NSU to play for MEAC baseball title today

NSU Coach Claudell Clark

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Freshman Justin Bhatti tossed a four-hitter and senior outfielder John Rasberry (Greenbrier Christian) drove in a season-high four runs to send No. 4 seed Norfolk State to today's MEAC baseball tournament championship round with a 9-3 win over No. 2 Delaware State in the losers' bracket final on Friday night.

NSU (24-28) will face top-seeded Bethune-Cookman at 2 p.m. The Wildcats topped the Spartans 8-0 earlier Friday. NSU must beat Bethune-Cookman twice today to capture its first MEAC baseball title. The Spartans will be making their fifth MEAC championship-round appearance, and first since 2008.

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FAMU athletic director outlines future ideas at national alumni conference

ORLANDO — Florida A&M athletic director Derek Horne outlined his strategy for improving attendance and making the Rattlers' teams more competitive, while pleading with alumni for financial support that is necessary to make the programs flourish.

Horne, who eight months ago became FAMU's athletic director, made his pitch Thursday morning during FAMU's National Alumni Association conference at the Rosen Center. He also promised "radical changes," and said he hopes to be the school's AD for the long haul.

Winning championships and improving facilities are two of the major changes he promised. But he warned that a complete turnaround won't happen overnight.


Videographer: FAMUTube1887;

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2011 MEAC Baseball Championship Tournament

Please click each hyperlink below to read each article on subject MEAC baseball game.

Wed, May 18 BSB Delaware State Maryland Eastern Shore at Daytona Beach, Fla. 10 a.m. 5 - 0

Wed, May 18 Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M . 2 p.m. 18 - 5

Wed, May 18 BSB Norfolk State North Carolina A&T 6 p.m. 14 - 4

Thu, May 19  Maryland Eastern Shore Florida A&M 10 a.m. 11 - 6

Thu, May 19  Delaware State   Norfolk State 2 p.m. 1 - 11

Thu, May 19  North Carolina A&T Maryland Eastern Shore 6 p.m. 11 - 1

Fri, May 20 North Carolina A&T Delaware State at Daytona Beach, Fla. 10 a.m.

Fri, May 20 Bethune-Cookman Norfolk State at Daytona Beach, Fla. 2 p.m.

Bold: Winners

MEAC Baseball Tournament: Live Blog

The college baseball post season is underway as the MEAC is having its baseball tournament in sunny Daytona Beach, FL.

An automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is on the line as the winner of the tournament will advance to the Big dance. Bethune Cookman has won this tournament five straight times and is again the favorite to win it all this year.

The Wildcats went 18-0 in the regular season in MEAC games. On Wednesday they continued to dominate with an 18-5 win over arch rival ....

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B-CU going for 6th straight MEAC crown

Daytona Beach, FL - Bethune-Cookman has a lot at stake in the first-round game of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament at 2 p.m. today. When the Wildcats take the field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark vs. Florida A&M, they will begin their defense of a conference championship they have won five consecutive years.

The Cats' are going for their sixth straight MEAC title and 13th overall.

Bethune-Cookman finished the season 32-22 overall and 18-0 in conference. It is the Wildcats' second straight 18-0 season in conference and their third undefeated season since 2006 when they went 15-0. The Wildcats have only lost four conference games since 2006 and they currently have an NCAA record of 43-straight wins against conference opponents. The last time the Wildcats dropped a conference game was May 2, 2009, at home against Delaware State.


Videographer: GILVIDEO7

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REPEAT! Cats Down DSU In 8 For 2nd Straight MEAC Title

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - So what if we didn't get the picture-perfect storybook ending? Any extra-inning victory with a walk-off single like Bethune-Cookman's 5-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship game decision over Delaware State Sunday morning still makes a dang good read.

Michelle Banuelos-Smith`s bases-loaded, no-out single to right drove in pinch runner Bianca Savulak for the game-winner as the Wildcats (33-24) won their second straight league championship and NCAA regional berth. B-CU will learn its destination tonight at 10 p.m. when ESPNU broadcasts the selection show.

B-CU worked its way through the loser's bracket to win the title, enduring a three-hour delay on Friday and then having this game postponed from Saturday.

"We like to compete and that's a great attribute to have," said B-CU coach Chris Cochran. "Our seniors and younger players are in the top third tier when it comes to attitude. When things are going good, the players are great and when things are bad, the players are great. I'm happy for the players because winning the championship twice in two years is not easy to do. "

Cochran garnered her second Tournament Outstanding Coach award along with senior Allison Garcia for Outstanding Player. Banuelos-Smith joined Garcia on the All-tournament team.



Videographer: TheOProductions1907; 2011 Bethune Cookman University Commencement - Dr Al Sharpton

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Florida Classic to stay in Orlando through 2015

ORLANDO, FL -- Bethune-Cookman University President Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed and Florida A&M University President Dr. James H. Ammons, in concert with the Florida Classic Consortium, announced today that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has signed on to become the title sponsor for the annual football game between the two schools, as well as title sponsor of Battle of the Bands. The Consortium has also agreed to an extension with Florida Citrus Sports that will keep the game at Orlando’s Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium for the next five years.

The agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is for three years with an option to renew in years four and five. During that term, the game will be known as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Florida Classic, while the Battle will now be called Florida Blue Battle of the Bands.


Videographer: andremc69

The Florida Classic began in 1978 and has spent the last 17 years in Orlando. Since its move to Orlando in 1997, this annual clash between these two Historical Black Colleges and Universities has averaged more than 66,000 at the Citrus Bowl. The game has been a regular on national television -- the ESPN network of stations since 2005.

Due in large part to these strong attendance numbers and the number of people traveling to Orlando for the week leading up to the game, the Florida Classic generated an estimated $31 million in economic impact for Central Florida last year.



VIDEO: B-CU and FAMU renew rivalry in Orlando

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Champions are crowned at PGA Minority Collegiate Championship

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Bethune-Cookman University's men's team and the University of Texas-Pan American's women's team captured Division I titles Sunday in the 25th PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship presented by Brown Capital Management. The 54-hole Championship was contested at PGA Golf Club.

The Bethune-Cookman men's team, which held a six-stroke lead heading into the final round, finished with an 887 total, 12 strokes ahead of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas. Savannah (Ga.) State University finished in third place overall in the division.

Matthew McKnight led the Wildcats and was also the Division I medalist, firing a final-round 71 for a 1-under-par 215 total.

"The team played solid all week, we kicked it into gear today and it feels so good to win this title," said McKnight, who was playing in his first Minority Championship. "I was able to keep my game steady all week and to do this for my team makes it that much more special."

PGA Professional Scooter Clark, in his first year as head coach at Bethune-Cookman, was proud of his team's accomplishment.

Final-Round Photo Gallery

Second-Round Photo Gallery

Championship field 

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B-CU 'Cats extend MEAC win streak to 43

DAYTONA BEACH -- Senior Joey Munoz couldn't remember the last time Bethune-Cookman lost a baseball game to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival. Fellow senior Chris Anselmo, a junior college transfer, has never experienced a MEAC loss.

The Wildcats won their 43rd consecutive game against MEAC competition and finished undefeated in the conference for the second straight season Sunday with a 9-4 victory over Delaware State at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

"To say I'm proud of what these guys have accomplished doesn't even begin to tell the story," said B-CU coach Mervyl Melendez, whose squad improved to 32-20 and finished 18-0 in the conference for the second straight year.

Perfect Again: Wildcats Top Delaware State to Go 18-0 in Consecutive Seasons

B-CU Coach Mervyl Melendez

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Wildcats definitely came to play as they wrapped up both the Delaware State series in a sweep, and the MEAC regular season with another perfect 18-0 record, Sunday at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Bethune-Cookman extended their current win streak against conference opponents to an NCAA all-time record of 43 games, while making it consecutive perfect seasons in MEAC play. The Wildcats used three big innings to push past the Hornets, coming away with the 9-4 victory on Senior Day.

Donning their pink-tinged uniforms in honor of the Mother’s Day holiday, the Wildcats celebrated their eight outgoing seniors in a ceremony prior to the game. In the spirit of the holiday, ceremonial first pitches were thrown out by the wives of Head Coach Mervyl Melendez and Associate Head Coach Jose Vazquez, Aixa Melendez and Janna Vazquez.

“We’re grateful for their contributions to this program,” Melendez said of his seniors, “there was a whole lot of dedication and time that they have put in to accomplish the things we have accomplished as a team. To say that I am thankful is an understatement.”

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Howard Bison Dominate UMES Hawks, 15-5

WASHINGTON, DC – Marissa Coats knocked in six runs as the Howard University softball team dominated Maryland Eastern Shore (7-40, 2-13 MEAC) 15-5 in five innings on Sun. May 8 at Banneker Field. The Bison conclude the regular season 16-26 and 8-7 in conference play.

Samantha Gatson collected the win on the mound – fanning two batters and giving up six hits. Coats led the Bison at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored and six RBI.

HU started the game strong – erupting for seven runs in the bottom of the opening inning. Coats’ homerun quickly gave the Bison a 3-0 advantage with no outs. Christine Sborz hit a two-run double which drove in Andascha Moore and Rebecca Kirshner. Subsequently, a run by Sborz and Brittany Barker gave Howard a comfortable 7-0 cushion heading into the top of the second.

The Hawks tried to chip into the advantage, but only managed two hits and a run to cut it to 7-1. The Bison exploded with eight more runs in the bottom of the frame – highlighted by Cierra Gordon’s three-run homer to push the spread to 11-1. Gordon, who was held hitless the previous game, went 2-for-3 at bat with a run scored and five RBI. Coats also notched her second homerun of the game in the inning.

In the fourth inning, Charlise Castro homered to give the Hawks their second run. After posting 11 hits in the first three innings, the Bison were not allowed any hits in the bottom of the fourth. UMES added three more runs in the fifth, but fell short as the game ended via mercy rule at the conclusion of the top of the frame.

Howard softball now shits its focus to the upcoming MEAC Tournament held in Ormond Beach, Fla. from May 12-14.

BOX SCORE

By Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
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Norfolk State takes MEAC track titles

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Norfolk State's men's and women's track and field team's won the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.

The Norfolk State women tallied 140 points to win their first MEAC Outdoor title, second overall, since 2001. The championship also marks the first time that both men's and women's programs won an outdoor title during the same year since 2001.

Defending champion Hampton finished second with 139 points while North Carolina A&T finished third with 124 points. S.C. State was fourth with 73 points.

Spartan Women Win 1st MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Title Since 2001

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Six event victories Saturday propelled the Spartan women’s track & field team to its first MEAC outdoor championship since 2001 at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T.

The Spartan women edged Hampton by one point, giving NSU a sweep of the men’s and women’s outdoor titles – the first time since 2001 a MEAC team has accomplished the feat. That year, it was also the Spartans who achieved that accomplishment.

Coach Ronda Berard was named the MEAC Outdoor Most Outstanding Coach for leading the Spartans to victory.

Final Results

Spartan Men Clinch 6th Straight MEAC Track Sweep

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Norfolk State men’s track & field team breezed to its sixth straight MEAC outdoor championship to pull off a sixth straight indoor-outdoor sweep on Saturday at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T.

The Spartans tallied 162 points and scored in 15 of the weekend’s 19 events to top second-place Maryland Eastern Shore by 25 points. NSU men's coach Kenneth Giles was named the MEAC Outdoor Most Outstanding Coach.

The Spartans posted two first-place finishes on Saturday. Sean Holston clocked his best time ever in the 400 meters, running a 46.00 to win the gold medal. Aramis Massenburg followed up his PR in Friday’s 110 hurdle semis with another strong effort in the final, running a 13.89 to take the gold medal in that event.

Final Results

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Johnson Homers Twice and Pitches One-Hitter in Howard's Final Home Series

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senior Emily Johnson led the Howard softball team in their series opener against Maryland Eastern Shore, knocking out two home runs and holding UMES (7-39, 2-12 MEAC) to one hit to land HU (16-24, 7-7 MEAC) the 9-1 win.

Johnson opened and closed the first game with a home run and went 3-for-4 at the plate and tallied 3 RBI. Shortstop Rebecca Kirshner also came up big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3.

Kirshner also tacked on 3 RBI of her own in HU’s game-defining third inning on a triple, where she scored Johnson, centerfielder Lorae Robinson – both of which reached base on bunt singles – as well as Marisa Coats. Prior to Kirshner’s triple, second baseman Trina Kindred led off the inning with a double and scored on Johnson’s bunt. Kirshner and Ciera Gordon scored the final two runs of the six-run inning.

After being on pace to landing her first no-hitter of the season, UMES spoiled Johnson’s run on the mound with their first hit of the game in the fifth inning. In the same inning, UMES scored their lone run of the game on the single, error and a wild pitch.

In all, Johnson finished the opening game with six strikeouts allowed one hit, one run and zero walks in her 5.2 innings of work.

In game two, Robinson got Howard on the board first with a grand slam, putting the Lady Bison up 4-0 in the second inning. Robinson’s grand slam came in back-to-back series as she blasted one last weekend against Morgan State. Robinson went on to notch two additional hits in the remainder of the game.

Despite leading UMES four runs, the Lady Bison spent the rest of the game playing catch up to their MEAC opponent after allowing eight runs in the third inning. The Lady Bison rallied two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth, but were unable to overcome UMES’s lead. Howard came up one run short as they dropped the game, 9-8.

Seniors Carly Martin and Johnson split the mound and each allowed five hits. Martin walked one, struck out two and was credited with the loss. Johnson struck out three batters and gave up two runs in her four innings in the circle.

Freshman Brittany Barker, senior Christine Sborz and Kirshner were notable performers at the plate in the loss, posting a two hits a piece.

The Lady Bison softball team will look to take the series against the Lady Hawks tomorrow at noon in their final game of the season. Visit www.howard-bison.com for more information on the Howard softball team.

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
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Howard University Softball Salutes Senior Class

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Saturday, May 7 the Howard softball team will honor four of their graduating seniors in the team’s season finale against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponent Maryland-Eastern Shore. Playing in their final home game of their career are seniors Jessica Hurston, Emily Johnson, Carly Martin and Christine Sborz.

Jessica Hurston (Pitcher, Wallingford, Conn., Mark T. Sheean H.S.)
Despite sitting out her senior season as a result of injury, Hurston has posted a colorful career as a member of the Howard softball team. In her freshman year she made 14 appearances on the mound and started in half of those appearances. She posted a 4-2 record in her first year with the Bison and garnered a save. Also in her first year, she posted a career-best of 29 strikeouts and by the end of her junior season she tallied 62 in total. Entering into her senior season she generated a 13-13 record, pitched 147.0 innings and garnered 19 starts in the circle. At the plate Hurston recorded a 0.393 career batting average, and recorded another career best in her freshman year with a .500 batting average in her 20 games of play.

Emily Johnson (Pitcher/OF, Jacksonville, Fla., Paxon School for Advanced Studies)
Entering into her final season with the Lady Bison, Johnson recorded 99 hits, 61 RBI, successfully stole 17-of-21 bases, scored 81 runs and boasted a 0.314 batting average. In her first three seasons she tallied 16 doubles, four triples and 11 home runs. Her junior year proved to be a breakout season in the pitcher’s circle as she delivered a 2.77 ERA, posted a career-high of three saves, which ranked her No. 28 in the nation, and won 7-of-10 games that she started. In that year she pitched 96 innings and struck out 110 batters. During her senior year Johnson has been stellar at the plate and on the mound as she struck out the most batters in a game for the Lady Bison this season with 10 against Bowie State (March 30, 2011) and is currently on an 11-game hitting streak, marking the longest streak of the year for the Bison. In her last year she led the Howard in batting average (.415), slugging percentage (.732), on base percentage (.468), triples (2), homers (5), walks (10), and also in pitching with ERA (4.99) and batters struck out (60).

Carly Martin (Pitcher/OF, Hanover, Md., Seton Keough H.S.)
As one of Howard’s leaders on the mound, Martin started in 49 games, made 74 appearances, and produced 23 wins throughout her career. Martin’s senior season came with many successes, notably when she recorded a 0.00 ERA and struck out three batters in HU’s 6-0 win over George Mason, making her the first Bison to bring forth a shutout win in the 2010-11 season. Martin was also recognized as the MEAC Pitcher of the Week (April 4-April 10) for tallying a 1.00 ERA against Coppin State and she went on to tie a then-season-best of four strikeouts for the fourth time. A day later against Coppin State she broke her season-best in strikeouts and took down an astounding seven batters. To date the senior has totaled 164 strikeouts and leads the Bison with most wins this season with eight.

Christine Sborz (Catcher, McLean, Va., Bishop Ireton H.S./Brevard C.C.)
After transferring to Howard her junior year, Sborz has posted 55 runs, 34 RBI, 93 hits and generated an honorable .314 batting average. During her senior year she posted a remarkable 14 doubles – the most posted by a Bison this season – a triple and two homers. Her .326 batting average earned her the No. 5 ranking on the team and she is currently slated third on the team in hits this year with 43, and is ranked fourth on the team in slugging percentage (.492) and runs scored (19). Sborz also tabbed a season-high of three hits on two occasions, first against Bowie State on March 30, 2011 and again against George Mason on April 6, 2011. Currently, Sborz is third on the team with most games with multiple hits (12). As the anchor behind the plate, Sborz has posted a 98.3 fielding percentage, slating her second-best for the Bison in that category, and has also caught 10 runners stealing.

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
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It's Official! Clemon Johnson Resigns to Coach Division I FAMU

After four seasons at the helm of the University of Alaska Fairbanks men's basketball team, head coach Clemon Johnson is stepping down to take a Division I head coaching job at his alma mater, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).

Johnson finishes with a 28-74 overall record with the Nanooks (NCAA Division II).

Alaska fell just short of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs this season after finishing 8-17 (5-13 GNAC). He also recruited and coached the 2010-11 Ron Lenz National Player of the Year, Parrish West.

"The best part of my job is watching student-athletes go on to distinguished careers and seeing staff members pursue their dreams and move on to exciting professional opportunities,” Alaska Director of Athletics Forrest Karr said. “I couldn't be happier for Clem and his family."

Johnson played for FAMU from 1974-1978, during which time he set rebounding records for a single game (25), a season (412) and a career (1,494). Those records still stand, and he still ranks in the top-twenty in scoring with 1,381 points.

“The opportunity to return home is another blessed moment in my life,” Johnson said. “The departure from UAF is a bittersweet moment. I felt the incoming class and the returning players would recreate the stir heard during earlier years in the GNAC.

“But coming home to Florida A&M University allows me to continue my growth in my desired profession on another level. The past four years has been a great learning experience for my coaching and life development. The athletic staff, my coaching staff and administrators have provided guidance, patience, encouragement and knowledge.”



FAMU Head Basketball Coach Clem Johnson
(Photos courtesy of University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics)

After graduating from FAMU with a degree in economics, Johnson was drafted to the NBA by the Portland Trailblazers in the second round of the 1978 draft. He played 761 professional games with four different teams, including the Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and Seattle Supersonics.

Johnson retired from the NBA in 1988 and went on to play five years of professional basketball in Italy.

He then began coaching at the high school level in Florida before taking on a coaching internship with the Atlanta Hawks in 2006 and eventually making his way to Fairbanks the next year.

Last season, FAMU finished 12-20 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They made the MEAC tournament, but lost 87-85 to Maryland Eastern Shore in the first round.

Alaska's head coaching position is posted on UAKjobs.com, NCAA.org and on various college coaching websites. The position will remain posted through Tuesday, May 17. A final decision will be announced by the end of May.

“It is with this presentation of support that I move forward confident of the job I retired for 18 years ago,” Johnson said. “I will always be grateful to Fairbanks and UAF.”

Courtesy University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

Author: Nick Steyn

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Florida A&M track and field team gets boost from Rattlers' football players

Brian Tyms wanted to be a better basketball player in high school, so he ran track at Fort Lauderdale's Dillard High School. Hundreds of miles away, Jeremy Tillman figured that being on the Brandon High School track team would improve his football game.

Both Tyms and Tillman are now wide receivers on the Florida A&M football team, and not surprisingly, they're on the Rattlers' track and field team as well. Obviously, they want the cardiovascular advantage that running and jumping gives them, but their reason for being on the team runs a little deeper.

They're there because of pride and a desire to help the Rattlers to at least a top-five finish at this weekend's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships. Tillman's specialty is the sprints, and Tyms competes in the high jump.



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Jasmine Lytle of New Brunswick is going to Hampton University

Coach David Six

Jasmine Lytle of New Brunswick was looking for a school that showed loyalty. As she battled through a knee injury she suffered last summer, some schools stopped pursuing her.

Hampton University never stopped recruiting the 6-1 forward and that's why she's signing a letter of intent to play for the Virgina college on Thursday.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was a close second for Lytle, and Coppin State and Long Island University were among the other schools in the hunt.

Jasmine Lytle scores 1,000th point in New Brunswick loss

Junior slasher LaRhonda Womack erupted for 30 points Monday to lift the South Plainfield High School girls basketball team past New Brunswick, 68-60, on the night Zebras senior Jasmine Lytle scored her 1,000th career point.

Jasmine Lytle Erupts For A Monster Game, 33 pts, 23 rbs, for New Brunswick High

It takes more than one player to win a basketball game, but Jasmine Lytle certainly came close. Despite outscoring the entire Sayreville High School girls basketball team 18-16 in the first half Tuesday night, the New Brunswick High School senior forward needed a boost from a teammate down the stretch.

“She’s a great player, and it’s hard to win games when a girl scores almost as much as your entire team does” Sayreville coach Tara Currie said of Lytle. “She’s an animal who lives off the boards, and we didn’t achieve our goal in limiting her.”

Jasmine Lytle of New Brunswick signs to play basketball for Hampton

Jasmine Lytle, a Second Team All-Middlesex County selection from New Brunswick, will sign a letter of intent Thursday to play basketball for Hampton University.

"Words can't explain how happy I am to have this opportunity," said Lytle, who plans to major in either business or psychology. "Hampton has been there with me since the beginning of the process and I really like their style of play. They give me a good chance to better myself as a player and academically."

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Fang Mitchell gets three more years with Coppin State University

Legendary Coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell

At 5 o'clock on a fall morning in 2009, Coppin State University basketball coach Fang Mitchell drove then-sophomore Michael Harper to the hospital for surgery on his wrist. Harper, from Milwaukee, appreciated the show of support — then and now.

When Harper finishes his college career next season for the Eagles, Mitchell will be there for him again, just like Harper would want it.

"If they were bringing in a new coach in my fourth year, it would mean a whole new system, a new personality, a different look on the team," Harper said. "Him not coming back would have been horrible."

After two months of uncertainty, Mitchell is coming back for his 26th season and more. Francine Stokes McElveen, the senior advisor to the president for legal affairs, acknowledged Tuesday that Coppin has given Mitchell a new, three-year contract that will allow the legendary 63-year-old coach to finish his career at...

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A Day in the Life of 2011 FAMU Graduate

Videographer: FAMUTUBE1887; A Day in the Life of Gregory Boler Jr., FAMU Rattlers football player and a 2011 FAMU graduate from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Watch as he makes his family proud. This is a Day in his life...


Videographer: FAMUTube1887; On Saturday, April 30, 2011, nearly 1,400 candidates graduated from Florida A&M University (FAMU). These are the students who started classes in 2007 -- the same year Dr. James H. Ammons became president of FAMU. However, before they receive their diplomas, some graduating seniors share their thoughts on Dr. Ammons and his tenure at FAMU.

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FAMU's Holcomb glad to be a Niner

Jacksonville and Green Bay promised they'd take him in the NFL Draft on Saturday. Neither one called. So Florida A&M cornerback Curtis Holcomb dozed off. It might have been because he didn't think his name would be called or he was a little worn out from shooting hoops earlier in the day to calm his nerves.

"I was trying to be patient throughout the whole process," said Holcomb, who eventually was selected by the San Francisco 49ers. He was so into his nap that he might have missed the call from the 49ers if it weren't for his best friend, who had visited from Jacksonville to be with him for the draft.

"My best friend called me and it was a surreal moment," said Holcomb on Sunday. "I didn't even know how to take that but it was a blessing."


Videographer: FAMUTUBE1887; An interview with 2011 FAMU Rattlers/S.F.49ers draftee, Cornerback Curtis Holcomb, a native of Miami, Florida and graduate of Southridge High School.

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S.C. State tennis teams get ‘reward’ with Florida rematch

Orangeburg, S.C. - Visit Hardeep Judge's office at South Carolina State University and there's an impressive display of championship glory starting at his desk.

Lined up in order on each side are 13 of the 14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title plaques won by both the men's and women's tennis teams during the head coach's tenure. Other numerous Most Outstanding Coach awards are also posted on the walls.

Given the program's championship resume, Judge was hoping Tuesday for a more favorable seeding for his teams when the NCAA released the tournament brackets. He was especially optimistic for the Lady Bulldogs, who earned key out-of-conference wins this season over West Virginia and North Carolina-Wilmington, won a seventh straight conference title and have a player, Daria Sekerina, listed in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association Top 125 rankings.

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