Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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6 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports Photo courtesy UVA Photo courtesy UVA Brennan Armstrong — Football The third-year from Shelby, Ohio, was a semifinalist or finalist for all three of the major college football quarterback accolades — Manning Award, Davey O'Brien Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award — plus was won the Dudley Award as the top player in Virginia. Armstrong set single-season school records for passing yards (4,449), total offense (4,700) and passing touch- downs (31). He ranked second nation- ally in passing yards heading into bowl games and needed just 145 yards to eclipse Deshaun Watson's ACC single- season record of 4,593. Pro Football Focus gave Armstrong a 91.9 offensive grade, which is tied with Ohio State's C.J. Stroud for third-best nationally among quarterbacks. Only Alabama's Bryce Young (92.9) and Pitt's Kenny Pickett (92.3) had higher grades. Alex Walsh — Swimming The second-year from Nashville, Tenn., set ACC and UVA records in the 400 individual medley, won two individual events and was part of two relay wins at the Tennessee Invitational Nov. 18-20. Walsh posted her record-setting time of 4:01.40 to win the 400 IM, then set another meet record with a time of 1:51.83 to win the 200 butterfly. Her times in the 200 fly and 400 IM were the best in the country at the time. As of Dec. 14, she was still No. 1 in the 400 IM and No. 2 in the 200 fly. She also anchored the meet-record- setting 400 medley relay team and led off the first-place 200 medley relay squad. 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. No. 1 National ranking in the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of America preseason poll for the defending national champion UVA women's swimming and diving squad to open the 2021-22 campaign. The Cavaliers re- turned 12 of their 14 swimmers and two divers that competed in the 2021 NCAA Championships. The UVA men were ranked No. 9 to open the season. 2 Top-five signees for the Virginia men's golf program in November — Benjamin James of Milford, Conn., and Bryan Lee of Fairfax, Va. James is ranked the No. 1 player in the nation by Junior Golf Scoreboard and Lee is not far behind him at No. 5. Both James and Lee were selected for the United States 2021 Junior Ryder Cup and are first-team Rolex Junior All-Americans. No. 5 National ranking for UVA's women's squash team — the highest in program history — after it notched the program's first win over a top-five opponent, a 5-4 tri- umph over No. 4 Columbia Nov. 14. 7 Virginia football players were named to the three 2021 All-ACC squads. Second-year wide receiver Don- tayvion Wicks and graduate student tight end JELANI WOODS were first-team selections, while fourth-year center Olusegun Oluwatimi, fourth-year "football player" Keytaon Thompson and third-year linebacker Nick Jackson were listed on the second team, and third-year quar- terback Brennan Armstrong and fourth-year wideout Billy Kemp IV received third-team nods. 95 Percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for incoming Virginia student- athletes from 2011-14 in data released by the NCAA Dec. 2. That matches the rate from last year's report that was the highest mark for UVA athletics since the NCAA launched the GSR program in 1998. The NCAA's national average for this year's reporting range is 88 percent. The data shows that 19 Virginia programs matched or exceeded the national average for their respective GSR scores. A total of 10 UVA squads recorded perfect 100 percent graduation rates: base- ball, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's cross country and track & field, wom- en's golf, women's lacrosse, women's soccer, softball, women's swimming and volleyball. I've been here a long time. It always goes to the players you had, and the staff that you had. I read this book, and this guy's answer when everyone said, 'How are you doing?' the guy's response was always, 'Bet- ter than I deserve.' The chance to have been here as long as I have, and the things that have happened and transpired here are better than I deserve. "I know that, and I'm grateful for just being here and getting to coach. I guess, well, it's my 13th year, and I didn't even know that I joined Coach Holland. Coach Holland is a legend, and I love that man and what he's done for this institution. I don't even know how many he's won. I'm sure it's a ton, but again, it means that it's on the shoulders of others." — Men's basketball coach TONY BENNETT on earning his 300th victory at Virginia with a 61-43 win over Lehigh Nov. 26, joining Terry Holland as the only two to achieve that feat