Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 22, 1995 TAG: 9502220059
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Special Olympics provides sports training and competition for adults and children with mental retardation. The tournament had full-court team, half-court team and individual skill contests.
"I liked it," said BUDDY BISHOP, who is a fixture at Radford University and high school games and played on the Blacksburg Braves. "I like the people. And I know some people at Tech."
The event opened with a parade of athletes and closed with the presentation of awards. In between, there was a lot of basketball played and a lot of friendships made and renewed.
In team competition, the Blacksburg Bobcats won Full Court Division 4. Meanwhile, in Half Court Division 4, the Pulaski Cougars came in second, the Blacksburg Tigers third and the Blacksburg Braves fourth.
In the individual skills competition, JOHN DICKEY of Blacksburg won Division 9 while MIKE JONES of Pulaski and ERIC GREENBERG of Blacksburg finished 1-2 in Division 11.
The games also benefited from their new venue and from the volunteer efforts of residents and a large contingent of Tech and Radford students..
"It's been wonderful having it here in the coliseum," said MARY DEE BOEMKER, the Area 9 chairwoman. "We've been at War Memorial Gymnasium before. We get a lot of spectators and there wasn't room for them there. Here, there is room for all kinds of spectators."
As a warm-up to the games, three competitors got to participate in "Press Your Luck" - Tech's halftime promotional shooting contest - at the Virginia Tech-Tulane men's basketball game Saturday. And Sunday, the men's basketball team, as well as the women's volleyball and soccer squads, stopped by to meet the athletes and sign autographs.
The next Special Olympics competition is the track and field games in April.
ROUNDBALL ROUNDUP: And then there were two. Dublin Express Stop and L.R. Davis finished the regular season tied for the top spot of the Pulaski Men's Basketball League at 13-1.
DES earned a share of the title as CHARLES ARNOLD nailed 28 points in a 96-68 win over C&L Campers. And L.R. Davis put six players in double figures as it turned back the Bad Boys 96-60. TIM GOETZ led with 23 points.
However, Stevens Funeral Home (12-2) failed to make it a three-way deadlock. It was upset by Pulaski Hospital 67-66. MIKE HUDSON scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half to lead PCH.
Elsewhere around the league, TONY PICKETT of Pepsi Cola became the 16th player in league history to top the 2,000-point plateau for his career.
Individual honors for the regular season went to WALTER BROOKS and RANDY OLVERSON. Brooks of C&L Campers led the league in scoring with 28.5 points per game. Olverson of Stevens had a league-high 60 three-pointers for the season.
Hoopsters (5-0) stayed unbeaten in the Blacksburg Men's A League with an 81-59 victory over Electro-Tec. CHIP WALTON led the Hoopsters with 20 points. First National Bank (4-1) stayed close with a 114-82 win over Kroger behind 27 points from JOEY WHITAKER.
Travel Squad clinched a tie for the league title in the Blacksburg Men's B League. MARK WALLACE and SCOTT REED each scored 21 points as T-Squad (8-0) knocked off Shelor's 71-65. Shelor's and Federal Mogul are tied for second at 6-2 with two games left.
Christiansburg Motors and First National Bank are tied atop the Christiansburg Men's Open Slowbreak League at 5-1.
Christiansburg Motors won the meeting between the two 41-36. Then, C-Motors lost to Corning 63-55.
Three other teams have just one loss: Southern States (4-1), Stone's Cafe (3-1) and Woodmen of the World (3-1).
New River Pontiac-GMC-Nissan (5-0) is the lone unbeaten team in the Christiansburg Men's Over-28 Slowbreak League. It edged second-place Shelor 33-32.
Christian Growth Center (5-0) remained perfect in the Christiansburg Church Slowbreak League with a pair of victories.
The Warriors (12-0) completed the season with an unblemished record in the Pulaski 15-and-under Girls League. MELISSA "MOUSE" BLEVINS scored 18 points as they downed the Lakers 30-27 for their 27th straight victory. Blevins led the league in scoring, averaging 16.4 points.
RUNNERS' WORLD: The Blacksburg Classic is almost here. The March 4 race includes a 10-miler, a 5-K and a one-mile fun run.
The course begins and ends at Good Shepherd Church of the Brethren at Price Fork Road and Heather Church in Blacksburg. The runs start at 10 a.m.
The cost is $10 for the competitive runs until Saturday, then $12 until the race and $20 on race day. Registration includes a T-shirt. The fun run costs $7 with a T-shirt or $3 without one.
For more information, call BEN LINSTID at 232-3396 or HANS BERNHARDT at 961-3006 (evenings).
ON TARGET: Triangle Archers of Blacksburg will hold another of its indoor winter tournaments Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Single-spot and 5-spot National Field Archery Targets will be used. The fee is $6 for the first round and $3 for each additional round.
Triangle Archers is at 2612 Ramble Road. For information, call JIM OVERFELT at 552-8023.
SIGN-UP TIME: Registration continues through Feb. 28 for spring adult volleyball in Blacksburg.
There will be six leagues with a maximum of eight teams each. The Men's Power League will play on Monday; the Women's A and B Leagues on Tuesday; the Co-ed A Power League on Wednesday; and the Co-ed B Divisions 1 and 2 on Thursday. Matches begin the week of March 13.
The cost is $60 per team, plus $5 for each nonresident and a $10 forfeit fee.
For more information, call the Recreation Department at 961-1135.
Registration runs through March 10 for weight training classes with the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department.
The class is geared toward the beginner and intermediate level of weight training. Instruction will be included in free weights, weight machines and aerobic training. Classes will be at the Weight Club in University Mall in Blacksburg. Two sessions will be offered: Monday-Wednesday-Friday and Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday. Each class will consist of nine sessions.
Youth classes will be from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and cost $15. Adult classes will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and cost $20.
For more information, call the department at 382-6978.
Registration for some youth programs in Christiansburg and Radford is nearing an end.
In Christiansburg, Friday is the last day to sign up for volleyball leagues and clinics. Meanwhile, tee ball, youth baseball and youth softball registration continues through March 3. For information on these programs, call the Christiansburg Parks and Recreation Department at 382-2349.
Meanwhile, in Radford, March 3 is the closing date for soccer, tee ball, baseball and softball registration. For more on these programs, call the Radford Recreation, Parks and Playground Commission at 731-3633.
SWIMMING ALONG: Two members of the Blacksburg Masters team travelled to Richmond recently for the Virginia Masters Winter Invitational:
JAMES WOLFLE won the Men's 25-29 200-meter backstroke and 50 freestyle, and finished second in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly.
JIM LIGOURI won the Men's 20-24 100-meter freestyle, 500 freestyle and 100 butterfly and finished second in the 200 individual medley.
Masters swimming is a fitness-based swimming program for adults 19 and older. For more information, call Wolfle at 951-4964.
by CNB