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cavalier sports APRIL 2021 11 HOO'S TALKING It feels great. I told them before the game, I took this job at Virginia to hopefully have chances at title fights, and we talked about that. … I'm so grateful, because it's been a unique year to say the least, and we will remember it always. We'll put a mask on the ACC trophy for sure." — UVA men's basketball head coach Tony Bennett on winning this year's regular-season ACC title "UVA is an amazing school academically. And it has great coaches and the resources needed to help me get to the next level. … Coach [Bronco] Mendenhall and Coach [Mark] Atuaia were very excited, as was I. They have been great throughout the process and really took the time to get to know my family and me." — Former Harvard running back DEVIN DARRINGTON, who rushed for 734 yards and scored seven touchdowns as a third-year with the Crimson, on his graduate transfer to Virginia CHARLIE BERTRAND • LACROSSE The fourth-year attackman from Baldwins- ville, N.Y., had at least one goal in the first 65 games of his college career, until the March 20 win over Robert Morris. His 65- game goal-scoring streak was a collegiate re- cord spanning Division I, Division II and Division III lacrosse. Bertrand, who led Merrimack College to back-to-back NCAA Division II titles in 2018 and 2019, is in his first season with the Cavaliers. Through eight contests this season, he ranked second on the team in goals (15) and fourth in points (20). HALLE HAZZARD • TRACK & FIELD The fourth-year from Commack, N.Y., earned first-team All-America honors in the 60-meter dash, recording a time of 7.27 seconds to place eighth at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships March 13 in Fayetteville, Ark. Hazzard, who entered the national meet with the 14th-best time in the field of 16 competitors, pre- viously set the Virginia record in the event with a time of 7.23 seconds to advance to the event finals. Hazzard earned All-ACC honors in the 60-meter dash, cross- ing the finish line in third place with a time of 7.28 at the con- ference championship two weeks earlier. She also set a new school record in the 200 meters with a time of 23.45. EMMA NAVARRO • TENNIS The first-year from Charleston, S.C., has started her collegiate career with a perfect 12-0 record at No. 1 singles and has lost only two sets in ACC play. As of March 22, she had been named the ACC Freshman of the Week four times (Jan. 26, Feb. 2, Feb. 23 and March 9) already. She was also tabbed as the ACC Player of the Week Feb. 2. In the preseason, Navarro was listed as the nation's No. 5 newcomer in the Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings and was considered the No. 80 singles player in the country. (Individual rankings will be updated March 24.) OWAYNE OWENS • TRACK & FIELD The second-year from Montego Bay, Jamaica, earned first-team All-America honors in the triple jump, smashing his personal best with a leap of 54 feet, 2.75 inches to finish in sixth place at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Cham- pionships March 13 in Fayetteville, Ark. Owens, who entered the national meet ranked No. 4 in the country in the triple jump, brought home UVA's fourth ACC triple jump title in the past five years a couple weeks earlier. The silver medalist last season, he used a leap of 54 feet, one inch to claim this year's championship and earn All-ACC honors. HOO'S HOT Recognizing the "Who's Hoo" in UVA athletics — Cavalier student-athletes, past, present and future who are making news around the world of sports. DID YOU KNOW? Virginia's national title in the 800-yard freestyle relay at the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships March 17 in Greensboro, N.C., marked the first national championship in a relay in program history. The Cavaliers — Kyla Valls led off the relay, followed by Paige Madden, Ella Nelson and Alex Walsh — finished five seconds ahead of the field with a time of 6:52.56. "I'm just thrilled and proud for our women," head coach Todd DeSorbo said. "This meet has been a year in the mak- ing, and our women have taken full advantage of that. "I'm grateful for their commitment to excellence. Their perseverance shines bright tonight with a great start to the competition. "To win UVA's first-ever national title in a relay is special. I know these four women, as well as our entire team, will sa- vor that moment." PHOTO COURTESY HARVARD 44 Saves — the most in the ACC — by the UVA men's soccer goalkeeping combination of graduate student Colin Shutler and redshirt first-year Alex Rando during the 2020-21 season as of March 22. Rando started seven of the Cavaliers' first 12 contests and ranked second in the conference in goals against average (0.70).