Mount Eden News: Bronx Ready for March Madness

Mount Eden News: Bronx Ready for March Madness: Bronx Ready for March Madness Manhattan, Fordham, Advance to NCAA Tourney By Howard Goldin BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- Representati...

Mount Eden News: Bronx Ready for March Madness

Mount Eden News: Bronx Ready for March Madness: Bronx Ready for March Madness Manhattan, Fordham, Advance to NCAA Tourney By Howard Goldin BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- Representati...

Bronx Ready for March Madness

Bronx Ready for March Madness

Manhattan, Fordham, Advance to NCAA Tourney

By Howard Goldin

BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- Representatives of the Bronx will be participants in March Madness of 2014 as the Manhattan Jaspers men and the Fordham Rams women automatically qualified for the NCAA National Tournament by virtue of winning their conference tournaments. 

The Manhattan Jaspers (25-7) reversed last year’s MAAC Tournament final result by defeating the 1^st seeded Iona Gaels by three points, 71-68, on Monday night, to advance to the NCAA National Tournament. The second seeded Jaspers advanced to the final contest by a win over Saint Peter’s and Quinnipiac in earlier rounds of the tourney.

The victory over Iona advanced the Jaspers into the true March Madness for the fourth time. They last were in the nationals a decade ago, 2004. Prior to that year, they were in the NCAA’s in 2003 and 1993. Interestingly, their current head coach, Steve Masiello was an assistant coach in the successes of 2003 and 2004. 

MAAC Tournament MVP George Beamon led Manhattan with 16 points and eight boards. Rhamel Brown scored 15. Shane Richards, with four from beyond the arc, scored 14. Emmy Andujar netted 12.

One day earlier the women hoopsters of Fordham University (25-7) captured the Atlantic-10 Tournament with a 63-51 victory over the 1^st seeded Dayton Flyers. This tournament title was the first for the Rams in the respected athletic conference. The Rams advanced to the National Tournament for the second time. Their last appearance was 20 years ago, 1994.

At 16:09, Dayton was up by 8-2. A jumper by senior Abigail Corning at 3:05 gave the Rams their first lead of the game. The Flyers, as they had for most of the first half, led at the half, 30-29.

The game was competitive throughput the early minutes of the second half. After a tie at 43 was broken by two free throws by Emily Tapio at 13:07, the Rams never again lost the lead. Stephanie Gaitley, the Fordham head coach, remarked, “They were very focused. Confidence grew as we came down the stretch.”

Three of the starters for Fordham achieved double-doubles. Erin Rooney scored 13 and grabbed 13 boards. Emily Tapio accomplished her fifth double-double in the past eight contests with 10 points and 12 rebounds. The A-10 Tournament MVP, Corning, scored 12 with 10 rebounds.

The seeding and location of play for Manhattan will br announced on Sunday and for Fordham will be announced Monday.

Tags: March Madness, NCAA National Tournament, Fordham Rams, Manhattan Jaspers 

Mount Eden News: Home is sweet for Monroe

Mount Eden News: Home is sweet for Monroe: Home is sweet for Monroe Mustangs make the most as Nationals host By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 10- The Monroe Mus...

Home is sweet for Monroe

Home is sweet for Monroe

Mustangs make the most as Nationals host

By Gary Axelbank

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 10- The Monroe Mustangs men's and women's teams were at the forefront of history as they hosted the 2014 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory in Manhattan this past weekend. It was the first time the NJCAA has held the track and field championships not only in the city, but on the east coast.  

Though many of the more than 600 athletes from 74 teams representing 14 states said they had never competed in the world's most famous indoor track facility, much less visited NY, there were comfortable smiles on the faces of Mustangs athletes as they entered the very-familiar Armory on Friday.

"This is our home, this is where we practice every day," said assistant coach Shirvon Greene. "We are proud hosts and came ready to do our best."

Numerous Mustangs achieved All-American status and one of Monroe's best performances came right away. The meet touched off with the distance medley relay on Friday afternoon and the Monroe men (Ronaldo Ball, Walter Penate,Alexshandro Rodriguez, and Katleho Dyoyi) set a school record, finishing third in a time of 10:08:17.

On Saturday South African freshman Sabelo Ndlovu finished third in the triple jump, launching 15.29m (50.02'). 

Also, the women's 4x400 team of Shanice Cameron, Ashley Mandat, Sarah Atcho and Jessica Barrera turned in another of the Monroe inspirational performances of the weekend, finishing sixth.  Their 3:51:61 set a new Monroe school record. 

"This was a full weekend of Mustang pride," said head coach Mark Goodman. "It was kind of amazing to bring an event of this magnitude to New York. But I have to give our athletes credit. Despite the potential for distraction, for the large part, they stayed focused and performed well. This was a wonderful weekend for the college and for all the coaches and athletes who came to New York City to compete."

In the much anticipated men's 1000m, the so-called 'Legion of Doom' (so-named by Coach Greene) featuring top ranked Ronaldo Ball and Dyoyi, the Monroe duo ran neck-and-neck finishing fourth (Ball – 2:27:92) and fifth (Dyoyi – 2:27:98).  Remarkably only .06 of a second separated the two Mustangs.  

Dyoyi also ran the mile finishing seventh overall with a time of 4:15:72.

Monroe's Christopher Belcher placed eighth in the 200m dash, breaking the school record in the prelims with his 21.42. In the men's 600m Joel Johnson finished sixth with school record time of 1:21.01.

Teammate Tresean Goodwin took sixth-place in the 400m, running in 48.76. 

The men's 4x800m Relay consisting of Alexshandro Rodriguez,  Lashley Winter, Shea Coltrain and Javaun Grant placed fifth with a time of 7:54:75 which is a new school record.  

In the women's 200m, Monroe's Sarah Atcho ran a wonderful 24:39, good for second place in Friday's prelims. In the finals on Saturday, she was a notch better, running a new school record in 24:30, which was good for fourth place. 

Another piece of Monroe history was set at this year's Nationals as freshman Rashema Briscoe became Monroe's first-ever pentathalete.  She placed 10th.

Also, Damon Daniels ran his first ever 600m in 1:21.45 and finished tenth and Rashad Ramsey also ran a personal best (1.22.02).

In the women's 400m run, Jessica Barrera finished ninth overall in her fastest time of the season, 57.67

"We knew that it would be a really special thing to have all the teams from around the country come to New York City," said Coach Goodman, "and the people here will have a very wonderful perspective of what the college is about and what we do here."

Mount Eden News: Monroe plays 'D' for District title

Mount Eden News: Monroe plays 'D' for District title: Monroe plays 'D' for District title Mustangs nab eleventh straight nationals berth By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, ...

Monroe plays 'D' for District title

Monroe plays 'D' for District title

Mustangs nab eleventh straight nationals berth

By Gary Axelbank

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 10- For the Monroe Mustangs women's basketball team, it starts with their defense. And they used that defense to finish off two District opponents this weekend in Franklin MA to take the District N Championship and earn themselves a remarkable 11th consecutive trip to an NJCAA National Tournament. On Saturday, Monroe downed Manor College (NY) 78-50 and on Sunday, they took care of Essex (NJ) 76-57 to win their fourth District championship in the last five years.

"We are peaking at just the right time," said head coach James Robinson Jr. "Our defense keys everything else and right now we are committed to the energy that it takes to play good defense. I also have to say that every player on this team knows they're important and so on any given night, any give player can be key. This is a great way to get set for a national tournament."

In the win over Manor on Saturday, 11 of the 12 mustangs who got in the game got on the board. Aaliyah Mercer had 16 points and Tiashana Morris had 10. Tiara Brown also had 10 and she added 10 rebounds for a nifty double/double.

The finals win on Sunday was ignited by a dominant first half by Breana Bey who finished with 25 points, 21 of them coming in the first half as she displayed an awesome inside game. She shot 11/13 from the field. Eli Rojas was a virtual force for Monroe pulling down seventeen rebounds to go along with her ten points. Mercer had 11 points and Brown had 12.

Aaliyah Mercer was named Player of the Year in Region XV and after the game Coach Robinson took home the District Coach of the Year award. Monroe is now 22-10 on the season.

The NJCAA Women's Division II National Championships will be held at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS from March 18-22. Monroe has won four of the 10 previous national tournaments.