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.

VISIT: THE CENTRAL INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
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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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Livingstone Blue Bear Women Down St. Augustine's 84-80 In Rollercoaster Affair

Lady Blue Bear Coach Angelyne Brown

SALISBURY, NC – The Livingstone women’s basketball team battled hard Monday evening to overcome a pesky St. Augustine’s team and grab an 84-80 victory.

Livingstone (12-4, 7-2, 2-1) was led by Brittany Wright who recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 23 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out of the game. Cassaundra Rhodes also added 16 points while Jasmine Murray scored 10.

Livingstone got off to another slow start as the Falcons (11-8, 5-4, 0-3) jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead, but the Blue Bears battled back on a 7-0 run to grab a 9-8 lead with 15:20 left in the opening half. Over the next three minutes the lead changed hands four times. Livingstone found itself down two with 12:16 to go, but went on a 7-0 run to go up 18-13 with 10:28 left.

Blue Bear Coach James Stinson

Livingstone Overcomes 14-Point Deficit to Upend St. Augustine's 75-74 In Overtime

SALISBURY, NC – The Livingstone men’s basketball team erased a 14-point, second-half deficit Monday evening and defeated the St. Augustine’s Falcons 75-74 in overtime.

The Blue Bears trailed the Falcons by 14 points with 7:35 to go in game and less than four minutes later the Blue Bears had clawed their way within four with 3:59 to play. St. Augustine’s briefly regained a seven-point edge before Livingstone went on a 5-0 run to get within two with 2:44 left in regulation.

The Falcons went back up by four with 2:12 to go, before Darius Cox hit a jumper with 1:42 left and was fouled. Cox converted the free throw to bring Livingstone within one. St. Augustine’s continued to hit clutch shots down the stretch and went back up by three with 1:25 remaining. Livingstone had multiple opportunities on its next possession to score, but couldn’t. The Blue Bears fouled St. Augustine’s Darrell Glass to proceeded to miss both free throws.

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Fort Valley & St. Augustine's to Tangle in Pioneer Bowl

Fort Valley State and St. Augustine's will tangle in the 12th annual Pioneer Bowl, the CIAA and SIAC announced. The Wildcats (8-2), ranked no. 22 in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, and the Falcons (8-2) will meet Dec. 4 at A.J. McClung Stadium in Columbus, Georgia at 1 p.m.

This will be the first appearance for both schools in the Pioneer Bowl, which pits the CIAA and SIAC against each other in the only sanctioned bowl game between HBCU conferences.

Saint Augustine's will play in Pioneer Bowl

St. Augustine’s will represent the CIAA in the Pioneer Bowl in Columbus, Ga. on Dec. 4, conference commissioner Leon Kerry said Tuesday.

“I went right down the rankings and after Shaw was in the playoffs the invitation went to St. Aug’s and if they turned it down then it was going to be Winston-Salem State,” Kerry said by telephone.

St. Aug’s went 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the CIAA, with its only loss to Shaw, the eventual CIAA champion. Shaw (9-2) will represent the CIAA in the Division II playoffs and will open Saturday at Shepherd (W.Va.).

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Saint Augustine's Falcons hands WSSU its first loss of year

Hold off on making those reservations for the CIAA championship game.

Winston-Salem State had been running roughshod over the CIAA this season but ran into a determined and talented St. Augustine’s team last night at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Falcons (5-1, 4-0 CIAA) took control of the Southern Division with a 40-35 victory, and gained the inside track to the conference-championship game next month in Durham. Most of the damage the 17th-ranked Rams did was self-inflicted, with a season-high six turnovers. Quarterback Kameron Smith threw five interceptions, and the Falcons took the gifts and unwrapped them as if it was Christmas morning.

Falcons soar past Rams

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- St. Augustine's pulled off one of its biggest wins since restarting football in 2002 with a 40-35 victory over nationally-ranked and previously unbeaten Winston-Salem State on Saturday.

CIAA rushing leader Walter Sanders ran for 121 yards and scored two touchdowns and the Falcons (5-1 overall, 4-0 CIAA) forced six turnovers to gain first place in the CIAA's Southern Division. The win was also the first in five tries against the Rams (6-1, 4-1) since 2002. The Rams are ranked 17th in NCAA Division II.

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Saint Augustine's defense shines in Falcons scrimmage

All-CIAA linebacker Mark Hall recorded nine tackles, including one sack, and an interception to highlight St. Augustine's intrasquad scrimmage Saturday at Emery Field.

The defense, led by Hall, collected five sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions during the two-hour morning scrimmage. The defense held the offense scoreless in the first half, but the offense responded with six touchdowns during red-zone situations in the second half.

"We showed good signs of stopping the run and throwing the football well in the red zone," Falcons coach Michael Costa said. "It was a good first scrimmage. We are starting to see everything come together that we have worked on in practice."

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