Saint Augustine's Falcons Remain No. 1 in both USTFCCA Polls For Fourth Straight Week

Tia-Adana Belle Set The Division II National Record In The Women's 400 Hurdles At The CIAA Outdoor Championships

NEW ORLEANS – With only a month left in the countdown to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Bradenton, Florida, on May 26-28, teams continue to jockey for position in the latest edition of the National Team Computer Rankings.

Only six top-25 teams between both genders remained in the same position from a week ago, including both the No. 1 men and women of Saint Augustine’s. The week seven rankings were announced Tuesday morning by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The three-time defending national champion SAU men won their 19th consecutive CIAA conference title this past weekend to add some breathing room between themselves and No. 2 Grand Valley State. Behind sprinter Burkheart Ellis, Jr., the Falcons improved nearly 47 points to 229.44, while GVSU had a strong weekend in its own right with a 31-point gain to 195.31.

No. 3 Texas A&M-Kingsville (144.09) held steady from last time, while the last two indoor national champions – reigning winner Tiffin (128.29) and 2015 champ Adams State (127.63) – swapped spots at No. 4 and No. 5.

The Saint Augustine’s women still hold a comfortable lead over No. 2 Johnson C. Smith, but the Golden Bulls are chipping away. The Falcons checked in at 172.12 points, while the JCSU women added 15 points to come in at 135.54. That was just enough to step past No. 3 Grand Valley State (133.54).

No. 4 Pittsburg State (127.58) remained stationary but moved closer to the top three, while Hillsdale – national runners-up both in cross country and indoors – jumped up nine spots to No. 5.

Reigning women’s national champion Central Missouri dropped one spot to No. 7, displaced by a two-spot rise from No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville.

National champions in 2014, the Lincoln (Mo.) women were the biggest mover among top-25 teams this week. The Blue Tigers jumped up 17 spots to No. 12.

Their male teammates improved the most of any top-25 men’s team this week, up 15 positions to No. 22.

The National Team Computer Rankings are complied by a mathematical formula based on national descending order lists. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the national team race. Rankings points do not equate with NCAA Championships team points.

A full description of the rankings can be found here.

USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION II
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD NATIONAL TEAM COMPUTER RANKINGS (TOP 25)
2016 Week #7 — April 26
next ranking: May 3
Rank	Institution	Points	Conference	Head Coach (Yr)	Last Week
1	Saint Augustine’s	229.44	CIAA	George Williams (40th)	1
2	Grand Valley State	195.31	GLIAC	Jerry Baltes (17th)	2
3	Texas A&M-Kingsville	144.09	Lone Star	Ryan Dall (8th)	3
4	Tiffin	128.29	GLIAC	Jeremy Croy (16th)	5
5	Adams State	127.63	RMAC	Rock Light (3rd)	4
6	Chico State	112.93	CCAA	Oliver Hanf (4th)	7
7	Shippensburg	103.15	PSAC	Dave Osanitsch (11th)	12
8	Missouri Southern	99.40	MIAA	Bryan Schiding (3rd)	6
9	Colorado Mines	88.36	RMAC	Matt Sparks (3rd)	11
10	Central Missouri	87.74	MIAA	Kirk Pedersen (20th)/Kip Janvrin (18th)	9
11	Ashland	85.73	GLIAC	Jud Logan (13th)	8
12	Azusa Pacific	74.77	PacWest	Kevin Reid (21st)	14
13	Pittsburg State	74.21	MIAA	Russ Jewett (28th)	17
14	Alaska Anchorage	74.02	GNAC	Michael Friess (26th)	15
15	Angelo State	72.39	Lone Star	James Reid (17th)	16
16	Academy of Art	71.76	PacWest	Kevin LaSure (1st)	10
17	Minnesota State	69.71	NSIC	Jim Dilling (3rd)	13
18	Johnson C. Smith	66.67	CIAA	Lennox Graham (9th)	25
19	Cal State Stanislaus	61.47	CCAA	Diljeet Taylor (4th)	24
20	Texas A&M-Commerce	60.99	Lone Star	Ross Smithey (1st)	18
21	Findlay	54.51	GLIAC	Marc Arce (28th)	20
22	Lincoln (Mo.)	53.77	MIAA	Victor Thomas (15th)	37
23	UC San Diego	49.99	CCAA	Tony Salerno (17th)	19
24	Cal State LA	49.01	CCAA	Tina Fernandes (3rd)	22
25	Southern Indiana	48.56	GLVC	Mike Hillyard (18th)	23
dropped out: No. 21 Western Washington
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25

2016 Week #7 — April 26
next ranking: May 3
Rank	Institution	Points	Conference	Head Coach (Yr)	Last Week
1	Saint Augustine’s	229.44	CIAA	George Williams (40th)	1
2	Grand Valley State	195.31	GLIAC	Jerry Baltes (17th)	2
3	Texas A&M-Kingsville	144.09	Lone Star	Ryan Dall (8th)	3
4	Tiffin	128.29	GLIAC	Jeremy Croy (16th)	5
5	Adams State	127.63	RMAC	Rock Light (3rd)	4
6	Chico State	112.93	CCAA	Oliver Hanf (4th)	7
7	Shippensburg	103.15	PSAC	Dave Osanitsch (11th)	12
8	Missouri Southern	99.40	MIAA	Bryan Schiding (3rd)	6
9	Colorado Mines	88.36	RMAC	Matt Sparks (3rd)	11
10	Central Missouri	87.74	MIAA	Kirk Pedersen (20th)/Kip Janvrin (18th)	9
11	Ashland	85.73	GLIAC	Jud Logan (13th)	8
12	Azusa Pacific	74.77	PacWest	Kevin Reid (21st)	14
13	Pittsburg State	74.21	MIAA	Russ Jewett (28th)	17
14	Alaska Anchorage	74.02	GNAC	Michael Friess (26th)	15
15	Angelo State	72.39	Lone Star	James Reid (17th)	16
16	Academy of Art	71.76	PacWest	Kevin LaSure (1st)	10
17	Minnesota State	69.71	NSIC	Jim Dilling (3rd)	13
18	Johnson C. Smith	66.67	CIAA	Lennox Graham (9th)	25
19	Cal State Stanislaus	61.47	CCAA	Diljeet Taylor (4th)	24
20	Texas A&M-Commerce	60.99	Lone Star	Ross Smithey (1st)	18
21	Findlay	54.51	GLIAC	Marc Arce (28th)	20
22	Lincoln (Mo.)	53.77	MIAA	Victor Thomas (15th)	37
23	UC San Diego	49.99	CCAA	Tony Salerno (17th)	19
24	Cal State LA	49.01	CCAA	Tina Fernandes (3rd)	22
25	Southern Indiana	48.56	GLVC	Mike Hillyard (18th)	23
dropped out: No. 21 Western Washington
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25

Men’s Conference Index Top 10
Rank	Conference	Points	Top 25 Teams
1	GLIAC	555.74	4
2	Lone Star	399.42	3
3	MIAA	344.56	4
4	RMAC	328.13	2
5	CIAA	320.95	2
6	CCAA	278.34	4
7	PacWest	197.12	2
8	GNAC	188.24	1
9	GLVC	159.83	1
10	NSIC	152.10	1

Men’s Regional Index Leaders
Region	Institution	Points	Last Week
Atlantic	Shippensburg	632.81	1
Central	Missouri Southern	373.91	1
East	American International	531.10	2
Midwest	Grand Valley State	597.19	1
South	Shorter	363.53	2
South Central	Texas A&M-Kingsville	397.95	1
Southeast	Mount Olive	483.53	1
West	Chico State	431.35	1
View All Regional Rankings

USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION II
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD NATIONAL TEAM COMPUTER RANKINGS (TOP 25)
2016 Week #7 — April 26
next ranking: May 3
Rank	Institution	Points	Conference	Head Coach (Yr)	Last Week
1	Saint Augustine’s	172.12	CIAA	George Williams (40th)	1
2	Johnson C. Smith	135.54	CIAA	Lennox Graham (9th)	3
3	Grand Valley State	133.54	GLIAC	Jerry Baltes (17th)	2
4	Pittsburg State	127.58	MIAA	Russ Jewett (30th)	4
5	Hillsdale	112.03	GLIAC	Andrew Towne (5th)	14
6	Texas A&M-Kingsville	103.39	Lone Star	Ryan Dall (8th)	8
7	Central Missouri	99.45	MIAA	Kirk Pedersen (20th)/Kip Janvrin (18th)	6
8	West Texas A&M	95.84	Lone Star	Darren Flowers (7th)	5
9	Alaska Anchorage	94.54	GNAC	Michael Friess (26th)	10
10	Findlay	93.43	GLIAC	Marc Arce (28th)	9
11	Lewis	84.97	GLVC	Dana Schwarting (11th)	7
12	Lincoln (Mo.)	84.66	MIAA	Victor Thomas (15th)	29
13	Shorter	84.47	Peach Belt	Scott Byrd (9th)	12
14	Chico State	81.78	CCAA	Robert Nooney (3rd)	11
15	Angelo State	71.80	Lone Star	James Reid (17th)	16
16	Adams State	70.17	RMAC	Rock Light (3rd)	13
17	Missouri Southern	67.87	MIAA	Patty Vavra (22nd)	21
18	Chadron State	66.73	RMAC	Brad Gamble (2nd)	27
19	Claflin	64.04	SIAC	Lincoln London (3rd)	15
20	Western Washington	58.15	GNAC	Pee Wee Halsell (29th)	18
21	Cal State Stanislaus	56.35	CCAA	Diljeet Taylor (4th)	22
22	Azusa Pacific	55.19	PacWest	Preston Grey (4th)	20
23	Seattle Pacific	54.26	GNAC	Karl Lerum (11th)	17
24	Minnesota State	53.16	NSIC	Jen Blue (16th)	19
25	Humboldt State	50.85	CCAA	Scott Pesch (6th)	24
dropped out: No. 23 Sioux Falls, No. 25 Ashland
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25

Women’s Conference Index Top 10
Rank	Conference	Points	Top 25 Teams
1	MIAA	534.18	4
2	GLIAC	461.77	3
3	CIAA	330.02	2
4	Lone Star	319.69	3
5	GNAC	255.17	3
6	RMAC	251.04	2
7	NSIC	229.34	1
8	CCAA	225.08	3
9	GLVC	173.58	1
10	Peach Belt	144.40	1

Women’s Regional Index Leaders
Region	Institution	Points	Last Week
Atlantic	Shippensburg	427.34	1
Central	Pittsburg State	430.64	1
East	Stonehill	454.61	1
Midwest	Grand Valley State	631.65	1
South	Shorter	471.04	1
South Central	Angelo State	441.67	2
Southeast	Queens (N.C.)	612.09	1
West	Chico State	376.04	1
View All Regional Rankings NCAA Division II Rankings Central By Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA April 26, 2016

Morgan State Athletic Director Kerr Announces Retirement

FLOYD KERR
COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Floyd Kerr, director of Morgan State University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, today informed President David Wilson of his decision to retire at the end of this academic year. Kerr has served as Morgan’s athletic director since July 17, 2005.

“I appreciate Floyd‘s service to the University during his time here. There have been many noteworthy achievements, including a successful basketball program and winning a football conference championship. We certainly wish him well in the future and hope he will enjoy his retirement years,” said Dr. Wilson. “I am immediately launching a national search for a new athletic director.”

Kerr oversees a program at Morgan with 15 varsity sports and over 280 student-athletes. During his tenure, Morgan’s men’s basketball team racked up three league championships, winning two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships. The Bears football team achieved a MEAC co-championship during the 2014 “Return to Greatness” season.

Kerr says his retirement from Morgan is effective June 30, 2016. President Wilson has indicated that an interim director will be appointed if the national search does not conclude by June 30, 2016.

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 45 academic programs leading to the baccalaureate degree and more than 50 programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. As Maryland’s public urban university, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU trending up among MEAC budgets

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s athletic department is still looking for solutions to a mountain of cash-related issues.

Still, in 2015, among MEAC schools, the department was trending in the right direction.

According to USA Today’s annual analysis of NCAA finances, the Rattlers were third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in both total revenue ($12,376,884) and total expenses ($12,351,742). FAMU’s total reported revenue was actually down when compared to 2014, however the department saw decreases in student fees and school funds.

New Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr., who worked as a senior AD at Alabama during the 2014-15 fiscal year and didn’t officially start at FAMU until Aug. 3, said he looked at trends in the recently-released report.

Overton said the most encouraging number in the report was the percent of the athletic department subsidized by the university. FAMU’s athletic department received $8,574,513 in school funds and student fees for 2014-15, 69 percent of the revenue reported for the department.

CONTINUE READING

Alcorn, JSU, MVSU each facing their own challenges

JACKSON, Mississippi -- As the final whistle blew at Alcorn State's spring game on Saturday, it brought an end to spring practice for the three SWAC football programs in Mississippi.

Braves coach Fred McNair and Jackson State coach Tony Hughes just completed their first spring at their respective schools, while Rick Comegy is set to embark on his third season at Mississippi Valley State.

But each coach and team faces a different set of challenges as their team moves into a quiet part of the calendar.

At Alcorn State, McNair, who was hired as the Braves' coach in February, is trying to keep the ball rolling after former coach Jay Hopson, now at Southern Miss, won back-to-back SWAC championships in 2014 and 2015 and appeared in the first-ever Celebration Bowl.

"The mold has already been set," McNair said during the SWAC's conference call on Monday. "The only thing we have to do is keep molding kids into championship form, which they are. Now we just have to turn them in the right direction."

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Florida A&M Rattlers get series victory over Tigers

FAMU has a three-game series against top-ranked Miami in Coral Gables next. 
All three games will be broadcast on ESPN3.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s baseball team isn’t firing on all cylinders – head coach Jamey Shouppe is the first one to admit that.

Still, the Rattlers are doing enough. The team defeated Savannah State 9-6 on Sunday in front of a home crowd of 303 for another MEAC series win. It was the team’s 24th win of the season, which means the Rattlers have more wins than last season with 12 games to go.

The win also guaranteed the Rattlers a spot in the MEAC tournament.

“We’ve just got to weather this,” Shouppe said. “We’re not firing on all cylinders. We’re not getting breaks. We’re not making breaks. We’re not having good at-bats. I think we’re pressing a little bit, if that makes any sense at all.

“We talked about that as a team. I saw a team earlier this season that wasn’t firing on all cylinders and got blown out by Mercer and had lost five out of six. Then all of the sudden we beat Mercer and go on a 10-game winning streak. We’ve just got to ride this out.”

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Southern looks ahead while other SWAC teams reflect on spring practice

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Nine of the 10 Southwestern Athletic Conference football coaches on a teleconference with the media Monday morning summarized their recently completed spring practices.

The league’s three new coaches — former LSU assistant Michael Haywood (Texas Southern), Fred McNair (Alcorn State) and Tony Hughes (Jackson State) — talked about their impressions of the talent they inherited and the transition to a new coaching staff.

Generally, the veteran coaches — ranging from Arkansas-Pine Bluff coach Monte Coleman, the dean of SWAC coaches as he prepares for his ninth season, to second-year coaches Willie Simmons of Prairie View and Brian Jenkins of Alabama State — talked about the latest steps in their building or rebuilding projects.

But Southern coach Dawson Odums was left to talk about being unable to conduct spring practice for a second consecutive year. The Jaguars have been forbidden from conducting the normal 15 spring practices in order to complete previous NCAA sanctions.

On top of that, Southern learned last week that the latest round of insufficient Academic Progress Rates will cost it spring practice in 2017, and it will be ineligible for the 2016 Celebration Bowl, which matches the champions of the SWAC and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

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Coaching change brings intrigue to SWAC football

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Spring practices have wrapped up across the Southwestern Athletic Conference with teams full of the usual optimism.

And intrigue about what to expect from each other.

Who's coming and who's going - especially among coaching staffs - have become a part of the SWAC. Eight of the 10 teams have installed new coaches since the 2013 season ended, and this year there are three new ones, including Jackson State for the second time in three years.

It creates plenty of unknowns and unpredictability within the conference. Last year, that aspect reached the point to which teams struggled to win at home, going a combined 16-26 in conference matchups.

This year, many of the rosters have a high number of returning starters, APR academic penalties have been limited once again, and new coaches at Alcorn State (Fred McNair), Jackson State (Tony Hughes) and Texas Southern (Michael Haywood) have teams adjusting for the season ahead.

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LINCOLN SPRING GAME 2016: PHOTOS AND HIGHLIGHTS

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri -- The Lincoln football team wrapped up its 2016 spring season with its annual spring game on Saturday (April 23). The Blue Tigers got some work in at all three facets of the game, and there were plenty of highlights to go around. There were crazy touchdown catches, unbelievable interceptions, hard hits, great kicks and one fantastic escape from a sure tackle that you'll just have to see to believe. Check out the highlights from Saturday's spring game above. Also, check out the below photo gallery featuring 33 images from the action at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.

Photo Gallery: 2016 Lincoln Spring Game

Photos by Dan Carr, Video by Steven Benton
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Lincoln Wins Seven Events at Kansas Relays

LAWRENCE, Kansas -- Facing fields full of NCAA Division I athletes, Lincoln's women's and men's track & field teams combined to win seven events at the Kansas Relays, hosted by the University of Kansas from Thursday through Saturday (April 21-23).

The Lincoln women swept the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, with the foursome of Chrisdale McCarthy, Venicha Baker, Kimberly Bailey and Diana Cauldwell taking the former event in 45.96. In the latter event, the team of Baker, Jhevere Hall, Ebony Roseand Kissi-Ann Brown taking the race with a time of 3:41.68.

Baker was the victor in the 200m, clocking in at 23.75, and Bailey finished fifth in that event with a time of 24.38. Bailey, meanwhile, was the runner-up in the 100m at 11.56, and Cauldwell came in fourth at 11.90. Cauldwell was also the champion of the triple jump, turning in the event's top distance of 12.82m.

The Lincoln women had two other victories, including in the 800m, where Hall was the champ after timing in at 2:11.78. Meanwhile, in the 100m hurdles, McCarthy was the winner with a time of 13.43.

On the men's side, the foursome of Roberto Smith, Miguel Barton, Roger Blake and Stephen Rose won the 4x100m relay in 40.75. In the seeded race of the 800m, Jeromia Riley was the runner-up after clocking in at 1:52.26. Meanwhile, in the unseeded 800m, Kevon Robinson came in eighth at 1:55.15. Smith placed fifth in the 200m (21.53) and Barton placed sixth in the 400m (48.32).

Next week, both Lincoln teams will again test themselves against some of the best athletes in the country as the Blue Tigers compete in the Drake Relays, hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa from Thursday through Saturday (April 28-30).

Complete Results
 

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations

COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

CIAA Champions: JCSU Women Claim Fourth CIAA TItle in Thrilling Fashion

Charlotte, North Carolina – Leading by only seven points entering the final event of the afternoon, the Johnson C. Smith University women's 4x400m relay team returned a 3:39.45, the fastest time recorded this season in all of Division II, to distance itself from perennial power St. Augustine's and win the 2016 CIAA Track and Field Championships on their home track at the Irwin Belk Complex on Saturday.

The title is JCSU's fourth crown in the past nine seasons. All told, JCSU won five events on the day.

In the 400m, Kendra Clarke (Edmonton, Alberta) claimed the title while running a 52.74 while teammate Tovea Jenkins (St. James, Jamaica) finished in second. Crystal Campbell (St. Catherine, Jamaica) also helped score team points by finishing in fifth with a 56.25.

Fellan Ferguson (Trelawny, Jamaica) claimed two CIAA titles, winning the 800m and the 1500m events. In the 800, she posted a 2:07.47 while teammate Domenique Julius-Willaims (Oshawa, Ontario) claimed second place. Jenkins also finished fourth in the 800m.

In the 1500m, Ferguson won with a 4:38.60 while Julius-Williams claimed third place with a 4:45.33. Ferguson also finished third in the 3000m.

In the 4x100 relay, the team of Shamaz Quince (West Palm Beach, Fla.) Mayah Edwards (Kingston, Jamaica), Campbell, and Trudy-Ann Richards (St. Thomas, Jamaica) ran to a second place finish or 45.80.

Rounding out the CIAA winners was senior LaTondra Morrow (Charlotte, N.C.) in the high jump, as the claimed the title with a jump of 1.71m.

For final results, visit TheCIAA.com

Women's Team Standings, Final
1. JCSU 165
2. St. Augustine's 156
3. Winston-Salem St. 138.50
4. Virginia St. 72.50
5. Livingstone 28
6. Lincoln 22
7. Shaw 21
8. Bowie St. 15
9. Virginia Union 5

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SAU Falcons Win 19th Straight CIAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Title; Lady Falcons Finish Second

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Saint Augustine's University men breezed to its 19th straight title and the women took second in the CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Irwin Belk Complex on Saturday, April 23, 2016.

The Falcons cruised to victory in the men's division with 203 points. Virginia Union was second with 139.83 points and Virginia State finished third with 107.33 points.

The Lady Falcons scored 156 points to capture second place. Johnson C. Smith won the women's crown with 165 points and Winston-Salem State placed third with 138.50 points.

Both teams, ranked No. 1 nationally in the men's and women's divisions, performed magnificently in the two-day championship meet as they produced eight national top 10 Division II times and marks. Tia-Adana Belle (Jr./St. George, Barbados) solidified her top-ranking in the women's 400 hurdles with a time of 55.82 which is the fifth-best in the world this year. It is also an Olympic qualifying time.

Team-wise, the Falcons were too much for the rest of the men's teams in the meet. Sparked by CIAA Track MVP Immanuel Hutchinson (Sr./San Jacinto, CA) and CIAA Field MVP Jumonne Exeter (So./St. Vincent), the Falcons won with their usual formula - depth in the sprints, jumps and long distance events. The Falcons started the day in second place with 41 points, but scored 162 points to surge past Virginia Union, who led after the first day with 61.83 points.

"The men did well," Legendary Falcons' Head Coach George Williams said. "I am really happy with 203 points. I hope we can compete at this same level in the NCAA Championships next month."

Hutchinson was victorious in the 800 and 1,500 runs, placed second in Friday's 5,000 run and was part of the 4x400 relay squad which finished second. Exeter captured the triple jump, placed second in Friday's long jump and was fifth in the high jump.

Both Hutchinson and Exeter were among several Falcons who provided highlights Saturday. Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (Sr./Raleigh, NC) was a dual winner, taking both the 100 and 200 dashes. His Division II automatic qualifying time of 20.36 in the 200 placed him No. 1 in Division II. Daniel Jamieson (Sr./Windsor, CT) was second in the 200 dash with an automatic qualifying time of 20.66. He currently ranks second nationally in Division II behind Ellis.

Ellis led a Falcons' sweep in the 100 dash. Jamieson was second and Kendall Kee (Sr./Shelby, NC) placed third while Brent Arceneaux (Sr./Snellville, GA) was sixth. Ellis, Jamieson, Kee and Arceneaux were members of the winning 4x100 relay squad, which ran automatic qualifying time of 39.44 to maintain their top ranking in the event.

The sweep was the second for the Falcons. Exeter placed first, Taylor Eubanks (Jr./Everett, WA) was second and David Shaw (Sr./St. Pauls, NC) was third in the triple jump.

Shawn Rowe (Jr./West Palm Beach, FL) crossed the finish line first in the 400 hurdles and La'Kai Whatley (Fr./Rome, GA) was the winner in the javelin throw. Rowe also was third in the 110 hurdles and Shaw was seventh. Khari Herbert, Jr. (Jr./Coral Springs, FL) was second in the 400 dash. Kee was seventh in the 200 dash and the men's 4x400 squad of Ellis, Jamieson, Hutchinson and Herbert was second.

Shaquille Dill (Fr./Pembroke, Bermuda) finished second behind Hutchinson in the 800 and 1,500 runs. DeQuante McCoy (So./Charlotte, NC) was eighth in the javelin throw.

The women's championship wasn't decided until late in the meet as Saint Augustine's battled Johnson C. Smith down the stretch. Led by the running of Belle and Ornella Livingston (Sr./St. Ann, Jamaica), the Lady Falcons led 148-145 heading into the final two events. The lack of depth caught up with the Lady Falcons as the Golden Bulls surged ahead in the end.

"We didn't have any distance runners," Williams said. "Maybe next year we can get a few distance runners to help us complete the task. Johnson C. Smith competed real well. I am proud of them. I am proud of all the schools in the CIAA. They all competed real well."

Both Belle and Livingston were double-winners – Belle taking the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles and Livingston sweeping the 100 and 200 dashes. Livingston's time of 23.51 in the 200 ranks her second nationally in Division II. Livingston also teamed up with Shamia Lassiter (Sr./Chesapeake, VA), Leah Barker (So./St. Michael, Barbados) and Shakinah Brooks (Jr./Raleigh, NC) to win the women's 4x100 relay, while Belle placed third in the high jump.

Amenze Uhunmwangho (Sr./Ebo, Nigeria) was victorious in the triple jump. Shamia Lassiter (Sr./Chesapeake, VA) was second behind Belle in the 100 hurdles and Shakera Hall (Jr./Bridgetown, Barbados) placed sixth in the event.

Hunter was third and Barker was sixth in the 400 dash. Brooks placed fourth and Jena Alston (So./Blythewood, SC) was seventh in the 100 dash.

Mylene Cannon (Jr./Dallas, TX) was fourth and Hall fifth in the 400 hurdles. Brooks was fourth and Hunter eighth in the 200 dash. The Lady F
alcons' quartet of Hunter, Livingston, Barker and Belle finished second.

The Falcons and Lady Falcons will compete again next weekend in the prestigious Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The dates are Thursday, April 28, through Saturday, April 30.

Final Results

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alcorn State defense scores 3 TDs in spring win

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State ended spring practices feeling good that a McNair is in charge.

Fred McNair succeeding the highly successful Jay Hopson as head coach has kept continuity in the program. He is an Alcorn alum elevated from assistant head coach and his late brother Steve will forever be royalty in the program.

The two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference program wrapped up spring practices Saturday with the defense scoring more touchdowns than the offense in a 24-13 win at Spinks-Casem Stadium.

Damien Wilson fell on a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, while Zavier Johnson and Deion Roberson both scored off interceptions.

The Braves return 11 starters from last year's championship club, which finished 9-4 after it lost to MEAC champ North Carolina A&T in the inaugural Celebration Bowl. Hopson, the first white head football coach in the historically black SWAC, resigned in the offseason to take over at Southern Miss.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2016 SPRING FOOTBALL PHOTO GALLERY

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Fobbs gives Grambling a B+ grade for spring practice

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — It may have been hard to tell with a fourth-string quarterback at the helm during Grambling's spring game, but the Tigers have no plans to regress from an offense that averaged 41 points per game in 2015.

In fact, Grambling should be just fine despite losing quarterback Johnathan Williams to graduation and a few additional pieces on offense that helped the program earn a Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division title last year.

Ole Miss transfer DeVante Kincade, the heir apparent to Williams, didn't do much this spring while recovering from a broken foot, and the Tigers were without several offensive linemen who are expected to report in the fall. However, Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs still viewed the 14 practices as productive and gave his team a B+ grade.

"I'm always focused on the guts of our guys, what they're thinking, what their heart is doing, how they are pumping," Fobbs told The News-Star last week. "I thought the way we attacked each day is something it takes in order to be successful."

Ever since Grambling sputtered in last December's SWAC title game against Alcorn State, Fobbs has focused on finishing the race next time around.

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Gautier's Alexis Holloway signs with Alcorn State

GAUTIER, Mississippi -- Gautier High senior Alexis Holloway signed a basketball scholarship with Alcorn State University on Friday.

The 5-foot-10 point guard was averaging almost 21 points a game until tearing the ACL in her right knee last December, ending her season.

Despite the injury, Alcorn continued to recruit Holloway, who averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, 3 assists and 3 steals as a junior.

"The Alcorn State people always still talked to me and showed an interest in me playing there," Holloway said. "I love the campus up there. There's not much of a teacher/student ratio, but I like that. The coaches communicate well, the teammates are nice and everybody helps you out."

Gautier coach Fred Williams gave most of the credit to Holloway's parents.

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Jenkins: ASU showing improvement

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State ended its spring practice with what head coach Brian Jenkins called “a good showing” at Saturday’s Black and Gold spring game at ASU Stadium.

Jenkins, who is beginning his second season with the Hornets, said he was excited with what he saw from his team and that the coaching staff prepared the team well all spring.

“I think everyone saw the direction this program is going,” Jenkins said. “Our coaching staff did a wonderful job getting the kids ready in a short period of time. These guys now have a better understanding of our expectations.”

There were four touchdown drives between both offenses, two of them led by junior college transfer Jujuan Young-Battle.

Battle finished off the first drive, traveling 75 yards, with the first of his two touchdown passes to wide receiver Joe Williams IV.

Battle completed 7 of 10 passes for 114 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Jenkins said all of his quarterbacks played well.

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ASU Wideout Williams returns in a big way

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State redshirt freshman wide receiver Joe Williams IV said his coaches wanted to make sure he was completely healthy before he returned to the field this spring.

Williams, who was hampered by a hamstring injury last season, looked pretty healthy on Saturday.

Williams caught three touchdown passes for 74 yards during Alabama State’s Black and Gold spring game at ASU Stadium.

“The coaches stayed on me about going to rehab and it paid off,” Williams said. “I feel very good now and it was very fun out there today.”

Williams caught touchdown passes of 17 and 27 yards from junior college transfer Jujuan Young-Battle in the first half.

“Joe’s a very good player,” Young-Battle said. “He’s been in the system and he’s a great asset to me. He knows where he needs to be and he knows where I’m looking for him to be.”

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Gold Nuggets win 4 events at GCAC Championships

NEW ORLEANS — Drew Chatters and Terri Cunningham repeated as champions, andDionysia Love won a pair of titles to lead Xavier University of Louisiana's women Saturday in the seventh annual Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium.
     
The Gold Nuggets, winner of the past three GCAC team titles and five of the previous six, finished third with 131 points. Dillard won the women's title with 176 points, and Edward Waters was second with 159.
     
In men's team scoring, Xavier placed fifth with 30 points. Edward Waters repeated as team champion with 200 points.
     
Chatters won the javelin on her final throw, 32.81 meters (107 feet, 8 inches). Cunningham won the high jump in 1.51 meters (4-11 1/2), a half-inch better than her 2015 mark. Love, one of six freshmen to score for the Gold Nuggets, won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the morning in 12 minutes, 44.70 seconds, then won the 5,000 late in the afternoon in 22:28.57.
     
Two XU freshmen finished second — Maliya Vaughan in the 1,500 (5:18.03) andBrianna Pace in the 5,000 (22.32.34).
     
The Gold Nuggets placed second in two relays (400 and 3,200) and third in the other (1,600). At 400 meters, Chelsea James, Destini Thomas, Alexis Milton and Martina Wrightproduced a school-record 47.04 seconds that met the A-qualifying standard for next month's NAIA National Championships. At 3,200 meters, an all-freshman quartet of Love,Chinyere Jones, Pace and Vaughan finished in 10:24.59. In the 1,600, Kailey Williams, Clarke Allen, Jones and Kayla Quincy produced a season-best 3:58.07.
     
Nuggets newcomers accounted for 80 points, nearly two-thirds of their team total. XU freshmen scored 70 1/2 points. Love (23 points), Vaughan (20) and Cunningham (15) were the Nuggets' leading scorers.
     
The Xavier men did not win any events but got a runner-up finish from freshmanKeairez Coleman in the triple jump (13.68 meters/44-10 3/4) and thirds from Christopher Kennie in the long jump (6.83/22-5) and Christopher August in the 1,500 (4:19.03). Coleman's mark is the best by a Gold Rush jumper in the last four seasons. Kennie's long jump was his best since 2013.
     
Coleman, the leading Gold Rush scorer with 10 points, placed sixth in the long jump (6.31/20-8 1/2) and shot put (10.20/33-5 3/4).
     
Xavier and SUNO were co-hosts of the GCAC Championships. Next competition for Xavier will be the HBCU National Classic May 13-14 at Huntsville, Ala.