Thirteen teams post multiyear scores at or above 970

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Thirteen intercollegiate teams at the University of Maryland posted multiyear Academic Progress Rates (APR) at or above 970 based on data released Tuesday by the NCAA.

Those programs in the report were led by the women’s golf team, which earned a perfect multiyear score of 1,000 and was recognized by the NCAA as among the top 10 percent of programs nationally.

In addition to women’s golf, teams scoring above 970 on the multiyear (4-year) rate were: field hockey (997), volleyball (990), men’s lacrosse (989), women’s soccer (985), women’s lacrosse (981), gymnastics (978), women’s outdoor track (975), women’s indoor track (974), women’s cross country (973), men’s golf (973), men’s outdoor track (972) and men’s soccer (972).

All sport programs reported in the 2011-12 data set earned multiyear scores of 930 or higher. As a result, no penalties were assessed by the NCAA.

Football continued to make strides since 2009-10 when the multiyear score was 922. Since then, football has reported multiyear scores of 931 and 937 in the latest data. Under Randy Edsall, the football team has had an increase of 15 APRpoints in two years. Men’s and women’s basketball had multiyear scores of 948 and 950, respectively.

“Academic performance is a core value of our athletics department and our student-athletes continue to represent this university with distinction,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. “Our entire department is dedicated to ensuring our student-athletes achieve their goal of graduating with a Maryland degree. We’re committed to helping our student-athletes build a foundation for a successful life after intercollegiate athletics.”

The newly released multiyear APR scores are comprised of data submitted for 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. The APR index was developed by the NCAA to provide a “real time” snapshot on a semester-by-semester basis in order to measure the eligibility and retention of student-athletes in all Division I institutions. The APR is part of a larger package of initiatives, the NCAA Academic Performance Program, which was mandated by the NCAA Board of Directors to improve the academic performance of athletic teams.

In calculating the APR, all student-athletes receiving athletics financial aid are considered “counters” and each semester receive one point for retention/graduation and one point for meeting NCAA and University of Maryland eligibility standards to compete. The maximum number of APR points a student-athlete can earn in an academic year is four (2 in the fall semester and 2 in the spring semester). A team’s APR is the total number of eligibility/retention points earned divided by the maximum number of points possible. This APR number is then multiplied by 1,000. (For example, a team which receives 94 percent of all possible points would have a team APR of 940.)

The database of APR data for all NCAA Division I teams is available at this link.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland senior lefthander Jimmy Reed was selected Friday in the sixth round (185th overall) of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Reed is the ninth Terp to be drafted over the last three years and is the highest-selected Terrapin since Brett Cecil was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round (38th overall pick) of the 2007 draft.

“I’m pretty ecstatic right now,” said Reed. “When my name was called, I screamed. It is really awesome to be picked in the sixth round by the Cardinals. The Cardinals are an amazing organization with a proven track record of developing pitchers. It’s honestly the best situation for me.”

In his first full season in the weekend rotation, Reed served as the Terps’ Friday night starter. The Gaithersburg, Md., native posted a 6-4 record with a career-high 74 strikeouts. He finished the 2013 season with a 2.33 ERA, which ranks eighth in the ACC, en route to earning second team All-ACC honors and finished his career with 70 appearances, the ninth-highest total in program history.

Reed was at his best in the final month of the season. In three starts, Reed posted a 1.42 ERA and tossed at least eight innings in all three starts. He struck out a career-best 11 at then-No. 18 Clemson on May 6 and followed that performance up by tying the total in his final start on May 16 against Boston College.

In 2013, Reed is one of six ACC pitchers to throw two or more complete games and one of six pitchers to throw a complete-game shutout.

The lefthander tossed his first career complete game shutout in a 1-0 win at Duke on April 26 en route to his first of two ACC Pitcher of the Week awards becoming the first Terrapin pitcher to accomplish the feat. Reed won the award again on May 6 after a 7-2 win against the Tigers.

“It speaks volumes for the work Jimmy put in following his junior season,” said head coach John Szefc. “Obviously, he had a very good junior year. He put a plan in place to come back to school for his senior year and wanted to get into the single-digit rounds so that he would have a better opportunity to move through the system, and that is what he did.”

Reed was drafted in the 21st round by the New York Yankees in 2012, but chose to return to Maryland for his final season of eligibility.

The 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft continues through Saturday. Friday’s selections will conclude at the end of the 10th round. Rounds 11-40 will be held on Saturday.

Class of 2014 shooting guard Dion Wiley committed to the University of Maryland this morning. Wiley is ranked as the 22^nd best player in the class and the 3^rd best shooting guard, according to ESPN’s rankings.

The Potomac High standout chose the Terps over powerhouse programs like Indiana, Florida and local rival Georgetown. In his junior season, Wiley averaged 17.9 points while shooting 52 percent from the field, and added 8.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 3.2 steals, according to the Washington Post.

Keith Stevens, Wiley’s Team Takeover coach, called Wiley “one of the best shooters” that he has ever seen. Stevens has coached Wiley for 18 years.

He joins guard Romelo Trimble as another consensus top 75-player to join the Terps in 2014. Roddy Peters, Nick Faust, and Seth Allen will also be included in the mix, giving the Terrapins a talented backcourt for when they join the Big 10 in 2014.

PARK RIDGE, Ill. – The Big Ten on Monday announced the conference football schedule for the 2015 season, and Maryland’s is highlighted by home games against Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and Indiana. The Terrapins will go on the road to face Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan State and Rutgers.

Maryland’s second season in the Big Ten will open on Oct. 3, 2015 when Michigan pays a visit to Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. After traveling to Ohio State on Oct. 10, the Terps will face Penn State at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Oct. 24.

The Terps, who alternate home and road games throughout the season, follow up the Penn State game with a trip to Iowa on Oct. 31. The month of November features a home game with Wisconsin on Nov. 7, a trip to Michigan State on Nov. 14, the home finale on Nov. 21 vs. Indiana and the regular-season conclusion at Rutgers on Nov. 28.

Now is the time to order your season tickets for this historic new era of Maryland Football. Become a season ticket holder today to secure the best seats available and lock-in your price for two years including the inaugural season (2014) in the Big Ten Conference.

All season tickets for 2013 include the game with West Virginia at M&T Bank Stadium. A variety of season ticket options are available and prices start as low as $159. Family 4-Packs are also available for $600. The payment plan is a great option for fans to spread out the cost of tickets.

Fans can purchase season tickets online at UMTerps.com or by calling the ticket office at 800-462-TERP or 301-314-7070

The complete schedule and game times will be announced at a later date.

Maryland 2015 Big Ten Schedule
Oct. 3 – Michigan
Oct. 10 – at Ohio State
Oct. 17 – Open Date
Oct. 24 – Penn State (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.)
Oct. 31 – at Iowa
Nov. 7 – Wisconsin
Nov. 14 – at Michigan State
Nov. 21 – Indiana
Nov. 28 – at Rutgers

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland’s men’s and women’s lacrosse teams will compete in the Big Ten Conference beginning with the 2015 season, following an announcement from the conference office on Monday that the Big Ten has secured six men’s and six women’s lacrosse teams.

Earlier today, Johns Hopkins was accepted as a sport affiliate member for men’s lacrosse only beginning with the 2014-15 academic year to give the Big Ten six men’s programs, joining Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers, which also field women’s programs and will be joined on the women’s side by Northwestern. Big Ten rules allow for a conference championship when six institutions sponsor a program in any given sport.

“The Big Ten is an outstanding conference and we’re thrilled that it will be able to be the conference home for two of our most successful programs in men’s and women’s lacrosse,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. “Lacrosse is important to our university and to our state and the addition of Johns Hopkins as a sport affiliate member for men’s lacrosse shows that it is important to the Big Ten now and in the future.”

The six programs that will comprise Big Ten men’s lacrosse boast 56 national championships, with schools that have competed for more than a century. Johns Hopkins has been an independent since 1883 and leads all schools with 44 national championships. Maryland has claimed 11 national titles, while Rutgers has also won a national championship. The Scarlet Knights launched men’s lacrosse in 1887, followed by programs starting in 1913 for Penn State, 1924 for Maryland and 1953 for Ohio State. Michigan instituted a men’s lacrosse program in 2012. Maryland, Ohio State and Penn State each qualified for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship this season, with the Buckeyes advancing to the quarterfinals.

“This is an exciting development for the sport of lacrosse,” said Maryland men’s head coach John Tillman. “We’re looking forward to competing as a Big Ten program against Penn State, Ohio State, Rutgers, Michigan and Johns Hopkins and embrace the challenges that lie ahead in the future.”

Big Ten women’s lacrosse will feature teams that have won 23 national championships and 19 of the 32 NCAA championships, including eight of the last nine. Maryland has won 11 national championships, with 10 NCAA crowns, including seven straight from 1995 to 2001 and most recently in 2010. Northwestern has claimed seven NCAA titles, highlighted by five consecutive from 2005 to 2009 and most recently in 2012. Penn State has earned five national championships, including NCAA titles in 1987 and 1989. The Terrapins, Wildcats and Nittany Lions earned berths in the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship this season. Penn State advanced to the quarterfinals, Northwestern reached the national semifinals and Maryland was edged in triple overtime in the national championship game.

“To be a part of a conference from the ground up is exciting for our program and we are anxious to put our thumbprint on Big Ten lacrosse,” said Maryland women’s head coach Cathy Reese. “It is going to be a highly competitive league and with former Terps coaching at five of the six institutions, I believe there is a lot to be excited about as we make this transition in 2014-15 and begin a new chapter in the rich history of Maryland women’s lacrosse.”

With the addition of Maryland and Rutgers in 2014, the broad-based athletic programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will sponsor nearly 350 teams in 42 different sports with almost 9,500 student-athletes, more than any other conference. The Big Ten currently features 25 official conference sports, 12 for men and 13 for women, but is set to add men’s ice hockey as the 26th conference sport in the fall. Men’s and women’s lacrosse will become the conference’s 27th and 28th official sports in 2014-15.

Maryland Terrapins WR Marcus Leak released a statement Thursday saying he would be leaving the school for personal reasons but intends to return after the 2013 football season.

“I would like to thank Coach (Randy) Edsall, my teammates and the rest of the Maryland football program for their continued support as I work through these personal matters. It is my intention to return to College Park in January. I look forward to rejoining my teammates and continuing my education at the University of Maryland.”

The reasons for Leak’s withdrawal are not currently known. Leak played in just seven games in 2012 before missing the rest of the season with a toe injury. In his seven games, Leak hauled in 23 catches for 393 yards and two TD’s.

Dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate Stefon Diggs (sophomore) is expected to be the Terps’ top receiver in 2013. Iowa Western transfer Deon Long (junior), a former New Mexico player, will be expected to shoulder more of a load as well in Leak’s absence. Sophomores Nigel King and Tyrek Cheeseboro (Milford Mill) will also be expected to more up on the receiver depth chart.

If Leak does return to College Park after the season, he would have two years of eligibility remaining.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senior midfielder Katie Schwarzmann was named the 2013 Tewaaraton Award winner Thursday night at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.

The Sykesville, Md., native is the first two-time Maryland winner and only the third player to do so in award history. The Tewaaraton Award is given annually to honor the nation’s top male and female collegiate lacrosse player for their extraordinary achievements on the field.

And Schwarzmann was certainly extraordinary in 2013.

The three-time IWLCA National Midfielder of the Year was crowned ACC Championship Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive season after guiding Maryland to its fifth-straight ACC title. Schwarzmann was also named ACC Offensive Player of the Year and is one of only three players to earn All-ACC honors four times.

No one in the country filled up a box score as prolifically as Schwarzmann the past two seasons. She tallied 58 goals, 27 assists, 39 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers and 39 draw controls, and was vital to Maryland’s transition game in 2013 as the Terrapins advanced to their fifth consecutive NCAA Final Four.

She ended her career ranked third all-time in both goals (228) and points (304). Schwarzmann earned a degree in business from the University of Maryland earlier this month and is the reigning ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She will compete with the U.S. women’s national team at the World Cup in Canada this summer.

Tewaaraton Award — All-Time Winners

2013 - Katie Schwarzmann, Maryland
2012 - Katie Schwarzmann, Maryland
2011 — Shannon Smith, Northwestern
2010 — Caitlyn McFadden, Maryland
2009 — Hannah Nielsen, Northwestern
2008 — Hannah Nielsen, Northwestern
2007 — Kristen Kjellman, Northwestern
2006 — Kristen Kjellman, Northwestern
2005 – Katie Chrest, Duke
2004 — Amy Appelt, Virginia
2003 — Rachael Becker, Princeton
2002 — Erin Elbe, Georgetown
2001 – Jen Adams, Maryland

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv, Twitter: @BovadaLV).

“Prior to the news of Golson not being with the Irish this upcoming season, we had them at 28-1 to win the BCS Championship and since have drifted to 40-1.  If Notre Dame played a more up-tempo offensive style of game these odds may have been impacted a little more, but until we have new information regarding their offense we will not go higher than 40-1 on a team that still has a lot of talent.”

-Kevin Bradley, Sports Book Manager, Bovada.lv

Odds to win the 2013-2014 BCS National Championship         

Alabama                               3/1

Ohio State                    13/2

Texas A&M                   13/2

Oregon                                 7/1

Georgia                                14/1

Stanford                       16/1

LSU                              18/1

Florida                                  20/1

Field                             20/1

Louisville                              22/1

Clemson                       25/1

Miami                                    28/1

Michigan                              28/1

South Carolina                   28/1

Florida State                 33/1

Oklahoma State            33/1

Texas                                    33/1

Notre Dame                  40/1

Nebraska                             50/1

Oklahoma                            50/1

UCLA                            50/1

USC                             50/1

TCU                              66/1

Wisconsin                            66/1

Boise State                   100/1

Michigan State              100/1

Oregon State                100/1

Mississippi                          125/1

Auburn                          150/1

North Carolina                    150/1

Virginia Tech                 150/1

Washington                         150/1

Northwestern                 150/1

BYU                             200/1

California                             200/1

Cincinnati                             200/1

Georgia Tech                200/1

Kansas State                200/1

Mississippi State           200/1

Pittsburgh                            200/1

Rutgers                                 200/1

Arkansas                              250/1

Arizona                                 250/1

Iowa                                       250/1

Tennessee                           250/1

Missouri                               300/1

West Virginia                      300/1

Boston College                 500/1

South Florida                     500/1

Odds to win the 2013-2014 Heisman Trophy

Johnny Manziel (QB Texas A&M)                        17/4

Braxton Miller (QB Ohio State)                           13/2

A.J. McCarron (QB Alabama)                             9/1

Aaron Murray (QB Georgia)                                12/1

Marquis Lee (WR USC)                                      12/1

T.J. Yeldon (RB Alabama)                                  12/1

Teddy Bridgewater (QB Louisville)                      12/1

De’Anthony Thomas (RB Oregon)                       14/1

Duke Johnson (RB Miami)                                 14/1

Jadeveon Clowney (DE South Carolina)              14/1

Marcus Mariota (QB Oregon)                              16/1

Tajh Boyd (QB Clemson)                                   16/1

Taylor Martinez (QB Nebraska)                           18/1

Lache Seastrunk (RB Baylor)                              20/1

Ameer Abdullah (RB Nebraska)                          25/1

Brett Hundley (QB UCLA)                                   25/1

Stephen Morris (QB Miami)                                25/1

Devin Gardner (QB Michigan)                             33/1

Blake Bell (QB Oklahoma)                                  40/1

Jeff Driskel (QB Florida)                                    40/1

Ka’Deem Carey (RB Arizona)                              40/1

Stefon Diggs (WR Maryland)                             40/1

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Despite a gritty second half performance, Maryland fell to North Carolina 13-12 in triple overtime Sunday in the 2013 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship at Villanova Stadium.

Maryland (22-1) narrowly missed out on its fifth perfect season in program history and fell in the championship game for the second time in three seasons by one goal. Freshman Taylor Cummings and senior Katie Schwarzmann led the way for the attack with a hat trick each and Brooke Griffin tallied five points on two goals and three assists.

The Terps faced their first halftime deficit of the season but were able to rebound with an outstanding showing in the second period, outscoring the Tar Heels 6-3 in the period.

North Carolina (18-3) began the contest – which was the third meeting between the two teams this season – with three unanswered goals to give Maryland its largest deficit since a regular season loss at UNC April 7, 2012.

Cummings continued to shine in her first final four appearance with a goal at 24:41 to shrink UNC’s lead to two but a goal by Aly Messinger a minute later gave the Tar Heels a 4-1 cushion.

Erin Collins sunk a free position after winning a hard-fought draw control at 23:29 but UNC answered back with another Messinger tally at 18:36.

A free position goal by Cummings and a top-shelf blast by Schwarzmann within 14 seconds of each other in the 17th minute set the score at 5-4 before back-to-back Cannizzaro scores extended Carolina’s advantage to 7-4 with 13:40 to play in the opening stanza.

Both teams exchanged goals twice – including scores by Beth Glaros and Griffin – for a 9-6 UNC lead at the half. It was the most goals allowed by Maryland in the first half this season.

But the Terrapin attack erupted out of the break for a ferocious 5-0 run to give Maryland its first lead of the game. Led by two scores from Schwarzmann, the Terps tallied all five goals in the first 10:05 of the period and held the Tar Heel offense off the board for nearly 17 minutes for an 11-9 cushion.

Brittney Coppa capped her hat trick with a score at 18:23 to snap the drought and squeeze the lead to one and Cannizzaro penetrated the middle for an 11-11 tie six minutes later.

Cannizzaro notched her fourth goal of the night on a free position to give UNC the 12-11 advantage but it would be Maryland’s top offensive threat Aust who would make a terrific move on the corner for the game-tying score with 3:51 remaining to force overtime.

It was the first overtime game for Maryland since May 1, 2011 at Dartmouth and what ensued would be the longest NCAA championship game in the sport’s history.

The Terps were able to get three shots off in the first overtime but Cummings’ shot hit the post and a pair of solid looks by Glaros were saved by Carolina goalie Megan Ward.

Kasey Howard - a senior who finished her career 22-1 as a starter for the Terps – came up huge in the second overtime, recording three big saves to push the game into a third extra period.

After another Ward save, Carolina was successful in the clear and a Sammy Jo Tracy score out of transition sealed the Tar Heels’ first national championship.

“Congratulations to UNC,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “That was a great game. This team played so hard, both teams did. They left their hearts out there.”

The marathon contest was the Maryland finale for eight seniors – Schwarzmann, Aust, Howard, Iliana Sanza, Melissa Diepold, Sam Barber, Camilla Hayes and Kristen McAfee. The class ends their Terrapin career with five ACC championships, one national title, four NCAA Final Four appearances and an 84-8 overall record.

NOTES:

With one assist on the night – senior Alex Aust is tied for second all-time in both career assists (132) and single-season assists (55) in Maryland history

Maryland played in its nation-leading 17th NCAA title game.

Katie Schwarzmann ends her career ranked third in goals (229) and points (304) in program history.

Former University of Memphis PG Antonio Barton will not spend his final year of eligibility with the Maryland Terrapins.

Instead, Barton will spend next season with the Tennessee Volunteers, as was announced Sunday by his brother Will Barton-now with the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers.

Both Bartons hail from Baltimore (Lake Clifton). The proximity to home was thought to be key in the decision making process for the guard who spent the last three seasons playing for the Tigers. Barton ultimately chose Tennessee over the Terps, Kansas State and Texas A&M.

Barton would have been a significant immediate addition as he is eligible to play this fall because he is graduating this year from Memphis. Logan Aronhalt made a similar move last year in his switch from Albany to College Park.

Without adding any other potential transfers, Mark Turgeon’s team will be thin at the point guard position next season. Pe’Shon Howard decided to transfer after the 2012-2013 season, he has visited USC but has not committed anywhere of yet. Rising sophomore Seth Allen will be a point guard option for Maryland, as will incoming freshman Roddy Peters (Suitland) although both are more combo guards than true point guards.

Rising junior Nick Faust also saw some time at point guard last season but was clearly frustrated by the position move and the results were mostly shaky. Rising junior Dez Wells also handled some possessions at point guard with mixed results.