Claflin magic felt in Baltimore

From Feb 21-25, Claflin University students, administrators and alumni traveled to Baltimore for the CIAA basketball tournament to recruit, network and support the students participating in various competitions.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is an athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level. CIAA mostly consists of historically black colleges and universities.

For some students, 2023 was their first time attending the CIAA tournament, one of those being Claflin freshman Iyanna Pickens. 

“For the most part, I enjoyed it. There were great opportunities especially at the career fair, a lot of networking and a fun experience overall.” 

Claflin student athletes such as the men’s basketball team, the women’s basketball team and the Claflin cheerleaders were in attendance as well. 

Claflin cheerleader Ni’Ray Nelson said, “Being a member of DaCrUw is an experience I love profoundly. … It supports my creativity while also allowing me to make connections and friends.”

Claflin was even represented in the CIAA Greek Step Show. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Gamma Nu Chapter had the pleasure of stepping on behalf of the school and their organization.

At the end the weekend, Mister Claflin Mendel Rivers and Miss Claflin Arteria Gibson were crowned the 2023 Mister and Miss CIAA. This is the third time a Miss Claflin received the title and the first time a Mister Claflin received the title. Each earned a $2,500 scholarship.

“When I heard them call out ‘and your new Miss CIAA is Miss Claflin University,’ I was in complete shock. I had no idea I was going to win, especially since they had already named Mister Claflin as the new Mister CIAA,” Gibson said.

“It is uncommon for the winners to come from the same school. I was just so happy that all of our hard work paid off and we were able to bring these titles home and put Claflin even higher on the map,” Gibson said.