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SP0RTS/3i:i^e Caarloae $o8t
Thursday, April 27, 2006
For the Week of April 25 - May 1, 2006
JSU S»rls Ptoto
SWAC GOLF CHAMP:
Shasta Averyhardt led the
Jackson State women's
teamtoitsHth SWACtitle
in 12 years.
T HOPEFULS IN NFL DRAFT; GOLF TOURNEY
GETS NEWNAME; SPRING CHAMPS CROWNED
HOPE
SPRINGS
ETERNAL
UNDER THE BANNER
WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
BOZEMAN IN AT MORGAN STATE?:
Former Cal head coaclTToddBozeman,'whohas been out of
college coaching since 1997, may
have landed his first job back on the
collegiate level at Morgan State.
According to flie Baltimore Sun,
Bozeman, 41, was one of dneefinal-
fl —T; ists the school was considering as a
' k replacement for Butch Beard, who
1 resigned after this season. Current
^ Bowie State head coach Luke
BCSP Photo
D'.Alessio and Toledo assistant
BOZEMAN: Former ^ , , ,
Cal coach hoping to MchaelGraDt.aforraerheadcoach
land on his feet at at Southern, were reportedly ftie
Morgan State, other two finalists. The school is ex
pected to made a decision and name anew coach this week.
Bozeman was hired as the head coach at Cal at 29 years old
and led the Bears to three consecutive NCAA Tournament
appearances while recruiting the likes of Jason Kidd and
Shaiief Abdur-Rahim to the program. That was before he
was given an unprecedented ei^t-year "show cause" ban by
the NCAA after admitting to paying $30,000 to a recruit's
family. The ban ended in July of 2005 andBozemanhasbeen
seeking to return to ftie bench since. He has spent time as an
NBA scout, as a summer league and AAU coach in Are
Washington, D.C./Baltimore area, while working die last
few years as a pharmaceutical salesman, D'Alessio has built
an impressive record in seven years at Bowie State. The
Bulldogs, CIAA doormats before he anived, have posted a
144-65 recordunderhistutelageincludingwinningfhe 2003
CIAA title and making to the NCAA Div. U national semi
finals. Grant, 42, served two years as Southern's head coach
compilinga 26-31 record after seven years at Central State
where he led the Marauders to a 126-94 mark.
NEW SPONSOR, NEW NAME:
The PGA of .America has been granted full operation
and management of die National Minority College Golf
Championship for the first time in its history, along with a
name change to the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Champi
onship , Thirty-five colleges and universities will participate
in the Championship at The PGA Golf Club inPort St. Lucie,
Fla., oriMay 4-7,2006,Nine schools are participating for the
first time.
Twenty-years ago, following the Jackson State Univer-
sityToumamentin 1986, CoachEddiePaytonof JSUjoined
with Dr. John Saunder; the late Dr. Herschel Cochrane,
former president of the National Negro Golf Association;
Rose Elder, of the Sports Management Institute of Washing
ton D.C.; and WUliam (Bill) Dickey, president of the Na
tional Minority Junior Golf Association and die 1999 PGA
Distinguished Service Award winner, to form the National
Minority College Golf Championship.
The first Championship was contested on May 17-19,
1987, at die Hi^landPark Golf Course in Cleveland, under
the direction of the newly formedNatioijal Minority College
Golf Scholarship Fund (NMCGSF), The Championship was
conceived tofocusnationalattentiononthecrisis of minority
college golf, to stimulate the development of golf programs
at the intercollegiate level and to create a 36-hole national
Championship for America's finest minority college golfers.
"The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship is a
key part of our Association's strategy to bringmore people of
color into the business of golf," said Joe Sterahka, PGA of
America chief executive officer. "The PGA of America is
excited tohost this for the ninth year, and the additions to the
fieldwi 11 make it die premier golf competition amongminor-
ity college athletes."
The 54-hole stroke play competition will be contested
on The PGA Golf Club's South Course and consist of an
expanded field of more than 140 men and women student-
athletes who will comprise of one of six divisions.
Participating schools include:
MEN'S DIV. I:
Bethune-Cookman, Grambling State, Hampton, Jackson State,
Savannah Slate, Southern, Tennessee State, Texas Southern,
South-Carolina State
MEN'S TEAM DIVISION II:
Benedict, Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith, Lincoln (Mo.),
Morehouse, N. C. Central, St. Augustne's
WOMEN'S TEAM DIVISION:
Bethune-Cookman, Hampton
MEN'S INDEPENDEhTT DIVISION:
Bethune-Cookman, Edward Waters, Florida A&M,
Ksitucky State, Virginia State
WOMEN'S INDEPENDENT DIVISION;
Alabama AiM, Benedict
©AZEE2 Communicattone, Ir
Jackson, Bethea best hopes for NFL Draft
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Two black college
players were taken on
die first day of last year's
NFL Draft, both in the sec
ond round, but the prospects for
die 2006 draft couldbe shut out of
opening day action diis week
end.
That'sbecausewhilethere
^pearstobeatleasttwo solid
prospects for the middle
roimds, neither of the hope
fuls has gotten the kind of
attention or ink that
would usually merit
first-day, or first diree-round selection.
The seven r ounds of ttiis year'sNFL
Draft will be held Saturday and Sunday
(April 29-30) atNew York’s Radio City
Music Hall.
Alabama State quarterback
Tavaris Jackson and Howard safety
Antoine Bethea are the two black col-
le^playersprojectedtogoofftheboards
first, and both have come quite a ways,
Jackson, who in diiee years as a
starter passed for o'ver 7,000 yards at
Alabama State, started an impressive
postseason by earning a start and per
forming well at the Shrine Bowl. The 6-
2, 225-poundet went on to again open
eyes after being invited to die Combine,
impressing scouts with his size, speed,
mobility and particularly his arm
strength, which measured considerably
above QBs ahead ofhim onmostboards.
He proved there that he can make all die
NFL throws,
Bediea, who had an outstanding
Tavaris
JaeKson
four-year career at Howard, earning
three all-MEAC designations and
three black college all-Ameri
can honors, also started his rise
with a strong Combine show
ing. Bediea led Howard in tack
les in each of the last three years
andprojectsas the kind oftou^,
physical safety plenty of teams
seek. His best time of 4.39 in die
40 also opened some eyes.
Bodi Jackson and Bediea
have been brou^t in for
personal workouts and
■y visits by a number of
^ teams which has in
creased speculation
that they couldbe early round picks.
Jackson and Bethea have come on
in a similar manner to last year's.early
round picks, Ronald Bartdl (Howard/
St. Louis) and Nick Collins (Bethune-
Cookman/Green Bay), who worked ■
their way into die second round. Both
earned significant playing time as NFL
rookies.
But die star oflastyear'sdraftproved
to be Hampton speedster Jerome
Mathis, taken in the fourth round by
Houston, who went on to earn a spot in
the Pro Bowl after finishing second in
the NFL in kickoff returns (28.6ypr.,54
returns) bringing back two for TDs.
So it's not how early or how high
you go, it's what you do when you get
there.
Among the player s that could likely
go in the later rounds this year is
Grambling'srecord-setting quarterback
Bruce Eugene. Though Eugene
struggled with his wei^t in college
Looking for their shot
' MIDIXE ROUND PICKS (3 thru 5) . :
T TAVARIS JACKSON: Productive Alabarre Stats QB has size
(6-2,225) and arm strength (55 mph at Combine. 3rd best) to rate
high on many draft boards, possibly just inside or outside the top ten
QBs. Open ed eyes at the Combine and with a good showing at the
Shrine Bowl. Thought to have a tremendous upside.
Projected Pick: Fourth or fifth round
▼ ANTOINE BETHEA: Howard safety has athletic
and hitting ability, size (5-11, 203) and speed
(4.42), covetedforsafeties.Playedinthekindof %
Cover 2 system at Howard now in vogue in the ^
league. Not considered to be as hot a prospect as
former Howard DB Ron Bartell, who went in the
second round of last year's draft.
Projected Pick: Fifth round
Antoine Bethea
LATE ROUNDERS (6 and 7)
Jason Hatcher. DE, Grambling St.
Joe Sykes, DE, Southern
Bruce Eugene. QG. Grambling St.
Cletls Gordon, KR, Jackson St.
Ricky Williams, KR, B-Cookman
Walter Stith, OT, NCA&T
OTHERS
Marcus wnght, OB/KR, Kentucky St.
Willie Shine, OT, Howard
Albert Stinson, OT, Jackson State
Calvin Russell, WR, TusKegee
Keldrlck Williams, RG, Alabama St.
Moe Thompson, DE. Grambling St.
Jesse Hayes, DT, Howard
Kelvin Dickens, WR, Morgan State
ballooning to almost 300 pounds after knee surgery, he got do'wn
to about 260 for die Combine and for personal workouts. He tied
for the hipest score onthe Wonderlic intelligence test givenat the
Combine with a 41 and also showed impressive ball speed. With
the productivity he showed at Grambling (over 13,000 passing
yards, 140 TDs), he'd be a nice steal for somebody in the sixth or
seventh rounds.
Eugene's teammate, defensive end Jason Hatcher also had
some intriguing numbers -his size -'6-6, 285 pounds and his
ability to play either rush end, tackle or linebacker. Following
Mathis's success, look for kickretumers GctisGordon(JacksoD
State) and Ricky Williams (B-CC)to get looks.
CIAA, MEAC and SWAC crown spring champs
CIAA
Bowie State ladies
upset winners in Track & Field
PETERSBURG, VA - The Bowie State Lady Bulldogs captured the 2006 QAA
women's track Si field championship as they defeated the runner-up and perennial
power Lady Falcons of Saint Augustine's by 18 points, 176 to 158.
The Lady Bulldogs placed in the top five in 14 of the sixteen events that would be
scored in the championships en route to the title. St. Aug's would stay near the Lady
Bulldogs throughout the track events, but it would be the Lady BuUdogs stellar
performance in the field events that would propel BSU to victory.
The Lady Falcons had won die last nine championships. Bowie State finished
second in 2005.
St. Aug's Falcons win
ninth straight men’s Track & Field title
PETERSBURG, VA -Saint Augustine’s Falconseasily captured the2006 CIAA
men's track and field championship as they defeated the runner-up Eagles of North
Carolina Central by and astounding 69 points, 212 to 143 on Sunday.
The heavily-fav ored Falcons showed vhy they are one of the nati on's top track and
fieldprogramsastheyplacedinthetopteninain7ofthel7events that wouldbe scored
in the championships en route to the title. The title is the Falcons ninth straight.
N.C. Central prevails in So'ftball
PETERSBURG, VA - The North Carolina Central Lady Eagles earned a 7-4
victory over Bowie State to capture the 2006 CIAA women's softball championship
title-on the campus of Virginia State University.
The Lady^gles, led by C3AA Rookie ofthe Year Sophia Blue, needed to defeat
the Lady Bulldogs only once in the double-elimination championship to claim the2006
title. Bowie St^eadvancedto the title game from theconsolationbracketafter defeating
the Lady Rams of Winston-Salem State, 3-0 earlier in the day. NCCU had defeated
Bowie State 5-2 ear lier in the tournament. Clarisse Steans earned the win for the Lady
Eagles as she pitched acomplete-game seven hitter, striking out two batters en route to
All-Tournament Team honors.
Shaw repeats in Baseball
PETERSBURG, VA - The Shaw Bears tallied five runs over the final four innings
to break open a2-2 tie game en route to defeating Virginia State 7-2 Sunday in the
championship game of the 2006 CIAA Men's Baseball Championships.
The Bears, who came intothe double-elimination format champion ship needingto
only defeat the Trojans once, were hammered 15-4 in the first championship game as
Virginia State forced a second, and final, championship matchup.
Shaw's Casey Welch turned in seven solid innings asheallowd only five hits and
two runs while striking out four VSU batters. Jeffery Cannon earned the save for the
Bears as he pitched two innings, allowing two hits, no runs and recorded a pair of
strikeouts.
The Bears scored two runs in the sixth inning and one run in each of the final three
innings en route to their second consecutive CIAA baseball title. »
... and in men’s tennis
PETERSBURG, VA -The Shaw men’s tennis team swept the championship
singles round of the CIAA Men's Tennis Tournament and came away with their second
consecutive title, scoring 72 points to outscore second-place Johnsou C. Smith by ten
points. Host Virgmia State finished third with 48 points.
The Golden Bulls and Shaw Bears met in all three doubles finals matches on
■Wednesday and met in five of the six singles finals on Sunday.
Shaw's No. 1 singles player, Kabiru Ibrahim extended his three-year win streak
to 57, winning three straight matches in the tournament. Ibrahim was also named
tournament MVP for the secondstraight year. Ibrahim defeated Justio Stuckey of J.C.
Smith 6-2, 6-4 to win the No. 1 singles title.
... and snaps Fayetteville State’s run
in Women’s Tennis
PETERSBURG, VA - The Shaw Lady Bears sniped Fayette'ville State's four-
year hold on the QAA women’s tennis league as the Lady Bears earned a four-point
victory over the Lady Broncos to c^ture the 2006 QAA women's Tennis champion
ship.
The Lady Bears and Lady Broncos met in all three championship matches in
doubles action on Wednesday and met in all six singles championships on Sunday in
a rain-extended championship that stretched over five days of play.
SUwon five ofthe six singles match championships in the tournament to squeak
out the title over FSU, 55-51. FSU won the regular season dual match between the two
tennis powers 5-4.
Tournament MVP Ffion Hetcher of Shaw extended her two-year win streak to44
matches, winning the No. 1 singles championship over FSUsInes Nieves 6-7,6-2,6-
2.
Fayetteville State prevails in Golf
CHESTER, VA - The Fayetteville State Broncos cqjtured the 2006 CIAA men's
golf championship on Friday at River's Bend Golf Course as individual medallist Ian
Milne recorded a round of 65 that led the Broncos to atwo-day total of592en route to
the CIAA Golf title. The Eagles of North Carolina Central finished ojily 17 strokes
behind the front-running Broncos as NCCU recorded a two-day total of 609.
The Rams of Winston-Salem State, behind Joshua Vo^er’sround of74turned
IBRAHIM
CRUZ
WARE
in a two-day total of 641. Vogler's round of 74, coupled with his
tournament-leading round of 70 on Thursday earned him All-Confer
ence golf honors, the first WSSU golfer to do so in 19 years.
Joining Vogler on the All-CIAA Men’s Golf Team were Milne
(FSU), Dustin McCrary (NCCU), Keathan Stewart (SAC), Bran
don Smith (FSU), and Dell Barber (FSU). Elizabeth City State's
Lavem Jones was named the 2006 QAA Men’s Golf Coach of the
Year following the conclusion of the tournament.
MEAC
South Carolina State sweeps tennis
RALEIGH,NC-South Carolina State defeatedFlorida A&M,
4-3, toearntheirthird consecutive MEAC men'stennis championship
and sixth overall on Monday at the Millbrook Tennis Center. The
BulldogswereledbyPai'antrap Chaturvedi. Chaturvedi was named
the tournament's outstanding performer after posting an undefeated
record in tournament play.
Head Coach Hardeep Judge (S.C State) was named the out
standing coach for the second consecutive year. Hardeep guided his
teamtoa3-0record in toumamentplay and upsetboththe number two
(Norfolk State)and number one (Florida A&M) seeds to capture this
year's title.
South Carolina State defeated Bethune-Cookman, 4-0, to earn
their second consecutive MEAC women’s tennis championship Sun
day at the Millbrook Tennis Center. The Lady Bulldogs were led by
IVlirian Cruz. Cruz was named the tournament’s outstanding per
former after posting an undefeated record in tournament play.
SWAC
Jackson State sweeps golf
PHILADELPHIA, MS - The Jackson State Tigers captured the
2006 SWAC men's golf championship played at the Dancing Rabbit
Golf Course here. The title gives head coach Eddie Payton’s Tigers
their 19thconsecutiveconferencetitle. Payton, inhis20thseason, has
coached every JSU Tiger team which has claimed a title during the
streak. Southern finished second.
JSU's Kortlaud Ware was awarded top individual medalist with
a three-round total of 217. After a first round 76, he finished the event
with two rounds under par -a 70 (2-under par) in the second round and
a71 (l-underpar) inthefinalround. Jackson Statealsohadtwoplayers
tie for second as Michael Bailey (75 -81 -73) and Raul Cortes (74-78-
77) each shot a 229 for the three-day event Texas Southern's Jacob
Sriven also had a good weekend finishing tied for second with a 229
(87-73-69). Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Darou Kirkendall roimded out
the top five individual performances with a 230 (81-76-73).
Following the lead of Shasta Averyhardt, the Jackson State
Lady Tigers c^tured the 2006 SWAC women’s golf championship.
Averyhardt, asophomore from Grand Blanc, Mich., fired asizzling 69
(3-under-par) for the second consecutive day for a 138 total to claim
individual medalist honors. She was the only player to finish under par
forthetoumam^it The JSULadyTigerscompletedthetwo-day event
with a 632, 33 strokes ahead of second-place Alcorn State (665).
Texas Southern, Southern, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff rounded out the
top five. Individually, Southern's Josephine Ainley shot a 154 (second
overall) while Arkansas-Pine Bluffs Christa Spahmann shot a 156
for the third-best score of the event.
Texas Southern sweeps tennis
The Texas Southern tennis teams pulled off the daily double as
they captured the 2006 SWAC men’s and women's tennis champion
ships Sunday in Alexandria, Louisiana. The women defeated defend
ing champion Southern, 4-2 in a competitive contest. TSU’s Janet
Namutebi was named the tournament’s MVP.
The Tigers downed the Braves of Alcorn State, 4-0 to claim the
men’stitle. TSUsFranciscoRiverollwastheMVP. Texas South^n
head coach Alberto Jimenez was named coach of the year following
the tournament.