Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 1, 1995 TAG: 9506010051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Ollendick, the Timesland girls' athlete of the year in 1992-93, received notification this past week that she would receive a full scholarship to compete in track and field at Virginia Tech.
Ollendick had given up a full ride when she elected to leave Virginia after one year.
``I was told by Tech that [the Hokies] felt they would have a scholarship available and that I would be a candidate to receive one,'' said Ollendick, a track and field standout who also played basketball at Blacksburg High School. ``But, I didn't know for sure until after I got the letter.''
Ollendick was enrolled at Tech this year, but was unable to compete for the Hokies or receive a grant-in-aid because she had not received a release from Virginia.
``They said their policy was not to release an athlete to a conference or in-state school,'' she said. ``If that's the policy for everybody, then it's a little easier to accept.''
Ollendick was recognized as a Virginia Scholar by both schools and had a 4.0 grade-point average at Tech this year after posting a 3.72 GPA at UVa.
``I just didn't feel comfortable there,'' said Ollendick, whose father, Thomas, has been a professor of psychology at Tech since 1980. ``I can't complain about the track, I guess, because I did pretty well. It was the whole atmosphere.''
Ollendick finished third in the heptathlon and was seventh in the high jump at the ACC outdoor track and field championships as a freshman.
Although she was unable to travel or compete for Tech this year, Ollendick, who will have three more years of eligibility, was able to work out with the Hokies and compete unattached.
``I was able to improve my bests in several of the heptathlon events,'' she said.
Ollendick plans to run and lift weights during her trip to Iowa, where she will be a counselor at a camp she attended as a youth. ``I don't know where I'll be able to find a high-jump pit,'' she said, ``but I won't let myself get out of shape.''
TECH-BOUND: d'Carlos Tabb, rated one of the top 25 prospects in Virginia two years ago, has decided to transfer to Virginia Tech from Elon College. Tabb was a first-team All-Group AAA defensive end at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, where he played with current Tech standout Cornell Brown.
Tabb will not begin his Tech career on scholarship, although he will have an opportunity to earn one. He played in nine games for Elon this year and had 27 tackles, including three sacks and three tackles for losses.
COUGARS UPDATE: Pulaski County running back Eric Webb, co-offensive player of the year in Timesland, plans to join Cougars teammate Jon Lilly at Fork Union Military Academy next year. SuperPrep magazine rated Webb and Lilly, a defensive end, among the top 25 prospects in Virginia before the season.
Pulaski County coach Joel Hicks said quarterback and All-Timesland defensive back Andre Eaves will be going to Virginia Union and All-Timesland offensive lineman Chris Lawson is headed to Charleston Southern. Earlier, it was announced that All-Timesland defensive back Tim Davis signed with Boston College.
MILTON CLOSE: Giles High School coach Steve Ragsdale says quarterback Raypheal Milton has applied to Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham. Milton, Timesland co-offensive player of the year with Webb, probably will play defensive back in prep school.
SMALL COLLEGES: Monty Smith, who had a distinguished athletic career at North Cross and Patrick Henry, plans to play football at Hampden-Sydney. ... Chip Brown, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound offensive tackle for Glenvar High School, wants to pursue his career at Randolph-Macon.
FRESHMAN SENSATION: Dominick Millner, a University of Florida freshman from Roanoke, set a personal best of 25 feet, 10 3/4 inches in the long jump and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which started Wednesday in Knoxville, Tenn.
Millner won the Group AAA championship as a senior at William Fleming High School, when his best long jump spanned 24 feet, 5 1/2 inches. He established himself on the college scene by sailing 25-6 in the long jump for a victory at the Penn Relays.
LOCAL UPDATE: Radford University shortstop Kelly Dampeer, a sophomore from Northside High School, has received an invitation to the Olympic Trials starting Tuesday in Memphis, Tenn. Dampeer set season records at Radford for home runs and runs batted in.
by CNB