Trojans' Easley earns All-American accolades

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on April 1, 2009 1:46 PM

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Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE -- Kendrick Easley has delivered on his preseason All-American billing.

The Mount Olive College guard earned a spot on the Division II Bulletin All-American third team on Tuesday. A year ago, Easley received honorable mention All-American honors.

A 6-foot-1 junior from Norfolk, Easley grabbed the Conference Carolinas men's basketball player of the year award after leading the league in scoring (21.2 points). He ranked 16th nationally in scoring and 10th nationally in 3-point field goals and 3-point field goal percentage.

Easley shot 84.9 percent from the free throw line.

"I was very excited when I heard the news," said Easley. "This is a nice reward for all the summer conditioning and all the preseason workouts."

Easley scored 593 points in 2008-09, coming within seven points of becoming only the fourth player in Trojan men's basketball history to reach the 600-point mark in a season. Easley has 1,542 points for his career.

"The All-America award is a tribute to how hard Kendrick has worked," said MOC head men's basketball coach Joey Higginbotham. "He has represented Mount Olive well both on and off the court. Not only is he an outstanding basketball player, but he also excels in the community."

Golf

WINGATE -- Pete Skirpstas and Riley Boyette logged top-10 individual performances and Mount Olive College finished runner-up in the J. Hargett Invitational hosted by Wingate University.

Skirpstas shot a 2-under par 70 on Tuesday and concluded the 36-hole event with a 147. He was four strokes behind the overall winner.

Boyette carded a two-day score of 151 and ended up tied for fifth. Fabrizio Ceppi and former Charles B. Aycock standout Ryan Campbell wound up 23rd and 26th, respectively.

The Trojans fired a second-day 300 and notched a 606 overall -- six strokes behind tournament champion Pfeiffer University.

On the women's side, Valentina Urquiola fired a school-record 73 on Tuesday and finished eighth out of 63 golfers in the same tournament. Urquiola fashioned a two-day score of 158 -- one stroke less than the school record set by Kristen Moberg.

Urquiola's 73 broke the old single-round record established by Lindsey Snyder at the 2006 Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference tournament. Moberg tied for 17th at 165. Deborah Woodrum (181), Tegan Skirpstas (182) and Lindsay Becker (212) also participated for the Trojans.

Mount Olive sliced 10 strokes off its opening-day score and registered a 36-hole score of 686. Pfeiffer won the tournament.

Softball

HIGH POINT -- Mount Olive College standout Kat Cahoon has been selected the Conference Carolinas softball player of the week.

The senior outfielder is the fourth Trojan to receive the honor this season.

Cahoon batted .583 in four games last week and sparked big innings in victories over UNC Pembroke and conference rival Coker (S.C.) College. She hit safely in all four outings and ranks 11th overall in Conference Carolinas play with a .372 batting average.

Mount Olive (17-16-1 overall) returns to action Thursday at in-state conference foe St. Andrews. First pitch is 2p.m.

Baseball

MOUNT OLIVE -- Due to a 70-percent forecast of rain, Mount Olive's non-conference baseball contest against perennial Division III power N.C. Wesleyan has been pushed back a day.

The teams will play at 6 p.m. Thursday at Scarborough Field.