Three members of the Virginia men's soccer team were chosen last week to represent the United States at the FIFA World Youth Championships, which began Sunday in Argentina.
Wolfgang Suhnholz, coach of the U.S. under-20 team, picked midfielders Kenny Arena and Kyle Martino and forward Alecko Eskandarian to be part of the 18-man team that is competing in the championships.
In two years at Virginia, Arena has recorded 10 points (three goals and four assists). Eskandarian collected 38 points (16 goals and six assists) as a freshman, and Martino garnered 35 points (11 goals and 13 assists) in his career with the Cavaliers.
The US is competing in its third consecutive World Youth Championship for the first time in U.S. soccer history.
Rowing to All-America honors
The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association named two Virginia women's rowers to its All-American teams last week. Freshman Marlies Smulders is a first-team All-America selection, and sophomore Risa Mandzuk earned second-team All-America honors.
Both are members of the Cavaliers' first varsity eight crew, which finished 15th at the 2001 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships held in Gainesville, Ga., on May 26. Virginia's first varsity eight also won at the ACC championships and the George Washington Invitational Crew Classic.
Smulders and Mandzuk were also All-South Region selections last month.
Football lands two recruits
Virginia football coach Al Groh has good reasons to be smiling. Two out-of-state recruits - running back Tony Franklin from Cleveland and free safety Willie David of Wilmington, N.C. - announced commitments to the Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Davis, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound running back and defensive back at Laney High, rushed for 950 yards, caught five touchdowns and made seven interceptions last year. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates Davis in his nation's top 30.
Last season as a junior at St. Peters Chanel High, Franklin, at 5-11 and 185 pounds, rushed for 1,400 yards and scored 22 touchdowns.
ACC/Big Ten Challenge set
The ACC announced the ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchups yesterday, and the Virginia men's basketball team will face Michigan State on Nov. 28 in Richmond, Va.
The Cavaliers lost to Minnesota and beat Purdue in the last two challenges. Virginia went 20-9 overall, 9-7 in the ACC, in 2000-01 and finished the season ranked No. 16.
The Spartans beat North Carolina in the challenge the past two years. They finished No. 3 in the final rankings and made a third-consecutive trip to the Final Four in the 2001 NCAA tournament.
Former Cavalier joins Browns
Former Virginia football safety Anthony Poindexter agreed to a one-year deal Monday with the Cleveland Browns worth $389,000.
Poindexter spent all of 1999 on the Baltimore Ravens' injured reserve list and played mostly on special teams last season in 12 games. Baltimore released Poindexter last week.
Poindexter was a two-time first-team All-American as a Cavalier. With 342 tackles in his career, the 6-foot, 220-pound defenseman is eighth on Virginia's all-time list. He also has the most career fumble recoveries (7) in Virginia history.
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