Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 11, 1995 TAG: 9506120040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Two years ago, Crystal Wilson transferred to Roanoke from Hastings (Neb.) College in hopes of becoming closer to her father. This year, Dunagan has a promising point guard coming from Gorham, Maine.
Dunagan has enjoyed much of her recruiting success closer to home and this year will be welcoming 5-foot-6 Carrie McConnell from Pulaski County, 5-6 Sandy Hudson from Franklin County and 5-3 Toree Morris from Glenvar. McConnell had two Division I scholarship offers.
The most unusual story involves Alexis Riseman, a 5-3 guard who was recommended to Roanoke by the coach at the University of Southern Maine, which was practicing at Roanoke before a game this past season at Ferrum.
``The girl had an interest in athletic training and knew about Roanoke from catalogs,'' Dunagan said. ``The coach at Southern Maine said he'd love to have her, but knew he couldn't.''
Dunagan also has players on the way from Fairport, N.Y.; Saint Simon's Island, Ga.; and Kensington, Md.
``Nothing is given in Division III,'' Dunagan said. ``Some of these contacts are made by accident, but it's what you do with them once you've got them.''
Local recruits continue to be the lifeblood of smaller women's programs such as Roanoke and Ferrum, where coach Donna Doonan considers her six-player class to be one of the best in her 19 years as the Panthers' coach.
Marilea Hale, named the most valuable player at Glenvar the past two seasons, will join 6-1 Patty Campbell from Franklin County and four other players from either Virginia or West Virginia.
There will be playing time available for Campbell and 6-foot Carey Jarvis from Richmond with the departure of the leading shot-blocker in Division III, Tamiko Martin, the only starter gone from a 19-7 team.
Hollins, which traditionally gets student-athletes from a wider area, expects 5-6 Tanya Holmes from Northside and 5-10 Angie Johnson from James River to contribute. But coach Kelli Kennedy's most noteworthy recruit might be point guard Shelly Neal, a rare Division I transfer.
Neal, from Cincinnati, was recruited by Hollins last year before deciding to attend Marietta (Ohio) College. A few days after enrolling, she transferred to Cincinnati, where she joined the basketball team as a non-scholarship player.
``The coach at Cincinnati said she would have contributed in one or two years,'' Kennedy said. ``If she could have made a difference there, she'll make a huge difference here. All of these recruits are basketball players. They're not just walking into Hollins and saying, `Hmmm, I might like to try this.'''
Washington and Lee, which has had a varsity women's basketball program for two years, has a six-player class headed by four-year team MVP Chrissie Burghardt from Rockaway, N.J., and 5-11 Brooke Easton, who averaged a double-double at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Day.
In Division I, All-Timesland guard Kim Hairston from Bassett and 6-1 Kim Cruise from Pulaski County are integral parts of a six-player recruiting class at Radford. Virginia Tech and Virginia each signed three players during the fall and stopped at that point.
``We had three more scholarships we could have given,'' said Hokies coach Carol Alfano, who redshirted 6-6 freshman Stacy Brown, ``but that's just too many bodies. We had 14 [players] this year and 12 or 13 is a more manageable number.''
by CNB