Skip to main content

Sports Shorts

All the Best

Ben Kohles

A score of UVA athletes competing in spring sports received votes from various organizations for All-American status. Some were named honorable mention, some first team.

Baseball: Kevin Arico, Danny Hultzen, Phil Gosselin

Track and field: Steve Finley, Robby Andrews, Lance Roller

Rowing: Desiree Burns, Jennifer Cromwell, Katrin Reinert, Helen Tompkins, Sidney Thorsten

Men’s tennis: Sanam Singh (singles), Drew Courtney (doubles), Michael Shabaz (singles and doubles)

Women’s lacrosse: Brittany Kalkstein, Kaitlin Duff, Liz Downs

Women’s golf: Brittany Altomare, Calle Nielson

Men’s golf: Ben Kohles

Fastest Crawl

Fran Crippen, who was twice named ACC Swimmer of the Year and a multiple All-American while at UVA, became the reigning USA Swimming national champion in June by winning the 10K Open Water race in Long Beach, Calif. With the win, Crippen (Col ’06) earned a spot on Team USA at the Open Water World Championships in Quebec.

Celebrating a Century

Dr. John Risher, (Col ’32, Med ’36, ’49) the University’s oldest surviving gridiron alumnus, observed his 100th birthday on May 11. Risher, a Lynchburg ear, nose and throat physician for more than 40 years, played on the Cavalier team that took the field for the debut of Scott Stadium in 1931.

Dr. Risher became a fixture in the UVA press box when he began keeping statistics for the football team in the early 1960s; he continues the practice today.

Pro picks

Pro teams found plenty of pickings among UVA’s squads. Nine Cavalier baseball players, a school record, were selected during the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in June.

Jarrett Parker was picked in the second round by the Cleveland Indians. Others selected on the draft’s second day were Phil Gosselin (Atlanta), Robert Morey (Florida Marlins), Kevin Arico, (Cincinnati), Dan Grovatt (Pittsburgh) and Tyler Cannon (Cleveland). Tyler Wilson (Cincinnati), Kenny Swab (Atlanta) and Neal Davis (Philadelphia) were picked on the draft’s third day.

In other sports, cornerback Chris Cook became the highest drafted defensive back in UVA history when the Minnesota Vikings selected him with the 34th overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft.

And in men’s lacrosse, three Cavaliers—Ken Clausen (Denver Outlaws), Brian Carroll (Chesapeake Bayhawks) and Ryan Nizolek (Boston Cannons)—were picked in the Major League Lacrosse draft.