THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 9, 1994 TAG: 9412080165
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
AS ON-THE-FIELD LEADER, Kirsty Hale led Cox High School to a national-record sixth-straight Group AAA state field hockey title, she earned this year's All-Beach District player-of-the-year honors.
But individual honors aren't what Hale is about.
``I think winning was definitely more important than any accolades I might have gotten,'' she said. ``It's not like it's just me out there on the field. It takes everyone to make everyone look great.''
Cox was fantastic at doing just that this season, finishing the season unbeaten and tying the national record for most state field hockey championships overall with nine.
In helping the Falcons get there, Hale finished as the second-leading scorer in state history with 88 goals. She finishes her career in second in scoring for a single season with 42 goals.
Nancy Fowlkes - her coach and the state's winningest - called her the most complete player she has ever lead.
For getting her team to this year's state final, Bayside coach Patti Bullock was selected as the coach of the year. The Marlins only losses this season - five - came at the hands of Cox.
The remaining All-Beach players are Kim Miller, Amy Lamoureux and Sally Tempest of Cox; Quan Nim and Dawn Bell of Bayside; Nicole Frey and Tonya Morgan of Kempsville; Mimi Smith of Ocean Lakes; Jamie Kollar of First Colonial; Eryn Craft of Green Run; and Julie Miller of Salem.
Bell and Miller are juniors, while the remainder of the team are seniors. Smith, Bell, Hale and Miller are first-team repeaters.
Miller was this year's dominating scorer - along with Hale - helping the Falcons to a 107-3 scoring advantage.
Miller is the state's leading career scorer with 97 goals and is also first in a single season with 50. She is tied for fifth nationally for a single season and is nine shy of breaking into the top 10 for a career.
Lamoureux was the Falcon's quarterback in the midfield position and finished with nine assists off her tremendous free hits outside the scoring circle.
Tempest was a big reason why the Falcons were scored on only three times this year. She shut down opposing offenses, clearing the ball to the midfield.
Nim led Bayside with 24 goals - making a comeback after a one-year absence due to knee surgery. She was one of the fastest players in the city.
Her teammate, Bell, was equally swift afoot and had arguably the best hit in the league. She often played the entire length of the field, defensing as a back and joining the forwards on attack.
Morgan was Kempsville's leader in goals and assists, moving up from last year's all-district second team. Frey took 121 shots in Kempsville's goal and allowed only eight scores, while doubling as the Chiefs place kicker in football.
Smith made the move to Ocean Lakes after leading Green Run to a state runner-up finish last year. She was moved to midfield to help control a young Dolphins squad, but still managed to finish as the team's leading scorer.
Kollar led the Patriots in scoring for the second-straight year with 15 goals and five assists.
Craft led Green Run in scoring with seven goals, taking on the leadership role for a young team with a new coach.
Miller was the Salem quarterback at midfield, but still managed a goal and four assists. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PETER D. SUNDBERG
The All-Beach District field hockey team (front row, from left):
Dawn Bell, Sally Tempest, Kim Miller and Quan Nim and (back row):
Julie Miller, Jamie Kollar, Eryn Craft, Mimi Smith, Kirsty Hale, Amy
Lamoureux, Tonya Morgan and Nicole Frey.
Photo
Kirsty Hale finishes her career in second in scoring for a single
season with 42 goals.
by CNB