Sept. 20, 2019
A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends
Founders’ Week 2019 Summer Commencement
The 45 graduates who were celebrated during the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s summer commencement included an athlete who found UMES while competing for an in-state rival, a couple who met in class and plan to marry, and an entrepreneurial undergraduate with a big heart. The 2019 edition of the university’s September graduation exercises featured a new wrinkle -- the inclusion of a handful of undergraduates who completed degree requirements before the traditional December ceremony. Held during Founders’ Week, past September graduations typically were for graduate students who completed their doctor of physical therapy studies so they could qualify to take a national licensure exam in October. FOUNDERS’ WEEK / continued on page 2
UMES’ 16th leader inaugurated on Founders’ Day
INSIDE
Dr. Heidi M. Anderson was formally inaugurated Sept. 13 as the 16th leader of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on the 133rd anniversary of the institution’s founding. When Anderson took office on Sept 1, 2018, she became the fourth woman in the 21st century to serve as UMES’ president. The university opened its doors as a private prep school on Sept. 13, 1886, when nine students were welcomed by principal Benjamin Oliver Bird and his wife, Portia, who eventually became its first female leader in 1897 after her husband died. “It is with pride and humility,”Anderson said, “I acknowledge that I stand on shoulders of not only our founders, but also all the previous presidents who have served our great institution.” The serendipitous alignment of the calendar one year into her tenure inspired Anderson to pick Founders’ Day 2019 for the tradition-rich ceremony held in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. Among those on hand were colleagues who lead other University System of Maryland institutions, and Dr. Helen Giles-Gee and Dr. Linda Bleicken, two mentors whom Anderson singled out and thanked in her inauguration speech. Anderson’s installation as UMES president marks the pinnacle of a four-decade career in
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Dean on lynching Founders’ Week commission graduation cont. NIH pharmacy grant New Faculty
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Rev. W. Tycer Nelson Freshman Move In Day 2019
higher education that began as a graduate teaching assistant at her alma mater, Purdue University, where she earned three degrees, including a doctorate in pharmacy administration in 1986. She is a first generation college graduate. “I am now privileged to lead at a pivotal moment at this institution and in the town of Princess Anne,” she said. “I am heartened and energized by the vast store of goodwill from a number of people who believe in our institution. People recognize this university embodies hope and represents the future for many students, and they want to help us succeed.”
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Founders’ Week 2019 and Inauguration events
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Station1 Fellowship Summer experience Alum named MANRRS President
Page 11 Page 12 Volleyball Cross country
Athletes Greet GES students 1st day of school Class of 1969 Reunion
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Circling the Oval
The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
SUMMER COMMENCEMENT / continued from cover
NEW FACULTY
Among newly minted alumni was Samantha Phillips of Chesapeake, Va., who did her undergraduate studies at Longwood University, where she majored in kinesiology and played four years of varsity soccer. Phillips was uninterested in a career “that put (her) behind a desk,” so she pursued a graduate degree in physical therapy -- a decision inspired by her experience caring for a special-needs child when she was a teenager. She hopes to specialize in pediatric care. Phillips described her UMES experience as rewarding, in more ways than one. She plans to marry one of her classmates, Kyle Goodwin of Salisbury, who got an approving round of applause when President Heidi M. Anderson told the audience about the couple’s love story. Among those in the Fitzgerald center audience were Ariel Richard’s relatives, who traveled from her hometown, Los Angeles, Calif., to see the former Coppin State University volleyball player receive her physical therapy degree. “The program here is awesome,” Richard said. “There are great professors who open to work closely with students above and beyond what
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you would expect.” After spending seven years pursuing college degrees in Maryland, Richard will return to the West Coast, and already has started networking with UMES alumni who work in the area. Maranda Emily Mitchell of Salisbury was among three undergraduates on hand to recieve a bachelor degree during the Founders’ Week commencement. Mitchell studied accounting while also getting real world experience working as an intern for Granger and Company, PA, a Salisbury accounting firm. Two years ago, Mitchell started her own dog-walking and pet-sitting business. She also made time to do volunteer work as a puppy foster parent for Grass Roots Rescue in Delaware -- and at Peninsula Regional Medical Center, where she provided much-needed cuddling for babies in the Special Care Nursery. Mitchell crossed the Fitzgerald stage confidently knowing she had a job awaiting - she’ll be joining Granger and Company as an accountant.
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT
TITLE
Sadanand Arun Dhekney
Agriculture/Operations
Associate professor
Timonthy N. Sparta
Physician Assistant
Clinical instructor
Kamil Alzayady
Physician Assistant
Assistant professor
George Keith Shaeffer
School of Health Professions
Assistant professor
Emily Paige Biskach
School of Health Professions
Post-doctoral research associate
Sherrie Lee Tennessee
Hotel & Restaurant Management/Operations
Lecturer
Julie A. Bellemare
Hotel & Restaurant Management/Operations
Lecturer
Linda Joyce Forristal
Hotel & Restaurant Management/Operations
Associate professor
Lanju Mei
Engineering & Aviation/Operations
Assistant professor
Janet Dewer Eke
Library Sciences
Librarian I
Jason M. Cornelius
Math & Computer Science
Visiting lecturer
Kimberly Galloway-Holmes
English & Modern Languages
Visiting lecturer
Nancy S. Niemi
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Provost
UMES People Adel Karara and Anjan Nan – professors in UMES’ School of Pharmacy – have secured a $1.3 million grant funded by the Science Education Partnership Award program administered by the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. The award will be used over the next five years in partnership with Somerset County public schools to provide its high school students – especially minority and under-served students – with hands-on experiences in drug discovery and biomedical research. Working closely with Somerset County educators, UMES School of Pharmacy faculty developed hands-on training labs that are being integrated with biomedical instruction offered at the high schools. Overall, the expected outcome is a research training program designed to stimulate students’ interest in and pursuit of pharmaceutical, health-related and biomedical research careers, ultimately enhancing the diversity of the biomedical research workforce. An inaugural one-week summer camp in July on the UMES campus introduced 23 students to the rigors and expectations they could expect to experience if they choose to pursue a career in health care.
UMES pharmacy school receives $1.3 million NIH science education grant
Throughout the 2019-2020 academic year, those students will continue to have multiple opportunities to interact with experienced UMES scientists who specialize in biomedical / pharmaceutical research. Dr. John Gaddis, Somerset County’s superintendent, said the partnership with UMES “opens another door for our students.”
UMES Dean appointed to Md. Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission Dr. Marshall F. Stevenson Jr. (dean, School of Education, Social Sciences & The Arts) will represent UMES on the newly formed Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The 2019 Maryland legislature created the panel to investigate the state’s history of vigilante acts between 1854 and 1933. The commission is charged with generating a report addressing how the state should publicly reconcile at least 40 known unlawful acts. Each of Maryland’s four historically black universities has a historian serving on the commission. “The creation of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project comes
The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
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“We’re thrilled about the exposure they’ll be getting,” Gaddis said, “as well as the professional development opportunities for our teachers.” Each student will go through a two-year cycle in the program that includes the summer camp as well as several meetings during the school year. The program will be able to accommodate approximately 50 students annually. Additionally, the high school students will be mentored by a group of pharmacy graduate students who will provide on-going support to encourage the program participants to keep them focused on moving forward with their science career plans – and provide them guidance on college readiness. Karara and Nan are hopeful the Somerset County school partnership will focus attention on biomedical / pharmaceutical sciences and health professions programs like those offered at UMES while improving participants’ chances for gaining college admission to pursue degrees in pharmacy, health professions and research-focused biomedical programs. “Having our students on the UMES campus is such a shot in the arm and a validation that our bio-med program is on the right track,” Gaddis said.
at a critical time in the history of the state and the nation,” Stevenson said. “It coincides with the commemoration of 400 years of enslavement and the struggle for freedom waged by African Americans, as well as the national political debate on reparations because of that enslavement.” The last known lynching in Maryland chronicled by newspaper accounts took place in Princess Anne and resulted in the death George Armwood in 1933. Stevenson said he’ll be talking and listening to other commission members about whether the panel should convene a fact-finding session in Princess Anne. “The current state of race relations, racial violence and the resurgence of white supremacy in the United States makes the recognition and memory of lynching more relevant than ever,” Stevenson said. The panel must submit an interim report to the legislature and governor by September 2020. A final report is due December 2021.
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The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
School History
Md. State College chaplain & professor remembered as vivid orator Rev. W. Tycer Nelson’s service spanned nearly a quarter century By Tahja Cropper
Tycer Nelson seated at desk.
Rev. T. Nelson surprises students in a brilliant address at Leadership Conocations.
The Rev. William Tycer Nelson has a distinctive place in the history of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where he served as a sociology professor and the college chaplain for 23 years during the Maryland State College era beginning in 1948. Born in Marion, S.C. on Feb. 19, 1915, Nelson was one of seven siblings. Ministry played a significant role in Nelson’s life as his father, Dr. Warren Julius Nelson, was a Presbyterian minister who would live to see four of his six sons follow in his footsteps. Nelson’s preparation for the ministry began prior to his formal education and training at Johnson C. Smith University, Western Theological Seminary and the University of Pittsburgh. In a 1956 family profile (Rev. Warren J. Nelson and his four preaching sons) published in Sunday Digest, writer Harry Edward Neal paints a vivid picture of Tycer Nelson as a young boy who officiated a funeral for a sparrow. This funeral was among several that young Nelson presided over including burials for frogs, birds and grasshoppers, which demonstrated his respect for all life at an early age. “There has also been sermons to ‘congregations’ – his brothers, his friends, his mother and his father,” Neal said about Nelson’s practice for preaching as a child. As an adult, he went on to pastor churches in the Carolinas, New York, and Virginia. Ernest Satchell, a 1963 Maryland State alum, recalls Nelson’s time as pastor of Union Baptist Church in Eastville, on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. “I was 12 years old in 1953. The church didn’t have an indoor pool at that time, so we were baptized in the creek,” Satchell said. “When they put me under the water, Rev. Nelson was holding one arm and a deacon was holding the other. They lost me somehow and I took on a little bit of water. I couldn’t swim,” he said with laughter. “It was a real experience for me. I don’t remember the sermon that day. I just remember trying to keep warm when we were back in the church on that cold day,” Satchell said. Nelson was regarded as a man of the people.
“He could hold his own with anyone from dignitaries to regular people,” Satchell said. During his time at Maryland State, Nelson was involved in bringing to campus some of the era’s most notable dignitaries. Among these university guests of high stature were former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1954 commencement speaker), Thurgood Marshall (1957 commencement speaker) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1959 commencement speaker). “Rev. Nelson once told me ‘you’re a man first and preacher second’,” said Dr. Herman Eure (MSC ’69) regarding Nelson’s ability to engage with his students. “Rev. Nelson was honest with himself,” said Eure, a retired professor emeritus of biology at Wake Forest University. “To say that he was a character is an understatement.” Nelson’s melodious baritone voice still conjures fond memories for the campus community. “It’s as though he had the ability to preach you right into heaven almost,” Eure said. One of his most memorable sermons, “Stargazers and Trail Blazers,” serves as a reminder of his positive impact on the students of Maryland State. Nelson addressed the difference in people who go through life never fulfilling their dreams and those who act on their dreams. Nelson was a highly regarded speaker who routinely received invitations from prominent African American churches in New York City. In August 1957, he was a guest preacher at the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn. At 6’2” tall, William Tycer Nelson’s physical stature served as a metaphor for his impact on the campus community. “Reverend Nelson was very special. There was no one like him,” said Jennie Johnson Aiden, a sociology major and 1969 Maryland State alumna. Aiden credits Nelson’s encouragement for her to use her voice as a catalyst for her success. “I’m going as far as I can go,” recalled Aiden, a licensed clinical social worker.
School History (L-R) Mrs. Jane A. Nelson, Rev. Tycer Nelson, and their daughter Gail at their Md. State College apartment. Photo: Gail Nelson-Holgate
The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
U.S. News & World Report’s
Top 20 HBCUs
Peers rate UMES among nation’s elite RANK SCHOOL 1 Spelman College (GA) 2 Howard University (DC) 3 Xavier University of Louisiana 4 Hampton University (VA) 4 Morehouse College (GA) 6 North Carolina A&T State Univ. 7 Florida A&M University 8 Tuskegee University (AL) 9 Claflin University (SC) “Reverend Nelson knew who he was and he was a great mentor,” Eure said. “He advised us on how to march when we protested in the Town of Princess Anne.” “It’s almost like the E.F. Hutton (advertising) slogan ’when Rev. Nelson spoke, people listened’,” said Satchell. “He was a brilliant orator. He was everything.” Nelson also had a great sense of humor. Satchell recalls a Maryland State football game, where Nelson served as the public address announcer and suggested they call the wide receiver “Butter Finger” after Billy Finger dropped a pass. Nelson married Jane Avant, whom he met at her father’s church in Durham, N.C. They had one daughter, Gail Nelson-Holgate. “He was my dad. He was very outgoing and just easy to talk to,” said the singer and Broadway performer who grew up on the UMES campus. “He would always end his speeches, especially to students, with the line ‘Go forth with a manly heart and without fear.” He was a loyal member (Phi Alpha chapter) of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. which recognized him posthumously for his four decades of dedication and service. Nelson also held membership in the American Sociological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association of University Professors, and the National Association of College and University Chaplains. In 1965, he was recognized as College Minister of the Year by “Les Africans”. He died July 21, 1971 in Salisbury, Md. after a brief illness. He was just 56.
9 Fisk University (TN) 11 Dillard University (LA) 11 North Carolina Central Univ. 13 Clark Atlanta University 13 Delaware State University 15 Morgan State University (MD) 16 Tougaloo College (MS) 17 Jackson State University (MS) 17 Winston-Salem State Univ. (NC) 19 Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore 19 Lincoln University (PA) 21 Prairie View A&M University (TX) 21 Virginia State University Schools listed in bold are public
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Move-
The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
UMES welcomes Trinity Scott of Kalamazoo, MI poses with parents, Dr. Michael and Dr. Tamara Scott, outside of the honors dormitory on Move In Day 2019.
Dr. Heidi Anderson assisted Tijah Jones of Dover, Del. with moving in footwear for the semester. Sydnee Walker of Rockville, her sister (in yellow), Lainee, mom Katie and cousin Jasmin Falls were among early arrivĂŠes greeted by President Heidi M. Anderson at University Terrace on freshman movein day.
Jason Rodriquez of Edgewood, Md. had help moving into Court Plaza New Hawks enter the nest among the from his family, including both parents sporting UMES shirts. residents of Wicomico Hall on Move In Day.
I n Day
The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
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the Class of 2023 All hands on deck at University Terrace! Freshman Dyani Williams (third from right in white shirt) had support from the whole family including little brother Christian on Move In Day.
The UMES Residence Life crew was on site to welcome the newest residents of Wicomico Hall. L-R: Rafael �RJ� Custodio, Oswald Alabi-Ga, Fred Adeoye, Area Director Zachary Castell, Amir Talton, Fred Kipchumba, and Peter Fagbenjo
Miriam Yagboyaju of Fort Washington, Md. received some help from the Lady Hawks UMES Volleyball team during Move In Day.
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The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
University System of Maryland Chancellor Robert Caret and (USM) Regent Dr. Michelle Gourdine flank Dr. Heidi Anderson and her husband, Leon Roberts, on stage at her presidential inauguration.
Founde
Among those in the presidential inauguration audience was Eric Smith, who traveled from New Jersey to surprise his first teacher in pharmacy school, Dr. Heidi M. Anderson.
Hawks gather to celebrate Dr. Anderson’s inauguration at the Inaugural There were smiles all around at the Scholarship Dinner. L-R: Melvin Hill (MSC ’63) Mrs. Elsa and Mr. Ernest scholarship dinner Sept. 14. L-R: Bonnie Satchell (MSC ’63), and Kenneth Simpler (MSC ’65). Luna, member of UMES Board of Visitors, Miss UMES Sarah Adewumi, Mister UMES Hector Cime and state Sen. Mary Beth Carozza.
r s ’ We e k
Jarrell EB Young, Kenny Gaston and Nicolas Armanie Smith are beaming with Hawk Pride after receiving their doctor of physical therapy degrees.
The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
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The UMES community gathered in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 Americans who died during terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001. Wreaths were presented in memory of 9/11 victims and the contributions of UMES’ founders over the university’s 133-year history. L-R: UMES student Malachi Greer, campus police Chief Mark Tyler, Princess Anne police Chief Tim Bozman and UMES School of Pharmacy’s Dr. James Bresette.
The 30th anniversary celebration of UMES’ aviation sciences program and its founder, the late Abraham Spinak, kicked off Founders’ Week 2019. More than 200 people attended the Sept. 8 event
in the Engineering and Aviation Science Complex to celebrate Dr. Spinak’s contributions and the growth of the lone aviation bachelor’s degree program in Maryland.
Program alumni who returned to the nest to celebrate ranged from the Class of 1995 (Michael Donohue - far back right with glasses) to the Class of 2015 (Julian Fernandes – far right in white shirt). Aviation Sciences program coordinator and professor Chris Hartman is kneeling.
UMES President Heidi M. Anderson greets Ruth Spinak, wife of the late founding aviation training program director, before the university paid tribute to him during the Sept. 8 celebration.
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The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
School News
UMES engineering major named Station1 Frontiers Fellow Axel Bayingana, a senior mechanical engineering major, spent 10 weeks this past summer working at Altaeros Energies in Somerville, Mass., as he was selected for the prestigious 2019 Station1 Frontiers Fellowship program. The program provides fellows with an internship in a leading science and technology company or university research laboratory, mentorship, a shared curriculum focused on socially-directed science and technology and a competitive stipend. At the MIT “spin-out” company, Bayingana assisted engineers with a blimp-like balloon that operates similar to a cell phone tower. “It was a wonderful learning experience,” Bayingana said. “I appreciate what I learned about the design of systems like this.” “The Station1 Frontiers Fellowship program is doing great work with providing opportunities to students like me,” he said. “I encourage other UMES students to apply for these opportunities. Take a shot.” The fellowship has provided additional experience to complete his senior project. Graduate school is among Bayingana’s options following graduation in December.
Q & A with Karl Binns Jr.
National President of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources & Related Sciences Q: What is MANRRS role in the agriculture industry? A: Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources & Related Sciences is a national non-profit organization that strives to increase the number of students going into STEM fields, especially agriculture. It is the only organization with the specific mission for agriculture and natural resources and we take pride in being a thought-leader and beacon for change. Q: When and why did you become interested in Ag or Ag education? A: It wasn’t until I was recruited into the UMES Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program that I became interested in agriculture. The scholarship program led me to the field and provided exposure to new opportunities in fields I never knew existed. Q: Describe your new role as national president of MANRRS? A: My role as National President entails providing strategic leadership for a student membership base pushing 2,000 as well as an alumni base of over 7,000. I lead the National Officer Team of professionals and students from around the country as well as our staff based in Atlanta, GA. I also represent MANRRS at home and abroad at the highest levels of industry, government and academia as they are all stakeholders for our organization. Q: What are your goals for your new position with the organization? A: My goals include leading efforts to build out our new five-year strategic plan, increase the MANRRS presence in some new and much needed spaces and develop programming to support our chapters
Karl Binns Jr. (’10) was an agriculture major whose path at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore led to a career of service. Binns currently serves as president of Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources & Related Sciences (2019-2020), where he plans to continue to support and advocate for minority students as well as promoting diversity, equity and inclusion through the industries which members of the organization operate. Binns is passionate about making sure students and communities have equitable access to information and opportunities. and advisors financially and professionally. It is surreal to be National President of an organization I joined 14 years ago. MANRRS has had a monumental impact on my life and I’m truly honored to be elected to lead the organization this year. Q: Describe UMES’ role in your Ag career? What advice do you have for someone looking to learn more about the Ag industry? A: UMES was critical in my development as an undergraduate student. Our emphasis on student leadership pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I didn’t fully appreciate the value of the mentors I had at UMES until after graduation, when I realized others did not have similar experiences in college. My advice for someone looking to learn more about the Ag industry is to seek out your nearest MANRRS chapter and land-grant university. We relish the opportunity to expose folks to the lucrative lanes for people in Agriculture. It is essential for us get the best talent as well as diverse voices involved in our food system. Karl Binns was instrumental in bringing the 2019 Maryland Future Farmers of America State Convention to the UMES campus this summer. This is the first time in the organization’s nine decades it has convened on campus and will return in the summer of 2020.
School News
Volleyball team searching for momentum with MEAC looming The UMES volleyball team fell to Hampton University and Robert Morris University (Pa.) on the second day of the Henson’s Hawk Invitational over the presidential inauguration weekend. On the tournament’s first day, however, the Lady Hawks defeated Rider University (N.J.) in four sets. The scores from the match were 27-25, 25-22, 25-27 and 25-23. “It was good to get a win on our home court, and the fans were awesome,” head coach Trevor Callarman said after the tournament’s opening win. In Saturday’s first match-up, the Hawks and Hampton played a marathon five-set match. The scores were 19-25, 25-17, 25-15, 18-25 and 7-15. UMES started slowly against Hampton but won the second and third set. The turning point in the MEAC-rival match-up came with the Hawks up 18-17 in the fourth set. Senior captain Ivana Blazevic suffered a lower body injury that took her out of the lineup for a majority of the rest of the set. Hampton capitalized on the moment and went on a run to take the match 3-2. Sophomore Stella Johnson anchored the defense with 20 digs in the contest. Junior Ilina Spasova led the squad with 13 kills and junior Anica Jestratijevic finished with six aces. In the nightcap against the Robert Morris, UMES played with more enthusiasm at the start. The Lady Hawks jumped out on the undefeated Colonials and held a 15-10 lead following a kill from sophomore Mauri Carver. After that, Robert Morris responded with a 15-5 run to win set number one. The second set was more of a back-and-forth affair. Robert Morris pulled away at the end lead 23-17 before the Hawks rallied with Johnson on the service line to make the score 23-21. The Colonials took a timeout and would come out and get two of the next three points to conclude the set. In the final frame, the Hawks held a 17-14 lead before Robert Morris rallied again to take the final set. There was a silver lining, however, in the UMES-Robert Morris stat sheet. Blazevic got her 2,594th career assist to become the Hawks all-time leader in the category. The senior also was named to the all-tournament team and was joined by Carver, who capped her weekend with a career-high 12 kills against Robert Morris. In spite of the disappointing results, Callarman said, “this weekend was big for us because we decided as a team to play with more heart and defend our home court better.” “This is going to be a different team moving forward and I am excited about that because I think this is a championship team,” he said. The Lady Hawks headed to Jersey City, N.J. with an early season record of 3-wins 7-losses for a mid-week match against Saint Peter’s Wednesday, a team they beat earlier in the season. The team will stay on the road this weekend, playing another tournament in West Hartford, Conn before Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play begins in earnest Sept. 27 at Morgan State. “When we get into conference play, we will be successful if this team can continue to play with the fire we saw at different points tonight,” Callarman said. “And there is no telling what this team can do if we do that.”
The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
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Cross-country frosh show promise in early meets
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore got a third-place finish from freshman Aurelia Jepkorir making her collegiate debut in the 5-kilometer race for women a week ago at the William & Mary Invitational. Fellow Kenyan Edwin Kipruto led the men’s team with a 10th place finish in the 6-kilometer event, which included three personal records for the men’s squad. “Aurelia was leading the race with less than a mile remaining,” Hawks head coach Damion Drummond said. “While she eventually would finish third, it was impressive because it was her first time not only running the race in collegiate competition, but also the first time she had run the 5K distance in competition period.” Senior Amirah Jones continued to impress posting a time of 21:26.46, which placed her 21st overall. Sophomore Fancy Kipyego finished 30th (22:29.65). The women picked up a third-place finish as a team behind William & Mary and Christopher Newport. Hampton finished fourth. “Overall, we fared well against some experienced competition,” Drummond said. “This race was to challenge our teams a little more as we ramp up the early season.” It also was a third-place team finish for the men in a five-team field. Let by Kipruto’s time of 20:05.81, a tight grouping included freshman Nahom Ftwi, who was 12th with a 20:25.16 and senior John Akakeya in 15th at 20:35.69. The trio posted personal bests. The William & Mary meet was Akakeya’s first competition of the season after missing the season-opener with an injury. The reigning team MVP will look to continue to improve heading into the Eastern Shore XC Invitational Saturday (Sept. 21) at home, while the newcomers will keep pushing him. “Overall, I’m very proud of the team as they performed up to par on the hilly terrain,” Drummond said, adding the “home (meet) competition should be just as exciting.” On Aug. 31, the men’s squad finished fourth in a five-team field at the second annual Howard University Labor Day meet. The Hawks were led by Ftwi, who finished the 5-kilometer run in fourth with a time of 16:41.92. On the women’s side, Jones’ time of 21:15.90 in the 5K race paced the Lady Hawks, who also finished fourth in a five-team field.
Hawks welcome elementary students on first day of school
Greenwood Elementary School students in Princess Anne were met by cheering Hawks on Sept. 3 UMES athletes from the baseball, basketball, volleyball and track teams were on site to support students on their first day of school. UMES cheerleaders were also present to spread Hawk Pride. “We are proud to be active members of our community, especially right here in Princess Anne. The students who attend Greenwood Elementary are part of Princess Anne’s future and we wanted them to know that we are here for them and invested in their success, especially academically, since they are the future of our town,” Hawk Athletics said. ”We thought it was important to go out and spread a little Hawk Pride on the first day of school.” Photo: UMES Athletics The Key / Sept. 20, 2019
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