Golfer DiBitetto wins A-10 honor

Charlotte 49ers senior golfer Andrew DiBitetto has been named Atlantic 10 co-Golf Performer of the Week after posting a perfect 4-0 record at the Callaway Golf Collegiate Match Play Championships in Greensboro, Ga.

DiBitetto’s award is the 49ers' fourth this fall. Sophomore Corey Nagy has won the award twice: Sept. 17 after winning the Scenic City Invitational and Oct. 22 after placing third to lead the 49ers to the team title at The Prestige Invitational. Junior Stefan Wiedergruen won the award Sept. 24 after winning the PING/GolfWeek Preview.

Charlotte, ranked first in both the Golfstat and GCAA Coaches’ Poll and second in GolfWeek, have won each of the first three stroke play tournaments in which they have competed.

Ozimek earns academic all-district honor

Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer senior midfielder Lindsey Ozimek was named to the first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III women’s soccer team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. As a result of being named first-team academic all-district, Ozimek will represent the district on a national ballot for Academic All-America honors.

Ozimek is the first player in the program’s history to be named first-team Academic All-District three times in their career and the first to be named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American twice.

Last season, she earned first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American honors. In 2005, she earned third-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American honors.

There's lots to say after 49ers' rout

Some postgame quotes and thoughts from Charlotte 49ers coach Bobby Lutz and players Phil Jones and Leemire Goldwire following their 92-36 exhibition victory against Ottawa on Wednesday night:
Coach Bobby Lutz:
"I was pleased. I was a little concerned with so many new guys. But they were anxious to play somebody other than each other. I am really shocked at the margin. They did have two guys missing, but this team played Illinois and Alabama. Villanova did beat them pretty handily, but it was a game at halftime in all of them. I was pretty surprised with the easy we were able to establish a big lead in the first half. There was great energy and the crowd was fantastic."
Thoughts on Phil Jones: "Phil showed that he is a low-post presence. That’s what we wanted to start the game. He just needs to continue to work on his conditioning. He gets tired. In the second half, we just didn’t get it to him. Part of that was they adjusted their defense and played some zone. They packed it in on him. He is going to continue to be, when he is in the game, a focal point of our offense."
Thoughts on DiJuan Harris: "DiJuan was terrific off the bench. He had 18 minutes, four assists, no turnovers, three steals. It’s not that he wouldn’t be a good starter, but he is the prefect energizer off the bench. We’re already playing hard and quick and then he comes in and we hit another level. He was really good both halves."
Phil Jones
"It feels good, man. I waited a whole year for this. There were a lot of emotions, but it was good. I enjoyed myself. For the first three minutes I had butterflies. We have faithful fans. The turnout was great. They got a taste of what they’re going to see this season. We’ve put in a lot of hard work, so it’s going to pay off in the end."
Leemire Goldwire
"I started the game off at the (point guard position) and tried to get my other teammates involved, but when I moved to (shooting guard) and they milk me, I can make those all day. We didn’t play that strong a team but the crowd was behind us and we played hard. Sometimes in practice we go hard and sometimes we go so-so, but we were definitely going all out tonight. It was a good win."

It's game time, finally!

The Charlotte 49ers finished their final full practice Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday night’s exhibition at Halton Arena.
The starting lineup against Ottawa is likely to look like this: Phil Jones (center), Leemire Goldwire (point guard), Lamont Mack (forward), An’Juan Wilderness (forward) and either Charles Dewhurst or Ian Andersen at shooting guard. During a recent intrasquad scrimmage, Dewhurst and freshman Gaby Ngoundjo got rave reviews.
Other possible last-minute additions to the starting lineup could be Charlie Coley for Mack and starting sophomore DiJuan Harris at point guard.
Coach Bobby Lutz said his players were ready to play against "someone other than each other."
"We’re going to try to win the game, but we’re going to look at as many guys and as many different combinations as possible," he said. "Ottawa will dictate some of that since they have already played seven or eight games this month alone.
"We want to come out of it with a positive. The first goal is to win, but it’s also to evaluate lineups as the flow of the game allows."

Wanna see Gerrity? You'll have to wait

Charlotte 49ers men's basketball fans are going to have to wait to get a long look at Pepperdine transfer Michael Gerrity.

Although the sophomore point guard appeared in the eight-minute scrimmage as part of Basketball Madness, he is not allowed to participate in Charlotte's exhibition game with Ottawa on Wednesday night.

Gerrity has been allowed to practice with the team since arriving last semester but cannot play in games until the conclusion of the current semester. That will make him eligible either for the Dec. 15 game at Hofstra or the Dec. 18 game at Tulsa depending on when final grades are posted.

Big weeks for Minnix, Shull

Some notable Charlotte 49ers accomplishments this week:

-- Freshman defender Megan Minnix of Columbus, Ohio, was named Atlantic 10 women’s soccer rookie of the week for her performance against Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Minnix scored her first career goal, which proved to be the game-winner, in the 49ers’ 1-0 win against Massachusetts on Friday.

-- Freshman midfielder Will Shull, who played at Shelby High, was named Atlantic 10 men’s soccer rookie of the week for his performance in the 49ers’ A-10 road wins at George Washington and Richmond this past weekend.

Shull assisted on the 49ers’ first goal and then scored Charlotte’s second goal in its 3-0 win at George Washington on Friday. Then, he assisted on the 49ers’ second goal in their 2-0 win at Richmond on Sunday.

Q&A with Niners B-ball coaches

As part of the Atlantic 10 Basketball Media Day, fans of each school were able to submit questions for the men's and women's basketball coaches. Several questions were submitted by Charlotte 49ers fans.

Here are the questions submitted and answered for Charlotte women's coach Karen Aston:

-- Do you think your team got a head start on the competition after playing together over the summer for USA Basketball? Aston: "I wouldn't say it was a head start. If anything it was more of a catching up process with our staff being new and beginning an entirely new system. I think it was just a sounding board for how they were going to handle each other and how they would get to know me. I think that was the biggest advantage of going to Bangkok, other than the experience of it all." -- Submitted by Jackie, Concord, NC

-- You return a lot of talented and experienced players from last year. How have the newcomers, including the coaches, blended in with the veterans?

Aston: "Everybody is blending in very well. There's obviously a learning-curve where the players have to learn my style and I have to learn what they can and can't do best. Newcomers are having typical freshman growing pains. They have good days, they have bad days like all freshman do. I don't think it's been anything different for them because they're new to being with us. Seniors and juniors are the ones having to make the biggest changes because for a couple of them, this is their third coach so I think they're tying their best. They're seniors and this is their last shot." --Submitted by Travis, Gastonia, NC

-- How has your experience at Charlotte been thus far?

Aston: "It's been fast and furious. I had to hit the ground running with recruiting and of course for the trip to Bangkok, we were gone for three weeks in August and got back the day we started school. I've really enjoyed the city of Charlotte. It is a tremendous environment to live in with things to do and lots of opportunities for young women who are growing into professionals. I've enjoyed the coaching part the most. That's why I wanted to be a head coach and just the opportunity to get to go and practice every day has been the best part for me." -- Submitted by Kelly, Charlotte, NC

-- Here are the questions asked to men's coach Bobby Lutz. How much will your challenging non-conference schedule prepare your young team for conference play?

Lutz: "As good as our league is, and the A-10 is great this year, we're playing a non-conference schedule that will likely be rated in the top 50 non-conference schedules in the country. It's a double-edged sword. It's dangerous to play such a difficult schedule because if you get beat up, it's tough to keep your kids confident enough. On the other hand, if you don't play a tough schedule, you'd don't prepare as a team as well. We've chosen to take the challenging path. We're going to have to patient with our young guys, but they'll grow up. We certainly feel like we can win more than we lose and be in a position in A-10 play where we can be successful." --Submitted by Caitlin, Winston-Salem, NC

-- The A-10 looks to be much improved from top to bottom. Who is your pick to win the league and how many teams do you think will have a legitimate shot taking the crown?

Lutz: "I think you could pick Xavier to win the league, based on what they've done and who they're returning. But I honestly think there are seven or eight teams in the league that could do it. Anyone could emerge. This could be a year where you've got a bunch of teams with four-six losses or you could see one or two teams emerge. I think the depth and balance of our league has been the best it's every been in our three years in the A-10." -- Submitted by Doug, Jamestown, NC

The complete list of questions and answers are available on the Atlantic 10 Website, at http://atlantic10.cstv.com/