4C
SPORTS/QHie Cliatlotte $ot
Thursday, April 29, 2004
For the Week of April 27 through May 3, 2004
Lawrence Johnson / All Pro Photo
RELAYIN': James Carter,
formerly of Hampton, runs
in 1,600-meter relay for
USA Team at Penn Relays.
T TWO BLACK COLLEGE PLAYERS IN NFL
DRAFT; PENN RELAYS, ALL-STAR RESULTS
UNDER THE BANNER
WHAT’.S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
HONORS FOR POOLE: Tyrone Poole.
cornerback for the Super Bowl XXXVIII Champion New
England Patriots will be recog
nized with a special trophy dur
ing commencement May 1 cere
monies at Fort Valley State
University. Poole played colle
giate football at FVSU under
former head coach Doug Porter
from 1991-94. He was a four-
i \ year starter and had an out.stand-
FVSU Photo ing career, finishing with 140
SUPER POOLE: New tackles and 17 interceptions. He
England Pats corner excellent performer
back to be recognized at
his alma mater. on special teams, returning 70
punts for 934 yards and two
TDs. He also blocked ten kicks. After a stellar senior season.
Poole was named to the AlI-SIAC team for the fourth
straight year and was the 1994 SIAC Defensive Player of the
Year. Poole was a consensus All-American and was the first
Wildcat to be selected to play in the Blue-Gray and Senior
Bowl all-star games. He was drafted into the NFL in the first
round (22nd pick) by the Carolina Panthers in 1995. In addi
tion to playing football. Poole was an outstanding track ath
lete at Fort Valley Slate. He finished second in the 2()0-meter
run at the 1994 NCAA Division 11 national championships.
His time of 21.0 still stands as a school record. He also holds
the school mark in the 100 meters (10.49). "Tyrone was the
hardest working individual I have ever coached." said Glen
Turner, former FVSU track coach (1984-1999). "He knew
what he wanted and he went after it. We are very proud of
his accomplishments." In addition to the recognition of
Poole, FVSU President Kofi Lomotey will confer more than
400 degrees during graduation. Thomas Dortch, a 1972
graduate of FVSU and chairman of the 100 Black Men of
America's National Board of Directors, will deliver the com
mencement address.
ONE MORE FOR SHARPE: Former
Savannah State and SIAC standout Shannon Sharpe
announced last week that he will
play at least one more season
with the Denver Broncos.
Sharpe, the only three-time
SIAC player of the year in the
league's history, said in January
j he might retire after last season,
'JgSh W”" ' WT I his 14th. He announced his deci-
I sion before this weekend's draft
so the team would know whether
to look for a replacement. Sharpe
is the NFL’s career leader in
receptions (815) and yards
NFL Photo
STAYING SHARPE: TE
career receptions leader
to give it one more go.
(10.060) at his position.
THE STAT CORNER
HO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
NUMBER OF BLACK COLLEGE
PLAYERS SELECTED
IN THE NFL DRAFT
1995
13
1996
17
1997
13
1998
8
1999
7
2000
13
2001
4
2002
5
2003
8
2004
2
O AZEEZ Cocnmuntcabons. Inc. VOL. X. NO. 38
MEAC, SWAC & INDY SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL (Results, Standings and Weekly Honors)
SOFTBALL
N. DIV.
Delaware State
Hampton
Coppin State
Morgan State
Howard
Md. Eastern Shore
S. DIV.
Bethune-Cookman
Florida A&M
NC A&T State
SC State
Norfolk State
Athletic Conference
CONF ALL
W L W L
17 3
14 6
12 8
10 10
4 16
38 20
31 21
18 21
15 25
8 24
3 17 5 37
14 2
14 2
5 11
5 11
2 14
39 25
31 29
16 34
12 27
8 34
MEAC PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
PLAYER
AMBER JACKSON. So., Bethune-Cookman •
Led conference in seven categgones; banng aver
age (.468), slugging percentage (.819), on base
percentage (.557), runs scored (56), hits (83), HRs
(tt) and total bases (145).
ROCXIE
CHRISTINE GLASCOE. Coppin State - Led
Eagles with .336 batli^ average (4th m MEAC),
and is tenth in slugging percentage (.508). Leads
MEAC With 7 doubles and is second in tnptes (3).
|U| FAC' M't) Eastern
Athletic Conference
SWAC
Southwestern
Athletic Conference
SWAC
Southwestern
Athletic Conference
CONF
ALL
SOFTBALL
DIV
ALL
BASEBALL
DIV
ALL
BASEBALL
W L
W
L
E. DIVISION
W
W
L
E. DIVISION
W
L
W
L
Bet^une■Cookman
14 4
24
21
Miss. Valley St.
16
23
11
Miss. Valley St.
24
9
29
15
Delaware State ’
11 5
21
19
Alabama A&M
10
20
34
Jackson State
18
6
27
17
Florida A&M
9 6
21
28
Alabama State
9
11
13
35
Alcorn State
13
16
18
21
NC A&T State
10 8
21
24
Jackson State
8
12
24
Alabama State
9
19
16
32
Norfolk Slate
8 9
15
28
Alcorn State
7
13
12
20
Alabama A&M
8
18
12
26
Coppin State
8 10
14
30
W. DIVISION
W. DIVISION
Maryland-E. S.
0 18
41
Southern
21
25
15
Southern
18
4
24
9
Prairie View A&M
15
21
26
Texas Southern
13
12
13
15
MEAC PLAYEPS OF THE YEAR
Texas Southern
7
24
Ark. Pine Bluff
15
15
18
23
PLAYER
AiK. Pine Bluff
4
16
19
Prairie View A&M
13
14
26
25
SEBASTIEN BOUCHER. Jr., OF, Bethune-
Cookman - Led (xxiference witti 67 hits, 50 mns
scored and IS third n tholes with live. Batted .368
Grambling State
3
21
42
Grambling State
6
20
10
30
with 32 stolen bases
SWAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
SWAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
ROOKIE
PLAYER
PLAYERS
JRAN SERRANO. Fr., Norfolk Slate
- Leads the
NA
NA
Spaitans with 10 doubles and is ninth in the confer-
ence with 36 RBIs. Has 3 home runs and 53 hits.
PITCHER
PITCHER
COACH
NA
NA
MERVYL MELENDEZ, Bethune-Cookman
LedB-
CC to 14-4 conference mark and topseed in louma-
ment.
•
INDEPENDENTS
SOFTBALL W L
West Virginia State 23 17
14 34
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
JESSICA G0DBY,Fr.,P, WVSU • Godby did
not allow an earned run in wins over
COTKord, Ohio Valley, and Davis & Ekins. The
freshman from Chapmanville racked up 17
strikeouts in 19 innings, while only giving up
seven hits. Godby notched a pair of shutouts
and allowed an unearned mn in Sunday’s win
over D&E.
INDEPENDENTS
BASEBALL W L
West Virginia State 35 11
Savannah State 18 14
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
NFL (draft worst ever for black colleges
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
The 2004 NFL Draft will go in the booLs as
the worst in history for black college players.
Only two names. Hampton defensive end
Isaac Hilton and Southern defensive back
I.enny Williams, were called among the 255
players selected and they barely made it in.
Williams was the 252nd pick overall in the
compensatory section of the seventh and last
round, going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hilton was taken with the very next pick,
253rd overall to the New York Giants.
In other words, black colleges were within a
few picks of being shut out of the entire NFL
Draft for the first time in history.
The paltry number eclipses by two the pre
vious low of four black college players that went
off the board in the 2001 Draft (See STAT COR
NER, below).
Williams, the Southwestern Athletic
Conference defensive player of the year who led
Southern to the league title and No. I final black
college ranking in his final season, distinguished
himself as a playmaker during his four-year
career at the Baton Rouge school. The Bucs are
hoping he can do some of the same for them.
"He is a very good cover corner," said
Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden. "He is built
very similar to Dwight Smith (a current Bucs
player). He's got unique play-making ability,
among other things."
Williams used that ability to win all-SWAC
honors all four years at Southern. He was the
league's Rookie of the Year in 2000 and made
BCSP Notes
FAMU down to live for AD
The Capital Outlook newspaper in Tallahassee
has reported that Florida A&M’s search for an athlet
ic director is down to five finalists. The original list
contained 26 applicants.
Dr. Joseph Ram.sey. current assistant to
President Fred Gainous in charge of athletics, leads
the list. Ramsey is a professor of physical education at
FAMU and look over as interim Aj) following the
resignation of J.R.E. Lee in February. Ramsey has
been an assistant dean at FAMU and a department
chair at FAMU. Valdosta Slate and Florida Atlantic.
He served as assistant AD at FAU from 1992-94.
The four other finalists are Lin Dawson. Eugene
.Marshall. Fritz Polite and \V. Curtis Williams.
Dawson is an instructor and consultant at
Virginia Commonwealth University. He was AD at
North Carolina Central for three years and associate
AD at N.C. Stale for five years. Marshall has been
athletic director at Ramapo College of New Jersey
since 1998. He came to Ramapo from the College of
Staten Island (N.Y.). Polite is an assistant professor in
the College of Business at Central Florida. He also
worked at Florida State directing am after-school
mentoring program. Williams is chairman of the
Department of Health. Physical Education and
Recreation at Arkansas-Pine Bluff Prior to coming
to Pine Bluff four years ago, he served as professor
and/or AD at Alabama State. Albany State, Texas
Southern, and Elizabeth City State.
The eight-member search committee is headed
by Dr. Ebenezer Oriaku. a professor in the FAMU
College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Following interviews with the candidates, the com
mittee will narrow the list to three and submit the
names to Gainous for the final decision.
MEAC Tennis
MEN
.South Carolina State, the number two seed, avenged
its regular season loss to top seed Florida .4&M with
a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Rattlers in the finals of
the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Men's Tennis
Championship in Altamonte Springs. Fla. The
Bulldogs (16-4) captured their first title in 17 years.
They won three consecutive titles in 1984-1986.
This was the sixth straight championship final
for Florida A&M (21-8). who beat out SCSU for the
top seed in the tournament by virtue of their w in over
the Bulldogs in the MEAC Tennis Round-Up. The
Rattlers last title came in 2000.
The match would come down to the number one
duel between the FAMU's Pfungwa Mahefu and
SCSU freshman Dragan Bisercic. Down 3-2 in the
third set, Bisercic won three straight points to go up 5-
3. Mahefu won on serve, hitting his second ace of the
WILLIAMS
HILTON
first team all-SWAC in each succeeding season
culminating with his player of the year selection
last year.
Williams was reportedly pondering several
free agent offers when former Grambling coach
Doug Williams, now an executive with the Bucs,
called to say they were taking him in the seventh
round.
Hilton, who was projected to go in the sec
ond or third round, almost fell out of the Draft
before he was plucked by the Giants.
"Hilton has, in my opinion, nothing but an
upside," said Giants new head coach Tom
Coughlin, "He is a big man who has progressive
ly gained in weight each year, has good speed off
the edge and can give us some pass rush ability
as well."
"Isaac Hilton is a speed pass rusher," said
Giants general manager, Ernie Acorsi. "He can
really give us pressure (on the quarterback)." The
Giants picked two black college players in 2003,
Morgan State tight end Visanthe Shiancoe in
the third round and Ihskegee defensive back
Frank Walker in the sixth round. Both Shiancoe
and Williams made the Giants' squad last year.
2004 NFL DRAFTEES
SEVENTH ROUND
Compensatory Picks
51) LENNY WILLIAMS, 5-9, 190, CB, Southern
252nd overall to TAMPA BAY
52) ISAAC HILTON, 6-3, 251, DE, Hampton
253rd overall to NY GIANTS
Ten black college rookie free agents were
signed to NFL squads since Sunday. Former
Jackson State quarterback Robert Kent will
join black college NFL veteran Steve McNair
of Alcorn State on the Tennessee Titans roster.
Also signing a free agent contract with the
Titans is Grambling's record-breaking receiv
er, Tramon Douglas. Alabama State wide
receiver Chad Lucas gives the Titans three for
mer SWAC standouts.
The free agent signees are listed below.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Chris Davis, WR, Southern
TENNESSEE TITANS
Tramon Douglas, WR, Grambling
Chad Lucas, WR, Alabama State
Robert Kent, QB, Jackson State
ST. LOUIS RAMS
Jamal Jones, WR, NC A&T
Shedrick Copeland, S, Florida A&M
BUFFALO
Deon Giddens, DB, Tennessee State
PHILADELPHIA
Jerome Leslie, WR, Va. Union
DETROIT
Kenny Heatly, CB, Bethune-Cookman
Clifford Johnson, S, Morgan State
RAMSEY
DAWSON
MARSHALL
POLITE
WILLIAMS
game to pull to 5-4. Bisercic served out the match
with a love-game to win the set (6-4) and the title for
the Bulldogs.
"He (Bisercic) lost to Mahafu 6-0, 6-0 in
Orangeburg (S.C.) earlier," SCSU head coach Hardee
Judge said. "He came through for us today. For a
freshman to do that, he just had a lot of heart out
there."
Bisercic was named the championship's out
standing performer. Judge was selected the outstand
ing coach.
WOMEN
Top seeded Hampton ended Bethune-
Cookman's lum-around season with a 5-1 victory in
the finals of the 2004 MEAC Women’s Tennis
Championship in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The Lady
Pirates, under head coach Robert Screen and led by
Outstanding Performer Kristyna Pesatova, became
only the second team to win three straight titles in
women’s tennis. Florida A&M'Won in 1987-89.
Pesatova defeated B-CC's Zora Gyoreova, 64,
6-4 in the number one position to give Hampton their
fifth point overall and their fourth singles points of the
afternoon. Pesatova finished 3-0 in the tournament.
The loss was bittersweet for Bethune-Cookman
and head coach TVey Bogue. seeded third in the tour
nament. The Wildcats had a remarkable turn-around
in 2004. rebounding from a 0-22 finish in 2003 to a
14-9 overall record and 8-2 MEAC record.
East/West split in Atlanta
The East men and the West women won games
Saturday at the 2004 Atlanta Black College All-Star
Weekend event held in Forbes Arena at Morehouse
College.
The East men's squad, made up of players from
the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the
Mid Eastern Athletic Conference and the Eastern
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, prevailed 82-80
over their West counterparts who hailed from the
SouthHestern Athletic Conference and the
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conlerence.
N. C. Central guard David Young heated up in
the second half, canning five three-pointers, finishing
with 20 points to pace the East squad and earn game
MVP honors. His NCCU teammate, center Melvin
Whitaker tallied 13 points and pulled down a team-
high 10 rebounds. Cl A A Player of the Year. Desmond
Peoples of St. Augustine's added 14 points.
Paine guard Yari Scott paced the West with a
game-high 21 points. SWAC Player of the Year
Attarius Norwood of Mississippi Valley State and fel
low SWAC player Xavier Oliver of Alabama State
added ten points each.
In the women's contest, game MVP Kim Cue of
Benedict led the West to a 79-53 victory. Jackson State
center Amie Williams added 12 points and Thskegee's
Chanel Kendall had 11. Kim Watson of Florida
A&M was the only East player to score in double fig
ures with 12.
Albany State guard Flem Tucker won the slam
dunk contest staged before the start of the women's
game.
Penn Relays Results
St. Augustine's 4(}0-meier hurdler Bershawn
Jackson and Lincoln sprinter Lerone Clarke were the
only black college individual winners at the 110th Penn
Relays held at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin
Field in Philadelphia Thursday through Saturday.
A record three-day crowd of 112,701 included a
record 24,613 that showed for Thursday's opening day.
Jackson clocked a lime of 49.38 to win the College
400 Hurdles Championship. Teammate Adrian Findlay
of St. Aug's finished third with a time of 50.58. Clarke
look the top honor in the men's College 100 Dash
Championship with a time of 10.43.
Other top performances included Howard hurdler
David Oliver who finished sixth in the College 110-
meter hurdles with a lime of 13.99. Norfolk State Track
Club quartermiler Nick Brown got fourth in the
Olympic Development 400 hurdles with a time of
51.82. In the College High Jump Championship,
Morehouse's Keith Moffatt finished in a tie for fourth
with a jump of 6-11.
N. C. A&T's 800-meter relay learn finished sixth
in the College Championship event with a time of
1:24.64. St. Augustine's finished fourth behind record
selling Florida in the men’s 1,600-meier Relay College
Championship. Florida broke the 27-year Penn Relays
record of 3:01.9 held by Arizona with a clocking of
3:01.1. St. Aug's finished in 3:05.21.
Two veteran black college runners were part of
winning relay teams for the USA.
Former St. Aug's and current world-ranked quar-
lermiler Jerome Young ran the third leg of the men's
Olympic Development 1,600-meier relay that clocked a
time of 2:58.93.
Former Alabama A&M standout and veteran
Olympic performer Jearl Miles-Clark ran the second
leg of the women's 1.600-meter Relay Olympic
Development team that finished in 3:23.82.