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(04/26/07 4:00am)
Bond. James Bond.
No. 6 on the North Carolina men's lacrosse team garnered 007 status last summer while on his Morehead Scholar travel study program in India - for running.
"The people ended up calling me 'James Bond' because they thought that I was doing these secret missions and going on all these crazy adventures," said Fletcher Gregory, a junior defensive midfielder and team captain.
For some, jetting to India to intern for Wachovia and learn about globalization and business for six weeks might seem a little intense - especially after traveling to Japan with the UNC team to participate in the International Lacrosse Friendship Games.
For Gregory, it was simply part of meshing his roles as a varsity athlete and a Morehead Scholar.
Gregory, also a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, received the Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award for this year's men's lacrosse team on Monday at the All-Sports Banquet.
"He's a complete person," UNC head coach John Haus said. "He's involved academically at the highest level here, and he's involved at the highest level in terms of Division I lacrosse."
But Gregory's not alone in balancing Morehead and athletic responsibilities, and he knows it. He eagerly rattled off the names of athletes such as softball player Anna Evans, football player Jock Moore and tennis player Tristan Heinrich.
Gregory's unique experiences have helped him grow, said Karen James, assistant director for the Summer Enrichment Program with the Morehead Foundation.
"All that he's been through in balancing athletics and the Morehead Summer Program and campus involvement and friends - he's just a well-rounded guy and I think the summers have contributed in part to that," James said.
Gregory's work in both the athletic and academic world has shaped his teammates, junior midfielder Rob Driscoll said.
"Every summer he's been going out of the country," he said. "As a person, that's helping him grow, and he's transferred that into the team."
While Gregory had several college options for either lacrosse or football, his final choice was influenced by academics.
"Once I got the Morehead, it was kind of too hard - way too hard - to pass up," he said. "I felt like I had the opportunity to really express myself, not only through athletics, but through the different aspects of the Morehead program."
Even after accepting the Morehead Scholarship, Gregory had another decision to make - whether to step onto Fetzer Field or to follow his grandfather, Dick Dashiell, to Kenan Stadium.
Gregory met with both the lacrosse and football coaches on his Morehead visit in March 2004, but his commitment to the Morehead Scholarship shaped his final sports decision.
"I wouldn't be able to capitalize on those summer opportunities as much if I was playing football because I'd be involved with summer workouts and early practices," he explained.
"With lacrosse being a spring sport, I would have been able to, in the summer, fully take advantage of those opportunities and be able to go on those types of trips for an extended period of time."
And he's fully utilized those summer months. He went kayaking and mountaineering with Outward Bound in 2004.
A chance to improve his Spanish, develop close relationships with community members and work with children led him to spend nine weeks in Ecuador on a public service project in 2005 with Heinrich.
"It was probably the most rewarding experience of my life, without a doubt," Gregory said. "When we first went there, the kids were running away from us, didn't want to talk to us.
"And the day that we left, they were all in tears and they were all up on top of the mountain range, waving goodbye to us as we walked back to the nearest town."
With a brief pause, Gregory reflected, "I still think about those kids all the time."
Pursuing his interest in business, Gregory snapped up the opportunity to work in India as an intern with Wachovia, where he studied how Indian employees are recruited, hired and trained in the company.
He'll be back on American soil this summer, working as an investment banking intern with Morgan Stanley in New York.
While Gregory has enjoyed his summer experiences, he occasionally feels the sting of regret from picking lacrosse over football.
"Some of my really good friends, my best friends, play on the football team," he said. "It's definitely tough going out there on Saturdays, seeing them playing and not being able to be out there with them.
"It's something that I take with a grain of salt. I still get my competitive release through lacrosse. I'm glad I made the decision I did, but it's definitely tough."
Gregory's UNC lacrosse career has been more of a progression, as he has tried to combat injury and improve his skill set.
"I can see over the last three years the development that he's made," Haus said. "Going from maybe a freshman that really didn't get a lot of time at all, to last year he was injured at times and maybe didn't quite have the season that he wanted to but continued to work hard, and now this year as a junior he's getting on the field for us and playing for us."
He missed all but three games of his sophomore season because of a turf toe injury in his left foot.
"I think the number one thing it did was to make me appreciate being healthy," Gregory said.
"When people are complaining about having to go to practice everyday - I'm a victim of it as well, I do it - I think back on the time when I couldn't even barely walk, and I would have given anything to run again and be able to play lacrosse again."
The injuries continued for Gregory this season, as he developed a bone spur in his right toe and mononucleosis, which made him miss the first month of preseason workouts.
"That definitely affected my playing time and also affected my, you know, how good of shape I was in," he added. "Even now I'm still recovering in terms of my wind and being 100 percent good shape."
In 13 games this season, Gregory has played in each contest, and has collected 11 ground balls.
"For the first time now he's getting considerable playing time for us, and that's a credit to his hard work and commitment and sticking with it," Haus said.
With the ninth-ranked UNC team sporting a 9-4 record heading into the ACC Tournament semifinals against No. 2 Duke this Friday, the odds are good that he will see playing time in the NCAA Tournament this summer.
While balancing postseason play with academics might sound tough, Gregory explained the extra workload helps him stay on a balanced schedule.
"I guess staying busy for me has been good because it's shown people that, especially on our team, that you don't just have to be a lacrosse player," he said.
"You can join clubs, you can be in a fraternity, you can excel in other parts of the campus that it offers. I'd say that's the main thing about being busy is that it provides an example for other people on the team."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/21/07 4:00am)
PITTSBURGH - After soundly defeating Prairie View in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell said she hoped there would be other easy games ahead.
Tuesday's matchup against Notre Dame at the Petersen Events Center was anything but. Though they had to come from behind, UNC's experience and leadership helped the team to a 60-51 victory.
"Survive and advance," Hatchell said. "It was tough. I knew they were going to give us a great game and they did. I was proud of the young ladies right here, especially LaToya Pringle. I've said this the last few weeks, of course Ivory (Latta) and Camille (Little) and Erlana (Larkins), they carry us most of our game. . But when we needed (LaToya), she stepped up."
Seniors Little and Latta have been one of the great forces for the North Carolina women's basketball team, helping them to three straight ACC Tournament titles and three Sweet 16 appearances.
Against No. 9-seed Notre Dame the duo helped keep North Carolina in the hunt for further NCAA Tournament action by scoring when the team needed the points most in a tightly fought contest. Latta led the team in scoring with 17 points, while junior LaToya Pringle had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Little ended the game with eight points.
"We learned a lot from this," Hatchell said. "Hopefully it will make us a better team."
UNC will face No. 5-seed George Washington on Sunday in Dallas.
The Tar Heels, whose starters saw plenty of rest while the bench played the main role in the first round of the tournament, started the game with less success than against Prairie View. While UNC was able to put up 20 points in the first three minutes of the game against the Panthers, the Tar Heels only put up four points in the same time against the Irish because of missed shots and a stiffer defense.
The Fighting Irish lived up to their moniker and pressured the Tar Heels up and down the court the entire game.
"Coach told us before the game that it was going to be a war up there and they were going to come after us, and that's what they did," Latta said.
UNC shot just 40.8 percent for the game, and the Tar Heels went to the locker room with a 29-28 lead following a last-minute 3-pointer by Rashanda McCants.
But the Irish fought on in the second half and quickly took another short lead as UNC struggled to a 41-35 deficit with 12 minutes to go. The Tar Heels didn't tie the game at 41 until almost three minutes later, following a Pringle basket.
She put North Carolina back ahead with another field goal, aided by a four-and-a-half minute-long drought by the Irish. A long 3-pointer by Alex Miller put the Tar Heels up 48-41.
From there, North Carolina dug in its heels and kept chiseling out a small lead, holding Notre Dame at bay just long enough.
"We kept building each other up," Latta said. "Through hard times, we're definitely going to weather the storm."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu
(03/20/07 4:00am)
PITTSBURGH - It seems green was a lucky color for the Notre Dame women's basketball team. Sunday's 62-59 victory against California was the first time all season the Fighting Irish had sported the forest green road suits.
Whether they will keep the winning green against North Carolina has yet to be seen. The No. 9 seeded Fighting Irish go head-to-head with the Tar Heels in the teams' third meeting in school history at 9:30 p.m. today (ESPN2) at the Petersen Events Center.
In the first round of action on Sunday, UNC took some time to work out the kinks in its zone defense against Prairie View A&M, which could prove to be instrumental in the tournament's remaining games.
"We started and played most of the first half like we play, and in the second half we worked on a few things," UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell said after the game. "We don't play much zone. We're not a zone team. But we were working on that today, and we may somewhere down the road have to play zone."
Notre Dame is just another obstacle for the Tar Heels as they attempt to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row. With three more wins needed in the Dallas region to advance to the Final Four, the Tar Heels could need the zone skills they worked on Sunday.
"It's good to get a win behind us and to play again, to get out there and play a game," Hatchell said. "We know it's going to be tough against Notre Dame. They're a great team."
The Tar Heels are 0-2 all-time against the Irish, who won the national championship in 2001. The two teams have competed only on a neutral court, and they last met in 2000.
Notre Dame's team makeup mirrors UNC's in that both have only two seniors. But UNC's senior duo is hard to beat-Camille Little and Ivory Latta already have propelled the Tar Heels to an ACC Tournament championship this season.
"We're just looking forward to the next game, and I know our coaches are going to come up with great preparation, and we're definitely going to be ready," Latta said.
Junior guard Charel Allen averages 16.9 points per game and is the Irish's leading scorer. She and Ashley Barlow are the only two players on the team to average more than 10 points a game. For North Carolina, Little, Latta and Erlana Larkins all average at least 12 points a game.
Allen will be the main focus for the Tar Heels, but she already began the tournament with a tough game against California. She missed 10 shots and had four turnovers but scored 13 points to became the third-highest single-season junior scorer in Notre Dame's history with 524 points.
One way to compare Notre Dame and North Carolina is looking at how they handled a similar opponents. Both schools have faced Tennessee, St. Johns, UConn and Prairie View A&M.
North Carolina handed the Volunteers a 70-57 loss at Carmichael Auditorium on Dec. 3, while the Fighting Irish lost on the road at Tennessee, 78-54. UNC beat UConn at home on Jan. 15, 82-76, and Notre Dame lost to the Huskies 64-47 on the road. Both squads beat St. Johns and Prairie View by comfortable margins.
The power and depth of the Tar Heels makes them a fierce competitor, but the Fighting Irish already have tasted success in Pittsburgh. The matchup likely will come down to UNC's ability to pressure Notre Dame and the use of the Tar Heel bench to keep a fast-paced tempo.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/19/07 4:00am)
PITTSBURGH - Even the snow and cold temperatures in Pittsburgh couldn't cool off the No. 2 North Carolina women's basketball team.
In its first game back in almost two weeks, all the members of the UNC squad got a little piece of the action in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
And that experience will only be a tool for the Tar Heels as they edge closer to playing in Dallas and Cleveland later this month. UNC (31-3) will face ninth-seed Notre Dame (20-11) Tuesday evening.
In UNC's 95-38 demolition of No. 16-seed Prairie View (19-14) at Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh, 11 Tar Heels played double-digit minutes and contributed to the total score, making the record victory a true team effort. The 57-point margin is the largest in North Carolina postseason history.
"It was a good game as far as us being able to play everybody," UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "In fact our reserves got more minutes than our starters did."
In her first NCAA Tournament, freshman Jessica Breland tied with senior guard Camille Little for the most points scored with 14. Breland, who came off the bench for 21 minutes, also led the team in rebounding with nine.
"Coach Hatchell keeps telling us that our bench is going to be the reason why we win," Breland said.
"Our bench is going to help us because we're very talented on our bench, so that when our seniors and our first-stringers are tired, then we have somebody to come in and keep up the pace."
And her performance, as well as that of Iman McFarland with 8 points and five boards, and Christina Dewitt with a tied season-high 10 points, shows that North Carolina's depth is one of its greatest assets in the tournament.
With the reliance of the bench in the game against Prairie View, the starting five will have a bit more rest before taking on Notre Dame on Tuesday.
"The starters didn't have to play that much, so they'll be rested for Tuesday night," Hatchell said.
Being rested was an initial concern for Hatchell, since the team has not played since March 4. But despite her worries, she said she was happy with how her athletes started.
"Well, it was good to play a game," Hatchell said.
"It's been a couple weeks since we've played, and I was concerned about us coming out a little flat. We got going out from the opening gate pretty good defensively, and offensively we started strong."
Ivory Latta, who is playing in her final NCAA Tournament, also said she was happy with the opening performance.
"We came out with a lot of intensity," she said. "And not playing, as coach said, for a week or so, we came out firing. I hope we continue to do that in the rest of the tournament."
The starters fired up the Tar Heels in the opening half, garnering 22 points in the first four minutes of the game. The Tar Heels went into the locker room with a hefty 57-15 lead, powered by strong performances from senior Little and sophomore Rashanda McCants.
The bench helped UNC surge to a victory in the second half. The Tar Heels had a 54.5 field-goal percentage in the game and 51 rebounds, while Prairie View was held to just 25-percent shooting and 26 rebounds.
"We let a lot of people play," said Hatchell, explaining that the team worked on a few things such as zone defense during the second half of the game after playing its typical style in the first half.
"We could have probably stayed in what we were doing and scored a lot more points, but there's no reason for that."
In short, North Carolina was playing at a level well above overmatched the Panthers, and Prairie View head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke agreed in her postgame comments.
"North Carolina was bigger, stronger and faster than we were today."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/23/07 5:00am)
The Tar Heel faithful said their farewells and gave their thanks to North Carolina seniors Camille Little and Ivory Latta Thursday night before No. 4 UNC took on Wake Forest at Carmichael Auditorium.
"I definitely enjoyed the crowd," Latta said. "I'm just happy that I'm here. It's my last game here, and glad that's over too. I'm ready to move on."
While they have to say goodbye to playing games in Carmichael Auditorium, the duo won't say goodbye so soon to the season.
They still have to lead the team into the Gothic center of Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday for their last regular-season game against Duke.
"We're looking forward to Sunday," UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell said.
That the contest will be played in Cameron Indoor Stadium isn't a major concern for the experienced seniors.
"I always love playing in Cameron," Latta said. "I'm always excited to play in there."
The Blue Devils are the only remaining undefeated team in Division I-A college basketball, so UNC will look to knock its rival into the loss column.
"I don't care where the game is, in Cameron or anywhere," Little said. "I just want to play hard."
And the team will have to play hard in order to redeem itself in the Tobacco Road rivalry after being humbled by Duke on
Feb. 8 in Carmichael for its first loss of the season, 64-53 before a sellout crowd.
That was the lowest point total North Carolina has reached this season.
In the last meeting, Little was the only bright spot for the UNC offense, scoring 21 points, while the team shot a dismal 27.3 field-goal percentage.
In that game, Latta scored only 9 points and went 0-for-11 on
3-point attempts.
Latta said after the Feb. 8 game that she had never had a game like that before, and junior Erlana Larkins said it was like there was a lid on the basket.
"Hopefully I can go into Cameron and hit more shots," Larkins said after the loss to Duke.
Hatchell said after the loss that the team would work to improve on its shooting and execution. Since Feb. 8, UNC has shot an average of 45.4 percent.
The team will begin preparing for Duke tomorrow, Latta said.
"We're going to have a great game plan," she said. "Coach is going to give us a great game plan.
"Tomorrow we're going to work on it from there."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/19/07 5:00am)
When the North Carolina women's basketball team visited Georgia Tech earlier in the month, UNC had some trouble starting off, trailing the Yellow Jackets by two at the half - the only time all season UNC was down at the break.
In Thursday night's rematch against the Ramblin' Wreck (11-7, 2-3 in the ACC), the Tar Heels (21-0, 5-0) were able to build a big lead in the first half and cruise to a 78-31 victory.
"We wanted to come out focused and intense and rebound better than we did down at Georgia Tech," said UNC guard Alex Miller, who led all scorers with 15 points.
"She's doing a great job coming off the bench," UNC guard Ivory Latta said of Miller. "She can definitely knock down the three. . She's going to point guard college."
The 31 points scored by the Yellow Jackets at Carmichael Auditorium was the worst offensive performance in the program's history, as the team had a 18.6 field goal percentage for the game.
"We just couldn't hit a shot tonight," Georgia Tech head coach MaChelle Joseph said.
That is the fewest number of points UNC has allowed this season and the lowest ever against an ACC opponent.
Camille Little, who celebrated her 22nd birthday Thursday, led the defensive effort with a team-high three steals and also poured in 12 points.
Latta said the team's plan to shut down Georgia Tech was to contain them, and by limiting the Yellow Jackets to just 59 field goal attempts, the Tar Heels succeeded.
UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said she was pleased with the team's effort, especially off the bench.
She said she was concerned that the team would have been emotionally flat in a game sandwiched between contests against Connecticut and N.C. State.
North Carolina did start out slow - only getting four points in the first five minutes of play - but Latta ignited the UNC offense by hitting four 3-pointers in the first half.
The UNC intensity increased as the game went on, as the team's field goal percentage improved from 40 percent to 53.1 percent in the two halves. Miller scored 12 of her 15 points in the second stanza.
"I thought our intensity was really good," Hatchell said, noting that the team's focus was lacking at the beginning of the game, but improved.
North Carolina will look to improve to 22-0 on Sunday when it takes on N.C. State at 2 p.m. in Carmichael Auditorium - the last home game before a short road trip.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/20/06 5:00am)
Led by standout offensive performances by guards Rashanda McCants and Ivory Latta, and the defensive skills of forward Erlana Larkins, the North Carolina women's basketball team (3-0) defeated Elon (1-1), 90-36 Friday.
Larkins logged a career-high seven steals in the game, while McCants tied her career high by collecting 16 points. And if that wasn't enough, Latta led the team in scoring with 21.
But the win was a team effort, as 12 UNC players saw time on the Carmichael Auditorium hardwood - 10 Tar Heels saw double-digit minutes and 11 total players added to the total rebounds and points of the team.
"Obviously these two had great games," said head coach Sylvia Hatchell, motioning to Latta and McCants. "But it was good to see everybody contributing and playing hard. I thought our traps were a little bit better tonight, and our rotations were a little bit better."
The North Carolina defense was strong, as the height of the players and their double-team coverage helped keep Elon to just 36 points - the most allowed all season.
"My players were really excited to come in here, and I thought they hustled," Elon head coach Brenda Paul said. "We were outmatched in every spot on the floor. I was proud that we scored more points on them than their other opponents have this year so far."
Hatchell said that trapping was a critical part of the game plan for Elon.
"We talked before the game one of the things we wanted to work on tonight was to concentrate on the angles on our traps, and I thought we did a much better job on our spacing, so we're getting better," she said.
Paul said North Carolina's trapping on the sidelines was especially smothering.
"They're deadly, and they're deadly against anyone, not just Elon but anybody in the ACC," she said. "If you bring up the ball on the sideline, they're going to trap you to death."
After allowing 16 rebounds and 20 points in the first half, the North Carolina defense buckled down and allowed only nine rebounds and 16 points in the second.
McCants, who was 6-for-13 for field goals, said that the focus on defense is something the team has been working on.
"That's been a major part of our practices and stuff, just boxing out and making sure we're consistent even in games like this when the people are smaller than us, you still have to box out," she said.
Elon had 34 turnovers in the game, and UNC was able to capitalize off those errors by scoring 31 points off turnovers.
But the UNC defense's work, including 25 total steals, helped get the team's offense off to a solid start.
"Our defense definitely helps our offense because when we get going defensively we usually get going offensively," Hatchell said.
As customary for the Tar Heels, the team kept a driving tempo throughout the game, and Latta said she focused on pushing the ball in order to help keep the Elon squad off-balance.
UNC had 21 points off their 23 offensive rebounds in Friday's game. Sophomore Heather Claytor went 3-for-5 behind the arc for the Tar Heels, while Latta went 3-for-6.
"My main thing was push the ball and create a lot of havoc with the other team and kick it out to my players and take it in," Latta said.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/17/06 5:00am)
After suffering a tough sweep to Florida State on Oct. 6 and troubles finding a stride and rhythm in the early part of the season, the North Carolina volleyball team displayed how far they've progressed this season by sweeping the Seminoles.
"This whole season's been about making progress," coach Joe Sagula said. "I'm delighted for the team. This is a win for them. I told them, they earned this, they have put this together.
"I'm excited for them to finish a match and have a good match like this. I think we earned this match, this win tonight by how we practiced all week."
Senior outside hitter Meg Eckert notched a career-high seven aces while freshman Megan Owens put up 13 kills to help lead the Tar Heels (9-19, 7-12 in the ACC) past the Seminoles (17-11, 11-7) in three games, going 30-27, 30-26, and finishing with a close 34-32.
"This is a match were you say the future looks bright and you can say it's bright with the glow of a win," Sagula said.
In each game, freshman middle hitter Heather Brooks got the game point. Sagula said that her efforts were significant, and that she looked good at times in her performance.
Eckert said the aces helped keep momentum on UNC's side during the game.
She added that UNC also did a good job of keeping FSU from going on long runs.
UNC opened play collecting seven straight points in game one before FSU was able to score. While Florida State fought back to make it a 25-25 tie, middle hitter Amy Beaver laid down a kill to put the Tar Heels up for the remainder of the frame.
The Tar Heels jumped out to another quick lead in the second stanza, and while the Seminoles stayed close, UNC was able to retain the lead throughout.
The final game was the hardest fought of them all, as the two teams tied 16 times. When the Tar Heels had a 15-11 lead, freshman outside hitter Noelle Dyk came in for Owens. Dyk sustained a knee injury in the Oct. 26 match against Virginia Tech.
"We wanted to give Megan Owens a bit of a rest . and also see her get in," Sagula said about the substitution.
While Sagula said Dyk continues to favor her knee, he is pleased that she was able to come in and give the team two kills in her short time in game three.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/17/06 5:00am)
Led by standout offensive performances by guards Rashanda McCants and Ivory Latta, and the defensive skills of forward Erlana Larkins, the North Carolina women's basketball team (3-0) defeated Elon (1-1), 90-36 Friday.
Larkins put up a career high seven steals in the game, while McCants tied a career high by collecting 16 points, while Latta led the team in scoring with 21.
But the win was a team effort, as 12 UNC players saw time on the Carmichael Auditorium hardwood - 10 Tar Heels saw double-digit minutes and 11 total players added to the total rebounds and points of the team.
"Obviously these two had great games," said head coach Sylvia Hatchell, motioning to Latta and McCants. "But it was good to see everybody contributing and playing hard. I thought our traps were a little bit better tonight and our rotations were a little bit better. We've been working on that."
After tying the game at four points, Latta hit a three-pointer at the 17:27 mark to put the Tar Heels up for the rest of the game. By half time, UNC led Elon, 52-20.
The North Carolina defense was strong, as the height of the players and their double-team coverage helped keep Elon to just 36 points - just one more point than they allowed against East Tennessee State in the UNC season opener. The Tar Heels had a total of 52 rebounds in the game, holding the Phoenix to just 25.
"My players were really excited to come in here, and I thought they hustled," Elon head coach Brenda Paul said. "We were outmatched in every spot on the floor. I was proud that we scored more points on them than their other opponents have this year so far."
North Carolina's trapping abilities helped keep the Phoenix squad under control. Hatchell said that was a critical part of the team's game plan for Elon.
"We talked before the game one of the things we wanted to work on tonight was to concentrate on the angles on our traps, and I thought we did a much better job on our spacing, so we're getting better," she said.
Paul said North Carolina's trapping on the sidelines was especially smothering. "They're deadly, and they're deadly against anyone, not just Elon but anybody in the ACC," Paul said. " If you bring up the ball on the sideline, they're going to trap you to death."
After allowing 16 rebounds and 20 points in the first half, the North Carolina defense buckled down and only allowed 9 rebounds and 16 points in the second.
McCants, who was 6-for-13 for field goals, said that the focus on defense is something the team has been working on. "That's been a major part of our practices and stuff, just boxing out and making sure we're consistent even in games like this when the people are smaller than us, you still have to box out," she said.
Elon gave up 34 turnovers in the game, and UNC was able to capitalize off those errors by scoring 31 points off turnovers.
But the UNC defense's work, including 25 total steals, helped get the team's offense off to a solid start.
"Our defense definitely helps our offense because when we get going defensively we usually get going offensively," Hatchell said.
As customary for the Tar Heels, the team kept a driving tempo throughout the game, and Latta said that she focused on pushing the ball in order to help keep the Elon squad off-balance.
"My main thing was push the ball and create a lot of havoc with the other team and kick it out to my players and take it in," she said. UNC had 21 points off their 23 offensive rebounds in Friday's game. Sophomore Heather Claytor went 3-for-5 behind the arc for the Tar Heels, while Latta went 3-for-6.
North Carolina will next be heading for the Nov. 24-26 Rainbow Wahine Classic in Hawaii. Hatchell said the team is working hard to prepare for that tournament, but Latta seemed to have one main interest in the upcoming trip.
"I want to see some dolphins, you don't understand," she said.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/25/06 4:00am)
The words "Sports Illustrated senior writer" automatically bring to mind strong, clever writing supported by extensive reporting.
That's exactly what Tim Crothers, a lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and former Sports Illustrated writer, brings to his new book, "The Man Watching."
In this exhaustive piece of work, Crothers chronicles the life and career of Anson Dorrance, head coach of the UNC women's soccer team.
Crothers presents Dorrance as "the unlikely architect of the greatest college sports dynasty ever," carefully examining the angles and intricacies of Dorrance's recruiting and coaching practices.
Spending five years with the team - in meetings, in practices, at home and road games - Crothers immersed himself into how the UNC women's soccer program functions.
As with any biography, Crothers devotes chapters to the personal history of his subject.
The opening chapters detailing Dorrance's childhood and upbringing are among the most intriguing because the coach had to deal with racial tensions and anti-American sentiment in places such as India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Malaysia and Belgium.
Crothers is careful to show how Dorrance used sport and competition to gain respect and make a mark in his early years, which shaped his attitude as a coach.
The two most interesting chapters are "Man and Women," which details Dorrance's philosophies regarding how male and female athletes are best coached, and "Chaos," which shows the random and off-beat organization of the UNC women's soccer program.
Because Dorrance coached both the UNC men's and women's soccer teams, he brings a unique perspective to how players of different genders respond to different coaching methods, like viewing tape, halftime chats, etc.
In fact, Crothers notes how Dorrance's views on gender issues went from being perceived as extreme to being acknowledged as expertise.
While most people would view the UNC women's soccer program as a well-oiled machine that churns out national championships or ACC titles, Crothers shows how that's not the case.
"Chaos" reveals Dorrance's distaste for paperwork, the team's tendency to be late or to get lost on it's way to games, and even the off-the-wall decisions - like to squeeze in a showing of "Sweet Home Alabama" before a scheduled flight.
Getting a sneak peak into the off-the-cuff or improvised ways of the program is both entertaining and enlightening because it reflects the personality of the program.
Crothers has a strong conversational narrative style, but the voices from his numerous sources truly make the book special.
"The Man Watching" is heavily seasoned with stories and anecdotes from Dorrance's family, soccer players and rival coaches, which enrich the story and welcome those unfamiliar with the program into the world of UNC women's soccer.
The only thing that would have made this book more complete would be an appendix of the top career and individual statistics of both Dorrance and his players.
Overall, the high level of detail, the numerous anecdotes and the comprehensive coverage reflect the immense amount of time Crothers spent on interviews.
As any good journalism professor would say, good reporting is the backbone of good writing.
And nothing less than that is expected from a former Sports Illustrated writer.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/18/06 4:00am)
A quick education.
That's what the freshmen on the North Carolina volleyball team are earning this season, filling starting roles and facing top-25 foes.
Nearing the halfway point in the season, the UNC volleyball team sits with a 4-14 overall record and a 2-7 standing in the ACC - after being crowned conference champions just a season ago.
The Tar Heels have struggled early this season with lineup changes and the inexperience of youth - freshmen make up almost 50 percent of the team.
Despite early struggles, the first-year athletes have made progress in their abilities and in their contributions on the court.
"I think their progress has been unique," coach Joe Sagula said. "It's been unique in the fact that they have made an impact, and normally when you say a freshman, you're talking about one being able to contribute as a freshman.
"When I say the freshmen have made an impact, it's because we're starting two, or three or four at one time."
Sagula said the influence of the freshmen has been great because of the number of them seeing time.
"I think as a whole the level of play our team is playing is directly proportional to the level our freshman have impacted. As they gain more knowledge, as they gain more experience, it has a big impact on our team because they're so many of them on the court."
Freshman outside hitter Noelle Dyk is leading the team with 176 kills, and chalked up a double-double and a match-high 18 kills for UNC in its last two games.
"Noelle's our No. 1 outside hitter," Sagula said. "There's no question about that."
Freshman Heather Brooks also has been starting as a middle hitter, and has put up 57 kills.
In order to help unite the team, Sagula said the team has changed its mind-set regarding the fresh faces.
"We've stopped identifying players on our team by their year," he said. "That's been very, very important"
The adjustment to college play and to starting roles has been tough for the freshmen and the team.
"They've had to come in and adjust to a completely new pace, to a completely new environment, and assume a larger role than they anticipated coming in, and there's a lot of pressure that goes with that," outside hitter Bekah Brinkley said.
Senior middle hitter Amy Beaver said, "I know it was tough for me my freshman year to adjust, and they're having to do it even faster then I ever had to."
Dyk said that acclimating to the program was hard at first but that the freshmen are growing into their positions.
"We get better every week, I think," she said. "It's coming together, slowly but surely."
Trying to integrate seven freshmen on the team has taken long then expected, players and Sagula said.
"Normally, the scenario that we've had is a freshman can kind of fill a role in a team, can fill a spot and compliment others," Sagula said, adding that last year's freshman class spent more time in supporting roles.
"Like football, sometimes you wish you could just redshirt everybody," he said. "The better scenario is to have freshmen come in and kind of play supportive roles or kind of learn a lot in your freshman year and not be needed."
But the loss of four seniors -Camilla Ihenetu, Dani Nyenhuis, McKenzie Byrd and Taylor Rayfield - who held key starting positions last year necessitated the use of freshmen and sophomores in starting roles.
"The only tough thing about this year is we don't have experience, and that's what we had last year, was experience," said redshirt freshman Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland.
Sagula said he didn't know how much of an impact the loss of the four seniors would be until competition began.
"What I underestimated is the fact that even the people we did have to take their place, a majority of them were sophomores.
"It's not like we had four or five or six juniors and seniors. We have four and not enough of them, because of their positions, play enough at the same time. So they're not full-time players. That's the difference."
Even the players who were on the team last year are having to learn how to become full-time players, Sagula said.
"We knew it was going to be a challenge, we just probably didn't anticipate it was going to be such a long process," Brinkley said.
The group of seven freshmen has had to grow up fast not just from assuming starting roles, but also from facing tough opponents early.
"We kind of threw them out to the wolves," Sagula said. "We're Playing Loyola-Marymount, Illinois, Utah, Tennessee . these teams are all in the top 25. I think at times they were probably intimidated and just weren't ready.
"This is a challenge. They'll grow from it, and they're going to grow quicker."
But Sagula said the team is becoming more cohesive.
"I think we're kind of settling into more of a predictable lineup, and with that, their comfort level as a whole has gotten better," he said.
"(They're) comfortable with each other, comfortable with themselves, comfortable with their expectations, comfortable with what their roles are on the team and what they have to do. I think all those things are critical."
"We've improved a lot," Sagula said. "The way we're playing the game now compared to the way we played the game a month ago is significantly higher."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
Friday the 13th can mean a lot of different things to different people.
For some, it's a day of terrible bad luck, for others it's merely just another Friday with added hype, and for still another group, it's just the first of a long line of goalie-masked Jason slasher flicks.
For me, it's the date of the next Late Night with Roy Williams.
The event starts off another season with UNC under the microscope this season with weighty expectations of a national title.
But Late Night is a time to enjoy the return of basketball to UNC and to Chapel Hill before things get serious.
Thanks to a good schedule, this year's event won't happen during Fall Break as it did two seasons ago.
And the NCAA changed the practice rules - now, Roy's Boys' fans don't have to wait until midnight to play and show off.
While Late Night is no longer late at night, the event will be just as exciting.
While for some fans, half of the fun was waiting for Midnight Madness and getting a taste of the new season during premium party hours, there are a couple benefits to a 7 p.m. start time.
It will give families the option to bring their little ones to see the teams, adding to the community environment in the Smith Center and giving young fans a chance to get their first taste of Tar Heel basketball.
Late Night is as much about welcoming the new basketball season as it is celebrating the importance of UNC basketball to the community.
UNC is creating the nation's largest college basketball program museum- a 7,500 square foot interactive facility that will be adjacent to the Smith Center.
Basketball is that important to the community, and Late Night is a good way to gather the community together and celebrate the past and the future of the program.
If UNC is known as a basketball school, then surely Chapel Hill has a stellar reputation for supporting the basketball program.
Having an earlier time will help more community members and residents come to embrace the 2006-07 team.
Community-court relations are as important as town-gown relations, especially at Chapel Hill.
While half of the fun of Late Night will be to see the women's and men's team practice and see how the teams will match up to the hype, for my part I think some of the most valuable time of Late Night will be the teams' skits and dances.
Seeing the personalities of the athletes and watching them enjoy having fun together on the court in the pre-practice action shows the fans and the community that these student-athletes enjoy UNC basketball as much as the fans.
And that's an important thing because for one night, everyone can revel in the excitement of basketball season before the spotlight starts to focus on the Smith Center or Carmichael Auditorium.
Too often I feel like people see the athletes on TV or on the court as basketball machines, and less like normal student-athletes.
Late Night with Roy is such a fantastic way to see the basketball players as our fellow students and Chapel Hill residents who are just as excited about basketball season as the rest of the student body and community.
Contact Kristin Pratt at kpratt@email.unc.edu.
(09/28/06 4:00am)
After two conference losses in Virginia this weekend, the North Carolina volleyball team continued its slide, losing to Wake Forest on Wednesday night 3-1 in four games in Carmichael Auditorium.
The Tar Heels' lack of focus, especially on blocking and defense, led to miscues in their performance against the Demon Deacons.
"On our backrow play, we were just really standing there and then reacting," said Coach Joe Sagula. "We were definitely not anticipating. We just need to be more focused on what's happening across the net ."
UNC (3-10, 1-3 in the ACC) dropped the first game to the Demon Deacons 27-30 before winning game two 30-24. North Carolina then faltered in games three and four, losing 26-30 and 23-30 respectively.
"It's disappointing," Sagula said. "I don't think we competed the entire match. We have to learn to compete the entire duration of the match."
While the Tar Heels were the lead during most of game one, they lost their control after tying at 15 points. The team managed to stay ahead for the win in game two after a tie at 18 points, going on a five-point streak.
But UNC fell behind in the last two games, and they were not able to get out of the hole, despite a four-point run at the end of the third game with three critical blocks by redshirt freshman Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland.
"We don't know how to get ourselves out of a downward cycle," Sagula said. "We're not very mature in our handling of adversity. We don't always find a way to get out of it."
For the match, the Tar Heels had just a .134 hitting percentage, hitting just about .070 in games three and four. All together, North Carolina had 59 kills and 36 attack errors, with 11 service errors.
"There wasn't enough fight, there wasn't enough competitiveness," said middle hitter Amy Beaver, who led the team with 19 kills. "We have to learn to bring it every point of every game."
One thing the team did succeed in is getting the balls to the middle hitters.
"When we did that, it worked really well," Beaver said. In addition to her 19 kills, Christine Clark added six and Hanson-Tuntland chalked up two.
But Beaver stressed the need for the team to adjust its mental attitude and to carry its competitiveness over into games.
The focus will be especially key this weekend when North Carolina faces Duke at Carmichael Auditorium on Saturday. Duke is ranked No. 1 in the ACC standings.
"Focus is the key word I keep using, but it's something we need to pick up," said freshman Megan Owens, who had 14 kills and five service errors.
"I honestly believe that if we can get that focus and work on our discipline, we will be ready."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
Baseball organizations, especially minor league baseball programs, have a reputation for throwing off-the-wall promotions.
This season is definitely no exception.
Hairiest Back Night?
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers, a Cleveland Indians affiliate, held that event Aug. 20, which was sponsored by a local laser hair removal company.
Britney Spears Baby Safety Night?
Believe it or not, that's been done. The independent league Newark Bears organization buckled down on that promotion Aug. 4, offering fans information about car safety for children.
How about a twist on the classic bobblehead doll freebie?
The Class-A Lake Elsinore Storm had a Tom Cruise bobble- couch giveaway in June.
How can you top that?
Well, the Cincinnati Reds are making an effort with their Sept. 30 simulated terrorist attack event.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Southwestern Ohio, Southeastern Indiana and Northern Kentucky (SOSINK) Regional Collaborative are conducting the full-scale simulated attack as part of a training exercise.
Fans who participate as evacuees and victims in a mock disaster test will receive a voucher for two free tickets to a 2007 game, as well as receive other promotions.
The Reds have said that fans only will need to give up two to three hours of their time that day to participate.
My first reaction when I heard about this was to laugh at the promotion and wonder what terrorist would want to attack Cincinnati.
Cincinnati is only the 55th largest city in the nation, with a population of 308,728. Why should they be worried about an attack?
Are they worried about losing the nation's chili reserve?
Even Pete Rose can't afford to take a gamble like that.
But, like the Britney Spears Baby Safety promotion, there's a serious and critical educational aspect to this simulated exercise.
The Reds are giving federal, state and local law enforcements, medical teams and fire departments the chance to test their skills at emergency response coordination.
And after what happened in Louisiana and Mississippi last year, preparedness is something this nation needs to work on.
The Hurricane Katrina disaster demonstrated just how vital such coordination is and the important roles stadiums like the Louisiana Superdome can play in such emergency situations.
So why aren't more teams, baseball or otherwise, coordinating more disaster simulations with emergency response personnel at their stadiums?
The Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte Bobcats should take a cue from the Reds and work to host a similar training exercise this season.
The city of Charlotte is the 20th largest in the nation, and has a population of 651,101.
That's more than double the size of Cincinnati.
Charlotte and Cincinnati both have an international airport - a target or venue that could be appealing for terrorists.
As silly as "Simulated Terrorist Attack Night" sounds, it could be one of the best promotions a Charlotte team could offer - sorry Sean May and Raymond Felton bobblehead aficionados.
Giving away free tickets or other promotions is nothing compared to the high damages a disaster or attack could cost.
Every team prepares for an opponent before each game. Every professional team should take the chance to help government and emergency response officials prepare too.
Contact Kristin Pratt at kpratt@email.unc.edu.
(09/19/06 4:00am)
This year, you can make it to the game as long as you can make it to a computer.
On Friday the ACC launched a new, live video streaming feature in conjunction with Raycom Sports, Lincoln Financial Sports and Turner Broadcasting System.
About 500 Olympic sporting events will be broadcast this school year through a Turner broadband network called ACC Select at www.accselect.com.
"No one's ever tried this type of scale," said David Rudolph, the senior vice president of new product development at Turner.
"(The ACC) has been a good and easy conference for us to work with," he said. "UNC has been really easy to work with, which is why there are so many UNC events up (on the Web site)."
The University already has taken advantage of the service. Friday's volleyball and Sunday's field hockey events were streamed live. Today's men's soccer game against Virginia Commonwealth University will be webcast on the site.
"We got rave reviews from the folks in Atlanta from Turner," said Michael Beale, the assistant athletic director of marketing and promotions. "We're very pleased with weekend one.
"Two events down, and knock on wood, everything's been great."
The University likely will webcast more than 50 Olympic sporting events.
"It is extremely important to the athletic department to get the Olympic sports in front of a nationwide and worldwide audience," Beale said. "It's a project of the utmost importance."
So far, 34 UNC home games are scheduled to be broadcast this fall, and Beale said that once winter and spring schedules are released, more streaming events will be arranged.
"UNC's adoption of this has been phenomenal," Rudolph said..
"There's going to be a good, consistent amount of events in service for UNC," he said.
Unlike going to a UNC Olympic sports game in person, students won't be able to see the games for free.
The streaming service is subscription-based. There are two models for fans to choose from: a per-event charge of $3.99 or a monthly all-access subscription for an introductory $5.99 charge.
The Web site also is offering a free, all-access 15-day trial.
The monthly subscription allows access to every school in the conference, allowing fans to see UNC's away games as well as games at home.
As part of the arrangement, the University received a kit from Turner, which provided four cameras, tripods, computers, monitors, an audio mixer and cables.
Rudolph said that Turner will help train schools to use the equipment, but that the plan is to have each university work on its own for streaming production by the end of the year.
Beale said, "Right now, our plans are to use some folks on the current video staff."
He added that the Department of Athletics will contact the Communications Studies Department and School of Journalism and Mass Communication for students interested in participating in the program.
The equipment allows the University to sync up to radio broadcasts, Beale said, and the athletic department still is working on that aspect. It also will look into offering jobs to people interested in broadcast.
"We'll take that step when the time is right," he said.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/15/06 4:00am)
North Carolina will face another threat to its defense Saturday, in the shape of 5-foot-9, 189-pound tailback Cedrick Gipson, who rushed for 713 yards on 124 carries last season.
Furman, ranked fourth in Division I-AA by The Sports Network, comes into town with two wins to its credit, with junior Gipson an important part of those victories against Jacksonville State and West Georgia.
In the opener against the Gamecocks, Gipson had 64 yards on 14 carries.
Gipson, a Summerton, S.C., native, broke out against West Georgia, rushing for 123 yards on 13 carries, including a 67-yard touchdown.
That was the longest touchdown of his career, and the game marked his fourth 100-yard game.
For comparison's sake, Gipson's having a better year statistically than UNC tailback Ronnie McGill so far. His 187 yards eclipse McGill's 109 yards after two games.
"They've got some good players. If we don't have our big-boy pads on, we'll be in for a long day trying to stop their running attack," UNC head coach John Bunting said in a press conference Tuesday.
"[Cedrick Gipson] is averaging 90-yards-plus [per game]."
While this will be the first time the Paladins face a Division I-A opponent since 2004, Gipson comes fully equipped to compete against the Tar Heels because Furman's offense is geared to run.
"We're playing a team that loves to run the ball, and they do it quite well," Bunting said. "They always have."
UNC defensive coordinator Marvin Sanders said, "Our main focus as always is to try and stop the run as best as possible."
"We'll try to focus on what they do best," he said. "They're a very disciplined team, you know they run the option very well, but they also run the play-action off the option."
While the UNC defense saw some improvements between its first two games, Virginia Tech running back Branden Ore was able to collect 111 yards and three touchdowns.
"Defensively, we need to get better than we were last week," Bunting said. "We missed some tackles. We gave them some yards by missing tackles.
"We've got to become a better tackling team."
The Paladins' other main weapon in the backfield is junior fullback Jerome Felton, who led the team last year in rushing with 940 yards.
Before the season The Sports Network tabbed Felton and Gipson as the No. 2 backfield in I-AA.
"I tell you what, they're both very talented players, and for any level, those two young men are very good players," Sanders said.
So far this season Felton rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against Jacksonville State and 75 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in the West Georgia game.
"The big fullback, [Jerome Felton], is a mean guy," Bunting said. "He's a mean dude."
Sanders said Felton's size is what makes him so dangerous.
"This fullback is a load," he said. "He's 240-plus pounds, and you know that means when he runs the ball, and runs the ball downhill, he brings a wallop with him.
"So we got to make sure we put our big-boy pads on."
With the backfield duo Furman has this season, the Tar Heels likely will have a tough time notching a win if they can't stop the run.
"It all comes to fruition on Saturday and we have to have a good week of preparation," Sanders said.
"I think the key is to stay disciplined, and play technically sound football."
(08/30/06 4:00am)
Within the upcoming weeks the University will implement a program codified earlier this year and award federal grants worth $4,000 each to deserving students.
President George Bush signed the Academic Competitiveness and the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) grants into law in February.
The intent is to encourage students to challenge themselves by taking harder classes in high school and to pursue college majors - science, math and foreign languages - that are critical in the global economy.
"The intent of the program is a good one, but time will tell really how effective it is in terms of persuading students to major in certain categories over others," said Vincent Amoroso, deputy director for the UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.
The AC grants will affect students in the first and second years of college and will be rewarded based on the completion of a rigourous secondary school program of study.
The SMART grants will affect students in their third and fourth years of college who are majoring in specific areas of study.
Schools still are working to organize the distribution and awarding of the grants for this school year. UNC is using a new software program to help identify eligible students.
"It's the case of the system support catching up with the implementation of the federal program," Amoroso said. "We should be in a place where probably in the next two to three weeks we can make some awards."
Requirements for SMART grants are strict, including U.S. citizenship and full-time enrollment.
In addition to those qualifications students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average.
Students can receive this funding in addition to a Pell grant.
"There's quite a bit involved in eligibility for this program," Amoroso said. "But everyone who does will receive an award."
Judy LeCheminant, financial aid director at Utah State University, said students can get the grant once as a junior and once as a senior.
Utah State had a problem arise in the distribution of the SMART grants.
About 450 students were told that they had each received a $4,000 grant, but about a week later 150 students were told they were ineligible because they had too many credits.
"It wasn't an error; it was a misunderstanding," LeCheminant said, adding that the regulation had been unclear.
The Department of Education defines a senior as a student having 90 to 120 credits. Because certain programs require more than 120 credits, some seniors in the engineering and sciences at Utah State are ineligible for the grant.
But LeCheminant and Amoroso said they were not aware of other schools in their respective states having major problems with the programs.
According to the Department of Education about 1.9 million students nationwide are potentially eligible for the new grants.
About $790 million was set aside for the 2006-07 academic year for the two programs, which will provide $4.5 billion in the next five years.
State & National Editor Erin France contributed to this report.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(08/25/06 4:00am)
North Carolina varsity athletes have a pretty good grip on defending against opponents on the field - but one of their most tricky enemies can be found closer to home.
A bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which lives on the skin or in the nose of healthy individuals, is threatening athletes.
About 20 percent of the general population carries this bug - either on the skin or in the nose.
The staph microbe can become a problem if it gets under the skin and into the body, causing boils, or even pneumonia, septiciemia and toxic shock syndrome.
(08/23/06 4:00am)
One Tar Heel alumnus has moved from captaining the football team to leading the University's athletic marketing and promotions department.
Rick Steinbacher was dubbed the new associate athletic director of marketing and promotions in early August after Norwood Teague left the position to become the athletic director at Virginia Commonwealth University.
"He's a great fit for the position," said Steve Kirschner, associate athletic director for communications. "He understands athletics, athletic administration and business."
Steinbacher, a captain of the 1993 football team, which went to the Gator Bowl, said he was ecstatic to have the opportunity to work in this new role.
"It was something that really attracted me because of my background," he said.
Steinbacher spent five years in marketing with Procter & Gamble and served some time as the vice president for account development for Tar Heel Sports Marketing.
He has worked the past six years in UNC football in various roles, including as director of operations.
"What really attracted me to this was not just working on one sport, but doing one to two things related to all sports," he said.
His new job includes keeping tabs on all marketing and promotion operations for the University's 28 varsity teams-including working on corporate relations and ticket-marketing efforts.
Steinbacher is also the administrative contact for the University band and spirit organizations.
"I want to meet with Carolina Fever and the CAA and talk to them and get their ideas too," Steinbacher said, adding that he wants to tap into the energy and ideas of the Tar Heel fans.
But he said his first priority is to meet with everyone involved and talk out approaches and initiatives for the upcoming year.
Two of those major initiatives are live video streaming on TarHeelBlue.com and "Born and Bred," an incentive program that rewards students for attending Olympic sporting events.
"There are a lot of things I want to do, and a lot of things I want to try," he said.
Steinbacher's appointment is not the only change made in the marketing and promotions department this summer.
Michael Beale has been promoted to assistant athletic director for marketing and will be heading promotions for men's basketball, baseball, football and golf.
Greg Driscoll and Bonnie Clarke also were hired this summer. Driscoll will be working with women's basketball, and soccer. Clarke will coordinate promotions for Late Night with Roy and the Carolina Kids Club.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(08/23/06 4:00am)
A former CIA contractor was convicted in a Raleigh federal district court last week of assaulting an Afghan detainee.
David Passaro, 40, from Lillington, N.C., was found guilty Aug. 17 of three counts of simple assault and one count of assault resulting in a serious injury.
He beat the prisoner with his fists and a steel flashlight during two days of interrogation on a military base in June 2003.
"What is significant is this is the first case of a nonmilitary person involved in a detainee abuse to be brought to court," said Scott Silliman, executive director of the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security at Duke University.
Passaro was tried under a provision in the Patriot Act that permits charges to be held against U.S. citizens who committed crimes on U.S. government-designated land or facilities.
"What it does do is give the prosecution discretion to prosecute cases it could not reach before," said Richard Myers, a UNC law professor.
Silliman said Congress hasworked to expand federal criminal jurisdiction of nonmilitary personnel.
"Everybody is screaming for accountability," he said.
Myers said that although the provision allows for a wider reach, he does not think a floodgate of prosecution will open because of the expense.
It might make Americans think twice before doing something abroad that they wouldn't at home, he said.
"A few well-chosen prosecutions could have a high deterrent effect."
He said another result of this case is that the CIA could look more carefully into who it puts in the field to avoid further problems with detainees.
But Silliman had another view about the future of contractors.
"I think we will continue to see a mixture of people on the battlefield," he said.
"I don't think we'll see any diminishing use of contractors, just a greater quest for accountability for those individuals."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.