Sensational SAU Hurdler Tia-Adana Belle Featured On WRAL-TV5 and WRAZ FOX 50 Television Newscasts; Next Stop - Rio Olympics

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- All-American hurdler Tia-Adana Belle (Jr./St. George, Barbados) of Saint Augustine's University was featured on the WRAL-TV5 and WRAZ FOX 50 newscasts Tuesday. Belle is running for Barbados in the Rio Olympics this summer after a stellar collegiate season.

Belle set the NCAA Division II record (55.82) and the NCAA Division II Championship meet record (56.13) in the women's 400 hurdles. She led the Lady Falcons to a second-place national finish in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships this past weekend.

Click this link to watch the video, which was written and produced by outstanding reporter/anchor Mandy Mitchell - http://www.wralsportsfan.com/st-aug-hurdler-belle-excited-nervous-about-likely-trip-to-olympics/15742187/. The video is also on wral.com and saintaugfalcons.com.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Eighteen Saint Augustine's University Student-Athletes Earn 38 USTFCCCA All-America Outdoor Track and Field Honors

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Eighteen Saint Augustine's University student-athletes earned 38 NCAA Division II All-America outdoor track and field honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday, May 31, 2016.

The number of All-Americans reflect the success of the Falcons and Lady Falcons at the outdoor championship meet this past weekend. The Falcons won their fourth consecutive men's crown and the Lady Falcons finished as women runner-ups.

The Falcons led the nation with 18 first-team All-America honors from 10 men. Sprinters Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (Sr./Raleigh, NC) and Daniel Jamieson (Sr./Windsor, CT) were two of four Division II men with three accolades. Ellis is the 200 dash national champion, and he and Jamieson were members of the 4x100 national championship relay squad.

The Lady Falcons led the country with 16 first-team All-America honors from seven women. Ornella Livingston (Sr./St. Ann, Jamaica), the 100 dash national champion, was one of two Division II women with four awards. Two-time 400 hurdles champion Tia-Adana Belle (Jr./St. George, Jamaica) was among seven women who gained All-America recognition in three events. She is the D-II championship meet record-holder in the 400 hurdles.

Student-athletes earned first-team honors by finishing among the top eight in their respective events. Student-athletes who placed ninth through 12^th gained second-team status.

Below is the list of Falcons and Lady Falcons who garnered All-America honors. To see the complete list, go to ustfccca.org.

FIRST TEAM

WOMEN

(Name, Event)

Leah Barker – (4x100 Relay, 4x400 Relay)

Tia-Adana Belle – (100 Hurdles, 4x400 Relay, 400 Hurdles)

Shakinah Brooks – (4x100 Relay, Long Jump)

Ade Hunter – (4x400 Relay)

Shamia Lassiter – (100 Hurdles, 4x100 Relay)

Ornella Livingston – (100 Dash, 200 Dash, 4x100 Relay, 4x400 Relay)

Amenze Uhunmwangho – (Long Jump, Triple Jump)

MEN

(Name, Event)

Brent Arceneaux – (4x100 Relay)

Shaquille Dill – (800 Run, 4x400 Relay)

Burkheart Ellis, Jr. – (100 Dash, 200 Dash, 4x100 Relay)

Jumonne Exeter – (Triple Jump)

Khari Herbert, Jr. – (4x400 Relay)

Immanuel Hutchinson – (800 Run, 4x400 Relay)

Daniel Jamieson – (100 Dash, 200 Dash, 4x100 Relay)

Kendall Kee – (100 Dash, 4x100 Relay)

Shawn Rowe – (4x400 Relay, 400 Hurdles)

David Shaw, Jr. – (Triple Jump)

SECOND TEAM

WOMEN

(Name, Event)

Shakinah Brooks – (100 Dash)

MEN

(Name, Event)

Kirvano Handfield – (High Jump)

Khari Herbert, Jr. – (400 Dash)

Shawn Rowe – (110 Hurdles)

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC Football Press Luncheon Kicks Off July 29

VISIT MEACSPORTS.COM

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will host the annual Football Press Luncheon, Friday, July 29 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel (235 E. Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23510/ (757) 627-4200). MEAC head football coaches and two student-athletes from each team will be on hand to offer an inside view on the upcoming 2016 football season.

A limited number of tickets are available to the public for the press luncheon and can be purchased by calling Natiara Satsatin at (757) 951-2055 or satsatinn@themeac.com. Tickets are $30 per seat or $300 per table (10 persons) and must be purchased by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 22.

Media members may obtain a credential for the luncheon and/or one-on-one interviews by completing an application found on www.MEACSports.com. One-on-one interviews will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.

The 2016 MEAC football season kicks off on Thursday, September 1 as Delaware State visits Delaware in a non-conference game.

Bethune-Cookman will compete against Alcorn State in the 12th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge also on Labor Day Weekend, Sunday, September 4. Details and ticket information can be found on www.meacswacchallenge.com.

For more information about the MEAC, log on to www.MEACsports.com.

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

ASU can't hold early lead, eliminated by South Alabama

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Alabama State coaches, players and fans learned Saturday just how hard it can be to win an NCAA regional game.

With ASU just nine outs from accomplishing a program-defining victory and staving off elimination in Tallahassee, South Alabama scored the game’s final five runs for a 6-3 win that sent the Hornets home.

Saturday was the first game in 37 opportunities this season ASU lost when leading after six innings and the first game the Hornets lost after hitting two home runs. In a season of firsts for the ASU program, going winless in its first NCAA regional experience was a bitter feeling to have as they left Dick Howser Stadium.



“Not the way we wanted to go out,” Alabama State coach Mervyl Melendez said. “We didn’t want to be and thought we were better than 0-2. The players now need to shift the focus from not getting here but doing better than we did this year.”

Melendez is now 1-24 in NCAA Tournament play as a head coach after making 11 regional appearances while at Bethune-Cookman (2000-04, 06-11). The win was in 2002 over Florida International.

Alabama State (39-17) quickly erased the memories from an 18-6 loss to host Florida State from the night before with the help of the home run.

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Lincoln's New Women's Soccer Coach Has Been Named

Head Women's Soccer Coach: Emmanuel Awotula

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania -- Lincoln Athletics is proud to introduce its' new Head Women's Soccer Coach Emmanuel Awotula. Coach Awotula comes to Lincoln from Oakland City University, where he was the head coach for the women's soccer program as well as the Intramural Director. While at Oakland City University he posted a record of 16-14-1 and currently holds the highest winning percentage in a single season.

Prior to his time at Oakland City University Awotula coached his alma mater Tennessee Temple five years. Originally from Nigeria, he played for Tennessee Temple University for two years before a career ending injury. He later joined the coaching staff his senior year as the assistant coach for both the men and women's soccer programs. He eventually became the head coach for the women's program. In his first year at Tennessee Temple University he posted the best record in school history. He produced six players that finished top ten in GOALS, assists and goals per game. He also had two players on the all-academic team. While at Tennessee Temple University he also started their track and field team.

The committee was impressed with Coach Awotula's ability to recruit. The institutions he has coached are small colleges not unlike Lincoln and during his time at both schools Awotula was able to bring in good players from around the country and improve on the teams previous records. When asked about his recruiting philosophy Coach Awotula says "I will go anywhere to find students who want to play". During his interview the new coach remarked that he would like to bring in some students from his home country because of the history of Lincoln and Nigeria - he says" there are good student athletes there who would love to come to Lincoln to play where Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first president of our country earned his degree. Directr of Athletics Dr. Pope believes Coach Awotula will prove to be a valuable asset to Lincoln Athletics upon the coach's hiring he stated " Coach Awotula has the right temperment and approach to recruiting. He is dedicated to education and his sport, thats what we need and look for here" in the Lion's athletic program.

Coach Awotula holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Tennessee Temple University. He also holds a Master's of Science in Education degree as well as a Master's of Science in Curriculum and Instruction degree from Oakland City University. He is currently working on his doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at Oakland City University.

Coach Awotula and his wife Jennifer have three sons: Noah (7), Isaiah (6) and Micah (4).

Welcome to Lincoln Coach Awotula.

Darryl Pope Ed.D.
COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State considered ‘no joke’ among power programs

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Alabama State knows exactly what mixed emotions felt like Saturday afternoon.

The Hornets left Dick Howser Stadium on Saturday afternoon with the disappointment of a 0-2 performance in the program’s first NCAA regional appearance but also knowing they’ll likely be back as soon as next year.

The message has been changed from the players in their dugout and in the opposing dugout as well: This isn’t the same Alabama State baseball anybody is familiar with anymore.

“The future is bright,” Alabama State head coach Mervyl Melendez said after Saturday’s 6-3 loss to South Alabama. "We have a lot of freshmen that stepped up and they weren't intimidated. They have a good mindset."

ASU’s lineup Saturday consisted of six players guaranteed to return and three juniors who will have the option to return after the draft is completed next weekend.

“I was doing everything I could for the team,” Alabama State pitcher Angel Alicea said Saturday after a 120-pitch no-decision.



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Jackson State Tigers Look To Build On "Contract" 2015-16 Season

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Wayne Brent knew he was under the gun last season. The third-year Jackson State coach had led the Tigers to consecutive 11-win seasons and was working under a contract set to expire at season’s end. But this wasn’t something he shied away from.

"You come into a situation and you have three years on a contract and you start counting," Brent told Jackson’s WJTV12 in March. "Year one, 11-20. Year two, 11-21. You come back your third year and you say okay, if this is going to work, we’re going to have to win. That was something we talked about and I thought our guys responded well to the adverse situation we were placed in."

That pressure may have played a role in a 20-win season that featured the Tigers first postseason victory since 1993. After losing to Southern 54-53 in the SWAC tournament final, Jackson State beat Sam Houston State in the first round of the CIT before bowing out to Grand Canyon on the road. The 20 wins were the program’s most since 2006-07, and represented just the fourth 20-win season since 1977.

Unsurprisingly, Brent was rewarded with a contract extension shortly after the season. He not only has job security going into next year, but also a roster talented and experienced enough to challenge for a SWAC title.

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