THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 3, 1994 TAG: 9407020150
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Nobody will have to convince members of the Portsmouth Kiwanis Club that Old Dominion University's new men's basketball coach Jeff Capel is reliable.
Earlier Capel made a commitment to be the club's speaker at Wednesday's program at the Holiday Inn-Portside. Despite three hours of oral surgery that morning, Capel was the luncheon speaker.
It was his 56th speaking engagement since he was named to succeed Oliver Purnell in April.
Capel, formerly the head coach at Fayetteville State and North Carolina A & T, will get an early look next month at his new team.
ODU will be allowed 10 days of practice beginning Aug. 1 for seven games the Monarchs will be playing in France.
``Right now we have done all of our evaluating from film,'' Capel said. ``That's not the same as watching them from the bench.''
This season the Monarchs will be playing what many consider the most difficult schedule an ODU team has ever had. Capel promises future schedules will be even tougher.
``I don't think people want to come out and pay good money to see a watered-down schedule. If you want to be the best, you have to compete against the best.
``One of our goals is to boost attendance. You boost it by playing better teams.
``So we're talking about trying to get future games with teams like Georgetown and Temple. And Coach K (Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski) has promised me a shot at my son before he graduates.''
Capel's oldest son Jeff III is the Blue Devils' starting point guard.
The ODU coach says his toughest task to date has been finding his way to speaking engagements.
``I'm an old farm boy myself,'' said Capel. ``The highway system around here is ridiculous. I think 64s go everywhere.''
Wilson's LaTasha Colander was honored by the City Council, getting a surprise notice that Tuesday was ``LaTasha Colander Day'' in Portsmouth.
``If I had known it was my day, I wouldn't have slept so late and wasted part of it,'' said the pleased Colander.
Colander won six national track championships and saved one of the best for her last appearance as a Wilson runner. She won the 100-meter hurdles at the Junior National Championships at Tallahassee, Fla. in a time of 13.36 on June 25.
It was the second fastest time in the world this year - only behind a time posted by a German hurdler - and shattered the Wilson school record set by Lisa Wells at 13.57.
Colander will be competing with the U. S. Junior team in a six-nation tune-up at Buffalo July 14-15. She then heads to the World Junior Championship in Portugal.
Churchland's Cliff Styles has been named to the East squad for the Virginia High School Coaches Association all-star football game in Hampton on Thursday, July 14. The All-Southeastern District linebacker, also a fullback for the Truckers, probably will be used only on defense by the East. . . . Neal Butt of Portsmouth has been named to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference all-academic baseball team. Butt, a graduate of Portsmouth Catholic, is a rising senior at Hampden-Sydney College. He maintained a 3.25 grade point average for the past year. . . . A concession stand is being built by the Olive Branch Little League behind the track at Wilson High School. by CNB