Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 22, 1992 TAG: 9201210141
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
BLUE DEMONS' TRACK DEPTH GIVES BIG EDGE FOR REGIONAL TITLE AGAIN
The numbers tell the story. Christiansburg High's boys' indoor track team has more than 50 members. That's larger than many high school football teams.Killer depth is one of the reasons the Blue Demons are favored to once again win the New River District and Region IV titles.
"We're really just getting started," said Randy Bailey, the Blue Demons' coach. "But I think we'll be OK."
The reason for Bailey's confidence is simple. Christiansburg also has the quality to go along with that quantity - in the distance races, in the sprints and in the field events.
In the mile and 2-mile, the Blue Demons have senior Brian Eigel, the state cross-country champion. Others running the middle and longer events, as well as some of the relay teams, will be juniors Jimmy Osborne, Chris Whytal and Chris McHose; sophomores Jeremy Cosgriff, Dan Fisher, Aaron Payne and Joe Graves; and freshmen Todd Jennings and Chad Jennings. Osborne, Whytal and Cosgriff all ran cross-country.
In the sprints, jumps and the hurdles there is Darrell Lucas. He runs both hurdle races, the three running events of 500 meters or less, and long and triple jumps. The sprint crew also will include Kevin Bennett, a junior, and Steve Surratt, a sophomore. Another hurdler will be sophomore Eric Childress. Jumpers include Vaughn Lewis, a junior high jumper; Andra Beasley, a freshman long jumper; and transfer student Fisher.
In the weight events will be seniors Robert Craft and Shawn Marshall and junior Scott "Lurch" Cummings.
Of course, no one is conceding Christiansburg the crown. After all, Blacksburg has almost as many athletes - 45. And it, too, has a rich track tradition.
"It's hard to say after just the first meet," said Kim Oliver, who helps her father, Tommy, coach the boys' team and is the coach of the girls' squad. "It's going to be a tough race. We have a lot of talent. Anything is a possibility."
Leading the Indians will be senior Tres Reemsnyder, juniors Willie Grayson and Tom Springer and sophomore Nick Burroughs. Reemsnyder runs the distance races. Grayson is a sprinter. Springer does virtually all of the field events. And Burroughs runs the middle-distance races.
Blacksburg will be even stronger if sophomore sprinter Terry Simpson makes it back from his ankle injury before the season ends next month.
Then there's Radford. Its team is smaller than its two local rivals in the New River District - just 22, including three athletes who also are on the basketball team. But that doesn't deter the Bobcats' senior-laden squad.
"We don't have the numbers of the other teams," coach Tony DeHart said. "But from [the athletes] we have out there, we're generally getting pretty good effort."
Talk about the track team begins with some of the school's multisport stars: football's Tommy Edwards; basketball's Duane Pierson, Chris Hairston and Jim Richardson; and soccer's Ben Turnauer. All are seniors except for Hairston, who is a junior.
Edwards runs the 55- and 300-meter dashes and on the relay teams as well as high, long and triple jumps. Pierson and Hairston both are jumpers. Richardson runs on relay teams.
Chris Anderson and Kevin Cropper, another pair of seniors, will be handling the distance events for Radford. Junior Mike Whittaker will handle the weight events.
The indoor track season concludes Feb. 12 with the district and regional meets at Rector Field House at Virginia Tech. Fellow New River District-member Carroll County will also compete for both titles.