Today on the GAC Weekly, we get to hear from Harding quarterback Park Parish and Southwestern outside hitter Carly Zak.

GAC Weekly Oct. 5, 2016

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2016-2017 is here. Today on the GAC Weekly, we discuss a couple of the coaching changes in the GAC to start the new athletic year, including big news from Searcy.

GAC Weekly Aug. 25, 2016

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2016 will be Harding head football coach Ronnie Huckeba’s senior season.

Huckeba announced Wednesday that he will retire when the season ends. Athletic Director Greg Harnden named Paul Simmons, Harding’s current defensive coordinator, as the head coach beginning in 2017. Simmons will be the 13th head football coach in program history and sixth since Harding restarted intercollegiate football in 1959.

“I am a very lucky man,” Huckeba said. “It has been such a blessing to be part of Harding football since 1973, and I am beyond excited for the start of the 2016 season. I am looking at this year as my senior season as a coach at Harding, and your senior season comes with an even greater sense of urgency. I am thankful to share this season with a very special group of coaches, players and support personnel.”

Huckeba is entering his 10th season as head coach of the Bisons and his 31st on the coaching staff. He has led Harding to four consecutive winning seasons that included three straight nine-win campaigns and three postseason appearances.

“I am ever grateful to Dr. David Burks, Greg Harnden and Dr. Bruce McLarty for their continued faith and support during my time as a coach at Harding,” Huckeba said.

“Coach Huckeba has been very special to our football program,” Harnden said. “He is a great on-the-field coach and outstanding motivator. He cares about his players, more than anyone knows, both on and off the field. Coach Huckeba also is a great friend.”

Huckeba was a standout offensive lineman for the Bisons from 1973-76 and started at guard on Harding’s 1976 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference co-championship squad.

Simmons is entering his 11th season as an assistant coach at Harding. He has coached the defensive line in his first 10 seasons and added the title of assistant head coach in 2008. Simmons has been Harding’s defensive coordinator since 2010 and has overseen a powerful squad.

“I am so pleased that Coach Simmons will lead the program after this season,” Huckeba said. “He has been my right-hand man since I became head coach and has been a major reason for our success.”

In 2010, Harding’s defense led the nation and set a school record with 43 sacks. In the last five seasons, the Bisons have led the conference in total defense four times and scoring and rush defense three times. Simmons’ defenses have regularly finished among Division II’s best in run prevention and sacks.

“Coach Simmons has the needed experience to lead our program,” Harnden said. “He is a great recruiter, fundraiser and a great example for our young men. Harding is extremely fortunate to have Coach Simmons on our staff and ready to take the reins of the football program.”

Simmons was a three-time All-America honoree at Harding as a linebacker and defensive end. He compiled 415 career tackles and 18 sacks and was inducted into the Harding Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.

“Harding football has been an unbelievable blessing in my life,” Simmons said. “A great deal of who I am as a Christian man, father and husband, I learned during my time playing football here at Harding. I am extremely grateful for and humbled by this opportunity.”

Most of Harding’s 2016 team arrived Wednesday, and practices begin Thursday in preparation for the Bisons’ season and home opener against Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 6 p.m.

“It is my desire that we keep the focus on our football team and not on me during the course of this season,” Huckeba said. “We, as a team, have every intention of making 2016 a year to remember!”

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The Reddies find themselves atop the GAC preseason football poll again this year.

HSU, which has gone 40-4 in the five years of Great American Conferenc play, received 10 of 12 first-place votes and was picked as the league’s preseason favorite for the fifth time in six years.

Harding also received a first-place vote and was tabbed second in the poll, while 2014 GAC champ was picked third.

Southwestern Oklahoma finished 2015 on a six-game winning streak and was picked fourth.

East Central, seventh place in the preseason ranking, received the final first-place vote.

2016 GAC preseason football poll

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RUSSELLVILLE – Arkansas Tech University secured the 2015-16 Great American Conference All-Sports Trophy after a strong spring season enabled the Wonder Boys and Golden Suns to roar back from standing in fourth place after the winter season.

ATU finished the 2015-16 athletic year with a total of 81 points, two points ahead of Harding. For the third-straight spring, the competition came down to the final weekend of the spring season as a victory by the Wonder Boy baseball team enabled them to hold off the Bisons.

The Golden Suns won their second-straight GAC Women’s Golf Championship and their first softball crown. Tech added second-place finishes in women’s tennis and men’s golf to help overcome a 14-point deficit. For the 2015-16 season, Arkansas Tech earned regular-season titles in volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s golf and softball.

The Bisons, second for the fifth consecutive year, finished the year with three GAC championships – women’s cross country, women’s soccer and men’s basketball. The women’s cross country advanced to the NCAA Nationals for the first time since 2009 and the women’s soccer qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004.

Southwestern Oklahoma State made the biggest jump in the All-Sports standings from a season ago as the Bulldogs matched their best finish in five seasons, third, after placing eighth in 2014-15. SWOSU closed the year with the program’s first GAC title in baseball, a third-place result in women’s golf and a fourth-place showing in men’s golf. All three programs advanced to the NCAA Tournament. During the 2015-16 season, the volleyball and football also advanced to the postseason as the volleyball team won the GAC Championships and the football team earned a berth in the Live United Texarkana Bowl.

Southern Arkansas posted its best finish in the All-Sports race by finishing fourth. The Lady Muleriders finished second in the softball regular-season standings, but went on to win the GAC Tournament, host and win an NCAA Regional, defeat Arkansas Tech in the Super Regional and finish fourth at the NCAA National Championships. Consistency spearheaded SAU’s strong season as seven sports earned at least seven points towards its All-Sports total.

Henderson State took fifth for the third-straight year. The men’s golf team won the GAC title for the third time and the women’s team took second. Both qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the fourth-straight year. In the fall, the Reddie football team won their third GAC title and won their first NCAA Division II playoff game.

East Central placed sixth, followed by Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene. ECU won GAC titles in men’s cross country and men’s basketball. Southeastern Oklahoma State won its second women’s tennis title and took third in both softball and baseball. SNU, in its second season eligible for the trophy, moved up a spot from last year and finished eighth.

Arkansas-Monticello and Ouachita shared ninth while Northwestern Oklahoma State rounded out the standings. The Weevils took second to SWOSU in baseball but added a win at the GAC Championships and advanced to the Central Regional title game.

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We wrap up the 2015-2016 athletic season with a series of Podcasts visiting with the coaches of the conference champions during the year. Today’s visit is with Harding women’s soccer coach Dr. Greg Harris.

GAC Weekly June 13, 2016

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BRADENTON, Fla. – Harding junior Josh Syrotchen earned his third outdoor track and field All-America honor in the discus with a second-place finish Friday at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships.

Syrotchen, of Spokane, Washington, improved on each of his first three throws and led with a throw of 181 feet, 10 inches after the preliminaries.

Duke Kicinski, a sophomore from West Texas A&M, threw 189 feet, 4 inches with his fourth throw to take the lead. After fouling on his fourth throw, Syrotchen landed the discus 189 feet, 1 inch on his fifth throw to claim second place. Duke Taylor, a senior from Malone, was third at 179 feet, 6 inches.

Syrotchen placed fourth in the discus in 2014 and 11th last season. His throw Friday was his longest at the three national championships and his third-longest of the season.

Syrotchen joined Te Howard as the only Harding field event competitors to earn three consecutive outdoor All-America awards. Howard was an All-American in the high jump in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Syrotchen remains the only Harding athlete ever to earn All-America honors in the discus.

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