WINDSOR, North Carolina -- It’s not too close, and it’s not too far.
That was part of Bertie High basketball player De’Najah Porter’s reasoning for picking NCAA Division-II and CIAA-member school Fayetteville State University over St. Petersburg College and Cape Fear Community College as starting points for the next phase of her basketball career.
Porter actually went through a workout for Lady Broncos coach Eva Patterson-Heath during her official campus visit in March. She was sold on the school and they were just as sold on her.
“They were looking for new players and they said they liked my game, and they were interested in offering me a full-ride scholarship,” Porter stated. “Last week they contacted (Bertie girls) Coach (Alice) Lyons and told them they were going to go ahead and send in the paperwork.”
A shy almost demure lady off the court, Porter knows that with bigger, faster, quicker players in college, she’ll have to change some of her approach to the game.
At 6’ 2”, she led Bertie to the third round (sectional finals) of the 2A state playoffs this past February and a 23-5 record en route to the Northeastern Coastal Conference regular-season title with an 11-1 mark in conference play.
“She’s an excellent athlete,” said Lyons. “Those CIAA players are going to have to keep up with her.”
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
Lane College Dragons Release the 2015 Football Schedule
JACKSON,Tennessee -- As the saying goes "When the going gets tough, the tough get going"! With the release of the 2015 football schedule the Dragons football team will have to be tough. A full slate of ten weeks of football action is planned for the Dragons 2015 season. They will be racking up frequent traveler miles as seven of the ten games are on the road for this season.
The Dragons open up the new season with a trip to Selma, Alabama for a contest with Concordia College on September 5 for the 2 PM start of the football season. Week two has the Dragons headed to Fort Valley, Georgia to take on the Wildcats from Fort Valley State University. The September 12 contest is scheduled for a 6 PM start at Wildcat Stadium. The sunny beaches of Daytona, Florida would be the next stop for the Dragons on September 19 as they take on Division I Bethune-Cookman University. The BCU-Wildcats have scheduled the kick-off for 4 PM.
In week four the Dragons will host the Golden Tigers from Tuskegee University for the home opener on September 26 with kick-off scheduled for 2 PM at Lane Field. The Dragons open the October portion of the schedule for week five with a road trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They will face the Tigers of Stillman College on October 3 with a 1 PM kickoff.
The second half of the season opens up with a road trip to Augusta, Georgia as the Dragons face The Tigers of Benedict College in the Augusta Classic for week six action. The game is scheduled to be played on October 10 at the Lucy Laney Stadium in Augusta. Kickoff for the classic is scheduled for 2 PM. Week seven is "Homecoming Week" for the Dragons as they host the Marauders from Central State University(Ohio) on October 17. Homecoming activities start during the week and on game day. The schedule kickoff is at 2 PM at Lane Field.
Week eight is a short turn around week for the Dragons as they travel to Fairfield, Alabama for a Thursday night (October 22) contest with the Golden Bears from Miles College. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 PM for this Thursday night contest.
Week nine has the Dragons wrapping up the home season on October 31 as they host the Thorobreds from Kentucky State University. Kickoff for the final home game is scheduled for 2 PM with Senior Recognition starting prior to the contest. All the action will be at Lane Field. For the final regular season contest the Dragons load up for a trip to Atlanta, Georgia to take on the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College. The contest is scheduled for a 2 PM kickoff on November 7.
Excitement is in the air as football season is coming soon. Please make your plans now to come out and support the Dragons.
LANE COLLEGE DRAGONS 2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
COURTESY LANE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
SIAC Softball Championship: Tuskegee claims 2015 SIAC Title
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (April 26, 2015) – The Tuskegee Tigerettes captured the 2015 SIAC Women's Softball Title with a 6-4 win over the Kentucky State Thorobrettes Sunday afternoon at Polo Road Park in Columbia. The win gave Tuskegee its second title in as many years.After dispatching of the Stillman Lady Tigers in the opening game of the day, Tuskegee found itself against Western Division foe Kentucky State in the championship round. KSU defeated Tuskegee earlier in the tournament and entered the day undefeated in tournament play.
GAME 13: Tuskegee d. Stillman 3-1 (Stillman eliminated) (box score)
After three scoreless innings, Tuskegee broke open the scoring in the top of the fourth inning when Kenyah Smith drew a bases-loaded walk to score Cari Driver. Estavia Jones then singled in Roslyn Thomas and Chante Warner, making the score 3-0 in favor of the Tigerettes. Stillman would score in the bottom of the 7th inning when Kersey Hunt singled to score Hannah Burr.
Karisa Foye earned the win for Tuskegee, working five innings surrendering five hits while striking out four. Stillman's Mickenzie Sparks worked seven innings allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out seven.
GAME 14: Tuskegee d. Kentucky State 5-1 (box score)
Roslyn Thomas and Chante Warner each drove in two runs as Tuskegee forced a winner-take-all game when the Tigerettes defeated the Thorobrettes 5-1. Thomas's effort came on a two-run blast in the top of the first inning with two outs. Kentucky State answered when Alysha Sakamura scored on a passed ball.
Tuskegee plated another run in the top of the third when Warner reached on an error to score Cari Driver. In the top of the fourth, Kenyah Smith scored an unearned run when Haley Plato reached on a fielding error. The Tigerettes added a run in the top of the sixth inning when a Warner sacrifice fly scored Jasmine Howard.
Karisa Koye earned the win in relief, working 5 2/3 innings walking six and striking out five. Kentucky State's pitching duo of Brittney Gately and Cheyenne Carpenter combined to strike out three, walk three and allow nine hits in the contest.
GAME 15: Tuskegee d. Kentucky State 6-4 (box score)
Tuskegee scored first when back-to-back doubles by Roslyn Thomas and Adrienne Eaddy scored a run. Eaddy would score two batters later to give the Tigerettes a 2-0 lead entering the bottom of the second inning. In the bottom of the third inning, Kentucky State tied the contest when Tyniesha Wilson scored on an Alysha Sakamura double before Sakamura scored on a Tuskegee throwing error.
In the Tuskegee half of the fourth inning, Eaddy scored again, this time on a Haley Plato single. KSU answered in the bottom of the fifth when Wilson scored on a throwing error. The Thorobrettes took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Danielle Bonham doubled to score Danielle Odums.
Trailing 4-3, Tuskegee opened the seventh inning with a Driver single, later scoring on a Karisa Foye single. A couple batters later, Morgan Burrell would score when Eaddy reaches on an error. In the next at-bat, Kenyah Smith would ground out as Roslyn Thomas scored the insurance run to seal the win.
Tuskegee's Karisa Foye was named Tournament Most Valuable Player. In the deciding contest, she threw seven innings, striking out five, walking four and allowing three hits. She went 5-0 on the weekend striking out 34 batters over three days of play.
Softball All-Tournament Team
Erin Lipps Claflin
Talana Brown Miles
Malea Maye Albany State
McKenzie Sparks Stillman
Jessica Mathews Stillman
Karisa Foye Tuskegee
Kenyah Smith Tuskegee
Roslyn Thomas Tuskegee
Cheyenne Carpenter Kentucky State
Brittney Gately Kentucky State
COURTESY SIAC MEDIA RELATIONS
Allen, James, Rolland and Row Team Up for GCAC Honor
Rolland was a double winner; she earned the GCAC women's field weekly award in the long jump.
Allen, James, Rolland and Row finished third in 48.13 seconds at the Southern Miss Invitational. It was the fourth time this season that the Gold Nuggets produced an NAIA A- or B-qualifying time in this event.
Rolland placed fifth in the long jump with a best mark of 5.19 meters (17 feet, one-half inch). Rolland outjumped three NCAA Division I athletes and four from NCAA Division II.
Rolland, a senior from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School, is no stranger to GCAC awards. She has been the conference's track honoree twice this season and eight times in her career. For field events, Rolland has won twice this season and 12 times in her career. Rolland is the GCAC career record holder in track and field weekly awards.
For Rolland's teammates, it's their first time to earn a GCAC weekly honor. Allen is a freshman from Mendehall, Miss., and a graduate of Mendenhall High School. James is a junior from Gadsden, Ala., and a graduate of Gadsden City High School. Row is a freshman from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of St. Michael High School.
Next for qualified XU women's and men's athletes will be the NAIA National Championships May 21-23 at Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Benedict College Slewyn Young says his attention to detail landed him Coach of the Year honor
The award is the second coach of the year honor for Selwyn, who first earned the title in 2010. Young said he was proud and humbled to receive the award.
“It’s an honor because the coaches vote,” he said. “You don’t give yourself the award. They vote.”
The Tigers started off the season with a 1-8 record. Young said it was important to instill confidence into a team with 18 freshmen and sophomores on the roster.
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Benedict Baseball Coach Selwyn Young Buys Ellensburg Bulls Minor League Team
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| BENEDICT COLLEGE HEAD COACH SELWYN YOUNG |
-- The Ellensburg Bulls have announced new ownership for the 2015 season.
SLYSPORTS LLC will be the financial backing for the Ellensburg club this season. "You can put the Young Professional Baseball Family name on this club and a part of the league" said Selwyn in a recent communication with League Commissioner Mike Greene.
Mr. Young will also enlist the help of his family, including his sister Cynthia Young who worked in the front office for the Lancaster Jet hawks for many years.
Young hails from Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Belmont High School, where he was a three-sport varsity letterman. He was named "All City" shortstop his senior season as well as being an All-League defensive back in football. School honors included being named Belmont's "Athlete of the Year" in 1976. After high school, Young played for the 1977 Los Angeles City College Cubs at shortstop. A 30-game hitting streak that year helped him earn a full scholarship to Pepperdine University in Malibu. In 1980, he set the single season record for stolen base percentage at .952 with 20 out of 21 stolen bases. That team was inducted into Pepperdine's prestigious Hall of Fame in 1999. The 1979 Waves were the first Pepperdine team to win a berth in the NCAA College World Series.
Young played professional baseball 10 years beginning with the Oakland A's organization in 1981, where he was a part of three consecutive Minor League Championships. He also played with the Baltimore Orioles, the Mexican Major Leagues, and several independent leagues before hanging up his glove in 1995 while under a MLB contract with the Seattle Mariners. He was also a part-time scout for the Cincinnati Reds, and the Seattle Mariners.
To complete the family picture, the Skagit Valley Lumberjacks have agreed to trade Selwyn's son, Brandon Young, to Ellensburg for a player to be named later. Brandon played last year for the Trinidad Triggers and also played at Benedict College. Young said he hopes to bring in other former Benedict College baseball players to play for the Bulls.
The Ellensburg Bulls are a member of the Mount Rainier Professional Baseball League, an independent minor league with six teams located in Washington, Oregon and Montana. The league plays a 68-game schedule from May to August.
COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
UAPB Golden Lions Baseball Edge Kansas Jayhawks, 6-5
Final Box (.pdf) | Notes (.pdf)
LAWRENCE, Kansas -- Second-inning woes were too much to overcome, as the Kansas baseball team dropped its final midweek-matchup at Hoglund Ballpark, 6-5, Wednesday night at the hands of the UAPB Golden Lions.
The Jayhawks are no strangers to late-inning rallies and the ninth inning against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (23-16, 16-6) looked to be just that, as senior left fielder Connor McKay drilled a solo home run to right center to bring the Jayhawks (19-26, 6-9) within one run. However, UAPB closer Andre Davis had different plans and closed the door in the ninth to end the hopes of a KU comeback, 6-5.
Kansas pounded out nine hits off four Golden Lion Pitchers, five off starter Ciji Ramos (2-1) through the first five innings. McKay (4-for-5) and senior right fielder Dakota Smith (3-for-4) paced the Jayhawks with a combined seven hits, while each driving in a run. McKay finished the day tying a career-high with three runs scored.
In its final midweek bout at home, KU decided build for the future and ran out a plethora of young guns on the mound. Freshman Brandon Johnson (0-2) got the start and gave up five runs in one inning of work, after failing to record an out in the second. Three other freshmen saw action with veterans, junior righty Sam Gilbert and sophomore closer Stephen Villines sprinkled in to give the Jayhawks a fighting chance.
McKay singled in the first inning for KU with one out to get its first runner on base. A Smith walk and a fly out by sophomore catcher Michael Tinsley moved the senior outfielder to third base with two outs. It was then a passed ball by UAPB catcher Gabe Munoz that allowed McKay to score from third and give Kansas the early lead, 1-0.
The Golden Lions came back in the top of the second and scored five runs off Johnson who was relieved by freshman Blake Weiman with no outs on the board. UAPB right fielder Vladamir Gomez started the slugfest, with a single up the middle to score two. Left fielder Jerimiah Figueroa followed suit, with a single through the left side to tack on another run and advance the lead, 3-1. Two other Golden Lions tallied RBIs in the inning to add to the damage, 5-1.
"We pitched four or five freshman tonight that are still developing, but they are getting better and making progress," head coach Ritch Price said. "However, there are days like today where they can take a step back."
Several freshmen were able to get on the mound and gain experience for the Jayhawks before Kansas went to its bullpen, eventually settling with junior righty Hayden Edwards to man the mound through two innings before Gilbert took over in the seventh and then turned it over to freshman Ryan Ralston and Villines to finish the game.
"These midweek games are great for getting our young guys experience and aiding in their development," Price said. "They have been doing really well other than one bad inning that ended up being the difference of the game. I thought we pitched well tonight."
The Kansas offense was stagnant through the next four innings until the Golden Lions pitcher, Ramos, found himself in a jam in the bottom of the sixth as the Jayhawks loaded the bases. Freshman shortstop Matt McLaughlin earned a free pass that scored Smith to cut the deficit, 5-2. UAPB turned to its bullpen for help, bringing junior righty Blake Estep to the mound.
The transition didn't seem to faze the Jayhawks who began to use their bats to battle back into the ballgame. Junior designated hitter Steve Goldstein hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Tinsley, who singled through the right side to get on base. Kansas collected three hits and two runs in the sixth to inch closer, 5-3.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff tacked on a run in the seventh to add to its lead, 6-3, but the Jayhawks came back in the bottom half to once again chip away. McKay doubled to right center to get on base as Smith followed suit with a double down the left field line, scoring McKay to cut the lead to two, 6-4. Tinsley drew a walk to get on base, while senior first baseman Blair Beck reached on a fielding error by the third baseman to load the bases. UAPB opted for a pitching change, bringing in senior right-hander Kevin Walsh to quiet the Kansas offense.
UAPB then brought out senior closer Andre Davis to finish off the Jayhawks, but McKay had other plans, drilling the long ball to right center to bring the game within one, 6-5. Trying to muster up a comeback, Smith stepped up to the plate with one out on the board, hoping to keep the momentum alive and singled up the middle. With both dugouts chattering in anticipation, Tinsley grounded into a fielder's choice. The pressure was then put on Beck to become the hero, but he was unable to execute and Kansas fell, 6-5.
The Jayhawks are back in action Friday, May 1, at Hoglund Ballpark as they host the Baylor Bears in a weekend conference series. The game is slated for 6 p.m. and will be available on ESPN3 and Jayhawk Radio Network.
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