North Carolina A&T Aggies Produce Great Performances In Florida Relays

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The North Carolina A&T men's and women's track and field teams combined to put together eight top 15 finishes at the Florida Relays at the University of Florida. The meet featured some of the best athletes and schools in the country.

The Florida Relays is one of the most prestigious meets in the country, and has existed for 67 years. The meet featured NCAA outdoor champions and All-Americans. Therefore when the competition both young Aggie teams faced is considered, the Aggies had a decent showing.


Videographer: dcheston88

Once again, the Aggies had a good showing in the relays. The Aggies men's 4x100 meter relay team (Darryl Williams, Jonathan Hancock, Jarrell Elliott and Torrance Womack) finished sixth with a time of 40.10. The men's 4x200 meter relay team (Williams, Hancock, Elliott and Earl House) had an eighth place finish with a time of 1:24.81. There was also a ninth place finish by the women's 4x1 relay team.

In the individual events, Shakia Forbes followed up her win at the Raleigh Relays with a 10th place finish in the women's long jump. Her best jump was 18-feet, 10 inches. Krystin Lawson had an 11th place finish in the women's 100 with a time of 11.75.

The Aggies are back in action on April 15-16 when they host the Friendship & Freedom Games at Irwin Belk Track.


Videographer: uftrack; 2011 Florida Relays Day 1, Florida Gators Track and field

Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information
VISIT: ncataggies.com

B-CU hires QBs coach from Kansas

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins hired a new quarterbacks coach, but for now he is still handling the offensive coordinator duties himself.

Jenkins hired Joe Dailey, the recruiting coordinator at Kansas under head coach Turner Gill last year, to replace Danny Barrett as QB coach. Barrett left last month to become an assistant coach at UCF. Jenkins said he likes what he has seen of Dailey so far in early spring drills.

"He's a very detailed coach, very passionate and a good recruiter," Jenkins said. "I'm very excited from what I've seen from him on the practice field."

Dailey played quarterback at Nebraska under...



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Bethune-Cookman’s Peter O’Brien a diamond in the rough

Daytona Beach, FL - Peter O’Brien left Miami three years ago unrewarded, undrafted and virtually unwanted. He returns now as a player that ESPN has called the top catching prospect in the nation — and it’s undeniably so, according to his college coach.

“He has more skill than any player I’ve ever coached, and he’s the hardest worker,” said Bethune-Cookman coach Mervyl Melendez, whose team plays FIU at 6 p.m. Tuesday. “I expect to see him in the big leagues in a year-and-a-half.”

O’Brien, a 6-4, 220-pound junior, hit .386 with 20 homers and 56 RBI last season. He also caught 29 runners either stealing or straying too far off base, showing off an arm that Melendez said can reach 94 mph on the mound.

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Howard Splits Doubleheader with Delaware State

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard softball team hosted their first home games of the season featuring a doubleheader against Delaware State. The Lady Bison (9-16, 1-1 MEAC) split the two games, claiming a 6-1 win following their 4-1 loss to DSU (18-10, 1-1).

Eight HU players accounted for the team’s 11 hits, as Emily Johnson led the way with three. Johnson who had one of her best days at the plate, was coming off one of her best days in the pitcher’s circle as she notched a team high 10 strikeouts against Bowie State two games earlier. Shortstop Rebecca Kirshner also chimed in with a pair of hits in the win.

Kirshner got things going for the Lady Bison in the bottom of the second with a leadoff single. Johnson immediately followed with a single of her own. Freshman Brittany Baker brought Kirshner home on an RBI single. Barker later scored in the inning on a single by Andascha Moore.

The Lady Bison posted four more runs in the fourth inning after posting five hits. Trina Kindred started another rally within the lineup with a one-out single. Christine Sborz and Lorae Robinson followed Kindred with singles of their own. Robinson’s single would load the bases and Marisa Coats walked, giving Howard their first run of the inning. Kirshner grounded out to third, allowing Sborz to score from third. Johnson and Ciera Gordon posted back-to-back RBI singles, bringing home Robinson and Coats, respectively.

Carly Martin was awarded the win and pitched all seven innings. She struck out two, walked one and allowed seven hits.

In the previous game, Howard and Delaware State evened one another in hits with eight a piece. HU pitcher Samantha Gatson gave up two back-to-back walks to start the third inning, giving DSU room to produce two runs off two hits in the inning.

Howard surrendered two additional runs in the fifth inning after Jordan Reid of DSU reached first on a fielding error and returned home following a homer by Andrea Waters.

The Lady Bison scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Coats leadoff with a double and two batters later Johnson doubled to bring Coats home.

Gatson was credited with the loss and recorded one strikeout, two walks and gave up eight hits. For more information on the Howard softball team, visit howard-bison.com.

Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
Howard University


Videographer: iamcaprikorn; Howard University ShowTime Marching Band - "Skin Im In"

TSU players adapt to changes at top

The Texas Southern football team was temporarily shaken up Friday when Johnnie Cole was relieved of his coaching duties in anticipation of an NCAA report that is expected to reveal major violations committed by the program.

But when the players resumed their spring practice with a scrimmage Saturday afternoon at TSU's Durley Stadium, things had mostly returned to normal. Of course, there was a different man in charge, as former defensive coordinator Kevin Ramsey has been promoted to interim coach. There was also one less assistant coach after Ramsey fired associate head coach/quarterbacks coach Daryl Williams shortly after taking over the reins.

Saturday's practice was...

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Howard U. Ends Road Campaign with 16-6 Loss to Davidson

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Lady Bison lacrosse team closed out their six-game road tour with a 16-6 loss to Davidson on Sunday afternoon at Richardson Stadium. Senior Desiree Cox led Howard (3-9, 0-5 National Lacrosse Conference) with the most goals, scoring four in the conference loss.

Cox bounced back from the team's previous meeting on the road against High Point where the senior was shutout for the first time in the entire season. The 2010 NLC Player of the Year now has 38 goals on the year and has amassed 40 points.

Also posting scores for the Bison was Courtland Lackey and Cynithia Smalls. Lackey scored within the final minute of the first half, giving the Bison their third goal of the game. HU trailed Davidson (3-9, 2-2 NLC) 11-3 by halftime. Lackey also posted Howard's only assist in the game, and the midfielder is currently tied first on the team in assists with four alongside junior Cheryse Cox.


Videographer: Davidson Athletics; Highlights of Davidson Women's LAX vs. Howard Lady Bison 4/3/2011

In the second half Davidson tallied two goals within the first six minutes. Shortly after Desiree Cox posted her third goal and kicked off a Howard scoring run. Smalls scored with 17:29 on the clock and Cox racked her fourth goal with 12:53 left in regulation.

The Howard rally would not be enough to overcome the 10 point deficit however, and Davidson went on to score three additional goals by the close of the game.

Howard, however, managed to temporarily contain Davidson's offense as they held their NLC opponent to a 5-3 scoring advantage in the second half. Both teams went even in draw controls with 12 a piece, but Howard surrendered the advantage in groundballs (22-14) and shots (33-21). Ashley Foote led Howard with four groundballs while Cox racked in nine shots for the Bison and Lackey came in second with five.

HU goalkeeper Amber Meeks posted 10 saves on the day, bringing her season total to 132 (.419).

The Howard lacrosse team will return home on April 9 to face off against NLC opponent Jacksonville in the nation's capitol and look to extend their winning streak at home to three games. For more information on the Howard lacrosse team visit www.howard-bison.com

Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
Howard University

SWAC West champion Southern defeats Xavier 9-0

NEW ORLEANS — Southern University, the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division champion, defeated Xavier University of Louisiana 9-0 Sunday in a women's dual at City Park Tennis Center.

The Lady Jaguars (9-5) won every set but one and picked up defaults at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles to defeat the shorthanded Gold Nuggets (3-14) for the second straight season.

Jo'Vonna Gaines, Carlista Mohammed and Kathryn Curtis won singles and doubles matches for Southern. Gaines and Mohammed defeated sisters Melissa and Nicole DeLoach 8-0 at No. 1 doubles, and Mohammed beat Amber Brown 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Curtis and Lois Alexis improved their win streak to 10 matches with an 8-0 decision against Brown and Carmen Nelson at No. 2 doubles.

Nelson won her first set against Demetria Woods at No. 3 singles, but Woods rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-6) victory. Freshman Lisbeth Castaneda clinched the dual with her 6-3, 6-0 victory against Ashley McGill at No. 5 singles.



Xavier, an NAIA member, has dropped three consecutive duals — its second in as many days against an NCAA Division I opponent — and 12 of its last 13. Half of the Gold Nuggets' losses this season are against NCAA D-I.

Xavier's women and men will visit William Carey at 10 a.m. next Sunday. Southern will visit Nicholls State at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier University of Louisiana
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