Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504200065
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A breakdown of the potential sources of her anxiety:
She's a senior in high school. Need there be any elaboration?
She faces a family conflict about her post-graduation plans. Her mother, Mollie Saunders, is putting on a major push for Tomika to attend college. Tomika wants to follow in the footsteps of her uncles and join the Air Force.
Saunders is the most experienced and talented of all the girls on a good Giles track team. In past years, she could recede into the background, but now she has to be out in front of the parade.
Saunders is poised to step into the spotlight as the dominant sprinter and jumper in Group A Region C.
She's closing in on her older sister, Ginny Parks', school record in the 400 meters, a record that has stood for almost a decade. Parks is trying to psych her out before the record falls.
The bottom line is: Will Saunders be up to it, or will the glare of the bright lights send her scrambling for sunglasses?
So many questions. So little time.
What say you, Tomika?
Saunders appears to be surprised that anybody would be interested.
``It just seems like the same thing as always,'' she said. ``I don't think there's that much pressure.''
Perhaps her definition of pressure varies from the norm.
Giles coach Rusty Kelley makes clear what he has in mind, though.
``In other years, we had enough people that, if Tomika had a bad day, it didn't seem to hurt us that bad,'' he said. ``Now, she's just got to get it done.''
Left unsaid but understood: ``Or else.''
Saunders has remained unflappable. In her biggest meet of the year, the All American Relays, she went out several weeks ago and scored 35 points against Group AA competition by winning the 400 (her best event) and finishing second in the 100, 200, high jump, and triple jump; and fourth in the long jump.
Notice that none of the points came in the 1,600 relay, her favorite event and a race in which she was a member of state champion teams as a freshman and sophomore. Kelley thinks she's of more value to the Spartans in the individual events this year.
``I love the relays because it's being with my friends,'' she said. ``In the individual events there's more pressure because it's just you.''
For Giles, that has often been enough. A year ago at the Mountain Empire District meet, she scored 52 points.
``She's so unselfish, she'll do anything I ask her to do,'' Kelley said.
Saunders is more hard-headed when it comes to her sister's record. Saunders has turned a 1 minute,1 second 400; Parks is a couple of seconds under that.
``Every time she sees me she tells me, 'You aren't going to break that record. You just aren't going to do it,''' Saunders said.
Saunders has been overshadowed in her career, not only by her sister, but also by peers such as Stacey Green of George Wythe and Monica Lucas of Floyd. Now, Green and Lucas have graduated and it's Saunders turn to be the one for whom others take aim.
``I like that; I'm not going to lie,'' she said.
She has a hard time lying about something else, too. Her uncles have her all fired up about being in the Air Force military police.
``She likes the idea of telling people what to do,'' Kelley said.
Saunders just smiles, which is not at all what her mother does when Tomika's uncles start egging her on.
``My mother gets mad at them,'' she said.
If this difference of opinion lasts, give the edge to Tomika. Stamina is her strong suit.
by CNB