Latest news with #DivisionII
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
No charges in killing of ex-basketball star accused of road rage, PA officials say
A driver accused of fatally shooting a former college basketball star during a road rage incident was legally justified in his actions, Pennsylvania officials said. The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said July 21 that no charges would be filed in the July 6 shooting death of Tamir Johnson, a former standout for the Division II Kutztown University basketball program. Johnson, 35, was driving an Audi in Allentown on July 6 when investigators said he overtook the driver of a Prius, then forced the Prius to the curb. Prosecutors said Johnson got out of his car and approached the other driver with a metal bat, then used it to strike the driver's side door. The driver of the Prius, who was legally allowed to carry a gun, shot Johnson, who then dropped the bat, the district attorney's office said. Johnson was taken to a hospital and died from his injuries, prosecutors said. The Prius driver was not publicly identified because no charges were filed. 'Pennsylvania law states in relevant part that the use of deadly force is justified under certain extreme circumstances,' officials said. 'Deadly force is justified when a person reasonably believes such force is immediately necessary to protect himself against death or serious bodily injury when the person against whom the force is used displays or uses a weapon that is readily or apparently capable of lethal use.' Because Johnson swung the bat with lethal force, prosecutors said the Prius driver was justified under the state's Stand Your Ground law. The Prius driver remained at the scene following the incident and cooperated in the investigation. Johnson played for Kutztown University from 2009 to 2011 and is among the program's all-time leaders in field-goal percentage. 'Tamir was a stalwart leader and quiet giant,' the program said in a July 6 post on Facebook. 'We will miss his positive impact on us and his wonderful smile.' He had plans to return to the university to pursue a master's degree, his family said in a statement to the district attorney's office. 'Johnson was so much more than a moment of conflict,' his family said in a statement. 'He was the father of three beautiful children, a devoted partner, a son, a brother, a nephew and a loyal friend.' Allentown is about a 65-mile drive northwest from Philadelphia.
Los Angeles Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Vanguard University granted full NCAA Division II membership
Vanguard University's athletic program was notified Thursday that it has been granted full NCAA Division II membership for 2025-26. The Costa Mesa university had been a longtime member of the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics since 1986, but two years ago Vanguard was provisionally approved for NCAA Division II status. The final year of a three-year transition period was waived after Vanguard met all NCAA compliance, academic and operational benchmarks a year early. 'This process was really big,' Vanguard Athletic Director Jeff Bussell said in an interview Friday. 'We looked at the climate of just where small college athletics on the West Coast was heading, and Division II was the best regional alignment for us as we navigate college athletics at this time. Everybody's thrilled. We put in a lot of work.' The completion of the move, combined with the opening of the 61,000-square foot Freed Center for Leadership and Service last fall, ushers in a new era for Lions athletics. Bussell said Vanguard teams played an NCAA Division II schedule last year as well, with the caveat that they were on probation and not eligible for the postseason. The men's soccer team and women's basketball team would have made the Division II playoffs if they were eligible, he added. Vanguard women's basketball coach Russ Davis, entering his 29th season, said he was excited about the move to Division II. Last year, his squad finished its first Division II season 18-8 overall and 16-4 in the Pacific West Conference, good for second place. Davis was a four-time NAIA Coach of the Year and his teams made five Fab Four appearances at the NAIA Championships, including winning the 2008 national championship. 'In our particular sport, it's definitely a little step up,' Davis said of the move to Division II. 'But I think if you were one of the top teams that were competing for championships at the NAIA level, then you should have an equal opportunity to be in the mix at the NCAA Division II level as well. 'For me, I was in the NAIA a long time, so you have a lot of friends and people you compete with. We were blessed to be able to accomplish a lot of things, but we're going to try to do the same thing at this level. We're just going to try to keep the ship moving in the right direction if possible.' Vanguard teams are now full competitors in the PacWest Conference and eligible for that conference's postseason events and Division II national championships, a boost for recruiting and competition. 'I think our brand level has been impacted,' Bussell said. 'We doubled our gate last year in ticket sales, just with the move last year. We're hoping to continue to see that grow moving into the future.' The university's NCAA Division II teams include baseball, men's and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field and women's volleyball. Men's volleyball and men's and women's wrestling will compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, while STUNT, women's beach volleyball and dance vie for championships outside of the NCAA umbrella. Delaney Hill, who went to high school close by at Calvary Chapel, is entering her senior year as an opposite on the Vanguard women's volleyball team. While the Freed Center was under construction her first two years, Vanguard played its home matches at Hill's alma mater of Calvary Chapel. The Lions finished 13-11 last fall, including a 10-10 mark in the PacWest Conference. Hill admitted that the speed of the game was faster moving from NAIA to NCAA Division II, but she and her teammates are enthusiastic to meet the challenge moving forward. 'I think everyone's very excited about it,' Hill said. 'The school was NAIA for so long, and I think we were really able to build a legacy from that. I think everyone's very excited to build a legacy within the NCAA now, to compete at a higher level and to compete with new teams that we haven't played against before.'
Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU coach adapting as Power programs grab talent
In the evolving world of college football, success can come with a cost - even for a Division II HBCU program. Just weeks after leading Virginia Union to an Elite Eight finish in the NCAA Division II playoffs, head coach Dr. Alvin Parker watched 17 players enter the transfer portal. That list included star wide receiver Reginald Vick Jr., who landed at ACC member Wake Forest, and defensive standout William Davis, now at West Virginia. "When we walked off the field from that Elite Eight loss to Valdosta (State), I looked around and I said, you know what? We're a two-time champion team, made an Elite Eight run, and I got 13 starters coming back," Parker said on Verified Sources with SJG. "I felt great about it. Two weeks later, I had 17 guys in the portal." The mass departure highlights a growing challenge for HBCU programs, especially at the Division II level. Talented players are increasingly drawn to bigger schools with larger financial incentives. "The landscape changed. It can change just that quick. We're not talking about years. We're talking about days and weeks," Parker said. "At that point now, we go from a player development staff to a roster management type staff." Despite the upheaval, Parker remains committed to developing players - even when it means watching them leave. "I promised every guy when they came to Virginia Union, I promise all of them you'll leave here better than you were when you came," he said. "So when guys come in and they're getting huge contracts, money that they're not going to get from anywhere else, that I can't provide them - you know what? I kept my promise." Parker's approach has elevated Virginia Union's visibility in the HBCU football landscape. Players like Vick and Davis used the program to showcase their skills on a national stage. "We gave them the platform. They came here and they showed off. Other people saw them and they got swooped up," Parker said. Even after major departures, the Panthers' culture of development remains strong. Parker and his staff continue to prepare new talent while reinforcing the HBCU pipeline. "We've done a good enough job of making sure the roster always looked a certain way that, you know, it was kind of like, 'who's up next?'" he said. "Because the landscape of college football is totally different. People say it wasn't like it was when I was back then. No - it wasn't like what it was last year." As HBCU football adjusts to the realities of NIL and player mobility, coaches like Dr. Alvin Parker are evolving too - rooted in tradition, yet adapting to a fast-changing game. Parker recently wrote a new book called 'Play411: Leadership' which tackles the challenges of leadership. The post HBCU coach adapting as Power programs grab talent appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Dominion Post
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Steve Sabins knows he has a path to build on WVU's baseball success
MORGANTOWN — After a second consecutive trip to a super regional, WVU baseball coach Steve Sabins stresses his recruiting pitch to recruits hasn't changed. Other than the length of the pitch itself. 'When you're talking about going after guys who maybe have 15 different options with some high-level schools, I'd usually find a way to sneak myself into those conversations,' Sabins said. 'Usually, those conversations were much shorter than they are now.' That's maybe the biggest impact of the Mountaineers' baseball success, which included a program-record 44 wins, a Big 12 regular-season title and three comeback victories to win the Clemson Regional to open the NCAA tournament in Sabins' first season as head coach. Recruiting doors are opening. That's the good news, because Sabins now faces an immediate question: What the heck does he do for an encore? He doesn't hesitate to answer the question. 'We're in a better part of the conversation now,' said Sabins, who was named the 2025 ABCA East Region Coach of the Year on Wednesday. 'More people appreciate our program. More recruits recognize our program. 'It doesn't just stay that way. You have to go out and keep proving it by doing it over and over again. You have to keep beating down the doors. You have to keep earning it.' The talk of recruiting rankings is not a favorite for Sabins, who refers to the notion as a joke. It's relayed to him that Sabins' incoming class of high school prospects and transfer portal additions is ranked right along some of the elite schools in the country. 'It's still a joke,' he fires back. 'Baseball recruiting is so unlike the other sports where you can rank guys by their size or 40-yard dash times or being able to leap out of the gym. 'There's more complexities to recruiting baseball and there's just no way to be accurate in projecting how 500 guys are going to perform at the next level.' Joke or not, Sabins' incoming class will be asked to not only fill a lot of holes, but continue to build on WVU's level of success. It's with that in mind, Sabins says he's found a niche by searching in places maybe other schools don't. WVU's incoming class includes three Division II pitchers. One of them, Ian Korn, was the NCBWA Division II National Pitcher of the Year after going 11-2 with a 1.81 ERA at Seton Hill (Pa.). Dawson Montesa, out of Adelphi University (Garden City, N.Y.) was a DII All-American and Chansen Cole went 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA as a freshman at DII Newberry State (S.C.) This class comes on the heels of Griffin Kirn making the same jump from Division II to WVU's top starter this season and Derek Clark doing the same in 2024. 'That's something we can sell to these guys,' Sabins said. 'We have a track record now where we can tell them that we can take their potential and develop them into top-notch DI pitchers. We believe we have found a niche.' On paper, WVU may have to replace its entire outfield, or at least two-thirds of it. His top two starting pitchers are out of eligibility. The school's all-time home run leader is gone. The three-year starting catcher is likely gone, as it's expected Logan Sauve will be drafted high enough next month for him to bypass his senior season. 'That's the thing about rankings,' Sabins said. 'I've seen where we may be ranked as high as 13th in the nation, well, we have to replace half of our team next season.' Since the invention of the transfer portal, that situation has become an expected reality across college sports. Still, Sabins believes the cupboard is not bare. After hitting .361 this season, Sam White had surgery on his injured shoulder. That may change how pro teams evaluate him for next month's draft. 'Every pro team will look at his medicals and they'll have to make that decision,' Sabins said. 'It could affect his draft status, or some teams may also see what he's accomplished to this point and still like him.' Shortstop Brodie Kresser also had surgery and has the option of returning for one more college season. There are utility men Armani Guzman and Gavin Kelly. 'They are superstars,' Sabins said. 'They are definitely two pieces you can build a program around. They are the future of the program.' It's also quite possible Chase Meyer could develop into one of the top pitchers in the Big 12 after going 9-2 with a 3.94 ERA this season. 'Chase needs to lead the charge for us,' Sabins said. 'He's got to be one of those guys who goes out there with a chance to be dominant each and every time.'
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tyreek Hill runs 100 meters in 10.15 seconds at California track meet
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill showed up with little fanfare at a track meet in California on Friday and won the 100-meter dash with an impressive time of 10.15 seconds. That's an incredibly fast race considering that Hill is 31 years old and hadn't run track competitively since college, and shows that if Hill had wanted to focus on track instead of football, he has the talent to be an elite sprinter. DK Metcalf, who competed in a 100-meter race in 2021, was widely praised for his time of 10.37 seconds. Hill bested Metcalf's time easily. Advertisement Hill's race was part of the Last Chance Sprint Series, and the competition Hill beat was solid: Isaac Bostio, who was last year's NCAA Division II national champion in the 100 meters, finished second among all the 100-meter runners at the meet, behind Hill at 10.18 seconds. In Hill's own heat, the second-place finisher was former Michigan sprinter Asani Hampton in 10.26 seconds. Hill has been talking up a race with Noah Lyles, and after winning the race on Friday, Hill held up a sign saying, "Noah could never." The reality is Lyles could beat Hill easily in a 100-meter sprint, but Hill still did something incredibly impressive on the track on Friday.
