FOV Cavalier of the Year #11/#12

From Old Virginia celebrates its birthday in a unique way: by recognizing one of Virginia's student-athletes as the Cavalier of the Year. What are the criteria for the award? You decide; that's the beauty. I nominate the 12 athletes that I think have been the most outstanding during the latest season of UVA athletics, and provide a short summary of their accomplishments. You choose the winner in a poll that goes up after all 12 have had their moment in the spotlight. The full list of nominees is here.

Over the next few weeks, two athletes at a time will be profiled, and you'll hear about what they've accomplished while representing Mr. Jefferson's University this year. The athletes are presented in a totally random order so as to hopefully not imply any endorsement one way or another. Athletes from all fields are considered; the point is to emphasize that UVA is about excellence across the entire department and doesn't shortchange its so-called non-revenue sports simply because they don't make headlines. The previous winners are Danny Hultzen (2009, 2011), Diego Restrepo (2010), and Mike Scott and Morgan Brian (2012); today's athlete's are Melanie Mitchell and Paige Selenski.
Melanie Mitchell - Softball - Pitcher

Team accomplishments:

-- none

Personal accomplishments:

-- NFCA all-region first team
-- VaSID all-state first team
-- One-time ACC Pitcher of the Week
-- UVA career leader in wins, strikeouts, innings, complete games, starts, and appearances

Couldn't really call it a great season for UVA softball.  Not when it results in the resignation of the head coach.  In Melanie Mitchell's senior season, though, she capped off an outstanding career by breaking every record she could find.  Most of those you see above actually fell in the middle of the season, leaving the rest of the year to just pad her lead.  The strikeouts record is perhaps the most impressive; Mitchell was definitely a strikeout pitcher, and became only the fourth pitcher in ACC history to top 1,100 career K's.

Plus, she was 16th in the country with 270 strikeouts and 3rd in the ACC as well - and 2nd place had 271.  And both pitchers ahead of her needed a lot more innings; Mitchell, in fact, led the conference in strikeouts per inning.  Definitely another case where a terrific player is graduating - the best pitcher in UVA history, really - and leaving behind major questions about replacing her.

Paige Selenski - Field hockey - Forward

Team accomplishments:

-- NCAA second round

Personal accomplishments:

-- NFHCA first-team all-American
-- NFHCA South Region POY
-- ACC Offensive POY
-- One-time ACC Player of the Week
-- Set UVA career points record
-- Finished 8th on national all-time points list
-- Virginia Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year for 2012

I haven't double-checked but I basically don't need to: Paige Selenski is the first UVA athlete that I've nominated four times for this award.  It's gotten automatic; Selenski is an absolute titan of her sport.  Not just at UVA - nationally and all-time.  She is only the 9th player to be named to four all-ACC teams and the 11th ACC player to be named an all-American four times as well.

Then there's the Portsmouth Sports Club.  Their Jamboree in February was the 67th such event, at which they customarily name a male and female collegiate athlete of the year in the state of Virginia.  Paige Selenski is the first - male or female - to win it twice.  And it happens as well that she's only the second UVA player to be named ACC POY.  In previous FOV COY voting, Selenski has only ever received one vote each year.  That number belies her status as one of UVA's all-time greats in any sport; the plain truth, no exaggeration, is that she's Ralph Sampson with a hockey stick and a skirt.

FOV Cavalier of the Year 2011; #1/#2

From Old Virginia celebrates its birthday in a unique way: by recognizing one of Virginia's student-athletes as the Cavalier of the Year. What are the criteria for the award? You decide; that's the beauty. I nominate the 12 athletes that I think have been the most outstanding during the latest season of UVA athletics, and provide a short summary of their accomplishments. You choose the winner in a poll that goes up after all 12 have had their moment in the spotlight.


Over the next two weeks, two athletes at a time will be profiled, and you'll hear about what they've accomplished while representing Mr. Jefferson's University this year. The athletes are presented in a totally random order so as to hopefully not imply any endorsement one way or another. Athletes from all fields are considered; part of the point is to emphasize that UVA is about excellence across the entire department and doesn't shortchange its so-called non-revenue sports simply because they don't make headlines. The previous winners are Danny Hultzen (2009) and Diego Restrepo (2010); today's athlete's are Brian Ownby and Paige Selenski.

Brian Ownby - Men's soccer - Forward

Team accomplishments:

- ACC tournament semifinals
- 30th consecutive NCAA selection

Personal accomplishments:

- First-team all-ACC
- VaSID second-team all-state
- Second on the team with seven goals

The soccer season ended on a disappointing note for the Hoos; if we hadn't all been busy complaining about the football team we might've had a few words about that too.  Even so, individual accolades shone a little brighter than they had the previous year when the Hoos won the national championship.  Brian Span opened some eyes as UVA's top freshman, but perhaps the most surprising thing I learned in choosing the 12 nominees was that no UVA men's soccer player had made first-team all-ACC since 2007 and Yannick Reyering.  Somehow it escaped my notice that we won a national championship without a single player that the ACC voters saw fit to include as one of the best in the league.

But I digress.  Brian Ownby breaks the streak, and in fine fashion.  Ownby hasn't been the highest scorer on the team, but his various selections to all-something teams, as well as last year's USMNT U-20 team (which he'll be ineligible for going forward), give him his fair share of recognition as perhaps the most talented player on the team.  He's also got a knack for timely goals; hard to forget his golden goal against Wake Forest in the 2009 run, and this season he scored game-tying goals against Boston College (a game which finished tied 1-1 like Ownby left it) and a 76th-minute game-tyer against Virginia Tech, which UVA would win in overtime.

Ownby was a little bit overshadowed last year (OK, a lot overshadowed and rightly so given the exploits of Restrepo) having missed a lot of time with a groin injury.  This, his junior year, was really his first playing full time for the UVA team, and responding with an all-ACC selection is an impressive feat.

Paige Selenski - Field hockey - Midfielder

Team accomplishments:

- 18-4 record
- NCAA tournament 3rd seed
- NCAA tournament semifinals

Personal accomplishments:

- Scored 27 of team's 68 total goals
- One-time national and ACC Player of the Week
- Selected to US National Team
- VaSID Player of the Year in Virginia
- NCAA all-tournament team
- NFHCA first team all-American
- Honda Award semifinalist
- Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year in the state of Virginia
- Third selection as all-ACC
- All-South Region first team

This is one of the reasons I do this here award thing.  One of the most dominant athletes in a Virginia uniform is someone a lot of people have barely heard of.  Fortunately, the people who follow field hockey know exactly who she is, because if there's a team you can be named to or an award to be handed out, Paige Selenski is on the short list.  You can count on one hand the number of UVA athletes that have that kind of list of acknowledgements and recognitions, and you probably won't need all your fingers.  Selenski is one of only three athletes to be back for a third nomination for FOV COY and each year it's been nigh automatic.  One of the easiest selections I've made.  Selenski is only a junior; with Michael Shabaz graduating and Danny Hultzen not being clinically insane, and not bloody likely to turn down #2-pick money, Selenski could be the first four-time nominee for this award.

Selenski repeated her 27-goal performance from last year, and this year it was good for third in the country.  She went scoreless in just five of UVA's 22 games this year, and keep you in mind, there's only one sport around with less scoring and that's soccer.  Selenski was one of nine players in the country to average more than a goal per game, and as usual she's a big-gamer with eight game-winners, tied for the ACC lead.  And as with last year, she led the team to the NCAA semifinals - UVA is one of the top field hockey teams in the country but unfortunately all the better ones are also in the ACC, and it's been a tough climb over the last hurdle.  Maybe next year; Paige Selenski will still be there.

FOV Cavalier of the Year, #1/#2

From Old Virginia celebrates its birthday in a unique way: by recognizing one of Virginia's student-athletes as the Cavalier of the Year. What are the criteria for the award? You decide; that's the beauty. I nominate the 12 athletes that I think have been the most outstanding during the latest season of UVA athletics, and provide a short summary of their accomplishments. You choose the winner in a poll that goes up after all 12 have had their moment in the spotlight.

Over the next two weeks, two athletes at a time will be profiled, and you'll hear about what they've accomplished while representing Mr. Jefferson's University this year. The athletes are presented in a totally random order so as to hopefully not imply any endorsement one way or another. Athletes from all fields are considered; part of the point is to emphasize that UVA is about excellence across the entire department and doesn't shortchange its so-called non-revenue sports simply because they don't make headlines. Last year's winner was Danny Hultzen; today's athletes are Brittany Kalkstein and Paige Selenski.

Brittany Kalkstein - Women's lacrosse - Midfield


Team accomplishments:

- 14-6 record
- Advanced to 2nd round of NCAA tournament as 6th seed

Personal accomplishments:

- 41 goals, 21 assists
- First-team IWCLA All-American
- Two-time ACC Player of the Week
- One-time Inside Lacrosse National Player of the Week
- Tewaaraton Trophy finalist
- Women's lacrosse Honda Sports Award finalist
- First-team All-ACC, First-team ACC Tournament team

Kalkstein fell just shy of being the team's leading scorer, but there's no doubting her status as the team's top player. The lady laxers had their best season since 2007, advancing to the second round of the tournament under extremely difficult circumstances.

Kalkstein scores - a lot. Her 41 goals stand out, and she was credited with more game-winning goals than anyone else on the team. There's little she doesn't do - she was tied for the team lead in ground balls and second on the team in caused turnovers. She's also started every single game during her four-year career, without missing a single one. But it's draw controls - the women's equivalent to faceoff wins - where Kalkstein makes her name. Last year she set the UVA single-season record with 73 - and then smashed that record like it was Disco Demolition Night with 97 in this, her senior season. It took only until the first game of this season for her to break the UVA career record here, and when she won her national POTW awards, they were also for her draw controls - nine of them in an upset win against Syracuse, more than twice her already sky-high career average. The men's team could take a lesson. In any case, rewriting the UVA record books and being a national finalist for every award out there is a surefire way to earn a COTY nomination.

Paige Selenski - Field hockey - Midfield



Team accomplishments:

- 20-4 record
- Most wins in UVA history
- #2 seed in NCAA tournament - highest seed ever
- Advanced to NCAA final four

Personal accomplishments:

- Field hockey Honda Sports Award finalist
- First-team NFHCA All-American
- NFHCA South Region Player of the Year
- Second straight selection to All-South Region team
- All-ACC selection; All-ACC Tournament team
- 27 goals in 24 games

Selenski is one of four repeat nominees for this award, and deservedly so as one of the elite field hockey players in the country. Her 27 goals place her sixth in the nation, and just one of two underclassmen in that top six. In a sport that runs second only to soccer in the race to be the lowest-scoring, it's a helluva number.

Perhaps most importantly as UVA had its most successful field hockey season ever, Selenski proved herself a big-gamer. She scored three goals in the NCAA tournament, including the OT game-winner in the quarterfinal against Michigan State; she also scored twice against Duke in the ACC tournament, the opening goal in an OT win over #4 Wake Forest, a goal and assist in a 2-0 win over #9 Boston College, and the Hoos' only goal in the regular-season loss to Maryland. One of the nation's best, and only a sophomore.

it's a party and you're all invited

One week from today is a Very Special Day. No, it's not the day your propeller beanie finally comes in the mail. It's my birthday, wheee! Or to get all technically correct about it, it's the birthday of this blog, which dates its founding to June 10, 2008. That means FOV is turning two years old.

It certainly has been an interesting two years, full of triumph, tragedy, and heartbreak. UVA is the most successful ACC athletic department since expansion, and that is awesome, and nearly half those ACC titles have come in the last two years. On the other hand, the last two seasons have both seen major coach firings. Al Groh and Dave Leitao were the big-cheese coaches when this blog began; they've been replaced by Mike London and Tony Bennett. (This also necessitates a change of banners, which I'm working on. My limited graphic design skills are combining forces with my limited software to produce a bunch of stuff I hate. Getting there, though.)

Interesting times for the blog itself, too. I've been so idiotically wrong at times, and prophetic at others. (It counts even if that foresight was the result of a visit to Emo Myspace Land.) I've been quoted at Yahoo and won interesting awards, the latter of which I'd like to think is for being bloody damn right.

Anyway, just like last year, birthday party means it's time to recognize the athletes that are out at the forefront, wearing the colors and representing the school. The 2nd annual FOV Cavalier of the Year Award, which is basically the prestige equivalent of a Nobel Athletics Prize and therefore only Hoos are eligible, is hereby announced. Last year's winner was baseball's Danny Hultzen, a worthy awardee, and he returns as a nominee this year as well. The twelve nominees, in alphabetical order, are:

Robby Andrews (track)
Ken Clausen (lacrosse)
Drew Courtney/Michael Shabaz (tennis)
Chris Henrich (wrestling)
Danny Hultzen (baseball)
Brittany Kalkstein (lacrosse)
Lauren Perdue (swimming)
Diego Restrepo (soccer)
Scot Robison (swimming)
Paige Selenski (field hockey)
Sarah Tacke (softball)
Monica Wright (basketball)

Here's the format: over the next couple weeks, I'll be profiling these standout athletes for you with a summary of their accomplishments this season, two at a time and in a random order. Just about every one of them has earned some kind of hardware or individual recognition for their exploits. When I'm done with the summaries, a poll will go up on the right-hand side. I determine the nominees, but you the readers determine the winner. Hultzen was indeed the people's choice last year, and I must say you chose wisely. The power will again be in your hands; do not use it for evil.

FOV Cavalier of the Year, #11/#12

Bleh. You're lucky I even bothered to crawl out of bed today let alone summon the energy to post something. There's much going on this weekend - one football commitment is already on the books, that being LB Ryan Cobb - but rather than spend all day trying to keep up with that, look for a few weekend review-type posts at the end of it. For now we're focused on naming our Cavalier of the Year, and maybe, just to keep my mind off, you know, things, I'll get cranking on YouTubeing some of those baseball games I've got in the hopper.

The official From Old Virginia Birthday is June 10, at which time this blog marks its first year of publication. For the birthday celebration, we - that is, me, and you the readers - will name the FOV Cavalier of the Year. My job is to pick the twelve finalists and write a few words about each that tell you all about their accomplishments. Your job is easier: to vote in the poll that will run once all twelve are finished.

Two of the finalists will be highlighted each day this week, through Saturday. They're in random order with no rhyme or reason implied or intended. Today: Tony Tchani and Paige Selenski.

Tony Tchani - Men's soccer - Midfielder

Team accomplishments:

- Made ACC tournament championship game after upsetting #1 Wake Forest
- Made second round of NCAA tournament

Personal accomplishments:

- ACC Freshman of the Year
- Second-team All-ACC
- First-team All-Region
- Led team with 9 goals despite missing eight games

Freshmen were the name of the game for the soccer team this year, and Tchani's the guy in front. He had multiple two-goal games, but his biggest goal of the nine he scored had to be the penalty kick scored near the very end of the North Carolina game, a 1-0 road win over the #12 team in the country that vaulted us into the rankings for the first time this season. You have to wonder how the postseason could have gone if Tchani's injury against Longwood (Longwood, argh) had been as mild as the CDP said it was; it wasn't, and all the prime-time scoring punch the team had was basically vaporized.

Paige Selenski - Field hockey - Midfielder













Team accomplishments:

- Spent entire season ranked in top 15 nationall
- Advanced to second round of NCAA tournament

Personal accomplishments:

- ACC Freshman of the Year
- National Rookie of the Year
- All-ACC selection
- First-team All-Region
- Participates on national U-21 field hockey team
- National Rookie of the Week for October 7
- Led team with 19 goals and 47 points; second in assists with 9

I'll be the first to admit I know squat about field hockey. But I know a little something about awesome, and National Rookie of the Year is awesome. You might have noticed a little theme in that there are quite a lot of these finalists with ACC Freshman/Rookie of the Year honors; Paige Selenski is the only one to reel in both that and national honors as well. Her national Rookie of the Week honors came after racking up four goals and three assists in two games, one of which was against the #1 team in the land. Spiffy. Like the men's soccer team, the gals here have a bright future with a lot of very good freshmen on the team, but Selenski's got not just her team, but the whole nation beat here.