Gold Rush seventh, Nuggets 19th in NAIA coaches polls

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana is riding high in the NAIA Tennis Coaches' Top 25 polls announced Tuesday afternoon.

The XU men are seventh, the highest rank in the program's history. The women are 19th, their highest position in two years.

Winning championships Saturday in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Norcross, Ga., helped the Gold Rush (17-7) and Gold Nuggets (7-21) climb. XU's men beat 16th-ranked Cumberland 5-0 for their title, and the women rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 5-2 against Martin Methodist, which was 17th at the time but is 21st in the new rankings.

The Gold Rush were eighth in the previous poll on April 17, and the Nuggets were atop the list of others receiving votes.

XU's men appear in the top 25 for the 39th consecutive time — that streak began April 4, 2007 — and in the top 10 for the ninth straight time, including all seven this season, and in 12 of the last 13 polls.

XU's women are in the top 25 for the second time this season — the first was on March 20 — and just the second time in the past 12 polls. That's a relative drought for a program which appeared in 44 consecutive top-25s from 2004-11.

The Saturday victories earned both Xavier teams automatic berths in the NAIA National Championships at Mobile, Ala., on May 15-19. The Gold Rush qualified for the fourth consecutive year, and the Gold Nuggets
qualified for the sixth time in eight seasons.

Fresno Pacific is No. 1 in the men's poll for an NAIA-record 21st consecutive time. Auburn Montgomery leads the women for the seventh time in as many polls this season. New polls will be announced Monday and on May 22. Pairings for the national tournaments will be revealed next Tuesday.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, April 29) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Fresno Pacific (13) 22-1 343 1 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 18-3 332 2 3 Oklahoma Christian 16-3 318 3 4 Azusa Pacific 19-2 312 4 5 Auburn Montgomery 16-7 297 5 6 Vanguard 14-10 291 9 7 Xavier 17-7 271 8 8 Westmont 11-9 268 10 9 Point Loma Nazarene 12-10 253 6 10 William Carey 16-4 244 11 11 Concordia (Calif.) 8-12 238 7 12 Lindsey Wilson 18-5 224 12 13 Aquinas 23-2 207 13 14 Bethany (Kan.) 18-3 200 14 15 Belhaven 15-3 188 15 16 Cumberland 17-2 182 16 17 Warner 13-4 161 17 18 Campbellsville 14-6 155 18 19 Lewis-Clark State 11-9 142 24 20 Northwestern Ohio 18-6 132 22 21 Shorter 12-15 124 tie-25 22 Olivet Nazarene 15-4 106 tie-25 23 Webber International 15-7 95 23 24 Our Lady of the Lake 7-7 92 21 25 Lee (Tenn.) 9-8 83 20 Others receiving votes: McPherson 59, Spring Arbor 53, Pikeville 50, Biola 41, Roberts Wesleyan 17, Northwood (Fla.) 12, Bethel (Tenn.) 11, Taylor 3, Hastings 1, Asbury 1, Davenport 1, Oklahoma Baptist 1, Mobile 1, SCAD Atlanta 1.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, April 29) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Auburn Montgomery (13) 22-2 343 1 2 Fresno Pacific 20-4 332 2 3 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 18-3 321 3 4 Oklahoma Christian 16-3 309 4 5 Azusa Pacific 17-3 300 5 6 Point Loma Nazarene 16-5 285 6 7 Brenau 13-5 280 7 8 Concordia (Calif.) 14-7 266 8 9 William Carey 14-9 252 9 10 Southern Nazarene 12-5 246 10 11-tie Shorter 20-8 227 11 11-tie Lindsey Wilson 15-3 227 12 13 SCAD Savannah 9-3 210 13 14 Lewis-Clark State 7-14 200 14 15 Vanguard 9-14 189 15 16 Indiana Wesleyan 22-2 181 16 17 Lee (Tenn.) 9-7 149 18 18 Campbellsville 13-6 148 19 19 Xavier 7-21 147 RV 20 Westmont 7-11 131 20 21 Martin Methodist 11-4 129 17 22 Robert Morris (Chicago) 17-2 125 21 23 St. Thomas (Fla.) 5-4 102 22 24 Oklahoma Baptist 10-8 93 23 25 Marian (Ind.) 21-6 79 24 Others receiving votes: Northwestern Ohio 66, Davenport 45, Webber International 31, Belhaven 31, Nebraska Wesleyan 17, Bethel (Kan.) 15, Olivet Nazarene 11, Missouri Valley 6, Georgetown (Ky.) 5, Indiana Southeast 5, Milligan (Tenn.) 3.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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TSU Football Announces 3rd Annual Golf Tournament



Photo Courtesy Tennessee State University Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -  The Tennessee State University football team hosts the third annual fundraiser golf tournament on Friday, May 18 at the Ted Rhodes Golf Course in Nashville.

The golf tournament helps raise money for the TSU Tiger Paw Foundation, which helps maintain expenses for the Big Blue Football program.

There are plenty of opportunities to take part in the golf tournament ranging from a title sponsor to individual contributions. Organizations can also contribute prizes for Beat the Pro, Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive.

For more information about the costs of sponsorship or to register, click here for the brochure. For more information, call the TSU Football Office at 615-963-7562.

3rd Annual TSU Tiger Football Golf Tournament Sponsorship Information
Title Sponsor - $2,000
Hole Sponsor - $400
Contest Sponsor - $200
Individual - $125

2012 TSU Tiger Football Golf Tournament Brochure



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UAPB Golden Lions Men's Basketball inks pair of top hoopsters

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas - The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff announced the signing of a pair of high scoring high school men's basketball players to NCAA National Letters of Intent.

Trent Whitting, a 6-6, 210-pound small forward at Des Arc High School in Des Arc, Ark., signed with the Golden Lions after posting impressive averages of 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds for his Des Arc High School team. He also averaged 3.0 blocked shots per contest.

Trent Jeffries, a Gulfport, Mississippi native, also signed with UAPB after averaging 17.5 points per game last season at Gulfport High School. The 6-3, 180-pound shooting guard also dished out 3.8 assists and grabbed 5.1 rebounds an outling.

Whitting and Jeffries are head coach George Ivory's first two signees thus far this spring.

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Virginia State University Wins NCAA Community Engagement Award of Excellence

PETERSBURG, Virginia -- Virginia State University won the annual Division II Community Engagement Award of Excellence for the CIAA conference. VSU held a Military Appreciation Day and Fellowship Day for the Petersburg, VA community during the Chik-Fil-A Classic back in November 2011.

The Virginia State University Athletic Department hosted a Community Engagement Weekend on Friday November 25- Sunday November 27, 2011. VSU incorporated two themes within this weekend to honor two major groups within the nearby community, the military personnel and the local churches. On Friday they invited all of the local churches for a Fellowship Day at their women’s basketball game against Mercy College. This day gave our local churches an opportunity to attend the game at no charge and fellowship while they interacted with and cheered on our Lady Trojans. During the game, the churches received recognition through announcements and from the players, welcoming them to our arena.

Saturday’s basketball games was devoted to the local military personnel during Military Appreciation Day. Virginia State University is located only five miles from Fort Lee Military Base which houses over 70, 000 troops and a daily population of over 40,000 military officials. By inviting these troops to their games, VSU gave them an opportunity for leisure outside of their normal activities while honoring them for their commitment and service to our country. This event really portrayed VSU’s gratitude for our military and created a lasting relationship between Fort Lee’s Army personnel and Virginia State University’s Athletic Department.

That weekend of events really made an impact on the campus by exposing the student body and student-athletes to two major community groups in Petersburg, VA. This allowed VSU students the opportunity to network, foster relationships and thank these groups for the support that they give to VSU. The student-athletes really felt the support from the community and were appreciative that these groups came out to support them during the Thanksgiving holiday while the student body was on break.

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HU track signs two area stars

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton's women's track and field program has added two local stars. Bethel High's Maya Moore, the 2012 Virginia Group AAA indoor champion in the 500 meters, and Landstown's Tanisha Greene, the 2012 Group AAA indoor champion in the 300, have signed national letters of intent with the Lady Pirates.

Moore is also the 2012 1,600-meter relay state runner-up and the 2011 state champion in the event. She is also the 2012 Peninsula District champion in the 500 meters and the 1,600 relay.

Moore is the second state champion HU has signed from Bethel, joining three-time NCAA champion and 2012 Olympic hopeful Francena McCorory.

Greene also won a state title in the 300 meters in 2011.

"Both of these athletes will make an immediate impact on my team and will play a big part in us continuing to win MEAC championships and qualify athletes for the NCAA championships," HU coach Maurice Pierce said in a release.

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Shaw men's tennis advances to NCAA National Tournament

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Shaw University men's tennis came back from a 3-0 deficit to down Bloomsburg 5-4 and claim a spot in the Division II NCAA National Tournament.

The Bears (27-2) dropped all three doubles matches to the Huskies (16-5) and could not afford to lose more than one of the singles matches in the best-of-nine format match.

Charles Silva - at number three singles - was the first to report ... with a win over the Huskies' Lee Wexler 6-1, 6-2. Not long after, Shaw's Daniel Vasquez turned in a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Jeff Nuhfer in the number four singles slot.

Shaw's Gabriel Nicotra tied the match with a 6-2, 6-1 defeat of Mark Schroeder at number two. With the score tied at three, the three remaining matches all went into a third set.

Bloomsburg's Mike DiSanto downed Shaw's Andre Monti 6-1, 6-7, and 7-3 in the tiebreaker in the number six slot.

Shaw could not lose another match if they wanted to advance to tennis' version of the Sweet Sixteen.

Artur Latypov, Shaw's number one, had won his first set easily at 6-1, but lost the second set to Ricky Dove just as spectacularly 6-1. With fans now watching both the number one and number five matches intently, Latypov bounced back and claimed the third set 6-3 to tie the match at four apiece.

That left fifth singles Juan Sanchez of Shaw versus Tyler Pultro of Bloomsburg to decide this section of the Atlantic Regionals. Pultro had taken the first set 6-3, but Sanchez had rebounded with a 6-4 decision in the second.

After holding a 3-0 lead early in the third set, Sanchez allowed Pultro back in the set. Tied at 5-5, Sanchez held serve to go up 6-5 and then broke Pultro's serve to take the set and match with a 7-5 score.

Shaw now advances to the NCAA National Tournament May 16-19 in Louisville, Ky. This is the second straight season the Bears have made it out of regional play.

Box Score

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Former SU WR Jared Green to join Carolina Panthers

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Former Southern WR Jared Green is among 12 undrafted rookie free agents who have agreed to terms with Carolina Panthers.

Green, who is the son of former Washington Redskins cornerback star Darrell Green, played one season for the Jaguars after transferring from the University of Virginia, where he received his undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology.

The Ashburn, Va. native finished 2011 with 17 receptions for 307 yards and two TDs. Green's 141-yard performance at Arkansas-Pine Bluff was a season high during the Jaguars 4-7 campaign.

In addition to the other 11 rookie free agents, Green, along with the team's seven draft picks will take part in a rookie mini-camp May 11-13.

Jared Green's Biography

AT SOUTHERN 2011- Appeared in 11 of Southern's 11 games...earned his first letter at Southern and fourth overall...recorded a season and career-high 141 yards receiving on seven catches, also a season-high, against UAPB...scored first career TD as a Jaguar against UAPB on a 45-yard deep pass from QB J.P. Douglas...scored his second TD of 2011 on a 50-yard fly route against Texas Southern...returned a kickoff 21 yards against Grambling in the State Farm Bayou Classic. Green Receiving at Southern University Year G  No.  Yds.  Avg.  LP  TD  YPG  2011 11 17  307  18.1 50 2  30.7  AT VIRGINIA 2010 - Appeared in 11 of Virginia's 12 games ... did not see time at USC ... earned his third letter ... recorded a career-high 63 yards receiving on four catches against VMI ... grabbed eight passes for 95 yards and one TD on the season ... scored lone TD against VMI on a  15-yard strike from Ross Metheny.  2009 - Appeared in all 12 games ... earned his second letter ... caught 15 passes for 124 yards ... pulled in a career-best four receptions for 18 yards at Southern Miss ... had a season-high 28 receiving yards against William & Mary on three receptions. 2008-Worked his way into the rotation of receivers, earning his first letter ... had 12 receptions for 144 yards and one score ... made a big impression in season-opener vs. USC with three catches for 40 yards which proved to be his most productive yardage game ... also had three catches vs. Miami ... scored his only touchdown vs. the Hurricanes on two-yard pass from Marc Verica ... longest catch was 26-yarder against North Carolina.  2007-Redshirted. High School and Personal Very fast wide receiver for coach Joe Thompson at Oakton HS ... caught 17 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns as a senior ...was a teammate UVa running back Keith Payne on the state championship team during his junior season ... played at Bishop O'Connell before transferring to Oakton as a junior ... son of Jewell and Darrell Green ... has an older sister, Jerrell, and a younger sister, Joi ... father was a standout cornerback for the Washington Redskins and a 2008 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ... Jared gave his father's induction speech at the ceremony. Green Receiving at Virginia Year G  No.  Yds.  Avg.  LP  TD  YPG  2008 12 12  144  12.0 26  1  12.0  2009 12 15 124 8.3 17 0 10.3 2010 11 8 95 11.9 20 1 8.6 Career 35 35 363 10.3 26 2 10.3

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Trio of TSU Tigers Ink Undrafted Free Agent Contracts

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - A trio of Tennessee State University football players signed undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams over the weekend. Rico Council (Atlanta Falcons), Donte'e Nicholls (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Joseph Wylie (Miami Dolphins) all inked deals for an opportunity to make the 53-man roster in the fall.

Council, the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, signed a deal with the Atlanta Falcons. In 11 games last season, the linebacker netted 87 tackles (50 solo), 8.0 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. A native of Chattanooga, Council had 12 tackles in a game at Eastern Kentucky, 11 against Jackson State and 10 against each Murray State and UT Martin.

Council finished his four-year career with 295 tackles, which was second in TSU history behind only his head coach Rod Reed. In addition to being a first team All-OVC selection and Defensive Player of the Year, Council garnered Sports Network FCS All-American and HBCU All-American status.

Nicholls spent three seasons with Tennessee State after transferring from the University of South Carolina. The Pompano Beach, Fla., product played in 33 games in a Big Blue uniform, amassing 89 tackles and 14.5 tackles-for-loss in his career.



Wylie, a native Fort Lauderdale, Fla., signed a deal as a defensive back with the Miami Dolphins. In 2011, the University of Miami transfer had 66 tackles, an interception that he returned 59 yards for a touchdown and a forced fumble in 2011. The senior was named first team defense All-OVC for 2011 and earned Boxtorow Honorable Mention All-American status. Wylie completed 113 tackles in his three-year career at TSU.

"It goes to show you that we are recruiting the right guys," said Reed. "These young men made a considerable contribution to the program. Hopefully, they will do well in camp and make a NFL roster in the fall. This is a great opportunity for them and our program."

These three young men join five other TSU alums already in the NFL: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Philadelphia Eagles), Lamar Divens (Tennessee Titans), Anthony Levine (Green Bay Packers), Cecil Newton (Baltimore Ravens) and Javarris Williams (Houston Texans).

Various NFL rookie camps are expected to begin as early as this week.



TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY NFL UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT SIGNINGS
LB Rico Council - Chattanooga, Tenn. - Atlanta Falcons
DL Donte'e Nicholls - Pompano Beach, Fla. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DB Joseph Wylie - Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - Miami Dolphins

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Stillman wins SIAC title at Ozark's Eagle Stadium

MOST OUTSTANDING COACH
DONNY CRAWFORD
STILLMAN COLLEGE

OZARK, Alabama - On Saturday night, Stillman baseball coach Donny Crawford had planned to pitch someone other than Josh Cagle in Sunday’s Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship game.

Problem is, he had to break the news to Cagle – who had pitched a complete game on Thursday in Stillman’s first-round 3-2 victory over Benedict at Eagle Stadium.

“He kind of looked at me and said, ‘I want the ball,’” Crawford said.

So Crawford gave it to him. Again. And the left-hander gutted out a 7-2 victory over Paine College that extended the Tigers’ SIAC winning streak to 39 games and captured their fifth conference tournament title in the last six years.

“I had to find a way to get outs,” said Cagle (8-4), who gave up eight hits, while walking two and striking out three. “I didn’t have my best stuff today. I just had to battle through it and fight. … I did the same thing last year.”

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2012 SIAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONS
STILLMAN COLLEGE TIGERS
(PHOTO COURTESY STILLMAN COLLEGE ATHLETICS)
ROSTER

2012 SIAC Baseball All-Tournament Team

Corbin Williams, Albany State University
Eddie Mathis, Albany State University
Brett Bullard, Claflin University
Justin Bartley, Miles College
Darren Stokes, Paine College
Zachary Drummond, Paine College
Tyler Padgett, Paine College
Tyler Vails, Stillman College
Kameron McCreless, Stillman College
Dion Bryant, Stillman College

Tournament MVP: Josh Cagle, Stillman College

Most Outstanding Coach: Donny Crawford, Stillman College

Third Place: Albany State University

Runner-Up: Paine College

Southern University Jaguars roll, 14-4; streak now at 12

JACKSON, Mississippi — Quintavious Drains struck out the first three Southern batters he faced Saturday at Braddy Field. Soon enough, however, the Jaguars got to him. And soon enough, Drains faltered against a hot Southern team that keeps hitting and winning.

The Jaguars erupted for five runs in the fifth inning off of Drains, turning a close game into a 14-4 wipeout to secure their 12th consecutive victory.

“Drains did very well to start off the game,” SU coach Roger Cador said. “Then we were able to really start chipping away, chipping away. Our guys were so focused.” It certainly seemed that way. On a sunny spring afternoon, Southern piled up 19 hits and got home runs from Taylor Roy, B.J. Rowry and Cameron McGriff.


Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band & Dancing Dolls

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2012 NFL HBCU Free Agent Signees

BALTIMORE, Maryland - NFL head coaches and general managers are reeling in the desired number of undrafted players so that they will have 90 players in offseason camp.  In the race for talent, it makes you wonder why HBCU players only route to the NFL is through free agency contracts.

Only one player was drafted (Baltimore Ravens) from an HBCU program -- Christian Thompson, Safety, South Carolina State University.

Here are the free agency signees from HBCU institutions based on Tweets from the athletes, their universities and their agents:


Alabama A&M University Maroon and White Marching Band


1. Brian Tymes, WR, Florida A&M, San Francisco 49'ers
2. Ryan Davis, LB, Bethune-Cookman, Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Jean Fanor, Safety, Bethune-Cookman, Kansas City Chiefs
4. Nicholas Cooper, RB, Winston-Salem State, Green Bay Packers
5. Donovan Robinson, LB, Jackson State , New York Jets
6. Donovan Richard, LB, South Carolina State, Jacksonville Jaguars
7. Micah Pellerin, Cornerback, Hampton U., Indianapolis Colts
8. Adrian Hamilton, DE, Prairie View A&M, Dallas Cowboys
9. Lamont Bryant, TE, Morgan State, Baltimore Ravens
10. Rico Council, LB, Tennessee State, Atlanta Falcons
11. Casey Therriault, QB, Jackson State, Atlanta Falcons
12. Demario Pippen, RB, Tuskegee, Denver Broncos
13. LaQuinton "Smoke" Evans,WR, Southern U., Tennessee Titans
14. Mario Louis, WR, Grambling State, Houston Texans
15. Marquette King, P, Fort Valley State, Oakland Raiders
16. James Dekle, G, Prairie View A&M, Arizona Cardinals
17. Kevin Elliott, WR, Florida A&M, Jacksonville Jaguars
18. Delano Johnson, DE/LB, Bowie State, Houston Texans
19. Jared Green, WR, Southern U., Carolina Panthers
20. Paul Cox, WR, Mississippi Valley, San Diego Chargers
21. Dominique Ellis, DB, South Carolina State, Kansas City Chiefs

Updated 3:58 p.m. EDT, 4/29/12.


Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band, "All I Do Is Win," DJ Khaled.

beepbeep

Undrafted B-CU's Davis Quickly Signed By Jaguars; Fanor To KC

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Ryan Davis' disappointment of going undrafted lasted about ten minutes. No sooner than the 2012 NFL finished, Davis was fielding several free agent offers before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars Saturday night.

"It was unfortunate that I didn't get drafted, but I'm happy with the way things worked out," Davis said from his home in Tampa. "I'm looking forward to going to Jacksonville and contribute."

The signing capped off a frenzied day of phone calls and an emotional gauntlet for the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player Of The Year.

It appeared that Davis may be going as early as the fifth round, but that faded. Several teams called him throughout the day and indicated interest as well.

After the seventh round concluded, the free agent flurry began and every phone number associated with Davis was inundated before he reached an agreement with Jacksonville, a decision he described as "the best fit."

"I went through happy, sad, mad, nervous ... all of that," Davis admitted. "But now it's over. I have a home right now and I can get back to what I love. All the paper work is done and all the workouts are done."

Davis will join former B-CU standout Rashean Mathis on the Jaguars' roster.Davis will be considered a "top tier free agent," giving him the same considerations as a draft pick.

Also on Saturday, Jean Fanor signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I’m trying to soak it all in,” said the former B-CU defensive back. “I’m humbled and grateful to be in this position. I’m going to keep my head down and keep grinding.”

Fanor, who had an impressive performance at B-CU’s Pro Day, said the Chiefs appreciate his work ethic.

“They liked that I play the game fast and play the game hard,” Fanor said. “They want to give me an opportunity to play at the next level.”

Several former Wildcats have gone on to NFL success via the free agent route. Eric Weems, now with the Chicago Bears, went undrafted but signed with the Atlanta and earned a Pro Bowl berth as a special teams player. NFL Hall of Famer Larry Little was first signed as a free agent by the San Diego Chargers before being traded to the Miami Dolphins.

Several former Wildcats have gone on to NFL success via the free agent route. Eric Weems, now with the Chicago Bears, went undrafted but signed with the Atlanta and earned a Pro Bowl berth as a special teams player. NFL Hall of Famer Larry Little was first signed as a free agent by the San Diego Chargers before being traded to the Miami Dolphins.


COURTESY Dan Ryan BETHUNE-COOKMAN ATHLETICS.COM

Xavier sweeps NAIA unaffiliated group championships

NORCROSS, Georgia — Xavier University of Louisiana's men's tennis team defeated Cumberland 5-0 Saturday to win an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament for the second straight year. Xavier also won the women's championship by upsetting defending champion Martin Methodist 5-2.

XU's men set a school record with their seventh consecutive conference/group tournament championship.

Both the Gold Rush (17-7), ranked eighth, and the unranked Gold Nuggets (7-21) earned automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships at Mobile, Ala., next month. The Rush qualified for the fourth straight year, and the Nuggets qualified for the sixth time in eight seasons.

Cumberland's 16th-ranked men (17-2) and Martin Methodist's 17th-ranked women (11-4) await possible at-large bids to nationals. Tournament pairings will be announced May 8.

Loic Didavi clinched Xavier's men's title with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Na'im Azhar at No. 1 singles. Seniors Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richarson defeated Devin Crotzer and Na'im Azhar 8-6 at No. 2 doubles, and both XU seniors finished unbeaten in four years of conference and group tournaments. Giles-Osborn is 15-0, and Richardson is 12-0.

Xavier also got doubles victories from Didavi and Zach Taylor and Viktor Svoboda and Corey Huggins. Taylor gave the Rush a 4-0 advantage when he beat Evan Sanna 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.

"Our men came out on a mission to play well and not let up on anyone," XU coach Alan Green said. "We have to keep that attitude going in the national tournament."

Amber Brown beat Maria Charrys 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3 singles to clinch for the Nuggets. Charrys clinched a 5-4 victory against XU on March 9 by beating Brown in three sets.

"I just wanted to go out there and get revenge for last time," Brown said. "I told myself that I wasn't going to lose to her. I knew that I needed to win for my team to get to nationals."

It was the second time Saturday that the Nuggets lost the first two doubles matches, then won five in a row. Kourtney Howell and Nicole DeLoach beat Charrys and Jeanna Stanford 8-5 at No. 2 doubles, then Amanda Materre, Howell and Jordyn Goody won in singles to set up Brown's clinching victory."

"I could not be prouder of the Nuggets," Green said. "We may not have the prettiest overall record, but we're definitely one of the top 24 teams."

In the semifinals the XU men beat Bethel (Tenn.) 5-0, and the women overcame a 2-0 deficit to win 5-2 against Milligan, which eliminated the Nuggets in the 2011 semifinals.

Xavier's seven teams combined for nine conference/group championships in 2011-12, and all seven teams qualified for national tournaments. The nine titles and seven tourney bids are XU records for one academic year.

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament MEN Racquet Club of the South, Norcross, Ga. First Round — Friday, April 27 #8 Milligan 5, #9 Bluefield 0 Quarterfinals — Friday, April 27 #4 Bethel (Tenn.) 5, #5 Tennessee Wesleyan 3 #6 SCAD Atlanta 5, #3 Martin Methodist 2 #1 Xavier 6, Milligan 0 #2 Cumberland 5, #7 Reinhardt 0 Semifinals — Saturday, April 28 #1 Xavier 5, #4 Bethel (Tenn.) 0 #2 Cumberland 5, #6 SCAD Atlanta 0 Championship — Saturday, April 28 #1 Xavier 5, #2 Cumberland 0

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament WOMEN Racquet Club of the South, Norcross, Ga. First Round — Friday, April 27 #7 Bethel 6, #10 Reinhardt 3 #8 Columbia (S.C.) 5, #9 Bluefield 0 Quarterfinals — Friday, April 27 #3 Milligan 5, #6 Tennessee Wesleyan 0 #5 Cumberland 6, #4 SCAD Atlanta 0 #1 Martin Methodist 6, #8 Columbia (S.C.) 0 #2 Xavier 5, #7 Bethel (Tenn.) 0 Semifinals — Saturday, April 28 #1 Martin Methodist 5, #5 Cumberland 0 #2 Xavier 5, #3 Milligan 2 Championship — Saturday, April 28 #2 Xavier 5, #1 Martin Methodist 2

Results: Men Women

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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McNeill, Watkins are top athletes at ECSU

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - There was a buzz in the room when football coach Waverly Tillar announced the team’s offensive MVP during the annual Elizabeth City State Sports Banquet on Thursday. The buzz was not about who won, but who did not.

Record-setting junior running back and reigning Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year Daronte McNeill was passed over for senior quarterback Creven Powell. But McNeill had bigger awards in his future,

To cap the evening, McNeill and bowler Shanice Watkins were named ECSU’s Male and Female Athletes of the Year. “I was a little surprised to win this award,” McNeill said. “This will definitely make me work harder for the next season.”

McNeill, who has set 14 combined school and CIAA records in his three seasons at ECSU, was not deterred when he did not get Offensive MVP.

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WSSU's Cooper lands free-agent deal with Green Bay Packers

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Running back Nic Cooper of Winston-Salem State has signed a free-agent contract with the Green Bay Packers.

Cooper, who went undrafted after leaving WSSU with one season of eligibility left, is from Clinton and is 6-feet and 240 pounds. He rushed for 3,430 yards in his career at WSSU, the fourth-best mark in school history.

“I’m excited,” Cooper said by telephone on Sunday morning. Cooper got the call from the Packers on Saturday night after the conclusion of the three-day long NFL Draft. “I’ll leave for Green Bay on May 10th and be ready for rookie camp and to get acclimated to everything,” Cooper said. “I have to admit I didn’t sleep much (Saturday night) and I’m still kind of coming to terms with all of this.”



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SCSU's Thompson Selected In Fourth Round By Baltimore Ravens; Only HBCU Player Selected in 2012 NFL Draft

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina — South Carolina State All-MEAC safety Christian Thompson has been selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2012 National Football League draft.

The Ravens selected Thompson with the 130th pick overall.Thompson is the first Bulldog selected as high in the NFL draft since 1997 when the San Diego Chargers chose Raleigh Roundtree with the 109th pick overall in the fourth round. The 6-1, 211 pound Florida native was pegged by many pre-NFL draft websites as one of the top 10 safeties in the country.

Thompson saw action in 34 games during his three-year career for the Bulldogs. A 2011 first-team All-MEAC selection was the only player invited to the NFL combine since Arther Love in 1999 picked by the New England Patriots. He finished third on the team in tackles with 66 and second with 2 INTS, helping the Bulldogs to two MEAC titles in 2009, and 2010.

As a junior, played strong safety with a career-high 6 sacks while recording 46 tackles (one for loss) as a starter. 2009: One of the top reserves in the SC State secondary after transferring from Auburn…Played in eleven of the team's twelve contests and finished ninth on the squad in total tackles with 29, including six for losses and one sack. 2008: Played 10 games on special teams for Auburn, making one solo tackle, as a true freshman.

In the 2012 combine he finished as the # 6 Free Safety in the draft out of 71 running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and a vertical jump of 31 ½.

COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NOTE:  Unfortunately, Christian Thompson becomes the poster man for HBCU football for 2012, as no other player from the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, SIAC or GCAC was selected in the seven round NFL draft.  A total of 253 players were selected -- all the more reason that HBCU players should always make their No. 1 priority, earning their college degree(s) versus chasing a pipe dream of NFL riches. 

Sure,  a few will sign free agency contracts in the coming days and weeks -- with few, if any making it to the active roster on opening day.  Long shots at best, many of these players would have been better served if they had put as much emphasis on their academics as they did on football.  Although success is not guaranteed with a college degree, I like the odds better than those of making it to the NFL, NBA, NHL, NSL, MLB, etc.  I'm not trying to kill any one's dream, but you have to deal with the realities of life.  Without an education, you might as well be ...

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Both Xavier teams advance at NAIA group tournament

NORCROSS, Georgia — Xavier University of Louisiana's men defeated Milligan 6-0, and the XU women beat Bethel (Tenn.) 5-0 Friday in the quarterfinals of an NAIA unaffiliated group tennis tournament.

The Gold Rush (15-7) — seeded first in the tournament, the defending champion and ranked eighth nationally — will play fourth-seeded Bethel in the semifinals. The Gold Nuggets (5-21), seeded second, will play third-seeded Milligan. Both duals will start at 8:30 a.m. EDT Saturday.

Zach Taylor, Viktor Svoboda and Steffen Giles-Osborn won singles and doubles matches for the Rush. Svoboda clinched with a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Wesley Rice at No. 3 singles. Kourtney Howell and Amber Brown won in singles and doubles for the Nuggets, and Howell clinched with a 6-0, 6-1 decision against Dasha Klyuyenko at No. 1 singles.

Svoboda clinched a Gold Rush dual for a team-leading fourth time this season.

Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson, seniors and fourth-year team members, both remained unbeaten in conference/group tournaments. Giles-Osborn and Richardson defeated Wesley Rice and Sebastian Jonsson 8-2 at No. 2 doubles, and Giles-Osborn beat Mickey Brown 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4 singles. Richardson's No. 6 singles match against Wade Tugman was not played.

Giles-Osborn is 13-0 and Richardson 10-0 in conference/group tournaments.

For just the third time this season, all three of the Gold Nuggets' doubles teams played and won. And for the first time in more than two years, the Nuggets' top two doubles teams both won 8-0. Howell and Nicole DeLoach's shutout against Michella Douglas and Krysani Boyd at No. 2 was their seventh victory in their past 10 matches. That's the best extended stretch of any Nuggets double team during a spring semester in which they've won 21-of-78 matches.

Both XU semifinal matchups will be rematches of 2011, when the Rush defeated Bethel 6-0 and Milligan beat the Nuggets 5-0.

Championship duals will be played Saturday afternoon — no sooner than noon EDT — with the winners receiving automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships at Mobile, Ala., on May 15-19.

Results: Men Women

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament MEN Racquet Club of the South, Norcross, Ga. All times Eastern First Round — Friday, April 27 #8 Milligan 5, #9 Bluefield 0 Quarterfinals — Friday, April 27 #4 Bethel (Tenn.) 5, #5 Tennessee Wesleyan 3 #6 SCAD Atlanta 5, #3 Martin Methodist 2 #1 Xavier 6, Milligan 0 #2 Cumberland 5, #7 Reinhardt 0 Semifinals — Saturday, April 28 #1 Xavier vs. #4 Bethel (Tenn.), 8:30 a.m. #2 Cumberland vs. #6 SCAD Atlanta, 8:30 a.m. Championship — Saturday, April 28 Semifinal winners meet at noon

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament WOMEN Racquet Club of the South, Norcross, Ga. All times Eastern First Round — Friday, April 27 #7 Bethel 6, #10 Reinhardt 3 #8 Columbia (S.C.) 5, #9 Bluefield 0 Quarterfinals — Friday, April 27 #3 Milligan 5, #6 Tennessee Wesleyan 0 #5 Cumberland 6, #4 SCAD Atlanta 0 #1 Martin Methodist 6, #8 Columbia (S.C.) 0 #2 Xavier 5, #7 Bethel (Tenn.) 0 Semifinals — Saturday, April 28 #1 Martin Methodist vs. #5 Cumberland, 8:30 a.m. #2 Xavier vs. #3 Milligan, 8:30 a.m. Championship — Saturday, April 28 Semifinal winners meet at noon

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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