Editor’s note: Leah Vann is a former sports writer for The Daily Texan who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in November 2010 and was cured in June 2011.
Andrew,
I’ll never forget...
“Grit” is defined as the perseverance and passion for long-term goals.
It’s been the Longhorns’ motto throughout the season, and they’ll continue to show grit as...
Texas softball has remained consistently inconsistent when it comes to wins.
With 52 regular season games, and the Big 12 not starting until late March, it seemed like Texas had a while to cement its...
After a 2-1 series loss to Iowa State, head coach Connie Clark told her players they had a simple choice — either keep working or give up.
Texas responded with wins by scores of 10-0 and...
After 45 games, the Longhorns are not where they thought they would be. In February, junior catcher Randel Leahy stood with her left fist clenched and covered by her right hand. It was the first media...
Iowa State earned more conference wins this weekend in Austin than they have all season.
The Longhorns lost their three-game series against the Cyclones with a 4-2 defeat Sunday. Iowa State came into...
At the start of the season, all eyes were fixed upon the familiar faces of the Longhorns’ seven seniors.
But now as the Big 12 Tournament draws nearer, the freshmen are finding their own...
It was one of the quieter victories at Red and Charline McCombs field Wednesday night as Texas shut out Texas Southern 5-0.
“At five o’clock mid-week non-conference, people are getting off...
Sophomore centerfielder Reagan Hathaway was lying down in the outfield, holding her right knee in pain at the top of the third inning during last Friday’s matchup against Oklahoma.
Hathaway...
“Almost” only counts in horseshoes — not softball.
Texas is frustrated to know that by now.
All six of Texas’ losses since March 12 have been by one run, and Friday added...
Assistant coach Tripp MacKay tosses ball after ball in the batting cages. It’s something he does for hours every day.
“A little to the inside,” freshman catcher Taylor Ellsworth said...
Senior third baseman Celina Felix tagged a runner, but fumbled the ball. With the bases loaded at the bottom of the ninth, Texas knew its fate.
Texas State’s junior catcher Jaelyn Young had ripped...
Ryan Crouser refreshed his phone screen of the women’s shot put final results this summer in Rio.
He refreshed it again and again.
He was waiting to see if fellow Longhorn Michelle Carter could...
Longhorn seniors and former Olympians lined the center of the field at Mike A. Myers Stadium as their names and accolades were called over the loudspeakers.
This was it. For the seniors, it was...
Defense and pitching were the keys to the Longhorns’ success Sunday in their 2-0 sweep of the University of Houston Cougars.
Redshirt sophomore Erica Wright was just one inning away from...
Friday was a game of “survival of the fastest” as the sprints took flight in the early morning.
After seniors Morolake Akinosun and Courtney Okolo graduated last year, the Longhorns looked...
Texas has traveled all over the states since late February, covering 9,000 miles and being out of town for 18 out of the 26 possible days. But now, the Longhorns can unpack their suitcases for a while...
Neon yellow shirt, black compression shorts and a “Texas Relays” baseball cap, Trey Hardee stands with his hands on his hips, towering over the other competitors. It’s hard not to notice...
Of the 7,700-plus athletes who entered to compete at the Texas Relays this week, 18 of them are freshmen for the Longhorns.
Two of them, Virginia Preiss and George Patrick, made their respective...
Texas felt ready to start Big 12 play, but Stillwater proved to be a tough destination.
Texas brought its tally of one-run losses to seven on the season with 1-0, 2-1 and 10-9 losses to Oklahoma State.
The...
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Erica Wright heard a soft click in her right rib cage as she closed the door at church last spring. She sat in the service, breathing heavily in pain.
“I just...
There was something about the freshmen tonight that just clicked. Texas defeated UTSA 7-2 Wednesday night behind the play of its first year players.
Freshman infielder Kaitlyn Slack had just lined...
Texas has the makings of a championship-contending squad: five pitchers — including two lefties — and seven total seniors, the most since 2005.
But right now, the Longhorns are...
Even though the Longhorns are on a six-game losing streak, they haven’t lost any hope.
“We just need to realize to keep the faith regardless of what the record is on paper,” head coach...
Only 10 percent of people in the world are left-handed. Of those, an even smaller percentage are female. Finding a left-handed softball pitcher is like mining for gold during the California Gold Rush....
The Longhorns showed they could compete with the best at the Mary Nutter Classic this weekend. Texas went 4–2 in Palm Springs, including a 4-2 win over No. 13 Tennessee, its first top-15 victory...
The Longhorns played five games in a three-day stretch for the second consecutive week as they hosted Indiana, South Carolina and Louisiana Tech in the Texas Invitational.
All five of Texas’...
The Longhorns played two similar games with two different outcomes on Friday at Red and Charline McCombs Field.
Texas went balls-to-fence in their 6-5 victory over Louisiana Tech in the first game of...
Former Texas softball announcer Terry Lewis’ voice echoed in the stands Thursday night after a Longhorn victory over the Indiana Hoosiers, 2-1.
The Longhorns started their first game of the Texas...
Senior captain and first baseman Kelli Hanzel got her start playing baseball with the boys at the age of 5.
“I have an older brother and he played baseball,” Hanzel said. “So,...
The calendar just flipped from January to February, transitioning from one of the coldest months of the year to another.
But the sun beat down on Red and Charline McCombs Field on Wednesday...
Lifetime Longhorns and Olympians Ashley Spencer and Morolake Akinosun walked up to senior Byron Robinson at the track last week.
“Who you trying to beat this weekend, Byron?” Akinosun said.
“Everybody,”...
With two NCAA National Championships and five-straight Final Four appearances on their resume, the No. 4 Longhorns were not a true Cinderella team.
But they still became one.
For the...
COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 4 Texas wasn’t supposed to make it this far. But here the Longhorns were on the court at the Nationwide Arena with a chance to win a national championship Saturday night.
For...
Update (10:26 p.m.): The Longhorns have lost in the NCAA National Championship game for the second straight season. Stanford took the fourth set 25–21 to eliminate Texas. The Cardinal opened...
A rocky road of adjustments have paid off for No. 4 Texas.
After consecutive losses to Nebraska in last year’s National Championship and this year’s rematch at the VERT Challenge, Texas...
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The No. 4 Longhorns had lost six straight sets to No. 1 Nebraska going back to last December. The Cornhuskers swept Texas in last year’s National Championship game and...
No matter how many times Texas makes the Final Four, the Longhorns say the feeling never gets stale.
The team takes on No. 1 Nebraska in the NCAA semifinals Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio,...
The Longhorns put an end to the Bluejays’ Cinderella season on Saturday evening.
Creighton (29–7) made it to their first Elite 8 in school history after defeating No. 5 Kansas and No. 12...
Texas was one point away from the Elite 8, but then it got interesting.
No. 4 Texas (25–4, 14–2) took on No. 13 BYU (29–4, 16–2) in the Sweet Sixteen at Gregory Gym on Friday....
Mirta Baselovic had more than the NCAA tournament on her mind last week.
Adding to the preparation needed to win in the postseason, the junior middle blocker took her GRE. She said it’s...
SMU’s stay in Austin was cut short Saturday.
No. 4 Texas (24–4, 14–2 Big 12) defeated SMU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in a 3-0 sweep.
With the victory, Texas advanced...
On a chilly Sunday evening, Texas’ players, coaches and family members went to head coach Jerritt Elliott’s home dressed in burnt orange. The team gathered for the NCAA’s postseason selection...
At 11 years old, Jack Sullivan felt a special thrill when he shot a paintball gun for the first time at a birthday party.
“I just fell in love,” Sullivan said. “I raised...
Head coach Jerritt Elliott walked off the court Saturday with 400 career wins.
The Longhorns’ 3-1 win over Kansas State earned Elliott the milestone.
“It’s another game,”...
After a road loss to Iowa State, the No. 7 Longhorns return to Gregory Gym for their last three regular season matches.
But head coach Jerritt Elliott isn’t sure if Texas’ home court...
The brooms were out and the dust pans were filled as No. 5 Texas (19–3, 11–1 Big 12) swept Baylor (18–8, 6–4 Big 12) at Gregory Gym in Austin on Wednesday night. The victory marked...
No. 5 Texas took a big step against Baylor early just under a month ago.
The Longhorns trace their defensive progress back to the game in Waco on Oct. 12, where they notched 16 total team blocks and...
The Longhorns’ season narrative quickly changed Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas. Texas entered the Sunflower State with an unblemished conference record but did not leave unscathed.
The Jayhawks...
Horns down hand signs flew up in the air Saturday as the Jayhawks stormed the court.
No. 6 Kansas had just defeated No. 2 Texas, which came into the match undefeated in Big 12 play. The Longhorns...
The Longhorns kick off the second half of their Big 12 season with a rivalry matchup at home against Oklahoma on Wednesday.
While Texas (16–2, 8–0 Big 12) remains undefeated in the...
Texas Tech (10–13, 0–8 Big 12) had lost six matches in a row without winning a single set until Friday’s matchup with No. 2 Texas (16–2, 8–0 Big 12).
But the Longhorns...
The Longhorns were cruising.
Texas entered a matchup at TCU on Oct. 28, 2015 with a 16-game Big 12 win streak. But the Horned Frogs shocked the Longhorns and snapped the streak in three straight...
After a near upset against Iowa State, Texas (13–2, 5–0 Big 12) will travel north on I-35 to take on Baylor (15–5, 3–1 Big 12) in Waco on Wednesday.
The Longhorns hope to...
Iowa State entered Gregory Gym on Saturday ranked sixth in the Big 12 and without a win against the Longhorns since 2012.
But the Cyclones still managed to push a mistake-ridden No. 4 Texas team to...
The No. 4 Longhorns head to Kansas State this weekend, looking to stay perfect in the Big 12 and nab their 11th straight win.
The Wildcats entered their season as the No. 23 team in the nation...
The No. 4 Longhorns aren’t getting ahead of themselves.
On paper, Texas (10–2, 2–0 Big 12) appears to overmatch Oklahoma (9–5, 0–1 Big 12). But with a trip to Norman looming...
Junior outside hitter Ebony Nwanebu slid across the floor, popping up a ball that looked dead.
The ball veered sideways, heading downward once again until freshman Claire Hahn saved it and pushed it...
Sanya Richards-Ross told her first grade teacher she would be an Olympian someday. And 24 years later, after racking up four gold medals, she’s ready for something new.
Richards-Ross returned...
It took a while for No. 5 Texas (9–2, 1–0 Big 12) to find its groove in its first Big 12 match against West Virginia (8–6, 0–1 Big 12).
Shorthanded with senior setter...
It’d be easy for the Longhorns to lose confidence after falling to No. 1 Nebraska during the opening week of the season and dropping another match to No. 6 Wisconsin on Sunday.
But they haven’t....
Fans filled Gregory Gym from top to bottom Sunday to see No. 3 Texas take on No. 6 Wisconsin.
Every block, kill and dig brought fans to their feet as chants of “We! Are! Texas!” erupted...
Quarterback Davis Webb
As a graduate transfer from Texas Tech, Webb is already putting up numbers on Cal’s offense. In his debut against Hawai’i, Webb completed 38-of-54 passes for 441 yards...
Stock Up: Quarterback Shane Buechele
Shane Buechele was named the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Week for the second week in a row. The freshman completed 22 passes for 244 yards. Despite being sacked...
Junior outside hitter Ebony Nwanebu never liked individual sports. Instead, she gravitated towards the companionship of playing on a team.
“When you’re on a team it’s...
The Hex flame will be rekindled on Wednesday as the No. 3 Longhorns and No. 16 Aggies face off for the first time in three years.
The rivalry has a 95-game history, with the Longhorns winning 72 of...
Running Back Aaron Jones
Jones received a medical redshirt after tearing his right ligament in the Texas Tech game last year. Before going down in the second half, Jones had rushed for 139 yards, including...
Stock Up: Shane Buechele
Notre Dame did not look like true freshman Buechele’s first rodeo, but it was. The freshman showed off his accuracy, completing 16 out of 26 passes for 280 yards...
No. 3 Texas is starting to find its identity.
After getting swept by No. 1 Nebraska on opening weekend, the Longhorns (5-1) regained their form this weekend in the American Campus Classic while sweeping...
After starting off their season with a mistake-ridden loss against No. 1 Nebraska, the No. 3 Longhorns are starting to find their form.
Texas (5–1) swept the Miami Hurricanes 3–0 on Saturday...
Shane Buechele
The Arlington Lamar High school native was one of the top prospects in 2016. The 6-foot-1, 191 pound dual-threat quarterback passed for 6,379 yards and 73 touchdowns, while rushing for...
Texas students have been scrambling in a Facebook frenzy over tickets to the Longhorns’ showdown against No. 10 Notre Dame on Sunday.
The game will kick off the Longhorns’ anticipated...
Quarterback Malik Zaire
Zaire has been in a quarterback battle before and won. During Zaire’s redshirt freshman season in 2014 Coach Brian Kelly named the current senior the starter over Everett...
Senior defensive specialist Nicole Dalton doesn’t let volleyball define her.
As a freshman in 2012, she tore her left hip labral, forcing her to have surgery at the end of the season. Dalton went...
Despite a No. 2 preseason ranking, the Longhorns failed to begin their 2016 campaign with the signature win they hoped for.
Texas went 1-1 in its opening weekend, defeating Oregon 3-1, but losing to ...
The offseason was a busy one for the Longhorns as the team enters its third year under head coach Charlie Strong. As the fall draws near, here are a few offseason changes to look out for.
Sterlin Gilbert...
The 2016 Summer Olympics are approaching quickly.
The games begin in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 6, where 20 current and former Longhorns — along with five Texas coaches — are...
Eight-year-old Tonja Buford-Bailey sat in her desk listening to the morning announcements at Townview Elementary School. The Northwest Track Club was starting a team that summer.
The now-associate...
The Olympic trials showed the Longhorns had a variety of talent with qualifiers in shot put, sprints, distance and hurdles.
Sunday, the final day of competition, saw former Longhorn Ashley...
Longhorn Ryan Crouser qualified for Team USA on day one of the Track and Field Olympic trials.
“It was the biggest competition of my life,” Crouser said. “I’m just happy...
Mario Sategna already knows he’s going to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro — the track and field head coach is an assistant on Team USA. He just doesn’t know which of his former...
Former Longhorns Troy Dumais, Cory Bowersox and current senior Mark Anderson finished in the top six in the men’s synchronized three-meter finals on day five of the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials on...
The Longhorns looked ready to head to the top after the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships ended in March. The men missed a team trophy by three points, and the women took home fourth overall.
“We’re...
The Longhorn women took the track for the final day of the NCAA National Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Seniors Courtney Okolo and Morolake Akinosun finished their careers in burnt orange scoring...
Junior Senoj-Jay Givans will leave Eugene, Oregon as the only Longhorn male to place in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field championships.
Givans took No. 3 in the 100-meter finals on Friday. The Longhorn...
It was the Longhorn women’s turn to hit the track at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Thursday. Texas ended day two in a position to capture the team title on Saturday.
Senior...
The Longhorn men took the track for the preliminary rounds in the first day of the NCAA National Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The highlight of the day was junior Senoj-Jay Givans,...
In front of every camera and bouquet of microphones there has always been one constant — senior and team captain Morolake Akinosun.
“[Head coach Mario Sategna] said I was team captain, but...
The one-day rain delay at the NCAA West Preliminary rounds didn’t phase the Longhorns.
The meet was supposed to start on Thursday, but inclement weather in Lawrence, Kansas moved it to Friday,...
FORT WORTH — Shades of orange, red and purple showed through the overcast sky above the stands at the Lowdon Track in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday. Families, fans and locals anxiously...
On the finishing stretch of the 400 meters at the LSU Alumni Gold meet, senior Courtney Okolo knew something was different.
“I pushed myself on the first 200 like I never have before,” Okolo...
Despite cold and rainy weather, the Texas women’s relay team came out on top at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend.
The Longhorns totaled 26 points during the relays, tying...
After the Penn Relays two years ago, then-freshman Byron Robinson asked for his release from Penn State.
“There were rumors the coach was going to leave,” Robinson said. “I didn’t...
The NCAA Championships are still over a month away, but senior Courtney Okolo showed why she’ll be one of the favorites to win the 400-meter title
this weekend.
Okolo destroyed the field and...
Despite rainy conditions and a changed schedule, the Texas men dominated a field of nine other top-ranked teams to win the Texas Invitational on Saturday.
“It’s outdoor track and field...
Despite rainy conditions and a changed schedule, the Texas men dominated a field of nine other top-ranked teams to win the Texas Invitational on Saturday.
“It’s outdoor track and field and...
The Longhorns have had a week of rest since the Texas Relays but are preparing to host some of the nation’s top competitors again in the Texas Invitational this weekend. Out of the ten teams competing,...
The Subway at the McCombs Red Zone knows Charles and Carlton Anumnu’s after-practice order: two chocolate chip cookies, heated for 15 seconds each.
Before their frequent visits to Subway, the...
Quietness of anticipation never seemed so desolate. Over 7,500 athletes are entered in the Texas Relays, yet not one of them was in Mike A. Myers Stadium on Friday morning. The morning rain glazed the...
