Author: Alex Leslie

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Aromas Cafe FC seeks unity through soccer

David Deaton, with the ball, plays in a pick-up soccer game at the Madison Bowl at UVA with other Aromas Cafe FC players.

Aromas Cafe FC, best known for its success in the 2016 Lamar Hunt Open Cup, wants fans to see its deeper purpose this year.

“For us, it’s all about being part of the community, being a reflection of the community and this is the community. This is why we play,” player manager David Deaton says.

The amateur soccer team is an adult recreational team run through SOCA. Last May, Aromas defeated the Richmond Strikers of the National Premier Soccer League and advanced to the second round of the Open Cup. There, they faced the Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer League, where they bowed out after a 4-0 defeat.

Now, with the recent publicity, the team hopes to show fans the power of soccer.

“The power of the game is how it brings people together. I’ve been lucky, through my business travel, to be able to play games in India, to play games in Greece. I’ve played games in Brazil [and] Argentina,” Deaton says. “How do we translate this and showcase that Charlottesville has an incredibly diverse community?”

Deaton and the team’s owner, Hassan Kaisoum, hope to bring immigrants and Charlottesville residents together through the sport and shed light on what they perceive as Charlottesville’s lacking soccer infrastructure.

Midfielder Mark Gaya came to Charlottesville from Kenya “with literally just a suitcase.” Shortly after his arrival, Gaya stumbled across a pickup soccer game at UVA’s Madison Bowl recreation fields but did not have cleats to play. One of the players, who came from Iran, offered him an extra pair of cleats. Since then, Gaya has been active in the soccer community.

“In my everyday [life], because of my line of work, I wouldn’t be able to sit down or meet with these people. But [soccer] allows me to do that, and learn about a different culture,” Gaya says.

Aromas Cafe FC doesn’t have a recruiting process like some competitive teams; members simply play pickup games around Charlottesville and are chosen from there.

“There really is no formal recruiting process,” defender Kyle Rose says. “There is a strong local local community of soccer players in the area so you know the players in the area. But a  lot of these guys want to stay involved in the soccer scene.”

Aromas Cafe FC is made up of players from around the world, including Iran, Croatia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Kenya and Ghana. The team started about a decade ago, according to former player Godfrey Branche, with just a few players, and now has a list of 80 or 90 names.

“This group started with my co-rec team,” Branche says. “In the offseason we would get people together and meet up at Carr’s Hill sometimes. Once we left [Carr’s Hill] and went to Division II in soccer, we started to add more people from different parts of the league.”

Now, as the soccer community grows, Deaton stresses the problems with the soccer infrastructure in Charlottesville, claiming there are no public soccer fields with lighting, making it difficult for the team to practice in the fall and winter. This affects more than just the team, according to Deaton, but soccer-loving youth as well.

“In the winter, during inclement weather, people will play in the basements of parking garages,” Deaton said.

Now Aromas Cafe FC is focusing on qualification for the 2017 Lamar Hunt Open Cup. While representing Charlottesville, Aromas Cafe FC will take a bye through the first round of qualifying and match up with Tartan Devils Oak Avalon in Pittsburgh on October 16. Fans can follow the team through qualifying on Instagram and Twitter at @aromascafefc.

In addition, the team has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the cost of registration fees, jerseys, etc., which before were an out-of-pocket expense for players.

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Arts

Q&A with Gleason director Clay Tweel

Gleason tells the story of NFL player Steve Gleason's diagnosis of ALS, and the journey of his family: wife, Michel, and son, Rivers. Courtesy Cinetic Media

Director of new documentary Gleason, Clay Tweel returned to his hometown of Charlottesville last week to debut his new film. Tweel, hailing from the Greenbrier neighborhood, currently lives in Los Angeles and has worked on two other major motion pictures, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) and Print the Legend (2014). Both films, like Gleason, are documentaries focused on unique subjects.

C-VILLE: Why did you become a director?

Tweel: For me, what I’ve come to realize is that, it sounds really cliche, but I do truly believe that everybody has a story. And for me, [directing] a lot of documentary films and working primarily in that space,  I love to try to get to the core of why people do what they do. The more that you can understand human nature in other people, I think it helps you connect to the rest of the world. That’s, as a director, what I like to try to achieve with my films and that just makes me want to do more. There’s lots of different types of people on this Earth and it’s about exploring all different types of people.

What made this story idea to stand out to you?

There are two personal things that connect me to the story. The moment that I saw some footage about Steve and his wife, Michel, it made me think of a couple things. One is, my oldest sister has MS, and neurological disorders are something I am now more aware of than in the past. Then my dad had been Muhammad Ali’s lawyer for the last 30 years. They are my personal heroes. I loved Muhammad and I love his wife, Lonnie. I saw very strong connections between what they went through with what Steve and Michel were going through. I wanted to be able to bring the experience I had in being around the Alis to telling Steve and Michel’s story.

What was it like to work with Steve Gleason and his family?

It’s certainly a harrowing experience to work on a film like this. You see, when you are around somebody who is trapped in their own body, it’s emotionally very taxing in a certain regard. But then you get to juxtapose that with what he was like. He was a physical specimen, he was in peak human condition and then to now see him where he is. It’s hard emotionally for everyone around him and for Steve himself. But on the flip side of that, I think that both Michel and Steve keep a very fun-loving, positive attitude, finding the silver linings to life. That allows them to be people that draw people in, they have this charm, they have this magnetism to them. Being around them can be difficult and thrilling at the same time.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while making this movie?

One of the biggest challenges was trying to figure out exactly what the narrative through line would be. There was so much footage—there was about 1,300 hours when all was said and done. It was filmed over five years, so that’s a lot to wrap your brain around, “How are you going to condense that into a two-hour movie?” Finding what those core themes and core ideas that you can hang the narrative on throughout the course of the film, that was one of the hardest things to find.

What message do you want this movie to convey to its audience?

I’d like for the movie to convey a sense of hope and a sense of triumph of the human spirit. I think that a lot of the human experience is a mixture of happiness and suffering and that you have to be able to deal with both the highs and lows. I think that these particular people, like I said, Steve and Michel have such an amazing outlook and have such an amazing sense of determination and resiliency that I hope people walk away feeling that despite whatever horrible tragedy is going to pop up in your life, that you are going to find a way through it.

How has Charlottesville impacted your career?

I’ve lived out in L.A. for the last 13 years now, and there’s a core group of about six or seven guys that I know from Charlottesville that all live out in L.A. I am very grateful for my core group of friends that I’ve grown up with and that I can still stay connected to out there. But also the arts education that I got growing up in this city was invaluable. Being able to have music classes, I was in the band at CHS and I loved that experience and arts and drawing classes throughout my childhood. I think that the arts community here in Charlottesville is super special and super important and I don’t think any of us would be out in L.A. if we didn’t have that.

What is your favorite part of Charlottesville?

I would be remiss not to say that I love the food here. I think for a smaller town it has amazing restaurants. My brother-in-law owns one, Maya, on Main Street, so I have to plug that—that is my favorite restaurant. In terms of areas of town, it’s hard not to love the area you grew up in. Just being able to walk by the Greenbrier creek, that’s the childhood that I grew up in, I love that neighborhood.

What is your order at Bodo’s?

I would get roast beef, cheddar and lettuce on a plain bagel and a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese every time.

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News

Going for gold: UVA sends 18 Olympians to Rio

A record 14 competitors with ties to UVA will take part in the 2016 Olympic games August 3-21.

A record 14 competitors with ties to UVA will take part in the 2016 Olympic games August 3-21, alongside two coaches and two alternates. The 16 participating athletes span from the class of 2007 to 2017, and represent seven different nations.

Two current students at UVA will compete at the Olympics, Leah Smith and Filip Mihaljevic, both rising fourth-years. Mihaljevic, competing in shot put for Croatia, will go up against his current assistant coach at UVA, Kemal Mesic, representing Bosnia and Herzegovina.

UVA’s head rowing coach, Kevin Sauer, and head soccer coach, Steve Swanson, will support the United States as assistant coaches in their respective sports.

As the Olympics begin, many Cavaliers will wave the flags of different nations, but all will represent UVA.

Field hockey

Michelle Vittese United States

Vittese is no stranger to the big stage when it comes to field hockey. The Philadelphia native started at UVA in 2008 and earned her spot on the All-American team three times during her college career. In 2012, Vittese redshirted to compete with the U.S. National Team and won U.S. Field Hockey National Player of the Year in the 2012 London Olympics. She returned to UVA to finish her studies, making the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Vittese enters the 2016 Rio Olympics with 150 appearances for the U.S. National Team.

Rowing

Susanne Grainger Canada

Grainger, born in London, Ontario, helped UVA’s novice eight win the 2010 ACC Championship. Then, in 2011, Grainger helped Canada claim gold in the women’s eight at the 2011 U23 World Championships, and did it again in 2012, this time in the four. Also in 2012, she  was a member of the varsity eight squad that won the NCAA National Championships. In her senior year at UVA, the varsity eight squad finished fourth at the NCAA National Championships, but Grainger earned a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team. Now, she enters her first Olympics, representing Canada.

Inge Janssen Netherlands

Janssen will compete in her second Olympics this August. In the 2012 London Olympics, the Netherlands-born Janssen finished eighth overall in the women’s double sculls. As a senior, Janssen’s varsity four won the NCAA Championship in 2010, and she won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in the women’s quad.

Matt Miller United States

The Fairfax native competed on UVA’s club rowing team all four of his years at the university. On the international stage, he placed fourth overall in the 2014 World Rowing Championships in the four, and seventh the next year. Rio is Miller’s first Olympics.

Meghan O’Leary United States

Hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma, O’Leary has always been a competitor—just not always a rower. She graduated from UVA in 2008 without rowing once for the prestigious Virginia rowing team, instead playing softball and volleyball for the Cavaliers. It wasn’t until 2010 that she started rowing, and since then she has competed in two World Rowing Championships, earning her highest rank—sixth—in 2014. Just six years after picking up rowing, O’Leary qualified for the Rio Olympics in the double sculls.

Christine Roper Canada

Despite being born in Jamaica, Roper joins team Canada in Rio. She picked up rowing at age 14, thanks to her love of racing. While at UVA, Roper was a second-team All-American and helped the Cavaliers win the 2010 NCAA Championship. She moved to Canada after graduating from UVA in 2011, and there, earned two gold medals and one bronze in the U23 World Rowing Championships. She heads to her first Olympics at age 26.

Women’s soccer

Morgan Brian United States

Brian was on the U.S. National Team that won the 2015 FIFA World Cup, and at age 22, the St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, native was the youngest member of the team. While at UVA, Brian won the MAC Hermann Trophy two years in a row, only the fourth female ever to do so. She was named the U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year and led the Cavs to a runner-up finish at the 2014 NCAA Tournament, its highest finish in program history. Brian was the first Virginia player to record 40 goals and 40 assists in her college career. Since UVA, she has continued her success, earning the first overall selection in the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League Draft to the Houston Dash. At 23, she heads to Rio hoping to add an Olympic gold medal to her résumé.

Becky Sauerbrunn United States

Standing at 5-foot-7, Sauerbrunn is a veteran defender and the U.S. Women’s National Team’s co-captain for the 2016 Rio Olympics. During her career with UVA, she played every minute of her 2003 and 2005 seasons, skipping 2004 to redshirt with the U.S. National Team at the U19 World Championships in Thailand. After college, Sauerbrunn went to the Washington Freedom as the third overall pick in the 2008 Women’s Professional Soccer Draft. She accompanied the national team to both the 2011 and 2015 FIFA World Cups, earning silver and gold medals respectively. At 31, Sauerbrunn became the first NWSL player to be named Defender of the Year three years in a row. In the 2012 London Olympics, she helped the U.S. team win a gold medal and hopes to have a repeat performance in Rio.

Swimming

Yannick Kaeser Switzerland

Coming from Mumpf, Switzerland, Kaeser holds two Swiss national records in both the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke. He represented Switzerland at the 2012 London Olympics but failed to advance to the semifinals in the 200-meter breaststroke, finishing 24th overall in the preliminary heats. After the Olympics, Kaeser came to UVA where he was a four-time All-American. Now a college graduate, he looks to improve on his previous Olympic performance.

Leah Smith United States

The Pittsburgh native was the 2014 ACC Freshman of the Year, as well as a U.S. National Team member in 2014 and 2015. At UVA, Smith earned All-American status in four events and set NCAA records in three—the 500 free, 1,000 free and 1,650 free. Smith holds the UVA record for NCAA titles held by one athlete, winning the 500 free and the 1,650 free in both 2015 and 2016. At 21, she is one of two current UVA students to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Tennis

Dominic Inglot Great Britain

London-born Inglot was a three-time All-American at UVA. After graduation, he won the doubles silver medal at the 2009 World University Games. Currently, the Association of Tennis Professionals ranks Inglot 30th globally in men’s doubles, and at age 30, he makes his first Olympic appearance for Great Britain.

Track and field

Robby Andrews United States

The New Jersey native attended UVA for only two years before pursuing a professional career in track and field. While at UVA, Andrews won both the 800-meter indoor track and the 800-meter outdoor track events at the NCAA Championships. At the 2010 International Association of Athletics Federations World Junior Championships, Andrews took home bronze in the 800-meters. He returned to UVA in 2014 to finish his degree in kinesiology, and after finishing second at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, he’ll compete in the 1,500-meters in Rio.

Kemal Mesic Bosnia and Herzegovina

An assistant track and field coach at UVA, Mesic will compete in shot put against one of his students, Filip Mihaljevic, who won the 2016 NCAA Championship and came in fifth at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Mesic competed in the 2012 Olympic games but failed to qualify for the finals, finishing 24th overall.

Filip Mihaljevic Croatia

Born in Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mihaljevic will represent Croatia in the 2016 Olympics. He joins Leah Smith, the other current UVA student attending the games, and is in the odd position of competing against his UVA coach, Kemal Mesic, in the shot put events. Mihaljevic is an eight-time All-American at UVA and won seven ACC Championships along with one NCAA Championship. In his three years at UVA, Mihaljevic also has earned 2016 ACC Men’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Year, 2016 ACC Men’s Field MVP and 2014 ACC Outdoor Freshman of the Year. In 2015, he won the European Under-23 Shot Put Championship, and this year, he earned bronze at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. This will be his first Olympic games.

Olympic coaches

Kevin Sauer United States

UVA’s decorated head rowing coach joins five former UVA rowers in Rio as an assistant coach for the U.S. rowing team. During his 21-year career as UVA’s head coach, Sauer has won Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association National Coach of the Year twice, led the Cavaliers to two NCAA Championships and guided 39 student-athletes to 51 CRCA All-American citations. On the international stage, Sauer coached the U.S. four to a gold medal at the 2007 World Rowing U-23 Championships and to a third-place finish in 2015. In Sauer’s Olympic debut, he will coach Meghan O’Leary and her teammate Ellen Tomek in the women’s double.

Steve Swanson United States

Another UVA head coach will assist at the Olympics. Swanson, the women’s soccer coach, travels to Rio as the women’s national team seeks to repeat 2012’s gold-medal performance. Swanson, an assistant coach during the 2015 FIFA World Cup, helped the U.S. to its third World Cup. He built a dynasty at UVA, and in 2013, was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Coach of the Year. Then in 2014, Swanson led the Cavaliers to their first appearance in the College Cup final, and in 2014 to an ACC regular season title. He sent Emily Sonnett to the National Women’s Soccer League as the top overall pick in the 2016 draft. Sonnett follows Morgan Brian, a former Cav who went first overall in the 2015 NWSL draft. Swanson will be reunited with three former Cavaliers on the U.S. team.

Dawn Staley United States

Dawn Staley is an icon for UVA women’s basketball, taking the Cavaliers to the Final Four three times as a player and being named national Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992. Now, Staley is an icon for women’s basketball around the world, earning a spot as an assistant coach on the U.S. women’s Olympics basketball team. Staley, who has won three Olympic gold medals, will guide current legends such as Mia Moore and Diana Taurasi toward gold, which would be the sixth straight for the U.S. women’s basketball team. She is currently the women’s head coach at the University of South Carolina, where she has steadily improved the team’s record, from 11-18 in 2008, to 33-2 this past season.

Alternates

Paige Selenski United States

A former ACC Freshman of the Year, Selenski will travel to Rio as a women’s field hockey alternate, which means she will join the roster if a member falls ill or suffers an injury. Selenski thrived at UVA, winning ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 along with Virginia Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year. She recorded seven hat tricks, third-most in UVA’s field hockey history. Internationally, Selenski earned a gold medal at both the 2015 and 2011 Pan-American games and scored a goal at the 2012 London Olympics. At her second Olympic games, Selenski hopes to support the national team and earn a spot back on the starting roster.

Emily Sonnett United States

Following in Morgan Brian’s footsteps, Sonnett went first overall in the 2016 National Women’s Soccer League draft. She was named 2015 ESPNW National Player of the Year and earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year. With the U.S. women’s national team, Sonnett holds nine international appearances but is currently a member of the U-23 team.

This article was updated at 3:30pm on August 10 to add Dawn Staley to the list.

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Arts

A word with EmiSunshine

EmiSunshine performs a C-VILLE Live set at 3pm, before her show at The Southern Café and Music Hall at 8pm on Friday. Watch our Facebook page for ticket giveaways. Photo: Publicity photo

At age 9, musician EmiSunshine shocked viewers around the country with her video of a 2014 flea market performance. After going viral, she landed performances with Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam and a gig at the Grand Ole Opry. Now 12 years old, EmiSunshine has developed an authentic folk voice and plays almost 150 shows a year. Her passion for Appalachian and classic country music are the foundation of her precocious talent.

C-VILLE: Who is your favorite musician?

EmiSunshine: Wow! So hard. There are so many. But right now I’m deep into Jason Isbell. His writing and music style really speaks to me.

What do you do for fun, outside of music?

I love to hula hoop. Anywhere, anytime. I’m learning to do lots of new hooping techniques.

How do you spend your time while on the bus?

I practice a lot and do homework, but I also love to be a Play-Doh chef. We make a menu and make food and serve it.

Do you have a favorite book?

Right now I’m reading The Isle of the Lost, but I also love the Big Nate series.

Who does your hair and wardrobe?

Mostly me and mom. We gather clothes and hats and hairstyles from all over—thrift stores, magazines, fans, yard sales.

What’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to you?

Meeting my heroes: Jamey Johnson, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Buddy Miller, etc. Just getting to meet them is amazing enough but then getting to play the same stages as them…that’s too cool.

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News

Danielle Collins clinches women’s singles tennis title, and other sports news

The Virginia Cavaliers baseball team, which only returned three seniors, fell short of back-to-back national championships. Photo: Jeff Lack/ICON SMI BAJ/Jeff Lack/ICON SMI/Newscom

Baseball

The year after their championship-winning season, UVA looked to repeat last year’s success. However, the Cavaliers faced the challenge of a young squad with only three returning seniors going into the 2016 season.

After a rough start against East Carolina, UVA picked up momentum winning eight of 10 games in the first half of March. Then the Cavaliers fell into a slump, losing eight of 11 games between March 26 and April 10, which included a 15-0 defeat against Louisville.

UVA lost to both Clemson and Wake Forest in the ACC tournament and turned their sights to the Charlottesville Regional to qualify for the College World Series. There, UVA defeated William & Mary 17-4, but then fell to East Carolina sending them to a rematch with the Tribe. William & Mary upset the Cavaliers 5-4, ending UVA’s season.

Golf

The UVA men’s golf team began play in September with the DICK’s Sporting Goods Collegiate Challenge Cup. The cup is a challenge between ACC and SEC schools, a competition between the two conferences. UVA led the pack of teams throughout most of the tournament and finished tied for first place with Vanderbilt, helping the ACC take down the SEC for the second time in three years.

In the ACC tournament, UVA finished the first day in third place but then slipped during the final two days of competition. The Cavaliers finished the ACC tournament in eighth place after going six-over-par across the three-day tournament.

Finally, in the NCAA tournament, UVA elevated their play and finished 22nd overall while Derek Bard finished 17th individually.

The women’s golf team dominated the ACC tournament, leading by at least five strokes through all three days. The Cavaliers finished the tournament 11 strokes above Wake Forest, the runner-up.

But the NCAA tournament did not prove to be so easy for UVA. The Cavaliers fell to Washington, the eventual champions, in the NCAA quarterfinals.

Tennis

The men’s tennis squad dominated the 2016 season with a 30-4 record. They finished with an 11-1 record in the ACC although lost 4-3 to Wake Forest in the ACC tournament final.

However, with their eyes pressed on the NCAA tournament, UVA entered the competition as the No. 1 overall seed. The Cavaliers swept opponents Florida and California in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. UVA faced 11-seed Oklahoma in the final. The Hoos made short work of the Sooners as they cruised to a 4-1 victory and an NCAA title.

The women’s team also had a successful 2016 season with a 19-11 regular season record. UVA fell to top-seeded North Carolina 4-1 in the ACC semifinals.

However, in the third round of the NCAA tournament, UVA and UNC met again. This time the Cavaliers conquered the third-seeded Tar Heels 4-2. In the quarterfinals UVA met Vanderbilt, the tournament’s six seed. The Commodores ended UVA’s season with a 4-2 victory.

Despite the loss in team play, senior Danielle Collins continued into the women’s singles tournament as a two seed. Collins defeated five opponents to reach the championship match against top-seeded Hayley Carter of North Carolina. Despite the underdog title, Collins dominated Carter, winning in just two sets. This championship was Collins’ second NCAA singles title in three years, making her the seventh woman ever to win two NCAA singles titles.

Rowing

The UVA rowing team dominated their season, winning the ACC championships and finishing third in the NCAA tournament.

Lacrosse

The typical dynasty of UVA men’s lacrosse broke this year. The team struggled through the regular season, finishing with a 7-8 record, failing to qualify for post-season play. Although UVA has one of the toughest lacrosse schedules in the country, their 0-4 ACC record was shocking to the program. The Cavaliers’ long-time head coach, Dom Starsia, left the program after the regular season and Lars Tiffany, former player under Starsia’s guidance, will take the reins for the 2017 season.

The women’s team performed slightly better with an even 9-9 record. In the postseason, UVA narrowly lost to Duke 9-8 in the ACC quarterfinals. Then, UVA fell to Johns Hopkins 12-10 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Softball

The UVA softball program suffered a tough 18-33 season as the team failed to produce runs. A low-scoring offense was the cause for the Cavaliers’ difficult season. UVA failed to reach the post season, finishing third to last in the ACC. The Cavaliers named Joanna Hardin as their new head coach for the 2017 season.

Swim and Dive

The men’s swim and dive team finished the ACC tournament in sixth place. However, in the NCAA tournament, the Hoos exceeded expectations and placed 28th overall.

A typical contender, the women’s squad dominated the ACC tournament with 1332.5 points and a first-place finish. In the NCAA championship, UVA finished fifth overall while Georgia took home the title.

Outdoor Track and Field

After a typical regular season, the men’s track and field team finished in third place in the ACC tournament. The Hoos then finishing eighth overall with 20 points in the NCAA championship meet.

As for the women’s team, they started out the ACC tournament in first place but slipped to fourth by the end of the tournament, failing to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

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News

Albemarle High, Western Albemarle boys varsity soccer teams claim state titles, and other sports news

Albemarle High School Patriots' field

Albemarle High School boys varsity soccer
With a strong senior class and a promising batch of underclassmen, Albemarle had its sights on the state title all season.
The Patriots’ near-perfect regular season was ruined by their inter-county rivals, Western Albemarle High School. After an 8-0 start to the season, Albemarle traveled to Crozet on April 23. The two teams played 72 minutes of gridlock soccer until Western’s Jake Paulson converted a penalty, handing Albemarle its first and only loss of the season.
Throughout Albemarle’s historic 20-1-0 season they outscored their opponents by 75 goals. At the end of the season they defeated Falls Church High School 1-0 to claim the 5A state title for the second time in four years.

St. Anne’s Belfield boys varsity lacrosse
After a tough start to the season, St. Anne’s rallied behind the leadership of the Robertson brothers: Phillip, a senior midfielder and Joe, a junior attacker.
Tough losses to Loyola Blakefield and the St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School at home threatened to dim the Saints’ spirits. But the team rallied to win the remaining nine games of the regular season, advancing to the VISAA Division I state title game. The team’s foe was familiar: St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School, which beat St. Anne’s 14-5 in the regular season.
St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes blew past STAB in the VISAA Division I final, defeating the Saints 12-7. Despite the loss, the Saints’ unprecedented playoff run placed three players on the Division I All-State first team: the Robertson brothers and Kareem Johnson.

Western Albemarle boys varsity soccer
The Western Albemarle boys soccer team was 5-0-2 going into its game against Albemarle on April 23. After the momentous victory, the Warriors finished out the season with a 19-2-3 record as well as a berth in the 3A state title game against a challenging Blacksburg opponent. Blacksburg defeated Western in the Region 3A West tournament 1-0 just five days before their state title game rematch.
The Warriors opened the scoring 20 minutes into the match off of Carrington Murphy’s foot, putting Western on top 1-0. Nearly 40 minutes later the Warriors surrendered a penalty to Blacksburg, leveling the score 1-1. Western found the game-winning goal with 14 minutes remaining off of a corner kick. Jed Strickland careened the ball into the back of the net to secure Western Albemarle’s second state title in three years.

William Monroe varsity baseball
William Monroe’s baseball program has always been successful but had never reached the state tournament until this season. The Dragons took their 20-3 season into the playoffs where they met Poquoson in the Region 3A East tournament finals. The two teams battled it out through nine innings, but the Dragons came up short and lost 4-3. Despite the shortfall, William Monroe advanced to the 3A state tournament where they defeated Turner Ashby 3-0. With their victory they met Rustburg in the 3A state final. In a game similar to the Region 3A East final, the Dragons fell just short of Rustburg, losing 3-2, and capping off a historic season for William Monroe baseball.

St. Anne’s Belfield girls varsity lacrosse
After a successful regular season, the STAB girls lacrosse team positioned itself at the top of the League of Independent School (LIS) standings, earning a bye in the quarterfinals. After blowing past St. Catherine’s School 16-7 in the LIS semifinals, the Saints met up with rival Collegiate in the finals. The rivals battled it out, with the STAB girls claiming the LIS crown after a 9-8 victory on May 12.
After the LIS tournament, the Saints sought to keep the ball rolling into the VISAA Division I tournament as the third seed. STAB faced Collegiate once again in the quarterfinals. The result remained the same as STAB snuck past the Cougars 12-11 into the semifinals. There the Saints met the second-seeded Bishop Ireton. The Saints weren’t so lucky as they fell to Bishop Ireton 16-7, ending their season.

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News

Charlottesville Tom Sox fall on opening day

Eric Grabowski readies for the pitch at the plate for the Tom Sox.

The purring of food truck generators and the buzz of field lights Wednesday night meant baseball was back at C-VILLE Weekly ballpark, home of the Charlottesville Tom Sox.

Cold bats and a quality Rebel bullpen caused the Tom Sox to fall to the New Market Rebels on opening day, 8-2.

Before the game, the Tom Sox took the field along with their new prairie dog mascot, Prairieweather Lewis. In the offseason, Tom Sox fans voted on the mascot animal and the mascot’s name.

Prairieweather Lewis greets a young Tom Sox fan.
Prairieweather Lewis greets a young Tom Sox fan.

Along with the new mascot, the Tom Sox are changing the way they recruit players.

“We have done a little more due diligence in taking time in recruiting the right athletes to come here,” general manager Mike Paduano said. “We were cognizant of what type of kid we would like to see here: blue collar kid that works hard, very athletic, high intensity, a lot of energy.”

The 7pm opening pitch struck New Market’s Bowen McGuffin, sending him to first base. McGuffin would eventually score after a single and a sacrifice fly, putting the Rebels up 1-0 after the first inning.

The Rebels did not look back as they led throughout the rest of the game.

Joey Johnson started at pitcher for the Rebels, earning five strikeouts in six innings of play. Johnson shut down the Tom Sox offense allowing only one run off three hits.

In the third inning, McGuffin crossed home for the second time of the night off of a wild pitch, making it 2-0 to New Market.

In the bottom of the third the Tom Sox gained some footing offensively behind the bat of Dan Wondrack, a rising sophomore at the College of Charleston. His double in the third inning brought home D.J. Lee, making it 3-1 after three innings.

“[We have] a completely different team. We have a very athletic team this year, guys that play multiple positions,” Paduano said. “The versatility is something that is important because we can move these kids around to different positions.”

Despite the athleticism of the Tom Sox, they gave up runs in six of nine innings and committed two errors.

A.J. Franklin winds up on the mound.
A.J. Franklin winds up on the mound.

“It was good to see all the guys get out there and swing the bat tonight,” head coach Travis Thomas said.  “It’s only game one. Our job is to go forward and approach tomorrow with everything we got.”

Tonight’s game against the Harrisonburg Turks has been postponed. The Tom Sox will be on the road Saturday night for a  matchup with the Covington Lumberjacks.

 

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Read more about the team’s lineup this year as well as utility infielder Justin Novak, part of the 2015 College World Series-winning UVA baseball team.