NFL's Cardinals hire Texas Tech head athletic trainer
Drew Krueger, an associate athletics director and the head athletic trainer for the Texas Tech football and men's and women's golf teams, has been hired by the Arizona Cardinals, Tech announced Friday.
Tech coach Joey McGuire gave game balls to Krueger and team physician Dr. Michael Phy after the Red Raiders' Texas Bowl victory over Mississippi. McGuire credited them with getting Tyler Shough ready to play after the Red Raiders' starting quarterback was sick overnight before the game.
Krueger came to Tech in March 2014 after a seasonal internship with the New England Patriots and a graduate assistant stint at Oklahoma. He earned degrees from Minnesota, North Carolina-Greensboro and Oklahoma.
Tech announced the internal promotion of Michael Ramirez to associate AD and director of football sports medicine and Katherine Carden to associate athletic trainer and football rehabilitation coordinator.
Ramirez is entering his seventh season on the Tech staff. He is an Arizona State graduate who worked in athletic training jobs for the Houston Texans (2011-13), Deer Park High School (2013-15) and Mesa (Ariz.) Desert Ridge High School (2015-17).
Tech women's tennis
Metka Komac, Avelina Sayfetdinova and Yekaterina Dmitrichenko all won both doubles and singles points Friday, helping Texas Tech beat No. 20 Kansas in a key early Big 12 match at the McLeod Tennis Center.
Tech (11-6, 1-2) was coming off losses at No. 22 Oklahoma and No. 17 Oklahoma State in the first week of conference play, and Kansas had beaten the Red Raiders 4-0 in a non-conference match Feb. 18.
Tech turned the tables in its conference home opener. The Red Raiders took the best-of-three doubles point with wins by the teams of Komac-Sayfetdinova and Dmitrichenko-Camryn Stepp. Dimitrichenko gave Tech a 2-0 lead by taking No. 4 singles.
After the Jayhawks narrowed it to 2-1, Tech ran off victories at Nos. 5, 6, 2 and 3 singles by Komac, Arina Oreshchenkova, Sayfetdinova and Cristina Tiglea.
Tech is back in action at 10 a.m. Sunday, hosting Kansas State (2-15, 0-5) at the McLeod Tennis Center.
Tech softball
AUSTIN — Leighann Goode and Mia Scott hit back-to-back RBI singles with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, lifting No. 10 Texas over Texas Tech 3-2 in Friday's Big 12 series opener.
Tech missed a chance to add to a 2-1 lead in the seventh. Alanna Barraza doubled leading off against winning pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez (9-1), but the UT reliever retired the next three batters in order.
The Longhorns chased Tech starter Kendall Fritz after Katie Cimusz and Camille Corona led off the home seventh with consecutive base hits. Olivia Rains struck out the next batter, but Goode delivered a tying single to center field and Scott poked her game-winning hit to right-center.
Goode homered in the fifth inning, tying the game 1-1.
Tech got a home run from Arianna Villa in the first inning and a go-ahead double by Peyton Blythe in the sixth.
UT (28-5-1, 1-0) hosts Tech (26-9, 0-1) against at noon Saturday and noon Sunday.
LCU softball
No. 11 Lubbock Christian University will try to add to an eight-game win streak and go for its third consecutive Lone Star Conference series sweep when the Lady Chaparrals take on St. Edward's this weekend.
LCU (27-8, 17-7) and St. Edward's (18-11, 12-8) square off in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday at Maner Park.
LCU is tied for third in the LSC with Oklahoma Christian (22-8, 17-7). St. Edward's has won five games in a row and is next behind LCU and Oklahoma Christian in fifth place.
Tech track and field
Texas Tech's Devin Roberson and Malin Smith won the men's and women's discus titles on Friday's first day of the Masked Rider Open at the Fuller Track Complex and throws field.
Roberson threw 194 feet, 0 inches. Smith threw 180-4.
After the discus and shot-put competitions, the rest of the meet is on the second day. The 10,000-meter races, originally scheduled for early Saturday, have been scratched from the schedule. Field-event start times are 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the rest of the running events are scheduled from 2 p.m. to 7:25 p.m.
Football
The Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday announced they've signed former Texas Tech offensive lineman Le'Raven Clark to a one-year contract.
Clark, a third-round draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2016, turns 30 next month. He's played in the NFL with the Colts (2016-20), Philadelphia Eagles (2021-22) and Tennessee Titans (2022).
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Tech sports roundup: NFL's Cardinals hire Red Raiders' head athletic trainer
