SPORTS BRIEFS

BASEBALL

Senior pitcher Ian Thomas (Virginia Beach/Kellam) earned CAA Co-Pitcher of the Week Thomas received the honor after allowing one run and nine hits while striking out seven batters in 8.1 innings against George Mason this past Friday.

GOLF

Came back from 12 strokes down in the final round to beat defending champion Georgia State on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the CAA championship at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. this past Sunday. The Rams finished the playoff hole 2-under par while the Panthers finished the hole at even par. The Rams finished with a team score of 13-over-par 877. Sophomore Mark Jargren (Helsingborg, Sweden/Tycho Brahe) and junior Lanto Griffin (Blacksburg/Blacksburg) tied for third place, finishing at 2-over-par 218. Griffin, along with junior Rafael Campos (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Baldwin School of PR) made first team All-CAA. This marks the second consecutive year Campos made the team, while it is the first time Griffin made an All-CAA team. The victory earned the Rams an automatic bid to the NCAA Super Regionals May 14-16.

MEN’S TENNIS

Lost the championship match at the CAA tournament, 4-3, to UNC Wilmington this past Sunday in Norfolk. The teams of senior Emil Lindgren (Stocksund, Sweden)/freshman Benjamin Bouhana (Paris, France) and sophomore Bobo Delemark (Danderyd, Sweden)/freshman Filip Svensson (Angelholm, Sweden) won the doubles point for the Rams. The Seahawks dominated the singles matches, winning four of six. Delemark and senior Martin Schulhauser (Karvina, Czech Republic) won singles matches for VCU.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Lost the championship match at the CAA tournament, 4-3, to Georgia State this past Sunday in Norfolk. The Rams lost the doubles point but the team of junior Olena Leonchuk (Kiev, Ukraine) and freshman Mihaela Bunea (Bucharest, Romania) won their doubles match. Leonchuk, freshman Alex Bara (Oradea, Romania) and junior Laura Burns (Hertford, England) won singles matches.

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Finished third with 145 points at the CAA championships in Towson, Md. this past weekend. Senior Piotr Dybas (Jaslo, Poland) won the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:59.02. Sophomores Brian Wallace (Portsmouth/I.C. Norcom), Joe Edwards (Virginia Beach/Denbigh) and Allan Moody (Woodbridge/Garfield) finished first, second and third in the triple jump with jumps of 14.95 meters, 14.05 meters and 13.87 meters, respectively. Sophomore Antonio Norvell (Portsmouth/I.C. Norcom) and Wallace finished second and third in the long jump with jumps of 7.30 meters and 7.16 meters, respectively. Freshman Ronnie Black (Newport News/Menchville) placed second in the high jump at two meters. Moody, Norvell and sophomores Brandon Allen (Trenton N.J.) and Kyle Jones won the 4×100-meter relay with a time of 41.49. Norvell, freshman Brice Matthews and sophomores Donnie Seward (Richmond/Huguenot) and Mike Nkwanga (Haymarket/Battlefield) finished third in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:16.31. Norvell also finished with a time of 21.66 in the 200-meter dash, good for third place. Senior James Evangelisti (McLean/Langley) finished third in the decathlon with 5982 points.

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Finished ninth with 36 points at the CAA Championships in Towson, Md. this past weekend. Senior Verniece Johnson (Mineral/Louisa) placed first in the long jump with a jump of 6.18 meters, a school record. Sophomore Quina Fortune (New Orleans/St. Mary’s Academy) finished third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.26. Senior Natalie Duncan (Alexandria/West Potomac) placed fourth in the shot put with a toss of 13.22 meters.