THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 28, 1995 TAG: 9507280562
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BOULDER, COLO. LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Field hockey sensation Kim Miller of Cox High School will be one of the country's most sought-after high school seniors by college coaches this year. Miller is bracing for an intense autumn, and she can't say she's totally enchanted by the prospect.
``There's anxiety and excitement, and I'm somewhat intimidated because I don't know what to expect. Nervous. Nervous is a big word,'' said Miller, 17, a member of the Under-18 national team, which was the South team at the Olympic Festival ``There's so many colleges, you know, and I'm so open-minded and I don't know what these colleges are all about.
``Coaches can be deceiving. They're just like business people, you know, and we're like property and they want it. And they'll do and say things to get this property. So it's sort of like, I'm scared.''
Miller admitted she has her eye on at least three schools so far, none of which is Old Dominion.
``I've been there, it's right in my own backyard, and I've never felt like, `Oh man, ODU!,' '' Miller said. ``North Carolina is looking pretty right now. And James Madison, I like that. . . .
``The farthest school I'm looking at is probably UMass, and UMass just came on to my list this week. There are a lot of girls on my (Olympic Festival) team are looking at UMass, and there's a few who are going to UMass and I love 'em to death. They're so much like me. And I figure, hey, if UMass is the place for them, maybe I should look at it.''
Some field hockey officials might look twice at the composition of their Under-18 team. It lost to the East, which featured Virginia Beach's Quan Nim, 3-0, for the bronze medal Thursday and finished 0-3-1 in the Festival.
NOTABLE: In a rambling press conference Thursday, Carl Lewis said track and field needs to market its outstanding individuals better to reverse the decline of the sport in this country. He also said a national tour of track meets was a good idea, as long as meets weren't held indoors, which spoils the mood. ``If it's indoors, really, it's arena football, that's all,'' Lewis said. . . . Former Great Bridge and Tennessee pole vaulter Rich Fulford is slated to compete today as track and field events begin. Virginia Beach's Andre Cason, the world-record holder in the 60 meters, will run the 100 meters Saturday and Norfolk's Tonya Williams defends her 400-meter hurdles title Sunday. . . . The marquee field event today is the triple jump, which features '84 gold medalist Al Joyner and '92 gold medalist Mike Conley. . . . Nate Friends of the Hampton Roads Mariners will play for the soccer gold medal tonight for the East (2-1) vs. the South (2-1). Friends has one of five goals scored by the East, coached by Virginia coach Bruce Arena. Seven U.Va. players are on the East. . . . Virginia Beach gymnast Alexis Brion competes tonight in the team competition and Sunday as an individual. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Field hockey star Kim Miller played on the Olympic Festival's South
team, which finished 0-3-1.
by CNB