Grambling State University Athletics

Baseball: After guiding the Tigers to a SWAC West Division Championship, head coach James Cooper was named SWAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career at Grambling. The Tigers placed four on the all-conference team, including first-team performer, shortstop Marshawn Taylor, who was named SWAC Hitter of the Year and SWAC Player of the Year. Pitcher Tanner Raiburn was selected in the 33rd Round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox and catcher Johan Mojica signed a free-agent contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in June.
 
Men’s Basketball: Center Averyl Ugba was named to the All-SWAC First Team and was a second-team BOXTOROW All-American. Ugba averaged 13 points per game and a conference best 9.7 rebounds per game. He was also third in field goal percentage with a 55.5 shooting percentage.
 
Women’s Basketball: After being tabbed as the interim head women’s basketball coach just prior to the start of the 2016-2017 school year, coach Freddie Murray led the Lady Tigers to a share of the regular-season title, finishing with an overall record of 19-15 and a 14-4 conference record. For this feat that had not happened in 17 years, Murray was named SWAC Coach of the Year and BOXTOROW Co-Coach of the Year. The Lady Tigers had two all-conference selections, including guard Shakyla Hill, who was also named First Team BOXTOROW All-American.
 
Men’s Indoor Track & Field: Samuel Reese won the men’s weight throw after hitting a mark of 16.44 meters, while Altany Wilson cleared 15.59m to win the triple jump. Jonathan Sawyer won the men’s 400-meter dash in 47.98 seconds. GSU swept the 5,000-meter run, as Noah Rugut won it in 15:57.6 and teammates Hassan Chepkwony (15:58.8) and fellow Jeremiah Kimeli (16:08) finished second and third, respectively. The 1600m relay team won gold, running time of 3:13.81.
 
Women’s Indoor Track & Field: Kenya Wheeler won the women’s shotput gold medal with a throw of 14.47 meters.
 
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field: In a dramatic final sprint, Grambling State University won its second Southwestern Athletic Conference Men's Outdoor Track and Field championship, edging Prairie View by half-a-point in the final standings. This championship marked the 33rd SWAC Championship for head coach Bertram Lovell, earning him his 33rd SWAC Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year award.
 
Hassan Chepkwony scored 31 points in four events to earn the Men's Most Outstanding Track Performer award. Altany Wilson took home the gold in the triple jump with a leap of 15.32 meters. Jonathon Sawyer clocked a 46.64-second mark to win the men's 400-meter dash. Hassan Chepkwony (15:50.35) and Noah Rugut (16:03.57) finished second and third, respectively in the men’s 5000m run.
 
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field: Halima Chepkwony was named the Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer, earning 30 points in four events, including a win in the 10,000-meter run. Kenya Wheeler finished second in the women’s discus throw (46.28m) and second in the women’s shotput with a throw of 14.33m. Jumper Darlene Desmangles finished third in the women’s triple jump (11.96m). Furqani al-Amin finished third in the women’s hammer throw with a mark of 47.84m.
 
Women’s Tennis: Dana Galeano earned First Team All-SWAC honors in women’s singles. The doubles team of Galeano and Anastaysa Reshetnikova were named to the women’s doubles All-SWAC Second Team.
 
Football: After helping lead the Tigers to a conference-best 10-win season, Grambling State quarterback Devante Kincade was the voters’ choice for the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year award. Kincade completed 59.7 percent of his passes and threw for 2,409 yards with 19 touchdowns against just three interceptions. The senior held the top passing efficiency with a rating of 143.8.  Additionally, Kincade accounted for the most total yards of offense as well with 2,649 yards.
 
De’Arius Christmas was tabbed as the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year after he ranked fourth in the conference with 76 tackles, third in the SWAC with 14.5 tackles for a loss, to go along with 3.5 sacks (18th in SWAC), and two forced fumbles (tied for fourth in SWAC).
 
Broderick Fobbs was dubbed the SWAC Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to another double-digit win season, and a second consecutive SWAC Football Championship win and Celebration Bowl berth.  GSU lead the conference in points per game (32.0), was second in points allowed per game (19.4) and boasted the conference’s best run-stopping defense (allowed 94.0 yards per game), most interceptions (16), most sacks (41) and one of the nation’s top turnover ratios (+21) as well as the SWAC’s top red zone offense (converted on 90 percent of chances). Grambling totaled a conference-best 12 all-conference performers and eight BOXTOROW All-Americans. De’Arius Christmas and Marc Orozco were named Third Team FCS STATS All-Americans.
 
Women’s Volleyball: The GSU women’s volleyball team won 16 matches in 2017 and qualified for the SWAC Volleyball Tournament for the first time since 2011. Kevreion Ward was selected to the All-SWAC First Team, while Erineka Mollere was named to the All-SWAC Second Team. For the season, Ward registered 336 kills, while hitting .205, and had 132 digs and 75 total blocks. She tallied 16 double-digit kill matches, with a career-high 25 in a five-set victory over Southern.
 
Mollere recorded 586 digs, 114 assists, 27 service aces and 18 kills in 137 sets played for the season. She had 27 double-digit dig matches, with a career-high 39 in a five-set match against Centenary. Mollere was named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 19.
 
Women’s Soccer: Under first year head coach Justin Wagar, the GSU women’s soccer program went from being the doormat of the SWAC in recent years and being picked in the preseason to finish last in the conference, to finishing second in the SWAC regular season and earning the No.2 seed in the SWAC Tournament. The Lady Tigers made a run at the school’s first soccer championship since 2009, but fell just short in penalty kicks in the SWAC Soccer Championship Game. Three players earned All- SWAC honors, while Wagar was named the SWAC Coach of the Year. Brittany Terry was named to the All-SWAC First Team as a defender, while Kaylee Holt (forward) and Haileigh Adams (defender) earned All-SWAC Second Team honors.
 
Wagar inherited a program that won just one game the previous season and was picked to finish 10th in the SWAC preseason predicted order of finish. He turned around the program as the Lady Tigers went 7-2-1 in conference play and 9-7-1 overall. GSU enjoyed a seven-match win streak during the season and held the top spot in the conference standings until the last two weeks of the regular season.