With the coronavirus ending all collegiate athletics, four Cougar teams saw their season close when it mattered most
It is no secret that athletes from all sports seek postseason play. Whether it’s at the high school level chasing a CIF Championship or in the big leagues seeking a coveted world title, all competitors want to thrive when the lights shine the brightest.
Another inevitable factor that every athlete has experienced is a major transition during this time of quarantine thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Sports at every level of competition are being put on hold, and arguably it has affected senior collegiate athletes the most. That includes numerous Cougars at Azusa Pacific.
Here’s what we know. The NCAA has announced that spring sports, including baseball, softball, tennis and so on will see an extra year of eligibility for seniors who were unable to compete during their final season despite the campaign starting. So for APU baseball, a team that had already competed in 20 games, the seniors on this year’s squad will have a chance to return and play for their program next spring.
From a human element, this is absolutely the correct call. It allows these players, many of them athletes who have played their sport for their whole life, the opportunity to finish their athletic journey in a far more glorious fashion. However, the decision did not assist every athlete that was experiencing such turmoil.
Although spring sports received that extra year, fall and winter sports did not. For fall sports, many of APU’s squads tend to participate in some sort of spring season in which their athletes can prepare for the regular season. Fall seniors will not get their final spring season back. For winter sports athletes, their seasons were actually still happening.
All four of APU’s winter sports programs were competing in NCAA playoff play when the hiatus was brought into effect. Every NCAA tournament was canceled, and unfortunately, the seniors that were set to compete for their final time wearing brick and black will not get the chance to compete for APU again. While this is a sad reality, all four squads showed tremendous grit throughout their seasons, and their success before the lockdown deserves to be acknowledged.
Here’s a look at the four winter sports teams and their accomplishments throughout the year, including where they were set in NCAA playoff brackets before the postseason came to a halt.
Men’s Basketball
Once again, APU men’s basketball continued to set the standard for strong play in the PacWest Conference. After beginning the season 2-2 in inter-conference play, the Cougars responded by going on the second greatest winning streak the program had ever seen. After winning 20 straight games, APU won their first outright PacWest Championship in team history. Their 25-4 overall record was enough for them to be placed sixth in the NCAA Division II Power Rankings at the end of the season.
Despite a disappointing home court exit in the PacWest tournament to Biola, the Cougars were regrouping to play in the NCAA Division II tournament. Their first contest against the seventh-ranked Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes was set for March 13. Unfortunately, the tournament was canceled before the team could step onto the court.
Senior Selom Mawugbe dominated throughout the 2020 season, starting all 29 games for the Cougars and finishing with an outstanding 16.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Mawugbe earned a total of 15 personal honors and awards throughout the 2019-20 season. Senior forward Jake Spurgeon also had a phenomenal final campaign in a Cougars uniform, averaging 12.9 points per game, which was the second-highest on the roster.
Women’s Basketball
APU women’s basketball squad was equally impressive throughout their most recent campaign. The team put together a 25-5 record, to go along with an 18-4 conference record, going on a 15-1 stretch to finish off their season. Yet these records don’t do their season justice.
Their point differential throughout the season was incredibly impressive, as the Cougars scored an average of 18.1 more points than their opponents throughout the year. Their .415 total field goal percentage is nearly 10 percent higher than the field goal percentage they allowed (.326). Both offensively and defensively, the Cougars impressed nearly every time they stepped on the court.
The team was in a back and forth battle with the Hawaii Pacific Sharks for the PacWest title, and in the end, APU lost to the Sharks in the final of the PacWest tournament. Nevertheless, the Cougars were ready to head back to the NCAA tournament after making it to the Elite Eight last season. They were set to compete against Cal State San Marcos in the first round before their season was brought to an abrupt end.
The formidable Hanson sisters, Savanna and Daylee, played their final season in a Cougars uniform, combining for 24.7 points per game along with 12.9 rebounds per game. Along with them, senior guard Zoe March concluded her Cougars career with a fantastic final campaign, pacing the team with a total of 121 assists.
Swimming and Diving
Unlike the men’s and women’s basketball teams, APU’s swim and dive team was actually in the middle of NCAA competition when it was announced that their season would come to an end.
Four Cougars competed in the 2020 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships on Wednesday, March 11. All four found incredible success, with Amy Crayne, Melia Stout and McKenna Webster competing in the three-meter dive and Hannah Frey swimming in the 1000-meter race.
All four ladies were considered for All-American recognition, but the highlight of the day was Crayne’s dive which gave her a total score of 422.95, ranking sixth in the standings. She earned All-American honors for the finish, and she also became the first Cougar diver to reach the podium during nationals in program history.
APU was set to continue in the tournament that Friday, but it was cut short due to the virus. Luckily for all four ladies, they will continue to compete for the Cougars next season.
Track and Field
After a strong campaign for both the men and women sides, APU track and field was on the brink of traveling to Birmingham, Ala. for the 2020 Division II Indoor National Championships.
Nine Cougars advanced to Nationals, including seven women and two men. All nine were invited based on promising performances from previous tournaments. For example, sprinter Michaela Hyacinth automatically qualified after her brilliant 7.39 time in the 60-meter race, which was the second-fastest time out of the entire pool of racers.
Nationals were set to begin on March 13, but like the previous tournaments listed above, the competition was canceled. Nevertheless, the nine competitors and the remaining roster were phenomenal throughout the 2019-20 season, and several of these Cougars will be back to compete next season.