Dillard Ranked No.11 in NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll

Bleu Devils Ranked For Third-Consecutive Year in Preseason Poll

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – For the third-consecutive season, Dillard is ranked in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday.

The Bleu Devils tied as the No. 11 ranked team in the country and is one of two teams represented from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Xavier (La.) is ranked No. 23.

Dillard returns four letter winners from a team that finished last season 21-10 overall and ranked No. 18 in the final NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll (March 7, 2018). Dillard has won 20-plus games the past three seasons.

Under Head Coach Mike Newell, Dillard is 68-29 (.701) with a 39-8 (.823) mark at Dent Hall and have reached the NAIA Tournament in each of his three years at the helm. The Bleu Devils have won two straight GCAC regular season titles and three-consecutive tournament titles.

The Bleu Devils were ranked No. 15 in last year's preseason poll and No. 12 for the 2016-17 season.

Dillard opens the season against Loyola (La.) in Dent Hall on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. CT.

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bleu Devils by following Dillard Athletics on Twitter at @GeauxDU, Facebook at Facebook.com/dillardbleudevils/ and Instagram at Instagram.com/dillardbleudevils/.

2018-19 NAIA Division I Men's Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll – Oct. 23

Rank	Last Ranking	School	Record	Total Points
1	1	The Master's (Calif.) [4]	29-3	212
2	4	William Penn (Iowa) [3]	30-5	210
2	14	LSU Alexandria (La.) [2]	29-8	210
4	9	Georgetown (Ky.)	27-7	203
5	8	Oklahoma City	24-9	191
6	6	Columbia (Mo.)	27-4	182
7	3	LSU Shreveport (La.)	30-5	174
8	2	Pikeville (Ky.)	28-5	172
9	11	Hope International (Calif.)	25-6	150
10	10	William Carey (Miss.)	25-6	147
11	7	Central Methodist (Mo.)	27-6	144
11	18	Dillard (La.)	21-10	144
11	15	Texas Wesleyan	22-11	144
14	NR	Rocky Mountain (Mont.)	18-14	140
15	16	Dalton State (Ga.)	25-9	118
16	17	Cumberlands (Ky.)	21-10	106
17	20	Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)	23-10	104
18	22	SAGU (Texas)	24-10	96
19	NR	MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)	16-15	79
20	RV	Wayland Baptist (Texas)	25-10	73
21	NR	Menlo (Calif.)	20-11	68
22	5	Carroll (Mont.)	28-6	63
23	25	Xavier (La.)	24-9	57
23	13	Westmont (Calif.)	24-8	57
25	RV	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	24-9	49

DILLARD UNIVERSITY BLEU DEVILS SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Rattlers using "playoff mentality" to close out 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- When the college football season began, no one expected Florida A&M to compete for a MEAC title, yet alone turn in a winning record.

The expectation was the Rattlers found the right man for the job in Willie Simmons and it would take him a year or two to find success.

Surprise! That success is already on the Rattlers' doorstep.


FAMU sits in first place with a 4-0 conference record, needing just two more wins to clinch a MEAC title.

But, Simmons isn't taking the home-stretch lightly, saying the final four games are a playoff to the real postseason.

CONTINUE READING

VUU Panthers Opened Season at Duke

DURHAM, North Carolina  -- | Virginia Union University's men's basketball team got a full dose of the "Cameron Crazies" as they opened the 2018-19 season with an exhibition match-up at fourth-ranked Duke University in Durham, N.C., on Tuesday, October 23.

VUU's Darian Peterson led the Panthers with 14 points while teammate Jordan White added 13 points, but Division I Duke came away with a 106-64 win over VUU.

Virginia Union's Will Jenkins scored 10 points and Jordan Thornton grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

BOX SCORE

Duke was paced by Zion Williamson's 29 points and six rebounds.

Virginia Union opens the 2018-19 regular season when they travel to compete in the Wolf Bus Lines Classic in Shippensburg, Pa., on November 10 and 11. The Panthers will meet host Shippensburg University on November 10 and then face Lock Haven University on November 11.

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY PANTHERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Rush in NAIA preseason top 25 for 8th time in 9 years

NEW ORLEANS — For the eighth time in nine seasons, Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball is among the top 25 in the NAIA Division I preseason coaches poll.
     
The Gold Rush — 24-9 a year ago, Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season co-champion and an NAIA National Championship tournament qualifier — are tied for 23rd place with Westmont. XULA's highest ranking last season was 22nd. The NAIA announced the rankings Tuesday.
     
"It's great to see Xavier among the preseason top 25 again," third-year head coach Alfred Williams said. "We look forward to start competing this week and building on what we accomplished last season. We have a great group of guys who are focused on success and winning the right way."
     
The XULA men will open their 81st season with games at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, against Keiser Friday (7 p.m. AST/6 p.m. New Orleans time) and Virgin Islands Sunday (2 p.m. AST/1 p.m. New Orleans time). The home opener will tip off at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 against Carver in the Convocation Center.
     
The first regular-season rankings will be announced Dec. 4. By that time the Gold Rush will have played four times against top-10 opponents: Nov. 12 away, Nov. 26 home against No. 2 LSU-Alexandria and Nov. 5 home, Nov. 19 away against No. 10 William Carey. XULA's opening opponent, Keiser, was among the "others receiving votes" in NAIA Division II.
     
The NAIA DI preseason No. 1 is The Master's, which received 4-of-9 first-place votes and 212 points. Two points back and tied for second were LSUA with two first-place votes and William Penn with three.
     
XULA is one of two GCAC teams in the top 25. Dillard is No. 11. XULA will play host to the Bleu Devils Jan. 26 and visit Dillard's Dent Hall Feb. 16.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25
Preseason Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from 2017-18)  

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	The Master's (Calif.) (4)	29-3	212
2-tie	4	William Penn (Iowa) (3)	30-5	210
2-tie	14	LSU-Alexandria (La.) (2)	29-8	210
4	9	Georgetown (Ky.)	27-7	203
5	8	Oklahoma City	24-9	191
6	6	Columbia (Mo.)	27-4	182
7	3	LSU-Shreveport (La.)	30-5	174
8	2	Pikeville (Ky.)	28-5	172
9	11-tie	Hope International (Calif.)	25-6	150
10	10	William Carey (Miss.)	25-6	147
11-tie	7	Central Methodist (Mo.)	27-6	144
11-tie	18	Dillard (La.)	21-10	144
11-tie	15	Texas Wesleyan	22-11	144
14	NR	Rocky Mountain (Mont.)	18-14	140
15	16	Dalton State (Ga.)	25-9	118
16	17	Cumberlands (Ky.)	21-10	106
17	20	Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)	23-10	104
18	22	SAGU (Texas)	24-10	96
19	NR	MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)	16-15	79
20	RV	Wayland Baptist (Texas)	25-10	73
21	NR	Menlo (Calif.)	20-11	68
22	5	Carroll (Mont.)	28-6	63
23-tie	25	Xavier (La.)	24-9	57
23-tie	13	Westmont (Calif.)	24-8	57
25	RV	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	24-9	49

Dropped from the Top 25: Montana Western, Graceland (Iowa), Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), Life (Ga.), Central Baptist (Ark.)

Others Receiving Votes: Peru State (Neb.) 48, Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) 42, Science & Arts (Okla.) 22, Campbellsville (Ky.) 20, Graceland (Iowa) 19, Stillman (Ala.) 17, Missouri Baptist 11, Faulkner (Ala.) 9, William Jessup (Calif.) 6, Providence (Mont.) 5, Wiley (Texas) 5, Life (Ga.) 4, Langston (Okla.) 3.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Tennessee State Women's Basketball - 2018 OVC Media Day

EVANSVILLE, Indiana -- Tennessee State women's basketball Head Coach Jessica Kern and redshirt senior Tia Wooten represented the Lady Tigers at Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Day in Evansville, Indiana.

TSU was picked to finish eighth in the OVC Coaches/SID Preseason Poll with Wooten and Taylor Roberts earning Preseason All-OVC honors.

PHOTO GALLERY

TSU HEAD COACH JESSICA KERN

(on OVC Media Day)
“This day is always great. I think it’s even greater this year because we have student-athletes here. Which is great because I think the student-athlete experience is why we do what we do. It’s always fun to get the rankings but at the end of the day when the ball goes up it really doesn’t matter. What I’m excited about more so than last year… I think the OVC is so open this year and we look forward to hitting the ground running. We’ll be battle tested early and I’m excited.”

(on Taylor Roberts)
For Taylor Roberts making the transition from being a freshman to a sophomore is going to be a big deal from a discipline component. Look forward to seeing her on ball a little more this year since we have some people to help her out on the inside.

(on Tia Wooten)
“Tia Wooten, a kid with a story. I think that’s what TSU is about. Tia chose to stay at Tennessee State and its working in her favor.”

(on having two preseason All-OVC selections – Roberts and Wooten)
“Those two will be the anchor of our offense but we’ve got a lot of pieces that people don’t know about. My job is to get the chemistry going early.”



REDSHIRT SENIOR TIA WOOTEN

(on OVC Media Day)
“I’m excited. It’s good to see all the coaches. It feels good to be a part of being the first group of student-athletes to be here. It’s very exciting. It’s something different. I’ve never done a media day before, so I’m excited for it.”

(on looking forward to the season)
“I am so ready for the season. A lot of people don’t expect us to do a lot, but I believe in our team and our coaching staff and all that we’ve worked on since the summer. I’ve very excited for this year and what it has to bring for us.”

(on her TSU journey)
“It has been a long, uphill battle. It’s been a battle for me. Starting off winning the OVC Championship my freshman year and then not making it back to the tournament my next two years, so my last go-around, my goal is to get my team back into the conference championship and to win the OVC Championship.”



TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Week 9 SWAC Volleyball Players of the Week

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has recognized UAPB’s Kendalle Howard and Haley Gomez, Alabama State’s Kori Kutsch, Jackson State’s Markayisha Masani and Texas Southern’s Nia Stone as volleyball players of the week for contests played from Oct. 16-21.

SWAC Offensive Player of the Week – Howard put down 74 total kills and 55 digs in five matches at the SWAC East Volleyball Roundup, highlighted by a season-high 21 kills and 22 digs versus Mississippi Valley State. She added eight aces and five blocks The 5-8 junior from Round Rock, Texas cleared double-digit kills on four occasions during the five-match stretch, coming up one kill shy versus Jackson State. Howard is averaging 14+ kills a night over her past seven matches.

SWAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week – Masani was a stalwart on the Jackson State back end, collecting 80 total digs in five matches for the Lady Tigers. She posted at least 10 digs in each match, highlighted by a 23-dig effort versus Grambling State. Additionally, Masani added seven service aces, three assists and a pair of kills.

SWAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week – Stone flashed as a dominating presence at the net, turning in 23 total blocks during a five-match stretch at the SWAC East Volleyball Roundup. The 5-9 junior had three matches with at least six blocks, peaking with an eight-block effort versus Jackson State. Additionally, the San Antonio, Texas native was a factor offensively, putting away 35 kills at a .228 attack percentage.

SWAC Setter of the Week – Kutsch was lights-out against the competition, putting up 231 assists for an average of 10.50 assists per set. The senior had 40-plus helpers in three matches (41 vs. Southern, 45 vs. UAPB, 48 vs. Texas Southern) and narrowly missed adding to her 40-assists total with 38 against Southern Miss and Grambling State, respectively. She finished with three double-doubles last week, pairing 13 digs with her 41 assists in a 3-0 sweep of Southern. In Saturday’s thriller against UAPB, Kutsch chipped in 14 digs with her 45 assists and she capped off the week with a 48/11 outing in a 3-1 win over Texas Southern. She also added 11 kills and led all Lady Hornets on the week with 10 service aces, notching at least two aces in four-of-six matches. Additionally, Kutsch was stellar defensively, grabbing 49 total digs (2.23 digs per set) and five block assists.

SWAC Newcomer of the Week – Gomez picked up her second Newcomer of the Week award of the season after tallying 59 kills, 51 digs, 12 blocks, five assists and four service aces during UAPB’s five matches at the East Volleyball Roundup. Gomez hit at a .210 clip over the course of the weekend, adding three double-digit kill matches. Gomez put down 15 kills against Jackson State and replicated the effort versus Alabama State as well. Additionally, she recorded a 13-kill, 22-dig double-double versus Mississippi Valley State.

SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Men's Basketball - 2018 OVC Media Day

EVANSVILLE, Indiana -- Tennessee State men's basketball Head Coach Brian "Penny" Collins experienced his first Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Day on Tuesday.

The Tigers were selected eighth in the OVC Coaches/SID Preseason Poll.



PHOTO GALLERY

MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH BRIAN “PENNY” COLLINS
(on the season fast approaching)
“I’m just excited to be here. What a good time to be here right now. The season is here. You can really feel it and smell it in the air. Everyone’s starting to get focused and get their mind locked in for the games.”

(on what he likes about his team)
“The spirit and energy of my guys have been above average. Our guys are working hard, and they pick each other up and it’s authentic.”

(on the team’s non-conference schedule)
“We want to be an NCAA Tournament team. We feel like our non-conference schedule is pitting us against some of the teams are going to be in the NCAA Tournament – Vanderbilt, Lipscomb, Kentucky, Memphis and a few others. That’s going to prepare us for the OVC Tournament and to be an NCAA Tournament team this year.”

(on playing the OVC Tournament in Evansville, Indiana)
“It’s awesome. I’m glad we’re in a city like Evansville that gives us that big game, big tournament feel. Evansville is a great city, and we’re just hoping that our fans come out and support us here.”

(on the biggest challenge for his team)
“Just understanding how hard it is to win each night. It’s not going to be easy. You can’t just show up and hope that your talent and athleticism win us games. We have to be smart players and outthink people, and we have to be able to fight through adversity.”

(on who has stepped up)
“We’ve got a lot of returners that will step up in bigger roles this year. Armani Chaney, who started last year at point, we expect him to come in and be a big time guy for us this year. We need him to lead the troops and be somebody that we can lean on especially late in games to get us to finish line. Kamar McKnight is a returner from last year who averaged 8.5 points so we expect him to come back and be a double figure guy for us. We also have a guy, Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey, who sat out last year who we expect to come in and be a big time player for us as well. Stokley Chaffee Jr., if you look at his minutes and his production last year, towards the end of the season, when he was actually playing it went up. So we are expecting with more minutes played, we expect more production out of him as well.”

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

ASU Golf wins men’s title at Gulf Shores Intercollegiate

Freshman Ben Swaffield (-3) wins medalist honors for men, Lady Hornets final round canceled

GULF SHORES, Alabama | Freshman Ben Swaffield won Alabama State's first individual title of 2018 after running away from the rest of the field at the Gulf Shores Intercollegiate with a final tally of three-under par (71-67-75 = 213).

The men claimed their second-consecutive team title, dispatching the other nine teams in the field with a cumulative team score of 913 (+49) on the links of The Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club, a par 72, 6,976-yard layout.

Swaffield won by 10 strokes and led the Hornets with four birdies in his final round. Freshman Thacher Neal produced another strong showing and joined Swaffield in the top ten in a three-way tie for seventh (+14). Thomas Caddell (T21) turned in at 22-over par for the tournament and Afnan Chowdhury (T23) was a shade behind at +23. Junior Patricio Minondo (T36) used a 74 in yesterday's second round to propel the San Luis Potosi, Mexico native to a top-40 result.

The Lady Hornets' final round was canceled due to extenuating circumstances; however, they held a 14-stroke lead atop of the leaderboard when play was halted. Kei Harris and Abigail Pederson were primed for a top-five finish, as each player tied for second place at +19. Jade Sanders (T6) was also in line for a strong result at +22. Shania Jones (T12) turned in at +28, Tia Kimbrough (T22) at +35 and Mack Bailey (T25) at +36.

Alabama State's fall season has concluded and the Hornets will kick the spring season into gear with the HBCU Winter Invitational January 22 – 24 in Orlando.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University golf, follow us on social media at @BamaStateGolf (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook), and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State University athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Alabama State Sports Alumni Watkins and Robinson to be honored

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Alumni Association will honor several alumni from all over the conference at its annual Legends Roast and Awards Dinner.

The event will take place November 29 at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton in Birmingham (Ala.), with Birmingham Iron executive Jay Roberson, a former member of the Birmingham City Council, serving as the guest of honor.

Larry Watkins, who was elected to the SWAC Hall of Fame earlier this month, will also be honored at the SWAC Alumni event as he will receive the Charles "Chuck" Prophet Memorial Award. The award honors the memory of Chuck Prophet, the iconic Sports Information Director and Director of Athletics at Mississippi Valley State University. The award goes to an employee of a SWAC member institution who best exemplifies Prophet's spirit, dedication and loyalty to his school and the conference.

Watkins currently serves as a Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics, and teacher at Alabama State University in the physical education department. He has been a fixture at Alabama State for 47 years, serving as the head baseball coach for 20 seasons before retiring in 2011 with 513 victories, making him the all-time leader in wins. Prior to that, he was an assistant baseball coach for eight seasons after playing centerfield for the Hornets for years during his collegiate career.

Former Alabama State linebacker Eddie Robinson, along with former Jackson State golf coach and running back Eddie Payton, former Alcorn State baseball coach Willie "Rat" McGowan and SWAC Public Relations Director and Compliance Officer Russell Stockard will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards for their contributions to the conference's tradition of excellence.

Robinson was an All-American and All-SWAC linebacker at Alabama State, and he was the 1991 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. He also received the Toyota Leadership Award his senior season. The Houston Oilers' second-round pick and the 50th player chosen in the 1992 NFL Draft, Robinson had an 11-year professional career with Oilers, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. He was the Titans' Unsung Hero in 2001 and appeared in Super Bowl XXXIV with the Titans in 2000.

Tickets are $75 each, with proceeds going to the SWAC Al
umni Degree Completion Scholarship Fund.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University athletics, follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateSports (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

AAMU Volleyball Improves to 14-0 After SWAC Roundup

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  – The Alabama A&M improved to 14-0 in SWAC play, sweeping Arkansas-Pine Bluff on the last day of the SWAC East Roundup. Maya Evans led the way with 15 kills while hitting at a .542 percentage, her fourth time in five matches hitting at least .500. Megan Evans posted 34 assists, eight kills (.727 hit percentage) and five digs. Defensively, Mine Centinoz led AAMU with 17 digs.

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:

Friday, October 19, 2018
Game One: Alabama A&M 3, Prairie View A&M 1 (25-13, 20-25, 25-15, 25-20)  
Game Two: Alabama A&M 3, Texas Southern 0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-23)

Saturday, October 20, 2018
Game Three: Alabama A&M 3, Grambling State 0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-20)
Game Four: Alabama A&M 3, Southern 0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-23)

Sunday, October 21, 2018
Game Five: Alabama A&M 3, UAPB 0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-22)

WEEKEND RECAP:
•      Mine Centinoz totaled 82 digs in five matches for the Lady Bulldogs
•      Jaelin Gant paced the offense, finishing the weekend with 51 kills with a game-high 15 kills
•      Gant secured a double-double with 15 kills and 12 digs, against PVAMU
•      Megan Evans led AAMU with 183 assists, with a game-high 43 vs PVAMU

• BOX SCORE 1
• BOX SCORE 2
• BOX SCORE 3
• BOX SCORE 4
• BOX SCORE 5

UP NEXT:
The Lady Bulldogs will host Alcorn State on October 28 at 5 p.m., Mississippi Valley State on October 29 at 6 p.m. and Alabama State on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.

Get Social: Twitter - @aamubulldogs| Instagram - @aamuathletics | Facebook - 

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Two CIAA and Three SIAC Football Teams Ranked in NCAA Super Region 2

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Two (2) Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) football teams have been ranked in 2018's first published rankings, published Monday, October 22, 2018. In NCAA Super Region 2, the Bulldogs of Bowie State University have been ranked No. 5 while the Panthers of Virginia Union University are ranked No. 8.

Complete Regional Rankings


Rank School In-Region Record Division II Record
1 West Ga. 8-0 8-0
2 Valdosta St. 8-0 8-0
3 Lenoir-Rhyne 7-1 7-1
4 Florida Tech 6-2 6-2
5 Bowie State  5-1 6-1
6 Carson-Newman 5-2 5-2
7 Morehouse 6-1 6-1
8 Virginia Union 5-2 5-2
9 Tuskegee 5-1 5-2
10 Albany State (GA) 5-3 5-3

CIAA MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

CIAA Cross Country Set for Championship Meet in Roanoke Valley, VA

Salem, Virginia – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is set to host its 2018 CIAA Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Championships at Green Hill Park in Roanoke Valley, Virginia on October 25, 2018. This year’s event will kick off with the women’s 5k race at 12:00 p.m. and the men’s 8k to follow at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Official Meet Information

Thirteen men’s and thirteen women’s teams will report to Salem for their 2018 championship debut as they race for the conference title. The women will run an 5,000-meter course and the men will complete their 8,000-meter contest at Green Hill Park. Immediately following the men’s race, a championship awards ceremony will be hosted by the conference. Recognition of the top women’s and men’s individual winners, top 3 women’s and men’s team finishes, and the women’s and men’s Coach of the Year will take place at that time. The 2018 CIAA Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Championships are free and open to the public. For more meet information, visit https://bit.ly/2O0eiOa.

As the 2018 CIAA Cross Country regular season closes, the conference with its Cross Country Coaches Association announces the season's Athletes of the Year. Nelly Kandie, a junior from Fayetteville State University, has been named the 2018 Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year. The Eldoret, Kenya native has marked the CIAA's best women's 5k times this season at 19:23.20 and 20:15.50 with her best finish occuring at the HBCU Challenge (Great Americacn XC Festival) on October 6, 2018. Her 5th place overall finish (including Division I athletes) was 1st amongst all Division II women's participants.

Freshman Baron Freeman of Saint Augustine's University has been selected the 2018 Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year. The top Division II runner in three meets this season, Freeman marked his best 8k time of the season, 25:20.40, at the ECU Pirate Invitational. The Virginia native has been named CIAA Men's XC Runner of the Week on four occassions, more than any other 2018 conference competitor.

At the beginning of the 2018 CIAA Cross Country season, three schools took on new leadership while the conference welcomed Claflin University and head coah Lincoln London to its membership. London is currently in his sixth season with the Panthers as the head men's and women's cross country/track and field coach. Returning to his alma mater, Wilson Bailey Jr., has taken the position at Lincoln University (PA) while Frantz Kwame-Smith has joined Shaw University and Charlotte Dinkins has taken over at Chowan University.

After taking over the helm of new CIAA programs last year, Inez Turner of Fayetteville State University and Wilbert Johnson of Virginia State University led their teams to 2017 CIAA Cross Country Championship titles. On the women's side, FSU battled with Winston-Salem State University for the championship title. At the finish, FSU took the lead with 35 points over WSSU. The victory marks the Broncos’ first-ever CIAA Women’s Cross Country Championship title. For the men, the 2017 season ended with a victory for the Trojans over the Panthers. Four VSU athletes landed in the Top Ten for a total of 39 team points. The victory marked the Trojan men's first title since 2008. Click HERE for the 2017 CIAA Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Championship results.

The CIAA has selected Salem, Virginia as the host for the CIAA Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Championships through 2019. The CIAA’s partnership with the Salem and Roanoke communities began in 2016 with the hosting of the CIAA Football Championship. For more information on CIAA events hosted in Roanoke County, visit https://bit.ly/2S7ra8t

About the CIAA

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first African American athletic conference and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Chowan University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, The Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com. For more information on the CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit CIAATournament.org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

CIAA MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

VUU Running Back Tabyus Taylor Goes Over the 1,000 Yard Mark

RICHMOND, Virginia  --  Virginia Union University's Tabyus Taylor rushed for 131 yards while teammate Darius Taylor rushed for 100 yards, but Bowie State University defeated the Panthers 27-13 on Saturday, October 20, at Hovey Field in Richmond, Virginia.

The dual 100-yard rushers marked the first time VUU had two players rush for 100 yards or more in a single game since Hakeem Holland and Lamar Webster both rushed for more than 100 yards against Lincoln (Pa.) in 2015.

The 131 yards pushed Tabyus Taylor over the 1,000-yard mark for the season, becoming the 12th running back in Virginia Union football history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season.  Taylor now has 1,007 yards in eight games.  

Tabyus Taylor Position: Running Back Height: 6-0 Weight: 250 Class: Sophomore Hometown: Hopewell, VA High School: Hopewell HS Major:  Elementary Education

The last VUU player to rush for more than 1,000 yards was William Stanback, who rushed for 1,299 yards in 2016.

The loss dropped Virginia Union to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in CIAA play.  Bowie State is now 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the CIAA.

The Panthers travel to Elizabeth City, N.C., to face Elizabeth City State University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 27.

TABYUS TAYLOR ADDED TO BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL WATCH LIST

Virginia Union University's Tabyus Taylor has been added to the watch list for Black College Football's Player of the Year, it was announced on Monday, October 15.

Taylor, a sophomore running back from Hopewell, Virginia., leads the NCAA in scoring with a 16 points per game scoring average and is second in the nation with 15 rushing touchdowns.

Taylor has 1,007 yards rushing in the Panthers' eight games this season and is averaging 146 yards rushing per game.

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY PANTHERS' SPORTS INFORMATION

The Road to the Championship, HBCU Band Pageantry Field Shows - Week 8

TONIGHT: Virginia Union vs. Duke Basketball To Air On ESPN3 at 7 PM

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Fans of Virginia Union University men's basketball can catch all of the action when VUU meets Duke University live on ESPN3 at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 23, in Durham, N.C.

The game will air live on the ACC Network Extra. Below is a list of some of the more popular cable/satellite providers that provide access to WatchESPN:

AT&T U-Verse
BendBroadband
Bright House Networks
Charter
Comcast XFINITY (Say "ESPN3" into your digital remote)
Cox
DirecTV
Google Fiber
Midcontinent Communications
New Visions
Optimum
Time Warner Cable
Verizon

Here's how it can be found by ESPN subscribers.

Computer: Go to ESPN3.com. Click on the tab for either "live now" or "upcoming" and select the game you're looking for. The games are grouped by sport and are in chronological order.

WatchESPN App: On a smartphone, tablet or streaming device, open the WatchESPN app. From the app, you can find the game by clicking on "sport" and selecting "basketball." Click the tab for either "live now" or "upcoming" and select the game you want to watch.

ESPN App: Open the app, and select the TV icon at the bottom. Then scroll through the list and select the game you want.

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY PANTHERS' SPORTS INFORMATION