1

GREEN & GOLD REPORT!The Official Newsletter of Norfolk State Athletics Summer 2019

Message from Marty L. MillerDear Spartan Fans and Supporters:The Department of Athletics experienced one of its most successful years, both academically and athletically, during the 2018-19 academic year. The number of team awards and individual accomplishments reached a new height for the athletics program.

The performances of the student-athletes in the classroom were impressive. For the first time in the history of NSU athlet-ics, the overall departmental grade point average surpassed the 3.00 mark. It was 3.05 for the 15 sports programs. Based upon the current reporting year, the federal graduation rate is 61% and the graduation success rate is 71%. The 2019 summer edition of the Green and Gold Report will highlight additional academic milestones for the department.

In addition to academics, the noteworthy athletic achievements of the student-athletes and coaches continue to demonstrate the reason that ath-letics is one of the major pillars of the institution. The number of divisional champions, coach of the year awards and All-American selections were outstanding accomplishments. Recent successes have propelled athletics to greater heights on the national level. The stage is being set for greater opportunities during the ensuing school year.

The Department of Athletics is making every effort to create an exciting and fun-filled environment for the 2019-2020 season. Your attendance at the games is critical for the viability of the athletics program. Please consider making a financial donation to enhance the lives of deserving student-athletes to fulfill their collegiate dreams and achieve national prominence for this great institution.

Thank you for what you do for Norfolk State University. We look forward to another great year.

Sincerely,

Marty L. Miller

GREEN & GOLD REPORT!

NSU to Induct 8 into Athletics Hall of FameFor the first time since 2010, the athletics department will hold an induc-tion ceremony as it welcomes eight newcomers into the NSU Athletics Hall of Fame: legendary coaches James Sweat (women’s basketball), LaVerne Sweat (women’s track/cross country) and Marty Miller (base-ball), basketball player David Pope, football players Kevin Talley and Don Carey, wrestler Kirwyn Adderley and bowler Thea Aspiras.

The group will be honored during an induction dinner on Friday night, Sept. 6, beginning at 7 p.m. at the NSU Student Center. The class will also be recognized the following day during the NSU-Virginia State foot-ball game at William “Dick” Price Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.

James Sweat led the Spartan women’s basketball team to prominence at both the Division I and II levels. He posted a 346-218 record coaching the Spartans from 1998-2007. Sweat’s teams won five CIAA champi-onships and made five Division II regional appearances. NSU won a school-record 33 games in 1990-91, advancing to the Division II Final Four and earning Sweat national Coach of the Year honors. Sweat led NSU to the only MEAC title and Division I tournament appearance in women’s basketball program history to date in the 2001-02 season.

Like her husband, LaVerne Sweat came to NSU in 1988 and embarked on a storied coaching career. Sweat led NSU to 18 CIAA track and cross country championships and two MEAC track titles from 1988-2005. She

was named the NCAA Division II Coach of the Decade in 1991 and was CIAA Coach of the Year every year from 1988-97. Sweat also brought distinction to NSU when she was selected to serve as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Marty Miller has been associated with NSU for more than 50 years, from his days as an All-American base-ball athlete in the 1960s, to a 30+ year

Hall of Fame Dinner set for Sept. 6; Tickets on sale now at the NSU Ticket Office and online at www.NSUSpartansTickets.com

Continued on Page 5

2

Football season will be upon us before you know it, so don’t wait any lon-ger. Season tickets for 2019 Norfolk State University football are on sale at the NSU Ticket Center and online at www.NSUSpartansTickets.com.

The Spartans will host five games at Dick Price Stadium this year after playing six home games the previous two years. This year’s home slate begins on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. against former CIAA rival Virginia State for the third year in a row.

The Spartans also play back-to-back home games on Sept. 28 vs. Flori-da A&M (4 p.m.) and Oct. 5 against North Carolina A&T (2 p.m.). Home-coming is set for Nov. 2 against Morgan State, also at 2 p.m. The final home contest, which will serve as Senior Day as well, is scheduled for Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. versus South Carolina State.

In addition to season tickets currently on sale, single-game tickets will be available for purchase on Aug. 1. There is a cost difference of $5 per ticket for Homecoming between advance sales and day of game sales. For all other games, there is no difference in the cost of tickets purchased either before or on game day.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the NSU Ticket Center between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call (757) 823-9009.

In addition, tailgating reservations are also available. Those can be purchased through the Department of Athletics at 757-823-8152 or by mailing in the form found at www.NSUSpartans.com. Both season and single-game tailgating passes are available.

Get Your 2019 Football Season Tickets TodaySeason Ticket (5 Home Games)Reserved Seating ........................................................................... $110General Admission ...........................................................................$90Faculty and Staff ...............................................................................$75

Single-Game Tickets - Homecoming (Advance Sales)Reserved Seating .............................................................................$30General Admission ...........................................................................$25Youth (Ages 17 and under) ...............................................................$10

Single-Game Tickets - Homecoming (Day of Game Sales)Reserved Seating .............................................................................$35General Admission ...........................................................................$30Youth (Ages 17 and under) ...............................................................$15

Single-Game Tickets - All Other GamesReserved Seating .............................................................................$25General Admission ...........................................................................$20Youth (Ages 17 and under) .................................................................$5

Sept. 7 Virginia State .......................................................6 p.m.Sept. 28 Florida A&M .........................................................4 p.m.Oct. 5 North Carolina A&T ..............................................2 p.m.Nov. 2 Morgan State .......................................................2 p.m. (Homecoming)Nov. 23 South Carolina State ...........................................1 p.m. (Senior Day)

For the full 2019 NSU football schedule, see page 8

2019 Football Ticket Prices

2019 Norfolk State Home Schedule

5 Thursday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Spartan Health Fest: Blood Drive, Health Screening and Testing An event providing the community with various health services to promote well-being.

6-8 p.m. Heels and Helmets (Football 101 for Women Only): An interactive introduction to football for women — learn the ins and outs from former football experts; followed by a powder puff football game. Please register with Michelle MacFarlane at 757- 823-8152. $25

6 Friday Noon-2 p.m. Spirit Hour: Come out to show your school spirit for NSU and show your support for the football team before the event.

7-9 p.m. Hall of Fame Dinner: NSU Student Center, Room 149 Call (757) 823-8152 for more information. $75

9:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Casino Royale: Town Point Club A night of blackjack, poker, roulette, craps and more! There will be a live band, DJ, dance floor, VIP opportunities and various raffle prizes available for fans. Table sponsorships are available. Please contact Melody Webb at 757-823-8404.

7 Saturday 10 a.m. Classic Tailgate: Fans, family and supporters of NSU gather on

campus to celebrate the football game.

4 p.m. Greek Stroll-Off: NSU vs VSU, Student Center

6 p.m. Battle of the States NSU vs. VSU Football Game: William “Dick” Price Stadium

2019 Battle of the States Schedule of EventsCheck out some of the activities taking place leading up to the Battle of the States between NSU and Virginia State on Sept. 7

3

Men’s basketball head coach Robert Jones and women’s basketball head coach Larry Vickers received three-year contract extensions this June. Both had one year left on their current contracts and were given an additional three years to take them through the 2022-23 season. Both extensions were given following successful 2018-19 campaigns.

Seven years after the NSU men pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, the Spartans did the same in another post-season touranment. This year, after capturing the MEAC regular season title and earning the league’s automatic bid to the NIT, the Spartans up-set No. 1 seed Alabama in the first round. It marked the program’s fifth postseason appearance in six years under Jones.

NSU was a No. 8 seed in the 32-team tournament, and the only one of the four teams seeded eighth to win its first round game. The Spartans nearly won it in regulation but finally prevailed in overtime against Ala-bama, 80-79.

NSU’s victory over No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA Tournament in 2012 is still regarded as the biggest tournament upset by point spread, as the No. 15 seed Spartans were -21.5 point underdogs that day. According to at least one expert, NSU’s win over Alabama, in which the Spartans were -16 point underdogs, is also the biggest NIT upset ever.

It was an outstanding season for NSU, which won the regular season title with a 14-2 record this year, just the second ever for the program. NSU’s first, of course, came in 2012-13 when the Spartans went undefeated at 16-0 and played in their first NIT. They also went 22-14 overall this

year for the second-most wins since joining Division I.

The program finished with five All-MEAC selections, including second-team honor-ees Nic Thomas and Derrik Jamerson Jr., third-team players Steven Whitley and Jor-dan Butler, and All-Rookie Team member C.J. Kelly.

Both the NSU men and women advanced to the MEAC Tournament final, although both came up short in their quest for a cham-pionship. For the women, it was their first time advancing to the title game since 2005. Nevertheless, they finished a strong season that included another winning record at 17-15.

The Spartans went 10-6 in the MEAC this year, tied for fourth in the standings with Howard. But come MEAC tour-nament time, NSU knocked off the Bison in the quarterfinals. That was followed by a semifinal win over top seed North Carolina A&T, which had gone 16-0 in the league this year and had won 28 straight games against MEAC opponents dating back to the previous year.

Vickers has led NSU to three straight winning MEAC seasons and two straight overall winning seasons.

Jones, Vickers Receive Contract ExtensionsSpartan men capture regular season title, upset No. 1 seed Alabama in NIT; Both hoops teams advance to MEAC title game

A trio of Norfolk State coaches were honored by their fellow peers this year. Men’s basketball coach Robert Jones, softball coach James Inzana and baseball coach Keith Shu-mate were each named MEAC Coach of the Year in their respective sports.

All three led NSU to regu-lar season titles this year, including Northern Divi-sion titles for baseball and softball. Men’s basketball won the MEAC regular season title at 14-2 and advanced to the NIT for the second time ever. It marked the second regular season championship for the Spartans along with the 2012-13 season. Jones became the second coach of the year in men’s basketball along with former coach Anthony Evans in 2013.

Softball captured its first ever regular season title after going 11-4 in the

MEAC North. Inzana is the first softball coach at NSU to earn the MEAC Coach of the Year Award.

Baseball won its fourth divisional title in five years with a 17-7 North-ern Division record. Shu-mate joins Claudell Clark (2015) and Marty L. Miller (2000) as Spartan base-ball coaches who have taken home the hardware.

Only one other time has NSU had three coaches of the year in an academic

year. In 2012-13, Evans, bowling coach Wilhelmenia Harrison and for-mer men’s tennis coach Nate Feldman all took home their respective sport’s top coaching honor. Evans led NSU to the regular season title that year and its first NIT berth. The bowling and men’s tennis teams captured Southern Division titles that year as well.

3 from NSU Named MEAC Coach of the YearThe head coaches of men’s basketball, softball, baseball all earned the MEAC’s top honor after winning regular season titles

Men’s Basketball’s Robert Jones (left), Baseball’s Keith Schumate (center) and Softball’s James Inzana (right)

Women’s head coach Larry Vickers led NSU to the MEAC Tournament final this year

4

41 Spartan Student-Athletes Graduate This Year2019 Spring GraduatesFootballChuma AwannaQuintreil ChungHadji GaylordAudrex HarrisDeshaywn MiddletonNhyre’ Quinerly

Women’s BasketballKhadedra CrokerKendrea DawkinsAlexys Long *Raven Russell

SoftballShelby DesChamps **Hunter Halford *Kylee Lopez

Men’s Track & FieldTomas Fantaye *Anteneh Girma **Joseph Wanene **

Women’s Track & FieldAshaila Bunch *Melisande Corlett **Kellyann James

Men’s BasketballJordan ButlerAlex Long *

BaseballTrey Hanchey *Jonathan Mahoney ***

Women’s TennisDajana Cvjetkovic

2018 Fall GraduatesFootballKyle Archie *Aaron ChandlerDonte’ HaynesworthTroi Hughes

Craig RodwellD’Metrius Williams *

Women’s Track & FieldTasia Baxter *Candice Higgins **Courtney Kearse *Jazmine VaughanBrianna Hayes (summer 2018)

VolleyballMelvina Brown **Hope Forsythe *

SoftballJulianne Gillo *Megan Przeslawski

Men’s BasketballNic Thomas *Zaynah Robinson (summer 2018)

* Graduated Cum Laude** Graduated Magna Cum Laude*** Graduated Summa Cum Laude

Congratulations go out to the 41 Norfolk State University student-athletes who received their bachelor’s degrees this academic year. A total of 24 of those came during the spring commencement, with two last summer and 15 in the fall of 2018.

Some of this year’s spring graduates pose after receiving their sashes during the NSU All-Sports Banquet held in April.

NSU Closes Academic Year with Strong SpringAs mentioned above and on the next page, NSU’s strong academic showing in the spring included 24 graduates and 114 student-athletes on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. They were part of a strong showing for the athletics department in the academic realm.

NSU’s total of 41 graduates for the whole year represents an increase of two from the previous academic year. Its list of AD Honor Roll members also marked the most since the department had 128 in the fall of 2015. It included three players who earned a 4.0 GPA in the spring in baseball players Tyler Morgan and Caleb Ward and men’s basketball player Obi Momah.

But the academic success of the department goes beyond those num-bers or the 66 student-athletes named to the MEAC All-Academic Team. From a cumulative standpoint, the department is doing as well as ever. Of NSU’s 13 sports programs (with indoor and outdoor track counting as one), nine have at least a 3.00 team cumulative GPA. The overall de-partmental GPA currently stands at 3.05, as a total of 95 student-athletes have better than a 3.00 cumulative GPA.

The Spartan men’s cross country team leads every program with a 3.50 team cumulative GPA. Men’s tennis is second at 3.32, just ahead of women’s cross country with a 3.31 team cumulative GPA. Rounding out the top 5 are volleyball (3.25) and women’s tennis (3.23).

The other four programs above 3.0 are baseball (3.10), softball (3.08), women’s track and field (3.03) and men’s track and field (3.01). Bowling just missed being the 10th program over that threshold with a 2.96 team cumulative GPA.

This year also marked the third straight year NSU had a student-athlete earn Google Cloud Academic All-America ® honors from CoSIDA. This year it was Ward, a junior on the baseball team, who was voted to the Academic All-America third team. He not only earned a 4.0 GPA for the spring academic semester, but he also carries a cumulative 4.0 GPA too.

Ward follows in the footsteps of former baseball player Brian Beard in 2017 and former softball player Seana Moriarty in 2018 (both second team) in earning Academic All-America honors. NSU has had four al-together in its history along with softball player Judy McMillan in 1993.

5

114 Named to AD Honor Roll for Spring Semester

Football (29)Stuart Anderson Jr.Chuma AwannaJosh BryantR.J. ColesZac DentonNic DewittNoah DewittD.J. DjonkamTyre Givers-WilsonMarquis HallDemetrius HarpGerald HulettNaki JamesZane KillgoShawn McFarlandDeshaywn MiddletonJosh NardoneNhyre’ QuinerlyCraig RodwellRashard Russell Jr.Aaron Savage

Treashawn SmithMalachi SmithenAmeen SpainRicky Thomas Jr.J.T. WaheeIan WilliamsShaviaea WilliamsIsaiah Winstead

Baseball (20)Kevin AliceaDionte BrownToby BuchananBrandon CrosbyJaran DavisTyrin EveretteTrent HancheySeth HockettJonathan MahoneyScott MahoneyTyler MorganMike Pyers

Khie SimmsKorey SinghMason VelasquezRidge WalkerJustin WaltonCaleb WardNick WimmersAlsander Womack

Men’s Track (12)Trequan BarnesFestus BettJoshua EvansTomas FantayeAnteneh GirmaDa’Jion HilliardMeshack KipchirchirKevin MayersJacob MiltonLelei TooJoseph WaneneGarth Warner

Women’s Track (11)Ashaila BunchKiara GrantCrystal GreenKellyann JamesNelly JeropAshah KoechFridah Koech

De’Shonde McCrayCaroline SamoeiAkiera SessomsLinei Woodson

Softball (11)Shelby DesChampsJade DixonKiiya FavorsAlison GuckinHunter HalfordJazzmaine HammondMia HolmesKylee LopezDenisha MegginsonLily PotterGabby Vaughan

Volleyball (10)Brenna AnkrumJill AquinoBojana BolozanMakenzy JohnsonHalley McKnightAshley PattersonJessica RadfordAnna RupertovaSymone ThomasKyra Walden

Men’s Tennis (7)

Andres AlcarazAgustin CarrizoVini Da SilvaDan DumitrascuFlavian FernandezJulius GavinIgnacio Guevel

Men’s Basketball (5)Jermaine BishopBJ FitzgeraldAlex LongNic ThomasObi Momah

Women’s Basketball (4)Jameila BarrettArmani FranklinDanyael GoodhopeZairya West

Women’s Bowling (3)Crystal BrewerTrinity GrayAlexa Rodriguez

Women’s Tennis (2)Joyce FieldsBruna Goncalves

A total of 114 student-athletes were named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the spring of 2019. To make the honor roll, athletes must achieve a 3.0 grade-point aver-age for the semester.

This year’s spring total marks the most for the department since it had 128 in the fall of 2015. Below is the entire list of those on the honor roll.

Hall of Fame Class Features 4 All-Americanscoaching career and most recently as the University’s athletics director since 2004.

He owns a program-record 718 victories as head baseball coach from 1973-2005. He led the Spartans to 17 CIAA championships, won 15 CIAA Coach of the Year Awards and owns a CIAA-record 584 wins. Miller transitioned to his role as athletics director in December of 2004 and has presided over a department which has won 24 MEAC titles and 10 Talmadge Layman Hill men’s all-sports awards.

David Pope starred for the Spartan basketball program from 1980-84. He is still second in NSU history with 2,339 career points and first in field goals made, with 950. A two-time CIAA Player of the Year, Pope was an NABC All-American as a senior in 1983-84. He led NSU in scoring all four of his seasons and was a third-round NBA Draft selection of the Utah Jazz. Pope passed away in 2016 and had his No. 34 jersey retired earlier this year.

Kevin Talley (2001-04) was a two-time All-American linebacker for the NSU football program. Talley led the nation (Division I-AA, now FCS) with 195 tackles as a junior in 2003, which still stands as an NCAA record. He earned second-team All-America honors that year, the first Spartan football player to do so at the Division I level. He led the country in tack-les per game in 2004 (125 in nine games) and tied the I-AA/FCS national single-game record with 30 stops in a game against Savannah State. Talley was a first-team All-American by three organizations as a senior.

Don Carey (2005-08) was a two-time All-MEAC defensive back in 2007 and 2008. He tallied 10 interceptions in his career, and tied for the ME-AC-lead with five picks as a senior in 2008. He was the first player in school history to be invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game and was NSU’s first NFL draftee in the Division I era when the Browns se-lected him in the sixth round of the 2009 draft. Carey played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Jaguars and Lions.

Kirwyn Adderley (1985-89) was NSU’s first two-time All-American wrestler and posted a career record of 93-33 while competing at the 134-pound weight class. A three-time CIAA champion, Adderley placed sixth at the Division II championships as a junior and was runner-up as a senior in 1989. Adderley, who was undefeated in the regular season his senior year, would then accept an invitation to compete at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships based on his performance at the D-II tournament, the first Spartan and CIAA wrestler to get that honor.

Thea Aspiras, who becomes the first bowler to earn induction into the NSU Athletics Hall of Fame, rewrote the record books during her four-year career (2010-14). She was NSU’s first-ever bowling All-American, earning second-team honors as a freshman and honorable mention as a junior. She was a four-time first-team All-MEAC selection and the 2011 MEAC Rookie of the Year. Aspiras led NSU to its first and only MEAC bowling championship to date in 2012, in addition to four MEAC South-ern Division titles.

Continued from Page 1

6

All-Americans Cap Successful Track SeasonBissah, Grant Earn All-America Honors at NCAA Outdoor Championship in June, Join Barnes as Indoor All-Americans

Norfolk State junior Martha Bissah and sophomore Ki-ara Grant capped off the 2018-19 season for the Nor-folk State University Athletics Department by earning All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the University of Texas.

Grant was named first-team All-America after placing sixth in the 100 meters at the NCAA Champioships. She set a school and Jamaican junior record with a time of 11.04 in the final. She topped her previous school record of 11.11 seconds set in the MEAC final.

That mark, meanwhile, had topped the previous school record of 11.20 seconds, set by four-time Olympian Chandra Sturrup in 1993. Grant became the first NSU track & field athlete, male or female, in the Division I era to qualify for the 100 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. A native of Kingston, Jamaica, she set her country’s under-19 national record.

Bissah, meanwhile, placed ninth in the 800 meters at the outdoor meet, earning second-team All-America ac-colades. She fell just short of grabbing one of the eight qualifying spots for the 800 meter final. Nevertheless, she made an appearance at her third national champi-onship meet, the only athlete in NSU’s D-I history to do so.

Grant and Bissah were two of the 10 NSU athletes to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Track & Field Meet in May. By virtue of placing in the top 12 at the meet in their respective events, the duo qualified for the NCAA national meet.

Bissah and Grant were also All-Americans at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Together with sophomore Trequan Barnes, they gave NSU five All-America honors for the year. That marked the most ever for the program in its Division I era.

At this year’s indoor meet, it was Bissah who garnered first-team All-America honors. She won her heat in the semifinals and then placed fifth in the final of the 800 meters. Along the way, she became the first indoor first-team All-American on the women’s side since 2000.

Grant qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60 meters. She placed 14th among a field of 16 in being named second-team All-America. Barnes also earned the second-team distinction, as he finished 10th in the 400 meters at the NCAA indoor meet.

It marked the first time NSU had three qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Only the top 16 athletes per event qualify for the indoor meet. Unlike outdoors, there is no NCAA preliminary round during the indoor season.

In addition to this year’s indoor and outdoor championships, Bissah was

first-team All-America at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Cham-pionships, placing sixth in the 800 meters.

The Norfolk State men placed third at both the MEAC In-door and Outdoor Championships this year. The women were fifth at the outdoor meet and finished fourth at the indoor championships. Several athletes captured MEAC titles along the way.

Evans Cheruiyot was named the MEAC Co-Most Out-standing Runner at the outdoor championship after win-ning the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. He also took second in the 3,000 steeplechase to earn the outstanding runner distinction, given to the athlete(s) who compiles the most points in the running events.

Also at the outdoor meet, Jacob Milton captured the high jump title, and Bobby Price won the long jump. Milton won the high jump title at the indoor meet as well, putting him 6-for-6 in winning MEAC high jump titles in his ca-reer. A member of the football team, Price won the long jump despite not running track for the last few years be-fore this season.

The men had one other individual champion, as Jaylen Banks captured the 400-hurdle title at the MEAC Out-door Championships.

Bissah also piled up championships during her indoor and outdoor seasons. She won the 800 meters and mile at the indoor meet, then came back to win the 800 meters again along with the 1,500 meters at MEAC out-doors. She captured gold in all four individual events she ran at the two MEAC championships.

Grant won the 60-meter title at the indoor meet as well. She later advanced to the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 200 meters in addition to the 100. Bissah (800), Tyrika Lee (100, 200), Dajah Parker-Love (100) and Malika Pride (400) all joined her there.

On the men’s side, Milton (high jump), Barnes (400), Price (long jump), Banks (400 hurdles, 110 hurdles), and Keith Brown (100) all advanced to the East Prelim.

The successful year began during cross country season. Bissah won the individual cross country championship for the second year in a row, becoming the first back-to-back winner since 2002-03. She was one of four runners on the women’s side along with Candice Higgins, Fridah Koech and Ashah Koech to earn All-MEAC status, given to those who finish in the top 15. NSU nearly came away

with the MEAC title, finishing one point short of taking home the crown. The Spartans had 44 points in the team standings (points are based on individual finishes), just behind champion Florida A&M and its 43 points.

The men had a pair of All-MEAC runners in Festus Bett and Kamil Jihad as the Spartans placed fifth.

2019 NSU All-Americans Martha Bissah (top), Trequan Barnes (middle)

and Kiara Grant (bottom)

7

3 Spring Sports Capture Northern Division TitlesThe NSU spring sports programs enjoyed banner seasons during the 2019 spring semester. The Spartan women’s tennis, baseball and softball programs were all recognized as MEAC Northern Division champions.

The women’s tennis program posted a 4-1 mark within the MEAC North and claimed the No. 1 seed from the division at the MEAC Tennis Championships in May. The Spartans were led by graduate student Naz Karagoz, who earned the program’s first-ever MEAC Tennis Player of the Year award. Karagoz notched a 9-1 singles record, all at the No. 1 position, and posted a 5-0 record against confer-ence opponents. She and teammate Zoe Fraser also went 7-3 in doubles play to lead the Spartans.

In all, NSU’s women’s tennis players posted an aggregate 24-5 singles record against MEAC Northern Division oppo-nents. Like Karagoz, Fraser went 5-0, while Bruna Goncalves was 4-0 and both Paula Fortuno and Joyce Field compiled 4-1 records.

The Spartan women’s tennis team saw its season come to an end with a 4-0 loss to Bethune-Cookman in the MEAC quarter-finals.

One year after failing to advance to the MEAC Tournament, the NSU softball team enjoyed a noteworthy turnaround under second-year head coach James Inzana. NSU won its first-ever MEAC Northern Division regular-season title with an 11-4 record. The Spartans finished the season with a 25-20 overall record, their first win-ning season since 2013.

Several Spartans reaped the rewards of the team’s success. Inzana was tabbed the MEAC Coach of the Year, another first for the NSU softball program.

Four Spartan softball players earned all-conference honors. Senior catcher Kylee Lopez and junior outfielder Shelby DesChamps were voted to the All-MEAC first team. Senior pitcher Hunter Halford earned a spot on the second team, and sophomore pitcher Skylar Swain was voted to the third team. This year’s four All-MEAC honorees are the most since the program had its all-time record of seven in 2014.

Lopez capped her stellar NSU career by batting .340 with eight home runs and 38 runs batted in. She tied for the league lead in home runs and

RBI and ranked fourth in total bases (76). Lopez ended her career as the school’s all-time home run leader with 29.

DesChamps batted .383 on the year with 42 runs on 59 hits and 22 stolen bases. DesChamps ranked second in the MEAC in runs, hits and at bats (154) as well as fifth in batting average and stolen bases.

Halford posted a 13-11 record and a 2.59 ERA, second in the MEAC behind only Swain’s 2.36. Halford also struck out a team-high 95 batters.

Swain logged a 9-7 overall record in 95 innings pitched. She walked just 23 bat-ters and threw three shutouts.

The NSU baseball team capped the spring team sports performances with its fourth MEAC Northern Division title in five years. One year after finishing second in the division, the Spartans bounced back with a 17-7 MEAC record and a 24-26 overall showing. The baseball team ad-vanced out of the winner’s bracket into the finals of the MEAC Tournament in May, but fell short of its first-ever MEAC title as Florida A&M topped the Spartans twice on championship day.

Much like their softball counterparts, the baseball team landed four players on the All-MEAC teams and had its coach, Keith Shumate, voted MEAC Coach of the Year.

Sophomore designated hitter Alsander Womack and senior outfielder Justin Hayes earned first-team All-MEAC hon-ors, while junior first baseman Stephen Baughan and junior outfielder Caleb Ward were second-team choices.

Womack was second in the MEAC with a .377 batting average, which ranked among the top 35 nationally. He was also

third in the league in on-base percentage (.441).

Hayes led the MEAC with 30 stolen bases while batting .301 with 40 runs scored and 22 RBIs.

Baughan paced the conference with 22 doubles while batting .314. He also hit five home runs and drove in 27.

Ward led NSU and was second in the MEAC with 44 runs batted in. He tied Baughan for team-high honors with five home runs, hit .290 and also stole 13 bases.

Baseball, Softball, Women’s Tennis Each Place 1st in the MEAC Northern Division; Baseball Advances to MEAC Title Game

The Norfolk State baseball (top), softball (middle) and women’s tennis (bottom) teams were presented Northern Division plaques at their re-

spective MEAC Championships after capturing regular season titles

8

Norfolk State UniversityDepartment of Athletics700 Park AvenueNorfolk, VA 23504

2019 Norfolk State Football, Volleyball SchedulesFOOTBALLDay Date Opponent Location TimeSat. 8/31 at Old Dominion Norfolk, Va. 7 p.m.Sat. 9/7 Virginia State Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.Sat. 9/14 at Coastal Carolina Conway, S.C. 2 p.m.Sat. 9/21 at Montana State Bozeman, Mont. 3 p.m.Sat. 9/28 Florida A&M * Norfolk, Va. 4 p.m.Sat. 10/5 North Carolina A&T * Norfolk, Va. 2 p.m.Sat. 10/12 at Howard * Washington, D.C. 1 p.m.Sat. 10/19 at Bethune-Cookman * Daytona Beach, Fla. 4 p.m.Sat. 11/2 Morgan State * Norfolk, Va. 2 p.m. (Homecoming)Sat. 11/9 at North Carolina Central * Durham, N.C. 2 p.m.Sat. 11/16 at Delaware State * Dover, Del. 2 p.m.Sat. 11/23 South Carolina State * Norfolk, Va. 1 p.m. (Senior Day)

Home Games in Bold Played at William “Dick” Price Stadium* MEAC GameAll Times Eastern

VOLLEYBALLDay Date Opponent Location TimeAUGUSTSat. 24 Green vs. Gold Scrimmage Norfolk, Va. 10 a.m.Fri. 30 at Hampton Hampton, Va. 6 p.m.Sat. 31 Hampton Norfolk, Va. 1 p.m.

SEPTEMBERRadford TournamentFri. 6 vs. Fordham Radford, Va. 10 a.m.Sat. 7 vs. Rider Radford, Va. 9 a.m.Sat. 7 vs. Toledo Radford, Va. 2:30 p.m.

Wed. 11 American Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.

Pirate InvitationalFri. 13 vs. USC Upstate Greenville, N.C. 12 p.m.Fri. 13 vs. George Washington Greenville, N.C. 4 p.m.Sat. 14 at East Carolina Greenville, N.C. 1 p.m.

Fri. 27 at Florida A&M * Tallahassee, Fla. 6 p.m.Sun. 29 at Bethune-Cookman * Daytona Beach, Fla. 1 p.m.

OCTOBERFri. 4 at Maryland Eastern Shore * Princess Anne, Md. 6 p.m.Sun. 6 at Delaware State * Dover, Del. 2 p.m.Fri. 11 Coppin State * Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.Mon. 14 Morgan State * Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.Fri. 18 at Howard * Washington, D.C. 6 p.m.Mon. 21 George Washington Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.Fri. 25 North Carolina A&T * Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.Sun. 27 North Carolina Central * Norfolk, Va. 1 p.m.

NOVEMBERFri. 1 at Coppin State * Baltimore, Md. 6 p.m.Sun. 3 at Morgan State * Baltimore, Md. 1 p.m.Fri. 8 Maryland Eastern Shore * Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.Sun. 10 Delaware State * Norfolk, Va. 2 p.m.Tues. 12 Howard * Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.Sun. 17 South Carolina State * Norfolk, Va. 1 p.m.

Fri.- 22- MEAC Championship Washington, D.C. TBDSun. 24

Home Matches in Bold Played at Gill Gymnasium* MEAC Match