2019-20 HIGHLIGHTS
Football:
- Senior defensive end Darius Royster voted MEAC Defensive Player of the Year – honored during college football hall of fame banquet in New York City.
- Senior defensive end Darius Royster and junior defensive back Bryan Mills named to FCS All-America Teams.
- Three student-athletes – senior running back Isaiah Totten, senior receiver Daeshawn Stephens and senior punter John Pecaro – voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® Football Team.
- Junior defensive back Bryan Mills tied the school record with three interceptions at Morgan State on Sept. 28.
- Freshman quarterback Davius Richards became just the second quarterback in school history to pass for more than 380 yards in a game, amassing 384 yards through the air versus Norfolk State on Nov. 9.
- Freshman quarterback Davius Richards became just the sixth quarterback in school history to pass for more than 2,000 yards in a season, compiling 2,020 yards through the air in 2019.
- Junior running back Isaiah Totten climbed NCCU's all-time rushing list to seventh with 2,122 ground yards.
- Former offensive lineman Nick Leverett signed NFL free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Former defensive back Mike Jones wins Grey Cup Championship as a member of the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Volleyball:
- Registered most total wins (8) since 2012.
- Tallied most conference wins (7) since joining the MEAC in 2011.
- Earned No. 2 seed in the Southern Division of the MEAC - best seed since joining the MEAC.
- Redshirt freshman Ammaarah Williams selected NCCSIA All-State Second Team.
- Redshirt freshman Ammaarah Williams voted MEAC All-Rookie Team.
- Senior Jessica Pilivi named CoSIDA Academic All-District.
Cross Country:
- Sophomore Ashley Jean-Raymond achieved the best-ever finish for an NCCU runner at the MEAC Cross Country Championships by placing seventh to earn all-conference honors.
Track & Field:
- Five Eagles combined for seven medals during the MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
- The women's team placed sixth as a team during the MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships with 47 points, which is the most in NCCU's Division I era, topping last year's 41 points.
- The men's team placed eighth during the MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships with 23 points, which is the most at the indoor conference championship since tallying 24 points in 2013.
- Senior thrower Corneisha Mitchell and junior jumper Bhrandi Crenshaw each earned a pair of medals – one silver and one bronze apiece – during the MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Other medalists included sophomore Ashley Jean-Raymond (bronze, 5000m run), junior Marvin Jones (bronze, high jump), and junior Gordon Lewis (bronze, 400m dash).
Men's Basketball:
- Won fourth MEAC regular-season title in last seven seasons.
- Extended win streak to 16 consecutive home victories, including 12 straight against MEAC opponents.
- Finished season on six-game winning streak.
- Senior forward Jibri Blount named MEAC Player of the Year - third Eagle to win MEAC award, and fourth to be named conference Player of the Year (LeVelle Moton, CIAA 1995-96).
- Senior forward Jibri Blount finished sixth among NCCU single-season leaders with 596 points, fifth in field goals with 216, fifth in rebounds with 294, fourth in steals with 68, fifth in total minutes with 1,141, and fourth in minutes per game. He's also the only player to reach those points, rebounds, and steal single-season totals in program history.
- Reached semifinal round of MEAC Tournament for fourth consecutive year, and made quarterfinal round ninth consecutive year.
- Scored 92 points versus Delaware Stat in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinal round to tie for second-most points at the MEAC Tournament in the Division I era.
- Claimed two All-MEAC selections: Jibri Blount (First Team) and C.J. Keyser (Third Team).
- Junior point guard Jordan Perkins reached second all-time at NCCU in career assists, and is just the third Eagle to reach 400 career assists.
- Coach LeVelle Moton won gold medal with USA U-19 team at FIBA World Cup in Greece.
Women's Basketball:
- Collected most total wins (13) since 2006-07 (26-6), marking the most wins in the Division I era.
- Posted most conference wins (9) since joining the MEAC in 2011.
- Achieved first winning MEAC record (9-7, .563) since joining the league in 2011.
- Earned No. 5 seed in the MEAC Tournament - best seed since joining the MEAC.
- Advanced to the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament for the first in program history (semifinals not played due to COVID-19 threat).
- Senior center Paulina Afriyie voted First Team All-MEAC.
- Senior center Paulina Afriyie reached multiple NCCU Records…
- 1,203 career points – 2nd DI Era; 9th All-Time
- 955 career rebounds – 1st DI Era; 3rd All-Time
- 129 career blocks – 1st DI Era
- 126 career steals – 5th DI Era
- 123 career assists – T-9th DI Era
- 8.0 career rebounds per game average – 3rd DI Era
- 10.1 career points per game average – 6th DI Era
- 289 Rebounds in 2019-20 – 1st DI Era Single Season Record; 6th All-Time
- 9.6 rebounds per game average in 2019-20 – 1st DI Era Single Season Record
- Junior guard Kieche White named Second Team All-MEAC.
- Freshman forward Anissa Rivera selected to MEAC All-Rookie Team.
- Junior guard Zaria Atkins dished out 103 assists in 2019-20 – a Division I era single-season record.
Women's Tennis:
- Polina Sakharova and Ivana Dragovic won Gray Doubles Flight at the fifth annual NCCU Invitational.
- Senior Frida Cnossen graduated in May with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average to capture the department's Chancellor's Award as the student-athlete with the highest GPA.
Men's Tennis:
- Achieved .333 win percentage (4-8 overall record), which is the program's best since the 2014-15 season.
- Won four consecutive matches - longest win streak in Division I era.
- Honored as national ITA Community Service Award winner for Division I Men.
Baseball:
- Senior outfielder Carter Williams became the first Eagle to reach 200 career hits.
- After first 17 games, junior Luis DeLeon led the MEAC in RBI with 24 and home runs with four. He was also second in batting average (.397), slugging percentage (.707), and hits (23), and third in on-base percentage (.485), and runs scored (12).
- Junior Luis DeLeon ranked eighth in NCAA Division I in RBI (24), and 17th in RBI per game at 1.41.
- Sophomore pitcher Ryan Miller led the MEAC in strikeouts with 36.
- Senior pitcher Brenden Bell tied for the MEAC lead in saves with three.
- Junior pitcher Shane Davis had the MEAC's lowest opposing batting average at .148, and fourth-best ERA at 2.01.
- Junior Luis DeLeon held a team-best 13-game hitting streak.
- Senior outfielder Carter Williams signed an MLB contract with the San Francisco Giants.
- Senior pitcher Shane Davis signed an MLB contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Softball:
- Knocked off Harvard with a 6-4 victory for the program's first Division I win over an Ivy League opponent.
NOTE: Sports competitions canceled on March 12, 2020, due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) threat.
2019-20 CONFERENCE / REGIONAL / NATIONAL HONORS
Football
Darius Royster - All-MEAC First Team, MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, BOXTOROW Defensive Player of the Year, Phil Steele MEAC Defensive Player of the Year (Postseason and Preseason), Phil Steele FCS All-American (Fourth Team), STATS FCS All-America Team (Third Team)
Bryan Mills - All-MEAC First Team, AFCA FCS Coaches' All-America Team (Second Team), BOXTOROW All-America Team, Phil Steele All-MEAC Team (First Team)
Isaiah Totten - All-MEAC First Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District® Football Team (First Team)
Andrew Dale - All-MEAC Third Team
Deonta Fair - All-MEAC Third Team
Brandon Codrington - All-MEAC Third Team
Daeshawn Stephens - CoSIDA Academic All-District® Football Team (First Team)
John Pecaro - CoSIDA Academic All-District® Football Team (First Team)
Volleyball
Ammaarah Williams - MEAC All-Rookie Team, NCCSIA All-State Team (Second Team)
Women's Cross Country
Ashley Jean-Raymond - All-MEAC (7th place)
Men's Indoor Track & Field
Marvin Jones - All-MEAC (bronze, high jump)
Gordon Lewis - All-MEAC (bronze, 400m dash)
Women's Indoor Track & Field
Corneisha Mitchell - All-MEAC (silver, shot put), All-MEAC (bronze, weight throw)
Bhrandi Crenshaw - All-MEAC (silver, triple jump), All-MEAC (bronze, high jump)
Ashley Jean-Raymond - All-MEAC (bronze, 5000m run)
Men's Basketball
Jibri Blount - All-MEAC First Team, MEAC Player of the Year, BOXTOROW First Team All-America, NABC All-District (Second Team)
C.J. Keyser - All-MEAC Third Team
Women's Basketball
Paulina Afriyie - All-MEAC First Team
Kieche White - All-MEAC Second Team
Anissa Rivera - MEAC All-Rookie Team
2019-20 NCCU ATHLETICS AWARD RECIPIENTS
(
Full Story)
Most Valuable Player Award
Baseball: Luis DeLeon
Men's Basketball: Jibri Blount
Women's Basketball: Paulina Afriyie
Cheer: Brandi Wright
Men's Cross Country: Ashton Drake
Women's Cross Country: Ashley Jean-Raymond
Football: Darius Royster
Golf: Daniel Barbare
Softball: Tamiera Sanchez
Men's Tennis: (Coach's Award) Sebastian Bromley
Women's Tennis: (Coach's Award) Hannah Gaines
Men's Track & Field: Gordon Lewis
Women's Track & Field: Bhrandi Crenshaw
Volleyball: Yomaries Villegas
Debra Saunders-White Leadership Award
Baseball: Ryan Miller
Men's Basketball: Jibri Blount
Women's Basketball: Paulina Afriyie
Cheer: Taylore Harris
Men's Cross Country: Joshua McLean
Women's Cross Country: Kenedi Curtis
Football: Cyrus Stanback
Golf: Camron Ratliff
Softball: Jacobia Johnson
Men's Tennis: Pablo Juez Torres
Women's Tennis: Sofia Miller
Men's Track & Field: Marvin Jones
Women's Track & Field: Hannah Stephens
Volleyball: Ammaarah Williams
Eagle Excellence Academic Award
Baseball: Jacob Eigner
Men's Basketball: Nicolas Fennell
Women's Basketball: Theyoung Pouy
Cheer: Alaisia Gilliam
Men's Cross Country: Joshua McLean
Women's Cross Country: Chayil Townsend
Football: Chuck Manning
Golf: Hollan Strepay
Softball: Madison Mifsud
Men's Tennis: Amit Baran
Women's Tennis: Frida Cnossen & Sofia Miller
Men's Track & Field: Jazire Notice
Women's Track & Field: Emmaya Waters
Volleyball: Jessica Pilivi
Chekeria Reid Sportsmanship Award
Female: Arlanda Faulkner, Volleyball
Male: Andrew Dale, Football
Iron Eagle (Strength & Conditioning) Award
Female: Maru Berghaus, Tennis
Male: Jibri Blount, Basketball
Donor of the Year Award
Lauretta Holloway
Sponsor of the Year Award
Subject 2 Change (Jamie Patterson)
Faculty Athletic Council Academic Award
Men's Tennis (small team)
Women's Tennis (small team)
Baseball (large team)
Softball (large team)
Harper-Armstrong Academic Award (Graduate Assistant)
Mirrah Colbert-Grant
Politano-McCree Service Award (Graduate Assistant)
Michelle McLeod
Chancellor's Award (highest GPA)
Frida Cnossen and Sofia Miller, Women's Tennis
Student-Athlete of the Year Award
Female: Paulina Afriyie, Basketball
Male: Jibri Blount, Basketball
2019-20 NCCU Athletics Highlight Video:
