Groh gets first commitment for next class
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
February 24, 2005

Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting that Al Groh and his staff are at it again ...
The Cavaliers, who got out of the recruiting blocks fast last year, have already landed their first football commitment for the recruiting class of 2006.
George Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound outside linebacker from Glassboro, N.J., committed to the Cavaliers during last weekend’s Junior Day event, that drew 142 prospects from a six-state area. Johnson, who plays tight end and defensive end for Glassboro High School, should fit well into Groh’s 3-4 scheme with his size and 4.5 speed.
According to Rivals recruiting analyst Mike Farrell, the Cavaliers were the first to offer Johnson, who was also getting strong interest from Iowa, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Syracuse and Rutgers.
Also according to Farrell, Virginia has also caught the eye of quarterback Matt Simms, only a sophomore. Simms happens to be the son of former NFL quarterback Phil Simms and brother of former Texas QB Chris Simms. Apparently, the younger Simms really likes UVa.
Farrell has been profiling several prospects from the junior crop on his Web site: www.thewagononline.com.

Tickets to the Dance. There are several ACC teams fighting for an NCAA bid as the schedule heads down the final stretch of the regular season.
N.C. State appears to have a tough road ahead as the Wolfpack, 15-11 overall and
5-8 in the ACC, have three tough games coming up, hosting Virginia Tech on Saturday, then traveling to UVa, then closing at home against Wake before the ACC Tournament.
What hurts the Wolfies is the fact they have no good nonconference wins against a very pedestrian schedule, and have some bad losses on top of that.
Even it State wins its last three to go 8-8, it might not get in because of its schedule.
Virginia Tech is also feeling some heat because of its nonconference schedule and some bad losses in spite of what the Hokies have accomplished in the league.
Virginia is actually in better shape than Tech as far as the nonconference portion of things go. The Cavs own the ACC’s strongest nonconference ranking and a decent RPI to go along with the sixth-overall strongest schedule in the country. Now, all the Cavaliers have to do is win.
Maryland needed only one more win to get in, but blew it at home against Clemson on Tuesday night as they were swept by the Tigers.
The Terps have to face Carolina on Sunday, and if they lose that one, then they must travel to Blacksburg and beat the Hokies for that eighth ACC win and a chance to extend their NCAA Tournament streak to 12 years, the longest current streak in the league.

Virginia football is 18th. Good news for Virginia’s football program. In a College Football News rankings of all Division I-A teams in the country for the decade of the 1990s, the Cavaliers finished No. 18.
The rankings were produced by a formula that included wins, quality wins, elite wins, bad losses, bad wins, elite losses, point differential and winning percentage.
Not only did Virginia finish 18th in the rankings for seasons between 1990 and 1999, but the Cavaliers were the second-highest ACC program, behind only Florida State. The Seminoles appeared at the top of the rankings, easily beating out No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 Michigan.
Virginia Tech, which has since joined the ACC, was ranked just ahead of the Cavaliers, at No. 17. North Carolina was third at No. 22 and Clemson and Georgia Tech finished Nos. 33 and 34.
Just to show how a program can turn around with the right set of circumstances, Southern Cal, which is trying to build a dynasty in LaLa Land, was ranked the 23rd-best football program of the ’90s.

K gets tough. If you’re still wondering what Duke was doing by starting three walk-ons, Patrick Johnson, Patrick Davidson and Reggie Love, against Wake Forest in last weekend’s blowout of the Deacs, it was coach Mike Krzyzewski pushing the right buttons once again.
Frustrated with his team’s performance in a loss at Virginia Tech last week, Coach K put his program in lockdown. His players were off limits to media prior to the Wake game, he was off limits as usual and the only starters who kept their jobs were J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams.
Krzyzewski was combative all night, jumping on officials early and pushing his teammates. The Dookies fed off the energy and their aggression showed.
Wake point guard Chris Paul wasn’t amused by Duke’s aggression.
“It was obvious what they were trying to do,” Paul complained later. “They were trying to put somebody different on me and one time I was trying to walk through the lane and Davidson basically just grabbed me. He wanted me to smack him back, so we’d both get a double foul or something. But I’ve been there, done that.”
In fact, Paul did that later in the game when he was slapped with a technical foul for taking the ball down across Lee Melchionni’s face.
Wake coach Skip Prosser wasn’t in a good mood about the physical play either. Asked if Duke’s aggression rattled the Deacs, Prosser said, “Would it have irritated you? I mean, you guys make the call. You saw what was going on out there. I’m not going to comment on that. It was curious.”

No way, Fenway? The Boston Red Sox recently expressed interest in hosting the ACC Baseball Tournament at historic Fenway Park sometime in the future, but didn’t exactly get the red carpet treatment from the league.
Apparently Dee Todd, ACC associate commissioner, who oversees baseball, said, “We’re really interested in Greensboro, North Carolina. We have lots of interest there and a couple [sites] in Florida. Right now, we’re just settling in on the first round of Jacksonville, so that’s really not on our minds now.”
Say what?
Put it up to a popular vote of ACC coaches and players and see where they would choose. Anybody with any appreciation of baseball would give their left elbow to play in Fenway. It’s the Green Monster for goodness sakes.
Todd said playing at Fenway is “certainly a nice idea,” but had concerns about logistics, such as will the Red Sox give the ACC access to the field when needed, where are the practice fields and how far are they away from the stadium. She also mentioned that Boston College might not qualify for the tournament when the league changes its tournament format in 2006, when only the top eight of
12 teams qualify for the event.
The conference will follow the football divisions format next season, with Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, UNC and Duke in the Coastal Division and the others in the Atlantic Division. The two schools with the best conference records in each division will qualify for the tournament along with the next best four teams regardless of divisions.
The ACC Tournament will be held in Jacksonville for the next two years, but Greensboro’s new 8,000-seat minor league park, First Horizon Park, is attempting to become the league’s permanent home for the event.
That would be a big mistake at least for the immediate future. If the ACC basketball tournament is going to move around to D.C., Atlanta, Tampa (where there’s not a team within a three-hour drive), then why not move the baseball tournament around?
Fenway would be the thrill of a lifetime for any college baseball player.

Terps lose RC. For those of you who haven’t picked up the lingo yet, RC stands for recruiting coordinator.
Maryland football program took a blow when it lost RC, James Franklin, who was also the Terps’ receivers coach. Franklin resigned to become receivers coach for the Green Bay Packers, where he will join former Maryland head coach Mark Duffner, who is the Pack’s linebackers coach.

Free throws ... Six of FSU’s losses have been by 10 combined points and the Seminoles have lost five games in the final 10 seconds. ... Virginia Tech’s crowd laid it on Miami after last weekend’s win over the Hurricanes in Blacksburg, as Hokie supporters chanted: “Just like football ... just like football.” ... Maryland coach Gary Williams on why the ACC deserves more bids to the NCAAs than any other conference: “Our league has been rated all year with the No. 1 power rating, so that merits a number of bids. Some of these leagues that say they should get more bids than ours are wrong ... We have played against each other and somebody is going to lose. That doesn’t mean the team’s bad. There’s a lot of teams in the league that are good that should get a bid.” ...Why is it so tough to win in the ACC? Consider that nearly one-third of this year’s Wooden Award finalists come from five ACC teams. Of the 30 finalists, nine are from the ACC: three from UNC (Felton, McCants, May), two from Duke (Redick, Williams), two from Wake (Paul, Gray), and one each from N.C. State (Hodge) and Georgia Tech (Jack). The Big East is next with five and the Big 12 with four.

UVa men's tennis up to No. 2 in rankings
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
February 23, 2005

The Virginia men’s tennis team climbed to No. 2 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings released Tuesday. The ranking is the best ever for the Cavaliers, breaking the previous record of No. 8 set last season.
The Cavaliers (8-1) are coming off a second-place finish at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships last week in Chicago. Virginia entered the tournament ranked No. 9, but downed
No. 7 Stanford, No. 2 UCLA, and No. 6 Mississippi to reach the championship match. The Cavaliers fell to No. 1 Baylor in the final.
“I think overall it was a great weekend for us. We came away with a lot of confidence that not only are we progressing at the rate we were hoping but that we can still improve as the season progresses as well,” Virginia coach Brian Boland said. “We came ready to play and just fell short in the final against Baylor. I was extremely pleased with the overall effort. We are where we want to be at this point but will continue to focus on getting better.”
The ITA also released the latest singles and doubles rankings on Tuesday. The Cavaliers matched the school record set earlier this season by having five players ranked in singles. Doug Stewart led the group at No. 7. Freshman Somdev Devvarman is No. 13; junior Darrin Cohen is No. 36; Rylan Rizza is No. 38 and Marko Miklo is No. 86.
In doubles, the team of Devvarman and Treat Huey is ranked No. 23.
“The schedule we have in front of us is extremely challenging. I think the key is to focus on becoming better players and developing and then I think good things will come,” Boland said. “We have lofty goals. … We are certainly excited about the challenges that lie ahead.”
Virginia returns home Friday for its ACC opener against Virginia Tech at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. On Sunday, UVa will play No. 24 Notre Dame at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond.

Swim, swam, swum. The Virginia men’s swimming and diving team begins its quest for a seventh consecutive title today when the ACC Championship starts in Atlanta. The event’s finals commence each evening at 7 p.m. with prelims being held Thursday through Saturday at 11 a.m.
The Cavaliers have won the yearly title every season since 1999 and eight overall. The six straight ACC titles are the school record for most consecutive ACC championships in any sport.
The Cavaliers, currently ranked No. 10, won the
2004 ACC Championship in Charlottesville with 848.50 points.
Virginia has four returning ACC Champions from last season. Junior Fran Crippen, the 2003 and 2004 ACC Swimmer of the Year, is the two-time defending champion in the 500 free and also won the 400 Individual Medley title in 2004. Senior Bo Greenwood is the three-time defending champion in the 200 I.M. He is looking to become the first Cavalier to win four 200 I.M. titles and the first ACC swimmer to do so since North Carolina’s John Davis won four consecutive titles from 1988 to 1991. Senior Michael Raab is the three-time defending champion in the 200 butterfly. He is bidding to become the second Cavalier to capture four ACC titles in the 200 fly. Andy Wren won four 200 butterfly titles from 1980 to 1983. Sophomore Vanja Rogulj rounds out UVa’s returning 2004 ACC Champions. He took the 200 breaststroke event last season.
Luke Anderson, who sat out last season to train for the Olympics, has won seven individual ACC titles, including three straight in the 100 free (2001, 2002 and 2003).

Lofty start. The defending national champion Virginia women’s lacrosse team will begin its title defense as the nation’s top-ranked team.
The Cavaliers, which begin their season March 5 at Syracuse, were ranked No. 1 in the IWLCA preseason poll released Tuesday. The Cavaliers are followed by national runner-up Princeton, Northwestern, Duke and Georgetown.

Momentum in midfield. In the Virginia men’s lacrosse team’s season-opening 16-7 victory over Drexel on Sunday, midfielder Matt Poskay had four goals while fellow midfielder Kyle Dixon had a goal and three assists.
Last season, the midfield play was oft-criticized during the team’s 5-8 campaign.
Virginia coach Dom Starsia claimed much of that was unfair and certainly Sunday’s performance further dispels any more negative whispers.
“This was a great start. We played well in the scrimmages,” Poskay said. “Getting a strong start is definitely what we needed to get some things off our shoulders.”
The Cavaliers return to action Saturday when they host Manhattan at 1 p.m. at Klockner Stadium. The game was originally set for the UVa Turf Field but has been moved to Klockner.

Women’s golf takes third. Virginia captured its best tournament finish in its two-year history with a third-place showing at the Papa John’s Collegiate on Tuesday.
Host Miami claimed the team title from the field of 12 with a total of 883 (+19). East Carolina finished second with a 902 (+38). The Cavaliers shot a 305 (+15) in the final round and finished with 907 (+43).
Virginia sophomore Leah Wigger tied for third with a 221 (+5). For the first time in school history, all five Cavalier golfers recorded top 30 finishes in tournament action. Sophomore Sally Shonk tied for 17th (228, +12), while sophomore Lindsay Robinson tied for 21st with (230, +14). Sophomore Rachel Smith tied for 24th (232, +16), and freshman Lauren Mielbrecht tied for 28th (234, +18).

Blackstock set to re-revolutionize linebacking Click here to find out more!
By Alan Hancock
NFL.com

(Feb. 23, 2005) -- The list of linebackers who feast on quarterbacks in today's NFL is a little on the thin side. The Ravens' Terrell Suggs has finished with double-digit sack totals the past two years, but he's the only linebacker who can make that claim.

So where is the next Derrick Thomas? The next Lawrence Taylor?

That role might fall to Darryl Blackstock, an outside linebacker from the University of Virginia. He's a player eager to introduce himself to NFL quarterbacks next fall.

Blackstock, an early entrant into the draft, started all but one game during his three-year career for the Cavaliers and finished with 27 career sacks, the second-highest total in school history. His 11 sacks in 2004 were the most in the nation by a linebacker and earned him second-team All-ACC honors.

Those pass-rush skills have grabbed the attention of pro personnel and could make Blackstock a first-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

"My pass rush is well known with every team," Blackstock said.

But since his freshman year, when he led all college rookies with 10 sacks and was named the National Defensive Freshman of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com and Rivals.com, Blackstock has worked hard to turn himself into a more complete player, concentrating on his run defense and pass coverage.

"I've really taken the time to not just be known as a pass rusher," he said. "I've really prepared myself to take my skills to the next level and really be willing to learn even more."

To help show NFL teams that he is not just a one-dimensional player, Blackstock will take part in the NFL Scouting Combine, which will take place Feb. 23-March 1 in Indianapolis. It's the first step in a long draft process that can fray the nerves of even the most unflappable player.

Not Blackstock.

how that I can fit into anybody's team to be productive and have fun doing it at the same time. I feel like I'm ready and I'm mentally prepared to do what I got to do to be successful."

To get ready for the running, lifting and jumping tests he'll face at the combine, Blackstock has spent the past month with other draft hopefuls at Athletes' Performance, a training center in Tempe, Ariz. It's a process Blackstock hopes will raise his standing in the NFL draft, but it also comes at a price. All the training has kept him away from his 18-month-old son, Savion.

"I check up on him a lot, but at the same time I have to stay focused and understand that I'm out here to conduct business," he said. "I never get homesick, but I do miss my son, miss my family, miss my friends. But I'm out here doing what I have to do so they can be OK and they can kick their feet up. Put all the weight on me."

Making sure his family is OK is of high priority for Blackstock, who grew up having very little contact with his own biological father. Now the chance to take care of his loved ones with a career in the NFL is an opportunity he vows not to squander.

"I'm ready to provide," Blackstock said. "I'm the backbone of my family. I'm not going to let them down -- never have, never will. I'm not going to stop now."

With that strong drive to support his family, Blackstock, a devout watcher of game film at Virginia with a reputation as a football perfectionist, is hungry to join the game's best at the next level.

"I've watched millions and millions of tapes on Lawrence Taylor," he said. "I think I fit that model, being able to do all three phases of the position, to perfect it, and be a tone-setter of the game at the position."

Cavs get first commitment for'06 class
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Feb 24, 2005

The University of Virginia football team's recruiting class for 2006 has its first member. George Johnson, a 6-4, 235-pound junior from Glassboro, N.J., near Philadelphia, committed after visiting Charlottesville last weekend.

Johnson was among the prospects at U.Va.'s Junior Day, which included a tour of Scott Stadium, a question-and-answer session with current players and the Virginia-Maryland men's basketball game at University Hall.

At Glassboro High, which uses a five-man front on defense, Johnson plays end. He's expected to play outside linebacker in Virginia's 3-4. He'll be a four-year starter on defense at Glassboro, where he's averaged about 100 tackles each of the past two seasons.

Johnson, a standout center on Glassboro's basketball team, also plays tight end in football and has even returned punts.

"He's very quick for his size," Glassboro football coach Herb Neilio said.

Virginia was the first school to offer a scholarship to Johnson, who's also drawn interest from Iowa, Boston College, Syracuse and Maryland.

Johnson has about a 2.5 grade-point average in his core classes, Neilio said. He has yet to take the SAT.

Leading U.Va.'s pursuit of Johnson has been quarterbacks coach Mike Groh. Of the 22 recruits in Virginia's incoming class, four are from Jersey. -- Jeff White

Multitalented freshman learns ropes of lacrosse
Midfielder Barrow spurned football scouts, naysayers for chance to play Cav lacrosse
Kyle O'Connor, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

Many Long Island residents thought Will Barrow was crazy for accepting a lacrosse scholarship to Virginia last year.

By taking coach Dom Starsia up on his offer, the freshman midfielder turned down full rides to play football at high-profile schools like Maryland and Wisconsin.

"When I chose to play at Virginia, the paper in my hometown ran an article that basically said I was crazy for choosing lacrosse," Barrow said. "A lot of my friends wanted me to play football."

For Barrow, however, the decision was the right one.

"Because I just started playing in 9th grade, lacrosse is still pretty new to me," he said. "I'm still kind of playing a new sport, so I'm not ready to give it up yet."

The freshman also mentioned that the chance to play for the legendary Starsia, combined with a strong academic program, made his decision easier.

"Coach Starsia was probably the nicest coach I met when I went on my recruiting trips," Barrow said. "Academics were another big thing that my parents also pushed for."

Leading up to his college choice, Barrow was a two-sport New York standout for most of his high school career. An honorable mention All-American in lacrosse his senior season after scoring 40 goals, Barrow was also the MVP of the Empire State football all-star game the previous fall.

"Football and lacrosse both have the same kind of athleticism, running up and down the field," Barrow said. "You get the same kind of guys playing both sports."

After making the transition to Division I lacrosse, Barrow has found some key differences in the game compared to his high school days on Long Island.

"You just have to think faster in college lacrosse," he said. "The intensity in practice here is pretty much like a high school game. You have to play 110 percent every day."

Despite having to adjust to a faster game, Barrow's raw talent has not gone unnoticed by his more experienced teammates.

"Will is going to be a really good player," senior attackman John Christmas said. "Right now he's still getting used to things and not talking it up as much as he could be, but he's going to be good."

In Virginia's first game of the season, a 16-7 domination of Drexel, Barrow saw some playing time and was able to grab four ground balls.

"One of my best friends from home is on [Drexel's] team, so it was kind of like a reunion," Barrow said.

Although Barrow has been seeing action for one of the premier lacrosse programs in the country, he also is facing some more familiar problems as a first year getting used to a college workload.

"Sometimes it's hard because you get back from practice and just want to lie down and go to sleep, but you have a paper to get done," he said. "It's hard, but you get it done."

With high expectations and a little necessary adjustment, the Cavaliers are hoping Will Barrow will be able to lead the team in years to come. Meanwhile, he will try to show those Long Island neighbors that Virginia is where he belongs.

Midfielders ready to storm back after year of injuries
Sidelined early in Virginia's NCAA championship run last season, Carey Chasney, Meredith Lazarus attempt comeback
Janet Partlow | Cavalier Daily

Imagine having to sit on the sideline watching while your team wins the NCAA championship.

For two Virginia women's lacrosse players, that nightmare was a reality. Midfielders Cary Chasney and Meredith Lazarus both had to sit on the sideline last year as the Cavaliers upset two-time defending champion Princeton for the NCAA title. Both players had their seasons cut short by injuries in the first two games of last season. Lazarus suffered a knee injury in the season's opener against Vanderbilt. In that game, Lazarus recorded her first career hat trick.

Chasney was bit by the injury bug in Virginia's next game as she suffered a season-ending injury in a loss to Syracuse. Ironically, Chasney also scored a hat trick in that game prior to her injury. But Chasney and Lazarus' seasons were done almost as soon as they started.

Fast forward to this February. Both players completed rehab for their injuries and now figure to be key components as the Cavaliers look for a repeat championship run. In fact, both Lazarus and Chasney were named preseason second-team All-Americans by insidelacrosse.com, and Chasney is on the 2005 Tewaaraton Trophy watchlist. The Tewaaraton Trophy is given annually to the top lacrosse player in the nation.

"It's great for team chemistry, team morale," Virginia coach Julie Myers said. "For those kids, it's great. To be able to rehab so successfully in under a year and be ready to contribute is great."

For both players, the accolades are a return to their pre-injury days. Lazarus was named to the national rookie team by womenslacrosse.com in her freshman season. That year, Lazarus led all Virginia freshmen with 40 groundballs and 27 draw controls. Chasney was a first team All-American in 2003 and in her first two seasons notched 46 and 59 goals, respectively.

According to Chasney, the excitement of playing on the field is her current driving force.

"Coming off a big year where I couldn't participate as much as I wanted to, I'm just so excited," she said. "Even playing in fall ball, I got so pumped for the scrimmages against other teams."

Another exciting aspect of returning to the field for Chasney is the chance to play with teammate Amy Appelt again. Appelt was last year's consensus player of the year after notching 90 goals. Appelt and Chasney came to Virginia in the same year, 2002.

"My first and second years, Amy [Appelt] and I had really good chemistry," Chasney said. "We worked with each other really well on and off the ball. We were just able to see each other really well. It's exciting to have that good chemistry on the field. It's exciting to know what we are capable of doing this year."

The excitement for both players to return is high. Lazarus' hat-trick prior to her injury showed a new possible offensive dimension to her game. Regardless of whether she will provide more offensive spark, Lazarus' draw control skills will be welcomed back. Myers said she is confident that both of her players will return with the intensity that made them award-winning players for the Cavaliers.

"I think Cary [Chasney] and Meredith [Lazarus] are going to return hitting the ground running," she said.

For now, the two players can only imagine the possibilities this season may hold.