From ‘challenge’ to charmer
By Whitey Reid
Published: April 23, 2009

Virginia coach Dom Starsia says that in all of his years of coaching he’s never had a player “challenge” him as much as Mike Timms. Almost every day, just before practice begins, the UVa defenseman makes a beeline for Starsia and grills him on just about everything, from specific defensive alignments to general coaching philosophies.

“It’s been very refreshing for me,” said Starsia, whose team plays Duke in the semifinals of the ACC tournament on Friday in Chapel Hill, N.C. “I find it completely invigorating because I respect him so much. I have no problem with him wanting to know the answers to why we do some things.”

Timms, one of the top longstick midfielders in the country — this season, he became the first Virginia defensive player to be nominated for the Tewaaraton Trophy — says he appreciates the open lines of communication with his head coach.

“It definitely makes things more comfortable because you can express your opinion,” said Timms. “I think about a lot of the things defensively that he thinks about.

“A lot of times, we disagree a little bit, and it’s good to be able to talk about it.”

Believe it or not, Timms’ thirst for knowledge hasn’t always been there. In fact, until this season, Starsia wondered what was going on in his star’s noggin.

Timms, a hulking 6-foot-5, 229-pounder from Virginia Beach, had always gotten by on his raw athleticism. He was soft-spoken and hard to read.

By his own admission, Timms says he wasn’t as emotionally invested in lacrosse as he could have been.

Having lost both of his parents at a very young age, Timms had never opened up to many people, Starsia included.

However, things began to change early last season when Timms, now a fifth-year senior, asked Starsia to write him a letter of recommendation for Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce.

Starsia said he would do it on one condition — Timms wrote him a letter first.

“I said, ‘I don’t feel like I know you that well, to be honest,’” Starsia recalled. “He was always a little guarded.

“I said, ‘Write me an essay. Tell me who you are.’”

Timms obliged, writing what Starsia called a “very frank two-page essay.” In the essay, Timms talked about the death of his parents — he lost both before the age of 9 — and how the tragedies had made him who he was.

From there, the Timms-Starsia relationship began to evolve.

“I felt like we crossed a little threshold personally,” Starsia said.

“We’ve gotten a little bit closer each year,” Timms added.

Timms, a co-captain, will never be known for his loquaciousness. But he certainly has the respect of his teammates.

“He’s very soft-spoken, but when he talks, everybody listens, to say the least,” said Virginia junior Max Pomper. “When the game’s on the line, we always look to him for instruction and leadership.”

As a freshman, Timms was granted a medical redshirt after injuring his knee. As a sophomore, he was a contributor on Virginia’s NCAA championship team.

In each of the last two years, he has been an honorable mention All-American.

Timms, who will work for a New York-area Bank of America after he completes his graduate degree, laughed when asked how he had changed from the time he first stepped on grounds in 2004.

“Looking back, I find it kind of hard to believe that I was even able to play here early in my career — compared to what I know now and didn’t know then,” he said, smiling. “It’s also been growing up as a person — learning what it takes to be successful on and off the field and the work you have to put in.”

Timms has a career record of 0-6 against Duke. While there’s nothing he would like more than to finally get a win over the Blue Devils, he doesn’t want to stop there.

He says winning an NCAA title now would be much sweeter than the one he was a part of back in 2006.

“Not to take anything away from that [championship team],” he said, “but I’ve put so much more into it this year…I’ve always been one to say that you get out of it what you put into it.

“To me, it’s going to mean more to the guys who sacrifice more. After five years, I’ve definitely sacrificed a lot. It would mean a lot.”

 

Bevy of Cavs await draft
Clint Sintim and Cedric Peerman might join Eugene Monroe as picks in the top three rounds.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

The 2008 change that reduced the first day of the NFL Draft to two rounds could have a major impact on the Saturday night sleep habits of two University of Virginia players.

While Cavaliers offensive tackle Eugene Monroe is a can't-miss first-round pick, outside linebacker Clint Sintim and running back Cedric Peerman face a more unpredictable weekend.

"The only round I haven't heard is the first round," Peerman said at the Cavaliers' pro timing day last month, "and that's the one you want to hear."

The most UVa players selected in the same year was seven, headed by first-rounder Heath Miller in 2005, and that mark could be challenged this year.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay predicted on espn.com that six Cavaliers will be taken. Included on that list are tight end John Phillips, wide receiver Kevin Ogletree and linebacker Antonio Appleby.

McShay has Sintim going to the New York Giants with the 13th pick in the second round (44th overall) and Peerman going to New England with the 33rd pick of the third round (97th overall).

"Peerman's sensational showing at the combine is just one of the reasons we are high on him," McShay wrote. "There are some durability questions, but when he's healthy, we believe Peerman has the mental makeup and physical tools to develop into a versatile contributor in the NFL."

Sporting News Today, in its ranking of the top 100 prospects, had Sintim rated 60th and Peerman rated 88th.

The same publication had Sintim ranked fourth among inside linebackers, clearly in error. Sintim (6-foot-3, 253 pounds) was an outside linebacker exclusively during his UVa career.

At Virginia, Sintim played in a scheme, the 3-4, that is not used widely at the collegiate level. However, the 3-4 has enjoyed increased popularity in the NFL.

"I think about 13 teams are using it now," Sintim said. "It's pretty cool to go to the next level and be ahead of the curve. Coach [Al] Groh was one of the founders of the 3-4."

Of the above-mentioned six NFL hopefuls, all but Appleby attended the NFL combine in Indianapolis in February. Peerman helped his stock with a hand-timed 40-yard clocking of 4.34 seconds.

He ran an electronically timed 4.41, which put him near the top of the draft-eligible running backs.

Peerman was a Group A 100-meter champion at William Campbell High School, but his speed was an occasional topic of debate at Virginia.

"I played with a knee brace all season," said Peerman, who said all he needed was a slight break after the season to return to 100 percent.

Certainly, there have been no character issues with Peerman, who was ordained as a preacher prior to the 2008 football season. But, nobody should get the idea that Peerman isn't focused on football and the NFL.

"It's been a lifelong dream of mine," said Peerman, who will watch the draft with his family in Gladys.

Ogletree said on pro timing day that he plans to be on a golf course, an approach once taken by former UVa stars Tiki and Ronde Barber.

Some questioned Ogletree's decision not to return for his senior year, but he was pleased with his performance at the combine, where he was timed electronically at 4.45 in the 40.

"We didn't run that many vertical routes at Virginia," he said. "I think I surprised some people with my speed."

Wherever he's drafted, Ogletree won't take part in any second-guessing.

"Maybe the first week, I thought, 'What am I doing?' said Ogletree, who made his declaration in early January. "I have never, ever looked back."
 

Sintim Is Ready for His Turn
U-Va. Linebacker Motivated for NFL By Long's Success
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 23, 2009

Clint Sintim spent NFL draft weekend last April at Radio City Music Hall yards away from Commissioner Roger Goodell. The Virginia linebacker attended as a guest of college teammate and roommate Chris Long, who was selected No. 2 overall by the St. Louis Rams.

Sintim had watched Long develop from one of Virginia's most recognizable freshmen to one of the NFL's most heralded rookies. They shared a defensive huddle, helped each other in the weight room and became the subject of practical jokes. Sintim likes to shout Long's name in public places and embarrass the former all-American, who would rather go unrecognized.

Yet when Sintim heard Long selected as the second pick and watched 2008's finest draft prospects march into the television spotlight, don brand-new caps and flash a commemorative jersey while shaking Goodell's hand, he became both proud for his friend and motivated about his future.

"If you ever need an inspiration or a battery to charge you up, that was it," Sintim said. "To be up there for the draft weekend, seeing all his work paying off and all that [Long] accomplished by working hard and doing all the things he needed to do, that was it."

Long will be a guest at Sintim's Woodbridge home during this weekend's draft, when Sintim is expected to be selected in the first two rounds. Sintim will find out by a cellphone call from an NFL team, at which point his feeling will be more relief than surprise.

When Sintim arrived at Virginia, he had a reputation as someone blessed with the physical tools that were overshadowed by laziness. When teammates now discuss Sintim, they first mention his work ethic.

During offseason training, Sintim would not allow himself to be outworked. Junior linebacker Denzel Burrell said Sintim always needed to bench one more rep than a teammate and run the 40-yard dash one-tenth of a second faster -- all in the process of building a 6-foot-3, 254-pound frame.

"He has a great physique," said Kansas City Chiefs tackle Branden Albert, a former Virginia lineman. "You can't go out and get it."

Sintim's teammates independently attributed some of the improvement to Sintim's relationship with Long, who shuns the credit.

Long said Sintim's body language as a freshman gave the wrong impression, and that Long's role in Sintim's progress is due more to the chronology of their friendship than anything Long specifically instilled.

"Truth be told, as the years went on, people started to see not only can he play, but he's a hard-working guy," Long said. "And then there was a distinct point when he took that next step and became an above-and-beyond guy."

That point came before the 2007 season. Long went back to Virginia for his senior year. Sintim, who redshirted his first season at Virginia, was entering his junior year. As Long received national attention, Sintim took notice.

"Man, this is crazy," Sintim told Long. "I want this to be me next year."

"Hey, what's stopping you?" Long responded.

From that moment, Sintim emerged as one of the nation's finest linebackers. His eating habits improved, his body transformed, and he became one of the Cavaliers' locker room leaders. Playing as an outside linebacker in Coach Al Groh's 3-4 system, Sintim finished with 77 tackles and nine sacks as a junior and 69 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior. Groh said Sintim fits the defense "to the T," able to play on the tight end, rush the quarterback and fit into coverages.

"Me being in this 3-4 defense has benefited me tremendously," Sintim said. "A lot of these guys in this draft, you hear, 'Can he play in the 3-4?' If he's a defensive end, 'Can he stand up? Can he rush the passer?' There's no projection with me. It's something I did since I came to college. I've already been in the transition phases to learn to play the 3-4."

The agonizing part is determining what franchise will draft him. Sintim visited teams that play both the 3-4 and the 4-3 alignments. He heard coaches discuss him as a linebacker and a defensive end. Mock drafts project Sintim anywhere from late in the first round to middle of the second round, Internet fodder he admits he checks.

"One too many times a day," Sintim said. "It's become a nasty habit of mine to kind of look at these things and speculate what people have to say. It kind of just drives me crazy a little bit because you hear all the negatives, all the things I need to do or I'm not doing so well. But at the end of the day, all these mock drafts don't have any say in where I'll go."

Sintim said he would learn 30 seconds before it's revealed to the world. He joked he will memorize area codes so he knows who is calling. Long told him the work that matters was finished three months ago when the season concluded, and that he should appreciate the moment Sintim said will induce tears.

When Long visited Charlottesville last weekend for Virginia's spring game, Sintim embarrassed Long by calling him over to join a question-and-answer session. Long's redemption came after the scrimmage when he was a passenger in Sintim's car. The car sputtered as it reached a busy campus intersection. It had run out of gas, and the players were stranded for 30 minutes -- a time Long used to roast Sintim the way Sintim once did to Long.

"It's Clint Sintim, he's out of gas," Long mocked. "It's Clint Sintim, he's going to the NFL but doesn't have enough money to put gas into his car."

Long said Sintim had never been more embarrassed in his life. It was also an indication Sintim was recognized on his own.

"It was beautiful," Long said.

Sintim Plays with Passion and Pride
By Scott Eklund
FalconsInsider.com
Posted Apr 22, 2009

With teams making the switch to a 3-4 defensive scheme, many personnel departments are looking at undersized college defensive ends to play the rush linebacker position in their defense. However, Virginia LB Clint Sintim is a player with plenty of experience playing that position in college and he said because of that there are not many like him available in the NFL Draft…

Sintim was a prep All-American as a senior at Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, Va. and had schools like Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina among others, but the draw of Virginia was too much to pass up.

“Virginia is a great school,” Sintim told Scout.com. “It’s a great school academically and athletically. It was also the idea that coach (Al) Groh has had so much experience coaching NFL linebackers. He’s been around for quite some time and he knows the game of football.

“Coming out of high school, you want to be the best, you want to be “the guy” and coach Groh being the guru of linebackers and understanding defense and me feeling like I could fit in that 3-4 defense and make things happen it was the best situation for me.”

After redshirting as a freshman, Sintim went on to start 49 straight games for the Cavaliers totaling 245 tackles, 39 tackles-for-loss and 27 sacks, including an 11-sack effort as a senior, but that outstanding season might not have occurred had he listened to what others were saying.

“It didn’t even cross my mind,” Sintim said when asked if he considered leaving early to play in the NFL. “I thought I had a solid season at best (in 2007), but I didn’t think I had a great season and I heard guys saying ‘are you leaving?’ and I was like ‘absolutely not, I’ve got a lot more to accomplish’ so it never really crossed my mind.”

Sintim is a player with a multitude of skills.

He runs well for a man that tips the scales at 6-3, 253 pounds, posting a 4.75 at the combine and he’s explosive as well, notching a 34.5 inch vertical as well.

Obviously he can rush the quarterback, but he says he can do everything asked of a linebacker.

“There’s a lot of good players in this draft, but honestly, without trying to be cocky, I just don’t see there being another player in this draft like me,” Sintim said without a hint of arrogance. “As far as the versatility aspect of it, I don’t think there are too many defensive players in the draft who have done what I have done. I’ve played in a 3-4 defense and not many college linebackers do that.

“I’ve been coached by probably the best linebackers coach to ever coach the game and I do a multitude of things – from rushing the passer, to stopping the run to playing out in space – I’ve done all that in the 3-4 defense. I have a great understanding of defense in general and that’s it in a nutshell. I love the game of football and I play it with passion and energy.”

A lot of players go into the Draft process and end the dizzying process with their heads spinning like a top. However, Sintim isn’t in that category since he was very close with last year’s number two overall selection, Chris Long, who was selected by the St. Louis Rams.

“He was my roommate, so I saw first hand exactly what he was doing, when he’d go on the visits and talk to the teams and all the hoopla and the media so I had the opportunity to view it up close and persona,” Sintim said. “I also had the opportunity to go to the Draft with him last year and be in the Green Room when he got picked and all that stuff, so I saw it coming for him and it was a great experience, a long experience, and really now it’s just my turn to go down the home stretch and finish this thing out.”

Sintim said he interviewed with several teams at the combine and had official visits with Buffalo, New Orleans, Kansas City and visited the New York Giants last Thursday.

For the Draft this weekend, Sintim said he plans to spend it with his family in northern Virginia and “try not to be too nervous when that phone call comes.”

Whenever that call comes, the team getting Sintim will get a four-year starter, a team captain, a young man who already has his degree in Anthropology and a player who plays the game how it should be players – with passion and pride.





 

Cavaliers rally to beat Hoyas
By Jay Jenkins
Published: April 23, 2009

It only took one swing.

Trailing by a run, sophomore Phil Gosselin changed a mid-week affair with a powerful cut that sent a breaking ball into the bleachers in left field.

The blast, Gosselin’s fifth home run of the year, sparked No. 11 Virginia to a come-from-behind 9-3 victory over Georgetown at Davenport Field.

“He threw a first-pitch fastball and then he hung one right over the plate,” Gosselin said of pitcher Jared Cohen’s offering. “I thought it was going to get out off the bat. The wind was blowing out a little bit, which is rare thing for us hitters here.”

Early on, the Cavaliers (32-8-1) appeared to be sleepwalking through the contest with Georgetown (11-26).

That all changed with Gosselin’s swing with Virginia trailing 3-1 in the fourth inning.

Three Cavalier relievers held Georgetown scoreless over the final four frames, lifting starter Will Roberts to his third win of the season.

It also kept Virginia from taking its second mid-week loss of the year following a 6-2 setback to Stony Brook on April 8.

“Your guys look so forward to the action on the weekend in this league, and they are so emotional that you have to keep your guard up because anything can happen in the middle of the week,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “Let me tell you what stops it: great pitching. That’s why pitching depth will always be a priority in this program, because if you are going to have a chance at at-large bids and have a chance at 40 wins, you have to have depth in the middle of the week because they are not going to play the same all the time.

“I thought Roberts got us off to a nice start and I thought our bullpen did a nice job.”

Virginia, which struck out nine on the mound, broke the game open in the seventh inning as it sent 12 batters to the plate.

Third baseman Steven Proscia drove in a pair of runs in the frame and Georgetown committed two of its three errors.

For UVa, center fielder Jarrett Packer led the 12-hit attack with two singles and a solo homer in the third inning that opened the game’s scoring. Former Monticello High standout Corey Hunt added three hits, including a double in the lengthy seventh inning.

The Cavaliers will jump back into ACC action on Friday at 7 p.m. against N.C. State at Davenport Field.

 

Georgetown bows to Virginia in 9-3 battle
Parker returns to early-season form with 3-for-4 outing, solo homer
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, April 23 2009

For the first four years of Virginia coach Brian O’Connor’s tenure with the Cavaliers, a home run was an uncommon occurrence.

Last night, though, this year’s power-heavy Virginia offense lifted the Cavaliers from a two-run deficit against Georgetown, which has the worst winning percentage on Virginia’s schedule. A solo homer from sophomore centerfielder Jarrett Parker and a three-run moon shot from sophomore left fielder Phil Gosselin fueled the Cavaliers to a 9-3 victory against the Hoyas at Davenport Field.

“I don’t think that we played a really good baseball game [last night] fundamentally, and that’s what I shared with the team after the game,” O’Connor said, “but the important thing is that we won the ball game. College baseball games are hard to win, and you need to enjoy ‘em when you get ‘em.”

Virginia (32-8-1, 11-7-1 ACC) faced a scare from Georgetown (11-26) early. After Parker cranked an opposite-field solo shot to give the Cavaliers a one-run lead in the third inning, Georgetown senior Sean Baumann crushed Virginia freshman pitcher Will Roberts’ delivery with two runners on base to put the Hoyas up 3-1.

Roberts is “a freshman and he’s learning,” O’Connor said. “He’s given us some really good quality starts in his career.”

That margin stood until the bottom of the fifth, when the Cavaliers finally delivered. Sophomore Corey Hunt led off the inning with a drag bunt single, and the next batter, Parker, was grazed by Georgetown starting pitcher Jared Cohen to put two runners on base with no outs. After freshman John Hicks grounded into a 6-3 fielder’s choice, Gosselin yanked a towering shot deep into the left field bleachers for his fifth home run of the season and his first since April 5 against Maryland.

“I was just trying to get something to the outfield to get the run in,” Gosselin said. “He left the pitch over the plate, and luckily I was able to put a pretty good swing on it.”

Though Gosselin’s home run was the more important of the two, Parker’s also was a relief. Parker had gone two for his last 17 at the plate, including 10 strikeouts against Boston College in last weekend’s series. After being placed in the leadoff role last night for the first time since the series opener against the Eagles, Parker knocked his 12th home run of the season and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs last night.

“Everybody goes through a tough stretch at some point,” O’Connor said. “I think Jarrett had his; he figured out what he needed to do to get through it, and now he’s back.”

Following Gosselin’s home run in the fifth, O’Connor removed Roberts and sent out sophomore pitcher Tyler Wilson to start the sixth. Wilson, continuing his excellent play in recent games, allowed no base runners on just 21 pitches during two innings. In his last three outings, Wilson has allowed just one run and three hits in eight innings of work.

“[Wilson] has pitched in so many big games for us when he’s stepped up for his team,” O’Connor said. “I think he’s pitching really good baseball, and it’s been a real shot in the arm for us.”

The Cavaliers then exploded for a five-run seventh, taking advantage of two Hoya errors in the inning to seal the game.

This weekend, the Cavaliers have their first home ACC series since April 5 against N.C. State. The upcoming series is the third to last for Virginia, as it hosts Duke the following weekend and finishes the season on the road against Virginia Tech.

Notes

Freshman Steven Proscia had a two-run single in the eighth, giving him seven RBIs in the two midweek games this week. Against Virginia Commonwealth Tuesday, Proscia knocked a grand slam for his fifth home run of the season ... The Cavaliers now have 38 home runs this season; the previous season high for Virginia during O’Connor’s tenure was 35 in 2005 ... Freshmen pitchers Sean Lucas and Justin Thompson each threw an inning to finish the game for Virginia. Neither allowed a hit, though Lucas walked two batters and Thompson walked one ... Hunt went 3-for-4 on the evening. His only other game of three or more hits was Feb. 28, 2008, when he had four hits in a 27-1 victory against Coppin State ... The Cavaliers have tallied at least nine hits in each of their last seven games.


 

O'Connor, Bivens Believe in Virginia
April 22, 2009
By Neil Fuller, The Progress-Index, Petersburg, Va.

 Apr. 22--RICHMOND -- John Bivens believes he and his Virginia teammates have what it takes to advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., this season.

There is sound reasoning behind that confidence.

The Cavaliers, who opened their season with 19 consecutive victories, are one of only six NCAA Division I baseball teams -- including Georgia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Coastal Carolina and George Mason -- to have reached the 30-win plateau.

And the wins keep coming.

Steven Proscia hit a grand slam and left-hander Matt Packer pitched five scoreless innings as No. 11 Virginia defeated VCU 8-1 in a rain-delayed affair Tuesday night at The Diamond.

"We definitely can get to Omaha," said Bivens, a Prince George High School product. "We're a solid team. We're playing well and coming through in the clutch. We've got great pitching. We've got great hitting. I definitely believe we can get to Omaha."

Bivens drew a walk in the ninth inning -- eventually scoring one of two of the Cavaliers' late insurance runs.

Packer scattered two hits while striking out six as Virginia (31-8-1) won for the third time in four outings.

The Cavaliers pounded out 11 hits against five VCU pitchers.

Proscia finished with five RBIs.

"We've become one team. There our no individuals," Bivens said. "Each player just goes out there and puts it all on the line for the team."

Cavaliers coach Brian O'Connor shares Bivens' high hopes.

"I really like this team," O'Connor said. "We've had five really good teams previous to this, but this team is a little bit different. This team is a little special. Our players have as much character as any team I've ever coached. We handle adversity very well. Collectively, as a group, this is the best offense we've had here. We're also the deepest we've been pitching-wise.

"I really, really like this team. If we continue to play how we've been down this final stretch, I think we have a chance to do something pretty special."

An seventh-inning RBI double by Richard Gonzalez was the only true highlight for the Rams, who entered the game with a .313 team batting average.

VCU (18-15) was limited to five hits and stranded five baserunners.

It wasn't enough. Not by a long shot.

Not on a night when most of the 1,947 in attendance were wearing orange and blue.

Virginia freshman designated hitter Danny Hultzen opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning. Hultzen finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and freshman infielder John Hicks scored three runs.

"[Virginia] has three or four guys that should probably pro ball right now -- guys that had a chance to sign [with a major league franchise] right out of high school," Rams coach Paul Keyes said. "They have some guys that would have been high draft picks. That's the advantage a school like U.Va. has with their quality of education. They've just done a great job of really separating themselves from any other program in this state."

Matoaca High School product Michael Cheatham drew a walk and recorded eight putouts at first base for VCU.

Rams junior outfielder M.L. Morgan, a Dinwiddie High School product and son of Virginia State coach Merrill Morgan, was hit by a pitch.

 

No wrong answer
Zach Rowen
Published: Thursday, April 23 2009

It’s hard to pick a column topic — especially when it is your last. Instead of a rant or a player profile, I decided to do something different. Considering so many people around Grounds have shaped my experience here, I thought it appropriate to have members of the community help write this piece.

The question is simple: What is your most memorable sports moment from this past school year?

I asked faculty, students, student-athletes and administrators. Here are their answers:

Dean of Students Allen Groves: “That’s easy: the seven-overtime, 10-9 men’s lacrosse victory over Maryland. The athletics department had given me a field pass, so I was on the sideline for what would end up as the longest game in Division I lacrosse history, culminating in a come-from-behind U.Va. victory.”

Third-year Engineering Student Brendan Hesselbein: “For me, it has to be the UNC-U.Va. football game this past fall. U.Va. looked like a high school football team for the first 58 minutes of the game and somehow Verica got in the zone. He drove them right down the field for the tying touchdown and luckily the extra point got through the uprights. But the best image of that game was Cedric Peerman willing his way into the end zone and reaching the ball across the goal line.”

Fourth-year College student Chad O’Hara: “Our team won the co-rec Inner-tube Water Polo championship this past year. We competed as Webb [dormitory’s] first-year team and we played together all four years. For our first three years, each time we were bounced in the semifinals by a grad school team and each time we told ourselves that next season would be our year. Each time, it wasn’t. When our fourth year rolled around, we were all busy and stressed from school, one of our core players took the semester off due to Lyme disease and another player had to miss the entire regular season. Nonetheless we used our veteran composure to survive the first couple rounds and by the championship game we had rounded into form, winning in our fourth and final effort as a team. This was my most memorable sports memory.”

Athletics Director Craig Littlepage: “I have a tie for the most memorable sporting event. The two events that are most memorable for me are the football team’s 31-0 win against Maryland and the ACC co-championship in men’s track and field this past weekend.”

Dead of Admission Greg Roberts: “My favorite moment was taking my 5-year-old son, Luke, to a baseball game against Miami on a beautiful spring Saturday. My second favorite was going 1-for-20 against Zach Rowen in a pick-up basketball game at the AFC.” (Dean Roberts rarely shoots below the University’s acceptance rate. It was an off-day).

Women’s lacrosse defender Katie Shannon: “Virginia women’s lacrosse team beating Duke in the NCAA semifinal back in 2007 [was the most memorable of my career]. We came back from being down 13-4 with 17 minutes left on the clock — greatest comeback in NCAA playoff history I believe. From this year, rushing the field after our football team beat UNC ... and after beating Florida State first year!”

Third-year Commerce student Kevin Dowlen, President of Hoo Crew: “My most memorable moment of the U.Va. sports year was the seven-overtime lacrosse game. The real thing that stuck out to me was how the goalies on both teams were making saves in the fifth and sixth overtimes. As a former goalie, I know how nerve-wracking that situation is, and it takes some guts for [Brian] Phipps from Maryland and [Adam] Ghitelman from U.Va. to keep making those saves that late in a sudden-death game. [Brian] Carroll’s lefty rip shot in the top corner will stick with me forever.”

Politics Prof. Larry Sabato: “Politics and sports have a lot in common, and never more so than when there has to be a coaching change. A large electorate ordered a coaching change in Washington last November, while a small electorate — John Casteen and Craig Littlepage — engineered the switch of U.Va. basketball coaches recently, but both transitions were handled skillfully and had popular support. Barack Obama and Tony Bennett have qualities in common: youth, energy, poise under pressure and great expectations. Let’s hope for the country and the University that both work out well. Personally, I won’t be satisfied until our Bennett belts out a rendition of, ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco,’ but most people will be happy with a winning season.”

Fourth-year College student Leah Bernick: “1) The Bob Chapel Pick-Up Soccer League: A group of crazy drama major kids get together on Nameless [Field] on Friday afternoons all year for pick-up soccer. Crazy fun. 2) This past Saturday’s Lacrosse game — very fun! Especially the fourth quarter. Lacrosse games in general usually rank on my favorites of the year, and Saturday’s game was fun and fast-paced, very celebratory and [played] in beautiful weather — a great last home game for me!”

Women’s basketball guard Monica Wright: “I would have to say that the most memorable sports moment for me was when the women’s basketball team beat Tennessee at Tennessee after they won the national championship. Also, when the baseball team went on a 19-game winning streak was very memorable.”

No doubt, all of these moments will be remembered for a while. Hopefully for the 2008-09 school year, though, the best is yet to come.
Thank you to those who contributed to this column. Thank you to those who have contributed to my experience here at U.Va. And thank you, the reader. The past four years have been a pleasure.

 

Cavs’ Ownby is asset for U.S. under-20 team
By Jeff White
Published: April 23, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE Brian Ownby hasn't spent much time in class this spring, but no slacker is he. The University of Virginia freshman was given an opportunity to represent his country, and he wasn't about to pass that up.

A Deep Run High graduate, Ownby played for the national under-20 men's soccer team in Trinidad and Tobago last month. And he played well. The 5-11, 160-pound midfielder/forward helped the United States qualify for FIFA's under-20 World Cup, Sept. 24 to Oct. 16 in Egypt.

The U.S. secured its place in the World Cup field with a 2-0 victory over El Salvador. Ownby assisted on both goals, a performance that led ussoccer.com to name him its "Man of the Match."

In a recent interview, Ownby spoke softly about his recent trip abroad. When he was at Deep Run, he played in Portugal for the U.S. under-18 team, so he's not a newcomer to international competition. Still, he acknowledged that playing in the U-20 qualifying tournament was "a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"At first, I didn't think about it," Ownby said, "but then I realized there are only 19 other kids out there with you, out of thousands who'd like to be there."

Ownby started 14 games at forward for U.Va. last fall. He totaled five goals and four assists and was named to the ACC's all-freshman team.

"He's a fierce competitor," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "Hates losing."

His parents are former track standouts, and Ownby inherited their speed. That's part of what's made him so successful in the sport.

"Not only can he run without the ball and he's fast as hell, he can run at you with the ball, and he's technically very good and fast with the ball," Gelnovatch said. "Those two things are a dangerous combination. I've come across lots of guys who can just flat-out run but are not great running at you with the ball."

Ownby, 18, practiced with U.Va.'s team for about three weeks after the under-20 tournament. He didn't return a dramatically improved player, but Ownby has "a level of confidence about him," Gelnovatch said. "The excitement and experience of [international competition] lends itself to that, and sometimes it can work the other way, where you're coming back and you're a little full of yourself. But I don't think that's been the case with Brian."

The NCAA granted Ownby a waiver that allowed him to take only two classes this semester and still be eligible. He attended summer school at U.Va. in 2008 and will do so again this year, so he's not falling behind academically. His focus for much of this semester, though, has been on soccer, not schoolwork.

Ownby spent 10 days training with the under-20 team at Bradenton, Fla., in February. The team was out of the country for about 15 days in March, but "one week was spring break," Ownby said, "so I got lucky."

At the under-20 World Cup, the United States will compete in Group C, along with Germany, Cameroon and South Korea. The team that represented the U.S. in Trinidad and Tobago will not necessarily be the one that plays in Egypt. Traditionally, Gelnovatch said, professionals have dominated the under-20 national roster, but college players may make up a larger portion this year.

That could bode well for Ownby, who'll have additional opportunities to impress U.S. coach Thomas Rongen before the national team is picked this summer.

Good news for Ownby, of course, might have a negative impact on his college team. If he's selected to play in the under-20 World Cup, Ownby would be away from Charlottesville -- and the Cavaliers -- for at least three weeks, in all likelihood. Even so, his college coach would not object.

"Any time you have an opportunity to represent your country, I encourage it, at any level," Gelnovatch said.

 

Cavs look for title in ACC Tournament this weekend
Following up-and-down regular season, Virginia seeks to exact revenge after several ACC losses
Ben Gomez, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, April 23 2009

Junior midfielder Kaitlin Duff totaled four points against top-ranked Northwestern. With the regular season complete, the Virginia women’s lacrosse team will begin its quest for its fourth consecutive ACC crown and its fifth in six years. The Cavaliers are coming off a heartbreaking 11-10 loss to top-ranked Northwestern in the tightest game the Wildcats saw all season. Despite the loss, the game gave the Cavaliers some momentum heading into the postseason.

“These one-goal losses are hurting,” Virginia coach Julie Myers said. “We have to make sure that we are the happy team in the end. Coming close is great, but it is not good enough right now.”

Though they are highly-ranked, the No. 10 Cavaliers (10-6, 2-3 ACC) have, by many standards, struggled this season compared to recent years. Their six losses are the most the squad has suffered during the regular season since 1995. The postseason gives the Cavaliers a chance to bounce back.

The past three years, the Cavaliers have absolutely dominated the ACC Tournament, defeating their opponents by a combined score of 82-56 during their marches to conference championships.

This year, the Cavaliers already have three losses against ACC teams, however, a number that translated to a disappointing fourth-place finish in the six-team conference. They have shown, though, that they can come back and defeat a team in the postseason that had beaten them in the regular season. In 2006 and 2007, the Cavaliers lost to North Carolina during the regular season but defeated the Tar Heels in the ACC Tournament. Virginia will look to exact a similar revenge against opponents this weekend.

Virginia’s first game in the ACC Tournament will come against Virginia Tech (7-9, 1-4 ACC), which the Cavaliers soundly defeated 19-3 earlier this year. Today is the first time these in-state rivals will face one another in the ACC Tournament. The Cavaliers have a perfect 13-0 all-time, regular-season record against the Hokies and are favored to extend their winning streak against Virginia Tech.

The Cavaliers dominated the earlier matchup between the two teams. Senior midfielder Ashley McCulloch recorded a career-high eight points and senior midfielder Blair Weymouth contributed five points on three goals and two assists. Nine Cavaliers found the back of the net en route to their second highest-scoring game of the season.

Coming into today’s outing against the Cavaliers, the Hokies have lost two straight games. They also have, however, made great strides all season.

“They are a much-improved team,” Myers said. “A lot of younger kids are getting a lot better and not making as many mistakes and doing a better job going to goal. We will have our hands full.”

Senior attack Rachel Culp, who is among the nation’s top offensive players, leads the Hokies with 53 goals and 15 assists. Sophomore attack Allie Emala is another key contributor, totaling 34 goals and matching Cavalier junior midfielder Brittany Kalkstein’s impressive number of 58 draw controls this season. This total puts the pair in a tie for eighth in the country. Senior goalkeeper Kari Morrison anchors the Hokie defense between the pipes; Morrison had 13 saves against the Cavaliers in their first meeting and is currently fourth in the country in saves per game.

If the Cavaliers can get by the Hokie squad today, they will take on No. 1-seeded Maryland (16-0, 5-0 ACC) in the semifinals Friday. Should the Cavaliers upset the Terrapins, they will play in the finals Sunday.

“I want to come up with four [ACC titles] in a row,” Weymouth said. “We have Virginia Tech first, and they are out to get us, so we need to focus our attention on them. All of the ACC teams are huge competitors, so I think we should be all set and good to go.”

Other matchups in the ACC Tournament include Duke (11-4, 3-2 ACC) against Boston College (9-7, 0-5 ACC); the winner of that game will take on No. 2-seed North Carolina (13-3, 4-1 ACC) to fill the other spot in the tournament finals.

 

Cavaliers tweak serving, warm-ups
Guilbeau criticizes team effort after loss to Duke in conference tourney quarterfinals Friday
Chloe Newschwander, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, April 23 2009

Senior Amanda Rales struggled against Duke but played a dominant match against Boston College. The Virginia women’s tennis team has three weeks to pinpoint the weakest aspects of its game and transform those aspects into winning ones before the NCAA Tournament.

The Cavaliers have struggled as of late, and their failure to move past the ACC Tournament quarterfinals only further hampered the team. The demanding in-conference competition, though, also helped identify what the players need to change and the urgency with which they need to do so.

Virginia (13-9, 5-6 ACC) faced off against Boston College (7-14, 2-9) in the first round April 16, advancing with a 4-1 victory. All three doubles teams and the top five singles players assisted in the Cavaliers’ second win against Boston College since they beat the Eagles 6-1 March 1.

Virginia moved forward in the bracket and then played Duke for the second time this season in the quarterfinals. The resulting 4-0 Blue Devil shut-out echoed the Cavaliers 7-0 loss to the Devils (23-3, 10-1) April 4.

“The reality is we’re not, right now, as good as Duke,” Virginia coach Mark Guilbeau said. “And at some point, we’ve got to put a whole season together, and a pre-season, and a whole period of time that makes us strong enough to go start to finish, and be [as good as] Duke. We should be one of the top-four seeds in our conference and be playing for the semifinals or the finals of this thing.”

With less than a month until the NCAA Tournament, players said the team has plans for quick improvement.

“It’s going to be the little places that we really have to tighten up on, and that’s what teams that win the ACCs do really well,” freshman Lindsey Hardenbergh said. “Each court knows exactly what they’re doing, and you’re not going to be given a bunch of free chances or a lot of opportunities in case you screw up. You have one or two and you have to be able to execute.”

Guilbeau said Virginia will be dedicating practice time to honing its ability to both serve and return aggressively and intelligently.

“We’ve talked about it a lot but I don’t think we’ve really, really agreed to the degree of attacking we need to,” Guilbeau said. “We’re going to try to do that very, very aggressively, even at the expense of missing a number of balls ... I think we’d be a better team right now, if all of our serves were second serves more or less, most of the time, and didn’t have so many consistency problems, or low percentages, or worst-case double faults.”

The same way the serve acts as the starting block for each point, a team’s warm-up session is something that can set the tone for an entire match. After warming up on the same courts as the competition in Cary, N.C. last week, the Cavaliers saw room for improvement.

“We’re not talking about perfect technique, or this grip, or that strategy,” Guilbeau said. “We’re just talking about making the balls at the beginning and trying to get in that habit of not accepting misses. Our kids are too okay with missing shots.”

Georgia Tech, ranked No. 4 in the ACC, warmed up next to the Cavaliers, providing a stark contrast to Virginia.

“From the beginning, [Georgia Tech was] making 50, 100, sometimes 300 balls,” Guilbeau said. “That’s something, again, we’ve asked for from the beginning. It’s always a good time to maybe remind your team to step up and do that better, and again, just not settle for such a low standard in terms of the most important part of this game which is making a lot of balls.”

The development of bad habits is something that has plagued the Virginia women this year. To perform well at the NCAAs, the team needs to return to a higher standard of performance in both general and technical aspects of the game.

“We’re putting [strategies to break these habits] in place definitely for long-term, but we’re hoping it can happen immediately,” Guilbeau said.

Selections have yet to be determined, but the Cavaliers already have formulated a good idea of the competition they will see in the opening rounds of the tournament.

“We’ll definitely play a team that’s more and less had the same ups and downs that we’ve had, so it’s going to be a tough first match,” senior Amanda Rales said. “And then we’re probably going to play one of the top teams in the whole tournament the next round, so, I mean, we’re dealt a tough hand for ourselves. But that’s just more motivation for the girls who are going to be here next year, so that they don’t get into the same position.”

Though the Cavaliers have some tough challenges ahead of them, they hope to make the adjustments to their technique that will give them a chance to compete for a national title.

“We have some tremendous opportunities to make it better and to finish in the best way we can,” Guilbeau said. “That’s what we intend to do, and the three weeks will definitely be used full-force. We’ll do everything we can.”