CP To The Sweet 16!

Aggie senior Conor Pollock picked up another singles victory today at the NCAA Championships in College Station, and is now in the Sweet 16. Pollock picked up a tough 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2) win over Elon's Damon Gooch.

(In case you're wondering, Elon is a small private college located in North Carolina with a total enrollment of 5,628 students. According to its web site, Elon is known for its arts, sciences and professional programs.)

Pollock fought off match point in the first set tiebreaker before eventually capturing the opening frame. Pollock looked to be on cruise control with a 5-1 lead in the second and two match points, but Gooch went on a roll and forced another tiebreaker. The victory was Pollock's seventh in his last eight matches.

Pollock, who earns an All America honor for advancing to the Round of 16, will face San Diego's Dean Jackson tomorrow. Jackson was an upset winner today after ousting seventh-seeded Michael Venus of LSU.

On a side note, if you haven't checked out the 2009 NCAA Tennis Championships site hosted from AggieAthletics.com, make a note to go check it out. You can watch live video (with sound!) on all 12 courts at the Mitchell Tennis Center. There is also a scoreboard function that tracks every single match being played in real time. It is very cool.

CLICK HERE to check out the live video feed.


NOTE: This will be the last blog update until next Tuesday.

Aggie Sprinter Revels In Shot At National Title

In between workouts at the Anderson Track & Field Complex and study sessions at the Nye Academic Center, Allison George can’t help but to sit back and reflect on how far her track career has brought her. All the comforts involved in being a track athlete at a major Division I school aren’t lost on George, a senior sprinter on the top-ranked Aggie women’s squad.

From the spacious Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium to the roomy Olympic Sports Training Room facility in the Little Athletic Complex to the team’s world class coaching staff, A&M’s track and field athletes are set up for success.

It’s certainly a far cry from where George was two short years ago.

George is a native of Grenada, an island of about 100,000 people located in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea. An accomplished athlete and the valedictorian of her high school class, George sought the opportunity to become the first in her family to enroll in college. Her quest landed her in Newark, N.J., where she earned a track scholarship to Essex County Junior College.

For a young woman accustomed to the beachy, tropical climate of Grenada, the chilly New England climate was quite a shock. So, too, was the living situation she was thrown into. Unlike a scholarship at A&M that pays for a variety of expenses, George’s scholarship to Essex covered only tuition and a place to live. As it turned out, that place to live didn’t come with just one or two roommates.

“It was a one-bedroom apartment with a bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen,” recalled George. “There were eight girls living there, all from different islands in the Caribbean.”

Imagine trying to live with seven complete strangers, even in a comfortable four-bedroom house, and you can imagine George’s dismay upon arriving at Essex.

“They never told us (before we got there) that it was going to be like that,” George said. “At first we thought it might not be that bad, but as time went by, girls always have their little arguments, so all that went on. It was really hard.”

Track practices turned out to be less than ideal, as well. George said Essex didn’t have a track on which the team could work out, so practices were held on a basketball court or along the city streets of Newark—even in the dead of winter.

Despite the less than ideal conditions, George performed well at Essex. She scored points at the NJCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007, including victories in the 400 (outdoor), 200 (indoor) and 55 (indoor).

In 2006, her freshman year, she also took notice of a very talented sprinter from Barton County Junior College named Simone Facey. Facey claimed three junior college national titles in 2007 before landing at Texas A&M, a school George had never heard of. George kept tabs on Facey the following year and watched as the sprinter excelled immediately in College Station. Facey finished her first year at A&M with six All-America honors while leading the Aggies to a then program best fourth place finish at the NCAA Outdoors.

“(Facey) came here and was that good, so I thought I could come here and the coaches could make me that much better, too,” George said. “She was the main reason that I wanted to come here. I had never really heard about the school. I was looking at her because she was such a good athlete. After I learned more about A&M, I never changed my mind.”

That fact that Essex and A&M share some recent ties helped George’s cause, as well. Former Aggie star Clora Williams came from Essex before winning the NCAA 400 meter title in 2006, and first-year A&M assistant Alleyne Francique—also a native of Grenada—attended Essex before he was a six-time All-American at LSU.

A&M coach Pat Henry liked what he saw in George, and it wasn’t long before she was a Texas-bound airplane. In particular, Henry liked George’s approach to academics, which can often be a red flag for coaches recruiting a junior college athlete to a major Division I program.

“You have to recruit those who have gone to a good enough institution to where they will have a good understanding of what it takes to be successful in the classroom,” Henry said. “The academic woes in front of a lot of young people today make it a situation where they have to go to a junior college first. It’s kind of like a stigma is put on the junior college kids that they can’t make it academically, but in fact, given the opportunity and going to the right place, they can be successful.”

George certainly believes she went to the right place. In addition to easing up her roommate situation, George said she was amazed by A&M’s seemingly vast resource pool to help student-athletes. Instead of dreading practice on the city streets, George excitedly anticipated working out on a full-size track.

Throw in tutors to help with schoolwork and a career center to assist in job advice and placement, and George was able to clearly see how Facey was able to succeed.

“There are so many people that are willing to help and that’s one of the things I saw when I came here to visit,” George said. “People are here just to help you, and if you use that, you’re able to succeed and know that you can get something done. I can be focused on that and not stressed out about what I’m going to eat today or what I’m going to do when I’m done with school. It makes a big difference.”

George’s first season at A&M—her junior season, eligibility-wise—reflected her newfound comfort.

She set career best marks in the 100 and 200 at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, but her biggest contribution came on one of A&M’s relay squads. At the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, George teamed with Facey, Elizabeth Adeoti and Porscha Lucas to claim a national title in the 4 x 100. George anchored the relay, which finished in a blazing 42.59 seconds to set a school record and become the second-fastest relay team in NCAA history.

She struck gold again at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station. This time, she ran the leadoff leg in the 4 x 400. Teammates Sandy Wooten, Lucas and Jessica Beard followed George’s stellar opening leg. In the end, A&M won the race by a resounding 1.78 seconds margin to claim the program’s first-ever title at the NCAA Indoor meet.

She’s also picked up some valuable international experience.

Her individual time in the 200 last year was good enough to qualify for the Grenadian Olympic team. George, along with the nine-member Grenada delegation (which included Francique, who competed in the 400 and was the nation’s flag bearer) spent almost a month this summer in China. Months later, the experience is one that is still fresh in George’s mind.

She competed in the first two rounds of qualifying at the famed Bird’s Nest stadium, running against the likes of medalists Veronica Campbell-Brown, Allyson Felix and Kerron Stewart.

“I’ve been running in front of crowds for a while, but all those people—it was nerve-wracking,” George said. “For me, being on the track and being mentioned by the announcer (was my proudest moment). Not everyone would get recognized. They would introduce some runners but skip others, but I was one of the people who was called out. I was so excited because nobody knows who I am. It was an opportunity for the world to see who I am and know me. That was encouraging.”

George already has her eyes set on the 2012 Olympics in London, and Henry is confident she has the potential to become a two-time Olympian three-and-a-half years from now.

“Allison has good years in front of her,” Henry said. “She will continue to improve, and I think she’s one of those who will run at the next level after she is done here.”

Before that happens, though, George wants to see the Aggies lift the team championship trophy at this year’s NCAA Outdoors. George has already posted NCAA Regional qualifying times in the 100 and 200, as well as the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays. At the Texas Relays in early April the 4 x 100 relay team sped to a collegiate leading time of 42.91, and the group followed that with a title at the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia a few weeks later. The Aggies will likely be the favorite in that event at nationals, which conclude on June 12 in Fayetteville, Ark.

“Being a part of a winning team—and I know we are already a winning team—but being able to win a (national) championship is what I want,” George said. “I want an exciting finish, not a sad one where we regret something. I want us to come together and achieve what we’ve been working for.”

No 'SI' jinx here!

I posted a story last week about former Aggie golfer Martin Piller, who is in the midst of a pretty successful season on the Nationwide Tour (the golf equivalent of baseball's triple-A league). Piller, who completed his Texas A&M eligibility one year ago, currently sits at No. 7 on the Nationwide Tour money list--a very important slot considering the top 25 at the end of the year earn full-time status on the PGA Tour.

Last week, Piller earned one of a handful of sponsors exemptions into the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, and we are proud to report that Piller excelled in his first Tour event.

Not only did the Duncanville, Texas, native make the cut, his Saturday round of 64 vaulted him into the top 25 prior to Sunday's final round. His Sunday score of 71 gave him a 6-under-par total (69-70-64-71=274) and tied him for 40th overall. He earned a cool $22,570 for his efforts, equalling about 20 percent of what he's already won this season on the Nationwide Tour.

Piller's solid finish went along nicely with the way a few other Aggies played in San Antonio. Fellow Class of 2008er Robert Gates played his way into the Valero field courtesy of a Monday qualifier. Gates also proved his mettle, finishing a shot back of Piller. Gates opened with a 3-over-par 73 but played his next two rounds in 9-under. He finished tied for 47th.

Former A&M All-American Jeff Maggert ended in a tie for 32nd, giving A&M three top 50 finishers in the tournament. The trio finished ahead of players like Chad Campbell, Carlos Franco, Rocco Mediate and Anthony Kim.

Weekend By The Numbers

6 - Consecutive Big 12 titles won by the women's track team. The Aggies are the first team in league history to sweep the indoor and outdoor team titles in three straight years.

22.5 - Points won by sprinter Gerald Phiri at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Phiri won the High Point Performer award for the second consecutive year after winning the 100, 200 and running on the first place 4 x 100 relay team.

46 - Points won by A&M's female sprinters in the 100, 200, 400 and 100 hurdles. The Aggies tallied an additional 13 points in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.

64 - School-record round tallied by senior Bronson Burgoon in the final round of the NCAA West Regional. Burgoon's 8-under-par effort helped the Aggies advance to the NCAA Championship on May 27-30.

15-under - The Aggie men closed with a 15-under par score in the final round, marking the third-best round in school history. Senior Matt Van Zandt's 67 complimented Burgoon's 64 to pace A&M.

11 - Career Big 12 titles for senior diver Eric Sehn. Sehn recently earned the team's Most Valuable award after three top 10 finishes at the NCAA Championships.

Former Aggie Golfer Seeing Success On Pro Tour

Martin Piller’s eyes brightened immediately as he pulled up to the first hole of a recent golf outing at Traditions Club in Bryan. Just off the tee box was the ‘Spirit of ’02’—the cannon fired after touchdowns at Kyle Field—and two members of the Parson’s Mounted Cavalry unit in full game-day attire.

A blast from the cannon was to serve as the official starting gun for a tournament benefiting a junior golf organization, and the former Texas A&M golf standout had returned to the area to take part. The event served as Piller’s first trip back to College Station in some time, and he excitedly reminisced to his playing partners about some of his fondest memories from his days in Aggieland.

Piller, who played for A&M from 2005-08, may not spend much time around College Station these days, but he is certainly making plenty of new memories traversing the links on the Nationwide Tour. The Nationwide Tour, which is operated by the PGA Tour, serves as the developmental circuit for players striving to earn a full-time spot on the PGA Tour.

Piller advanced all the way to the final stage of the PGA Tour’s Qualifying School last December before finishing 40th out of 161 participants. While he missed earning his PGA Tour card by a mere five shots, his finish was good enough to earn a full exemption on the Nationwide Tour.

So far this season, Piller has proven that he belongs.

The Duncanville native currently sits at No. 7 on the Nationwide money list—a very important ranking since the top 25 at the end of the year will earn a slot on the 2010 PGA Tour.

“It has always been a dream, something I talked about as a little kid,” said Piller recently from his hotel room in between rounds of the South Georgia Classic. “I could name a ton of guys who would trade spots with me and do anything to be where I am. I feel so fortunate because the chances of making it are so slim.”

They certainly are, particularly when you consider the annual Qualifying School consists of four separate stages, with the final stage being a six-round marathon. Simply making it that far is a monumental accomplishment, and last year’s field included nearly two dozen players who had won titles on the PGA Tour.

It was certainly a rapid rise for Piller, who struggled to find the lineup during his senior season with the Aggies. He played in 11 tournaments in 2007 but just five in 2008.

“He never played poorly (during our qualifying rounds), but other guys were beating him out,” recalled A&M coach J.T. Higgins. “He always seemed to be the sixth man or the next guy who would have qualified. He wanted to have a great senior season, but the more that happened, the more pressure he put on himself.”

As it turned out, however, that season’s struggles likely served as a turning point in Piller’s career. He has adapted a more relaxed approach to the game and began making a conscious effort to not take the trials and tribulations on the course so seriously. Instead of grinding through long pre-round practice sessions and agonizing over every decision on the course, Piller instead kept it simple and began playing with a more free-spirited attitude.

It has certainly paid off for Piller—literally.

His best finish to date is a second place in the New Zealand Open. After opening with solid rounds of 67-69-68, Piller found himself sleeping with the lead on Saturday night. He certainly didn’t play scared, despite crowds that exceeded 20,000 on Sunday. His final round included more birdies than pars (eight birdies to seven pars), and he finished with a 4-under 68. Unfortunately for Piller, fellow American Alex Prugh, who started one shot back, rattled off two eagles during a final-round 64 to claim the title by three shots.

Still, Piller earned a hefty $64,800 payday for his second-place finish. He also garnered some favor with the local fans after donning a newly purchased shirt for his walk up the 18th fairway.

“Earlier in the week, I bought a New Zealand All Blacks jersey—their national rugby team,” Piller said. “I wanted to show the crowd that I liked their country, and they loved it. I don’t want to be that golfer who is so focused and boring. Everybody likes the guy like (PGA Tour pro) Rocco Mediate, who is easy to talks to and shows a little personality.”

Piller’s friendly, easy-going personality plays well in front of a crowd, and so far the galleries have seen a lot of the budding professional. He made the cut in seven of his first eight tournaments, and he currently owns the tour’s eighth-best scoring average (70.40).

He also earned a sponsor’s exemption into this week’s PGA Tour Valero Texas Open, which starts Thursday at La Cantera in San Antonio.

All the while, Piller proudly tells anyone who asks where he went to college.

“I’m so proud when somebody asks me where I went to college,” said Piller, whose golf bag is adorned with A&M memorabilia, including an Ol’ Sarge head cover on his driver. “I always answer with the most pride and confidence.”

Not surprisingly, Piller does his best to keep up with the players on the Aggie golf team, and he jumps at every chance to return to campus.

“He is someone who is going to give back to this university for the rest of his life,” Higgins said. “He’s a great ambassador for Texas A&M, and the great thing is he’s just getting started. It’s just going to get bigger and better for him. He’s about as good a guy as you’re ever going to meet, so I’m really happy for his success.”


NOTES - Piller isn’t the only recent Aggie graduate to play in this week’s PGA Tour stop in San Antonio. Robert Gates (no relation to former A&M president despite the ironic name) won a spot in the field during a qualifier earlier this week. In fact, the two former teammates will tee off within moments of each other. In tomorrow’s first round, Gates tees off at 1:55, while Piller tees off in the following group at 2:05. Friday, the two tee off at 8:55 and 9:05, respectively…Piller has four top-25 finishes out of eight starts on the Nationwide Tour, and three of those have been top-10 efforts. The only Nationwide member with more top-25s is money leader Michael Sim, who has five…Gates has played in two tournaments on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour. He tallied a third-place effort in the Costa Rica Classic and a 10th place finish in the Corona Mazatlan Classic Mexican PGA Championship.

By The Numbers

7 - Losses by two runs or less in Big 12 play for the baseball team. A&M sits at 14-10 in league play with three games remaining.

30 - Number of years since A&M's last shut out of Texas on the baseball field before Aggie hurler Ross Hales posted a complete-game blanking of the Longhorns in Austin on Saturday. Hales allowed just three hits, and only one runner advanced to second base in the game.

11 - Ranked opponents defeated by senior tennis star Conor Pollock this season. Pollock and the Aggies will play in the Sweet 16 on Thursday at 6 p.m. against Ole Miss in the NCAA Tennis Championships at the Mitchell Tennis Center.

54'-10.25" - School record triple jump posted by Julian Reid at the Texas Invitational on May 2. Reid broke Kendrick Smith's 14-year-old mark by 3.5 inches. Aggie jumpers swept the titles in the long jump and triple jump in both the men's and women's competitions.

8 - Consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament for the A&M softball team.

3-2 - The softball team's record against Florida in the last two NCAA Tournament. The Aggies have eliminated the Gators in each of the last two tournaments, including last year's national semifinals when Florida was the top seed. A&M will play in the Gainesville, Fla., regional this weekend in the NCAA Tournament and could match up with No. 1 Florida again.

17 - National ranking for senior Bronson Burgoon, according to Golfweek. Burgoon and the Aggies begin play at the NCAA Men's Golf West Regional on Thursday. The top five teams in the 13-team field will advance to the NCAA Championships.

64 - Score for former Aggie golfer Bobby Gates in Valero Texas Open qualifier Monday in San Antonio. Gates 8-under-par round landed him a spot in this weekend's PGA Tour stop in San Antonio. Five former A&M golfers will be in the field: Gates, Martin Piller, Ryan Palmer, Jeff Maggert and Matt Loving.

How Aggie Football Almost Gave Me Swine Flu

Bear with me on this one...

My wife and I were married on Nov. 17, 2007. Like any good Ag, I made sure the wedding was scheduled on the off-week before the Texas football game. With the big game just a few days later, we decided we didn't have enough time to take a proper honeymoon. (If I ever need proof that I married the right woman, all I have to do is look back to that week, when she didn't put up the slightest fuss over watching a football game instead of going on a honeymoon).

As it turned out, staying in town proved to be a good decision. A&M upended No. 11 Texas by a score of 38-30 at Kyle Field, marking the second straight victory for the Aggies over the Longhorns.

Now fast forward a year and a half to this month.

Around Christmas 2008 we finally booked our honeymoon, May 2-9 at the lovely El Dorado Royale resort south of Cancun, Mexico. Sure enough, about a week before we're set to leave, news of the Swine Flu breaks. Despite warnings by the US government and numerous family and friends, we pressed on with our plans. It turned out to be a GREAT decision--the vacation was spectacular and the resort was nearly deserted after so many people cancelled their trip with Swine Flu fears.

However, we are back in College Station now and have passed the 48 hour mark that doctors say is the incubation period. I am proud to report there's not a whiff of Swine scent in the Brown house. We survived with minimal damage (maybe a little sunburn and a one-day touch of stomach trouble thanks to some sushi at the resort).

It's a common jokes for sports fans to say that a tough loss by their team has made them physically ill before, but I wonder if anybody has actually caught any disease from going to a game (or in our case, postponing vacation plans in order to see a game)?

Sorry for the long gap in posts on the blog, and I'll be working to get some regular content up for your reading pleasure.