MEAC round-up: Sept. 3-8

With the dust settling from week three of MEAC College Football not much has changed within the standings as teams prepare for week four.  With the North Carolina A&T Aggies still riding a three-game win streak, they sit atop the conference after a blowout 45-6 victory over Gardner-Webb

Florida A&M however, fell to Troy 59-7. FAMU in this game even despite going against a tough FBS opponent, created their own problems as they racked up four turnovers against the Trojans.

“We (FAMU) just didn’t play a clean game, too many penalties, too many self-inflicted wounds…You’re not going to beat a good team when you play like that,” said Head coach Willie Simmons when asked about the team’s performance in an interview with Rattler Productions.

Just as College Football is taking off in the MEAC conference, Women’s volleyball is as well. Considering the records in the Northern and Southern Divisions, it is still a possibility for several teams to climb in the rankings. Especially when considering that Howard, the Northern Division leader, is on a three-game losing streak. However, in the Southern Division, Bethune-Cookman is gaining some traction to run away from the pact after a two-game win streak and an impressive 3-0 win against Prairie View on Sept. 8.

The Women’s Volleyball team for FAMU unfortunately dropped two matches to Florida State in their invitational. The women gained momentum in the opening set, but it was inevitably their own mistakes that cost them the match.

With Men and Women Cross Country getting underway in the conference, there were some bright spots within some of the performances. Including Maryland Eastern Shore winning first in Men’s and second in Women’s at the Delaware State Hornet Invite.

One of the many highlights of this past week came from the diamond and showcased how MEAC athletes do in fact rise to the challenge and perform at the next level. Former Savannah State University Pitcher, Kyle McGowin, has been called up from the Washington Nationals minor league team, the Syracuse Chiefs. McGowin will soon join the rotation and be a Major League pitcher for the Nationals.

While pitching for Savannah State, he held a 1.49 ERA and held an impressive 12-1 record. At the end of the season, he led the conference in strikeouts and plans to make strides in the MLB and live a dream he thought would not come true.