Alabama A&M vs. Hampton Football Opener to be played in Windy City

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team’s 2011 season opener against Alabama A&M will be played in Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinos on Saturday, Sept. 3 in the Chicago Football Classic.

Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. EST/4 p.m. CST. Ticket information for the contest is pending.

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 hamptonpirates.com.

For more information on Alabama A&M University football, please call the Tickets/Marketing Sales Office at (256) 372-4059 or visit the official Bulldogs website at aamusports.com

Xavier hires Christabell Hamilton as women's volleyball coach

CHRISTABELL HAMILTON 
Xavier University's new
women's volleyball coach

NEW ORLEANS — Christabell Hamilton is the new head coach of women's volleyball at Xavier University of Louisiana.

Hamilton, who has coaching experience at the college, high school and club levels, worked her first day at Xavier on Tuesday.

"We are confident that Christabell will do an outstanding job," XU Athletics Director Dennis Cousin said. "She impressed our search committee with her knowledge, her enthusiasm, her confidence and her personality. She's a great fit for Xavier."

Hamilton, 29, coached five seasons (2005-09) at Tarleton State University, an NCAA Division II member in Stephenville, Texas. She was a graduate assistant in the 2005 and 2006 seasons and was promoted to full-time assistant after receiving her master's degree there. She helped the TexAnns go 22-10 in 2008 — the program's first winning record in 16 seasons — and reach the semifinals of the Lone Star Conference Tournament for the second time in three years. Tarleton's 2008 team placed second in the LSC regular season.

She moved to New Orleans in August after her husband, Ronnie, was hired as a men's basketball assistant coach at Tulane University. She was a middle-school volleyball coach at Metairie Park Country Day School, then a varsity girls volleyball assistant coach at Louise S. McGehee School, where she helped the Hawks reach the semifinals of Louisiana's Division IV state playoffs in 2010. She was coaching the girls 17s at Krewe Volleyball Club when Xavier offered her its position.

"I want all my kids to graduate from Xavier, first and foremost," Hamilton said. "I want them to succeed in volleyball and get recognition on the conference, NAIA and national levels. And most importantly, I want them to be great people — to represent our community, Xavier, as well as their families in a positive light."

Hamilton was a three-time All-LSC selection — she was known then as Christabell Mariner — at NCAA Division II member Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. She played middle blocker and outside hitter for the Zias from 1999-2002, set school records for kills in a season (575 in 2001) and career (1,695) and was inducted into the ENMU Hall of Honor in 2009. She received her bachelor's degree from ENMU in 2005.

Hamilton is a native of Pago Pago, America Samoa, and was a standout volleyball player at Tafuna High School, where she had a 4.0 grade-point average and was valedictorian of the Class of 1999. Her uncle, Jesse Sapolu, was a San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman from 1983-97, a two-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of four Super Bowl champions.

"Samoans are known as happy people," Hamilton said. "We are very family oriented, always put God first and respect others."

Because of her hiring at Xavier, Hamilton was forced to resign as a player on the American Samoan national team which will compete in the Pacific Games in Nouméa, New Caledonia, in August.

Hamilton replaces Al'lisa Hale, who coached the Gold Nuggets for one season. Xavier was 11-26 in 2010 and placed third in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Gold Nuggets will begin the 2011 regular season in late August.

What They're Saying About Christabell Hamilton

Christabell Hamilton coached five seasons at Tarleton State University,
 an NCAA Division II member in Stephenville, Texas.

Mike Maguire, Eastern New Mexico Women's Volleyball Coach: "You couldn't have gotten a better coach. Christabell is an extremely fine young lady. She played here four years, broke a lot of records and was as humble as can be. She did a great job when she coached at Tarleton State. I know she'll do a great job at Xavier. She's fun-loving and hard-working. You guys are extremely lucky to get her."

Mary Schindler, Tarleton State Women's Volleyball Coach: "I am so excited for Christabell. This is going to be a great job for her — to build a program and establish something. She can recruit very well. She has a great personality, and she got along great with our players at Tarleton. She wants to win and she's driven to win, but she wants to do it the right way. She wants her kids to graduate and do the right things."

Val Whitfield-Dunn, Louise S. McGehee Girls Volleyball Coach: "There are no negatives about Christabell. She is very lively and upbeat. She has an excellent personality. She's hilarious. She's a people person. We are extremely disappointed that she left McGehee, but she is fulfilling one of her dreams, which is to be a head coach. She will do extraordinary and fabulous things for Xavier University and your volleyball program."

By Ed Cassiere, Xavier University of Louisiana
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

The Xavier Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets compete in Division I of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) as a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC). Xavier fields men's teams in basketball, cross country and tennis and women's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis and volleyball.

NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field All-America Recipients

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces those that earned USTFCCCA All-America distinctions for the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field season. Honors are awarded for performances at the final site of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships occurring the previous weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.

USTFCCCA All-Americans (PDFs): By Team | By Event |
NCAA Championship Scoring Summary |

First-team USTFCCCA All-America honors are awarded to those who earn any portion of a team point at the national championships, or reach an eight-entrant final. Second-team All-America honors are handed out to those whose final placing in the national meet range from ninth to 16th place.
Those who participated at the final site but did not place in the meet’s top 16 are listed as honorable mention for the All-America award.

Student-Athletes listed are part of programs that are members of the USTFCCCA.



USTFCCCA All-Americans (Men), NCAA Division I, 2011 Outdoor Track & Field

Delaware State
4x400m Relay First Tyquan Brown Team
4x400m Relay First Ryan Carter Team
4x400m Relay First Tariq Devore Team
400m Hurdles Second Leslie Murray JR Team
4x400m Relay First Leslie Murray Team

North Carolina A&T
200m Dash Second Torrance Womack JR Team

USTFCCCA All-Americans (Women), NCAA Division I, 2011 Outdoor Track & Field

None from HBCUs

HONORABLE MENTION - MEN
110m Hurdles Kemar Clarke Bethune-Cookman
400m Hurdles Jibri Victorian Coppin State
Long Jump Leon Hunt Florida A&M
400m Hurdles Trey Charles Morgan State
400m Dash Marquis Holston Norfolk State
110m Hurdles Aramis Massenburg Norfolk State
Long Jump Darris Shelton Norfolk State
4x100m Relay Jarrell Elliott North Carolina A&T
4x100m Relay Jonathan Hancock North Carolina A&T
4x100m Relay Earl House North Carolina A&T
4x100m Relay Torrance Womack North Carolina A&T
100m Dash Philip Redrick Texas Southern

WOMEN
Long Jump Kendra Mayers Delaware State

Courtesy: Tom Lewis, USTFCCCA

Major League Baseball selects Jones, Martz and Morales in Draft

Videographer: NorthLouisianaRon; 2011 SWAC Baseball Tournament - Championship Game Slideshow

Rodarrick Jones (6-0/195), Southern University, Pittsburg Pirates

June 7, 2011: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 37th round, 1112th overall pick. Baseball America chose Jones as the #3 prospect in the New York Collegiate League in the summer of 2009, following his strong season at the University of New Orleans. He’s also a football standout and is athletic with good speed. His hitting fell off in 2010, though, and he transferred to Southern University. He was on the team’s roster but didn’t play, possibly due to ineligibility. He’s obviously very toolsy, but also obviously has some significant holes in his swing. Given the circumstances, there’s probably a good chance of him signing. If he does, he’ll be a project.

Chretien Martz, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Detroit Tigers

University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions baseball player Chretien Matz was selected in the 44th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Detroit Tigers. Last season Matz was a standout on the Golden Lions baseball team leading the squad in batting average (.352) while ranking 5th in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. For his outstanding play on the diamond the Illinois native was chosen as a member of the SWAC's 2011 All-Conference First Team as an outfielder.

Julio Morales, Bethune-Cookman University, Kansas City Royals

Adding to the count of Bethune-Cookman baseball players selected in the draft, the Wildcats add one more for 2011, with the selection of senior RHP Julio Morales in the 45th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

“Julio is a pitcher that has great resources,” said Head Coach Mervyl Melendez. “He throws a fastball in the high 80s, low 90s, and his breaking ball and change-up are really good pitches. I think he is definitely going to excel at that level, and look for him to have a good pro career.”

Morales appeared in 23 games during his two-year stint with the Wildcats. He finished with a career record of 3-4, collecting 49 strikeouts, in 43 innings pitched.Originally from San Juan Puerto Rico, Morales transferred to B-CU from Wabash Valley Junior College before the 2010 season. Morales joins B-CU catcher Peter O’Brien as the second Wildcats drafted in the 2011 MLB Draft. O’Brien was selected 17th in the third round on June 7.

Spruce Creek's star Austin O'Brien signs with Howard University

PORT ORANGE, Florida -- Austin O'Brien is going places, judging from his selection of Howard University as the launching pad for his college soccer career.

O'Brien, a senior striker for Spruce Creek, went to the nation's capital in March to make it official: He has signed with Howard, a prestigious historically black university that U.S. News and World Report ranks No. 2 among all HBCUs and in the top 100 of all U.S. colleges and universities`.

While Howard is No. 2 on the magazine's list of HBCUs, O'Brien came out ranked No. 1 in voting by area coaches and The News-Journal prep staff to decide the 2011 Boys Soccer Player of the Year honor.

O'Brien, who had 28 goals and 13 assists for a Hawks team that lost 2-1 to Miami Varela in the Class 6A Final Four and played some of the toughest competition in the state, edged teammate Kiro Roman and Taylor's Jose Rios, both of whom had extraordinary seasons. Roman scored 22 goals and had 19 assists for the 26-2-4 regional-champion Hawks, while Rios had 43 goals for the 16-4-1 district-champion Wildcats.

Several schools in the Sunshine State, including Florida Gulf Coast University and South Florida, recruited O'Brien. But in the end he opted for one of his out-of-state options, deciding on Howard, which plays in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Soccer Conference that also includes Adelphi (Long Island, N.Y.), Longwood (Virginia), New Jersey Institute of Technology and Houston Baptist.



Boys soccer chatter with Spruce Creek's Austin O'Brien

O'Brien, a senior forward, is the Hawks' leading scorer with 23 goals and 11 assists for a total of 57 points. Creek is the No. 1 seed in this week's District 2-6A boys soccer tournament in large part to the offense put up by O'Brien and fellow Hawk Kiro Roman (18 goals, 13 assists, 49 points). O'Brien spoke to staff writer Sean Kernan.

You're having a great season. The team is 19-1-4. What's the mood going into districts?

"We plan on winning and doing really well. We just want to play our game and reach our goals -- stay focused on winning districts, playing well in regionals and just continue on and play out the season."

How old are you and how long have you been playing soccer?

"I'm 18 years old and I've been playing soccer since I was 3 years old. My mother (Maria) got me into soccer. She was a runner. She was pretty good at it. So she saw soccer as a running sport. I guess when you're 3 you can't run track. At first we started off just kicking a ball around the house and when I got to be 4 or 5 she put me in a YMCA league. I guess she saw that I was pretty good and she never took me out of it."

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Keys: Challenges ahead for Southern University, Mitchell

Baton Rouge, LA - Last summer, when Stump Mitchell boldly predicted his Southern football team could go undefeated, he didn’t exactly win over rival coaches. When his team fell disastrously short, finishing 2-9 ... well, he obviously didn’t win over the Jaguar Nation.

Still, as this summer begins and Mitchell prepares for his second year at SU, you have to feel a little sympathy. No, seriously.

Thursday afternoon, Southwestern Athletic Conference presidents and chancellors voted to keep SU and Jackson State from participating in the league’s championship football game, essentially expanding a one-year postseason ban handed down by the NCAA. Now, some three months before the season begins, Mitchell has to find a way to motivate his 18-to-23-year-old players — to give them reasons to keep fighting on every down, in a season that can’t possibly end with a title.

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A.J. Harmon Transferring To Alabama State, According To A.J. Harmon

Former University of Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle A.J. Harmon tweeted Saturday: "UGA love u all...Thanks for many lessons but another chapter has been written...Now a new one starts at bama state."  The FCS Alabama State Hornets of Montgomery play in the SWAC; Harmon will be eligible to play in 2011.

Harmon left the UGA program in May, citing personal reasons. It had been rumored for days before his exit that both he and Caleb King were on the brink of being declared academically ineligible. Whether that was actually the case, we might never know.

The sophomore's transfer marks the second potential starter the Dawgs have lost to a FCS school this year, following Washaun Ealey's exit to the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Harmon came to Georgia as a four-star prospect, ranked the No. 2 guard in the nation and the No. 4 player in the state.

The (short) release from UGA in late May:

ATHENS, GA -- University of Georgia junior offensive tackle A.J. Harmon will transfer to another institution for personal reasons according to an announcement Tuesday by UGA head coach Mark Richt.  A native of Louisville, Ga., Harmon was redshirted in 2008 and appeared in seven games over the past two seasons in an offensive line backup role.

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