Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 9, 1994 TAG: 9406090006
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
William Fleming's Dominick Millner and George Wythe's Stacey Green did. Between them, they won five of the nine state crowns won by Timesland athletes in all classifications.
Millner, the Timesland Track Athlete of the Year for boys, won the Group AAA long jump. He won titles in both outdoor and indoor competition, and also wound up second in a meet at Syracuse University this winter featuring many of the nation's best track stars.
Green was a one-person team in terms of points as she won Group A state titles in the long and triple jumps, and the 200-meter dash on her way to scoring 50 of Wythe's 57 points as the Maroons won the team crown. Green is the Timesland Track Athlete of the Year for girls.
Patrick Henry's Jeff Johnson (boys) and Wythe's Lillie Moore (girls) are the coaches of the year.
Johnson's PH team won the Roanoke Valley District and Cosmopolitan championships, and finished fourth in the Group AAA state meet. Moore saw her track team repeat the state title turned in by her volleyball team that made her Timesland's top coach in that sport.
When Millner finished second at Syracuse, it might have been his most important performance of the year. It came in front of college scouts who were looking for talent.
"A graduate of Florida saw me there. He told the coaches and I got a call. I wanted to go up to Syracuse of the exposure," said Millner.
Millner received a partial scholarship, but with other money, all his schooling will be paid for.
While Millner ran the 400-meter dash, did the triple jump and ran a leg on the 1,600-meter relay team that finished fifth in the Group AAA state meet, he'll only do the long jump at Florida.
"It's hard to focus on a lot of events. You can do a lot of events and be competitive, or you do one event and excel," said Millner, who will change his focus.
Millner has improved dramatically the last two years. "Coaches said if I get the right technique [in the long jump], I can be one of the best," said the Fleming star.
Millner easily qualified for his scholarship with a 2.5 grade average and 990 on the Scholastic Assessment Test.
Millner beat out George Wythe's Jason Alexander and PH's Jamie Price for the boys' honor. Alexander, the Timesland Cross Country Runner of the Year in boys, won the 3,200-meter Group A state crown and finished second in the 1,600-meter run. Price was second in the Group AAA 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Green is going to East Tennessee on a track scholarship where she'll be both a jumper and a sprinter. She might be a sleeper coming out of Group A competition, which doesn't have as much exposure as big-time meets in Syracuse or even the Group AAA meet.
Green battled a back injury to have her great year. "I slipped off the long-jump boards at J.J. Kelly, flipped in the air and landed on my back," said Green.
The Wythe star took treatments for the rest of the year and by the end of the season, her back was no longer a factor.
Green's classic race came as she beat King William's Alysia Washington in the 200-meter dash. Washington had already beaten Green in the 100- and 400-meter dashes.
"Last year, she blew me away in the 200," said Green. We had a rivalry, but it was friendly. I just wanted to beat her and I had a lot of confidence going [in this year's 200]."
Green topped Glenvar sophomore Trish Nervo, who blistered the Group A 3,200-meter run in 11:21.1, more than 25 seconds better than the old record..
Johnson has been the girls' Coach of the Year in track, but this is his first time to be so honored for his boys' team.
While Price and Larry Jones (second in long jumping and sixth in the 110-meter hurdles) dominated the state meet for all of PH's points, Johnson had a strong team.
"Some of the kids were disappointed they didn't place in the state. If it wasn't for their efforts throughout the season, we wouldn't have been in as good a position as we were for the state. Two years ago, we were next-to-last in the district and won only two or three dual meets," said Johnson of how far his team came.
Johnson beat out Fleming's Rudy Dillard and Wythe's Donnie Pruitt for boys' track coaching honors. Dillard did one of his best coaching jobs as a young Fleming team finished third in the Group AAA Northwest Region and a close second to PH in the Cosmo and RVD meets. Pruitt's Wythe team on Region C and Hogoheegee District titles.
Moore went right from volleyball to track and the beat of a state champion continued.
"I still haven't been able to separate it all in my mind. I know kids involved on both teams. They had one day to celebrate volleyball and the next day we were back to practice track," said Moore.
This was Moore's 19th year at Wythe. "I used to say years ago, I'd go 20 and see what happens. As long as children enjoy this, are willing to work and willing to accomplish something, I'm willing to help them."
Salem's Tom Roth was a runner-up for coaching honors after the Spartans took the Region III championship.
by CNB