Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 18, 1990 TAG: 9005170302
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Ray Cox
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Sadly for opposing boys' programs in Group AA Region IV and beyond, Christiansburg may be a year away from its peak.
No doubt is disturbing news to many, since the Demons a whopping 103 points - 40 points more than second-place Blacksburg - Saturday at the regionals.
Christiansburg will be trucking 13 athletes to Harrisonburg for Saturday's state meet - and eight are non-seniors. A handful of others left behind may make the trip next year.
"I don't know if we've got the people to get that good big-meet score," Christiansburg coach Randy Bailey said. "We're going to have to have a big day."
In other words, similar to the one they enjoyed at regionals. Most everything worked right and the Demons loaded up in the 3,200 meters (places 2-5) and through the efforts of Demond Wesley, who scored 48 points.
If by chance you're scrambling for a roster, Wesley is a junior.
Harley Johnson is the only senior in a knot of ace distance runners. Most prominent has been Brian Eigel, but Roger Shelton and Chris Rutledge are also state-bound in the 3,200.
Others who you'll be reading about (maybe as soon as Sunday) include hurdlers Eddie Bentley and Darrell Lucas, both sophomores, and sprinters Richard Law and Kevin Bennett. A freshman running anchor leg on the 400 relay team, Bennett seems certain to be a star. Law is a 5-foot-1 sophomore nicknamed "Hummingbird" because his legs travel in such a blurr when he runs that they remind folks of a hummingbird's wings.
Another interesting sort on the team is senior discus thrower Joe Reed. He'll be going to the state for the first time. Reed spends time in serious muscle development. An aspiration of his is to display his body in the Mr. Teen-age Virginia contest.
A year away or not, Bailey has compared this team to the 1986 Demons, who had high jumper Cliff Dillard, distance man Robbie Turner, hurdler Eddie Hardy and all-around Tyrone Johnson, then a freshman.
"This may sound cocky, but I can't see us getting anything but better over the next couple of years," Bailey said.
A couple of dark horses in team competition at the AA include both teams from Blacksburg, but the boys much more so than the girls.
The girls scored 99 points at regionals, a testament to their depth. But they have their share of stars, too, particularly 800-1,600 specialist Jenny Adkisson and Katie Ollendick in the 200. Adkisson heads Blacksburg's usual superb group of distance runners. If the distance runners excel, the Indians can get close, particularly with another stout contribution from the 1,600 relay.
Ollendick, an underclassman, would seem to have a major challenge on Saturday. Sprinters out of Region IV traditionally have struggled when they got to state.
Blacksburg's boys must be swift in the 400 relay, Jared Hamlin must have strong heaves in the shot and discus, and Lee Cross will have to be stellar in the 1,600 and 3,200 for the Indians to have a chance. Don't bet against Cross in either race.
Witnesses to the Roanoke Valley District meet may have wondered who Natoya Webb was.
She's the Pulaski Countyian who came from nowhere to win the long- and triple jumps. Before that, she was not among the top three in Timesland - hadn't been all year - in those event. Girls from William Fleming and Patrick Henry were fixtures in the rankings.
Mickey Hickman, a Cougar coach, worked on her technique and form. Then somebody did a heck of a job getting her fired up.
"She must have said, `Hey, this is the district meet, this is my chance, and I'm going to do what I can with it,' " said Doug Dunavant, another Cougar coach. "You never can measure the size of somebody's heart." . . . More heart was shown by the 400 relay team of D.J. Patterson, Sergio Hendricks, Richard Younger and Donnell Patterson. They took nearly a second off their previous best and finished second to Fleming's nationally recognized team. D.J., Donnell's brother, is a junior, Younger and Hendricks sophomores and Donnell a freshman.
Floyd County figures to make one of its heaviest impacts ever at the Region C girls' meet.
Paced by sprinter Pam Lemons, the defending state champ in the 100 and 200, the Buffaloes roared out of the Mountain Empire District meet with an overwhelming 187 points. Twenty athletes qualified for regionals.
"We've had some strong boys' teams here, but there hasn't been one like this year's girls," coach Winfred Beale said. "Pam has had good support."
One to watch out for Saturday, and for two years to come, is 1,600 and 3,200 district champion Niki Tessar. She finished second in the state at the Group A cross meet last fall. Tessar is a 10th-grader.
This weekend or next, Steven Agee will perform for the last time as a Floyd County athlete. It's been an illustrious career.
Agee runs legs on the district champion 1,600 relay team and the runner-up 400 relay. Also this spring, he found time to hit .425, steal 15 bases and commit only one error on the baseball diamond while polishing up his 4.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average.
More on Agee: he was a double-figure basketball scorer and top football player - both ways, at fullback and linebacker. He lettered as a freshman in football and was a three-year starter.
Agee intends to walk onto James Madison's football team next year.
"A top-notch kid," Beale said. "He's been the best male athlete we've had around here in a long time."
by CNB