SportsWeek
February 17, 2011
Rams fall in home opener
SPKC1A1, TOTHt C'HKl INK I I
The Winston-Salem Stale Rams
gave it their all. but fell just short in
a tough 3-2 loss to the Saint
Augustine's Falcons Tuesday
evening at BB&T Ballpark in down
town Winston-Salem.
The game was a historic one as
the Rams played their first home
game in 37 years in front of an excit
ed crowd. The Rams gave a strong
effort on both sides of the ball, but
could not hold off the Falcons in the
heartbreaking loss.
The two" teams were evenly
matched offensively as the Rams' six
hits were just one behind the
Falcons' seven total hits. WSSU jun
ior outfielder Dominique Fitzgerald
led the way with a two-for-three
effort at the plate with an RBI while
freshmen infielder Andrew Smith
added a one-for-three effort with a
run scored.
The Rams got onto the score
board early with a first-inning run.
After reaching on a lead-off double,
junior second baseman Jordan
Graham scored on an RBI sacrifice
bunt by junior catcher Michael
Robbins. Though the Falcons would
answer with runs in the third and
fourth innings that left the Rams
trailing 2- 1 . WSSU would respond to
the challenge with a fourth-inning
run of their own to tie the game.
Fitzgerald added an RBI single to
right field that drove in Smith.
Though the Rams continued to
battle, the team could not overcome
a pair of sixth-inning triples by the
Falcons that drove in the winning
run.
The Rams (5-4 and 2-1 in the
CIAA) will return to the road for
their next action when the team
heads to Florence. S.C. to take on
the Francis Marion Patriots on
Saturday. The Rams will return
home on Sunday when they host the
Lincoln Lions at Ed Price Field in
High Point.
WSSV Outfielder Dominique Fitzgerald.
WSS.U Phdo Garret! Garms
Lady Rams win CIAA track championship
SIM a y II Mill CHRON1C1 1 -
The Winston-Salem State Lady
Rams claimed their first CIAA indoor
track & field championship Sunday
after a spectacular two-day effort at the
meet in Newport News. Va.
The Lady Rams finished the
meet with a team total of 99
points, topping second-place
Johnson C. Smith's 95 total
points. It was the strong per
formances in the middle dis
tance and relay events that pro
pelled the team to its first
indoor track & field champi
onship in school history.
"We knew what we had in
our athletes and believed in
them and this weekend, they per
formed." WSSU Interim Head Track &
Field Coach Inez Turner said. "We
used a great strategy and everybody
Turner
stepped up."
The Lady Rams played to their
strengths as the team dominated middle
distance and field events at the meet.
After winning the women's distance
medley relay on the
first day of the meet,
the Lady Rams kept
things going on the
second day, taking
four of the top five
spots in the women's
800m run. Freshman
Brittney Killebrew,
the 2010 CIAA
Women's Cross
Country champion,
took first place in the
women's 800m run with a 2:27.44
while sophomore Manuela Rigaud
added a strong second-place finish in
2:28.75. Fellow sophofhore Tyrah
Winfrey took third in thp event with a
Thomas
2:29.06 while senior Ashley Fraser
added a fifth place finish at 2:33.19.
The Lady Rams also dominated the
mile run with three of the top four fin
ishes in the event. It was Killebrew
who once again who
took first place in the
event with a 5:33.32
while Rigaud placed
third (5:34.11) and
Winfrey placed fourth
(5:37.33).
Freshman Dedricka
Thomas also had some
great efforts at the
event, placing second
in the women's long
jump (5.77m), the
women's high jump (1.59m), and (he
women's triple jump ( 1 1 .98m). For her
efforts, Thomas was named the 2011
C1AA Indoor Women's Field MVP.
Kids meet hoops legend Thompson
Submitted Photo
Keonte Singletary, Art Blevins and Richard Singletary (Jar
right ) with David Thompson.
SPECIAL TO THE CHKOSK I I '
Kids from Hanes Hosiery Recreation Center got a
special treat last Sunday when they met basketball leg
end David Thompson at the NC State vs. Wake Forest
basketball game at Joel Coliseum.
Hanes Hosiery Director Art Blevins takes kids from
the Center to most WFU home games with tickets pro
vided by Center supporters like Joel Weston, Claudette
Weston. Randy Norris. Julie Griffin and Bethany Duvall
of WFU.
The kids not only got to see the basketball action on
Sunday but also had the chance to meet and greet
Thompson, a former NC State ACC Player of the Year
and NBA Hall of Famer. Blevins has known Thompson
since 1995. when Thompson came to the Hanes Rec to
give a basketball clinic.
Thompson took pictures with Blevins and his group,
signed autographs and gave Blevins his phone number
in the hopes of setting up another visit to the Center.
"Thompson was the best ever to play in the ACC,"
said Blevins. "Thompson was a hero to me ... (He) was
incredible when he played."
The Deacs lost to NC State and have struggled this
season, but Blevins says he and his kids are still big fans
and cheer the home team at each game.
Despite Wake Forest's rough year, the Hanes Hosiery
Crew always pulls for them. Some of the kids' favorite
WFU players are CJ Harris, Ari Stewart, Ty Walker,
Travis McKie and JT Terrell.
NC A&T Photo
Mikala Scott scored 11 points .
Aggies' home game
winning streak ends
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
There were times on Monday when it looked like North
Carolina A&T's streak would end without much of a fight.
That is until the Aggies started to fight. They took con
ference-leader Hampton's best shots and kept getting off the
canvas. But the Aggies missed opportu
nities on the offensive end and made
Hampton free throws finally finished off
the Aggies in a 74-66 loss to the Pirates.
The loss brought to an end one of the
most impressive streaks in MEAC histo
ry. The Aggies went four years without
losing to a conference opponent at
home. The winning streak lasted 30
games. It lasted so long. No current
player on the roster was an Aggie when
the streak began.
Cage-Bibbs
"A streak like that says you have had one of the better
programs for a long time," said N.C. A&T Head Coach
Patricia Cage-Bibbs,
Under the radar, another streak may have come to an end
on Monday. The loss puts the Aggies (11-12. 7-5) four
games behind the Pirates with four conference games to
play. That simply means Hampton (19-6. 11-1) is one game
away from eliminating any chance the Aggies have to claim
their fourth straight regular-season MEAC crown. Again, it
is another testament to how solid N.C. A&T's program has
become .
The Aggies return to action Saturday afternoon at S.C.
State.
Saint Augustine's captures
four CIAA basketball honors
SPECIAL TO THI CHRONICLE
Saint Augustine's
College took four of the
eight CIAA weekly basket
ball awards on Monday.
Senior guard-forward
Allison Sikes (of
Richmond. Va.)
was named
women's player
of the week,
freshman center
Umeka Benson
(of Charlotte) was
chosen women's
rookie of the
week and fresh
man guard Joel
Kindred (of
Raleigh) was
picked men's
rookie of the
week. Lady Falcon
Head Coach
Rachel Bullard
was voted
women's coach of
the week.
Sikes averaged
20.3 points, eight
rebounds and 4.3
steals in three
games last week. She nearly
recorded her second career
triple-double with 24 points,
10 rebounds and nine steals
in a 71-56 win over national
ly-ranked Johnson C. Smith
on Saturday.
Benson averaged 9.3
points, II rebounds and 3.3
Milliard
Sikes
steals in three contests. Her
best game was 16 points, 14
rebounds and five steals to
help the Lady Falcons beat
No. 25 Johnson C. Smith.
Kindred averaged 12.7
points and 6.7 rebounds in
three games,
including 16
points on 7-for- 1 1
shooting in a 71
67 win over
Virginia State
Thursday. He also
had 1 3 points and
12 rebounds in an
83-71 win over
Johnson C. Smith
Saturday.
Kindred has
claimed the
league's weekly
rookie award six
times which leads
all freshmen this
season.
Bullard. a
first-year coach,
guided the Lady
Falcons to a 2-1
mark this past
week, including
Saturday's 71-56
upset of 25th-ranked
Johnson C. Smith, which
entered the game with one
loss. The Lady Falcons also
edged CIAA contender
Virginia State 70-67 on
Thursday. This is Bullard's
second weekly coaching
award this season.
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