Glancing down the bench at a recent Virginia wrestling meet, three men stood out among the orange-and-blue-clad athletes going through their pre-game motions and head coach Lenny Bernstein. One was a light-haired man in his mid-twenties, calmly checking with officials and conversing with Cavalier head coach Bernstein before competition got under way.
By Eric Ast Cavalier Daily Senior Writer When a team wins a championship, at some point after the trophy has been hoisted and the celebration has subsided -- and in some cases before the champagne has even dried -- the thoughts of the coaches, fans and players move to whether they'll be celebrating once again next season. While assessing a team's chances of repeating a championship win, the most immediate questions are which players the team is losing and who will be coming in to replace them.
The Cavaliers track team competed in the Virginia Tech Challenge over the weekend as a tune-up for next week's ACC championships. David Sullivan broke his own school record in the pole vault with a second-place vault of 5.3 meters, which also qualified him for the NCAA tournament. Virginia also brought home second-place finishes in the men's and women's distance medley relays, junior Kellen Blassingame in the 400 and sophomore Alex Tatu in the mile.
Well, it is that time of year again. Time to report for the start of the season, despite only a short break.
With the weather expected to be upper 60s and sunny today, it's time to do some spring cleaning and empty out the file of random sports stories... -With no resolution to the labor dispute in sight, the National Hockey League is expected to make a formal announcement later today to cancel the 2004-05 season.
Virginia tennis had a weekend of split results as the men's team defeated two ranked teams and the women fell to Pennsylvania Saturday. The men's tennis team finished a five game homestand with their fifth win of the season.
The Virginia women's basketball team held a slim 59-58 lead over Virginia Tech with 7.7 seconds remaining last night.
It was the perfect day for a game of baseball in North Carolina, and the Cavaliers were playing a tie-breaking third game in a series against Wilmington with a pitching matchup between Wilmington's Thomas Benton against the Cavaliers' Jeff Kamrath. Since the Seahawks won Friday's game and Virginia took Saturday's, Sunday's matchup was especially significant.
I grew up in a family where three uncles attended the University of Virginia, and they and my parents (William and Mary graduates with the need to live vicariously through Virginia sports) always told me about the history of Cavalier basketball.
Gary Forbes came off the Virginia bench with one mission: stop Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell. That defensive substitution turned into the offensive spark the Cavaliers needed to avenge a Jan.
Familiar faces, unfamiliar places. Such is the life of a University baseball reporter with access to a car. And so I found myself in Wilmington, N.C.
Among a pair of e-mails asking me if I was interested in free Cialis, I received a message in my inbox from Devin Smith Tuesday afternoon.
It was a comeback fueled by two freshmen coming off the bench. Unfortunately, the comeback was too little, too late as the Virginia Cavaliers (16-8, 5-5) fell to the visiting Miami Hurricanes (12-11, 4-6) by the score of 66-60 last night. The freshman duo of Takisha Granberry and Denesha Kenion scored seven consecutive points that helped jumpstart the sluggish Cavaliers late in the second half.
Alas, spring has not quite sprung. Be that as it may, that does not mean the Virginia softball squad cannot start their season of bloom. This weekend the Cavaliers travel to Chapel Hill, N.C.
With March Madness inching closer by the day, Virginia coach Pete Gillen seems to have pulled out his recipe for a little late-season drama, one that includes a heavy dose of defense and a little home-court advantage. Coming off two nail-biting wins by a combined three points against ACC rivals NC State and Florida State, the Cavaliers are experiencing some self-assurance, a feeling that has been in short supply so far this season. "We've won a couple close ones, but you lose some, so I think when you win you get more confidence," Gillen said. He also highlighted the team's recent focus on defense after being consistently outscored over the course of the season. "We have to win with defense.
February is baseball's month of renewal. Emerging from their months of hibernation, players are rested and ready to set out on another arduous season.
After starting their respective seasons in impressive fashion, both the Virginia men's and women's tennis teams will look to build off their early season success when they return to the court this weekend at the Boar's Head Sports Club. On the men's side of the net, the undefeated Cavaliers will take on No.
What's happening around the ACC? This was supposed to be the toughest conference in the history of the league, one in which seven, yes, seven teams made the tournament. At one point, seven teams were ranked, the Virginia Cavaliers among them, but that number has dropped to just three: second-ranked UNC, sixth-ranked Wake Forest and seventh-ranked Duke. Conference coaches have been quick to point out that teams are just beating up on each other, whereas outside commentators look at the Big East and still see five ranked teams. Personally, I think it's hard to think anything but the former, as there were still seven ACC teams ranked the week before conference play started and five the week after conference play.
Starting at forward, a 6-foot-10 sophomore from Philadelphia, No. 32, Jason Cain. The mustachioed -- no, scratch that, the mustache-free Cain made his second-straight start last night, as Virginia coach Pete Gillen opted for beanpole over bulk in his starting lineup. Back up, you say?
In a down year for Virginia wrestling, Paul Bjorlo's performances have been a bright spot. Expected to remain strong with many wrestlers returning from last year's squad, which finished 16th in the NCAA Championships, Virginia's team currently stands at 4-9 following a weekend loss to No.
