Three from Xavier are Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars

Chinedu Echebelem

Javon Mead

Devinn Rolland

NEW ORLEANS — Three student-athletes from Xavier University of Louisiana — Javon Mead (men's track and field/cross country), Chinedu Echebelem (women's volleyball) and Devinn Rolland (women's track and field) — have been named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars for the 2012-13 academic year.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education, a magazine based in Fairfax, Va., has sponsored the awards since the mid-1990s.

Criteria for the awards include being a person of color with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 through the fall 2012 semester. Honorees must have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution and have a demonstrated record of service to the campus or community.

All three from Xavier were chosen to the first team, with Mead receiving that distinction for the second consecutive year. They are the only Ashe scholars this year from an NAIA or Louisiana university listed in the April 11 edition of Diverse Issues.

Mead, a junior from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, is an accounting major with a 3.81 GPA and a three-time All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference cross country runner. He finished fifth at the 2012 GCAC Championships to help the Gold Rush post the first perfect score in the men's division since 1996.

This is the latest in a series of academic awards for Mead, who was a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete during the fall and a third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American a year ago.

Echebelem, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, and a graduate of Duncanville High School, is a chemistry/pre-medical major with a 3.79 GPA. She was first-team All-GCAC as a freshman and made the second team as a sophomore. She was voted MVP of the 2012 GCAC Tournament, which the Gold Nuggets won for the second consecutive year. Echebelem's sophomore statistics included 244 kills and 238 digs.

Rolland, a sophomore from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School in New Orleans, is a chemistry/pre-pharmacy major with a 4.0 GPA. On April 13 she repeated as champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the long jump at the GCAC Outdoor Championships. She has reached the A-qualifying standard in three individual events for next month's NAIA National Championships — 100 (11.97 seconds), 200 (24.52) and long jump (5.77 meters/18 feet, 11¼ inches) — and as a member of the 400 and 1,600 relay teams.

This season Rolland has been named GCAC Athlete of the Week in women's field six times and in women's track three times. She was an NAIA All-American in the long jump a year ago.

Xavier is one of 38 U.S. colleges listed as a "Best Buy School" in the 2013 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges.


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS 

 

XU's Jackson will offer skills camp for area boys in June

XU Gold Rush coach Dannton Jackson

NEW ORLEANS — Brandon Bass of the Boston Celtics, DJ Augustin of the Indiana Pacers, Mo Williams of the Utah Jazz and Al-Faruoq Aminu of the New Orleans Pelicans will be among the featured guest coaches for the inaugural Coach Dannton Jackson Basketball Skills Academy in June.

Jackson — winner of 226 games and four regular-season conference championships as head coach of the Xavier University of Louisiana men's program for the past 10 seasons — will conduct the camp June 10-13 at XU's new Convocation Center. The camp is for New Orleans-area boys age 7-16.

Campers will learn skills to develop footwork and their fundamentals. They'll receive daily prizes, evaluation, autographs and a certificate of participation. Campers will be divided into age groups and compete in 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 games and a skills contest.

Price of the camp is $195. Visit www.djhoops.com to register online or to download a PDF registration form which can be filled out and mailed. Call (504) 521-7849 for more information.

Driving directions to the Convocation Center can be found by clicking here.

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

Loyola comes alive, ends Southern winning streak

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The Loyola baseball team entered Tuesday’s game at Lee-Hines Field having lost four in a row and knowing it had been eliminated from Southern States Athletic Conference tournament contention.

Seven days earlier, the Wolf Pack had been beaten by six runs on the same field.

But Loyola looked little like a team playing out the string.

The NAIA club from New Orleans bounced back from its recent woes to score a 7-3 victory over Southern, picking up the final five of those runs — and half of its eight hits — after the Jaguars put the game in the hands of their bullpen.

“That’s been this group the whole year,” said Loyola coach Doug Faust, whose Wolf Pack lost 8-2 at Southern last weekend. “We show up and play every day. We know we’re not going to get a berth in the conference tournament, but these guys appreciate playing baseball. We show up and play the game the best we can.”

The Wolf Pack (16-37) bring an 8-22 mark into its three-game series at Georgia.

CONTINUE READING

DONALD HEATH: Just another day for SSU football

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  The amazing thing about the firing of Savannah State football coach Steve Davenport on Wednesday was that nobody seemed to think anything was out of the ordinary.

No press conference. No explanation from the school.

A six-paragraph press release arrived via email at 4:59 p.m., probably a minute before everyone at the school raced out the door.

It was the second or third sports story covered by local television news, trumped by the Heritage golf tournament — which hadn’t started yet.

No story from The Associated Press.

Just another day for Savannah State football.

If you have no expectations, you’ll never be disappointed.

CONTINUE READING

Virginia State Captures 2013 CIAA Golf Championship Title

FORT LEE, VA - Virginia State University shot and 18-over 594 as a team to run away with the 2013 CIAA Golf Championship held at The Cardinal Golf Club in Fort Lee, Va.

Heading into day two of the Championships, the Trojans enjoyed a 16 shot advantage over Virginia Union and an 18 shot advantage over Chowan University, and they never let up as the lead increased to a whopping 34 shot lead.

The VSU Trojans finished with a two day total of 594 (+18), while the Hawks of Chowan University finished in second with a total of 628 (+52). Virginia Union was third with a tow day total of 638 (+62), and defending champion, Fayetteville State (648, +72), finished a distant fourth, 54 shots behind the VSU Trojans.

Coaches, players and fans were treated to some wonderful golf, as the student-athletes produced some great shots and even better scores on the final day of competition.

Virginia State's win was team dominant, as they placed six golfers within eight shots of the lead with Aaron Bryant (71-74-145) leading the way finishing second, and Omari Howard (74-73-147) finishing in third place. Benjamin Shields (79-72-151) was fifth, while Zac Smith tied for sixth (76-76-152) and Adam Clary (77-76-153) and Rashad Hunt (74-79-153) tied for ninth.

The All-Tournament team consists of Mason Simpson (VUU), Aaron Bryant (VSU), Omari Howard (VSU), Lawrence McKenzie (LC) and Benjamin Shields (VSU).


Final Team Scores Total Par
1. Virginia State…………….. 295 299 594 +18
2. Chowan……………………. 313 315 628 +52
3. Virginia Union…………….. 311 327 638 +62
4. Fayetteville State……….. 326 322 648 +72
5. Saint Augustine’s……….. 331 332 663 +87
6. Johnson C. Smith………… 342 334 676 +100
7. Livingstone……………….. 369 372 741 +165
8. Elizabeth City State…….. 404 385 789 +213

COURTESY VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Chowan claims CIAA championship

PETERSBURG, VA – The Chowan University softball team captured the 2013 CIAA Championship on Saturday afternoon in a 7-3 victory over the Virginia State University Lady Trojans.  The title marks the second in program history, with their first coming in 2010 in the Hawks’ first year as part of the CIAA and was also against Virginia State.

Chowan pounded out 11 hits over the course of the afternoon.  Leigh Ward paced the Hawks offensively with three hits and two RBI’s in the win.  Shelby Pendleton tallied two hits with Amber Matthews knocking in two RBI as well.

Alora Lincoln earned her 15th win of the season on the mound, and was named the CIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player.  She scattered nine hits in the contest and just two earned runs in the championship win.

Virginia State got on the board first in the contest after a Hawk error in the outfield in the top of the second.  Chowan quickly recovered in the home half of the frame, when Hannah Joyce scored off Tori Cragan’s single to left field and Ward’s single allowed Kelly Hardison and Cragan to score giving the Hawks a 3-1 lead.

CONTINUE READING

XU's Howell, Didavi, Rolland win GCAC's weekly awards again

Kourtney Howell

Loic Didavi

Devinn Rolland

ORLEANS — This is a familiar routine for Xavier University of Louisiana's Kourtney Howell, Loic Didavi and Devinn Rolland. All three are repeat winners of Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Athlete/Performer of the Week awards, this time for April 15-21.

Howell received her third award of the season in women's tennis and the seventh of her career, which extends her GCAC record. Didavi's men's tennis award is his second of the season and third of his career. Rolland earned her sixth award in women's field this season; she also won three track awards in 2013.

Howell, a junior from Cypress, Texas, and a graduate of Cypress Woods High School, was 2-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles to help the Gold Nuggets successfully defend their NAIA unaffiliated group tournament title at Jonesboro, Ga.

Howell, ranked sixth among the ITA's NAIA singles players, clinched the championship dual Sunday against 19th-ranked SCAD Atlanta with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 victory against 43rd-ranked Alina Tseplukhova.  Howell and freshman Brion Flowers climbed from 12th to first in the ITA NAIA doubles rankings this past week and increased their doubles win streak to nine.

Didavi, a senior from Cotonou, Benin, and a graduate of Lycée Jean Dautet, La Rochelle, was 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles to help the Gold Rush win a third consecutive NAIA unaffiliated group tournament. Didavi is ranked fourth in the NAIA in singles and 15th in doubles with Kyle Montrel, a GCAC winner the previous two weeks.

Rolland, a sophomore from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School in New Orleans, ran 200 meters in 24.66 seconds — her second fastest time of the season — to place sixth out of 22 runners Saturday in the LSU Alumni Gold meet at Baton Rouge, La. She finished ahead of 15 runners from NCAA Division I. It was the fourth time this season that Rolland met the A-standard for the NAIA National Championships in this event.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Gold Nuggets to conduct volleyball tryouts April 28

XU qualified for the NAIA National Championship
 in 2011 and 2012.

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will conduct tryouts for the 2013 women's volleyball season from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 28 at XU's new Convocation Center.
    
Current Xavier students and 2013 high school graduates are welcome to try out.
    
Prospects must bring documentation from a physician of a physical examination which cleared them for participation in interscholastic or intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
    
Prospects also are encouraged to bring a player profile or resumé, DVDs of volleyball skills and competition, and copies of academic transcripts and ACT and/or SAT scores. Free water will be provided. Contact XU coach Hannah Lawing at hlawing@xula.edu or (504) 520-7255 for additional information.
    
Driving directions to the Convocation Center can be found by clicking here.

Xavier's Gold Nuggets were 22-8 in 2012 and for the second consecutive year won Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship.

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

Southern 2013 Football Season Book Applications available now

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Season book applications for Southern University's 2013 football season are available to the general public, the university announced Monday.

Prospective season book holders can access a digital copy of the application form through gojagsports.com, Southern's athletic website. Fans can also pick up a copy of the form at the SU ticket office located in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

Southern has also implemented an electronic form for fans to submit their applications online. The online form is available at www.subr.edu/seasonticketapp.

The season book renewal periods will begin mid May with payments for season books being accepted in early June.

Five home games, including the Jackson State game on Sept. 28 and homecoming Oct. 26, highlight the 2013 home schedule.

On Sept. 14, Southern welcomes Prairie View A&M for its 2013 home opener. Following the Oct. 6 bye week, the Jaguars will enjoy a two-game homestand when they host Jackson State and Alabama A&M on Oct. 12.

Alcorn State will serve as the Jaguars' homecoming opponent on Oct. 26 before Southern concludes the 2013 home slate on Nov. 17 for the first-ever meeting against Clark Atlanta, where head coach Dawson Odums served as interim head coach in 2004.

For more details and questions regarding 2013 season books, contact the SU ticket office at 225.771.3171.

2013 Season Book Application (PDF)

2013 Season Book Application (Online)

2013 Southern U. Football Schedule

September

14 Prairie View A&M (A.W. Mumford Stadium) - 6 p.m.

28 Jackson State (A.W. Mumford Stadium) - 6 p.m.

October

12 Alabama A&M (A.W. Mumford Stadium) - 6 p.m.

26 Alcorn State (A.W. Mumford Stadium | Homecoming 2012) 5:30 p.m.

November

16 Clark Atlanta (A.W. Mumford Stadium) 6 p.m.

 

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Lee-Huntsville G Robert Langham commits to Stillman College

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  --  Lee-Huntsville senior Robert Langham always wanted to go to Stillman College.

He liked the Tigers' Tu
scaloosa campus not to mention its close proximity to his hometown. They also offered a solid business program, a factor of paramount importance to the stellar student.

The chance to continue his basketball career simply clarified the choice.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder has already committed to Stillman and plans to sign a national letter of intent Monday to make things official.

"Knowing I could play basketball there it was a great opportunity for me to go", he said.

The guard/forward averaged 14.2 points, eight rebounds and four assists as a senior. He chose the Tigers over offers from their NCAA Division II conference rivals Morehouse College (Ga.) and nationally-ranked Benedict College (S.C.).

CONTINUE READING

Albany State Softball Claims SIAC Championship

HAMPTON, GA -- Albany State softball faced nearly impossible odds after one game in the SIAC Tournament.

After losing its playoff opener to Fort Valley State Thursday, the Lady Rams refocused and rededicated themselves to winning. On Sunday, it paid off in a SIAC Championship.

The Albany State softball team battled through a loser’s bracket gauntlet of six games in two days for the SIAC crown, defeating Miles College twice 16-9 and 15-9.

The Lady Rams claimed their first conference softball championship since 2010 and will advance to a Division II Regional.

“It was a blessing to do what we did,“ ASU head coach Robert Skinner said over the champion cheers of his Lady Rams.

CONTINUE READING

PVAMU Men's Tennis Claims SWAC Championship In New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS  --  The Panthers capped off their dominating season against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents with a 4-0 win over Alcorn State in the SWAC Tournament Championship match on Sunday. The Prairie View A&M men's tennis team did not drop a single match against a conference opponent this season and came through with a win in a rematch of last season's championship.

Prairie View A&M University won its 21st Southwestern Athletic Conference men's tennis crown in the victory over the defending tournament champions, Alcorn State, on Sunday at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center.
 

The 21 championship titles is the most by any team in the SWAC. In addition, the Panthers pick up their second title in four years after winning the 2010 tournament. The Panthers added to the hardware as newly crowned SWAC Player of the Year Jackson Varney and teammate Craig Wiltz started things off in doubles play with a 8-2 win over Ernesto Santillan and Gary Amor.
 

SWAC Tournament MVP, Ronald Chidzikwe, put the exclamation mark on the match by defeating Amor during the No. 4 singles match-up. Chidzikwe picked up the win in two sets with scores of 6-0, 6-2. In singles competition against conference opponents including the SWAC Tournament, Prairie View A&M players combined to go 34-2. They did not drop a single match in the conference tournament.
 

Panthers head coach, John Cochran, was named the 2013 SWAC Men's Tennis Coach of the Year.
 

 COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

ASU Lady Hornets Win 4th Consecutive SWAC Outdoor Title; Men Finish 6th

NEW ORLEANS—The Lady Hornets entered the final day of competition trailing Prairie View A&M 82-70.5 and knowing they had a tall order to overcome for their fourth consecutive championship.  They were able to do just that scoring 126 points on the final day of action to pull out a thrilling 13 point win over second place Prairie View A&M.
 
“We are really excited about the win today,” Head Coach Ritchie Beene said.  “We knew we were going to need to come from behind today and we had talked about that in our meeting last night.  The thing about that is the respect I have for Prairie View, their athletes and their coaching staff.  But where there is a will there is a way and we got out here today and not everything went our way, but we kept fighting.”

The men had a solid championship finishing sixth in a close race with 89 points.  ASU was only five points from fifth and 25 points out of third.
 
 The men were led on the final day by three first place finishes.  Freshman Chris Amisial started the wins in the pole vault.  His winning vault was 4.15m.  What made the event really special was it was his first college pole vault event.
 
 Another freshman, Brandon Coombs was next with an individual championship when he came from behind to win the 800m run.  He finished the event with a time of 1:52.98.
 
 The final win came from Lee Thrasher, who topped a strong season with a win in the discus throw.  His winning throw travelled 46.49m which was a personal record for him.
 
 The lack of distance runners actually hurt the Hornets chances of finishing even higher as they had moved into third place, but did not have enough runners for those distance events that eventually caused them to fall back later in the day.
 
“The men really stepped up today,” Beene said.  “I am excited about what we are doing with the men's program.  We know it is not going to be built overnight.  I need to continue to teach them they need to be patient and we have to continue to recruit .  The field is so big and everyone is competing to get young men.  As long as our men stay strong, positive and work together we can get it built.”

The Lady Hornets trailed the entire day until the 100m dash when Brianna Scott-Glover's fourth place finish and Paris Thompson's fifth place finish handed ASU nine points and a 107.5-106 lead with just seven events left.
 
 Even after taking the lead, ASU was never really able to pull away until the 5000 meter run.  Going into the 5k, the Lady Hornets only led 178.5-171.33, but made the lead insurmountable gaining 10 points on Artrailia LeSane's third place finish and Paige Rankine's fifth place finish.  That gave ASU a 188.5-173.33 lead with only one race left.
 
 The Lady Hornets also continued their dominance in the 4x100m relay event.  The team of Jasmine Pope, Alexis Ferebee, Latrice Lee and Scott-Glover ran the event in 45.39, which was their best time of the season.
 
“Overall this has been an exciting weekend and I am so happy for these ladies,”Beene said.  “A lot of people in the SWAC are going to come for you, but there is one thing about it, if you are going to get a SWAC Championship right now you have to come through ASU.”

ASU will begin preparations for any athletes going to the East Regional which will be held in Greensboro, N.C., May 24-25.

Click anywhere on the image for more information.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Grambling pulls away for SWAC men’s track crown

NEW ORLEANS — Southern’s track resurgence will have to wait until next season.

Behind its strength — field events — the men’s team entered the final day of the Southwestern Athletic Conference track and field championships in second place but exited Tad Gormley Stadium on Sunday afternoon out of reach of Grambling, which earned its fifth consecutive title.

In three days, the Tigers scored 146 points, led by four individual winners. Keenun Guillory won the 110-meter hurdles (14.52), Akeem Williams took the 400 meters (46.19), Shawn Jackson claimed the 400-meter hurdles (52.87) and Grambling won the 400-meter relay (40:65) — a race the Jaguars were in contention for until faulty handoffs dropped them to third (40:84).

“We were determined to win this championship,” said Grambling coach Bertram Lovell, whose indoor team finished second to Prairie View A&M in Funerary. “I’ve got a thing I say: I’m not going to let anybody beat me twice. And I tried to instill the same thing in the students. That showed today because they were determined.”

Prairie View finished second with 130 points, followed by Mississippi Valley (117) and Southern (113).

CONTINUE READING

Southern women score 4th straight SWAC tennis title

NEW ORLEANS — Southern won its fourth consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s tennis title Sunday, but the school’s 12th championship occurred under the most adverse conditions.

With SWAC player of the year Demetria Woods sidelined with a non-tennis ailment, the top-seeded Jaguars faltered early against second-seeded Alcorn State in doubles. Southern had to win four of six singles matches to defend its title.

The decisive match at the City Park Tennis Center was played between Alcorn State’s Chan Rutherford and Southern’s Morgan Taylor, who until Woods’ emergency surgery late last week was relegated to doubles.

Taylor rebounded from losing a tiebreaker in the first set and suffering right leg cramps in the third to post a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Her reward? The full onset of pain as her teammates rushed her on the court, where she survived the final 10 minutes of the No. 6 match.

CONTINUE READING

XU teams repeat as champs, earn NAIA automatic bids

JONESBORO, Ga. — Xavier University of Louisiana's tennis teams posted a 6-2 victory against Milligan in the men's final and a 5-3 victory against SCAD Atlanta in the women's final of an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament Sunday.

The Gold Rush (14-7), ranked fifth in the NAIA, extended a school record by winning an eighth consecutive conference/group tournament championship. The Gold Nuggets (17-7), ranked first, won their ninth conference/group tournament championship in 11 seasons and repeated as champion of this event.

Both XU teams earned automatic bids to the NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala. It's the fifth consecutive year that the XU men qualified for nationals and the seventh time in nine seasons that the women qualified.

Loic Didavi, Nikita Soifer, Kyle Montrel and Viktor Svoboda won in singles and doubles for the XU men, who have won three straight and 11 of their last 14 duals. Soifer and Svoboda beat Andy Pullen and Colin Bumann 8-2 for their 13th victory in their last 14 doubles matches. Montrel, a freshman, won for the 13th time in his last 15 singles matches with a 6-1. 6-1 decision against Bumann.

Svoboda clinched the dual with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Caleb Fridell. It was Svoboda's 12th victory in his last 13 singles matches.

Didavi and Montrel posted their first shutout of the season with an 8-0 doubles victory against Sebastian Jonsson and Jackson Lenoir. In singles, Didavi beat Jonsson 6-1, 6-1, and Soifer defeated Pullen 6-2, 6-3.

Kourtney Howell and freshman Simone-Alyse Ewell won in singles and doubles for the Gold Nuggets. Howell and Brion Flowers, the NAIA's top-ranked doubles team, beat Lee-Anne Lingo and Amanda Morrow 8-4 for their ninth consecutive victory. Howell clinched the dual with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 victory against Alina Tseplukhova in a matchup of NAIA top-50 singles players.

Ewell and Amber Brown beat Tseplukhova and Katya Kiseleva 8-4, and Ewell defeated Marrow 6-3, 6-0. Amanda Materre's 6-3, 6-0 decision against Kiseleva was her sixth consecutive singles victory, and it gave the Nuggets a 4-1 lead in the dual.

The Gold Nuggets matched a program with their ninth consecutive victory. The 2005 and 2004 teams also won nine duals in a row. The XU women are 14-0 against NAIA opponents this season and 10-0 against ranked opponents. SCAD Atlanta (7-3) is ranked 19th.

Both the Gold Rush and the Gold Nuggets will receive first-round byes at nationals and play second-round duals May 15. The tournament, which consists of 24 men's and 24 women's teams, will conclude May 18.

All of the XU appearances at nationals and all but one of the championships have occurred under Alan Green, who is in his 10th season as coach of the Rush and Nuggets.

Sunday's two championships give Xavier a school-record-tying nine on the conference/group level for the 2012-13 academic year. It's also the second consecutive year that XU qualified seven teams for nationals.

Results: Men Women


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

SC State Tennis Teams Sweep MEAC Titles

RALEIGH, NC — The South Carolina State tennis teams captured the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's & Women's Tennis Championship title Sunday at Millbrook Tennis Center in Raleigh N.C.

The Lady Bulldogs defeated Morgan State, 4-3, for their ninth consecutive and the 10^th overall, while the men captured their sixth consecutive and 11^th overall for the Bulldogs with a, 4-1, victory over Florida A&M.

“To win nine straight MEAC Championships, while not losing a conference match in nine years is quite an accomplishment,” said Judge. “We fought so hard all year through injuries and adversity, but I am so proud of the way our kids responded by playing like champions.”

The Lady Bulldogs jumped out early on to claim the doubles point at the number one and three positions. SC States' Laura Bosneag and Victoriia Khatcei topped Morgan State's Arina Alilueva and Jasmine Edwards, 8-3, to earn the first point of the day.

South Carolina State went up 3-0 with two quick wins at the number three and five positions in singles play. Morgan State battled back earning victories at the two and four spots. Morgan State's number one, Ekaterina Iakovleva, tied the match (3-3) with a 6-4, 6-4 win over MEAC Player of the Year senior Maria Craciun.

Senior Laura Bosneag would not be denied as she closed out the match with the winning point of a thrilling three-set win over MSU's Jasmine Edwards. Bosneag capturing her fourth straight league crown lost the first set, 7-6, but took the next two sets 6-0, 6-0 to help the Lady Bulldogs secure the title.

Sophomore Victoriia Khatcei was named Outstanding Performer while head coach Hardeep Judge was named Outstanding Coach. Khatcei recorded a 3-0 record in singles play and a 3-0 mark in doubles action to win the honor. Judge was named the Outstanding Coach for the ninth time in his career on the women's side.

Meanwhile on the men's side, the Rattlers of FAMU took an early 1-0 lead over South Carolina State with wins at the number one and three doubles positions.

Judge stated, “We came out very flat and lost the doubles point in 30 minutes, but really fought back today and used our past experience to weather the storm.”

SC State remain calmed despite being down to regain control of the match as, senior Anton Protsenko defeated FAMU's Chidi Gabril to earn their first point of the day. Senior Peteris Vinogradovs and junior Artemiy Nikitin followed with wins at the third and fourth spots to put South Carolina State up 3-2.

Freshman Marius Dragoi was the deciding factor down the stretch battling back to defeat Temuera Asafu-Adjaye to win the team's fourth point and secure the title. Dragoi fought back from being down a set, and one game from losing the match, to win 4-6, 7-5, and 6-0.

Nikitin, who tallied a 3-0 mark in singles play, was named Outstanding Performer while head coach Hardeep Judge was named Men's Outstanding Coach for the ninth time in his career.

“Our strength and conditioning program really has played off for us and thank the entire staff especially Coach Erby for giving the guys support today on the court,” said the Bulldog coach. “Suzanna and I really worked hard with the women's team this year and to see that it paid off is very satisfying.”

Judge with nearly 400 career wins has captured his 18^th MEAC Championship overall for both teams during his 12-year tenure as coach.

With the wins, South Carolina State men and women receive the conference's automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Tennis Championship. The Division I Tennis Selection Show will air Tuesday, April 30 at 5:00 p.m. for the men and 5:30 for the women on NCAA.com.
 
FAMU vs SCSU Championship Match Stats


SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATION

Hampton Tabs Weatherington As New Volleyball Coach

Karen Weatherington

HAMPTON, Va. – Karen Weatherington has been named the new head coach of the Hampton University volleyball program, the Department of Athletics announced on Wednesday. She comes to Hampton from Kennesaw State, where she served in the same capacity for four years.

In her four years at Kennesaw State, Weatherington compiled a record of 63-56 (.529), and she won a single-season school record 17 matches twice (2009, 2010). Kennesaw State’s .607 winning percentage in 2010 is the best in that program’s history.

The Owls made three straight Atlantic Sun Tournament appearances under Weatherington.

This past season, Weatherington led Kennesaw State to a 16-17 record – after the Owls went 13-16 in 2011, advancing to the conference tournament after going 8-5 in league play.

The Owls’ best season under Weatherington came in 2010, when Kennesaw State went 17-11 overall and 9-1 in the Atlantic Sun. Weatherington was named the A-Sun Coach of the Year, and she oversaw Kennesaw State’s first-ever First Team All-A-Sun selection in Sabrita Gulley.

Kennesaw State won eight straight matches that season, including seven in a row in league play.

Weatherington led Kennesaw State to a 17-12 mark in 2009, her first season at the helm, recording the first winning season in Owls history. Kennesaw State also made it to the A-Sun Tournament that season, its first year of eligibility in the conference.

Prior to her stint at Kennesaw State, Weatherington spent six years on the staff at Butler, including the last four as associate head coach. Butler was 90-86 during her time, and Weatherington was primarily responsible for recruiting and working with the team’s middle blockers.

In 2008, Butler was second in the Horizon League with 2.31 blocks per set.

Prior to her time at Butler, Weatherington served as an assistant at Clemson, as well as Duke and Iowa State.

Weatherington graduates from New Mexico State University in 1998 with degrees in journalism and psychology. She was also an assistant for her alma mater, while also competing overseas, playing in such countries as Russia, Finland, and Sweden.

She takes over a Lady Pirates program that tied a program Div. I record with 19 wins last season, advancing to the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament for the second straight year. Hampton boasted two All-MEAC performers in 2012 – sophomore Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) and junior Bibiany Fonseca (Uberlandia, Brazil).

Hampton was also led by sophomore Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic), who was among the nation’s best in several statistical categories and was named to the MEAC’s All-Tournament Team. She was third in the nation in points, fifth in service aces, and sixth in kills.

For more information on Hampton University volleyball, 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

ASU Hornets Pick Up Pace In Final Scrimmage

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  In the final spring scrimmage the Alabama University Hornets picked the pace up on both sides of the ball for 81 plays and 233 offensive yards.

“The guys were most definitely aggressive and played with a lot energy,” said head coach Reggie Barlow. “When we are moving the ball and playing fast we are going to have opportunities to do some good things. We did that starting out and we are pleased about that.”

The offense jumped out in the first series of the scrimmage picking up a 50 yard touchdown on a Daniel Duhart pass to Malcolm Cyrus in four plays.

“We had some big plays out of Cyrus today and he did a good job for us,” Barlow said. “He not only did a good job for us in the running game but as well as in the passing game.”

Defense in turn forced the offense to punt seven times and turned the ball over on downs three times before allowing the offense to pick up a 40 yard touchdown again from Duhart but this time to the 6-4, 195 junior Darren Daniel.

On a big defensive stop at the one yard line Ka'Ra Stewart intercepted the ball to keep the offense from scoring for a third time. That didn't stop the offense at all they went on to score a 20 yard touchdown in the first play of the next series on a Duhart pass to Jarrett Neely. The scrimmage ended on a final touchdown by Andre Kincey who rushed for 20 yards to get the score.

“I felt that defense did some good things today,” said Barlow. “We had some big stops and a couple of turn overs. We did some red zone work and some three and outs. We always want to limit big plays and we only had two today, but over all I thought they did some good things.”

For the second week in a row Duhart led the quarterbacks with 111 yards and went 6-10 on the day, owning all three of the passing touchdowns.

Kincey led the lead for the rushers running nine times for 41 yards. Cyrus had 21 yards and four carries, while Rodney Cross carried the ball four times for 18 yards.

Cyrus led the receivers with 55 yards and two receptions. Earl Lucas had one reception for 15 yards. Neely also had one reception for 20 yards.

Defense was led by Kourtney Berry with 10 tackles and one sack. Deontrelle Sillmon, Edward Mosley, Najee Bright all added four tackles apiece. Mosley had two sacks to add to his numbers. Willie Roller and Carlton Jones also added in three tackles. Roller also had a sack.

The Hornets will return to practice on Tuesday, April 23 at 11 a.m. leading up to Alabama State Annual Black and Gold game.

Alabama State football team will host events throughout the week for the fans and student community starting Monday at 11 a.m. with an ice cream schedule. For more information check out www.bamastatesports.com.


COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State Hornets baseball clutch in wins at Jackson State

JACKSON, Miss. – Strong pitching, great defense and timely hitting helped Alabama State to a doubleheader sweep of Jackson State in a Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division baseball showdown Saturday at Braddy Field.

Alabama State (26-17 overall, 15-5 SWAC) won game one 4-2, and the nightcap 3-2 to move into a first-place tie atop the division with Jackson State (21-18, 15-5).

The Hornets, who have won the season series over Jackson State in winning four of five games, will go for the series sweep Sunday at 2 p.m., with live radio coverage online at bamastatesports.com/showcase.

Game 1 – Hornets 4, Jackson State 2: T.J. Renda held Jackson State scoreless for 8 2/3 innings in improving to 8-0 on the season. He scattered 10 hits, four of them in the ninth as he couldn't quite get the complete game victory in walking two and striking out three, throwing 127 pitches, 83 for strikes. With two on and two out, Armando Ruiz came on to get the final out for his second save of the season.

Alabama State scored in the first inning for the sixth time in its last seven games. Leo Rojas doubled down the left field line with one out, and advanced to third as Richard Gonzalez reached on an error. Waldyvan Estrada's single to left field scored Rojas for a 1-0 lead.

The Hornets added three runs in the eighth. Gonzalez singled to right field, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Estrada. Dillon Cooper's single on the first pitch to left center scored Gonzalez to double the ASU lead. Dexter Price then hit an infield single, and he and Gonzalez moved to second and third, respectively on a groundout. Einar Muniz's two-run single to left center on a 2-0 pitch scored both runners for a 4-0 lead.

Renda's effort on the mound worked in concert with the Hornet defense. Renda pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam in the second inning, and Gonzalez threw out a would-be base stealer for the final out in the third inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Rojas fielded a grounder at third to start a 5-2-3 double play to end the inning, with Gonzalez throwing a strike to Price to end the inning, one of two double plays turned by the Hornets in the opener.

Game 2 – Hornets 3, Jackson State 2: The Hornets scored three runs in the second inning and made it standup for the win.

Cooper led off the inning with an infield single. Following a sacrifice bunt and a foul out, Muniz singled to right center field to score Cooper. Marcus Swint reached on a throwing error and advanced to second on the play, as Muniz scored all the way from first base. Amion then singled to center to score Swint for a 3-0 Alabama State lead.

Jackson State scored one run in the second and one in the seventh, but clutch Hornet defense and pitching proved to be the difference. Starting pitcher Joel Alvira (5-0) allowed just three hits and one run, walking five and striking out four in six innings. Despite the Tigers scoring in the second inning and having two on with one out, Alvira retired the next two JSU hitters, the last on a strikeout of Stephen Curtis to end the inning.

It was one of three two-on, one-out situations Alvira pitched out of in the game. In the fourth, he forced back-to-back ground outs back to the mound to end the inning. In the sixth, Rojas again started a double play, with a diving stop of a ground ball, quickly getting to his feet to step on third for the second out before completing the inning-ending double play to Price at first.

In the eighth, reliever Michael Estevez pitched out of a two-out, bases loaded jam by striking out Curtis on a curve ball to end the inning.

In the ninth, Jorge Pantoja inherited a two-on, none-out situation but slammed the door on the Tigers in retiring the final three hitters to end the game in earning his first save.

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UMES CLAIMS ANOTHER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Hawks top Pikeville 2-0 to win their fifth National title in the last six years.

LINCOLN, Nebraska - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) claimed their second ever xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championship (ITC) and fifth overall National Championship this afternoon at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Nebraska, solidifying themselves as one of the premier programs in the nation.

The Hawks topped Pikeville 2-0 in the finals, recorded for a tape-delayed airing in May on CBS Sports Network. It is the Hawks second USBC Collegiate Championship in three years and fifth title in six seasons.

In game one the Hawks fell behind early, opening the first two frames. After freshman Kristie Lopez (Puerto Rico) and junior Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.) both recorded an open nine count in the first two frames, the Hawks got going. A spare from Mariana Alvarado (Leon, Mexico) followed by a turkey from Anggie Ramirez (Bogota, Colombia), T'nia Falbo (Greensburg, Pa.) and Lopez jumped the Hawks back in the game. They would then spare and then post another turkey from the threesome of Alvarado, Ramirez and Falbo to secure the win. Senior Valentina Collazos (Cali, Colombia) would throw the fill balls in the tenth for some National Championship action.

UMES took advantage of Pikeville, who opened in the sixth. Despite marking in every other frame, they only tossed three strikes in the match, one on the fill and never doubled.

In game two the Bears jumped out on the Hawks again. Just like in game one, UMES opened in the first two frames. While they would spare the third and strike in the fourth, Falbo opened in the fifth and things looked bleak as Pikeville struck in the first and third and spared the other three frames.

While UMES began marking with spares in the sixth and seventh and a strike from Alvarado in the eighth, they were still playing catch-up to the Bears who struck and spared twice in the same frames.
Then disaster struck for Pikeville. An open in the ninth after a split that accounted for only six on the first ball and two on the second meant UMES was in it. They needed a strike from Ramirez. But it didn't come, she picked up eight and spared the frame, chances were slim. The Pikeville anchor, who had marked each frame of the match, then didn't. She tossed an eight on the first ball. That meant the Hawks trailed by 27 pins. A spare would force a deciding game three. She got one.

The Bears finished up with a 171. UMES was sitting on a 135 heading into the tenth. To have any chance Falbo had to strike. The anchor didn't miss. All ten came crashing down and that meant UMES closed out the ninth with a 145 and had a strike to work on in the final frame. A spare would do UMES no good. That would be six pins too few. Falbo needed another strike.

A week ago in Michigan Falbo had to have a strike to force a tie, she left the ten pin. This time she left no doubt. As the ball smashed the pocket all 10 fell and that meant UMES would need just six to tie and seven to win. Eight would work. Falbo got enough to win and the Hawks took advantage of Pikeville mistakes to claim their fifth National Championship in program history.

"We worked together all year long and came up stronger and stronger every time," said Ramirez.

"This feels amazing," said Falbo the senior and three-time All-American. "It's great to go out with a championship!"

Buja, the unsung hero of the group, was much more business-like in her answer to the generic `how do you feel' question. "I feel like we need to design a new ring," she said with a smile.

Ramirez, a four-time All-America selection relished the fact that her collegiate career ends with a win. "So few people get to go out with a win, to go out on top, what a great way to end a great experience," she said. "My last day of collegiate bowling couldn't be any more perfect."

The trio has helped account for four of the program's five National Championships and will go down as some of the greatest athletes to ever grace the Princess Anne, Md. campus.

"These young ladies are so special," said head coach Kristina Frahm. "I have bowled with them, coached them, and been their friend and teammate. To accomplish what they have is nothing short of incredible. The team is so phenomenal. A National Championship in each of the last three years, wow, what a feat."

What a feat indeed.

Photo Gallery

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

Cameron highlights 2013 Albany Sports Hall of Fame class

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Albany State men's basketball coach Chris Cameron says when he went to proms and basketball games at the Albany Civic Center, he would always gaze at the names on the wall of the Albany Sports Hall of Fame inductees.

Now Cameron's name will be among them.

Cameron will be a member of the Albany Sports Hall of Fame 2013 induction class.

The Albany State coach played his high school ball at Dougherty before playing at Tulane University.  While with the Green Wave, Cameron led the team to 4 straight postseason tournaments, including an NIT Final Four appearance in 1996.

He then went on to play professional basketball all over the world.

But Cameron says his journey to the hall of fame began right back here in Albany with his late coach at Dougherty, Charlie Givens.



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JCSU Women's Track and Field wins the 2013 CIAA Outdoor Championship

JCSU women's track and field wins the 2013 CIAA Outdoor Championship;
their second title in three seasons
ROSTER
(Click on photo to enlarge)

Petersburg, VA – The Johnson C. Smith University women's outdoor track and field team captured their second crown in three years on the final day of the 2013 CIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Rogers Stadium on the campus of Virginia State University on Saturday, April 20th.

JCSU scored 146.50 points to claim first place. Winston-Salem State was second with 108 points and Virginia State was third with 101 points.

Sophomore Samantha Elliott (Kingston, Jamaica) was the women's track most outstanding performer after winning the 100 hurdles and the 400 hurdles. She also finished third in the 100 dash and the 200 dash.

Kendall Reynolds of Bowie State and Tajanel McNeil of Winston-Salem State shared women's field most outstanding performer honors. Reynolds won the triple jump and was second in the long jump. McNeil was second in the triple jump, third in the high jump and fifth in the long jump.

The Golden Bulls produced 29 team points on day one off of the field events. Sophomore Imeshia Jones (Reidsville, NC), senior LaQwesha Gamble (Winter Haven, FL), and junior Shaquitta Anderson (Orangeburg, SC) finished first, second, and third, respectively in the javelin throw. Jones won the event with a throw of 38.55m in the final. Their finishes added 24 team points to the total score.

Jones also took fourth place in the shot put with a toss of 11.81m; collecting five more team points.

In the high jump, senior Xahnn-Georgia Reid (Clarendon, Jamaica) added eight points with a jump of 1,58m for second place overall. Gamble finished tied for sixth in the same event, measuring in at 1.43m. Placing sixth earned 1.5 towards the team score.

JCSU dominated the 100m hurdles with finishes of first, second, fourth, and fifth. Elliott took first (13.44), followed by junior Danielle Williams (13.65), sophomore Monique Lovelock (14.49), and senior Naffene Briscoe (14.51). Those four finishes tallied 27 points for the team.

Elliott and Williams led Johnson C. Smith to six victories in the women's events. Williams won the 100 dash (11.43) and 200 dash (23.56) in addition to Elliott winning both hurdles races. Williams is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the 100m and unbeaten in the event this season. The Golden Bulls had 23 team points off the four competitors in the 200m.

Freshman Tovea Jenkins (St. James, Jamaica) placed fourth in the 400m with a time of 55.29, adding five points.

The foursome of Briscoe, Williams, freshman Trudy-Ann Richards (St. Thomas, Jamaica) and Lovelock were victorious in the 4x100 relay (45.31). The combination of Briscoe, Jenkins, Richards, and junior A'Tyan Kennedy (York, SC) placed third in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:53.31. Those two events contributed 16 team points to the total.

This is the second women's outdoor conference championship and the first since 2011. Head coach Lennox Graham was also honored as the women's outdoor coach of the year this season.

The Golden Bulls will compete again at the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia, PA. The event will be held at Franklin Field on Thursday, April 25 thru Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Complete Results

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU's Offense Wins Blue/White Game 36-25

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  Tennessee State football closed out the spring on Saturday afternoon at Hale Stadium as the Blue (offense) defeated the White (defense) 36-25.

Quarterbacks Holt Claiborne and Ryan Turnage split time behind center as Claiborne was 14-of-28 for 165 yards and a touchdown, while Turnage finished the day 11-of-16 for 141 yards and a TD.

TSU ran for only 29 yards on 29 carries. Darion Hall led all running backs with 16 yards on seven carries.

Tight end Wesley Samuels was the leading receiver with six catches for 58 yards. Freshman WR Levatiae Kelly was impressiive with 66 yards on four catches with a touchdown and TE A.C. Leonard added four catches for 43 yards.

Linebacker Mike West led the Tiger defense with seven total tackles, including two tackles-for-loss.

Both of the TSU touchdowns came in the second quarter through the air. Turnage and Michael Whitaker connected for a 37-yard score, while Claiborne and Kelly followed that with a nine-yard touchdown of their own.

The offense went into the locker room at halftime holding a 25-15 advantage.

The defense started the second half with a pair of three-and-outs, which earned them four points. Three points was awarded to the defense for a turnover, two for forcing a three-and-out, and one point for a sack and holding the offense scoreless on a possession. The offense earned two points for a pass over 15 yards and one point for a first down or a run over 10 yards. A touchdown resulted in six points for the scoring side.

The Tigers open the 2013 regular season at home when they face Bethune-Cookman on Sunday, September 1 at LP Field in the 15th annual John A. Merritt Classic.

Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers, Twitter @TSU_Tigers and YouTube 

2013 TSU Spring Game Program

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Xavier Nuggets' Rolland, Fakler stand out at LSU Alumni Gold

Catherine Fakler

Devinn Rolland

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Devinn Rolland and Catherine Fakler produced two of the Gold Nuggets' best performances of the season in the LSU Alumni Gold track and field meet Saturday.

Rolland, in the B-section of the women's 200-meter run, placed sixth out of 22 runners in 24.66 seconds and finished ahead of 15 runners from NCAA Division I. It was the fourth time this season that Rolland met the A-standard for the NAIA National Championships in this event, and it was her second fastest time this season.

Fakler recorded the Gold Nuggets' fastest time of the season in the women's 1,500-meter run, 4:43.92. She placed fourth out of 15 runners in the B-section of that event and finished ahead of 10 NCAA D-I runners. But Fakler missed qualifying for the nationals by less than 1½ seconds. The NAIA's B-standard is 4:42.50, and the A-standard is 4:40.10.

Rolland and Fakler were the Nuggets' lone competitors. The only entrant for the Gold Rush was Christopher Kennie, who finished eighth in the long jump at 6.57 meters (21 feet, 6¾ inches).

This was the final meet of the outdoor season for the XU men, but Rolland and other qualified teammates will compete at the NAIA national meet May 23-25 at Marion. Ind. The Golden Eagle Classic, listed on XU's schedule as an April 27 meet, was canceled because of resurfacing at that facility.

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