Sept. 17, 2008

DENTON, Texas - As a result of the power outages and campus closure due to the effects of Hurricane Ike, the Lamar University athletics department has had to alter a number of scheduled events and relocate more than 80 student-athletes, coaches and staff members to the campus of North Texas.

"Because of Hurricane Ike we have adjusted our schedules accordingly and we were able to maintain as much of a normal routine as possible considering the circumstances back on campus," LU athletic director Billy tubs said.

The women's soccer team has added a game against Texas Woman's University and will play at TWU's campus in Denton on Sunday at 4 p.m.

The volleyball team was scheduled to play at Houston on Wednesday but that match was cancelled earlier in the week. Additionally, the Lamar Volleyball Tournament which was scheduled for this weekend in Beaumont has been cancelled as well.

The LU cross country teams are headed to Denton and may compete in North Texas' Ken Garland Invitational on Saturday instead of the previously scheduled Rice Invitational in Houston.

The men's tennis team will not compete in a tournament at Louisiana-Lafayette this weekend, marking the second event of the fall season that has been cancelled. Head coach Greg Davis' squad was unable to compete at the Rice Fall Invite last weekend with Ike's landfall.

Women's tennis standout Mariaryeni Gutierrez was going to participate in the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Early next week but head coach David Wong had to cancel that trip. He instead will try to replace that along with the cancelled Rice Classic with a trip to the SFA Open in Nacogdoches this weekend.

The men's and women's golf teams are both in the north Texas region and are continuing to practice on various courses throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. On Tuesday the teams practiced at Dallas National Golf Club before eating lunch and talking with golf legend Lee Trevino. Head coach Brian White's teams are not scheduled to compete again until early October.

The UNT athletics department has graciously agreed to house the student-athletes from Lamar's teams that are in-season, which includes men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and volleyball.

"We appreciate the hospitalilty of the North Texas athletic department and the great job (UNT Athletic Director) Rick Villarreal did in securing housing for our student-athletes and coaches, and in letting us use their facilities," Tubbs added. "Hopefully we will all be back in Beaumont as soon as we resume classes."