ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 22, 1996 TAG: 9608220021
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
For the past seven years, Christiansburg High School's boys cross-country team has been the dominant force not only in the now defunct New River District but also in the state.
The Blue Demons have captured five of the last seven Group AA state titles. The other two times? State runner-ups.
But, if the Blacksburg Indians have anything to say about it, 1996 may be a new beginning. Actually, make that a return to old days. Blacksburg was once the dominant regional and state power before being eclipsed by its Montgomery County neighbor.
"The guys want to win state this year," Blacksburg coach Jack Hencke said. "We have a chance to do that if we stay healthy. Of course we'd like to win districts and regionals too."
The district affiliation this year for both schools will be the Blue Ridge, historically a very competitive league. With just three cross-country teams in the New River and four automatic berths to regionals, advancing was a given.
"With the automatic advancement, the district meets didn't mean as much before," Blue Demons' coach Steve Shelton said. "But now we first have to make it out of the district. I think moving into the Blue Ridge is going to be good for us and Blacksburg."
Blacksburg finished second to Christiansburg in both the district and Region IV meet last season and placed third at the state. The Indians return four who qualified and ran at state last year including seniors John Patterson and Clay Schwabe and juniors Matt Chisholm and Mark Woodfield.
"The team's looking good," Hencke said. "We have 18 boys on the team, four of whom ran in state last year. We did lose three state runners to graduation but we should still be very competitive."
The biggest loss will be David Williams, who finished fifth in the state this past year.
Expected to fill the void are juniors Scott Hertel and Brian Wheeler. Junior Raphael Gray and sophomore Nathan Hanna will be fighting it out for the seventh and final varsity spot.
A look at other area teams:
Coach Shelton will face the unenviable task of replacing four of his top five runners from Christiansburg's two-time defending state champion squad. Gone are Justin Mosby, who placed third in the state last year, Greg Turpin (fifth), Michael Lee (eighth) and Robby Rakes (ninth).
"We lost four of our top five to graduation, but the one who is back is in my opinion the best," Shelton said. "Junior Matt Nolan was fifth in the state as a freshman and fourth last year, so he's moving in the right direction."
Nolan's fourth-place finish came despite a hip injury that immobilized him for five weeks.
"He was completely sidelined," Shelton said. "No pool, no cross-training, no therapy. Nothing. So he sat on the couch for five weeks and then came back to finish fourth in the state. I think with those five weeks back he would definitely have finished higher, so the key for him this year is staying healthy."
Nolan will be the mainstay on an otherwise young team, leaving Shelton in an unfamiliar position.
"We've never been less than state runner-up since I've been here so this year's going to be different," Shelton said. "We've got some young guys, it's just going to take the majority of the season to see where we pan out. We'd like to keep the winning streak alive, but it's going to be a lot tougher."
But Hencke, who was an assistant coach at Auburn when Shelton was a freshman on the cross-country team there, says he's certainly not counting Christiansburg out.
"It should be a rebuilding year for them, that much is true," Hencke said. "But Steve always seems to find a way to get new runners put together."
Without enough members to field a team, Giles will continue to be represented by the duo of Jason Huffman and James Peters. Both runners advanced individually to the Group A Region C meet last year and coach Stacy Ramsey is counting on them to make the return trip.
"They should qualify to make it to regionals again this year," Ramsey said. "From there they can be real competitive. It all depends on who's back from the other schools."
Radford's goals in 1996 are modest ones. After placing second in the Three Rivers District last season with just five team members, the Bobcats have increased their roster to seven this year. Coach Dan Britten, in his third year with the Bobcats, said increasing the number of competitors is his top priority.
So far he has eight boys on the junior varsity team from Radford Middle School, where he also serves as the coach. He says that is promising.
"Hopefully we'll have a good year on varsity and keep increasing the numbers and in a few years we'll be strong," Britten said. "We've been real low in numbers, so having eight kids on the junior varsity team is encouraging."
Leading the way on the varsity squad will be senior Mike Fisher. Fisher has run all four years for Radford, and has been close to making it to the state meet in years past. Also returning for the Bobcats are Josh Benson and team captain Wit Ellerman.
Coach Marvin Ballard, in his 14th year at Shawsville, says he will field one of his strongest teams in years. The Shawnees finished third in the Three Rivers last season, failing to advance to regionals, but lost just one senior to graduation.
"I think this is going to be one of the better teams we've had in a few years," Ballard said. "I think the thing to note about this team is that although we lost Tim [Donathan] we've added two good freshmen and a transfer student."
Taking over the number one slot vacated by Donathan will be senior Jeremy Flight, an all-district selection in 1996.
"He's been running well," Ballard said of Flight. "He's put in a lot of mileage on his own this summer and I think he has a chance at being named all-region this year. I think that is certainly a realistic goal for him."
The team's other senior, Jeremy Woods, is a rookie in the cross-country business. He and Flight will be joined by junior Jon Graham, sophomores Will Buchanan and Daniel Goff and freshmen Brad Bashan and Landon Smith.
Buchanan, a transfer from North Carolina, competed for an AAA-sized school last year and has impressed assistant coach Ed Sears.
"Ed and I have been splitting up practice with Ed taking the mornings and me the afternoon," Ballard said. "Buchanan has been running in the mornings so I haven't had a chance to see him yet, but Ed is fairly excited about him. I think he could run as high as our No. 2 guy."
Ballard said the addition of the two freshmen will provide a boost as well.
"They finished second and third in the district at the junior varsity level last year," Ballard said. "The addition of those two guys will will provide some much-needed depth."
LENGTH: Long : 124 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALan Kim. Blacksburg High cross-country team seniorsby CNBClay Schwabe (left) and John Patterson hope to have a shot at
winning state this year. color.