Tag Longhorn

Janae Jefferson, former Texas second baseman, had solely left the Forty Acres for a yr earlier than deciding to return again to Austin, the place the place she made a reputation for herself with the Texas softball program. However this time, Jefferson will make her return to embark on her skilled softball journey. 

The Texas Smoke is a new skilled fastpitch softball crew in Austin. When Jefferson obtained a suggestion to affix their roster, there was by no means a doubt in her resolution.

Jefferson is a powerful believer that recognition of ladies’s sports activities is severely missing. This, along with rising softball viewership, are a part of the rationale why she accepted her supply to play for the Texas Smoke. Nevertheless, the opposite a part of her resolution was to have a platform to encourage all younger feminine athletes who look as much as her as a job mannequin.

“I really feel like softball, basically, is rising, so I’m simply glad to be part of that development,” Jefferson mentioned to the Austin-American Statesman. “I feel, in a approach, ladies’s (skilled) sports activities don’t actually get as a lot recognition as we should always and the advertising of ladies’s sports activities is just not actually on the market. So I’m simply doing this for the subsequent era that is available in, the little ladies that look as much as me now. I’m doing it for them.”

Jefferson was a extremely adorned participant as a scholar athlete at Texas. She was a four-time All-American infielder who set the college program file for each profession hits and batting common, with a .415, throughout her time as a Longhorn.

“I’m glad that I left that program higher than I discovered it,” Jefferson mentioned to Fox 7. “And undoubtedly ending up within the World Collection, that was a giant purpose of mine stepping foot on the Forty Acres. So, I feel I left my legacy for certain.”

Brandon Phillips, co-owner of the Texas Smoke, applauded Jefferson for each her defensive and hitting abilities. When searching for out gamers so as to add to the Smoke roster, Phillips knew that Jefferson’s qualities, each as a participant on the sphere and an individual off the sphere, have been going to be an ideal addition to the brand new crew.

“That was my very first thing to do,” Phillips mentioned to Fox 7. “I needed to get the preferred particular person from Texas. And I really feel like Janae Jefferson is that particular person. It’s her swag. Her demeanor and the way in which she approaches the sport. That simply says champion.”

The Texas Smoke’s common season started on June 15 and can come to a detailed on Aug. 7. The playoff video games, that are nonetheless being decided, will probably be held on Aug. 11–13.

As Texas graduate swimmer Caspar Corbeau wrapped up his coaching camp in Hungary, it was lastly time to maneuver to an even bigger stage that may permit him to characterize and honor his household’s tradition. 

With metallic music blasting by his headphones and designer sneakers on his toes, Corbeau will deliver his skills to Japan on Saturday to compete for the Netherlands nationwide staff on the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. He hopes to qualify for one more shot at changing into an Olympic medalist. 

Because the grandson of Dutch immigrants who moved to the U.S. earlier than his father was born, Corbeau mentioned he attributes his option to swim for the Netherlands to his dad. Each Corbeau and his father are birthright Dutch residents.  

“Once I was youthful, my dad thought it will be useful to have me a bit extra well-rounded when it comes to world tradition and perhaps go to locations that I by no means would have had the chance had I not accepted to swim for (the Netherlands),” Corbeau mentioned.

Corbeau’s twin citizenship works to his benefit, permitting him to face out amongst a smaller pool of opponents. The Netherlands’ two quickest swimmers in every occasion are chosen for the Dutch Olympic staff, supplied they attain the qualifying time on the World Aquatics Championships.

“If I swim to what I’m able to, I ought to qualify for Paris,” Corbeau mentioned. “The previous few years have been studying experiences, and I believe I’m lastly able to make that breakthrough.”  

In 2020, Corbeau went to the Tokyo Olympics to compete within the particular person breaststroke occasions for the Netherlands. Corbeau swam occasions of 1:00.13 within the 100m breaststroke and a pair of:10.21 within the 200m breaststroke, however his efficiency didn’t qualify him for the semifinals for both occasion. 

Nonetheless, Corbeau has considerably improved since he started swimming for the Longhorns; he has dropped from 52.90 to 50.49 within the 100m breaststroke and from 1:54.50 to 1:49.15 within the 200m breaststroke. Throughout his time at Texas, Corbeau turned a two-time nationwide champion, 18-time All-American and 16-time Massive 12 champion.

Corbeau credit his progress to the experience of his teammates and head coach Eddie Reese, who he mentioned pushed him to be the perfect athlete he might be.

“(I’ve) the opponents, a few of the greatest on the earth, practice subsequent to me every single day,” Corbeau mentioned. “And so they’re capable of step it as much as the subsequent notch and make you’re employed exhausting despite the fact that you may not wish to.”

Corbeau mentioned his relationship along with his teammates helped make him a greater swimmer, even when it didn’t at all times result in a medal. An impactful instance that involves thoughts for Corbeau was a 400m freestyle relay in his junior yr, the place the relay staff gained first place regardless of an total loss. 

“It had an affect on me as a result of it was not a meet (and) it was not my greatest efficiency,” Corbeau mentioned. “However it’s one which I’ll treasure for some time as a result of these moments (and relationships) are extra necessary than the time or the medal.”

Corbeau will start competitors in Japan on Saturday, July 22, within the males’s 100m breaststroke occasion as he seems to be to emulate not solely his father’s tradition however the tradition he has come to thrive in at Texas.  

Regardless of being the primary Texas Longhorn in historical past to comb the USA Observe & Subject and Cross Nation Coaches Affiliation Observe Athlete of the Yr awards, Julien Alfred continues to be not happy. Alfred is the primary Texas athlete, male or feminine, observe or discipline, to win each the indoor and outside Athlete of the Yr awards in the identical yr, after securing the outside award on Sunday.

Alfred is an 11-time USTFCCCA All-American, two-time indoor NCAA champion, two-time outside NCAA champion and two-time indoor NCAA file holder. Alfred, who’s at the moment coaching for the World Athletics Championships, continues to be hungry for extra.

“Every little thing I’ve achieved up to now, it reveals my exhausting work,” Alfred mentioned. “I feel there’s a much bigger objective to be a world champion.”

Alfred, additionally a Bowerman award finalist, mentioned she wouldn’t have had the success she did with out the assistance of her coaches. Led by head coach Edrick Floréal, often known as Coach Flo, Alfred helped Texas girls’s observe and discipline win its fifth outside nationwide title. 

She mentioned that on the workforce’s facet, they barely confronted any difficulties with profitable the nationwide championship. 

“We actually have nice chemistry, we have now work ethic and I feel everyone works exhausting,” Alfred mentioned. “If one particular person determined to slack off, all of us picked up for one another and we additionally believed in one another.”

Nonetheless, Alfred confronted just a few struggles on her personal with staying targeted mentally, however turned to her coaches to assist her keep optimistic and work via her psychological block. Alfred hopes that the workforce continues its sturdy mentality and work ethic to steer themselves towards one other nationwide championship win. 

“We had such an awesome workforce this yr, and I’m hoping that the athletes coming in may simply see how exhausting this yr was,” Alfred mentioned. “To get to that time and simply by no means be comfy with the sensation of understanding you already received championships as a result of I imply, everyone desires to beat Texas now.”

For Alfred, being the primary Longhorn to win each the indoor and outside observe athlete of the yr just isn’t the whole legacy she desires to go away. 

“It means lots, and I’m hoping it might encourage athletes right here at Texas to do the identical and present them that it’s doable — not solely at UT, but in addition at dwelling,” Alfred mentioned. “No matter you set your thoughts to, you’ll be able to obtain. Having good communication and trusting in your coach and in your self goes a great distance.”

Alfred, a St. Lucia native, desires to encourage younger athletes like her to have the ability to obtain their targets. She mentioned if she might inform her youthful self something, she would inform herself to maintain working exhausting and never hand over on her targets. 

“At the moment, I used to be attempting actually exhausting to get into a brand new surroundings and simply to be in Jamaica and in some unspecified time in the future, I wished to surrender,” Alfred mentioned. “I’ll inform my 14-year-old self that ‘It will get higher and don’t hand over on your self now. It can take loads of exhausting work, dedication and sacrifices to get to the purpose you’re at proper now.’”

With all of her success in faculty, Alfred is simply now getting her skilled profession began. She is at the moment coaching for the World Athletics Championships that start Aug. 19 whereas working towards her objective of being the quickest girl on the planet, with no plans to decelerate any time quickly.  

Grace Xu, Normal Information Reporter
June 25, 2023

The inaugural 2023 Longhorn 100 awards celebrated the 100 quickest rising Longhorn-run companies on this planet, connecting generations of Longhorn enterprise leaders and present college students. 

The occasion, held by Texas Exes on Might 18, “creates a possibility to broaden networks with enterprise leaders, encourage fellow longhorns and lift consciousness of the unimaginable entrepreneurship that begins on the Forty Acres,” in line with their web site. Chuck Harris, the CEO and government director of Texas Exes, mentioned the Longhorn 100 awards actually started about two years in the past, with the conception of the Longhorn Enterprise Community.

“I’ve lived in Washington D.C., and LA and completely different locations, and I’m at all times working my companies,” Harris mentioned. “I’ve by no means had a Longhorn that wouldn’t take my name or take a gathering. So, it simply occurred to me that we’ve a number of Longhorn founders, entrepreneurs on the market and we don’t actually have a scalable approach to join all of them collectively.” 

Award winner Kristy Owen, founding father of 365 Issues Austin, mentioned she felt it was vital to search out these connections with individuals and different companies early of their careers to make sure success. 

“Plenty of our group has a manner of serving to one another out and connecting rather well,” Owen mentioned. “Having the Longhorn 100 is sort of like having a golden community of those that need to see you succeed.”

Harris mentioned that such networks are “invaluable” for potential entrepreneurs. He mentioned connecting with individuals who may also help others keep away from their errors is the best present in enterprise.

“It’s cool seeing a few of these companies from UT,” occasion attendee Christian McWilliams mentioned. “I’ve met a number of individuals in my main and it’s good to see how some individuals have progressed and have made a big effect on the world round them.”   

As a pupil presenter, McWilliams, an environmental science and Plan II junior, was amongst what most of the attendees thought of to be the celebs of the present. 

“Simply being round college students is simply great,” mentioned Edward Charrier, co-founder, CEO and President of Fractilia. “It’s energizing. You get to see everybody’s (pleasure) about what they’re doing and the probabilities of the long run.” 

For the way forward for Longhorn 100, Harris mentioned he hopes to see it collaborate extra with pupil entrepreneurship facilities and lift consciousness on the huge variety of CEOs, founders and creators graduating from the College.

“In a yr or two, we’ll have tales that say these two firms discovered one another on the Longhorn Enterprise Community or the Longhorn 100,” Harris mentioned. “(UT) is the place to return to if you wish to be an entrepreneur, founder or work with a crew of people that need to try this.”

Three days after securing a Large 12 common season title, the Longhorns introduced residence a set of eight awards, headlined by junior Lucas Gordon’s Pitcher of the Yr honor.

Gordon’s marketing campaign featured a formidable 2.48 ERA over 83.1 innings pitched, each high two within the Large 12. Amongst beginning pitchers with over 70 innings pitched (10 complete), Gordon gave up the least quantity of earned runs (23) and struck out the fourth most batters (85) whereas giving up simply eight residence runs all 12 months.

Becoming a member of Gordon on the primary crew was junior catcher Garret Guillemette, outfielder Porter Brown, outfielder Dylan Campbell and redshirt sophomore pitcher Lebarron Johnson Jr. Junior third baseman Peyton Powell additionally hauled in an All Large 12 second crew honor. The trio of batters mixed for 39 residence runs with 156 RBIs and a median OPS (on base and slugging) of 1.031 of their 56 video games of motion. Johnson Jr. was third within the Large 12 in ERA and held opponents to a .213 batting common. The fireballer additionally gave up the least quantity of hits amongst certified starters within the convention.

Freshman first baseman Jared Thomas additionally obtained an award, being positioned on the Large 12’s all-freshman crew, the primary honoree since present Longhorn Mitchell Daly two years in the past. Thomas was considered one of 5 batters chosen for the crew, ending third in OPS by a freshman and was one of many Large 12’s most affected person hitters, placing out simply 30 occasions in 182 at-bats.

Although he was not capable of win coach of the 12 months, 5 All Large 12 first-team choices are essentially the most which have ever been obtained on a David Pierce led Texas crew, and eight separate Longhorns receiving awards can also be a private greatest for Pierce.

Texas will look so as to add extra awards to their shelf because the Large 12 event begins on Wednesday, Might 24 towards the Kansas Jayhawks.