Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 30, 1993 TAG: 9306010187
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG LENGTH: Medium
The Indians re-established their dynasty in girls' track and field by breezing to the Group AA state championship Saturday.
Blacksburg's only first-place finishes came from Katie Ollendick in the high jump and freshman Sarah Hendricks in the 1,600 meters. Still, the Indians finished with 56 points, 3 points shy of the combined totals by runner-up Brookville (32) and York (27). Blacksburg's girls won the state title for the sixth time in 11 years and third time in the past four meets.
Ollendick didn't win the 400 meters, a race she took a year ago. However, the senior went out in glory with a strong performance in the meet; she finished second in the 400, was fourth in the 800 and anchored the 1,600-relay team to a surprising second-place finish.
In the 3,200, Hendricks tried for a two-victory day but was beaten by Laurel Park's Miranda Hairston, who rallied down the stretch to win a race in which she was runner-up as a sophomore.
The only other girls' champion from Timesland was Patrick County triple jumper Lucian Clark.
In the boys' meet, it was a mixed day for Salem's Keith Moyer. He took a surprising victory in the 100, then finished sixth in the 200, considered his strongest event.
Moyer's problem was a pulled a muscle he suffered while trying to help Salem's 400 relay team, which finished second, catch first-place Caroline. He also was third in the long jump.
Timesland's other boys' winners were Patrick County's James Clanton, who rallied to win the 1,600, and Northside's 1,600 relay team, which upset an Appomattox team that beat the Vikings last week's Region III meet.
By the time the 1,600 relay was run, the Indians already had clinched first place and didn't need another point. They didn't let up, though, taking nine seconds off their best time and surprising their coach.
"I don't know that I didn't expect a state title, but we scored higher than I expected," Indians coach Cecile Newcombe said.
Hendricks gave Blacksburg a glimpse of its future. She fell behind deep in the pack early in the 1,600 and could have been in a tough position. She pulled up to the leaders and then pulled away from another freshman, Christiansburg's Bethany Eigel, down the stretch.
"I didn't mean to drop back," Hendricks said. "I knew I had to get up there. But I don't like to be in front. I like someone else to be in front."
In the 3,200, Hendricks sprinted to the lead in the final lap and appeared to be on the way to a second victory. Then Hairston used a sensational kick to sprint to the finish line first.
"I practiced my sprints this week. Then I sprinted today and the rest was just God," said Hairston, whose time of 11 minutes and 45.82 seconds broke the meet record set by William Byrd's Christy Shell a year ago.
Ollendick led during the last leg of the 400 and 800, only to be beaten by fast-finishing Kierstein Murray of Chancellor both times. Murray won the 400 and was second in the 800.
"She's really a great runner, and we've battled for four years," said Ollendick. "I didn't run a smart race because I led after the first lap and didn't want to. But no one else wanted to lead."
Ollendick said the high jump wasn't her best, but she was happy with the winning performance because "it helped the team."
In the boys' meet, Salem wound up with 25 points. That was enough to put the Spartans fifth behind Handley, which had 47 points and won the state title for the second straight year.
"My hamstring [pull] wasn't as bad as last year," said Moyer, who missed the 1992 state meet. "It happened at the end of the relay, but I couldn't have made up that lead.
"Before the 200, I could feel it tighten up as I was warming up. Winning the 100 was important. It ranks up there with the Cosmopolitan [a championship] and running in the nationals [when he was a freshman]."
Clanton rallied to win the 1,600 with a tremendous kick. Like Hendricks, he was behind early.
"I wanted to stay in the top three. When we got to the last 200, I knew I had a chance. This was my last high school [1,600] race, so I wanted to go all out," he said.
Northside's Jonathan Stewart was disappointed as he finished sixth in the 800 after being the runner-up a year ago. Then he joined Zach Penney, Gary Walker and Darrius Henderson to give Timesland a winner in the day's final event, the 1,600 relay.
\ see microfilm for complete results
by CNB