Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Shaw Ends Bowie State Women’s Tennis Season in Opening Round of CIAA Championships
ETTRICK, Va. - The Shaw University women's tennis team downed Bowie State 5-2 in the Thursday’s (4/17) opening round of the CIAA tournament on the campus of Virginia State.
Shaw took an early 2-1 lead in doubles. Claudia Silva and Gislaine Farias downed Amber Peters and Antonique Johnson 8-0 at number one doubles while Jessica Medina and Menel Ben-Cheikh swept BSU’s Iyabode Sodipo 8-0 at number two doubles. Brianna Burke and Rahwa Habtemarian captured an 8-2 victory at number three doubles.
Medina stretched the Shaw lead to 3-1 when she took down Sodipo 6-0, 6-0. Bowie State’s Habtemarian responded with a 6-0, 6-0 win at number six singles to trim the Shaw lead to 3-2.
Shaw closed out the match with wins at number one singles as Silva defeated Peters 6-0, 6-0, and number three singles where Farias downed Johnson 6-1, 6-0.
BOWIE STATE LADY BULLDOGS TENNIS 2014
Bowie State vs Shaw (Apr 17, 2014)
Bowie State vs Shaw (Apr 17, 2014)
CIAA SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Shaw 5, Bowie State 2
Apr 17, 2014 at Ettrick, VA (VSU Tennis Complex)
Apr 17, 2014 at Ettrick, VA (VSU Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
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1. SILVA,Claudia (SUWTN) def. PETERS,Amber (BSU-W) 6-0, 6-0
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2. MEDINA,Jessica (SUWTN) def. SODIPO,Iyabode (BSU-W) 6-0, 6-0
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3. FARIAS,Gislaine (SUWTN) def. JOHNSON,Antonique (BSU-W) 6-1, 6-0
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4. BEN-CHEIKH,Menel (SUWTN) vs. MANNING,Channae (BSU-W) unfinished
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5. HANNA-COOKE,Hailli (SUWTN) vs. BURKE, Brianna (BSU-W) unfinished
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6. HABTEMARIAM,Rahwa (BSU-W) def. BALOGUN,Omolola (SUWTN) 6-0, 6-0
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Doubles competition
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1. SILVA,Claudia/FARIAS,Gislaine (SUWTN) def. PETERS,Amber/JOHNSON,Antonique (BSU-W) 8-0
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2. MEDINA,Jessica/BEN-CHEIKH,
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3. BURKE, Brianna/HABTEMARIAM,Rahwa (BSU-W) def. HANNA-COOKE,Hailli/BALOGUN,
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Match Notes
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Bowie State 6-10
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Shaw 15-3
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Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (,2,6,1,3)
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CIAA SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Bowie State Track and Field Places Fifth at CIAA Spring Championships
ETTRICK, Va. – The Bowie State University women’s and men’s outdoor track and field teams placed fifth overall at the 2014 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Rogers Stadium on the Virginia State University campus Saturday, April 19th. Saint Augustine’s University ran away with its 17th straight men’s title and Johnson C. Smith University won its second consecutive women’s crown on the final event of the day.
Saint Augustine’s scored 193 points to win easily over Virginia State in the men’s standings. Virginia State placed second with 104 points and Virginia Union was third with 94 points. Johnson C. Smith placed fourth with 85 points and the Bowie State Lady Bulldogs were fifth with 73 points.
Johnson C. Smith pulled out a victory in the women’s 4x400 meter relay to edge St. Aug 132-131. Saint Augustine’s was leading by one point heading into the final event. Virginia State finished third with 112 points. Winston-Salem State finished in fourth with 81 points and Bowie State’s Bulldogs placed fifth with 63 points.
The men’s most valuable performer awards went to Te’Shad Chambers of Virginia State (Track) and Berfranz Charles of Virginia Union (Field). Chambers won the 100 and 200 meter dashes and was a member of the 4x400 meter relay team which finished second and the 4x100 squad which placed third. Charles captured the long jump, finished third in the triple jump and placed sixth in the pole vault. He won the long jump on Friday.
The women’s MVP honors went to Danielle Williams of Johnson C. Smith (Track) and Tajanel McNeil of Winston-Salem State (Field). Williams, one of the nation’s top Division II sprinters, won the 100 meter hurdles, the 100 meter dash and the 200 meter dash. She also was part of the winning 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. NcNeill was second in the triple jump, third in the high jump, sixth in the long jump and eighth in the javelin throw.
The men’s individual champions on Saturday were Geovanie Foote of Johnson C. Smith (Javelin Throw), DeJon Wilkinson of Saint Augustine’s (Triple Jump), Matthew Huckabee of Lincoln (Pa.) (Discus Throw), Ty’reak Murray of Saint Augustine’s (110 Meter Hurdles), Chambers of Virginia State (100 Meter Dash, 200 Meter Dash), James Quarles of Saint Augustine’s (400 Meter Dash), Roxroy Cato of Saint Augustine’s (400 Meter Hurdles), Torion Bailey of Saint Augustine’s (800 Meter Run) and Rhema Ndjami of Bowie State (5,000 Meter Run).
Saint Augustine’s won the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays. The quartet of Jermaine Jones, James Quarles, Daniel Jamieson and Taffawee Johnson were on the 4x100 squad, and the foursome of Joshua Edmonds, Quarles, Kevaughn Hewitt and Cato were on the winning 4x400 team.
In the women’s division, Johnson C. Smith trailed by one point to Saint Augustine’s which set the stage for a climatic race between the two nationally-ranked 4x400 teams. Johnson C. Smith topped Saint Augustine’s by approximately two seconds in the relay race to win the conference championship.
The women’s individual champions on Saturday were Alicia Terry of Virginia State (Triple Jump), Millicent Barber of Virginia State (Discus Throw), Vernesse Thomas-Quickly of Bowie State (High Jump), Williams of Johnson C. Smith (100 Meter Hurdles, 100 Meter Dash, 200 Meter Dash), Quanera Hayes of Livingstone (400 Meter Dash), Tia-Adana Belle of Saint Augustine’s (400 Meter Hurdles), Hughnique Rolle of Virginia State (800 Meter Run) and Taylor-Ashley Bean of Virginia State (1,500 Meter Run).
Johnson C. Smith took the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays. The 4x100 squad consisted of Shamaz Quince, Williams, Trudy-Ann Richards and Samantha Elliott. The 4x400 group included A’Tyan Kennedy, Tovea Jenkins, Crystal Campbell and Williams.
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new discovery (for a flatter belly)
I think I've discovered a new way to burn more fat and get my clients a flatter belly.
As a fitness trainer, when people come to me, the number one thing they ask for is to help them get abs – a flatter belly.
Now, since I like to experiment with different workouts, cardio programs and eating plans I tend to use my clients as Guinea pigs.
Some times I find better ways to get you faster results and other times I discover things that just don't work (but seemed good in theory).
My clients don't mind, they're good sports about it Actually. Recently I shifted my focus on finding new and faster ways to drop more fat off the mid section and to find a better way to get my clients flatter, more defined abs.
And I *think* I discovered the perfect flat belly formula. Now I say I think because up until now I've only tested this with my current clients. I've never used this system with every day people – you know folks who have not worked out for a while if ever.
That would be the TRUE test of my new discovery.
See, my clients are getting amazing results from this new belly flattening training system I've discovered.
They love it because the results come fast, the belly fat just falls right off and we could see really noticeable results in less than 30 days.
But I need to test it out with people who have never been through my training programs, and that's why I'm writing you...
I'm thinking of doing a "beta test group" online where I would design and deliver the custom program online to a group of people who want to burn belly fat, get definition and flatten your abs and I plan on tracking everything so I can quantify REAL results from people who I have never worked with before.
I'm still working on the outline for the program so I don't know how many people I want to take into this beta group.
But if you think that you'd be interested in being a test subject (yes a Guinea pig) in my beta test group while I test out the new belly fat burning workouts and nutrition program I discovered while training my clients then click here to sign up now to try this program free for 30 days.
I'm putting the details of the program together in the next day or so and then it should be ready to do for the beta test group.
As a fitness trainer, when people come to me, the number one thing they ask for is to help them get abs – a flatter belly.
Now, since I like to experiment with different workouts, cardio programs and eating plans I tend to use my clients as Guinea pigs.
Some times I find better ways to get you faster results and other times I discover things that just don't work (but seemed good in theory).
My clients don't mind, they're good sports about it Actually. Recently I shifted my focus on finding new and faster ways to drop more fat off the mid section and to find a better way to get my clients flatter, more defined abs.
And I *think* I discovered the perfect flat belly formula. Now I say I think because up until now I've only tested this with my current clients. I've never used this system with every day people – you know folks who have not worked out for a while if ever.
That would be the TRUE test of my new discovery.
See, my clients are getting amazing results from this new belly flattening training system I've discovered.
They love it because the results come fast, the belly fat just falls right off and we could see really noticeable results in less than 30 days.
But I need to test it out with people who have never been through my training programs, and that's why I'm writing you...
I'm thinking of doing a "beta test group" online where I would design and deliver the custom program online to a group of people who want to burn belly fat, get definition and flatten your abs and I plan on tracking everything so I can quantify REAL results from people who I have never worked with before.
I'm still working on the outline for the program so I don't know how many people I want to take into this beta group.
But if you think that you'd be interested in being a test subject (yes a Guinea pig) in my beta test group while I test out the new belly fat burning workouts and nutrition program I discovered while training my clients then click here to sign up now to try this program free for 30 days.
I'm putting the details of the program together in the next day or so and then it should be ready to do for the beta test group.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Four Surprising Ways to Avoid Skin Cancer
We’re approaching the time of year when many of us will spend a lot more time in the sun, so soon our radios and TVs will resound with warnings about skin cancer.
The warnings are somewhat overblown. True, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., but this is mostly due to basal cell carcinomas, an almost harmless type of cancer that affects hundreds of thousands of people.
All the same, sun exposure does bump up your skin cancer risk, and ages and damages your skin to boot. Who wants wrinkles? So take a look at these unusual ways to keep the harm to a minimum and still enjoy some sun. . .
Continued below…
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The type of skin cancer you have to worry about is melanoma. It’s extremely invasive and deadly -- but fortunately pretty rare. It causes around 8,000 deaths in the U.S. each year (might even be more, since many dermatologists have said they’re unaware of reporting requirements).
Melanoma tends to strike more young people than most other cancers. Its rate is highest among white people though other races aren’t immune, and it especially affects those who’ve been sunburned, hence the saturation media coverage about the dangers of sun exposure.
But it also takes a great deal of all-around oxidative stress, AKA free radical damage, to develop skin cancer. And there are several ways to lower the oxidative stress in your body. Here are four I recommend:
Anti-Skin Cancer Strategy #1: Eat Smart
If you get a lot of sun exposure, but pair it with a healthy diet that includes loads of antioxidants, there’s a good chance you’ll curb any cancer from developing.
In fact, sun exposure itself is a free radical story. The problem with the sun’s ultraviolet wavelengths is that they damage skin cells by causing the release of free radicals. If those free radicals damage your DNA, you could wind up with cancer cells that replicate. Fortunately, a large amount of antioxidants in your skin can help neutralize those free radicals and thus prevent skin cancer.
Eating antioxidants is a proven way to keep free radical damage at bay. And you can get plenty in your system as long as you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables (I recommend organic), and supplement with nutrients like vitamin C and E, along with a variety of other herbs and vitamins. I’m also a big advocate of staying hydrated and adding lots of omega-3s (healthy fats) to your diet.
You should also load up on carotenoids, the compounds that give foods like carrots and sweet potatoes their vivid colors. You’ll find them in green leafy vegetables, yellow and orange colored fruits and vegetables, and red beets.
What’s great about carotenoids is that they act as a natural sunscreen to the plants that produce them. So if you eat them, you get similar benefits: a level of natural sunscreen, plus antioxidants that scavenge for free radicals and protect your cells from oxidative damage.
Anti-Skin Cancer Strategy #2: Use the
RIGHT Sunscreen
RIGHT Sunscreen
Not only is your skin your largest organ, it also protects you against pathogens and extreme temperatures and provides sensation and insulation.
The problem with sunscreen when it comes to skin cancer is that you’re basically slathering your skin with toxins. Rubbing toxic ingredients into your body’s key defense against toxins won’t do your health any favors, since your skin is vital when it comes to your body’s detoxification process.
Despite the unstinting praise it gets in the media and from conventional doctors, sunscreen is known to cause rashes, hormonal problems, and yes, maybe even cancer. According to Dr. Arthur Perry, who was recently featured on the Dr. Oz show, the popular chemical sunscreens many people use contain endocrine disruptors and interfere with the function of hormones in our bodies, which potentially leads to cancer—especially breast cancer.
I’m not saying you should forego sunscreen completely, especially if you plan to spend the day at the beach. But you need to choose the right sunscreen. For starters, stay away from anything with benzophenone, which is one of the most common sunscreen ingredients and is known to cause cancer in animals.
Safe alternatives include “physical sunscreens,” which don’t get absorbed into the body—though they can leave a white sheen on your skin. That’s because physical sunscreens sit on the surface of the skin and reflect the sun. They’re basically made of crushed rock, ground down to a fine consistency. Your body can’t absorb rocks.
Physical sunscreens have the following ingredients: zinc, titanium, or both. Plus, they’re good options if you have sensitive skin. And if you don’t want the white sheen, look for micronized zinc oxide. It’s invisible once applied, though it runs a little more expensive. Zinc oxide is the white stuff that some lifeguards smear on their noses to prevent burn.
Many dermatologists say there haven’t been conclusive studies on the link between chemical sunscreens and cancer, but when poisoning takes place over decades it’s pretty tough to get an accurate study going. I believe the effects are subtle and take a while to show up, but they’re there all the same. Big science has not made any effort to find out.
This is another case where people think the government checks everything out and “surely it wouldn’t be on the market if it was dangerous.” Well, they don’t check things out – certainly not long-term effects such as cancer that don’t show up at once.
I’ve also read that a solution of powdered vitamin C in water, smeared on the skin, prevents sunburn. If you’ve tried this, write me atnewsletter@cancerdefeated.com and let me know how it worked.
Anti-Skin Cancer Strategy #3:
Get more of this “Sunshine Vitamin”
Get more of this “Sunshine Vitamin”
Ultraviolet radiation can actually be good for you—as long as you’re talking about UVB (ultraviolet-B) radiation. That’s what your body needs to manufacture vitamin D. Though keep in mind, you only need a few minutes of sun at midday (especially if you’re Caucasian) to make what you need.
When you have healthy levels of vitamin D, you’re actually better protected against all types of cancer. Plus, there are scores of diseases linked to low vitamin D concentrations that you can easily protect against. And because the primary source of vitamin D is the sun, you can come by it naturally and—thank heavens—free of charge.
Sadly, Big Pharma sees vitamin D as a threat to their profits. Here’s their skewed logic: If people get enough vitamin D, their general health will be better and they won’t need other drugs. Because of this, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry recommend shockingly low levels of daily vitamin D intake—just 600 IU/day of vitamin D3 and only 20 ng/ml of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. This directly contradicts recommendations of vitamin D researchers which call for much higher doses – several thousand IUs per day.
I say, don’t limit yourself when it comes to vitamin D. The benefits are too numerous. The lives saved and diseases prevented thanks to sunshine-generated vitamin D far outnumber the tiny number of additional melanoma cases. Just be sensible and don’t overdo your time in the sun.
Anti-Skin Cancer Strategy #4:
Reduce Inflammation
Reduce Inflammation
This one will surprise you. Aspirin is another way to lower your risk of skin cancer. Researchers at Stanford University looked at data on 60,000 women over 12 years and found that those who took daily aspirin reduced their risk of melanoma by 20 percent. The theory is that aspirin beats back cancer cells before they grow and prosper.
The benefits appear to rise from long-term use, so I don’t believe popping an aspirin before you go outside will do any good. This is not a sunscreen, it’s a systemic (whole body) tip for reducing cancer risk by getting inflammation under control.
I don’t endorse the notion of a daily aspirin, pushed by many heart doctors. But this study does point up the benefits of anti-inflammatories for preventing cancer, and it does so in quite a dramatic way. Achieve the “aspirin effect” with safe, natural anti-inflammatories like omega 3 fatty acids (e.g. fish oil), curcumin and digestive enzymes.
Skin protection pays dividends in the long run
If you’re the type who likes to have the sun-kissed glow that comes from a good tan, you can get it naturally. Simply eat more yellow and red fruits and vegetables. A recent study in Scotland showed that doing so gives your skin a more attractive glow—but without the harmful effects of tanning or using fake-tan creams.
Bottom line is, don’t forget to pay a lot of attention to your skin. Sun exposure isn’t the only threat, and sunscreen is far from being the best solution. Remember your skin is subject to premature aging for a variety of reasons, including poor hormonal balances, bad nutrition, dehydration, stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, and smoking. These things will all age you, so follow the advice above to protect your skin and avoid skin cancer.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
The best cancer treatment on earth just got better!
From the desk of Lee Euler, Editor and Publisher
The best cancer treatment
on earth just got better!
on earth just got better!
Cure rates of almost 100%
for some of the worst cancers. . .
for some of the worst cancers. . .
. . .and there’s only ONE place you can get it. . .
Someday you may need to know about these amazing therapies. Or maybe “someday” is already here for you or someone you love. . .
Maverick doctor cures his last four “terminal” brain cancer patients. His secret: an ingenious laser blood therapy invented in Soviet Russia to keep cosmonauts healthy in space (also used by NASA astronauts)...
The one-week non-surgical cure for the most common cancer in America. Documented in a 10-year study. Cured every single one of 123 men whose prostate cancers hadn’t spread. A pilot from Florida said, “The treatment was a breeze. I felt no pain at all. I had a treatment in the morning and played golf in the afternoon. I no longer have to get up at night to pee, and all my parts are functioning perfectly!”
Liver cancer is a virtual death sentence, right? Wrong! A lone, defiant doctor cured over 300 liver cancer patients using a painless treatment that has pinpoint accuracy. Believe it or not, even the New York Times reported that this revolutionary new procedure may have “solved the cancer problem”!
Get the facts from America’s foremost authority on alternative cancer clinics. He’s made two trips to Germany, met all the main players—and now he tells you the amazing treatment breakthrough he found there.
After his most recent trip, he said, “My jaw almost dropped to the floor when a modest doctor in a Bavarian Alpine village showed me the “before” and “after” photographs of his cancer patients.”
Click here and see the photographic proof for yourself. You be the judge of these “before” and “after” photos
Alfred Morris vs. Kenyetta Grigsby the last 2 seasons
See Kenyetta Grigsby lead the D.C. Divas against the defending National champion Chicago Force tomorrow 4/19 at 6pm right next door to Fed Ex field.
Grigsby 20 games 2,460 total yards 37 TD's
Morris 43 games 2,888 total yards 20 touchdowns
Kenyetta Grigsby: Speed to Burn (Part 2)
Neal Rozendaal
The D.C. Divas have built much of their success around a long line of outstanding running backs. When Kenyetta Grigsby arrived with the Divas in 2010, she wanted to move back to the offensive side of the ball. But at the time, Okiima Pickett had a stranglehold on the position. Pickett was an excellent running back who was on the verge ofcapturing a gold medal with Team USA in the IFAF Women’s World Championships in 2010.
Still, Grigsby would not be denied. “I just started working out harder and harder, and eventually I made it all the way back to where I could play running back again,” Grigsby recalled. Her performances in practice were so good that she was able to platoon with Pickett at the running back position in her first season with the Divas in 2010.
Kenyetta Grigsby had several highlights as a Divas rookie, scoring three touchdowns in a 49-21 victory over the New York Nemesis in 2010. At the end of the season, Grigsby was named a first-team All-American, and it quickly became clear that she was poised to take over as the Divas’ featured running back in 2011.
The Divas opened the 2011 season against the Boston Militia, and Grigsby faced many of the same players that had been on the field when she tore up her knee in Boston five years earlier. She made an immediate impact in her new role as the Divas’ primary running back. The Divas defeated the Militia, 35-20, breaking the Militia’s 20-game regular season winning streak. It was all thanks in large part to Grigsby, who set a franchise record with 243 rushing yards, including three touchdowns, in the win.
Grigsby called it the most memorable game of her career. “I don’t remember many stats, but I remember that one because Coach [Ezra] Cooper asked me before the game how many touchdowns I was going to score in the game, and I told him three touchdowns,” she recalled. “Then I ended up going out there and scoring three touchdowns! That’s why that game stands out so much to me.”
It was just the start of an amazing season for Kenyetta Grigsby. She topped 150 yards rushing three more times that season, finishing the year with 1,178 rushing yards, good for second in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) behind Jessica Springer of the Chicago Force. Grigsby also had 13 touchdowns on just 140 carries, and she was rewarded at the end of the year by winning the prestigious Posey Award from the Pigskin Club of Washington, DC, as the women’s football player of the year in the national capital region.
Sheer Dominance
The 2011 season proved that Grigsby was back to her Baltimore Burn form, and the Divas benefitted from her renaissance. She had another great season opener in 2012, rushing for 222 yards to open the season against the Pittsburgh Passion, but despite her effort, the Divas fell to Pittsburgh, 35-34. The victory by Pittsburgh gave the Passion a shot to clinch the division championship over the Divas later that season when the two teams met for a rematch on June 2, 2012.
Instead, the Divas regained control of their destiny in the division championship race, and Grigsby was the catalyst. The Divas and the Passion were tied with ten minutes remaining in the contest, 28-28. But Grigsby proved to be the pivotal player of the game in crunch time, breaking the game open with two rushing touchdowns and a two-point conversion to lead the Divas to a 43-28 victory. She shattered two franchise records by carrying the ball 41 times for 264 rushing yards to give the Divas a critical division win.
Grigsby would go on to help the Divas clinch their ninth division title in team history two weeks later with a 42-0 victory in Columbus over the Comets. Kenyetta’s father, Kenny, came down from Detroit to watch his daughter play for the first time, and on the day before Father’s Day, Grigsby scored the first two touchdowns of the contest to put the game out of reach.
Grigsby again finished second in the WFA in rushing – this time behind Melissa Smith of the Chicago Force – with 1,052 yards on the season. She added 14 rushing touchdowns on the year and was named a first-team All-American for the third straight time.
After two terrific seasons, what could Kenyetta Grigsby possibly do for an encore? In the 2013 season opener, the Divas traveled to Pittsburgh as the Passion played their first game in newly-minted Highmark Stadium. Grigsby had set a franchise record with 264 yards in the Divas’ last trip to Pittsburgh, but this time, she topped herself again.
The Divas defeated the Passion to open the 2013 season, 42-31, thanks largely to a franchise-record 290 rushing yards from Grigsby. Her second of two touchdowns on the evening came with 7:15 remaining in the game and padded a four-point DC lead to put the game out of reach. Her magnificent performance earned her WFA Offensive Player of the Week honors from the league.
Grigsby always seems to save her best performances for her best competition. In the Divas’ second meeting with the Passion in 2013, she tied her own franchise record with 41 carries for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Grigsby rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries in a regular season meeting with the Boston Militia in 2013. She did even better in the playoffs, accounting for all five of the Divas’ touchdowns in their 58-34 playoff loss to the Militia to end last season.
“It is no coincidence that her best games have come against the best opponents. Kenyetta is one of the fiercest competitors I have ever been around,” Divas quarterback Allyson Hamlin observed. “Don’t be fooled by her quiet confidence, because on the field, ice is running through her veins. She thrives when the stakes are the highest.”
Including playoffs, Kenyetta Grigsby rushed for 1,408 yards in 2013, placing second in the WFA for the third straight year (this time behind Boston’s Whitney Zelee). Grigsby also added 23 rushing touchdowns for the year, a personal high. She became the first Diva ever with back-to-back-to-back thousand-yard rushing seasons, and she was named a first-team All-American for the fourth consecutive year.
Superstar Humility
From 2011-2013, Kenyetta Grigsby totaled 3,638 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns. “Kenyetta is a once-in-a-lifetime back,” Hamlin declared. “She is a locomotive – powerful, fast, and fearless. Her vision of the field is exceptional, and she often makes something out of nothing.”
Allyson Hamlin, the winningest quarterback in women’s football history, credited Grigsby for allowing the Divas’ passing game to thrive. “Kenyetta is the kind of player that gives our offense the ability to do just about anything, and she forces opponents to completely change their defensive schemes,” Hamlin continued. “Kenyetta has given us a running game that has been so strong and consistent that our passing game has flourished, and because of that, we have evolved into a legitimate dual-threat offense.”
Yet Grigsby is humble about all of her success. “The stuff I’ve done on the field, I owe a lot of that to my offensive line and to the coaches. It’s not all just me. I owe the whole team,” she said.
Largely due to her incredible talent, the Divas have won four division championships and earned four playoff berths over the last four seasons. Grigsby has finally been rewarded in DC with the team success that so often eluded her in Baltimore.
“It has been an awesome experience. It’s great to be a part of this. Everything is better when you’re winning,” Grigsby admitted. But it’s clear to see what continues to motivate her. “I still want to win a national championship. That’s what my goal is,” Grigsby stated flatly.
Grigsby has some words of wisdom for the young women still coming up through the sport. “You need to work hard off the field. You need to spend time in the gym. You need to study the playbook and watch a lot of film,” Grigsby advised. “Work hard when no one’s looking. People see me at practice smiling and joking, but outside of practice, I’m constantly watching film and working out. I’m always just trying to get better.”
For Kenyetta Grigsby, the second act of her football career following her devastating knee injury in 2006 has been extremely rewarding, and the Divas have reaped those rewards. “The Divas organization is a lot different than any organization I’ve ever been a part of, and I truly appreciate that,” Grigsby said. “Family, friendship, team, hard work, dedication…I can’t sum up this organization in just one word. It’s all of that together. It’s been awesome.”
Neal Rozendaal
The D.C. Divas have built much of their success around a long line of outstanding running backs. When Kenyetta Grigsby arrived with the Divas in 2010, she wanted to move back to the offensive side of the ball. But at the time, Okiima Pickett had a stranglehold on the position. Pickett was an excellent running back who was on the verge ofcapturing a gold medal with Team USA in the IFAF Women’s World Championships in 2010.
Still, Grigsby would not be denied. “I just started working out harder and harder, and eventually I made it all the way back to where I could play running back again,” Grigsby recalled. Her performances in practice were so good that she was able to platoon with Pickett at the running back position in her first season with the Divas in 2010.
Kenyetta Grigsby had several highlights as a Divas rookie, scoring three touchdowns in a 49-21 victory over the New York Nemesis in 2010. At the end of the season, Grigsby was named a first-team All-American, and it quickly became clear that she was poised to take over as the Divas’ featured running back in 2011.
The Divas opened the 2011 season against the Boston Militia, and Grigsby faced many of the same players that had been on the field when she tore up her knee in Boston five years earlier. She made an immediate impact in her new role as the Divas’ primary running back. The Divas defeated the Militia, 35-20, breaking the Militia’s 20-game regular season winning streak. It was all thanks in large part to Grigsby, who set a franchise record with 243 rushing yards, including three touchdowns, in the win.
Grigsby called it the most memorable game of her career. “I don’t remember many stats, but I remember that one because Coach [Ezra] Cooper asked me before the game how many touchdowns I was going to score in the game, and I told him three touchdowns,” she recalled. “Then I ended up going out there and scoring three touchdowns! That’s why that game stands out so much to me.”
It was just the start of an amazing season for Kenyetta Grigsby. She topped 150 yards rushing three more times that season, finishing the year with 1,178 rushing yards, good for second in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) behind Jessica Springer of the Chicago Force. Grigsby also had 13 touchdowns on just 140 carries, and she was rewarded at the end of the year by winning the prestigious Posey Award from the Pigskin Club of Washington, DC, as the women’s football player of the year in the national capital region.
Sheer Dominance
The 2011 season proved that Grigsby was back to her Baltimore Burn form, and the Divas benefitted from her renaissance. She had another great season opener in 2012, rushing for 222 yards to open the season against the Pittsburgh Passion, but despite her effort, the Divas fell to Pittsburgh, 35-34. The victory by Pittsburgh gave the Passion a shot to clinch the division championship over the Divas later that season when the two teams met for a rematch on June 2, 2012.
Instead, the Divas regained control of their destiny in the division championship race, and Grigsby was the catalyst. The Divas and the Passion were tied with ten minutes remaining in the contest, 28-28. But Grigsby proved to be the pivotal player of the game in crunch time, breaking the game open with two rushing touchdowns and a two-point conversion to lead the Divas to a 43-28 victory. She shattered two franchise records by carrying the ball 41 times for 264 rushing yards to give the Divas a critical division win.
Grigsby would go on to help the Divas clinch their ninth division title in team history two weeks later with a 42-0 victory in Columbus over the Comets. Kenyetta’s father, Kenny, came down from Detroit to watch his daughter play for the first time, and on the day before Father’s Day, Grigsby scored the first two touchdowns of the contest to put the game out of reach.
Grigsby again finished second in the WFA in rushing – this time behind Melissa Smith of the Chicago Force – with 1,052 yards on the season. She added 14 rushing touchdowns on the year and was named a first-team All-American for the third straight time.
After two terrific seasons, what could Kenyetta Grigsby possibly do for an encore? In the 2013 season opener, the Divas traveled to Pittsburgh as the Passion played their first game in newly-minted Highmark Stadium. Grigsby had set a franchise record with 264 yards in the Divas’ last trip to Pittsburgh, but this time, she topped herself again.
The Divas defeated the Passion to open the 2013 season, 42-31, thanks largely to a franchise-record 290 rushing yards from Grigsby. Her second of two touchdowns on the evening came with 7:15 remaining in the game and padded a four-point DC lead to put the game out of reach. Her magnificent performance earned her WFA Offensive Player of the Week honors from the league.
Grigsby always seems to save her best performances for her best competition. In the Divas’ second meeting with the Passion in 2013, she tied her own franchise record with 41 carries for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Grigsby rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries in a regular season meeting with the Boston Militia in 2013. She did even better in the playoffs, accounting for all five of the Divas’ touchdowns in their 58-34 playoff loss to the Militia to end last season.
“It is no coincidence that her best games have come against the best opponents. Kenyetta is one of the fiercest competitors I have ever been around,” Divas quarterback Allyson Hamlin observed. “Don’t be fooled by her quiet confidence, because on the field, ice is running through her veins. She thrives when the stakes are the highest.”
Including playoffs, Kenyetta Grigsby rushed for 1,408 yards in 2013, placing second in the WFA for the third straight year (this time behind Boston’s Whitney Zelee). Grigsby also added 23 rushing touchdowns for the year, a personal high. She became the first Diva ever with back-to-back-to-back thousand-yard rushing seasons, and she was named a first-team All-American for the fourth consecutive year.
Superstar Humility
From 2011-2013, Kenyetta Grigsby totaled 3,638 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns. “Kenyetta is a once-in-a-lifetime back,” Hamlin declared. “She is a locomotive – powerful, fast, and fearless. Her vision of the field is exceptional, and she often makes something out of nothing.”
Allyson Hamlin, the winningest quarterback in women’s football history, credited Grigsby for allowing the Divas’ passing game to thrive. “Kenyetta is the kind of player that gives our offense the ability to do just about anything, and she forces opponents to completely change their defensive schemes,” Hamlin continued. “Kenyetta has given us a running game that has been so strong and consistent that our passing game has flourished, and because of that, we have evolved into a legitimate dual-threat offense.”
Yet Grigsby is humble about all of her success. “The stuff I’ve done on the field, I owe a lot of that to my offensive line and to the coaches. It’s not all just me. I owe the whole team,” she said.
Largely due to her incredible talent, the Divas have won four division championships and earned four playoff berths over the last four seasons. Grigsby has finally been rewarded in DC with the team success that so often eluded her in Baltimore.
“It has been an awesome experience. It’s great to be a part of this. Everything is better when you’re winning,” Grigsby admitted. But it’s clear to see what continues to motivate her. “I still want to win a national championship. That’s what my goal is,” Grigsby stated flatly.
Grigsby has some words of wisdom for the young women still coming up through the sport. “You need to work hard off the field. You need to spend time in the gym. You need to study the playbook and watch a lot of film,” Grigsby advised. “Work hard when no one’s looking. People see me at practice smiling and joking, but outside of practice, I’m constantly watching film and working out. I’m always just trying to get better.”
For Kenyetta Grigsby, the second act of her football career following her devastating knee injury in 2006 has been extremely rewarding, and the Divas have reaped those rewards. “The Divas organization is a lot different than any organization I’ve ever been a part of, and I truly appreciate that,” Grigsby said. “Family, friendship, team, hard work, dedication…I can’t sum up this organization in just one word. It’s all of that together. It’s been awesome.”
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