Sports Briefs

Wrestling Team Heads To Virginia for Meet

The North Carolina wrestling team starts dual meet action today and Saturday at the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va. The Tar Heels enter the Duals after tuning up with tournament competition at the Las Vegas Invitational, the Carolina-Sharpie Open, the East Stroudsburg Open and Midlands earlier in the season.

UNC finished 22nd at Las Vegas and tied for 31st at Midlands.

Home Meet Opens Indoor Track Season

The UNC indoor track season kicks off Sunday with the Carolina 5 Team meet in the Eddie Smith Fieldhouse, located at the east end of Fetzer Field. The meet will be the first collegiate event held in the new facility. Field events begin at noon, and running events start at 1 p.m.

The North Carolina women's indoor team begins the season after finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships last season and capturing its ninth consecutive ACC indoor crown. The men placed 2nd at ACCs in 2001 and have finished in the top two of the conference in each of the last seven seasons.

Golf Coach, Ex-Player Tied in New Zealand

UNC golf coach John Inman fired a 2-under-par 69 and is tied for 16th place after the first round of the New Zealand Open. Inman, in his fourth year as the Tar Heels' men's golf coach, is five strokes behind leader Scott Gardiner. He stands one stroke ahead of the world's No. 1 player, Tiger Woods.

Inman carded a 1-under 34 on the front nine followed by a 1-under 35 on the back nine. Inman, a former PGA Tour participant, has played in the New Zealand Open several times.

Another player with Tar Heel ties is Mark Wilson, who is tied for 16th place with Inman. Wilson was a member of the 1994-97 Tar Heel teams and was the ACC champion in 1996.

Jackson Caps Title Year With Individual Honors

North Carolina men's soccer player Danny Jackson, a 2001 first-team All-American, was named one of 11 College Men's MVPs by Soccer America, the magazine announced this week.

Jackson, a defender from England, led Carolina to the NCAA championship last month. He paced the Tar Heel defense all season and scored a crucial goal on a penalty kick late in the title-game victory over Indiana.

Southern Methodist's Luchi Gonzalez, who tallied 21 goals and 12 assists in 2001, was named the College Men's Player of the Year by Soccer America. The magazine tabbed St. John's Dave Masur as Coach of the Year.

Va. Tech Names UNC's Weiss Head Coach

The Virginia Tech Athletic Department announced Thursday that former UNC assistant Oliver Weiss will be the new head coach of its men's soccer team.

After Weiss became an assistant to North Carolina coach Elmar Bolowich in 1999, the Tar Heels compiled a 54-14-1 record in three years.

Prior to his work at UNC, he served as an assistant at William & Mary. In his three years there, Weiss helped produce a 49-17-5 record, a CAA title and three NCAA tournament bids.

"I am looking forward to the challenge that the Virginia Tech soccer program and the Big East Conference present," Weiss said. "I am anxious to get started."