Independence Day Fireworks at Washington, D.C.

Former Saint Augustine's Kia Davis chooses different path to Beijing Olympics

Excerpt from article:

"It really hasn't sunk in yet," the 32-year-old Kia Davis said by phone Thursday afternoon. "I want to treat it like just another meet, but I know it isn't just another meet. I'm sure I'll start getting those butterflies inside very soon."
The only thing that would make the experience better is the uniform she will be wearing in China.

Davis will compete for the Republic of Liberia, the homeland of her father and paternal grandparents, not for the United States. She will be competing in the 400-meter dash, and possibly the 200. "It wasn't an easy decision," Davis said. "I agonized over it. I sat down and had a long talk with my coach, Bethune-Cookman University's Garfield Ellenwood, who also is coach of the Liberian national team, my family and my fiancée (Michael Ford, an assistant coach at Baylor).

"I know some people won't like that," said Davis, who lives in Daytona Beach, Fla., and is an assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman University. "They'll think I'm un-American or unpatriotic. I've already received some static over it. If someone can come to this country and take a spot away from an American athlete, why can't an American do the same thing elsewhere?

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McAfee coached for more than wins

The Wichita Sports Hall of Fame inducts 10 individuals and a team.

When David Norwood was asked to talk about Arthur McAfee Jr., his former coach at Morehouse College, Norwood didn't say one word about basketball. He said nothing of McAfee's knowledge of the sport, about McAfee's 518 career victories. Didn't reference McAfee's induction into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday.

When Norwood talked about McAfee, he spoke solely of him as a person. "Coach Mac, he gave me a second chance. He was an individual that really gave me a chance to be the person I am today," said Norwood, a 1990 Heights High graduate. McAfee allowed Norwood to walk on in 1992, less than a year after Norwood got out of jail for selling drugs.

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Former Saint Augustine's hurdler earns Olympic berth

EUGENE, Ore. - Former Saint Augustine's College hurdler and current Falcon student Bershawn Jackson gained a berth to the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a convincing victory in the 400-meter hurdles final on Sunday (June 29) at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field. This is the first Olympic berth for Jackson, a Miami, Fla., native who lives and trains in Raleigh, NC, under George Williams, the legendary Saint Augustine's College track and field coach and 2004 U.S. Olympic team coach.

Jackson blitzed the field in the finals, crossing the finish line in 48.17 seconds to beat Kerron Clement (48.36) and Angelo Taylor (48.42), who both are going to the 2008 Olympics as well. The top three finishers advance to the Beijing Games.



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Stillman AD knows all about hard work, challenges

TUSCALOOSA - Curtis D. Campbell, athletics director at Stillman College, came to town with the experience of an administrator, having worked at colleges of various sizes. He also had the experience of jumping from an airplane with a full load of military gear, having serving as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army. So he knows something about responsibility and discipline.

Campbell, 45, got the job on July 1, 2007, becoming Stillman’s fifth AD in three years. He replaced Greg Thompson, head football coach, who served two stints as athletics director.

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JCSU leader prepares to step away

Photo: Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy.

CHARLOTTE -- Nearly 50 years ago, Johnson C. Smith University’s 12th president set foot on the campus, first as a student and then years later at a leader. Now, Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy says it is time to say good bye. Yancy started at JCSU in 1960, and while at first she was homesick, the school would eventually be her home away from home. Upon graduating in 1964, she knew her time at the university was far from over.

"I left here determined to make Johnson C. Smith University proud of me,” said the first woman to ever be the school’s president. "It was different coming back as interim president. I thought I'd be here for maybe six months because … I figured by September I'd be back in the classroom at Georgia Tech and life would continue. I never expected to be here for 14 years."

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LeMoyne-Owen presidential finalists to meet public

College narrows search for new leader down to 3

Officials with LeMoyne-Owen College have narrowed their search for a new president to three people. The finalists are Dr. Charles Beady, Dr. Lester Newman and Dr. Patricia Ramsey. If one of them is chosen, he or she will succeed James Wingate, who stepped down in July 2006. Former Memphis City Schools superintendent Johnnie Watson has led the school since shortly after Wingate resigned.

Each of the candidates will meet with the community, beginning today through Wednesday, said Robert Lipscomb, chairman of the college's board directors. "They're coming in for community and constituent meetings. Let them feel the college out and vice versa," Lipscomb said Sunday.

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Tavon Waters transferring to FSU

Every athlete dreams of taking their game to the next level. Former Wayne County prep standout Tavon Waters is getting that chance. Waters recently announced that he will be leaving Brunswick Community College, and enrolling at perennial Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association power Fayetteville State University. The move is the culmination of hard work, prowess and perseverance.

"I know that Fayetteville State is a place where I can be successful," said Waters, who played at Goldsboro High and Wayne Country Day. "It's a place where I can help keep the spotlight on basketball. "I have a really close family, and I wanted to go to a place where they could come and watch me play ... a place that would allow me to be close to home."

After completing a successful high school career at Wayne Country Day, the combo-guard weighed all of his collegiate options. Eventually he found a home within coach Walter Shaw's highly-successful program at Brunswick.

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Iverson's ability opens door for playing at Stillman College

TUSCALOOSA Sitting through team meetings and overhearing countless recruiting calls, Iverson Williams couldn’t escape football, no matter how much his father, Ivey, tried to deter him.

Iverson Williams, a junior wide receiver at Stillman College, learned the subtleties of football shadowing his dad, a football coach for 33 years.

Now an assistant head coach at Northwest Oklahoma State University, Ivey Williams is known to Alabama Crimson Tide fans as the running backs coach for Gene Stallings and Mike DuBose from 1994-2000. He coached the same position for the Detroit Lions in the late ’80s.

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Sixth Annual ASU Golden Rams Golf Outing

ALBANY - The college football season will be here before you know it, and regarding Albany State University, Coach Mike White is hoping to contend for an SIAC Championship. But Saturday afternoon, instead of barking out play calls, he hosted the sixth Annual Golden Rams Golf Outing.

The event is put on to help raise money for the ASU football program. Even though temperatures were high, many still showed, which White appreciated. "It is extremely important to our program. Our sponsors have been great to us. A lot of guys have come to play this year and we're really pleased. And again, we look forward to this each year."

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A 6-foot-7-inch seaman plays on all-Navy basketball team

Tolbert said he would like to apply to attend Virginia State University on a Navy scholarship, where he could play and finish his education.

NORFOLK, Va. - Seaman Sam Tolbert needed to get to another, quieter compartment in his ship. There was one obvious way: through the bulkhead, a manhole-size cutout about 3 feet off the deck. Tolbert tucked his head, coiled up his 6-foot-7-inch frame and aimed for the hole. Swish.

A train of visitors bumped and rattled through behind him. He explained his deft moves: "I'm used to it." The Navy is not perfectly designed for the big and tall sailor. But for Tolbert, it is a path to further his basketball education.

At 21, he is a two-time member of the all-Navy basketball team. He's a force at military gyms and aboard the amphibious ship Bataan.

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This seaman should be a great acquisition for VSU Trojans Basketball.

Obama Claims Historic Presidential Nomination

Becomes First Black Candidate To Head Major-Party Ticket

With a split decision in the final two primaries and a flurry of superdelegate endorsements, Sen. Barack Obama sealed the Democratic presidential nomination last night after a grueling and history-making campaign against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton that will make him the first African American to head a major-party ticket.

Before a chanting and cheering audience in St. Paul, Minn., the first-term senator from Illinois savored what once seemed an unlikely outcome to the Democratic race with a nod to the marathon that was ending and to what will be another hard-fought battle, against Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

"Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America," he said, as the emotion of the moment showed on his face. "Because of you, tonight I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America."

Senator Barack Obama Victory Speech on June 3, 2008, St. Paul, MN



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Bulldog defenders teaming up again at Lane College

PALM COAST, FL -- Ralph Jeanty and Brandon Hubbert took different paths to the same destination while playing football at Flagler Palm Coast, and now the pair are teaming up again at the collegiate level.

Jeanty and Hubbert, who graduated Saturday from FPC, each earned scholarships and signed National Letters of Intent last week to attend Lane College in Jackson, Tenn., next fall. The two were stalwarts on a defense that led all big school teams in the area for its stingy play and plan to continue that at Lane.

Jeanty played defensive tackle for the Bulldogs this past season, his second on the varsity. He racked up 10 solo tackles and six assists, along with two sacks, one fumble recovery and one pass break up.

Hubbert, a four-year member of the Bulldog program, played at linebacker and had 48 solo and assisted tackles this past season. He led the team with four fumble recoveries and also had 2 1/2 sacks, six hurries and five tackles for losses and a team-leading four fumble recoveries.

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Bill Cosby: A State Of Emergency

VIDEO: http://cbs3.com/video/?id=58087@kyw.dayport.com

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― A new rap album will hit the market next month called "A State of Emergency" and entertainer and comedian Bill Cosby is behind it.

The Philadelphia native is tired, like so many others, of the violence that has not only taken lives, but destroyed the lives of those left behind. Ukee Washington sat down with Dr. Cosby to talk about this soon-to-be-released project and he told Ukee first things first.

"I'm not rapping," said Cosby. But these young men are! It's the brainchild of Dr. William H. Cosby and friends: friends who came to him and said we want to do "clean lyrics." "I don't like the word clean, what I like is what you're not going to do.

The day he graduated Morehouse College in Atlanta was a day Cosby will never forget.

VIDEO: http://cbs3.com/video/?id=58087@kyw.dayport.com

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South Fork's McIntyre chooses Clark Atlanta

South Fork's Mike McIntyre has signed to play at linebacker at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta.

McIntyre spent much of last season playing offensive lineman to cover for injured players as well as playing backup fullback.

"I have a cousin that plays for the Falcons, and I thought it would be cool to see a couple of his football games. So, basically, it was my cousin and the surroundings in Atlanta," said McIntrye, referring to his cousin, Atlanta Falcons fullback Corey McIntyre.

Mike McIntyre, who is 5-foot-9 and 236 pounds, grew up in Indiantown.

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Paine College played with ineligible golfer

Office of Public Relations
1235 Fifteenth Street
Augusta, GA 30901

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Paine College President Responds To Golf Team Tournament Withdrawal

(AUGUSTA) - Due to the massive amount of attention surrounding the absence of the Paine College Golf Team at the National Minority Golf Competition in Florida officials have prepared the attached statement. The following statement from President George C. Bradley is a response to the situation in detail. Officials of the institution feel that it is critical to be upfront with our media constituents about the situation involving the Paine College Golf Team. Please forward all media inquires to the Paine College Office of Public Relations.

President’s Statement

The recent misunderstanding regarding Paine College’s golf program is unfortunate. I feel as bad as anyone about the situation at this time. I say that knowing that a lot of individuals are disappointed that Paine College did not avail itself of a golfing opportunity that appeared to be there – especially when it seemed as though money was the only obstacle to their participation at the National Minority Golf Competition in Florida.

The fact of the matter is that money was only a part of the problem. The other part, a much more significant one, had to do with the ineligibility of a Paine golfer who played in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship Tournament held in Albany, Georgia.

In that competition Paine beat out four other schools for the Championship.

Unfortunately, we achieved this feat with a player who was not eligible. The fact that the team won with an ineligible player was reported by officials at Paine College (self-reported) to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The reason that it has taken a considerable amount of time responding to inquiries has more to do with the nascent status of golf and golf championship participation requirements in the SIAC as well as an institution’s responsibility to the NCAA regarding non-sanctioned events. The tournament that Paine College won recently was sponsored by the SIAC, but not sanctioned by the NCAA.

The lack of the NCAA’s sanction, notwithstanding, our decision to not send our team to the National Minority Golf Competition in Florida, something that we could have done with some financial strain, had mostly to do with our determination to follow the rules required by the NCAA – regardless of the competition. After it was determined that we had an ineligible player who had participated in the tournament in Albany, our decision was to draw back.

We have a lot of confidence in our athletic director and our team. Coach Ronnie Spry is a highly successful coach and athletic director who has an impeccable record with the NCAA. Our players are fine young men who possess outstanding golfing skills. There is no doubt that they could have competed well in Florida.

It is also evident that they have devoted a great deal of time and effort in honing their golfing skills. We know, too, that winning is very important; but competing must be done with honor, fairness, and respect for the rules of golf and the NCAA. Golf demands it as much as -- if not more than-- any sport that is played in either amateur or professional competition.

Pursuant to this spirit of honor and integrity, we called one on ourselves – again, a decision that is quite common to golf.

With some clarification from the SIAC and the NCAA about golf participation, we can certainly do better. We plan to do just that – better. Careful implementation of the will of the NCAA and the SIAC, and better staff knowledge of the various guidelines set, will keep us moving in the right direction.

If there is anything good that can be salvaged from this unfortunate situation, it is a confirmation of a deeply held belief that there are many people in Augusta who support Paine College’s golf team. We have received numerous calls from people who plan to lend their financial and fan support to Paine College becoming a part of the rich golf legacy that has become synonymous with Augusta. We thank you for your continued interest and support.

George C. Bradley, Ph.D.

For more information, contact: Natasha Carter, Interim Director of Public Relations at (706) 396-7591.

SIAC fires commissioner, cites financial mismanagement

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has fired William E. Lide, its commissioner for the past five years, citing mismanagement of the league's finances.

A statement released by the SIAC's Council of Presidents said Lide had been suspended since April 15 and was terminated on May 31.

Tuskegee University President Benjamin F. Payton, chairman of the council of presidents for the NCAA Division II conference, said in the release, "the council of presidents regrets very much the necessity to take this action. ... (Lide) brought new energy and imagination to the conference and we certainly wish that we could continue this statement on that note.

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Tuskegee star passes QB test

Dameyune Craig played football in the Southeastern Conference, spent four years as a backup in the NFL and is now coaching on the college level. During that time, few players have impressed him more than Tuskegee University quarterback Jacary Atkinson.

"The guy is one of the smartest players I've ever been around, bar none," said Craig, who coached Atkinson through last season as a member of the Golden Tigers' staff and is now on Joey Jones' staff at South Alabama.

"You tell Jacary something one time and he's got it. He's a once-in-a-lifetime guy."

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Anthony transfers to Tuskegee University

Former Bastrop High (La.) cornerback Rodney Anthony will play football and run track for Tuskegee (Ala.) University next year. Anthony had a fine season as a redshirt freshman at Southern Arkansas last season, recording 49 tackles, with 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

Anthony transferred to ULM last spring, but did not play football. He signed a letter of intent last week to play for Tuskegee where he will be eligible immediately. "I'm relieved to have a place to play," said Anthony. "Not knowing where I was going to school put me under a lot of stress."

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"Tuskegee has been a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference since 1913." False! TU is a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Bentley transferring from St. Augustine's College to Middle Tennessee State University for track

After redshirting a year at an NCAA Division II national track and field power, former Brainerd High School speedster Adrian “Buck” Bentley is heading to a Division I career closer to home.

Bentley signed scholarship papers Monday to run for Middle Tennessee State University. He’s leaving Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, N.C., with 24 credit hours and a grade point average above 2.6. He was majoring in engineering and mathematics, so he was taking some heavyweight courses.

“He always had the academic ability. He struggled about what is necessary to move on,” said Brainerd coach Mary Sparn, noting that Bentley got behind early in high school. “He is a very bright kid. Actually, he’s not a kid anymore — he’s an adult, and he’s proved that.”

Bentley holds Brainerd records for the 100- and 200-meter dashes and is part of the school’s record 4x100 relay. He won the 100 and 400, helped win the 4x100 and finished second in the 200 in the 2007 TSSAA Class A/AA state meet, leading the Panthers to the team championship.

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Stampeders hopeful sprints out of brother's shadow

The words from his brother will spur Calgary Stampeders hopeful Eddie Montgomery.

Knowing his younger sibling would soon be on his way to the Stampede City to follow his pro football dreams, Tim Montgomery wanted to offer his last bit of support before going behind bars.

"He looked at me and said, 'Do what you've gotta do. You're not in my shadow anymore,' " recalled Eddie Montgomery from his family home in Gaffney, S.C. "I loved to be in his shadow because everybody knew me as Tim's younger brother and I looked up to him, like a father figure as much as a brother."

While Eddie is catching passes and returning kicks at Stamps camp that opens Sunday, his brother -- the former world record-holding sprinter whose fall from grace came at a dizzying pace -- will be in prison

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Salisbury hires Livingstone's Mitchell

Andrew Mitchell doesn't even know who will make up his starting lineup next season. But he is already looking forward to the big games on the Salisbury High girls basketball schedule.

Mitchell, a former star at North Rowan and Catawba and long-time women's coach at Livingstone, was introduced as the new Hornets' leader on Tuesday. It didn't take long for him to bring up the subject of East Davidson.

Most thought Salisbury had the inside track on a state 2A title last season, but a 28-2 season wasn't enough. Both losses came to the Golden Eagles, who eventually won the championship.

Both CCC teams are among the favorites next season, too, and the prospect of big-time basketball excites Mitchell.

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ASU women like their chances

WALNUT, Calif. — The reigning SIAC champion Albany State women’s track and field team is doing a little of their own California Dreamin’ this week.

Taking seven athletes to the NCAA Division II meet that begins today at California State Polytechnic University, ASU coach Kenneth Taylor could not be more optimistic.
After all, his team finished a program-best sixth last season.

“We’re excited about going,” Taylor said. “We’ve got a lot of top-rated athletes, and all of them are going as top-eight performers. Both of our relay teams are even ranked third.”

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Morehouse and Albany State wins SIAC All-Sports competition

The men of Morehouse College and the women of Albany State University captured the SIAC All-Sports Award for the 2007-08 season. This award is Albany State Women's fifth consecutive SIAC Commissioner's All-Sports Award and Morehouse's second in the last five years.

In the women's competition Albany State tallied 44 points after winning conference titles in cross country, volleyball, softball and track and field. They also finished third in tennis. Since the restart of the Commissioner's Cup in 2003 Albany State has won five consecutive awards.

Tuskegee University made a strong push for the title but finished second in the conference competition compiling 27 points. Tuskegee finished first in basketball and tennis, second in cross country.

Clark Atlanta University wrapped up a third place finish compiling 19 points after a second place finish in track and field, and third place finishes in cross country, softball and volleyball. Benedict College (18 points), Miles College (7 points), Kentucky State University (7 points) and Fort Valley State University (4 points) rounded out the scoring.

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FSU Turns to Capel for Classic

Fayetteville State University announced Tuesday the inaugural Felton J. Capel Sr. Celebrity Golf Classic, to be held Aug. 3-5 at Whispering Pines. Capel was joined by several FSU officials and other dignitaries at a press conference held at the County Club of Whispering Pines, where the event will take place.

Officials hope the tournament will become an annual event that will help raise money for student scholarships to FSU. CCWP was chosen as the location for the event because it accommodates 250 golfers at a time -- double the capacity of an average course. The club boasts two 18-hole courses.

Organizers have a goal of raising at least $50,000 in the first event, but they believe the event is limited only by the support it can generate.

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Neal inducted into Hall of Fame

Johnson C. Smith University alumnus Fred “Curly” Neal was among eight inductees at the 45th annual North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame held at the North Raleigh Hilton on May 17. Neal became the 253rd member of the prestigious Hall of Fame and joins the likes of other HOF members from the CIAA such as Sam Jones (1969), Dr. Leroy Walker (1975), Clarence “Big House” Gaines (1978), Bobby Vaughan (1992), John McLendon (1994), and George Williams (2000) to name a few.



While at Johnson C. Smith University, Neal earned All-CIAA honors in 1961 and 1963. In his senior year, he averaged 23.1 points per game and led his team to the CIAA title. Neal went on to play in 6,000 games, over 22 years, with the Harlem Globetrotters. He traveled millions of miles, performed in 97 countries as a dribbling sensation. Neal continues to work with the Globetrotters in their Public Relations Department.

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A man who changed VSU

ETTRICK — Over the past 15 years, the view from the office window of Virginia State University President Eddie N. Moore Jr. has changed. From the third floor, he can look out over the front lawn of Virginia Hall and out to the growing and changing city of Petersburg. Behind him is an equally growing and changing campus.

When asked about his pending retirement at the close of his 17th year, the 61-year-old Moore showed no signs of slowing down. “I feel like I can do my best work over the next two years,” he said.

Earlier this year, the VSU Board of Visitors voted to extend Moore’s tenure for six months — to June 30, 2010 — to allow the enlarged board to become acclimated to their role and the presidential search. Moore said he will not seek an extension to the contract.

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Bowie State and Virginia State wins CIAA All-Sports Awards

DURHAM, NC - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association presented Bowie State University with the Loretta Taylor Women's All-Sports Trophy and Virginia State University with the C.H. Williams Men's All-Sports Trophy at the Annual Award's Luncheon.

The Loretta Taylor All-Sports Women's Trophy and the C.H. Williams All-Sports Men's Trophy are determined by a point system established to award an institution for achievement in each of their women's and men's programs. The champion is the institution with the most combined total points for all sponsored sports based on their conference finish and the number of CIAA sponsored events.

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Barack Obama - in Portland, OR

Senator Obama spoke before a crowd of 75,000 people in Portland, Oregon on May 18th, 2008. This was the largest crowd of any event in the Democratic Primary.


Yolanda Adams recently performed during a political rally for Senator Barack Obama. during her performance she had a mutlitude of encoraging words for the audience.

Yolanda Adams recently performed in Louisville, Kentucky during a rally for Senator Obama. In this clip she performs her hit song "Open My Heart"

Albany State's Freeman interviews in Washington, D.C.

Albany State University's president is one of four finalists for president of the University of the District of Columbia.

ALBANY — Albany State University President Everette Freeman will visit a historically black Washington, D.C., university this week as one of four finalists for the president’s position there.

Freeman will be at the University of the District of Columbia on Thursday and will attend a public forum from 2 p.m.-3 p.m. during which he will answer questions asked of him, UDC spokesman Dan Brozovic said Monday.

Freeman stressed that he did not seek the position ,but instead was nominated and contacted by the university as a candidate for the presidency. The visit, he said, is purely “exploratory.”

Other candidates for the position are the acting president of UDC, Stanley Jackson; Delaware State University President Allen Lee Stressoms, and University of Virginia Vice President for Diversity and Equity William Harvey.

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What color is music, anyway?

I was educated once more about the color of music at Fort Valley State University's 67th commencement ceremony this month.

After degrees had been awarded to graduate and undergraduate students - and the celebratory noise accompanying that had subsided - it was time for the Army commissions. The officers-to-be marched down the center of the crowded gym, turned and faced students, teachers, family and friends.

Marcie Kindle, Jeremy Lewis, Jonathan Williams, Quintrina Edwards and Sophia Mudd stood at attention as the bars signifying their newly earned rank of second lieutenant were applied to their shoulders by understandably proud family members.

Then, on a musical cue, everyone in the gym spontaneously stood up and these words filled the air:

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Dream-chaser makes leap to Lane College

When Dominique Sholar was four-years-old, his father discovered something about him that defied logic.

“We were lying on the couch watching football and he did something I didn’t like,” said William Sholar. “When I got ready to spank him, he jumped from the couch to the easy chair — about 5 feet. I couldn’t believe it.”

Convinced that his son’s athleticism was innate, Sholar began to take note of his progress. Dominique, he discovered, possessed a pair of strong legs and he loved to play football.

When Dominique turned five, Sholar surveyed the Memphis-area landscape in search of a peewee team that would play his son. “But a kid couldn’t play football until he is six-years-old,” said Sholar, now an executive tailor for MCA/USA in Virginia.

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Fayettevile State wins third straight PGA National Minority Division II Collegiate Golf Championship

Port St. Lucie, FL - The Fayetteville State University men's golf team captured their third consecutive Division II Championship on Sunday at the 22nd Annual PGA National Minority Collegiate Golf Championship at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL. With a three-day total of 9-over-par (873), the Broncos took home the title over Lincoln University of Jefferson City, Mo., who finished in second place, nine strokes behind.

Senior Ian Milne led FSU with a final-round even-par 72, sealing the championship with a 12-foot putt for birdie. Milne led in the individual standing after all three rounds.

"I just wanted to help my team win for the third consecutive year," said Milne, who is playing in his third Championship. "I had a few struggles during my round but was able to finish off the tournament with a birdie at the final hole."

At the conclusion of the second round of competition, sophomore Joel Lynn had fired a 4-under-par 68 for a share of the lead in the Division II individual standings with teammate Ian Milne.

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Perry High's Burgess signs with Fort Valley State

PERRY --Kim Burgess already had the royal blue and gold of Fort Valley State running through her veins. On Tuesday, she made it official when the Perry High basketball player signed a letter of intent to play at one of the top Division II programs.

"My mom (Paula King) went there," Burgess said. "My grandmother had nine kids and of those nine, seven went to Fort Valley State. So it was kind of natural to go there."
Burgess also got to know the program very well by participating in group and individual camps conducted by the coaching staff.

The one thing that is up in the air is what position she will play. At 5-foot-10, she was a little smaller than the average high school center. But she still managed to finish her senior season with 164 blocks.

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Fayetteville State leads Div. II in 22nd PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship

In Division II, Fayetteville (N.C.) State University extended its lead over Lincoln University of Jefferson City, Mo., to 15 strokes after firing a second-round 7-under-par 281.

Joel Lynn a sophomore from Sanford, N.C., fired a 4-under-par 68 for a share of the lead in the Division II individual standings with teammate and first-round leader Ian Milne, a senior from Deland, Fla., at 7-under-par 144.

"I did not make any bogeys today, even though I felt like I hit the ball much better yesterday," said Lynn, who fired a 69 in his opening round. "I did hit 16 greens in regulation during my round today, which gave me a chance to score a little better."

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DIVISION II MEN

Team/Players Score
1. Fayetteville State University 287-281--568
T1. Joel Lynn 69-68--137
T1. Ian Milne 68-69--137
8. Jeremy Ringled 76-71--147
T14. Kevin Lyles 74-77--151
WD Derek Scott 73-WD

Team/Players Score
2. Lincoln University 290-293--583
4. Kortland Ware 70-72--142
T6. Dan Frost 73-73--146
T6. Aaron Murphy 75-71--146
T11. Justin Watkins 72-77--149
21. Rodolfo Gamino 77-79--156

Team/Players Score
3. Virginia State University 300-290--590
3. Jerel Whiting 70-69--139
T9. Kalani Britos 73-75--148
T17. Dustin Kelley 80-73--153
T22. Greg Hunt 86-73--159
T22. Brian Wood 77-82--159

Team/Players Score
4. Morehouse College 307-304--611
T11. Edward Hill 75-74--149
T17. Philip Allen 78-75--153
19. Esquire Ward 78-76--154
20. Steven Wooten 76-79--155
24. Thaddaeus Hill 81-80--161

Team/Players Score
5. St. Augustine's College 329-311--640
5. Aaron Oliver 74-71--145
T25. Julius Wells 88-75--163
T27. Corey Landrum-Smith 82-84--166
T 27. Larry Whiteside 85-81--166

Team/Players Score
6. Benedict College 344-340--684
T14. Olajuwon Ajanaku 74-77--151
16. Galen Aldrich 78-74--152
29. Vernon Harris 88-87--175
37. Michael Taylor 104-102--206

Team/Players Score
7. Johnson C. Smith University 343-354--697
T9. Enobong Udo 74-74--148
30. Andre Kelley 88-93--181
31. Herbert L. Collins 91-94--185
32. Jamaal A. Brown 90-99--189
35. Julien Polk 104-93--197

Team/Players Score
8. Kentucky State University 342-357--699
13. Nick Morrow 75-75--150
T25. James Andersen 78-85--163
33. Kendrick Lawson 92-100--192
34. Patrick Lawrence 97-99--196
36. Jared Perkins 101-98--199

What is causing decline in black baseball players?

Kaylum Graham was like a lot of future E.E. Smith High School athletes.

As a youth, he played many sports — baseball among them. But faced with tough choices entering high school, his passion for baseball waned.

“I felt there was a better chance for me to go to college playing basketball and football, so I stuck with the other two,” he said.

Those are among the common reasons given to explain a national decline in black athletes in baseball.

It’s been documented at the major league level, but it’s also evident in the high school ranks in Cumberland County. A Fayetteville Observer study reveals that only 40 of 152 (26 percent) varsity baseball players in Cumberland County are black. As a whole, 51.4 percent of Cumberland County students are black.

While some of the reasons for the decline are easy to identify, coming up with a plan to reverse the trend isn’t nearly as simple.

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READ MORE: http://www.blackcollegebaseball.com/

Paine College golf team is told to sit it out

Two weeks after winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in golf, the Paine College men were supposed to be bidding for the school's first national championship this weekend.

Instead, the team is in disarray after athletic director Ron Spry informed the players of the school's decision not to participate in the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship, a 54-hole event which began Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The Lions officially withdrew Thursday.

"The athletic director told us the school wasn't going to fund it because it was an 'unnecessary expenditure,' " freshman Sean Lucas said. "It's frustrating. We won the first golf championship at Paine. That's enough reason, I believe, for us to play in the tournament."

Spry said the decision came down to limited resources at the end of the fiscal year.

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Clear case of a college not putting the "Student" first, in "student-athlete." Shameful! Paine College administration should be fired by their BOT for allowing this to happen.

NSU assistant to become head coach at St. Augustine’s College

Photo: Falcons new head basketball coach Lonnie Blow.

Lonnie Blow, Jr., an assistant basketball coach at Norfolk State, is leaving to become the head coach at St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, a Division II school.
Blow, 48, spent the past two seasons working under former Spartans coach Dwight Freeman and current coach Anthony Evans.

“It’s going to be tough leaving Norfolk State,” Blow said. “We worked really hard and we have the left the program headed in the right direction. But I’m pretty excited. This is a great opportunity for me.”

Blow, who has been an assistant at Hampton University and a head coach at Granby High School, will be introduced today at a press conference in Raleigh.

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JCSU Men's Tennis Signs Robert Butts to NLI

Photo: JCSU head tennis coach James Cuthbertson, Jr.

Westlake HS Standout to Play for Golden Bulls in the Fall

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) high school standout Robert Butts has signed to play at Johnson C. Smith University. Coach James Cuthbertson is elated at the prospect of Robert joining the Golden Bulls.

"Robert will help us contend for top honors in the CIAA Conference," said Cuthbertson. "We are extremely happy. His one handed and two handed backhands are awesome. He is also a good server."`

At Westlake he was tennis team captain and MVP of the tennis team. He also was Mr. SGA, Mr. Orchestra and a member of the student government association, the chorus, and the Future Business Leaders of America. This year's edition of the team will be playing in the state playoffs for the first time in ten years.

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Former Fayetteville State athletic director Marshall dies

J.D. Marshall was neither a great athlete nor a graduate of Fayetteville State. But that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most successful and beloved figures ever associated with the Broncos’ athletic department.

His leadership and innovation during the 1980s helped FSU become a leader in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. His work with the NCAA Division II Football Committee helped bring his school to the national forefront and earn him a place in the Hall of Fame he helped create.

After battling illness for the past several years, Marshall died Tuesday at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. He was 78.

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Howard blanks Bowie State in regular season finale

Photo: Freshman Danielle McClay broke up Howard University McCoy's no-hitter in the fifth inning. The 5-7 catcher/first baseman is from Silver Springs, MD, Montgomery Blair HS.

WASHINGTON, DC - Playing their final home game of the season, the Lady Bison of Howard University sent their five seniors out on a high note by blanking Bowie State 8-0 in non-conference action.

Howard (17-15) scored three runs on the third inning with Brianne Gutierrez providing the biggest hit at the time, a double to right field scoring Jessica Norwood and Sondra Jones. A single by Emily Johnson scored Gutierrez, giving the Lady Bison a 3-0 advantage.

Bowie State closes out their regular season with a 25-12 record and await word on its opponent in next weeks NCAA Division II Regional hosted by Kutztown (PA) University.

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Fort Valley State University stadium plans delayed

Photo: Fort Valley State University head football coach Deondri Clark.

Deondri Clark was soaked, having just watched his Fort Valley State University football team finish its spring game on a rainy Saturday this month.

There was no indication that his team was to open the 2008 season in a new stadium, and as he stood about 40 yards from the south end zone, he worried about the time frame of only six months from announcement to completion.

"I don't know," the FVSU head coach said that day. "It's pretty late. I think there are some things about the money." When early April came and went and there were no signs that major construction was to take place, Clark said he would just as soon see the plan delayed until the 2008 season was over. His words proved prophetic.

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JCSU Softball Eliminated from Championships, Fall to Virginia State 9-8

Nicole Villarreal and Allycia Watanabe Named to All-Tournament Team

The Johnson C. Smith University softball team were eliminated from the 2008 CIAA Softball Championships. Playing their third game in one day, JCSU fell to Virginia State 9-8 in semi-finals.

JCSU started the tournament on Thursday, April 17th posting a 1-1 record. They defeated Virginia Union 7-5 but fell to Bowie State 7-3 sending them to the loser's bracket.

On Friday, the team defeated Shaw University (7-3) and Fayetteville State University (8-5), eliminating both teams from the tournament. Unfortunately for the Golden Bulls, the team would have to face Virginia State University in their third game of the day. A win would send JCSU to the championship game for the first time since 2002.

VSU jumped out early (7-0), but JCSU rallied in the second to cut the lead to one (7-6). JCSU eventually tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning.

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Saint Augustine's College Alex Hall picked in 7th Rd., #24 (231) by Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns finish with DE/OLB Alex Hall, a native of Glenarden, Maryland in Prince George's County.

The Cleveland Browns finished off the 2008 NFL Draft by selecting defensive end Alex Hall from Division II St. Augustine's College, a historically black college, 231st overall in the seventh round.

At 6-5 and 215 pounds, Hall is tall and thin with room to bulk up in an NFL training program. He'll likely transition to 3-4 outside linebacker for the Browns. Hall was named a D2Football.com First-team All-American for the 2007 season and was a second-team selection in '06.

Hall finished his career at St. Augustine as the program's all-time leader in sacks with 25.5 and tackles for loss with 54. He has great size and athleticism.

He made the 2007 All-CIAA first team for the second straight year after recording 7 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, both team highs, in 9 games while leading the Falcons to a No. 6 national ranking in total defense.

Hall is the second football All-American at Saint Augustine's College since the school restarted football in 2002.

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Scholarship signings from around the CIAA and SIAC

First Team All State wide receiver Emmett Brown has accepted the scholarship offer tendered by Elizabeth City State University. Brown, who was also invited to play in the Virginia Coach’s Association All Star Game in Hampton this July gained 842 yards and scored 12 touchdowns his senior year. His Powhatan High School record 57 receptions this year destroyed the old record of 49.

Taron Hampton will be showing off his running back skills at Virginia State University in Petersburg. As a First Team All Region running back, Hampton carried the ball 163 times for 1360 yards and 23 touchdowns in his final year at Powhatan. Hampton played at PHS for only two years, having transferred from Cumberland County, which makes his 3243 career yard totals at PHS an outstanding achievement. Even more impressive is his school record of 55 touchdowns scored in that two year period. He broke Lee Goode’s record of 54 which Goode set over four seasons.

“This is a kid we’ve been watching since his junior year,” said Virginia State Head Coach Andrew Faison. “He’s what we call a second level back, a complete back. He can run between the tackles but has great speed. Actually he’s a lot faster than the guy we have starting now.”

Florida A&M University High School senior Troy Curry inked with Benedict College (Columbia, S.C.) to play running back or wide receiver for the football squad. "I had a lot of people looking at me, but there was just something about Benedict College," said Curry, who played both defensive back and receiver for the 2007 Florida Class 1B state runner-up. "I just felt comfortable and at home there. They have brand-new facilities and it's just a nice homey place." (from Tallahassee Democrat)

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Bowie State's Robert Reed, Keyboardist, Is Dead at 50

Robert Reed, who played keyboards in Trouble Funk, one of the definitive groups of go-go music — a raucous, high-intensity dance style that flourished in the 1970s and early ’80s — died on Sunday in Arlington, Va. He was 50 and lived in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his brother Taylor, who played trumpet in the band. Mr. Reed was born in Newport News, Va., and later moved with his five siblings to Washington, where his mother worked as a nurse. He graduated from Howard University with a degree in music and had recently worked at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland, instructing students in recording technology.

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Robert Reed and Trouble Funk "Mister Magic"

Dr. Autry to be keynote speaker at Benedict Athletic Awards Banquet

The Benedict College athletic department will host its annual Athletic Awards Banquet featuring Dr. Timothy J. Autry as the keynote speaker. The banquet will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, 2008 in the Benjamin E. Mays Human Resources Center Arena on the College's campus.

The event is an all-sports banquet that recognizes the achievements of Benedict College student-athletes, those who have proudly worn the purple and gold during the last year.

Currently, Dr. Timothy Autry is Athletic Director at Claflin University. With over 40 years in the field, Dr. Autry has enjoyed a stellar career in athletics.

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Danley takes over as Tuskegee athletic director

Photo: Tuskegee University athletic director Stacy Danley.

TUSKEGEE -- After a 29-month search, Tuskegee selected former Auburn athletic administrator Stacy Danley to serve as the university's new athletic director. Danley started his new role last week.

"We tend to take our time on these things to make sure we get the right person," Tuskegee president Benjamin F. Payton said. "I saw him as an individual who would make a good leader for our coaches as well as someone who could take guidance from me and others he would need to be listening to. The search committee and I were in full agreement that he stood well above the competition."

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Stacy Danley is a great hire for Tuskegee University, as he has shown he can take a big hit and move forward with his career goals.

Stacy Danley (Auburn RB) vs. Ohio State University