SPRINTER FINDS GOLD IN CANADA. Sprinter Jared Connaughton won two gold medals for his native Prince Edward Island in the Canada Summer Games in August. He won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, leading PEI to its first medals in the Canada games since 1993 and its first track gold medals since the games began in 1969. Connaughton, PEI’s senior male Athlete of the Year in 2004, battled a hamstring injury last spring that limited him to a handful of outdoor races for UT Arlington.

MOVIN’ MAVS TAKE GOLD MEDALS. Three wheelchair basketball players earned gold medals in August. Michael Paye and Danny Fik were members of the U.S. team in the 23-and-under Junior World Cup played in Birmingham, England, as they overwhelmed Japan, 73-34, in the championship game. Tyler Garner played for the U.S. 19-and-under squad that won the title in Sydney, Australia. His team easily handled the competition from New Zealand, Japan and several Australian state teams.

WOMEN CHOSEN TO REPEAT. A preseason poll of Southland Conference coaches picked the women’s basketball team to successfully defend its conference championship. Junior guard Terra Wallace was selected to the preseason all-SLC first team and junior forward Ashley Bobb to the second team. For the men, Steven Thomas was named to the preseason all-SLC first team after leading the league in rebounding and finishing third in scoring last year. The men were picked to finish fifth in the coaches’ poll.

VOLLEYBALLERS RECEIVE HONORS. Senior Melissa Marek was named CoSIDA Academic All-District and senior Ashley Van Antwerp was named third-team all-Southland Conference following the 2005 season. Marek, a business major from Cameron, was fifth in the SLC in hitting percentage at .308 and averaged 2.38 kills and 0.98 blocks per game. Van Antwerp, an education major from Colleyville, was second in the conference in kills per game at 4.16. She registered 21 games with double-figure kills and six games with 20 or more kills.

FRESHMAN WINS TENNIS TITLE. Freshman Klara Jagosova won the Flight A Singles championship as the women’s team took home three out of a possible five titles at the 2005 Mean Green Invitational in September. Senior Anete Rozkalne won the Flight B Singles championship and teamed with freshman Marissa Brown to win the Flight B Doubles title.

WOMEN RUNNERS FINISH THIRD. The women’s cross country team used a balanced effort to post a third-place finish in October at the 2005 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships in Natchitoches, La. Freshman Caroline Erlingson was eighth and sophomore Jodi Hulett ninth in the individual standings. Freshman Ivan Pinal led the men to a fifth-place showing by finishing 16th overall.

REEVES WINS NATIONAL GOLF HONOR. Sophomore Zack Reeves was named Division I Player of the Week by Golf World for the week of Oct. 28 after winning the Louisiana Tech/Squire Creek Classic in Ruston, La. He led UT Arlington golfers last fall with four top-10 finishes in five tournaments. The Mavericks finished second in the team standings in two of the tournaments and tied for third in two others.

SENIORS LEAD MEN’S TENNIS. Seniors Sandy Farquharson and Niels Buksik led UT Arlington at the International Tennis Association Regionals at College Station in October. Farquharson, seeded 11th, posted wins over opponents from Rice, UT Austin and Texas A&M before falling to SMU’s Peter Oredesson in the quarterfinals. Buksik lost in the opening round to Rice’s Hoony Shin, then rallied to win four straight matches and finish second in the consolation bracket.