By HALELUYA HADERO and MATT OTT (AP Business Writers)

The union representing 340,000 UPS workers said Tuesday that its members voted to approve the tentative contract agreement reached last month, putting a final seal on contentious labor negotiations that threatened to disrupt package deliveries for millions of businesses and households nationwide.

The Teamsters said in a statement that 86% of the votes casts were in favor of ratifying the national contract. They also said it was passed by the highest vote for a contract in the history of the Teamsters at UPS.

The union said more than 40 supplemental agreements were also ratified, except for one that covers roughly 170 members in Florida. The national master agreement will go into effect as soon as that supplement is renegotiated and ratified, it said.

UPS said voting results for deals covering employees under two locals are expected soon.

“Our members just ratified the most lucrative agreement the Teamsters have ever negotiated at UPS,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement. “This contract will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers.”

He said the contract set a new standard for pay and benefits.

“This is the template for how workers should be paid and protected nationwide, and nonunion companies like Amazon better pay attention,” O’Brien said, giving a nod to the union’s growing ambitions to take on the e-commerce behemoth.

Voting on the new five-year contract began Aug. 3 and concluded Tuesday.

After negotiations broke down in early July, Atlanta-based UPS reached a tentative contract agreement with the Teamsters just days before an Aug. 1 deadline. It came as large and small businesses were working on contingency plans in the event of a strike, which would have spiked shipping prices and scrambled supply chains.

Earlier this month, the delivery company reported its revenue fell for the second quarter as package volume declined amid negotiations with the union. The shipping industry has also been impacted by unpredictable consumer spending.

The company, which has lowered its full-year revenue expectations by $4 billion, had said it expected bargaining to restart if members rejected the deal. But that outcome could have also opened the door to a strike with the potential to cause widespread disruption.

Under the tentative agreement, full- and part-time union workers will get $2.75 more per hour in 2023, and $7.50 more in total by the end of the five-year contract. Starting hourly pay for part-time employees also got bumped up to $21, but some workers said that fell short of their expectations.

UPS says that by the end of the new contract, the average UPS full-time driver will make about $170,000 annually in pay and benefits. It’s not clear how much of that figure benefits account for.

As part of the deal, the delivery company also agreed to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a full holiday, end forced overtime on drivers’ days off and stop using driver-facing cameras in cabs, among a host of other issues. It eliminated a two-tier wage system for drivers and tentative deals on safety issues were also reached, including equipping more trucks with air conditioning.

Union members, angered by a contract they say union leadership forced on them five years ago, argued in the lead up to the deal that they have shouldered the more than 140% profit growth at UPS as the pandemic increased delivery demand. Unionized workers said they wanted to fix what they saw as a bad contract.

The Teamsters’ leadership was upended two years ago with the election of O’Brien, a vocal critic of union President James Hoffa — son of the famed Teamsters firebrand — who signed off on the previous contract in 2018.

The 24 million packages UPS ships daily amount to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. UPS says that’s equivalent to about 6% of the nation’s gross domestic product.

This isn’t the first showdown the union has had with the delivery company. During the last breakdown in labor talks a quarter of a century ago, 185,000 UPS workers walked out for 15 days, crippling the company’s ability to function.

A walkout this time would have had much further-reaching implications, with millions of Americans now accustomed to online shopping and speedy delivery. The consulting firm Anderson Economic Group estimated a 10-day UPS strike could have cost the U.S. economy more than $7 billion and triggered “significant and lasting harm” to the business and workers.

Labor experts say they see the showdown as a demonstration of labor power at a time of low U.S. union membership. This summer, Hollywood actors and screenwriters have been picketing over pay issues. United Auto Workers are considering a potential strike.

“Together we reached a win-win-win agreement on the issues that are important to Teamsters leadership, our employees and to UPS and our customers,” Carol Tomé, UPS CEO, said when the tentative deal was announced.

Industry groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, labor leaders and President Joe Biden also applauded the deal.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells has made the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list for the second straight season.

The transfer from Marshall passed for 2,171 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 212 yards and six scores for the Hokies last season.

North Carolina State’s Brennan Armstrong, a transfer from Virginia, was one of eight other ACC quarterbacks to make the Unitas list. The others were Wake Forest’s Mitch Griffis, Pitt’s Phil Jurkovec, Duke’s Riley Leonard, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Syracuse’s Garrett Shrader, Florida State’s Jordan Travis and Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Tourney foes set for Virginia Tech, UVA

Both Virginia Tech and Virginia will play in the inaugural Cayman Islands Classic women’s basketball tournament on Nov. 24-25.

The Hokies, who reached the Final Four and finished No. 4 in the final AP poll last season, will face Kansas, last season’s WNIT champion, at 5 p.m. on Nov. 24 and Tulane at 11 a.m. on Nov. 25.

The Cavaliers, who finished 15-15 last season, will meet Tulane at 11 a.m. on Nov. 24 in the tournament’s opening game and then take on defending national champion LSU at 5 p.m. on Nov. 25.

UConn, UCLA and Niagara will round out the eight-team field. The Huskies were ranked sixth in the final AP poll last season, while UCLA was 14th.

TENNIS

Former ODU star falls in US Open qualifying

Former Old Dominion star Yuliia Starodubtseva lost to Celine Naef of Switzerland 7-5, 4-6, 4-6 in the first round of singles qualifying for the U.S. Open.

Starodubtseva earned a spot in qualifying by winning the Dallas Open 60k on July 30. It was her third International Tennis Federation event victory.

The Kakhovka, Ukraine, native helped lead the Monarchs to two straight Conference USA titles and was C-USA Player of the Year both seasons.

COLLEGE SOCCER

CNU picked No. 2 in C2C preseason poll

The Christopher Newport men’s soccer team has been picked to finish second in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, released on Tuesday.

Mary Washington edged the Captains for the top spot with 47 points and five first-place votes. CNU finished with 45 points and three first-place votes.

The Captains, ranked No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, are coming off a third consecutive postseason appearance.

Wisconsin-Whitewater is third in the poll, followed by Salisbury.

CNU will open the season Sept. 1 against Berry College at 5 p.m. in the Steve Shaw Classic at Captains Field.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER

UVA stays at No. 5

Virginia remained ranked No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll this week.

The Cavaliers are 2-0 after 5-0 victories over Nevada and Radford.

UVA will host Michigan at 8:15 p.m. Thursday.

COLLEGE ROWING

ODU to compete in five fall regattas

The Old Dominion rowing team will compete in five regattas this fall, the program announced Tuesday.

The Monarchs, coached by Brian Conley, will open the season Oct. 7 at the Head of the Ohio, which takes place on the Ohio River in Pittsburgh.

After that, ODU will compete in the Navy Day Regatta on Oct. 15 on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia and the Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 21-22 on the Charles River in Boston.

The Monarchs will host the Head of the Lafayette on Oct. 29 on the Lafayette River in Norfolk before concluding the season Nov. 4 at the Head of the Occoquan on the Occoquan Reservoir in Fairfax.

Cade Povich picked up his first career Triple-A victory in impressive fashion, combining with three relievers on a one-hitter in the Norfolk Tides’ 6-1 victory over the Durham Bulls before 7,053 fans Tuesday night at Harbor Park.

It was the first home game in 16 days for the Tides, who improved to 25-21 in the International League’s second half and 73-47 overall with their fourth straight win. Durham, which owns the IL’s fourth-best overall record at 68-53, is 28-18 in the second half and a game behind first-place Lehigh Valley.

Povich (1-2) allowed the lone hit — a solo homer by Austin Shenton — in six innings. He struck out seven, but walked five.

Danny Coulombe, Logan Gillaspie and Bryan Baker each tossed a hitless inning to close it out.

Norfolk got single runs in the third and fourth innings on Lewin Diaz’s solo homer and Joey Ortiz’s RBI double.

The Tides broke it open with four runs in the seventh on two-run singles by Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers.

Diaz and Heston Kjerstad finished with two hits and two runs apiece.

Durham starter Taj Bradley (2-5), who has made 16 starts for the Tampa Bay Rays this season, allowed two runs on four hits in five innings. Reliever Josh Fleming gave up four runs in three innings.

The two teams are set to play again at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday.

By COSTAS KANTOURIS and ELENA BECATOROS (Associated Press)

ALEXANDROUPOLIS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters on Tuesday found the burnt bodies of 18 people believed to have been migrants who had crossed the Turkish border into an area of northeastern Greece where wildfires have raged for days.

The discovery near the city of Alexandroupolis came as hundreds of firefighters battled dozens of wildfires across the country amid gale-force winds. On Monday, two people died and two firefighters were injured in separate fires in northern and central Greece.

With their hot, dry summers, southern European countries are particularly prone to wildfires. Another major blaze has been burning across Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands for a week, although no injuries or damage to homes was reported.

European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017.

In Greece, police activated the country’s Disaster Victim Identification Team to identify the 18 bodies, which were found near a shack in the Avantas area, fire department spokesman Ioannis Artopios said.

“Given that there have been no reports of a missing person or missing residents from the surrounding areas, the possibility is being investigated that these are people who had entered the country illegally,” Artopios said.

Alexandroupolis is near the border with Turkey, along a route often taken by people fleeing poverty and conflict in the Middle East, Asia and Africa and seeking to enter the European Union.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou expressed sorrow at the deaths in a statement.

“We must urgently take effective initiatives to ensure that this bleak reality does not become the new normality,” she added, referring to the recurrent wildfires.

Avantas, like many nearby villages and settlements, had been under evacuation orders, with push alerts in Greek and English sent to all mobile phones in the region.

The fire service said it was investigating the causes of the blazes, in coordination with the police and secret service. In recent days, several people have been arrested or fined for accidentally starting fires.

But the discovery of the 18 bodies triggered a backlash by some who accused migrants of starting fires.

Late Monday, police said they detained three men in Alexandroupolis suspected of kidnapping and illegally holding 13 migrants. One of the suspects was a man seen in video posted on social media shutting a group of migrants in a trailer and accusing them of “intending to burn us,” a statement from national police headquarters said.

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis issued a statement condemning vigilante acts.

Overnight, a massive wall of flames raced through forests toward Alexandroupolis, prompting authorities to evacuate eight more villages and the city’s hospital as flames reddened the sky.

Deputy Health Minister Dimitris Vartzopoulos, speaking on Greece’s Skai television, said smoke and ash in the air around the hospital were the main reasons behind the decision to evacuate the facility.

The coast guard said patrol boats and private vessels evacuated an additional 40 people by sea from beaches near Alexandroupolis.

In the northeastern Evros border region, a fire was burning through forest in a protected national park, with satellite imagery showing smoke blanketing much of northern and western Greece.

New fires broke out in several parts of the country Tuesday, including in woodland northwest of Athens and an industrial area on the capital’s western fringes.

Small explosions echoed from the industrial area of Aspropyrgos as flames reached warehouses and factories. Authorities shut down a highway and ordered the evacuation of nearby settlements.

With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece appealed for help from the European Union’s civil protection mechanism.

Five water-dropping planes from Croatia, Germany and Sweden, and a helicopter, 58 firefighters and nine water tanks from the Czech Republic flew to Greece Tuesday, while 56 Romanian firefighters and two aircraft from Cyprus arrived Monday. French firefighters helped tackle a blaze on the island of Evia on Monday.

“We are mobilizing actually almost one-third of the aircraft we have in the rescEU fleet,” said EU spokesman Balazs Ujvari.

The fire risk level for several regions, including the wider Athens area, was listed as “extreme” for a second day Tuesday. Authorities banned public access to mountains and forests in those regions until at least Wednesday morning and ordered military patrols.

In Spain, firefighters battled to control a wildfire burning for a week on the popular Canary Islands tourist destination of Tenerife. It is estimated that the blaze, which has scorched 150 square kilometers (59 square miles), has already burnt a third of Tenerife’s woodlands.

More than 12,000 people were evacuated during the past week. Authorities said Tuesday that 1,500 have been able to return to their homes. Authorities have described the fire as the worst in decades on the Atlantic archipelago.

Large parts of Spain were under alert for wildfires as temperatures exceeded 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). While Spain’s south often has extremely high temperatures, the country’s weather agency issued an alert for the northern Basque Country, where temperatures were forecast to reach 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) Wednesday.

Greece’s deadliest wildfire killed 104 people in 2018, at a seaside resort near Athens that residents had not been warned to evacuate. Authorities have since erred on the side of caution, issuing swift mass evacuation orders whenever inhabited areas are threatened.

Last month, a wildfire on the island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on Evia.

In Italy, authorities evacuated 700 people from homes and a campsite on the Tuscan island of Elba after a fire broke out late Monday, while in Turkey authorities evacuated nine villages in the northwestern Canakkale province. Turkish media also said that authorities reduced maritime traffic in the Dardanelles Strait in case firefighting vessels need to be deployed to the area.

According to the Italian Society of Environmental Geology, more than 1,100 fires in Europe this summer have consumed 2,842 square kilometers (about 1,100 square miles), well above an average of 724 fires a year recorded from 2006-2022. The fires have removed wooded areas capable of absorbing 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

“When we add the fires in Canada, the United States, Africa, Asia and Australia to those in Europe, it seems that the situation is getting worse every year,″ said SIGEA president Antonello Fiore.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Nicholas Paphitis in Athens, Joe Wilson in Barcelona, Colleen Barry in Milan, Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.

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Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By AUDREY McAVOY, GENE JOHNSON and JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER (Associated Press)

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Authorities in Hawaii pleaded Tuesday with relatives of those missing after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century to come forward and give DNA samples, saying the low number provided so far threatens to hinder efforts to identify any remains discovered in the ashes.

Some 1,000 to 1,100 names remain on the FBI’s tentative, unconfirmed list of people unaccounted for after wildfires destroyed the historic seaside community of Lahaina on Maui. But the family assistance center so far has collected DNA from just 104 families, said Julie French, who is helping lead efforts to identify remains by DNA analysis.

Maui Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin, who is running the center, said that the number of family members coming in to provide DNA samples is “a lot lower” than in other major disasters around the country, though it wasn’t immediately clear why.

“That’s our concern, that’s why I’m here today, that’s why I’m asking for this help,” he said.

Martin and French sought to reassure people that any samples would be used only to help identify fire victims and would not be entered into any law enforcement databases or used for any other purpose. People will not be not asked about their immigration status or citizenship, they said.

“What we want to do — all we want to do — is help people locate and identify their unaccounted-for loved ones,” Martin said.

Two weeks after the flames tore through Lahaina, officials are facing huge challenges to determine how many people who remain unaccounted for perished and how many made it to safety but haven’t checked in.

Something similar happened after a wildfire in 2018 that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise, California. Authorities in Butte County, home to Paradise, ultimately published a list of the missing in the local newspaper, a decision that helped identify scores of people who had made it out alive but were listed as missing. Within a month, the list dropped from 1,300 names to only a dozen.

Hawaii officials have expressed concern that by releasing a list of the missing, they would also be identifying some people who have died. In an email Tuesday, the State Joint Information Center called it “a standard held by all law enforcement and first responders here in Hawaii, out of compassion and courtesy for the families, to withhold the names until the families can be contacted.”

As of Monday there were 115 confirmed dead, according to Maui police. All single-story, residential properties in the disaster area had been searched, and teams were transitioning to searching multi-story residential and commercial properties, Maui County officials said in an update late Monday.

Police Chief John Pelletier said Tuesday that his team faces difficulties in coming up with a solid list of the missing. In some cases people only provided partial names, and in other cases names might be duplicated. There was “no secrecy, no hiding things,” he added.

“We want to get a verified list. The 1,100 names right now, we know that there’s a margin of that that some of them have first names only and there’s no contact number back. So there was a, ‘John’s missing,’ and when we try to call back who said that, no one is answering,” he said. “And so we’re trying to scrub this to make it as accurate as we can.”

Pelletier urged people to provide DNA and file a police report with as much information as possible if they have relatives unaccounted for.

“If you feel you’ve got a family member that’s unaccounted for, give the DNA,” he said. “Do the report. Let’s figure this out. A name with no callback doesn’t help anybody.”

One whose name was on the list was Roseanna Samartano, a resident of Lahaina, who didn’t know anyone was looking for her until an FBI agent phoned her a few days ago.

“I was shocked. Why is the FBI calling me?” the 77-year-old retiree said. “But then he came out with it right away, and then I kind of calmed down.”

It turned out a friend had reported her missing because he’d been unable to get in touch despite calling, texting and emailing. Her neighborhood of Kahana — which didn’t burn — had no power, cellphone service or internet in the days after the fires.

Clifford Abihai came to Maui from California after getting nowhere finding answers about his grandmother, Louise Abihai, 98, by phone. He has been just as frustrated on the ground in Maui.

“I just want confirmation,” he said last week. “Not knowing what happened, not knowing if she escaped, not knowing if she’s not there. That’s the hard thing.”

As of Tuesday, he said, he still had learned nothing further. He did provide a DNA sample, he said.

Abihai’s grandmother lived at Hale Mahaolu Eono, a senior living facility where another member of his extended family, Virginia Dofa, lived. Authorities have identified Dofa as one who perished. Abihai described Dofa and Louise Abihai as best friends.

He said his grandmother was mobile and could walk a mile a day, but it was often hard to reach her because she’d frequently turn off her cellphone to save battery power.

Confirming whether those who are unaccounted for are deceased can be difficult. Fire experts say it’s possible some bodies were cremated by the intense heat, potentially leaving no bones left to identify through DNA tests. Three-quarters of the remains tested for DNA so far have yielded usable results, French said.

People who lived through other tragedies and never learned of their loved ones’ fate are also following the news and hurting for the victims and their families. Nearly 22 years later, for example, almost 1,100 victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, which killed nearly 3,000, have no identified remains.

Joseph Giaccone’s family initially was desperate for any physical trace of the 43-year-old finance executive, who worked in the World Trade Center’s North Tower, brother James Giaccone recalled. But over time, he started focusing instead on memories of the flourishing man his brother was.

If his remains were identified and given to the family now, “it would just reinforce the horror that his person endured that day, and it would open wounds that I don’t think I want to open,” Giaccone said Monday as he visited the 9/11 memorial in New York.

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Johnson reported from Seattle, and Kelleher reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Janie Har in San Francisco and Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed.

Field Hockey

757Teamz Top 15

#11 Gloucester 4, #6 Western Branch 2

G-GL-Miller 2, Hall 1, Houtz 1; G-WB- Sivils 2.

Reese Miller notched a thrilling 2 goals, while Kaylee Hall and Charlotte Houtz each scored. The action didn’t stop there, with Houtz, Mackenzie Reece, and Kamryn McDonough delivering 6 assists.

Non-district

Catholic 6, Hickory 0

Brooke Sunderland and Ava Morgan each contributed 1 goal, and Sophia Stavrides and Lauren Gallagher each scored 2 goals.

Boys Volleyball

757Teamz Top 15

#9 Kempsville def. Hickory, 3-1

Ryan Pecora achieved 25 kills, 3 blocks, and 8 digs. Deo Zapata contributed 23 digs, while Wyatt Strawbridge provided 40 assists and 4 aces.

#11 Great Bridge def. Tallwood, 3-1 

(25-14, 25-14, 25-16)

Abram Carter had 3 blocks for kills, Charlie Cooper made 20 assists, Caden Wolle had 9 kills, and Davian Hugh made 13 digs.

Peninsula District

Denbigh def, Phoebus, 3-2

Menchville def. Heritage, 3-1

James Powell achieved 16 kills, while Luke Woodard completed 22 assists.

Warwick def. Bethel, 3-0

Steven Harris provided 19 assists, while Braden Toland and Chase Schaffer both had 9 kills each.

Southeastern District

Grassfield def. Western Branch 3-0

Christian Smith had 5 kills, and Daniel Morin had 4 kills and 4 aces.

Girls Volleyball

757Teamz Top 15

Indian River def. #3 Norfolk Academy, 3-2 

(21-25, 25-22, 25-23, 12-25, 15-13)

Libero Mikalah Avery led the Braves defensively with 37 digs, Alyssa Carr followed with 26 digs and 7 kills. Lila Bryant had 11 kills, and setters, Mize, Berg, and Williams combined for 67 assists.

#10 Hickory def. Kempsville, 3-0

(25-9, 25-20, 25-20)

Dominique Gray and Marian Ratchford each led with 6 kills. Setters Daisey Wettstein and Leila Falvo shared 29 assists.

#11 Grassfield def. Western Branch, 3-0

(25-12, 25-16, 25-14)

Ella Friedrichs had 21 assists, 8 digs, 3 aces, and 2 kills. Benisa Moore had 11 kills and 2 aces as a freshman. Sierra Hunt contributed 7 aces and 4 kills, while Ellielynn Rock added 7 digs.

Peninsula District

Bethell def. Warwick, 3-2

Samya Pace recorded 17 kills, 26 digs, and 4 aces. Jordien Holder had 7 blocks, while Amira Pierre contributed 23 assists.

Menchville def. Heritage 3-0 

(25-13, 25-18, 25-22)

Lilly Abbitt and Kamryn Keasey had 10 kills each, with Lilly also contributing 6 aces and Kamryn contributing 2 aces. Emma Wade had 20 assists.

Private School

Greenbrier Christian def. Cape Henry, 3-2(25-9, 21-25, 25-14, 21-25, 17-15)Grace Berrens with 6 Aces, 8 kills, and 15 digs, and Logan Turchetta brings in 5 aces 8 kills, 20 digs. In addition, Julia Dailey 6 kills and 20 digs, and Vivi Tucker closed the night with 32 digs.

Norfolk Christian def. Arcadia, 3-0

(25-6, 25-6, 25-18)

Carly Ewing had 9 aces, Megan Saunders had 10 assists and 8 aces, and Nia Beverly had 2 aces, 4 kills, and 2 blocks.

Golf

Beach District

Cox 307, First Colonial 328, Bayside 411

Josh Haggerty, finished with a score of one over par 73.

Kellam 295, Kempsville 321, Green Run 455

The Kellam team has two co-medalists, Caiden Brewton and Ryan Solimeo, each shooting a 70. Meanwhile, David Lee from Kempsville is the sole medalist who shot a 77.

Landstown 330, Ocean Lakes 341, Princess Anne 370

Josh Han achieved shot a 76 while playing at Stumpy Lake Golf Course.

Tallwood 356, Salem 359 

Salem’s Cole Cooper received medalist with his even par 70 at Kempsville Greens.

Southeastern District

Grassfield 328, Lakeland 357

The co-medalists were Grassfields Jackson Fannon and Christian Coley, both representing Grassfield, who both achieved a score of 78.

Hickory 331, Indian River DNQ

Chris Lentini, the medalist, shot an 82 at the Red Wing Golf Course.

Nansemond River 334, Deep Creek 438

Joey Tamayo from Nansemond River was the medalist, shooting a 79 at Bideawee Golf Course.

Boys Soccer

Private School

Cape Henry 10, Beach Breakers 2

Cam Delaney scored a hat trick for Cape Henry.

Walsingham 9, Grace Christian 0

Will Patterson scored 4 goals.

NORFOLK — At MEAC Media Day in July Norfolk State football coach Dawson Odums announced that the Spartans’ quarterback job was up for grabs.

After a long battle during fall camp, Odums officially announced Tuesday that junior Otto Kuhns has been named the starter for the Spartans’ season opener Sept. 2 at home against Virginia State.

“He did an outstanding job and has done so all camp,” Odums said. “I’m excited excited for his growth at that position and we’re just excited for the opportunity to see what he brings to the table as the quarterback.”

Kuhns was the incumbent in the race and started nine games for Norfolk State last year. After transferring from Eastern Illinois last year he threw for 1,420 yards and 11 touchdowns. He seemed like the natural selection to start the season under center this year, but had to fight off Florida A&M transfer Cameron Sapp and Hinds Community College transfer Ruben “Deuce” Lee.

Throughout camp Odums said his staff had a gut feeling about who they wanted to name starter, but they were waiting to see how the then-unnamed player would perform. Odums said they knew Kuhns was the guy after the Spartans second scrimmage on Friday.

“We really waited until then and we wanted to see consistency,” Odums said. “I thought he had a good first scrimmage. Then you want to see how you follow up success. Do you come back with the right mindset to work? He’s done that all camp, really. He’s done an outstanding job of just taking the meetings to the field, just asking the right questions and showcasing the right poise. I really think that’s important when you’re talking about the quarterback position.”

Kuhns seemed like the obvious choice coming into the season and ran with the first team offense throughout camp despite the competition from by Sapp and Lee.

“I think he’s always felt like he’s been quarterback one,” Odums said. “I think he has a good understanding of that and it’s really no pressure, no relief. I think you know going into a camp what the odds are and then it’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s going to be you. I thought when we came to camp he was really focused on being the starting quarterback here.”

After Norfolk State’s practice Tuesday, Odums lauded Kuhns for the way he handled the quarterback competition.

“I know he’s better from going through a little bit of adversity,” Odums said. “We’re better as a football team knowing that he’s gone through that adversity and we’re just pleased that where he’s at right now, he’s comfortable with the offense and hopefully he can take us where we want to go.”

At the beginning of camp Odums said he knew Kuhns had embraced the challenge of being in new offensive coordinator Ray Pickering’s offense, adding that the quarterback competition made him better on and off the field.

“The biggest thing that I’ve seen is a 360 in a young man,” Odums said earlier this month without offering specifics. “He got here and that year was a struggle for him in and out, a lot of ups and downs. … His off-the-field turnaround is only going to help his on-the-field turnaround. And you can see it, he’s sharp, he’s putting in extra time. But you can see that we were with him a year ago, we can see the growth in him from where he was a year ago to now and I’m very pleased with that.”

Michael Sauls, [email protected], (757) 803-5774