How Shocker sports performed over winter break

Wichita+State+players+huddle+up+during+the+game+against+UCF+at+Charles+Koch+Arena+on+Jan.+30.

Khánh Nguyễn/ The Sunflower

Wichita State players huddle up during the game against UCF at Charles Koch Arena on Jan. 30.

After a semester  that featured no official competition on Wichita State’s campus, Shocker Athletics have returned for this semester.

During the break when most college students were enjoying a holiday season with their family, Shocker sports were still going strong. But don’t fret! Here’s everything you need to know to catch up.

Men’s Basketball

The men’s basketball team is off to a 9-4 start to this season, after missing out on its season-opening tournament. Three of WSU’s four losses have come against teams in the AP Poll or receiving votes.

The Shockers currently sit on the verge of a return to the NCAA Tournament after missing out the past two seasons. WSU has picked up victories against Mississippi, Cincinnati and a pair against Tulsa.  

Sophomore Tyson Etienne emerged as a breakout star for the team this season and is currently averaging 17.6 points per game. Etienne is also the leading scorer in the conference, ahead of Houston’s Quentin Grimes and Cincinnati’s Keith Williams.

The team currently sits at No. 2 in the American Athletic Conference standings, with a 5-2 record in conference play. The Shockers only trail No. 6 Houston who is off to a 9-1 start in AAC play.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball team has struggled out the gates and have had their struggles with COVID-19 as well. The program most recently went on a two-week pause before returning against Temple last Saturday. 

The Shockers were able to pick up its first conference win of the season against Cincinnati on Wednesday, defeating the Bearcats 60-52. Junior Asia Strong was able to power WSU to the victory with 17 points and four rebounds. 

WSU was slated to play its first home conference since their pause but the game against Central Florida was postponed due to COVID-19 related issues within UCF’s program. In total, WSU had six games postponed or canceled so far this season.

The Shockers are currently 4-6 and 1-2 in conference play. They sit at No. 10 in the conference and are only ahead of SMU, who decided to end its season in December. 

Cross Country and Track and Field

The cross country program quickly made up for lost time after their season was delayed in the fall. Last Saturday, the women’s program was able to win the JK Gold Classic while the men’s team placed second. 

The program will host the American Athletic Conference Championships at 4 Four Mile Creek Resort in Augusta this Sunday. Senior Winny Koskei will be looking to win her third consecutive individual title. 

Track and field  have participated in four events so far this season with two of the events being hosted by WSU. Only one of the four events had team results with the Shockers taking third in the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular.

Senior Michael Bryan and junior Antonio Norman had standout performances in the Shocker Invitational on Friday. Bryan set a new personal best in the weight throw at 20.10m/65-11.50. Norman also set a personal best in the 60-meter hurdles at 7.89, which is fifth-best in school history. 

Volleyball

The volleyball program is off to a 3-0 start. The Shockers won the Dr. Mary Wynn Jo Invitational in Springfield, Missouri last weekend. 

Sophomore Nicole Anderson took home AAC Player of the Week for her performance in Springfield. Anderson collected two double-doubles over the weekend including 37 kills in the three games.

The volleyball program was supposed to host two games against North Texas but the games were postponed due to COVID-19 related issues. WSU hosted a Black and Yellow Scrimmage as a replacement on Thursday. 

The games against North Texas have been rescheduled for Thursday and Friday of this week.

Men’s Tennis

The men’s tennis program has been able to jump out to a 5-2 start with their only losses coming to ranked teams (No.14 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Oklahoma). The Shockers are unbeaten at home after defeating Oral Roberts and Omaha. 

WSU split their games this past two games in Norman, Oklahoma picking up a win against Abilene Christian and dropping a game against Oklahoma. In the victory against ACU, WSU swept the Wildcats 7-0. 

The Shockers will travel to Denver, Colorado this week as they are set to face off against Denver and UNLV.