ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, October 18, 1996 TAG: 9610180048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN THE REGION
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Roanoker Billy King carded a 4-under-par 68 and stood alone in second after Thursday's rain-delayed first round of the 72-hole PGA Senior Club Professional Championship at West Palm Beach, Fla.
King, the longtime head professional at Blue Hills Golf Club, strung nines of 34-34 on the 6,824-yard, par-72 Ibis Golf & Country Club course. The only player in the 144-member field who beat King was Alabaman John Brott, who opened with a record-tying 66.
Sixty players failed to finish their round due to rain and will complete play this morning. The field will be reduced to the low 70 scorers after today's second round. The low 55 finishers in the tournament win automatic berths in the 58th PGA Seniors' Championship April 17-20 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
In others sports in the region:
* The Virginia Tech golf team shot a three-round total of 924 to finish sixth behind victorious Arkansas in the Adams Cup of Newport tournament in Kingston, R.I. The Hokies' top performer was senior Curtis Deal, who finished tied for ninth, 10 shots back, at 227.
* Many of the area's top Late Model Stock drivers and teams will converge on New River Valley Speedway on Saturday for the track's season finale - a 250-lap shootout carrying a purse in excess of $30,000.
As many as seven champions from area tracks are expected to show, including B.A. Wilson, the South Boston Speedway titlist who won last Sunday's LMS feature at Martinsville Speedway.
NRV regular Rodney ``Six-Pack'' Cundiff is the defending champion in the race, which pays $10,000 to the winner.
Qualifying for the 32-car LMS field beings at 1:30 p.m. Racing starts at 3. Admission is $12 for adults, $1 for children 12 and under. Gates open at 9 a.m.
* Pre-qualifying and heat races for Saturday's Crossroads Mall 350 will be held today at Franklin County Speedway. Gates open at 5 p.m., qualifying begins at 8 and heat races will start afterward.
Qualifying continues Saturday at 3 p.m., with racing starting at 4. Saturday's feature also includes a SMART Modified race and a $1,000 Any Car competition, in addition to all other classes. The gates open at noon.
* E.C. Glass captured all three doubles matches in split sets to end a 41/2-hour match and down Patrick Henry 6-3 in the semifinals of the Northwest Region girls' tennis tournament in Lynchburg.
* Virginia linebacker Jamie Sharper is one of 11 semifinalists for the 1996 Butkus Award, presented annually to the best linebacker in college football.
The rest of the semifinalists include: Greg Bellisari (Ohio State); Daryl Bush (Florida State); Canute Curtis (West Virginia); Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern); Jarrett Irons (Michigan); Dwayne Rudd (Alabama); Matt Russell (Colorado); Brian Simmons (North Carolina); Takeo Spikes (Auburn); and Scott Von der Ahe (Arizona State).
* Virginia Tech forward Ace Custis has been listed by the Atlanta Tipoff Club as one of the top 10 candidates for the Naismith Award, given annually to college basketball's men's player of the year.
Other preseason candidates include: Tim Duncan (Wake Forest); Dan Fortson (Cincinnati); Brevin Knight (Stanford); Ron Mercer (Kentucky); Charles O'Bannon (UCLA); Shea Seals (Tulsa); Maurice Taylor (Michigan); Keith Van Horn (Utah); and Jacque Vaughn (Kansas).
* Three Virginia players - midfielders Mike Fisher and Billy Walsh, and defender Scott Vermillion - are among 15 candidates for the Missouri Athletic Club 's men's college soccer player of the year award.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 linesby CNB