THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1994 TAG: 9406210160
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: 940622 LENGTH: Long
Female athlete of the year
{REST} Every so often, an athlete comes along who earns the reputation as the new best all-around female performer ever to play in the Beach.
Years ago, those with keen eyes could see that Kelly Bradley would be such a star.
For four years at Salem, Bradley played five sports - all of them very well.
``If you gave her clubs and two weeks of lessons, she'd tear up a golf course,'' an opposing coach once said. ``She has that kind of athletic ability.''
That she does. And for her talents and accomplishments, she has been named The Beacon female athlete of the year for the second-consecutive year.
She went out with a bang.
After signing early to play basketball with Old Dominion University, Bradley showed her worth by helping the Sun Devils bring home the city's first Group AAA girls basketball title.
``Each season, I made a goal for each sport,'' Bradley said. ``And for basketball it was to win a state title. We did it and it was just a great way to end my high school career.
``It's kind of depressing that high school is over for me, I had such a great time. But now it's time to move on and look forward to college. I have a lot of work to do to get ready for basketball.''
With graduation comes an end to her other sports: softball, soccer, field hockey and track. In field hockey, she broke the school career scoring record. In softball, she was the all-district designated hitter three of four seasons. She earned all-district soccer honors two years.
But hoops is where it's at for Bradley - the Tidewater player of the year her junior season.
``I've always dreamed of playing college basketball at ODU,'' she said. ``I grew up watching the Lady Monarchs and I always saw myself having the ability to fit in and play.''
LARRY BOWMAN
Coach of the year
At the Virginia Beach Coaches Association awards banquet, First Colonial baseball coach Norbie Wilson spoke of the efforts that go into coaching and of the outstanding job coaches have done in guiding their players.
Salem's Larry Bowman personifies Wilson's statements - earning the respect of players and opposing coaches while building a reputation for excellence.
``It takes great players to make great coaches,'' said Bowman, this year's Beacon and coaches association coach of the year. ``I have really been blessed with outstanding players over the years.
``I'm getting these awards because of them.''
Those players have helped Bowman become the Beach District's victory leader in softball and have helped him maintain a constant position at the top of Beach basketball standings.
But this year was something special.
Talent and a couple of good breaks helped Salem capture the first Group AAA girls basketball title in Beach District history - only the second such crown ever won by a South Hampton Roads team.
And seven of those players continued their winning ways with Bowman's softball team - a squad he predicted would be lucky to finish with a .500 season.
That was a big under-estimation by Bowman, whose team ended up sharing the regular season title with Bayside before edging the Marlins in a playoff game.
``My teams have been in the state tournament six times in nine years of coaching and we've been in the final three times,'' Bowman said. ``We got close again this year - just a play or two. But this year's team was something special. They taught me that I needed to work harder.''
MATT WHALEN
Male player of the year
The Whalen family name and the sport of soccer are synonymous in Virginia Beach.
Retired Navy Capt. Dick Whalen is the president of the Beach FC travel soccer club and his sons have all had outstanding careers at Cox High.
But his youngest son, Matt, has taken the family reputation to the top.
Matt Whalen, who still has another year at Cox coming up this fall, was named the Virginia High School League Coaches Association player of the year after the Falcons Group AAA runner-up performance this spring.
He was also named soccer's Tidewater player of the year.
Whalen has also begun to excel on the basketball court, earning all-district and All-Tidewater honors last season.
For having such an outstanding junior year, Whalen can tag on The Beacon's male athlete of the year laurels.
But while there is obviously plenty of natural talent, Whalen is the product of hard work and dedication.
This summer alone, he will attend several soccer and basketball camps, including the famed Five Star basketball camp in Pittsburgh. In between, he will work several youth camps and attend the select region selection camps.
Select soccer's fall season begins in August.
``Nobody works harder on their shots than Matt,'' Cox soccer coach Jim Snodgrass has boasted.
{KEYWORDS} COACH OF THE YEAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
by CNB