Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 8, 1994 TAG: 9405080008
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
But every year something gets fouled up, and it isn't always the fault of the sponsoring club. This year it was the gag order imposed on Charlie Briscoe, the meet's public-address announcer.
Briscoe is one of the foremost track and field PA announcers in the East, regularly handling the Atlantic Coast Conference and Group AA state meets. He is best known for a colorful style that adds excitement to a meet. Before the race begins, Briscoe usually announces each participant and the athlete's top performance so fans know who is favored to win. Then, he announces each race as it is run, letting fans know who is doing what on the turns, backstretch, etc.
Much of Briscoe's voice was erased from the Cosmo meet on April 30, after complaints from coaches and athletes that he disturbed field-events participants. Briscoe was told to announce only the start of each event, with no extra remarks or urging the runners on as they raced toward the finish line.
Some of the complaints supposedly came from pole-vaulters. If they can't vault in Salem at the Cosmo with announcements being made, how will they do it during the Group AA meet at James Madison University?
The pole-vault pits are located in front of the grandstand at JMU, where awards are presented at the same time races are being run. Announcements blare over the PA from Briscoe in the press box and another announcer on the field. It's like Grand Central Station, but the vaulters have never complained.
Officials at other meets have not bowed to criticism of Briscoe. One year, a coach approached a Virginia High School League administrator at the Group AA meet, complaining about Briscoe. The administrator, not known to mince words, poked a finger in the coach's chest and told him that until that coach started running the meet, he shouldn't worry about the announcer.
In a Region III meet several years ago, a female runner who hadn't heard Briscoe before that day, said his announcing spurred her in the latter part of a race she won. It certainly wasn't distracting.
The silence April 30 made for a very dull afternoon.
Apparently, the Cosmo organizers didn't want a gag order. Randy Lower, who heads the meet for the Cosmo Club, says he was unaware of what had happened until the meet was over.
"That's why we want Charlie up there," Lower said of Briscoe's style. "It makes for a better meet."
The Cosmo meet's head referee, Lynn Stewart, had to tell Briscoe that his commentary no longer was appreciated. Stewart was only a messenger who didn't agree Briscoe should be silenced.
"A good announcer adds color and excitement to the meet," Stewart said. "I think we need to have some corrections made, get the speakers pointed another way."
Lower, who said Briscoe will be invited back next year to announce the meet his way, was furious with local track coaches for not lending a hand in running this year's meet. At least twice, in one of the announcements Briscoe was allowed to make, he asked coaches to go to the pits and help run the triple jump.
"We had a Cosmo member, Bob Bennett, who ran the long and triple jumps for male and female in two divisions. He's helped us for years, but we had to shut the jumps down a few times because he was doing it alone," Lower said.
"The coaches were just standing around all day doing nothing. Bob said if he didn't get any help next year, he wouldn't stand around all day and work it by himself. I don't blame him."
\ TENNIS CROWN ON LINE: Two of Timesland's youngest boys' tennis teams will meet Tuesday, when North Cross visits Roanoke Valley Christian to determine the Southern Division title in the Virginia Independent Conference.
Roanoke Valley Christian is coached by Joe Surkamer, who started the program four years ago with a team of mainly eighth-graders. Wilson Pasley, a sophomore, plays No. 1 singles, and his brother, Hampton, an eighth-grader, is No. 2 and unbeaten.
Also unbeaten for the Eagles (8-0) are No. 4 Simon Foster, No. 5 Jay Plemmons and No. 6 Mark Delong. Ben Thomas plays No. 3. All six return next year.
North Cross' record is 7-1 overall, but the Raiders are unbeaten in the VIC. The loss came to 1993 Group AA state participant Blacksburg, which has lost only to Salem this year.
The key players for coach Jerry Maycock's team are Stevan Nicholas at No. 1, Louis Davidson at No. 2, Pira Kenithanon at No. 3 and Dave McDaniel at No. 4. North Cross would have been tougher, but eighth-grader K.J. Hippensteel, who is No. 1 in the U.S. Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic Region rankings for his age group (14-and-under) opted to play golf this spring.
Besides the VIC title, the winning team Tuesday also earns the right to serve as host for the conference's team championships Saturday, matching Roanoke Valley Christian and North Cross against the top two teams from the Northern Division.
\ BIG WINNERS: William Byrd spring teams are enjoying quite a year. The Terriers' baseball (14-0), softball (12-1-1) and soccer (11-0) teams had combined for a 37-1-1 record.
Overall, the spring sports teams had a 43-18-1 mark. The boys' tennis squad was 6-4, and the boys' and girls' track teams had won once in 14 meets.
\ BURCH CAN GO HIGHER: Patrick Henry's Randy Burch has cleared 13 feet, 9 inches this spring in the pole vault, yet he couldn't top 13-0 in the Cosmo meet.
Not to worry, coach Jeff Johnson said.
"He's too strong for his pole and he's getting comfortable on it," Johnson said. "He's bending it so much that it's not throwing him [over the bar]."
So Burch is getting a new, stiffer pole.
Johnson predicts Burch will clear 15 feet before the season is over. If the coach is correct, Burch should be in contention for a state title. It took 15 feet to win it a year ago.
by CNB