Dewhurst named to U.S. Maccabiah team

Charlotte 49ers sophomore Charles Dewhurst, who starred at Charlotte Latin, has earned a spot on the U.S. open men's basketball team that will compete at the 18th World Maccabiah Games, July 12-23, in Israel.

More than 9,000 of the world's best Jewish athletes from 54 countries will compete at the Games. Dewhurst is one of eight NCAA student-athletes who have made the U.S. Maccabi Team, which will be coached by Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl.

The other players named to the team include: New Hampshire center Dane DiLiegro, Arizona State guard Derek Glasser, Saint Mary's (Calif.) guard Todd Golden, Brown guard Steve Gruber, Tennessee forward Steven Pearl, Penn guard Zack Rosen and Duke guard Jon Scheyer.

49ers-Tulsa tip-off time changed to 4 p.m.

The Charlotte 49ers have moved the game time of their Jan. 10 men's basketball home contest against Tulsa to 4 p.m.

It was originally scheduled for 7 p.m.

The 49ers opted to change the game time following the announcement of the NFL playoff schedule. The Carolina Panthers will host a playoff game that evening in Charlotte.

News mixed for Coley, Wilderness

The Charlotte 49ers’ men’s basketball team got some good medical news and some bad Sunday.
Senior forward Charlie Coley still sports a distinctive cut over his left eye but will be ready for Tuesday night’s home game against Long Island.
Coley took an elbow above his eye with less than seven minutes left in Charlotte’s 100-80 win against Youngstown State on Dec. 21. He did not return to the game but finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Coley, who was in attendance for Charlotte’s women’s game Sunday against No. 12 Notre Dame, said he needed eight stitches to close the cut and his eye was swollen shut for a day or so.
Also Sunday, the team announced sophomore forward An’Juan Wilderness has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot and could miss two weeks of action.
Wilderness has started all 10 games and is tied for third on the team with a 10.4 scoring average. He has scored in double figures five times, including three of the past four games.
Wilderness is expected to miss Charlotte’s games with Long Island on Tuesday, Saturday at Maryland and Jan. 7 at Duquesne. He hopes to return to action for the Jan. 10 home game against Tulsa.

Tickets on sale for A-10 women's tournament

Tickets are now on sale for the 2009 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament, which will be played March 6-9 at the Charlotte 49ers' Halton Arena.

The tournament will feature the league's top 12 teams, and the winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. First-round action starts on March 6, followed by the quarterfinal round on March 7. Both days feature two sessions each starting at noon for the early session and 5:30 p.m. for the afternoon session. The semifinal games will be played on March 8 starting at noon. The final is on March 9 at 5 p.m.

Ticket packages are on sale by calling (704) 687-4949 for $40 for the four-day, six-session event. Students, children and senior citizens can get their packages for $20.

Single-session tickets will be sold for $10 for adults and $5 for children per session.

Lyerly 2nd-team AA in Collegiate Baseball

Charlotte 49ers junior Rob Lyerly was selected to the preseason Louisville Slugger Collegiate Baseball second-team All-America squad, the publication announced.

Lyerly has also been named to the Wallace Watch List - which includes players that could vie for the nation's top collegiate baseball player honor in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame ceremonies in Texas.

Last season, Lyerly led the 49ers with 26 doubles and 76 RBI while batting .364 and slugging .705. A former standout at Piedmont High in Union County, Lyerly transferred to Charlotte after one season at Campbell.

Lyerly, a junior this season, set or tied four school records last season with a 6-for-6, three home run, 19 total bases performance in an April 19 game at Massachusetts.

Upcoming Niners basketball promotions

Some upcoming promotions at Charlotte 49ers basketball games:

-- Sunday is Youth Day, with free admission to Charlotte's game with Youngstown State for kids 17-and-under if they accompanied by a paying adult.

-- At Sunday's game, the Dec. 30 men's game against Long Island and the Dec. 28 women's game against Notre Dame, the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas will be on site collecting blood donations. Fans interested in donating blood at one of those games will receive a voucher for free admission to the game at which they donate.

Niners sign seven for baseball

The Charlotte 49ers baseball team, which has won the past two Atlantic 10 Conference tournament titles, has signed seven players - five from the Charlotte area - to nation letters of intent during the early signing period.

Those who committed include:

Infielder Shane Basen, a baseball and basketball standout at Marvin Ridge High in Union County, who played in the World Wood Bat Assocation National Championships this year.

Infielder Jim Lyerly of Piedmont High, the younger brother of current 49ers star Rob Lyerly. Jim Lyerly is listed as a Top 50 player in North Carolina by Impact Baseball.

Right-handed pitcher Sean Pope of North Mecklenburg High. Pope is listed as a Top 30 player in N.C. by Impact Baseball and played in the N.C. State Games.

Right-handed pitcher Cory Roberts of Olympic High, who is ranked a Top 45 player in NC by Impact Baseball and a nationally-ranked player by PGCrosschecker. He was also the Queen City Conference's player of the year last season.

Right-handed pitcher Corbin Shive of East Rowan High, who is listed as a Top 25 player in N.C. by Impact Baseball and nationally ranked by PGCrosschecker. Shive, along with Roberts, played for the South Charlotte Panthers last summer. Shive was part of an East Rowan team that advanced to the state championship series last season.

Second baseman Michael Green of Richmond, Va. He was all-region in baseball last season and football this season and played summer ball for former Richmond Spiders coach Ron Atkins.

Outfielder Zachary Semenza will transfer in from Colby Community College in Kansas, who hit .333 and stole eight bases last season as a freshman. Semenza is a native of Great Falls, Mont.

"It's a credit to our assistant coaches, our former players and our current players that we can return, year after year, to the same areas and recruit quality student athletes," said 49ers coach Loren Hibbs. "That community has played a major role in our program's success over the past 17 years."

Charlotte contacting FSL reservation-holders

Charlotte 49ers officials have stopped keeping track of the number of reservations for Forty-Niner Seat Licenses since the goal set by the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, of 5,000 was reached a couple of weeks ago.

However, reservations are still being taken. At some point they will cut off the requests, but not yet. In the meantime, school officials have begun follow-up contacts with those who made reservations.

This week, Charlotte 49ers Athletic Foundation officials began making e-mail contact with those who made reservations to ask if their mailing address or number of FSLs requested had changed since they originally contacted the school.

In January, Charlotte will unveil its pricing and payment plans for the FSLs and begin taking payment.

If you reserved FSLs but are not contacted for updated information over the next several days, call the foundation at (704) 687-3766. To make a FSL reservation, go to www.charlotte49ers.com.

49ers losing women's soccer coach

Jon Lipsitz, who in his short reign as the Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer coach took the program to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, has resigned, athletics director Judy Rose confirmed Monday night.
Rose said Lipsitz had accepted the coaching job at Kentucky of the SEC. Rose declined further comment and said a formal announcement of Lipsitz’s departure would be made on Tuesday.
Lipsitz, a native of Chapel Hill who graduated from North Carolina in 1988, just completed his fourth and most successful season with the 49ers. Charlotte won its third consecutive regular-season Atlantic 10 title and second consecutive A-10 tournament. He was 58-23-4 during his stint with Charlotte.
The 49ers, who finished 18-4-1 this season, went 1-1 in the NCAA tournament, beating Tennessee and losing to eventual national champion North Carolina in the second round.
Lipsitz will replace Warren Lipka, who had been the coach of the Wildcats since the program’s inception in 1992 until he was fired last month.

Salvaggione second-team All-America

Charlotte 49ers senior men’s soccer forward Chris Salvaggione has been named second-team All-America by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Two others from the Atlantic 10 also were All-Americans. Saint Louis junior Calum Angus was on the first team and Temple’s J.T. Noone joined Salvaggione on the second.
This season, Salvaggione was Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year as well as first-team all-conference for a second straight season.

Salvaggione invited to MLS combine

Four Atlantic 10 Conference men's soccer players, Calum Angus, Brandon Barklage and Kyle Patterson from Saint Louis and Charlotte's Chris Salvaggione have been invited to participate in the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine as announced by Major League Soccer.

The combine, which will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 9-13, will be attended by the coaching and management staffs of all 15 MLS teams in preparation for the MLS SuperDraft slated for Jan. 15 in St. Louis.

Saint Louis is one of just three schools that will send three or more players to the combine, joining Wake Forest (5) and Duke (3).

Salvaggione was named Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year as well as first-team All-A-10 for the second straight season. The native of Monument, Colo., led the league in goals (15) and points (38) and ranked among the nation's leaders in points (2.00 per game).

Notes off 49ers' win at Mississippi State

There were many things Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz liked in the 49ers' 70-64 win against Mississippi State. He was somewhat disappointed with Charlotte's play in the final five minutes, when the 49ers mustered four points on offense - all from the free-throw line.

"That was a team that for 35 minutes tonight we thought we could be," Lutz said. "We've struggled through a lot of close games. I'm not happy with the way we finished but it was nice to have a working margin and have enough lead to win the basketball game."

Lutz said down the stretch the 49ers fouled too much. "We gambled a little more and weren't quite as solid and paid for it," he said. "They attacked a little more aggressively. The fouls I wasn't thrilled with."

- Former Concord High star and 2007 Observer Male Athlete of the Year Dee Bost had a tough time against the 49ers. He scored a team-high 15 points for Mississippi State but made just 3 of 10 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds when the outcome was determined. He had one assist and two turnovers.

- Charlotte point guard DiJuan Harris played all but four minutes of the game. He finished with 11 points, three rebounds, five assists and no turnovers.

"We actually have been doing the same thing that we have been doing all season," Harris said. "It's just the last two or three games coach has really emphasized on making things more simple on defense and making it more of a team effort, and we came out with a victory."

- Charlotte (3-6) will take a break for exams and next plays Youngstown State at Halton Arena at 2 p.m. Dec. 21. The 49ers' last home game was a one-point loss to Clemson on Nov. 22.

Charlotte-Mississippi St. not on MASN

Wednesday night's game between the Charlotte 49ers and Mississippi State is not on MASN as some original schedules (including schedule cards and the media guide) had it listed. That fell through just before the season began.

Instead of Mississippi State, MASN has switched that game with Charlotte's Atlantic 10 road game at Saint Louis. More recently, MASIN also added Charlotte's game at Xavier to its programming list.

MASN has three Charlotte games remaining on its schedule:

Jan. 28 at Xavier

Feb. 11 at Saint Louis

Feb. 25 at George Washington (game time for GW may change back to 7:30 p.m.)

Beam honored as 3rd-team all-American

Charlotte 49ers junior midfielder Hailey Beam has been named third-team all-America by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Beam was also named first-team All-Southeast Region, while sophomore teammate Whitney Weinraub earned second-team region honors.

Beam and Weinraub played integral roles in helping the 49ers to their third consecutive Atlantic 10 regular season title this season, second straight A-10 tournament title, second NCAA bid and first NCAA victory.

Beam is the second Charlotte player to receive all-America honors. Courtney Crandell was named first-time all-America in 2002.

Checking in with A-10

Some Atlantic 10 and Charlotte 49ers basketball notes:

• According to RealTime RPI, the Atlantic 10 ranks fourth among Division I conferences in strength of schedule. A-10 teams have faced 11 ranked opponents since the season opened Nov. 11.
• Entering play Sunday, 16 of the league’s 44 nonconference losses have been by four points or less. A-10 teams also have dropped six overtime contests, including two by Charlotte.
• Charlotte will enter its Dec. 10 game at Mississippi State averaging 8.25 steals per game, good for second in the conference. Junior DiJuan Harris leads the 49ers with 19 steals (2.38 per game), including five versus Providence on Nov. 28. Last season, Charlotte registered 271 steals, its highest total since 1991.
• Charlotte junior guard Ian Andersen has averaged 16.5 points and shot 10 of 21 from 3-point range over his past two games, including Saturday’s win at Southern Illinois.

Niners sign 6 for softball

The Charlotte 49ers softball team this week signed six players to national letters of intent for next season's class - three infielders, a pair of outfielders and a pitcher.

The class includes one local player, Chelsea Stamey from Matthews Butler High. She was twice named all-conference as a second baseman and played on Butler's three state championship teams. During Butler's state title run last season, Stamey batted .364 and had a perfect fielding percentage.

Also joining the 49ers are middle infielder Brittney Brinkley of Chesapeake, Va.; outfielder Nikki Gayle of Bear, Del.; infielder Brianna Gwaltney of Anaheim Hills, Calif.; third baseman Lindsey Holloman of Suffolk, Va.; and first baseman Virginia Prince of Cumming, Ga.

Charlotte opens the 2009 season on Feb. 13 when it hosts the Green and White Tournament at the D.L. Phillips Softball Complex.

Spriggs is A-10 women's player of week

Charlotte 49ers women's basketball player Ashley Spriggs was named the Atlantic 10 Conference player of the week following her performance over the weekend in the Hoops for the Cure Tournament in Dallas, Tex.

Spriggs, a junior forward, was named most valuable player of the tournament, hitting the game-winning shot as time expired to give the 49ers a 76-74 win over host Southern Methodist in the championship game. For the week, she averaged 16.7 points and seven rebounds in three 49ers games, including a home loss to Wake Forest last Wednesday.

-- Fans interested in attending the 2009 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament in Atlantic City, N.J., can purchase all-session group tickets now at (609) 348-7021. Prices are $300 for Gold, $140 for Silver and $120 for Bronze. Individual session tickets will go on sale in early 2009. The tournament is March 11-14.

Salvaggione named Hermann Trophy finalist

Charlotte 49ers men's soccer senior forward Chris Salvaggione has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the 2008 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy. The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually to the top player in collegiate soccer.

The semifinalists will be narrowed down to three finalists on Dec. 12. The three finalists will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis for a news conference on Jan. 9 when the winner will be announced.

This season, Salvaggione, a transfer from Gardner-Webb, was named Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year as well as first-team all-A-10 for the second straight season. He led the league in goals (15) and points (38). His 15 goals are the fourth highest single-season total in school history and the most goals scored by a Charlotte player since Doug Pratt scored 18 goals in 1992.

Salvaggione earned A-10 Player of the Week honors twice this season. He also was a two-time member of the Soccer America, College Soccer News and TopDrawerSoccer.com national teams of the week.

Niners women vs. Wake, noon Wednesday

The Charlotte 49ers women's basketball team will take on Wake Forest in a special pre-Thanksgiving noon tipoff at Halton Arena on Wednesday. The 49ers (3-1) have won their past two games while the Deacons come into the game undefeated (3-0).

Charlotte has won 39 of its past 47 home games, including a school-record 22-game streak during the stretch. Since 2001-02, the 49ers are 81-16 in Halton Arena.

Wake Forest leads the overall series 6-4 and has won the past two meeting. However, the 49ers won the last meeting between the schools in Charlotte, a 90-87 triple overtime thriller in 1993.

The 49ers are running a "lunch special" for the game, where fans can get lunch and admission to the game for $8. A game ticket comes with a Bojangles chicken supremes combo and regular-sized drink.

Students, in droves, attend Clemson game

If you thought there was a large student turnout at Halton Arena on Saturday night for the Charlotte-Clemson men's basketball game, the ticket numbers back you up.

According to John George, the 49ers' assistant athletic director for ticket operations, 4,373 student tickets were used for the game, a 71-70 Clemson victory. In 9,105-seat Halton Arena, there are 4,500 seats reserved for students.

Saturday's mark was the largest student turnout since the homecoming game with Southern Mississippi in the 2004-05 season, for which all 4,500 student tickets were used. Since the 2001-02 season, student turnout has surpassed 4,000 just nine times, including Saturday.

-- Jim Utter

Niners' Nagy wins long drive competition

Charlotte 49ers golfer and former Vance High standout Corey Nagy has already won one competition as the 34th annual Western Refining all-America Classic gets under way at the El Paso (Tex.) Country Club. The classic is an invitation-only, individual event featuring players who earned all-America honors the previous season.

Sunday, Nagy crushed a 353-yard drive to win the 2008 Titleist Long Drive competition. His drive is just the third over 350 yards in the history of the competition. Tournament play started this morning.

"At every tournament, (Nagy) showed flashes of brilliance and highly competitive rounds. As he continues to develop the areas he's worked so hard on, namely the mental focus of the game and stays diligent on his creativity and shot selection, he's going to continue to enjoy the success he's already had here," said Charlotte golf coach Jamie Green.

Last year, Nagy and 49ers teammate Andrew DiBitetto competed in the event. Nagy tied for ninth and won the PING Putting Contest.

Notes: Andersen on fire in first half of Clemson-Charlotte game

Some more notes from the Charlotte 49ers' 71-70 loss to Clemson at Halton Arena on Saturday night:

• Charlotte's Ian Andersen led all scorers with a career-high 21 points. He hit 7-of-11 3-pointers and his seven 3s tied for second-most in Halton Arena history, two shy of the arena record of nine set by Leemire Goldwire last season in the 49ers' win over Davidson.

Andersen scored 15 of his 21 in first half and almost single-handedly kept the 49ers in the game.

"I think a lot of my points (in the first half) came from DiJuan (Harris) driving down and (Clemson) was kind of sagging off and I was able to run the wing and he flew down the floor and hit me," Andersen said.

"In the second half (Andersen had six points), I think Clemson maybe didn't sag off as much and the openings on the break were not as often as the first."

• There was one common bright spot mentioned after the game by Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz as well as most anyone associated with the team - the game atmosphere and accompanying large student turn out.

"It sounds like me saying the same old song and dance but the students were just phenomenal. They've rallied the last two years. I couldn't me more happy professionally or personally," Lutz said. "It's humbling, really, the way they have adopted this group of guys and me.

"It just kills us not to get victories when they are here like they were tonight. It was back to the good old days (Saturday). We've had a good atmosphere a lot, but the (student) numbers were just so big tonight."

• Unfortunately for Charlotte fans - and fans of Clemson in the Charlotte area - it doesn't appear the two-year home-and-home series between the 49ers and Tigers will be renewed any time soon. "Right now, they don't want to extend (the agreement)," Lutz said.

"It's understandable; every team has to do what's right for them. I would hope maybe we could consider doing it again based on the experiences we've had. What we try to do so desperately to do is get folks that are this good to come in here. It was terrific tonight."

-- Jim Utter

Niners selected for 2009 preseason NIT

The Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team has been selected to participate in next season's National Invitation Tournament Season Tip-Off Tournament, formerly known as the Preseason NIT.

Charlotte athletics director Judy Rose confirmed the 49ers had accepted the invitation. Under the tournament's new format each school is guaranteed a minimum of four games over the course of consecutive weeks.

Next season will be the 49ers' first appearance in the preseason tournament. No opponents or game locations have yet been announced.

Under the current format, there are four regional on-campus sites that each produce a regional winner that advances to the final four in New York City. The remaining 12 teams play third and fourth-round games on the home campus sites of the three highest remaining seeds.

Participating teams do not play any team twice, and third and fourth rounds are assigned to the most geographically compatible site possible.

For example, this season Davidson played in the Oklahoma regional of the tournament. After going 1-1 and losing to the Sooners, the Wildcats are now hosting three other teams in third and fourth round games Monday and Tuesday.

Home opener for 49ers' women Friday

The Charlotte 49ers women's basketball team makes its season debut at Halton Arena at 7 p.m. Friday against Alabama-Birmingham. The 49ers have won their past seven home openers.

Charlotte enters the game 2-1, fresh off a victory over Southern California and close loss to N.C. State in the Wolfpack's tournament and a win on the road at Hampton.

Sophomore Shannon McCallum leads Charlotte in scoring, averaging 12.0 points a game and is tied for the lead in rebounding (7.3 rpg). She earned her first career double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) in Charlotte's win over Southern Cal.

The 49ers have won 38 of their past 46 home games, which includes a school-record 22-game streak during the stretch.

FSL reservations reach 4,703

At the close of business on Monday, the Charlotte 49ers had received reservations for 4,703 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs). At a price of $1,000 each, that could translate into more than $4.7 million for the creation of a football program.

At this time, no money is being accepted by the ticket office. The 49ers will begin collecting money in January. Final approval to begin raising money for a football program came from the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees last week. The recommendation of the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, calls for the sale of 5,000 FSLs within six months of the board's approval.

Interested fans and corporations can add their names to the reservation list by calling the 49ers ticket office at (704) 687-4949 or the 49ers Athletic Foundation at (704) 687-4950.

Trivia contest: Win tickets to Clemson game

Here is your chance to win two tickets and two halftime hospitality passes to the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball game on Dec. 22 with Clemson at Halton Arena.

The seats are located in Section 216, Row J, Seats 1 and 2.

To win you must correctly answer the following 49ers trivia question, and in your response you must include your name and contact email address.

A random drawing will be made among correct entries prior to the start of the 49ers' game at Appalachian State on Wednesday.

I will contact the winner right away and assure they get the tickets in time for the game.

Question: What returning Charlotte 49ers men's basketball player is listed taller on this season's official team roster than he was on last year's roster?

FSL reservations reach 4,167

At the close of business on Wednesday, the Charlotte 49ers had received reservations for 4,167 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs). At a price of $1,000 each, that could translate into more than $4.1 million for the creation of a football program.

At this time, no money is being accepted by the ticket office. The 49ers must await the final decision of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees, which should come today, before money can be accepted. The recommendation of the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, called for the sale of 5,000 FSLs within six months of the board's approval.

Interested fans and corporations can add their names to the reservation list by calling the 49ers ticket office at (704) 687-4949 or the 49ers Athletic Foundation at (704) 687-4950.

49ers' Beam honored by Soccer America

Charlotte 49ers junior midfielder Hailey Beam was named to Soccer America's national team of the week for her performance in last weekend's Atlantic 10 tournament. It is the third time this season Beam has been named to the national team.

Beam was named the A-10 championship's most outstanding player for the second straight season after helping the 49ers to their second consecutive tournament title. She scored two of Charlotte's three goals during the championship, including game-winners in both of Charlotte's wins.

The 49ers open play in the NCAA Tournament on Friday against Tennessee at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill. The winner plays the winner of the North Carolina-Western Carolina game on Sunday in the second round.

Niner Nation Gold ramping up

With the 2008-09 basketball season about to kick off for the Charlotte 49ers, Niner Nation Gold is set to unveil what it hopes is its most successful season yet. If you aren't familiar, NNG is a student-led booster club based on campus under the direction of current president Robert Demetrious. The organization is in its second year and has already doubled its enrollment to 340 active members.

The group's goal is to help create school spirit, loyalty, tradition and honor and pride in the school and its athletic programs. Students, alumni and fans may join NNG. The cost is $20, which goes to the athletic fund.

Those contributing get an official Niner Nation Gold T-shirt; eight loyalty points that roll over as alumni and counted toward FSLs in football; a 49ers car decal and lapel pin; opportunity for priority lower level seating for men's and women's basketball; and the opportunity to meet 49ers coaches and players.

For more information, you can visit the organization's Web site or watch a promotional video.
You can also register at the 49ers ticket office. For more information, call the ticket office at (704) 687-4949; or Demetrious at (910) 297-0912.

Women's soccer: NCAA gametimes set

Update on Charlotte 49ers women's soccer schedule this weekend:

On Friday, The North Carolina Tar Heels, the No. 1 seed in the region, will play Western Carolina at 5 p.m. at Fetzer Field. Later the same day at 7:30 p.m. Tennessee, the SEC tournament champion, will play Charlotte, the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament champions.

The winners of the two first-round games will meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Fetzer Field in the second round. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Call the ticket office at (800) 722-4335 for more information.

Reservations for FSLs exceed 4,000

At the close of business on Friday, the Charlotte 49ers had received reservations for 4,010 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs). At a price of $1,000 each, that could translate into more than $4 million for the creation of a football program.

At this time, no money is being accepted by the ticket office. The 49ers must await the final decision of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees, which will come this month, before money can be accepted. The recommendation of the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, called for the sale of 5,000 FSLs within six months of the board's approval.

Interested fans and corporations can add their names to the reservation list by calling the 49ers ticket office at (704) 687-4949 or the 49ers Athletic Foundation at (704) 687-4950.

Students, in droves, attend exhibition

Could the Charlotte 49ers' exhibition win over Pfeiffer on Thursday night be a sign of things to come this season? And we're not talking about wins and losses here.

By game time Thursday, 3,025 student tickets were distributed, including 1,799 that were requested prior to the day of the game, according to officials in the 49ers ticket office.

To compare, in the 2006-07 season, there were 518 students tickets picked up in advance for the exhibition game. In 2007-08, 606 advance student tickets were requested for the exhibition.

In the 9,105 seating capacity of Halton Arena, 4,500 seats are reserved for students. It is possible that either at the season opener next Friday or the Nov. 22 home game against Clemson - or both - Charlotte could reach full capacity in student tickets.

Last season during the regular season, student ticket distribution averaged about 2,800 per game, according to the ticket office. With the most student tickets distributed last year about 3,600.

With more than 3,000 students attending this season's exhibition, it will be interesting how this season's numbers compare.

Former Niner Busch is MLS' top goalkeeper

Former Charlotte 49ers men's soccer all-American, Jon Busch, who now plays for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, has been named the 2008 MLS goalkeeper of the year. The award is voted on by MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and media.

Busch, who has played in the MLS the past six years, has started and played all 2,700 minutes of the Fire's 30-game regular season during which the Fire finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 13-10-7 record. He leads the league in shutouts (10), saves percentage (.782) and is second in goals-against-average (1.10).

At Charlotte, Busch helped lead the 49ers to the NCAA Tournament semifinals and a school-record 19 wins in the 1996 season, during which he recorded a career-high 12 shutouts and a career-low 0.89 goals-against-average.

Soccer, volleyball notables

Some more Charlotte 49ers notables this week:

• Senior men's soccer forward Chris Salvaggione earned several weekly awards after scoring four goals in Charlotte wins over Duquesne and St. Bonaventure last weekend. He was named Atlantic 10 player of the week and was also named to the College Soccer News national team of the week. Salvaggione leads the A-10 with 15 goals.

• Senior setter Courtney Cowles of Charlotte recorded her first career triple-double with 43 assists, 13 digs and 10 kills in the 49ers' 3-1 volleyball win over Presbyterian. Cowles was named A-10 co-player of the week.

49ers tip off with 'secret' scrimmage vs. UNCW

The Charlotte 49ers got a completely unofficial - and secret - start off to the 2008-09 men's basketball season Saturday, putting in a well-rounded and dominating performance over UNC Wilmington at Halton Arena in the teams' non-public preseason scrimmage.

Official statistics were not kept, but the Observer received several reports highlighting some individual performances from the game. They include:

- Charlotte was much more physical than the Seahawks and had a big advantage inside. Senior forward Lamont Mack was deadly from 3-point range and center Phil Jones continued his strong preseason play in the post.

- Small forward An'Juan Wilderness and point guard DiJuan Harris played well as did redshirt freshman Javarris Barnett, who knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. Sophomore Charles Dewhurst continues to improve in his role as backup point guard to Harris.

- The 49ers missed some free throws and RaShad Coleman struggled at times, but did a good job taking the ball to the rim. Charlie Coley had a pair of dunks.

The 49ers play their only public scrimmage of the season on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Halton Arena against Division II Pfeiffer.

Football licenses reservations at 3,755

At the close of business on Thursday, the Charlotte 49ers had received reservations for 3,755 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs). At a price of $1,000 each, that could translate into more than $3.7 million for the creation of a football program.

At this time, no money is being accepted by the ticket office. The 49ers must await the final decision of the UNC Charlotte board of trustees, which will come next month, before money can be accepted. The recommendation of the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, called for the sale of 5,000 FSLs within six months of the board's approval.

Interested fans and corporations can add their names to the reservation list by calling the 49ers ticket office at (704) 687-4949 or the 49ers Athletic Foundation at (704) 687-4950.

Noting the Niners: Soccer player honored

Some news and notes from the Charlotte 49ers:

--- Charlotte women's soccer freshman forward Jonna Handra has been named to Soccer Buzz's Elite Team of the week and was also named the Atlantic 10 Conference's player and rookie of the week for her performance in the 49ers' wins last weekend over Dayton and Xavier.
Handra had three goals and an assist in the two wins. She is tied with fellow Charlotte freshman Oni Bernard for fifth in the A-10 with seven goals.

--- The Charlotte 49ers' men's and women's indoor track and field teams have been picked by conference coaches to win the league this season. Both teams have won the A-10 indoor title the past three seasons.

--- The Charlotte 49ers will host an uptown basketball tip-off on Thursday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Founder's Hall in downtown Charlotte. The yearly events celebrate the upcoming basketball season. Head men's basketball coach Bobby Lutz and women's basketball coach Karen Aston as well as players from both teams will be on hand at the event, which feature games, giveaways and a chance to win prizes.
Fans are encouraged to stop in and talk basketball with the 49ers contingent. Schedule cards and team posters will also be available. Admission to both events is free.

Media pick Niners to finish 5th in A-10

The Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team was a preseason pick to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 Conference poll of media and coaches announced on Tuesday.

Xavier was picked to finish first and received 44 first-place votes; Temple was picked second, Dayton third, Saint Joseph's fourth followed by Charlotte, Massachusetts, Saint Louis, Richmond, Rhode Island, La Salle, George Washington, Duquesne, Fordham and St. Bonaventure.

Charlotte senior forward Lamont Mack was the only 49ers player named to the preseason all-conference team. He was named to the second team.

Men
(first place votes in parentheses)
1. Xavier (44)
2. Temple (12)
3. Dayton (3)
4. Saint Joseph's
5. Charlotte (2)
6. Massachusetts
7. Saint Louis
8. Richmond
9. Rhode Island
10. La Salle
11. George Washington
12. Duquesne
13. Fordham
14. St. Bonaventure

Women
(first place votes in parentheses)
1. Xavier (15)
2. George Washington (1)
3. Charlotte
4. Temple
5. Richmond
6. Saint Joseph's
7. St. Bonaventure
8. Duquesne
9. Dayton
10. Saint Louis
11. Rhode Island
12. Massachusetts
13. La Salle
14. Fordham

Charlotte women tied for 25th in soccer poll

The Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team enters Soccer America’s Top 25 poll this week, for first time since the 2003 preseason poll.

Charlotte (13-3-1) leads the Atlantic 10 with a 9-0 league record and has scored a school-record 60 goals this season. The 49ers enter the poll tied at No. 25 with Harvard (9-3-3).

“It is great that our team has been recognized by the national media for the successful season that we are having,” Charlotte coach Jon Lipsitz said. “Our goal still remains to win the A-10 regular-season and tournament titles and return to the NCAA Tournament.”

The 49ers complete their regular season this weekend with games at Rhode Island on Friday and Sunday at Massachusetts.

Soccer America Women’s Top 25

1. Notre Dame (17-0-0)

2. Stanford (16-0-1)

3. UCLA (14-0-2)

4. Portland (15-1-0)

5. North Carolina (15-1-1)

6. Florida (15-2-1)

7. Florida State (13-2-1)

8. Texas (12-2-3)

9. Texas A&M (14-3-1)

10. Oklahoma State (15-1-2)

11. Virginia (12-3-1)

12. Southern Cal (12-3-1)

13. Duke (13-2-2)

14. Louisiana State (13-2-1)

15. West Virginia (12-2-5)

16. Boston College (11-4-2)

17. Colorado (13-3-3)

18. San Diego (13-3-2)

19. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (15-2-2)

20. Penn State (13-6-0)

21. Minnesota (17-2-0)

22. Rutgers (12-5-1)

23. Georgetown (13-3-2)

24. Missouri (12-5-0)

25. Charlotte (13-3-1)

(tie) Harvard (9-3-3)

6-foot-3 center commits to 49ers' women

The Charlotte 49ers' women's basketball team received a commitment Friday from one of the top high school seniors in North Carolina.

Amanda Dowe, a 6-foot-3 center from South Columbus High in Tabor City, said Friday she has committed to play for the 49ers next season. Dowe made an official visit to the Charlotte campus last weekend and chose the 49ers over the College of Charleston.

Dowe averaged 16.4 points, 15.2 rebounds and 5.5 blocks last season for South Columbus, which advanced to the first round of the N.C. 2A playoffs. She was named to last season's "Toast of the Coast" girls basketball team by the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun-News.

"I really liked the campus," Dowe said. "I picked out the pros and cons of each school and took my time to make the right decision. I really like coach (Karen) Aston and like the up-tempo style they play."

Dowe said she will sign a national letter of intent during next month's early signing period.

Stats from Green-White scrimmages

Results from Thursday night's Green-White scrimmages at Basketball Madness:

MEN
White 30, Green 28

White 30
Gaby Ngoundjo, 4 points, 1 rebound
Ian Andersen, 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Lamont Mack, 5 points
An'Juan Wilderness, 2 points
Charles Dewhurst, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Shamari Spears, 11 points

Green
Javarris Barnett, 3 points, 1 rebound
Charlie Coley, 4 points, 1 assist
DiJuan Harris, 7 points, 2 rebounds
Kyle Church, 0 points
RaShad Coleman, 7 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
Phil Jones, 4 points, 2 rebounds


WOMEN
White 16, Green 15

White
Jabrenta Hubbard, 6 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
Kendria Holmes, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Shannon McCallum, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Ashley Spriggs, 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Katie Meador, 0 points
Danielle Burgin, 3 points

Green
Brittany Carter, 2 points, 1 rebound
Erin Floyd, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Traci Ray, 4 assists
Nicole Hargraves, 2 points, 2 rebounds
Aysha Jones, 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Rachelle Coward, 0 points

49ers receive reservations for 3,464 FSLs

At the close of business on Tuesday, the Charlotte 49ers had received reservations for 3,464 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs). At a price of $1,000 each, that could translate into more than $3.4 million for the creation of a football program.

At this time no money is being accepted by the ticket office. The 49ers will await the final decision of the UNC Charlotte board of trustees, which will come next month. The recommendation of the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, called for the sale of 5,000 FSLs within six months of the board's approval.

Interested fans and corporations are encouraged to add their names to the growing reservation list by calling the 49ers ticket office at (704) 687-4949 or the 49ers Athletic Foundation at (704) 687-4950.

- Charlotte women's soccer midfielder Hailey Beam has been named to Soccer America's National Team of the Week for the second time this season. Beam had two goals and two assists in a pair of 49er wins over the weekend at Richmond and George Washington.

Niners pick up A-10 honors

A pair of Charlotte 49ers picked up weekly awards from the Atlantic 10 Conference for their performances in the past week.

Women's soccer player Hailey Beam was named co-player of the in the A-10 after scoring two goals and two assists in Charlotte wins over Richmond and George Washington. Beam leads the A-10 in goals (13), assists (11) and points (37).

Charlotte native Adu Dentamo was named the A-10's men's performer of the week in cross country after his 25th place finish at the Pre-Nationals, which was run on the same course as next month's NCAA Championships.

Dentamo's time of 24:07 was his second best of the season and he owns the two top times in the A-10 this season.

Baseball plans 'Niner World Series'

The Charlotte 49ers baseball team is wrapping up fall practice this week with a three-game "Niner World Series" and Saturday home run derby and ring ceremony at Hayes Stadium.

Teams for the series were picked Sunday and the teams will practice today. Game 1 of the series is Tuesday, with batting practice starting at 2:30 p.m. Game 2 is Wednesday. The final game is Saturday with the home run derby starting at 11 a.m.

Former Charlotte all-Americans Bo Robinson (19 homers in 1998) and Chris Taylor (19 homers in 2008) are tied for second in school history. They will represent the alumni while current 49ers players Garrett Hanselman and Alan Parks will represent the 2009 squad.

Returning Charlotte players and 2008 players completing eligibility will receive their Atlantic 10 Championship rings in a pre-game ceremony Saturday, with the final game of the series starting at 1 p.m.

Charlotte finished last season 43-16, its second consecutive season winning 40 or more games. The 2009 season opens Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. with a three-game series at Clemson.

Three A10 teams in Sporting News top 40

Three men's basketball teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference have been ranked by the Sporting News in its basketball preview issue.

Xavier, which advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament last season, debuts at No. 19. Saint Joseph's is ranked No. 32 and defending A10 tournament champion Temple comes in at No. 38.

The 2008-09 A10 men's basketball season gets under way on Nov. 11 as Massachusetts faces Arkansas-Monticello in the opening round of the 2K Sports Classic in Carbondale, Ill.

Outside of the three A10 teams, one other of the Charlotte 49ers' opponents this season is in the poll - Arizona State is No. 15. The 49ers could also potentially meet No. 17 Wake Forest in a tournament.

The Sporting News Top 40
1. North Carolina
2. Connecticut
3. Louisville
4. Gonzaga
5. Michigan State
6. Texas
7. Duke
8. UCLA
9 . Pittsburgh
10. Memphis
11. USC
12. Notre Dame
13. Purdue
14. Miami (Fla.)
15. Arizona State
16. Florida
17. Wake Forest
18. Marquette
19. Xavier
20. Davidson
21. Tennessee
22. Oklahoma
23. St. Mary's
24. UNLV
25. Baylor
26. Syracuse
27. Creighton
28. Ohio State
29. Wisconsin
30. Villanova
31. Kansas
32. Saint Joseph's
33. Georgetown
34. Virginia Tech
35. West Virginia
36. Washington
37. Alabama
38. Temple
39. San Diego
40. Siena

49ers' football reservations reach 3,300

At the close of business on Tuesday, the Charlotte 49ers had received reservations for 3,300 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs). At a price tag of $1,000 each, that would translate into $3.3 million for the creation of a football program.

At this time no money is being accepted by the ticket office. The 49ers will await the final decision of the UNC Charlotte board of trustees, which will come next month.

The recommendation of the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, called for the sale of 5,000 FSLs within six months of the board's approval.

Interested fans and corporations are encouraged to add their names to the growing reservation list by calling the 49ers ticket office at (704) 687-4949 or the 49ers Athletic Foundation at (704) 687-4950.

Niners' Beam is player of week again

Charlotte 49ers women's soccer junior midfielder Hailey Beam was named Atlantic 10 Conference co-player of the week, the second time this season she has received the honor.

Beam scored two goals and assisted on two others in the 49ers' 8-0 win over Saint Joseph's on Sunday. Beam is currently tied with teammate Whitney Weinraub for the most goals scored in the conference this season (11).

Charlotte (9-3-1, 5-0-0) returns to action this weekend when it plays at Richmond on Friday and at George Washington on Sunday.

To subscribe to the Gold Mine blog, click here.

Wiedergruen A-10 co-golfer of the week

News & Notes from the Charlotte 49ers:

• Senior golfer Stefan Wiedergruen was named an Atlantic 10 co-golfer of the week for the week ending Oct. 5 after he earned a 17th-place finish at the PING/Golfweek Preview. Wiedergruen, who was the defending individual champion of the event, which regularly attracts a top 25 field, shot +4, 217. He leads the 49ers with a 73.3 stroke average after two events.
  

• Former 49ers golfer Jonas Enander Hedin shot a 10-under-par 206 to capture the Swedish PGA Landmann Open on Sept. 27. Enander Hedin, a third team all-American who led the 49ers to an eighth-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Championships, shot four-under par 68 in the final round to win the event by one stroke. Enander Hedin played this summer in the Palmer Cup, a collegiate version of the Ryder Cup, clinching Europe's victory in the event with his singles' match victory. Enander Hedin is back in the United States and competing this week in the Tarheel Tour's Walnut Creek Open in Goldsboro, N.C.
  

• The No. 20 men's soccer team (8-2), fresh off a loss at nationally-ranked Maryland, looks to get back on track with a game tonight at 7 p.m. at Fordham in the 49ers' Atlantic 10 Conference season opener. Charlotte dropped a 2-1 decision in overtime to the Terrapins on Tuesday, a day after earning its first Soccer America national ranking.

• The women's soccer team (7-3-1, 3-0) looks to continue its undefeated mark in the A-10 with home games at 7 tonight with Temple and Sunday at 1 p.m. with St. Joseph's, both at Transamerica Field. The 49ers hold a 2-0-0 series advantage over both Temple and Saint Joseph's.

Niners basketball on national TV

There will be several opportunities to catch the Charlotte 49ers men's and women's basketball teams in action on national TV this season. Here's a look at what's already scheduled. The A-10's syndicated regional package has not been released.

Men's TV schedule
CBS College Sports Network
Sunday, Jan. 18 Charlotte at St. Joeseph's, 4 p.m.
ESPN/ESPN2
Thursday, Feb. 19 Xavier at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
ESPN2
Friday, Nov. 28 Charlotte at Anaheim Classic, TBA
Sunday, Nov. 30. Charlotte at Anaheim Classic, TBA
ESPNU
Thursday, Nov. 27 Charlotte v. Arizona St. in Anaheim Classic, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 24 Charlotte at Temple, 6 p.m.


Women's TV schedule
ESPN2
Sunday, Jan. 11 Xavier at Charlotte, noon
ESPNU
Sunday, Dec. 28 Notre Dame at Charlotte, 2 p.m.

Reservations for 3,088 FLS received

At the close of business on Monday, the Charlotte 49ers had received reservations for 3,088 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs). At a price tag of $1,000 each, that would translate into more than $3 million for the creation of a football program.
At this time no money is being accepted by the ticket office. The 49ers will await the final decision of the UNC Charlotte board of trustees, which will come next month.
The recommendation of the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, called for the sale of 5,000 FSLs within six months of the board's approval.

In other Charlotte news:
-- Women's soccer freshman forward Oni Bernard was named Atlantic 10 rookie of the week for the second time this season for her performance in the 49ers' 3-0 win over Saint Louis last weekend. Bernard's five goals ties for second on the team and sixth in the A10. She is tied for fourth with 15 points.
-- Men's soccer freshman midfielder Isaac Caughran was also named the A10 rookie of the week. Caughran scored his first career goal in Charlotte's 4-0 win over Central Florida. He is one of nine players on the 49ers' roster to have scored this season.
-- Following up on his ninth place finish at the Paul Short Invitational, 49ers cross country runner Adu Dentamo was the league's men’s cross country performer of the week. Dentamo's time of 24:03 is a season best for the junior.

49ers' forward on weekly national soccer team

Charlotte 49ers senior forward Chris Salvaggione has been named to Soccer America's men's National Team of the Week after scoring game-winning goals in the 49ers' wins over UNC Greensboro and Elon last week.

Charlotte junior midfielder Hailey Beam was named to Soccer America's women's National Team of the Week after she scored four goals and had four assists in the 49ers' wins last week over La Salle and St. Bonaventure.

- All this week members of the 49ers' athletic department are participating in the Hearts and Hands Playground Build in Nevin Community Park in Charlotte. More than 250 student athletes and members of the athletic department are helping construct a new playground for kids. The playground will have a NASCAR them with a Victory Circle, Pit Road and track-style layout.

- On Saturday, 49ers student athletes will host the Epilepsy Stroll at the Belk Track & Field Stadium from 9 to 11 a.m. The Stroll provides funding for the Epilepsy Foundation of North Carolina to assist in providing medication, professional training and counseling to those who suffer from epilepsy.

Top PF Braswell plans to visit Niners

Some more notes and notables from the Charlotte 49ers:

--- Chris Braswell, one of the nation's top high school power forwards, has canceled a planned visit to Virginia Tech and will now make an official visit to the Charlotte campus Friday-Sunday, sources confirmed. Braswell originally planned a visit with the 49ers on Oct. 23 - the day of the school's annual "Basketball Madness" event - but his Hargrave Military Academy team has a game scheduled that date.

Braswell, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward, is ranked the 78th best player in the country among high school seniors and the 22nd-best power forward by recruiting Web site Rivals.com. He has also been named an ESPN 100 college prospect. Last season, Braswell made a commitment to Georgetown, but after deciding to spend another season in prep school the Baltimore native re-opened his recruiting in June.

--- Former 49ers men's basketball all-American Eddie Basden signed with the NBA's Miami Heat this week. He was among four guards Miami signed. Basden, the 2005 Conference USA player of the year, led Charlotte to three NCAA tournaments during his four-year career and graduated in 2005.

Basden leads the 49ers in career steals (264) and is ranked 20th in points (1,066) and seventh in rebounds (765). Basden played with the Chicago Bulls during the 2005-06 season.

--- Plenty of soccer accolades this week. Men's soccer player Chris Salvaggione was named Atlantic 10 men's player of the week and was also named to the College Soccer News national team of the week after scoring game-winning goals in Charlotte wins over UNC Greensboro and Elon.

Charlotte junior forward Hailey Beam was named Atlantic 10 women's player of the week and freshman forward Jonna Handra was named A-10 co-rookie of the week following two wins for the 49ers last week. Beam was also named to the Soccer Buzz's Elite Team of the Week as well.

FSL pace surprises AD Rose

Charlotte 49ers athletics director Judy Rose said she has been surprised with the number of Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs) reserved since the Sept. 18 recommendation by the school’s chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, to add a football program by the 2013 season.
“I thought the first 1,000 would be a good marker to gauge as we got started. Each day that we passed that mark since the announcement has been even more impressive,” Rose said. “It seemed to slow down a little bit at the end of last week, but when we were given an updated number at our meeting (Monday) morning, we had passed 2,500.”
Rose said plans are to begin an official marketing campaign to sell the remaining FSLs almost immediately should the school’s board of trustees approve Dubois’ plan in November. Those who have reserved FSLs would be contacted about the plan for payment. Dubois’ recommendation called for the sale of 5,000 FSLs at $1,000 apiece within six months of the board’s final approval. As of the close of business Monday, 2,558 have been reserved.
Less than two weeks since the announcement, Rose said she has fielded calls from people who have expressed an interest in the coaching position, although she doesn’t believe a coach would be hired until 2010 or 2011.
And what does the chancellor think?
“The chancellor is pleasantly surprised by the FSL count thus far,” Rose said.

Noting the Niners, past and present

Notes and notables from the 49ers:

• Former Charlotte men's soccer star Jon Busch was recently named the top candidate for Major League Soccer's "goalkeeper of the year" award by the Web site MLSnet.com. In picking Busch No. 1, the site said, "Jon Busch has been the backbone of the league's best defense, posting a sub-1.00 goals-against average and 10 shutouts in 25 matches for a top-flight Chicago Fire side." Busch played three seasons for the 49ers (1994-96), leading them to the 1996 NCAA Men's College Cup, where they lost in the national semifinals. He was named a first-team all-America selection in 1996.
  

• Charlotte senior Alan Parks and junior Rob Lyerly were both named top prospects following the conclusion of their respective summer baseball league action this season. Both were named top prospects by Perfect Game Crosschecker's Web site, pgcrosschecker.com, and Lyerly was also named a top prospect by baseballamerica.com. Lyerly wont the Northwoods League batting title, with a .342 average and was listed as the No. 5 prospect in the league by Baseball America and the 15th-best prospect on the Perfect Game Crosschecker list. Parks, an outfielder, was listed the No. 16 prospect from the Atlantic Collegiate League by Perfect Game Crosschecker. He batted .275 and started 34 games for the Hampton Whalers.
  

• Charlotte will host the Nike Championship Basketball Clinic Friday-Sunday. The clinic, geared toward basketball coaches at every level, features some of the nation's top men's and women's basketball coaches. Among coaches expected to participate are 49ers coach Bobby Lutz, Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, Bob Huggins of West Virginia, Dino Gaudio of Wake Forest, five-time NCAA women's champion coach Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. Sessions will cover instruction in a variety of areas, including "Plays for your Players," "Trapping Defenses," "Player Development," and "One-on-one Competition to Enhance Practice."

Ozimek is NCAA Woman of the Year finalist

Former Charlotte 49ers women's soccer star Lindsey Ozimek (2004-07) is one of nine finalists for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The award recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically in addition to demonstrating strong community service and leadership.

The original list of 130 female student-athletes was recently paired to 30 and then nine. Ozimek is the only Division I soccer player remaining. The NCAA Committee of Women's Athletics will choose the winner and it will be announced at a banquet in Indianapolis on Oct. 19.

Ozimek, the 2007 Atlantic 10 midfielder of the year, led the league in assists last season (13) and was named all-conference for the third consecutive year. She led Charlotte to the A-10 regular and conference tournament titles and ended her career with a school-history 43 assists.

Seat license count reaches 1,900

Another football update:

As of the close of business Tuesday, the 49ers have reserved over 1,900 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSL's). At this time no money is being accepted by the 49ers ticket office, pending final approval of the plan in November by the UNC Charlotte board of trustees.

Honors for 49ers soccer players

Some soccer kudos this week:

• Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer senior defender Ryan Swaim was named to College Soccer News' national team of the week for his performance against Winthrop and UAB over the weekend. Swaim led a 49ers backline which recorded shutouts in Charlotte wins over Winthrop and Alabama-Birmingham. The wins gave the 49ers the Charlotte/Nike Invitational title - their third tournament title this season.

• Charlotte women's soccer freshman forward Oni Bernard was named co-rookie of the week by the Atlantic 10 Conference for her two-goal performance in the 49ers' 6-0 win over Francis Marion. She scored her first goal just 27 seconds into the game.

596 seat licenses requested as of noon

According to John George at the Charlotte 49ers ticket office, as of noon Friday information has been taken from 199 individuals requesting 596 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses. George said calls and emails continue to come in and the number continues to rise.

Charlotte men's soccer hosting weekend event

The Charlotte 49ers men's soccer team finally gets a home game this season when it hosts the Charlotte/Nike Invitational this weekend at Transamerica Field.

The 49ers (3-1) have won two tournament titles this season, winning the Davidson/Adidas Classic in Davidson and the UNCW/Marriott Classic in Wilmington. This weekend, Charlotte will host Winthrop (4-2) Friday at 7:30 p.m. while Alabama-Birmingham (2-3-1) meets Davidson (1-5) at 5 p.m. On Sunday, Davidson will play Winthrop at noon while the 49ers host UAB at 2:30 p.m.

Charlotte senior Chris Salvaggione has scored a goal in each of the 49ers' four games and leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in goals scored. Sophomore Andres Cuero has three goals and eight points this season.

Questions about Niners football recommendation?

Post them here. We'll answer as many as we can.

What are the current plans for a stadium? An expansion of the track and field or a brand new football stadium?

The recommendation by Chancellor Philip Dubois includes building a $45.3 million, on-campus stadium with 12,000 seats, expandable to 20,000. Under his plan, alumni and friends of the university would need to buy 5,000 permanent seat licences at $1,000 each, and there would need to be an additional $10-15 million in corporate and sponsor donations. That leaves about $25 million unaccounted for, and it's unclear how that gap would be bridged.

Is 2013 the earliest we could have a team? Or is 2012 a possibility?

Some of the savings in Dubois' recommendation are predicated upon the 2013 start date, which is what he suggests. With a November vote and a six-month campaign to sell the Forty-Niner Seat Licences, 2012 would be a difficult, if not impossible, goal to meet. It's more likely that the start date would be pushed back than pushed forward.

Why a 12,000 seat stadium expandable to 20,000 if the plan is to have more than 35,000 students in the near future? Plus the large number of alumni living in the greater charlotte area. Seems a little small to me.

That size is typical of FCS, formerly Division I-AA, stadiums. Appalachian State, the three-time defending national champion in the division, plays in Kidd Brewer Stadium, which seats about 20,000 seats, with more seating on a hill. Their attendance last season averaged just over 24,000. The stadium could be built out to 15,000 to begin with for about $6-7 million more, but UNC Charlotte isn't counting on getting any more money than the $45.3 million.

With the Chancellor's recommendation of $200 rather than $300 student fee increase over 5 years is there any UNC system approval required for us to move forward?

In terms of an exception to the fee increase limit, no. The Board of Governors would have final say, but would likely defer to what the chancellor and Board of Trustees recommend.

What conferences might be a good fit considering we would be 1-AA for a while? Southern?

It's unclear, but Dubois' recommendation suggested a conference that would create regionnal rivalries. Southern Conference officials have said in the past they would not be interested in a short-term relationship with any school.

On the PSLs, define non-transferable. Does he mean that once you bought them they're your's til your dead? You can't sell them later like you can with Panther PSL's?

It's unclear, but the recommendation said non-transferable. That suggests they could not be resold. But this is a point of contenting and may be changed by the time the trustees approve the Dubois plan and the PSLs are offered for sale, assuming all that happens.

Am I guaranteed a specific seat, or will my priority points still count?

Unlike the Panthers PSLs, these don't guarantee you a specific seat in the stadium. They get you into the stadium. From there, where you sit will be determined by the points system (based on how much you give to the university, etc.), just like they are in Halton Arena.

Will their be a payment plan?

The recommendation included a comment about the need for one. No details are set. The Panthers had plans through the banks in Charlotte when PSLs for Bank of America Stadium were sold to the public. But there will almost certainly be a payment plan. Athletics director Judy Rose said it may be something like paying a quarter of the money up front, the rest over time. For instance, if you bought two PSLs at $1,000 each, you'd pay $500 (one-quarter of $2,000) up front, to show you were serious.

So do we play the first couple of years in up-fitted Transamerica field with a separate 12,000 stadium being built elsewhere on campus? I couldn't tell from his statement but looks that way in the facility plan. If so, does the PSL apply to Transamerica field?

It's unlikely play would begin before the on-campus facility is built. The cost of upfitting would significantly to the cost of starting the program. It's not out of the question, however, that either Memorial Stadium or Transamerica Field could be upfitted if the money for a new stadium can't be raised and the program goes forward anyway.

How can I donate?

Call the 49er Club at 704-687-4950. PSLs, however, will not be available until the board approves the recommendation (or modifies it) in November. They don't want to assume the trustees will say "yes."

What about the PSLs? Is there a way to get my name on the list?

Call the Athletic Foundation at 704-687-4950 and speak with anyone, or you can email Mike Hummer at mjhummer@uncc.edu.

They are not yet taking money, pending the BOT's approval of the recommendation, but expect that they will be $1,000 per seat. When you call or email, let them know:
1) Your pledge / commitment for purchasing FSL's - how many seats would you like?
2) What payment plan you would prefer (1 year, 2 years, etc.)
3) Include your name, email, phone number.

Do you feel that this donation goal was Chancellor DuBois' effort to avoid being the bad guy and saying no to the program? This seems like a big goal in these economic times.

His recommendation, a yes-if recommendation, clearly puts the burden on those who say they want football to pay for it.

What happens to the PSL money if the $5 million goal isn't reached and football is ditched? Refunds or put it towards existing sports?

Undetermined, and won't be until the PSL contracts are finalized after the November vote. But it' s probably unlikely the school would try to keep money earmarked for a football stadium if that stadium is never built.

Any idea if 5,000 is a set number or just a minimum. Would they sell the full 12,000 in NSLs if the demand was there?

The 5,000 is a minimum. They'll sell all they can, though, and the stadium could expand to accommodate more seat licenses.

Did I read right that there won't be a Marching Band right away? Won't that take away a lot of the luster of College Football? Or does he mean that we won't form one until closer to 2013?

Dubois' recommendation included delaying a marching band for three or four years beyond the launch of the football program, unless funds become available.

Predicting the A-10, preseason all-conference

Here are my preseason picks for the Atlantic 10 men's basketball season. The official release of the media picks is schedule for early October. At that time, I will compare your picks to the media picks and pick the winner of the home Charlotte jersey.

My preseason all-conference picks (you pick 15):

Ahmad Nivens, St. Joe's

Chris Love, UMass

Dionte Christmas, Temple

Chris Wright, Dayton

Lamont Mack, Charlotte

Ricky Harris, UMass

Tommie Liddell, Saint Louis

Derrick Brown, Xavier

Kevin Lisch, Saint Louis

Charlie Coley, Charlotte

Jimmy Baron, Rhode Island

CJ Anderson, Xavier

Marcus Johnson, Dayton

Rodney Green, La Salle

Rob Diggs, George Washington

My preseason all-defensive team (you pick 5):

Derrick Brown, Xavier

DiJuan Harris, Charlotte

Marcus Johnson, Dayton

Kevin Lisch, Saint Louis

Chris Love, UMass

My preseason all-rookie team (you pick 5):

Melquan Bolding, Duquesne

Sharmarr Bowden, Charlotte

Kenny Frease, Xavier

Terrell Holloway, Xavier

Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis

My league predicted order of finish:

1. Xavier

2. Charlotte

3. Temple

4. St. Joseph's

5. Dayton

6. UMass

7. Richmond

8. La Salle

9. Rhose Island

10. Saint Louis

11. George Washington

12. Duquesne

13. Fordham

14. St. Bonaventure

Quotes from the football pep rally

Before and during UNC Charlotte’s pep rally in support of the university’s adding football, Observer reporter Stan Olson talked to a number of students and faculty on campus. Some planned to attend the rally; some didn’t. Some of what they said follows:

“I’d like football; I’m not too happy with the current situation. It would bring more publicity and more prestige, probably. Because the sport represents a lot.”--BOB KORONGY, sophomore.

“First of all, I think there are a couple flaws with (football backers’) arguments. They want football at UNCC. The argument against it is that it’s going to cost more money for us as students. And their retort is, ‘oh, don’t worry, it’s only going to be put into place in 2012. You’ll already be graduated.’ So why should we have any say in it at all, it should be the people who are coming in who should be the rallyers for the football team.”--BEN ANDERSEN, senior.

“I’m suspicious. I think for an institution that’s growing, it’s probably a good thing. I’m just not confident about the timing. It’ll raise fees. UNC Charlotte’s up-and-coming, but we’re still going to compete on those Saturday afternoons with Virginia Tech on TV. And it’s a little bit of a paradox, because we’ve graduated tens of thousands of students, many of whom live in the greater Charlotte metropolitan region, and if I could be convinced that we’re going to capitalize on that pool of interest, then it could be eight exciting Saturdays for the university. But it’s an expensive adventure and it will put pressure on other fund-raising activities. There is limited resources; these programs are funded by non-state dollars…I’ll be convinced the university is ready for football when the home basketball games are sold out.”—PROFESSOR ANDREW HARVER, chair of the Public Health Science Dept.

“I think we need it. I guess it will boost morale around here. There’s just a basketball team. We’re UNC Charlotte but we’ve only got a basketball team. Talking to other students, I think we all would like a football team.”—PERRY DIXON, junior

“I’m here for a football team, so I’m here for the rally. (She’s wearing an N.C. State cap). I know, but it’s raining; I have to have a hat on. My brother bought it for me; he’s at State. He’s got a football team. We want to be able to cheer for a football team; we’re big enough. My brother pays the same as I do (in school expenses) right now and they have a football team.”—DANIELLE BEADLE, sophomore

“I guess I’d be concerned with how much of a hike in fees there would be. Coming from an academic standpoint, it would be nice if there was the same kind of rally for some kind of academic program. I guess that’s my selfish view, being a graduate student. I don’t want to come off sounding anti-athletic; I love athletics. I guess I would be worried about the amount of money it would take to get something like that going.”—ANDY MATTHEWS, graduate student

“We have a very loyal fan base who are going to be out here rain or shine, no matter. I’m very proud to see our fan base. And (with football) it’s still going to be cheaper to attend Charlotte than almost every other school in the system even after the fee increase. And you know what? The money thing can’t be out-weighed by the intangible benefits, giving students a more complete college experience, tying us to alumni and the community, and retaining students after they graduate.”—JOB FICKETT, sophomore and a rally organizer.

“I think it’s the right thing to do; it’s been a long time and I’m hoping they go ahead and approve it on Thursday. I think the rally will help; I think the chancellor’s probably made up his mind by now, but I think it helps with the board and probably the general public to see that we’re really serious about football. I think it really needed to be done back when they looked at it before, which was 2000, 2001. That was probably the right time. We probably could be in the Big East (Conference) right now if that would have happened then.”—TODD GRADEN, class of ’93.

“I’m for it 100 percent. This would be great to unite the alumni. I’m excited about it as an alum and an employee. I haven’t talked to anyone who was passionately against it, but many who are passionately for it. If there are scores of alumni out there that are anti-football, I haven’t talked to any of them.”—NICK McENTIRE, class of ’00, Charlotte alumni office employee.

49ers losing strength coach to Stanford

The Charlotte 49ers are losing an integral member of their athletics department and a particularly important member of the school's men's basketball program.

Preston Greene, head strength and conditioning coach the past six seasons, is resigning effective Friday to take a similar position at Stanford, athletics director Judy Rose announced Tuesday.

Greene, a 1999 graduate of Clemson, received his master's degree from Minnesota in 2000. He was an assistant strength coach at Arizona for two years before joining the 49ers. While at Charlotte, the department's strength and conditioning program has seen dramatic improvements.

Greene is a protege of Canadian strength training coach Charles Poliquin, who has trained many world class athletes, including Olympic Gold medal sprinter Donovan Bailey, the NFL's David Boston, and the NHL's Chris Pronger, among others.

Rose said a search for Greene's replacement will begin immediately.

- Jim Utter

Fireworks after the Sept. 27 soccer game

A couple items regarding the Charlotte 49ers:

-- Amtrak and the 49ers' athletic department have partnered to provide a post-game fireworks display following the Sept. 27 men's soccer game between Charlotte and Elon at Transamerica Field. The game begins at 7 p.m. and the fireworks will start immediately following the game. Tickets for the game is $5 and available in advance by calling the 49ers ticket office at (704) 687-4949.

-- Two days after leading her team to victory at the Bojangles Invitational, Amanda Goetschius has been named this week’s Atlantic 10 cross country performer of the week. Goestschius, who was named all-conference last season, beat the 90-person field by 13 seconds Saturday and was the only runner to run under 19 minutes.

Goldwire getting used to Greek league

Former Charlotte 49ers star Leemire Goldwire, who led the men's basketball team in scoring last season and graduated in May, is now playing professionally in Athens, Greece, for a team called Egaleo AO Athens.

Egaleo plays in the first Greek League of professional basketball the A1 Ethniki.

I traded emails with Goldwire this week. The league he's in is playing "friendly games" -- another name for scrimmages -- and has a game upcoming with a team called Maroussi Athens, for whom Pat Calathes, a former star at Saint Joseph's, plays.

"I'm in Athens and my apartment is like five minutes from the gym. My apartment is OK. I've been to see players that play for other teams and their apartments are extremely nice," Goldwire said.

"I've been over here about two weeks now. We're ahead of Charlotte time by seven hours so my body clock is just getting adjusted to the time difference. I'm missing things like honey buns, banana pudding and even drive-thru restaurants."

Football march is on, but destination changes

An update on Tuesday's planned "March to the Endzone" rally on the Charlotte campus:

The rally, which is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Belk Tower, will now conclude with a march to Transamerica Field rather than a march to the house of the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois.

Dr. Dubois has agreed to meet the group at Transamerica Field and plans to give a short speech about the group's show of support.

The board of trustees is scheduled to hear the chancellor's recommendation on adding football during its meeting next Thursday.

Women's soccer's Weinraub honored again

Charlotte 49ers women's soccer player Whitney Weinraub has been named co-player of the week in the Atlantic 10 for the second consecutive week. The sophomore forward scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at Pittsburgh and scored the 49ers' only goal in a 1-1 double overtime tie with Ohio State.

Weinraub leads Charlotte with five goals and 11 points. The 49ers (3-1-1) return to action this weekend facing Wake Forest and Virginia Tech at the Wake Forest Nike Tournament Friday and Sunday.

Niners ranked No. 19 by Golfweek

The Charlotte 49ers golf team is ranked 19th in Golfweek's preseason poll and junior Corey Nagy, who played at Vance High, was named a preseason third-team all-America selection.

Charlotte is also ranked 13th in the preseason GCAA/ Golf World preseason coaches poll. The 49ers open the 2008-09 season Tuesday at the Toby Cup in Japan.

Charlotte, Georgia, Stanford and UCLA are the only four teams in the country that have earned consecutive top-10 finishes in the NCAA Championships the past two seasons. Charlotte returns two starters from last season: Nagy and senior Stefan Wiedergruen.

Gerrity leaving 49ers; W. Rowan star commits

The Charlotte 49ers’ men’s basketball team gained a player Friday and unexpectedly lost one.

Early in the day the team received a commitment from West Rowan High’s K.J. Sherrill, ranked among the top high school seniors in North Carolina.

Sherrill, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward who averaged more than 19 points a game last season, picked the 49ers over Auburn, UNC Wilmington, East Carolina and Winthrop, said West Rowan coach Mike Gurley. Sherrill made an unofficial visit to Charlotte’s campus on Aug. 25.

Late Friday afternoon, the 49ers announced junior point guard Michael Gerrity had decided to leave the team, citing personal reasons, but would complete the semester before transferring to another school.

Gerrity’s decision comes on the heels of the 49ers’ three-game tour of Canada during which Charlotte went 3-0 and junior point guard DiJuan Harris started each game.

“I’m very surprised and disappointed with Mike’s decision,” said Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz. “However, I have to respect what he and his family have decided is best for him. I hope that things turn out the way he wants them to.”

W. Rowan's Sherrill commits to Niners

The Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball team received a commitment from West Rowan’s K.J. Sherrill, ranked among the top high school seniors in North Carolina.

Sherrill, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward who averaged more than 19 points a game last season, picked the 49ers over Auburn, UNC Wilmington, East Carolina and Winthrop, his high school coach, Mike Gurley, said Friday. Sherrill made an unofficial visit to the Charlotte campus on Aug. 25.

“It came down to the fact that right in his backyard K.J. had a great university and a super basketball coach in Bobby Lutz who runs a great program,” said Gurley.

“While he was looking at other schools, I think K.J.’s approach was more of a ‘How do they compare to Charlotte?’-type process because he just wanted to make sure it was the right decision.”

Gurley said Sherrill plans to sign a letter of intent during the early signing period in November and also expects to make several appearances during the season to watch 49ers games.

“Coach Lutz likes players who can score the ball,” Gurley said. “K.J. is athletic and bouncy and he’s very aggressive and can score the ball. I think he will be a great compliment to their program.”

Sherrill was named second-team All-Observer as a junior and first-team all-Piedmont. He was recently named by basketball recruiting analyst David Telep as a “breakout player.” He is a cousin of Scooter Sherrill, a former West Rowan star who played college basketball at N.C. State.

Charlotte has one scholarship remaining for its 2009-10 class with Chris Braswell, a 6-8, 215-pound forward from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., the 49ers’ top target. Braswell is ranked the 78th best player in the country among high school seniors and the 22nd-best power forward by recruiting Web site Rivals.com.

Predict A-10, win a Niner jersey

Here's your chance to test your knowledge of Atlantic 10 men's basketball AND win a Charlotte 49ers prize if you are good at it.

It's the time of the year for basketball writers in the Atlantic 10 to select the preseason all-conference selections and our predicted order of finish for the league in the 2008-09 season.

This year, I want you to offer your predicted order of finish as well. And there is a bonus. The person who comes closest to matching the order that is produced by the A-10 media members will win a 2006-07 Charlotte 49er home basketball jersey with the No. 06 (If more than one person correctly matches the media poll, I will do a random drawing among all who were correct).

So, figure out your finish, post it here along with your name and an email address by Sept. 17 (that's the date media selections are due). When the official media poll is released in October, I will announce the winner.

I will also take a picture of jersey soon and have available so you can see what it looks like. It's a size XL jersey.

Good luck!

Men's soccer team ranked No. 24

Lots of soccer accolades Tuesday for the Charlotte 49ers:

-- The men's soccer team, following convincing wins over Davidson and College of Charleston this past weekend, entered the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll at No. 24. This is the team's first national ranking since the 49ers were No. 19 in the same poll in September 1998. Charlotte is also currently ranked No. 1 in the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region poll.

-- Charlotte sophomore forward Andres Cuero was named the Atlantic 10 men's soccer player of the week following his performance last weekend in the adidas Classic at Davidson. He scored a goal in Charlotte's 5-1 win over Davidson and had two more in the 49ers' 5-3 victory over College of Charleston. Cuero leads the 49ers with three goals and eight points.

-- The 49ers' women's team swept the A-10 awards this week with sophomore forward Whitney Weinraub named player of the week and freshman forward Jonna Handra named co-rookie of the week.
Weinraub recorded the school's ninth-ever hat trick with three goals in Charlotte's 8-0 win over Tennessee Tech last Sunday. She is the first player since 2002 to score three goals in a game. Handra scored her first two career foals, including the game-winner, in the 49ers' 3-2 come-from-behind win over UNC Wilmington last week.

49ers find Canada to their liking

The Charlotte 49ers wrapped up their preseason men’s basketball trip through Canada on Monday with a 109-55 victory against Sheridan College.
In going 3-0, the 49ers averaged 106.7 points per game and averaged a 49-point margin of victory. Monday, Charlotte led 58-19 at halftime against a team which lost this weekend by 15 points to East Tennessee State and by 19 to Penn State.
Junior shooting guard Ian Andersen led the way for Charlotte with 18 points. Center Phil Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds and freshman Javarris Barnett finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
In all 10 of the 11 Charlotte players who saw action scored, with six hitting double figures.
“I was real happy with the first half. Our defense was excellent and we shared the ball very well,” coach Bobby Lutz said. “I was also very pleased with the way we mixed up our defenses.”
In all, Lutz said he was pleased with the trip.
“We used a lot of lineup and everybody got significant playing time. We saw some things that we will work on and get better,” Lutz said. “This team is fun to watch and I am excited about the upcoming season.”

Charlotte rings up another win

The Charlotte 49ers used a stifling defense and torrid offense in defeating York University 123-59 Sunday in the second stop of their three-day, three-game exhibition tour of Canada.
Charlotte led 58-27 and never let up in defeating York, which had lost by 21 to N.C. State on Saturday. All 11 49ers players who saw action scored.
Freshman shooting guard Shamarr Bowden topped Charlotte with 21 points in 20 minutes. He was 8-of-9 shooting, including five 3-pointers.
Five other Charlotte players finished in double figures with sophomore An’Juan Wilderness scoring 19; Michael Gerrity had 15 points and four assists; Charlie Coley had 13 points; Javarris Barnett had 13 points and eight rebounds; and center Phil Jones finished with12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
“You play hard and good things happen,” Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said. “Our defense intensity was really good and disruptive.
“It was great for all the guys to get some playing time. I was very pleased with our aggressiveness and unselfishness.”
The 49ers will close their Canadian tour with an 11 a.m. game Monday at Sheridan College.

49ers' Canada trip begins with win

The Charlotte 49ers got off to a strong start on their three-game swing through Canada with a convincing 88-59 victory Saturday against the University of Toronto.
Senior forward Charlie Coley led the way for the 49ers, finishing with 15 points with 7-of-13 shooting. He also had six rebounds and three dunks.
Freshman shooting guard Shamarr Bowden had 13 points and sophomore Charles Dewhurst finished with a double-double, 12 points and 10 rebounds.
In all, 10 of the 11 Charlotte players who saw time scored. Junior DiJuan Harris started at the point and had nine points, seven assists, seven steals and just one turnover.
“I’m extremely proud of our effort, energy and unselfishness. Our execution overall was pretty good,” 49ers coach Bobby Lutz said. “We have some room to improve but with the fast pace of the game and to have only nine turnovers – that’s pretty good.”
The 49ers will return to action Sunday with a game at 7 p.m. at York University in Ontario, Canada.

Rally planned to show support for football

Charlotte 49ers students and organizers of the Charlotte Football Initiative are planning a show of support for the addition of a football program.

The rally, dubbed "March to the Endzone," will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Belk Tower on campus where students and alumni are encouraged to gather. The rally is set to conclude with the delivery of a mock goalpost to Bissell House, the residence of Chancellor Dr. Philip Dubois.

On Sept. 18, Dubois is set to present his research and recommendation to the school's board of trustees on whether it should add a Division I football program in the future.

Charlotte's pep-band, the Golddusters dance team and cheerleaders are all expected to participate, organizers say.

49ers-Wildcats game in doubt - again?

The back-and-forth, on-and-off drama surrounding this season's men's basketball game between the Davidson Wildcats and Charlotte 49ers took another bizarre turn on Thursday, once again throwing the 29-year history of the rivalry between the two Mecklenburg County Division I schools in doubt.

Chattanooga, one of Davidson's fellow members in the Southern Conference, released its 2008-09 schedule on Thursday, which includes a Dec. 13 matchup with the Wildcats at Davidson's Belk Arena.

However, that's the date Davidson and Charlotte officials agreed to play when the future of the game was first put in doubt earlier this month.

At that time, Davidson athletics director Jim Murphy said the Wildcats would need to reschedule their game with Chattanooga, but also said that would not be problem. Charlotte rescheduled its game with Winthrop, originally planned for Dec. 13, and moved it to Jan. 31.

Murphy did not return calls or e-mails for comment on Thursday.

The new twist left Charlotte athletics director Judy Rose frustrated.

“We did everything Davidson asked us to do to make the Dec. 13 game work because they assured us it would work,” she said. “We would never have asked Winthrop to change a previously contracted date unless we were certain this game was going to happen.

“Now we're told that Dec. 13 won't work. It seems to me nothing we did was good enough for Davidson to get this game done.”

Jim Horten, a team spokesman for Chattanooga, said the Mocs offered Davidson “three or four” new game dates, but none worked for the Wildcats. Horten said the team then proceeded with its schedule as is.

Horten also said Dec. 13 was not the original date of Chattanooga's visit to Davidson. The Wildcats asked for a date change earlier this year to accommodate another game, but Horten did not know which game it was.

Horten said Chattanooga was in no additional discussions with Davidson regarding their game. Charlotte has released its 2008-09 schedule, which includes the Dec. 13 game at Davidson.

Davidson has not released its schedule.

49ers' golf team ranked 13th in preseason poll

The Charlotte 49ers' men's golf team is ranked 13th in the country in the preseason Golf World/Nike Golf Division I coaches' poll, which will appear in the Aug. 29 issue of Golf World Magazine.

In addition, two Charlotte players - Corey Nagy and Stefan Wiedergruen - were named to the magazine's Top 50 "Players to Watch" for the 2008-09 season.

The 49ers finished tied for eighth at the 2008 NCAA Championship, their second consecutive top-10 finish. Charlotte has won three consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference championships and made four consecutive NCAA appearances.

"I think anytime the coaches take a look at how you've done the previous year and tip their cap, so to speak, as a top 25 golf program, our players and coaches should be proud of that," said Charlotte coach Jamie Green.

"Our goal is to play our best every time out and to improve at every turn so that ultimately we want to be playing our best at the end of the year. That's the ranking that counts most."

GOLF WORLD/NIKE GOLF COACHES' POLL

Men's Division I - Preseason

RANK, TEAM, FIRST PLACE VOTES
1. UCLA (11)
2. Oklahoma St. (4)
3. Georgia (6)
4. Southern Cal. (5)
5. Stanford
6. Clemson
7. Florida
8. Alabama
9. Texas A&M
10. Georgia Tech
11. Florida St.
12. Arizona St.
13. Charlotte
14. Duke
15. Tennessee
16. Auburn
17. Kent St.
18. East Tennessee St.
19. South Carolina
20. Wake Forest
(T) Indiana
22. UNLV
23. San Diego St.
24. Texas
25. North Carolina

Top 100 baskeball prospect to visit 49ers

Chris Braswell, one of the nation's top high school power forwards, is planning a visit with the Charlotte 49ers on Oct. 23 - the day of the school's annual "Basketball Madness" event to kick off the 2008-09 season.

Braswell, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward who attends Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., is ranked the 78th best player in the country among high school seniors and the 22nd-best power forward by recruiting Web site Rivals.com. He has also been named an ESPN 100 college prospect.

Last season, Braswell made a commitment to Georgetown, but after deciding to spend another season in prep school the Baltimore native re-opened his recruiting in June.

Braswell also has considered Virginia Tech, Xavier, Virginia, Indiana and Oklahoma.

Last season, Braswell helped Hargrave to a 29-0 season and national championship. He had 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in Hargave's win against Findlay College Prep (Nev.) in the National Prep Invitational championship game at Fordham.

W. Rowan's Sherrill visits Charlotte 49ers

K.J. Sherrill, ranked among the top high school seniors in North Carolina, made an unofficial visit to the Charlotte 49ers on Monday and said he was "very, very close" to making a decision on where he will play in college.

Sherrill, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward, who plays at West Rowan High, said the 49ers are at the top of his list. He is also being recruited by Georgia and Auburn.

"I like the coaches. I really like the players and I think I would fit in real well here," said Sherrill, who was named N.C. 3A first-team all-state last season by the Associated Press. "It's not too far from home but then again I would still be away from home.

"I like the way they play here. This team is very unselfish and that's what I like."

Sherrill was named second-team All-Observer as a junior and first-team all-Piedmont while averaging more than 19 points a game. He was recently named by basketball recruiting analyst David Telep as a "breakout player."

Sherrill is a cousin of Scooter Sherrill, a former star at West Rowan who played college basketball at N.C. State.