BCSP Notes . . .
- A Southern Sweep
The Southern University athletic program won or shared in 10 of 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships during the 2002-03 athletic year and retain control of the SWAC Commissioner's Cup. Southern won the Commissioner's Cup last season.The Jaguar men won the C.D. Henry All-Sports Trophy by capturing five of the eight men's championships, and scoring 75 points. Alcorn State finished second (68 pts.), with Grambling State and Texas Southern tying for third (61 pts). Jackson State finished fifth (59 pts), Alabama A&M sixth (45 pts), Alabama State seventh (43.5) with Prairie View A&M (39 pts), Mississippi Valley State (35 pts) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (25.5) finishing eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.
In women's sports, the Lady Jaguars claimed the Barbara Jacket/Sadie Magee All-Sports Award winning four championships outright and sharing one championship (golf) of the nine SWAC women's championship competitions to earn 84 points. Alabama State finished second (70 pts) and Grambling State (68.5) edged out Alcorn State (68.0 pts) for third place. Jackson State (60.5) placed fifth, followed by Texas Southern (57.5) sixth and Alabama A&M (49.5) seventh. Prairie View A&M (47.5), Ark.-Pine Bluff (46) and Mississippi Valley State (33.5) finished eighth, ninth and tenth.
Scoring for the Commissioner's Cup, which combines the points earned in each All-Sports category, resulted in Southern gathering 159 points for first place, followed by Alcorn State (136) in second place and Grambling State (129.5) in third place.
The Commissioner's Cup will be awarded to Southern University after the General Assembly at the 2003 Spring Meeting in Baton Rouge, LA on Thursday, May 29, 2003.
2003 Commissioner's Cup
School Men Women Total 1. Southern 75841592. Alcorn State 68681363. Grambling State 6168.5129.54. Jackson State 5960.5119.55. Texas Southern 6157.5118.56. Alabama State 43.570113.57. Alabama A&M 4549.594.58. Pr.View A&M 3947.586.59. Ark.-Pine Bluff 25.54671.510. Miss. Valley St. 3533.568.5 - Hampton Sweeps, Too
Hampton University's men's and women's athletic programs have been declared the best in the 2003 Mid Eastern Athletic Conference season.The Hampton men's program won the 2003 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Talmadge Layman Hill Award marking it as the best.
The Hill Award race went down to the wire, with Hampton edging out Florida A&M by two points. Hampton's outdoor track title was the difference giving them three championships and 60 points. They also won indoor track and tennis, while Florida A&M finished second in baseball, football, outdoor track and tennis and finished the race with 58 points. Norfolk State finished third with 54 points followed by South Carolina State (47), North Carolina A&T (37), Maryland Eastern Shore (35.5), Bethune Cookman, Delaware State and Howard (34) Coppin State seventh with 33.5 points and Morgan State finished eighth with 31 points.
Along with the prestige of having the best overall men's athletic program in the conference this year, a $25,000 check is given with the award.
"The Talmadge Layman Hill All Sports Award for men is indicative of the overall strength and success of an institutions men's athletic program," stated Commissioner Dennis Thomas. "There is a great deal of parity within our conference and Hampton University is to be commended for winning this award."
The Hampton University women's athletic program took home the 2003 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Mary McLeod Bethune Award as the best overall women's athletic program with the $25,000 check that goes with it.
Hampton ran away with the women's race winning four of the eight championships and finishing second in one. They won basketball, indoor track, outdoor track and tennis while finishing second in cross country, helping them to a total of 76 points for the year. Florida A&M finished second with 62 points. Rounding out the list was North Carolina A&T (54.5), Howard (50.5), Morgan State (48.5), Norfolk State (46.5), Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State (46), Bethune Cookman (44.5), South Carolina State (35.5) and Coppin State (26).
- St. Aug's Men, Women finish Second at Div. II Track and Field Championships
Lincoln (MO) University has become the 5th school overall and third black college in the history of the NCAA Division II Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships to earn the title of National Champions.The Blue Tiger Women achieved champion status with six individual titles on the final day of the three-day event denying St. Augustine's a four-peat at Ralph Korte Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The Lady Falcons finished second.
St. Augustine's men also finished second behind long-time rival Abilene Christian.
Traditionally, the team with the strongest showing on the final day will win the national title and Lincoln finished very strong with six individual women's championships on Saturday. Their run to the national title began with the 4x100 Meter Relay team of Simmy George, Shandria Brown, Marlene Smith and Moya Thompson combining for a time of 45.08 seconds.
Nikkisha Maynard picked up her second national title in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.72 seconds. She won the heptathlon on Friday. The 400 meter dash was won by Thompson in 51.80 seconds. Brown collected national titles in the 100 and 200 meter dash, clocking 11.59 seconds in the 100 and 23.32 seconds in the 200. The final national championship came from the 4x400 Meter relay team of Lilieth Simms, Marlene Smith, Kelly Marshall and Thompson finishing the race in 3 minutes and 40.23 seconds to wrap up the teams 98 points for the National Championship.
St. Augustine's women picked up an individual championship of their own as Charlene Cummings edged LU's Maynard to win the long jump title.
Clark Atlanta's Nikki Hill won the high jump with a best leap of 1.76m. Hill also finished 7th in the women's 100m hurdles.
St. Aug's men won national titles in three events. Eddie Montgomery, Nathaniel McKinney, Anwar Moore and Wilan Louis combined to win the 4x100m relay championship. Adrian Findlay finished first in the 400m hurdles. The Falcons closed out the day with another relay title as Louis joined with Jamaal Torrance, McKinney and Marqueth Tard to anchor the winning 4x400m relay team.
Albany State's Sterling Gray won the men's 400m dash bringing the national championship total to 13 for HBCU performers.
North Carolina Central sprinter Jason Smoots was denied in his two attempts to capture a seventh career national title. Smoots finished third in the 100m dash and sixth in the 200m dash finals.
© 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.
