Richmond Free Press
A8 July 21-23, 2016
Sports Stories by Fred Jeter
Richmond women’s football team heading to championship The Richmond hard as they do.” Black Widows were Asked if she returned born last August with the favor with a few detera “want ad” seeking mined blows of her own, female football players she nodded politely. on Meetup.com. Widows player April A dozen or so curiBryant, a receiver/defenous women showed up sive back with the team for the first meeting, and a soldier at Fort Lee, and a spark was lit. is among WFA leaders Then those women with 60 tackles and four told their friends. interceptions. Word spread. Now, The Widows’ quarless than a year after terback, now commuting their social networkfrom Chicago, is quicksiling origins, the Richver Katelyn Wright, who mond Black Widows has passed for 407 yards are on the threshold and eight touchdowns. of a national cham“I love absolutely evpionship. erything – the adrenalin The Widows, many rush, camaraderie, the with hair tucked under Pamela Goode frustration, the mental black helmets, will The Richmond Black Widows practice hard at St. Joseph’s Villa last week to get ready and physical aspect; it’s face Acadiana Zydeco for the WFA championship game Saturday in Pittsburgh. my outlet,” Wright said of Opelousas, La., on about playing with the Friday, July 22, for the team. Tier 3 title of the full contact Women’s Football Transportation for the title game in Pittsburgh. Some of the players have extensive athletic Alliance (WFA). Among the standouts is Shanice Cole, who resumes. Others don’t. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at North Allegheny starts at wide receiver and defensive end. “We’ve got ’em from every walk of life,” High School in Pittsburgh. Cole sparkled in basketball and softball at said the Widows assistant Coach Brian West, a The Widows are 6-3 in their maiden season Highland Springs High School and became a former L.C. Bird High School football star. after defeating Keystone Assault, Md., 14-8 in standout basketball player at Winthrop University “We’ve got military, girls that have played a June 25 semifinal playoff at Virginia Union in Rock Hill, S.C., where she led the NCAA all kinds of sports and some that never played University’s Hovey Field. Division I team in scoring and rebounding as anything.” Wearing red and black uniforms, the Widows, a senior in 2010. There is no fee to join the team; the players under Coach Bill Donati, had Hovey Field home Along the way, she yearned to play football, however, must furnish their own helmets and dates with the Philadelphia Phantomz, the DC but opportunity never knocked until hearing shoulder pads. Coach Donati, who has helped Divas, the Tri-Cities Thunder (Tenn.) and most about the Widows. coach Goochland High School to the state Group recently the Assault. Road trips were to play “Once I came out, it was all I expected – and A championship in 2012, says the Widows are Tri-Cities, Fayetteville Fierce (North Carolina), more,” Cole said. no one-year wonder. Philadelphia and Assault. “This season, we didn’t make any cuts,” he Asked about “and more,” she said: The Widows are traveling as a team via Groome “I really didn’t think the women would hit as said. “Anyone who came out got to play. In
the future, I’m thinking there may be cuts as interest grows. “These are women who were never allowed to play. Now that they have the chance, they love it.” There are no size requirements. Widows players range from more than 200 pounds down to 109-pound Charlie Gold. “I tried to play football in high school and the coach laughed at me — no girls on his team,” said Gold, who went to J.R. Tucker High School. “Here’s to you, coach.”
Richmond Black Widows fast facts Owner: Sarah Schkeeper, who doubles as an offensive guard Head Coach/General Manager: Bill Donati Assistant coach: Brian West Players: Women mostly ages 18 and up; 17-year-olds can play with parental consent. Some players are in their 40s. Home field: Virginia Union University’s Hovey Field Practice fields: St. Joseph’s Villa and Pearson’s Corner Elementary School in Hanover County League affiliation: Women’s Football Alliance, Northeast Conference, Colonial Division; wfafootball.net Season: Early April through July Website: RichmondBlackWidows.com Twitter: @rvaBlackWidows Facebook: Richmond Black Widows Info and contact: rvablackwidows@ gmail.com
Former VUU standout signs African-Americans made with Finland team their marks at early Olympics When it comes to inclusion of AfricanAmerican athletes, the U.S. Olympic track and field team got nearly a half-century head start on other high-profile sports. In 1904, George Poage became the first African-American to represent the United States in the Olympic games. The event was held that year in St. Louis, in conjunction with the World’s Fair. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in history, the 24-year-old Poage made history of his own in St. Louis, winning bronze medals in the 200- and 400-meter hurdles. He also raced in the 60-meter dash trials. There were no black Americans at the 1896 Olympic games in Athens or the games in Paris in 1900. However, a black Frenchman, Constantin Henriquez, who was born in Haiti, won a gold medal for rugby union in Paris. Poage was born in Hannibal, Mo., and lived most of his early life in La Crosse, Wis., where he graduated as the class salutatorian from La Crosse High School. At the University of Wisconsin, he became the first African-American Big 10 Conference track champ with victories as a hurdler. Poage faced hurdles off the track, too. The St. Louis Olympics and World’s Fair were tarnished by Jim Crow laws that mandated segregated facilities for white and black spectators. Poage was pressured by black groups George Poage to boycott the Olympic games in protest, but he chose to compete anyway, preferring to let his fast feet make a statement. Four years later, at the 1908 London Olympics, John Baxter Taylor became the first African-American gold medalist when he ran the third leg on the victorious United States 4x400 relay team. Taylor, who was born to former slaves in Washington, also ran the individual 400-meter race in London in perhaps the strangest ending to any Olympic event ever. After winning his quarterfinal and semifinal heats, Taylor was a favorite among four finalists to win the 400. However, during the race, American John Carpenter was charged with obstructing British runner Wyndham Halswelle, and officials ruled that the race be repeated — without Carpenter. As a show of support, Taylor and William Robbins declined to run again and Halswelle won the medal running alone. Tragically, Taylor, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in veterinary medicine, died a few months after the 1908 Games of typhoid fever. He was 26. All-white delegations from Cuba and South
Africa competed in the Olympics beginning in 1896, but few other Caribbean and sub-Saharan African nations were present. Following World Wa r II, Olympic organizers reached out to make the games truly global. Ethiopia and Kenya joined the competition in 1956 and began producing an assembly John Baxter Taylor line of long distance gold medalists At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila was the first champion from a subSaharan African nation. Caribbean nations, including Jamaica and Trinidad, began sending teams to the Olympics in 1948 with some of world’s fastest sprinters. Jamaican Arthur Wint became the first Caribbean champ with a 400-meter victory at the 1948 Olympic games in London. Team USA will include a large number of African-American athletes at this year’s games in Rio de Janeiro. African-Americans will be competing not only in track and field, but also in gymnastics, boxing and basketball. But it was Poage who got there first and made a lasting mark. Later in life, Poage taught at the all-black Charles Sumner School in Milwaukee, worked on a farm in Minnesota and for the last 20 years of his professional life was a postal clerk in Chicago. Because the Olympics were strictly amateur events in those days, Poage never cashed in financially on his St. Louis achievements. Under his photo in the University of Wisconsin’s 1903 yearbook was this inscription: “Of matchless swiftness; but of silent pace.” Poignantly, the caption would link his dazzling speed with subsequent years of anonymity working in Chicago at a post office.
First African-Americans in top tier U.S. sports Olympic track & field: George Poage, 1904 NFL: Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Los Angeles Rams, 1946 Major League Baseball: Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947 NBA: Earl Lloyd, Washington Capitals, 1950 USTA: Althea Gibson, 1950 NHL: Willie O’Ree, 1958, Boston Bruins PGA: Charlie Sifford, 1961 NASCAR: Wendell Scott, 1961
Kiana Johnson is heading for Finland. The former Virginia Union University basketball sensation has signed a contract with the Forssan Alku team in Forssa, Finland. The nine-team Finnish women’s professional league begins play later this summer. The Finnish word for basketball is “koripallo.” Forssa is a town of about 18,000 on the southern tip of
helping the Panthers to a the Scandinavian 28-3 overall record. nation. VUU won the CIAA The dynamic and Atlantic Regional 5-foot-6 Johnson tournaments and adwas CIAA and vanced to the NCAA NCAADivision II Division II Sweet 16. Player of the Year A native of Chicago, last season under Johnson played three VUU CoachAnnseasons at Michigan Marie Gilbert. Johnson led Kiana Johnson State before transferring to VUU. She is on track the NCAA in scoring (29.2 points per game) to receive a degree in psycholand assists (8.6 per game) while ogy later this year.
Bradley helps AL to All-Star victory Richmond was well represented at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 12 in San Diego. Jackie Bradley Jr., the starting left fielder, went 2-for-2, helping the American League to a 4-2 win over the National League. Bradley, who plays for the Boston
Jackie Bradley
Red Sox, was born in Richmond and moved to Prince George County as a middle school student. Facing National League starter Johnny Cueto, Bradley reached on an infield single in the second inning. He added a single off Drew Pomeranz in the fourth inning.
VSU basketball signs 2
Virginia State While playing at University basketball Middleburg Acadcoach Lonnie Blow Jr. emy in Northern has added two building Virginia, Corum avblocks to an already eraged 12 points and strong foundation. six rebounds and Coming off its was named Virginia first CIAA champiIndependent Schools onship since 1988, Division III Player of Richard Coach Blow has the Year. Granberry announced signing VSU is coming 6-foot-8 junior college transfer off perhaps its best season in Richard Granberry and 6-foot- history. 6 incoming freshman Andrew The Trojans were 24-6 en Corum. route to winning the CIAA title Granberry, originally from in Charlotte and advancing to Chester, Pa., averaged 16 points the second round of the NCAA and seven rebounds last season Division II Tournament in West while helping Neosha County Virginia. Community College in Kansas Coach Blow’s squad moves to a 30-6 record. full time this coming season into
the new 5,100-seat arena on campus, the VSU Multipurpose Building. The TroAndrew jansplayed Corum just one game at the facility last year. Most of the team’s key contributors from 2015-16 are returning. The list of veterans includes All-CIAA player Elijah Moore, All-CIAA Tournament team player Kevin Williams and All-CIAA freshman team player Walter Williams.
NSU basketball team to play in Costa Rica
NSU Coach Robert Jones’ squad will Norfolk State University play the University of Ottawa, Canada, on is getting a jump start on the Aug. 13, a Costa Rican team on Aug. 14 and 2016-17 basketball season. Brock University, Canada, on Aug. 15. The Spartans will travel to Side trips are planned to Holy Spirit Orthe Central American nation of phanage, Crocodile Bridge and the Vista Los Costa Rica Aug. 12 through 17 Suenos Rainforest. for exhibition games against NSU is rebuilding its team after losing three teams that are to be played its top three scorers — Jeff Short, D’Shon in the capital, San Jose. Taylor and Charles Oliver — from last The team also will do some season’s MEAC championship squad. sightseeing. Coach Jones Of the 13 players traveling to Costa Rica, The NCAA allows teams to travel internationally to play every four years. eight are newcomers to NSU’s program. The Spartans’ last overseas trip was in 2012 In preparation, teams are permitted 10 practice to the Bahamas. sessions prior to departure.