Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1473451
AUGUST 2022 9 cavalier sports " Today was a big day for our program. Jay Aiello continues to pave the way for our younger wrestlers. His win today earned him a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team and he is the first Virginia wrestler to ever do that. God willing, he will be the first of many moving forward." — UVA wrestling head coach Steve Garland after JAY AIELLO became the first Cavalier to secure a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team roster Photo courtesy UVA 8 Times in UVA history a Cavalier has been named the ACC Men's Tennis Player of the Year, with second-year Iñaki Montes-De La Torre the most recent to earn that accolade. Montes-De La Torre advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Cham- pionship and finished the season ranked No. 12 in the ITA Singles Rankings to earn All-America honors. He posted a 22-5 record in singles, which included a 6-0 mark against players ranked in the top 25. " As much as we'll miss her in Charlottesville, we couldn't be happier or more excited for Emma. She has an incredible future ahead of her, and we can't wait to cheer her on and support her in any way we can. " … It's hard to put into words how much Emma has meant to the UVA tennis family. On the court, she has been the No. 1 player in the country, a national singles champion, a four-time All-American and has helped our team reach new program heights including a top-five finish this year. She also reached a top-200 WTA ranking during her time and is a fantastic ambassador for college tennis. "As impressive as these accomplishments are, they don't com- pare to the incredible person she is and the joy she has brought to our team and all of our lives. Emma lives her life with humility and grace, always wanting the best for everyone around her." — Virginia head tennis coach Sara O'Leary on Emma Navarro opting to begin her professional career after two years at UVA 3-5-5 Structure for the ACC's new football scheduling model, whereby each team will play three pri- mary opponents annually and face the other 10 league teams twice during the four-year cycle, once at home and once on the road. The new schedule will eliminate the Atlantic and Coastal divisions with all 14 schools competing in one division beginning in 2023. Virginia's three primary opponents will be Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. 16 Different UVA alumni have now played in the main draw of a Grand Slam tennis tournament, with alum Alexander Ritschard earning a spot in the main draw of men's singles at Wimbledon June 27- July 10 in London. At least one former Cavalier has played in each of the last 53 Grand Slams dating back to 2009 Wimbledon. It marked the first time Ritschard — a member of Virginia's 2015-17 national championships squads — qualified to play in a Grand Slam. As of late June, he was ranked No. 192 in the world. 5th All-time meeting between Virginia and Michigan in men's basketball will take place in Ann Arbor in the 24th ACC/ B1G Challenge Nov. 29. The Cavaliers are 2-2 against the Wolverines, including a 70-58 win in the 2011 Challenge at John Paul Jones Arena. This year's matchup will be the first between the two schools in Ann Arbor since 1951, when the Wolverines topped the Cava- liers 66-52. UVA defeated Michigan 79-68 in the 1980 NIT, and the Wolverines beat the Cavaliers 102-65 in the 1989 NCAA Tourna- ment en route to the national championship. UVA has won eight of their last 11 Chal- lenge games and boasts a 13-8 record in the event. The ACC leads 12-8-3 in the series and 144-121 in games. The ACC won the first 10 consecutive challenges, while the Big Ten has won seven of the last nine along with two ties. 9 Medals won by UVA swimmers at the 2022 FINA World Championships in late June. Second-year Alex Walsh led the way with three gold medals (200-meter IM, 800-meter freestyle relay and 4x100-meter medley relay), while third-year Kate Douglass added three of her own (bronzes in the 200-meter breast- stroke, 4x100-meter freestyle relay and mixed 4x100-meter freestyle relay). In addition, first- year Emma Weyant took bronze in the 400 IM, while alum Leah Smith added bronzes in the 400 freestyle and 800 free relay. 1st Cavalier to be named the ACC Women's Tennis Player of the Year was sec- ond-year EMMA NAVARRO after her stellar 2022 campaign. Navarro is an ITA All-American in both singles and doubles, finish- ing the year ranked No. 2 in singles and No. 4 in doubles. A finalist for the 2022 Honda Sport Award For Tennis, she posted a 26-2 record in singles and spent four weeks as the top-ranked player in the nation.