XU Nuggets beat NAIA's No. 1 team to win group tourney

2014  NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tennis Tournament Champions
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA GOLD NUGGETS

NEW ORLEANS -- Carmen Nelson and Kourtney Howell were determined to overcome deficits Saturday. They did and delivered crucial victories for Xavier University of Louisiana in a 5-3 decision against NAIA No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett in the women's championship of the Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament at XU Tennis Center.

The Gold Nuggets (15-6), the NAIA's No. 2 team, won a conference or group tournament for the 10th time in 12 years. It was the the third straight year they won their unaffiliated group. This victory earned them an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which will start May 13 in Mobile, Ala.

Xavier's 10th-ranked men lost 5-1 to third-ranked and unbeaten Georgia Gwinnett in the other championship dual.

Nelson and her younger sister, Brandi, dropped four consecutive doubles games to give Paloma Cortina and Chiara di Salvo a 5-4 lead. But the Nelsons ignored the deficit and delivered a 9-7 victory that completed a Xavier sweep of the three doubles matches.

"We just tried to come out intense and stay positive the whole time," Carmen Nelson said. "We hit a bad spot in the middle of the match, but we regrouped and said hey, we're not going to lose this."

Freshman Nour Abbes gave Xavier a 4-0 lead -- and improved to 14-0 in singles this season -- with her 6-3, 6-2 victory against Valeria Podda in a matchup of the NAIA's No. 2 and 3 players. But the Lady Grizzlies (14-4) climbed back into contention with three consecutive victories, two by 6-1, 6-0.

Howell, who clinched eight duals for Xavier a year ago en route to a first-ever national semifinal finish, got her second of 2014. After trailing 21st-ranked Judith van Fraaijenhoven 4-3, Howell won nine of the next 11 games and cruised home with a 7-5, 6-3 championship victory.

"I came out slow and wasn't making any shots," said Howell, a two-time All-American. "Coach got on me in the middle of the first set. That got my energy up. I finally got some momentum, then I took over."

Xavier earned its second victory of the season against an NAIA No. 1. The Nuggets' 5-4 victory March 9 at three-time defending national champion Auburn Montgomery vaulted Georgia Gwinnett to No. 1 the following week. But Saturday's match could end the Lady Grizzlies' three-poll reign and move the Nuggets to No. 1 in the next poll, which will be announced Tuesday afternoon.

The Nuggets are the only NAIA team to beat Georgia Gwinnett this season.

"We've had to play second fiddle to Georgia Gwinnett much of the season," XU coach Alan Green said. "We've been
looking forward to playing them again since they beat us in February. We were ready for this moment, and we played well."

Howell and Brion Flowers beat second-ranked Podda and Helena Korompis 8-1, then Abbes and Simone-Alyse Ewell defeated Ines Costamagna and Victoria Svennson 8-3. It was Ewell's 16th consecutive doubles victory, the last nine with Abbes as her partner.

In the men's dual, Georgia Gwinnett (17-0) ended Xavier's streak of eight consecutive conference/group championships. The only Gold Rush victory came at the top doubles flight, where Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer upset 18th-ranked Luke Morland and Nathan de Veer 8-3.

Montrel and Kevin Chaouat were leading their singles matches when the dual ended -- Matias Hatem clinched with a 6-1, 6-3 decision against Viktor Svoboda. Hatem and Bruno Tiberti won in doubles and singles for the Grizzlies.

"Our men gave a good effort, but Georgia Gwinnett was just too much for us," Green said. "They outworked us and played very, very well."

Green expects the Gold Rush (11-11), with six victories against ranked opponents, to hold ground in the polls and secure an at-large bid to nationals. It would be the sixth consecutive year that the Gold Rush reach nationals.

"Our men are one of the top 8-10 teams in the country," Green said. "We're capable of reaching the quarterfinals like we did the last two seasons. Depending on how the cards fall, we may go even further. With a little luck and us playing well, who knows where we could end up?"


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Saint Augustine's University World Leader Cato, Shaw Jr. Win On Second Day Of Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – World leader Roxroy Cato (Sr./St. Mary's, Jamaica) of Saint Augustine's University won the men's 400 meter hurdles in the college championship division and teammate David Shaw Jr. (Jr./Red Springs, NC) won the men's long jump college division at the 2014 Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Friday, April 25.

Cato and Shaw are the second and third St. Aug competitors to win at the 2014 Penn Relays. Shakinah Brooks (Fr./Raleigh, NC) won the women's long jump in the college division Thursday, April 24, with a leap of 19-9.

Cato outran Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme of Long Island University with a time of 50.70 seconds. Petit-Homme was second in 51.58 and Byron Robinson of Penn State University was third in 51.70. Elhadji Mbow (Sr./Dakar, Senegal) of St. Aug placed eighth in 52.19.

Cato owns the world-leading time in the 400 hurdles this year. He posted a time of 48.67 at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla., on April 4.

Mbow has the fifth-fastest time in the 400 hurdles this season among all collegians. He ran a time of 50.12 at the Florida Relays on April 4.

Both Shaw and DeJon Wilkinson (Sr./Summerville, SC) of the Falcons set career marks in the long jump. Shaw won the men's long jump college division with a mark of 24-5. He defeated Terence Boyd of Kentucky (23-10¼) and Richard Rouse Jr. of Indiana (23-6).

Wilkinson placed second in the men's long jump championship division with a mark of 25-10¼. Corey Crawford of Rutgers won the event with a jump of 25-11.

The Falcons' group of Daniel Jamieson (Soph./Windsor, CT), Taffawee Johnson (Sr./St. Ann, Jamaica), Burkheart Ellis Jr. (Soph./Raleigh, NC) and Jermaine Jones (Jr./Wilmington, NC) posted the third-fastest qualifying time (39.93) in the men's 4x100 meter relay. They advanced to Saturday's Championship of America finals. The Falcons defeated Cornell University (41.21) and Duke University (42.01) in the second qualifying heat.

The Lady Falcons' quartet of Shamia Lassiter (Soph./Chesapeake, VA), Ornella Livingston (Fr./Jamaica), Shakinah Brooks (Fr./Raleigh, NC) and Kandace Thomas (Jr./Canton, OH) placed second in the college division of the women's 4x100 meter relay with a season's-best time of 44.95. G.C. Foster of Jamaica won the event in 44.53.

The St. Aug foursome of Jones, Joshua Edmonds (Sr./Jacksonville, FL), Jamieson and Ta Juan James (Soph./Patterson, NJ) ran the fourth-fastest qualifying time (1:23.01) in the men's 4x200 meter relay. They will compete in the Championship of America finals on Saturday.

Ty'reak Murray (Sr./Portsmouth, VA) finished fourth in the first heat and 12^th overall in the qualifying round of the men's 110 meter hurdles. He ran a season-best time of 14.18.

The Falcons' squad of Edmonds, James Quarles (Sr./Washington, DC), Kevaughn Hewitt (Sr./Miamar, FL) and Cato finished 10^th in the men's 4x400 qualifying round. They advanced to Saturday's college division finals with a time of 3:09.25.

To see the complete schedule and results, go to thepennrelays.com. The prestigious meet will be televised live Saturday, April 26, on the NBC Sports Network from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. The NBC Sports Network is Channel 65 on Time Warner Cable.

The Falcons are scheduled to run in the men's 4x100 Championship of America relay during that time slot at 1:50 p.m. They are also set to compete in the men's 4x200 Championship of America relay at 2:45 p.m.



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FAMU Lady Rattlers Celebrate Senior Day With Two Wins

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  The Florida A&M Softball team rode the emotions of Senior Day Saturday to a crushing doubleheader sweep of South Carolina State, 8-0 and 11-2 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play at Lady Rattler Field.

FAMU (18-25, 6-4 in MEAC) won back-to-back games for just the fourth time this season, and their bats came alive in both ends of Saturday’s twinbill, as the Lady Rattlers totaled 21 hits in 10 innings.

Senior Brielle Gordon led the charge for FAMU, with four hits and eight runs driven in on the day, going 2-for-3, with a double, a triple and six RBI in the opener, followed by another 2-for-3 effort with two RBI in Game Two.

Denise Anderson and Kieffi Myrick each drove in a pair of runs in the second game, while Amber Fullwood picked up a pair of RBIs, one in each game.

Gordon’s 2014 classmate, pitcher Ashleigh Minter (9-10) tossed a no-hitter in the opening game, pitching five innings, with one strike out and four walks, while freshman Kenya Pererira (5-7) picked up the Game Two win, allowing two runs on four hits, with a pair of strikeouts and one walk in four innings. Amber Fullwood came on to pitch a scoreless fifth, striking out one the close out SCSU.



GAME ONE- FAMU 8, SCSU 0
In the opener, FAMU quickly built a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a RBI single by Fullwood, followed four batters later by Gordon, whose bases loaded, two-out double drove in three runs.

In the fifth, FAMU ended the game on Gordon’s three-run triple for a 7-0 lead, before another of her senior mates, first baseman Genesis Lopez, drove Gordon in from third with a single to center for the game-winning tally.

GAME TWO – FAMU 11, SCSU 2
The second game saw FAMU draw first blood again in the first inning, scoring five runs on four hits, aided by two SCSU error. Gordon’s one-out single up the middle drove in two runs, while a steal of home by Kieffi Myrick, and two SCSU throwing errors allowed runs to score.

SCSU (10-24, 3-8 in MEAC) scored its’ first run of the day in the second inning on Tiffany Harris towering solo homer to left for a 5-1 count, but FAMU scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 7-1.

The Lady Bulldogs scored their final run in the third on Cianna Burt’s RBI single, which plated Jasmine Greer, who reached on a leadoff walk for a 7-2 count.

FAMU sealed the game in the bottom of the fourth with four runs on four hits, and one SCSU error, extending their lead to 11-2.

GAME NOTE: In a touch of class, the FAMU coaches presented flowers to the three SCSU seniors, Kelsey Grochow, Tiffany Harris and Vianney Gomez, prior to honoring the five FAMU players: Bianca Torres, Genesis Lopez, Brielle Gordon, Christina Robbs and Ashleigh Minter.

WHAT’S NEXT: FAMU will host SCSU Sunday at 12 noon in the series finale… They will close the regular season next weekend at home against Bethune-Cookman in a three-game series.

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James Spady hopeful after first spring game as Alabama A&M football coach

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama---James Spady's smile beamed almost as brightly as the afternoon sun on Louis Crews Stadium.

The former Nevada assistant and first-year head coach was teeming at the thought of what could be as he answered  a reporter's questions, following the Bulldogs annual Maroon & White spring football game which attracted an estimated 1,500 supporters.
 

"The feedback was tremendous," Spady said. "All I've heard was, 'This is unique" and "We hadn't had that many people at a spring game'. I don't know. I wasn't here but like I said the feedback was tremendous. I feel really good about it. I actually had a good time today. It was a festive atmosphere. If that's what it's like on an April afternoon in spring football, oh Oct. 4th (the Bulldogs' home-opener against Grambling State) is going to be ridiculous and I can't wait.



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LU Lions Place Second in Shot Put Event at 2014 Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  –  Lincoln's Matthew Huckabee (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek HS) placed second in the men's shot put event with a season-best throw while the men's 4x400m relay team had a season best time at the 2014 Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Friday, April 25.

Competing in the eastern division of the shot put event, junior thrower Matthew Huckabee (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek HS) finished second out of 27 competitors. His second attempt in the event went 16.80m marking a season-best measure. He also competed in the discus event, as Huckabee placed 14^th overall with a mark of 48.27m.



Matthew Huckabee
COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Senior Keith Trammell (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville HS) placed 20^th in the college section in the men's shot put event. Trammell recorded 13.66m on his first attempt and then 13.67m on his third attempt.

In the relay events, Lincoln's 4x400m relay team of Mike Brown (Norristown, PA/Norristown HS), Miles Green (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute), Keith Taylor (Chester, PA/Mount Pleasant HS), and Kyle Edwards (Bloomfield, CT/Bloomfield HS) placed 57^th with a season-best time of 3:21.64. The Lions 4x100m relay team ran a time of 43.85 placing 77^th.

Lincoln will head to the Kehoe Twilight Invitational hosted by the University of Maryland on Friday, May 2^nd in College Park, MD for their next meet.

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Albany State Captures 2014 SIAC Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships

ROCK HILL, South Carolina  –  At the conclusion of the 2014 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Track and Field Championships, the Golden Rams from Albany State University earned their way to top team finishes in both the men's and women's competitions at Irwin Belk Track in Rock Hill, S.C.

The Lady Rams scored 229 points for a decisive win. Benedict's Lady Tigers finished second with 205 points and Stillman took third with 86 points. On the men's side, Albany State had 194 total points. Morehouse placed second with 159 points and Kentucky State earned 116 points.

Albany State's men's and women's teams capped off their overall victories with a first-place finish in both 4x400m relays. The men's team was comprised of Tabareyon Jones, Kyran Stewart, Sidney Buchannon and Jarrel Jackson. They finished in 3:13.88. Stillman came in second place after running a 3:17.85.

Benedict finished in 3:19.55 for third. Olivia Traylor, Mykeese Edwards, Irrion Conaler and Lanequa Borders ran a 3:52.14 for the Albany State's women's relay team. Benedict's Lady Tigers came in second in 3:53.21. Stillman's team finished in 3:55.64.

Final awards were given to the top performers of the meet, Jonnise Pierce (Benedict) won the Women's Track MVP Award. Krishanda Campbell-Brown (Benedict) won the Women's Field MVP Award. Jonnise Pierce also won the Cleve Abbott Award which is annually awarded to the male or female who scores the most points during the meet. Pierce scored 44 points. Albert Murrey from Albany State was named the Men's Track MVP. Javonte Brooks-Brown out of Kentucky State won the Men's Field MVP Award. Kenneth Taylor, Albany State's head track and field coach, was named the Most Outstanding Coach for the men and women.

In the 4x100m relay, Stillman College claimed gold in both the men's and women's race and Claflin finished with the silver medal in both races. Travis Thornhill, Jamal Rodman, James Bigham III and Josiah Nettles ran a 40.59 for first. Brittany Franklin, Euphemia Edem, Janae Jones and Alexandria Montgomery represented Stillman with a time of 46.57 for the win in their race. Claflin (40.74) and Benedict (41.46) finished in second and third, respectively in the men's relay. Claflin (47.96) and Fort Valley (48.07) went 2-3 in the women's relay.

The 400m dash was quick and close with Albany State's Tabareyon Jones (47.36) edging Benedict's Antonio Locklin, Jr. (47.43) for the win. Jarrel Jackson (48.23) took the bronze medal for the Golden Rams.

In the women's 400, Benedict took first with Stephanie Rhoden crossing the line with a time of 56.86. Clark Atlanta's Jerriyauna Jarboe finished second in 57.64 and Claflin's Carrie Byrd went third in 58.02.

Kyran Stewart (10.45) claimed the coveted men's 100m dash title adding 10 points to Albany State's point total. Teammate Untayous Benson (10.79) finished third. Claflin's Dennis Bain joined in the photo finish finishing in 10.62 for second.

Chamekea Davis won the 100m dash with a time of 11.57 for Benedict. Crossing the line in 11.93 was Albany State's Lanequa Borders. Third went to Portia Wilson of Fort Valley. Wilson ran a 12.03.

Claflin's Dennis Bain earned 10 points in the 110m hurdles crossing the line in 13.92. Benedict's Tre Adderely (14.94) and Morehouse's Jerraco Johnson (15:45) took bronze and silver.

Krishanda Campbell-Brown collected another medal after winning the 100m hurdles in 14.77. Makayla Jackson and Irrion Conaler battled for second. Jackson ran a 15.07 for second and eight points for Claflin. Albany State found their way to the podium again with a third-place finish by Conaler (15.08).

Darrell Jackson (53.70) from Stillman and Christopher Morris (55.89) from Morehouse ran just a tad slower in the 400m hurdles than they did in the prelims to earn the gold and silver medals, respectively. TreVonta McTyre (55.96) improved upon his prelim time and hurdled his way to a bronze medal.

Claflin's Makayla Jackson (1:01.72) and Eboni Smith (1:03.79) finished first and third in the 400m hurdles. Albany State's Irrion Conaler (1:03.61) picked up another medal with a second-place finish.

Albany State's Stewart earned another gold medal in the 200 and helped Albany State to sweep the men's 100m dash, 200m dash and 400m dash. In the 200, Stewart finished in 21.33. Claflin's Bain (21.33) picked up a silver medal and Benedict's Rodriques Flynn (21.88) won the bronze.

Chamekea Davis from Benedict took the top spot in the 100m dash and followed it up with gold in the 200m dash. Davis finished in 24.17 to lead a photo finish. Euphemia Edem earned eight points for Stillman running the identical time of 24.87 that she turned in during the prelims. Benedict's Stephanie Rhoden placed third in 24.97.

In the men's 800m run, Kieren Broussard picked up his second gold of the day for Kentucky State finishing in 1:52.52. Albany State's Albert Murrey (1:54.93) also returned to the podium to collect a second silver medal. Stillman's Chazz Mapp (1:55.74) took third.

Stillman College picked up 10 points in the women's 800m run thanks to a top finish by Sade Joseph in 2:20.22). The finish was tight and Jonnise Pierce from Benedict crossed in 2:20.31 for second. The bronze medal went to Albany State's Olivia Traylor (2:21.57).

Kieren Broussard took the top spot for Kentucky State in the men's 1500m run after running a time of 4:05.18 in the finals. Broussard was followed by Albany State's Albert Murrey (4:05.66) and Morehouse's Gerald Jones (4:06.25).

The Lady Tigers from Benedict continued to take gold in distance events. Jonniese Pierce finished first in the 1500m run with a time of 5:12.30. Albany State's Olivia Traylor (5:13.66) placed second and Denita Brown (5:18.96) from Kentucky State finished third.

Morehouse College went 1-2 in the 5000m run with Dahir Mohamed (16:20.02) and Shinaola Agbede (16:22.48) taking the top spots. Albert Murrey from Albany State placed third in 16:32.64.

In the women's 5000m run, Benedict College again swept the top three spots of a distance race. Astacia Watkins (22:47.74), Jonnise Pierce (22:50.57) and Mikarla Swann (22:51.97) went 1-2-3.

Tre Adderely was in a league of his own in the men's javelin. Adderely threw his best on the last throw of the finals. His mark of 56.33m earned 10 points for the Tigers. Paine's Adrian Caldwell placed second with a 49.32m throw. Ronald Williams (46.73m) finished third.

There were four competitors in the women's pole vault. Clark Atlanta's Ashley Ellis won with a cleared height of 3.05m. Raven Norwood from Albany State cleared 2.63m and Tuskegee's Quinetta Forby (2.53m) finished in third.

Andrea Fullmore threw the javelin 35.76m to secure the win and add 10 points to Albany State's score. Clark Atlanta's Tabia Wade (32.76m) and Benedict's Terae Sweeting (32.53) rounded out the top three in the javelin.

Babatunde Sanusi was the lone person to clear the men's high jump bar at 2.01m. He attempted 2.06m but did not clear it. Sanusi's win added 10 points to Claflin's team score. Malik Broughton won silver for Albany State. His last cleared height was 1.98m. Finishing third was Kentucky State's Troy Churchill, Jr., whose last cleared height was 1.92m.

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Lincoln Blue Tigers Win Four Races, Post 10 Top-Two Results at the Drake Relays

The Lincoln Women Sweep the 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800 Relays

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Lincoln's men's and women's track & field teams combined to win four races and post 10 total top-two finishes at the Drake Relays this weekend (April 24-26).

The Blue Tiger women claimed three of those victories, sweeping the 4x100m, 4x400m and 4x800m relays. In the latter two events, both Willomena Williams and Jhevere Hall were members of the winning teams. In the 4x400m, they were joined by Tamara Keane and Donna-Lee Hylton as the foursome won in 3:37.77. Meanwhile, in the 4x800m, Williams and Hall were joined by Ebony Rose and Monique Thompson to claim victory in 8:52.53.

The winning 4x100m relay team consisted of Judith Riley, Yanique Ellington, Kimberly Bailey and Janae Johnson, with the foursome finishing first in 45.59. Ellington and Johnson later teamed with Keane and Hylton in the 4x200m relay, with the foursome finishing as the runners-up with a time of 1:36.29.

The LU women also posted three other second-place results, including in the distance medley, where the group of Hall, Williams, Thompson and Marcia Harrison clocked in at 11:37.28. Thompson and Williams also helped the 1600 sprint medley team to a second-place finish, joining with Keane and Johnson to time in at 3:54.15. The other runner-up result came in the 4x100m shuttle hurdle preliminaries, as Shakeisha Miller, Juneille Barker, Nadia Harriott and Ladonna Richards finished in 55.64. The foursome did not finish in the finals.

The Lincoln men also had three top-two results, with the highlight of the meet coming in the preliminaries of the 4x100m relay. The foursome of Wesley Best, Romel Lewis, Romone Hill and Michael Ashley won the prelims with a time of 40.73. The group did not end up finishing in the finals.

The 4x200m squad came in second, with the grouping of Best, Hill, Ashley and Khorey Spalding clocking in at 1:26.16. Lincoln also turned in a second-place result in the 1600 sprint medley, as Best, Hill, Jermaine Blake and Neville Daley combined to finish in 3:24.81.

The LU men had two other notable results on the afternoon, including in the 800m, where Blake finished third at 1:53.12. Blake was also a part of Lincoln's 4x400m relay team, joining with Roger Blake, Winston Edwards and Ashley. That foursome came in sixth after clocking in at 3:12.59.

Up next for both Blue Tiger squads is the 2014 MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which this year will be hosted in Jefferson City, Mo. by Lincoln University. The three-day championship meet will be held at Dwight T. Reed Stadium next Friday, Saturday and Sunday (May 2-4).

Final Results

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Savannah State Men's Golf Moves Into Second Place in 2014 MEAC Golf Championship Tournament

TRAVIS ROE
5'7" JUNIOR
HOMETOWN: CUMMING, GEORGIA
Photo courtesy of SSU Athletics

Round Two Results  |  Round Three Pairings  |  Live Scoring 

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Behind some stellar play from Travis Roe and Brandon Neals, the Savannah State men's golf team moved into second place in round two of the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at Crosswinds Golf Club in Savannah.

Neals shot a 70 in round two to drop to one under par for the tournament, after opening with a 73 on Friday. Neals is in third in the individual race, behind Bethune-Cookman's Ryan and Leon Fricker.

Roe improved his first round 75 to a 69 on day two, moving to even for the tournament. He's tied for fourth place overall with Florida A&M's Kevin Parker. Roe eagled the sixth hole, and concluded the day with a birdie on 18.

The Tigers as a team shot 285 in the second round moving into to second place behind Bethune-Cookman. After two rounds, SSU has a 585 team score.

SSU's Scott Rogers improved in the second round as well, finishing with a 72. Trevor Podner and Joseph Barrows each took two strokes off their first round scores, shooting a 74 on Saturday.

The Cookman Wildcats maintained their team and individual lead through the second round with a team score of 285.  Ryan and Leon lead the individual race, each having shot a 69 in both the first and second rounds.

Leon leads the field in eagles with three. Ryan leads the field in par four scoring (-2), par five scoring (-8), and in birdies (12). Roe leads in pars with 26 overall.

Florida A&M's Justin Stills led the field in round two with a 66, after shooting an 80 on day one. The Crosswinds course record is currently 63. Stills' exceptional play on Saturday carried his team into third place.

The Rattlers have a two-round team score of 588. North Carolina Central dropped out of the running with a tough second day. The team dropped to a second round score of 308, after opening the championship with a 299.

Hampton University sits in fifth place with a 636, followed by Maryland Eastern Shore in sixth with a 670.

The third and final round of the MEAC Championship begins on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. The trophy ceremony will be held immediately after the final scores are brought in on Sunday.

The winner of the MEAC Championship will receive an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Regional Tournament May 15-17.

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B.J. Rowry helps Southern split with Grambling

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- First baseman B.J. Rowry will be among five seniors honored before their final home baseball game at Southern on Sunday.

But Rowry grabbed the spotlight a day early as he went 6-for-7 with four RBIs as the Jaguars split a doubleheader with Grambling on Saturday at Lee-Hines Field.

Rowry went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs as Southern won the second game 6-5 in 10 innings. In the Jaguars’ 6-3 loss in the first game, he was 2-for-3 with a home run.

“I’m just enjoying the fact that I’m out here,” he said. “That’s the attitude I took into game one and game two.”

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St. Aug 4x100 Men Run Season Best Time at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  --  The foursome of Daniel Jamieson (Soph./Windsor, CT), Taffawee Johnson (Sr./St. Ann, Jamaica), Burkheart Ellis Jr. (Soph./Raleigh, NC) and Jermaine Jones (Jr./Wilmington, NC) of Saint Augustine's University ran a season-high 39.19 seconds in the men's 4x100 Championship of America relay on the final day of the 2014 Penn Relays before a crowd of 49,103 at Franklin Field on Saturday, April 26, 2014. Saturday's attendance was the seventh largest in Penn Relays history.

The men's 4x100 squad finished third in the event, which was televised by NBC Sports Network. Only UTech of Jamaica (38.71) and Division I LSU (38.83) ran faster than the Falcons, who entered the prestigious meet as the top-ranked Division II 4x100 relay squad. Five Division I schools were in the eight-team relay.

St. Aug capped the prestigious three-day meet with two third-place relay finishes.  The group of Roxroy Cato (Sr./St. Mary's, Jamaica), James Quarles (Sr./Washington, DC), Kevaughn Hewitt (Sr./Miamar, FL) and Joshua Edmonds (Sr./Jacksonville, FL) finished third in the men's 4x400 college division relay with a time of 3:07.06. Only Indiana Tech (3:06.80) and G.C. Foster of Jamaica (3:06.98) ran faster than the Falcons, ranked No. 1 in Division II in the 4x400 relay.

The Falcons' foursome of Edmonds, Johnson, Jamieson and Jones finished fourth in the men's 4x200 Championship of America relay with a time of 1:21.91. The event was also televised by NBC Sports Network. David Shaw Jr. (Jr./Red Springs, NC) placed fourth in the men's college division triple jump with a career outdoor mark of 49-7¼.

The Lady Falcons' squad of Tia-Adana Belle (Fr./Jamaica), Cherrisse Lynch (Jr./St. Lawrence, Barbados), Brittany Brown (Sr./Akron, OH) and Akeisha Dumont (Jr./Brooklyn, NY) placed fifth in the women's 4x400 college division relay with a time of 3:40.82. DeJon Wilkinson (Sr./Summerville, SC) of St. Aug was eighth in the men's Championship triple jump with a leap of 49-2¼.

The Falcons were coming off victories in three events the first two days. On Friday, world leader Cato won the men's 400 Championship hurdles and Shaw Jr. took the men's college division long jump. Shakinah Brooks (Fr./Raleigh, NC) won the women's college division long jump Thursday.

The Falcons and Lady Falcons have won 34 NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor titles under legendary Head Coach George Williams. The men's team is the two-time NCAA indoor and defending outdoor champs in addition to being the top-ranked Division II squad in the nation.
    
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Tuskegee Defeats Albany State, Claims 2014 Softball Championship

2014 SIAC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERETTES
Photo courtesy of TheSIAC.com

HAMPTON, Georgia  — The Tigerettes of Tuskegee University defeated the Lady Rams of Albany State University, 11-7, to claim the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship today at Gerald Matthews Complex in Hampton, Georgia.

Tuskegee, the top seed from the Western Division, scored three runs in both the first and second innings to jump out to an early 6-0 lead. Both teams went scoreless in the third inning before Albany State would get on the board with a run in the top of the fourth, by way of a home run by third baseman Toni Coleman.

Tuskegee would counter with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth, before the Lady Rams would rally to score six runs on five hits, three of them being home runs, in the top of the fifth.

Tigerettes head coach Edward Colvin then turned to Latifah Kelly, the 2014 SIAC Starting Pitcher of the Year, to close the game. Kelly pitched the final 2.1 innings, striking out two, allowing one walk, one hit and one run en route to earning MVP honors and a spot on the All-tournament team.

Offensively, Tuskegee was led by third baseman Roslyn Thomas, who drove in four runs during the contest. Designated hitter Denavia Harrison (3 RBI's), shortstop Karisa Foye (2 RBI's) and outfielder Chante Warner (2 RBI's) each supplied multiple RBI's for the Tigerettes.

Albany State was led offensively by Coleman, who went 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs. Coleman and catcher Chaconna Marks were the only Lady Rams to homer, with Marks also driving in two scores.

2014 SIAC Softball All-Tournament team:

1. Latifah Kelly - Tuskegee University
2. Karisa Foye - Tuskegee University
3. Roslyn Thomas - Tuskegee University
4. Chaconna Marks - Albany State University
5. Chelsea Hicks - Albany State University
6. Toni Coleman - Albany State University
7. Markea Sheppard - Claflin University
8. Amanda Evans - Claflin University
9. Sabriya Brooks - Benedict College
10. Alia Williams - Clark Atlanta University

Tournament MVP: Latifah Kelly - Tuskegee University

Most Outstanding Coach: Edward Colvin - Tuskegee University

Third Place: Claflin University

Runner-Up: Albany State University

2014 SIAC Softball Champions: Tuskegee University

COURTESY THESIAC.COM

FAMU Splits Doubleheader at NCCU 5-8 & 7-3

DURHAM, North Carolina  –  Florida A&M (19-22, 11-8 MEAC) split a conference doubleheader with North Carolina Central (16-26-1, 11-10 MEAC) on Saturday at the Durham Athletic Park in Durham, NC. The Eagles rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the eighth inning of game one to win 8-5, while the Rattlers bounced back to take game two 7-3 while pounding out 11 hits.

Marlon Gibbs was 4-for-8 on the day with one RBI and three runs scored, including his first home run of the season. Bennie Robinson added three RBI over both games while hitting 3-for-9 and two runs scored.

Brandon Fleming (3-4) suffered the loss in game one for the Rattlers after allowing four runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Game two starter David Duncan (3-4) won the second game for Florida A&M while giving up three runs on six hits with four strikeouts in five solid innings of work.

FAMU grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one. Gibbs smacked his first home run of the season, a two out shot to give the Rattlers the early lead.

NCCU answered with a pair of solo home runs by Carlos Ortiz and Carter Williamson in the home half of the first inning to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage.

The Rattlers would tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. Gibbs led off the fourth inning with a single to left and moved to second courtesy of a balk from Eagles starting pitcher Kyle Shields. Ryan Kennedy followed with a groundout to second to advance Gibbs to third before Jeremy Barlow’s sac fly to left plated Gibbs for the tying run. After scoring the tying run, Florida A&M worked the bases loaded with two outs before Logan Seymour grounded out to third to end the scoring opportunity.

The Eagles had a scoring chance in the fifth as Zack Lee reached on an error to lead off the inning and stole second with no outs. After a pair of fly outs, Williamson was intentionally walked before Rattler starting pitcher Jarrell shut the door on the NCCU scoring chance by striking out Bryant Battle to end the inning.

Central regained the lead at 3-2 in the seventh on Williamson’s RBI single through the right side. Ortiz was hit-by-pitch and moved up two bases to third on a two-out single to right from Tyson Simpson to setup Williamson’s go ahead RBI single.

FAMU took their first lead since the first inning at 5-3 in the eighth. Bennie Robinson’s two-run blast off the warehouse building that is located beyond the fence in right gave FAMU the lead in the eighth inning at 4-3. After a Gibbs single, Michael Birdsong reached on a fielder as NCCU second baseman Jared Kehagias dropped the ball, for a fielding error, trying to catch Gibbs advancing to second base. With runners on first and second, Ryan Hutson singled to second but Kehagias second error of the inning, this time with a high throw to first, allowed Gibbs to score all the way from second base.

After falling behind 5-3 in the top of the eighth, North Carolina Central answered with five runs on three hits in the eighth. Simpson’s three-run home run off of the first pitch from Rattler reliever Blake Quillin proved to be the difference for final score of 8-5 in game one.

Just as they did in game one Florida A&M scored first in game two. The Rattlers scored a pair of runs on four hits in the first inning. Quillin and Robinson recorded back-to-back singles to lead off the game and Gibbs sac bunt back to the pitcher moved both runners up a base. With runners now on second and third, Kennedy singled through the right side to plate Quillin for the first run of the game and Birdsong followed with an RBI double off the fence in right to score Robinson.

The Rattlers pushed their lead to 5-0 with three more runs in the top of the third in what turned out to be more than the Eagles could overcome. Birdsong and Kennedy had back-to-back, one out, base hits and Kennedy later advanced to third on Hutson’s fly out to right. Kendall Weeks’ RBI single plated Kennedy for the third run of the game for FAMU. Peter Jackson continued the scoring with a two-run double to right, bringing home both Birdsong and Weeks for the second and third runs of the inning.

NCCU cut into the Florida A&M lead with three runs on three hits in the fifth for the score of 5-3. Kehagias opened the home half of the fifth drawing a four-pitch walk for the Eagles and scored all the way from first on Christian Triplett’s RBI double down the left line for the first run of game two for NCCU. Kory Wood followed with a triple into the left center gap to plate Triplett and Lee’s RBI ground out to second allowed Wood to score the third and final run of the game for Central.

FAMU increased its lead to what was the final score of 7-3 in game two with two more runs in the sixth inning. Jackson walked and Ferdinand Rondon singled to right with one out, before Quillin reached on a fielder’s choice to put Jackson on third as Rondon was out at second on the play. Jackson then came home to score on a wild pitch from Eagle reliever Morris Jones and an RBI single from Robinson later scored Quillin from second.

Cetnral reliever Jake Russell (4-4) earned the game one win for the Eagles, while game two starter Terry McNabb (2-7) was tagged with the loss.

Florida A&M and North Carolina Central will wrap up their regular season series on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @FAMUAthletics and live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com.

GAME ONE (HTML)      I     GAME TWO (HTML)

By Michael Morrell/Special to FAMU Athletics
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Stillman wins two games Saturday, playing for SIAC baseball title

OZARK, Alabama | The Stillman College baseball team stayed alive in its quest for the SIAC championship with two wins Saturday afternoon at historic Eagle Stadium.

In the first game, Stillman eliminated the Golden Rams of Albany State, 10-2, to advance to play Tuskegee. The Tigers then held off a Golden Tigers rally in the ninth inning to win, 8-7, and force a deciding game. The finale will be today at 10 a.m.

Stillman pitcher Tyler Vails, the reigning three-time SIAC Relief Pitcher of the Year, pitched nine innings, notching three strikeouts with seven hits and two runs en route to beating Albany State.

The Tigers’ offense came alive from the opening ...

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TSU Tigers, 11th Heading Into Final Day of OVC Championships

MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama  -- Tennessee State cut 13 strokes from their day one performance on Saturday at the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference golf championships. The Tigers remain in eleventh after shooting a 308 on the Par-72, 7,187 yard Fighting Joe course at The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Temperatures sat in the 70’s all morning and reached 80 by the end of play with the winds ranging from 6-8 mph, setting up good playing conditions for the second round. Jacksonville State continues to at 9-under and is followed by Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay. EKU made a charge with a 7-under, 281 to tie the Governors and close to within six strokes.

APSU’s Marco Iten took sole possession on the leaderboard at 8-under, with a 4-under, 68, performance. Iten holds a one stroke lead over Camilo Aguado of Jacksonville State.

Blake Burgett and Codie Welborn posted the team low for TSU with a 4-over, 76. Burgett (83-76=159) dropped five birdies and six pars as he cut seven strokes off of his day outing. Burgett relied on good putting, once on the greens, as he sank a 20-footer on No. 10, a six-footer on 11 and a 15-footer on 16 after getting in trouble off the tee. The sophomore found nine greens and seven fairways on Saturday.

Welborn (81-76=157) bounced back after a 9-over in round one to card three birdies and ten pars. The senior notched birdies on the par-4, 2nd, the par-4, 6th, and the par-3, 18th. Welborn hit a 3-wood off the tee down the right hand side of the fairway on No. 2. The Murfreesboro native left a 7-iron just short and left of the green to set up a chip in for his first birdie of the day.

On No. 6, Welborn hit his driver down the middle of the fairway and knocked a 6-iron to 20 feet of the pin. Welborn was able to get the right speed on the uphill putt as he moved to 1-under after six holes of play.

The fourth-year Tiger saved his best for last as he hit a 6-iron off the box to two-feet of the flag on the middle-back portion of the challenging par-3, 18th, just in front of a mound on the green. Welborn was able to tap in for his final one-under of the round.

James Stepp (81-77=158) sat at 6-over after 11 holes despite scoring six pars. The junior returned to his play with six pars and a birdie over the final seven holes to finish the day with a 5-over, 77. Stepp hit a 2-iron off the box to 116 yards at the par-4, 14th. The Cheatham, Tenn., native used a sand wedge on his second shot to three-feet of the hole, for an easy putt for his lone birdie of the day.

Matt Campbell (86-79=165) scored for the Tigers with a 7-over, 79, as hit continued his strong ball striking off the box with 11-of-14 fairways and 13 greens. Campbell carded nine pars and two birdies on Saturday. On the par-4, 2nd, Campbell sank a six-footer after hitting a wedge from 141 yards out. On the par-3, 13th, Campbell hit a 7-iron from 168 out to eight feet to accomplish his second one-under of the round.

Andrew Warner (76-80=156) continues to lead TSU, but did not score for the Tigers during the second round, as he entered the clubhouse with an 8-over, 80. The senior hit eight fairways, 13 greens and registered his only birdie with a 12-footer on 14 after using a gap wedge from 120 yards.

Matt Campbell will be the first to tee off at 8:00am on the final day of play. Blake Burgett will tee-off at 8:10am, ahead of James Stepp at 8:20am, Codie Welborn at 8:30am and Andrew Warner at 8:40am. Hole-by-hole live results from each day of the championship can be accessed through links at OVCSports.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

St. Augustine's Brooks Wins Long Jump at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – Shakinah Brooks (Fr./Raleigh, NC) of Saint Augustine's University won the women's long jump in the college division with a mark of 19-9 at the 2014 Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Thursday, April 24.

Her winning jump was one and one-half inches longer than Melissa Mays of Texas A&M, who placed second with a leap of 19-7½. Ariane Nelson of Indiana was third with a distance of 19-4¼.

Brooks was also part of the Lady Falcons' 4x100 squad which qualified for the college division finals with a time of 45.92. The other members are Shamia Lassiter (Soph./Chesapeake, VA), Ornella Livingston (Fr./Jamaica) and Kandace Thomas (Jr./Canton, OH). They are ranked second nationally in Division II.

Tia-Adana Belle (Fr./Jamaica) of the Lady Falcons was 16^th out of 54 competitors in the college women's 400 meter hurdles championship. She ran a time of 1:00.44.

Belle was also a member of the Lady Falcons 4x400 quartet which qualified for the college division championship with a time of 3:46.42. The squad includes Akeisha Dumont (Jr./Brooklyn, NY), Cherrisse Lynch (Jr./St. Lawrence, Barbados) and Marie-Jeanne Eba (Jr./France). They are ranked second nationally in Division II.
 
COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Xavier relay team clocks a season best at Northwestern

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana  --  Xavier University of Louisiana's Kailey Williams, Devinn Rolland, Tramaine Shannon and Chelsea James ran the women's 400-meter relay in 47.42 seconds Saturday to finish fourth in the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational track and field meet.

It was the fourth time this season that the Gold Nuggets met the A-qualifying standard in this event for next month's NAIA National Championships. The time is the fastest in Joseph Moses' five seasons as XU's coach, and it came from a lineup he used for the first time. Rolland and James have been part of all four A-times.

Rolland again met A-qualifying times in the 200 (24.75) and long jump (19-2 3/4). Both marks were her second-best of the year. Rolland met the B-standard in the 100 (12.12), an event in which she met the A-standard twice this season.

Catherine Fakler produced Xavier's highest finish, third place out of 11 in the 5,000. Fakler's 18:57.83 was her second-fastest time of the season.

Kaylee Moore ran a season-best 12.43 in the 100.

The meet was the sixth of the season for the Gold Nuggets, who are ranked 17th in the NAIA. There was no team scoring.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Savannah State Makes History; Tigers Repeat At Penn Relays

Photo by Thomas Anderson
 COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  --  The Savannah State men's track & field program made history last year at the oldest and largest track event in the nation, the Penn Relays Carnival, and on Friday, the Tigers repeated last year's success.

Cameron Hall, Felton Chinn, Lemaar Shakir, and Randy Thomas ran a 58.25 to win the shuttle hurdle relay on Friday.

The same team captured Savannah State's first Penn Relay Carnival relay win in last year's shuttle hurdle relay.

Shakir ran a 53.17 in the 400 meter hurdles to finish 15^th. Hall ran a 14.13 in the preliminary heat of the 110 meter hurdles. Hall missed the cut for the finals by one slot, finishing in 10^th.

Dolphurs Hayes recorded a distance of 4.60 meters to finish 10^th in the men's pole vault competition.

The SSU relay team of Hall, Justin Leggett, Kenshard Hamilton, and Shakir ran a 41.58 in the 4x100 relay, and a 1:24.52 in the 4x200 relay preliminary heats.
DeAndre Persons, Brandon Davis, Kristopher Ballou and Shakir ran a 3:18.37 in the preliminary race of the 4x400 relay.

SSU junior Asia Stinson qualified for the championship in the 100 meter dash, finishing third with a time of 11.66 in the preliminary heat. The 100m finals will be run on Saturday, April 26 at 3:35 p.m.

Stinson, Aluntrea Davis, Jazy Seay-Blane and Kortney Gray ran a 46.99 in the preliminaries of the 4x100 meter relay, and a 1:39.07 in the 4x200 meter relay.

For more information, including live results, and the events full history, visit www.thepennrelays.com.

Full Results

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Delaware State Hornets sweep doubleheader over Drexel in home finale



COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

DOVER, Delaware  --  Playing at home for the final time this season, the Delaware State softball team (26-15) completed the season sweep over the Drexel Dragons (17-21) in Thursday afternoon’s doubleheader with a 7-2 victory, along with an 8-0 five-inning win.

With these victories, the Hornets not only wrapped up their 2014 campaign with a 17-5 mark at home, but it was the third and fourth time this season DSU defeated the Dragons.  To begin the year, the two squads met twice in the Pirate Snow Classic with the Hornets coming out on top, 4-3 and 6-2.

As for Thursday, DSU took an early 3-0 lead in the opening inning of game one, headlined by a two-run Jessica Madrid RBI-double to left center.

After the Dragons scored their lone two runs of the afternoon during the third because of a DSU error, the Hornets made it a 7-2 ball game over the next three innings, capped off by Sandy Hawthrone driving in her second run of the day with a single through the right side.

Along with her two RBI, Hawthorne went a perfect 4-for-4 to lead the way for DSU’s 11 hits, whereas Madrid went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.  Outfielder Jordan Stamps, on the other hand, went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while both Chloe Oro and Nicole Gazzola scored twice.
In the circle, starter Vanessa Ciocatto (9-5) allowed five hits, a walk, no earned runs and recorded a game-high four K’s in the winning effort.

Game two, meanwhile, began with Delaware State once again taking a first inning lead, this time with a Hawthorne sac-fly RBI and infielder Rochelle Sablay driving in Madrid from second with a single.

With the Hornets now up four after capitalizing on two Drexel miscues in the third, Madrid continued her stellar afternoon in the following inning with a two-run RBI-double, followed by Stamps RBI-singling down the left field line to make it a 7-0 ball game.

To seal the win, Oro drove in pinch runner Nkili Matthews from third with a single for not only her third hit of the game, but DSU’s 12th overall. Additionally, Stamps also went 3-for-3, while Madrid and Sablay both went 2-for-3.

In the case of Rachel Meagley (7-5), who pitched her final game at home in a Hornet uniform, she was two outs away from a perfect game until Drexel’s Ashley Panetta churned out an infield single.  Nevertheless, the Spokane, Wash. native, picked up her second consecutive shutout victory while surrendering just one walk, which occurred in the fifth, and totaling three strikeouts.

With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Columbia Blue & Red will travel to Washington, D.C. to face MEAC foe Howard this weekend for a three-game series.

GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
HORNET SEASON STATS

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

2014 SIAC Track & Field Championship - Day Two Recap

DAY TWO RESULTS / DAY TWO TEAM SCORES
ROCK HILL, South Carolina – At the conclusion of a very windy Day Two of the 2014 SIAC Track and Field Championships, the Lady Rams from Albany State and the Maroon Tigers from Morehouse both hold leads. Albany State leads by 44 points with 120 points collected through two days of competition. Morehouse leads by 33 points with 97 points collected.

In the last event of the evening, Benedict College proudly swept the top three spots in the 3000m steeplechase with Astacia Watkins (12:44.83), Jonnise Pierce (12:53.07) and Mikarla Swann (13:05.65) all finishing well ahead of the competition.

Today marked the conclusion of the heptathlon and decathlon. Clark Atlanta's Tabia Wade (3982) and Claflin's Chante Durrant (3652) finished first and second. Breanna Gates (3636) from Albany State took third. Wade won the 100m hurdles in 15.92 and the javelin with a mark of 33.16m. Gates placed first in the long jump with a mark of 5.11m and first in the shot put with a throw of 9.32m.

Albany State claimed gold and silver in the decathlon. TreVonta McTyre scored 4989 points and Elontavious White collected 4902 points. Kentucky State's Ronald Williams (4811) finished with the bronze medal. McTyre won the shot put (9.85m) and the long jump (6.10m). White (11.35) took first in the 100m. Williams won the 400m dash in 51.16. Morehouse's Michael Wooten broke the SIAC record in the 1500m run of the decathlon with a time of 4:25.98.

On the men's side of the steeplechase, Morehouse's Dahir Mohamed (10:03.85) and Gerald Jones (10:17.38) went 1-2. Benedict's Ediberto Crisanto rounded out the top spots after crossing the line in 10:31.31.

Benedict's Krishanda Campbell-Brown, Paine's Bria McAllister and Stillman's Jacobie Richmond and Sherry Jackson each cleared the high jump bar at 1.52m and gave their all at the 1.55m height. However, Campbell-Brown was the only one to clear the bar after making it over on her second attempt for the outright win. McAllister and Richmond tied for second and Sherry finished third.

In the men's triple jump, one hundredth of a meter made the difference between the gold and silver medals. Claflin's Maurice Dudley jumped 14.52m for gold while Kentucky State's John Jackson finished second with a mark of 14.51m. Third place was claimed by Stillman's Solomon Atosona (2014 SIAC Men's Field Athlete of the Year) with a jump of 14.17m.

The Golden Tigers from Tuskegee picked up ten points in the men's discus after Aaron Bennett threw the discus 45.56m. Phillip Stephens (41.64m) from Morehouse and Claflin's Everett Griffin (40.67m) earned the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Four men's pole vaulters successfully made their way over the bar with Morehouse finishing in the top two spots. Stefan Williams won after trying to clear 4.80m. Williams' last cleared height was 4.15m. Teammate Wooten placed second clearing 3.35m. Benedict's Taylor Mims and Tuskegee's Gregory Coleman both cleared 3.15m for a tie for bronze.

The 2014 SIAC Women's Field Athlete of the Year, Euphemia Edem, won her second gold medal after setting a new SIAC record of 12.78m in the triple jump. Edem broke the record on her first jump. Her mark is also a Division II automatic qualifying mark and places her third in NCAA Division II in the event. Campbell-Brown from Benedict jumped 12.40m for second and Kenya Johnson from Kentucky State took third with a leap of 11.23m.

Albany State and Kentucky State took the top three places in the women's discus. CreeAnn Perkins of Albany State picked up her second medal with a win after throwing 42.18m. Albany State's Brittany Dean finished second with a throw of 38.41m and Kentucky State's Joscilyn Crain placed third with a mark of 37.25m.

On the track, prelims were ran in the 110m hurdles, 100m hurdles, men's 1500m run, 400m dash and 100m dash. Claflin's Dennis Bain leads the pack of hurdlers heading into the finals with a time of 14.02. Jones from Morehouse won the 1500m in 4:14.23. The men's 400m prelims was won by Albany State's Tabareyon Jones (48.03). The 2014 Men's Track Athlete of the Year, Kyran Stewart, won the 100m prelims in 10.51.

Irrion Conaler crossed the line in 14.86 for the top spot in the prelims of the 100m hurdles. Clark Atlanta's Jerriyauna Jarboe placed first in the women's 400m prelims. Benedict's Chamekea Davis took the prelims win the 100m dash.

The final day of competition begins Saturday at 9 a.m. with the men's javelin.

COURTESY THESIAC.COM

SIAC Softball Championships - Day Two Recap

HAMPTON, Georgia — Day two of competition at the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship saw eight exciting games highlighted by comeback wins and offensive scoring surges, capped off with an afternoon matchup between the top two teams in the conference with a berth in the SIAC title game on the line.

Game 5: Stillman defeats Lane, 6-1

Stillman pitcher Ashley Savage registered nine strikeouts with one walk over seven innings as the Lady Tigers defeated Lane, 6-1, in the first game of day two of the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship.

With both teams held scoreless through the first three frames, Stillman scored six runs in each of the next three innings. The Lady Dragons of Lane were victimized by six errors throughout the contest as they were eliminated from conference tournament play.

Game 6: Benedict defeats Miles, 4-2

The Lady Tigers of Benedict overcame a two-run deficit by tying the game in the bottom of the fourth at two, then scoring the game-winning two additional in the fifth as Benedict defeated Miles, 4-2, in the second game of today's tournament play.

Benedict pitcher Shanessa Rees notched three strikeouts with no walks en route to earning the victory. The Lady Tigers advanced to the next round within the loser's bracket, as the Lady Bears of Miles were eliminated from tournament play.

Game 7: Claflin defeats Clark Atlanta, 6-4

Four hits in the fifth inning proved to be the difference maker in the outcome of game five of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) women's softball championship tournament as the top-seeded Lady Panthers of Claflin University topped No. 3 Clark Atlanta University, 6-4, Friday to advance to the semi-finals.

Clark Atlanta (20-22) got an early score in the first inning, but Markea Sheppard's two-run blast gave Claflin (43-6) a slim 2-1 advantage. Senior Alia Williams' RBI double knotted the game at two in the top of the third inning. The scored remained tied through four before CAU freshman Breanna Bailey slapped an RBI double in the top of the fifth inning that put Clark Atlanta back on top. Claflin would answer with two two-run RBI doubles by Erin Lipps and Alice Boone, respectively that pushed Claflin ahead 6-3 to the end of the fifth.

With one last opportunity at the plate, CAU sophomore Asia Nelson hit a solo shot over the left field fence to close the gap, but that would be as close as the Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta would come within the lead.

Claflin advances to the semi-final game against Tuskegee University for a No. 1 showdown of the East and West today at 6:00 p.m. With the loss, Clark Atlanta dropped to the loser's bracket and take on Albany State University at 4:00 p.m.

Game 8: Tuskegee defeats Albany State, 9-3

Tuskegee upended the Lady Rams of Albany State, 9-3, to advance in the winner's bracket. The Tigerettes capitalized on six Albany State errors to score nine unanswered runs after the Lady Rams scored the first run of the game. Tuskegee pitcher Karisa Foye pitched seven innings, recording three strikeouts and allowing two walks. Offensively, the Tigerettes were led by Chante Warner, Roslyn Thomas and Bria Young, who each drove in two runs.

Game 9: Albany State defeats Stillman, 10-0

The Lady Rams scored five runs in the top of the second inning and five additional over the fourth and fifth innings to secure a 10-0 victory over Stillman in the fifth contest of the afternoon at the Gerald Matthews Sports Complex in Hampton, Georgia.

Albany State was led offensively by Toni Coleman, who went 2-of-2 at the plate, driving in four RBI's and scoring two additional, while also drawing one walk. Chelsea Hicks pitched five innings for the Lady Rams, recording three strikeouts and allowing three walks.

Game 10: Benedict defeats Clark Atlanta, 5-3

The second-seeded Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers' conference championship run end with a 5-3 loss to No. 4 Benedict College in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Women's Softball Tournament at the Gerald Matthews Sports Complex in Hampton, Ga., Friday.

Jasmine Sledge's solo blast in the second inning put the Lady Tigers on the board first. CAU had a pair of RBI singles by catcher Alia Williams and pitcher Brittany Gonzalez that gave the Lady Panthers a 2-1 advantage.

Benedict found its sweet spot on the bat with three RBIs in the fourth which put them ahead 4-2. Despite one run in the top of the seventh, Clark Atlanta could not get it going offensively.

With the loss, CAU was eliminated from the conference championship tournament and finished the season with a 20-23 overall record.

Game 11: Tuskegee defeats Claflin, 4-2

Claflin University fell to Tuskegee, 2-4, in the semifinal of the 2014 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) softball tournament.  The tournament, which runs through Saturday, Apr. 26, is being contested at the Gerald E. Mathis Complex in Hampton, Ga.

Claflin opened the scoring in the game in the top of the first inning.  Tuskegee quickly ties the game scoring one run in the bottom of the first.  The Lady Golden Tigers scored one in the bottom of the second to take its first lead of the game.  The Lady Panthers then scored one run in the top of third to knot the game at 2-2.  Tuskegee scored one run in both the fourth and fifth innings to go ahead by two, 4-2.  Both defenses stayed solid over the next two.

The Lady Panthers were paced by Amanda Evans who went 2-for-4 with two RBI's. Elanna Worthy went 1-3 with two runs while Evans was the losing pitcher of record.

Tuskegee was led by Cari Driver who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.  Latifah Kelly was the winning pitcher for the Lady Golden Tigers, who remained undefeated for the tournament.

Claflin will face Albany State tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. in the elimination game.  If the Lady Panthers win tomorrow's early game, they will face Tuskegee in the Championship game at 2:00 p.m.

Game 12: Albany State defeats Benedict, 13-5

Albany State outscored Benedict 11-2 over the last two innings to defeat the Lady Tigers, 13-5, in the afternoon matchup from the loser's bracket of the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship. The Lady Rams will face Claflin in tomorrow's early matchup at 12:00 p.m. The winner will face Tuskegee in the 2014 SIAC Softball Championship game at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday's contests:
Claflin vs. Albany State - 12:00 p.m.
Winner of Claflin/Albany State vs. Tuskegee - 2:00 p.m.

SIAC Baseball Tournament - Day Three Recap

GM 12:  Albany State downs Kentucky State 14-1 (Box Score)

The Albany State Golden Rams advanced to the championship round of the 2014 SIAC Baseball Championship with a 14-1 win over the Kentucky State Thorobreds late Friday night at historic Eagle Stadium.

ASU held KSU (15-38) to four singles and an unearned, sixth-inning run in the contest.  Kentucky State struggled offensively, but also committed five errors in the contest.

Albany State (29-16) scored two runs in the first inning on RBI at-bats before added a run in the second.  The third inning saw ASU tally four runs before adding solo runs in the fourth and sixth innings.  ASU sealed the game with a five-run seventh inning.

Ryan Latner, Robert Latner and Jeromy Arrington each had two hits for the Golden Rams while Marcus Jackson went 2-for-3 for the Thorobreds.

Clifford Peterson worked seven innings, walking three and striking out five for the ASU win.  Josh Dunn (2-8) was saddled with the loss - going six innings and striking out four.

GM 11:  Tuskegee Advances to Championship Game with 12-8 Win (Box Score)

OZARK, Alabama (April 25, 2014) – The Tuskegee Golden Tiger baseball team found the right time to snap a five-game losing skid against the Stillman Tigers as the Maroon and White punched their ticket to the 2014 SIAC Baseball Championship with a 12-8 win.

The game was emotionally uplifting for the Golden Tigers, as Stillman eliminated them last season, beating them twice as Tigers from Tuscaloosa won the 2013 tournament title.

Tuskegee (19-19) took advantage of multiple scoring opportunities and speed on the base paths as they finished with 16 hits in the contest.

Tuskegee scored first, plating four runs in the top of the first inning.  William Buford opened the scoring with a single that scored Cameron Duncan.  Tuskegee 1B Gene Moody then blasted a three-run shot over the left field fence that scored Buford and Cash Oliver.

Stillman (27-17) answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.  Nick Baldelli-Boggs doubled to score 2014 SIAC Player of the Year Fernando Tanaka before Boggs scored on a Brad Sevenish single.

Tuskegee added three more runs in the second and two in the fourth innings pushing the lead to 9-2 after four innings of play.

The teams would trade single runs in the fifth and six innings before Stillman attempted a late rally.
Paul Winterbottom would single in Anthony Delgado and Dustin Dunn in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 11-6.  Tuskegee would respond in the top of the ninth when Travais Hylton singled to right field scoring Danny Barnes.  Stillman would tally two more runs off the bat of Jose Alicea – a double that scored Boggs and Tanaka.  However, the rally would end there.

For Tuskegee, Barnes finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored while Buford went 3-for-5 with three runs driven in.  Hylton, Duncan, Oliver and Moody each had two hits in the game.

For Stillman, Tanaka, Boggs and Dunn each had two hits for the Tigers.

John Bryant (5-6) worked six innings, walking three and striking out one for the win.  Stillman's Tyler Simmons (4-5) suffered the loss allowing three walks while striking out three.

Tuskegee advances to the tournament final while Stillman will face the winner of the Albany State / Kentucky State contest.

GM 10: Albany State stays alive with 12-9 win over Miles (Box Score)

The Albany State Golden Rams continued in their quest for a SIAC Tournament Championship with a 12-9 win over the Miles Golden Bears.  Albany State pushes its record to 28-16 and will face Kentucky State in an elimination contest later tonight.  Miles ends its season with an 18-21 record.

ASU began the scoring early in the contest, pushing four runs across the plate in the opening inning and two more in the second.  After Miles scored in the top of the second inning, the Rams scored again in the third as Albany State built a 7-1 lead after three innings of play.

Neither team would change the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth inning, but both teams would add three runs in the sixth inning, changing the score to 10-4 after six innings of action.

In the top of the seventh inning, Miles scored five runs on five hits as they cut the deficit to 10-9.  Albany State responded a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings for the final tally.

In the game, Gregory Pollet, Gary Mason, Aaron Williams, Jimmy Brown and Kevin Harris each had two hits for Miles.  Jacob Campbell led Albany State going 4-for-5 with four runs scored and four runs batted in.  Reise McDaniel went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and Ryan Latner finished the game going2-for-3 with a run scored.

Allen Fender (3-3) worked six innings striking out two and walking three for the win.  Justin Landgale (3-3) worked 7.2 innings allowing three walks in the game.

GM 9: Baseball Holds off Late Inning Paine Rally for 12-11 Victory (Box Score)

OZARK, Ala. – The Kentucky State baseball team kept its hopes of an SIAC Championship alive by holding off a furious late-inning rally to hold on for the 12-11 win over the Paine College Lions Friday, April 25, at the historic Eagle Stadium.

Kyle Clark (3-for-5, 2 RBI) and senior Mike Swayne (2-for-4, 2 RBI) led the way for the Thorobreds who move to 16-36 overall with their second win at the SIAC Championship. Paine, eliminated after their second loss of the tournament, ends their season at 14-27.

Kentucky State quickly jumped in front of Paine, building a seemingly comfortable 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Lions, who mustered just two hits and no runs through five innings, came alive offensively in the final fours innings, stringing together eight hits for 11 runs.

After the Lions put three runs on the scoreboard in the sixth and two in the seventh, Paine trailed Kentucky State by just two at 7-5.

The Thorobreds regrouped in the top of the eighth inning, scoring five runs to push their lead to 12-5. With the bases loaded Clark hit a single that brought home Darius Hughes. The next batter, Alexander Davie, proceeded to smash a 3-RBI double into the right centerfield gap to give the Thorobreds some insurance runs.

It turned out that KSU needed all of those runs. Paine, the home team on the scoreboard, scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth and went into the bottom of the ninth and final inning trailing 12-9.

Lion centerfielder Joseph Graves led off for the Lions and reached safely on an error by KSU shortstop Austin Railey. The Thorobreds struggled defensively all day, committing six errors as a unit in Thursday's game.

With just one out, Paine loaded the bases before KSU relief pitcher Josh Dunn walked two straight batters, cutting the Thorobreds lead to just one, 12-11. Kentucky State Head Coach Rob Henry decided to stick with Dunn and it paid off as the next Paine batter grounded into a double play to end the contest.

The Thorobreds connected on 16 hits as a team against Paine, the second most in a single game this season. Six KSU starters recorded two or more hits in the game and eight recorded at least one.

Kentucky State starter Josh O'Reel (2-3) earned the win for the Thorobreds after 7.1 innings on the mound. O'Reel, who is primarily the third baseman for KSU, allowed 10 hits and six earned runs while striking out two and walking three.

PC starter Brandon Jackson (2-4) allowed 11 hits and seven earned runs in 4.1 innings of work. Summers struck out three and walked one.

SATURDAY'S CONTESTS

GM 13:  Stillman versus Albany State - 12 p.m.

GM 14:  Tuskegee versus Game 13 winner - 3 p.m.

UPDATED BRACKET (PDF)

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