SUN BELT CONFERENCE 30-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
(1976-2006)
The Sun Belt Conference, one of only eleven NCAA conferences to participate in Division 1-A football and basketball, embarks on its 30th season in 2005-2006 with a proud history of athletic and academic success. Each of the 19 sports (9 men, 10 women) sponsored by the conference has seen numerous team and individual accomplishments, and eleven Sun Belt Conference schools are graduating its student athletes at a rate higher than their schools student body. With a permanent seat on the NCAAs 16-member Board of Directors, the Sun Belt Conference has a crucial voice on some of the most pressing issues in college athletics and will always have a role in the implementation of any future NCAA legislation and guidelines. The leagues expanded television contract with ESPN, ESPNU and ESPN Regional Television will result in more national and regional television exposure for the conference in 2005-2006 than at any time in its history. It also solidifies one of ESPNs longest relationships in college athletics, as the network will televise the mens basketball championship game for the 27th straight season in 2006.
2004-2005 SUN BELT CONFERENCE REVIEW
ACADEMICS
11 of the 13 Sun Belt Conference institutions graduated their student-athletes at a higher rate than their respective general student body. Six sports had athletes named Academic All-Americans, while 16 sports had 40 athletes named Academic All-District.
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN (6)
Football - Jason Wood, Arkansas State
Men's Basketball - Erik Benzel, Denver
Softball - Brooke Mitchell, ULL
Tennis - Anant Sitaram, MT
Tennis - Bindiya Parekh, UALR
Volleyball - Jackie Choi, NMSU
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT (43)
Soccer (8) - Heather Adamus, USA; Diana Brunkhardt, Denver; Charissa Gingerich, FIU;
Kelli Good, ULL; Sherryl Owens, ULL; Marsha Stewart, UALR; Karrie Johnson, USA; Melissa Robinson, WKU
Football (6) - Jason Wood, ASU; Mark Banks, ULM; Josh Jenkins, ULM; David Romaka, NMSU; Shukree Shabazz, NMSU; John Winchester, ULM
Softball (6) - Tabitha Embry, FIU; Leah Grothause, MT; Jennifer Grybash, MT;
Brooke Mitchell, ULL; Renita Pennington, WKU; Jill Robertson, ULL
Womens Track (5) - Cheyenne Carmack, WKU; Carola Eriksson, UALR; Ann Gagliardi, NMSU; Cara Nichols, WKU; Darina Semenova, ASU
Volleyball (3) - Tanya Allen, NMSU ; Jackie Choi, NMSU; Giedre Tarnauskiate, ASU
Mens Tennis (2) - Mikus Paipars, WKU (tennis); Anant Sitaram, MT (tennis)
Mens Track (2) - Kevin Dick, WKU; Daniel Roberts, WKU
Baseball (2) - Matt Ransdell, WKU; Yahmed Yema, FIU
Men's Basketball (1) - Erik Benzel, Denver
Women's Basketball (1) - Krystle Horton, Middle Tennessee
Womens Golf (1) - Devon Newell, NMSU
Mens Swimming (1) - Karl Swanson, WKU
Womens Swimming (1) - Michaela Amereller, Denver
Womens Tennis (1) - Bindiya Parekh, UALR
FOOTBALL
The conference had two teams earn bowl berths (North Texas-New Orleans Bowl; Troy-Silicon Valley Classic) in 2004 for the first time since its inception in 2001, and the eight conference schools return 68% of their lettermen and 58% of their starters from 2004.
The Sun Belt Conference surpassed the MAC and narrowly trailed Conference USA in the Final 2004 Sagarin Rankings (C-USA, 105.9; Sun Belt, 116.1; MAC, 132.5).
North Texas has had the nations leading rusher each of the last two years (Patrick Cobbs in 2003, Jamario Thomas in 2004), marking the only time any school has had two different players lead the nation in rushing in consecutive years since the NCAA started crowning its rushing leader on yards per game average in 1970. North Texas is one of only 11 schools in NCAA history to win four consecutive conference football titles.
Troy senior defensive end Demarcus Ware, the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year, became the first player since the conferences inception to be selected in the first round of the National Football League draft. Ware was the 11th selection in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys.
BASEBALL
Baseball continues to be one of the premiere sports in the Sun Belt Conference, as the league sent multiple teams to NCAA post-season play for the 17th consecutive season. Louisiana-Lafayette was consistently ranked in the top 25 all season and defeated Southern University in NCAA post-season play. South Alabama won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and also earned a berth in the NCAA post-season. It was also a momentous year for some of the conferences baseball coaches, as FIUs Danny Price won his 1,000th career game, while WKUs Joel Murrie picked up win No. 800 and ULLs Tony Robichaux No. 600. In 2000, the Sun Belt had its first ever representative in the College World Series, as Louisiana-Lafayette finished tied for third in the prestigious event. The league has reached the NCAA Super Regionals three times since its inception in 1999. Sun Belt Conference schools boast numerous Major League Baseball standouts, including All-Stars Luis Gonzalez (South Alabama), Jon Lieber (South Alabama) and Mike Lowell (Florida International).
2005 Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I-A All-Americans
Mark Aranda, NMSU - Outfield
Geoff Desmond, ASU First Base
Austin Faught, ULL - Pitcher
Luke Hopkins, NMSU First Base
BASKETBALL
The conference concluded the 2004-2005 season in its best position in 10 years regarding teams earning post-season tournament berths, RPI Ranking, and Non-Conference Strength of Schedule. The improvement is most notable over the last five years. The Sun Belt Conferences RPI has steadily improved from 20 to 12 between 2001-2005.
Three mens basketball teams reached post-season play for the first time since 1994 when Louisiana-Lafayette earned an NCAA berth and Denver and Western Kentucky were invited to the NIT. Four of the mens first-team all-conference honorees return in 2005-2006 (Ivan Almonte/Florida International, Bo McCalebb/New Orleans, Yemi Nicholson/Denver, Tiras Wade/Louisiana-Lafayette, Anthony Winchester/Western Kentucky),
In womens NCAA play, Middle Tennessee defeated No. 4 seed North Carolina in 2004 and No. 5 seed N.C. State in 2005. In womens NIT play over the last two seasons, Western Kentucky (2004-Cincinnati/Memphis) and Arkansas State (2005-Mississippi State/Arkansas) each won two games. Western Kentucky was also invited to the WNIT in 2005.
A womens Sun Belt Conference team has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 21 of the last 23 seasons (only seasons without a win were 1988 and 2003).
CROSS COUNTRY
South Alabamas Tonny Okello was named All-American and became just the third Jaguar ever to be named All-American in cross country. Overall, the league had 22 individuals competing in NCAA Regionals.
GOLF
Two mens teams (Denver, South Alabama) participated in NCAA post-season play for the first time since 2003 (Denver, North Texas). Additionally, two male individuals (Danny Bowen, NMSU; Patrick Sullivan, UALR) reached NCAA post-season play.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
The conference had two All-Americans, and four individuals competed in NCAA Regional competition. A total of three championship meet records and one Sun Belt Conference record were broken during the indoor track championships.
All-Americans
Candon Powell, ASU - Mens 35-pound weight throw - 72-03.75 (22.04m), 4th place
Sheri-Ann Brooks, FIU - Womens 60-meter dash - 7.32, 7th place
Other NCAA Participants
Sheri-Ann Brooks, FIU - Womens 200-meter dash - 23.49, 9th place
Chris Johnson, UALR - Mens 60-meter dash - 6.71, 10th place
Chris Johnson, UALR - Mens 200-meter dash - 21.37, 15th place
Raigo Toompuu, WKU - Mens shot put - 60-05.25 (18.42m), 10th place
OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
The conference had over 50 student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Regionals.
A total of seven championship meet records and three Sun Belt Conference records were broken during the outdoor track championships.
All-Americans
Sheri-Ann Brooks, FIU Womens 200-meter dash NATIONAL CHAMPION
Chris Johnson, UALR Mens 100-meter dash 6th place
Raigoo Toompuu, WKU Mens discus 5th place
SOCCER
Two teams (Middle Tennessee and North Texas) finished in the top 30 nationally in winning percentage. Middle Tennessee finished third in the nation in scoring offense.
SOFTBALL
Despite not having an automatic bid, the conference has placed at least one team in NCAA post-season play in each of the six seasons since we began sponsoring softball. Louisiana-Lafayette won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament this year for the 6th consecutive season and has been nationally ranked all season. Outfielder Danyele Gomez of Louisiana-Lafayette was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I third-team All-American.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Three Sun Belt athletes competed in NCAA competition (Ryan Harbry and Kristen Houston of Louisiana-Monroe; Megan Balkenbush of FIU).
TENNIS
The two mens teams to earn NCAA berths (MTSU, ULL) were the most since two earned bids in 2002. Womens tennis had two teams earn NCAA berths for the fourth time in the last five years. On the womens side, FIU (defeated Florida State) and South Alabama (defeated Alabama) each advanced to the second round of NCAA play, marking the first time the Sun Belt Conference had two womens teams reach the second round since 2001 (FIU/USA).
VOLLEYBALL
New Mexico States Stevi Adams was named honorable mention by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, marking the second consecutive season the Sun Belt Conference had an individual receive All-American recognition. NMSUs Jackie Choi was named Academic All-American (third team). It marked the first Academic All-American in Sun Belt volleyball history.