Thursday, November 1, 2018

Morehouse Ranked No. 17 in NABC Preseason Poll

Grady L. Brewer
HEAD COACH GRADY BREWER
MOREHOUSE MEN'S BASKETBALL
KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- A quintet of teams that have been a part of recent Elite Eights stand atop the NABC/Division II pre-season coaches poll for the 2018-19 season.

Bellarmine, who has made three Elite Eight appearances since winning the NCAA Division II title in 2011, picked up the bulk of the first place votes and heads the pre-season r  ankings. The Knights are followed by West Liberty, who reached five Elite Eights in a six-year span beginning in 2011 and Lincoln Memorial, who played in the 2016 national championship game in the first of back-to-back appearances.

The next two teams in the poll are West Texas A&M, who was a national semifinalist a year ago and Northwest Missouri State, won the 2017 national title.

After Northwest is Saint Anselm, followed by Queens (N.C.), who also reached last year’s national semifinal round and Indiana (Pa.), who played in the national title game in 2015. Cal Poly Pomona, who was the first national champion of the 2010s, is ranked ninth in the pre-season.

Southern Nazarene rounds out the top 10 following its best season as a member of NCAA Division II and the same can be said for West Florida, a 28-win team a year ago that was ranked one spot in back of fellow Gulf South Conference foe Valdosta State.

Defending national champion Ferris State appears in the poll at No. 13, while Western Washington is ranked 14th and another 2018 Elite Eight entry, East Stroudsburg, was picked 15th.

The pre-season top 20 is completed by Virginia State, Morehouse, St. Cloud State, Regis and Southwest Minnesota State; three of those teams either won a regular season or conference tournament title last year.

The final five teams in the poll are Dallas Baptist, Florida Southern, Findlay, UC San Diego and Missouri Southern.

Two pre-season events kick off the 2017-18 season this weekend, beginning with the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim, Calif., which starts Friday. The field includes No. 4 West Texas A&M and two others that received votes, Azusa Pacific and Drury.

The other event takes place in St. Joseph, Mo., with the Hall of Fame Classic, which includes the two teams that faced off in the national title game, Ferris State and Northern State, in a field that also has Queens (N.C) and Northwest Missouri State.

NABC/Division II Rankings
(Oct. 30, 2018 – Pre-Season Poll)
RecordPointsLast
1.Bellarmine, Ky. (14)29-33984
2.West Liberty, W.Va. (1)26-436412
3.Lincoln Memorial, Tenn.32-23471
4.West Texas A&M32-433211
5.Northwest Missouri State (1)27-42775
6.Saint Anselm. N.H.22-9272NR
7.Queens, N.C.32-42597
8.Indiana, Pa.22-8231NR
9.Cal Poly Pomona23-722525
10.Southern Nazarene, Okla.27-32078
11.Valdosta State, Ga.26-519615
12.West Florida28-41959
13.Ferris State, Mich.38-11832
14.Western Washington21-8182NR
15.East Stroudsburg, Pa.27-6162NR
16.Virginia State25-514817
17.Morehouse, Ga.25-313810
18.St. Cloud State. Minn.24-9113NR
19.Regis, Colo.27-611022
20.Southwest Minnesota State25-993NR
21.Dallas Baptist, Texas26-69216
22.Florida Southern21-1181NR
23.Findlay, Ohio28-57513
24.UC San Diego21-1163NR
25.Missouri Southern20-1058NR
Others receiving votes: Clayton State (Ga.) 40, Fairmont State (W.Va.) 38, UNC Pembroke 35, Point Loma (Calif.) 34, Saint Martin’s (Wash.) 32, Northern State (S.D.) 27, Nova Southeastern (Fla.) 19, Barry (Fla.) 18, Minnesota State 18, Texas A&M-Commerce 17, Drury (Mo.) 13, Shaw (N.C.) 13, Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 12, Dominican (N.Y.) 12, Ashland (Ohio) 11, Lees-McRae (N.C.) 13, Tarleton State (Texas) 10, Claflin (S.C.) 9, Daemen (N.Y.) 8, Fort Lewis (Colo.) 4, Merrimack (Mass.) 4, Chico State (Calif.)  3, King (Tenn.) 3, Clark Atlanta (Ga.) 2, Stanislaus State (Calif.) 2, Colorado School of Mines 1, Dixie State (Utah) 1.
 
Records are final from 2017-18 season.  Last ranking was from the final 2017-18 poll.

SIAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

'Sprng Hill Rises in NCAA Volleyball Regional Rankings

Spring Hill Rises in NCAA Volleyball Regional RanksATLANTA, Georgia  – With less than a week remaining until championships, the Spring Hill Badgers have risen from No. 10 to No. 9 in the NCAA Volleyball Regional Rankings, released on Wednesday.
 
Since the Badgers’ debut in the poll, their schedule has slowed in preparations for their first SIAC Championship Tournament.
 
Last week, Spring Hill completed the season sweep of arch rival the University of Mobile on the road. The Badgers claimed the victory by scores of 25-14, 25-17, and 26-24. This win ran SHC's current winning streak to 22 games. As they are set to finish out the season facing Loyola University (La.) and conference opponent, Tuskegee, on Nov. 2.
 
After comp
leting regular season, the Badgers will travel to Birmingham, Ala. to face the top four team in each division at a chance for their first SIAC Conference title.

SIAC Logo
For more information on the 2018 SIAC Volleyball Tournament, click here.
  
SOUTH                       
1          Tampa 19-1     25-2
2          Palm Beach Atlantic    20-3     25-3
3          Barry   20-3     24-3
4          Florida Southern         14-6     18-9
5          West Florida   15-4     21-7
6          Embry-Riddle (Florida)           14-8     17-9
7          Saint Leo         13-9     14-13
8          West Alabama 15-7     17-8
9          Spring Hill       22-2     22-3
10        Montevallo      19-7     20-7
 
Link to Regional Volleyball Rankings, here.


SPRING HILL COLLEGE BADGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Week 9 MEAC Fan Choice (Play & Player)



The Mid - Eastern Athletic Conference is Proud to introduce Fan Pick Play & Player of the week!! For more information on voting please Visit MEACSports.com or Instagram/FaceBook: @Meacsports!!

NORFOLK, Virginia -- After fans cast over two thousand votes combined, the choices are in for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's (MEAC) Fans' Play and Players of the Week. Brycen Alleyne of Delaware State was the fans' choice for Week 9's top play, icing the Hornets' win over North Carolina Central, and the fans also showed love to Delaware State linebacker Brian Cavicanteand Savannah State running back Rashad Saxton.

Alleyne, a senior running back out of Wilmington, Del., clinched the Hornets' first win of the season on Saturday. Late in the fourth quarter, North Carolina Central had scored to make it a one-possession game. But Alleyne, in a play that received over 62 percent of the fan vote, took the handoff, swept to his right, found the edge, and sped 76 yards to paydirt.

The touchdown, with 4:42 left on the clock, gave the Hornets a 28-13 lead.

Saxton was the fan's choice for Offensive Player of the Week following his 17-carry, 118-yard performance this past Saturday in Savannah State's 32-3 win over Norfolk State. The sophomore from Jacksonville, Fla. also found the endzone, capping a 10-yard drive with a 1-yard run to put the Tigers on the board.

Cavicante was also key in Delaware State's win over North Carolina Central; the sophomore from Portsmouth, Va. had nine tackles to tie the team high, 2.5 of which came for a loss and half a sack. He was a constant presence in the backfield against the Eagles, and his tackles for loss totaled seven yards.

Fans will again have a chance to make their voices heard following this weekend's contests; be sure to visit www.MEACSports.com and the conference's official Twitter page (@MEACSports) on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning for the next batch of nominees.

MEAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

HSSU Women's Basketball Downs Comets in Season Opener

SAINT LOUIS, Missouri  --  First game jitters were nowhere in sight as the Hornets took down the Comets of Cottey College 83-49.

Jay'La Davis (SR/St. Louis, MO) led all scorers with 17 points on 7-16 shooting. Sebit Gatluak (JR/Des Moines, IA) had a breakout first game for HSSU as she went 4-5 from behind the arc for 12 points while Takesia Barnes (SO/Memphis, TN) (9), Kambri Davison (SO/Tulsa, OK) (8), Kierra Weir (SO/Springfield, IL) (8), Jordan May (SO/St. Louis, MO) (6), Daijahnay Winston (FR/Chicago, IL) (6), Tarsheia Page (SO/Chicago, IL) (6), Marcia Hawkins (JR/Las Vegas, NV) (6), and Surina Finnie (FR/Memphis, TN) (5) all scored.

News PhotoKelsey Acton led the Comets offensive efforts with 16 points while Kasey Acton was right behind her with eight points.

Harris-Stowe jumped out to a commanding 10-0 lead just four minutes into the game. Davis would get a fast break lay-up at the last second to extend their lead to 22-5 after 10 minutes of play.

The Hornets kept their lead throughout the second quarter, hitting the 20 point lead mark when Barnes drained a three-pointer just 15 seconds into the new quarter. HSSU would find themselves with a 54-34 lead going into the half.

HSSU had complete control for the rest of the game; getting up by as much as 36 points after Davison drained her lone three-pointer of the game late in the fourth quarter. The Comet's Kelsey Acton would add in two free throws with 21 seconds left in the game to make the final 83-49.

Harris-Stowe will play against Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK on Tuesday, November 6 as an exhibition game before hosting Graceland University on Nov. 10.

BOX SCORE

Make sure to stay up to date on news and scores on the women's basketball team at hornetsathletics.com.

Fans be sure to stay connected on all Hornet Athletics on all our social media pages: Twitter (@HSSU_athletics), Instagram (@hssuathletics), and Facebook (/HSSUathletics).

HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Harris-Stowe Starts Season With Win Over #25 Lindsey Wilson

News PhotoSAINT LOUIS, Missouri -- The Harris-Stowe Hornets showed great strength as they defeated No. 25 Lindsey Wilson College 77-74.

Deandre Clark (SR/Orange, VA) led all scorers with 18 points while Christian Wimbley (SR/St. Louis, MO) and Nate Rigmaiden (SR/St. Louis, MO) chipped in 16 and 14 points, respectively. Duane Clark (JR/Saint Louis, MO) had a breakout first game for HSSU as he contributed 11 points and eight rebounds.

Kel Stotts led the Blue Raider's with 16 points while Shakaris Laney chipped in 14 points.

Harris-Stowe came out hot, scoring on four of their first five possessions to take a quick 10-3 lead.

The Hornets extend their lead to 10 points when Rigmaiden scored on a fast break lay-up just five minutes into the game. Just a minute later, Wimbley would complete a three-point play to give HSSU a 22-7 lead.

BOX SCORE

Lindsey Wilson made their run late in the first half and ended up tying the game at 40 a piece going into the half.

The Hornets and Blue Raiders traded baskets in the second half that sent the game down to the wire.

Wimbley grabbed an offensive rebounds with 13 seconds left in the game and was sent to the free throw line. He drained both shots to put HSSU up 75-74. On the defensive end, Deandre Clark grabbed the missed shot and secured the win with two more made free throws.

Harris-Stowe will host Wilberforce University on Tuesday, November 6 before heading to Langston University to face off against Paul Quinn College and Texas College.

Make sure to stay up to date on news and scores on the men's basketball team at hornetsathletics.com.

Fans be sure to stay connected on all Hornet Athletics on all our social media pages: Twitter (@HSSU_athletics), Instagram (@hssuathletics), and Facebook (/HSSUathletics).

HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Wiley's Souza Repeats as RRAC Setter of the Week

Alexia Souza wins her sixth Setter of the Week award.MARSHALL, Texas -- After reaching a career milestone and averaging over 11 assists per set, Alexia Souza (JR/Taubate, Sao Paulo, Brazil) repeats as Red River Athletic Conference Setter of the Week for October 22-28.

This is Souza's sixth honor and Wiley College volleyball's eighth this season. Souza surpassed 1,000 career assists during Friday's victory over Dillard University. She is the third Lady Wildcat to reach that plateau.

Against Jarvis Christian College, she put up 11.3 assists per set in a sweep. She also contributed eight digs, two kills and two block assists. In Friday's victory over Dillard she averaged 12.3 assists per set while adding seven digs, five block assists and four kills. For the week, Souza put up 71 assists for an average of 11.8 per set. She has maintained her lead in the Red River Athletic Conference with 10.2 assists per set.

The Lady Wildcats conclude the regular season at 3 p.m. Friday against the University of the Southwest.

WILEY COLLEGE WILDCATS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

2018 SWAC Women's Soccer Tournament Schedule

5368

Location: Prairie View A&M Univeristy
Prairie View, Texas
Event Coverage: Semifinals and Championship on SWAC Digital Network
Date: November 1-4, 2018

All-SWAC RELEASE | All-SWAC AWARDS RECEPTION PHOTO GALLERY

Tournament Information
The 2018 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament will take place November 1-4 in Prairie View, Texas. This is the third year the event will be held at the facility. Alabama State has won the past two championships and seeks to become the second team in league history to claim three soccer tournament titles, and the first to do so in consecutive seasons. Grambling State and Howard are also vying to become three-time champions.

The top eight teams, based on conference results determined by a point system, qualify for the SWAC Women's Soccer Tournament. A team receives three points for each conference win and one point for a tie. The winner of the tournament will earn the SWAC automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament, if eligible.

Quarterfinal 1
10:00 a.m., Nov. 1
#1 Grambling State vs. #8 UAPB

Quarterfinal 2
12:30 p.m.,Nov. 1
#4 Alabama State vs.#5 Prairie View A&M

Quarterfinal 3
3:00 p.m.,Nov. 1
#3 Texas Southern vs.#6 Alabama A&M

Quarterfinal 4
5:30 p.m., Nov. 1
#2 Howard vs. #7 Southern

Semifinal 1
3:00 p.m., Nov. 2
Winner of QF #1 vs. Winner of QF #2

Semifinal 2
5:30 p.m.,Nov. 2
Winner of QF #3 vs.?Winner of QF #4

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
11:00 a.m., Nov. 4
Winner of SF #1 vs. Winner of SF #2

SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

GSU's Christmas Named William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist

Christmas NFFIRVING, Texas | Grambling State University senior linebacker De'Arius Christmas was chosen as a 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy® finalist, which annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation and was announced on Wednesday morning by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame. Fidelity Investments is a proud partner of the Campbell Trophy®.

Christmas, a senior from Vicksburg, Miss. is among the 13 finalists and will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 60th NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 4, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.


At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 29th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. The event, which will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown, will be live streamed on ESPN3, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Selected from a nationwide pool of 179 exceptional semifinalists from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, the 13 finalists are:

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE POSITION SCHOOL GPA MAJOR
Kenneth Brinson LB Army West Point 3.96 Chemical Engineering
Taryn Christion QB South Dakota State 3.61 Business Economics
De'Arius Christmas LB Grambling State 3.82 Engineering Technology
D'Cota Dixon S Wisconsin 3.32 Rehabilitation Psychology
Ryan Finley QB North Carolina State 3.76 Psychology
Piercen Harnish LB Saint Francis (Ind.) 3.96 Finance
Trace McSorley QB Penn State 3.31 Accounting
Dalton Risner OL Kansas State 3.60 Communication Studies
Max Scharping OL Northern Illinois 3.99 Kinesiology
Eric Stevenson LB Wheaton (Ill.) 3.83 Economics
Easton Stick QB North Dakota State 3.92 Sport Management
Drue Tranquill LB Notre Dame 3.73 Mechanical Engineering
Christian Wilkins DL Clemson 3.33 Communication Studies

"We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year's Campbell Trophy®, who make up the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. They serve as living examples that Football Matters®, and we are excited to honor their hard work and accomplishments with postgraduate scholarships."

De'Arius ChristmasChristmas personifies the scholar-athlete ideal, leading Grambling State in tackles while working toward an engineering degree. The Vicksburg, Mississippi, native deservedly becomes the Tigers' second NFF National Scholar-Athlete, and their first since 1972.

Boasting a 3.82 GPA as an engineering technology major, Christmas is on pace to graduate in May 2019 and aspires to work at his hometown's research and development laboratory. The SWAC All-Academic Team selection was named the 2017 Grambling State Student-Athlete of the Year across all sports. His other academic accolades include the Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll, the President's List and the Dean's List.

For the second consecutive season, Christmas is the Tigers' leading tackler, posting 42 stops in 2018 along with 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He has twice been named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week this season, including his performance against Alabama State where he returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown. Christmas's other weekly honor came when he led Grambling State with eight tackles while recording two sacks and an interception in a win over Texas Southern.

A two-year team captain, Christmas led Grambling State with 88 tackles in 2017 en route to earning Third Team All-America status. The 2017 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year also garnered first team all-conference recognition while guiding the Tigers to consecutive 11-win seasons and SWAC titles. Christmas led Grambling State to a victory in the 2016 Celebration Bowl, which denotes the HBCU national champion, and he guided the Tigers to an appearance in the 2017 edition.

A three-year volunteer with the Special Olympics, Christmas has participated in events with the Vicksburg Packers, including giving a speech for the city's leadership team. A transfer from East Mississippi Community College, he was featured on the first season of the Netflix docuseries "Last Chance U."

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the Campbell Trophy® and NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

"The NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year's National Scholar-Athletes," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "Selected from an impressive group of semifinalists, they should be extremely proud of their accomplishments, as they have undoubtedly distinguished themselves as some of the best student-athletes in the country. Each of these men is also a leader in his respective community, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential."

The Campbell Trophy® is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the former chairman of Intuit, a former player and head coach at Columbia University, and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $241,000 in scholarships will be awarded Dec. 4, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $11.5 million.

Following the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, the 2018 Campbell Trophy® recipient will be honored at several other prestigious events. On Wednesday, Dec. 5, the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) will host a luncheon in his honor. From there, he will travel directly to Atlanta for ESPN's The Home Depot College Football Awards at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame on Thursday, Dec. 6, where he will be interviewed live during the show. Finally, he will travel to Santa Clara, California, to be honored on the field during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi's® Stadium on Monday, Jan. 7.

The NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships for combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Including the 2018 recipients, the NFF has honored 854 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The honorees have used the financial support to earn more than 150 medical degrees, 100 law degrees, 80 MBAs and 43 PhDs. Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 200 recipients have played in the NFL with an average career of six seasons or double the length of a typical NFL player. Past recipients also include 13 Rhodes Scholars.

The members of this year's class find themselves among some of the most elite student-athletes in the history of the game, including NFL standout Drew Brees (Purdue); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); Robert Morris University President Chris Howard (Air Force); XFL Commissioner & CEO Oliver Luck (West Virginia); NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins (Illinois) and Leland Melvin (Richmond); and 37 College Football Hall of Famers, including 2018 electees Dave Dickenson (Montana) and Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia). Click here for a database of all the past NFF National Scholar-Athletes.

The Campbell Trophy®, first awarded in 1990, adds to the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program's prestige, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks. The past recipients of The William V. Campbell Trophy® include: Air Force's Chris Howard (1990); Florida's Brad Culpepper (1991); Colorado's Jim Hansen (1992); Virginia's Thomas Burns (1993); Nebraska's Robert Zatechka (1994); Ohio State's Bobby Hoying (1995); Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1996); Tennessee's Peyton Manning (1997); Georgia's Matt Stinchcomb (1998); Marshall's Chad Pennington(1999); Nebraska's Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000); Miami (Fla.)'s Joaquin Gonzalez (2001); Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.)'s Brandon Roberts (2002); Ohio State's Craig Krenzel (2003); Tennessee's Michael Muñoz (2004); LSU's Rudy Niswanger (2005); Rutgers' Brian Leonard (2006); Texas' Dallas Griffin (2007); California's Alex Mack (2008); Florida's Tim Tebow (2009); Texas' Sam Acho (2010); Army West Point's Andrew Rodriguez (2011); Alabama's Barrett Jones (2012); Penn State's John Urschel (2013); Duke's David Helton (2014); Oklahoma's Ty Darlington (2015); Western Michigan's Zach Terrell (2016); and Virginia's Micah Kiser(2017).

Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of workplace savings plans in higher education, serves as a proud partner of the Campbell Trophy® and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Since 2013, the Campbell Trophy® has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club.
 
As part of its support of the NFF's scholarship programs, Fidelity Investments helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the institutions with a Campbell Trophy® finalist. The NFF Faculty Salutes include the NFF presenting each of the faculty representatives with a plaque and Fidelity donating $5,000 for the academic support services at each school. The salutes have recognized 115 FARs since the program's inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $570,000 (including $65,000 this year) in donations.


2018 NFF Campbell Trophy® Finalists Highlights

  • 3.70 Average GPA
  • 13 Captains, including 3 three-year captains (Harnish, Risner, Stick)
  • players who have already graduated (Dixon, Finley, McSorley, Risner, Scharping, Stick, Tranquill, Wilkins), including one who has already earned a master's degree (Finley)
  • Academic All-America selections (Brinson, Harnish, Scharping, Stevenson, Tranquill)
  • 11 Academic All-Conference athletes (Christion, Christmas, Dixon, Finley, Harnish, McSorley, Risner, Scharping, Stevenson, Stick, Wilkins – Brinson and Tranquill are from independent teams)
  • All-America performers (Christion, Christmas, Harnish, McSorley, Risner, Scharping, Wilkins)
  • 10 All-Conference selections (Christion, Christmas, Dixon, Harnish, McSorley, Risner, Scharping, Stevenson, Stick, Wilkins)
  • 4 members of national championship teams (Christmas – HBCU, Harnish – NAIA, Stick – FCS, Wilkins – CFP)
  • members of conference championship teams (Christion, Christmas, Harnish, McSorley, Stevenson, Stick, Wilkins)
  • school record holders (Christion, Harnish, McSorley, Stick)
  • members of ranked teams (Christion, Harnish, McSorley, Stick, Tranquill, Wilkins)
  • Offensive Players (Christion, Finley, McSorley, Risner, Scharping, Stick)
  • Defensive Players (Brinson, Christmas, Dixon, Harnish, Stevenson, Tranquill, Wilkins)

In addition to the presentation of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards and The William V. Campbell Trophy®, the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner will include the induction of the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Class and the presentation of several major awards.

ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include Football Matters®, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy®, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments – a proud partner of the Campbell Trophy®, Herff Jones, New York Athletic Club, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Sports Business Journal, SportsManias, Under Armour and VICIS. Learn more at footballfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS ASSOCIATION

The William V. Campbell Trophy® is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 23 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.

Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

By: Brian Howard, Sports Information Director
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

2018 All-SWAC Soccer Awards Announced

2018 All-SWAC Soccer Awards AnnouncedBIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference revealed its 2018 postseason soccer honors, with Mississippi Valley State’s Laadi Issaka, Grambling State’s Haileigh Adams and Justin Wagar, Howard’s Jordan Taylor and Southern’s Chioma Eriken taking home individual accolades. The teams and award winners were determined in a vote among the league’s coaches and sports information directors.

Issaka collected Offensive Player of the Year accolades for the second time in her decorated career after an ex
ceptional season where she scored 20 goals, dished out seven assists and accounted for a nation-leading 47 total points. The senior striker, who shared the honors in 2016, is the nation’s active leader in career total points.

Adams picked up Defensive Player of the Year honors after helping to anchor a Lady Tigers’ defense that has not conceded a goal in seven straight matches. A one-time defensive player of the week honoree, Adams aided the Lady Tigers in allowed just 1.11 goals per game and limiting opponents to a combined 78 shots on goal.
 
Taylor, the 2018 SWAC Freshman of the Year led the Bison in scoring with 14 points, finding the twine six times during the season and adding a pair of assists. The Wadsworth, Ohio native earned offensive player of the week honors twice this year, scoring the game-winner on three separate occasions this season.

Eriken earned the 2018 SWAC Goalkeeper of the Year award. She leads the SWAC as well as the nation in saves (150) and saves per game (10.00). Ranking second in the league with a .847 save percentage, the Mesquite, Texas native put up five matches with 10 or more saves and is responsible for the most saves in a single match by any player in the country thanks to a 22-stop effort versus Grambling on Oct. 5

Wagar earned his second SWAC Coach of the Year award in as many seasons after he guided the Lady Tigers to a 12-7 record (9-1 SWAC) and the conference regular season title. Under Wagar’s direction, Grambling allowed 1.11 goals per game and boasted the second-best scoring margin among all teams. Thanks to ferocious defense, Grambling outscored SWAC opponents 20-1 during play and has not allowed a goal in seven straight matches entering tournament play.
Southwestern Athletic Conference Logo - Go to homepage
First-Team All-SWAC Soccer
Forward: Laadi Issaka, Mississippi Valley State
Forward: Kaylee Holt, Grambling State
Forward: Birgit Rijnders, Alabama State
Midfielder: Jordan Taylor, Howard
Midfielder: Kailey Pena, Grambling State
Midfielder: Blair Lane, Prairie View A&M
Midfielder: Karenth Zabala-Terrazas, Mississippi Valley State
Defender: Haileigh Adams, Grambling State
Defender: Brittany Terry, Grambling State
Defender: Briana Norwood, Texas Southern
Goalkeeper: Chimoa Eriken, Southern

Second-Team All-SWAC Soccer
Forward: Makela Davidson, Howard
Forward: Rebecca Holmes, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Forward: Jojo Bernal, Prairie View A&M
Midfielder: Begona Rodriguez-Bravo, Texas Southern
Midfielder: Jasmine Smith, Grambling State
Midfielder: Karissa Fenwick, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Midfielder: Jalah Carter, Jackson State
Defender: Florence David, Grambling State
Defender: Kendall Macauly, Howard
Defender: Kendall Hamilton, Howard
Goalkeeper: Alayah Hightower, Howard

Offensive Player of the Year
Laadi Issaka, Mississippi Valley State

Defensive Player of the Year
Haileigh Adams, Grambling State

Goalkeeper of the Year
Chioma Eriken, Southern

Freshman of the Year
Jordan Taylor, Howard

Coach of the Year
Justin Wagar, Grambling State


SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Tigers Roll Past Tennessee Wesleyan, 107-72, in Exhibition Game



EXHIBITION GAME
Final Score: Tennessee State 107 - Tennessee Wesleyan 72
Venue: Gentry Center
Location: Nashville, Tenn. 
Attendance: 764
NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- In an exhibition game to open the Brian “Penny” Collins era and unofficially kick off the 2018-19 season, the Tennessee State men’s basketball team dominated NAIA opponent Tennessee Wesleyan 107-72 at the Gentry Center on Wednesday night.
TSU led start to finish, leading by 26 in the first half and by as many as 39 points in the final 20 minutes.
Although Wednesday’s result will not officially count toward the Tigers’ win total, the offensive output with balanced scoring sets the tone for the rest of the season. The last time TSU reached 100-plus points in a regular season game was Dec. 15, 2013 in a 108-85 win over Fisk.  
Seven Tigers scored in double figures on the night led by 21 points from redshirt junior guard Donte Fitzpatrick Dorsey, who shot 8-of-10 from the floor. Junior forward Emmanuel Egbuta was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field with 14 points including a number of high-flying dunks. Redshirt junior guard Tripp Davispicked up a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for TSU.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
  • TSU Leaders
    • Points: Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey - 21
    • Rebounds: Tripp Davis - 10
    • Assists: A. Chaney/D. Fitzpatrick-Dorsey/K. McKnight - 4
  • TSU shot 59.4 percent (41-of-69) from the floor.
  • The Tigers forced Tennessee Wesleyan into 21 turnovers and scored 25 points off turnovers.
  • TSU scored 54 points in the paint to the Bulldogs’ 10.
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • TSU was able to turn defense into offense in the early going, turning six Tennessee Wesleyan turnovers into eight points on the other end. The Tigers’ lead stood at 21-8 with 12:30 left in the first half.
  • TSU continued to shoot the ball well with Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey draining a pair of three-pointers to stretch the advantage to 34-13 with eight minutes to go in the opening half.
  • The Tigers kept Tennessee Wesleyan under 20 points until the 3:46 mark of the first half.
  • TSU led by as many as 26 points in the first half and carried a 49-33 advantage into the locker room.
  • The Tigers blew the game open with a 15-5 run to open the second half featuring three highlight-reel dunks from Emmanuel Egbuta.
  • The home side took its largest lead of the game at 98-59 on a jumper by Fitzpatrick-Dorsey with 4:27 left in the game.
 GAME NOTES
  • Wednesday’s game was an exhibition game for both sides.
 UP NEXT
  • TSU officially opens the season on Nov. 10 at Lipscomb.
QUOTESTSU HEAD COACH BRIAN “PENNY” COLLINS
(on facing Tennessee Wesleyan)
“First of all, I want to give nothing but credit to Ray Stone and his team, Tennessee Wesleyan. I think they’re going to be a really good team this year – a real force in the NAIA Division II level. I want to thank them for coming up here and getting us battle tested for the season.”
(thoughts on the game)
“Our guys tonight, I was really impressed with our pace. We’re still trying to get used to playing fast and taking care of the ball. We had a lot of silly turnovers. Our guys got a little relaxed too early in the game, but I was pleased with our pace. That’s the main thing. We’re trying to push the pace, we’re trying to play fast, and when you try and play fast, you turn over the ball a little bit more than you’d like. On the defensive end tonight, I just think our guys got a little tired and got relaxed just too much for my liking. Little things we think we can correct, that’s what we’ll do over the next 10 days getting ready for our opener.”
(on his first game at the helm for the Tigers)
“I’m not going to lie. All day long I was nervous, stomach butterflies, just worried about today’s game. I wanted our guys to go out and perform, and show the people here in Nashville that we were going to play an exciting brand of basketball – it’s going to be new, it’s going to be fun, and we want people to come to the games. I feel like anyone who came to the game tonight, they should’ve been entertained. I was very pleased with our students who came to the game tonight. I was so glad they came out. We just want them to keep coming back.”





TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Gold Nuggets blast Stillman 77-60 in season opener

Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketballNEW ORLEANS — NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana shared the wealth Wednesday and rolled to a 77-60 women's basketball victory against Stillman in the first game of the 2018-19 season.
     
Eleven Gold Nuggets scored, led by newcomerCaprice Taylor with 13 points and returning starter Gina Smith with 11. XULA newcomers accounted for 45 points and outshot the returnees 43 to 31 percent from the floor.
     
"We're going to be fine," 20th-year head coach Bo Browder said. "We did some good things. We did some things we need to correct. But I like this team. This team has a lot of potential. We've just got to keep working, stay focused and keep the injuries to a minimum."
     
XULA led 16-9 after one quarter, 41-22 at halftime and 61-38 through three quarters. The Gold Nuggets' largest lead was 66-38 when Taylor made a 3-pointer with 8:58 remaining.

BOX SCORE
     
Michala Fluellen had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Tigers, who also opened their season Wednesday.
     
Stillman outshot XULA 44.9 to 38.1 percent from the floor — 51.9 to 32.4 percent in the second half — but the Gold Nuggets were plus-14 in turnovers (9-23) and made 21-of-25 free throws to the Lady Tigers' 13-of-25. Smith made 7-of-8 free throws, and freshman Da'Jha Virgil was 4-of-4.
     
Virgil finished with nine points, and Mikayla Bates had seven points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals and no turnovers. Maya Trench had six assists.
     
It was the first time in seven years that XULA reached 75 points while committing fewer than 10 turnovers. A year ago XULA scored 45 points in its opener and 39 points in its home opener.
     
The Gold Nuggets will play host to Florida Memorial, Langston and LSU-Alexandria in the Xavier Classic Friday and Saturday. Friday's pairings will be Langston vs. LSUA at 4 p.m. and XULA vs. Florida Memorial at 6 p.m.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
 

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Le Guillou earns record-setting 7th GCAC weekly honor

NEW ORLEANS — Eva Le Guillou did something Tuesday that no Xavier University of Louisiana student-athlete has done previously. She's the first from XULA to win seven Gulf Coast Athletic Conference weekly awards in one season.
     

Le Guillou was chosen the GCAC's Setter of the Week in volleyball for Oct. 22-28 after producing 40 assists, four aces and six digs in victories against conference opponents Philander Smith and Talladega. A sophomore from Velizy-Villacoublay, France, Le Guillou climbed to No. 4 on the school's all-time season list with 836 assists. She served a match- and career-high-tying four aces against Talladega.
     

Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyballLe Guillou has since increased her season assist total to 870, which ranks third at XULA.
     
Seven from XULA won six GCAC weekly awards in a season: Anna Dalla Vecchia(2017) and Tiffany Phillips (2016) in volleyball, Justyce Riggs (2018) in women's track, Devinn Rolland (2013) in women's field, Nour Abbes (2014) in women's tennis and Christopher August (2016) and Kwame Jackson (2014) in men's cross country.
     

Le Guillou has 10 career GCAC weekly awards, one fewer than Phillips's program record of 11.
     

XULA and Tougaloo, both 12-0 in the GCAC, will meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at XULA's Convocation Center. Admission will be free for all. The winner will clinch a tie for the GCAC regular-season championship.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Three UDC Firebirds Earn East Coast Conference Women’s Tennis All-Conference Honors

Three Firebirds Earn East Coast Conference Women’s Tennis All-Conference HonorsWEST BABYLON, New York – Sophomore Simoné Pärn was named First Team All-Conference, and junior Marija Milic and freshman Joanna Skrzypczynska each earned Second Team All-Conference to represent the University of the District of Columbia for the East Coast Conference Women's Tennis All-Conference teams.

Pärn finished the regular season with overall records of 11-2 in singles play and 10-3 in doubles competition. In dual match No. 1 singles play, she earned a 10-1 mark, including a 6-1 record in ECC play. She teamed with Milic at No. 1 doubles all season, earning marks of 9-2 in dual matches and 5-2 vs. the ECC.

The Estonia native earned impressive singles and doubles wins in the Firebirds' early regular season meeting at Queens College on September 8th. That day, she defeated fellow ECC First Team honoree Reehan Rashad, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, and she and Milic defeated Rashad and another ECC First Teamer, Luisa Auffarth, 7-6 (6).

Her only dual match singles loss came at the hands of this year's ECC Player and Rookie of the Year, Barbara Quagliardi of New York Institute of Technology. Quagliardi bested Pärn, 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 on October 19th; however, Pärn would hand Quagliardi her only Division II singles loss of the season, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4, when the two met again in the ECC semifinals on Saturday, October 27th.

Milic, a junior transfer from Oakland University, had a very impressive Fall 2018 in her first season as a Firebird. She finished the regular season with overall records of 9-4 in singles play and 10-3 in doubles competition. In dual match No. 2 singles play, she earned an 8-3 mark, including a 5-2 record in ECC play. She teamed with Pärn at No. 1 doubles all season, earning marks of 9-2 in dual matches and 5-2 vs. the ECC.

Skrzypczynska had a remarkable rookie season for the Firebirds. Riding a nine-match singles win streak into the Firebirds' ECC semifinal match vs. NYIT, the Poland native finished the regular season 11-2 overall in both singles and doubles play. In dual matches at No. 3 singles, she was 10-1, including a 6-1 mark vs. the ECC. At doubles, she teamed with sophomore Anastasiia Danylova at No. 2 for a record of 9-1 (also went 1-0 at No. 2 doubles teaming with junior Estefania Castrillon) in dual matches, and individually, she was 6-1 vs. the ECC in doubles play.

These three ECC All-Conference honorees helped the Firebirds finish the regular season 9-2 and earn a No. 3 seed in the ECC Championship Tournament. There, UDC nearly knocked off the eventual champion, NYIT, in the semifinal round, but bowed out in a 4-3 defeat.

The Firebirds will resume dual match play in the spring as they look to earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Florida Prep School CEO Goes on Profanity-Laced Tirade, Threatens Basketball Player


Listen: Mike Woodbury, Head Coach at The Nations Christian Academy said to a player when he told him he would be transferring!

PORT SAINT LUCIE, Florida -- Mike Woodbury, the owner of a Florida private school The Nation Christian Academy, admitted to a profanity-laced tirade in which he threatened to send one of his players, Marvens Petion, back home to Haiti, and also called himself the “dirtiest, baddest motherf—– in this program.”

“Just get out of my face,” Woodbury said at the start of the more than three-minute audio clip that was posted on YouTube. “Take your broke asses – I’ll say it again – your broke asses back to the garage. I don’t want to hear from you. The bottom line … get the f— out. Just walk the f— out. I don’t give a shit. I control transcripts. I control where you go next. It could be back to Haiti, motherf—–. That’s how easy it is for me.”
“Now I control everything,” he later said in the audio. “I just want you to really know that. I’m going to f— you in your ass next time you’re out of line. I’m going to take everything from you. I’m going to end everything you’ve ever had.”
“I did that,” Woodbury told Stadium early Wednesday morning. “I own that 100 percent.”


CONTINUE READING 

NOTE: International Student Marvens Petion told Stadium that he is enrolled at West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Florida and has been recruited by mid-major Division I programs McNeese State and Louisiana Tech.

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