Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 12, 1995 TAG: 9511130097
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: THE PLAINS LENGTH: Medium
But for Glenvar cross country star Trish Nervo, it was almost a secondary goal. She's looking for stronger competition.
``At the point I've reached, I really want to try to compete with the triple-A [girls],'' said Nervo.
She's already there.
With a whopping cushion of 1 minute, 42.3 seconds, Nervo coasted to her fourth Group A cross country crown, a state record. Her time of 18:13.0 was just 2.8 seconds slower than the Group AAA champion, Jackie Kerr of Thomas Jefferson.
Nervo and Kerr were two of six individual titlists determined at the Virginia High School League cross country state championships held at Great Meadow on Saturday. Girls' and boys' competitions in Group AAA, Group A and Group AA, respectively, were staggered at 45-minute intervals.
Conditions were challenging on the 3.1-mile grass track, as intermittent rain and forceful winds muddied the course and slowed the times.
Timesland runners fared well, as Floyd County's Ben Cooke (Group A boys) and Blacksburg's Sarah Hendricks (Group AA girls) joined Nervo as first-place finishers. In the team competition, the Christiansburg boys won Group AA for the second consecutive year and fifth in the past seven.
But Nervo's performance was arguably the highlight of a meet that included nearly 1,000 runners. No other winner beat the second-place runner by more than 32 seconds.
``It's never been done, not at single-A, not in Virginia,'' said Nervo, referring to the fourth consecutive title. But she predicted that Kerr, a junior who won Group AAA for the third time, will match Nervo's feat next year.
Kerr and Nervo ran head-to-head in last year's South Regional championships in Charlotte.
``She was first and I was sixth,'' Nervo said. ``We were separated by about 12 seconds.''
This year's South Regional is Nov. 25.
Centreville won the Group AAA girls' team title, with three individuals in the top 10.
The fastest time in any division Saturday was turned in by West Springfield junior Sharif Karie, who placed first among Group AAA boys in 15:14.7. Karie moved to the United States from Somalia in August 1993, and finished fourth in Group AAA last year.
West Springfield won the team Group AAA boys' crown, as three of Karie's teammates placed in the top 21.
Karie said he never had run in organized competition before moving to this country.
Cooke led the Buffaloes to a second-place boys' team finish in Group A, behind Central High School of Woodstock.
Blacksburg's Hendricks outran last year's champ, Colleen Crawford from Abingdon.
``I decided to relax, be confident, and go,'' said Hendricks, who placed seventh in the state as a junior.
``I'd beaten [Crawford] in the regional [this year], so I felt I could do it again. It was windy out there, but it was great - not too hot, not too cold. And besides, the conditions were the same for everyone.''
Hendricks' 18:51.7 effort was 11 seconds faster than Crawford.
Blacksburg's team finished sixth among Group AA girls, one spot ahead of neighboring Christiansburg. Laura Evans was the top Blue Demon runner, placing ninth individually. Spotswood was the team winner.
The Christiansburg boys used several strong individual efforts to win their team title. Justin Mosby and Matt Nolan placed third and fourth, respectively, and Michael Lee and Robby Rakes were eighth and ninth.
Blacksburg's David Williams finished fifth in the Group AA competition, helping his team place third.
Other area runners who placed high among the Group A boys were Glenvar's John Nervo (eighth), Covington's Brent Young (ninth), Floyd County's Andrew Weeks (10th) and Jamar Bryson of Galax (11th).
High-ranking Group A girls were Johanna Neumann of Floyd County (third) and Bath County teammates Kara Adams and Kathie Burns, who finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
As a team, the Bath County girls placed fifth, two spots ahead of Giles. Brentsville was the champion.
Timesland runners were not heavily represented in the Group AAA competition. Cave Spring's Ben Dowdy was the only entrant. He placed 37th.
by CNB