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14 ◆ CAVALIER CORNER TOP WOMEN'S TEAMS Field hockey got things started in the fall by capturing the first ACC championship in program history. The Cavaliers defeated Boston College (6-3), Wake Forest (3-2) and North Carolina (4-2) en route to becoming the first No. 6 seed to win the tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers (16-8) — who were making their ninth na- tional tournament appearance in 11 years under head coach Michele Madison — edged Michigan to advance to the quarterfi- nals before suffering a 3-2 loss to Princeton on a last-second goal. The rowing squad maintained the same level of excellence the program has demon- strated for nearly two decades. The Cava- liers won their eighth straight ACC title by taking four of five races. UVA has now won 17 of the 18 ACC championship regattas and 68 of the 75 championship races. At the NCAA Championships, UVA's varsity four and varsity eight each placed 10th overall, while the second varsity eight placed 12th to key the squad's 11th-place national showing. The swimming and diving team won five event titles en route to a runner-up showing at the ACC Championships and entered the national meet ranked No. 8 in the country. The Cavaliers notched All-America acco- lades in the 800 freestyle relay (fourth-years Leah Smith and Kaitlyn Jones, third-year Jennifer Marrkand and first-year Morgan Hill), 500-yard freestyle (Smith), 100-yard breaststroke (fourth-year Laura Simon), 200-yard freestyle (Smith), 1,650-yard free- style (Smith) and 200-yard butterfly (Jones and Marrkand) en route to their 12th-place team showing. Women's soccer (15-5-2) had another stellar campaign, advancing to NCAA Tour- nament's round of 16 for the 12th consecu- tive season. In addition, women's basketball won 20 games and earned the ACC's automatic bid to the WNIT, while softball won 22 games, its most since 2012, and qualified for its first postseason since 2013. TOP COACHES There wasn't another UVA head coach who had a bigger year than men's tennis front man Brian Boland, who led his squad to its third consecutive national title and fourth in five seasons. During his 16 years in Charlottesville, Boland was a two-time ITA National Coach of the Year, amassed a 453-58 record, won four NCAA championships, captured six ITA National Team Indoor titles, compiled 12 ACC championships and led the Cava- liers to a No. 1 ranking in 10 seasons. His success at UVA earned him a new position as the USTA player development head of men's tennis. Rowing head coach Kevin Sauer also had a memorable year. His squad won its eighth straight ACC title and 17th in 18 years, and then notched an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Then in June, Sauer was elected to the Women's Collegiate Coaches Hall of Fame. Under his tutelage, 39 student-athletes have earned 53 CRCA All-America citations and he has had 81 All-ACC selections. Virginia has boasted multiple All-Americans 17 years in a row and had at least one member on the first team 18 consecutive seasons. Also notable, men's soccer head coach George Gelnovatch matched his predeces- sor, Bruce Arena, for the program record with his 295th win at Virginia during the fall. TOP ROOKIES Wrestler Jack Mueller was named Male Rookie of the Year and swimmer Morgan Hill was named Female Rookie of the Year at the Hoos Choice Awards in May. Mueller posted a 27-5 record on his way to the semifinals of the NCAA Champion- ships and a sixth-place finish after injury forced him to withdraw from the event. He was named the ACC Freshman Wrestler of the Year and became the first Virginia rookie wrestler to earn All-America honors. Hill earned a pair of All-America honors, Head coach Michele Madison (right) guided the field hockey program to its first-ever ACC crown and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. PHOTO COURTESY UVA Men's tennis head coach Brian Boland capped his Virginia career by leading his program to its fourth national champion- ship in the last five seasons. PHOTO COURTESY UVA