THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 14, 1996 TAG: 9601140228
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
Jason Nickerson is one foot away from playing for the Virginia Wesleyan men's basketball team.
His right foot!
While practicing the day before the Marlins' game with Hampden-Sydney, the former Kempsville standout landed on a teammate's foot in a shooting drill and broke his foot - for the fourth time.
Bad luck has followed Nickerson throughout his basketball career, dating back to his sophomore season at Kempsville. That was the first time he broke his foot.
He would break it again in his senior year after playing in six games. He did it again this fall while practicing at Old Dominion University, where he first had attended school.
A screw was implanted in his foot to prevent it from happening again. So much for medical science.
``I didn't really realize I had broken it until I got home and it was hurting a bit,'' Nickerson said about the fourth break. ``I was feeling pain. It was like, `Oh, my God.' ''
His doctor has ordered him a special machine that will electrically stimulate the area of the break and is supposed to hasten the healing process.
Nickerson remains optimistic about it all. He has three years remaining to play for the Marlins. And transferring from Division I Old Dominion to Division III Virginia Wesleyan was not such a big deal.
He wanted to go to a place where he could play instead of riding the bench and wondering when he would ever get on the floor. He felt that Virginia Wesleyan would be the place.
``When I started playing this summer with the guys here, it was like, `Yeah, I should have been here all along,' '' Nickerson said. ``I didn't want to leave the area because I wanted to stay close to home, and my girlfriend is here.''
Nickerson was averaging 13 points and five rebounds in three games off the bench. While he is all but done for this season, he looks forward to playing this summer and then next season.
``I feel that if I can get healthy that I can contribute to this team in a big way,'' Nickerson said.
ALUMNI UPDATE: Franklin and Marshall freshman swimmer Megan Romash (Great Bridge) has posted four individual victories and has contributed to five winning relays in seven meets. Romash is third on the team in individual wins this season and tied for second in contributing to winning relays. Her season-best performance was against Western Maryland when she won the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:26.64 and contributed to a pair of victorious relay teams.
TRIBE REPORT: John Sauder, William and Mary's strength coach, was named the Colonial Athletic Association Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year. Sauer, in his eighth season with the Tribe, is one of 32 conference winners honored across the country and is automatically nominated for the national award , which will be voted on at the NSCA convention in June.
CAPTAINS UPDATE: Entering the weekend, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team was 4-7 overall, 1-0 Dixie Conference. CNU defeated North Carolina Wesleyan in the conference opener 90-73. Misty Hart (Menchville), a transfer from Old Dominion, scored 16 points and had nine assists in her first game. Sophomore guard Tennile Smith (Deep Creek) averages 9.2 ppg and 7.7 rpg. Sophomore center Keisha Joseph (Salem) tied a career high of 19 points in the win over N.C. Wesleyan. She also had six rebounds and five blocks. Sophomore guard Dana Edwards (Smithfield) is the team's second-leading scorer. She averages 9.7 ppg and 4.9 apg and is shooting 31 percent from 3-point range. Washington) averages 15.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg. He is also 15th in the nation in field-goal percentage. Sophomore Matt Bryant (Deep Creek) averages 10.8 ppg, shooting 57 percent from the field.
JUNIOR COLLEGE UPDATE: Shaun Jackson (Maury) averages 16 ppg and 9.2 rpg in nine games at Labette Junior College in Parsons, Kan. The 6-foot-7 former All-Tidewater selection is shooting 74 percent from the field. by CNB