College Notebook: Vieira, Sea Gulls still going

Kelly Vieira has experienced plenty of team success during her time with the Salisbury University volleyball program.

The senior middle hitter and Liberty High grad has been a significant reason the Sea Gulls have won three Capital Athletic Conference championships and thus appeared in three NCAA tournaments in her four years there.

However, Vieira and everyone else with the program have never been a part of a run like this.

With a 3-2 win over 22nd-ranked Eastern University Sunday, No. 14 Salisbury advanced to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals for the first time. At 37-3, the Sea Gulls have set a new school record for wins.

"For our program, unbelievable. For our fans, they were great and it was just a great day, I'm enjoying the moment," Salisbury coach Margie Knight said in a statement.

In the regional championship, Vieira had nine kills, eight assists, three aces and three blocks. This season, she's second on the squad with 375 digs and 91 blocks while ranking third with 258 kills. She has also added 70 assists and 33 aces.

The Sea Gulls take on ninth-ranked Elmhurst College for a spot in the Final Four today in Holland, Mich.

HALL OF FAME: Five county residents were recently named to the Green Terror Sports Hall of Fame at McDaniel College.

John "Jack" Baile, of Westminster, Richard Estes, of Hampstead, Jill Ibex, of Westminster, Jill Krebs, of New Windsor, and Andrew Steckel, of Westminster, were members of this year's class.

Baile was a four-year starter on the baseball team that was named second-team All-Mason Dixon Conference in 1959 and in 1960. He was also a three-year starter and co-captain of the men's soccer team that was selected first-team All-Mason Dixon.

Estes played soccer, wrestling, baseball and tennis, during his time at the college. He was selected to the soccer all-conference team in 1993, 1995 and 1996, and was named the baseball Offensive Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997, and most valuable player in 1997. He was an individual conference champion in wrestling in 1997.

Ibex was a forward for the women's basketball team, scoring 1,330 points (the eighth player in the college's history to surpass 1,000 points). She was named first-team all-conference in 2000 and 2001.

A distance runner at the college, Krebs was the first runner on the only McDaniel team to win a cross country conference championship. She was a three-time national qualifier in cross country and was twice named All-American. In track, she was a four-time national qualifier in both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs, twice winning the 10,000 conference title. In 2002, she was named Maryland's NCAA Woman of the Year.

Steckel served as wide receiver and captain on the football team. He was named the most valuable offensive player in 1990 and set the conference single-season record for yards per catch in 1991. He was twice selected to the all-conference first team, receiving an All-American honorable mention in 1991.

REGIONAL CROWN: After becoming the first freshman in history to win the Centennial Conference cross country championship meet, Hannah Oneda (Winters Mill) took the Division III Mid-East Regional crown Saturday.

She finished the course in 21:34.7 to lead the Johns Hopkins University women's team to its fifth straight regional title and its sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA championship.

It was Oneda's fifth win of the season and earned her a spot on the all-region team. Next up is the NCAA national championship meet on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind.

NATIONAL STAGE: Last weekend, Greg Rinehart (Liberty) helped Hagerstown Community College finish 14th at the NJCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships.

Rinehart, who has been the team's No. 3/No. 4 runner for most of the year, finished 186th overall.

ALL-CENTENNIAL I: Four members of the McDaniel football team have been named All-Centennial Conference.

Junior running back Joe Rollins earned a spot on the first team and junior linebacker Mike Cousar claimed a second-team nod while senior offensive lineman Tyler Lloyd and freshman punter Brett Haas were honorable mentions.

Rollins earned his second straight first-team honor after finishing second in the league with 1,243 rushing yards. He ran for eight touchdowns and finished with a Centennial-best 1,717 all-purpose yards.

Cousar makes his second straight second-team appearance after leading the team with 98 tackles. He added a team-high 2.5 sacks and a team-best three forced fumbles.

Lloyd anchored a line that has the league's fourth-ranked rushing offense. Haas ranked ninth in the conference with a 35.4 yard-per-punt average, the best average by a rookie punter in program history. He was the only freshman to make the all-conference team. The Green Terror finished the season 0-10.

ALL-CENTENNIAL II: Senior Paige Messersmith and grad student Katie Corson, of the McDaniel field hockey team, were named All-Centennial Conference.

Messersmith, a midfielder, was a first-team pick for the second straight year as a unanimous selection. Messersmith started all 18 games and led the team with a program single-season record 18 goals and 45 points. She added five defensive saves.

Messersmith's season isn't over, as she has been selected to play in the NFHCA Division III Senior Game at William Smith College on Saturday.

Corson, a forward, also started all 18 games and led the team with 11 assists, a program single-season record. She ranked second on the team with 25 points. The Green Terror finished 9-9.

ALL-CENTENNIAL III: Sophomore Shane McCracken (Liberty), of the McDaniel men's soccer team, was named to the All-Centennial second team.

McCracken, a forward, led the team in scoring with 11 goals and 22 points. He also had a team-high 57 shots. The Terror finished the season 6-10-1.