JCSU WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD FINISHES SECOND AT 2013 NCAA DII OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

PUEBLO, Colorado – The Johnson C. Smith University women's outdoor track and field team recorded a total of 54 points to place second overall at the 2013 NCAA Division Outdoor Championships held at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on the campus of Colorado State University at Pueblo (May 23-25). The second place finish is the best in school history and surpasses a fourth place finish at the 2011 championships.

Junior and USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year Danielle Williams (St. Andrew, Jamaica) put on a monumental performance over the championship weekend. She won two individual national titles, set three JCSU records, and set a new NCAA record. In the 100m hurdles, Williams finished second to Vashti Thomas from the Academy of Art (12.70) with a time of 12.89. Williams' time of 12.89 set a new school record for the event and earned her All-American honors.

In the 100m dash, Williams won the event by crossing the finish line in 11.24 seconds. She set another JCSU record and collected All-American status with her performance. Williams returned for the 200m dash to win the national crown with the fastest time (22.62) ever for NCAA Division II. Those three performances alone earned JCSU 28 team points.

Sophomore Samantha Elliott (Kingston, Jamaica) won the national title in the 400m hurdles with a time of 56.38. Elliott established a new NCAA DII and JCSU record for the event by beating out former record holder Michelle Cumberbatch from Lincoln University (MO). Cumberbatch held the record for the facility (57.25) since 2012 and the NCAA Championship record (56.85) since 2010.

Elliott also placed third behind Williams in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.31. She earned All-American honors for both the 400m hurdles and 100m hurdles. Elliott holds the national and Penn Relay titles for the 400m hurdles.

The women's 400 meter relay team of senior Naffene Briscoe (St. Catherine, Jamaica), Williams, freshman Trudy-Ann Richards (St. Thomas, Jamaica), and Elliott won the fourth national title for JCSU with a victory in a time of 44.05. All four members claimed All-American honors and set a new NCAA DII record. The previous record of 44.17 stood since 1995.

Sophomore Monique Lovelock (St. Catherine, Jamaica) competed in the 400m hurdles, but did not qualify for the finals in the event.

The Golden Bulls were edged by just six points to champions from the Academy of Art University.

“It was an excellent meet; rarely will you see a team break three national records and six school records all at the same meet,” said JCSU head coach and USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year Lennox Graham. “We had the altitude to content with, but our student-athletes listened and remained hydrated, and it showed in the results.”

Williams and Elliott will continue their seasons for the Jamaican Trials and possibly the World Championship Games.

Results


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WSSU baseball team signs 10 players

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Coach Kevin Ritsche of the Winston-Salem State baseball team said that recruiting has become a little easier after winning three straight CIAA championships.

Ritsche, whose Rams are coming off the most successful season in school history, announced a class of 10 signees for this season. Many of the newcomers are former local high-school players.

“I think all of them can compete for starting spots,” said Ritsche, whose team was 39-13 this past season and played host to the Atlantic Region at Wake Forest. “Both Rob (Woodall) and my brother, Keith, did a nice job in recruiting and looking for players who can help us.”

Woodall and Keith Ritchie are both assistant coaches for the Rams.

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Ram Ramblings: Hayes already looking ahead to this fall

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Bill Hayes, the athletics director at Winston-Salem State, has done a lot for the school since he took over Jan. 1, 2010 and he’ll be rewarded later this week with a contract extension.      

Hayes, who will turn 70 on June 1, said earlier this month he’s full of energy and shows no signs of slowing down.

Hayes, who makes around $145,000, is sure to get a raise when WSSU’s board of trustees vote in a meeting later this week. But for Hayes, it’s not about the money at this stage of his career.

Hayes current contract, which expires on June 30, was a three-year deal. The next contract will also be for three years but whether he finishes out the new contract will most likely be up to him.

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Jackson State relishes shot in NCAA tournament

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JACKSON, Mississippi — Jackson State has waited years for another chance to prove it can compete with the nation's best baseball teams in the NCAA tournament.

 

The Tigers will get it in their first trip to the postseason since 2000. No. 4 national seed LSU (52-9) — and its home crowd of 10,000-plus fans at Alex Box Stadium — will be waiting when Jackson State (34-20) takes the field at the double-elimination Baton Rouge regional on Friday.

 

But after years of frustration just trying to make the NCAA tournament, the opportunity to knock off one of college baseball's most storied programs is something catcher Jose Cruz relishes.

 

"At the end of the day, it's baseball," Cruz said. "LSU has to come and play us, too. We're going to play hard enough that we can give them some competition. It's going to be pretty tough. They're one of the best teams in the country. They have a big advantage because they have all those fans. But to be the best you've got to beat the best."

 

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SSU draws Florida State in Division I baseball regional

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SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Savannah State’s baseball players gathered at Coach’s Corner on Monday afternoon and cheered after hearing their university announced on the NCAA Division I selection show.

Not that it was a surprise to be among the top 64 teams in the nation — the Tigers earned an automatic entrance to a regional by winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament on May 19.

But the announcement on ESPNU was an affirmation that SSU was indeed getting a chance to show it belonged being mentioned with the top collegiate baseball teams in the nation. The Tigers will be opening the double-elimination Tallahassee Regional on Friday at 5 p.m. with No. 7 Florida State.

The game will be shown live on ESPN3.

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NC man captures sports at historic black college

SALISBURY, N.C. — Back in the early 1960s, John Daniels played three years of varsity tennis at Livingstone College.

He practiced hard every summer, and by the end of his career, Daniels improved from the sixth-best man on the squad to the third.

But if you go through the sports archives at Livingstone, yearbooks or even Daniels' personal files, you won't find any photographs of him playing tennis at the college.

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Art Shell golf classic draws UMES and NFL greats

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — Some NFL greats and University of Maryland Eastern Shore alumni will return to their roots on the Eastern Shore to help raise money for UMES’s Professional Golf Management Program and Division of Athletics by participating in the annual Art Shell UMES Celebrity Golf Classic and Junior Tournament June 11-12.

The event, which will occur at Great Hope Golf Course in Westover, Md., is hosted by NFL, UMES and CIAA Hall of Famer Art Shell.

Following the Junior Tournament, for golfers age 11 to 18 on June 11, Shell and other former NFL players, such as the UMES Golf Academy director and men’s golf head coach Marshall Cropper, will partner with foursomes to play in the 18-hole tournament June 12. They will attend an awards dinner in the Henson Center on campus that evening.

Cropper, the tournament’s director and a former player for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins, said the funds from the event go to building the PGA program and golf academy, as well as funding scholarships.

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DONALD HEATH: McGowin gives Savannah State a winning edge

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Tired of eastern Long Island’s cold, damp springs, Kyle McGowin finished his high school baseball career at Pierson and immediately made pitches to several Division I colleges in the South, bartering his heater in exchange to play in a warmer climate.

Savannah State baseball coach Carlton Hardy took notice, leaving other coaches in the region probably shaking their heads after fanning on a pitcher who is now among 22 finalists for college baseball’s pitcher of the year.

“You get stiff in the cold between innings. My arm has always felt better in the heat,” said McGowin, a right-hander from Sag Harbor, N.Y. “I wanted to go south and play Division I. Thankfully, coach Hardy responded quickly.”

The junior has been happy with his decision, earning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s pitcher of the year honor this season after posting a 12-1 record with 128 strikeouts and an earned run average of 1.33.

McGowin is second in the ...

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Saint Augustine's University Wins NCAA Division II National Men's Track & Field Title

COACH GEORGE WILLIAMS
SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY

PUEBLO, Colorado  – Powered by its sprinters and hurdlers, Saint Augustine's University completed its season as the best men's track & field team in Division II.

The Falcons 99 points on the final day to run away with the men's team crown at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on the campus of Colorado State University at Pueblo on Saturday, May 25, 2013. St. Aug has won 33 men's and women's indoor and outdoor titles combined and 11 men's outdoor titles under legendary head coach George Williams.

The Falcons scored 105 points which is the third-most points by a winning men's team since 2007. Ashland was second with 57 points and Adams State was third with 44 points.

The outdoor title comes on the heels of the indoor crown won by the Falcons in March 2013. It is the first time a team has swept both championships since 2005. The last time the Falcons were indoor and outdoor champions was 2001.

"The kids did a good job," Williams said. "They started the indoor season with a vision. They worked hard. I am proud of them."

Among the women, the Lady Falcons tied for 14^th with 18 points. Academy of Art is the women's winner with 60 points and Johnson C. Smith placed second with 54 points. Lincoln (Mo.) and Grand Valley State tied for third with 51 points.

The Falcons won four men's events and scored significant points in several others to win easily. The winners were the 4x100 relay team, the 4x400 relay team, Dane Hyatt (Jr./Goodwill, Jamaica) in the 400 dash and Jermaine Jones (So./Wilmington, N.C.) in the 200 dash. On the women's side, the Lady Falcons claimed the 4x400 relay.

"This is a typical St. Aug group," Williams said. "We excelled in sprints, hurdles, relays and jumps."

The men's 4x100 relay team set the tone with a sizzling performance in its event. The foursome of Ramaan Ansley (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.), Taffawee Johnson (Jr./St. Ann, Jamaica), Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (Fr./Raleigh, N.C.) and Jones ran 38.91 seconds to break the Division II national record which they set two days ago in preliminaries. On Thursday, the Falcons ran 39.01 in the preliminaries to break the previous mark held by Abilene Christian for 29 years. Abilene Christian ran 39.20 in 1984.

The Falcons are the first Division II team in history to run the 4x100 relay under 39 seconds. It is the seventh fastest time in the United States in 2013. Grand Canyon was second in 39.58 and Lincoln (Mo.) was third in 39.95.

Ansley is excited to be part of a record-setting relay team and national championship squad.

"As a senior, I definitely wanted to be part of something big," Ansley said. "Now we [4x400 team] are a part of history - national record and national championship."

Despite the thrilling 4x100 win and a fifth-place finish by Ty'reak Murray (Jr./Portsmouth, Va.) in the men's 110 hurdles, the Falcons didn't take the lead until the 400 dash when the Falcons took four of the top six spots with Hyatt leading the way. Hyatt won in 45.41 while Ellis, Jr. was third, James Quarles (Jr./Washington, D.C.) was fifth and Josh Edmonds (Jr./Jacksonville, Fla.) was sixth. The Falcons scored 23 points in the 400 to move into first place with a 44-30 lead over Adams State.

The Falcons widen their lead in the 100 dash. Johnson was second and Jones was third while Daniel Jameison (Fr./Windsor, Conn.) was eighth. The Falcons scored 15 more points for a 58-34 lead over Grand Canyon.

The Falcons never looked back from that point. Marcelis Lynch (Sr./Stone Mountain, Ga.) finished sixth in the 800 and Elhadji Mbow (Jr./Dakar, Senegal) was second in the 400 hurdles. DeJon Wilkinson (Jr./Summerville, S.C.) was fourth in the triple jump.

The Falcons sealed the title in the 200. Jones was first with a time of 20.57 and teammates Johnson and Edmonds were third and fourth, respectively. The 4x400 squad of Edmonds, Quarles, Ellis, Jr. and Hyatt capped the meet by winning the last event in 3:04.89.

Among the women, the quartet of Kelly Shaw (Sr./Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Cherrisse Lynch (So./Bridgetown, Barbados), Jaivairia Bacote (Jr./Patterson, N.J.) crossed the finish line first in the 4x400 in 3:35.89. In the 800, Shaw was fourth, Lynch was seventh and Bernard was eighth

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Final Results     Video: Highlights

DII MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Final Day:  Recap Highlights
Day 2:  Highlights
Day 1:  Highlights
Complete Results
Accepted Qualifiers: Men’s Entries
Championship: Program | Information

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Lincoln University of Missouri Blue Tigers Take Third at NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships

PUEBLO, Colorado  --  The Lincoln women's outdoor track & field team posted four top-three finishes on Saturday (May 25) to finish tied for third place at the NCAA Division II National Championship meet.

Michelle Cumberbatch and Yanique Haye highlighted the day for Lincoln, taking second and third, respectively, in the 400-meter hurdles. Cumberbatch clocked in a 57.59, edging Haye, who finished in 57.61, for second place. The duo also helped Lincoln to a second place result in the 4x400-meter relay, teaming with Twishana Williams and Lovan Palmer to come in at 3:37.16.

Palmer earned All-American honors in two other events, taking fifth in both the 400m (53.32) and 800m (2:10.49). The Blue Tigers also took fifth in the 4x100-meter relay, with Yanique Ellington and Cardine Copeland teaming with Anna-Kay James and Janae Johnson to finish in 45.11. Ellington and Copeland also represented LU in the 100m, with Ellington taking sixth (11.76) and Copeland placing seventh (11.86).

Lincoln's other top-three finish of the day came in the high jump, where Sheri Kaye Campbell took third with a mark of 1.81m. Campbell had previously scored points for LU with a sixth-place result in the triple jump (12.55m) on Friday (May 24). Twishana Williams added the final points of the meet for Lincoln in the 1,500m, finishing sixth with a time of 4:35.30.

The Blue Tigers scored 51 team points to tie for third place at the national championships with Grand Valley State. The Academy of Art, which had previously won the 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor title, scored 60 points to win the outdoor championship while Johnson C. Smith finished second with 54 points.

By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI MEDIA RELATIONS

Lincoln women finish third in NCAA Division II track and field championships

PUEBLO, Colo. — There was no Lucky 7 for the Lincoln women’s track team.

Looking for their seventh title at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Blue Tigers came up just a bit short Saturday night.

Academy of Art, a San Francisco-based school, captured the national title with 60 points, beating second-place Johnson C. Smith by six points. Lincoln and Grand Valley State tied for third with 51 points.

The Blue Tigers, who claimed titles in 2003-07 and 2009, did manage to keep their streak of top-three finishes intact. Lincoln has now finished in the top three for 11 straight years.

In their first event of the day, the Blue Tigers’ 4x100-meter relay team of Anna-Kay James, Cardine Copeland, Yanique Ellington and Jenea Johnson came in fifth (45.11).

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XU Nuggets' season ends with no advances at NAIA meet

MARION, Indiana --  Xavier University of Louisiana's SiMon Franklin and Devinn Rolland did not qualify Friday in preliminary heats of the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.

Franklin ran 400 meters in 59.57 seconds to rank 14th. She missed advancing to Saturday's final by nearly 2.5 seconds. Rolland ran 100 meters in 12.16 to tie for 11th in the 100 preliminaries. The slowest qualifying time to reach the final was 11.97.

Indiana Tech recorded the fastest qualifying times in both events -- sophomore Kirsten Flake in the 400 (54.75) and senior Adella King in the 100 (11.47).

Although the meet will conclude Saturday, the Gold Nuggets' season ended Friday. It was the final collegiate competition for Franklin, a senior who also was a 1,000-point career scorer in basketball and received her bachelor's degree from Xavier on May 11. Rolland, an All-America long jumper in 2012 and a two-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference champion in the 100, 200 and long jump, will have two more seasons of eligibility.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

St. Aug. Runs 38.91 To Break Own D-II National Men's 4x100 Relay Record

PUEBLO, Colorado  –  Saint Augustine's University ran 38.91 seconds to break the Division II men's 4x100 relay record set by the Falcons two days ago at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl on the Colorado State University of Pueblo campus on Saturday, May 25, 2013.

The Falcons ran the first ever relay under 39 seconds by a Division II team in winning the men's 4x100 national title on Saturday. The team consists of Ramaan Ansley (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.), Taffawee Johnson (Jr./St. Ann, Jamaica), Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (Fr./Raleigh, N.C.) and Jermaine Jones (So./Wilmington, N.C.). It is the seventh fastest time in the United States in 2013. Grand Canyon was second in 39.58 and Lincoln (Mo.) was third in 39.95.

On Thursday, the Falcons ran 39.01 in the preliminaries to break the previous mark held by Abilene Christian for 29 years. Abilene Christian ran 39.20 in 1984.


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VSU student faces 63 years for robbery and killing of Petersburg drug dealer

Ryan Christopher Simms

ETTRICK, Virginia  -- A Virginia State University student could spend 63 years behind bars for conspiring with a fellow student to rip off a Petersburg drug dealer and fatally shooting him several yards from campus in a crime that stunned the VSU community and the village of Ettrick.

After a four-day trial that featured testimony from several former VSU students who were unwittingly caught up in the April 17, 2012, shooting, a Chesterfield County jury deliberated 4½ hours Friday before finding Ryan Christopher Simms, 20, guilty of second-degree murder — reduced from first-degree — in the slaying of Tyrail Hughes, 20. 
    
The jury also convicted Simms, who is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and was a freshman last year at VSU, of conspiring with fellow student Khaliq Oliver, a co-defendant, to rob Hughes of an ounce of high-grade marijuana valued at $425.

Jurors considered a total of 10 felony crimes against Simms and found him guilty of eight, including grand larceny for the theft of the drugs; malicious wounding for inadvertently shooting VSU freshman William Penn in the foot; attempted murder for shooting at Hughes’ friend Damon Wright; and three related felony firearm counts.

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MEAC announces Hampton and Norfolk State as 2013 All-sports Award winners

ORLANDO, Florida  --  Hampton University won its 12th consecutive Mary McLeod Bethune Women’s All-Sports Award and Norfolk State captured its ninth consecutive Talmadge Layman Hill Men’s Award, the league announced on Tuesday.

The All-Sports Awards highlight the overall strengths of their respective men’s and women’s athletic programs. Each institution was presented a $20,000 check during a reception at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday evening.

“I would like to congratulate Norfolk State University including President Tony Atwater, Director of Athletics Marty Miller, and the administrators, coaches, student-athletes and support staff for winning the 2013 Talmadge Layman Hill Award,” said MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas. “I also extend congratulations to Hampton University and President William R. Harvey, Director of Athletics Novelle Dickenson and all of the outstanding individuals including staff, coaches and student-athletes who were involved in winning the Mary McLeod Bethune Award.

Hampton’s women’s programs totaled ...

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Savannah State getting set for NCAA Baseball Tournament

SAVANNAH, Georgian  -- It’s been just another week on the practice field for the Savannah State Tigers.

While other conferences hold their tournaments around the country, SSU has already locked up a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Last weekend, Savannah State claimed their first ever Mid Eastern Athletic Conference title up in Norfolk, Virginia.  Savannah State defeated eight-time MEAC Champ Bethune-Cookman 1-0 to claim the title.

“It was an amazing win and it’s an honor to be part of history here at Savannah State,” said junior Kyle McGowin.

It was Savannah State’s first conference baseball title since 1999, when they claimed the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crown when the school was still competing in NCAA Division II. 



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NCAA VP Robert Vowels could be next UDM athletic director

Robert Vowels (bio)
B.A., Duke; J.D., NCCU
 

DETROIT, Michigan  --  Detroit Mercy has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday to name its next athletic director to replace Keri Gaither. One of the strongest candidates appears to be Robert Vowels.

The university announced in early March that four candidates would be brought in for interviews in April and May. Vowels, Michael Hermann, Jay DeFruscio and interim AD Jason Horn were the four candidates.

Vowels was recommended for the job by UDM’s search committee but it was unclear whether a deal was finished, said one person familiar with the situation. UDM president Antoine M. Garibaldi hires the AD, and he was not available for comment. A second person familiar with the athletic department told the Free Press that Vowels was in line to get the job.

Vowels works in the NCAA’s national office as vice president for student-athlete affairs. He was hired in 2007. He was previously the commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Vowels joined the SWAC in 2003. He also was commissioner of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2000-02.

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ECSU Sharpless takes talents to NBA scouts

BROOKLYN, New York  --  From competing on area barnstorming tours with ACC players to highlight dunks posted on YouTube, Angelo Sharpless might have already arrived in many people’s eyes.

But arriving at his first-ever NBA Draft combine, held at Brooklyn on Wednesday, there was little fanfare for Elizabeth City State’s all-everything college basketball star.

Even Sharpless’ school was only known as ‘Elizabeth’ to NBA scouts.
 

“I always had a chip on my shoulder in where I believe I belong on that stage,” Sharpless said. “I’m representing the guys that are Division II, the CIAA, the guys from Elizabeth City, and people that don’t get the exposure coming from small towns.”

The obscurity that follows the CIAA Player of the Year on such a high stage hasn’t slowed Sharpless on the road to a potential professional basketball career, one he hopes will include 
being selected in the June 27 NBA Draft, also being held by the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.

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Arizona basketball: Southern added to schedule

TUCSON, Arizona  --  Arizona Wildcats have completed their nonconference schedule for next season by inviting Southern University to McKale Center for a Dec. 19 game.

Southern went 23-10 and won the SWAC tournament last season. The Jaguars were a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament, losing 64-58 to top-seeded Gonzaga in Salt Lake City.

The Wildcats' nonconference schedule includes four previously announced games that are part of multiyear series (at home against Texas Tech and UNLV, and on the road at Michigan and San Diego State).

Arizona will also play in the NIT Season Tip-Off, which includes two home games and a chance to play two more games in New York during Thanksgiving week.

The rest of the games were contracted for one time only, though NAU is a perennial opponent and Long Beach State is returning to McKale for the second straight season on a single-game basis.

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Tennille Adams Named Head Women's Basketball Coach at Howard University

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  Today, Howard University Director of Athletics Louis "Skip" Perkins named Tennille Adams as the new head women's basketball coach. Adams comes to Howard with an impressive record, including an integral role in six double-figure winning seasons at Northwestern University and a notable coaching career with Big Ten, Patriot League and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Division I institutions.

"We were in search of a coach that understood Howard University's legacy of academic excellence, possessed the characteristics to maintain the program's distinction, while making the Lady Bison a principal force in the MEAC and beyond," Perkins said.

 

Adams hangs up her Northwestern Wildcats purple and white, for the Bison blue and white after five seasons under the direction of head women's basketball coach Joe McKeown.

 

While at Northwestern, Adams was named defensive coordinator (2012-13), offensive coordinator (2011-12), while being instrumental in Northwestern's 10^th best turnaround season, a fourth place finish in the BCS (2009), back-to-back WNIT appearances (2009-10 and 2010-11), and the development of two First Team All-Big Ten student-athletes, one Third Team All-Big Ten student-athlete, and one Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.

 

"I am extremely humbled and honored for this opportunity," said Adams.  "I would like to thank my new Director of Athletics Louis "Skip" Perkins and the Bison family for believing in my ability to lead the women's basketball program here at Howard University.  It is privilege to represent an institution with such rich tradition and history as well as return to the MEAC." 

 

No stranger to the District of Columbia, Adams was the assistant women's basketball coach at American University.  Adams was responsible for recruiting as well as key involvement on post player development and the point person for academic affairs and external relations with the basketball program.

 

Prior to her stint at American, Adams spent two years with the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University as an assistant to the legendary Patricia Cage-Bibbs, Adams established her administrative foundation.  Adams, a standout at the University of Arkansas, began her coaching career in 2004 as an assistant at Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville, Texas.

 

As a student-athlete at Arkansas, Adams was a member of the 1997-98 Final Four team and the 1998-99 WNIT Championship team. On an individual level, Adams was ranked in the top five post players in the nation and as one of the top 50 seniors by Blue Star.  Adams completed her matriculation with a bachelor's of art in English.

Adams will inherit a program with strong reputation of winning, including three consecutive championship game appearances, two invitations to the WNIT (2011 and 2012), the first-ever Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) appearance (2013), and two 20+ wins seasons.

For more information on Howard University women's basketball, visit the official athletics website at www.howard-bison.com.

 

 

By Ariel V. Germain, Assistant Director for Athletic Media Relations

HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Saint Augustine's University Shatters 29-Year Division II Men's 4x100 Relay Record at NCAA Championships

The St. Aug 4x100 Relay Team: From Left

to Right - Taffawee Johnson, Burkheart Ellis, Jr.,

Ramaan Ansley, and Jermaine Jones

PUEBLO, Colorado  -- Saint Augustine's University broke the national Division II record in the men's 4x100 meter relay with a time of 39.01 seconds on the first day of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at the Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl on the Colorado State University of Pueblo campus.

The St. Aug foursome of Ramaan Ansley (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.), Taffawee Johnson (Jr./St. Ann, Jamaica), Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (Jr./Raleigh, N.C.) and Jermaine Jones (So./Wilmington, N.C.) shattered the 29-year old mark held by Abilene Christian, which ran 39.20 in 1984. The time also broke the facility record of 39.88 at the DeRose Thunderbowl.

The Falcons ran the 14^th fastest time in the United States this year. They easily won Heat 2 in the preliminaries to advance to Saturday's final, which starts at 7:20 p.m. eastern standard time. The Falcons entered the championship meet as the top-ranked 4x100 team in Division II.

The 4x100 relay team set the tone for the day. Dane Hyatt (Jr./Goodwill, Jamaica) won Heat 2 of the men's 400 meter dash in a facility-record time of 45.78 seconds, which was fastest among 400 meter qualifiers. Josh Edmonds (Jr./Jacksonville, Fla.), Ellis, Jr. and James Quarles (Jr./Washington, D.C.) also qualified in 400.

Jones was the victor in Heat 1 of men's 100 meter dash in 10.26. He qualified for Saturday's finals along with Johnson and Daniel Jameison (Fr./Windsor, Conn.). Elhadji Mbow (Jr./Dakar, Senegal) qualified for the men's 400 hurdles a time of 51.35, second-best among qualifiers.

On the women's side, Kelly Shaw (Sr./Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) wins Heat 2 of the women's 400 meter dash in 53.26. Nicketa Bernard (Sr./Westmoreland, Jamaica) and Cherrisse Lynch (So./Bridgetown, Barbados) also qualified for Saturday's finals.

The championship meet continues Friday, May 24. It will be shown live on the Internet at 7:30 p.m. eastern standard time on ncaa.com and saintaugfalcons.com. For live results, click on pttiming.com and ncaa.com.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF SPORTS INFORMATION

XU Nuggets miss the mark on opening day of NAIA meet

MARION, Indiana -- Xavier University of Louisiana missed chances to advance and score points Thursday in the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.

On the meet's opening day, the Gold Nuggets did not qualify for the semifinals of the 400-meter relay or the 200-meter dash. And Devinn Rolland, an All-America long jumper at this meet as a freshman in 2012, finished near the back of a field of two dozen athletes.

Xavier's 400 relay team of Chelsea James, Rolland, Tramaine Shannon and SiMon Franklin ranked 20th in the preliminaries in 50.10 seconds and missed qualifying for Saturday's final by slightly more than two seconds. XU coach Joseph Moses said his team led early in the race, but a right-hamstring injury to Franklin flared up during Wednesday workouts and prevented the Nuggets from advancing.

"The medical team up here did a great job wrapping her leg tight," Moses said. "I told Monee she didn't have to run, but she wanted to because she's a senior, and this is her last meet."

Rolland, who reached the NAIA's 200 semifinals a year ago, did not qualify this time. She ran 25.34 to rank 14th in the preliminaries, about a third of a second slower than the time she needed to advance.

In the long jump, Rolland ranked 22nd with a best mark of 16 feet, 10 inches. She needed 18-7 to qualify for the final, which Oklahoma Baptist freshman Akela Smith won with a mark of 20-10 on her next-to-last jump in the final.

Franklin will try to run Friday in the 400 preliminaries.

No Xavier men qualified for the meet.

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

XU Rush match highest-ever ranking, 5th, in postseason poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed one place to fifth Tuesday in the NAIA Men's Tennis Postseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
    
Xavier (15-8) matched its highest-ever rating in an NAIA men's tennis poll. The Gold Rush were fifth in the polls of April 16 and 30 before dropping to sixth on May 6.
    
It's the third consecutive year that the XU men are in the top 10 of the season's final poll. This is the second straight year that the final poll occurred after the NAIA National Championship. The Gold Rush ranked eighth in 2011 and seventh in 2012.
    
The Gold Rush became the first XU program to reach the quarterfinals of an NAIA National Championship in consecutive seasons. Vanguard eliminated the Rush 5-2 in that round on Thursday.
    
Coupled with the Gold Nuggets' No. 3 ranking, it makes Xavier one of two schools — Auburn Montgomery is the other — with both tennis teams in the 2013 postseason top five.
    
The Gold Rush are in the top 25 for the 50th consecutive time — a streak which began April 4, 2007 — and in the top 10 for the 20th straight time.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through end of season) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (13) 24-2 343 1 2 Auburn Montgomery 21-4 332 2 3 Vanguard 24-1 321 3 4 Westmont 13-11 310 4 5 Xavier 15-8 294 6 6 Lindsey Wilson 17-4 290 8 7 Cumberland 19-5 274 9 8 Aquinas 25-5 269 12 9 Bethany (Kan.) 22-2 254 5 10 Bethel (Tenn.) 20-2 248 7 11 Concordia (Calif.) 12-13 226 10 12 Belhaven 16-5 222 11 13 William Carey 9-6 202 tie-13 14 Graceland 15-7 200 18 15 Northwestern Ohio 14-8 188 17 16 Northwood (Fla.) 12-6 182 15 17 Warner 13-10 165 19 18 Oklahoma Baptist 15-11 163 tie-13 19 Olivet Nazarene 11-13 146 21 20 Lewis-Clark State 7-9 134 16 21 Pikeville 10-5 126 20 22 Campbellsville 10-12 105 22 23 McPherson 21-8 98 23 24 Davenport 18-7 96 24 25 Webber International 10-12 75 25 Others receiving votes: Indiana Wesleyan 69, Coastal Georgia 51, Martin Methodist 48, Grace 21, Asbury 16, Mobile 9, Spring Arbor 9, St. Francis (Ill.) 8, Doane 6.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Nuggets cap stellar season with No. 3 postseason ranking

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana ranked third in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday.
    
The Gold Nuggets (19-8) dropped after three consecutive No. 1 rankings. They entered the NAIA National Championship as the top seed but lost 5-0 to William Carey in the semifinals Friday. The following day, Auburn Montgomery defeated William Carey 5-1 to win its third consecutive championship and 12th in 15 years.
    
Auburn Montgomery and William Carey ranked 1-2 in the postseason poll. Xavier defeated both in April.
    
It's the eighth time in nine seasons that the Gold Nuggets appear in the final top 25 of the season.

This is the second consecutive year that the last rating occurs after the NAIA National Championship.
The XU women were 19th in the 2012 postseason poll.
    
Xavier ranked 13th in the preseason, entered the top 10 on March 5 and remained there for the final seven polls. When the Gold Nuggets climbed from sixth to first on April 16, it was the first time an XU team in any sport was No. 1 in an NAIA coaches poll.
    
The 2013 Gold Nuggets were the first XU team in any sport to reach the semifinals of an NAIA national tournament.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through end of season) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Auburn Montgomery (12) 17-8 312 2 2 William Carey 14-9 302 5 3 Xavier 19-8 289 1 4 Lindsey Wilson 19-3 285 6 5-tie SCAD Savannah 13-3 268 4 5-tie Brenau 13-5 268 3 7 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 12-11 252 9 8 Northwood (Fla.) 10-8 239 12 9 Lewis-Clark State 11-10 231 7 10 Westmont 17-3 226 8 11 Oklahoma Baptist 14-11 210 10 12 Vanguard 12-17 204 11 13 Concordia (Calif.) 10-12 187 13 14 Olivet Nazarene 18-9 185 14 15 SCAD Atlanta 8-4 178 15 16 Indiana Wesleyan 24-4 160 17 17 Coastal Georgia 7-9 150 16 18 Cumberland 14-7 142 18 19 Milligan 19-3 133 19 20 Campbellsville 11-12 117 20 21 Marian (Ind.) 16-9 105 21 22 Davenport 20-10 99 22 23 Southeastern (Fla.) 7-11 89 23 24 Nebraska Wesleyan 13-8 81 25 25 Bethel (Kan.) 14-4 66 RV Others receiving votes: Lee (Tenn.) 57, Ashford 56, Ave Maria 23, Evangel 20, Cumberlands 15, Belhaven 15, Northwestern Ohio 12, Robert Morris (Chicago) 7, Indiana Southeast 6, Georgetown (Ky.) 3.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULA ATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

TSU Tigers Complete Recruiting Class by Adding Four

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State men’s basketball coach Travis Williams has announced the signing of four additional student-athletes to join the Tigers next season.

Ugo Mmonu (Decatur, Ga.), Kennedy Eubanks (Clemson, S.C.), Jaleel Queary (Nashville) and Jaylen Reid (Rockhill, S.C.) join previously inked Jamontae Davis (Nashville), Jamonte Graham (Nashville), and Rhyan Townes (Memphis) to round out the 2013 recruiting class.

“The goal was to keep elevating the program in every aspect imaginable, and we did that by adding the versatility, talent and skill sets these guys bring to the program,” Williams said. “They all come from very successful programs where they have won and were key contributors to their teams. They have achieved great academic accomplishments in the classroom and I am looking forward to them establishing a great relationship with the coaching staff, university, community, alumni, fans, and the city of Nashville.  We feel that they can add to an already strong nucleus of returning players.”

A 6-7, 200-pound forward, Mmonu will join the TSU team this fall after a senior year at Greenforest Christian Academy. During his senior year, Mmonu helped GCA win the Georgia State Championship in the Class A Private division while seeing playing time at every position but center. He was also named to Atlanta Journal Constitution All-Metro Team, GA Sportswriters Team, and All-State team after averaging 12 points, six rebounds and three assists per contest. His accolades got him looks from Auburn, Cincinnati, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State, but signed with the Tigers. Mmonu also excelled in the classroom where he held a 3.5 GPA.

“Ugo is a proven winner and very multi-talented. He can play multiple positions, either at the forward or guard, and his athleticism fits our style of play. He can shoot the three, put it on the floor and finish at the basket. His best basketball days are ahead of him." Williams said.

Eubanks is a 6-6 wing player who will come to TSU after playing at Jacksonville College in Texas and being selected by JucoJunction as a top 150 player. Last season, he averaged 11 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest in leading the Jaguars to a 22-9 record. While attending Pendleton High School in S.C., he was an All-Region and All-State selection and was runner-up in the state’s North-South All-Star Tournament Slam Dunk Contest. He also competed on the track and field team while in high school, taking part in the long, high and triple jump events. Eubanks sported a strong 3.0 GPA at Jacksonville College and will major in Business while at TSU.

“Eubanks will be very versatile for us with his ability to play numerous positions and fit our style of play, especially considering how we attack in transition on offense and how we play defense,” Williams said. “He has good size and athleticism and is very capable of putting the ball on floor, attacking the rim, and shooting from three. He comes from one of the toughest junior college leagues in the country, can play a number of positions, and his experience, leadership, motor, and enthusiasm on the defensive end can really help us.”

Queary is another former JUCO player who will join the Tigers next season after attending junior college at Lawson State in Birmingham, Ala. where he averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds for the Cougars. Coming to TSU will be a homecoming of sorts for Queary as he starred at Maplewood High School in Nashville for four seasons. He was a Tennessee Top 50 player according to Max Preps coming out of high school and was named the District 10-AA MVP and Class AA Metro MVP following his senior season. Queary stands 6-2 and will play combo guard for the Tigers this upcoming year.

“I’ve always admired Jaleel since his days at Maplewood High School and we are really excited to bring him back home to keep our program moving forward,” Williams said. “He is a very athletic, strong, tough, and physical guard who is capable of creating his own shots, or attacking the rim. He can also make plays for himself and his teammates. He plays with a high motor, loves playing defense and rebounds well from the guard position which fits the bill of what we are doing here defensively.”  

A 6-7,185-pound forward, Reid hails from Rock Hill High School where he garnered a three-star rating by ESPN. He earned the ranking by helping head coach Eric Rollins and the Bearcats to a 16-6 record while averaging 16 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists per contest. He was an All-Area, All-Region and All-State selection as a senior and represented his school in the North Carolina – South Carolina All-Star Game. He had received offers from High Point, Kent State, Austin Peay, Southeast Missouri State, Miami (Ohio), Jacksonville and Winthrop, but chose to sign with TSU. Reid plans to choose a major in either business or political science this fall.

“Reid is versatile, has a tremendous upside, an unbelievable work ethic and passion for the game.  He is a very talented young man with the ability to shoot the three, score off of the dribble, and attack the basket in half court or transition. His ability to rebound and play defense are also pluses,” Williams said.

The TSU coaching staff will have a little over five months to teach the system to the incoming players before the Tigers tip-off next season in year two under Williams.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Former B-CU football coach Alvin Wyatt awarded $771,000.00

COACH ALVIN WYATT

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  — Alvin Wyatt, who won more football games than any other Bethune-Cookman University coach, was awarded nearly $771,000 because the university breached his contract after it fired him in 2009, a judge ruled Wednesday.

The university fired Wyatt, now 65, two days after the Florida Classic, when the Wildcats suffered a 42-6 defeat to their archrival, Florida A&M. He was replaced by Brian Jenkins, then 39.
 

B-CU paid Wyatt his $95,000 salary until June 30, 2010, but his contract called for payments to continue another four years, Circuit Judge Terence R. Perkins ruled.

 

Wyatt had sued for $1.2 million. But the judge wrote that age discrimination, as alleged by Wyatt, was not proven, saying the coach provided “not a shred of evidence” of a discriminatory motive on the part of former President Trudie Kibbe Reed.
 

Pete Heebner, one of two Daytona Beach attorneys who represented ...

 

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Wyatt wins lawsuit against B-CU

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  Former Bethune Cookman-University head football coach Alvin “Shine” Wyatt, Sr. won his breach of contract lawsuit against the Daytona Beach-based school and has been awarded almost $770,000. The decision was announced Wednesday after a non-jury trial that concluded May 17.

 

Wyatt’s case was just one of 13 state and federal lawsuits and administrative complaints filed in less than two years against the school – and personally against former B-CU President Trudie Kibbe Reed – as indicated in a nine-part investigative series published from June through September 2011 in the Florida Courier entitled “Crisis at B-CU.”

There were legal actions filed by longtime professors, the former men’s basketball head coach, former football head coach Wyatt, and a former student who said she was raped by a group of basketball players and that the university tried to cover it up.

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