HBCU prospects ready for NFL draft

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- The NFL draft is loaded with major Division I prospects. However, there are a number of great prospects from the historically Black colleges and universities available.

It’s quite possible some of these players could hear their names called during the draft, which will be held April 30-May 2 in Chicago. If not, there’s an even greater possibility that these players could sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.

OFFENSE
Andrew Edouard, center
Bethune-Cookman
6-foot-2, 295 pounds

Edouard, a former Overbrook High standout, really developed over the last few years. After his scholastic career in Public League, he played two seasons of junior college football at Lackawanna College. Then, he transferred to Bethune-Cookman where he became an All-MEAC selection as well as one of the best offensive linemen in HBCU football. He could play center or offensive guard in the NFL with his quickness and strength.

Robert Myers, offensive tackle
Tennessee State
6-foot-5, 310 pounds

Myers has the size and strength to be a solid offensive lineman in the NFL. He’s a great run blocker. He was selected second-team All Ohio Valley Conference. Myers also played in the Senior Bowl.

CONTINUE READING

Chris Rock answers the question, ‘Why don’t black people like baseball anymore?’

NEW YORK -- Chris Rock describes himself as “an endangered species.” In what way? As “a black baseball fan.”

In a segment for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” the comedian looked at how and why black players and fans seem to have abandoned participation and interest in what’s long been referred to as “the national pastime.” He pointed out that in the 1980s, black people made up about 20 percent of major league players; a recent MLB study put that number at 8.5 percent for the start of the 2013 season.

When Rock was a young man in New York, the 1986 Mets won the World Series with a roster studded with black stars such as Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry and Mookie Wilson. But he noted — amusingly, of course — many ways in which things have changed:

• The 2014 World Series winner, the Giants, had zero black players (and “the closest thing to a person of color in the stands was their mascot, a biracial seal“), nor did their NLCS opponent, the Cardinals.
• Stillman College, a historically black institution located in Tuscaloosa, Ala., has one black player on its 35-man roster.
• Howard University dropped baseball altogether. (“Yeah, lacrosse is black enough for Howard, but not baseball.”)

CONTINUE READING

Alcorn State University selects Courtney G. Pruitt as Women’s Head Basketball Coach

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State University’s search for a new head women’s basketball coach concluded with a seasoned individual with extensive college coaching experience, most recently as the head women’s coach at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas.

Director of Athletics Derek Horne announced the selection of Courtney G. Pruitt, a Longview, Texas native, as the new leader of the Lady Braves.

“We are delighted to welcome a veteran coach such as Pruitt,” Horne said. “She has experience turning programs around, recruiting effectively and reenergizing alumni relations efforts.”

Pruitt has 10 years of coaching experience with a career record of 102-23. In her first season as head coach at Wiley College, she turned the program around from an 8-21 record to a 20-9 record and led the team to its first conference tournament in three years. Pruitt led the team to a 29-4 record, its first Red River Athletic Conference title in 20 years, a top 25 ranking and a berth in the NAIA during the 2012-2013 season.



She was also voted 2012-2013 Coach of the Year by Red River Athletic Conference coaches. She led her team to a second conference title in the 2013-2014 season and a Final Four appearance in the NAIA Tournament.

Pruitt earned her bachelor’s degree in sports management from Newberry College in Newberry, S.C. She obtained her master’s degree in kinesiology health science from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Pruitt and her husband, Brent, have two children, Kourjyn and Baylee.

“I am beyond excited and humbled for the opportunity to coach at Alcorn State University,” Pruitt said. “Alcorn is a special place and I am looking forward to working with a tremendous group of student athletes.”

Alcorn State University is a premier comprehensive land-grant university that develops diverse students into globally competitive leaders, and applies scientific research through collaborative partnerships that benefit the surrounding communities, state, nation and world.

Benedict Wins 2015 SIAC Men's Golf Championship

BESSEMER, Alabama -- The Benedict College men's golf team won the 2015 SIAC Golf Championship by 29 strokes.

Kelly Allen shot a 71 on Wednesday, the low round of the tournament, to earn medalist honors. Allen shot a 75-73-71-219, six over par, to beat Vitthal Parker of Miles College by five strokes.

Benedict's Rajai Cousley finished with a three-day score of 235 to finish third. Rhaulston Jones, the tournament's first-round leader, finished with a three-day score of
241 to finish in a tie for eighth.

The Tigers shot 303-310-314 over the three days for a total score of 927. Miles moved up one spot to finish second after shooting a 311 on Wednesday, the day's best round, for a three-day score of 956. Morehouse shot a 326 on Wednesday and dropped to third place with a score of 958.

With the victory, Benedict earned an automatic bid into the 2015 Division II men's golf South/Southeast Region tournament, which will be played May 4-6 at the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club in Dade City, Florida.

COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

GSU renews hoops contracts for men's, women's coaches

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling has renewed the contracts for its men's basketball and women's basketball coaches for an additional year, the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors approved Thursday at its board meeting.

Men's basketball coach Shawn Walker and women's basketball coach Nadine Domond, who were both hired last July, received new contracts effective July, 29, 2015. The contracts, which were set to expire in three months, are again for one year until July 29, 2016.

Walker and Domond will both make $120,000 with a buyout of $60,000 and no additional incentives.

Walker made the jump from Division II Elizabeth City State to Grambling in 2014 and endured his share of struggles. The Tigers went 2-27, finished last in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and failed to beat a Division I team for the second time in three years.

CONTINUE READING

FAMU Baseball Faces NC Central For Historical Weekend Series In Boston (Game Notes)

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M (14-22, 10-8 MEAC) travels to Boston, Mass., this weekend to face North Carolina Central (19-22, 12-8 MEAC) in yet another huge MEAC Southern Division series. It will be the first time two HBCU programs will play in a major league venue. The two teams are in a four-way battle for first place in the division, which is big since only the top three teams in each division advance to the MEAC tournament. Originally this was to be the final home series of the season for the Rattlers in Tallahassee before being moved to Boston. FAMU is coming off a tough 3-2 loss at Auburn on Tuesday where the Rattlers out-hit the Tigers 11-4. NCCU has lost four straight, including a pair of mid-week games against UNC Asheville and High Point this week.

Friday’s doubleheader will begin at 11:00 AM ET and will be played at Jim Rice Field in Roxbury, Mass., before the series finale moves to FenwayPark on Saturday. Saturday’s game will be broadcasted on the New England Sports Network (NESN) at 2:00 PM ET.

The New England Sports Network (NESN) can be found on Direct TV channel 628 as well as on Dish Network channels 434 and 5434 (NESN HD). Check with your local cable provider to see if NESN is offered in your area.

This series is apart the first ever Historically Black College and Universities Legacy Weekend Celebration being brought to you by the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Area Church League, Inc. In addition to the games being played, other events over the weekend include a reception on Thursday, a debate hosted by HarvardUniversity on Friday, April 24, and a college career fair hosted by the Boston Red Sox at FenwayPark on Saturday, April 25.

In the first meeting of the season, the Rattlers were swept in the three-game series played at the Durham Athletic Park in Durham, N.C. FAMU was held to just two runs on 13 hits over the three games.

FAMU is 6-3 in their last nine conference games and is led by Alec Wong’s .364 batting average in those games. In the last nine MEAC games, Wong has three home runs, one double, eight runs scored, seven RBI, a .667 SLG%, 22 total bases and was walked nine times. Jared Walker (.316), Ryan Kennedy (.296), Jeremy Barlow (.296), Brian Davis (.296) and Michael Birdsong (.286) have also each hit well in the last nine MEAC games.

The Rattlers lead the MEAC with a .962 fielding percentage, second in walks (159) and is fourth with a 4.92 team ERA. The Rattler pitching staff is tied for third in the MEAC with six saves this season.

Who’s Hot the Last 5 Games

In the last five games 1B Michael Birdsong is hitting .471 (8-17) with two runs and two RBI. 2B Alec Wong hit .450 (9-20) with a home run, four runs scored, three RBI, 12 total bases, 3 walks and a .600 SLG%.

Bullpen Holding Down the MEAC

The Rattlers are 10-8 in the MEAC and the FAMU bullpen has been extremely strong against the MEAC with an ERA of 2.02 in conference games. The Florida A&M bullpen has allowed 17 earned runs against conference opponents.

Record Breaking MEAC Wins

Under head coach Jamey Shouppe in his first two seasons, Florida A&M has won 24 games against MEAC opponents. The 24 conference wins are the most over any two consecutive seasons in program history.

Ricky Page Working Out Well as a Starter

Since moving into a starting role against Troy on March 25, Ricky Page has seemed to have found his niche. Page has a 2.12 ERA as a starter with a 4/1 strikeout to walk ratio. Page has worked 12.1 innings in four appearances, which includes a 2.2 inning, rain shortened, outing against Bethune-Cookman on April 4. In the rain shortened start against B-CU, Page had a then season-high four strikeouts in just 2.2 innings. Page recorded his season-high five strikeouts in his very next start at Savannah State on April 12.

As always, fans can follow FAMU Baseball via Live Stats on FAMUAthletics.com and on Twitter at @FAMUAthletics.

NC Central vs. FAMU in Boston Game Notes

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Tennessee State Lady Tigers Receive NLI From Naomi Bolasingh

NAOMI BOLASINGH
Courtesy: Tennessee State University Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Women’s Basketball head coach Larry Joe Inman announced the signing of Naomi Bolasingh to a National Letter of Intent. Bolasingh will join early signees, Jordan Brightwell, Franceska Brown, Tyesha Hood, Tiana Parker and Asia Sims as the class of 2019.

"Naomi is a great addition to an already strong recruiting class,” Inman said. “It has been an exciting time for our program and I believe this group will help the program continue to grow.”

Bolasingh is a 5'8 guard from Long Island, New York and Valley Stream Central High School. Bolasingh averaged 12.5 points per game as a senior for head coach Melissa Thorngren.

As a sophomore, Bolasingh was named All-Conference and followed it up with All-County selection as a junior. In her final year, she was a member of the All-County team and earned MVP honors at the All Long Island All-Star game.

Bolasingh played select ball for Dave Johnson and Tony Jones of the Lady Lions. The Valley Stream native played softball for VSCHS her freshman year and was a part of the Language Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).



The athletic guard chose Tennessee State over Ball State, Georgetown University, University of Richmond, ETSU, North Florida, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Jacksonville University, Indiana University, Colgate University, Canisius University, Utah Valley University, Adelphi University, Central Arkansas and UNC Asheville.

“Naomi is the type of player who can come in and contribute right away,” Inman said. “She loved the chance to come in and have the chance to help the program. She is a great young lady and she felt right at home with our team and staff.”

2014-15 Signing Class
Naomi Bolasingh – 5’8, Guard, Long Island, N.Y./Valley Stream Central HS
Jordan Brightwell - 6’1, Forward, Bowie, Texas/Bowie HS
Franceska Brown - 6’1, Forward, College Park, Ga. /West Lake HS
Tyesha Hood - 6’5, Post, Detroit, Mich. /Detroit Mumford HS
Tiana Parker - 6’4, Post, Chehalis, Wash. /William F. West HS
Asia Sims - 5’9, Point Guard, Paris, Ky. /Bourbon County HS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jay Butler To Be Named Men's Basketball Coach at Virginia Union University

COACH JAY BUTLER
COURTESY: UDC ATHLETICS

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Lester “Jay” Butler, Jr., will be named the 10th Head Coach in the history of Virginia Union University men's basketball at a press conference at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, in the lecture hall of the L. Douglas Wilder Library on the VUU campus in Richmond, Virginia.

One of the top coaches in the East Region, University of the District of Columbia head women's basketball coach Butler has enjoyed outstanding success at the Division II level over a career that has spanned 11 seasons. Since his hiring in 2003, Butler changed both the perception and quality of the District of Columbia women's basketball program. Bringing stability, vision and a love for the game, Butler earned the respect of his opponents and establishing Firebird women's basketball as a competitive force in Division II.

In his 11 seasons as head coach at UDC, Butler amassed 177 wins, two Independent Collegiate Athletic Association (ICAA) national championships, ECC Coach of the Year, ECC regular-season champions, two ICAA Coach of the Year awards and four NCAA Tournament appearances.

He enjoyed his finest season in 2014-15 when the Firebirds registered a school-record 25 wins and a No. 22 national ranking for the season. Butler guided the Firebirds to their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance last season with a school-record third seed in the East Region.

In 2007-08 and in 2008-09, UDC was a combined 45-13 as it went on to win two straight ICAA Division II National Championships. The team also won a school-record 19 straight games at home, starting with the final six home games in 2007-08 and ending with a perfect 13-0 home record in 2008-09.

Butler's 2010-11 campaign saw UDC go 19-9 and finish the season by celebrating "Senior Day" with an 84-60 trumping of the Urbana University Blue Knights for third place in the 2011 Independent Invitational Women's Basketball Classic.

The Firebirds finished the 2011-12 season with a record of 21-7 overall and 12-4 in its first season in the ECC. They would also earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the East Region before bowing out to No. 1 seed and host, Bentley University.

Butler and the Firebirds enjoyed one of the program's finest seasons in 2013-14. UDC finished with an impressive overall record of 21-8, securing the school's first ever East Coast Conference basketball championship and earning an NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament appearance as a No. 5 seed. Along the way, the Firebirds were ranked as high as No. 20 in the USA Today Women's Basketball Coaches' Association Poll and No. 3 in the East Region. Also, junior guard Telisha Turner and junior forward Denikka Brent were both named First Team All-ECC, Turner surpassed 1,000 points scored for her career, and head coach Lester Butler, Jr. celebrated his 150th career coaching win on Senior Night, February 26th vs. Dowling.


Butler coached five 1,000-point scorers at UDC including Jaime Brown ('06), Lilian McGill ('11) and Lauren Brittingam ('12) in addition to Turner and Denikka Brent in 2014-15. Brown was the first-ever 1,000-point scorer in the history of the program, and accomplished the feat in just three years' time. McGill finished her outstanding four-year career with over 1,400 points and 1,100 rebounds. She was a part of 78 UDC wins throughout her career, which is the most of any player under Butler.

Butler began his coaching career at Virginia Union as a volunteer assistant while he finished his undergraduate degree working with the team's guards from 1996-98. After graduating from Virginia Union, Butler served as head junior varsity and assistant varsity coach at Bladensburg High from 1999-2001.

Prior to becoming head coach at UDC, he served as an assistant coach for two seasons. He was responsible for travel, scouting, working with the guards, pre-season conditioning, academic coordinating, and various other duties. He also served as the recruiting coordinator and signed four Junior College All-Americans, a 2nd-Team All-ICAA selection, and a 1,000-point career scorer in his short stint as assistant at UDC.

A 1998 graduate of Virginia Union University with a degree in criminal justice, Butler played for legendary coach Dave Robbins, and was a key member of the Panther basketball program. He helped Virginia Union capture three straight CIAA championships and make four NCAA Division II appearances. In 1996, Butler's senior season, he guided the team to the NCAA Division II Final Four. Butler finished his career at Virginia Union 107-14 won-loss record. Butler served as team captain from (1994-1996).

A native of Washington D.C., Butler graduated from Archbishop Carroll High in 1992 where he earned All-Metro honors and Honorable Mention All-American.

Butler is a member of various organizations including the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the Black Coaches Association. He resides in Upper Marlboro, MD, with his wife, Chae, and their three children, Jataé, Sam and Lauryn.

QUOTES:

DAVE ROBBINS SAYS:
"Jay was a complete team player and a smart guard. He never worried about scoring himself, but made the players around him better."

BEN WALLACE SAYS:
"Jay enabled all of us to be not just better players, but a better team. He was the catalyst in our going to the 1996 Final Four, and his success on the court has transferred to the coaches' bench."

TERRY DAVIS SAYS:
"Jay will make a tremendous difference in the program. I feel Jay will bring back the Virginia Union pride and tradition."

COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ATHLETICS

WSSU’s Wilhelmi likes his recruiting class

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Coach James Wilhelmi of Winston-Salem State arrived at the Bowman Gray Stadium field house dressed in a suit and tie as if he were ready to coach a game.

There was no game scheduled, but he was more than ready to discuss his latest recruiting class.

“This is a great mixture of guys who we feel can help us and keep us at that upper level of the CIAA,” Wilhelmi said about his second recruiting class as a head coach.

Last season, as a rookie head coach, he guided a team full of seniors to an 18-10 record and the CIAA championship game. The reality is of his top eight players from last season only two – guards Terrell Leach and C.J. Ford – will be returning.

CONTINUE READING

Magic City Diamond Classic to be held at Rickwood Field

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The passionate rivalry between Alabama State University and Alabama A&M University now moves to the baseball diamond as the Inaugural Magic City Diamond Classic will be held this weekend at Birmingham's Historic Rickwood Field.

The Hornets (27-12 overall, 15-3 SWAC) and Bulldogs (22-23, 14-7) will play a single game Friday at 5 p.m. and a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. Tickets are just $5 each day, with a family four-pack available for just $15, covering both days of the event.

Rickwood Field is the oldest surviving professional baseball park in the United States. It was built to serve as the home park for the Birmingham Barons and the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. Rather than an empty ballpark crying for attention, Rickwood Field is home to almost 200 baseball games each year. Birmingham-area high schools, Miles College, wooden-bat tournaments and myriad other organizations are still able to play on hallowed ground.

More than 100 professional baseball Hall Of Famers have played at the historic park, a virtual who's who in the annals of baseball – Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Larry Doby, Josh Gibson, Reggie Jackson, Ernie Banks, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige are just a sampling of the legends who have played at Rickwood Field.

Now the Hornets and Bulldogs get to write their chapter in the history of this legendary venue in a Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division showdown between the in-state rivals.



COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Saint Augustine's University Men No. 1, Women No. 2 in USTFCCCA National Track and Field Rankings

LEGENDARY COACH GEORGE WILLIAMS
SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY FALCONS

NEW ORLEANS – It was a Saint Augustine’s takeover in the sixth edition of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings, released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The two-time defending national champion Falcon men reclaimed the No. 1 position they last held two weeks ago, while the SAU women flew up four spots to No. 2, just behind top-ranked Central Missouri.

With just over a month remaining until the NCAA Division II Championships in Allendale, Michigan, on May 21-23, the rankings continue to ebb and flow with each passing week; of the combined 20 teams in the men’s and women’s top 10s, 18 checked in at a different position than a week ago.

Case in point: only Saint Augustine’s and Ashland – the former men’s No. 1 which dropped down to No. 4 this week – remained part of the top five from last time; Pittsburg State fell from No. 3 to No. 11, Adams State from No. 4 to No. 6, and Angelo State from No. 5 to No. 10.

Assuming their positions and reprising former top-five ranks of their own were No. 2 Minnesota State, No. 3 Texas A&M-Commerce, and No. 5 Grand Valley State.

For Saint Augustine’s – which saw the rankings’ second-biggest improvement of 44.09 points to a 179.57 team rankings score – was boosted to the top, as usual, by its corps of dynamic short sprinters. Omar Johnson ran a DII-leading 45.78 and was joined in the top five by teammates Burkheart Ellis, Jr., at No. 3 and Khari Herbert at No. 5.

Ellis, Jr., also posted the No. 2 time at 200 meters, followed by No. 5 Daniel Jameison and No. 6 Johnson.

Those performances put the Falcons more than 40 points ahead of the group of teams from No. 2 Minnesota State through No. 8 Findlay that are all themselves separated by fewer than 20 points.

As has been the case of late, movement in the women’s top five was more subdued – but teams are starting to creep up on indoor champ Central Missouri. The Jennies checked in at 171.10 points – down about five points despite Heavin Warner’s NCAA Division II record in the hammer throw.
Just one week ago, only one team was within 30 points of UCM; this week, both Saint Augustine’s (150.91) and cross country champion Grand Valley State (147.56) are within 25 points, with No. 4 New Mexico Highlands, which dropped two spots this week, still very much in the hunt at 131.07.
Rounding out the top five was Pittsburg State (112.69) following a three-position jump.

Like their men’s teammates, the women of Saint Augustine’s moved up the rankings behind the power of their sprinters and hurdlers. Samantha Woodburn had herself a weekend at the CIAA Championships, moving up to No. 3 at 200 meters, No. 6 at 400 meters and running a leg of the No. 1 4×100 relay.

Also contributing big points for the Falcons were No. 6 Ornella Livingston at 200 meters, No. 6 Shakinah Brooks in the long jump, and No. 7 Shamia Lassiter in the 100-meter hurdles.

Three women’s teams made double-digit improvements in the rankings. No. 13 Winston-Salem State jumped up 12, No. 18 Johnson C. Smith leape a week-best 18 positions, and No. 23 Western Washington improved 14 spots.

Only one more men’s teams climbed 10-or-more spots, as No. 2 Minnesota State rose 13 notches from a week ago.

At the regional level, the eight regions saw a combined two new men’s No. 1 teams and three new top-ranked women’s squads.

Southern Connecticut’s men climbed to No. 1 in the East, while Shorter took command of the South.

For the women, Saint Augustine’s moved to No. 1 in the Atlantic, as did Southern Connecticut in the East and West Texas A&M in the South Central.

Below is the entire list of SAU Falcons and Lady Falcons ranked among the top 10 competitors in their respective track & field events in Division II. Go to ustfccca.org for the entire team and individual rankings.

WOMEN
(Ranking, Name, Event, Time or Mark)
1 – Tia-Adana Belle (400-Meter Hurdles) 58.01
1 – Shamia Lassiter, Samantha Woodburn, Shakinah Brooks, Ornella Livingston (4x100-Meter Relay) 45.17
2 – Samantha Woodburn, Cherrisse Lynch, Ornella Livingston, Tia-Adana Belle (4x400-Meter Relay) 3:39.99
3 – Samantha Woodburn (200-Meter Dash) 23.65
6 – Ornella Livingston (100-Meter Dash) 11.60
6 – Ornella Livingston (200-Meter Dash) 23.88
6 – Samantha Woodburn (400-Meter Dash) 54.07
6 – Shakinah Brooks (Long Jump) 19-11¾
7 – Shamia Lassiter (100-Meter Hurdles) 13.84

MEN
(Ranking, Name, Event, Time or Mark)
1 – Omar Johnson (400-Meter Dash) 45.78
1 – Khari Herbert, Jr., Burkheart Ellis, Jr., Immanuel Hutchinson, Omar Johnson (4x400-Meter Relay) 3:06.73
2 – Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (200-Meter Dash) 20.69
3 – Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (400-Meter Dash) 46.74
3 – Immanuel Hutchinson (800-Meter Run) 1:48.39
5 – Daniel Jamieson (200-Meter Dash) 20.83
5 – Khari Herbert, Jr. (400-Meter Dash) 46.81
5 – Claytin Lewis, Khari Herbert, Jr., Burkheart Ellis, Jr., Daniel Jamieson (4x100-Meter Relay) 40.38
6 – Omar Johnson (200-Meter Dash) 20.89
7 – David Shaw (Triple Jump) 49-5½

USTFCCCA NCAA Division II

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings (Top 25)

2015 Week #6 — April 21 (REVISED)
next ranking: April 28

View Complete Men’s National Coaches’ Poll
Rank	Institution	Points	Conference	Head Coach (Yr)	Last Week
1	Saint Augustine’s	179.57	CIAA	George Williams (39th)	2
2	Minnesota State	139.29	NSIC	Jim Dilling (2nd)	15
3	Texas A&M-Commerce	137.25	Lone Star	Tom Dibbern (2nd)	6
4	Ashland	134.87	GLIAC	Jud Logan (12th)	1
5	Grand Valley State	127.71	GLIAC	Jerry Baltes (16th)	7
6	Adams State	124.57	RMAC	Rock Light (2nd)	4
7	Texas A&M-Kingsville	123.49	Lone Star	Ryan Dall (7th)	11
8	Findlay	120.46	GLIAC	Marc Arce (27th)	9
9	West Texas A&M	111.45	Lone Star	Darren Flowers (6th)	10
10	Angelo State	108.55	Lone Star	James Reid (16th)	5
11	Pittsburg State	104.36	MIAA	Russ Jewett (27th)	3
12	Chico State	97.86	CCAA	Oliver Hanf (3rd)	8
13	Shippensburg	94.74	PSAC	Dave Osanitsch (10th)	12
14	Azusa Pacific	92.69	PacWest	Kevin Reid (20th)	23
15	Alaska Anchorage	91.39	GNAC	Michael Friess (25th)	14
16	Johnson C. Smith	86.15	CIAA	Lennox Graham (8th)	21
17	Southern Indiana	77.78	GLVC	Mike Hillyard (17th)	26
18	Tiffin	72.75	GLIAC	Jeremy Croy (15th)	18
19	Colorado Mines	66.85	RMAC	Matt Sparks (2nd)	13
20	Central Missouri	63.70	MIAA	Kirk Pedersen (19th)/Kip Janvrin (17th)	19
21	Missouri Southern	60.11	MIAA	Bryan Schiding (2nd)	20
22	Cal Poly Pomona	59.96	CCAA	Octavious Gillespie-Bennett (3rd)	17
23	CSU-Pueblo	52.97	RMAC	Matt Morris (2nd)	32
24	Lincoln (Mo.)	52.90	MIAA	Victor Thomas (14th)	25
25	Tarleton State	51.02	Lone Star	Patrick Ponder (9th)	28
dropped out: No. 16 Academy of Art, No. 22 Western State, No. 24 Western Washington
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25   USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings (Top 25) 2015 Week #6 — April 21 (REVISED) next ranking: April 28 View Complete Women’s National Coaches’ Poll  Rank Institution Points Conference Head Coach (Yr) Last Week 1 Central Missouri 171.10 MIAA Kirk Pedersen (19th)/Kip Janvrin (17th) 1 2 Saint Augustine’s 150.91 CIAA George Williams (39th) 6 3 Grand Valley State 147.56 GLIAC Jerry Baltes (16th) 3 4 New Mexico Highlands 131.07 RMAC Bob DeVries (23rd) 2 5 Pittsburg State 112.69 MIAA Russ Jewett (29th) 8 6 Azusa Pacific 110.09 PacWest Preston Grey (1st) 5 7 West Texas A&M 107.06 Lone Star Darren Flowers (6th) 7 8 Ashland 98.73 GLIAC Jud Logan (12th) 10 9 Lincoln (Mo.) 94.51 MIAA Victor Thomas (14th) 4 10 Hillsdale 91.39 GLIAC Andrew Towne (4th) 11 11 Adams State 80.94 RMAC Rock Light (2nd) 21 12 Angelo State 78.59 Lone Star James Reid (16th) 9 13 Winston-Salem State 74.62 CIAA Inez Turner (6th) 25 14 Simon Fraser 72.38 GNAC Brit Townsend (15th) 18 15 Texas A&M-Kingsville 65.04 Lone Star Ryan Dall (7th) 15 16 Wayne State (Neb.) 61.97 NSIC Marlon Brink (15th) 12 17 Winona State 60.41 NSIC Mason Rebarchek (11th) 14 18 Johnson C. Smith 58.62 CIAA Lennox Graham (8th) 36 19 Lewis 56.85 GLVC Dana Schwarting (10th) 13 20 Chico State 56.68 CCAA Robert Nooney (2nd) 16 21 Alaska Anchorage 53.05 GNAC Michael Friess (25th) 28 22 Shorter 51.61 Peach Belt Scott Byrd (8th) 17 23 Western Washington 51.54 GNAC Pee Wee Halsell (28th) 37 24 Findlay 50.35 GLIAC Marc Arce (27th) 32 25 Fort Hays State 46.23 MIAA Dennis Weber (22nd) 22 d ropped out: No. 19 Humboldt State, No. 20 Wayne State (Mich.), No. 22 Fort Hays State, No. 23 UC San Diego, No. 24 Livingstone View All Teams Beyond the Top 25 COURTESY: Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA Release and Saint Augustine's University Sports Information

Norfolk State wins 13th-straight game; defeat Richmond

RICHMOND, Virginia — Norfolk State continued its record-setting pace on Tuesday. The Spartans defeated the Richmond Spiders 12-5 for their 13th consecutive win.

NSU scored four runs in the first inning, four in the fifth and three more in the sixth. It was the Spartans first win over Richmond.

The Spartans entered the day tied with Alabama State for the second-longest winning streak in the nation at 12 in a row. Only Illinois (13 straight) had a longer streak entering the day. Both Illinois and Alabama State play later Tuesday evening.

The Spartans return to MEAC play with a three-game series at UMES on Saturday and Sunday. NSU can wrap up the No. 1 seed from the MEAC Northern Division this weekend.



CONTINUE READING

For Gilbert, VUU basketball already is a family affair

 RICHMOND, Virginia -- AnnMarie Gilbert has listened for many years to her husband’s tales of life within the Virginia Union University basketball community.

She hopes soon to be able to tell stories of her own.

Gilbert, a 46-year-old with abundant Division I experience, was introduced Tuesday as the Panthers’ new women’s basketball coach. Joining her at her get-acquainted news conference was her husband, former VUU men’s player Jonathan Walker. Gilbert and Walker met when she was coaching at Division III Oberlin (1995-2002).

“We went to the gym for our first date,” said Gilbert, a prolific scorer as an Oberlin player. “We wanted to see who would be the first to make 100 free throws in a row.”

She was introduced soon thereafter to the mystique of Virginia Union basketball.

“Over the past 13 years I don’t think a day has gone by — and certainly not a week — that I haven’t listened to (Walker) talk about Virginia Union and how special it is and how much being here and playing here feels like being part of a family,” she said.

CONTINUE READING

AnnMarie Gilbert Named Women's Basketball Coach at Virginia Union University

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Virginia Union University announced on Tuesday, April 21, that AnnMarie Gilbert will become the eighth head coach of the VUU Women's Basketball Team.

With over 20 years of college coaching experience, AnnMarie Gilbert was the head coach at Eastern Michigan University from 2007-2012, where she compiled a 94-64 record. As head coach, the Eagles had three consecutive 20+ win seasons (2009-12) and received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2012.

Gilbert guided Eastern Michigan to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament championship in her final year (2012), with her star player Tavelyn James receiving the Francis Pomeroy Naismith Award.

In 2011 Gilbert guided the Eagles to a school-record 24 wins and a berth in the WNIT. Eastern Michigan knocked off Michigan in the first round of the WNIT Sweet 16.



With Gilbert at the helm, Eastern Michigan had the second-best turnaround in the nation in 2010, recording 22 wins and a WNIT berth. The Eagles had just eight wins in 2009.

In her first year at the head of the Eastern Michigan Program she guided the Eagles to 17 wins and became only the fourth head coach in MAC history to win a division title in their first year as a coach.

Gilbert spent three seasons (2003-06) as an assistant on the Michigan State coaching staff. She was the staff's recruiting coordinator and works with the guards.

Under her tutelage, Lindsay Bowen was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2006, Kristin Haynie was named honorable mention All-Big Ten and Rene Haynes was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. She helped bring a recruiting class for the 2004-05 season that All-Star Girls Report ranked 18th in the nation, including Courtney Davidson, who was ranked as the nation's sixth-best point guard.

Gilbert spent the previous eight seasons (1994-2002) as the head coach of NCAA Division III Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. She is the winningest coach in Oberlin women's basketball history as the Yeoman made six appearances in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) postseason tournament during her tenure. She assisted in the development of eight different all-conference players and the 1999 All-NCAC Newcomer of the Year.She began her coaching career at Oberlin as an assistant coach with the women's basketball team in 1992-93 and was an assistant men's basketball coach in 1993-94, before assuming the women's basketball head coaching duties in 1994. In addition to coaching, Gilbert served as the Senior Women's Administrator/Associate Director of Athletics at Oberlin from 1996-2002.

Gilbert played for two seasons (1986-88) at Ohio University, gaining Most Outstanding Defensive Player and All-Mid-American Conference honors in 1988. She transferred to Oberlin for her junior and senior seasons (1989-91), where she was a two-time Kodak First-Team All-American, a two-time NCAC Player of the Year, the Honda Division III Athlete of the Year and the Champion USA/WBCA Player of the Year in 1991.

Gilbert led the nation in scoring as a junior (31.1 points per game) and was the nation's second-leading scorer as a senior (31.3 ppg). She set the NCAA Division III record for points in a game with 61 against Allegheny on Feb. 6, 1991. She is still the Oberlin record holder for points in a season (778, 1989-90), field goals in a game (28), field goals in a season (319) and free throws made and attempted in a game (13-of-17 vs. Case Reserve, Jan. 6, 1990).

In just two seasons at Oberlin, she registered 1,527 points to become the school's leading scorer, a record which stood until 2002. All told, Gilbert set 24 school records and 10 conference records as a player and still holds 10 standing NCAA Division III records.

She received an invitation to the Pan Am Games trials in Colorado Springs in 1990. Oberlin retired her jersey in 1994 and in 2001, she was inducted into the Oberlin College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Gilbert was a Street & Smith's All-American, a McDonald's All-Star game participant and was Ohio Miss Basketball her senior year of high school.

She earned her B.A. in sociology with a minor in economics from Oberlin in 1991.

COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bryan Henry column: One game at Fenway Park worth the trip

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- On the road again, which has been a common theme for us lately at Florida A&M. Since we have no home baseball games left in the season, it will continue to be that way.

On Tuesday, we played at Auburn in Alabama. On Thursday, we leave for Boston to play North Carolina Central in a huge three-game MEAC series on Friday and Saturday.

The race for the Southern Division title is about as close as it can be. Only the top three teams in the South make it to the conference tournament, and it is currently a four-team race for first place.

Bethune Cookman is the leader at 13-8. North Carolina Central is right behind at 12-8. We currently in third at 10-8, while Savannah State is 9-9. The fifth team in our division is North Carolina A&T but with only three wins, it does not factor into the tournament discussion.

CONTINUE READING

Fobbs wants to win SWAC in second year at Grambling

COACH BRODERICK FOBBS

Grambling will open the season Sept. 5 at California.

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling came inches away from clinching a berth in last year’s Southwestern Athletic Conference title game, a feat that would have crossed off a major accomplishment for first-year coach Broderick Fobbs.

Actually, it was the only accomplishment worth striving for.

Southern stuffed quarterback Jonathan Williams at the goal line in the final seconds of the Bayou Classic as the Jaguars, not the Tigers, earned a spot in the SWAC title game where they eventually lost to Alcorn State.

“We went into last year seeking to win a championship. Whether you get close or not doesn’t matter. This is not horseshoes,” Fobbs told The News-Star on Monday.

CONTINUE READING

Alabama State Wins 2015 SWAC Women's Golf Championship

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S GOLF TEAM
Courtesy: SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiabna – Alabama State University claimed its third straight Southwestern Athletic Conference championship Tuesday afternoon in Alexandria, La at Links on the Bayou. The conference crown marks their fourth out of the last five years.

Chanelle Avaricio earned the league’s Most Valuable Player (Low Medalist) while teammate Sylvia Masango was tabbed with Freshman of the Year honors.

As a unit, ASU shot 602 including a 295 in the final round with five players named to the all-conference team.

For the remainder of the team standings, Texas Southern finished second with 626 and was led by Kassandra Rivera. Dismary Marquez followed behind with a 152 for TSU

Jackson State notched third place with a team score of 688. Alcorn State (838), Prairie View (896), Mississippi Valley State (1016), rounded out team scoring

Alabama State’s Gary Grandison was named SWAC Coach of the Year.

FIRST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE
Alabama State - Chanelle Avaricio
Texas Southern - Kassandra Rivera
Texas Southern - Cherie Chua
Alabama State – DisMary Marquez
Alabama State – Janelle Kraackman
Texas Southern – Allison Flores

SECOND TEAM ALL CONFERENCE
Alabama State – Sylvia Masango
Alabama State - Mia Campbell
Alcorn State – Quinn Meyer
Jackson State – Nicole Blanchard
Jackson State – Makaila Brown

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Roberts plays through the pain for Winston-Salem State

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- As Winston-Salem State continues toward a possible fifth straight CIAA baseball championship leftfielder Des Roberts is thankful to be playing again.

Roberts, a 22-year-old senior transfer from UNC Charlotte, has been a mainstay in the lineup. He’s been a solid, all-around player for Coach Kevin Ritsche, giving the Rams speed, a little bit of power and an excellent glove.

The amazing part of his season is he’s doing it with basically one hand because of a lingering injury. A left-handed hitter, Roberts broke a bone in his right hand last year, but after the surgery he still wasn’t 100 percent.



CONTINUE READING

Southern baseball team sweeps Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Sunday doubleheader

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Whether it was a career-best pitching performance or an offensive outburst, Southern pushed all the right buttons to pull off a doubleheader sweep against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon at Lee-Hines Field.

In the first game, SU senior right-hander Santos Saldivar stole the show in a 4-3 win.

In the second game, it was the Southern hitters’ turn. Seven of them had at least two his in a 14-9 victory.

The Golden Lions (19-14, 13-5) struck first in the opener after leadoff hitter Rashawn Tillman lined a single to left field. The ball scooted under the glove of SU left fielder Tyler Kirksey, putting a runner in scoring position with no outs.

Later on, Jaguars right fielder D.J. Wallace couldn’t bring in a fly ball near the warning track, leading to a two-run triple. UAPB picked up a third run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning.

But that was all. 

CONTINUE READING

Baker, Footman shine for Alcorn in spring game

LORMAN, Mississippi — Alcorn State will enter the 2015 season with a target on its back. The reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference champion finished its first step in making it a moving target at Saturday’s spring game.

The Gold team held off the Purple for a 28-21 win, but the game was really just another step in the process of turning Alcorn into a perennial power in the SWAC. Spring practice gave the coaching staff time to work with their veterans, and younger talent a chance to step up.

Two younger players who made serious impacts in the game were Gold quarterback Lennoris Footman and Purple running back Arron Baker.

Footman led the gold team by completing 6 of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception.

Baker had a game-high 104 rushing yards on seven carries, which included a 60-yard touchdown run.

CONTINUE READING

Kwashaun Quick, N.C. A&T QB in 2014, no longer on team

Kwashaun Quick
Courtesy: North Carolina A&T Athletics

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The N.C. A&T football program has suffered an unexpected loss this spring, starting quarterback Kwashaun Quick.

Quick is no longer on the team because of a violation of team rules and is no longer in school, a team spokesman says. He did not participate in the Aggies’ spring game Saturday.

Quick was arrested in Durham on March 6 and charged with maintaining a vehicle or residence with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

He has a court date May 5 in Durham County.

The Aggies earned a share of the MEAC championship last season in large part because of Quick’s versatility under center.

He finished as the team’s second-leading rusher and leading passer, accounting for 2,028 total yards of offense and 19 total touchdowns.

CONTINUE READING

Two FAMU Baseball Games To Be Televised This Week

Courtesy: Florida A&M University Athletics

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida A&M baseball will have two games televised this coming week as it heads into the final stretch of the 2015 season. Tuesday’s game at Auburn will be televised on the SEC Network + (SECN+) with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 PM ET. Saturday’s game in Boston, Mass., on April 25th, against North Carolina Central is scheduled for a 2:00 PM ET start and will be broadcast on the New England Sports Network (NESN). Saturday’s game is also being played in FenwayPark, home of the Boston Red Sox.

FAMU and NCCU will be playing a three-game series as a part of the first-ever Historically Black Colleges and Universities Legacy Weekend Celebration, which is brought to you by the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Area Church League, Inc. The two teams will begin the series with a doubleheader on Friday, April 24, at Jim Rice Field in Roxbury, Mass., at 11:00 AM before the series finale moves to FenwayPark on Saturday.

The New England Sports Network (NESN) is available on Direct TV channel 628, while it is also available on the Dish Network channels 434 and 5434 (NESN HD).

Check with your local cable provider to see if NESN offered in your area.

SEC Network + can be seen through the WatchESPN app via your Desktop, Laptop, iPad, iPhone, tablet, phone or other mobile device. However it is not available through the SEC Network channel.

As always, fans can follow FAMU Baseball via Live Stats on FAMUAthletics.com and on Twitter at @FAMUAthletics.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU Spartans Sweep 4th Straight Series, Extend Win Streak to 12 Straight

HANOVER, Maryland – Freshman shortstop Alex Mauricio recorded his first career three-hit game, and the Norfolk State bullpen held Coppin State without a hit over the final five innings to help the Spartans run their win streak to 12 with an 8-2 win on Sunday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium.

The Spartans (18-10 overall, 15-3 MEAC North) now own a four-game lead over second-place Maryland Eastern Shore in the division following UMES' loss to Delaware State on Sunday. The Spartans have swept their last four MEAC series.

Mauricio went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and also notched two of NSU's season-high seven stolen bases. He was one of four Spartans who had multi-hit games, joining outfielders Denathan Dukes and Angel Rosario and third baseman Robbie Hiser, who all had two hits.

NSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the Eagles after its first three times at-bat. Hiser singled and stole second before scoring on Rosario's team-leading 12th double of the season in the top of the first off CSU starter Yayha Muhammad (0-9). Two CSU errors led to one Spartan run in the second before Mauricio's RBI single made it 3-0 later in the frame.

Rosario singled and scored on Syeed Mahdi's groundout to extend the lead to 4-0 in the third.



Bryant Miranda hit a solo homer in the bottom of the third off NSU starter Stephen Butt for CSU's first run. But that was the only run Butt allowed in four solid innings of work. He yielded five hits and struck out four, but earned the no-decision.

CSU's only other run came via a wild pitch in the eighth, but that was all the Eagles could muster off NSU's stout bullpen. Josh Vales (3-2) pitched two hitless innings of relief to pick up the win, his third of the year. Jeff Di Fulgo also tossed a scoreless inning of relief, while Cooper Jones recorded the final four outs by strikeout to finish off the Eagles (3-29-2, 2-16).

Eagle errors led to the next three NSU runs before Dukes capped the scoring with an RBI single in the ninth.

Dukes went 2-for-5 with two steals. Hiser went 2-for-6 and swiped one bag, while Mikey Bruno also stole two bases. Rosario batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

NSU's offense scored 37 runs on 39 hits and stole 15 bases in the three-game sweep. The Spartan pitching staff allowed just 14 hits and five runs in the three games, and has yielded just 18 earned runs in the 12-game winning streak.

The Spartans step out of conference play when they travel to the state capital to face Richmond on Tuesday at 3 p.m.

BOX SCORE

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SCSU Bulldogs Receive Automatic Bid to NCAA Division I Tennis Championships and Regular Season Conference Championship

Courtesy: South Carolina State University Athletics
ROSTER

CAYCE, South Carolina – The 2015 MEAC Men's Tennis Championship Final between No.1 seed South Carolina State (15-4) and No. 2 seed Bethune-Cookman (15-12) was suspended due to inclement weather in the area.

"It was unfortunate that we didn't get a chance to play the finals today," said SC State head coach Hardeep Judge. "But our domination during the regular season allowed us a chance to compete in our 11th NCAA Championship."

South Carolina State captured the regular season crown with a 5-0 mark in the MEAC, including defeating Bethune-Cookman 7-0 during the regular season.

Despite the tournament suspension, SC State will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Championship by virtue of winning the regular season championship.

The Bulldogs defeated Coppin State (4-0) and FAMU (4-0) to reach the finals for the 11th straight year. Head coach Hardeep Judge guided SC State to the best record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and earned Coach of the Year honors this season, his fifth in his 14-year career.

The NCAA selection show will air Tuesday, April 28, at 5:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. The South Carolina State Men's Tennis Send-Off will be announced after the selection show.

COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

North Carolina A&T Women's Bowling wins USBC National Championship

Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information
BRACKET

WICHITA, Kansas – In its first appearance in a national championship, the North Carolina A&T women’s bowling team didn’t disappoint.

The Aggies were crowned the 2015 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Champions, Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 win over Robert Morris at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kansas.

The ITC, first contested in 1975, is the pinnacle event of the college bowling season. The ITC brings together the top 16 men's and top 16 women's teams in the country to compete for national titles. They are mostly the top teams who came up short in their conference championsips. USBC is the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee.

“Accomplishing this goal was huge,” said head coach James Williams whose team finished the season 74-37. “With all of the individual awards from this year, it is awesome that the team accomplished this because no one ever remembers the individual accomplishments. But they remember the best team. This is something that no one can take from us. We will forever be national champions.”

Several Aggies have stepped up in clutch situations the enire season. On Saturday, those players were junior Rakia Jenkins, sophomore Kristin Shinn and sophomore MacKenzie Robinson who threw a strike in the last game for the win.

“I felt as though the team bowled really well this weekend,” said Robinson. “There were times when it came down to the wire but we persevered. The team picked each other up when we needed it the most. Now that we won we can see the improvements of this team and look forward to next season.”

“It’s an unbelievable experience, especially being down in the beginning when we lost by one pin,” Shinn said. “We definitely battled and bought everyone’s spirits up and pulled out a great game the next round. We stayed on top and never gave up. Our first time bowling in the ITC and we come out as champions is something no one will ever forget.”

A&T’s road to the ITC title started when it won the ITC Sectionals in March. At the championship, A&T was seeded sixth after 24 qualifying games and defeated McKendree 4-2 and St. Francis twice by scores of 4-0 in bracket play to appear in the championship against Robert Morris.

“The season started off a little rough being new and having to get acclimated to my new surroundings,” said Jenkins, a junior transfer. “I believe we all had a little adjusting to do to each other but over time we got into the swing of things and we came together for a common goal. Every time we bowled, we bowled for each other, A&T, and respect. We accomplished a lot this year and we hope to accomplish more next season. I have grown as a person and we have grown as a team, one we can all be proud of.”

“This group of young ladies is special,” Williams said. “They grew so much over this year and I’m extremely proud of them. They have worked so hard this season and they committed to the grind every day. I couldn’t have asked for anything else. Being a national champion is a rather big deal. We have been fighting for respect for the last three years. This shows we are dedicated and committed to winning and building a winning program.”

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION