Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 1, 1993                   TAG: 9309010031
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: BRIAN DeVIDO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WILL `EIGEL POWER' TOPPLE INDIANS?

This year, they hope to unseat the Indians, the defending state champs, by using "Eigel Power."

Blacksburg should once again be the team to beat in the New River Valley, but the addition of Bethany Eigel to Christiansburg could make things interesting between the two rival schools.

Eigel, a junior, decided not to play girls' basketball in the fall, as she had done for the past two years. She finished second in the mile at the Group AA state spring track meet and said she's looking forward to a new challenge.

"I think we have a chance [to beat Blacksburg] if we work together," she said. "I think it'll be closer."

One person in particularly pleased with the addition of Eigel.

"She's instant offense," said head coach Steve Shelton. "I'm ecstatic about it."

Also returning for CHRISTIANSBURG are senior Meredith Ritter, who finished 30th in the state meet last year, junior Leslie Cosgriff, senior Beverly Stepp, junior Alison Costigan and sophomore Erin Calvert.

But even the addition of Eigel may not be enough to let the Blue Demons overtake Blacksburg.

The Blue Demons lost their top two runners from last year, Carrie Porterfield and Jill Johnson.

"Right now, Blacksburg is just better than us," Shelton said. "We'll just hope for the best."

\ BLACKSBURG lost Lynn Price, who won state meet last year, but returning is Sarah Hendricks, who finished second to Price.

Hendricks also won the mile and finished second in the two-mile run in the spring state track meet.

"She's very methodical," said first-year head coach Jack Hencke. "It'll take her a while to get back into shape. She was on vacation for a month and she swam, but she didn't do much running this summer."

Also returning for the Indians are senior Vicki Kappas, junior Carrie O'Rourke, and sophomores Amy Feurerback and Whitney Foutz. Senior transfer Gillian Woolard could make an impact, as could sophomore Catherine Wheeler, who didn't run last year. Hencke said Wheeler could be the team's No. 2 runner.

\ RADFORD has only three runners on its squad this year. The Bobcats are coming off a third-place finish in the New River District last year. Senior Kate Castleberry and junior Sarah Argabrite both competed in the state meet last year, and junior Meghan Crawford rounds out the squad.

\ GILES, which won its second straight Mountain Empire District title and finished fourth in the Group A state meet last year, lost its top two runners in Shannon Dillon and Susan Kirk, but should still be tough to beat.

Senior Jennifer Joffers and junior Katie Walker return, and junior Velvet Francis, sophomore Kendra Blevins and freshman Jessica Clark all will contribute.

"We have a real strong core back," said coach Scott Humphries. "We could be contenders for a third straight title."

\ SHAWSVILLE could contend for the Mountain Empire District title this year. Senior Missy Flight, who ran in the state meet last year, leads the Shawnees. Junior Loressa Mitchum, freshman Kristi Henson, senior Kari Henson and senior Emily Garlick round out the squad.

\ AUBURN has only one girl on the team so far, senior Celia Eicheldinger. She ran in the state meet last year.

\ FLOYD COUNTY has no runners on its squad yet.

"I have some kids who say they're coming out, so we'll have a team," said coach Kathy Wilson-Klatka. "Just a late-start team. The interest is there."

\ PULASKI COUNTY information was unavailable.