Several star Virginia athletes have played their last games in the orange and blue. Here’s a look at eight of the players fans will miss most.
Men’s basketball: Darion Atkins
Since 2011, Darion Atkins has been a defensive force for Virginia basketball. The 6-foot-8 forward led the Cavaliers in blocked shots with 19 as a freshman and continued to evolve from there. He blocked 28 as a sophomore and added 55 more in his final two years, finishing as the eighth most prolific shot blocker in program history.
These efforts were rewarded in his senior campaign, as Atkins was named the ACC Defensive Player of the year. What’s more, he was able to develop into an offensive threat, as he was good for nearly eight points per game as a senior. This ability to score was showcased Feb. 28 against Virginia Tech, when Atkins put up 16 points in a very memorable final game at John Paul Jones Arena.
Men’s lacrosse: Davi Sacco
A former walk-on, Davi Sacco emerged as the best defenseman for the Virginia men’s lacrosse team this spring. At just 5-foot-10, Sacco might lack the size of the prototypical Division I close-defender, but he has proven his skill week after week, consistently shutting down the opponent’s top attackman.
Sacco, who has started every game this season and leads the team with 22 caused turnovers, was elected as a captain by his teammates prior to the Syracuse game.
Men’s tennis: Mitchell Frank
The current captain of the men’s tennis team has been among the program’s highest achievers in recent memory. Frank has been named to the All-ACC team in all four of his years, and earned countless other accolades along the way. Of note, Frank was named the ACC Men’s Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year a year ago and has twice been named an ITA All-American.
He is currently ranked No. 21 in the nation and helped Virginia earn its ninth straight ACC Championship. In addition to leading Virginia in the NCAA Tournament, Frank was recently chosen to compete in the 2015 NCAA Individual Championships.
Football: Kevin Parks
Even as the Virginia football team experienced its fair share of struggles through recent seasons, running back Kevin Parks still cemented his name among the Cavalier greats.
Parks, who measured in at just 5-foot-6 at Virginia’s pro-day, was a mainstay in the Cavalier backfield from 2011-2014. He finished his career fifth in program history with 3,219 career rushing yards and fourth with 29 rushing touchdowns.
Women’s basketball: Sarah Imovbioh
While former Virginia center Sarah Imovbioh isn’t done playing college basketball, she will graduate this month and play out her final season of NCAA eligibility at national-title contender South Carolina.
Her presence in the paint will certainly be missed: Imovbioh grabbed an ACC-best 10.8 rebounds per game for the Cavaliers this season while trailing only junior guard Faith Randolph in scoring. Imovbioh leaves Charlottesville with 793 career rebounds.
Women’s soccer: Morgan Brian
After four seasons of stardom, midfielder Morgan Brian’s collegiate career is over. Brian—a three-time NSCAA First-Team All-American and four-time All-ACC first-teamer—scored 41 goals and dished 43 assists as a Cavalier.
Brian joined select company after winning the MAC Hermann Trophy her junior and senior seasons, becoming just the fourth woman to garner national player of the year honors in consecutive campaigns. The Houston Dash made Brian the top pick of the National Women’s Soccer League Draft in January.
Wrestling: Nick Sulzer
Nick Sulzer left a lasting imprint on Virginia wrestling. The Cleveland, Ohio native’s name is found throughout the program’s record book.
Sulzer’s 122 career victories are the second most for a Cavalier wrestler. Additionally, he is only the second three-time All-American in program history.
He recorded a staggering 75 bonus-point victories.
Baseball: Kenny Towns
Kenny Towns became a regular in coach Brian O’Connor’s starting lineup as a sophomore, and Towns has yet to disappoint.
Towns shook off a cold start to the 2014 season, and came through in the clutch throughout the postseason — he was a member of the Charlottesville Regional All-Tournament team and hit .340 with 10 RBI in the College World Series.
The Burke, Virginia native has carried that performance with him into the 2015 season. Towns is currently third on the team with a .294 average and leads all players with 46 runs batted in.
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