Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408250010
SECTION: DISCOVER PAGE: 100 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Two NCAA championships, a world-class cycling race and a professional hockey team all made their debuts in the valley in 1993-94 and even more new events are in the works.
In addition, a wide assortment of other sports - both amateur and professional - are available in the valley to appease the sports enthusiast.
Roanoke has had several hockey teams over the years; however, the Roanoke Express opened its first season as an expansion franchise in the East Coast Hockey League with new ownership and management and a new home facility.
The Express posted a 37-28-3 overall record in its inaugural season, finishing fifth in the East Division. The team advanced to the ECHL playoffs, but lost to Raleigh, N.C., in the first round.
The Express, which hopes to retain the San Jose Sharks as an NHL affiliate, averaged 4,653 fans for 34 regular-season home dates at the 8,372-seat Roanoke Civic Center.
Adult tickets range from $6 to $8.50. Tickets for students and senior citizens are $5, and children 12 and under are $4.
Salem is quickly becoming known as the capital for NCAA Division III championships.
The title game for Division III football, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, sold out in its first appearance in Salem last December. A crowd of 7,304 braved biting temperature, wind and snow to watch Mount Union (Ohio) beat Rowan (N.J.) 34-24. The crowd was the largest in the past decade of the event's 21-year history.
The Stagg Bowl will be played at least two more years at Salem Stadium. This year's event will kick off at noon on Dec. 10. Tickets, available through the Salem Civic Center box office and all Ticketmaster locations, are $8 in advance, $10 on game day and $5 for high school students and youths.
The Stagg Bowl matches the finalists of a 16-team national tournament and is scheduled to be televised on ESPN for the second straight year.
The Division III softball national championship provided plenty of fast-pitch action for four days in May at Salem's Moyer Complex.
Trenton State (N.J.) emerged from the six-team field as the national champion for the second time in the past three years and fifth time overall. The Lions edged Bridgewater State (Mass.) 6-5 in the title game.
The tournament is expected to return in 1996. Meanwhile, Salem will host the Division II softball championship in 1995.
Salem has also been recommended as the site of the Division III men's basketball Final Four in 1996 and 1997 and the Division III baseball World Series in 1995-97. The basketball tournament will be played at the 5,800-seat Salem Civic Center and the baseball will likely take place at Salem's proposed 6,000-seat stadium. The stadium, approved for construction in July, is expected to be completed in time for the opening of the 1994 Carolina League season.
The Salem Buccaneers, a Class A-advanced affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League, currently play a 70-game home schedule at Municipal Field in Salem.
The Bucs compete in the Southern Division of the Carolina League from April through September. The league includes eight teams from North Carolina, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
Most Bucs home games start at 7 p.m. Ticket prices are $5 (box); $4 (reserved); $3 (general admission); $1 off for children 12 and younger and for senior citizens.
In May, the Roanoke Valley played host to Stage 5 of of the 12-day Tour DuPont, America's premier cycling event, for the first time.
The terrain in Roanoke city, Roanoke County and Salem provided a rigorous route for an individual time trial, which was a major turning point in the 1,085-mile race from Wilmington, Del., to Winston-Salem, N.C.
Blacksburg hosted a stage finish for the Tour DuPont and Wytheville provided a stage start. All three areas have officials working to get stops on the 1995 race route.
In July, more than 7,000 amateur athletes flocked to the Roanoke Valley to compete in the Commonwealth Games of Virginia, sponsored by Roanoke-based Virginia Amateur Sports.
The Games, in their fifth year, featured 41 competitions in 36 sports, allowing participants and fans the opportunity to view a variety of events ranging from archery to wrestling.
The Roanoke Valley Horse Show is one of the most popular events of the summer. The event, held in June at the Salem Civic Center, attracts the country's top horses and riders. The weeklong event is punctuated with the Grand Prix of Roanoke, which boasted a total purse of $75,000 this year.
The United States Tennis Association women's circuit makes an annual stop at Hunting Hills Country Club in July. The USTA Women's Circuit of Roanoke features some of the nation's top college players as well as professionals trying to work their way up in circuit rankings.
The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs (70 miles from Roanoke) will be the site of the 1994 U.S. Women's Amateur golf championship. The USGA event is scheduled for Aug. 8-13 at the Cascades Course and will be the sixth national golf championship to be played at The Homestead.
The Moyer Complex in Salem plays host to several national softball tournaments in the summer. The USSSA (United States Slowpitch Softball Association) men's Major National Invitational Tournament was in July (22-24). The National Softball Association (NSA) men's Fastpitch World Series will be Aug. 26-28 and the Slowpitch World Series will be Sept. 16-18. The Dixie Debs World Series (girls' fastpitch) took place Aug. 5-11. The USSSA girls' Mid-Atlantic Championships are scheduled for Sept. 2-5.
The Salem Civic Center has been home to the the Old Dominion Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament for 14 years. This season, the men's tournament will take place Feb. 18-20, 1995, and the women will compete Feb. 23-25.
The Salem Civic Center will also serve as host to the Virginia High School Group A and AA girls' basketball championships Dec. 2-3, and the Group A and AA state wrestling championships March 3-4, 1995.
The Roanoke Valley offers several opportunities for auto racing fanatics. Franklin County Speedway in Callaway holds races on Saturdays from April through September in Late Model, Street Stock, Mini Stock, Pure Stock and Rookie divisions. New River Valley Speedway in Radford also features Saturday races in Late Model Stock, Limited Sportsman, Modified Mini Stock and Pure Stock divisions.
Besides a full schedule of high school athletics, there are many colleges in the area that offer a variety of sports. Among the colleges within a two-hour drive are Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Military Institute, Radford, James Madison, Roanoke College, Washington and Lee and Ferrum.
Other events that give Roanoke sports fans plenty of spectator options include: the Viking Lanes Ladies Pro Bowling Tour Regional Open, the Crestar Roundball Classic, the Crestar Festival Soccer Tournament, the Scott Robertson Memorial Junior Golf Tournament, the Chance Crawford Benefit Slow-Pitch Tournament, the WDBJ-7 Festival Cup Bicycle Race and the Dominion Run.
by CNB