Ammons to remain at FAMU

Dr. James H. Ammons

DSU had announced Ammons's hiring in May

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Former Florida A&M University President James Ammons announced Sunday that he will remain as a faculty member rather than accept the position of provost at Delaware State University.

Ammons and his wife, Judith, were expected to be given a send-off by Bethel AME Church’s Pastor Julius McAllister and church members during its 7:45 a.m. Sunday service, which Ammons and his wife usually attend.

When asked to come forward, Ammons did so. He then said he and his wife had decided to remain in Tallahassee, where Ammons holds a tenured position as a professor of political science.

Ammons could not be reached for comment on Monday or Tuesday. McAllister was traveling on Tuesday and not immediately available for comment.

FAMU did confirm that Ammons had a signed annual contract with the university for the upcoming school year.

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Q&A with UMES women's basketball coach Fred Batchelor

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- Summer can be a very busy time for college basketball coaches.

It's the offseason, technically, so coaches have to carve out time for family. But the days in June, July and August can also be crucial for recruiting.

Most coaches also squeeze in a youth camp or clinic somewhere in that timespan too.

Fred Batchelor was in Princess Anne this past week to host the annual University of Maryland Eastern Shore's women's basketball camp and took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to do an offseason Q&A with The Daily Times.

Under Batchelor's direction, the Hawks wrapped up last season with an overall record of 12-17, but had a winning mark in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play with a 10-6 record. In nine of his 12 seasons at the helm of the Hawks, Batchelor's teams have finished with a record of .500 or better in conference play.

Last season the Hawks ended the regular season with a six-game winning streak, but another injury derailed them and UMES fell in the first round of the MEAC tournament. That team was powered by electric play from young guards in Keyera Eaton and Ciani Byrom, solid play from a versatile wing in Moengaroa Subritzky, and exceptional rim protection from Alexis Udoji — who finished her Hawks career as the all-time leading shot blocker in UMES history.

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Two-sport NCAA star: You need to know Texas Southern's Derrick Griffin

HOUSTON, Texas -- Some thought it would never happen again. Some thought two-sport stars were impossible because kids are now forced to choose their sport of choice at a young age. Names like Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders or Jim Thorpe were thought to be a thing of the past.

Meet Derrick Griffin from Texas Southern.

The 6-7, 230-pound Houston native was named Second Team All-SWAC as a wide receiver for the Tigers' football team, leading the conference with 11 touchdowns and an impressive freshman campaign of 35 catches for 709 yards. He took off his helmet and shoulder pads after Christmas and laced up a pair of sneakers to join the basketball team early in the New Year, six games into the Tigers' season.

After a two-year absence from playing basketball, Griffin dominated the conference in his 27 games, which saw him average 13.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. For his efforts, he was awarded the SWAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, First team All-SWAC and was an honorable mention AP All-American. Not a bad resume.

Griffin was so dominant both on the football field and on the basketball court that it now begs the question: NBA or NFL?

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SWAC announces 2016-17 Championship sites

 BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has finalized its list of championship sites for the 2016-17 season.

The first conference championship event of the year will be contested in a familiar place, as men’s and women’s cross country will return to the Choctaw Trails in Clinton, Miss. on Friday, Oct. 21. The league will then head west for the SWAC Soccer Tournament, as Prairie View A&M will host the event in its state-of-the-art facility from Nov. 3-6.

From there, Jackson State University will welcome teams for the SWAC Volleyball Tournament which is scheduled for Nov. 18-20. Closing out the fall slate of championships will be the Toyota SWAC Football Championship, which will be held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Dec. 3, 2016.

Kicking off the winter championships will be indoor track and field, which is set for Feb. 16-17, 2017 at the Birmingham Crossplex. In one of the big changes to the ledger, the SWAC men’s and women’s basketball championships are set to incorporate on-campus sites. Set to take place from March 7 and March 10-11, the tournaments will see the higher seeds host during the opening rounds, with the semifinals and finals to be held at the Toyota Center in Houston.

The SWAC Bowling Tournament will wrap up the early portion of the 2017 championship schedule, as the Bowling International Training and Research Center (IRTC) in Arlington, Texas will host the proceedings from March 24-26.

Men’s and women’s tennis will jump start the spring championships as the Pepsi Tennis Center in New Orleans will showcase the conference from April 14-16. Immediately after that, men’s and women’s golf descends upon Oak Wing Golf Club/Links on the Bayou in Alexandria, Louisiana for tournament action from April 17-19.

Outdoor track and field will follow soccer’s lead as Prairie View A&M University welcomes SWAC athletes for competition from May 5-7. Rounding out the sports calendar for the season will be action on the diamond, with the 2017 SWAC Softball Tournament heading to the Barbara L. Williams Softball Complex of Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala. from May 10-13, and the SWAC Baseball Tournament returning to New Orleans’ Wesley Barrow Stadium from May 17-21.

Continue to check SWAC.org for the most up-to-date news and notes in regards to conference sports and championships.

2016-17 SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS/CHAMPIONSHIP DATES

EVENT	DATE	HOST/SITE
Football Kickoff Media Day	Fri., July 15, 2016	Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham Marriott)
MEAC/SWAC Challenge	Sun., September 4, 2016	Daytona Beach, Florida (Municipal Stadium)
M/W Cross Country Championships	Fri., October 21, 2016	Clinton, Mississippi Choctaw Running Trails
Women’s Soccer Tournament	Thurs.-Sun., November 3-6, 2016	Prairie View, Texas (Prairie View A&M University)
Women’s Volleyball Tournament	Fri.,-Sun., November 18-20, 2016	Jackson, Mississippi (Jackson State University)
Toyota SWAC Football Championship	Sat., December 3, 2016	Houston, Texas NRG Stadium
Celebration Bowl Game	Sat., December 17, 2016	Atlanta, Georgia Georgia Dome
Women’s Bowling West Round Up	Fri.-Sun., January 20-22, 2017	Houston, Texas (Emerald Bowl)
M/W Indoor Track & Field Championships	Thurs.-Fri., February 16-17, 2017	Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham CrossPlex
Women’s Bowling East Round Up	Fri.-Sun., February 17-19, 2017	D'Iberville, Mississippi (Cypress Lanes)
M/W Tennis Round Up I	Fri.-Sat., February 24-26, 2017	Jackson, Mississippi (Jackson State University)
M/W Basketball Tournament	Tues., Fri.-Sat.., March 7, 10-11, 2017	Houston, Texas Toyota Center
M/W Tennis Round Up II	Fri.-Sat., March 17-19, 2017	Montgomery, Alabama (Alabama State University)
Women’s Bowling Championship	Fri.-Sun., March 24-26, 2017	Arlington, Texas Bowling ITRC
M/W Tennis Tournament	Fri.,- Sun., April 14-16, 2017	New Orleans, Louisiana Pepsi Tennis Center
M/W Golf Championships	Mon.-Wed., April 17-19, 2017	Alexandria, Louisiana Links on the Bayou (W) Oak Wing Golf Course (M)
M/W Outdoor Track & Field Championships	Fri.-Sun., May 5-7, 2017	Prairie View, Texas (Prairie View A&M University)
Softball Tournament	Wed.-Sat., May 10-13, 2017	Montgomery, Alabama (Alabama State University)
Baseball Tournament	Wed.-Sun., May 17-21, 2017	New Orleans, Louisiana MLB Urban Youth Academy Wesley Barrow Stadium

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Optimistic Raeburn prepares for first season at SSU football’s helm

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Erik Raeburn hears what everyone says.

When Savannah State University’s new head football coach meets them, it isn’t long before he hears it.

“You’ve got a tough job ahead of you.”

But Raeburn isn’t one for pessimism, especially if it starts to taint his players.

That’s one of the main differences Raeburn has noticed between SSU and Wabash College in Indiana, where Raeburn spent seven seasons as a head coach before being hired in March to try to get the Tigers out of the mud and off the ground. The team has won just five games in the past six seasons.

“(The fans are) not as optimistic ... maybe they’re too pessimistic about the football program,” Raeburn said. “I don’t want the players to feel that way. I guess because we haven’t had much success in recent years, people don’t have much faith that we can get things turned around, which is fine, as long as it doesn’t start filtering into our team.”

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Former FAMU Marching 100 G.Star Swain Makes National TV Singing Debut

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- This year's Fourth of July celebration could go down as one of the most reflective in history as our country searches for the security that once defined America.

Just four months away from what is expected to be one of the most contentious and divisive elections ever for the president of the United States and only a few weeks from being stunned by the worst mass shooting in history — near Disney World, no less — we, the people, remain on edge.

Perhaps that is why a powerful, soulful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, performed impromptu by Tallahassee’s Star Swain at the Lincoln Memorial, has been viewed more than 33 million times online and placed her in demand for appearances in national news and entertainment outlets.

Think about it: A simple, yet stirring, gospel-tinged performance of this country’s most revered patriotic verse is being shared by millions through a social media network usually reserved for promoting the latest single by Beyonce, Beiber and Swift.

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Grambling State's Nigel Ribeiro Out to Prove His Coach is No Fool

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- If the night is darkest just before the dawn, then Grambling State would've seen a dramatic turnaround following its 0-28 season four years ago. But college basketball doesn't work like that, and the Tigers' program was in as rough shape as ever when Shawn Walker took over two years later.

"I don't know what the outcome is going to be next year," Walker told the Monroe, La.-based News Star last summer following an inaugural 2-27 season in 2014-15. "You'll have a story that says Shawn Walker is foolish or what this man was really selling is starting to come to fruition. One of them two things is going to happen."

So, is Walker foolish or not? The Tigers won just four games against Division I teams last year, and slogged through an 11-game SWAC losing streak. But don't rush to put the dunce cap on him. There were positives for the wayward program. Grambling State snapped a 36-game losing streak against D-I opponents, and won its most SWAC games in five years. Most importantly, Walker might have found a young player to headline his immense rebuilding effort.

Nigel Ribeiro had big plans when he signed with Walker and the Tigers. Before the season, he told the News Star that he and fellow commits Mike Bethea and Javier Roper would be the ones to lead the program to unseen places.

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