Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 21, 1991 TAG: 9104210141
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The Spartans girls scored 59 points to outrun Christiansburg with 50 and defending Group AA champion Blacksburg with 48.
The Blue Demons boys had 78 points despite Demond Wesley being slowed by a pulled hamstring that kept him from dominating the field events and dashes as expected.
Martinsville was second with 61 points.
"A lot of people over the past couple of years have said Demond Wesley and the Blue Demons," Christiansburg coach Randy Bailey said. "Our guys took it personally and wanted to show that with one of our stars down, we could win. It seems like if we score 140 points [as we did in one meet], people talk about Demond's 30 or 40 and not the 100 or 110 of the rest of the team."
The Demons were anchored by distance runner Brian Eigel, who won the two-mile title after outlasting Laurel Park's Bruce Berger and Glenvar's Jamie Soltis in the half mile.
Eigel went right to the front in the half mile and then pulled away in the final 200 meters.
"Last week at Virginia [in the Dogwood], I got trapped on the outside and I wanted to make sure I was on the inside, so that's why I took the lead," said Eigel.
Soltis wanted to kick and pass Berger and Eigel on the last leg. But he was brushed accidentally by Berger's elbow and never could catch the two leaders. Then Soltis, the two-time Group A 3,200-meter champion, didn't run in his specialty because of shin splints.
Salem's boys, expected to challenge the Blue Demons, were no factor because several of the Spartans' better performers went to the Volunteer Classic in Knoxville. However, Salem's 3,200-meter boys' relay team of Dale Foster, Jason Chambers, Troy May and Richard Swenson, set the only record of the day with an 8:28 that was more than 11 seconds better than the old mark.
Giles won only the 3,200-meter relay, but the Spartans girls continued a super year that has seen them reach the Group A basketball and volleyball tournaments.
"I thought we'd be a factor, but it was hard to keep up with Group AA teams," said Giles coach Rusty Kelly. "We just have a bunch of above average kids. Get them together and we have a solid team."
Blacksburg's Gereme Alvarez was another surprise in winning the mile run over a talented field that included most of the state's top Group AA performers. For Alvarez, in her first year of track, it was only the second time she'd run the event.
"I kept telling myself I could win. I kept trying to push myself. But I didn't know how to do it. I didn't even know how to kick," said Alvarez, who has missed track the past two years because of a broken foot.
Martinsville sophomore Andre Martin and Martinsville Christian freshman Santosha Marshall also performed well. Martin was the top boys' scorer with 26 points, and Marshall won the 100- and 200-meter dash events.
Northside's Patti Fisher, with only a couple of days of practice though she has performed in all of the Vikings' meets, won both hurdle events and placed third in the high jump.
Magna Vista's Kiki Hughes, beaten by Marshall in the sprints, still dominated the girls' portion of the meet by scoring 30.5 of the Warriors' 43 points.
\ See Microfilm for results
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on April 24, 1991\ Correction
Because of an unclear abbreviation, Carroll County was omitted from Sunday's listing of results of the girls' 400-meter relay at the All-American Relays. Carroll County was fourth in the event.
Memo: correction