Sports Briefs

Women’s track shows up strong in Chapel Hill

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Rams had several noteworthy performances Sat. Feb. 11 at the Carolina Classic hosted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tanika Brown (Powhatan High School), Sheemeca Berkely (Madison Heights/Amherst High School), Brandy Butler (Charlottesville High School) and Lauren Stewart (Richmond/Governor’s School) lined up second through fifth respectively in their individual events.

Brown was the runner-up in high jump with a mark of 5-04, and Berkely tied for the third spot when she jumped 18-08. Butler earned fourth place in the triple jump after posting a mark of 37-01 and Steward, a junior, finished fifth in pole vault.

In distance running, Emily Thompson (Crozet/Western Albermarle) was in the top-five when she timed in at 10:52.02 in the 3000-meter run, and Danielle Williams (Virginia Beach/ Salem High School) finished seventh in the mile run.

Former men’s basketball star to be honored

Bernard Hopkins, who led the men’s basketball team to their 1996 NCAA Tournament appearance, will be inducted into the VCU Athletics Hall of Fame when the Rams take on Albany during the ESPN Bracket Buster game Fri. Feb. 17.

Hopkins, a transfer from Hagerstown Community College in Maryland, played for the Rams between 1994-96 and was named CAA Player of the Year and tournament most valuable player in 1996.

Along with remaining the VCU all-team leader in field percentage (57.1 percent), he was also the first player in CAA history to record more than 400 points, 300 rebounds, 50 assists and shoot at better than 50 percent from the free-throw line in a single season.

Hollingsworth wins rookie award – again

Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake/Great Bridge High School), a redshirt freshman for the women’s basketball team, earned her fourth CAA Rookie of the Week award Mon. Feb. 13.

In the Rams’ two losses over the past weekend, Hollingsworth shot 56 percent and averaged 16.5 points and 16.0 rebounds. She also became just the second player in VCU history to record a 20-20 game, pouring in 24 points and grabbing a career-high 21 rebounds. Sixteen of those rebounds came on the defensive glass, a new school record.

She leads her Rams teammates in scoring this season, averaging 15 points a game and 10.9 rebounds. She needs only 56 more points to eclipse the school freshman scoring record.

Men’s tennis recognized in nation’s top 20

The men’s tennis team jumped 14 spots to No. 20 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings after a pair of team victories over then-ranked No. 13 Wake Forest and No. 35 Minnesota.

The VCU men’s team defeated No. 68 Old Dominion 5-2 Wednesday at the Thalhimer Tennis Center and looks to maintain their position when they head to Chapel Hill Sat. Feb. 18 to take on No. 29 North Carolina.

Rowdy Rams cause ruckus at Siegel Center

The Stuart C. Siegel Center attendance record was shattered this weekend during the Rams homecoming game victory against Old Dominion University Sat. Feb. 11 when more than 7,800 fans stuffed themselves in the building to cheer on the men’s basketball team.

The average attendance record is up to 1,350 per game this year, up 140 percent from two years ago. The record was originally set when the Siegel Center originally opened its doors against Louisville.

St. Clair drives home win for VCU

VCU’s baseball team beat Liberty University 4-2 Wednesday, improving their season to 2-0.

Though the Flames took an early 1-0 lead, in the seventh inning Brad Stephenson (Chesapeake, Va.) batted in Jared Bolden (Lynchburg, Va.) for the first run of the game for the Rams.

The Flames were able to score again, but in the top of ninth freshman Chris Jackson (Midlothian/Manchester High School) stole third base and scored the tying run on an error by Flames’ catcher Errol Hollinger.

Sophomore Sergio Miranda (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) then led off the 10th inning with a double. With Miranda in scoring position, senior Tim St. Clair (Woodbridge/Gar-Field High School) sent the ball over the fence, scoring the Rams’ first homer of the season for the victory.