Sports Beat column - February 21, 2007

Sports Beat
February 21, 2007

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

One of the really good colleges in Maryland and the United States is Villa Julie College in Baltimore County . Nestled in the hills of Baltimore County off of Stevenson Road its campus is beautiful and compares with St. Mary's College in St. Mary's County. They have excellent facilities and they have a budding athletic program, with very good coaches and as the teams in basketball have shown they are title contenders. This week the menâ¤s and women's advanced to the NEAC playoffs in basketball. They both closed out their regular season with wins over SUNY-Purchace on senior and parents day at home. Before the women's game coach Chris Reamer honored his two seniors Kim Hutchison ( St. Leonard and Patuxent HS) and Team Captain Cara Hill (Oxon Hill HS). Before the men's game coach and AD Brett Adams honored his five seniors Steven Segears (Lanham and St. John's College ), Cilk McSweeney ( Penn St. transfer from Florida ), Chris Warren ( Largo and McNamara), Phil Williams (Captain from District Heights & McNamara) and Vincent Rigatuso (Lansdowne HS). Segears is Villa Julie's All-Time scoring and assist leader and another local on the men's team is Chaise Lancaster (Bowie-NW) and on the women's team Andrea Somerville (Leonardtown HS) and Dominique Patton. The women's team finished the regular season at 17-8 and 13-3, the men's team 17-7 and 14-2. Both teams won in the NEAC quarter finals, the women came from behind to down Penn State U. at Berks 73-61 to advance to the semi-finals. The men won their 13th straight downing Philadelphia Biblical 83-67 to advance to the semi-finals this weekend at home. Both the men and women's seniors received Villa Julie watches.

Garrett won the women's Maryland JUCO basketball tournament held this past weekend, they beat Hagerstown for the title. The All-Tournament team:
Leah Gonzalez, Allegany
Ashley Loper, Cecil
Brittany Vines, CSM
Ronda Shelley, CCBC Dundalk
Denise Campbell, Frederick
Brittany Jackson, Garrett
Yolonda Anthony, Garrett
Samantha Cain, Hagerstown
Jamie Robinson, Hagerstown

Thea Garland did another great job in guiding Garrett to the title in this event held at Anne Arundel Community College . Among those in attendance at the championship game were Bruce Springer (AACC, coordinator of athletics), John Wardell (AACC women's coach) and Barvenia Wooten-Collier (PGCC women's coach). Richard Keller did his usual excellent job as the PA announcer. Richard has just had his article â¤¦Managing the Scorersâ¤ Tableâ¤? published.

Student-Athletes Excel in the Classroom

The Bowie State University Department of Athletics would like to acknowledge the following student-athletes for their outstanding academic achievements for the fall 2006 semester. There were 23 student-athletes who made the Deanâ¤s List and 38 student-athletes who earned a 3.49 â¤³ 3.00 GPA for the semester. We would like to especially congratulate our womenâ¤s softball team for holding the highest team GPA earning a 3.56. The bowling and tennis teams were achievers as well earning team GPAâ¤s of 3.48 and 3.10 respectively. The Bowling team regained the athletic departmentâ¤s team cumulative honors with their 3.31 cumulative GPA through the fall 2006 semester. Followed by the softball and tennis cumulative team GPA's of 3.19 and 3.15. Finally, we are proud to announce the academic achievement of our scholar athletes who earned 4.0 GPAâ¤s for the fall 2006 semester. Congratulations to Janine Canlas â¤³ Bowling, Danielle Davis â¤³ Tennis, Marthe Amon â¤³ Women's Track and Field and Abrelle Jenkins â¤³ Cheerleadering.

Dean's List Student-Athletes: 3.5 GPA or higher

Men's Basketball: Aaron Hutchinson
Bowling: Janine Canlas, Cassie Williams
Tennis: Danielle Davis, Erica Smith
Women's Track: Phylicia Buie, Jennifer Geter, Marthe Amon, Damara Parrish, Trudi-Ann Thompson
Men's Track: Melvin Johnson, Walter Morton
Football: Jason Braithwaite, Devin Burton, Seth Rhoads, Durrell York
Cheerleading: Abrelle Jenkins
Softball: Tricia Corbin, Heather Enders, Christina Rzepecki, Tiffany Toney, Stephanie Warejko, Jillian Willey

3.49 & 3.0 GPA:

Men's Basketball: Cory Scott
Women's Basketball: Krystle Earle, Tyra Lusby, Bethany Sloat
Bowling: Victoria Hosgood, Jesica Sites, Brittany Stewart, Kellye Underwood
Tennis: Angelica Barrett, Janelle Brown-Niles, Samantha Greene
Softball: Virginia Hockey, Randi Willey
Volleyball: Kendra Harris, Renee Woodhead
Women's Track: Rhea Godsey, Venesha Jackson, Elise Perkins, Brittany Smith
Men's Track: Jason Linnear, Damien Montgomery, Kenneth Roach, Ramon Valentine, Eric Wright
Football: Biniam Abebe, Julius Askins, Cheston Boyd, Dwayne Frost, Anthony Howe, Jerrick Jeffreys, Peter Mensah, Joshua Miller, Demarcus Reeves, Jamaal Wright
Cheerleading: Courtney Halsey, David Hooker, Jhatia McKnight, Kendra Simmons

CONGRATULATIONS AND JOB WELL DONE TO THE STUDENT-ATHLETES!!!!!

SAINT PAUL'S DROPS BOWIE STATE 106-95
Tigers First Win Over Bulldogs Since 2003

Saint Paulâ¤s College snapped a seven game losing streak to Bowie State University , beating the Bulldogs 196-95. The victory improved the Tigers record to 11-14 overall, 7-11 in the CIAA and 3-6 in the CIAA Eastern Division. Talking about a tale of two halves, this was it. Field goal shooting was pretty comparable in the first 20 minutes. Bowie State hit 47.6 percent (20-of-42) and Saint Paul's connected on 17-of-40 (42.5 percent). The Saint Paul's Tigers led briefly in the first half before Bowie State's Corey Scott scored a lay-up at the 17:41 mark, giving the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead. BSU led by eight points at one point (39-31) before Saint Paul's clawed back to within two (43-41) with 47 seconds left before halftime. Back-to-back field goals by senior Gil Goodrich (23 points) lifted Bowie State to a 46-41 advantage at intermission. BSU's lead didn't last long in the second half. A Bruce Royal 3-pointer tied the game at 48 at the 18:15 mark, but a jumper by junior Jason Ingram put the Bulldogs back in front 50-48. Hassan Robinson knotted the game up at 50 and two Royal free throws shifted the advantage back to the SPC Tigers. Saint Paul's then went on a 13-4 run to increase their lead to 65-54 and led by as much as 15 points (77-62) by the 10:41 mark of the final period. The Bulldogs trailed by double figures until a Goodrich 3-pointer trimmed the Bowie State deficit to 93-85 with 3:35 left to play. However, Bowie State didnâ¤t a big enough shovel to dig out of the hole they created. Saint Paul's improved their shooting percentage in the second half to 64.7 percent, converting 22-of-34 from the field which included five-of-six from behind the arc. Bowie State on the other hand, saw its shooting percentage drop 40.5 percent (17-of-42) in the final period. BSU's Bulldogs also shot themselves in the foot from the charity stripe, making only 14-of-23. Robinson led four of five Tigers' starters with 30 points. Saint Paul's also got good point production from Jack Browne (21 points) and Royal with 17 points. Browne tied for a team-high nine rebounds with Shahumaad Jones. Senior Tyronne Beale led Bowie State with a game-high 31 points and tied for a team-high 10 rebounds with junior Orlando Wright (10 points). Other Bulldogs to score in double figures include Ingram with 13 points and Joshua Johnson with 10 points.

SAINT PAUL'S SWEEPS SEASON SERIES AGAINST BOWIE STATE
Lady Tigers Knockoff Lady Bulldogs 67-56

The Lady of Saint Paul's did something they had not done in a very long time. For the first time since the 1988-1989 season, Bowie State's Lady Bulldogs were swept in a season series, beating BSU 67-56. The loss dips Bowie State's record to 14-10 on the year, 10-8 in the CIAA and 3-5 in the East. The visitors from Lawrenceville (VA) led the final 17:58 of the first half, knocking down 13-of-20 from the floor. The game was actually tied twice in the first half, 2-2 and 9-9 before Saint Paul's inched away to take a 25-15 lead with 9:43 remaining in the first half. The Lady Tigers took a 32-30 lead into their locker room with confidence at the break. Saint Paul's torched the A.C. Jordan Arena nets at a 65.0 percent clip from the field compared to 31.3 percent for the home team.

Neither team scored a bucket in the first 3:20 of the second half until Saint Paul's Tatiana Ellis' jumper at the 16:40 mark. The lead would change hands three times over the next 6:58. The scored was tied at 43-43 before Bowie State senior Genet Moore put the Lady Bulldogs in front 45-43 courtesy of free throws. Unfortunately, it went down hill fast from there for BSU's Lady Bulldogs. Saint Paul's erupted for a 16-2 run to bust the game open and propelled the Lady Tigers to a 59-47 cushion they would not relinquish. Bowie State managed to trim the deficit to six points (62-56) with 1:40 remaining in the game but would get no closer.

Even though the Saint Paul's shooting percentage dropped to 38.7 percent in the final 20 minutes so did Bowie State's. The Lady Bulldogs fell to 28.0 percent shooting in the second half, managing only seven-of-25 from the field. The Lady Bulldogs were led by Moore with 26 points off the Bowie State bench, which included four-of-seven from behind the 3-point line and eight-of-nine from the free throw line. Sophomore Markeya Watson was the only other Bowie State player to reach double figures in scoring. Watson ended the game with her fifth double-double of the season, accounting for 16 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Saint Paul's was paced by Katrina Wright with a game-high 15 points. Juantale Cook came off the SPC bench to score 13 points and Saleathia Parker added another 11 points for the Lady Tigers. Parker also led both teams in rebounds, pulling down 11 boards.

The Best of the CIAA: All-Conference Men's and Women's
Basketball Teams and Players of the Year Selected

The long awaited Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association All-CIAA Men's and Women's Teams and Players of the Year have been decided by the CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Coaches Associations. This year's teams not only feature the NCAA Division II Men's leading scorer and the NCAA Division II Women's steals leader, but a handful of All-American prospects as well.

2007 ALL CIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

FRONTCOURT
NAME SCHOOL NO CLASS POS HT HOMETOWN
Tyronne Beale BSU 21 SR 6'9 C/F Silver Spring, MD
C.J. Pigford ECSU 32 SR 6'7 F Washington, NC
Nicholas King SAC 22 SR 6'7 F Philadelphia, PA
Damola Obadina SU 30 JR 6'5 F Minneapolis, MN
Avis Wyatt VSU 45 SR 6'11 F/C Petersburg, VA
Brad Byerson VUU 2 JR 6'7 F Colonial Heights, VA
Chris Green VUU 30 SR 6'5 F Richmond, VA

BACKCOURT
Gil Goodrich BSU 11 SR 5'10 G Baltimore, MD
Anthony Hilliard ECSU 3 SO 6'3 G Fayetteville, NC
Maurice Hooper JCSU 3 JR 6'2 G Reidsville, NC
Antonio Fitzgerald SAC 20 SR 6'1 G Danville, VA
Michael Askew VSU 45 SR 6'7 G/F Woodbridge, VA

The CIAA Men's Player of the Year, Gil Goodrich of Bowie State University , leads the nation in scoring, 26.9 ppg. and tops the conference in four categories; scoring 26.9 ppg, assists 6.8, steals 2.4 and free throw percentage 86 pct. Goodrich, a 5-10, Senior, Guard from Baltimore , MD is also a member of this year's all-conference team.

Virginia State University Trojan and Defensive Player of the Year, Avis Wyatt leads the conference in blocked shots with 3.2 pg. and pulls 7.3 boards per game. Wyatt, a 6-11, Senior, Forward/Center is a native of Petersburg , VA.

2007 ALL CIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

FRONTCOURT
NAME SCHOOL NO CLAS POS HT HOMETOWN
Allyson Swailes BSU 34 JR. C 6'2 Silver Spring, MD
Celeste Trahan ECSU 0 JR. C 6'2 Stockton, CA
Tiffany Smith ECSU 34 SR F 5'11 Cheverly, MD
Brittany Sumpter JCSU 23 SR F 5'9 Orangeburg, SC
Rochelle Bodie JCSU 15 JR. F 6'0 Raleigh, NC
Jori Nwachukwu NCCU 3 FR C 5'10 Upper Marlboro, MD
Cassie King NCCU 30 SR F 6'0 Wendell, NC

BACKCOURT
Genet Moore BSU 13 SR G 5'8 Accokeek, MD
Deanna Price ECSU 4 SR G 5'7 Washington, DC
Tiana Pope JCSU 10 SR G 5'8 Albany, GA
Jasmine Newkirk NCCU 15 FR G 5'8 Raleigh, NC
Katania Walker VSU 34 SR G 5'5 Woodbridge, VA

Celeste Trahan, a 6-2, Junior, Center, Elizabeth City State University Lady Viking from Stockton, CA is the 2007 CIAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year. Celeste ranks 4th in the nation in rebounds with 12.4 rpg. and 8th nationally in blocked shots with 2.7 bkpg. Trahan also leads the conference in scoring (19.5ppg) and rebounding.

Trahan's fellow Lady Viking teammate, Deanna Price rounds out the women's honors as 2007 Defensive Player of the Year. This is Deanna's second year in a row as Defensive Player of the Year. Price, a 5-7, Senior, Guard from Washington, DC tops the nation with 4.9 steals per game and ranks second in the conference in assists, 5.5apg. The All-CIAA Teams and Players of the Year will be honored at the Women's and Men's Tip-Off Banquets on February 26th and 27th, respectively.

CIAA SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTORS ANNOUNCE 2007 BASKETBALL ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS

N.C. Central's Nwachukwu and J.C. Smith's Hollis Top Talent Laden Rookie Class

The 2007 CIAA Basketball All-Rookie Teams along with their respective Rookies of the Year have been announced as voted on by the CIAA Sports Information Directors' Association. Leading the way for the ladies is the 2007 CIAA Women's Rookie of the Year Jori Nwachukwu of North Carolina Central University. A five-time CIAA Rookie of the Week honoree, Nwachukwu led all freshmen in scoring and rebounding this season nearly averaging a double-double of 12.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per outing. Her rebounding average tops the Lady Eagles who are in first place in the CIAA Western Division. In the CIAA she is tenth in scoring, 5th in rebounding, 4th in field goal percentage (.497) and tenth in blocked shots (0.76). A native of Upper Marlboro, MD, Nwachukwu is majoring in Biology at NCCU. On the men's side Charlotte , NC native Jerry Hollis has been named the 2007 Rookie of the Year as a starting forward for his hometown Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls. Hollis set the bar freshman this season the menâ¤s side as he was voted CIAA Rookie of the Week an astounding seven times. Hollis led all freshmen this past year in scoring (12.0) rebounding (6.4), blocked shots (1.5) and steals (1.53). Majoring in Biology at JCSU, Hollis also appears in the national rankings for NCAA Division II in blocked shots.

The Men's and Women's All-Rookie Basketball teams will be honored at their respective tip off banquets in Charlotte, NC the week of the 2007 CIAA Basketball Tournament. A complete list of the 2007 All-Rookie Teams is as follows:

2007 CIAA Women's All-Rookie Team

NAME SCHOOL POS HT HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL MAJOR
Juantale Cook           Saint Paul's           G             5-6           Upper Marlboro, MD/Potomac                          Special Education
Gabrielle Johnson    Saint Paul's           G/F          5-9           Virginia Beach , VA /Princess Anne                   Accounting
Jonta Moss               Livingstone           G             5-6           Augusta , GA /Laney                                            Criminal Justice
Jori Nwachukwu        N.C. Central           F/C          5-10         Upper Marlboro, MD/Bishop McNamara        Marketing|
Jasmine Newkirk        N.C. Central           G             5-8           Raleigh , NC /Broughton                                      Mass Communications

2007 CIAA Women's Rookie of the Year - Jori Nwachukwu, North Carolina Central University

2007 CIAA Men's All-Rookie Team

NAME SCHOOL POS HT HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL MAJOR
Brandon Byerson     Virginia Union      G            6-1           Colonial Heights , VA /Thomas Dale                  Computer Science
Corey Camphor        Bowie State           G            6-0           Upper Marlboro, MD/ Bridgton Academy        Music
Jerry Hollis                J.C. Smith               F            6-6           Charlotte , NC /Victory Christian                         Biology
Trey Mines               Virginia State        G            6-2           Colonial Heights , VA / Blue Ridge Academy     Computer Info. Sys.
Jonathan Mudd        Shaw Univ.             G            6-1           Miami , FL /American                                            Psychology

2007 CIAA Men's "Rookie of the Year" Jerry Hollis, Johnson C. Smith University

Toliver Among Candidates for Lieberman Award
Sophomore is nominated for top point guard honor

Only a sophomore, Kristi Toliver was named one of the final 11 nominees for the eighth-annual Nancy Lieberman Award, presented to the top Division I point guard in the country. The criterion for the award is the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. Sportswriters from across the country determined the final nominee list. The same panel will select the three finalists from the list and the winner in March 2007. The announcements of the finalists and winner will be made during the Women's Final Four Weekend, April 1-3. Kristi Toliver is averaging 4.7 assists per game and a 1.86 assist-to-turnover ratio, which both rank third in the ACC. The Terps, who are ranked sixth in this week's Associated Press poll and have been in the top 10 all season, are also ranked third in the country at 18.6 apg. Toliver has also been impressive on the shooting end. She boasts the second-best three-point shooting percentage in the nation and leads the ACC at 48.1 percent. She can also be found among the top 25 scorers (11.7 ppg) and top 15 shooters (48.8 percent) in the league. Toliver is the second point guard under head coach Brenda Frese to be selected a final nominee for the Lieberman Award. Then-senior Anesia Smith was among the top 11 in 2005 after averaging 6.7 assists per game. The list of the 2007 nominees includes Kimberly Beck from George Washington, Dee Davis from Vanderbilt, Lindsey Harding from Duke, Cameo Hicks from Washington , JJ Hones from Stanford, Ivory Latta from North Carolina , Lyndsey Medders from Iowa State , Renee Montgomery from Connecticut , Mandy Morales from Montana and Rudy Sims from Arkansas State . For more information on the award, visit the official web site at www.pointguard.org. Maryland is back on the court on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Boston College to close out the regular season. The game will be televised on the ACC's Regional Sports Network (Comcast SportsNet - Baltimore/Washington area; Fox Sports South; Sun Sports).

No. 6 Terps Fall 69-57 to No. 1 Duke
Maryland suffers fourth defeat of season.

* The loss drops Maryland 's record to 25-4 (9-4). They finished the season 13-2 at the Comcast Center.
* The Terrapins scored just 57 points, the fewest they have scored all season. Previously, their season low was 62 at Duke on January 13.
* On senior day, Aurelie Noirez earned the first start of her career. She scored the first basket of the game and finished with those two points, a rebound, and an assist in four minutes.
* Today was also the last home game for senior Shay Doron. It was her 114th start in a Maryland uniform, just 3 behind Marche Strickland (1999-2002) for the all-time Terrapin record. Doron is currently the second-leading scorer in Maryland history, finishing the day with 1,816 points.
* Crystal Langhorne registered the 43rd double-double of her career, the tenth this season. She had 15 points - all but two of which came in the second half - and 12 rebounds.
* Langhorne's 15 points gives her 1,630 in her career. That matches the total of Marcia Richardson (1979-84), tying her for fourth place on the Terrapins' all-time scoring list.
* Marissa Coleman also had a double double, the 15th of her career and the sixth this season. She finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
* Coleman eclipsed the 500 rebound plateau with her 10 boards. She now has 504 in her career. She is the third Terp to register her 500th board this season, after Shay Doron and Laura Harper both reached the milestone against Boston College on February 4.
* Coleman had one block, giving her 74 during her career. That ties her with Debbie Lytle (1980-83) for eighth place on the Maryland all-time list.
* Laura Harper also had one block in the game, the 54th this season. She is now tied with Vicky Bullett (1986-87) for the fourth most blocks in a season by a Terp. Harper has 139 rejections in her career, keeping her in third place on the Maryland all-time list.
* For the first time this season, Kristi Toliver did not register an assist. She did, however, score 12 points as the Terps had at least three players in double figures for the 28th time in 29 games this year.

Duke knows how to perform in front of a full house, even when most of the fans are rooting for the other team. Lindsey Harding scored 20 of her career-high 29 points in the pivotal first half, and No. 1 Duke disappointed a spirited sellout crowd by defeating No. 6 Maryland 69-57 Sunday night to remain undefeated and clinch the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title. The Blue Devils (28-0, 13-0) took control late in the first half and never trailed over the final 25 minutes in beating the defending national champions for the second time this season. The crowd of 17,950 matched the largest single-game attendance in ACC history, set earlier this season when the Terrapins hosted North Carolina . The six largest crowds to see an ACC game have all been at Maryland , and the Terps have lost each one - including four against Duke. "We love playing in big games. We love playing in great environments," Blue Devils coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I can't say enough about my team and the way they handle themselves in these type of situations." Duke led by as many as 13 points in the second half. After Maryland (25-4, 9-4) got within seven, the Blue Devils kept the Terrapins scoreless for nearly 4 minutes. Maryland then closed to 55-48 before Harding and Alison Bales made successive baskets for an 11-point cushion with 5:54 to go. Harding went 9-for-10 from the floor in the first half and finished 12-for-20. Her previous career high was 28, set in the Blue Devils' 81-62 win over Maryland last month. "I'll tell ya, if Lindsey Harding isn't player of the year, I'd like to know who is," Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. "She has stepped up big in every big game against any opponent they've played. She's on a mission. I just want to make sure the NCAA doesn't give her another year of eligibility because she is phenomenal." Carrem Gay scored 14 points for the Blue Devils, and Bales had 12 points and 12 rebounds. But Harding was clearly the star. "Once again Lindsey showed she's one of the best, if not the best, players in the country," Goestenkors said. "She does whatever it is that we need for her to do to be successful. Tonight in the first half we needed her to score, and she did a great job." In explaining her success against Maryland , Harding said, "I'm just attacking the basket. I know this year I have to step up more offensively. In some of the other games, the whole team has gotten involved, but I know in big games I really do want to set the tone." Crystal Langhorne had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Terrapins, and Marissa Coleman had 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. The 57 points were the fewest Maryland has scored this season; the previous low came in the first game against the Blue Devils. The Terrapins shot 33 percent after halftime and finished 3-for-16 from 3-point range. "We take great pride in our defense," Goestenkors said. Up 35-29 at the break, the Blue Devils extended their lead to 46-34 with an 8-2 run that included five points from Bales and a three-point play by Harding. It was 50-37 when a three-point play by Langhorne started a 9-3 spree that got the Terrapins to 53-46. All this happened without Gay, who picked up her fourth foul with 17:33 left. Maryland seniors Shay Doron and Aurelie Noirez were honored before their final home game. Doron was in the starting lineup, as usual, and Frese marked the occasion by giving the seldom-used Noirez her first start of the season. Noirez opened the scoring by sinking a soft jumper from just beyond the foul line for her only points of the game. Doron finished with four points. Harding accounted for Duke's first 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting before teammate Wanisha Smith hit a 3-pointer for a 14-12 lead. Maryland quickly tied it before Harding sank a 3-pointer to put the Blue Devils back in front. Harding missed her first shot with 6:26 left in the half, but Gay got the rebound and made a short jumper to spark a 10-2 spurt that put Duke up 31-23.

Washington Glory Sign Ten for 2007 Season
The Glory Loads Up With Power, Speed & Finesse

The Washington Glory, the new National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) womenâ¤s softball expansion team, announced today that it has signed ten players to contracts for its 2007 inaugural season. â¤¦Itâ¤s been a very busy couple of weeks solidifying our roster and preparing for last weekâ¤s NCAA draft,â¤? said Paul Wilson, owner and general manager of the Washington Glory. â¤¦Our incredible roster of elite players is going to give the rest of the league a run for its money. It will be our inaugural season and weâ¤re certainly going to give them something to talk about.â¤? The list of signed players in the Gloryâ¤s arsenal is:

Pitchers: Sarah Pauly & Desiree Serrano
Catchers: Germaine Fairchild, Callie Piper and Christa Dalakis
Infielders: Oli Keohohou, Nichole Thompson, Stephanie Best and Sarah Larquier
Outfielders: LaDonia Hughes

Wilson continued, â¤¦The Glory will sign all of our 2007 draft picks shortly after players finish their college seasons this spring. The final roster spots will be filled by free agency signings and through an open tryout to be held in Northern Virginia at a date to be announced in the near future

About National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Denver , Colorado . The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names Womenâ¤s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Womenâ¤s Pro Softball League (WPSL).

BRUCE REPORTS
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ON BIG TRAIN BASEBALL & SOFTBALL CAMPS

Register on-line at www.bigtrain.org by March 1 to get a 10% Early Bird Discount on the Summer 2007 Big Train Baseball and Softball Camps. Big Train baseball camps for ages 5-13 offered the weeks of June 18 to July 30. Advanced Development baseball camps for ages 9-12 on Cabin John Field # 2 offered weeks of June 18, June 25, and July 23. Softball camps for ages 8-13 offered weeks of June 25 and July 16. Softball camp for High School girls offered week of June 25. Before and after-care available every week. Big Train 2007 Family Season Passes half-price for families of campers. Manager Sal Colangelo has done a great job with the camp these last two years, and 2007 promises to be the best Big Train summer camp ever. Your kids will be coached by the Big Train stars they watch at night. Dr. Maura Ryan, head coach at Paint Branch High School , will again run our softball camps. http://www.bigtrain.org/published/kids/camp.html

5 Day Hacopian High School Hitting And Pitching Clinic February 19-23 http://www.marylandbaseballacademy.com

The 5 Day High School Hitting and Pitching Clinic has always been one of our most popular programs. The clinic is designed to sharpen the High School players hitting and pitching skills the week before tryouts. One of the advantages of this program is that players will be training with our professional coaching staff for 5 consecutive days. Video Analysis Players will have their mechanics analyzed through the use of our digital motion analysis system. Each player will receive a CD-rom of their hitting and pitching mechanics with voice over technical analysis by one of our coaches.

SUITLAND BOXING

Gene Molovinsky and his Keystone Boxing brought professional boxing to Suitland High School this past Saturday (Feb. 17th) and over 500 enthusiastic boxing fans showed up to watch an exciting and thrilling card that opened with six amateur fights and then followed it up with six top pro fights.

Fight results:
Jarell Mason-Jackson lost a split 6th round decision to unbeaten Marcus Upshaw. Tim Coleman ran his unbeaten record to 8-0 taking a six round unanimous decision over Julio Lanzas. Tyrell Samuel upped his undefeated record to 9-0 by stopping Jorge Lara in a unanimous 6th round decision. Reginald Taylor took a 4th round TKO over Nick Collins to lift his record to 5-0. Ronald Boyd won a four round unanimous decision over Corey Goodwin. Phil â¤¦Uptownâ¤? Brown is unbeaten after referee Malik Waleed disqualified Darnell Chivers in the 3rd round for excessive holding. Ballroom Boxing returns to Michaelâ¤s 8th Avenue on March 8th. Jake Smithâ¤s Baltimore Pro Boxing returns to the Pikesville Armory on March 10th. Phil â¤¦Uptownâ¤? Brown is not related to Ed â¤¦Downtownâ¤? Brown. Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Merryweather, Jr. were at DCâ¤s Union Station to promote their fight in Las Vegas on May 5th. Rumor has Bobby Magruder returning to the promoting end of boxing.

SPORTS NOTES

Well, well Joe Paterno and his Penn State recruiting laughsters failed to land that stud running back and did not have that good of recruiting class, hey is the head jester Larry Johnson still there? Hey what happened? Did Toni Cornheiser fail on ESPN radio? I guess so, Corny is back doing an AM gig on Post radio it started this week. A couple of SMAC hoopsters Demetrius Wallace (Lackey HS) and Ronald Colbert (Thomas Stone HS) are playing for Randy Gregory at CCBC-Catonsville. Phil Wood has joined Tim Donner as co-host of â¤¦TalkinBaseballâ¤? the only year round baseball radio show. Johnny Holiday has a new book out â¤¦Hoop Talesâ¤?. I thought Maryland would go after DeMatha quarterback Chester Stewart (6â¤3â¤?, 200lb) but they didnâ¤t and he landed at Temple.

Our deepest sympathy goes to the families of the following:
Jim Ricca (Georgetown U. and Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles) passed at age 79. Lillian Gene Jones (Suitland HS grad) Thomas Phillips Armour (McLean HS) Gerhardt I. Hepner (Central HS grad).

Look-a-Likes:
Senator Max Baucus and Joe Gibbs Ed Glazer and Cowboy Bob Orton David J. and Al Koken My early pick for the Kentucky Derby is Cowtown Cat, remember you heard it here first. Next week I hope to have a rundown on the Washington Nationals. I wonder where Anne Stinchcomb, Margie Jones, Ann Morningstar Jones, any of the Maholic sisters, Claire McCarthy, Theresa Kearney, Donna Middleton and Shirley Lash are today? Also Granville Metzger and Cliff Hood? That Peter Pan peanut butter scare cost me, I had one jar opened and two not yet opened all with the 2111 code. I ditched those and went out and got a jar of Jif instead (I hope that's safe). Hey folks go to www.whatsupmag.com and vote for one of my favorites Doug Segree as Best solo artist and Best local Musical Act. Doug is a great performer and sung the National Anthem at many Redskin games. Also check out Dougs website at www.dougsegree.com.

WE GET LETTERS

Bill, If you are looking for a warm place for a drink and some tunes, join us at: Friday, March 2, 8:30 â¤³ Midnight - The Back Room @ Woodfire Restaurant in Severna Park, 410-315-8100 http://www.woodfirebackroom.com/backroom.html Friday, March 16 - 9-1:15AM, The Stil in Timonium â¤³- 410-560-7900 www.thestill.net/html Friday, March 23 â¤³ 8-Midnight â¤³ Castlebay Irish Pub â¤³ Main Street Annapolis, 410- 626-0165 http://www.castlebayirishpub.com/contact.aspx Hope to see you there; Steve Ports, David Bell, and Don Wimbrough

From: Mark Opsasnick
We've updated the Capitol Rock website with some new entries to the â¤¦Appearancesâ¤? page. Visit www.capitolrock.com and click on â¤¦Appearances.â¤? Even if you already have â¤¦The Lizard King Was Here,â¤? I hope to see you at these events. Thanks!

MARK OPSASNICK will be discussing and signing copies of his book THE LIZARD KING WAS HERE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JIM MORRISON IN ALEXANDRIA , VIRGINIA at the following locations:
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA - Saturday, March 17, 2007, 1pm. Olsson's Books and Records Old Town Alexandria 106 South Union Street, Alexandria, Virginia www.olssons.com (Click on "Events") 703-684-0077 In addition to Mark Opsasnick's talk/book signing for "The Lizard King Was Here," there will be a Jim Morrison Question and Answer Session featuring several of the rock and roll legend's friends from the George Washington High School Class of 1961 including Randy Maney, Bill Thomas and Jim Rocca.

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - Sunday, April 15, 2007, 3pm. "The College Perk Writers' Expo" The College Perk Coffeehouse 9078 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, Maryland www.collegeperk.org (Click on "Music & Events") 301-982-0587

The Expo will feature Mark Opsasnick discussing his Jim Morrison biography "The Lizard King Was Here," Baltimore native Catherine Donaldson discussing her novel "The Captain's Marshall," and Laurel resident Cassandra Zaruba discussing her murder mystery "Liquid Bones." A reception and book signing will follow and live acoustic music will be presented by the duo Cliff Art. Visit Ms. Donaldson's website at www.kindredpens.com. Visit Ms. Zaruba's website at www.cassandrazaruba.com.

KENSINGTON, MARYLAND - Sunday, April 22, 2007, 12noon - 5pm "The International Day of the Book 2007" An outdoor street festival on Howard Avenue in beautiful Old Town Kensington! http://members.verizon.net/~vze4nbyt/dob.html Eli Hopper - 301-949-9416
Book signing only. Mark Opsasnick will not be giving a talk this afternoon, but he will have a vendor's table and will be selling and signing copies of his books "Capitol Rock" and "The Lizard King Was Here."

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