FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 11 - 17, 2021 CIAA legend Bobby Vaughan passes LUT WILLIAMS ship may have been his of Physical Education ally named lifetime honorary presi- BCSP Editor 1968-69 team, featuring from 1957 to 1978 dent. Another CIAA coaching leg- future ABA star the late After graduating Coach Vaughan was inducted ™ end has fallen as legendary 93-year Mike Gale, that won from Virginia State into the Halls of Fame of the CIAA, old Elizabeth City State Univer- both the CIAA regular College at 19 and be- Virginia State, ECSU and the Na- sity basketball coach and athlet- season and tournament fore he could finish tional Association of Collegiate ic director, Robert L. “Bobby” titles and went to the graduate school at Co- Directors of Athletics, .Through- Vaughan has passed. Final Four on the NAIA lumbia, ECSU would out his career he has won numer- During his 37-year career, national tournament. recruit him to become ous awards and honors such as the Coach Vaughan became one of the That team defeated Norfolk State the first head basketball coach in North Carolina Order of the Long- Alabama State Sports Photo most celebrated basketball coaches and star Bobby Dandridge twice 1949 at 21-years old. leaf Pine. DISPLAYS ANOTHER RING: Alabama in CIAA history battling the likes of including in the finals of the CIAA He would oversee the con- He also holds the distinction State head track and field late coaching giants John McClen- Tournament at the Greensboro (N. struction of ECSU’s first gymna- of being only one of three coach- OF coach Ritchie Beane’s ladies don of North Carolina College C.) Coliseum. sium, and be named the Eastern es in North Carolina to win 500 claim their 11th straight SWAC (now NC Central), Clarence “Big “Coach Vaughan was the ulti- Intercollegiate Athletic Confer- basketball victories and to have a EXCELLENCE Outdoor Track and Field title. House” Gaines of Winston-Salem mate Viking, a legend, and this is a ence Coach of the Year during the building, the R. L. Vaughan Center, SWAC, MEAC CROWN TRACK CHAMPIONS; ANOTHER State, Cal Irvin of North Caroli- devastating loss,” said ECSU Ath- athletic program’s inaugural year. named in his honor while still liv- na A&T and a host of others. letic Director George Bright. After being drafted and spend- ing. BLOUNT IN NFL?: EZZERD SHINING AT SAM HOUSTON STATE He would serve as head basket- The 93-year-old spent his en- ing two years in the U.S. Army, “For all of his accomplish- ball coach, full professor, depart- tire career with ECSU, becoming Coach Vaughan would return to ments, his rich personality clearly ment chair and mentor and advisor the institution’s first intercollegiate ECSU. He would spend his career defined him,” said Bright. “He of- to thousands of students at ECSU. men’s basketball coach in 1949 not only building ECSU’s champi- ten times spoke of his best titles UNDER THE BANNER He would lead his teams to 502 ca- and first athletic director in 1957, onship winning athletics program, being father, grandfather and hus- WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS reer wins and two CIAA basketball through his retirement in 1986. He but also become an integral part of band, and mentoring decades of championships. would also serve as the first chair- the CIAA where he served as pres- coaches and players with a bound- His most notable champion- man of the university’s Department ident of the conference and eventu- less love for Viking nation.” Outdoor track results Prairie View men, Alabama ters (23.47 seconds). Michaela Lewis won the State women take SWAC 1500-meters while Kyana Evans claimed the Outdoor Track & Field titles 400-meter crown. PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Prairie Miss. Valley State’s Tiara DeRosa was named Most Outstanding Field Performer and JIBRI BLOUNT: (L.) Hoopin’ at NCCU and (r.) signing a View A&M Men’s track program claimed the contract with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. 2021 Southwestern Athletic Conference Out- Grambling’s Sharon Lebich won the Track door Track and Field Championships winning award. Derosa won the shot put and discus the team’s first title since 2018. while Lebich finished third in the 800, second BLOUNT SIGNS NFL DEAL: in the 1,500 won the 5000 meters and steeple- basketball standout The Panthers took four of the top eight plac- Former North Carolina Central chase. ASU’s Ritchie Beene won Coach of the BCSP Photo Jibri Blount, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Mel Blount es in the first event of the meet, the javelin throw, giving Prairie View A&M 21 points. From there, Year. TRACK STUDS: North Carolina A&T Head Track and and 2019-20 Mid Eastern Athletic Conference player of Field Coach Duane Ross (r.) confers with standout quar- Jemal Wote won the 10,000 meter run extend- the year in basketball, has signed a free agent contract as SWAC WOMEN termilers Randlolph Ross Jr., his son (c.), and Trevor ing the Panthers’ lead against the field. Stewart (l.) who finished 1-2 in the 400 meters Saturday a tight end with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. 1) Alabama State 168, 2) Prairie View A&M 161, 3) Ar- Anchored by consistent efforts across the kansas-Pine Bluff 123.5, 4) Southern 86, 5) Grambling at the MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Pittsburgh native averaged 15.2 points and 7.1 board – with particularly impressive outings in 64, 6) Alabama A&M 58, 7) Jackson State and Alcorn Stewart’s time of 44.52, run in a meet a week earlier, is rebounds in two years at NCCU after spending two years State 50, 9) Miss. Valley 31, 10) Texas Southern 19.5 currently second-best in the world. Ross’s winning time the pole vault, decathlon, long jump, and relay Saturday of 44.60 is fourth-best in the world. at Kent State. He was named 2019-20 MEAC Player of the events – Prairie View A&M would go to the Year after leading the Eagles to the league’s tournament podium 13 more times throughout the meet to who won the shot put and placed in the discus title and NCAA playoff berth. He averaged 19.2 points, NC A&T sweeps its last MEAC maintain its grip on the lead. (5th), hammer throw (5th) and javelin (2nd), was second in the MEAC, and 9.5 rebounds, third in the The Panthers capped their title-winning ef- Outdoor Track & Field titles GREENSBORO, NC – The homestanding named Outstanding Field Performer. league, and led the league in minutes played (36.8) in his fort with a dramatic nail-biter of a finish in the men and women of North Carolina A&T put final season. He was listed at 6-7, 230 pounds in his senior 4x400 meter relay – where Timothy Demerrit MEAC MEN on a last-day blitz to claim both titles in its last season. overtook Jackson State in the final moments – 1) N. C. A&T 288, 2) Norfolk State 174, 3) Morgan State Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Outdoor 84, 4) Delaware State and Howard 62, 6) NC Central His bloodlines include his father, a 6-3, 220-pound and racked up a grand total of 204 points to out- Track and Field Championship which wrapped 32 and SC State 32, 8) Coppin State 29 cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Southern pace runner up Alabama State. up Saturday at the on-campus Irwin Belk Track University, who had a storied 14-year career (1970- Alabama State was paced by 100 and 200 at Truist Stadium. A&T leaves the MEAC to For the women, sophomore sprinters Cam- 83) in the NFL and was inducted into the Pro Football meter runner-up David East who finished be- join the Big South Conference after this season. brea Sturgis and Kamaya Debose-Epps fin- Hall of Fame in 1989. The Dolphins previously signed hind teammate Matthew Clarke in the 200. It was the fourth straight men’s outdoor ished 1-2 in the 100 meters with Aggie junior Clarke was third in the 100. Ricky Thornton Jibri’s older brother Akil, a linebacker out of Florida title that matches the same number of consec- Symone Darius and freshwoman Jonah Ross and Kevin Smith were 1-2 in the 800 meters. A&M, in 2016. Miami cut Akil who also tried out for the utive indoor titles the Aggies have won un- fourth and fifth. Sturgis and Debose-Epps fin- Sunne Rodgriguez-Weems (won the pole Steelers. der head coach Duane Ross, who was named ished 1-2 and Ross and Darius finished 4-5 in vault and decathlon, 6th in long jump, 2nd in Jibri received well wishes for his transition from his Coach of the Year. In Saturday’s final day, the the 200 meters. javelin) and Wote both scored 30 points, with former basketball coach. men won every event on the track to finish with Junior Delecia McDuffie won the 400 me- the latter earning Most Outstanding Track Per- “My heart is smiling. One of the most incredible a meet-record 288 points, easily outdistancing ters in 52.73 seconds. The Lady Aggies posted former honors during the meet. In addition to the people I’ve ever coached. Football is in his DNA so second-place Norfolk State (174). a 1-4 sweep in the 100 meter hurdles as senior 10,000 meters, Wote won the 5,000 and 1,500 it’s no surprise.