Wednesday, April 27, 2016

No. 3 Gold Rush could meet No. 1 Grizzlies next week

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana and Georgia Gwinnett, two of the NAIA's highest-rated men's tennis teams, finally could meet next week in an unaffiliated group qualifying tournament.
     

Georgia Gwinnett, Xavier and two teams from the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will meet May 6 at Lawrenceville, Ga., in a one-day, two-round event to determine one of the 13 automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships.
     

Tuesday the NAIA announced its seventh top 25 of the season. The top six are the same for the fourth consecutive poll, including Xavier (13-6) at No. 3 and Georgia Gwinnett — 20-0 and the two-time defending national champion — at No. 1.
     

Xavier and Georgia Gwinnett were scheduled to meet the third weekend of February in the Grizzlies' Green and Gray Invitational, but two consecutive days of rain washed out that opportunity.
     

At the unaffiliated group tournament, also to be played at Georgia Gwinnett, the Gold Rush and Grizzlies could not meet until the championship round. Xavier's semifinal opponent could be 25th-ranked Asbury, which won the KIAC regular season and will compete in that conference's postseason tournament this week. The KIAC has five teams, one fewer than needed to make it an automatic-bid conference in that sport.
     

A Xavier-Georgia Gwinnett matchup would be the third in four seasons for the Gold Rush against an NAIA No. 1. Xavier lost to Auburn Montgomery in 2013 and to Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in 2014.
     

The top-25 appearance is the 75th in a row for the Gold Rush (12-5). It's Xavier's 45th straight top-10 ranking and fifth consecutive appearance at No. 3.
     

Key dates for the postseason:
     •  May 8:  Announcement of final top 25 before the national tournament.
     •  May 9:  NAIA announces the 24 teams which qualified for the national tournament.
     •  May 10:  Bracket announcement for the 2016 NAIA National Championships.
     •  May 17:  First round of national tournament at Mobile, Ala. . . . Afternoon start for men's duals.
     •  May 18:  Second round . . . If Xavier is eighth or higher in the May 8 poll, this is the day it would play its first dual of the tournament.
     •  May 21:  Championship round.


NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through April 10)

RankTeamRecordPointsLast
1Georgia Gwinnett (13)20-03431
2Auburn Montgomery18-43312
3Xavier13-63223
4Northwestern Ohio13-33104
5Dalton State17-52995
6Keiser19-32886
7Lindsey Wilson14-32767
8Coastal Georgia12-32678
9San Diego Christian9-32559
10William Carey12-724510
11Aquinas20-623411
12-tieCardinal Stritch13-721514
12-tieLewis-Clark State11-921513
14Reinhardt14-319115
15Westmont9-818216
16Bethany (Kan.)12-217521
17Mobile11-716517
18Olivet Nazarene13-714719
19Cumberlands12-6135RV
20McPherson11-612712
21Middle Georgia11-912520
22Warner10-412322
23Pikeville11-5107RV
24Campbellsville11-88418
25Asbury9-37424

Dropped from rankings:  No. 23 Cumberland, No. 25 Marian (Ind.)
Others receiving votes:  Marian (Ind.) 58, Tennessee Wesleyan 49, Cumberland 33, Southeastern (Fla.) 30, William Woods 20, Biola 13, Indiana Tech 8, Indiana Wesleyan 7, Arizona Christian 6, Loyola 6, Missouri Baptist 3



Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Hill, Thibodeaux are XU Medal of Honor recipients



NEW ORLEANS — Jodi Hill (women's volleyball) and Jarvis Thibodeaux (men's basketball) received Xavier University of Louisiana Medal of Honor awards Monday evening during an athletic department ceremony which honored all nine XU teams.
     
This was the debut of a revamped end-of-year event in which award winners competed with student-athletes from other XU sports. The Medal of Honor was presented to the senior female and male student-athlete who best define the qualities of scholarship, athletics, leadership and service.
     
Hill, from Prairieville, La., and a graduate of Dutchtown High School, is a two-time Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete. She was All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament as a junior and a senior. Hill was named best trial advocate at the IIT Chicago-Kent Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars program, and she was one of 20 nationwide to be selected as a James S. Kemper Foundation Scholar.
     
Thibodeaux, from Houston and a graduate of St. Pius X High School, was a starter the past two years. His 17 rebounds Dec. 3 at Loyola are the most in a game by a Gold Rush player in the last 12 seasons. Earlier this month at XU's Division of Business awards ceremony, Thibodeaux received Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities and the division's outstanding student-athlete award. Nearly half of this year's XU student-athletes are business majors.
     
Medal of Honor finalists were Emoni Harvey of women's basketball (Memphis, Tenn., and Briarcrest Christian School), Chelsea James of women's track and field (Gadsden, Ala./Gadsden City High School), Kevin Chaouat of men's tennis (Sarcelles, France/home-schooled), and Brent Kitto of men's track and cross country (Chalmette, La./Holy Cross High School).
     
Additional recipients were:
     
•  Male Athlete of the Year:  Morris Wright, basketball (Zachary, La./Zachary High School and Baton Rouge Community College) . . . Finalists were Christopher August, track and cross country (Spring Texas/Klein Collins High School) and Thomas Setodji, tennis (Domont, France/home-schooled).
     
•  Female Athlete of the Year:  Whitney Gathright, basketball (New Orleans/John Curtis Christian School) . . . Finalists were Charlene Goreau, tennis (Toulouse, France/Raymond Naves School) and Claudia Haywood, volleyball (Memphis/Cordova High School).
     
•  Female Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year:  Franziska Pirkl, volleyball (Munich, Germany/Theodolinden Gymnasium) . . . Finalists were Taylor Reuther, volleyball (Metairie, La./St. Mary's Dominican High School) and Alesha Smith, basketball (Athens, Ga./Clarke Central High School).
     
•  Male Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year:  Karan Salwan, tennis (New Delhi, India/ Modern School) . . . Finalists were Adam Albrecht, tennis (Ladna, Czech Republic/Gymnasium Breclav) and Langston Adams, track and field (Baton Rouge, La./Christian Life Academy).
     
•  Female Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year:  Sha'Nel Bruins, tennis (Colfax, La./Grant High School) . . . Finalists were Terri Cunningham, track and field (Nashville, Tenn./Martin Luther King Magnet High School) and Brandi Nelson, tennis (Jonesboro, Ga./Faith Academy).
     
•  Male Newcomer of the Year:  Setodji . . . Finalists were Elex Carter, basketball (LaPlace, La./East St. John High School) and Keairez Coleman, track and field (Harrisville, Miss./Mendenhall High School).
     
•  Female Newcomer of the Year:  Goreau . . . Finalists were Kayla Quincy, track and field (Avondale, La./Xavier Preparatory High School) and Kiera Robinson, basketball (Arlington, Texas/Mansfield Summit High School).
     
Sister Grace Mary Flickinger, Xavier's longtime faculty representative to athletics, received a framed honorary letterwinner's award as thanks for her service to the department.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Darrell Walker Named New Coach of Clark Atlanta Men's Basketball

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Former NBA player and head coach Darrell Walker has been named as the next head coach of the Clark Atlanta University men's basketball program.

Walker will be embarking on his first collegiate coaching opportunity with more than a decade of NBA coaching experience, including 56 victories as a head coach in the league. Walker has also headed up teams in the WNBA and CBA.

Beyond his professional coaching experience, Walker was an All-American player at the University of Arkansas under legendary coach Eddie Sutton. After playing out his days with the Razorbacks, Walker was selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. Over a professional playing career spanning 10 seasons, Walker was able to end his career as a member of the NBA Champion Chicago Bulls in the 1992-93 season.

During a playoff series his rookie season in New York, Walker set franchise bests for steals in a playoff game (seven) and series (15). As a player with the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) from 1987-91, Walker dished out 1,707 assists to sit eighth on the franchise career assist chart. He also ranked in the top-5 for guards in rebounding for three consecutive seasons and also had a season where he was in the top-10 in the NBA in assists per game.

Walker is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a B.S. in Human Resources. His time at UA was commemorated in 2008 as he was inducted into the Hall of Honor by ranking among the all-time Razorbacks leaders in assists (10th) and steals (fourth). He has also men named to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (2003).

Coaching Timeline:
1995-96 | Toronto Raptors | Assistant Coach
1996-98 | Toronto Raptors | Head Coach | 41-90 (.313)
1999-00 | Rockford Lightning | Head Coach
1999-00 | Washington Wizards | Head Coach | 15-23 (.395)
2000 | Washington Mystics | Head Coach | 14-18 (.438)
2004-08 | New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets | Assistant Coach
2008-11 | Detroit Pistons | Assistant Coach
2011-14 | New York Knicks | Assistant Coach
WNBA Head Coaching Record | 14-18 (.438)
NBA Head Coaching Record | 56-113 (.331)

COURTESY CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Saint Augustine's Falcons Remain No. 1 in both USTFCCA Polls For Fourth Straight Week

Tia-Adana Belle Set The Division II National Record In The Women's 400 Hurdles At The CIAA Outdoor Championships

NEW ORLEANS – With only a month left in the countdown to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Bradenton, Florida, on May 26-28, teams continue to jockey for position in the latest edition of the National Team Computer Rankings.

Only six top-25 teams between both genders remained in the same position from a week ago, including both the No. 1 men and women of Saint Augustine’s. The week seven rankings were announced Tuesday morning by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The three-time defending national champion SAU men won their 19th consecutive CIAA conference title this past weekend to add some breathing room between themselves and No. 2 Grand Valley State. Behind sprinter Burkheart Ellis, Jr., the Falcons improved nearly 47 points to 229.44, while GVSU had a strong weekend in its own right with a 31-point gain to 195.31.

No. 3 Texas A&M-Kingsville (144.09) held steady from last time, while the last two indoor national champions – reigning winner Tiffin (128.29) and 2015 champ Adams State (127.63) – swapped spots at No. 4 and No. 5.

The Saint Augustine’s women still hold a comfortable lead over No. 2 Johnson C. Smith, but the Golden Bulls are chipping away. The Falcons checked in at 172.12 points, while the JCSU women added 15 points to come in at 135.54. That was just enough to step past No. 3 Grand Valley State (133.54).

No. 4 Pittsburg State (127.58) remained stationary but moved closer to the top three, while Hillsdale – national runners-up both in cross country and indoors – jumped up nine spots to No. 5.

Reigning women’s national champion Central Missouri dropped one spot to No. 7, displaced by a two-spot rise from No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville.

National champions in 2014, the Lincoln (Mo.) women were the biggest mover among top-25 teams this week. The Blue Tigers jumped up 17 spots to No. 12.

Their male teammates improved the most of any top-25 men’s team this week, up 15 positions to No. 22.

The National Team Computer Rankings are complied by a mathematical formula based on national descending order lists. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the national team race. Rankings points do not equate with NCAA Championships team points.

A full description of the rankings can be found here.


USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION II

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD NATIONAL TEAM COMPUTER RANKINGS (TOP 25)

2016 Week #7 — April 26

next ranking: May 3
RankInstitutionPointsConferenceHead Coach (Yr)Last Week
1Saint Augustine’s229.44CIAAGeorge Williams (40th)1
2Grand Valley State195.31GLIACJerry Baltes (17th)2
3Texas A&M-Kingsville144.09Lone StarRyan Dall (8th)3
4Tiffin128.29GLIACJeremy Croy (16th)5
5Adams State127.63RMACRock Light (3rd)4
6Chico State112.93CCAAOliver Hanf (4th)7
7Shippensburg103.15PSACDave Osanitsch (11th)12
8Missouri Southern99.40MIAABryan Schiding (3rd)6
9Colorado Mines88.36RMACMatt Sparks (3rd)11
10Central Missouri87.74MIAAKirk Pedersen (20th)/Kip Janvrin (18th)9
11Ashland85.73GLIACJud Logan (13th)8
12Azusa Pacific74.77PacWestKevin Reid (21st)14
13Pittsburg State74.21MIAARuss Jewett (28th)17
14Alaska Anchorage74.02GNACMichael Friess (26th)15
15Angelo State72.39Lone StarJames Reid (17th)16
16Academy of Art71.76PacWestKevin LaSure (1st)10
17Minnesota State69.71NSICJim Dilling (3rd)13
18Johnson C. Smith66.67CIAALennox Graham (9th)25
19Cal State Stanislaus61.47CCAADiljeet Taylor (4th)24
20Texas A&M-Commerce60.99Lone StarRoss Smithey (1st)18
21Findlay54.51GLIACMarc Arce (28th)20
22Lincoln (Mo.)53.77MIAAVictor Thomas (15th)37
23UC San Diego49.99CCAATony Salerno (17th)19
24Cal State LA49.01CCAATina Fernandes (3rd)22
25Southern Indiana48.56GLVCMike Hillyard (18th)23
dropped out: No. 21 Western Washington
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25


2016 Week #7 — April 26

next ranking: May 3
RankInstitutionPointsConferenceHead Coach (Yr)Last Week
1Saint Augustine’s229.44CIAAGeorge Williams (40th)1
2Grand Valley State195.31GLIACJerry Baltes (17th)2
3Texas A&M-Kingsville144.09Lone StarRyan Dall (8th)3
4Tiffin128.29GLIACJeremy Croy (16th)5
5Adams State127.63RMACRock Light (3rd)4
6Chico State112.93CCAAOliver Hanf (4th)7
7Shippensburg103.15PSACDave Osanitsch (11th)12
8Missouri Southern99.40MIAABryan Schiding (3rd)6
9Colorado Mines88.36RMACMatt Sparks (3rd)11
10Central Missouri87.74MIAAKirk Pedersen (20th)/Kip Janvrin (18th)9
11Ashland85.73GLIACJud Logan (13th)8
12Azusa Pacific74.77PacWestKevin Reid (21st)14
13Pittsburg State74.21MIAARuss Jewett (28th)17
14Alaska Anchorage74.02GNACMichael Friess (26th)15
15Angelo State72.39Lone StarJames Reid (17th)16
16Academy of Art71.76PacWestKevin LaSure (1st)10
17Minnesota State69.71NSICJim Dilling (3rd)13
18Johnson C. Smith66.67CIAALennox Graham (9th)25
19Cal State Stanislaus61.47CCAADiljeet Taylor (4th)24
20Texas A&M-Commerce60.99Lone StarRoss Smithey (1st)18
21Findlay54.51GLIACMarc Arce (28th)20
22Lincoln (Mo.)53.77MIAAVictor Thomas (15th)37
23UC San Diego49.99CCAATony Salerno (17th)19
24Cal State LA49.01CCAATina Fernandes (3rd)22
25Southern Indiana48.56GLVCMike Hillyard (18th)23
dropped out: No. 21 Western Washington
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25

Men’s Conference Index Top 10
RankConferencePointsTop 25 Teams
1GLIAC555.744
2Lone Star399.423
3MIAA344.564
4RMAC328.132
5CIAA320.952
6CCAA278.344
7PacWest197.122
8GNAC188.241
9GLVC159.831
10NSIC152.101

Men’s Regional Index Leaders
RegionInstitutionPointsLast Week
AtlanticShippensburg632.811
CentralMissouri Southern373.911
EastAmerican International531.102
MidwestGrand Valley State597.191
SouthShorter363.532
South CentralTexas A&M-Kingsville397.951
SoutheastMount Olive483.531
WestChico State431.351
View All Regional Rankings

USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION II

WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD NATIONAL TEAM COMPUTER RANKINGS (TOP 25)

2016 Week #7 — April 26

next ranking: May 3
RankInstitutionPointsConferenceHead Coach (Yr)Last Week
1Saint Augustine’s172.12CIAAGeorge Williams (40th)1
2Johnson C. Smith135.54CIAALennox Graham (9th)3
3Grand Valley State133.54GLIACJerry Baltes (17th)2
4Pittsburg State127.58MIAARuss Jewett (30th)4
5Hillsdale112.03GLIACAndrew Towne (5th)14
6Texas A&M-Kingsville103.39Lone StarRyan Dall (8th)8
7Central Missouri99.45MIAAKirk Pedersen (20th)/Kip Janvrin (18th)6
8West Texas A&M95.84Lone StarDarren Flowers (7th)5
9Alaska Anchorage94.54GNACMichael Friess (26th)10
10Findlay93.43GLIACMarc Arce (28th)9
11Lewis84.97GLVCDana Schwarting (11th)7
12Lincoln (Mo.)84.66MIAAVictor Thomas (15th)29
13Shorter84.47Peach BeltScott Byrd (9th)12
14Chico State81.78CCAARobert Nooney (3rd)11
15Angelo State71.80Lone StarJames Reid (17th)16
16Adams State70.17RMACRock Light (3rd)13
17Missouri Southern67.87MIAAPatty Vavra (22nd)21
18Chadron State66.73RMACBrad Gamble (2nd)27
19Claflin64.04SIACLincoln London (3rd)15
20Western Washington58.15GNACPee Wee Halsell (29th)18
21Cal State Stanislaus56.35CCAADiljeet Taylor (4th)22
22Azusa Pacific55.19PacWestPreston Grey (4th)20
23Seattle Pacific54.26GNACKarl Lerum (11th)17
24Minnesota State53.16NSICJen Blue (16th)19
25Humboldt State50.85CCAAScott Pesch (6th)24
dropped out: No. 23 Sioux Falls, No. 25 Ashland
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25

Women’s Conference Index Top 10
RankConferencePointsTop 25 Teams
1MIAA534.184
2GLIAC461.773
3CIAA330.022
4Lone Star319.693
5GNAC255.173
6RMAC251.042
7NSIC229.341
8CCAA225.083
9GLVC173.581
10Peach Belt144.401

Women’s Regional Index Leaders
RegionInstitutionPointsLast Week
AtlanticShippensburg427.341
CentralPittsburg State430.641
EastStonehill454.611
MidwestGrand Valley State631.651
SouthShorter471.041
South CentralAngelo State441.672
SoutheastQueens (N.C.)612.091
WestChico State376.041
View All Regional Rankings

NCAA Division II Rankings Central


By Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA
April 26, 2016   

Morgan State Athletic Director Kerr Announces Retirement

FLOYD KERR
COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Floyd Kerr, director of Morgan State University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, today informed President David Wilson of his decision to retire at the end of this academic year. Kerr has served as Morgan’s athletic director since July 17, 2005.

“I appreciate Floyd‘s service to the University during his time here. There have been many noteworthy achievements, including a successful basketball program and winning a football conference championship. We certainly wish him well in the future and hope he will enjoy his retirement years,” said Dr. Wilson. “I am immediately launching a national search for a new athletic director.”

Kerr oversees a program at Morgan with 15 varsity sports and over 280 student-athletes. During his tenure, Morgan’s men’s basketball team racked up three league championships, winning two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships. The Bears football team achieved a MEAC co-championship during the 2014 “Return to Greatness” season.

Kerr says his retirement from Morgan is effective June 30, 2016. President Wilson has indicated that an interim director will be appointed if the national search does not conclude by June 30, 2016.

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 45 academic programs leading to the baccalaureate degree and more than 50 programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. As Maryland’s public urban university, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU trending up among MEAC budgets

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s athletic department is still looking for solutions to a mountain of cash-related issues.

Still, in 2015, among MEAC schools, the department was trending in the right direction.

According to USA Today’s annual analysis of NCAA finances, the Rattlers were third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in both total revenue ($12,376,884) and total expenses ($12,351,742). FAMU’s total reported revenue was actually down when compared to 2014, however the department saw decreases in student fees and school funds.

New Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr., who worked as a senior AD at Alabama during the 2014-15 fiscal year and didn’t officially start at FAMU until Aug. 3, said he looked at trends in the recently-released report.

Overton said the most encouraging number in the report was the percent of the athletic department subsidized by the university. FAMU’s athletic department received $8,574,513 in school funds and student fees for 2014-15, 69 percent of the revenue reported for the department.

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Monday, April 25, 2016

Alcorn, JSU, MVSU each facing their own challenges

JACKSON, Mississippi -- As the final whistle blew at Alcorn State's spring game on Saturday, it brought an end to spring practice for the three SWAC football programs in Mississippi.

Braves coach Fred McNair and Jackson State coach Tony Hughes just completed their first spring at their respective schools, while Rick Comegy is set to embark on his third season at Mississippi Valley State.

But each coach and team faces a different set of challenges as their team moves into a quiet part of the calendar.

At Alcorn State, McNair, who was hired as the Braves' coach in February, is trying to keep the ball rolling after former coach Jay Hopson, now at Southern Miss, won back-to-back SWAC championships in 2014 and 2015 and appeared in the first-ever Celebration Bowl.

"The mold has already been set," McNair said during the SWAC's conference call on Monday. "The only thing we have to do is keep molding kids into championship form, which they are. Now we just have to turn them in the right direction."

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Florida A&M Rattlers get series victory over Tigers

FAMU has a three-game series against top-ranked Miami in Coral Gables next. 
All three games will be broadcast on ESPN3.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s baseball team isn’t firing on all cylinders – head coach Jamey Shouppe is the first one to admit that.

Still, the Rattlers are doing enough. The team defeated Savannah State 9-6 on Sunday in front of a home crowd of 303 for another MEAC series win. It was the team’s 24th win of the season, which means the Rattlers have more wins than last season with 12 games to go.

The win also guaranteed the Rattlers a spot in the MEAC tournament.

“We’ve just got to weather this,” Shouppe said. “We’re not firing on all cylinders. We’re not getting breaks. We’re not making breaks. We’re not having good at-bats. I think we’re pressing a little bit, if that makes any sense at all.

“We talked about that as a team. I saw a team earlier this season that wasn’t firing on all cylinders and got blown out by Mercer and had lost five out of six. Then all of the sudden we beat Mercer and go on a 10-game winning streak. We’ve just got to ride this out.”

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