RICE FAME GROUP ANNOUNCES THE THIRD ANNUAL HBCU MAKEDA EXCELLENCE AWARDS WINNERS

Awards honor HBCU athletics and bands for 2023-2024

Radcliff, KY. August 13, 2024. Rice FAME Group is proud to announce the 2023-2024 HBCU Makeda Excellence Awards honorees today. The awards honor athletes and coaches of Historically Black Colleges and Universities programs. Each honoree was selected by a majority of voting peer coaches and band directors from National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA), and United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) programs. In several cases, the voting was very close.

Nominees were submitted by athletic representatives of the 78 four-year HBCU athletic programs. Ballots were sent to those programs for head coaches to vote for their peers and athletes from their sport. Information was from institutional submission and/or conference websites.

The HBCU Makeda Excellence Awards is named after Queen Makeda, the famous Queen of Sheba. It is said that she is the richest woman ever and her wisdom was impressive enough to test King Solomon of the Hebrews. She was very instrumental in increasing his wealth so he could build the first Temple. Sources say that King Solomon allowed their son to take the Ark of the Covenant which currently resides in Ethiopia.

Dillard University led for the third time with seven honorees. Xavier University of Louisiana was next with four followed by Howard University, Southern University of New Orleans, and Stillman College with two each. Fisk University, Fort Valley State University, Langston University, and Talladega University rounded out the honorees with one each. A total of 21 people were honored. This year’s honorees are:

Baseball

Coach Olen Parker, Jr., Southern University at New Orleans, joined SUNO's athletic staff in July 2023 to start SUNO's inaugural baseball team. He led the Knights to a record of 17-21 overall and 12-8 in the GCAC in their first-ever year of intercollegiate athletics play. The Knights finished the regular season in fourth place and clocked wins over the league's regular season champion Wiley University. He also led the Knights to a 2-1 series win over the 2023 conference tournament champions Dillard Bleu Devils, securing his place in the record books as one of the most successful first-year programs in conference history.

He has been an employee of the SUNO Department of Athletics since July 2023 after time at Baton Rouge Community College (LA) and Mountain View College (Dallas, TX). Coach Parker doubled the number of student-athletes in the athletic department, recruiting over 50 players for his inaugural team. This impressive feat resulted in the largest team in the department.

Athlete Miguel Oropeza, Talladega College, 2024 season was nothing short of extraordinary, earning him top honors and solidifying his place as one of the most elite players in collegiate baseball. Oropeza was named the GCAC Player of the Year and the GCAC Most Valuable Player, accolades that were well-deserved given his remarkable performance throughout the season. He also secured a spot on the GCAC 1st Team and was recognized nationally as an NAIA All-American 1st Team player.

Oropeza, who was also Hitter of the Year, leading the NAIA during the regular season with a .534 batting average. He was the only Tornado to start every game this season and his ability to perform under pressure was evident in his impressive record of over 25 multi-hit games this year. He played in 57 games, hit 10 home runs, drove in 69 runs, scored 80 runs, and stole 26 bases.

Football

Coach Larry Scott, Howard University, led Howard to back-to-back Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles, including the program's first outright championship since 1993 in his third full year at the helm. Additionally, he guided the Bison to their first-ever berth to the Cricket Celebration Bowl after knocking off conference rivals No. 7 North Carolina Central (NCCU) and Morgan State in the final two weeks of the regular season. After the victory over NCCU, the team earned FCS National Team of the Week. After the regular season, Scott saw 14 Bison earn All-MEAC honors and witnessed a student-athlete being named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Athlete Kenny Gallop, Jr., Howard University, helped lead the Bison to back-to-back Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles and first ever Cricket Celebration Bowl appearance in program history. Last season, the 2023 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year received several awards, including All-American honors from BOXTOROW, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele. In December, he won the 2023 Aeneas Williams Award, given to the top defensive back in HBCU Division I college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. In the regular season, the Buck Buchanan Award finalist produced 65 total tackles (42 solos) with six tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries.

Men’s Basketball

Coach Chris Wright, Langston University, led Langston University to a historic 35-2 2023-24 season which saw the Lions finish as Sooner Athletic Conference regular season champions, SAC tournament champions and the NAIA National Tournament runner-up. He coached two players (Anthony Roy, Toru Dean) to spots on the NAIA Men’s Basketball All-America teams; Roy was selected to the NAIA All-America first team and Dean was selected to the NAIA All-America third team. Additionally, Wright picked up the SAC Coach of the Year award and Roy was named SAC Player of the Year and SAC Newcomer of the Year. Roy and Dean were also selected to the All-SAC first team along with selections Cortez Mosley (SAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-SAC second team, SAC All-Defensive) and D’Monte Brown (All-SAC third team).

Athlete Jamal "Tall" Gibson, Southern University at New Orleans, after an incredibly successful first year of college ball, Gibson chose to remain at SUNO due to the unwavering commitment and mentorship of SUNO Head Coach James A. Matthews, III. This season was Gibson’s first year of playing organized basketball. As a freshman, Gibson's performance was nothing short of spectacular, averaging 21.0 points per game, 15.8 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocks per game over 30 games. Gibson finished the year second in the nation for rebounds per game after leading the NAIA for most of the year. He also notched fifth in the NAIA for blocks per game. He set SUNO single-season records for total points (630), rebounds (474), and double-doubles (29). Gibson's accolades for the season included GCAC Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year; All-GCAC First Team, NAIA All-American Third Team, and Louisiana Sports Writer Association All-Louisiana Third Team selections; Louisiana Small College Player of the Year; and GCAC All-Defensive Team.

Women’s Basketball

Coach Bo Browder, Xavier University of Louisiana, had a 2023-24 record of 25-7 (overall) and 19-3 (RRAC). It was Xavier’s 18th 20-win season and 18th NAIA nationals appearance in Browder’s 25 seasons. Xavier shared second in Red River Athletic Conference regular season, second in RRAC Tournament, and earned an automatic bid to NAIA Nationals. This was Xavier’s winningest team in 12 seasons.

XULA’s NAIA rankings (per-game averages): second in turnovers gained (23.3), second in field-goal percentage defense (.330), third in steals (13.5), sixth in scoring defense (53.9), ninth in free-throw attempts (22.8), 17th in offensive rebounds (15.4). First NAIA team in nine years to limit Loyola to fewer than 50 points.

Athlete Maya Buckhanon, Fisk University, finished her career at Fisk University scoring over 1,000 points in just two seasons. Buckhanon was named to the NAIA All American Team for the second year in a row. Buckhanon won the National Player of the Week twice, the Tennessee Writers Association Player of the Week three times, and the GCAC Player of the Week eight times. She was also named the GCAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Her 60 points against the Southern University of New Orleans was the most by any NAIA women since 1988. The effort gives her the most points scored in a game by a Fisk basketball player.

Men’s Cross Country

Coach Nile Legania, Dillard University, repeated as the 2022 and 2023 HBCU Makeda Excellence Awards winner.

Athlete Lejaune George, Xavier University of Louisiana, 26:35.8 at Watson Collegiate Classic was XULA’s second-fastest 8K time ever. School-record 20:00.4 in 6K at LSU Invitational. No. 3 on XULA 4-mile list with 21:31.92 at Nicholls. XULA’s fastest finisher in final five meets of 2023.13th at conference meet for second straight year, 8K time of 28:03. XULA’s first since 2016 to finish at nationals in less than 29 minutes. 2023 Honors included Red River Athletic Conference Runner of the Week.

Women’s Cross Country

Coach Nile Legania, Dillard University, won his 3rd consecutive GCAC Championship, earning his third XC Coach of year honor. Five athletes were named All-Conference, and the team qualified for the program’s third national bid in school history.

Athlete Kennedy Timmons, Dillard University, Timmons was the highest placed Bleu Devil in the 2023 GCAC Championships placing 6th overall. The captain helped the team win its 3rd consecutive team title.

Men’s Track & Field

Coach Nile Legania, Dillard University, won his 4th consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Team title while earning GCAC Coach of the year. His men also earned 6 NAIA All-Americans on the season. Legania’s sprint group is one of the best in ALL the HBCU land.

Athlete Jamaal Morris Jr., Dillard University, qualified in multiple events for the NAIA Outdoor championships. His versatility and skill are evident as he secured a spot in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x1, and 4x4 events. Jamaal Morris Jr. truly had a standout performance at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor track championships. Had impressive finishes in both the 100m and 200m races, setting a school record in the process with times of 10.24 in the 100m and 20.57 in the 200m.

At the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships, Jamaal Morris Jr. accumulated a total of 28 points for his team. He clinched victories in the 200m and 400m events. Additionally, Morris's contributions extended beyond individual success, as he also played a vital role in the 4x100 relay, securing a second-place finish for his team. The team won the men's 2024 GCAC team title and Morris earned GCAC track MVP. Morris also won USTFCCCA South region athlete of the year, He earned 3 NAIA All-Americans in 2024. He was also national runner up in the 200m.

Women’s Track & Field

Coach Nile Legania, Dillard University, won the team's 3rd consecutive conference title, earning him the GCAC Coach of the year. The women earned 6 NAIA All-Americans on the season.

Athlete Kevell Byrd, Dillard University, made a remarkable impact at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor track and field championships by breaking the school record in both the 200m and 400m events. Byrd's impressive times of 23.56 in the 200m and 54.34 in the 400m earned her the title of All-American for the first time outdoors in those events. Won GCAC MVP title for the third time.

Softball

Coach Joel Penfield, Stillman College, led Stillman College Softball to its first NAIA Opening Round and the first national postseason for Stillman College Softball at the NCAA or NAIA level in 30+ seasons. Stillman finished third in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament to earn an at-large bid to the NAIA Tournament. The Tigers went 2-2 at the NAIA Opening Round to become the first HBCU to win an NAIA Softball Tournament game in the tournament's more than 40 seasons. Stillman finished with a 37-15 overall record to break the program's wins record for the second-straight season. The Tigers started the year 19-0. 

Athlete Lauren Haskins, Stillman College, was named the Southern States Athletic Conference SSAC Player of the Year, SSAC Softball Student-Athlete of the Year, an NAIA Third Team All-American and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American. As Stillman's leadoff hitter, she hit .424 with 75 total hits, 14 doubles, three triples and seven home runs (including an inside the park homer). She scored 59 times and drove in 32 RBI. Her .482 on-base percentage, .655 slugging percentage and 45 stolen bases all led Stillman. Defensively in left field, she posted a .944 FLD% through 52 starts. She helped Stillman to a third-place finish in the SSAC Tournament to earn the program's first national postseason bid. 

Men’s Volleyball

Coach Larry Wrather, Fort Valley State University, led the team to being the first HBCU appearing in the NCAA Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship (combines DI & DII) where it played UCLA in the 1st round. FVSU won its first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title after going undefeated 10-0 in the regular season and 3-0 in both matches of the Championships. His team had the first AVCA All-American in program history in Jaxon Hicks and a program-best 17-9 overall record in only its 3rd year.

Women’s Volleyball

Coach Pat Kendrick, Xavier University of Louisiana, is 7-for-7 at XULA in winning conference tournament championships and earning automatic bids to NAIA nationals. Kendrick this year became first in Louisiana volleyball to coach at NCAA or NAIA nationals seven straight seasons. XULA trailed 13-8 in fifth set against top-seeded Our Lady of the Lake in RRAC Tournament final, then saved two match points before winning 19-17. 12-match win streak was XULA’s fifth longest ever and the sixth double-digit win streak of Kendrick’s XULA tenure. Team ranked 17th in NAIA with 2.12 aces per set.

Her 2023 record was 19-8 overall, 14-2 in the Red River Athletic Conference (second place), RRAC Tournament champion, and an automatic bid to NAIA nationals. She won 2023 Red River Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

Athlete Kennedy Wade, Xavier University of Louisiana, is the most decorated volleyball player in XULA history. For second straight year Wade was NAIA All-America, region player of the year, conference player of the year, and NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete. Led conference in kills per set for second straight year with five kill-dig double-doubles. Match highs included 22 kills, 26 digs.

Her 2023 stats were 77 sets played, 286 kills (3.71 k/s), .242 hitting %, 33 service aces (0.43 aces/s), 198 digs (2.57 d/s), 17 blocks (0.24 b/s), and 329.0 points. Her 2023 honors included AVCA NAIA All-America second team, AVCA NAIA All-Southcentral Player of the Year, Red River Athletic Conference Player of the Year, RRAC Attacker of the Week three times, All-RRAC Tournament, All-Louisiana second team, CSC Academic All-District, and NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete.

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For Immediate Release