2012 NSU Women's Track Media Guide by Matt Michalec

2011-12 NSU TRACK TEAM

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

2011-12 NORFOLK STATE WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD TEAM Front row (kneeling, left-right): Kaydianne McKenzie, Torie Cunningham, Katie Wright, Kassandra Irizarry, Tyler Savage, Ashley Sessoms Back row (standing, left-right): Director of Track & Field Kenneth Giles, Head Coach Ronda Berard, Assistant Coach Dwayne Miller, Asia McMillan-Wins, J’Na Johnson, Ariel Bartice-Smith, Shaniquia Epps, Champagne Bell, Rayiana Johnson, Venus Whitties, Tiara Davis, Assistant Coach Jerry Price, Volunteer Vicki Jones Whitties, Assistant Coach Cletus Griffin

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TABLE OFTEXT CONTENTS SAMPLE NSU President ....................................................................... 4 NSU Athletics Director ...................................................... 5 About Norfolk State University.................................... 6 NSU Athletics Highlights ................................................. 8 About Hampton Roads ...................................................10 NSU Athletics Foundation ............................................12 Strength & Conditioning Program ...........................13 Athletics Administration ...............................................14 Coaching Staff Director of T&F Kenneth Giles ...................................17 Head Women’s Coach Ronda Berard ......................18 Assistant Coaches ..........................................................19 Meet the 2011-12 Spartans Roster .................................................................................20 Season Outlook ..............................................................21 Schedule ...........................................................................22 Returner Profiles.............................................................23 Newcomer Profiles ........................................................28 NSU 2011 Season In Review.........................................31 The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference .....................32

NORFOLKSTATE STATEUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY2011-12 2011-12 NORFOLK WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Norfolk State University 2011-12 Women’s Track

Quick Facts University Information Location ...................................................................Norfolk, Va. Founded ................................................................................1935 Enrollment ............................................................Nearly 7,000 Mascot............................................................................ Spartans School Colors .....................................................Green & Gold Affiliation ..................................................................... Division I Conference ....................Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference President ........................................................Dr. Tony Atwater Athletics Director ........................................... Marty L. Miller Athletics Phone ..............................................(757) 823-8152 Ticket Office .....................................................(757) 823-9009

Sports Information SID ........................................................................ Matt Michalec Email ....................................................... mmichalec@nsu.edu SID Phone .........................................................(757) 823-2628 SID Fax ...............................................................(757) 823-8218 Cell .......................................................................(757) 592-1245 Mailing Address ......... NSU Office of Sports Information 700 Park Ave., Norfolk, VA 23504 Website ..............................................www.nsuspartans.com

Coaching Staff Director of Track & Field ...........Kenneth Giles (9th year) Head Women’s Coach ................ Ronda Berard (7th year) Alma Mater ............................. Southwestern Louisiana ‘90 Assistant Coaches ....................Dwayne Miller, Jerry Price ............................................Serge Bengono, Cletus Griffin Track Office ......................................................(757) 823-2104

Team Information 2010-11 MEAC Indoor Finish..................................................2nd 2010-11 MEAC Outdoor Finish ............................................... 1st Letterwinners Returning/Lost ..........................................10/15 Newcomers .................................................................................................8 The 2011-12 NSU Women’s Track Media Guide was written, edited and produced by the NSU Sports Information Office, director Matt Michalec and assistant Mike Bello. Photography was provided by Dominion Photography, Jerry S. Altares, Mark’s Digital Photography and NSU Marketing Services. Special design assistance was provided by Steve Gray.

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NSU PRESIDENT

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

and the largest within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. As president, he led a population of more than 14,600 students and nearly 1,700 employees; oversaw an annual university budget of $220 million; and supported six academic colleges and the School of Graduate Studies and Research. He also directed operations at three regional campuses.

Dr. Tony Atwater President Tony Atwater was appointed the fifth president of Norfolk State University on April 22, 2011. He previously served as a Senior Fellow of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, a leadership association serving more than 400 public colleges and universities nationwide. Atwater served as president and chief executive officer at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), a comprehensive, doctoral/research university. It is the fifth largest university in Pennsylvania

Prior to serving as IUP president, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Youngstown State University in Ohio. In this capacity, he oversaw academic programs, academic policy and academic assessment. He also provided leadership and strategic direction to approximately 750 faculty members, serving six academic colleges, the School of Graduate Studies and Research, and the library. Other administrative assignments have included serving as dean of the College of Professional Studies and Education at Northern Kentucky University; chairperson of the Rutgers University Department of Journalism and Mass Media; and special assistant to the provost at the University of Connecticut. He also served as associate vice president for academic affairs at the University of Toledo. Throughout his career, Atwater has assumed significant community leadership roles. These efforts include serving on the Governor’s Task Force on Youth

and Substance Abuse Prevention in Kentucky; the Board of Trustees of the Northwest Ohio Public Television Foundation; and the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the 2000-01 delegation of Leadership Cincinnati and the Advisory Board of KeyBank in the Northeast Ohio Region. Additionally, he was past president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. A native of Nashville, Tenn., Atwater earned a Ph.D. in communication research from Michigan State University in 1983, where he was the recipient of a competitive doctoral fellowship. He completed post-doctoral studies in the Department of Communication at the University of Michigan in 1989. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in mass media arts from Hampton University in 1973. Additionally, he holds three graduate certificates in higher education administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Atwater is a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and is the author of approximately 30 refereed journal articles on news selection behavior in the mass media – the subject of his research interests.

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SAMPLE TEXT DIRECTOR NSU ATHLETICS Marty Miller has been called many things during his tenure at Norfolk State University. Some have called him a rock. Others have referred to him as one of Norfolk State’s greatest ambassadors. Regardless of the label, what’s clear is that Miller has served his alma mater in various capacities for nearly 40 years, providing NSU with stability in times of need. Marty Miller His professional career at Director of Athletics Norfolk State has included stints in the areas of financial aid, career services, student affairs and athletics. After winning more than 700 games as the school’s baseball coach, Miller was named NSU’s acting athletics director on December 16, 2004. He was appointed to the permanent athletics director post on March 18, 2005. Early in Miller’s tenure, he was confronted with many challenges, the biggest one being the hiring of a football coach. Miller and his search committee worked during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to find a football coach. The hard work paid off when the decision was made to hire Pete Adrian from Bethune-Cookman. With approval of then-President Dr. Marie V. McDemmond, Adrian became the first white head coach in any major sport at NSU and the second in MEAC football history. Shortly thereafter, with help from alumni, fans, friends and the Department of Facilities Management, the athletics department was able to raise funds to renovate and purchase new equipment for the weight room. In 2007, the school completed a major renovation of the NSU Softball Field, which included the installation of new team dugouts and a press box. Bleacher renovations to Joseph Echols Hall were completed for the 2008-09 basketball season. A new track surface was completed in the summer of 2010. Another highlight of his tenure as athletics director includes NSU capturing the last seven Talmadge Layman Hill awards, given annually to the top men’s sports program in the conference. NSU has received a total of $165,000 for winning the awards. Miller was also presented in March 2006 with the Tom Fergusson Memorial Award, given annually to the area’s top sportsman by the Norfolk Sports Club. Miller is no stranger to winning. His career record as baseball coach was 718-543-3. Miller first started making a name for himself as a player at NSU from 1965-68. He hit .380 as a sophomore; .438 with eight doubles, two triples, three homers and 27 RBI as a junior; and .406 as a senior, when he became

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NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

the first Spartan player to be named an NCAA College Division All-American. Miller was an All-CIAA baseball selection in 1967 and 1968, and led the nation in doubles in 1968. Miller graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1969. An ROTC member in college, Miller was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army after he graduated. While on active duty, Miller was signed by the Minnesota Twins. Miller returned to his alma mater in 1972 as an assistant to baseball coach Bob Andrews. The next season, Miller inherited the headcoaching job, which he held until early in 2005. Miller is the winningest baseball coach in CIAA history, having led the Spartans to a 584-374-3 record in their years in the league. Miller’s ledger in the CIAA includes 17 conference championships, including seven in a row from 1987-93; 12 post-season appearances; 15 CIAA Coach of the Year awards; six All-Americans and 22 players signed to pro contracts. He also won the 1980 NAIA District 19 Coach of the Year award after his team won the District 19 title. Between 1993-97, Miller won five consecutive Louisville Slugger Awards, given to championship coaches. He was one of a select few baseball coaches to receive the award for five consecutive years. In 1997, NSU honored Miller by building the Marty L. Miller Baseball Field. One year later, Miller led NSU to the MEAC Tournament championship round in the Spartans’ first year in the league. He was named the MEAC Coach of the Year in 2000, and NSU reached the championship round again in 2001. The year 2003 was also a special one for Miller. In February, Miller was inducted into the CIAA’s John B. McLendon Hall of Fame. In May, Miller earned his 700th career win with the Spartans when sixth-seeded NSU upset No. 2 Delaware State in the MEAC tournament. In August, Miller the player was honored as one of eight inductees into the Norfolk State University Athletics Foundation Sports Hall of Fame. Miller was inducted into the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He was also chosen to serve in March 2011 to serve on the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame Committee and is also a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Honors Court. Miller, a native of Danville, Va., also serves as president of the Norfolk Sports Club. He and his wife Liz have one son, Marty Eric, a former NSU outfielder.

ABOUT NSU

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Norfolk State University was founded in 1935 as a beacon of hope to the region’s youth—especially within the African American community. Brought to life in the midst of the Great Depression, the university was named the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University at its founding and was one of the last historically black institutions established in the Commonwealth of Virginia. By 1969, Norfolk State University began its transformation into a vibrant, independent college and was bestowed university status in 1979. More than 75 years later, the University remains a source of inspiration for those who aspire to fulfill their dreams. A four-year public institution, NSU is located in the dynamic Hampton Roads region of Virginia and is close to the Virginia Beach oceanfront and downtown Norfolk. Additionally, NSU is one of the nation’s largest HBCUs with an enrollment of nearly 7,000 students and a faculty of nearly 300, with more than half holding terminal degrees. The University offers a variety of academic programs within the following schools and colleges: College of Liberal Arts; the College of Science, Engineering and Technology; the Honors College; the School of Business; the School of Education; the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work; the School of Extended Learning; and the Graduate School. NSU offers 32 undergraduate, 16 master’s and three doctoral degrees. Expanding Learning Capacity Norfolk State University has been recognized as one of the top 25 producers of cyber security professionals, according to US Black Engineer and Information Technology Magazine. Additionally, the University has also been named in recent years as one of the top 50 producers of African-American Ph.D. recipients, according to Inside Higher Ed. The finding, based on a National Science Foundation report, says that Historically Black Colleges and Universities are graduating a growing share of African Americans who go on to earn Ph.D.s in science and engineering. NSU’s Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences (DNIMAS), established in 1985, is specifically geared toward increasing the number of Ph.D.s in science technology, engineering, and mathematics. More than 50 percent of DNIMAS scholars have earned advanced degrees. Norfolk State University also has been named a “military friendly school,” which means that the university is successful at offering the necessary financial benefits, flexibility in scheduling and support programs to service members. Most recently, the university entered into an agreement with the U.S. Navy to provide the bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies through the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership coordinated through the School of Extended Learning. The Navy’s distance learning program is vital in providing sailors with the best possible options for obtaining higher educational degrees wherever they may be assigned. Now, sailors may apply to Norfolk State University to obtain a degree in interdisciplinary studies in an online environment. Our School of Extended Learning expertly places the convenience of the digital age at the fingertips of learners. The School works with the academic and administrative units of the University by serving as an extension of the NSU campus. It offers coursework through distance education, continuing education and certificate programs. Additional degree programs include Master of Arts degrees in Pre-Elementary Education, Elementary Education (Pre-K-6), Pre-Elementary Early Education with an emphasis on Childhood Special Education and Urban Education, as well as graduate certificates in Transition Special Education and Bilingual Special Education. Building for the Future The University is building for the future with the construction of a three-story, 132,000-square-foot library that will house library services, archives and a 24/7 Internet café, individual and group study rooms, a multimedia project room, virtual conference room, a 24-hour study area, exercise equipment, and an African art gallery. One of the new library’s distinguishing features is a 90-foot high glass atrium that will provide

areas to display current student and faculty artwork, and also serve as a gathering area for multi-purpose events. The new library will provide the latest technology and create an exciting study and research environment for students. Upon completion in December 2011, the library will also reshape the look of the campus. The old library will be razed and a beautiful quadrangular pedestrian mall between the new library and the New Student Center will be created. From the days of the Great Depression to the Digital Age, Norfolk State University continues to achieve. Today, NSU remains an active and vital component of the Hampton Roads region, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation. Our faculty researchers have forged partnerships that have created cutting-edge virtual learning environments and the world’s smallest laser - both of which will have an impact on our everyday lives. Our graduates establish and lead corporations, distinguish themselves in their industries and fields of study and provide humanitarian aid around the world. Norfolk State University has played a vital role in our community in the past, is serving in a critical role today, and will continue to be an academic leader in the future. Behold the Green and Gold!

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY

QUICK FACTS Location: Extended Campus Center: History:

Enrollment: President: Faculty: Degree Offerings: Athletics:

Historic Norfolk, Va.; 134-acre campus 2 miles from downtown Norfolk Virginia Beach Higher Education Center • Founded in 1935 as the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University • Became the independent Norfolk Polytechnic College in 1942 • Became an independent institution in 1969 • Granted University status in 1979 Nearly 7,000 Tony Atwater, Ph.D. 274 full-time equivalent 32 bachelor’s degrees; 16 master’s degrees; 3 doctoral degrees 15 intercollegiate teams (Division I; competing in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – MEAC)

Student

For more information on Norfolk State University, its academic programs and Organizations: 125 community service projects, research, campus facilities, and other amenities, Website: www.nsu.edu please call the Office of Communications and Marketing at (757) 823-8373.

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ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Nor folk State University

Athletics Six-Year Highlights (2005-Present) The Norfolk State University intercollegiate athletics program has experienced unprecedented success at the NCAA Division I level during the past six years (2005-11). This period of progress has been highlighted by improvements in virtually every area critical to transforming the NSU athletics program into a highly competitive program that will consistently challenge for Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and NCAA Division I championships. The catalyst for these advancements has been Marty Miller, who was appointed athletics director at NSU in December 2004. Miller believes that the mission of the athletics program is an extension of the mission of Norfolk State University. He places an emphasis on areas that impact the welfare of student-athletes. Improving graduation rates, gender equity, and the retention of student-athletes are equally, if not more important, than winning conference and national championships. However, the initiatives designed to enhance the student-athlete experience and improve the overall administrative process have been successful due to the achievements of the teams and individual athletes. Perhaps the biggest achievement came in early 2009, when the athletics department was recertified to receive NCAA accreditation for the next 10 years. By achieving certification status, NSU is considered to be operating its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the NCAA’s Division I membership. Numerous staff and coaching hires have been made to enhance the department’s efficacy. New personnel have been hired in the areas of academic support, compliance, business operations and development to meet the growing demand in those departments. A host of new head coaches joined the staff signaling new beginnings in several sports. They included Pete Adrian (Football), Claudell Clark (Baseball), Anthony Evans (Men’s Basketball), Debra Clark (Women’s Basketball), Heidi Cavallo (Softball), Brandon Duvall (Volleyball), and Wilhelmenia Harrison (Bowling). Kenneth Giles (Men’s Track) and Ronda Berard (Women’s Track) were promoted from interim to full-time head coaches in their respective sports. Giles’ cross country and track teams have dominated the MEAC. Adrian has orchestrated the steady progress of the football team, which came within a game of capturing its first MEAC title in 2007. Evans led the Spartans to the MEAC Tournament championship game in his second year, and Claudell Clark helped guide the baseball team to a runner-up finish at the MEAC Championships in 2008 and 2011. Harrison was named the MEAC Coach of the Year in 2010-11 after leading the bowling team to MEAC Southern Division regular-season for the second time in three years. Duvall was also named the MEAC Coach of the Year in 2010 after guiding NSU to its best overall and MEAC record in Division I, while Cavallo led the Spartans to a D-I best 13-game win streak in 2011. The accomplishments of NSU student-athletes in the classroom since 2005 have been equally impressive. The number of athletes annually named to the MEAC Commissioner’s All-Academic Team has steadily increased, and now numbers 40 or more each year.

Football player Ryan Hathaway (right) and softball player Casey Pomeroy (left) were presented the 2010 Male and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards, respectively, by current Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. Carray Banks.

The following is a list of accomplishments and improvements the NSU athletics program has experienced since 2005. Academics • Had 36 student-athletes (sophomores or higher) named to MEAC All-Academic team (min. GPA: 3.0) in 2005-06, 34 in 2006-07, 42 in 2007-08 and 2008-09, and 40 in 2009-10 • Had 54 student-athletes (sophomores or higher) named to MEAC All-Academic team (min. GPA: 3.0) in 2010-11 • Increased student-athlete graduation success rate from 40% to 61% • Won the inaugural Division I Football Championship Subdivision Academic Progress Rate Award for having the MEAC’s highest cumulative APR for the 2008-09 school year and then again for 2009-10 • David Kemboi was one of 50 student-athletes nationwide named to the 2006-07 Division I Men’s Cross Country All-Academic team as selected by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) • Thea Aspiras named to the 2010-11 National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) All-Academic First Team

Program Awards • Won the last seven MEAC men’s allsports awards (Talmadge Layman Hill Award) and earned the NSU Athletics Department $165,000 from 2005-11 (pictured at left) • Had the baseball, men’s basketball and football teams all post winning records in 2007-08 for the first time in the Division I era

Administrative • • • • •

Hired a full-time assistant sports information director (January 2007) Hired a full-time athletics academic coordinator (March 2008) Hired a full-time strength and conditioning coach (August 2008) Hired an associate athletics director for development (August 2009) Hired an assistant athletics director for academic services, an assistant compliance coordinator and an additional athletic trainer (August 2010) • Developed comprehensive gender-equity and catastrophic incident guideline plans

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ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS SAMPLE TEXT

NORFOLKSTATE STATEUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY2011-12 2011-12 NORFOLK WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Football • Had first back-to-back winning seasons in Division I in 2009 (7-4) and 2010 (6-5) • Matched 2005 and 2006 win total (8-14) in 2007 with a record of (8-3) • Record 10 NSU players named All-MEAC in 2007 • Pete Adrian named NSU’s first MEAC Football Coach of the Year in 2007 • Earned school’s first-ever national FCS national ranking in 2007, reaching as high as 23rd • Had its first NFL draftee since 1996 when Don Carey was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2009 draft • Had three members of the 2009 team sign professional contracts – Chris Bell (New Orleans Saints), Defensive back Don Carey (now with the Terrell Whitehead (Jacksonville Jaguars) became the first Spartan football Jaguars) and Dennis Brown player to be drafted in 13 years when the (CFL’s Calgary Stampeders) Browns selected him in the 2009 draft.

Football Attendance • Ranked 20th in Division I FCS (I-AA) in 2005 • Ranked 23rd in Division I FCS (I-AA) in 2006 • Ranked 7th in Division I FCS (I-AA) in 2007 • Had the 2nd and 3rd-largest crowds in Dick Price Stadium history in 2007: vs. Hampton (27,756) and vs. Virginia State (26,970) • Set a stadium record in average attendance in 2007 (17,220 average for 6 games)

Men’s Basketball • Won 16 games in 2007-08, a five-win improvement over the previous year • Competed in the conference championship game in 2009 for the first time since joining the MEAC

Bowling • Thea Aspiras named to NTCA All-America Second Team, All-MEAC First Team and tabbed the MEAC Rookie of the Year in 2011, each a first for NSU • Won a school-record 67 games in 2009-10 and matched that total in 2010-11 • Reached as high as No. 16 in the national rankings in 2010-11

Track & Field

NSU completed a $550,000 renovation and resurfacing of the Dick Price Stadium track in the summer of 2010. • Became first MEAC men’s track program to win both the indoor and outdoor conference championships for six consecutive academic years (2006-11) • Had two athletes (Marlon Woods, Corey Vinston) earn NCAA Division I AllAmerican status in the same championship meet for the first time in school history in 2009 • Won the school’s first MEAC women’s indoor championship in 10 years in 2010, and first outdoor title in 10 years in 2011

Cross Country • Won 10 of the last 11 MEAC men’s titles, including a conference-record seven straight from 2000-06 • Sent a runner to the NCAA Division I National Cross Country Championship for the first time in school and MEAC history in 2006 (David Kemboi) • Won the school’s first-ever MEAC women’s title in 2009

Facilities • Renovated weight room in Gill Gymnasium in 2005, increasing size of existing room and purchasing new equipment • Completed softball field renovations in 2007-08, including construction of a press box, dugouts and restrooms • Replaced the outfield wall at Marty L. Miller Baseball Field (summer 2007) • Completed refurbishing of women’s sports locker rooms in Gill Gymnasium (fall 2008) • Renovated the Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall basketball arena to add new chair-back seating (August 2008 and 2009) • Renovated and resurfaced the Dick Price Stadium track (summer 2010)

Media Exposure • Transitioned the department’s web site from the www.nsu.edu domain to a new and improved web site, www.nsuspartans.com, in the fall of 2007 • Hosted the school’s first two nationally-televised softball games in 2007 and 2008 • Had six sporting events televised on ESPN networks (thee football games, two men’s basketball, one softball) in 2007-08, most in school history • Had five sporting events televised on ESPN networks (three football games, two men’s basketball) in 2008-09 • Began airing a weekly radio show, Inside Spartan Sports, on Fox Sports affiliate WXTG 102.1 FM in January 2009 • Conducted live video streaming for the first time in 2009-10, broadcasting 16 athletic events on the department’s web site • Conducted live video streaming for all basketball, football, baseball and softball home games in 2010-11, including the first-ever baseball and softball webcasts in school history • Redesigned the school’s current web site again in the summer of 2010

NSU became the first MEAC school since 2003 to sweep the MEAC men’s and women’s indoor track and field titles when they accomplished the feat in 2010.

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HAMPTON ROADS

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

The vibrancy of city life, the charm of the seashore, the verdant countryside, the wild preserves and the historic landmarks are just a few of the features found in Hampton Roads. The area, which includes the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton and Suffolk, has a growing population of about 2 million. There are numerous attractions within each city. Norfolk has its Waterside, a festive marketplace similar to those in Baltimore, St. Louis and Boston. The financial and cultural hub of Virginia, Norfolk is the home of the world’s largest naval installation and serves as headquarters for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As a cultural center, its features include the Chrysler Museum, the Douglas MacArthur Memorial, the Nauticus National Maritime Center, the Virginia Symphony and several theater companies, including Norfolk State University’s own NSU Players.

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HAMPTON ROADS SAMPLE TEXT

NORFOLKSTATE STATEUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY2011-12 2011-12 NORFOLK WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Besides a long and beautiful coastline, Virginia Beach offers numerous landmarks, including the first landing cross (where the first settlers touched the shores of the New World in 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock); The Adam Thoroughgood House, probably the oldest brick house in America, dating back to 1636; and Mount Trashmore, a project that turned a mountain of solid waste into an innovative recreational compound with bicycle trails, picnic areas, and soapbox derby and cross-country courses around two lakes used for a myriad of recreational water sports. The unique 17-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel links Virginia Beach with Virginia’s Eastern Shore and a national wildlife refuge. The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the Children’s Museum are located in Portsmouth. Newport News has the Mariners’ Museum, which houses one of the world’s most extensive nautical collections, while Hampton is home of the Air and Space Museum. NSU is just off Interstate 264 within walking distance of downtown and other major area attractions, such as the Scope, Chrysler Hall and MacArthur Center Mall. Hampton Roads has three daily newspapers, one African-American weekly, three independent TV stations and more than 30 radio stations.

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ATHLETICS FOUNDATION

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Total Sports - 15 Women’s Sports Basketball Bowling Cross Country Indoor Track & Field Outdoor Track & Field Softball Tennis Volleyball

Men’s Sports Baseball Basketball Cross Country Football Indoor Track & Field Outdoor Track & Field Tennis ...........................................................................

Norfolk State University Athletics Foundation Board of Directors Fran Steward, President Merv Pitchford, Vice President Phillip Brooks, Treasurer Craig Cotton, Executive Director Marty Miller, Athletics Director Michael K. Brown A. Graige Johnson Curtis Maddox* Langston Powell Zackery Rodgers James Satterfield* Donna Sample Smith Joel Wagner John Warren

A BRIEF OVERVIEW Norfolk State University’s proud legacy of achievement in collegiate athletics began at the NCAA Division II level as a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). NSU was one of the league’s most dominant programs, winning championships in every sport the school offered. In 1997, NSU joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), one of only two NCAA Division I conferences comprised of historically black colleges and universities. Other conference members include: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University. NSU made an immediate impression in the conference in 2000-01, winning the Talmadge Hill Award – presented annually to the member whose men’s teams compile the most points based on team finishes in conference competition. The Spartans won the T almadge Hill Award again each year from 2005-11. In all, NSU has won conference titles in men’s and women’s track, men’s and women’s cross country, and women’s basketball during its brief tenure in the MEAC.

Why Support Norfolk State University Athletics? • NSU competes at the nation’s highest level of intercollegiate athletics competition – National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I - and is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). • The need to increase funding for scholarships for deserving studentathletes motivated by achievement both in athletics and academics. • Improvements and maintenance of equipment and facilities enable NSU student-athletes to perform at their full potential. • A competitive athletics program contributes to the enjoyment of the student-athlete experience.

* - Emeritus

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING SAMPLE TEXT The NSU Strength and Conditioning Program is administered by Reese Bridgman, NSU’s strength and conditioning coach. Bridgman has 26 years of coaching experience in athletics at the high school, college and professional levels. His resume includes a seven-year stint as head strength and conditioning coach at Central Florida, where he worked with future professionals such as Daunte Culpepper, Asante Samuel and Brandon Marshall of the NFL and Mike Maroth of Major League Baseball. The NSU Strength and Conditioning Program exists to provide all 280+ NSU student-athletes with scientificallysound performance-enhancement programs in the areas of strength, speed, explosive power and sports nutrition. Programs are conducted in the NSU athletics weight room, a 2,000-square foot facility in Gill Gymnasium that houses the equipment and accessories needed to develop championship-level NCAA Division I athletes. The strength and conditioning program also uses the NSU athletics department’s game and practice fields. The program develops athletes by means of functional strength training for strength and power utilizing Olympic lifts, power lifts, plyometric drills and additional supplementary lifts, particularly dumbbell exercises. The program trains speed in both linear and change-of-direction movement. Athletes are taught recovery by developing good eating habits that are appropriate for athletes training at the Division I level and by emphasizing the correct amount of rest. Athletes are trained in a team setting as a part of a year-round program. Athletes train two times per week in season and three to four times per week during the remainder of the year with a break between semesters and at the end of their sport’s season. Their annual plan consists of in-season, offseason, preseason and holiday programs. All training schedules are administered within

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NCAA guidelines for contact time with athletes in both required programs and voluntary programs. Part of the emphasis within the NSU Strength and Conditioning Program is on the athlete developing lifetime character qualities of teamwork, discipline, dedication, determination, respect for others and respect for hard work. Athletes are also expected to develop an interest in lifetime fitness. “The Strength and Conditioning Program at NSU tries to remember that our athletes came to us to participate in and excel in their given sport, not to become weight lifters or body builders,” Bridgman says. “For this reason, we approach strength and conditioning as a means to an end, and we encourage our athletes to learn from and enjoy the journey.”

ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION SHERIE CORNISH GORDON Sherie Cornish Gordon is entering her sixth year in athletics administration at Norfolk State University, currently serving as the senior associate athletics director for administration. Gordon’s primary responsibilities are supervising five sports (bowling, volleyball, softball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis), managing the department’s budget, supervision of the equipment and facility operations, oversight of game-day management and providing strategic guidance for the department’s marketing, promotions and development initiatives, as well as serving as the department’s senior woman administrator. Gordon came to Norfolk State University in 2005 after serving as a senior administrative assistant at American University. She also served as an athletics department intern at the University of Maryland in 2004-2005 and as an assistant women’s basketball coach at her alma mater, Morgan State University, during the 2003-2004 school year. Gordon is currently a participant in the NCAA Pathways Program (formerly NCAA Fellows Program). She is a 2006 graduate of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators’ (NACWAA) Institute for Administrative Advancement, a 2009 graduate of the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females and a 2010 and 2011 participant in the NACDA Mentoring Institute. In addition, Gordon is a member of NACWAA, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the Collegiate Athletics Business Management Association (CABMA) and the Minority Opportunities Athletics Association (MOAA). She currently serves on the program committee for CABMA. Gordon was an accomplished basketball player at Morgan State, where she scored more than 1,000 career points. She was a four-year letter winner and was a team captain her final three seasons. Gordon, a native of Severna Park., Md., earned her bachelor’s degree in sports administration from Morgan State in 2002 and her master’s in sports management from Temple in 2004. Sherie currently resides in Suffolk, Va., with her husband, Ross, and son, Ethan. CRAIG COTTON Craig Cotton is in his 11th year as associate athletics director for external operations. He is also in his sixth year as executive director of the NSU Athletics Foundation. Cotton joined the NSU athletics staff after serving as marketing manager at Howard University. Cotton’s primary duties at NSU include developing and managing marketing and public relations projects with particular focus on the “Team Spartan Corporate Partners Program,” a comprehensive sports marketing initiative designed to attract corporate sponsorship and funding for the athletics program. Previously, Cotton worked for seven years in the Delaware State University Public Relations Office. He arrived at the Dover, Del.-based institution in 1992 and served as sports information director for two years before his appointment as the university’s director of public relations and marketing in 1994. From 1988-1992, Cotton was associate director of sports information at Temple University. He worked for seven years (1981-1988) as sports information director and administrative assistant to the director of

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intercollegiate athletics at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Cotton was also was a press operations manager for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, Ga.; 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina; and the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival in St. Louis, Mo. Cotton is a native of Greensboro, N.C., and a 1980 graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English-mass communications. He received the M.Ed. degree at Temple University in 1995. Cotton and his wife, Cynthia, reside in Norfolk, Va. KAREN HOLMES Karen Holmes is in her third year on staff in the NSU athletics department. As the associate athletics director for marketing and corporate development, her primary responsibilities are to plan, coordinate and execute athletic fundraising and outreach events and to recruit corporate sponsors for the department. Prior to NSU, Holmes served as the foundation manager at the Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau. She was responsible for planning and directing the foundation’s operations to include fundraising, staffing, budgeting and research. Holmes has also held positions as a business account representative at Opportunity, Inc. in Norfolk and as a senior marketing consultant in television and radio. Holmes is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD), National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Holmes also serves as the MEAC’s NAADD representative. Holmes, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from NSU in 1998. She is also a 2010 graduate of the NACWAA’s Institute for Administrative Advancement. ALISHA TUCKER Alisha Tucker is entering her sixth year working in the Norfolk State University athletics department. She assumed the role of associate athletics director for student services for the 2010-11 academic year after serving as assistant athletic director for compliance for the previous four years. In her new role, she provides oversight for the compliance and athletics academic support offices. In addition to her duties at NSU, Tucker is involved in administrative activities on the national level. Tucker was appointed to the NCAA’s Amateurism Fact-Finding Committee in 2010 and will serve on that committee until 2014. She also is a member of the NCAA Low Resource Institution working group and NCAA Academic Performance Program Users working group. In addition, Tucker serves as a peer reviewer for the NCAA’s Division I Athletics Certification program. She is also instrumental in working with the NCAA’s Supplemental Support Fund which provided monies to NSU in support of athletics academic initiatives. In 2011, Tucker was selected to participate in the NACWAA (National Association for Collegiate Women

Athletics Administrators) Institute for Administrative Advancement (West Class) as well as the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar Advanced Tract. Before coming to Norfolk State, Tucker served as the athletics eligibility specialist and curriculum coordinator at Marshall University. She began her career as an intern at Michigan State University in 2001. She was promoted to assistant compliance coordinator , and then earned a promotion to compliance coordinator at MSU in 2003. Tucker has also worked in compliance offices at Villanova University and the University of Richmond. Tucker earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature and composition from the University of Virginia in 1996. She earned her master’s in sports management from Old Dominion University in 2001. A Hampton native, Tucker was a track and field athlete at Hampton High School. She was also a sprinter and hurdler on the U.Va. track team. Tucker was also the liaison between the student-government and the athletics department serving on various committees. She is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and currently resides in Portsmouth, Va. JAMAR ROSS Jamar Ross is in his third year as NSU’s assistant athletics director for business operations. Ross served from July 2007 to April 2009 as associate sports information director at Old Dominion University. At ODU, he was the primary media contact for the Monarchs’ start-up football team. Previously, Ross was the sports information director at Hampton University from 2002-07. While at Hampton, Ross served on the Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance Subcommittee for Hampton’s NCAA Recertification Self Study. Ross also served as Sports Information Director at Winston-Salem State University in 2001-02, was the assistant SID at Hampton 2000-01, and completed a post-graduate internship at Southern Illinois University in 2000. He also served as a press room attendant at NCAA men’s basketball tournaments in 1997 and 2000. Ross graduated cum laude from Winston-Salem State University with a bachelor’s degree in sports management in 1999. He received his master’s in sports management from ODU in 2008. Ross also completed the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females in 2008.

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ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION SAMPLE TEXT DR. CARRAY BANKS JR. Dr. Carray Banks Jr. is in his first year as NSU’s faculty athletic representative. In this capacity, he represents Norfolk State University and its faculty in relationships with the NCAA and MEAC. The faculty’s voice and influence regarding intercollegiate athletics are channeled primarily through the faculty athletic representative. Banks, who is also the head of the Department of Technology in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at NSU, has lent his talents to many athletic endeavors at the University. He worked for six years as an academic enhancement counselor for the men’s basketball team. In addition, he has served on the NSU Athletics Foundation Sports Hall of Fame selection committee as well as the chairman of the steering committee for NSU’s NCAA recertification in 2008. He is also a staple at home athletic events, serving as member of the official game clock management team at Spartan basketball and football games. Banks also supervises the data generation and graphic media advertisements on the graphics display boards during football games at William “Dick” Price Stadium. Banks received his bachelor’s degree in industrial arts education from Elizabeth City State University, his master of arts degree from Ball State University, and his doctor of philosophy degree in vocational and industrial education from Penn State University. Banks resides in Virginia Beach with his wife, Alesia, and daughter, Aliyah. REESE BRIDGMAN Reese Bridgman is in his fourth year as the Spartans’ assistant athletics director for strength and conditioning. Bridgman oversees the strength and conditioning efforts for all 15 of NSU’s sports programs. Bridgman previously served as the strength and conditioning coach for the Newport News Apprentice School’s football program from 2005-07. He was also the Builders defensive coordinator in 2007 after coaching the defensive line in 2005 and 2006. Before moving to the Hampton Roads area, Bridgman was the head strength and conditioning coach for the University of Central Florida from 19972003. Bridgman helped train 20 UCF football players who went on to make active NFL rosters, including the likes of Daunte Culpepper, Asante Samuel, Travis Fisher, Atari Bigby, Steve Edwards, Brandon Marshall and Rashad Jeanty. Other top-notch athletes he helped tutor at UCF include Major League pitcher Mike Maroth. Along with his strength and conditioning expertise, Bridgman has an extensive background as a football coach at the high school, college and professional levels. Bridgman coached two seasons in the Arena Football League. He coached linemen and was the strength coach for the Orlando Predators in their ArenaBowl runner-up season of 1995. The following year, he worked in the same capacity for the Milwaukee Mustangs (now defunct). Bridgman’s one stint as a head football coach came at East Central Community College in his home state of Mississippi from 1992-94. He has also worked as an assistant football coach at NAIA Georgia Southwestern College and at a pair of Division II schools, Southeast Oklahoma State and East Texas State (now known as Texas A&M-Commerce). He also was men’s

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track coach during his tenure at Southeastern Oklahoma State. Bridgman, a native of Tylertown, Miss., got his football coaching start at Hattiesburg (Miss.) Prep in 1983. Bridgman, 47, received his bachelor’s degree in athletic administration and coaching from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1985. He earned his master’s in physical education with an emphasis in exercise physiology from East Texas State (Texas A&M-Commerce) in 1986. Bridgman is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, and the National Association of Speed and Explosion. He and his wife, Kelly, reside in Chesapeake. JACQUELINE NICHOLSON Jacqueline Nicholson is in her fourth year working in the NSU athletics department. After serving as athletics academic coordinator the last two years, Nicholson was promoted to the position of assistant athletics director for academic support for the 2010-11 school year. Nicholson’s responsibilities include advising all NSU student-athletes on issues of NCAA eligibility requirements and monitoring progress toward their degrees. Nicholson is also in charge of coordinating the academic support efforts for each team along with the academic enhancement counselors. She also oversees the NCAA/CHAMPS Life Skills Program and serves as the advisor for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Previously, Nicholson worked as an academic coordinator intern at Virginia Tech during the 2007-08 school year, assisting with the Hokies football team. She also served as a graduate assistant in the university academic advising center at Virginia Tech from 2005-07. Nicholson is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A), and the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). She serves on the awards committee for NACWAA and the membership committee for N4A. Nicholson is a 2011 graduate of NACWAA’s Institute for Administrative Advancement and 2011 and 2009 graduate of the N4A Professional Development Institute. A native of Clayton, N.J., Nicholson was a four-year letterwinner for the Hokies track and field team as a sprinter and hurdler. She was a member of the Virginia Tech all-academic team and athletics director’s honor roll. She earned her bachelor’s degree in human development in 2005 and her master’s in educational leadership and policy studies with a focus in higher education in 2007, both from Virginia Tech. MEGHAN ANTINARELLI Meghan Antinarelli is in her second year as assistant athletics director for sports medicine at NSU. Previously, she served for eight years as an athletic trainer within the department. Antinarelli, who is originally from Wellesley, Mass., received her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from the University

of Massachusetts in 1998. She received her master’s degree in athletic training at Old Dominion University in 2001. She and her husband, Joseph, live in Suffolk and have one son, Nicholas. MATT MICHALEC Matt Michalec is in his ninth full year heading up the NSU sports information department. After serving as sports information director for eight years, Michalec was promoted to assistant athletics director for communications in the spring of 2011. Michalec is in charge of coordinating media relations efforts for all 15 of NSU’s athletics programs. His duties include the production of press guides, serving as the media liaison for the athletics department, keeping statistics at all home athletic contests, and maintaining the university athletics web site. In 2006, he was named the Black College Baseball SID of the Year. Previously, Michalec worked for two years as a part-time sports reporter and editorial assistant at the Daily Press newspaper in Newport News, Va. Michalec graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in communications from Old Dominion University in 2002. He served as sports editor for ODU’s student newspaper during his time there. He got his professional start by working for two years as a sportswriter at the York Town Crier and Poquoson Post newspapers in York County, Va. Michalec is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). Michalec and his wife, Annie, live in Newport News and have a son, Brandon, and daughter, Alexis. MIKE BELLO Mike Bello was hired as the assistant sports information director in August of 2010. He came to NSU after a pair of internships at Division I institutions. At NSU, Bello will be the main contact for volleyball, women’s basketball, softball, tennis and bowling. Prior to arriving at NSU, Bello spent the previous year at the University of South Florida as a full-time intern, where he was the main contact for track and field and cross country as well as the secondary contact for men’s basketball and football. While at USF, Bello was part of a new initiative there that did away with traditional printed media guides and went to a new, interactive and online format that featured videos, photos and text all intermixed on a web-based platform. During the 2008-09 athletics season, Bello worked as an intern in the sports information office at Harvard. He also spent the 2007-08 season volunteering with the sports information office at Kent State University as part of his graduate work there. He has also volunteered with the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League and the Boston Breakers of the Women’s Professional Soccer League. Bello earned a bachelor’s of arts degree from Penn State University in journalism in 2004, and a master of arts degree in recreation and sports management in 2009 from Kent State.

ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION JESSICA COLE Jessica Cole is in her third year as the head assistant athletic trainer at Norfolk State University. Previously, Cole served as the assistant athletic trainer at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., for two years (2007-09). She also worked for two and a half years as the athletic trainer at Chelsea Community Hospital Outpatient Physical Therapy in her native Chelsea, Mich. Cole earned her bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Florida Southern College in 2004. She completed her senior internship with the WNBA’s Detroit Shock in 2004, and earned her master’s degree in exercise physiology from Eastern Michigan in 2008. NICOLE DIETRICH Nicole Dietrich is in her second year as the assistant athletic trainer at Norfolk State University. Previously, Dietrich served as the assistant athletic trainer at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pa., for the past two and half years. A native of Lykens, Pa., Dietrich received her bachelor’s degree in athletic training and minored in recreation fitness management from Lock Haven University in 2004. She earned her master’s degree in psychology at Shippensburg University in 2007. Dietrich currently resides in Norfolk, Va. She and her fiancée, Filiberto, will be married in May 2012. CHRISTINA RUFFIN Christina Ruffin is in her first year as athletics academic coordinator for the NSU athletics department. Ruffin’s responsibilities include advising all NSU student-athletes on issues of NCAA eligibility requirements and monitoring progress toward their degrees. Ruffin is in charge of coordinating the academic support efforts for women’s basketball, women’s track and field, volleyball, bowling and assisting with football. She also oversees the tutoring and life skills program. Ruffin comes to Norfolk State from Georgia State, where she worked as a tutorial coordinator and football academic graduate assistant from January 2010 through June 2011. Before moving to Atlanta, Christina worked for North Carolina State University as a 4-H agent in Hertford County, N.C. A native of Smithfield, Va., Ruffin was a four-year letterwinner for the North Carolina A&T women’s tennis team. She was a member of the MEAC and North Carolina A&T all-academic teams. Ruffin earned her bachelor’s degree in sport science and fitness management with a concentration in business administration from N.C. A&T in 2008 and her master’s in sport administration from Georgia State in 2011. DERRICK COLES Derrick Coles is in his second year as the compliance coordinator at Norfolk State University. His duties consist of handling many of the day-to-day operations of Norfolk State University’s compliance office, specifically: monitoring playing/practice seasons, monitoring recruiting contacts/calls, overseeing the National Letter of Intent program, NCAA Special Assistance Fund and

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MEAC reports. In addition, Coles assists the associate athletics director with rules education for coaches and student-athletes and serves as a member of the eligibility certification team. Before coming to Norfolk State, Coles was the assistant director of sports information at Hampton University. Derrick assisted with the day-to-day activities of the Office of Sports Information, as well as serving as the primary media contact for women’s basketball, volleyball, bowling and men’s and women’s tennis. He was also the secondary media contact for football. Before coming to Hampton, Coles spent six years as an assistant within the athletic department at Virginia Union University. His duties included assisting the sports information department with programs, media guides and game-day activities, as well as working with the compliance office in reviewing academic records, practice schedules and athlete eligibility matters. Coles received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Virginia Union in 2007 and his master’s in sports management from Virginia State University in 2009. Coles is a native of Richmond, Va. and his volunteer work includes the Special Olympics, the Rudy Johnson Foundation, the James Farrior Foundation, Richmond Sports Backers and Upward Sports Academy. He is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and is also a member of the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC). MICHELLE MacFARLANE Michelle MacFarlane is in her second year as an administrative specialist in the NSU athletics department. She comes to NSU after spending six years at Eastern Virginia Medical School as an administrative assistant. While there, MacFarlane’s duties included composing correspondence, recording and distributed minutes of faculty meetings, handling travel and catering arrangements, organizing and creating flyers, and filing and organizing grades. During her time at EVMS, she also worked for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service as a tax preparer and instructor of basic tax course. MacFarlane completed classes at Old Dominion and Kee Business College, where she received her medical assistant diploma prior to working at Eastern Virginia Medical School. SHIRLEY BROOKS Shirley Brooks is in her 12th year as the football administrative assistant for the NSU athletics department. Brooks oversees all administrative aspects of the program, including coordinating special events, team travel, player files and day-to-day operations. A native of Hertford, N.C., Brooks has three children: Derek, Dietrich and Verletita. She graduated cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in tourism and hospitality management from NSU in 2010. WILLIAM WRIGHT William Wright is in his ninth year as the head equipment manager at NSU. Previously, Wright worked as a parking supervisor in NSU’s Office of Parking and Transportation. He has also served as a security officer at NSU.

A native of Portsmouth, Wright lettered in football, basketball and track at NSU in the early 1980s. He was a member of the 1984 CIAA championship football team. Wright earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a minor in physical education in 1995. He is currently pursuing his master’s in administration. Wright has four daughters, Chiquita, Nikeya, Britney and Ashley; three granddaughters and one grandson. NATE BELL Nate Bell is in his 16th year as assistant equipment manager for the Norfolk State University athletics department. A native of Norfolk, Va., Bell is a 1994 graduate of Maury High School, were he lettered in football, and wrestling. Bell resides in Norfolk. FRANK TYREE Frank Tyree enters his first year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Norfolk State University during the 201112 school year. Tyree’s responsibilities including designing and implementing workouts for men’s and women’s track & field and men’s and women’s basketball, as well as assisting with workouts for football and baseball. Prior to coming to Norfolk State, Tyree spent three years as a sports performance coach at The Edge Sports Performance Center in Roanoke, Va., from 2008-11. There, Tyree trained middle school, high school, college and inspiring professional athletes in football, basketball, wrestling, baseball and soccer. He also worked with the Cave Spring High School football team that transitioned from 2-8 during his first year to 10-2 the following season, advancing to the Group AA semifinals. During the 2011 season, Tyree’s off-season training again helped the Knights advance to the Group AA semifinals. Tyree also volunteered under Master Strength Coaches Bill Gillespie and Dave Williams at Liberty University. While at Liberty, Tyree worked with the football, women’s basketball and volleyball programs. He also volunteered under Master Strength Coach Greg Werner while earning his bachelors of science in kinesiology at James Madison University. During his two years at JMU from 2005-06, Tyree assisted with men’s and women’s track and field, baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s swimming and diving. Tyree is a native of Rocky Mount, Va., where he returned to after graduating in 2003 from The University of Virginia’s College at Wise to teach sixth grade social studies at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. While at BFMS, Tyree coached middle school track and field. Tyree is certified through the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association and the National Strength & Conditioning Association. He currently resides in Virginia Beach.

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DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD SAMPLE TEXT Kenneth Giles is in his ninth year as the head men’s track and field coach at NSU and 13th as head men’s cross country coach. He is also in his third season as NSU’s director of track and field programs. In that capacity, he oversees the operations of both men’s and women’s track and cross country programs with an emphasis on recruiting, scheduling and home track meet operations. Kenneth Giles Giles led the NSU cross country Director of Programs Head Men’s Track Coach team to a record seven consecutive MEAC titles from 2000-06 and three more from 2008-10. NSU also captured top-12 finishes at the NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regional in 2002 (12th) and 2005 (8th). In the only two seasons under Giles that the Spartans did not win the conference cross country title (1999 and 2007), they finished second.

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Giles coaches from his own running expertise. He was a standout 800-meter runner in college. In 1985, Giles earned Junior College All-American status by finishing eighth at the indoor national meet in the 800 for Hagerstown (Md.) Community College. He continued his success in that event at the University of North Florida, where he is still the 800-meter indoor recordholder. At one time, Giles was also the personal coach for Brown, a former Division I All-American sprinter at NSU. Brown, a three-time Olympian in 2000, 2004 and 2008 for his native Bahamas, won a silver medal in the 4x400 relay at the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008. Giles earned his bachelor’s degree from UNF in 1987. He is married to the former Dr. Jeterfonee Jones, and they have two children: Kenneth Jr. (15) and Ebone Kennya (12).

Giles has also guided the Spartans’ track team to six straight sweeps of the MEAC indoor and outdoor titles (2006-11). As an assistant track coach, he helped the Spartans to one MEAC indoor and one MEAC outdoor championship, both of which came in the 2000-01 school year. During his tenure at NSU, Giles’ Spartans have won five individual MEAC cross country championships and earned three NCAA All-Southeast Region honors. One of those, David Kemboi, became the first NSU and MEAC runner to qualify for the NCAA National Championship race. Since taking over as head coach, Giles’ athletes have won 60 individual conference championships and garnered more than 125 All-MEAC honors on the track. More than 30 of his pupils have qualified for the NCAA Regionals and six have advanced to the NCAA National Championship meet. Marlon Woods was named the 2008 NCAA Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year. During his tenure, Giles has also tutored five All-Americans. Since Giles assumed head coaching duties, both Woods and Corey Vinston earned All-American honors in the long jump at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championship. While Giles served as an assistant, he worked with All-Americans Desmond Kapofu in the triple jump, Adrian Shears in the high jump and Olympian Christopher Brown in the 400 meters. Sprinter Sean Holston, long jumper Darris Shelton and hurdler Aramis Massenburg all earned honorable mention All-America honors by the USTFCCCA in June of 2011. For his success in cross country and track, Giles has been named MEAC Most Outstanding Coach 22 times.

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COACH RONDA BERARD Ronda Berard is in her seventh year as head women’s track and field and cross country coach at NSU. She also serves as assistant director of track and field programs. In all, Berard is in her 16th year on the coaching staff in the NSU athletics department. Ronda Berard Head Women’s Track Coach

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Berard earned her master’s degree in special education/severe disabilities rehabilitation counseling from NSU in 1997. She is also a 2008 graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy. Berard, a Louisiana native, is a Diamond Lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is an active member of the organization’s Chesapeake/ Virginia Beach Alumnae Chapter. She is married to Patrick Berard Sr. They have two children: Patrick Jr. and Aronji.

In 2009, Berard helped the Spartan women’s cross country team win its first-ever MEAC title. During track season, the Spartans won their first MEAC indoor title since 2000, and placed second at the conference outdoor championship. The Spartans won another MEAC title in 2011 when they captured the conference outdoor title. In her first year as head coach, Berard directed the Spartans to runner-up finishes in the 2005 MEAC Cross Country Championship and in the 2006 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championship. Prior to taking over the reins of the program from long-time coach LaVerne Sweat in 2005-06, Berard served as an assistant coach for the Spartans for 10 seasons. Berard’s tenure as an assistant included two other MEAC championships, the 2000 indoor and 2001 outdoor titles. Berard has helped coach two Division I All-Americans during her time at NSU: reigning 400-meter world champion Debbie Dunn, who earned a pair of All-American honors in 2000, and long jumper Tianna Goldring (2004).

Berard and Giles with their 2010 MEAC Indoor Most Outstanding Coach awards.

Berard came to NSU from Granby High School, where she was the assistant track coach in 1994-95. Berard earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 1990 from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette). She was a scholarship track athlete at USL, and also played on the women’s basketball team. Berard was a two-time Sun Belt Conference champion in the discus throw, and at one time held the school’s shot put and discus records. 18

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ASSISTANT COACHES Dwayne Miller is in his second year as an assistant track and field coach at NSU. He tutors the sprinters and jumpers for both the Spartan teams.

Dwayne Miller Assistant Coach

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE Bengono earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from George Mason in 2003 and his master’s in education with a concentration in school counseling from Cambridge College. Jerry Price is in his second season as an assistant track and field coach at NSU. He will work primarily with the hurdlers.

Miller has an extensive background in coaching at the high school, club, collegiate and professional level in the Hampton Roads area. Miller was an assistant coach at Christopher Newport University in Newport News during the 2009-10 school year and was a volunteer assistant at Hampton University from 2000-03. Prior to his collegiate experience, Miller was the head track coach at Maury High School from 1996-99.

Price brings 23 years of coaching experience to NSU. Most recently, Price was the head boys and girls track coach at Matoaca High School in Chesterfield, Va., from 1999-2009. His teams there won a total of eight district championships. Price coached numerous award-winning athletes at Matoaca. Among them are current Spartans Shanneka Claiborne (sprints) and Aramis Massenburg (hurdles), who have both won MEAC championships in their respective events.

Miller got his start in coaching in 1991 with the Norfolk Real Deal Track Club, which tutors youth track and field athletes in the Hampton Roads area. From 1991-2006, Miller helped coach 40 All-Americans and 20 national champions. His athletes went on to win five world championship medals, three world junior gold medals and three Olympic gold medals. Among the notable athletes he coached include LaShawn Merritt, 2008 Olympic and 2009 World Championship gold medalist in the 400 meters; LaTasha Colander Clark, 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400 meter relay; and Rachelle BooneSmith, 2005 World Championship silver medalist in the 200 meters.

Prior to Matoaca, Price was the head boys and girls track coach at James River High School, also in Chesterfield, from 1996-99. He got his start in coaching as an assistant at Leesville High School in Leesville, La., from 1988-90. Price has also served since 2006 as president and head coach of the Diamond Track & Field Club in Colonial Heights, Va.

Miller was named the 2008 Nike Coach of the Year by USA Track & Field. He was also selected as the USOC Development Coach of the Year in 2004.

A standout football player and track athlete in high school, Price graduated from Alabama A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1984.

Jerry Price Assistant Coach

Cletus Griffin is in his third year as a volunteer assistant track and cross country coach at Norfolk State. He assists in coaching the long-distance runners and multi-event athletes.

Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communication from NSU in 1987. A sprinter and long jumper for the Spartans, Miller also competed professionally from 1988-94. He and his wife, Yolanda, have two sons, Duane and Marcus. Serge Bengono is in his sixth season as an assistant track coach at Norfolk State University. He coaches NSU’s sprinters and relay teams. Bengono came to NSU from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he assisted during the 2005 outdoor season.

Serge Bengono Assistant Coach

Bengono boasts a wealth of collegiate and international experience. He is a two-time Summer Olympian, having competed in the 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney) Games for his native Cameroon in the 100 meters and on the 4x100 relay team.

Bengono lettered three years at George Mason University and excelled in the short sprints (60, 100 and 200 meters) and on the 4x100 relay team. He won the IC4A title in the 100 meters as a sophomore in 2001. At one time Bengono owned school records in the 60 meters (6.74), 100 meters (10.25) and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team (39.65). Bengono transferred to George Mason from Huston-Tillotson College in Austin, Texas, where he won multiple NAIA All-American honors and also played soccer as a freshman in 2000.

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Cletus Griffin Assistant Coach

Griffin, a former Division II All-American, brings more than 15 years of secondary and collegiate coaching experience to the program. Griffin was a standout long-distance runner at Akron University. He was an All-American in the 10,000 meters in 1972 and in cross country in 1973. Griffin also met the Olympic qualifying standards for the 10,000 meters in 1972 and for the marathon in 1976.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and history from Akron in 1974, Griffin earned a master’s in health and physical education from Akron in 1976. Griffin was also an assistant cross country and track coach for the Zips from 1974-77. Griffin then embarked on a successful high school coaching career, first in Ohio and then in Virginia Beach. He was the head cross country and track coach at Green Run High School from 1984-89, winning four outdoor state championships. He then moved over to another Virginia Beach High School, Salem, from 1990-92, winning multiple district and regional titles. Griffin produced 25 high school All-Americans during his tenure at Green Run and Salem.

2011-12 ROSTER Name Ariel Bartice-Smith Champagne Bell Shanneka Claiborne Torie Cunningham Tiara Davis Shaniquia Epps Syeeda Gee Jamia Hutto Kassandra Irizarry J’Na Johnson Rayiana Johnson Kaydianne McKenzie Asia McMillan-Wins Kellen Rutto Tyler Savage Ashley Sessoms Alicea Teamer Venus Whitties Katie Wright

Ht. 5-5 5-6 5-4 5-4 5-10 5-5 5-1 5-7 4-10 5-6 5-7 5-4 5-11 5-7 5-7 5-6 4-11 5-7 5-6

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE Cl. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Fr. Sr.

Event Middle Distance Jumps/Sprints Sprints Sprints Pole Vault Hurdles/Jumps Middle Distance Middle Distance Long Distance Jumps Sprints Sprints/Jumps Jumps Long Distance Middle Distance Sprints Sprints Hurdles/Jumps Pole Vault

Hometown/Previous School Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan HS Norfolk, Va./Booker T. Washington Ettrick, Va./Matoaca HS Richmond, Va./Meadowbrook HS Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor HS Richmond, Va./Hermitage HS Philadelphia, Pa./Engineering & Science HS Orlando, Fla./Oak Ridge HS Bridgeton, N.J./Bridgeton HS Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor HS Chester, Pa./Chester HS Hampton, Va./Phoebus HS Richmond, Va./Thomas Dale HS Eldoret, Kenya/Moi Siongioi Girls HS New Kent, Va./New Kent HS Hampton, Va./Hampton HS Waldorf, Md./McDonough HS Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch HS Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne HS

Director of Track & Field Programs: Kenneth Giles Head Women’s Coach/Asst. Director of Track & Field Programs: Ronda Berard Assistant Coaches: Serge Bengono, Dwayne Miller, Jerry Price Volunteer Assistant: Cletus Griffin Pronunciations 1st Name AIR-ee-el sha-NEEK-we-a sigh-EE-da ja-MEE-a ka-SAND-dra ja-NAY ray-AH-na kay-dee-ANN Kellen

Last Name bar-TEECE Smith Epps JEE HUT-toe EAR-iz-air-ee Johnson Johnson McKenzie ROO-toe

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SEASON OUTLOOK

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

Youthful Spartans Turn to Small Senior Class in 2012 Head women’s track coach Ronda Berard lost 60 percent of the squad which captured the 2011 MEAC Outdoor Championship last spring. This season, she will rely on a small, but strong stable of seniors to lead an otherwise young team into action. The senior class is headed up by Shanneka Claiborne, the sprinter from Ettrick, Va. Claiborne had a memorable performance at last year’s conference outdoor meet, sweeping the MEAC titles in both the 100 and 200 meters while anchoring the 4x100 relay team to yet another gold medal. She will be counted on to provide experience for NSU this season. The same can also be said of pole vaulter Katie Wright. Wright has won five MEAC pole vault championships in her first three seasons, taking all three indoor titles and two of the three outdoor gold medals she has competed for. Seniors Syeeda Gee and Jamia Hutto will provide NSU with depth and experience in the middle and long distance events in 2011-12. Juniors Champagne Bell and Kellen Rutto are also back for the Spartans in 2011-12. Bell made an immediate impact in her rookie campaign for NSU last season. Bell won the MEAC’s indoor long jump title, took second place at the outdoor meet, and advanced all the way through the NCAA East Regional to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bell earned honorable mention All-America honors in the long jump. Bell was also MEAC outdoor runner-up in the 400 meters and

was a key vog for the NSU relay teams. Rutto is a three-time All-MEAC cross country runner who doubles as NSU’s best long distance runner on the track. Rutto captured her first career MEAC track title last spring when she won the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Sophomore sprinters Ashley Sessoms and Rayiana Johnson along with sophomore middle distance runner Tyler Savage also return to the roster this year. Berard will also need her eight-athlete freshman class to pay immediate dividends this season. Freshman sprinter Torie Cunningham was one of the state’s top 100 meter runners in high school and should factor into NSU’s plans. Pole vaulter Tiara Davis is coming off a successful prep career at nearby Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk. Kaydianne McKenzie is a versatile athlete out of Phoebus High School in Hampton, Va. She should help in the jumping events and on the Spartans’ relays. Kassandra Irizarry and Ariel Bartice-Smith add depth to NSU’s cross country squad and the long distance events on the track. In other field events, Berard hopes that rookie J’Na Johnson can contribute in the high jump, while Venus Whitties will try her hand at the hurdles and could also compete in the multis for NSU.

Champagne Bell Sprints/Jumps Tyler Savage Middle Distance

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2011-12 SCHEDULE

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

INDOOR SEASON Date Site/Event Dec. 4 CNU Holiday Open Jan. 7 UMES Coach O Invitational Jan. 13-14 UNC Dick Taylor Invitational Jan. 20-21 Virginia Tech Hokie Invitational Jan. 27-28 Penn State National Open Feb. 4 CNU Vince Brown Invitational Feb. 10-11 Tyson Invitational Feb. 16-18 MEAC Indoor Championships March 9-10 NCAA Indoor Championships

Location Newport News, Va. Princess Anne, Md. Chapel Hill, N.C. Blacksburg, Va. State College, Pa. Newport News, Va. Fayetteville, Ark. Landover, Md. Boise, Idaho

OUTDOOR SEASON March 15-17 Shamrock Invitational March 30-31 Raleigh Relays April 5-7 Florida Relays April 14 Norfolk State Relays April 21 Morgan State Legacy April 25-28 Penn Relays May 3-5 MEAC Outdoor Championships May 12 Last Chance Invitational May 24-26 NCAA Outdoor Regionals June 6-9 NCAA Outdoor Championships

Myrtle Beach, S.C. Raleigh, N.C. Gainesville, Fla. Norfolk, Va. Baltimore, Md. Philadelphia, Pa. Greensboro, N.C. Raleigh, N.C. Jacksonville, Fla. Des Moines, Iowa

Home meet in bold is at William “Dick” Price Stadium

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RETURNER PROFILES Champagne Bell 5-6 Junior Sprints/Jumps Norfolk, Va. Booker T. Washington HS 2010-11: Indoor: Won the MEAC indoor long jump title with a jump of 19 feet, 5.5 inches … also placed second at the conference meet in the 400 (56.18) and seventh in the 200 (25.34) … also ran the second leg on NSU’s 4x400 meter relay team that placed eighth at the MEAC indoor meet … season-best long jump was 20 feet, 1.75 inches in a second-place finish at Penn State … ran a season-best 400m time of 55.82 to place third at the Virginia Tech Hokie Invitational. Outdoor: Earned honorable mention USTFCCCA honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championship by placing 22nd overall (19-6.75) … jumped a PR of 20 feet, 3 inches to win the silver medal at the MEAC Outdoor Championship … also PR’ed in the 400 at the MEAC outdoor meet, clocking

Shanneka Claiborne 5-4 Senior Sprints Ettrick, Va. Matoaca HS 2010-11: Indoor: Placed second at the MEAC Indoor Championship in the 60 meters … ran a season-best time of 7.41 seconds in the MEAC prelims and a 7.43 in the finals … also finished fifth in the MEAC in the 200 meters (25.10) … ran a PR of 24.75 in the 200 meters in the prelims. Outdoor: MEAC outdoor champion in the 100 (11.50 seconds) and the 200 (23.78) … the 23.78 was a personal-best for Claiborne, as was her preliminary 100 time of 11.43 seconds … also ran the anchor leg on the MEAC gold medal-winning 4x100 meter relay team (45.41) … qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 100 … advanced to the region finals with a time of 11.71 in t he prelims, then ran an 11.59 in the region finals. 2009-10: Indoor: MEAC champion in the 60 meters…ran a seasonbest time of 7.45 seconds in the MEAC 60 finals…also placed fourth in the 200 at the conference indoor meet (25.03)…season-best 200-meter time was 24.84 at the Hokie Invitational. Outdoor: Ran a seasonbest time of 11.69 seconds in winning the 100 meters at the Colonial Relays…placed fourth at the MEAC Outdoor meet in the 100 meters (11.76).

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NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE a 53.86 … placed eighth at the conference meet in the 200 meters (24.21, season-best) and ran a leg on the Spartans’ first-place 4x100 relay (45.41) … finished 10th at the NCAA East Regional in the long jump (20-0.25) and also qualified for the regional in the 400 meters and with the 4x100 relay team. High School: Four-year letterwinner…named team MVP her freshman, junior and senior seasons…a Nike Indoor All-American as part of Booker T. Washington’s 4x400, 4x200 and sprint medley relays during her senior season…was state runner-up in the outdoor 400 meters (55.65)…her PR in the 400 was 55.47…also placed fifth at the VHSL Group AAA state outdoor meet in the long jump with a PR of 19 feet... was runner-up in the long jump at the 2009 AAU Junior Olympics. Personal: Champagne Tsai Bell was born on Jan. 3, 1991…daughter of Wanda Bell…majoring in sociology. Personal Records Indoor 400: 55.82 (2011 Hokie Invitational) Long Jump: 20-1.75 (2011 Penn State National) Outdoor 400 Meters: 53.86 (2011 MEAC Outdoor) Long Jump: 20-3 (2011 MEAC Outdoor)

2008-09: Indoor: Ran the fastest indoor time on the team in the 200 meters (24.79) at the Virginia Tech Invitational. Outdoor: Finished sixth in the 100 in 11.63 at the MEAC Outdoor Championship, qualifying for the NCAA East Regional…ran a time of 11.81 at the East Regional…also ran a leg on the 4x100 relay team that came in second at the MEAC Outdoor Championship in 45.01 seconds, also qualifying for the East Regional. 2007-08: Sat out the season as a non-qualifier. High School: Earned Nike Indoor All-American honors in 2007 after winning the 200 meters in 24.65 and placing fourth in the 60 meters (7.58)…became the first athlete in the region’s history to win four consecutive individual titles in the same event (55m)…set her personal record of 7.05 en route to the title in the 55 at the 2007 Group AAA Indoor State Championship…won the 2007 Group AAA Outdoor and Central Region outdoor 100m titles. Personal: Shanneka Lachae Claiborne…born on Jan. 20, 1988… daughter of Gloria Claiborne and James Harrison…majoring in exercise science. Personal Records Indoor 60 Meters: 7.41 (2011 MEAC Indoor) 200 Meters: 24.75 (2011 MEAC Indoor) Outdoor 100 Meters: 11.43 (2011 MEAC Outdoor) 200 Meters: 23.78 (2011 MEAC Outdoor)

RETURNER PROFILES Syeeda Gee 5-1 Senior Middle Distance Philadelphia, Va. Engineering & Science HS

2010-11: Cross Country: Finished 10th overall at the season-opening UMES Lid-Lifter (21:33.87)…placed 28th at U.Va. in 21:08.40…came in 29th place at the MEAC Championship (20:22.70). Indoor: Ran the lead-off leg on NSU’s eighth-place distance medley relay team at the MEAC Indoor Championship…ran a season-best time of 2:28.45 in the 800, placing 16th at Kent State’s Doug Raymond Invitational…placed seventh in the 1,000m at George Mason and was eighth in the mile at the CNU Holiday Open. Outdoor: Ran NSU’s fastest 1,500m time of the season, clocking a 5:10.86 for a 14th-place finish at the Tribe Open… finished 19th in the same event at the MEAC outdoor meet. 2009-10: Cross Country: Ran a time of 21:31.02 at the MEAC Championship…helped NSU win the team title at the Great American Cross Country Festival HBCU Challenge by finishing 11th in 20:37. Indoor:

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE Helped the Spartans place fourth at the MEAC Indoor meet in the distance medley relay (12.36.79). Outdoor: Ran the 800 and 1,500 meters during outdoor season. 2008-09: Cross Country: Ran a season-best 5K time of 19:47.47 at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational during the cross country season. Indoor: Was NSU’s second finisher in the 800 meters at the MEAC Indoor Championship, finishing the race in 2:30.75…finished 11th in the 3,000 (11:00.06) at the Virginia Tech Hokie Invitational. Outdoor: Came in seventh in the 1,500 (5:23.67) and ninth in the 800 (2:36.12) at the Hampton Relays…ran a 5:16.91 in the 1,500 at the outdoor championship. High School: Set her personal best in the 5K in 19:40 as a senior in 2007…finished fourth in the 800 in 2:17.79 (PR) at the 2007 PTFCA Indoor State Championship…ran a personal-best 5:10.94 in the mile at the 2007 PIAA Outdoor State Championship. Personal: Syeeda Yvette Gee…born on July 17, 1990…daughter of Jamila Cross and Chester Grahan…majoring in biology…wants to become a surgeon. Personal Records Cross Country 5,000 Meters: 19:47.47 (2008 UMES Cappy Anderson) Outdoor 1,500 Meters: 4:47 (High School)

Outdoor Championship in the 5,000 and ninth in the steeplechase.

Jamia Hutto 5-7 Senior Middle/Long Distance Orlando, Fla. Oak Ridge HS

2008-09: Cross Country: Just missed All-MEAC honors at the MEAC Cross Country Championship when she finished 16th in 19:16. Indoor: Ran on the distance medley team that posted a season-best time of 12:31.28 and finished third at the MEAC Indoor Championship…finished 13th in the mile (5.25.45) and 10th in the 3,000 (11:06.06) at the MEAC Indoor Championship. Outdoor: Ran 20:46.90 in the 5,000 and 5:17.49 in the 1,500 at the outdoor championship. High School: Ran a personal-best time of 18:31.16 in the 5K…won the state title in the mile (4:56.96, PR) as a sophomore…had personalbests of 57.34 in the 400, 2:14.07 in the 800 and 10:39.11 in the 3K.

2010-11: Cross Country: Placed 15th at the UMES Lid-Lifter (22:54.53)…finished 22nd at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational in 20:29…was 29th in 16:35 at the 2.5-mile Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge at William & Mary…finished 15th in 20:38 at Great American… capped off her season with a 19th-place finish at the MEAC Championship (season-best 19:38.60). Indoor: Did not compete. Outdoor: Placed 12th in both the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase at the MEAC Outdoor Championship. 2009-10: Cross Country: Earned All-MEAC honors by finishing 15th in 19:52.55 at the MEAC Championship. Indoor: Ran a leg on NSU’s 4x800 relay team which posted the fourth-fastest time in the MEAC (12:35.71)…also ran a leg on the Spartans’ distance medley relay team which came in fourth at the MEAC Indoor Championship (12:36.79). Outdoor: Ran her season and college-best 5,000-meter time of 19:45.44 at the Colonial Relays…ran a season and college-best in the 1,500m (5:04.50) at the Sea Ray Relays…placed seventh at the MEAC

Personal: Jamia Renae Hutto…born on Aug. 6, 1990…daughter of Cleo and Camille Hutto…majoring in graphic design. Personal Records Cross Country 5,000m: 18:31.16 (High School) Indoor Mile: 4:56.96 (High School) Outdoor 1,500m: 4:52.40 (High School) 3,000m SC: 13:06.35 (2010 MEAC OD) 5,000m: 19:45.44 (2010 Colonial Relays)

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RETURNER PROFILES Rayiana Johnson 5-7 Sophomore Sprints Chester, Pa. Chester HS 2010-11: Indoor: Placed 10th in the 60 meters at the MEAC Indoor Championship in a season-best time of 7.71 seconds … placed fourth in both the 60 and 200 meters at the CNU Vince Brown Invitational … ran a time of 7.72 in the 60 and a season-best time of 25.68 in the 200 at CNU. Outdoor: Ran the anchor leg on NSU’s fourth-place 4x400 meter relay team (3:45.02) … helped the 4x100 team run a time of 45.69 at the Florida Relays, NSU’s second-best time of the season … ran the 100 meters in five different meets during the season.

Kellen Rutto 5-6 Junior Middle/Long Distance Eldoret, Kenya Moi Siongiroi Girls HS

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

High School: Four-year letterwinner in track and cross country…AllDelco selection all four years…indoor state champion in the 200 meters as a senior…was the Delco 100 and 200 champion during outdoor season…ran a meet record and personal-best time of 11.69 in the 100 meters at the Delco championship…also won the District I-AAA title in the 200…as a junior, Johnson won state indoor titles in the 60 and 200, and outdoor titles in the 100 and 200…ran a meet-record and PR of 24.04 in the 200 meters at the state indoor championship…ran a PR of 7.45 seconds in the 60 meters, which was the fourth-fastest high school time in the nation in 2009. Personal: Rayiana Alayiha Johnson was born on Oct. 6, 1991…daughter of Reginald and Crystal Johnson…plans to major in physical therapy. Personal Records Indoor 60 Meters: 7.45 (High School) Outdoor 100 Meters: 11.69 (High School) 200 Meters: 24.04 (High School)

2009-10: Cross Country: Finished sixth at the MEAC Cross Country Championship in 19:00.57 to help the Spartans to their first-ever conference title…earned All-MEAC honors at the cross country championship…paced the Spartans at the NCAA Southeast Regional by finishing the 6K course in 22:44.56. Indoor: Finished third in the 3,000 meters at the MEAC Indoor Championship in a season-best time of 10:39.46. Outdoor: Ran a season-best 5,000-meter time of 18:28.89 at Wake Forest…placed third in the 3,000m steeplechase at the MEAC Outdoor Championship (11:34.54)…was fourth in the 5,000 meters (18:55.55). High School: Posted career-best times of 22:41 in the 6K and 4:47 in the 1,500.

2010-11: Cross Country: All-MEAC for the second straight year after placing fifth at the conference championship meet…ran a personalbest 5K cross country time of 18:31.50 at the MEAC meet to help the Spartans to a third-place finish…earned three MEAC Athlete of the Week awards during the season, following the UMES Lid-Lifter and both meets at William & Mary…was the individual winner at the UMES Lid-Lifter (19:31.75)…finished 12th overall at U.Va…was fifth overall, second on NSU, in 18:57.53 at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational…also placed 12th overall at the 2.5-mile Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge at W&M (15:11)…placed second overall at the Great American XC Invitational (19:05.8), helping NSU finish third out of 19 teams…finished fourth at the Tribe Open in 23:08 for the 6K course. Indoor: Ran a season-best 3,000m time of 10:54.94 at Penn State, placing 14th…ran a season-best 5,000m time of 18:52.52 to win the event at the CNU Holiday Open…at the MEAC Indoor Championship, placed seventh in the 5,000m, 11th in the 3,000m and ran a leg on the eighth-place distance medley relay team. Outdoor: Ran an outdoor PR of 18:26.86 to earn 16th place at the Raleigh Relays…MEAC outdoor champion in the steeplechase…also placed fifth at the conference outdoor meet in the 5,000m (18:57.73).

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Personal: Kellen Cherotich Rutto…born on Dec. 29, 1987…daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Rutto…majoring nursing…wants to become a nurse. Personal Records Cross Country 5,000 Meters: 18:31.50 (2010 MEAC XC Champ.) Indoor Mile: 5:26.63 (2010 Va. Tech Invitational) 3,000 Meters: 10:39.46 (2010 MEAC ID) Outdoor 1,500 Meters: 4:47 (High School) 3,000m Steeplechase: 11:34.54 (2010 MEAC OD) 5,000 Meters: 18:26.86 (2011 Raleigh Relays)

RETURNER PROFILES Tyler Savage 5-7 Sophomore Middle Distance New Kent, Va. New Kent HS 2010-11: Cross Country: Ran a time of 22:55 to finish 47th at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational…season-best 5K effort was her 22:16 at the MEAC Championship, good for 57th place. Indoor: Ran a leg on NSU’s eighth-place distance medley relay team at the MEAC Indoor Championship…also competed in the 800 meters at the conference indoor meet. Outdoor: Came in 12th place in the 800 at the Tribe Open (season-best 2:35.73).

Ashley Sessoms 5-6 Sophomore Sprints Hampton, Va. Hampton HS

2010-11: Cross Country: Earned her first varsity letter of her career during cross country season. Indoor: Ran the second leg of NSU’s eighth-place distance medley relay team at the MEAC indoor meet (13:52.22) … ran the third leg on NSU’s 4x400 relay team that clocked a season-best time of 3:51.74 at Penn State … also competed in the 200 and 400 meters during indoor season. Outdoor: Competed in the 200, 400 and 800 meters during outdoor season … again was a key factor in NSU’s relay teams … helped the 4x400 team run a 3:53.37 at the Penn Relays.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE High School: Lettered three years in track and two in basketball… state meet qualifier in the 4x100, 4x800 and 800 meters…member of the 4x800 relay team which set a school record of 10:00…finished eighth at the state outdoor meet in the 800 as a senior…helped the 4x100 and 4x800 relay teams place eighth in the state during her junior season…state qualifier in the 4x400 as a sophomore. Personal: Tyler Leigh Savage was born on Nov. 19, 1991…daughter of Leroy Savage III and Sybil Savage…plans to major in psychology. Personal Records Cross Country 5,000 Meters: 22:16 (2010 MEAC XC Championship)* Indoor 800 Meters: 2:37.49 (2011 Vince Brown Invite)* Outdoor 800 Meters: 2:22.19 (High School) * Denotes college best performance

High School: Lettered four years in track and two in cross country… finished second in the Peninsula District in the 400 meters (outdoor) and 500 meters (indoor) during her senior year…placed eighth in the 500 at the state meet…first-team Daily Press All-Star as well as an all-state performer in the 500…placed second in the 400 meters at the district outdoor meet her junior year…ran a leg on the school recordsetting 4x800 meter relay team as a sophomore. Personal: Ashley Desiree Sessoms was born on Dec. 27, 1992… daughter of Eric and Vicki Sessoms…major in fashion merchandising. Personal Records Indoor 300 Meters: 40.81 (High School) 500 Meters: 1:17.32 (High School) Outdoor 200 Meters: 25.67 (High School) 400 Meters: 57.19 (High School)

For the latest in Norfolk State University athletics, including news, schedules, statistics, player biographies, video features and more, visit www.nsuspartans.com.

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RETURNER PROFILES

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE time of 12.99 seconds at Wake Forest.

Alicea Teamer 4-11 Junior Sprints Waldorf, Md. McDonough HS

High School: Was a two-sport athlete at McDonough, participating on the basketball and track and field teams…earned second-team allcounty honors in basketball and track her freshman and sophomore years…was first-team all-county in track and second-team all-county in basketball as a junior…posted times of 7.61 in the 55 meters and 46.37 in the 300 at the 2008 SMAC Indoor Track Championships…was named to the SMAC All-Academic second team as a senior. Personal: Alicea S. Teamer…born on Feb. 14, 1991…majoring in exercise science…wants to become an athletic trainer or physical therapist.

2010-11: Indoor: Ran a season-best 60m time of 8.09 at George Mason … also competed in the 200 meters during a number of meets during the season. Outdoor: Competed in the 100, 200 and 400 meter events during outdoor season. 2009-10: Indoor: Ran a season-best 60-meter time of 8.28 seconds at the Maryland Invitational. Outdoor: Clocked a season-best 100-meter

Katie Wright 5-6 Senior Pole Vault Virginia Beach, Va. Princess Anne HS

2010-11: Indoor: Claimed the MEAC indoor pole vault title for the third straight year … broke her own meet record by clearing 11 feet, 2.25 inches … cleared a personal-best 11-3.75 at both the CNU Vince Brown Invitational, where she placed fourth; and at the Penn State National, where she was fifth. Outdoor: Cleared 10-8 to win the MEAC outdoor pole vault title and clinch her second yearly sweep of the conference titles in that event … also cleared 10-8 to place seventh at the William & Mary Tribe Open. 2009-10: Indoor: Wright had the highest mark in the conference during the indoor season when she cleared 10-2.5 to win the MEAC title for the second year in a row…cleared 9-6.25 to take first place at the Maryland Invitational. Outdoor: Cleared 9-8.25 to take second place at the MEAC Outdoor meet…season best was a 10-0 mark at Wake Forest, where she finished fourth.

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Personal Records Indoor 60 Meters: 8.28 (2010 Maryland Invitational) Outdoor 100 Meters: 12.99 (2010 Wake Forest Open)

2008-09: Indoor: Claimed the MEAC Indoor title in the pole vault…set a new MEAC Indoor Championship record when she cleared 110.25…hit a mark of 10-10.25 at the Virginia Tech Hokie Invitational, good for third place…cleared 10-8 at the UNC Classic to take second place…posted a top mark of 10-6 at the CNU Holiday Open, good for sixth place. Outdoor: Vaulted 10-8.25 for the outdoor title, qualifying for the NCAA East Regional…finished second at the Morgan State Legacy meet after clearing a season-best 10-11.75. High School: As a senior in 2007, Wright won the pole vault titles at the indoor and outdoor Eastern Region meets after clearing 10-6… won the 2007 Beach District indoor title after clearing 10-0….was also a member of the basketball, volleyball, and softball teams at Princess Anne. Personal: Katie Marie Wright…born on November 13, 1987…daughter of Tami Burandt and Timothy Wright…majoring in business. Personal Records Indoor Pole Vault: 11-0.25 (2009 MEAC ID) Outdoor Pole Vault: 10-11.75 (2009 Morgan State)

NEWCOMER PROFILES Ariel Bartice-Smith 5-5 Freshman Long Distance Hampton, Va. Kecoughtan HS

Torie Cunningham 5-4 Freshman Sprints Richmond, Va. Meadowbrook HS High School: Lettered four years in both basketball and track … won the Central District and Central Region titles during outdoor season in both the 100 and 200 meters in her final prep year … placed eighth at the state Group AAA meet in the 100 as a senior, when she earned All-Metro honors … placed second in both the 55 and 300 meters at the district indoor championship as a senior … also swept the 100 and 200 district and regional titles as a junior … placed third at the

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

High School: Four-year letterwinner in both cross country and track and field…placed fifth at the Peninsula District cross country meet as a senior, helping the Warriors win the district title…a second-team Daily Press All-Star in the 800 meters as a senior…won the district 800 and 1,000 meter races as a freshman. Personal: Ariel Shannon Bartice-Smith was born on April 11, 1993… daughter of Julia Long Wheeler…majoring in biology/pre-med.

outdoor state meet in both events as a junior … district 100 meter champion and eighth-place finisher at the state outdoor meet as a sophomore … helped the Meadowbrook basketball team to a share of the district championship as a senior … led the basketball team in scoring and assists as a junior … a Central District all-academic team selection, Cunningham was also named the Meadowbrook Scholar Athlete of the Year as a senior. Personal: Torie Monet’ Cunningham was born on Oct. 15, 1992 … daughter of Thomas Cunningham and Bertina Harris … majoring in sociology/criminal justice … has two sisters who also attended NSU. Personal Records Indoor 55 Meters: 7.43 (High School) Outdoor 100 Meters: 11.87 (High School) 200 Meters: 24.36 (High School)

team MVP as a senior … also won the district outdoor title as a junior, when she earned the team’s Most Improved award.

Tiara Davis 5-10 Freshman Pole Vault Norfolk, Va. Lake Taylor HS

Personal: Tiara Denise Davis was born on Oct. 24, 1992 … daughter of Tyrone and Tara Davis … majoring in history. Personal Records Outdoor Pole Vault: 10-6 (High School)

High School: Lettered three years in track and field … won the Eastern District indoor and outdoor titles in the pole vault as a senior … cleared a district meet-record 9 feet, 6 inches to win the championship … cleared a personal-best 10-6 to finished tied for sixth at the state outdoor Group AAA meet, earning all-state honors … named the

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NEWCOMER PROFILES Shaniquia Epps 5-5 Freshman Hurdles/Jumps Richmond, Va. Hermitage HS High School: Lettered three years in track … also participated for three years on the cheerleading team … won Colonial District and Central Region titles in both the 100 and 300 meter hurdles events as a senior … placed fifth at the state outdoor meet in the 100 hurdles,

Kassandra Irizarry 4-10 Freshman Long Distance Bridgeton, N.J. Bridgeton HS

J’Na Johnson 5-6 Freshman Jumps Fredericksburg, Va. Chancellor HS

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NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE earning all-state honors … ran personal-bests of 8.6 seconds in the 55 hurdles (indoor), 14.64 seconds in the 100 hurdles (outdoor) and 46.80 (300 hurdles) as a senior … was a two-time team MVP and Richmond Times Dispatch All-Metro Team selection … won district and regional championships in the 100 hurdles as a junior … recorded district championships in the 55 hurdles and 100 hurdles as a sophomore. Personal: Shaniquia Capri Epps as born on June 2, 1992 … daughter of Sheryl Epps … majoring in biology/pre-med. Personal Records Indoor 55 Hurdles: 8.6 (High School) Outdoor 100 Hurdles: 14.64 (High School) 300 Hurdles: 46.80 (High School)

High School: Four-year letterwinner in both track and cross country… was a two-time all-conference cross country performer…high school PR was 19:32 for 5,000 meters. Personal: Kassandra Marie Irizarry was born on July 28, 1993…daughter of Barbara Irizarry…majoring in nursing. Personal Records Outdoor 5,000 Meters: 19:32 (High School)

High School: Four-year letterwinner in track and field … placed third in the district in the high jump and fourth in the 300 hurdles … a state Group AA qualifier in the high jump during both indoor and outdoor seasons … won the district title in the high jump as a junior, when she earned the team’s Most Versatile award. Personal: J’Na Braelyn Johnson was born on Oct. 30, 1991 … daughter of Jeffrey and Tami Johnson … majoring in kinesiotherapy.

NEWCOMER PROFILES Kaydianne McKenzie 5-4 Freshman Sprints/Jumps Hampton, Va. Phoebus HS

High School: A two-year letterwinner in track at Phoebus … won the Peninsula District outdoor championship in the triple jump as a senior

Asia McMillan-Wins 5-11 Freshman Jumps Richmond, Va. Thomas Dale HS

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE … placed fifth in the Easter Region and 10th at the state Group AAA outdoor meet in the same event … ran a leg on Phoebus’ fifth-place 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams at the state meet … the 4x400 team won the regional championship … was a first-team Daily Press All-Star in the triple jump for both indoor and outdoor seasons as a senior. Personal: Kaydianne Renee’ McKenzie was born on Jan. 6, 1993 … daughter of Trina Leggette … undecided on a major. Personal Records Indoor Triple Jump: 36-7.25 (High School) Outdoor Triple Jump: 37-11.5 (High School)

High School: Personal-best high jump was 5 feet, 2 inches … Central District champion in both the high jump and on the 4x100 meter relay team as a junior … helped the 4x100 team place second in the Central Region while also taking seventh place in the high jump that same year. Personal Records Outdoor High Jump: 5-2 (High School)

outdoor meet her junior year … placed sixth in the 400 hurdles at the AAU Junior Olympics following her sophomore year.

Venus Whitties 5-7 Freshman Hurdles/Jumps Chesapeake, Va. Western Branch HS High School: All-Southeastern District in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4x400 relay and long jump as a senior … state Group AAA qualifier in both hurdling events, where she placed eighth in both … helped Western Branch win the state outdoor championship as a senior … ran a leg on the fourth-place 4x400 meter relay team at the state

Personal: Venus Annie Reid Whitties was born on Jan. 10, 1992 … daughter of Meredith Whitties and Vicki Jones-Whitties … majoring in sociology … mother is a former NSU cheerleader and dance team member, and older brother Meredith Jr. played football and track at NSU from 2006-09. Personal Records Indoor 55 Hurdles: 8.52 (High School) Outdoor 100 Hurdles: 15.01 (High School)

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NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE

2010-11 IN REVIEW 2011 NSU WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD INDOOR PERFORMANCE LIST Event 60m 200m 400m 800m Mile Run 3,000m 5,000m 60mH 4x400

Athlete Shanneka Claiborne Shanneka Claiborne Champagne Bell Syeeda Gee Kellen Rutto Kellen Rutto Kellen Rutto Wanetta Kirby Sanford, Bell Sessoms, Rhoades DMR Gee, Sessoms Savage, Rutto LJ Champagne Bell HJ Jonee Artis Jonee Artis Tanisha Jenkins Wanetta Kirby TJ Elaine Rhoades PV Katie Wright Katie Wright Shot Put Kaleena Gray Weight Kaleena Gray Pent. Elaine Rhoades

Date/Event MEAC Championship MEAC Championship Hokie Invitational Doug Raymond Invite Vince Brown Invitational Penn State National CNU Holiday Open MEAC Championship Penn State National

Time/Mark 7.41 24.75 55.82 2:28.45 5:33.11 10:54.94 18:52.52 8.70 3:51.74

MEAC Championship

13:52.22

Penn State National Penn State National MEAC Championship MEAC Championship MEAC Championship Penn State National Penn State National Vince Brown Invitational Father Diamond Invite MEAC Championship MEAC Championship

20-1.75 5-5 5-5 5-5 5-5 39-5.75 11-3.75 11-3.75 41-0.25 52-0.5 3,537 pts.

2011 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championship Feb. 17-19, 2011 Landover, Md. Final Team Results 1) Hampton 2) Norfolk State 3) Maryland Eastern Shore 4) North Carolina A&T 5) Morgan State 6) Howard 7) South Carolina State Florida A&M 9) Bethune-Cookman 10) Delaware State 11) Coppin State

2011 NSU WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE LIST

188.5 102.5 100 73 58 32 29 29 21 19 10

Event Athlete 100m Shanneka Claiborne 200m Shanneka Claiborne 400m Champagne Bell 800m Ashley Sessoms 1,500m Syeeda Gee 3,000m SC N/A 5,000m Kellen Rutto 100mH Wanetta Kirby 400mH Elaine Rhoades 4x100 Sanford, Kirby Bell, Claiborne 4x400 Bell, Johnson Sanford, Kirby LJ Champagne Bell HJ Wanetta Kirby TJ Alaina Hite PV Katie Wright Katie Wright Shot Put Kaleena Gray Discus Kaleena Gray Javelin Kaleena Gray Hept. Elaine Rhoades

Date/Event MEAC Championship MEAC Championship MEAC Championship Morgan State Legacy Tribe Open

Time/Mark 11.43 23.78 53.86 2:31.22 5:10.86

Raleigh Relays MEAC Championship MEAC Championship MEAC Championship

18:26.86 13.84 1:03.59 45.41

MEAC Championship

3:45.02

MEAC Championship Penn Relays MEAC Championship Tribe Open MEAC Championship Penn Relays Florida Relays MEAC Championship MEAC Championship

20-3 5-6 39-1.25 10-8 10-8 41-8.75 143-9 84-8 4,500 pts.

2011 MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship May 5-7, 2011 Greensboro, N.C. Final Team Results 1) Norfolk State 2) Hampton 3) North Carolina A&T 4) South Carolina State 5) Florida A&M 6) Maryland Eastern Shore 7) Morgan State 8) Delaware State 9) Coppin State 10) Bethune-Cookman 11) Howard

140 139 124 73 71 67 50 24 19 17 16

NSU’s 2011 MEAC Indoor Champions Champagne Bell – Long Jump Elaine Rhoades – Pentathlon Katie Wright – Pole Vault

NSU’s 2011 MEAC Outdoor Champions Shanneka Claiborne – 100 meters, 200 meters Kaleena Gray – Discus Kellen Rutto – 3,000m Steeplechase Katie Wright – Pole Vault 4x100 Relay - Claiborne, Champagne Bell, Dania Sanford, Wanetta Kirby

Note: Distances are listed in feet and inches.

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ABOUT THE MEAC The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 42nd year of operation in the 2011-12 academic school year. The MEAC is made up of 13 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University.

HISTORY In 1969, a bold ad hoc group of innovators long associated with intercollegiate athletics met in Durham, N.C., to discuss the feasibility of organizing a new conference. Dissected from these discussions, a steering and planning committee was formed to fully investigate the idea, present a detailed report with recommendations to interested collegiate institutions, and then construct a workshop to outline proposals. After adopting a program, seven institutions (Delaware State College, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State College) agreed to become the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Its major objective was to establish, organize and supervise an intercollegiate athletic program among a compact group of educational institutions of high academic standards and with a sound philosophy of co-curricular activities. The conference agreed to seek Division I status for its sports. The conference was confirmed in 1970, kicking off its first season of competition in football in 1971. In 1978, a milestone was reached when the MEAC selected Kenneth A. Free to be its first full-time commissioner. Free served the conference for 18 years before stepping down in May of 1996. In July of 1996, Charles S. Harris was named commissioner and served in the capacity until April 2002. On September 1, 2002, Dr. Dennis E. Thomas was named the commissioner and has served in the position for nine years. The conference’s first expansion occurred in October 1979 when Bethune-Cookman College and Florida A&M University were voted into the MEAC as new members. Original members Morgan State, North Carolina Central and Maryland Eastern Shore withdrew from the conference at the end of the 1979-80 fiscal year. Maryland Eastern Shore was readmitted in 1981 and Morgan State returned in 1984. Florida A&M opted to resign in 1984 but rejoined the conference in 1986. Coppin State College was granted admittance in 1985, becoming the ninth member institution. The MEAC expanded again in the 1990’s with the inclusion of Hampton University (1995) and Norfolk State University (1997). The conference expanded in 2007 adding Winston-Salem State University. Following the 2009-10 academic/athletic season Winston-Salem State withdrew from the conference and returned to Division II. On July 1, 2010 the MEAC made its final expansion with the admittance of North Carolina Central and Savannah State University. On June 8, 1980, the MEAC was classified as a Division I conference by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Prior to that year the conference operated as a Division II conference. The following month the MEAC received an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Currently, the conference has automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason play in baseball (since 1994), men’s basketball (since 1981), women’s basketball (since 1982), football (since 1996), softball (since 1995), men and women’s tennis (since 1998), and volleyball (since 1994). The MEAC initiated cross country in 1980 and North Carolina A&T earned the inaugural men’s crown. The first women’s cross country championship took place a year later with Howard winning the first of its seven titles. Indoor Track and Field was also added in 1981 with South Carolina State capturing the men’s title and Howard winning the women’s crown. Tennis and golf returned as MEAC governed sports in 1981, after a five-year hiatus. South Carolina State won all seven of the conference’s golf championships from 19721983 before the sport was discontinued after the 1983 championship. Morgan State dominated the conference in wrestling winning 13 of 24 conference championships during the sports tenure (1972-1995). Baseball, which began in 1972, was discontinued following the 1977 season. It was brought back as a MEAC governed sport along with women’s volleyball in 1983. Women’s softball became a MEAC sanctioned sport in 1992. Bowling was officially sanctioned as a MEAC sport in 1999. Before that season, the MEAC was the first conference to secure NCAA sanctioning for women’s bowling by adopting the club sport prior to the 1996-97 school year.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY 2011-12 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD MEDIA GUIDE That same year, Morgan State won the NCAA College Division II National Championship and junior Marvin “The Human Eraser” Webster was named the Division II Player of the Year. The 1981 tournament champion Howard Bison became the first MEAC team to play in the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship. Coppin State and Hampton made history in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament with first-round victories. The No. 15 seeded Coppin State defeated No. 2 South Carolina in 1997 and No. 15 seeded Hampton defeated No. 2 Iowa State in 2001. Both victories ranked among the Top 10 greatest tournament upsets of all-time by ESPN’s SportsCenter. In women’s basketball, South Carolina State won the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Division II National Championship in 1979. In 1982, Howard became the first MEAC women’s team to participate in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. South Carolina State earned the conference’s bid in 1983 and became the first MEAC team, men or women, to win an opening-round game in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. The No. 14 North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies faced No.3 Florida State in the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. The 14th seed was the highest seed earned by a MEAC women’s basketball program since the inception of the 64-team bracket in 1994. The Lady Aggies defeated Wake Forest and Charlotte before falling to Miami in the third round of the 2010 Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). North Carolina A&T became the first MEAC team and historical black college/university to win two consecutive basketball games in a national postseason tournament. In football, the MEAC was instrumental in constructing the Freedom Bowl All-Star Classic, the Heritage Bowl, and the Gold Bowl. Prior to Division I competition, the MEAC competed in the Gold Bowl held in Richmond, Va., which matched the MEAC champion against the champion of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). South Carolina State represented the MEAC in 1976 and 1979, winning both outings over Winston-Salem State and Norfolk State respectively. In addition to the 1976 and 1979 crowns, South Carolina State won MEAC football titles in 1974-78, 1980-83, 1994, 2004, 2008 and 2009. During the 1981 and 1982 seasons they reached the second round of the I-AA championships. In outdoor track and field, North Carolina Central won the first three MEAC outdoor titles and finished fourth in the 1974 NCAA Division I Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship. NCCU’s Larry Black was a member of the 1972 Olympic 400-meter relay team that won the gold medal. He won the silver medal in the 200-meter dash. MEAC women began outdoor track and field conference competition in 1980. In 1982, South Carolina State won the AIAW Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championship. The MEAC has showcased over 27 athletes in the Olympics and 11 have earned medals during the Summer Games. In 2003, Florida A&M became the first MEAC school to win a volleyball match in the NCAA Championship, with a first-round win over Winthrop. In 2004, the Lady Rattlers became the first historically black college/university to rank in the Top 25 of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll. South Carolina State’s women’s tennis team earned the conference’s first Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) ranking in a 2005 final poll reaching a No. 72 ranking. In softball, Bethune-Cookman earned the conference’s first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Softball Championship in 2005. The Lady Wildcats defeated Florida, Central Florida and South Florida in the Florida Regional to become the first MEAC school to win a NCAA Division I Softball Regional. Bethune-Cookman ended the 2005 season with the conferences’ first-ever rankings in the final softball polls, reaching No. 18 in the NFCA/ USA Today Coaches poll and No. 23 in the USA Softball/ESPN.com Poll. Florida A&M was the first MEAC baseball team to advance to NCAA postseason play in 1994. The Rattlers took on Southeastern Louisiana in a best of three play-in series, falling after two games, 11-10 and 8-7. During the 2002 campaign, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats advanced to the Gainesville Regional and became the first MEAC team to win in the NCAA Tournament with a 7-4 victory over Florida International. The Wildcats had previously lost to Florida in their first game 13-1 and were eliminated from the regional with a 21-10 loss in their second matchup against the Gators.

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS The MEAC has enjoyed tremendous athletic success over the years. In 2008, Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) defeated Arkansas State 4-2 to win the NCAA Women’s Bowling National Championship, a first for the conference and institution. With the victory, Lady Hawks’ head coach Sharon Brummell became the first female head coach to win a NCAA bowling title. In men’s basketball, UMES became the first historical black college/university to participate in the 1974 National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The Hawks defeated Manhattan, 84-81, in the first round before falling to Jacksonville by two points in the second round. Before the Jacksonville loss UMES had the best record in the nation at 27-1.

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