SkipSational smiles, again

The SkipSations jump rope team of Chapel Hill finished second overall at the recent U.S. Trials held in Mason, Ohio, and have qualified for the World Rope Skipping Championships in South Africa this July. This will be the fourth consecutive World Championship event for members of the SkipSations, who previously qualified for Belgium 2002, Australia 2004 and Canada 2006.

Competition this year for the SkipSations was a bit of a family affair, with sisters Makenna and Suzanne Cash and the brother-sister duo of John and Anna Schimmelfing comprising the competition squad with Will Futch. Suzanne Cash, John Schimmelfing and Futch will also compete in Masters events at the international tournament.

The SkipSations will be busy this summer, with the U.S. Jump Rope National Championships in Orlando, the World Championships in South Africa and the AAU Junior Olympics in Detroit, all in a five-week period. The team also will be hosting three summer camps for the Chapel Hill community youth.

The SkipSations will serve as hosts for the AAU Qualifier which will be held March 8 at Fetzer Gym in Chapel Hill. Nearly 200 jumpers from North Carolina and Virginia are expected at the qualifier for the AAU Junior Olympic Games; 36 SkipSations, ages 7-22, will be among the competitors. The public is welcome to attend the event, there is no admission fee for tournament spectators. For more information, see www.skipsations.org.

PREPS

Tigers roll in opener

The Chapel Hill girls soccer team got off to a winning start Monday with a 5-1 defeat of Eastern Alamance. Sarah Borhaus scored a brace for the Tigers, and Francis Staelin, Molly Spencer and Rebecca Malivia each added one goal.

CHHS came out firing, and was rewarded with three first-half goals that put the game out of reach by halftime. The Tigers let one second-half shot get by keeper Megan McCluskey, fresh from the recently completed basketball season, but were the superior side all day as they out-shot the Eagles 10-2.

The creative work of Chelsey Stark, Carley Mayes and Lindsay Savelli led to goals, with each picking up an assist. Coach Ron Benson will hope his squad can continue to attack the net in the team’s match at Cedar Ridge today at 5:30. CHHS will then host Durham Academy at 6 p.m. Friday.

East Chapel Hill opened its season Tuesday against Southern Durham, and plays at Wake Forest-Rolesville at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

COLLEGES

Two Carolina legends honored

Soccer star Heather O’Reilly and field hockey phenom Rachel Dawson were deservedly awarded the University of North Carolina’s highest athletic honor as each had her jersey retired.

At a ceremony at halftime of the UNC-Wake Forest men’s basketball game Sunday, the 2007 unbeaten, national-champion Tar Heel field hockey squad was recognized before a special presentation was held for Dawson. The skipper for Karen Shelton’s fifth national championship team, Dawson had an immensely successful career at UNC that included two ACC Defensive Player of the Year awards, two All-America selections, ACC Tournament MVP and National Player of the Year. She is also a member of the U.S. National Team and has managed to maintain a 3.6 GPA in UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

O’Reilly, who was also honored at Sunday’s basketball game, won 2006 National Player of the Year honors as she captained Anson Dorrance’s squad to an 18th national title. O’Reilly was a three-time consensus first-team All-America and All-ACC selection. She was the Most Valuable Offensive Player at the 2003 and 2006 College Cups, was named the 2006 College Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and was ESPN’s Academic All-America of the Year. She has also featured in recent years in the United States’ National Team attack, including at last year’s Women’s World Cup.

The two athletes’ selections as the nation’s best mean that no hockey player will again wear Dawson’s No. 9, and no one will get to wear O’Reilly’s No. 20 shirt for the women’s soccer team, which is fast running out of available numbers due to the program’s unparalleled dominance.

UNC women clinch ACC title

The No. 2-ranked North Carolina women’s basketball team clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season title Monday night, beating N.C. State 85-79 and improving its conference record to 13-0.

The Tar Heels’ final game is Sunday at home against No. 12 Duke. A loss would mean UNC would share the regular-season honors with No. 5 Maryland, but Carolina has already locked up the No. 1 seed for the ACC tournament by beating the Terrapins earlier this season.

“I don’t know about that sharing part. I think we’re going to close it out,” said Erlana Larkins, who scored 18 points in Monday’s win. Jessica Breland and Rashanda McCants each added 16 for the Tar Heels, who improved their overall record to 26-2 and won their ninth straight.

Shayla Fields scored a career-high 26 points for the Wolfpack (17-10, 5-7).

North Carolina was a horrid 20-of-41 from the foul line and was outrebounded 46-38 — just the third time this season that has happened.

Heroic Heels sweep FAU

North Carolina showed the poise that took it to the championship series of college baseball the past two seasons, rallying from three runs down in the ninth inning Sunday to beat Florida Atlantic 8-7 and sweep the teams’ season-opening series.

Sophomore right fielder Tim Fedroff lifted No. 2 UNC to the comeback win with a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the ninth at FAU Stadium.

Catcher Tim Federowicz had started the rally with a leadoff solo homer, and Ryan Graepel and Mark Fleury followed with back-to-back base hits to pull UNC within a run and set the stage for Fedroff. The Flagtown, N.J., native sent the first pitch he saw from FAU closer Michael Obradovich (0-1) off the scoreboard in right field for an 8-7 UNC lead.

Freshman right-hander Nate Striz worked the ninth to record his first career save and lock up Carolina’s sixth straight season-opening sweep. Classmate Ryan Leach (1-0) struck out three over 1 2/3 shutout innings to claim his first victory.

Sophomore left fielder Dustin Ackley went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer, and Federowicz and Graepel also added two hits apiece for Carolina. Ackley had 10 hits, including three home runs, in the series and was named co-ACC Player of the Week.

The Tar Heels were set to open their “home” slate Tuesday against No. 25 Old Dominion at Cary’s USA Baseball National Training Complex. UNC now heads to South Carolina for the four-day Winthrop Tournament, which starts Thursday.

BRIEFLY …

Charlotte native Everett Withers has been picked to become the new defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for Butch Davis’ UNC football team. Withers comes to North Carolina after serving one season as the University of Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, six seasons with the Tennessee Titans and three years under Mack Brown at Texas. … North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough was named ACC Player of the Week for a record-tying seventh time this season, after leading the Tar Heels to conference wins over in-state rivals N.C. State and Wake Forest. … Whitney Sprague won her second straight championship in the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle relay team established a school record as the North Carolina women’s swimming and diving team finished second at the ACC Championships Saturday at Georgia Tech. The men’s championships are taking place throughout this week.