Rogers, Gibson sign with Gold Rush for 2012-13 season

XAVIER ROGERS

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier Rogers of Denton, Texas, and John Gibson of Marietta, Ga., have signed men's basketball scholarships with Xavier University of Louisiana. The Gold Rush have signed three for the 2012-13 academic year.

Rogers, a 6-foot-2 guard, will have two seasons of eligibility at Xavier after transferring from NCAA Division I member Grambling State University. Rogers averaged 8.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25 games with the Tigers in 2011-12. He made 39 3-pointers — six against Alabama State on March 1, five against Texas Tech on Dec. 18 — and was Grambling's second-leading scorer for the season. Rogers averaged 2.3 points in 13 games for Lee College, a two-year school in Baytown, Texas, as a freshman in 2010-11.

Rogers was a three-year varsity starter for Lake Dallas High School of Corinth, Texas, and was first-team all-district his final two seasons. As a senior he made the Denton Record-Chronicle All-Area third-team after averaging 11.4 points and making 52 3-pointers.

Gibson, a 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots as a senior in 2011-12 — his first season as a varsity starter — at Walton High School. His single-game highs included 19 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocks.

"John is an extremely hard-working kid," Walton coach Joseph Goydish said. "He is dedicated to constantly improving his game. He is a great teammate and a great student."

Gibson will major in business management at Xavier, and Rogers will be a pre-pharmacy major.

Guard RJ Daniels of New Orleans signed with the Gold Rush in November. Daniels helped St. Augustine finish second in the Class 4A state playoffs this year.

Xavier was 23-9 this past season, shared the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship, qualified for the second straight year for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship and ranked 24th in the postseason coaches poll.

2012-13 Xavier men's basketball signees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr.* Hometown High School (College)

RJ Daniels G 6-4 190 Fr. New Orleans, La. St. Augustine

John Gibson F 6-7 195 Fr. Marietta, Ga. Walton

Xavier Rogers G 6-2 175 Jr. Denton, Texas Lake Dallas (Grambling)

* athletic classification at Xavier in fall of 2012

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Five Home Games Headline CAU 2012 Football Schedule

ATLANTA, Georgia - An even split in the 10-game slate with five home and five away games including two non-conference, four Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) East Divisional and for the first time in two years, no football classics highlight the 2012 CAU football schedule released today by CAU Athletic Director Dr. Tamica Smith-Jones. Last season, the Panthers finished with a 2-8 overall record.

“We are pleased with this year’s schedule and we believe it is a favorable one with one more home game than we had last season,” said third year head coach Daryl McNeill. “We have a solid group of recruits who we feel will make an immediate impact especially on the offensive line.”

CAU opens its season at home against the Tigers of West Alabama Sept. 1, which marks the first meeting between the two institutions. The next two games on the road begin with Lane College Sept. 8, before Clark Atlanta’s first divisional game against Fort Valley State Sept. 15. With Concordia University (9/22) and AUC Rival Morehouse College (9/29) at Panther Stadium wrapping up the last two home games in September, CAU alternates home and away games for the remainder of the season.

After a non-divisional match-up at Miles College Oct. 6, the Panthers will battle in two consecutive East divisional games which includes CAU homecoming against Benedict College (10/13) and a road game at Albany State Oct. 20.

In the last home game, the Panthers will host Tuskegee University Oct. 26, for senior night before wrapping up the regular season on the road against Stillman College Nov. 3, for the second consecutive year.

“This is a schedule that we feel will give us strong support from Panther Nation,” added Smith-Jones.

The winners of the East and West divisions will play for the 2012 SIAC championship title on Nov. 10 in Atlanta, Georgia.

2012 CAU PANTHERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

9/1 UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA
9/8 at Lane College
9/15 at Fort Valley State University**
9/22 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
9/29 MOREHOUSE COLLEGE**
10/6 at Miles College
10/13 BENEDICT COLLEGE** (Homecoming)
10/20 at Albany State University**
10/27 TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
11/3 at Stillman College

Home games in BOLD CAPS are played at Panther Stadium.
**Denotes SIAC East Division Games

                                                                                                                                           

COURTESY Dana Harvey, Director of Sports Information, Clark Atlanta University

XU Nuggets sign two more, including another from Louisiana

BRION FLOWERS

VASHNI BALLESTE

NEW ORLEANS — Two more high school seniors — Brion Flowers of Lafayette, La., and Vashni Balleste of Rock Tavern, N.Y. — have signed women's tennis scholarships with Xavier University of Louisiana. The Gold Nuggets have signed four for the 2012-13 academic year.

Flowers, who attends St. Thomas More High School, is a  TennisRecruiting.net  four-star prospect ranked fourth in Louisiana, 21st in the Gulf States region and 141st nationally. She has won 71 percent of nearly 400 USTA matches during the past five seasons.

As a sophomore at St. Thomas More in 2010, Flowers was the Division I-Class 5A state singles champion.  She reached the singles semifinals as a freshman in 2009 to help STM win the girls state team championship.

Balleste won 11 consecutive singles matches this past fall for Washingtonville High School. She won the American Tennis Association girls 18 doubles title with Floridian Nia Rose this past August. Balleste's highest girls 18 singles ranking in the USTA Eastern Section is 124th.

Former pro and NCAA doubles champion Katrina Adams has coached Balleste for the past year.

Both signees are honor roll students. Flowers will be a pre-medical major at Xavier, and Balleste will major in mass communications.

Previously announced signees were Simone-Alyse Ewell of Detroit and Alexandria Locure of New Orleans. Xavier will have three from Louisiana on the 2012-13 women's roster, including Jordyn Goody of Lake Charles, a freshman on the team this season.

Xavier competes in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Coach Alan Green's Gold Nuggets qualified for the NAIA National Championship five of the previous seven seasons and won first-round dual matches at nationals all five times.

2012-13 Xavier women's tennis signees

Name Ht. Yr.* Hometown High School

Vashni Balleste 5-4 Fr. Rock Tavern, N.Y. Washingtonville

Simone-Alyse Ewell 5-5 Fr. Detroit, Mich. The Roeper School

Brion Flowers 5-6 Fr. Lafayette, La. St. Thomas More

Alexandria Locure 5-4 Fr. New Orleans, La. John Curtis Christian

* athletic classification at Xavier in fall of 2012



ED CASSIERE, SID



By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

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Listen to Roman Banks on Inside SU System

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Listen to an exclusive audio replay of Southern University head men's basketball coach Roman Banks on Inside SU System hosted by Robyn Merrick.

Banks led the Jaguars to a 17-14 record and a second place finish in the SWAC on his way to being named the 2012 LSWA Coach of the Year.

Inside the Southern University System airs Sundays at 6 p.m. on KQXL 106.5 FM in Baton Rouge and on the web at q106dot5.com.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alabama A&M Assistant Ben Blacknall Has Passed Away

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - The Alabama A&M family was saddened today when they learn that defensive line coach Benjamin Blacknall passed away.

Coach Blacknall had been a part of the Bulldog football coaching staff for six seasons and served as the recruiting coordinator. Blacknall spent four seasons as the head coach at Delaware State from 2000-2003.

He was no stranger to head coach Anthony Jones. Jones and Blacknall have shared numerous other coaching destinations. Blacknall’s coaching stops include North Carolina A&T (1972-76), South Carolina State (1977-78; 1989-98), Wichita State (1979-83), Howard (1984-88), and Morehouse (1999).

While the head coach at Delaware State, he led the Hornets to a 20-25 record before leaving coaching for the business world.  In 2000, he was named MEAC Coach of the Year.

“My condolences go out to his family, the team and the coaching staff,” said head coach Anthony Jones. “I lost a good friend today and the university lost a good man. His services at the university were greatly appreciated. He will be missed.”

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Alabama A&M: Football assistant Blacknall found dead

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M football coach Anthony Jones got more than he ever imagined when he decided to go to college football at Wichita State. Not only did he get a quality education, but he met a quality friend in Shockers assistant coach Ben Blacknall.

In fact, Jones and Blacknall became best friends and that relationship spanned more than three decades.

Unfortunately, that relationship ended Wednesday when Blacknall, a long-time diabetic, passed away due to a diabetic coma.

"I lost a good friend, the university lost a good coach and the world lost a good man," Jones said. "He's going to be missed."

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Blue-collar Piston Ben Wallace plays hard till end

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — He's among Detroit's sports icons, a group with different backgrounds, motivations and triumphs. But for Ben Wallace — the most unlikely of a collection that includes Stevie Y, Isiah and Barry — he's cut more in the mold of Joe Louis or Thomas Hearns.

As he prepares to suit up tonight for what might be his final NBA game, it's almost as if Wallace is looking for another fight. What other reason could there be for a three-hour workout with a handful of hours left in his career?  "We still have one game left," he said.

Wallace will sit down with Pistons management and his family and won't rush himself to make a decision: retire or return for his 17th season. It's at this precise moment where Wallace reveals his biggest battle: with himself, admitting he has lost that cerebral tussle before.

He has conquered essentially every challenge he has encountered, but the prospect of walking away from basketball has Wallace grappling with his life away from the game that defined him.

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Ben Wallace, #6 Detroit Pistons, Virginia Union University (1994-96), Cuyahoga Community College (Ohio)(1992-94), Central High School  (Hayneville, Alabama).

As season's end nears, Pistons' Ben Wallace is still at work and isn't sure he will punch his time card for the last time

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan - He spots a Pistons pocket calendar on the table and, for a moment, gives it his full attention. His team's schedule is burned in his memory, but it looks different on paper -- those red-and-blue colored squares counting down the remaining home and away games of the season.

"Not many left," Ben Wallace says.

He knows what he has said in the past, including statements he reiterated two months ago: On Feb. 13, the day after the 37-year-old Pistons veteran tied Avery Johnson for most games by an undrafted player (since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger), Wallace told reporters that this season, his 16th, would definitely be his last.

But now here it is, a recent Monday -- the afternoon after a night game in Chicago -- and Wallace is sitting in an empty room at the Pistons' practice facility smiling as he wipes streams of sweat from his face and neck with a towel. He talks about how he couldn't get to Auburn Hills fast enough that morning to work on his game and be with the guys.

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SIAC baseball tournament gets underway today in Ozark

OZARK, Alabama - Stillman College enters the eight-team Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament as No. 1 seed in the West after finishing with a 21-0 record in the SIAC, 24-16 overall.

The tournament will be played in Ozark, Alabama at historic Eagle Stadium. The Tigers will face Benedict College, the No. 4 seed in the East, in the first round today at 3 p.m.

Claflin is the No. 1 seed in the East. The Panthers play Tuskegee, the No. 4 seed in the West, today at 9 a.m.

Other first-round games today include Miles vs. Albany State at noon and Paine vs. Kentucky State at 6 p.m.

It’s understandable the setting of Eagle Stadium in Ozark would feel like home for Stillman College coach Donny Crawford.

Crawford grew up in Rehobeth, where he was a standout athlete for the Rebels in the early 1970s. He later played two years of baseball at Wallace College in Dothan before finishing his athletic career at Southern Mississippi.

Among his early coaching stops was a two-year stint at Cottonwood as the head baseball coach, and he also coached three years at L.B. Wallace junior college in Andalusia.

While Crawford has called Tuscaloosa home for a number of years now, the close ties with the Wiregrass helped Crawford believe Eagle Stadium would be the perfect setting for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament.

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Rush seeded first, Nuggets second for NAIA qualifiers

NEW ORLEANS — The tennis teams of Xavier University of Louisiana are seeded first in the men's division and second in the women's division of an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament.

The dual-match event — to be played at Racquet Club of the South in Norcross, Ga., an Atlanta suburb, on Friday and Saturday — is for schools from the Gulf Coast Athletic, TranSouth Athletic and Appalachian Athletic conferences, which do not field sufficient teams to compete for automatic berths to next month's NAIA National Championships. Also competing will be independent SCAD Atlanta, the host school. The men's and women's champions of the unaffiliated group tournament will receive automatic berths to nationals.

The Gold Rush (14-7) are one of three NAIA-ranked men's teams in the qualifier. Xavier is eighth — matching the Gold Rush's highest rank ever — Cumberland (15-1) is 16th and Martin Methodist (7-5) is 19th. Xavier beat Martin Methodist 5-2 in last year's unaffiliated group final.

Martin Methodist (8-3), ranked 17th, is the only top-25 women's team in the event. Xavier (4-21) and Milligan (10-7) received votes in the most recent national poll, with the Gold Nuggets ranking 26th. The XU women lost 5-0 to Milligan in the semifinals a year ago.

Both XU teams will have first-round byes and play in the quarterfinals at 12:30 p.m. EDT Friday. The Gold Rush will play eighth-seeded Milligan or ninth-seeded Bluefield, and the Gold Nuggets will play seventh-seeded Bethel (Tenn.) or 10th-seeded Reinhardt. Semifinals and championship matches will be played Saturday.

The XU men seek their fourth consecutive berth in the national tournament. The Gold Nuggets, who did not qualify a year ago, seek their fourth berth in five years and their sixth in eight seasons.

Xavier has six singles players and one doubles team on the national list of the Campbell's-Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA rankings of April 16. In men's singles Loic Didavi is eighth, Zach Taylor 19th, Viktor Svoboda 41st and Steffen Giles-Osborn 47th. In women's singles Kourtney Howell is 27th and Amanda Materre 38th. Didavi and Taylor are No. 4 in men's doubles.

In the ITA NAIA South rankings, Didavi is fourth, Taylor ninth, Svoboda 14th and Giles-Osborn 16th in men's singles. Howell is 12th and Materre 16th in women's singles. In men's doubles Didavi and Taylor are second, and Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson are ninth.

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament MEN Racquet Club of the South, Norcross, Ga. All times Eastern First Round — Friday, April 27 #8 Milligan vs. #9 Bluefield, 8 a.m. Quarterfinals — Friday, April 27 #4 Bethel vs. #5 Tennessee Wesleyan, 10 a.m. #3 Martin Methodist vs. #6 SCAD Atlanta, 10 a.m. #1 Xavier vs. Milligan-Bluefield winner, 12:30 p.m. #2 Cumberland vs. #7 Reinhardt, 12:30 p.m. Semifinals — Saturday, April 28 Xavier-Milligan-Bluefield winner vs Bethel-Tennessee Wesleyan winner, 8:30 a.m. Cumberland-Reinhardt winner vs. Martin Methodist-SCAD Atlanta winner, 8:30 a.m. Championship — Saturday, April 28 Semifinal winners meet at noon

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament WOMEN Racquet Club of the South, Norcross, Ga. All times Eastern First Round — Friday, April 27 #7 Bethel vs. #10 Reinhardt, 8 a.m. #8 Columbia (S.C.) vs. #9 Bluefield, 8 a.m. Quarterfinals — Friday, April 27 #3 Milligan vs. #6 Tennessee Wesleyan, 10 a.m. #4 SCAD Atlanta vs. #5 Cumberland, 10 a.m. #1 Martin Methodist vs. Columbia-Bluefield winner, 12:30 p.m. #2 Xavier vs. Bethel-Reinhardt winner, 12:30 p.m. Semifinals — Saturday, April 28 Martin Methodist-Columbia-Bluefield winner vs. SCAD Atlanta-Cumberland winner, 8:30 a.m. Xavier-Bethel-Reinhardt winner vs. Milligan-Tennessee Wesleyan winner, 8:30 a.m. Championship — Saturday, April 28 Semifinal winners meet at noon

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

WSSU, Shaw women to play in NCAA tennis tourney

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - The Winston-Salem State women's tennis team will play at California (Pa.) in the first round of the NCAA Division II women's tennis tournament on Saturday.

WSSU, the No. 8 seed in the Atlantic Regional, will be making its second consecutive NCAA appearance. WSSU is coming off a loss to Shaw in the CIAA championship last Saturday. Shaw, the fourth seed in the Atlantic Region, will take on fifth-seeded West Virginia State on Saturday.

The California-WSSU winner will play the Shaw-West Virginia State winner Sunday for the regional title. The winner of that matchup will advance to the national tournament to be held in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Tennessee State hosts 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Tennessee State University men's golf team will serve as host to the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship from April 26-28 at the GreyStone Golf Club in Dickson, Tennessee.

The 54-hole, three day tournament will consist of three rounds with round one set to begin on Wednesday, April 26. The third and final round is slated for Saturday (4/28) and will close with the team trophy presentation.

Designed by PGA Tour pro Mark McCumber, GreyStone is a public course that has hosted numerous high profile events. It has served as home of the 2002 PGA Tour First Round Qualifying, Men's and Women's Tennessee State Opens 1999 through 2003, the 2000 PGA Tour First Round Qualifying and the Monday Qualifying for the BellSouth Senior PGA Tour event.

This marks the third year in a row that GreyStone, a par-72, 6,858-yard layout, has hosted the OVC Men's Championship.

Sharing the field with Tennessee State will include: Eastern Illinois, Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech, Jacksonville State, UT Martin, Murray State.

Jacksonville State claimed the team title last year with a 561 after inclement weather shortened the tournament to just two rounds. JSU won by 18 shots ahead of second-place finisher UT Martin. It was the Gamecocks third overall championship.

Andres Schonbaum (Jacksonville State), Johan Eriksson (Eastern Kentucky) and Matthew Wallace (Jacksonville State) won the individual title last year carding a 139 with a one-shot lead over the fourth place fininisher.

TSU will look to improve from their seventh place finish at last year's championship. The team is coming off an idle week after hosting the TSU Big Blue Intercollegiate. The Tigers finished the tournament in eighth place while Cameron Scitern returned from his injury to place 10th.

Although injury has limited him to 14 rounds this season, Scitern leads the Tigers, finishing in the top 20 on four occasions in five tournaments played this year. He has finished in the top ten four times which includes four finishes in the top five. He currently holds a team best 72.1 stroke average.

Ryan Pierson is second on the team with an 74.0 stroke average while registering three finishes in the top 20 and three in the top ten this season. James Stepp follows with a stroke average of 75.5 finishing in the top 20 twice in eight events played.

Andrew Warner (76.1), Tyler Hendrickson (76.2), Dallas Hill (77.3), Codie Welborn (79.2) and Matthew Campbell (82.3) round out the team averages with the Tigers currently shooting a combined 299.8 team average.

Practice round will begin on Wednesday before the opening round starts on Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

The annual awards banquets will be held following Thursday's first-round play honoring the All-OVC first-team and second-team members as well as All-Newcomer Team and Freshman of the Year.

The champion of the tournament will represent the OVC in NCAA Regional Play.

Hole-by-hole live results from each day of the championship can be accessed through links at OVCSports.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

California juco standout is Gold Nuggets' second signee

ANDRAQUAY  QUINNINE

NEW ORLEANS — Andraquay Quinnine of Elk Grove, California, has signed a women's basketball scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana. She averaged 13.9 points per game and made 108 3-pointers during the past two seasons.

 Quinnine, a 5-foot-9 guard, is the Gold Nuggets' second signee for 2012-13. Guard Whitney Gathright of New Orleans signed a week ago.

Quinnine averaged 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 29 games for Consumes River College of Sacramento, Calif., this past season and was a California Community College Athletic Association second-team selection in the northern half of the state. Quinnine scored 40 points, including six 3-pointers and 10-of-11 free throws, in the Hawks' 72-64 victory at Diablo Valley on Feb. 7.

As a freshman at Consumnes River in 2010-11, Quinnine averaged 13.3 points in 26 games. In two seasons at the junior college she made 35.8 percent of her 3-pointers (108-of-302) and 80.7 percent of her free throws (130-of-161).



Quinnine is a 2010 graduate of Franklin High School in Elk Grove and helped the Wildcats reach the semifinals of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Division I section playoffs each of her final two seasons.

Quinnine will be a junior on the Nuggets' roster next season.

Xavier was 26-9 in 2011-12, won Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and, for the second consecutive year, reached the second round of the NAIA Division I National Championship. The GCAC Tournament title was the Nuggets' third in a row.

note:    name pronounced ON-druh-kway KWY-nine

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS.COM

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

ASU's Ex-Wetumpka star asked to do more as vocal leader

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Kejuan Riley has proven there isn’t too much he’s unable to do on the football field. He has established himself as perhaps the premiere defensive back in the SWAC. He’s earned countless honors and awards over his three-year career at Alabama State and is an interception away from rewriting the Hornets’ history books.

And the list could go on and on. But there’s one vital piece missing from Riley’s arsenal that remains in the developmental stages — vocal leadership skills.

“Lately, I’ve been trying to get out and talk to everybody a little bit more,” said Riley, the Wetumpka native. “I am a laid back guy, but I know that being one of the leaders on this team I need to talk a little bit more.”

There’s no secret amongst teammates and coaches that the senior free safety’s voice has to become a regular presence on the sideline and in the locker room.




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AT&T Nation's Football Classic™ Tickets Now on Sale

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -  Events DC announced today that tickets for the 2nd annual AT&T Nation’s Football Classic™ are now on sale via Ticketmaster, at the Howard University Box Office located at Cramton Auditorium and the Morehouse College Bookstore.

The AT&T Nation’s Football Classic™ takes place Labor Day weekend with a rematch between the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers and the Howard University Bison on Saturday, September 1 at RFK Stadium. Tickets are priced $25 to $50, plus all applicable fees. Through June 30, $25 tickets are available for $15 (while tickets last). Suite and group ticket sales will begin July 1.

“The inaugural AT&T Nation’s Football Classic™ took the nation’s capital by storm, and we look to build upon the success of last year’s event. Holding the Classic during Labor Day weekend presents a greater opportunity for students and alumni to come show their school pride and enjoy all the festivities,” said Erik A. Moses, managing director of the Events DC Sports and Entertainment Division. “With the support of our sponsors, our partner schools and the city, we cannot wait for the festivities to begin.”

In addition to the football game, there are several free events that will be held throughout Labor Day weekend including the AT&T Kickoff Rally, Pepsi MAX Fan Festival, Academic Symposium, and Morehouse vs. Howard Student Debate.




The Howard University Box Office at Cramton Auditorium is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and located at 2455 Sixth Street, NW. Washington, DC 20059. The Morehouse College Bookstore is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and located at 830 Westview Drive, Atlanta, Ga. 30314. Tickets are also available at all Ticketmaster locations and via ticketmaster.com and nationsfootballclassic.com.

For more information on the AT&T Nation’s Football Classic™, please visit nationsfootballclassic.com.

About the AT&T Nation's Football Classic™
The AT&T Nation's Football Classic™ is a black college football game held annually at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. This year, the game features Howard University against Morehouse College. Organized by Events DC, the AT&T Nation's Football Classic™ was created to celebrate the passion and tradition of the college football experience, recognize the history of service to others by the students, faculty and alumni of historically black colleges and universities, highlight the unity of African American culture, and honor the heritage and excellence of these proud institutions. Tickets for the AT&T Nation’s Football Classic™ are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, the Howard University Box Office at Cramton Auditorium and the Morehouse College Bookstore. Seats are priced $25 to $50.

Blow Returns as SAC Head Men's Basketball Coach!

COACH LONNIE BLOW JR.
HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL
SAINT AUGUSTINE'S COLLEGE

RALEIGH, North Carolina – Saint Augustine's College announced the hiring of Lonnie Blow, Jr. as its head men's basketball coach on Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

This is Blow's second stint as Falcons' head coach. During his first tenure from 2008 to 2010, the basketball program experienced its most successful period in school history. In 2010, Blow directed the Falcons to their first CIAA championship and NCAA Division II playoff berth in 13 years. It was the Falcons' second conference title overall.

“We are excited to have Coach Blow back as we transition into university status,” President Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber said. “Coach Blow exemplifies the leadership that propels student-athletes to not only excel on the court but in the classroom.”

His teams compiled a 46-15 record in two years including a 27-5 mark in the 2009-10 season, which was the best season winning percentage (.844) for the Falcons since the NCAA started keeping track of the program's statistics in 1975. Blow, who won a conference crown quicker than any St. Aug coach, was named NCAA Division II national coach of the year by Heritage Sports Radio Network and CIAA coach of the year in 2010, the same year his team was ranked 23rd nationally in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll and third in the Atlantic Region.

During his time at St. Aug, Blow was known for discipline and defense. The Falcons ranked first in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.358) and third in the nation in rebounding (42.8 rpg) in 2010.

“Coach Blow's return is a step in the right direction for the men's basketball program,” athletic director George Williams said. “He showed in his first stint that he knows how to be successful in the CIAA. We look forward to competing on a conference, regional and national level.”

Blow returns to St. Aug from Old Dominion University where he was an assistant coach at the Division I mid-major program for two seasons. He used his defensive knowledge to help Old Dominion become one of the best defensive teams in Division I. In the 2010-11 season, the Monarchs were the top rebounding team and the third-ranked defensive team in the nation. That same season, the Monarchs won the Paradise Jam tournament, captured the CAA title and received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They finished the season as the third-ranked mid-major team in the nation. In the 2011-12 season, the Monarchs reached the quarterfinals of the College Insiders Tournament.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” Blow said. “This is a good time for me to come back. I look forward to the challenge of returning the program back to a competitive level.”

Honors such as these are not rare to Blow who prior to coaching college was the head boys basketball coach at Granby High School from 1995-2005, and the men's assistant coach at Maury High School from 1984-1995. At Granby, he coached the boys' team to the Virginia AAA state title and was named AAA state coach of the year in 2000. In 2001, Blow led Granby to the Virginia AAA state semifinals.

Blow was named Eastern District coach of the year in 2001, 2003 and 2004, while earning Eastern Regional coach of the year honors in 2000 and 2001.

Blow served as an assistant coach at Norfolk State University from 2006-08 and at Hampton University from 2005-06 where he coached four All-MEAC players and a MEAC Tournament MVP. Hampton won the 2006 MEAC title.

Before entering the coaching profession, Blow was an outstanding college basketball player from 1979-82 at Virginia Wesleyan College. Blow was named Dixie Conference player of the year during the 1980-81 season. He was also a two-time All-American and All-South Atlantic Region selection, and a three-time All-Dixie Conference player, including two selections to the first team.

Blow is Virginia Wesleyan's third all-time career scorer with 1,574 points. He shares the Virginia Wesleyan single game scoring record of 40 points against St. Andrews in 1981. He still holds the single season record for points with 625 in 1980-81. That same year, he made 281 field goals which is also school single season mark. In 2009, Blow was inducted into the Virginia Wesleyan Sports Hall of Fame.

Blow was a first-team All-Tidewater selection at Frederick Military Academy and led the area in scoring during the 1977-78 season with a 31.1 points per game average. He also served as coordinator for the summer youth programs at Old Dominion from 1992 to 2001.

Blow received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Wesleyan College in 1982 with a degree in sociology and criminal justice. Blow is married to Donna Maxine and has an adult son, Kenneth.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Women's hoops player leaving ODU for Hampton

JO GUILFORD
5'-10" R-JUNIOR GUARD
PORTSMOUTH, VA
PHOTO GALLERY
(Photo Courtesy ODU Athletics)

NORFOLK, Virginia - JoNiquia Guilford will play for the Hampton University women’s basketball team next season. She’s eager and excited for that opportunity. That much, she and Old Dominion head coach Karen Barefoot agree on. How she got there, well, that’s a different story.

Guilford is one of two Lady Monarchs players who were released from their scholarships and are set to transfer, joined by center Brittany Campbell.  But Guilford said she wishes she weren’t leaving the program.

Guilford and Roger Smith, her coach at Wilson High School in Portsmouth, say Guilford’s scholarship was pulled by Old Dominion. Barefoot says Guilford made the choice in the face of reduced playing time.

“It was taken away,” Smith said. “They released her. It was not her initiating the release. They were going in another direction. I know it’s a business. I don’t like how that it is, but it is. Her job depends on winning. I just don’t like how it was handled.”

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Former NCCU chancellor, USOC head Dr. LeRoy T. Walker, dies

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Dr. LeRoy T. Walker, a historic leader in the U.S. Olympic movement and a hugely accomplished coach and educator in North Carolina, died Monday in Durham, his home for more than 60 years. He was 93.

Walker was the first African-American to head the U.S. Olympic Committee and was instrumental in bringing the Olympic Games to his native Atlanta in 1996.

In his long life, he overcame poverty and discrimination to earn honors as an athlete and coach, but he also was an academic. He was the first African-American to earn a doctorate in biomechanics, and he went on to become chancellor of N.C. Central University.

LeRoy Walker was truly a remarkable human being, a great teacher, a great leader as chancellor, and a great international figure in competitive sport, especially the Olympics,” said William Friday, president emeritus of the UNC system and a friend of Walker for 40 years. “I don’t know of a man who has had a greater impact in his world than did LeRoy. He will be greatly missed.”

Walker as an inspiration

Walker was a member of more than a dozen halls of fame, but his admirers said his most impressive legacy may be not in what he accomplished, but in what he inspired and enabled others to achieve.

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Dr. Walker said at the time of his being named president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, “There are a lot of disenchanted blacks, women and Hispanics in our country who feel they will never get their just due no matter what they accomplish. I think I serve as a model of the idea that if you constantly pursue excellence, in spite of everything you have suffered, there are enough fair-minded people out there who will eventually recognize your talents.”

Longtime NCCU, Olympic coach dies in Durham

DURHAM, North Carolina — LeRoy Walker, a longtime track and field coach at North Carolina Central University and the first African American to head the United States Olympic Committee, died in Durham Monday. He was 93.

During his career at NCCU, he coached 111 All-Americans, 40 national champions and 12 Olympians. He also served as chancellor from 1983 to 1986.

Walker coached Olympic track and field all over world, including in Israel and Kenya. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, he led a 10,000-member group of some of the most talented athletes in the world.

In addition to track and field, Walker was passionate about education.

"It is our young people now that are our next group leaders," he said in February 2007, about a week before he was given a lifetime achievement award from the Triangle Urban League for his leadership in the community. "(They) are going to make this the community we want it to be, but they have to have some training."

He had degrees from Benedict College in South Carolina and Columbia University in New York. He got a PhD in exercise physiology and biomechanics from New York University in 1957.  He was named president of the United State Olympic Committee in 1992.

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Paine second after first day of SIAC Golf Classic

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- The 2012 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Golf Classic teed off Monday at Jones Creek Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The two-day classic features teams from Benedict College (BC), Kentucky State University (KSU), LeMoyne-Owen College (LOC), Morehouse College (MHC) and Paine College (PC).

Two-time defending champion Morehouse College currently leads the field at the close of round one after shooting a team score of 335. The Maroon Tigers hold a three-stroke lead over second-place Paine College, who shot a team score of 338. Benedict College is not far behind in third place with team score of 348. Kentucky State University is in fourth place with a 351 followed by LeMoyne-Owen with a 391.

Paine College’s Carlos Solio shot a 75 in round one and currently sits atop the individual leader board while teammate Victor Tapia is in second after shooting a 78. Morehouse College’s Bryan McElderry sits in third place with an 81 while teammate Alexander Atkinson is tied with Benedict’s Jordan Buchanan for fourth with an 84 to round out the top five.

The final round of the 2012 SIAC Golf Classic will tee off on Tuesday, April 24th at 9:30 a.m.

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Dillard's Kierrariel Mitchell Receives 2012 MS-INBRE Scholars Award

KIERRARIEL MITCHELL
WOMEN'S BLEU DEVILS BASKETBALL
5'-10" FRESHMAN GUARD/FORWARD
HOMETOWN: JACKSON, MS

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi - Kierrariel Mitchell, a freshman Biology major, is a recipient of the Mississippi iDEA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (MS - INBRE) research scholar award for the 2012 summer research project.

The MS-INBRE Research scholar project is a 10-week summer internship program held at the University of Southern Mississippi. Scholars work with a mentor of their choice during the 20-week period and agree to present a project poster at the state-wide Mississippi Academy of Sciences meeting that is held annually in February.

Kierrariel Mitchell, biology major, was recently named to the Dillard University's Dean's List for achieving above a 3.5 GPA. She is a member of the Dillard University women's basketball team. The 5-10, guard/forward was instrumental in helping the Lady Bleu Devil achieve a 13-12 overall record, and 9-5 GCAC record, which put the team in three way tie for third place. Kierrariel started in 15 of 25 games for the Lady Bleu Devils this season. In her first year, she averaged 19.2 minutes per game and shot 71% (20/28) from the free-throw line while accumulating a total of 122 rebounds (2nd on the team).

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ASU Braves win 2012 SWAC Championship in Men's Tennis

LORMAN, Mississippi  -- Alcorn State claimed their second straight title in Men's Tennis with a win over Prairie View. The Braves blanked the Panthers, 4-0 in tournament action. Alcorn State captured the doubles point first and dominated the singles competition to run away with the SWAC Title.

Vitali Vasileuski/Garry Amor defeated Trenton Johnson/Juan Pablo Robles while Alexandr Lidzar/Max Tkachenko overpowered David Aldaz/Jonathan Dingle to get the BravesAS off to a good start by picking up the doubles point.

In singles action, the Braves Ernesto Santillan, Winfried Weinbeer and Garry Amor were victorious over Prairie View's Ronald Chidzikwe, Kristen Powell and David Aldaz respectively.

The Braves have won a total of eight SWAC Men's Championships.

Head Coach, Anthony Dodgen was named 2012 SWAC Men's Coach of the Year while Garry Amor received Tournament MVP Honors. Ernesto Santillan and Winfried Weinbeer were named to the All-Tournament Team. Earlier in the week, Alcorn State swept first team honors in the category of doubles in the SWAC. Weinbeer, Lidzar, Amor and Tkachenko earned SWAC All-Conference first team honors in singles.

As a result of the SWAC Title, Alcorn State will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament during the month of May.

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Southern Jaguars host UNO, look to extend win streak to 11

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Riding the wave of a 10-game win streak, Southern will host UNO at Lee Hines Field Tuesday night at 6 p.m.

Southern (25-14) is coming off a three-game sweep of Prairie View A&M and are 12-1 in April after struggling mightily in March with a 9-10 mark. The Jaguars scored 24 runs during the weekend series including a 12-2 thrashing in seven innings.

Daniel Garcia (3-1, 4.46) will get the start in Tuesday's game and has earned victories in his last three mid-week starts. Garcia, who is 3-1 this season, defeated UL 3-2 with a masterful pitching effort, lasting 8.1 innings.

In the Jaguars 9-4 win over UNO last Wednesday, Garcia allowed four runs in six innings before freshman Pedro Fargas entered to pitch three innings of perfect baseball, adding four strikeouts.

At the plate, no one has been hotter the right-fielder Stephen Wallace. Wallace, who went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a solo homerun in the 5-point win over the Privateers, is batting a team-leading .359 with six homeruns, also a team high. Wallace accounted for six RBIs in the last week's game against UNO.

Southern continues its meteoric rise towards next month's SWAC Tournament at Lee Hines Field when the Jaguars embark upon a home-and-home tilt with rival Jackson State. Southern will travel to Jackson, Mississippi to face the Tigers on Saturday before returning to friendlier confines on Sunday in Baton Rouge, La.

First pitch for Sunday's matinee is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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VSU Lady Trojans Win First Ever CIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship

PETERSBURG, Virginia -- Virginia State University’s women’s outdoor track and field team won their first ever CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship on Saturday, April 21st with 139.50 total points.

The women's meet turned into a two-team duel between Virginia State and Johnson C. Smith, which started the day with the lead. Virginia State, in fourth place entering Saturday, surged into contention early, and the lead flip-flopped between Johnson C. Smith and Virginia State. The Lady Trojans started their rally in the 800-meter run, where Sierra Clayton led a 1-2 VSU finish. The 1,500-meter run was a VSU sweep of the top three places with Taylor-Ashley Bean winning the event. After two runners scored in the 200-meter dash, the Lady Trojans had reclaimed the lead 134.5-123 with one event left. It was a team effort for the Lady Trojans, who won six individual events. Samantha Edwards of the Lady Trojans won the 400-meter dash. She is ranked fourth in Division II in the event.

Samantha Edwards (senior/ Elmont, NY) won the women’s 400m dash in 52.15 seconds and then placed third in the women’s 200m dash with a time of 24.54 seconds. Jovonne Tyson King (junior/ Pontiac/ MI) added three points by placing sixth in the women’s 100m dash event.

In the women’s 800 m run, VSU added 20 points with three runners advancing to the finals. Sierra Clayton (senior/ Chesapeake, VA) won the event, while Taylor Ashley Bean (freshman/ Sandys, Bermuda) placed second (2:14.55) and Jourdan Johnson (junior/ Winston-Salem State) finished seventh (2:20.94).

The Lady Trojans displayed great effort by having three runners finish in the top-3 in the women’s 1500m event. Taylor Ashley Bean won the women’s 1500m run with a time of 4:54.06. Sierra Clayton followed with a solid 4:58.46 placing second and Jourdan Johnson helped the Lady Trojans sweep the event with a third place finish with a time of 5:03.85. In the women’s 1500m run, VSU accumulated 24 team points.

Four Lady Trojans added 23 points in the women’s 3000m run. Taylor-Ashley Bean won the event (10:58.30), Sierra Clayton followed by placing second (11:37.88), Jenna Arnold (senior/ Philadelphia, PA) finished in fifth place, and Shayla Szabo (senior/ Newport News, VA) finished in eighth place (11:57.48).

Two Lady Trojans collected points in the women’s hurdles events at the 2012 CIAA Outdoor Championships. Shaundra Cook (junior/ Franklin, VA) added four points in the women’s 100m hurdles (14.98) with a fifth place finish, while Alicia Terry (freshman/ Roanoke, VA) also added four points in the women’s 400m hurdles (1:01.71).

In the women’s relay events, VSU placed third in the women’s 4x100m relay (47.11) and then finished fourth in the women’s 4x400m relay (3:52.76). Anjelica Harris (senior/ Suffolk, VA), Samantha Edwards, Alicia Terry, and Jovonne Tyson King placed third behind winner St. Augustine’s and runner-up Johnson C. Smith in the women’s 4x100m relay. In the women’s 4x400m relay, Jovonne Tyson King, Sierra Clayton, Shannon Lewis (sophomore/ Yorktown, VA) , and Taylor-Ashley Bean finished in fourth place.

Both Sierra Clayton and Shaundra Cook placed fourth and fifth respectively, in the women’s high jump event. Clayton added four points by rising 1.60m and Cook scored two points with a mark of 1.55m. In the women’s long jump, Cook placed ninth (5.11m) and in the women’s triple jump she placed tied for sixth (11.35m). Alicia Terry also competed in the women’s triple jump following Cook by placing eighth (11.09m).

The Lady Trojans added 17 points in the women’s discus throw with Chelsey Fuller (freshman/ Norfolk, VA) placing second (36.63m), Millicent Barber (sophomore/ Virginia Beach, VA) placing fourth (36.10m), and Ashley Heedley (sophomore/ Oakland, CA) placing fifth (34.33m). Shaundra Cook placed eighth in the women’s javelin throw adding one point (26.97m), while Millicent Barber placed eighth in the women’s shot put event (10.78m).

FINAL STATS

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Shaw Lady Bears Tennis Takes CIAA Championship

ETTRICK, Virginia -- One year ago, Shaw number one singles player Lolia Kienka watched as Winston-Salem State celebrated their 2011 women's tennis championship,  Angry, she declared, "We will win it next year."

 

This year, Kienka and her teammates proved her right as they captured their third CIAA Women's Tennis Championship in four years by defeating defending champion Winston-Salem State 5-0 in a match played on the campus of Virginia State.

 

In doubles action, number one doubles Lolia Kienka and Jessica Medina downed Kalin Jarvis and Bianka Locklear 8-3.  The number two doubles team of Vimbai Mawisire and Aline Ferreira topped Sloane Holmes and Kayla Carter.  Claudia Silva and Gislaine Farias gave Shaw a clean sweep of the doubles with their 8-0 win over Chelsea Chatman and Taylor Harris.

 

With the sweep of doubles, Shaw needed to capture two singles contests to win the best-of-nine match.  Number five single Ferreira defeated Lindsay 6-2, 6-0 and Gislaine Farias -in the number six slot - clinched the match with her 6-1, 6-1 win over Chatman.

 

Now the Lady Bears wait for the NCAA Tennis Selection Show, which will air Tuesday, April 24 at 8:30 p.m. on  ncaa.com.  At that time, they will learn when and where they will compete.

BOX SCORE

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Claflin captures first SIAC East Division baseball title

COLUMBIA, South Carolina - The script could not have been written any better. For the second consecutive year the SIAC East Division Title would be decided on the last weekend of the regular season, as rivals Benedict College (20-14) and Claflin University (22-16) squared off. Last season the games took place in Orangeburg, SC at Historic Mirmow Field, with Benedict taking the East regular season crown.

This year the battle took place at new Tiger Field on the Benedict College campus. Needing two wins over the Tigers the Panthers would win the Division outright. Claflin knew this was their opportunity to capture their first SIAC East Division Title since becoming a member of the NCAA II in 2008.

The Panthers took advantage and left nothing to chance by sweeping the Tigers in the Saturday afternoon doubleheader 4-3, and 11-8.

Coach James Randall said, “This is the reward for hard work and dedication. It feels great to win our first division title, here at Claflin University. I am extremely proud of the players on this team who set the goals and sacrificed their personal time and efforts to get to this point. It was difficult to watch Benedict celebrate winning the division on our field last year, and I know we had that vision in the back of our minds since then. I can't say enough about our seniors who kept us focused helped each player to believe in each other, I think that helped us to be as successful as we were. We will now come out and continue to play fundamental baseball as we head into next weeks SIAC Championships with momentum.”

The Panthers will travel to Ozark, Alabama as the #1 seed in the east for the SIAC Baseball Championships beginning Thursday. Brackets and parings for the championships will be released at a later date.

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