West Virginia State Football Announces 2015 Recruits

COURTESY WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

INSTITUTE, West Virginia  --  West Virginia State University Head Football Coach Jon Anderson released the names of this year's recruits today.

A total of 24 new Yellow Jackets committed to suit up for Anderson in the fall including a trio of West Virginia high school players.

"This group of student-athletes are dedicated to achieving excellence in everything thing that they do," Anderson said."We have a group of talented athletes, but also a group that is passionate about earning their degree at WV State University."

The recruits were drawn from eight different states.

"I am as excited as I have been here at State about what the future holds, not only for this year's class, but for the entire State Football Team," said Anderson.

The West Virginians who committed to playing for the Yellow Jackets in the fall are Ravenswood's Rhys Jelich (5-8, 205, FB), Cabell Midland standout Nathan Jefferson (6-4, 255, OL), and Capital High's Karson Lawrence (6-1, 190, S).

Jelich set school records most yards gained in a game and season, most points in a game, season and career, and most touchdowns in a game, season, and career. As a senior he accounted for 3,251 yards of total offense and 47 touchdowns. He also recorded 93 tackles and ran back three punts for touchdowns.

He is the son of former Ravenswood and West Virginia University star Joe Jelich.

Lawrence played this past year for the Class AAA state champion Cougars after moving to Charleston from Maryland. He forced eight turnovers, made four fumble recoveries, and intercepted four passes during the season. He was also the long snapper on kicks and played on special teams.

Jefferson was a first team All-Mountain State Conference selection.

"I want to congratulate and thank the staff for their tireless work throughout the entire recruiting process," Anderson said."They have sacrificed many hours away from their families to pursue the best and the brightest from this region."

That effort not only impressed the head coach but others as well whichAnderson believes played a big part in putting together such a strong recruiting class.

"Over and over again, I received many compliments regarding their professionalism, football knowledge, and their ability to relate to our student-athletes from those families who visited campus," Anderson said of his staff."Their efforts are showcased by the talent that exists in this signing class."

He also pointed out that the effort extended beyond himself and the football staff.

"I would also like to thank the entire campus community for their efforts in helping us sign this class," Anderson added."Without the help of countless departments and individuals, this group of student-athletes would not have been possible."

"I would specifically like to thank our Faculty, Admissions personnel, Dr. Hemphill, Compliance, Thompson Hospitality and Embassy Suites for their help in our recruiting."

A list of this year's recruits is below.

Tevon Littleton / 6'0" 180lbs / Defensive Back / Largo HS / Suitland, MD 
Tevon comes to State after a very successful career at Largo High School. He was a high profile recruit out of Suitland, Maryland. He is the son of Arkeba Sandidge and is looking to pursue a degree in Mathematics.

Tevon's Highlights

LaQuan White Jr. / 5'10" 180lbs / Defensive Back / Brush HS / Cleveland, OH
LaQuan, one of the first Cleveland recruits for the Yellow Jackets, comes to State after a successful high school career. He was given the Northeast Ohio Conference Mac Palermo award as a junior, as well as named to the All-Conference team. He was a part of 3 consecutive NOC Championships. On the field, he had 9 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 49 tackles, and 5 forced fumbles. LaQuan is the son of LaQuan Sr. and Cherria White and plans to major in Sports studies while at WVSU.    LaQuan's Highlights

Alexander James /6'3" 250lbs/ Offensive Line /Bayside HS /Virginia Beach, VA
Alex comes to WVSU after a solid playing career at Bayside. During his senior campaign, Alex managed to allow only 1 sack while leading his team to a 7-4 record and an appearance in the playoffs. Alex is the son of Jan and Steve James and plans to major in Biology while at State.  Alex's Highlights

Rhys Jelich / 5'8" 205lbs / Fullback / Ravenswood HS / Ravenswood, WV
Rhys is one the most promising local products in the state of West Virginia. During his career at Ravenswood he received many honors including 1st Team All-State, as well as first team All-LKC. He held school records for most yards in a game, total yards in a season, passing yards in a game, most points in a game, most points in a season, most points in a career, most touchdowns in a season, most touchdowns in a career, tied for most touchdowns in a game, most rushing yards in a season, and tied for longest kickoff return. Rhys is the son of Rhonda and Joe Jellich and he plans to major is Biology.   Rhys's Highlights

Nathan Jefferson / 6'4" 260lbs / Offensive Line / Cabell Midland HS / Ona, WV 
Nathan comes to us from Cabell Midland High School. He had a solid playing career in high school achieving many on the field honors. During his senior campaign, he was awarded 1st Team All-Conference as well as All-State Honorable Mention honors while playing on a Cabell Midland team that went 10-2. He is the son of Teresa and Jerry Jefferson and plans to major in Biology.  Nathan's Highlights

Jay Cobbs / 5'10" 225lbs / Linebacker / Sycamore HS / Cincinnati, OH 
Jermon (Jay) Cobbs, comes to State from Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, OH. The Sycamore Varsity football team captain brings excellent leadership to our program. He was also awarded All-GMC honors two years in a row as well as given All-District Team honors. Jay played on a 6-4 Sycamore team. During his senior year he recorded 75 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown of 57yds. He is the son of Jermon Sr. and Ailleen Cobbs.   Jay's Highlights

Karson Lawrence / 6'2" 195lbs / Defensive Back / Capital HS / Charleston, WV 
Karson comes to WVSU from the WV State Champion, Capital High School. He was a 3 year varsity starter on offense, defense, and special teams. Karson played his first 3 seasons at Westlake High School in Maryland. In his junior year Karson was named to the Maryland State Football All-Academic team and then transferred to Capital High School in Charleston WV. As a starting defensive back on the 2014 WV AAA State Football Champions he had 46 solo and 61 assisted tackles. Karson also had 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 5 interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown). Karson was also the long snapper and played on every special team. Karson currently carries a 4.12 GPA. His is the son of Craig and Jane Lawrence and plans to major in Psychology.    Karson's Highlights

RJ Jenkins / 6'3" 225lbs / Linebacker / Princeton HS / Cincinnati, OH 
RJ comes to WVSU from Cincinnati, Ohio where he attended Princeton High School. At Princeton, RJ was a 3 year varsity letter winner. During his senior campaign, he was awarded Honorable Mention All-Southwest District despite being injured for the latter half of the season. In his senior year he recorded 130 tackles and 14 sacks in 2 years as a starter. He brings leadership to the Yellow Jacket roster as he was a Captain on his Varsity team. He is the son of Renauld Jenkins and Kia Webb.    RJ's Highlights

Bo Fields / 6'1" 215lbs / Running Back / Massaponax HS / Fredericksburg, VA
Bo comes to the State offensive backfield from Massaponax High School in Virginia. During his senior year at Massaponax, Bo rushed for 1,500 yards and totaled 1,700 all-purpose yards. His efforts led to 1^st team All-Conference honors, as well as All-State and All-Region. Bo is the son of Robert and Angela fields and plans to major in Accounting.    Bo's Highlights

John Holland / 5'11" 180lbs / Defensive Back / College of the Siskiyous / Weed, CA 
John comes to State as a highly recruited safety from the College of the Siskiyous. Before Junior College, John attended Arundel High School in Maryland. In high school, he was awarded 1st Team All-State, 1st Team All-Metro, and 1st Team All-County honors. He was also named Defensive Player of the Year and led the state in interceptions with 13. While at College of the Siskiyous, John played in 22 games. He was a 2 year captain and led his team to a win in the North State Bowl. He earned 1st Team All-Conference Honors as a sophomore. He is the son of Cornelia Holland.    John's Highlights

Eric Magwood / 6'3" 280lbs / Linebacker / Sycamore HS / Cincinnati, OH
Eric comes to State from Virginia Beach, VA. At Landstown High School, Eric was 2nd Team All-Conference. He led a powerful offensive line that produced over 3,000 yards rushing. On defense, Eric recorded 2 sacks and 45 tackles. Due to his achievements on the field, he was chosen to play in the 757 area All-Star game. He is the son of Alexander and Brandy Shaw and plans to major in Physical Therapy.      Eric's Highlights

Jalen Acree / 6'2" 250lbs / Defensive Line / Frankfort HS / Frankfort, KY 
Jalen comes to WVSU from Frankfort, Kentucky as a Defensive Tackle. During his career at Frankfort, he earned NUC Defensive MVP, Honorable Mention All-State, 1^st Team All-County, and 1^st team All District honors. He was a part of a Varsity program that held a 4 year record of 39-14 and won 4 consecutive District Championships as well as a Regional Championship. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry as a running back and 10 tackles per game on defense.    Jalen's Highlights

Kenan Johnson / 6'3" 225lbs / Defensive Line / Western Branch HS / Chesapeake, OH 
Kenan comes to State as a Defensive End from Western Branch High School. During his senior campaign, he was awarded Defensive End of the Year for his team. The varsity captain brings on an abundance of leadership to WV State. He is the son of Angela and Darnell Johnson and plans to major in Physical Education and Secondary Education.     Kenan's Highlights

Tyrone Barber / 5'10" 185lbs / Running Back / Fork Union Military Academy / Yonkers, NY
Tyrone came to State from the Fork Union Military Academy. In high school, he was elected to the 2013 Super Eleven team. During his senior year, he set a school record with a total of 1,980 yards and 27 rushing touchdowns receiving. As a running back he also had 261 receiving yards, and added another 2 receiving touchdowns. Over his Junior and senior campaign, he scored a total of 49 touchdowns which was a school record as well. Tyrone is the son of Tyrone Barber Sr. and Dianne Harvey-Barber.       Tyrone's Highlights

Rudy Favard / 5'10" 225lbs / Linebacker / Sacred Heart University / Malden, MA
Rudy Favard comes to State as a transfer from Sacred Heart University and will be enrolling in the Graduate Program studying media studies. While at Sacred Heart, he helped change program athletically and with leadership on the leadership council. He helped the team earn 2 North East Conference Championships and a final regular season record of 19-4 over two years. While at Malden Catholic High School, Rudy played four years of football, lettering 3 of those years. He was named Captain of the Malden Catholic football team and an Agganis All-Star. In 2011, he was Captain of the Agganis All-Star Team in the Agganis All-Star Classic. He is the son of Joseph and Rose Favard.   Rudy's Highlights

Trevond Reese / 6'1" 215lbs / Wide Receiver / Moorehead St. University / South Charleston, WV
Trevond comes to State as a transfer from Morehead State University. He is a local product out of South Charleston High School. In high school, Trevond helped South Charleston to a Mountain State Athletic Conference and West Virginia Class AAA State Title in 2009. He was a 1^st team All-MSAC selection in 2011 and 2012, as well as a 2^nd Team All-State performer as a junior and 1^st Team All-State performer as a Senior.   

Trevond's Highlights

Xavier Adkins / 5'10" 175lbs / Linebacker / Largo High School / Upper Marlboro, MD
Xavier Adkins comes to State after an exciting career at Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, MD. As a three year team captain, Xavier brings a wealth of experience leading his teammates on both sides of the ball. Playing multiple linebacker positions, Xavier tallied 75 tackles, 6 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception. He is the son of Otis and Maggie Adkins.     Xavier's Highlights

Curtis Cropper / 6'4" 255/ Defensive End / Arundel High School / Arundel, MD
Curtis Cropper comes to WVSU from Odenton, Maryland as a Defensive Lineman. During his career at Arundel High School, Curtis pressured the quarterback and created chaos at the line of scrimmage while stopping the run. Curtis spent the later part of his senior season battling a knee injury and looks to return to the football field at full strength. He is the son of Rose Hall and Gary Cropper.  Curtis's Highlights

Tyrek Thrower / 6'2" 180/ Defensive Back / Norview High School / Norfolk, VA
Tyrek is a 3 year starter at cornerback including a Division 5 state championship with L.C. Byrd High School. Tyrek is a tall, lengthy corner with deceptive speed. He has great reaction to the ball and disrupts timing of the play with his tight press coverage. Tyrek's height and speed combined contributes to excellent pass defense to opposing teams. He also has experience at Free Safety. Tyrek has the ability and speed to cover the field from sideline to sideline. He is the son of Tonya Allen and Silvanus Thrower.    Tyrek's Highlights

Ray Dixon / 6'4" 300/ Offensive Line / Hazard High School / Hazard, KY
Ray comes to us from Hazard High School. He had a solid playing career in high school and as a senior, he led the Bulldogs to a 10 - 3 record.   Ray's Highlights

Khave Konteh / 6'3" 185/ Defensive Back / South County High School / Lorton, VA
Khave comes to WVSU from Lorton, Virginia where he attended South County High School. As a senior at South County, he made the 1^st Team All - State in the 6A division and looks to bring his leadership and athleticism to the Yellow Jacket defensive backfield.    Khave's Highlights

Tyler DeCarlo / 6'3" 270lbs / Offensive Line / Gavilan College / Gilroy, CA
Tyler comes to WVSU from Gavilan College in California. He will be a Junior on the field and will bring experience to the offensive line. Tyler is the son of Christine Hart and Rick DeCarlo and plans to major in Criminal justice.      Tyler's Highlights

Quan Penman / 5'7" 145lbs / Defensive Back / Purcell Marian / Cincinnati, HS
Quan comes to West Virginia State University from Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati Ohio. He led a very successful High School career and plans to bring a lot of athleticism to the State defensive backfield.   Quan's Highlights

James Leonard / 5'10" 175lbs / Running Back / South Point / South Point, OH
James comes to West Virginia State University from South Point High School in South Point, Ohio. He led a very successful high school career at South Point and looks to bring toughness and physicality to the State offensive backfield.       James's Highlights

Michael Hounshell   /   6'1" 225lbs   /   Defensive Line   /   Largo HS   /   Upper Marlboro, MD 
Michael is the second signee from Largo High School for the Yellow Jackets in the class of 2015.  He was a team captain and a 3 year varsity starter. At Largo, he played fullback, linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle.  He was invited to play in the PG vs SMAC Chick-fil-a All-Star Game.  He is the son of Michael Sr. and Donnell Hounshell and will pursue a degree in sports studies. 

COURTESY WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Gold Rush win at Tougaloo, reach 20 wins for 30th time

TOUGALOO, Mississippi -- Morris Wright, one of five double-figure scorers for Xavier University of Louisiana, had 15 points and five assists Monday to lead the Gold Rush in a 75-64 men's basketball victory against Tougaloo.

The Gold Rush (20-8, 9-3 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) led wire-to-wire and outscored the Bulldogs 8-0 in the final 4:29.

Anthony Goode scored 14 points for Xavier. Sydney Coleman had 12 points, and RJ Daniels and Jacques Johnson scored 10 apiece. Daniels, in his first start since Nov. 6, grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds to record his fourth double-double of the season and his first since Nov. 14.

Tougaloo (9-9, 6-3) had four double-figure scorers. Marshun McGee and Trevis Thomas had 14 points apiece, Kelsey Howard scored 13, and Andravious Smith had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Xavier replaced Tougaloo as the GCAC's second-place team.

Xavier led 44-39 at halftime after shooting 65.4 percent from the floor and making five of its first six 3-pointers. For the game, Xavier shot a season-high 60.4 percent from the floor.

The Gold Rush reached 20 victories for the fifth consecutive season and the 30th time overall -- still the Louisiana men's collegiate record. Second on the list is Louisiana-Lafayette with 23 20-win seasons.

Dannton Jackson reached 20 victories for the 10th time in his 12 seasons as Xavier's head coach. Jackson tied LSU's Dale Brown for the second-most 20-win seasons by a coach in Louisiana men's collegiate history. Grambling's Fred Hobdy holds the men's state record of 14 20-win seasons.

The Gold Rush limited Tougaloo to 38.2 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Bulldogs 30-23.

Xavier completed a two-game regular-season sweep of Tougaloo. The Gold Rush have won three straight at the Bulldogs' Kroger Gym since a six-game losing streak from 2006-12.

Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday at SUNO. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center.

Box score

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director 
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/

FAMU High Advances to Class 2A Title Game

LAKELAND, Florida -- This year was all business for the Florida A&M High School Baby Rattlers girls basketball team. The Baby Rattlers lost in the state semifinals last year to Grandview Prep and had to stew for an entire year.

Now, the Baby Rattlers will have a chance at revenge.

For the third time in four years, the Class 2A No. 1-ranked Baby Rattlers are back in the FHSAA girls state basketball championship after defeating No. 2 Land O'Lakes Academy at the Lakes 74-45 in Tuesday's state semifinals at The Lakeland Center to advance to the state finals.

FAMU High (26-2) will take on the defending Class 2A state champion Boca Raton Grandview Prep Thursday at 3:35 p.m.

“Last year was a sad year for us,” said FAMU junior Jazmine Jones, who led all scorers with 26 points. “We used that as motivation. Me and Ja'nyia (McNealy) said we can't leave the first day. We have to have fun. This is her senior year. We have to send her out on a good note so we used that as motivation and had a heck of a year.”

CONTINUE READING

Gators-FAMU baseball game postponed due to weather

GAINESVILLE, Florida -- Tonight's baseball game between No. 5 Florida and Florida A&M has been postponed due to weather. No makeup date has been set at this time.

Heavy rain for several hours today has caused flooding in some areas, and more rain is expected throughout the day.

The game was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville.

The No. 6 Gators (3-0) travel to Tampa to face South Florida (2-1) on Wednesday night. Florida returns home to host a three-game weekend series against No. 8 Miami (4-0) starting Friday night.

CONTINUE READING

Hundreds rally for SC State; Lawsuit claims 'separate but equal' policy hurt enrollment

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- A cold day in Columbia did not deter hundreds of people from rallying at the Statehouse steps Monday against a House subcommittee's proposal to shutter the historically black university in Orangeburg.

Rev. Joe Darby, the vice president of the Charleston chapter of the NAACP, says South Carolina State University is severely underfunded and routinely has been financially undercut compared to other public colleges and universities.

SC State is the only public historically black university in the state.

Darby went on to say that the university is seen as a political playing field for South Carolina's powerful. He called on alumni to get involved with the school, including "going after" the people who use SC State as a so-called playground.

"I will die for South Carolina State University," said the alumni association's vice president.

SC State has been under fire for nearly two years, after several university leaders were implicated in criminal activities and a new president was brought in. The university also battled shrinking enrollment, cutbacks on programs, and low graduation rates, problems that ultimately led to $14 million in debt and several requests to lawmakers for millions of dollars in loans.



CONTINUE READING

Gold Nuggets parade past Tougaloo, win 67-38 on road

XAVIER UNIVERSITY GOLDEN GIRLS POM SQUAD

TOUGALOO, Mississippi -- Xavier University of Louisiana got 14 points from Vinnie Briggs and 13 points from Whitney Gathright in a 67-38 women's basketball rout of Tougaloo on Monday.

The Gold Nuggets (15-13, 8-4) produced their largest winning margin of the season and moved back into second place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference after Dillard lost 63-58 at Philander Smith.

Briggs led the Gold Nuggets in scoring for the second consecutive game and reached double figures for the 17th time this season. Gathright, who led Xavier with eight first-half points, reached double figures for the fourth consecutive game and a team-high 22nd time this season.

Xavier led 32-12 at halftime.

The Gold Nuggets allowed their fewest points in the first half of a GCAC road game since the start of the 2003-04 season, and their 20-point halftime lead was their largest in a GCAC road game since Feb. 21, 2009.

Sophomore center Kelsee Singleton grabbed eight rebounds for Xavier. It was her second-highest total this season and her most ever on the road.

Montoria Atkinson had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Tougaloo (2-19, 2-7), which has lost five straight.

Xavier outshot the Lady Bulldogs 41.7 to 33.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 34-30. The Gold Nuggets committed 15 turnovers and gained 28, and they made 14-of-16 free throws, including their first 11.

Xavier completed a two-game regular-season sweep of the Lady Bulldogs and beat them for the ninth consecutive time. Xavier leads the series 74-11.

Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday at SUNO, which clinched a tie for the GCAC regular-season championship when Dillard lost. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 5 p.m. Feb. 28 against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center.

Box score

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director  
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/

Southern U. Human Jukebox Band at Bacchus Parade 2015

Saint Augustine's Falcons Win 18th Consecutive CIAA Men's Indoor Track & Field Crown!

The Falcons Are The CIAA Men's Indoor Track & Field Champs

Courtesy Saint Augustine's University Sports Information

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina –  Saint Augustine's University won its 18th consecutive men's crown and Winston-Salem State University captured its second women's title in five meets on the final day of the CIAA Indoor Men's and Women's Track & Field Championships at JDL Fast Track on Monday, February 16, 2015.

The Saint Augustine's University men scored 164 points to finish ahead of Virginia State University, which placed second with 96 points. Virginia Union University was third with 93 points.

Winston-Salem State scored 140 points to win the women's championship. Saint Augustine's University, placed second with 94.40 points and Johnson C. Smith University finished third with 58.20 points.

Immanuel Hutchinson of Saint Augustine's University was named Men's Field Most Valuable Performer. His teammate David Shaw of the Falcons was voted Men's Track Most Valuable Performer. Hutchinson won the 800 meter run, the mile run and the 500 meter run in addition to running on the winning 4x400 meter relay squad. Shaw won the triple jump and placed second in the long jump.

Tajanel McNeill of Winston-Salem State was named the Women's Field Most Valuable Performer and Taylor-Ashley Bean of Virginia State was chosen the Women's Track Most Valuable Performer. McNeill won the triple jump, was second in the long jump and third in the high jump. Bean won the mile run, was second in the 3000 meter run, placed third in the 800 meter run and was on the distance medley relay team which placed third. She also ran on the 4x400 meter relay team which was fifth.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU Lady Rams Win 2015 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championship

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams took home the 2015 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Indoor Track & Field Championship with a stellar performance on day two of the two-day meet. After opening the meet with 22 points on the opening day, the Lady Rams piled up 118 points on the second day of the meet to bring home the championship.

The conference championship was a big accomplishment for the Lady Rams' seniors who have experienced three top three finishes since 2011. "I've been waiting for this since my freshman year," senior sprinter Nya Michaux said. "For us to finish second, and third every year since then and now it's finally here and I am so proud to be a part of this team."

The championship was also especially important to fellow senior long jumper Tajanel McNeill, who was named the CIAA Indoor Field MVP for the third straight season. "This feels really good," McNeill said. "I told them [the team] at the beginning of the year; it's not about us it's about the team. So for us to win this championship together means more to me than any individual award."

The Lady Rams took the championship behind some inspired individual efforts both on and off the track. One of the key performances in the meet came when junior sprinter Raven Covington took first place in the women's 60m dash with a 7.47 to score 10 key points for the Lady Rams. Another great effort came from freshman distance runner Domtilla Kipsaget who won the women's 3000m run with a 10:13.2 and second place in the women's mile run with a 5:17.60. Another key performance came in the women's 200m dash where senior sprinter Nya Michaux placed second with a 25.19. Freshman Ty-Leah Hampton added a fourth-place finish in the event with a 25.51. Sophomore Raven Hamilton also picked up some key points in the women's 800m run when she placed second with a 2:16.66.

In field events, senior Tajanel McNeil capped her stellar career with another fine performance at the conference championships. She won the women's triple jump with a 40'11.75" (12.49m) leap to go along with her second place finish in the women's long jump, yesterday. She also added a third place finish in the women's high jump at 5'3" (1.60m). Senior Raven Byrd also had a great performance in the women's pentathlon with 2,976 points to place third in the multi-event. Senior DaVona Dula also stepped up her efforts with a second place finish in the women's shot put with a 41'00.25" (12.50m) throw.

With the effort, the Lady Rams close out the conference portion of their schedule and will turn their attentions to national competition as they head to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take part in the Kent Taylor Invitational. For more information on Lady Rams track & field, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.

RESULTS

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSIY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU baseball coach Jamey Shouppe: ‘We don’t coach to lose’

FAMU Baseball 2014-2015
Courtesy FAMU Sports Information

Roster

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Rattler fans might like to talk about Florida A&M’s baseball victory over Florida from last season, but coach Jamey Shouppe is only interested in what the Rattlers can do this year.

Shouppe said he knows only perfect execution will give the Rattlers a chance to repeat last season’s hallmark victory against the then-No. 6 Gators.

“We aren’t worried about playing Florida,” Shouppe said.

“We’re just worried about playing the game as well as we can play it. We don’t coach to lose. We’re not going to approach Florida any different from Alabama State next week or the MEAC opponents when we have to face them.”

READ MORE

Air Force will open football season with FCS Morgan State

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO -- Air Force will open the 2015 football season against Morgan State on Sept. 5 - the Saturday before Labor Day.

Morgan State plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and is a member of the Football Championship Subdivision, so this continues Air Force's recent tradition of bringing in an opponent from the lower division to play on Parent's Weekend.

Morgan State, which went 7-6 last year and lost in the first round of the FCS playoffs, released its schedule online Wednesday.



Air Force has not made an announcement regarding the opener or a potential 13th game, which it could schedule because Mountain West rules allow for that flexibility during a season in which a team travels to face Hawaii.

READ MORE 

In the FCS Huddle: Chance to turn some heads

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Following are the (HBCU) FCS players participating among 320-plus players at the Combine. Buchanan's current draft evaluation is included with each player.

Jerry Lovelocke, QB, Prairie View A&M, 6-5, 200

Big pocket passer who is viewed as a developmental prospect coming out of the Southwestern Athletic Conference ... Has to improve mechanics, but has the physical tools ... Highly experienced after being relied on early in his Prairie View career ... In a 10-game schedule as a senior, he passed for 2,473 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 10 TDs ... Played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl ... Josh Buchanan's draft evaluation: priority free agent.

Robert Myers, OG, Tennessee State, 6-5, 310

Intriguing upside despite never earning higher than All-Ohio Valley Conference second-team honors ... Strong coachability has led to his maximizing athleticism and technique ... Has fared well with movement in the run game and against the pass, although he will face challenges against stronger NFL defenders ... Has the body frame to put on more weight ... Participated at the Senior Bowl ... Josh Buchanan's draft evaluation: fourth-fifth round.

Lynden Trail, OLB, Norfolk State, 6-7, 260

CONTINUE READING

Hampton, Burroughs seek to reshape Lane College athletics

Derrick Burroughs: Director of Athletics

Courtesy: Lane Athleticsi

JACKSON, Tennessee -- Derrick Burroughs headed south from Jackson to a bigger Jackson in the fall of 2013, and he expected it to be a one-way trip.

Hired to be a defensive coordinator at Jackson (Miss.) State, he left Lane College and worked one year for the Tigers. To his surprise, he was not retained after the 2014 season.

Burroughs returned to Lane in January, but in a sense it's not the same place. While Burroughs was gone Lane hired a new president, Dr. Logan Hampton. Penny Minter and Malik Hoskins resigned as athletic director and football coach, respectively, making room for Burroughs to take both jobs.

He and Hampton want to improve the perception and performance of Lane's athletic program, and in recent interviews they explained their motivations and preliminary plans for doing so.

CONTINUE READING

How basketball legend Cheryl Miller found her way to Langston

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- Stretching out along the Oklahoma plains, the horizon shows no hint of the coming sunrise when Cheryl Miller and her team start practice.

Their campus is as dark as the sky. Dorm windows. Academic buildings. Not even the electronic sign on Highway 33 is blinking its normal hello to passers-by.

But every light at the fieldhouse blazes.

Pull open the glass doors, and you hear them. Voices shouting. Basketballs bouncing. Follow the sounds up some stairs, down a hallway and through blue doors, and you find them.

And there on the court at Langston, you find Miller. The greatest women’s basketball player that the game has ever seen stands silently on the sideline. She wears a white do-rag, a red long-sleeve shirt and black sweatpants. On the back of the shirt are the words, “LIFE IS GOOD”.

Yes, it is.

When Miller was introduced as the women’s basketball coach at the small historically black college last spring, many wondered what the world was going on. An Olympic gold medalist? A former major-college and WNBA coach? A longtime NBA sideline reporter on TNT? What was she doing at Langston?

Photo Gallery: Cheryl Miller at Langston 



CONTINUE READING

Florida House Bill Could Be Detrimental to Homeless Students in the State

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The HB 4031 proposes to eliminate payment of tuition and fees at school districts that provide workforce training programs and public post-secondary educational institutions for students who do not have a regular nighttime residence or sleeping accommodations.

Kevin Priest, CEO and president of Capital City Youth in Tallahassee, Fla. is motivated to prevent homelessness, delinquency and dependency for youth.

“I don’t know why a bill would prohibit someone from furthering their education. It should be the exact opposite,” Priest said.

The bill was introduced by Republican Rep. John Tobia and would become effective July 1, 2015. Tobia was elected into the Florida House of Representatives in 2008 and has been in the house ever since.

According to The Washington Times, over 58,000 college applicants claimed to be homeless in 2013.

“The bill will have a negative impact on students’ ability to pay college costs,” said Lisa Stewart.

A Look Into The 'Double Lives' Of America's Homeless College Students 
(Click to Read Story)


CONTINUE READING

UDC Firebirds Remain Locked at No. 4 for 3rd Straight Week in D2SIDA East Region Poll

Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore scored 19 points and had three steals as Firebirds roll 79-61 
to sweep Molloy College Lions and earn 10th straight win. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team remained No. 4 for the 3rd straight week in the Week 13 D2SIDA East Region poll released today.

The Firebirds (21-3) won their 9th and 10th games in a row, respectively last week as they defeated the No. 8 ranked team in the region, Queens, 66-61 on Wednesday night, and Molloy, 79-61 on Saturday afternoon. They are currently No. 1 in the East Coast Conference standings – a league which also features the No. 7 and 8 ranked teams in the region – Roberts Wesleyan (16-5) and Queens (16-6) – as well as NYIT who is also receiving votes.

Fourteen of UDC's 21 wins (the 2nd most wins in the East Region) have come by double-figures, and the Firebirds are 7-1 outside of conference play and 11-1 on the road this season. UDC also boasts a win over a top-25 ranked team as they dominated No. 25 Virginia State, 88-62 back on November 19th.

Ahead of UDC are the same three Northeast-10 Conference teams from the previous two weeks: Stonehill, Adelphi and New Haven. Adelphi – which suffered a 66-61 loss at No. 5 Franklin Pierce last week, fell from No. 1 to No. 2 in the poll. The Panthers are 22-3 overall and ranked No. 9 in the most recent WBCA Top-25 national poll. Stonehill, previously ranked No. 2 in the poll, jumped Adelphi and moved to No. 1 in this week's East Region poll after a pair of home wins vs. Assumption (71-64) and Southern New Hampshire (64-49). The Skyhawks are currently No. 15 in WBCA National Poll and are 20-2 overall this season after clinching the NE-10 Northeast Division Regular Season Championship on Wednesday. New Haven stayed put at No. 3 in the poll after a pair of home wins vs. Le Le Moyne (80-64) and Pace (83-73).

UDC will visit Oakdale, NY on Wednesday night to take o
n ECC foe Dowling and then return home to host league foe Bridgeport on Saturday.

EAST REGION

Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.	Prev.	Last Week's Results
1	Stonehill (3)	20-2	30	2	WH Assumption (71-64); WH Southern N.H. (64-49)
2	Adelphi	22-3	27	1	LA Franklin Pierce (66-61); WA Southern Conn. (77-62)
3	New Haven	21-3	24	3	WH Le Moyne (80-64); WH Pace (83-73)
4	Dist. Columbia	21-3	21	4	WH Queens (66-61); WH Molloy (79-61)
5	Franklin Pierce	14-8	18	6	WH Adelphi (66-61); WH Saint Anselm (80-72)
6	USciences	18-5	15	5	WA Wilmington (57-56); LA Dominican (N.Y.) (65-59)
7	Roberts Wesleyan	16-5	9	9	WA Bridgeport (73-61); WA Dowling (79-67)
8	Queens	16-6	8	8	LA Dist. Columbia (66-61)
9	Philadelphia	18-5	6	7	WH Holy Family (80-65); WA Nyack (69-56)
10	Southern Conn.	13-11	3	t10	LH Adelphi (77-62)
Also receiving votes:			NYIT, Le Moyne

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTS INFORMATION

Small lineup helps Southern offense

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- After Southern lost to Jackson State last Monday, coach Roman Banks analyzed his substitution pattern.

He was searching for answers in the wake of a 62-52 defeat in which the Jaguars offense had gone stagnant. They shot 37 percent and scored their fewest points in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game this season.

Banks decided to tweak his rotation when Southern returned to the court at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday night.

At times, he surrounded 6-foot-10 Keith Davis with four perimeter players to spread the defense and create better shot opportunities.

It paid off as the Jaguars shot 49 percent and scored their second-most points in a SWAC game this season, beating UAPB 74-56.

CONTINUE READING

Ram Ramblings: Livingstone player trying to fight back

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- I realize this is a blog about Winston-Salem State athletics but the Livingstone debacle with the use of an ineligible player obviously affects the Rams’ women’s program.

Because Livingstone’s record is now 4-19 (it lost to Johnson C. Smith today) instead of 22-1 the Rams will be a higher seed once the CIAA Tournament starts in nine days. The Rams moved up in the Southern Division and are now tied with Livingstone at 4-4.

Obviously this changes everything for the CIAA Tournament, or maybe it doesn't. The Blue Bears could still win the tournament, but it won't be easy with Crosby in street cloths. Shaw is the four-time defending champion.

On her Facebook page Coach Anita Howard posted: "This too shall pass!" in reference to a link to an article about the forfeiture of 18 games.

The athlete in question was leading scorer Kyra Crosby, a transfer from Alabama and Georgia State. Crosby, who was ...

CONTINUE READING

CIAA Tourney Time

2015 CIAA TOURNAMENT PAGE | PURCHASE TICKETS | RESERVE HOTEL ROOMS

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  Bob Morgan, Charlotte Chamber CEO and president, talks with Jacqie McWilliams, CIAA commissioner, about the 2015 men's basketball tournament and why the organization chose to move its headquarters to Charlotte.