LEXINGTON—Virginia Military Institute is defending itself against a lengthy investigation into accusations that the school’s policies are sexist and hostile toward female cadets, a dozen years after women won the right to enroll. The federal Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has an ongoing investigation of a sex-discrimination complaint at the small, state-supported school that so far has taken nearly a year and a half—three times longer than usual.

LEXINGTON—Virginia Military Institute is defending itself against a lengthy investigation into accusations that the school’s policies are sexist and hostile toward female cadets, a dozen years after women won the right to enroll. The federal Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has an ongoing investigation of a sex-discrimination complaint at the small, state-supported school that so far has taken nearly a year and a half—three times longer than usual.

Virginia Military Institute plans to review its training procedures following the death of a freshman who collapsed after completing a 10-mile march.

A Virginia Military Institute freshman cadet collapsed after a training exercise and was pronounced dead yesterday shortly after noon at Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital. John Alexander Evans, 19, of Highland, Md., collapsed in his room after completing a 10-mile road march with other members of the class. Evans was an International Studies major and a member of the Marine ROTC program.

At the Virginia Military Institute, where three to six cadets share rooms “so small they put their bunks up during the day so they can get around,“ officials had expected roommates also would share the swine-flu virus. “But that’s not happening,“ said VMI spokesman Stewart MacInnis. “We’re really not sure of the pattern” of how the virus is spreading among cadets on the Lexington campus, he said.

James Madison junior quarterback Drew Dudzik had a pin inserted in his fractured left foot on Monday, JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. Dudzik will be out at least six weeks, which probably means for the season. Dudzik suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Dukes’ 21-17 loss to Richmond on Saturday. Redshirt freshman Justin Thorpe (Varina High), recently named the starter after splitting time with Dudzik, now will get most of the playing time when the 16th-ranked Dukes (0-2 CAA, 2-3) play host to No.6 Villanova (2-1, 5-1) on Saturday.

William and Mary traditionally has been known for its offensive prowess. While that hasn’t changed, the Tribe’s defense is earning a solid reputation this season. William and Mary (3-0), ranked fifth by The Sports Network, goes into its Colonial Athletic Association opener against visiting Delaware (2-1) Saturday allowing just 14.3 points per game. That ranks 19th in the Football Championship Subdivision.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Dorian Jackson hauled in a 32-yard touchdown catch from Thomas DeMarco with 45 seconds remaining to lift Old Dominion to a win over Jacksonville (1-2). Old Dominion (3-0) overcame a 27-14 fourth-quarter deficit. DeMarco rushed for a 47-yard TD early in the fourth to cut the lead to 27-21. He rushed for 136 yards and completed 16 of 38 passes for 175 yards.

The football teams at VMI and James Madison may be on the march offensively today when the Keydets play the Dukes, ranked seventh in FCS, at 6 p.m. in Harrisonburg. Some students from both schools definitely will be on the march on the way to the game at Bridgeforth Stadium. Cadets from VMI and members of JMU’s ROTC were scheduled to march the game ball from Lexington to Harrisonburg in a tribute to the men and women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces around the world. The cadets will present the game ball to the officials before the game, according to VMI’s sports information department.

Josh Wine has come to terms with the knowledge that he may never quite fulfill his potential as an athlete. That was the fate he accepted when he decided to play two demanding sports, football and wrestling.

Basics: 6-0, 265-pound junior noseguard at VMI
  Football: Two-year starter; had 34 tackles last year; carried the ball twice for a pair of 2-yard touchdowns.
  Wrestling: Started 1-3 last year but finished 14-8 with 5 pins; won Southern Conference title for second straight year; lost first two matches in the NCAA tournament; named to the Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie first team after going 9-4 and winning an NCAA match as a freshman.

ROTC units from James Madison University and Virginia Military Institute will begin a 61-mile march today with the game ball for Saturday’s football game. The JMU Duke Battalion and VMI’s Marshall-New Market Battalion will march the ball from Lexington to Harrisonburg as a tribute to the sacrifice of those serving in the armed forces.

LEXINGTON - Tim Maypray scored on a 5-yard run with 1:27 left to lift Virginia Military Institute to a 14-13 win over Robert Morris yesterday. Howard Abegesah led the Keydets with 100 yards on 17 carries. Maypray added 79 yards on the ground on 14 attempts, and added two receptions for 12 yards. The Colonials took a 13-7 lead in the fourth period.third quarter after Desmond Brentley connected with Sherrod Evers on a 14-yard third-period touchdown and flipped a 1-yard scoring pass to Jeff Link in the fourth. VMI blocked the Colonials’ fourth-period conversion kick.

LEXINGTON—Tim Maypray scored on a 5-yard run with 1:27 left to lift Virginia Military Institute to a 14-13 win over Robert Morris yesterday. Howard Abegesah led the Keydets with 100 yards on 17 carries. Maypray added 79 yards on the ground on 14 attempts, and added two receptions for 12 yards. The Colonials took a 13-7 lead in the third quarter after Desmond Brentley connected with Sherrod Evers on a 14-yard touchdown and a 1-yard scoring pass to Jeff Link. Brentley completed 17 of 26 passes for 151 yards and was sacked three times. Myles Russ rushed 23 times for 145 yards.

While doing film study of William and Mary this week, Virginia’s Aaron Clark couldn’t help but chuckle. “We’re watching the film, and I’m seeing Jake Phillips out there slinging passes, so that was interesting,“ Clark said. Phillips was the Tribe’s quarterback last year, but his brother, John, was a standout tight end for the Cavs. As John’s roommate, Clark was right in the middle of it.