Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 30, 1995 TAG: 9507310088
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Certainly, the youngsters made their usual splash during the Duane Whitenack Memorial City/County swim meet that concluded Saturday at Radford University's Dedmon Center Natatorium, but it was the elder statesmen of the Elks Club who gave their team its third consecutive championship in the annual gathering of local swimmers.
The Elks Club, which trailed much of the final day, scored 5,364 points to Roanoke Country Club's 5,092. (Results in Scoreboard. B2)
Just how close is 272 points between teams in a meet where 30 points is awarded for a first-place finish?
``Both teams scored over 5,000 points,'' said David Feldman, a Roanoke Country Club assistant coach. ``You do the math.''
Elks Club continued its City/County streak without the help of some of its best young swimmers, who were competing during the weekend at the Junior Olympics at Hargrave Military Academy.
That meant grizzled meet veterans such as the Hughes brothers - Frank, Richard and Dan; all solid swimmers and all older than 35 - and Jennie Kellinger had to come through with points. They did.
Feldman, a 19-year-old who will be a junior in the fall at Boston University, did his part for Roanoke Country Club by winning two events Saturday. He estimated the Elks Club had 800 more points from its adult divisions (25 and older) than his team.
``The adults put in a lot of points, that's for sure,'' said Frank Hughes, the Elks Club's coach. ``That's why we won.''
Said Roanoke Country Club coach Ashley Roe: ``We've got to recruit more older swimmers.''
That's not to say the Elks Club wasn't buoyed by its youngsters. The Elks' top scorer was 8-year-old Morgan Maxwell, who set four meet records in winning the individual medley, freestyle, butterfly and freestyle in her age group.
Elks Club even got some assistance from a couple of swimmers who were supposed to be out of town. Joshua Shepherd, 12, traveled to Radford from the Junior Olympics and won the butterfly, then returned to Hargrave. Brian Marsh, another swimmer who is participating in the Junior Olympics, showed up Saturday and scored points in the butterfly and freestyle.
``Those families didn't have to do that,'' Hughes said. ``They sacrificed their time and energy. It helped.''
Among other individual stars, Spring Run's Andy Bauman shimmered in claiming records in all five of his events during the weekend.
After setting marks in the 50-meter freestyle, 50 backstroke and 100 individual medley in the boys' 9- and 10-year-old division on Friday, Bauman broke records in the 50 fly and 50 breast stroke on Saturday.
``I thought I could break all five,'' said Bauman, an 11-year-old who will be a sixth-grader in the fall at Cave Spring Junior High School but swims in a younger division because his birthday falls after the June 1 deadline.
Other swimmers who set multiple records during the weekend were Our Lady of Nazareth's Bernetta McGuire in the 9-10 backstroke, freestyle, butterfly and indvidual medley; Blacksburg's Lucille Griffin in the 40-and-over backstroke and butterfly; Spring Run's Christine Hillman in the 25-39 individual medley and breast stroke; Forest Hill's Anne Counsel in two 25-39 freestyle events; Castle Rock's Matthew Smith in the 40-and-over backstroke, individual medley, butterfly and breast stroke; and Hidden Valley's Geoffrey McLeod in the 11-12 individual medley and two freestyle events.
by CNB