Over the next three weeks, we will be posting a daily review of the top 10 sports stories, moments and accomplishments of the 2009-10 school year in Concordia athletics, as determined by Sports Information Director Tony Baldwin.  Today's entry features the No. 8 story in our countdown.  Check back each weekday for a new entry in the top 10 list.  The No. 1 story will be revealed on May 25.  The full year in review will be posted on May 31.  Agree or disagree with the selections?  Comment by sending an e-mail to Tony Baldwin, SID, at tony.baldwin@concordia.edu.

PAST STORIES:
HONORABLE MENTION SELECTIONS
NO. 10 - WOMEN'S SOCCER BREAKS CTX WINS RECORD
NO. 9 - ADDITION OF TRACK & FIELD PROGRAMS

Prior to each season, each team sets goals.  Most teams set goals which deal with making the postseason.  Three Concordia University Texas teams met that goal this season.  The Tornados men's basketball, men's golf and softball teams each qualified for their respective conference tournaments.

The Concordia men's basketball team had a sub-par effort in two games at Hardin-Simmons and McMurry near the end of January.  To jump start the team's turnaround, head coach #Stan Bonewitz# called on a new starting lineup (#Darien Harris#, #Justin Reefer#, #Collin Perkins#, #Nick Haynes# and #Tayler Jacobs#).  These five guys helped CTX reel off six straight wins to close out the regular season and send the Tornados to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.  During that run, the Tornados averaged 94.5 points per game, which included beating their opponents by more than 14 points per game on average.  In their first two games together, this lineup was the catalyst for back-to-back games where CTX topped the century mark. 

Overall, Concordia finished as the number three seed in the ASC West Division, but were only three games out of first place.

The Tornados men's golf team did something no other Concordia golf team had done in program history.  Head coach #Greg Sigler# guided Concordia to the nine-team ASC tournament field.  The Tornados didn't do it with a veteran-laden team.  Instead, Concordia did it with four freshmen in its five-man team.

CTX finished the year tied as the number four team in the conference, according to team scoring average.  The four CTX freshman ranked fourth in the nation, according to Golfstat.com's "Freshman Impact Rating."  Senior #Michael Goldwater# also starred during the year for the Tornados.  He capped off his senior season with a runner-up finish at the conference tournament, becoming the first player in Concordia history to shoot three-under par in a round.

Concordia's softball team had its best finish since the 2000 season.  The Tornados claimed the number two seed in the ASC West Division and advanced to the double-elimination conference tournament.  It was newcomers that lifted the Tornados to the number two seed.

Concordia received big offensive numbers from sophomore second baseman #Candace Velasquez#, freshman first baseman #Meghan Ferrell# and junior center fielder #Vicky Recek#.  The Tornados also had big contributions by right-handed pitching freshmen #Haylee Staton# and #Kat Moreno#.  The two combined to post a 17-10 overall record this season.  Staton earned first team all-ASC honors and completed one of the top seasons in Concordia history for freshmen.

The Tornados needed to win a couple of games on the final weekend of the regular season in order to clinch the second seed in the tournament.  Concordia split a four-game series with front-running Mary Hardin-Baylor, which included a two-run walk-off home run by #Lauren Vansickle# and a two-hit complete game shutout by Moreno.

Overall, it was the most teams to make the playoffs for Concordia since the 2007-08 season.