The Howard Payne University athletic department now has registration and ticket sales open for the 2013 Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on Friday May 3rd, 2013 at the Mabee University Center.

Family, friends, alumni and Yellow Jacket fans wanting to attend the 2013 HPU Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet can now register and pay online for tickets. Howard Payne will be inducting HM All-American golfer Tim Pavlas and long-time faculty athletic representative Hal Lane Jr.

Link to SHOF Banquet Tickets

The Brownwood Girls Softball Association kicked off their 2013 season on Thursday with an opening ceremony introducing 31 teams at the Bert V. Massey Sports Complex.

According to association president Albert Gomez, who has been involved with the association for 12 years, this year is a significant showing a spike of growth in girls’ softball in this area.

“This year increased from an average of 19-20 teams per season to 31 this year,” said Gomez.  “This shows that the interest in softball here is getting bigger.”

Gomez introduced each team from 6U to 14 U, along with their coaches.  Approximately 375 girls ages 4-15 are involved in the association this season.

Brownwood Independent School District will be hosting the 2nd Annual Little Lion Olympics for all 4th and 5th graders on May 17th, 2013 at Gordon Wood Stadium.

This event will give approximately 500 students an opportunity to participate in a junior track meet and help prepare them for their athletic career. The track meet will be centered around the "Olympics" and feature events such as the javelin throw, long jump, the strong man tug-of-war, and various running events including relays.

The opening ceremony will begin with each team carrying their original flag and many of the Olympic Opening Ceremony traditions.

The Brownwood High School’s Lady Lion Soccer team has advanced to the Region III – 4A Sectional playoff round and will face Waco University this Friday at 7 PM in Copperas Cove.

The Lady Lions beat Nacogdoches 2-0 Friday night, March 28th, earning the area title.

Brownwood High School Athletic Director Bob Shipley announced Thursday that Jackie Lang has resigned as head volleyball coach for the Brownwood Lady Lions.

“We appreciate Coach Lang and her commitment to our athletic program. She’s a wonderful person and we wish her the best.  We have already started our search for the next head volleyball coach,” said Shipley.  “Coach Lang will finish out the year but the new coach will be involved in the summer volleyball camp and getting the girls signed up for summer activities.”

Coach Jackie Lang has been teaching for seven years, four of them at Brownwood High School teaching World Geography, World History, and Economics, according to the BISD website.  She offered a statement explaining her resignation is to spend more time with her family, but that she has enjoyed her time with the BHS girls’ volleyball and track athletes.

KERRVILLE, Texas – Howard Payne's Katie Poerner went 5-for-7 from the plate in a , 2-1 and 6-2, double header sweep for the Lady Jackets over Schreiner University in conference action Wednesday afternoon.

In game one, the Lady Jackets got all of their offense in the sixth inning. After Howard Payne loaded the bases, an Amanda Gober single would give HPU a 2-0 lead scoring Tylene Middleton and Evangelina Tellez. Schreiner score one in the bottom of the seventh but the Lady Jackets would hold for the 2-1 victory.

Baillie Trumble got the complete game win for Howard Payne giving up one run on six hits and striking out four. Katie Poerner was 2-for-3 from the plate.

Game two was not as close as Howard Payne held a 5-0 lead after the top of the fifth. The Lady Jackets scored three in the opening frame and then added single runs in the second and fifth innings. Schreiner scored two in the bottom of the fifth. HPU then added a security run in the sixth to claim the 6-2 win and the double header sweep.

Brownwood High School freshman and Lady Lions’ golfer Sydney Roberts played in the Gatesville Invitational on Monday, placing fourth.

Roberts shot 86 and finishing fourth in the tournament.  Host team Gatesville High School won the tournament with 328 and also earned the top two medalist positions.  First place medalist was Katy Colson who shot 75 and second was Chelsy Tobin with a 79.

The second place team was Copperas Cove with a 383 and third was Cameron with a 389.

In game one, Jonathan Morris gave up just two runs on five hits and struck out four to post the 4-2 win. The Jackets jumped out to a 4-0 lead after a four-run bottom of the third.

Howard Payne University Director of Athletics, Mike Jones, today announced the promotion of three current HPU athletic staff members to assistant athletic director roles.

Ken Carver, Abram Choate and Joshua Prock will be serving in new roles in the HPU athletic department starting immediately. Current head volleyball coach, Ken Carver, will also work as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance. Current sports information director, Abram Choate, will now be the Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Information and Game Administration and current head women's basketball coach, Joshua Prock, will add duties as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Development.

“I am excited to have these three become a part of my administrative team,” said Mike Jones, HPU Director of Athletics. “Each brings different skills and perspectives and are all well suited for the roles they have been promoted to.”

The Early Horns 5th and 6th grade tournament basketball team have had a successful run in a couple of tournaments in March.  The team placed first in the Zephyr Tournament on March 9th and also placed first in the Brookesmith Tournament on March 23rd.

Pictured above is the Early Horns 5th & 6th grade tournament team.  Back row from left to right: Head Coach Wade Reno, Braden Summers, Ty Schafer, and Jose Pesina.  Front row from left to right: Jake Angerstein, Josh Baucom, Reece Rodgers, and Tommy Bowden.