The first Florida HBCU Track Invitational will be hosted this weekend by the Florida A&M track program. The meet will be held at the Pete Griffin Track. Edward Waters College, Bethune-Cookman College and Florida Memorial College will all compete in the event with FAMU. The field events will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. and the running events will start later that day at 1 p.m.
Celebrity athletes to host week of events in TallahasseeFAMU’s 1995 All-American linebacker, Earl Holmes is teaming up with Baltimore Ravens defensive back Corey Fuller to host a week of good will and good times for the Tallahassee community. Holmes and Fuller will host several events from a Charity Bowl-a-Thon Tuesday at Galimore Lanes to a celebrity basketball game Friday in Gaither Gymnasium.In addition, Holmes just signed a contract with the Detroit Lions. He spent last season with the Cleveland Browns and the last six years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Holmes is expected to make around $1.75 million this season.
Conference names chair of MEAC softball championshipsFAMU’s Special Assistant to the Athletic Director and Director of Olympic Sports at FAMU, Alfred B. McCoy, has been named the chair of this year’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Championships. It will be held May 8-11 in Orlando. The former All-American baseball player at FAMU has played both professional baseball and softball.
Baseball takes No. 1 spot in South Division of conferenceThe FAMU baseball team split a two-game night series earlier this week with Stetson in DeLand, Fla. FAMU lost big Tuesday evening, 10-3. However, on Wednesday the Rattlers’ bats came alive as they beat Stetson 12-8. In the win Dale Hall amassed three hits and three RBIs, while Nick Parker added two more hits and an RBI. FAMU is now in first place in the South Division of the MEAC with an 8-4 record (20-17 overall). This weekend the Rattlers will travel to Greensboro, S.C. to take on the Aggies of North Carolina A&T.
FAMU dominates conference awards in softball, baseballLast week’s MEAC Player of the Week awards in both softball and baseball were given to FAMU athletes. Junior outfielder Eric Bernier of the baseball team took home the award of MEAC Baseball Player of the Week. He had two game-winning hits in two straight games as the Rattlers swept North Carolina A&T last weekend. He had a batting average of .444 during that weekend’s three-game series. In last weekend’s series against Norfolk State softball player Eria Williams batted .500 and scored four runs. Therefore, the sophomore was named MEAC Softball Player of the Week. Williams has leads the Lady Rattlers with a total of 34 stolen bases on the season.
Uzoraru, Morant among track athletes to attend Penn RelaysThe FAMU track program is sending 16 Rattlers and Lady Rattlers to the famed 2003 Penn Relays in Philadelphia on April 24-26.The Lady Rattler squad will be led by All-American high jumper senior Marisa Uzoaru and senior Robin McClain, the heptathlon extraordinaire. McClain will also compete in the 100-meter hurdles and on FAMU’s 4X400 meter relay team.The men will feature sprinter Sheldon Morant, who is ranked in the top five in the nation in the 200-meter dash and the top 20 in the 100-meter dash. He will also anchor the nationally ranked 4×100 meter relay team.
Sophomore Volleyball player draws international attentionFAMU volleyball sophomore sensation Andreina Ruiz will train with the Peruvian Junior National team in Havana, Cuba from May 2-17. Right after that, Ruiz will keep busy by participating in the Classificatory Continental Championships in her hometown of Lima, Peru. As a freshman this past season, Ruiz was named to the All-MEAC first team as she was among the MEAC leaders in kills, digs and assists.
Former Rattler football stars plan to play on German teamsTwo former FAMU football players will play in NFL Europe this spring. Former quarterback Quinn Gray will be in Germany playing for the Frankfurt Galaxy. Former offensive lineman Freddie Moore will also be in Germany playing with the Berlin franchise.
-Compiled by Ibram Rogers