Saint Paul's athletes search for new homes

Lawrenceville, VA - Saint Paul's College wide receiver Raymond Mack already was enduring a tough semester when his school decided to eliminate its athletics program. On Jan. 6, he returned from an unofficial football practice to find his house on fire. Mack lost his house and all his possessions inside. Firefighters would later blame the house's old wiring and a space heater.

As the semester wore on, things began looking up for the junior. The football team named a permanent coach and Mack prepared to become a leader on the field the next season. "We just got back on our feet, and everything was good," Mack said. "It was too good to be true."

Now Mack prepares to transfer, as do many other athletes at the school. He'll have to learn a new system, find a new home and settle in at his fourth college — Mack attended two junior colleges before enrolling at Saint Paul's. In an effort to recruit Saint Paul's elite athletes, a number of schools...

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Pursuing QBs and criminals

Former Cavalier working on gridiron and DEA career

Winston Salem, N.C. - At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, Justin Kee is built to enforce justice on a football field.

In his freshman year at Winston-Salem State, Kee did some of that, and he’ll likely do much more of it through the next three falls. More importantly, he’s already working toward the same mission in the classroom.

Kee, a 2009 Lakeland graduate, earned an All-CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) Scholar-Athlete award for the 2010-11 school year as he’s maintained a 3.0-plus GPA throughout the year. Kee, a defensive lineman for the Rams, is a Justice Studies major with the goal of becoming a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.

“That’s exactly what I’m aiming for. I like learning about the justice system a lot and I’ve started looking at the things I want to do if I go to work for the DEA,” Kee said.

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JCSU football scrambles for Sept. 3 game

Golden Bulls look to replace St. Paul's College

Charlotte, N.C. - Wanted: One opponent for Johnson C. Smith’s Sept. 3 football season opener. Apply immediately.

The Golden Bulls are in negotiations with multiple schools to fill a hole opened by St. Paul’s decision earlier this month to shut down its athletics program. Neither JCSU Athletics Director Steve Joyner nor head coach Steve Aycock would identify the schools contacted, but suggested a deal could be struck by next week to remain on a 10-game schedule.

“Nothing is concrete yet,” Aycock said.  JCSU has contacted three non-CIAA schools about Sept. 3, including at least one Division I program, Joyner and Aycock said. The others are Division II teams. Schools in the South Atlantic, West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic conferences are in immediate proximity to Smith.

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Navy SEALs push CIAA athletes to get mentally tough

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Five teams of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association athletes hit the water and scaled walls as part of their training in April at the U.S. Navy SEALs’ Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Chowan University, Saint Paul’s College, Bowie State University, Saint Augustine’s College and Virginia State University players all got a taste of the rigors of training with the SEALs in a 12-foot-deep, Olympic-size pool and on the Naval Special Warfare Group 2 Confidence Course, a 17-station land obstacle course.

The training—part of a “Mental Toughness, Never Quit” campaign conducted by the SEALs for CIAA schools—occurred April 16-17. The event was a follow-up to on-campus seminars at the CIAA schools in February and March.



The “Mental Toughness, Never Quit” program, focusing on schools in the CIAA—the nation’s oldest black athletic conference, established in 1912—was developed as part of the Naval Special Warfare’s effort to attract top minority talent. More than 1,000 athletes from 11 schools attended the on-campus “Mental Toughness” seminars.

The goal of “Mental Toughness, Never Quit”—which includes goal-setting, visualization, positive self talk and 4x4x4 breathing skills—is to provide valuable training to athletes while making them aware of potential career opportunities within the SEAL Teams. The SEALs provided players with a unique look into how mental preparation is essential to winning.

Navy SEALs are a special breed of warrior who conduct special operations in any environment, but who are uniquely trained and equipped to operate from, around and in maritime areas. SEALs take their name from the environments in which they are trained to operate: sea, air and land. Their small highly trained teams usually work quietly at night conducting some of the nation's most important missions. SEALs are constantly deployed throughout the world to protect U.S. national interests.

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CIAA Board of Directors Addresses Discontinuance of Saint Paul’s College Athletics Program

Charlotte, NC -- In a closed-door meeting of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Board of Directors, the group of thirteen presidents and chancellors received a report from Saint Paul’s College President, Dr. Robert L. Satcher, Sr. of the action taken last Thursday by the SPC Board of Trustees to discontinue its athletic program.

On behalf of the CIAA Board of Directors, Chairman and Livingstone College President, Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. “received the report with sadness, but also recognizes that since the college is no longer participating in collegiate athletics, it will not continue as a member of the CIAA. In accordance with that fact, the Board acknowledges that the CIAA’s Two-Year Transfer Rule will no longer prove relevant for Saint Paul’s College student-athletes who wish to transfer to any CIAA school.”

The Two-Year Transfer Rule is instituted when a student-athlete transfers between two conference member institutions. The discontinuance of the college’s membership cancels the effect of this rule.


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Athletic Program Discontinued at Saint Paul's College

**LAWRENCEVILLE, VA — (May 09, 2011) At its recent Spring Meeting, The Saint Paul’s College Board of Trustees took a bold step towards restoring financial stability to the 123 year old historical Episcopal College. The Board resolved to discontinue the entire Athletic Program at the College, effective July 1, 2011. The Administration is establishing a time schedule for implementation of the resolution with regard to its effect on the student body and their moral responsibility to the Athletic Staff. There was no doubt that once the College becomes financially stable again, consideration would be given to reinstating the Athletic Program.

While the Board of Trustees acknowledged that some notable progress has been made in the financial affairs under the current administration, in that the College has achieved a balanced budget twice in the last three years; however, the longstanding financial problems have yet to be remedied. Also, the U. S. Department of Education and the accrediting agency, SACSCOC have acknowledged some improvement in the financial affairs of the College.

Meanwhile, Dr. Robert L. Satcher, Sr., President and his Executive Cabinet have begun establishing a time schedule for the College to implement a full-scale Intramural Program for its students.

The 123-year old school fielded 7 men's and women's teams and was a member of the CIAA.

CIAA Statement Regarding Saint Paul’s College Athletic Department Dissolution

Hampton, VA -- It is with much sadness that the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has learned of the dissolution of the athletic program at St. Paul’s College. The CIAA remains dedicated to the welfare of each affected student-athlete and will make every effort to protect their interests.

In anticipation of the discussion of this matter at the CIAA Board of Directors’ meeting slated for this week, the conference and Commissioner will wait to make any official comment until after its conclusion.

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** From Saint Paul's College Press Release

Virginia State win PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship

In Division II, Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., brought home its first-ever division title, defeating Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., by seven strokes. Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University finished alone in third place overall.

Virginia State Head Coach Jeff Hamilton was pleased with his team's performance. "This came all the way down to the wire and my kids played well enough to win," said Hamilton, in his fifth year as head coach. "It is always a battle with teams like Fayetteville State University and Lincoln University. It will be another battle next year, too."

John Cole of Fayetteville State University was the Division II medalist, finishing with a 220 three-day total.

Men's Team Division II
1. Virginia State  (+63) 315-307-305--927
Stephen Genchi 78-77-75--230
Stuart Larus 82-78-77--237
Brian Wood 77-76-78--231
Mike Swope 87-76-80--243
Rashad Hunt 78-81-75--234

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Ex-Warrior baseball standout happy to help WSSU to first-ever title

Coach Kevin Ritsche 

GASTONIA, N.C. — Usually when a college or university starts up an athletic program, their coaches, players and fans simply hope to be competitive. So imagine what Winston-Salem University coaches, players and fans think of their Rams winning a CIAA tournament title in their first season fielding a baseball team in 37 years?

“People are really excited and happy,” said former East Gaston High standout Jordan Graham. “But when we got together last fall, we felt we could have a good team.”

But few could’ve imagined winning the school’s first-ever CIAA championship, which also means the Rams will make their first-ever NCAA Division in two weeks. That is, except for the WSSU players themselves.

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Livingstone cross country/track and field student-athlete scores perfect 4.0

Winnie Chepchumba
3-Time All-CIAA Track and Field

For some young adults, going to college out of state would be too difficult. Try out of continent.

Winnie Chepchumba, 24, is from Kenya in East Africa. But for the past four years she didn’t let missing her family stop her from working hard to earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

When she marches into Alumni Memorial Stadium this morning with fellow members of the Class of 2011, she’ll do so as salutatorian and with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

“I feel great about being the salutatorian,” Chepchumba said. “I’m very proud of my accomplishments.”

Chepchumba transferred to Livingstone College after one year at Central Connecticut State University. She left Central Connecticut because it was just too cold for her in New England. Even though Salisbury offered a much warmer climate, Chepchumba wasn’t sure Livingstone would be a good fit at first.

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Two NC High School standouts sign with Johnson C. Smith

Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball program has announced the signing of Reginald LaTrez Shuford and Marcus Walker for the 2011-12 season.

Reginald LaTrez Shuford also known as Trez Shuford is a 6'3, 170 lbs, point guard from nearby Hickory, North Carolina. Shuford played for Shawn Johnson at Hickory High School. In his senior year, Shuford led the Red Tornadoes to a 26-4 overall and 11-1 league record. He received all-conference and all-district honors for performance on the hardwood.


Videographer: tw56059

Shuford has been described as an athletic-slasher with great ball handling ability. He has a solid inside jumper, but like most young player could use more work. Shuford will have a familiar face in the backcourt; he and sophomore guard Trevin Parks (Hickory, NC) were teammates at Hickory High.

“We're excited to have this young man come abroad; because of the versatility and rotation options he may provide,” said head men's basketball coach Stephen Joyner, Sr. “Shuford is a good rebounder at his position, he gets up and down the floor well, and make good decisions with the basketball. He should immediately challenge our current guards for playing time and may allow us to move Trevin to the two-guard position in some situations.”

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Videographer: tueforumclt; JC Smith spearheads corridor renewal. Torrey Feimster and Malcolm Graham from Johnson C. Smith University address the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Forum April 19, 2011. In this segment, Graham describes five J.C. Smith initiatives in the Beatties Ford Corridor all running concurrently, some with near-term completion dates. 

Pierce leads Saint Augustine's Falcon in CIAA finale

Joe Pierce is putting the finishing touches on a career that began with shoulder pads, but ended with spikes aluminum. “I was recruited for football,” said Pierce, a graduate of Wetumpka High (near Montgomery, AL). “It didn’t work out, so I tried out for baseball. Ever since then, that’s all I’ve been playing.”

Pierce capped his senior season at Division II Saint Augustine College with commanding performance during the 2011 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association baseball tournament. The senior Falcon was one of five chosen as part of the All-Tournament team.

“This was a pretty good year for us,” said Pierce. “We started off slow, but got everything together.” The No. 2 seeded Falcons (36-18) dropped back-to-back games (7-6, 3-0) to conference newcomer Winston-Salem.

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WSSU's Corders waiting for chance at the NFL

Juan Corders of Winston-Salem State hasn't made an appearance in any of the endless mock drafts on the internet. But he still hopes for the chance to make an NFL roster.

Corders, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end from Durham, has spent the past several months working hard to get noticed. He graduated from WSSU in December with a double major in business management and marketing. He also played in two HBCU all-star games, and he plans to keep his cell phone close in the coming days.



"At one of the all-star games, there were some scouts showing interest," said Corders, an All-CIAA selection last season. "I've got nothing concrete, but I feel like something will come along after the draft, and I'll get a shot."

Corders participated in the NFL Pro Day at Wake Forest in March and did fairly well, bench-pressing 225 pounds 21 times and running the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds.

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Saint Augustine's Falcons Release 2011 Football Schedule

Raleigh, N.C. - Five home games highlight the 2011 Saint Augustine's College football schedule which was released Tuesday.

The Falcons are looking to build off last season's 9-2 record and second-place finish in the CIAA's Southern Division. They capped the 2010 year by defeating Fort Valley State 20-9 to take home the Pioneer Bowl title. The nine victories set a modern school record for season wins.

Led by Head Coach Michael Costa, the Falcons host Catawba in the season opener on Sept. 3. They hit the road the next two weeks with games against New Haven on Sept. 10 and Saint Paul's on Sept. 17. The contest versus Saint Paul's kicks off the CIAA portion of the schedule.

The Falcons return home Sept. 24 to play Lincoln (Pa.) before hitting the road again to visit Fayetteville State on Oct. 1. They finish the second half of their schedule with three of the final five games at home starting with Winston-Salem State on Oct. 8. The Falcons step out of conference for the final time during the season for an Oct. 15 matchup against West Georgia.

The homecoming game will be Oct. 22 against Johnson C. Smith followed by an Oct. 29 home contest against Livingstone. The Falcons wrap up the regular season against crosstown nemesis Shaw on Nov. 5 at Durham County Stadium, which is the host site of the CIAA Championship Game on Nov. 12.

2011 Saint Augustine's College Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Time
9/3/11	CATAWBA	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
9/10/11	at New Haven	West Haven, CT	1:00 p.m.
9/17/11	*at Saint Paul's	Lawrenceville, VA	1:00 p.m.
9/24/11	*LINCOLN (PA.)	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
10/1/11	*at Fayetteville State	Fayetteville, NC	6:00 p.m.
10/8/11	*WINSTON-SALEM STATE	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
10/15/11	at West Georgia	Carrollton, GA	2:00 p.m.
10/22/11	*JOHNSON C. SMITH#	RALEIGH, NC	2:00 p.m.
10/29/11	*LIVINGSTONE	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
11/5/11	*at Shaw	Durham, NC	1:00 p.m.
11/12/11	CIAA Championship	Durham, NC	1:00 p.m.

*CIAA Games

# - Homecoming


By Saint Augustine's College Sports Information Office
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Virginia Union: NFL draft holds hope for ex-South Meck star

David Mims

The NFL draft is a strange way to enter the workforce. Imagine watching ESPN Saturday and hearing that in the fifth round you've been selected by Presbyterian Hospital, Duke Energy or Charlotte Magazine. Don't you wish it were Sunday, and the draft had ended, and you knew what would come next?

"No," says David Mims. "I want to see how it plays out."

Mims, 23, was an All-Southwestern 4A offensive tackle at South Mecklenburg High and three times All-CIAA and twice Division II All-America at Virginia Union. He guesses he'll be selected Saturday in the fifth round of the NFL draft. His agent, Greg Linton, hopes for the fifth round.

Linton works for Hall of Fame Sports out of Canton, Ohio. Mims and his mother Regina and father Davvie and an uncle and an 80-year-old grandmother and few close relatives and friends will fly to Canton Friday morning.

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JCSU: The few. The proud. The champs

The seeds of Johnson C. Smith’s track and field championship were sown four years ago.

That’s when first-year Lennox Graham brought in world-class sprinters from his native Jamaica, Leford Green on the men’s side and Shermaine Williams on the women’s. From there, the Golden Bulls added pieces to the foundation, which bore fruit last week with the school’s first CIAA women’s title. Green won his third straight most valuable award with 33 individual points and JCSU’s men scored 119 points to finish second to national power St. Augustine’s with 176.5.

“I had two pretty good recruits,” Graham said. “I thought...

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Saint Augustine's Men Win Track Title Again

Saint Augustine's Coach George Williams

For the 14th straight season, and 28th time in the past 29 years, St. Augustine's won the CIAA men's outdoor track and field championship on Sunday.

At Petersburg, Va., the Falcons men accumulated 176.5 points over the two-day event. Johnson C. Smith finished in second place with 119 points. Winston-Salem State was third with 106. On the women's side, Johnson C. Smith (153 points) won its first CIAA title. Winston-Salem State (129) was second and St. Aug's (105.5) third.

The Falcons dominated the jumping and sprinting events, leading to the victory. Men's field MVP Orlando Duffus won the long jump (7.44 meters) and the triple jump (14.98 meters), and Christopher Copeland took the high jump (2.16 meters).

Falcons Take Home 14th Straight CIAA Men's Outdoor Track Crown

PETERSBURG, Va. - Defending NCAA Division II champion Saint Augustine's College took home its 14th straight CIAA men's outdoor track and field title Saturday on the campus of Virginia State.

The Falcons have won the men's outdoor crown 31 of the last 33 years under legendary head coach George Williams. They won this year's championship behind CIAA Field MVP Orolando Duffus (Sr./St. Catherine, Jamaica.), who won the long jump and triple jump in addition to placing fourth in the high jump.

Duffus, the 2010 CIAA male scholar-athlete of the year, scored 25 points for the Falcons, who finished first with 176.50 points. Johnson C. Smith was second with 119 points and Winston-Salem State was third with 106 points.

The Falcons perform traditionally well in the sprints and jumps, and this year was no different. Ramon Gittens (Sr./St. Thomas, Barbados) won the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, and Jason Boyd (Jr./Waycross, Ga.) won the 110-meter hurdles Saturday. The Falcons were first in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays. On Friday, Christopher Copeland (Jr./Suffolk, Va.) was the high jump winner.

Led by Gittens, the Falcons placed four sprinters in the top seven in the 100. Sean Stuart (Soph./Miramir, Fla.) was third, Marquis White was fifth and Julius West (Soph./Washington, D.C.) was seventh. In the 400, Josh Edmonds (Fr./Jacksonville, Fla.) was second, Kelly Fisher (Jr./Tinton Falls, N.J.) was fifth and James Quarles (Fr./Washington, D.C.) sixth.

Results

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Saint Augustine’s College Recovery and Restoration Fund

A tornado ravaged Saint Augustine’s College’s campus, leaving in its wake a significant amount of damage and changing the face of the historic grounds. But, in true Falcon spirit, we worked to restore a sense of normalcy in a matter of days after the storm.

There is still much work left to do. Your gift to the recovery fund will provide assistance in restoring the campus to its historic beauty.

Make your gift to the Saint Augustine’s College Recovery and Restoration Fund c/o North State Bank, 4270 The Circle at North Hills, Raleigh, NC 27609.

You can also mail your gift to Saint Augustine’s College Office of Institutional Advancement and Development, 1315 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27610.

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Fort alumnus Carroll earns CIAA top coach award

Coach Aaron Carroll

PETERSBURG, VA — Chowan University head baseball coach Aaron Carroll has been named 2011 CIAA Coach of the Year. Carroll was awarded the honor at the CIAA ceremony on the campus of Virginia State University this past week before the start of the conference tournament.

Carroll, a Fort Defiance High School graduate, led Chowan to a 29-14 overall record in the regular season, the most wins the program has had since the 2008 campaign. The Hawks earned the top seed in the CIAA tournament after compiling a 25-3 conference record, but were eliminated from the tournament Saturday. Chowan finished the year with a 30-16 record.

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WSSU wins CIAA tournament

PETERSBURG, Va. -- Winston-Salem State defeated St. Augustine's twice Saturday, 7-6 and 3-0, to win the CIAA tournament championship and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

WSSU (30-19) had to win the first game to force the second in the double-elimination tournament after losing 3-2 to St. Aug's in Thursday's opener. The Rams took a 7-2 lead in the first game, then survived a four-run rally by the Falcons (36-18).

Reliever John Markley struck out Kevin White with the tying run on third and the winning run on second to end the game, and Andrew Smith went 3 for 5. In the second game, Markley (5-3) pitched seven shutout innings, and Brice Rivenbark pitched the last two for his second save of the year. Markley allowed three hits, struck out four and walked three.

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Spruill signs with Elizabeth City State University

HERTFORD, N.C. — Dustin Spruill has decided to play college baseball for the coach who remained most loyal to him. The Perquimans catcher, a Division I prospect until 11th grade when rotator cuff surgery scared off recruiters, has signed with Elizabeth City State.

While there were still some other suitors out there, Spruill wants to play for Vikings coach Terrance Whittle.

“He’s the one coach who has stuck with me all the way,” Spruill said. “He’s willing to give me a chance, even with my shoulder. I really want to thank him for that opportunity. “A lot of guys in my situation wouldn’t get a second chance.”

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Shaw Bears: Out Of The Wreckage In Raleigh, A Hero Emerges

LaMichael Howell,
Mobile, Alabama

Raleigh, N.C. - Faced with an emergency, a lot of us run away. But some of us run towards. That's what LaMichael Howell did this week when a tornado tore up his college campus.

Howell, a three-year captain of the Shaw University football team in Raleigh, N.C., was planning dinner with friends in his off-campus apartment Monday afternoon when the power went out. Moments later, the lights came back on and the news came in: a tornado had blown through the area and done catastrophic damage.

Howell decided to drive to campus to see for himself. And he'll never forget what he encountered.

"The student union was a wreck," says the 23-year-old senior. "Power lines were down. I couldn't see. Every turn you made, you had to turn back around. Trees everywhere. Dumpsters turned upside down."

Images from the Storm's Aftermath
Local Bank Establishes Shaw Relief Fund

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To help, make your tax deductible check payable to Shaw University Disaster Relief Fund, Mechanics and Farmers Bank, 13 E. Hargett Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.