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Angelina College Athletics Weekly Update

By
Gary Stallard
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(Women’s basketball photos by Camilla Bedin and Mary Kahraman; men’s basketball photos by Maria Andrade; soccer photos by Gary Stallard)

This week in Angelina College Athletics saw the men’s soccer team end its remarkable run at the NJCAA National Tournament in Wichita, while the men’s and women’s basketball team spent lots of time inside Shands Gymnasium.

Here’s a recap of the week, along with what’s coming our way this week. (HINT: It’s not much, meaning you’ll get a bit of a break for Thanksgiving.)

Roadrunner Soccer Season Ends in National Tournament

If anything, it’s a testament to just how hard it is to win a national championship.

After having the traditional dinner with AC president Dr. Michael Simon on Sunday, a Roadrunner soccer team that hadn’t lost a single match all season began pool play on Monday at the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Wichita, Kansas, dropping a 3-1 decision to Cowley College. Omar Mora scored AC’s lone goal in the loss off a beautiful feed from Kaito Ueki, but the ‘Runners just couldn’t finish off other chances against a tough Cowley defense.

The Roadrunners then entered Tuesday’s match against defending national champion Monroe College needing to win by at least three goals. The match was just as intense as anyone would expect; unfortunately, the Mustangs – who would end the week with their second straight national title – proved too stubborn an opponent, sending the ‘Runners home with a 1-0 loss.

Mora earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team, and the Roadrunners earned the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award – awarded to the team conducting itself with the “highest degree of integrity, character and class.”

AC’s season ended with a 13-2-2 record, with the Roadrunners making Angelina College history as the only team (thus far) to appear in a national tournament in consecutive seasons in AC’s 55-year history.

Lady Roadrunner Basketball Hosts Angelina Classic

Shands Gymnasium stayed busy all weekend, as the Lady Roadrunners hosted the annual Angelina Classic – a two-day hoop-a-thon featuring six teams.

AC got in a tune-up before the classic, beating CCBC-Essex by an 87-78 score. Amyria Walker scored 26 points to lead the Lady Roadrunners, followed by Jade Fry with 21 points and Janay Quinn with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

On Friday, the Lady ‘Runners battled No. 8 McLennan College before falling to the Highlassies by a 69-54 score.

AC’s ladies bounced back in a big way on Saturday, torching LSU-Eunice in a 118-86 AC win. The Lady Roadrunners combined to burn the nets for 19 three-pointers, with Walker drilling seven of those on her way to a 32-point game. Alicia Rivera-Scott hit five threes for a 22-point game, Janay Quinn hit four treys in a 16-point game and India McMahon finished with 21 points that included a 3-of-4 performance from behind the three-point line.

NOTE: Nine games into the season, AC’s Amyria Walker leads Region XIV in scoring, averaging 23.9 points per game. Walker has two games of 30-plus points and seven games of 20-plus points so far.

The Lady ‘Runners (5-4) next play on Friday and Saturday as part of the Budke/Serna Classic at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens. AC faces Three Rivers Community College at 5 p.m. on Friday and South Plains College at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Roadrunner Basketball Off to 5-1 Start

The Roadrunner men’s basketball team is off to a quick start, and although conference play hasn’t begun yet, AC showed it’s ready to run with the big dogs.

AC showed its capabilities with a nail-biting, 69-67 win over No. 27 Howard College on Tuesday. Xavier Owens had his best game of the season thus far, scoring 24 points that included a 6-for-8 effort from the free-throw line. Two of those free throws came late to seal the win.

Kai’Ree Murray added 12 points, and Patrick Johnson and Nehikare Igiehon added 11 points each.

The ‘Runners had a much easier time on Friday, rolling over Lonestar College-Tomball by an 85-42 final. Owens again led the team, this time with 17 points. Murray added 11, and every player on the Roadrunner roster found his way into the scorebook.

AC will host Strength N’ Motion at 6 p.m. Tuesday before taking off the rest of the holiday week.

Former Lady Roadrunner Softball Coach Sterling Passes Away

Angelina College Athletics members were heartbroken to hear of the passing of Abby Sterling, a former assistant coach for the Lady Roadrunner softball program.

Abby was part of the Roadrunner family in 2021-2022, also serving as our residence life specialist in addition to her softball duties.

In her year at AC, Abby was in the middle of just about everything. Her antics during the Trunk or Treat event are legendary, as were her improvised dance moves on the softball field.

Her memorial service took place this past weekend in Nederland, Texas.

Abby was 27 years old.

From all of us at Angelina College Athletics, we hope you and yours have a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. If you happen to eat too much, let us know and we’ll help you find some bigger AC Athletics swag. (Trust me. I need ‘em every year.)

If there’s anything else you need from me, please let me know.

I’ll see you at the games.

Online Cessation Class Starting November 29, 2023

By
Diana De Leon Bon
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The Alcohol & Drug Awareness Council (ADAC) in partnership with The Coalition, Inc., is hosting free online tobacco cessation classes for adults who want to quit tobacco. There are many benefits for people who quit tobacco, including reduced risk of tobacco-related diseases and early death. With support and encouragement, you can double your chances of successfully quitting. The Freshstart program can be your start to a new life without tobacco! This 4-session program is free for all participants and all materials are included. The online class will be on November 29th, December 6th, 13th, and 20th from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm. For more information, or to register, visit Project-Quit.org or call (936) 634-9308. The Coalition, Inc. focuses on eliminating harmful substances by affecting public policy, laws, attitudes, and behaviors, all in an effort to foster healthy life-long choices for the local community. The Coalition is one of the oldest substance abuse prevention community coalitions in the United States.

Local Companies Expand Under Building Materials Giant

By
Lee Allen Miller
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CRH Logos

CRH Americas Materials has purchased over $2 billion of assets in Texas over the past two years, including the recent acquisition of cement and concrete operations from Martin Marietta Materials centered in Central Texas. This growth for the Ireland-based corporation builds on its purchases last year of East Texas Asphalt and Moore Brothers Construction.

Rick Moore, former co-owner of Moore Brothers, said at the time of last year’s deal: “We are excited to join CRH and Texas Materials to expand our services and footprint across Texas while retaining local leadership as part of this great team.”

The Martin Marietta assets acquired include a cement plant between San Antonio and Austin, a network of terminals along the Texas Gulf Coast, and around 20 concrete plants serving booming markets of Austin and San Antonio.

CRH sees potential for integrating these assets with its existing Texas Materials operations across the state. Leveraging CRH’s resources and cement expertise is expected to yield major synergies.

“This transaction reflects our disciplined approach to capital allocation as well as our commitment to deliver further growth and value creation for our shareholders,” said CRH CEO Albert Manifold. “We also believe there is significant potential to unlock additional growth opportunities across an expanded footprint in this attractive growth market.”

While now belonging to a global enterprise valued at over $40 billion, Texas Materials gives its local brands like East Texas Asphalt operational independence to continue serving customers. That combination of financial strength and local focus creates advantages according to Rick Moore.

Regulatory approval is still needed to finalize the Martin Marietta deal in the first half of 2024. But the steady expansion underscores CRH and Texas Materials’ bullish outlook for construction and infrastructure projects across high-growth areas of Texas.

Texas Legislature Takes Historic Action on Border Security: Senate Bills 3 and 4

By
Rep. Trent Ashby
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As we gather with friends and family around the Thanksgiving holiday, we relish the tradition of a savory turkey meal with dressing, cranberry sauce, and the perfect slice of pumpkin pie. While Thanksgiving is certainly a time for over-indulgence, it’s also a time to reflect and appreciate the blessings of togetherness and the warmth that this season brings to our homes and hearts. It’s a time to come together; to share stories, make memories, and express gratitude for the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us. It is my hope that you and your family enjoy a meaningful and joyous Thanksgiving by celebrating family, gratitude, and the spirit of giving.

With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol. . .

Capitol Update

As you are likely aware, the Governor has reconvened the Legislature for a 4th called special session. The Governor’s proclamation addresses multiple policy areas including education and border security. While the Legislature is still down in Austin, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. Last week, I explained two border bills that received passage after a long debate on the House floor. With a few improvements negotiated with our Senate colleagues, I’m pleased to report that the Legislature has sent the strongest border security bill in Texas history to the Governor’s desk.

Senate Bill 3 marks a momentous step in strengthening our southern border by allocating $1.5 billion towards constructing, operating, and maintaining barrier infrastructure. Additionally, this bill appropriates $40 million to support extra law enforcement at Colony Ridge in Liberty County. In the face of the current Administration’s apathy towards the escalating homeland security crisis at our southern border, this bill offers a robust defense against illegal immigration and the constant flow of drug and human trafficking. This historic investment sends a clear message that the State of Texas will do whatever is necessary to secure the border and protect its citizens.

Senate Bill 4 stands as a crucial initiative, addressing the challenges surrounding unlawful entry into our country by establishing state-level consequences for such actions. The bill creates a new state offense for unauthorized entry into the US through Texas and provides state law enforcement officers with legal authority to return arrested individuals to Mexico or face enhanced criminal penalties. The current situation at our border has seen an unprecedented surge in migrant encounters, reaching an all-time high of nearly 2.4 million in fiscal year 2022 according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. By empowering every peace officer across the state, this legislation ensures their readiness to protect Texans.

Reminders

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. My district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762 and our Capitol office at (512) 463-0508. Additionally, I welcome you to follow along on my Official Facebook Page, where I will post regular updates on what’s happening in your State Capitol and share information that could be useful to you and your family: https://www.facebook.com/RepTrentAshby/.

Nacogdoches Farmers Market

By
Diana De Leon Bon
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Come visit the Farmers Market every Saturday year-round 9 AM – 12 PM, we have local produce, artisan bakers, candy makers, and a wide array of custom handmade jewelry, handwoven scarfs, wraps, and more. Local musicians are featured every Saturday morning playing your favorite tunes while you shop.

Date and Time
Saturday Nov 25, 2023
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST

Open every Saturday 9 AM-12 PM
RAIN or SHINE

Location
Located at the “old hitch lot” across from the police station at 107 Pearl St, Nacogdoches,  TX
Website
http://www.nacogdochesfarmersmarket.com
Contact Information
(936) 556-0680
Send Email

New Cold Hardiness Zone Map Released by the USDA

By
Cary Sims
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Earlier this past week the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a press release announcing the new cold hardiness zones for the United States. This announcement came after years of collecting data from more weather stations than they have ever used before, and the results are quite interesting.

Getting straight to the point gardeners in our part of the world we’ll find themselves in a different zone as a result of all the research that has been conducted. Previously all of Angelina County was in zone 8 B which indicated a minimum temperature between 15- and 20 degrees F. As of this past week, we are now considered 9A which is an average minimum temperature between 20- and 25-degrees F!

Cold hardiness zones are a valuable tool for gardeners and nurserymen as it helps determine which plants will survive winters in our area.  This change seems significant to many in our region because the old boundary of zone 9A was limited to the Texas coast and around Houston.

This is the first time the researchers working with the USDA have changed the map since 2012. This updated map was developed jointly by the Agricultural Research Service (a branch of the USDA) and the Oregon State University’s (OSU) PRISM Climate Group. The promise of this map is that it “is more accurate and contains greater detail than prior versions”.

You can find it online by searching “USDA plant hardiness zones 2023” or at the following link: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/.

These zones were first put forth by the USDA in 1960 in response to a need to standardize growing zones with some measure of accuracy. Private nurseries had developed their own “zones” more so by geographical regions as early as 1927, but no data driven standard was established.

But the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service first used historical climate data from 450 weather stations from across the nation to set up 10 “cold hardiness zones” and presented it to the public. Zone 1 was in central Alaska and zone 10 could be found in Hawaii.  Each zone measured a 10-degree F delineation in the average minimum temperatures of the region. Zone 1 has a minimum average temperature of -50 F while zone 10’s minimum average temperature is 40 F.  

Our region around east Texas and extending west/southwest across the state was zone 8 with an average low somewhere between 10 to 20 F.

Thirty years later in 1990, the USDA released an updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map. This map took data from close to 8,000 weather stations and used data from the period from 1974 to 1986. This increased volume of historical data also allowed each zone to be broken into a 5-degree range, designated “a” or “b”. The map was updated again in 2012 and in keeping with that 2012 map, that version has 13 zones across the United States and its territories.

The 2023 map is based on the recent 30-year averages of the lowest annual winter temperatures at specific locations. This map continues the 10-degree Fahrenheit zones as well as the continued subdivision of 5-degree Fahrenheit half-zones. Just like the increased data usage from before, the 2023 map incorporates significantly more data from 13,412 weather stations.

While approximately 80 million American gardeners and growers rely upon the Plant Hardiness Zone Map, it is important to note that there are other climate factors that should be considered. Summer heat, annual rainfall, and frost dates also play a critical role. None of those other factors are a part of the new map.

As I study the past 33 years rainfall (1990-2022) as recorded at the Angelina County Airport, the average hovers around 50 inches. When I compare that data to the USDA Soil Survey book that was published in 1988, it states that the average rainfall from 1950 to the mid 80’s was only 41 inches. I find that a significant variance.

From the press release, “Plant hardiness zone designations represent what’s known as the ‘average annual extreme minimum temperature’ at a given location during a particular time period.” This does not reflect the coldest it has ever been or ever will be at a specific location, but simply the average lowest winter temperature for the location over a specified time.

Significantly, the 2023 map reveals that about half of the country shifted to the next warmer half zone, and the other half of the country remained in the same half zone. That shift to the next warmer half zone means those areas warmed somewhere in the range of 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit. However, some locations did experience warming in the range of 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit but not enough to move to another zone.

Interestingly, the USDA’s press release states, “Temperature updates to plant hardiness zones are not necessarily reflective of global climate change because of the highly variable nature of the extreme minimum temperature of the year, as well as the use of increasingly sophisticated mapping methods and the inclusion of data from more weather stations.” Consequently, developers involved in this most recent map cautioned against crediting temperature updates made to some zones as reliable and accurate indicators of global climate change.

Although a paper version of the 2023 map may not be available for purchase, anyone may download the new map free of charge and print copies as needed.

15th Annual Holiday Toy Drive at America’s Car-Mart (Nacogdoches County)

By
Diana De Leon Bon
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Share the Joy, Give a Toy
Now through Dec. 9
Car-Mart is your Toy Drop Destination!
Bring your toys to Car-Mart
9 – 6, Monday through Saturday

Car-Mart associates will deliver the toys to children’s hospitals in December

“Our associates love the toy drive, and our business partners and local communities all participate with toys and giving. We will deliver the toys to local Children’s Hospitals in December. We work with them to ensure we provide age-appropriate toys for all the kids. It’s an amazing experience!
While we have a promotion for customers in the market for a new vehicle, we also want to establish Car-Mart as a Toy Drop Destination. And we invite anyone to stop by and bring a toy or two (no purchase necessary).”

Date and Time
Tuesday, Nov 28, 2023

Through Dec. 9

Location
America’s Car-Mart
2819 South St.
Nacogdoches TX
Website
Click for more information
Contact Information
(936) 564-1788

Turkey Trot presented by Pilgrim’s Nacogdoches

By
Diana De Leon Bon
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Join us for the Pilgrim’s Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day!
Don’t just sit on the couch on Thanksgiving morning! Join us for the 14th Annual Pilgrim’s Turkey Trot and pre-burn those holiday calories while having fun for a good cause!

The 5K starts and ends at Pecan Acres Park at 8:30 AM.  We are also bringing back our Kids K, starting at 8 AM, for our littlest turkeys 10 and under, and limited to 100 kid participants. Thanks to sponsors this event is offered to Nacogdoches youth at no charge.

This holiday event supports the Nacogdoches Area United Way which engages and works to improve our community by supporting 20 community agencies in the areas of health, education, income, and more.

Race Shirts

Shirts and shirt sizes are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. As you register, available shirt sizes will be shown.
Shirts and shirt sizes are not guaranteed on race day.

Packet Pickup & Onsite Registration

Packet pickup is drive-thru on Wednesday, November 22 from 4 to 6 p.m at 2516 North St., Nacogdoches, TX.

Onsite registration and packet pickup is available the morning of the race beginning at 7:30 am. Registration will remain open and participants are encouraged to utilize online registration (on their smartphones, in their cars, or before they approach the packet pickup table).

Race Website

Additional race information can be found at https://unitedwaynac.org/

5K Route

Interactive map available at Map My Run.


Date and Time

Thursday, Nov 23, 2023
7:30 AM – 9:30 AM CST

Kids K for ages 10 and under starts at 8 am
5K begins at 8:30 am

Location
Pecan Acres Park on Starr Ave. – across from the SFA Intramural Field
near the intersection of Starr and N. University Dr.

Fees/Admission
Click to register!

5K – $40.00 + $3.96 SignUp Fee

Website
Click to register

21st Annual Rod Run (Jasper County)

By
Diana De Leon Bon
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Date/Time Information:
Friday, Nov 17, 2023, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturday, Nov 18 ,2023, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday, Nov 19, 2023, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Event Venue
Super 8 Jasper, 75951

Mark your calendars now for the twenty-first annual Lakes Area Cruisers Rod Run.
The location will be at the Super 8 Jasper on November 18-20th.
You won’t want to miss this!

Roadrunner Soccer Season Ends at National Tournament

By
Gary Stallard
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Angelina College’s Omar Mora (10) fires a shot toward the net during Tuesday’s match against Monroe College. The Roadrunners’ season came to an end with a 1-0 loss to the Mustangs in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Wichita, KS. (Gary Stallard/AC Athletics photo)

Defending Champ Monroe Edges AC in Defensive Battle

WICHITA, KS – The Angelina College men’s soccer team entered Tuesday’s match knowing it faced a monumental task: The Roadrunners needed to beat defending champion Monroe College by at least three goals in order to escape pool play and make it to Thursday’s semifinals.

And while the effort was impressive, the result was not, as the ‘Runners fell 1-0 to the Mustangs to end AC’s remarkable season.  

Monroe’s Taiso Iida broke open a scoreless match with a goal in the 50th minute, and the Mustang defense held the Roadrunners to just five shots.

On the flip side, the AC defense held the Mustangs to just five shots and one shot on goal for the match. Unfortunately, the Roadrunners just couldn’t find their usual openings against the swarming Mustangs.

AC’s season ends with a record of 13-2-2 and the program’s second consecutive appearance in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament – the only AC team in the college’s 55-year history to earn back-to-back national title berths.

The game marked the final appearance for sophomores Octavio Jacquez, Shota Tokuhisa, Davis Maldonado, Rochaine Baker, Bryan Aguirre, Omar Mora, Kevin Nava, Luan Rangel, Jordan Casanova, Kaito Ueki, and Christian Maldonado.

The email address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

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