ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 3, 1996 TAG: 9603040087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HIGH SCHOOLS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
When the last mat was pulled up from the Salem Civic Center on Saturday after two more wrestling state tournaments, it might have marked the final time the facility will play host to the Group AA and A meets for a while.
Because of a conflict, the civic center is not available for the weekend on which the 1997 state wrestling tournament is scheduled, according to the Virginia High School League calendar.
Not only is the future of the state wrestling tournament at the Salem Civic Center in jeopardy, but it appears the Group AA and A fall girls' basketball tournaments also will have to move.
So, when regions C and D hold two first-round Group A boys' basketball tournament games at the civic center Thursday, it might be the last time the high schools' biggest shows appear in Salem.
Carey Harveycutter, who runs the civic center, says the VHSL asked for the weekend of Feb.28-March 1 to hold state wrestling in 1997. He says the VHSL, because its calendar wasn't set, hadn't asked him to hold those weekend dates, so they now belong to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament.
Oddly, if the Blue Ridge District winds up playing host to the Region III basketball tournament that weekend, the civic center could accommodate it because it's basketball. In wrestling, the entire floor has to be cleared so that all the mats can be set up to hold two state tournaments.
Larry Johnson, the VHSL's programs supervisor in charge of wrestling, said he made a note to poll coaches at this weekend's state tournament to see if it's OK to move the tournament to a later weekend so that it remains in Salem. This isn't likely to happen, however, because the VHSL's executive committee, which has the final say, probably won't approve an overlap with spring sports.
``If the coaches decide they want it to go a week later, it becomes a board item'' for the executive committee, Johnson said. ``We'll know this month whether it goes back to Salem. We'd like to see it stay. It's been a good tournament for us, but I understand why [spring sports] people don't want to go a week later. Still, it would end earlier than basketball.''
If Grundy coach Kevin Dressler has his way, the state wrestling tournaments will remain in Salem.
``Everybody enjoys Salem. I don't think it's over. I'll vote to have it a week later and keep it in Salem,'' Dressler said.
If the state wrestling tournament doesn't come back for a fifth year in Salem, it probably means the Group AA and Group A meets will be held at different sites because there is no other facility big enough to hold both meets simultaneously.
``I think it's a great concept to have two state tournaments together,'' said Larry Hall, who has directed all four events. ``I'm an advocate of having all three [the Group AAA included] meets together. There's no facility outside of maybe Virginia Beach to run it, I'd be happy to keep running it, but not in Norfolk. I have people trained in this area.''
One possibility might be Radford University's Dedmon Center, though no one has approached the school. With the athletic director's job open at Radford, it's not likely the VHSL could get an answer by the time the executive committee meets in two weeks to decide what to do with state wrestling.
As for girls' basketball, the conflict comes about because of Thanksgiving. The VHSL wants to hold its championships Nov.22-23, which actually is two weeks earlier by the calendar than in the past few years. For instance, this year the finals were held Dec.1-2, only five days earlier than the Dec.6-7 dates the civic center has open next year.
The problem is the fourth Thursday (Thanksgiving) is so late in November, that it throws the state basketball tournament into early December. Meanwhile, the VHSL calendar for fall sports starts earlier, making it a very long season if the state tournaments wind up in early December.
``It doesn't mean anything until we take a final vote, but my inclination is that we'll have to move the site,'' said Claudia Dodson, the programs supervisor in charge of the girls' state tournaments. ``I would like to keep the tournaments together.''
The VHSL also is taking bids for the winter basketball state tournaments that are now held at Liberty University in Lynchburg. The state has put out three possible dates, and the Salem Civic Center has bid for next year's winter tournaments on the weekend of March 6-8, which is one of the options.
If the state accepts any bid for that date, though, it means the state quarterfinals would be held that same week, creating a logjam in travel and a potential disaster if there is a big snowstorm during the regional or state tournaments.
Liberty University, as of this past week, had not re-bid for the tournaments. However, the bidding is open through Monday. So far Salem, the University of Virginia (University Hall) and the Ashe Center in Richmond have made proposals that will be reviewed by the executive committee in two weeks.
SEEKING PROMOTIONS: The VHSL has entered a new era with the decision to seek a director of development.
Presumably, the position won't be a programs supervisor in charge of an area of VHSL competition, such as sports, publications, debate, etc. The job calls for a person qualified in marketing, communications, fund-raising and gift solicitation.
Specific responsibilities include designing and implementing a development program much as a college or charitable fund-raiser while creating a plan to maximize public awareness and support of VHSL programs and attendance at state events.
It marks a new era in the VHSL in which the organization realizes it must have a drumbeater to attract the interest of people because of all the competition from charities and other entertainment.
LENGTH: Long : 101 linesby CNB