Augusta Wins Fourth Title At MEAC Golf Championships

SAVANNAH, Georgia --The Augusta University men's golf team won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship for the fourth consecutive year on Saturday at Crosswinds Golf Club. The Jaguars shot 7-under-par in the last round on Saturday to best the eight team field by 33 shots and finish the three-day event with a score of 861 (292-288-281, 3-under).

• LIVE STATS
• PHOTOS
• DAY TWO
• DAY ONE
• PREVIEW

 With the conference championship, Augusta received an automatic bid to the NCAA Div. I Men's Golf Championship. The NCAA Div. I Men's Golf Selection Show will air on Wednesday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. on Golf Channel. 

Four of the starting five Jaguars ended the tournament in the top three on the leaderboard. Freshman Alex Shead won the individual title, edging out two of his teammates by six strokes to win 7-under-par. Shead shot 73, 67, and 69 to win his second event of the season at Crosswinds Golf Club, after winning the SSU Tiger Invitational on Halloween day. 

Senior Broc Everett took second at 1-under-par and freshman Laken Hinton and sophomore Gustav Andersson shared a tied for third (+3). Andersson's round-three 69 (-3) was the lowest of his career. Freshman Olof Gunnarsson rounded out AU in 14^th (+13). 

The Jaguars won the event, followed by Bethune-Cookman in second (+30), Florida A&M in third (+44), host Savannah State in fourth (+61), North Carolina Central fifth (+83), Hampton sixth (+109), Maryland Eastern Shore seventh (+115), and North Carolina A&T eighth (+136). 

Augusta head coach Jack O'Keefe was named the MEAC's Most Outstanding Coach for the fourth straight year and Shead was named the Most Outstanding Performer for winning the individual title. 

AUGUSTA @MEAC (Final Scores)

Pos.	Team/Player (seed)	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Total
1	Augusta	292	288	281	861
1	Alex Shead (2)	73	67	69	209
2	Broc Everett (1)	72	73	70	215
T3	Laken Hinton (3)	73	73	73	219
T3	Gustav Andersson (5)	74	76	69	219
14	Olof Gunnarsson (4)	77	75	77	229

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics / on Twitter at @AugustaJags and on Instagram @augustajagsFacebook

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Grambling's starting quarterback battle to take time

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State’s quarterback competition won’t be settled any time soon.

More than likely, the 2018 season will kick off before head coach Broderick Fobbs finds the next rightful starter to run the Tigers offense.

This spring marked the first time in two years the position has been as open as it currently is, and through 14 practices over the last month, there’s been very little separation among the field of signal callers to replace DeVante Kincade.

“It’s really close,” Fobbs said. “It’s been close all the way down to the 14th day. If it’s close, nothing changes.”

Rising sophomore Geremy Hickbottom served as Kincade’s primary backup last season and entered spring drills at the top of the depth chart. Behind him is redshirt junior Charles Wright, a converted running back from up the road at Ouachita Parish High School. Both guys battled last fall camp for the No. 2 spot, a contest Hickbottom won.

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GCAC Welcomes Rust College Bearcats As Newest Member

Kansas City, Missouri -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Council of Presidents (COP) yesterday approved Rust (Miss.) College as the newest member of the NAIA, and the 8th member institution of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC). Rust will join the GCAC for the 2018-2019 season.

The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Council of Presidents (COP) voted unanimously to approve Rust at their annual meeting this past December in Holly Springs, Miss. The meeting was held on the campus of Rust College. The NAIA Memberhship Committee voted last month to elevate Rust to full, active membership in the NAIA.

Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner Steve B. Martin praised the work of the conference's Council of Presidents in helping to expand the conference's membership.

"The growth of the GCAC continues with the addition of Rust," said Martin. "I'd like to thank the GCAC Council of Presidents for working to bring Rust into the conference, especially Presidents [Billy] Hawkins and [Roderick] Smothers, whose tireless efforts greatly contributed to our expansion."

Rust, which was previously an NCAA Division III school, offers 12 sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, tennis, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Founded in 1866, Rust is one of the nation's oldest historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The private college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEDIA RELATIONS

EWC Tigers Athletics Release 2018 Football Schedule

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Since the hiring of new head football coach Greg Ruffin in December, the excitement and anticipation of the new direction of Edward Waters football has been palpable. That excitement was taken up another notch as following a successful spring football game on Saturday afternoon,  the Edward Waters College Department of Athletics released its 2018 football schedule. The 2018 11-game schedule features five home games and six contests on the road. In addition, it also features 10 games against NAIA schools, six against Mid-South Conference Sun Division opponents, and one contest against an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) foe. 

The Ruffin Era will begin at home on Saturday, August 25th as Edward Waters will host the Knights of St. Andrews University for the first ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. The following weekend features another first time opponent for the Purple & Orange on September 1st as the Tigers welcome the Blue Raiders of Lindsey Wilson. 

The Tigers will then take their show on the road for the next four straight contests beginning on September 8th as EWC faces former conference rival Point in Valley, Alabama. Following a bye week on September 15, EWC heads to Lebanon, Tennessee for date with the Phoenix of Cumberland University on September 22nd. The Tigers wrap up the month of September and will open up MSC Sun Division play on the 29th in West Palm Beach against the Seahawks of Keiser University for their first ever meeting on the field.

October begins with a trip to Polk County on the 6th as the Tigers face Warner at Legion Field in Lake Wales. Edward Waters finally returns home on October 13th for another division matchup against Faulkner. The Tigers will welcome another division foe Ave Maria in to town on October 20th when EWC hosts its annual Homecoming game. October closes out on the 27th in Lakeland as the Tigers face the defending MSC Sun Division champions, Southeastern.

The month of November opens on the 3rd where Edward Waters will travel to O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, North Carolina for a gridiron battle against North Carolina Central. The 2018 regular season concludes on November 10th at home as the Tigers host long time rival Webber International for Senior Day.

2018 Edward Waters Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location
Aug. 25	St. Andrews	Jacksonville, Florida
Sept. 1	Lindsey Wilson	Jacksonville, Florida
Sept. 8	@ Point	Valley, Alabama
Sept. 15	BYE WEEK
Sept. 22	@ Cumberland	Lebanon, Tennessee
Sept. 29	*@ Keiser	West Palm Beach, Florida
Oct. 6	*@ Warner	Lake Wales, Florida
Oct. 13	*Faulkner	Jacksonville, Florida
Oct. 20	*^Ave Maria	Jacksonville, Florida
Oct. 27	*@ Southeastern	Lakeland, Florida
Nov. 3	@ North Carolina Central	Durham, North Carolina
Nov. 10	*%Webber International	Jacksonville, Florida

*Mid-South Conference Sun Division Contest

^ Homecoming 2018

% Senior Day

Kickoff times and home venue information will be released at a later date.

Follow the Tigers
For complete coverage of Edward Waters College Athletics, follow the Tigers on social media @EWCAthletics (Twitter), /EWCSports (Facebook) and @EWCAthletics (Instagram) or visit the official home of Edward Waters athletics at EWCTigerPride.com.

Now showing at JSU: Hal Mumme’s Air Raid

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Hal Mumme, bespectacled and with his long, grayish blond locks blowing every which way in the wind, looked as much the part of mad professor as football coach at Jackson State’s spring football game Sunday.

He was more professorial than coach-like along the sidelines, too, rarely raising his voice, just calmly signaling in plays, which were, of course, mostly passes.

Jackson State is Mumme’s 14th stop in a 42-year coaching career that has taken him from such outposts as Copperas Cove (Texas) High School, to Iowa Wesleyan, to Valdosta State, to Kentucky, to New Mexico State, to Belhaven and now Jackson State, with several other stops along the way.

Most of that time has been spent as a head coach. Now, at Jackson State, he is back to being an offensive coordinator, which, he said, is his comfort zone.

“It’s a blast,” Mumme says. “I had forgotten how much fun it is to just coach the offense.”

Mumme sounded like a man definitely in his element.

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Alabama State University football will scrimmage at Memorial Stadium for first time

SELMA, Alabama -- College football is returning to Memorial Stadium Saturday, when the Alabama State University Hornets wrap up their third week of spring practice with a scrimmage from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The scrimmage is free and open to the public.

ASU is a Division I Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Montgomery that plays in the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC).

Memorial Stadium hasn’t hosted a college football team since the now disbanded Concordia College Alabama football team played its last home games there.

Bringing ASU to Selma was introduced by the football program’s new head coach Donald Hill-Eley.

After spending three seasons as the interim head coach, Hill-Eley was named the Hornets 29th head coach this past December.

He gets 15 consecutive days to run his spring practice to prepare for the 2018 season, and he came up with the idea of using his 12th spring practice to bring his team from Montgomery to Selma for the last scrimmage before the Black and Gold spring game.

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ASU Lady Hornets win SWAC golf championship

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana | Alabama State ran away with their fifth Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship in the last six years Tuesday afternoon, winning the title by 39 strokes over last year's champion Texas Southern.
 
The Lady Hornets finished with a two-day total of 50-over 626 to outrun Texas Southern who finished with a two-day total of 89-over 665. Prairie View A&M finished third with a 124-over 700, while Alcorn State finished at 144-over 720.
 
Chanelle Avaricio won the individual title for the fourth consecutive season, finishing one shot of her teammate Nia Station. Avaricio finished with six-over 150, finishing ahead of Station at seven-over 151.
 
Amber Kuykendall of Texas Southern finished the event in third place finishing at fourteen over par, while Madison DeRousse of Alabama State finished the event in fourth place in a tie with Aubrianna Jordan. Quname Mhotsha of Alcorn State finished in sixth, and Jade McAlister of Alabama State finished in seventh.
 
Avaricio, Station and DeRousse were named First All-Conference; with Station earning Freshman of the Year honors. Jada McAlister and Shania Jones were named Second Team All-Conference.
 
Alabama State head coach, Dr. Gary Grandison, was named the 2018 SWAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year.
 
The Lady Hornets will now await their destination for the NCAA Regionals on the selection show April 25, which will air live at 5:30 pm on the Golf channel.
 
Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University women's golf, please follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateGolf (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

Jerry Nichols Named Men's Basketball Assistant Coach

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- Tennessee State men’s basketball Head Coach Brian “Penny” Collins announced the hiring of Jerry Nichols as an assistant coach. Nichols arrives in Nashville after five highly-successful seasons as the Head Coach of Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis.

Nichols was previously the Head Coach at Motlow State Community College and served as a court coach for the USA Basketball Under 18 Junior National Team in 2016.

“Jerry Nichols is a coach that I have the utmost respect for,” Collins said. “We got to know each other as rivals in Region 7 of the Tennessee JUCO League. His teams at Motlow and Southwest were special. He has a knack for getting the most out of his players. His high basketball IQ, energy and determination will be exactly what our team needs to take the next step. He has recruited and coached some of the best JUCO players in the country. He also has experience coaching with USA Basketball. Jerry will help us become a force in recruiting wars right away.”

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Nichols compiled a 200-59 career record in nine seasons as a junior college head coach – winning five Tennessee Community College Athletic Association Coach of the Year honors. Guiding Motlow State from 2009-13, his teams went 80-31. He took over at Southwest Tennessee prior to the 2013-14 season, going 120-28 in five seasons from 2013-18.

“I’m really excited about this new opportunity,” Nichols said. “I’ve known Coach Collins for years. I had the opportunity to coach against him when he was the coach at Columbia State, and we definitely had some epic battles. I’m excited about working with him here at TSU.”

Nichols won two TCCAA Coach of the Year awards at Motlow State, serving as the head coach and athletics director. His best season with the Bucks came in 2012-13 when his team won the TCCAA Championship and earned a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament. Motlow State finished 13th in the final NJCAA Division I poll in 2013.

Moving on to Southwest Tennessee, Nichols continued to thrive, picking up three more TCCAA Coach of the Year awards. Nichols’ Saluqis finished 18th or better in the final NJCAA Division I polls in four of his five seasons. Twice Southwest finished 11th, including the 2015-16 season, when the Saluqis went 30-5 and earned a berth in the NJCAA Elite Eight.

With USA Basketball’s U18 Junior National Team, Nichols helped coach the squad at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championships in Valdivia, Chile which featured eight national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Nichols began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Walters State Community College during the 2006-07 season before heading to Union College in Kentucky for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.

As a player, Nichols starred for Westwood High School in Memphis and went on to become a two-time All-American guard at Walters State Community College. The two-time TCCAA Player of the Year ranked ninth in the nation in scoring with 21.6 points per game as a sophomore. Nichols continued his education and playing career at Arkansas State, where he led the team in three-point shooting and was named the team’s top defensive player during his junior season. He was the recipient of ASU’s Leadership Award as a senior.

Nichols graduated from Arkansas State in 2006 and earned his master’s degree from Union College (Ky.) in 2009.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Nuggets, Rush close regular season with 9-0 victories

NEW ORLEANS — Playing for the fourth time in five days, Xavier University of Louisiana tennis closed the regular season Monday with 9-0 victories against Lewis-Clark State.
     
The Gold Nuggets (17-7), ranked fourth in the NAIA, extended their school-record win streak to 14 and won for the 16th time in their last 17 dual matches. The Gold Rush (11-11), ranked third, snapped a three-dual losing streak.
     
There is no conference or unaffiliated group tournament on the schedule, so the next time these teams play likely will be May 16 in the round of 16 at the NAIA National Championships in Mobile, Ala.
     
"We're just glad that we got through today," coach Alan Green said. "We're tired. Coach is tired. The players are tired. But it was good to get a win on senior day for Catalin Fifea."
     
Fifea, the only senior on either XULA team, won in doubles and singles. He and Chris Anders won their third in a row, 8-4 against Ignacio Salom and Guilherme Medeiros. Fifea beat Salom 6-4, 6-4 on the first singles court.
     
Anders, Antoine Richard, Shaikh Abdullah and Pierre Andrieu also won in doubles and singles for the Rush. Abdullah clinched when he defeated Luca Menezes 6-2, 6-3.
     
Meanwhile, there was no letdown for the Gold Nuggets less than 24 hours after their stunning 5-3 victory at West Florida, the second-ranked team in NCAA Division II. Mariia Borodii, Charlene Goreau, Angela Charles-Alfred, Farah Baklouti and Lacee Ancar all won in doubles and singles.
     
Goreau, who clinched Sunday in three sets, did it again against the Warriors — but this time under less stressful circumstances. She rolled past Begona Andres 6-1, 6-0 for her 14th consecutive singles victory.
     
Borodii defeated Hannah Uhlenkott 6-1, 6-1 and will enter nationals with a 15-0 singles record. Charles-Alfred cruised past Stephanie Buckingham 6-1, 6-0 to improve her record to 10-0. Borodii and Charles-Alfred are freshmen.
     
"We've been on a nice little streak," Green said of the Gold Nuggets. "We think we can play with anybody."
     
Ancar, a sophomore who sat out the majority of 2017-18 because of a shoulder injury, played singles for the first time this season and defeated Sophie Uhlenkott, Hannah's younger sister, 6-4, 6-2. Ancar was medically cleared last week for competition, and her season debut was Thursday in a doubles victory against William Carey.
     
Lewis-Clark State's women are 4-16 — 0-2 against the Nuggets — and its men are 5-13.
     
The NAIA will announce May 7 the 24 men's teams and 24 women's teams that qualified for nationals. The brackets will be revealed May 8, and the first round will begin May 15 at Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. This year the women will play the morning matches. The championship finals are scheduled for May 19.
     
"We're going to recuperate a little bit," Green said. "We'll recover and get ready for final exams, but we'll still continue to train and try to get a couple of practice matches in.
     
"We'll be hungry when we get to nationals. We won't let down."

Results:  Men   •   Women

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Nuggets win at West Florida, NCAA D2's No. 2 team

PENSACOLA, Florida— Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis produced one of its biggest victories ever Sunday, 5-3 against West Florida, the second-ranked team in NCAA Division II.
     
Charlene Goreau, a two-time All-American, clinched for the Gold Nuggets (16-7) when she defeated Ines Nicault 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2 on the second singles court. Goreau, Mariia Borodii and Angela Charles-Alfred all won twice.
     
XULA (16-7), ranked fourth in the NAIA, extended its school-record win streak to 13. West Florida is 23-3. The Argonauts beat the Gold Nuggets 9-0 a year ago.
     
XULA's third-ranked men lost 5-1 to sixth-ranked West Florida.
     
"This is a HUGE win for the Nuggets," 15th-year coach Alan Green said. "It feels like we have played two different seasons from where we started in the beginning. We feel like we can win against anyone right now.
    
XULA's men are 10-11. West Florida's men are 21-2 after winning their 11th in a row.
     
Both XULA teams will close the regular season at 10 a.m. Monday against Lewis-Clark State at XULA Tennis Center. It will be senior day, and Catalin Fifea of the Gold Rush will be honored in a prematch ceremony.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Alcorn Promotes Stanchek to Offensive Coordinator

LORMAN, Mississippi --Entering his fifth season with the Alcorn State University football program, Ryan Stanchek was elevated to Offensive Coordinator, announced Monday by head coach Fred McNair.
 
Stanchek spent his first three years at Alcorn as the offensive line coach before being promoted to run game coordinator after the 2016 campaign. The Braves won the SWAC East Division all four years he's coached at Alcorn.
 
"My family and I are very excited to enter our fifth season representing Alcorn football. I am thankful to Coach McNair for entrusting me with this added responsibility. Coach McNair is a man of tremendous integrity and I am blessed to be a part of his staff," Stanchek said. "We would like to thank the Alcornites for embracing my family with open arms the past five seasons. We, as an offensive staff, are going to find ways to enhance and build upon our past success with clear eyes on our future. We will represent Brave Nation in a positive manner at all times on and off the field and continue to win with class."
 
Under Stanchek, the Braves have placed offensive linemen on the SWAC All-Conference Teams nine times in four years. He's also mentored five HBCU All-Americans during his tenure including Isaac Sampson, Isekelli Ongosia, Detonio Dade, Timothy Gardner and Kenyon Brantley.
 
As run game coordinator in 2017, the Braves led the FCS in yards per carry (6.42) and were top-10 in both rushing offense (237.4) and total offense (461.3 ypg). Alcorn led the SWAC in all three categories as the offensive line blocked for De'Lance Turner who broke the school's single-season rushing record with 1,357 yards. That mark was also the second-most in the nation.
 
"Coach Stanchek has done a tremendous job, not only with our offensive line and protection, but also with our run game. It's not a coincidence that we have numerous offensive linemen and running backs earn postseason honors every year including HBCU All-Americans," said McNair. "I feel good about the direction we're headed and our offense showed a lot of upside this spring."
 
In 2016, Stanchek coached an Alcorn squad that rushed for over 155 yards in 10 of its 11 games, including at No. 20 Arkansas. The Braves ran for at least 255 yards in four of their last five matches. Additionally, Alcorn ranked top-10 in the FCS and first in the SWAC in fewest sacks allowed.
 
Prior to Alcorn, Stanchek served as an offensive graduate assistant at Indiana University from 2011-13 and as offensive quality control at Florida State University in 2010.
 
As a student-athlete, he started 48 consecutive games on the offensive line at West Virginia University and earned Football Writers Association All-America honors in 2007. He helped WVU win four bowl games in four years including the 2006 Sugar Bowl and 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Stanchek was also awarded the Red Brown Cup at WVU which went to the school's Male Student-Athlete of the Year based on athletic, academic and civil achievement.
 
Stanchek earned his Bachelor's degree in physical education from WVU. He was a three-time Big East Academic All-Star at WVU. He was inducted into the La Salle High School Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2009, Stanchek signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. He went on to play in the Arena Football League for the Cleveland Gladiators in 2010.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

PVAMU Concludes Spring With Purple And Gold Game

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M football team wrapped up the 2018 Spring with the Purple and Gold Game Saturday at Panther Stadium.

 
Big plays were made on offense, defense, and special teams as first-year head coach Eric Dooley completed his first spring as Prairie View A&M head football coach.
 
"I saw what I wanted to see," Dooley said. "I saw guys come out with the effort, and that's something I've preached all spring long. That does not require talent. The effort was there. The energy was there, and the guys were in tune to what we were trying to do. They understood what was at stake today."
 
Quarterbacks Neiko Hollins, Lavell McCullers, and Jalen Morton all threw touchdown passes in the scrimmage, with Markcus Hardycatching a pair of scoring passes. Zack Elder made four field goals, including a 53-yarder, and Will Skinner picked off two passes, including one for touchdown.
 
"I saw the guys fight back from a deficit and make it a close game," Dooley said. "That's what I was looking for. Again, I was pleased, but not satisfied. I think we have a long way to go, but this team is headed in the right direction."
 
SEASON TICKET RENEWALS UNDERWAY; FANS COULD WIN GREAT PANTHER EXPERIENCES: Season Ticket renewals for the 2018 Prairie View A&M football season began today online at pvpanthers.com/tickets.
 
Season ticket renewals are scheduled through May 30. New season ticket sales are scheduled from June 5 - June 30. 
 
The season ticket brochure is available online at www.pvpanthers.com under the tickets tab. If you qualify for a discount as an NAA Life Member and/or Foundation Student Challenge, you will need to call the box office to process your order at 936.261.3970.
 
The earlier you renew gives you more chances to win a great Panther Football experience:

• Renew by April 16, 2018 to be eligible to win a drawing to travel with team for  SWAC/MEAC Classic  (one winner will be chosen)
• Renew by April 20, 2018 to be eligible to win a drPRwing to get UNLV game tickets (10 tickets will be given away)
• Renew before April 30, 2018 to be eligible to win a drawing to get state fair classic tickets (10 tickets will be given away)

 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Defense dominates FAMU's 2nd spring scrimmage

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TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s defense has gone out of its way to impress new coach Willie Simmons.

The unit turned in a dominant performance in the Rattlers’ second spring scrimmage Saturday afternoon.

The offense, slowed by injuries, struggled with consistency during the 75-play session against a defense that showed -- and deftly disguised -- multiple formations.

The scrimmage also featured a notable visitor in Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. His younger brother, Caylin Newton, is the starting quarterback at Howard and one of the MEAC's most dynamic players.

FAMU winds down spring practice this week in preparation of the annual Orange and Green Game Saturday at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

“I thought the defense made tremendous strides from scrimmage one to scrimmage two,” Simmons said Sunday.

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Nuggets set school mark; Rush fall to No. 9 D2 team

PENSACOLA, Florida — Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis defeated Valdosta State 5-1 Saturday to set a school record with its 12th consecutive victory.
     
The XULA men lost 5-3 to Valdosta State, ranked ninth in NCAA Division II.
     
The 2013 XULA women held the old record of 11 consecutive victories. The Gold Nuggets (15-7), ranked fourth in the NAIA, tied the record by winning at home Thursday against William Carey.
     
The Gold Nuggets' 15 victories equal their combined total of the previous two seasons. They've won 14 of their last 15 dual matches.
     
The Gold Rush (10-10), ranked third, have dropped two straight duals for the first time since February. The XULA men had won 9-of-12 prior to Saturday.
     
Valdosta State's women are 6-12, and its men are 14-3.
     
Both XULA teams will visit West Florida at noon Sunday. The UWF women are 23-2 and ranked second in NCAA Division II; the men are 20-2, ranked sixth and have won 10 straight.

Results:  Men   •   Women

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Borodii receives Sugar Bowl's monthly award for March

NEW ORLEANS — For just the fourth time ever, a Xavier University of Louisiana student has been chosen Greater New Orleans Amateur Athlete of the Month.
     
Women's tennis freshman Mariia Borodii earned the honor for March after going 6-0 in singles and 6-1 in doubles to help the Gold Nuggets climb into the top five of the NAIA's national team rankings.
     
Borodii, from Zapozizhzhia, Ukraine, defeated the NAIA's eighth-, 18th- and 32nd-ranked singles players during March. At No. 1 doubles with Yi Chen Pao they beat the sixth-, 10th-, 15th- and 24th-ranked teams. Borodii helped the Gold Nuggets win all seven of their dual matches, including a pair of road victories against top-10 opponents.
     
On March 15 Borodii became the first XULA woman to earn simultaneous top-3 national rankings in singles and doubles. She was No. 2 in singles and No. 3 in doubles in the Oracle/ITA NAIA rankings and held on to those positions when new rankings were announced Wednesday.
     
For the season Borodii is 13-0 in singles and 13-3 in doubles with a current win streak of eight.     

"Mariia is arguably one of the toughest players I've ever coached, women or men. She has been a very hard worker for us as well as a leader by example," XULA coach Alan Green said. "She loves tennis but also really cares about every aspect of being on a tennis team. She is a very humble person who has overcome a lot of adversity to get to this point where she is today. It was been a great experience and blessing to have her on the team."
     
Borodii was chosen by the Greater New Orleans Sports Selection Committee, which has honored monthly winners since 1957. The Allstate Sugar Bowl sponsors the committee. Winners must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or compete for a team in the metropolitan region. Each of the monthly award winners will be honored during the summer at the Allstate Sugar Bowl's Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony.
     
XULA's other Greater New Orleans Amateur Athletes of the Month were Bruce Seals in men's basketball (February 1973, March 1973) and Brittany Powell in women's basketball (January 2010).
     
XULA's women and men will travel to Pensacola, Fla., for dual matches against NCAA Division II teams Valdosta State at 3 p.m. Saturday and West Florida at noon Sunday.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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