Cavs' Diane finds his groove
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
March 12, 2008

Cyndi Lauper performed the 1980’s hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

If the Virginia men’s basketball team has any hopes of making noise in the ACC Tournament that kicks off Thursday in Charlotte, “Mo” just has to have fun.

Mamadi “Mo” Diane clearly plays his best when he’s relaxed, not thinking too much and just having fun on the court.

That was the case on Sunday night in Virginia’s win over Maryland. Diane overcame a lackluster first half, scoring all 12 of his points after the break.

The 6-foot-5 junior put an exclamation on Senior Night with a sweet alley-oop in which he outjumped teammate Jamil Tucker for a Sean Singletary lob pass.

“I didn’t know who it was for,” said Diane, smiling, “but I was just thinking, ‘I can’t go wrong if I dunk it.’”

Diane’s dunk, which made ESPN - SportsCenter anchors once again butchered the pronunciation of his name - was just one of many highlight-reel plays by Virginia.

Earlier in the half, Diane cut through the paint, took a nice pass from Lars Mikalauskas and flushed home a one-handed jam as he was being fouled.

A short time later, Tucker threw down a dunk in traffic that had the whole Cavalier bench on its feet.

“Seeing Jamil drive down the lane and dunk like that and Calvin [Baker] making big plays, it definitely picked up my energy and the rest of the team’s,” said Diane, who also snatched five rebounds. “It was really fun to just see everyone come out and make big plays. It was real fun playing. I was happy for my teammates.”

Singletary, Adrian Joseph, Ryan Pettinella and Tunji Soroye finished their careers with one of the most memorable wins of the Dave Leitao era.

“It was great,” said Diane, who has come off the bench in Virginia’s last eight games after starting the first 21. “There was no better way to send them out on Senior Night. We really had fun out there and I think that’s what made it so great.”

Leitao said Diane’s resurgence started with a good

defensive sequence in which he blocked a shot, then hustled to the other end and scored.

“His drives to the hole were aggressive,” Leitao said. “The shot off the one time that Maryland went to the 1-3-1 [zone] was aggressive, and as a result he made it.

“It is something we have been talking about with all our guys, in particularly Mo, that we could get more consistency out of all of them. Hopefully, it’s a good sign for us.”

Making Diane’s performance somewhat unique was the fact that a good portion of it came with him at the 2-guard and Joseph at the 3.

“It was probably one of the few times, if not the first time that Mo and he were in together without one of them playing the power forward spot,” Leitao noted, “and so, recognizing that and kind of riding that was good for us.”

The outing by Diane versus Maryland came on the heels of pretty good showings against Georgia Tech and Duke. The former DeMatha Catholic High (Potomac, Md.) standout scored 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting in those contests.

UVa fans can only hope that Diane’s good play

continues against the Yellow Jackets (14-16, 7-9 ACC) on Thursday.

After suffering a seven-game losing streak that spanned 24 days over January and February, Virginia (15-14, 5-11) closed the regular season by winning four of its final six games.

“Everybody is finding their rhythm,” said Diane, following the win over the Terrapins, “and we’ve really figured out what it takes to win.”

 

UVa rolls against Radford
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
March 12, 2008

After a momentary lull, Virginia baseball coach Brian O’Connor just could not resist.

Waiting patiently in the press box at Davenport Field for his meeting with reporters, O’Connor pounced, quickly grilling his starting pitcher Matt Packer with a question that would have made reporter Jim Gray proud.

How was Packer handling being tossed from the mid-week rotation to the bullpen on weekends, and vice versa?

Taken aback by his skipper’s debut as a journalist, Packer gracefully played along - fighting off laughter, knowing that his actions earlier in the day had answered the question.

Just three days after pitching in relief at N.C. State, Packer allowed only one run in a five-inning start as the Cavaliers snapped a two-game losing streak with an easy 8-2 win over Radford.

“He is a veteran guy, he can handle the situation and look what he did tonight,” O’Connor said. “He got us off to a great start - five solid innings - to get the game under control.”

By the time Packer (2-0) left the game, the Cavaliers led 5-1 behind a pair of run-producing hits from shortstop Greg Miclat.

“It is the same mindset,” Packer said. “You have to come in and throw strikes and you have to challenge contact to the hitters.”

Radford (7-5) scratched for a run off Virginia reliever Tyler Wilson, a rookie, in the sixth inning, but a two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh sealed the Highlanders’ fate. It also spoiled the return of former UVa assistant coach Brian Anderson, now the pitching coach at RU.

UVa finished with 11 hits, four which came from leadoff-hitting Miclat.

“After the first [hit] you get your feet wet,” said Miclat, who raised his average for .419. “All you can do is hope to put a good swing on it and fortunately I got a couple of good ones.”

The junior also scored a run and stole two bases, giving him seven on the season.

“Greg hasn’t had an offensive day this year like he had,” O’Connor said. “You all know how exciting of a player he is when he plays the game with a fearlessness and he is aggressive with what he does.”

Virginia hosts Navy (6-5) today at 4 p.m. O’Connor said he planned to start senior RHP Robert Poutier (1-0) on the mound.

 

Packer pitches Cavaliers to victory in tilt with Radford
Virginia stays unbeaten in non-conference games; Miclat swings a hot bat
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor

Fresh off losing two of three games in its opening conference series against N.C. State during the weekend, the Virginia baseball team regrouped and resumed its non-conference domination against Radford Tuesday, winning 8-2 to improve to 11-0 in non-conference play.

"We had a rough weekend against N.C. State, and didn't play our best baseball down there," junior Greg Miclat said. "Everybody did their job today."

Virginia sophomore starting pitcher Matt Packer gave up one run and two hits in five innings against Radford. He has been the winning pitcher in each of his two starts. After serving as the number two weekend starter last season, O'Connor has now chosen to use Packer out of the bullpen on weekends and as a starter midweek, provided he can get sufficient rest between appearances.

"That's a tough thing to do, but it's something that a veteran pitcher like Matt Packer, who's pitched a lot of big ballgames already for us in his short career, he can handle it," O'Connor said. "We'll continue to use him in the same type of role; he'll be available this weekend out of the bullpen against Duke."

Freshman Tyler Wilson, sophomore Neal Davis, and freshman Jake Cowan also made appearances for Virginia (12-2, 1-2 ACC), holding Radford (7-5) to one run and two hits in three innings of relief.

The biggest threat from Radford came in the top of the sixth. With the Highlanders trailing 5-1 with two outs and Radford redshirt sophomore Tyren Rivers on second, Wilson threw ball four to Radford junior Alex Gregory in the dirt, moving Rivers to third. Senior Nate Toth then lined through the hole between third and short, scoring the runner on third and cutting Virginia's lead to three with runners standing on first and second. Davis ended the inning with the next batter, however, as sophomore Reggie Keen flied to right to end the threat.

Radford was held scoreless from that point, as Virginia provided two runs in the sixth and added another in the seventh to give the team a 6-run cushion.

The biggest offensive day for Virginia came from Miclat, who went a perfect 4-4 with a double and stole two bases while also playing shortstop in a midweek game for the first time this season. After having rotator cuff surgery that put him out of the end of last season, O'Connor has been cautious in acclimating Miclat back into Virginia's infield, as he has alternated between shortstop and the designated hitter slot thus far. Miclat, however, has finally began to see more time in the field of late, manning the shortstop position in two of three games against N.C. State before returning to the infield again Tuesday.

"I'm not feeling too much in my shoulder, really," Miclat said. "I'm still trying to improve arm strength -- it's not where I want to be yet, but it's getting there."

Always the catalyst at the top of Virginia's lineup last year until his injury -- Miclat stole a Virginia record 32 bases while also leading the team in batting average (.376) and on-base percentage (.486) in just 45 games -- the effect of Miclat's return to form in all aspects of his game is enormous.

"Greg hasn't had an offensive day yet this year like he had today," O'Connor said. "When he plays the game with a fearlessness, and he's aggressive in what he does, he's a very, very good player."

Miclat's return to the infield, while clearly beneficial from a defensive standpoint -- O'Connor calls him one of the best shortstops in the country when he's at his best -- also helps him stay involved in the game.

"When you're playing the field ... you sort of get into a routine of coming off the field, and doing little things," Miclat said. "I'm trying to stay on the field as much as possible to stay in that routine."

Virginia also received a strong outing from sophomore Franco Valdes , who went 2-4 Tuesday after tallying just four hits previously this season and gunned down a runner attempting to steal second.

Valdes "has been struggling with the bat," O'Connor said. "He knows that, everybody knows it, but it's amazing what that [offensive performance] can do for a kid's confidence."

The Cavaliers have another midweek home game set for tomorrow at 4 p.m. against Navy. O'Connor has not yet determined who will start on the mound for Virginia.

 

Rubeor leads team to two key victories
Virginia scores wins against national powerhouses Syracuse and Princeton, ascends to No. 2 in national ranking
Megan McDonald, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

With traditional powerhouses Syracuse and Princeton on the Spring Break schedule, Virginia men's lacrosse coach Dom Starsia predicted an exciting and difficult stretch of lacrosse for his Cavaliers. He proved correct on both counts, but after securing a 14-13 overtime victory against the Orangemen and a 12-10 win against the Tigers, Starsia can now add "victorious" and "undefeated" to his list of adjectives describing the Cavaliers' recent week of lacrosse.

Saturday's game against Princeton was particularly challenging, but after a slow start in the first half, the Cavaliers (7-0)picked up the pace and intensity and outplayed the Tigers. Afterwards, Starsia said the win was important because it came against a difficult team on hostile turf and in adverse weather conditions.

Indeed, with Towson this weekend and Johns Hopkins, the reigning national champions, on the horizon the following Saturday, Virginia's Spring Break success not only moves the team up a notch to second in the national polls but also provides a confidence boost as the team heads into the thick of the season.

"Early on it is important to win the close ones because winning those kind of games is a skill," senior attack Ben Rubeor said. "You have to learn to be comfortable with the pressure at the end of the game. For the rest of the season, we can draw on the Syracuse and Princeton experiences."

Much to the Orangemen and Tigers' chagrin, Rubeor made his 2008 debut during the break. A knee injury had kept the preseason first-team All-American sidelined for the season's first three games, but he scored once and had two assists in his first appearance of the year against Syracuse.

A week ago Tuesday, Rubeor went on to score four against VMI, the first of which marked the 100th goal of his career. He is now one of only 10 players in school history to have scored more than 100 career goals.

"I was happy to jump back so quickly -- I am finding that the more I play on it, the more comfortable I am with running and changing directions," Rubeor said. "Once I start playing, I don't really think about it too much."

For a team as young as Virginia, Starsia and the rest of the coaching staff have a delicate balance to maintain: schedule enough games early in the season to give their team ample opportunity to improve but not so many that the athletes are worn out by the time conference play begins.

Yesterday afternoon's contest at Mount St. Mary's not only marks the halfway point of the Cavaliers' season, but also was their final mid-week contest. Thirteen players scored as Virginia defeated the Mount 20-2 in Emmitsburg, Md. Junior attack Garrett Billings led the way offensively with four goals and two assists, while Rubeor and junior Danny Glading each found the back of the net twice.

From now until the ACC Tournament, Virginia will only play Saturdays, reserving a full week between each game. This weekend, armed with a perfect 7-0 record, the Cavaliers will travel once more to Maryland to take on Towson.

"I think Spring Break was an important time for our team," Rubeor said. "We were here for a week where it is pretty much just about lacrosse. It was an opportunity for us to get a lot better and I think we did just that."

 

Virginia men claim conference crown
Virginia men take ninth title in 10 years by huge margin
Megan McDonald, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

It was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

Having lost several of its best swimmers from the 2007-08 roster, the Virginia men's swim and dive team was not supposed to win the ACC Championship and it certainly was not supposed to do so by a margin of 273 points.

Nevertheless, during Spring Break the Cavalier men dominated the competition, captured the 2008 conference crown and -- for the first time since 2004 -- the Virginia swimming and diving program swept the ACCs, bringing home both the men's and women's titles.

"I was nervous going into this meet, especially after last year where I thought we were going to win for sure and we got kind of blown out," senior PJ Sullivan said. "If someone had told me that we would win by 250 points before the meet started, I would have told them they were crazy. It just goes to show that it really comes down to who actually swims the best."

The parallels between the men's experience in Atlanta and women's competition just a week prior are somewhat remarkable: Both captured first place by a margin of at least 225 points over runner-up North Carolina, both knew a full day and a half before the meet ended that they would return home victorious and both ended on a winning note, placing first in the four-day meet's final event, the 400 Free relay.

"It's the first time we have ever swept during my career," Sullivan said. "The women have had a rough three years but this year they had a great recruiting class, and it all came together. It is cool to share this all together."

In addition to capturing the team championship, the Cavaliers earned several individual titles. Junior Bjorn Falk earned top honors and his first career ACC title in the 200 Backstroke. Placing first with a time of 1:44.66, Falk led the way as senior Bryan Stahl finished third 1:45.61.

"Coach [Mark Bernardino] told us we needed to shut the door and not give anyone a chance to get back in it," Falk said. "So during my race Saturday I had that in my head, 'Shut the door,' and it felt great to come through."

Junior Pat Reams also claimed an individual title, winning the meet's penultimate event, the 200 Fly, in a time of 1:45.32.

Sullivan, in the last conference meet of his career, won his first ACC title in the 200 Breaststroke with a time of 1:58.03. With senior breaststroker Ryan Hurleyredshirting the season to focus on the upcoming Olympic trials, Sullivan had to step into an unfamiliar role this year. Swimming in relays and individual events where he claimed he had not imagined he belonged, Sullivan felt the pressure to perform and not let down his team.

"As far back as I can remember Virginia has won the 200 Breaststroke event at ACCs," Sullivan said. "So I put it on myself to keep the streak going, and it was really special when I did win."

The 2008 crown is Virginia's ninth title in 10 years, the longest stretch of supremacy in the ACC.After having their eight-year winning streak broken last year by Florida State, the Cavaliers proved once more that they are number one, collecting 833 points for the fourth-highest total in ACC history.

"After last year when we kind of let everyone down, alumni and the fourth-years especially, by not swimming up to our potential, it was really important to get the job done," Falk said. "It was definitely a surprise -- not many picked us to win it, and definitely not by such a large margin. The first- and second-year classes really stepped up, though, and we all swam lights out to come out on top."

 

Wrestling narrowly misses win at ACC Championships against Terps
Virginia finishes second at ACCs, freshman Henrich shines in first ACC competition
Conor Wakeman | Cavalier Daily

There are few things as emotionally draining in sports as a narrowly missed chance to upset a favored rival. Just ask the Kentucky football team, which lost to then-No. 25 LSU 33-30 on a last-second Hail Mary pass in 2002, or even the Virginia men's basketball team, which lost to then-No. 5 North Carolina 74-75 Feb. 12.

The Virginia wrestling team suffered one such heartbreaking loss to No. 22 Maryland when it fell 16-15 Feb. 24. A team point in wrestling can be determined by something as simple a single misstep or a slipped grip. The team had no choice but to move forward from the close loss and look forward to the ACC Tournament, the Cavaliers' last opportunity to compete as a team, two weeks later.

As the buzzer sounded at the end of the 197-pound finals, Cavalier ears listened in disbelief as the announcer read the updated team scores. In first and second place: Maryland 86.5, Virginia 84.5. Another close loss to the Terrapins. Another upset that was just a few split-second decisions, a few seconds, a few inches from success and capping the 2007-08 season with a storybook ending.

Surely everyone must view this result, which prevented Virginia from winning its first ACC Championship in more than three decades, as a disappointment, right?

Not Virginia wrestling coach Steve Garland.

"I think we made a statement," Garland said. "Virginia wrestling ... can compete with anyone."

A closer look at the tournament results suggests that, while the final score may suggest failure, Virginia's effort was a focused, consistent and impressive effort.

Despite five of Virginia's 10 competing wrestlers losing in the first two rounds, every single wrestler placed in the top four.

"I don't know if it's ever happened [to Virginia wrestling] before," Garland said. "All 10 weights placed. Every guy who lost [the first round], not only did they come back and win third, they avenged earlier-season losses."

Of those 10, nine placed in the top three, four placed in the top two and two wrestlers took home the championship in their weight class.

Junior headline-grabber Rocco Caponi, who wrestles at 184 pounds and was named ACC Wrestler of the Week twice this season, took advantage of his top seed to cruise to victory.

Sophomore Ross Gitomer, wrestling at 125 pounds, upset higher-seeded wrestlers in consecutive matches to earn a title despite his status as an underdog.

"If anyone deserves a win ... it's that guy," Garland said. "I cried after he won, I'm not joking."

Gitomer, who stands at 5-foot-3, had an off-and-on season, but noted that this is a strong ending to the season.

"My hard work has finally paid off," Gitomer said. "It feels good."

The core of Virginia's impressive performance, however, came from the five wrestlers who overcame losses and battled their way to the top of the consolation brackets.

Junior Drew DiPasquale, who wrestled at 157 pounds, is one of these wrestlers. After losing in the second round, the fourth-seeded wrestler won two matches in a row to finish the tournament in third. Adding significance to DiPasquale's performance, the tournament would be the last match of his career.

"Amazing," Garland described DiPasquale's performance. "We're so proud of him. How can you not be?"

DiPasquale, though disappointed that he hadn't won the championship, acknowledged the satisfaction of going out with a tough performance.

"It was good for me to end my career with a win," DiPasquale said. "That's really all I can say about it. It's bittersweet, you know?"

He was quick to add, though, that he tried to treat the match as he did any of his past matches.

"I was trying as much as I could to not think about that," DiPasquale said.

That thought was something that bound the Virginia team together. It's the factor that allowed the wrestlers to bounce back even after losing early in the tournament, that kept the team focused even as Maryland closed in on and snatched the lead with just a few rounds left -- and Garland made sure each Cavalier brings to it the mat every round of every bout of every meet.

This mindset is perhaps best described by poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson: "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Gitomer in particular embraced this mindset both on the mat and off.

"You've got to win it to go to nationals, [but] I ... didn't think about that as much as I thought about just keeping things simple," Gitomer said. "You know, attack, attack, attack, and things are going to happen for me."

The consistently improving team is young -- it graduates only two wrestlers -- and approaches each opportunity with optimism and confidence.

Some team members showed an excitement about the coming years.

The team's improvement "is indescribable," DiPasquale said. "The coaching staff has brought this program to a completely different level. I'm excited to come back even next year and watch the progression ... I'm excited for Virginia wrestling's future."

Though the team has no more matches, the season is not finished yet. Caponi and Gitomer, along with freshman Chris Henrich, who narrowly lost the 174-pound ACC Championship bout but received an at-large bid, have spots in the NCAA Tournament.

Regardless of how these wrestlers perform, Virginia wrestling has used excellent coaching, consistent effort and perseverance to establish itself as a team to be reckoned with.

"Only good things are going to happen to us in the future," Gitomer said.

 

Swing Coach Dumps Daly for 'Shenanigans'
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. — John Daly has been cut loose by swing coach Butch Harmon, who said Tuesday he was not going to waste his time with a two-time major champion who is more interested in drinking than working on his golf game.

"My whole goal for him was he's got to show me golf is the most important thing in his life," Harmon said from his golf school in Las Vegas. "And the most important thing in his life is getting drunk."
 
Harmon said he has worked three times this year with Daly, but he said Daly's behavior at the PODS Championship was enough to end the short-lived relationship.

Daly, playing on a sponsor's exemption because he no longer has his full PGA Tour card, spent a 2 1/2-hour rain delay during the first round in a Hooters corporate tent behind the 17th green at Innisbrook. He was 3 over, and when play resumed, he had Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden caddie for him the rest of the day. Daly ended up with a 77.

He followed that with an 80 in the second round to miss the cut.

Daly spent Saturday at the Hooters "Owl's Nest" at the tournament, drinking beer, mingling with fans and signing autographs, including one on the back of a woman's pants.

"I've let him know that after his actions of last weekend, we are no longer together," Harmon said. "In all honesty, I'm a very busy person. I'm willing to help the kid, but until he helps himself and makes golf his No. 1 priority, I'm not his guy.

"Jon Gruden caddying, I thought was ridiculous. I thought he made a circus out of the whole event."

Daly, who is playing the Arnold Palmer Invitational on a sponsor's exemption, could not be located for comment.

Harmon is regarded as among the best swing coaches in golf, working with Tiger Woods before he turned pro and overhauling Woods swing when the world's No. 1 player won four consecutive majors. He also worked with Greg Norman when he was No. 1, and his current clientele includes Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott.

Daly was the ninth alternate when he won the PGA Championship in 1991 at Crooked Stick, and he captured the British Open at St. Andrews four years later. His last victory came four years ago at the Buick Invitational, but his game has been in a tailspin ever since, and his personal life has been as rocky as ever.

He played last year primarily on sponsor exemptions and was plagued by a rib injury when he stopped his swing at the Honda Classic upon hearing the click of a fan's camera. Daly is contemplating a lawsuit against the tournament, which gave him an exemption.

In seven events this year, he has missed the cut three times and withdrew from the Bob Hope Classic, where he was spotted at several after-hour parties. His best finish was a tie for 60th in Mexico, an opposite-field event.

Harmon said they have worked three times this year.

"He would work hard and get better, but when things don't go right, it's back to the alcohol stuff," Harmon said. "I love this kid. He's a tremendous talent. But if he's not going to give 100 percent effort, it's a waste of my time."

But it was his behavior at Innisbrook that set off Harmon.

"You don't see guys who are any good doing that," he said. "All the guys I work with are working their (tails) off. John didn't have it. I like the kid, but he's got to get his head on straight. The partying and other shenanigans, if that's the way he wants to be, I don't choose to be a part of it."

 

Cavalier Golfers Win by 17 Strokes in Puerto Rico
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/11/2008
Courtesy: Jim Daves/UVa Media Relations

Humacao, Puerto Rico - The Virginia men's golf team cruised to a 17-shot victory Tuesday during the final round of the Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Virginia shot 2-under 286 during the final round to finish at 7-under 857. Kentucky was second at 874.

Virginia placed four golfers among the top-10 in the final individual standings. Leading that group was sophomore Steven Rojas who was third at 4-under 212, just one shot out of first place. Freshman Will Collins posted his first top-10 finish by placing fifth at 2-under 214, which bettered his previous low tournament score by six shots. Kyle Stough recorded the third top-10 of his career by shooting even-par 216. Stough’s score was his best tournament outing as a collegiate. Greg Carlin was 10th at 218, his fourth career top-10. Conrad Von Borsig rounded out UVa’s scoring in 22nd place at 224.

Rojas’ finish was his second top-five outing this spring. He was fifth at last week’s Seminole Intercollegiate. In six rounds this spring, he has shot par or better five times. Collins posted his best single-round by shooting a team-low 4-under 68 Tuesday.

“Steven Rojas is playing with a lot of confidence right now and that’s very important,” said UVa coach Bowen Sargent. “It was great to see him play so well these past two weeks.

“As a team, we came in and did what we had to do to win this tournament,” said UVa coach Bowen Sargent, who recorded his third tournament title as the Cavaliers’ head coach. “As well as we played, I think we definitely have room to play even better.”

Sargent pointed out UVa’s play on The Flamboyan course’s par five holes was impressive.

“You could score on the par fives here and our guys did a great job on those holes,” Sargent said. “I think we were a combined 15-under on those par fives. When you can score like that, you can win a tournament.”

The Cavaliers return to play March 23-25 at the National Invitational in Tucson.

“That will be a great challenge for our team,” Sargent said. “This was a lot of fun for our guys and that is the benefit of all the hard work they put in during the off-season. We didn’t produce the results we wanted last year, but they still worked hard. We have some younger player new to the roster that can shoot some low scores. We’re excited to get back out there.”