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May. 2, 2005
By Chevonne Mansfield Week in Review (Apr. 25 - May 1) Baseball ended their season last week at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championships, while track and field, who has two more meets before they head to NCAA Regional Competition, also participated in the MEAC Championships. UMES hosted a press conference on April 29 to promote the upcoming Art Shell Celebrity Golf Classic on June 16, and mourned the loss of two former Hawks, Charles Mays Sr. and Johnny Sample. Charles Mays Sr. died Monday, April 11 at the age of 64 in Jersey City following a sudden illness. In 1968, Mays won the National AAU Broad Jumping Championship and following his championship he was chosen to compete in the 1968 Olympics on the U.S. Broad-Jump Team. A standout sprinter and jumper, he set world records - since broken - in the long jump and 300-meter dash. Inducted into the UMES Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982, Mays competed for the Hawks as a member of the Track & Field team from 1960 until 1964. While at UMES, which at the time was called Maryland State University, Mayes captured the All-Eastern Track and Field Championship with a jump of 24 feet, 11 inches. "We were very saddened to hear the news of Charlie's passing. Not only was he a great athlete and alumnus, but while at UMES he was a tremendous scholar and campus leader," said Athletic Director Nelson Townsend. "We will miss him very much. The world has lost a great athlete, teacher and friend." Mays barely missed qualifying for the 1964 Olympics, but competed in Mexico City in 1968. In 1964 Mayes graduated with a degree in Mathematics from Maryland State University. Following his graduation he was a recipient of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education Award in 1979. Mays also served two terms, from 1978 to 1982, as the assemblyman for the 31st District. He was actively involved in community service as a coach at the Grand Street Boys Club, New York City, which sponsored track and field teams for youths. He also worked briefly with Operation Step Up in planning sports activities, and was president of the Black Athletes Hall of Fame, now defunct. Mays is survived by his wife, Sharen Mays; two sons, Charles Jr. and Eric Amador; two daughters, Monica Cohn and Devon Thomas; four grandchildren, Gavin, Jordan and Trey Cohn and Eric Thomas Jr.; three brothers, Timothy Mays, Rafeek Ahmed and the Rev. Henry Mays; two sisters, Berwyn Mays and Gyrine Hallenbeck; and many nieces and nephews. Maryland State College, now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hall of Famer, and NFL great Johnny Sample, passed away April 26 at Misericordia Hospital near his home in Philadelphia, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The cause of his death has not been disclosed; he was 67. The Maryland State standout was a legend for the Hawks and had a stellar professional career. He played defensive back for the New York Jets and Baltimore Colts among others. He played on the Jets' 1969 championship team and is best remembered professionally for intercepting a pass during New York's 16-7 upset victory over Baltimore in Super Bowl III. Stepping in for quarterback Joe Namath to conduct the opening coin toss prior to the start of Super Bowl III, Sample called the coin toss correctly, declared the Jets would receive, then looked into the eyes of his friend and former Colts teammate Lenny Lyles and reportedly said "the first one goes to us." The prediction proved to be prophetic. The Jets would go on to make history that day, beating the Colts 16-7 to become the first AFL Super Bowl champion. Sample would retire after that season. His legend on the UMES campus is even more fondly remembered. "Sample was a once in a lifetime student-athlete. Most people never realized that in college Sample excelled in Track & Field, Baseball, Gymnastics and Basketball, as well as the sports for which he is nationally known. I recall seeing him do an exhibition in gymnastics on the rings and preformed a crucifix and nailed it. He mastered the trampoline as well as the floor exercises. This was an all around athlete," said Nelson E. Townsend, Director of Athletics. "He was one of the great ones," said Ms. Gail Aiken, Director of Alumni Affairs and Development for the Department of Athletics. "Johnny was bigger than Art Shell before there was an Art Shell, he, [Shell], Emerson [Boozer] and Roger Brown, among others helped shape the football tradition here on campus." As a player at Maryland State he was named an All-American at halfback in 1954, '55 and '57. Sample was unanimously selected by the Pigskin Club of Washington as the Outstanding Player in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) in 1955. He was the first black player from a predominantly black school to play in the College All Star game held in Chicago. As a Hawk, Sample tallied 2, 381 rushing yards, 37 touchdowns, 42 conversions and four field goals. He also played baseball and basketball for the Hawks and was inducted into the UMES Hall of Fame in 1977. He graduated from Maryland State in 1958. During his football career at now UMES, he lost only once, tallying 28 wins, one loss and one tie. Sample began his professional career in 1958 as a draftee of the Colts. He didn't see much of the field until the 1959 Colt Championship game when he intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter returning them 76 yards, including one that was a 42-yard touchdown. That contest is now known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played" after the Colts outlasted the New York Giants 23-17 in overtime. In his first two seasons with the Colts he ran back 22 punts for 129 yards and gained 457 yards on 17 kickoff returns. In 1960 Sample was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He later spent the 1963 season as a Washington Redskin but was traded in 1966 to the Jets, his final NFL team. Sample was a marked man in the league. Known for his quick feet, his authoritative tackles, and his intimidation of wide receivers, Sample was one of the outstanding cornerbacks of his era. His aggressiveness often led to disputes with opponents, coaches and even owners. In his 11-year career in both the NFL and AFL he tallied 41 interceptions and four for touchdowns. He also played in the famous "Heidi" game against Oakland in 1968. Mr. Sample played football at Overbrook High while Wilt Chamberlain was a student there, and about the same time John Chaney was at Ben Franklin High. "I know him as a very dear friend," said Chaney, the Temple men's basketball coach. "He always championed young people. He always fought for the downtrodden." A close friend, basketball impresario Sonny Hill, said Mr. Sample was a tough player with a soft soul. "He was as docile as one would be until you riled him," he said. "I use the terminology 'to know him is to love him.' He was never out to hurt anyone. He tried to touch people who didn't have the same opportunities." In his book, Confessions of a Dirty Ballplayer, Mr. Sample talked about trying out for the Phillies. "I was hitting the ball into the stands and off the walls," he said. In the summers, he often returned to Philadelphia, playing league basketball to stay in shape for football. "My God, he was someone I never wanted to guard," Chaney said. "He was mean. He'd get right into your shirt." Chaney said Mr. Sample belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "I don't know why he's not in the Hall of Fame," he said. "He'll get there one of these days." Ray Didinger of NFL Films said Mr. Sample played in a legendary time and was a legendary player. "In a lot of ways, he was ahead of his time," Didinger said, recalling the elaborate notes he kept on receivers. "John was very much a student of the game. The perception was that he was the rough guy who knocked people around. He was a cerebral type of player, too." The Jets organization expressed sympathy yesterday. " On behalf of the New York Jets organization, we are saddened and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Johnny Sample," Jets coach Herman Edwards said. "Johnny dedicated his life to football and had a passion for the game. He will always have a special place in Jets' history as a member of the Super Bowl Championship team. The Jets, and the NFL Community have lost a friend in Johnny Sample." "His participation in two of the most significant games in NFL history, the 1958 championship game and Super Bowl III, symbolized the champion John was,'' Colts owner Jimmy Irsay said. WBC middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins said he knew Sample for 18 years. "He was a standup, speak-his-mind kind of guy,'' Hopkins told the AP in a phone interview. "It's like getting hit with a right hand that you can't shake off. He is my best older, elder friend.'' Sample testified in 1970 to a federal grand jury claiming blackballing practices by a league that he felt practiced racial discrimination. After his pro football career, Sample became a passionate contributor to tennis. He sponsored several grass-roots programs for kids, supported amateur and professional tournaments, worked behind-the-scenes in supporting players, particularly African American and women players, and became a professional lines person. The imposing sight of Sample calling lines at the Masters in Madison Square Garden kept even the mercurial John McEnroe in line. An accomplished tennis player in his own right, Sample earned a No. 1 ranking in various senior age groups of the American Tennis Association. Sample began working in sports radio, hosting the Eagles pre-game show. He also hosted his own sports talk radio show in Philadelphia up until last year and spent a lot of time working with his 10-year-old daughter who is a junior player. Upon retirement Sample also opened a sporting goods store in Philadelphia called Sample's End Zone. He is survived by one son and two daughters. Portions of this story are taken from the Philadelphia Inquirer's official obituary by Shannon Ryan. Contact Ryan at 215-854-5503 or sryan@phillynews.com. The UMES baseball team entered the 2005 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament weekend with high hopes of making a late season run to cap off what the coaches and players considered a very successful season and turning into a season where everyone would consider it an overwhelming success. This process began on April 27 when the 2005 All-MEAC teams were announced at the annual conference tournament banquet. Senior Brandon McCabe was honored with second team All-Conference honors as an infielder, while junior Craig Munch also received second team honors for his play in the outfield. McCabe finished the season as the team leader with a 349 batting average, a .424 on-base percentage, and a 586 slugging percentage. He also led the team with 16 doubles, six homeruns, 89 total bases and tied for the team-high mark of 30 RBI's with Munch. Munch, who missed the final week of games due to illness, finished the season batting .333 with 16 runs scored and 30 RBI's. Over his last 18 games he was hitting .409 as he collected 21 hits, including three homeruns, two triples, two doubles. He finished the season with four doubles, four triples and four homeruns. Munch had a career afternoon against Savannah State in which he hit two homeruns and a double, while collecting seven RBI's in a 13-9 victory. UMES began their run towards the MEAC Tournament title on April 28, taking on number two seed Bethune-Cookman at 2:00 p.m. at the Disney Wide World of Sports Baseball Complex in Orlando, Florida. The Fighting Hawks dropped their game against the Wildcats, 10-9, as Bethune Cookman scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly to left. UMES jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Brandon McCabe hit a solo-homerun to right field in the top of the first. However, BCC answered quickly with a lead off homerun by Carlos Picornell and then two more runs to take a 3-1 advantage. The Fighting Hawks chipped away at the lead with a run in the second before they took a 7-3 lead in fourth as Craig Munch highlighted the inning with a two-out bases loaded triple to right. Bethune-Cookman answered in the bottom of the inning with four runs to tie the game at 7-7. The Wildcats collected five singles and a walk as they knocked UMES starter Brad Powell from the game. The Fighting Hawks reclaimed the lead in the eighth with two runs and Munch singled home Joel Maher and then scored on a on a wild-pitch. Once more time, the Wildcats immediately answered in the bottom of the inning with two of their own on only one hit. A costly error and two walks gave BCC the opportunity to tie the game. In the ninth, UMES could not take advantage of a one-out two base error that put Bernie Stratchko at second. In the bottom of the inning a lead-off single and throwing error put a runner in scoring position right away. Eventually, the Wildcats had the bases loaded and one out and Picornell once again delivered with a sacrifice fly to left that was just deep enough to score Ryan Ghianda. Picornell went 2-4 with a walk, three runs score and the game-winning sacrifice fly. Ghianda went 4-5 with a run scored and two batted in. UMES was led by McCabe and Munch as the duo went 5-7 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. They drove in five and scored four. UMES (6-41, 1-19) was eliminated from the 2005 MEAC Tournament on April 29 by Coppin State for the second straight season. The Eagles defeated the Fighting Hawks, 8-2, despite Brandon McCabe's 3-4 performance. For the second straight day, UMES jumped out to an early lead via the homerun ball provided by McCabe. In the third inning, Greg Cathell doubled and then scored on the two-run shot to right field by McCabe, his second homer in as many games. McCabe finished the tournament going 5-8 with a walk, two homeruns, three runs scored and three RBI's. Coppin State chipped away at the lead with a single run in the third and fifth innings off of UMES starter Jason Janeski. However, the Eagles put the game out of reach in the sixth as they scored five runs on five hits, including a two-run, two-out single by Brian Vickers. Janeski finished the game going five and a third innings giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits. Ken Richardson came into the game in relief and pitched the final two and two-thirds innings allowing just one run on four while striking out three. With the 7-2 lead, CSU added another run in the eighth, while Alex Hangland concluded his afternoon in the sixth for the win and Nathan Penrose closed out the final three innings for the save. UMES closes its season with six wins, doubling the win total from 2004. More important they proved they have made progress from last season and with some more work in the off-season they will be able to make a bigger impact next season in Orlando. Sophomore Ronnie Beard qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships on the final day of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) track competition on April 30. The Frederick, MD native set a personal record (pr) with his 14.24 finish in the 110m hurdles and nabbed eight points for the Fighting Hawks as he took home a silver medal with his second place finish in the event. Beard trailed teammate Dwayne Robinson for the gold in the 110m hurdles. Robinson, who qualified for NCAA Regionals on April 16 at the Lou Onesty Invite, took home an individual title in the 110m H, crossing the line in 13.94. Robinson went on to finish fifth in the javelin, while Christopher Morrison took seventh. Sophomore Kimani Kirton took home his second gold medal of the championships, setting a pr with his throw of 49.51m in the men's discus while adding 10 points for UMES in the men's team standings. Kirton brought home another gold medal with his record setting throw of 18.38m in the shot put on day two of the championships. Barnabas Togom dominated the competition in the 5000m run, taking home his second title with his first place finish of 15.29. Freshman Pavla Zavoralova set a pr as she took first in the javelin with a throw of 40.90m, bringing home gold while adding 10 points to the team standings for the Lady Hawks. Chantelle Ringgold and Shakira Robinson finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the final round of the 200m dash, while the women's 4x100m relay team of Ringgold, Robinson, Petagay O'Connor and Nicole McKenzie took home a fourth place finish. The men's 4x100m relay team of Beard, Dwayne Robinson, Markeith Eldridge-Scott and Justin Head also had a strong finish, taking eighth with their 42.11 finish. O'Connor later went on to finish fifth in the women's triple jump, good for four team points for the Lady Hawks. As a team the Lady Hawks finished fourth with 67 points, while the Fighting Hawks took fifth with 73 points, one point shy of fourth place Norfolk State. In day two action, Kirton took first in the shot put as he set a conference record with a throw of 18.38m. Christopher Morrison also netted points for UMES, taking eighth for the Fighting Hawks in the high jump. Candice Ringgold finished tied for third in the pole vault, while Chantelle Ringgold also garnered points for the Lady Hawks in the pole vault as she finished sixth. Fellow senior Tiwana Smith was successful in her field event as took sixth in the discus. Shakira Robinson grabbed five points for UMES as she finished fourth in the 100m dash in 11.94, barely missing her pr of 11.93 set earlier in the season. Robinson later moved on to the final round of the 200m run, qualifying with a time of 24.77 while Chantelle Ringgold set a pr and also qualified for the 200m final in 24.29. In a two heat 1500m final, Eva Slavikova took first in 4:35, while Togom and Clayton James finished first and second, respectively, in the first section of the men's 1500m run. Christopher Havrilla ran his fastest time of the season in the same event, setting a pr with his 4:12 finish. In other action, Beard and Dwayne Robinson each qualified for the 110m hurdle final round, while Head set a pr with his 54.37 finish in the 400 IM hurdles. Sherita Harriott also set a personal record with her sixth place finish in the women's heptathlon, while McKenzie had another pr as she finished behind Harriott in the final heptathlon standings. The UMES track and field team also had strong performances in day one of the MEAC Championships. Barnabas Togom and Eva Slavikova each won their events, while Shakira Robinson moved on to the final round of the women's 100m dash. Togom took a comfortable lead in the 3000m steeplechase and never looked back as he went on to win the event in 9:33, 12 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Togom, a first time competitor in the steeplechase, netted 10 points for UMES while fellow Hawk Frederick Keter added a point in the team standings as he took eighth in 10:01. Slavikova won her only event of the day, the 5000m run, in strong fashion. The 2005 MEAC Indoor 3000m champion dominated the competition, winning her event in 18:02. Her first place finish grabbed 10 points for UMES. Robinson moved on to the final round of the women's 100m dash, taking first in her heat in 12.13. The Lady Hawks also had strong performances from McKenzie and Harriott in the heptathlon. McKenzie had a banner day in three events, setting personal records in the high jump, shot put, and 200m dash. Harriott also set a personal record in the 200, as she finished one spot behind McKenzie in day one of the heptathlon standings. Upcoming Week (May 2 - May 8) Track and field is the only team in action this week. UMES will travel to Fairfax, VA on Saturday, May 7 to compete in the George Mason Spring Invitational. |
