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GAINESVILLE, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman's wondrous run through the 2017 NCAA Gainesville Regional ended Monday with a 6-1 loss to the host University of Florida before a McKethan Stadium crowd of 2,166 and an internet thoroughly enamored by the Wildcats' bleached beards. And calm demeanor, despite the situation. And passion. And, well, everything about the program.
After losing to Bethune-Cookman for the first time in 31 meetings on Sunday night, the No. 3 national seed Florida Gators (45-17) got a three-run homer and a solid pitching effort from freshman lefty Austin Langworthy to advance to next weekend's Super Regionals, where they will host Wake Forest beginning Friday.
Bethune-Cookman, which defeated two nationally ranked teams in USF and Florida on Sunday and posted more regional victories (three) in 36 hours than the two in the previous 36 years, concludes the season at 36-25 with its 19th Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship. The 36 victories are the most in season in the Jason Beverlin era and third-most in program history.
Langworthy's yard shot broke open a scoreless tie. Before that, Florida put men on second and third on a questionable no-call on an infield error that appeared to cause interference from the batter trotting to first on the pop-up to first baseman Danny Rodriguez.
Bethune-Cookman broke the shutout in the seventh when Kyle Corbin scored from second when Josten Heron beat out a two-out infield single, cutting the deficit to 4-1.
Two teams supposedly all but depleted of pitching put on a defensive display the first five innings.
Bethune-Cookman forced Florida to leave eight runners in scoring position before the sixth, while the Gators limited the Wildcats to three hits during that time and seven overall.
Tyler Krull started, working three scoreless innings before yielding to Joseph Calamita. Isaak Gutierrez and Nate Sterijevski aBOXlso worked relief.
Adonis Lao and Heron each had two hits for the Wildcats.
For the tournament, Sterijevski finished with a .500 average (10-20) with one home run and eight RBI. Lao hit .352 (6-17) while Austin Garcia batted .333 (5-15). BOX SCORE
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Mandatory repairs to Florida A&M's Bragg Memorial Stadium are on schedule to be completed before the Aug. 26 start of football season.
A Power Point presentation that will be shown to the FAMU Board of Trustees' budget, finance and facilities committee on Wednesday shows the final cost of the repairs will be $390,968.35 -- a huge drop from the original estimated cost of $622,000.
The new, lower cost was provided by Tallahassee-based Barkley Consulting Engineers.
The Power Point says the repairs should be complete by the end of July. FAMU opens its season with the Jake Gaither Classic on Aug. 26 against Texas Southern.
The most recent competition held at Bragg was FAMU's spring game. Sections of the stadium were taped off during that game.
According to the Power Point, the scope of the work includes metal structural fabrications, cast in place reinforced concrete and masonry electrical, plumbing and selective painting.
IRVING, Texas – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced Thursday the names on the 2018 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, including 75 players and six coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 98 players and 31 coaches from the divisional ranks.
The announcement of the 2018 Class will be made Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played later that day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Some of the inductees will be on site during the announcement to represent the class and share their thoughts on being elected. The Jan. 8 announcement will be televised live, and specific viewing information will be available as the date draws near. A few inductees will also participate in the pregame festivities and the coin toss before the championship game.
2018 DIVISIONAL COACH CANDIDATES Gideon Smith -- Hampton (1921-40) - Led Pirates to 1922 Black College National Championship… Recorded four CIAA titles and two unbeaten seasons in career…Longest tenured coach in Hampton history, boasting the second-most wins all-time at the school. Joe Taylor -- Howard (1983), Virginia Union (1984-91), Hampton (1992-07), Florida A&M (2008-12) - Winningest coach in Hampton history (74%), leading Pirates to four Black College National Championships…Led teams to 10 conference titles and 10 playoff appearances throughout career…Four-time MEAC Coach of the Year.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Week Zero lineup is falling into place with FCS games, so is the inaugural Jake Gaither Classic next?
ESPN announced on Wednesday a restructured schedule of games for Aug. 26 and 27. The lineup did not include the Jake Gaither Classic, which matches SWAC member Texas Southern at MEAC member Florida A&M in Tallahassee, but the cable television giant is said to be seeking a game time that weekend for one of its family of networks.
The NCAA doesn't allow Division I programs to begin their seasons until the Thursday preceding Labor Day, but there is an "FCS First Contest Exception" in the NCAA Bylaws, which allows for two non-conference programs to face each other prior to that Thursday (this year, it's Aug. 31) as long as they are playing in a nationally televised contest (broadcast or cable, not Internet-only). They are considered Week Zero games.
ESPN networks are televising Chattanooga-Jacksonville State and Colgate-Cal Poly matchups on Aug. 26 and Richmond-Sam Houston State on Aug. 27. All three games have 7:05 p.m. ET kickoffs.
Texas Southern and Florida A&M announced their matchup in January. The holdup with the kickoff could involve game-time parameters due to summer heat. CONTINUE READING
GAINESVILLE, Florida. -- Bethune-Cookman made history Sunday with a 6-4 victory over South Florida in the NCAA Gainesville [Fla.] Regional at McKethan Stadium. Nate Sterijevski, Austin Garcia and Demetrius Sims each had two hits, while Alex Herrera, Ivan Countinho and Joseph Calamita combined to throw six consecutive shutout innings to help the Wildcats (35-24) pull away from a 3-3 tie and advance to a regional final for the first time in program history. Bethune-Cookman will face host Florida at 7 p.m.
South Florida (42-19) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Kevin Merrell's solo homer, but the Wildcats answered by scoring three runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. Sims scored on Danny Rodriguez's infield single, Adonis Lao when Garcia drew a bases-loaded walk, and Jameel Edney plated on a double play to make it a 3-1 game. After the Bulls tied the game with two in the second, Sterijevski smacked a two-run homer to left in the third to help the Wildcats regain a two-run lead. Lao singled home Josten Heron in the fourth. Herrera (4-1) buckled down after giving up six hits in the first two innings, giving up just two hits over the next four innings before yielding to Countinho, who worked two-innings of one hit relief. Calamita entered in the eighth and squashed a Bulls rally with just five pitches. He gave up a harmless home run to Tyler Dietrich in the ninth en route to his third save of the season. Donte Lindsay will start for the Wildcats tonight. BOX SCORE
HAMPTON, Virginia -- Having come so far in a relatively short period of time, Hampton University hurdler Jaelen Williams didn't go into last weekend's NCAA East Regional Qualifier with a timid approach. If anything, his coach feared he was teetering in the opposite direction.
So Maurice Pierce went to work.
"He was so amped up," Pierce said. "He said, 'Coach, I'm going to run a 49.5, I'm going to do some damage out here!' I said, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, you don't have to do all that! This meet here is just to advance.'
"He's so good that sometimes you have to calm him down because he gets antsy. I wanted him to concentrate on winning his section and advancing to the nationals. We can chase a time when we get there."
There is the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Nationals in Eugene, Ore. — a.k.a., Track Town USA. Williams will be the only freshman of 24 competitors in the 400-meter hurdles when the preliminaries begin Wednesday night.
Last weekend in Lexington, Ky., he automatically qualified by winning his heat with a PR time of 50.32 seconds. That came only four weeks after he ran a 51.42 in the Penn Relays. And, assuming he heeded Pierce's advice, he wasn't even running all out.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Who were the best players of Roger Cador’s 33-year run at Southern?
The icon provided 15 of his top players to The Advocate.
The list should start with Trent Hubbard, a player Cador inherited when he began as a coach in 1987, convincing the 5-foot-9 junior to switch into the infield, a move that got Hubbard drafted and eventually launched a 10-year major league career.
And the run should finish with two of his latest gems: first baseman Frazier Hall, a two-time SWAC player of the year in 2010 and 2011, and a little-known pitcher from Puerto Rico, Jose De Leon, who blossomed from a late-round MLB draft pick in 2013 into one of the top prospects in the game.
The headliner is clearly second baseman Rickie Weeks, who in 2003 was named college baseball’s top player and drafted No. 2 overall by the Milwaukee Brewers, eventually becoming an All-Star.
Weeks — along with shortstop Fernando Puebla, third baseman Antoin Gray and pitcher Dewon Day — powered Cador’s best team, the 2003 squad that went 47-7 and won an NCAA tournament game.
Weeks caps a trio of three of the best players Cador coached, after second baseman Michael Woods (the 32nd pick in the 2001 draft) and outfielder Fred Lewis (the 66th pick in the 2002 draft). CONTINUE READING
GAINESVILLE, Florida – Tyler Norris threw a complete game and Bethune-Cookman found its hitting on Saturday afternoon as the Wildcats defeated Marist, 4-2 in an elimination game of the NCAA Gainesville [Fla.] Regional at McKethan Stadium. For the Wildcats, the win was their third ever in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. For Head Coach Jason Beverlin, it was his second postseason NCAA win with the Wildcats – the first for the program since 2014 [vs. Columbia in Coral Gables, Fla.].
Bethune-Cookman junior right-hander Tyler Norris settled down quickly after a rocky top-half of the first inning, as Marist (32-23) got to the Coral Springs, Florida native for a run to start off the game.
Shortstop Nate Sterijevski's single through the left side in the bottom of the first gave BCU the lead – one in which the Wildcats would not relinquish, scoring Jameel Edney and Danny Rodriguez as the bases were loaded for the Wildcats.
That vaulted Bethune-Cookman (34-24) ahead, 2-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, junior third baseman Jameel Edney powered up for his fifth home run of the year, lifting a two-out solo shot clear the wall in left.
That allowed BCU the 3-1 lead after five innings complete.
The Wildcats allowed themselves some breathing room in the bottom of the seventh, stretching the lead at 4-1.
Adonis Lao reached out and smacked a run-scoring double down the line in left to plate Josten Heron with one out.
Marist brought a run back in the top of the eighth inning as shortstop Randy Tavares got to Norris with a one-out solo homer to left field brining Marist to within 4-2.
In the end, it was All-MEAC performer Norris settling down to collect the final two outs of the game, including his seventh strikeout of the day.
Norris collected the win to move to 9-1 on the year. He worked a complete nine inning for the Wildcats, becoming the first nine-inning complete-game performer since Alex Seibold versus North Carolina A&T (March 26, 2016). He allowed just the two runs on six hits, picking up seven strikeouts and walking a pair.
The loss went to Marist left-hander Charlie Jerla to drop him at 9-2 for the season. He worked 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on four hits, walking three and striking out four.
The offense for BCU was powered by six players with a hit each, including the homer from Edney, as well as the two-run scoring single from Sterijevski. Lao also supplied the RBI hit for the Maroon and Gold.
Bethune-Cookman now faces the loser of Saturday's evening contest between USF and No. 3 national seed Florida on Sunday at noon. The game was moved up to noon due to impending bad weather moving into the Gainesville area.
Follow Bethune-Cookman Baseball on Twitter (@BCUDiamondCats) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics). BOX SCORE BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- It was 11,991 days since the Southern baseball program was last led by someone other than Roger Cador.
That streak officially came to an end Friday, when Cador and athletic director Roman Banks held a news conference in the lobby of the F.G. Clark Activity Center to announce the retirement of one of the most influential figures in not only Southern history, but the game of baseball.
But there was nothing sad or mournful about the event. Cador’s trademark over the last 33 years has been his charisma and personality, which was on full display as he declared his departure from his life’s work.
“This has been an amazing time to be here today and let you know it’s coming to an end. I’m going home,” Cador said. “And I’m going home in the most wonderful way. After so many years of having so many wonderful relationships… It’s been one hell of a run for me to experience coaching these guys.”
While Cador is stepping away from coaching, he won’t leave Southern athletics entirely.
Dante Martin is serving a seven-year prison sentence for the hazing death of a drum major
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida Supreme Court will take up the appeal of Dante Martin, a former Florida A&M University Marching 100 band member convicted in the hazing death of Robert Champion six years ago.
Martin filed a petition for review to the state’s highest court in February, arguing that Florida’s hazing statute is overly broad and criminalizes conduct that, although brutal, is nonetheless protected by the federal constitution.
“This statute renders illegal a substantial amount of constitutionally protected conduct that is, notably, openly discussed, critiqued, promoted, advertised and practiced by students statewide,” the petition said.
The statute “affects each and every student of the State of Florida’s public schooling system, from kindergarten to the graduate level,” the petition said. “The statute’s chilling effect on the exercise of constitutional rights is substantial.”
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough will have a different defensive coordinator in the 2017 season.
S.C. State confirmed that defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Kirk Botkin is leaving the program.
Botkin came to the Bulldogs after being a linebackers coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks for five seasons with Steve Spurrier. Under Botkin the Bulldogs led the MEAC in takeaways (31) and total defense (334 total yards allowed per game) last year.
“We have a plan in place and it will probably be the first of July when we announce (who we are hiring),” Pough said Wednesday.
GLENDALE, Arizona -- Arizona Cardinals' rookie wide receiver Chad Williams drew a lofty comparison from teammate Larry Fitzgerald.
As far as Arizona Cardinals' wide receivers go, there's Larry Fitzgerald, and then there's everybody else.
Whether you're talking in context of the 2017 roster, or the wide receivers that have played for the Cardinals throughout the franchise's history, Fitzgerald stands out above his peers.
So when Fitzgerald talks, people listen.
On Tuesday, Fitzgerald opened up about rookie wide receiver, Cardinals' third round draft choice Chad Williams, and paid him one of the highest compliments a young receiver can dream of.
According to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, Fitzgerald said, "He (Williams) reminds me of Anquan Boldin in terms of the strength of his hands. Once it touches his hands it just doesn't move. He's got unbelievably strong hands."
While Fitzgerald sits alone atop the Cardinals' record books in career receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Boldin is also one of the most productive receivers to ever play for the franchise. Boldin and Fitzgerald were teammates in Arizona from 2004-2009, and the pair formed one of the most dominant one-two punches in the league. CONTINUE READING
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida -- Norfolk State University captured the Talmadge Layman Hill Men's Award, while Florida A&M University captured the Mary McLeod Bethune Women's All-Sports Award, the conference announced on Wednesday.
The All-Sports Award are indicators of the overall strengths of the conference's men's and women's athletic programs. Each institution was presented with a $20,000 check during a reception at the Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Wednesday evening.
“I would like to congratulate Norfolk State University including President Eddie Moore, Director of Athletics Marty Miller, and the administrators, coaches, student-athletes and support staff for winning the 2017 Talmadge Layman Hill Men's All-Sports Award,” said MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas. “I also extend congratulations to Florida A&M University and Interim President Dr. Larry Robinson, Director of Athletics Milton Overton and all of the outstanding individuals including staff, coaches and student-athletes who were involved in winning the Mary McLeod Bethune Award.”
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was recognized during the reception as the 2017 recipient of the MEAC Highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for the eighth straight year. In addition to the recognition, MDES was presented a check for $25,000 from the conference. MDES' 81-percent GSR is the highest among MEAC institutions spanning the 2006-09 cohorts.
Florida A&M, which shared the Mary McLeod Bethune Women's All-Sports Award last academic year, won the award outright for the first time since 2001. The Lady Rattlers have won the award a total of 10 times since its inception in 1987 and has won it in consecutive years for the first time since a nine-year streak from 1993-2001.
The Lady Rattlers totaled 95.5 points in the all-sports tally, highlighted by their fifth consecutive conference championship in cross country and fourth straight softball championship. Florida A&M also captured divisional titles in volleyball and softball while finishing second in indoor track & field.
North Carolina A&T State placed second with 90 points, followed by Bethune-Cookman (83.5), Hampton (82.5) and Norfolk State (76.5).
Norfolk State won the Talmadge Layman Hill Men's All-Sports Award for the 11th time in school history and its first title since winning nine straight from 2005-13. The Spartans won a divisional title in baseball and finished second in cross country, indoor track & field, basketball and tennis.
Bethune-Cookman finished second with 78 points, with North Caro
lina A&T State third with 75 points. North Carolina Central and Hampton tied for fourth with 72 points apiece.
Points are awarded in a descending order beginning with 14 points for champions or first place regular season finishes. The second-place team receives 12 points. Tied teams split the point total.
GULF SHORES, Alabama — Xavier University of Louisiana earned a pair of All-America honors as a result of top-8 finishes Saturday at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. The Gold Nuggets' Ariane Williams placed seventh in the 400-meter dash in 57.11 seconds. About two hours later, Williams, Ry-Anne Riley, Tramaine Shannon — in her final collegiate meet — and Clarke Allen finished eighth in the 1,600 relay in 3:56.31. It was the second straight year that the XULA women were All-America in this relay. Allen ran the anchor leg both years. The Gold Nuggets set a school record of 3:49.76 during Friday qualifying. XULA's other competitor on the meet's final day was Keairez Coleman, who finished 17th out of 25 in the men's triple jump. His best mark was 14.15 meters — 46 feet, 5 1/4 inches — and it was the third straight meet that the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference champion surpassed 46 feet. Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold
GULF SHORES, Alabama — Ariane Williams will be as busy Saturday as she was Friday.
The Xavier University of Louisiana sophomore qualified for finals in two events at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. The Gonzales, La., resident — a graduate of East Ascension High School and a transfer from NCAA Division I Southeastern Louisiana — recorded the seventh-fastest time in the women's 400-meter dash, 57.31 seconds. Then she helped the 1,600 relay team qualify in a school-record 3:49.76.
"It was a pretty good day," Williams said. "It was better than I thought it would be. I didn't think my time was good enough in the 400, but I got in. I can definitely run a faster time tomorrow, run a better pace."
The Gold Nuggets broke the school record of 3:49.87 set in the 2016 preliminaries. Allen, a junior from Mendenhall, Miss., and a graduate of Mendenhall High School, ran anchor on that team, too.
XULA in the finals will chase city and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival SUNO, which posted the fastest times in both events. Williams was about 2 1/2 seconds behind Shadae Hylton of the Lady Knights in the 400, and the Nuggets were about five seconds behind SUNO in the relay.
"It's going to be neck-and-neck tomorrow," Williams said. "I've got faith in my girls. We can do this."
For Williams, recovery from Friday will consist of pasta, water, an ice bath and 8-9 hours of sleep. "I'll be good to go," she said.
(L) Dr. RENEE GORDON, (C) Dr. MARCELLA CARNES, (R) Dr. SHANNON ANDERSON
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), minority women comprise fewer than 1 in 10 scientists and engineers in the United States. Studies from researchers around the world reveal that one antidote to this disparity is to ensure there are more role models in underrepresented communities.
Three Florida A&M University (FAMU) female doctoral students, who are also best friends, recently received their doctorates in engineering. They endured setbacks, including the loss of a classmate and overcame financial hurdles to ensure that they join the next generation of engineering leaders who will help close that gap.
On April 29, Miami native and Fulbright Scholar Renee Gordon received her doctorate of philosophy in mechanical engineering; Miami Beach native and Winifred Burks-Houck Professional Leadership awardee Shannon Anderson received her doctorate of philosophy in civil engineering, with a concentration in environmental engineering; and Birmingham, Alabama native and NSF International Research Experiences grantee Marcella Carnes received her doctorate of philosophy in civil engineering with a concentration in structures.
Each earned their doctorate degrees under the guidance of FAMU’s School of Graduate Studies and Research and through support as participants in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Title III Funding Program. They are considering next steps including job offers and research opportunities. In the meantime, Gordon and Anderson will spend the summer teaching and helping to recruit the next generation of engineering students, while Carnes prepares for her wedding.
“We realize that we’re breaking barriers when it comes to minorities and also women in STEM fields,” Gordon said. “I feel like it’s really important for our young Black and Brown boys and girls to know that they can aspire to be whatever they want to be including engineers.”
Carnes added, “I feel proud to be an African-American woman in the STEM fields. There’s not that many of us (women). We’ve been challenged because STEM is male dominated, (but) we are examples of the things that you can set your mind toward and finish. We are no longer ‘Hidden Figures.’ We have definitely been revealed.”
In addition to inspiring the next generation to break barriers, the trio wants to encourage them to pursue careers that will improve our way of life. They say the best place to develop a career that makes a difference is at FAMU.
“Not only did we receive the financial support, but we also received emotional support; we received the bond that we share in this community and a family that’s striving to achieve the same goal. We have a shoulder to lean on when we feel like we can’t move on,” said Carnes, who also enjoyed unique opportunities when she studied abroad in Poland as a part of a program that allowed her to study civil engineering at campuses in four countries.
Gordon expressed the important role that mentors like her major professor Peter Kalu, Ph.D., and the engineering school’s Title III Director Reginald Perry, Ph.D., played in her successful matriculation.
“FAMU’s programs have been a tremendous help in assisting us both academically and professionally. The faculty and staff have been amazing,” she said.
Gordon also recalled a time when FAMU’s Interim President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., personally stepped in to help her complete an important component of her research experience.
“I had an abstract and paper accepted for presentation at a conference in Cape Town, South Africa, and I went to different departments looking for support for travel there. It was such a huge opportunity. I told Dr. Robinson what I needed, and without batting an eye he said ‘yes, ‘ and it was done,” she said. “Through that opportunity, I was able to receive a Fulbright fellowship, and it was life-changing. I spent seven to eight months in Nigeria conducting research and teaching collegiate level students.”
Anderson, who completed two engineering fellowships in California, including the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium Summer Fellowship at the University of California, explained how her experience at FAMU empowered her to embrace her culture and who she is as a scholar.
“The most important thing that FAMU has taught me is confidence in myself. My education process from middle school all the way up to my bachelor’s was at predominantly White institutions where I felt like the odd one out in honors classes, gifted classes and Advanced Placement classes,” she said. “At FAMU, I felt like ‘I am actually supposed to be here, ‘ and everyone is on equal footing, not just skin color wise but also education wise.”
The women agree that confidence helped the trio work through system crashes, equipment failure, multiple trials and errors, and even with overcoming tragedy, as they all worked toward the finish line of their education.
In 2014, they suddenly lost colleague Tarra M. Beach, an environmental engineering doctoral candidate. She passed away before she received her doctorate. Her goal was to “contribute to the sustainability of the environment and work on STEM education with underrepresented children.”
“She would have been the first woman to graduate with her engineering Ph.D., from the Title III program at FAMU. So, we were next in line to just follow her example, her dedication, her passion and drive,” Anderson said.
Beach’s legacy helped motivate the young women to complete their goals.
“Losing Tarra was very hard. She was driven toward education. She was so close to finishing and to know someone worked that hard and not necessarily reaped that benefit was emotionally draining for us,” Carnes said. “But it also let us know we are blessed to be here and that we can move on. Her legacy is that she believed in education and through us, and all women, she is here. Through our eyes, she has her Ph.D., because she was such a scholar.”
Gordon explained the loss of Beach and earning a degree in a field where women and ethnic minorities are underrepresented taught her and her friends the lesson of a lifetime: nothing is impossible when you persevere.
“It was tough, but we had each other. We stayed connected. Just keep on going. Be determined. Be persistent,” Gordon said.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Spring practice starts in 60 days, so it’s as good a time as any to start looking forward to the 2017 football season.
Several SWAC teams were close to breaking through last year, and seven of the 10 teams in the league could have made the conference championship by swinging the outcome of just two games.
Here’s a look at the five SWAC teams that have the most to prove, given the lay of the land.
5. Alabama A&M: The Bulldogs got off to a miserable 1-5 start last year that included a win over Mississippi Valley and losses to Prairie View, Southern, Texas Southern and Alcorn State. But they won three out of their final four SWAC games, and are hoping to carry that momentum over into this season. If A&M coach James Spady can find a way to get his team to pick off a couple of games early (they lost to Texas Southern 34-31 last year, for example) they could make a serious run at their first East title since 2011.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana track and field standout Drew Chatters earned an academic honor for the second straight day when she was named Friday as a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete for 2016-17. Chatters, a junior from Lake Charles, La., and a graduate of St. Louis Catholic High School, is a biology / pre-medical major. She is a 3-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference champion in the javelin and holds school and GCAC meet records in that event. To qualify for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes are nominated by their institution, must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved junior academic status. Chatters was announced Thursday as Academic All-District 2 by the College Sports Information Directors of America. She made that team for the second consecutive year. Chatters will learn June 20 if she made the Academic All-America team. Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold
LEXINGTON, Kentucky – North Carolina A&T will roll into the NCAA Division I Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., in record fashion after completing a historic NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round for a historically black college or university institution.
The Aggies will send 13 of the school-record 20 athletes they sent to the East Prelims to the University of Oregon's Hayward Field, June 7-10 for the NCAA championships. Over the past three days, the Aggies have taken down numerous school records. Saturday was another superb day of qualifying. The Aggies will have more representation than any other North Carolina institution at the NCAA championships in two weeks. They will also send more athletes to the NCAA nationals than any other HBCU in history.
The men's 4x100 meter relay team consisting of seniors Chris Belcher, Caleb Gabriel and junior Rodney Rower and freshman Jaylen Mitchell nearly took the top qualifying time for the East to Oregon with them, but were defeated by a narrow margin by Auburn (38.74) and LSU (38.75) to finish third in 38.76. The top 12 times advance to NCAA nationals. The foursome's time broke the school record of 39.44, set during this season's MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at N.C. A&T's Irwin Belk Track. It was the same runners save for junior Joel Thomas ran instead of Mitchell.
“Man, they looked awesome today,” said N.C. A&T director of track and field programs, Duane Ross. “They were right there until the end, but LSU got us at the line.”
The women's 4x1 was also impressive. Junior India Brown, sophomores Yakira Love and Kayla White and freshman Taliyah Townsend sprinted to a school record as they qualified for nationals with the 10th-best time (44.01). The previous record was established at the 2017 Aggie Invitational when the same runners except Love ran on Friday instead of Tori Ray. One more Aggies relay team saw success on Saturday when the 4x4 team qualified for nationals with a school-record time. Senior Dorian Claggett, junior Dajuan Harding, sophomore Justin Hamilton and freshman Najee Reams completed the 4x4 in 3:06.14 to be the 11th team out of 12 to qualify. They finished ahead of Clemson and Florida State to qualify. Saturday's 4x4 team out did itself as the same four guys held the previous record which was 3:07.32 recorded at the 2017 MEAC outdoor championships.
Belcher and Brown will represent the Aggies in three different events in Eugene. Both qualified on the men's and women's side in the 200 meters. A day after running the fastest qualifying time to reach the quarterfinals with a school-record 20.06, Belcher qualified for nationals in 20.31. Brown also pulled off a trifecta by finishing her 200m race in 22.92 to break her own school record of 22.98 recorded at the Tom Jones Memorial hosted by the University of Florida on April 28.
There were mixed reviews for the Aggies in the hurdles on Saturday. Kayla White is headed to nationals in the 100-meter hurdles as she qualified in 13.18 a day after breaking the school record by running 12.94. White broke an 8-year old record set by Loreal Smith at 12.97. White will try to become the Aggies first All-American in the 100mh since Smith in 2009. White had the sixth-fastest qualifying time on Saturday. The Aggies 110mh participants on Saturday – sophomore Michael Dickson and senior TeQuille Jackson – failed to qualify as both men could not reach the Top-12.
N.C. A&T's representation at the NCAA championships will be off the track as well. Sophomore Lasheon Strozier qualified in the men's triple jump with a personal-record 51-feet, 10 ½-inch jump. It surpassed his previous best which was 51-feet, 10-inches at the Duke Invitational on April 21. Strozier will be the first Aggies triple jumper since Brandon Via in 2006 to compete at NCAA nationals.
“This year we did a good job of putting them in meets where they saw some of the same competition they saw this weekend,” said Ross. “Our administration fully backed us in taking them down to (the University of) Florida and Georgia and putting them against tough competition so that when they are competing at regionals, when they are competing at nationals, it's nothing new.”
GULF SHORES, Alabama — Xavier University of Louisiana sophomore Ireyon Keithproduced a career best in the long jump Thursday on the opening day of the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. Keith's mark was 5.58 meters (18 feet, 3 3/4 inches), the best by a Gold Nugget in two years. She placed 16th out of 46 jumpers. XULA's other long jumper was freshman Ry-Anne Riley, who placed 22nd with 5.44 meters (17-10 1/4). Sophomore Abby Stricker of Columbia (Mo.) won with 5.91 meters (18-4 3/4). The Gold Nuggets did not advance in the preliminaries of the 400 relay. Martina Wright, Alexis Milton, Justyce Riggs and Riley finished seventh out of seven in their heat in 48.59 seconds and placed 16th out of 21 teams overall. Defending champion and No. 1 seed Indiana Tech posted the fastest time, 45.83. XULA will compete in two Friday events: Ariane Williams in the 400 trials at 3:30 p.m., and the 1,600 relay trials at 7:45 p.m. with Riley, Williams, Tramaine Shannon and Clarke Allen. The meet will conclude Saturday.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Drew Chatters and Brianna Pacewere named Thursday to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District™ 2 women's track and field/cross country team in the college division for 2016-17. Chatters, a junior from Lake Charles, La., and a graduate of St. Louis Catholic High School, is a biology / pre-medical major with a 3.78 cumulative GPA at XULA. She made Academic All-District for the second straight year, making her the sixth XULA athlete to receive the honor more than once. Chatters is a 3-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference champion in the javelin throw; she holds school and GCAC meet records in that event. Pace, a sophomore from Junction City, Kan., and a graduate of Junction City High School, is majoring in computer science at XULA and has a 3.87 cumulative GPA. Pace scored a team-best 26 points April 22 to help the Gold Nuggets win the GCAC team championship. She scored in five events that day, including second in the 800-meter run and 3,200 relay, and was All-GCAC in four events. In October she finished third at the GCAC cross country meet and helped the Nuggets win the team championship. District 2 consists of non-NCAA colleges in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee. Nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility. Chatters and Pace are the only athletes from the GCAC to make an Academic All-District™ track/cross country team this year. They are among eight from HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges or Universities) to be honored, regardless of gender. First-team Academic All-District™ members advance to the Academic All-America™ ballot. The College Division Academic All-America™ team will be announced June 20. During the past nine years, XULA has produced 22 Academic All-District™ selections, all but one on the first team.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will have six entries in five events — the men's triple jump and the women's 400-meter dash, 400 relay, 1,600 relay and long jump — at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. The 3-day meet will begin Thursday at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Ala. Freshman Ry-Anne Riley will be the busiest of the 10 XULA athletes. She'll compete in the long jump and will run the anchor segment of the 400 relay and the leadoff lap of the 1,600 relay. "I feel really good about our chances here," XULA coach Joseph Moses said. "We look real fast, and we're healthy. That's the key to doing well at nationals. You can't go into this meet 80- or 85-percent healthy." The XULA entries: • Women's 400 Relay (trials at 2:30 p.m. Thursday; finals at 2:40 p.m. Saturday): Joining Riley on this team will be Martina Wright, Alexis Milton and Janelle Jones. Justyce Riggs is the alternate. None of the five is a senior. Wright, Milton, Jones and Riley won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship in this event in 47.25 seconds April 22. Defending champion Indiana Tech is No. 1 this season at 45.23. The Warriors won a year ago in 45.57. • Women's Long Jump (5:30 p.m. Thursday): Riley (5.57 meters/18 feet, 3 1/4 inches) and Ireyon Keith (5.51/18-1) both qualified for nationals April 7 at the University of Mobile Invitational, then finished 1-2 in this event at the GCAC meet to help the Gold Nuggets win the team title. Wayland Baptist freshman Telecia Briscoe (6.26/20-6 1/2) is the season leader. Defending champion is Mobile's Joniana Brinson, who jumped 5.86/19-2 3/4 last year and is No. 3 in 2017 at 6.06/19-10 3/4. • Women's 400 (trials at 3:30 p.m. Friday; finals at 4:30 p.m. Saturday): Newcomer Ariane Williams set a XULA record of 56.63 April 22 at the GCAC meet. She ranks 17th in the NAIA. GCAC rival SUNO has the top three in this event, including leader Shadae Hilton at 53.50. Teammate and defending champion Orenthia Bennett is No. 2 at 53.98; Bennett won a year ago in 54.44. • Women's 1,600 Relay (trials at 7:45 p.m. Friday; finals at 6:15 p.m. Saturday):Clarke Allen will run anchor for the second straight year. She's the only returnee from last year's team that produced an All-America performance (seventh place) at nationals and set a school-record of 3:49.87 in the preliminaries. Williams will take the baton from Riley for the second lap, then hand off to Tramaine Shannon. The alternates are Jones and Milton. XULA is the No. 9 seed after its 3:53.83 March 17 at the Emory Invitational. Wiley is top-seeded at 3:43.71. Carroll (Mont.) won the 2016 title in 3:44.89 and is third-seeded this year at 3:47.54. • Men's Triple Jump (1:30 p.m. Saturday):Keairez Coleman was the GCAC champion this year but did not qualify for nationals until he jumped 14.32/46-11 3/4 at XULA's final meet before nationals, the Southern Miss Open April 28. He ranks 27th nationally. Lindsey Wilson's Goabaone Mosheleketi (15.64/51-3 3/4) is the season leader. The 2016 champion, Eastern Oregon's Eric England (16.13/52-11), is not competing collegiately this season. "We had a great week of practice after final exams," Moses said. "We're entering nationals with a positive outlook. I'm looking forward to seeing how well we'll do." Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis, four days after its second consecutive runner-up finish at the NAIA National Championships, was ranked No. 2 in the postseason coaches poll.
The XULA men made their 86th consecutive top-25 appearance dating to April 4, 2007. It is the longest active streak in NAIA men's tennis. The Gold Rush were second in the 2016 postseason poll.
The Gold Rush finished 14-6 after a 5-0 loss Saturday to Georgia Gwinnett in the NAIA final at Mobile, Ala. Twelve XULA victories this season were against ranked or NCAA Division I teams — 10 of those were on the road.
XULA's resume got shinier Wednesday when Emory defeated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 5-1 in the NCAA Division III final at Chattanooga, Tenn. XULA won 5-4 at Emory Feb. 18.
The Gold Rush active poll streaks:
• 86 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began April 4, 2007.
• 77 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began April 30, 2008.
• 62 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 1, 2011.
• 56 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began May 3, 2011.
• 18 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
• 16 consecutive appearances in the top 3 . . . streak began March 1, 2016.
• 10 consecutive appearances in the top 2 . . . streak began May 25, 2016.
NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Postseason Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through May 20)
Dropped from rankings: No. 25 St. Thomas (Fla.)
Others receiving votes: St. Thomas (Fla.) 60, Marian (Ind.) 41, Warner 29, Missouri Valley 20, Hastings 17, Davenport 15, Cumberlands 8, Point 6, Bethany (Kan.) 5, Cornerstone 3
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee -- James Daniel, a 6-0, 175-pound guard from Hampton, Virginia, has signed an institutional aid agreement and plans to enroll at Tennessee this summer and play for the Volunteers as a graduate transfer during the 2017-18 season.
Daniel earned his degree in Sociology from Howard University this spring.
One of the best-kept secrets in college basketball during the 2015-16 season, Daniel led the country in scoring at 27.1 points per game, ultimately earning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors and honorable mention All-America distinction. Daniel’s memorable junior season for the Bison featured nine games of 30 or more points, including a career-best 39 in a win over William & Mary.
“James gives us not only offensive production but toughness and experience as well,” Vols head coach Rick Barnes said. “He recognized that our program has a lot of positive momentum and it means a lot to us that this was an important factor for him. He has already distinguished himself individually and now wants to have an impact on team success. Adding James to our roster is significant because it gives us some really good depth in our backcourt and the potential for some potent offense.”
Beyond the Backboard: My Unique HBCU Experience In the Shadows of Big Time Basketball
GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T Men’s Basketball Coach Cy Alexander sent ripples through the basketball world when he resigned from his post as the Division 1 head coach citing in a statement to press, “I have decided to step away from actively coaching to pursue other interest within athletics. I look forward to pursuing those interest here at North Carolina A&T State University … I have a strong love for broadcasting, and I think being able to sharpen my skills on the Aggie basketball broadcasts will assist me in pursuing broadcasting as my next career. My decision to step down was a difficult one, but the last three years of my life have been tumultuous with the passing of my wife and mother. Therefore, I believe this decision was in the best interest of me and my family.”
He went on to thank all the young men “I’ve coached here at North Carolina A&T State University for their commitment to the program as well as their respective families who entrusted those young men to my care,” he continued. “Secondly, I want to thank Chancellor Harold L. Martin and Athletics Director Earl Hilton for the opportunity they gave me to become the head coach at North Carolina A&T, and the opportunity they are giving me to pursue my second career. I also want to say thank you to my coaches, managers and every person who has been involved with North Carolina A&T men’s basketball during my tenure.”
GAINESVILLE, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman's wondrous run through the 2017 NCAA Gainesville Regional ended Monday with a 6-1 loss to the host University of Florida before a McKethan Stadium crowd of 2,166 and an internet thoroughly enamored by the Wildcats' bleached beards. And calm demeanor, despite the situation. And passion. And, well, everything about the program.
