The Cavalier daily :: Thursday, May 17, 1973 :: University of Virginia Library

IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO THAT time of year when
athletics around here finally peter out and another year is
inked into the record books. The last ref has been booed, the
last ligament pulled, the last wahoo-wa faded from U-Hall.
With this in mind, and also since this is our last issue, I'd like
to take this final opportunity to recognize some of the people
and events that made 1973 a year to remember and to forget.

TEAM OF THE YEAR: With noticeable declines registered
by almost every Cavalier squad, the varsity wrestling has to be
a run-away winner for this honor. The relatively green matmen
put on a strong drive down the stretch to close with a 9-4 dual
meet record and give the perennial ACC champion Terps a few
anxious moments in the ACC Tournament. When the smoke
cleared, the Cavs had walked off with as many league crowns
(four) as the Turtles and provided Terrapin Coach Sully
Krouse and his henchmen with something to think about
between now and next February.

CD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Kevin Michaels. The
Sparts, N.J., native might not have been one of the more
well-known athletes around the U but, nevertheless, was one
of the most consistently outstanding performers over the past
three years. This year he was one of the football team's leading
tacklers from his linebacker position and took his third
straight ACC wrestling title. Among his past accomplishments
are a Wilkes Open crown at 190 and the ACC's Outstanding
Wrestler award. Also deserving of mention are track and cross
country star Phil Meyer, who leaves Virginia with ten school
records, All-American lacrosse players Tom Duquette and
Bruce Mangels, and, of course, Barry Parkhill, who will be the
biggest name in Virginia athletics for years to come.

COACH OF THE YEAR: In an age where recruiting for
high school talent becomes stiffer every year, Lou Onesty has
shown that it doesn't take more than a$4.50recruiting budget
to produce a team that can at least compete in the ACC. Mr.
Onesty, who in his 20th year of coaching is sending three
boys to the NCAA championship meet, is the only coach
who this year attained his primary goal: for his boys to have
fun.

GAME OF THE YEAR: The competition for this one is as
fierce as a woman scorned but I have to put the stickmen's
Hero's Tournament victory over Maryland on the top of the
heap. In what could well be the awesome Terps' only loss of
1973, "Hot Roddy" Rullman and his teammates held off the
Snappers for a 10-9 win. The basketball team's 84-78
ambushing of UNC in Carmichael Auditorium rates a close
second with the Wahoos' 24-20 slaying of VPI also receiving
consideration.

LOUSY GAME OF THE YEAR: The battle for this award
isn't exactly a one-sided affair either, but there's one loss that
stands out above all the rest. While it may not have been the
worst-played game of the year, the 56-54 U-Hall loss to
Clemson, which broke the Tigers'37-game road losing streak in
the ACC stands out as the most disappointing defeat suffered
by a Virginia team all year. For Barry Parkhill, the Hooter,
and over 8,000 disappointed Wahoos this one has to be the
"bummer" of 1973. In football, the Duke comedy and the
Maryland tragedy deserve honorable mention.

DISTRAUGHT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Turkey Don
Strock turns back all comers in this category. The
Dolphin-to-be showed his affinity for water by not waiting to
take off his pants before showering after his team went down
in Scott Stadium.

AMAZING REMARK OF THE YEAR: "There's too much
emphasis on winning in this league." For those who don't
remember this pious comment, which was made after
Maryland fell to UNC 95-85, it came from the same man who
promised to build his team into the "UCLA of the East" –
Lefty Driesell. Second place goes to his U-Hall observation
that "the polls ought to be investigated if we're not ranked in
the top ten this week." Third place is ... well, just about
anything Lefty says is incredible. The award for the most
amazing non-Driesell remark goes to VPI basketball coach Don
Devoe's explanation of Tech's lack of high school
All-Americans: "We have very high academic standards and
many high school athletes cannot meet them." Clemson
hoops Coach Tates Locke also came up with a couple of
candidates, but this is a family newspaper.

GEEK OF THE YEAR: Can anybody think of a bigger
geek than Tom McMillen?

CHEERLEADER OF THE YEAR: With all due respects to
Virginia's Dickie McMullan and UNC's NCAA "cheerleader of
the year," Becky Fuller, I have to present this one to
Maryland's benchwarming guard Rich Porac, whose
obnoxiousness made him one of the most disliked reserves ever
not to play in the ACC.