Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 3, 1993 TAG: 9311030007
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Scott Blanchard
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The men's and women's teams were scheduled to have been eliminated this year but were given a year's reprieve in February when Tech launched a comprehensive study of Title IX, the 21-year-old law that bars gender discrimination by institutions that receive federal aid.
Swimming scholarship money was frozen this year and coach Wayne Norris must wait until February before he knows whether he can recruit anybody - whether or not with a scholarship. By February, Tech athletic director Dave Braine must write the blueprint for Tech's adherence to Title IX.
Tech's study of Title IX recommended the Hokies achieve male-female equity in scholarships, facilities and opportunities in proportion to the male-female student population, which is 59 percent male to 41 percent female. The gap in allocation of athletic resources is much wider, favoring male athletes.
Braine's plan could take many routes, including adding sports, cutting sports or both.
"We'll come up with what we feel like is a logical way to move forward," Braine said.
Meanwhile, Norris' recruiting is in neutral. He said Tech's athletic administration has told him he may promise scholarship money left over from graduating women, but not from graduating men - a sign, Norris says, that the women's program may be safer than the men's.
So, Norris said, he has had phone contact with six or seven women swimmers but only one male.
"If they're saying it's staying and giving us scholarships, we do have another signing date in April. We can kind of try to scrape something together," Norris said. "The ideal thing is to sign [swimmers] in November, because that's when the better kids are available.
"I think [the administration] understands the situation. They're not holding me out or dangling me. They're being very, very cooperative."
That, however, does little to lift the uncertainty that surrounds the swim teams.
"I've got to try to answer questions," Norris said.
\ RECORD FALLS: In volleyball, Tech outside hitter Heather Berglund broke the Metro Conference career dig record Oct. 19 when she had 16 digs in a loss against Metro opponent UNC Charlotte. Berglund, a senior from Englewood, Colo., has 1,626 digs, 20th on the all-time NCAA list. She broke Lisa Pikalek's Tech and Metro records. Berglund has 1,521 kills, second all-time at Tech and seventh in Metro history.
\ CONSOLATION: Tech's cross country teams didn't win the Metro meet last weekend but did place four runners on the all-Metro team, which requires a top-10 finish: senior Joe Edwards, sophomore George Probst, freshman Marshall Ferguson and sophomore Melissa Ward.
\ NOTABLE: Swimmer Collins Trimble had a couple of good outings last week. In Tech's victory over Davidson, Trimble won the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke; in a loss to East Carolina, he won the 200-yard individual medley and 200-yard butterfly and was second in the 200-yard backstroke.
\ UPCOMING IN BLACKSBURG: Volleyball - James Madison, 7 p.m. Nov. 9. Men's soccer - South Florida, 2 p.m. Nov. 7. Women's soccer - James Madison, 3 p.m. Nov. 3.
by CNB