>IAY, 1966
THE NEWS ARGUS
PAGE FIVE
Leon Coleman
Gets Honors
As Hurdler
One of the nation’s leading
hurdlers is WSSC’s own track
star, Leon Coleman, a 1963 grad
uate of Hoston Trade High
School. His track career l>egan in
high school. He ran for the var
sity in season and with the Bos
ton Pioneei- Club during the .sum
mers.
('oleman came to WSSC under
a work aid program. Although
he has achieved adeciuate grades,
he has not been satisfied with
his classroom work.
"There should he special tutor
ing for all students,” he said. He
prefers a general tutoring ])ro-
gram to individual instruction to
students who desire it.
Although Coleman enjoys all
sixirts and likes the college’s
athletic staff, he feels that track
should get more attention.
The Ranis’ “Big Four” relay quartet.
"There is not enough emphasis competitor, both on the boards
on track.” he said. “The track indoors and on the turf outdoors,
team would do much better if His greatest achievement came
thei’e were more encouragement at Hanes Park in the Winston-
from the student body.” Salem Relays when he won the
Coleman has been a frequent 120-yard high hurdles in :13.5,
the fastest outdoor time recorded
in early season.
His next big goals are the
CIAA and Carolinas AAU cham
pionships this spring and na
tional champion.ships in June.
Track Team
Is Successful
With 8 Men
The track team achieved its
most successful season in several
years, as hurdlers Leon Coleman
and Thomas Gomillion gave out
standing preformances.
Coleman has develoE>ed into
one of the nation’s best high
hurdlers, and he and Thomas
Gomillion are leaders in the 440-
yard low sticks.
Other members of the eight-
man squad are James Smith, a
muscle man; Joe Silva, Azzel
Martin, Lamont Fletcher and
Russell Van Britt, all freshmen,
and Ronald Shamwell, a sopho
more.
During the season Coleman
set two records and tied two
others in the 120-yard highs. He
and Gomillion dominated sever
al meets in the 440-yard lows.
Smith did well in the discus
and shotput.
Basketball Team Completes an Outstanding Season
The Winston-Salem State Col
lege Ram.s completed one of
their most successful basketball
seasons in a number of years
with 21 victories anti 5 defeats.
They won the C1A.\ (Central
Intercollegiate .‘Vthletic Associa
tion) Tournament to highlight
the 1965-66 season.
Other highlights included sec
ond place in the Georgia Invi
tational Tournament and thirtl
place in the NCAA College Di
vision Mid-East South Central
District playoffs.
Two players in red and white
were among the nation's top
players in small college circles.
Earl Monroe ended up in the top
10 among the nation’s leading
scorers. He also made the NAIA
third team. Howard (Sonny)
Ridgill averaged 20 points plus
a game. He and Monroe made
the all-CI.\.‘\ team.
Monroe was voted the CIAA
Tournament’s most valuable
player. He also led all players
in scoring in the Cl.A A tourney.
During the season only one
team was able to gain the edge
on WSSC. The Norfolk State
Spartans, winners of the CIAA
visitation title, shocked the
Rams the first time in Atlanta.
Ga. by winning the Georgia In
vitational championship 89-79.
WSSC had been tournament
champions two straight years be
fore being upended by Norfolk
State.
In other tourney tests the
Rams shocked Stillman 122-95
and ripped Clai'k, the host quin
tet, 89-77.
From then on the red and
white entered CIAA competition.
The Rams opened by topping
Livingstone 95-77 in Salibsury.
In their home debut they routed
Fayetteville 101-69. Coach C. E.
(Bighouse) Gaines playetl his
starting five for only 10 min
utes.
I’laying the next two games in
Whitaker Gymnasium on cam
pus, WSSC routed North Caro
48
Eugeue Smiley (44) .shoots, and William English (42) watches, as
Rams edge Howard 85-84 in overtime in CIAA Tournament in
(Jreen.sboro.
lina College 109-92 and Elizabeth
City 105-88. Monroe scored 48
against Elizabeth City.
On the road again, the Rams
defeated Fayetteville 124-59 and
Elizabeth City 125-118 in over
time.
Then came Norfolk State again
and another defeat. The Spar
tans won 111-102 in Norfolk. The
Rams bounced back, rolling 101-
91 over Johnson C. Smith, 94-79
over Morgan and 79-73 over NCC.
Misfortune struck the red and
white as two starters, James
Reid and captain Thomas (Joe)
Cunningham, were lost because
of ailments. Reid was lost for
the season. The Rams contin
ued to win, however, taking Mor
gan 102-77, Johnson C. Smith 92-
83, A & T 102-84 and St. Augus
tine 116-70.
At this time the Rams were
riding high in first place in the
CIAA and could have clinched
the CIAA visitation crown bj'
topping either .\&T or Norfolk
State. They lost both games,
91-78 to .\&T as the Aggies con
trolled the boards, and 115-91 to
Norfolk State, as the Spartans
blasted the nets.
The Rams wrapped up the sea
son with two easy ones. 110-70
over St. .\ugustine and 94-66
over Livingstone College.
The next stop was the CIAA
Tournament in Greensboro. The
Ranis were seeded second be
hind Norfolk State. WSSC roll
ed over Smith 96-86 in the first
rotmd. Then came trouble, but
WSSC outlasted Howard 85-84 in
overtime.
Then came the Rams' big mo
ment of the season. Thej’ shock
ed their enemies, Norfolk State.
87-80. Earl Monroe scored 42
points, and ^Villis (Spider) Ben
nett gi'abbed 13 reboimds which
gave the Rams the CIAA Tour
nament,
This victory moved the team
to the NCAA College Division
action. The Rams were upset 69-
66 by a well disciplined Ogle
thorpe team in the first round.
The Rams salvaged the consola
tion game 85-80 over South Caro
lina State. This ended basketball
for the campus in eai'ly March.
The team boasted a season’s
tournament record of six vic
tories and two losses and a CIAA
record of 15-3. Three seniors
played their last game for the
red and white. They are Ridgill,
Bennett, and Cunningham.
AFRICAN DANCERS AND SINGERS
Babatunde Olatunji and hLs
company of African dancers,
singers and drummers perform
ed in a Iivelj% entertaining and
different kind of lyceum pro
gram at Fries Auditorium on
March 22.
The program opened with a
livelj- welcome dance, "Fanga,"
said to have originated in Li
beria. Then followed Odum De,
Odom De, a harvest song and
dance thanking the gods for
providing plenty.
Masoma, the next work, was
a drum solo demonstration by
Ladji Camara, an artist with an
exquisite technique.
Three pieces that followed
were Akii ^^'^a W'a. Aiye Onipe-
kum, Firekoba, Masque Dance
and Batakato, all lively dance
Baseball Returns
As Varsity Sport
IJy I*awrence Starks, .Jr.
For the first time since 1958
WSSC fielded a baseball team.
The Rams played their home
games on the new baseball dia
mond. which is part of the new
campus sports complex.
Coach John X. Miller hatl the
task of molding a baseball team
out of the student Ixxly. He met
21 eager players in practice and
kept a squad of 18 for the CIAA
season.
Lack of experience cost the
team a number of games, but it
finished with a 3-13 record for
the season.
The Rams opened against
Shaw, defending CIAA champ
ions. and lost 18-1. The red and
white knew it would have to do
better to compete.
Then came five more defeats
before the Rams won their first
game from Fayetteville, thanks
to an ineligible player with the
losers.
On the diamond the Rams also
defeated Howard 1-0 and Nor
folk State 7-4. All three victories
were on the road.
Weak pitching and lack of
know how caused the Rams to
go down. Since most of the play
ers will be back next year, a
better team is expected in 1967.
tunes in a very fai?t two fourths
time.
Olatunji then presented a num
ber of African musical instru
ments. Included was a primitive
xylophone constructed with
pieces of wood of various lengths
laid parallel to each other. These
were connected by strips of ani
mal hide laid across two parallel
sticks attached to four small
gourds placed at each corner,
both for support and for tonality.
He then gave Dr. Kenneth R.
Williarrts, president of the col
lege. a set of the gi-oup’s first
recordings.
Not all members of the en
semble are from Africa. Sonny
Morgan, drummer and flutist, is
from New York City. Stack Ed
wards hails from Newark. N. J.
Ralph Dorsej'. a trap drummer,
is also a native American.
Olatunji, Ladji Camara, Ala
Ishangi Rozok. Shekers Agbea
and Babafemi Akinlana are all
natives of Africa. The dancers
are all from Africa. The lone
male. Gbanya Alkullu (Charles
in English), is the brother of
Ijalu, also a dancer. Others are
Afaui. Awalowo, Aquasiba and
Agile.
Olatuni did his undergraduate
studies at Morehouse College
and graduate work at New York
University. He did not major or
minor in music. His fields are
science and psychology-.
Nevertheless, he is an artist
whose skill and agility with
bongos a n d other percussion
instruments are surpassed by
few, if any. He seeks to project
and arouse emotional feelings
through music.
“\Ve must recognize that this
is a world of change wherein we
must be prepared to face the
w'orld and accept challenges of
this decade.” he said. "We must
realize that education is the
training of all parts of man’s
nature, physical and moral as
well as intellectual. /'
“Each of these must be de
veloped to meet the needs and
wants of others. The young
Negro of America should be
proud of his heritage. Africa has
contributed so much to the cul
ture of all.”
—Leon Barber