BCSP IX-45: BCSP Notes

BCSP Notes . . .

Track All-Americans

Eight black college track and field performers earned All-American honors in five events at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships that culminated Saturday at Sacramento State University.

Jerome Mathis (Hampton - 200 meters), David Oliver (Howard - 110 meter hurdles), Darryl Reeves (S.C. State - Long Jump), Desmond Kapofu (Norfolk State - Triple Jump) and Florida A&M's 4x100 meter men's relay team competed in the finals of their respective events earning All-America honors for 2003. NCAA All-Americans are the top eight finishers in an event.

Mathis registered a personal best time Saturday night en route to capturing second place in the men's 200 meter dash. He finished the race in 20.48 seconds just .01 behind Leo Bookman (Kansas State) who won the event in 20.47 seconds. The Petersburg, Va., sophomore speedster also plays football for Hampton.

Oliver became the first Howard All-American in almost 15 years when he finished fourth in the 110 meter hurdles. The junior, Denver, Co., native is the three-time Mid Eastern Athletic Conference outdoor champion in the event.

Oliver, a junior business major, ran a career-best 13.6 in the finals. He has been injury free this season and continued to peak as the season progressed. Along the way, Oliver lowered his times in the event and as a result, he now owns both the school and MEAC record.

"This is something that I have worked hard for," said Oliver, of earning the all-American status. "I always knew that if I kept working hard and believing in myself, this is a goal that I could accomplish. It is a great honor for me, Coach (Mike) Merritt and Howard University."

"If there is anyone deserving of this, it is David," explained Merritt, who coaches both the Howard men and women. "He's always had his eyes set on this goal. It means a lot to him and the program here at Howard."

Reeves, a sophomore from Augusta, Ga., had a leap of 25 feet 2 inches to finish eighth and become the first outdoor track All-American for SCSU since 2001. He is the fifth All-American for the university in the last three seasons.

Kapofu finished sixth in the triple jump. His best jump was his first, traveling 16.13 meters. Julian Kapek of Southern California won the event with a jump of 17.12 meters.

By finishing in the top eight, Kapofu clinched NSU's first track All-America honor since Adrian Shears came in seventh in the high jump at the 2001 indoor championship.

FAMU's relay team consisted of James Anune, Brent Mobley, Antwanare Jones and Sheldon Morant. They finished fifth in the finals with a time of 39.62 seconds.

Football in July
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association will host its 2003 Football Press Conference and Luncheon on Wednesday, July 23, at 11:30 a.m. in Jones Dining Hall on the campus of Virginia State University.

The 2003 CIAA football season will be set in motion with each head coach submitting their outlooks for the coming season. West Division winner Fayetteville State went on to defeat East Division champ Bowie State in the third annual CIAA Championship game. Fayetteville State earned the conference's first NCAA Div. II playoff berth since 1993.

The CIAA Football Coaches Association predicted order of finish and the pre-season all-Conference team will also be unveiled.

All coaches will be available after the formal presentation for interviews.

Coppin's Peters First Team Academic All-American
Coppin State College senior Nickie Peters has been named to the 2002-03 Verizon Academic All-America University Division Men's Track & Field/Cross Country first team.

Peters is the first Coppin State student-athlete to earn first-team honors, and it marks the seventh time an athlete from the school has been named Academic All-American, including last year when Peters was chosen to the second team.

A native of Belmont Village, St. Vincent, in the West Indies, Peters recently concluded his career with the Eagles at the NCAA East Regional Championships, where he competed in the 800 meters. In May, he was voted Coppin State's Male Athlete of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time.

Arguably one of the top middle distance performers in the history of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Peters won 13 league titles-four in the mile, one in the 800 and two in the distance medley relay indoors; three in the 1500 and one in the 800 outdoors; and two in cross country-during his career. He was named the conference's Most Outstanding Performer at the 2001 and 2002 cross country championships and at the 2002 indoor championships.

He owns school records in the 1500 (3:49.36) and the mile (4:10.37) and was a member of the relay teams that set school indoor and outdoor marks in both the 4 x 800 and the distance medley. He was chosen to represent St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the 2000 Olympics but instead opted to return to Coppin to avoid missing the fall semester.

As exceptional as Peters' accomplishments on the track are, his distinction in the classroom is equally impressive. A chemistry major with a minor in computer science, he carries a 3.78 grade point average and is a three-time recipient of the MEAC Commissioner's All- Academic Award.

As a junior, he was named to the Speedstick/HBCU Scholar-Athlete Team and to the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars first team in track and field. In 2001, he was selected to participate in a chemistry research summer program at Indiana University and will do so again this year after graduating with honors this spring.

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) selects Verizon Academic All-America teams in 12 programs, recognizing student-athletes for their contributions in their respective sports and in the classroom. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore, must have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average and must be a significant contributor to his or her team.