Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week

Noor, Reid, Poku, Valdez-Kent, and Plair

PORTALES, N.M.— The Eastern New Mexico University teams turned in a strong week, with the cross-country team registering their best finishes in team history at the Lone Star Conference championships. The volleyball team closed with a win over N.M. Highlands and came within inches of upsetting #20 Abilene Christian. The football and men’s soccer teams turned in strong performances against LSC competition. The Goeasternathletics.com Student Athletes of the Week were Mohammed Noor (men’s cross-country), Nicole Reid (women’s cross-country), Jessie Poku (football), Veronica Valdez-Kent (volleyball) and Dreaux Plair (men’s soccer).

Mohammed Noor (Jr., Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston HS/Garden City CC) turned in a second-place finish in the 8k run at the Lone Star Conference Championships, leading the Greyhounds to their best finish (second place) in team history. His time of 24:28.86 is the first sub 25-minute 8k time in team history and earned him the first spot on the All-LSC team since Nimrod Lelei following the 2006 championships.

Nicole Reid (Jr., Pueblo, Colo./East HS) registered a fourth-place finish at the  LSC Championships, completing the abbreviate 4.5k race with a time of 16:32.72. Her performance paced the Zias to the best finish (fourth place) in team history.

Jessie Poku (Sr., WR, Murphy, Texas/Richardson HS) hauled in 12 passes for 180 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, to start the Greyhounds' rally from a 10-point deficit to force overtime. Three of his receptions converted either third or fourth downs, including a third-and-19 on the field-goal drive, which forced overtime. Poku also returned a pair of punts for 20 yards.

Veronica Valdez-Kent (Sr., S, Canyon, Texas/Canyon HS) averaged 10.33 assists and 3.33 digs per set last week, while committing just one ball handling error in matches against New Mexico Highlands, Angelo State and Abilene Christian. In Eastern's win over Highlands, she dished out 49 assists along with 15 digs and two blocks. On Saturday, when the Zias took 20th-ranked Abilene Christian to a fifth set, Valdez-Kent had 47 assists and 20 digs.

Dreaux Plair (Sr., D, Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS) scored the Hounds first goal against second-ranked Midwestern State since October 2006. The goal was his first of the season and snapped the Greyhounds scoreless streak of 714:53 against the Mustangs.