Hampton University women's basketball coach David Six receives 5-year contract extension

 DAVID SIX
HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY

 

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- The Hampton University Department of Athletics announced on Monday that it has given head women’s basketball coach David Six a five-year contract extension.

“We are extremely fortunate to have David Six as our head coach and are pleased with the program’s success thus far,” Director of Athletics Novelle Dickenson said. “Coach Six has a great passion for Hampton and we are excited about what the future has in store.”

This extension keeps Six at Hampton through the 2018-19 season.

“Coach Six is a fine coach who understands the balance needed as an athlete and a student,” Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey said. “Not only do his young ladies perform on the basketball court, but they also perform well in the classroom. Hampton University is pleased to continue its long-term relationship with such a fine coach.”

Six is coming off yet another 20-win season and his fourth straight MEAC Tournament championship. The Lady Pirates went 28-6 this past season, setting a program Division I record for wins in a season, and they became the second MEAC program in conference history to win the tournament four straight times.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to continue to lead the Lady Pirates for five more years,” Six said. “I am also appreciative of the commitment and the support for me and my family from the university administration – in particular Dr. Harvey and Mr. Dickenson. My journey started here at Hampton; it has been rewarding and I have been blessed. However, there still remains some unfinished business and I look forward to the challenge.”

For his efforts, Six was named the MEAC Coach of the Year – marking the second time he’s earned that honor. The Lady Pirates went unbeaten in MEAC play in 2012-13, a program first and just the fifth time in MEAC history a women’s program went unbeaten in conference play.

Hampton is also the second women’s program in MEAC history to go unbeaten in conference play and win the conference tournament in the same season.

The 2012-13 season also saw the Lady Pirates go 3-3 against schools from so-called “BCS conferences” – while the rest of the MEAC was 1-24. Hampton beat such schools as LSU and Mississippi State, and the Lady Pirates set a program Div. I record with a 19-game winning streak from Jan. 2 through March 16.

The Lady Pirates have won the MEAC Tournament in each of Six’s four years at the program, and Hampton has also won the last three MEAC regular-season titles. In his first four years as a college coach, Six is 99-30 overall and 58-6 in conference play.

Six is also 12-0 in the MEAC Tournament.

The Lady Pirates led the nation in scoring defense this past season, giving up just 47.8 points per game. Hampton was second in the nation in scoring defense in 2011-12, 12^th in the nation in 2010-11, and 14^th in the nation in 2009-10, Six’s first at the helm.

This past season, Hampton was also third in the nation in both field goal percentage defense and 3-point field goal percentage defense.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.


 COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

VSU's Scott makes debut in Spring Game

ETTRICK, Virginia  --  On Saturday afternoon, Virginia State University fans got their first glimpse into the future of Trojan football. The annual Spring Game was a coming out party for first year head coach Latrell Scott and a team looking to return to former glory.

From 1993 to 1997, VSU posted a 41-11 record with a pair of CIAA championships in 1995-96. Over the next 15 years the Trojans posted only five winnings seasons, highlighted by an 8-2 run in 2010.

Last year VSU finished a disappointing 4-6 and signaled time for change. Enter Scott, a former Lee-Davis standout, returning to head coaching for the first time since his disappointing exit from the University of Richmond.

On Saturday, both Scott and the Trojans appeared rejuvenated.

“These kids have worked their tails off,” Scott said. “They’ve bought into our program. They’ve done it the right way and they’ve gotten better on a weekly basis. We’re not nearly where we need to be but we’ve taken some steps in a positive direction.”

CONTINUE READING

SU's Roger Cador appears on ESPN's Sportscenter

ROGER CADOR

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  On the day when Major League Baseball celebrates the legacy of Jackie Robinson Day, Southern baseball head coach Roger Cador appeared on ESPN's Sportscenter to discuss his appointment to the MLB On-Field Diversity Task Force.

Cador discussed his appointment to the 18-member group and the challenge of addressing the declining numbers of African-American on MLB rosters. The 29-year veteran also shared his thoughts on Jackie Robinson's impact on the game of baseball and society when Robinson broke baseballs color barrier 66 years ago.

Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced the creation of an On-Field Diversity Task Force April 10 to address the talent pipeline that impacts the representation and development of diverse players and on-field personnel in Major League Baseball, particularly African-Americans.

The wide-ranging group, which includes representatives from club ownership, club front offices, MLB's central office, Minor League Baseball, former players, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the MLB Scouting Bureau, and collegiate baseball, will focus on the myriad of issues influencing on-field diversity at all levels of baseball.

"As a social institution, Major League Baseball has an enormous social responsibility to provide equal opportunities for all people, both on and off the field," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "I am proud of the work we have done thus far with the RBI program and the MLB Urban Youth Academies, but there is more that we must accomplish. We have seen a number of successful efforts with existing MLB task forces, and I believe we have selected the right people to effectively address the many factors associated with diversity in baseball."

Members of the Commissioner's On-Field Diversity Task Force:

* Stuart Sternberg -- Principal owner, Tampa Bay Rays; MLB Diversity Oversight Committee Chairman

* Dave Dombrowski -- President, chief executive officer & general manager, Detroit Tigers; On-Field Diversity Task Force Chairman

* Tom Brasuell -- MLB vice president of community affairs (representing Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities)

* Roger Cador -- Baseball head coach, Southern University (Historically Black College & University)

* Tony Clark -- Director of player services, Major League Baseball Players Association

* Larry Dolan -- Cleveland Indians; MLB Diversity Oversight Committee advisor

* Dennis Gilbert -- Special assistant to Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf

* Derrick Hall -- President & chief executive officer, Arizona Diamondbacks

* Wendy Lewis -- MLB senior vice president of diversity & strategic alliances

* Jerry Manuel -- MLB network analyst; Major League manager (1998-2003; 2008-2010); 2000 A.L. Manager of the Year

* Frank Marcos -- Senior director, MLB Scouting Bureau

 * Jonathan Mariner -- MLB executive vice president and chief financial officer

* Darrell Miller -- MLB vice president of youth & facility development (representing MLB Urban Youth Academy)

* Bernard Muir -- Athletic director, Stanford University

* Kim Ng -- MLB senior vice president of baseball operations

* Pat O'Conner -- President & chief executive officer, Minor League Baseball

* Frank Robinson -- Hall of Famer; MLB executive vice president of baseball development

* Ken Williams -- Executive vice president, Chicago White Sox

According to the Player Diversity Report (released on 11/13/12), the diversity of the Player Profile on 40-Man Major League rosters was 62 percent Caucasian, 28 percent Hispanic, 8 percent African-American, 1 percent Asian, and 0.2 percent Native American. And according to MLB records, which is a collection of data compiled by the clubs, the percentage of players on 2013 Opening Day, 25-man Major League rosters who identified themselves as African-American or black was approximately 8.5 percent, which is in a consistent range with the past few years. The first round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft featured the selections of seven African-American players, the most by total and percentage (7-of-31, 22.6 percent) since 1992.

Major League Baseball operates two youth initiatives designed specifically to address on-field diversity:

The Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program and its Jr. RBI playing divisions provide opportunities for young people (ages 5 to 18) from underserved communities to play baseball and softball. RBI has served more than 1 million young people since 1989, and in 2012 had more than 210,000 participants around the country, in Canada and in Latin America. MLB Clubs have drafted more than 200 RBI participants, including 14 players in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

MLB Urban Youth Academies provide free, year-round and intensive baseball and softball instruction and educational programs for young people from underserved and urban communities. Seven MLB Urban Youth Academies are either operational or in development around the country and in Puerto Rico (Operational: Compton, Calif.; Houston, Texas; New Orleans, La.; and Gurabo, Puerto Rico; In development: Cincinnati, Ohio; Hialeah, Fla.; Philadelphia, Pa). MLB Urban Youth Academies have served more than 10,000 young people, with more than 90 percent of participants in the United States reflecting a diverse segment of the respective local communities. Since 2006, nearly 200 Academy student-athletes have been selected in the First-Year Player Draft, including 17 in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.


COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Rush, Nuggets defeat Jackson State; qualifier is next

JACKSON, Miss. -- Kyle Montrel's 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 decision against Jose Luque clinched Xavier University of Louisiana's 4-3 men's tennis victory against Jackson State on Sunday.

Xavier's women extended their win streak to six duals with a 5-2 victory against Jackson State.

It was the regular-season finale for both XU teams. The Gold Rush (12-7), ranked eighth in the NAIA, and the Gold Nuggets (14-7), ranked sixth, will compete Friday and Saturday in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Jonesboro, Ga. Winners will receive automatic berths to next month's NAIA National Championship.

Montrel, a freshman, won for the 11th time in his last 13 singles matches and earned his second dual-clinching victory of the season. Jackson State tied the dual at 3 when Carlos Martinez beat Nikita Soifer 6-4, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.

Loic Didavi and Viktor Svoboda also won in singles. Svoboda and Soifer clinched the doubles point with an 8-6 decision against Luque and Ernesto Morales. Svoboda and Soifer won for the 11th time in their last 12 doubles matches.

In the women's dual, the Gold Nuggets and won the final three singles matches to break at tie at 2. Freshman Brion Flowers clinched for the first time this season; she beat Harshini Reddy 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) at No. 2 singles.

Also winning in singles for Xavier were Kourtney Howell, Amber Brown and Vashni Balleste. Howell beat Karen Martinez 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4) at No. 1, and Brown -- playing at No. 3 for the first time this season after spending most of her time at No. 5 -- beat Rebekah Adewumi 6-0, 6-2.

The Nuggets clinched the doubles point when Nicole DeLoach and Jordyn Goody beat Laura Rojas and Adewumi 8-5. It was the first victory this season for that pairing, and it was Goody's first doubles victory since Feb. 17.

The dual victories were the Rush's fourth of the season and the Nuggets' third against NCAA Division I opponents. The XU women played Jackson State for the first time in four years.

Pairings for the unaffilated group tournaments will be announced Monday. New NAIA coaches polls will be announced Tuesday, and XU coach Alan Green expects his women -- who are 9-0 against ranked opponents and have victories against No. 2 William Carey and No. 3 Auburn Montgomery -- to climb to first or second. The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 12 duals, including their last five on the road.

Results: Men Women


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

NSU Spartan Defense Turns up the Heat During 3rd Spring Scrimmage

Courtesy NSU Spartans Athletics

NORFOLK, Virginia – One of the benefits of spring football practice is the opportunity it provides backups who may not have seen considerable playing time in the fall to show coaches what they can do.

With inside linebackers Brent Singleton and Marcell Coke out of Saturday's scrimmage due to injury, that gave rising senior Mike Privott and rising sophomore Lamar Neal even more of a chance to show their stuff. The two led a strong defensive effort, highlighted by Neal's 57-yard interception return for touchdown at the Spartans' practice football field on Saturday morning.

The first-team NSU offense put together a nice drive to start the scrimmage, with soon-to-be sophomore Brendon Riddick ripping off two runs of 20+ yards during the first possession of the scrimmage. But a dropped pass on third down stalled the drive. On the following possession, rising senior defensive lineman Josh El ended the possession with a third-down sack of Zach Deutel.

The defense again held on the scrimmage's third drive, before Neal unexpectedly scored on the fourth possession. With the first-team defense matched up against the second-team offense, Neal picked off a Deutel pass over the middle, raced up the left sideline, eluded a would-be tackler and scored on a 57-yard return.

That got the defense even more fired up. Privott, poised to be one of the emotional leaders of the unit, had tackles for loss on two of the next three possessions to put the offense behind schedule. Along with his two TFL, Privott also had several other tackles for little or no gain.

“Both (Neal and Privott) have done a good job this spring,” NSU head coach Pete Adrian said. “They both have taken advantage of the additional reps they've gotten and have worked hard this spring.”

El (2.5) and outside linebacker Eugene Bazemore (1.5) also had solid scrimmages for the second unit, combined for four of the defense's five sacks. El also forced a fumble on one of his sacks, which safety Andre Bean recovered for another turnover.

The Spartans' offense bounced back nicely during the second half of the scrimmage, however. A 24-yard run by Riddick helped lead to the offense's first touchdown of the day, an 8-yard TD pass from Nico Flores to DeAndre Sangster as the first units matched up against each other.

The second units faced off on the final possession of the scrimmage, which proved to be an entertaining one. Walk-on quarterback Omari Timmons completed passes of 13 yards to wideout Wilonte' Roscoe and 12 yards to tight end James Lynch to move the offense into the red zone. A 9-yard carry by Dallas Simmons followed by an offsides penalty gave the offense a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line. Two runs by Simmons were turned back short of the goal line by the middle of the NSU defense, prompting Riddick to get the call on 3rd-and-goal. Riddick plunged in from the 1 to give the offense its second and final score of the day.

Adrian was pleased with what he saw from his team Saturday.

“Considering the number of offensive linemen and some others we held out with injury, I thought both sides of the ball competed well today,” Adrian said.

Riddick led the offense with nine carries for 75 yards and a touchdown. Dre'Quez Lambert rushed four times for 34 yards.

The Spartans have two dates left in their spring practice, a regular practice at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and their final scrimmage at 7 p.m. Friday. The scrimmage will be played under the lights at Dick Price Stadium, and will be free of charge and open to the public.

By Matt Michalec, SID

NSUSPARTANS.COM

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY

 

Sources: NSU's Evans to coach Florida International

COACH ANTHONY EVANS

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Norfolk State basketball coach Anthony Evans will be named the new head basketball coach at Florida International University, said sources who asked not to be identified.

The Washington Post, quoting anonymous sources, also reported that Evans "is in line" to be the next Florida International coach.

Evans replaces Richard Pitino, who left Florida International to become head coach at Minnesota.

Evans, a Brooklyn native, has been at Norfolk State 10 years, six as the head coach. The past two seasons have been by far his most successful. His Spartans won the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament and then upset No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA tournament.

This past season, Norfolk State won the MEAC regular-season title with a 16-0 record and ended the regular season with 15 consecutive victories. The Spartans were upset in the first round of the MEAC tournament and lost to Virginia in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

CONTINUE READING

TSU Track and Field Dominates Boston-Moon Relays

Nashville, Tennessee – A large crowd of Big Blue fans were on hand to watch the Tennessee State track and field teams capture 11 titles and an impressive 53 top-five finishes at the Boston-Moon Relays on Saturday.

 

Quanisha Sales played a big part in TSU’s success, winning the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.97 seconds. The Nashville native was also the top collegiate runner in the 200, narrowly falling to an unattached runner by .05 seconds.

 

Sales later teamed up with fellow Tigerbelles Clairwin Dameus, Ashontae Jackson and Diera Taylor to take home a title in the 4x100 with a time of 46.50 seconds. Sales and Jackson then partnered with Breanna Adams and Gabrielle Todd to win yet another crown - this one in the 4x400.

Dameus had a big day as well. Before taking part in her team’s first place finish in the relays, the freshman won the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.68. The hurdler then took second in the long jump with a leap of 6.03 meters.

Junior Britani Logan rounded out the winners for the Tiggerbelles when her shot put landed 13.05 meters from the starting line.

 

The Flying Tigers shined in the 200 meter dash as Osafa Hippolyte, Michael Johnson, Travon Alexander and Tyler Anderson finished first through fourth in the event. Hippolyte took home first prize after completing the run in 22.18 seconds.

 

However, Johnson got revenge in the 400, as he edged Hippolyte by only 0.1 seconds. Johnson finished with a time of 48.95.

 

The Flying Tigers also excelled in the relays as Alexander and Anderson combined forces with Jerome Henderson and Shaquille Cragwall to win the 4x100 with a final of 42.04 seconds.

 

Then, Johnson teamed up with Jamill Jackson, Jalon McCutheon and Emmanuel Thornton to take first place in the 4x400 by over 10 seconds. The TSU quartet completed the relay with a time of 3:20.10.

 

The men’s long jump proved to be another display dominated by the Tennessee State team as Daryl Rice, Sean Jenkins and Cragwall placed first through third, respectively. Rice out-hopped his teammates with a jump of 2.08 meters.

 

The TSU teams will not travel very far for their next meet, as the Tigerbelles and Flying Tigers will compete at Vanderbilt on April 19. It will serve as the teams’ final tune-up before the OVC Championship on May 3.

 

    Boston-Moon Results

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern's Roger Cador named to MLB diversity committee

HEAD COACH ROGER CADOR
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball has created a task force that will study how to increase diversity in the game, especially among black players.

Commissioner Bud Selig announced the committee Wednesday (April 10th).

In less than a week, baseball will celebrate the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier. A new movie titled “42” focuses on the Hall of Famer.

The 18-member committee includes representatives from club ownership, the players’ union, minor league and college baseball, the MLB scouting bureau and other areas.

Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and former major league manager Jerry Manuel are among the members.

MLB says about 8.5 percent of players on this year’s opening day rosters identified themselves as African-American or black.

That’s around half the number from the mid-1970s through the mid-1990s.

CONTINUE READING

Roger Cador calls his role on MLB committee ‘a huge honor’

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  As the Southern baseball team took its shot at top-ranked LSU on back-to-back nights this week, coach Roger Cador joined a committee of high-ranking baseball officials who together will study ways to make black players more prominent in America’s pastime.

Cador is part of a task force appointed by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to create ideas on how to diversity a sport that has struggled more and more to attract black athletes.

The committee had its first meeting Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Although disappointed that he was not in the dugout for Southern’s games this week, Cador said he believes the initiative of the task force could be a game-changer.

CONTINUE READING

NBC to televise Bayou Classic next 3 years

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  NBC will show the Bayou Classic nationally for at least three more years.

Bayou Classic organizers announced Thursday the event and NBC Sports Group extended the national broadcast of the Classic on NBC through the 2015 season.

This year’s Bayou Classic will be the 23rd straight shown on NBC. Last year, the game saw a 19-percent viewing increase, according to a news release provided by New Orleans Convention Companies Incorporated, the management firm of the Bayou Classic.

The matchup Nov. 30 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will mark the 40th anniversary of the Bayou Classic.

The landscape of television sports is ...

CONTINUE READING

Spring game shows Lane offense ahead of defense so far

JACKSON, Tennessee  --  Nobody kept score for Lane football’s spring game Saturday. The white team in Saturday’s scrimmage consisted exclusively of offensive players and the red team defensive players.

Though the scoreboard wasn’t used, coach Derrick Burroughs saw crisp play from his offense that suggests the Dragons will score plenty of points a few months from now when the season starts.
His concern is how many points the Dragon defense might surrender.

Johnny Ivey caught a couple of touchdown passes Saturday in Lane’s spring game, one each from quarterbacks Chris Rini and Lebron Houston, to highlight the afternoon.

“Johnny’s going to be our go-to guy this year,” Burroughs said.

A couple hundred people, many of them Lane students, attended the scrimmage on a warm, sunny afternoon.

The scrimmage was broken up into four segments, one for each quarterback. Rini, who started last year until an injury, played the first segment. He was followed by McKinsley Marbury.

CONTINUE READING

Stillman sweeps SIAC championships

ATLANTA. Georgia | The Stillman College men’s and women’s tennis teams both won championships Saturday in the finals at the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament.

It represents the first league title for Stillman and for coach Will E. Riley, who is in his 20th season as head coach of the Tigers and Lady Tigers.

“I am proud to bring this year’s titles to Stillman College. It has been a long time coming, and the years of continued play have finally paid off,” Riley said.

In the men’s match, Stillman blanked Morehouse, 5-0. All three Stillman doubles teams won their matches 8-2. In singles, SIAC Player of the Year Jangeun Lee won his match 6-0, 6-0 while Luis Mendoza won his match 6-4, 6-2.

In the women’s match, Stillman downed Benedict, 5-3. In doubles action, Litia Godinet and Veronika Kalugina won 8-3 while Nair Tolomeo and Angela Corredor won 8-5. Benedict took the third doubles match 8-2.

CONTINUE READING

Men of Words, Men of Deeds

NEW YORK, NY  --  Midway through the second half of a close and pivotal game against Texas Southern during the 1967 football season, Coach Eddie Robinson’s Grambling team mounted a drive. It ended abruptly when Grambling’s center threw a forearm at the nose tackle who had been dominating him. A referee penalized Grambling and ejected the center from the game.

When the center, Thomas Ross, reached the sideline, Robinson was waiting. Yet he did not strike Ross. He did not curse him. He did not even shout at him. Instead, in controlled, staccato bursts, he delivered a lesson about character and teamwork.       

 

“You have satisfied yourself,” Robinson said. “You got him back. But we told you about stability and self-control. Now you think about us. We don’t have a center, and we got to play the rest of the game.” Robinson motioned to the other players, standing on the sideline or sitting on the bench. “Look at what you did. Look at the people you let down.”

 

This incident, captured in the 1968 documentary “Grambling College: 100 Yards to Glory,” sprang to my mind in the wake of Mike Rice’s recent firing as the Rutgers men’s basketball coach. What made Robinson’s example so relevant was not only that Rice had been dismissed for physically and vocally assaulting his players. There was also an unexamined premise in much of the news coverage of other coaches notorious for their treatment of players.

CONTINUE READING

Gold Nuggets win their 2nd GCAC outdoor championship

Catherine Fakler

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Catherine Fakler, Devinn Rolland and Hannah Finnegan combined for 100 points Saturday to lead the Gold Nuggets to the women's team title in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium.

It's the second team championship in three years for the Gold Nuggets, who won 8-of-19 events and outscored runner-up Edward Waters 184-175.

Edward Waters, led by freshman Kendal Thompson's three victories in throwing events, repeated as men's champion with 212 points. Dillard was second with 188.


Devinn Rolland

Fakler and Rolland, both sophomores, won three events each. Fakler won the 1,500- and 5,000-meter runs -- she repeated as 1,500 champion -- and set a meet record of 12 minutes, 20.90 seconds in the 3,000 steeplechase. She also placed second in the 800 and ran the anchor leg of the Nuggets' runner-up 3,200 relay team. Fakler finished with a meet-high 40  .

Rolland scored 34 points and repeated as champion of the 100, 200 and long jump. She reached A-qualifying standards for the NAIA National Championships in all three events and on the runner-up 400 relay team with Chelsea James, Chartia Hurt and SiMon Franklin. Rolland long-jumped 18 feet, 9¼ inches to break her meet record, and she ran the opening leg of the runner-up 1,600 relay team, which also included Tramaine Shannon, Hurt and Franklin.

Finnegan, a freshman, didn't win an event but placed second in the 1,500, 5,000 and steeplechase and ran the opening leg of the 3,200 relay to score 26 points. Hali Yarmush and Donyé Coleman also competed on the relay.

Franklin won the 400 in 56.74 and met the NAIA'a A-qualifying standard, and teammate Angelica Alexander hit four of her first five attempts to outlast Dillard's Jonquil Griffin and Edward Waters' Breana Levine and win the high jump at 5-1¾.

Xavier was fourth in the men's scoring with 53 points. Winning for the Gold Rush were Kwame Jackson in the 1,500 and 5,000 -- he repeated as 5,000 champion -- and David Holobowicz with a meet-record 10:39.89 in the steeplechase.

Coach Joseph Moses — on the left side of the back row — and some of his Xavier track and field athletes posed for a team photo February 14 outside the new Convocation Center. Front row, from left: Chelsea James, Chartia Hurt, Tayler Louis, Devinn Rolland, Tramaine Shannon, Zahri Jackson and Hannah Finnegan. Back row, from left: Moses, Kwame Jackson, Briana Simms, Christopher Kennie, Catherine Fakler and David Holobowicz.

Earning runner-up finishes for Xavier were Holobowicz in the 1,500, Christopher Kennie in the men's high jump and long jump and Paige Gauthier in the women's shot put.

The top three finishers in each event were designated All-GCAC. The Nuggets had four third-place performers: James in the women's 100, Coleman in the 5,000, Chelsea Broussard in the triple jump and Loryn Darthard in the discus.

Double winners in the women's division included Lynetta Cook of Edward Waters as a repeat champion in the discus and hammer and SUNO's Adriana Brown with meet-record and NAIA A-qualifying times in the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles.

Edward Waters won nine men's events, including Ralphael Shuler in the 100 and 200. SUNO's Warith Fennoy won the men's long and triple jumps. Dillard's Jevonte Ezzard won the 400 and was the men's high scorer with 32½ points.

The Nuggets' victory is the latest in an eight-year run in which Xavier has won 44 GCAC and NAIA unaffiliated group team championships. It was the 16th team title for coach Joseph Moses, whose men's and women's cross country teams won seven consecutive titles apiece from 2006-12. XU's top-10 tennis teams will attempt to add to the championship total next week in an unaffiliated group qualifying tournament at Jonesboro, Ga.

Results (PDF file)

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

Alabama State Hornets Defense Shines in First Scrimmage

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—In Alabama State's first scrimmage of the spring the Hornets defense held the offense in check for most of the 81 plays.

The Hornets offense was able to score on three big plays. The first coming on the third play from scrimmage when Daniel Duhart hit Marcus Gamble on a curl and Gamble made his defender miss and went 76 yards for a score.

A few offensive possessions later, the Hornets used a reverse to Earl Lucas who went 37 yards for the second score. The third score came on a screen pass from Duhart to Demario Bell who made several defenders miss, then ran back across the field and picked up some blocks to go 60 yards for the final score. It came on a third and 25 play.

Those three plays accounted for 180 yards of the 284 the offense gained as the Hornets defense had 16 stops which resulted in 16 changes of possessions. The defense also recovered three fumbles and had an interception.

“We want to have big plays and today we had three one with Gamble, the screen with Bell and we had Earl (Lucas) with the reverse,” Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. “We want to have those big plays but there were not enough of them. We didn't sustain any drives at all.”

All three quarterbacks played with Duhart leading the way hitting 11 of his 15 pass attempts for 190 yards and the two scores. Arsenio Favor was hit three of his nine attempts for 32 yards and Sam Gibson was seven for 11 for 59 yards. Gibson also had the lone interception.

The Hornets struggled running the ball with Lucas' 37 yard run leading the rushers. Malcolm Cyrus had 19 yards on four carries and Isaiah Crowell carried the ball five times for 14 yards.

Gamble led the receivers with 83 yards on two receptions and Bell's 60 yard catch and run was his lone reception. Cyrus came out of the backfield to catch a game-high four passes for 28 yards.

Leland Baker led the defense with eight tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery. Demarcus Taylor added seven stops and Willie Roller had three tackles and two sacks. Ray Heningburg came up with the interception and had five stops.

The Hornets defense produced 12 sacks and another 12 plays that resulted in either no gain or lost yardage. In all, the ASU defense had -123 yards in sacks or tackles for lost yardag

“Our offense starts with our snaps and when we had our one center in there the snaps were ok, but when we had our backups in there the snaps were all over the place,” Barlow said. “It also has to do with our offensive line, the center and the quarterback. We are an up tempo, fast paced offense and that is what we want to do, but if we're lethargic and the quarterback and center are not running up to the line, getting the play, getting set and snapping it then we are going to struggle.'

“Our defense did a lot of good things. They played aggressive and the defensive line caused a lot of problems up front. Those guys did some good things, but I just didn't like the fight in the offense.”

ASU will take Sunday and Monday off and will be back on the practice field Tuesday, April 16 at 11 a.m.


COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UMES TAKES 3rd AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS; FALL 4-2 TO VANDERBILT

Hawks and Commodores roll a classic seven-game slugfest decided by one pin.

 

CANTON, Michigan  -  Three in a row wasn't to be. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore's (UMES) bid to be the first team in the history of women's bowling to win back-to-back-to-back titles ended in the semi-final round of the 2013 NCAA Women's Bowling Championships late Friday night. But what a match to end it.

UMES and rival Vanderbilt went toe-to-toe in a match some on site were calling "one of the greatest matches ever in NCAA Championship history." It ended in gave seven with a single pin as the difference.

"What an amazing match," said head coach Kristina Frahm. "I couldn't have asked for any more, they did everything they could and threw the shots that were supposed to be thrown. I can't be upset."

Perhaps the shot thrown the best was T'nia Falbo's (Greensburg, Pa.) final one of her NCAA career.  "I know I couldn't have thrown it any better," said Falbo. "What can you do?"

The shot was the fill ball in the tenth frame and it was perfect, with the exception of a 10-pin.

Rewind ten frames.

After the match was tied three games apiece, UMES, the higher seed in the event got lane choice. They chose to stay on the right where they had just won, rolling a 202. More importantly Vandy hadn't rolled well on the left with a 184. They didn't seem to notice at first. The Commodores threw two quick strikes followed by five straight spares.

In comparison UMES opened with a turkey and followed it with three spares of their own. Vandy, on the left had to bowl first and the Hawks knew that in the nip and tuck match every pin mattered. When they saw that the Commodores spared they knew they had to strike.

Enter Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.) The junior all academic, all-MEAC, all everything star tossed it a little harder than usual, you could tell by the thump. But she knew what she was doing, all ten came crashing down and the Hawks were in the driver's seat.

But in racing, as soon as you pull in front, someone else wants to be ahead and Vanderbilt surged. They tossed a double in their eighth and ninth frames. UMES couldn't strike in their final frames and spared their eighth and ninth.

Left lane goes first.

`Dores senior star Jessica Earnest wanted all ten, but nine fell. She spared. Vanderbilt could max out at 213, UMES at 224, things looked up. Earnest left the 10 pin, got nine. Vandy finished with 212.

A strike from the All-American Falbo, followed by a mark would give the Hawks the game. She got eight. UMES could now only max out at 212, to tie. Falbo spared.

All ten to tie and a chance to bowl again on Saturday was on the line.

As one reporter described it, "I knew she would give it a little extra, and I knew it would be in the pocket."

It was. It had the `umpf' too. Everyone knew she threw it perfect, everyone watched the pins explode when the ball hit the pocket. Everyone knew they were all going down. Someone forgot to tell the 10-pin. It stood firm and never flinched.

That one ten pin. It meant the Hawks lost 212-211.

To add insult to injury Falbo's strike ball came out of the return gouged by the belt. Apparently the 10-pin and the ball return were in league together.

After a few tears and a few "well what else can you do"s, UMES accepted their semi-finalist trophy and left for milkshakes.

The match ended the NCAA careers of Anggie Ramirez (Bogota, Colombia) and Falbo as well as first-year senior Valentina Collazos (Cali, Colombia). While all three get a shot next week at the USBC Collegiate title, it was a little emotional for the trio.

"I'm, glad I get one more shot," said Ramirez. "It was a great way to end it, in that kind of match, but a tough way too. I love college bowling so much, at least there's one more tournament."

This is the 14th tournament the Hawks bowled this season and the first they were not first or second.

They end the NCAA season at 116-26.

 In the first six games the heavyweights just slugged it out. The Hawks took game one 218-192, tossing five strikes over the final five frames to offset a turkey in the tenth for Vandy.

Game two was also a burn for the Hawks. One pin the prequel. Vanderbilt's Earnest struck out to give the `Dores a 203 while Falbo struck on her first ball, she spared the fill balls and that one pin would bite the Hawks for the first time. At least they all fell down that time.

The third game was also painfully close. Both squads left 7-2 opens in the eighth frame but the Commodores strung four strikes together from the fourth through seventh frames to hold the edge. UMES had three strikes and a spare. The Hawks had 203, Vandy 209. Six pins that time.

UMES dominated in the fourth game, posting a 248 after flushing the first six. Vanderbilt had the last five balls for strikes but mustered a 227 to make the match tied at two each.

Game five was ugly for UMES, four opens and just two strikes made it a low 168 game while Vandy had a four-bagger early to roll a 218.

Maybe a little too confident, Vanderbilt opened the sixth game with an open frame and UMES jumped on it with a strike. The Hawks spared the next four and got a double from Kristie Lopez (Ponce, Puerto Rico), who had a great tournament, and Buja. They would finish clean with a 202.  The `Dores opened again in the seventh and Earnest's turkey in the tenth pushed the score to 184.

Vanderbilt will face Nebraska for the title tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. It will be the Commodores second appearance in the match in three years. UMES beat them in 2011 for their second title. Vandy topped UMES in 2007 for their only championship. Nebraska is going for a record fourth NCAA Championship. The Huskers beat Arkansas State 4-1. Both teams escaped bracket play without a loss, the first time it has happened since 2010.

Photo Gallery

2013 NCAA Bracket & Day 2 Results

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

QB Bostick leads SSU in spring game

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Antonio Bostick thinks Savannah State’s football team can win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2013, and that’s exactly the attitude third-year coach Steve Davenport wants his players to have.

The Tigers concluded spring practice on Saturday with a controlled scrimmage and practice at TA Wright Stadium in front of a supportive crowd hungry for the taste of victory on Skidaway Road.  Davenport said Bostick established himself as the starting quarterback during spring practices, and the rising senior responded by completing 5-of-10 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown during the orchestrated offense vs. defense game on Saturday.

“Every coach in America is thinking they just want to get to the end of spring and be in good shape injury wise, and I can do that,” said Davenport, who has a 2-20 record at Savannah State. “We have a lot of kids who have come to understand our mentality and our expectations. Now that the kids understand what we expect, I hate to say it this way but they’re understanding what I’ll call the Davenport way and that took time.

READ MORE

Big Plays Lead Gray Over Maroon in NCCU Spring Game

DURHAM, North Carolina  -  During North Carolina Central University's "Maroon vs. Gray" Spring Football Game, the Gray squad took advantage of big plays on offense, defense and special teams to hold off the Maroon team for a 10-6 victory in front of more than 3,000 fans inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Friday night.

Brandon McLaren opened the scoring for the Gray team by blasting a 47-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.

In the final minute of the second quarter, linebacker Tazmon Foster intercepted a pass at midfield for the Gray squad and returned the pick 20 yards to the 30-yard line. On the next play, the final snap before halftime, Quenton Rucker completed a 30-yard bomb into the end zone to Lamar Scruggs for a touchdown to give the Gray team a 1 0-0 lead at intermission.

The Maroon team threatened to score in the third quarter, but Jordan Reid’s pass to the goal line was intercepted by Tim Thaniel to end the threat.

Near the end of the fourth quarter, quarterback Malcolm Bell raced through the line of scrimmage and into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown for the Maroon squad. The extra-point kick by Oleg Parent missed the mark to keep the Gray lead at 10-6.



After forcing a punt, the Maroon team got the ball back for one final drive with a chance to win the game. Bell completed passes of 20 and 16 yards, then benefitted from a 15-yard personal foul penalty, to move the ball to the 9-yard line.

With its back against the wall, the Gray defense posted a sack by lineman Phillip Mitchell, then forced two incomplete passes to keep the Maroon offense out of the end zone and preserve the victory.

Foster sparked the Gray defensive effort with seven tackles, including six hits for a loss, along with an interception. Fellow linebacker Neil Williams added six takedowns with two tackles for a loss.

Rucker threw for 78 yards and a touchdown on 7-for-14 passing for the Gray squad, while teammate Matt Goggans completed 10-of-13 passes for 84 yards.

Scruggs finished as Gray’s top receiver with six catches for 76 yards, including the 30-yard touchdown grab.

The Maroon offense was paced by Bell, who threw for 104 yards on 12-of-19 passing with an interception, while also recording a game-high 29 rushing yards, including a 14-yard touchdown scamper.

Adrian Wilkins led Maroon’s receiving corps with five catches for 40 yards.

For the Maroon defense, linebacker Allonte Tuppins collected a team-best seven tackles with three hits for a loss, including two sacks. Fellow linebacker Tiron Guion contributed six stops with three takedowns behind the line of scrimmage, including a pair of sacks, along with a forced fumble.

The Eagles open their 12-game 2013 schedule with the “Bull City Gridiron Classic” at Duke on Aug. 31. The first of six NCCU home games will take place on Sept. 7 versus Saint Augustine’s.

Season tickets are on sale now for only $105, an $80 savings off of the value of a reserved seat for each home game. For complete details about season ticket specials, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or call the NCCU Ticket Office at (919) 530-5170.

For more information about NCCU football, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon.

BOX SCORE


COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU is host school for GCAC Championships at Gormley

XU sophomore Devinn Rolland is a defending GCAC champion in the
100, 200 and long jump.

Performance lists, meet results 

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will play host to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at Tad Gormley Stadium.

The one-day meet will commence with field events at 8:45 a.m. Track events will start at 9:30 a.m. Scheduled to compete are the men's and women's teams of Xavier, Dillard, Edward Waters, Fisk and SUNO and the men's team of Philander Smith.

XU coach Joseph Moses said he expects his women to challenge for a team championship. XU sophomore Devinn Rolland, an NAIA All-America long jumper from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School in New Orleans, is the defending GCAC women's champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the long jump.

Also back to defend titles for Xavier are Catherine Fakler in women's 1,500-meter run and Kwame Jackson in the men's 5,000.

Rolland has the GCAC's best marks this season in the 100, 200 and long jump. Also first in their events from Xavier are Christopher Kennie in the men's long jump and Chartia Hurt in the women's 400.

The men of Edward Waters and the women of Dillard are the defending team champions. Xavier won the GCAC women's title in 2011.

Meet admission will cost $5 for adults and $3 for students and children. The final event, the women's and men's 1,600 relay, is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. Awards will be presented at 5:15 p.m.

Driving directions to Tad Gormley Stadium can be found by using 1000 Roosevelt Mall Street and the 70124 zip code as the destination. The Roosevelt Mall Street entrance will be the only one used for admittance to the stadium.

Here'a a Google Maps aerial view of Tad Gormley Stadium
and the practice track.

Meet Schedule

Field Events
8:45 a.m. — Men's Hammer (Women to follow)-practice track
9:30 a.m. — Men's High Jump (Women to follow)
9:30 a.m. — Women's Long Jump (Men to follow)
11 a.m. — Men's Javelin (Women to follow)-practice track
11 a.m. — Women's Shot (Men to follow)
1:35 p.m. — Men's Discus (Women to follow)
1:35 p.m. — Women's Triple Jump (Men to follow)
Based on entries the long jump, triple jump, shot and discus start times may be altered

Running Events
(in all running events, women will compete first)
9:30 a.m. — 3,000-Meter Steeplechase W/M
10:55 a.m. — National Anthem
11 a.m. — 400-Meter Relay W/M
11:20 a.m. — 1,500-Meter Run W/M
11:50 a.m. — 100-Meter Hurdles-Women
Noon — 110-Meter Hurdles-Men
12:15 p.m. — 400-Meter Dash W/M
12:45 p.m. — 3,200-Meter Relay W/M
1 p.m. — Break
2 p.m. — 100-Meter Dash W/M
2:20 p.m. — 400-Meter Hurdles W/M
2:45 p.m. — 800-Meter Run W/M
3:15 p.m. — 200-Meter Dash W/M
3:30 p.m. — 5,000-Meter Run W/M
4:45 p.m. — 1,600-Meter Relay W/M
5:15 p.m. — Awards and Presentations


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

TSU Track Set to Host Boston-Moon Relays on Saturday

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE ATHLETICS

Nashville, Tennessee – After spending the first month of the outdoor season on the road, the Tennessee State track and field teams will return home on Saturday for the Boston-Moon Relays.

Last weekend, the team was at the University of Florida for the Pepsi Relays and experienced good results, especially from Ashontae Jackson.

Jackson, a sophomore from Gordonville, Va., placed third in the women’s long jump with a career-best leap of 6.14 meters. She also had a better final than some of the best jumpers in the nation from schools such as Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Florida and Florida State.

 Jackson’s jump is longer than any other in the OVC this season by .24 meters.

Another bright spot for TSU over the weekend was the Flying Tigers’ performance in the 4x100. The team of Tyler Anderson, Royce Dates, Jordan Green and Michael Johnson had a top-25 finish in the event with a final time of 42.03 seconds.

The team of Flying Tigers’ run is the second fastest relay time in the conference so far this year.

On Saturday, TSU will host nine other universities including schools from around the area such as Lipscomb and Vanderbilt along with 23 high schools from the state.

The meet begins at 9 a.m. with the hammer toss and continues with the running events starting at 9:30 a.m. The meet will conclude with the thrilling 4x400 meter relays at approximately 4 p.m.

List of Events

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets will play Jackson State on Sunday, too

Xavier senior Loic Didavi, the 2012 Louisiana Player of the Year, played
his final home dual this past Saturday. Here he receives a hug from his coach,
Alan Green, prior to that dual against Auburn Montgomery.

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's tennis team has added Jackson State to its schedule. They'll play at noon Sunday at the JSU Tennis Complex in Jackson, Miss.

Xavier's men already were scheduled to play Jackson State at the same time and location.

The dual matches will be the last of the regular season for the Gold Nuggets and the Gold Rush. Both will compete next Friday in an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament at Jonesboro, Ga.

Winners of the two-day event will receive automatic bids to next month's NAIA National Championships.

On Sunday, the XU women will seek their sixth consecutive victory — they would match their longest streak since the first half of the 2010 season — and the XU men will seek their ninth victory in their last 12 duals. The Gold Nuggets (13-7) are ranked sixth in the NAIA, and the Gold Rush (11-7) are eighth. New coaches polls will be announced Tuesday afternoon.


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