Atkins alum inducted into CIAA Hall of Fame

When James Ewers first stepped foot on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) back in 1966, he never imagined he would be remembered as one of the best to ever play sports in the entire history of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference. Ewers, among several others, was inducted into the CIAA 2024 John B. McLendon Hall of Fame class on March 1. The CIAA is the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference and honored their new inductees at this year’s CIAA Basketball Tournament in Baltimore, Maryland. The newly-enshrined athletes were also honored during one of the semi-final games during the tournament. Ewers was a standout tennis player, dominating most of his opponents throughout his time at JCSU. He was a three-time CIAA singles champion and played a prominent role in helping the Golden Bulls secure the 1969 CIAA team championship. Ewers also was the first African American to win the NAIA District 26 Championship in 1969 and hold the record at JCSU for most consecutive wins with 34. That’s quite a legacy he left with the Golden Bulls. Each nominee was selected from submissions sent by their respective schools and the CIAA Hall of Fame selection...