THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 16, 1994 TAG: 9409140125
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
There's nothing nicer than winning.
Unless it's winning and not knowing that you won.
Such was the case for the Western Branch girls cross country team after Saturday's Southeastern Invitational at Great Bridge.
One by one, the team's members congratulated the Bruins' No. 1 runner, Meredith Turnage, on her victory in the third annual meet.
But the Bruins were disappointed that the team had finished second. ``I wish the team had won,'' said Turnage.
And sometimes wishes do come true.
Turnage was informed that Western Branch had won.
Bruins coach Bill Volkman promptly sought out the meet's official scorer to verify the title.
``We had miscounted our team score,'' said Volkman. ``I thought we were second, too.''
Western Branch finished with 46 points with runners finishing 1, 2, 10, 14 and 19th. Great Bridge was runner-up with 50 points, taking the 5, 6, 11, 13 and 15 positions.
The boys title went to Great Bridge with 37 points. Gloucester was second with 54, followed by Churchland with 62.
Great Bridge's Eric Adams led a 77-runner field in a record time of 16:01.
Teammate Mike Donnelly was second at 16:07.
``Mike is coming off an injury and really ran well,'' said Great Bridge coach Steve Sawyer. ``I think you're going to see Eric and Mike running right together all season long.''
Added Sawyer: ``I would like for our team to be a little anonymous, but I think people know we have a good squad and we're not going to sneak up on anybody.''
Last year at Churchland, Western Branch won both titles. The Western Branch boys team, a one-point winner over the Wildcats in 1993, was fourth this year.
Adams was fourth a year ago.
The Great Bridge runners were 1, 2, 6, 12 and 16.
Turnage had a record 18:43 time in whipping a girls field of 29.
``It was my personal best, too,'' she said. ``I ran an 18:44 last year in a meet at Churchland.''
She won last year's invitational in a time of 19:06.
Western Branch's Heather Allen was a minute and six seconds behind the strong-running Turnage in taking second place. She was seven seconds ahead of third-place finisher Jane Lawrence of Maury.
MEET NOTES: Eleven schools competed with nine fielding complete boys teams and seven having full girls squads. When a Gloucester girl fainted, two of her teammates remained with her and the team had only four runners finish. Five finishers are required for a team score. . . . Wilson did not have a complete boys team, but Perez Bottoms finished fourth overall in a time of 16:18. In a junior varsity meet, Wilson's Jenita Harris won a 2.5 mile run. The varsity runners competed over a 3.1-mile course. . . . Churchland coaches Clarence and Winston Brown were pleased with the Truckers' third-place finish in the boys division. ``Our team is only going to get better,'' said Winston. ``I believe this could be the best one we have had.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Meredith Turnage
Western Branch girls No. 1 runner
by CNB