Hultzen, Cavaliers Shut Down Boston College, 7-1
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/19/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Behind another sterling pitching performance from Danny Hultzen (So., Bethesda, Md.), the top-ranked Virginia baseball team downed Boston College, 7-1, Friday night in front of a season-high crowd of 2,923 at Davenport Field.
Hultzen (4-1) worked a career-high eight innings and gave up just one earned run, three hits and one walk while striking out 12. Shane Halley (So., Burke, Va.) fired a scoreless ninth inning to wrap up the game.

Every Virginia starting position player recorded at least one hit and UVa finished with 11 hits. Jarrett Parker (Jr., Stafford, Va.) and Phil Gosselin (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) each had a pair of hits for UVa. Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) stretched his hitting streak to 10 games with a second-inning double.

Boston College starter Kevin Moran (1-3) worked 2.1 innings and gave up six earned runs, eight hits and two walks while striking out one.

Virginia (15-3, 3-1 ACC) turned the first two pitches of the second inning into the game's first run. Parker ripped the first pitch to left-center for a double and scored on the following pitch on a double to left-center by Cannon. Two outs later, Gosselin singled to left to score Cannon and Keith Werman (So., Vienna, Va.) followed with a single up the middle to plate Franco Valdes (Sr., Miami, Fla.) and give UVa a 3-0 advantage.

The Cavaliers then doubled their lead in the third inning. Steven Proscia (So., Suffern, N.Y.) led off with a double down the left-field line and Parker drilled the next pitch to the center-field wall for a double to score the run. After Cannon moved Parker to third with a groundout to the right side, John Hicks (So., Sandy Hook, Va.) singled through the drawn-in infield to push the UVa lead to 5-0. Valdes then singled to left to move Hicks to third, and Hicks scored on a Moran wild pitch, which proved to be his last pitch of the evening.

Virginia tacked on a run in the sixth inning against reliever Chris Kowalski. Reed Gragnani (Fr., Richmond, Va.) led off with a single and moved to second when Gosselin drew a walk. After a sacrifice bunt by Werman, Dan Grovatt (Jr., Tabernacle, N.J.) grounded to Philip Miclat at second to plate Gragnani and up the UVa lead to 7-0.

Boston College (7-10, 1-3) broke through in the seventh inning on a solo home run to right-center by John Spatola.

The teams return to Davenport Field at 1 p.m. Saturday for the second game of the series. The contest will be televised by the ACC's Regional Sports Network, including Comcast Sports Net in Virginia.

Fans planning to attend games this weekend are encouraged to arrive early and purchase tickets ahead of time online at VirginiaSports.com. The ticket booth and gates to Davenport Field will open two hours prior to first pitch each day.

General admission seating is available in the grandstand and left-field bleachers as well as the grass hillside. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under), seniors (60 and older) and faculty/staff (limit two per faculty/staff). Tickets can be ordered online at VirginiaSports.com. Advance ticket sales online end four hours prior to the game.

Free parking will be available all weekend in the University Hall, Cage and John Paul Jones Arena surface lots.

For the Sunday Little League parade, Little Leaguers are asked to arrive one hour prior to the game and listen for PA instructions.

No. 1 Virginia rolls past BC
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 19, 2010
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Among all the things that Danny Hultzen has accomplished during his stellar career at Virginia, none of the accolades involved pitching eight innings in a contest.
That changed Friday night.
Hultzen struck out 12 batters in eight innings as top-ranked Virginia dismantled Boston College during a 7-1 victory in quick fashion in the season’s first ACC game at Davenport Field.
“Danny pitched a tremendous ballgame for us tonight,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “The important thing for me was to see him go out and throw eight innings because he is going to need to grind it out for us in some ballgames this year.
“He was in complete command, as he has been over the past four weeks.”
Virginia (15-3, 3-1 ACC) provided more than enough offense for Hultzen in the second inning as the Cavaliers sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs. After back-to-back doubles from Jarrett Parker and Tyler Cannon opened the scoring, Phil Gosselin and Keith Werman provided RBI singles.
The Cavaliers struck again in the third, scoring three more runs off BC starter Kevin Moran and eventually chasing the spot starter from the contest.
As was the case in the second inning, Parker plated Steven Proscia with a mammoth double to the base of the wall in center field. Parker later scored on a one-out single from John Hicks, who made the advantage 6-0 when he scored on a wild pitch thrown by Moran (1-3).
It was not Moran’s typical spot in the rotation, but left-hander Phillip Dean was scratched just seven days after blanking Miami due to a sore elbow.
Hultzen, who struck out a career-best 13 last year against Florida State, allowed only three hits in the contest and walked just one.
O’Connor said he debated whether to send Hultzen (4-1) out for the eighth, but settled on allowing the southpaw to retire three more batters before summoning reliever Shane Halley for the ninth.
“I felt like I had all my pitches going,” said Hultzen, noting that the game lasted only 2:25, easily the quickest this season. “I had my fastball and
change-up going and I was throwing my curveball and slider when I needed to.”
The only true blemish for Hultzen came in the seventh inning with Virginia leading 7-0 as Boston College right fielder John Spatola pulled a fastball over the wall in right-center field.
Hultzen’s previous career-best was a 7.1-inning performance at UC Irvine in the NCAA tournament last year.
“One of my goals coming into this season was to be stronger late in games and limit my pitches in the first part of the game,” Hultzen said. “I felt really good throughout the game and even in the end of it.”
Virginia, which left seven runners on base, finished with 11 hits. Gosselin and Parker paced the attack with a pair of hits.
The two teams are slated to play the second game of the series today at 1 p.m.
 

No. 1 Virginia to Square Off in Road Battle at Towson on Sunday
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/19/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - No. 1 Virginia travels north to face the Towson Tigers (1-3) out of the Colonial Athletic Conference, Sunday afternoon, inside Unitas Stadium. Faceoff is scheduled for noon. Live stats will be available at VirginiaSports.com. For the second straight week, Virginia (7-0) graces the No. 1 position in both the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media and USILA coaches polls. The Cavaliers received all possible No. 1 votes in both polls except for one in the media poll that went to ACC foe North Carolina.
The game will also be broadcast in the Charlottesville area on WINA AM 1070 with John Freeman calling the action and Jamie Leachman doing the color broadcast. ESPNU will televise the game live nationally, while WMAR-TV will carry the contest in the Baltimore region. Scott Garceau will call the play-by-play and Mark Dixon will provide the color.

Since the USILA started its coaches' poll in 1973, UVa has been ranked in the Top 5 in 251 polls, including this week's No. 1 ranking. This is the second week UVa is ranked No. 1 after last week served as the first time the Cavaliers had been ranked No. 1 in both polls since the week of April 20, 2009. Virginia spent seven weeks last season atop both polls, and 10 weeks as the No. 1 team in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll.

Sunday marks the 10th straight season the Cavaliers and Tigers have clashed in a series which Virginia holds the all-time 12-3 advantage. UVa has won the last nine meetings, its second-longest active winning streak against a Division I opponent (VMI 17, UMass 8). Towson and Virginia met on an annual basis from 1972-77, but did not meet again until the 1991 NCAA Tournament, a game the Tigers won in Charlottesville, 14-3.

Ten years passed before the annual series resumed in 2001 with a 12-8 Cavalier victory in what proved to be the biggest defeat the Tigers suffered in a season when they advanced to the Memorial Day Weekend.

Shamel Bratton and Steele Stanwick each tallied a game-high three goals in last season's meeting in Charlottesville. Virginia allowed two second-quarter scores and then shut out the Tigers the remainder of the game on the way to an 11-2 triumph inside Klöckner Stadium.

Virginia has started a season with seven straight wins for the third consecutive season after defeating Vermont on Tuesday night, 18-7. Brian Carroll equaled a career high with five goals and Chris Bocklet added four scores in the victory.

Bocklet leads Virginia with 21 goals and 28 points on the season, while Stanwick holds the team lead with 16 assists. Rhamel Bratton and Carroll are tied for second on the team with 11 goals, while Stanwick has 10 goals and his 26 points are second best on the squad. Freshman Matt White has nine goals and has tallied at least one point in every game of his young collegiate career. Adam Ghitelman is saving .562 of the shots against him, while posting a 7.09 GAA.

Towson head coach Tony Seaman is entering his 12th season at Towson and returns 34 letterwinners and seven starters off a 2009 squad that went 7-10. The Tigers may be playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation as their first 10 scheduled opponents have been, or are currently ranked, in either the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media or USILA coaches polls.

The Tigers are coming off their first victory of the season on Tuesday, defeating Navy 10-9 at Unitas Stadium, when Christian Pastirik scored his third goal of the game with six seconds remaining in regulation to send Towson to victory.

Will Harrington leads the team with 10 goals, while Pastirik has a team-high 13 points to go with his eight goals. The Tigers have split time between two goalies this season. Travis Love picked up the victory between the pipes on Tuesday and is saving 59.1 percent of shots, while holding a 9.06 GAA. Rob Wheeler has taken the other three decisions in goal, all losses, and is saving 36.2 percent of shots with a 15.00 GAA.

Virginia returns home on Saturday, March 27, when the Cavaliers host No. 7/8 Johns Hopkins. Game is slated for noon and will be broadcast in the Charlottesville area on WINA AM 1070 with John Freeman calling the action. The contest will be televised live on ESPN2.

 

Top-Ranked Cavaliers Blank Maryland
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/19/2010

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The top-ranked Virginia men’s tennis team returned to action after a two-week break with a 7-0 win at No. 62 Maryland on Friday afternoon at the Tennis Center of College Park. The Cavaliers (18-1, 3-0 ACC) won their 50th consecutive match against an ACC opponent (regular season and postseason) and snapped the Terrapins’ (13-3, 1-1) nine-match win streak.

Virginia opened the match by sweeping all three doubles matches. Philippe Oudshoorn (Apeldoorn, The Netherlands) and Steven Eelkman Rooda (Amersfoort, The Netherlands) opened things for UVa with an 8-4 win at No. 3 over John Collins and Ian Mansfield. Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) and Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) sealed the opening point with an 8-5 win over Graham Knowlton and Sergio Wyss at No. 2 doubles. Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) completed the sweep with an 8-2 win at No. 1 over Tommy Laine and Jesse Kiuru.

In singles, the Cavaliers wasted little time clinching the dual match. Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) made the score 2-0 with his 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 5 over Mansfield. Courtney’s 6-2, 6-1 win over Wyss at No. 3 extended the lead to 3-0. Shabaz downed Laine 6-3, 6-4 at the top position to clinch the victory for Virginia just before Singh completed a 6-4, 6-3 win over Kiuru at No. 2. Oudshoorn and Barrick completed the singles sweep with match tiebreaker wins at No. 6 and No. 4 respectively, both rallying from losing the first set.

The Cavaliers will host No. 8 Baylor along with Gardner-Webb in a doubleheader Sunday at the Snyder Tennis Center. Match time for the Baylor match is 1 p.m. with the Gardner-Webb match to follow at 5 p.m. Admission to all home Virginia tennis matches is free.

No. 1 Virginia 7, No. 62 Maryland 0

Doubles:
1. #17 ShabazCourtney (UVa) def. Laine/Kiuru (Md) 8-2
2. #19 Barrick/Singh (UVa) def. Knowlton/Wyss (Md) 8-5
3. Oudshoorn/Rooda (UVa) def. Collins/Mansfield (Md) 8-4

Singles:
1. #4 Michael Shabaz (UVa) def. #124 Tommy Laine (Md) 6-3, 6-4
2. #3 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. Jesse Kiuru (Md) 6-4, 6-3
3. #53 Drew Courtney (UVa) def. Sergio Wyss (Md) 6-2, 6-1
4. #87 Houston Barrick (UVa) def. John Collins (Md) 1-6, 7-6(8), 10-3
5. #68 Lee Singer (UVa) def. Ian Mansfield (Md) 6-4, 6-2
6. #102 Philippe Oudshoorn (UVa) def. Graham Knowlton (Md) 6-7(1), 6-0, 10-2

Order of Finish:
Doubles: 3,2,1
Singles: 5,3,1,2,6,4



 

Henrich Falls Just Short in NCAA Semifinals
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/19/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia's Chris Henrich (Jr., Lansdale, Pa.) dropped a heartbreaking 10-9 decision to second-seeded Jay Borschel of Iowa on Friday evening in the 174-pound semifinals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Omaha, Neb. Henrich, the third seed at 174, will wrestle seventh-seeded Ben Bennett of Central Michigan Saturday morning in the consolation bracket.
Through the four sessions, Virginia has racked up 28.5 points and stands 15th in the team standings.

Henrich (31-3) jumped out to an early lead, only to see the undefeated Borschel storm back to tie the match midway through the third period on a takedown, and Borschel rode Henrich for the remainder of the match to claim the riding time point and win, 10-9.

Henrich already has clinched All-America honors for the second straight season and has become the first two-time All-American in Virginia history. Henrich and Bennett met earlier this season, with Henrich scoring a 3-1 win on Nov. 28 at the Northeast Duals.

At 197 pounds, Brent Jones (R-Sr., Burke, Va.) fell one win short in his bid for All-America honors, as he dropped a 4-2 decision to No. 8 seed Sonny Yohn of Minnesota in the wrestlebacks. Jones (27-13) finishes his Virginia career as the school's all-time leader in pins (45) and ranks fourth in career victories (106).

Team Standings (through Session IV)
1. Iowa, 120.5
2. Cornell, 75.0
3. Iowa State, 67.0
4. Wisconsin, 62.0
5. Oklahoma State, 60.5
15. Virginia, 28.5


 

'Hoos Reach Out to Local Community
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/19/2010
By Jeff White

AMES, Iowa -- Back on Grounds, with temperatures climbing into the 70s, their fellow students donned shorts and basked in sunshine.

Here in this Midwest college town, UVa basketball players walked out out of the team hotel and into snow flurries that blew directly into their faces.

"Balmy," said Paul Murata, Virginia's athletic trainer for women's hoops.

It was warm and dry inside the Boys and Girls Club of Story County, however, and that's where the Wahoos, after a short bus ride, spent more than an hour Friday afternoon, talking to and shooting hoops with about 30 kids.

A year ago, when the NCAA selection committee sent the Cavaliers to Los Angeles, Debbie Ryan and her players stopped by a Boys and Girls Club in that city.

The visit went well for all parties, and so when the 'Hoos learned Monday night they were headed to Ames, director of operations Erin Batth called Geff Gescheidler, executive director of the local Boys and Girls Club.

"When we go on one of these trips," Ryan said, "we try to do something, if we have time, for the community we're in.

"I think [the UVa players] just really enjoy kids, and anything we can do to help kids understand how to better their lives is good."

Just inside the club's entrance, a poster signed by club members greeted the 'Hoos:

Good Luck In The NCAA Tournament

In the gym, Ryan's players took turns introducing themselves to a rapt audience whose members' grades ranged from the first through the ninth. Each player also gave her major, and Batth, who played at Clemson, stressed to the boys and girls the importance of education.

"There will be no sports if you don't go to class," Batth said. "You can't have one without the other."

Natalie Fitzgerald, the team's academic advisor, delivered the same message, one the boys and girls hear often at the club. They work on their homework there after school every day.

"We're stressing academics to the kids all the time," Gescheidler said. "It's great for them to hear it from someone who's doing it. A lot of these kids have dreams of being college athletes, and we look at [the Cavaliers] as role models."

All talk and no play is no fun, of course, and Ryan didn't make the kids wait too long.

"You guys want to play some ball?" she asked after Fitzgerald's remarks, and the response was unanimous.

"Yes!"

The players split up, with two at each of the six baskets, along with about five kids. Spirited games of knockouts followed.

Ryan, who's nearing the end of her 33rd season as UVa's coach, wasn't content to observe. She matched freshman Lexie Gerson shot for shot until a fifth-grade boy named Kahli knocked Ryan out.

At the other end, ACC player of the year Monica Wright and sophomore guard Ariana Moorer competed against older kids.

Wright is usually the best player on the court. Which means she won her game, right?

"No," Wright said, shaking her head. "Ari knocked me out, and then she got knocked out right after me."

Growing up in Northern Virginia, Wright said, she was a regular at the Hylton Boys and Girls Club, and she remembers when local high school players spoke there.

"I know it used to make a big impression on me," Wright said.

After a group photo, the 'Hoos headed back to the team hotel, where study hall awaited them. The club's boys and girls got more than words of advice. Each received a Virginia Basketball T-shirt.

Fifth-seeded UVa meets No. 12 seed Wisconsin-Green Bay in a first-round game Sunday night at Iowa State's Hilton Coliseum. Who knows? The Cavaliers may have picked up a few new fans Friday afternoon.

 

Trio of Cavaliers Pick Up All-America Honors at NCAA Meet
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/19/2010

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A trio of Cavaliers earned All-America accolades as the second night of finals was held Friday at the 2010 NCAA Championships. The meet, which runs through Saturday, is being held at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center on the campus of Purdue University.

Through 14 events, Virginia holds eighth place with 110 points. Stanford leads the meet with 266.5 points, followed by Georgia (262.5) and Arizona (259.5).

Senior Mei Christensen earned the highest finish of her career with a fourth-place performance in the 100 back. She finished with a time of 52.12 in the event to tally the fourth individual All-America honor of her career.

Teammate Lauren Smart, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., picked up her first career individual All-American award, also in the 100 back. She finished eighth overall with a time of 52.64.

For the second consecutive day freshman Lauren Perdue recorded an All-America performance, finishing eighth in the 200 free. Perdue clocked a time of 1:45.68 in the event; she also was an All-American in the 50 free, held Thursday.

Junior Claire Crippen is an honorable mention All-American after moving up two spots from her prelim position to finish 10th in the 400 IM. She touched in 4:09.24, her fastest time this season. It was the third consecutive year Crippen has been named an honorable mention All-American in the event. She finished 14th in both 2008 and 2009 at the NCAA Championships.

"We had some nice individual swims but we came here to have a great team finish," head coach Mark Bernardino said. "Individual performances reflect themselves in the team score and as a team we did not do what we came here to do tonight."

The 800 free relay team of Kelly Flynn, Jenna Harris, Jen Narum and Kristen Moores also earned honorable mention All-America honors with a 16th-place finish. The Cavaliers finished with a time of 7:13.27 in the event.

Virginia's first relay of the day, the 200 medley relay, was disqualified.

"In a sport that is decided by tenths and hundreds of seconds, mistakes are unforgiving," Bernardino said. "The jump in the first relay took the life and momentum out of this team. We were faced with adversity and we did not respond, for the first time all year. It could be devastating to a team poised for a top-8 finish that will now have to fight for its life to hang on to a top-10 finish. There is no room for error at this level."

The third and final day of the NCAA Championships will be held Saturday with preliminaries in the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 1650 free and 400 free relay.

2010 Women's NCAA Championships
Team Standings - Top 10
Through event 14

1. Stanford 266.5
2. Georgia 262.5
3. Arizona 259.5
4. California 256
5. Florida 236
6. Texas A&M 216
7. Southern California 169
8. VIRGINIA 110
9. Texas 87.5
10. Auburn 87


 

Andrews Named ACC Men's Indoor Freshman of the Year
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/19/2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Virginia freshman Robby Andrews has been named the 2010 ACC Men's Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year, as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches and announced Friday by the conference office.
The Manalapan, N.J., native becomes the first Cavalier male to earn freshman of the year honors, but marks the second-straight year Virginia has had a newcomer tagged as an ACC Freshman of the Year. Sophomore Morgane Gay earned the honor for the women during the 2009 outdoor season.

Andrews was the only male ACC performer to win a national championship at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships last weekend at the University of Arkansas. Andrews claimed the NCAA title in the 800m, becoming Virginia's second-ever individual national champion during the indoor season. Former All-American Paul Ereng did so in 1989, also winning the 800m.

Andrews also garnered ACC Championship titles in the 800m and as a member of the distance medley relay. He cruised through the prelims of the 800m at the conference meet, winning his heat and taking the top seed time of 1:50.65 into the finals, where he won the league crown in 1:50.73.

Virginia's DMR team of sophomore All-American Sintayehu Taye, sophomore Kevin Anding, senior Alex Bowman and Andrews - running the anchor leg in 4:06.57 - earned top honors, finishing with a mark of 9:47.80.

Andrews completed his first indoor season for the Cavaliers undefeated in every race he toed the line for. He anchored the 4x800m relay to titles at the Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden and at the Hokie Invitational - where the quartet shattered Virginia Tech's facility record with a time of 7:26.49. He won the open 800m at the Armory on Feb. 13 and the 600m at the Hokie Invitational, in addition to two ACC Championships and a national championship.

His season-best 800m time of 1:48.02 from his victory at the Armory stands as the third-fastest 800m mark of all-time at Virginia, and the top freshman time. He joined Ben Kurgat ('91), Ray Brown (‘82) and Ereng ('88, '89) as the only Cavaliers to earn All-America honors in the 800m.
 

UVa’s Andrews runs a race for the ages
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: March 19, 2010
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Without a doubt, the biggest upset at the national indoor track and field championships last weekend was Virginia freshman Robby Andrews’ stunning victory over Oregon Olympian Andrew Wheating in the 800 meters.
Wheating, a senior who represented the U.S. in the ‘08 Games in the 800, was a prohibitive favorite in the NCAA finals in Fayetteville, Ark., last Saturday. Someone forgot to tell Andrews, a newcomer from Englishtown, N.J.
Not that Andrews wasn’t capable. He became the first high schooler in history to break 1 minute, 50 seconds in the 800-meters (1:49.21). However, to knock off an Olympian was one of those David and Goliath kind of deals.
However, Andrews followed UVa coach Jason Vigilante’s strategy perfectly. Hang back the first half of the race, then gradually move up, and kick hard at the end.
That’s exactly how Andrews prefers to run. Then again, so does Wheating.
“Robby’s gift for running the last half of a race, you really can’t compare it,” Vigilante said. “In high school running there really has been nobody like him.”
This wasn’t high school. This was big boy track and there was a quality 800-meter field. While the coach had built up Andrews’ confidence prior to the meet, there was still some doubt lingering in the youngster’s mind. After all, Andrews had been an admirer of Wheating ever since watching him win the U.S. Olympic Trials two years ago and dreamed of following in his footsteps.
Even before the race, it was one of those moments you see in movies where the youngster nervously walks up to the star. Andrews approached Wheating and said it was an honor to race against him.
The rest of the field was older and more experienced than Andrews and the strategy, as brilliant as it was, still presented risks.
“Coach said don’t pass [Wheating] until the last 50 meters,” Andrews revealed. “It’s kind of scary leaving it to that late, especially against such a great closer.”
Plus, there was the rest of the field. What if someone else had the race of his life and just run away from the pack?
If you have a couple of minutes after reading this, check out the video on YouTube.com and keep an eye on Andrews. He’s in the orange and is in last place the first half of the race.
Just like the coach said, he gradually moved up and saved his kick for when it counted. Wheating made his move and Andrews followed.
“It’s kind of funny,” Andrews said. “[Wheating] is 6-foot-5 or 6-6. I’m only 5-9. So, running behind him, stalking him, running on his shoulder, it’s like, ‘Oh, I’m 5-9 and you can’t see me.”
Taller guys have a disadvantage on an indoor track and Vigilante wisely knew that Wheating’s long legs made it harder for him to accelerate quickly as opposed to a charging runner with shorter legs.
“We wanted to surprise him so he wouldn’t have time to react,” Andrews said of the strategy.
It worked.
Andrews’ phenomenal kick made up amazing ground and battled Wheating to the wire, winning by one-tenth of a second, 1:48.39 to the Oregon star’s 1:48.40, which kept kept Andrews undefeated in every race this season.
When it was over, Andrews was even more gratified about how Wheating treated him.
“Immediately afterward, looking at the Jumbotron, [Wheating] gave me a hug and said, ‘You did it man, you did it,’” Andrews related. “He was very humble. He wasn’t a sore loser. He was like, ‘Robby, your life is changed now.’”
Andrews, who could have gone anywhere in the country, said that while he gained instant national notoriety with the upset, he will strive to remain as humble as Wheating. No wonder Vigilante wanted this kid in the Virginia program.
Andrews came from a good bloodline. Both his mom and dad were runners and his uncle is Bobby Thomson. Yes, that Bobby Thomson, who hit the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” home run that lifted the N.Y. Giants over the Brooklyn Dodgers to win the 1951 NL pennant.
UVa fans can see Andrews perform at the Cavs’ next home meet, April 10 in the Lou Onesty Invitational.


 

Collins in First Place at Schenkel Invitational
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/19/2010

Statesboro, Ga. - Virginia junior men's golfer Will Collins shot 4-under 68 to grab the lead after the opening round of play at the 31st annual Schenkel E-Z-GO Invitational in Statesboro, Ga. Collins' score helped No. 20 Virginia to an overall total of 2-under 286 that put the Cavaliers in second place after the first 18 holes of play. North Florida leads the 15-team field at 285.
Collins carded three birdies over his first eight holes before making a bogey on the ninth hole of the Forest Heights Country Club course. He picked up two more birdies on the back nine on the 12th and 14th holes to equal his best round of the season.

Kyle Stough shot 1-under 71 to join Collins near the top of the leaderboard in ninth place. He is tied with defending NCAA Champion Matt Hill of NC State. Steve Rojas is 30th overall at 73, Amory Davis is 36th at 74 and Ben Kohles is 62nd after shooting 76.

The Cavaliers will tee off at 10:30 a.m. Saturday to start their second round. Live scoring of the tournament is online at Golfstat.com.

Schenkel E-Z-GO Invitational
Par-72, 6,962 yards
Forest Heights Country Club
Statesboro, Ga.

First Round Results
1. North Florida 285
2. Virginia 286
3. Mississippi 287
4. Auburn 288
5. NC State 289
6. LSU 291
6. Vanderbilt 291
8. Georgia Southern 292
8. Alabama 292
10. South Carolina 293
11. Florida 294
12. Kentucky 295
13. Louisville 296
14. Tennessee 299
15. North Carolina 300

Individual Leaders
1. Will Collins, Virginia 68
2. J.C. Horne, North Florida 69
2. Bank Vongvanij, Florida 69
4. Tyson Alexander, Flordia 70
4. Jordan Gibb, North Florida 70
4. Kevin Phelan, North Florida 70
4. Jonathan Randolph, Mississippi 70
4. Hunter Slatton, Alabama 70

Virginia Results
1. Will Collins 68
9. Kyle Stough 71
30. Steven Rojas 73
36. Amory Davis 74
62. Ben Kohles 76


 

Franklin County linebacker has qualified spokesman
Greenberg not the only ACC coach linked to Yellow Jackets
By Doug Doughty

When Franklin County football coach Chris Jones thinks he has a college prospect, it’s probably a good idea to take his word for it.

Jones was the head coach at Bath County when future Dallas Cowboys’ tight end John Phillips was in the Chargers’ program, and Jones is about to get a second NFL player with the impending selection of Virginia cornerback Chris Cook in April’s draft.

Cook played for Jones at Heritage High School in Lynchburg.

Jones isn’t predicting an NFL career for Franklin County junior Tre Preston – not yet, at least – but “he’s [Preston] definitely ACC-caliber,” Jones said.

Preston was named first-team All-Timesland this past season, when he was the Western Valley District defensive player of the year. He was chosen first-team All-Group AAA by the Virginia High School Coaches Association and second-team by The Associated Press and virginiapreps.com

“When you talk about a Division I linebacker, he’s [Preston] what I would have in mind,” Jones said.

Maybe not right now, though.

Preston suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the basketball season and underwent reconstructive surgery. He has started walking again but may not be available for one-day camps at which college programs evaluate prospects in the late spring or early summer.

Virginia Tech assistant Bryan Stinespring and Virginia’s Anthony Poindexter both stopped by Franklin County High School in January to inquire about Preston, but Jones knows that the Hokies are strapped for scholarships.

Ex-Liberty assistant Scott Wachenheim has taken over the Southwest Virginia recruiting area for the Cavaliers.

Jones listed Preston at 6 foot 3 and 225 pounds, with 4.7-second speed for 40 yards, Nobody is going to have to wait around to see if he qualifies academically because Preston carries a 3.2 grade-point average.

Jones, who took the Eagles to their first playoff victory last fall in his first season, said he has another “tremendous talent” in his rising senior class, 6-4, 205-pound receiver Thad Basham. However, Basham, a first-team All-Western Valley District selection, may need to attend a prep school or junior college.

Basham has a younger brother, Terrell, whom Jones describes as an “unreal talent” who “could be a blue-chip recruit.” Terrell Basham is a 6-4, 240-pound rising junior.

Jones also is quick to point out Alex Keys, a 5-10, 180-pound defensive back who is moving to running back for his junior year. Keys is the younger son of former UVa running back Raymond Keys, whose other son, Raymond II, walked on at UVa and earned a letter this past season on special teams.

ALSO CHECKING IN this week was Kevin Clifford, head football and wrestling coach at Glenvar High School in Roanoke County.

Clifford thinks he has a keeper in 6-2, 225-pound defensive end Jacob Noble, who will be a junior in 2010. Noble had 83 tackles this past season, including 11-1/2 sacks.

Noble, also a 3.6 student, has all of the necessary measurables. A tight end on offense, he runs the 40 in 4.7 seconds, benches 325 pounds, parallel squats 455 and squats 275.

I don’t know what any of that means but “his weight lifting stats are as good as any D-I player at his age that I have seen,” said Clifford, who coached several Division I prospects in the Miami area and also served as the head coach at Group AAA Patrick Henry in Roanoke.

IT’S INTERESTING to hear Seth Greenberg’s name mentioned in connection with the St. John’s basketball job that came open Friday because I was hearing another ACC coach’s name last week at the ACC Tournament.

I can’t remember if I heard that Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt was interested in the St. John’s job or whether St. John’s is interested in Hewitt, but there apparently was some restlessness among the Yellow Jackets’ faithful before GT’s three-game run to the ACC championship game.

Some questioned whether Hewitt would keep his job if the Yellow Jackets failed to make the NCAA field for the third year in a row, but it would have been very difficult for Georgia Tech to make a coaching change given the $7 million rollover buyout Hewitt was given by former athletic director Dave Braine.

Georgia Tech’s 22-12 record represented only its second winning season in five years; in fact, since the Yellow Jackets made the title game in a 28-10 season in 2004, this is the first time they have won more than 20 games.

Hewitt has recruited well at Georgia Tech but has been plagued by early player departures to the NBA. He has a New York background, having played at St. John’s Fisher in Pittsford, N.Y., before coaching at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y.

Hewitt, 46, moved to Queens, N.Y., from Kingston, Jamaica, when he was 8. St. John’s might feel more like home but the pressure to win and the shadows of the NBA wouldn’t be any more burdensome.

Plus, I don’t know if St. John’s could come up with the money that would lure Hewitt away from Georgia Tech. From that standpoint, a Red Storm financial package might be more attractive to Virginia Tech’s Greenberg, either the lowest or second lowest-paid coach in the ACC.