FAMU Rattlers pumped for Round 2 against Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M's baseball team knew for more than a week it was going to play in the NCAA tournament.

The only questions were where the team would play and which three teams would the Rattlers would battle against in Florida A&M's first-ever appearance in an NCAA Regional.

Monday, Jamey Shouppe's team got its answers.

 
The Rattlers (23-23) will travel the Gainesville Regional for the double-elimination round of the NCAA tournament. The MEAC champions will be joined by Florida Atlantic (40-17), South Florida (33-24-1) and Florida (44-16), which was named the No. 4 national seed and will open against FAMU.

"We're just excited to be playing baseball this time of year," Shouppe said.

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Florida A&M Faces Florida to Open Gainesville Regional

Courtesy: Florida A&M University Sports Information

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Florida A&M (23-23, 15-9 MEAC) makes its’ first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance as it travels to Gainesville to face Florida (44-16, 19-11 SEC) at McKethan Stadium on Friday, May 29. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET and will be televised live on the SEC Network. FAMU will be the No. 4 seed in the Gainesville Regional, while UF is the No. 1 seed after earning the No. 4 overall national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Rattlers have won six straight and are 9-1 in their last 10 games heading into the NCAA Tournament. FAMU also won 14-of-18 against the MEAC down the stretch on the way to its’ first MEAC Championship since 1994.

The first game of the Gainesville Regional will see Florida Atlantic (40-17) and South Florida (33-24-1) square-off beginning at 1:00 PM ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

In 2015, Florida A&M faced three schools that earned berths in the 2015 NCAA Tournament field of 64. The Rattlers played two No. 3 seeds – Auburn (35-24) and South Florida (33-24-1) and split two games with No. 4 seed – Mercer (35-21).

The Rattlers secured an automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament by defeating Bethune-Cookman 8-2 in the Championship Game of the MEAC Tournament on May 16. FAMU and B-CU entered the tournament as the top two teams from the MEAC Southern Division. The MEAC Championship was the first for FAMU since 1994 and seventh in program history. Florida A&M went 3-0 in the tournament with wins over Savannah State (7-4), Delaware State (11-2) and Bethune-Cookman.

Florida A&M led the MEAC with a .964 fielding percentage, walks (202), second with a 4.38 team ERA and third in home runs (20). The Rattler pitching staff was also tied for the MEAC lead with 10 saves this season.

McKethan Stadium is hosting an NCAA Regional for the 13th time and for the fifth time in the last six years. Florida will be is making its’ 31st overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the SEC Tournament Championship over Vanderbilt by a score of 7-3 on Sunday night. The Gators earned a top eight national for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.

FAMU trails Florida 1-18 in the all-time, but that first win came in the last meeting with the Gators by a score of 4-3 over then-No. 6 ranked Florida in Gainesville. Catcher Jeremy Barlow led the Rattler offense going 3-for-4 including the go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning, while reliever Brandon Fleming picked up the win after allowing just one run over three innings of work with two strikeouts. Kendal Weeks earned his first save of the season with a strong relief performance as he allowed just one run over the final 2 1/3 innings with two strikeouts.

The Gainesville Regional is paired up with the Tallahassee Regional as the winners of each regional site will meet for a Super Regional in a best-of-three series beginning on either Friday, June 5 or Saturday, June 6. The four schools competing in the Tallahassee Regional are Florida State (41-19), College of Charleston (43-13), Auburn (35-24) and Mercer (35-21).

Gainesville Regional Ticket Information

Tickets for the 2015 NCAA Baseball Gainesville Regional will go on sale to the public at 8:30 AM ET on Wednesday, May 27 at www.gatorzone/tickets.com. Phone orders will also be available by calling one of the Ticket Office Specialists at 352-375-4683 (option 2) or toll free 800-344-2867 (option 2) Wednesday through Friday, 8:30 AM ET to 5:00 PM ET. You can also visit the Gator Ticket Office, which is located at Gate 1 of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Wednesday through Friday from 8:30 AM ET to 5:00 PM ET.

Single game tickets will be sold beginning on Thursday, May 28, at 8:30 AM ET. Regional tournament passes begin at $55 for Reserved Box seats, $50 for Reserved Chairback and $30 for Reserved Bleacher. Individual game tickets are $10 for Reserved Box, $9 for Reserved Chairback, $8 Reserved Bleacher and $6 for General Admission.

The complete schedule for the Gainesville Regional is listed below:

Friday, May 29, 2015

Game 1: South Florida vs. Florida Atlantic – 1:00 PM (ESPN3)

Game 2: Florida A&M vs. Florida – 7:00 PM (SEC Network)

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – 1:00 PM (SEC Network/ESPN3)

Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 7:00 PM (SEC Network/ESPN3)

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 – 12:00 PM (SEC Network/ESPN3)

Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 – 4:00 PM (SEC Network/ESPN3)

Monday, June 1, 2015

Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary) – 7:00 PM (SEC Network/ESPN3)

As always, fans can follow FAMU Baseball via Live Stats on FAMUAthletics.com and on Twitter at @FAMUAthletics.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Texas Southern Tigers will travel to College Station for NCAA Tournament

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Texas Southern University Tigers baseball team learned their next opponent on Monday. The Tigers will travel to College Station to take on Regional host Texas A&M in the preliminary round of the 2015 NCAA Baseball Tournament.

Matchup Preview
This is the second time Texas Southern (31-17) has faced Texas A&M in the postseason. The two teams met in 2004 and Texas A&M leads the postseason series 1-0. TSU comes into the matchup having won six of their last seven games.

Tournament MVP Zach Welz has been a key to the Tigers success this postseason. He led all batters in the SWAC tournament with nine hits and 14 total bases. His .429 batting average was the best of all hitters with over 15 at bats.

TSU's All-Tournament pitchers Ryan Rios, Frank Cruz IV, and Felix Gomez have all earned a significant number of starts this season, while also seeing time on the mound in relief.

Texas A&M (45-11) enters the tournament after falling to #9 Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament semifinals.

They boast a .312 team batting average with a .307 team ERA. Their top hitter coming into the tournament is Mitchell Nau. He has started every game for the Aggies and leads with a team-high .376 batting average including 73 hits, 14 doubles, and four home runs. Grayson Long has started all 15 of his appearances on the mound and leads with a team-best 2.62 ERA.

Tigers in the NCAA Tournament
This is the Tigers first trip to the dance since 2008, and third time in program history. They advanced to the 2004 NCAA Tournament after winning their first SWAC title. Playing out of the Baton Rouge Regional, the Tigers faced Rice University and upset the Owls 4-3. They went on to lose to eventual Super Regional finalist Texas A&M for their first loss. Rice later eliminated Texas Southern from the tournament in the rematch between the two teams.

Texas Southern made it back to the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and faced Regional host LSU. They fell to LSU and then dropped game two to New Orleans.

The Tigers hold a 1-4 all-time tournament record and are playing in their first regional hosted in the state of Texas.

NCAA College Station Regional Ticket Information
Any available Reserved All-Session tickets will go on sale Monday, May 25 at 12:00 pm online and by phone. Remaining reserved inventory will be extremely limited.

Orders for Lawn/Standing Room Only (SRO) All-Session Regional tickets are being accepted at this time on the 12th Man Foundation Online Ticket Center. Lawn/SRO All-Session tickets are $40 Adult and $20 Youth/Student (plus a $4 per ticket fee). The All-Session ticket includes all possible sessions.

Individual game tickets for the RegioEnal will go on sale Friday, May 29. Sales times and specific information will be released once the game times are announced. Game times will be dictated by television and released at the earliest possible moment.E

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU's Montrel, Abbes are repeat All-Louisiana first-team selections

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Kyle Montrel and Nour Abbes are repeat first-team selections on the 2014-15 All-Louisiana tennis teams announced late Saturday.

Montrel is the first Gold Rush player to make the All-Louisiana first team three times.

A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel of sports information directors selected the teams.

Montrel, a junior from Atlanta and a graduate of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, was 14-6 in singles and 15-6 in doubles this year. He won the ITA/NAIA South Region Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship and was a two-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week. He was No. 9 in the most recent ITA/NAIA singles rankings, No. 13 in doubles and had five singles victories against top-25 opponents.

Abbes, a sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, and a graduate of Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah, was 29-4 in singles and 21-9 in doubles. She is No. 1 in the ITA/NAIA singles rankings — never lower than fourth in two seasons — and No. 20 in doubles. She was the NAIA singles champion at the ITA Small College Championships and the "Super Bowl" runner-up in October. She was the singles champion at the HBCU National Championships and a four-time GCAC Player of the Week.

Abbes was 7-0 in singles vs. NCAA Division I opponents, including Tulane, Southern Miss and New Orleans.

Xavier's Manav Chakma was runner-up in voting for men's Newcomer of the Year, Alan Green was third for men's Coach of the Year, and Caroline Vernet tied for fourth for women's Freshman of the Year.

Xavier's men were 13-8 in 2015 and reached the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship for a school-record fourth consecutive year. Xavier's women were 17-10 and reached the NAIA's national semifinals for a school-record third consecutive year.

(L) Nour Abbes (R)  Kyle Montrel

2014-15 All-Louisiana Tennis

WOMEN
FIRST TEAM
Stephanie Barnett, sophomore, Nicholls State
Joana Vale Costa, sophomore, LSU
Natalya Krutova, junior, Northwestern State
Renee Villarreal, junior, Southeastern Louisiana
Nour Abbes, sophomore, Xavier
Skylar Kuykendall, junior, LSU

SECOND TEAM
Julia Kral, sophomore, McNeese State
Klaudia Gawlik, junior, McNeese State
Petra Horakova, junior, Louisiana-Monroe
Tatiana Larina, senior, Northwestern State
Alexandra Starkova, junior, Louisiana Tech
Abby Owens, sophomore, LSU

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Stephanie Barnett, Nicholls State
Voting: Barnett 5, Vale Costa 4, Krutova 1, Hafsa Laraibi (New Orleans) 1

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Skylar Kuykendall, LSU (only nominee)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Sarah Jurakova, McNeese State
Voting: Jurakova 4, Vanessa Nommensen (Tulane) 2, Kelly Drew (Louisiana-Lafayette) 2, Jana Duhanova (Louisiana-Monroe) 1, Naz Karragoz (Tulane) 1, Caroline Vernet (Xavier) 1

COACH OF THE YEAR: Meenakshi Sundaram, Nicholls State
Voting: Sundaram 7, Julia Sell (LSU) 2, Terri Sisk (Tulane) 1, Melinda Descant (LSU-Alexandria) 1

MEN
FIRST TEAM
Dominik Koepfer, junior, Tulane
Jordan Daigle, sophomore, LSU
Chris Simpson, senior, LSU
Kyle Montrel, junior, Xavier
Boris Arias, junior, LSU
Constantin Schmitz, freshman, Tulane

SECOND TEAM
Justin Butsch, sophomore, LSU
Kieran Cronin, sophomore, Nicholls State
Bernard Wezeman, sophomore, Nicholls State
Sebastian Rey, sophomore, Tulane
Blake Gregor, senior, New Orleans
Damian Farinola, senior, Louisiana-Lafayette

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dominik Koepfer, Tulane
Voting: Koepfer 5, Daigle 1

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Jordan Daigle, LSU
Voting: Daigle 5, Manav Chakma (Xavier) 1

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Constantin Schmitz, Tulane
Voting: Schmitz 5, Simon Fruend (LSU) 1

COACH OF THE YEAR: Mark Booras, Tulane
Voting: Booras 3, Jeff Brown (LSU) 2, Alan Green (Xavier) 1


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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DII National Champions: Saint Augustine's coach Williams matches own record with 14th title

COACH GEORGE WILLIAMS
SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY

ALLENDALE, Michigan -- George Williams has won so many national titles that he's found it difficult to count all the way to 14 ... twice. But the Saint Augustine’s coach likes every team for different reasons.

“It always means something different because I have different kids all the time,” said Williams, who is in his 39th year with the Falcons and has won 37 titles combined between men and women, including 14 men's indoor and 14 men's outdoor titles.

“This is for them. On this team here, I had three or four kids who just graduated a few days ago. I graduate about 95 percent of my kids.”

Saint Augustine’s men won the national title on Saturday during the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.

The Falcons won with 53 points, narrowly edging out Findlay, which finished second with 50. Ashland was third with 43, followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville (41) and Adams State (40).

“It means a lot,” senior JaQuan Demiel said. “All that we went through … all the hard work. It comes together in the end. This is what counts, right here.”

The Falcons won two events. Omar Johnson won the 400 meters with a time of 45.78 and David Shaw won the triple jump with a leap of 51-11 feet (15.82m).

It wasn’t an easy road for Demiel and Saint Augustine’s.

“This is the first time I’ve ever won without a 4x4 meter relay team,” Williams said. “It’s always been my key to a win. I usually win by one point or two points and my 4x4 team is usually why.”

The reason why is the Falcons 1,600 meter relay team was disqualified during preliminaries on Friday.

“This is the first championship I had to make a lot of decisions,” Williams said. “I had to take my 400 meter guy off the lead-off leg [Omar Johnson] and put in my long jumper [Demiel].”

Demiel said he’s glad he bounced back from a rough meet.

“When our 4x4 dropped the baton [it was hard],” Demiel said. “We don’t really know what happened. The third leg switch hands when he got the baton and he dropped it. Then I fouled all my jumps in the long jump. So that was the biggest shock for me.”

Demiel said graduating last week outweighs winning a title, but not by much.

“I just graduated,” he said. “Graduation was more for my mom and this [title] is for my team. We had a tough year. But they are both up there.”

Did his mother, Cynthia Demiel, make the trip to Michigan?

“No, she couldn’t make it,” he said. “She’s watching online. Every event. She texted me, though.”

Demeil said competing for Williams isn’t easy, but it’s rewarding.

“It’s tough,” he said. “He’s always on us. We keep going because we don’t want to let him down. It’s a tradition to win here. We don’t wanna be the team to lose.”

The members of on the title team are: Moussa Dembele (110 hurdles), Demiel (long jump), Burkheart Ellis Jr. (200, 400, 4x100, 4x400), Khari Herbert (400, 4x100, 4x400), Kevaugh Hewitt (4x400), Immanuel Hutchinson (4x400), Daniel Jameison (100, 200, 4x100), Omar Johnson (200, 400, 4x400), Claytin Lewis (4x100) and David Shaw (triple jump).

“I like the way they ran the championship this year,” Williams said of GVSU, which hosted back-to-back years. “It was a beautiful championship.”

COURTESY NCAA.COM

Runners Up! Lincoln University (Mo.) Takes 2nd at National Championships

Courtesy: Lincoln University Athletics

ALLENDALE, Michigan -- The Lincoln women's track & field team won three events and posted seven All-American performances to finish second at the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships on Saturday (May 23). Six different Blue Tigers earned All-American honors at the national title meet, which was hosted by Grand Valley State University from Thursday (May 21) through Saturday.

The day began with the Lincoln 4x100m relay team of Keja Christie, Kimberly Bailey, Yanique Ellington and Janae Johnson winning in 44.62, marking the second-straight season that LU has won the national title in that event. Lincoln also had a pair of individual national champions, with Johnson later winning the 100m in 11.38 and Ladonna Richards taking the crown in the 100m hurdles in 13.32.

Johnson earned her third All-American distinction of the day while Ellington picked up her second in the 200m, with the duo finishing third and second, respectively. Ellington was the race's runner-up with a time of 23.01. Johnson, meanwhile, finished right behind Ellington after clocking in at 23.10.

Richards was also a multiple All-American, as she placed seventh in the 400m hurdles in 59.69. Jhevere Hall was LU's final point scorer of the afternoon, as she earned All-American distinction in the 800m after placing fifth in 2:06.62.

Jonelle Campbell also competed for LU on Saturday, representing the Blue Tigers in the triple jump. Campbell placed 13th with a distance of 12.04m.

The Blue Tigers scored 50 points to finish as the national runner-up at the 2015 championships. This marks the 11th time in the past 13 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship meets that Lincoln has placed either first or second, and the 13th-straight time that LU has finished in the top-three.

Central Missouri scored just nine more points than Lincoln to win the national title with 59. New Mexico Highlands scored 42 points to place third while host Grand Valley State took fourth with 41 points. Fellow MIAA program Pittsburg State rounded out the top-five with 31 points.

2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championship Central

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

SAU Falcons Win Third Consecutive NCAA Men's Outdoor Crown To Give Williams Most NCAA Track and Field Titles

ALLENDALE, Michigan -- Saint Augustine's University displayed its superior depth once again in winning a third consecutive men's national crown at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the Grand Valley State University campus Saturday, May 23, 2015. The Falcons have claimed 36 men's and women's indoor and outdoor titles overall under legendary Head Coach George Williams, who now has the most NCAA track and field championships as a coach, regardless of division.

The Falcons clinched the victory in the men's 200-meter dash late in the meet. They trailed 50-47 to the University of Findlay heading into the event, but Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (Jr./Raleigh, NC) finished third in the 200 to give the Falcons a 53-50 lead with two events left. The lead held as the Falcons won their 13th NCAA Division II men's outdoor title. Ashland University placed third with 43 points.

The Lady Falcons tied for eighth among the women's teams with 26 points. Central Missouri won the women's outdoor title with 59 points followed by Lincoln (Mo.) University with 50 points and New Mexico Highlands University with 42 points.

Coach Williams was proud of both teams, especially his men's squad, who entered Saturday with 10 points after David Shaw, Jr. (Sr./Red Springs, NC) won the triple jump Friday. This was the first time in Williams' illustrious 39-year coaching career that the Falcons competed without a men's 4x400-meter relay team in the finals. The Falcons had won 21 of 28 men's mile-relay races at the NCAA outdoor championships, and were the three-time defending champs in their signature event.

The Falcons also competed without a high jumper or a 400-meter hurdler in the finals, but they had more than enough sprinters to take home another championship trophy.

"It was a blessing," Williams said about the Falcons' latest championship. "The kids did their jobs well and came through for the team. We are glad to be a part of the Mighty Falcons. The sons and daughters of Saint Augustine's University did what they were supposed to do."

The Falcons stepped up in the other men's events to quickly move up the leaderboard. The 4x100-meter relay team held off Pittsburg State University to finish second and Moussa Dembele (Sr./Dakar, Senegal) was seventh in the men's 110-meter hurdles early in the meet. The 4x100 squad consisted of JaQuan Demiel (Sr./Suffolk, VA), Ellis, Kevaughn Hewitt (Sr./Miramar, FL) and Daniel Jamieson (Jr./Windsor, CT).

The pivotal race was the men's 400-meter dash when the Falcons scored 19 points to take their first lead. Omar Johnson (Jr./St. Ann, Jamaica), ranked first in the 400 for the final five weeks of the regular season, won the national title in the event while Khari Herbert, Jr. (So./Coral Springs, FL) was third and Ellis placed sixth.

Several other Falcons scored critical points late. Jamieson placed sixth in the men's 100-meter finals and Immanuel Hutchinson (Jr./San Jacinto, CA) finished fourth in the men's 800-meter finals. Their points help the Falcons keep pace with Findlay, who re-gained the lead briefly before Ellis pushed the champs ahead for good in the 200.

In the women's events, Belle was the biggest highlight for the Lady Falcons on Saturday. She entered the meet as the top-ranked 400-meter hurdler for the last eight weeks and she did not disappoint. Belle ran a career-best 57.45 seconds to win the national title in an event she dominated during the regular season.

Belle also helped the Lady Falcons place second in the women's 4x400-meter relay and eighth in the women's 4x100-meter relay. The 4x400 relay team included Sherrie-Ann Ashman (Sr./Brooklyn, NY), Cherrisse Lynch (Sr./Bridgetown, Barbados) and Fanta Fofana (Sr./Amiens, France). The 4x100 relay squad included Ashman, Shakinah Brooks (So./Raleigh, NC) and Ornella Livingston (Jr./Christiana, Jamaica).

Coach Williams went into the meet tied with Texas A&M University Head Coach Pat Henry for the most NCAA track & field championships as a coach before surpassing him Saturday. Williams, also the Saint Augustine's University Athletic Director, has the most NCAA track & field titles for a coach at one school, regardless of division, and the most NCAA Division II track & field championships as a coach.

The Falcons and Lady Falcons will arrive at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Morrisville, N.C., on Southwest Airlines Sunday, May 24, at 9:55 p.m.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

4 Xavierites named Academic All-District

NEW ORLEANS -- Four from Xavier University of Louisiana, including repeat selections Catherine Fakler and Devinn Rolland, were named Friday to Capital One Academic All-District 2 teams in women's cross country/track and field.

Also chosen was teammate Terri Cunningham. Brent Kitto of the Gold Rush was a men's honoree.

Fakler and Rolland received the honor for the second time in three years.

All four Xavierites will advance to the Academic All-America ballot.

Rolland is a senior from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School. Kitto is a junior from Chalmette, La., and a graduate of Holy Cross High School. Cunningham is a sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., and a graduate of Martin Luther King Magnet High School. Fakler is a senior from Phoenix, Ariz., and a graduate of Xavier College Preparatory Roman Catholic High School.

Academic All-District nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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During Baltimore riots, college coaches and ADs tried to persuade recruits to stay

CSU ATHLETICS

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The riots that gripped the city late last month were taking place just a few blocks away when Coppin State men's basketball player Christian Kessee received a phone call from his mother.

"She wanted to know how quickly I could get to the airport," the junior guard said.

Kessee said that he and his teammates stayed together on campus and vowed to "take care of each other and ride it out together," but despite attempts by coach Michael Grant to reassure members of Coppin's eight-player recruiting class, some future teammates made a different decision.

"The parents were very, very concerned," said Grant, whose team went 8-23 in his first season. "Some dealt with it pretty well, and a couple of kids we ended up losing because of the activity going on. They said that they didn't want their kids in that type of environment.

"We tried to explain to them that 'this can happen anywhere and by the time your kids get back here in late August, it all should be done.' But they just didn't want to deal with it at all. They know what's best for their kids and their families, and what environment they want their kids in."

CSU ATHLETICS

CONTINUE READING

Sammy Batten: Future is now for FSU athletics, on hunt for new AD

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- The future of Fayetteville State's athletic program is facing an important crossroad currently as it goes through the process of finding a new leader.

Since mid-March, when FSU's athletic director Ed McLean announced his plans to retire at the end of the academic year, the search for a replacement has generated interest from some well-qualified candidates, according to my sources.

By "well-qualified candidates,'' I mean they've met the basic requirements cited in the school's advertisement for the position: a Master's degree, a minimum of five years experience as an athletic administrator or head coach, and knowledge of NCAA and Title IX rules and regulations.

The last is an especially important skill for ...

CONTINUE READING

Ram Ramblings: The new top dog in the CIAA is Virginia State

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It will pain a lot of Winston-Salem State fans, alumni, coaches, athletes and administrators to hear this.

“Winston-Salem State is not the top dog in the CIAA anymore.”

Now that I’ve got that out in the open maybe folks will keep reading to understand why.

Just a few short years ago WSSU was winning just about every CIAA title in just about every sport. That’s not the case anymore and because of that the new king of the conference is Virginia State.

You want further proof, how about the fact that Virginia State was recently named the winners of the men’s and women’s all-sports trophies in the CIAA.

CONTINUE READING

FAMU pitcher Brandon Fleming continues to impress on the mound

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M baseball coach Jamey Shouppe might have had trouble deciding which of his pitchers to put in the starting rotation early in the season, but he's never had to worry about one of his relievers.

Junior pitcher Brandon Fleming leads the Rattlers (23-23) with seven wins and was named the MEAC tournament's Most Outstanding Player after pitching 52/3 innings in Florida A&M's 7-4 win over Savannah State.

The Rattlers were down 4-3 when Fleming entered the game. He allowed just three hits and one run while striking out four, securing the win for the team in the first game of the tournament.

The way Fleming sees it, he was just doing his job.

"Our pitching staff has been great all year and we've had a great bullpen all year," Fleming said.



CONTINUE READING

Central Missouri survives near-upset from Lincoln (Mo.)

ALLENDALE, Michigan -- Madison Smith could hardly watch. It’s hard to blame her when her Central Missouri team didn't control it's own fate.

“I was so nervous going into the 4x4,” Smith said. “I wasn’t running in it, so it was hard to watch.”

Going into the final event at the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, Central Missouri led by nine points. Lincoln (Mo.) was in second place and needed to win the 4x400 relay to capture the title. They were leading the race, too, but a bad handoff forced a runner outside of her lane. When she returned, she bumped another runner and Lincoln was eventually disqualified.

So the Jennies are the 2015 outdoor national champions, a first for the school. They also won the indoor title this season.

WOMEN TEAM SCORES



“We have a team of amazing athletes,” junior Heavin Warner said. “It’s an honor to be on the same team as them. Crazy things happen at nationals. Some things go your way and some don’t. It’s surprising in that it was a nail-biter during the 4x4. I couldn’t watch.”

Central Missouri won with 59 points, Lincoln was second with 50 followed by New Mexico Highlands (42), host Grand Valley State (41) and Pittsburg State in fifth (31).

Warner got the team going on Thursday when she defended her title in the hammer throw with a toss of 211-1 feet (64.35 meters). But she wasn’t thrilled with her 20th place finish in the discus.

“Discus didn’t go my way,” Warner said. “And that’s OK. We had another girl in discus, who wasn’t even ranked [Brooke Swearingin] and she threw huge. It was awesome because she’s a senior.”

Swearingin finished sixth with a toss of 162-5 (49.52).

Kirk Pedersen, one of Central Missouri’s co-coaches, along with Kip Janvrin, said there were several pleasant surprises this week.

“Our pole vaulter [was a surprise],” Pedersen said of Brittany Kallenberger, who won the event with a leap of 13-1 1/2 (4.00 m). “I think she was seeded third coming in and she jumped really well on Thursday and that got the ball rolling for our team. Erika Kinsey jumped phenomenal and placed fourth. I think she was a little down about that. But she came back to win the high jump and she almost won the triple jump.”

Janvrin said Kallenberger and Warner’s wins were huge.

“We knew a lot of our good points were going to come on Thursday and Friday,” he said. “We had nothing on the track after 2 p.m. today. So we had this big lead and it was kind of an eery feeling watching everyone get closer and closer and not really knowing what was going to happen.”

Here are the nine members of the women’s team and their events: Nikki Douglas (400 hurdles), Megan Glamann (10,000), Victoria Jackson (heptathlon), Erika Kinsey (long jump, high jump), Kallenberger (pole vault), Zoe Sharplin (heptathlon, 100 hurdles), Smith (heptathlon, 100 hurdles, high jump), Swearingin (discus) and Warner (shot put, discus, hammer throw).

“Another big key for us was Megan Glamann,” Pedersen said. “She’s a girl that had never been to the national meet and she placed placed fifth in the 10,000 meters [in 34:54]. Those were very, very valuable points for us.”

Smith said she knew the Jennies had a shot at a title after last season.

“After outdoor nationals last year, when we finished sixth as a team, Kip told me ‘I think we have a shot at a trophy for outdoor nationals next year,’ ” said Smith, a native of Lee’s Summit, Missouri. “So going into indoor, we thought we had a shot at a trophy.”

Janvrin didn’t want to be over-confident, but he’s glad his team won.

“We’ve been ranked No. 1 for the past seven or eight weeks, so we knew we’d be in the mix to win,” he said. “Did we think we could? Probably not. But we have good athletes in good events. We knew we needed to make hay in the field events and get a big lead [in points] and hang on. Fortunately, we won.”

Pedersen said it was nice to have such a big fan base here in Michigan, on the campus of Grand Valley State.

“A big aspect of our success was the number of student-athletes, fans and family that came to cheer our team on,” he said. “It’s such a big motivator for our kids.”

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Saint Augustine's Men Track & Field Win 14th National Title; UCM Women Capture Program's First

Saint Augustine's overcomes two-day Findlay lead to earn third consecutive title

ALLENDALE,Michigan -- The men’s and women’s track & field national titles were awarded on Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, and the two champions had completely opposite closing days.

On the women’s side, Central Missouri, which entered the afternoon with a 27-point lead, scored just needed just eight points on day three to capture the program’s first title. For the men, two-time reigning outdoor national champion St. Augustine’s entered Saturday with a mere 10 points, 27 less than first-place Findlay. But the Falcons tallied a whopping 43 points on the final day of competition to win their third consecutive national crown.

Seven-time national champion Lincoln (Mo.) closed the gap significantly, scoring all 50 of its points on day three.

The Blue Tigers won three individual national titles and scored points in three other races to make things interesting.

MEN TEAM SCORES

WOMEN TEAM SCORES

In the women’s 4x100 meter relay, Lincoln’s team of Keja Christie, Yanique Ellington, Kimberly Bailey and Janae Johnson crossed first with a time of 44.62 seconds. Johnson went on to win the women’s 100 meters as well. Later on, Ladonna Richards edged New Mexico Highland’s Salcia Slack by a tenth of a second to win the 100 meter hurdles at 13.32 seconds.



Azusa Pacific claimed the javelin and 1,500 meter titles. Allison Updike took the former, shattering the old NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships record of 51.74 meters, which was set back in 2008. The junior’s throw soared 55.43 meters, while runner-up Estefania Lopez of Fort Hays State also broke the old record with a 52.03-meter throw. Senior Staci Foster took home the 1,500 title by over two seconds, winning with a time of 4:19.07.

The other individual champions were: Sara Wells of Wayne State (Neb.) in the shot put, Quanera Hayes of Livingstone in both the 400 and 200 meters, Simon Fraser’s Lindsey Butterworth in the 800 meters, Tia-Adana Belle, a sophomore at St. Augustine’s, in the 400 meter hurdles, and Emily Oren of Hillsdale in the 5,000 meters.

Texas A&M Kingsville took the final individual title of the day by winning with 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:41.22.

While Central Missouri and Lincoln (Mo.) led the way, New Mexico Highlands accrued 42 points to finish third. One point behind, Grand Valley State, the host of this weekend’s festivities, earned fourth place. Pittsburg State rounded out the top five with 31 points.

To take the men’s title, the 14th its history, St. Augustine’s scored in six of the 10 running events on the closing day.

Nineteen of those points came in the men’s 400 meters, as Omar Johnson nabbed the national title at 45.78 seconds, Khari Herbert placed third and Burkheart Ellis Jr. finished sixth. Ellis Jr. went on to cross third in the 200 meters as well, earning six more points. An additional eight points came from a second-place finish in the men’s 4x100 meter relay, which saw Johnson C. Smith lock up the title with a time of 40.05 seconds.

Minnesota State’s Emmanuel Matadi won national titles in the 200 and 100 meters, posting times of 20.54 and 10.21 seconds, respectively.

Texas A&M Kingsville reigned in a pair of national titles in the field. In one of the most impressive feats of the day, Jeron Robinson was the only competitor to make it over 2.19 meters, successfully clearing each of the preceding heights in his first try. The other title came from Javan Gray, who won the javelin with a throw of 71.21 meters.

The final two field titles went to Justin Ellerbee of Cal Poly Pomona (pole vault, 5.35 meters) and Pittsburg State’s Garrett Appier (shot put, 18.51 meters).

All 13 of Findlay’s points on Saturday came in the shot put, as it boasted the second-place (Taylor Miller), fifth-place (Ben Hahler) and eighth-place (Mathieu Marcoccia) finishers.

On the track, Sean Wells of Grand Valley State captured the 110-meter hurdles crown with a time of 13.68 seconds. The other sprint event title -- 400-meter hurdles -- went to Maurice Jones of Hillsdale.

In the 800 meters, Drew Windle, a senior at Ashland, crossed in 1:48.89 seconds to win the event.

Adams State boasted a pair of individual champions, too. Oilver Atchison nabbed first in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:45.92, while Tabor Stevens outlasted the field in the 5,000 meters, posting a time of 14:14.42.

The final event of the competition saw Tarleton State complete a miraculous comeback to win the 4x400 meter relay.

Findlay finished a mere three points behind St. Augustine’s, ending the week with 50 points. Ashland took third with 43 points, Texas A&M Kingsville was fourth with 41, and Pittsburg State and Adams State tied for fifth with 40 points apiece.

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XU Rolland does the honors, earns All-America again

GULF SHORES, Alabama -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Devinn Rolland earned a pair of honors Friday, including All-America for the third time in four years in the long jump at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.

A senior from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School, Rolland finished sixth in the long jump with a season-best 18 feet, 9 3/4 inches (5.73 meters).

Earlier in the day, Rolland was one of four from Xavier named to Capital One Academic All-District 2 teams. It was the second time in three years that Rolland received that honor.

Elsewhere on the track, three from Xavier did not advance to Saturday's finals -- Chelsea James in the women's 100-meter dash (12.24 seconds), Joseph Moses III in the men's 100 (11.05) and Alex Xavier in the men's 110 hurdles (17.78). As a result, the Gold Nuggets' and Gold Rush's seasons ended Friday.

It was the final collegiate meet for Rolland, who will graduate from Xavier's College of Pharmacy in 2017.




Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Culver column: Don't stress about FAMU's Regional destination

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- It really doesn't matter where Florida A&M's baseball team travels to start the NCAA tournament.

Plenty of people want to see head coach Jamey Shouppe and pitching coach Bryan Henry return to Florida State to battle against the Seminoles, who will likely host a Regional.

Folks are intrigued by the idea of FAMU fans traveling somewhere like Miami or Gainesville – where the Rattlers already shocked the nation once by defeating the Gators last year in the regular season – for the Rattlers' first appearance in an NCAA Regional.

The "where" isn't the big deal, at least not to the players.

They're much more focused on the "what."

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WSSU's QB Phillip Sims in the Mix with Arizona Cardinals

PHOENIX, Arizona  -- Three rookies who participated in camp on a tryout basis were signed, including quarterback Phillip Sims.

Phillip Sims' pro career is only a few weeks old, but its already gone through a few transformations. The former Winston-Salem State quarterback has gone from being undrafted, to having to try out for the team to pushing for the third quarterback spot on the Arizona Cardinals roster.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians told AZCentral.com that Sims is in the mix for a spot on the team's opening week roster.

"He had no problem listening to (the play) and calling it without it being repeated to him two or three times," Arians said. "Most rookies, they'll get the shift and maybe the formation, then they will turn their head around and ask for the play (again) and everything else.

"He was able to get it. His reads were correct. He actually changed a protection once and I was like, 'Whoa, you're up to level five already. These guys can't do that.' And he was very accurate. He got my attention. He's in the mix."

There's still a long way to go before the season starts in September, but Sims looks like he has a legit shot at making an NFL roster. He'll likely have to beat out former Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas who saw some playing time due to injuries as a rookie in 2014.

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2015 NCAA Division II T&F Championship Recap: Day Two

ALLENDALE, Michigan -- Look back at all the excitement from the track at Day Two of the 2015 DII Men's & Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship. After the second day of competition, Central Missouri is in first place for the women, while Findlay is in for first for the men.

Men’s triple jump was the next final of the afternoon. Saint Augustine’s David Shaw captured the title with a leap of 15.82 meters. Findlay’s Demorrio Leggett was a close second, recording a jump of 15.70 meters. His teammate, junior Michael Bruce, took third with a mark of 15.55 meters.

A total of 27 events will take place on Saturday, all of which are finals. Competition will begin with the women’s javelin throw at 11:00 a.m. The championships are scheduled to conclude with the men’s 4x400 meter relay at 6:00 p.m.




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North Carolina A&T RB posts videos of amazing backflip catches

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- You probably have not heard of North Carolina A&T State running back Tarik Cohen, but he's becoming a social media star. Cohen, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2013, is turning heads thanks to a couple of Instagram posts.

The 5-foot-6 rusher displays his freakish athleticism and changes the game when it comes to backflip catches with these two videos.

Time for North Carolina wide receiver Ryan Switzer and former Minnesota wideout Logan Hutton, among others, to step up their games.

TARIK COHEN INSTAGRAM PAGE


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SAU Falcons’ Shaw national triple jump champion

ALLENDALE, Michigan --  David Shaw of Saint Augustine’s University is the men’s national triple jump champion after leaping a career-best 51-11 in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the Grand Valley State University campus Friday, May 22, 2015.

Shaw won the triple jump on his first leap. He beat Demorrio Leggett of Findlay, who placed second with a jump of 51-61/4.

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Lincoln University Blue Tigers Qualifies Six More Entries on Day Two of Championships

ALLENDALE, Michigan -- The Lincoln women's and men's track & field teams combine to win two more preliminary races and qualify six more entries into event finals on the second day of the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships on Friday (May 22). The Blue Tigers have now qualified 12 entries into the finals of the three-day championships, hosted from Thursday through Saturday (May 21-23) by Grand Valley State University.

Yanique Ellington and Ladonna Richards were the two winners on the day, with Ellington emerging victorious in the prelims of the 200m in 23.63 while Richards claimed first place in the prelims of the 100m hurdles in 13.40. Janae Johnson also qualified for LU in the 200m, taking fourth during the preliminaries with a time of 23.76.

Jhevere Hall was responsible for two of LU's other qualifying times, as she placed fourth in the 800m (2:08.05) before teaming with Lovan Palmer, Willomena Williams and Ebony Rose to place second in the 4x400m relay in 3:41.96. Also representing the Lincoln women on Friday was Monique Thompson, who finished 15th in the 800m (2:11.74).

Miguel Barton was the men's team qualifier, finishing sixth in the prelims of the 200m in 21.27. The only Blue Tiger competing in a finals event on Friday was Owen Smith, who took 14th in the triple jump after turning in a top distance of 14.83m.

Both Blue Tiger track & field teams will close out the 2014-15 season on Saturday with the final day of the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
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Grading Grambling’s 2014-15 athletic season

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Just one year ago, Grambling’s athletic department wrapped up a calendar year to forget with enough losses to fill Eddie Robinson Stadium and a player revolt to boot.

Grambling’s improvements were minimal at best on paper this past year, but fans can go to sleep at night knowing the Tigers are in a better place.

The News-Star took a look back at the Tigers’ 2014-15 year in sports, assigning letter grades based on overall record, statistics, postseason honors and historical context.

Grambling football coach Broderick Fobbs is one the people to thank for the turnaround. The Tigers were one of the few programs at Grambling to make noise during 2014-15 with a remarkable 7-5 record after finishing a combined 2-20 in the previous two years.

Not only did Fobbs win, he brought together ...

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Denzel Washington gives Dillard University students four life goals in commencement speech

NEW ORLEANS -- Denzel and Dillard: A successful partnership that on Saturday (May 9) made for a special commencement for Dillard University's Class of 2015.

The commencement took place at the university's Rosa Freeman Keller Avenue of the Oaks, where 218 students received diplomas for their degrees from the College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, and Nursing. The highlight of the ceremony featured Academy and Tony award-winning actor Denzel Washington as the keynote speaker.

Introduced by senior class vice president Joy Semien, Washington took to the podium to impart four goals for graduating seniors, and for the audience, as well: "Congratulations to all of you... First: Put God first ... Second: Fail big ... a dream without goals, is just a dream ... Third: You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse ... and Four: Say thank-you in advance for what is already yours." He concluded with, "Don't aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference." (Also during the speech, Washington very candidly said he once had a 1.7 grade point average in college.)

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VSU Athletics Sweeps Three Top Honors at CIAA End-of-Year Awards Reception

PEGGY DAVIS

RICHMOND, Virginia -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) held its annual Spring General Assembly Meeting and End-of-Year Awards Reception in Richmond, Virginia, where Virginia State University claimed three top awards.

VSU's Athletic Director, Peggy Davis, was name the CIAA 2015 Athletic Director of the Year as voted by the Athletics Director Association. This marks the fifth time, beginning in 2007, that Mrs. Davis has received this honor. The recipient is recognized for their commitment and administrative excellence within their campus, conference and community environment.

The Trojans also received the 2015 Loretta Taylor and the C.H. Williams All-Sports Awards for its women's and men's athletic programs, respectively. This is the second consecutive year VSU has received these honor. The award is given to the top female and male athletic programs within the conference based on championship finish.

This has been another great year for Trojan Athletics as they wrap up the year at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championship on May 21-23 in Allendale, MI.

The Trojans continue to stay true to their mission in "creating academic and athletic champions in the Conference and NCAA through excellence in: Scholarship, Sportsmanship, Ethical Behavior, Community Service, and Diversity."

For more information on VSU Athletics, visit www.govsutrojans.com.

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Legendary SAU Coach Williams Wins Three CIAA Coach of the Year Awards

GEORGE WILLIAMS

RICHMOND, Virginia – Legendary Athletic Director and Head Coach George Williams of Saint Augustine's University (SAU) won CIAA Coach of the Year Awards in men's indoor track & field, men's outdoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field at the CIAA End-Of-Year Awards Reception at the DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel Richmond-Midlothian this week.

The CIAA accolades are the latest honors for Williams, who has won numerous conference, regional and national track & field coach of the year awards during an illustrious 39-year coaching career at Saint Augustine's University. He has guided the SAU men's and women's track & field teams to 35 NCAA Division II national championships combined which is the most NCAA titles in the sport at one school by a head coach regardless of division.

Williams led the Falcons to their 18th straight CIAA men's indoor and outdoor titles this season. The Lady Falcons captured their 14th CIAA crown in 19 years this season.

Both the Falcons and Lady Falcons will compete in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships starting Thursday, May 21, 2015. The Falcons are second in the men's national rankings and the Lady Falcons are fourth in the women's national rankings. The Falcons are the two-time defending men's outdoor champions.

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