Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 6, 1993 TAG: 9304060173
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From staff reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
VASID PICKS UVA GUARD TOP PLAYER
Virginia Cavaliers sophomore guard Cory Alexander is the player of the year and Virginia Commonwealth coach Sonny Smith is the coach of the year for state Division I schools in the Virginia Sports Information Directors' all-state team.Also in the first-team backcourt is VCU junior guard Kenny Harris. The frontcourt consists of VCU junior forward Kendrick Warren; Old Dominion freshman center Odell Hodge, who played high school basketball at Laurel Park; and James Madison senior forward William Davis.
On the second team are senior guard Doug Day of Radford, senior guard Bryan Edwards of James Madison, senior center Julius Nwosu of Liberty, sophomore forward Petey Sessoms of Old Dominion and senior forward Sherron Mills of Virginia Commonwealth.
Alexander averaged 18.9 points per game this season, leading all Division I players in the state in scoring. He received 23 of 27 player-of-the-year votes and was a unanimous selection for the All-State first-team backcourt.
Smith led the Rams to a 20-10 record and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. He received 11 votes for coach of the year, edging Jeff Jones of Virginia and Oliver Purnell of Old Dominion, who had eight votes apiece.
In other area sports news:
Seven football players from Northside High School placed in the National High School Powerlifting Championships conducted by the United States Powerlifting Federation at Beckley, W.Va.
Buck Connor finished second among sophomores in the 220-pound class with a total of 1,058.25 pounds in the squat, bench press and dead lift. Chris Askew was ninth among sophomores in the 181-pound class.
Among juniors, super heavyweight John Huffman was second with a total of 1,295 pounds and Jack Beason was sixth in the 220-pound class.
Jason Crouch was third among seniors at 165 pounds. Freshmen Brad Harper and Kris McDaniel were fourth and sixth at 165 and 181 pounds, respectively.
Bobbie Jo Wright of Glenvar was chosen to the All-Group A state volleyball second team, as selected by a panel of coaches. George Wythe's Stacey Green is the only Timesland player to make the first team. Eve Kendall of George Wythe also made the second team.
(Complete team in Scoreboard.)
Radford University gymnast Christie Epperly, a sophomore from Roanoke, placed 21st in the all-around competition at the 1993 NCAA Southeast Region Championships at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Sunday.
Georgia won the team title with a 197.50 score and advanced to the NCAA Championships. The Bulldogs' Agina Simpkins won the all-around individual title with a score of 39.175.
Epperly, who graduated from Cave Spring High School, scored 37.425 points, the most ever by a Highlanders gymnast in the region meet. She was fourth among the at-large competitors.