Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 30, 1995 TAG: 9505020057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The weather was great and the finishes even better.
The 30th running of the Cosmopolitan Club Invitational track meet saw the races for both the boys' and girls' titles decided by the day's final event, the 1,600-meter relay.
Cosmo newcomer Christiansburg grabbed the girls' crown when its team of Pam Jones, Kim Bishop, Leslie Cosgriff and Sarah Slikker overcame William Fleming to win by one point, 104-103.
Fleming's boys didn't squander a one-point lead they held over both Patrick Henry and Christiansburg. The team of Ron Byers, Fenn Crutchfield, Waris Wade and Charles Burnette ran away from the field to secure the Colonels' 20th championship
Christiansburg, a Group AA state contender this year for both titles, added spice to the one of the state's oldest track meets and nearly pulled off a double win.
``We just don't have the numbers a Group AAA team has that can go and pull a meet out like this,'' Christiansburg boys' coach Randy Bailey said. ``But we're pleased with what happened.''
So was Christiansburg girls' coach Norma Cox, who watched Slikker make up about 20 yards in the last leg of the 1,600 to limp home with the race win and team title.
``I don't know how I caught up,'' Slikker said while icing her left knee. ``I did gymnastics for six years and wore down my cartilage. I think it will eventually be OK.''
``We thought we had a chance to be in the top three,'' Cox said. ``I thought there was no way for Sarah [to win] and then they got to the second curve of the lap and the leader started slipping.''
Christiansburg got double victories from Maureen Jackson (shot, discus) and Bethany Eigel (1,600, 3,200).
Fleming's effort was led by Michelle Watson, who won the 100, 200 and 400 dashes and finished third in the long jump. ``I wanted to see if I could win three events by myself,'' said Watson, who gave up relays to run dashes.
Fleming's boys won the school's first Cosmo crown since it swept the 1990 championships.
The girls' hurdles featured some of the day's best races, involving Salem's Cynthia Lundstrum and Amy Pitts and Franklin County's Sandy Hudson.
Lundstrum won the 100 hurdles, Hudson the 300.
Hudson, a senior who played basketball and gave up running indoor track, says she's improving.
``I hope to place in the state,'' said Hudson, who failed to do so as a junior after finishing sixth as a sophomore.
In the distance events, Eigel beat Glenvar's Trish Nervo twice by substantial margins in a duel of two of the state's best cross country runners. Nervo had beaten Eigel in the 3,200 earlier this season, but the Blue Demon senior sped away after three laps Saturday.
``It's good to beat someone like Nervo, but my main focus today was on time,'' Eigel said.
``She's good, that's all there is to it,'' Nervo said. ``I was happy with my times. I'm running well, much better than I did last spring.''
In the boys' dashes, Patrick Henry's Jamie Price won the 100 and 200 easily over Christiansburg's Andra Beasley and Northside's Dee Shovely. Price set a record in the 200 with a time of 21.58.
``It's always good to run in front of hometown people, but there are tougher days ahead,'' said Price, referring to the state meet where he'll try to better last year's two second-place finishes.
``I was trying to get a better time, but I was basically the same as I've been doing,'' said Beasley, who also won the long jump and finished second in the triple jump.
Salem high jumper Faisal Kahn's high jump of 6 feet, 7 inches was far from a meet record, but good enough to make this unknown a state contender if he can do it again.
``I haven't run track since ninth grade, but I just felt like doing it,'' Kahn said. ``I was Salem's drum major and I was busy with the band.''
Staunton River's Ronnie Goff won the 800 and 400 and anchored the Golden Eagles' winning 3,200-meter relay team to become the first triple winner for Staunton River.
by CNB