Golden Bulls supporting the Antwan Jamison March Madness Championship event
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University Department of Athletics had representation from the women's basketball team and the Luv-A-Bulls cheerleaders in the 2011 Antawn Jamison's March Madness Championship for Right Moves for Youth student on Saturday, March 26th at the Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology.
Right Moves for Youth concluded their tournament finals of the Annual Antawn Jamison's March Madness Championship on Saturday. Students from local elementary, middle, and high schools competed in cheerleading, stepping and basketball competitions. Participation in March Madness is a reward for club members who show continuous improvement in attendance, behavior and academic performance.
For the eighth consecutive year, the March Madness competition is being sponsored by NBA star and Charlotte native Antawn Jamison as a part of his “A Better Tomorrow” campaign. He played middle school basketball and football at Quail Hollow Middle School and high school basketball at Providence High School. He was named a McDonald's All-American after his senior season.
Antawn Jamison currently plays power forward in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the USA National Team for the 2006 FIBA World Championships. The March Madness program runs from November to March and culminates with the annual championship at a Charlotte middle school.
Jamison played college basketball at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for three seasons, averaging 19.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility and enter the NBA draft in 1998; Jamison was the fourth pick overall. Jamison's #33 was retired at the Dean E. Smith Center in 2000. He became only the seventh North Carolina basketball player to have his number retired.
Johnson C. Smith student-athletes offered their assistance in judging competitions, trophy presentations, and the event operations. At the conclusion of the high school championship each of the seven student-athletes introduced themselves to the crowd.
Right Moves for Youth orchestrated the activities for the evening. Right Moves for Youth is a nonprofit organization that works with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.
They work with students in a group setting. Students participate in clubs in 72 school-based sites with a volunteer base of more than 500 individuals. Right Moves for Youth promotes positive youth development by enhancing participants' academic accomplishments, leadership ability, life skills awareness, self-esteem, civic responsibility and cultural awareness.
“We had fun watching the cheerleading competition and reminiscing to when I was there age wanting to be the best cheerleader I could and just having fun,” said junior Luv-A-Bull
Saishea McNeill (Durham, NC). “When you're young to look up to college students, so I let loose and danced to the beat to keep the kids having fun and entertained,” said All-CIAA junior guard
LaQwesha Gamble (Winter Haven, FL).
Along with McNeill and Gamble, juniors
April Smith (Auburn, AL),
Terrica Jones (Raleigh, NC),
Shavonda Price (Ft. Wayne, IN),
Terran Quattlebaum (Mitchellville, MD), and
Phyllis Jenson (Los Angeles, CA) were in attendance for the event.
“We truly appreciate Johnson C. Smith Athletics coming out to lend their support and without a doubt know that the event has been enhanced because of their presence,” said Right Moves for Youth coordinator Otis Stroud. “We'd definitely like to keep working with the University and extending an invitation to our upcoming events as soon as plans are finalized.”
More information on the “A Better Tomorrow” campaign can be found: www.antawnjamison.com.
