Xavier Nuggets No. 1 again; national tournament is next week

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's tennis team will enter next week's NAIA National Championship as the No. 1 team.
    
The Gold Nuggets (17-7) received nine first-place votes Monday, one more than this past week, to edge two-time defending champion Auburn Montgomery by five points in the final poll before the national tournament. It's the third consecutive poll that Xavier has been No. 1. This is the first Xavier team in any sport to be ranked atop an NAIA poll.
    
The Gold Nuggets were 13th in the preseason poll and climbed to No. 10 — the first of six consecutive top-10 appearances — on March 5.
    
Also Monday, the NAIA announced the field for the national tournament. The Gold Nuggets were one of 24 women's teams chosen; they were one of 13 automatic qualifiers after winning an unaffiliated group tournament in April. SCAD Atlanta, a 5-3 loser to Xavier in the championship dual of that event, received an at-large berth.
    
The NAIA will announce tournament pairings by 5 p.m. CDT Tuesday. The Gold Nuggets will have one of eight first-round byes and play in the second round at 1 p.m. on May 15. The Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala., will be the tournament site for the 10th consecutive year.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 5) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Xavier (9) 17-7 309 1 2 Auburn Montgomery (3) 13-8 304 2 3 Brenau 12-4 293 3 4 SCAD Savannah 12-2 282 4 5 William Carey 11-8 270 5 6 Lindsey Wilson 17-2 259 6 7 Lewis-Clark State 11-9 256 7 8 Westmont 17-2 241 8 9 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 10-10 234 9 10 Oklahoma Baptist 13-10 221 10 11 Vanguard 11-16 209 11 12 Northwood (Fla.) 8-7 203 12 13 Concordia (Calif.) 9-11 187 13 14 Olivet Nazarene 16-6 179 14 15 SCAD Atlanta 7-3 178 15 16 Coastal Georgia 8-8 155 16 17 Indiana Wesleyan 22-1 154 17 18 Cumberland 14-6 144 18 19 Milligan 19-3 137 19 20 Campbellsville 11-9 121 20 21 Marian (Ind.) 16-9 109 22 22 Davenport 20-9 96 23 23 Southeastern (Fla.) 7-11 88 25 24 Lee (Tenn.) 4-7 79 24 25 Nebraska Wesleyan 13-7 63 RV Others receiving votes: Ashford 59, Bethel (Kan.) 47, Ave Maria 25, Belhaven 24, Northwestern Ohio 17, Robert Morris (Chicago) 16, Cumberlands 14, Hope International 10, Evangel 9, Georgetown (Ky.) 3

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU Rush fall to No. 6 in final poll before national tournament

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana dropped one place to sixth Monday in the final NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll before the national tournament.
    
The Gold Rush (14-7) traded places with Bethany (Kan.) after ranking ahead of the Swedes in the previous two polls. Bethany edged Xavier by one point.
    
Still, it's the highest ranking entering next week's NAIA National Championship for the XU men, who were seventh before the 2012 tournament and eighth in 2011. The No. 5 ranking in the previous two polls was the highest in the program's history.
    
The Gold Rush, in the top 10 for the 19th consecutive time, clinched one of 13 automatic berths to the national tournament by winning an unaffiliated group tournament in April. The NAIA announced the 24-team field Monday and will reveal pairings by 5 p.m. CDT Tuesday. Xavier is expected to receive a first-round bye and play in the second round at 9 a.m. on May 15. All matches will be played in Mobile, Ala., at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center, the tournament venue for the 10th consecutive year.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 5) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (9) 20-2 310 1 2 Auburn Montgomery (1) 18-3 299 2 3 Vanguard (2) 22-0 296 3 4 Westmont 11-10 279 4 5 Bethany (Kan.) 22-1 269 6 6 Xavier 14-7 268 5 7 Bethel (Tenn.) 20-1 252 7 8 Lindsey Wilson 16-3 244 8 9 Cumberland 17-4 232 9 10 Concordia (Calif.) 11-12 220 10 11 Belhaven 15-4 210 11 12 Aquinas 23-4 203 12 13-tie William Carey 8-5 187 14 13-tie Oklahoma Baptist 15-10 187 13 15 Northwood (Fla.) 12-5 176 15 16 Lewis-Clark State 7-8 162 16 17 Northwestern Ohio 13-7 143 18 18 Graceland 14-6 134 21 19 Warner 12-9 126 19 20 Pikeville 10-5 123 20 21 Olivet Nazarene 10-10 112 23 22 Campbellsville 10-9 108 22 23 McPherson 22-7 95 17 24 Davenport 18-7 85 24 25 Webber International 10-12 74 25 Others receiving votes: Indiana Wesleyan 58, Coastal Georgia 45, Martin Methodist 42, Grace 17, St. Francis (Ill.) 14, Asbury 12, Mobile 11, St. Thomas (Fla.) 6, Spring Arbor 5.

 

By Ed Cassiere, SID

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

SU's Joseph named to 2013 CFPA FCS Watch List

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On the heels of a career season in 2012, Dray Joseph is creating expectations for an encore performance 2013 that has one football group serving notice.

College Football Performance Awards, the largest awards organization in D-I college football, recently announced its watch list for the 2013 CFPA FCS Quarterback Award, and Southern University quarterback Dray Joseph earned a spot on the list. The preliminary watch list highlights thirty-two returning performers, vying for the top quarterback honor in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Joseph excelled as the unquestioned leader of the Jaguar offense in 2012 passing for  2,511 yards and 25 TDs. The West St. John product completed 58.5 percent of his pass attempts on his way to earning a spot on the All-SWAC second team.



(Courtesy Southern University Athletics)

Joseph punctuated his stellar season by leading the conference in passing average (228 ypg) and total offense (2,640 yards)

"Congratulations to Dray Joseph on earning a spot on the 2013 CFPA Watch List," stated CFPA Executive Director Brad Smith. "Dawson Odums has an excellent returning quarterback for his first year as head coach with the Jaguars."

All CFPA recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. All players are eligible for awards at their respective positions; players are not preemptively eliminated from consideration.

Currently, there are 111 CFPA recipients listed on official 2013 NFL rosters. More than 130 CFPA recipients have signed professional contracts, and twenty-one have been first-round NFL Draft selections. Past CFPA recipients include: Colin Kaepernick, Trent Richardson, Dez Bryant, Von Miller, Patrick Peterson, Earl Thomas, Blair Walsh, Dennis Pitta, and C.J. Spiller.

Last season, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel earned the 2012 CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy, while Harvard quarterback Colton Chapple earned the 2012 CFPA FCS National Performer
of the Year Trophy. Multiple award presentations were broadcast live nationally on ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, as well as internationally on BYUtv.

For more information, visit the Official CFPA Website (http://www.collegefootballperformance.com). Follow CFPA on Twitter @CFPerformance.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bennett College picks Florida A&M exec as new president

Rosalind Fuse-Hall
President-Elect
Bennett College
 

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  --  Bennett College has named Rosalind Fuse-Hall as its president-elect, to take over at the all-woman African-American private school in Greensboro in July.

She will succeed interim President Esther Terry, who has been in charge at the school since the departure of former President Julianne Malveaux last year.

According to an announcement from Bennett, Fuse-Hall has nearly 25 years of experience in higher education, serving currently as interim executive director of Title III Programs at Florida A&M University and chief of staff to President James Ammons.

Before going to FAMU, she was executive assistant to the chancellor at N.C. Central University. She has also been the corporate secretary to the UNC Board of Governors, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill and director of minority affairs at St. Lawrence University.

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Charlotte leaders fighting to keep CIAA in town

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  (WBTV) --  Charlotte leaders are committed to not losing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Basketball tournament. It has been in Charlotte for several years and has pumped millions of dollars into the economy, but recent complaints from CIAA leaders could make it difficult to keep the tourney in Charlotte.

The tournament is scheduled to stay in Charlotte until 2014. It's up for grabs after that. Charlotte has to rebid for the CIAA this summer to keep it in Charlotte until 2018.

Councilman James Mitchell has requested the city's Economic Development Committee to tackle those complaints and find solutions. One complaint is with the hotels. Leaders think the prices are too high and they think hotels are taking advantage of the fans. Here is what CIAA leaders would like to see happen.

"One solution," Mitchell said. "That we have had some discussion is to allow the CIAA to control the hotels - get the CRVA out of that business and turn it over to the 10 CIAA schools and let them manage their own hotels."

Another concern for new CIAA commissioner Jacqie Carpenter is ...

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Former VHS grad Farmer signs with St. Augustine’s University

OCALA, Florida  --  As the school year winds down, many current and former county athletes have decided on where they will continue their athletic careers.

 

Brandon Farmer, a former two-sport standout at Vanguard High, recently signed in basketball with St. Augustine’s (N.C.) University after spending one season at South Carolina-Salkehatchie.

 

“Going up there worked out a lot better than I thought it would,” said Farmer, who averaged 3.3 points and 2.3 assists in helping his program qualify for the NJCAA National Tournament. “I’m excited about (moving on). (St. Augustine’s) is in a great city (Raleigh) and I am excited about the opportunity.”

 

Farmer, who played point guard in his first year in junior college, will now have three seasons to play for St. Augustine’s, which is a NCAA Division II school and plays in the CIAA.

 

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WSSU Kicks Off Division II Football Schedule On CBS Sports Network

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Division II and CBS Sports Network have announced their regular-season television schedule for the 2013 football season and the first game on the schedule features CIAA Champion Winston-Salem State.

The six-game Thursday night slate opens Sept. 5 and features seven teams from last year's championship field, including two national semifinalists. Teams appearing in this year's television package combined for a 102-30 (.773) overall record last season.

"This year's package of games offers a tremendous representation of Division II football," said Frank Condino, chair of the Division II Football Committee and athletics director at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"The quality of teams and talent included is top-notch across the country. Featuring last year's national runner-up, a game at Cowboys Stadium and a matchup pitting the defending Harlon Hill Trophy winner against last year's third-place finisher are just a few of the highlights that make this lineup special."

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU will get more national exposure in football

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  I bet there aren’t a lot of Division II football programs that have received the national television exposure that Winston-Salem State has received and will receive.

Last season the Rams final two games in the Division II semifinals and the national championship game were televised on ESPN2. And now the Rams opener, scheduled for Sept. 5 at UNC Pembroke at 8 p.m., will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.                        

That network is available in Winston-Salem on channel 537 (TimeWarner Cable). The game will also be shown on DirecTV on channel 613.

What makes it even better for WSSU and for UNC Pembroke is that the game is on a Thursday night.

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Southern splits, eyes potential rematch with Jackson State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  If the baseball standings in the Southwestern Athletic Conference hold, Southern will head to the conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, later this month as the No. 1 seed from the Western Division and Jackson State as the top seed from the East.

The two will have some unsettled business when they get there.

In their only meetings of the regular season, Southern and JSU split a doubleheader Saturday at Lee-Hines Field, setting up the possibility for a “rubber match” should they meet in the SWAC tournament.

Jackson State rode the strong pitching of Alexander Juday and three two-run innings to a 6-4 victory in Saturday’s opener. Southern rebounded to take a convincing 10-3 win in the second game.

“That would be nice if we could play them in a tiebreaker,” Southern designated hitter Kevin Williams said. “We know what they have, and they know what we have. It would be exciting if we played them again.”

Jackson State (27-19) finished SWAC Eastern Division play last weekend with a 19-5 mark and has already wrapped up the division title.

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UAPB Golden Lions Baseball Team Earns SWAC Tourney Berth

PRAIRIE VIEW,  Texas -- As the season winds down, head coach Carlos James and his University of Arkansas at Pine bluff Golden Lions baseball team knew the job at hand; take care of business and a trip to the 2013 SWAC Baseball Championships would be in the near future, and that’s just what they did.

With a SWAC western division weekend series on tap, the UAPB Golden Lions also have to make-up the home series against PV that was rained out. These games count towards final standings and tournament seeding as well.

In the first game, the UAPB Golden Lions bats seemed to have a mind of their own as the team from Pine Bluff only managed two hits as Panther pitcher Johnathon Mata was credited with a complete game shut-out. PV plated runs in the first, fifth and seventh innings for a 6-0 final. Golden Lions hurler Jim Ploeger suffered the loss.

The rubber match of the first day’s offering was completely different. It could’ve been Coach James’ between-game pep talk or maybe the powerade. Whatever the case may have been the Golden lions bounced back for a 5-3 victory in 11 innings.

UAPB plated its first run when Patrick Phillips came around to score on an Isias Alcantar single in the third inning. Then in the fourth, the Golden Lions got two more runs when Kirby Campbell  crossed home on a wild pitch. Warren Stehn would score on a sacrifice fly by Cody De Mera.

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HU Pirates, Lady Pirates Win MEAC Outdoor Track Titles

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Hampton University men’s and women’s track & field teams both won the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T.

The Lady Pirates won their second straight MEAC outdoor crown and their seventh in the last eight years. The Pirates won their first outright MEAC outdoor title since 2003 and snapped Norfolk State’s seven-year outdoor winning streak.

The Lady Pirates also won the MEAC indoor title back in February.

The Hampton women tallied 123 points, beating second-place Maryland Eastern Shore by four points. Florida A&M came in third with 104 points. On the men’s side, Hampton scored 119 points compared to just 92.5 points from second-place Norfolk State.

Director of Track & Field Maurice Pierce was named the Most Outstanding Coach.

“This is unbelievable,” Pierce said.  “To win two championships in one year, in this conference, is a tremendous blessing. Both teams worked together and the men were able to feed off the women.

“These wins are an attribute of these two teams working together as one.”

Senior Benita Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa.) won the women’s 800-meter run with a time of 2:10.91, and she also took the 1,500-meter run title after running a season-best 4:38.83.

Junior Breana Norman (Virginia Beach, Va.) ran a 13.76 to win the 100-meter hurdles title.

The Lady Pirates also won the MEAC title in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:40.44, with senior Shantae Boney (District Heights, Md.), sophomore Le'Quisha Parker (Silver Springs, Md.), Taylor, and junior Malekah Holland (Brooklyn, N.Y.) running the race.

Parker was second in the 200-meter dash with a season-best 23.15, and Norman was second in the high jump with a season-best mark of 1.72 meters (five feet, 7.25 inches). Boney finished second in the heptathlon with a season-high 4,696 points, while senior Shaquanda Gainey (Camden, N.J.) was third with 4,439 points.

Junior Nichelle Harris (Rahway, N.J.) came in third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase after running an 11:33.16. Junior Teiara Denmark (Virginia Beach, Va.) came in third in both the long jump (5.88 meters; 19 feet, 3.5 inches) and the triple jump (12.29 meters; 40 feet, four inches).

Sophomore Edose Ibadin (Glendale, Md.) won the men’s 800-meter run after turning in a 1:50.60.

He was also on the 4x400-meter relay team that won the MEAC title with a time of 3:10.14. Ibadin ran with sophomore Chidi Okezie (Philadelphia, Pa.), sophomore Mohamed Labor-Koroma (Chantilly, Va.), and junior Je'Von Hutchison (Boynton, Fla.).

Sophomore Stefano Nardini (Milan, Italy) won the javelin with a mark of 65.62 meters (215 feet, three inches), breaking his own school record set earlier this season.

Freshman Trey Holloway (Chesapeake, Va.) came in second in the 110-meter hurdles with a season-best 13.85. Sophomore Sulaiman Fareed (Richmond, Va.) tossed the shot put 16.46 meters (54 feet), breaking his own school record, to come in second.

Okezie was third in the 200-meter dash with a season-best 21.06 and third in the 400-meter dash with a 47.14.

The top three finishers in each event earn All-MEAC honors; event winners are named First Team All-MEAC, with second-place and third-place finishers earning Second and Third Team All-MEAC honors, respectively.

The Pirates and Lady Pirates will return to action on Saturday and Sunday, when they head to Princeton, N.J. for the IC4A and ECAC Outdoor Championships. For more information on Hampton University track & field, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Final Results

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Track and Field Places Fifth at OVC Championship

Courtesy Tennessee State University Athletics

CHARLESTON, Illinois – The Tennessee State men’s and women’s track and field teams each finished fifth at this weekend’s Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championship.

 

The Tigerbelles scored a total of 92 points and were 53.5 points behind champion Eastern Illinois. The Panthers also won the men’s side with 222.5 points while the Flying Tigers managed 68.

 

Reigning OVC Female Athlete of the Year Ashontae Jackson was the only TSU individual to take home a title as the sophomore won the long jump with a leap of 6.08 meters. Teammate Clairwin Dameus came in second with a 5.85 meter hop.

 

Dameus and Jackson later paired with fellow Tigerbelles Quanisha Sales and Diera Taylor to win the 4x100m and 10 points with a final of 45.95. Then, Jackson, Sales, Taylor and Gabrielle Todd placed second in the 4x400m after completing the event in 3:45.74.

 

In addition to her performances in the relays, Sales also finished second in the 100m dash (11.91) and fourth in the 400m (24.79).

 

Ja’Lyn Burr and Angel Davis rounded out the scoring for the Tigerbelles as Burr recorded a second-place finish in the triple jump (11.87m) and Davis came in third in the discus throw (40.32).

 

For the Flying Tigers, Michael Johnson placed third in the 400m after a run of 48.80 seconds. He then teamed with Osafa Hippolyte, Jamill Jackson and Emmanuel Thornton to earn five points with a fourth place finish in the 4x400 (3:22.51).

 

Earlier in the day, Thornton recorded a third-place finish in the 400m hurdles with a final of 53.99. He missed out on first by just tenths of a second.

 

In the high jump, Sean Jenkins finished third with a leap of 2.03 meters. Fellow Flying Tiger Shaquille Cragwall was just behind Jenkins, finishing fourth by clearing 1.93m.

 

Royce Dates, who was just named the OVC’s Male Co-Field Athlete of the Year, had a hop of 7.43 meters in the long jump, which placed him third in the event.

 

TSU will next travel to Atlanta, Ga., for the Georgia Tech Invitational on May 10-11. The meet will be the final opportunity for members of the teams to qualify for the NCAA Preliminaries.

 

    Final Results

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern to host JSU in 1 p.m. doubleheader May 4

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern University baseball will host Jackson State for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Lee-Hines Field after the teams originally schedule contest Friday was cancelled due to rain in the Jackson, Miss. area.

Friday's game against Jackson State, which was set for 6 pm at Braddy Field, has been canceled due to inclement weather. Southern will travel to Jackson to play a double header in 2014.

Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader will air live on Downtown Radio 97.7 FM with the pregame show starting at 12:45 p.m.

Southern will host LSU-Eunice May 9-11 for one final tune-up before the 2013 SWAC Baseball Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas May 15-19.

 

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Families of VSU hazing victims speak out about tragic loss

ETTRICK, Virginia  --  The parents of 19-year-old Marvell Edmondson and 19-year-old Jauwan Holmes were strangers just a few weeks ago, but they now share a heartbreaking bond. Their sons, Virginia State University freshmen, drowned together in the Appomattox River during a hazing ritual for the group Men of Honor.

“I will never hear my son tell me he loves me again,” said Kim Edmondson.

“As a parent you never in your wildest dreams imagine that you’ll get a call that your child went missing when he’s off to college,” said Steve Williams, Jauwan Holmes’ father.


Chesterfield police say Charles Zollicoffer, James Mackey, Eriq Benson and Cory Baytop told Marvell, Jauwan and five other freshmen to walk through the river as part of their initiation into Men of Honor. The parents say the group tricked the boys into thinking it was a legitimate VSU organization, but they’ve since learned the group was not even recognized by VSU. Police say their task for initiation led to Jauwan and Marvell’s deaths.

“Why was it this night?” Kim Edmondson asked. “Why was it 50 degree weather? Why were they half dressed?”

Chesterfield police charged the men with hazing, a misdemeanor in Virginia. It’s maximum penalty carried a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

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Trial set for May 13 in deadly FAMU hazing

ORLANDO, Florida  -- Former FAMU drum major Rikki Wills rejected a plea deal Friday in the fatal hazing of his roommate Robert Champion and is set to become the first ex-band member to go to trial in the case.

Wills, 24, did not appear in court with Orlando attorney Bill Hancock, who informed Circuit Judge Donald Myers of the former student band leader's decision. Jury selection for the trial is scheduled to begin May 13 in Orange County.

Hancock, who did not reveal the state's offer, and assistant state attorney Nicole Pegues estimated the trial will take at least four days to present evidence, and both predicted that publicity over the tragedy might hamper efforts to seat a jury.

Champion, 26, was beaten to death Nov. 19, 2011, during a hazing ritual on ...

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NCCU Eagles' eye squarely on Aug. 31 Bull City Classic, Duke

DURHAM, North Carolina   —  N.C. Central coach Henry Frazier III is big on continuity, and he has said one of the reasons the Eagles have turned a corner is because his coaching staff has largely remained intact since he arrived for the 2011 season.

This will be Frazier’s third campaign at NCCU, which is coming off of its first winning season since 2007, finishing 6-5 in 2012, 5-3 in the MEAC.

The Eagles ended the season with a share of third place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

At the conclusion of sanctioned spring football practice, Frazier said he’s looking forward to seeing the eventual results of off-season, non-supervised training by his players.

“They won’t be here with me on the field, but they’ll still be doing football-related activities in terms of working out,” Frazier said. “Attacking the workouts. You’re just not showing up to lift or showing up to run. You want to attack the workouts.”

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FAMU, FGCU men's basketball team to play in Las Vegas

Rattlers going West for 2013 Las Vegas Classic with FGCU, Radford and Sacred Heart.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The FGCU men’s basketball team will play in the 2013 Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic, scheduled for Dec. 22-23 at Orleans Arena.

As part of the tournament, the Eagles head to American Athletic Conference (formerly the BIG EAST) member USF on Dec. 17 before going to SEC foe Mississippi State on Dec. 19. FGCU will then go west to Las Vegas where it will play two games against a field of FAMU, Radford and Sacred Heart. The Green and Blue’s first round matchup on Dec. 22 with one of the three opponents will be announced at a later date with the winners and losers from the two contests meeting the next day.

“We are very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Classic,” said Dooley, who was named FGCU head coach on April 17 after 10 seasons as an assistant at Kansas. “It’s a great opportunity for our team to play tough road games against good programs in USF and Mississippi State, as well as a pair of neutral site games in a great venue out west.”

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Albany State on hunt for new offensive coordinator

ALBANY, Georgia  — Albany State football coach Mike White is back where he was two years ago: in need of an offensive coordinator.

The job became vacant Wednesday when Uyl Joyner officially submitted his letter of resignation and accepted the offensive coordinator position at Dougherty High to coach alongside his brother, Corey, who is the head coach of the Trojans.

Joyner, a former star quarterback at both Dougherty and Albany State, coached at ASU for the past four years — his first two as the QBs coach and his last two as both the QBs coach and the offensive coordinator.

“I knew it was coming,” White told The Herald on Thursday. “I can’t say I didn’t expect it.” 

White, who is entering his 14th season as head coach at ASU and is sitting on 99 career wins, had talked with Joyner several times in the past month about a possible move to the high school ranks, but White didn’t get official word of the resignation until Wednesday afternoon.

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Louisa football star Jackson signs with Virginia State

LOUISA COUNTY, Virginia  --  On the final Friday of the high school football regular season last fall, Zack Jackson and Louisa County traveled to face district-leading Western Albemarle for a matchup of two teams on completely different paths. Western was looking to wrap up an undefeated regular season while the Lions came in with a modest record of 3-6.

Leading the underdog Lions that Friday night, Jackson ended his high school career on a memorable note.

With his team trailing by three with less than two minutes to play, Jackson punched his way into the end zone from two yards out on fourth down, capping off a memorable five-touchdown night for the senior as the Lions held on to hand Western Albemarle its first loss of the 2012 campaign.

Jackson accumulated more than 200 yards of total offense by himself in his last game as a Lion. After the game, Jackson gathered his teammates on the field for final time to express how proud he was of their growth and development in the team’s signature win of the season.

“The last thing that I said on that field after the game was ...

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Manego, 1958 XU grad and two-sport athlete, dies at 77

Cirilo Manego,
   

NEW ORLEANS — Cirilo Manego, a 1958 Xavier University of Louisiana graduate and a member of the XU men's basketball and baseball teams, died Sunday (April 28, 2013) in New Orleans after a brain hemorrhage. He was 77.
    
Manego was a native New Orleanian. At Xavier he was a 6-foot-3 forward on coach James Hawkins' basketball teams, and he played baseball for coach John Crowe. As a senior he scored 19 points in an 80-61 home victory against Tuskegee on Dec. 16, 1957, and he scored 17 points in a 65-57 home victory against Southern on Jan. 18, 1958. In his final collegiate basketball game, Manego scored 21 points in a 72-68 home victory against LeMoyne (Tenn.) on Feb. 13, 1958.
    
Manego received a bachelor of science degree from Xavier and a master's in education from Southern University at New Orleans. He spent more than 40 years as an educator and coach, including 14 seasons (1974-89) as the men's basketball head coach at SUNO. His 1982-83 SUNO team was the NAIA District 30 playoff runner-up and was 3-0 against the Gold Rush, including a 68-67 victory in the district semifinals.
    
Manego was a teacher and coached basketball and baseball at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans from 1961-74. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a graduate of Joseph S. Clark High School.
    
Survivors include his wife, Vicki M. Manego; six children, Nelita Manego-Ramey, Cindy T. Manego, Richard D. Manego, Cirilo R. Manego III, Alana N. Manego and Rebecca A. Manego; 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Vicki Manego said her husband suffered the hemmorhage the day after he attended an April 17 Tulane baseball home game against the University of New Orleans.

 Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Mass of Christian Burial at St. James Major Catholic Church, 3736 Gentilly Blvd. in New Orleans (zip code 70122), on Saturday (May 4) at 11 a.m. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Rhodes Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

(pronunciation:  sear-RILL-oh muh-NAY-go)

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

JCSU Golden Bulls aim for higher standard

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  Johnson C. Smith football has improved its offensive capability, but the defense has enough moving parts to be an unknown when fall practice opens.

JCSU, which wrapped up spring drills on Saturday with the Gold-Blue game April 27 at McGirt Field, return 15 starters from last year’ 6-4 team. The goal was to give last year’s backups and newcomers a chance to make an impression on coaches.

“We’re already short on numbers and we wanted to get some good film on these guys,” Golden Bulls head coach Steve Aycock said. “We’ve got a lot of returners (on offense), a lot of new guys that came out and a few walk-ons who came out. We got accomplished the things we wanted to get accomplished.”

JCSU showed off its firepower in the Gold-Blue game with ...

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Judge won't throw out hazing lawsuit against FAMU

ORLANDO, Florida  --  An Orange County judge, rejecting FAMU's argument that drum major Robert Champion should be viewed as a voluntary "participant" in the illegal hazing that killed him, will not throw out a wrongful-death lawsuit against the university.

Circuit Judge Walter Komanski issued his ruling in a 21-page order Thursday that allows the lawsuit to move forward against Florida A&M University and three other defendants, including the Rosen Plaza hotel in Orlando.

The drum major's parents, Robert and Pamela Champion of Decatur, Ga., sued FAMU, Fabulous Coach Lines and a bus driver over the fatal hazing of their son, Robert, 26. He was beaten to death Nov. 19, 2011, on a bus in the hotel parking lot.

At a hearing in November, Richard Mitchell, an Orlando lawyer for FAMU, outlined the university's position that Champion ignored Florida law and school and band policies by voluntarily submitting to the hazing, known as "Crossing Bus C," after the Florida Classic football game at the Citrus Bowl.

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Wes Pifer Named Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at NAU

WES PIFER, ASSISTANT COACH
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL
(Credit: NAU Athletics)

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona – NAU men's basketball head coach Jack Murphy has announced the addition of Wes Pifer to his coaching staff for the coming year. Pifer, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at North Carolina Central University, replaces Al La Rocque, who served on Murphy's staff on an interim basis last season.

"I'm thrilled for the opportunity to work with Coach Murphy and his staff," Pifer said. "I came out last week and was blown away by how beautiful the campus was and the fan support here. NAU is truly a special place and Coach Murphy is a proven winner. I look forward to being a part of the new era of Lumberjack basketball."

Pifer will work with the NAU guards after he oversaw the development of three All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) first team selections at NCCU over the last two seasons. The Eagles twice broke the Division-I record for wins in a season during Pifer's tenure while the team totaled a 25-9 mark over the two years in MEAC play.

"Wes is coming to us from another Division-I school and that was a big key," Murphy said. "He's got a great background from junior college, small college, and Division-I and he's coming from a very successful North Carolina Central program. He's done a great job recruiting and coaching on the floor and he's somebody that I've gotten to know over the years and he does a great job. We're excited to have him become part of the Lumberjack family."

Prior to joining the staff at North Carolina Central, Pifer was an assistant coach for two years at St. Andrews University, a Division-II school in Laurinburg, N.C. He was the recruiting coordinator and head coach of the junior varsity team while assuming total team responsibilities, including coaching and developing all players, creating scouting reports, compiling monthly call logs, and communicating with boosters and alumni.

Pifer's first coaching job came at Miami-Dade College during the 2008-09 season where he worked with fellow NAU assistant coach Matt Dunn. The team was ranked No. 7 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rankings and recorded a school-record 30 wins. As the perimeter coach at Miami-Dade, Pifer helped numerous student-athletes sign with Division I schools, including Trevor Mbakwe (Minnesota), James Beatty (Rutgers), Will Coleman (Memphis), Darnell Dodson (Kentucky), and Dwan McMillan (Hofstra).

Pifer began his collegiate playing career at Methodist University before playing his final two seasons at Penn State University-Altoona from 2002-04 under the tutelage of former NBA player Armon Gilliam. During his time at PSU-Altoona, Pifer averaged 9.1 points, 5.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds a game for the Division III institution. Pifer played in Europe for BBG Herford in the Germany 2 Regionalliga before returning to PSU-Altoona to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in human development and family studies in 2007.

COURTESY NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

ASU's Joyner named Dougherty offensive coordinator

ALBANY, Georgia  --  Corey Joyner's first season with the Dougherty Trojans didn't go as planned.  Now, the head coach is bringing in someone very close to him to help turn the 1-9 Trojans around: his brother, Albany State Offensive Coordinator, Uyl.

Uyl Joyner resigned at ASU, effective Wednesday, and was at the Trojans' first spring practice that afternoon.

"I just saw the opportunity and took the opportunity," he says. "[ASU Head Coach Mike White] gave me his blessings and kind of moved on. All in all, I felt like this was the place for me."

White told WALB News 10 over the phone that Joyner's resignation was something he was aware of as a possibility last month, but was notified it became official this afternoon.

"He's a very good coach that will be greatly missed," White says.

WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

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MVSU 's Kevin Monzon funeral set for Saturday in hometown

Kevin Monzon
(Courtesy MVSU Athletics)

 ITTA BENA, Mississippi -- The funeral for Mississippi Valley State golf and football student-athlete Kevin Monzon has been set for Saturday, May 4 at 1 p.m. in his hometown of Crystal Springs, Mississippi.

The funeral will take place the Crystal Springs High School gymnasium (201 Newton Street, Crystal Springs, MS 39059).

Visitation is set for Friday, May 3 from 5-8 p.m. at Stringer Funeral Home (26141 Highway 27) in Crystal Springs.

The burial site will be at Crystal Springs Cemetery (300 South Jackson Street).

Monzon, the starting placekicker for the Delta Devil football team in 2012, passed away April 25 in a car accident in Leflore County, Mississippi.


COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

GIVEFORWARD (Kevin Monzon arrangements)
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