ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 18, 1997 TAG: 9702180028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH
SOURCE: Associated Press
Virginia Wesleyan College has suspended 23 athletes for an on-campus brawl that a witness said started with a fight over a woman in a bar just off campus.
The Jan. 18 melee moved to a soccer field on campus, and two athletes suffered minor injuries. No one was arrested and no charges were filed, police said Friday.
Eleven baseball players, seven basketball players and five lacrosse players received suspensions ranging from two games to the entire season, said Jim Bergdoll, vice president for college relations.
Bergdoll declined to identify the athletes or discuss details of the suspensions.
``We do not identify students who are involved in an on-campus disciplinary situation, whether it was academic or athletic,'' Bergdoll said.
``It's a sensitive thing when you're dealing with young lives,'' he said. ``Hopefully, this will be the only thing like this that they are involved in. We want to protect their futures.''
Bergdoll said he did not know what the fight was about.
The Virginian-Pilot newspaper quoted a student who was present at the fight as saying it started when a lacrosse player began talking to a woman at the bar. A baseball player took exception, the students exchanged words and punches were thrown, the student said.
The suspensions come at a bad time for the basketball team, which is in first place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference with a 15-7 record. With seven suspensions, the team is left with eight varsity players.
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB