THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509150171
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 60 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 182 lines
THE COX BOYS cross-country team ought to be pleased that Bayside coach Lanny Doan views the Falcons as the team to beat in Beach District cross-country this year.
He was right on the button a year ago.
Remember the 1994 observation by Doan?
``I think Kellam can catch them in the district meet but the regular-season title is Cox's,'' predicted Doan.
Cox swept through the regular season without a loss. Kellam won the district meet with Cox finishing runner-up.
Doan, who coaches both the boys and girls at Bayside, steered the Lady Marlins to a sweep - an undefeated regular season and the district meet championship.
This year, Doan looks at his team and Kempsville as the co-favorites in the girls division. He believes Cox and Tallwood are the prime contenders.
The league meets will start Wednesday, Sept. 20. The district meet will be Oct. 25.
Both individual district champions are back - Kellam's Matt Morgan and Kempsville's Adrienne Parker. Parker also is the defending Eastern Region champion and was eighth in the state meet.
KELLAM
The boys, gunning for their fourth consecutive district meet championship this year, also have five other lettermen. The other holdovers are seniors Dave Waksmunski, Jason Arcido and Chris Phelan and sophomores Joshua Cox and Ralph Denton.
Others bidding for positions include junior Jose Flores, sophomore Parry Klages and freshman Jordan Sellers.
``Kellam has won the last three Beach District championships, and this team will be a contender again,'' said coach Bill Bernard.
Bernard also coaches Kellam's girls. While viewing Bayside as the team to beat, he feels Kellam has more depth than in past years. ``Of course,'' he added, ``the key for us will be for Melissa Potter and Virginia Upham to run with the top runners in the district.''
Potter, a junior, was ninth in the district meet last year, and Upham, a sophomore, has been the team leader in the pre-season.
Senior Erin Walsh, a transfer from the state of Washington, and returning runner Kim Ashby should add strength for Kellam.
BAYSIDE
Bayside's boys have six lettermen back, led by senior Curtis Adams and junior Danny Tepovich. Adams was 11th in last year's district meet. Tepovich was 10th. Also back are Jason Lesnick, Alex Burke, Travis Becker and Dave Ehlers. Promising newcomers are junior John Smith and freshman Ian Becker.
The girls have three top-10 finishers from last year's district meet back - second-place finisher Jennifer Bowden, Carolyn Zanelli (7th) and Sara Marlow (8th). Zanelli, a senior, was 11th in the region and was 12th in the Catholic Invitational, an event she won a year ago. Other letter winners back are Missy Armstrong and Sara Marlow, both juniors. A talented group of sophomore additions include Jackie Tugman, Michelle Hooks and Kristin Douglas.
In addition to Parker, the Kempsville girls have returnees in Jennifer Allen, Suzanne Seidel and Laura Grosse. Kelly Lawver and Begnna Santoro, both sophomores, head the newcomers.
KEMPSVILLE
Both teams are coached by Kendall Tata, who says the boys ``have good senior leadership and the addition of some newcomers should make us competitive.''
Senior holdovers are Mike Hernandez, Peter Matsushige and Stephen Schultz.
Junior Ashley Hearne also returns for the girls. The new prospects are Derrick Lawver and Jim Lewis, both juniors.
SALEM
The girls had only one senior on last year's 4-5 team ``so we are looking to improve,'' says coach David Bowden. He has seven newcomers, including two from last year's outdoor district championship team. Senior Katrina Roundtree heads the Salem squad. Other veterans are Tiffany Edwards, Angela Markey and Alicia Lawhorn. Top newcomers are April McPherson, Mandy Wohl, Jameka Collins and Liz Melendez.
Bowden also coaches the boys and is building a team he believes can contend in another year. ``We have five back who are sophomores and juniors; no seniors,'' said Bowden.
The holdovers are juniors Luke Raymore and Chris Mania and sophomores Derek Lawhorn, Ian Welpe and Andrew Cosaboon.
Newcomers include seniors Ken Comerford, Jeff Gordon and Treb Farrales, junior Chris McLeod and freshman Jermaun Sanford.
GREEN RUN
Billy Torbush, who coaches both Green Run teams, feels the girls squad ``could make a run at Bayside for the district championship with a little luck and help from newcomers.''
Quiana Erb and Amanda James, both seniors, are the only holdovers. Sophomores Gail Powers and Cindy Phillips and freshman Brenna Ashton, who won the city championship in the 1600-meter run in the middle school meet last spring, are the best additions.
Five holdovers are on the boys team, including Muluye Muluneh, who was 16th in last year's district meet. The others are seniors Leo Cacatian, Eric Jaegar and Dwayne Gatlin and junior Frank Colbie.
Top newcomers are junior Brent Gaster, senior David Mack and sophomore Eric Mack. ``Our goal is to finish in the top four in the district meet and qualify as a team for the regionals,'' said Torbush.
PRINCESS ANNE
Joe Panchik, a double-duty coach at Princess Anne, believes both squads will get better as the season progresses. The boys team has three holdovers - Dan Abernathy, Richard Andersen and Jeff Barnes. Ken Dosharmea is a promising sophomore addition.
The girls team is led by Megan Kaminski, who was third in the district meet and fifth in the regional last year. Also returning are Krista Elmore, Melissa Boswell, Anne Marie Angelo and Melissa Rice.
COX
Tim Webb, Cox's boys coach, has a seasoned team with 12 seniors, including eight lettermen. Kris Beck is the top returner, a regional and state qualifier.
Others back are Pat Hunt, Jesse Sycuro, Jason Gusfafson, Roger Gallup, Jeff Coon, Ian Reed and Mike Hill. Princess Anne transfer John Stroud, a senior, leads the new additions.
``The addition of Stroud should make our top seven even stronger,'' said Webb.
Cox girls coach Glen Barr has four holdovers, including sophomore Hollie Robinson. She was 11th in the district meet last year. Other holdovers are Cara Reske, the team captain, Sabrina Bradshaw and Jessica Petykowski. Juniors Amanda Avery and Kara McSwain are the standout additions.
``It looks like most of the teams have two strong runners each,'' said Barr. ``It should be very exciting and competitive as it has been the last two seasons.''
FIRST COLONIAL
Double-duty coach Mike Colaiacovo has aspirations for a top-three district finish for both teams. He views depth as the biggest asset for the boys squad and the addition of promising newcomers as the key to the girls' success.
Dan Baxley, a junior, was fourth in the district last year and heads a boys squad that includes holdovers Rob Wright, Mark Sameit, Daniel Weinberg, J.P. Herbert, Rip Gordon and Andy Hucks and promising newcomer David Estill.
Sophomore Rachel Bradley and junior Gayle Holloway are the only returning girls. Senior Katie Bolcar, freshman Lissette Tivale, sophomore Avery Willis and freshman Liz Drew top a solid group of newcomers.
TALLWOOD
Boys coach George Versprille believes his Lions, 6-3 a year ago, ``could surprise some people.'' Five lettermen are back, paced by senior Billy Edwards. Edwards was third in the district meet last year.
Other returnees are seniors Joe Starchia and Jason Cole and juniors Mark Curtis and Marino Angeles.
Newcomers who add strength include juniors Raman Walia, Chen Jiang and James Sherlock and sophomores Craig Wolfe and Reginald Batan.
Versprille also coaches the girls and expects improvement over last year's 3-6 district record.
The addition of Pam Edwards, a freshman who was the top middle school district runner last year, bolsters a squad that includes six holdovers.
Rachel Kuhr, a junior who was 12th in the district meet last year, and Amy White, a sophomore, are the key returnees. Also back are seniors Stephanie Mizal and Quyen Thaw, junior Beth Ann Wintzell and sophomore Angelica Cortez.
Janell Cole, a freshman, and sophomore Cheryl Cortemeglia are other promising newcomers.
OCEAN LAKES
George Piccillo, who coaches both Ocean Lakes' teams, expects improvement over last year's winless records.
Junior Mike Morris leads the boys team and is one of three holdovers. The others back are junior Drew Boyer and sophomore Matt Fitzherbert.
``The key factor will be if the remainder of the team is willing to follow the work habits of Mike Morris,'' said Piccillo.
Top newcomers are juniors R.J. Davis, Wallace Andrews and J.R. Butland.
Piccillo is still looking for additional girls to fill his squad. Junior Gina Ward and sophomore Effie Craig are back. Promising additions are junior Tiffany Blake and sophomore Toni Butland.
Elsewhere, Great Bridge is the power in both the boys and girls division of the Southeastern District. The Wildcats won both region titles last year, finishing third in the boys state meet and 12th in the girls. In the Eastern District, Maury looms as the favorite in both divisions. The Granby girls should contend. ILLUSTRATION: Staff file photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Kempsville's Adrienne Parker charges up Mount Trashmore on her way
to victory in last year's Beach District meet. She also won the
Eastern Region and finished eighth in the state.
by CNB