Dec. 15, 2009

• ACC Captures Three National Championships in the Fall

FOOTBALL

• Four ACC teams rank among the winningest bowl teams in NCAA history for schools which have made a minimum of 15 appearances. Boston College (4th, .650), Florida State (7th, .605), Georgia Tech (9th, .595) and Miami (14th, .559) all rank among the NCAA's Top 15.

• NC State's Philip Rivers was named the ACC's Rookie of the Week a record eight times (in just 12 weeks) in 2000. This year, Virginia Tech freshman Ryan Williams was honored seven times as the ACC Rookie of the Week, the second highest total in league history.

• Five ACC players were named to the Freshman All-America team. The list includes running back Ryan Williams from Virginia Tech, Duke wide receiver Conner Vernon, Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, Clemson safety Rashard Hall and Florida State punt returner Greg Reid.

• Virginia Tech will have appeared in 17 consecutive bowl games when it appears in the 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Hokies' streak is the third-longest current one in the nation behind only FSU and Florida (19).

• For the fifth consecutive year the Atlantic Coast Conference leads the nation in the NCAA's graduation success rate (GSR), with a 72.33 average. Duke leads all FBS schools with a graduation rate of 96 percent for its football classes which began school during the 1999 through 2002 seasons.

• If Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt rushes for at least nine yards against 10th-ranked Iowa in this year's FedEx Orange Bowl, he will become the fifth ACC runner to top the 1,000-yard mark this season, joining Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams (1,538), Boston College's Montel Harris (1,355), teammate Jonathan Dwyer (1,346) and C.J.Spiller (1,145). Though the Conference has had four backs over 1,000 yards on several occasions, in its 57-year history it has never had five runners top the coveted 1,000-yard plateau.

• North Carolina's Kendric Burney has 347 return yards on his 9 career pass interceptions, the second-most amount of interception return yardage in ACC history, trailing only former Duke All-America John Talley, who had 395 yards.

• Heading into the final game of his college career in the Music City Bowl against Kentucky, Clemson's C. J. Spiller has scored 50 career touchdowns. The ACC career record is 52 set by former Virginia standout Wali Lundy during the 2002 through 2005 seasons.

• NC State wide receiver Owen Spencer leads the nation with a 25.5 yards per catch average for this year on his 30 receptions. Georgia Tech's wideout Demaryius Thomas is 2nd nationally in per-catch average, averaging 25.1 yards on his 46 catches. Thomas leads the ACC in reception yardage with 1,154 yards while Spencer is 4th (765).

• Duke's Thaddeus Lewis became only the 2nd ACC player and the 60th in NCAA history to throw for 10,000 or more yards in his career against Wake Forest in his final college game.

• Virginia Tech redshirt freshman Ryan Williams has rushed for 1,538 yards this year. The Manassas, Va., native has shattered the ACC's freshman rushing record of 1,265 yards set last year by his teammate Darren Evans, who is sitting out 2009 with a knee injury suffered in pre-season practice. It is also the 4th-best single-season rushing total in ACC history.

MEN'S SOCCER

• The No. 2 Virginia men's soccer team captured its sixth NCAA Championship, first since 1994, with a 3-2 penalty kick shootout win over top-ranked Akron following a 0-0 draw in the 2009 NCAA Championship final at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. The title was the sixth for the Cavaliers in program history, having won the championship in 1989 and from 1991-94. Virginia (19-3-3) ended the season riding a 16-game unbeaten streak.

• The Men's Soccer Championship gave the Atlantic Coast Conference three national crowns already for the league during the 2009-2010 season (Field Hockey, Women's Soccer and Men's Soccer). The ACC now boasts 116 national championships, including 62 in women's competition and 54 in men's, since its inception in 1953. In addition, the ACC owns 14 NCAA Men's Soccer National Titles, including three-straight and four of the past five (Virginia '09, Maryland `08, Wake Forest `07, & Maryland `05), and has appeared in the championship game on 21 occasions.

• The Atlantic Coast Conference concluded the 2009 season with four teams among the top five final RPI ratings and had seven programs among the top 16. The ACC is the only league to have seven in the top 20, much less the top 50. Virginia and Wake Forest ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the final 2009 RPI, while North Carolina and Maryland rounded out at No. 4 and No. 5. Duke ended at No. 13, Boston College at No. 14 and NC State at No. 16.

• The ACC led all conferences with seven teams selected to the 2009 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament field of 48 and owned 75 percent (3-of-4) College Cup teams (North Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest). The league also finished with an impressive 15-2-1 record against non-conference opponents in this year's NCAA Tournament.

• Four of the seven ACC teams receiving a bid earned a top 16 national seed, including three of the top five spots. Virginia (2), Wake Forest (3), North Carolina (5) and NC State (15) earned byes, while Boston College, Duke and Maryland received at-large invites.

• Since seeding began in 1994, the ACC has been awarded the top seed 10 of the possible 16 years.

• ACC teams finished 77-20-7 against non-conference opposition during the 2009 season, a winning percentage of .774, and six of the league nine men's soccer programs were ranked in the RPI Top 30, topping all other conferences in the country.

• Freshman forward Will Bates scored the ACC Championship's game-winning goal in the 16th minute, while GK and ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player Diego Restrepo posted his eighth-consecutive shutout en route to Virginia being crowned conference champion for the first time since 2004, the 10th time overall, and the fourth time under head coach George Gelnovatch.

• The Cavaliers finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation with a goals against average of 0.30. UVa shutout 11-straight opponents prior to the NCAA Semifinals and allowed just eight goals in 25 games. Goalkeeper Diego Restrepo is also No. 1 in the nation with a goals against average of 0.31 and led the ACC with a school record 16 shutouts this season.

• The Demon Deacons, who were picked fourth in the ACC's preseason poll, earned a share of the conference's regular season title with North Carolina. The regular season championship is the second consecutive for Wake Forest, sixth in program history, and marks the first time since 2000 the Tar Heels were atop the league regular season finishes.

• Boston College head coach Ed Kelly, recently inducted in the New England Soccer Hall of Fame, led the Eagles to their eighth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance and third-straight, bowing out in the third round. Kelly is in his 22nd year (1988 - present) as head coach of Boston College and has compiled a record of 207-166-38 during his tenure at the Heights. He is BC's all-time winningest soccer coach and was named the 2007 ACC Coach of the Year.

• Led by this year's ACC Coach of the Year Jay Vidovich, Wake Forest tabbed three of the four league postseason individual honors and four of the ACC's first-team selections, including ACC Offensive Player of the Year Corben Bone and ACC Defensive Player of the Year Ike Opara.

• Wake Forest's Corben Bone was recognized as one of three finalists for the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The finalists were determined in voting by Division I men's soccer coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The winner will be announced on Friday, Jan. 8 at a news conference at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.

• Ten ACC men's soccer student-athletes were selected to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III first and second-teams, the College Sports Information Directors of America announced. The league was represented by four first-teamers and six second-team members.

• Duke's Josh Bienenfeld and Wake Forest's Zack Schilawski earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year on the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team as selected by CoSIDA. Bienenfeld, a psychology major, is a three-year starter for the Blue Devils. As a senior this season, he led Duke to a 14-7-0 record and the school's 23rd overall NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth-straight. In addition, Bienenfeld served as the Blue Devils' team captain this season. Schilawski was the leading scorer for the ACC this season, registering 13 goals and 35 points. He led Wake Forest to a 17-4-3 record this season and a berth in the NCAA Tournament as the number three seed.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

• The third-ranked Tar Heels (23-3-1) earned their program's and the ACC's 20th NCAA title with. UNC also claimed an AIAW title in 1981, giving the Tar Heels 21 national titles in 29 seasons.

• Five ACC teams rank among the top 10 in the final RPI numbers released by the NCAA - North Carolina No. 1, Florida State No. 6, Boston College No. 7, Wake Forest No. 8 and Virginia Tech at No. 10. Maryland ranks 15th and Virginia 25th.

• Seven ACC student-athletes were among the 22 invited to the U-20 National Team Training Camp Dec. 12-19 at Sunrise, Fla. - Victoria DiMartino (F) and Kristie Mewis (M) of Boston College, Tara Campbell (GK) of Duke, Casey Short (M), Tiffany McCarty (F) and Toni Pressley (F) of Florida State, and Amber Brooks (M) of North Carolina.

• The National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American Team featured a total of nine ACC players, led by first team selections Rebecca Edwards (D) and Tiffany McCarty (F) of Florida State, and Tobin Heath (M) and Whitney Engen (D) of North Carolina. The Boston College trio of Victoria DiMartino (F), Kelly Henderson (D) and Jillian Mastroianni (GK) earned second teams honors, as did Virginia's Sinead Farrelly (M). Wake Forest's Kaley Fountain (F) made the third team.

• Senior midfielder Tobin Heath, who helped North Carolina to its 20th NCAA title in 28 years (and 21st national title overall) is one of three finalists for the 2009 MAC Hermann Award. The award will be presented in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 8, 2010.

• Anson Dorrance, who now has 696 career wins in 31 years at UNC, became the first head coach to win 20 NCAA championships in a single sport.

• In 28 years of NCAA Tournament competition, 32 ACC teams have reached the College Cup semifinals (North Carolina 25 times, Florida State three, NC State twice, and Duke and Virginia once each). ACC teams have reached the finals 26 of 28 years, led by North Carolina's 23 title game appearances.

• North Carolina senior Casey Nogueira was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Women's College Cup for the second straight season. Nogueira had the winning goal in four of the six Women's College Cup matches in which she plays and assisted on the winning goal in 1-0 title-match win over Stanford.

• The 2009 season saw eight ACC teams finish 20-7-1 in NCAA Tournament play, setting a league record for collective wins in postseason. The 2008 postseason, which also concluded with an NCAA title by North Carolina, saw eight ACC teams finish a combined 17-7.

• The ACC's eight teams in postseason tied a league record. Six entered as national seeds (North Carolina and Florida State No. 1, Boston College No. 2, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech No. 3, and Maryland No. 4), also tying a league mark.

• A record seven ACC teams reached the Final 16 of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, and four advanced to the Final Eight. Two of the seven losses suffered by ACC teams in the NCAAs came in head-to-head meetings between conference teams (UNC's third-round win over Maryland, and the Tar Heels' victory over Wake Forest in the quarterfinals).

• ACC teams finished 86-24-7 against non-conference opposition during the 2009 season, a winning percentage of .765.

• ACC champion North Carolina, along with regular-season co-champions Florida State and Boston College, were ranked among the nation's Top 10 throughout the season. Wake Forest, Maryland and Virginia Tech were also ranked among the Top 10 much of the year, and all six of those teams entered the NCAA Tournament ranked among the nation's Top 20. Virginia and Duke were also ranked during the 2009 season.

FIELD HOCKEY

• North Carolina earned the Atlantic Coast Conference's 15th NCAA title in field hockey with a 3-2 win over Maryland (Nov. 22) on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Tar Heel win was the eighth straight for an ACC team in the NCAA Field Hockey Championship Game, and the league now claims 15 NCAA titles since 1983 when field hockey was first sponsored by the league. Both Maryland and North Carolina have each won six NCAA titles, while Wake Forest won three in back-to-back-to-back fashion from 2002-04. The Terps claimed the league's first title in 1987 with a win against North Carolina.

• All six Atlantic Coast Conference field hockey teams appearance in all 11 national polls released by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association this season. The ACC was the only conference to see all of its teams ranked in the top-20 in every poll of the 2009 season.

• Maryland junior three-time Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year Katie O'Donnell was the recipient of the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards' Honda Award for field hockey. As the nation's top Division I field hockey student-athlete in 2009, O'Donnell is now a nominee for the Honda-Broderick Cup, which goes to the nation's top Division I female student-athlete. O'Donnell is the seventh consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference field hockey student-athlete to win the award.

• O'Donnell had one of the best individual seasons in league history in leading Maryland to a 23-1 overall record in 2009, which included an 18-0 regular season (5-0 ACC), ACC regular-season and tournament championships, 11 straight No. 1 rankings by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, and the school's ninth appearance in the NCAA championship game. The Blue Bell, Pa., became the first three-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year in league history, and was named the ACC Championship's Most Valuable Player, NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, and a first-team NFHCA All-American.

• In addition to O'Donnell, other Honda Award (field hockey) winners from the ACC include North Carolina's Cindy Werley in 1996 and 1997, Maryland's Autumn Welsh in 2001, Wake Forest's Kelly Doton in 2003 and Kelly Dostal in 2004, Maryland's Paula Infante in 2005 and 2006, North Carolina's Rachael Dawson in 2007, and Susie Rowe in 2008. Two ACC head coaches--North Carolina's Karen Shelton and Wake Forest's Jen Averill--were honored as student-athletes. Shelton won the award three times in 1976-77, 1977-78, and 1978-79 at West Chester University, while Averill was honored in 1986-87 at Northwestern University

• Boston College fifth-year head coach Ainslee Lamb and North Carolina 29th-year head coach Karen Shelton were named the Northeast Region and South Region Coach of the Year, respectively, by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.

• Lamb guided Boston College to a 13-7 overall record and the school's first appearance in the NCAA field hockey championship since 2005, the school's first as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

• Shelton, a four-time National Coach of the Year (1994-96, 2007) and eight-time ACC Coach of the Year (1986-89, `94, 2000, '04, '07), guided North Carolina to a 20-2 overall record and the school's sixth NCAA field hockey championship--all of which have come under Shelton's lead--with a 3-2 win over top-ranked and previously unbeaten Maryland on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.

• A total of 5,432 fans showed up at the Maryland Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex over the Terrapins' 11 home games in 2009. Maryland--who was the top-ranked team in each of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's 11 top-20 polls in 2009--averaged 439 fans per game to rank second nationally.

• Virginia averaged 389 fans for each home game at the University of Virginia Turf Field, which ranks fourth among Division I teams. The Cavaliers drew a total of 5,450 fans over 14 home games.

• Boston College packed 2,413 fans into the stands at Newton Campus Field across eight home games in 2009 for a 301 per game average, which ranks 10th nationally.

VOLLEYBALL

• Florida State became just the second Atlantic Coast Conference team and first since Georgia Tech in 2003 to advance to the NCAA volleyball regional final. Florida State, currently ranked 12th by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, dropped a 3-1 decision to No. 11 Minnesota at the Golden Gophers' home court in Minneapolis, Minn. The Seminoles hosted the first and second rounds in Tully Gymnasium and defeated Alabama A&M (Dec. 5) and Jacksonville State (Dec. 6) by 3-0 scores, and beat No. 13 Kentucky, 3-1, in the regional semifinal (Dec. 11).

• Five ACC teams--automatic qualifier Florida State, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Miami--earned berths to the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championship, marking the first time a quintet of league teams were selected.

• Clemson senior All-ACC defensive specialist Didem Ege ended her Tiger career as the ACC's leader in digs with 2,303 and digs per set with a 4.88 average.

• A total of 13 ACC volleyball student-athletes were selected to the 14-member AVCA All-East Region team. Clemson freshman middle hitter Sandra Adeleye was picked as the AVCA All-East Region Freshman of the Year, while Florida State second-year head coach Chris Poole was named the East Region Coach of the Year.

• Chris Poole earned his 600th career win in Florida State's NCAA first-round win against Alabama A&M to become the 16th active Division I coach with 600 career victories. With 599 career wins to his credit, North Carolina 20th year head coach Joe Sagula can become the 17th coach to earn win No. 600 with the Tar Heels first victory of the 2010 season. Poole is 52-12 (.813) in his two seasons at Florida State and 32-8 in league play (.800), while Sagula 396-264 (.600) at North Carolina and 194-118 (.622) in ACC matches.

CROSS COUNTRY

• Three ACC teams finish in the Top 15 at the NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship - Florida State second, Duke eighth and Virginia 15th. The Seminoles' Susan Kuijken finishes third and Virginia's Catherine White fourth to lead individual honors.

• No. 15 Virginia leads four ACC men's teams at the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Ind. NC State sophomore Ryan Hill was the league's top men's participant with a 19th place finish while Virginia's Ryan Collins was 36th.

• NC State placed three runners in the top 10 and six in the top 25 en route to winning its 11 ACC men's title in the last 15 years and 14th overall, out-distancing Virginia by 15 points. The Cavaliers' Emil Heineking won the individual title, finishing the 8K course in a time of 23:15.49. Virginia teammate Ryan Collins was second at 23:17.74. Florida State's Wes Rickman earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors, finishing 24th in a time of 24:16.16. Florida State placed seven runners in the top 20 and rolled to the ACC women's team title over runner-up Duke.

• Florida State, led by individual titlest Susan Kuijken, claimed its third-straight ACC women's title, out-distancing second place Duke by 34 points. In winning her third-consecutive ACC individual title, Kuijken ran the 6K course in 19:39.3 and crossed the finish line a full 16 seconds ahead of runner-up Catherine White of Virginia ... Duke's Juliet Bottorff was women's ACC Rookie of the Year, finishing 10th in a time of 20:34.6