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Houston, TX -- By the sixth inning, Rice lefthander Abe Gonzales made up his mind to finish what he started. The top-seeded Owls backed up Gonzales’ first career complete game with season-high 22 hits on the way to a 14-2 victory over fourth-seeded Alcorn State at the Houston Regional.
“I didn’t ever think about not going the whole game,” Gonzales said. “I felt like that’s what I should do, I felt like that’s what I could do and it was time to do it.”
Rice will play second-seeded Baylor in a winner’s bracket game at 6 p.m. Saturday at Reckling Park. The Bears beat California 6-4 in the regional opener.
Gonzales held the Braves to a pair runs while keeping the nation’s third-best base-stealing team off the base paths. He allowed seven hits, did not walk a batter and kept coach Wayne Graham from having to use his bullpen early in the four-team, double-elimination tournament. The previous career-high for Gonzales was 6 2/3 innings against East Carolina earlier this season.
NORFOLK, VA - One man's workout over, the other's about to begin, LaShawn Merritt and Sean Holston briefly stood side by side on the Norfolk State track Friday, representing the physical extremes of 400-meter runners.
"A monster," the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Merritt said, laughing and pointing to himself. The 2008 Olympic gold medalist from Portsmouth then considered Holston, a head shorter at 5-7 and at 145 pounds. "He's got a monster heart," Merritt said. "That's all you need."
Holston's got something. Persistence. Belief. Patience. He once was labeled as the next Merritt after posting some of the fastest indoor times in prep history as a senior at Lee High School in Springfield.
After two years away from the sport, he had to settle for being the old Sean Holston. He didn't chase down his former self until this season, when he set a personal best in the 400 while running for NSU, finally surpassing what he did as the talk of the high school scene in 2007.
Tallahassee, FL -- Joe Taylor has received more than a few telephone calls in the past month. They come from throughout the Southeast and other parts of the country from players, parents and alumni who try to convince the Florida A&M football coach that they've got his next super athlete.
"It's been crazy in terms of the number of calls that we've received," Taylor said Thursday. "Then, you have alumni calling because they know somebody."
The current dead recruiting period hasn't stopped Taylor's phone from ringing, in part, because of the program's success last season when the Rattlers won a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. Taylor estimated that he's fielded at least 10 calls per day for the past month.
"I told the coaches this morning that it's a good thing that people want to be a part of you," he said. "When you do great things, you're going to attract more people. Winning (a share of the MEAC) championship didn't hurt either so what that allows us to do is be more selective."
Videographer: jesudomine; Who will be the next great one from FAMU? Bullet Bob Hayes (#702) winning the 100m final in a time of 10.0 seconds, equaling the world record. Taken from Kon Ichikawa's documentary Tokyo Olympiad (東京オリンピック Tōkyō Orinpikku) from 1965.
Orangeburg, SC -- There are at least two weeks remaining for the second annual "Lift-A-Bulldog" campaign to cover expenses for the football team to enroll in summer school and work out on campus.
Should head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough reach his goal of $50,000 which would be matched by the athletics department to make it possible for the team to remain this summer in Orangeburg, the players will be working with a new strength and conditioning coach.
The T&D has confirmed that Torre Becton has left the program to accept a new job with the University of Washington. Becton will serve as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Huskies' football team.
"The University of Washington is in a major conference," Becton said in a telephone interview. "It's an up-and-coming program under head coach Steve Sarkisian and it was just an opportunity that was too much to turn down."
"We’re going to shock the world. That’s what we plan on doing." Washington, D.C. - Howard men’s basketball coach Kevin Nickelberry was never confident about securing a commitment from Prince Okoroh, the Eleanor Roosevelt forward who Nickelberry felt was good enough to play in the Atlantic 10 Conference and smart enough to thrive in the Ivy League.
As a Gates Millennium Scholar, Okoroh had his choice of schools. Would Okoroh want to suit up for a team that had won just six games this past season? Would he commit to a program whose basketball court was sprinkled with dead spots and whose poorly ventilated locker room was no bigger than a large storage closet?
The answer was yes. And when Okoroh called Nickelberry with the news in mid-April, a few days before he was named MVP of the preliminary game of the Capital Classic, the coach was “astonished,” Okoroh recalled. “He almost didn’t believe me at first. When I told him I was coming, it was almost like he fainted.”
Videographer: NCSAbasketball; Prince Okoroh Recruiting Video--Eleanor Roosevelt High School star forward will major in Chemical Engineering at Howard.
Note: This is exceptionally great news for the MEAC! No doubt Coach Nickleberry will produce a highly competitive program that will change the dynamics of the MEAC conference. Heck, it's time to purchase season tickets, as the Bison conference schedule will be very exciting with Hampton, Morgan State, NCCU, Savannah State, Bethune Cookman, A&T, Coppin State and upstarts---FAMU with new Coach Clemon Johnson, Del. State, SCSU, Norfolk State and UMES. There are no easy road games in MEAC conference. On any given night...the Bison may stampede them all!
See what a talented athletic director will do for your sports programs (Skip Perkins). Great job, Howard University!
The NCAA baseball tournament begins Friday, and the Tallahassee boasts one of the toughest fields, featuring three teams with an RPI ranking of 35 or better. Host Florida State (42-17) is the No. 1 seed and favorite to win the regional thanks to a strong hitting lineup led by James Ramsey and ace pitcher Sean Gilmartin.
The Seminoles start regional play against No. 4 seed Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m. Catcher Pete O'Brien has been the steadiest performer for the Wildcats, who have amassed 46 consecutive MEAC wins.
No. 2 seed UCF (38-21) is the only school in this year's tournament field to claim wins against all three teams in its regional pod during the regular season. The Knights have relied on a talented, balanced hitting lineup anchored by Jonathan Griffin and D.J. Hicks. UCF needs its improving pitchers to step up in order to advance.
The Knights will face No. 3 seed Alabama (33-26) at noon. The Crimson Tide is riding...
READ MORE, CLICK TITLE. WATCH GAME: Games 1 and 2 on Friday will not be televised but you can watch the FSU Seminoles vs. BCU Wildcats on Seminoles All-Access:CLICK HERE. (UPDATE: The stream will be FREE). Games on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (if necessary) featuring Florida State will be on either Sun Sports or FoxSports Florida.
NEW ORLEANS — Brianna Dekine is the first female athlete from Xavier University of Louisiana to be chosen to a Capital One Academic All-District team.
Dekine, a sophomore chemistry/pre-medical major from Culver City, Calif., and a graduate of Culver City High School, was announced Thursday as a member of the District 6 College Division track and field/cross country team. The College Sports Information Directors of America selected the 12-member team.
Dekine was All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in cross country in 2009 and 2010, helping the Gold Nuggets win GCAC team championships both years and qualify for the NAIA National Championship in 2009. She finished fourth in the GCAC meet in November.
An honor-roll student all four semesters at Xavier, Dekine is a charter member of the XU chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society and a member of the Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-medical honor society. She also was part of a team visit to Children's Hospital patients and a volunteer worker at the United Negro College Fund's Fund Run/Walk.
District 6 comprises schools from six states: Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. There are eight districts nationwide, and teams represent the university division (NCAA Division I members) or the college division (everyone else, including Xavier). Nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility. First-team Academic All-District members advance to the Academic All-America® ballot.
Dekine is the only athlete from an HBCU (historically black college or university) to be chosen to an Academic All-District team in women's track/cross country this year. She is one of 10 from the NAIA to be recognized and one of five from Louisiana colleges.
Dekine is the first XU athlete since 2008-09 to be named Academic All-District. That year three Xavier men — basketball's Kelechi Okoroha (second team), cross country's Joe Drexler-Dreis (first team) and tennis standout Terry Richardson (first-team at-large) — were recognized. Drexler-Dreis was chosen second-team Academic All-America®.
BRIANNA DEKINE Capital One Academic All-District Xavier University of Louisiana
2010-11 Capital One Academic All-District Women's Track and Field/Cross Country College Division District 6 Team
Name School Year Hometown GPA Major
Samantha Alvarez Texas A&M-Kingsville So. Victoria, Texas 3.75 Pre-Med
Sarah Banman Southern Arkansas Sr. Pottsboro, Texas 3.92 Physical Education, Wellness & Leisure
Rachel Brady Trinity (Texas) Sr. Jakarta, Indonesia 3.90 Biology
Sonia Brady Trinity (Texas) Sr. Jakarta, Indonesia 3.93 Engineering
Emeline Crutcher Angelo State So. Wellman, Texas 3.72 Biology Brianna Dekine Xavier So. Culver City, Calif. 3.92 Chemistry / Pre-Medical
Katie Dugie Texas A&M-Kingsville Sr. Yorktown, Texas 3.78 Business Marketing
Elana Edwards Trinity (Texas) So. Austin, Texas 3.93 Mathematics
Lauren Karnitz Arkansas Tech Sr. DeSoto, Kan. 3.82 Nursing
Cathryn Rittenberry Angelo State Jr. Carthage, Texas 4.0 Integrated Accounting
Rhiannon Roper Harding Jr. Fortuna, Calif. 3.94 Early Childhood
Ashley Teague Ozarks (Ark.) Jr. Lavaca, Ark. 3.84 Pre-Law & Strategic Communication
NEW ORLEANS — The third annual Super Elite Summer League, a boys high school basketball event, tipped off Wednesday at The Barn, Xavier University of Louisiana's gymnasium.
Xavier and O. Perry Walker High School co-sponsor the league, which includes teams from Brother Martin, Catholic (Baton Rouge), Ellender, Jesuit, Karr, McDonogh 35, O. Perry Walker, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Scotlandville and Riverside.
"I am excited to have some of the best teams in the area back at Xavier this summer," XU men's coach Dannton Jackson said. "Approximately 150 young men will participate, and I look forward to evaluating the local talent. This event once again will benefit local basketball, the community and Xavier."
Games will be played on six consecutive Wednesdays, with the finale July 6.
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Wednesday that Johnson C. Smith’s Leford Green and Abilene Christian’s Nick Jones was named the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Athletes of the Year. Green went undefeated and won the NCAA title at 400 meters while Jones helped Abilene Christian to a national team title with 18 points in the throws which included a third NCAA discus crown and a new championships record.
NATIONAL MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Leford Green, Johnson C. Smith University
Green, a senior from St. Catherine, Jamaica, finished the season undefeated and won the NCAA title at 400 meters. In this year’s outdoor championships, Green clocked 45.74 in the open event, topping the nearest competitor by a full second. In 2010, Green won the 400 hurdles at the NCAA meet, and finished sixth in the national final of the event this season. Green was also the third leg of Johnson C. Smith’s winning 4×400 relay that clocked 3:07.59 for a second-plus win. Green was also on the 4×100 squad that placed fifth nationally.
At his conference meet, Green earned 2011 CIAA Male Athlete of the Meet honors after winning the 400 meters and 400-meter hurdles, finishing second in the 200 meters, and running a leg on the Golden Bulls’ second-place 4×400-meter relay.
Houston, TX - When the regional pairings were announced for the NCAA baseball tournament, the Rice Owls already had a head-start on scouting reports. "They're not going to surprise us, that's for sure," Rice coach Wayne Graham said of No. 2 seed Baylor and No. 3 seed California being placed in the Houston Regional. "They've already beaten us."
Familiarity and a touch of don't-remind-us history will offer plenty of incentives why the top-seeded Owls can't overlook or underestimate the field in the four-team, double-elimination regional that begins Friday at Reckling Park.
The Owls, the No. 8 national seed, open the regional against fourth-seeded Alcorn State. The appearance of the Southwestern Athletic Conference champion offers another reminder of how quickly things can go awry in the postseason. In 2004, the Owls were the defending national champions and No. 6 national seed heading into the regional opener against Texas Southern.
No. 1 Rice (41-19, 16-8 in C-USA)
17th appearance (17 straight), automatic, Conference USA regular-season co-champion and tournament champion, No. 8 national seed
No. 2 Baylor (29-26, 13-14 in Big 12)
17th appearance (third straight), at-large, sixth place in Big 12 Conference
No. 3 California (31-20, 13-13 in Pac-10)
12th appearance (second straight), at-large, sixth place in Pacific-10 Conference
No. 4 Alcorn State (27-28, 19-4 in SWAC)
First appearance, automatic, Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champion
Rice's young pitching staff was thrown into the fire immediately during the Owls' challenging nonconference schedule, as ballyhooed freshmen righthanders Austin Kubitza (6-4, 2.33) and John Simms (3-2, 3.32) each took turns in the weekend rotation when the Owls opened against Stanford. Those young power arms matured in conference play, helping lead the Owls to a share of their fifth CUSA title in the six seasons since they joined the league, as well as their fourth CUSA tournament title.
Morgantown, WV -- When West Virginia takes on Norfolk State on Sept. 10 in Milan Puskar Stadium, it will likely be the Mountaineers' least important game of the season. It could be Norfolk State's biggest game, though. The Spartans have one game against a higher-division foe, and that's West Virginia.
The Mountaineers won't start with a lower-division opponent for the first time since the 2007 season, when they faced Western Michigan (The Mountaineers haven't faced a team from an automatic qualifier conference since 2005, when they faced Syracuse).
The biggest question isn't whether WVU will overlook Norfolk State when the two teams get together. The question will be, however, if the Mountaineers do overlook the Spartans, will it matter?
Norfolk State went 6-5 last year ...
Videographer: nsuathletics; Big East 2010 Game: NSU at. Rutgers Highlights.
Tallahassee, FL -- Clemon Johnson, a Monticello native who set records at Florida A&M and also wears an NBA championship ring, finally experienced a homecoming Tuesday afternoon that was in the making for 18 years.
With about 200 Florida A&M fans looking on with the Marching 100 and cheerleaders as the backdrop at the Lawson Center, Johnson was introduced as the new men's head basketball coach. He hugged little children, signed autographs and took countless photographs, then pronounced himself ready to rebuild the program that had foundered as a bottom tier team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the past four years.
At the same time, Johnson was at the University of Alaska Fairbanks gaining experience that he said will help him make the Rattlers winners. He was hoping to...
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 31) - Florida A&M University welcomed home one of its favorite sons to lead the men's basketball program today at the Al Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium. Clemon Johnson, was officially presented to alumni, fans and family at a pep rally and press conference in his honor. The world-famous Marching "100" and the MEAC Co-ed Champions Cheerleaders were on hand to add to the excitement.
Johnson was a star basketball player for the Rattlers from 1974-1978. He was an All-SIAC and All-American selection his senior year at FAMU, with several of his records still standing to this day. Johnson went on to a solid career in the NBA, winning a world championship with the Philadelphia 76ers. He later started coaching in the high school ranks, before being hired at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks
FAMU interim Sports Information Director, Vaughn Wilson, presided over the event. FAMU Director of Athletics, Derek Horne, gave the welcome from the FAMU Athletic Department and FAMU President, Dr. James H. Ammons, welcomed the crowd of about 300 people to the event and introduced new head basketball coach Clemon Johnson.
Horne, was excited to have the search completed and a Rattler hired to guide the team. "It's a great day for not only FAMU, but our athletic department. We have an alum coming back to the hill that we think will do a great job for us," said Horne.
Ammons, was emphatic about doing what it takes to regain championship composure for the basketball program. An emphatic Ammons said, " We wanted someone who could come back and ignite that old Rattler spirit. When you think about Rattler sports, you immediately think about some of the great student-athletes who have been a part of this campus. You think of Althea Gibson, Bob Hayes and legendary coach Jake Gaither. Then, when you think about basketball, you think about Clemon Johnson."
Howard University head football coach Gary Harrell has added the following coaches to his staff for the upcoming season:
Rayford Petty Defensive Coordinator
Ted White Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback Coach
Ron Bolton Defensive Back Coach
Bobby Jones Defensive Line Coach
Jonathan Brewer Wide Receivers Coach
Chennis Berry Offensive Line Coach
Theron Smith Running Backs
Mike Andrews Kicking Coach/Special Teams
Videographer: wcsaTV
Petty is no stranger to Howard. He served as head coach of the Bison from 2002-06. He also served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator here. The highly respected Petty has also served as defensive coordinator at both Delaware State and Norfolk State.
Petty was the defensive coordinator for the Bison during both the 1993 and 1996 seasons when the team captured the Black National championship.
White comes to Howard from Southern University where he served as quarterbacks coach last year. White is the Bison and MEAC all-time leading passer and total offense leader with almost 10,000 yards during his productive career at Howard from 1994-98.
White gained valuable coaching experience early in his career as a quarterbacks coach for Texas Southern University in 2006-07.
He played professionally for five years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. White also had stints with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.
Bolton also has strong ties to Howard, having served as defensive back coach under Petty from 2002-06 and playing a key role in the development of current NFL standouts, Antoine “Deuce” Bethea of the Indianapolis Colts and Ronald Bartell, Jr of the St. Louis Rams.
Prior to coming to Howard, Bolton served as secondary coach for Delaware State since 2009. He also coached at Norfolk State from 1997-2001 and at Liberty University from 1996-97.
Bolton played collegiately at Norfolk State and had an outstanding career before playing in the NFL for the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns.
Jones comes from Delaware State where he served as defensive line coach since 2009. Jones also served in the same capacity for the Bison under Petty from 2002-06. Jones played for Howard and was a member of the 1996 team that captured the Black National championship.
Videographer: meazteam1
Brewer comes to Howard from Johnson C. Smith where he served as wide receivers coach from 2006-09. He was a four-year letterman at Howard from 1999-2003 and was named all MEAC in 2003.
Berry comes to Howard from North Carolina A&T where he served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach the past five years. The 1996 Savannah State graduate has also served stints at Morgan State and Forth Valley State.
Smith comes to Howard from Bowie State where he had served since 2004. At Bowie State, Smith coached under Coach Harrell, who was the offensive coordinator. He graduated from North Carolina A&T in 1993.
Andrews brings a wealth of knowledge to the kicking game. He was a standout and all-conference selection at Morgan State. He served as both punter and placekicker for the Bears.
Samuel Pough, who served as wide receivers coach last season, will continue his role of video coordinator.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - For the first time since the 2004 NCAA Division-II playoffs, the Fayetteville State Broncos will play perennial powerhouse Carson-Newman in football in 2011.
And a win could mean a potential playoff berth for the Broncos.
Fayetteville State announced on Thursday it will travel to play the Eagles at 7 p.m. on Sept. 8 in Jefferson City, Tenn. The Broncos were originally slated to play St. Paul's on the road in the second week of the season, but St. Paul's College announced earlier this month that it would not field athletic teams next season.
The opportunity to play Carson-Newman gives Fayetteville State 10 football games for the 2011 season -- the number needed to qualify for a playoff berth.
"We are fortunate Carson-Newman had an opening on its schedule and we were able to make a game," says Broncos football coach Kenny Phillips. "It goes for our 10th game, and if we're fortunate enough to have a good season, we'd be eligible for the playoffs."
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces the 172 men and 153 women that earned USTFCCCA All-America distinctions for the 2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season. A total of 416 awards will be given as a result of performances at the past weekend’s NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Turlock, California.
Just as the indoor season, Abilene Christian’s men and Grand Valley State’s women won NCAA team titles. Both squads were the top-ranked team by the USTFCCCA heading into the championships and ACU’s men went wire-to-wire as the nation’s No. 1 team throughout the outdoor season.
NCAA TEAM FINISHES
Abilene Christian scored 68 points for the team victory to extend their NCAA-record to 19 national outdoor team crowns. ACU has won the national crown in eight of the last ten years. The Wildcats claimed individual national titles with Desmond Jackson (200 meters), Amos Sang (10,000 meters), and Nick Jones (discus). Jones also placed second in the shot put and was the team’s top scorer with 18 points.
Adams State finished as the men’s runners-up with 55 points and national titles from Andrew Graham (1500 meters) and Luke Cragg (5000 meters). Lincoln (Mo.) placed third with 51 and Emporia State, with 43 points, earned fourth for their first “trophy” finish and highest national-team finish in school history (seventh, 1996).
Grand Valley State’s women scored 82½ points for the NCAA crown, holding off late-charging Lincoln (Mo.) who finished second with 68. For GVSU, it was their first outdoor crown, and, combined with national titles in cross country and indoor track & field, the school earned an academic-year “triple crown”. GVSU junior Lauren Buresh won a national crown in the shot put and Liz Murphy took first with the hammer throw.
For second-place Lincoln, junior Judith Riley won the 100 meters and led off the Blue Tigers’ 4×100 national-champ relay. Sophomore Yanique Haye won top honors in the 400 hurdles. Adams State placed third with 51 points as Indira Spence carried three top-three finishes, scoring 22 points in the 100, 200, and 100 hurdles. Cassie Mitchell won the steeplechase crown for the Grizzlies. With a national crown in the 100 hurdles, Shermaine Williams led Johnson C. Smith to a fourth-place showing.
Johnson C. Smith’s Shermaine Williams was the first to three-peat in the 100 hurdles since Abilene Christian’s Delloreen Ennis-London won four straight from 1996 to 1999. And, Fort Valley State’s Antionette Oglesby won a third-straight NCAA championship in the women’s triple jump. Neely Spence of Shippensburg won a third-straight crown in the 5000-meter run, becoming the first in D-II outdoor history to do so.
Kimour Bruce for Lincoln (Mo.) won his second-straight title in the 100-meter dash. Amos Sang won a second-straight crown in the men’s 10,000 meters. In the men’s pole vault, Western Washington’s Ryan Brown captured a second-straight win. And, Ashland’s Ryan Loughney won the men’s hammer and UC San Diego’s Nick Howe won the men’s javelin for the second year in a row.
USTFCCCA ALL-AMERICA HONORS
ohnson C. Smith’s Leford Green led all men in earning four USTFCCCA All-America certificates from the 2011 outdoor track & field season. Green was the national champ in the 400 meters, sixth in the 400 hurdles, and was a member of the winning 4×400 relay and as part of the fifth-place 4×100 relay.
Lincoln (Mo.) led all men’s teams with 15 All-America certificates, followed by Saint Augustine’s (13), Abilene Christian (13), and Johnson C. Smith (12).Lincoln also had the most women’s certificates with 19, followed by Grand Valley State (16), Saint Augustine’s (10), and Adams State (9).
The schools of the MIAA had the most certificates among all conferences with 39 men’s and 40 women’s. The Lone Star Conference had the second-most on the men’s side, followed by the CIAA (26), the RMAC (26), and the GLIAC (24). The GLIAC was second in the women’s category with 30, followed by the RMAC (23), the CCAA (20), and the CIAA (19).
To earn USTFCCCA All-America honors, athletes must have scored any portion of a team point at the NCAA Championships. USTFCCCA membership by a program is required to earn All-America awards.
Excerpt:
2011 USTFCCCA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ALL-AMERICA – NCAA DIVISION II
Event
Name
School
Triple Jump LaQuan Priest Claflin
4x100m Relay Winston Brown Johnson C. Smith
4x400m Relay Winston Brown Johnson C. Smith
4x400m Relay Jamille Callum Johnson C. Smith
110m Hurdles Andre Collins Johnson C. Smith
4x100m Relay Gabriel Franklin Johnson C. Smith
400m Dash Leford Green Johnson C. Smith
400m Hurdles Leford Green Johnson C. Smith
4x100m Relay Leford Green Johnson C. Smith
4x400m Relay Leford Green Johnson C. Smith
400m Dash Akino Ming Johnson C. Smith
4x100m Relay Akino Ming Johnson C. Smith
4x400m Relay Akino Ming Johnson C. Smith
400m Hurdles Steve Banton Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Steve Banton Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Jermaine Blake Lincoln (Mo.)
100m Dash Kimour Bruce Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Kimour Bruce Lincoln (Mo.)
100m Dash Dwain Bryden Lincoln (Mo.)
400m Hurdles Roxroy Cato Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Roxroy Cato Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Mandela Clifford Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Terrel Cotton Lincoln (Mo.)
100m Dash Terrel Cotton Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Ravel Grey Lincoln (Mo.)
200m Dash Dane Hyatt Lincoln (Mo.)
400m Dash Dane Hyatt Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Dane Hyatt Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Antonio Abney Saint Augustine’s
110m Hurdles Jason Boyd Saint Augustine’s
High Jump Christopher Copeland Saint Augustine’s
Triple Jump Orolando Duffus Saint Augustine’s
200m Dash Josh Edmonds Saint Augustine’s
400m Dash Josh Edmonds Saint Augustine’s
4x400m Relay Josh Edmonds Saint Augustine’s
400m Dash Kelly Fisher Saint Augustine’s
4x400m Relay Kelly Fisher Saint Augustine’s
100m Dash Ramon Gittens Saint Augustine’s
200m Dash Ramon Gittens Saint Augustine’s
4x400m Relay James Quarles Saint Augustine’s
110m Hurdles Gerkenz Senesca Saint Augustine’s
High Jump Maurice Hall Saint Paul’s
WOMEN
Event
Name
School
4x400m Relay Kimberly Johnson Albany State (Ga.)
4x400m Relay Kendra Nelson Albany State (Ga.)
4x400m Relay Ebony Stone Albany State (Ga.)
4x400m Relay Candice Vaughn Albany State (Ga.)
Long Jump Antionette Oglesby Fort Valley State
Triple Jump Antionette Oglesby Fort Valley State
4x100m Relay Naffene Briscoe Johnson C. Smith
100m Hurdles Rosemarie Carty Johnson C. Smith
4x100m Relay Lakaevia Tyler Johnson C. Smith
100m Dash Danielle Williams Johnson C. Smith
100m Hurdles Danielle Williams Johnson C. Smith
4x100m Relay Danielle Williams Johnson C. Smith
100m Hurdles Shermaine Williams Johnson C. Smith
4x100m Relay Shermaine Williams Johnson C. Smith
100m Dash Latoya Campbell Lincoln (Mo.)
400m Hurdles Latoya Campbell Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Latoya Campbell Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Nyoka Cole Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Nyoka Cole Lincoln (Mo.)
400m Hurdles Michelle Cumberbatch Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Michelle Cumberbatch Lincoln (Mo.)
400m Hurdles Yanique Haye Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Yanique Haye Lincoln (Mo.)
Triple Jump Kimberly Hodges Lincoln (Mo.)
400m Hurdles Keniesha Jones Lincoln (Mo.)
4x400m Relay Keniesha Jones Lincoln (Mo.)
100m Dash Latoya King Lincoln (Mo.)
200m Dash Latoya King Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Latoya King Lincoln (Mo.)
Triple Jump Sanchia Lee Lincoln (Mo.)
100m Dash Judith Riley Lincoln (Mo.)
200m Dash Judith Riley Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Judith Riley Lincoln (Mo.)
4x100m Relay Jaivairia Bacote Saint Augustine’s
400m Dash Nicketa Bernard Saint Augustine’s
4x100m Relay Nicketa Bernard Saint Augustine’s
4x400m Relay Nicketa Bernard Saint Augustine’s
4x100m Relay Sheena Johns Saint Augustine’s
4x400m Relay Sheena Johns Saint Augustine’s
4x400m Relay April London Saint Augustine’s
400m Dash Kelly Shaw Saint Augustine’s
4x100m Relay Kelly Shaw Saint Augustine’s
4x400m Relay Kelly Shaw Saint Augustine’s
400m Dash Janae Jones Stillman
400m Dash Samantha Edwards Virginia State
Sixty-four team field announced, Regionals begin June 3.
INDIANAPOLIS --The field of 64 teams competing for the 2011 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.
The national top eight seeds are Virginia (49-9), Florida (45-16), North Carolina (45-14), South Carolina (45-14), Florida State (42-17), Vanderbilt (47-10), Texas (43-15) and Rice (41-19).
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) led all conferences in the number of teams in the championship field with seven apiece. The Big 12 and Pacific-10 had six each, while the Conference USA had four selected.
Making the tournament for the first time are Belmont of the Atlantic Sun Conference, Alcorn State of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and UALR of the Sun Belt Conference. Overall, 36 of the 64 teams were in the field last year.
Miami (Florida) is in the field for the 39th consecutive year, extending its own record. Florida State is making its 34th straight appearance, second all-time. Other long consecutive streaks: Cal State Fullerton (20), Rice (17), Oral Roberts (14) and Texas (13).
Of the 292 championship eligible Division I institutions that sponsor baseball, Virginia has the most Division I wins with 49.
Each of the 16 regionals features four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, June 3, to Monday, June 6 (if necessary). Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on www.ncaa.com/cws, Monday, June 6 at approximately 11 p.m. ET.
The 65th Men’s College World Series begins play Saturday, June 18, at the new TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
FIELD BY CONFERENCE Conference No. of Schools Schools Atlantic Coast 7 Clemson, Florida St., Georgia Tech, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina, North Carolina St., Virginia Southeastern 7 Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi St., South Carolina, Vanderbilt Big 12 6 Baylor, Kansas St., Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Texas, Texas A&M Pacific-10 6 Arizona, Arizona St., California, Oregon St., Stanford, UCLA Conference USA 4 East Carolina, Rice, Southern Miss., UCF Atlantic Sun 3 Belmont, Jacksonville, Stetson Big East 3 Connecticut, St. John’s, Seton Hall Sun Belt 3 FIU, Troy, UALR Big West 2 UC Irvine, Cal St. Fullerton Mountain West 2 New Mexico, TCU America East 1 Maine Atlantic 10 1 Charlotte Big South 1 Coastal Carolina Big Ten 1 Illinois Colonial 1 James Madison Horizon 1 Wright St. Independent 1 Dallas Baptist Ivy 1 Princeton Metro Atlantic 1 Manhattan Mid-American 1 Kent St. Mid-Eastern 1 Bethune-Cookman Missouri Valley 1 Creighton Northeast 1 Sared Heart Ohio Valley 1 Austin Peay Patriot 1 Navy Southern 1 Ga. Southern Southland 1 Texas St. Southwestern 1 Alcorn St. Summit 1 Oral Roberts West Coast 1 San Francisco Western Athletic 1 Fresno St.
FIELD BY STATE State No. of Schools Schools Florida 8 Bethune-Cookman, UCF, Florida, Florida St. FIU, Jacksonville, Miami (Fla.), Stetson California 7 California, Cal St. Fullerton, UC Irvine, Fresno St., San Francisco, Stanford, UCLA Texas 7 Baylor, Dallas Baptist, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas St. North Carolina 4 Charlotte, East Carolina, North Carolina, North Carolina St. Georgia 3 Georgia, Ga. Southern, Georgia Tech Mississippi 3 Alcorn St., Mississippi St., Southern Miss. Oklahoma 3 Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Oral Roberts South Carolina 3 Clemson, Coastal Caro., South Carolina Tennessee 3 Austin Peay, Belmont, Vanderbilt Alabama 2 Alabama, Troy Arizona 2 Arizona, Arizona St. Arkansas 2 Arkansas, UALR Connecticut 2 Connecticut, Sacred Heart New Jersey 2 Princeton, Seton Hall New York 2 Manhattan, St. John’s Ohio 2 Kent St., Wright St. Virginia 2 James Madison, Virginia Illinois 1 Illinois Kansas 1 Kansas St. Maine 1 Maine Maryland 1 Navy Nebraska 1 Creighton New Mexico 1 New Mexico Oregon 1 Oregon St.
Other Notes:
Thirty-six of the 64 teams were in the 2010 field. Three teams are making the field for the first time in the program’s history: Alcorn State, Belmont, UALR.
Seton Hall is in the field for the first time since 2001.
Bethune-Cookman is making its 12 appearance.
Miami (Fla.) is in the field for the 39th consecutive year, extending its own record. Florida State is making its 34th consecutive appearance, which ranks second all-time. Other long consecutive streaks include Cal St. Fullerton (20), Rice (17) and Oral Roberts (14).
Lorman, MS - The Alcorn State Braves will face Rice University Friday at 6PM at Reckling Park on the campus of Rice, in Houston, Texas in one of many NCAA Regionals.
The Braves, making their first NCAA baseball appearance, will enter with a 27-28 overall record. Conference USA winner Rice enters with a 41-19 record and are ranked 8th nationally.
ASU, winners of the SWAC tournament, were primed to play in the state of Mississippi. Southern Mississippi didn't get a Regional host birth, however, and are meeting rival Mississippi State in the Atlanta Regional Friday.
Junior pitcher Steve Easter of Chicago, the SWAC leader in wins with eight, says that it doesn't really matter where the Braves are sent:" I had no preference but there were several projected sites. I and we are just happy to be going anywhere."
Easter doesn't know if he will start Friday, but would be ready: "I hadn't really thought about it, but it would really be big to start. As long as I would keep my pitches down and the defense works for me we'd be okay." Easter knows nothing about the Owl lineup, but may by Friday: "I don't know anything about them, but I have faced a couple of their players before. They are always good and them winning their conference says it all. That's all I need to know about them."
The other teams in the Houston Regional are Baylor at 29-26 and California at
31-20. They meet at 3PM Friday.
Should ASU win Friday, they would play at 6PM Saturday. Should they lose they would play at 2PM Saturday.
Games will be broadcast back to Mississippi on WPRL 91.7 FM.
MEAC Champions B-CU Wildcats to face Florida State Seminoles on Friday, 6 PM EST.
When the NCAA Baseball Committee revealed its at-large selections Monday, there was Alabama, number three seed, headed to Tallahassee. Joining Alabama (33-25) in the four-team field are number one seed Florida State (41-16), number two seed University of Central Florida (38-21), and number four seed Bethune-Cookman (35-22). The Seminoles are the number five national seed in this year's tournament. The winner of the Tallahassee Regional will play the winner of the College Station (Texas A&M) Regional in the Super Regionals next week.
A number three seed is much better than a number four. It means not playing the home-standing number one seed in the first game, and also means likely having the support of the home team in the two vs. three game. But that doesn't mean an easy time since the Tide will be playing a team that has already defeated Bama this year.
The double-elimination regional begins Friday at 11 a.m. (CDT), when Alabama plays Central Florida at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. Florida State plays Bethune-Cookman on Friday at 5 p.m. (CDT). “It feels good to see our name up there, but it’s a really tough regional,” Crimson Tide Coach Mitch Gaspard said.
It is a tradition since the Civil War on Memorial Day to place American flags on the grave sites of soldiers, and veterans. The practice will be followed this year from Arlington National Cemetery where 300,000 flags will be placed to veterans cemeteries across the country to smaller neighborhood burial sites.
On Saturday I was able to find and place a Flag at the grave site in New Rochelle, NY of Eugene Lee Evans, a college football player of sixty years ago. Evans who was known as "Dippy" played on the CIAA national championship team of Morgan State in 1949, then as a young Army officer, died heroically in the Korean War just three years later.
His teammate in high school in Pelham, NY and later in college was Eli Page Howard, Jr. another extraordinary athlete of the late 1940s who also died while serving our country in Vietnam. Lt. Col. Howard is one of those heroes at Arlington for whom a Flag will be placed, a hero of the Vietnam War. Perhaps for a moment we can remember him as the star quarterback at Morgan College throwing the ball ...
Honor fallen soldiers on Memorial Day by observing the National Moment of Remembrance. The National Moment of Remembrance, endorsed by President Clinton in 2000, takes place every Memorial Day at 3:00 p.m. local time. At that time, all Americans are urged to observe a moment of silence or to listen to "Taps," in tribute to those who died for our country.
Prompted by a group of school children who didn't understand that the holiday had significance beyond being a day off from school, the moment of remembrance is intended to remind Americans of the true meaning of the holiday and "unite the nation in acknowledging the contributions made by the men and women who gave their lives for our country's freedom."
In 1971, federal law changed the observance of the holiday to the last Monday in May and extended it to honor all who had died in American wars.
Videographer: OtakuBozu; Battle Hymn of the Republic: Soloist Ms. Sherry Hunt; the late Dr. Nathan Carter, Conductor; Morgan State University Choir, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Videographer: OtakuBozu; Soloist: the late countertenor Earnest Saunders; Conductor, the late Dr. Nathan Carter and Morgan State University Choir.
Videographer: PBS; Under the direction of J. Weldon Norris, DM, the Howard University Choir sings "Lord, I Don' Done" in this web-exclusive clip from their performance at the White House.
Videographer: robdayungstar; Morehouse College Glee Club, "My Good Lord's-A-Done-A Been Here"
Fisk University Jubilee Singers: "Rise, Shine, For Thy Light is a' Comin'" at Carnegie Hall.
Videographer: CharlieBladeRemus; Livingstone College Concert Choir: "Oh How I Love Jesus" by Shelton Becton
Videographer: tdavidray; The Dillard University Concert Choir performs Moses Hogan's arrangement of "My God Is So High." Soloist is Alvarez Kennedy.
Videographer: jaredbbrownmusic; Bethune Cookman University Marching Wildcats Band; Soloist: Jared Brown
Videographer: FtnessFan; Florida A&M University Wind Ensemble and the Marching "100" perform the late Dr. William P. Foster's favorite song - "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral," by Richard Wagner. Conductor: Dr. Julian E. White at historic Lee Hall Auditorium, Florida A&M University.
Sasha Smallwood, Bethune-Cookman University 2011 Track and Field Signee, Pikesville High School (Baltimore County, MD)
Baltimore, MD - Even though Pikesville senior Sasha Smallwood has spent most of her high school career winning pole vault competitions, her victory Thursday night is one she'll never forget. Smallwood won her fourth consecutive Class 1A state title despite vaulting on a torn meniscus in her left knee that will require surgery in the coming days. The senior's vault of 11 feet at Morgan State ended her career in a manner that left Smallwood stunned.
"I am amazingly surprised," Smallwood said as she left to go to her senior prom. "I'm shocked. I'm just grateful that my knee held up for so long."
Smallwood's knee has ruined most of her senior year. She tore her left anterior cruciate ligament in a cheerleading mishap, underwent surgery in October and spent the winter in rehabilitation. The senior, headed to Bethune-Cookman, returned for some of the indoor season.
Jackson, MS - If Jackson State fires women's basketball coach Denise Taylor without cause, the university would owe her nearly $190,000. Taylor, who just completed her 10th year with JSU, is heading into the third month of paid administrative leave.
Taylor, through her attorney, said she was asked to resign or be fired on May 13.
School officials have refused to discuss Taylor's situation, citing personnel matters. Even when asked if Taylor remained the women's basketball coach, interim athletic director Robert Walker would not comment. Taylor is in the second year of a contract that pays her $91,000 per year and runs through June 30, 2013.
Baton Rouge, LA -- The football team posted its worst record in school history.
So did the men’s basketball program.
Both teams face NCAA postseason bans next year, thanks to substandard performance in the classroom.
Revenue streams have dried up. The fan base is fractured and shrinking.
This is what Southern University faces as it searches for a new athletic director. This is, obviously, a tough sell.
And the perfect man (or woman) has not yet emerged.
Interim athletic director Sandy Pugh has said that come July 1, she wants to return to “calling timeouts.” In other words, she wants to return to her full-time job as women’s basketball coach.
Houston, TX -- By the sixth inning, Rice lefthander Abe Gonzales made up his mind to finish what he started. The top-seeded Owls backed up Gonzales’ first career complete game with season-high 22 hits on the way to a 14-2 victory over fourth-seeded Alcorn State at the Houston Regional.
