Bethune Cookman's Mervyl Melendez resigns to take baseball job at Alabama State University

Daytona Beach, Florida -- Longtime Bethune-Cookman Baseball Coach Mervyl Melendez has resigned to accept the head coaching position at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama, B-CU Director of Athletics Lynn W. Thompson announced late Thursday afternoon.

"Mervyl is pound-for-pound one of the best coaches I have ever been around," said Thompson, "but he is a far greater husband, father, and teacher than that. It has truly been an honor to watch him bloom into a legend, and I wish him well in his search for life's next challenge. We truly hate to see him leave the campus, but he can never leave our family."

Melendez has been part of the Bethune-Cookman program for 19 years, first playing for the Wildcats and earning Black College All-American honors then serving as an assistant for three seasons and finally as head coach for the last 12 seasons, during which time he has taken the B-CU program to legendary heights.


Regarding Hornets new $3.9 million baseball complex: Stacy Danley, Athletic Director, says “It gives us a chance to be our best, to recruit the best and to compete at the highest level so I’m excited about where this program is headed. This is just one of many new projects going on. I hope the people out there understand that Alabama State is trying to raise the bar.”

B-CU's baseball coach leaving

DAYTONA BEACH -- The most successful baseball coach in Bethune-Cookman history is departing. And he's taking his coaching staff with him. Mervyl Melendez resigned from B-CU on Thursday to take the head coach position at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala.

The 37-year-old, who guided the Wildcats to 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships over 12 seasons, is leaving his alma mater for a struggling program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. "They really wanted me and my staff to take on the challenge," Melendez said. "It's a program that needs a little TLC, and we're going to give it that TLC."

Jose Vazquez, who had been Melendez's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at B-CU, assistant coach Drew Clark and pitching coach Matt Crane are going to the Hornets, too. "When somebody wants to buy your whole coaching staff, what a compliment that is to Mervyl and your whole program," said B-CU Athletic Director Lynn Thompson. "Mervyl and I have talked often in the past about how this day would come."

Melendez said Alabama State's five-year contract offer "was too good to refuse'.

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Savannah State University football season tickets on sale now

Savannah, Georgia - Season tickets for the 2011 Savannah State football season are now on sale through the SSU Ticket Office and on the SSU athletics website ssuathletics. Season tickets will be $75 which includes parking as well as a commemorative season ticket pass.

SSU season tickets can be purchased online through ssuathletics.com, over the telephone (912-358-3429) or by visiting the SSU Ticket Office in Tiger Arena.

The Tigers home games will feature Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents Howard (Oct. 1), Florida A&M (Oct. 15), Hampton (Oct 29), Norfolk State (Nov. 5) and South Carolina State (Nov. 19).

Under the direction of new head football coach Steve Davenport, Savannah State will kick off the season September 3 in the Macon’s Music City Classic at Henderson Stadium against in-state rival Albany State.

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Goody becomes Gold Nuggets' 3rd newcomer for 2011-12

Jordyn Goody

NEW ORLEANS — Jordyn Goody of Lake Charles, La., and St. Louis Catholic High School has signed a women's tennis scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana.

Goody and Juliann Baggett were the Division II (Class 4A) state runner-up in girls doubles in May and the Division II-Region II champion in April. Goody helped St. Louis finish second in the team standings at the state tournament and win the regional team championship.

Goody was a regional champion for St. Louis in singles as a sophomore and junior and in doubles with Maggie Laborde as a freshman. Goody and Laborde reached the Division III (Class 3A) semifinals in 2008 and helped St. Louis win the team championship.

A right-hander, Goody was 10th in Louisiana in the final USTA girls 18 singles rankings of 2010 and qualified for Southern Closed tournaments in each of the five age groups. She will be a biology/pre-medical major at Xavier.

Also signed with Xavier for next season is Amanda Materre of Richmond, Texas. Also eligible for the Gold Nuggets next season will be Kourtney Howell of Cypress, Texas, who enrolled at XU in January after transferring from Navy.

Xavier competes in the NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The Gold Nuggets qualified for the NAIA National Championship five of the last seven seasons and won first-round dual matches at nationals all five times.

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

Outstanding season pays dividends for JCSU Shermaine Williams

New York, NY – Johnson C. Smith University senior women's track and field student-athlete Shermaine Williams has earned a $1,000 donation towards the women's athletic fund for her nomination as the Collegiate Women Sports Awards 2010-11 Division II Athlete of the Year. The American Honda Motor Company will make the donation, which is scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2011.

Williams has been stellar in her senior year during the indoor and outdoor season. She recently won the 100m Hurdles national title (12.95) at the 2011 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Her time tied a meet record, which she set in 2009. Williams ran the anchor leg of the 4x100m relay team that placed second (44.79) at the national outdoor championships. With the help of Williams' points, JCSU finished 4th in the nation at the outdoor championships (highest finish in school history).

At the CIAA Indoor Championships, Williams won the title in the 60m Hurdles, 60m Dash, and 200m Dash. She earned CIAA Indoor MVP. Williams placed 5th in the 200m and 3rd in the 60m H at the 2011 NCAA DII Indoor Championships (All-American honors). At the CIAA Outdoor Championships, Williams earned Outdoor MVP after capturing the 100m H and 4x100m relay crowns.

Williams was named 2010-11 Pettis Norman Student-Athlete of the Year and the Coca-Cola Academic Award winner this season at the JCSU Annual Athletics Awards Ceremony. She was also one of five Golden Bull women named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track& Field Team. Instrumental component in the JCSU Women's Outdoor Track & Field team winning their 1st CIAA Championship in school history.

Williams has served as a counselor for the NCAA DII Track & Field Outdoor Championships Youth Clinic. She also stopped by the Charlotte Flight's (local youth track club) meet to speak to children (ages 6-14) on the importance of education and preparation in order to be successful. The JCSU Women's Track & Field Team appeared at the meet after winning the CIAA Outdoor Track Championships.

“Your student-athlete was judged the very best in her sport over all her peers in her division,” said Collegiate Women Sports Awards spokesperson Tora Grossman. “This speaks highly of your program and your administration and The Collegiate Women Sports Awards congratulate Johnson C. Smith University and honor Shermaine for that selection.”

Shermaine Williams, NCAA Division II National Champion
JCSU Lady Bulls

Now in its 35th year, The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program annually recognizes the accomplishments of female athletes in NCAA-member colleges with a variety of prestigious awards.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., sponsor of the program, celebrates each nominee by donating $5,000 to each Honda Sports Award recipient school and $1,000 to each nominee school. The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program is governed by a Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The Board of Directors includes individuals from NCAA institutions, members of the media, organizational representatives and a former Cup recipient.

After nation-wide balloting among NCAA Division II member schools, another athlete was voted the athlete of the year. All nominees appear now and for the future on the Collegiate Women Sports Awards website www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com. The winner will be announced later this week on that site. The winner of the Division II Athlete of the Year will be presented her award at a press conference June 27 in New York.

By Lamont Hinson, Sports Information Director
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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
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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