
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 15, 1995                   TAG: 9501170057
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: D-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TECH OFF TO A RUNNING START IN TRACK

The Virginia Tech mens' track and field team opened its season with a first-place finish in an open invitational held in Rector Field House.

The Hokies led the six-team field with 154 points, 36 better than second-place James Madison. Tech sophomore Nick DeLuca won the shot put with a throw of 48 feet, one-half inch. Chris Cursi won the high-jump competition with a leap of 6-4.

Virginia Tech's women finished fifth out of eight teams with 60 points. Appalachian State won the meet with 120.5. Junior Meredith Newby set a Tech indoor record by winning the 20-pound weight competition with a throw of 49 feet, 53/4 inches. Detra Edmunds also set a Tech indoor record in the triple jump with her second-place leap of 40 feet.

In other sports news in the region:

The Patrick Henry boys' track team finished third at the Keydet Invitational held on the campus of VMI. Larry Jones led the Patriot charge by finishing first in the long jump and third in the 55-meter hurdles. Jamie Price finished second in the 55-meter dash, and both Jones and Price, along with Rahem Barnwell and Roshaun Martin, were on the second-place 800 relay team.

William Fleming's boys finished 14th, bolstered by the third-place finish (8:47) by the 3,200 relay team of Jeron Byers, Brent Elliot, Lujuan Lee, and Akil Majied. The Fleming girls finished 10th, with Michelle Watson placing third in the 55-meter dash. Watson, Yvette Jackson, Terrell Holland and Joann Thomas finished third in the 800 relay.

Blacksburg's girls finished with 18 points after Sarah Hendrick came in second in the mile with a time of 5:28.1.

Jenny Johnson, 13, of Roanoke, finished first in qualifying for the 1,650-yard event at the Senior State Gamecocks Aquatic Swim Meet held at the University of South Carolina.

Johnson finished with a time of 16 minutes, 42 seconds competing against swimmers 18 and under. Her clocking was two seconds off an Olympic-qualifying time.

Brian Marsh, a Roanoke 17-year-old, missed qualifying for the 400 individual medley despite winning his heat with a time of 4:01, two seconds too slow.

by CNB