Hightower Of SAU Wins NCAA DII High Jump National Title

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  – Dakarai Hightower (Sr./Tacoma, WA) of Saint Augustine's University won the men's high jump national title after an outstanding effort in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Irwin Belk Track on Friday, May 25.

His victory was one of several top moments for the Falcons and Lady Falcons on the Johnson C. Smith University campus. Magaly Tshipopo (Jr./Orleans, France) earned All-America honors in the women's high jump and triple jump, and the women's 4x400-meter relay squad captured the second heat to qualify for finals. Brandon Valentine-Parris (Jr./St. Vincent) reached the men's 200 meter finals and later led the Falcons to the 4x400 relay finals.

Hightower set the tone earlier in the day. Ranked third in the regular season, Hightower made five of six jumps to outlast Myles Pringle of Ashland University. The Falcons' senior cleared 7-1¾ on his second try while Pringle missed all three attempts at the same height.

The winning leap was a season-best for Hightower, who became the fourth different Falcon in school history to win the men's outdoor high jump crown. The Falcons claimed their first men's title in the event since 2009.

With 10 points from Hightower, the Falcons climbed back in the men's team standings. They are tied for ninth heading into Saturday, the final day of the championship meet. Ashland is the second-day leader with 24 points followed by Tiffin University with 17.

Tshipopo put the Lady Falcons on the scoreboard with top five finishes in two events. She placed fifth in the triple jump with a season-best mark of 41-0½ and tied for fifth in the high jump with a height of 5-7¾. The Lady Falcons' standout managed to score despite competing in both events at the same time.

Her 7.5 points placed the SAU women 19^th in the team standings with one day remaining. Angelo State University leads the women's standings with 24.5 points followed by Lincoln (Mo.) University with 18.

The Lady Falcons are in position to gain ground Saturday. Shannon Kalawan (So./Westmoreland, Jamaica) produced top qualifying times in the 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles on Thursday, and the 4x400 relay squad featuring Kalawan, Ade Hunter (Sr./Philadelphia, PA), Leah Barker (Sr./St. Michaels, Barbados) and Amanda Crawford (So./Brooklyn, NY) posted the second-fastest qualifying time Friday (3:38.40) in their Heat 2 victory.

The SAU men are prepared to make a championship run as well. Valentine-Parris advanced to Saturday's 200 finals one day after reaching the 400 finals. His time of 21.10 was seventh-fastest in the 200 prelims. Najair Jackson (So./Spanish Town, Jamaica/Javelin) and Justin Williams (So./Brooklyn, NY/Triple Jump) will also be in action on the men's side.

Both Valentine-Parris and Kalawan will compete in four events Saturday. Valentine-Parris will sprint in the 4x100 relay in addition to the 200 and 400 dashes and 4x400 relay. The 4x100 team includes Damere Gilbert (So./Sharon Hill, PA), Adrian Kimmons (Sr./Cold Water, MS) and Dontarian Evans (Jr./Gainesville, FL). The 4x400 squad, which posted the fifth-fastest time (3:09.70) in Friday's preliminaries, includes Evans, Kimmons and Shaquille Dill (Jr./Pembroke, Bermuda).

Kalawan will race in the 4x100 relay as well as the 400 dash, 400 hurdles and 4x400 relay. The trio of Hunter, Barker and Crawford also make up the 4x100 squad. Crawford will join Kalawan in the women's 400 dash.

The meet begins Saturday with the men's javelin throw at 10:30 a.m. The first running event is the men's 4x100 relay at 3:25 p.m.

Watch the championship meet each day on ncaa.com. Click HERE for live stats or go to ncaa.com or saintaugfalcons.com, SAU's official athletic website.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

No. 3 Nuggets match highest-ever finish in final poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was No. 3 Wednesday in the NAIA women's tennis coaches postseason poll. The Gold Nuggets matched their highest ever final national ranking.
     
The XULA women also finished third in 2013 and 2014. It's the fifth time in six years that the Gold Nuggets are in the final top 10.
     
The Gold Nuggets (19-8) won 2-of-3 dual matches at the NAIA National Championships in Mobile, Ala., last week. They had a first-round bye, then defeated SCAD Savannah 6-1 in the round of 16 and LSU-Alexandria 5-0 in the quarterfinals. Georgia Gwinnett eliminated the Nuggets 5-1 in the semifinals en route to the Grizzlies' third consecutive championship.
     
Georgia Gwinnett was a unanimous No. 1. The Grizzlies swapped positions with Keiser, the No. 1 team the previous four polls.
     
XULA was 12-3 this year against NAIA teams in the postseason top 25, including three wins against No. 8 LSU-Alexandria, two wins against No. 9 William Carey and another victory against No. 5 Brenau. The Gold Nuggets also produced two victories against NCAA Division I teams (Jackson State and Southern) and won 5-3 at West Florida, the NCAA Division II national runner-up.
     
It's the first time that both XULA tennis teams finished in the national top three in the same season. The XULA men were ranked third.
     
The Gold Nuggets' active poll streaks:
     •  57 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began May 1, 2012.
     •  57 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began May 1, 2012.
     •  16 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 28, 2017.
     •  7 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began Feb. 27, 2018.
     •  6 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began March 13, 2018.
 

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Postseason Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through May 19)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	2	Georgia Gwinnett (14)	18-2	374
2	1	Keiser (Fla.)	23-3	362
3	3	Xavier (La.)	19-8	350
4	4	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	14-3	338
5	6	Brenau (Ga.)	16-8	326
6	7	William Woods (Mo.)	18-7	310
7	8	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	15-7	298
8	12	LSU-Alexandria (La.)	12-7	297
9	5	William Carey (Miss.)	11-6	272
10	10	Northwestern Ohio	15-5	261
11	11	Indiana Wesleyan	34-6	248
11	9	SCAD Savannah (Ga.)	13-5	248
13	14	Middle Georgia State	12-7	229
13	13	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	12-7	229
15	15	Westmont (Calif.)	10-12	203
16	16	SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)	12-7	199
17	18	Union (Ky.)	15-6	175
18	19	Cumberlands (Ky.)	10-11	170
19	17	Arizona Christian	10-12	154
20	22	Cumberland (Tenn.)	13-11	150
21	24	Mobile (Ala.)	11-7	133
22	20	Campbellsville (Ky.)	14-9	120
23	23	Reinhardt (Ga.)	12-7	103
24	21	Loyola (La.)	12-7	100
25	25	Marian (Ind.)	17-4	75

Others Receiving Votes: Southwestern (Kan.) 55; Asbury (Ky.) 45; Georgetown (Ky.) 36; Hastings (Neb.) 32; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 22; Missouri Baptist 19; St. Thomas (Fla.) 14; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 14; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 13; Tennessee Wesleyan 9; Huntington (Ind.) 3

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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No. 3 Gold Rush in final top 10 for 8th straight year

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed one place to No. 3 Wednesday in the NAIA men's tennis coaches postseason poll.
     
The Gold Rush (13-12) finished in the top 10 for the eighth consecutive year and in the top three for the third straight season. XULA was national runner-up in 2016 and 2017 and a semifinalist this year.
     
It's the Gold Rush's 13th consecutive season in the final top 25.
     
XULA extended its streak of consecutive top-25 appearances to 95. That's the longest active streak in NAIA men's tennis. The streak began April 4, 2007.
     
XULA won 2-of-3 dual matches at the NAIA National Championships in Mobile, Ala., last week. The Gold Rush had a first-round bye, then defeated Middle Georgia 5-1 in the round of 16 and William Carey 5-3 in the quarterfinals. Georgia Gwinnett eliminated the Rush 5-0 in the semifinals en route to the Grizzlies' fifth consecutive championship.
     
Georgia Gwinnett was a unanimous No. 1 for the 37th consecutive poll.
     
XULA was 4-3 this year against NAIA teams in the postseason top 25: 0-2 against Georgia Gwinnett, 2-1 against No. 4 William Carey, 1-0 against No. 11 Mobile and 1-0 against No. 13 Middle Georgia. The Gold Rush also produced four victories against NCAA Division I teams (Jackson State, Nicholls, Prairie View A&M and Troy) and two victories against teams in the final NCAA Division II top 25 (Bluefield State and Embry-Riddle [Fla.])
     
The Gold Rush active poll streaks:

     •  95 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began April 4, 2007.
     •  86 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began April 30, 2008.
     •  71 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 1, 2011.
     •  65 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began May 3, 2011.
     •  27 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
     •  27 consecutive appearances in the top 4 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
 

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through May 19)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Georgia Gwinnett (14)	27-0	374
2	2	Keiser (Fla.)	18-7	362
3	4	Xavier (La.)	13-12	350
4	5	William Carey (Miss.)	13-4	327
5	14	Reinhardt (Ga.)	19-4	321
6	3	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	14-1	313
7	7	William Woods (Mo.)	16-7	307
8	6	Cumberland (Tenn.)	21-4	296
9	11	Campbellsville (Ky.)	20-7	271
10	9	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	16-5	265
11	8	Mobile (Ala.)	19-3	261
12	10	Arizona Christian	19-8	248
13	13	Middle Georgia State	12-8	232
14	17	Union (Ky.)	14-6	208
15	16	Tennessee Wesleyan	12-5	195
15	12	Northwestern Ohio	13-6	195
17	15	Westmont (Calif.)	8-10	185
18	18	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	8-8	167
19	25	McPherson (Kan.)	15-4	164
20	20	Lawrence Tech (Mich.)	20-6	144
21	19	Asbury (Ky.)	15-2	141
22	21	Coastal Georgia	11-7	112
23	22	Indiana Wesleyan	29-11	111
24	23	Point (Ga.)	15-8	94
25	24	Cumberlands (Ky.)	8-11	83

Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M-Texarkana 82, Bethany (Kan.) 44; Loyola (La.) 40; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 30; Missouri Valley 25; St. Francis (Ill.) 11; Aquinas (Mich.) 10; Bluefield (Va.) 7; Hastings (Neb.) 7; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 6

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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FAMU Athletics National Alumni Association Presentation

ORLANDO, Florida -- The FAMU Athletics Department presented today at the FAMU National Alumni Association. Here is the presentation in a PDF document:

dropbox.com/s/i17rk6oqaxh7q2a/FAMU%20Athletics%20NAA%202018%20Rev1.0.pptx?dl=0 …

FAMU ATHLETICS NAA PRESENTATION 2018

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU's Covington Named NBA All-Defensive First Team

NEW YORK, New York -- Tennessee State men’s basketball alumnus Robert Covington was honored for his performance this season for the Philadelphia 76ers by earning 2017-18 NBA All-Defensive First Team honors. The award is voted on by a global panel of 100 sportwriters and broadcasters.

• The 2013 graduate of Tennessee State University recently completed his fifth NBA season – his fourth with the Sixers.
• This year, the 6-9 forward averaged 12.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in helping the Sixers secure the three seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
• In the NBA Playoffs, Covington’s Sixers advanced to the second round after defeating the Miami Heat in the first round.
• Throughout the season, the Illinois native led the NBA in deflections and was first in the NBA in defensive win shares among players who played in at least 70 percent of their teams’ games.
• He was joined on the NBA All-Defensive First Team by Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz), Jrue Holiday (New Orleans Pelicans) and Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers).
• Covington was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection during his time with Tennessee State.
• For the Tigers, Covington finished as the team leader in rebounds and steals three seasons and blocks and points two seasons.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATION

TSU Volleyball Adds Three to 2018 Roster

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Head coach Donika Sutton welcomes three Tigers to the 2018 roster with the additions of Destiny Washington (Austin, Texas), Kayla Grady (Nashville, Tenn.) and Micahlea Njie (Nashville, Tenn.).

The three student-athletes boost the roster to 12, with four returners and eight newcomers.

Destiny Washington | 5-6 | Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist | JUCO Transfer | Austin, Texas | Hill College“Adding Destiny to our roster is going to open up our offense, strengthen our ball control and deepen our depth chart. She plays a big game and knows how to lead her team, but the most important thing about her is her precision for excellence. She is a competitor and she wants to win. You can’t coach that,” said Sutton.

• Named to 1st Team All-Conference and All-Region
• Averaged 2.66 kills and 2.75 digs per set
• Helped the Lady Rebels register a 24-1 regular season
• Posted a season high 21 digs and 16 kills as a sophomore for Hill College
• Ranked on the list of Top 100 Liberos as a senior in the class of 2016
• Played club for Austin Juniors Volleyball
• Will major in Business Management

Kayla Grady | 5-7 | Right Side | Sophomore Transfer | Nashville, Tenn. | John A. Logan College/Hillsboro HS“Kayla is a kid that I think is going to help us in a lot of areas. She’s a right side, plays outside and can also play defense. She’s going to add a lot of depth to each position, and I’m excited to have her as a Tiger,” said Sutton.

• Averaged 1.88 kills and 2.43 digs per set and recorded 53 blocks and 37 service aces in 88 sets
• Helped the Vols claim the Great Rivers Athletic Conference regular-season title
• All-District and All-Region honors as a Burro at Hillsboro
• Played club for Club West under former Tiger Erika Moss
• Will major in Computer Science

Micahlea | 5-5 | Defensive Specialist/Libero | Incoming Freshman | Nashville, Tenn. | Antioch HS“Micahlea is going to be a great addition to our defense. She is a defensive specialist/libero from the metro area, and I’m really excited to watch her grow,” Sutton said.

• Named to the All-District and All-District teams
• Awarded Antioch’s MVP title
• Played club for Club West under former Tigers Erika Moss and Jaime Cooper

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICAIONS

Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers Featured in Commercial With Shaquille O'Neal

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers is featured in a commercial with former National Basketball Association Star (NBA), Shaquille O'Neal. The spot made its debut last Sunday.

Shaq, who in late March became the style ambassador for JCPenney's Big & Tall business, engaged with the Crimson Pipers during the commercial's filming. The commercial features Shaq at "the Penney Parade" with the Marching Band right behind him demonstrating one of its more famous routine dances usually seen when making their entrance at Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium.

O'Neal, who played 19 seasons with six different teams is currently serving as a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT.



ABOUT THE BAND PROGRAM

The Marching Crimson Pipers -- "We are the Marching Crimson Piper Band...and we are the Best Band in the Land!"

This is the slogan of the high-stepping Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers (MCP). As a part of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, the Tuskegee University Band Program consists of four band components:

Marching Band
Concert Band
Jazz Ensemble
Basketball Pep Band

The MCP have enjoyed a long history of excellence, including major appearances in the highly acclaimed Honda Battle of the Bands. This SIAC portion of the Annual Invitational Showcase is usually held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA and features Marching Bands from 10 participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's). The event attracts and thoroughly entertains nearly 65,000 fans.

The Marching Crimson Piper Band marches over 150 members, including piperettes, flag line and drum majors.



For nearly 100 years, the Marching Crimson Pipers, known for their unique marching style, powerful music arrangements, intricate dance steps and quality presentations by the dancing piperettes, flag line and soulful drum majors, have performed at:

Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL (Calhoun Foods Battle of the Bands)
Crosley Field, Cincinnati, OH
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA (Honda Battle of the Bands)
Governor's Inaugural Parades, Montgomery, AL
Legion Field (Birmingham Stallions, World Football League), Birmingham, AL
Mardi Gras Parade, Mobile, AL
Peanut Festival Parade, Dothan, AL
Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, MI
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Stagg Bowl (NCAA Division III Championship Football Game), Phenix City, AL
Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FL
Tangerine Bowl, Orlando, FL
Texas Stadium, Dallas, TX
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
and numerous other stadiums, parades and functions throughout the nation.

The Honda Battle of the Bands program includes two components. The Celebration Tour provides an opportunity for 45 participating schools from around the country to earn a $1,000 grant for their halftime performances at selected football games during the fall.

At the end of the Tour, the 10 bands that demonstrate the most showmanship, musicianship and fan interaction will be invited to the Invitational Showcase. Each of the 10 schools selected will receive an additional funds toward its scholarship fund. The invitees will include the two top bands from each of the four HBCU athletic conferences (CIAA, SWAC, MEAC, SIAC) and two independent schools.



The selection process is based solely on a three-tiered process. Thirty-three percent of the vote will be from the on-line fan voting at http://www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com . Thirty-three percent will be from the commissioners of the four conferences and school presidents, and thirty-three percent will be from the band directors. Commissioners, presidents and band directors are not allowed to vote for their own school(s). All on-line surveys must be completed and submitted by the deadline.

The Marching Crimson Pipers of Tuskegee University, now under the direction of Mr. John Q. Lennard, historically brought a large number of fans to the Georgia Dome, which seemed to fuel the Crimson Pipers' already dynamic program and performance.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Tuskegee University 2018 Football Summer Camp Set For June 1

TUSKEGEE, Alabama --  Fresh off its 2017 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football Championship season, the Tuskegee University football team is set to host its annual camp Friday, June 1.at 9:00 a.m. Designed for grades 4th-12th, the one day camp will concluded at 2 p.m. from Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium.

The cost to join head coach Willie Slater and staff is $50.00 and you can register online now.  Each camper will get individual attention which is a great tool for the staff when it comes to future scholarship consideration. Participants are encouraged to bring their own cleats, shorts/shirts, socks, and towels. All campers are asked to sign a waiver form that must be completed prior to participating

The Golden Tigers open the 2018 season at Alabama State in the Labor Day Classic at 5 p.m.

Skills Camp

Each camper will get individual attention which is a great tool for our staff when it comes to future scholarship consideration.

Friday, June 1st

Entering Grades: 4th - 12th Time: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Cost: $50.00

What To Bring:
Participants are encouraged to bring their own cleats, shorts/shirts, socks, and towels.

Additional Information:

• There will be an hour break for lunch, between practice sessions that day.
• Participants must sign a medical waiver and show proof of insurance prior to the start of the camp.
• A copy of a CURRENT ATHLETIC PHYSICAL (1 year old or less, come the camp start date) with a physician's signature MUST BE obtained before participation is permitted.

Refund Policy: Up to 30 day prior full refund minus the processing fee – within 30 days of camp No refunds.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

George Williams and his St. Augustine’s Falcons chase a 40th NCAA track title this weekend

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- St. Augustine’s University’s highly decorated track and field coach might well be King T’Challa of his sport.

Now in his mid-70s, George Williams is in his 47th year at St. Augustine’s, including 41 as its track coach, and is one of the favorites again to lead his teams to titles when the Division II Outdoor National Championships get underway Thursday at Johnson C. Smith University’s Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Williams and his fourth-ranked women and eighth-ranked men are performing this season with a new outlook, a new long-term goal and a new theme — the latter adopted after they went to see the box-office smash Black Panther.

“Our theme,” Williams said, “one person holds their hand out and we tap it three times, then cross our arms,” in the manner of Egyptian pharaohs and West African sculptures.

“We’re forever,” Williams said, referencing the Wakanda salute. “We started doing that this year after we watched the Black Panther.”

CONTINUE READING

Improved Aggies head back to NCAA tournament afteremotional championship

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Ben Hall tells the story with a poker face, his eyes hidden behind dark, wraparound sunglasses. They shield the sun, but they also don’t give away his feelings.

Feelings that run deep. Feelings that bubbled up to the surface on the last day of the MEAC baseball tournament in Hall’s hometown of Daytona Beach, Fla.

Tie game. Bottom of the eighth inning. N.C. A&T one victory away from the promised land.

Zach McLean’s one-out double drives home burly Dawnoven Smith with the go-ahead run, opening the floodgates on a four-run rally and A&T’s first MEAC championship in 13 long years.

“It’s hard to put into words how special this year has been,” Hall says on a sunny afternoon at practice at Memorial Stadium. “When we were in the eighth inning down there in Daytona and we took the lead, I got emotional in the third-base box, right in the middle of coaching.”

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FAMU President Larry Robinson asking alumni to raise $200,000 for athletics

FAMU MARCHING 100 SUMMER BAND CAMP 2018 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson is asking Rattler alumni attending this weekend’s national convention in Orlando to dig deep to support the financially strapped athletics department.

Three hundred people are registered for the annual convention, which opened Thursday and continues through Sunday morning at the Rosen Centre Hotel.

In an appeal this week to alumni, Robinson explained the athletics program is “a self-supporting auxiliary unit of the university,” which means it doesn’t receive money from either the education or general funds.

“In an effort to provide essential funding to the Athletics Program, the university would like to request financial support from the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association in the amount of $200,000,” Robinson said. “The funds will be used to support student athletes’ attendance in summer school, which is vital to their academic progression.”

The National Alumni Association has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the university during the tenure of its president, Lt. Col. Gregory Clark.

The appeal for athletics is part of the convention’s “Weekend of Giving” theme. Alumni association members also will be asked to donate to the university for scholarships and to the Marching 100’s trip to the Rose Bowl Parade next year.

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