photo credit: Bruce  Skyye’ Womack

A. H. Parker  High Thundering  Herd Boys  Basketball Team Wins 5 A State Boys Championship.

 Wenonah Dragons Girls Basketball Team Wins 5A State Girls Championship

Photos by Winthrop Nall

Katlyn Mathis, Thunder 2013 – 2014 (Girls) Roebuck-Hawkins Park and Recreation Youth Basketball

(LtoR) TaCorryn James and Elijah Nall 2013- 2014 (Boys) Roebuck-Hawkins Park and Recreation Youth Basketball

 Roebuck – Hawkins Park 2013-2014 Basketball Banquet: Welcome by Coach Jackie; Appreciation Director, Leroy Everson; Guest Speaker, Mr. Samuel Dansby; Presentation of Trophies.
Coach DeCarlus Moss, pictured with Kids from some of the teams.

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama State baseball team completed a four-game sweep of its SWAC- opening series against Mississippi Valley State, winning 4-0 and 9-7 Sunday at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
The Hornets (12-3 overall, 4-0 SWAC) rode the starting pitching of T.J. Renda (complete-game shutout) and Normando Valentin (5 1/3 innings in first career start) to again set the tone for Alabama State, which has now won eight consecutive games heading into Tuesday’s 6 p.m. home game against the 10-2 UAB Blazers.
“I thought our pitching was excellent today until late in game two,” head coach Mervyl Melendez said. “We did a heck of a job on the mound and defensively. I’m very proud of our pitchers. T.J. Renda was back in form, pitched a gem, and pitched like he did all of last year. Valentin did a great job in his first career start, and pitched pretty well.”
Game 1 – Hornets 4, Miss. Valley St. 0: Renda (1-2) scattered 10 hits, walked none, and struckout 11 in throwing 83 of his 109 pitches for strikes. He struck out multiple hitters in the second and fourth innings, and forced Valley to leave 10 runners on base. Alabama State did all its scoring in the first four innings. Richard Amion led off with a double down the right field line, stole third, and scored on Marcus Swint’s single to left field. With one out, Richard Gonzalez doubled to right center, and scored on a two-out single by Emmanuel Marrero for a 2-0 Hornet lead.
 In the second, Dillon Cooper hit his first home run of the year to left field to extend the Alabama State lead to 3-0.
 In the third, Gonzalez drew a two-out walk and scored on Waldyvan Estrada’s double down the left field line for the final margin.
Amion, Swint, and Einar Muniz each went 2-for-4 in the opener.
Game 2 – Hornets 9, Miss. Valley St. 7: Playing as the visiting team in the nightcap, Alabama State got solo home runs from Amion and Branden Castro in scoring at least one run in each of the first six innings.
 Amion, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, led off the first with a double to center, and scored on Gonzalez’s RBI single to left for a 1-0 lead.
In the second, Dexter Price doubled to left field, Cooper was hit by a pitch, and Raul Perez walked to load the bases. Muniz was hit by pitch, scoring Price. Cooper then scored on a dropped infield fly out to extend the Hornets’ lead to 3-0.
 In the third, Swint’s one-out double to left field scored Branden Castro, who walked to give the Hornets a 4-1 lead.
 Amion and Castro hit solo homers in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, to give Alabama State a 6-1 lead.
After Valley added a run in the fifth, the Hornets scored three in the sixth. Muniz led off with a single through the left side. Amion then doubled to center, advancing Muniz to third. Gonzalez doubled to left field, scoring Muniz and Amion. Marrero followed, tripled to right center, scoring Gonzalez for a 9-2 Alabama State lead.
Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with one run scored and three RBI, Price went 2-for-2 with a run scored, and Muniz went 2-for 3 with one run scored and one RBI to pace the 12-hit attack.
Valley scored one in the sixth, and four in the eighth before Hunter McIntosh pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to get the save.
 “It is important to get off to a good start in conference play,” Melendez said. “We have a good start; now we can’t look back. We have to look forward and continue to play good baseball. However, you have to give a lot of credit to Mississippi Valley. They kept fighting and it was a good test for our guys. I’m glad to see our guys fight through it. When adversity hits, what are you going to do? Today, our guys persevered to get the win.”

Bowling Stays in Top 20

MONTGOMERY – The 2013-14 Alabama State women’s bowling team is still nationally ranked at the 18th spot in the latest National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) poll which was released last week.
 Alabama State (53-30) clinched its first SWAC Regular Season Championship after going 6-3 during the SWAC East Round-Up and finishing the season 19-5 in the conference. The Hornets also finished 7-5 in the Track Kat Klash hosted by Sam Houston.
The team is led by Danielle Walker who was selected as the 2014 SWAC Bowling Player of The Year and named first team All-SWAC with a total pin fall of 5,637. While Kaila Ryan who was also selected as first team All-SWAC having a total pin fall of 5,427.  While, Briana Wells was named second team All-SWAC with a 4,802 pin fall count. The team is ranked first in the conference with a pin fall count of 25,609 and an average of 914.6.
 Still sitting at the top of the rankings is Arkansas State University (224), which received eight first place votes, while Nebraska (191) ranks second and received one first place vote and is tied with Maryland Eastern Shore.
 Fairleigh Dickinson University is fourth with 177 points and Central Michigan is fifth, earning 159 points. 
 Stephen F. Austin is sixth while Sam Houston, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin-Whitewater and St. Francis rounded out the top 10 respectfully.
 The Lady Hornets will travel to Nashville, Tenn. to compete in the Music City Invitational hosted by eighth ranked Vanderbilt March 7-9. The Hornets will try to complete their historical season when they travel to Arlington, Texas, to compete in the SWAC Championship March 21-24.
 “I am proud of where we are as a team right now,” Head Coach Andrew Chatmon stated. “We are going to continue to work on our past mistakes and go from there. We have one more tournament prior to our conference championship tournament and that is what we need to prepare for.”

Larger High-Definition Video Boards, Kids Free Initiative Highlight Fan Enhancements at Talladega Superspeedway
Fans Attending Aaron’s Dream Weekend, May 2-4, To Get “Must See View” In NASCAR

Watching 43 cars pack race three- and four-wide at 200 mph around NASCAR’s biggest and most competitive race track – Talladega Superspeedway – has always been a “Must See” event. But now, thanks to a valuable video enhancement initiative launched by International Speedway Corporation (ISC) for 2014, it’s going to be much easier to take in the view of views in NASCAR, beginning with the Aaron’s Dream Weekend set for May 2-4.
Talladega Superspeedway will serve as a test track for the new ISC program, which will strategically place four large Sprint Vision Digital High-Definition video screens along Talladega’s frontstretch. The new video boards will offer all fans in every grandstand unbelievable views of the incredible content to be projected throughout the event weekend. The screens will almost double the size of former Sprint Vision screens, and the high-definition picture will be crisper, clearer and brighter.
With Talladega leading the way, the multi-phase project plans to implement the video boards at all ISC facilities over the next few years. Initially the screens will be temporarily put into place, allowing facilities to listen to fan feedback to create the best digital experience possible. Eventually, permanent digital board locations will be installed as part of the ongoing phase of the initiative.
“The new Sprint Vision screens will provide a positive experience for all fans in the grandstands, with clear sight lines to every seat in the house – not just a percentage of the stands,” said Grant Lynch, Talladega Superspeedway Chairman. “And, because the boards are so close to our fans, it will be easy for them to see packs of cars three and four wide anywhere on the race track.”
The view will be extra special for kids 12 and under, who will get in free to all grandstands for Saturday’s full day of activity. On Sunday kids receive $50 off the regular price of grandstand seating.
“Kids are our fans of tomorrow, and we want them to be able to see all the action on the track no matter where they sit in the grandstands,” added Lynch. “The new video boards will allow them to experience the race live with the same amenities they have on their big screen at home. And, they can do it for free on Saturday, as well as Sunday in the lower grandstands. There is no better deal for kids in sports than right here at Talladega.”
Saturday, May 3 features two races – the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards event and the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race – as well as NASCAR’s new Coors Light Pole Qualifying format for the Sprint Cup Series, which will consist of three elimination rounds of pack racing. The winner of Sunday’s always unpredictable Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is all but guaranteed a spot in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup at the end of the year, as a result of NASCAR’s recent changes to the Chase.
In addition to the new video boards and kids “free” opportunity, other fan-friendly changes at Talladega Superspeedway in 2014 include:
•       SMOKE FREE throughout the grandstands; designated smoking areas will be set up under the grandstands and towers.
•       Driver Introductions Pit Pass Upgrade; the $50 Pre-Race Pit Pass can now be upgraded to include access to driver introductions for an additional $25.
•       Reserved Saturday Grandstands; all grandstand seating will be reserved on Saturday instead of General Admission to allow fans to find their perfect spot ahead of time.
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.

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama State Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) selected its All-Star Faculty members, and honored them at Monday’s basketball game against Southern.
The All-Star Faculty members were nominated and voted on by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee members based upon the faculty member’s dedication in the classroom, engaging spirit and superior knowledge of their subject area.
The selected faculty were: Professor Sara Kiser (Management), Professor Tracy Banks (Communication Studies), Professor Cadavious Jones (Mathematics), Professor Adarsh Kakar (CIS), Professor Michelle Foster (Mathematics), Dr. Robert White (Humanities), Professor Pamela Burns (Music), Professor Barbara Williams (Physical Education), Professor Jorja Bradford (Accounting), and Professor Carol Dennis (History).
Members of SAAC had a reception honoring the all-star faculty prior to Monday’s halftime presentation.

SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors says decision is in the best interest of its student-athletes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference and its Council of Presidents and Chancellors reviewed, voted, and approved to amend the SWAC bylaw that governs if an institution’s team and/or student-athletes can participate in the conference season-ending tournaments and championships.
“Today we received the approval from the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees to amend our men’s and women’s basketball automatic qualification policy for the NCAA Tournament,” said SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp.
 The adopted bylaw, which allows all 10 member institutions to participate in the SWAC Tournament, will be used to determine which SWAC member institution will receive the conference Automatic Qualification (AQ) to represent the conference in the NCAA tournaments for each respective sport. The previous policy restricted several current SWAC institutions from participating in postseason play due to Academic Progress Rates (APR) restrictions.
 As it relates to the upcoming basketball tournament, the NCAA issued a statement acknowledging the acceptance of the SWAC’s proposed bylaw change by saying that the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees will allow the conference to amend its automatic-qualifying policy for the 2014 championships only.  The conference basketball tournament for both men and women will still determine the automatic berths into both NCAA championships. The eligible team that advances furthest in the conference tournaments will receive the automatic berth to the NCAA championships. In the event of a tie (for example, all tournament-eligible teams are eliminated in the same round), the automatic berths will go to the highest-seeded team.
 “It is the conference’s goal to ensure that each student-athlete has equal opportunity for academic and athletic success,” said Sharp. “The Conference and Council of Presidents acknowledge the financial strain that affect our member institutions in meeting APR requirements. With the approval of the amended policy, the SWAC not only can provide a quality athletic experience, but optimistically provide the means for academic advancements,” added Commissioner Sharp.
 The Council voted in favor of lifting the postseason ban, for all SWAC Championship Sports, as the old policy inhibited the current student-athletes. To some extent, postseason penalties were based on budget issues that prevent league institutions from hiring personnel to support the athletic system.
 “The academic success of the student-athletes is a top priority of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and its member institutions. While staying committed to improving the APR scores of our member institutions, the SWAC will continue to work with each institution and the NCAA to reach the appropriate benchmarks set by the Committee on Academic Performance,” said Sharp. 
 The old policy did not allow member institutions that are not eligible for NCAA postseason to participate in SWAC season-ending tournament and championship games, but the change does allow for it. 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 tournament, which will run March 11-15 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Amion, Howe Earn SWAC Baseball Honors

MONTGOMERY – Outfielder Richard Amion and pitcher Tyler Howe were named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Baseball Player and Pitcher Of The Week, respectively.
Amion (5-11, 180, Jr., Cutler Bay, Fla. / Miami South Ridge HS)
hit .350 (7-for-20) in six games last week, with five runs scored, one home run, and three RBI. A pair of Amion’s hits went for extra bases, including a solo home run and triple at South Alabama in Tuesday’s 5-0 win. Amion, who walked six times, stole two bases and was hit by pitch, had a .519 on-base percentage and a .600 slugging percentage.
Howe (6-1, 235, R-Fr, Chulouta, Fla. / Lakeland HS) had a career-long, career-best outing, pitching eight shutout innings at Pacific, allowing six hits, with three walks and four strikeouts in a 3-0 win. Howe, making only his second career start, threw 107 pitches, 64 for strikes.
The Hornets open an 11-game home stand by hosting Youngstown State Tuesday and Wednesday at 6 p.m.

The Stillman College Honda Campus All Star Challenge team has advanced to the National Championship Tournament (NCT), which
takes place April 12th to 16th on the campus of American Honda Motor Co, Inc. in Torrance, California. This year’s announcement of the “Great 48” teams that will advance to the Championship took place via a Youtube video announcement that was released simultaneously across the nation on Thursday, February 20th.  The photograph above captures the excitement of students, faculty and staff who cheered happily when the announcer named Stillman among the teams that will advance.
Varsity team members Lawrence Allen Brown, II, Franchesca Jannet Jefferson, Brian Clinton Johnson, Tamba Lamin Sama Mondeh and their coach, Dr. Thomas Jennings, will represent Stillman in Torrance. Brown serves as captain of the team.
Dr. Jennings says the team is “exceptionally excited about making it to the playoffs, especially in the 25th Anniversary season” of the competition.  He adds that they will be working diligently for the next eight weeks “to go there and win.”
Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge is a knowledge game of quick recall for America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).  More than 7 million dollars in grants have been awarded by Honda to participating HBCUs and nearly 100,000 students in 22 states have participated. Over $300,000 is at stake this year, with the champion HBCU earning a $50,000 grant.

MONTGOMERY – Alabama State University track and field head coach Ritchie Beene announces the 2014 Outdoor Track & Field Schedule following a successful 2013-2014 Indoor campaign which saw the Lady Hornets win its sixth straight indoor crown and the men finishing second by a slim two points to Grambling State University.
The Hornets will kick off the season within the state of Alabama as on March 14th -15th they will travel down to Mobile to compete in the Battle of I65 hosted by South Alabama. Then travel to Houston, Texas to run in the TSU Relays on March 21-22nd hosted by Texas Southern University.
After a short break the Hornets will continue their season April 4th-5th as they will compete in Gainesville, Fla. at the always exciting Florida Relays hosted by the University of Florida. On April 11th-12th ASU will travel back to Florida to run in the Seminole Invitational hosted by Florida State University in Tallahassee.
The War Eagle Invitational hosted by Auburn will serve as the final tune-up meet before SWAC outdoor championships for the Hornets as they will participate in the meet on April 18th-19th in Auburn, Ala.
The outdoor SWAC Championship is slated for April 25th- 27th in New Orleans, La., where the women will be looking to make it five wins in a row and the men will be looking to improve on a sixth place finish from last season.
“We’re excited about heading into the outdoor season,” said Beene.  “We have made a few revisions on our schedule because we wanted to give our team the best chance to be successful in the best climates to compete in.”
“We have a competitive schedule and will look to reach new highs and goals. We will take these couple of weeks to work out and prepare our athletes for our opening meet down at South Alabama.”
The outdoor season will continue after the championships on May 16th-17th in Atlanta, Ga. at the Georgia Tech Invitational and will conclude for the Hornets with a trip to the NCAA East Regional which is set for May 24th-25th in Jacksonville, Fla. and the NCAA Outdoor Championship in Eugene, Ore. on June 11th- 14th.