Former SMU kicker Thomas Morstead had an NFL rookie season to remember: As a breakout punter for the National Football Conference Champion New Orleans Saints, he will play in Super Bowl XLIV Feb. 7, 2010 in Miami. Cox Sports TV has created a video profile of Morstead in which he talks about his friendship with the late SMU Special Teams Coach Frank Gansz, who died a day after Morstead was drafted by the Saints. Watch the video.

(Left, Morstead, holding a photo of Gansz, with the George Halas Trophy presented to the NFC championship team.)

On the heels of its bowl-winning 2009 season, Mustang football has announced the signing of 26 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent Feb. 3. The 2010 incoming class has 16 three-star Rivals.com recruits, surpassing the number of such recruits in the 2007 (4), 2008 (4) and 2009 (7) classes combined. Two signees are junior college transfers, and 24 are high school student-athletes; 18 are from Texas, while 8 are out-of-state recruits. Read more.

Meanwhile, women's soccer has announced that 5 student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join SMU's class of 2010. The group includes 2 of the top 100 recruits nationally and 3 regionally ranked recruits. Three players have trained with U.S. National Teams at various levels, and 4 have Olympic Development Program experience at the regional level or higher. Read more.

In other recruiting news, midfielder Dane Saintus was selected 54th in the 2010 Major League Soccer SuperDraft by FC Dallas. Saintus was the team's 4th-round selection. He rejoins former SMU coach Schellas Hyndman and becomes the 4th SMU player on the squad; midfielders Daniel Hernandez and Bruno Guarda and defender Ugo Ihemelu all attended SMU. Saintus was named First Team All-Conference USA in 2009 after registering 8 goals and 5 assists on the season. He concludes his SMU career with 14 goals and 15 assists in 69 total games. Read more.

Two former Mustang men's soccer players were named to College Soccer News' Team of the Decade in January: forward Luchi Gonzalez to the first team and midfielder Diego Walsh to the second team. Gonzalez is SMU's only recipient of the Hermann Trophy, winning the award honoring NCAA Division I's top male soccer player in 2001 after scoring 21 goals and 12 assists in 22 games. Walsh was a two-time first-team All-America selection, in 2001 and 2002. Both were members of SMU's 2000 College Cup team. Read more.

Mustang football has made plenty of news since SMU's 45-10 Christmas Eve win over Nevada in the 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The latest comes from CollegeFootballNews.com, which named Head Coach June Jones its Coach of the Bowl Season and sophomore offensive lineman J.T. Brooks (left) to its All-Bowl Team. The site also ranked first-year quarterback Kyle Padron's 460-yard, two-touchdown performance the 8th best among all players in the postseason. The full list of CFN's honors is available on the CollegeFootballNews.com website. Read more from SMU Athletics.

In addition, the Mustangs received a vote in the final USA Today Coaches Poll. The team entered the bowl season as the biggest underdog in any bowl game yet finished with the largest margin of victory in all bowl games played. Read more.

Meanwhile, senior wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (right) has accepted an invitation to play in the 85th East-West Shrine Game at 2 p.m. CST Jan. 23 in Orlando, Florida. Sanders, who will play for the West Team, joins a list that includes John Elway, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and 62 NFL Hall of Famers who have played in the contest, which is America's longest-running college all-star football game. Read more.

The No. 18 SMU women's swimming and diving team welcomes Rice and Houston Jan. 22-24 in a pair of dual meets at Perkins Natatorium. The weekend will give fans the chance to see the Mustangs compete against two of the top-tier schools in Conference USA this season. Read more.

Both SMU swim teams received national recognition Jan. 21 by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. The women's team moved up to No. 18 in the latest poll, while men's swimming and diving earned a rank of No. 23 - the biggest jump of any school in the poll, as the Mustang men were the only new team to enter the top 25. Read more.

Senior guard Jillian Samuels (left) tied her career-high game record with 20 points and became the 17th player in SMU history to score 1,000 points in a career while leading the women's basketball team to a 70-59 home win over Tulane Jan. 17. She went 6-for-9 from the field, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range, and made 6 of 7 free-throw attempts during the SMU victory. The team hosts East Carolina at 5 p.m. Jan. 23 in Moody Coliseum. Read more.

SMU's selection for the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl has gotten the entire SMU community involved - from the band and cheerleaders to the Peruna mascot.

The 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl will begin at 7 p.m. CST/3 p.m. HST Thursday, Dec. 24, and will be telecast by ESPN from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. SMU News has collected stories related to the game, and the historic campuswide experience:

• Members of the Mustang Band and Spirit Squad blog from Hawaii on SMU Adventures. Read their blog.

• Public Affairs staffer Robert Bobo is providing live commentary from the scene in Hawaii. Follow Bobo's Bowl Blog.

• The 2009 SMU football anthem "For My City" by hip-hop artist J-Makk united a team, its campus and its hometown. Watch the video.

• From The Dallas Morning News: SMU packs for the bowl.

• Read more SMU Bowl Connection stories from SMU News.

Thirteen SMU Mustangs earned 15 selections to the 2009 All-Conference USA football teams, as selected by the league's 12 head football coaches. Seniors Emmanuel Sanders and Chase Kennemer (left and right in photo) made the first team - Sanders as both a wide receiver and punt returner and Kennemer as a linebacker. Sophomore tackle Kelvin Beachum Jr. was named to the second team.

Ten players earned honorable mention, with senior Bryan McCann selected as a defensive back and kick returner. SMU had three honorees on offense - junior running back Shawnbrey McNeal, sophomore tackle J.T. Brooks and sophomore guard Josh LeRibeus. Eight SMU defenders were recognized, including McCann; senior safety Rock Dennis; junior linebackers Pete Fleps and Youri Yenga; sophomore defensive ends Taylor Thompson and Marquis Frazier; and first-year defensive end Margus Hunt. As a kick returner, McCann earned a special-teams selection for the Mustangs. Read more.

Additionally, three first-year players have been named to the conference's 2009 All-Freshman Team. Quarterback Kyle Padron, wide receiver Darius Johnson and linebacker Taylor Reed were selected by the league's 12 head football coaches. Read more.

Eric Dickerson and Craig James, former star SMU running backs, have been named joint recipients of the 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers Doak Walker Legends Award. The award is presented by the SMU Athletic Forum. Individuals are nominated by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, and the recipient is chosen by the Forum's Board of Directors.

From 1979-82, Dickerson and James - collectively known as the "Pony Express" - led SMU to national prominence. In their careers, they combined for 8,192 rushing yards and 70 rushing touchdowns, which remains a NCAA career record for a duo. They led SMU to national championships in 1981 and 1982. Dickerson and James will accept their trophies at the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet on Feb. 19, 2010, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. Read more.

SMU has accepted an invitation to play in the 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Executive Director David A. K. Matlin announced today.

The Mustangs, who have posted the biggest turnaround in the nation this season, will snap a 25-year bowl drought with this berth. The 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl will be played on Christmas Eve (Thursday, Dec. 24) at 7 p.m. CST/3 p.m. HST and will be telecast by ESPN from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

"We are very excited with the return of June Jones to Hawaii to participate in his fifth Sheraton Hawaii Bowl as a coach," Matlin said. "Spending the Christmas season in Hawaii will be a well deserved reward for the players, coaches and the loyal Mustang fans."

"Having had the opportunity to participate in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl in 2005, I can say with confidence that it is truly one of the best postseason experiences in college football," said Steve Orsini, SMU athletics director. "This is a trip of a lifetime and an excellent reward for our student-athletes, coaches and staff. We are excited to represent SMU and Conference USA in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl."

"We set this bowl as a goal before the season started and I am so happy that our players will be able to have this experience," said June Jones, head football coach. "Reaching our first bowl game in 25 years is special - not only for our current student-athletes, but also for the guys who came before them and our student body, staff and fans. This bowl has special meaning for me personally, as eight years ago, I was part of the original vision ESPN and Sheraton had for Hawaii and the nation. It is exciting to be a part of one of the best bowl experiences in college football."

SMU (7-5) will be making its 11th bowl appearance and its first since 1984, when it played in the Aloha Bowl in Honolulu. The Mustangs tied for first place with Houston in the Conference-USA West Division with identical 6-2 league records.

Above, left to right, SMU President R. Gerald Turner, Athletics Director Steve Orsini and Head Football Coach June Jones announce SMU's invitation to play in the 2009 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

• Read more from SMU News
• Find tickets and travel packages at Bowl Game Central on the SMU Athletics website

Senior linebacker Chase Kennemer (left) has been named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week after making three fumble recoveries and eight tackles during the Mustangs' 31-28 victory over Rice Nov. 7. Currently, SMU is 4-1 in C-USA play, the best start since 1986. Kennemer has registered six 10-plus-tackle games in 2009 and ranks 15th nationally in tackles per game at 10.33. Read more.

The Mustangs' 2009 basketball season starts Nov. 13, as the men's and women's squads both open at home in Moody Coliseum. The women's team plays Loyola Marymount at 5:30 p.m., and the men's team hosts the University of South Florida at 7:30 p.m. Read more: SMU vs. Loyola Marymount | SMU vs. South Florida

Former SMU quarterback Ricky Wesson is among nine individuals who will be part of the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame's induction class of 2009. Wesson, a graduate of Dallas' South Oak Cliff High School, became SMU's first black starting quarterback in 1973 and went on to become the Mustangs' total offense leader three years in a row, a feat matched only by fellow quarterbacks Don Meredith, Chuck Hixson and Mike Romo. Wesson joins former Mustang inductees Michael Carter, Jerry Levias, Gene Pouncy, Joe Pouncy, Rufus Shaw and Ira Terrell. Read more.

The cross country team earned its second consecutive Conference USA Championship Nov. 1 and has moved up to the No. 1 ranking in the South Central Region, voted on by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Mustangs are also the No. 25 team in the country. The Mustangs return to action Nov. 14 at the 2009 NCAA South Central Regional in Waco. Read more.

Sophomore equestrian Lucy Needham finished 9th out of 88 riders in the Open Adult 18-22 class at the 33rd annual New England Equitation Championships Oct. 18, 2009. Needham and her horse Venlo received a score of 79.00. Read more.

The SMU Athletic Department and The 33 have announced an agreement to produce and broadcast the Mustang football game at Tulsa on Halloween 2009, Oct. 31. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. with broadcasting legends Brad Sham and Allen Stone calling the action. Read more.

First-year defender Ryan Rosenbaum has been named NSCAA National Player of the Week for his game-winning goal for the men's soccer team at No. 16 Tulsa Oct. 21, 2009. The 95-yard goal was the No. 2 play on ESPN's "SportsCenter" Oct. 22 and became an instant YouTube hit, as well as receiving coverage from national outlets including ABC Morning News, The Dallas Morning News, Yahoo!, Deadspin and The Big Lead. Rosenbaum has also been named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for his achievement. Read more, and click on the YouTube screen below to see the replay.

Senior forward Brittany Gilliam (left) has been named to the 2009 women's basketball preseason All-Conference USA team, the league announced Oct. 14. She is coming off a 2009 campaign in which she was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Gilliam concluded last season by scoring her 1,000th career point in the first round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). Read more.

Senior men's tennis player Robin Fahgen won the consolation championship in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) 2009 All-American Championships Oct. 9-11 in Tulsa. In the finals, he defeated four players in the Top 60 of the ITA's rankings, including No. 6-ranked Dimitar Kutrovsky of Texas. Fahgen entered the season ranked 44th in the ITA. Read more.

The Mustang volleyball team will host its 2009 Dig Pink event during its Oct. 24 match against Houston in Moody Coliseum. Dig Pink events, which attract participants from across the country and are sponsored by the Side-Out Foundation, raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Fans who wear pink will receive 50 percent off admission. The game begins at 7 p.m. in Moody Coliseum; online donations are encouraged. Read more.

The men's golf team is ranked 15th in the nation in the Golf World/Nike Golf Division I Coaches' Poll. SMU has claimed two victories in three events so far this season, winning the Gopher Invitational and the Adams Cup, leading to their first ranking of the year. The complete results will appear in the Oct. 19, 2009, issue of Golf World and can be viewed online now. Read more.

First-year defensive end Margus Hunt (left) was named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 12, 2009. Hunt blocked two field goal attempts in SMU's 28-21 win over defending C-USA Champion East Carolina, one of which led to a 65-yard touchdown return. It was the first field goal block for a TD by SMU since Oct. 13, 2001. Hunt was also awarded an ESPN Helmet Sticker as he helped the Mustangs to their first 2-0 start in league play since 1986. Read more.

With the 2009 Texas-OU game set for an 11 a.m. kickoff, Red River Rivalry fans will have an opportunity to make Oct. 17 an even bigger day of college football in Dallas. On Saturday, the SMU Athletic Department will offer $10 tickets to the SMU-Navy battle for the Gansz Trophy at 7 p.m. in Ford Stadium to those with a Texas-OU ticket stub or a Saturday (Oct. 17) admission ticket from the State Fair of Texas. As part of its tribute to the armed forces, SMU also offers free game-day admission to anyone with a military ID. The festivities will include a pregame football delivery from the Navy SEALS Leap Frog Jump Team and a flyover by F/A-18 Hornets following the national anthem. Check for tickets online or call the SMU Ticket Office at 214-768-4263 (214-SMU-GAME). Read more.

The SMU and Navy Athletic Departments have announced the creation of the Gansz Trophy (left), a traveling prize that honors the late coaching legend Frank Gansz. The trophy will be awarded to the winner of future SMU-Navy football games; the Mustangs and Midshipmen will battle for the trophy for the first time on Oct. 17 in Dallas.

Gansz, who was considered perhaps the top special teams coach in NFL history, spent time at both SMU and the U.S. Naval Academy. He was starting his second season as special teams coach on the Hilltop when he passed away on April 27, 2009. Gansz played center and linebacker for Navy from 1957 to 1959 and graduated in 1960. He also spent four seasons as a Navy assistant coach (1969-72). Read more.

Senior forward/midfielder Dane Saintus (left) scored three goals against Centenary to post SMU's first hat trick since 2004 and power the men's soccer team to a 4-1 win at Westcott Field Sept. 30. It was Saintus' second multi-goal game of the 2009 season; he scored twice during the Mustangs' 3-2 victory over Yale Sept. 13. Read more.

The women's soccer team hosts Rice and Houston Oct. 3-4 to start the home portion of its 2009 Conference USA schedule. The Houston match, which begins at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 4, will be televised on CBS College Sports. SMU holds 9 wins against Houston without a loss or tie, its best record against any program. Read more.

The football team meets longtime rival TCU in the 2009 State Farm DFW Duel/Battle for the Iron Skillet Oct. 3. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Amon G. Carter Stadium. The game will be broadcast on The Mtn. as well as on KTCK Radio (1310 AM). Find more information at SMU Gameday.

Junior Kelly Kraft (left), the Conference USA Golfer of the Week for the week of Sept. 14, is the nation's No. 1-ranked college golfer according to the GolfWeek/Sagarin Performance Index released the week of Sept. 21, 2009. As a team, SMU men's golf ranked No. 12. Sophomore Marc Sambol also made the individual rankings at No. 126.

The SMU golfers picked up their second straight win at the 16th annual Adams Cup Sept. 22 in Providence, Rhode Island. (Read GolfWeek's coverage.) The Mustangs' next match will be the 2009 Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate Oct. 12-13 at the Old Overton Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama. Kraft enters the competition as reigning champion; the team placed third in 2008. Read more.

Senior wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has been named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 21, 2009. Sanders had career-highs of 18 receptions and 178 yards at Washington State, and his receptions set new C-USA and SMU single-game records. In addition, Sanders now owns the Mustang career receiving record with 2,844 yards, passing Emanuel Tolbert's 2,784 from 1976-79 and putting Sanders in 10th place in C-USA history. Read more.

The equestrian team begins its 2009-10 season with road competitions against Auburn (Sept. 18) and Georgia (Sept. 20), the defending overall Varsity Equestrian National Champion. Sophomore Claire Wenholz (left) seeks to repeat her home victories of last season in equitation on the flat, where she defeated Auburn's Katie Breedlove and earned MVP honors with a win over Georgia's Katie Hagerty.

The Auburn meet is the first for new head coach Haley Schoolfield. Schoolfield comes to the University from TCU, where she was a part of the Horned Frogs' national championship in 2008. Read more.

The volleyball team will play Texas State and William and Mary when it hosts the 2009 Doubletree Classic Sept. 18-19. The squad is on a four-game winning streak after defeating TCU for the inaugural Iron Spike and winning against Montana, Arizona State and North Dakota for the Montana Invitational title. Read more.

The Mustang football team - now 2-0 after defeating Stephen F. Austin and the University of Alabama-Birmingham - travels to Washington State looking for its third 2009 victory on Sept. 19. Follow live updates from the SMU Athletics Twitter page.

Junior running back Shawnbrey McNeal ran for 158 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown to lead SMU to a 31-23 win over Stephen F. Austin in its sold-out season opener Sept. 5. Sophomore quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell scored on 4th-and-1 with 7:47 left in the game to help the Mustangs take a 24-23 lead. McNeal scored on a 48-yard run to help the Mustangs win their first season opener since they defeated Kansas in 2000.

In addition, senior safety Rock Dennis (right) was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week for his 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 8 tackles against SFA. The team plays next at UAB Sept. 12.

The volleyball team won the inaugural Battle for the Iron Spike with a 5-set victory over TCU Sept. 8. Sophomore outside hitter Dana Powell finished with a .328 hitting percentage, recording a Conference USA-leading 6th double-double with 23 kills and 11 digs. Junior outside hitter Kathryn Wilkerson scored her 3rd double-double with 14 kills and 16 digs, while sophomore setter Kelli Becerra earned her 2nd double-double with 46 assists and 12 digs. Read more.

SMU will honor the 1989 football squad at halftime of the season opener against Stephen F. Austin Sept. 5. The '89 squad reestablished Mustang football following a two-year hiatus, and the team's first victory - a last-second 31-30 win over the UConn Huskies - was quickly dubbed the "Miracle on Mockingbird."

In addition, the 1998-99 women's basketball team will be honored at halftime. The team was the first in school history to win a conference championship, defeating then-No. 4 Colorado State 65-49 in the title game.

Faculty, staff and other fans attending the game are asked to wear white to show support for the Mustangs. The Athletic Department will distribute white Adidas "All Grit. No Quit." T-shirts to the first 2,500 students and 500 faculty and staff members who walk through the gates on gameday. Read more.

The volleyball team extended its winning streak to 11 with a victory over North Texas in Moody Coliseum Sept. 2. Sophomore outside hitter Dana Powell (left) finished with her fourth straight double-double, as well as 15 digs and a block. Sophomore setter Kelli Becerra recorded 46 assists, 19 digs (a team high) and three blocks, while junior outside hitter Kathryn Wilkerson recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs. Sophomore outside hitter/libero Sidney Stewart added 17 digs, five assists and a team-high three aces.

The Mustangs take on Jacksonville State Sept. 4 at the 2009 Bama Bash, hosted by the University of Alabama. SMU will also face the Crimson Tide and McNeese State in the tournament before returning home to take on TCU in the Battle of the Iron Spike Sept. 8. Read more.

Center Mitch Enright (left) has received the 2009 Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award as a member of the 53rd annual Playboy Preseason All-America football team. The award has been given annually since 1987 to the nation's premier football student-athlete. The first Mustang to win the honor, Enright will receive a medallion, and Playboy will present SMU with $5,000 for the University's general scholarship fund in his honor.

Enright graduated in three years with a B.B.A. degree in management and a 3.99 G.P.A. from SMU's Cox School of Business. He is in his second year of Cox M.B.A. studies in marketing and strategic leadership. He is a two-time member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team and a Conference USA Academic Medal winner. The two-year starter is also on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation's top center. Read more.

SMU golfers Max Buckley, Marc Sambol and Aaron Stewart qualified for the 2009 U.S. Amateur, now in progress through Aug. 30 at Southern Hills Country Club and Cedar Ridge Country Club in Tulsa. Former Mustangs Colt Knost and Hank Kuehne won the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2007 and 1998, respectively. Read more.

Mustang legends Louie Kelcher and Jerry LeVias are serving as team captains for SMU's 2009 season ticket sales campaign. The campaign has two goals: to increase the number of season tickets sold, surpassing last year's near-doubling of the 2007 total; and to help achieve one of the largest increases in NCAA Division I football attendance in 2009.

The campaign is working alongside the Sellout 2009 initiative, which intends to generate the largest crowd in Gerald J. Ford Stadium history for the Sept. 5 opener against Stephen F. Austin. The current stadium record is 34,689.

Other former SMU stars serving as campaign captains include Chris Bordano, Mike Romo and Mike Richardson, among others. Each team captain has recruited a four-person team and will compete to make the most sales per team. Read more.

The track and field team finished 3rd at the 2009 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium May 16. SMU finished the meet with 96 points, while Rice won with 131. Following the meet, first-year thrower Simone du Toit (right) was named Freshman of the Year. Read more.

First-year standout Marta Lesniak battled No. 4 seed and 2008 All-American Ani Mijacika of Clemson in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championship, but fell in three sets (7-6, 4-6, 5-7) May 20 at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. Lesniak and her doubles partner, freshman Aleksandra Malyarschikova, begin play for the doubles title May 21. Read more.

Golfer Kate Ackerson ('09, left) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). This marks the third straight season she has been so honored.

A four-time All-C-USA golfer, Ackerson was also a unanimous selection to the 2009 C-USA Women's Golf All-Academic Team. Read more.

The track and field team will compete in the 2009 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship May 14-16 at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. SMU enters the Championships with a national ranking of No. 23 from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)

Sophomore Silje Fjørtoft, the 2008 C-USA cross country champion, will defend her 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m titles this weekend. Last season, she became the first C-USA distance runner to claim both titles in the same outdoor season. Senior Christina Mueller currently holds the league's 3rd-best distance of 51.13m (167-09) in the discus. She won the 2008 title with a throw of 54.26m (178-00). Currently, first-year teammate Simone du Toit tops the C-USA with a throw of 57.35m (188.02) that ranks 2nd in the nation. Read more.

In men's basketball, senior forward Mouhammad Faye (left) has been named to the 2009 Senegal national team. The team will compete in the Zone 2 qualifying event of the 2009 African Championships May 15-20 in Mali. If the Senegalese advance from the Zone 2 qualifier, they will compete in the 25th African Championships Aug. 5-15 in Libya. Read more.

The Department of Athletics, in conjunction with the SMU Lettermen's Association, inducted 4 new former Mustangs into its Athletics Hall of Fame during formal ceremonies May 1 - football player Eric Dickerson, basketball player Jim Krebs, swimmer Steve Lundquist and golfer Kyle O'Brien Stevens.

"As a department, we want to continue to recognize the contributions and successes of our former student-athletes," said SMU's Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. "Last year we reconstituted our Athletic Hall of Fame, and this year we honor another outstanding group for their accomplishments."

The inductees and their achievements:

• Eric Dickerson ('83) - former All-American Mustang football player, member of the famed Pony Express; led SMU to back-to-back Southwest Conference titles; member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Jim Krebs ('57) - former All-American SMU basketball player; led the Mustangs to three SWC titles and the 1956 Final Four; former NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers; member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He died in an accident in 1965.

• Steve Lundquist ('83) - former All-American SMU swimmer; two-time Olympic gold medalist; member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame; 1982 United States Swimmer of the Year.

• Kyle O'Brien Stevens ('80) - former All-American SMU women's golf player, claimed medalist honors and led SMU to the team title at the 1979 AIAW National Championships; 2003 inductee into the National Golf Coaches Association Player Hall of Fame.

(Above, left to right: Jane Krebs, widow of Jim Krebs, Eric Dickerson, Kyle O'Brien Stevens and Steve Lundquist.)

Forty-six SMU student-athletes have earned the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal during the 2008-09 academic year. They are among 394 medal winners leaguewide, each of whom has achieved a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.75 or better. The 46 Academic Medal winners represent an increase of almost 25 percent for SMU, which had 37 medal-winners a year ago. See the complete list of winners here.

The No. 23 and Conference USA champion women's tennis team will face No. 38 Texas A&M in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Championships at 11 a.m. May 9 at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco. First-year player Marta Lesniak (No. 59, right) will compete for the individual title as well as the doubles championship with partner Aleksandra Malyarchikova, also a first-year player. Currently C-USA's top-ranked doubles team at No. 32, Lesniak and Malyarchikova went undefeated in 13 matches this spring. Read more.

First-year thrower Simone du Toit (left) was named the Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week for the week of May 4, 2009. She posted the second-longest throw in the nation this season with a winning discus toss of 57.35m (188-02.0) at the Mean Green Twilight April 30, setting a school and stadium record and surpassing the NCAA Regional standard. Read more.

Meanwhile, the entire track and field team jumped 10 spots to a No. 23 ranking in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) outdoor track and field poll. Three standouts combine to rank in the nation's top 15 in five different events: Freshman Simone du Toit, ranked 2nd in the discus and 10th in the shot put; sophomore Silje Fjørtoft, ranked 3rd in the steeplechase and 12th in the 5,000m; and first-year competitor Viktoria Leks, ranked 15th in the high jump. Read more.

The men's basketball team will be one of eight to play in the inaugural Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dec. 22-25, 2009, as announced by ESPN Regional Television, Inc. The field includes Hawaii, College of Charleston, Saint Mary's (California), UNLV, USC, Western Michigan and one team to be determined. The games will be played Dec. 22, 23 and 25 at the Stan Sheriff Center. This will be the Mustangs' fourth trip to Honolulu for a tournament, but the first since the 1987-88 season. Read more.

SMU Assistant Coach Frank Gansz passed away on April 27, 2009. He was 70. Considered perhaps the top special-teams coach in NFL history, he was starting his second season on the Hilltop.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of my good friend," said SMU Head Coach June Jones. "Frank has been a second father to me for the past 30 years and he has touched the lives of many, both at SMU and throughout the National Football League. I was lucky to have known Frank, and not only was he a wonderful person, but he was a father to everyone he has ever coached. He will live on with us."

Gansz was a veteran of 38 seasons of coaching, 24 in the NFL and 14 in the collegiate ranks. "He was the guru of special teams," former Kansas City Chiefs Vice President Lynn Stiles told the Kansas City Star. Gansz coached for the Chiefs throughout the 1980s and was special-teams coach for the St. Louis Rams during their Super Bowl-winning season in 1999. Read more.

The No. 23 women's tennis team will face No. 38 Texas A&M in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Championships at 11 a.m. May 9 at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco. The Mustangs received an automatic bid for winning the Conference USA title. Head Coach Lauren Longbotham-Meisner (left) was named Conference USA Coach of the Year after leading SMU to its best season in program history First-year player Marta Lesniak was named Freshman of the Year and C-USA Singles Player of the Championship, as well as Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship with freshman partner Aleksandra Malyarchikova. Read more.

Men's golf team members Kelly Kraft and James Kwon have been selected as All-Conference USA performers for the 2008-09 season. Kraft was named to the first team for the second consecutive year, while Kwon was selected for the second team and the All-Freshman squad. The awards were voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. Read more.

Senior punter Thomas Morstead (right) was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 5th round of the 2009 NFL Draft April 26. Morstead becomes SMU's first NFL draft pick since 2007, when Justin Rogers, now with the Dallas Cowboys, was chosen by the New England Patriots. As the 164th overall selection, Morstead is SMU's highest draft pick since the Saints took SMU linebacker Chris Bordano 161st overall in 1998. Read more.

The women's tennis team added a 17th game to its program-record winning streak with its 4-1 victory over top-seeded two-time defending champion Tulsa in the 2009 Conference USA Championship April 19 in Houston. Head Coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner led the 27-2 team to its first league title since becoming a member of C-USA and its first tournament title in program history. The team also received an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Tennis Championships. NCAA selection announcements will air at approximately 5:20 p.m. Eastern time April 28 on ESPNews. Read more.

The women's golf team has been honored by the NCAA with a public recognition award for the team's latest multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score - marking the 3rd straight season in which the program has been so honored. Awards are given each year to teams with APRs in the top 10 percent in each sport. The Mustangs were among 11 squads from C-USA and 767 teams NCAA-wide that received the recognition - 11.9 percent of the approximately 6,484 Division I teams. Read more.

SMU Athletics will offer jerseys, polos, T-shirts, shorts, jackets and shoes from various Mustang sports teams in a public "garage sale" April 25 during SMU's 2009 Red & Blue Scrimmage. The event takes place in the concourse of Gerald J. Ford Stadium starting at noon and ending at the conclusion of the scrimmage.

A special pre-sale will be open only to SMU students, faculty and staff with SMU ID from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 24 in the Hall of Champions, 3rd floor, Loyd All-Sports Center. Methods of payment are cash or check only. Read more.

The equestrian team competes in the 2009 Varsity Equestrian National Championships against No. 6 seed Oklahoma State April 16 at the Heart of Texas Fair Complex in Waco. The Mustangs earned the No. 11 seed in the Hunt Seat division, which begins with fences at 9 a.m. followed by equitation on the flat at 1:30 p.m. Junior Kristen Collins (right) will lead the Mustangs as the only rider in the lineup to compete in both fences and equitation. Read more.

Sophomore Darren Walsh (below left) has been named to the 2009 Conference USA All-Academic men's tennis team for excellence in the classroom and on the court. A computer science major with a 3.93 G.P.A. in SMU's Lyle School of Engineering, Walsh also was named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and achieved an ITA doubles ranking of No. 33 with fellow sophomore Adham el-Effendi, posting a 15-4 overall record. Read more.

Meanwhile, senior Natalia Bubien has been named to the 2009 Conference USA All-Academic women's tennis team. Bubien, who has a 3.86 G.P.A. and is ranked 1st in C-USA at No. 1 singles, is a psychology major with a minor in biological sciences in SMU's Dedman College. A 4-time C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal and Honor Roll winner, Bubien was the 2007 Scholar Athlete of the Year. This her 3rd consecutive All-Academic Team honor. Read more.

Sophomore Kelly Kraft was named the Conference USA Golfer of the Week on April 15, 2009, based on his performance at the UMB Bank/Tiger Intercollegiate. Kraft shot an 8-under-par 208 (68-69-71) to medal at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Missouri, on April 14. This is Kraft's 5th career weekly honor and 3rd of the 2008-09 season. Read more.

Punter/kicker Mike Loftus and cornerback J.R. McConico, both incoming first-year football players, have been selected to play for USA Football's 2009 Junior National Team, which will compete in the sport's first junior world championship this summer. The 8-nation, 4-continent 2009 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship will take place June 27-July 5 in Canton, Ohio. Read more.

Sophomore distance runner Silje Fjørtoft (left) won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the fastest time run by any woman in the world this year at the 2009 Stanford Invitational March 27. Racing in a field of elite distance specialists, including some of the fastest in the world, she took the title in 9:56.73. Fjørtoft was named Conference USA Co-Athlete of the Week March 31 with UCF thrower Kelsey Poljansek. The Mustang cross-country team will compete April 2-4 at the 2009 Texas Relays in Austin. Read more.

• Read more about Silje from the April 1, 2009 Daily Campus

Senior Kseniia Tokarieva earned Conference USA Player of the Week honors in women's tennis March 31, 2009. She led the No. 24 Mustangs to a 5-0 winning streak during the previous week, defeating UALR, No. 28 DePaul, No. 59 Nevada, Louisville and No. 66 Wichita State. Tokarieva went 3-0 at No. 3 doubles and 2-0 at No. 6 singles. Currently, she is tied in 7th place for SMU career doubles victories with 55. Read more.

Two Mustang football games for 2009 have been slated for national television broadcasts. The annual State Farm DFW Duel - Battle for the Iron Skillet against TCU will be televised on The Mtn. with a 7 p.m. kickoff Oct. 3, and the SMU-Houston game will be aired on CBS College Sports at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24, starting at 6:30 p.m. In addition, due to a scheduling conflict, the SMU-Tulane game will now be played on Nov. 2. Read more.

A memorial service for Jim Benedek (right), the first soccer coach in SMU history, will be held at 11 a.m. April 4 at Moody Coliseum. A reception will take place afterward from 1-3 p.m. at Campisi's Egyptian Restaurant on Mockingbird Lane. Benedek, who died March 30, coached the Mustang men for their first 9 seasons, 1975-83. He led the team to a 129-31-15 record and its first three NCAA Tournament appearances in 1979, 1980 and 1983. His .765 winning percentage remains the highest in school history. Read more.

The football team will kick off spring practice March 30 as the Mustangs begin their preparations for the 2009 season. Head Coach June Jones and his staff will conduct 14 practice sessions prior to the annual Red-Blue Scrimmage, which is set for 1 p.m. April 25. Read more.

The men's basketball banquet honoring the 2008-09 team will be held at 7 p.m. April 16 in the Doubletree Campbell Center on North Central Expressway. Head coach Matt Doherty, along with graduating senior Bamba Fall (right), will speak about the season and the future of SMU basketball. Read more.

The No. 24 women's tennis team (20-2) completed a two-match sweep March 25 to collect their 8th and 9th consecutive wins against Arkansas-Little Rock (5-10) and No. 28 DePaul (15-3) at SMU's Turpin Tennis Stadium. It was the first time in 21 years the Mustangs have achieved a 20-win season. The team returns to action March 27 in the 2009 Via Christi Collegiate Classic in Wichita, Kansas, with their first match set for 10 a.m. against Nevada. Read more.

First-year thrower Simoné du Toit (left) won the shot put and finished 3rd in discus to lead the women's track and field team in the 2009 Trojan Invitational at USC March 21. Senior Christina Mueller won the discus event with a throw of 50.28 meters. Read more.

The women's swimming and diving team earned 19th place at the 2009 NCAA Championships March 21 at Texas A&M. The Mustangs collected points in the 200 medley relay, 400 and 800 free relays and the platform diving event. The men's championship takes place March 26-28 at Texas A&M. Read more.

The SMU Athletic Department, in conjunction with the Lettermen's Association, announced the newest class of its Athletics Hall of Fame March 25. The 2009 inductees - running back Eric Dickerson ('83), basketball player Jim Krebs ('57), swimmer Steve Lundquist ('83) and golfer Kyle O'Brien Stevens ('80) - will be honored at a dinner and induction ceremony at 7 p.m. May 1 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. Read more.

The Conference USA champion women's basketball team (20-11 overall, 12-4 in C-USA games) tips off against Louisiana Tech in the first round of the 2009 WNIT Tournament - the team's 2nd consecutive postseason appearance. The action begins at 7 p.m. March 19 in the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, Louisiana, and can be heard live in the North Texas area on KAAM (770 AM). Read more.

Two Mustang divers - junior Britney Yancey and sophomore Audra Egenolf (right) - qualified for the 2009 Women's NCAA Championships with their performances in the NCAA Zone D Qualifying Meet, held March 13-15 at the University of Missouri. Both divers qualified for the one-meter springboard event; Yancey also qualified for the three-meter springboard, while Egenolf qualified for the platform competition. The 2009 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships take place March 19-21 at Texas A&M. Read more.

The women's tennis team has been ranked No. 24 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll - its highest ranking in 20 years. The Mustangs (18-2) extended their recent winning streak to 7 with their defeat of the No. 28 TCU Horned Frogs at Turpin Tennis Stadium March 18, 2009. Read more.

Sophomore Kelly Kraft (left) became the 2nd consecutive member of the men's golf team to win Conference USA Golfer of the Week honors. Kraft shared the honor March 11, 2009 with Michael Whitehead of Rice; the two tied for 6th place in the 2009 Louisiana Classic March 9-10 at the par-72 Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette. This is Kraft's 4th career weekly honor and 2nd of the 2008-09 season. Read more.

Senior Kate Ackerson took the title in the 2009 Baylor Spring Invitational at Twin Rivers Golf Club March 17, carding a three-round total of 223 (74-74-75) for a two-stroke win. The SMU women's golf team placed 7th overall. Read more.

The women's basketball team defeated UTEP 78-65 to win its first Conference USA championship Feb 28, 2009. Four players scored in the double digits: junior guards Brittany Gilliam and Jillian Samuels (with a game-high 24 points and 19 points, respectively); sophomore guard LaShandra Hill with 11 points; and first-year center Christine Elliott, who posted her 2nd consecutive double-double with 15 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.

Gilliam, with 71 steals for the season, was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, as well as to the All-Conference Second Team and All-Defensive Team. Junior forward Delisha Wills joined Gilliam on the All-Conference Second Team, and Elliott was named to the All-Freshman Team, as well as Rookie of the Week for the week of March 2. Elliott had 21 rebounds against Tulane on Feb. 26, setting a new SMU record for a freshman and tying the school record for rebounds by any player set by Felicia Bluitt in 1986 against TCU. Elliott also tied for the second-highest total in any Conference USA game.

The team begins play in the 2009 C-USA tournament at noon March 6 in New Orleans. The Mustangs enter as the No. 1 seed. (Above, Head Coach Rhonda Rompola cuts the last string of the net after the UTEP game.) Read more.

Meanwhile, the men's and women's swimming and diving teams have each won their 13th consecutive conference championships. In the men's competition, the Mustangs won 15 events and set 9 meet records on their way to the overall victory in the CRWC Natatorium at the University of Houston Feb. 25-28, 2009. Individual titleists included junior Thomas Fadnes (50 free, 100 free); junior Pontus Renholm (100 back, 200 back); junior Edward Downes (200 IM, 400 IM, 200 fly); and sophomore Matthew Culbertson (top left), who swept the one-meter springboard, three-meter springboard and platform diving events.

In addition, 5 relay teams finished first. Renholm, Fadnes and seniors Grega Plevelj and Luka Vrtovec won the 200 medley relay. Downes, first-year swimmers Robin Andreasson and Walter Rumans and junior Maverick Smalley won the 800 free relay. Renholm, Plevelj, Downes and Fadnes titled in the 400 medley relay. Fadnes, Vrtovec, Andreasson and Renholm swam to a new C-USA meet record, season-best, and NCAA "B" provisional-qualifying time of 1:18.35 in the 200 free relay. Finally, Andreasson, Vrtovec, Rumans and Fadnes won the 400 free relay. Read more.

In the women's meet - also in Houston's CRWC Natatorium Feb. 25-28, 2009 - the Mustangs swept the medal stand in two events. Seniors Petra Klosova (right) and Candace Blackman, with sophomore Sascha Van den Branden, finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 100 free. Senior Jennifer Basel and juniors Devon Callaghan and Justine Clark took gold, silver and bronze in the 200 IM. Klosova also finished first in the 100 back with a season-best time of 53.82. Other individual titleists included Callaghan (100 breast), Van den Branden (50 free), first-year swimmer Raminta Dvariskyte (200 breast), first-year swimmer Therese Svendsen (200 back), and sophomore Elzanne Werth (100 fly).

The women's team also titled in 5 relays. Svendsen, Klosova, Werth and Callaghan won the 200 medley relay. Blackman, Van den Branden, Klosova and freshman Christy-Leigh Lategan won the 800 free relay in 7:07 - 11 seconds ahead of second-place Rice. Svendsen, Callaghan, Werth and Klosova touched in at 3:34.62 in the 400 medley relay, a full 4 seconds faster than the record they set last season. Blackman, Van den Branden, Werth and Klosova titled in the 200 free relay. Finally, Blackman, Van den Branden, Werth and Klosova set another meet record and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:17.00 in the 400 free relay. Read more.

The men's golf team won the 2009 Northwood Spring Invite March 3 at Thorntree Country Club, carding a team total of 603 to defeat host Northwood by 13 strokes. Leading the Mustangs was first-year player Marc Sambol (bottom left) with a two-stroke victory over Benjamin Belfield of Northwood. All five SMU golfers finished in the top 8 of the 2-day event, with freshman Aaron Stewart and senior Frank Wrenn tying for 3rd, first-year Matt Schovee tying for 6th and sophomore Nicholas Soglanich taking 8th. Read more.

SMU alumni and community members are invited to join Head Football Coach June Jones, members of his staff and former Mustang football legends at the inaugural Jerry LeVias Lettermen's Golf Classic April 23-25, 2009. Activities include a Pairings Party and auction in the Hall of Champions in Ford Stadium, tournament and awards party at the Golf Club of Dallas, and the annual Red and Blue Scrimmage in Ford Stadium. Thirteen foursome spots are still available, starting at $1,000 per team, and eight $250 spots remain open for individual golfers. All proceeds benefit SMU football. Read more.

The No. 69 women's tennis team earned a 5-2 win over No. 17 Arkansas Feb. 25, 2009 at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center in Fayetteville. First-year player Marta Lesniak (left) defeated No. 4 Aurelija Miseviciute, while senior Natalia Bubien and junior Pavi Francis notched their second win over a ranked pair this season, defeating No. 56 Miseviciute and Ela Kaluder. Read more.

The SMU Mustang Club, the official fundraising organization of SMU Athletics, kicked off the 2009 Morgan Campaign Fund Drive with a reception at the DoubleTree Hotel Campbell Centre Feb. 17. More than 70 volunteers, led by Campaign Co-Chairs Jeri Jessee and George Shelburne, will work on this year's drive, which will run from Feb. 17 to March 31. Donors who pay a pledge in full by May 1, 2009 will receive a chance to win a weekend travel package for two to the SMU-Washington State football game Sept. 19. Read more.

Senior punter/kicker Thomas Morstead is among the players invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine - the "job fair" for prospective new NFL players - this week in Indianapolis, Indiana. For 6 days at Lucas Oil Stadium, players are put through a series of drills, tests and interviews with more than 600 NFL personnel including head coaches, general managers and scouts. The 2009 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 25-26 in New York City. Read more.

Senior tennis player Natalia Bubien (right) was named Conference USA Player of the Week Feb. 16, 2009 after helping the No. 75 Mustangs (11-2) to a 3-1 record over the weekend, including a 7-0 win against Conference USA opponent Memphis. She also earned a singles victory over No. 122 Monika Hadvigerova of UT-Arlington. Read more.

SMU and Swim Across America will host a fundraising event to raise money for cancer research 1-5 p.m. Feb. 14, 2009 in Perkins Natatorium. "Swim Quick" is a tribute to legendary Olympic coach and SMU Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Richard Quick ('65, '77), who was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Swimmers of all ages and ability will swim in Richard's honor to join him in raising money for cancer research. SMU is one of 4 university hub sites for the event, along with Texas, Auburn and Stanford. Read more.

For two nights in Moody Coliseum, the men's and women's basketball teams will join the fight against breast cancer. The women's team will participate in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's 2009 WBCA Pink Zone initiative with its game against UAB at 2 p.m. Feb. 15. The men's team will host Rice for "Pony Up for the Cure" at 7 p.m. Feb. 21. Read more.

Junior Nicole Briceno (right), the 2008 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, is the conference's Women's Tennis Player of the Week of Feb. 10, 2009. Briceno went 3-0 in singles and 2-1 in doubles last week as the Mustangs vanquished league opponents Southern Miss and Tulane. Read more.

Head Football Coach June Jones (right) announced the signing of 25 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent Feb. 4, 2009. This year's class has eight members identified as three- or four-star recruits by Rivals.com - equaling the number of such recruits in the 2007 and 2008 classes combined.

"Obviously, having a full year to focus on recruiting helped us put together what I believe is a very strong class," Jones said. "SMU has become a very attractive option for standouts from Texas and across the nation. We're building for bowl games and conference championships, and this class is another big step in that direction." Read more.

The women's basketball team, which has won 6 straight games and 12 of its last 14, faces Conference USA co-leader Southern Miss in a game beginning at 7 p.m. CT Feb. 5, 2009. The showdown can be seen live nationally on CBS College Sports and heard on KAAM (770 AM). Read more.

The men's tennis team achieved a 1-1 record in the National Indoor Championships at the Los Angeles Tennis Center Jan. 31, 2009. Sophomores Darren Walsh and Adham el-Effendi won in straight sets in singles matches against Fresno State, while first-year player David Costa won in three sets against his singles opponent. Read more.

SMU faculty, staff and fans can join the Mustang Club and Head Football Coach June Jones to celebrate National Signing Day in Dallas 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 4 at the DoubleTree Hotel at Campbell Center, 8250 North Central Expy. Coach Jones and the Mustang Club will head to Houston for a "Chalk Talk" Feb. 5. Read more.

First-year swimmer Therese Svendsen received Conference USA Swimmer of the Week honors for the period ending Jan. 19 for her career and season-best efforts in the 100 and 200 back events. She helped the Mustangs to wins over Rice and Houston and posted season-best times in both the 100-back (56.66) and 200-back (2:00.53), in which her time currently is the best in the conference. Read more.

Senior offensive lineman Tommy Poynter (left) is a candidate for the 2008 College Football Rudy Award, as announced Dec. 10 by The Rudy Foundation charitable organization. The award honors student-athletes who "demonstrate exemplary character, courage, contribution and commitment" as members of their collegiate football teams. Read more.

Sophomore Silje Fjortoft and senior Jessa Simmons were named to Conference USA's Cross Country All-Academic Team Dec. 10. Nominees for the All-Academic team must earn a 3.2 cumulative G.P.A. or better. Fjortoft and Simmons, both students in Dedman College, earned second-team honors. Read more.

Senior midfielder Jeff Harwell has been named third-team All-Midwest Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Harwell had 8 points in his senior season on a goal and 6 assists. His 6 assists tied him with teammate Gabe Arredondo for the second-highest total among all players in Conference USA. Read more.

SMU, CBS College Sports Network and Metro Sports Texas have reached an agreement to televise a total of 16 SMU men's basketball games for the 2008-09 season on Time-Warner Cable in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Waco, Austin and San Antonio markets. In addition, 4 games will be televised on CBS College Sports Network. Read more.

Junior offensive lineman Mitch Enright and sophomore linebacker Pete Fleps have been named to the Conference USA All-Academic football team. Enright earned a 3.99 G.P.A. as a management major in SMU's Cox School of Business and is pursuing his M.B.A. after graduating with an undergraduate degree in three years. He is a two-time member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team and was a two-year starter and member of the Rimington Trophy Watch List.

Fleps is a marketing major in the Cox School with a 3.54 G.P.A. He made 23 tackles in one game at Navy, which ranks as the fourth-most ever in a game by a C-USA player, and led SMU with 106 tackles in 2008. Read more.

Junior wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (left) has been named a second-team All-Conference USA performer. He picked up 958 yards and nine touchdowns in 2008 and ranks as SMU's all-time leader in touchdown catches with 27. He also holds University records for career 100-yard-receiving games with 10 and for season 100-yard games with six (2008). He is the first player in SMU history to record three 600-yard receiving seasons.

Also recognized were senior punter Thomas Morstead and sophomore wideout Aldrick Robinson, who were each named honorable mention All-C-USA. Read more.

Sophomore Silje Fjortoft has been named the Conference USA Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season. She became the C-USA women's individual medalist after running a 5K course-record time of 16:46 and beating her closest contender by 57 seconds. She also was named to both the All-C-USA First Team and All-South Central Region Team. Her 40th-place performance at the NCAA Championships led SMU to a conference team-best finish of 20th. Read more.

Senior wide receiver Jesse Henderson (left) has set an NCAA record with 2,945 career kickoff return yards. Henderson broke the old record of 2,922 - set by Tulane's Jeff Liggon from 1993-96 - with his performance during SMU's game against Southern Mississippi Nov. 29, 2008. Read more.

First-year guard Paul McCoy was named Conference USA Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week after his performance over three games in the 2008 SMU Tip-Off Classic Nov. 21-23 in Moody Coliseum. The Mustangs went 2-1 for the week with a 79-60 win over Houston Baptist, a 56-51 victory against Alabama State and an 84-73 loss to Illinois State in the championship game of the invitational. Read more.

The Mustang equestrian team is ranked #11 in the Intercollegiate Equestrian Coaches poll after pulling off the biggest win in program history: a 7-5 upset of #2 Georgia Nov. 23 at Park Lane Equestrian Center in Dallas. The season resumes next semester. Read more.

The cross country team finished 20th in the 2008 NCAA Division I Championships, which took place Nov. 24 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. The team's finish was its best in more than a decade. Read more.

SMU's 19th-ranked cross country team has been selected to race in the 2008 Division I Cross Country Championships, to be held Nov. 24 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course of the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. The race will begin at approximately 11 a.m. Central time and will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports Network and streamed online via NCAA.com. Read more.

Junior middle blocker Kendra Kahanek (left) was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week for her performance in the Mustang volleyball team's win over Tulsa Nov. 16, 2008. Kahanek set conference, University and personal records with 17 blocks during the 3-1 victory. Read more.

Senior midfielder Gabe Arredondo has been named to Conference USA's 2008 All-Academic Team. A geology major in SMU's Dedman College, Arredondo carries a G.P.A. of 3.211 and has scored eight points this season on a goal and six assists. Read more.

The 3rd season of "Inside College Hoops with Matt Doherty" debuts Nov. 24, 2008 on KAAM 770 AM, live from Ten Sports Grill, 1302 Main St. in downtown Dallas. Listen online and submit questions for Coach Doh or call in at 972-445-0770 or 877-272-5226. Read more.

The men's soccer team fell to South Carolina 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Conference USA tournament Nov. 12. The NCAA announces the field for its postseason tournament Nov. 17. Read more.

Meanwhile, 8 Mustang soccer players have earned All-Conference honors. On the men's team, sophomore defender/midfielder Leone Cruz, junior forward Paulo da Silva (right), senior midfielder Jeff Harwell and sophomore midfielder Kekoa Osorio were named 2nd-team All-Conference. Midfielder Diogo de Almeida and forward Arthur Ivo were named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team. Read more.

On the women's team, junior defender Kim Peabody was named first-team All-Conference, and first-year forward Logan May was selected to the league's All-Freshman team. Read more.

Fresh from winning its first Conference USA title, the cross country team heads to Waco Nov. 15 for the 2008 NCAA South Central Regionals. Running for the 19th-ranked Mustangs will be the 2006 and 2007 South Central Regional Female Athletes of the Year, senior Rachael Forish and sophomore Silje Fjortoft. Fjortoft also owns the 2008 C-USA individual title after clocking the fastest 5K time in conference history, 16:46. (Left, Fjortoft and Forish.) Read more.

Senior Petra Klosova received her 6th career Conference USA Swimmer of the Week honor Nov. 11. The SMU Olympian was recognized for her performance at the 2008 Mean Green Duals Nov. 8, in which the SMU women's swimming and diving team beat Colorado State, New Mexico State and North Texas. Read more.

The cross country team won the 2008 Conference USA women's championship Nov. 1 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis. It is the first C-USA title for the Mustangs, who toppled the two-time reigning champion Rice Owls. In addition, SMU sophomore Silje Fjortoft won the individual title, defeating defending champion Alex Becker of Tulsa. Read more.

Senior punter Thomas Morstead and junior offensive lineman Mitch Enright have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Both were first-team selections on the 24-man squad. Read more.

First-year player James Kwon (left) was named Conference USA Golfer of the Week for the week of Oct. 29, 2008. Kwon won the individual title at the Baylor Intercollegiate after shooting a one-under-par 212 (74-69-69) in the two-day tournament. Read more.

Senior Candace Blackman was named Conference USA Swimmer of the Week Oct. 28, 2008. It is the second time Blackman has received the honor and her first of the 2008-09 season. Blackman took three first-place honors in a dual meet against Arizona State, helping the 400-free relay team win in 3:24.14 and capturing individual titles in the 100-free (50.65) and 200-free (1:48.78). Read more.

The Mustang volleyball team (left) will host a Dig Pink event to raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer during its Nov. 2, 2008 match against Rice. Fans will receive free rally towels and cheer cards upon entrance, and those who wear pink will receive 50 percent off admission. The game begins at 1 p.m. in Moody Coliseum and is sponsored by Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Read more.

The women's soccer team has clinched a berth in the 2008 Conference USA Championship with one regular-season game still remaining, the C-USA office announced Oct. 27. The tournament will be held Nov. 5-9 at Rice Soccer Stadium in Houston. Read more.

In men's soccer, junior goalkeeper Craig Hill was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Oct. 27, 2008 after posting a pair of shutouts at the University of Alabama and the University of Central Florida. Hill collected five saves against the Blazers Oct. 22 in Birmingham and eight against the Knights in Orlando Oct. 25 to raise his season total to 56. Read more.

SMU honored Mustang football legend Don Meredith (right) during halftime of the SMU-Houston football game Oct. 18, 2008. Meredith, who rose to professional stardom during his 9 years with the Dallas Cowboys, was selected for the honor by the SMU Hall of Fame Committee, which is comprised primarily of Lettermen's Club members. Read more from SMU News.

Meanwhile, the 2008 football team has quietly risen to No. 11 in the nation in passing offense with 293.1 yards per game. Read more.

The cross country team combined for 3rd place at the 6K Chile Pepper Festival Oct. 18 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Sophomore Silje Fjortoft earned her second consecutive Conference USA Athlete of the Week award for her individual 4th-place finish. Read more.

The women's and men's swimming and diving teams have been ranked among the Top 25 in the United States by CollegeSwimming.com, at No. 12 and No. 19 respectively. The women's team hosts Arizona State Oct. 23 in Perkins Natatorium. Read more.

Sophomore golfer Kelly Kraft (left), Conference USA's 2007 Freshman of the Year, has been named C-USA Golfer of the Week for the period ending Oct. 14. Kraft received the honor after winning the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in Birmingham, Alabama, with a six-under-par 204 for three rounds. Read more.

First-year tennis player Marta Lesniak reached the quarterfinals of the Fidelity-Southlake Women's Pro Classic after winning the event's qualifying tournament the previous week. The Mustangs return to action Oct. 17 in Houston as play begins in the 28th Annual Rice Classic. Read more.

The women's swimming and diving team dominated the 2008 North Texas Mean Green Relays in Keller Oct. 3, taking first place in 8 of 10 events. Read more.

In other news, men's swimming and diving team member Colton Ingraham won his second title in the 2008 Alcatraz Invitational Swim, an annual 1.5-mile race from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco. Read more.

SMU cross country beat six Top 25 teams for 6th place in the 2008 Notre Dame Invitational Oct. 3. Sophomore Silje Fjortoft was the fastest finisher among all underclassmen in the race. The team's performance has boosted it to a No. 21 ranking in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association women's Division I poll. Read more.

The men's basketball team will have four games nationally televised by CBS College Sports Network in 2008-09, as announced by the network Oct. 9. The games will include both matchups with 2008 NCAA finalist Memphis, at Rice Jan. 14, and against East Carolina Jan. 24. Former basketball coach and analyst Fran Fraschilla will be the keynote speaker at the team's 2008 Basketball Tip-Off Dinner Oct. 14. Read more.

SMU will honor legendary former quarterback Don Meredith during the SMU-Houston game Oct. 18. "Dandy Don," who played for SMU during the 1957-59 seasons, is the 6th Mustang football great to be honored by the SMU Hall of Fame Committee. Meredith played for nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and was inducted into the Cowboys' "Ring of Honor" in 1976. Read more.

Senior Ilyssa Pettigrew (left) won the Ken Garland Invitational 5K at the University of North Texas Sept. 27, 2008. Her 18:18:5 finish was nearly 30 seconds faster than her nearest competitor. Read more.

Sophomore midfielder Lauren Shepherd shared Conference USA Player of the Week honors with Rice's Shelley Wong after she scored the tying and winning goals in the women's soccer team's games against Colorado College (1-2) and UTEP (1-0). Read more.

Senior Kate Ackerson has been named Conference USA Golfer of the Week after finishing tied for fifth at the Badger Invitational in Wisconsin. Read more.

Head Women's Tennis Coach Lauren Meisner has selected to serve a three-year term on the Southwest Regional Committee of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Read more.

Head Football Coach June Jones and Assistant Coach Jeff Reinebold were featured in the segment "Heart of a Warrior" on the Sept. 30, 2008 edition of ESPN's news magazine program, "E:60." The piece focused on Brian Kajiyama, who was born with cerebral palsy that confined him to a wheelchair and left him unable to speak, and the extraordinary relationship he developed with Jones and Reinebold. Read more.

First-year tennis player Marta Lesniak dropped only one set during the entire tournament to win the wild card draw of the Fidelity-Southlake Women's Pro Classic Sept. 21. She also paired with junior Sophie Quist to defeat several pairs of professional players and win the doubles draw. Read more.

Sophomore runner Silje Fjortoft, Conference USA's 2007 Freshman of the Year, has been named the C-USA Athlete of the Week after clocking a first-place time of 16:33.03 over the 5,000-meter course at the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station Sept. 20. Fjortoft ran more than 40 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor to win the race. Read more.

The SMU rowing team (left) will sponsor "Rumble on the Rock" at White Rock Lake to honor their new boathouse and the dedication and christening of a new women's eight. The festivities take place 8:30-10:30 a.m. Sept. 20. Read more.

Don't miss out on football's Battle for the Iron Skillet! If you can't attend the State Farm DFW Duel against TCU in person, the game will be available as a live online pay-per-view broadcast. Read more.

Senior punter Thomas Morstead has been named to the 2008 Ray Guy Award watch list. The list for the award, which identifies the nation's top collegiate punter, will be narrowed to ten semi-finalists in early November. Read more.

A gridiron tradition continues when SMU plays TCU in the State Farm DFW Duel Battle for the Iron Skillet. The game is on at 7 p.m. Sept. 20, during Family Weekend.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs' Sept. 13 game at Texas Tech will be broadcast at 6 p.m. on FSN Southwest and KTCK 1310 AM (The Ticket) in Dallas.

The men's soccer team continues to climb in the national rankings after shutting out Stanford 2-0 and tying No. 7 California-Berkeley in the Cal Legacy Classic Sept. 5-7. The Mustangs have reached No. 5 in the Soccer America poll and jumped to No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll and No. 3 in the CollegeSoccerNews.com poll.

Senior forward Paulo da Silva (left) was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the team's stand at Berkeley. The Mustangs host Tulsa, Oakland and George Mason in the Prego's Express Italian Men's Soccer Invitational Sept. 12-13 at Westcott Field. Read more.

The men's soccer team jumped several places in two national polls after defeating Old Dominion and Virginia to win the University of Virginia Classic over Labor Day weekend. The Mustangs jump from No. 17 to No. 7 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll and from No. 12 to No. 6 in the CollegeSoccerNews.com poll. The team's next stop is the Cal Legacy Classic at UC-Berkeley Sept. 5-7. Read more.

Senior sociology major DeMyron Martin has been named a candidate for the 2008 Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top college running back. This is Martin's second consecutive nomination for the honor - the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification. Read more.

Men's Basketball Coach Matt Doherty (left) will be a guest coach in the inaugural Chairmen of the Boards Charity Basketball Tournament Sept. 7 at Hunter College, New York City. The 3-on-3 round-robin will benefit Tuesday's Children, a nonprofit organization serving the needs of 9/11 families and rescue and recovery workers. Read more.

Tim McClements has been named SMU's new men's soccer coach, Director of Athletics Steve Orsini announced July 23, 2008. McClements succeeds Schellas Hyndman, who has become head coach of FC Dallas. Read more from SMU Athletics.

The men's basketball team has announced its non-conference schedule for 2008-09. The 13 non-league matchups include teams from the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Missouri Valley and Mountain West conferences. Read more.

More Mustang action from the second week of competition in Beijing:

Libor Charfreitag ('00), competing for Slovakia, finished 8th in the men's hammer throw finals Aug. 17.

Laura Reback Bennett ('97), competing for the USA, finished 4th in the women's triathlon finals Aug. 18.

Aleksander Tammert ('96), competing for Estonia, finished 12th in the men's discus finals Aug. 18.

Nastia Liukin (right), who attended SMU in 2007 before focusing full-time on her training for the Olympics, added three individual medals in event finals to her gold in the women's gymnastics all-around competition and her silver in the team competition. She received silver medals in the uneven bars competition Aug. 18 and the balance beam Aug. 19, as well as a bronze in floor exercise Aug. 17.

Sara Nordenstam ('06, right), competing for her home nation of Norway, brought home the bronze in the women's 200M breaststroke Aug. 14. The former Mustang's time of 2:23.02 set a new European record and made her the first Norwegian woman to medal in an Olympic swimming event.

Lars Frolander ('98) swam for Sweden in the men's 4x100M freestyle relay final Aug. 11, in which the USA's Jason Lezak out-touched individual world-record holder Alain Bernard of France for the team gold medal and a new event world record. The Swedish team finished fifth and was one of five teams that swam faster than the previous world record time.

Nastia Liukin, who attended SMU in 2007, helped make Olympic history with her gold-medal performance in the women's gymnastics all-around competition Aug. 14. Teammate Shawn Johnson took silver, marking the first one-two finish for U.S. women in the all-around division.

Originally published July 30, 2008.

SMU will be part of the action at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, as nearly 20 SMU students, alumni and coaches get ready for the games. The games begin Aug. 8.

The following alumni and student-athletes - some of them past Olympians and medalists - are confirmed to compete for their nations:

• Camilo Becerra ('05) - Swimming, Columbia
• Laura Reback Bennett ('97) - Triathlon, USA
• Anja Carman ('08) - Swimming, Slovenia
• Libor Charfreitag ('00) - Track and Field, Slovakia
• Florence Ezeh ('00) - Track and Field, Togo
• Lars Frolander ('98) - Swimming, Sweden
• Petra Klosova, senior - Swimming, Czech Republic
• Maroua Mathlouthi, sophomore - Swimming, Tunisia
• Martina Moravcova ('98) - Swimming, Slovakia
• Gaelle Niare ('08) - Track and Field, France
• Sara Nordenstam ('06) - Swimming, Norway
• Flavia Rigamonti ('06) - Swimming, Switzerland
• Michael Robertson (attended 2003-04) - Track and Field, USA
• Angela San Juan Cisneros ('08) - Swimming, Spain
• Denisa Smolenova, first-year (incoming) - Swimming, Slovakia
• Aleksander Tammert ('96) - Track and Field, Estonia

In addition, these Mustang coaches and alumni will participate:

• Swimming Head Coaches Steve Collins and Eddie Sinnott each have accepted positions with Beijing-bound teams. Collins will be head coach of the Slovakian national team for the fourth time, while Sinnott will be an assistant team leader with the United States team.
• Swimmer turned rower Dr. Rania Elwani ('99) is a member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes Commission. She was elected to the position by her fellow athletes at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.
• Tennis letterwinner Rodney Harmon ('83) has been named head men's tennis coach of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, as announced by the United States Tennis Association. Harmon achieved a singles ranking of No. 1 in the country during his time at SMU.

(Above, the reverse design of Beijing's Olympic medals - gold, silver and bronze discs inlaid with Chinese jade.)

• Read more at the SMU Athletics site
• See a list of past SMU Olympians (PDF format)
• Official website of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Four members of the SMU track and field will compete at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships through June 14 at Drake University Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. Silje Fjortoft (3,000m steeplechase), Andrea Kvetova (javelin), Christina Mueller (discus) and Ilyssa Pettigrew (800m) all qualified for the finals at NCAA Regionals earlier this month. Read more.

ESPN SportsNation is searching for SMU's "Face of the Program," and you can help. Send the network your choice for the iconic image of SMU football - whether a fabled coach, a legendary player, a memorable play or unique mascot - and join other fans for discussion.

Seven track and field athletes have qualified for the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Regional Championships, hosted by Nebraska May 30-31. The following Mustangs met the qualifying standards for their events:

• Gayla Cloud, first-year, 100m hurdles
• Silje Fjortoft, first-year, 3,000m steeplechase
• Lauren Kuhner, sophomore, hammer throw
• Andrea Kvetova, senior, javelin
• Christina Mueller, junior, discus
• Ilyssa Pettigrew (left), senior, 800m run
• Kylie Spurgeon, first-year, discus

Junior swimmer Jennifer Basel and junior golfer Kate Ackerson have been named to their 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-District teams by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Basel holds a 3.94 cumulative G.P.A. in mathematics and mechanical engineering. She helped the Mustangs to a 5-3 dual record and 12th consecutive conference championship this season with conference and pool records in the 400 IM and 200 breast.

Ackerson holds a 3.89 G.P.A. in business. She has won three career Conference USA Golfer of the Week awards and finished third at the 2007 C-USA Championships.

The SMU men's basketball team has begun a 12-day journey through the continent of Africa that will last through June 5. The Mustangs will take part in a number of games while in Senegal and South Africa.

The team, which plays its first game against the Senegalese national team May 27, will be sending daily reports back to the Hilltop. Find the latest journal updates, photo galleries and more at SMUMustangs.com.

Right, junior center Bamba Fall at the Mustangs' first practice in Marius N'Diaye Stadium, Dakar, Senegal. Fall is one of SMU's three Senegalese players, along with first-year forward Papa Dia and red-shirt sophomore forward Mouhammad Faye.

First-year runner Silje Fjortoft won the 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m titles at the 2008 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 15-17 in El Paso, where SMU finished in fifth overall.

With her conference championship wins, Fjortoft also earned C-USA Freshman of the Year and All-Conference honors. Read more.

Senior track and field competitor Andrea Kvetova (left) has been named to the Conference USA All-Academic team with a 3.94 G.P.A. and the longest javelin throw in the conference this season. Her 172'11" throw is seventh best in the nation for the season and qualifies her for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships May 30-31 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

In addition, Kvetova took the Conference USA javelin title with a 50.28m throw at the 2008 C-USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Junior Christina Mueller won the discus title at the same event with a 54.26m throw, a mark nearly three meters better than her nearest opponent. Read more.

Sophomore center Mitch Enright (left) has been named to the 2008 Rimington Trophy Spring Watch List. The trophy, presented by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, honors the outstanding college offensive center in NCAA Division I-A. Enright started all 12 games at the position in 2007. He will be a junior during the 2008 season. Read more.

The No. 40 men's tennis team fell to No. 25 Texas A&M, 4-1, in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Championships May 9. The Mustangs end their season at 20-9, the team's best overall record since 2001. Read more.

Sophomore golfer Ben Tewes finished 6th at The Maxwell at Dornick Hills Country Club May 11. The men's golf team also finished 6th at 11-under 829. Next stop: the NCAA Regionals, May 15-17 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Read more.

One hundred seventy-six SMU student athletes from 16 sports have been named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. To qualify, a student must carry a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.00 or higher. The honored students represent more than 41 percent of SMU's total number of athletes. Read more.

The men's golf team has been selected to compete in the 2008 NCAA Men's Golf Championships, the Division I Men's Golf Committee announced May 5. The Mustangs were assigned to the East Regional, which will be held May 15-17 and played at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The team has been seeded No. 18. Read more.

Junior marketing major Andrew Galloway, football, and senior business management and sociology major Jon Killen, men's basketball, have been honored with 2008 "M" Awards, SMU's highest honor for service to the University. Read more, and find lists of other winners from the 2008 Awards Extravaganza and Honors Day Convocation.

For the second season in a row, the women's golf team has been honored by the NCAA with a public recognition award for its latest multi-year Academic Progress Rate score. To be honored, a team must post a multi-year APR score in the top 10 percent of all squads in its sport. Read more.

The rowing team won two gold, one silver and one bronze medal at the Midwest Intercollegiate Rowing Championship April 26, 2008 in Omaha. The Mustangs placed second as a team after getting edged 94-93 by conference rival Tulsa. Read more.

The men's tennis team received its highest national ranking of the season, No. 40, on April 28, 2008. The team will make its 11th trip of the past 12 seasons to the NCAA Tennis Championships May 10, facing regional rival Texas A&M (No. 25) at Baylor University in Waco.

As the world watches the action surrounding the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, SMU students and alumni are gearing up for the games as competitors, coaches and officials. Four Mustangs to watch for in China:

• Junior swimmer Petra Klosova has qualified to represent her home country of the Czech Republic based on her time in the 100 LC meter back final at the Missouri Grand Prix in February, according to Head Coach Steve Collins.
• Swimmer turned rower Dr. Rania Elwani ('99) is a member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes Commission. She was elected to the position by her fellow athletes at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.
• Former Mustang swimmer Laura Reback Bennett ('97) has qualified for the first spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic triathlon team.
• Tennis letterwinner Rodney Harmon ('83) has been named head men's tennis coach of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, as announced by the United States Tennis Association. Harmon achieved a singles ranking of No. 1 in the country during his time at SMU.

The men's and women's basketball teams presented awards to outstanding players at their individual team banquets in April. Read about each team's honorees: men and women. (Left, senior Sharee Shepherd earned the women's Defensive Award after breaking SMU's single-game and season steals records and leading the team in blocked shots.)

The CBS College Sports Network will air four Mustang football games in 2008. SMU's games against TCU, Tulane, UCF and Navy will be broadcast nationwide on the cable network. Read more.

The No. 47 men's tennis team won its 6th straight match with a victory over No. 36 TCU in the Mustangs' regular-season finale April 16. Senior Adolfo Solares (left) picked up his 7th consecutive singles win, and the team is now 19-7 for the season. Read more.

Former Mustang letterwinner Rodney Harmon ('83) has been named head men's tennis coach of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, as announced by the United States Tennis Association. The USTA's director of men's tennis since January 2002, Harmon achieved a singles ranking of No. 1 in the country during his time at SMU.

First-year runner Silje Fjortoft (right) has been named the Conference USA Athlete of the Week for the week of April 8, 2008, after recording the top time in the nation this season in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:59.01) at the Stanford Invitational. Fjortoft was the top collegiate finisher by more than nine seconds and easily qualified for the NCAA Regionals. Read more.

Senior Alex Skrypko earned Conference USA Men's Tennis Player of the Week for the week of April 8, 2008, after winning his 10th straight singles match April 6 - defeating Ralph Knupfer of No. 19 Rice in straight sets. Skrypko's singles record now stands at 14-6 (.700). Read more.

Football Coach June Jones participated in an online chat hosted by The Dallas Morning News April 9, in which he answered questions about the upcoming schedule, the importance of academics, and his coaching philosophy. Read a transcript.

The SMU Athletic Department, in conjunction with the SMU Lettermen's Association, has announced the inaugural class of its Athletics Hall of Fame. The 2008 inductees - football players Forrest Gregg and Lamar Hunt, swimmer Martina Moravcova and golfer Payne Stewart - will be honored at an induction dinner and ceremony at 7 p.m. May 2 at the Hotel Palomar. Former Mustang and Dallas Cowboys football great Don Meredith will serve as honorary chair. Read more.

The volleyball team (right) hosts its spring tournament this April 5 in Moody Coliseum and Crum Basketball Center. The Mustangs will welcome teams from Ole Miss, UTA, Texas State, Abilene Christian, TCU, Texas Tech, UTEP and Frank Phillips to compete in a total of 16 matches. Read more.

Sophomore guard Jillian Samuels (left) sank 4 three-pointers to establish a new SMU record for shots from long range in an NCAA Tournament game during the Mustangs' 75-62 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the 2008 tournament, March 23 at Purdue University's Mackey Arena. Samuels also raised her single-season three-pointer total to 72, another SMU record. The women's basketball team ends the 2007-08 season with a school-record 24 wins. Read more.

The football team's 2008 Red & Blue Game will take place at 1 p.m. April 5 in Ford Stadium. At 7 p.m., the men's soccer team faces Tyler Junior College in a night-cap scrimmage at Westcott Field. Admission to both games is free. Read more.

The women's basketball team won a spot in this year's NCAA tournament with a victory over UTEP in the Conference USA tournament. Now they face Notre Dame, ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press poll, in the NCAA first round at 1:30 p.m. March 23 in Purdue University's Mackey Arena. Keep up at SMU Athletics' 2008 Tournament Central.

The No. 14 women's swimming and diving team competes at the 2008 NCAA Championships March 20-22. Swimming for SMU will be Jennifer Basel, Candace Blackman, Jennifer Blackman, Devon Callaghan, Anja Carman (left), Petra Klosova, Sascha Van den Branden and Elzanne Werth. Audra Egenolf qualified for the platform diving event at the Zone D Diving Championships March 16 in Houston. Read more.

The men's tennis team upset No. 36 California 4-2 to win the third annual Pebble Beach Collegiate Classic March 15. The team's record improved to 12-6 with the victory. Read more.

Three members of the SMU women's basketball team - senior post Janielle Dodds (left), sophomore forward Delisha Wills and senior forward Sharee Shepherd - have earned spots on the 2008 All-Conference USA teams. Dodds also broke SMU scoring and rebounding records previously held by Karlin Kennedy in the team's Mar. 1 loss at Tulane. Read more.

The No. 14 SMU women's swimming and diving team won its third straight Conference USA championship Mar. 2. - its 12th consecutive conference championship overall. The Mustangs also set four new conference records and a number of career-fastest times. Read more.

The football team announced its 2008 schedule Feb. 26. The season will begin with an ESPN-televised Conference USA showdown at Rice on Friday, Aug. 29. Read more.

The women's basketball team set a new win record at 21 for the season (7 in a row) with its victory over Houston in the last home game of the season Feb. 23. Watch them play Conference USA's other top team, the #19/23 UTEP Miners, at 7 p.m. CT Feb. 28 via online video stream.

The #44 men's tennis team improved its season record to 9-2 with a home win over Minnesota Feb. 24. The team faces two ranked opponents this weekend: #32 Virginia Tech Feb. 29 and #21 VCU Mar. 1. The team is led by sophomore Robin Fahgen (left), who is ranked #50 in singles. Read more.

Football Coach June Jones will sign copies of Hawaii Warrior Football, A Story of Faith, Hope, and Redemption noon-1 p.m. Mar. 1 at the SMU Bookstore, 3060 Mockingbird Lane. Jones wrote the forward of the J. David Miller book that chronicles Jones' approach to coaching the Warriors to the biggest turnaround in NCAA history.

SMU celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day Feb. 23 prior to the women's basketball game against Houston, with sports clinics and booths featuring the Mustang women's varsity teams. Read more.

Two members of the women's swimming team had top-10 finishes at the Missouri Grand Prix Feb. 18. First-year Elzanne Werth picked up 10th place overall in the 100 LC meter butterfly final, while junior Petra Klosova placed 9th in the 100 LC meter back final. Her performance qualifies her for the Olympics, representing her home country of the Czech Republic, according to Head Coach Steve Collins. Read more.

The SMU Mustang Club kicked off its 2008 Morgan Campaign Fund Drive Feb. 11. The 30-year-old fund-raising drive, named for legendary SMU coach Herman "Sleepy" Morgan, runs through Apr. 2. Read more.

The No. 14 women's swimming and diving team beat No. 17 Texas in the final meet of the regular season Feb. 9 in Perkins Natatorium. The Missouri Grand Prix is scheduled for Feb. 15-18 in Columbia, with the Conference USA Championships following Feb. 27-Mar. 1. Read more.

In addition, SMU swept the weekly Conference USA swimming and diving awards for the third time this season Feb. 12, as junior Petra Klosova was named Swimmer of the Week and sophomore Britney Yancey (left) was named Diver of the Week. Senior Anja Carman was named National Collegiate Swimmer of the Week by CollegeSwimming.com Feb. 13. Read more.

Former SMU basketball great Jon Koncak ('85) will see his No. 53 jersey raised to the rafters of Moody Coliseum during a halftime ceremony at the SMU-UAB game Feb. 23 in Moody Coliseum. KTXA Channel 21 will air the game live. Read more.

Signing Day 2008: The Mustangs have signed 28 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent, Head Football Coach June Jones announced Feb. 6. Read more.

The men's and women's basketball teams will help raise breast cancer awareness with "Pony Up for The Cure" Feb. 9 (SMU men vs. Rice) and "Think Pink" Feb. 14 (SMU women vs. Memphis). SMU Athletics is also running a "Pony Up for The Cure" online auction. Find more information at the SMU Athletics website.

The No. 21 men's swimming and diving team won 11 of 13 events to defeat No. 20 Texas A&M Feb. 1. It was the 100th SMU meet win for Head Coach Eddie Sinnott. Read more.

Two senior Mustang soccer players have been drafted to play professionally. Midfielder/forward Adrian Chevannes was drafted by the Colorado Rapids in the 2008 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, and midfielder Ben Shuleva (right) was drafted by FC Dallas in the 2008 Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft. Read more.

Senior guard Jon Killen (right) was named Conference USA Player of the Week in men's basketball Jan. 28, 2008. The co-captain from Arlington, Texas, earns his first award and is the first Mustang since Bryan Hopkins in December 2005 to take the league honor. Read more.

Work is nearing completion on SMU's new Crum Basketball Center - take a virtual tour with a construction photo gallery.

SMU Men's Soccer Coach Schellas Hyndman (left) was named this year's recipient of the Mike Berticelli Excellence in Coaching Education Award at the recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention in Baltimore. Read more.

The No. 13 women's swimming and diving team won 11 of 13 events over conference rival Houston in SMU's Perkins Natatorium Jan. 19. Read more.

First-year runner Samantha Means won the 3000m at the Texas Tech Invitational Jan. 19, the Mustangs' first indoor meet of the year. Read more.

Men's Basketball Coach Matt Doherty broadcasts live every Monday night at 7 p.m. from Ten Sports Grill. "Inside College Hoops with Matt Doherty" airs on KAAM 770 AM. Listen online.

Women's Basketball Coach Rhonda Rompola (left) scored her 300th win as a coach Jan. 13, 2008, with the Mustangs' defeat of the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in Moody Coliseum. The victory makes Rompola the winningest SMU basketball coach in University history. Read more.

The women's swimming and diving team swept Conference USA's weekly awards for the second time this season Jan. 9, 2008. Junior swimmer Petra Klosova received her first Swimmer of the Week honor of the season, while first-year diver Audra Egenolf earned her second Diver of the Week recognition. Sophomore diver Britney Yancey was named C-USA Diver of the Week Jan. 15 after winning the 3-meter board against No. 1 Auburn and No. 6 Texas A&M in College Station. Read more.

The men's and women's basketball teams play throughout Winter Break. Make note of these Moody Coliseum home games.

Men's basketball:

• Dec. 18: USC Upstate, 7:05 p.m.


• Dec. 20: Prairie View A&M, 7:05 p.m.


• Dec. 29: Texas State (SMU Holiday Classic), 2 p.m.


• Dec. 30: Stephen F. Austin (SMU Holiday Classic), 4:35 p.m.

• Jan. 11: UCF, 7:05 p.m.


• Jan. 13: Southern Mississippi, 3 p.m.

Senior wide receiver Zack Sledge (top left) and junior punter Thomas Morstead (bottom left) were among 13 student-athletes named to the 2007 Conference USA Football All-Academic Team Nov. 30. Read more.

Morstead also has been named first-team 2007 All-Conference USA by the league's 12 coaches. In addition, first-year defensive end Justin Smart was selected to the All-Conference USA Freshman Team. Read more.

The men's basketball team came from behind to defeat TCU 71-65 in the State Farm DFW Duel Dec. 5. Read more.

First-year runner Silje Fjortoft caps a semester of honors with her selection as Conference USA Cross Country Newcomer of the Year. Read more.

The men's soccer team blanked Gonzaga in the first round of the 2007 NCAA tournament to face a heartbreaking loss to Creighton in the second round Nov. 28. Read more.

The women's basketball team won the SMU Hoops for the Cure tournament Nov. 24 and notched its fifth straight win Nov. 28 against Stephen F. Austin. Read more. (Left, sophomore forward Delisha Wills.)

First-year runner Silje Fjortoft has been named the NCAA South Central Region Athlete of the Year. She finished 49th, and third among freshmen, at the NCAA Championships Nov. 19. Read more.

Three players on the women's soccer team have received All-Conference recognition from Conference USA. Senior forward/midfielder Kimber Bailey and junior defender Carley Phillips were named second-team All-Conference; forward Lauren Shepherd was named to the conference All-Freshman team. Read more.

Meanwhile, in men's soccer, junior forward Scott Geppert, senior goalkeeper Steve Sandbo and senior midfielder Ben Shuleva have been named to the Conference USA All-Academic team. Read more.

The cross-country team races to the NCAA Championships Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana. First-year runner Silje Fjortoft (right) enters the meet as the South Central Regional champion. Read more.

The football team takes on Rice at 2 p.m. Nov. 10 in Ford Stadium - but that isn't the only sporting event scheduled for Homecoming Weekend. Here's who's playing Nov. 9-11:

Nov. 9:

• Men's and women's swimming vs. Wyoming, 6 p.m., Perkins Natatorium


• Women's basketball vs. Texas A&M, 7 p.m., Moody Coliseum


• Women's basketball vs. Texas A&M, 7 p.m., Moody Coliseum


• Men's soccer vs. Central Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., Westcott Field

Nov. 10:

• Men's swimming (Alumni-Varsity Meet), 10 a.m., Perkins Natatorium


• Football vs. Rice, 2 p.m., Ford Stadium


• Men's basketball vs. Southern, 7:35 p.m., Moody Coliseum - where The Knuckleheads will perform their new SMU basketball song

Nov. 11:

• Men's basketball vs. Alabama State, 4:35 p.m., Moody Coliseum

Meanwhile, in Arkansas, the cross-country team begins its stand at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships Nov. 10 in Fayetteville. First-year runner Silje Fjortoft is coming off a second-place finish in the Conference USA Championships. Read more.

SMU's next home football game is its Homecoming game: The Mustangs take on the Rice Owls at 2 p.m. Nov. 10. Read more.

The rowing team (right) won four races at the Pumpkin Head of the Colorado Regatta Oct. 27. In the open four, Emily St. John coxed a boat crewed by Alexa Tuszynski, Ellen Cieszkiewicz, Chantal Bohren and Caroline Merideth to a 24-plus second victory. SMU's second boat, coxed by Ali Smith, placed third. Smith also led her crew - Lizzie Gregory, Brooke Reemsnyder, Bianca Medici and Katelyn Verner - to victory in the novice four.

The SMU rowers took first through fourth places in the open doubles, as Amanda DeGroff and Julie Pollard completed the course in 22:36.6, followed by Krystal Kulka and Meredith Walter, with Alex Austin and Kelly McKinley in third. Lauren Doucet dominated in the novice single scull, completing the course more than two minutes ahead of her nearest competitor. Read more.

The women's golf team hosts the 2007 Earl Stewart Lady Mustang Reunion Pro-Am Nov. 12 at the Golf Club of Dallas. Register online or call 8-2884 for more information.

The men's soccer team has soared to No. 2 in the nation in the latest Soccer America magazine poll as the team swept Conference USA Player of the Week honors Oct. 22. Junior forward Scott Geppert (left) was named Offensive Player of the Week after scoring in both a 2-1 victory over UAB Oct. 17 and a 2-0 win over Florida International Oct. 21. Senior goalkeeper Steve Sandbo picked up his sixth and seventh victories of the season and notched his third shutout of the year to earn C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors. Read more.

Former SMU star Jon Koncak ('85) returned to the arena where he became an All-American for an Oct. 20 practice session with the 2007-08 Mustang men's basketball team in Moody Coliseum. Read more and view a photo gallery at Coach Matt Doherty's Mustang Hoops Blog.

First-year golfer Aaron Stewart, son of the late Payne Stewart ('79), was profiled in The Dallas Morning News Oct. 6, 2007. Read more.

The men's basketball team opens its season Nov. 10-11 with the SMU Tip-Off Classic in Moody Coliseum. Get up to speed on the 2007-08 squad with a team outlook from Coach Matt Doherty. Read more.

It's New Orleans on The Boulevard as the Mustang football team meets Tulane's Green Wave in Ford Stadium at 7 p.m. Oct. 20. The game also will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net Southwest. Read more.

The women's swimming team, including reigning Conference USA Newcomer of the Year Angela San Juan Cisneros (right), dominated the Mean Green Relays Oct. 3 at the University of North Texas, winning every event and setting two pool records. San Juan Cisneros, a senior international economics major, was named Swimmer of the Week Oct. 9 for her role in winning three events and setting pool records in the 400-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Read more.

Moody Coliseum will begin the 2007-08 basketball season with new floors installed Oct. 3. Coach Matt Doherty's Mustang Hoops Blog contains a photo gallery of the installation. Read more.

Jay Needham ('07) of the Puerto Rico Islanders has been named the United Soccer Leagues' 2007 Rookie of the Year. Read more.

Junior Kate Ackerson was named Conference USA Golfer of the Week Oct. 3. Last month, she tied for second at the 2007 Wolverine Invitational; senior Lacey Jones also finished in the top 10. Read more.

First-year runner Samantha Means won the individual competition at the Movin' Mavs Cross Country Challenge Sept. 8. It was her first collegiate win. Teammate and fellow first-year Silje Fjortoft took fifth in the Notre Dame Invitational Sept. 28. Read more.

Sophomore libero Candice Davis (left) was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week in volleyball Oct. 1. It is her second such honor of this season and the fifth of her career. Read more.

The Mustang football team takes on the UTEP Miners Sept. 29 during SMU's 2007 Family Weekend. The game also will be broadcast nationally on CSTV. Download a complete Family Weekend schedule (PDF format).

Trainer, show manager and former member of the U.S. Olympic Training Program Ashley Schaeffer is the new head coach of the SMU equestrian team. She becomes the second coach in team history and takes charge of a program that finished ninth at the 2007 Varsity National Championships. Read more.

CBS Sports college basketball analyst Bill Raftery is keynote speaker for the 2007 Men's Basketball Tip-Off Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in Moody Coliseum. Read more.

SMU meets TCU in the State Farm DFW Duel - Battle for the Iron Skillet at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 in TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. The football game will be broadcast nationally on CSTV as well as online. Read more from Coach Phil Bennett's TCU Week press conference.

Junior kicker Thomas Morstead (left) has been named to the watch list for the 2007 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation's top collegiate punter, as announced by the Greater Augusta Sports Council Sept. 18. With a 47.3-yard average in 2007, Morstead ranks second in the nation and first in Conference USA. Read more.

Former Mustang swimmer Laura Reback Bennett ('97) has qualified for the first spot on the U.S. Olympic triathlon team and is scheduled to compete at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. Read more from SMU Athletics and USA Triathlon.

Head Coach Phil Bennett talks football at the next Lunch with the Coach at noon Sept. 24 (UTEP Week) in the Hall of Champions, third floor, Loyd All-Sports Center. The cost is $12 for Mustang Club members, $20 for nonmembers. RSVP to Hayley Shalley, 8-2582. Read more.

The Friends of SMU Soccer present the 3rd annual Schellas Hyndman Golf Extravaganza Sept. 24 at Hackberry Country Club in Irving. Register online or call 8-4084 for more information.

Junior placekicker Thomas Morstead has been named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance during SMU's victory over North Texas Sept. 8. Morstead punted five times for 278 yards, giving him a 55.6 yard punting average, the fourth-highest single-game average in SMU history. He also had a career-long 72-yard punt, which ties for the 10th-longest at SMU. Read more.

Junior midfielder and captain Bruno Guarda (right) has been named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week in men's soccer. Guarda scored a goal and was credited with an assist in the No. 8 Mustangs' 5-1 defeat of No. 3 Virginia Sept. 7 in the first round of the SMU Mi Cocina Classic. Guarda also was named Tournament MVP. Read more.

Former SMU defensive end Justin Rogers ('07) has made the Dallas Cowboys' 2007 roster. Rogers spent the summer training with the New England Patriots. Read more.

In addition, the 1982 national championship team will be honored in a halftime ceremony at the SMU-UNT game in Ford Stadium Sept. 8. Among those expected to attend are running back Eric Dickerson and quarterback Lance McIlhenny. Read more.

Mustang volleyball players Stefanie Kons and Natalie Peters were named Conference USA Players of the Week Sept. 4. The team has enjoyed the strongest start in its history, winning five of its first six games of the 2007-08 season and currently ranked No. 8 nationally in the RKPI rankings, which simulates the ranking system used by the NCAA to choose teams for the national tournament. Read more.

The men's basketball team has announced its 2007-08 schedule, which includes a team-record 18 home games in Moody Coliseum. The season opens Nov. 10-11 with the SMU Tip-Off Classic. Meanwhile, the 1972 Southwest Conference championship team will be honored in a ceremony at the SMU-UNT football game in Ford Stadium Sept. 8. Read more.

Colt Knost ('07, right) took the title at the 107th U.S. Amateur Golf Championship Aug. 26. The former SMU All-American also won the 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links Tournament in July, becoming only the second golfer to win both in one year. Read more.

Junior sociology major DeMyron Martin has been named a candidate for the 2007 Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top college running back. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification. Read more.

The Mustang football team was the subject of an article profiling its rebuilding under Coach Phil Bennett and its prospects for the 2007 season in USA Today, Aug. 15, 2007.

The men's soccer team hosts the inaugural Jordan Mann SMU Alumni Game at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at the University's Westcott Field. Mann, who played for SMU for two seasons and was instrumental in propelling the Mustangs to the 2005 NCAA College Cup Final Four, passed away suddenly from natural causes May 26, 2007. More than 30 of Jordan's family members, including his parents and his brother Phillip, will be present for the game.