UAPB Golden Lions Roaring Abroad for Track Signees

The Arkansas Pine Bluff men’s and women’s cross country track-and-field squads recently signed eight student-athletes, according to Golden Lions’ head coach Curtis Pittman. Kenyan natives Magabo Damasin (Thika, Kenya) and Boniface Yator (Kabarnet, Kenya) will be joining UAPB men’s cross country teams in the fall. Both athletes specialize in the 1,500- and 5000-meter runs and cross country.

Pittman also signed Mathias Haller of Badeu-Wuerttemberg, Germany. Haller is expected to run the 400-meter, 800-meter and cross-country.

For the women’s team, Shelleyka C. Rolle of Freeport, Bahamas signed to run the 400 and 800. Kericho, Kenya native Gladys Cheronah Rob rounds out the Kenyan natives, while Papua, New Guinea’s Betty Burua signed to run the 400 and 800. Rob will run the 1,500-meter, 5,000-meter and cross country.

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Giants' Strahan sacks his 15-year career

Photo: Former Texas Southern University defensive end and NFL future hall of famer, Michael Strahan retired after 15 seasons with the N.Y. Giants.

Any of the people Michael Strahan reached out to yesterday morning - team management, players, owners and coaches - must have known what was up when they saw their caller ID or the sender of the text message.

This is it, they undoubtedly thought.

Strahan had been mulling retirement ever since the Super Bowl - since last summer, really - but the 36-year-old's announcement that he'll hang 'em up still caught many off guard. The news was made public early in the day in a report by Foxsports.com in which the unsubtle Strahan subtly stated: "It's time. I'm done."

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Southern University's House setting bar high at championships

In the two most important meets of the season, Southern high jumper Jason House has added a certain dramatic flair to the end of his performance. But it’s not the kind of dramatics House, a sophomore, wants in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which begin Wednesday at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

In the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships in April and the NCAA Mideast Regionals two weeks ago, House had to come up with a clutch jump just to stay alive in the competition. House, a native of Laurel, Miss., was down to his final try at 6 feet 10 inches when he cleared the bar. He went on to win the title at 7-1, which turned out to be the second-best jump in the NCAA Mideast Region this spring.

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WSSU Lady Rams Volleyball sign four to National Letters of Intent

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The 2008 Winston-Salem State University volleyball team will welcome some new faces this fall as WSSU head coach Douglas Hunter announced the signing of four prospective student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. The four signees will strengthen the Lady Rams in every area on the court.

A pair of talented players will fill the team's needs at the setter position, which was hampered by injury last season. Setter Asia Carr from St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C. will join the Lady Rams at the setter position as well as Alexandria Brown from Harris County High School in Hamilton, Ga.

The Lady Rams will also add to its front line with the addition of middle hitter/blocker Jasmine Frazier from Chancellor High School in Fredericksburg, Va. and outside hitter Kameryn Craig from Apex High School in Apex, N.C.

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The Natural: B-CU star has found competitive spirit

DAYTONA BEACH -- Ronnie Ash can't really explain his reluctance to play organized sports. Like a homecoming queen playing hard-to-get, he rebuffed his high school suitors year after year.

Basketball coaches, football coaches -- you name it -- they all drooled when they saw the lithe 6-foot-3, 190-pounder ambling down the hallways. They all recruited. They were all rejected, until Knightdale, N.C., High School track coach David Castell finally got a bite in Ash's senior year and was able to reel him in.

Now a freshman at Bethune-Cookman, Ash's rapid rise in track and field might even astound all of the spurned coaches who envisioned greatness for this young man. Ash will compete in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division I track and field championships this week at Des Moines, Iowa.

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Houston Texans cut QB Quinn Gray

Photo: Former Florida A&M University star quarterback Quinn Gray may have to go to the CFL to get a legitimate opportunity to develop his NFL caliber skills. Gray was the Jacksonville Jaguars #2 quarterback last season.

The Texans released free-agent quarterback Quinn Gray, making the decision instead to work to develop Shane Boyd and rookie Alex Brink. "I just think that from a fit standpoint with our football team, it made more sense for us to let (Gray) go now," general manager Rick Smith said. "I still think this guy's a quality NFL quarterback, and I think he's going to have a good career. It's just not a fit here.

"My philosophy is if I've got a veteran player playing in this league and I don't see the opportunity or feel like I can give them a fair opportunity to make a football team, then I want to give them a fair opportunity somewhere else," coach Gary Kubiak said. "I felt that way with both those players and with where they are at those positions. Mainly at the quarterback positions, I made a decision to work with those two young players."

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Big Shoes to Fill, Ti-Cats taking a big step forward

QB Casey Printers (Florida A&M University) rivals some of his offensive linemen. He wears a size 15 shoe, as well.

CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats starting quarterback Casey Printers


Say this about Hamilton Tiger-Cat offensive line prospects, they certainly have big shoes to fill. Literally. One common trait among six-foot-five-inch pass blockers who tip the scales at 325 pounds is huge feet. We're talking human aircraft carriers here. And a size 15 or 16 football cleat takes an inordinate amount of shoe leather.

Ticat offensive line coach Jeff Bleamer, a former offensive lineman himself and a size 15, said those who ply their trade in the trenches need a set of flatbed trailers to carry the load. "They need big feet for a good base. You don't see too many offensive linemen walking around with a size 10. Most offensive linemen have size 14 and up," Bleamer said, adding the big cleats are a source of power.

Bleamer said the biggest feet he ever saw belonged to one-time Tiger-Cat, Alouette and Philadelphia Eagle offensive lineman Ed George. Size 17. "You could probably fit a small family into size 17," Bleamer quipped.

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QB Casey Printers, 2004 CFL MVP (Age: 27, 5 Year CFL/NFL Veteran)