THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407080313
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 129 lines
SEVERAL CHESAPEAKE players from Nansemond-Suffolk Academy were named to the All-Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools spring sports teams, including Derek Riebel, a transfer from Great Bridge who was named the TCIS baseball Player of the Year.
Sarah Putnam, who lives in Western Branch, was a close second in voting for TCIS softball Player of the Year.
Also named to the All-TCIS baseball team from Chesapeake were Mike Vizcaino and Walt Bondurant.
Beginning in September, Greenbrier Christian Academy of Chesapeake will be TCIS members, and the Gators - a perennial powerhouse in baseball and softball for the Metro Conference - may add some local representative.
Riebel was perhaps the biggest success story for N-SA. He led the Saints with 32 runs scored and 31 RBIs and tied teammate Mark Fowler, also a first team selection, with four team-leading home runs.
Riebel overcame a stomach illness and rebounded from a disappointing performance last spring, his worst season since he first picked up a bat and glove.
A standout in Delaware County, Pa., - a Philadelphia suburb, - two years ago, Riebel faltered last season at Great Bridge, where he hit only .229. The stomach illness, which doctors never diagnosed, was much to blame. He lost more than 15 pounds, and thus much of his speed and power.
Although Riebel played football at Great Bridge, he decided not to play football for the Saints in order to concentrate on baseball and academics.
Riebel was second at N-SA in batting with a .393 average (10 doubles, 3 triples) behind Vizcaino, but batting may not have been his strongest point. Riebel didn't commit an error.
``He has an exceptional glove and an eye for the ball,'' Norfolk Christian coach Dave Walker said. ``He was like a vacuum cleaner in the outfield.''
Joining Riebel, Fowler, Bondurant and Vizcaino was teammate Grant Sharp. Riebel, Fowler and Sharp each earned first-team all-state honors while Bondurant was named honorable mention all-state.
Fowler, a junior outfielder and pitcher, batted .333 with 23 RBIs and 23 runs scored. On the mound, he struck out 40 opponents in 53.7 innings, posting a 2.09 ERA.
Vizcaino, a freshman outfielder and pitcher, led the Saints with a .397 average. He scored 18 runs and batted in 24. As a pitcher, Vizcaino struck out 36 in 45.7 innings. He allowed only 2.60 earned runs per appearance.
Junior pitcher Bondurant was 7-0 and struck out 35 in 37.3 innings. He held opponents to 1.69 earned runs. Bondurant batted .244 with 11 RBIs.
Norfolk Christian's Jeremy Elms was a close second to Riebel in voting for Player of the Year. Elms was named on seven of a possible nine ballots and collected 46 points under a ratings system by the coaches. Riebel was named on six ballots and had 49 points.
Elms hit .413 with 24 RBIs. He was a small schools all-state choice as an infielder, but also had a 1.76 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 30 innings as a pitcher.
Catholic, which upended N-SA in the league tournament semifinals and defeated Norfolk Collegiate in the championship game, landed only one first-team player: Benny Brent, a pitcher who was 7-5 with 92 strikeouts in 48 innings and a 1.63 ERA. He also hit .347 for the Crusaders.
Norfolk Academy's Ben Hamlet was also a first-team choice. The pitcher/outfielder hit .370 with 15 RBIs and had 73 strikeouts in 44.2 innings and a 2.41 ERA.
N-SA's Putnam racked up some impressive statistics for the second consecutive season. She struck out 164 batters in 129 innings with a .170 earned run average. The sophomore helped herself out at the plate with a .528 average, 26 RBIs and 34 runs scored.
Putnam led N-SA to the TCIS regular-season and tournament championships and was named most valuable player in the tournament. She was also a first-team All-Tidewater selection by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
Norfolk Collegiate's Vanessa Facenda, the premier home run hitter in the area with 11, was named softball Player of the Year after batting .511. She hurled five victories and had a 1.08 earned run average.
``She's probably the best player in the conference,'' Catholic coach Vann Sutton said. ``She even had two homeruns when we were deliberately throwing her bad pitches.''
N-SA's Lea Wilson, a catcher with 28 putouts, a .459 batting average, 21 RBIs and 26 runs scored, was also a first-team choice.
Other first-team choices: Norfolk Christian's Rachael Mulder, an outfielder who hit .404 with 13 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and 18 runs; Norfolk Academy's Lauren Goldman, a pitcher who hit .340, scored 23 runs, had 14 RBIs, struck out 61 batters and had a 2.19 ERA; Erin Osborne, a pitcher/infielder who hit pitcher/outfielder who hit .352 and added two home runs and two triples; and Norfolk Collegiate's Jennifer Goudy and Marcy Michaels, whose year-end statistics weren't available.
The Norfolk Academy girls, soccer team which hasn't been scored upon in the TCIS in 22 games, led the all-conference selections with four.
Sophomore Angela Hucles was named Player of the Year. She had 45 goals and 25 assists to lead the TCIS. Teammates Alli Jacobs, a midfielder, scored 11 goals with 14 assists; halfback Carrie Evans had 13 goals and assists; and Hilary Martin scored 4 goals and 3 assists. According to coach Kevin Sims, Martin, a halfback, was a heavy factor in the Bulldogs' 17 shutout victories.
``There's quite a bit of experience amongst these girls,'' Sims said.
N-SA's Jill Van Guilder (keeper, 6 shutouts, goals against average 1) was the lone Saint on the first team.
Rounding out the first team are Norfolk Christian's Martha Duffey, a forward who had 15 goals and three assists; Norfolk Collegiate's Heather Dailey, a forward with 11 goals and 7 assists and Catholic's Georgia Germano (midfielder).
Cape Henry's Mike Basto was named player of the year in boys lacrosse, though that honor might have gone to a player from Norfolk Academy had the Bulldogs participated in TCIS lacrosse. Norfolk Academy instead competes in the Virginia Prep League.
N-SA's Tom Oast, Clay Boyce, David Lawrence and Stephen Rosner were all first-team selections. MEMO: Staff writer Harry Minium contributed to this story.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Pitcher Sarah Putnam is second on the TCIS softball team.
Derek Riebel
Tops in TCIS baseball
Walt Bondurant
Pitcher
Mike Vizcaino
Pitcher and outfielder
1994 ALL-TCIS BASEBALL
1994 ALL-TCIS SOFTBALL TEAM
[For a copy of the roster, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB