Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 12, 1994 TAG: 9405120142
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. Dougherty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
And the New River Valley Bicycle Club has provided an opportunity for riders to enjoy the scenic splendor and historic importance of Southwest Virginia.
To that end, the club is sponsoring the Wilderness Road Bicycle Ride on June 4.
Make that bicycle rides. Riders can take one of three options. The 20-mile ride features gentle hills. The 50-miler has several challenging hills. And the 70-mile ride is more difficult than many century (100-mile) rides.
All three rides begin at the Montgomery Museum in Christiansburg and loop back to town through places such as Rogers, Riner, Snowville, Allisonia, Macadam, Newburn and Radford - depending upon which ride is chosen.
Riders must follow all bicycle and traffic laws. A Snell or ANSI approved helmet is required. Riders can check in from 7 to 9 a.m.
The cost is $10 for an individual or $25 for a family before May 24 and $12 and $30 thereafter. Also, bicycle club members receive a $2 discount. (Club membership is available for $12 per year.)
For more information, call TIM MYERS, club president, at 951-5285.
MORE RIDES: The New River Bicycle Club does more than sponsor the Wilderness Road Ride. Every month, it has a full schedule of events. The club's next meeting is May 31 at 7 p.m. in the community room of the Blacksburg Branch Library.
The club's schedule for the rest of May is listed below. Please note a helmet is required on all rides. Minors must be accompanied by an adult and have a signed waiver from a parent for each ride.
"Spinning With Spanos." Meet Saturday at noon at the Virginia Tech chapel in Blacksburg for this 45-mile jaunt out Harding Road to Virginia 311 and back via Mount Tabor. For information, call J.T. SPANOS at 951-1354.
"Stoney Creek Ride." Meet Sunday at noon at the intersection of U.S. 460 and Virginia 635 in Giles County for this 35-mile ride along beautiful Sandy Creek. For information, call PAUL SMITH at 951-7825.
"Fantastic Floyd Fandango." Meet May 21 at 9 a.m. at the Ellett Valley Food Time for this challenging 90-mile trek to the Blue Ridge Parkway through Pilot and Floyd with return through Indian Valley, Radford and Christiansburg. For information, call STEVE FELDMAN at 382-9125.
"Ride to Commemorate the War of Northern Indigestion." Meet May 21 at 1 p.m. at the Tech chapel for this leisurely 15-mile trip through Ellett Valley with a stop at a Civil War monument. For information, call RICHARD BURTON at 552-5563.
"Audie Murphy Monument Mountain Bike Ride." Meet May 22 at 10 a.m. at the Tech chapel for this long ride along Brush Mountain to the Audie Murphy Monument and return on Mount Tabor Road. For information, call ERIK GRONNING at 951-7618.
"Moonlight Madness Ride." Meet May 24 at 10:59 p.m. at the Ellett Valley Food Time for this monthly munchies run to the Christiansburg Waffle House. Lights are required for this ride. For information, call Meyers at 951-5285 or Feldman at 382-9125.
"Grapevine 75." Meet May 28 at 9 a.m. at Wolf Creek in Narrows for this easy 75-mile sojourn with only one hill over lightly traveled roads. For information, call Smith at 951-7825.
"Sandy Ridge Run." Meet May 29 at noon at the Tech chapel for this 30-mile journey out Sandy Ridge Road and back. For information, call Smith at 951-7825.
"Social Rides." Meet Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at the Tech chapel for this opportunity to bike and talk. Riders decide on the route to be taken.
SOFTBALL SOUNDINGS: Athlete's Choice began the Pulaski Men's Softball League season in a not-so-surprising way. The two-time defending league champion won its first two games.
JEFF REYNOLDS, the league's leading hitter last year, went 5-for-5 with a homer as A.C. beat the Raiders 27-2. STEVE ALLEY and MATT DEAN also homered for Athlete's Choice.
Athlete's Choice used five first-inning home runs to take a lead and held on to beat Satellite Services 19-13. Alley, DAVID BISHOP, DAVID ALDERMAN, RANDY OLVERSON and TONY ALDERMAN went deep in the first inning for A.C. Later, Dean and Reynolds added home runs as well.
Despite all the offense from Athlete's Choice, the hitting star from the first week of league play was BRIAN GOLDEN of Dublin Express Stop/Golden Corral. He had four home runs and seven RBIs in a 14-9 win over the Hustlers. Golden's third homer gave him 100 for his career.
The pitching hero was CLIFFORD MYERS of Sonic Drive In. He pitched the season's first shutout, beating Pulaski Hospital 10-0.
The Floyd Jaycees and Floyd Recreation Authority are cosponsoring a softball tournament this weekend for Class D, Recreation and Church League teams.
The entry fee is $75 per team.
For more information, call KENNY PACK at 745-4855, CHUCK SIMPSON at 651-3044, or the recreation office at 745-9363.
WRESTLING REPORT: Three wrestlers from the Pulaski County Wrestling Club qualified for national competition at the recent Virginia/USA Wrestling Cadet state championships at Pulaski County High School.
JUNIOR OSBORNE finished second in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle at 182.5 pounds. His Greco-Roman loss was to BRANDON MATNEY, who finished seventh at the national meet last year.
LEE PANNELL came in second in Freestyle at 103.5. His loss was to MIKE MERCADO, who placed third in the nation last year.
NAT OLINGER was second in Freestyle at 167.
The trio will be part of Team Virginia at the national tournament July 4-9 in Columbia, Mo.
Cadet wrestlers are 15 and 16 years old. The Freestyle meet drew 135 competitors while 70 wrestlers entered the Greco-Roman portion of the tournament.
ROUNDBALL ROUNDUP: Eighth-seeded Southern States continued its improbable run through the Christiansburg Men's Open Slowbreak Basketball League tournament to its logical conclusion.
Southern States beat No. 7 seed New River Pontiac-GMC-Nissan 76-71 in overtime for the tournament title.
Both had finished the regular season tied for seventh place at 9-6.
The tournament was filled with upsets in the latter rounds. Southern States knocked off regular season champ The Rebels in the second round. And second-seeded Triangle Lanes also failed to make it to the semifinals.
Woodmen of the World added the tournament title to their regular season crown in the Christiansburg Women's Open Slowbreak League. They edged Homer Cox Ford 36-35 in the tournament finals.
SIGN-UPS GALORE: If you don't want to be left out, you had better act quickly. The deadline for registering for several programs offered by the Christiansburg Parks and Recreation Department is fast approaching.
For information on the programs listed below, call ART PRICE, the director of parks and recreation, or CHUCK MUNCY at 382-2349.
Friday is the end of sign-ups for youth beginning bowling and youth bumper bowling lessons. Youth lessons are for ages 7-18. Bumper Bowling lessons are for ages 3-6. Classes will be held at Triangle Lanes in Christiansburg. The cost is $8 for town residents and $13 for non-residents.
May 20 is the last day to get your team into the Men's and Women's Church Softball Leagues. Games will be played Tuesdays and Thursdays. Players must be at least 14 years old. The cost is $200 per team plus $10 for each non-town resident on the roster. Team packets are available at the Christiansburg Recreation Center.
May 20 is also the day registration closes for Dixie Youth Baseball. It is open to youths ages 15-18. The cost is $20 for town residents and $25 for non-residents.
June 3 is the day of decision if you want to go racing. If you want to go to the Mountain Dew Southern 500 on Sept. 4 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C., the cost will be $85. If you want to go to the AC-Delco 500 on Oct. 23 at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., the cost will be $80. The price includes a race ticket and transportation. Registration must end early for these fall races to order the best tickets available.
June 17 is when registration ends for youth beginning and intermediate tennis lessons. The beginning classes teach basic techniques and rules. The intermediate classes cover strategy, stroke development and offer some individualized instruction. Participants are expected to provide their own rackets. The classes will be held at the Christiansburg High School courts. The cost is $20 for town residents and $25 for non-residents.
PUMP YOU UP: Montgomery County Parks and Recreation is offering weight training classes for all ages and experience levels.
There will be a youth class on Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. There will be two adult beginners classes on Monday-Wednesday-Friday from noon to 1 and 6 to 7 p.m. There will be two adult intermediate classes, which require some prior experience, on Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday from noon to 1 and 6 to 7 p.m. And there will be an adult advanced class for those with one year of continuous experience on Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 7 to 8 p.m.
Classes will be held at the Weight Club in University Mall in Blacksburg. Classes begin the week of June 13 and last three weeks.
The cost is $15 for youths and $20 for adults and includes a free T-shirt. Registration ends June 10. For more information, call TIM COONEY or PETE KWAK at the recreation department at 382-6978.
HELP WANTED: The Pulaski Parks and Recreation Department needs umpires for Dixie Youth baseball, Tee-Ball and girls softball. Anyone interested should call EDDIE SUTPHIN at 980-1000 or leave a message on the Sports Information Line at 980-8343.
GOLF GATHERING: The 21st Annual Greater Blacksburg Open will be held June 25-26 at the Blacksburg Country Club. Considered one of the most prestigious golfing events in Southwest Virginia, the GBO is sponsored by the Blacksburg Jaycees and funds numerous community projects. For more information, call KEMP FANT, tournament director, at 382-5379.
The Fourth Annual Gridiron Classic is just around the corner.
The tournament is May 21 at the Municipal Golf Course in Blacksburg. The cost is $140 and proceeds go to the Blacksburg High School football team to be used for equipment, camps or travel for the players.
Play is limited to the first 30 teams which register. The entry deadline is May 16. For more information, call PAUL BOWYER at Blacksburg High School at 951-5706 or the Municipal Golf Course at 961-1137.
by CNB