ASU Barlow holds exit interviews with football players

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Football coach Reggie Barlow spent last week going over "exit" interviews with his players, talking to each one about what is expected from them between now and when the team convenes for fall camp on July 31.

"We want to meet with every guy on the team – scholarship guys, non-scholarship guys, two-deep, three-deep -- and talk about academics and where they are and where they perceive themselves to be in classes, have they enrolled in summer school and I always like to hear how they thought they did this spring," Barlow said. "I have cards written up by each (position) coach, how they did, and of course I have my own opinion."

Which brings up the interesting question: Are the players ever more critical of themselves than the coaches?

"I think (quarterback Daniel) Duhart was not happy with his spring play," Barlow said. "I think we were all on the same page that we were hoping that we would have gotten a little more out of him this spring. But he was critical of himself.

CONTINUE READING

Williams Signs with Grambling State Lady Tiger Basketball Team

Myah Williams

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The GSU Lady Tiger Basketball team has been busy on the recruiting trail as they have signed Myah Williams, a 5'9 Guard from John F. Kennedy High School out of Seattle, Washington

Williams helped to lead Kennedy Catholic High School to three consecutive Seamount League Titles and to the State Championships in her freshman, sophomore and senior years.  Williams was named Seamount League Player of the Year in 2013 and was also name 1st team District 8 All-Regional.  She went on to earn a spot on the Washington All-State 2nd Team. Williams averaged 19.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game to go along with  6.8 assists and 7.3 steals during her senior year.  She was named Seattle Times All Regional Player as well as being named Auburn Riverside Tournament of Champions Most Valuable Player and named to the Comcast Holiday All-Tournament Team.

"We are blessed to have this young and energetic talent.," said Assistant Coach Chauncey Harris.   "The truth is Myah was sold on Grambling before she even spoke to us.  This young lady has roots in Louisiana and she looks forward to establishing herself as a immediate force in our conference.

Williams comes from a long line of great athletes as her father Guy, was an All-American Basketball player at Washington State University and a NBA player with the Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors.  "Myah's mom and dad were instrumental in making sure that their

Myah plans on studying Biochemistry and wants to work in the medical industry when her athletic career is over.

daughter had an opportunity to pursue her dreams of playing for Grambling State University, said Coach Harris"  Her sister Aminah plays basketball for the University of Washington and younger brother Noah (class of 2019) is rated the #1 player in the Northwest.

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Danville's own Marty Miller now a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame

Marty L. Miller
Athletics Director
Norfolk State University
 

DANVILLE, Virginia  -- It’s just another Hall of Fame induction to add to the already impressive resume for Danville native Marty Miller.

The Norfolk State director of athletics — a long-time baseball coach for the Spartans — was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Saturday night. Even though it is his fifth Hall of Fame, Miller feels grounded by the honor.

“It’s been a very humbling experience, and especially when I think about how I got started in athletics,” Miller said Monday. “As I indicated the other night, when I started, I was trying to play baseball.”

Miller, who always felt he had to prove himself in order to make baseball teams because he was small growing up, stumbled into the head coaching position at Norfolk State, a post he held for 32 seasons. Miller was a Norfolk State assistant coach in 1972 and became head coach in 1973.

“I’d had no coaching experience when I started coaching here at Norfolk State,” he said. “I was here in Norfolk, and they needed a baseball coach. So, I was approached, and I was working somewhere downtown, and they asked me if I would come over and coach the team for two weeks.”

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Brianna Hayes signs with Norfolk State

CHESTERFIELD, Virginia  -- Matoaca High School Track and Field standout Brianna Hayes has signed a letter of intent to compete for Norfolk State University next school year. Brianna will join the Norfolk State Division I team competing in the MEAC conference.

Brianna competes in the high jump, long jump and the 400 meters. She is the current school record holder in the high jump. Her personal best is 5’10”. She is the Regional Champion and is ranked in the top five female high school high jumpers in the State.

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Southern lacks enough players to makeup DH at Texas Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The Southern baseball team will not play a makeup doubleheader against Texas Southern scheduled for May 8 in Houston because it won’t have enough players available.

When Southern failed to qualify for the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament that begins May 14, coach Roger Cador gave 10 players who are from other countries or have long distances to travel home permission to leave after final exams, which end May 7. The cost for the families to change the flights would be prohibitive, Cador said.

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The SWAC was waiting until the completion of the regular-season this weekend to see if the makeups would be necessary. The Jaguars play a weekend series at Prairie View A&M.

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SWAC baseball tournament getting close to moving to New Orleans

SWAC tournament appears to have found home in New Orleans

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball tournament appears headed to New Orleans.

The director of the MLB Urban Youth Academy there said Wednesday that he was awaiting insurance paperwork in order to complete the booking. Eddie Davis III called the paperwork “a formality” and said he expected its arrival any time.

Time is of the essence because the eight-team tournament begins May 14.

The SWAC moved the tournament out of Fort Worth, Texas, because of safety issues at LaGraves Field, including an uneven playing surface.

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CFL team signs Former Saint Augustine's University OL Wells

JUSTIN WELLS
Courtesy Carolina Panthers

EDMONTON, AB Canada -- Former Saint Augustine’s University and Orlando Predators Justin Wells signed a contract with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, the franchise announced this week.

Wells, a 6-foot-4, 325-pound offensive lineman, played six games for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League (AFL) this season. As a rookie in 2014, Wells helped produce the AFL’s top-ranked total offense (320.3 yards per game) while protecting quarterback Jason Boltus, who ranks first overall in total offensive touchdowns (53). Wells was placed on the AFL’s “Other League Exempt List” with this week’s signing.

"We built our program to be an environment in which young players can develop and perfect their skills," said Orlando Predators Head Coach Rob Keefe. "Justin is a player that took coaching well and applied those techniques to field. We are extremely proud to see Justin make the transition to the CFL and wish him the best of luck as he furthers his football career."

Prior to entering the Arena Football League, Wells was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and 2013. He was assigned to the Arizona Rattlers of the AFL before being acquired by the Predators via trade on Jan. 16.

CONTINUE READING 

Tampa Bay brings back franchise extra point leader, Juan Bongarra (Albany State)

TAMPA, Florida -- The Tampa Bay Storm acquired kicker Juan Bongarra (Bone´-gah-rah), announced vice president of football operations Jeff Gooch. The team reassigned kicker Geoff Boyer.

“We are excited to have Juan back with the team,” said Gooch. “He brings the experience and professionalism that we look for in a Storm player.”

Bongarra (6-foot-3, 200 lbs., Albany State) enters his fourth season in the AFL and his third in a Storm uniform. A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bongarra holds the Storm all-time career record for extra points attempted (241), extra points made (207) and ranks third all-time in points scored – kicking (225). In 2012, Bongarra broke the Storm single-season record for extra points made with 116. He began his AFL career in 2011 with the Tulsa Talons. For his career, Bongarra has made 302-of-354 PATs and 17-of-42 field goal attempts.

Bongarra played collegiately at Scottsdale Community College (AZ) where he earned all-National Junior College Athletic Association honors. He would go on to transfer to Albany State (GA) where he was named an All-SIAC selection.

Boyer (5-foot-10, 170 lbs., Middle Tennessee State) joined the Storm three games into the 2014 season. He made 24-of-27 extra point attempts.

NCAA Regional Tennis Brackets Revealed, Chowan Men Take on Shaw, Women Face Indiana University of Pennsylvania

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  --  With the unveiling of the NCAA DII Men's and Women's Tennis Championship brackets on Tuesday evening, the Hawks can prepare to continue their historic seasons at the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Tournament.  Both programs will make their first-ever regional appearances this weekend.

On the men's side, 48 teams earned bids to this year's tournament (15 automatic qualifiers and 33 at-large bids).  Bluefield State and West Virginia Wesleyan will each serve as Atlantic Region site hosts, with the winners from each location advancing to the NCAA Finals May 14^th-17^th in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

The Hawks are making history after earning the institution's first-ever at-large bid in any program.  Despite falling to Shaw 5-1 in the CIAA Championship, Chowan maintained a fifth place ranking in the Atlantic Region, securing their spot as the fifth seed in this weekend's tournament.

The men's team will travel to Bluefield State on Sunday, May 4^th, and will take on the Shaw Bears, the number four seed, in a rematch of the CIAA Championship title match.  Chowan posts a 17-9 mark on the year, while Shaw is 14-5 on this season.  The winner will advance to take on the Bluefield State Big Blues on May 5^th.  Exact times will be released as they become available. 

West Virginia Wesleyan, Charleston (WV), Shaw, Edinboro, Kutztown all advanced to the Atlantic Regional Tournament as well.  For more details regarding the men's regional championship, click HERE.

48 women's teams earned bids to this year's tournament (17 automatic qualifiers and 31 at-large bids).  California University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University of Pennsylvania will serve as Atlantic Region site hosts, with the winners from each location advancing to the NCAA National Championship Tournament May 14^th-17^th in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

The women earned an automatic bid after clinching their first-ever CIAA Women's Tennis Championship with a 5-0 win over Virginia State University back on April 19^th.   The Hawks travel to Indiana University of Pennsylvania this Saturday, May 3^rd and enter the Atlantic Regional Tournament as the number seven seed.  They will compete against the Crimson Hawks of Indiana (PA), who captured an at-large bid after winning earning a runner-up finish at the PSAC Championship.  The Crimson Hawks, 17-9, are the number two seed in the Atlantic Region on the women's side.  The winner will take on Slippery Rock / West Viriginia State on May 4th.  Times will be released as they become available.

Chowan posts a program-best 23-7 overall record heading into regional play this weekend.    Cal-P, West Virginia State, Mercyhurst, West Liberty, and Slippery Rock round out Atlantic Region bracket on the women's side.  For more information about the women's regional championship, click HERE.



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WSSU Names Tonia Walker Athletics Director

TONIA WALKER
WSSU ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  – Tonia Walker, associate director of athletics and senior woman administration at Winston-Salem State University, has been named the athletic director for the program effective immediately.

 

"Tonia has done an outstanding job in every role she has been given within the WSSU athletics program and has a wealth of knowledge of intercollegiate athletics beyond our campus," said Chancellor Donald J. Reaves.  "Having Tonia as the athletic director brings strong leadership to the program and provides stability for our players, coaches and staff.  Tonia has certainly earned this opportunity and I am absolutely delighted that she is moving into this position on a permanent basis."

 

Walker has been serving as interim athletic director since March 1 of this year and had previously served as interim director for nearly a year in 2009.  She joined the WSSU athletics staff in August 2000 as assistant director and head volleyball coach.  In 2002, she resigned her coaching duties to focus on her administrative role.  Walker began her career in athletics in 1993 at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) headquarters.

 

As associate director of athletics, Walker was responsible for the internal operations of the department and was instrumental in fundraising efforts, the implementation of CHAMPS/Lifeskills programming, the Rams leadership Academy and other initiatives that supported the development of the student athletes and the athletics staff.

 

Walker has served on numerous committees both nationally and for the university, including serving in various positions with the CIAA and serving on the NCAA Division II Membership Committee.  She is currently a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) and of the Minority Opportunities Association, as well as the Black College Coaches and Administrators Association. 

 

Named the CIAA Senior Woman Administrator for 2003-2004, 2005-2006 and 2011-12, Walker was one of eight participants from throughout the country selected for the NCAA Fellows Leadership Development Program.  She is a graduate of the NACWAA HERS Institute and Executive Institute and was the 2008 recipient of the NACWAA Nell Jackson Award given annually to an athletic administrator who is a strong leader and an advocate for gender equity.

 

Walker earned a B.A. degree with honors in speech and language disorders from Hampton University and her M.S. degree in recreation and sports administration from Old Dominion University.  While at Hampton, Walker was a two-sport athlete, playing both basketball and softball.

 

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

South Carolinal State Women's Draw No.8 Florida

2014 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY LADY BULLDOGS
COURTESY SCSU ATHLETICS
ROSTER 

GAINESVILLE, Florida   -- The defending women's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champion South Carolina State University will travel to the sunshine state to take on eight-seeded Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tennis Championship at the Linder Stadium Tennis Complex.

SC State (13-5) earned their 10^th consecutive and 11^th overall Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship will face the eight-ranked Lady Gators (19-5) in the 64-team draw, Friday May 9 beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Ticket Information:
·         Tickets may be purchased in advance or on each day of the tournament.
·         An ALL-SESSION Pass is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for senior citizens, college students and children under 17.
·         SINGLE DAY tickets for Friday and Saturday are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for senior citizens, college students and children under 17.
·         SINGLE DAY tickets for Sunday are $3.00 for everyone.
·         A Will Call window for the teams will also be located at the Ring Tennis Complex entrance.
·         Spectators interested in purchasing an advance ALL-SESSION Pass may do so by contacting:

o    Gator Ticket Office
o    Post Office Box 14485
o    Gainesville, FL  32604
o    352/375-4683, ext. 6800
o    352/372-5801 (fax)

Friday, May 9 * Women's NCAA First Round
12 p.m.	Oklahoma State vs. South Florida
3 p.m.	Florida vs. South Carolina State

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Alcorn State Selected To Face Texas A&M in NCAA Tournament

2014 ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY BRAVES
ROSTER
COURTESY ASU ATHLETICS

 BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference 2014 Men's Tennis Champions, Alcorn State, were selected on Tuesday to face No. 8 Texas A&M University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Texas A&M was one of 16 schools selected to host the first and second rounds of the tournament. ALCN (9-8,7-0) will head to College Station on May 10 to compete against the Aggies at 12:00 p.m. CT.

First round matches in College Station will begin on Saturday, May 10, with the Texas Tech facing Cal at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Panthers at 12:00 p.m. CT. The winners will face off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, to determine which team advances to the NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga., May 16-20.

Under the leadership of Head COach Anthony Dodgen, the Panthers will head into the tournament unbeaten in SWAC play at 7-0.

NCAA Tournament Bracket

Ticket information:
$12 All-Session Reserved (Stadium Club)

$7 Single Day Reserved (Stadium Club)

$5 Single Day General Admission

$3 Single Day Student/Youth

Free for children under age two

COURTESY SWAC.ORG 

SCSU Bulldogs Draw North Carolina Tarheels In First-Round Of NCAA Tennis Championships

2014 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS
ROSTER
COURTESY S.C. STATE ATHLETICS

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina — The South Carolina State Bulldogs is set to battle host No. 7 seed North Carolina in the opening round of the NCAA Division I Team Tennis Championship held Saturday at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

Matches on Saturday, May 10 at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center will feature South Carolina (15-13) of the Southeastern Conference against Atlantic 10 Conference champion George Washington (17-6) at 9 a.m.

UNC (24-5) will face South Carolina State (9-7) at 12 noon in the second first round match.

The Tar Heels are  3-0 all-time against the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs (10-7) currently earned their 7^th consecutive and 12^th overall Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title and received the league's automatic bid to the NCAA field.  The Tar Heels (24-5) of the ACC is currently ranked seventh nationally by the ITA.

Tickets for the event are $5. Children 6 & under are free. Gates will open one hour prior to play on both Friday and Saturday.



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JSU Lady Tigers Tabbed to Face No. 2 Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- After advancing to the final round of the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference, Jackson State University received an automatic bid to face No. 2 Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament by default. The 2014 SWAC Women's Tennis Champions, Southern University could not participate in the tournament due to ineligibility.

JSU (10-17) is making its first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2009 and will face UA for the first time in program history. The Lady Tigers are the automatic qualifier out of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. JSU will head into the tournament first in SWAC play with an 8-1 record.

Alabama, hosting for the third-straight year and third overall, will take on the Lady Tigers in its first-round match up on Friday, May 9, at 4 p.m. CT. That match will be preceded by the Arizona State/Princeton match that is set to begin at 1 p.m. CT. The winners of both matches will then meet in the second round on Saturday, May 10, at 1 p.m. CT.

NCAA Tournament Bracket

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LSU rallies to defeat Alcorn State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – A two-out, three-run home run by junior Conner Hale in the bottom of the eighth inning elevated sixth-ranked LSU (34-11-1) to a 9-7 win over Alcorn State (8-37) Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

The Tigers travel to College Station, Texas to face Texas A&M beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. All three games of the series will be televised. Game 1 will be on CBS Sports Network, Game 2 will be on ESPN2 at 12 p.m., and Game 3 will be on ESPNU at 1 p.m.

LSU, which faced deficits of 5-0 and 6-1 during Tuesday’s game versus Alcorn State, recorded its biggest comeback victory since April 7, 2012, when the Tigers also erased a five-run deficit at Florida.

“Let me say first of all that Alcorn State played a tremendous game; we couldn’t get their hitters out and they made some unbelievable defensive plays,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. "(Alcorn State) Coach (Barret) Rey and his players deserve a lot of credit because they played their hearts out, and the played extremely well."

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Anderson retains Fuller on Mizzou staff

COLUMBIA, Missouri  --  New Missouri basketball coach Kim Anderson has already lured in his first big recruit. Tim Fuller, Mizzou’s associate head coach the last three seasons and the program’s top recruiter, has agreed to work on Anderson’s staff.

"I'd like to welcome Tim Fuller as the first member of our coaching staff here at Missouri and applaud how he led this program and kept Mizzou moving forward through practices and recruiting over the last couple weeks," Anderson said in a prepared statement. "Tim has displayed incredible character and loyalty to Mizzou during the transition and demonstrated from our first meeting his commitment and passion for our student-athletes and Mizzou Basketball. I look forward to working closely with Tim as we move our program forward and am excited about the future of Tiger Basketball."

Fuller was a candidate for the head coaching job at Florida A&M and had several recent discussions with FAMU athletics director Kellen Winslow, the former Mizzou star tight end.

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Lawmakers find compromise on FAMU-FSU engineering school

TALLAHASSEE, Florida --  The biggest budget controversy in higher education this session was the Senate's proposed split of the engineering school shared by Florida A&M University and Florida State University.

The House refused to approve $13 million for a separate engineering school at FSU, which Sen. John Thrasher successfully inserted into the budget.

The compromise approved this week is being applauded by the FAMU community: $500,000 for an independent study of the program and agreeing that the Board of Governors, not the Legislature, will have the final say on any changes.

The board will have the option of keeping the status quo or creating engineering programs at each school.

CONTINUE READING

Alabama State enter NCAA Women’s Golf Regionals

PHOTO COURTESY SWAC.ORG

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana --  After winning a consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference women's golf title, Alabama State University will make its third postseason appearance in four seasons.

The Lady Hornets are included in a field of 378 participants after the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee announced the teams and individuals selected to participate in the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Regionals.

ASU will play in the East regional will be played at SouthWood Golf Club in Tallahassee, Florida and will be hosted by Florida State from May 8-10. Conference automatic qualifiers are indicated in parenthesis next to the institution. The Lady Hornets set a scoring record on the course earlier this year.

 

Three regional tournaments will be conducted May 8-10 to determine the championships field. Regional tournaments are considered preliminary rounds of NCAA championships competition, and all national championships policies apply.

More than 350 participants have been selected for regional competition. Among these players, 126 will advance to the championships finals. Eight teams and two individuals will advance from each regional.

The championships finals will be held May 20-23 at Tulsa Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma and will be co-hosted by Tulsa and the Tulsa Sports Commission.

East Regional

Schools:

1. Duke (Atlantic Coast Conference)

2. South Carolina

3. Stanford (Pac-12)

4. Vanderbilt (Southeastern Conference)

5. Pepperdine (West Coast Conference)

6. UCF

7. Virginia

8. Auburn

9. NC State

10. Florida State

11. Kentucky

12. Tulane (Conference USA)

13. Louisville (American Athletic Conference)

14. Baylor

15. East Tennessee State (Atlantic Sun)

16. Georgia

17. Campbell (Big South)

18. East Carolina

19. Texas State

20. College of Charleston (Colonial Athletic Association)

21. Troy (Sun Belt)

22. Murray State (Ohio Valley)

23. Seton Hall (Big East )

24. Alabama State (Southwestern Athletic Conference)

 

COURTESY SWAC.ORG

TSU's Edwards, Murphy Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society

(L) MICHAEL MURPHY AND KADEEM EDWARDS (R)
Courtesy Tennessee State University Sports Information

NASHVILLE, Tennessee   -- Tennessee State lineman Kadeem Edwards and Michael Murphy were named to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) 2014 Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career.

A total of 838 players from 267 schools qualified for membership in the society's eighth year, setting a new record for the number of members in the history of the program, which began in 2007.

 

Edwards, who was also named First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference, started 13 games for the Tigers and blocked for Tim Broughton who rushed for 1,146 yards (25th-most nationally) and six touchdowns. The senior protected a quarterback duo that combined for 26 passes touchdowns and only four interceptions.

 

Murphy appeared in all 14 contests for TSU last season, notching 21 tackles – 3.5 for loss. The senior also forced and recovered a fumble while playing a pivotal role in the nation’s sixth-best defense.

 

"We continue to raise the bar each year for the number of student-athletes who qualify for membership in the Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Hampshire Honor Society plays an important role in highlighting that college football players clearly play a leadership role in the classroom as well as on the playing field. We congratulate each of these young men for their commitment to excellence."

 

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's current National Scholar-Athlete program greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. The program further strengthens the organization's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes who play football at the more than 700 college and universities with football programs nationwide.

 

COMPLETE LIST OF INDUCTEES

 

HBCU INDUCTEES

 

College       Inductee

Alabama State University Bobby Wenzig

Benedict College (S.C.) Martin Epps

Delaware State University Marco Kano

Edward Waters College (Fla.) Darrien Carmichael

Edward Waters College (Fla.) Jerry Martin

North Carolina Central University Jordan Reid

Tennessee State University Kadeem Edwards

Tennessee State University Michael Murphy

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

 

Back on top: Xavier Gold Nuggets No. 1 in NAIA coaches poll

The Gold Nuggets earn their fourth all-time No. 1 ranking and first of 2014
after receiving 12 first-place votes and 343 total points.
 
ROSTER
COACH

NEW ORLEANS -- For the second consecutive season, Xavier University of Louisiana has ascended to No. 1 in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Nuggets (15-6) collected 12-of-13 first-place votes Tuesday and swapped places with Georgia Gwinnett, which dropped to second. Xavier defeated Georgia Gwinnett 5-3 on Saturday in the championship of the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament at XU.

On April 16, 2013, the Gold Nuggets became the first XU team in any sport to reach No. 1 in an NAIA coaches poll. They were No. 1 for three consecutive polls before losing to William Carey in the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship, then falling to No. 3 in the postseason poll.

This season the Gold Nuggets were third in the preseason, dropped to sixth in the first regular-season poll but climbed to No. 2 on March 18 after a 5-4 victory at then-No. 1 and three-time defending NAIA champion Auburn Montgomery. Xavier was No. 2 for three consecutive polls before Tuesday's announcement.

It's the Gold Nuggets' 14th consecutive top-10 appearance and their fifth consecutive appearance in the top five.

"It's nice to be No. 1," XU coach Alan Green said, "but we were in the same position last year and didn't finish on top. Our goal now is to refocus and try to come home with a national championship. We know if we don't play our best, anyone in the top five can beat us."

Xavier's next dual will start at 9 a.m. on May 14 in the second round of the national tournament at Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center at Mobile, Ala. The NAIA will announce the 24-team field May 5, and pairings will be revealed May 6.

The top 25:

1. Xavier
2. Georgia Gwinnett
3. Lindsey Wilson
4. Auburn Montgomery
5. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
6. Brenau
7. SCAD Savannah
8. Vanguard
9. Northwood (Fla.)
10. Oklahoma Baptist
11. Westmont
12. Graceland
13. Coastal Georgia
14. Milligan
15. Concordia (Calif.)
16. Davenport
17. Lewis-Clark State
18. Indiana Wesleyan
19. Cardinal Stritch
20. Northwestrrn Ohio
21. Marian (Ind.)
22. (tie) St. Thomas (Fla.)
22. (tie) Olivet Nazarene
24. Campbellsville
25. McPherson


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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