THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060607
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
The Ocean View Golf Course was having its way with Booker T. Washington's Ronnie Barker Monday when suddenly, the junior drew back his club and executed the greatest shot in his two months as a golfer.
Barker, who joined the Bookers' team only because a friend was on it, aced the par-3, 145-yard 17th hole at Ocean View Golf Course Monday during the Eastern District Golf Championships. He used a 3-wood.
A 3-wood?
``When I use that, the ball normally stays low and goes straight,'' Barker said.
The 3-wood worked to perfection Monday. Barker scorched a liner on 17 which skipped through a bunker and plunked right into the cup.
``I couldn't believe it went in,'' he said. ``You know I was happy about that.''
So happy, in fact, that he even birdied 18.
Unfortunately for Barker, the rest of his play during the two-day tournament was more indicative of someone who began playing in August. Barker finished with a 106 Monday, which is actually a stroke or two better than he normally scores at Ocean View.
And Tuesday, even his trusty 3-wood betrayed him as he shot a 208, a staggering 136 strokes over par, in windy conditions at Stumpy Lake.
``I never play well at Stumpy Lake,'' Barker said. ``The ball goes everywhere.''
But even a frustrating outing like Tuesday's won't be enough to keep Barker off the courses. Who knows when the next hole-in-one will come along?
``I just need to keep playing,'' he said. ``Maybe it will happen again.''
HEALED WHEEL: To see her run, you'd never suspect that Bayside field hockey player Quan Nim is recovering from a bum knee.
Last year, the senior forward sat out with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Not playing hurt worse than the injury.
``I really hated not being out there,'' said Nim, whose Marlins are tied with perennial champion Cox atop the Beach District standings.
But as is obvious by the Marlins success this season, all is well with Nim. She's one of the district's leading scorers and has a reputation for being one of the fleetest of foot.
``It doesn't cause me any problems at all,'' she said of her knee. ``I don't even think about it. If anything, it's stronger than before and I'm faster than before from all the work I put into getting it better.''
Nim also has the emotional support of keeper Jen Walter, who also sat out with the same injury.
Now that both players have returned to top form, Bayside looms as the Falcons' chief rival for league supremacy. The two teams meet Tuesday at Bayside, and Cox coach Nancy Fowlkes is expecting a battle.
``They're legitimate,'' she said.
PLAYOFF SHUFFLE: A three-way tie between Western Branch, Churchland and Deep Creek for second place in the Southeastern District girls tennis standings has prompted a playoff to decide the league's second berth in the Eastern Region tournament.
Western Branch will take on Churchland Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Wilson. The winner will meet Deep Creek Monday, with the time and site to be determined. The matchups were determined by a blind draw.
The only other regional berth to be decided among the South Hampton Roads' teams is in the Eastern: Granby and Maury will play for second place today at 2:45 p.m. at Maury.
GOOD SPORTS: Tallwood will be one of two schools to receive the Virginia High School League's first Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award during its homecoming pep rally Oct. 14.
The award acknowledges the school's ``outstanding effort to promote sportsmanship, ethics and integrity during the 1993-94 school year.''
``It recognizes the combined efforts of the athletic teams, the cheering squads and especially the student government,'' Tallwood student activities coordinator Bruce Phelps said. ``I charged them with the challenge to develop a sportsmanship program at the beginning of last year, and they did the research, kept the records and did the work.''
Robinson High in Fairfax is the other award winner. MEMO: Staff writer Lee Tolliver contributed to this report.
by CNB