Coleman, Mandlekar earn final GCAC awards of 2016-17

NEW ORLEANS — Keairez Coleman (men's field) and Tushar Mandlekar (men's tennis) scooped up the last of Xavier University of Louisiana's 53 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards for the 2016-17 academic year.
     
The GCAC announced the two Tuesday as recipients for April 24-30.
     
Coleman, a sophomore biology major from Harrisville, Miss., and a graduate of Mendenhall High School, triple-jumped 14.32 meters (46 feet, 11 3/4 inches) this past Friday at the Southern Miss Open — a PR and a B-qualifying mark for the NAIA National Championships.
     
Mandlekar, a senior business administration major from Bhilai, India, and a graduate of Deepak Nagar School, won in doubles and singles April 24 to help the Gold Rush win 4-3 at NCAA Division I University of New Orleans. Mandlekar and Karan Salwan defeated Luis Albuquerque and Giacomo Adoncecchi 6-2 on the third doubles court, then Mandlekar clinched the dual at No. 5 singles with a 7-5, 7-5 victory against Albuquerque.
     
Coleman set XULA men's field records for most GCAC awards in a season (3) and career (5). He previously shared both marks with Christopher Kennie. Mandlekar's honor is his first of the season and fifth of his career.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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CoSIDA salutes 25-Year Award recipient Ed Cassiere, XULA

By Paul Just
Western Kentucky University Sports Information Director (retired)

NEW ORLEANS -- In 1974, a sophomore at Jesuit High School (now Loyola College Prep) in Shreveport, La., looked proudly at his first byline in the sports section of the Shreveport Times as he wrote a story on a high school football game.
    
"A Jesuit classmate, John James Marshall, recommended me to preps editor Nico Van Thyn for a part-time job at The Times," Cassiere said. "That's how I got a foot in the door."
     
That was the beginning of a career that led to a quarter century (and counting) for Ed Cassiere in college sports information.
     
"I first became aware of sports information when I was in the fourth or fifth grade," Cassiere recalls. "My dad was a Notre Dame fan and later my two brothers went to college there. They came home with a football media guide. I was fascinated with all the detail and information in that book. I was hooked!"
     
Now, 43 years after that first story, Cassiere is the SID at Xavier University of Louisiana and will be recognized for his 25 years of service to the profession at the CoSIDA June national convention in Orlando.
     
With a reputation as one of the most competent and effective SIDs in the country, Cassiere is an outstanding writer with an amazing ability to multi-task and produce results. He has honed his skills in both sports journalism and college sports information at various stops along the way.
     
After high school, he headed to the University of Missouri where he got his first taste of sports information as a student in the Tiger SID office (1977-80). He graduated in 1981 with a bachelor of journalism degree and returned home as a sportswriter for the Shreveport Journal for five years.
     
In 1984, he applied for an assistant SID position at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL Lafayette).
    
"I knew (ULL SID) Dan McDonald through our mutual involvement in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and always thought SID work was cool and prestigious and wanted to give it a try," Cassiere said.
     
Although he did not get the job, he was hired when he applied again two years later.
     
"I was familiar with Ed's work at the Journal. He was an excellent writer. I really valued his ability to tell a story," McDonald, a CoSIDA Hall of Famer, commented. "He can identify details that many might miss and then create effective ways to use them. Ed is absolutely one of the hardest working and most devoted people I know."
     
After a year at Lafayette, Cassiere took over as the SID at the University of New Orleans where he spent the next 13 years. Ed did it all for UNO publicity, news releases, media guides, game programs, web content, and media relations in the state's largest market. He successfully publicized NBA first-round draft pick Ervin Johnson and promoted legendary UNO baseball coach Ron Maestri as the school's first inductee into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He also served as the host media relations director for the 1991 NCAA Women's Final Four and the 1993 Men's Final Four.
     
"Ed took great pride in our program," said former UNO men's basketball coach Tim Floyd (now at UTEP). 
"It seemed like he was always on the job. He really cared about us and we thought of him as a member of our team. Ed had to be the best in the country at identifying details that could help sell the program. He wrote stories that made readers really want to read them."
     
Cassiere left UNO in 2000 and became a freelance sports journalist in the New Orleans area, covering pro, college and high school sports while also assisting with media coordination for selected Louisiana High School Athletic Association championships.
     
In July 2006, Cassiere returned to college as SID for Xavier's nine-sport NAIA program. This summer he'll begin his 12th year at the New Orleans school.
     
"Ed is a real student of the business," said XU athletics director Jason Horn. "It is obvious that he loves what he's doing and that he wants to be the very best at it. He is a valued asset for Xavier athletics and an important member of our senior leadership team."
     
"Ed has elevated our whole athletic program, getting Xavier athletics noticed at the community, state, NAIA and national levels. He's a great SID, but an even better friend — I think all our coaches feel that way! In his second year here, I began calling him 'The Great One.' His daughters picked up on that and I believe they still call him 'The Great One'," said longtime Xavier women's basketball coach Bo Browder.
     
Through the years, Cassiere has earned 85 awards in state, regional and national contests for sports writing and sports information work — 23 of those first-place honors. He won 18 NAIA writing awards the past six years, including four for first place, four seconds and three thirds.
     
"As soon as Ed arrived at Xavier, we started getting more exposure. He helped put our program on the national map! Sometimes I think he never sleeps as it's not uncommon to get a text from him at two o'clock in the morning with an idea or a question!" noted Xavier men's and women's tennis coach Alan Green.
     
"You couldn't find a better person than Ed Cassiere," said Dennis Cousin, who was the AD who hired him at Xavier. "He went above and beyond to do anything he could to help our programs succeed. Ed worked so hard — he was always the last to leave."
     
Ed and his wife Sharon, reside in Metairie and are the parents of two daughters, Katrina and Amy.

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SWAC champions Grambling announce major upgrades to Robinson Stadium

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State University Director of Athletics Paul Bryant announced the first major renovations and upgrades to the Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium in decades, including a total football field turf overhaul and a high-tech digital scoreboard.

The project, with an estimated cost of $1.5 million to $2 million, is scheduled to start as early as next week. The aggressive construction timeline calls for a mid-August completion, just before the first game against Tulane University in New Orleans on Sept. 2 and the first home game at Robinson Memorial Stadium on Sept. 9.

"I haven't been here long, but I've heard loud and clear from our alumni, students and all kinds of GSU fans and stakeholders that this is long overdue," said Bryant, who arrived in January. "There's no time like the present, and it's time to make this happen."

In addition to the stadium upgrades, Bryant said the school is adding a fourth home game, something fans have discussed for years. Rather than play the Red River Classic in Shreveport this fall, the Texas Southern University football matchup will be played at home on Oct. 28. TSU has a big fan base, with a 2016 regular home attendance of 5,371 and away attendance averaging 8,665. Bryant said that game will now be the GSU homecoming game.

The 19,600-seat stadium opened in 1983, replacing the old Grambling Stadium, which was located not far from the university's baseball field. The stadium replaced a huge peach orchard, and contractors dug a lot of dirt to make the sloping landscape accommodate the football field that head football coach Eddie Robinson wanted. Often called "The Hole" because the entrances sit high above the field with seats in between, Grambling State fans have enjoyed G-Man football home games at the stadium for decades. In recent years, fans have clamored for upgrades.

"In 1983 when the stadium opened it was the only one of it's kind," said GSU President Rick Gallot. "Now, in 2017, it's the only one of its kind – and our championship football team deserves a championship stadium."

Gallot said Bryant and his athletics team brought the stadium upgrade ideas to him and he told the AD he would have to find a way to pay for the project. Bryant discussed options with Marc Newman, the school's institutional advancement vice president, and David Aubrey, chairman of the Grambling University Foundation, and they hatched the idea to seek foundation support to finance the project. The board approved the concept just a few days ago.

"This wouldn't be possible without the strong endorsement of Aubrey and the foundation board," added Bryant. "We have a partnership and a vision that all Grambling State University sports are important, and this is a piece of pursuing championship-level athletics programs."

Bryant noted that the school's soccer and softball fields are also being renovated.

"President Gallot has the type of athletics vision that brought me here, and he's allowing me to lead Grambling State to match the huge brand the school has internationally," said Bryant. "Thanks to the board and the president, we are going to make these things happen."

Head football coach Broderick Fobbs said he is excited about the stadium upgrades, and he's especially happy for his coaches and players. "This is huge for this team. This team has been through some tough times and they have stayed focused and brought home a national championship last year," he said. "This says a lot about how this administration views football and all of athletics, and we can't wait to play on a state-of-the-art football field with a state-of-the-art scoreboard. Our guys are going to love it."

Bryant said the company handling the turf overhaul and installation is Hellas Construction Inc., a nationally recognized leader in sports turf. Hellas has designed and installed turf for professional, college and high school sports groups, including the Dallas Cowboys, the Jacksonville Jaguars and several Texas high school teams. A new digital scoreboard will be installed by NEVCO of Greenville, Illinois, sign installment will be done by Shreveport Neon Signs and the new sound system will be handled by Gulf Coast Sound.

Aubrey said the foundation decided to support the upgrades with a significant investment because they believe in the leadership of Gallot and Bryant, and they see opportunities to seek additional support with field and scoreboard sponsorships as well as increased attendance. "This is a lot of money, but sometimes it takes spending money to bring the type of money you need to make a program successful," said Aubrey. "Gallot says he's supporting the athletics program with a holistic approach, and we believe that's what it's going to take to make the athletic program, and the school, successful."

Newman said businesses and corporate sponsors can expect to hear about some tremendous sponsorship opportunities associated with the project in the coming weeks. "We're looking for partners who want to invest in something great, and we're doing great things at Grambling State University," he said. "This whole thing has been moving quickly, and that's really exciting. I like the speed with which we've been moving to make things happen. We want to be sure existing and new partners have a chance to join us as the construction gets underway."

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS RELEASE

WSSU Athletics Director Tonia Walker receives three-year contract extension

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State University announced today a three-year extension to the contract of Athletics Director Tonia Walker. Walker has served in the role since May 2014 and has led the Rams athletic department to success on the field and in the classroom.

In her tenure, the Rams have taken home 14 CIAA championships. Student-athletes have also shined in the classroom, with more than 100 of them named to the Dean’s List for Fall 2016. The average GPA of student-athletes has increased from 2.80 to 2.93 from Fall 2014 to Fall 2016, and the graduation rate of student-athletes surpasses the university’s graduation rate by 10 percent. Additionally, since Walker assumed the director of athletics position, the department has seen a 34 percent increase in athletics giving and a 29 percent increase in ticket sales.

“Tonia Walker is undoubtedly the right choice for WSSU,” said Chancellor Elwood L. Robinson. “I believe she is one of the finest ADs in the country. Her commitment to our students is demonstrated in their success both on and off the field. She is a tremendous asset to the university and to college athletics.”

Named the 2015-16 CIAA Athletic Director of the Year and the 2016 Administrator of the Year for the National Association for Collegiate Athletics Administrators, Walker works to continuously advocate for and champion WSSU student-athletes and opportunities for women and minorities. She was one of eight participants around the country selected for the NCAA

Fellows Leadership Development Program. She is currently a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association as well as the Black Women Sports Foundation.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead the department of athletics at Winston-Salem State University,” said Walker. “We have been able to accomplish some amazing things with the support of the administration, alumni, supporters, and a phenomenal staff. I look forward to our continued journey together.”

WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU AD Overton: Budget cuts about 'right-sizing'

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. is looking to balance the budget of a cash-strapped athletic department. That means for the second year in a row, cuts are part of that equation.

Overton recently told coaches another 10 percent will be sliced from the athletic department’s budget, on top of a 10-percent cut from the previous year.

Overton told the Tallahassee Democrat in an interview after FAMU’s spring game he’s “right-sizing” FAMU’s budget.

He said in the end, he’s making FAMU’s spending more efficient and making choices that will benefit the department in the long run.

“I’ve done that every year I’ve been here,” Overton said.

CONTINUE READING

Is Anderson ASU's next 1,000-yard rusher?

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State coach Brian Jenkins isn’t questioning Alex Anderson’s talent.

He just wonders if the Miami Gardens, Fla., native wants to meet the challenge of replacing Khalid Thomas, the SWAC’s second-leading rusher last season.

“Anderson is going to have to make that decision if he wants to be that guy,” Jenkins said after Saturday’s Black and Gold game at ASU Stadium.

Jenkins said he has “several guys” who can be a featured back. Jenkins mentioned sophomore Ezra Gray out of Lynn Haven, Fla., as a player who just needs experience and could be a “home run hitter."

Still, Anderson is the team’s top returning rusher and possesses the ability to lead ASU’s rushing attack.

“It’s just about who’s going to step up,” Jenkins said. “Whether we get it done with one guy or by committee, doesn’t matter to me. Just as long as we can get it done, but I think Alex Anderson does have the ability to be a 1,000-yard back, but like I said, that’s going to be up to Alex.”

CONTINUE READING 

FAMU Softballers Clinch MEAC Southern Division

Alexis Day led FAMU with four hits and three RBIs in
Sunday's win over B-CU.

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – The FAMU Women's Softball team overcame its' self-destructive tendencies Sunday afternoon with a 15-hit attack to overhaul host Bethune-Cookman, 13-7, and capture the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division championship at Sunnyland Field.

Sunday's win gave the Lady Rattlers (18-27-1, 13-2 MEAC) their first Southern Division crown since 2009, while foiling archrival Bethune-Cookman's bid for their first division title since 2014.

Bethune-Cookman (21-29, 11-4 MEAC), which gained a split of Saturday's doubleheader with a 6-5 win in Game Two, aided by an uncharacteristic eight FAMU errors, struck for three runs in the bottom of the second Sunday for an early 3-0 lead.

FAMU sliced the B-CU edge to 3-2 in the top of third, when Amber Fullwood's RBI double,followed by Toni Anderson's RBI single drove home two runs and began stoking the offensive flames for the Orange and Green.

The Wildcats plated a run in the bottom of the third for a 4-2 edge, but the FAMU offense found its' stride in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring 11 runs to break the game open.

In the fifth, FAMU scored six runs on four hits to take the lead for good at 8-4, keyed by two-run singles each from pitcher Kenya Pereira and shortstop Jamesia Stoudemire.

The Lady ‘Cats would not fold however, scoring three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth to pull within one run, 8-7, before FAMU would take control in the sixth.

FAMU scored five runs on four hits, aided by two Lady ‘Cats errors to close out the game's scoring by extending their lead to 13-7.

Alexis Day lashed a two-run double, scoring Amber Fullwood and Trinity Alexander for a 10-7 count. Tahlia Snider bashed a two-run double two batters later, scoring Day and Pereira for a 12-7 edge, with Snider scoring the final run later in the inning from third on a two-out throwing error.

Pereira (8-9) closed out Bethune-Cookman, tossing two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, finishing the day with seven strikeouts, two walks, scattering 13 hits while allowing seven runs in seven complete innings.

Heading the FAMU offense Sunday was Alexis Day, who finished with four hits and a pair of RBI, Snider who had three hits and two RBI, along with the trio of Toni Anderson, Whitney Farris and Pereira, who each had two hits.

WHAT'S ON DECK: FAMU will close their 2017 regular season schedule in Gainesville next Saturday and Sunday in the Florida Invitational Tournament. Saturday, FAMU is slated to face North Texas (3:30 p.m.), and Sunday, they will tangle with the host Florida Gators (2:30)…. The next weekend, Thursday-Saturday, May 11-13, FAMU heads to Ormond Beach, Florida for the 2017 MEAC Softball Championship, where they will gun for their fourth straight league title.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION