THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210518
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
Former Princess Anne and Old Dominion University standout Susan Callahan has been named head field hockey coach at First Colonial High.
Callahan replaces Traci McGrath, who retired after eight seasons to spend more time with her family.
Callahan, 23, graduated from ODU with a degree in health and physical education in December and has been substitute teaching in the Virginia Beach public school system.
Callahan was a four-sport star for Princess Anne, earning Beach District field hockey Player of the Year honors her senior season in 1991 as a midfielder. She was also named to All-Beach teams in basketball, soccer and softball.
As a freshman and sophomore defender at ODU, she was part of the Monarchs' back-to-back NCAA national championship teams. She was a first-team All-American pick as a junior and a second-team selection as a senior.
Callahan becomes the third former ODU player to coach in the Beach District, with Ocean Lakes' Yogi Boothe and Bayside's Kathy Mustain.
``When I was in high school, becoming a coach was one of my top priorities,'' Callahan said. ``Then in college, getting a job as a teacher became my priority and then I'd think about coaching. I'm still looking for the teaching job, so I've kind of done this the opposite way.
``But I'm really looking forward to working with the girls. I'm working a camp at James Madison and I think (the Patriots) are going to the team camp there. I know they've always had a pretty good team and it's going to be fun.''
TOURNEY TIME: This will be the first big weekend for spring sports and several tournaments are scheduled which will feature some of the area's and state's best teams.
The Tallwood Kickoff Classic begins a three-day boys soccer run at 2 this afternoon with a field that includes First Colonial, Tabb, Maury, Western Branch, Kecoughtan and Tallwood.
In girls soccer, the Cox Invitational includes a who's who in the state field of Annandale, West Potomac, W.T. Woodson, Mt. Vernon and Cox. Play begins Friday at noon and continues Saturday. The Peninsula Catholic tournament, also set for Friday and Saturday, includes Green Run, Nansemond-Suffolk, Norfolk Collegiate, Kellam, Bayside, Norfolk Christian, Peninsula Catholic and Gloucester.
In boys tennis, the Big Chief Classic pits highly regarded players from Cox, Norfolk Academy, Maury and Kempsville in singles and doubles competition. The doubles tournament begins at 4 p.m. Friday at Kempsville and the singles tournament starts at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cox.
THORNTON WATCH: Damon Thornton of Atlantic Shores is closely monitoring the coaching situation at N.C. State. Thornton likes Wolfpack coach Les Robinson and it now appears he will return despite a second straight last-place finish in the ACC.
``That doesn't mean Damon is going to State,'' Atlantic Shores coach Mark Phelps said. ``It just clears things up.''
Thornton, a 6-7 forward, is leaning toward Syracuse and N.C. State, Phelps said. The spring signing period begins April 10.
``I don't expect Damon to wait that long,'' Phelps said.
FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS: Three more Bayside football players have committed to Bowie State. Running back-safety Chris Sherrod, linebacker-fullback Mike Young and running back-cornerback Jermerll Ford, will join receiver Warren Clark, who signed earlier.
HARCOURT RESIGNS: Ocean Lakes wrestling coach Jack Harcourt has announced his resignation after 17 years as junior high and high school wrestling coach.
``I want more time to pursue professional academic opportunities,'' he said.
Harcourt coached for five years at Princess Anne Junior High, then six at Great Neck Junior. Both are now middle schools.
He coached four years at Green Run before taking the Ocean Lakes job when the school opened two years ago.
Harcourt is a U.S. Wrestling national coaching pool coach and has coached national age-group teams at the international level. He will be spending the summer working in the wrestling training room at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. MEMO: Staff writers Robin Brinkley and Chic Riebel contributed to this
report. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Sue Callahan will step in at First Colonial in place of Traci
McGrath, who's retiring after eight seasons.
by CNB