Sports This Week: 9/3-9/8

Cross Country Starts Off Strong in Nicholls Cross Country Invitational

The cross country team boasted top finishers in Saturday’s race held at the Nicholls Farm in freshmen runners Julia Garcia Verges and Daniel Figueroa.

Verges ran the women’s 4K in 17:11.02, finishing fourth, while Figueroa ran the men’s 6K in 21:59.03, finishing fifth.

Also racing for the women’s team were freshmen runners Lara Reifers (17:39.02) and Faith Keter (18:19.50), sophomore runners Joyce Kiplagat (18:23.09) and Eleana Callejas (18:58.87) and freshman runner Isabelle Caron (22:34.42).

The rest of the men’s team were composed of freshmen runners Jonathan Hernandez (22:02.42), Tyler Granger (22:34.30) and Dustin Worley (24:24.57) and junior runner Teril Cooper (28:30.03)

The Colonels race again Saturday, Sept. 15, at the LSU Invitational, with the women starting at 7:30 a.m. and the men following at 8:10 a.m.

Football Upsets Kansas in OT

The football team entered the 2018 season with a road matchup against the University of Kansas Jayhawks.

The Colonels had come close to upsetting FBS teams under head coach Tim Rebowe, like its 24-14 road loss to the Texas A&M University Aggies last season and its 26-24 road loss to the University of Georgia Bulldogs in 2016.

But this season, the Colonels stepped into David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon and left with a 26-23 overtime victory.

Nicholls trailed 20-17 with less than one minute remaining in the fourth quarter, as Colonels senior kicker Lorran Fonseca kicked a 43-yard field goal to tie the game.

Jayhawks senior kicker Gabriel Rui kicked a 41-yard field goal to give Kansas a 23-20 lead over Nicholls to start overtime.

Then, junior quarterback Chase Fourcade scored on a four-yard touchdown run to clinch the program’s fourth-ever win over an FBS team, as well as its first-ever triumph over a Power Five school.

The Colonels (1-0) embark on two more road games before its home opener at John L. Guidry Stadium against the Sam Houston State University Bearkats Sept. 22 at 3 p.m.

Their next game is against the Tulane University Green Wave (0-1) Saturday at 7 p.m. at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.

Soccer Earns First Two Victories of 2018 Season

The women’s soccer team achieved victory for the first time in the 2018 season when they defeated the Jackson State University Tigers 2-1 in extra time this past Friday.

The Colonels trailed the Tigers 1-0 when senior midfielder Francesca Curteis scored two goals, one late in regulation and one in the extra period, to give Nicholls the win.

On Sunday, Curteis added two more goals in a 6-0 victory over the Alcorn State University Braves to give Nicholls its second win of the season.

The Colonels (2-4) continue its homestand Sunday when they face the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (3-1) at 1 p.m. at the Nicholls Soccer Complex.

Volleyball Notches Win Over Mississippi Valley State

The women’s volleyball team traveled to Lafayette to play in the 2018 Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic.

On Friday, the Colonels lost to the University of Houston Cougars 3-0 and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns 3-0.

On Saturday, they defeated the Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils 3-0 to earn its second victory of the season.

The Colonels (2-5) play in the Texas A&M Invitational this week starting Thursday at 4:30 p.m. against the Missouri State University Bears (3-3).

On Friday, they face the Texas A&M University Aggies (4-2) at 10 a.m. and the Pepperdine University Waves (3-2) at 4:30 p.m.