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(04/22/09 6:01am)
BaseballMiami was swept for the first time in two seasons this past weekend, as the Hurricanes dropped all three games against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Tar Heels — the last team to sweep Miami — received a boost from junior starter Alex White in Friday’s 3-0 victory. The righthander hurled a one-hit shutout against the conference visitors from Coral Gables, Fla., notching not only ACC Player of the Week honors but also earning the nod as Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week for his impressive outing. Facing only 28 batters on the night, White struck out 10 batters and retired 14 Hurricanes in a row at one point. The shutout marks North Carolina’s first since 2007 and the first one-hitter by a Tar Heel pitcher since 1994 ... Late inning heroics appeared to be the name of the game Tuesday night around the conference as several ACC teams battled non-conference foes. A six-run explosion from CAA opponent William & Mary sunk Virginia Tech 14-10 in Blacksburg, Va. Clemson, meanwhile, was fortunate to emerge on the better end of a deal. Sophomore outfielder Jeff Schaus’ two-out grand slam in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Tigers to a 5-3 upset against No. 19 Coastal Carolina.Men’s LacrosseThe South rose again this weekend, as all four ACC men’s lacrosse teams routed their respective Yankee opponents by a combined score of 45-22. While the Cavaliers came away with a 13-6 win against Dartmouth Saturday, No. 8 North Carolina managed to topple then-No. 6 Hofstra 13-8 on the road. No. 6 Duke and No. 12 Maryland also emerged victorious, as the Blue Devils held off Patriot League opponent Army 10-6 and Maryland trumped Penn 9-2. Virginia returned to its position atop the national rankings after former No. 1 Princeton fell to No. 3 Cornell Saturday.RowingFor the first time in nine years, an ACC rowing team other than Virginia lifted the conference championship trophy Monday, as the No. 11 Cavaliers were dealt a disappointing upset by No. 14 Clemson in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Although the perennial ACC champions managed to capture both the Second Varsity Eight and Novice Eight races, the Tigers were too much to handle in the Varsity Eight and Varsity Four competitions. Clemson trumped Virginia by a matter of seconds in the Varsity Eight race, earning Crew of the Year honors for the dominating performance. Rich Ruggieri was nominated for ACC Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to their first-ever conference crown.—compiled by Cayce Troxel
(04/21/09 5:46am)
Bias-motivated incidents, such as the recent alleged attacks targeting minority University students, have drawn increased attention to the University administration’s reaction to them. But the task of addressing such attacks and devising an appropriate response does not rest solely in the hands of University administrators. Rather, a collaborative effort unifying affected groups and University administrators is necessary to tackle the problems that surface and to create feasible yet appealing solutions. True, the University administration has a responsibility to ensure that students live in a safe environment, and to react accordingly in situations when students feel threatened. Those individuals who bring forth allegations and voice concerns, however, should also offer input about what should be done to address those concerns. Though victims of bias-motivated assaults are not responsible for remedying bias issues themselves, their input could provide University administrators the direction they need to successfully resolve problems. As Black Student Alliance President Lauren McGlory noted, “Since we do rely on student self-governance, it’s up to the students to try addressing different concerns.”Those affected by bias-related attacks are the most knowledgeable about the problem and are therefore able to provide insight about what course of action should be taken. Without such valuable input, the University is left to create an overarching or ambiguous policy that might not necessarily fully address the problem. Giving affected groups the direct task of suggesting a viable solution would, however, enable the University to issue a more concrete and relevant response.The Pulitzer board recognized two Cavalier Daily alumnae yesterday A Pulitzer Prize is the paramount annual honor available to any literary or musical artist in the United States. It is, therefore, incredibly satisfying to announce that two former Cavalier Daily staff members snagged Pulitzer and Pulitzer-finalist honors, respectively, yesterday. Former Editor-in-Chief (1988-89) Lane DeGregory, who now pens feature stories for the St. Petersburg Times, was nominated and won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2008 story, “Girl in the Window,” an account of a feral child discovered in a squalid shelter and then raised by a caring foster family. Former Managing Editor Lindsay Wise (2000-01), meanwhile, presently serves on the Houston Chronicle’s hurricane team, recognized this year as a Pulitzer Prize finalist.With the aforementioned honors in mind, the current Managing Board cannot help but offer its heartiest congratulations to DeGregory and Wise. The University does not offer an undergraduate or graduate journalism program, but The Cavalier Daily — an independent news organization entirely run and managed by students — has and continues to fill that niche for future reporters and editors. Not everyone who works in The Cavalier Daily’s Newcomb Hall basement office aspires to be a professional journalist, but it should nevertheless be noted that some of the nation’s best writers this year at one point honed their skills on Grounds — putting real, uncommon student self-governance into action everyday.
(04/21/09 5:27am)
The Virginia men’s golf team shot a final round 2-over 290 Sunday to finish ninth at the 54-hole ACC Championships at the Old North State Club in New London, N.C.The team’s 5-over 869 total was one shot behind Virginia Tech and North Carolina, and three shots back of sixth-place Maryland. No. 9 Georgia Tech won its third conference title in the last four years with a total of 846, three shots ahead of No. 3 Clemson. Defending conference champion No. 23 Florida State finished 10th at 875.The Cavaliers were squarely in contention after Friday’s opening round team score of 3-over 291, just 10 shots behind frontrunner Georgia Tech and neck-and-neck with several other teams. They failed to make a run during the next two rounds, however, shooting 288 Saturday and 290 Sunday.Junior Kyle Stough led the Cavaliers with a 2-over 218 tournament total, good for a 20th-place finish. Sophomore Will Collins opened play with an unimpressive first-round score of 83 but bounced back with a bogie-free 66 the next day, the best single round score of the tournament to that point. He shot 70 Sunday to total 219 and finish in 24th place. Senior Conrad Von Borsig came in 27th with a 220 total, and freshmen Ben Kohles and Bruce Woodall tied for 40th with scores of 223.Virginia returns to action April 25 and 26 to host the annual Cavalier Classic at the Birdwood Golf Course. It is the team’s last regular season tournament before NCAA Regionals begin May 14.—compiled by Nick Eilerson
(04/21/09 5:24am)
The No. 3 Virginia women’s golf team suffered a disappointing fourth-place finish at the ACC Championships at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. during the weekend. The team’s 907 total was well behind the 869 total posted by No. 11 Wake Forest, whose victory ended No. 12 Duke’s 13-year streak of conference tournament titles. No. 10 North Carolina finished runner-up at 893, one shot ahead of third-place Duke.The Cavaliers found themselves in second place after tallying a day-one total of 11-over 295, a number that put them behind leader Wake Forest by nine strokes. The day was highlighted by sophomore Calle Nielson, whose 2-under 69 put her in second place entering Saturday’s second round.Virginia hit a stumbling block in round two, however, totaling a score of 310 that pushed the squad back to fourth place heading into Sunday’s final round of competition. Junior Whitney Neuhauser led Virginia’s attempt at a comeback Sunday, firing a 3-under 68, the best individual final round score. Her teammates struggled to follow suit, though, as the team’s second-best score was Nielson’s 77. The team shot an 18-over 302 for the day.Nielson’s 8-over 221 tournament total was good for seventh place, marking the second-straight year she has finished in the event’s top 10. Neuhauser finished 15th with a 225 total, and senior Kristen Simpson came in 21st at 229. Senior Lene Krog placed 22nd at 232, and senior Jennie Arseneault struggled to a 32nd place finish with a 243 total.With Virginia and its players out of both team and individual contention, Wake Forest’s sophomore Natalie Sheary downed Duke senior Amanda Blumenherst — the three-time defending individual champion — in a one-hole playoff to earn medalist honors with a 1-over 214 total.Next up for the Cavaliers is the NCAA Regional tournament, which will take place May 7 to 9. —compiled by Nick Eilerson
(04/20/09 6:48am)
With meal plan prices scheduled to increase by an average of 5.4 percent next year — not to mention the current economic situation — the University should reconsider its requirement that first-year students spend nearly $4,000 for a year-long meal plan. A mandatory meal plan can serve a valuable purpose during the first semester of first year, when students are adjusting to college life, meeting their new peers and learning to balance their budgets. After their first semester, however, students could be given greater flexibility to either opt out of a meal plan or to choose a much smaller, less expensive one.First-year students will be required to choose in the fall among various meal plan options that all come with a price tag of $3,780 for the academic year. In the fall, first-year students must choose a plan with at least 13 dining hall meals per week, while in the spring they are allowed to choose a plan featuring 10 meals a week and extra Plus Dollars. For the many students who do not use all of their weekly meals — as well as for those students who do not tend to get their money’s worth by gorging themselves at the all-you-can-eat buffet — the available options are less than ideal from both culinary and economic perspectives.By the spring semester, many first-year students have found dining hall food to lack variety. Additionally, a number of students who require vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and kosher options would likely appreciate an opportunity to purchase and consume food that better meets their needs. Although first-year students do not typically have regular access to a kitchen, it would still be possible for many first-year students to have a healthy and cheaper — not to mention tastier — diet without eating frequently in the dining halls during the spring semester. It can be less expensive to eat at a number of Corner establishments than at a dining hall, and first-year students also can use University transportation to easily reach a grocery store. For those who might claim that this would lead to unhealthy eating habits, it is worth considering that limitless refills and tempting, unhealthy options can lead many students to make choices that are no healthier than a diet of microwavable meals or dinners on the Corner would be.Allowing first-year students to cancel their meal plans after the fall semester or to choose one of the smaller meal plans for upperclassmen — such as 50 meals per semester — potentially could benefit not only first-year students but also other dining hall patrons. Such a policy might encourage the dining halls to put additional effort into providing high-quality meals and service to attract more students’ business.It also seems unlikely that the dining halls would suffer significantly as a result of making such a change — though University officials should of course consider potential economic repercussions before enacting this kind of policy. Although dining halls do need to maintain enough traffic to avoid losing money, allowing first-year students to opt out of meal plans during the spring semester likely would not cause a large decrease in the population of students choosing to eat at the dining hall. Many first-year students — just like the large number of upperclassmen who choose to purchase a meal plan once it is no longer mandatory — undoubtedly appreciate the dining halls’ convenience and quality. For those students with picky palates or budget constraints, however, a more flexible policy regarding first-year meal plans could be a welcome change.
(04/20/09 6:28am)
DavidMajor? PhilosophyWhat extracurriculars do you participate in? I play stand-up bass in one of the small jazz ensembles and write music reviews for the Declaration. I used to write a comic for the Cav Daily, but have since been dismissed. I also play bass guitar in a D.C.-based rock band called Shoot Out the Lights.What do you like to do in your free time? I play, write and listen to a great deal of music. I enjoy socializing with a select group of close friends, which generally involves watching movies and/or a lot of yelling. I read when I have the time. What are the physical and personality attributes you are looking for in a date? She must be a she. She must be blessed with either a taste for sarcasm or a great deal of patience. Artistic inclinations are a must – she needs to care passionately about at least one medium. I’m not too picky about physical qualities, but a cute face is always a big plus. What are your religious affiliations?Atheist. Agnostic if I’m having an unusually good day.What are your favorite movies? “Brazil,” “The Godfather,” “The Apartment,” “Young Frankenstein” and “The Shining” all hover near the top of the list. More generally, I like Stanley Kubrick, the Coen Brothers and dramas from the 70’s where the protagonists either die or go insane at the end.What music do you like (genres and bands)?Rock ‘n’ roll, mostly. I can discern value in nearly every genre except Teen Pop, but I don’t really care for Hip-Hop, Death Metal or Modern Country. My current favorite bands include, but are not limited to, American Music Club, Wilco, R.E.M., TV on the Radio, Neko Case and Bruce Springsteen (1973 – 1980).What’s your favorite food? Pho, Peking Duck and other Asian foods. What are your favorite books/authors? I mostly like nonfiction – biographies, travel lit, popular science, that sort of thing. As far as authors are concerned, I like Bill Bryson, Hunter S. Thompson, and Ben MacIntyre a great deal.Describe your ideal date (not person but outing)? I’m pretty flexible on events – I like food, movies and many stereotypical date activities. I prefer something that gives me an opportunity to talk to and get to know the person in relative comfort and privacy, so I’m not a huge fan of nightclubs, frat parties and the like. No skating or dancing of any kind.What are deal breakers (won’t date a smoker, height, age, etc.)?No young-Earth creationists or anyone who might put a small dog in a handbag. Frequent cigarette smoking is not a plus. Anyone with any respect whatsoever for Ayn Rand is dead to me. I’m not incapable of getting along with hardcore conservatives, but it would probably lead to a fractious dating experience. Lastly, I’m 6’3”, so dating a short person might be awkward.Do you smoke?No.Are you outgoing or shy?I’m very loud but I value my privacy. You tell me.Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I’ll either be a professional musician or destitute from years of trying to be a professional musician. Maybe a high-school teacher.If you were a member of the circus, who would you be and why?I would light the fuse on the Human Cannonball. I like causing a spectacle and it seems like I could still accomplish that without incurring the risk of actually being shot out of a cannon.MarMajor? Architecture and Drama MinorSexual Orientation? StraightWhat extracurriculars do you participate in? Live Arts scenic painter/builder, soccer, swing dance club, yogaWhat do you like to do in your free time? Play with my dog Slim, read, write poetry (new hobby), attempt playing my guitar, driving down old roads in Cville and getting lost, wineries, hikes and picnics What are the physical and personality attributes you are looking for in a date? Good sense of humor but not immature, can hold up in a conversation, outgoing, taller than me — open to pretty much anything other than that.What are your religious affiliations? None, though I believe there is something out there.What are your favorite movies and actors? “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels,” “I Heart Huckabees,” “Juno,” “Empire Records” and all of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” films.What music do you like (genres and bands)? A lot of stuff. Some favorites are: Soul Coughing, Carbon Leaf, Radiohead, Garth Brooks, Nickel Creek and James Brown. Depends on how I’m feeling.What’s your favorite food? I love natural peanut butter and funky hometown diners. What are your favorite books and authors? I really love the poet Mary Oliver. I also dig some Jane Austen and “Stranger in a Strange Land.”Describe your ideal date (not person but outing)? Something unusual like disc golf at night (making up the holes as we go along) and then some crazy late dinner with a good bottle of cheap wine.What are deal breakers (won’t date a smoker, age, etc.)? I don’t want to date someone younger than me, though I might consider it. Oh, and if they make me feel stuffy around them — who wants that?Do you smoke? Yes and no. I don’t need to smoke, but I do have a hookah and will have a cigarette once in a while depending on who I’m with.Are you outgoing or shy?Very outgoingWhere do you see yourself in 10 years? Either in a theater building sets or maybe in Ireland doing massage therapy.If you were a member of the circus, who would you be and why? Tight rope walker — it’d be so much fun! Every night going up there unsure if this is the night that sneeze from the audience throws off your balance and you fall to your death or you ignore it all as usual and walk gracefully across...you just never know what will happen. And I love their costumes!The DateDavid: I didn’t feel like I was that nervous. I did want to make a good impression because I’m slovenly and offensive by nature so I wore a button-down shirt and decided I was going to try not to swear nearly as much as I normally do. I don’t know, I didn’t feel that concerned just because we were either going to get along and it was going to be fun or it was going to be over in 45 minutes to an hour and I’d still get a free meal out of it.Mary: For me, I wasn’t sure if he was going to be 21 or not so I actually had a beer before I left. I was a little nervous. I was thinking if he wasn’t 21 I wouldn’t want to drink in front of him because that’d be rude. So I had a beer before I left to calm my nerves. I was excited. My friend talked me into doing it so I had no idea what to expect. I was trying to figure out if I knew the David. I went through Facebook and my phone to see if any number matched the one I was given.David: We met outside the Bank of America on the Corner. I was able to tell which one was her because there was only one person who was just sitting there and clearly waiting for someone or something. I would like the record to reflect, however, that just because she was there before me, I was not late. I was very punctual.Mary: I got there a little early and there were quite a few people sitting around by themselves. I left his number at home so I was hoping he would just walk up to me. So he did, he just walked up to me and he just assumed it was me somehow and asked me if I was Mary. But there were five or six people just standing there looking like they were waiting for someone else, so he did a good job figuring out that was me. When I first saw him, I thought he was an Engineering student because I dated an engineer and he resembled him — just a taller version. So my first impression was “Oh no, an engineer, I already dated one of those.” Turned out he wasn’t. He was philosophy and history, so in no way engineering. David: I try to be a sort of progressive, 21st-century male but I was happy to see, you know, that she was pretty. We started talking about where to go for dinner. We talked about Rev Soup for a minute but I said since Cav Daily was paying we might as well take them to the cleaners, so we decided on Basil. On the way over, we went through sort of the mechanical stuff: name, year, major, general interests.Mary: My friend works at Basil and I wanted to go there because they have good food and my favorite beer there. So we talked about our favorite foods, what our majors were, what we’re doing after school. Just your basic, “Hi, my name is...” and all the credentials. David: Once we got to the restaurant, first thing she did was order a beer that came in a bottle about a foot and a half tall, which was great because I’m always happy to meet someone with compatible vices. Turned out that we knew a number of similar people. She’s in the A-school, she’s in behind-the-scenes drama stuff and she’s in The Wash. I know a bunch of people involved in at least one of those in some capacity, so there was some common ground there.Mary: It was really fun. It was a nice and relaxing dinner. He ordered a gyro, and I ordered a flat bread sandwich. I made sure we got baklava at the end. I love baklava so I had to have that. I don’t think he likes baklava too much. He did agree to get it but I don’t think he liked it. We talked about Brown College because he’s on the board of admitting people or something like that so he told me about all the entrance essays and how crazy it can get for people who really want to get into Brown. We talked about the ones who sent in their applications in glass bottles and things like that. We have a couple friends in common. I do theater, and his roommate is in theater.David: The conversation was pretty good. It went beyond the sort of mechanical, boring sort of “What movies do you like? I listen to these bands” type of things. We talked about our families to a certain extent. She comes from a large family; mine’s relatively small but we’re both very close with our families. We talked about the phenomenon of annual family reunions. I told some stories about weirdo people from my high school or interesting characters in my band.Mary: It was actually funny, we talked about — at least I brought up — awkward moments. You know those awkward pauses; we had those awkward moments when we were eating, so I kept apologizing for not saying anything, even when we were eating. It was cool to find out he was in a band. He wants to find out how to learn to play bass, so that’s cool. I don’t know a lot about music. I used to play piano but not anymore, so it was cool to hear about his band and stuff.David: We had enough in common. You want someone to be a little bit different from you, otherwise you could just stay at home. The A-school and sort of the tech aspects of drama are definitely different from stuff that I do. I’m a philosophy major so I’m up to my ears in bulls*** half the time. I’m in rock and jazz bands so we’re both interested in art but different kind of art, which usually leads to some interesting points of comparisons.Mary: I’m more into yoga and outdoor things: soccer, sports, that kind of stuff, and he’s more into music. It’s cool and everything. I swing dance, and we talked about how he plays jazz music and I swing dance to that. We didn’t have a lot in common, but it wasn’t bad. It was refreshing to hear about someone else’s interests instead of going on a date with someone with the exact same interests as me.David: She didn’t seem to conform to any notable stereotype, which I think was something sort of implicit in my survey. I was looking for someone interesting and challenging and artistic enough that we’d have something in common, you know, an appreciation for sarcasm, but was not sort of a template. Mary: We finished the baklava and then we went outside. I told him to Facebook friend me so we could go to 12th Street Tap House, so I don’t know if that’ll happen. I didn’t know if I should shake his hand or give him a hug, so I felt weird because I don’t know if people like hugs. I went to shake hands and he tried to give me a hug, so I felt so bad. I would say he was as really cool guy and I’d love to get to know him more and hang out sometime but I don’t know if he’s someone I’d necessarily want to date. David: We’re talking about going to the Tap House Wednesday because I think they have $1 pints. I sent her a Facebook message earlier. In my defense, she said to get in touch with her over Facebook. I’m not doing that as a coward’s way out. I would give [the date] between a seven and an eight [out of 10]. I’d say it was better than neutral or even just sort of nice. If you say eight, it sort of sounds like you’re reading a lot into it, but seven seems a little bit low, so definitely a 7.5 seems fine.Mary: I would say it was a 7.5 just because it was a really good date. He was a cool guy to hang out with, the conversation was good, I like the place we went to ... But I don’t necessarily know if I would ever go on another date. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hang out. He’s a guy I could be really good friends with. I think just hanging out with other people and goofing around would be fun. I think seeing his band would be really cool, too.David: I mentioned her name to one or two friends of mine in The Wash Society and they report that even if they didn’t know her personally, her presentations were impeccable. Mary received the Facebook message but was too busy to go to the Tap House Wednesday night and had to take a rain check. They plan to get together again sometime soon.
(04/20/09 5:18am)
Men’s Track and FieldThe Virginia men’s track and field team made history Saturday at the ACC Championships, tying Florida State for the title and marking the first time in program history the squad has held a share of the outdoor crown. The Cavaliers and Seminoles both tallied 141 points during the course of the three-day meet in Coral Gables, Fla. to outdistance themselves from third-place Virginia Tech’s 130-point total.Sophomore Adams Abdulrazaaq, the conference title holder in the 110-meter hurdles, and senior Yemi Ayeni, title holder in the discus, led Virginia’s first-place finish — a significant improvement from the team’s fourth-place showing last season. Abdulrazaaq’s personal best of 14.16 seconds gave the Cavaliers their first conference victory in the hurdles, while Ayeni’s throw of 189 feet, 7 inches was the All-American’s third-straight ACC crown.Sophomore Ryan Collins and senior Andrew Jesien helped out in the distance events, as both notched runnerup performances in the 5000-meter and 1500-meter runs, respectively. The Cavaliers managed to overcome a 14-point deficit against Florida State heading into the final day of the meet to claim a share of the championship.Women’s Track and FieldOn the women’s side, Virginia finished in fourth place with 74 points. The Seminoles nabbed the team title with 160 points to top Virginia Tech and North Carolina.A trio of Cavalier senior throwers led the team in scoring, as Billie-Joe Grant, Caitlin Kelly and Amy Bilmanis captured second, third and fifth places. Freshman Morgane Gay notched her first All-ACC honor with her third-place showing in the 1500-meter run. In all, 14 Cavaliers earned all-conference honors. The squad will compete in the Penn Relays next weekend.Men’s TennisFor the third consecutive season, the Cavalier men’s tennis team captured the ACC Tournament team title. No. 1 Virginia’s 4-0 shutout of No. 20 Wake Forest Sunday in Cary, N.C. gave the squad its fifth title in the last six years. It also was the first time in tournament history a team has swept all three of its matches en route to the crown. Although the No. 13 Virginia doubles tandem of senior Dominic Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz suffered an 8-5 loss to the No. 11 Demon Deacon duo of senior Corey Parr and junior Steven Forman at the No. 1 position, the Cavaliers rebounded with victories in the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles slots. Sophomore Sanam Singh and junior Houston Barrick defeated Wake Forest sophomore Iain Atkinson and junior Carlos Salmon 8-5 and the pair of junior Lee Singer and freshman Drew Courtney captured the doubles point for the Cavaliers with an 8-3 win against sophomore Jonathan Wolff and freshman David Hopkins.The squad also made impressive showings during the singles. Named the tournament MVP, Inglot avenged his regular season loss against Parr with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of the Wake Forest senior Sunday. Courtney followed with a 6-3. 6-2 defeat of Atkinson in the No. 5 spot, while Singh secured the Cavalier title with 6-2, 7-5 victory against Forman at No. 2.Undefeated Virginia — which notched its 45th straight victory in conference play with the win — will next compete in the NCAA Tournament in College Station, Texas. The 64-team bracket will be released April 28.Women’s TennisThe Virginia women’s tennis team made an early exit at the ACC Tournament, falling to No. 3 Duke 4-0 in the quarterfinals Friday in Cary, N.C. The loss marks the second-straight year Duke eliminated the Cavaliers in the second round of play and left the team 13-8 overall this season.The tournament’s No. 7 seed, Virginia topped Boston College 4-1 in Thursday’s opening round but failed to carry momentum from the win into Friday afternoon’s contest. The Blue Devils swept all three doubles matches to secure the first point of the day and followed with strong singles play. In the No. 5 slot, Virginia senior Maggie Yahner suffered a 6-1, 6-1 loss against Duke senior Melissa Mang, and Blue Devil senior Jessi Robinson defeated Cavalier sophomore Neela Vaez 7-5, 6-1. Sophomore Ella Nze clinched the win for Duke by cruising to a 7-5, 6-1 victory against junior Jennifer Stevens in the No. 2 spot.Virginia — currently ranked No. 27 in the nation — now awaits the announcement of the 64-team NCAA Tournament field April 28 to learn whether its season will continue.—compiled by Cayce Troxel
(04/17/09 4:56am)
At the Student Council meeting Tuesday night, Chief Financial Officer Amanda Jenkins unveiled the summer budget to be voted on next week, which also includes some items of funding for the next year. Council has trimmed several thousand dollars from its budget and is to be commended for reducing its use of Student Activity Fee funds at a time when non-SAF funding is drying up. The majority of SAF funds, however, are distributed to CIOs through the Appropriations Committee and to fully address the cutbacks in funding, Council will need to completely overhaul the appropriations process. In addition, Council should continue to be mindful of its own spending and potential for waste.Council’s decision to have its retreat in Charlottesville this year contributed almost $3,000 to the budget reductions. Council President John Nelson said Council’s goal is to spend as little as possible and one place Council thought it could save money without compromising value was the retreat. On the other hand, Council did budget $500 more for office supplies because of depleted resources and packets for the retreat, although Nelson said this was the maximum Council would possibly spend on office supplies. Council should keep in mind the theme for this year’s University Unity Project — environmental sustainability — and reduce its environmental impact as well as its budget by consuming less office supplies. Nelson commented that Council was “certainly going to be looking for ways to reduce both” and if Council is successful in this it should come in under budget, freeing up funds for CIOs.Appropriations to CIOs, meanwhile, account for the bulk of SAF fund expenditures and Council Vice President for Organizations Colin Hood plans to create a task force this summer to examine every aspect of the appropriations process. In the past, CIOs have requested much more than they need from the Committee and to disperse SAF funds efficiently Council needs to address the culture of dishonesty associated with the appropriations request process. Hood said the recently revived CIO consultant program, which will provide assistance to CIO treasurers, will focus on fundraising and creating efficient budgets to ease some of the burden on SAF funds. One major problem with the current appropriations process is the reluctance of CIOs to report their own fundraising efforts because any money raised is deducted from the amount requested. Hood acknowledged the current appropriations process “creates incentives not to report revenue” and changing this will be a major focus of the task force.Council has done an excellent job overhauling its own budget, but that is only a small part of the funds Council is charged with distributing. To account for the decrease in non-SAF funding in the fall, Council will need to instate a brand new appropriations process that encourages groups to be honest about their needs and fundraise on their own.
(04/16/09 6:07am)
The budget for fully implementing the Student Integrated System is more than $40 million and the tuition increase set last week was due in part to the new SIS. With such a high cost to the University, it is important that SIS functions optimally and although SIS has beneficial new features, problems with the system can overshadow these. The Student Systems Project has done an excellent job responding to student concerns once it becomes aware of them, but to further improve SIS new feedback features are needed.One major concern for students is the incomplete information displayed for some students in the Academic Requirements section. Carole Horwitz, director of communications for the Project, explained that not all the data formerly contained in students’ VISTAA reports was transferred to SIS. She noted that this problem was anticipated and students needs only to contact their schools, which will contact the Project to have students’ information updated. Horwitz said the section was made available even though it was incomplete for some students because otherwise the Project would not know which information was not transferred properly. The Project’s awareness of the missing information and continual updates are a good start, but do not wholly address the problem. Because the Project is relying on students themselves to notice discrepancies in their information, the academic requirements feature should include a disclaimer to alert students that their information may not be complete. School contact information should also be listed so students know where to send corrections. This will prevent students from becoming unnecessarily concerned about requirements they thought were complete and allow the Project to update students’ records more quickly.Other problems with SIS’s functionality may frustrate students, especially because there is currently no way to contact the Project with concerns. The Project does have a comprehensive help center to assist users with navigating SIS — a necessary component of any new system — but there are currently no means of suggesting improvements for the system. The weekly calendar view, for instance, is very difficult to read, especially when compared with the simple day and time schedule provided by ISIS. When this was brought to Horwitz’s attention, she immediately began looking into ways to improve the feature. The Project’s willingness to respond to student concerns is admirable but to fully address perceived problems, a feedback feature should be added to SIS. Horwitz said a feedback feature was initially considered, but the Project thought most questions would be about using the system or academic concerns and wanted those questions directed to the appropriate office. Clearly labeling a feedback feature for suggestions to improve SIS should keep users from confusing a feedback link with the help center link. SIS has many new features, particularly the consolidation of course offerings with enrollment, that clearly improve on the old systems’. User feedback, however, is necessary for the Project to continually update and improve SIS.
(04/16/09 5:50am)
Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett said yesterday that 2009 signees Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans both recently decided to stay committed to Virginia.“Both of our recruits informed us they are staying,” Bennett said. “That’s great news.”Spurlock made an official visit Friday, and Bennett said he accompanied Spurlock and his family to the Downtown Grille in Charlottesville. Bennett said Spurlock told him by phone Tuesday night that he would honor his commitment to play for the Cavaliers.After the departure of former coach Dave Leitao, multiple reports indicated that Spurlock, who was recruited by Leitao and former head assistant coach Bill Courtney, might opt out of his commitment to attend Virginia. Reports stated that Spurlock was caught off guard by Leitao’s resignation.Reports also indicated that Evans rethought his commitment as well after Leitao’s resignation, but Bennett said Evans — a three-star point guard according to Rivals.com — also told him personally that he would remain at Virginia.“I’m sure [Spurlock and Evans] had a very good relationship with Coach Leitao,” Bennet said. “Anytime those are the coaches, and all of a sudden they’re not a part of that, that’s different, but they also chose to come here because of everything the University of Virginia stands for. That didn’t change.”—compiled by Paul Montana
(04/16/09 5:44am)
For the second straight weekend, the Virginia women’s golf team will travel south to North Carolina. This week, however, the stakes are a little higher.The Cavaliers will compete Friday through Sunday in the ACC Championships on the par-71, 6,355-yard course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. Currently ranked No. 3 in the country and No. 1 in the conference, Virginia hopes to dethrone Duke from its longtime perch at the top of the ACC. The Blue Devils have won every ACC Championship since 1996, compiling 16 conference titles. Last year, Duke edged Virginia by one shot to claim the victory after the two teams were tied for first place going into the final day of play.Virginia is coming off a second-place finish at the 18-team Bryan National Collegiate at Brown Summit. The team shot a one-under 287 during the final round, becoming the only team to shoot a round under par in the tournament. Sophomore Calle Nielson tied the school’s single-round scoring record with a final round 67, the second time she has done so this spring. The score tied her with senior teammate Jennie Arseneault — who racked up her 10th top-10 career finish — for sixth place.The weekend lineup will consist of Nielson, Arseneault, junior Whitney Neuhauser, senior Lene Krog and senior Kristen Simpson. Neuhauser leads the team with an ACC-best 72.76 stroke average. Nielson, who has either led or tied as Virginia’s scoring leader in the team’s last four tournaments, will look to continue her impressive play and build off her third-place finish at last year’s ACC Championship.—compiled by Nick Eilerson
(04/15/09 6:05am)
The University Police Department should have immediately notified students of the bias-motivated assaultSince the bias-motivated assault committed April 4 was made public late last week, the long response time from the University has been a point of concern for many. No safety alert was sent by the University Police Department because no weapon was used in the crime, rendering it a simple assault. Lieut. Melissa Fielding said simple assaults occur every day and the department must balance the usefulness of safety alerts with their frequency to maximize their impact. Though this is true, students should have been notified immediately of the bias-motivated assault.At the time of the incident, the department’s policy on safety alerts was only to notify students when a weapon was used or when there was a likelihood for repetition of the crime. Fielding noted that bias-motivated crimes occur very rarely at the University and the last incidents were in 2005. That year, however there were three incidents of these crimes and all were racially motivated. This shows the potential for repetition of bias-motivated crimes when they do occur. Under the policy in place at the time the department should have notified students of the incident with a safety alert, especially because the perpetrators of the crime were not immediately caught and are still at large. Since the incident, the department has changed its policy to send out a safety alert when a bias-motivated crime is committed. The department should be commended for recognizing its error and adjusting the policy so quickly. The updated policy, however, highlights that a safety alert was warranted under the original policy. Student Council can and should do more than buy candles to support the LGBTQ communities In response to the bias-motivated assault, Student Council passed a bill last night condemning anti-gay violence and supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer communities at the University. The bill also pledged $350 to purchase 1,000 candles for Thursday’s Stand Against Hatred event that will culminate in a vigil. It can do no harm to reaffirm the values of the University community following an act of blatant discrimination. But a bill cannot do very much to address the real issue of discrimination.The sponsor of the bill, College representative Eugene Resnick, said Queer and Allied Activism requested money from Council for the event and Council President John Nelson said there was room in the Student Activity Fund budget to purchase candles for the vigil. Both Resnick and Nelson said the money for candles shows the tangible support of Council beyond just words. Nelson added because the vigil is in response to a recent incident and groups were unable to anticipate it in their budgets, Council is ideally positioned to help with funds. Though this is true, if Council wants to take a stand against anti-gay discrimination, it will have to do more than buy candles for one event. To have a lasting impact in removing discrimination from the University community, Council should pair with QUAA and other groups and individuals to promote awareness and propose solutions. Resnick said academic legitimacy in the form of a Queer Studies Minor would be one example of greater support for LGBTQ communities. This bill is admirable, but further collaboration with LGBTQ communities is needed to find ways to remove discrimination from Grounds. If Council can propose solutions instead of just resolutions, it will have a better chance of addressing discrimination at the University.
(04/15/09 5:53am)
Q: How long have you been a professor at U.Va.? A: I began teaching part time at the University in 1993 when Rita Dove was named Poet Laureate and I taught her classes for two years. I was hired full-time in 1995. Q: What drew you to U.Va.? A: Initially in the 70s, I was drawn to U.Va. because of an English teacher of mine [who] had gone to U.Va., when it was an all-male school. He told me that the school had begun to admit women and also knew that the English department here was really strong and I passionately wanted to read books. I’ve been in love with the place ever since then. Q: You have been a very successful writer, winning numerous awards for your books of poetry. When and how did you first know that you wanted to be a writer and teach English courses? A: Writing sort of chooses you. It’s one of the ways that you respond to being alive. Some people respond by running and athletics, while some people respond by reading or singing. I’m attracted to writing. As soon as I could write, I kept a diary. With writing there is the possibility of an interior life. When I got to U.Va., I was overwhelmed by a busy schedule and was looking for an easy class, so I thought I might take poetry and turn in poems from high school. I had the good fortune to get into a good class and had a wonderful [teaching assistant]. He taught a wonderful workshop in which we read contemporary poetry. That class awakened me to the whole new world of reading and writing and the possibility of speaking in my own voice as a poet — and of course I never once turned in a poem I’d written in high school.Q: You are also the founder and director of the area program in poetry writing for undergraduates at the University. What led you to begin this program in 2000? A: When I was an undergraduate here and coming alive to poetry, I would love to have concentrated in poetics and poetry writing — but nothing like that existed at the time. I became a modern studies major ... A lot of my students, prior to 2000, were already creating for themselves a program that allowed them to focus on poetry writing. Sometimes the classes that they took were math, astronomy, religious studies or [some other] interdisciplinary [study]. So I wanted to create a program that would allow talented poets in the undergraduate community to focus their studies on poetry writing, a program that allows them flexibility to take courses in other areas as well as to read deeply and widely in English. Two things about the program that are really wonderful are that [students] get to take seminars that are just for them and those are readers’ classes taught to writers. We look at texts as writers. Then, students have the opportunity to write a year-long creative thesis that includes a collection of poems. This program really makes students more attentive and alive to language. Q: What has been your favorite class to teach? A: That is very tough. I love teaching and every class I teach at the moment is my favorite class. A class that I particularly love teaching is a class that I designed called “The Poetics of Ecstasy.” I’ve been teaching it now for four or five years. Right now I’m teaching as a part of an initiative called Second Year Seminars. It’s a class that’s usually offered to graduate students, but now second-year students have the opportunity to take it — some whom are not necessarily poets or English majors. The class gives them the chance to look at ecstasy for all of its precincts and manifestations — from politics to rock music, to films and language. They can look at it and determine whether they actually poetics of ecstasy. I’ve learned a lot from my students. Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of being a professor at U.Va.? A: It has to be the students. We have such a gifted, diverse student body. It’s been a joy to watch the school diversify. There is such a range of experiences in the classroom. Many of my students have emigrated or come from exciting, challenging, diverse childhood experiences. I’m addicted to teaching. I can stay a learner that way. I feel seen and appreciated here as well. Q: What do you most want students to take away from your classes? A: I want for them to open their minds. They come to the University to enrich, learn and push their comfort zone and discover new things about themselves and others. I want my students to be mindful of the power of language [and] to be readers. I want them to challenge language and question words. Language is power. I want for them to honor and preserve it. Q: You are an award winning author, having received Rona Jaffe Award for Emerging Women Writers in 2002 as well as prizes and awards from the Academy of American Poets and the Virginia Commission for the Arts. From what or who do you draw your inspiration to write? A: I draw inspiration from everything. My children, students and work are sources of inspiration. I will jot down notes everywhere I am. I am a poet at Harris Teeter and Texaco. I keep a notebook in my car. I try to use my time wisely. I used to have a ritual for writing poetry, but not anymore. The exigencies of raising three children and having a full-time job mean that I’ve had to learn to write in the interstices and in stolen moments. Q: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? A: Being a mother to my children is my greatest accomplishment. I have the privilege of helping them grow and have learned much from them. I also love my students. I’ve been teaching since 1980, but I’m still in touch with some of them now, even though some of them have children — grown children! Q: What is one thing that many people do not know about you? A: When I’m sad, I like to dance to the Rolling Stones at home — alone, of course. Q: If you could give aspiring writers one piece of advice, what would it be? A: W.H. Auden once said that it’s important to nurture and keep alive one’s love of language ... I also advise poets to find a way to stay with it. It’s often hard to keep writing because of financial constraints. It’s the poet’s task to find a way to write in a world that does not often reward the endeavor. Q: Your last book of poetry, Satin Cash, released last year, received a lot of praise and attention. Do you plan on releasing another book in the future? A: I hope so. I am working on some poems now. I just received the Guggenheim award, so I will have the opportunity to take leave and focus more on my poetry.Compiled by Lindsay Powell
(04/15/09 5:44am)
The Virginia women’s lacrosse team defeated its sixth in-state opponent of the season last night in a 21-8 romp against George Mason on the road. The 21 goals for the No. 10 Cavaliers (10-5, 2-3 ACC) marked the first time they scored 20 or more goals since 2005. The Cavaliers thoroughly dominated the Patriots (5-8), outshooting them 32-16 yesterday evening. Though the Patriots struck first, the Cavaliers responded by scoring nine unanswered goals to silence George Mason’s upset hopes. Ten Cavaliers managed to find the back of the net last night. Midfielders senior Blair Weymouth and junior Kaitlin Duff led the Virginia scoring column with four goals and three assists apiece. The seven points tallied by Weymouth marked a season-high for the All-American, and Duff’s performance marked a career best. Junior midfielder Brittany Kalkstein and junior attack Whitaker Hagerman added four and three goals, respectively. Senior midfielder Ashley McCulloch also added her 28th assist of the season — the 100th of her career — making her the fourth player in program history to reach the milestone. On the defensive side, senior goalkeeper Sara Hairfield made her second start on the season, collecting four saves and notching her second consecutive win between the pipes. Hairfield is 3-0 as the Cavaliers’ goalie and has allowed an average of only nine goals per contest. Against the Patriots, the Cavalier defense allowed its fewest goals in its last six games, showing improvement after close victories against Harvard and Boston College two weekends ago. Virginia enters its final matchup of the regular season against No. 1 Northwestern Sunday. The test against the Wildcats also will mark the final home game for the Cavalier seniors.—compiled by Ben Gomez
(04/15/09 5:38am)
Paulus to Packers?Greg Paulus seems to take a lot of heat from fans around the ACC, but he is undeniably an athlete in the truest sense. The graduating senior point guard from Duke reportedly worked out in Durham in front of representatives from the Green Bay Packers last week. According to the Associated Press, Paulus threw to Duke wide receiver Eron Riley during the workout on campus.Though Paulus is well-known as a college basketball player, he was an accomplished high school quarterback at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, N.Y. Both Notre Dame and Miami offered him football scholarships. Paulus compiled 11,763 career passing yards and 152 touchdowns in 45 games, of which Christian Brothers won 42. He was all-state all four years, and started in the U.S. Army All-American game. Given the choice between football and basketball, however, Paulus elected to play for Duke coach Mike Kryzewski, becoming the only one of the five male Paulus siblings not to play Division 1A college football.The NFL Draft is scheduled April 25-26. BaseballVirginia Tech has long been a cellar-dweller in baseball, but last weekend it found success it has never experienced before. The Hokies swept Maryland in College Park during the weekend for their first series sweep in conference play since they joined the ACC before the 2004-05 season, and their first ACC series victory since April 11-13 of last season, when they won two of three games at Wake Forest. The Hokies defeated the Terrapins 5-3 Friday, 4-3 Saturday and 5-3 Sunday, dropping Maryland to 15-20 and 4-14 in conference play.Men’s LacrosseDuke’s victory against then-unbeaten Virginia Saturday was the final game among the four ACC teams, and put three teams in a three-way tie for first at 2-1. Because each team posted 1-1 records against the other two, tiebreaking rules dictated that the seeding be decided by goals allowed in ACC play. Maryland is therefore the No. 1 seed, with 18 goals allowed, Duke the No. 2 seed with 21 goals allowed and Virginia the No. 3 seed with 24 goals allowed.The ACC Tournament begins next Friday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Maryland will take on North Carolina in game one and Virginia will seek its revenge against Duke in game two.—compiled by Paul Montana
(04/14/09 5:50am)
Jason Smith will soon submit an expedited appeal to the Honor Committee. In trying Smith the Committee followed all of its procedures and bylaws correctly, however the fairness of Smith’s trial may have been compromised by the inclusion of hearsay evidence. The Committee should reevaluate its bylaws concerning the admission of hearsay evidence so that hearsay is only admitted to a trial when there is no way to present the information through a first-hand account. According to section G of the Committee’s bylaws, “Hearsay evidence may be admitted at the discretion of the Trial Chair, Trial Observer and Pre-Trial Coordinator.” Committee Chair David Truetzel said no blanket motion for the allowance of hearsay testimony is ever granted. Instead, if hearsay is present in the investigation log given to the Pre-Trial Panel for review, a decision is then made whether to allow the hearsay testimony. The bylaws further state, “Except as provided below, all relevant evidence necessary to a fair and thorough adjudication should be admitted at trial.” The following portion lists the exceptions to the policy of admitting all relevant evidence. Hearsay is dealt with separately, however, because it is not an exception nor is it always admitted. Truetzel said as a general rule, all relevant evidence is admitted to a trial, but generally hearsay is admitted only when it can be verified. If testimony is verifiable by a first-hand witness, that would seem to be the occasion when hearsay is unnecessary to include all the relevant evidence at trial. Although it is understandable the Committee might not want to admit hearsay evidence that could not be verified, it does not make sense to admit hearsay evidence when a valid alternative is available.At Smith’s open honor trial, Mary Siegel was allowed to give testimony about conversations between Smith and Michelle Fox at which Siegel was not present. This evidence was hearsay and approved for admission at trial. Fox was also a witness at the trial and fully able to give testimony about the conversations between herself and Smith. Because in this instance there was a valid alternative to the admission of Siegel’s hearsay testimony, Siegel’s testimony should not have been presented at the trial. Truetzel said the purpose of the Pre-Trial Panel is to ensure the fairness of the trial. If that is the case, the admission of hearsay should not be left solely to the discretion of the Trial Chair, Trial Observer and Pre-Trial Coordinator without guidance. Instead, the Committee should consider a policy under which hearsay evidence would not be admitted when a first-hand account is available.The Committee did not violate any of its procedures or bylaws in trying Smith, but that does not mean it provided an entirely fair trial. In the interest of having the fairest proceedings possible, the Committee should reevaluate its bylaws regarding hearsay.
(04/14/09 5:41am)
The University’s Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority hosted VOICES 2009: Dancing Through Barriers Friday at 8 p.m. in the Runk Green Room. The event featured the Boogie Bots, a hip-hop dance crew that performed during the second season of MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.”The purpose of the event, which has been held annually since 2004, was to emphasize multiculturalism and diversity through dance, Sigma Psi Zeta president Juliette Cho said. The Boogie Bots, whose members represent black, white and Filipino ethnicities, “use their culture[s] as inspiration,” Cho said. The event also featured an interview session during which dancers spoke about the ways in which their cultural backgrounds have been influential in affecting their artistic pursuits.Every year, the chapter holds a different event in line with this same theme of multiculturalism. Last year’s VOICES program was a career panel that allowed students and various successful Asian-Americans in different professional fields to interact. Other events in the past include a program with geishas and another presented by Wong Fu Productions, an independent production company that started with an amateur music video made in a University of California, San Diego dormitory.Planning for this year’s event was a semester-long process, Cho said. Once the Boogie Bots agreed to perform, Cho said she enlisted University dance groups X-tasee, Mahogany and Panda Fresh Crew — a group that formed out of the Chinese Student Association — to showcase their own skills. The Bots are “one of the best dance crews in the country,” said Marc Hall of X-tasee.Since the group’s fourth-place finish on ABDC, the best of any East Coast dance crew on the show to date, the Boogie Bots have been dancing at different venues throughout the country. Two weeks ago, they performed at Virginia Tech.The group, which formed in 2005, first met through Culture Shock, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit hip-hop dance troupe dedicated to dance education and outreach to diverse communities. The crew began with Bryan “BOOGIEMIND” East, Mike “Magic Mike” Arellano and Miguel Almario, but has since grown to at least eight dancers, five of whom appeared at VOICES.East in particular said he loves that the group’s popular recognition allows the dance troupe the opportunity to serve as a voice within the community. In filling that role, he said, Boogie Bots can raise awareness about issues like cultural diversity.“We loving coming out to places and inspiring kids to make [the] dance scene bigger and better,” East said.—compiled by Stephanie Glover
(04/14/09 5:35am)
The Virginia baseball team came out of a highly-contested series — in which each game was determined in the final inning — against Georgia Tech this weekend with a 1-1-1 deadlock.The Cavaliers lost 7-6 on a walk-off single in game one and then rallied during a six-run ninth for an 11-10 victory in game two. In the series finale, which was restricted by a time limit, Virginia knotted the score in the bottom of the ninth, resulting in a 4-4 tie.Georgia Tech (21-8-1, 10-5-1 ACC) led the bizarre game three Sunday 4-3 to begin the ninth inning before Virginia junior catcher Franco Valdes knocked in the tying run with an RBI-single. With runners on first and second and no outs, however, Virginia (28-7-1, 9-6-1 ACC) could not push the winning run across. After sophomore pitcher Kevin Arico retired the side in the bottom of the ninth, the 4-4 score became final because of Virginia’s travel arrangements in accordance with ACC policy. This is the second time the Cavaliers have been affected by a time limit this season; the team played an eight-inning game because of time constraints in the series finale against Miami March 22, a 7-5 loss.In game two, the Cavaliers faced a 10-5 deficit going into the ninth inning. Yellow Jackets freshman closer Mark Pope recorded just two outs to start the ninth while giving up five hits and walking two though, and Georgia Tech committed an error as Virginia scored six runs to take the 11-10 advantage. Arico then threw a scoreless ninth to earn his third save of the season.The series opener started Friday but was suspended to Saturday after 3 1/3 innings because of inclement weather. Freshman pitcher Danny Hultzen threw for the duration of Friday. After the delay, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor had sophomore pitcher Tyler Wilson toe the mound as the game resumed Saturday with the score 3-2 in Virginia’s favor. Wilson gave up two runs in 3 2/3 innings, but the Cavaliers rallied for three runs to take a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the eighth.Junior closer Matt Packer, though, could not seal the win, allowing three runs on sixth hits in 1 1/3 innings. The loss dropped the 2008 ERA title winner to 1-3 on the season and inflated his ERA to 4.24.The Cavaliers’ scheduled Tuesday game against Coastal Carolina was canceled because of forecast inclement weather and will not be rescheduled. Virginia will take the field Wednesday against Radford at home; in the teams’ previous matchup March 31, the Cavaliers beat the Highlanders 12-2 in Salem, Va.—compiled by Paul Montana
(04/14/09 5:34am)
The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams completed the two-day Lou Onesty/Milton Abramson Invitational, their last meets of the regular season, at Lannigan Field Saturday in impressive fashion. The squads broke several records and qualified two more athletes for next month’s NCAA East Regional Championships.Senior Andrew Jesien and freshman Sintayehu Taye joined fellow mile-runner sophomore Emil Heineking as regional qualifiers, bringing the number of Cavalier qualifiers to 15. The trio swept the mile run Friday, with two-time ACC champion Jesien — competing in his first meet of the season — leading in 4 minutes, 2.18 seconds. Heineking followed shortly with 4:04.80, and Taye finished in 4:05.38.Fellow junior Ayla Smith followed up her Friday outing with a record-breaking performance Saturday. Smith’s first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles in 13.65 seconds bested senior teammate Lauren Echko’s previous school record of 13.72 seconds, set last year.Sophomore Malcolm Carradine, junior Rainer Fiala, senior Brain Lee and freshman Kevin Anding took the 4-by-100-meter relay race with a winning time of 41.58 seconds. Sophomore Robbie Eckardt also added to the win column for the Cavaliers, finishing first in the 3000-meter race with a personal best time of 8:34.64.The field event also saw success for the Cavaliers both days. Junior Meghan Briggs added to Friday’s victories by winning the javelin with a throw of 155 feet, 6 inches. Senior Yemi Ayeni then won the men’s discus Saturday with a season-best toss of 197’2”. Senior Billie-Jo Grant also turned in a season-best toss, winning the women’s event with a throw of 167’8”.The Cavaliers will compete Thursday through Saturday in the ACC Championships at Miami. —compiled by Nick Eilerson
(04/14/09 5:33am)
The No. 42 Virginia men’s golf team finished eighth in the 15-team River Landing Intercollegiate in Wallace, N.C. this weekend. The Cavaliers compiled a 14-over 878 total during the two-day, 54-hole tournament at the River Landing Golf Course, finishing 28 shots behind first-place Duke.Freshmen Bruce Woodall and Ben Kohles anchored the Virginia squad during the weekend event. Woodall — in his second collegiate tournament as a scoring player — shot a par 216 en route to a team-best 13th-place finish, and Kohles ended with a 4-over 220 total good enough for 36th place.Not all of the Cavaliers performed as well as Woodall and Kohles, though. Sophomore Will Collins, coming off of three consecutive top-five finishes, struggled to a 53rd-place finish with an 8-over 224 total. Although Collins managed to shoot a 71 Saturday, the sophomore experienced difficulties Friday, notching rounds of 76 and 77 for a team-worst single-day total of 153.Heading into the final round, the Cavaliers’ 18-over 594 36-hole total was 31 shots behind then-front-runner N.C. State. Despite leading Duke by seven shots, the Wolfpack finished second behind the Blue Devils by six strokes. N.C. State sophomore Matt Hill earned individual medalist honors, however, with a 10-under 206.The Cavaliers will head to New London, N.C. Friday to compete in the ACC Championships.—compiled by Nick Eilerson