NSU coach: Potential QBs 'all starting even' in spring

NORFOLK, Virginia --  Chris Walley arrived from junior college laden with experience. Jake Basmagian had very little.

Norfolk State's newest junior college quarterback, Jason Stewart, has a resume somewhere in between and will be a potential option at the position heading into the Spartans' spring practice, according to head coach Pete Adrian.

Stewart, 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, is at NSU for the second semester and is already working out with the team, while Basmagian and punter Dylan Shaddix did not return to school, Adrian said.

Adrian said he plans to have an open competition when spring practice begins.

"They're all starting even," Adrian said of the quarterbacks. "And it starts now when we're able to meet with them for an hour, an hour-and-a-half here and there."

Walley guided the Spartans to their first MEAC title as a senior in 2011, but the team slipped to 4-7 last season.

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FAMU Rattler Track Team Strikes At Florida Gator Invite

GAINESVILLE, Florida  -- (Jan.17) The Florida A&M Men's track team embarked on Gainesville for the Gator Invite indoor track meet and came away with several promising results. He coach Wayne Angel is building the squad to a total team after his first full year at the helm and several first-year athletes proved themselves on today.

One of the runners Angel knew he would have to depend on this season is freshman Troy Pollard. Pollard is a California junior college state champion from Minnesota, who showed he was as good as advertised as he won the 400m dash in a time of 48.42. He would place third in the 200m dash, coming in at 22.48. Newcomer Dennis Pugh came in fourth place in the 200m run in 22.67. Lee Williams took the No.10 spot, running 23.45 to complete the trifecta of Rattlers in the top 10.

Angel was pleased to see that Pollard has been able to adapt his successful high school career to a solid college start. "You never know. When you have a transfer to come in as decorated as Troy, the best way to find out if it translates to the collegiate Division I level is to put them in a race against solid competition, as was present today," Angel.

Sophomore Elias Chesire cruised to a victory in the mile run. He finished in 4:23.40, just ahead of senior teammate Lamere Buchanon, who ran 4:24.59 time. Dieumy Duclos finished seventh in the race (4:35.34), while Robyel Kidane took ninth place (4:41.05). Cheshire has qualified for the MEAC championships in both the 3000m and mile run in just two events this season. The reigning MEAC Most Outstanding Athlete for cross country, looks to maintain his dominance in the conference in distance running.

Dual sport athlete Williams, who is also a member of the Rattler football team, took fourth place in both the long jump and triple jump. He leaped 13.92m (45-08.00) in the triple jump and 6.44m (21-01.50) in the long jump.

Corey Jones, also a newcomer to Angel's squad, took seventh place in the 55m dash. He blazed the distance in just 6.56 to get a Top 10 finish.

Another on the Rattlers' new sprinters, Jabrelle Crawford, ran 51.44 in the 400m dash to finish 14th, while heptathlete Jean Leon grabbed the No.16 spot in 52.73. Leon would also place ninth in the long jump at 6.0m (19-08.25).


Veteran McDaniel Olivier got a fifth-place finish in the 800m run, finishing that race in 1:56.98. Isaiah Smith would round out the team with a 1:58.88 finish, which was good for the No.10 position.

Dennis McGee finished fourth in the shot put. His toss of 14.39m (47-02.50) was a crucial throw in a packed field of throwers. He would also take eighth place in the weight throw at 13.10m (42-11.75), just ahead of teammate Xavier Mackey's 12.29m (40-04.00).

Angel was pleased with the overall performance of the team. "I think there were some solid performances today. (Troy) Pollard, (Elias) Cheshire and Dennis McGee had admirable shwings today. We have a young team and we're trying to get better. Each week we're making an improvement, so at this point I'm pleased with our progress," Angel said.

The Rattlers will get back to the track on next Friday, Jan.25 at the Rod McRavey Invitational (E.J. Nutter Field House) in Lexington, KY.

The following represents the updated list of track athletes who have qualified for the MEAC Indoor Championships:

60m dash/Triple Jump: Lee Williams

400m dash: Troy Pollard
800m run: Lamere Buchanon

800m run: Troy Pollard/McDaniel Olivier

Mile run: Kevin Marindich/Elias Chesire/Lamere Buchanon
3000m: Dieumy Duclos/Robyel Kidane

Shot put/Weight throw: Dennis McGee

Heptathlon Leon Jean

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Grambling Band Headed to DC for Inaugural Parade

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band will represent Louisiana on Monday at the parade honoring the inauguration of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

This is the third time the Grambling band has marched in an inaugural parade. The band also marched in the inaugural parades of presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, in addition to the 2009 inaugural of Obama.

Participants in the parade will follow the traditional route down Pennsylvania Avenue from Fourth Street past the White House.

Obama and Biden, along with their families, will watch the parade from a reviewing stand across from Lafayette Park.

Participants in the parade are responsible for paying their own expenses.

Grambling State President Frank Pogue said the university will provide some assistance to band members, including contacting alumni for aid donations.

GSU is the only HBCU band participating in the 57th Inaugural Parade.



COURTESY SWAC.org

WSSU to start division play today at St. Aug’s

RALEIGH, North Carolina  --  Winston-Salem State will head into the most crucial part of its basketball schedule today as it starts Southern Division play in the CIAA.

The Rams (13-2, 6-0 CIAA) are ranked No. 11 in Division II and riding a 12-game winning streak. They’ll play at St. Augustine’s (10-6, 3-3) at 4 p.m. today, starting a 10-game stretch of Southern Division opponents leading to the CIAA Tournament.
 “Everybody knows each other,” senior forward Kimani Hunt said of Southern Division play. “We have almost all our team back, so teams are going to know us pretty well. But we are a different team.”

The Rams, defending CIAA champions, have depth, experience (seven seniors) and a solid defense. They are second in the CIAA, behind St. Aug’s, in scoring defense, allowing 65 points a game.

“It’s a fun part of the season because every game is a rivalry game,” Hunt said of WSSU’s playing each of its five Southern Division opponents twice. “Every game is either here at home or close by, and your family can get to most of the games.”

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WSSU Notes: Games against J.C. Smith moved to Annex

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Winston-Salem State’s doubleheader against Johnson C. Smith on Feb. 20 has been moved from the Gaines Center to Joel Coliseum Annex to accommodate what is expected to be an overflow crowd.

Some fans were turned away at the door at last year’s women’s-men’s doubleheader at the Gaines Center.

Kevin Manns , an assistant athletics director, said another reason for move is that it will be Senior Night. The women’s game will start at 5:30, and the men’s game will start about 7:30.

“We are very limited in seating in the Gaines Center,” Manns said of the on-campus arena, which seats about 3,000. “With the crowd we are expecting, we have the opportunity to host comfortably and also have some space to entertain and cultivate donors and sponsors.… Moving the game just gives us more options.”

The Annex seats about 6,000 and has more parking options than the Gaines Center.

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TSU Men's Basketball Wins Tight One Over JSU, 66-60

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  Deshawn Dockery hit a three with 13 seconds remaining, helping the Tennessee State men’s basketball team upended Jacksonville State, 66-60, on Thursday night.  The victory pushed the Tigers’ home record to 8-0 and their OVC record to 6-0, which are the best marks since the 1994-95 season.

Kellen Thornton and Patrick Miller led TSU in scoring with 17 apiece while Jordan Cyphers also scored in double-figures with ten.

M.J. Rhett narrowly missed his third double-double in five games as the sophomore grabbed a game-high 10 boards and scored nine points.

Rhett’s work on the glass helped the Tigers to a 30-22 rebounding advantage during the contest.

JSU started the game on a 6-2 run, but the swing was promptly ended by an emphatic two-handed slam by Rhett at the 17-minute mark. Rhett flew by and over defenders to complete the play, got fouled and made the following free throw to put the Tigers down one.

Rhett finished the first period with five points (2-of-3), a half-high five rebounds and a block.

Another dunk, this one by Kellen Thornton, put TSU up by three with just over 13 minutes left in the half. Thornton’s bucket was the exclamation point on a 9-2 TSU run.
 

TSU maintained a small advantage for the better part of the first half and Thornton was again able to extend the Tigers’ lead with a coffin corner triple and a lay-in on the following possession. The second hoop put TSU up 23-17 with six minutes to go in the opening frame.

Thornton had a half-high 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting (66.7 percent) and grabbed two boards during the opening stanza.

Tennessee State got up by as many as 11 points during the first, and Jordan Cyphers poured in a three with just seconds remaining to send the Tigers into the locker room with a 33-22 advantage.

TSU ended the half on a 22-9 run and shot 55 percent (11-of-20) while holding the Gamecocks to a 36.4 line (8-of-22) during the first 20 minutes.

The Gamecocks started the second half off strong and took the lead, 43-42, with a 21-9 run that spanned over seven minutes. JSU only missed one of nine field goals during the stretch (88.8 percent).

TSU eventually regained the lead when Miller nailed a jumper at the 11:08 mark, and raised the score to 53-45 when Miller converted his second triple in as many trips down the floor.

Again, JSU came back and eventually pulled within one when Ronnie Boggs hit a three with three minutes to go.

Thornton answered with a triple of his own, but the score remained tight until Dockery canned his game-sealing three.

Miller drained one-of-two free throws and that would be all the Tigers needs, as they defeated the Gamecocks 66-60.

TSU shot 50 percent (22-of-44) for the game and 57.1 percent from downtown (8-of-14).

TSU will next play at Belmont, Saturday at 7 p.m. The winner of that contest will take sole possession of first place in the OVC East Division.

NOTE: head coach Travis Williams will appear on Steve Ulry’s 180 Show on 104.5 FM tomorrow at 12:50.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M hires anti-hazing leader for Marching 100

Bryan F. Smith, Esq.
Special Assistant to the President
for Anti-Hazing
Florida A&M University

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Florida A&M University (FAMU) has announced that Bryan F. Smith will serve as the new special assistant to the president for anti-hazing. Recently, Smith, who is a FAMU graduate, was the executive director/co-founder of Destined for Success Educational Services, Inc. in Decatur, Ga.

“We welcome Mr. Smith back to FAMU,” said Interim President Larry Robinson. “We are confident that with his expertise, he will ensure that all of the initiatives that have been put in place will be implemented.”

“I know this position will require a high level of communication with various entities around campus, with the local community and with investigative agencies,” said. “It will be a demanding position but I am very confident in my abilities and I vow to be organized, timely, fair, proactive, open and honest, ethical and hard-working. It will be my goal to change any culture of hazing through a variety of strategies, to maintain an efficient reporting process for any allegations of hazing, to facilitate tangible informational sessions regarding hazing, to ensure that the Student Code of Conduct is being adhered to and to help maintain the integrity of the University.”

Smith received his juris doctorate from John Marshall Law School, a master’s degree in public management from FAMU and a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina A&T State University. 
 
He is registered as a certified mediator for the State of Georgia. He has been offered a salary of $90,000 and is scheduled to report to work on Feb. 1.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2013/01/famu-hires-anti-hazing-czar.html#storylink=cpy

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY PRESS RELEASE