Route 1 Rivalry will Highlight Delaware State and University of Delaware In Sports

The 2009-2010 sports season will be fill excitement as Delaware State will take on the University of Delaware in not only in football on September 19, but in other major sports that will sure make the rivalry very interesting.

Before the two teams tackle on the grid iron, it's ladies first as the lady hornets will take on the lady blue hens on September 18 in soccer.

Also early in the morning on September 19th the men's and lady hornets cross country teams will travel to Newark, Delaware and participate in the Blue Hen Invitational followed by the Delaware Invitational on October 10. There is no word yet if the Blue Hen's cross country teams will participate in the Hornet Invitational.

October 11th the Lady hornets Equestrian team will be in a exhibition competition against the Lady Blue Hens at Hornets ranch. Time to get on that giddy up!!!

December 1st will be a very early Christmas present for Hornets fans as the Blue Hens invade Memorial Hall. I don't know if Memorial Hall will hold a lot of Hornets/Blue Hen fans. My advice is to come very early before the game starts because that gym will get packed in a hurry.

Also in spring 2010 look for Delaware State and UD to duke it out on the diamond in baseball and softball.

Mark your calenders and plan ahead because the Route 1 Rivalry is here to stay for all sports. Why, because it is a first state tradition.

Joyner Spikes A Milestone on a Special Day

Congratulations to Cassandra Joyner on accomplishing her 1000th career kill in the Lady Hornet's victory over Norfolk State on Friday night. Even though there were a lot of college sports games being played on that special day, Friday September 11th will be the one to be remembered for Hornet fans everywhere.

Even though I wasn't there to witnessed this historic milestone but I felt her spirits everytime she plays volleyball. Plus what a better way to get your 1000th kill on your very own tournment The Hornet Invitational.

Want to know how she got to that 1000 milestone, let's go by the numbers of her Hornet career:

Freshman year 2006: 309 kills

Sophomore year 2007: 271 kills

Junior year 2008: 319 kills

Senior year 2009: 101 kills and counting

Joyner has made her mark on being a leader of the lady hornets volleyball team and hoping to add a MEAC Championship to her remarkable career.

Once again congratulations to Cassandra Joyner's 1000th carrer kill. The first ever lady hornet to accomplish 1000 kills in volleyball.

The DSU Hornets Summer Wrap-Up

Dear Summer,

Summer 2009 was the year of making moves and starting over as we prepared for the 2009-2010 Hornets Sports season. Even though our Hornet Athletes have taken the summer break to train, take summer classes, jobs/internship, family and others, there were some summer headlines there were taken place on the campus of Delaware State University.

Lady Hornets Bowling

June 30 will be the most shocking day ever. After winning the MEAC Championship back in March and going to their first ever NCAA appearance, Kim Terrell-Kearney announced that she will be stepping down as the head coach of Lady Hornets Bowling. I was asking myself why did she step down? The answered is simple she accepted the job to work at United States of Bowling Congress in Arlington, Texas.

Kim told dsuhornets.com that it was very tough decision to leave Delaware State because of the wonderful student athletes and staff, plus she was privileged to work with the Lady Hornets for two years.

Terrell-Kearney guided the Hornets to a school-record 119 wins and first-ever appearance in the NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship Tournament this past season. The Hornets advanced to the national semifinals, two wins shy of reaching the national championship. Named the 2008-09 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Coach-of-the-Year, Terrell-Kearney also captured the bowling team’s first MEAC Tournament championship in March.

Kim has a very good resume as a coach and as a professional bowler. The Hornet family will miss Kim Terrell-Kearney. Is the lady hornets bowling program in trouble? We don't know but they are currently looking for a new head coach before the new season starts this winter.

Hornets Baseball

On June 10th, former Hornets pitcher Dan Perkins was selected the 27th Round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies. He was sixth Hornets player to be drafted to Major League Baseball since 1991 and the first since 2004. Welcome to the big leagues Rocky Mountian Perkins. (New nickname I made up).

Three days before the students begin their first day of classes head coach J.P. Blandin named former Delaware Blue Hen Scott Shockley as their new outfielders coach while assisting in hitting instructions with Assistant Coach Mike August. A great move for Hornets baseball.

Men's Outdoor Track & Field

Even though Alston Bolt may have dominate the summer breaking world records, the Hornets Track & Field took over the month of June. From Donte Holmes All-American recognition, advancing to the NCAA track Nationals, coach Bell's First State Track honorship, to Leslie Murray's accomplishment in the NCAA's and Nationals the men's outdoor track & field is gaining momentum for next season.

Lady Hornets Softball

Softball Jeff Savage signed Penn State transfer Janelle Lukens to compete for Lady Hornets for the 2010 softball season. She will bring a Big Ten experience and should be a team leader for the Lady Hornets. Lady Hornets is expecting to sign five new players before the upcoming season.

Lady Hornets Basketball

Head Coach Ed Davis has signed four new players to join the Lady Hornets family: Guard/Forward Crystal Pitt, forward Kianna D’Oliveira, guard Jamarra Robinson, and center Uchechi Ahaiwe. These ladies will bring a greater bench production for the lady hornets for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.

Also the new lady hornets schedule is out with 14 home games and some big non-conference games including being in L.A. for the Women of Troy Classic tournament playing USC. This will be a tough year but I think the lady hornets will pull through but they still have Hampton in their heads from the MEAC Tournament back in March.

Men's Basketball

Head coach Greg Jackson Sr. has wanted the Hornets to play the toughest non-conference games ever and this year will be no different from last year and the previous years. They will be playing 21 teams from nine different conferences. Here's some good news though the Hornets will begin the 2009-2010 season with five straight home games November 14-December 1. A lot of momentum heading towards their always brutal non-conference schedule. Mark your calenders for December 1 when the Hornets will play the Blue Hens of the University of Delaware at home. What an early Christmas present!!!

Delaware State Football

After 19 days of training camp the Hornets are ready for their first game against Joe Taylor and Florida A&M. But before the hornets prepared to look at game film they will begin the season 0-1. Why? Because of ESPN and other sports writers criticize the Hornets Football team for playing Michigan instead of the conference rival North Carolina A&T. The scheduling started back in the spring when Norfolk refuse to change the date with Delaware State and A&T didn't want to swap dates either forcing the Hornets to forfeit.

Finally we have a new Athletic Director back in April and his name is Derek Carter from Bowie State University. I wish him the best of luck on turing Athletic Department into a promising future without conflict.

Well Summer it was a great off season now the real season begins with fall sports. Until then see you again in Summer 2010 with more off season headlines.

Sincerely,
Clarence Varnado III
P.S. HORNETS!!!

Lady Hornets Bowling MEAC Champions

Congratulations to the Lady Hornets Bowling team for becoming the 2009 MEAC Bowling Champions.

The lady hornets took take of business against FAMU, Bethune-Cookman and the defending champion UMES.

In the NCAA Bowling tournament, the lady hornets were one step closer for reaching the national championship round but they eliminated in the semi finals by Nebraska.

Give the lady hornets credit for winning the MEAC championship in a feat that was unaccomplished last season. Next year the lady hornets will be stronger than ever first by defending the MEAC Championship and second getting back to the NCAA Bowling tournament and capturing it's very first National Championship.

The End of Hornets Wrestling

April 27 was the toughest decision for the Hornets' Athletic Department. The Hornets wrestling program has come to untimely end. According to Acting Director of Athletics Candy Young Saunders, she told reporters that concerns of financial viability, academic deficiencies, and lack of improvement with the APR at a Division I level.

I understand about the APR scores even though they made a perfect score the last two years, Delaware State needs to sources to bring money on equestrian, this sport, soccer, track & field, and bowling. Yes we are in economic recession, but the athletic department has got to do a better job with their money.

I feel bad that the wrestling program has got to go because the program has been in this up and running since the 1950's. In the last four years, there have have many coaching changes and the program fail to recover.

As for wrestlers here at DSU, they will transfer to other schools and keep their scholarships.

Men's & Women's Tennis Elimamated from the MEAC Tournament

On April 17, the men and lady hornets tennis team were looking to become the MEAC Tennis champions. Unfortunately, they were at the losing ends by the MEAC favorites.

On the ladies side, the lady hornets were taking on the Lady Rattlers of Florida A&M. The lady hornets competed well but it was too much FAMU at the end of day as DSU lost three of their four singles matches and two doubles contests. Polina Razborova posted the lone win for the lady defeating FAMU's Latreece Olagbegi 6-4, 6-0 in the second singles match.

Razborova's teammates Anna Kovtun, Cassandra Newton, and Hannah Adewumi each fell in straight sets. There were two streaks that ended: Adewumi's 16 single match winning streak (fall and spring seasons) was snapped and the lady hornets three match win streak has also ended.
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As for the men's tennis team they got their hands as they took on four time defending champion South Carliona State University. The Hornets were looking for an upset in the MEAC tournament. However, the Bulldogs are looking towards to become five time champions and no show no signs of rust as the hornets were shut out 5-0 in singles and double matches.

Both men and lady hornets tennis teams finished with winning records and looking forward toward next with some unfinished business.

The Recap of Hornets Baseball So Far

The Hornets baseball had the longest home stead in the programs history, 14 straight games. Instead of playing great baseball with a winning record, the hornets played with no sense of urgency as they conclude their home stead at 4-10. The reason behind a disappointing home stead is pitching and and their offensive bats to scored runs.