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CAVALIERSPORTS five questions WOMEN'S GOLF COACH KIM LEWELLEN Cavalier Corner: What did it mean for you to achieve a No. 2 national ranking this fall? Lewellen: "The ranking was the highest in our history and was very exciting. It allowed us, with a very young team, time to mix and match some of the lineups. Our fall season is our preseason … and it gave me some freedom this fall to play new folks, [make] some lineup changes and use this preseason as a time to get better for next spring." Cavalier Corner: What is your recruiting strategy? Lewellen: "I think we have evolved into, 'I want to be a part of this top program and win the na- tional championship.' UVa in itself is such a won- derful institution … that we have been able to recruit pretty well. Combining that with the suc- cess of the program, and it hasn't been around very long, we have been able to recruit some of the top athletes from around the country and internationally." Cavalier Corner: Is it true that your father hid some of your personal recruiting letters? Lewellen: "My father and I are very, very close, and I am an only child as well. [Being] from Ra- leigh, N.C., I was only allowed to see letters from schools that were within an hour and a half drive. [At a] tournament, a golf coach come up to me and said it was very odd that I had never replied to any of her mailings. I asked my mother and hoo's hot Elly Buckley ◆ Field Hockey The second-year forward from Perth, Australia, was named All-ACC for a second straight year after she led the team with 17 goals and nine as- sists, and tied for the team lead with two game-winners. Buckley, who finished the sea- son ranked second in the ACC in points (43) and third in goals, also tallied the Cava- liers' two goals in a hard-fought, 3-2 loss to Duke in the opening round of the ACC Championship. Chantel Jones ◆ Soccer The sixth-year goalkeeper tied an NCAA record with the 44th shutout of her career in a 2-0 vic- tory over Maryland in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. The win over No. 16 Maryland gave the No. 5 Cavs their fifth con- secutive shutout, their longest streak since six straight in 2009. The Midlothian, Va., native, who redshirted in 2006 and then sat out in 2008 while playing for the United States in the Un- 8 ◆ CAVALIER CORNER der-20 World Cup, recorded 11 shutouts this year. Rodney McLeod ◆ Football The fourth-year strong safety was named the College Football Performance Awards' National Defensive Back of the Week for his perfor- mance at Maryland on Nov. 5. The Oxon Hill, Md., native logged a team-high seven tack- les, a pass breakup and three in- terceptions during UVa's 31-13 win over the Terps. McLeod is one of just four players in the coun- try to record three interceptions in a game this season, and he also is now tied with six others for the program record. Scot Robison ◆ Swimming The 2011 graduate represented the United States at the Pan American Games and won a goal medal and a pair of silvers as a part of three successful relay teams. The 4x200-meter freestyle relay team placed first in their race and beat second-place Brazil by 6.89 seconds (7:21.96). Then, the Charlotte, N.C., native anchored the 4x100-meter relay team that finished second to Brazil by 0.97 seconds and also an- chored he 4x100-meter medley relay team that was bested by a second, again by Brazil. Individually, Robison also placed fourth in the 100-meter freestyle and fifth in the 200-meter freestyle. Dom Starsia ◆ Lacrosse The men's lacrosse coach was announced as the recipient of the 2011 F. Mor- ris Touchstone Award as the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's Division I Head Coach of the Year on Oct. 21. He is the first UVa coach to win the honor, which was first presented in 1958, but it is his third time taking home the trophy (he previously won it at Brown in 1985 and 1991), tied for fourth-most all time. Starsia led his team to an NCAA crown last year and enters his 20th season at UVa with 329 career victories — the most in Division I history. father, and they fessed up to hiding the letters. I [ultimately] had such a good experience, play- ing at UNC — Virginia did not have a golf team at that time — it all worked out well, but it was quite funny." Cavalier Corner: What about your experience on the Golf Channel's reality show "Big Break"? Lewellen: "It was probably one of the most fun experiences I have ever had. There were many challenges like hitting over a wall or specialty shots, such as hitting over and around objects, and some match play. It really brought my competitive nature out. I did very well in the first one so they brought me back to do another one. It also led to a lot of other fun things for the Golf Channel." Cavalier Corner: Golf has meant a lot to you; how do you sum up the opportunity you have now as a coach? Lewellen: "I think that golf is a wonderful sport in and of itself. When we go to a tournament, we play with eighteen other teams [in groups of four] … talking to and getting to meet all different types of people. … It provides opportunities that they might not otherwise have. It leads to a lot of friendships down the road and contacts in the business world … it is just a great sport for any young lady to be involved in." — Sean Corso Lewellen was named the LPGA T&CP Na- tional Coach of the Year and has guided UVa to a program-best No. 2 national ranking. PHOTO BY JIM DAVES/COURTESY UVA