Senior Spotlight: Duenas, Martin, and Tano from UD Softball
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- For the next two weeks, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference will recognize and honor all of its senior spring sport student-athletes who had their final seasons cut short by the COVID-19 outbreak.
After the NCAA made the unprecedented decision on Thursday, March 12 to cancel all winter and spring championships due to the coronavirus pandemic, the SCAC Presidents Council decided to indefinitely suspend all regular season conference and non-conference competition.
"This was a heartbreaking decision we had to make," said SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "No one wanted it to come to this, but at the end of the day we are tasked with prioritizing the health and well-being of thousands of students and student-athletes on each of our campuses. That has to be the focus above all else."
Although the league held out hope that by only suspending play a window of opportunity may present itself for an abbreviated spring season with some form of tournament play the following month, with the virus continuing to spread throughout the country which has caused campuses who had originally hoped to remain open to close for the semester, the 2020 athletics season has effectively ended for over a thousand of the league's spring sport student-athletes along with the careers of 100+ seniors.
And even though some of the league's student-athletes may take advantage of a blanket waiver that would grant an additional season of participation, the SCAC office would like to honor and recognize all of its spring sport senior student athletes.
The University of Dallas softball team is recognizing Julie Duenas (Houston, Texas), Mackenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas), and Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.). The trio impacted the Crusaders the past three to four seasons, lettering in all of them and playing in at least 10 games this shortened spring.
Duenas joined the Crusaders in 2018 and lettered the two full seasons she played. A third baseman, Duenas was cemented at the hot corner. In her career, she started all-but one contest. She logged 96 hits, 16 doubles, four home runs, 47 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 34 walks.
Duenas delivered her best performance in 2019, an MVP year that saw her named All-SCAC Second Team at third base, and USCAA All-American Honorable Mention. Numbers wise, Duenas was a top player on the squad with 52 hits (tied 2nd most in UD season; tied 3rd SCAC), batted .416 (3rd SCAC), four homers (tied 4th SCAC), 24 RBI (1st UD), and seven doubles (2nd UD). Duenas had two double-digit hitting streaks that campaign and 16 multi-hit games. She ranked fifth in the league for slugging percentage (.568) and on-base percentage (.459). Her 74 assists were seventh.
Her first year with UD was impressive as well, as she batted .303 and logged 30 hits. She earned All-SCAC Honorable Mention for utility player. Duenas is majoring in Spanish.
Favorite memory as a SCAC student-athlete:
Julissa Dueñas | My favorite memory is when we beat Schreiner during the 2018 postseason.
Tano started every game she appeared in to total 137 and finished with 376 at bats to finish eighth all-time in both categories for UD. She compiled 99 career hits (tied 11th UD), nine doubles, six triples (tied 10th UD), one home run, 58 runs, 48 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and 37 walks. She tied a team-high in triples during the 2018 campaign and is in the school record books for two triples in a single-game versus Schreiner University on March 25, 2017.
Tano earned SCAC Second Team All-Conference for utility player her freshman season in 2017. She also was on the SCAC Spring Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll that season. Tano was a dual sport cross country runner in 2018 and 2019. She is majoring in interdisciplinary studies.
Favorite memory as a SCAC student-athlete:
Mackenzie Tano | My favorite memory during my time as a SCAC student-athlete has to be my first homerun. I was lucky enough to get to start as a freshman and I really just wanted to prove myself. When I hit my homerun I just felt like everything I had worked for all these years had paid off. It made me incredibly excited for the years to come.
Martin contributed all four seasons in the circle, pitching in 48 games (6th UD) and logging 100 innings (16th player in UD to eclipse triple-digits). She tossed at least 13 innings each year, including a personal-most 36.2 in 2019. Martin made 12 career starts. She fanned 22 batters in her career, pitching mostly to contact. Her longest career outing was in relief, as she threw 5.1 innings of shutout softball on March 17, 2019. Martin is in the school record books for saves, earning one in 2017 and 2018 to place her name in the single-season category. Her two total are the second to be done by a Dallas pitcher.
Martin did not play much on the offensive side of the ball but did score the walk-off run in 2019 versus Hendrix College in extra innings in 2019. Martin also played the last series this spring at Centenary College in the field by starting at second base. Martin was a three-time selection to the SCAC Spring Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll. Martin is majoring in education.
Favorite memory as a SCAC student-athlete:
Emily Martin | Playing second base for the first time senior year.
Thank you Duenas, Martin, and Tano for your dedication to the University of Dallas softball team the past four years, and we wish you the best on your future endeavors.