THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 24, 1995 TAG: 9511210143
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: VIENNA LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
YOU WOULD HAVE thought the Cox field hockey team had lost its bid for a seventh-straight state championship by the tears rolling down the faces of the players Saturday afternoon at Oakton High.
But these were tears of joy - well-deserved, overwhelming happiness.
This had been an extra-special effort for several reasons.
It was the final high school game for seven starting seniors - a group that had largely been together since the eighth grade, a group that was as much family as team, a group that had racked up incredible numbers over the years.
In the center of the field, Catherine McCallum and Kim Iman embraced for what seemed like an eternity.
McCallum had Cox's only goals in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over South Lakes and a 1-0 overtime championship game defeat of a Lake Braddock team that physically and verbally abused the Falcons during the contest.
To one side stood Kim Miller, a young lady to whom the family aspect of this squad probably meant more than to any other player.
``This is all very emotional to me,'' she said. ``I just can't stop crying. I'm going to miss playing with this team more than you could ever understand. This is such a family for me and we don't have any more high school games together.
``This is both a great moment and something that's going to be hard for me to handle.''
When Miller makes her collegiate playing choice, she will take with her memories of her teammates - girls who had helped her become the leading scorer in state history and No. 3 on the national career list.
Miller finished with 63 goals this season and 160 for the career. Her total last year of 50 is second in the state for a single season. Her 10 goals in one game this season is second nationally - one short of the record.
McCallum and Iman, too, finish their careers in the national record book.
McCallum is tied for first in a single season with 33 assists and is second nationally with 58 in her career.
Iman is second with 54 shutouts in a career and third with 13 consecutive shutouts.
With the seventh title - one that bested Cox's own record of six in a row - the Falcons moved into a tie for first with 10 overall titles.
The Falcons' average of a little more than 6.5 goals a game is second nationally. Their 17 goals earlier this year against Trinity Episcopal is tied for second and the 137 goals scored this season is third nationally.
The 19 shutouts registered this year is tied for No. 3.
But the records mean little to the Falcons right now. They are something the girls will think about in the future.
More important to each player was the way the team jelled into a family.
Throughout the past few seasons, the players have held family dinners and gone out together as a group. Friday at Fair Oaks Mall after the quarterfinals, they shopped together.
``This feels wonderful,'' said Iman, who had let Miller carve ``COX'' into the hair on the back of her head. ``This is the last game together as seniors and it really means something special to us. We couldn't have done it without the other girls, but they'll understand their senior year.
``I don't know when it's all going to hit us, but it will. It's special.''
After the long trip home, the seniors got up early to drive to Winston-Salem, N.C., to participate as ball girls for the NCAA Division I championship between North Carolina and Maryland.
Despite rumors to the contrary, coach Nancy Fowlkes is not contemplating a retirement from coaching.
``I have considered it a number of different times,'' she said. ``I'm not ready to quit. I want to continue to coach.''
Fowlkes is the winningest coach in state history with 289 career victories in 23 seasons. Between her and previous Falcons coach Emilie Tilley, Cox has won 387 field hockey games. MEMO: [For a related story, see page 11 of The Beacon for this date.]
ILLUSTRATION: SEVENTH HEAVEN
[Cover, Color photo]
ON THE COVER
Forward Kim Miller, right, and teammate Lauren Crenshaw
exhilarate seconds after Catherine McCallum scored the winning goal
in overtime. Staff photo by Vicki Cronis
Staff photos by VICKI CRONIS
Long after everyone else had left the field, goalie Kim Iman and
Catherine McCallum, who scored the only goal in overtime, embraced
in the center of the field.
With their national record-breaking seventh straight state title -
they broke their own record - the Falcons moved into a tie for first
with 10 overall titles.
Nearing the end of regulation play, Cox players on the sidelines
exhorted their teammates on - hand in hand.
Kim Miller lunges for the ball in the middle of three Lake Braddock
defenders. Though shut out in the final, Miller finished as the No.
3 all-time scorer nationally.
by CNB