FAIRFIELD, Ala.- Birmingham Barons will play the Miles College Baseball Team in a special exhibition game at Regions Field on Monday, March 31, at 6:30 p.m. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m.
“Playing this game is a great opportunity for our baseball program as well as for the institution”, said Kenneth Hatcher, the Miles College Baseball Team head coach. “It will provide recruiting exposure for both, and showcase what Miles College can offer athletically and academically.”
“The Barons are proud to host this game at Regions Field and to provide Miles College, their fans and players with a chance to compete against professional ballplayers,” said Barons General Manager Jonathan Nelson.
All seats are general admission and open to the public. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased from any member of the Miles College Baseball Team or the Business Office. Regions Field is located at 1401 1st Avenue South, Birmingham, Ala. For more information call 205-929-1473.

Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch Receives NMPA’s Joe Littlejohn Award for Outstanding Service

Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch was presented with the coveted Joe Littlejohn Award at the 2014 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) convention in Concord, N.C. over the weekend. The award is given out each year in recognition of outstanding service to the NMPA.
Throughout his career Lynch has been a dedicated friend to all forms of media. Lynch joined the Talladega Superspeedway staff in January of 1993 as General Manager and was promoted to Vice President of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and President of Talladega Superspeedway in November of the same year. While with ISC, Lynch has worked in various capacities, including overseeing the development of Kansas Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway, but has always lived in Talladega. Since 2009, he has been Chairman of NASCAR’s Most Competitive track.
“I am honored and humbled to be presented with the Joe Littlejohn Award by the NMPA, an association that does amazing work for the preservation and continuance of motorsports,” said Lynch. “I have worked in the industry for a long time and to receive an honor like this really puts things into perspective. I learned so much about our sport from the likes of NASCAR’s Bill France, Jr. and Jim Hunter, as well as R.J. Reynolds’ T. Wayne Robertson and Ralph Seagraves – who have all had a huge impact on the NMPA.
“Over the years at Talladega, we have had some of the best public relations and communications people in all of sports and entertainment. I am just an extension of them and our incredible racetrack. Helping the media is something I’ve loved doing since the beginning of my career.”
Lynch came to Talladega Superspeedway after 11 years with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. where, in his last post as senior manager of operations and public relations, he managed the company’s involvement in NASCAR Winston Cup (today known as the Sprint Cup Series) racing. His career there spanned back to 1982, when he joined RJR Special Events as a Camel GT Series show car driver.
The award’s namesake, Joe Littlejohn, was one of the great promoters in the early days of stock car racing. After racing in the 1930s and ‘40s and being the first man to post 100 mph in a stock car on the sand at Daytona Beach, Fla., Littlejohn worked with NASCAR’s founder Bill France Sr. to establish the site for Talladega Superspeedway. Always willing to assist the media, drivers and owners in the sport of NASCAR, Littlejohn organized the National Motorsports Press Association. He died a legend in the sport at the age of 81 in 1989.
NASCAR returns to Talladega Superspeedway in 2014 with the Aaron’s Dream Weekend, which is set for May 2-4. The NASCAR Nationwide Series will take to the track on Saturday, May 3 while NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series machines take the green flag on Sunday, May 4.
For ticket information, log onto www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

Roberson makes financial contribution for Rings and Letter Jackets

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  – Earlier this week , Birmingham City Schools hosted a parade honoring the Class 5A Championships earned by Wenonah High School’s girls basketball team and A.H. Parker High School’s boys basketball team. Jay Roberson, Birmingham City Councilor (District Seven), president pro-tem, participated in the parade.
“We can never do enough to celebrate accomplishments of our youth,” said Roberson. “These are all of our children, and when they do something great we need to be there to applaud loudly as a way of letting them know we care.”
Roberson is doing more than applauding, but matching his participation in the parade with a personal financial gift to the schools to help Wenonah High School purchase championship rings for their girls basketball team, and A.H. Parker High School to purchase letterman jackets for their boys basketball team.
“I am committed to doing all I can to celebrate our young people on their great achievement.  As a former high school athlete, I know first hand that winning a state championship takes a lot of hard work,” said Roberson.
The parade route began at 19th Street in Downtown Birmingham, and proceeded to Kelly Ingram Park.
Also, participating in the parade were the principals from each school, Reginald McGary, basketball coach for A.H. Parker High School’s boys team; and Emanuel Bell, basketball coach for Wenonah High School’s girls team.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Stillman College will host its annual Tiger Fest Open House on Saturday, April 5th, on the College campus. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. in Birthright Alumni Hall.
Tiger Fest activities, which are designed to give prospective students a taste of the Stillman experience, will begin at 9 a.m. Highlights will include campus tours, scholarship and financial aid sessions, games, band and choir auditions, and a football game at 2 p.m.  The annual event, which began in 2008, is open to prospective students and their families. All activities are free.
Demetrius Castleberry, Assistant Director of Admissions, states, “Tiger Fest gives visitors an opportunity to meet campus leaders and learn about a variety of student organizations, clubs and activities. During Tiger Fest we will also address a variety of critical topics, such as how to navigate the college admissions process, and how to complete and file the Federal Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA).”
Victor Christian, a Stillman freshman who attended Tigerfest last year, said, “I came with a group of friends from Birmingham, and it was fun.
It gave me an opportunity to see the campus, which is beautiful, and I felt so at home. That was the first time I visited Stillman, and I immediately liked the atmosphere. Seeing the campus helped me make the decision to enroll.”
Each year, Tigerfest attracts hundreds of high school students from diverse cities, including Memphis, Tenn., New Orleans, La., Atlanta, Ga., Mobile, Ala., and Birmingham, Ala. For more information, students may call the Office of Admissions at 205-366-8817.

Special to The Times
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association brought hundreds of basketball players and cheerleaders and thousands of fans last week to the Bill Harris Arena at the Birmingham CrossPlex, but it also offered service and gave recognition through community events.
On Tuesday, the conference hosted seniors and juniors from schools throughout Jefferson County for a College Fair featuring representatives from a majority of the SIAC’s member institutions.
SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore said he enjoys seeing the success of student-athletes, and he also enjoys seeing the success of students who graduate high school and go on to achieve at SIAC institutions.
The SIAC currently includes three Alabama institutions – Miles College, Stillman College and Tuskegee University. In the fall, Spring Hill College in Mobile will become affiliated with the SIAC, Moore said. Other colleges in the conference include Albany State University, Benedict College, Central State University, Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, Lemoyne-Owen College, Morehouse College, and Paine College.
Also last week, the conference and members of Omicron Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha honored four Alphas for their contributions to athletics and the Birmingham community.
Miles College President Dr. George French, Birmingham City Council President Pro Tempore Jay Roberson, City Councilman Steven Hoyt and Chuck Faush, chief of staff to Birmingham Mayor William Bell, were all recognized by Commissioner and the SIAC.
Commissioner Moore said the support of the corporate community, civic community, and men such as the four honorees is integral to the growth of the SIAC Championship Basketball Tournament.
Tournament action and community event associated with  tournament continued through the championship games on Saturday, including a Fan Zone on the parking lot of the arena from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday .

   The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships concluded Saturday at Birmingham’s Bill Harris Arena with the Tuskegee Tigers claiming the crown in the Men’s Division and the Benedict College Tigers taking the top honors in the Women’s Division.
The tournament brought crowds to the arena at the CrossPlex March 5-8 for exciting basketball and other community events.
Winners from the SIAC tournament will go on to the NCAA Division II Championships that begin this week. The Albany State University Lady Rams also were selected for the  NCAA Division II Championships.
Tuskegee University received the #8 seed in the South Regional of the 2014 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship, as the field of 64 was announced Sunday.
The Golden Tigers (18-11), who earned the SIAC automatic bid and are making their first trip to the tournament since 2010, will face the Mocs of Florida Southern College on Saturday, March 15. The Mocs (26-4) are the top seed in the region and are currently ranked 16th nationally.
“As a team, we are elated to represent Tuskegee University and the SIAC in this tournament,” said Tigers head Coach Leon Douglas. “We are looking forward to it. It has been a few years since we’ve been in the tournament and we’ve been clawing our way to get back in. Hopefully we’ll go down there and represent our conference well.
This year’s South Regional Championship game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. The winner of the South Regional will face the winner of the South Central Regional in one of four national quarterfinal games on Wednesday, March 26 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. The 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, March 29 in Evansville.
The NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball selection committee announced the field of 64 teams for the 2014 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship on Sunday, with both Benedict College and Albany State University earning seeds in the South Region.
Benedict (20-9), who earned the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference automatic bid by winning the 2014 SIAC Women’s title, garnered the #8 seed in the South and will face Nova Southeastern in the first round on Friday, March 14, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Sharks (25-4), who are currently ranked 10th nationally, are a familiar face for the Lady Tigers, as the two clubs squared off in Columbia, South Carolina on December 16, 2013.
Lady Tigers head Coach James Rice is excited about the tournament and is looking forward to Friday’s contest.
“We are happy to be a part of the South Regional and to represent our conference in this tournament,” said Rice. “With facing Nova Southeastern, I’m glad we were able to play them earlier in the regular season. You want to face the toughest competition early on so you can gauge where you stand as a team. Playing them definitely made us better. We had to come together as a team during and after that game, because we lost our leading scorer and one of our best defensive players in London Richardson. After that, we had to regroup. We will be ready for the challenge.”
Also taking the court on Friday in Fort Lauderdale will be the 2014 SIAC runners-up in the Lady Rams of Albany State University. The Rams (20-6) secured the #5 seed in the South Region and will face the #4 seeded Lady Statesmen of Delta State University (24-5). After losing a close overtime contest to Benedict in the SIAC title game this past Saturday, Lady Rams head coach Robert Skinner is happy with his team’s seeding.
“It’s a blessing,” remarked Skinner. “We were praying for this and did not know exactly how things would go after the heartbreaking loss we suffered in the tournament championship game. We are very appreciative and want to be gracious about the seeding.”

By Saahara Glaudé
Special to The Birmingham Times

Young Stars, Inc. was created and designed in Birmingham, Ala. by Joe Brown, a former New Yorker and Small College All American who spent over three decades devoted to improving the lives of young people through sports education. His son Joe, a former Clay Chalkville High School Star and Delta State College Player, creates lesson plans for each Young Star.
Dedicated to facilitating an atmosphere whereby youth can flourish in sports performance, Young Stars, Inc. sets a standard of encouragement by teaching students a belief in personal responsibility, habits of hard work and demonstrating a commitment to excel.  Brown begins the Young Stars, Inc. road to sportsmanship with youth mentoring, after school programs, child care development, summer camp, entrepreneurial training, G.E.D. certification classes and overall academic enrichment. Young Stars, Inc. is equipped with a full court gymnasium, small basketball individual training court, game, music and movie entertainment rooms.
Into its fifth season, all Young Stars, Inc. programs are supervised by qualified individuals who have committed their time and talent to help youth succeed.  Brown, the Executive Director of the organization oversees all student and coach interaction, while employing his years of training and experience in recreation and resource management. The organization has worked diligently to become an aggressive resource in broadening the scope of recreational sports and leisure activities; instructing in sportsmanship, love of the game, and the ability to think fast under pressure. Brown aims to improve the quality of children’s lives and assist them in finding direction for future interests.
Supported in part through a variety of revenue streams which include program fees, grant funding, admissions and sales, Young Stars, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is a member of Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) where Brown serves as Director of Basketball Operations for the state of Alabama. AAU holds two major tournaments: State Qualifier and
National. Those who come in 1st or 2nd in the State qualifier for the National Tournament, which varies from Disney World, Memphis and Texas depending on the age group, are issued AAU Gold, Silver and Bronze medals – and High School Juniors are eligible for college scholarships. As a member of AAU, Young Stars, Inc. currently has over 20 youth teams selected based on age group, and supported by 30 qualified volunteer coaches.
Catering to boys ages 6 to 14, Brown anticipates the inclusion of girls by Summer 2014. Young Stars League teams range from 10 to 12 in number offering two different categories: Instructional and Competitive.  Birmingham Ala. is the site for the last two years for “The United States Youth Games” city-to-city which is predicted to be here again 2014.
Young Stars boasts “Our mission is simple: To Create Young Stars.” When I asked founder Joe Brown what that means he responded, “I want to give every student athlete – regardless of where they come from: race, neighborhood single parent – an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams.”  Brown went on to say “sports is just a vehicle” in obtaining dreams that don’t even include sports.”
Brown goes on to say of Young Stars, Inc., “This organization attempts to steer children away from the influences of drugs and gang violence by providing safe and positive alternative activities. Also, our fitness initiatives are designed to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity.”
Since its beginning, Young Stars, Inc. has served over 1000 players of all ages, many of whom have benefited from scholarships. With the success of the development of the Nike traveling team they’ve won several state championships. This competitive Nike traveling team allows communities’ most talented athletes to travel both statewide and nationally to face others of their skill level.
One standout Young Star is 17 year old TaWarren Grant who attends Mountain Brook High School. TaWarren grew up in Midfield and attended Midfield HS his Freshman year where he delivered the Hit Game Winning Shot to seal the victory for Midfield. He has played with Young Stars, Inc. since the 5th grade and is a three-time State Champion and High School State Basketball Tournament winner. In his Sophomore year he made All Tournament Team. This year as a Junior, TaWarren is The MVP (Most Valuable Player) in the state scoring 22 points against Blount High School. Brown says, “We are proud that this budding super star – they call G Man – is part of Young Stars Basketball family.”
Brown strongly feels that while static risk factors cannot be changed, dynamic risk factors can be mitigated through effective treatment and support. These include anti-social attitudes, anti-social peers, substance abuse, dysfunctional family environments, personality factors and impassivity. Brown feels that an appropriate strategy for addressing dynamic risk factors is to target individuals that are at-risk.
Overall, the organization aspires to impact all participants with character based, values oriented initiatives, assisting in developing an understanding and commitment to the thought that character matters in the gym, the classroom, home, and society. Data on each student’s progress, including attendance and participation is collected quarterly and meetings between supervisors and staff provide an opportunity for discussion and decision-making regarding needed method modifications.
In summary, Joe Brown says his mission is simple: “To create young stars while giving each member an equal opportunity to fulfill their dreams on and off the court. A former great Green Bay Packer coach once quoted: “Winning isn’t everything it’s the only thing. And even on the winning teams, the marginal players are ignored. The system revolves around the stars!” At Young Stars we have created our own trend setting system where hard work with the proper attitude is expected and demanded.”
Brown encourages, “Join today and get your Young Star closer to his dream!”

Young Stars Boys Basketball
www.youngstarsinc.com
Boys ages 7-14
Mon – Thurs 3:30p.m. – 7:30p.m.
Saturday 9a.m. – 1p.m.
The Young Stars Sports Complex
200 55th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35212 (Behind Woodlawn High School)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has recognized Texas Southern forward Aaric Murray as its Southwestern Athletic Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
Southern swept the final three accolades with Tre’Lun Banks receiving Freshman of the Year honors along with teammate Calvin Godfrey earning Newcomer of the Year while head coach Roman Banks was tabbed Coach of the Year.
All honors including first and second team selections were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Murray led the SWAC in scoring for the entire regular season averaging 21.7 points per game while hauling in 7.7 rebounds per contest. He was TSU’s leading scorer in 17 of their 29 games on the year. Earlier in the year, Murray became the first NCAA Division I player taller than 6’10 to score 48 points in over a decade while also becoming the first player to connect on 20+ field goals in a game since 2011. Defensively, he blocked a league best 69 shots for an average of 2.4 per outing. 
 Freshman T. Banks led SU in assists and had a 1.4 assists to turnover ratio. He notched a career high of 21 points twice and scored in double figures on 10 occasions.
In his first season at SU, Godfrey averaged 13 points per game and was ranked second in the league with nine rebounds per contest. The center shot a league leading 56 percent from the field and is ranked fourth in the conference with a total of 46 blocked shots.
R. Banks was named SWAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Jaguars 19-11 overall record going 15-2 in league play. His team claimed the 2013-14 SWAC regular season championship. Banks and the Jaguars won the 2013 SWAC Basketball Tournament and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Joining Murray and Godfrey on the All-SWAC Men’s Basketball First Team include guards LeAntwan Luckett (Alcorn State) and Antwan Scott (Grambling State) along with forward DaVon Haynes (Arkansas-Pine Bluff).
The second team is highlighted by Jamel Waters (Alabama State) and Brandon West (Jackson State). Waters is ranked 13th nationally in assists (6.0) out of 100 Division I players. Up until last week, West was the only player in the SWAC averaging a double-double.

First Team
G – Antwan Scott (Grambling State)
G – LeAntwan Luckett (Alcorn State)
F – DaVon Haynes (Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
F – Calvin Godfrey (Southern)
C – Aaric Murray (Texas Southern)
Second Team
G – Jamel Waters (Alabama State)
G – Julysses Nobles (Jackson State)
F – Bobby Brown (Alabama State)
F – Octavius Brown (Alcorn State)
C-  Brandon West (Jackson State)
Player of the Year
Aaric Murray (Texas Southern)
Defensive Player of the Year
Aaric Murray (Texas Southern)
Newcomer of the Year
Calvin Godfrey (Southern)
Freshman of the Year
Tre’Lun Banks (Southern)
Coach of the Year
Roman Banks (Southern)

ALFORD TABBED AS SWAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR; N. SMITH RECEIVES SECOND TEAM HONORS
 
BIRMINGHAM – The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced the All-conference teams today.  Alabama State’s Quentori Alford was selected first team SWAC All-Conference as well as the Defensive Player of the Year.  Nakiya Smith was named to the SWAC All Conference Second Team.

Alford, a 6-3, senior, center from Atlanta, Ga., received these accolades based on her performance throughout the 2013-14 season.  The Lady Hornet averaged 7.1 points per game, led the team in rebounding and blocked shots.  She totaled 206 rebounds averaging 8.4 rebounds per game and amassed 63 blocked shots.  In the conference “Q” ranked second in rebounding, and first in blocked shots.

Senior Guard/Forward Smith received second time honors for leading Alabama State in scoring averaging 13.1 points per game.  She scored a game high of 29 point against Texas Southern on February 3.  Smith also scored 20 points or better in six contests this season.

Alabama State will be set to travel to Houston as the number five seed, facing the number four seed Prairie View at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.  The two teams split a pair of games earlier this season.  The game time is slated for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Bracket released after NCAA approved all ten teams would be allowed to participate

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Basketball Tournament bracket has been set and it will include all 10 conference schools.  
 The bracket is being released after the NCAA announced the approval of the amended automatic qualification policy, allowing four SWAC schools to participate in postseason play that had previously been ineligible due to APR issues. The ruling immediately allows Grambling State, Mississippi Valley State, Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff to compete at the end of the regular season in its respective competition, including the 2014 SWAC Basketball Tournament scheduled for March 11-15 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
With the introduction of the 10 team bracket, the 2014 tournament tip off begins on Tuesday, March 11 with four games: 10 a.m.,12:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. The tournament concludes with the championship game on Saturday, March 15.
The eligible winner of the SWAC Tournament automatically advances to the NCAA Tournament, which begins on March 18. Should an ineligible team win the tournament; alternative qualification scenarios have already been established.
The tournament features both men and women’s teams from member institutions. Individuals interested in bracket, ticket and event information may visit www.swachoops.org.