BCSP IX-32: BCSP Notes

BCSP Notes . . .

A&T Fires Hunter
North Carolina A&T State University announced Monday that fourth-year head basketball coach Curtis Hunter has been released from his position and it will immediately launch a national search for his replacement.

The move did not come as a surprise as Hunter presided over the worst record in A&T history this season, a 1-26 mark including a loss in the first round of the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament last week in Richmond. Hunter compiled a 39-75 mark in four full seasons as head coach.

"The A&T Athletics Department thanks Coach Hunter for the efforts he has put forth during the past four seasons," Athletic Director, Charles Davis said in a press release. "We thank him for the leadership and integrity he has displayed both on and off the court."

"In making this change in our basketball program, we will vigorously pursue a change in direction, leadership, ideas and expectations, that we believe are necessary to bring to our alumni and supporters ... a team that will year-in and year-out be a contender for the MEAC crown and post-season play."

A screening committee, led by Associate Athletic Director Wheeler Brown, has been appointed and hopes to fill the position soon.

Basketball recruiting efforts during the interim period will be coordinated by Davis.

St. Aug's Women, NCCU's Smoots do it again
St. Augustine's College of the CIAA captured the women's title with 73 points, while Abilene Christian successfully defended its men's team title with 58 points Saturday at the 2003 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Eastern College Athletic Conference hosted the event at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.

In the women's competition, Abilene Christian was second with 53 points followed by defending national champion, North Dakota State, who finished with 41 points. On the men's side, Western State was second with 54 points while Cal State Bakersfield finished third with 34 points. St. Augustine's finished fifth in the men's competition with 32 points.

St. Augustine's Cadriesha Akinfe grabbed the first individual crown on Friday, winning the women's long jump with a best leap of 6.00m. Teammate Samaiyah Islam won the 60 meter hurdles turning in a time of 8.63.

St. Aug swept the 400 meter dash as Wilan Louis won the men's with a time of 47.67 while Libia Rodriquez captured the women's race with a time of 53.83.

North Carolina Central sprinter Jason Smoots posted a new meet record, turning in a time of 6.55 in the men's 60 meter dash. A native of Gadsden, Alabama, Smoots now has six national championships to his credit - three indoor (2001-55m, 2002-60m, 2003-60m) and three outdoor (2001-100m, 2002-100m, 2002- 4x100m).

"It feels good," Smoots said about his place in NCAA history, "but I thought I should have run faster."

In the women's 60 meter dash, Shandria Brown from Lincoln also set a meet record with a time of 7.43.

In the 800 meter run, St. Augustine's claimed another title as Maria Medina topped the field with a time of 2:07.27.

Lincoln won the men's 4x400 meter relay, turning in a time of 3:12.22 while St. Augustine's captured the women's 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:40.37.