Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 23, 1995 TAG: 9503230082
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Hall, rated one of the top 10 prospects in Virginia before the season, comes from the same program at Thomas Dale High School in Richmond as Tech running back Ken Oxendine.
Hall, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound wide receiver and defensive back, has not met NCAA guidelines for freshman eligibility and is prepared to enroll in a junior college if he does not qualify for a Division I grant.
Tech, which had made no secret of its desire to add a defensive back, signed three other players who can play in the secondary: teammates Pierson Prioleau (6-0, 185) and Shannon Rice (6-1, 185) from Macedonia (S.C.), and Keion Carpenter (6-0, 170) from Woodlawn High School in Baltimore.
Several schools had Carpenter on hold until he made the required score on the Scholastic Assessment Test. He played quarterback in a wishbone offense and was a free safety on defense, but has the speed to play cornerback in college.
Macedonia coach Philip Morgan said he expects Rice and Prioleau to play in the secondary, although both posted impressive offensive numbers. Prioleau rushed 121 times for 927 yards and scored 18 touchdowns, and Rice had 41 receptions for 641 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Rice scored four touchdowns on defense, two on fumble returns and two on interceptions, and had 71 tackles. Prioleau scored touchdowns on an interception return and a punt return and had 77 tackles.
Rickey Bustle, in his second tour as Tech's offensive coordinator, became aware of Rice and Prioleau while he was at South Carolina this past season. Rice, who was being recruited by Georgia Tech and Wake Forest, is still waiting on test scores. Prioleau is a full qualifier.
The four signees bring Tech's total to 20. The Hokies originally had planned to sign no more than 15 to 17, but five scholarships have become available since the end of the season.
Running back Tommy Edwards and defensive back Baron Spinner decided to transfer, and Tech received medical waivers for offensive lineman Matt Morrell and linebacker Vernon Dozier. In addition, wide receiver Willie Wilkins did not follow through on plans to return to school.
``When the scholarships came available, it made sense to invest them,'' said Tech coach Frank Beamer, who has one more grant at his disposal but doesn't plan to use it. ``These players fit our needs not only in the secondary but down the road at wide receiver.''
PAR FOR THE HOLE: The world's top professional golfers, in Ponte Vedra, Fla., this week for the Tournament Players Championship, could learn something from Beamer, who played the Stadium Course the day after Tech's meeting with Tennessee in the Gator Bowl.
Some accounts have Beamer hitting his tee shot 2 inches from the cup at the island green, No.17, ``but it was more like 8 feet,'' Beamer said. ``I'll tell you this: I didn't get the birdie and I'm not that bad a putter. It was one of those days when I was trying to forget the night before.''
CAVS UNDER WAY: Virginia, which welcomes back 17 starters from last year's 9-3 football team, began spring practice Wednesday. The artificial turf at Scott Stadium is being replaced with natural grass, so the Cavaliers will hold their spring game April 14 at 4:30 p.m. at University of Richmond Stadium.
HALL HAILED: Sophomore Nikki Hall from Glenvar averaged 13.1 points and had a team-high 152 assists for Longwood College, which finished 21-8 and played in the Division III women's basketball tournament for the first time. Hall was named Longwood women's player of the week for the third time after scoring 31 points in two tournament games.
LACROSSE SHOWDOWNS: Washington and Lee's No.4 ranking in Division III men's lacrosse is its highest in six seasons under coach Jim Stagnitta. The Generals (5-1) entertain seventh-ranked Roanoke College (4-2) at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Top-ranked Virginia, whose five victories have come against teams in the Division I top 15, puts its unbeaten record on the line Saturday at second-ranked Johns Hopkins (4-0). UVa sophomore attackman Doug Knight had as many goals in the first four games (18) as he did all of last season.
NCAA CHAMPIONS: Nathan Hottle, a sophomore from near Winchester, won the 200-yard breast stroke and helped Washington and Lee to an 11th-place finish in the men's Division III swimming and diving championships - the Generals' best showing since 1989. W&L broke eight school records and had five first-team All-Americans: Hottle, Frank Braden, Tony Diederich, Craig Sears and David Stillman.
W&L's Rebekah Prince was named first-team All-American after finishing fourth in the 200 backstroke at the Division III women's swimming and diving championships at Wesleyan (Conn.) University.
Blacksburg product Sarah Clements, a freshman at Ashland (Ohio) College, was named All-American after finishing sixth in the 1,650 freestyle and 10th in the 500 in the Division II swimming and diving championships hosted by Ashland.
NON-REVENUE: W&L sophomore tennis player Natalia Garcia has been selected to represent the Dominican Republic in the Federation Cup against Trinidad. Garcia is 5-0 this spring for the Generals, ranked fourth in Division III.
Former Christiansburg High School wrestler Tim Nininger is a victim of Clemson's decision to drop its wrestling program. Nininger, a fourth-year junior in his first season as a starter, began his college career at Arizona State.
VMI will hold its fifth annual spring sports weekend March 31-April 2. Activities include a lacrosse game with Air Force, a track meet with Appalachian State and Temple, baseball games with Western Carolina and an intrasquad football scrimmage. ... An 11-4 start has enabled Ferrum College's baseball program to jump to fourth in the Division III coaches' poll after being ranked 25th in the preseason.
by CNB