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2B SPORTS/The Charlotte Post Thursday, April 10, 1997 i: For the Week of April 8 through April 14, 1997 NORFOLK CIAA Photo PONDERING PRICE:NorfolkStateAD to meet with Big South OPTIONS officials T SCHOOL SAID TO BE BALKING AT $100,000 ENTRY FEE TO JOIN MEAC Tenn State Sports Photo DAVIS: Becomes new coach and AD at JC Smith. UNDER THE BANNER WHATS GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS DAVIS TO SMITHi Bin Davis, who led the Tennessee State football program for three years before resigning at the end of the 1995 season, will be the new head foot ball coach and athletic director at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC. The announcement was made at a press conference at the school April 3. Davis replaces Daryl McNeill as the Golden Bulls grid coach. McNeill resigned last week to become the new coach at Savannah State University. Davis posted a 11 -24 record at Tennessee State and owns a career record of 113-71-1 in 17 years as a head coach at South Carolina State(1979-85,48-19-1),Savannah State (1986- 92,41 -20-0) and TSU. Davis has won six different coach of the year awards including the top coaching award in the SiAC (1986, '88), MEAC('82) and Sheridan Black Network (1980, '81 and '89). Davis replaces basketball coach Steve Joyner in the AD's chair. JUST REWARDSi Ron "Fang" Mitchell, who led Coppin State to unprecedented success in the NCAA basketball tournament last month, was given a seven-year contract extension April 3. The deal calls for Mitchell to serve as both the Eagles' athletic director and head basketball coach for the next eight years. The contract calls for a $100,000 annual salary, plus incentives and a rollover clause giving him the option to renew each year. Mitchell led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference cham pions to a 78-65 upset of sixth-ranked South Carolina in the openingroundoftheNCAAtournament.lt was the first time a MEAC team ever won a game in the national tournament, and marked only the third time a No. 15 seed beat a second seed. Coppin State then came tantalizingly close to advanc ing to the round of 16, but fell to Texas by one point in the sec('nd round. Mitchell guided the Eagles to a 22-9 record this season. He has a career mark of 205-120 in 11 seasons at the school and is only seven wins shy of becoming the Eagles' winningest career coach. The Eagles have recorded five 2()-win seasons under his direction and have won seven of the last eight MEAC regular-season titles, including the last five. CORRECTION: The NAFEO pane! discussion on black college sports will be on April 10 instead of April 13 as reported last week. National Rainbow Coalition Commission on Fairness in College Athletics Chairman, Charles S. Farrell, will moderate the panel. Panel members include Southwestern Athletic Conference (SW AC) Com missioner, Dr. James Frank, Florida A&M University President, Dr. FrederickHumphriesandGrambling State University Head Football Coach, Eddie Robinson. OAZEEZ Communications, inc. VOL. Ill, NO. 34 BLACK COLLEGE BASEBALL THE STAT CORNER WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS NFL FIRST ROUND DRAFT ORDER The 1997 NFL Draft will be conducted Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20, at New York's Madison Square Garden. 1. N.Y. Jets 15. Miami 2. Oakland 16. Tampa Bay (from New Orleans) (from San Diego) 3. Seattle 17. Washington (from Atlanta) 18. Kansas City 4. Baltimore 19. Indianapolis 5. Detroit 20. Minnesota 6. St, Louis 21. Jacksonville 7. N.Y. Giants 22. Philadelphia 8. Tampa Bay 23. Buffalo 9. Arizona 24. Pittsburgh 10. New Orleans 25. Dallas (from Oakland) 26. San Francisco 11. Atlanta 27. Carolina (from Chicago through Seattle) 28. Denver 12. Seattle 29. New England 13. Houston 30. Green Bay 14. Cincinnati CIAA CeNTFWL iNTERCOOESlATt ATHLETtc Association SIAC Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference SWAC Southwestern Athletic Conference • •> Norfolk State 5-1 .830 20-12-1 .620 Kentucky State 5-1 .833 6-12 .333 St. Augustine's 5-2 .710 8-12 . .400 Paine 10-3 .769 23-11 .676 East Division Bowie State 7-3 .700 8-7 .530 Savannah St. 11-4 .733 25-14 .641 Jackson State 13-3 .813 17-11 .607 Virginia State 4-3 .570 7-7 .500 Alabama A&M 13-5 .722 21-13 .617 AIcbrn State 10-6 .625 20-14 .588 Shaw 3-3 .500 3-3 .500 Tuskegee 2-11 .153 3-19 .136 Alabama State 8-9 .471 13-22 .371 Elizabeth City 0-4 .000 0-4 .000 Miles 2-6 .250 8-11 .421 Miss. Valley 1-14 .067 2-21 .087 '.T St. Paul's 0-8 .000 1-11 .080 Clark Atlanta 0-18 .000 0-22 .000 West Division MEAC Mid Eastern Athletic Conperence Southern 15-3 .833 20-12 .625 /■ NORTH Grambling State 11-7 .688 21-8 .724 Coppin State Howard 6-1 4-3 .857 9-13 .409 .571 8-24 .250 Texas Southern Prairie View 7-9 1-15 .438 .063 14-16 3-27 .467 .100 Delaware St. 3-3 Md. Eastern-Sh. 1-7 SOUTH Florida A&M 6-2 Bethune-Ckmn. 5-3 N. Carolina A&T 0-6 .500 .125 .750 .625 .000 8-19 3-22 .296 .120 18-21 17-22-1 .462 .438 4-24-1 .155 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK BATTER - CORNELL GRAY - 6-0, 190, Sr., OF, Texas Southern - Went 5-6 with a home run, double, four RBIs, five runs and two stolen bases vs. Praivie View •PITCHER - TYSON TAPLIN - 5-10, 180, Sr., LH, Alcorn State - Pitched five innings, allowing one hit, no runs and striking out six vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Another golfing "Tiger" on the loose O'NEAL: Jackson State golfer has led Tigers to three SWAC championships and first-ever NCAA appearance by a black college. On the professional golf circuit, Ti ger Woods has taken the sport by storm, currently ranked among the top five money-winners on the PGA Tour after winning two tournaments in his young career. On the collegiate level, a Tiger of a storm has been raging in the Southwest ern Athletic Conference for four years and he's also a Tiger - a Jackson State University Tiger that is. His name is Tim O'Neal and he's one of the hottest commodities not only at JSU and in the SWAC but in all of college golf. Asenior from Savannah, Ga., O'Neal is ranked among the top 30 golfers in America. While he may not yet be a Tiger Woods, it's a consensus opinion that he's not far off. "I don't like to be compared to any body," said O'Neal. "Tiger has so much more experience. ! have my own game and he has his own game. O’Neal’s game has been an awesome one right from the start of his career at JSU. He holds or shares all of Jackson State's records. He was named SWAC freshman of the year in 1994 and he’s been the league championship medalist in 1994, 1995 and 1996 winning All- SWAC honors every season and landing league player of the year honors the last two seasons. Like many successful golfers, O'Neal got his start at an early age. In fact, he was just five years old when his parents, Eva and James O'Neal, introduced him to the sport. "1 used to let Tim hit from the women's tees," Eva O'Neal once recal led. "He has always had a love for the garhe." "I tear him up," Tim's mom added. "When he plays me, he can't play around. I play him real tight. He has to keep his head on straight." Eddie Payton, O’Neal's college coach at JSU, said his prized golfer has indeed kept his head on straight during his career. "Tim has very few weaknesses," noted Payton, whose teams have won six national minority titles and earned their first NCAA tournament appearance last year. "He drives well, he has a great short game and he's an excellent putter. He's a bulldog competitor who likes to win." - Lonza Hardy SWAC Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations Spring Championships set MEAC Tallahassee SIAC Savannah Outdoor Track and Field Baseball (Men and Women) April 17-19 April 17-19 Sav. State Field Track and Field Complex Florida A&M University Outdoor Track and Field April 18-19 Tennis Sav. State Track (Men and Women) April 17-19 Tennis Gaither Athletic Complex Courts April 18-19 Sav. State Courts BCSP Notes Norfolk State puts on the brakes CIAA SWAC New Orleans Baseball Baseball April 17-19 April 18-20 NSU Field and Barraud Park ■Kirsch RoonSy Stadium \ (Delgado Comm. College) Softball April 18-19 Golf (Women) NSU Field and Poplar Park April 16-17 Ponchartrain Park r Golf (Men) April 18-19 Golf (Men) Lake Wright April 16-18 Eastover Country Club Tennis April 18-19 Outdoor Track and Field NSU Courts and April 18-20 •y BTWash. HS Courts Tad Gormley Stadium Outdoor Track and Field Tennis April 18-19 April 18-20 j NSU Track Wisner Tennis Complex ▼ According to a news story in the April 5 Virginia Pilot, Norfolk State University's planned move from the Div. 11 Central Intercollegiate Ath letic Association (CIAA) to the Div. I Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is no longer a sure thing. In the story, NSU Athletic Direc tor, Dick Price, says he will be meeting with officials of the Big South confer ence April 23 in Charlotte to discuss membership in that Div. I conference. Price confirmed that the school has Big South membership materials in hand but has not yet returned them to the conference's Myrtle Beach, S. C. head quarters. The Big South presently does not play football. The story quotes anonymous sources at Norfolk State saying that the MEAC is seeking to charge NSU ap proximately $100,000 - thought to be more than twice what it charged former CIAA member Hampton University when it officially joined the conference in July 1995. Norfolk State hosted the recent MEACbasketball championships at their on-campus arena. The NSU decision to consider other options is similar to Hampton, which explored membership in several compa rable conferences before settling on the MEAC. Regardless of which conference they choose. Price said the school still has funding and scheduling minimums to reach before meeting NCAA certifi cation requirements. Norfolk State is on the recently released 1997 football schedule of every MEAC school except N. C. A&T. ▼ Hampton University has made it official, women's basketball coach Fred Applin is out. Applin's official resignation was announced March 31 by Hampton Athletic Director, Dr. Dennis Thomas. Applin did not coach the Lady Pirates team after Christmas and was replaced by his assistant, Carolyn Guyton. His dismissal was thought to follow comments made in a local Hampton newspaper critical of the school's support of his program. The official release says his resignation was a "mutual agreement between the Uni versity and Coach Applin". The univer sity will immediately begin accepting applications for the position. T It appears that the Florida Clas sic foolbaW game has found a new home. News reports indicate that the annual matchup between Beth,une-Cookman and Florida A&M is moving from Tampa, its home for the past 17 years, to Orlando. This year's game is set for November 22 and will be played at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Orlando is very familiar with Florida A&M having hosted the Rattlers in sev eral Citrus Weekend Classic games over the years. The Florida Classic is one of the largest black college classic games in the country rivaling {he Bayou Classic in New Orleans, Circle City Classic in Indianapo lis, Atlanta Football Classic and newly established Carolinas Classic in Char lotte. Since 1925, the two schools have met 51 times at sites like the Citrus Bowl, the Daytona International Speedway and Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Woodson cautious as Draft Day '97 nears LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor He was clearly the top player at his position in black college football and undoubt edly one of the best at his posi tion in all of college football. And he’s smart to boot. Yet as National Football League Draft Day (April 19-20) approaches, Jackson State safety Sean Woodson is not reeking with confidence about his draft position. "I hope for the best but pre pare for the worst," said Woodson, a Jackson, Missis sippi native whp was a JSU honor graduate last year in En glish, but returned for his final year of eligibility. His outlook is understand able given the potential fordraft- day disappointment. Many a college all-star has spent ago nizing hours waiting by the phone on draft day for the call that never came or came long after it was expected. For his part, he's done all the right things this year. The 6-1, 215 pounder won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Defen sive Player of the Year Award, and captained his team to a league championship and post season playoff berth. He per formed well before pro scouts in two all-star games and at the Combine in Indianapolis. He had an interception in the East- West Shrine Game. But he won't be lured into projecting his spot in next weekend's draft. He’s too smart for that. "I've worked out for 12 or 13 teams (since the Combine) and I think they've been posi tive. I had a real good Combine even though I slipped running the 40 (yard dash) and didn't post my best time. But you never really can tell," he said. Scouts and prognosticators have rated him among the five best safeties in the draft and expect him to bea third or fourth, round pick. Former JSU safety Eric Austin was taken a year ago in about the same place, going to Tampa Bay with the ninth selection in the fourth round, 129th overall. ThatTwould be fine for Woodson who's just lookingfor a chance to prove himself. JSU head coach James Carson says Woodson has a golden opportunity. "He played well for us at both strong and free safety and has shown leadership on and off the field," Carson said. "He had scouts drooling when he ran two consecutive 4.4's last year. It’s unfortunate that he got hurt (an ankle injury) at the end of the season, i think that slowed him down. He's not as big a hitter as Eric (Austin) but he has more range." Woodson ran a 4.7 at the Combine, but has run a consis tent 4.5 in his workouts. His best workout time was a 4.49 for the San Diego Chargers. WOODSON: Should be among first black college players to go. He has no idea when or where he might go. He plans to take in the draft at home in Jack- son with his family and hope for the best.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 10, 1997, edition 1
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