Hampton University athletic director Lonza Hardy Jr. interviews at Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Hampton University athletic director Lonza Hardy is interviewing for the same post at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a Southwestern Athletic Conference school.

An email from UAPB Chancellor Lawrence A. Davis Jr., obtained Tuesday night by The Daily Press, invited university administrators, faculty and staff to a reception to meet Hardy on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

"Over the past couple of days, I have visited with officials at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for discussions on their athletics program and their vacancy for an athletics director," Hardy said in an email Tuesday night. "Where those discussions may lead has not been decided, neither on the part of the university nor on my part. Consequently, my focus is on continuing to prepare Hampton University's athletics program for the start of a new school year and to continue getting our staff, coaches and student-athletes ready to fulfill the lofty goals that we have for all of our athletic teams."

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Clark Atlanta names Dale Brown as men's basketball coach

Atlanta, GA - In March, Clark Atlanta captured its first SIAC men’s basketball championship title in 46 years. Still, school officials saw untapped potential in the program.

“Today isn’t about what has happened in the past, it’s about building a team to ensure that we play even harder, work even smarter and aim even higher in the future,” associate athletic director D’Wayne Robinson said Wednesday upon the introduction of Dale Brown as the next head coach of the CAU men’s basketball program.

“I must say, we will win, and we will win right away,” Brown said. “My philosophy is real simple: Play hard, play smart and play together.”

Brown’s basketball résumé is extensive. During his junior college days at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Brown was named NJCAA men’s basketball player of the year in 1991.


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Pascagoula's Dale Brown named basketball coach at Clark Atlanta

Dale Brown, a Pascagoula native, has been named men's basketball coach at Clark Atlanta University, the school announced Wednesday.

Brown, 42, coached the last three seasons at Dillard University in New Orleans, but was named coach at Meridian Community College on June 10. But less than a month later, he's on the move again, taking over the program at CAU, a member of the Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

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FAMU Rattlers arriving early to take care of studies

Tallahassee, FL - Florida A&M running back James Owens went home to Orlando for a brief stay, then returned to the grind of offseason conditioning. This week he began an even more important chapter in his summertime routine — attending classes.

For Owens and most of the 65 other players who didn't go home for the summer, attending classes is an option they decided they'd take. It's one way of easing the fall semester workload in the classroom and keeping them on course for on-time graduation.

"I probably would be at home watching a lot of TV and doing nothing," said Owens, a walk-on who earned a scholarship following an impressive spring. "Now I'm in Tallahassee working out and studying I know I'm doing the right thing."



For the football players, who have demanding fall semesters packed with playbooks, traveling and practices in addition to their class work, summer school means they could carry fewer than the average 16 hours during the season. But there are some like defensive tackle Padric Scott, who doesn't have much of a choice when it comes to summer school because of their majors.

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Comet standout taking talents to Virginia Union

South Boston, VA - Destiny Betts has used her unique talents to help the Comets (Halifax County High School) varsity girls’ basketball team (21-2 record) reach levels of success it hadn’t enjoyed in decades. Betts, a 6-2 center who was instrumental in her team’s unbeaten (20-0) regular season run to a Western Valley District championship and a win in the Northwest Region Tournament, is taking her talents to Virginia Union University this coming season.

The Lady Panthers, coached by Barvenia Wooten Collier, are a member of the Division II CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association), and Betts is happy with where she’ll play basketball.

“I’m happy I got this opportunity because at first I didn’t think I’d get a full scholarship,” said Betts, a First Team selection and Co-MVP for the Western Valley District her senior season, as well as a First Team All-Northwest Region selection.

An Honorable Mention selection to the VHSCA All-Group AAA team, she averaged 15.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game her senior season.

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Daytona Chief: Fired B-CU coach refused to aid in rape case involving son

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Bethune-Cookman University's men's basketball coach, fired this week, refused to cooperate with police as they investigated a sexual assault claim involving the coach's son, Police Chief Mike Chitwood said Tuesday.

In a letter to former coach Clifford Reed, B-CU president Trudie Kibbe Reed said her decision to terminate the longtime coach on Monday was based on his "failure to cooperate and insubordination with respect to the university's investigation into allegations against the university and its men's basketball program."

A police report released Tuesday concerning rape allegations made by an 18-year-old basketball player on B-CU's women's team names C.J. Reed as the lone suspect in the assault, even though the accuser never mentioned him as her attacker.

C.J. Reed, a junior guard, was the conference player of the year after leading the Wildcats to their first MEAC championship in school history. C.J. Reed has not been arrested or charged in the case.

The investigation was closed after the accuser refused to follow through with it, police said.

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Dillard Lady Bleu Devils' Basketball Team Add Six Recruits

Coach Kiki Baker Barnes

New Orleans, LA - The Dillard University Lady Bleu Devils' Basketball Team has announced the signing of six players who will join the Lady Bleu Devils' program for the 2011-12 season.

Dillard University Athletic Director and Head Women's Basketball Coach Kiki Barnes and staff have secured the services of Kiante Ageous, of Harvey, LA, Jaliesa Hicks, of Jackson, MS, Ariel Harrell, of Jonesboro, LA, Brittany Smith of Richmond, TX, Keylantra Taylor, of Houston, TX, and Kierrariel Mitchell, of Jackson, MS.

Ageous is an athletic 5'11 shooting guard who originally signed with the University of Arizona coming out of high school. In 2010, Ageous was ranked the 116th best player in the nation at her position by ESPN Hoop Gurlz. Ageous averaged 21.2 points and 11.2 rebounds her senior season for Sam Houston High in San Antonio, Texas after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. She was a McDonalds All-American nominee as well as an ESPN/RISE 3rd Team All-Area selection for the Hurricanes.

Ariel Harrell is a 6'0 forward who attended Jonesboro-Hodge High School in Jonesboro, LA. A prospect for Hoop Gurlz, Harrell averaged 13.1 points and 15.3 rebounds as a senior. She was All-District Second Team her senior year and scored a season-high 32 points vs. state champion Winnfield High School.

Kierrariel Mitchell, a guard/forward from Jackson, MS. Kierrariel attended Jim Hill High School and averaged 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game her senior year. She had a game-high 26 points vs. Murrah High School, 3rd best school in state of Mississippi. She was voted All-State Honorable Mention as well as All-District and All-Metro Area First-Team as a senior, leading her team to an overall record of 26-8. Mitchell is ranked the 19th best player in the Mississippi FILA Class of 2011 Top 40.



Jaliesa Hicks is a 5'5 point guard who also attended Jim Hill High School in Jackson, MS. She averaged 6.9 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 rebounds her senior season. She was named to the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger All-Metro Team all four years of high school.

Brittney Smith is a 5'7 guard who attended George Bush High School in Richmond, TX. She averaged 16 points and 2.6 assists per game as a senior and earned 1st-Team All-District honors. Smith had a season-high 36 points vs. Fort-Bend Austin. Smith was also MVP and Team Captain her senior season.

Rounding out the class is Keylantra Taylor, a 6'0 forward who played prep ball at Klein Forest High School in Houston, TX. Taylor averaged 16 points and 14 rebounds her senior season, earning 1st-Team All District honors. She was ranked 91st overall at the wing position in the nation by ESPN Hoop Gurlz. She was voted Team Captain and MVP, leading the Golden Eagles to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in ten years.

"I am very excited about the about the six young ladies that we are adding to an already good core group of girls," said Kiki Barnes. "Not only is each one these young ladies extremely talented, but they also possess a winning attitude."

The Lady Bleu Devils open the 2011-12 regular season on Friday, November 11, 2011 in an exhibition contest at Southern University at Baton Rouge.

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Xavier Volleyball tryouts scheduled for July 16 at The Barn

Coach Christabell Hamilton

NEW ORLEANS — Tryouts for the 2011 Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball team will be conducted from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 16 at The Barn.

Junior-college players, high-school students in the class of 2011 and Xavier students are eligible to try out. Prospects may bring a DVD of themselves in competition or in skills demonstration, an academic transcript and a player profile/resume.

There is no fee for the tryout, and water will be provided. Contact Coach Christabell Hamilton at (504) 520-5344 or chamilt5@xula.edu for more information.

Driving directions to The Barn, Xavier's gymnasium, can be found online by using 3999 Short Street and the 70125 zip code as the destination.



By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Hampton U. grad Kellie Wells wins national title in 100M hurdles

Eugene, Ore. - Kellie Wells' long, tough road back has reached a golden milestone. The 2006 Hampton University graduate is America's new women's 100-meter hurdles champion and bound for the IAAF World Championships of Track and Field starting late August in Daegu, Korea.

It took Wells just 12.50 seconds to take the gold medal at the USA Championships on Sunday at historic Hayward Field and put all her past tribulations behind her. She fought off old rivals Danielle Carruthers (second in 12.59) and Dawn Harper (third in 12.65) to claim her first American title and a trip to her first Worlds.

"It was tough at times but I was always hopeful a day like this would come," said Wells. "I'm just happy to be on top, to be looked as the best hurdler. "This (the Worlds) will be my first team, my first time to wear the US logo on my chest. "It will be an amazing honor and I can't wait to represent my country."




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Former Hampton U. star Francena McCorory close second to Allyson Felix in 400M at U.S. Track Championships

Allyson Felix won her first U.S. title in the 400, topping former Hampton University's Francena McCorory with a time of 50.40 to 50.49.  Debbie Dunn, Norfolk State University alum finished third for a ticket to the IAAF World Championships Aug. 27-Sept. 4 in Daegu, South Korea.  Dunn posted a time of 50.70.



Allyson Felix extends self, wins U.S. title at 400

Eugene, Ore. -- Allyson Felix powered down the home stretch to capture the women's 400 meters at the U.S. championships Saturday, setting up the possibility she might compete in two events at the world championships this summer.

Felix already has a spot in the 200 as the defending world champion. She has yet to decide whether she will attempt the 200-400 double at the worlds in Daegu, South Korea, in late August.

Going double the distance she normally runs, Felix got stronger as the race went along Saturday and held off Francena McCorory at the finish, winning in 50.40 seconds to become the first woman to win national titles in the 100, 200 and 400 over a career. Debbie Dunn (Norfolk State) was third.

The 200-400 double would not be easy to pull off in South Korea, given all the rounds and the lack of recovery time between them. That's why the decision will be a difficult one for Felix and her coach, Bobby Kersee.

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B-CU Releases Head Basketball Coach Clifford Reed

B-CU fires men's basketball coach Clifford Reed after most successful season in school history

Daytona Beach, FL - Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) announced today that it has released Head Basketball Coach Clifford Reed, effective immediately. The University made the decision to release Coach Reed following an internal administrative review. Assistant Head Basketball Coach Gravelle Craig is currently managing all B-CU basketball program operations.

B-CU fires basketball coach

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Bethune-Cookman has fired longtime men's basketball coach Clifford Reed, a little more than three months after the Wildcats completed their best season in 30 years.

Reed was fired for refusing to cooperate with a university investigation and insubordination, according to his termination letter obtained today by The News-Journal.

The letter reads: "Please be advised that the University has decided not to offer you a new employment contract as head men's basketball coach, and your employment as head men's basketball coach is terminated effective immediately. This decision is based on your failure to cooperate and insubordination with respect to the University's investigation into allegations against the University and its men's basketball program."

Reed, 46, said he was presented the letter, which was signed by Bethune-Cookman President Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed, at a meeting this afternoon. Clifford Reed added that Athletic Director Lynn Thompson also was at the meeting.

Clifford Reed fired as Bethune-Cookman men's basketball coach

Bethune-Cookman has fired men's basketball coach Clifford Reed. The school announced the decision in a short press release Monday evening. It did not give a reason, but the decision came after an internal administrative review. Assistant Cravelle Craig will take over the program for now.

Reed, a B-CU graduate, was 125-166 in 10 seasons as coach, including an 74-88 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. This past season the Wildcats had one of their best, going 21-13, winning the conference in the regular-season at 13-3 and qualifying for the NIT Tournament where it lost to Virginia Tech.

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Cole says he has accepted JD job; MPS official says no recommendation has been made

L.C. Cole

Montgomery, AL  -  L.C. Cole, the former Alabama State head football coach, said he has accepted the head coaching position at Jeff Davis High School.  Montgomery Public Schools senior communication officer Tom Salter, however, said in an email that Cole is not an employee of the Montgomery Public Schools.

Salter said in order for a person to be hired, the superintendent must to make a recommendation to the board of education during a board meeting. The majority of the board must vote on a personnel report to affirm the superintendent's recommendation. When asked what the next step would be, Salter said Thursday that the next board meeting is scheduled for June 28.

"However, it is possible that there could be a called meeting earlier than that date, not specifically for this hire, but for a number of personnel items," Salter said. Cole said he interviewed for the position with a four-person committee. Cole said a member of the committee called him back later and offered him the job and he accepted it.

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North Carolina Central hires head softball coach

NCCU Softball Coach Theresa Stephens

DURHAM, N.C. -- North Carolina Central University announced Theresa Stephens as its head softball coach on Monday. Stephens joins NCCU with more than eight years of coaching experience at the Division I, II and III levels, as well USA Softball and semi-professional playing experience.

“I am very excited about joining the Eagle family and I am very blessed to be given this opportunity to rebuild the program,” said Stephens. “Having the opportunity to coach against these young ladies during the past few years at Campbell really did inspire me more to want to coach them and be a part of North Carolina Central.”

Prior to accepting the position at NCCU, Stephens was the top assistant softball coach at Campbell, primarily coaching and developing a pitching staff of five student-athletes. Preceding her three years at Campbell, Stephens was the assistant softball coach at UNC Pembroke during the 2007-08 year. As a member of the UNC Pembroke coaching staff, Stephens assisted the squad in setting or tying 33 school records in 2008, along with ending the year with an overall record of 46-15 and finishing 17-1 in the Peach Belt Conference.

Stephens obtained her first head coaching position at Meredith, a Division III institution in Raleigh, N.C., where she spent two seasons leading the Avenging Angels. In all of her travels in North Carolina, Stephens attributes the beginning of her coaching career to Greensboro College, where she served as the assistant coach and an adaptive physical education assistant from 2003-05.

“I am so very excited about Coach Stephens,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree. “With her background as a head coach and assistant coach on the Division III, II and I levels, she brings a wealth of knowledge about the game.”

As Stephens looks to rebuild the program, there are three character traits she believes are key to success: energy, passion and leadership.

“Energy is one of the things I would like to bring to this program - getting them fired up and getting them to play with a purpose by helping them to remember why they play this sport,” said Stephens. “I want them to look forward everyday to practice and games, and I want them to build that swagger a confident player should have.

“I will also bring passion to the program, through myself and the staff I surround the young ladies with,” Stephens said. – “When they see how passionate we are, how much we love the sport and how much we care, they will be drawn to that desire to want to succeed. Finally, I feel that I will display strong leadership qualities that anyone will be proud of and desire to follow. If I am a strong leader on and off the field, my student-athletes will emulate that same behavior on and off the diamond.”

Stephens obtained her bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation with a concentration in behavioral health from Temple in 2003, after a two-year stint at South Carolina State. The Phoenixville, Pa., native played softball at both institutions and was honored numerously for her pitching and utility abilities. While a sophomore at SCSU in 1999, she was named an Onnidan All-American. During her freshman year in 1998, Stephens was invited to the United States Olympic Team Trials.

After graduating from Temple, Stephens played in with a trio of women’s major class A fastpitch organizations, the New Jersey Majestics, Pennsylvania Royal Ladies and the Pennsylvania Haze over the course of four years.

“Our softball program is headed in the right direction and Coach Stephens will be able to continue taking us to the next level in Division I,” said Wicker-McCree. “Our young women will definitely benefit from her experiences as a coach and a dynamic young woman.”

Along with Stephens’ dedication to success on the diamond, she is even more dedicated to success in the classroom.

“Education is so important,” said Stephens. “I do not want this team to just be champions on the field, but I also want them to strive to be excellent in the classroom.” - “It is my belief that competing in the classroom will carry on to competition on the field.

“As coaches, we are in our student-athletes’ lives’ - most of the year and their parents are expecting us to lead them in the right direction both in the classroom and in their social lives. Players who trust and respect you will value the advice and guidance you provide for their education and growth.”

By North Carolina Central University Athletics

Savannah State says T.A. Wright Stadium will be ready Oct. 1

Savannah, GA - Savannah State University's football team has not played a game on its campus since Nov. 14, 2009. Last season, because of construction to T.A. Wright Stadium, nine of the Tigers' 11 games were on the road. The final two games were played at Memorial Stadium.

That will change Oct. 1, when SSU returns to T.A. Wright Stadium to play its first home game as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Tigers will face Howard University at 7 p.m.

"It's going to be done," SSU Vice President for Student Affairs Irvin Clark said of the stadium's completion. "Folks are going to have a lot to be proud of. I must be honest with you, it's a project that's long overdue."

The game is being billed as the "Coming Home/Hall of Fame Game" by SSU's athletics department. It won't be SSU's "Homecoming Game" - that will be Oct. 29 against Hampton - but it undoubtedly will have a homecoming-like atmosphere.

Savannah State has spent $10.2 million to upgrade its athletics facilities, including $6 million on T.A. Wright Stadium, which opened in 1967. SSU students voted in 2009 to pay an extra $150 per student each semester to fund a $21.95-million construction project that includes:

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Former Saint Augustine's Bershawn 'Batman' Jackson makes 400M hurdles IAAF World Championships

EUGENE, Ore. – Jeshua Anderson hardly could have cut it closer Sunday afternoon. Still wearing his Washington State uniform after concluding his collegiate career two weeks ago, Anderson took the first big step in the transition to his professional career by winning the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. track championships – in the narrowest fashion.

Leading off Sunday’s national telecast on NBC, Anderson held off four-time national champion Bershawn Jackson (Saint Augustine's College, 2006/Miami Central H.S., Miami, Fla. 2002) and two-time Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor in the final 25 meters to win his first USA title.

“This is something I’ve been working toward for a long time,” Anderson said. “I’ve been preparing to run my best race at the USAs. I gave it my all. I’m so thankful to have won.” The 22-year-old from Woodland Hills, Calif., was timed in a WSU-record 47.93 seconds – the same as Jackson – with the electronic timer showing Anderson just .009 ahead. Taylor was third in 47.94. Johnny Dutch, the hurdler who kept Anderson from sweeping four NCAA titles as a Cougar by beating him in 2010, was fifth.



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Hayes finally running the show at Alabama A&M

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Just before preseason basketball practice started in 2004, then-Alabama A&M men's basketball coach Vann Pettaway called his staff together - Willie Hayes and Sammy Jackson - and told them they were going to have to run the show.

Pettaway had been disagnosed with cancer and was about to undergo the biggest fight of his life. Hayes, the associate head coach at the time, and Jackson, who recently was named the head coach at Fort Valley State, was asked to keep the program headed in the right direction.

"Coach Pettaway let us know what he was going through and he was going to put the program in our hands and he needed us to run things until he could get back into the swing of things," Hayes said.

Not only did Hayes and Jackson runs things, they ran them so well that A&M went on to win not only the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season championship, but the tournament title as well. As a result, the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a Division I program where they lost to Oakland (Mich.).

Now, six years later...

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Alabama A&M ticket prices on the rise

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M football fans will have to pay a few more dollars to watch the Bulldogs play this season. Athletics officials, charged with raising $700,000, increased prices to rent the 22 skyboxes inside Louis Crews Stadium and ticket prices also went up, according to sales manager Tourischeva Stubbs.

Skyboxes range from $10,250 to $12,700, while season tickets have increased $25 and single-game tickets have increased anywhere from $5 to $7. "The skyboxes sold quickly," athletics director Betty Austin said. "There is a great demand for skyboxes. We hope season tickets will sell just as fast or faster." Selling season/reserved tickets was difficult last season, Stubbs said. Only 361 reserved seats were sold in 2010. There are more than 2,000 available.

"We have to change the culture of our fans," Stubbs said. "We need to get people to really see the value of our product and we need to value our product and one way to do that is with the price. Eventually, with time, our fans will see the value and they'll pay for it."

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Canadian Football League: Hampton's McDaniel shines in win over Alouettes

Pre-Season Recap: Montreal 20, Hamilton 57


HBCU Players on defending Grey Cup Champion Montreal Alouettes Roster:
34 Marc, Emmanuel RB Import 5.11 200 17-11-1982 Delaware State
29 Jones, Kitwana DE Import 6.00 240 07-07-1981 Hampton

HBCU Players on Hamilton Tiger-Cats Roster:
37 Young, Marcell DB Import 6.02 200 1987-09-02 Jackson State
97 Powell, Darius DE Import 6.03 225 1988-09-17 Fayetteville State (Practice Roster)
6 McDaniel, Marquay WR Import 5.10 205 1984-04-20 Hampton (Injured List)
55 Baggs, Stevie DE Import 6.02 240 1981-12-30 Bethune-Cookman

Columbus may host another championship game

Columbus, GA - It is still too soon to tell if Columbus will become the home to another championship sporting event. The Columbus Sports Council met with the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference earlier this week about the SIAC bringing its championship game to Columbus beginning in November. If the game comes here, it would be played at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium.

The game is tentatively scheduled to be played Nov. 12, which coincides with the final day of the Georgia High School Association cheerleading championships, which are held next door at the Columbus Civic Center. The sports council asked the SIAC to consider playing the game on Nov. 13, a Sunday.

Two SIAC games are played here annually. The Tuskegee-Morehouse game is scheduled to be at Memorial on Oct. 8, while the Albany State-Fort Valley State game will be on Nov. 5.



The Pioneer Bowl is set to return this year on Dec. 3. It is one of three NCAA Division II bowl games. It pits a team from the SIAC against a team from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The Pioneer Bowl was played for the first time in Columbus last December. Saint Augustine's beat Fort Valley 20-14.

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Howard University's David Oliver win 110M hurdles national title

EUGENE, Ore. — Four years ago, David Oliver injured a hamstring before he even stepped on the track for the 110-meter hurdles at the world championships in Osaka, Japan, his first appearance at the event. The injury was not serious, but his disappointment was.

“You just never know when you’ll ever get the opportunity again to represent the U.S.A.,” Oliver said Saturday. “Especially in the hurdles.”

Two years later, a strained calf muscle kept him from competing at the world championships in Berlin. That, he said, marked “a down point of my career.”


Former Howard University Bison football player David Oliver is set for the World Championship in Daegu  with this victory. Former Oklahoma (Bethune-Cookman transfer) Ronnie Ash finished 6th.

Oliver did not care to extend his streak of frustration Saturday at the U.S. track and field championships with another world berth on the line. With a carefully executed, workmanlike performance in the 110 final, Oliver bulled his way to a victory in 13.04 seconds, securing a chance to pursue the world medal that has eluded him at the August championships in Daegu, South Korea.

“It feels good to be done, to be on that team,” Oliver said after beating Aries Merritt, who finished second in 13.12, and Jason Richardson, who was third in 13.15. “I just stayed relaxed, focused on not false-starting and doing anything stupid.”

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Former WSSU coach lands job at Tennessee State

TSU Assistant Coach Rick Duckett
(Courtesy Tennessee State University Athletics)

Rick Duckett had a record of 73-19 during his three seasons as coach at Winston-Salem State.

Nashville, TN - Rick Duckett, a Winston-Salem native and a former head coach at Winston-Salem State, has been named an assistant basketball coach at Tennessee State. Duckett, who was fired after one season at Grambling State in 2009, spent the past two seasons working for UNC Greensboro as the color analyst for men's basketball games on radio station WZTK-FM (101.1).

He went 6-23 in his one season at Grambling. One of his players died after a conditioning drill in August 2009, and Duckett was fired with three years left on his contract. Henry White, a 21-year-old junior-college transfer, became ill during a preseason workout at which Duckett was not present, and White died 12 days later.

After two seasons out of coaching, Duckett said he's thrilled to be back. Duckett said by telephone Saturday that he hopes his batteries are recharged after being out of coaching for awhile. "If they aren't recharged now, then they never will be," Duckett said. "I'm looking forward to getting back into it, so I'm very appreciative of this opportunity."

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TSU Men's Basketball adds Rick Duckett to staff

Tennessee State University men's basketball head coach John Cooper has announced the hiring of Rick Duckett as an assistant coach. Duckett joins the staff with more than 30 years of coaching experience and after spending the last two seasons as a basketball color analyst for UNC Greensboro on 101.1 WZTK-FM. He has nine years of coaching experience as a head coach with three different programs gathering a career record of 156-98.

"We are extremely excited to have him (Duckett) join our staff with his vast array of experience and success during his coaching career," said Cooper. "He was shaped and molded in one of the great basketball families (North Carolina). We can't wait to benefit from his experience on the bench. He is a first-class person and fierce competitor with an incredible ability to identify with student-athletes."

Cooper and Duckett reunite after working together under two programs. During Cooper's collegiate career as a player at Wichita State, Duckett was an assistant (1987-92) help leading the Shockers to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1988 and 1997 and a N.I.T berth in 1989.

"I'm energized about the opportunity. It gives me clarity and purpose to have a chance to work with young people," Duckett explained. "During my two years away from coaching, I missed the day-to-day interaction with coaches and players. What is also important is the relationship I have with Cooper and I believe in his vision and admire his coaching philosophy."

From 1993-98, Duckett was head coach at Fayetteville State (CIAA) with Cooper serving as an assistant from 1993-95. In his first stint as a head coach, he led the Broncos to a 76-57 record while serving FSU as an assistant athletic director and instructor.

In 1998, Duckett took over the helm at Winston-Salem State (CIAA) until 2001. He posted a remarkable record in his three seasons leading the squad to a combined 73-19 mark while capturing the CIAA championship in 1999 and 2000. Both seasons, he earned the CIAA Tournament Coaches Award and was the 1999 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Coach of the Year.

After WSSU, he served his second term with South Carolina (SEC) Basketball from 2001-08 under head coach Dave Odom. He rejoined the staff after serving in the same capacity for head coach Bill Foster (Rutgers, Utah, Duke, South Carolina, Northwestern) for the 1985-86 season.

From 2008-09, Duckett grabbed the head coaching reins once again when he spent one season at the helm at Grambling State (SWAC) posting a 6-23 record.

In addition, Duckett has spent years as an assistant, coaching for one season at Central Florida (1983-84) and Jacksonville (1983-84). A year prior to the appointments, he spent the first of two stints at R.J. Reynolds High School (Winston Salem, N.C.) returning as a teacher and coach from 1992-93.

Duckett began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, North Carolina (Chapel Hill), from 1979-1980. He received his full-time start as the head coach of the freshman squad at Harvard University from 1980-1982.

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Grambling's Jones and Southern's Goodwin heads to College Baseball Hall of Fame

The late GSU Coach 'Prez' Jones
(Courtesy Grambling State Athletics)

GRAMBLING, LA -- Grambling State’s former president Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones along with six others will be inducted as members of the 2011 College Baseball Hall of Fame class and will be honored during the induction ceremony on July 3 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the College Baseball Foundation’s annual celebration of the greatest players in the past and present of college baseball.

President Jones coached at Grambling State from 1926-77. During his tenure, he won six titles in the now-defunct Midwest Athletic League from 1952 to 1958 and five titles in the Southwestern Athletic Conference from 1961 to 1967. He was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1967. Jones coached 11 NAIA All-Americans including Tommie Agee and Ralph Garr, while compiling a career record of 816-218.

Jones, who served as the university’s president from 1936-77 was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 1992 and in May of this year, had the distinction of having GSU’s baseball stadium named in his honor.

Grambling Fight Song
Fight for dear old grambling
Fight we're gonna win
Light the torch of victory
We will win this game...RAH RAH RAH
Fight for dear old grambling
Fight we're gonna win
There's no doubt that we are
The pride of the USA



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Goodwin and Jones becomes first inductees from HBCU's

The two HBCU inductees will be former Southern University standout Danny Goodwin (1972-75), who had a .394 career batting average with 20 home runs and 166 RBIs and was the 1975 Sporting News Player of the Year while Southern transitioned from NAIA to NCAA status.

He is joined by former Grambling State head coach Ralph Waldo Emerson “Prez” Jones, who coached the Tigers from 1926 to 1977 and was the school’s president from 1936 to 1977. Jones led Grambling to six Midwest Athletic League and five Southwestern Athletic Conference titles.

“This really means a lot because I didn’t come from a well-known baseball school, at least nationally,” Goodwin said.

“This gives schools like Southern an opportunity to let the nation know there are some quality young men playing baseball. I don’t know if many people understand the real history of baseball or how revered baseball is in the black community at large.”

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The legend of Danny Goodwin

Danny Goodwin, a catcher at Southern University from 1972 to 1975, still has the distinction of being the only player to twice be the overall No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft. He was a three-time All-American — twice at the NAIA level and once at the NCAA level — and was The Sporting News’ 1975 College Player of the Year. He had a .394 career batting average and compiled 20 home runs and 166 RBIs.

Danny Glover
(Courtesy SU Athletics)

Danny Goodwin is hardly a household name, but he remains the only ballplayer to be taken with the first overall pick on two different occasions. In spite of being the most heavily desired amateur player in two separate and distinct drafts, Goodwin never became the star that most talent evaluators had anticipated. Such is the crapshoot that comes with any player who is drafted, no matter how high he is taken and no matter the accompanying level of hype.

In the late 1960s, Goodwin began developing a legendary reputation as a high school ballplayer in Peoria, Illinois. An athletic but powerfully built, left-handed hitting catcher who carried 195 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame, Goodwin flashed the kind of strength that left fans—and teammates—in awe.

Playing in a game for Central High School in late April of 1971, Goodwin delivered the signature moment of his amateur career. Leading off the game, he blasted a gargantuan home run to right-center field, the ball clearing a hill and a driveway before it hit the second deck of a swimming pool that lay well beyond the ballpark’s boundaries. To observers of the blast, the home run not only had stunning length, but remarkable height and hang time. By the time the ball touched down against the pool structure, it had traveled over 400 feet, an unfathomable distance for a high school player swinging a wood bat.

No one happened to film or videotape the Goodwin monstrosity, but the epic home run was not missed by major league eyes. About 20 big league scouts had gathered in Peoria to watch Goodwin that day. The home run, one of nine that he would hit in his senior season, confirmed what most scouts had already suspected: Goodwin, who would hit .488 in 25 games as a senior, would be taken with the first pick of the upcoming June draft.

Southern University Fight Song
Southern University defenders of the Gold and Blue
We will always loyal be and sing a cheer for you
All for one and one for all we've got the will to win for thee
So we'll fight, fight, fight, fight, til we win the victory."
Go Jags!!!!!



The Chicago White Sox owned that pick. They already had a decent left-handed hitting catcher of their own in 24-year-old Ed Herrmann, but he was no star. The White Sox had not enjoyed a standout season from a catcher since their pennant-winning campaign of 1959, when Sherm Lollar hit 24 home runs for the famed “Go Go” Sox. More importantly, the Sox considered Goodwin the best available player in the draft, someone they simply could not bypass. Even in off-the-field areas, the likeable Goodwin graded out highly; he did well in school and owned a good attitude. On all counts, the draft direction pointed toward Goodwin.

After drafting him at No. 1, the White Sox offered Goodwin a contract paying him an estimated $60,000. He turned down the less-than-impressive offer, which he believed to be worth less than a college scholarship from Southern University in Louisiana. Goodwin opted to continue his education. A highly intelligent young man who possessed interests in science and math, he enrolled at Southern, eventually becoming a zoology major. As part of his four-year tenure at Southern, Goodwin earned collegiate baseball player of the year honors.

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TSU loaded for upcoming season, receive early preseason rave

Nashville, TN - Tennessee State University men's basketball head coach John Cooper announced the signing of prep standout Jay Harris to a National Letter of Intent. Harris will join the Tigers this fall for the 2011-2012 academic year.

"We are excited to have Jay join the program," Cooper added. "We are eager to see how he can contribute to our team and are pleased to see that he chose to come play for us here at TSU."

Harris enters TSU after spending last season at Charis Prep (Wilson, N.C.) averaging 14 points, 11 assists and three steals per game. Running the offense from the point guard position at Charis Prep, he helped set a team milestone with a 24-0 home record.

A 5'10 guard and native of Philadelphia, Pa., Harris attended Robeson High School and was an All Public League and All City selection when he averaged 20 ppg as a senior. Harris also played on the Runhouse Team in the 2010 season of the Philadelphia Positive Image League.

Jay was being recruited by Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, Colorado State, Quinnipiac, Youngstown State, Northeastern and Central Michigan.

With the season a distance away, TSU has received great reviews for the upcoming year.

According to OVCball.com's Catlin Bogard "This year, they're (TSU Tigers) more talented and more experienced. At the end of the previews, I'll rank the teams from 1-11, and I can tell you this team will be near the top, if not at the top, of my ranking. Beware the Tigers in March."

OVCball.com Tennessee State Men's Basketball Preview

Harris will provide depth at the guard position with the loss of sixth man, Jacquan Nobles, and first-year player Verkeneo Mann. Both elected to transfer at the conclusion of the season.

Nobles, a sophomore from Ayden, N.C., finished last season averaging 7.5 ppg making the first four starts on the year. In his first year, he started 15-of-32 games played and finished second on the team in scoring with 11.2 ppg.

That season, he led TSU in three-point shooting knocking in 43 percent from behind the arc. He finished his first year as a member of the 2010 All Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer Team.

Mann, a native of Decatur, Ala., started 1-of-20 games played last year averaging 2.0 ppg and shot 80 percent from the free-throw line.

Last year, the Tigers did not have a senior on their roster. For the upcoming season, all five starters return in guards Will Peters (10.5 ppg | 4.2 apg) and Patrick Miller (11.4 ppg) with forwards Kenny Moore (14.5 ppg), Robert Covington (13.4 ppg | 7.5 rpg), and Michael Green (1.7 bpg).

Miller was named OVC Freshman of the Year and joined Moore on the OVC Newcomer Team. Covington was named to the OVC Second Team. He received his second Conference honor after being named to the Newcomer Team in 2010 with Nobles.

Peters finished last year third in the OVC in assists with Green closing out the year second in the league in block shots.

Lastly, three D-I transfers Jordan Cyphers (Utah), Muniru Bawa (Indiana) and Kellen Thornton (Illinois State) and redshirt freshman Malcolm Rhett will add talent, experience and depth after sitting out last season.

TSU released the men's basketball tentative 2011-12 schedule. The Tigers will play Trevecca-Nazarene (11/1) in exhibition play before opening the season on the road at Saint Louis (11/11).

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Oct. 22's ASU vs. Clark Atlanta football game moved to Valdosta

ALBANY, GA — Before a single snap has even been hiked on the Albany State football team’s 2011 season, it’s already turning into an instant classic — literally.

The Rams, who were already slated to play in three “Classics” this season when the schedule was released earlier this month, added another one this week when the road game against Clark Atlanta was curiously moved from Atlanta to Valdosta by the Panthers, who will call the game the South Georgia Heritage Classic.

“It was Clark’s home game, and it’s their call,” ASU Sports Information Director Edythe Bradley told The Herald on Friday shortly after the announcement was made. “We’ve been hearing that moving the game was something (Clark) had been looking to do, and I guess a sponsor must’ve approached them to make it happen. (Financially), it’s a good thing for our school.”

Money saved or not, head coach Mike White was not a fan of the move.




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Despite dismal 2010, Southern University’s Mitchell undeterred

Baton Rouge, LA - Repeating this week what he’d stated several times already, Stump Mitchell said his first season at Southern University didn’t exactly go as planned.

“I wanted to win every game here last year. I thought we could have done that,” said Mitchell, whose first season as the Jaguars football coach ended with a 2-9 record — the worst in school history. “I thought we could’ve been successful. What I didn’t know was the habits of the players. Some habits, they take a long time to break.”

Mitchell enters the second year of his three-year contract with SU, and Tuesday afternoon, even Mitchell conceded he needs a notable turnaround to prove his program is on the right path. Still, Mitchell said he’s undeterred, and very happy to be at Southern.

“We needed to break some bad habits,” he said. “Most of the guys are beyond that. Most of the guys are beyond making excuses for not getting something done. And they’re starting to get things done.”

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Videographer: Bookman

Former FAMU, Jaguars QB highlights Rattlers football camp

Tallahassee, FL - Quinn Gray won't be surprised if he is asked by participants in next week's football camp at Florida A&M about how he almost brought the Jacksonville Jaguars back from an 18-point deficit when he played his first regular-season NFL game against the Tennessee Titans in the 2005 season finale.

Gray, who was named the Rattlers' quarterbacks coach in the spring, would more than likely oblige with some explanation of his 100-yards, two-touchdown passing performance.

But it won't be all that the aspiring football players will hear from Gray and the other coaches participating in coach Joe Taylor's first camp since he became head coach at FAMU almost four years ago.

"X's and O's aren't the only aspect of football," Gray said Thursday. "Life itself is a big part of football because your life will definitely have a direct impact on the game if you plan it. Different (distractions) in your life could determine what happens in the game."



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SWAC Assistant Commissioner Davis Moving to Howard

Shelley Davis
Senior Associate Athletic Director
Senior Women's Administrator
Howard University

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – SWAC Assistant Commissioner for Championships, Shelley Davis, has been named Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator at Howard University and will move to her new position following the July 4th holiday.

Commissioner Duer Sharp congratulated Davis on her move back to on-campus athletics from the conference office. "The conference office thanks Shelley for her hard work and dedication to the SWAC, and we wish her success as she heads to Howard University."

Davis said she has enjoyed her time with the conference and feels the league has a bright future ahead. "From my colleagues at the conference office, to the individual coaches and administrators at the member institutions, to all the student-athletes I have seen perform to the best of their abilities, my tenure in the SWAC has been filled with great memories and great people. I see nothing but positives for the SWAC moving forward."

Davis graduated with honors from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in 1998. She is the first female graduate of NCCU (the first and only HBCU to have an accredited Athletic Training Education program) to become a Certified Athletic Trainer. Shelley is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc and currently resides in Birmingham with her son Donovan.

by SWAC Media Relations
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Freedom's All-Time Leading Scorer Dionna Scott Heads to Winston-Salem State

South Riding, VA - Dionna Scott, Freedom High School's all-time leader in points scored, steals and assists, is heading to Winston-Salem State University after leading the Eagles to two state titles in her prep career.

Scott finished with 1,752 points along with 282 steals and 211 assists and helped Freedom win a VHSL Division 3 state title in 2008-09 and a Division 4 state title in 2009-10.

“It was a pleasure having the opportunity to coach Dionna over her entire high school career," said Freedom girls coach Joe Crawford. "Her dedication on the court and in the classroom enabled her to grow into a well rounded young lady. She will be missed by all, but I’m really grateful that she has the opportunity to further her education and basketball career at such a fine university.”

Winston-Salem State is a NCAA Division II school of 6,442 and plays in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.




Great Scott!

Senior Dionna Scott became Freedom High School’s career scoring leader in girls’ basketball during the Eagles’ 47-30 victory over host Potomac Falls on Jan. 21 in Sterling, Virginia. Scott scored 23 points in the win to push her career total to 1,544 points, surpassing the previous mark of 1,540 held by 2010 graduate Kelsey Buchanan, who now plays at the University of Delaware.

“I can shoot and I can drive,” said Scott, explaining what makes her a potent scorer. “So most of the time if people are too late coming [to defend] I can shoot the ball or if they are right there, I feel like I can pump fake and go around them. We do a lot of picks and a lot of cutting so that also helps.”

Scott, a 5-foot-11 forward, also holds Freedom records for converted 3-pointers, converted free throws and steals in her career. As a sophomore, Scott set season records for points, steals and free throws to help the Eagles’ win their first of two consecutive state championships.

Despite her lofty numbers, Scott was not considered the team’s focal point until this year. Meixandra Porter, now playing for Colorado State, and Buchanan held that distinction in recent seasons.

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Under Brooks Johnson’s tutelage former Howard star David Oliver clears every hurdle

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The old man in the straw hat sat in the temporary stands next to the track oval, a few rows up, eyeing a half-dozen world-class hurdlers and runners, including the star of the group, Olympic bronze medalist David Oliver. As the athletes went through the morning’s paces, they peered into the stands after every drill, looking for approval.

By the end of practice, Oliver looked sick with exhaustion. After a final sprint of 300 meters, he staggered toward the hurdles he had used during the workout, intending to remove them from the track. Instead, he dropped to his knees, sucking in air, his back heaving. He stole a quick glance at the old man.

“You got a cramp?” Brooks Johnson, 77, bellowed. “Gee-zus Christ. One 300, and we got everybody crippled.”

Oliver has lived through the daily pain, profane commentary and incisive corrections since he came out of Howard University and landed in Johnson’s camp of professional track athletes seven years ago, kicking off a meteoric rise from small-school afterthought to early favorite for the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2012 Summer Games in London.


David Oliver's 12.89 seconds 110m hurdles at the Stade de France AREVA meet, on 16 July 2010, clocking the third fastest time ever.

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Winston Salem State holds its first prospects camp

Winston Salem, N.C. - Coach Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State receives emails, YouTube clips and phone calls about possible football recruits on a regular basis.

 Sorting it all out can be daunting, so Maynor and his staff held WSSU's first "prospects camp" on Thursday at Bowman Gray Stadium. Division I programs have long held the camps during the summer, but they're rare for Division II programs. "I'm not aware of any of the CIAA schools that do this," Maynor said.

About 30 high school players attended the one-day camp, paying $25 each to be evaluated by WSSU coaches and to receive advice on parts of their games on which they might need to work.

Under NCAA rules, Maynor and his coaches can't comment...

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Seven Members of the Howard Tennis Team Achieve National ITA Scholar-Athlete Award Status

Alyssa Works

Washington, D.C. - Five women and two men qualified for Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s 2011 National ITA Scholar-Athlete’s Award. The award is given annually tennis student-athletes who are varsity letter winners, have a grade point average of 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale) for the current academic year, and have been enrolled at their present school for at least 2 semesters.

"I'm just tremendously proud of their success as both students and atheltes," commented head coach Lawrence Strickland. "It is indicative of the way these young men and women perform all of their tasks."

Anne Akhimien

The women are lead by senior Health Science major, Alyssa Works with a 4.0. Other women’s team award winners include Anne Akhimien a junior Human Nutrition major with a 3.87, Michelle Brown a junior Biology major with a 3.85, Brooke Hawthorne a freshman Marketing major with a 3.65 and Amber Cuff a senior Fashion Merchandising major with a 3.59. The two men receiving the award are Christopher Brown a senior Radio-TV and Film major with a 3.61 and freshman Timothy Staton-Davis a Systems and Computer Science major with a 3.76.

Michelle Brown

The eight member woman’s team achieved the 2011 ITA All-Academic Team award given to a team that records (1) a grade point average of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale (2)all NCAA eligible student –athletes who are letter winners GPA’s for the current year must be averaged. The team had GPA average of 3.48. This is first time in ten years the women have received the award. The seven men and women bring the total to sixty-two National ITA Scholar-Athlete awards since 1998.




by Jamilah Corbett, Assistant Director of Sports Information
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