University of Memphis Athletics
Nineteen Tigers to Graduate Saturday
Dec 18, 2009 | General
Dec. 18, 2009
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - Nineteen University of Memphis student-athletes will graduate Saturday at FedExForum as part of the university's 98th Commencement festivities. The College of Arts and Sciences, College of Communication and Fine Arts, University College, and the Law and Doctoral hoodings for the above-mentioned colleges will take place at 10 a.m. The 2 p.m. ceremony will feature graduates in the Fogelman College of Business and Economics, College of Education, Herff College of Engineering, Loewenberg School of Nursing and School of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, School of Public Health and Doctoral hoodings for these colleges. Parking for graduation costs $5.00 per vehicle. Please allow ample time to find the Arena to enter the Arena and to wait in line to enter the parking garage.
A complete list of the December Tiger graduates is below:
Andre Allen, Men's Basketball - A three-year letterwinner from 2006-08, Allen was a member of the Tiger program during its greatest run in school history. The Memphis, Tenn., native helped the Tigers to an NCAA record 104 wins (104-10 record) in three years. Memphis also advanced to two NCAA Tournament Elite Eights and the 2008 NCAA Tournament championship game and swept the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles all three seasons. Allen played in 110 games and posted career averages of 4.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists. The 5-foot-10 guard had a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 296 dimes and 133 miscues. Allen netted a career-high 19 points in a home win over SMU in the 2007-08 campaign. He also hit a career-best five three-pointers in that game. Earlier in 2007-08, Allen dished out a career-high nine assists in a home victory over Arkansas State. As a junior in 2006-07, Allen hit a key three-point basket with under two minutes to play in a narrow win over Southern Miss at FedExForum. The basket was a pivotal one in the Tigers' first perfect 16-0 run through Conference USA. Allen earned his bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Memphis, Tenn./Booker T. Washington H.
Marcus Bell, Football - Worked this past season as the director of player development for the Tiger football team...Played in 42 career games (1997-2000), and made 20 starts on defense...Was the Tigers' fifth-leading tackler as a senior as he logged 60 stops, including four sacks...Named an All-Conference USA honoree in 2000...Posted career totals of 209 tackles, including 135 solo stops and 10 sacks...Named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week twice in his career...Was one of three Tiger defenders selected in the 2001 NFL Draft...Was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals...Played six seasons in the league, three years each with Arizona and Detroit, and logged 165 tackles, three forced fumbles and six passes defended in 86 games played...Memphis, Tenn./Kingsbury HS.
Whitney Bolton - Women's Track & Field - Finished her senior year of track and field eligibility as the school record holder in the outdoor pole vault 3.75m (12-03.50) and the co-record holder for indoor pole vault 3.75m (12-03.50)... Recorded five All-C-USA performances in her four-year career... Finished top-two in three meets during 2009 indoor season, including a first place finish at the SIU McDonald's Invitational... Posted six top-six finishes during the outdoor season, including an All-C-USA sixth place performance at the 2009 C-USA Outdoor Championships... Bolton graduates with a degree in criminal justice... Memphis, Tenn./ Bolton High School.
Sarah Chambers, Volleyball -- Sarah Chambers earned three letters on the volleyball court for head coaches Carrie Yerty and April Jauregui. The Munford, Tenn., native played in four matches as a freshman and earned 19 matches of action as a reserve in 2007. Injury limited her to just two matches in junior campaign, before sidelining her for the entire 2009 season. The daughter of former Tiger volleyball player Becky (Harden) Chambers, Sarah joined her mother as the first mother-daughter duo to earn letters in the same sport in Memphis athletics history....Munford, Tenn./Munford HS.
Eric Farrell, Baseball - A graduate of Collierville High School, Eric Farrell earned a pair of letters on the baseball diamond in 2007 and 2008. Farrell began his collegiate career at Birmingham-Southern prior to the 2007 season and made 11 starts in 23 games to help Memphis to a 2007 NCAA Tournament. Farrell hit .302 with four doubles and 10 RBI in his sophomore season. He earned a starting spot for the 2008 season. Farrell started in 45 of the 49 games he played in, in '08 and finished the year with 16 RBI, six stolen bases and five doubles. For his career, Farrell hit .220 in 72 games played. He collected nine doubles and drove in 26 in 56 starts...Collierville, Tenn./Collierville HS/Birmingham Southern.
Arkelon Hall, Football - Lettered in 2008 and 2009 after transferring from College of the Sequoias...Played in 16 games for the Tigers, making 14 starts as the signal caller...Completed his two seasons with 2,607 yards and 12 touchdowns...Ranks in the Top 10 all-time as a Memphis QB...Is 10th in yards, eighth in completions (235) and 10th in attempts (417)...Shared the team's Role Player Award this season with Josh Weaver...Totaled three games of 300 or more yards passing...Was one of three players nationally who threw, caught and rushed for a touchdown in a single game in 2008 (vs Louisville)...Fresno, Calif./Edison HS/College of the Sequoias.
Garrett Hachtel, Baseball - Garrett Hachtel earned three letters on the mound for head coach Daron Schoenrock and the Tiger baseball program. A native of Cordova, Tenn., Hachtel held down the significant role of middle reliever in his three-year stint at Memphis. He logged 79 innings in 43 career appearances in the Blue and Gray. He made starts in each of his first five appearances before moving to the bullpen for the remainder of his career. He recorded a career 5.58 ERA and added 62 strikeouts to a pair of saves. Hachtel fanned a career-best 25 batters in 29.2 innings as a freshman and followed that performance with 23 strikeouts and a solid 4.55 ERA in 18 middle relief outings as a sophomore. He wrapped up his career in 2009 when he posted a 6.23 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 15 relief appearances...Cordova, Tenn./Cordova HS.
Will Hudgens, Football - Earned a fifth year to play with the Tigers for the 2009 season and ended his career in the Tiger Top 10 for U of M quarterbacks...Ranks seventh all-time in career passing yards with 2,681...Also ranks eighth in attempts (430), sixth in completions (240) and ninth in touchdown passes (18)...Logged action in 34 career games, and made 10 starts at quarterback...Named by his teammates as one of the permanent captains for the 2009 season...Totals three career games of 300-plus yards, two of which were against ECU and UAB this season...Threw for multiple touchdowns in five career games...Tallied a career-best 33 completions on 48 attempts in '09 versus ECU...Threw for a career-high 346 yards against Marshall in 2007...Received one of the team's Top Tiger Awards in 2008...Earned the squad's Role Player Award in 2007...Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway HS.
Jessica Jackson, Women's Basketball -- Jackson transferred to Memphis from the University of Florida and played in 39 career games with the Tigers after sitting out the fall semester of 2007-08...With 15 career starts, Jackson scored 179 career points, adding 47 blocked shots and 25 steals...She shot 35.1 percent from the field and 76.1 percent from the free-throw line and had 144 career rebounds...The daughter of Sharon and Larry Jackson, she is graduating with a degree in communications and sociology...Memphis, Tenn./Craigmont HS/Univ. of Florida.
Steven Joachim, Football - Lettered two season after transferring from Mendocino College...Played in all 12 games this season and finished the year ranked fourth on the team in receiving yards with 235 and third in receptions with 21...Caught at least one pass in 11 of the 12 games...Had multiple receptions in six games...Scored his first collegiate touchdown versus UT Martin...Tallied a career high 38 yards against UT Martin...Miami, Fla./North Miami HS/Mendocino College.
Jordan Payne, Men's Golf -- Payne, who transferred to Memphis after spending his freshman season at Arkansas, was one of the most familiar names in Tiger golf over the past two years. In his three seasons at Memphis, Payne competed in 16 total events, including all eleven in 2008-09 campaign. During that season, Payne led the Tiger golf squad with four top-20 finishes and a scoring average of 73.9. Payne ended his Tiger career on a strong note, finishing 11th in the 2009 Conference USA Championship, helping Memphis to a fourth place team finish...West Memphis, Ark./West Memphis HS.
Dominik Riley, Football - Has lettered three seasons with the Tiger offensive line...Will be a senior on the squad in 2010...Made 21 consecutive starts in the line before suffering an injury this season against Tennessee...Was presented one of the team's Top Tiger Awards by the coaching staff...Logged 440 offensive plays at right guard in 2009...Opened the season on the Rotary Lombardi Award watch list...Was an honorable mention pick for the All-Conference USA coaches team...Selected as a second teamer on the Phil Steele All-C-USA Team...Montgomery, Ala./Carver HS.
Curtis Steele, Football - Lettered two seasons after transferring from Northwest Mississippi Community College...Named first-team All-Conference USA by league coaches and by Phil Steele...Was awarded the team's Offensive Player of the Year Award this season after totaling 1,239 yards and 15 touchdowns on 198 carries...Scored multiple touchdowns in the final four games of the season, including four in the overtime loss to Tulsa in the season finale...Registered six 100-yard rushing games again this season to bring his career total to 12, which ranks second in school history behind DeAngelo Williams...Included in the six 100-yard games this season were a 240-yard effort versus UTEP and a 232-yard performance against Tulsa...Finished his two-year career at Memphis ranked third all-time in rushing yards with 2,462 and fourth in rushing TDs with 22...Franklin, Tenn./Centennial HS/Northwest Mississippi CC.
Richard Swaby, Men's Track and Field -- A four-year letterwinner for Coach Kevin Robinson, Richard Swaby helped the men's track and field team to its first C-USA Outdoor Championship in 2007... He posted an All-C-USA performance at the 2007 C-USA Outdoor Championships with a seventh place finish in the triple jump... Swaby ended his Memphis track and field career with a tenth place finish in the long jump at the 2009 C-USA Outdoor Championships... Finished eighth in the long jump at the SEMO Invite during the indoor season... Swaby graduates with a degree in accounting... Kingston, Jamaica/ Wolmer's Boy School.
Greg Terrell, Football - A four-year letterwinner, who was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year by the coaching staff this season...Played in 11 of the 12 games and made 11 starts on the defensive line...Totaled 29 tackles, including 16 solo stops...Registered multiple tackles in 29 career games...Completed his career with 123 tackles, eight sacks and four forced fumbles...Had a game-high six tackles this season against Southern Miss...Birmingham, Ala./Wenonah HS.
Mark Trow, Men's Golf - A native of Oswestry, Wales, Trow was a three year letter winner for the Tiger golf squad, appearing in 14 total events throughout his career. Trow earned his low finish of 17th and helped lead the Tigers to a team title at the 2008 Charleston Southern Spring Kick Off. He carried a 76.4 scoring average during his three seasons at Memphis and posted a low score of 69 at the 2009 Rio Pinar Invitational...Oswestry, Wales/The Marches School.
Emily Underwood, Volleyball -- One of Conference USA's most feared middle blockers, Emily Underwood is a three-year letterwinner on the volleyball court. The Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada native, had a breakout year as a sophomore in 2008 when she Led Memphis and C-USA with 174 total blocks (154 block assists, 20 block solos) and 1.46 blocks per set. The 6-3 Underwood finished the 2008 season ranked second on Memphis' single-season total blocks and block assists lists. She wrapped up the year ranked seventh nationally in blocks per game. In addition, the Saugeen District Secondary School product led the Tigers with 388 points. For her production on the court, Underwood hauled in Second Team All-C-USA, C-USA All-Academic and the team's Most Improved Player honors. Underwood highlighted her stellar sophomore campaign with a career night of 21 kills, a .594 attack percentage and eight blocks in a 25-point output vs. UCF on October 24, 2008. That outing earned her C-USA Hitter of the Week recognition. Underwood saw action in 35 sets and just 12 matches before her junior campaign was cut short by a season-ending injury...Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada/Saugeen District Secondary School.
Bryan Wright, Football - Has lettered two seasons with the Tigers and had his most productive season as a junior in 2009...Played in six games with the Tiger defense...Started the last four games of the season in the secondary...Totaled 24 tackles, including 14 solo stops...Tied for first on the team with two interceptions and ranked second on the squad with five pass breakups...Logged a career high eight tackles against Tennessee...Posted interceptions against East Carolina and Tulsa...Will be a senior with the Tiger football team next season...Miami, Fla./Northwestern HS.
Matt Yokley, Baseball -- A four-year letterwinner as head coach Daron Schoenrock's closer, Matt Yokley collected 18 career saves from 2006-09. In his four years in the Blue and Gray, Yokley logged over 120 innings in 75 appearances. The Collierville, Tenn., native won 10 games to go with 152 strikeouts and a career 5.43 ERA. Yokley etched his name into Memphis baseball history with a banner year in the 2007. The righthander set a program record with nine saves and led the club with 26 appearances which are tied for the second-most on Memphis' single season ledger. Yokley played a part in one of the Tiger's biggest wins in program history in the 2007 season. Then a sophomore, he held No. 2 Rice scoreless in two-and-two-thirds innings to help Memphis to a 2-1 victory in the Conference USA Tournament. That win proved to be instrumental in helping the Tigers earn their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 years...Collierville, Tenn./Collierville HS.
Players Mentioned
