Women's tennis

LU-Belleville adds O'Fallon graduate

BELLEVILLE -- The Lindenwood University-Belleville women's tennis team has signed Lexi Newcomb for the 2013 fall season, as announced by coach Adam Reeb.

The O'Fallon native graduated from O'Fallon High School where she was a four-year varsity player. As a senior, Newcomb was named First Team Doubles Belleville News Democrat All-Area Team and Second Team Doubles Southwestern Conference. In addition, she finished in the top-48 in doubles in the Illinois State Tennis Tournament her senior year.

As a Panther at O'Fallon, Newcomb was named Team Captain and Athlete of the Week, and also participated in the All-Star Tennis Event. In addition, she was an active member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, while volunteering at St. Nicholas Church Youth Group and St. Clare Church Luke 18. Newcomb was also the recipient of the Panthers Acting with Wisdom Award.

Coming off a great high school career, capped off by an excellent finish in doubles at the Illinois State Tournament, Coach Reeb expects Newcomb to contribute immediately in both singles and doubles.

"I have known Lexi for a long time, and I am thrilled that she has decided to become a part of our Lynx tennis family," said coach Reeb. "Lexi brings a tremendous work ethic and outstanding leadership skills to our program."

Track and field

Prairie Farms names Athlete of the Week

EDWARDSVILLE -- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Athletics has joined with Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., to take time each week to honor a Cougar student-athlete who excels both in competition and in the classroom.

This week's honoree is men's track & field student-athlete Jamil Mashni. A sophomore from Alsip, Ill., Mashni is a chemistry major at SIUE and currently holds a 3.1 grade point average.

"Jamil is a delight to have in our program," Head Coach Kareem Jackson said. "He's coachable, motivated, and definitely part of the fabric of this team. He has matured tremendously within the time that he's been here."

A thrower for the Cougars, Mashni kicked off the indoor season by finishing sixth in the shot put (52 feet, 0 inches) at the Saluki Fast Start meet in Carbondale on Dec. 8. The heave set a new indoor personal best for Mashni.

SIUE will continue its indoor season this weekend when it travels to Columbia, Mo. for the Missouri Invitational Friday before going to Champaign for the Illini Classic Saturday.