H.S. juniors experience NIKE camp
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
April 19, 2004

Home sweet home. Well, Virginia coach Al Groh hopes so.

With 281 high school juniors on Virginia’s campus on Sunday participating in the NIKE Football Training Camp, Groh hopes a handful of those players will be saying those magical words about Charlottesville in just more than a year.

While the UVa coaching staff is not allowed to be a part of the camp due to NCAA rules, the school did lend its practice facilities for the camp and offered the talented players a glimpse of the football program’s facilities.

A handful of those talented players have already committed to play for the Virginia in 2005. Gretna QB Vicqual Hall, North Stafford OL Pat Slebonick and Kempsville High DE/TE Jason Fuller were among the seven players that were at the camp that have already committed to UVa.

According to Craig Biggins, the Camp Director of Player Personnel, none of UVa’s verbal commitments were as impressive as Hall.

“Vic Hall did well at quarterback. I spent most of my time with the quarterbacks and Vic established himself today as the top guy in the state,” Biggins said. “There are a couple of other quarterbacks that have some early offers, like Greg Boone and Corey Broadus, but I think Vic is pretty solidly ahead of those guys, at least today.”

Biggins said that Hall has an “understanding of football” and excels with “drops and techniques.”

Hall broke a VHSL record with 4,434 yards of total offense and led the Hawks to the Division 3 state title against Monticello. He was also named Group AA Player of the Year. This season, Hall completed 167 of 250 passes for 2,769 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2003. He also ran for 1,665 yards and 25 TDs.

The one drawback that many experts have mentioned when analyzing Hall has been his height. Hall is listed at 5-foot-11.

“It’s easy in the camp setting here for height not to matter. There are no lineman to throw over,” Biggins said. “His play on the field has shown he can get it done at the high school level. As far as going into college, I think the fact that Virginia would take him that early means they certainly have a lot of faith in him. He is the kind of player that if quarterback does not work for whatever reason, he is going to be able to contribute in other ways. That is only going to help him at UVa.”

According to Biggins, it was even more impressive that Hall threw the ball with such accuracy and velocity despite not throwing a football recently. Hall, who ran a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, is currently playing baseball at Gretna.

Slebonick, who said he was in town for UVa’s spring game on Saturday at Scott Stadium, said it was good to match up against some of the best players in the country.

“It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot,” Slebonick said. “This was the first time that I have been introduced to playing where I was not the best player. Everyone is on the same level and you have to work.

Slebonick said it was an added bonus when he found out that Virginia was hosting the camp the same weekend as the spring game.

“It was real exciting when I found out it was Virginia and I was just leaning here,” Slebonick said. “I love this campus so I don’t mind spending all this time down here this weekend.”

The biggest head-turner of the day was not even from the state of Virginia.

Derrick Williams of Eleanor Roosevelt High (Greenbelt, Md.), stole the spotlight with a 4.31 40-yard dash. In addition to be timed in the 40-yard dash, the players were tested in a 20-yard shuttle run, vertical leap and bench press.

Williams, who was all-state in Maryland as a junior, has offers from almost every school in the country, including LSU, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.

According to Student Sports President and camp director Andy Bark, Williams time in the 40-yard was even more impressive since the players ran the distance in the grass at the UVa practice facility.

“We don’t see guys like [Williams] very often,” said Bark, who lives in Torrance, Calif. “He has got every aspect of the game. He is fast, he can make moves. He loves to compete.

“This is the part of the country where they all compete. You go out to L.A. and half the kids are like ‘Yeah, I got an offer. I am in.’ These kids here today were so aggressive ... so competitive. It is a long flight to get here but when you see competitiveness of the kids and their willingness to learn ... it just makes it a joy to be associated with the NIKE Football Training Camp.”

Bark also said the overall talent level at the camp was one of the highest he has seen in the seven-year history of the event.

“This is about as talented of a group that we see around the country,” said Bark, who has held camps in Miami and at Ohio State this spring. “We are in places like L.A., Southern Cal, Florida and all over Texas. I honestly think if I could give 85 scholarships to [the players here today], I could win a national championship. That is a lot of talent.”

At the running back position, two of the standouts were from North Carolina - Toney Baker and Montario Hardesty.

“There were a couple of running backs that were pretty impressive in the testing part ... Baker and Hardesty. It might not be a great year for running backs in Virginia, at least the guys that came out today, but those guys came up and they were very impressive,” Biggins said.

The camp was founded by Student Sports, a company started in California to promote national coverage of high schools. The company brought 16 coaches and administrators with them to the camp. They also had over 80 volunteers, including Virginia football players like Elton Brown, working as coaches, ball boys, equipment managers and trainers.

“This camp was right around the perfect size for us with as many volunteers as we had,” said the camp’s Marketing Manager, Kim Blankinship. “We love camps like this. The kids get the most repetitions. It’s better for the coaches because they are available to give more attention to individual players. It works out for everybody.”

Blankinship also said the camp would not be possible without the help of the university and the football program.

“It would not be possible without [Virginia]. They have been completely wonderful,” Blankinship said. “I worked with [UVa’s Adminstrative Assistant] Tom Sherman. They are just wonderful to work with and they supplied a lot of volunteers. We had a great experience today at the University of Virginia.”

Opposite end of the spectrum. While many of the players in attendance have been offered scholarships from schools across the country, a few of the participants hope the experience will help them get exposure.

J.R. Lawrence, who is a rising junior at Amelia County High, said it was his first camp of any sort.

“This is my first camp like this. It feels real good to be invited,” said Lawrence, who plays linebacker, tight end and fullback for his high school team. “Hopefully a lot of colleges will be looking at me now. I hope it will help me get into college.”

Lawrence, whose team only had 25 players this season, said he was a nervous wreck from the moment he woke up today.

“I came by myself so I was nervous the whole time. I was even nervous in registration,” Lawrence said. “I started stretching and I got a little more comfortable. Once it starts, you have no choice. You have to go hard or go home.”
 

Cavs rally over Terps, earn sweep
From Staff Reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
April 19, 2004

BOWIE, Md. - The No. 23-ranked Virginia baseball team won its 12th consecutive game and swept its third straight ACC series by claiming a 2-1 comeback win over Maryland in 11 innings at Prince George’s Stadium.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the ninth inning, the Cavaliers scored a run to to force extra innings before scoring the game-winning run in the top of the 11th inning.

It was UVa’s second consecutive 11-inning win over Maryland and the Cavaliers’ second come-from-behind victory over the Terrapins in three games.

On Saturday night, the Cavaliers defeated the Terrapins in exciting fashion. After UVa saw its once commanding 6-0 lead vanish late in the game, the Cavs scored the game-winning run in the 11th inning on another costly Maryland error to seal the win.

On Sunday, UVa’s Shooter Starr (2-0) picked up the win after going 1.0 inning and allowing no runs on one hit. UVa starting pitcher Joe Koshansky went 9.0 innings and allowed just one run on five hits and struck out a game-high nine batters.

With the victory, Virginia’s record improves to 32-7 overall, 14-4 in the ACC. The loss drops Maryland’s record to 16-21 overall, 2-13 in the conference.
 

Cavs claim ACC tournament title
From Staff Reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
April 19, 2004
 

RALEIGH, N.C. - The No. 10 Virginia men’s tennis team made history Sunday as it won its first ever ACC tournament championship by defeating No. 5 seed Clemson, 4-3, at the Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center.

The Cavaliers, who shared the ACC regular-season title with North Carolina, improved to

22-3 on the season with the victory.

“I could not be more proud of this team,” said Virginia coach Brian Boland, who is in his third season at UVa. “This is a great reward for all of their hard work this season.

The Cavaliers took the early lead by winning the doubles point. The No. 31-ranked team of Rylan Rizza and Nick Meythaler cruised past No. 32 Nathan Thompson and Jarmaine Jenkins at No. 1, 8-1. Darrin Cohen and Doug Stewart clinched the point with an 8-4 win over Damiisa Robinson and John Boetsch.

“Doubles play was once again instrumental to our success, just as it has over the last few weeks,” Boland said.

The singles competition was heated throughout. Virginia would earn singles wins at No. 1 (Stewart d. Thompson 6-3, 6-4) and No. 6 (Cohen d. Ryan Young 6-3, 6-2) to take a 3-2 lead.

Clemson would tie the match at 3-3 when Goran Sterijovski defeated Rizza 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 2, leaving the title in the hands of the match at No. 3.

Virginia’s Marko Miklo used a dominant third set to down Jenkins 6-1, 1-6, 6-0 to clinch the championship for the Cavaliers. Miklo was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

With the title, the Cavaliers earn the ACC’s automatic bid for the NCAA tournament. The pairings will be announced on ESPNews on May 5. First-round play begins the weekend of May 14-16.
 

Virginia earns first-ever ACC championship title in Raleigh
Milko earns singles win that clinches 4-3 victory over Clemson, gives Virginia ACC tournament crown
Elizabeth Newell
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

After two days of rallying under the scorching North Carolina sun, freshman Marko Miklo led the Cavaliers to their first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship with a third-set victory over his Clemson opponent.

Miklo's win came after a back and forth match in which he won the first set 6-1 but was crushed 1-6 in the second after struggling with an injury.

"I was just focusing on my knee which felt a little bit bad," Miklo said. "I wasn't able to focus on the game and play what I should have played. That's why I lost the set."

Miklo came back and shut out his opponent 6-0 in the third set with patience and placement. His ability to capitalize on opportunities to place the ball out of his opponents reach won the match for him and Virginia.

This championship ushered in yet another "first" for the most successful tennis team the University has ever produced.

"This is a re-creation of all the work we and our coaches did," Miklo said. "It feels really good."

After cruising through a match with Florida State, 4-1, Friday, and shutting out the defending conference champion Duke 4-0 on Saturday, the Cavaliers faced the No. 5 seed Clemson, who had upset the No. 1 seed North Carolina Saturday.

The doubles point proved crucial as it has time and time again for Virginia. The Cavaliers earned the point with wins at the No 1 and No. 2 spots. The team's ability to take doubles matches has helped it, going 6-0 in 4-3 matches this season.

The singles contests were close through the first sets, with Virginia and Clemson each winning three first sets. The match got even tighter when sophomore Stephen Rozek fell at No. 4 giving the Tigers the first singles point and tying the match. Rozek, who had lost his first set, nearly battled back in the second from a 4-0 deficit, but was eventually defeated 6-4.

The Cavaliers did not allow Clemson to stay tied for too long, however. Virginia pulled off wins at No. 6 and No. 1 within seconds of each other to bring the team within one point of the championship.

Sophomore Nick Meythaler then fell at No. 5 bringing the Tigers within one. Rylan Rizza lost to his hard-hitting opponent in the third set at No. 2 tying the match 3-3.

While the Cavaliers' victory was certainly a team win, the weekend also highlighted the talents of individuals. Miklo was awarded the Most Valuable Player award and brought his winning streak to 11 while maintaining his perfect ACC record. Sophomore Doug Stewart, Virginia's top player, beat Duke's Phillip King, the fifth-ranked player in the nation, for the second time in a week. Since Stewart also beat the No. 12 ranked player on April 8, he will likely be catapulted into the top 10.

This year's Cavaliers have transformed the Virginia tennis program, earning numerous successes previously unachieved by a Virginia squad.

"Coach Boland has done an unbelievable job turning the program around," sophomore Darrin Cohen said. "I'd say we have a bright future."

And the future isn't far away. With the NCAA tournament beginning in less than a month, Boland said the players still have work to do.

"With the time now before the tournament, I really do think there is a good chance that we'll be playing at the level we're capable of," Boland said. "But we have not done that yet."

The Cavaliers will take a week off from practice before gearing up again for the tournament, which will begin May 14.
 

Virginia tops Duke, earns first ACC win
Cavaliers earn 13-4 victory to stay out of conference cellar heading into next week's ACC tournament
Joey Mancini
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Virginia held on to a slim shot at an NCAA tournament berth Saturday, defeating No. 13 Duke, 13-4, at Klockner Stadium.

As most seniors in the orange and blue played in their last regular season home game, the team decisively earned its first conference win of the season.

For both the Cavaliers and Blue Devils, the contest was to avoid sinking to the lowest seed in next weekend's ACC tournament. But Virginia also carried the additional pressure of playing to avoid being dropped from NCAA tournament contention. With one more loss on the year, Virginia would not have a berth in the national tournament for the first time since 1992 -- the year before coach Dom Starsia took over the program.

It did not take long for the Cavaliers to realize what they needed to do. After allowing a goal in the first Duke possession and having the Blue Devils tie the game 3-3 early in the second quarter, Virginia exploded with a 10-0 scoring run to secure the victory.

With 4:20 remaining in the first half and the home team holding a 5-3 lead, Virginia midfielder Hunter Kass took a route on the cage baseline and scored just in front of the goalie crease. After the shot, however, Kass was hit by Duke defenseman Paul Jepsen and the officials threw a yellow flag. Jepsen was called for unnecessary roughness and the Cavaliers took the automatic possession in a one minute extra man opportunity.

Less than a minute later, Blue Devil defenseman David Evans picked up a groundball just outside his team's goalie crease and was drilled with a body hit by Virginia attackman Matt Ward and a stick hit by midfielder Matt Poskay. With Duke's goalie Aaron Fenton charging, the loose ball somehow found a way into the net and Virginia extended its lead to 7-3.

"I didn't even know what happened, I was hitting the kid and suddenly I hear a goal," Ward said. "It went in the cage, so it is a team goal."

Rarely during the 2004 season have the Cavaliers been able to achieve the type of combined offensive and defensive output that they did on Saturday afternoon.

"I thought going into the game that we could defend them," coach Dom Starsia said. "But the question for us has been 'Can we throw enough in the goal?' Today was the most opportunistic day for us offensively. We had a bunch of guys step up and make plays, and that's what we need for the rest of the season."

Poskay and attackman Joe Yevoli led all scorers with three goals and one assist each, trailed narrowly by midfielder Foster Gilbert's three goals. Midfielder J.J. Morrissey quietly scooped up eight groundballs to hold or take possession for Virginia.

The Cavalier defensive corps allowed only 18 shots on goal and was once again led by its backbone in the cage, senior Tillman Johnson, who registered 13 saves and allowed just three goals. Defensemen Brett Hughes, Steve Holmes and Mike Culver combined to cause four turnovers and help Virginia succeed in 24 of 28 clears, including a perfect 13-13 in the first half.

"Defensively, we weren't giving up easy shots," Johnson said. "Guys were making great defensive plays and as soon as I saw that, I knew that it was going to be a tough day for Duke."

For the Cavaliers, such a resolute win was needed for self-confidence as the team heads into the postseason conference tournament next weekend at North Carolina. Virginia will face the hometown Tarheels this Friday night. With a win, the team would play either top-seeded Maryland or Duke in the championship game Sunday.

Once again, the Cavaliers succeeded in tempting their supporters with a glimpse of what they are capable of. But Virginia will need to play consistently, as it did Saturday, if the Cavaliers aspire to compete deep into the championship month of May.
 

Virginia takes out No. 3 Loyola, 12-11
Leachman notches game-winning goal with only 9.3 seconds left on Senior Day
S.R. Sidarth
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
 

Tyler Leachman scored the game-winning goal on an eight-meter shot with 9.3 seconds left to complete the No. 7 Virginia women's lacrosse team's come-from-behind 12-11 victory over the No. 3 Loyola Greyhounds.

Leachman drew a foul after more than two minutes of possession by the Cavaliers (11-3) in the Loyola (12-2) end. Leachman, Amy Appelt and Courtney Young had taken shots in the sequence leading up to the game-winner but failed to beat Greyhounds goalkeeper Cindy Nicolaus, who started the second half in place of Kim Lawton.

Appelt said she had complete confidence that Leachman would score her second goal of the game in the final seconds.

"I definitely thought she was going to make it," Appelt said.

Loyola started the game out strong, taking a 3-0 lead under four minutes in, but the Cavaliers responded with five of the next six goals over a 13-minute stretch. Ashleigh Haas got Virginia on the board on an eight-meter shot after Appelt drew a foul but briefly had to leave the game due to injury.

Greyhounds midfielder Jaclyn Borrone responded to Haas' goal and restored Loyola's lead to three, but Leachman, Appelt, Caitlin Banks and Courtney Young scored in succession to give the Cavaliers their first lead at 5-4.

Loyola did not quit, however, and went on a three-goal spurt that gave the Greyhounds a 7-5 edge at halftime.

In what may have been the game's turning point, Virginia's Banks controlled the draw to open the second half, streaked down the right side of the field and uncorked a bullet over Nicolaus' outstretched stick into the top corner of the net for her second score of the game.

Under a minute later, Loyola's Greene completed her hat trick on an eight-meter shot to restore a two-goal margin. After Appelt scored her second of the game, Shacklock netted her hat trick and restored the Loyola lead to two.

With time winding down, senior attacker Banks, playing in her last home game, made the plays to draw Virginia even. On a scramble in front of the Greyhounds' net with less than 18 minutes left, Banks gathered a loose ball in midair and popped it in, completing her hat trick and cutting the deficit to one. Six minutes later, Banks chased Nicolaus from the Loyola crease and created a turnover, duly converted by fellow senior Morgan Thalenberg to tie the score at nine.

A timeout by Greyhounds coach Kerri Johnson attempted to stem the tide, but 21 seconds later, midfielder Kim Connors gave the Cavaliers a 10-9 lead on a play directly flowing from a draw control.

Once again, Loyola did not fold and regained the lead at 11-10 with 8:15 left on Borrone's third tally and a goal from midfielder Jen Schuerholz.

At this point, according to coach Julie Myers, Appelt came over to the Virginia bench and asked for the ball. Although she was stopped by Nicolaus on an eight-meter shot with six minutes left, she continued to assert herself and tied the game with 3:19 left on a laser from the top of the circle.

The Cavaliers' Nikki Lieb won the ensuing draw, a statistic Virginia dominated 17-8 in the game, including 9-3 in the second half, eventually leading to Leachman's goal. Lieb also won the draw after the goal to run out the clock.

The Cavaliers will look to carry the momentum of beating what Myers called "the best team we have played all season" into Monday's clash with Virginia Tech.
 

Lundy carries Wahoos to win in spring game
Four Virginia quarterbacks take snaps in scrimmage, Hagans likely to be first on depth chart at start of fall
Joe Lemire
Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor

Wali Lundy was a workhorse Saturday, carrying 23 times for 75 yards and throwing a nine-yard touchdown pass to lead the Wahoos to a 10-7 victory over the Cavaliers in Virginia's annual intrasquad spring football game.

"I thought both teams performed well," tight end Heath Miller said. "Obviously, there's a lot of room for improvement, but it's a good step headed into the summer workouts."

This year's format simulated a real game as assistant coaches Mike London and Mike Groh drafted and coached the split squad teams. London's Wahoos wore white and chose linebacker Darryl Blackstock with its first pick. Mike Groh's Cavaliers donned blue and made quarterback Marques Hagans its first selection.

Those fans who came to see the emergence of an established depth chart at quarterback went home disappointed, as the four competitors vying for the starting job combined to complete only 17-of-37 passes for 154 yards and no touchdowns. None of them recorded a completion percentage higher than 50 percent, and Hagans also threw two interceptions, including one by Marcus Hamilton, who picked off a "Hail Mary" pass on last play of the game.

"Overall, today I'd say the quarterback play was erratic," head coach Al Groh said. Hagans "went into the spring [at number one] and most likely will remain that way."

Hagans said he realizes that the position is a work in progress.

"I think [my confidence and poise] has come a long way, but at the same time I still have a long way to go," he said.

While Lundy was the primary ballcarrier for the victorious Wahoos, Alvin Pearman and Michael Johnson shared the load for the opposing Cavaliers. Pearman ran 12 times for 49 yards and the team's lone TD, taking a sweep left nine yards for the score. Johnson, who redshirted the 2003 season, carried nine times for 30 yards.

Twelve different receivers caught passes on the afternoon, led by Ron Morton who reeled in three balls for 30 yards.

Connor Hughes kicked for both teams, hitting both extra points, but his field goal tries made the difference in the game, as he connected from 27 yards out for the Wahoos but missed from 49 yards for the Cavaliers.

News and Notes:

The four co-captains for the 2004 season, voted on by their teammates, will be Miller, Elton Brown, Chris Canty and Brennan Schmidt. All of them, coincidentally, played for the Wahoos Saturday, effectively ending the tradition of giving the infamous orange and blue fire hydrant to the captain of the losing spring team.... Hamilton and Johnson were awarded the Rock Weir Award, given annually to the offensive and defensive player who improved the most during spring practice.... Before pulling a hamstring, fullback Jason Snelling ran the ball once for seven yards in his first action since the 2002 Tire Bowl.... The afternoon's two largest ovations from the crowd came in response to a booming 45-yard punt by Kurt Korte and to a big hit by Tony Franklin. Franklin then incurred a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a dancing celebration, which Groh described as a "ridiculous antic."
 

Blue Ridge hoops standout expected to opt for U.Va.
Richmond Times-Dispatch Apr 19, 2004

Laurynas Mikalauskas, a 6-8, 245-pound junior at the Blue Ridge School near Charlottesville, is expected to announce today that he'll play basketball for the University of Virginia.

Mikalauskas, whose other finalist is Virginia Tech, unofficially visited U.Va. on Friday and met with head coach Pete Gillen.

A native of Lithuania, Mikalauskas averaged about 23 points and 15 rebounds for Blue Ridge in 2003-04. He scored 29 points in a Feb. 14 loss to Oak Hill Academy, which finished the season as the nation's No. 1-ranked high school team. - Jeff White