Earlier today we recapped the weekend scoreboard for the Virginia Cavaliers. But as everyone knows, sports aren't just about the Ws and Ls you get -- it's about the individual accolades! (You should note that perhaps for this very reason, I most enjoy playing the individual sport of tennis.) The past few days have been nothing about a showcase of individual merit among a team tradition of excellence.
Four Hoos in the Davis Cup. Two current and two former Cavalier men will represent their respective nations in the 2010 Davis Cup. Former Cavalier great and two-time NCAA Champion Somdev Devvarman, together with junior Sanam Singh, will compete for India. The two have previously competed together in doubles play. Freshman Julen Uriguen will make his third DAvis Cup appearance for the Team Guatemala against Mexico, while former Cavalier Treat Huey will play for the Philippines against Japan. Congratulations to these deserving 'Hoos, and best of luck in competition!
ACC Pitcher of the Week. Just in case you haven't heard his name before, Virginia lefty Danny Hultzen was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week after his impressive 13-0 victory over Rhode Island on Friday. He pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just two baserunners and giving up only two hits, of which just one left the infield. This isn't his first accolade, as he returns as the 2009 ACC Freshman of the Year, and was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 16, 2009.
First Team All-ACC. Monica Wright has shattered records at Virginia. The ACC Preseason Player of the Year has not disappointed fans, as this she was named to the First Team All-ACC Women's Basketball team for the second consecutive year (she was a Second-Team selection her sophomore year and the ACC Rookie of the Year prior to that). Blah blah blah, basically Wright has dominated ACC play, and is among the leading contenders for ACC Player of the Year. She is also a midseason candidate for all three national player of the year awards -- the Naismith Trophy, Wade Trophy, and Wooden Award.
Player of the Week. Senior All-American Brittany Kalkstein was named to the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week for the first time in her career, as announced this morning. Yesterday, she had also been named the WomensLax.com Player of the Week, with both organizations recognizing her two goals and two assists, including a game-winning helper, as the 'Hoos upset No. 6 Syracuse on Saturday.
All-ACC Academic Team. Four Wahoos were named to the All-ACC Academic Cross Country Teams today. Senior Stephanie Garcia, junior Catherine White, and sophomore Morgane Gay were named to the women's team, while senior Trey Miller was named to the men's team. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 GPA for the previous semester, maintained a 3.00 cumulative GPA during their academic career, and be really, really awesome.
Four Cavs Rake in the Dough. This is not entirely accurate. Four Virginia student-athletes were recognized by the ACC as recipients of postgraduate scholarships, as men's basketball player Jerome Meyinsse and swimmers Mei Christensen and Jenna Harris earned the WEaver-James-Corrigan scholarship, which gives them $5,000 each to contribute to their graduate institution. Women's golfer Whitney Neuhauser is one of four honorary recipients of the scholarship, as she plans to enter a professional career.
These awards go to show you that our Virginia Cavaliers are more than just pretty faces and strong competitors -- they're great in the classroom and beyond. Way to go, Hoos!