University Of Texas At Dallas: Comets Athletics Gets Everyone Back In The Game In Spring

Press release from University of Texas at Dallas:

Stephen Fontenot

June 9, 2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic has abated, The University of Texas at Dallas Intercollegiate Athletic Department carefully resumed competition in a uniquely busy spring semester that had more programs than ever competing in the same season.

UT Dallas’ 17 sports programs — including the new track and field program — were all in action when the University’s parent league, the American Southwest Conference (ASC), decided to provide fall sports the opportunity to play a condensed schedule in spring 2021.

Four Comets teams — men’s cross country, women’s tennis, women’s golf and baseball — earned conference championships.

“The University worked with the American Southwest Conference to set up COVID protocols — policies and procedures that allow us to have a safe environment to host our teams, the teams that come in from within the league and limited seating for some fans,” said Bill Petitt, UT Dallas director of athletics. “The fall sports played a half-season schedule. The spring sports have been fairly normal.”

Trent Sakakini is a member of the men’s cross country team, which earned a third consecutive ASC title in March. He explained the struggle with the uncertainty that lingered over the fall semester.

“In August, our season was postponed to the spring. It was very hard to continue training while we were not even sure whether we would be able to compete,” he said. “Additionally, we had to undergo quarantine regulations throughout the offseason. It’s really hard to train when you have to isolate for two weeks.”

Sakakini said it was all worth it when they found out the ASC would allow competition in the spring.

“At first, being able to go to the start line and race once again felt like a dream,” said Sakakini, who placed second in the ASC championship race. “Most of us expected the season to be canceled, so just being able to race was a great feeling. We ended up having three people finish with first-team ASC honors and one with second-team honors. It was our best-ever team finish at the conference cross country meet, and we are looking to do even better this upcoming year.”

“It’s a credit to our coaches that even with this situation, our student-athletes are continuing to play at a high level.”

Bill Petitt, UT Dallas director of athletics

The jam-packed semester also saw unprecedented success for the women’s golf and tennis teams, along with a conference title for the baseball team.

On the heels of its first ASC championship, the women’s golf team took its first trip to the NCAA Division III National Championships — the first 72-hole tournament a UT Dallas team has played — and made the top-15 cut for the final round.

“I’m very proud of what these women accomplished this year,” men’s and women’s head golf coach Butch Edge said. “The national tournament is different than any other tournament we play all year, and this experience will only help us as we continue to build our program. This is a great step forward.”

The women’s tennis team also claimed a second straight ASC title, and third overall, beating Hardin-Simmons University in the final to grab a spot in the Division III national bracket and host a five-team NCAA regional. Individually, Kathy Joseph reached the national semifinals in singles, the deepest run ever by a Comets tennis player. She and Samantha Wong made the semifinals of the national doubles tournament and earned All-America honors.

“Last year, our whole season was canceled, and four or five months ago, we weren’t sure we’d get to play this season either,” said Bryan Whitt, who coaches both the men’s and women’s tennis teams. “Fortunately, we handled the circumstances and repeated as conference champions. And and next season, everyone but my No. 1 singles player [Joseph] is back for the women’s team.”

The athletics calendar wrapped up at the end of May, as the Comets baseball team swept through the ASC tournament to earn a second conference crown and an NCAA tournament spot.

“This was the first UTD baseball team to win the regular-season championship and the conference championship in the same season,” said head baseball coach Shane Shewmake, who has been with the program since its founding in 2002. “The chemistry on this team was outstanding. I’m excited to see what the future holds for this group, as most of the players are returning next season.”

Among the sports that shifted to the spring, the men’s and women’s soccer teams both finished as runners-up in the ASC, as did the volleyball team.

“It’s a credit to our coaches that even with this situation, our student-athletes are continuing to play at a high level,” Petitt said.

Although the NCAA has allowed student-athletes whose seasons were affected by the pandemic an extra year of eligibility, Petitt does not anticipate more than a handful of Comets to take advantage.

“Most of our student-athletes are anxious to get into the workforce,” he said.

Though Petitt and his staff continue to monitor the course of the pandemic, he believes fall sports will be able to run at 100% capacity next semester.

“We look forward to our fall sports teams having the opportunity to again play a full-length season, with fans in attendance to support their Comets,” Petitt said.

This press release was produced by University of Texas at Dallas. The views expressed here are the author’s own.