Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Southern University's Kevin Manns named SWAC SID of Year

The Southwestern Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors Group recently named Kevin Manns, Southern University, the 2007-08 SWAC SID of the Year. The award is given annually to the sports information person during the Conference's Spring Meetings.

Kevin Manns is in his eighth season on "The Bluff" as sports information director at Southern University. As the director, Manns's office is responsible for the dissemination of information concerning Southern University athletics, which serves as the curator of the University's athletic records and as the liaison between the department, various media entities, professional athletic organizations, among other responsibilities.

In 2003, Manns was instrumental in promoting SU star baseball player and current Milwaukee Brewer, Rickie Weeks, for National Player of the Year.

Before arriving at Southern, Manns was instrumental in providing stability to the sports information office at Alabama State, while directing the school in the right direction with their athletic website and various media guides. He has also spent stints at Winston-Salem State University, where as SID, he worked alongside legendary basketball Coach, Clarence "Big House" Gaines.

Manns is a 1986 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley, West Virginia, where he was a three-year letterman and two-year starter on the Eagle football team. He also was a two-time high school All-American in track. He continued his collegiate football play at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. In 1990, Manns earned his bachelor's degree in Accounting.

After graduation, he went on to do PR work for Craig Hodges, who was a member of the Chicago Bulls. Manns served as Assistant to the President of Pro-Exec Manage Group in Chicago.

Manns is a member of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors Association), BCSIDA (Black College Sports Information Directors Association) and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.

Monday, June 16, 2008

TSU Athletic Director: The new guy on the team

Suit jacket flapping behind him, Charles McClelland swooped into the basketball arena at Texas Southern University, a dapper presence in a world of tank tops and gym shorts. The coaches snapped to attention, but McClelland focused on two familiar players hot-dogging on the floor.

"Daddy, daddy," one called to McClelland. "I want to do a jump shot." Seven-year-olds, it turns out, aren't quite ready for jump shots. But sometimes you have to take a risk, as McClelland demonstrated when he became TSU's new athletic director last month.

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Sunday, June 15, 2008

Bethune Cookman's Ash finishes third in NCAA's

DES MOINES, Iowa - After finishing fourth in the semifinals Friday evening, Bethune-Cookman University freshman track runner Ronnie Ash took third place in Saturday men's 100-meter hurdles finals at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Ash turned in his second-best performance of the season with a time of 13.59 seconds.

File photo courtesy of Nigel Cook/News-Journal.

The third-place time was also good enough for Ash to collect All-America honors. He is the first recorded freshman All-American in Bethune-Cookman history. The last All-American performer for Bethune-Cookman was at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships when Lewis Brown earned the award following an eighth-place finish in the triple jump.

Ash's time of 13.59 was behind second-place competitor Ty Akins (13.46) of Auburn and the winner Jason Richardson (13.40) from South Carolina.

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ASU Hornet football players hard at work this summer

The summer days are a little different around the Alabama State football complex of late. There's a little life around the place. Throughout the morning and into the afternoon on most days, dozens of players are on the Hornet Stadium practice field, going through drills and battling the summer heat.

Last year, which was the first time ASU paid for all players to attend summer school, Bruce said around 25 players showed up to workout in the 6 a.m. group. This year, there are routinely more than 40 in that group, and there are two additional groups (at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.).

The Alabama State Hornets will open the Coach Joe Taylor era at Florida A&M University on August 30 at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, FL. This game will be the season opener for both the Hornets and Rattlers.

"Having so many guys on campus during the summer is a huge advantage for us," said ASU head coach Reggie Barlow, who is currently attending the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' training camps. "They are getting together on their own. They're planning workouts and 7-on-7 themselves, and doing everything possible to make the most of the summer." During these summer workouts, the coaches can have no input. They can't even watch.

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Valley already getting ready for football season

You won't find Willie Totten vacationing during the dog days of June. The Mississippi Valley State head football coach and the rest of his staff are hard at it preparing for the 2008 season. Each of the coaches will get a short break in early July, but for now, they are busy checking on players and newcomers making sure they are doing what they need to do to be eligible in the fall.
"It's constant phone calls and paper work," said Totten Thursday during an interview in his office on the Itta Bena campus. "June is a time to get organized for when everyone comes in early August. "We've got four new coaches in the (Southwestern Athletic Conference), so we're looking at film trying to pick up some things they might do against us this season."

The Delta Devils report to campus Aug. 3 and will begin two-a-day practices five days later in preperation for the Aug. 30 season opener at home against Texas College.

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Hampton's Alonzo Coleman hoping to be an eye-opener for Dallas Cowboys

IRVING, TX – This was before Marion Barber signed his seven-year extension and while first-rounder Felix Jones and fourth-rounder Tashard Choice were practicing for the first time with the Dallas Cowboys. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones reminded any and all of No. 30.

"Did you see No. 30 out there with that 4.3 speed?" Jones said. No. 30 is Alonzo Coleman. His name might not ring a bell because he spent last year on the practice squad and got all of eight carries for 27 yards in the preseason because of a sprained left ankle.

Coleman signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent after the 2007 draft. Former vice president of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland liked his potential. Coleman left Hampton University as the school's all-time leading rusher with 4,707 yards and 62 touchdowns. He was named the MEAC offensive player of the year as a junior when he ran for 1,326 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also had a five-touchdown effort against Gardner-Webb.

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Father, Can You Hear Us?

Father Can You Hear Me - (Tyler Perry)

Alvin Ailey's "Revelations," Fix Me Jesus

Amazing Grace - Wintley Phipps

Obama & Brighter Day by John P Kee

Smokie Norful - I Need You Now