Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 25, 1993 TAG: 9304250238
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The 24th running of the All American Relays at Radford High on Saturday was a typically action-packed affair, even if many of the participants had seen little of a track or field this spring because of foul weather.
That didn't stop Salem's Moyer, who is having a fabulous spring after enduring more than his share of heartache a year ago because of hamstring injuries.
Saturday, he set a meet record in the 100 meters with a 10.7-second run in the semifinals. He settled for a first-place 11.0 in the final. He also roared away from 200-meter field in 22.5 seconds and anchored a meet record-setting 400 relay team that also included Mike Murphy, Jomo Nelson, and Marcus Parker. They finished in 44.2.
Moyer had been running 100s in the 10.8 range all spring and he thought he'd had another in the final.
"It felt like I'd run faster in the finals, but evidently not," he said.
As for the long jump, he wasn't particularly happy about that.
"It wasn't real good today," he said. "I just had an off day."
The relay tickled him, but he saw signs of better things to come.
"We have the potential to run faster than we did," he said. "Some days we have Tra Wilson and every now and then, they'll put Mike Prater in. Changing around like that a lot hurts us. We don't get the consistency we need."
Moyer has had a healthy spring, which is something of a novelty for him after pulling hamstrings in both legs last year.
Ollendick has been durable as dandelions during her brilliant career at Blacksburg. She tied her own meet record with a 5 foot, 5 inch high jump, won the 400 (her signature event) and the 200, and anchored a 1,600 relay team that outclassed everybody in sight.
Thanks partly to her efforts, the Indians (74 points) had a comfortable time in the team competition, beating out second-place Laurel Park by 12 points. Valenica Eggleston scored 28 points for the Lancers. Ollendick, who scored 1 1/2 fewer points, still overshadowed Eggleston.
Ollendick took aim at her personal best of 5-7 in the high jump, but came up a little short.
"I got good height on my jump, but I nicked it on the way down," she said. "It's hard jumping in the parking lot. It wasn't too bad - they had it swept off and everything - but it is an awkward surface."
As for her runs, she said her times were off but that was understandable given the time of year.
Ollendick's biggest problems were mental.
"I've had trouble concentrating this year and staying focused," she said. "I've run these races so much that I don't even think about them. I have to make myself focus so I can run a good race."
Moyer helped keep Salem in the boys' meet almost to the end, but Northside's strength in the middle distance events was too much to overcome. The Vikings scored 72 points to the Spartans' 60. Northside led by only two points going into the final event of the day, the 1,600 relay, before winning that (their third relay win) for their final 10 points. Salem was not entered in the final event.
In addition to the 1,600 relay, Northside also won the 3,200 relay and the sprint medley relay.
The coaches voted James Clanton of Patrick County the meet's outstanding male runner for setting a meet record in the 800 with a 1:59.6 and also winning the 1,600. Michael Hunter of Alleghany, who won the triple jump, was voted the outstanding field performer.
Ollendick was both the top runner and field performer in the girls' meet.
Bethany Eigle, a Christiansburg sophomore, matched Clanton by winning both the 1,600 and 800 in the girls' meet.
by CNB