U.Va. hosting a trio of key games
By Jeff White
Published: May 8, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Final exams end today at the University of Virginia, and by tomorrow most students will have bolted town, leaving empty classrooms and quieter-than-usual libraries in their wake.

Elsewhere at U.Va., however, the atmosphere will be more lively this weekend. Few schools as are powerful in spring sports as Virginia, and three of its marquee teams - men's tennis, men's lacrosse and baseball - are in town for games or matches that will have an enormous bearing on how their seasons are remembered.

"Those are three very successful programs that have high expectations, so I do think there's a buzz around the department," men's tennis coach Brian Boland said. "There's a tremendous amount of momentum in all three of those programs, and the expectations are high. And I don't think Dom, myself or Brian would want it any different."

For Boland's team, as well as Dom Starsia's lacrosse team, a loss this weekend would be devastating, because it would mean an early exit from an NCAA tournament in which the Cavaliers are seeded No. 1.

The stakes aren't as high for Brian O'Connor's baseball team, a virtual lock to advance to the NCAA tourney for the sixth straight season. The Cavaliers, ranked No. 13 nationally by Baseball America, have four more regular-season games after their series against Duke, with the ACC tournament to follow.

Even an 0-3 weekend against the Blue Devils (12-12, 31-18) at Davenport Field, then, wouldn't doom U.Va. (13-8-1, 35-9-1). But the Cavaliers hope to host an NCAA regional for the fourth time in O'Connor's six years, and every additional victory increases their chances of doing so.

"We've put ourselves in a great position, and we've earned that position," O'Connor said. "Now we need to finish off the regular season the right way in order to have the opportunities that we want in the postseason."

In men's lacrosse, U.Va. is seeking its fourth NCAA title under Starsia. Virginia (13-2) hosts Villanova (11-5) at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Klockner Stadium in a first-round game that ESPNU will televise.

If they win this weekend, the Wahoos will face Johns Hopkins or Brown in an NCAA quarterfinal May 17 in Annapolis, Md.

For the men's tennis team, the next stop would be College Station, Texas, site of the tournament's final four rounds.

The tourney's Charlottesville regional starts at 10 a.m. today with a first-round match between South Carolina and North Carolina. Virginia (29-0) and Navy (16-7) are scheduled to follow at 1 p.m.

If the Cavaliers win, as expected, they'll meet UNC or USC tomorrow at 1 p.m. Weather permitting, all matches will be played at the Snyder Tennis Center, next to Memorial Gym, but they could be moved to the nearby Boar's Head Sports Club if necessary.

Either way, U.Va. will be playing at home, which Boland called a huge advantage.

"You're familiar with the surroundings, the courts, you have the energy from the greatest fans in college tennis," he said. "It's something we're excited about and no doubt, I believe, we've earned."

. . .

NOTE: Three other U.Va. teams are competing in the NCAAs this weekend. The women's golf team is at the East Regional in Gainesville, Fla. The women's tennis team meets Virginia Commonwealth University in a first-round match today at Durham, N.C. Finally, the women's lacrosse team faces Duke in a first-round game Sunday afternoon in Durham.

Making up for a missed chance
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: May 7, 2009

When Sanam Singh’s leg muscle locked up in last year’s NCAA semifinals and the freshman couldn’t answer the bell, Virginia’s men’s tennis team was again denied the national outdoors title.

Singh was up a set and serving for the second. Had he not been disabled with cramps, he almost assuredly would have given the Cavaliers their fourth point against nemesis Georgia and catapulted UVa into the national title match against Texas.

So much for best-laid plans.

Clear motivation

When the nation’s No. 1 team fell short of its goal, the Cavaliers froze the moment in their collective minds and used it as motivation to get back to the Final Four in 2009. Their quest begins Friday when they host Navy in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Snyder Tennis Center.

The only team in the nation selected as a top-eight seed in each of the past six years, this batch of Cavaliers wants to continue on its historic path.

They repeated as the national indoor champions over the winter, and at 29-0, Virginia is the only undefeated team in Division I this season (and three wins short of the school record). Having compiled a 61-1 record over the past two seasons, the Cavaliers have been like a rolling ball of butcher knives.

When the Middies hit town this weekend, they’ll be faced with the unenviable task of stopping UVa’s 46-match home winning streak.

Nerves of steel

While coach Brian Boland, who has turned Virginia into a national tennis powerhouse, has built one winner after another, this current batch is a little different.

“This team is as experienced a team as I’ve ever had in terms of being in big moments,” Boland said. “They handle pressure as well or better than any team I have ever coached. They truly embrace the big moments. They tend to play with an incredible amount of composure in the most adverse situations, which I think is the sign of a great team.”

Some of his previous squads, including last year’s, had a similar composition, but not to the degree of the current Wahoos.

“Yeah, but it keeps getting better,” the coach said. “That is the one thing that surprises me the most, the high level of consistency in which they’ve maintained, and an ability to continue to get better each and every year in terms of approach, the ability to handle adverse situations, embracing pressure and going about their business.”

Those qualities certainly served them well during particular matches this season — such as at Texas, when the Longhorns won five out of six first sets, presenting the Cavaliers a particularly challenging set of circumstances to bounce back from.

Virginia won, 4-3.

Against Florida State in the ACC semifinals, the Cavs dropped four of the first sets, but won, 4-0. Virginia lost the doubles point against UCLA and struggled at times in the singles. Still won, 4-3.

Through all of that, Boland never had doubts.

“No, I can honestly tell you that I never thought we would lose any of those matches,” he said. “I really believe in this team and they know it. They’re the toughest group of guys I could ever imagine coaching. They really step things up when the pressure is on.”

There’s no pressure like tournament pressure, but these Wahoos are battle-tested. As previously mentioned, they’re repeat indoor champs and they breezed through the ACC tournament by winning each match without dropping a single point, a first in ACC history.

Bad news for the rest of the NCAA field, though. Boland said his team hasn’t played its best tennis yet.

“We need to play even better now that the NCAA tournament has arrived,” the coach reported. “We have had a tremendous three weeks of practice since our last match. We’ve really improved since the end of the ACCs. It’s now time to put it all together.”

Ranked No. 1 nationally for the past eight weeks, Virginia has put together staggering statistics over that span. However, everyone who follows the program is well aware of Boland’s desire to bring home the championship trophy. His teams have been the cusp of that distinction over the past few years but haven’t sealed the deal.

While there’s no doubt those shortcomings haunt the program’s intense leader, if Boland is obsessed with the thought of bringing home the big prize, he’s not showing it, nor saying it.

“We don’t have any control over that,” he said. “We just have to give it our best and leave it on the court. Eventually, if you go about your business the right way, prepare the best you can and give yourself the best chance, good things will happen. But you don’t have control over winning the national championship.

“No question, we’d love to win it, but I stress to the players and to myself that we can only give ourself the best chance,” Boland said.

Meanwhile, he continues to build the program by landing some of the nation’s best talent.

Boland believes his most recent recruiting class, announced last week, is the best he’s ever put together.

More bad news for future opponents.

But that’s in the future. Right now, all his energy — and there’s a lot of it — is focused on beating Navy on Friday and whomever is next on Saturday afternoon.



 

Inglot focused on elusive NCAA title
By Whitey Reid
Published: May 8, 2009

This afternoon, if you stumble upon a bare-chested Englishman at the Snyder Tennis Center wearing bright orange spandex with blue short shorts, a Mexican wrestling mask and a cape, don’t be alarmed.

That’s just Alex Inglot, the older brother of Virginia senior co-captain Dom Inglot. For the second year in a row, the 28-year-old lawyer has made the trip across the pond with his parents to support the Wahoos in the NCAA tournament.

Undefeated Virginia (29-0), the No. 1 seed, begins its quest for a national title when it hosts Navy in a first-round match at 1 p.m. The victor plays the North Carolina-South Carolina winner on Saturday. The Tar Heels and Gamecocks meet at 10 a.m. today.

“[He’s] one of the best Wahoo fans I’ve ever seen,” said Virginia coach Brian Boland, chuckling. “Although we have some great ones, he’s got to rank right up there as certainly one of the most dynamic and charismatic…he’s certainly one of the most interesting.”

Last season, the older Inglot was on hand in Tulsa, Okla., when Virginia was upset in the NCAA semifinals.

Now, baby brother with his college career winding down, is focused on one thing and one thing only — getting to College Station, Texas, the site of this year’s Final Four.

“There’s still a national championship to win,” Dom Inglot said. “It’s been a fantastic time here and I’ve had so much fun. All the guys on the team are like my brothers. It’s just such a great place to be. I love it. I want to win a national championship with [them].”

This season, Inglot has performed admirably in the No. 1 singles spot. With giant shoes to fill in the form of two-time NCAA individual champion Somdev Devvarman, the London, England native, nicknamed “The Dominator,” has gone 15-8.

“Dom’s meant everything to our program,” Boland said. “He’s not only been a great player for us, but he’s been an even better leader. He’s really developed his leadership skills as well as his tennis skills throughout his time here. It’s been a total joy to coach him. It’s certainly been a fun journey.”

One of Inglot’s best attributes is that he never takes himself too seriously. Inglot, just like his older brother, has a goofy side, and that has endeared him to teammates and fans alike.

“What makes ‘The Dominator’ ‘The Dominator’?” asked junior co-captain Houston Barrick, rhetorically. “His uncanny ability to win.”

“He’s had a fantastic year,” added sophomore Michael Shabaz, Inglot’s doubles partner. “This year has been his most consistent year and I think he’s been really happy about it. Hopefully he can continue it in the tournament because we’re really going to need him.”

Navy, which received an automatic win to the tournament after winning the Patriot League, hasn’t fared well against ACC competition this season. The Midshipmen (18-7) have lost to Maryland, North Carolina and Clemson by a combined score of 20-1.

Don’t, however, expect any letdown by Virginia. Boland poo-poohed any chance of that happening.

“This team has an unbelievable amount of discipline,” he said. “They know how to play and prepare for a tournament. I have no doubt we’re ready to go. We’ll take it one match at a time and I have no doubt our best tennis is in front of us.”

Inglot, who actually appeared in the 2004 movie “Wimbledon” as actor Paul Bettany’s stunt double, can’t wait to get going — and to see his brother’s latest outfit.

“I just don’t know myself what he’s going to do,” said Inglot, smiling. “He’s going to surprise me. He won’t tell me. My mom won’t tell me. My dad won’t tell me. He just said that in comparison to last season’s outfit, it’s better.

“He told me he has four different outfits, but that the big shebang was going to be in Texas. He’s saving it for Texas.”

 

Cavaliers in 5th Place after First Round of East Regional
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/07/2009

Gainesville, FL – The third-ranked Virginia women’s golf team is in fifth place after the opening round of the NCAA East Regional Championship taking place at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla. Virginia shot 10-over 290 on the par-70 course led by junior Whitney Neuhauser’s 1-over 71.

The top eight teams from the 21-team regional will advance to the NCAA Championships. Virginia is the top-seeded team in the regional field.

“I thought we played okay for the opening day,” said Virginia coach Kim Lewellen. “Outside of the practice round yesterday, none of the girls had seen this course before, so I feel good at where we are after the first day. I felt like we started to get into our game on the back nine. We picked up some birdies that that helped down the stretch. The scores are bunched up, so it is anyone’s game to win at this point.”

Neuhauser is in 14th place following the first round. She used three birdies over the final eight holes to pull back to 1-over after finishing the first 10 holes at 4-over. Calle Nielson shot 72 and is in 21st place while Lene Krog carded a 73 and is 23rd. Joy Kim shot 74 and is 34th place while Kristen Simpson is 67th with a 77.

East Carolina grabbed the first round lead, shooting 3-over 283 to hold a one shot advantage over sixth-ranked Alabama. Vanderbilt is third at 286 followed by Denver at 287. North Carolina is sixth, one shot behind Virginia, while Tulane and Tennessee are tied for seventh at 292.

The Cavaliers will start the second round at 12:40 p.m. and be in the last group of the day starting from the 10th tee Friday.

“We hope to make up some ground Friday,” Lewellen said. “We’ll start a little later in the day, so we’ll probably have to deal with a little more wind. That can be tricky here because you have to be accurate on this course. There are a lot of chip shots that are delicate and you need to land it in the right spot on these greens.”

Live scoring of the tournament, and the Central and West Regionals, is online at Golfstat.com.

NCAA East Regional Championship
Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida
Gainesville, Fla.
Par-70, 6,023 yards
First Round Results

Team Results 1. East Carolina (37) 283 2. Alabama (6) 284 3. Vanderbilt (23) 286 4. Denver (20) 287 5. Virginia (3) 290 6. North Carolina (10) 291 7. Tulane (31) 292 7. Tennessee (27) 292 9. Georgia (14) 29710. Duke (12) 29811. Coastal Carolina 30112. College of Charleston (50) 30213. Auburn (7) 30414. Florida (30) 30514. Furman (46) 30516. Florida State 30716. Mississippi (38) 30718. South Carolina (43) 30819. Central Florida 30919. Stetson 30921. Jackson State 324Number in parenthesis is Golfstat rankingIndividual Leaders1. Abby Bools, East Carolina 681. Ana Maria Puche, East Carolina 683. Marina Alex, Vanderbilt 693. Katie Kempter, Denver 693. Camilla Lennarth, Alabama 693. Nathalie Mansson, Tennessee 693. Andrea Messer, Vanderbilt 693. Catherine O’Donnell, North Carolina 693. Stephanie Sherlock, Denver 69Virginia14. Whitney Neuhauser 7121. Calle Nielson 7223. Lene Krog 7334. Joy Kim 7467. Kristen Simpson 77
 

Parker’s progress: Summer conditioning pays dividends for UVa outfielder
By Chip Knighton
Published: May 7, 2009

After returning from a disappointing finish last year in the NCAA tournament’s Fullerton Regional, Virginia’s players scattered throughout the country to play in summer leagues.

Some ended up in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Others played in New England for obscure teams such as the Keene Swamp Bats and the Sanford Mainers.

That was not ideal for center fielder Jarrett Parker.

The sophomore landed a summer job working Virginia baseball camps at Davenport Field, supplemented with a slate of summer school classes and a regular date with the weights inside the team’s clubhouse.

What emerged from the middle months of the year has terrorized opposing pitchers all season long.

“You could tell right when you saw him just how much bigger and stronger he was,” Virginia sophomore Phil Gosselin said. “The ball was just jumping off his bat.”

Oddly enough, the plan to take a rain check for summer baseball was Parker’s idea.

“He knew what he wanted to do,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “This wasn’t something where I told him, ‘Jarrett, you need to stay here this summer and lift weights and put on 20 pounds.’

“He’s the one that decided that he needed to do it. When you are that clear cut about something as a player and then it works out, you should have a lot of confidence in yourself.”

That newfound self-assurance has helped Parker rewrite the program’s record book as the 11th-ranked Cavaliers (35-9-1, 13-8-1 ACC) open a three-game league series with Duke (31-18, 12-12) tonight at 7 p.m. The teams also meet Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Parker, now stronger at a self-proclaimed weight of 215 pounds, has already set the single-season record for runs scored with 62 and ranks among the best in school history during a season in on-base percentage (.486), total bases (132), slugging percentage (.754) and triples (5).

“I can tell you in my years of coaching that I never had a player from one year to the next make as big a strides as he has in a one-year turnaround. It’s a lot for what he has done,” O’Connor said. “I think everybody always wants to talk about the strength, and that is an important part of it, but what I think has really changed is two things.

“Firstly, he has done a better job of letting things roll off his back when he hasn’t had success and, secondly, I think his confidence level is in a way different place than where it was last year.”

As a rookie, Parker had the game-winning RBI in three league games, but managed to hit just .264 with 14 stolen bases. He also failed to hit a homer and became a bench player after John Barr emerged as one of the team’s hottest hitters in the final weeks of the season.

“Baseball is a tough game at times,” Parker said. “It goes up and down and you just have to learn how to manage the ups and the downs.

“It was tough. I came in from high school baseball where it is a 20-game season and it was a lot tougher and there was a lot tougher competition, so there was going to be a lot more failure. It was really tough to handle at times.”

There has been a power surge, however, this year for Parker. Despite playing only 14 games outside of spacious Davenport Field, considered the league’s toughest venue to clear the fence, the Stafford native has a team-best 13 home runs, which is tied for sixth in the ACC.

“I wasn’t really worried about hitting homers,” Parker said. “I knew I could drive the ball. I knew I always could.

“I drove the ball well as a freshman, but this is a big field.”

Parker’s numbers in league games, when facing some of the nation’s best pitchers, have been astonishing — the sophomore has seven homers, 20 RBI and scored 32 runs against ACC foes.

More importantly, Parker has been a sparkplug for Virginia’s offense from his usual spot as the leadoff hitter.

“He plays with a lot of emotion — believe me,” O’Connor said. “I love that about him. I think that brings excitement to our team.

“He’s a pretty emotional player. He wants to succeed and he wants his team to succeed.”

Soft-spoken at times, Parker’s target is to get Virginia to a Super Regional and perhaps beyond before leaving for the professional ranks.

“That is the goal,” he said. “I really love this program and I love Charlottesville.

“I absolutely love this place.”

Extra bases

Virginia will keep its weekend rotation intact as LHP Matt Packer, fresh off two mid-week wins, will work in relief. ... Saturday’s contest was moved from 7 p.m. to 1 p.m. due to the threat of inclement weather. ... Sunday’s contest will mark Senior Day for the program, a contingent that includes Saturday’s starting pitcher, right-hander Andrew Carraway. ... After Virginia Tech was swept last weekend against Florida State, the Cavaliers clinched a berth in the eight-team ACC tournament, which will open May 20 in Durham, N.C.

 

Carraway Named to Academic All-District First Team
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/07/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia senior pitcher Andrew Carraway (Marietta, Ga.) has been named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Baseball Team. Carraway was a first-team selection on the District 3 First Team. District 3 consists of schools from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

It marks the second straight year that Carraway has earned the honor. Carraway will now be on the ballot for the Academic All-America award.

Carraway, a commerce major, sports a 3.46 grade point average and is slated to graduate in two weeks. He is a three-time recipient of ACC All-Academic Baseball Team and ACC Academic Honor Roll laurels.
 Carraway also was one of six honorary recipients of the ACC’s Weaver-James-Corrigan Honorary Award this year. Each recipient was chosen based on his or her distinction in the classroom and sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.

On the mound, Carraway is 5-0 this season with a 3.39 earned run average. In 61 innings and 10 starts, he has allowed 26 runs (23 earned), 47 hits, and 17 walks while striking out 46. He also has been named to the national Pitcher of the Year watch list.

In his career, Carraway ranks second in winning percentage (16-3 record, .842 pct.), sixth in appearances (66) and ninth in strikeouts (209) at Virginia.

Carraway and the 11th-ranked Cavaliers play host to Duke this weekend in a three-game ACC series at Davenport Field.


 

No. 11 Baseball Returns to Action This Weekend vs. Duke
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/07/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After a nine-day break for final exams, the No. 11 Virginia baseball team returns to Davenport Field this weekend for a three-game series against Duke. The series consists of a 7 p.m. game Friday and 1 p.m. contests Saturday and Sunday. Please note the game time change Saturday from the original time of 7 p.m.

Sunday, UVa will conduct Senior Day ceremonies at 12:30 p.m. The Cavaliers will honor their three fourth-years: Will Campbell, Andrew Carraway and Brad Grove.

ON AIR
All three games will be available on radio with WINA 1070-AM and online at VirginiaSports.com through V Pass. Each game also will be available through ACC Select’s webcast.

PROMOTIONS
Friday night is Teacher’s Night and a Public School Book Cover Game. Albemarle and Charlottesville Public School children will receive a book cover coupon for $4 admission to the game.

Sunday is Family Day (four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for $32). There also will be a post-game autograph session as well as base running for kids 13 and under.

The Toss for $10,000 promotion will be played on Friday and Sunday, with one lucky fan getting the chance to win $10,000.

NOTING THE WEEKEND SERIES
Probable Pitching Matchups (UVa starters listed first):
Fri.: LHP Danny Hultzen (6-0, 2.30 ERA) vs. LHP Christopher Manno (4-4, 4.61 ERA)
Sat.: RHP Andrew Carraway (5-0, 3.39 ERA) vs. RHP Andrew Wolcott (6-3, 2.42 ERA)
Sun.: RHP Robert Morey (1-0, 3.03 ERA) vs. TBA

The series is big for both teams. With six ACC games remaining, the Cavaliers (35-9-1, 13-8-1 ACC) already have clinched an ACC Tournament bid but still are in the hunt for a Coastal Division title. The Blue Devils (31-18, 12-12) currently sit in seventh place overall in the conference and are in position to earn a bid to the conference tournament. Duke, Boston College and Virginia Tech all are in a close battle for the final two slots in the tournament.

The Cavaliers’ last game was April 28, a 5-2 win over Liberty. Heading into the break, UVa had won eight of its last 10 games, including ACC series wins over Boston College and NC State. Dan Grovatt (So.,, Tabernacle, N.J.) paces the Cavaliers with a .393 batting average, including a .404 mark in ACC games. Both marks rank fourth in the ACC. Jarrett Parker (So., Stafford, Va.) is among the conference’s leaders in nearly every offensive statistical category. He ranks seventh in the conference in batting (.383) and sixth in home runs (13).

Duke is led offensively by Alex Hassan and Nate Freiman, each of whom is hitting .357. Freiman is tied for the ACC lead with 15 home runs and also has 55 RBI, which ranks second in the conference. Hassan also serves as the Blue Devils’ closer and has eight saves. Duke boasts a strong one-two punch in its starting rotation with Manno and Wolcott. Wolcott ranks second in the league in ERA to UVa’s Danny Hultzen. As a team, the Blue Devils are hitting .303 and have a 4.57 team ERA.

Virginia holds a 78-51-1 edge in its all-time series with Duke. UVa head coach Brian O'Connor holds an 11-5 record against the Blue Devils, including a 5-1 mark at Davenport Field.

The Blue Devils won two of three last year in Durham, marking their first series win vs. UVa since 1998.

Cavaliers Set to Face Duke in NCAA First Round Action
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/07/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 10 Virginia women’s lacrosse team will head to Durham, N.C., to face No. 4 Duke on Sunday, May 10 at 2 p.m., in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Game time is slated for 2 p.m. in Koskinen Stadium. Live stats will be available on VirginiaSports.com.

The Cavaliers (11-7) are led by senior All-ACC honorees Jenny Hauser, Ashley McCulloch and Blair Weymouth. Weymouth has tallied 49 goals and 66 points this season, and is nine goals away from becoming the third Cavalier to break the 200-goals plateau, while McCulloch became the fourth Cavalier to ever reach the 100 assists mark, and is currently one point shy of 200 and three goals short of 100.

Hauser sits second on the team in goals, with 35, and third in points at 50, while junior All-ACC selection Kaitllin Duff is fourth in points. Duff also leads the team with 41 caused turnovers and 47 ground balls – ranking in the top-10 nationally in both categories.

Junior Brittany Kalkstein has won 68 draw controls to rank seventh nationally and is one shy of tying her own single-season record set in 2007.

Duke (14-5) is led by Tewaaraton Trophy Finalist Carolyn Davis’ 59 goals and 15 assists, while Caroline Cryer has 40 goals and 32 assists. Emma Hamm and Cryer have both won at least 40 draw controls, with Hamm earning 44 and Cryer 42.

In the all-time series between the two programs, Virginia leads 17-7, but dropped a 13-12 contest to the Blue Devils earlier this season. In Durham, the Cavaliers have won five of the six meetings, with their only loss coming in 2004.

In NCAA Tournament meetings, the two teams have faced three times – each contest being a semifinal match-up – with the Cavaliers winning all three games.

This marks the 14th-straight year the Cavaliers have participated in the NCAA Tournament, and 22nd overall. Virginia is 28-18 all-time in tournament games and has played the second-most of any other team in the NCAA.

The winner of the game will advance to the quarterfinal round to face the winner of the fourth-seed Penn/Fairfield game on Saturday, May 16. The game will be played at the home site of the higher seed.

 

Danny Glading Named Finalist for Tewaaraton Trophy
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/05/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Danny Glading has been named one of five finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy, given annually to the top lacrosse player in the nation. The award will be presented at the Tewaaraton Award Foundation’s annual banquet on May 28.

A senior from Bethesda, Md., he is one of the team captains and earned All-ACC honors for the third consecutive season this year. A starter since his freshman year, he recently became just the sixth player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to score at least 100 career goals and add 100 assists.

He leads the team in scoring with 51 points and 27 assists and ranks in the top 12 nationally in both categories. He has also scored 24 goals, third on the team. He has led the team in assists on eight occasions this season and in goals three times.

Glading received the WINA Award as UVa’s top male athlete this season at the athletics department’s annual awards banquet.

The other finalists are Syracuse midfielder Matt Abbott, Duke attackman Ned Crotty, Bryant attackman Zack Greer and Cornell midfielder Max Seibald.

Virginia and Syracuse are the only schools to have two different players win the Tewaaraton Trophy. Matt Ward won the award after leading Virginia to an undefeated national championship three years ago, while midfielder Chris Rotelli won it as a senior in 2003 after leading the Cavaliers to the national championship.

The Cavaliers host Villanova in the first round of the NCAA Championship Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The game is being televised by ESPNU.

 

UVa Insider, The Column - Doug Doughty/Roanoke Times

A couple anecdotes from Tony Bennett’s introductory news conference that did not appear in The Roanoke Times – or a lot of other papers, from what I could tell – involved his namesake, 82-year-old singer and pitchman Tony Bennett.

The singer is best known for the 1962 hit, “I left my heart in San Francisco.”

“Funny story about that,” said Tony Bennett, the new Virginia men’s basketball coach, who previously had been at Washington State. “When they [flew] the private plane out of Pullman, Wash., the pilots, I think they came from Houston, asked somebody who was with us, ‘We’re flying the Tony Bennett? Wow!”

“My friend said, ‘Yeah, it’s the Tony Bennett, the coach at Washington State.’ They said, ‘Awww.’ They thought it was the singer. They were all excited about that. And then I let them down.

“I actually had met him before. When I played for [Wisconsin-] Green Bay, there was a Green Bay Packer player named Tony Bennett. And, then the singer came in to do a concert. I was playing college basketball, so they got us all together for a publicity shot and that was great. He still can sing.

“But, my parents didn’t name me after him. And our name used to be Benedetti from my great, great grandparents.”

Tony Bennett, the coach, probably was unaware that Tony Bennett, the singer, was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto.

Some more unused tidbits – by me -- from the Bennett newsconference:

ON THE PACK-LINE DEFENSE (popularized by his father): “You’ve certainly got to get back. Teams in this league are exceptional in transition, so they have to play against a set defense. That’s the first thing,

“There’s also the ability to pressure the ball, but it’s the idea of jamming or packing the lane and making [teams] shoot contested shots. You don’t force as many turnovers, but, if you’re playing it well, it takes the opponent longer to break it down, which does lower the number of possessions.

“It’s been very good and very good to other teams. It’s a lot of constant vision and repositioning and it puts you in position, hopefully, to defensive rebound.

ON WHETHER HE HAD BEEN TO VIRGINIA: “The first time I ever flew in an airplane was after my senior year in high school. My Wisconsin AAU team flew out to Norfolk and played in the national AAU tournament, played against Boo Williams’ team.

“On that team was Bryant Stith, and Alonzo Mourning was on that team, too. I remember us guys from Wisconsin weren’t used to see that kind of talent. And, we got beat pretty bad.”

ON STUDENT SUPPORT: “At Washington State, we had the Zoo (for Wazzou) Crew. So, it’s natural. Here, we’ve got the Hoo Crew. I was excited about that. I don’t have to change that. I think Arizona opened this [arena] up. And, being in the Pac-10, you watch film and I remember all of us were blown away by the intensity.

“When you recruit young men of character and the other students see it, it [engages] the other students and they want to come and support.”

ON HIS INTERNATIONAL RECRUITING: “I just think you look for the best players. We recruited nationally and internationally. You know, Pullman isn’t a heavily populated area or a hotbed for basketball.

“Certainly, that’s one of the appealing things here, the proximity of talent. There are certainly connections [overseas] that you use and I’d be foolish not to look at those.”

ON HIS FAITH: “I’m Christian and I have a strong faith. I rely on that for peace and direction. It’s important to me. When you make a big decision, you better consult.”

Expect more from Bennett in upcoming UVa Insider columns.


 

Group AAA championships returning to Scott Stadium
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: May 7, 2009

After a one-year absence, the Virginia Group AAA football championships will be back at UVa’s Scott Stadium in the fall.

The Division 5 and 6 championships will be held on Saturday, Dec. 12. The Division 5 cham-pionship is tentatively scheduled to begin at noon and the Division 6 game at 4:30 p.m.

The 2008 Group AAA championships were held at Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech.

“Last year’s games at Virginia Tech afforded an exciting and first-class experience for all partici-pants, and we are thrilled to be returning to UVa for the next two years,” said Virginia High School League executive director Ken Tilley in a statement. “We are confident that fans of high school football will again have an ideal setting for their championships.

“We want our student-athletes to play in a big-time atmosphere and have an outstanding championship experience. We know that playing at UVa’s Scott Stadium will provide that experience, not only for the players and coaches, but for all fans attending the finals.”

The VHSL executive committee voted 24-0 on Thursday to approve UVa’s bid to host the Group AAA championships. The Group AA championships will be held at Liberty University’s Williams Stadium, while the Group A championships will be held at Salem Stadium.