3C
SPORTS/tEIJc Clrarlotte $oat
Thursday, April 26,2007
For the Week of April 24 - 30, 2007
BLACK
COLLEGE
BEST
Hampton Sports Photo
DURANT: Record-setting
Hampton LB most coveted
of NFL Draft prospects.
SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS DECIDED IN
SIAC, CIAA; NFL DRAFT THIS WEEKEND
UNDER THE BANNER
WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
NEW LIVINGSTONE COACH:
Livingstone has selected Leah Frierson as the Lady Blue
Bears' new head women's basket
ball coach. She succeeds Andrew
Mitchell, who was let go follow
ing the 2006-07 season,
Frierson, a former women's
assistant at Saint Augustine's, is a
2003 graduate of Austin Peay, She
began her coaching career as a
recruiting coordinator and assis
tant at Saint Andrews Presbyterian
College for two seasons. She was
the director of basketball opera
tions at Northern Illinois during
the 2005-06 season before head
ing to Saint Aug's.
FRIERSON: New Blue
Bear's women's hoops
coach.
Frierson grew up in Belleville, Illinois, and played prep
ball for Belleville East High School, As a 5-11 forward.
Frierson helped Austin Peay capture a second straight Ohio
Valley Conference Title as a valuable defensive player. The
team went undefeated in the OVC and came within two
points of upsetting the University of North Carolina in the
2003 NCAA first-round game in Boulder. Colorado. Prior to
Austin Peay. Frierson played at Southwestern Illinois College
where she became the school's all-time rebounding leader,
helped the team finish second in the NJCAA Championships
in 1999-2000 and earn both All-Region XXIV and Great
Rivers Athletic All-Conference honors during her final two
campaigns.
THE STAT CORNER
WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
2007 NFL DRAFT FACTS
WHAT:
72nd Annual National Football League Player
Selection Meeting
WHERE:
Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6lh Avenue, New York City
(Between 50th and 51st Streets).
WHEN:
Noon ET, Saturday, April 28 (Rounds 1-3),
11 AM ET, Sunday, April 29 (Rounds 4-7).
The first three rounds will conclude on Saturday by approximately
10:00 PM ET. The draft will resume on Sunday at 11:00 AM ET for
the final four rounds, ending at approximately 6:00 PM ET,
DRAFTING:
Representatives of the 32 NFL clubs by telephone communication
with their general managers, coaches and scouts.
ROUNDS:
Seven Rounds - Rounds 1 through 3 on Saturday, April 28;
and Rounds 4 through 7 on Sunday, April 29,
There will be 255 selections, including 32 compensatory choices
that have been awarded to 16 teams which suffered a net loss of
certain quality unrestricted free agents last year.
TIMELIMITS:
Round 1:15 minutes each team.
Round 2:10 minutes each team.
Rounds 3 through 7: Five minutes each team.
PLAYERS AT DRAFT:
The following players will be at the draft at Radio City on Saturday:
Clemson DE GAINES ADAMS, Georgia Tech WR CALVIN JOHN
SON, Oklahoma RB ADRIAN PETERSON, Notre Dame QB
BRADY QUINN and LSU QB JA MARCUS RUSSELL.
TELEVISION:
NFL Network , ESPN/ESPN2 will televise the draft both days.
BLACK COLLEGE PLAYERS IN THE DRAFT:
There were three black college players selected in the 2006 Draft:
QB Tarvaris Jackson, Alabama State
(2nd round to Minnesota, 64th overall)
DE Jason Hatcher, Grambling State
(3rd round to Dallas, 92nd overall)
S Antoine Bethea, Howard
(6th round to Indianapolis, 207th overall)
The two first-day selections in 2006 matched the two taken on the
first day of the 2005 Draft (Bethune-Cookman DB Nick Collins to
Green Bay and Howard DB Ron Bartell to St. Louis, both in the
second round). There were six black college players taken overall
in the 2005 Draft.
The three black college players taken last year was the second
lowest number since the league began drafting black college play
ers in the late 1950s, The two black college players taken in the
2004 Draft was the lowest number ever.
© AZEEZ Communicatiotis, Inc. Vol. X
NFL Draft Day arrives
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
One would think after the NFL success of
players like former Howard safety Antoine
Bethea, former Alcorn State quarterback Steve
McNair and former Savannah State receiver
Shannon Sharpe, that NFL brass would pay
attention when a black college prospect is a
three-time black college all-American.
That apparently was not the case last year
when Bethea, the latest to accomplish the feat,
was taken as a late (sixth round) pick of the
Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 NFL Draft. All
Bethea did was earn a starting berth early in the
season as a rookie and eventually become an
integral part of a defense that helped propel the
Colts to their first Super Bowl title since they
moved to Indianapolis.
Indications are this year that they're paying
more attention especially if you consider the way
Hampton linebacker Justin Durant has rocket
ed up draft boards. We'll find out Saturday and
Sunday (April 28-29) when the league holds its
72nd annual draft in New York at Radio City
Music Hall. First through third round selections
begin at 12 p.m- Saturday with fourth through
seventh round selections beginning at II a.m.
Sunday. There will be 255 total selections.
ESPN/ESPN2 and NFL Network will televise the
proceedings.
Durant, a 6-1,230-pound tackling machine,
is the black college poster boy for this year's
draft. He won the MEAC defensive player of the
year award an unprecedented three straight years
(2004, '05, '06) in addition to his black college
all-American selections.
Once considered a late round pick at best,
his workouts at the East-West Shrine Game, the
NFL Combine and on-campus at Hampton have
all but made him a sure first-day pick. Scouts
love his combination of quickness and speed
(4.51 in the 40), strength (25 lifts of 250 pounds),
intelligence and production (355 tackles in his
career). It's even enough, most say, to overcome
his playing at a non-Div, I program.
Durant's story and rise up the charts is all
over the media, especially the internet, as is the
story of the four Hampton teammates that were
invited along with him to the Combine. The five
Hampton players at the Combine is thought to be
a record and first for a NCAA Championship
(formerly I-AA) school.
Of his teammates, MEAC career rushing
leader, RB Alonzo Coleman and defensive back
Travarous Bain are most likely to be picked on
the second day. The others likely to go off on the
second day are Lane wide receiver Jacoby
Jones and Alabama State defensive back
Michael Coe.
Only three black college players went off the
boards in last year's draft - former Alabama
State quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to
Minnesota in the second round, former
Grambling defensive lineman Jason Hatcher to
Dallas in the third round, and Bethea. The num
ber was the second lowest for black college play
ers in draft history.
FIRST DAY (Rounds 1-3)
JUSTIN DURANT - Hampton standout LB finished
third in voting for I-AA Defensive Player of the Year
(Buck Buchanan Award) was first player to be named
MEAC Defensive Player of the Year three consecutive
years. Combination of speed and tenacity fits perfect
ly with in-vogue NFL defensive schemes.
Projected Team; Cincinnati, 2nd Round
SECOND DAY (Rounds 4-7)
Jacoby Jones, 6-3,210, WR/KR, Lane
Travrous Bain, 6-0,185, DB, Hampton
Alonzo Coleman, 5-9, 210, RB, Hampton
Michael Coe, 6-1,195, DB, Alabama State
Late Rounds (6-7) or Free Agents
Marquay McDaniel, 5-11, 205, WR/KR, Hampton
Onrea Jones, 5-10,202, WR, Hampton
Calvin Bannister, 5-7,179, DB, Hampton
Geoff Pope, 6-0,165, OB, Howard
Spring sports results
CIAA
Virginia State defeats Shaw for baseball title;
Earns conference’s first NCAA berth
PETERSBURG. Va.- Virginia State defeated Shaw. 14-7, in the finals of
he 2007 CIAA Baseball Championship Saturday afternoon at Whaley Colbert
Field.
The Trojans (22-29) earned their 21st CIAA baseball crown as the only
undefeated team in the tournament and becomes the first team in CIAA history
to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Playoff which will begin
May 17 at a site to be determined.
VSU scored 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth after trailing 5-2 to break
the game open. Shaw (24-21) committed four errors in the inning.
VSU was paced by tournament MVP, third baseman Andrew Holt, who
went 3-for-5 in the final game with two runs scored and two RBIs.
under 80 on consecutive days.
Virginia State was second with a two-day total of 631 and Saint
Augustine's was third with a two-day score of 696.
Jerel Whiting of VSUwas the individual winner with a two-day total of
143 including a 70 score on the second day. Whiting was the only golfer to shoot
an under par round in the tournament. Kalani Britos of VSU, the first day
leader, was second with a two-day total of 146 and Kevin Lyles of FSU was
third with a two-day score of 147.
The All-CIAA Golf Team consisted of the top six scorers including Whiting
and Britos of Virginia State and Lyles, 2006 CIAA individual winner Ian Milne,
Derek Scott and Joel Lynn of Fayetteville State.
2007 CIAA BASEBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
J.C. Cannon, Utility, SU; John Wilson. DH, ECSU; Joe Black, P, SU; Jeff Shelton, P,
VSU; Averin Bryant, C, SU; Avery Bryant, LF, SU; Olivqr Jenkins, CF, NCCU; Andrew
Holt, 3B, VSU; Dontario Fuller, IB, SU;Jonathan Scott, C, VSU; BJ Wood, IB, VSU;
Brandon Crump, CF, VSU
St. Augustine's sweeps
outdoor track and field titles
PETERSBURG. Va. - Saint Augustine's captured both the men's and
women's CIAA outdoor track & field championships Saturday on the campus
of Virginia State University.
The St. Augustine's women reclaimed the conference crown for their tenth
outdoor title in the last 11 years, scoring 216 points to outdistance North
Carolina Central (170 points) and 2006 champion Bowie State (122 points).
In the closest men's finish in 11 years, SAC held off NCCU by a score of
244 to 221, as the Falcons won their tenth straight CIAA outdoor champi
onship. Host Virginia State took third place with 35 points.
Individual honors were presented to SAC's Omar Wiggans as the most
outstanding male track athlete, NCCU's Mark Davis as the most outstanding
male field athlete, SAC's Kwonya Ferguson as the most outstanding female
field athlete, and NCCU's Desinia Johnson and SAC's Johnsie Liles as co-
most outstanding female track athletes.
Wiggans won gold medals in the 1500 and 3000-meter.s, and placed fourth
in the 800 meters. Davis won the high jump, earned a bronze medal in the
javelin throw and placed fourth in the triple jump. Ferguson won gold medals
in the long and triple jumps, and placed second in the high jump, third in the
javelin throw and eighth in the shot put. Johnson took home gold medals in the
1500 and 3000 meters, and finished fourth in the 800 meters. Liles, who
receives the honor for the third consecutive year, won both the 200 and 400
meter dashes.
Bowie State captures first-ever softball crown
PETERSBURG. VA, - Make it 20 straight victories for Bowie State but
more importantly, the 9-4 victory over Virginia State Saturday, gave the Lady
Bulldogs their first CIAA softball championship in school history. BSU closes
out the regular season and conference championship play with a record of 27-
7 and earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Regionals.
After scoring four runs in the first inning, BSU extended its lead to 902
after two innings in their final game win. VSU (24-16) committed six errors in
the game. Senior Christina Rzepecki, junior Erin Gray and sophomores
Tiffany Toney and Heather Enders accounted for two Bowie State hits each.
Enders picked up her 13th pitching victory of the season and Toney was named
the tournament's most valuable player. Other Bowie State players named to
the All-Toumament Team include Gray and junior Ashley Cook.
Bowie State, the seventh ranked team in the most recent NCAA Division
II Mid-Atlantic Region Poll, will now await a call to see who they will face and
where they will play in the Regional playoffs in two weeks.
Shaw men, Fayetteville State women
claim tennis titles
Ettrick, VA - Fayetteville State outpointed Virginia State to win the
women's tennis team titles, placing first in eight of nine seedings. FSU's Ines
Nieves was named most valuable player after posting a 3-0 singles record and
a 3-0 doubles record with parther LaJacquelyn Artis. Nieves, the CIAA 2007
Player of the Year, has extended her 2007 singles streak to 26 matches. The
Lady Broncos concluded the 2007 season 19-4 overall and 15-0 CIAA and won
their fifth CIAA Tennis crown.
On the men's side. Shaw narrowly defeated Johnson C. Smith (58-55) to
take the title, finishing first in seven out of nine seedings. Shaw freshman
Ibukun Ilesanmi of Lagos, Nigeria was 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles.
Fayetteville State claims
seventh straight golf crown
FORT LEE, VA. - Fayetteville State captured its seventh consecutive title
in dominating fashion at the 2007 CIAA Golf Championships at the Cardinal
Golf Course on Friday. April 20.2007.
The Broncos recorded a two-day score of 594 to easily beat the other seven
teams in the field. They were the only team to shoot under 300 both days as six
Bronco golfers finished in the top 10 individually. At the tournament's conclu
sion. the Broncos were named CIAA champions as well as winners of the CIAA
Eastern and Western Divisions for 2007. Five of the six Bronco golfers shot
FINAL TEAM SCORES
1) Fayetteville State 299-295-594 2) Virginia State 311-320-6313. Saint Augustine's
353-343-696 4) N.C. Central 341-357-698 5) Johnson C. Smith 372-363-735 6)
Elizabeth City State 385-375-760 7) Virginia Union 423-416-839 8) Saint Paul's 413-
440-853
SIAC
Clark Atlanta women,
Morehouse men win tennis titles
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Clark Atlanta won its seventh SIAC tennis cham
pionship in easy fashion and Morehouse continued its tradition of supremacy
with its 25th men's title.
CAU was led by talented Simone Greene who didn't lose a match all tour
nament and who led CAU to a 5-0 victory over Benedict. CAU swept all of the
doubles matches including a big victory by Greene and Robyn McPherson.
CAU would only need two victories in singles play for the title and Greene
ensured the victory in the No. Isiiigles as she defeated Paola Lopez. In the
Consolation game Fort Valley State defeated Tuskegee 5-2 to finish 3rd in the
tournament.
In men's action, Morehouse won their first title since 2002 as they defeat
ed Fort Valley State 5-1. Morehouse was led by regular season MVP Terrell
Olagbegi who went undefeated in singles and doubles play.
Both Morehouse and Clark Atlanta receive an automatic bids to the NCAA
Div. 11 Regional and will represent the SIAC beginning April 28,2007,
Morehouse men, Albany State women take
outdoor track and field titles
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - For the second consecutive year, the Morehouse
men and Albany State women took home the SIAC Track & Field
Championships. With the title ASU won their fourth title and third consecutive
title. Morehouse has won their 13th title and second consecutive.
For the women Estella Moore of Albany State dominated the sprint events
winning the 100 meters, finishing second in the 200 meters and leading her team
to a blow away victory in the 4x100 meter relay. Albany State scored 310 to eas
ily outdistance Benedict College who finished second in the meet with 166
points. Fort Valley State finished third, Irine Chepkoech of Benedict scored
the most points of all competitors in running events with 44. She was named the
SIAC Track Most Valuable Performer, Saisha Woodward scored 24 field
events points and was named SIAC Field Most Valuable Performer.
For the men, Morehouse dominated the field events en route to scoring 234
points while Albany State finished second scoring 167 points. Fort Valley State
finished in third with 154 points. Pierre Brown of FVSU scored the most points
in field events to win the SIAC Field Most Valuable Performer. Oneil Williams
of Benedict dominated the track events winning the 10,0(X) meters, 1500 meters,
3000 meter Steeplechase, 5000 meters and
finishing second in the 800 meters to score 48 points. Williams was named the
SIAC Track Most Valuable Performer. He also received the Cleve Abbott Award
given to the athlete that scores the most points in the SIAC Track & Field
Championships.
Stillman prevails In baseball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala— Stillman defeated Albany State 9-7 in Saturday
afternoons tournament championship, giving Stillman its first conference base
ball title in school history.
Winning pitcher Joseph Woodley carried a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings.
Woodley (4-3) pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed three hits and only one earned
one in his only tournament appearance. Stillman (26-15) won all four of its tour
nament games.
Stillman’s Chase Wilson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable
Performer and Pitcher.
Albany State takes softball crown
TUSACALOOSA, Ala—Albany State's Mindy Mager pitched a com
plete game two-hitter in Saturday's SIAC final, to help her team claim a 9-0 vic
tory over Miles, and the 2007 conference tournament crown.
Mager, the tournament's Most Valuable Performer, retired the game's final
seven batters as the game was called after the fifth inning due to the nine run
deferential. Albany State (29-30) reclaimed its stake as the league best team,
winning the conference title for the first time since 2005. The Golden Rams won
ail four of its toumamentgames during the week. Mager, winner of all four
games, finished the tournament with a 0.41 ERA, allowing 15 hits and only one
earned run throughout. She also struck out 22 batters.
Albany State's Erica King had an impressive tournament finishing 6-for-
7, scoring three runs and driving in two more in the process. Ta’Shelya Bynum
drove in 12 runs in her four games, including one horaerun and six runs scored.