Posted: Feb 29, 2012

“Firebird Nation Sports Update” Episode Two Details the Successes of the Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame & Nationally Ranked Men’s & Women’s Basketball

Washington, DC – The University of the District of Columbia Department of Athletics in conjunction with UDC-TV will air episode two of "Firebird Nation Sports Update" on Monday, March 5th. Episode two covers a host of topics from the past month in University of the District of Columbia Athletics, including the Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the men's and women's basketball regular season recap.

The program's second broadcast will feature interviews with Men's and Women's Basketball Head Coaches Jeff Ruland and Jay Butler, along with a "Firebird Spotlight" on senior point guard Jasmine Rich, who has led the Women's Basketball team to a national ranking in Division II. Coach Ruland discusses the key ingredients to his team's success, highlighted by the trio of senior guards Nigel Munson, Brandon Herbert, and Dishawn Bradshaw. The Firebird men have catapulted to #23 in the country.

Coach Jay Butler has also enjoyed similar success as head coach of the women's team. In the interview, Coach Butler explains how an experienced backcourt of seniors Jasmine Rich and Lauren Brittingham have provided leadership and stability for the Firebirds. Senior point-guard Jasmine Rich was the subject of this month's "Firebird Spotlight". Averaging four points and four assists per game, Rich is the unselfish veteran of the squad whose style of play fits perfectly into Coach Butler's fast-paced scheme.

Additionally, episode two will detail the tremendously successful Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that took place on February 17^th. The list of Hall of Famers includes William S. Jones, Reslyn W. Henley, Liz Young McNair, Leonard "Tony" Upson, Dr. Philip Sheridan Fox, and the 1982 Men's National Championship team.

UDC-TV, a 24-hour educational cable program service, is operated by the University of the District of Columbia and serves as the District government's non-commercial, adult education program service. UDC-TV is part of the Comcast, RCN, Verizon television cable systems, reaching approximately 187,000 residential households in the District of Columbia and every major hotel, federal, and Congressional office and the White House.

In Washington, DC, UDC-TV can be viewed on Comcast Channel 98, RCN Channel 19, and Verizon Channels 19 and 21.