ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608210032
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Community Sports
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER
The Southwest Aquatic Team girls' squad posted its best finish ever in the 1996 Long Course YMCA Nationals held July 30-Aug. 2 in Buffalo, N.Y., finishing 23rd out of 100 teams. The boys' team placed 18th, giving SWAT a 20th-place finish overall.
"The meet went very well for the entire team," SWAT coach Bill Beecher said. "The boys have done a little better in the past, but we lost a number of swimmers to graduation this year. ... I was happy with how we did."
Betsy Garratt led the way for the women's side, placing among the top 15 in three events. The 15-year-old Radford native qualified for the U.S. Swimming Junior National meet in March, posting a time of 1:16.69 and placing seventh in the 100-meter breaststroke. Garratt also finished fourth in the 50 breaststroke and 14th in the 200 breaststroke. Jamie Rogers, a 17-year-old Pearisburg swimmer, finished 14th in the women's 1500 freestyle with a time of 18:23.37.
Garratt, Rogers and 18-year-old swimmers Marcella Broache of Christiansburg and Karen Manning of Pulaski formed the 800 freestyle relay team, which finished ninth with a time of 9:03.72.
Aaron Workman, 17, anchored the boys' team with Junior National qualifying performances in the 50 and 100 freestyle. The Dublin native finished third in the 100 and fourth in the 50 - the two highest finishes of any SWAT team member. Workman also finished sixth in the 50 breaststroke and 13th in the 100 breaststroke. Graham Gravely, 17, of Pulaski finished 14th in the 1500 freestyle and Andrew Dorsey, 17, of Blacksburg placed eighth in the 50 fly.
"The meet overall was a lot faster this year than last," Beecher said. "We had some swimmers that qualified [for Junior Nationals] last year that didn't this year, even though their times were better this time. It was an excellent meet."
Beecher said the YMCA Nationals meet will be the last for SWAT for awhile, as the team divides into its Blacksburg and Pulaski squads for the early fall season.
SOFTBALL NEWS: St. Paul II defeated Brethren/Mennonite 6-3 in the finals of the Christiansburg Parks and Recreation Department Church League tournament. St. Paul II posted a 4-1 mark in the double-elimination tournament. Abundant Life captured the regular season title with an 11-1 record, but was ousted in the tournament semifinals by Brethren/Mennonite.
In the Pulaski Men's Softball League, Hudson's took the regular season championship with a 28-0 record, setting many individual and team records in the process.
Hudson's established new league marks with 246 home runs, 760 runs scored and an on-base average of .760. Richard Myers set regular-season marks with 98 runs scored and an on-base average of .838. Joey Bower became the league's new Roger Maris, eclipsing the season home run mark with his 45 round-trippers.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 linesby CNB