Augusta Wins Third Consecutive MEAC Championship, Receives Berth To NCAA Tournament

SAVANNAH, Georgia – The Augusta University men's golf team won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship for the third year in a row, after shooting 43-under par across three days at Crosswinds Golf Club. Augusta finished round three 21-under par and won the event by 36 strokes to receive an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA Division I men's golf selection show will air on Thursday, May 4 at 12:00 p.m. on Golf Channel.

Augusta head coach Jack O'Keefe was named the MEAC's Most Outstanding Coach for the third straight year and Augusta senior Emmanuel Kountakis was named the Most Outstanding Performer.

The Jaguars nearly swept the All-Tournament Team, occupying the top four spots on the individual leaderboard.

Ranked No. 50 in the nation, Augusta turned in four scores in the 60s. Kountakis won the tournament 15-under par with his second-straight 66 (-6) and junior Broc Everett also turned his tourney-best with a 66 (-6) to take second (-12).

Senior Jake Marriott fired a 5-under 67 to notch third place 9-under par, freshman Gustav Andersson posted his best round of the week with a 68 (-4) to end 7-under par, and senior Viktor Edin earned seventh overall with a round-three 71 (-1) to finish two shots under par.

Behind Augusta, the Wildcats finished second in the team standings with an 857 (292-285-280), while Savannah State was third at a 32-over 896 (300-306-290) and North Carolina Central (298-307-301=906) was fourth.

Hampton (302-310-305=917), Florida A&M (314-304-305=923) and Maryland Eastern Shore (331-326-313=970) rounded out the seven-team field.

Outstanding Performer: Emmanuel Kountakis, Augusta University

Outstanding Coach: Jack O'Keefe, Augusta University

All-Tournament Team

Emmanuel Koutakis, Augusta University

Broc Everett, Augusta University

Jake Marriott, Augusta University

Gustav Andersson, Augusta University

Christian Hovstadius, Bethune-Cookman

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Former Texas Southern wide receiver Derrick Griffin gets shot with Minnesota Vikings

HOUSTON, Texas -- Former Texas Southern wide receiver Derrick Griffin knew his NFL Draft experience would begin when the actual NFL Draft ended.

The 6-6, 240-pounder went undrafted this weekend but is invited to the Minnesota Vikings' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.

He has a shot. It's all he ever wanted.



"I just wanted a shot," Griffin said. "That's all. I got the shot. Now it's on me to be Derrick Griffin. Be me."

Being Griffin means being a force on the football field and basketball court.

He was a dual-sport star at TSU, leading the SWAC with 11 touchdown catches as a freshman in 2015 and nabbing a SWAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honor after becoming a double-double machine on the court.

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Gold Rush in familiar position: No. 2 in NAIA rankings

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has made it 7-for-7 this season as the No. 2 team in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Rush — 11-5 after a 4-3 Monday victory at the University of New Orleans — once again are ranked behind three-time defending national champion Georgia Gwinnett, which is a unanimous No. 1 for the 26th consecutive poll.

XULA possesses the longest active NAIA streak of men's tennis top-25 appearances: 84. The streak began April 4, 2007.

The victory against UNO was XULA's third in a row against an NAIA Division I opponent and the finale of the regular season.

For the first time in seven years, the Gold Rush will not compete in an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament. However, XULA is expected to receive one of nine at-large bids to the NAIA National Championships at Mobile, Ala., due to its high national ranking — built on the strength of six victories against ranked opponents, four in the top 10.

Upcoming NAIA announcements: next coaches poll May 7, the 24 men's teams that qualified for nationals May 8 and the seedings and bracket May 9. The tournament's first round — eight dual matches — will begin May 16. The final round will be May 20.

The Gold Rush's current ranking would earn it a first-round bye at nationals, and the XULA men would play their first tournament match May 17 in the round of 16.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through April 23)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Georgia Gwinnett (12) 19-0 312 1
2 XULA 10-5 302 2
3 Keiser 18-4 292 3
4 Northwestern Ohio 19-1 282 4
5 Lindsey Wilson 15-5 272 5
6 William Carey 17-5 261 6
7 Arizona Christian 15-12 244 7
8 William Woods 11-5 243 8
9 Campbellsville 17-3 238 9
10 Cardinal Stritch 14-5 219 10
11 Mobile 22-4 215 11
12 Westmont 13-7 205 12
13 San Diego Christian 6-10 188 13
14 Coastal Georgia 14-7 187 14
15 Reinhardt 10-5 167 15
16 Middle Georgia 9-8 163 16
17 Aquinas 16-6 152 17
18 SCAD Atlanta 10-3 139 18
19 Olivet Nazarene 11-6 125 20
20 SCAD Savannah 8-8 122 21
21 McPherson 8-3 106 22
22 Cumberland 6-5 94 24
23 Tennessee Wesleyan 10-3 86 23
24 Lawrence Tech 18-5 82 RV
25 St. Thomas (Fla.) 5-10 71 25

Dropped from rankings: No. 19 Cornerstone
Others receiving votes: Asbury 37, Warner 33, Davenport 27, Missouri Valley 26, Cumberlands 19, Bethany (Kan.) 17, Cornerstone 13, Judson (Ill.) 8, Marian (Ind.) 8, Lewis-Clark State 4, Point 3

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Nuggets climb one place to No. 8 in coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS — For the fourth time in the last five polls, Xavier University of Louisiana has climbed in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 — this time from ninth to eighth.

The Gold Nuggets (7-13) closed their regular season Saturday with an 8-1 home victory against LSU-Alexandria, which climbed from 11th to ninth. The top-10 appearance is XULA's fourth this season and its 29th all-time.

XULA's current streak of top-25 appearances is 46. The streak began May 1, 2012.

The Gold Nuggets for the second straight year will not compete in an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament. However, they are expected to receive one of nine at-large bids to the NAIA National Championships at Mobile, Ala., due to their high national ranking and five victories against ranked opponents.

Upcoming NAIA announcements: next coaches poll May 7, the 24 women's teams that qualified for nationals May 8 and the seedings and bracket May 9. The tournament's first round — eight dual matches — will begin May 16. The final round will be May 20.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through April 23)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Georgia Gwinnett (12) 21-0 312 1
2 Lindsey Wilson 17-4 302 2
3 SCAD Savannah 12-3 292 3
4 Keiser 12-7 280 4
5 Northwestern Ohio 17-5 270 5
6 San Diego Christian 15-3 257 6
7 William Carey 13-3 254 8
8 XULA 7-13 240 9
9 LSU-Alexandria 15-3 224 11
10 Mobile 22-4 218 10
11 William Woods 8-9 217 7
12 Indiana Wesleyan 30-7 208 12
13 Cardinal Stritch 11-5 193 13
14 Arizona Christian 17-8 182 14
15 Cumberlands 14-7 174 15
16 Lewis-Clark State 7-13 156 18
17 Middle Georgia 13-8 153 16
18 Davenport 12-9 141 17
19 Olivet Nazarene 9-10 133 19
20 SCAD Atlanta 10-6 122 20
21 Campbellsville 10-7 115 21
22 St. Thomas (Fla.) 4-10 88 22
23 McPherson 8-2 85 23
24 Reinhardt 11-4 84 24
25 Georgetown (Ky.) 16-6 69 RV

Dropped from rankings: No. 25 Cumberland
Others receiving votes: Marian (Ind.) 62, Cumberland 47, Coastal Georgia 45, Tennessee Wesleyan 29, Brenau 17, Southwestern (Kan.) 5, Southeastern (Fla.) 5, Missouri Valley 4, Asbury 3

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Oakland Raider Select Alabama State Jylan Ware In Seventh Round Of 2017 NFL Draft

OAKLAND, California -- The Oakland Raiders have selected tackle Jylan Ware in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

-Was not recognized by SWAC all-conference teams.

-was not a combine invitee.

-Took part in College Gridirion Showcase and HBCU Spirit Bowl for post-season showcases.

-Part of the O-line that helped Hornets lead the SWAC in rushing in 2013, 2014, and 2016.

Off The Field
-Earned bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation services in December.

-Played under two head coaches at ASU, Brian Jenkins for his final two seasons and former NFL WR Reggie Barlow for his early seasons.

-Mom, Tammie, is a single mother. Father is Alfred Ware.

2016 – Senior
-Started all 12 games he played.

-Helped pave the way for All-SWAC RB Khalid Thomas to rank #2 in conference with 1,237 yards rushing.

-Hornets led SWAC in team rushing offense.

-Team struggled to an 0-4 start but rebounded to go 4-4 in final eight games of the season.
2015 – Junior

-Started all 11 games he played.

-Team went 6-5 in first season under Brian Jenkins.

-Team capped season with win over Alabama A&M in Magic City Classic.

-Named to SWAC pre-season all-conference team.
2014 – Sophomore

-Started 10 of 11 games he played.

-Team led SWAC in rushing, averaging 228 yards per game on the ground and a total of 436 yards of total offense per game.

-Averaged over 30 points per game.

-Team went 7-5 in Reggie Barlow’s final season as head coach.

2013 – Freshman
-Played in two games on the season – seeing action against Grambling and Stillman.
2012 – Redshirt

-Sat out season as a redshirt.

Prep
-Standout in football and basketball at Valley, AL High.

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Indianapolis Colts' 2017 draft picks:Round 4, No. 144 overall: Grover Stewart, DT, Albany State

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- My take: Depth and competition has been the theme that GM Chris Ballard has consistently talked about. The addition of defensive lineman Grover Stewart does that on a defensive line that already features the likes of Al Woods, Johnathan Hankins, David Parry, Henry Anderson and Kendall Langford. The Colts want to be able to wear teams down by the fourth quarter by consistently rotating fresh bodies into the game.

How he fits: Grover finished his career at Albany State, a Division II school, with 23.5 sacks and 43 tackles while being named to the All-SIAC team all four years. The Colts believe Grover has the tools to play defensive and nose tackle on a defensive line that finished 25th in the NFL against the run last season.

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Arizona Cardinals' 2017 draft picks:Round 3, No. 98: Chad Williams, WR, Grambling

GLENDALE, Arizona  --  My take: This could be the receiver the Cardinals needed to find in this year's draft. At 6-foot-1, 204 pounds, he was a second-team FCS All-American last season after he caught 90 passes for 1,337 yards and 11 touchdowns, leading the Southwestern Athletic Conference in every category. Arians said a “top-round” receiver wasn't necessary, and he was right. Given Williams' size and intangibles, he looks as though he'll be able to fill the void left by Michael Floyd. He might need to add some weight and learn to play better with a defensive back hanging on him. But Williams has speed -- he ran a low 4.4-second 40-yard dash, according to Keim -- and size, making him the ideal Arians receiver.



How he fits: If Williams can adjust to the NFL quickly, he can be the ideal complement to Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, J.J. Nelson and Jaron Brown. Williams can be an option for quarterback Carson Palmer deep along the sideline and someone who can take advantage of mismatches against smaller defensive backs, particularly as he stretches the field. Keim expects Williams to go through a rough patch while adjusting to the NFL -- most, if not all, players from small schools do -- but he could be the player to round out Arizona's receiving corps and help the unit put up 2015-esque numbers.

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