Lacrosse Teams Earn NCAA Spots

From VirginiaSports.com official releases

No. 8 Virginia has received a bid to the 2012 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship as the No. 5 seed and will host the Princeton Tigers in the first round on Sunday (May 13) at 1 p.m., inside Klockner Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN. This marks the fifth season (1974, 1981, 1993 and 1994) where Virginia was seeded as the tournament's No. 5 team. The last two times it happened where head coach Dom Starsia's first two seasons in Charlottesville.

Virginia, ranked No. 6 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media and No. 8 in the USILA coaches polls, enter the NCAA Tournament with an 11-3 overall mark. Princeton, ranked No. 10 in media poll and No. 9 in the coaches poll, earns the at-large bid and enters the NCAA Tournament with an 11-4 record and winners of five of its last six games.

This is Virginia's 35th tournament appearance overall, second behind Johns Hopkins (41). Virginia won the national championship a year ago and has received a bid in 19 of the last 20 seasons.

The eighth-ranked Virginia women's lacrosse team earned an at-large berth to the 2012 NCAA Tournament and will travel to seventh-seeded and seventh-ranked Duke for a first-round game on Sunday (May 13) at 2 p.m. The Cavaliers (11-7) are unseeded and face the Blue Devils (11-6) for a second time this year, having won the regular-season match-up in Durham, 14-12, on March 24.

The at-large berth marks the 17th-consecutive year that Virginia has participated in the NCAA Tournament (23rd overall). The Cavaliers have an all-time record of 29-21 in the postseason and have won NCAA Championships in 1991, 1993 and 2004.

Under head coach Julie Myers, the Cavaliers have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in all 17 years of her tenure. Her squads hold an overall record of 22-15 in the tournament and won the 2004 NCAA title.

The Cavaliers and Blue Devils have faced each other four times in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2009. Duke won that match-up in overtime in Durham, 15-13, while the Cavaliers won NCAA Tournament contests in 1999, 2005 and 2007.

Read more on Virginia and the NCAA Tournaments at VirginiaSports.com.

This Week In Recruiting

Last week was a good one for the UVa football and men's basketball programs.

Mike London's program scored a big-time linebacker commitment last week, from Gilman (Baltimore, MD) junior Micah Kiser. The 6'2", 210-pound Kiser had double-digit scholarship offers, including Florida, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

Linebacker is an important position for UVa in 2013 recruiting, and Kiser, who could play inside or outside, is a great start.

Another one of Virginia's top linebacker targets is featured in an EDGE article posted last Friday. Woodberry Forest (VA) junior Doug Randolph, a 6'3", 220-pound prospect, is a Stanford commitment but is showing serious interest in Virginia as well as Notre Dame.

Kiser, of course, wasn't Virginia football's only addition last week. Former Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) and University of Alabama quarterback Phillip Sims is officially a Virginia Cavalier.

Sims, who ESPNU ranked as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the nation in the 2010 class (Rivals and Scout had him at No. 2), could be eligible this fall if the NCAA approves a hardship waiver. If he is eligible, he will have three seasons of eligibility remaining beginning this season. If the waiver is denied, Sims will have to sit out the 2012 season and will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2013.

Tony Bennett's basketball program officially has two more players as well. Last Friday, Virginia officially welcomed power forward Anthony Gill and combo guard Taylor Barnette. Gill, a 6'8" power forward, is transferring in from the University of South Carolina after one year. He will have three years of eligibility remaining after he sits out the 2012/2013 season.

Barnette, a 6'3", 185-pound high school senior out of Lexington Christian Academy (Lexington, KY), committed to the Hoos while on an official visit last Thursday and Friday. He signed a letter-of-intent on Friday and will enroll on June 10.

"It's still a little surreal," Barnette said of being a Virginia Cavalier. "I'm so excited. It's a blessing."

Barnette, known for his shooting ability, was a 4-year starter on the LCA varsity squad. He averaged 17, 17, and 19 points per game over the course of his final three years. I caught up with Barnette late Sunday night for an interview, and I will have an EDGE article up on him up on Tuesday. I also hope to get comments from Gill this week as well.

Also on the basketball front, I'll have a "News, Notes and Links" feature up this evening. In this feature, I'll cover some of the recent news on the basketball recruiting front (including more news from the Hampton EYBL event).

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 since the last SabreMail ...

Sims Transferring To UVa
It's official. Quarterback Phillip Sims, who starred at Oscar Smith High School (Chesapeake, VA) before spending two seasons at the University of Alabama, is transferring to the University of Virginia. UVa's official athletics website, VirginiaSports.com, announced the news in a release this afternoon.

2012 Combo Guard Commits To UVa
Lexington Christian Academy (Lexington, KY) combo guard Taylor Barnette landed an offer from head coach Tony Bennett, while finishing up an official visit to UVa. The 6'3", 175-pound senior accepted and will sign a letter-of-intent with the Hoos.

The Latest On 2013 PG Anthony Barber
Anthony "Big Cat" Barber is considered one of the top point guards in the class of 2013. Rivals.com rates him a 5-star prospect and the no. 13 junior in the nation. Scout.com ranks him as a 5-star and no. 21 in the country, while ESPN.com has him as a 4-star recruit and the no. 25 junior in the country. As you might expect, the 6'2", 165-pound Hampton (VA) product is a highly recruited player.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• UVa's The Choice For Top LB Kiser
• UVa Still In Contention For Randolph
• Mills Godwin OL On The Verge Of More Offers?
• Stanford Robinson Looking To Visit Schools
• Devon Hall Talks Recruiting, Basketball
• Recruiting Notes (blog)

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Blog Banter: The Afternoon Break

The Good Ol Blog's newest feature on TheSabre.com is The Afternoon Break, a collection of interesting links and things from around the site and beyond. Friday's Break post features a poll inspired by Sabre poster Hoos in da house, who asked an interesting question on multiple boards this week. Vote through Friday at noon!

Minnifield With The Redskins

Tom Robinson of The Virginian-Pilot caught up with Hoo cornerback Chase Minnifield at Redskins Park. Read the "Ex-Cav Minnifield 'playing mad' as Redskins rookie" article. Minnifield had this to say about not being drafted: "It was frustrating. But you know, I'm gonna turn all the negative energy into a positive energy. I always play with a chip on my shoulder, but it's a little bigger."

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Emily Fraser and Steele Stanwick UVa's Top Athletes: Emily Fraser (women's tennis) and Steele Stanwick (men's lacrosse) were honored as Virginia's top female and male athletes for the 2011-12 academic year at UVa's annual awards dinner on May 2 at John Paul Jones Arena. Fraser received the IMP Award as the top female athlete and Stanwick the WINA Award as the top male athlete.
• Virginia to Host NCAA Men's and Women's Tennis Regionals: For the third consecutive year, both the Virginia men's and women's tennis teams will host NCAA Tournament first and second round play at the Snyder Tennis Center. The women's regional will be May 11-12, while the men's regional will be May 12-13. In the women's tournament, Virginia will host Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round, while Tennessee plays VCU in the other first round match in Charlottesville. In the men's tournament, the Cavaliers also play Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round, with VCU meeting Columbia in the other first round match.
• Women's Tennis Signs Stephanie Nauta: The Virginia women's tennis team announced the signing of Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) during the spring signing period. The No. 6-ranked recruit nationally, she will join the Cavalier program in 2012-13.
• Fraser and Hardenbergh Selected for NCAA Individual Championships: The Virginia women's tennis team had two individuals selected to compete in the 2012 NCAA Individual Championships, to be held May 23-28 at the Dan Magill Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Georgia. Emily Fraser and Lindsey Hardenbergh were selected to the 64-player singles field, while the team of Fraser and Hardenbergh was selected to the 32-team doubles field.
• Four Cavaliers Earn NCAA Individual Championship Bids: The Virginia men's tennis team had four individuals selected to compete in the 2012 NCAA Individual Championships, to be held May 23-28 at the Dan Magill Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Georgia. Alex Domijan, Mitchell Frank and Jarmere Jenkins received selections to the 64-player singles field, while the team of Jenkins and Drew Courtney was selected to the 32-team doubles field.
• Three Sign NLIs to Join Cavaliers: Virginia director of track and field/cross country Bryan Fetzer announced Tuesday that Audrey Batzel, Jessica Caldwell and Peyton Chaney have all signed National Letters of Intent to join the Cavaliers in the fall.
• Six Cavaliers Named to VaSID All-State Wrestling Team: Six Virginia wrestlers were named to the 2012 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Wrestling Team, as announced by the organization. UVa boasted the most wrestlers of any school on the team. Virginia's three ACC champions in 2012 - Matt Snyder, Nick Nelson and Jon Fausey - each were named to the first team in their respective classes, while Gus Sako, Jedd Moore and Nick Sulzer each earned second-team acclaim.
• Two-Part Documentary on UVa Men's Lacrosse Debuts May 8 on ESPNU: This May, Jalbert Productions and Little Brother of War Entertainment is bringing fans an all-access look into the Virginia men's lacrosse program in two different 30-minute episodes. "There And Back," built in the documentary mold of HBO's "Hard Knocks," debuts on Tuesday, May 8 on ESPNU at 6:30 p.m. The second and final 30-minute episode will be televised May 9 on ESPNU in the same 6:30 p.m. time slot.
• Bracket Set for 2012 ACC Softball Championship: The Virginia softball team (26-24, 8-13 ACC) earned the No. 6 seed in the 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Championship and will face No. 3 seed Georgia Tech in the first game of the event at 12 p.m. Thursday at North Carolina's Anderson Stadium. The top-seeded Tar Heels are serving as the host school for the tournament.
• Farrakhan Named to NBA D-League All-Rookie Team: ormer Virginia guard Mustapha Farrakhan was named to the NBA Developmental League All-Rookie Second Team this week. Farrakhan spent his first season as a professional playing for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA D-League.

To read the full stories or gather more information on Virginia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 169 - December 17, 2004

Big E, Big Money make All-America team

Neither Elton Brown nor Heath Miller came to UVa four years ago as a blue-chip recruit. Neither was rated among the top 10 prospects in the state by various recruiting services, much less among the top prospects in the country.

Heath Miller

Well, look at 'em now. Both Brown and Miller were named to the Walter Camp All-America first team this week as the nation's top players at their positions. The 6-6, 338-pound Brown, a fixture at right guard for four seasons, has played a large role in helping the Cavaliers lead the ACC in rushing this season. He won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC's top blocker for the second straight year.

Miller also earned the John Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end. He has 36 receptions for 475 yards and five touchdowns - numbers that pale next to his monster stats last season - but he has been the main receiving threat on a run-oriented team and also made a significant impact as a blocker.

Sophomore linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who leads the team with 85 tackles, was named a second-team All-American. Now the question is whether Miller, a redshirt junior, and Brooks will stick around or apply for the NFL Draft.

Read SabreMail No. 169 here.

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:

• Clint Sintim's Rehab: Clint Sintim continues to make strides in his knee rehab and he checks in with his latest article.
• Baseball Reports: TheSabre.com continues to provide opponent scouting reports for baseball.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

The Sabre Interview: Frank Quayle
Frank Quayle is one of the all-time greats in Cavalier football history and one of only six Virginia players to have his number (24) retired. Quayle's mark in UVa and local history is not isolated only to his time as a player. Quayle has been a fixture in Charlottesville for decades as a realtor with Roy Wheeler in Charlottesville and as a color analyst in the broadcast booth on football Saturdays. The Sabre Interview checks in with Quayle for a one-on-one interview with a great Hoo.

Quayle A Rare Breed For UVa
Growing up with a dad who was a UVa coach and also an ACC football official, it was hard not to fall in love with Charlottesville, UVa, and those Scott Stadium Saturdays in the fall. It was 1966, the opening game of the year, and by some quirk my dad did not have a game that day. Usually our mom, who was a big Virginia sports fan as well, would take us to the game, but it was really cool as "Daddy" went with us as well. The Hoos had a senior QB in Bob Davis who had a great career at UVa and led the Cavaliers to an opening-game win against Wake Forest that day. I had noticed that Virginia had a new running back that looked pretty good, and I remember he wore the No. 24.

McGee Hopes To Make Mark At TE
From the early to mid 2000's, Virginia was known as "Tight End U." The position was the focal point of the UVa passing attack, and five Cavalier tight ends reached the NFL. Leading the charge for Virginia was Heath Miller, who came to Charlottesville as a lightly recruited quarterback but eventually blossomed into the best tight end in school history. Now Jake McGee, another quarterback turned tight end, is ready to leave his mark on the program.

JHoo's Random Thoughts - Extended Spring Edition
Every spring, there is an opportunity for a coaching staff - and a fan base - to get to know its team a little bit better. But likewise, there is an opportunity for those who follow the program to try to analyze a bit too closely what they have seen on the field in practices and the Spring Game. So this Spring, let's try to avoid getting too in-depth in analyzing what should not be analyzed in-depth. Instead, let's agree that the spring is what it is: a time when plenty of random thoughts can be bouncing around in terms of the promise of the future. Here are some of mine.

Beyond The Lawn With Stephanie Marie Garcia: The Olympics Are Coming, The Olympics Are Coming!
2012 can be defined as the year my training is entirely focused around one race (well, technically two - the Olympic Trials has a preliminary race and a final race, but you get the point). It's my first year out in the real world of running, as a "professional," and, to be quite frank, I'm taking it kind of hard. I have tunnel vision; it's hard to find a victory or a success in everyday training because I'm often so fixated on "making the Olympic team." It's not a healthy way to train and it's certainly not a happy way to train.

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