With six ACC championships, two NCAA titles, and a bowl win, it was a golden year for the Cavaliers.
to a 23-16 win over Pittsburgh in the Continental
Tire Bowl in Charlotte. He was named the
game's MVP.
In 2003�2004, Virginia athletes achieved success in a broad range of competition, earning for the University another topthirty spot in the United States Sports Academy Directors� Cup standings. Thanks to the talent and hard work of players and coaches, the University has remained in the top thirty in all eleven years of the Directors� Cup rankings, which are based on the combined records of the men�s and women�s teams. In postseason play, our athletes captured the women�s NCAA lacrosse national championship and the women�s rowing championship in the varsity four event. U.Va. tied for sixth in the NCAA women�s rowing championship and placed thirteenth in men�s swimming and diving, tied for sixteenth in wrestling, and nineteenth in women�s swimming and diving. In addition, the men�s tennis team hosted an NCAA regional tournament and advanced to the round of sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
carries the American flag for
the U.S. team at the opening
of the Athens Olympics.
Six of our teams, representing 24 percent of our varsity sports programs, took home ACC championships: women�s lacrosse, women�s rowing, women�s swimming and diving, men�s soccer, men�s tennis, and men�s swimming and diving. It was the sixth consecutive conference championship for the men�s swimming and diving team, the fifth for the women�s rowing team, and the first for men�s tennis. Before this year,U.Va. had never won more than four conference championships in a single year.
Coach Al Groh and the Virginia football team capped an 8-5 year with a big postseason victory. They defeated Pittsburgh 23-16 to win their second consecutive Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte.Quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 244 yards, while the team ran up 196 yards rushing. The bowl made it possible for the Department of Athletics to continue its tradition of supporting the arts and academics at the University. Proceeds from the bowl financed the first-ever Afropop Festival, held in October 2004. Featuring concerts by stars of contemporary African popular music, workshops, master classes, discussions, and open rehearsals, the five-day event was a forum for learning about the culture, history, and traditions surrounding African popular music.
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GOING FOR GOLD IN THE OLYMPICS
Virginia made a solid showing at the Athens Olympics. It began with former U.Va. basketball star Dawn Staley carrying the U.S. flag during the opening ceremonies. The 34-yearold point guard scored 14 points in the final game to help the U.S. women�s team win its third consecutive gold medal. Former Cavalier All-American Angela Hucles was a member of the U.S. women�s soccer team that captured the gold with a 2-1 overtime win against Brazil. Ms. Hucles,who graduated in 2000, is still U.Va.�s alltime leading scorer. Wyatt Allen, a 2001 graduate of the University, earned a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men�s eight crew. The last time the Americans took gold in this event was 1964. Allen rowed with the Virginia men�s club team from 1998 to 2001.
was named ACC
Coach of the Year
after his first season
with the Cavaliers.
MAKING AN AUSPICIOUS DEBUT
By the end of coach Brian O�Connor�s first season, it was hard to find a seat at Virginia baseball games. Finishing a close second place in the 2004 ACC regular season standings, O�Connor�s squad posted an 18-6 record in conference play. The Cavaliers� fortyfour overall victories tied the school record for most wins, and their eighteen ACC victories were seven more than the previous record. Thanks to this performance, Virginia was selected to host an NCAA regional tournament for the first time in its history, and Coach O�Connor was named the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year. Also making its debut this year was the Cavalier Marching Band. Made possible by Carl Smith (College �51) and Hunter Smith of Charlottesville, the band under the direction of William Pease wowed the crowd of 62,790 at the opening game of the 2004 football season. The extra enthusiasm inspired by the marching musicians seemed to make a difference. The Cavaliers soundly defeated the University of North Carolina, 56-24.
WINNERS IN THE CLASSROOM
A total of 224 Virginia athletes were named to the 2003�2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll; four Cavaliers (Luke Wagner, Whitney Ashcraft, Jennifer Reck, and Doug Stewart) garnered 2003�2004 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State honors. The University�s graduation rate for student-athletes is currently 83 percent, as compared with 62 percent for all Division I-A institutions.
