May 27, 2015 LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - With the Rebels taking 12 of the last 15 points, the UNLV Athletics Department is again the winner of the Governor's Series presented by NV Energy and sponsored by Barrick Gold.
With all points now assigned after Wednesday's release of the NCAA's APR scores, UNLV took the all-encompassing competition with Nevada, Reno by the final score of 27 to 21. With last year's 30-18 win and inaugural victory of 37.5-10.5 in 2012-13, the Rebels are now a perfect 3-0 against the Wolf Pack.
UNR won the academic component on Wednesday to snap an impressive run starting in mid-April that saw UNLV earn three points each for softball, women's golf, men's golf and women's outdoor track & field.
UNLV earned its other points during the 2014-15 season in the sports of men's basketball, women's volleyball, indoor track & field and men's tennis. It also gained a total of three points in splitting the sports of women's soccer and women's basketball.
UNR earned its other points in women's cross country, football, baseball, women's tennis and women's swimming and diving.
"It is again my pleasure to congratulate our student-athletes, coaches and staff in capturing the Governor's Series trophy," UNLV Director of Athletics Tina Kunzer-Murphy said. "All Rebels can be proud that their school has won all three years of this competition. We also want to make special mention of NV Energy and Barrick Gold for their continued generosity in sponsoring the Governor's Series. This has proved to be a fun battle between the only two division one athletic departments in the Silver State and we are looking forward to next year."
UNLV Athletics also announced that freshman softball player Janine Petmecky was selected as this season's winner of the Bill Ireland Award. The honor is given annually to a student-athlete who shines in their respective sport while competing against Nevada, Reno as part of the Governor's Series.
The winner must come from a Rebel team that won its competition vs. the Wolf Pack during the year, must have made a significant impact on that outcome and also be in good academic standing.
A native of Riverside, Calif., and graduate of Riverside Polytechnic High School, the pitcher/outfielder helped her team take two of three games from the Wolf Pack last month in Reno to capture three key points in the competition. Petmecky hit a three-run home run in UNLV's 10-5 victory in the first game of the series on April 17 and, after UNR won the next day, was the winning pitcher in the rubber match, going four innings in the 7-3 final. With her team trailing 3-2 in the fifth inning, she also helped herself at the plate that day by cracking a two-run double with two outs to give UNLV a lead it would not relinquish as it went on to capture the series and add a trio of points to the Rebels' ledger.
She is the third UNLV Bill Ireland winner, joining women's soccer's Jenn Wolfe in 2014 and the inaugural recipient, baseball pitcher Buddy Borden in 2013.
The award is named in honor of Mr. Bill Ireland, who was deeply tied to the history of the Wolf Pack and Rebels athletics programs. A 1952 graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, Ireland was the Wolf Pack's first baseball coach (1961-67). After his time at UNR, he went on to UNLV where he became the Rebels first football coach (1968-72) and later served as athletics director (1973-80). Ireland is credited with helping create the Fremont Cannon, which is the trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Rebels vs. Wolf Pack football game.
