Defensive Line Picks Up the Tempo
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/30/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- For now, as he recovers from foot surgery, Matt Conrath is a spectator at UVa football practices. But he's expected to be cleared by the start of training camp, and when Conrath returns, the rising junior from the Chicago suburbs will line up at a new position.

A two-year starter at end in the Cavaliers' previous defensive scheme, the 6-7, 270-pound Conrath is now a tackle. He's not the only player working in unfamiliar territory as UVa moves away from the 3-4 defense Al Groh installed at his alma mater after leaving the New York Jets in December 2000.

Groh was fired after the 2009 season, and his successor, Mike London, and new defensive coordinator Jim Reid scrapped the 3-4. They favor the 4-3, the scheme run by the large majority of high school and college teams. And that means changes for several players, including Conrath, Justin Renfrow, Will Hill, Cameron Johnson and Jeremiah Mathis.

Renfrow (6-6, 280) and Hill (6-4, 255) were defensive ends last season. Like Conrath, they've moved inside to tackle. Johnson (6-4, 260) and Mathis (6-3, 245) were outside linebackers in the 3-4; they're now at defensive end.

The man charged with making these transitions as seamless as possible is defensive line coach Jeff Hanson, who in December followed London from the University of Richmond to UVa.

"I think we've made a lot of progress," Hanson said Saturday in Norfolk after the Cavaliers' open practice at Old Dominion University.

"I think you saw today we're coming off the edge with the kids that were stand-up guys. That's what you need out there. You need speed and quickness coming off the edge. And our inside guys are starting to get the hang of our defense, getting up the field. They were more of a two-gap, read-type defense last year, and now we're trying to really get up the field with the inside guys, and they've done a good job picking it up, they really have."

Zane Parr, a 6-6, 275-pound rising junior, is still at defensive end. But his responsibilities are different in the 4-3.

"It's a big change, just because I've been here three years under the 3-4 scheme," Parr said after practice Monday. "This is mostly get off the ball, get up the field, rush the passer ... As soon as the ball moves, you move."

So he likes the new defense?

"Absolutely," Parr said. "I feel like the defense will get a lot more sacks this year."

That's the goal. Among ACC teams, Virginia ranked 10th in sacks last season with 22, ahead of only Duke (19) and Boston College (18). Lineman Nate Collins led the Wahoos with 6 sacks last season, and he's out of eligibility.

With 3.5 sacks, Parr had the most of any Cavalier who's back this season.

"Now we've got him outside, and he's played really, really well," Hanson said. "He's got a good burst. We call it 'twitch' outside. We're looking for guys that are twitched up and got some quickness off the edge and speed off the edge."

Nick Jenkins and John-Kevin Dolce, nose tackles in the 3-4, are simply listed as tackles now.

"When we get Conrath back, we'll be very, very solid inside, with him and Jenkins and Dolce," Hanson said. "And then Will Hill and Renfrow will be the other guys inside, so we'll have some tackles in there."

Whatever his position on the line, Conrath has shown the potential to be an all-ACC candidate.

"I think once we get him back, that really solidifies us inside, and we're bigger in there and quick enough in there," Hanson said. "We just gotta stay healthy."

The Wahoos' ends are Parr, Johnson, Mathis, Jake Snyder (6-4, 255) and, in all likelihood, Brent Urban, who's sidelined with an injury.

"It's going to be a six-month process with his knee, so he won't be ready to go [for awhile]," Hanson said. "But I foresee him being an edge guy when he comes back, a defensive end, a guy with some height that can knock balls down."

At 6-7, 290 pounds, Urban isn't built like a prototypical 4-3 defensive end. The others at the position more closely fit the mold.

"We're looking for guys that are quicker outside-type guys that can come off the edge and rush the passer," Hanson said, "and that's what we've got out there in Cam Johnson, Zane, J-Mathis and Jake Snyder."

In 2001, '02, '03 and '04, London coached UVa's defensive line. In 2006 and '07, he was the Cavaliers' defensive coordinator, so he's well-versed in the 3-4.

At other schools, however, he'd worked with the 4-3, and London knew enough about the personnel he inherited at UVa to be confident the scheme could work there.

"We're going to keep it simple and let the guys play fast," London said. "Defensively, we're pointed north. We're getting up the field."

The key, London said, will be the line's ability to "put pressure on the quarterback. If you can rush four guys [and get pressure], man, it makes it so much easier, as opposed to manufacturing blitzes and bringing a fifth guy."

In the 3-4, Parr usually lined up directly across from an offensive tackle who outweighed him by 20 or 30 or, sometimes, 40 pounds. Now he sets up wider and relies as much on his speed as his strength to get to the quarterback.

"I feel a big difference," Parr said, "and I'm definitely liking it."

Practice ended Monday evening with gassers. Lots of them. In groups, the players sprinted from one sideline of the field to the other and then back, with strength-and-conditioning coach Brandon Hourigan loudly counting off the seconds. At every position, the Cavaliers want to be faster this season, the D-line included.

"That's why we're doing this running right now," Parr said, "because it's all quick movements and speed up the field."

Starting anew
A third offensive coordinator tutors Marc Verica, but the senior began spring practice as Virginia's No. 1 quarterback for the first time.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

The start of Virginia spring football practice found quarterback Marc Verica auditioning for his third offensive coordinator in less than 16 months.

Verica has learned either three or four different offenses since his arrival at UVa, four if you count the change undertaken by the Cavaliers' 2009 staff after losing its first three games.

"Last year, it was one offense and then it evolved into something else," Verica said.

Virginia fans didn't see a lot of Verica during the fall, when senior Jameel Sewell started 10 games for the Cavaliers (3-9, 2-6 ACC). Verica played in six games, one of them as a starter, when an injured Sewell was unavailable for a 52-17 loss at Miami.

With Sewell gone, Verica is the only quarterback in Virginia's program who has thrown a pass in a college game.

For the first time in his career, Verica went into spring practice as UVa's No. 1 quarterback. He ended up as the Cavaliers' starting quarterback in 2008, when he started 10 games and passed for more than 2,000 yards, but he didn't get a chance until then-head coach Al Groh suspended Peter Lalich and then dismissed him from the team.

UVa offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach that season was Mike Groh. When Mike Groh was let go following the 2008 season, former Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon replaced him.

Brandon was a devotee of the spread offense, which often features a running quarterback. Verica, more of a drop-back type, entered the 2009 season as UVa's No. 3 quarterback behind Vic Hall and Sewell.

Like Sewell, Hall was a senior in his final year of eligibility. Under any circumstances this season, Verica would be the most experienced returning quarterback, but again he faced some unknowns when Mike London replaced Al Groh as head coach.

UVa named London head coach Dec. 7 but it wasn't until Jan. 28 that he named an offensive coordinator, former Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor.

"I was unfamiliar with him," Verica said, "but I read up on him a little bit and saw where he had had some pretty outstanding credentials. Before I ever met him, I was thinking in my mind, 'This is a pretty good hire.' "

Lazor had recommendations from new Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren, previously Lazor's boss in Seattle, as well as Joe Gibbs, for whom Lazor worked with the Washington Redskins. Lazor's first NFL boss was Dan Reeves in Atlanta.

"Meeting [Lazor] and being around him now for a few months not only has confirmed my original thinking but it's even gone beyond that," Verica said. "He's very attentive to detail, very meticulous and precise. We're really benefitting now from his teaching."

Lazor's arrival brought a new playbook and new offensive terminology.

"When you're installing a new offense, you're going to push the players and the quarterback's going to have the most on his plate," Lazor said. "Having dealt with a lot of different schemes in the past helps [Verica] picture it and I think he's got a pretty good mind for it.

"When you're working with a guy at the college level, what you want to see in practice is that the game doesn't get too fast for him. Whenever we've gotten to competitive points in practice, what shows up is that Marc keeps his cool pretty well."

Verica was fabulous during October in 2008, when the Cavaliers won four games in a row and he completed 103 of 143 passes (72.0 percent) for 929 yards and five touchdowns.

Al Groh said there were times in practice when Verica was so accurate that the ball never hit the ground. However, during a season-ending four-game losing streak, some of those passes that didn't hit the ground wound up in the arms of opposing defensive backs.

By the time Virginia travelled to Virginia Tech for the final game of the 2008 season, Verica no longer started. London described Verica's current situation as "a new lease on life."

"It's a great opportunity," Verica said, "but not just for me because we're all starting from square one again. Everybody has a clean slate."

London also praised Verica for his leadership, a quality that Verica demonstrates more naturally these days.

"I think that's a fair assessment," Verica said. "Because I was in a competition with two older guys, it did limit how much I could really exert myself as a leader."

The other scholarship quarterbacks taking snaps this spring are redshirt freshmen Ross Metheny and Quintin Hunter, as well as "true" freshman Michael Strauss, who enrolled in January,

"You're getting more reps than you have in the past and it's with the starters," said Verica, referring to himself in the third person. "Those are big differences. But, there's just a renewed sense of optimism all around. It's really a breath of fresh air when you come out here every day."

U.Va.'s Norfolk football trip pronounced a success, more to come
By Dave Fairbank Daily Press
8:51 p.m. EDT, March 30, 2010

* Virginia administrators are pleased with the football team's trip to Old Dominion
* The Cavaliers under Mike London make a push to re-connect in the state
* Jon Oliver: 'We will try other areas of the state'

New Virginia football coach Mike London can dream up all of the promotional schemes he wants, but putting his team on the road in March requires administrative approval and sufficient positive feedback to justify further ventures.

Early returns on the Cavaliers' trip to Norfolk and Old Dominion last weekend suggest that Virginia's higher-ups will be receptive the next time London approaches them with an idea.

"Everything I've heard from our coaching staff, (administration) staff, players, former players, high school coaches & fans was very positive," athletic director Craig Littlepage wrote in an e-mail response.

"Coach London will need to determine how & whether something like this should be done in the future in another site. It was well worth the time & effort," wrote Littlepage, who attended the Saturday afternoon scrimmage at ODU himself. "Coach London has emphasized re-establishing contacts in the state & this shows he's committed to it."

Littlepage wrote that he didn't have details on the cost of the ODU experience. But Virginia essentially scheduled the light version of a regular season road trip. Transporting players and equipment, overnight hotel stay, meals, etc.

Virginia administrators were willing to trade the cost for exposure in one of the state's most important recruiting areas.

"I believe everything went very well," said executive associate athletic director Jon Oliver, who ventured to Norfolk and ODU for advance work last week prior to the team's arrival. "I think it exceeded our expectations, in terms of people getting behind it.

"One of the concerns I had going in was, would we get exposure in terms of letting people know about it. But there was a great crowd, the (high school) coaches turned out for the clinic, and our kids got a taste of what it will be like being on the road under Mike London."

The Cavaliers and ODU coaching staffs conducted a clinic that drew approximately 80 high school coaches on Saturday morning at Norfolk's Waterside. Virginia then conducted an open practice/scrimmage at ODU's Foreman Field attended by between 2,000-3,000 fans and several dozen prospects.

Oliver said that last spring, when athletic department officials were searching for a men's basketball coach, he had a conversation with a local advocate who said that the Cavaliers "lost the crowd down here when your football coaches stopped recruiting in this area."

"That really struck me at the time," Oliver said. "I thought, 'Gosh, we need to make sure that we're reaching out to people in the state, and that they always know that they're important to us,' and this effort was just part of that."

It's inaccurate to say that Virginia's football coaches stopped recruiting the area. The roster is sprinkled with players from Hampton Roads: Ras-I Dowling (Cheseapeake), Jared Detrick (Newport News), Isaac Cain (Hampton), LoVante Battle (Hampton), Will Hill (Williamsburg), among others.

But Virginia no longer lands many of the area's best players, as Virginia Tech has made major recruiting inroads in the past dozen years. London, a Hampton native, has vowed to re-emphasize in-state recruiting and he wants to make the area a priority.

"I think a big part of it comes down to Mike and his personality," Oliver said. "Mike is the type of guy who really cares about people and he wants you to know that. He's going to connect with people as he meets them. He's going to make his coaches accessible. He's going to be involved in the community and the state. He's going to connect with the high school coaches and he wants them to know that at the University of Virginia, we need them.

"We need recruits to come in from the state, we need fans to support us around the state. From top to bottom, I think that's going to be the message moving forward. That's not to say it wasn't true before, I just don't think we focused on the state first. I think we have to start there."

Virginia sold nearly 40,000 season tickets for football in 2006. Two years later, the number fell to approximately 35,500. Last season, the number of season tickets was about 30,500.

The decline was due in part to a soft economy, in part to a program that suffered losing seasons in three of former head coach Al Groh's final four years.

"We all know that over the last couple of years, it was easy to jump off the bandwagon, so to speak," Oliver said. "But we want people to know that they're important and they're a big part of building this thing. It's hard to do it alone. I don't want Mike to have to figure this out by himself, with just the coaches and players. I'd like to see our fans get behind it as it gets going."

The Cavaliers fired Groh, paying off the final two years of his lengthy contract -- approximately $4 million. They brought in London, who did two stints on Groh's staff before guiding the University of Richmond to the 2008 FCS national championship and a pair of playoff appearances.

"Mike has created an energy & anticipation for the program that we hoped for," Littlepage wrote. "Every group to which he has spoken has responded expressing interest in supporting his (& his staff's) efforts. He is someone that draws people together."

The Virginia-Old Dominion joint venture was a unique experiment. There are few states in which Bowl Subdivision programs could go to a recruiting hotbed that has only Championship Subdivision programs and find a willing partner.

"That was part of the original discussion," Oliver said. "We would start here, in the 757. That's a very important area to us. I think based on the success of it, we will try other areas of the state, there's no question."

U.Va. receivers hope experience brings success
By Michael Phillips
Published: March 31, 2010
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CHARLOTTESVILLE While quarterback was the most prominent deficiency in the Virginia offense last year, other positions also shouldered some of the blame.

The Cavaliers' receivers were young players who struggled to produce, something they feel they can turn around in the upcoming season. Leading that charge so far is sophomore Tim Smith, who has dazzled during the team's spring practices, and at this point looks to be a starter entering the upcoming season.

He said that last year was full of growth for the unit and himself.

"I just got my foot in the door and got the feel for what college football is," he said. "Now I know how to go about situations and what to do when I'm out there, so it's been a learning experience."

Along with Smith, the other receivers participating with the first team include Kris Burd and Dontrelle Inman. As a senior, Inman represents the most experience in the group but has caught just 27 passes during his time at U.Va.

New wide receivers coach Shawn Moore said he's seen Smith grow as he gets more comfortable playing college football.

"Timmy really got thrown into the fire last year," Moore said. "He's shown that he's a veteran guy now -- he's not a freshman. He really leads by example out there on the field."

For the Cavs to be successful, they'll need targets for senior quarterback Marc Verica, who was all but anointed the starter by coach Mike London after Saturday's scrimmage.

Verica has had a rough couple of seasons. But after taking the coaching job, London was quick to emphasize it wasn't fair to blame the quarterback for all the troubles -- the offensive line and receivers are key parts of the passing game.

So as Verica looks to improve his completion rate of 44 percent, he'll need receivers to help him. Smith wants the same thing -- to avoid a repeat of last year. It's something he said will come with experience.

"There are times where I look back and am like, oh, I could have done this differently or changed this," he said. "But I just take that into consideration for next season, and make sure I do those things different -- for the better."

The Chesapeake native is part of a strong Virginia influence as the position. Burd graduated from Matoaca, and walk-on Matt Snyder, a Deep Run graduate, has been joining the first team in four-receiver situations. Jared Green, from Northern Virginia, did not participate in Saturday's scrimmage but is also a contender for playing time.

Together they'll look to atone for the '09 season with a breakout year this fall. London senses good things already from Smith, saying that "he's going to be dynamic."

Smith has also been returning punts with the second team, giving him another venue to showcase his skill.

The concept is the same at both positions -- catch the ball and elude tacklers. It's something U.Va. desperately needs to be successful next season.

Nats' Zimmerman: 'I want to win'
The Associated Press
© March 31, 2010

VIERA, Fla.

For all of his recent accolades and additional recognition, for all of his eye-opening plays in the field, numbers at the plate and millions in the bank, Ryan Zimmerman is aching to accomplish one of the few things he has yet to do in a Washington Nationals uniform.

Play for a team with a winning record.

The 25-year-old third baseman from Virginia Beach put together quite a 2009, the first season of a five-year, $45 million contract: .292 batting average, .364 on-base percentage, 33 homers, 106 RBIs, 30-game hitting streak. It all led to his All-Star game debut and his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

"That stuff's great," Zimmerman said, "but, ultimately, I want to win."

As Washington prepares to host the two-time defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day next week, Zimmerman is hoping his club's roster changes - and the impending arrival of a certain right-handed pitcher by the name of Stephen Strasburg - will help turn things around after consecutive 100-loss seasons.

"The more you do individually, the more it helps the team - and then you're winning. That's more special to me than all the awards," the soft-spoken Zimmerman said in an interview in the home clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium. "Maybe this year, we can get over that hump and win some more games and have some meaningful games in the second half of the season. To be able to produce well in that atmosphere would be even more special."

There is a ways to go, of course. But Zimmerman figures that if it doesn't happen in 2010, then the Nationals should show significant improvement by 2011.

"A lot of people are kind of pointing toward next year as the year where we finally might have the stuff to really, really, really make something happen here," Zimmerman said.

He was a first-round draft pick out of the University of Virginia in June 2005, and made his major league debut that September.

In 2006, he was the runner-up to Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez in NL Rookie of the Year voting after batting .287 with 20 homers and 110 RBIs.

Injuries limited Zimmerman to 106 games in 2008, when he hit .283 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs, before his breakout 2009.

Add it all up, and he enters this season with a career .284 batting average, 91 homers and 364 RBIs.

Never one to publicly state statistical goals, he is all too aware of some other, less-impressive numbers: Washington's win-loss records in Zimmerman's first four full seasons were 71-91, 73-89, 59-102, 59-103.

"In his major league career, he certainly has lost his share of games and hasn't been on a winning team - certainly nothing his fault," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said.

"He's a terrific player, and he's going to be a consistent player, on both sides of the ball."

It was Zimmerman's defense that initially drew raves from teammates and opponents. Success with the bat has followed.

There might be better to come, even if you won't hear Zimmerman contemplate that.

Others will, however.

"This is about the time players peak. About the 26- to 30-year-old range is when players generally, through history, play their best baseball. I think we would all take what he has done to this point. If you could pencil that in every year, you'd say, 'Yeah, I'll take that right now,' " manager Jim Riggleman said.

"But who knows? There might be more there."

Said rookie shortstop Ian Desmond, who credits Zimmerman with setting a good example for how to be professional:

"He's going to be a superstar, and everyone knows that. It's just a matter of time. When people come and watch him play, they get blown away. I do - and I'm a player."

If Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's amateur draft with the blazing fastball and record contract, is widely considered the next face of the franchise, it's clear who holds that spot nowadays.

There are four images of a player in action on the front of the team's 2010 media guide - all are of Zimmerman.

No one in the Nationals' clubhouse begrudges those sorts of nods to the guy they all call "Zim" and many refer to as "our leader," in starting pitcher John Lannan's words.

Indeed, anyone you ask sounds pretty darned excited to see their third baseman getting what they consider his due.

"The time was going to come," Lannan said.

"He's always been on the scene and on the verge.

"Sooner or later, you knew, he was going to blow up."

Now Zimmerman wants his team to make strides, too.

 

Monica Wright Named AP First Team All-American; First In School History
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/30/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia senior guard Monica Wright (Woodbridge, Va.) has been named to the Associated Press All-America first team, the organization announced Tuesday (March 30). Wright becomes the first Cavalier to earn first-team honors.

Former Cavalier forward and current assistant coach Wendy Palmer was a second-team selection in 1995 and 1996. The Associated Press first started naming a postseason women's basketball All-America team in 1995.

Wright is joined on the 2010 squad by Tina Charles (Connecticut), Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska), Jantel Lavender (Ohio State) and Maya Moore (Connecticut).

"This is a tremendous honor and I can honestly breathe a sigh of satisfaction knowing that four years of hard work has paid off," Wright said. "To be mentioned in the same breath as some of the all-time great players at Virginia is wonderful. I obviously would like to thank my coaches and teammates but also a big thanks goes out to my family for all their support throughout the years."

Wright wrapped up her illustrious career at Virginia as the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer with 2,540 points, a total that ranks third on the ACC's all-time scoring list. This past season, Wright set the UVa single-season scoring mark with 734 points, breaking her own school-record of 696 points set in 2008-09. She averaged 23.7 points per game, which led the ACC and ranked seventh in the nation, and she tallied eight 30-point games and 22 20-point games in 2009-10.

She was named the WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year on Monday (March 29), and averaged 3.6 steals and 6.5 rebounds per game this season. Wright tied the school-record with 10 steals in a game vs. Liberty on Dec. 29.

Wright was named the ACC Player of the Year, ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-ACC as a senior. She was also named to the ACC All-Tournament second team and was tabbed the Richmond Times-Dispatch State Player of the Year.

Wright has started and played in every game during her four years with the Cavaliers. She was a State Farm Coaches' All-America Team regional finalist as a junior and sophomore and was the ACC Rookie of the Year her freshman year. She is majoring in sociology.

"I don't think anyone is more deserving than Monica to be named to the Associated Press All-America first team," Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan said. "She has placed the University of Virginia back in a prominent national position while representing us with class both on and off the court."

Associated Press All-America First Team
Tina Charles, Connecticut
Kelsey Griffin, Nebraska
Jantel Lavender, Ohio State
Maya Moore, Connecticut
Monica Wright, Virginia

Second Team
Jayne Appel, Stanford
Alysha Clark, Middle Tennessee State
Brittney Griner, Baylor
Nnemka Ogwumike, Stanford
Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State

Third Team
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky
Amber Harris, Xavier
Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma
Jasmine Thomas, Duke

Garland’s baby
Dan Stalcup, Cavalier Daily Columnist
Sports
March 31, 2010 0

Having a baby will really suck the life out of you, even as it gives you something to love. Babies take hundreds more hours than you expect them to. People who have never had one wonder why someone would put themselves through the pain and effort required to raise a child the right way.

Just ask Steve Garland, the Virginia wrestling coach. In 2006, he was taking care of two of them: his infant daughter and the Cavalier wrestling program to which he had just been given reins.
Garland will be the first to tell you that, at times during his first year at the helm, one of his babies got the short stick.

“I lived with not seeing my daughter during the first year of her life,” he said. “I was too busy on the road doing recruiting and doing alumni development and doing free clinics all over the state. I completely was obsessed with making the program better.”

Some results were pretty immediate — Garland’s first class was the third best in the country and probably the program’s first top-five class ever, he said — but the real fruits of his labor became apparent with this season’s historic success.

The Cavaliers not only achieved the highest ranking in program history at No. 16, but also finished 15th at the NCAA Tournament — the best finish since 1957. They also won the conference title for the first time since 1977 — the first title “since literally the year I was born,” Garland said.

I caught up with Garland earlier this week for the first time since their last season. I was curious what the young coach — who’s still my favorite person in all of Virginia athletics, by the way — had to say about his team’s transition from good to great.

As always, he had all the right things to say, and plenty of entertaining ways to say them. He credited first his athletes and second his staff.

“I’ll never forget seeing those faces and how joyful they were” after winning the ACC Tournament, Garland said. “One of the kids came up to me and said, ‘Coach, we’re just so happy for you.’ And that brought me to tears because I thought: Wow — this is your title! I had nothing to do with it!”

His peers seemed to disagree with his self-analysis, awarding Garland his first of many likely ACC Coach of the Year awards. But Garland brushed off credit even for that personal accolade.

“Unfortunately, I’m the only guy on that award,” he said. “When I get this award, it’s really about the team and really about the staff.”

But certainly this year’s success wouldn’t have happened without Garland’s tremendous level of commitment and sacrifice during the past four years, especially that first year.

“I knew that there were a lot of things that needed to change,” Garland said. “Kids needed to know they had to come here and win.”

He continued, alluding to a necessary change in the program’s culture.

“That took a lot of work, my friend, with Scott and myself having divorce lawyers on speed-dial,” he joked.

But when you live with as much character and compassion as Garland, things tend to come full circle. Sacrifice turns into success.

“If you take a step back and look at what happened the past four years, it’s pretty incredible,” he said. “If I really had to pinpoint the main catalyst, it’d be recruiting.”

With this philosophy guiding the wrestling program, it makes sense this year would be the first great one. The first Garland-recruited guys are juniors, including All-American Chris Henrich.

There were many impressive accomplishments this postseason, but Henrich’s were the most notable. He didn’t just win an individual ACC title — he dominated the competition.

“In the ACC finals match, what he did that kid was unbelievable,” Garland said. “He was hitting moves that were silly. I actually jokingly referred to it as moves from the Matrix.”

Henrich tore through nationals before he finally slipped up in a fluke match in the national semifinals. He was up 8-2 against the eventual national champion before falling apart to lose 10-9.

“In the semis, it hurt,” Garland said. “That loss is still with us. It’ll be with us for awhile. He shut down. He lost in a horrific manner. I couldn’t sleep that night. I know he couldn’t.”

But Henrich, with the guidance of Garland and the rest of the staff, bounced back to trounce his foe in the consolation match and take home third.

“Here’s the difference between Chris and a lot of other kids, not just on our team but in the country: Chris actually learns from his mistakes and he actually feeds off of those things and gets better from it,” Garland said. “Do you know how hard that is to do? Your dreams, your hopes, everything you’ve been working towards has been crushed. But you’ve got a match in 24 hours. Good luck!”
His loss in the semifinals will likely drive him all of next year, too.

“I’m telling you, it’s probably the worst thing that could happen for everyone else his weight class because that will fuel him,” Garland said.

Also standing out for the Cavaliers was 197-pound Brent Jones, who won the Gorriaran Award, which is given to the wrestler who pinned the most opponents in the least amount of time at the championships. Jones was “literally a shoelace” away from becoming All-American, after he barely missed a chance to pin the leg of Sonny Yohn.

In all, Virginia had eight wrestlers compete at nationals, seven of whom advanced to the second day of bouts.

So, what’s next for Garland and the Cavaliers? Certainly more solid recruiting. Possibly another ACC Championship.

(Quick aside: Most people expected Virginia Tech or Maryland to win the conference title. “Nobody outside of our program thought we were going to win that tournament,” Garland said, but he was wrong. I spent the past year confident that Virginia would win the ACC title this time around, going so far as to promise readers in my April 8, 2009 column “Moving Forward” that I’d eat my shoe if they didn’t.)

And, who knows, maybe Henrich will become Virginia’s first-ever national title winner in 2011. No matter how you look at it, Garland’s baby is starting to grow up, right before our very eyes.

And if his other baby, his daughter, is anything like her daddy, she’s probably on her way to being something great, too. For the rest of her life, she can come to Onesty Hall, the wrestling headquarters, see her father’s name on that ACC Coach of the Year award and remember that character and sacrifice can truly make special things happen.
 

No. 1 Virginia Baseball Topples Towson, 8-5
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/30/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The top-ranked Virginia baseball team scored an 8-5 win over Towson Tuesday at Davenport Field. Kenny Swab (Jr., Kernersville, N.C.) went 3-for-3 and reached base safely in all five of his trips to the plate, while the Cavaliers' bullpen buckled down to retire 14 of the final 15 Towson batters to seal the win.
Shane Halley (So., Burke, Va.), the first of three UVa relievers, pitched three innings to earn the win and improve to 1-0 this season. Justin Thompson (So., Danville, Va.) pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts before Kevin Arico (Jr., Flemington, N.J.) tossed a scoreless ninth inning to notch his ACC-best ninth save of the season.

Swab doubled, scored twice and drove in two to highlight the Cavaliers' offense. Keith Werman (So., Vienna, Va.), John Hicks (So., Sandy Hook, Va.) and Stephen Bruno (Fr., Audubon, N.J.) each had two-hit nights for Virginia (21-4). Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) went 0-for-4 as his career-best 16-game hit streak came to a halt.

Towson (5-19) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead against UVa starting pitcher Branden Kline (Fr., Frederick, Md.), who gave up four earned runs and seven hits over three innings. He struck out two and did not walk a batter. Towson relief pitcher Tyler Bugna (0-1) was credited with the defeat after allowing five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Towson parlayed a leadoff Ben Winter double into a first-inning run to grab the early lead. Steve Yarsinsky hit a fly ball out to left to move Winter to third, and Kevin Collins dropped a single into short right field to score the run.

The Tigers added a run in the second, as Kurt Wertz singled with one out and scored on a triple just inside the left-field line by Nick Natoli. Towson then pushed its lead to 4-0 in the third on a solo home run by Steve Yarsinsky and a two-out RBI single by Chris Wychock.

Virginia began its comeback with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning against starter Sean Bertrand, as the eight- and nine-hole hitters in the batting order keyed the rally. Bruno led off and singled to left and Chris Taylor (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.) followed with a double to right field. Phil Gosselin (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) then hit a sacrifice fly to right-center to score Bruno, and Werman followed with an RBI single to center to slice the lead to 4-2.

UVa chipped away in the fourth inning. Swab led off with a double and Jarrett Parker (Jr., Stafford, Va.) followed with a four-pitch walk. After a Cannon sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, John Hicks stroked a single, which was trapped by diving center fielder Ben Winter for a single, scoring Swab.

Towson got a run back in the fifth inning. Brian Wyman and Winter hit consecutive singles to lead off the inning, and Yarsinsky followed with a fly out to right field which advanced Wyman to third. Collins then reached on a fielder's choice to plate Wyman and give Towson a 5-3 lead.

The Cavaliers took the lead with a five-run fifth inning against Bugna, who had just entered the game. Gosselin led off with a single and stole second. Werman then singled to right-center to move Gosselin to third, and he stole second as well. After a Dan Grovatt (Jr., Tabernacle, N.J.) walk loaded the bases, Swab singled up the middle to score two runs and tie the game. Both runners advanced on the throw to the plate. Parker then grounded out to shortstop to score Grovatt and move Swab to third.

With the infield pulled in, Cannon grounded to first. Swab was stuck in a rundown between third and home, but wiggled out of the situation and got back to third safely on a late rundown throw while Cannon advanced to second. This proved to be critical when Hicks followed with a sac fly and Bruno singled to left-center to give the Cavaliers an 8-5 advantage.

Virginia and Towson play the back end of their two-game series at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

UVa gets midweek victory
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 30, 2010
Updated: March 30, 2010
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nowBuzz up!

There was a rare buzz inside Davenport Field during the third inning.

Towson, a team with just five wins on the season, had just jumped out to a four-run lead and Virginia fans were noticeably restless.

Eventually, it was a moot point.

The top-ranked Cavaliers (21-4) used a five-run fifth inning to rally past Towson and remain perfect in mid-week games, registering an 8-5 victory.

“We didn’t panic,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “We capitalized on our opportunities in that big inning. That was great to see on a day when we had a different lineup on the field.”

Towson (5-19) registered 10 hits in the contest, but seven of those came in the first three innings as the Tigers scored the game’s first four runs and chased Virginia starter Branden Kline from the contest.

“Branden Kline did not pitch up to his capability,” O’Connor said. “Towson had a great approach against him. They have played four games at [second-ranked] Arizona State and four games at Tulane, so they were not in awe coming in here.

“Towson hit his fastball really well.”

Virginia started its comeback efforts in the bottom-half of the third inning. With one out, Stephen Bruno ripped a single to left and advanced to third on rookie Chris Taylor’s double to right field that narrowly avoided the diving attempt from Towson right fielder Kevin Collins.

Both rookies scored, cutting the deficit to 4-2, as Phil Gosselin hit a sacrifice fly and Keith Werman ripped a two-out single into center field.

After both teams added a lone run, Virginia batted around in the fifth, sending 10 batters to the plate. The biggest hit in the frame came from first baseman Kenny Swab with the bases loaded.

Hitting in the cleanup spot for the first time this year, Swab sent a bouncing ball back up the middle off Towson reliever Tyler Bugna that plated a pair of runs.

“I was just trying to get a run in,” said Swab, who went 3 for 3 with two runs scored. “I just went with the pitch and it went up the middle.”

Virginia’s final three runs in the fifth came on a run-scoring groundout from Jarrett Parker, a John Hicks hit sacrifice fly and a Bruno single.

Virginia kept the five-run lead the rest of the contest as relievers Shane, Justin Thompson and Kevin Arico were dominant on the mound. The trio combined to record seven strikeouts while allowing three hits and one earned run over six innings.

“All three threw the ball very well for us today,” O’Connor said. “I was really impressed with the way that Justin Thompson attacked on the mound. That was the best that he has looked in our uniform and I am excited to see what that will do for his confidence.”

The Cavaliers finished with 11 hits, but shortstop Tyler Cannon was hitless, ending a 16-game hitting streak. It had been the longest active streak among ACC players.

Virginia and Towson will finish the two-game series today at 5 p.m. The Cavaliers will start sophomore RHP Will Roberts on the mound.


 

UVa Men’s Golfers Place Third at Hootie at Bulls Bay
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/30/2010

Charleston, SC - The No. 18 Virginia men's golf team finished third in the 15-team field at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in Charleston, S.C. The Cavaliers shot 5-under 279 Tuesday to complete the 54-hole tournament at 4-under 848. LSU used a late surge to slip past Wake Forest for top honors at 845. The Deacons finished second at 846.
The tournament marked the eighth consecutive event this season Virginia has managed a top-five finish and was the sixth time this year the team has placed in the top three.

Virginia's score was its lowest tournament tally this season. Its second-round effort of 10-under 274 was the best single-round shot during the year.

Senior Kyle Stough led the Cavaliers on the final day of play by carding a 4-under 67, equaling his low round of the season. Stough tied for eighth place at 3-under 210. It was his first top-10 outing of the season.

Ben Kohles used a 1-under 70 during the final round to finish 14th at 1-under 212. Will Collins also shot 70 Tuesday and was one shot behind Kohles on the leaderboard in 17th place. Amory Davis and Steven Rojas both shot 72 during the final round. Davis finished 24th at 215 and Rojas was 46th at 220.

Defending NCAA individual champion Matt Hill of NC State took medalist honors at 9-under 204.

Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate
Par-71, 7,298 yards
Bulls Bay Golf Club
Charleston, SC

Final Results
1. LSU 288-278-279-845
2. Wake Forest 290-281-276-846
3. Virginia 295-274-279-848
4. South Carolina 296-272-282-850
5. Augusta State 302-270-281-853
6. Duke 289-281-284-854
7. Auburn 291-280-284-855
8. Clemson 294-278-284-857
8. NC State 291-286-280-857
10. Chattanooga 300-277-286-863
11. Kentucky 299-283-286-868
12. East Tenn State 301-284-285-870
13. Central Florida 307-284-283-876
14. Long Beach State 307-297-299-903
15. Col of Charleston 314-299-308-921

Individual Leaders
1. Matt Hill, NC State 69-67-69-204
2. Lee Bedford, Wake Forest 73-70-63-206
3. Brendan Gielow, Wake Forest 72-66-69-207
3. Patrick Rada, South Carolina 71-66-70-207
3. Sang Yi, LSU 69-68-70-207
6. Patrick Reed, Augusta State 73-66-69-208
7. Wesley Bryan, South Carolina 75-64-70-209
8. Kyle Stough, Virginia 72-71-67-210
8. Brinson Paolini, Duke 73-68-69-210

Virginia Results
8. Kyle Stough 72-71-67-210
14. Ben Kohles 74-68-70-212
17. Will Collins 73-70-70-213
24. Amory Davis 79-65-72-215
46. Steven Rojas 77-72-72-220


 

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2010
Women's Lacrosse Contact: Amanda McClure

Cavaliers Open Three-Game Homestand with In-State Rival Old Dominion Monarchs visit Klöckner Stadium Wednesday at 7 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 4 Virginia women’s lacrosse team will open a three-game homestand on Wednesday, hosting in-state rival Old Dominion at 7 p.m. in Klöckner Stadium. Live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

The Cavaliers (7-3, 2-1 ACC) are coming off an upset win over then-No. 3 Duke, 8-7, on Saturday at Koskinen Stadium. A trio of Cavaliers – senior All-American Brittany Kalkstein, sophomore Julie Gardner and freshman Caroline McTiernan - scored two goals each to lead Virginia past its conference foe.

Seven attackers have contributed double-digit goals to the Cavaliers’
offense this season – led by senior All-American Kaitlin Duff. Duff has notched 19 scores to go with 11 assists, while sophomore Josie Owen has tallied 15 goals and a team-high 13 assists. Kalkstein and Gardner have each contributed 17 scores, while sophomore Charlie Finnigan has 16, redshirt sophomore Ainsley Baker has 15 and senior Caity Whiteley has added 14.

Duff and Kalkstein also lead the team defensively. Kalkstein has a team-best 47 draw controls, 21 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers, while Duff has 17 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers.

In goal, redshirt junior Lauren Benner is allowing 8.36 goals per game, while stopping 49.6 percent of shots faced. She has also collected 19 ground balls.

Old Dominion (2-3) is coming off a last minute loss to in-state rival Virginia Tech, 13-12, on Saturday, as the Hokies scored the game-winner with nine seconds remaining in regulation.

The Monarchs are led by Ashley Kellogg this season, as she has tallied
18 goals. Lisa Bernardini is second on the team in goals with 16 and leads the squad with 11 assists, 15 ground balls and 14 draw controls.
Saratu Dodo has caused 13 turnovers.

In goal for the Monarchs, Sarah Geary is allowing 12.81 goals per game and has a save percentage of .466.

Old Dominion earned its first-ever win against Virginia last season, a 13-10 affair in Norfolk. Prior to the meeting, the Cavaliers had won all
32 meetings, dating back to 1980.

Virginia will remain home to host two more contests, vs. No. 19 Boston College at 1 p.m. on Saturday and vs. Harvard at 7 p.m. on Monday. Prior to Saturday’s ACC contest with the Eagles, Virginia will honor this year’s seniors as part of Senior Day.