The Lady Toppers (14-16, 2-6) took their first step on the road to Sun Belt Conference success this week. Their three-game series against No. 15-ranked (USA Today/NFCA Top 25) University of Louisiana-Lafayette, which they won 2-1, did however prove that the road will have to be taken one step at a time.
Since the end of the Toppers' season last November, senior lineman Dan Cline has been waiting for this moment. "Ever since the end of the season last year at North Texas, I've been waiting to hit somebody, and this is my first chance to," Cline said. "I've been foaming at the mouth to get out here and put the pads on and lay some wood to somebody.
Western (11-10, 3-6 Sun Belt Conference) took a step back in its season when the Toppers lost 9-3 to Austin Peay (11-9, 1-2 Ohio Valley Conference) last night. Topper head coach Chris Finwood was anything but happy with his team's performance. "Well, it wasn't very good," Finwood said.
While the majority of the team is taking a break, some of the distance runners will be going to the Alabama Relays to compete. Their primary event will be one of the more demanding events in a track meet, the 10,000 meter run. "The 10,000 meters is a grueling race," coach Erik Jenkins said.
The Lady Toppers couldn't get off to a hot start in Hot Springs, Ark., when they competed in the UALR Women's Golf Classic on Monday and Tuesday. The team finished the tournament with a score of 974, which put them in 19th place out of 21 teams that participated.
