Horned Frogs Complete Outstanding Campaign
June 7, 2001
The TCU Horned Frogs completed their most successful athletic season in school history, and several athletes were recognized for their achievements by earning All-America honors, as the 2000-01 campaign comes to a close.
TCU completed the year with eight Western Athletic Conference championships, including conference titles in football, women's cross country, women's basketball, men's indoor and outdoor track, men's and women's tennis and men's golf. The conference titles were the first in school history for the women's cross country team, the women's basketball team and the men's outdoor track team.
But TCU's success did not stop at the conference level. The men's indoor and outdoor track teams finished second at the national meet, while the men's tennis team reached the national semifinals. Both the women's basketball and women's tennis teams advanced to the second round of their respective NCAA tournaments. Both golf teams were regional participants, while the football squad made its third straight bowl appearance.
Individually, the Frogs featured three seniors who were regarded at the top of the field in their respective sports. LaDainian Tomlinson finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting as the nation's top football player and earned the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back after leading the country in rushing for the second straight year. Esteban Carril led the TCU men's tennis team to a 24-4 record and a spot in the national team semi-finals en route to earning All-America status. He finished his career as the 11th-ranked collegiate singles player in the country. Only a late season injury kept him out of contention for the NCAA singles title. Kim Collins earned four All-America plaques this season as one of the nation's fastest runners. Collins captured the NCAA indoor title at both 60 and 200 meters, finished second in the outdoor 100 meters, and anchored TCU's NCAA champion 4x100-meter relay team, which posted the nation's fastest time this spring at 38.58 seconds.
Other TCU athletes that earned All-America status during the 2000-01 campaign included football players Aaron Schobel and David Bobo, the men's tennis doubles team of Trace Fielding and Jimmy Haney, and track standouts Darvis Patton (seven All-America plaques), Eliud Njubi (four), Lindel Frater (three), Monica Twum (two), David Spencer, Abdul Rasheed and Jason Howard.
Tomlinson and Schobel were named the WAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, Njubi and Glady's Keitany were named the WAC men's and women's Cross Country Athletes of the Year, Njubi was the high point scorer at both the conference indoor and outdoor track championships and Collins was the South Central Region Male Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
The cupboard is not bare for TCU Athletics as it begins play in Conference USA this fall. Reggie Harrell (men's indoor and outdoor track), Courtney Wood (women's golf) and Paty Aburto (women's tennis) all earned WAC Freshman of the Year accolades this spring.
The Frogs' fortunes are also tied to an outstanding collection of coaches. Jeff Mittie (women's basketball), Monte Stratton (men's indoor and outdoor track), Roland Ingram (women's tennis) and Dan Waters (women's cross country) were selected by their peers as the WAC 2000-01 Coach of the Year in their respective sports. Stratton (South Central) and Ingram (Southwest) also earned regional Coach of the Year honors. Here's a brief sport-by-sport recap of the 2000-01 campaign:
FOOTBALL * Finished as the 18th ranked team in the country in the ESPN/Coaches Poll, 21st in the AP. * Posted a 10-2 record, Tied for WAC Championship, invited to third straight bowl game. * Produced 14 all-conference performers. * LaDainian Tomlinson and Aaron Schobel named the WAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. * LaDainian Tomlinson, Aaron Schobel and David Bobo earned all-America honors. * LaDainian Tomlinson finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting and won the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation's top running back. * Six players selected in the draft and 10 overall sign with NFL teams, including Tomlinson, the fifth pick in the draft.
SOCCER * Women's team finished 10-9-1 overall, 5-2-0 in the WAC, good for 2nd place. * Sherry Dick and Brenda DeRose earned first-team all-conference honors. * Men finished 7-11-0 overall, 3-8-0 in the Missouri Valley, which sent two teams to the Final 4.
CROSS COUNTRY * Women won WAC championship, the first cross country conference title in school history. * All five runners earned all-conference accolades. * Glady's Keitany became the first TCU female athlete to win the individual conference championship. She was also named the WAC's Cross Country Female Athlete of the Year. * Dan Waters named WAC Coach of the Year. * Eliud Njubi captured the individual men's title, giving TCU a sweep of the individual champions. Also was named the WAC's Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year. Njubi later earned all-America honors at the NCAA meet.
VOLLEYBALL * Won a school record 16 matches including a school record six conference matches.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL * Finished 25-8, 13-3 in conference. * Won WAC regular season championships for the first time in school history. * Won the WAC tournament for the first time in school history. * First 20-win season - most wins in school history (25), previous high was 16. * Defeated a ranked team for the first time in school history. * Earned first NCAA tournament bid and won first NCAA tournament game ever. * Jeff Mittie named WAC Coach of the Year.
MEN'S BASKETBALL * Finished 20-11, 9-7 in conference, fourth in the WAC. * One of only four schools, joining Oklahoma, Florida and Toledo, to post 10 football victories and 20 wins in both men's and women's basketball.
SWIMMING * Men posted a 5-5 dual record and placed 4th in the NCAA Independent Championships. * Women logged an 8-4 dual record and placed 5th in the WAC Championships.
INDOOR TRACK * Men won WAC Championship, Women finished fourth in conference meet. * Eliud Njubi earned High Point Performer award at WAC Championships. * Reggie Harrell named WAC Freshman of the Year and Monte Stratton named WAC Coach of the Year. * Men finished second in the NCAA meet, the highest finish ever by a TCU track team. * Kim Collins swept the short sprints at the NCAA Championships, winning both the 60m and 200m, becoming the first TCU athlete to accomplish the feat. * Kim Collins (2 times), Darvis Patton (3 times), Lindel Frater, Eliud Njubi and Monica Twum earned all-America honors.
BASEBALL * Team finished 32-28 overall, 21-15 in the conference. * Defeated Texas in two of three games. * Chris Bradshaw named the national player of the week after tossing a no-hitter at Hawaii-Hilo. * Tom Bates, Chris Bradshaw and Stan Newton named first team all-conference. * Jason Price, Erick Macha, Mike Settle, Terry Trafholz and Rudy Ontiveros earn second team all-conference honors.
MEN'S TENNIS * Reached national semifinals. * Finished as the fifth ranked team in the country. * Won WAC Championship. * Esteban Carril (1st team), Trace Fielding, Scott Edding and Toni Gordon (2nd team) earn all conference honors in singles. * Fielding and Jimmy Haney earn first team all-conference in doubles, while Carril and Gordon earn second team honors. * Esteban Carril ranked as high as fourth in the country individually. * Esteban Carril and the doubles team of Trace Fielding and Jimmy Haney earned All-America honors.
WOMEN'S TENNIS * Ranked 19th in the nation with a 21-4 record. * Won WAC Championship and rreached second round of NCAA Tournament. * Coach Roland Ingram won his 300th match. * Coach Roland Ingram named WAC Coach of the Year and Southwest Region Coach of the Year. * Paty Aburto named WAC Freshman of the Year and first team all-conference. * Katrin Gaber named first team all-conference. * The doubles team of Katrin Gaber and Karolina Roubickova named second team all-conference.
MEN'S GOLF * Ranked in top 10 during the season. * Won WAC championship. * Adam Rubinson earns first team all-conference honors while Scott Volpitto named to the second team.
WOMEN'S GOLF * Ranked in the nation's top 20. * Finished second in the WAC. * Courtney Wood named WAC Freshman of the Year and first team all-conference. * Shannon Barr named first team all-conference, Brenda Anderson and Jennifer Patterson earn second team honors.
OUTDOOR TRACK * Named the Outstanding Team at the Texas Relays. * Kim Collins named the Outstanding Performer at the Texas Relays. * Men win WAC Championship, the first outdoor conference track title in school history. * Monte Stratton named WAC men's outdoor track Coach of the Year and the South Central Region Coach of the Year. * Eliud Njubi is the high point scorer at the WAC Championships. * Reggie Harrell named WAC Outdoor Track Freshman of the Year. * Kim Collins named Southwest Region Track Athlete of the Year. * The men's 4x100 meter relay team held the fastest collegiate time in the country this spring and won the national title. * Kim Collins ran the fastest collegiate 100m (9.99) this spring. * Men's squad finished second in the team standing at the NCAA meet. * Darvis Patton (4 times), Kim Collins (2 times), Lindel Frater (2 times), Eliud Njubi (2 times), Abdul Rasheed, Jason Howard and David Spencer earn All-America honors. * Women improve to a third place tie at the conference meet. * Monica Twum earns All-America honor
