home runs and drove in 27 runs on his way to notching All-Region and SLIAC Newcomer of the Year honors.

Indoor track and field

William Woods men, women

wrap up third straight AMC titles

ELSAH, Ill. - William Woods captured both the men's and women's AMC Indoor Track and Field championships for a third year in a row on Thursday.

The Lady Owls easily toppped the field, finishing with 206 points, 103 points better than second place Missouri Baptist. Park University took third while Hannibal-LaGrange and Columbia College were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Junior Madeline Emme collected three first-place results on her way to being named AMC Field Athlete of the Meet. She began the day with victory in the long jump with a personal-best of 4.86 meters then added on to her haul with a first-place leap of 10.13 meters in the triple jump, another personal best.

Her time of 9.3 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles wasn't a record, but it was good enough to successfully defend her conference title in the event from last year.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.