THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 22, 1994 TAG: 9409200139
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, COMPASS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
AT LEAST A couple of things are guaranteed as the 1994 Eastern District cross country season gets under way.
Lake Taylor's Warren Collins will not defend his district title.
Collins is academically ineligible to compete this season.
Maury will win both the boys' and girls' titles, according to Commodores first-year coach Walt Green.
Green has taken over for Will Shearin, who is now coaching at Booker T. Washington. While he feels a pair of district titles are certain, he has higher aspirations for the girls team.
``No team has ever made it to the state tournament from the Eastern District,'' Green said. ``I think our chances are good that we will get to the state meet.''
The Commodores finished a close third to two of the top teams in the area, Western Branch and Great Bridge, in the Southeastern Invitational meet a couple of weeks ago.
Seniors Jane Lawrence and Aisha Joyner will lead the way. Lawrence will be gunning for her third straight district championship.
Green has high hopes for a couple of newcomers, sophomore Katherine Weaver, who transferred from West Potomac, which traditionally produces strong cross country teams, and senior Mary Malone from California.
``We've got a lot of work to do,'' Green said. ``Our main goal is to get to the state meet. We want to make history.''
Junior Dallas Williams, who finished fourth in the district last year, is back to lead the boys' team. He is joined by seniors Jake Hughes and Chris Coffing.
It has taken a while but Green was finally able to convince twins Darryl and Francis Wood to join the team.
The seniors reportedly run everywhere they go and always have.
``They run to school and they used to run home and beat the bus home,'' Green said. ``They will take the boys' team to another level.''
Lake Taylor would have been the Commodores' most formidable opponent in the district with Collins and sophomores Jeremiah Monden and David Stonum returning. But the absence of Collins has Floyd Conley seeking different goals.
``The kids don't seem to be turned on by athletics anymore,'' Conley said. ``They haven't been training the way they should have during the summer. I'm 50 years old and I can outrun half of the team.
``I'm not so egotistical, I guess that's the word, as a coach that I need to win. What I'm all about now is trying to help the kids in all areas of their life. That's my dedication now.''
As for Collins, Conley said he warned him all of last season that this could happen if he didn't go to class and get his work done.
``Maybe it was the wake-up call he needed,'' Conley said. ``He promised me he would work hard and be ready for track.''
The situation is even more bleak on the girls' side for the Titans. Conley said that five runners came out to practice once and none has returned.
Granby coach Tom Glassburner was facing a similar situation with his girls' team, but he has since recruited several runners and is confident they will at least field a team.
On the boys side, the Comets don't have a standout, but they do have a lot of depth and youth.
Junior Brian Jones is the elder statesman of the team, which is loaded with sophomores.
Aron Taylor, Tom Brock, Nicholas Buchholz and David Wikoff will be leading the way.
``We're going to build and get stronger and stronger,'' Glassburner said. ``We have a very good nucleus, and we'll be very competitive when we get into shape.''
Both Booker T. and Norview are building under new coaches this season, the Bookers with Shearin and Norview with Lytonya Echols-Payton.
Echols-Payton said she has the numbers to build on, but not necessarily the experience.
Twenty-five boys and 15 girls are currently practicing.
``If we can keep them for the whole season, that will be the trick,'' Echols-Payton said. ``Through conditioning there have been a lot of complaints.''
The Pilots have just one returner from the boys' team, Lee Oliveras, and two from the girls' team, Gina Ginn and Liteash Wilson. But Echols-Payton has been able to persuade some of her distance runners from track to join her cause.
``I'm looking for some bright things,'' Echols-Payton said. ``I think we can finish somewhere in the middle. We've got a lot of work to do, but we're looking at third.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by GARY KNAPP
Maury has high hopes for Jane Lawrence, kneeling, and Aisha Joyner,
left, Mary Malone and Kit Weaver.
Maury junior Dallas Williams will lead the boys' team.
Green expects Darryl Wood to take the team to a new level.
by CNB