THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070091
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Notes on a frayed white cuff. . . .
Borderline students who compete in high school athletics in Portsmouth are being given another opportunity to get their classroom work in order and still participate in sports.
The 1.7 grade point average requirement to remain eligible for extra-curricular activities in the next school year has been dropped to 1.66.
However, the minimum for the 1996-97 school year remains at 2.0.
Coaches at Portsmouth's schools had pointed out a very large number of athletes would have been ineligible in September with a 1.7 GPA requirement.
The 1.7 requirement wasn't too realistic anyway. A student acquiring 10 quality points in six classes receives a 1.67. A student getting 11 quality points in those same six has a 1.83 GPA.
Some coaches had favored a change in the grading system currently used in Portsmouth. In this city a grade between 95 and 100 is required for an A. In some other areas, grades ranging from 90 to 94 also are considered as an A.
However, the school board voted to continue the scale Portsmouth presently uses.
Yale Dolsey, co-chairman of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament player-selection committee, had predicted three of the players would be first-round draft selections by the NBA. Two were claimed in the first round.
Shortly after the tournament, Currents predicted five would be taken in the first round and 14 in the second. Actually 10 were claimed in round 2.
Currents correctly guessed that Alabama's Jason Caffey would be a first-round pick. The other first-round selection, Wyoming's Theo Ratliff, was tabbed for the second round.
Currents also predicted correctly that Texas' Terrance Rencher, Michigan's Jimmy King, Fresno State's Anthony Peele, Texas Tech's Mark Davis, Duke's Eric Meek, Texas-El Paso's George Banks, Western Carolina's Frankie King and New Orleans' Michael McDonald would be taken in the first two rounds.
And we're still looking for some we picked who were not selected, such as Old Dominion's Petey Sessoms, to get an opportunity to make it to the pros.
Remember Calvin Fitz, the St. Augustine College player, who didn't get an invitation to the PIT? He came anyway and distributed fliers to every pro contact he could find at the tournament.
Fitz was snubbed in the draft.
Ronnie Sult, in a recent summer league outing, posted back-to-back 200 games in duckpins. This is believed to be the first time that has ever been done in a local league.
Sult, who has been bowling at a 150-plus clip through the summer, rolled games of 204 and 206.
Centreville, located in Clifton, won the Central Fidelity Cup awarded by the Virginia High School League for overall athletic excellence among AAA schools in the state.
Great Bridge placed ninth, Western Branch was 14th and Deep Creek was 17th.
Churchland, tied for 68th with Hayfield, was the top Portsmouth finisher.
In spring sports Churchland tied for 39th with Deep Creek and Hayfield.
It wasn't just striking a blow for the middle-agers when Eastern Amateur director Galen Hill said David Partridge would be a serious challenger to become the tournament's oldest champion this year.
Hill made his observation prior to the State Amateur, which the 40-year-old Patridge won last weekend on a 3-and-2 victory over defending champ Scott Inman.
Partridge also won the Kendridge Invitational championship and the Richmond city tournament this year.
The Eastern will start on Thursday at Elizabeth Manor. by CNB