S.C. State AD Charlene Johnson Joins NCAA D-I Football Championship Committee

CHARLENE JOHNSON
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - South Carolina State Athletics Director Charlene Johnson has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee, as announced by Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Media Relations Office.

Johnson will join a committee that will focus on developing policies and procedures that govern the administration of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. Her term on the committee began immediately and will run through September 1, 2015.

"I'm excited and pleased to ...

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MSU men's basketball team signs three

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Morgan State University men's basketball team signed three players to national letters of intent.

The new additions are: Donte Pretlow, a 6-foot, 185-lb., guard from Baltimore, Cedric Blossom, a 6-6, 225-pound forward from Columbia, Md. and JuCo transfer Daryl Traynham, 5-9, 180-pound point guard from Upper Marlboro, Md.

Pretlow played at Dunbar where he played for head coach Cyrus Jones. While there, he helped guide the Poets to Class 1A state championships in 2011 and 2012.

“Ever since he came up to varsity, he's been winning state championships,” Jones said. “He's played a valuable role in those titles. He was really the leader out there on the court.”

“Donte is a tough hard-nosed guard in the tradition of a long list of Dunbar-Baltimore point guards,” said MSU head coach Todd Bozeman. “He brings that Baltimore inner-city toughness to the program. He can really run a team, can defend, has tremendous poise and can make the open shot. He's certainly going to give us added depth in the backcourt.”

Pretlow, whose Poets (24-3) finished the 2011-12 season as The Baltimore Sun's No. 1 boys basketball team, averaged around 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals. At Morgan, he'll be expected to continue filling up the stat sheet and serving as a leader.

Blossom spent a season at Hammond before transferring to powerhouse Montrose Christian where he started in just about every game during his two years. Last season he was named co-captain and was a supporting player on a team that featured Tyrone Johnson (Villanova), Tyler Hubbard (Loyola) and Justin Anderson (Virginia), among others.

“Cedric is a young man that is a 6-foot-6 versatile player who will allow us to play in different ways,” Bozeman said. “He can play on the perimeter or in the post, in terms of the wing or the four. Something he did in high school.”

“He comes from Montrose Christian, a perennial basketball powerhouse, and has played with great players and knows what it takes to win. He is a good rebounder with a great nose for the ball, as well as a great defender and is extremely athletic. He's going to add depth to our team for sure.”

Traynham spent last season as the starting point guard for Palm Beach State, which is one of the most renowned junior college basketball programs in the country. He helped lead the head coach George “Butch” Estes' Panthers to a 26-5 record and the FCSAA/District 8 State Semifinals.

“He's a general,” Bozeman said. He can really run a team and create for others. He started his career at UMass, before transferring to junior college. I've been knowing him ever since he was a young kid.”

Traynham completed the 2011-12 season by averaging 10.8 points per game, 5.7 assists and 2.5 steals for the Panthers.

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Breakout freshman softball season for SAU's White

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Jolanda White’s St. Augustine’s College softball team practiced on a baseball field. It’s hardly surprising that she maintained her baseball-length hitting when the Falcons played on softball dimensions.

White, a freshman from Leland, bashed a Central Collegiate Athletic Association-leading 10 home runs, while batting .396, 10th best in the league. She also stole 18 bases, third best in the conference, was first in slugging percentage (.783) and was fourth in total bases (83). She led St. Augustine’s in nearly every offensive category.

“I was expecting to do good, but I wasn’t expecting to ...

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Who will be the next commissioner of the CIAA?

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - Who will be the next commissioner of the CIAA? That is the question on everyone’s mind around the conference.

Leon G. Kerry, who had led the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) for the past 22 years retired unexpectedly this year. While the CIAA suggests that Kerry stepped down on his own volition, there is speculation that the CIAA's chief might have departed involuntarily due in part to ethical questions surrounding $100,000 in payments that went to Ereka Crawford-Brim, an employee with Charlotte's Regional Visitor Authority. Kerry was also a big part of the move that shifted the conference tournament from Raleigh to Charlotte.

Peggy Davis, who had ...

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Black Nouveau | Program: New Orleans - Xavier and Dillard Universities and more...

Black Nouveau and the Running Rebels Community Organization, which serves at-risk youth from the Milwaukee area, travel to New Orleans to volunteer, learn, and gain new experiences. The group visits the French Quarter, tours Xavier University and Dillard University (both Historically Black Colleges and Universities), views the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and cleans up the town of Violet. In Oxford, Mississippi, they visit the University of Southern Mississippi--Brett Favre's Alma mater, and later, they experience horse riding.   Let us never forget the challenges ahead ... And Still We Rise!

NCAA Baseball Tournament 2012: Prairie View A&M Glad To Be Playing In Houston

HOUSTON, Texas - The ultimate underdog in the Houston Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament has to be the Prairie View A&M Panthers of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), a league of Historically Black Colleges and Universities that are rarely expected to compete with the larger schools for college baseball supremacy.

But Prairie View is no slouch and Rice would be wise not to overlook the Panthers in their first-round matchup on Friday. In 2006, it took a ninth-inning single with the bases loaded to keep Prairie View from upsetting Rice in the first round.

Panthers head coach Waskyla Cullivan is glad to be playing in Houston for the sake of the PV fan base.

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TSU Coaching Legend Gilliam, Sr. Honored in Roast

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Former Tennessee State University football players, alumni and fans showed their gratitude last Saturday as the group honored TSU coaching legend Joe Gilliam, Sr. in a roast at the Sheraton Music City Hotel.

Coach Gilliam was greeted by hundreds of supporters including NFL Hall of Famer Richard Dent and former Dallas Cowboy Ed 'Too Tall' Jones. Several other players also showed their gratitude to Coach Gilliam, who spent two-plus decades at Tennessee State.

As an assistant coach under John A. Merritt, Gilliam helped create one of the best defenses in the country.

While at Tennessee State, Gilliam posted a record of 164-31-6 in his 25 years. The Tigers posted four undefeated seasons and won seven Black College National Titles.



COURTESY TSU ATHLETICS

Gilliam then returned to TSU as the head coach in 1988 and was named OVC Coach of the Year in 1990. Over 80 TSU student-athletes reached the NFL during Gilliam's tutelage.

Not only was Coach Gilliam a success on the field, approximately 74 percent of his student-athletes graduated from Tennessee State. The men have professions in the business, education and in the medical field to just name a few.

In 2007, Coach Gilliam was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. At the ceremonial roast on Saturday, Gilliam received recognition from the State of Tennessee and the City of Nashville.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Texas Southern Football: A New Era Begins

XU has basketball and volleyball camps, summer league

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will offer summer camps in basketball and volleyball and, for a fourth consecutive season, play host to the Super Elite Summer League in boys basketball.

Dates of the basketball camp, for boys and girls age 6-16, will be July 9-12. The volleyball camp will offer sessions for ages 9-13 from July 16-18 and ages 14-18 from July 19-21.

The Barn, the 75-year-old gymnasium in its final months as the home of XU athletics, will be the site of both camps and the summer league.

More information on the camps can be obtained by visiting www.xula.edu/athletics/camps or by contacting Alfred Williams (basketball) at (504) 520-6778 or xugoldrush@xula.edu or Christabell Hamilton (volleyball) at (504) 520-5344 or chamilt5@xula.edu.

Twelve schools — Brother Martin, Catholic (Baton Rouge), East St. John, Ellender, Jesuit, Madison Prep, McDonogh 35, O. Perry Walker, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Scotlandville and Riverside — will compete in the summer league. Jesuit will play Madison Prep at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the first of the six opening-day games. The league will run for five consecutive Wednesdays and conclude June 27. Xavier and O. Perry Walker co-sponsor the league.

Basketball Camp click here for information Volleyball Camp click here for information Super Elite Summer League click here for information

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Three Added to TSU Men's Basketball Staff

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University head coach Travis Williams announced his coaching staff for the 2012-13 season on Tuesday afternoon. Ben Betts, Rodney Hamilton and Brandon Johnson join the Tigers men's basketball program - all of which have experience at the NCAA Division I level.

Williams brings three staff members that have a strong expertise in academics, recruiting and success. Betts and Hamilton have been head coaches at previous stops, while Johnson served as an assistant with former TSU head coach John Cooper at Auburn.

"I was really overjoyed by all the national interest our program generated for these positions," said Williams. "I wanted to hire guys with great experience coaching on all levels and fit the criteria to carry on what we have started here at TSU."

Betts was head coach at South Carolina State from 2004 until 2006 and most recently worked in collegiate hoops as an assistant under Jeff Capel at Oklahoma in 2011. He helped the Sooners to an elite appearance with future NBA star Blake Griffin in 2009.

Last season, Betts spent the year as the Director of Basketball at the Spectrum Sports Academy in Roanoke, Virginia.

Hamilton joined the Tigers after three successful years as head coach of Indiana Tech's women's basketball program. The Memphis native guided Indiana Tech to a No. 15 ranking and helped the team tie for the most regular season wins in the past nine seasons.

Hamilton previously worked at Ohio Valley Conference foe Southeast Missouri for two seasons.

Johnson joins the Tigers after spending the past three years as an advisor for John Lucas Basketball Resources.

The veteran coached five years at Auburn. During that time, he played a vital role in helping revitalize the Auburn basketball program as the Tigers nearly claimed a SEC West Division title in 2007.

"I felt very comfortable hiring Ben, Brandon and Rodney," noted Williams. "These individuals bring a great level of professionalism, integrity, work ethic, recruiting and coaching experience."

Tennessee State posted a 20-13 record - the best in 32 seasons for the Tigers. Coach Williams was named the 16^th TSU head men's basketball coach on April 13.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats to face Florida Gators

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- There was little drama to Bethune-Cookman's NCAA baseball selection party Monday at Buffalo Wild Wings.

The players barely had time to look up from their plates when they saw their school's name flash on the screen. There was a hoot or two in the crowd, but the players remained stoic when they saw they will be heading to the Gainesville Regional where they will meet No. 1 overall seed Florida at 7 p.m. Friday.



"We take it as a business trip," B-CU sophomore outfielder Josh Johnson said. "We're not going to throw fireworks in the air. Wherever we play, that's where we play."

The selection party is old hat for the Wildcats, who qualified for the NCAA's 64-team field for the seventh straight year after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament May 20. This will be the third time in four years they will be playing in the Gainesville regional.



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Alcorn State Taps Hopson as New Head Football Coach

Mississippi native Jay Hopson (L) brings an impressive resume'
to Alcorn State with a vision of building a championship
program, both academically and athletically.  Hopson
becomes the first non-black head football coach in the
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), a league
with four head football coaches that earned
Super Bowl championships as players -- Doug Williams
(GSU), Monte Coleman (UAPB), Anthony Jones
(AAMU) and Reggie Barlow (ASU).
(Photo Courtesy ASU University Relations)

ALCORN STATE, Mississippi — No matter the setting, Jay Hopson knows how to use his passion and love for the game to inspire enthusiasm in others and that, coupled with his ability to set high core values, will work well at Alcorn, said President M. Christopher Brown II.

“Knowledge and character matter at Alcorn,” Brown said as he introduced the next leader of the institution’s football program on a day we will all remember. “It is our goal to build not only an outstanding program, but a winning program where student athletes thrive. And Hopson was the only candidate who mentioned that the character of your team will define the success of your program.”

President Brown jokingly added while talking with alumni about the new hire, “We are not just interested in winning the SWAC championship next year—although that would be great—but we want to build a legacy by developing a championship program.”

By no means is it coincidental that Hopson, 43, was named Alcorn’s 18th head football coach by the 18th university president. For years Hopson envisioned Alcorn as his dream job. “I have often dreamed of working with Alcorn and I am elated to have the opportunity to work with the Alcorn community to establish a program that the Alcorn family can be proud of for years to come.”

Members of the search committee, campus alumni, community leaders, and university donors cheered as Brown welcomed Hopson to the podium.

The Vicksburg native played defensive back at Ole Miss and most recently was a defensive coordinator for Memphis University. He has also been an assistant at Ole Miss, Southern Miss and the University of Michigan.

“President Brown is dedicated to creating a new Alcorn and together we, not I, will lead the Braves to victory,” Hopson said. “We are all purple and gold and I am proud to be an Alcornite.”

Vicksburg mayor Paul Winfield celebrated the University’s decision and Dr. Brown’s vision for a great Alcorn. “Vicksburg supports Dr. Brown, Coach Hopson and the Alcorn family. We believe in the president’s vision and Alcorn’s future. Vicksburg is here to assist Alcorn anyway we can.”



Videographer: cameraguy06

Alcorn has become the first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) school to name a non-black as Head Football Coach.

Dr. Brown said “The future for Alcorn football is bright and I am excited that Coach Hopson will lead us forward.”

Brown also informed the crowd that Coach Hopson's application included an extensive statement on APR – a critical marker for post-season eligibility and student-athlete graduation rates.

Coach Hopson stated that “He believes in Dr. Brown's vision for this university.” The newly appointed football coach's first order of business is putting together his staff and getting acquainted with the team.

Hopson is a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi and was a four year letter winner as a defensive back at the University of Mississippi 1988-91. During his matriculation at Ole Miss, he was named to the Academic All-SEC four times, and was also a member of the CoSIDA District VI Academic All-America team in 1991.

He received a Bachelor in Business Administration from Ole Miss and a Master's in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Delta State University.

As a coach, he received All-American Football Foundation Top Assistant Coach honor in 2007. Coach Hopson brings experience from Marshall, Delta State, Southern Mississippi, Michigan and Memphis.

Alcorn State will open the 2012 season against Grambling State in the Port City Classic on September 1, 2012.

For photos of today's press conference, please click on the link below.

Jay Hopson Press Conference Photo Gallery:  Photos Courtesy of Mike Jones

COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS
VISIT: ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: ALCORNSPORTS.COM

CFL's Roughriders name guest coaches for training camp

REGINA, Saskatchewan, Canada - The Saskatchewan Roughriders are pleased to welcome a group of guest coaches to the 2012 Training Camp beginning June 3rd at the University of Regina.

Cheston Blackshear joins the Riders after spending the last three seasons at the University New Mexico working with the Offensive Line and Tight Ends and has nine years’ experience coaching at the collegiate level. Blackshear entered coaching after an outstanding playing career at the University of Florida where he was a four-year letter winner (1996-99) with 28 career starts at offensive guard. He will work alongside Offensive Line Coach Kris Sweet.

Jeff Cummins is the head coach of the Acadia University Axemen. In his seven years at Acadia, Cummins has captured back to back AUS Football Championships (2005, 2006) and was named AUS Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005. Following his graduation from the University of Oregon, Cummins played six seasons in the Canadian Football League with stops in Las Vegas, Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton where he captured the 1999 Grey Cup with the Tiger-Cats. Cummins will work with Rider Coach Mike Walker and the Defensive Line.

Richard Kent spent the 2011 season with the United Football Leagues Omaha Nighthawks. Kent comes to the Riders with over 20 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels. Previous to Omaha, Kent spent the 2009 season as the secondary coach with the Toronto Argonauts. As a player, Kent was a quarterback and receiver at Appalachian State from 1979-81. Kent will spend time with Special Teams Coordinator, Craig Dickenson and Linebackers Coach, Alex Smith.

Ben Norton guests with the Riders after spending the 2011 season with the UFL’s Hartford Colonials where he filled the triple role of offensive line assistant, special teams assistant and offensive quality control coach. In addition, Norton has over 17 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, working mostly with offensive linemen. As a player, Norton was a four year letter winner at Stephen F. Austin State in Texas and was a member of the team that played in the 1989 NCAA FSC national championship game. Norton will spend time working with Running Backs Coach, Bob Dyce as well as Coach Kris Sweet and the offensive line.

Jamie Stoddard joined the University of British Columbia in 2010 as a Receivers Coach. Before getting into coaching Stoddard enjoyed an impressive nine year professional career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a non-import wide receiver. While with Winnipeg, Stoddard had 191 receptions and amassed 2,808 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. Stoddard will work with Receivers Coach Jason Tucker.

Ted White joins the Riders from Howard University where he is currently the Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach. From 1994-98 White attended Howard where he is the Bison and MEAC all-time passing leader and total offense leader with almost 10,000 yards during his productive collegiate career. Following that, White played professionally for five years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and also had stints with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe and the Montreal Alouettes. White will join Coach Khari Jones working with Rider quarterbacks.

Current imports from HBCU on the Roughriders active roster are:

1. Patrick Brown, WR, Bethune-Cookman
2. Jalil Johnson, DB, Jackson State
3. James Patrick, Safety, Stillman College

Prairie View A&M and Grambling State, like Texas and OU, will also play at the Cotton Bowl through 2020

EXCERPT:

DALLAS, Texas - But the council also has some voting to do: It’ll be asked to sign off on issuing $25.5 million in debt to renovate the Cotton Bowl, which council has already indicated is a done deal — in large part to keep Texas and Oklahaoma’s Red Rivary Rivalry at Fair Park through 2020. And, as Rudy noted Friday, that too has been wrapped up, thanks in large part to Pete Schenkel, who got the schools to sign on the dotted line on behalf of the State Fair of Texas.

The schools will each receive $500,000 a year to play in the Cotton Bowl — an amount OK’d in ’07, when Texas and OU signed their most recent agreement that ramped up payments leading to this year’s game. Per the council’s recap: The schools received “$125,000 each in 2007, $425,000 each beginning in 2008 through 2011, and $500,000 each beginning in 2012 through 2015.”



One thing not noted at the end of last week: Grambling State University and Prairie View A&M University have also agreed to stick around till 2020, though at a greatly reduced price. They’ll each receive $75,000 to play at the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic, the same amount the teams have been receiving since their respective $25,000 checks were upped to $75,000 in 2008. (No word on how much the marching-band members get — though it should be a lot, since they’ve long been the game’s most featured attraction.)

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NCAA penalizes Grambling for academic performance

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Joseph Price didn't have to wait long to learn the specific challenges he'll face as Grambling's new men's basketball coach.

Walter Harrison, the NCAA Division-I Committee on Academic Performance, notified Grambling President Frank Pogue on Friday of the committee's decision regarding the Tigers' Academic Progress Rate-related penalties.

Grambling announced Monday five sanctions that include limited practice, a shortened season and a reduction to 10 scholarships.



The Tigers played the 2011-12 season under the third phase of APR penalties, including a postseason ban and reductions to both its schedule and available scholarships.

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Grambling State's Coach Patricia Bibbs Press Conference

Texas Southern barred from postseason play

Houston, Texas – Texas Southern University announced Friday that the football team has been barred from postseason play for the 2012-2013 seasons due to falling short in fulfilling an NCAA graduation rate requirement.

The school disclosed that when the NCAA releases its annual Academic Progress Report (APR), it will show the football program failed to meet the required average score over the most recent four-year evaluation period for graduation rates.

Last month, representatives from Texas Southern met before an NCAA committee and learned the football program had received a four-year average score of 811 out of 1,000. The NCAA standard rate is 930. Because of this, the football team is ineligible for postseason play, and that includes the SWAC Championship Game and NCAA Division I FCS championship.

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CIAA honors WSSU programs, coaches

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - CIAA officials presented Winston-Salem State officials with the Loretta Taylor Women's All-Sports Trophy and the C.H. Williams Men's All-Sports Trophy on Thursday at the conference's annual coaches-of-the-year awards luncheon in Newport News, Va.

WSSU won conference titles in women's cross country, men's basketball, softball, baseball and football and had second-place finishes in men's cross country and men's and women's tennis. Winners of the trophies are determined by a points system tied to finishes in conference championships.

Individuals from WSSU who were honored were athletics director Bill Hayes, associate AD Tonia Walker and coaches Connell Maynor (football), Inez Turner (women's cross country), Kevin Ritsche (baseball) and LaTaya Hilliard-Gray (softball).

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Edmonds, Murray Spark Falcons To Third-Place Tie In D-II Track Championships

PUEBLO, Colorado – Led by Josh Edmonds (Soph./Jacksonville, Fla.) and Ty'reak Murray (Soph./Portsmouth, Va.), the Saint Augustine's College men tied for third in the 2012 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships late Saturday (May 26, 2012) at the Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl on the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus.

Edmonds claimed the 200 meter dash and was the anchor runner on the winning men's 4x400 meter relay team while Murray won the 110 meter hurdles for the Falcons, who tied Western State with 54 points. Adams State outscored Lincoln (Mo.) 77-73 for its first team outdoor title. Adams State joined Saint Augustine's College and Abilene Christian as the only three teams to win the NCAA D-II men's outdoor crown since 1982.

On the women's side, Grand Valley State held off Lincoln (Mo.) 90-79 for its second consecutive team crown while Adams State was third with 59. The Saint Augustine's College women tied for 17th with 14 points.

The participants competed in 90-degree temperatures with fierce wind gusts as high as 30 miles per hour and more. The weather was an impact, but Edmonds and Murray withstood the winds to become national individual champions.

Edmonds entered the championship meet as the top seed in the 200, and he didn't disappoint. His blazing start led to a career-best finish of 20.28. He scored 20.5 points for the Falcons after winning the 200, placing second in the 400 (46.38) and running the anchor leg on the winning men's 4x400 relay team.

Edwards passed Akino Ming of Johnson C. Smith near the finish line to give the Falcons the 4x4 victory in a thrilling finish between the two CIAA schools. The Falcons ran a winning time of 3:07.15 and Johnson C. Smith was second in 3:07.32. The Falcons' relay squad included Kelly Fisher (Sr./Tinton Falls, N.J.), Jason Boyd (Sr./Willingboro, N.J.) and James Quarles (Soph./Washington, D.C.).

The win on the final event of the day gave the Falcons 10 points which moved them into a third-place tie with Western State. It also prevented Lincoln from tying Adams State for the national crown. Lincoln needed the win to share the men's title with Adams State. Lincoln finished third in the relay.

The 4x4 win continued a tradition of dominance for the Falcons in the event at outdoor nationals. St. Aug has won 19 national titles in the event which is by far the most in Division II.

Murray was the winner in the 110 meter hurdles in a career-best 13.60. The 10th seed in the event, Murray outran his competitors in the finals for his first national title. Gerkenz Senesca (Sr./Newark, N.J.), the top seed, finished seventh and the second-seeded Boyd was ninth.

In other races featuring St. Aug competitors, Kelly Shaw (Jr./Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) placed third in the women's 400 dash in 53.02 while Nicketa Bernard (Jr./Westmoreland, Jamaica), the 2012 NCAA indoor champion, placed ninth. The Falcons were third in the men's 4x100 meter relay in 40.67. The members of the 4x1 team were Ramaan Ansley (Jr./Philadelphia, Pa.), Quarles, Sean Stuart (Sr./Miramir, Fla.) and Murray. The women's 4x400 relay squad was second in 3:38.09. The foursome consisted of Jaiviaria Bacote (Soph./Paterson, N.J.), Bernard, Cherrisse Lynch (Fr./Bridgetown, Barbados) and Shaw.

In the men's 400 dash, Quarles was seventh. Ansley was eighth in the men's 100 dash in 10.35. DeJon Wilkinson (Soph./Summerville, S.C.) was 14th in the men's triple jump, and Andrea Powell (Sr./Richmond, Va.) tied for 16th in the women's high jump.

Ranked first in D-II entering the championship meet, the Falcons climbed up the men's standings after starting the day with five points. They scored 49 points on Saturday.

The top eight individual and relay finishers earned All-America honors. The times were wind-aided.

Women's Final Results PDF
Men's Final Results PDF
Men  Final Team Scores
Women Final Team Scores

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS AND USTFCCCA.org

Alcorn State to name football coach on Monday

LORMAN, Mississippi - Alcorn State's long search for a new head football coach will end Monday with an announcement at the Southwestern Athletic Conference university.

Alcorn State president M. Christopher Brown II will introduce the coach at a 3 p.m. ET news conference on campus.

The Braves program has been without a head coach since Melvin Spears Jr. was fired in February.  Alcorn State announced last month that the head coach would be named during the university's commencement week May 7-12, but did not follow through with an announcement.

Last month, four finalists were named by ...

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Barlow finds home at Alabama State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- For Reggie Barlow, the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney is something of a homecoming. The head football coach at Alabama State, Barlow served as the Hornets' quarterback coach at the first challenge in 2005. On Sept. 2, Alabama State will represent the SWAC at the annual HBCU game for the first time since that inaugural game, facing off against the MEAC's Bethune-Cookman at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla.



"It's a huge game," Barlow said. "It gives our student-athletes an opportunity to have a bowl-like atmosphere and experience. I'm excited about having the chance to be part of it. I remember the first one, when we lost to South Carolina State; it was my first year coaching. That was a fun game to be a part of."

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge -- the annual HBCU matchup between the two conferences -- isn't the only big game on the Hornets' schedule. Every year Alabama State faces archrival ...



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Jackson State University Prancing J-Settes Halftime Show Compilation 2008-2012

By TheOProductions1907

Jacoby Jones celebrity event to benefit XU Gold Rush again

XU coach Dannton Jackson, left, and Jacoby Jones

NEW ORLEANS — The second annual Jacoby Jones Celebrity Basketball Slam Jam, a fundraiser game for the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball program, will tip off at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 1 at The Barn, Xavier's gymnasium.

Jones is a New Orleans native and a wide receiver with the NFL's Houston Texas the past five seasons. He signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens earlier this month.

Additional NFL players expected to participate include former New Orleans Saints Robert Meachem and Tracy Porter. Also scheduled to participate will be NFL players Vonta Leach, Brice McCain, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jimmy Smith, Tyrod Taylor and Torri Williams.

The event will include a free autograph session from 5:45-6:15 p.m. and a performance by the Honeybees dance team.

"Last year's event was fun and quite entertaining," XU coach Dannton Jackson said. "I'm certain it will be just as fun and entertaining this time."

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

John Montgomery takes Alabama State's golf team to new heights

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - After John Montgomery made history as a freshman by becoming the first Alabama State golfer to participate in the NCAA tournament, coach Gary Grandison had a brief talk with him.

"Western Kentucky was hosting the tournament back in 2009, and I knew they'd earned a bid to host again in 2012," Grandison said. "So I asked John to help me in making sure our entire team played that course."

Montgomery, now a senior, and the rest of the Hornets team gave Grandison exactly what he wanted: For the first time in the program's history, the men's golf team claimed the SWAC championship to earn a spot in an NCAA regional -- the one in Bowling Green on the Western Kentucky course.

Grandison, a Mobile native and graduate of Shaw High, guided the ASU women's golf team into the NCAA field a year ago.

"This proves that last year was not a ...

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Alabama A&M volleyball: After SWAC setback, Brown high on recruiting class

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M had its streak of four straight Southwestern Athletic Conference volleyball championships snapped last season. The Bulldogs also lost three key seniors, including four-year starter Karensa Beckford, who was the league's Most Valuable Player last season in addition to being a two-time MVP of the league tournament.

While Beckford will be hard to replace, A&M coach Nedra Brown has restocked the cupboard with a recruiting class she believes will keep the Bulldogs among the league's best teams.

Headlining the group is former Lee High School star Kyanna Sales, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter.

"We're excited to have Kyanna," said Brown, who has struggled getting local kids to sign with A&M. "We're looking for her to contribute right away. She's smart, hits hard, reads defenses and she can serve and pass. She's just a good all-around player."

Robyn Hancock, who comes to A&M from ...

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