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TUSCALOOSA, AL | The Stillman College baseball team earned an automatic bid into the 2011 NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament by winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship two weeks ago.
On Sunday, the Tigers were officially invited to the NCAA championship party. The tournament is comprised of 48 teams at eight regional sites. The South Regional consists of eight teams and the West Regional consists of four teams. The six-team regionals are the Atlantic, East, Central, Midwest, Southeast and South Central.
Stillman (26-17) will play in the NCAA Division II South Regional, which begins Thursday at Jim Spooner Field on the University of West Florida campus in Pensacola. The winner will advance to the NCAA Division II World Series in Cary, N.C., on May 29.
“We are very excited,” Stillman head coach Donny Crawford said. “I am just ready...
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - So what if we didn't get the picture-perfect storybook ending? Any extra-inning victory with a walk-off single like Bethune-Cookman's 5-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship game decision over Delaware State Sunday morning still makes a dang good read.
Michelle Banuelos-Smith`s bases-loaded, no-out single to right drove in pinch runner Bianca Savulak for the game-winner as the Wildcats (33-24) won their second straight league championship and NCAA regional berth. B-CU will learn its destination tonight at 10 p.m. when ESPNU broadcasts the selection show.
B-CU worked its way through the loser's bracket to win the title, enduring a three-hour delay on Friday and then having this game postponed from Saturday.
"We like to compete and that's a great attribute to have," said B-CU coach Chris Cochran. "Our seniors and younger players are in the top third tier when it comes to attitude. When things are going good, the players are great and when things are bad, the players are great. I'm happy for the players because winning the championship twice in two years is not easy to do. "
Cochran garnered her second Tournament Outstanding Coach award along with senior Allison Garcia for Outstanding Player. Banuelos-Smith joined Garcia on the All-tournament team.
Videographer: TheOProductions1907; 2011 Bethune Cookman University Commencement - Dr Al Sharpton
ORMOND BEACH, FL. – Bethune Cookman ended Howard’s run for the MEAC title in the semi-final game of the conference tournament. The Bison moved passed Florida A&M 7-0, and Coppin State 1-0 in 10 innings just a few hours prior to facing the defending champions. In all, HU played a total of 22 innings of softball on Friday.
Howard 7, Florida A&M 0 BoxScore
Howard defeated Florida A&, 7-0, in the in the double-elimination bracket of the tournament.
The Lady Bison posted nine hits each, including Marisa Coats' three run home run in the top of the fifth inning. Coats hit a fastball from Florida A&M's Lindsey out the park to left center, to put the game away. Rebecca Kirshner and Lorae Robinson also collected two hits apiece for the Lady Bison.
The Lady Rattlers never could organize a rally as they only mustered three hits off of Howard's Samantha Gatson (8-7).
Christina Robbs, Jennifer Lindsey and Erika Garcia registered hits for the Lady Rattlers in the loss. Whitney Robinson (15-11) took the loss for the Lady Rattlers, giving up three runs and three hits in three and one-third innings. Jennifer Lindsey came on in relief for two and two-thirds innings.
Gatson, went the distance for Howard. She gave up only three hits, while striking out six and walking one.
Videographer: HowardBands; Howard University Concert Band performed "Dakota Fanfare at the Historic Shiloh Baptist Church (May 2, 2011).
Howard 1, Coppin St. 0 – 10 inningsBoxScore
Rebecca Kirshner singled in the winning run in the top of the 10th inning and Carly Martin outdueled Paige Arnold as Howard defeated Coppin State 1-0 in three extra frames.
The loss eliminated the Eagles from the tournament.
Arnold held the Bison without a run for nine innings before finally allowing a run in the 10th inning. The run scored by Howard snapped a 23-inning scoreless streak by Arnold.
Martin matched Arnold pitch for pitch as she held the Eagles to just four hits while striking out six batters. With one out, Lorae Robinson drew a walk to begin the Howard rally. She advanced to third base when Marisa Coats singled to right field. Kirshner then lofted a single to left that scored Robinson with the game's only run. The Eagles tried to rally in the bottom of the 10th inning, but came up short.
Tiffani Whaley singled with one out and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Erica Washington, but Martin induced a groundout to end the game.
The defending MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman Wildcats eliminated Howard Friday evening in the double-elimination bracket of the MEAC Softball Championship tournament.
Videographer: SirCookeMusic; Howard University Gospel Choir-- "Total Praise" (May 6, 2011)
A 2-1 loss to Delaware State earlier in the day sent the Wildcats to the loser's bracket, but B-CU came back and blasted the Bison 17-0 after a three-hour lightning delay to earn a rematch with Delaware State Saturday at 1 p.m. B-CU needs to win that game and a second game at 3:30 p.m. to defend their conference championship title.
Against Howard, B-CU (31-24) scored 13 runs in the second inning as Aurelia Gamch drove in four runs and Kelsey Rodney added three. The Wildcats sent 17 batters to the plate in the inning.
Ashton Hinds drove in three runs while Allison Garcia threw a six-hit shutout for B-CU in the Howard win.
Courtesy MEAC Media Relations Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - William Carey University’s 2011 season came to an end Friday as the Crusaders fell 7-4 to Edward Waters College in NAIA National Tournament Opening Round action at Sliwa Stadium in the Daytona Beach Bracket.
Earlier Friday, No. 4 seed Carey overcame a five-run deficit to take a 10-6 victory over third-seeded Campbellsville (Ky.). Taylor Martin (4-2) went the full nine innings, surrendering six runs on 11 hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Carey finishes the 2011 campaign at 31-27.
Against Edward Waters, after a scoreless first and second inning, play was halted in the top of the third inning for nearly an hour due to inclement weather. Once the delay was over it was Edward Waters that struck the critical blow. The Tigers scored one run in the fourth and two more on an inside the park home run in the fifth inning.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – William Carey University stranded 17 runners and surrendered eight two-out runs as it fell to Edward Waters College 10-7 in the NAIA National Tournament opening round Thursday. The Crusaders (30-26) left the bases loaded in the fourth, fifth and ninth innings.
The Tigers (34-24) opened a 2-0 lead in the third inning, scoring on a squeeze play and with an RBI single from Neil Martino. Carey got one run back in the bottom of the third as Quin Stokes doubled to right field to score Jordan Prout.
ALBANY, GA — Brittany Carter found herself all alone as she approached the starting line Saturday for the 800-meter run. “I didn’t believe it,” said the Albany State sophomore, who waited and hoped for another runner to step onto the track. “I was the only one on paper (scheduled to run in the 800), but I thought somebody else was going to run.”
But there she stood — all by herself on ASU’s home track during the 19th annual Alice Coachman Track & Field Invitational. She was just one of several athletes who were on the cusp of qualifying for the Division II National Championships. And Saturday’s meet offered those runners a final chance to post qualifying times.
Carter needed a 2:14 to provisionally qualify in the 800, something that becomes tougher to do as a solo runner. “Usually I have someone to run with and get my first lap time. Usually I practice for a 1:03 first lap, so I kind of knew how to run that by myself,” said Carter, who ran her first lap in 1:04. “The second lap I had a strategy to pick it up at the 300 mark and at the 150 try to finish strong.”
You knew about Walter Payton. You knew about Jackie Slater and Harold Jackson and Willie Richardson and Jimmy Smith and Robert Brazile and W.C. Gorden. If you follow football at all, you knew about Jackson State's remarkable pedigree in the sport. But did you know about John R. Pinckett?
I didn't, not until Thursday when JSU kicked off its centennial celebration of playing college football with a public relations event at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
One hundred years ago this fall, Pinckett gathered together a group of 22 students to form the first JSU football team. The Tigers - were they the Tigers then? - played one game that first season. We're not sure about the date or the site, but we do know the score. Then Jackson College lost 17-0 to Alabama State, then Lincoln Normal.
We're not sure how Lincoln Normal managed 17 points, but...
Former Cavalier working on gridiron and DEA career
Winston Salem, N.C. - At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, Justin Kee is built to enforce justice on a football field.
In his freshman year at Winston-Salem State, Kee did some of that, and he’ll likely do much more of it through the next three falls. More importantly, he’s already working toward the same mission in the classroom.
Kee, a 2009 Lakeland graduate, earned an All-CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) Scholar-Athlete award for the 2010-11 school year as he’s maintained a 3.0-plus GPA throughout the year. Kee, a defensive lineman for the Rams, is a Justice Studies major with the goal of becoming a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.
“That’s exactly what I’m aiming for. I like learning about the justice system a lot and I’ve started looking at the things I want to do if I go to work for the DEA,” Kee said.
Charlotte, N.C. - Wanted: One opponent for Johnson C. Smith’s Sept. 3 football season opener. Apply immediately.
The Golden Bulls are in negotiations with multiple schools to fill a hole opened by St. Paul’s decision earlier this month to shut down its athletics program. Neither JCSU Athletics Director Steve Joyner nor head coach Steve Aycock would identify the schools contacted, but suggested a deal could be struck by next week to remain on a 10-game schedule.
“Nothing is concrete yet,” Aycock said. JCSU has contacted three non-CIAA schools about Sept. 3, including at least one Division I program, Joyner and Aycock said. The others are Division II teams. Schools in the South Atlantic, West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic conferences are in immediate proximity to Smith.
The Mississippi Valley State University Department of Athletics announced recently that the Delta Devils have added another game to its 2011 slate. The addition of Murray State will give the Delta Devils 11 contests for the upcoming season and six home games for the program.
“We worked hard to find another contest for 2011 and we contacted a number of programs. In the end, an agreement with Murray State worked out well for both schools,” said interim athletics director Donald Sims.
The Racers went 6-5 last season, opening the season losing their first three games before closing out the season winning their last three contests. A member of the Ohio Valley Conference, this will be the first meeting between the Racers and the Delta Devils.
September
3 Alabama State Itta Bena, Miss. Rice-Totten Stadium 5p
10 Murray State Itta Bena, Miss. Rice-Totten Stadium 4p
17 @ Alcorn State Alcorn State, Miss. Jack Spinks Stadium TBA
IRONDALE, Alabama - The Jackson State Lady Tigers softball team defeated the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes 6-2 in the 2011 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game Sunday evening at Shea Brothers Field. With the win Jackson State wins its first conference championship in softball and claims the SWAC's automatic bid to the NCAA regional.
The Lady Tigers never trailed in the championship finale against Valley. Wendi Reed, the tournament MVP, opened the game with a solo home run and Farren Wright scored on an Arianna Smith single to give JSU a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Reed scored a run for JSU in the third on a Wright single. Valley scored two runs in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 3-2. Anesha McClendon helped increase JSU's lead to 4-2 when she hit a solo homer in the sixth. JSU put the game out of reach in the seventh when Reed hit a two run blast to off the left field foul pole, scoring LeEthel Guillory.
Jackson State entered the tournament as the second seed in the eight-team double-elimination field. The Lady Tigers were one game out from elimination, but came back to defeat Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alcorn State twice to stay alive.
Videographer: SupportJacksonState
Jackson State became the third team from the state of Mississippi to win the softball crown in the last three seasons. Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State were the previous two winners.
Jackson State and first year head coach Rick Fremin will now await its seeding into the NCAA Softball Tournament. The selection show airs Sunday, May 15 at 9 p.m. CST on ESPNU.
2011 SWAC All-Tournament Team
CeCe Kolesar, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Kiah Williams, Southern
Audrey Phillips, Southern
Jasmine Hubbard, Alcorn State
Bianca Armstrong, Alcorn State
Nicole Burr, Mississippi Valley State
Alex Robertson, Mississippi Valley State
Janell Plaza, Jackson State
LeEthel Guillory, Jackson State
Wendi Reed, Jackson State (MVP)
ORLANDO, FL -- Bethune-Cookman University President Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed and Florida A&M University President Dr. James H. Ammons, in concert with the Florida Classic Consortium, announced today that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has signed on to become the title sponsor for the annual football game between the two schools, as well as title sponsor of Battle of the Bands. The Consortium has also agreed to an extension with Florida Citrus Sports that will keep the game at Orlando’s Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium for the next five years.
The agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is for three years with an option to renew in years four and five. During that term, the game will be known as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Florida Classic, while the Battle will now be called Florida Blue Battle of the Bands.
Videographer: andremc69
The Florida Classic began in 1978 and has spent the last 17 years in Orlando. Since its move to Orlando in 1997, this annual clash between these two Historical Black Colleges and Universities has averaged more than 66,000 at the Citrus Bowl. The game has been a regular on national television -- the ESPN network of stations since 2005.
Due in large part to these strong attendance numbers and the number of people traveling to Orlando for the week leading up to the game, the Florida Classic generated an estimated $31 million in economic impact for Central Florida last year.
HUNTSVILLE, AL - Alabama A&M could have a new men's basketball coach by the end of next week, a source close to the search committee told The Times Tuesday.
School officials, who were slowed by the recent tornado outbreak, are expected to conduct phone interviews with potential candidates today and Thursday. Based upon the phone interviews, the finalists will be brought on campus next week for additional interviews.
Two potential candidates, former Butler High coach Jack Doss and Eugene Harris, who most recently served as the head coach at Florida A&M and has also coached at Auburn, Alabama and South Alabama, told The Times Tuesday afternoon they had not been contacted for phone interviews. John Douglas, who led Calhoun Community College to the junior college national championship game in ...
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Five teams of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association athletes hit the water and scaled walls as part of their training in April at the U.S. Navy SEALs’ Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Chowan University, Saint Paul’s College, Bowie State University, Saint Augustine’s College and Virginia State University players all got a taste of the rigors of training with the SEALs in a 12-foot-deep, Olympic-size pool and on the Naval Special Warfare Group 2 Confidence Course, a 17-station land obstacle course.
The training—part of a “Mental Toughness, Never Quit” campaign conducted by the SEALs for CIAA schools—occurred April 16-17. The event was a follow-up to on-campus seminars at the CIAA schools in February and March.
The “Mental Toughness, Never Quit” program, focusing on schools in the CIAA—the nation’s oldest black athletic conference, established in 1912—was developed as part of the Naval Special Warfare’s effort to attract top minority talent. More than 1,000 athletes from 11 schools attended the on-campus “Mental Toughness” seminars.
The goal of “Mental Toughness, Never Quit”—which includes goal-setting, visualization, positive self talk and 4x4x4 breathing skills—is to provide valuable training to athletes while making them aware of potential career opportunities within the SEAL Teams. The SEALs provided players with a unique look into how mental preparation is essential to winning.
Navy SEALs are a special breed of warrior who conduct special operations in any environment, but who are uniquely trained and equipped to operate from, around and in maritime areas. SEALs take their name from the environments in which they are trained to operate: sea, air and land. Their small highly trained teams usually work quietly at night conducting some of the nation's most important missions. SEALs are constantly deployed throughout the world to protect U.S. national interests.
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- He had eight players and no uniforms. Mathematics, the rules of baseball and logic tell you that might not be the most ideal way to build a college baseball program.
"The uniforms had vanished in the middle of the night," said first-year Alabama A&M baseball coach Ed McCann of the situation he inherited. And, as for his office, "it was early-auction furniture. It looked like it came over on the Mayflower."
That Alabama A&M has a baseball team may be news to some. That is has a chance to reach the Southwest Athletic Conference tournament by winning two of three against Jackson State in the next two days may be more shocking news. Even, he will confess, to Ed McCann.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- As a tennis player at Shaw, Sunday Enitan overheard students say mockingly, "We have a tennis team?"
That was years ago, before Enitan became coach of the Bears and ushered the tennis program into a new era. This season, the men's team claimed its seventh consecutive Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. The Bears went undefeated in conference play and have a 25-1 overall record.
Last week, the Bears outlasted Bluefield State and earned the school's first berth into the NCAA Division II championships. They leave today for Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla., where they'll face Abilene Christian at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the first round of the 16-team tournament.
The Bears defeated the Big Blues 5-3 in the Atlantic Region No. 1 finals, defending their home court at Biltmore Hills Tennis Courts before a host of Shaw supporters.
Shaw Men's Tennis Begins NCAA Play Wednesday
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Shaw University men's tennis team opens NCAA Division II Championship Tournament play on Wednesday, May 11, when they take on Abilene Christian at 10:30 a.m. The NCAA Division II Championships will be contested May 11-14 at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
The Bears earned their place in the tournament by winning the NCAA Atlantic Region 1 with a 5-3 win over Bluefield State last week. The Bears finished their regular season 25-1 and ranked first in the region by the NCAA and 48 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). This is Shaw's first trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament, which includes the 16 regional pod winners.
Abilene Christian finished their season 19-9 and earned their place in the tournament by winning the NCAA South Central 2 championship. They are ranked third in that division by the NCAA and ranked sixth nationally by the ITA.
Abilene Christian is led by Hans Hach, ranked 15th in the nation by ITA. Hach and doubles partner Jake Hendrie are ranked 15th in the nation by ITA.
Shaw's number one doubles pairing of Gabriel Nicotra and Ataide Suca are ranked 39th nationally by ITA.
For more information on Shaw athletics, visit www.shawbears.com, and to follow the action live from Altamonte Springs, visit www.rollinssports.com and click on the Division II Tennis Championship banner.
Charlotte, NC -- In a closed-door meeting of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Board of Directors, the group of thirteen presidents and chancellors received a report from Saint Paul’s College President, Dr. Robert L. Satcher, Sr. of the action taken last Thursday by the SPC Board of Trustees to discontinue its athletic program.
On behalf of the CIAA Board of Directors, Chairman and Livingstone College President, Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. “received the report with sadness, but also recognizes that since the college is no longer participating in collegiate athletics, it will not continue as a member of the CIAA. In accordance with that fact, the Board acknowledges that the CIAA’s Two-Year Transfer Rule will no longer prove relevant for Saint Paul’s College student-athletes who wish to transfer to any CIAA school.”
The Two-Year Transfer Rule is instituted when a student-athlete transfers between two conference member institutions. The discontinuance of the college’s membership cancels the effect of this rule.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana received a first-round bye when pairings were announced Tuesday for the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship.
The Gold Rush (13-9) are seeded eighth — the same position as in the final coaches poll announced Monday — and will play at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18 against the winner of a first-round match between ninth-seeded Vanguard (7-13) and 24th-seeded Mobile (6-7).
All matches will be played at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. The Vanguard-Mobile dual will be one of eight played May 17, and the tournament will conclude May 21. Twenty-four teams qualified, and eight received byes.
Xavier qualified automatically for nationals by winning the Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament April 29-30 at Chattanooga, Tenn. Vanguard received an at-large bid, and Mobile qualified as host institution.
Xavier earned its first victory against a top-10 NAIA opponent with its 6-3 decision at Vanguard on March 4. The Lions, a quarterfinalist five of the last six seasons and a semifinalist in 2000 and 2004, beat the Gold Rush 6-3 in 2010 and 5-4 in 2008 in regular-season duals.
Xavier did not play Mobile this year, but the Gold Rush were 8-0 against the Mobile the previous three seasons, including victories in the finals of Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournaments in 2008 and 2009. Mobile competed in the Southern States Athletic Conference this year.
This is the third consecutive year that the XU men qualified for the national tournament. In 2009 the Gold Rush defeated Oklahoma Christian 5-4 in the first round, then lost to eventual runner-up Auburn Montgomery 5-0. Last year the Gold Rush beat Tennessee Wesleyan 5-3 in the first round, then lost 5-1 to eventual runner-up Fresno Pacific.
Fresno Pacific, a 5-2 loser to Auburn Montgomery in the 2010 final, is the No. 1 seed and could play Xavier in the quarterfinals May 19.
NAIA National Championship (seedings in parentheses) First Round — 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17
Aquinas (16) vs. St. Thomas (Fla.) (17)
Vanguard (9) vs. Mobile (24)
Graceland (12) vs. Huntington (Ind.) (21)
Concordia (Calif.) (13) vs. Bethany (Kan.) (20)
Lindsey Wilson (14) vs. Lewis-Clark State (19)
Shorter (11) vs. Hastings (22)
Union (Ky.) (10) vs. Brescia (23)
William Carey (15) vs. Olivet Nazarene (18) Second Round — 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18
Fresno Pacific (1) vs. Aquinas-St. Thomas winner
Xavier (8) vs. Vanguard-Mobile winner
Azusa Pacific (5) vs. Graceland-Huntington winner
Oklahoma Christian (4) vs. Concordia-Bethany winner
Auburn Montgomery (3) vs. Lindsey Wilson - Lewis-Clark State winner
Westmont (6) vs. Shorter-Hastings winner
Point Loma Nazarene (7) vs. Union-Brescia winner
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (2) vs. William Carey-Olivet Nazarene winner Quarterfinals — 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 19 Semifinals — 9 a.m. on Friday, May 20 Championship — 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 21
Xavier at Nationals (2-2)
May 12, 2009 (first round): Xavier 5, Oklahoma Christian 4
May 13, 2009 (second round): Auburn Montgomery 5, Xavier 0
May 18, 2010 (first round): Xavier 5, Tennessee Wesleyan 3
May 19, 2010 (second round): Fresno Pacific 5, Xavier 1
**LAWRENCEVILLE, VA — (May 09, 2011) At its recent Spring Meeting, The Saint Paul’s College Board of Trustees took a bold step towards restoring financial stability to the 123 year old historical Episcopal College. The Board resolved to discontinue the entire Athletic Program at the College, effective July 1, 2011. The Administration is establishing a time schedule for implementation of the resolution with regard to its effect on the student body and their moral responsibility to the Athletic Staff. There was no doubt that once the College becomes financially stable again, consideration would be given to reinstating the Athletic Program.
While the Board of Trustees acknowledged that some notable progress has been made in the financial affairs under the current administration, in that the College has achieved a balanced budget twice in the last three years; however, the longstanding financial problems have yet to be remedied. Also, the U. S. Department of Education and the accrediting agency, SACSCOC have acknowledged some improvement in the financial affairs of the College.
Meanwhile, Dr. Robert L. Satcher, Sr., President and his Executive Cabinet have begun establishing a time schedule for the College to implement a full-scale Intramural Program for its students.
The 123-year old school fielded 7 men's and women's teams and was a member of the CIAA.
Hampton, VA -- It is with much sadness that the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has learned of the dissolution of the athletic program at St. Paul’s College. The CIAA remains dedicated to the welfare of each affected student-athlete and will make every effort to protect their interests.
In anticipation of the discussion of this matter at the CIAA Board of Directors’ meeting slated for this week, the conference and Commissioner will wait to make any official comment until after its conclusion.
An East Baton Rouge Parish jury awarded former Grambling State University head football coach Melvin Spears Jr. nearly $600,000 on Friday after finding the school breached his contract when it fired him in late 2006.
Spears, who guided Grambling to the Southwestern Athletic Conference and black college national titles in 2005, was named head football coach at Alcorn State University earlier this year.
“It’s a great opportunity to be vindicated. I’m elated,’’ Spears, 51, said of the verdict by a jury of nine men and three women.
The panel voted unanimously to award Spears $449,500 for breach of employment contract and tacked on $11,000 in penalty wages and $139,000 in attorneys’ fees.
Baton Rouge, LA — Former Grambling State head football coach Melvin Spears Jr. was awarded nearly $600,000 by a jury that ruled the school breached his contract when he was fired in 2006.
Spears had a five-year contract when the university believed it could fire him with cause after the third season due to an NCAA investigation. However, the NCAA didn't find any major violations.
Spears, who was 20-14 at Grambling State and led the Tigers to Southwestern Athletic Conference and black college national titles in 2005, was named head coach at Alcorn State, also a SWAC school, earlier this year.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed one notch Monday to reach a program-record-tying No. 8 in the final NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 of the season.
The Gold Rush (13-9), idle since winning a qualifying tournament for the NAIA National Championship at Chattanooga, Tenn., on April 30, swapped places with Vanguard from last week's poll. Xavier won 6-3 at Vanguard on March 4.
Xavier first reached No. 8 in the March 8 poll and remained there for two additional rankings. XU's men were in the top 10 in five of the final six polls.
This is the first Xavier team to reach the top 10 in a final NAIA poll since women's basketball was No. 4 in 1997-98.
The Gold Rush are in the the top 25 for the 32nd consecutive time dating to April 4, 2007 — that's the fifth longest active streak among NAIA men's teams — and it's the 23rd straight time dating to April 30, 2008, that the Gold Rush are among the top 18. It's the sixth consecutive season that the XU men are among the top 25 in the final poll.
Xavier has qualified for the national tournament for the third consecutive season. The NAIA will announce seedings and pairings for the 24-team event by 5 p.m. Tuesday. The tournament will begin May 17 at Mobile, Ala.
Fresno Pacific received all the first-place votes and is No. 1 in the final poll for the second straight season.
Xavier's women, whose season ended April 30 with a 5-0 loss to Milligan in the semifinals of the qualifying tournament, are out of the top 25 for the fifth consecutive time after 44 straight appearances. The Gold Nuggets collected three points, two more than last week, to tie for 33rd place.
In last season's final polls, Xavier's men were 16th, and the women were 19th. This is the first time since 2003 that the Gold Nuggets are not among the final top 25.
NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 8)
Rank
Team
Record
Points
Last
1
Fresno Pacific (10)
21-2
250
1
2
Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
14-6
242
2
3
Auburn Montgomery
23-3
233
3
4
Oklahoma Christian
21-1
226
4
5
Azusa Pacific
15-6
218
5
6
Westmont
12-5
210
6
7
Point Loma Nazarene
15-7
200
7
8
Xavier
13-9
192
9
9
Vanguard
7-13
183
8
10
Union (Ky.)
17-5
177
10
11
Shorter
12-4
166
12
12
Concordia (Calif.)
8-14
163
11
13
Graceland
11-5
151
13
14
Lindsey Wilson
14-5
147
15
15
William Carey
12-9
143
14
16
Aquinas
24-3
136
16
17
St. Thomas (Fla.)
14-3
119
17
18
Olivet Nazarene
14-3
110
18
19
Lewis-Clark State
10-8
103
19
20
McKendree
20-3
99
20
21
Tennessee Wesleyan
11-6
90
21
22
SCAD Savannah
7-4
84
22
23
Martin Methodist
14-5
82
23
24
Bethany (Kan.)
21-3
61
25
25
Webber International
13-6
60
24
Others receiving votes: Lee (Tenn.) 47, Campbellsville 33, Cumberland 22, Lindenwood 20, Northwood (Fla.) 18, Northwestern Ohio 15, Biola 8, Our Lady of the Lake 7, Georgetown (Ky.) 1.
NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 8)
Rank
Team
Record
Points
Last
1
Fresno Pacific (11)
18-4
312
1
2
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (1)
20-3
302
2
3
Auburn Montgomery
23-5
288
3
4
Azusa Pacific
19-4
281
4
5
Oklahoma Christian
17-2
274
5
6
Point Loma Nazarene
19-3
265
6
7
Concordia (Calif.)
14-7
252
7
8
Brenau
10-7
241
8
9
SCAD Savannah
10-2
231
9
10
Vanguard
10-10
222
10
11
Southern Nazarene
14-6
208
11
12
William Carey
14-6
203
12
13
Lee (Tenn.)
9-5
192
13
14
Olivet Nazarene
19-1
176
14
15
Shorter
11-4
173
15
16
Lewis-Clark State
6-14
155
tie-16
17
Indiana Wesleyan
21-1
154
tie-16
18
Martin Methodist
15-5
145
18
19
Lindsey Wilson
13-5
139
19
20
Oklahoma Baptist
9-10
112
20
21
Campbellsville
14-5
111
22
22
St. Thomas (Fla.)
9-9
108
21
23
William Jewell
17-7
96
23
24
Webber International
12-8
79
24
25
Belhaven
14-3
68
25
Others receiving votes: Westmont 49, Milligan 49, McKendree 27, Indiana Southeast 26, Robert Morris (Chicago) 18, Cumberlands 16, Taylor 6, Xavier 3, Marian (Ind.) 3, Georgetown (Ky.) 1, Spring Hill 1, Northwood (Fla.) 1, Mobile 1, Northwestern Ohio 1.
TUSCALOOSA, AL | The Stillman College baseball team earned an automatic bid into the 2011 NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament by winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship two weeks ago. 
