Shaw Assistant Coaches Suspended for Drug-Related Offenses

Tory Renard Ross

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A pair of Shaw University assistant football coaches have been suspended without pay following their arrests this month for drug-related offenses, the school announced Wednesday.

Court records indicate that the school's wide receivers coach Torey Renard Ross, 28, was jailed under a $100,000 bail after he was charged on April 7 with being a fugitive from justice. Records filed at the Wake County Clerk of Courts Office show that Ross is wanted in Hinds County in Mississippi, on charges on failing to appear in court in August after he was arrested for possession of marijuana.

Jermonty Curtis Kimbrough

On the same day that Ross was arrested, police charged the school's quarterbacks coach, Jermonty Curtis Kimbrough, 28, with one felony count each for possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, and ...

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For Immediate Release
April 18, 2011
Contact: Sherri Fillingham
Phone: 919-546-8250/919-623-9494: Mobile
sfillingham@shawu.edu

Local Bank Establishes Shaw Relief Fund

April 18, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) - Mechanics and Farmers Bank has set up a disaster relief fund for Shaw University in wake of the devastating storm damage the school sustained in Saturday’s tornado.

Tax deductible contributions may be sent to:

Shaw University
Disaster Relief Fund
Mechanics and Farmers Bank
13 E. Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

Shaw University was founded in 1865 and is the oldest historically black university in the south. Shaw University is a private, co-educational liberal arts University, that awards degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The primary mission of Shaw University is teaching with the commitment to maintain excellence in research and academic programs that foster intellectual enhancement and technological skills.

Former Southern University athletic director files suit

Former Southern University Athletic Director Greg LaFleur, who was fired three days after his April 3 arrest on a misdemeanor prostitution count in Houston, is suing the school for breach of contract. LaFleur contends in a lawsuit that Southern fired him “before giving him written notice and an opportunity to refute the alleged cause’’ for his termination.

Administrator arrested in Houston sues school over firing

BATON ROUGE, La. — Former Southern University Athletic Director Greg LaFleur, who was fired three days after his April 3 arrest on a misdemeanor prostitution count in Houston, is suing the school for breach of contract. LaFleur contends in a lawsuit that Southern fired him “before giving him written notice and an opportunity to refute the alleged cause” for his termination.

“The cause alleged by Southern does not constitute just cause, good cause, reasonable cause, or other cause,” the suit, filed against the Southern University Board of Supervisors, alleges.

LaFleur, 52, is seeking damages, including his base salary for the remainder of his contract, which he says was to expire June 30, 2013.

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Southern University, Spivery agree to settlement

Baton Rouge, LA - The Southern University Board of Supervisors’ Athletics Committee met with men’s basketball coach Rob Spivery and his attorney for more than an hour in an executive session Tuesday, after which both sides said they have reached an agreement in principle regarding Spivery’s termination.

Spivery was first informed March 18 of the university’s decision to terminate his employment effective Thursday.

A statement released by the university April 1 said Spivery was entitled to a hearing before the Athletics Committee.

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Texas Southern University hires Adams as volleyball coach

Coach Jocelyn Adams

Texas Southern on Wednesday announced Eisenhower High volleyball coach Jocelyn Adams as its new head coach.

Adams was the 2009 District 19-5A Co-Coach of the Year and the 2008 District 19-5A Coach of the Year while at Eisenhower. She also was the head coach at Prairie View A&M from 1990-1999, being named Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1990 and leading the Panthers to the SWAC tournament title in 1992.

Adams, a Prairie View alumnus, replaces Dwalah Fisher, who went 145-357 in 17 seasons before retiring. The Tigers went 5-20 overall and 3-5 in SWAC play in 2010, going 0-2 at the conference.


Videographer: TGS265; Lead Band: Texas Southern University "Ocean of Soul" Marching Band in the Battle of Flowers Fiesta Parade @ San Antonio, Texas, 4/15/2011.

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Lady Hornets bring home SWAC Golf Championship

ALEXANDRIA, LA - It came down to the last two scorecards of the tournament one from Alabama State's Amelie Buhl and one from Jackson State, but it was Buhl's final round 75 on the final card of the day gave the Lady Hornets the Southwestern Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championship. ASU's two-day total of 654 defeated last year's champion Jackson State University by only six shots (660).

It was a day where all of the teams struggled with wind gusts that reached 40 mph over the course of the day, and Buhl was able to shoot an even-par 36 on the back nine. She was the only golfer able to shoot even-par over the final nine holes of the championship which showed how well she played. Buhl shot a 77 on the first day of the championship and finished the championship with a 152 which earned her the low-medalist honor, as well as being the low freshman medalist. She was also named First-Team All-SWAC.

 2011 SWAC Women's Golf Championship -- FINAL RESULTS

Photo Gallery

Individual Honors

Coach of the Year: Gary Grandison, Alabama State

Medalist and Low Freshman Medalist: Amelie Buhl, Alabama State

First-team All-SWAC: Amelie Buhl, ALST; Aileen Meredith, ALST; Erica Payton, JKST; Jennifer Sells, JKST; Cami Stith, JKST

Second-team All-SWAC: Shanequa Valentine, PVAM; Peni Sanjoto, PVAM; Danielle Robinson, ALST; Tyler Lawrence, TXSO; Jessica Williams, ALST

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HOWARD LADY BISON HONOR SENIORS IN SEASON FINALE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard Bison Lacrosse team will take on Fresno State in their season finale on April 20 at 7 p.m. inside Greene Stadium. Playing their final game are seniors Desiree Cox and Ashley Lawrence who each have done their parts to leave an imprint on the team on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Desiree Cox
Cox goes down as one of Howard’s greatest players to compete inside Greene Stadium. During her junior season Cox compiled an astounding 68 goals, ranking her seventh in the country, averaging four goal per game. She tallied 77 points, 26 draw controls and averaged 4.53 points per game in the 2009-10 season.

During her senior campaign she has garnered 53 goals, including a career-high of six goals against Wilmington (Del.). Cox has taken 97 shots on thus far into the year and boasts a 43.3 shot percentage. Her 53 scores makes up 46.6 percent of all of Howard’s goals this season. Last week against Detroit Mercy she racked in five goals, tying teammate Courtland Lackey with most Bison goals, and recorded six draw controls and three groundballs, leaving her fourth on the team with 23 groundballs this season.

Ashley Lawrence
Lawrence has served as a vital asset for the Lady Bison during her tenure with the team. Since 2007, Lawrence has generated 51 goals, 15 assists and 85 groundballs. In her junior season she grossed a season-best 22 goals, eight assists and a stellar 38 groundballs.

The senior made appearances in 10 of Howard’s 14 games, and started in each of them. Lawrence is fourth on the team in caused turnovers with 11 and ranks sixth on the team in groundballs with 12. She has taken 14 shots, giving her a 42.9 shot percentage, landing her third on the team for players who have recorded at least 10 shots.

2011 HU WOMEN'S LACROSSE ROSTER

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
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Xavier Nuggets close regular season with loss to Southeastern

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women closed their regular season Tuesday with a 9-0 loss to Southeastern Louisiana at City Park Tennis Center.

The loss was the sixth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (3-17) and the 15th in their last 16 duals. It was Xavier's ninth loss of the season against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Audrey Chelini, Morgane Dadot and Isabel Brito won in singles and doubles for Southeastern (9-13) in its season finale. Chelini and Raissa Dias defeated Amber Brown and Carmen Nelson 8-3 at No. 1 doubles, then Chelini beat Brown 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.

Morgane Dadot and Isabel Brito teamed for an 8-5 victory against sisters Melissa and Nicole DeLoach at No. 2. In singles Dadot beat Nicole DeLoach (XU) 7-5, 6-2, and Brito clinched the dual with a 6-0, 6-0 decision against Ashley McGill.

It was the final home match for Melissa DeLoach and McGill, both seniors. Also Tuesday the Nuggets were among others receiving votes for the third consecutive time in the NAIA coaches poll.

Next for Xavier's women and men will be an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament April 29-30 at Chattanooga, Tenn.



By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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FSU adds pair of Raleigh-area players to men's basketball team

Fayetteville State coach Alphonza Kee had great success tapping into the Raleigh-area talent last year when he signed forward Tyrell Tate. Tate, a graduate of Raleigh's Millbrook High School, earned Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Rookie team status as a freshman when he averaged 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds off the bench.

Four other players on FSU's roster also hail from the Raleigh area. Now, Kee has returned to the area around the capital city to secure his latest recruits.

The Broncos added a wing forward and a point guard to their roster for 2011-2012 last week by signing Quentin Underwood from Holly Springs High School and Anthony Shelton from Cary to national letters of intent.

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Port Richmond distance runner Nynneya Columbus accepts scholarship to Morgan State University

Nynneya Columbus, the outstanding distance runner from Port Richmond HS, has accepted a full athletic scholarship to Morgan State University, the Advance has learned. Columbus is undecided about a college major.

Columbus had a solid senior season. She was PR’s top cross country runner and led the Raiders to their first-ever city PSAL and Island championship.

Last year, she won the PSAL indoor 3,000-meter run, and this year has taken the Island cross country and indoor 3,000 crowns, as well as several Island PSAL titles.

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XU Gold Rush drop from eighth to 11th in NAIA coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS — After three consecutive appearances at a program-record No. 8, Xavier University of Louisiana fell to 11th Tuesday in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

Losses to William Carey and Tulane since the last poll extended the losing streak of the Gold Rush (11-9) to four duals. Still, 11th is higher than any XU men's team prior to this season. The Gold Rush are in the the top 25 for the 30th consecutive time dating to April 4, 2007, and it's the 21st straight time dating to April 30, 2008, that the Gold Rush are among the top 18.

The top five teams are the same as the previous poll, with Fresno Pacific ranked first for the 13th consecutive time. This was the sixth of eight polls this season. The final two rankings will be announced May 3 and 8.

Tulane was Xavier's final regular-season opponent. The Gold Rush will travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., for an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament April 29-30 at Champions Club Tennis Complex. The XU men are trying to reach the national tournament for the third consecutive year.



NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, April 17)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Fresno Pacific (11) 20-2 281 1
2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 14-6 270 2
3 Auburn Montgomery 19-3 262 3
4 Azusa Pacific 15-5 253 4
5 Oklahoma Christian 17-1 249 5
6 Westmont 11-5 236 7
7 Point Loma Nazarene 13-4 225 6
8 Concordia (Calif.) 8-13 210 9
9 William Carey 10-8 203 19
10 Union (Ky.) 14-4 197 NR
11 Xavier 11-9 194 8
12 Vanguard 6-13 189 10
13 Graceland 8-4 182 11
14 Aquinas 22-3 153 14
15 Shorter 9-2 152 12
16 St. Thomas (Fla.) 13-3 151 13
17 Lindsey Wilson 11-5 131 NR
18 Lewis-Clark State 9-7 122 15
19 Olivet Nazarene 13-2 117 17
20-tie SCAD Savannah 7-4 113 16
20-tie McKendree 15-2 113 18
22 Tennessee Wesleyan 9-5 89 NR
23 Martin Methodist 12-4 84 20
24 Webber International 13-6 68 21
25-tie Bethany (Kan.) 17-3 48 25
25-tie Lee (Tenn.) 3-5 48 23

Others receiving votes: Campbellsville 47, Cumberland 42, Lindenwood 39, Northwood (Fla.) 17, Northwestern Ohio 12, Belhaven 8, Biola 5, Walsh 3, Georgetown (Ky.) 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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North Carolina A&T will lose baseball coach after season

Coach Keith Shumate

Baseball coach Keith Shumate, who has led N.C. A&T to the MEAC championship game four of the last six seasons, resigned Tuesday effective July 31.

Shumate led the Aggies to a school-record 31 victories last season, and his 2005 team won the MEAC championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament. Shumate, now in his 15th season, has 294 victories and counting.

When Shumate took over in 1997, A&T was coming off a 4-45 season. Since then he has coached 17 All-MEAC first-teamers, 11 players who signed pro contracts, 5 major-league draft picks and 3 All-Americans.

Aggies Hit Four Home Runs, Sweep UMES

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Injuries to the North Carolina A&T pitching staff and to its everyday lineup has made the game of baseball tough for the Aggies this season.

But on Sunday it was back to the good old days. Several North Carolina A&T batters had multiple-hit afternoons, and the Aggies didn't have to use a lot of arms to work numerous innings. The result was a 14-3 and 12-5 doubleheader sweep of Maryland Eastern Shore at War Memorial Stadium.

Marquis Riley, Xavier Macklin, Luke Tendler and Dairio Little all homered on Sunday. Little had had three RBIs in the second game, while Little had two. Carvell Copeland went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. N.C. A&T put the second game away with an eight-run fifth inning.

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Coppin State basketball coach Fang Mitchell agrees to new deal

Longtime Eagles coach will return for 26th season next fall

Baltimore, MD - Faced with a mandate to reverse Coppin State's long, painful slide to basketball mediocrity, Fang Mitchell rebuilt the program almost overnight and delivered the program's first winning season in seven years in 2010-11. Now, apparently, he will get a chance to continue the turnaround.

The iconic coach said Tuesday that he has agreed in principle on a new contract that will allow him to reap the dividends of his 2010 recruiting class of precocious junior college players. "I want to be able to coach the guys I brought in," Mitchell said Tuesday.

• Pictures: Fang Mitchell 

Mitchell's job security has been in question for more than a year, and it took more than a month after the 2010-11 season ended to arrive at a resolution for next season. Mitchell said he had reached "common ground" in his negotiation with university president Reginald Avery and that he expected the contract to be finalized this week.

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BSU Lady Bulldogs Win Two at Virginia Union 15-1 and 13-5

Senior Catcher, Danielle McClay

RICHMOND, Va. - The Bowie State University Lady Bulldogs won their sixth straight game, improved its season record to 20-16, 14-4 CIAA and swept Virginia Union University 15-1 and 13-5.

In the first game, Virginia Union's Valeria Cantu gave up just three earned runs and the Lady Panthers committed nine errors.

Bowie State rocked VUU pitching for 14 hits in the opener with sophomore Justine Smith (Silver Spring, MD, James Hurbert Blake) leading the Lady Bulldogs with three hits in four plate appearances. Four other BSU players had at least two hits in the first game of the doubleheader.

Freshmen Mariela Hernandez (Del Rio, TX, Los Fresnos) and Renelle Traylor (Hayward, CA, San Lorenzo) shared Bowie State pitching responsibilities going three and two innings respectively. Hernandez improved her season record to 7-5, striking out five.

In the night-cap, VUU's Linnette Johnson also gave up just three earned runs, but the Lady Panthers committed 10 errors.

Freshman Adria Lewis (Cumberland, MD, Fort Hill) tallied two hits in game two and five other BSU players recorded one hit each. Traylor led Bowie State with three RBI in the final game to go along with her fourth homerun of the season. Senior Danielle McClay (Silver Spring, MD, Montgomery Blair) also went deep in the nightcap, marking her fifth homer of the year.

Bowie State will close out the regular season with a non-conference makeup doubleheader, hosting Millersville (Pa.) University at 2 pm., April 19.

GAME 1 BOX SCORE GAME 2 BOX SCORE

By Bowie State Sports Information
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Morehouse takes big lead at SIAC tournament

Ajanaku, Cooper leading Maroon Tigers at Jones Creek

Olajuwon Ajanaku lifted his cap Monday afternoon, revealing one month's hair growth. A pair of runner-up finishes and a third-place showing this spring aren't good enough. So his hair will continue to grow for at least two more days.

"I can't get a haircut till I win a tournament," the Morehouse senior said. Ajanaku and teammate Earl Cooper each opened with 3-over-par 75 to share the first-round lead at the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at Jones Creek Golf Club.

The second round begins at 8 a.m. today, with the final round held Wednesday.

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Spring Football Report: Fayetteville State

Following up a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship season with a 5-5 record in 2010 wasn't a shock to Fayetteville State coach Kenny Phillips.

"I knew we'd struggle to start out with so many players getting acclimated to becoming starters,'' Phillips said. "But I think down the stretch our players realized what it takes to win football games, and that's one of the things we brought into spring practice."

The Broncos won four of their final five games last season, including the final three by a whopping 167-39 margin. The momentum established during that stretch proved ...



BRONCOS CAP SUCCESSFUL SEASON OF SPRING WORKOUTS

FAYETTEVILLE, NC - Before Larry McDonald is done with his football career, there's a good chance he will have started more games than any other player under Fayetteville State head coach Kenny Phillips.

He may hold the record for participation in the most practices, too. And that includes the ones during the spring.

McDonald, an All-CIAA offensive lineman who will play either guard or center during the 2011 football season, will begin that season penciled in to start from Day 1 for the fourth straight year when the Broncos host UNC Pembroke on Sept. 3 in the third Two Rivers Classic at Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium.

In a sense, though, the new season has already begun.

The Mebane, NC, native has already played in 32 games in his Fayetteville State career and was a key component on a line that helped the Broncos win the 2009 CIAA championship.

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KSU Men's Basketball Coach Announces Resignation

FRANKFORT, Ky. – After two years at the helm of Kentucky State University's (KSU) men's basketball program, Head Coach Clarence Moore, Jr. announced today his resignation from the program.

KSU Director of Athletics, Dr. Denisha L. Hendricks also announced that Assistant Coach Antwain Banks will serve as Interim Head Coach for the 2011-12 season. The announcement comes after Moore led the Thorobreds to their first winning season (15-13, 13-11 SIAC) since their 16-13 record under Winston Bennett during the 2000-01 campaign.

“I'm saddened to leave KSU. It was my first opportunity to coach at the collegiate level after coming in as an assistant and then made interim head coach halfway through the season and for the following year, then promoted to head coach this past season,” said Moore. “I'm sad because I've grown here as a coach and have bonded with my team and others on campus. I'm grateful for the opportunity I had here. It's an experience I will never forget or take for granted. I want to thank Dr. Sias, Dr. Hendricks and the entire KSU family for welcoming me and my family here and for giving me such a great opportunity at a young age.”

In two-and-a-half years, Moore amassed a record of 34-42. He also coached six Dean's List student-athletes (Julian Brown, Carlos Carter, John Gaston, Jarrod Gay, William Marsh and Austin Rich) and one student-athlete who scored over 1,000 career points (Tony Johnson). Under Moore's leadership, Johnson was also named to the 2010 SIAC All-Conference Second Team, 2010-11 Preseason All-Conference Second Team, 2010-11 All-Conference First Team and the 2011 SIAC All-Tournament Team.

“We are very sad that Coach Moore is leaving us,” stated KSU Director of Athletics, Dr. Denisha L. Hendricks. “He has done a great job here at KSU. He will be greatly missed, but we are really excited about the opportunity for Coach Moore and his family.”

Moore leaves KSU to assume a senior executive position at Edison Chouest Offshore in New Orleans, La. but is confident in the leadership skills of his assistant coach, Antwain Banks.

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CIAA Opens Door of Opportunity for Student-Athletes with Navy SEALs

We posted an impressive article on Sunday on the partnership of the U.S. Navy SEALS and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.  If you missed this informative story, here is a link to the press release on the “Mental Toughness, Never Quit” campaign and yesterday's linked article.

USNAVYSEALS.COM BLOG reports:  The partnership between the SEALs and the CIAA is two-fold. Aside from raising awareness regarding the SEALs among CIAA athletes, it also gives them an opportunity to reach out to possible recruits who are of African-American descent.  The CIAA is composed mostly of schools that are historically African-American.

Diversity officer Cmdr. Brodes Hartley explains: “More than ever, our force needs to be a reflection of our society… but we’re not even close to that.” Less than 50 of the roughly 2,500 active-duty SEALs are African-Americans; the count is even less for Asians and Hispanics.

Cmdr. Hartley said that part of the problem that results in low recruits for African-Americans is a fear of the water; for most of them, swimming was an activity that was not within reach – economically and culturally. “We’re working to change that… I mean, look at how many guys we had in the water today,” Hartley said.



If you like data, here are a few numbers to chew on, coming from the SEALs.

"An estimated 25% of all individuals who go through Navy SEAL training actually pass their training. When it comes to other types of military training, 85% of people who undergo these trainings will pass their training."

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Shaw University Shuts Down For Semester After Tornado

RALEIGH, N.C. - Due to extensive damage from the tornado and storms that hit Raleigh on Saturday, Shaw University in downtown Raleigh will be closed for the rest of the semester, although graduation will proceed as planned.

The school made the announcement through its website today.

“While I knew that the situation was adverse during the evening, daylight has revealed that it will be impossible for us to safely conduct classes and return to business as usual,” said Dr. Irma McLaurin, President of Shaw University. “Thus, I have made the difficult decision of suspending classes for the remainder of the semester.”

The school said it would would officially close at noon today (April 17, 2011).





Damage at Shaw sends students home

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Hours after scrambling off campus to escape a devastating storm, students at Shaw University returned Sunday, only to gather their belongings and head home. They won't return for months.

Classes at Shaw are canceled, and the university is closed for the remainder of spring semester as a result of Saturday's storm, which dismantled buildings on the school's downtown campus and displaced almost 150 students.

"The campus is difficult to navigate, trees are down and glass is everywhere," Shaw President Dr. Irma McClaurin said Sunday. "... Many students are in shock."

Shaw officials said a tornado touched down directly over the quad between 4 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Two students were taken to the hospital with injuries. Others were forced to take refuge for the night in the gymnasium at Southeast Raleigh High School.

NCSU Campus considered lucky, 'dodges bullet'

A severe storm cell swept across North Carolina Saturday, killing 22 and injuring 130 others as several tornadoes touched down across the region. Areas of Raleigh hit hardest were South Saunders Street, Stony Brook mobile home park, where three people died, and the area around Shaw University.

Irma McClaurin, President of Shaw University, released a letter to all students and parents stating that the university would be closed for the remainder of the semester. According to McClaurin, Shaw "students will be graded on the work they have accomplished to date. The Math and English Competency Exam requirements are suspended for this semester only."

The storms that hit North Carolina were part of a three-day ordeal that hit the southern United States, killing more than forty people in total. North Carolina was hit the hardest and has the highest number of casualties, with 20 counties facing significant damage and over 200,000 people without power.

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ASU women’s track & field captures SIAC Championship

ALBANY, GA — Albany State men’s and women’s track & field coach Kenneth Taylor said he told his team to remember one thing before they headed to the SIAC Track & Field Spring Championships this weekend in Atlanta.

“I told them this last year, and then I reminded them again this year that (in 2010) we just loaned the title to Fort Valley State,” Taylor said Sunday. “And (in 2011) we were gonna get it back.” Promise kept.

The Lady Rams dominated from start to finish, never lost the overall lead and brought the SIAC crown back to Albany on Sunday afternoon, earning Taylor his seventh conference title on the women’s side in eight years since taking over the program in 2003.

The Lady Rams scored 241.5 points, which was more than double the amount scored by second place Fort Valley, which finished with 112 points. Benedict College finished third with 89 points.


Videographer: stillmantencoach06; STILLMAN 4 x 400 HEADED TO FINALS

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PVAMU Northern gives team a 'B' for first Spring Camp

Prairie View A&M wrapped up its first spring football practice under new coach Heishma Northern with Friday's Purple and Gold game. Northern said the team managed to get out of camp relatively injury-free and achieve a lot of the goals he set at the start.

"I thought we got a lot of keys in and got the guys to understand the new philosophy and the new tempo," Northern said. "I would rate (the camp) as a 'B.' "

One of the biggest competitions in spring practice was the battle for the starting quarterback job. Northern said senior-to-be Jonathan Troast, who started two games last season, will enter fall as the No. 1 quarterback, but Andrew McGlory and Amir Smith aren't that far behind at No. 2.



PVPanthers.com sat down with wide receivers coach Harry Williams and talked about a variety of topics as the Birmingham, Ala. native begins his first year as the team's receivers coach.

A native of Birmingham, Ala. Williams spent the past two seasons as a student assistant with the Panthers while enrolled in the school's engineering program. Williams, who'll graduate in May, was a standout wide receiver at Tuskegee University and was drafted in the seventh round by the New York Jets in 2005. He has also spent time with the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Houston Texans and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.

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Gerber chooses Coppin State Eagles

Gerber, who placed center field and catcher for the Tide last season, batted .328 with 21 runs scored and 11-for-12 in stolen bases.

Pottsville, PA - When Cheyenne Gerber visited Coppin State, she knew the Baltimore, Md., school was right for her. When the Eagles' softball coaches saw Gerber play last summer, they knew she was right for them. So the Pottsville Area High School (Pa.) senior signed her letter-of-intent recently to play softball for Division I Coppin State.

"Ever since I was little, I wanted to do something big in softball and go Division I,'' Gerber said Friday.

Coppin State participates in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Eagles are 9-12 this season, 2-4 in the MEAC. The roster features a pair of senior catchers: Stacey Burgos and Amber Miller. Gerber, an accomplished outfielder for most of her career, became the Crimson Tide's starting catcher last season. She joined the Sellersville Belles 18-and-under team last summer to learn her new position better.

"The (Coppin State) coach saw me at a showcase, we talked there and scheduled a visit,'' she said. "I felt really at home with the campus and how everything was set up.

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Delaware State End Spring Camp with Alumni Stadium Scrimmage

Dover, Del. (Apr. 17, 2011) - The Delaware State University football team wrapped up its first spring camp under new head coach Kermit Blount with a full contact scrimmage at Alumni Stadium today. The offense vs. defense scrimmage featured nearly 70 plays.

The first string offense accounted for two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Nick Elko completed 13-of-18 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He was also intercepted once. Elko connected with Justin Brewton on a seven-yard touchdown pass and hooked up with Justin Wilson on a five-yard scoring pass.

Wilson, a 2010 All-MEAC First Team selection, had a team-high seven catches in the scrimmage. The Windsor, Conn., native led the MEAC in receptions (59), receiving yards (937) and touchdown catches (11) last season.

The Hornet defense scored two touchdowns during the scrimmage. Defensive end Carl Russell, a University of Maryland transfer participating in his first camp with the Hornets, returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown. Cornerback Josh Alexander, a former University of Connecticut signee, returned an interception of a pass by back quarterback Marlon Kelly 20 yards for a score.

The defense also recorded four sacks in the scrimmage.



"I was pleased with the intensity during the scrimmage, but our execution was lacking on too many plays," said Blount, who was introduced as head coach of the Hornets on Feb. 4. "Both sides made some good plays, but we still have a lot of work to do. Overall, I'm pleased with way the players have adjusted to the changes we have made."

The Hornets will begin their preseason summer camp in August.

The 2011 season begins on Sep. 3 at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. The home opener is Sep. 10 against Shaw (6:00 p.m.). The Hornets will play the University of Delaware for the second time in a regular season game on Sep. 17 at Delaware Stadium in Newark. Morgan State will be this year's homecoming opponent on Oct. 29 (1:00 p.m.).

DSU 2011 Football Schedule

Courtesy: DSU Athletic Media Relations

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Hampton University's sailing coach's love for sport proves contagious

In Steve Jobs' emotional, much-Googled commencement speech to Stanford's class of 2005, the Apple CEO tells his audience: "The only way to do great work is to love what you do."

Those words spoke to Alessandro "Alex" Ambrosi, even when their language of origin was still a struggle. Ambrosi, Hampton University's sailing coach and a native of Trento, Italy, is doing what he loves, and sharing his passion with anyone willing to learn.

Hampton University Co-Ed Sailing Program was started in 1994

After arriving at HU two years ago to find a program consisting of three members, Ambrosi got to work, relentlessly recruiting to fill the only sailing roster among the four main conferences comprised of historically black colleges (the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).

The Pirates have since won six regattas, including the CNU 2-on-2 Invitational in March and last weekend's William and Mary 2-on-2 Team Race, and qualified for this weekend's prestigious...

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NEXT RACE: 4/16-17/2011 - AMERICA TROPHY, ST. MARY'S CITY, MARYLAND, ALL DAY

VISIT: HAMPTON UNIVERSITY
VISIT: HAMPTONPIRATES
VISIT: HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SAILING PROGRAM

Howard Drops Series to Hampton with Sunday Loss

HAMPTON, VA. – After trading wins with the Lady Pirates in their Saturday doubleheader, the Howard softball team dropped the weekend series to their MEAC rival after falling 4-2 on Sunday. Overall, the Lady Bison (13-23, 4-5 MEAC) went 1-2 over the weekend.

Howard crossed home plate first giving the Bison the quick 1-0 lead in the first. Rebecca Kirshner sent a shot to right field to bring home Lorae Robison who scored from second. The Lady Bison responded with a RBI double to tie the game at one all.

Following a scoreless second inning, Howard gave up three runs in the bottom of the third, pushing the Lady Pirates (12-26, 5-4 MEAC) ahead 4-1. The Lady Bison were unable to produce a run until the seventh inning when Andascha Moore scored on Emily Johnson's groundout to shortstop. The run would not be enough to cut Hampton's 4-2 lead, giving the Lady Pirates the series, 2-1.

Robinson, Johnson and Ciera Gordon led the Lady Bison with two hits, each went 2-for-3 at the plate.



Starting off the game on the mound was Samantha Gatson. In the opening three innings Gatson allowed five hits and three earned runs and fell to a 5-6 record on the season. Johnson also made an appearance in the circle and went on to strike out five and allowed one hit. Johnson pitched the final three innings and kept Hampton scoreless for the remainder of the game.

The Lady Bison softball team will host MEAC opponent Morgan State on April 30 and Maryland Eastern Shore on May 7 for the final regular season games of the year. On May 12 the team will make their way to Daytona, Fla. for the MEAC Championship Tournament.

Visit www.howard-bison.com/ for more information on the Howard softball team.

Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
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Bethune Cookman: QBs 'need work in every area,' but there is hope

ORMOND BEACH, FL -- After Saturday's Maroon and Gold scrimmage, Bethune-Cookman football coach Brian Jenkins still seemed unsure about the Wildcats' quarterback situation. "Both of them need work in every area," Jenkins said of sophomore QBs Jackie Wilson and David Blackwell after Maroon defeated Gold 14-7 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

With spring drills now complete and preseason practice less than four months away, you'd think this would be a major concern. Until you realize that last year, Jenkins and his staff felt the same way.

The coaches weren't sure if Matt Johnson could handle the quarterback job in the Wildcats' new no-huddle spread system. But the senior worked hard after the spring and looked like a different quarterback when summer drills got underway.



B-CU's spring game had different feel

ORMOND BEACH -- That Ormond Beach dateline leading off a local football story might seem a bit different, but it was a different type of spring football outing for Bethune-Cookman.

Moving the annual Maroon-and-Gold game to the Ormond Beach Sports Complex seemed as pleasant was it was different. It was more of a neighborly affair, complete with barbecue, music, some baseball diamonds across the way and a couple of youth-soccer games within a decent punt to the east.

The other differences involved the events at hand. Normally, the spring game is designed to give the football-starved fan base a little look-see at what's coming four months down the road.

BCU Spring Football 2011 - Photo Gallery

Pros, B-CU, charity all win

DAYTONA BEACH -- What does Bethune-Cookman football alum Nick Collins do to follow up his 37-yard pick-six in this year's Super Bowl? The NFL lockout and another season with his Green Bay Packers will have to wait.

Friday night, Collins and fellow former-Wildcat great Eric Weems of the Atlanta Falcons hosted a "Pros vs. Joes" basketball game at Moore Gymnasium. With D.J. turntables spinning live at courtside, color commentary from emcee Harold Ford and some 700 fans on hand, the Pros eventually prevailed 102-89 after a close first three quarters.

Ticket proceeds benefited Wildcats football, which plays its spring game at 4 p.m. today at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex, as well as Collins' Jump Start Foundation. The foundation works with single parents and youth and awards scholarships to students Collins' old high school in Cross City.

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