GENERAL HEADLINES

• CSU tabs Washington's John Morris to serve as deputy athletic director.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Hawai‘i brings five-star cornerback into the fold.

• Former Air Force standout and current Broncos' DL Ben Garland adds to resume.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Former New Mexico hoopster Brian Smith has taken his game to another level.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

We are always told that as we get older, we are meant to become wise. But I hope we stay foolish, foolish enough to believe that everything is possible. To know that we can do whatever we want and there is no one that can stop us but ourselves.

Fellow graduates, this month we say goodbye to constants in our life. We say goodbye to organized education and late nights of studying.

Goodbye to our athletic careers -- our coaches and teammates; to hours of workouts and icing our bumps, breaks and bruises.

But most importantly, we say goodbye to the children we used to be. This is it. Everything prior was just practice.

Every piece of tape on our ankles. Every win. Every loss. Every tear. Every breath we took.

They have all been to prepare us for this time in our life. We may not have known it at the time, but everything we have experienced was for a reason.

We've done the work. We've put in the blood, sweat and tears. We've planned for this moment since we can remember and now it is actually here.

I hope you did what you wanted. I hope you took some great classes and some really time-wasting ones. I hope you lived your dream of playing a college sport, of getting a college degree.

I hope you gained lifelong friends and mentors. But, most of all, I hope you know that you deserve what your life has in store for you.

There is one thing I have learned in life that stands out the most: Life is about being ready for the moments that will change your life.

Plan to fail at times; that's what life is about. But prepare for the opportunities to grow as a person.

Remember to never stop trying, to never stop fighting for what you want. Never stop doing things that make you uncomfortable.

Take chances.

Follow your dreams, especially when they are ridiculous and other people say you'll never see them fulfilled.

Good things come to those who wait. But great things come to those who work tirelessly and never give up.

The groundwork is set; our foundation is in place. Our life is out there waiting on us.

The only thing left for us to do is show up.

- Eugene Daniels

The 10th-ranked Aztecs have carded a combined 19-over 587 for the tournament, only three strokes behind eighth place in the field of 30 teams. SDSU, which at one point sat in seventh place on Wednesday, gave back five strokes over the final three holes and finished the second round at 11-over 295.

The tournament, which is being played on the par 71, 7,292-yard Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., continues Thursday with the final round of stroke play competition. The individual national champion will be crowned at the conclusion of stroke play on Thursday, while the top eight teams after 54 holes will advance to the match play portion of the tournament from Friday to Sunday when the national team title will be awarded.

No. 2-ranked Alabama sits atop the team standings heading into Day 3 with a 4-over par 572, while fifth-ranked UCLA is second at 8-over 576. No other team in the field has shot better than 12-over 580. The individual lead belongs to Thomas Pieters of Illinois, who turned in a second-round score of 3-under 68 and is at 5-under 137 (69-68) for the tournament.

SDSU senior Alex Kang and junior Tom Berry both finished the day with a 2-over 73. Kang, who has six birdies through 36 holes, paces SDSU at 3-over 145 (72-73) to tie for 25th place. Berry, who enters the final round in a 16-way tie for 37th, is one shot behind Kang at 4-over 146 (73-73) alongside teammate and MW Player of the Year J.J. Spaun (72-74).

Meanwhile, TCU, which entered the tournament ranked 36th nationally, carded a 15-over 299 for the second straight round while finishing Day 2 in a three-way tie for 23rd place at 30-over 598.

The Horned Frogs were once again paced by MW Freshman of the Year Julien Brun, who rose 11 spots on the individual leaderboard after firing a 1-over 72 for the second consecutive day. Brun, who has posted eight birdies through the first two rounds, is in a nine-way tie for 16th with his 36-hole total of 2-over 144 (72-72).

Daniel Jennevret posted his second-best score in five career NCAA championship rounds, as the junior matched Brun with a 1-over 72 on Wednesday. Jennevret moved up from his starting position in a tie for 122nd place into a tie for 69th at 7-over 149 (77-72).

Live scoring for the national championship can be found at NCAA.com.

The following day, Aztecs whittled an eye-popping 17 strokes off their opening day performance to assume sole possession of second place, a position they would hold for the remainder of the tournament.

After Day 1 of the NCAA National Championships, 10th-ranked SDSU is about to find out whether another comeback is in the cards.

The two-time defending MW champion Aztecs shot an 8-over par 292 to finish in 12th place on Tuesday as the NCAA Championships got underway at the par-71, 7,292-yard Rivera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

"Overall, it was a good day," said Aztecs head coach Ryan Donovan, who on Tuesday was tabbed as one of six finalists for the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Dave Williams Award that recognizes the national coach of the year. "We have 54 holes to complete the stroke play portion of the NCAAs and we're seven in back of the lead. I think we're going to get off to a good start in the morning, the greens will be pure for us and we'll put up a good number tomorrow."

Seniors Alex Kang and J.J. Spaun, who finished 10th and second, respectively, at the Stanford Regional, both posted opening-day scores of 1-over 72 and sit in a 19-way tie for 27th. Both notched three birdies on the day. Junior Tom Berry, who is in a 16-way tie for 46th, is one shot behind Kang and Spaun after carding a 1-over 73.

SDSU is making its first back-to-back trip to the championships since NCAA regional play began in 1989, and the first time overall since qualifying 11 consecutive years from 1974-84.

The championships consist of 54 holes of stroke play with one 18-hole round played each day. The individual national champion will be crowned at the conclusion of stroke play on Thursday, while the top eight teams advance to match play. The national title will be determined between the top two teams on Sunday.

No. 2-ranked Alabama leads the team standings heading into Day 2 after shooting a 1-over 285. The individual leader is UCLA's Anton Arboleda, who turned in an opening-day round of 4-under 67.

Meanwhile, TCU carded a 15-over 299 and will begin second-round play on Wednesday in a five-way tie for 24th in the 30-team field.

The No. 36-ranked Horned Frogs, who qualified for the NCAA Championships after posting a fifth-place finish at the Ann Arbor Regional earlier this month, were paced by standout freshman Julien Brun. The MW Freshman of the Year posted four birdies in the opening round and shot a 1-over 72 to share 27th place with Kang and Spaun.

Senior Johan de Beer, who is making his third career appearance at the national tournament, and sophomore Ian Phillips both finished at 4-over 75 and will tee off on Wednesday in a 17-way tie for 81st place.

TCU has qualified for the NCAA Championships three times in the last four years and 16 times overall. This is the third consecutive season and ninth time in league history that multiple men's golf teams are representing the Mountain West at the NCAA Championships.

Live scoring for the national championship can be found at NCAA.com.

With two Mountain West outdoor track and field records having already fallen by the wayside during the first two days of competition at the NCAA West Regional Men's and Women's Championship Prelims in Austin, Texas, UNLV senior Amanda Bingson set an NCAA meet record in the women's hammer throw on Saturday with an effort of 223'-1.00." Her throw is also a new Mountain West all-time record.

Bingson, who entered the meet with the top mark in the NCAA this season (228'-10.00"), erased her career best mark of 229'-0.00" on her third throw of the competition. She outdistanced second-place finisher Jeneva McCall of Southern Illinois (226'-10") by more than six feet.

Just the second women's student-athlete to earn three MW hammer titles in her career (Colorado State's Loree Smith won three from 2002-05), Bingson, a 2011 NCAA All-American, advanced to the NCAA Championships for the third straight year. She has now broken the UNLV hammer throw record eight times.

The NCAA Championships are set for June 6-9 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Bingson finished fourth at the meet last year.

The top 12 finishers from each event at the NCAA West Region Prelims advanced to the NCAA Championships.

In other news from the final day of competition:

 San Diego State sophomore Shanieka Thomas came within ¼-inch of tying the MW record in the triple jump, finishing second in Saturday's competition with a career-best effort of 44'-8.00." Thomas, who posted the second-best mark in program history, will be joined at the NCAA Championships by teammate Alex Evans, a junior who finished 11th in the event with a career-best effort of 41'-8.50." Thomas and Evans will be making their first appearance in the NCAA Championships.

 Air Force junior pole vaulter Cale Simmons, who set an Academy and MW Championship meet record earlier this month with an effort of 18'-1-.75," advanced to his first NCAA Championships after finishing tied for seventh (17'-6.50") on Saturday.

 The TCU men's 4x100 meter relay team of junior Skye Dawson, junior Charles Silmon, senior OJ Stoneham and freshman Ramone Bailey will head to the NCAA Championships after finishing eighth in a time of 39.59 (fifth-best in MW history). Silmon qualified for the NCAA Championships on Friday after setting a MW record in the 100-meter dash (10.04). Texas A&M had the top qualifying time in the event at 39.11.

 The TCU women's 4x100 meter relay team of sophomore Veronica Jones, junior Chaniqua Corinealdi, senior Whitney Gipson and freshman Lorraine Ugen qualified for the NCAA Championships with an 11th-place finish of 44.92. Ugen had already qualified in the long jump and 100-meter dash. Corinealdi, meanwhile, who had previously qualified in the 100-meter dash, also qualified Saturday in the 200-meter dash, placing 11th (23.50). Gipson qualified in the long jump on Thursday. Texas A&M had the top time in the women's 4x100 meter relay (43.34).

 Boise State freshman Emma Bates broke the school record in the women's 5,000-meter run to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Bates posted a time 16:16.74 to better the BSU record by more than four seconds. She finished 11th overall.

 Colorado State sophomore Trevor Brown, who finished 22nd at the meet a year ago, placed 11th in the men's 110-meter hurdles (13.77) on Saturday to advance to his first NCAA Championships.

 New Mexico sophomore Django Lovett's effort of 7'-1.50" in the men's high jump enabled him to tie for 11th and gain a spot in the NCAA Championships.

 The TCU women's 4X400 relay team of sophomore Briyanni Thomas, junior Quinterra Charles, freshman Ashley Collins and freshman Nefertari Hall advanced to the NCAA Championships by grabbing the 12th and final qualifying spot in the event with a time of 3:37.12. Oregon (3:29.43) was first in the competition.

Silmon, the league's three-time defending champion in the event, posted a time of 10.04, breaking the previous MW record of 10.13 set by BYU's Kenneth Andam in 2000. Silmon's time was the second-fastest performance of the day, exceeded only by the 10.03 turned in by Illinois' Andrew Riley in the same heat.

Silmon's performance gave him a spot in the NCAA Championships for the third straight year. The championships will be held June 6-9 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

The top 12 in each event of the NCAA West Region prelims advance to the NCAA Championships.

In other news from Day 2:

 San Diego State senior Whitney Ashley, who on Thursday set a Mountain West women's outdoor record in the shot put, qualified for a second event in this year's NCAA Championships when she finished fourth in the discus Friday.

Ashley, the MW outdoor champion in both the shot put and discus each of the past two years, finished with a distance of 181'-03" to advance to the NCAA Championships. Ashley's effort ranks as the second-best of her career and the fifth-best in school history. She threw a career-best 183'-01" at the Mt. SAC Relays in April.

Ashley, who came into the weekend ranked fifth in the discus in the West Region, finished seventh in the discus last year at the NCAA Championships en route to earning first-team USTFCCCA All-America honors.

 TCU also produced a pair of NCAA Championship qualifiers in the women's 100-meter dash. Freshman Lorraine Ugen, who on Thursday qualified for the NCAA Championships in the long jump, finished eighth in Friday's 100 meters, posting a time of 11.34. Horned Frogs junior Chaniqua Corinealdi grabbed the 12th and final qualifying spot in the event with a time of 11.41. Corinealdi also advanced to Saturday's quarterfinals in the 200 meters, finishing third in her heat with a time of 23.70.

 Boise State junior Rolando Trammel advanced to Saturday's quarterfinals by nailing down the final qualifying spot in the men's 110-meter hurdles. Trammel posted a time of 14.15.

 San Diego State junior Kelsy Hintz qualified for the NCAA Championships in the pole vault with a ninth-place effort of 13'-08.25." The vault was the second-best of Hintz's career and the fifth-best in SDSU history.

 New Mexico junior Floyd Ross advanced to the NCAA Championships in the triple jump, finishing third overall in posting an effort of 52'-07.25." TCU junior Cameron Parker also qualified in the event, finishing 10th at 51'-04.50."

 UNLV senior Brett Zorich is headed to the NCAA Championships after finishing 10th overall in the women's 800 meters (2:05.39).

 Air Force senior Jim Walmsley posted a career-best time of 8:51.65 to advance to the NCAA Championships in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Walmsley's performance ranks as fourth-best in Air Force history.

 Colorado State senior Nicole Peters and New Mexico senior Ruth Senior both qualified for the NCAA Championships in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Peters finished seventh overall in a time of 10:16.15, while Senior's effort of 10:21.58 was 11th in the field of 48.

Ashley, the MW outdoor champion in both the shot put and discus each of the past two years, notched a career-best distance of 55'-5.00" on her final effort of the day to advance to the NCAA Championships June 6-9 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Ashley's effort ranks as the second-best in program history behind four-time Olympian Ramona Pagel.

The previous MW outdoor record of 54'-9.50" was set by Colorado State's Loree Smith in 2005. Ashley, who had the fifth-best mark in Thursday's preliminary round, will also take part in the discus competition on Friday.

The top 12 in each event advance to the NCAA Championships.

In other news from the opening day of the NCAA West Region prelims:

 Boise State junior Rolando Trammel, who will also participate in the 110-meter hurdles on Friday, advanced to the quarterfinals of the men's 400-meter hurdles with a time of 51.82.

 UNLV senior Christine Lowe and San Diego State sophomore Allison Reaser advanced to Friday's quarterfinals in the women's 400-meter hurdles after posting times of 59.57 and 59.93, respectively. Reaser is already headed to the NCAA Championships after qualifying in the heptathlon.

 Air Force senior Alex Zubey (3:48.28) and New Mexico sophomore Sam Evans (3:54.92), a 2012 All-Mountain West selection, advanced to Saturday's quarterfinals in the men's 1500-meter run.

 TCU junior Charles Silmon posted the fastest time of his heat and the sixth-best time overall (10.31) to advance to Friday's quarterfinals of the men's 100-meter dash. New Mexico freshman Beejay Lee, who was second to Silmon in the heat, also advanced with a time of 10.38.

 TCU freshman Lorraine Ugen (11.40) and Horned Frogs junior Chanique Corinealdi (11.51) advanced to Friday's quarterfinals in the women's 100-meter dash. Ugen and Corinealdi, who both finished second in their respective heats, posted the ninth- and 10th-best times overall. UNLV junior Emily Blok also qualified in the event, finishing second in her heat with a time of 11:53.

 UNLV senior Brett Zorich (2:07.64) and Rebels junior Kelsey Williamson (2:09.31) advanced to Friday's quarterfinals in the women's 800-meter run. Williamson finished first in her heat, while Zorich was third.

 TCU senior Whitney Gipson (21'-6.00") and Horned Frogs freshman Lorraine Ugen (21'-1.50") both advanced to the NCAA Championships in the women's long jump. Gipson finished tied for second overall. Ugen was eighth.

 New Mexico senior Sarah Waldron earned a spot in the NCAA Championships with a time of 33:54.56 in the women's 10,000-meter run. Waldron posted the event's fourth-best time overall.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• Coats' injury deals TCU big blow at crucial time.

• Pitcher Preston Morrison has taken command for Frogs as freshman.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• New CSU coach Ryun Williams wastes little time in assembling staff.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Two-time defending Mountain West champion SDSU will participate in its second straight NCAA Championship after finishing second, six strokes behind the team-champion Golden Bears, in the final round of the NCAA Stanford Regional on Saturday at the par 70, 6,727-yard Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif.

The No. 3 seed Aztecs, who shot a blistering 15-under par 265 on Friday to pull within a stroke of first-place Cal, carded a 6-under 274 on Saturday to finish at 19-under 821 (282-265-274) for the tournament.

Meanwhile, the top-seeded Golden Bears, who along with No. 2 seed Stanford were the only teams in the regional to have defeated SDSU this season, held the Aztecs at bay by shooting an 11-under 269 on Saturday to finish with a three-day total of 25-under 815.

Validating his standing as the MW Golfer of the Year, Aztec senior J.J. Spaun finished second behind Pepperdine's Josh Anderson in the individual standings. Spaun, who began the day tied for fourth after carding a 7-under 63 on Friday, posted seven birdies on Saturday, including four on the back nine, en route to a 5-under 65 on the day. Spaun finished with a 54-hole total of 12-under 198 (70-63-65), two shots behind Anderson.

Fellow senior Alex Kang finished the tournament tied for 10th at 4-under 206 (70-67-69), while junior Tom Berry tied for 18th at 2-under 208 (72-67-69)

The top five teams from each of the six regional sites advanced to the NCAA Championships, which will be held at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., May 29-June 3. In addition to SDSU and Cal, the other Stanford Regional teams to advance to the NCAA Championships were UAB (10-under 830), Stanford (8-under 832), and Central Florida (5-under 835).

Elsewhere:

 No. 8 seed TCU earned its third NCAA Championship berth in the last four seasons by finishing fifth at the Ann Arbor Regional, played on the par 71, 6,723-yard University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Horned Frogs carded a 3-over 287 during Saturday's final round to finish with a three-day total of 3-under 849 (278-284-287), a performance due in large part to an opening-round 278 that gave the squad an eight-shot lead on the rest of the field entering Day 2.

Freshmen Julien Brun and Thomas Mantovanini were the story of the tournament for TCU. Brun, who began the day as the co-leader in the clubhouse, finished in a tie for fifth place at 6-under 207 (67-68-72). It was the seventh top-5 finish in 12 tournaments for the MW Freshman of the Year.

Meanwhile, Mantovanini earned a share of 11th place, finishing at 3-under 210 (70-69-71). Entering the weekend, Mantovanini had only shot par or better two times in 18 competition rounds for TCU. He registered 16 birdies over the course of three days.

North Carolina State's Albin Choi, who began the day tied for the lead with Brun, took home individual honors with a three-day total of 10-under 203.

In addition to TCU and USC, which won the team title at 11-under 841, other teams to advance to the NCAA Championships from the Ann Arbor Regional were Oregon (10-under 842), Kent State (8-under 844), and Virginia (6-under 846).

  No. 16-ranked New Mexico could do little but pick up the pieces and go home after Iowa's Chris Brandt bogeyed No. 18 to help the Hawkeyes edge the Lobos by one stroke for fifth place and final qualifying spot at the Athens Regional.

New Mexico shot an 8-over 292 at the par 71, 7,253-yard University of Georgia Golf Course Saturday to finish in sixth place at 15-over 867 (285-290-292).

The Lobos, who were bidding for their first NCAA Championship appearance since 2007, were paced by junior James Erkenbeck, who shot a 1-over 72 to finish at even-par 213 (67-74-72) and tie for 12th place. Fellow junior John Catlin finished at 3-over 316 (71-71-74) for the tournament, tying for 18th place among 75 golfers.

No. 4 Alabama ran away with the team title, carding a 24-under 828 to best second-place East Carolina (1-over 853) by 25 strokes. Other teams advancing to the NCAA Championships from the Athens Regional were North Florida (6-over 858) and host Georgia (12-over 864). The Rolling Tide's Justin Thomas earned individual medalist honors after posting a 9-under 204.

 No. 9-ranked UNLV shot a final-round 3-over-par 291 on Saturday to finish eighth at the Greensboro Regional on the par 72, 7,271-yard East Course at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, N.C. Over the course of the three-day tournament, the Rebels combined for a team total of 24-over 888 (293-304-291)

UNLV sophomore Blake Biddle shot a 2-over 74 on Saturday to finish tied for seventh place at 1-over 217 (70-73-74). Junior Kevin Penner tied for 23rd at 6-over 222 (75-76-71), while freshman Carl Jonson tied for 28th at 8-over 224 (73-77-74).

Liberty, which held the team lead throughout the tournament, shot a 4-over 292 during the final round to win the overall title at 4-over 868. Also advancing to the NCAA Championships from the Greensboro Regional were Florida (7-over 871), Auburn (10-over 874), Lamar (13-over 877) and Tulsa (14-over 878).

Campbell's Vaita Guillaume, Liberty's Robert Karlsson and SMU's Matt Schovee all finished tied for first place in the individual standings at 3-under 213. Guillaume defeated Schovee in a one-hole sudden-death playoff to claim the individual spot for the NCAA Championship. Karlsson was not involved in the playoff, as Liberty advanced to the national championship as a team.

 No. 11 seed Colorado State finished in a tie for ninth place with Iowa State at the Bowling Green Regional, held at the par 72, 7,248-yard course at The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Ky. The Rams combined of a 54-hole total of 22-over 886 (294-293-2999).

Freshman Cameron Harrell finished 13th for the Rams at 1-over 217 (75-69-73), while senior Zahkai Brown concluded his collegiate career with a three-day total of 2-over 218 (72-73-73), tying for 14th place

No. 34-ranked Chattanooga took home the team title, finishing at 5-under 859. Other teams advancing to the NCAA Championship from the Bowling Green Regional were Texas A&M (4-under 860), UCLA (1-under 863), Virginia Tech (10-over 874) and Memphis (12-over 876).

Chattanooga's Stephan Jaeger captured the individual title, finishing with a three-day total of 13-under 203.

Not as good as today, mind you.

The two-time defending Mountain West champion Aztecs shaved 17 strokes off their Day 1 performance to climb into second place on Friday at the NCAA Stanford Regional.

No. 3 seed SDSU, which enters Saturday's final round one shot behind team leader and No. 2 seed California, carded a tournament-best 15-under par 265 on Friday at the par 70, 6,727-yard Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif.

The top five teams from each of the six regional sites will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., May 29-June 3.

The Aztecs, who began the day tied for eighth, sit at 13-under 547 (282-265) heading into Saturday's final round. SDSU is bidding for its second straight regional title after capturing last year's Tucson Regional.

The Aztecs began the day at 2-over 282, nine strokes behind opening-round leader San Francisco. Yet SDSU stormed back, paced by a 7-under 63 by MW Golfer of the Year J.J. Spaun on Friday, including an eagle on Hole 1 and seven birdies. Spaun is currently tied for fourth place at 7-under 133 (70-63) entering the final 18 holes, trailing Cal's Michael Kim by two strokes.

Fellow senior Alex Kang, who opened the tournament in a tie with Spaun, teammate Colin Featherstone and 10 others at 27th, moved into a three-way tie for 14th at 3-under 137 (70-67). Kang had four birdies on Friday, including three on the front nine.

Elsewhere:

 No. 8 seed TCU, which held an eight-stroke lead after Day 1 of the Ann Arbor Regional, slipped into a three-way tie for second with Kent State and Oregon on Friday. Entering the second round as the only team in the tournament under par, the No. 43-ranked Horned Frogs shot an even-par 284 on Day 2 at the par 71, 6,723-yard University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Mich.

TCU, which has a combined card of 6-under 562 (278-284) heads into Saturday's final round trailing by one stroke to USC, which carded a 12-under 272 on Friday.

After beginning the day in a three-way tie for first place, MW Freshman of the Year Julien Brun, continues to hold the top spot along with North Carolina State's Albin Choy at 7-under 135. After posting a 4-under 67 to open the postseason, Brun carded a 3-under 68 on Friday, including four birdies.

Brun is joined in the top 10 by fellow freshman Thomas Mantovanini, who is in a three-way tie for ninth place at 3-under 139 (70-69). Mantovanini has recorded 13 birdies through 36 rounds, including six on Friday.

 No. 16-ranked New Mexico got another solid performance from junior James Erkenbeck to jump a tie for ninth place into the all-important fifth spot in the team standings at the Athens Regional, being held at the par-71, 7,253-yard University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga.

The Lobos finished at 6-over 290 on Friday and have a two-day total of 7-over 575 (285-290), two shots better than sixth-place UNC Wilmington.

Erkenbeck, who led New Mexico on Thursday with a 4-under 67, heads into Saturday's final round in a three-way tie for 12th at 1-under 141 (67-74). Fellow junior John Catlin is in a five-way tie for 15th at even-par 142 (71-71).

No. 4 Alabama (23-under 545) holds a 12-stroke lead over second-place East Carolina in the team standings, while the Crimson Tide's Bobby Wyatt leads the individual standings at 9-under 133.

 No. 11 seed Colorado State, which began the day in a second-place tie with Chattanooga, dropped into a tie for sixth place with Northwestern after carding a 5-over 293 on Friday at the Bowling Green Regional.

The Rams sit at 11-over 587 (294-293) for the tournament, which is being staged at The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Ky.

Freshman Cameron Harrell turned in the top performance of the day for CSU, firing a 3-under 69 on the par-72, 7,248-yard course. Harrell, who had six birdies on the day, including five on the back nine, has a two-day total of even-par 144 (75-69) to tie with three others for 13th place.

Ram senior Zahkai Brown, who began the day tied for seventh place, is in a five-way for 17th at 1-over 145 (72-73).

No. 3 UCLA holds the team lead at 5-under 571, while the Bruins' Pedro Figueiredo and Chattanooga's Stephan Jaeger share the top spot among individuals at 7-under 137.

 No. 2 seed UNLV, which finished in a tie for third place with Tulsa following Thursday's opening round at the Greensboro Regional, found the going a bit more difficult on Friday as it dropped into 10th place.

At the par 72, 7,271-yard East Course at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, N.C., the ninth-ranked Rebels shot a 16-over 304 after turning in an opening-round effort of 5-over 293.

For the second straight day, UNLV was paced by sophomore Blake Biddle, who enters Saturday's final round at 1-under 143 (70-73) to tie for fifth place. Biddle is six shots from the top of the individual leaderboard, currently held by SMU's Matt Schovee (7-under 137).

No. 32-ranked Liberty holds the team lead at even-par 576.

NOTE: Due to the Academy appointment process, Air Force does not sign student-athletes to letters of intent.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

BOISE STATE

Early signing period: The Broncos added 6-foot-7 forward Joey Nebeker, who was named Idaho's 2A State Player of the Year, and 6-foot-9 forward Edmunds Dukulis, a member of the Latvian U19 National Team that finished 10th at the U19 World Championships last summer. Nebeker, who averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and five blocks as a senior at Melba High School (Melba, Idaho), has the potential to add needed offensive firepower to a team that ranked sixth in scoring among the MW's eight teams this past season. Dukulis averaged 15.9 points and 9.5 rebounds at the U19s, including a 20-point, seven-rebound performance against future Bronco teammates Anthony Drmic and Igor Hadziomerovic's Australian U19 team.

COLORADO STATE

Spring signings: Gerson Santo, a 6-10 transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, should help offset the loss of Will Bell, who averaged 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds as a senior last season. Santo, a native of Valencia, Brazil, averaged 7.4 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game at CSI and drew strong interest from California and Utah while spurning scholarship offers from Washington State and Illinois.

Early signing period: Before leaving for Nebraska, former Rams coach Tim Miles signed Jordan Mason, a 6-foot-2 guard from Ennis, Texas, and Jermaine Morgan, a 6-8 forward from Whitney M. Young High in Chicago. With CSU returning virtually its entire starting lineup under new coach Larry Eustachy, playing time could be hard to come by in 2012-13. Nonetheless, Mason and Morgan are not without talent. Viewed as one of the top prospects in Texas, Mason, who averaged 20.7 points as a senior at Ennis High, is considered a play-making guard who can score in a variety of ways. Morgan, who averaged a double-double as a junior, was rated as the No. 15 player in Illinois by Rivals.com. In addition to Mason and Morgan, the 2012-13 campaign will see a return to the court for transfers Daniel Bejarano, a 6-4 guard, and 6-10 forward/center Colton Iverson, both of whom sat out the 2011-12 campaign after coming to CSU from the University of Arizona and the University of Minnesota, respectively.

FRESNO STATE

Spring signings: Robert Upshaw, a 7-foot, 265-pound center from Fresno, was ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in California and the 55th best player in the nation in the 2012 ESPNU 100. He also received high marks from Scout.com, who rated him as a four-star recruit. As a senior at San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.), Upshaw averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks per game. Fresno State also added 6-3 guard Marvelle Harris, who averaged more than 24 points in leading Rialto (Calif.) Eisenhower High to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 1A quarterfinals, and Broderick Newbill, a versatile 6-5 wing from Hogan Prep Academy in Kansas City.

Early signing period: The Bulldogs addressed a need to bulk up inside by signing a pair of 6-9 forwards in Braeden Anderson and Tanner Giddings. Fresno State also added Aaron Anderson, a 6-3 point guard from Santa Fe High in Edmond, Okla. The trio joins junior guard Allen Huddleston, a former All-Big West Conference honoree and freshman All-American who redshirted last season after transferring from the University of Pacific.

NEVADA

Early signing period: Shooting guard Marqueze Coleman is considered the nugget of a group that also includes 6-8 forward Cole Huff, 6-8 forward Raphael Carter and 6-9 center Cheikh (Ali) Fall. As a senior, Coleman averaged 21.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.4 assists for Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, Ca. Huff and Carter, a transfer from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif., should help offset the losses of forwards Olek Czyz and Dario Hunt. Fall, a transfer from Barstow (Calif.) Community College, is a native of Senegal who attended Meitoku Gijuku School in Kochi, Japan.

NEW MEXICO

Early signing period: With the graduation of MW Tournament MVP Drew Gordon and forward A.J. Hardeman, the Lobos addressed needs in the frontcourt by signing Obij Aget, a 7-foot, 220-pound center from LaPorte, Indiana. Aget, who was also pursued by the likes of Florida State, Missouri, Texas Tech and Florida, averaged nearly a double-double at LaLumiere School in LaPorte (8.6 points, 9.0 rebounds). New Mexico also added Nick Banyard, a 6-8 forward from Marcus High in Flower Mound, Texas, who was being pursued by Minnesota and Pepperdine, and 6-7 wing Devon Williams from Woodrow Wilson High in Dallas.

SAN DIEGO STATE

Spring signings: Winston Shepard, a 6-8 forward from national power Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, is the highest-rated prep prospect to choose San Diego State in school history. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Shepard, who is viewed as being capable of playing any position on the floor, joins a team that returns four starters, including 2012-13 MW Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin.

Early signing period: Shepard will join early signees Matt Shrigley, a 6-6 forward from La Costa Canyon High, in Carlsbad, Calif., and Skylar Spencer, a 6-9 forward from Price High School in Los Angeles. The class also includes 6-9 forward James Johnson, a transfer from Virginia; 6-7 forward Dwayne Polee, a transfer from St. John's; and 6-7 forward JJ O'Brien, a transfer from Utah.

UNLV

Spring signings: The big news came late for the Runnin' Rebels, who on Tuesday, May 15, signed 6-8, 240-pound power forward Anthony Bennett, the first McDonald's All-American to come to UNLV straight out of high school since Freddie Banks in 1983. Bennett is a five-star recruit ranked as the No. 6 player overall in the 2012 class by CBS Sports, No. 7 by both ESPN and Rivals, and No. 8 by Scout. Ranked as the nation's No. 1 player at his position, he was the highest-rated high school player in the country that hadn't yet signed with a school before Tuesday. He averaged 16.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for Findlay Prep in Las Vegas this past season.

Early signing period: Katin Reinhardt, a 6-5 guard from perennial power Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., is expected to impact the Rebels immediately. A prolific scorer ranked No. 7 at his position by Rivals.com, Reinhardt averaged 18.6 points last season. The Rebels also added Daquan Cook, a 6-1 guard from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, and Demetrius Morant, a 6-9 forward from Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas. The trio will be joined by another McDonald's All-American, Khem Birch, a 6-9, 220-pound transfer from Pittsburgh, and 6-5 guard Bryce Dejean-Jones, a transfer from USC. Dejean-Jones will be able to play immediately in 2012-13, while NCAA transfer rules dictate that Birch sit out the first semester of the coming season.

WYOMING

Spring signings: With the losses of guards JayDee Luster and Francisco Cruz, the Cowboys signed Nathan Sobey, a native Australian who comes to Wyoming via Cochise College in Douglas, Ariz. As a sophomore, the 6-3, 190-pound guard averaged 16.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals. Sobey was also recruited by Fresno State, Saint Mary's and the University of San Diego. Wyoming also added Derek Cooke, a 6-9 forward from Cloud County Community College in Kansas, who posted team highs of 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 55 percent shooting from the floor to go with 6.0 points and nearly one steal per game last season. Charles Hankerson Jr., a 6-5, 210-pound guard from Alabama, has also joined the Pokes, but will have to sit out the 2012-13 season per NCAA transfer rules, and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Early signing period: Wyoming added a pair of guards in Josh Adams and Jason McManamen, while addressing its frontcourt needs with the signing of forward Austin Haldorson and center Matt Sellers. Adams, a product of Chaparral High in Parker, Colo., is considered one of the top guard prospects in Colorado, while McManamen, a 6-6 shooting guard who attended Torrington (Wyo.) High School, has been touted as the top 2012-13 basketball prospect in Wyoming. The 6-foot-10 Sellers, meanwhile, provides the Cowboys with much-needed size after averaging 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

BOISE STATE

Spring signings: Kayla Reinhart, a 5-10 wing and all-state performer from Carroll High (Texas) is expected to add perimeter scoring for the Broncos. Reinardt comes to BSU having averaged 12.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 steals per game as a senior. The Broncos also added several transfers in Erica Martinez, a 5-8 guard from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, who averaged 16.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 steals last season, and 6-3 post player Laura Pelse, a native of Latvia who averaged 16.7 points and 7.9 rebounds 6-3 for Sheridan (Wyo.) College in 2011-12. Newcomer Brandi Henton, a 5-9 guard, spent last season at Yakima Valley Community College where she played in nine games before suffering a season ending injury in December. During those nine games, Henton averaged 24.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.1 steals in 24.8 minutes per game. She shot 50 percent (87-174) from the court and 41 percent (29-70) from beyond the 3-point arc. Rosalie Cutri, a 5-7 guard, comes to BSU after spending the past two seasons Casper College (Wyoming), where she was a NJCAA 2012 second-team All-American. Cutri started all 29 games last season, averaging a team-high 13.3 points 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals.

Early signing period: The Broncos signed Miquelle Askew, a 6-3 center and all-state performer from Skyline High in South Jordan, Utah.

COLORADO STATE

Spring signings: The Rams' lone spring signee was Taylor Varsho, a 5-6 guard from Marshfield High in Marshfield, Wisc. Varsho concluded her prep career as Marshfield's career scoring leader with 1,367 points. She averaged 18.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a senior and was tabbed an all-state selection each of her final three seasons.

Early signing period: Varsho is the fifth signee for the 2012-13 season. The early signees are Courtney Lisowski, a 6-foot wing/guard from Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif.; Emily Johnson, a 5-11 guard from Georgetown (Texas) HS; Caitlin Duffy, a 5-11 guard from St. Thomas More HS in Rapid City, S.D.; and Hali Ford, a guard/forward from Affton HS in St. Louis.

FRESNO STATE

Spring signings: New head coach Raegan Pebley's first recruit was Jacinta Vandenberg, a 6-6 center from Australia who in 2009 and 2010 won gold medals while playing for Victoria Metro in the U-18 nationals. She also earned a spot on the U-17 Australian national team.

Early signing period: Fresno State added Toni Smith, a 6-foot center from Del City (Okla.) High, and Destini Price, a 6-foot forward/guard from Antelope Valley High in Lancaster, Calif., who was ranked 46th in the nation among guards by Hoopgurlz.com.

NEW MEXICO

Early signing period: The Lobos inked four players during the early signing period including Khadijah Shumpert, a 6-foot forward and all-state performer from Bedilde-St. Margaret's High in Minneapolis; Jordyn Peacock, a forward/center from Beaverton, Ore., who chose New Mexico over offers from UNLV, Cal Poly and St. Mary's; Bryce Owens, a standout point guard from DeSoto, Texas; and 5-10 guard Antiesha Brown, a transfer from Texas Tech who holds the all-time scoring record at Clovis (N.M.) High with 1,673 points.

SAN DIEGO STATE

Spring signings: With the loss of senior center Katrina Tutt to graduation, the Aztecs added Louisville transfer Cierra Warren, a 6-foot-4 center who must sit out the 2012-13 season per NCAA transfer rules. Warren, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., who originally signed with North Carolina, was rated the 31st-best player in the nation and the No. 10 post player by Hoopgurlz.com as a prep. SDSU also added 5-9 guard Danesha Long, who spent the last two seasons at Midland College in Midland, Texas. Long, who earned NJCAA honorable mention All-American accolades as a freshman, averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season.

Early signing period: The Aztecs started the signing class with Aleiah Brandon of Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., and Tia Levi-Dixon from local San Diego High School. Brandon, a 6-1 forward, was one of the top-85 ranked forwards and a three-star recruit, while Levi- Dixon, a 5-6 point guard, was ranked in the top-40 among point guards nationally by Hoopgurlz.com.

UNLV

Spring signings: Aley Rohde, a 6-5 center who played at Arizona as a freshman last season, will sit out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but will have three years left in her career. Rohde ranked fifth in scoring for the Wildcats last season at 7.6 points per game and third in rebounding with 6.0 per contest. She also led the team in blocks with 38 (1.2 bpg). Her 31 starts were second-highest on the team.

Early signing period: Four California natives --- Amie Callaway, Jehiah Cook, Rejane Verin and Jazzmeen Williams --- signed national letters of intent in November. Callaway is a 6-2 forward/center from San Diego High who was ranked No. 54 in the nation at her position by Hoopgurlz.com in this year's recruiting class. Cook is a 5-5 point guard from Sacramento High, while Verin is a 6-2 guard/forward who comes to UNLV from Serra High in Los Angeles and is considered the most athletic recruit in the class. Williams is a 6-4 center from San Bernardino.

WYOMING

Spring signings: Aubry Boehme, a 6-foot forward who arrives from Otero Junior College in Smithfield, Utah, averaged 17 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest last season. She finished her career at Otero with 1,041 career points while recording a school high 94 career blocks and 100 steals in a season.

Early signing period: Boehme is the fourth student-athlete to join the Cowgirls as they inked three during the early signing period. The other signees include Marquelle Dent (5-7, guard, Denver, Colo.), Whitney Gordon (6-2, forward, Marion, Kan.) and Fallon Lewis (6-0, guard, Dayton, Wyo.). Dent was an all-state performer at Regis Jesuit High in Denver whose father, Terry, was a member of the Wyoming men's team from 1984-88. Dent is ranked as a three-star recruit and a top-40 guard nationally by Hoopgurlz.com

Where the TCU men's golf team is concerned, consider "fast start" roughly on par with the machinations of a rocket sled.

The Horned Frogs, ranked 43rd nationally following a second-place finish at the Mountain West Championship, ran roughshod over the remainder of the field in Day 1 of the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional, staking themselves to an 8-stroke lead over second-place Kent State.

At the par 72, 6,723-yard University of Michigan Golf Course, TCU carded a 6-under par 278. Heading into Friday's second round, the Horned Frogs are the only school in the 13-team field to be under par. With the top five teams in each NCAA regional advancing to the NCAA Championships (May 29-June 3), TCU, the tournament's No. 8 seed, holds an 10-stroke lead over fifth-place Oregon.

Bidding for their third NCAA Championship appearance in the past four years, the Frogs were paced by MW Freshman of the Year Julien Brun, who posted a bogey-free round of 4-under 67, including four birdies, to finish in a three-way tie for the individual lead along with Baylor's Joakim Mikkelsen and USC's Anthony Paolucci.

Brun's opening-day performance marked his eighth consecutive round below par. His last competition round above par was a 1-over 73 at the Barona Collegiate Cup on March 22. Thursday's effort lowered his season stroke average to 70.41, well ahead of the TCU season record of 71.08 set by current PGA TOUR pro J.J. Henry in 1998 when Henry was tabbed Golfweek National Player of the Year.

Three other TCU players finished in the top 15 on Thursday, including junior Daniel Jennevret (1-under 70), who sits in a seven-way tie for eighth place alongside freshman teammate Thomas Mantovanini, who carded the second-best round of his TCU career.

Senior Johan de Beer concluded Day 1 having shot an even-par 71, which currently ties with eight other golfers for 15th place on the individual leaderboard.

Elsewhere:

 No. 11 seed Colorado State shot a 6-over-par 294 to finish in a tie for second place with Chattanooga following the opening round of the Bowling Green Regional. Hosted by Western Kentucky, the event is being played on the par 72, 7,248-yard course at The Club at Olde Stone.

The Rams, who finished fifth at the MW Championship, were led by senior Zahkai Brown, who sits in a four-way tie for seventh place. After tying with Brun for second at the MW Championship last month, Brown opened postseason play carding an even-par 72, including a pair of birdies. Fellow Ram Parker Edens also finished the first round at even-par 72, as the sophomore recorded six birdies on the day, including four on the back nine.

No. 3 UCLA holds the overall team lead at 4-under 284, while the Bruins' Pedro Figueiredo and Memphis' Jonathan Fly top the individual leaderboard at 4-under 68.

 No. 2 seed UNLV finished Day 1 of the Greensboro Regional tied for third place with Tulsa at 5-over 293 on the par 72, 7,271-yard East Course at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, N.C.

Playing without coach Dwaine Knight, who did not make the trip after successfully undergoing surgery to remove melanoma from his foot last week, the ninth-ranked Rebels were paced by Blake Biddle, who finished in a five-way tie for fourth place at 2-under 70. The sophomore, who is three shots off the lead, posted five birdies on the day.

UNLV freshman Carl Jonson is in a nine-way tie for 15th position at 1-over 73, including four birdies.

Liberty holds the team lead heading into Day 2 of the Greensboro Regional at 5-under 283, while SMU's Matt Schovee paces the individual field at 5-under 67.

 Two-time defending Mountain West champion San Diego State concluded the opening round of the Stanford Regional in a tie for eighth place with LSU after shooting a 2-over 282 on the par 70, 6,727-yard Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif.

The No. 14 Aztecs, who entered the tournament as a No. 3 seed, will begin Day 2 nine shots back of No. 11 seed San Francisco, which carded an opening-day 7-under 273 to pace the field. LSU's Sang Yi and BYU's Zachary Blair sit atop the individual leaderboard at 4-under 66.

San Diego State had three players finish at even-par 70. MW Player of the Year J.J. Spaun and fellow seniors Colin Featherstone and Alex Kang all shot even-round scores and are tied with 10 others for 27th place among 75-golfer field. Kang lead the trio with four birdies, while Spaun recorded three and Featherstone registered two.

 No. 16-ranked New Mexico finished Day 1 of the Athens Regional in a tie for ninth place with Texas-Arlington after shooting a 1-over 285 on the par 71, 7,253-yard University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga.

James Erkenbeck led the way for the third-seeded Lobos with a 4-under-par 67 and sits in a five-way tie for fifth place. The junior held the individual lead through the front nine after posting birdies on Holes 1, 5, 6 and 7. He finished with six total birdies on the day.

UNM trails team leader Alabama (15-under 269) by 16 strokes, but are just three shots behind Houston and UNC Wilmington, which are currently tied for fifth place at 2-under 282. North Florida's Kevin Aylwin holds the individual lead at 6-under 65.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Unfazed by perils of war, former Air Force player knocked for loop by election to Hall of Fame.

• Former DB Myers etches his name into CSU record book once again.

VOLLEYBALL HEADLINES

• Colorado State embarks on European tour.

MEN'S GOLF HEADLINES

• TCU freshman phenom finds little difficulty in getting acclimated.

• Rebels head to NCAA Regionals minus head coach Dwaine Knight.

GENERAL HEADLINES

• Nevada sets sights on upgrade of athletic facilities.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

UNLV's women's golf team, whose five-player lineup consisted of no fewer than three freshmen, concluded the season Saturday with an 11th-place finish at the 26-team NCAA West Regional at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie, Colo.

The Rebels, who nearly overcame a 14-stroke deficit in the final round before finishing two shots behind champion TCU at last month's Mountain West Championships, finished the NCAA West Regional with a three-day total of 32-over-par 896. Their 11th place finish tops among the four MW teams competing in this year's regionals.

After finishing 21st at last year's NCAA East Regional, UNLV was paced by Dana Finkelstein, who along with teammate Mayko Chwen Wang, was tabbed the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year. Finkelstein shot even-par 72 on Saturday for the Rebels, who began the day in 15th place. Finkelstein's three-day total of 4-over 220 (75-73-72) tied for first among all MW players taking part in 2012 regional action.

The top eight teams and the top two players competing as individuals from each regional will advance to NCAA Championships at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn., May 22-25.

Two-time league champion TCU, the West Regional's No. 12 seed, shaved 10 strokes off Friday's second-round performance to finish in a tie for 14th (36-over 900). Horned Frog senior Brooke Beeler matched Finkelstein's performance by posting a three-day total of 4-over 220 (73-73-74). Beeler and Finkelstein each recorded nine birdies apieces during the 54-hole event.

No. 17 seed New Mexico finished 18th in the West Regional, concluding the season after posting a three-day total of 49-over 913. The Lobos were led for the third consecutive day by sophomore Sammi Stevens, whose tournament total of 9-over 225 (72-77-76) tied for 45th.

Colorado State senior Brianna Espinoza, who was competing as an individual for the second consecutive postseason, finished 34th after compiling a three-day total of 6-over 222 (76-73-73).

Top-ranked UCLA and No. 7 LSU shared the team title with a three-day total of 9-over 873.

Meanwhile, at the NCAA East Regional in State College, Pa., No. 16 seed and No. 47-ranked San Diego State closed the season by finishing in a tie for 20th with Augusta State on the Blue Course at Penn State.

The Aztecs, making their third consecutive NCAA Regional appearance for the first time in school history, posted a three-day total of 59-over 923.

SDSU was paced for the third straight day by junior Gina Clark, who concluded play with a three-day total of 6-over 222 (75-72-75). Clark, who finished in a tie for 29th in the 126-player field, posted eight birdies during the competition, including four in Friday's second round.

After firing a 1-under 71 on Friday to move into a tie for 40th place, Aztecs junior Christine Wong, the MW Women's Golfer of Year, finished tied for 51st with a three-day total of 10-over 226 (79-71-76).

No. 25-ranked South Carolina, which led after the opening round on Thursday and never looked back, captured the overall team title with a score of 9-over 873.

The Mountain West champion Broncos, seemingly in command after jumping out to a 3-0 lead, were unable to hold on against No. 33 Florida State on Saturday, dropping a 4-3 decision in the opening round of the NCAA Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.

Boise State, which had won 22 matches this season when winning the doubles point, was unable to parlay that advantage into victory on Saturday, as the Seminoles rallied back in the final four singles matches.

The Broncos led 3-0 following singles wins by Andy Bettles (No. 3 singles) and Damian Hume (No. 2 singles), but the Seminoles won consecutive matches at the No. 6, 5 and 1 positions to tie the match, 3-3. In the deciding match, Florida State's Benjamin Lock was able to break Nathan Sereke's final serve in the third set at No. 4 singles to secure a 7-6(5), 6-7(7), 7-5 win.

The No. 69-ranked Hume, who had little trouble dispatching Florida State's Blake Davis 6-1, 6-4 to give Boise State a 2-0 lead, will return to Athens, Ga., May 23-28 to compete as one of 64 singles players in the NCAA Men's Individual Championship.

The Rebels, who are making their 10th straight regional appearance, enter Saturday's final round with a combined card of 27-over 603. UNLV holds a three-stroke lead over Conference foe and two-time defending MW champion TCU, which has a two-day total of 30-over par 606.

Rebel freshman Marguerite Swearingen posted a 5-over 77 for No. 48-ranked UNLV, which entered the tournament seeded 16th among the field of 24 teams.

The top eight teams and the top two players competing as individuals from each regional will advance to NCAA Championships at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn., May 22-25.

TCU, the West Regional's No. 12 seed, heads into Saturday's final round in 17th place. Horned Frog senior Brooke Beeler, who began the day tied for 18th, shot a 1-over 73 on Friday to move into a seven-way tie for 12th. Beeler has a two-day total of 2-over par 146 (73-73).

No. 17 seed New Mexico will start Saturday's final round in 18th place after shooting a 19-over 307 on Friday. The Lobos were paced for the second consecutive day by sophomore Sammi Stevens, who carded a 5-over 77 and holds a two-day total of 5-over 149 (72-77).

Colorado State senior Brianna Espinoza, who was selected to compete as an individual for the second consecutive season, is one of 10 players tied with Stevens for 30th place. Espinoza shot a 1-over 73 on Friday and enters Saturday's final round with a two-day total of 5-over 149 (76-73).

Overall, 40th-ranked Stanford (4-over 580) holds a one-stroke advantage over No. 7 LSU.

Meanwhile, at the NCAA East Regional, No. 16 seed and No. 47-ranked San Diego State shaved 12 strokes off its opening-round score to finish in a tie with Maryland for 18th place in the 24-team field at the NCAA East Regional, being played on the Penn State Blue Course in State College, Pa. The Aztecs are making their third straight NCAA Regional performance for the first time in school history.

Paced by junior Gina Clark's even-par 72, SDSU heads into Saturday's final round with a two-day total of 34-over 610. Clark, who posted four birdies on Friday, sits in an 11-way tie for 13th place at 3-over 147 (75-72).

Christine Wong, who was named MW Golfer of Year last month, climbed from 89th place into a seven-way tie for 40th place. The junior carded a 1-under 71 in the second round, including five birdies, and has a two-day total of 6-over 150 (79-71).

No. 25 South Carolina extended its lead in the team standings with a 6-over 582 heading into the final 18 holes on Saturday.

The No. 3 seed Horned Frogs, who entered play with a ranking of No. 32 nationally, picked up their lone point of the match at No. 4 singles, where sophomore Millie Nichols defeated Dominika Kanakova 6-2, 6-2.

TCU, which was making its 14th appearance in the NCAA Championships and eighth in the last nine years, finished the season 18-6.

Nichols and teammate Olivia Smith will compete in the NCAA Doubles Championship on May 23 at the University of Georgia.

Two-time defending league champion TCU, ranked No. 36 nationally, entered play as the No. 12 seed, while No. 48-ranked UNLV was seeded No. 16 in the 24-team field. Both teams posted opening-round totals of 14-over-par 302, a total matched by Iowa State San Jose State.

The Horned Frogs and Rebels are joined in the three-day event by No. 17 seed New Mexico, as well as Colorado State senior Brianna Espinoza, who was selected as an individual qualifier.

TCU, which is making its 17th consecutive postseason appearance, was paced by senior Brooke Beeler, who posted a 1-over 73 to finish in a tie for 18th. Horned Frog freshman Alexandra Bonetti carded a 3-over 75 to tie for 42nd, while senior Rachel Raastad was one shot back of Bonetti with a 4-over 76, tying for 54th.

TCU sophomore Sanna Nuutinen, who captured the individual title at the MW Championship, concluded the day tied for 82nd after posting a 6-over 78.

In its 10th straight regional appearance, UNLV was led by sophomore Katerina Prorokova and freshman Marguerite Swearingen, both of whom shot 2-over 74 to finish in a 10-way tie for 32nd. Rebel freshman Dana Finkelstein concluded action one shot behind Prorokova and Swearingen in a 12-way tie for 42nd at 3-over 75.

New Mexico sophomore Sammi Stevens carded the best round of the day by a MW golfer, shooting an even-par 72 to finish in a six-way tie for 12th. New Mexico opens second-round play on Friday in 16th place after posting a team total of 15-over 303.

Colorado State's Espinoza, who was selected to compete in the West Regional for the second time, shot a 4-over 76 and begins the second round in a 16-way tie for 54th in the 126-player field.

No. 40 Stanford paces the field after 18 holes, as the Cardinal finished Day 1 with a team total of 1-under 287.

Meanwhile, at the NCAA East Regional, No. 16 seed and No. 47-ranked San Diego State shot a 23-over 311 and sits in a three-way tie for 18th in the 24-team field heading into Friday's second round. The event is being played on the par-72, 6,253-yard Penn State Blue Course in State College, Pa.,

The Aztecs, who are making their third straight NCAA Regional appearance for the first time in school history, were paced by junior Gina Clark's 3-over 75. Clark, who posted a pair of birdies on the front nine, finished in an 12-way tie for 39th after the opening round.

SDSU freshman Amy Alston ended Thursday's play in a 17-way tie for 72nd after carding a 6-over 78.

No. 25-ranked South Carolina held the top spot in the East Regional at the conclusion of the opening round, finishing with an even-par 288.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Nevada QB Cody Fajardo gets invite to Manning Passing Academy.

• Wyoming safety Luke Ruff named to 2012 Lott Award watch list.

TRACK & FIELD

• For TCU sprinter Charles Silmon, the gains have far outweighed the pains.

• Cowboys sign one of Colorado's top sprinters.

• Practice helps makes perfect for three members of Wyoming women's track team.

MEN'S GOLF HEADLINES

• Rams will head to Kentucky bidding for second straight trip to men's NCAA men's championships.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• SDSU's Gwynn looks to get back to the ballpark.

SOFTBALL HEADLINES

• Former Olympic standout Lisa Fernandez has eye on Fresno State softball opening.

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