49ers sweep A-10 scholar-athlete awards -- again

For a second consecutive year, the Charlotte 49ers have swept the Atlantic 10's top scholar-athlete awards.

Sprinter Darius Law, who had a perfect 4.0 GPA in his four years at Charlotte, and women's soccer player Megan Minnix were named the A-10's Male and Female Scholar-Athletes Of The Year earlier today.

Golfer Corey Nagy and soccer player Hailey Beam won the awards in 2010. It's the first time in league history that a school has swept the awards two years in a row.

In Charlotte's six years in the Atlantic 10, the 49ers have won seven of the conference's 12 scholar-athlete awards. The league's other 13 schools have combined to win the other five (Saint Louis 2, Massachusetts 1, St. Bonaventure one, Xavier one). In fact, Charlotte's women's soccer team has produced three winners, more than any other school's combined total.

 

Mid-summer 49ers update

The 49ers are still several weeks away from releasing their 2011-12 men’s basketball schedule, but here’s what we know about it so far:

-- Coach Alan Major has said Miami is coming to Halton Arena on Dec. 22, and that Charlotte will also play at Memphis on New Year’s Eve. Those are two excellent nonconference additions.

-- But the 49ers’ return game from last season against Oregon State at Halton has been put off for a year, which puts a dent in the nonleague home schedule.

-- Charlotte has picked up home games against Coppin State (Dec. 19) and East Tennessee (Nov. 22) and will likely play at Lamar (although that’s not been finalized).

-- The 49ers will open the season at home on Nov. 11 (a Friday), but the opponent hasn’t been finalized (hearing that it will probably be an upper-tier Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team).

-- Charlotte plays Davidson at Halton on Dec. 10 and also travels to Radford and East Carolina on Dec. 3. A return game from last season at Wright State hasn’t been set yet, and might not happen.

-- The 49ers are talking to two other ACC schools, but nothing’s been firmed up yet. Charlotte had an offer from another ACC school on Dec. 3 (it would have been on the road), but couldn’t get the East Carolina game moved.

-- As of now, Charlotte isn’t in a holiday tournament, but there’s a chance at getting in a two-day, four-team event Thanksgiving weekend.

-- The Atlantic 10 schedule hasn’t been released yet. League play is expected to start Jan. 4 or Jan. 7.

Other notes

-- The 49ers’ four freshmen – guards Pierria Henry and Terrence Williams, forward E. Victor Nickerson and center Mike Thorne – and transfer Ilija Ivankovic (a center) are in summer school. In fact, every 49ers player (rookies and veterans) has been on campus for one or both sessions of summer school. The only players in summer leagues are forward Javarris Barnett (in Charlotte’s pro-am league at Grady Cole Center) and center Chris Braswell (in Baltimore, after spending the first summer-school session in Charlotte).

 -- Guard Luka Voncina, who missed last season because of eligibility issues, is recovering from a high ankle sprain and has returned to his home in Slovenia for the rest of the summer. He’s fine to play next season – NO eligibility problems remain.

-- Want to see how Charlotte’s football stadium is progressing? There’s a webcam.