Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / May 12, 2016, edition 1 / Page 14
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Photo by Cnig T. Oreenkc Mid-Piedmont 3-A Conference shot put champ Briyonna Gambrell of North Forsyth recently signed with Barton College. College from page BT pie her size, you wonder what would they might be able to do in track and field. But when given the chance to show what she could do, she rose to the occasion. Briyonna has become one of the best shot putters in this area, if not the best." Gambrell readily gives credit to Smith for helping her to realize the extent of her potential. Smith's patience, she explained, was especially helpful. "I was a problem child and coach took me in and helped me," said Gambrell, who joined the team in her lOth-grade year. "He changed my life. Back then, nobody would have thought that I would sign a scholarship offer for college track. But coach believed in me and that made me believe in myself. "I got in trouble a lot and I was fighting a lot. Coach sat me down and told me that it was now or never. He made it clear how important it was for me to better my life." Gambrell has taken quantum leaps in the shot put in spite of not having.a throwing events coach to work with. Smith, whose specialty is coaching runners and hurdlers, has forged a partnership of sorts with Gambrell to aid in her development. "Bri is capable of throwing 40 (feet) or better," said Smith. "But I can only teach her so much. Give her a year in college with a good throwing coach and the right weight training program, and you'll hear more about Bri. She's not burned out, and she's still learning." Success did not happen right away for Gambrell. There were some frustrating times in her first year on the team. Nevertheless, the newbie shot putter persevered and eventually, better performances came. "I think I won one time that whole season," she recalled. "But coach kept telling me that things would get better. My throws did get better and in my 11th grade year I went undefeated until regionals. So far, I have yet to lose (this spring). My goal is to win the state championship. This is my last year and my last chance to make it happen" As an athlete, Gambrell discovered that she could excel in whatever she chose to simply by applying herself and putting in the necessary work. She learned that the same dedication and passion that helped her do well ath letically, woiks equally as well on the academic side. "Athletics has a lot to do with the changes in me," she said. "I used to have a bad temper, but now, everything is different. I guess I was in a lot of rage at that time. Now that I'm happy a lot, I have better days and I get along with people that I never thought I would get along with. "I'm not getting written up any more and my teachers love me. When I started to realize what I was capable of, I just wanted keep working to see where this goes - and it has taken me far." During her three track seasons at North Forsyth, Gambrell has evolved as a mainstay and team leader. Her presence and personality, Smith explained, has a positive impact on her teammates. "The other girls know that when Briyonna came out for the team, there weren't many people who thought she had much talent. So they look at how she has progressed, and that gives them a little more confidence about what they're capable of doing." Races from page B1 ~ . ^ isn't convinced that it was the best that Hammonds is capable of. In that race, Hammonds seized the lead from start, but had to hold off a late charge from Parkland's Trequan Barnes to secure the victory. "Even with him not running the first half of the race as strong as he usually does, he was able to kick it in that last 100 meters and maintain," said Rolle. "And even then, he still dropped a personal best time. So, that's kind of scary to see what he can actually do when he puts Ore entire race together." Hammonds Hammonds arrived at Reynolds two years ago as a junior after his family moved to North Carolina from Daytona Beach, Fla. Back then, he split time between playing football and playing soccer. Hammonds, who has a 3.2 grade-point average, was introduced to the 300 hurdles as a sophomore, but he never competed. When he joined the track team at RJR, Hammonds added the high hur dles to his list of events to compete in. Even though he was a multi-sport athlete in high school, Hammonds will stick strictly to track for college. At this point, he's hoping to sign with N.C. State or N.C. A&T. Purdue is also a possibility. "With the season coming to a close, my main goals arc to run 14 (in the high hurdles) and get a college scholar ship for track," said Hammonds, who plans to major in physical therapy or kinesiology. 'To do that, I have to keep working like I've been doing and stay humble. There are always parts of my race that need fixing. I just want to thank my coaches (Charlton Rolle and Derrick Speas) for pushing me and never giving up on me." WSSU Rams names L'Tona Lamonte women's basketball coach SPECIAL TO C THE CHRONICLE fi G The Winston-Salem u State University (i Department of Athletics has announced that LTona l Lamonte has been selected ft as the 11th bead women's x basketball coach in school in history. jc Lamonte spent last sea- o son as assistant head coach p, at North Carolina Central y, University, after serving as p, an assistant coach at m Belmont University for the o previous two seasons. B Lamonte also spent ? four seasons at North p| Carolina State University pj from 2009 to 2013, where th she was the director of bas- a ketball operations. Lamonte has spent a n total of 14 years in D1 ath- m letics. Before Belmont and ti< NCSU, Lamonte was an fa assistant coach at Western ft arolina University for ve seasons (2004-09) and eorgia Southern niversity for two years 999-2001% While at Belmont, amonte was heavily ivolved with recruiting, routing, practices, train ig and community serv e. Lamonte coached an hio Valley Conference reseason player of the ;ar, one all-conference aformer, two all-tourna- 1 lent honotees and one VC All-Newcomer, elmont won the OVC ' astern Division and ayed for the OVC cham- ! onship with Lamonte on ie sidelines before earning bid to the WNIT. In her time with the CSU Wolfpack, Lamonte anaged the daily opera ins of the women's bas eball office including, indraising, public rela tions, community service, marketing, budgeting, trav el, compliance and aca demics. She raised over $50,000 annually to sup port the Kay Yow Foundation. Lamonte experienced great success in her five seasons at Western Carolina. The Catamounts had eight all-conference award winners, 13 all-tour nament selections, three all-freshmen performers. two tournament MVPs, one defensive player of the year and one freshman of year with Lamonte part of the coaching staff. WCU went on to win three con ference championships, made four postseason tour naments and had three 20 plus win seasons including the nation's top turnaround team one year. Lamonte coached six 1,000 point scorers and helped the Catamounts upset No. 21 Louisville during the 2006 07 season. She also coached NCCU assistant Kendra Eaton at WCU. Lamonte started her coaching career at Carver High School before taking her first collegiate job at Georgia Southern, where she experienced her first 20-plus win season while with the fiSII Rnolec Lamonte also coached at the prep level coaching basketball, softball and cross country at Lexington City Schools for three years, including being named coach of the year in 2004. Academics have always been important to Lamonte as indicated by her resume. Belmont women's basketball ranked 18th nationally with a 3.4 GPA last year, she was on a Wolfpack staff that had four Academic All America performers at N.C. State; and three of her Western Carolina squads earned WBCA Academic Top-25 laurels. Lamonte grew up in Winston-Salem and stayed local as a two-sport stu dent-athlete at Winston Salem State University. She is in the NCAA soft Kali Kief<wM KiN^-vlr ?? fl*"* vvui 1UOVVIJ UWR ill ll?v different categories and led the nation in stolen bases her junior season with the Rams. The sports management major graduated cum laude with her bachelor of sci ence degree in 1999. Lamonte obtained a mas ter's degree in kinesiology from Georgia Southern in 2003. Lamonte is married to Donald Lamonte and is the mother of three girls: Tyler, Kamry and Kadence. Award from page VI largest Achievers Programs in the Southeast and one of the premier programs in the nation. - Tonia Walker is in her second year as Director of Athletics at Winston-Salem State University. Walker has been an integral part of the Winston-Salem State University Department of Athletics for more than a decade and has occupied nearly every adminis trative position within the department. She was appointed Director of Athletics on May 1,2014. Walker is coming off of a banner year for the WSSU Athletics Department that saw the Rams win five CIAA Championships during the 2015-16 year. Tire YMCA Black Achievers Gala will be held on Thursday, May 12, at 6:30 pjn. at the Hawthorne Inn and Conference Center. During the gala, high school seniors within the Black Achievers Program are recognized for their scholastic achievement and adult achievers are recognized for excellence on behalf of their corporations jnd or community sponsors. ^R 1 'A A Apw | I I ^R R ? 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Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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May 12, 2016, edition 1
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