Jackson siblings lead Xavier to sixth straight GCAC titles

Zahari Jackson

Kwame Jackson

CLINTON, Mississippi — Freshman siblings Zahri and Kwame Jackson won individual championships for Xavier University of Louisiana at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

Both Xavier teams won their sixth consecutive GCAC team championships — the women by 34 points, the men by 41 — and both earned automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships for the third time in four years. The national meet will be Nov. 19 in Vancouver, Wash.

Zahri Jackson ran 5,000 meters in 19 minutes, 20.40 seconds to defeat 40 women — including SUNO's Monicah Jepkemboi, the defending champion — and score her second consecutive individual victory. Jepkemboi, the leader until the final 175 yards, was second in 19:31.69. XU freshman Catherine Fakler was third in a career-best 19:32.56.

"I never led until I passed (Jepkemboi) at the end of the race," Jackson said. "I stayed within three feet of her until then. I just ran her pace. You never know for sure if you can outsprint someone at the end. You've just got to have faith in yourself and go."

Jackson recorded the third-fastest 5K in XU women's history and owns the program's fastest three times. Jackson has five top-10 finishes and four top-fives in seven collegiate meets. Her time Saturday was the second-fastest in 11 seasons by a female at the GCAC Championships.

Kwame Jackson ran 8,000 meters in 28:12.09 to defeat 37 men and score his first collegiate victory. It was his fifth top-10 and third top-five this season. He finished about 5½ seconds ahead of senior teammate Ray Walston, the 2009 GCAC champion, and nearly 31 seconds ahead of junior teammate Matt Pieri, the defending champion. Walston was GCAC runner-up for the third time. Pieri was top-four for the third straight year.

Matt Pieri

XU coach Joseph Moses said Pieri, the Gold Rush's fastest runner four times this season, was hampered by a calf injury he suffered this week during a workout.

"Had Matt been healthy, I would've expected a different outcome today because he had run well this season," Moses said. "But Kwame was clearly capable of winning. He ran a strong race, a smart race. Kwame's a worthy champion."

Based on top-10 finishes in this meet, Xavier produced six women's and six men's All-GCAC runners. Joining Zahri Jackson and Fakler among the All-GCAC women were Anna D'Souza (fifth place, career-best 20:24.93), Darian Towns (sixth, Xavier-best 20:36.68), Hali Yarmush (seventh, 20:42.77) and Donyé Coleman (ninth, 20:55.23). D'Souza became the third Gold Nugget to be All-GCAC four times, and it was her third top-five at the league meet.

On the All-GCAC men's team from Xavier were Kwame Jackson, Walston (28:17.63), Pieri (28:43.04), Javon Mead (fifth, 29:07.21), Emmanuel Detiege (eighth, 30:27.72) and Jamaal Williams (ninth, 30:33.35). Of the seven XU freshmen, all four from the women's team and all three from the men's team made all-conference.

Moses, in his seventh season at XU, was selected GCAC Coach of the Year by his peers for the fifth time on the women's side and the sixth time on the men's.

The six straight GCAC championships for the Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush mark the third and fourth times that a Xavier program has won that many in a row on the league or NAIA unaffiliated group level. Xavier won six consecutive Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in men's outdoor track and field from 1938-43. The men's tennis program has an active streak of six straight — GCAC titles in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and an NAIA unaffiliated group championship in 2011.


Results:  Men    Women

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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FVSU romps to big homecoming win over Stillman

Fort Valley, Georgia -- Fort Valley State entered Saturday’s game against Stillman College seeking a fresh start, a turnaround in its final stretch of games of the season. Playing in front of a homecoming crowd, the Wildcats got exactly that and then some, steamrolling the visiting Tigers 52-3.

“We’re not giving up as a team; we’re still playing hard,” FVSU defensive end Cody Nash said.



The loss is the first of the season in SIAC play for Stillman, which falls to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in conference play. FVSU improves to 2-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play. The Wildcats host Morehouse on Saturday before finishing out the season in the Fountain City Classic against Albany State in Columbus.

Morehouse defeated Benedict 37-31 on Saturday. “We’re looking at it as a new season and want to win the last three games,“ FVSU head coach Donald Pittman said. “Now, we’ve got one.”

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Tennessee State University Track & Field 2011-12

UMES Dedicates Bowling Lanes to Coach Sharon Brummell

Princes Anne, Maryland -- In her 14th year as coach of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) women's bowling team, head coach Sharon Brummell has accomplished a lot. Three National Championships, five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championships, 20 All-America players, five MEAC Coach of the Year awards and two National Coach of the Year honors are just a few of the more glaring recognitions. Beyond the hardware however, Brummell has brought joy, pride, exposure, and recognition to the small Princess Anne, Md. campus and today, the school publicly thanked her for her efforts.

In a ceremony open to the campus and attended by current and former campus dignitaries and current and former players, her parents and family, the bowling lanes were formally named the Sharon D. Brummell Bowling Lanes.


UMES - 2011 NCAA Bowling Champions

"I can't believe this is happening," said Brummell in a speech at the event. "People ask me how you become a champion and I look around this room and answer, this is how you become a champion. You have people who support you in what you do," she told the large crowd packed inside the bowling center.

The six lane center, housed in the ten-year old Student Services Center (SSC) right on campus, are used for student recreation as well as by the team as one of their two practice facilities. They are adorned with championship banners, photos of all the All-America bowlers from the school's history, all coached by Brummell, photos of the national championship wins and a newly placed mural above the lanes of Brummell throughout her coaching career.

"I was in tears," Brummell added. I had seen the prototype of this but to see it in person really took me aback. I have to thank my Mom and Dad, who attend all my championships, my son Bobby, sister Colleen and husband Vince. They have been there every step of the way."

"This is a more than deserved honor," said Director of Athletics Keith Davidson. "What this woman has accomplished in her sport is amazing. Three national titles in four years and to be the first woman to win an NCAA title and the first African-American to win the NCAA and USBC Collegiate titles, what else do you need to solidify yourself as a legend in this sport? I think I can say with certainty that she is not only one of the best bowling coaches in the country, but one of the best college coaches in the country, period."

"I am just glad the campus could do something like this" said Kimberly Conway Dumpson, the University's Director of Alumni Affairs and Planned Giving who helped secure donations for the naming of the facility, including a major gift from alumnus and bowling supporter Melvin Hill. "This accomplishment stands proudly with anything else done in collegiate coaching, the entire campus, alumni and all our faculty and staff are just so proud of her."

UMES' new Interim President Mortimer Neufville also spoke at the event, stating, "Brummell is a role model for us, this recognition is well deserved."

Perhaps what summed up the occasion best were words by Dr. Hallie Gregory, the Athletics Director at Holly Grove Christian School, who was the athletics director at UMES that hired Brummell for the position. "As an athletic director you have to hire and fire a lot of people. Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don't. But with Sharon Brummell I know that I got it right. I can rest my laurels on her and know that she has done an amazing job and made UMES the pinnacle of collegiate women's bowling."

By UMES Sports Information

Tennessee State falls to Eastern Kentucky

Richmond, Kentucky -- Defensive pressure and a strong Eastern Kentucky rushing attack ended Tennessee State’s winning streak at two games in the Colonels’ 33-22 win Saturday.

TSU (3-5, 2-3 OVC) was held to 65 yards rushing by Eastern Kentucky (4-3, 3-1) after scoring 97 points in the two previous games. Redshirt freshman quarterback Mike German threw his first two interceptions and was replaced by former starter Jeremy Perry in the third quarter.

Matt Denham rushed for 226 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Colonels, who finished with 375 yards rushing.

“They gained over 250 yards rushing,” TSU Coach Rod Reed said. “Any time you do that, allow a team to run the football on you, I do not see very much success happening. We pride ourselves on stopping the run and we did not do that today, and it cost us.”

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TSU AoB at TTU 10/16/11

FAMU Rattlers rally in fourth quarter to beat SCSU Bulldogs

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- As the Florida A&M football team began to gather for its postgame huddle with coach Joe Taylor, he did a right about-turn. Taylor led the way as the team rushed to the side where its band was playing. They had earned the right to celebrate Saturday afternoon at Oliver Dawson Stadium by defeating South Carolina State, 27-24.

A defensive stance unlike any that the Rattlers have shown all season limited the Bulldogs to 178 yards of rushing and just another 121 passing. FAMU capped off a fourth-quarter comeback with two rushing touchdown by LaVante Page and shut the door for good with a fake punt during the closing minutes.

South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough said he was considering possible plays for his Bulldogs team when FAMU struck with the fake.

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FAMU executes when it matters

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Florida A&M made its running plays count when it mattered most Saturday afternoon, although it managed fewer than 150 yards on the ground against South Carolina State.

The Rattlers ran the ball a total of 13 times during a fourth-quarter comeback in front of 17,153 in attendance. Both times FAMU got in the red zone, LaVante Page was the one who punched it in to secure a 27-24 victory. The win ended an eight-game losing streak for FAMU against SCSU, and also snapped a two-game home winning streak for the Bulldogs.

"It was just execution and the line blocking," said Page. "We executed."

SCSU came into the game with the third-best rushing attack in the MEAC. But while it won the battle on the ground (178 yards to 142 for FAMU), the Bulldogs didn't get the production that usually comes out of their backfield.

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Is the MEAC catching up to the Bulldogs?

Orangeburg, S.C. - Buddy Pough paused for a moment. With a small band of reporters in front of him, he gathered what he had just been told - Howard knocked off North Carolina A&T, the MEAC's only undefeated team - silently.

A win would have kept the Bulldogs in the battle for the conference heading down the stretch.
For the past three seasons, Pough's team has at least shared the MEAC title. But, as he heard the news, Pough was the head coach of a team that had freshly squandered a 24-13 third-quarter lead, surrendering two Florida A&M touchdowns in the fourth quarter to slide back into the peripheral of the conference-title race.

Finally, Pough spoke.

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MEAC standings grow more cluttered

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — No one saw this coming — Norfolk State leading the standings with a month left in the season. North Carolina A&T going undefeated in conference play through its first three games didn't even seem like a possibility.

That's what has transpired, though, and at a point when there should be some kind of clear-cut indication which team will win the MEAC title, things just keep getting cloudier. That's in part to Bethune-Cookman (4-3, 2-1) stunning NSU (6-2, 4-1) on Thursday night, which allowed the Aggies to take a 3-0 conference record into their game against Howard on Saturday.

That ended after two overtimes with Howard (4-4, 3-2) winning its homecoming game 35-28 over the Aggies (4-3, 3-1). A few days before Florida A&M (5-3, 3-2) hooked up with South Carolina State (4-4, 3-2), Bulldogs coach Buddy Pough was trying to put the unexpected occurrences into perspective.



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HU Pirates survive homecoming scare in win over NCCU Eagles

HAMPTON, Virginia - The Hampton University football team’s four seniors had one thing in mind coming into Saturday’s contest at Armstrong Stadium: Homecoming. The Pirates had not won a Homecoming game since defeating Winston-Salem State 13-3 in 2006, but seniors David Legree, Isaiah Thomas, Dyrri McCain and Micah Pellein wanted to leave their final year with a win on Homecoming – which the Pirates would accomplish, though it took longer than expected with a 30-27 overtime win over North Carolina Central.



Hampton started the game by driving the ball into NCCU territory on its first two drives, but the first ended in a turnover on downs and the second ended in a blocked field goal. The Eagles would get on the board first, when Oleg Parent kicked a 40-yard field goal with 20 second left in the first quarter. Hampton would answer the Eagles on a 6-yard run by running back Antwon Chisholm with 11:49 left in the second quarter to give the Pirates a 7-3 lead. Hampton would score once more in the second quarter off of a 23-yard field goal by Taurean Durham to put the Pirates up 10-3, but the Eagles would manage to go 60 yards in under 1:46 to tie the game up at 10-10 at halftime.

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HU pulls away in overtime, defeats N.C. Central 30-27

HAMPTON, Virginia — — On a day when Hampton continually struggled to get out of its own way, it was North Carolina Central that wound up making the biggest mistake. The Eagles celebrated too soon.

Up three in overtime, the Eagles pranced off the field in jubilation after defensive back Marc Lewis appeared to recover an Antwan Chisholm fumble. Ultimately, though, it was Hampton's Jamal Wilson with the ball at the bottom of the pile. Three plays later, Jeremiah Schwartz bulled into the end zone from a yard out to lift the Pirates past the Eagles 30-27 at Armstrong Stadium and seal Hampton's first homecoming victory since 2006.

"When I saw that play, the first thing I thought about was the Bethune game," Pirates coach Donovan Rose said, referring to Hampton's controversial loss Sept. 22 at Bethune-Cookman, when Isiah Thomas' apparent game-winning touchdown reception as time expired was overturned on video review. "I'm thinking, Oh, no, not again.

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