Aggie Roundup
SOFTBALL
Aggies escape late inning rally: LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Texas A&M's Rhiannon Kliesing hit a two-out RBI single in the top of the sixth inning to score Natalie Villarreal for what proved to be the game-winning run as the 21st-ranked Aggies beat Kansas 3-2 in Big 12 action Saturday at Arrocha Ballpark.
Villarreal's run gave A&M (35-13, 7-5) a 3-1 lead, but the Jayhawks put pressure on A&M pitcher Melissa Dumezich (21-8) in the bottom of the seventh. KU (31-21, 2-15) cut A&M's lead to 3-2 on Maggie Hull's RBI single and had runners on the corners with just one out, but Dumezich got Mariah Montgomery to pop out to first base then struck out Liz Kocon looking to end the game.
Dumezich gave up two runs on six hits and four walks while striking out five. Kelsey Spittler went 3 for 4 for the Aggies, and catcher Nicole Morgan hit her eighth home run of the season.
A&M will face Kansas again at noon Sunday.
SWIMMING & DIVING
Nel named A&M men's MVP: Texas A&M junior diver Grant Nel received the Danny Green Team MVP Award at the annual swimming and diving banquet Saturday at the Hagner Auditorium.
Nel had runner-up finishes on the 1- and 3-meter springboards and took third on the platform to score a school-record 50 points at the NCAA meet.
Senior Balazs Makany earned the Aggie Heart Award. Sophomore John Dalton received the Most Improved Award and the Trey Heye Memorial Award went to sophomore Cheyne Hermes.
Swimmers John Ariens, Dalton and Amini Fonua along with Nel were named team captains for 2011-12.
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Larson, Potvin named A&M women's MVPs: Freshman swimmer Breeja Larson and junior diver Janie Potvin were named MVPs at the Texas A&M women's swimming and diving banquet Saturday
Larson produced a pair of NCAA runner-up performances in the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes, breaking both school records. She also handled the breaststroke legs on both medley relays that earned All-America honors and set school records.
Potvin finished in the top three in all three diving events at the conference meet and took fourth on the platform at the NCAA meet.
Freshman Ashley Adams was named Most Improved Swimmer and junior Lorena Lujan the Most Improved Diver. Sophomores Kristina Kontrimas earned the Iron Woman Award, Allyson Sweeney the Aggie Heart Award and Kendra Chernoff the Jody Tanner-Hansen Optimist Award.
Swimmers Alyssa Conner, Rita Medrano and Megan Onsott and diver Jaele Patrick were named team captains for 2011-12.
TRACK & FIELD
A&M men, women will relays at Penn Relays: PHILADELPHIA -- Texas A&M's women won their fourth straight 800-meter relay while the A&M men won the 1,600 relay Saturday at the 117th Penn Relay Carnival in front of 48,531 at Franklin Field.
Jeneba Tarmoh, Ashley Collier, Jessica Beard and Dominique Duncan won the women's 800 relay in 1 minute, 29.96 seconds to beat Texas (1:30.93), Clemson (1:33.62), Central Florida (1:34.18), Pittsburgh (1:35.42) and Tennessee (1:35.83).
Despite finishing second to LSU in the prelims on Friday, A&M's (3:01.73) group of
In the men's 1,600 relay, A&M's Bryan Miller, Tran Howell, Tabarie Henry and Demetrius Pinder won in 3:01.73 to hold off LSU (3:02.03).
Howell, Gerald Phiri, Henry and Pinder took second in the 800 relay, finishing 0.10 behind LSU (1:20.62).
The Aggie men set a school record in the 3,200 relay at 7:14.02 as the crew of Sam Mutschler, Joey Roberts, Oscar Ramirez and Michael Preble finished third behind Virginia (7:12.15) and Penn State (7:12.90).
Individually for A&M, Natasha Ruddock placed third in the women's 100 hurdles in 13.23, while Wayne Davis II finished fourth in the men's 110 hurdles in 13.80.
-- Eagle staff reports