Virginia Wesleyan College

In this issue :

 

Compiled by Joe Wasiluk

DiCave Scores Nationally

When Meagan DiCave scored a school-record eight goals against Hollins University in the first game of the 2002 women's lacrosse campaign, she established a scoring pace that was unequaled the remainder of the season.

No one in any division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association was able to gain ground on the 5-foot-5 dynamo who was simply on a mission. She was not at all happy with her production for the Virginia Wesleyan College lacrosse team as a junior, and was determined that things would be different in her final season.

She put an exclamation point on an outstanding career by scoring a school and conference record 129 points. That total was not only the best in Division III, but also topped the leaders in Division I and II...marking DiCave as the first Division III player to lead all scoring since Hartwick College's Kate Stoehr in 1998. She is Virginia Wesleyan's first national scoring champion in any sport.

DiCave was virtually unstoppable through the 2002 season. Attacking the goal from any direction, she utilized her left arm repeatedly to help maneuver into defenses to either fire a shot or produce a slick pass that resulted in scores by other teammates. Her nation-leading point total included 70 goals and 59 assists, both single-season records for VWC's five-year-old women's lacrosse program.

"I never even thought about the chance of leading the nation, or anything like that," said DiCave. "I just wanted to have a good senior season and see my team do well. I owe so much to my teammates. If they didn't pass me the ball, I wouldn't have goals, and if they couldn't catch the ball and score goals, then I wouldn't have any assists. We depend on each other to make things happen."

That teamwork and DiCave's leadership guided Virginia Wesleyan to a school-record 10 victories in 2002, and a first-time appearance in the semifinals of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship tournament. It was all part of a standout season that saw the Marlins establish or tie 24 records, including 12 by DiCave.

Her performance on the field has earned her three consecutive first-team All-ODAC honors, two All-South region accolades, two All-American honors, and Virginia College Division Player of the Year honors...all firsts in the VWC program. She is also the first Marlin player to be invited to play in the prestigious North-South All-Star game, featuring many of the best players in the nation.

DiCave is currently waiting on news of being selected as a coach/player in the England Lacrosse Association. If that doesn't happen, instead of returning to her hometown in Pennsylvania, DiCave will stay in the Virginia Beach area and pursue her next goal: a career in sports broadcasting.

Forsyth Honored

The competition basketball court in the convocation center was named in honor of former Athletic Director Donald M. Forsyth as part of grand opening festivities for the Jane P. Batten Student Center on Feb. 2, 2002.

The ceremony took place during the Randolph-Macon College contest where the Marlins edged out the Yellow Jackets by a score of 65-64. Forsyth was the only full-time person in the athletic department when he arrived in 1969 to begin his 29-year career. In those early days he coached men's basketball, soccer, and golf. His comment upon learning of this honor was, "Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski-Duke) doesn't have this!"

VWC Welcomes New Coaches

The 2002-03 athletic year will feature new head coaches in six sports.

Keith Moore (men's and women's cross country), the College's director of residence life and assistant dean of students, takes over for Matt Puryear, who resigned to concentrate on his teaching duties in Virginia Beach. Moore is a 1996 graduate of Curry College.

Jennifer Strauss (volleyball) is a 2000 graduate of Fairfield University where she was the 2000 Female Senior Athlete of the Year. She was a rare four-year captain for the Stags and holds several volleyball records at the University. Strauss is the first volleyball coach in VWC history.

Kim-Michael Mertes (field hockey and women's lacrosse) comes to VWC from Eastern Connecticut State University, where he was an assistant coach in field hockey and lacrosse. He is a 1986 graduate of Westfield State College. Mertes replaces Michelle Burt, who resigned in the spring to pursue a teaching career in Chapel Hill, N.C.

John Brinkman (men's and women's tennis), a player-coach for the Virginia Beach Nets of the United States Tennis Association, becomes the first director of tennis at VWC, overseeing both the men's and women's programs. Former men's coach David Macedo will concentrate on his duties as head men's basketball coach, while former women's head coach Jeff Bowers will remain with the women's program as an assistant coach. A graduate of Duquesne University, Brinkman is the lead psychologist for Norfolk Public Schools. He coached tennis at Maury High School, compiling a 147-15 record, 11 District and five Regional championships, and an appearance in the Virginia Final Four.

Good Sports

Seniors James Wallace, Angie Cavanaugh, Meagan DiCave, Kim Fair and Bill Lingo received accolades for outstanding efforts at the thirty-third annual awards ceremony held in the spring. Junior John Tomasheski and sophomore Devin Allen also received top honors.

Wallace received the Norfolk Sports Club Award, honoring the top student-athlete at Virginia Wesleyan. He helped guide the men's basketball team to a 16-10 finish, including a school-record 14-4 showing and runner-up finish in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. He set a pair of three-point shooting records for VWC and earned All-ODAC honors twice.

Cavanaugh took honors in women's basketball, as she received the Howard D. Mast Award, recognizing the player whose loyalty, performance, and academic achievements are key to the VWC women's program. She averaged 11.1 points per game for the Marlins in 2001-02 and owns the ODAC's single-game record for three-point shooting accuracy. She set that mark in 2000, hitting 7-of-7 long-range attempts against Randolph-Macon College.

DiCave, Fair, and Lingo, all four-year letterwinners in their respective sports, were honored with VWC's Senior Athlete Award, recognizing outstanding senior leaders. DiCave guided the women's lacrosse team to a school-record 10-8 finish, (see page 14). Fair, an All-South honoree in soccer, was the defensive sparkplug for the Marlins. The team finished with a 13-7-1 record, one win shy of the school record for victories. Lingo ranked third in scoring for the men's lacrosse team and ranks among VWC's all-time leaders in several categories.

Tomasheski was awarded the W. B. Shafer, Jr., Scholar-Athlete Award for the second consecutive year. He carries a 3.99 grade point average and has emerged as one of the top male tennis players in the history of the College, holding the school-record for most victories in a season (18).

Allen was awarded the Marlin Athletic Club/Donald M. Forsyth Student-Athlete Award for her efforts as a two-sport standout. Allen has earned four varsity letters, two each in women's basketball and softball. She led the basketball team in scoring this past season, averaging 11.5 points per game, and hit .389 for the softball team en route to earning All-ODAC honors for the second consecutive year as a shortstop.

Wallace, Fair, and Tomasheski were also among 16 athletes selected by head coaches and/or advisors, to receive the 2002 Blue Marlin Award, which recognizes leadership, dedication, and attitude. The others were seniors Jeff Butler, Neil Addesso, Steve Sturtz, Jackie Urie, Colin Stevenson, Kelly Rust, and Brooke Sheetz; juniors Jennifer Green, Tatjana Heintz, Katie Gunther, and Jay Smith; sophomore Leah Starkey; and first-year Colleen O'Connell.