Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 6, 1994 TAG: 9409070101
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Long
Wilson's numbers problem, however, is one other coaches would love to have.
While rivals in the Three Rivers District and other Group A leagues search harriedly for harriers, Floyd County has 17 runners on the boys' team. That's more athletes than most Group A schools have in their boys' and girls' programs combined.
``A school this size [approximately 400 students] usually doesn't have this many people out for cross country,'' Wilson says. ``This has been really different. It's nice.''
The Buffaloes will field two boys' teams for some meets. The Three Rivers - a first-year league made up of Floyd County, Giles, Radford, Shawsville and Auburn - probably will be overrun by this Buffalo stampede.
Floyd County, which has only two runners on its girls' squad, struggled with a low turnout for the boys' team last season. The Buffaloes had seven boys on the varsity roster. This year, a few team members went on a public relations campaign to get more people out for the team.
``Last year it was so bad we made posters that said, `Come out and run,''' says Ben Cooke, a junior this year. ``We didn't think we were going to have enough [runners]. ... I have a lot of friends who have never run before. I told them that they could do it. I told everybody they should come out.''
It seems everyone took Cooke's advice. Some of the new runners had never competed in distance events until this month, so there's a wide gap between the best runners on the team and everyone else.
Some of the guys obviously are on the team just for the fun of it. When the team took a jog down the track for a photograph, a few pranksters were preoccupied with the gag of pulling down the shorts of the runners in front of them.
Ah, boys will be boys.
``It can be a little distracting [running in a large group],'' says Aaron Ott, who attended Christiansburg last year and ran for a squad that was the runner-up in Group AA.
For the most part, the large turnout has been good for the team, which should be the best in the Three Rivers and one of the best in Region C. Several runners who never had to fight for their spots have turned their performances up a notch because of the healthy competition.
``Nobody was pushed last year,'' says assistant coach Lee Wells, who worked with Floyd's distance runners during outdoor track season.
Cooke, Ott and senior Jason Morisco really don't need much prodding. Cooke placed second in the 3,200-meter run at the Group A championships in the spring, and Morisco and Ott were among the top six in the 1,600.
The Buffaloes also should get consistent performances from Andrew Weeks and freshman Ryan Turman.
``I think we want to make a run at the state [championship],'' Cooke says. ``This team is better than any team we've ever had.''
Giles lost Rickie Jennings, the Group A runner-up, to graduation, but Jason Hoffman and Brian Rundgren are back. Stephen Hypes and Jason Porterfield also figure to do well, but it doesn't appear the Spartans, who have only five boys on the team, have the numbers to beat Floyd County.
On the other hand, Shawsville may have the depth to give Floyd County a run for its money in the Three Rivers. The Shawnees have an experienced squad with six returning runners led by seniors Keith Armour and Alex Sedinger, and juniors Doug Ashworth, Tim Donathan and Joe Whilcher. Freshman Henry Gibson has been impressive in preseason workouts and could be among Shawsville's top four on a consistent basis. The Shawnees' future looks bright with some balance in the program; Shawsville has two seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen on the squad.
At the moment, it appears Radford will only have two boys out for cross country - Stephen Murphy, who could be one of the Three Rivers' best runners, and Mike Fisher.
Auburn will not have a complete team this year, but junior Justin Mosby will compete as an individual. Mosby qualified for the Group A meet last year. Nathaniel Reed, a sophomore, also will compete as an individual.
Christiansburg again will be the team to beat in the New River District and Region IV, but the Blue Demons, who have won five consecutive district and region titles, will be challenged by Blacksburg this year. Christiansburg, as usual, harbors hopes of winning the Group AA title, which it won in 1989, 1990 and 1991. The Blue Demons, who finished just three points behind state champion Handley last year, have been state runners-up the past two seasons.
Christiansburg has three runners who placed among the state's top 20 a year ago: senior Kevin Nolan (sixth), junior Michael Lee (19th) and junior Robby Rakes (20th). The team will be bolstered by senior Todd Jennings and freshman Matt Nolan, Kevin's younger brother.
``We have a lot of people back,'' says Steve Shelton, the Blue Demons' coach, ``so I'm hoping we won't miss a beat.''
Blacksburg should be right on Christiansburg's heels. The Indians have everyone back from a team that finished ninth in the state last year, including Scott Shepherd, a junior who was 16th individually. Another junior, David Williams, will be in Blacksburg's top five on a consistent basis.
The Indians have six seniors on a 19-man roster who will vie for top-five slots. Dave Brown likely will be among Blacksburg's top two or three runners, and fellow upperclassmen David Doughty, Jeff Hendricks and Ken Hincker bring experience to the squad.
``We expect to do pretty well,'' said Jack Hencke, Blacksburg's coach. ``We would like to finish in the top three of the region and come home with a trophy from state.''
Pulaski County, which competes in the Group AAA Roanoke Valley District, did not provide information for this preview.
Memo: NOTE: Also ran in September 8, 1994 Current.:wq!