UMES Veteran coach trades Hawks for Hoyas as he heads to Georgetown

COAC TOBY RENS

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- University of Maryland Eastern Shore head volleyball coach Toby Rens resigned from his position on Monday, January 8, to accept the head coaching position at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Assistant coach Trevor Callarman will serve as the interim head coach while a national search is underway.

“We value everything that Coach Rens has done for the program and our young ladies over the past four seasons during his return to campus,” Director of Athletics Keith Davidson said. “We wish him nothing but the best in his move to Georgetown.”

Rens just completed his seventh season with the Hawks, and the fourth of his second stint at the helm of the program. 2017 was his most successful year to date as the Hawks went 27-9, earning a berth in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

“I truly appreciate my time here at Maryland Eastern Shore and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity and support that I was given,” Rens said. “I’d like to personally thank Mr. Davidson, Neema Connor, Stan Bradley, Collene Dean, Pat Nativio, Anne Carter and the entire staff.”

Over his Hawk career, he compiled a record of 127-102, winning two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division Championships and two MEAC Coach of the Year awards.

The Hawks also received several MEAC All-Conference selections during his tenure, as well as the Women’s Team of Scholars award for the highest team grade-point average over the 2016-17 academic year. Current sophomore Iva Vujosevic earned honorable mention for the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Regional team in 2017, becoming the first Hawk to do so.

Rens first came to The Shore in 2001, inheriting a team that had not won since 1998. By his second season the Hawks reached the 20-win threshold, and achieved a place in the MEAC Championship match by 2003. Rens left for Long Island University Brooklyn the next year, but returned in 2014 to turn around the program again after a 3-21 campaign the previous season. The Hawks went on to secure 78 victories during his second stint with a 35-13 mark against conference opponents.

“I have truly grown to love the people here and will miss seeing everyone on a regular basis,” Rens said. “The student-athletes that I have worked with over the years have given me many great memories. They certainly won’t be forgotten as each of them have a special place in my heart.”

Georgetown will be Rens’ sixth head coaching stop. He also piloted
programs at Northern Michigan, LIU Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, and Chicago State. He has a 378-266 career record over 18 seasons.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATION

Sam Washington's coaching journey leads to top job at A&T

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Sam Washington’s friend and mentor is a tough act to follow.

Rod Broadway, 62, retired as N.C. A&T’s football coach today, leaving with the best winning percentage in school history, after three MEAC championships in four years, after an undefeated season that ranks as the best in the 93 years the Aggies have fielded a team.

Now what?

Now comes Washington, 57, promoted to the top job after seven seasons as the Aggies defensive coordinator and 11 years on Broadway’s coaching staffs at Grambling and A&T.

“You know what?” Washington said. “You don’t even try to fill those shoes. What I need is for us to do what we do, and do it well. … Follow the blueprint to its fullest, and we should be OK.”

Washington was introduced at a news conference this morning at A&T, but the truth is he’s been there all along.

He arrived at Broadway’s side in 2011, taking over a program coming off seven consecutive losing seasons and in an academic mess, staring down the barrel of NCAA sanctions.

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Fomer FAMU president Ammons named to Southern University post

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Former Florida A&M University President James Ammons has been named executive vice president for the Southern University System and executive vice chancellor of its Baton Rouge campus.

Ammons was appointed to the post on Friday by the Southern University System’s Board of Supervisors.

Southern is an historically black university in Baton Rouge, where its Law Center and Agricultural Center campuses also are located. Other campuses are in New Orleans and Shreveport.

“I am looking forward to helping make this System all that we know it can be," Ammons told the board. "There is so much potential. We have so much to work with. With all of us working together as a team, I know we can be successful.”

Ammons has been working as a tenured professor of political science at FAMU.

In 2016, Ammons was named provost of Delaware State University but decided to stay at FAMU.

Ammons served as FAMU's president from 2007 to 2012, when he resigned.

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Punishing schedules leave HBCU basketball teams little chance before January

BALTIMORE, Maryland — Juan Dixon won his first career game as a Division I men’s basketball head coach on Monday night, leading his Coppin State Eagles to a double-overtime victory over Florida A&M. Just 48 hours earlier, after his team had blown a late lead against Savannah State to lose its 17th straight game, Dixon rubbed the bags under his eyes and stayed on message. He reminded his group of how difficult it is to win in college basketball, a sermon he has repeated on loop for much of the past two months and reinforced with stories of his time as a player at Maryland.

Winning in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is especially difficult. Dixon’s team traveled more than 12,000 miles to play its 15 nonconference games, all losses by an average margin of 22.9 points. When Coppin State finally did make it to the MEAC conference opener, an eight-point loss at Norfolk State last week, its four-hour return bus trip was doubled and became an all-nighter because of a snowstorm in Virginia. In Game No. 17 — the Eagles’ third home game of the season — they played in front of 624 fans.

“We just haven’t been in enough close games to know how to win,” Dixon said.

It is a shared struggle for Division I programs at historically black colleges and universities, where resources continue to be severely limited and upward mobility for coaches remain almost nonexistent. Most schools have no choice but to stack their nonconference schedules with “guarantee games” against cash-rich Power Five schools, essentially trading losses for money that will help keep their programs and athletic departments afloat.

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Unique stat line propels Bates to GCAC weekly award

NEW ORLEANS — It's back-to-back wins for Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week award.

Mikayla Bates, a 5-foot-7 junior guard from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of University Lab School, is the GCAC winner for Jan. 1-7 after producing 16 points, seven rebounds and six steals Jan. 2 in a 71-56 victory at Paul Quinn.

Bates is the only Gold Nugget in the last 14 seasons to reach 16 points, seven rebounds and six steals in the same game. Bates for the season is XULA's No. 3 scorer with 7.5 points per game, No. 2 in rebounds per game at 5.5 and the team leader with 3.1 steals per game. Bates ranks 10th in NAIA Division I in that latter category and is 16th in total steals with 40.

The GCAC award is the first for Bates. Backcourt teammate Maya Trench was the recipient for Dec. 25-31. It's the first time since the end of the 2015-16 season — Trana Hopkins, then Whitney Gathright — that the Gold Nuggets produced back-to-back winners.

Back-to-back victories on the court have been more difficult for the Gold Nuggets to achieve recently. XULA, which dropped three of its last four de
cisions and four of its last six, will travel to Tougaloo, Miss., for a 3 p.m. Saturday GCAC matchup against Tougaloo. The Gold Nuggets are 7-6 overall and 0-1 in the league after losing 66-62 Monday at Edward Waters.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Gold Rush win GCAC opener, move win streak to 6

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Led by freshman Rayshawn Mart and senior transfer Joseph Williams, Xavier University of Louisiana opened its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball schedule Monday with a 64-57 victory against Edward Waters.

XULA (12-4) has won six straight. This one occurred against the team that eliminated them in the first round of last season's GCAC Tournament.

Mart had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Williams — in his first season with the Gold Rush after three at Freed-Hardeman — produced his first collegiate double-double: 10 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen David scored 11 points, and his basket at 16:43 of the first half put XULA ahead to stay.

XULA led 36-23 at halftime. The Tigers (5-8) got as close as 45-41 in the 30th minute, but the Gold Rush iced the game by making 8-of-11 free throws in the final 3 1/2 minutes. Jeff Dixon made 4-of-4 in the last 16 seconds.

Khalil McCoy — a redshirt freshman in his first collegiate start — and Dixon scored eight points apiece. Dixon had six rebounds and seven assists.

Will Ibeh scored 17 points, Prince Braynen 11 and Rasaad Morgan 10 for Edward Waters. Charles-Eddie Smith, who torched he Gold Rush for a career-high 30 points in last season's GCAC Tournament, scored a season-low six and was 2-of-10 from the floor.

XULA shot 41.4 percent from the floor and committed a season-low eight turnovers, one in the first half. The Gold Rush outrebounded the Tigers 42-32.

The win streak is XULA's longest since winning eight in a row Jan. 10-Feb. 5, 2015.

XULA will be back on the road for GCAC games at Tougaloo at 5 p.m. Saturday and Talladega at 7:30.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Gold Nuggets suffer rare GCAC opening loss

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Jermisha Collins scored 21 points Monday to help Edward Waters rally for a 66-62 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana. It was the GCAC opener for both teams.

Edward Waters (15-1) trailed 37-33 at halftime but took the lead for at 7:41 of the third quarter when Mia Leite made the Lady Tigers' only 3-pointer of the second half.

Brittany Rowell had 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots for Edward Waters, which handed the Gold Nuggets (7-6) their fourth loss in 36 GCAC openers and first since 2009. The Lady Tigers have won 14 straight since a 66-63 home loss to Florida Memorial Oct. 27.

Ireyon Keith scored a season-high 14 points for XULA, and Essence Wells had 13. Maya Trench had nine points and six assists. Wells and Mikayla Bates had four steals apiece. Gina Smith and DeDe Martinez grabbed eight rebounds apiece.

XULA held its largest lead, 18-9, after a Bates 3-pointer at 2:44 of the first quarter. But the Lady Tigers rallied for a tie at 20 at the end of the period.

Edward Waters outshot XULA 42.2 to 30.9 percent from the floor, 52.6 to 20.6 percent in the second half. The Gold Nuggets made 16-of-33 free Cthrows — their 17 misses were their most in a game in nearly three years. The Gold Nuggets made four of their first five 3-pointers, then went 0-of-12 the rest of the game. XULA's struggle to make second-half shots offset its plus-9 turnover margin, 19 steals and 22 offensive rebounds.

XULA will be back on the road for GCAC games at Tougaloo at 3 p.m. Saturday and Talladega at 5:30 p.m. next Monday.

BOX SCORE

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Longtime assistant Sam Washington gets first head coaching job at A&T

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — The man who will replace Rod Broadway as N.C. A&T football’s next head coach knows exactly how the program has grown and flourished the last seven seasons.

Sam Washington was there.

Washington, 57, has been an assistant on Broadway’s coaching staffs for 11 years, dating to their time together at Grambling.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve under Coach Broadway both at Grambling State and North Carolina A&T,” Washington said in a news release. “I could not ask for a better friend and mentor than Rod Broadway. What I saw him accomplish at North Carolina A&T is nothing less than remarkable.”

Washington, Courtney Coard (defensive line), Shawn Gibbs (running backs) and Cedric Walthaw (strength & conditioning) were all on Broadway’s first A&T coaching staff in 2011. The Aggies were coming off seven consecutive losing seasons, including a 1-10 record the previous year.

Now the Aggies have won two of the last three Celebration Bowls, three of the last four MEAC titles and two black college national championships.

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North Carolina A&T's Rod Broadway Retires; Sam Washington Named Next Head Coach

COACH ROD BROADWAY

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T head football coach Rod Broadway announced his retirement from coaching on Monday.  

Assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and secondary coach Sam Washington will take over the program as the 19th head football coach in N.C. A&T history. Aggie Athletics will hold an 11 a.m., press conference at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center (200 N. Benbow Road, Greensboro) on Tuesday, January 9 that will feature Broadway, Washington and N.C. A&T Director of Collegiate Athletics, Earl M. Hilton III.

Broadway retries after seven seasons as the Aggies football coach. He will serve as a special assistant to the athletics director for the next six months. Broadway recently led N.C. A&T to its best season ever, finishing 12-0 with accolades that included winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title, the Celebration Bowl game and the HBCU national championship. In the process, the Aggies broke the school and conference records for wins and became the first MEAC and HBCU Division I-AA team ever to finish undefeated and untied.

In 15 seasons as a head coach, Broadway amassed a 127-45 (.738) record with four HBCU titles and six conference championships. Yesterday, his .737 winning percentage was the best winning percentage among active FCS coaches. In the history of FCS play, Broadway has the third-highest winning percentage. Broadway spent four seasons apiece at North Carolina Central (2003-06) and Grambling State (2007-10). 

“I am grateful to this great and historic university, North Carolina A&T State, for the opportunity to be its head football coach for seven years,” said Broadway. “I am grateful to two men I hold in high esteem, chancellor Martin and athletics director Earl Hilton, for believing in me and the direction I wanted to take this program. I am grateful to the players, they have made this a wonderful experience for me and my family.

I am grateful to what I consider a great coaching staff. They have conducted themselves with the upmost integrity and professionalism. And I am grateful to the very hardworking support staff we have here at North Carolina A&T.”

“I love the man not only for what he has accomplished during his time as our head football coach at North Carolina A&T, but also for who he is as a person,” said Hilton. “While we are losing one of the greatest coaches of all time, I love that he gets to go out on his own terms, a luxury not afforded to most coaches. He took our football program from being the laughing stock of the (Football Championship Subdivision) to being the envy of black college football and one of the premier programs on the FCS level. He did it with class and intelligence. He held everyone within his program to the highest standards of accountable. Rod’s work ethic is unmatched. I will miss him as a colleague but will always consider him a friend and a confidant.”  

Hilton on head coach Sam Washington: “Coach Washington holds many of the same characteristics as coach Broadway. We have believed for some time that coach Washington has the skills, temperament and leadership qualities to be a collegiate head coach. We are confident the trajectory of the football program will remain on a winning path with coach Washington at the helm. We are eager to see him do well in a position he richly deserves.”

Under Washington’s leadership as the Aggies defensive coordinator for seven seasons, the Aggies have consistently produced one of the best defenses in the nation. The Aggies have been the MEAC’s No. 1 total defense and scoring defense four times in the past seven years. They have had the No. 1 total defense in the conference three straight seasons. N.C. A&T has also had the No. 1 rush defense in the conference six times in seven years. Nationally, the Aggies defense has never ranked lower than 20th under Washington including a No. 4 ranking in 2017. The Aggies had the nation’s best run defense in 2012.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve under coach Broadway both at Grambling State and North Carolina A&T,” said Washington. “I could not ask for a better friend and mentor than Rod Broadway. What I saw him accomplish at North Carolina A&T is nothing less than remarkable. Following a legend is never easy, but coach Broadway has taught me so much over the years, I am poised to continue having success in Aggieland. I want to thank chancellor Martin and Mr. Hilton for what is an awesome opportunity for me and my family. Our coaching staff will stay intact for the most part, so we are ready to get to work.”

Broadway’s N.C. A&T accomplishments

• Broadway finished his career at N.C. A&T 59-22 (.728) overall and 41-15 (.621) in the MEAC. He has the best winning percentage of any N.C. A&T football coach in history. He is second all-time in wins.
• A third of the Aggies nine MEAC championships have come under Broadway. The Aggies three conference titles under Broadway have occurred in the last four years.
• N.C. A&T won two HBCU national championships under Broadway (2015, 2017).
• The Aggies were 33-5 overall and 26-3 in the MEAC at Aggie Stadium in Broadway’s seven years as head coach. The Aggies have won 10 straight at home.
• The Aggies had two 10-plus win seasons under Broadway. No other coach in school history had more than one.
• Broadway had four 9-plus win seasons which ties coach Bill Hayes for the most in school history.
• Broadway led the Aggies to a 7-0 homecoming record during his tenure. He was also 4-3 against North Carolina Central.
• The Aggies had four straight 9-plus win seasons (2014-17) under Broadway.
• Broadway beat four ranked FCS teams, two FBS schools and one school in transition to FBS play during his seven-year tenure.
• The Aggies scored 30-plus points 39 times and 40-plus points 19 times under Broadway.
• N.C. A&T has spent 37 straight weeks in the NCAA FCS national coaches poll. They have been a part of the BoxToRow Black College Football poll 59 straight weeks. They were ranked No. 1 in 38 of those polls. The Aggies were ranked in the SBN Black College Football poll 57 straight weeks with a No. 1 ranking 33 of those weeks.
• The Aggies won 46 straight games when leading at halftime under Broadway and were 53-1 when leading at halftime during his era. They were 52-2 when leading after the third quarter.
• Over seven years, the Aggies have had 67 All-MEAC recognitions including 36 first-team recognitions. Forty-seven different players have earned some type of All-MEAC recognition. Thirty different players have earned first-team All-MEAC honors. In 2017, N.C. A&T had a school-record 12 first-team All-MEAC selections.
• A N.C. A&T player has been named offensive player of the year in the MEAC four straight years. Five players have been named offensive player of the year in the MEAC under Broadway. The Aggies have had the conference’s offensive lineman of the year (Brandon Parker) three straight years. Two players (Tarik Cohen and Elijah Bell) were named rookie of the year under Broadway.
• Fifteen different players have earned some type of All-American recognition under Broadway including four Associated Press All-Americans (Brandon Parker, Tarik Cohen, Khris Gardin and Franklin (Mac) McCain III).
• Nathan Isles, William Ray Robinson, Wallace Miles, Mike Mayhew, Tarik Cohen, Deji Olatoye, and Tony McRae have all had NFL opportunities under Broadway. Brandon Parker is expected to be drafted in 2018.

 NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Howard-Hampton Postponed Until Feb. 8

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With infrastructure damage due to sub-zero temperatures, the Howard-Hampton basketball doubleheader scheduled for Tuesday (Jan.9) inside Burr Gymnasium has been postponed until Thursday, February 8.

The women's game is set for 5:30 pm, while the men are scheduled for a 7:30 start at The Burr.

Next up, Howard hits the road for a couple of league contests against South Carolina State (Jan. 13) and Savannah State (Jan. 15).

Saturday's matchup at the Lady Bulldogs start 2 p.m. while Monday night's showdown takes place at 6 p.m.

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.

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Southern's swarming defense sends Jackson State to first conference loss in 10-point win

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- To topple the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s best, Southern needed to be as sharp as ever.

It's been a usual theme for the Jaguars this season. Three quarters of quality basketball and then a fourth frequently associated with drama. Monday against Jackson State, the SWAC's winningest club, Southern was forced to follow three quarters of stellar defense to shut the door and seal a win in yet another intense fourth.

For the second in-conference game in a row, Southern closed — and the Jaguars clipped the top-ranked Tigers 86-76 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

Jackson State (8-5, 3-1 SWAC) preferred leisure with its offense. With size and the SWAC’s No. 1 rebounding unit as a hoist, the Tigers wished to drop the ball inside and have their bigs operate against Southern’s undersized interior defense as starting forward Sarai Blissett was absent with a knee injury.

Makes or misses do not much matter for the Tigers. Jackson State, which has collected 16 or more offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive games, has a rebounding past sure to provide plenty of shot attempts. If that didn’t work, Jackson State’s bigs could kick it out for a good-looking 3-pointer.

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Delaware State Hornets Making Progress On Search For Football Coach -- Maynor and Milstead Leads the Pack

DOVER, Delaware — It’s been nearly a month and a half since Delaware State University decided to change football coaches.

The Hornets are making progress in the search for a replacement for Kenny Carter.

Delaware State hosted the first round of interviews for the open position in late December, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The new coach could be named later this month.

Two names that have come up in the coaching search are former DelState offensive lineman Rod Milstead and former Hampton University head coach Connell Maynor. Neither could be reached for comment for this story.

Milstead’s name was expected to be mentioned. He’s also the most familiar to Hornet fans.

He graduated from Delaware State in 1992 before being selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played eight years in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.

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Virginia University of Lynchburg names new head football coach -- Bobby Rome

LYNCHBURG, Virginia -- Less than two months after the position became available, the Virginia University of Lynchburg announced the hiring of a new head football coach.

Bobby Rome, 31, was introduced to VUL staff Friday as the next coach of the Dragons.

“I have long-term plans to be here at this university,” Rome said in an interview Friday. “The moment when I walked through the doors at Humble Hall for the first time, it’s something that just grabbed me.”

Rome, a former college and professional football player and native of Norfolk, comes to VUL with about four years of head coaching experience.

Rome most recently was head coach of the UNC club football program. Prior to that, he was the head coach of Far Eastern Federal University in Russia, where he started the football program.

Rome was a four-year starter at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), where he played fullback. He graduated in 2009 and was in and out of the NFL and played in the now-shuttered United Football League, as well as the Federation of American Football of Russia league.

Rome will replace former coach Jimmy Joe, who was at the helm of the program for just one season until he and the school parted ways in November.

Rome was one of three final candidates interviewed for the position, according to VUL COO Jason Randoo.



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UPDATE: A&T's Broadway Retires, New Head Coaches Named at A&T and VUL

2017/18 HEAD COACH CHANGES
COLLEGE                        NEW COACH          FORMER COACH

Alabama State                   Donald Hill-Eley        Brian Jenkins
Alabama A&M                                                      James Spady
Arkansas - Pine Bluff       Cedric Thomas             Monte Coleman  
Florida A&M                    Willie Simmons*       Alex Wood
Delaware State                                                       Kenny Carter                
Hampton                             Robert Prunty            Connell Maynor
Mississippi Valley State     Vincent Dancy           Rick Comegy

Morgan State                    Ernest T. Jones$          Fred T. Farrier

North Carolina A&T      Sam Washington     Rod Broadway (Retired)

North Carolina Central      Granville Eastman$   Jerry Mack

Prairie View A&M             Eric Dooley              Willie Simmons
Lincoln (Pa.)                                                         Reginald Byarse Jr. 
Edward Waters                 Greg Ruffin                 Alvin Wyatt
Virginia Union                  Dr. Alvin Parker         Mark James
Va. U. of Lynchburg         Bobby Rome              Jimmy Joe

 $ Interim for 2018
 *Interim                                                                

TERMINATION OF FOOTBALL PROGRAM
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)

2017/18 ATHLETICS DIRECTOR CHANGES
COLLEGE                          NEW AD                    OLD AD     
1. Florida A&M                   John Eason                   Milton Overton
2. Delaware State                 Mary Hill*                   Louis 'Skip' Perkins                   

HBCU ATHLETIC PROGRAMS ON NCAA PROBATION FOR LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL and/or FAILURE TO MONITOR ITS ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION PROCESS:

1. Morgan State University, Probation Period End Dec. 18, 2021
2. Southern University and A&M College, Probation End Nov. 15, 2021
3. Howard University, Probation End May 19, 2018
4. Grambling State University, Probation End July 27, 2019
5. Morehouse College, Entire Program, Probation End July 14, 2018
6. Norfolk State University, Probation End June 15, 2018
7. Prairie View A&M University Men's Basketball, Probation End Nov. 20, 2019
8. Fayetteville State University Women's Basketball, Probation End Nov. 13, 2019
9. Mississippi Valley State University, Probation End March 23, 2019
10. Alabama State University Softball, Probation End Oct. 19, 2018
11. Alcorn State University, Probation End Oct. 18, 2018
12. Florida A&M University, Probation End Nov. 19, 2019
13. Central State University (Ohio), Probation End March 3, 2019 
14. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Probation End Aug. 20, 2019                                                  

CONFERENCE CHANGES - 2018/19
COLLEGES                NEW CONFERENCE         OLD CONF.

Hampton                       Big South                                 MEAC
Savannah State             SIAC                                        MEAC
Langston                        SAC                                         RRAC
Texas College                SAC                                         RRAC

Southern athletes turn in banner semester, helping polish image. 'If you sum it up, it means everything.'

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- As far as Roman Banks and Trayvean Scott are concerned, Southern’s student-athletes — as a collective group — earned a championship in the fall semester.

Southern’s 290 athletes achieved a cumulative 3.05 grade point average in the fall semester, a number that was bolstered by more than half of the total athletes at Southern turning in a 3.0 or better GPA. More than 40 percent landed on the honor roll.

“In a word, if you sum it up, it means everything,” said Scott, Southern’s executive associate athletic director. “From a recruiting standpoint, from a standpoint of being competitive, from a standpoint of being viable as a member of a Division I institution, it means everything.”

Said Banks, Southern’s athletic director, “Those are championship numbers. We like the direction we are heading in. It put us back in the game.”

This is the most notable sign that Southern is about to pull out of the academic mire in which it has been languishing for the last several years.

CONTINUE READING

Tennessee State Tigerbelles Shine at Ed Temple Classic

Photo By Sam Jordan - TSU Athletics

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PHOTOS: GALLERY - by Sam Jordan | GALLERY 2

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- Competing at home for the first time this season, the Tennessee State women’s track and field team turned in a number of top performances at the Ed Temple Classic inside the Gentry Center on Sunday. The Tigerbelles took the top spot in six events on the day.

Cyra Beard won the high jump with one of the top performances of her career, clearing 1.75m (5’8.75”). The senior also won the triple jump on the afternoon.

In the triple jump, Grenetria Shell took the top spot with a mark of 5.95m (19’6.25”).

The Tigerbelles dominated the throwing events with Mikayla Thompson and Daimer Gordon taking first and second, respectively, in the shot put. In the weight throw, Gordon was the top finisher followed by Amani Taylor.

On the track, Kayla Pryor had the day’s top 800m time of 2:22.71.

In the team competition, TSU took first out of five schools with 84 points.

Next up, TSU heads to Birmingham, Ala. for the Blazer Invitational on Jan. 12 and the Vulcan Invitational on Jan. 13.

Tennessee State Director of Track and Field Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice“To even mention Coach (Ed) Temple’s name in a sentence is a blessing and an honor to me. To be at home competing, you train on the track every day and you should be used to it. Sometimes you do well and sometimes you don’t. We’ve got to go back and start all over. It’s just a blessing and an honor to keep remembering Coach Temple.”
- On hosting the Ed Temple Classic

“We had some highs and lows. We’ve got to go back to the drawing board - I saw some growing pains. We performed well in the sprints and the hurdles. Cyra Beard did well in the high jump and the triple jump. Overall, we still have a lot of work to do.”
- On how TSU performed on the day

Women’s High Jump

1.75m (5’8.75”) – Cyra Beard – 1st Place
1.60m (5’3”) – Jalyn Bowen - 4th Place

Women’s Long Jump
5.95m (19’6.25”) – Grenetria Shell – 1st Place
5.71m (18’9”) – Angel Horton – 3rd Place
5.42m (17’9.5”) – Gabrielle Younginer – 4th Place
5.41m (17’9”) – Jalyn Bowen – 5th Place

Women’s Triple Jump
12.15m (39’10.5”) – Cyra Beard – 1st Place
11.86m (38’11”) – Angel Horton – 2nd Place
11.20m (36’9”) – Brejhe’ Halls – 3rd Place
11.10m (36’5”) – Gabrielle Younginer – 4th Place
11.03m (36’2.25”) – Ayana Eason – 5th Place

Women’s Shot Put 
14.82m (48’7.5”) – Mikayla Thompson – 1st Place
11.69m (38’4.25”) – Daimer Gordon – 2nd Place
11.10m (36’5”) – Amani Taylor – 4th Place
11.07m (36’4”) - Hannah Alsup – 5th Place

Women’s Weight Throw
16.44m (53’11.25”) – Daimer Gordon – 1st Place
15.85m (52’) – Amani Taylor – 2nd Place
15.81m (51’10.5”) – Hannah Alsup – 3rd Place
14.37m (47’1.75”) – Mikayla Thompson – 4th Place

Women’s Mile 
5:36.04 – Rebekah Wynn – 2nd Place

Women’s 55m Hurdles Finals
8.43 – Kyla Jimmar – 3rd Place

Women’s 55m Finals
7.28 – Destiny Pennington – 5th Place

Women’s 400m 
58.19 – Mikayla Banks – 4th Place
58.21 – Zion White – 5th Place

Women’s 800m 
2:22.71 – Kayla Pryor – 1st Place
2:28.61 – Rebekah Wynn – 3rd Place

Women’s 200m
25.60 – Kyla Jimmar – 4th Place
25.83 – Mikayla Banks – 5th Place

Team Scoring
1. Tennessee State – 84
2. Middle Tennessee – 53
3. Austin Peay – 30
4. Alabama A&M – 12
5. Jackson State - 7

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Flying Tigers Earn Four Top Finishes at Ed Temple Classic

FULL RESULTS: HTML | PDF 
PHOTOS: GALLERY - by Sam Jordan  |  GALLERY 2

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- Four Flying Tigers earned top finishes at the Ed Temple Classic on Sunday as the Tennessee State men’s track and field team competed at the Gentry Center for the first time this indoor season.

On the track, James Faison posted the fastest 200m time, clocking in at 22.05 for first place. Thomas Mosley’s 800m time of 1:56.29 was good for first, while Jemarruse Amos won the finals of the 55m hurdles in 7.61.

Michael Willingham Jr. captured first in the weight throw with a distance of 15.24m (50’).

Among the three Division I teams competing, Tennessee State placed first with 60 points.

Next on the schedule for the Flying Tigers are the Blazer Invitational on Jan. 12 and the Vulcan Invitational on Jan. 13 – both in Birmingham, Ala.

Tennessee State Director of Track and Field Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice“To even mention Coach (Ed) Temple’s name in a sentence is a blessing and an honor to me. To be at home competing, you train on the track every day and you should be used to it. Sometimes you do well and sometimes you don’t. We’ve got to go back and start all over. It’s just a blessing and an honor to keep remembering Coach Temple.”
- On hosting the Ed Temple Classic

Men’s Long Jump

6.55m (21’6”) – Desmond Mayfield – 2nd Place
5.84m (19’2”) – Miles Archie – 4th Place

Men’s Shot Put 
12.86m (42’2.25”) – Leelan Wilkins – 2nd Place
12.75m (41’10”) – Michael Willingham Jr. – 3rd Place

Men’s Weight Throw
15.24m (50’) – Michael Willingham Jr. – 1st Place
12.30m (40’4.25”) – Leelan Wilkins – 3rd Place

Men’s Mile
4:43.33 – Larry McNary – 3rd Place

Men’s 55m Hurdles Finals
7.61 – Jemarruse Amos – 1st Place
7.68 – Isaiah Olige – 2nd Place

Men’s 55m Finals
6.69 – James Stewart – 4th Place
6.73 – Jemarruse Amos – 5th Place

Men’s 400m 
50.00 – Isaiah Olige – 3rd Place

Men’s 800m 
1:56.29 – Thomas Mosley – 1st Place
1:57.78 – Marcus Abdul – 3rd Place
2:00.23 – Jontue McDowell – 4th Place

Men’s 200m 
22:05 – James Faison – 1st Place
22.46 – David Jones – 2nd Place
22.63 – James Stewart – 5th Place

Team Scoring 
1. Tennessee State – 60
2. Alabama A&M – 52
3. Middle Tennessee - 43

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Fallen Rattlers: Two Florida A&M University Engineering Majors Killed in Fiery SE Memphis Tenn. Crash

Alfred Motlow and Aniya Brown were both sophomores and engineering majors at Florida A&M University 

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — A Mid-South family says three of their loved ones were killed in a fiery crash on East Shelby Drive near Hacks Cross Road Friday night.

Brittany Motlow said Sunday that her brother Alfred Motlow (Memphis, Tennessee), 19, his girlfriend Aniya Brown (Bensenville, Illinois), 20, and their friend Katie Coleman, 18, were all killed.

Another passenger, Maricus Murdock, 19, is in critical condition at Regional One, according to a hospital spokesperson.

The Motlows say the other victims may not have been blood-related, but they were like family.

“These kids have been with me since they were little – eating dinner, eating breakfast, spending the night. I was a mother to them,” said Alfred Motlow’s mother, Jean Motlow. “And so, not only did I lose my son, but I’m praying that Maricus pulls through.”

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Earle Farrell initially told WREG a woman and two children were killed in the crash.

“There were three people in the initial car – a woman and two adolescents,” he said on the scene Friday. “Everybody in the initial car was severely burned. It’s one of the worst I’ve ever seen.”

Farrell said one car hit another head-on, sending both bursting into flames, and then a third car crashed into both of those cars.

FIERY VIDEO OF ACCIDENT SITE  



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Football returning at Allen University

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Allen University’s football team is making a comeback, according to President Dr. Ernest McNealey.

McNealey attributes the return to supporters like the General Alumni Association, whose contributions led the board of trustees to give its approval. The football team had been defunct for 10 years.

“I'm excited,” McNealey said. “The ember for football never dimmed in a group of alumni that ultimately set ablaze the current decision and process to relaunch football.”

“I'm excited,” McNealey said. “The ember for football never dimmed in a group of alumni that ultimately set ablaze the current decision and process to relaunch football.”

“I am happy to afford expanded opportunities for Allen students who will play and watch, as well as the alumni who have campaigned for so long for the return of football," said the Right Rev. Dr. Samuel L. Green Sr., chairman of the university board.

The new football coach is Teddy Keaton of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Keaton has more than 15 years of experience in coaching with a record of 54-26. He has been AIFL Coach of the Year 2007, Lakeland Thunderbolts; Atlanta South Division Champions 2006 and 2007; American Indoor Football Champions, 2007 Lakeland Thunderbolts; Pacific Central Division Champions 2008-(High level player recruiting).

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GEOGHEGAN: Cheyney University athletes, coaches locked out of facilities as athletic programs hang by a thread

THORNBURY. Pennsylvania -- You would be hard-pressed to find anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference who was surprised to hear that financially troubled Cheyney University was discontinuing its football program. It had been rumored for years.

Now, the latest subject of speculation in league circles is whether one the country’s oldest historically black universities is going to have any athletic programs at all.

All of the uncertainty could be cleared up, of course, with a statement from Cheyney President Aaron Walton, or the school’s interim Athletic Director Sue Kilian. But both have been notably MIA since the PSAC announced the move to drop football on Dec. 8.

In fact, nearly a month later, there has yet to be an official release or announcement from anyone at Cheyney. The school’s athletic website still lists football as one of its four men’s sports. The most recent post for football came on Dec. 6 and is unrelated to the shutdown of the program.

“I just know what we were told in a meeting with the president,” said outgoing head football coach Chris Roulhac. “The conference is aware that football is being discontinued, but I’m not aware if the university has done a public announcement.”

A quick online search answers that question. But here is the pertinent question: Why has Cheyney’s administration refused to acknowledge what everyone seems already to know. Why the secrecy? Why not explain what is happening and why?

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'It's always good': Defense powers Southern women's win over Grambling in SWAC home opener

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The box score wasn’t pretty.

Sometimes it doesn’t need to be.

In the Southern womens' first home Southwestern Athletic Conference victory this season, the Jaguars pounced on Grambling from Saturday’s tip with defense, outworking Grambling in a 63-44 victory Saturday at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

“Tonight was won defensively, rebounding — which has been a big thing for us — steals, boxing out,” Southern forward Briana Green said.

“Staying aggressive defensively,” guard Skylar O’Bear added. “We knew our offense would come.”

With Green’s 15 points and O’Bear’s 13, Southern’s offense did come. Southern (3-9, 2-1 SWAC) fluctuated between large leads with smaller ones as its defense forced 28 Grambling turnovers. The Jaguars’ defiant defense sortied their offense. Southern turned Grambling’s giveaways into 25 points and pounded the Lady Tigers’ defensive interior for 24 points in the paint.

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