SportsBriefs

A&T, Equestrian strong entering postseason

Baylor's equestrian and acrobatics and tumbling teams wrapped up strong regular seasons with more honors for Baylor. The equestrian team swept through the Big 12 Championships in Fort Worth to claim their first conference title since 2010, while Acrobatics and Tumbling finished the regular season undefeated and earned a No. 1 national ranking heading into the postseason.

Five members of the Equestrian team earned All-Big 12 honors, headlined by Fences Rider of the Year Samantha Schaefer, a senior from Westminster, Md. Coach Ellen White was named Big 12 Coach of the Year. Acrobatics and Tumbling defeated No. 2 Oregon on April 12 to wrap up the program’s first-ever unblemished season to earn the top ranking.

Both programs advanced to the National Championships in April after this publication went to press. Visit baylorbears.com for updated results.

Track and field opens new stadium with 14 event titles

Baylor track and field athletes made the inaugural meet at Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium memorable by winning 14 event titles during the Baylor Invitational on April 3.

The Bears excelled in front of an opening crowd of 1,621 fans in the first on-campus meet in more than 75 years. Triple jumper Brianna Richardson highlighted the day by turning in a triple jump of 43-9.25 [13.34m] to win the event title by over three feet. Richardson recorded the personal-best jump on her third leap of the day. One week after turning heads with an NCAA-leading 9.90 in the 100 meters in Austin, Trayvon Bromell made his 2015 debut in the 200 meters with a time of 20.56 to claim the crown.

Baylor also won the 110- and 400-meter hurdles, the 800-meter race, 1,500-meter race and 3,000-meter run, the 4x400 and 4x100-meter relay, the quarter-mile and the triple jump.

The Baylor Invitational was the first official team event at the new $18.1 million facility on the north shore of the Brazos River. Construction for the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium began in September 2013 and was completed last October. Following a December dedication ceremony, track & field athletes trained at the facility in the months leading up to the opening invitational.

Baylor softball retires jerseys for Canion, Reagan

The two most-decorated players in Baylor softball history became the first two players to have their jerseys retired by the program this spring. Former pitcher Whitney Canion-Reichenstein, BBA '13, MSEd '14, and third-baseman Brette Reagan, BSEd '09, were honored in ceremonies highlighting their accomplishments and their jerseys and numbers were emblazoned outside Getterman Stadium.

Whitney Canion-Reichstein's No. 11 jersey was retired prior to the March 28 game vs. Oklahoma State. Canion finished a six-season career with Baylor last season. The Aledo, Texas, native had two medical redshirts in a collegiate career that began in 2009. She played key roles in Baylor's 2011 and 2014 Women's College World Series appearances, and in 2014, she became the program's first, first-team All-American.

"For the last half decade when you think of Baylor softball, you think of Whitney Canion," said head coach Glenn Moore. "No single athlete has done more for this program, so it is very fitting for Baylor University to honor Whitney with the retirement of her jersey."

Canion left as Baylor's all-time leader in wins (123), shutouts (40), innings pitched (1,121.2), and strikeouts (1,473) among numerous other categories. She was a third-team all-American in 2011, a member of the WCWS All-Tournament team in 2011 and an NFCA First-Team All-American in 2014.

Reagan's No. 4 jersey was retired April 4, before Baylor's game against Texas Tech. Reagan is Baylor's only three-time all-American in history. She ranks second all-time on Baylor's career lists for home runs (41), RBI (156), slugging percentage (.642) and on-base percentage (.472). She helped the Bears to the program's first ever Women’s College World Series appearance in 2007 and played four seasons from 2006-09.

"Brette played with a passion unparalleled. She was the one you wanted in the box when the game was on the line," Moore said. "Three of her four years she was selected as an All-American, the exception was due to an injury. Brette helped make Baylor softball relevant with her leadership and abilities. I'm proud to recognize her contributions in such a major way."