Benedict Tigers Announces Three Staff Additions To Athletic Department

COLUMBIA, South Carolina – The Benedict College athletic department has announced three staff additions, said Willie Washington, Director of Athletics.

Joining the Tigers are Bridget Jones as Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator; Tiffani Hall as Head Athletic Trainer; and Michael Ellis as an offensive line coach for the football team.

"We are excited about our new staff joining the Benedict athletic program," Washington said. "I have known Ms. Jones for a long time and she will be a tremendous asset to our athletic program. Miss Hall will lead our athletic training operations and brings a great deal of experience. And we are glad to have Mr. Ellis back on our football staff and will help lift our team to new heights."

Jones is no stranger to Benedict College. Prior to joining the athletic department, she spent 5 ½ years as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, 10 years as Director of Community Life and two years as Director of Student Financial Services. For 15 years, she has volunteered as a Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics.

Her responsibilities will include overseeing internal and external financial reporting functions, fundraising and development activities, special projects, and student services. She will also be charged with overseeing the athletic enhancement program, which services over 275 student-athletes and serve as a liaison to various campus and off-campus offices. Ms. Jones will manage all women's sports and assist with the overall operations of the Athletic Department. In this role, she will also strengthen relationships with the NCAA and increase local and state business relations with the Benedict College athletic program.

Jones earned her Bachelor's degree in business with honors from Jackson State University in 1987 and her Master's in business administration (M.B.A.) from Jackson State University in 1995.

Hall joins Benedict after serving at Alabama State University, where she spent two years as an Athletic Trainer and interim Head Athletic Trainer. Prior to that, she worked as an athletic trainer at Eagles Landing Christian Academy in Atlanta, and an assistant athletic trainer at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in biology from Morgan State University, then continued her education with a Master of Science in sport injury management from Life University, a Master of Science in athletic training from Florida International University and a Doctor of Business Administration in Healthcare Management (DHA) from California Intercontinental University in Los Angeles.

Ellis joins the football program as an offensive line coach, a position he held at Benedict from 2008-2011. Prior to returning to Benedict, he was an offensive line coach with the Metro City Bounty Hunters. He also served as an offensive line coach at Concordia College in Alabama, and spent five years as an offensive line coach at Alcorn State University, his alma mater. He earned a Bachelor's degree in communications from Alcorn State in 1995 and was a member of the football team, earning first team Sheridan Black College All-American honors in 1994.

COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Libero Dalla Vecchia completes Gold Nuggets' class

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana completed its 2017 volleyball recruiting class with the Friday announcement that Anna Dalla Vecchia signed an athletic scholarship.

Dalla Vecchia is a 5-foot-7 libero from Vicenza, Italy. She was selected the best libero in her region in 2013 and ranked third nationwide at the Italian Trophy of Regions competition. In 2014-15 and 2016-17 she helped her teams win league championships and earn promotions to higher-ranked leagues.

Dalla Vecchia, who will major in communication studies at XULA, is the Gold Nuggets' seventh signee. All will be freshmen this season.

Previously signed were outside hitters Ariel Bell of White Castle, La., Kayla Black of Magnolia, Texas, and Jaida Dowd of Aurora, Ill., setter Eva Le Guillou of Velizy-Villacoublay, France, middle blocker/right side Vivica Price-Spraggins of Chicago and right side/outside hitter Lauryn Taylor of Sairburn, Ga.

"I'm very excited about our 2017 recruiting class." first-year head coach Pat Kendrick said. "We have a good balance of athleticism and skill. With the strong core of returning players and this new group of student-athletes, I believe this season will be filled with exciting and highly competitive play."

The Gold Nuggets will open the season Aug. 25 in the UM-Dearborn Early Bird at Dearborn, Mich., against Trinity International at 3 p.m. EDT and Madonna at 7 p.m. The home opener will start at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 against Mobile at the Convocation Center. XULA won the last six Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and earned six consecutive automatic bids during that time to the NAIA National Championship.

2017-18 XULA Volleyball Signees
Name Pos. Ht. Yr.* Hometown High School
Ariel Bell # OH 5-7 Fr. White Castle, La. White Castle
Kayla Black OH 5-9 Fr. Magnolia, Texas St. Pius X
Anna Dalla Vecchia L 5-7 Fr. Vicenza, Italy IIS S.B. Boscardin
Jaida Dowd OH 5-8 Fr. Aurora, Ill. Metea Valley
Eva Le Guillou S 5-9 Fr. Velizy-Villacoublay, France Emmanuel Mounier
Vivica Price-Spraggins MB/RS 5-11 Fr. Chicago, Ill. Whitney Young Magnet
Lauryn Taylor RS/OH 5-9 Fr. Sairburn, Ga. Booker T. Washington

* XULA athletic classification in 2017-18
# also will compete in track and field

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Harrier from standout Ohio program signs with Rush

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Friday the signing of Camren Sewell of Cincinnati to an athletic scholarship for men's cross country and track and field.

Sewell, 5-feet-11 and 150 pounds, competed two seasons apiece in varsity cross country and track for La Salle High School, one of Ohio's top distance programs. Sewell in 2016 helped the Lancers' cross country team finish second in district, qualify for regionals and win the Midwest Catholic Championships. In 2015 he helped the Lancers rank 17th in the final state poll and qualify for regionals.

Sewell's best times for La Salle were 4 minutes, 44 seconds for 1,600 meters and 10:21.27 for the 3,200 in track and field and 16:49.7 for the 5,000 in cross country. He achieved all those times during his senior season.

Sewell made the honor roll multiple times at La Salle and will major in biomedical engineering at XULA. Gold Rush coach Joseph Moses said Sewell will bid strongly to become the team's No. 1 runner this season.

XULA's men and women will open Aug. 25 in the Xavier Big Easy Opener at City Park, about four miles from the XULA campus. The women will run two miles starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by a 5,000-meter men's race at 6.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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City Park meet will open schedule for Rush, Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's men's and women's cross country teams will compete at several familiar venues during 2017 en route to the postseason.

Joseph Moses, beginning his 13th season as head coach, announced Friday the schedule, which will begin Aug. 25 when the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets play host to the Xavier Big Easy Opener at City Park, about four miles from the XULA campus. The women will run two miles starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by a 5,000-meter men's race at 6.

It will be third time in four years that XULA opens the season at home. The 2016 Big Easy Opener was canceled because of a waterlogged course.

2017 Schedule Pages:  Men   •   Women

XULA's second, third and fourth meets — the Mississippi College Season Opener Sept. 1, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Festival Sept. 9 and the LSU Invitational Sept. 16 — are repeats from last year.

The Sugar Bowl meet venue will be Lafreniere Park in suburban Metairie, La., giving XULA a second local appearance this season.

The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships will be run in late October at Clinton, Miss. — the same site as the Sept. 1 meet. GCAC administration will announce details soon. XULA won the last 10 GCAC men's and women's team championships.

The GCAC team champions will qualify automatically for the NAIA National Championships Nov. 18 at Vancouver, Wash., which will play host to that meet for the fifth time and the first time since 2012.

XULA's returning letterwinners are Carlie Calais, Chinyere Jones, Dionysia Love, Brianna Pace, Taylor Price and Maliya Vaughan on the women's team and Oji Wells, Ammiel Williams and Darrick Williams on the men's. Price, a sophomore from Missouri City, Texas, was a GCAC individual champion in 2016.

Xavier University of Louisiana 2017 Men's and Women's Cross Country Schedule Friday, Aug. 25 XAVIER BIG EASY OPENER, City Park, 5:30 p.m. women, 6 p.m. men Friday, Sept. 1 Mississippi College Season Opener, Clinton, Miss., 5 p.m. women, 5:30 p.m. men Saturday, Sept. 9 Allstate Sugar Bowl Festival, Metairie, La., 7:50 a.m. women, 8:25 a.m. men Saturday, Sept. 16 LSU Invitational, Baton Rouge, La., 7:30 a.m. women, 8:10 a.m. men Late October Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships, Clinton, Miss., details TBA Saturday, Nov. 18 NAIA National Championships, Vancouver, Wash., 10:30 a.m. PST men, 11:45 a.m. PST women Home meets in BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS      All times are Central except where noted      Schedules are subject to change

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

KSU FOOTBALL | Thorobreds Looking Forward to 2017 Season

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Last year, the Thorobreds finished 4-7 overall, and made it to the SIAC Championship Game, where they fell 33-30 to Fort Valley St. University.

This year, they are hoping to make it back to the conference title game, and win it.

KSU head coach John L. Smith, who is entering his second season with the team, says he hopes last year’s loss in the conference title game is used as motivation for this year’s team:

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For FVSU Wildcats’ offense, success is about the right mindset

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Demontay Jones is back for the Fort Valley State Wildcats, and there are five other returning starters on the offense.

But even after the Wildcats won the SIAC title in 2016, head coach Kevin Porter isn’t satisfied with his offense. He wants to see more productivity and balance from that unit during the 2017 season, which opens with the Wildcats traveling to West Georgia on Aug. 31.

“Offensively, it’s going to be a challenge,” Porter said. “We want to do a better job of running the football, obviously, but if we can go out and get the right mindset about what we’re trying to do, I think we’ll be OK.”



The Wildcats struggled to run the ball in 2016, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry and 139.1 yards per game. Jamari Clark led the way with 438 yards on 90 carries, while Chauncey Jackson added 304 yards on 95 carries.

Junior offensive lineman Julian Williams is excited about his head coach’s challenge to improve the running game, and Williams thinks his group is up to that challenge.

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Hampton Pirates football looking to bounce back

COURTESY: HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- The Hampton Pirates are trying to turn the corner for their football program. They're about a week into their pre-season practices under head coach, Connell Maynor who's in his 5th season at HU. They were 5-6 in 2016, but had a 5-3 record in the MEAC finishing third. The Pirates are picked to be 5th in pre-season polls in the conference. "You have to use it as fuel", Maynor says.

The Pirates come into 2017 as a team that's stout on defense. Among the players returning, senior safety, Brendan Cole who will help lead a squad that was second in total defense in the conference last season. "We like it when it's all on us", he says. They may have to shoulder more, while the offense tries to find its way. They're young in spots that includes wide receiver with the loss of Twarn Mixon and Rashawn Proctor to graduation.

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