Bryant Barr found his mountaintop in Bormio, Italy, in August.

Davidson College’s men’s basketball team traveled to Europe for a series of games and a bit of sightseeing this month. As we’ve reported, the team won four of six games. DavidsonNews.net asked senior Bryant Barr to reflect on the trip.

By BRYANT BARR

Almost all Davidson College students spend time abroad during their four years at school. But with basketball, we don’t have this opportunity. So in our summer trip to Italy and Slovenia, we tried to pack a semester’s worth of sightseeing and culture into two short weeks. Read the full story

Allison Cooke (Gordon Clark photo)

Gordon Clark, proprietor of the Davidson Village Inn and an occasional contributor to DavidsonNews.net, was at North Mecklenburg High School Tuesday to watch a bit of sports. He sent along this report.

Volleyball player Allison Cooke of Davidson and soccer players Patrick Harrow and twin brothers John and Will Krentz, also of Davidson, all played key roles Tuesday night leading their teams to victory at North Mecklenburg High in Huntersville. Read the full story

SOURCE: Cornelius Parks & Recreation
The 2009 NFL-Pepsi Punt, Pass & Kick local competition is Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9 a.m. at Smithville Park, 19710 S. Ferry St., Cornelius. It’s open to boys and girls ages 8 to 15, and is hosted by the towns of Cornelius and Davidson in cooperation with the National Football League and Pepsi. Read the full story

Hundreds turn out for weekend event, raising money for Y outreach

Cyclists round a curve during Sunday's race. (Jason Lampton photo)

Leigh-Ann Mueller of Davidson was the women’s overall winner in Saturday’s Lake Norman YMCA Triathlon, a 750-meter swim, 17 mile bike ride and 5k run over local streets. Ms. Mueller, 38, beat runner-up Stephanie Hucko, 38, of Charlotte by just five seconds in the first day of the two-day fund-raising event, which was part of the North Carolina Triathlon Series.

Kevin Lisska of Charlotte won the men’s race, with both the fastest swim and the fastest 5k of the day. Read the full story

Davidson football head coach Tripp Merritt encourages his team as they begin their morning stretch on Friday, Aug. 21. (Tim Cowie photo) (Click on photo to go to a gallery below)

Davidson College’s football team has been getting up early – very early – in recent days as it prepares for the 2009 season. The Wildcats are looking to improve on last year’s disappointing record of 4 wins and 7 losses. “We are a hungry football team and eager to earn back some respect,” Coach Tripp Merritt says in a season preview on DavidsonWildcats.com, the college’s official website for athletics. The season begins Sept. 5 at Elon University. The Cats’ home opener is Sept. 12 against Lenoir-Rhyne.

Photographer  Tim Cowie was up early Friday and sent this gallery of early morning practice photos. (See below) Read the full story

Terry Hall, the new principal at Davidson Elementary, gathered students around for a chat at Sunday afternoon's welcome-back picnic. The school will hold an open house Monday, 4-6 p.m. Classes start Tuesday morning.

Davidson College classes begin today (Monday) and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and Pine Lake Prep upper school students return on Tuesday. Our community calendar this week is filled with back-to-school and end-of-summer events, from an elementary school open house Monday to Thursday’s opening of the fall faculty art exhibit at Davidson College. A representative from U.S. Rep. Mel Watt’s office will hold satellite office hours at Town Hall Monday. And the Davidson Town Board holds its monthly work session Tuesday, with a presentation on the ongoing Comprehensive Plan process.

Those events and more in our THIS WEEK calendar, in The Guide.

Patrick Whitman, of Davidson's Class of 2011, charges away from the starting line in the 2007 Cake Race. (Bill Giduz photo)

One of the oldest continuing traditions of the new school year at Davidson College is the Freshman Cake Race, a 1.7-mile foot race. This year’s 70th running is Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 5 p.m. at Richardson Stadium.

The tradition calls for people in the community to contribute cakes that are given away as prizes to race finishers. Runners pick a cake after they cross the line. Last year, 140 cakes were contributed, enough for all but two runners. (Not all of the 491 freshmen participate.)

Find out how you can contribute a cake below. Read the full story

The team posed in St. Mark's Square, Venice. (Photo from Bryant Barr, via Twitpic)

As summer winds to a close, the Davidson College men’s basketball team is in Europe on a tour that is part work – six games against local opponents – and part play – sightseeing (and eating well, if Bryant Barr’s Tweets are any indication).

As of Tuesday, the Wildcats had played five games in six days in Italy and Slovenia, and were 3-2. Their final game is Friday. Read the full story