3 Charlotte 49ers teams get APR honors

The Charlotte 49ers' men's tennis, women's tennis and men's cross country teams have won NCAA Public Recognition Awards for ranking among the top 10 percent nationally in their sports in the last multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR).

This is the fourth consecutive year the women's tennis team has been honored, and the second straight year for the men's cross country team. It's the first time since 2004-05 for the men's tennis team.

The 49ers have had at least one team honored in each of the program's seven years.


“At the start of every semester I remind my student-athletes that they all start with a 4.0, but it is up to them to keep it,” said Charlotte cross country coach Ed Schlichter in a statement. “I try to make sure each and every one of my guys get the attention they deserve.  I ask them to take advantage of tutors and when big tests are approaching to let me know if they need me to switch practice times. Another huge part of our success in the class room is our outstanding Athletic Academic Center that gets our student athletes off to a great start by meeting with them and checking up on them weekly their first semester and throughout their academic career.”

--Former Florida International assistant Joanne Aluka-White has joined coach Cara Consuegra's staff on the women's basketball team. Aluka-White replaces Angela Crosby, who left for Florida, where she will be on former 49ers coach Amanda Butler's staff.

-- The 49ers' women's soccer schedule is out. Charlotte opens the season Aug. 18 at College of Charleston and opens at home Aug. 24 against Western Carolina. Home nonconference highlights are Wake Forest (Aug. 26), Clemson (Sept. 9) and Davidson (Sept. 13). The Atlantic 10 schedule starts Sept. 28 at Transamerica Field against Virginia Commonwealth, with the 49ers also playing five consecutive league games on the road at one point. The league tournament is Nov. 1-4 at Rhode Island.

Women's soccer schedule

Aug. 11, UNC Asheville (exhibition); 18, at College of Charleston; 24, Western Carolina; 26, Wake Forest; 31, at UNC Wilmington.

Sept. 2, at East Carolina; 7, North Florida; 9, Clemson; 13, Davidson; 16, at James Madison; 25, Francis Marion; 28, Virginia Commonwealth; 30, Richmond.

Oct. 6, at George Washington; 12, at Fordham; 14, at La Salle; 19, at Massachusetts; 21, at Rhode Island;, 26, Saint Louis, 28, Butler.

Nov. 1-4, Atlantic 10 tournament, Kingston, R.I. 

Lots of Charlotte 49ers schedule news

-- Hearing that the men's basketball season opener will be a home game on Friday, Nov. 9 against Charleston Southern. The 49ers' nonconference schedule will be loaded down with home games: The next game will be at home Nov. 13 against Georgia Southern, followed by another at Halton Arena against Lamar on Nov. 17.
The 49ers then head out for the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov 23-25, before returning for a home game against East Carolina on Dec. 1.

The rest of the nonconference schedule (unofficial): Dec. 5, at Davidson; 8, Central Michigan; 14, at Miami or Kennesaw State; 16, at Kennesaw State or Miami; 19, Radford; 22, Florida State (TWC Arena). Jan. 2, UNC Asheville.

The Atlantic 10 schedule begins Jan. 9.

-- The men's soccer schedule was released Thursday. Charlotte, last season's College Cup runner-up, opens against Denver on Aug. 25 at Transamerica Field. The 49ers will face three future Conference USA rivals -- Alabama-Birmingham (Aug. 31 at home); at Kentucky (Sept. 9) and South Carolina (Sept. 12 at home). Kentucky and South Carolina are associate C-USA members in soccer.

Charlotte opens Atlantic 10 play Oct. 5 at Virginia Commonwealth and will host the conference tournament Nov. 8-11).

The complete schedule:

Aug. 18, Gardner-Webb (exh.); 25, Denver; 27, Coastal Carolina; 31, Ala.-Birmingham.

Sept. 7, Stony Brook (at Kentucky Invitational); 9, at Kentucky (Kentucky Invitational); 12, South Carolina; 15, at UNC Greensboro; 22, at Elon; 26, at Central Florida.

Oct. 5 at Virginia Commonwealth; 7, at Richmond; 12, Fordham; 14, La Salle; 19, Massachusetts, 21, Rhode Island; 26, at Saint Louis; 28, at Butler.

Nov. 3, George Washington; 8-11, Atlantic 10 tournament (at Transamerica Field).
 
-- The 49ers' football move to Conference USA in 2015 has meant some schedule juggling will be necessary. The 49ers must play at least five home games against FBS schools when they move up -- and four of them will be C-USA opposition in a 12-game schedule. Charlotte has four other games scheduled now in 2015: home against FCS teams Georgia Southern and Presbyterian and away against FCS Furman and Georgia State (which will be FBS in 2015).

So it appears that Charlotte will need to drop one of those nonconference games (it won't be Georgia State) and add a home game against an FBS team. Charlotte has been fishing around the MAC, Sun Belt and has also approached Temple about playing.


-- Men's director of basketball operations Rob Perron is headed for Newberry, where he will be an assistant under an old friend, Dave Davis. Perron was an associate head coach under Davis at Pfeiffer in 2005-06. Perron was head coach at St. Andrews from 2003-05. Perron has been at Charlotte since 2006.

-- The 49ers' football team has signed with Nike, which will provide uniforms, shoes and equipment. Charlotte was also considering Under Armour. The team's helmet design will be unveiled sometime within the next few weeks.

Charlotte 49ers news, notes

Charlotte 49ers news and notes:

-- The men’s basketball game against Florida State at Time Warner Cable Arena will likely be played Dec. 22. There are still a few other non-conference scheduling issues to be worked out:

Because of scheduling conflicts, Charlotte won’t host Oregon State until the 2013-14 season (a return game from 2010-11).

The 49ers will make a pre-Christmas trip to Miami and Kennesaw State, but those dates are still being finalized (will probably be in the Dec. 14-16 range).

The 49ers still don’t have their season opener set. They want that to be a home game.

So, here’s what we know about the non-conference opponents (the Atlantic 10 schedule begins Jan. 9): Texas State in the Great Alaska Shootout opener, Nov. 22-24 (the field also includes Oral Roberts, Tulane, UC Riverside, Alaska-Anchorage, Belmont, Loyola Marymount). Charlotte and Texas State are in the same bracket as Oral Roberts and Loyola Marymount.

Home games against Florida State (Time Warner Cable Arena), Dec. 22, East Carolina, Central Michigan, Lamar and Radford. Away games versus Davidson, Kennesaw State and Miami. There is no return game for last season’s game with East Tennessee State.

Also, Charlotte will play three exhibitions in the Bahamas in August (the team’s freshmen will be allowed to play) ...49ers senior center Chris Braswell will participate in a big man’s camp in Chicago later this month sponsored by Nike. The camp is run by the New York Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire ... Although most of the 49ers are in summer school’s first session, they will all be enrolled in the  second session. They’re also taking advantage of a new NCAA rule that allows coaches to work with players for two hours per week over the summer.
 

-- Here are the women’s basketball conference matchups. It’s a 14-game conference season, with each team having single-game matchups with seven home games and seven away games, while not facing one opponent (Dayton, in Charlotte’s case):

Home: Butler, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, Temple, Virginia Commonwealth and Xavier. Away: La Salle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph’s and Saint Louis.

-- Men’s soccer defender Aaron Weldon will be back with the team when the 49ers began practice in August. Weldon, who tore ligaments in his right knee in the College Cup semifinals against Creighton in December, has just been cleared to run.

-- Charlotte senior catcher Miguel Rodriguez was taken in the 36th round of Wednesday’s Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox. Rodriguez, the first 49ers' player drafted since 2010, was the 1,111^th player chosen.

Incoming freshman Matt Creech, a shortstop from Colquitt County (Ga.) High, was taken in the 35^th round by the Atlanta Braves.

Charlotte 49ers pair with Temple for '12-13 men's basketball season

The 49ers’ final men’s basketball season in the Atlantic 10 will feature home-and-home games with Temple and a visit from league newcomer Virginia Commonwealth.

The league released its conference matchups for each school Tuesday. Charlotte, which leaves the league after the 2012-13 season along with Temple, will play single games in the 16-game conference schedule against every other team in the league except for the Owls.

Charlotte’s home games: Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, Massachusetts, Saint Joseph’s, Temple, Xavier, Temple.

Away games: Butler, Duquesne, George Washington, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, Temple.

Here's a look at the nonconference opponents as of now (although the schedule isn't officially set): Texas State in the Great Alaska Shootout opener (the field also includes Oral Roberts, Tulane, UC Riverside, Alaska-Anchorage, Belmont, Loyola Marymount). Home against Florida State (Time Warner Cable Arena), East Carolina, Oregon State, Central Michigan, Lamar and Radford. At Davidson, Miami.

The East Carolina game becomes a conference game in 2013-14, when Charlotte joins the Pirates in Conference USA. The Oregon State game is a return on a game played in Corvallis, Ore., in November of 2010, won 83-70 by the Beavers. Coach Alan Major wants to regularly schedule teams like Florida State in the Bobcats' arena. That worked out well in 2010-11, when Charlotte upset Tennessee there.
 

 

Thompson gets red-shirt, will play for Charlotte 49ers

Virginia Tech-transfer J.T. Thompson has been granted a special injury waiver from the NCAA and will play basketball for the Charlotte 49ers next season.

Thompson, a 6-foot-6 forward who is from Monroe, has graduated from Virginia Tech and will wrap up what has thus far been a injury-plagued career with the 49ers. After playing three seasons for Hokies, during which he averaged 6.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, he missed the 2010-11 and '11-12 seasons with injuries to both knees.

Last season was his fifth at Virginia Tech, so he had to apply for a special injury waiver from the NCAA to play one more season at Charlotte.

"We are excited to have J.T. join our team," said Charlotte coach Alan Major in a statement.  "He has experience, leadership skills and toughness and has competed at a high level." 

Thompson began his high school career at Marshville Forest Hills, then finished it at Hope Christian Academy in Kings Mountain.

He played in 92 games and started 17 in his three-year career at Virginia Tech. He tore the ACL in his left knee before the 2010-11 season and missed the entire year. He then tore his right ACL before the 2011-12 season and didn't play. Thompson also missed the first 10 games of his sophomore season after surgery for an inguinal hernia.


Thompson is in summer school at Charlotte and is working to complete requirements for grad school.

The addition of Thompson rounds out Charlotte's roster for the 2012-13 season. The 49ers have also added freshman forwards Darion Clark and Willie Clayton and guards Shawn Lester, Denzel Ingram and Ivan Benkovic.

Three starters return for the 49ers, who went 13-17 last season -- center Chris Braswell, forward DeMario Mayfield and point guard Pierria Henry. Two other rotation players, wings Terrence Williams and E. Victor Nickerson, are also back.

Wrapping up the Charlotte 49ers' 2011-12 sports year

With the exception of track and field, which is competing in NCAA regionals this weekend, the 2011-12 athletic year has concluded for the Charlotte 49ers. Here's a wrap-up:

Story of the year: The 49ers were invited to join Conference USA after a 10-year absence -- and this time as full, football-playing members. The decision fast-tracks Charlotte into college football's big time. The 49ers don't start playing football until 2013, but will be playing on the FBS level in 2015. Hang on to your hats.

Team of the year: Hmm. Let's see. Guess we'll go with men's soccer. Who else could it be?

The unseeded 49ers went on a memorable postseason run, finally losing in the College Cup championship game 1-0 to North Carolina before a strongly pro-Charlotte crowd in Hoover, Ala. It was the first time a 49ers team had played for a national title and they came oh-so close to tying the game late when a flurry of shots on the Tar Heels goal just missed. Whether Donnie Smith was fouled -- or from my standpoint, whether it occurred inside or outside the penalty box -- will be debated by college soccer fans for years. The 49ers lost their coach, though, when Jeremy Gunn resigned a few weeks later to go to Stanford. Seniors Charles Rodriguez, Isaac Cowles and Evan James were all either drafted or got tryouts with MLS teams. James stuck with the Montreal Impact; Cowles is playing for the USL's Charlotte Eagles.


Male athlete of the year: Soccer's Rodriguez capped a sterling four-year career by leading the 49ers to the College Cup finals, earning first-team All-American honors along the way. Rodriguez's clinching penalty kick against UConn that sent Charlotte to the College Cup was one of the season's signature moments.

Female athlete of the year: This is a tough one, so I'll take the easy way out and make it a tie between basketball's Jen Hailey and softball's Briana Gwaltney. Hailey led the Atlantic 10 in rebounding and blocked shots; Gwaltney, just a junior, has already set the school career record for home runs and led the league in homers and total bases.

Male rookie of the year: OK, so I can't make a decision. Men's basketball Pierria Henry started at point guard all season and was among the nation's leaders in steals. He brought a toughness to Charlotte that had been sorely lacking. Soccer's Giussi Gentile was named Soccer America magazine's freshman of the year. Golf's Raoul Menard was medalist at the Atlantic 10 tournament. That's a strong rookie class.

Female rookie of the year: T'Sheila Mungo was the A-10's indoor rookie of the year and is at the outdoor regionals this weekend in the the 400; 4x400 and as a 4x100 alternate.

Male coach of they year: Soccer's Gunn. Successor Kevin Langan has big shoes to fill.

Female coach of the year: Track and field's Bob Olesen has built a program (men's, as well) that has dominated the Atlantic 10. Conference USA will be another kind of challenge, however.

Team-by-team roundup

Cross-country: The women's team finished third in the A-10 meet, led by senior Amanda Goetschius, who was third individually. The men were ninth.

Women's soccer: A down year by 49ers standards. Charlotte was 7-10-4 and lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament to Dayton. Striker Amanda Jones had a strong freshman season.

Men's soccer: See above.

Volleyball: Charlotte finished 13-14, with junior Bianca Rouse making second-team all-conference.

Men's basketball: The 49ers finished 13-17, 5-11 in the league and lost in the first round of the conference tournament to Saint Joseph's. Three starters -- Henry, center Chris Braswell and forward DeMario Mayfield -- return, with some freshmen who could make an immediate impact.

Women's basketball: The 49ers (16-14) made the WNIT -- again. Hailey and Amanda Dowe formed one of the league's top front courts and Hillary Sigmon made the all-freshman team.

Baseball: A down season (21-32) for the 49ers, who didn't even qualify for the conference tournament. Shane Brown won the conference batting title (.365), though.

Softball: Led by Gwaltney, the 49ers finished 29-26 and made it to the league tournament. Alex Rogers and Lexi Betancourt made the league's all-rookie team.

Tennis: Both the men's and women's teams had strong regular seasons and played at the new Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex. The men won the Atlantic 10 regular season, but lost in the tournament semifinals. Freshman Alex Calott (Ardrey Kell High) won 18 singles matches and four 49ers -- Calott, Kamil Khalil, Jack Williams and Paul Cisti -- made the six-player all-conference team. Freshman Natsuko Takayanagi was 22-6 for the women, who also lost in the league tournament semis. 

Golf: The 49ers' six-year dominance of the Atlantic 10 ended when they finished second to George Washington in a rain-shortend league tournament, in which Menard was medalist. The 49ers did qualify once again for the NCAA regionals, however.

Track and field: Charlotte swept the women's indoor and outdoor conference championships this season, while the men won the outdoor and were runners-up indoor. The list of standouts is long, but women's is led by Mungo and sprinter Joann Blakney and, on the men's side, Cordell Livingston, the school-record holder in the 400 hurdles.

Keep checking in on the Gold Mine over the summer, I'll be updating as news and events warrant. Otherwise, see you in the fall when, believe it or not, there will football practice on which to report.

Is Virginia Tech transfer headed to Charlotte 49ers?

Are the Charlotte 49ers on the verge of bringing in Virginia Tech-transfer J.T. Thompson?

If they are, Thompson will need to be granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA to play for the 49ers.

A source close to Thompson -- a 6-foot-6 forward -- says he is enrolled at summer school at UNCC. 49ers officials can't comment on prospective players until they have signed with the school.

Thompson, who is from Monroe, has graduated from Virginia Tech and would wrap up an injury-plagued career with the 49ers. After playing three seasons for Hokies, during which he averaged 6.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, he missed the 2010-11 and '11-12 seasons with injuries to both knees.

Last season was his fifth at Virginia Tech, so he would need a special injury waiver from the NCAA to play one more season at Charlotte.
 
Thompson was granted a release from Virginia Tech in March and said at the time he wanted to play at a school in North Carolina so he could be nearer his daughter. Thompson began his high school career at Marshville Forest Hills and finished at Hope Christian Academy in Kings Mountain.

He played in 92 games and started 17 in his three-year career at Virginia Tech. He tore the ACL in his left knee before the 2010-11 season and missed the entire year. He then tore his right ACL before the 2011-12 season and didn't play. Thompson also missed the first 10 games of his sophomore season after surgery for an inguinal hernia.

The addition of Thompson would round out Charlotte's roster for the 2012-13 season. The 49ers have also added freshman forwards Darion Clark and Willie Clayton and guards Shawn Lester, Denzel Ingram and Ivan Benkovic.

Three starters return for the 49ers, who went 13-17 last season -- center Chris Braswell, forward DeMario Mayfield and point guard Pierria Henry. Two other rotation players, wings Terrence Williams and E. Victor Nickerson, are also back.
 
-- Charlotte's Shane Brown was named to the Atlantic 10 all-conference baseball first team and Shane Basen made the second team. Brown hit .365 and won the league's batting title. Outfielder Leland Clemmons made the league's all-rookie team, while Basen and DH Corbin Shive made the A-10 all-academic team.