Sports Briefs – June 7, 2010
UVU’s Austin Haws Honored by The Second Chance Foundation of Utah
On May 31, the Second Chance Foundation of Utah honored UVU walk-on baseball player Austin Haws as he continues his comeback after being struck by a drunk driver last year. He has was awarded the Dave Palfreyman Scholarship for the 2010-11 school year prior to the 11th annual Utah Valley High School All-Star Baseball Classic at UVU.
Palfreyman, who passed away last fall, was the first Wolverine Club president and one of the key players in the growth of UVU’s athletic department. The scholarship is intended to help someone who is facing adversity to keep his or her dream of playing college athletics alive.
Brinkerhoff Named Louisville Slugger Third Team All-America
Senior Jace Brinkerhoff was honored on Thursday as he was named to the Louisville Slugger Third Team All-America after leading UVU to its most successful season ever. The third baseman became the Wolverines’ first-ever baseball All-American at the NCAA level.
Brinkerhoff currently leads the nation in batting (.456), hits (118) and runs (88) and is fourth in RBI (85). UVU finished the season 42-17 and captured both the Great West Conference regular season and tournament crowns.
Brinkerhoff was named the Great West Conference Player of the Year and also earned Player of the Week twice and the Student-Athlete of the Month from the conference.
He has a career average of .400 with 30 home runs, 195 RBI, 350 hits and 75 doubles during four seasons with UVU and holds the school record in several offensive categories. As a freshman, he also earned Freshman All-America from Louisville Slugger and PING! Baseball.
The Wolverines lead the country with a team average of .372 and are in the top five in eight other team categories, including first in hits, doubles and slugging percentage. The team’s 3.19 doubles per game ranks second all-time in the NCAA record book.
Bentley & Buhler Named to ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Track/Cross Country Team
Utah Valley’s Karinne Bentley and Jacob Buhler have been named to the 2010 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Track/Cross Country Team, as announced June 3 by the Academic All-America Committee. Both were District 8 Second Team selections.
Bentley, a senior from St. George, Utah, maintained a 3.89 GPA while studying exercise science during her four-year track and cross-country career at UVU. Bentley was also one of the top distance runners for the Wolverines during her career. This past year, she placed third overall at the Great West Conference Cross Country Championships in the fall and recently finished third in the 3000m steeplechase, fourth in the 5000m run and fifth in the 800m run at the GWC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Buhler, a senior from Military, N.D., held a 3.72 GPA while majoring in biology during his four years at UVU. Buhler, who is also a distance runner, has competed in both track and cross-country had a successful senior year in both sports. Her was UVU’s top finisher at the GWC Cross Country Championships, placing second overall. He also shattered three distance school records in outdoor track as he broke the 3000, 5000, and 10,000m run records. If that was not enough, Buhler recently finished in second place in the 5000 and 10,000m runs at the GWC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.