Jacki's Work - Sports

 Renee Haynes (right) and Jimmy Nickerson practice for the Monument Avenue 10k. Nickerson is the son of Renee’s best friend who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer.  Page Dowdy/Chesterfield Observer

By Jacqueline Raithel, Contributing Writer

Many participants in the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k find the event to be a challenge on its own, but walking the race with severely impaired vision adds an extra set of challenges.

For Renee Haynes, those challenges will be very real on April 2,…

Ninth-grader races to ATV championship title

 Dylan Butler just started racing ATVs two years ago, but he’s already brought home state and district championships.  Lisa Billings/Chesterfield Observer

By Jacqueline Raithel, Contributing Writer

Dylan Butler isn’t allowed to drive a car yet, but that hasn’t stopped him from racing his way to the podium of at least 10 ATV championships in 2010, including six firstplace titles.

Read the full story here, in the Chesterfield Observer.

Baseball’s Cuppia Spends Summer Leading By Example

Cuppia batted .291 and started 19 games for the Spiders in 2009.

The Spider infielder remains active in the Atlanta-based L.E.A.D. program.

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. (By Jacki Raithel) - Spider Baseball second-baseman Chris Cuppia opted not to play summer league this year, instead choosing to spend his summer working for and with a team of high school baseball players in inner-city Atlanta, Ga.

Read the full article here.

July 23, 2009

Hightower reflects on Super Bowl and more


By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Staff

Last February, Arizona Cardinals’ rookie running back Tim Hightower was finishing his degree at the University of Richmond.

This February, he was catching passes from Kurt Warner on the world’s largest sports stage.

Read the full article here

Feb. 26, 2009

Women’s cross country wins A-10 championship, men finish third


By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Staff

The University of Richmond’s women’s cross-country team won the Atlantic 10 Championship, and the men’s team took third Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.

Read the full article here.

Nov. 4, 2008

Men’s soccer to finish regular season with three home games

By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Staff

The men’s soccer has gone into five overtimes and ended in three ties in its last five games while working to get into the Atlantic 10 Tournament, at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Nov. 13, 14 and 16.

Read the full article here.

Oct. 30, 2008 

Sports scheduling is out of athletics director’s hands


By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Staff

The Spider football team played in front of its largest home crowd this season last weekend, despite playing the No. 1 ranked James Madison University Dukes during fall break when many students had left school.

Read the full article here

Oct. 23, 2008

Women’s golf to play in its only home tournament next week


Junior captain Lauren Folgosa gets ready to drive the ball during practice on Friday. The womens golf team will play against 13 other schools during next weeks Spider Fall Invitational. (Eliza Morse/The Collegian)

By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Reporter

The women’s golf team will host its annual Spider Fall Invitational at Independence Golf Club in Midlothian, Va., during fall break on Oct. 13 and 14.

Read the full article here

Oct. 9, 2008

Richmond student-athletes excel in multiple varsity sports


By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Reporter

Cass Meadows, a sophomore defender on the men’s soccer team, has started five of the Spiders’ six games this season and had been identified by his coach as an important part of the team’s success at the Duquesne Invitational earlier this month.

Last fall he competed for the varsity cross country team.

Read the full article here

Sept. 25, 2008

Offensive-minded play gets men’s soccer its first win of the season


By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Reporter

The University of Richmond men’s soccer team earned its first win of the season Saturday during a game against Marshall University (2-6) as a part of the Duquesne Invitational, during which the Spiders also played Lafayette College (2-3-1).

Read the full article here

Sept. 18, 2008

Men’s basketball to rely on its returning players


Senior center Jarhon Giddings dribbles past redshirt freshman forward Conor Smith during the mens basketball practice on Tuesday. (JEFF BARDSLEY/THE COLLEGIAN)

By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Staff

Next Saturday, the Spiders will kick off their season with a home opener against Randolph-Macon College at 8 p.m. – the first of 31 scheduled regular season games.

Read the full article here.

Nov. 13, 2008

New men’s tennis coach focuses on fitness as season begins


New men's tennis coach Billy Boykin gives freshman Chester Murray some pointers. (Toma Pigli/The Collegian)

By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Reporter

The men’s varsity tennis team and new head coach Billy Boykin will start the fall season Friday with the Navy Invite Tournament at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Read the full article here

Sept. 11, 2008

Former Richmond football players ready for NFL season

Tim Hightower, who graduated this spring, is now a running back for the Arizona Cardinals and scored a touchdown in each of the Cardinals' first three preseason games. The Cardinals play the San Francisco 49ers in their first regular-season game at 4:15 p.m. Sunday.  The Oakland Raiders selected Arman Shields, above, in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL draft as a wide receiver. He has been on injured reserve throughout training camp and the preseason games, but has been getting healthier as the team approaches its first game of the regular season against the Denver Broncos. The teams will play in Oakland at 10:15 p.m. Monday. (Photo courtesy of Sports Information)

By Jacki Raithel, Collegian Reporter

The NFL’s opening weekend is just around the corner and two former Richmond Spiders have every reason to be excited. Tim Hightower, and Arman Shields — 2008 Richmond graduates — will suit up for their rookie years as NFL players.

Read the full story here.

Sept. 4, 2008