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Maroon Tiger
May 4, 1978
sports
Tennis Team Likely to Repeat
BY WALTER PARRISH
This year’s Tennis Team has repeating as champs. The
shown very good promise of team has won seven and lost
Track Team Does Good Job
BY WALTER PARRISH
The Track Team, under the
direction of Coach Michael
Gray has done a wonderful job
this year. Starting under
adverse conditions, the team
has come on to do a wonderful
job of putting together a
strong, contending team. In
two weeks, the team had come
under the helm of Coach Gray
and begun to practice.
In the SIAC, the division in
which the team participates,
there are no dual meets. The
team has been running relay
meets which have not been
scored. The team just
participates for medals and
trophies. This weekend, the
team travels to Tuskegee to
run in the SIAC Track Cham
pionships. This is the one that
gets scored.
Coach Gray, in explaining
the success of the team this
year, said, “I have been
pleasantly surprised. This
team has put forth a lot of hard
work and very much effort.”
The team is a living testament
to what Gray says. He also
made it clear that the times in
the individual events are com
ing down. Coach Gray at
tributes this to the level of
competition that the runners
are up aginst.
The team has had some very
outstanding performances
from quite a few people this
year. Clarence Williams,
Armond Gibson, and the 400
meter relay team, which con
sists of Banks, Alen, Gibson,
and Williams, have all been
bright spots for the Maroon
Tigers’ Track Team this year.
Coach Gray is especially
happy with the performance of
Clarence Williams. Williams
has qualified for the NCAA
Division III Track and Field
Championships in the 200
Meter sprint. In addition to
this he runs, well I might add,
the 100 Meter sprint, 440 Relay
Coach Michael Gray
Emory Irvin: A Profile
By Walter Parrish
Morehouse College
possesses a young athlete who
deserves some special
recognition. Emory Irvin, from
Silver Spring. Maryland, is the
Georgia Golden Gloves State
Champion. He also recently
won the Georgia AAII Boxing
Championship held here in
Atlanta.
A sophomore dual degree
major, Irwin has only been
fighting for five to six months.
In his first major Boxing
tournament, it only took Irvin
three fights to come away with
the title. His first two fights
were first round knockout vic
tories. His last fight didn’t go
as easily, though.
In his third fight, Irvin was
up against a seasoned fighter
who was no pushover. The
fight lasted all three rounds
with Irvin winning the
decision. Following that fight,
Irvin began preparing for the
Georgia AAU championships.
He also won that tourney.
Irvin is not a very flam
boyant person. In talking to
him I noticed a considerable
amount of modesty. Irvin was
not quick to mention the fact
that he had won the first two
fights of his amateur career on
first round knockouts; he sim
ply said that he had won the
fights. He also didn’t mention
that the fighter he fought for
the championship had been
fighting for five years. He sim
ply said that the guy was a
good fighter
In talking to Irvin, I couldn’t
help but feel that here is a
person who has the desire to go
places. Above his bed hung a
sign. The sign listed the two
tournaments by name. He had
checked the first ne off, and the
second one was there waiting
as if the tourney were his
before it even began.
Irvin’s training is regulated
on a strict day-to-day basis. He
does situps, pushups, jumping-
jacks, and knee bends
everyday. On every other day
he goes to the Gym in the
Butler Street YMCA and prac
tices. Irvin also runs a couple
of miles everyday. All of the
expenses of his training and
equipment for his fights have
been shouldered by Irvin
himself.
In his preparation for the
fights, Irvin’s social life has
been lacking. He says, “I
realized that if I were going to
be successful that I would not
be able to go to the parties, and
stay out late.” He went on to
say that during the first
semester, he only had time to
do his studying, and keep in
training.
Emory Irvin is the ideal pic
ture of dedication and com
mitment. He is a good model
for many of us to follow. In
knowing what he wanted, he
prepared himself well. He also
refused to let his studies suffer
because of what he wanted. To
Emory Irvin we say,
“Congratulations, and keep up
the good work.”
team, 880 Relay team, Mile
Relay team, and the Sprint
Medley team.
Others who have served to
keep the team together this
year have been Rodney
Klough, Clarence Williams,
Armond Gibson, and Renee
Sales. Coach Gray attributes
their dedication as the one th
ing that has kept the team go
ing the whole season. The
team also possesses two others
who have qualified for the
Division III National Cham
pionships. Armond Gibson
qualified for the 200 Meter
sprint, and the 400 Meter
Relay team has qualified for
the Championships.
In looking to the SIAC
Championships, Gray feels
the stiffest competition will
come from Clark, Fisk, Miles,
and Fort Valley. Coach Gray is
looking forward to a very
competitive meet, and
hopefully a championship for
Morehouse.
Coach Gray has been very
surprisingly pleased with the
development of the Freshmen
of the squad. In particular, the
performances of Dallas Assen,
Frank Johnson, and Carlton
Williams. Gray also pointed
out one special Freshman. Ac
cording to Gray, “Emmett
Tucker has enough heart for a
whole team. He has been a true
inspiration to the team.” Gray
will be counting on Tucker, the
rest of the Freshmen, and the
rest of the team do a good job
this weekend.”
In expecting his team to do
well, Coach Gray cannot have
it said that he expected them to
put forth more effort than he
has. As earlier mentioned.
Gray took charge of the team
and in two weeks he had
organized the team and had
them practicing. He has
worked hard with the team
and it has been seen in the
team’s production this year.
He has no scholarships to give
out and this is his first year as
head coach of the team.
Being very modest about
everything, Gray gives all of
the credit to the team. He said,
“They pulled together in a
short period of time, and have
worked well together, and
have worked well with me.” All
this may be true but it still
takes someone to coordinate
all of the activities and Gray
has been the man to do it this
year.
one dual matches this year.
The team will travel to
Tuskegee this weekend to play
in the SIAC Division
Tournament to defend its title.
The team has outstanding
performances from Chris
Newborn, Lannie Henderson,
Carl Hodges, and Charles
Francis. The team also has a
large number of Freshmen.
The only Senior on the team is
Glen Battle so Coach Haines
has quite a lot to look forward
to in the next few years.
The team has looked sharp
all year. They have only taken
fourth place once this year,
and have taken second in the
other Invitational
Tournaments. At the moment,
the team is protesting the
Tuskegee Relays. While Fan
nie Henderson was playing,
Alabama State’s Coach,
Taylor, came onto the courts
and began coaching. Ac
cording to the rules!, a team’s
coach is not to enter the courts
while a player on his team is
playing and start coaching.
However, Taylor remained on
the court. Lannie eventually
lost the match, after asking the
coach to leave.
Despite the incident the
team is looking forward to
returning to Tuskegee to show
why they are the division
champs. In watching the team
practice throughout different
times this year, I have noticed
a high level of competitiveness
among the players which runs
over into their matches.
The competitiveness of the
team has resulted in some top
seedings for the players as in
dividuals and for the players
as a team. Charles Francis is
seeded in Flight 2 and Chris
Newborn is seeded in Flight 3.
The second doubles team is
seeded, and they have only lost
one match this year. That
team consists of Francis and
Newborn. The third doubles
team consists of two
Freshmen, Carl Hodges, and
Fannie Henderson, and they
have lost only one match this
year.
"With the continued con
sistency the team has shown
all year, it is no wonder that
they should be favored to
repeat as division champs this
year. Hopefully, not only this
year but for the next few years
the Maroon Tigers will hold a
Tiger’s paw down on the Ten
nis championships.