Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / April 30, 2009, edition 1 / Page 16
Part of University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Sports d Track and field season wrap-up online at www.thebluebanner.net {The Blue Banner} Page 16 UNCA soccer standout plans comeback By Ryan Burtner Staff Writer RRBURTNE@UNCA.EDU On September 6, 2008, UNC Asheville men’s soccer senior defenseman Edwin Wotortsi lost more than just the game against the visiting Appalachian State Mountaineers. “From what I can re member, we were play ing pretty well,” Wotortsi said. “Ten minutes to go. they had a corner kick and they scored off of it, and, in turn, we tried to push up to tie the game. We got a comer kick, and we sent everybody up, including myself.” Those final minutes would be the lon gest of his life, he said. “On the flight of the ball, I remember, I saw it and the goalkeeper looking at it, but- I didn’t see him coming out for it,” Wotort si said. “It was coming toward me, and so I jumped up. By the time I was in mid air, I realized it was a big mistake because I saw the goalkeeper coming out with his knee up.” It just happened. Ever3dhing just hap pened so fast, he said. “I could not brace for impact. His knee just went right through my stomach,” Wotortsi said. “I just collapsed and didn’t see the ball or anything after that. I was on the ground in pain, and it just didn’t feel right.” The trainer came on the field shortly af ter to check on him and narrow down where the pain was, according to Wotortsi. He said it was one of the worst pains he ever felt. To him, he said it didn’t feel like a typical muscle pain or anything of that nature. “I couldn’t move because every move ment just hurt,” Wotortsi said. “The only comfortable position was on my knees and hunched over.” Later, they took him off the field into the training room, where the ambulance soon arrived and took him to the hospital, he said. \ Ryan Burtner- Staff Writer Wotortsi shows the scar left behind from his surgery to remove his spleen. “It was a pretty fast ride,” Wotortsi said. “My girlfriend was with me the whole time, and she told me stories about how I was screaming from the pain. A couple of times I passed out from it because it was that extreme. They gave me the nor mal dose for morphine, and I asked for more, which they did, but eventually they couldn’t give me any more.” He said the hospital staff, following procedure, took X-rays that returned in conclusive results. This led the doctors to speculate over his condition, which made him question their ability, he said. “They got the X-rays back and said there’s nothing broken,” Wotortsi said. “They said it was probably a deep abdomi nal tissue bruise and I was like, ‘Are you serious? Because I’ve had bruises and this doesn’t feel like it.’ They should’ve done more tests, but they said they couldn’t do anything more. They gave me a prescrip tion for oxycodone and sent me home.” The next morning he said pain was a re curring theme. He said he spent most of his time looking down a prescription bottle. “They told me to follow-up in a couple of days if the pain had not improved,” Wotortsi said. “My girlfriend got me the prescription filled, and that whole day I was just on pain medicine, taking two oxycodones every four to six hours. I went through half a bottle.” Wanting some fresh air, he said he went downtown to a festival with some friends and walked around. He said it took all the strength in his body to sim ply do that. “The pain was just unbearable,” Wotortsi said. “I was taking half a step every time. I just wanted to get some fresh air and just breathe and get out. I’m not a person who, when they get sick, likes to stay indoors. I remember I would walk, and every 50 yards, I would have to sit and rest because I was fatigued al ready.” He said the pain and fatigue are all he remembers from that day. The next day, he said his roommate gave him a ride to campus to see the ath letic trainer for a follow-up. “I talked to Cory, the trainer, about how I was feeling and how the day be fore was,” Wotortsi said. “She told me to go see her superior. Dr. Watts. I went Youthful tennis season filled with surprise, talent .x By Randi Kitts Staff Writer RJKITTS@UNCA.EDU i See Wotortsi Page 17 I The UNC Asheville women’s tennis [ team finished its season 12-9 overall andj 3-5 in the Big South Conference after fall-ii ing to Coastal Carolina in the 2009 Bigj South Women’s Tennis Championship. In reflecting upon the season, the woni-j en said, above all, they learned the impor- tance of solidarity among the team. “Every time 1 watch my teammates} play I learn something from them,” said , junior Tania Mateva. “I learned that hav-;5; ing a close team can lead to some great} wins, and with our hard work, anything is - possible.” The team went 68-55 overall in their singles matches for the season. Freshman ; Devon Cavanaugh led the women, finish-,;| ing 14-6. - “I wanted to go out this season and ;, prove myself to my teammates and my, j coach,” Cavanaugh said. “I wanted tOjj prove that I was a dedicated, hardworking } teammate, and I feel like I accomplished j those personal goals.” The women finished 34-28 in doubles j matches, with Cavanaugh and junior Lou-J ise Bottomley leading 12-8 for the season-.} “We definitely achieved a lot as a team this season,” Bottomley said. “I was the captain of a young team, so it was a nevr experience for me to try and offer some leadership to the team.” The team said in order to improve the women ought to continue on the path they set this season. “We need to continue working as hard as we did on a daily basis this year, and, just come into the start of next season in better shape than ever before,” Cavanaugh said. Sophomore Stephanie Schon said the women need to bring more intensity to their game in the future. “It is important to start out with an ag gressive mentality from the very begin- See Tennis Page 17 J
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 30, 2009, edition 1
16
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75