Scholastic Roundup: MECPS has got some speed

September 17, 2021 Andy Furman

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Medgar Evers College Preparatory School (MECPS) has some outstanding scholar- athletes and Athletic Director Keisha Lewis is proud to talk about them.

Recently, former pentathlete/multi-event Shayla Broughton, class of 2016, who attends Mississippi State University and has had an amazing year coming back from injury and almost qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games.

“Additionally,” says Lewis, “we had Jasmin Muhammad Graham, top-ranked 800-meter runner, New York City PSAL Champion – second-fastest all-time in New York City in the 600-meters. She attends Texas Christian University as a rising sophomore.”

Kaela Swift, a current MECPS sophomore and sprinter is a USATF national champion and upcoming talent. She runs for the NYC Novas – the same team that Olympic medalist Delilah Muhammad trained.

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Medgar Evers College Preparatory School’s mission is to provide their diverse student population with a rigorous education which includes co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. MECP provides a supportive environment that recognizes individual learning styles and strengths. This initiative will ultimately support student’s self-development, increase self-esteem, instill intellectual curiosity, and develop a love for lifelong learning. Each student is given the opportunity to become active participants and contributors to their local and global communities.

Student creativity, character development and social responsibility are cultivated through individualized guidance and college advisement, athletics, clubs, fine and performing arts events, community service and mentorships.

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Tim Slakas, Assistant Director of Athletics at Brooklyn College reports sports are back – in full-gear.

“After a year-and-a-half,” he said, “we are finally back to sports at Brooklyn College. Our men’s soccer team has already played a pair of matches, our women’s volleyball team has won two of their first three matches.”

Brooklyn boasts freshmen volleyballers from California and Canada.

Women’s and men’s cross-country teams get underway this weekend for Brooklyn College.

Ezri Shor, a third-year volleyballer for Brooklyn is closing in on 1,000 assists for her career. She attended Midwood High School, her parents met at Brooklyn College, and, get this – her mom works at the college.

Ezri has been the team’s captain for the last two seasons, and was named City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2018 and in a conference All-Star in 2019.

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David Vance, the former General Manager of the Kentucky Colonels in the American Basketball Association (ABA) mentions his brother Doug, who serves as Executive Director for the College Sports Information Directors of America.

He shares an ABA story involving Fred Cranwell. Cranwell was the one-time Sports Information Director at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ. He later served as publicist for the ABA’s Pittsburgh Condors.

Following an exhibition game in Teaneck, NJ, Vance asked Fred what kind of crowd they had. “What do you mean crowd?”, Fred said. “We sent them all home in a Yellow Cab.”

Later, Vance asked Cranwell what ever happened to a former player named Chico Vaughn.

Fred said Chico had opened a linen shop with all of the towels he stole from the Condors locker room.

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After reading about Thomas Jefferson’s football training camp in Honesdale, Pa., former Jefferson footballer Larry Tischler was moved to say:

“I worked in the dishwashing room at Camp Roosevelt for two years, and one year in the kitchen prepping food. It was in Sackett Lake across the lake from the Laurels.”

Tischler went on to a successful football career at Lycoming (Pa.) College.

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With Rutgers starting the football season with wins over Temple (61-14) and Syracuse (17-7) it led former Lafayette High basketball manager Ed Birch to quip: “Will the Scarlet Knights play in the Rose Bowl?”

Rutgers hosts undefeated (2-0) Delaware this Saturday.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected] Twitter: @AndyFurmanFSR