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Photo by Beckett Bathanti- Sports Editor
City of Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy and members of the Bobcats front office pose for pictures.
NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats headed to Asheville
Team picks UNC Asheville to host training camp
Tyler Sprinkle
tsprinkl@unca.edu - Asst. Sports Editor
UNC Asheville’s basketball profile con
tinues to grow after back-to-back appear
ances to the Big Dance, and now as hosts of
the Charlotte Bobcats’ training camp.
In a few weeks, the Bobcats will arrive
in Asheville to use UNCA’s athletic facili
ties to prepare for their 2012-2013 season.
With the hindrance of the NBA lockout,
the team was unable to host their training
camp outside of their hometown of Char
lotte last year, but sought to makes changes
this year.
“We went through a process looking for
somewhere to train,” Rod Higgins, Presi
dent of Operations for the Charlotte
Bobcats, said. “We were looking for some
where to get away because we knew getting
away was important.”
Previously, UNC A Athletic Director Ja
net Cone proposed the Bobcats host their
training camp on campus, but it did not
work out. The Bobcats’ Chief Operating
Officer Fred Whitfield telephoned UNCA
"(UNCA Athletics) have a family atmosphere with
everyone working together. We hope to bring a lot
of visibility to the schools and want to earn some
fans here."
Fred Whitfield
Bobcats'chief operating officer
this year and Cone had confidence in their
decision.
“This year Fred called, and I knew he
wouldn’t turn me down again,” Cone said.
“And that was the conversation that led to
this.”
The Sherrill Center opened in November
2011, consisting of new classrooms, labs,
fitness rooms and the Kimmel Arena, which
seats up to 3,800 people. After a tour of the
facility, Higgins and the Bobcats were set
on Asheville as their temporary home this
fall.
“From an organizational standpoint, it
was two thumbs up for us,” Higgins said.
The Bobcats made the announcement in
Kimmel Arena at a press conference last
Wednesday with nothing but positive ac
clamations toward the city of Asheville and
high regards for the school.
“They (UNCA Athletics) have a family
atmosphere with everyone working togeth
er,” Whitfield said. “We hope to bring a lot
of visibility to the schools and want to earn
some fans here.”
The Bobcats training camp is Oct. 2-6.
There is a possibility of the Bobcats play
ing a scrimmage open to students in Kim
mel Arena, but is still undecided, according
to Higgins.
Longwood
slips past
Bulldogs
Beckett Bathanti
sbathant@unca.edu -
Sports Editor
The UNC Asheville men’s
soccer team came up short
against Big South Confer
ence newcomers Longwood
as the Lancers escaped with a
1-0 win Sunday afternoon at
Greenwood Field.
Longwood’s only goal came
in minute 74 when Devin
Pierce blew a penalty kick by
goalie Dan Jackson.
A very clean first half gave
way to an increasingly chip
py second half, with the first
of six second-half yellow
cards coming just three sec
onds after play had resumed.
Several of the calls against
the Bulldogs had the coaching
staff on their feet voicing their
displeasure.
After the game, however,
Head Coach Matt Kern was
tight-lipped about the referee
ing.
“You focus on what you can
control. We can not control
that, so I won’t comment on
that,” said Kern, who drew a
yellow card for arguing with
a referee about the spot of a
foul.
Sophomore goalie Dan
Jackson said he barely saw
the infraction that set up the
game-winning penalty kick.
“He was kind of hidden
from my view. Everyone said
it was clean, but I don’t really
know,” Jackson said with a
shrug.
Jackson was not dwelling
on the goal.
“I play the position where I
need to come up big. You just
have to keep your head up and
move on,” Jackson said.
Offensively, the Bulldogs
had co-captain Rob May
back on the field after he
missed a game with a quad
injury.
May said he had no linger
ing discomfort.
see SOCCER on page 7