Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995                   TAG: 9507170099
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THOMAS LIKES VIEW FROM TOP OF MOUNTAIN

Saturday, he was at the top of the cycling standings looking down on everyone else.

Thomas, a Roanoker, posted the fastest time in the Hill Climb up Mill Mountain during the Commonwealth Games of Virginia. In winning the Category 3 division, Thomas, 21, outpedaled guys from higher classifications, making it up the 2-mile course in 9 minutes, 42.8 seconds.

The win helped erase the lingering memories of last spring's Saturn Hill Climb up the same course. Thomas missed that race when he got caught in a storm while riding his motorcycle back from visiting family in Staunton.

Thomas has trained on the Mill Mountain course. He said his best time on the course is 8:53.

``It was too hot today,'' said Thomas. ``The heat gets your heart rate up and tires you out.''

The heat and the climb took its toll on the only three Category 1 cyclists in the event, all of whom finished well behind Thomas.

When Thomas was awarded his gold medal, those cyclists jokingly bowed toward Thomas and exclaimed, ``We're not worthy.''

HOT TOPIC: The heat was still a concern for Games officials, although most athletes seemed to be coping well.

``We're getting along probably better than expected,'' said Dr. John Heil, the Games director of sports medicine.

Heil said he knew of a couple of athletes - a softball player and a soccer player - who were treated for ``mild heat injuries,'' which Heil said were not serious.

OFF TARGET: Several archers at Green Hill Park shot arrows into the air, which fell to earth they knew not where. Officials at Games headquarters in the Holiday Inn-Tanglewood received a strange request Saturday: the archery competition was in need of a metal detector.

Several shooters who overshot their targets could not find their arrows in the grass. Most of the park had been mowed recently, but the grass behind the targets was still fairly high.