Both WSSU QBs lead scoring drives in spring finale

KERNERSVILLE, North Carolina  — After battling for the starting quarterback’s position throughout spring practice, Rudy Johnson and Phillip Sims made strong cases to win the job Saturday in Winston-Salem State’s spring football game at Glenn High School.

Johnson, last season’s starter, shook off a slow start and completed 7 of 13 passes for 86 yards and led the Rams to points on three of his five drives. Sims, who transferred from Virginia before last season, completed 7 of his 8 passes and led scoring drives on two of his three possessions.
                   
Both led drives that ended with touchdowns — Johnson connected with Chase Powell for a 10-yard score, and Sims connected with Rashan Williams on a 54-yard bomb.

The game matched the first-team...

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Alabama State baseball: ASU junior Amion leads nation in runs scored

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Alabama State center fielder Richard Amion scored twice on Sunday to give Alabama State the series’ victory over Alcorn State after splitting a doubleheader on Saturday.

The two runs give Amion 53 for the year, tops among all Division I baseball players in America.

“It feels great to be at the top of the list,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll stay at the top of the list. When I get on base, I don’t have to steal as many bases as last year because I know the big dogs behind me are going to drive me in.”

Amion didn’t get here by accident. The leadoff hitter for the Hornets has worked hard off the field and studied his opposing pitchers to become a well-rounded hitter.

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Lincoln's Lewis Breaks Meet Record In 100m At Missouri Relays

COLUMBIA, Missouri  --  Romel Lewis broke the meet record in 100m, highlighting the Lincoln men's outdoor track & field team's performance at the Missouri Relays on Saturday (April 12). The Blue Tigers won five events at the meet, which was hosted by the University of Missouri.

Lewis won the 100m in 10.28, an automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships that breaks the previous Missouri Relays mark of 10.39. That previous record was also set by a Blue Tiger, Lerone Clark, back in 2004. Romone Hill finished one second behind Lewis, taking second in 10.29, also an automatic qualifier. Wesley Best placed fifth in the 100m (21.21) while Khorey Spalding finished seventh (10.72).

Hill and Lewis also helped Lincoln take first place in the 4x100m relay, teaming with Best and Spalding to win in 40.24, another Missouri Relays meet record. The foursome beat the previous record of 40.48, also set by Lincoln back in 2004. The Blue Tigers also won the 4x400m relay, with the grouping of Winston Edwards, Michael Ashley, Jermaine Blake and Roger Blake finishing in 3:12.41. Both of those winning times are provisional qualifiers.

Jermaine Blake took the crown in the 800m, winning in 1:54.97, and also placed 13th in the 1,500m (4:18.60). Edwards had Lincoln's other individual victory of the day, taking the 400m hurdles in 53.01. Ashley, meanwhile, was the runner-up in the 400m, finishing second in 48.41, while Roger Blake placed seventh (49.30) and Neville Daley took 10th (50.51).

The Blue Tigers had four athletes finish among the top-12 in the 200m, led by Hill, who took third in 21.21. Best finished fifth in that event, coming in at 21.46, and Spalding placed seventh (21.65) while Stallone Watson came in 12th (22.28). Watson was Lincoln's top finisher in both the 110m hurdles, where he took fourth (14.81), and the long jump, where he placed third at 7.11m. Orneldo Thomas took fourth in the long jump with a distance of 7.06m while Owen Smith took 10th (6.24m).

Hampton Mayson had two nice finishes for LU in the field events, including taking seventh in the shot put at 13.28m. In the javelin throw, Mayson claimed 10th with a distance of 35.46. Darran Hunter placed eighth in the latter event, finishing with a distance of 41.63m.

Next week, Lincoln is scheduled to compete in two meets, including the Kansas Relays in Lawrence, Kan. from April 17-19. LU is also slated to compete in the Dewey Allgood Invitational, which will be hosted by Missouri S&T University in Rolla, Mo. on April 19.

Complete Results

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Texas Southern Women's Track Head Coach Pauline Banks Inducted into MVSU Hall of Fame

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

ITTA BENA, Mississippi -- Seven former Mississippi Valley State University standouts were inducted into the MVSU Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday during a banquet at the H.M. Ivy Cafeteria on the MVSU campus.

The inductees include: Pauline Banks, Stephanie Gardner, Robin Williams, Roy Hazzle, Rufus Williams, Albert Jo Williams and Larry Harmon.

Pauline Banks was named the Most Valuable Player at Greenwood High School in track and field for a three-year span from 1983-86. She was also a Big 8 champion in the 100, 200 and 400 meters in 1986. She continued her success at MVSU in 1987 by being selected All-SWAC in the 200 and 400 meter dash. She was also selected in 1987, 1989 and 1990 as the MVSU Most Valuable Player for Outdoor Track & Field. Banks was selected All-SWAC in the 400 meters in 1988-1990. She was All-SWAC in the 4x400 relay in 1990. During her employment at Jackson State University, she became the first woman selected as head coach for the track and field team in 2003. The JSU 4x400 relay team was selected NCAA Division I Mid-East All-Region Team. The 2008 and 2009 JSU indoor and outdoor track and field teams earned SWAC titles. Banks moved on with her trail blazing, becoming the first woman selected as head women's track and field coach at Texas Southern in 2009.

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION   

Lincoln Blue Tigers Win Seven Events At The Missouri Relays

COLUMBIA, Missouri  -- Yanique Ellington broke the meet record in 100m, posting one the Lincoln women's outdoor track & field team's seven victories at the Missouri Relays on Saturday (April 12). The Blue Tigers turned in 33 overall top-10 finishes at the meet, which was hosted by the University of Missouri.

Ellington was one of six Blue Tigers to finish among the top-15 in the 100m, winning the race in 11.52. That time, an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, beat the previous Missouri Relays meet record of 11.58, set in 2007 by another Blue Tiger, Nandelle Cameron. Janae Johnson was the runner-up in the 100m, taking second in 11.60, while Judith Riley (11.98) and Kimberly Bailey (12.01) finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Nickeisha Beaumont, meanwhile, finished 12th (12.42) while Erika Spencer placed 15th (12.81).

Lincoln also had tremendous success in the 200m, with Johnson emerging as the winner with a time of 23.65. Ellington was the runner-up, clocking in at 23.86, and Riley finished seventh in 24.63. Bailey came in ninth (24.80) and Marcia Harrison placed 11th (25.12), tying fellow teammate Shakeisha Miller.

Tamara Keane
5'-8" Senior Sprinter
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri
Photo Courtesy: Lincoln University Athletics

The Blue Tigers also dominated the hurdle events, including the 400m race, where Tamara Keane won with a provisional time of 1:00.19. Ladonna Richards also had a provisional mark in the 400m hurdles, finishing second in 1:01.04, and Harrison rounded out the top-three with a time of 1:02.93. Juneille Barker finished fifth in both the 400m hurdles (1:03.52) and the 100m hurdles (13.94), with Richards winning the latter event in 13.44. Miller took seventh in the 100m hurdles (14.26) while Nadia Harriott finished 10th (14.74).

Monique Thompson led four Blue Tigers in the 800m, winning the race in 2:11.34. Jhevere Hall came in third (2:14.90) and Willomena Williams placed fourth (2:16.14) while Ebony Rose came in sixth (2:20.42). Hall, meanwhile, won the 1,500m, clocking in at 4:41.26, while Williams finished 10th (5:01.46).

The other win of the day for Lincoln came in the 4x400m relay. LU entered three foursomes into that event, with all three finishing among the top five. The group of Lovan Palmer, Donna-Lee Hylton, Hall and Keane won with a provisional time of 3:42.24. The group of Thompson, Barker, Harrison and Williams finished second, coming in at 3:46.00, and the unit of Rose, Richards, Bailey and Cynthia Halbert came in fifth with a time of 3:56.73.

The Blue Tigers also turned in a pair of second place results, including finishing as the runners-up in the 4x100m relay. In that event, it was the foursome of Bailey, Ellington, Richards and Johnson taking second in 45.78, a provisional-qualifying mark. Hylton finished as the runner-up in the 400m dash, clocking in at 55.17. Palmer finished seventh in the latter event, timing in at 57.13.

In the field events, Beaumont led LU with a third-place result in the long jump (5.79m). Miller placed eighth in that event, posting a top distance of 5.39m, and Jonelle Campbell took 12th (5.04m). Daniele Newman, meanwhile, turned in a pair of fourth-place finishes, including in the high jump (1.64m) and the triple jump (12.36m). Campbell placed sixth in the triple jump, posting a top mark of 11.97m.

Next week, Lincoln is scheduled to compete in two meets, including the Kansas Relays in Lawrence, Kan. from April 17-19. LU is also slated to compete in the Dewey Allgood Invitational, which will be hosted by Missouri S&T University in Rolla, Mo. on April 19.

Complete Results

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Lincoln's 2014 Spring Game: Photo Gallery and Video

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri  -- The Lincoln football team held its annual spring game on Saturday (April 12), with LU's offensive players running drills against the defense as a culmination of the Blue Tigers' spring practices. In addition to running unit drills, the players lined up for some 7-on-7 plays and showed off the current offense and defense to Blue Tiger fans at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.

In the above video, head coach Mike Jones discusses what he liked from his defense, identifies some stand-out offensive players and talks about how much Julio Segura and Andrew Fishel have improved after their impressive play during the fall.

The below photo gallery, meanwhile, features 47 pictures from the day, covering everything from the pre-game drills to some of the in-game highlights.

Photo Gallery: Lincoln's 2014 Spring Game

By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Dillard Bleu Devils dominate competition and claim men's GCAC Track and Field Championship

Dillard University's men's track and field team is crowned 2014 GCAC champions.
Photo Courtesy By R. Costanza

NEW ORLEANS -- The Dillard Bleu Devils track and field team scored 178 points en route to a 2014 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Track and Field Championship at Tad Gormley Stadium. The win marked the second GCAC Track and Field Championship in the last four years for the men's team.

Junior runner Jevonte Ezzard (JR/College Park, GA) kicked things off with a first place finish in the Men's 3000 Meter Steeplechase with a time of 11:02.78, a personal best, as Dillard proceeded to have runners finish third, fourth and fifth respectively in the same event. The men's 4x100 meter relay team also earned a first place finish, posting a time of 42.06. Seniors Matthew Jones, Wendell Collins (SR/New Orleans, LA), and juniors Tobyus Simmons (JR/Chattanooga, TN) and Kermit Buggage rounded out Dillard's relay team.

Jones also finished first place overall in the Men's 400 Meter Dash with a time of 49.32 while Simmons finished second in the men's 100 Meter Dash, posting a time of 10.66, virtually tying the first place finisher (Stanley Johnson-Voorhees) who also produced a time of 10.66.

Edward Waters College finished second overall with 153 points while GCAC newcomer Voorhees College finished in third with 106 points. In the previous two seasons, the Bleu Devils ended up on the short end of the stick with two second place finishes as Edward Waters earned back to back championships.

For Dillard, senior Sean Wilson (JR/New Orleans, LA) finished first in the Men's 110 Meter Hurdles with a time of 16.41 while junior Rudy Garza (JR/Rosenberg, TX) placed second with a time of 17.32. Senior Emory Nash (SR/Ft. Worth, TX) finished first place overall in the Men's 800 Meter Run, posting a time of 2:01.00.

The Bleu Devils will now participate in Friday's track meet at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond as they prepare for NAIA Nationals in Gulf Shores, AL, which begin on May 22.

COURTESY THE GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (GCAC)