CNN Features U.Va. Athletic Trainer
CNN’s “Health Minute” did a piece today on athletic trainers, and it featured Kelli Pugh, U.Va.’s associate athletic trainer for football.
Coach London Now Tweeting
Cavalier football coach Mike London has now entered the tweet-o-sphere.
‘Night at the Ballpark’ a Hit for Ryan Zimmerman
Faithful readers of the UVA Today News Blog know that we have a soft spot for anything involving U.Va. baseball — and particularly former Cavalier star Ryan Zimmerman, now arguably the best third baseman in the National League (no matter what the All-Star voters say).
What casual fans may not be aware of is Zimmerman’s commitment to battling multiple sclerosis, which afflicts his mother. His ziMS Foundation on Monday hosted an event at Nationals Park — called, amazingly enough, “A Night at the Ballpark” — to raise funds. (Zimmerman negotiated the free use of the ballpark for one night a year in his contract with the Washington Nationals.)
From this account on the “We Love DC” blog, the night was a success. Perhaps most impressive, many of Zimmerman’s teammates showed up, on their day off after arriving home at 3 a.m. that morning from a week-long roadtrip to Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Bravo to Zimm (and his teammates). You’re still making us proud back here on Grounds.
(You can find photos of the event here.)
Alaska Plane Crash Claims Life of U.Va. Football Dad
The Alaska plane crash that killed former U.S. Sen Ted Stevens also claimed the life of attorney and lobbyist William Phillips Sr., the father of U.Va. football player Colter Phillips (pictured). Among the injured was Colter’s 13-year-old brother, Willy.
In a statement distributed this morning, U.Va. football coach Mike London said: “A member of our football family, Colter Phillips, lost his father William ‘Bill’ Sr., Monday in a plane crash that claimed several lives. Our thoughts
and prayers are with the Phillips family and all the other families affected by this tragedy. Colter is currently with his family and we are committed to supporting him in any way possible.”
Colter Phillips, a second-year tight end on the Cavalier squad, has two more brothers who play Division I football. His older brother Andrew is a senior offensive guard at Stanford, and his younger brother Paul is a freshman tight end at Indiana.
National Soccer Champs Taken Down a Peg
Less than nine months after winning the 2009 NCAA Championship in men’s soccer, U.Va. is ranked No. 2 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason poll, the organization announced Tuesday.
Akron — the team the Cavaliers vanquished in penalty kicks in last year’s title game to earn their first NCAA championship since 1994 — drew the top spot.
U.Va. opens its preseason Aug. 20 with a game against Virginia Commonwealth University in Klockner Stadium.
More Evidence That There’s a New Sheriff in Town
No, not Teresa Sullivan this time. The headline refers to head football coach Mike London, who said in his introductory press conference that he would make academics a top priority.
Sure, all college coaches say that. But as this Richmond Times-Dispatch article details, London is following through — going so far as to send assistant coaches to the door of his players’ 8 a.m. classes to check them in, and then randomly checking to make sure they stay there.
As a result, the team’s spring GPA was the highest it’s been in a decade.
I wonder if non-football parents can hire out the coaches to check on their kids?
Sports Alumni Update: Monica Wright, Thomas Jones
A couple of updates on some of the more popular Cavalier athletes to pass through Charlottesville …
• Women’s basketball player Monica Wright, U.Va.’s all-time leading scorer, seems to be struggling a little as of late as a rookie with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, but is one of only four player to have appeared in all 19 of the team’s games (starting nine of them). She’s averaging 9.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in about 22 minutes of action, but is shooting just 30 percent from the floor, including just four of 21 shots in the last two games. Minnesota is 7-12 on the season after a narrow two-point loss to league-leading Seattle on Saturday.
• Former Cavalier football great Thomas Jones is settling in with his fifth NFL team in 11 years since lighting up Scott Stadium, despite consistently outstanding years in the pro ranks and earning a reputation as a positive locker room leader — an oddity that drew the notice of the New York Times over the weekend. This year, he’ll be carrying the ball for the Kansas City Chiefs. His previous stops: Arizona, Tampa Bay, Chicago and the New York Jets.
U.Va. Grad Marino Hanging In at British Open
If you’re looking for something good to watch on TV Saturday and Sunday mornings, you might want to check out the British Open golf tournament. It’s looking like U.Va. grad Steve Marino will make the cut in his Open debut, despite shooting 76 in near-gale-force winds on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, the fabled home of golf. (In Thursday’s first round, played in much gentler conditions, Marino carded a very competitive 69.)
Marino has a lot of ground to make up, though, if he is to get into contention. He trails second-round leader Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa by a whopping 13 strokes.
Coach London Offers 100 Free Football Tickets to Superfans
Mike London’s PR Blitz, Part 4: New head football coach Mike London has purchased 100 season tickets in an end zone section, and is seeking to turn that part of Scott Stadium into a rallying point.
On Monday, he announced that he would give away the seats to Virginia’s biggest fans, as identified in an essay contest. The question essayists must answer: “What makes you the most loyal, passionate Virginia football fan and how do you show your Cavalier spirit?” The response - 1,000 words or less — and a photo of the fans in his or her best Wahoo regalia, are due Aug. 6 at 5 p.m.
Vote Zimmerman for All-Star
There’s one more roster spot left on the National League All-Star team, and Major League Baseball holds a fan vote to determine who gets it. Among the five candidates is former U.Va. star Ryan Zimmerman, an outstanding third baseman for the not-so-outstanding Washington Nationals.
Zimmerman certainly has the credentials. A winner of both the Gold Glove (as the best fielder in the league at his position) and a Silver Slugger (as the best hitter in the league at his position) in 2009, Zimmerman is batting .293 with 16 home runs and 46 RBI. Last night, he hit a double and two home runs — including the game-winning shot in the bottom of the ninth inning — as the Nats rallied to beat the NL West-leading San Diego Padres, 6-5.
The voting closes Thursday at 4 p.m. You can cast your ballot here; vote as often as you can wish.
For more on Zimmerman, check out this Athletic Department release. The All-Star Game will be played Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Anaheim, Calif.
‘09-’10 Cavaliers Finish Third in All-Sports Ranking
Congratulations go out to the U.Va. athletics department — players, coaches, administrators and support staff, and certainly Craig Littlepage, director of athletics — for their best-ever third-place finish among the nation’s Division I schools in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup.
U.Va.’s highest previous finish in the 17-year-old competition was eighth, in both 1999 and 2009. Virginia is one of just 15 schools to finish in the top 30 for each of the years of the program.
The Cup measures schools’ performances in NCAA championship play. According to the Athletics news release, “Teams or individuals in 21 of Virginia’s 25 intercollegiate athletics programs advanced to postseason competition in 2009-10. U.Va. won three team national championships and three individual national titles. Virginia won NCAA titles in women’s rowing and men’s soccer along with a third consecutive ITA National Team Indoor Championship in men’s tennis.”
From “U-V-A!” to “U-S-A!”: Bradley Leads U.S. Through
Congratulations to former U.Va. assistant soccer coach Bob Bradley, whose U.S. national soccer team just advanced to the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup, being held in South Africa. The winning goal in the 1-0 defeat of Algeria came in the first minute of stoppage time, ending what had been a frustrating game for the Americans.
To read about Bradley’s U.Va. ties, click here.
WCAV Reports: There MIGHT Be Some Baseball Tickets
WCAV-CBS-19 says (after the commercial, below) there may be a few tickets available for tonight’s decisive Super Regional baseball showdown between U.Va. and Oklahoma, but you’d better get moving. The tickets go on sale at the booth outside Davenport at 5 p.m. The winner of the game jets off to the College World Series in Omaha.
Football Coaches to Offer Free Ladies’ Clinic on Sunday
Mike London (right) has yet to coach a football game at U.Va — at least as a head coach — but he’s already having a great offseason.
The latest addition to a string of P.R. efforts is the “Ladies Night Football 101″ clinic, set for Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the McCue Center (with registration at 5:30). London and his assistant coaches promise to explain offense, defense and special teams, and review the rules and equipment. The evening concludes with a meet-and-greet with the coaching staff and a tour of the McCue Center, the football team’s headquarters.
The price? FREE. To RSVP, e-mail Stephen Atkinson at swa5m@virginia.edu.
London has spent much of the time since his December hiring evangelizing for Cavalier football. Besides countless speaking engagements and charity appearances, he took his football team to recruit-rich Hampton Roads for an open spring practice, and recently launched a reality TV series, “Virginia Football: The Building of a Program.”
One More Walk Down the Lawn
UVA Today Honcho Marian Anderfuren writes:
The Monday after Final Exercises is reserved for U.Va. athletes who were competing on Sunday. That’s when eight players and two staff members from the men’s lacrosse team and two members of the women’s softball team had their moment in the sun. And clouds. And sun.
Law School, News, On Grounds, People, Sports, Student Life | Tuesday, May 25th | By: Dan @10:56 am | 0 Comments
