White: Hoos Surging in Directors' Cup Race

Jeff White, the hard-working reporting machine at VirginiaSports.com, put up a blog post this past week about Virginia's continued strong showing in the Director's Cup competition, which determines the top overall athletics program in the nation. Here's a portion of that post (read the whole thing by clicking here):

Its first top-5 finish in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup competition appears well within UVa's reach.

The first spring standings were released this morning, and Virginia, which came out of the winter in eighth place, has climbed to third.

Stanford -- who else? -- is first with 1,395 points, followed by Ohio State with 1,000.50.

UVa is next with 949.50, and its total doesn't include the 100 points that Kevin Sauer's team earned by winning the NCAA women's rowing title last weekend.

That Stanford will win the Directors' Cup for a record 16th time is certain. But with a strong finish, UVa could overtake Ohio State and finish second.

Virginia placed eighth overall in 2008-09, which tied the school's best finish in the competition.

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

UVa picked up a couple of big-time commitments at Sunday's Blue Chip Prospect Day, including Good Counsel (Olney, MD) defensive lineman Vincent Croce and Boys' Latin School (Baltimore, MD) defensive end Marco Jones. Neither player was necessarily expected to commit at this point in time, but Virginia was held in high regard by both players prior to the visit. Both are rising seniors.

Croce, a 6-4, 265-pound prospect, is being recruited as a defensive end. With his size, though, he could potentially move inside to tackle. As a junior last season, he racked up 35 tackles including 10 sacks in helping Good Counsel to its first ever WCAC Championship.

Jones, a 6-3, 250-pound prospect, is also being recruited by Virginia as a defensive end. He totaled 70 tackles, including four sacks, last season and helped Boys' Latin to a 10-1 overall record. Actually, Jones and Croce knew each other well prior to the Blue Chip Day. The simultaneous commitments were not planned, but the two are friends and there is no doubt the Virginia coaches are happy to have both players on board.

Read more on Jones' commitment on the EDGE and stay tuned for more from Croce this week.

Sunday's junior day event was a hit with more than just Croce and Jones. So far, TheSabre.com has caught up with Blake and Eric Frohnapfel, Jordan Lomax and Clifton Richardson. All four players had great experiences and you can read more in an EDGE article already posted. Lomax, a cornerback prospect out of DeMatha (Hyattsville, MD), committed to Virginia in late April. Richardson, a 6-1, 195-pound running back prospect out of Menchville (Newport News, VA), is still a "soft" commit to Virginia but really seemed impressed by Sunday's trip.

The Frohnapfel brothers (Colonial Forge H.S. in Stafford) - Eric, a tight end, has an offer from UVa, while Blake, a quarterback, will attend camp later this month - also had highly positive things to say.

I will have much more on the event throughout this week, so stay tuned to the EDGE. This is just the beginning of a big month, however, as Virginia football will host its first one-day camp this Saturday. Prospects such as Cave Spring (Roanoke, VA) linebacker/safety Michael Cole will participate in hopes of gaining an offer from Virginia so stay tuned to the EDGE for coverage of this event as well.

Next week, basketball takes the stage with Tony Bennett's Elite Camp and the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville.

Chris Horne, our resident recruiting expert, provides updates throughout the week for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Blue Chip Day: UVa Adds More DL Talent
Prior to Sunday's Blue Chip Prospect Day, Virginia had two defensive line commitments in the fold. Green Run (Virginia Beach, VA) defensive tackle David Dean and Hermitage (Richmond, VA) defensive end Diamonte Bailey got the d-line recruiting off to a good start, but UVa head coach Mike London added more talent during today's Blue Chip Prospect Day.

Blue Chip Day: Richardson Update And More
Virginia's Blue Chip Prospect Day has already been a big success on the commitment front. In addition to those commits, though, there has been highly positive reaction from other prospects as well. Virginia commitments Jordan Lomax and Clifton Richardson and uncommitted targets Eric and Blake Frohnapfel commented on their experiences.

2012 Profile: Christchurch OL Win Homer
2012 class prospects can't receive official scholarship offers until September, but Christchurch (VA) offensive lineman Win Homer has been assured by two schools that written offers will be in the mail. The 6-5 1/2, 230-pound rising junior, son of Christchurch head coach Ed Homer, used the word "shock" to describe his emotions after learning two months ago that Boston College was offering.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Top Target Profile: DL Vincent Croce
• Eric, Blake Frohnapfel To Visit UVa On Sunday
• Top CB/WR Phelps Talks Recruiting
• Redman Visits Virginia
• UVa Eyes North Cobb (GA) LB
• Top TE Lands UVa Offer, Will Visit Thursday
• Burns Updates Recruitment
• Marshall Hopes To Decide Soon
• NC Forward Now Open

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Former Virginia Athletics Director Jim Copeland Dies

Virginia Athletics Media Relations, Official Release

Former Virginia Athletics Director Jim Copeland died at his home in Charlottesville Friday night (June 4) after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 65.

Copeland was the athletics director at Virginia from September of 1987 until December of 1994. During his career in athletics administration, he also served as athletics director at William and Mary, Utah and Southern Methodist.

During Copeland's tenure as athletics director at UVa, the Cavaliers won five national championships in men's soccer and two in women's lacrosse. In addition, the men's basketball team won the 1992 National Invitation Tournament, the football team played in six bowl games, and Virginia made NCAA Final Four appearances in women's basketball (three times), men's lacrosse (twice), women's lacrosse (twice) and women's soccer.

"The growth of the UVa athletics program was impacted significantly by Jim Copeland's leadership as our athletics director," said Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage. "His vision started facilities development like the McCue Center, Klöckner Stadium, and the Aquatic & Fitness Center. Jim's biggest contributions, however, were in his character, integrity, and his professionalism. He was enthusiastic in his attention to the welfare of all student-athletes, particularly in matters related to equity. I will greatly miss his guidance, his friendship, and his wonderful sense of humor."

Copeland was a member of the 2009 Hall of Fame class for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). He was a past president of NACDA.

The family will receive friends on Monday, June 7, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hill and Wood Funeral Home in Charlottesville. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 8, at 11 a.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 120 W. High Street in Charlottesville.

Contributions may be made to the W. James Copeland, Jr. Jefferson Scholarship at the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, P.O. Box 400891, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4891; Peace Lutheran Church, 1510 Broad Crossing Road, Charlottesville,VA 22911 or Hospice of the Piedmont, 675 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 300, Charlottesville VA 22911.

Read the full release here.

UVa Football TV Series Continues

The "Virginia Football: The Building of a Program" television show's next episode airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. It also will be posted online at VirginiaSportsTV.com and VirginiaFootball2010.com. The show airs each Monday on Comcast Sportsnet at 9 p.m. and is available online at VirginiaSportsTV.com on Tuesdays at 8 a.m. For more information, click here.

Fan of the Week

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• UVa Football Opener vs. Richmond Set for 6 p.m. Kickoff: Virginia's season-opening football game against Richmond on Saturday, Sept. 4 at Scott Stadium will start at 6 p.m. The game will be webcast on ESPN3 (formerly ESPN360.com). The contest will mark the debut of first-year coach Mike London, who will be coaching against a Spider team that he directed during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
• UVa Football Mini-Ticket Package On Sale: A mini-ticket package featuring Virginia's home football games against Florida State (Oct. 2), North Carolina (Oct. 16) and Miami (Oct. 30) is on sale now. The cost for the Three Game Power Pack is $135. Seating for the package will be available in the southwest upper end zone at Scott Stadium and includes sections 523, 524, 525, 526, 527 and 528.
• Virginia Rowing Wins Program's First National Championship: For the first time in Virginia rowing history, the No. 1-ranked Cavaliers captured the 2010 NCAA Rowing Championship with 87 points on Sunday at Lake Natoma at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. UVa's Varsity Four capped off an undefeated season by winning its race and being crowned national champions. "This is special feeling," Virginia head coach Kevin Sauer said. "It's unbelievable. We have worked so hard at this. It's a great, great feeling."
• Courtney and Shabaz Win NCAA Doubles Championship: The Virginia men's tennis program won its fourth individual NCAA Championship as the doubles team of Michael Shabaz and Drew Courtney won the 2010 NCAA Doubles Championship. The unseeded Cavalier duo, ranked No. 14 nationally entering the tournament, topped second-seeded John-Patrick Smith and Davey Sandgren of Tennessee in the final, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3.
• Three Cavaliers Named IWLCA All-Americans: The Virginia women's lacrosse team had three Cavaliers honored on an All-America team, as announced by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). Senior Brittany Kalkstein was named to the first team, while senior Kaitlin Duff was a second-team honoree and junior Liz Downs was included on the third team.
• Three Cavaliers Named Collegiate Baseball All-Americans: Virginia was represented by three of its players on the 2010 Collegiate Baseball All-America team. Danny Hultzen was named to the first team, while Kevin Arico and Phil Gosselin each earned third-team honors. Hultzen also has been named one of 30 semifinalists for the 2010 Golden Spikes Award, which is presented to the top player in college baseball. Arico also has been named one of five finalists for the 2010 Stopper of the Year Award, which is presented by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association to the top closer in the country.
• UVa Golfers Finish 11th at NCAA Championships: The 19th-ranked Virginia men's golf team capped off its finest showing at the NCAA Championships by finishing 11th in the 30-team field. The Cavaliers tied 13th-ranked Florida at 5-over 869 after 54 holes of play. UVa missed being in a multiple-team playoff for the final spot to advance to the match play portion of the tournament by a single stroke. Virginia shot 1-over 289 during the final round to help UVa to its equal its best-ever NCAA finish. By virtue of finishing in the top 12, the Cavaliers will receive an invitation to next year's Fall Preview tournament, which will be held at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, Okla., the site of the 2011 NCAA Championships.
• Altomare and Nielson Named to Golfweek All-America Squads: Virginia women's golfers Brittany Altomare and Calle Nielson have been named to Golfweek's All-America teams. Altomare, a freshman in 2010, was named a third-team All-American while Nielson, a junior last season, received honorable mention accolades. Altomare also has secured one of two spots from a sectional qualifying tournament for the 2010 U.S. Women's Open. Also, Whitney Neuhauser, a senior this past year, qualified for the 2010 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.
• VirginiaSportsTV.com Men's Soccer Piece Earns Emmy Nomination: Virginia athletics' Harrison Cluff has been nominated for an Emmy award for his work as producer, editor and videographer of "The Distant Goal" - a segment which covered the Virginia men's soccer program and highlighted forward Chris Agorsor.
• Crippen Wins Open Water National Championship: Former Virginia swimmer Fran Crippen became the 2010 USA Swimming National Champion in the 10K Open Water race held over the weekend at the Open Water National Championships in Long Beach, Calif.

For more Hoo news or to read full releases, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 362 - October 6, 2008

Did You See That Coming?

Virginia's 31-0 destruction of Maryland on Saturday proved to be a dominating surprise for a team that had lost three games this season by more than 25 points. Against the Terps, the Cavaliers controlled every facet of the game, beginning in the trenches and spreading everywhere on the field. Impressive to say the least.

Rob Mahini (Vandy-Hoo) takes a look at the weekend's game on The Good Ol' Blog. He's still searching for the right words two days later. Check out these two entries from the blog:

Quick thoughts on turtle crushings
Some quick thoughts about this past weekend. I've moved from speechless to stupified, which means I can discuss what happened but I may sound stupid doing it. Nevertheless, here goes nothing….

I tried very hard during the Comcast replay to look for under-the-radar problems with the team. Maybe some mistakes that weren't obvious as the Hoos blasted Maryland. And, frankly, the only one I saw was Vic Hall's Adventures in Punt Fielding and some other minor special teams issues. Aside from that, every other unit played superbly and almost flawlessly. The offensive line was pass protecting and run blocking like the old UVa teams. Verica was a mobile Matt Schaub. The wide receivers were open and catching almost everything. Peerman and Simpson were back with a vengeance. Phillips redeemed himself. The defensive line surged and the line backers were swarming. The DBs blanketed the Terp receivers. And the defense as a whole was a tackling machine.

So, a shutout by the defense and 31 points by the offense. Obviously the coaching staff did some things right this past week.

Dumbstruck
I'm still speechless. Hopefully, I'll have more coherent things to say after the replay tonight (Comcast SportsNet at 7 pm). But, for now, I'm simply speechless about the game itself. I just can't wrap my mind around how this team was able to go from getting blown out by the worst program in modern ACC history to returning the favor against a team that was supposed to be "a legitimate ACC title contender" just seven days later.

Check Out SabreMail #362.

Coming Soon

The Sabre has you covered when it comes to Hoo news. Here are a few of the articles to expect on the site soon:

• Field Report: Kevin Edds, a film maker working on the documentary Wahoowa: The History of Virginia Cavalier Football, checks in with a story about the history of football fields at UVa
• JHoo's Summer Reading: JHoo is taking a position by position look at the Virginia football team and the second article is due out this week!

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

St. John's Forces Deciding Game
Tyler Wilson came within one strike of taming the potent St. John's offense in the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament. Red Storm freshman Jeremy Baltz had other ideas. His two-run bomb, the second of the day, gave the visitors a 6-5 lead and snapped Virginia's nine-game winning streak at Davenport Field.

Barr-age Helps Hoos Top Ole Miss
The Virginia baseball team used back-to-back four-run innings in the third and fourth frames to build an eight-run lead that Ole Miss could not overcome in a 13-7 Cavalier victory. For the third consecutive game, UVa notched double-digit runs as it won its third consecutive game and ninth consecutive home contest.

Hicks, Hoos Hammer Rams
For the seventh time this season all nine Virginia starters recorded at least one hit as the Cavaliers tallied 16 total in a 15-4 rout of VCU in the opening game of the 2010 Charlottesville Regional. Virginia faces Ole Miss at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Photo Gallery: Baseball Vs. UNC
Ready for the Virginia baseball team to start NCAA Tournament play this Friday? Get fired up about the Hoos by reliving the series sweep against North Carolina at Davenport Field. This photo gallery features 49 images of the Cavaliers' three games with the Heels, including shots of John Hicks, Jarrett Parker, Tyler Cannon and more!

If It Ain't Broke ... Break It!
The Virginia baseball team entered the 2010 campaign coming off an ACC title and College World Series appearance in the unique position of returning all of its position players from 2009 and two-thirds of its weekend pitching rotation. Conventional wisdom: Why mess with success? But Virginia coach Brian O'Connor did not approach the year in a conventional fashion. O'Connor made, let's call them, refinements.

Parker Presents Challenge For Opponents
Jarrett Parker is a better player this year. Regardless of what some voting may say. Regardless of what some numbers look like. He's more consistent. He's making less mistakes and producing more quality at-bats. He's smarter. He's just better. Ask Virginia coach Brian O'Connor, who didn't even hesitate when the question was posed about Parker's 2010 season this week.

JHoo's Summer Reading 2010: Quarterbacks
Another year, another summer ... but this summer does not feel quite like other summers, something that certainly has been driven home with me as I begin writing the "Summer Reading" breakdowns of the depth chart. Why, you ask? Because for the life of me, I cannot sort out the depth chart. New staff, new systems, new players, new opportunities ... to me, all that creates are more chances for me to look silly as I say that Player X is likely to start and Player Y is going to be playing this position versus that position. (Though when you look at it that way, maybe this summer is not all that different than others.) So with peril in front of me, I of course am going to start with the one position that will draw the most attention and for which the starter may or may not be clear ... except that I think it is clear.

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