Monster Jam brings an all-new event, Path of Destruction, the largest summer stadium event in Philadelphia. This year’s event will be held at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, June 9 at 7 p.m.

Monster Jam, sanctioned by the United States Hot Rod Association, is the most popular Monster Truck tour, performing to more than four million fans at big arenas and stadiums throughout the world. Shows consist of three main elements — the all-access pit party, with the main event consisting of racing freestyle phases of competition.

Bari Musawwir will be one of the truck drivers in this event. Musawwir is looking forward to the competition.

“I’m really excited for it,” Musawwir said. “These are some of the elite competitors in the world of Monster Jam.”

2013 men’s lacrosse championship tickets now on sale

Tickets for the 2013 NCAA men’s lacrosse championships, May 25–27, 2013 at Lincoln Financial Field, are currently on sale. Tickets can be purchased by going to www.NCAA.com/tickets. The city of Philadelphia and Drexel University will serve as the hosts for the 2013 lacrosse championships. This will mark the third time overall they will host (2005 and 2006).

Penn names Robin Martin head coach of men’s track and field

Robin Martin has been hired as the new James P. Tuppeny head coach of men’s track and field at the University of Pennsylvania. Martin had been serving as the interim coach since the retirement of Charlie Powell from the position in December.

During Martin’s interim stint, sophomore Maalik Reynolds defended his Heptagonal championships in the indoor and outdoor high jump and earned All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Reynolds participated at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last weekend.

One of the finest runners in Penn’s track and field history, Martin has spent the last four years as a coach within the program. He spent 2008–09 and 2009–10 as a volunteer assistant working with the middle distance runners, then came on as the program’s top assistant for 2010–11, working primarily with sprints, middle distance and as an assistant cross country coach. Last year, Martin helped guide James Finucane into the school record book in two events and aided the 4x800-meter relay team that won both the Heptagonal and IC4a titles.

Tony Chennault and Dylan Ennis transfer to Villanova

Villanova men’s basketball has recently announced that Tony Chennault and Dylan Ennis have transferred to the Wildcats’ program. Chennault, a former Neumann-Goretti star, played two seasons at Wake Forest. Ennis played his freshman year at Rice University. Chennault, a 6-foot-2 guard, started all 31 games for the Demon Deacons in 2011-12, averaging 9.0 points and 2.8 assists a game.

Ennis averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds a game for the Owls. He also established a new school record for assists by a freshman with 144 and was selected to Conference USA’s All-Rookie team.

The Wildcats also announced that 6-foot-9 forward Markus Kennedy, who played during the 2011–12 season, has announced his intention to leave the Wildcats’ basketball program so that he may transfer to another university. Kennedy appeared in 31 games in 2011–12 and earned three starting assignments. He averaged 3.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 14.8 minutes a game in his first season.

West Chester baseball wins national championship

West Chester University, ranked ninth in the country, shut out second ranked Delta State, 9-0, to claim its first NCAA Division II college baseball national championship. West Chester University (46-10) completed its perfect run through the NCAA tournament with a five-hit shutout from Mike Gunkel. The Golden Rams went 4-0 in the Atlantic Regional and duplicated that performance in Cary, N.C., at the College World Series, knocking off Chico State, Southern New Hampshire, Catawba and Delta State, respectively.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Jerome Allen, head basketball coach of the University of Pennsylvania, has announced the hiring of Ira Bowman and Jason Polykoff as assistant coaches with the program. Bowman returns to Penn after spending the last four years at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

The year before Bowman arrived at NJIT, the Highlanders were winless (0-29), and in his first season they went 1-30. Since then, NJIT has improved dramatically — just two years after that 1-30 campaign, the Highlanders went 15-15 overall, including a 9-3 Great West Conference mark in 2010-11. This past season, NJIT went 15-17 overall and advanced to the Great West Conference championship game.

Bowman played two years at Penn, the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons, after transferring from Providence College. His first year with the Quakers was Allen’s senior season, when Penn went 22-6 overall and 14-0 en route to its third straight Ivy League title. Bowman was second team All-Ivy that season. As a senior, Bowman was the Ivy League Player of the Year and first-team All-Philadelphia Big 5 as he led the Quakers to a 17-10 record including a 12-2 mark in Ivy play. Penn tied Princeton that year for the conference title, but fell to the Tigers in a one-game playoff to determine the Ivy’s NCAA tournament bid.

Following his Penn career, Bowman enjoyed a professional playing career that included stints with the 76ers and Atlanta Hawks. He also played overseas, in Italy and Australia, as well as in the CBA.

Polykoff comes to Penn after spending the last five years as the head coach at Friends’ Central School in Wynnewood. He accumulated a 113-28 record in that time, winning four consecutive Pennsylvania Independent School State Championships (2009-12). FCS played in four straight Friends School League finals, from 2008-11, winning the title in 2010 and 2011. Polykoff coached four McDonald’s All-America nominees, including Amile Jefferson, who was a McDonald’s All-America recipient this season. Jefferson will play his college basketball at Duke.

Polykoff played college basketball at Haverford College, where he was team captain in 2005-06. He was the Fords’ MVP, as well as a Philadelphia Area Small College All-Star.

Tony Chennault granted NCAA hardship waiver

Villanova guard Tony Chennault, a 6-foot-2 transfer from Wake Forest, has been granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA and will be eligible to play for the Wildcats in 2012-13.

Chennault transferred from Wake Forest at the conclusion of the spring semester so that he could be near his Philadelphia home to assist his family. The NCAA has approved Chennault’s request, allowing him to be on the active roster in 2012-13. The product of Neumann-Goretti will have two seasons of eligibility.

Miller named head coach at Salem Community College

Nyere Miller, who had a combined seven-year run for Widener as a player and an assistant coach, has been named men’s basketball coach at Salem Community College. Miller was a major reason why Widener won three Commonwealth Conference titles and competed in the NCAA tournament all four years from 2006-09.

He finished second in school history with 257 steals and holds two of the top three single-season marks, including a team-record 92 in 2007-08. In 2008, he was named MVP of the conference tournament.

Miller, a Washington. D.C. native, and Gonzaga College High School graduate, helped the Pride last season close 18-8 and finish second in the conference. This helped Widener grab its first home game in the conference tournament since his senior year in 2009.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

There are many great college basketball players around the country. Pendarvis Williams is certainly one of them. Williams, a former William Bodine High School for International Affairs standout, is a huge star for Norfolk State’s basketball team.

Williams, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound junior, has been named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 14.1 points and 4.6 rebounds to lead the defending MEAC champion Spartans to an undefeated 16-0 mark in conference play and 21-10 record overall. He was also named first-team All-MEAC.

After losing four starters from last year’s NCAA tournament team, including Kyle O’Quinn from the NBA’s Orlando Magic, the Spartans got a big season from Williams. He is shooting 81.9 percent from the free throw line, 45.7 percent from the field and 39.9 from three-point range. Anthony Evans, Norfolk State head coach, who was named the MEAC Coach of the Year, has watched Williams improve his game over the years.

“Last year he played the point, but Kyle O’Quinn was the feature guy and then Chris McEachin was the next guy,” Evans said. “Penny [Williams] got his shots based on the defense focusing on them. This year he was our best returning player and teams were focusing on him. He had to get used to that attention. He’s worked on his game. He watches film. He’s one of the top players in our league as well as one of the best in the country.”

The Spartans became the first team to post an undefeated record in conference play since Coppin State in 1993-94 under head coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell. Norfolk State is guaranteed a bid to the NIT with its regular season championship. There’s a lot of excitement around the Spartans.

Last year, they sent shock waves through the NCAA tournament as the No. 15 seed upsetting the No. 2 seed Missouri,86-84 in the first round of the tournament. Williams put on quite a show in that big victory. He had 20 points, shooting 7-for-9 from the field and 4-for-4 from three-point range, and grabbing four rebounds. He had a good taste of national publicity. The experience really helped him this season.

“That win put Norfolk State on the map,” Williams said. “When you think about it, it made us known worldwide. We were up for an ESPY award. It’s been a great season this year. We lost four starters. I was one of the most experienced players. I know my coaches and teammates believe in me and depend on me to step up. And that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do.”

Williams played some great basketball in the Public League during his career at Bodine. He also starred for the Hun School in New Jersey. Evans will never forget the recruiting trip to see Williams play.

“The year I recruited him we were trying to get some impact players around Kyle (O’Quinn),” Evans said. “I drove up in a snow storm to watch him play. It’s funny, when I watched him, I thought, ‘There’s no way this guy is a point guard.’ As soon as Penny started playing, I could see that he could do whatever he wanted to do.”

In spite of his talents, Williams didn’t receive a lot of Division I interest. He played against a number of college players from the Public and Catholic leagues. He also honed his skills in the Sonny Hill League during the summer months. Nevertheless, he wasn’t a household name at the time.

“We had a lot of great players like Tony Chennault (Neumann-Goretti, Villanova), Tyrone Garland (Bartram, La Salle), Khalif Wyatt (Norristown, Temple) and Scootie Randall (Communications Tech, Temple),” said Williams, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark this season. “I felt like I could play anywhere. I just didn’t get a lot of exposure. But everything worked out for me anyway.

“When I went home over the summer, everybody was talking about our win in the NCAA tournament. I got so much love at home and around the city. It was great.”

The Spartans earned a bye and will open play in the MEAC tournament on Wednesday, March 13, in the quarterfinal round at the Scope Arena in Norfolk. Williams is looking forward to defending the conference championship not too far from the Spartans campus.

“We’re defending champions, and having it right in Norfolk should be great for the school and the fans,” Williams said. “Every day in practice we just come out and work hard. We know what it takes. We’ve done it before and we want to get back to the tournament.”

Contact Staff Writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

When Villanova faces St. John’s in Madison Square Garden in New York City, Tony Chennault feels the Wildcats will be taking a lot of momentum into the Big East Tournament opener. The Wildcats are coming off a terrific upset over Georgetown, the Big East regular season champion.

Chennault, Villanova’s junior guard, is excited about Wednesday night’s (March 13) matchup with St. John’s (16-14 overall, 8-10 league) which tips off at 7 p.m. (ESPN2). The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder knows this is an opportunity for Villanova (19-12 overall, 10-8 league) to enhance its chances of receiving an NCAA tournament bid.

“That one win kind of basically solidified that we could play with just about any team in the country,” Chennault said. “It’s given us a lot of momentum going into the Big East. We’re going in with the right mindset with the things we did in the Georgetown game. We can do that in just about every game from this point on out.

“We have to be ready for battle. Every game is going to be intense. It’s like one game and you’re done. One bad game, you can be out the tournament. So you have to go in with the right mindset. You’re basically playing every game like it’s your last.”

Chennault has been one of the Wildcats’ valuable players off the bench with his ballhandling and defense this season. The former Neumann-Goretti standout is averaging 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds a game. He has also handed out 49 assists.

“I’m just embracing the role of coming off the bench,” Chennault said. “I try to be the energy for our team. I come in the game and penetrate and get the ball to the right guys like Arc (Ryan Arcidiacono), Darrun Hilliard and Jay Vaughn (Pinkston). There are three main scorers. We all have a specific role and we all play it well. That’s what makes us a good team.”

Chennault was a brilliant four-year star at Neumann-Goretti. The ex-Catholic League performer averaged 19.1 points and 6.0 rebounds a game to help the Saints post a 30-1 record and win a league and PIAA Class AAA state championship during the 2009-10 season.

Chennault started his college career at Wake Forest. After two years, he left the Demon Deacons program and transferred home to play for Villanova. He has been enjoying his time in the city. He’s been able to play his college basketball in front of family and friends. He has seen the Saints play as well this season. Neumann-Goretti has won five straight Catholic League titles and appears to be headed for another state crown.

“It’s good being home with your family and friends,” Chenault said. “You’re a lot more accessible to everybody. I get a chance to check out my high school. I get to go to some of the high school games. I see a lot of former coaches and players. It’s kind of fun.”

Villanova has been enjoying a lot of success lately. Another win would be big for its NCAA tournament resume.

Contact Staff Writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The NBA playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 20. The Philadelphia 76ers won’t be there. But plenty of former Sixers will be playing in the postseason. The list of ex-Sixers is pretty impressive,with Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala (Denver Nuggets), Reggie Evans and Jerry Stackhouse (Brooklyn Nets), Willie Green, Maalik Wayns and Matt Barnes (Los Angeles Clippers), Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks) Jodie Meeks (Los Angeles Lakers) and Samuel Dalembert (Milwaukee Bucks). Lou Williams also plays for the Hawks, but suffered a season ending knee injury and is on injured reserve.

Rasheed Wallace retires

Rasheed Wallace, New York Knicks’ power forward, has retired from professional basketball. Wallace, former Simon Gratz star, averaged 7.0 points, on 38.7 percent shooting from the field and 4.0 rebounds over 14.1 minutes in 21 games this season. The 6-foot-11, 245-pounder, played 15 seasons in the NBA.

Eleventh annual Frank “Tick” Coleman awards luncheon

The 11th annual Frank “Tick” Coleman Awards Luncheon will take place on Saturday, April 20 at the Springfield Country Club, 400 Sproul Road, Springfield. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. It will honor five distinguished alumni from Lincoln University — Ja A. Jahannes (‘64), Alfred Dorsey, M.D. (‘79), D. Damaas Stephens (‘83), George C. McGriff, Jr. (‘86) and Hawaiian Thompson-Epps (‘90).

Coleman is an absolute legend. He was the first Black quarterback at Central High School. He led the Lancers to back-to-back Public League championships in 1929 and 1930. Coleman was an outstanding football player at Lincoln University. He is a member of the Lincoln University Athletic Hall of Fame. Coleman graduated from Lincoln University in 1935. He passed away on Dec. 25, 2008.

Tickets for the luncheon are $50. All proceeds will go to the Archie Goodwin Jr. Financial Aid fund that provides book scholarships to students at Lincoln University.

Athletic Advantage Fund accepting applications for student-athlete grant

The Athletic Advantage Fund and the Athlife Foundation announce that applications from School District of Philadelphia high schools for the Student-Athlete Development Grant are now being accepted for the 2013-14 academic year.

Thegrant provides funding to support the creation of a quality mentor position called the Academic Advisor for Athletics (part-time, 20 hours a week minimum), in addition to service learning and community outreach initiatives for students. The position is open and available for high schools participating in interscholastic athletics in the School District of Philadelphia. Competitive applications will target at least one male and one female athletic team for programming.

Schools interested in applying for the Student-Athlete Development Grant should contact Jeff McCann of the Athlife Foundation at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive application materials. The application deadline is Friday, May 3. Any questions regarding the Athletic Advantage Fund or the Development Grant program should be directed to Lauren McGlinchey, Corporate and Community Engagement of Athletic Advantage Fund at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (267) 481-3130.

Tony Chennault to transfer from Villanova

Tony Chennault has informed the Villanova coaching staff of his plans to transfer to another university. Chennault, a former Neumann-Goretti star, played his first two seasons at Wake Forest before transferring to Villanova prior to the 2012-13 academic year.

“We are going to miss Tony,” said Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “He was a major part of our run to the NCAA tournament last season. We respect Tony’s decision and he will always be a part of the ’ Nova Nation.”

Chennault appeared in all 34 games Villanova played in 2012-13 as a reserve after receiving a hardship waiver from the NCAA. He averaged 3.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 18.5 minutes a game. He scored a season-high 11 points at Monmouth on Dec. 22 and added 10 points and four rebounds in a February victory at DePaul. Chennault plans to complete the spring academic semester at Villanova.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Sports fans can get a copy of the commemorative DVD on the 50th anniversary luncheon last year of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. The DVD is now available for $12.00 on a new website www.wiltchamberlain100points.com. It recognizes Chamberlain’s outstanding effort on March 2, 1962, when he scored an NBArecord 100 points in leading the Philadelphia Warriors to a 169-147 win over the New York Knicks in Hershey. In that contest, Chamberlain, a former Overbrook High All-American, shot 36-for-63 from the field and 28-for-32 from the free throw line.

Fans can send a check to the Wilton Norman Chamberlain Postal Stamp Committee, Post Office Box 32323, Philadelphia, Pa. 19146. The website also has plenty of information on his career. Chamberlain, a 7-1, 275-pound center, scored 31,419 points and grabbed 23,924 rebounds during his NBA career. He won two NBA championships - leading the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers and the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers to league crowns.

As a college basketball player, he was an All-American at the University of Kansas. He had a brilliant scholastic career at Overbrook High School. He guided Overbrook to three Public League and two city championships.

Free physicals for prep athletes

On June 1 at 440 North Broad St., from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Office of Athletics, under the direction of Robert B. Coleman, excecutive director and PIAA District XII chairman, through the Athletic Health Organization (AHO), will be conducting the annual free sports physicals event for high school athletes in grades 9-11 and rising 8th graders planning to participate in PIAA sports.

The Office of Athletics and AHO have provided free sports physicals to student athletes for eight consecutive years and continues to provide this important service not only to public school students in Philadelphia, but also to charter and Catholic schools. These free physical exams are significantly more comprehensive than what traditionally occurs in a general practitioner’s office, and include assessments by cardiology, pulmonary orthopedic specialists.

Volunteers need to go to www.athletehealth.org to register. Student-athletes should contact their athletic directors.

Tony Chennault to remain a Wildcat

Tony Chennault, former Neumann-Goretti basketball star, has elected to remain at Villanova and will play his senior season for the Wildcats. Last month, Chennault had announced his intention to seek a transfer to another university.

“Our basketball family is happy that Tony has had a change of heart and decided that he wants to complete his college career and graduate from Villanova,” stated Jay Wright, Villanova head coach.

Chennault appeared in all 34 of Villanova’s games as a reserve last season, averaging 3.6 points and 18.5 minutes a game. He came to Villanova after spending two years at Wake Forest where he started 31 games for the Demon Deacons during the 2011-12 season.

Temple’s Wayne Hardin selected to College Football Hall of Fame

Wayne Hardin, former Temple football coach (1970-82) has been selected to the 2013 Football Bowl Subdivision College Football Hall of Fame. The hall of fame class will be inducted at the 56th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10 at the landmark Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

The winningest coach in Temple football history, Hardin had an 80-52-3 record in 13 seasons. He led the 1979 team to the Garden State Bowl where the Owls defeated California for their first bowl win and finished 10-2 for the school’s most wins ever in a season. That team was ranked No. 17 in both the AP and UPI polls, the first time the Owls were in the national wire service polls.

Hardin’s teams set a Temple record of 14 straight wins (eight in 1973 and six in 1974). He was honored as the 1974 Kodak District II Coach of the Year. He produced a number of All-Americans and NCAA statistical leaders at Temple. Hardin was inducted into Temple’s Hall of Fame in 1994.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .