Undrafted Howard University LB Pough out to make impression

BUFFALO, New York  --  He may not have a prototype NFL linebacker body and his 40 time might be far from blazing, but Bills rookie linebacker Keith Pough is about as big an undrafted playmaker as you’re going to find on the defensive side of the ball. That’s why the Howard University product has lofty goals as he prepares for Buffalo’s rookie minicamp this weekend.

“My expectations are to impress the coaches enough to be an instant contributor to the team,” Pough told Buffalobills.com. “I know there are a lot of challenges in terms of learning the system and get used to the speed of the game, but that will come with time. My goal is nothing short of being a first-year starter and contributing right off the bat.”

Pough (6’2” 239) was the 2012 MEAC Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his career with an astounding 71 tackles for loss, 28.5 of which came in his sophomore season when he led the nation in tackles behind the line.

While he admits his defensive coaches put him in good position to make plays, he also made sure he did his homework for upcoming opponents.

“I pride myself on film study and preparing ...

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XU Gold Rush receive first-round bye for third straight year

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana earned a third consecutive first-round bye and its highest seeding ever Tuesday in the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship at Mobile, Ala. The Gold Rush will play at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15 against the winner of a May 14 opening-round match between Belhaven and Spring Arbor.
    
The XU men (14-7) are seeded sixth after receiving a No. 7 seed a year ago and a No. 8 seed in 2011. Their appearance at nationals next week will be their fifth in a row.
Copeland-Cox Tennis Center will be the site of all matches. All men's duals are scheduled for 9 a.m. The championship round of the 24-team, single-elimination event is scheduled for Saturday, May 18.
    
Xavier, Auburn Montgomery, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) and Westmont are the only NAIA men's teams to receive first-round byes each of the last three seasons.
    
A year ago the Gold Rush defeated Point Loma Nazarene 5-0 to become the first XU team in any sport to reach the national quarterfinals since 1973. Embry-Riddle eliminated the Rush 5-1 in the quarterfinals.
    
Senior Loic Didavi, sophomore Nikita Soifer, freshman Kyle Montrel and junior Viktor Svoboda are Xavier's top players. Didavi was fourth, Soifer 17th and Montrel 34th in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA singles rankings. In doubles, Didavi and Montrel were 15th, and Soifer and Svoboda were 23rd. Didavi and Svoboda both played for Xavier in 2012. Alan Green is in his 10th season as coach of XU's men's and women's teams.
    
The XU men will enter the tournament with 11 victories in their last 14 duals and five victories this season against ranked NAIA opponents. The Gold Rush have four victories against NCAA Division I opponents.
    
Xavier never has played Spring Arbor but won 5-4 at home against Belhaven on Feb. 28. In the coaches poll announced Monday, Belhaven was ranked 11th, and Spring Arbor was among others receiving votes and 34th overall.
    
The two most recent men's champions, Fresno Pacific (2011) and Oklahoma Christian (2012), no longer compete in the NAIA. Embry-Riddle is seeded first, and Auburn Montgomery — winner of six of the past 11 titles, including 2010 — is seeded second. A second-round victory could match Xavier against third-seeded Vanguard, 22-0 and the tournament's only unbeaten team, in the quarterfinals.

Tournament bracket  (PDF)

Xavier Men's Tennis at the
NAIA National Championship (3-4)

Date (Day)	Round	Opponent	W/L	Score
May 12, 2009 (Tue.)	1st	Oklahoma Christian	W	5-4
May 13, 2009 (Wed.)	2nd	Auburn Montgomery	L	0-5
May 18, 2010 (Tue.)	1st	Tennessee Wesleyan	W	5-3
May 19, 2010 (Wed.)	2nd	Fresno Pacific	L	1-5
May 18, 2011 (Wed.)	2nd	Vanguard	L	3-5
May 16, 2012 (Wed.)	2nd	Point Loma Nazarene	W	5-0
May 17, 2012 (Thu.)	QF	Embry-Riddle (Fla.)	L	1-5

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Top-seeded XU Gold Nuggets to play Wildcats or Mariners

NEW ORLEANS — Top of the bracket to you, Xavier Gold Nuggets.
    
Xavier on Tuesday was awarded the No. 1 seed for the 2013 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship at Mobile, Ala. The Gold Nuggets (17-7), No. 1 in the past three coaches polls after ranking 13th in the preseason, were one of eight teams to draw a first-round bye in the 24-team, single-elimination event. Xavier will play in the second round at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15 against Indiana Wesleyan or Coastal Georgia. The Wildcats and Mariners will meet in the first round on May 14.
    
Copeland-Cox Tennis Center will be the site of all matches. All women's duals are scheduled for 1 p.m.
    
The appearance at nationals is the Nuggets' second in a row and their seventh overall — all in the past nine seasons. But this will be the first time that the XU women have a first-round bye. The Nuggets are 5-1 in the first round at nationals and 0-5 in the second round.

 A victory would make this the first XU women's team in any sport to reach the NAIA quarterfinals. The Nuggets will need four victories to win Xavier's first NAIA national team championship. The championship round is scheduled for Saturday, May 18.

Junior Kourtney Howell, freshman Brion Flowers and sophomore Amanda Materre are Xavier's top three players. Howell was sixth, Flowers 31st and Materre 37th in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA singles rankings, and Howell and Flowers were the No. 1 doubles team. Alan Green is in his 10th season as coach of XU's women's and men's teams.
    
The Gold Nuggets will enter the tournament with a nine-dual win streak, and they're 10-0 this season against ranked NAIA opponents. They defeated fifth-seeded William Carey and second-seeded Auburn Montgomery on consecutive days in early April. Auburn Montgomery is the two-time defending NAIA champion and winner of eight of the last nine titles and 10 of the last 13.
    
Xavier defeated Coastal Georgia 8-1 in the AUM Invitational on March 9. Xavier and Indiana Wesleyan have not met since the Nuggets won 6-3 in the opening round at nationals in 2010. In the coaches poll announced Monday, Coastal Georgia was ranked 16th, and Indiana Wesleyan was 17th.

Tournament bracket  (PDF)

Xavier Women's Tennis at the
NAIA National Championship (5-6)

Date (Day)	Round	Opponent	W/L	Score
May 17, 2004 (Mon.)	1st	Lee (Tenn.)	W	8-1
May 18, 2004 (Tue.)	2nd	Auburn Montgomery	L	0-5
May 16, 2005 (Mon.)	1st	Indiana Southeast	W	9-0
May 17, 2005 (Tue.)	2nd	Brenau	L	0-5
May 12, 2008 (Mon.)	1st	McKendree	W	7-2
May 13, 2008 (Tue.)	2nd	Vanguard	L	1-5
May 12, 2009 (Tue.)	1st	Union (Ky.)	W	8-1
May 13, 2009 (Wed.)	2nd	Berry	L	3-5
May 18, 2010 (Tue.)	1st	Indiana Wesleyan	W	6-3
May 19, 2010 (Wed.)	2nd	Auburn Montgomery	L	0-5
May 15, 2012 (Tue.)	1st	Vanguard	L	3-6

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

Lamar State College-Port Arthur Woods signs D1 scholarship with NCCU Eagles

Kieran Woods

PORT ARTHUR, Texas  --  Kieran Woods became the third of three Lamar State College-Port Arthur basketball sophomores to sign a Division I scholarship, inking his letter of intent to North Carolina Central University on Tuesday.

Woods joins fellow sophomores Evan Sims and Ty Allen as every sophomore playing for Lamar State-Port Arthur this past season advanced to the NCAA Division I ranks. Sims signed to play for the University of Louisiana at Monroe while Allen will play for Tennessee Tech University next season.

Woods, a graduate of Crane High School in Chicago, joined LSC-Port Arthur this past season, starting in 21 games for the Seahawks. He averaged 15.6 points a game as a guard for the Hawks, hitting 49 percent from the field and 67 percent from the free throw line. His top game of the 2012-13 season came on a road trip to Paris Junior College where he scored 36 points with four rebounds and two assists. The 36-point performance is the second-best in school history.

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SU's Germany awarded Bill Walsh NFL Minority Fellowship

(COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS)

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern University co-offensive coordinator coach Chad Germany has been selected to participate in the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship and will spend this summer with the Minnesota Vikings during the team's Off-season Training Activities (OTA) and training camp.

Germany, who enter his third season as a member of the Southern football coaching staff, has been instrumental in the development of starting quarterback Dray Joseph, who was named to the All-SWAC second team in 2012.

The Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship is an annual program administered by the NFL Management Council and NFL Player Engagement.

Designed as a vocational tool to increase the number of full-time NFL minority coaches, all 32 NFL Clubs participate in the program on an annual basis. Specific aspects of the program (including hiring, salary and coaching duties) are administered on a Club-by-Club basis.

Participants are hired for the duration of training camp, including all pre-season games and clubs are encouraged to hire a minimum of four participants.

Germany, who played four seasons at Tennessee State University under the leadership of the late legendary HBCU coach Joe W. Gilliam, is a Baton Rouge native who also enjoyed a successful stint as head coach at Capitol High School.

The NFL established the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Advisory Council in 2012 to further enhance the idea conceived by the late Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh. Walsh introduced the concept to expose talented minority college coaches to the NFL’s methods and philosophies when he invited a group of minority coaches to participate in San Francisco 49ers’ training camp.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVESITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU Names Alumnus Sylvester Young New Director of Marching 100 and Pep Bands

Dr. Sylvester Young
Director of Marching and Pep Bands
Florida A&M University
VIDEO

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  — Florida A&M University (FAMU) has named Sylvester Young its new director of marching and pep bands.  Young, a FAMU graduate and former member of the Marching “100,” spent nearly 25 years at Ohio University, most recently as band director.  FAMU Interim President Larry Robinson made the announcement today after an extensive nationwide search process.

“Dr. Young is a talented and experienced administrator, musician and scholar who I believe will provide strong discipline, leadership and vision for the Marching “100,” Robinson said. “Dr. Young has had a stellar career as director of bands at several universities and I am looking forward to Young continuing the great traditions of the Marching “100" when we deem it ready to return to the field.”

“I am honored to be back home at FAMU and fully embrace the challenge ahead,” Young said.  “The Marching “100” had such a positive impact on me and I know firsthand what this band means to FAMU.  We will enter a new era of excellence for the band and I am proud to be leading the charge.”

Young has served as an associate professor of music since 1990 at Ohio University where he taught courses in marching band techniques, jazz ensemble methods, computer skills for musicians and instrumentation. 

“As chair of the search committee, we were looking for someone who has the respect of his peers, the experience and the passion to continue the practices that have made the Marching “100” a household name,” Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Rodner Wright said. “We are pleased with our choice.”

For six years, Young served as director of bands for Ohio University.  Prior to that appointment, he served as director of bands at Hampton University from 1982 to 1990 and Lincoln University from 1979 to 1982.

Young earned his undergraduate degree in music education in 1969.  He went on to earn his master’s education degree from the Bowling Green State of Ohio in 1970 and a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The bands he has directed have been invited to perform at many prestigious events.

In 1993, Ohio University's band was the only marching band to represent the state of Ohio in former President William “Bill” Clinton’s Inaugural Parade.  In 1992 and 1995, the Ohio University Marching Band performed for the Detroit Lions and in 1991 and 1994 for the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.

In his new role as FAMU director of Marching at Pep Bands, Young will report to the chair of the Department of Music and will oversee all aspects of the marching and pep bands.  He will also plan and direct the summer high school band camp and serve as the liaison between the Athletic Department, the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Music.

Young is scheduled toport to work on June 14, with an annual salary of $105,000.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY PRESS RELEASE

In the FCS Huddle: FCS vs. FBS matchups

Arkansas Pine Bluff @ Arkansas State
August 31, 2013

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Big Ten is preparing to end games against FCS schools.

 

Are they running scared?

 

Well, not quite, but FCS schools are coming off a banner season against FBS programs, winning 10 matchups - the most since 2003. Included was eventual national champion North Dakota State claiming an FBS win for the third straight season.

 

FCS schools, who are always on the road for the games, hope for more success this season. Three conferences - the Missouri Valley, Southern and Southland - have all of their teams playing at least one FBS opponent. Only the non- scholarship Ivy and Pioneer leagues won't get in on the fun and understandably so.

 

Following is a conference-by-conference breakdown of the FCS-vs.-FBS matchups:

 

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Ferguson, Williams leaving NCCU basketball program

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  N.C. Central backup point guard Drimir Ferguson and rarely used forward DavRon Williams are planning to transfer, each looking to land at a basketball program that will allow them more opportunities to demonstrate what they can do on the floor.

“Both Drimir and DavRon have decided to transfer from the men’s basketball program at NCCU in pursuit of more playing time,” Eagles coach LeVelle Moton said. “I cannot thank them enough for their determination, hard work and contributions to help this team to one of its best seasons in the last two decades.

“Both young men were a pleasure to coach, and I wish them the best in their future endeavors.”

NCCU finished 22-9 this past season in a run that began with ...

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Xavier Nuggets No. 1 again; national tournament is next week

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's tennis team will enter next week's NAIA National Championship as the No. 1 team.
    
The Gold Nuggets (17-7) received nine first-place votes Monday, one more than this past week, to edge two-time defending champion Auburn Montgomery by five points in the final poll before the national tournament. It's the third consecutive poll that Xavier has been No. 1. This is the first Xavier team in any sport to be ranked atop an NAIA poll.
    
The Gold Nuggets were 13th in the preseason poll and climbed to No. 10 — the first of six consecutive top-10 appearances — on March 5.
    
Also Monday, the NAIA announced the field for the national tournament. The Gold Nuggets were one of 24 women's teams chosen; they were one of 13 automatic qualifiers after winning an unaffiliated group tournament in April. SCAD Atlanta, a 5-3 loser to Xavier in the championship dual of that event, received an at-large berth.
    
The NAIA will announce tournament pairings by 5 p.m. CDT Tuesday. The Gold Nuggets will have one of eight first-round byes and play in the second round at 1 p.m. on May 15. The Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala., will be the tournament site for the 10th consecutive year.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 5) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Xavier (9) 17-7 309 1 2 Auburn Montgomery (3) 13-8 304 2 3 Brenau 12-4 293 3 4 SCAD Savannah 12-2 282 4 5 William Carey 11-8 270 5 6 Lindsey Wilson 17-2 259 6 7 Lewis-Clark State 11-9 256 7 8 Westmont 17-2 241 8 9 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 10-10 234 9 10 Oklahoma Baptist 13-10 221 10 11 Vanguard 11-16 209 11 12 Northwood (Fla.) 8-7 203 12 13 Concordia (Calif.) 9-11 187 13 14 Olivet Nazarene 16-6 179 14 15 SCAD Atlanta 7-3 178 15 16 Coastal Georgia 8-8 155 16 17 Indiana Wesleyan 22-1 154 17 18 Cumberland 14-6 144 18 19 Milligan 19-3 137 19 20 Campbellsville 11-9 121 20 21 Marian (Ind.) 16-9 109 22 22 Davenport 20-9 96 23 23 Southeastern (Fla.) 7-11 88 25 24 Lee (Tenn.) 4-7 79 24 25 Nebraska Wesleyan 13-7 63 RV Others receiving votes: Ashford 59, Bethel (Kan.) 47, Ave Maria 25, Belhaven 24, Northwestern Ohio 17, Robert Morris (Chicago) 16, Cumberlands 14, Hope International 10, Evangel 9, Georgetown (Ky.) 3

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

XU Rush fall to No. 6 in final poll before national tournament

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana dropped one place to sixth Monday in the final NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll before the national tournament.
    
The Gold Rush (14-7) traded places with Bethany (Kan.) after ranking ahead of the Swedes in the previous two polls. Bethany edged Xavier by one point.
    
Still, it's the highest ranking entering next week's NAIA National Championship for the XU men, who were seventh before the 2012 tournament and eighth in 2011. The No. 5 ranking in the previous two polls was the highest in the program's history.
    
The Gold Rush, in the top 10 for the 19th consecutive time, clinched one of 13 automatic berths to the national tournament by winning an unaffiliated group tournament in April. The NAIA announced the 24-team field Monday and will reveal pairings by 5 p.m. CDT Tuesday. Xavier is expected to receive a first-round bye and play in the second round at 9 a.m. on May 15. All matches will be played in Mobile, Ala., at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center, the tournament venue for the 10th consecutive year.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 5) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (9) 20-2 310 1 2 Auburn Montgomery (1) 18-3 299 2 3 Vanguard (2) 22-0 296 3 4 Westmont 11-10 279 4 5 Bethany (Kan.) 22-1 269 6 6 Xavier 14-7 268 5 7 Bethel (Tenn.) 20-1 252 7 8 Lindsey Wilson 16-3 244 8 9 Cumberland 17-4 232 9 10 Concordia (Calif.) 11-12 220 10 11 Belhaven 15-4 210 11 12 Aquinas 23-4 203 12 13-tie William Carey 8-5 187 14 13-tie Oklahoma Baptist 15-10 187 13 15 Northwood (Fla.) 12-5 176 15 16 Lewis-Clark State 7-8 162 16 17 Northwestern Ohio 13-7 143 18 18 Graceland 14-6 134 21 19 Warner 12-9 126 19 20 Pikeville 10-5 123 20 21 Olivet Nazarene 10-10 112 23 22 Campbellsville 10-9 108 22 23 McPherson 22-7 95 17 24 Davenport 18-7 85 24 25 Webber International 10-12 74 25 Others receiving votes: Indiana Wesleyan 58, Coastal Georgia 45, Martin Methodist 42, Grace 17, St. Francis (Ill.) 14, Asbury 12, Mobile 11, St. Thomas (Fla.) 6, Spring Arbor 5.

 

By Ed Cassiere, SID

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

SU's Joseph named to 2013 CFPA FCS Watch List

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On the heels of a career season in 2012, Dray Joseph is creating expectations for an encore performance 2013 that has one football group serving notice.

College Football Performance Awards, the largest awards organization in D-I college football, recently announced its watch list for the 2013 CFPA FCS Quarterback Award, and Southern University quarterback Dray Joseph earned a spot on the list. The preliminary watch list highlights thirty-two returning performers, vying for the top quarterback honor in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Joseph excelled as the unquestioned leader of the Jaguar offense in 2012 passing for  2,511 yards and 25 TDs. The West St. John product completed 58.5 percent of his pass attempts on his way to earning a spot on the All-SWAC second team.



(Courtesy Southern University Athletics)

Joseph punctuated his stellar season by leading the conference in passing average (228 ypg) and total offense (2,640 yards)

"Congratulations to Dray Joseph on earning a spot on the 2013 CFPA Watch List," stated CFPA Executive Director Brad Smith. "Dawson Odums has an excellent returning quarterback for his first year as head coach with the Jaguars."

All CFPA recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. All players are eligible for awards at their respective positions; players are not preemptively eliminated from consideration.

Currently, there are 111 CFPA recipients listed on official 2013 NFL rosters. More than 130 CFPA recipients have signed professional contracts, and twenty-one have been first-round NFL Draft selections. Past CFPA recipients include: Colin Kaepernick, Trent Richardson, Dez Bryant, Von Miller, Patrick Peterson, Earl Thomas, Blair Walsh, Dennis Pitta, and C.J. Spiller.

Last season, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel earned the 2012 CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy, while Harvard quarterback Colton Chapple earned the 2012 CFPA FCS National Performer
of the Year Trophy. Multiple award presentations were broadcast live nationally on ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, as well as internationally on BYUtv.

For more information, visit the Official CFPA Website (http://www.collegefootballperformance.com). Follow CFPA on Twitter @CFPerformance.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bennett College picks Florida A&M exec as new president

Rosalind Fuse-Hall
President-Elect
Bennett College
 

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  --  Bennett College has named Rosalind Fuse-Hall as its president-elect, to take over at the all-woman African-American private school in Greensboro in July.

She will succeed interim President Esther Terry, who has been in charge at the school since the departure of former President Julianne Malveaux last year.

According to an announcement from Bennett, Fuse-Hall has nearly 25 years of experience in higher education, serving currently as interim executive director of Title III Programs at Florida A&M University and chief of staff to President James Ammons.

Before going to FAMU, she was executive assistant to the chancellor at N.C. Central University. She has also been the corporate secretary to the UNC Board of Governors, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill and director of minority affairs at St. Lawrence University.

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Charlotte leaders fighting to keep CIAA in town

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  (WBTV) --  Charlotte leaders are committed to not losing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Basketball tournament. It has been in Charlotte for several years and has pumped millions of dollars into the economy, but recent complaints from CIAA leaders could make it difficult to keep the tourney in Charlotte.

The tournament is scheduled to stay in Charlotte until 2014. It's up for grabs after that. Charlotte has to rebid for the CIAA this summer to keep it in Charlotte until 2018.

Councilman James Mitchell has requested the city's Economic Development Committee to tackle those complaints and find solutions. One complaint is with the hotels. Leaders think the prices are too high and they think hotels are taking advantage of the fans. Here is what CIAA leaders would like to see happen.

"One solution," Mitchell said. "That we have had some discussion is to allow the CIAA to control the hotels - get the CRVA out of that business and turn it over to the 10 CIAA schools and let them manage their own hotels."

Another concern for new CIAA commissioner Jacqie Carpenter is ...

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Former VHS grad Farmer signs with St. Augustine’s University

OCALA, Florida  --  As the school year winds down, many current and former county athletes have decided on where they will continue their athletic careers.

 

Brandon Farmer, a former two-sport standout at Vanguard High, recently signed in basketball with St. Augustine’s (N.C.) University after spending one season at South Carolina-Salkehatchie.

 

“Going up there worked out a lot better than I thought it would,” said Farmer, who averaged 3.3 points and 2.3 assists in helping his program qualify for the NJCAA National Tournament. “I’m excited about (moving on). (St. Augustine’s) is in a great city (Raleigh) and I am excited about the opportunity.”

 

Farmer, who played point guard in his first year in junior college, will now have three seasons to play for St. Augustine’s, which is a NCAA Division II school and plays in the CIAA.

 

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WSSU Kicks Off Division II Football Schedule On CBS Sports Network

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Division II and CBS Sports Network have announced their regular-season television schedule for the 2013 football season and the first game on the schedule features CIAA Champion Winston-Salem State.

The six-game Thursday night slate opens Sept. 5 and features seven teams from last year's championship field, including two national semifinalists. Teams appearing in this year's television package combined for a 102-30 (.773) overall record last season.

"This year's package of games offers a tremendous representation of Division II football," said Frank Condino, chair of the Division II Football Committee and athletics director at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"The quality of teams and talent included is top-notch across the country. Featuring last year's national runner-up, a game at Cowboys Stadium and a matchup pitting the defending Harlon Hill Trophy winner against last year's third-place finisher are just a few of the highlights that make this lineup special."

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU will get more national exposure in football

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  I bet there aren’t a lot of Division II football programs that have received the national television exposure that Winston-Salem State has received and will receive.

Last season the Rams final two games in the Division II semifinals and the national championship game were televised on ESPN2. And now the Rams opener, scheduled for Sept. 5 at UNC Pembroke at 8 p.m., will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.                        

That network is available in Winston-Salem on channel 537 (TimeWarner Cable). The game will also be shown on DirecTV on channel 613.

What makes it even better for WSSU and for UNC Pembroke is that the game is on a Thursday night.

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Southern splits, eyes potential rematch with Jackson State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  If the baseball standings in the Southwestern Athletic Conference hold, Southern will head to the conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, later this month as the No. 1 seed from the Western Division and Jackson State as the top seed from the East.

The two will have some unsettled business when they get there.

In their only meetings of the regular season, Southern and JSU split a doubleheader Saturday at Lee-Hines Field, setting up the possibility for a “rubber match” should they meet in the SWAC tournament.

Jackson State rode the strong pitching of Alexander Juday and three two-run innings to a 6-4 victory in Saturday’s opener. Southern rebounded to take a convincing 10-3 win in the second game.

“That would be nice if we could play them in a tiebreaker,” Southern designated hitter Kevin Williams said. “We know what they have, and they know what we have. It would be exciting if we played them again.”

Jackson State (27-19) finished SWAC Eastern Division play last weekend with a 19-5 mark and has already wrapped up the division title.

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UAPB Golden Lions Baseball Team Earns SWAC Tourney Berth

PRAIRIE VIEW,  Texas -- As the season winds down, head coach Carlos James and his University of Arkansas at Pine bluff Golden Lions baseball team knew the job at hand; take care of business and a trip to the 2013 SWAC Baseball Championships would be in the near future, and that’s just what they did.

With a SWAC western division weekend series on tap, the UAPB Golden Lions also have to make-up the home series against PV that was rained out. These games count towards final standings and tournament seeding as well.

In the first game, the UAPB Golden Lions bats seemed to have a mind of their own as the team from Pine Bluff only managed two hits as Panther pitcher Johnathon Mata was credited with a complete game shut-out. PV plated runs in the first, fifth and seventh innings for a 6-0 final. Golden Lions hurler Jim Ploeger suffered the loss.

The rubber match of the first day’s offering was completely different. It could’ve been Coach James’ between-game pep talk or maybe the powerade. Whatever the case may have been the Golden lions bounced back for a 5-3 victory in 11 innings.

UAPB plated its first run when Patrick Phillips came around to score on an Isias Alcantar single in the third inning. Then in the fourth, the Golden Lions got two more runs when Kirby Campbell  crossed home on a wild pitch. Warren Stehn would score on a sacrifice fly by Cody De Mera.

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HU Pirates, Lady Pirates Win MEAC Outdoor Track Titles

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Hampton University men’s and women’s track & field teams both won the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T.

The Lady Pirates won their second straight MEAC outdoor crown and their seventh in the last eight years. The Pirates won their first outright MEAC outdoor title since 2003 and snapped Norfolk State’s seven-year outdoor winning streak.

The Lady Pirates also won the MEAC indoor title back in February.

The Hampton women tallied 123 points, beating second-place Maryland Eastern Shore by four points. Florida A&M came in third with 104 points. On the men’s side, Hampton scored 119 points compared to just 92.5 points from second-place Norfolk State.

Director of Track & Field Maurice Pierce was named the Most Outstanding Coach.

“This is unbelievable,” Pierce said.  “To win two championships in one year, in this conference, is a tremendous blessing. Both teams worked together and the men were able to feed off the women.

“These wins are an attribute of these two teams working together as one.”

Senior Benita Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa.) won the women’s 800-meter run with a time of 2:10.91, and she also took the 1,500-meter run title after running a season-best 4:38.83.

Junior Breana Norman (Virginia Beach, Va.) ran a 13.76 to win the 100-meter hurdles title.

The Lady Pirates also won the MEAC title in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:40.44, with senior Shantae Boney (District Heights, Md.), sophomore Le'Quisha Parker (Silver Springs, Md.), Taylor, and junior Malekah Holland (Brooklyn, N.Y.) running the race.

Parker was second in the 200-meter dash with a season-best 23.15, and Norman was second in the high jump with a season-best mark of 1.72 meters (five feet, 7.25 inches). Boney finished second in the heptathlon with a season-high 4,696 points, while senior Shaquanda Gainey (Camden, N.J.) was third with 4,439 points.

Junior Nichelle Harris (Rahway, N.J.) came in third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase after running an 11:33.16. Junior Teiara Denmark (Virginia Beach, Va.) came in third in both the long jump (5.88 meters; 19 feet, 3.5 inches) and the triple jump (12.29 meters; 40 feet, four inches).

Sophomore Edose Ibadin (Glendale, Md.) won the men’s 800-meter run after turning in a 1:50.60.

He was also on the 4x400-meter relay team that won the MEAC title with a time of 3:10.14. Ibadin ran with sophomore Chidi Okezie (Philadelphia, Pa.), sophomore Mohamed Labor-Koroma (Chantilly, Va.), and junior Je'Von Hutchison (Boynton, Fla.).

Sophomore Stefano Nardini (Milan, Italy) won the javelin with a mark of 65.62 meters (215 feet, three inches), breaking his own school record set earlier this season.

Freshman Trey Holloway (Chesapeake, Va.) came in second in the 110-meter hurdles with a season-best 13.85. Sophomore Sulaiman Fareed (Richmond, Va.) tossed the shot put 16.46 meters (54 feet), breaking his own school record, to come in second.

Okezie was third in the 200-meter dash with a season-best 21.06 and third in the 400-meter dash with a 47.14.

The top three finishers in each event earn All-MEAC honors; event winners are named First Team All-MEAC, with second-place and third-place finishers earning Second and Third Team All-MEAC honors, respectively.

The Pirates and Lady Pirates will return to action on Saturday and Sunday, when they head to Princeton, N.J. for the IC4A and ECAC Outdoor Championships. For more information on Hampton University track & field, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Final Results

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Track and Field Places Fifth at OVC Championship

Courtesy Tennessee State University Athletics

CHARLESTON, Illinois – The Tennessee State men’s and women’s track and field teams each finished fifth at this weekend’s Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championship.

 

The Tigerbelles scored a total of 92 points and were 53.5 points behind champion Eastern Illinois. The Panthers also won the men’s side with 222.5 points while the Flying Tigers managed 68.

 

Reigning OVC Female Athlete of the Year Ashontae Jackson was the only TSU individual to take home a title as the sophomore won the long jump with a leap of 6.08 meters. Teammate Clairwin Dameus came in second with a 5.85 meter hop.

 

Dameus and Jackson later paired with fellow Tigerbelles Quanisha Sales and Diera Taylor to win the 4x100m and 10 points with a final of 45.95. Then, Jackson, Sales, Taylor and Gabrielle Todd placed second in the 4x400m after completing the event in 3:45.74.

 

In addition to her performances in the relays, Sales also finished second in the 100m dash (11.91) and fourth in the 400m (24.79).

 

Ja’Lyn Burr and Angel Davis rounded out the scoring for the Tigerbelles as Burr recorded a second-place finish in the triple jump (11.87m) and Davis came in third in the discus throw (40.32).

 

For the Flying Tigers, Michael Johnson placed third in the 400m after a run of 48.80 seconds. He then teamed with Osafa Hippolyte, Jamill Jackson and Emmanuel Thornton to earn five points with a fourth place finish in the 4x400 (3:22.51).

 

Earlier in the day, Thornton recorded a third-place finish in the 400m hurdles with a final of 53.99. He missed out on first by just tenths of a second.

 

In the high jump, Sean Jenkins finished third with a leap of 2.03 meters. Fellow Flying Tiger Shaquille Cragwall was just behind Jenkins, finishing fourth by clearing 1.93m.

 

Royce Dates, who was just named the OVC’s Male Co-Field Athlete of the Year, had a hop of 7.43 meters in the long jump, which placed him third in the event.

 

TSU will next travel to Atlanta, Ga., for the Georgia Tech Invitational on May 10-11. The meet will be the final opportunity for members of the teams to qualify for the NCAA Preliminaries.

 

    Final Results

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern to host JSU in 1 p.m. doubleheader May 4

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern University baseball will host Jackson State for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Lee-Hines Field after the teams originally schedule contest Friday was cancelled due to rain in the Jackson, Miss. area.

Friday's game against Jackson State, which was set for 6 pm at Braddy Field, has been canceled due to inclement weather. Southern will travel to Jackson to play a double header in 2014.

Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader will air live on Downtown Radio 97.7 FM with the pregame show starting at 12:45 p.m.

Southern will host LSU-Eunice May 9-11 for one final tune-up before the 2013 SWAC Baseball Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas May 15-19.

 

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION