Can Juan Dixon turn Coppin State into a mid-major contender?

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Juan Dixon is a historically important college basketball player. In an era of the sport when it wasn’t yet as easily accessible as it is today, he transcended the game. Time has gone by, however. The world is different. Gone is the player, and in its place is a Division I basketball coach.

That’s right. Juan Dixon is going to once again attempt to create greatness. This time, it will be as the head coach of Coppin State.

It is hard to put into words as to how important Dixon was to Maryland. Maybe it is partially this author romanticizing him over the years to the point it no longer matches any facts, but Dixon was to the Maryland Terrapins to what most marquee players are to blue-blood programs.



With Gary Williams’ face forever implanted on one cheek, Dixon was the other half of the face of Maryland hoops.

A thorough history lesson is not needed when discussing him in terms of his lasting impression. We can point to his prolific scoring (because it was prolific) as proof of his impact, or Maryland’s rise to national prominence during his tenure with the program to help better understand the impression he left, but his long lasting legacy is that he — along with help, obviously — aided in making Maryland, well, Maryland (at least for my generation).

Is some of that hyperbolic? No. Maybe. Probably.

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SAU Men Breeze To 20th Consecutive CIAA Track and Field Title; SAU Women Place Third

Shakinah Brooks And Anthony Soriano Win CIAA MVP Awards

BOWIE, Maryland -- On Saturday, the Saint Augustine's University men won its 20th consecutive title and the Saint Augustine's University women finished third in the CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the Bowie State University campus.

The Falcons, led by CIAA Men's Field MVP Anthony Soriano (Fr./Riverside, CA), scored 174.5 points to cruise past Virginia Union (126.5) and Virginia State (105) in the men's events. Johnson C. Smith was fourth (100) followed by Bowie State (61), Lincoln (Pa.) (50) and Livingstone (24).

The Lady Falcons scored 131 points to finish third in the women's standings. Winston-Salem State nipped Johnson C. Smith 145-144 after scoring nine points in the final event - the discus throw. The Golden Bulls, who were the defending champions, led 144-136 after winning the 4x400 relay.

Virginia State was fourth (48), Livingstone placed fifth (46) and Bowie State finished sixth (43.5). Shaw placed seventh (31) followed by Lincoln (Pa.) (19.5) and Virginia Union (13).

Soriano scored 26 points for the Falcons by placing second in the high jump and the javelin throw, third in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump. Shakinah Brooks (Sr./Raleigh, NC) was named CIAA Women's Field MVP after scoring 22 points for the Lady Falcons. She was victorious in the long jump and placed second in the triple jump for 18 points in addition to finishing sixth in the 100 dash and eighth in the 200 dash.

Brooks was one of several championship winners for the Falcons and Lady Falcons. Jumonne Exeter (Jr./St. Vincent) and Shaquille Dill (So./Pembroke, Bermuda) both won two events with Exeter taking the long jump and triple jump and Dill earning the 800 and 1500 runs. Shawn Rowe (Sr./West Palm Beach, FL) was victorious in the 400 hurdles and Tia-Adana Belle (Sr./St. George, Barbados) was the winner in the women's 400 hurdles.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU women win CIAA track title

BOWIE, Maryland -- Winston-Salem State scored 145 points to beat Johnson C. Smith by one to win the CIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held over the last two days at Bowie State.

The Rams finished with 145 points and the Golden Bulls were next with 144. St. Aug’s was third with 131 points and Virginia State was fourth with 48 points.

St. Aug’s won the men’s title with 174.5 points with Virginia Union second with 126.5 points.

Taska Johnson of the Rams was second in the 1,500 and 800 meter runs. Teammate Ty-Leah Hampton won the 100 meters and the 200 meters. Kayla Foy was second in the 100 meters and Dom Kiplagat of the Rams won the 3,000 meters.

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Arrests cast shadow over Alcorn spring game

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Saturday’s Purple and Gold Spring Game never had a chance to be Alcorn’s finest hour, because it didn’t last that long.

The arrest of 18 players this week in connection with a brawl that broke out on April 10 cast a shadow over the annual spring scrimmage, which ended after four offensive possessions about halfway through the second quarter.

Coach Fred McNair addressed the media for the first time since the arrests, and said he planned to let the process play out before he made any decisions about potential penalties for the players involved.

“Anybody who has been a football player or a student on campus knows things like that happen,” ASU coach Fred McNair said. “It’s no problem. We’re going to handle that. The University did a great job putting out a statement on it. So we’re just going to take it and wait until they get done with their process.”

Saturday’s scrimmage had a weird feeling from the get-go, when it started in earnest about 45 minutes later than the scheduled 2 p.m. kickoff.

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S.C. State Wins 2017 MEAC Women's Tennis Championship

NORFOLK, Virginia — South Carolina State, the top seed out of the Southern Division, won its second straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's tennis championship with a 4-3 win over Hampton in the championship match Saturday morning at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center on the campus of Old Dominion University.

The Lady Bulldogs have won 12 of the last 13 titles.

Hampton, the No. 1 seed out of the Northern Division, grabbed early control by seizing the doubles point. Mariam Mitaishvili and Kristina Titova came away with a 6-1 victory, while Mikaela Pierce and Cherise Slocombe emerged victorious 6-2 to give the Lady Pirates the opening point.

With the match tied at 3-3, Andjela Vasic took Slocombe to three sets before emerging with the 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 win to clinch the match.

All told, South Carolina State picked up singles wins in the Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 positions – all while Titova and Mitaishvili won the Nos. 1 and 2 singles matches in straight sets. Titova defeated Marketa Marcanikova 6-2, 6-2, while Mitaishvili won her match 6-2, 6-2.

Marcanikova was named the tournament's Outstanding Performer, while head coach Hardeep Judge was named the Outstanding Coach.

The Lady Bulldogs earn the MEAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Div. I Women's Tennis Championships; the selection show will be on Tuesday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.

Outstanding Performer: Marketa Marcanikova, South Carolina State
Outstanding Coach: Hardeep Judge, South Carolina State

All-Tournament Team
#1 Doubles: Mariam Mitaishvili/Kristina Titova, Hampton
#2 Doubles: Mikaela Pierce/Cherise Slocombe, Hampton
#3 Doubles: Oleksandra Filippova/Smaranda Petreanu, South Carolina State

#1 Singles: Kristina Titova, Hampton
#2 Singles: Mariam Mitaishvili, Hampton
#3 Singles: Andjela Vasic, South Carolina State
#4 Singles: Marketa Marcanikova, South Carolina State
#5 Singles: Claudia Roca, South Carolina State
#6 Singles: Smaranda Petreanu, South Carolina State

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Rattler Men Capture 2017 MEAC Tennis Championship

NORFOLK, Virginia  — Florida A&M ended South Carolina State’s string of dominance on Saturday at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center on the campus of Old Dominion University, defeating the Bulldogs 4-2 in the championship match of the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s Tennis Championship.

The Rattlers won their first MEAC title in men’s tennis since 2000.

The Bulldogs captured the doubles point to begin the match, but the Rattlers bounced back in a big way during singles play. Of the five singles matches that ran to completion, Florida A&M won four of them; the Bulldogs’ lone singles win came in the No. 6 slot, where Aleksander Stupar came away with a 6-1, 6-4 victory.

Karlyn Small and Walner Espinoza picked up straight-set victories for the Rattlers; Small defeated Jakub Vitek 6-3, 6-4 in the No. 3 slot, while Espinoza won in the No. 4 position 6-2, 6-4 over Soufiane Mouline.

The clincher came in the No. 5 spot, where Frederico Nani overcame a 4-3 deficit in the final set, scoring the last three points to secure a 0-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Stanislav Baco.

Carlos Waitman, in No. 2, also had a three-set win – 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 over Vladyslav Yanchenko.

Espinoza was named the tournament’s Outstanding Performer, while head coach Rochelle Goldthreate was named the Outstanding Coach.

The Rattlers earn the MEAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Div. I Men’s Tennis Championships; the selection show will be on Tuesday, May 2 at 5 p.m. on NCAA.com.

TOURNAMENT HONORS
Outstanding Performer: Walner Espinoza, Florida A&M
Outstanding Coach: Rochelle Goldthreate, Florida A&M

All-Tournament Team
#1 Doubles: Martin Figura/Jakub Vitek, South Carolina State
#2 Doubles: Vladyslav Yanchenko/Stanislav Baco, South Carolina State
#3 Doubles: Frederico Nani/Jalen Evans, Florida A&M
#1 Singles: Courage Okungbowa, Florida A&M
#2 Singles: Arjun Ramakrishnan, Morgan State
#3 Singles: Karlyn Small, Florida A&M
#4 Singles: Walner Espinoza, Florida A&M
#5 Singles: Frederico Nani, Florida A&M
#6 Singles: Aleksander Stupar, South Carolina State

FLORIDA A&M 4, SC State Bulldogs 2
Apr 22, 2017 at Norfolk, Va.

MEAC MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH RESULTS
Singles competition

1. FIGURA,Martin (SCSUM) vs. OKUNGBOWA,Courage (FAMUM) 4-6, 6-3, 2-4, unfinished

2. WAITMAN,Carlos Agust (FAMUM) def. YANCHENKO,Vladyslav (SCSUM) 2-6, 6-2, 6-0

3. SMALL,Karlyn (FAMUM) def. VITEK,Jakub (SCSUM) 6-3, 6-4

4. ESPINOZA,Walner (FAMUM) def. MOULINE,Soufiane (SCSUM) 6-2, 6-4

5. NANI,Frederico (FAMUM) def. BACO,Stanislav (SCSUM) 0-6, 6-2, 6-4

6. STUPAR,Aleksander (SCSUM) def. SKOROMNYY,Illya (FAMUM) 6-1, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. FIGURA,Martin/VITEK,Jakub (SCSUM) def. ESPINOZA,Walner/WAITMAN,Carlos Agust (FAMUM) 6-3

2. YANCHENKO,Vladyslav/BACO,Stanislav (SCSUM) def. OKUNGBOWA,Courage/SMALL,Karlyn (FAMUM) 7-5

3. MOULINE,Soufiane/DIAZ,Edgar (SCSUM) vs. NANI,Frederico/EVANS,Jalen (FAMUM) 5-6, unfinished

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Interim Head Basketball Coach resigns

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU Interim Head Basketball Coach Lamont Franklin has resigned and left the FAMU program. Franklin was the last member of Byron Samuels’ coaching staff at FAMU.

Franklin was given the interim title after the university informed Samuels he would not be brought back after the Rattlers season ended. Currently only Gerald Gillion who is not an employee with FAMU is on the Rattlers coaching staff. Gillion is on a temporary contract with the school to help with recruiting.

FAMU is just one of four division one schools in the country with out a head coach.

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