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Former Mansfield High distance runner and MIAA champion Ryan Collins has added another entry to his resume - ACC champion. The University of Virginia sophomore captured the ACC Championship Meet title in the 5,000 meter run at Virginia Tech and then came back the next day to take third place in the 3,000 meter run.

Collins' time of 14:17.76 in the 5,000 was the third-fastest in Cavalier track history and he became the first ever Cavalier to win the event at an ACC Meet. "I was getting antsy during the race," said Collins, but coach (Jason Vigilante) told me, no matter what, to be patient - I did exactly that, I waited for two laps to go." Collins then came back to clock an 8:13 time in the 3000, the Cavaliers taking third place overall.

- North Attleboro's Joe Farroba claimed the MASCAC Coach of the Year award, the second time in his 17 seasons in guiding the Bridgewater State men's hoop team as the Bears upset Salem State on their home court 77-66 for the MASCAC title and qualified for the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament. The Bears were outrebounded and outshot (field goals and three-pointers) on average, but notched 20 wins, including 12 straight. "Every team is flawed and we have flaws," said Farroba. The reason for the Bears' success? Forcing turnovers, 534 committed by foes, while the Bears went to the free-throw line for 207 more chances than their foes.

- After claiming his third straight Atlantic 10 Conference Championship Meet title in Buffalo, Attleboro native Russ Yarworth, the men's swimming coach at UMass-Amherst was named the Atlantic-10 Coach of the Year. It was the third straight season that Yarworth was selected as the A-10's top coach. Yarworth directed the Minutemen to their eighth championship in nine years. This marks the ninth time Yarworth has been named Coach of the Year by the A-10, and the 11th championship of the veteran coach's career.

- They're building basketball powerhouses at Mansfield High after Heidi Egan's Hornet girls' jayvee team went 17-1 (led by sophomore center Colleen Copley and sophomore point guard Katherine Campbell) and Ryan Stapleton's Hornet boys' jayvee team (led by Sean Otto, Jeff Boyle, Jeff Hill, Dan Hershman and Michael Lofton) went 15-3. - Norton High winter track coach Kent Taylor was tabbed the Tri-Valley League's Coach of the Year and four of the Lancers received All-TVL acclaim - Brian Desmond (300), Sean Ryan (55 dash), Gil O'Neill (1,000) and Cameron Parker (mile). For the Lancer girls, Kelly Allen (shot put) and Courtney Williams (55 dash) were also picked as TVL all-stars.

- There is still room for guidance, direction and decorum, as Dighton-Rehoboth High AD Stan Franczyk strolled across the Falcons' court prior to tap-off for an MIAA Tournament game and instructed a number of bare-chested D-R students, who painted themselves with the school nickname and colors to put your shirt on or leave the gym.

- North Attleboro High senior captain Lauren Goldberg made the play of the meet, that is running the anchor leg for the Rocketeers' championship 4x200 relay at the MIAA Meet, not only did she have to turn around to take the baton, she had to run around a straying challenger when she did get it in her hands. Unfortunately, North's relay team won't be running in tonight's New England Meet as Caroline Udall was forced to shut her sprinting down due to possible stress fracture. However, Rocketeer senior Julianne Cappadona will be sprinting to the finish wire in the 55 dash. Cappadona has signed a letter of intent to run track for Division I Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. The Rocketeer captain is the school record holder in the 50 yard dash (7.32 seconds), the long jump (16-81/2), and with the two-time state champion 4x200 relay (1:44.52) team.

- The No. 1 ranked Boston University Terrier hockey team (25-5-4) will take a 14-game (11-0-3 - 11 of those foes being limited to two goals or less) unbeaten streak into tonight's Hockey East game at Providence College, where the offensively challenged Friars have the conference's third-worst 54 goal total.

- And BU Terrier Jimmy Connors of Mansfield, the senior heavyweight wrestler, carries a 10-11 record into this weekend's CAA Championships in Virginia.

- North Attleboro High swimming coach Tim Kelley will be taking a wealth of local talent representing the Attleboro YMCA Swim Club to MIT this weekend for the 13-and-over age group championships, one of them being Mansfield High Hornet star Erica DeMunbrun. With King Philip added to the dual meet season this winter and Foxboro High going varsity next winter, likely to be joined by Franklin High, "it's going to be nice having our own Hockomock League," said Kelley.

- King Philip High swimming coach Heather Tomassian points to senior Kerry Eaton (50 freestyle) and junior Krista Palmer (500 freestyle) as being her two most improved Warrior female swimmers, while among the boys, sophomores Trevor Mealy and John Murray, both freestyle sprinters were the most improved.

- Norton High swimming coach Kim Bray loses just two girls among the dozen that she had swimming varsity this season, the leading Lady Lancer being junior Jess Lantos.

At the "St Patrick's Day Boxing Show" at the Dorchester Armory Saturday, North Attleboro's Steve Jaegar will be tussling it out in a four-round cruiserweight bout against Alexis Santos.

Winning at home is not so easy for Big East men's basketball teams. The home court has not delivered its usual advantage - to date, home teams are winning at a 59.5 percent clip with an 81-55 record. - "He's an incredibly hard worker," related Seekonk High track coach Eli Mello of Warrior senior Sam Spencer, who re-wrote the school record in the 600 at 1:25.95, having dropped his time by a second in each of the past two postseason races.

- "He was amazing," related Mansfield High swimming coach Danielle Matook of first-year aquaman, senior Ryan Lawlor, who qualified for the South Sectionals in both the 50 and 100 freestyles and was a key relay team member.

PETER GOBIS may be contacted at 508-236-0375 or via e-mail at pgobis@thesunchronicle.com