Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 23, 1991 TAG: 9103220627
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER/ SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Run down the checklist and you'll find the necessary components of a perennial power.
\ Tradition: Thirteen former Christiansburg track athletes have competed or are competing at the collegiate level. Three earned all-American status last year.
Cliff Dillard (Class of '87), a high-jumper at Boise (Idaho) State, was an NCAA Division I All-American last season. At Eastern Mennonite College, Tyrone Johnson ('89) sprinted to Division III All-American honors in the 400-meter dash.
The third was Kimberly Cosgriff, a Division III All-American in cross country and track, who outran all women at the state cross-country meet in Blacksburg last fall.
\ Success: The accomplishments of the boys' track team in recent years fuels the tradition.
The Demons have won the New River District championship four of the past five years; they have been Region IV kings three of the past five and placed third in the Group AA state meet a year ago.
In addition, head coach Randy Bailey need not look far for quality distance runners. Christiansburg has captured back-to-back cross country state championships.
\ Experience: While many smaller schools scramble to get a dozen boys to try out, this season the Demons return nearly that many proven performers.
Five were all-state last season, two were all-region and four were all-district. That adds up to considerable post-season experience, and six of them will be back for the 1992 season as well.
\ Weapons: Senior Demond Wesley, dubbed "Wonder Boy" during his freshman season, placed in three events in the state meet last season - the long jump, the 200 and the 1,600 relay. This season, Wesley is expected to compete in about a half dozen sprinting and jumping events.
But coach Bailey isn't friendly to the suggestion that his team is a one-man show.
"There is no doubt about it, he is one of our horses," Bailey said. "Barring injury, he's going to have a great season, but I'm not big on focusing on the individual around here. Last season, we subtracted his points, and we still were competitive."
Wesley was joined in the 1,600 relay by Eddie Bentley, Rodney Crawford and Darrell Lucas, who each placed in individual events in regional competition. That relay team is back intact, and Bentley and Lucas are just juniors this season.
Junior Brian Eigel, the State Group AA individual cross-country champion, is returning to outdoor track after placing in the 1,600 and 3,200 in state competition last season. He will lead a strong distance crew, which includes senior Chris Rutledge, who went to state last season in the 3,200.
Sophomore sprinter Kevin Bennett is back with state meet experience, as are juniors Robert Craft and Charles Hardy and seniors Marlon Bishop and Delmar Walker, each all-district.
Craft throws shotput and discus; Walker is a middle-distance runner; Bishop is a jumper; and Hardy a hurdler.
Add to this nucleus a talented supporting cast and you get a state title contender.
As sophomores, Greg Harman and Jimmy Osborne are the future of the distance program, and sprinter Steve Surratt is the top incoming freshman.
Sean McClaugherty and Jo Jo Gillenwater will add strength to the middle distance, and throwers Darrin Smith and Shawn Marshall will give the Demons a boost in field events.
"We have a good blend of youth and experience," Bailey said. "I'm happy with the way practices have been going."
There's one more thing.
\ Instruction: Bailey also has been pleased with the coaching staff - girls' coach Norma Cox, cross-country chief Jeff Custer and newcomer Tim Black. Bailey and Company are known to stay in the weight room or on the track until the last athlete has headed home.
A look at other boys' teams:
\ BLACKSBURG: Coach Tommy Oliver takes over the Indians after being an assistant coach.
"We've got some experienced runners and some more promising, young athletes that look good," Oliver said. "Christiansburg is going to be tough, but we will do our best to hang right with them."
Seniors Todd Rakes, Aniel Asrani and Pete Campbell are strong sprinters, and Robert Webster, Elliott Wheeler and Walter Wierwille are the best of a solid long-distance corps.
Tom Springer and Chad Cox return as experienced jumpers, and Oliver expects to have good relay squads.
In the weight events, powerful Jared Hamlin hopes to return to the state in the shotput and discus.
\ RADFORD: With little depth, the Bobcats won six meets last season and coach Norman Lineburg has a more balanced team this season.
In addition to talented returning athletes, Lineburg has some promising young runners among his group of 25.
Sprinter and jumper Tommy Edwards is back after competing at state last season as a sophomore. Also returning is junior Duane Pierson, a hurdler and jumper who qualified for state competition last season.
Paul Lineburg, who was all-district last season, and Andy Clark will be Radford's top middle-distance runners. Cameron Mitchell and Robbie Porterfield are expected to add strength to the hurdling events, and Jim Richardson will specialize in the 400 and relay races.
Coach Lineburg has been pleased with the progress of underclassmen Chris Anderson, Kevin Cropper, Keith Lawrence, Hayes Morehouse and Joseph Burcham, the present and the future of the 1,600 and 3,200 distance events at Radford.
\ AUBURN: Like several other Mountain Empire District teams, Auburn - which finished third in the district last season - has a small team this season.
"It's not looking so good," ninth-year coach Kevin Harris said. "We have a really low turnout, and I'm not sure why. Three years ago, I had 20 guys who could contribute in a meet. This year, we have 10 kids on the team, and probably five to six who will contribute in the meet. We just don't have the power."
What the Eagles do have is Jeff Chandler, the best 800 runner in Group A, according to Harris. Senior Chandler ran the 800 in two minutes flat to finish runner-up by a split second in last year's state meet on a very hot day.
No runner came close to him in the MED or Region C. Throughout the season, Chandler entered every running event and won them all, except the 3200. He also is a high jumper.
Harris expects Chandler to break two minutes in the 800 this season and win the state.
Other athletes with Region C experience are hurdler and 20-foot long-jumper Chris Justice and sprinter Mike Lester.
Richard Roop and Brad Williams are experienced shotputters, and senior Jared Brunner and sophomore Chris Wojciechowski will compete in the jumps, sprints, and hurdles.
The Eagles do not have a proven competitor in distance events, but Harris hopes Eric Flinchum will progress quickly in the 1600 and 3200.
\ FLOYD: The Buffaloes finished second to Galax in the Mountain Empire District last season, and coach Winfred Beale will rely on youth to repeat a strong finish.
Floyd does have experienced sprinters and jumpers in seniors Shawn Brewer and Fred Via, and in 400-runner Jeremy Delaney, who placed second in the MED last season.
But Beale is counting on underclassmen. Sophomores David Goorskey, who made it to state last season as a freshman, and Chase Lowe are talented distance runners, and freshman Carl Marshall is promising.
"How we'll do depends on how the young people come through in competition, especially in hurdles and weight events," Beale said. "We have a lot of different individuals who could do well. There is not one key player who can score in several events."
\ GILES: The Spartans hope to be more successful in the MED than in past seasons in the New River District under their new coaches Jerry Huffman and assistant Ricky Lee.
Field events will be the strength of the team. Seniors Jamie Brown and Wes Randall are experienced shotput and discus throwers. Sophomore Steve Johnson, junior Tyrone Anderson and senior newcomer Chris Lang will handle the jumping events.
Anderson and Chris Crews competed last season in sprint events, Mike Slusser returns as a hurdler and Rick Farrell as a mid-distance runner.
\ NARROWS: Coach David Mabry has a slim squad of 10.
"It's hard to get people to come out," Mabry said. "They've got a choice of hitting a ball with a racket, or hitting a ball with a bat, or running until they throw up - not many choose track.
He does't expect to win any meets, but he has hopes for individual performances.
"In the past, I've had kids in a lot of events so we could compete, and that just wears them down," he said. "This year, I'm just going to have them spend time on what they do best."
Kenny Mosley should have a big season for the Green Wave. Mosley is the defending MED champion in the 110 hurdles, the high jump and returning runner-up in the 300. He went to the state meet in all three events.
"You've got to see him to appreciate him," Mabry said. "He's not real fast, and he doesn't jump all that well. It's mostly technique and hard work that explains his success."
About half of the small Narrows team consists of big boys throwing the shotput and discus. Senior Patrick Lloyd and Timmy Fields will compete in shot, and sophomore Michael Martin and senior Heath Hyatt - a footballer who was chosen to play in the VHSL All-Star game this summer - heave the discus.
\ SHAWSVILLE: Low turnout will make it difficult for the Shawnees to fill all the events, but, like Mabry, third-year coach Rob McConkey expects some individuals to go far.
Senior Roger Price has attended state the past two years as a long-distance runner and should return. Fellow senior miler and two-miler David Sisson also has post-season potential.
Sophomore Hubie Fields, a football player, and basketball player Wes Mullins, a senior, are good athletes giving track a go.
\ PULASKI COUNTY: With basically the same team as last season, the Cougars will try to improve, but have it rough in the Roanoke Valley District.
Pulaski lost a handful of seniors from a team that won one meet last year against Franklin County.
"William Fleming is probably the dominant team and has been for the past four or five years," said Cougar coach Doug Dunavant, in his second year after coming from Alleghany.
"Behind Fleming, Patrick Henry and Cave Spring are very competitive. We have about 25 out. It will be tough. The interest in track has dropped."
But Dunavant will get help from some experienced athletes. Senior Mark Lawson went to the region meet last season in the discus.
Brothers D.J. and Donnell Patterson, and Sergio Hendricks were three legs of a 400-relay team that finished second only to William Fleming last season.
Dunavant expects a young runner to fill in competently on the other leg of the squad to create another strong relay team.
D.J. Patterson also went to the region meet as a high jumper. Robert Epperly and Donald Hanshew are the Cougars' top distance runners.
But there are still some spots to fill for the Cougars to hang in there in the RVD.
by CNB