WHO: Ryan Couture, STRIKEFORCE newcomer and son of MMA legend Randy Couture
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 12 at 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT
Ryan Couture will discuss his upcoming professional MMA debut on Friday, Aug. 13 at the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., LIVE on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
The 27-year-old Couture, a member of the Las Vegas, Nev., based Xtreme Couture fight team, will face Lucas Stark of Chandler, Ariz. in a three-round lightweight (155 pounds) bout.
Looking to make a name for himself in the sport his father helped pioneer, Couture compiled an amateur record of 5-1-1 competing as a lightweight, with all five wins coming by way of submission. He has had access to a who’s who of MMA royalty as training partners and coaches, which, coupled with a solid amateur career, has given him the background and confidence to take his fight career to the next level.
Couture began his MMA training in 2006, working diligently to mature into a well-rounded fighter, adding Muay Thai and a dangerous submission game to his repertoire. In January 2008, he moved to Las Vegas to train with his father.
EAST CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE SELECTS VINCENT, WOOD, BRACKEEN AS FIRST INDUCTEES TO MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY/JUNIOR COLLEGE SPORTS HALL OF FAME
US Fed News Service, Including US State News April 16, 2007 East Central Community College issued the following news release:
Three East Central Community College alumni who made their marks in athletics are included in the first class of outstanding athletes and coaches selected for induction into the Mississippi Community/Junior College Sports Hall of Fame.
Arno Vincent, Lucille Wood and the late Denver Brackeen will be recognized with other honorees during an induction banquet scheduled at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, 2007, on the Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus in Wesson. A reception at 6:30 p.m. officially begins the activities, which will be held in the Thames Conference Center.
During the banquet, a medallion and a glass desk piece will be presented to each honoree. In addition, the names of all inductees will be displayed on a large plaque for display in the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges’ (SBCJC) office in Jackson.
Vincent, a 1937 ECCC graduate, was an All-State selection in football and basketball as a member of the 1935-36 and 1936-37 squads. He continued his athletic career at the University of Southern Mississippi, serving as team captain in football and basketball.
He later returned to ECCC to coach the 1947-49 football squads, and led the Warrior basketball teams from 1947-53. His 1952-53 basketball squad captured Region 7 and State championships and finished fourth in the NJCAA Tournament.
Vincent served as ECCC president from 1953-62 and is a former assistant superintendent for Meridian Public Schools. site east central community college
He is a member of the ECCC Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame and Alumni Hall of Fame at USM. He was selected ECCC’s Alumnus of the Year in 1973 and the College’s administration building was named in his honor in 1999.
A military veteran, Vincent served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-46 with the Pacific Fleet.
He and his wife, the former Winifred McElhenney, reside in Petal. He has two daughters, Pamela Vincent and Daphne Vincent Lancaster. His first wife, the former Ruth Carr of Winston County, is deceased.
Wood, a 1951 ECCC graduate, lettered in basketball and tennis while a member of the 1949-50 and 1950-51 teams.
Since varsity sports were not available for women on the senior college level, Wood participated in intramural sports at the University of Southern Mississippi from 1951-53. She received a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s in health, physical education and recreation from USM.
Wood later returned to ECCC and coached basketball Club Teams from 1958-74; women’s basketball, 1974-85; men’s and women’s tennis, 1958-76; and volleyball, 1968-71. She led four of her women’s basketball teams to state titles and several division championships. She also captured a state title in volleyball and five of her tennis players won individual state championships.
Wood is also recognized as a pioneer in women’s athletics and worked for the implementation of the Title IX ruling for colleges in Mississippi.
She has received numerous honors throughout her career. She was chosen ECCC Alumna of the Year in 1965; MACJC Coach of the Year, 1979; and was named to the ECCC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986. The College’s physical education building was named for her and Denver Brackeen in 1988. She served as Region 23 Director of Athletics from 1987-1997 and was one of three recipients of the NJCAA Service Award.
Wood was chosen HEADWAE (Higher Education Appreciation Day; Working Toward Academic Excellence) Instructor of the Year in 1990; Mississippi Humanities Council Instructor of the Year, 2003; and Mississippi Women’s Conference “Power of One” Award winner in 2003.
She was inducted into the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004 and the same year received a BlueCross – BlueShield Ageless Hero Award in the “Love of Learning” category.
The Mississippi House of Representatives recognized Miss Wood for her 53 years of service in the state’s community and junior college system by adopting a resolution in her honor during the 2007 session.
Wood teaches health, first aid, physical education, recreational leadership, and fitness and conditioning classes at ECCC where she also serves as Chairman of the Division of Social Science, Business and Education. see here east central community college
Brackeen, a member of the ECCC Class of 1953, was a standout member of the 1949-1950 and 1952-53 basketball squads, earning All-State honors both seasons and NJCAA First Team All-American status in 1953.
He led the Warriors to state and regional championships and a fourth place finish in the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament during the 1952-53 season. While participating in the national tournament, Brackeen scored a record 51 points in one contest and was named the NJCAA Most Valuable Player.
Brackeen continued his basketball career at the University of Mississippi, where he received All-American honors by the Helms Athletic Foundation and was selected most valuable player in the Southeastern Conference. He was twice named to All-SEC teams and was chosen by Look Magazine as the most valuable player in District V, which consisted of nine southern states.
He was drafted by the New York Knickerbockers professional basketball team but soon returned to ECCC to begin a 28-year career serving in various capacities including coach, guidance counselor, admissions director and dean of students.
Brackeen led Warrior basketball teams from 1955 to 1963, compiling a record of 137 wins and 52 losses. His most successful season was his last at the Warrior helm. The 1962-63 team finished 22-3 and advanced to the state tournament semi-finals. Members of Brackeen’s basketball teams successfully led efforts recently to establish a scholarship in his honor at ECCC.
Brackeen, who in 1985 was chosen the first member of the ECCC Athletic Hall of Fame, was also inducted into the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Mississippi Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also chosen a Chik-fil-A SEC Basketball Legend of the Year.
He was selected ECCC Alumnus of the Year in 1982 and the College’s physical education building was named for him and Lucille Wood in 1988.
Brackeen also had a distinguished career in Mississippi National Guard. He served as Mississippi’s Adjutant General during Desert Storm and retired from military service in 1992 with the rank of major general.
His widow, Charlotte Wells Brackeen, resides in Union. They had two sons, Morgan Denver Brackeen and Charlie Wells Brackeen (deceased).
