ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 15, 1996 TAG: 9605150043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN THE REGION
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Once again, ACC basketball coaches have united behind a proposal that would change the format of the conference's tournament. This time they feel like the athletic directors have heard them.
The proposed format would have the bottom four teams in the regular-season standings play on the first night of the ACC tournament (No.6 vs. No.9 and No.7 vs. No.8) and give the No.1 seed a bye into the semifinals.
``They told us their concerns and gave us a chance to respond,'' said Dave Odom, Wake Forest's coach, speaking Tuesday at the ACC meetings in Amelia Island, Fla. ``That doesn't mean they'll go our way, but whatever they decide now, we can accept.''
The proposed format has come up before, most notably when Florida State joined the ACC five years ago. The coaches have supported the change, and the athletic directors have turned it down.
They will vote on it again today at the conclusion of the ACC meetings, and John Swofford, athletic director at North Carolina, said chances of adopting the proposed format are as good as they have ever been.
``The coaches did a super job presenting their views on it,'' Swofford said.
In other college news in the region:
* Virginia will be seeking its sixth victory of the season over a nationally ranked opponent when it meets No.19 North Carolina State at 10 a.m. today in the ACC baseball tournament at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Junior Seth Greisinger, who has a 9-2 record and 2.08 earned run average, will start for the Cavaliers. Greisinger pitched seven shutout innings March 10 in Virginia's 12-1 victory over the Wolfpack in Raleigh, N.C.
Fifth-seeded Virginia (36-18 overall, 11-13 ACC) needs a strong showing in the tournament to have any hope of an NCAA Tournament bid, which would be its first since 1985. No ACC team has gotten an NCAA at-large bid with a sub-.500 conference record; however, several teams have been invited with fewer than 11 ACC victories.
UVa coach Dennis Womack enters the tournament with a 16-year record of 400-400-5.
* William Byrd shortstop/pitcher Tamasa Adams has accepted a softball scholarship to Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn.
Adams, an All-Timesland selection as a junior, joins former teammate Tracy Doupnik, who was Timesland's player of the year in 1995. Together, the two helped William Byrd earn a Group AA semifinal berth in 1995.
Adams is 12-3 as a pitcher with a 1.73 ERA for the Terriers. She's hitting
PREPS Alleghany,
Northside win in soccer
In Daleville, Jorge Gordinho had two goals and an assist and Josh Brown added two goals as Alleghany defeated Lord Botetourt 5-1 for its first victory in the Blue Ridge District boys' soccer tournament. Nebiyu Naod had three assists for the Mountaineers as Landon Allen shut down Curtis Shank, Lord Botetourt's leading scorer. Alleghany will face Salem in a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Rockbridge County High School.
Chris Lucado had three goals and one assist as Northside defeated Rockbridge County 4-1 in a first-round game in Lexington. Stuart Newberry scored the other goal for the Vikings, who will face William Byrd in a semifinal at 5 p.m. Thursday at Rockbridge County.
* Andrew Thomas and Hunter Carson of Patrick Henry won the Roanoke Valley District boys' doubles title with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Randy Price and Matt Spetzler of Cave Spring in tennis action at the River's Edge complex. In the semifinals, Thomas and Carson beat Jerry Caim and Jamie Tuck of Franklin County 6-0, 6-2 and Price and Spetzler downed Doug Freeman and Brooks Bley of Pulaski County 6-2, 6-4.
* Miquel Castro of William Byrd and Jamie Gilliland of Lord Botetourt advanced to today's boys' singles final of the Blue Ridge District tennis tournament at the Salem Civic Center. Castro defeated Robert Light of Salem 6-0, 6-1, and Gilliland edged Justin Young of Northside 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinals.
In doubles' play, Light and Jared Poff downed Castro and Darren Pearson 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, while Young and Drew Anderson topped Gilliland and Jared Wessel 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the final.
Chris Hewitt scored two goals and Andy Newton had a goal and an assist as the Cave Spring boys' soccer team shut out Franklin County 6-0 in a Roanoke Valley District tournament game in Rocky Mount. The Knights will play Patrick Henry, a 4-1 winner over Pulaski County, at 7 p.m. Thursday in Rocky Mount.
ETC. Sullivan ties
for 15th in qualifier
Chip Sullivan, the teaching pro at Hanging Rock Golf Club, shot a 74 and finished in a tie for 15th in the Middle Atlantic PGA's Nike Dominion Open qualifier at The Crossings in Glen Allen. The top eight finishers earned a spot in the field for the May 30-June 2 Nike Tour stop in Richmond.
* VMI, led by firsts in indoor track and wrestling, finished third in the Southern Conference's Commissioner's Cup standings for 1995-96. Appalachian State won the competition for best all-around men's sports program with 71 points, followed by East Tennessee State (61) and VMI (59).
* In Blacksburg, Graham defeated Blacksburg 7-2 to advance to the championship match in the Region IV girls' tennis tournament. Graham will play the winner of a match between Marion and Gate City.
Radford's Ben Nester and Mandy Harless won the boys' and girls' singles titles, respectively, on Tuesday the Three Rivers District tournament in Radford. Nester downed Russell Bowling of Giles 7-6 (7-1), 6-2, and Harless topped Sarah Hogood of Shawsville 6-1, 6-2.
In boys' doubles, Russell and Evan Bowling of Giles upended Nester and teammate Robbie Tayal 6-1, 6-1. In girls' doubles, Harless and Leslie Adkins defeated Hogood and Shannon Radford 6-2, 6-4.
The Region C tournaments will be held Monday and May 7. The girls' venue will be VMI in Lexington, and the boys will play at Wytheville Community College.
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