AROUND CAMPUS

Over hill, over dale

Virginia Tech senior Billy Berlin, a graduate of Midlothian High School, captured all-Atlantic Coast Conference distinction with an 11th-place finish at last weekend's ACC cross country championship meet in Chapel Hill, N.C. The men's race attracted a field of 103.

Berlin completed the 8K event in 24:41.2. En route, he helped the Hokies secure a third-place team finish -- their best since joining the ACC in 2004.

Berlin earned all-state status in five events (800, 1,000, 1,600, 3,200 and 5,000 meters) while competing at Midlothian in 2004.

Goal-oriented

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference cited Christina Merchant, Washington and Lee's senior forward from Collegiate, as its field hockey player of the week following a robust offensive effort in W&L's 5-1 victory over Virginia Wesleyan in the quarterfinal round of the ODAC playoffs.

Merchant, a W&L captain, scored a pair of goals and assisted on a third. She finished her final season at Washington and Lee as the Generals' second-most prolific scorer of 2008: seven goals and four assists for 18 points. Two of her goals were game-winners.

Merchant helped Collegiate win state titles in 2003 and 2004.

A class act

University of Dayton soccer player Tommy Watkins, a sophomore defender from Mills Godwin, was named recently to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine academic all-District 4 first team. To qualify, an athlete must be a starter or a key reserve and carry a grade-point average of at least 3.30.

Watkins (3.69 GPA in pre-physical therapy) is a key member of a defense that allowed only 19 goals through the first 17 matches of the season. Dayton's defense has, at times, seemed all but impenetrable. At one point this season, the Flyers constructed a 370-minute scoreless streak.

Liquid assets

A solid performance at last weekend's aquatics meet at Washington College (Md.) carried Randolph-Macon junior Hallie Stewart to ODAC swimmer of the week status.

Stewart, a Trinity Episcopal/Poseidon alumna, won twice, once as an individual. In the process, she helped R-MC post a 2-1 record at the four-team meet. She began the competition by swimming the leadoff leg for the Yellow Jackets' victorious 200-yard medley relay team (1:53.46).

She then captured a taut 100 backstroke in 1:03.58. Stewart's harvest through two complete seasons at R-MC includes a pair of ODAC championships: the 100 back and 400 medley relay. She earned both titles in 2007.

Shining star

Claiborne Buckingham, Sewanee's senior field hockey midfielder from Collegiate, was named this week to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III all-star team. She will compete in the Division III Senior All-Star Game set for Nov. 23 at Ursinus College (Pa.).

Buckingham, an all-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference performer as a junior, has contributed five goals (two of which were game-winners) and five assists to Sewanee's 11-6 record. She is two assists shy of establishing an SCAC career record.

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