Month: April 2021

Softball finishes RRAC regular season play with sweep of UHV

Hear from Head Coach Bruce Lenington:
OLLU https://www.youtube.com/embed/9WAzawHCVOM?enablejsapi=1&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ollusaintsathletics.com

The softball team completed regular-season Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) play with a three-game sweep of the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV). The Saints improve to 24-16 overall and end with a 12-6 record in the RRAC with two games left in the regular season. OLLU is currently in third place in the conference.

History

The Saints trail the Jaguars in the all-time series 12-26. This is the first time the Saints have swept a three-game series against the Jaguars.

Game one

Starting pitcher Ciera Martinez (SR/San Antonio, Texas) struck out seven batters in 5.1 innings of work in game one. Madison Nunn (JR/Cibolo, Texas) batted 2-for-3 and added a stolen base. The game was tied 1-1 after three innings before the Saints tallied three runs in the fifth inning. Kaili Luna (FR/Converse, Texas) scored on a wild throw and Aileen Campos (SO/Robstown, Texas) hit a double to score Nunn and Julissa Moreno (SO/Austin, Texas). The Jaguars added a run in the sixth inning, but the Saints held on to win 4-2.

Game two

Martinez pitched another great game to start Sunday’s doubleheader. She allowed only two hits and no earned runs in a complete game. The Saints plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and one run in the sixth inning. Nunn scored two runs and tallied two hits. Despite only recording four hits, OLLU didn’t commit an error and won 3-0.  

Game three

The Saints completed the series sweep in game three. OLLU only needed six innings to win behind nine runs and eight hits. After trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Saints responded in the bottom of the inning with five runs. Kaylie Norris (SO/Schertz, Texas), Campos, Marissa Bradley (FR/Seguin, Texas), Kelly Anne Salinas (SO/Laredo, Texas) and Luna all scored. Elizondo and Moreno hit their first home runs of the season.

The Saints added one run in the fifth inning and three in the sixth inning. Three players had a multi-hit game and starting pitcher Angela Ramirez (JR/Converse, Texas) allowed only five hits and no earned runs. The Saints won 9-1.

Up next

The Saints conclude regular season play with a doubleheader at NCAA D2 St. Mary’s University on April 29 at 4 p.m.

Deadline for marketing projects for spring 2021 semester

To ensure all projects for the end of the semester are completed in a timely manner, the last day to submit projects to the Marketing and Communications Office is Monday, May 3. This includes ecards, evites, programs, fliers and any other print or digital items.

To submit a request, email mcwebrequest@ollusa.edu or complete this form www.ollusa.edu/mcprojectrequest.

University preparing to work on Providence Hall foundation

The university is preparing for the start of work on the foundation of Providence Hall. 

Due to the scope of work and the disruptions it could cause, it will be necessary to have all parts of the building vacated. Over the next five to seven weeks, all offices located in Providence Hall will be relocated to other parts of campus.

This will necessitate movement of others on campus, as well, to provide appropriate spaces for the displaced offices. In addition, the building will not be available for residence hall space in the fall. This process is beginning now to provide staff and faculty the time needed to get settled before the start of the fall semester.

Facilities Management will be working with each affected office to schedule moves. The following is a list of the affected offices and the space to which they are relocating.

▪ Humanities and Social Science Faculty currently located in Providence Hall will be moving to Main Building, Suites 303 and 202.

▪ The two occupied offices in Main Building, Suite 303, will move to Main Building, Suite 326.

▪ The Wellness Center Staff – Counseling Services, Health Education and Accessibility Services – will move to a suite on the second floor of Walter Student Service Center currently occupied by ITS staff. The ITS staff in that suite will move to another ITS suite across the hall.

▪ The OLLU Cares Office will move to a vacant office on the Garden Level of Moye Hall, Room 009A.

▪ The Post Office will move to the former Print Shop located in St. Ann’s Hall, which is currently vacant. The student mailboxes will be moved to that location, as well.

▪ The Office of Institutional Effectiveness will move to space in Casa Caritas that was recently vacated by the University Events staff. University Events moved to the Durango House, which was vacant.

▪ Plans for the relocation of the lactation room, Veterans Lounge and Meditation Room will be announced at a later time. A timeline for project completion is still being developed and will be shared with the community when available.

Humanities and Social Sciences to host Senior Capstone Presentations

Humanities and Social Sciences Department to host senior presentations

The following students from OLLU’s Humanities and Social Sciences Department will be presenting exhibits, recitals and capstone projects this week. All presentations will be available virtually.

Monday
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Available at this link: https://bit.ly/3n8JeyN
Desiree Ledesma, Music Program
“’Dearly Beloved:’ Musical Affect in the Kingdom Hearts Series”


Jessica Pruneda, Theology and Spiritual Action Major
“Young Adults in the Catholic Church: Theological Reflections”


Mia Sanchez, Comparative Mexican American Studies Program
“Chicana Third Space Spiritualities: A Homeplace Ethnography” 


4 p.m.
Available at this link: Biliterate Certificate Presentation
Viridiana Mejia Montes, Biliterate Certificate Program
“Mercadotecnia: La línea entre el beneficio y el daño de una marca nueva“ 

Tuesday
12:30-1:45 p.m.
Available at this link: Honors Capstone Presentations

Alexis Romero, Honors Program and Political Science Program
“The Impacts of DACA on Higher Education”


Savannah V. Hernandez, Honors Program
“Water Quality on Elmendorf Lake Before and After Rainfall”


Virginia Rodriguez
“Does Location of Quarantine Increase Anxiety Level?”


Wednesday
12:30-1:45 p.m.
Available at this link: Political Science Capstone Presentations

Alexis Romero, Political Science Program
“The Impacts of DACA on Higher Education”


Rogelio Pacheco, Political Science Program
“Effects of Raising the Minimum Wage”


 Letzy Nunez, Political Science Program
“How Did The US Fail To Handle COVID?”


 Jacquelyn Joaquin, Political Science Program
“Why Hasn’t the United States Banned Bottled Water to Establish a Public Water Infrastructure?”


Thursday
12:30-1:45 p.m.
Available at this link: Political Science Capstone Presentations (cont.)

 Joseph Anderson, Political Science Program
“The Impact of Antitrust Laws on the Modern Middle Class”


Alexus Gutierrez, Political Science Program
“Under What Conditions has Sexual Assault Increased in the Military?”


Nichole Infantes, Political Science Program
“Two Presidencies, Same Outcome: Phenomenon of Separation on Latino Children Separated at the Border”


Gracie Sibrian, Political Science Program
“Attitudes Towards Immigration During the Trump Era”

Thursday
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Available at this link: History Capstone Presentations
Lisa R. Guerrero, History Program
“Suppressed Yet Survived:  How Western Influence Failed to Silence Two-Spirit Native Americans”  

Kent Tucker, History Program 
“Pervitin in the Third Reich: Wonder Drug to Liability”

PsyD student named American Psychological Association MFP Fellow

Valerie Perez, a third-year PsyD student and a graduate assistant, has been named an American Psychological Association (APA) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Fellow.

Perez, 29, is the fifth OLLU student to have won the prestigious fellowship in recent years. Only seven percent of those who apply are awarded the fellowship.

A native of Edinburg, Texas, Perez also won the American Association of University Women (AAUW) scholarship. 

“The AAUW scholarship is given to those who will fulfill the AAUW mission of advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research,” Perez said. “I feel grateful for the encouragement and support that I’ve received from my professors, colleagues and mentors.”  

She is scheduled to graduate in May 2023. 

In the News

Recent media coverage that brought attention to Our Lady of the Lake University:

On April 23, a story on KFDA-TV and NewChannel10.com in Amarillo about a doubleheader baseball split between OLLU and Oklahoma Panhandle State University: 

https://www.newschannel10.com/2021/04/24/opsu-aggies-split-doubleheader-ollu-fall-short-game-one-/

On April 20, a news brief and photo in the Brownwood News of soccer player Dusty Van Huss who signed a letter-of-intent to play with OLLU: 

https://www.brownwoodnews.com/2021/04/20/lady-lion-van-huss-headed-to-our-lady-of-the-lake-to-play-soccer/

On April 19, a story on WebWire about alumna Susie Navarijo (BA 1972, MEd 1979) and her book, “Learning to Read in English and Spanish Made Easy”:

https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=272845

Men’s tennis concludes season at conference championships

Hear from seniors Vinicius Silva, Sebastian Rodriguez and Artur Etzberger.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/HJg6nOe4Oik?enablejsapi=1&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ollusaintsathletics.com

The men’s tennis team lost in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) semifinals as part of the RRAC Championships to finish the 2021 spring campaign. OLLU concludes the season with a 2-9 record. The Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) Eagles won 4-1 and move on to the championship match. The Saints hosted the two-day event at the Northside Tennis Center in Helotes, Texas.

Baseball plates 28 runs in series win over Panhandle State

The baseball team won two of three games against Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) at Hodgetown Minor League Park. The No. 24-ranked Saints are now 30-15 overall and remain at 16-4 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC).

Head Coach Bryan Aughney commented, “Taking two out of three on the road against a hot OPSU team was a good result. We scored some runs in game one and handed the ball off to Jose Diaz (SR/Pinar del Rio, Cuba) for the save. We had a lightning delay in game two after scoring some runs and put Jose Ramirez III (JR/Donna, Texas) in a different position than he is used to. We have to do a better job in the bullpen collecting outs after scoring 13 runs. Brett Vasquez (SO/Mont Belvieu, Texas) had an outstanding start in game three, and we are getting primed and ready to go for the RRAC tournament. The bats came alive in game three, and we have some work to do before finishing up conference play this next weekend.”

History

The Saints are 2-2 against the Aggies in the all-time series.

Game one

The Saints battled in game one on Friday. They trailed 2-1 after three innings before Tyler Vivier (FR/San Antonio, Texas) tied the game by stealing home in the fifth inning. OLLU added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Diaz allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning but still closed out the game to give the Saints a 4-3 victory. Both teams tallied seven hits, and Matthew Klar (SO/San Antonio, Texas) batted 2-for-3 with a double.

Game two

The second game of the series was wild. The Aggies won 14-13, and both teams tallied double-digit hits. Each team scored runs in every inning except for the third and sixth. The game was tied 9-9 after just four innings. The Saints grabbed a 12-9 advantage in the top of the fifth inning, aided by a triple from Noah Rodriguez (SO/Victoria, Texas).

The Aggies responded with one run in the bottom of the inning and four in the sixth inning. The Saints trailed 14-12 going into the top of the seventh inning. Rodriguez scored on a dropped fly, but Jacob Mitchell (JR/Harker Heights, Texas ) grounded out during the next at-bat to end the game.

Game three

Heavy-hitting was on display again from both teams in the series finale on Saturday. The Saints won 11-7 behind 13 hits. Starting pitcher Vasquez struck out eight batters and allowed three runs in six innings of work. Seven Saints batters tallied at least one hit, and Diaz went 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI. OLLU heads into the last weekend of the regular season one game ahead of LSU-Alexandria in the RRAC.

Up next

The Saints conclude the regular season with a four-game road series against RRAC opponent University of Houston-Victoria from April 30-May 1.  

Softball wins ‘Inaugural San Antonio Highway 90 Classic’ after sweeping A&M San Antonio

Prior to the game, the Saints honored senior Jalin Oliva-St. Romain; hear from her and watch highlights of her career.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tFj79ZBv8zo?enablejsapi=1&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ollusaintsathletics.comHear from Jalin Oliva-St. Romain and watch highlights from her career.

The softball team swept the home-and-home four-game series against the newest member of the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA). The Saints and Jaguars have established the inaugural “San Antonio Highway 90 Classic,” which will be a friendly rivalry between the universities. The team that wins at least three games of a four-game series wins the classic, and the losing athletic director will have to wear the winning team’s branded short for a day.

The Saints won 2-0, 4-1, 7-1 and 5-1 against A&M-SA.

The Saints hosted their last home games of the season this past weekend. They swept the University of Houston-Victoria 4-2, 3-0 and 9-1.

OLLU improves to 24-16 overall and end its conference schedule with a 12-6 record.

Up next

The Saints conclude regular season play with a doubleheader at NCAA D2 St. Mary’s University on April 29 at 4 p.m.

Changes to various roles within Athletics

The following is from President Diane E. Melby on changes within the OLLU Saints Athletics program.

There are currently 12 schools in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) plus one with special status for a total of 13 colleges. According to RRAC Commissioner Tony Stigliano, nine or 60% have full-time Athletic Directors. Most programs with full-time Athletic Directors field seven to eight teams. OLLU has one of the largest programs in the conference with 17 teams. In fall 2020, 311 student-athletes participated in one or more competitive programs which is approximately 24 percent of OLLU’s undergraduate enrollment. 

Athletics has grown in importance to the university’s enrollment and retention objectives. Therefore, effective May 1, 2021, the following changes will be made within Athletics. First, the position of Athletic Director will be converted to a full-time position. Shane Hurley, who was the first coach hired at OLLU when athletics began in 2007, currently holds a joint position of Men’s Soccer Head Coach and Athletic Director. Hurley will now serve as Athletic Director in a full-time capacity.

Second, the administration of the soccer program will be adjusted to accommodate a vacancy in the head coach position. Currently, the women’s and men’s soccer teams each have a full-time head coach and share a full-time assistant. Beginning May 1, Arthur Salazar will serve as head coach for both teams and each team will be supported by full-time assistants. Salazar started his career in 2008 assisting the men’s and women’s teams, and in 2013, he became head coach for the women’s team. That experience coupled with his record of building a winning record in both competition and academic persistence uniquely qualifies Salazar for this expansion of responsibility.

Finally, replacing the need for a full-time head coach with the hire of assistant coaches frees up funding to appoint a Senior Woman Administrator. This position is vital to the support of female athletes and has long been a priority initiative in the strategic plan for athletics. The position will be filled via internal search open to women connected to athletics and compensated by stipend.