ASU's fast four chasing NCAA glory

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Four members of the Alabama State women’s track team are looking for bigger accomplishments this weekend after leading the Hornets to a sweep of the Southwestern Athletic Conference championships.

Alabama State won the SWAC title in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, but the NCAA regionals present a steeper challenge for the conference’s top track athletes.

Tia Rolle qualified for both the 200-meter dash and as a member of the Hornets’ 4x100 relay team. Her performance this weekend could also land the Bahamas’ native on her country’s track team in the upcoming Olympics.

“I just take it one step at a time,” Rolle said. “I’ll go this weekend and give it everything I’ve got, and hopefully it’s good enough to take me further. I feel pretty good. During the season, we competed against Auburn, we competed against Penn State, we’ve competed against the majority of the schools we’re going to face this weekend.”


SWAC Women's Championship: 4X100m
Finals 1 Alabama State 'A' 45.03 1) Pope, Jasmine 2) Rolle, Tia 3) Tavernier, Asha 4) Lee, Latrice 2 Prairie View 'A' 46.52 1) Hill, Keely 2) Dixon, Myesha 3) Turner, Raven 4) Moody, Terracia 3 Southern 'A' 46.86 6 1) Parker, Kayante 2) George, Tiffany 3) Doucett, Janessa 4) Sims, Jazzmin

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In the FCS Huddle: Ten FCS receivers to watch

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The prototypical receiver has changed in the last decade with wide receivers taking on tight end height and tight ends taking on wide receiver speed. The ones who have both traits are especially lethal.

The Football Championship Subdivision will feature such receivers this season.

Elon senior Aaron Mellette headlines a contingent of 10 FCS receivers to watch (OK, we've thrown in a tight end to make it 11) and only one of them stands below 6-foot-2.

Yes, it's a group that sizes up well.

Following are FCS receivers to watch this season:

Xavier Boyce, Norfolk State, Sr., 6-4, 220 - The Virginia Beach, Va., product took the MEAC by storm last season after transferring home to Norfolk State from Virginia Tech, catching 68 passes for 750 yards and four touchdowns. He has an ability to break tackles and make yardage after the catch, especially on screen passes. His size doesn't just come up big in the passing game, he uses it well in run blocking.

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Hampton again seeking CAA affiliation?

HAMPTON, Virginia - Might the Colonial Athletic Association respond to the loss of a member located in Hampton Roads by considering another university from the same area?

Hampton University has belonged to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference since 1995. HU president William R. Harvey in the past expressed interest in the CAA, which is losing state schools Virginia Commonwealth University (in July) and Old Dominion University (in 2013).

Harvey, HU's president since 1978, approached the CAA about membership when the Pirates elevated to Division I in the mid-1990s. The CAA opted not to invite HU then, or when the league expanded to include Towson, Delaware, Drexel and Hofstra for 2001-02.

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TSU's Williams Signs Two for 2012-13 Season

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University men's basketball coach Travis Williams announced the first two signings under his tutelage on Monday. Jordan Gaither and Chaed Wellian inked National Letters of Intent (NLI) with the Tigers.

Gaither, a native of Snellville, Ga., comes to Tennessee State after helping Shiloh High School to the best record in school history. Wellian, a native of Amsterdam, Netherlands, comes to TSU after two seasons at Atlanta Metro College.

"I am extremely excited about coaching these two young men this season," said Williams. "I appreciate the opportunity to help prepare them for success on and off the basketball court."

While at Shiloh, Gaither garnered All-County and All-Region honors. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 14 points, five assists and three steals. He was a four-year starter for the Generals, helping guide Shiloh to a 25-5 record this past season.

Gaither is the son of Ben and Sherry Gaither. His cousin Trey Thompkins currently plays for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.

"Jordan has shown the talent, work ethic and leadership that I was looking for in the guard position," noted Williams. "He has the versatility to play both guard positions and wanted to be a Big Blue Tiger. He will bring some defensive tenacity. I love his mental approach to the game. Jordan is a very coachable young man and comes from one of the top high school programs in the state of Georgia."

Wellian averaged 14.9 points and seven rebounds for the Atlanta Metro Trailblazers last season. Offensively, he hit forty percent of his three-point attempts. On the defensive side, the forward averaged two steals a contest.

"Chaed Wellian is a very versatile and skilled combo forward," said Williams. "He competes, plays hard and is capable of scoring inside and outside. He is a good three-point shooter. He has solid ball handling and passing skills for his size and will bring an added dimension to our team."

Tennessee State is coming off a 20-13 season and an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Coach Williams enters his first season as the head coach at TSU after serving three seasons as first assistant.

CLASS OF 2012 TSU MEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
Name HT WT POS Hometown (Previous School)
Jordan Gaither 6-3 180 G Snellville, Ga. (Shiloh HS)
Chaed Wellian 6-8 225 F Amsterdam, NL (Atlanta Metro College)

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Law could severely limit potential damages in FAMU hazing lawsuit

EXCERPT:

ORLANDO, Fla. _ With every troubling new revelation about Florida A&M University's Marching 100, the pending civil case against FAMU seems to grow stronger for the parents of Robert Champion, the drum major who died from being hazed on a charter bus in Orlando.

But the prospects of Robert and Pamela Champion collecting a large financial settlement or jury award is another matter. That's because the university enjoys the legal protection of sovereign immunity, which could severely limit the amount of money the Champions ultimately collect if they win a lawsuit.

But no matter how negligent FAMU may be proved to be, sovereign immunity could limit the university from liability payouts greater than $200,000 per claim. That would be $200,000 for Robert and $200,000 for Pamela. In the Champions' home state of Georgia, the claim cap is higher -- $1 million per claim, Chestnut said.

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Former Hampton Pirates Kenrick Ellis to serve 45 days in jail

HAMPTON, Virgina -- When the New York Jets' mandatory minicamp ends June 14, backup nose tackle Kenrick Ellis will go to jail for 45 days, but will avoid deportation.

Ellis, who reached a plea agreement last week in which he accepted a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault and battery, was sentenced Monday in Hampton, Virginia, to 179 days in prison, with 89 days suspended. The deal also includes two years of supervised probation.


KENRICK ELLIS, DT, 6'- 4"/346 LBS, NEW YORK JETS
2011 NFL DRAFT 3RD RD PICK, HAMPTON UNIVERSITY


ESPN VIDEO

Based on Virginia law, Ellis will serve 45 days with good behavior, his attorney, Timothy Clancy, said in a phone interview. Ellis will report June 15 to the city jail in Hampton, where two years ago he was arrested and charged with malicious wounding -- a felony that carried a five- to 20-year sentence. He was a Hampton University student at the time.

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UMES' Nelson Townsend Named to NACDA 2012 HOF Class

Nelson Townsend, a 1962 graduate of then
Maryland State College (UMES) holds
the distinction as A.D. of moving Buffalo
and Delaware State from NCAA
Divisions III and II, respectively, to
NCAA Division I.
(Photo Courtesy: UMES Athletics)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2012 Hall of Fame class includes: Nelson Bobb, University of North Carolina Greensboro; Bob Bottger, St. Louis Community College Meramec; Rudy Carvajal, Cal State Bakersfield; Oval Jaynes, Jacksonville State University; Laing Kennedy, Kent State University; Andrea `Andi' Seger, Ball State University; and Nelson Townsend, University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The inductees will receive their awards on Tuesday, June 26 at NACDA's 47th Annual Convention at the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Awards Luncheon, located at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

Nelson Townsend began his storied athletics administration career when he was named director of athletics at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in 1975, and again, in 2003. During his career, Townsend oversaw athletics programs at Delaware State, Florida A&M and the University at Buffalo.

While at Buffalo, he became the first African-American AD in 1987, and worked to move the athletics program from NCAA Division III to Division I in just three-and-a-half years. During his time at Delaware State, Townsend oversaw the athletics department transition from Division II to Division I.

During his time as an administrator, he served on various committees, including the NCAA Olympic Liaison Committee, NCAA Nominating Committee, Board of Directors for the Boy Scouts of America and National Education Association.

In February, Townsend was inducted into the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics Hall of Fame, which only has 199 total members. This marked the second time that he has been inducted into a collegiate hall of fame. In 1987, he was selected into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Hall of Fame.

About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 47th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,200 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations, including six for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics directors and two foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.

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Hampton Football Releases 2012 Schedule

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Hampton University football team released its 2012 schedule on Monday, a slate that included four home games.

The Pirates, coming into their fourth year under head coach Donovan Rose, will look to build on last year’s 7-4 campaign.

Hampton will open the 2012 campaign on the road, taking on Tennessee Tech on Aug. 30 in Cookeville, Tenn. The Pirates will then come home on Sept. 8, holding their 2012 Armstrong Stadium debut at 6 p.m. against local rival Old Dominion.

After traveling to Tallahassee, Fla. on Sept. 15 to take on Florida A&M and former coach Joe Taylor, Hampton will have a bye week before returning to Armstrong Stadium on Sept. 29 to take on Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m.

After another bye week, the Pirates will take on defending MEAC champion Norfolk State in the annual Battle of the Bay at Armstrong Stadium on Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. The Pirates will then head to Durham, N.C. on Oct. 20 to take on North Carolina Central.

Homecoming will be on Oct. 27, when the Pirates play host to Savannah State at 2 p.m.

The Pirates will then close the 2012 season with three straight road games, beginning on Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C. against rival Howard. Hampton will then head to Dover, Del. on Nov. 10 to take on Delaware State.

Hampton will close the regular season on Nov. 17 in Baltimore, Md. against Morgan State.

All dates and times are subject to change.

For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.



Full Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Game Tag	Time/Result
8/30/2012	Tennessee Tech	Cookville, TN		TBA
9/8/2012	Old Dominion	Hampton, VA		6:00 pm
9/15/2012	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, FL		6:00 pm
9/29/2012	Bethune-Cookman	Hampton, VA		6:00 pm
10/13/2012	Norfolk State	Hampton, VA	Battle of the Bay	1:00 pm
10/20/2012	North Carolina Central	Durham, NC		2:00 pm
10/27/2012	Savannah State	Hampton, VA	Homecoming	2:00 pm
11/3/2012	Howard	Washington, DC		1:00 pm
11/10/2012	Delaware State	Dover, DE		1:00 pm
11/17/2012	Morgan State	Baltimore, MD		1:00 pm

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FVSU to compete in NCAA DII Championship

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- After a grueling season of competition, the Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Track & Field Program has a total of five (5) female student-athletes who will compete for national championships. When the 2012 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championship gets underway on May 24-26th in Pueblo, CO, the Lady Wildcats will be contending for titles in the 4x100 meters relay; the 100 and 200 meter dashes; and the triple jump. This year's championship will be held at the Neta & Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl on the campus of Colorado State at Pueblo.

Junior Portia Wilson will be vying for three national titles at this year's Championship. The former Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Female Track Athlete of the Year will compete in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. During the course of the season Wilson posted qualifying times of 11.69 in the 100 meter event and 24.18 in the 200 meter dash.

Wilson will join teammates Victoria Ingram (JR); Shakeyla Faulk (FR); and Shankevia Burke (JR) in the 4-x100 meter relay event. The Lady Wildcats posted their best time of 46.32 in season competition. In what's expected to be a very competitive field, FVSU will have to shave almost two seconds off of its best time to beat last year's championship winning time of 44.7 posted by Lincoln University.

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Missing track and field nationals doesn't dampen season for Paine athletes

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- Ever since the conclusion of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, Victoria Claytor, Baiesha Johnson and Mason Rhodes have been been putting in extra work.

The Paine College track trio continued to hone their skills in preparation for the national tournament. Yet when the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin Thursday in Pueblo, Colo., Claytor, Johnson and Rhodes won’t be there.

The Paine athletes all provisionally qualified for nationals during the season, making themselves eligible for selection to the event. But days ago, they learned they were not among the top participants chosen to compete at the national meet.

“They know they did their best,” Paine track coach Latasha Clark said. “They’re still national qualifiers. They’re champions.”

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PV rules the SWAC

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Promoted to head coach of the Prairie View baseball team four years ago, Waskyla Cullivan struggled early on.

During his first two years in charge, the Panthers missed the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, finishing last in the Western Division after winning back-to-back titles in 2007 and ’08. Fans had to wonder how long Cullivan might last.

“There was a transitional period for me,” he said. Evan Richard, a catcher from Sugar Land, Texas, with a good bat and leadership skills, came to Prairie View with one goal in mind: to win the SWAC championship. After three seasons, he was ringless.

On a steamy, sweat-soaked Sunday afternoon at Lee-Hines Field, after the Panthers held off Mississippi Valley State for a 7-4 victory in the championship game of the conference tournament, Cullivan and Richard shared a congratulatory hug. Along with some very important hardware.

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University of the District of Columbia Women’s Tennis Team’s Storybook Season Comes to Close in NCAA Round of 16

ROSTER
HEAD COACH: T. Richard Mahaffey, III

(PHOTO COURTESY UDC SPORTS INFORMATION)

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – The University of the District of Columbia women's tennis team's storybook 2011-12 season has come to an end in the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Tournament Round of 16 as the Firebirds succumbed to the reigning national champion Barry University, 5-0 on Wednesday afternoon at EP Tom Sawyer State Park.

The Firebirds surrendered to a 3-0 deficit after dropping all three doubles matches, and the Buccaneers went on to secure the match victory with singles wins at No. 3 and 6, respectively. Barry, ranked No. 2 in the nation, improved to 25-0 on the season and advances to play the winner of the Cal (Pa.) vs. Cameron match tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

District of Columbia finished the season with a mark of 17-4, more than doubling their win total (7) from the previous year. The Firebirds also earned the school's first-ever East Coast Conference championship this Fall, which earned them an automatic bid to the school's first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament. There, they knocked off No. 6 Adelphi, 5-4 in the first round and then upset the tournament host and No. 2 seed Southern New Hampshire, 5-3 to advance to the Sweet 16 as the East Region's No. 2 representative.

ECC Coach of the Year Dickie Mahaffey returns five of the six players on this year's roster, including First Team All-ECC honorees Kristyna Nepivodova and Jessica Nunez and Second Team All-ECC honoree, Maxime Duijst.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU Receives Green Light by Governors for Stadium & Deck

EXCERPT:

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- UNC’s board of governors will ask state legislators in their upcoming session to approve more than $60 million in construction projects at Winston-Salem State University and UNC-Greensboro and to authorize planning for more than $100 million in future projects at WSSU and N.C. A&T State University.

All of the projects approved to move forward in the budgeting process at the governors April 13 meeting are “non-appropriated capital improvement projects,” meaning the money for them comes not from the state budget but from long-term debt repaid over time by user fees. Dorm buildings, dining halls and athletic facilities are among the projects that generally fall under that process.

Also given the green light by governors for WSSU was $7.5 million for the acquisition and renovation of Bowman Gray Stadium from the city of Winston-Salem, and $7 million for the construction of a 300-500 car parking deck near the K.R. Williams Auditorium and adjacent to the sciences campus.

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Morgan State mourns loss of former student-athlete, Gene Johnson

Gene H. Johnson, Jr. 
OCT. 6, 1987 - MAY 17, 2012
Photo Courtesy: Morgan State University Media Relations

BALTIMORE, Maryland – Morgan State former basketball student-athlete, Gene Johnson, died in his sleep last night (5/17/12) while at home in Hagerstown, Maryland. Emergency medical crews were called but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. The exact cause of the 24-year old's death has not been confirmed and our thoughts are with his family, friends and former teammates at this time.

Johnson, a Hagerstown, Maryland native, began his career in 2007-08 as a walk-on and during his career he has been a member of one of the most dominant squads in the MEAC. He played a role in the Bears three regular season championships, finished with two MEAC championship rings, including an NIT appearance and two berths in the NCAA Tournament.

He was a versatile and athletic player who was one of the most liked players during his time as a Bear. Johnson graduated with a Sociology degree from Morgan State in May of 2011.

"Gene Johnson was one of MSU Athletics' brightest young talents who was loved by everyone in the Bears Family,” said MSU Athletics Director Floyd Kerr.

“His sudden loss has sent a ripple of sadness throughout the Morgan community. Gene was one of the best examples that gave meaning to the saying 'teamwork makes the dream work' because of his significant contributions and dedication to the championship basketball teams he played on. More importantly, he was a classy young man who had a dream to be successful, and I had high confidence that Gene would succeed. He will be missed by all. Personally, I will always remember him fondly as 'Radar Gene, with the built-in screen.'”

“This is a very sad day and a devastating loss of a great young man that we were very proud of,” said MSU head coach Todd Bozeman. “He played four years and started in a couple of games for us. Upon graduation, he started pursuing his master's degree. Our sincere condolences go out to his family and to all of those who knew him. He will be missed by many friends, teammates and others throughout campus.”

By MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

2012 ASU Football Schedule Announced

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- A nationally-televised season opener and the opening of the new on-campus football stadium on Thanksgiving Day highlights the 2012 Alabama State University football schedule.

2012 Alabama State Football Schedule

The Hornets will play five games in Montgomery, four of them at Cramton Bowl prior to the inaugural game in New ASU Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22 vs. Tuskegee in the 89th Turkey Day Classic.

In addition to the 71st Magic City Classic in Birmingham, one of nine Southwestern Athletic Conference games, Alabama State will open the season in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney vs. Bethune-Cookman on Sunday, Sept. 2 in Orlando, Fla. in a nationally televised game (kickoff TBD) on one of the ESPN family of networks.



“I'm very excited about our 2012 schedule,” said 6th-year head coach Reggie Barlow, coming off posting an 8-3 campaign in 2011 which included a 7-2 mark in conference play. “To be able to open on national television against Bethune-Cookman is a good way to start the season. The conference schedule will bring excitement and is a challenge as it is every year. The final regular season game against Tuskegee on Thanksgiving Day to open our new stadium will be something we all will remember. It should be a fun year.”

Alabama State will play its home opener Sept. 8 vs. Mississippi Valley State, before travelling to face defending SWAC Champion Grambling State on Sept. 15. The Hornets will return home Sept. 22 to host the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and end the month at Alcorn State on Sept. 29.

October will bring back-to-back home game games, as the Hornets will host Texas Southern on Oct. 6 and Jackson State Oct. 13. Following an open date on Oct. 20, Alabama State will take on arch-rival Alabama A&M in the Magic City Classic at historic Legion Field on Oct. 27.

The Hornets will play consecutive road games to open November, with contests at Prairie View A&M Nov. 3 and at Southern Nov. 10. Following an open date, ASU will open its new on-campus football stadium in the 89th Turkey Day Classic vs. Tuskegee on Nov. 22.

The 2012 SWAC Championship game is set for Dec. 8 in Birmingham.

2012 ALABAMA STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME
Sept. 2 Bethune-Cookman Orlando, Fla. TBD
(8th MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney)
Sept. 8 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ST.* Montgomery, Ala. 6 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Grambling St.* Grambling, La. TBD
Sept. 22 ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF* Montgomery, Ala. 6 p.m.
Sept. 29 at Alcorn St.* Lorman, Miss. 2 p.m.
Oct. 6 TEXAS SOUTHERN* Montgomery, Ala. 1 p.m.
Oct. 13 JACKSON ST.* Montgomery, Ala. 1 p.m.
Oct. 20 open date
Oct. 27 ALABAMA A&M* Birmingham, Ala. TBD
(71st Magic City Classic)
Nov. 3 at Prairie View A&M* Prairie View, Texas 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 at Southern* Baton Rouge, La. 6 p.m.
Nov. 17 open date
Nov. 22 TUSKEGEE Montgomery, Ala. TBD
(89th Turkey Day Classic)
Dec. 8 SWAC Championship Birmingham, Ala. TBD
Home games in CAPS; * denotes SWAC games; all dates and times subject to change.




COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Wilson's Davis to play hoops at Johnson C. Smith University

FLORENCE, South Carolina -- Alandre Davis has improved as a player during his last three seasons on the Wilson basketball team. Now, Davis hopes to continue that in college as he signed a letter of intent to play at Johnson C. Smith, a Division II school in Charlotte, N.C.

“I haven’t nearly reached my potential yet and I feel like if I keep working hard then the possibilities are endless for me,” Davis said.

The 6-foot-7 Davis also considered Francis Marion and USC Aiken before settling on Johnson C. Smith. The Golden Bulls play in the CIAA and went 12-15 this season. Davis will probably play power forward in college.

Davis came off this bench as a sophomore and junior before cracking the starting lineup this year. He averaged 11.9 pts, 9.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks this year and selected to play in the North-South All-Star game.

“He has had continuous improvement during his last three years and he was better at the end of the season than he was at the beginning,” said former Wilson coach DeAndre Scott, who coached Davis the last three years. “At the end of the year, he was playing great ball and really think his best basketball is in front of him.

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XU's Green selected NAIA Region IV Coach of the Year

COACH ALAN GREEN

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Alan Green has been chosen Wilson Coach of the Year in NAIA Region IV men's tennis by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association.

It's the first regional coaching award for Green, a New Orleans native who has bachelor's and master's degrees from Xavier.

Green's Gold Rush were 18-8 this year and set a school record for victories in a season. The XU men earned their highest ever ranking (No. 7) in the national poll, won a conference/group championship for a school-record seventh straight season and, for the first time since 1973, became the first XU team in any sport to reach the quarterfinals of an NAIA National Championship. The Gold Rush had 10 victories against ranked NAIA opponents, including a school-record four against the top 10, and three victories against NCAA Division I.

Region IV comprises nine southern states. The other regional coaching recipients were Oklahoma Christian's Kris Miller, Spring Arbor's Terry Darling and Fresno Pacific's Neil Castro. Miller was selected national coach of the year for the fifth time.

All five of Xavier's head coaches won at least one coach-of-the-year award on the conference, state or regional level in 2011-12.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU Gold Rush can't solve Embry-Riddle in NAIA quarterfinals

MOBILE, Alabama — Adrian Bayh and Patrick Besch won a battle of top-4 doubles teams Thursday, then Bayh added a singles victory to carry second-ranked Embry-Riddle (Fla.) past No. 7 Xavier University of Louisiana 5-1 in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship.

The Eagles (20-3), the national runner-up a year ago, advanced to the semifinals for the eighth consecutive year and improved to 12-0 this season against NAIA opponents. They snapped the six-dual winning streak of the Gold Rush (18-8), in the quarterfinals for the first time.

Bayh and Besch, ranked first among NAIA doubles teams by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, beat fourth-rated Loic Didavi and Zach Taylor 8-5 to put Embry-Riddle ahead to stay at 2-1. Bayh increased the lead to 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Viktor Swoboda at No. 3 singles, and Embry-Riddle clinched when Peter Francis rallied for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 decision against Amir Rahbar at No. 4.

Xavier scored its point at No. 3 doubles, where Svoboda and Corey Huggins picked up their first victory of the season against a ranked opponent. They snapped the 15-match win streak of 20th-rated Simon Felix and Peter Francis with an 8-4 decision. Svoboda and Huggins closed with eight consecutive victories, giving Xavier a 22-4 record at that flight this season.

Embry-Riddle got its other points from Chris Freeman and J.R. Leonik — whose 8-0 decision against Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson was XU's first doubles shutout loss of the spring — and from David Spennare, a 6-2, 6-2 winner against Richardson at No. 5 singles.

Xavier led in two of the three unfinished matches. Didavi, ranked eighth, led second-rated Freeman 7-6 (9-7), 3-2. Huggins also won a first-set tiebreaker and led Leonik 5-3 in the second set when the dual ended.

"We gave everything we had today and it just wasn't enough," XU coach Alan Green said. "I guess this is a learning process where we show progress every year. Next year should be better for us hopefully. We were down a bit after the match, but we showed that we are among the top eight teams in the nation. We will be back."

It was the final collegiate competition for XU seniors Taylor, Giles-Osborn and Richardson.

It was the fourth straight year in the tournament for the XU men, who set a school record for victories in a season. Ten of those triumphs occurred against ranked NAIA opponents, with a school-record four against top-10 teams. The national quarterfinal appearance was the first by an XU team in any sport in 39 years.

Results

NAIA National Championship (seedings in parentheses) First Round — 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15 Cumberland (16) d. Warner (17) 9-0 William Carey (9) d. Graceland (24) 9-0 Concordia (Calif.) (12) d. Asbury (21) 9-0 Aquinas (13) d. Spring Arbor (20) 7-2 Bethany (Kan.) (14) d. Olivet Nazarene (19) 6-3 Lindsey Wilson (11) d. Hastings (22) 9-0 Point Loma Nazarene (10) d. Mobile (23) 8-1 Belhaven (15) d. Campbellsville (18) 5-4 Second Round — 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16 Fresno Pacific (1) d. Cumberland (16) 5-0 Westmont (8) d. William Carey (9) 5-4 Auburn Montgomery (5) d. Concordia (Calif.) 5-1 Azusa Pacific (4) d. Aquinas (13) 5-0 Oklahoma Christian (3) d. Bethany (Kan.) (14) 5-0 Vanguard (6) d. Lindsey Wilson (11) 5-3 Xavier (7) d. Point Loma Nazarene (10) 5-0 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (2) d. Belhaven (15) 5-0 Quarterfinals — 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 Fresno Pacific (1) d. Westmont (8) 5-0 Azusa Pacific (4) d. Auburn Montgomery (5) 5-4 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (2) d. Xavier (7) 5-1 Oklahoma Christian (3) d. Vanguard (6) 5-0 Semifinals — 1 p.m. on Friday, May 18 Fresno Pacific (1) vs. Azusa Pacific (4) Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (2) vs. Oklahoma Christian (3) Championship — 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 Xavier at Nationals (3-4) May 12, 2009 (first round): Xavier 5, Oklahoma Christian 4 May 13, 2009 (second round): Auburn Montgomery 5, Xavier 0 May 18, 2010 (first round): Xavier 5, Tennessee Wesleyan 3 May 19, 2010 (second round): Fresno Pacific 5, Xavier 1 May 18, 2011 (second round): Vanguard 5, Xavier 3 May 16, 2012 (second round): Xavier 5, Point Loma Nazarene 0 May 17, 2012 (quarterfinals): Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 5, Xavier 1

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

SWAC baseball tourney: Prairie View outlasts TSU, earns spot in title game

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Prairie View A&M didn’t have a spectacular day at the plate against Texas Southern, being out-hit for the second straight day.
Except this time, the Panthers made those few hits count.

Prairie View produced three of their seven hits in a five-run third inning and capitalized on TSU’s three errors en route to winning 8-5 in Saturday’s Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament semifinal at Lee-Hines Field and advancing to the league championship game for the first time since 2008.

The Panthers (27-23) will meet Mississippi Valley State (17-38) in the title game at 1 p.m. Sunday, looking to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.

TSU fell just short of ...

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GSU out of SWAC tourney

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Grambling picked maybe the most inconvenient time to play arguably its worst defensive game of James Cooper's three-year head coaching career.

The Tigers (22-26) committed seven errors Thursday morning in an elimination game against host team Southern (32-15) at Lee-Hines Field and allowed six unearned runs en route to the 8-0 loss.

"We picked the most inopportune time to have a game with all those errors," Cooper said. "The first time in my career we've made seven errors in one game."

The Jaguars, playing as the visitors in their home park, struck quickly as leadoff speedster Tyler Kirksey reached on an infield single, stole second base, advanced to third on an erred pickoff attempt and scored on a wild pitch. The initial run was just a sign of the Grambling gifts to come.

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Native New Orleanian becomes 4th signee of Gold Rush

NEW ORLEANS — Native New Orleanian Gary Smith is Xavier University of Louisiana's fourth men's basketball signee for the 2012-13 season.

Smith, a 6-foot-1 point guard, lives in Sugar Land, Texas, and will graduate Thursday from The Village School in Houston, where he started on the varsity the past four seasons, was a four-year team captain and became the school's all-time assists leader. He was chosen the team's top defensive player four consecutive seasons.

Smith averaged 14.5 points, six assists, six rebounds and three steals per game as a senior.

Reggie Rankin of Scouts Inc., writing on ESPN.com, had this analysis of Smith at the 2009 National Prep Alliance Invitational Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas: "Smith has a nice midrange game, finds the open man and plays under control."

Smith was a four-time all-tournament selection. As a sophomore he averaged 13 points and six assists per gane.

Previously signed with the Gold Rush were guard RJ Daniels of New Orleans, guard Xavier Rogers of Denton, Texas, and forward John Gibson of Marietta, Ga.

Xavier was 23-9 this past season, shared the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship, qualified for the second straight year for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship and ranked 24th in the postseason coaches poll. Xavier's 27 seasons of 20 or more victories are the most in the history of Louisiana men's college basketball.


#5 Gary Smith II highlights from the National Prep Alliance Tourney 2012

2012-13 Xavier men's basketball signees 
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr.* Hometown High School (College)
RJ Daniels G 6-4 190 Fr. New Orleans, La. St. Augustine
John Gibson F 6-7 195 Fr. Marietta, Ga. Walton
Xavier Rogers G 6-2 175 Jr. Denton, Texas Lake Dallas (Grambling)
Gary Smith G 6-1 180 Fr. Sugar Land, Texas The Village School
* athletic classification at Xavier in fall of 2012

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

MVSU Devils’ pitching shuts down SU in tournament

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - At 6:01 p.m. Friday, at the end of a long, steamy and devastating afternoon for the Southern baseball team at the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, Southern right-hander Brian Foster stood outside the first-base dugout at Lee-Hines Field, physically and emotionally spent after the wildest day of his life.

He got a handshake and a hug from assistant coach Fernando Puebla. Then, for the second time, Foster burst into tears.

Earlier that morning, inside the F.G. Clark Activity Center, Foster received his pre-med diploma at SU’s spring commencement. Meanwhile, about 100 yards away, his teammates momentarily staved off elimination with a thrilling win over Alcorn State.

Six hours later, Foster had thrown 151 pitches against Mississippi Valley State. He earned a standing ovation after the eighth inning, crying as he walked off the mound.

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Harris, Smith increase Gold Nuggets' signee total to five

PATRICE SMITH

DARIAN  HARRIS

NEW ORLEANS — Defensive specialist Darian Harris of Gretna, La., and Louise S. McGehee School and right-side hitter Patrice Smith of Glenn Heights, Texas, and DeSoto High School signed women's volleyball scholarships Wednesday with Xavier University of Louisiana.

Xavier has signed five high school seniors for the 2012 season.

Harris recorded 757 digs, 107 aces and 70 kills the past three seasons at McGehee. She helped the Hawks finish second in the Division IV state
playoffs in 2009 and reach the semifinals in 2010. They won district championships both seasons.

Smith started as a junior and senior on DeSoto teams which were 27-8 overall and 9-1 in district in 2010 and 27-14 and 10-0 in 2011. Both teams were district champions and won in the first round of the state playoffs. Smith produced 193 kills, 150 blocks and 124 digs as a senior and was first-team all-district. She was selected her district's top newcomer in 2010.

Harris and Smith will be biology / pre-medical majors at Xavier.

Previously signed with the Gold Nuggets were middle blocker Jodi Hill of Prairieville, La., outside hitter CeCe Williams of Houma, La., and middle blocker Claudia Haywood of Memphis, Tenn.

Xavier was 23-7 in 2011, won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship. The Gold Nuggets will begin the 2012 season in late August.



Facebook photos of their signings: Darian Harris and Patrice Smith

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Shaw University Completes Football Coaching Staff

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Shaw University head football coach Robert Massey has completed his football coaching staff. Massey keeps a number of the coaches collected by former head coach Darrell Asberry, while adding three new members to the staff.

"I feel this is a nice blend of returning coaches - who understand the traditions of Shaw football," said Massey. " And also new coaches who can and will take Shaw to the next level."

Serving as Associate Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach will be Maurice Flowers, who most recently served as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at his alma mater, Johnson C. Smith. In all, he has 17 years of coaching experience, with 16 of those spent as a head coach or lead coordinator. Last season, JCSU had one of the top offenses in the CIAA and quarterback Keahn Wallace was named Offensive Player of the Year.

De'Andre' Okonji, who finished his college career as Shaw's all-time leading receiver, returns to his alma mater as the Wide Receivers Coach. Last season, he was the Student Assistant Coach at Feather River Community College where he was responsible for wide receivers, special teams, and recruiting. He coached one All-American receiver last season.

Marcus Webb joins the coaching staff after two years at Contra Costa College in Richmond, CA, where he most recently served as the Tackles/Tight Ends Coach as well as having primary responsibility for recruiting and video.

Rounding out the coaching staff are five coaches who served on the Bear staff last season. Richard Gray will continue as Offensive Line Coach while Markus McElveen - who served as a student assistant coach last season - takes over the Defensive Line coaching duties.

Felton Page continues as the Running Backs Coach and Kenneth Williams remains the Defensive Backs Coach. Sherman Simmons, who coached the defensive line last year, moves to the Linebackers Coach position.

Shaw opens its 2012 campaign on Thursday, August 30 when they travel to Charleston (WV). They open their home season the following Saturday, September 8 when they host Miles.

COURTESY SHAW UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU falls to Seton Hill in regional

WEST LAWN, Pennsylvania -- The record will show that sixth-seeded Winston-Salem State lost 3-2 Thursday to top-seeded Seton Hill in the first round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional baseball tournament.

The record also will show that the winning run was set up by a two-base throwing error by third baseman Devin McLemore of WSSU on a grounder by right fielder Cody Herald in the bottom of the fourth inning. Herald scored on a double by center fielder Jackson Boyd — the only extra-base hit of the game.

But records are sometimes misleading. Starter Sheldon Johnson (2-5, 2.37 ERA) of the Rams was the more effective pitcher, even though starter Brad Schnelle of the Griffins posted his ninth victory against no losses. Johnson struck out nine and walked one. Schnelle struck out one and walked three over his 8 2/3 innings and left with the tying run on second in the person of Dominique Fitzgerald.

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