RGV Capsules: Kilby sails into LBA 40 semifinals

PALM VALLEY — When Ron Kilby is on, he’s hard to beat, and on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the 59th Life Begins at 40 golf tournament, Kilby was in full force.

Kilby made six birdies and shot a 6-under par through 14 holes, beating Weslaco’s John Lackey 5 and 4 to advance to the semifinals today. Kilby will take on Bob Ermey, who defeated Dan Nelson 4 and 3 on Wednesday.

Today’s semifinals tee off at 1:15 from the No. 1 tee,

Kilby’s the New York Yankees of the LBA. The McAllen golfer has won six titles and played in nine finals. He’ll have his work cut out for him against one of the longest hitters in the tournament in Ermey.

Kilby just hopes to keep the momentum going today.

“I finally played a good round,” Kilby said. “I hit the ball good today, but tomorrow’s another day.”

Kilby’s putter was on fire throughout the match, making clutch birdie after clutch birdie. Kilby finished the front nine with a bird on the par-3 seventh hole and on the par-4 ninth to take a four-hole advantage at the turn.

Lackey made a nice birdie putt on No. 10 but Kilby fought through. Up four holes, Kilby then birdied No. 14 to take the match.

“This golf course is a lot about chipping and putting,” Kilby said. “And today I putted well enough to win. I pretty much had a solid round of golf.”

Ermey needed one more hole, defeating Nelson on No. 15. With Ermey leading by four holes, both golfers parred to halve the hole and give the match to Ermey. Ermey made four birdies on the day and is in the semifinals for the second time in seven years he’s been playing in the LBA 40.

In the other semifinal match, Ray Iler will take on L.D. Clopton for a chance to advance to the final Friday. Clopton played in the final in 2008, losing to Kilby for Kilby’s sixth career LBA title.

Iler defeated Mickey Boland, 4 and 3, also on No. 15. Iler was solid with four birdies on the day. Clopton defeated Rusty Napier in the first hole of a playoff, 1-up.

The two golfers turned in one of the best matches, if not the best, of the day.

Even through 16 holes, Napier birdied No. 17 in dramatic fashion to take a one-hole lead.

Reminiscent of Tiger Woods’ delayed birdie attempt on No. 16 of the 2005 Masters, Napier hit a putt from about 17 feet away that hung on the lip. The gallery murmured in agony as Napier walked to the ball ready to take his par. When Napier got within a couple of feet of the hole the ball dropped, giving him the exciting birdie.

Not to be outdone, Clopton made a clutch birdie on No. 18 to even the match again and force a 19th hole. In the playoff, Clopton parred the hole to win it and the match.

Iler and Ermey will try to advance to the final and represent Harlingen Country Club in an attempt to return the LBA title home. Lee Wiley was the last HCC member to win the LBA in 2003. Nelo Muniz won it last year, but is not a member of HCC.

Kilby and Clopton are members of McAllen Country Club.

Eladio Jaimez covers sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 430-6285 or via e-mail at eladioj@valleystar.com.

Tennis

Stillman loses at Harlingen USTA event

HARLINGEN — As the second day of competition commenced Wednesday at Harlingen Country Club, a large crowd of local high school tennis players, coaches and spectators gathered at Court No. 1 to witness the first-round match between wild cards Shane Vinsant and Tomas Stillman in the Harlingen USTA Pro Circuit Tennis Tournament.

Stillman, a Harlingen South standout and son of coach Noe Stillman, was attempting to win his first professional match in his second appearance at the $15,000 tournament.

Despite winning the first set, a quadriceps injury in the second prevented Stillman from holding off a surging Vinsant, who shook off some early nerves to gain his first professional tournament victory 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Vinsant, a 17-year old wild-card entry from Keller, also is a coach’s son (his father is Keller coach Dave Vinsant) and has been touring the world playing on the junior circuit up until his wild-card entry in Harlingen.

He is ranked as one of the top 25 junior players by the International Tennis Federation.

Earlier in the day, Catalin-Ionut Gard, the fourth seed in the draw, ousted Amarillo native Joshua Zavala 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1).

Nikoloz Basilashvili, the eighth seed, was upset by American Aaron Yovan. The match was one of the most interesting of the tournament so far. Basilashvili’s powerful groundstrokes were not enough to top the smooth-serving Yovan, who won 7-5, 6-3.

The match underscored the theme of the event, which features the potential future of world tennis.

Many young players entered in the tournament use the circuit to become acclimated to a professional lifestyle, which requires personal discipline to perform week to week.

“Its not as glamorous as people think,” Australian player Jared Easton said. “But I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

-- David Gonzalez, Valley Morning Star

Harlingen USTA Pro Circuit Tennis Tournament

At Harlingen Country Club

Results

Tuesday

Round 1

Singles

Daniel Cox, Great Britian, def. Yao-Zhong Zhang, China, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4

Yuki Bhambri, India, def. Rodrigo Perez, Chilie, 6-3, 6-1

Gilad Ben Zvi, Israel, def. Guido Golding, Great Britian, 7-6 (3), 6-4

Marco Trungelliti, Argentina, def. Christopher Racz, United States, 6-1, 7-5

Robbye Poole, United States, def. Daniel Danilovic, Sweden, 6-4, 6-4

Doubles

Daniel Danilovic-Joshua Zavala def. Jared Easton-Andrew Gregory, 6-4, 6-3

Javier Herrera-Eguiluz- Eduardo Peralta-Tello def. Gilad Ben Zvi-Erik Crepaldi, 2-6, 6-4, 10-4

Yuichi Ito-Vladimir Obradovic def. Lewis Burton-Daniel Cox, w.o.

Joshua Crowe-Dayne Kelly def. Nathaniel Gorham-Aaron Yovan, 6-2, 7-5

Bjorn Propst-Richard Ruchelshausen def. Marcos Giron-Shane Vinsant, 2-6, 6-3, 10-4

Juan Pablo Ortiz-Marco Trungelliti def. Boris Bakalov-Nikoloz Basilashvili, 6-1, 6-2

Guido Andreozzi-Rodrigo Perez def. Christopher Racz-Lance Vodicka, 6-4, 6-4

Joel Kincaid-Yao Zhang def. Spencer Feldman-Mitchell Polnet

Wednesday

Court 1

Singles

Catalin-Ionut Gard, Romania def. Joshua Zavala, United States, 7-6(4), 7-6(1)

Shane Vinsant, United States def. Tomas Stillman, United States, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

Yuichi Ito, Japan def. Oliver Golding, Great Britian, 6-3, 6-4.

Dayne Kelly, Australia def. Denes Lukacs, Hungary, 6-0, 6-4.

Court 2

Singles

Marcos Giron, United States, def. Juan Pablo Ortiz, Argentina, 6-3, 6-4.

Shinta Fujii, Japan, def. Nathaniel Gorham, United States, 7-5, 6-1.

Court 4

Aaron Yovan, United States def. Nikoloz Basilashvili, Georgia, 7-5, 6-3.

Takanyi Garanganga, Zimbabwe, def. Jared Easton, United States, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Court 5

Devin Britton, United States def. Lance Vodicka, United States, 6-4, 6-1.

Erik Crepaldi, Italy def. Javier Bacaicoa, Venezuela, 6-3, 6-0.

Court TBA

Singles

Vladimir Obradovic, Serbia def. Devin Mullings, Bahamas, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles

Andreozzi-Perez def. Kincaid-Zhang, 5-7, 6-3 (10-3)

Ortiz-Trungelliti def. Propst-Ruckelshausen 2-6, 6-3, (10-4).

Order of Play

Thursday

Singles

10 a.m.

Devin Britton, United States, vs. Marco Trungelliti, Argentina (3), Court 1

Takanyi Garanganga, Zimbabwe, vs. Aaron Yovan, United States, Court 4

Yuichi Ito, Japan, vs. Gilad Ben Zvi, Israel, Court 5

Not before 11 a.m.

Shane Vinsant, United States, vs. Dayne Kelly, Australia(2), Court 1

Robbye Poole, United States(6) vs. Vladimir Obradovic, Serbia, Court 4

Not before 1 p.m.

Daniel Cox, Great Britain (1) vs. Marcos Giron, United States, Court 1

Not before 4 p.m.

Catalin-Ionut Gard, Roumania, (4) vs. Shinta Fujii, Japan, Court 1

DOUBLES

Not before 2:30 p.m.

Danilovic-Zavala (1), vs. Herrera-Eguiluz/Peralta-Tello, Court 4

Not before 5 p.m.

Ito-Obradovic vs. Crowe-Kelly, Court 4

College

Broncs wrapping up another rough season

EDINBURG — Ultimately, the University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team’s 5-23 record falls on second-year coach Ryan Marks.

When asked to evaluate his coaching performance, Marks acknowledged the difficulty of losing as many players as they have lost this season for various reasons — suspensions, redshirts and leaving the team for personal reasons. Before the season, the Broncs started with 15 active players and are now down to nine as they play host to South Dakota at 7 tonight at the UTPA Field House.

“As a coaching staff, we have tried different coaching styles to get our message across,” Marks said. “It hasn’t occurred. I’m sure anyone who has done any type of coaching or mentoring knows the disappointment of not being able to get across the messages you think are most important.

“As a coach, you never want a team that is ready for the season to end. I feel very good about what we have done with the guys we still have on the court. We are still making progress.”

For an outsider, it might be difficult to find the progress. As the regular season comes to an end this weekend, the Broncs still have not matched their six wins from last season.

The 2009-2010 team, wasn’t filled with the caliber of players to be competitive. This season’s team, the players have showed their inexperience at inopportune times.

“We are not happy with or win/loss record,” Broncs assistant Nick Bennett said. “We wish we could have won more games. I think we laid some groundwork for the future. In the coming years, we will start to show improvement in the win/loss record.”

If there is any good news for the Broncs it’s that they will return seven players with a ton of experience, something the last three Broncs team’s haven’t had. Nick Weiermiller, who redshirted this season, will also return for his senior season.

It is Marks’ hope that the tough losses, close or not, will count for something in the future.

“Really in seven of the (eight home losses), the games were decided in the last two minutes,” Marks said. “In a sense, we are not that far off from a different record. There were probably a couple of things that prohibited us from winning a lot of those games. Those are some of things we have to solidify.”

Despite their poor record, the Broncs are steadfast behind their coach.

“He’s done a good job,” Broncs sophomore guard Aaron Urbanus said. “He has given us what we need to win. It is just our job to go out and execute it.”

FREE THROWS: The women’s game tips off at 5:30 p.m. … The teams’ final home game of the season is Saturday against North Dakota. The women start at 5:30 p.m. and the men at 7:30 p.m.

Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.

Aggies pitch shutout to sweep Broncs

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M starter Dylan Mendoza pitched six shutout innings and struck out three University of Texas-Pan American hitters as the Aggies swept the two-game series from the Broncs with a 7-0 shutout victory Wednesday at Olsen Field. The Broncs have now lost two straight after winning their first five games of the season.

The Broncs (5-2) tallied nine hits but did not muster an RBI hit to get on the scoreboard.

The Aggies (8-1) scored the game’s first run during the bottom of the third. Left fielder Scott Arthur led off the inning with a double down the left field line. After moving to second on a passed ball, he scored on a sacrifice bunt by second baseman Andrew Collazo to put the Aggies in front 1-0.

A&M put up five two out hits to score four runs to put further separation on the scoreboard. Troy Stein began the rally for A&M with a single to the right side. Stein stole second and advanced to third on a single by the shortstop Kenny Jackson. Arthur then singled in the first run of the frame on a drag bunt, giving the Aggies a 2-0 advantage.

Center fielder Krey Bratsen then doubled down the left-field line, scoring Arthur and Jackson to put the Aggies in front 4-0. A&M scored an additional run on an RBI single by Collazo, pushing the lead to 5-0, which led to the exit of UTPA starter Cody Plunk.

Mendoza (W, 2-0) picked up the victory as he allowed five UTPA hits and one walk in his six innings of work. Plunk (L, 1-1) took the defeat for UTPA, lasting 3 2/3 innings and allowing five earned runs on 10 hits.

The Broncs return to action next at 3 p.m. Tuesday when they play host to the Texas A&M -Corpus Christi Islanders for a doubleheader at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.

-- UTPA Services

Basketball

Vipers acquire former Syracuse star

McALLEN – The defending NBA Development League champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced Wednesday that they have acquired power forward Arinze Onuaku (6-foot-9, 261, Syracuse).

In his final season, Onuaku averaged 10.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 32 games before suffering a season-ending leg injury during the Big East Tournament in March 2010. During that season, Onuaku set a Syracuse single-season record with a .668 shooting percentage (153-for-229). Onuaku finished his career first on the Syracuse all-time list with a .648 field goal percentage (540-for-833). He is also 11th all-time with 148 blocked shots.

His best season came as a redshirt sophomore when he averaged 12.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 35 games while helping the Orange to the quarterfinals of the NIT.

-- Vipers Services