Bowie State

Former Bowie State running back Isaac Redman has made the Pittsburgh Steelers' 53-man roster. Redman, who rushed 28 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns in three preseason games, is listed third on the Steelers' depth chart at running back. He was on Pittsburgh's practice squad last season after playing for Bowie State from 2005 to 2008. He ended his college career as the Bulldogs' all-time leading rusher with 2,762 yards. He also holds school records for single-season rushing yards (1,512 in 2005)

Michelle Obama encouraged the graduates of Bowie State University on Friday to live up to the legacy of their university's founders and the leaders of the civil rights movement by promoting the importance of education in the black community. "Just think about this for a moment - for generations, in many parts of this country, it was illegal for black people to get an education," Obama told the predominantly black crowd, referring to the period in which Bowie State was founded. "Slaves caught reading or writing could be beaten within an inch of their lives.

Bowie State senior safety Chris Banks was named Sports Illustrated's small schools Player of the Week. Banks earned the award after intercepting three passes to help Bowie State beat Elizabeth City State, 13-0. It was the Bulldogs' first season-opening victory in six seasons.

St. Frances guard Dayshawn Wells committed Sunday night to Bowie State, the reigning Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament champions. “He was our best defender,” said St. Frances coach Nick Myles, a Bowie State graduate. “I think it's going to be really good. It's the right level for him. He's a tremendous kid with a tremendous work ethic. He sacrificed a lot for winning.” Wells averaged around nine points and three assists for the Panthers, according to Myles.

When Byron Westmorland takes the floor with the rest of his Bowie State teammates Saturday night in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament, he'll do so knowing he's accomplished what he set out to do. Two weeks ago he led Bowie State on an unexpected run through the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament. In the championship game, Westmorland scored a career-high 38 points to help the Bulldogs capture their first conference championship in 10 years, and earned game MVP honors in the process.

Seven years ago, most of the athletic world looked at Isaac Redman and saw a young man who had thrown away a promising football career. Bowie State coach Damon Wilson looked at Redman and saw a kid who, regardless of what mistakes he had made, did not deserve to be thrown away. Sunday night, Redman will play running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XVL. He's not a star, but he is a valuable backup who scored a game-winning touchdown against the Ravens earlier this season.

The Morgan State football team faces a daunting schedule in the coming season, including traveling to College Park to face Maryland for the first time and a trip to distant North Dakota State in back-to-back games. And that's before the Bears open their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule against Howard in East Rutherford, N.J., in one of the first games at the new Giants Stadium -- an experience the players won't soon forget. But the Bears are focusing all their attention on their first game of the season, against Bowie State on Sept.

Isaac Redman didn't feel conflicted the last time the Steelers and the Ravens faced one another. But his friends certainly did. Redman, a running back who played college football at Bowie State, scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown in the Steelers 13-10 victory back in December. "I had a lot of family there," Redman said. "And a lot of my old teammates who are Baltimore fans were there, too. I got everyone tickets to come to the game, and when I scored the winning touchdown, they were kind of like 'No!

ERIE, Pa. -- Will Stinson scored 28 points to lead Mercyhurst (5-9) to a 89-78 victory over Bowie State yesterday in men's basketball.Marquis Melton scored 20 points for the Bulldogs (4-8).

Host Bowie State rolled to a 44-point lead at halftime and held West Virginia State to 26 percent shooting on the way to 92-40 victory in last night's championship game of the Best Western Classic.Tarsha Wilson's 13 points led four Bowie State players in double figures. Brandey Lemons added 11 points for the Bulldogs (7-1), who shot nearly 61 percent in the first half to break open the game.Vera Carrington paced West Virginia State (1-6) with 12 points and six rebounds.Kent 88, Coppin State 29: Jenny Kempf's 14 points led Kent (3-5)

WASHINGTON -- First lady Michelle Obama will speak at Bowie State University's commencement on May 17, the White House said Thursday. The school, Maryland's oldest historically black college and one of the oldest in the nation, is celebrating its 148th anniversary. The school is "part of the rich legacy of historically black colleges and universities that have been instrumental in educating generations of African Americans," the White House said in its announcement.  Obama will also speak at Eastern Kentucky University and a Tennessee high school, the White House said.  The announcement comes a day after the first lady entered the policy debate over gun control with a deeply personal address on violence to a conference in Chicago.

Bowie State ran into the top-scoring men's basketball team in the country as host West Liberty of West Virginia won, 114-82, in the first round of the Atlantic Regional of the NCAA Division II tournament on Saturday night. Bryon Westmorland (Mervo) scored a team-high 18 points and Najee White added 13 points for the Bulldogs (16-14). The Hilltoppers (31-1), who average about 106 points a game, shot 66.7percent from the field and took a 66-41 lead at halftime. St. Mary's 84, Morrisville State 66: Donn Hill (Bel Air)

When Byron Westmorland takes the floor with the rest of his Bowie State teammates Saturday night in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament, he'll do so knowing he's accomplished what he set out to do. Two weeks ago he led Bowie State on an unexpected run through the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament. In the championship game, Westmorland scored a career-high 38 points to help the Bulldogs capture their first conference championship in 10 years, and earned game MVP honors in the process.

Byron Westmorland (Mervo) scored a career-high 38 points and visiting Bowie State claimed its first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's basketball tournament championship with an 85-74 victory over Livingstone on Saturday night in Charlotte, N.C. Bowie State (16-13) shot 56.4 percent from the field and 67.9 percent from the free-throw line. The Bears (22-6) trailed by two at halftime, before Bowie State stretched the lead in the second half, outscoring them 42-33.

Erik Etherly and Robert Olson both scored 23 points, and Anthony Winbush finished with a career-best 20, but it was not enough to counteract the game-high 35 put up by Iona's Lamont Jones, as the Gaels defeated Loyola, 90-86, on Friday night. Iona (16-13, 10-7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) shot 76 percent from the field in the second half, making 19 of 25 shots after the break, and Jones made all seven of his attempts in the final 20 minutes. Olson tied the game at 36 9.8 seconds before the half with a 3-pointer from the left side off an assist by R.J. Williams.

Foosball State tournament scheduled for Friday through Sunday The Maryland State Foosball Championships will be held at the Holiday Inn Columbia in Jessup from Friday through Sunday. More than 150 players are expected to vie for the $12,000 prize. Competitors who wish to participate should arrive before 10 a.m. Saturday. Admission for spectators is free. For information, go to mdfoosball.com, call 410-905-5074 or email Marylandfoosball@gmail.com . College lacrosse Former Gilman standout Holman gets ACC award North Carolina senior attackman Marcus Holman (Gilman)

There is no more popular -- or lucrative -- sport these days than professional basketball. Yet Maryland taxpayers are providing the Washington Bullets -- a team that doesn't even intend to play future games in the Free State -- with a nearly $100,000 subsidy.The Bullets hold their practices at McKeldin Gymnasium on the campus of Bowie State University. They use the building at their pleasure. Except for Bowie's men and women's basketball team members, no other student gets to use the facility.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Jerome Oliver scored 23 points and Fayetteville State's defense forced Bowie State into 21 second-half turnovers as the Broncos took a 95-73 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association victory last night.The Broncos (6-3, 2-1) trailed 43-42 at halftime, but a 25-8 run midway through the second half secured the victory.Harvey Petty added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Fayetteville State.Brian Brooks, the CIAA's leading scorer with a 28.6 average, had 23 to lead Bowie State (5-4, 3-3)

Shawntae Payne scored 18 points off the bench and Coppin State won its third straight game with a 56-51 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over host Norfolk State on Saturday in Echols Hall. Payne was 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-7 from the 3-point line as she topped the Eagles in scoring for the fifth time in the past seven games. Coppin State won its third straight game and improved to 7-11 overall and 3-2 in the MEAC. The Eagles forced Norfolk State into 29 turnovers, which they converted into 32 points.

Host St. Francis (N.Y.) closed the first half with a 10-0 run and opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers and beat Mount St. Mary's, 70-56, in men's basketball Thursday night. Rashad Whack led the Mountaineers (6-8, 1-2 Northeast Conference) with 17 points. The Terriers (6-9, 2-1) opened the second half with a 6-0 run. The Mount responded with a 3-pointer by Taylor Danaher and four points from Whack to cut the deficit to 35-32. But St. Francis' Ben Mockford made consecutive 3-pointers again to spark an 8-0 run for a 43-32 advantage.