THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 2, 1996 TAG: 9610010128
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
LENGTH: 266 lines
It wasn't exactly the Olympic Games in Atlanta, but the final weekend of the 23rd annual Neptune Festival was a local competitor's dream, with events ranging ffrom surfing to sculpting on the Boardwalk.
And unlike the Olympics, most of the Neptune competitors seemed more focused on having fun then actually winning an event.
``I definitely came out here to win, but having fun is probably more important,'' said surfing competitor Daryl Avelino.
For Avelino, 24, the competition was mostly a chance to hang out with some familiar faces. ``It's a bunch of people who grew up together and surf together. I'd rather get beaten out by him, then some other guy,'' said Avelino pointing to fellow surfer Blake Garner.
Garner, 22, who won his age group three years ago, said the Neptune surfing competition is his favorite one of the year because so many people come out to watch and because he, too, knows almost all the other competitors.
Even the intermittent rain, choppy waves and gusty winds didn't ruin any of the surfers' fun Saturday.
``I enjoy being around all these kids because it makes me feel young again,'' said Tim Butler, 45, who made it to the finals of the Grand Masters division. ``All these guys I know who used to surf have kids surfing now, so now it's kind of like a family out here. The competition here is real fun,'' he said.
Farther down the beach, the cheerleading competition looked like it might be a bit more serious. With one cheerleading squad on stage doing its interpretation of the Macarena, other groups were off to the sides getting in last-minute practice. Others chose to sit and watch the competition.
Joanna Yates waited patiently for her daughters' squads, the Woodstock Steelers and the Woodstock Wildcats, to get their turn on the stage.
``We're here to win, but we're also out here to have a good time,'' Yates said.
Woodstock team member Leann Callihan, 11, agreed that competing is fun, but admitted ``watching the other girls is kind of boring.''
Another Woodstock parent, Robby Robertson, said he likes the competitiveness brought out by the cheerleading competition.
``It's mostly fun for them,'' he said. ``It teaches them togetherness, team spirit and work ethics. It's really great.''
But the most important thing to remember, said Megan McCann, 12, and her sister Kelly McCann, as they made their way to the stage, is ``to smile.''
Next to the cheerleading on the beach, the less aerobic sandcastle sculpting attracted a lot of attention from passers-by. The theme was ``Honoring Our Military Families,'' and the participants had to deal with the occasional sprinkling of rain washing away some of their detailed work.
Students from St. Gregory the Great Catholic School worked confidently with leader Deni Brown, who used a bullhorn to direct the 115-strong workforce. Brown's counterpart from Windsor (Va.) MiddleSchool, Sara Spital, was not having as easy a time. Spital's voice was hoarse from directing her small band of 11 students, and her troops were beginning to lose most of their morning vigor.
``We're just aiming to beat the 1 p.m. deadline,'' Spital said. ``If we finish by then it's a victory.''
The Windsor students sculpted a binocular-wearing octopus wrapped around a submarine, next to a saluting King Neptune.
``We're a small group, but we're doing really well,'' said Spital of her class, who drove an hour from Windsor to participate. ``I'm really proud of them.''
Over at the St. Gregory site, things went a little smoother. Brown had a line of students bringing buckets of water to the sculpture while others moved sand and worked on the project's details.
``We are trying to teach the children that teamwork not only works in the classroom but also works in any aspect of life,'' Brown said.
The St. Gregory sculpture included King Neptune, a flag with waves and starfish, and a crab. Brown said the crab signifies children working together with their arms.
Adam Jenkins, 12, of Windsor, however, was thinking more of the surf than the sand. He said the best part of sand sculpting is playing in the water.
While the Neptune Festival was a day at the beach for some participants, the gusty winds and rain that accompanied the events proved most trying for players in the volleyball tournament. Players in the two-on-two tournament pressed on despite the weather.
``The strategy is to try and get the ball over the net and to watch out for the wind,'' said Eric Morgan, 15, who was teamed up with Shannon Hatch, 14.
``This is only my second tournament so I'm pretty bad,'' said Hatch. ``But I think it's fun. It's not a big thing. We're just out here to play and have fun.''
Several courts away on the sand, Melissa Martinez, 19, and Melissa Rogers, 26, agreed that the weather wasn't getting in the way of a good time.
``It's just fun to hang out with everybody. You've got all your friends out here playing,'' Rogers said. And as the rain began to fall again, she added, ``It is fun to wander around and see how everybody is doing. I know most of the people on every other net.'' MEMO: NEPTUNE FESTIVAL COMPETITION RESULTS
SANDCASTLE CLASSIC
Elementary schools - Windsor Oaks, first; Friends School, second;
W.T. Cooke, third
Middle schools - Virginia Beach, first; Great Neck, second; Windsor,
third
High schools - Green Run, first; Ocean Lakes, second; Salem, third
Neptune Salute - Trantwood Elementary
Freelance - Windsor High School, first
Masters - Damon Farmer, first; Scott Dosch, second; Ed Moore, third
Business/organizations - Forrest Coile, first; URS Consultants,
second; Hillhaven, third
T-shirt, Hillhaven
Corporate Challenge, Forrest Coile
People's Choice, Medical Facilities of America
ART AND CRAFT SHOW
Overall winners - Owen Pach, glass, first ($750); Carol Debolt
Eikenbery, mixed media/ painting, second ($500); Robert and Maya
Konforti, jewelry, third ($250).
Awards of excellence ($100 each) - Thom Kittredge and Yvonne Hegney,
ceramics; Gary Duquette, painting; Charles Waldman, photography.
Awards of merit ($50 each) - Clare and Sephi Itzhaki, clothing; Rosan
Hunter, mixed media; Susan Painter, ceramics; Peter C. Bailey, painting.
YOUTH ART SHOW
Best in show ($250) - Deaner Lawless, Kempsville High School and
Governor's School for the Arts; Neptune Youth Art Award ($100) - Jason
Sutton, Cox High School; Creativity Award ($50) - Becca Taylor, Bayside
High School; Photography Award ($50) - Kate Briddell, Cox High School.
Special merits ($50) - John Guanlao, Booker T. Washington and
Governor's School for the Arts; Sarah Ozouf, Kempsville High School;
Burgess Hodges, Churchland High School; Mike Clark, Cox High School;
Maureen Thorson, Cox High School; Donald Bramlett, Cox High School;
Jason Sullivan, Cox High School; Casey VanSickle, Cox High School; Billy
Sorrentino, Cox High School; Cassandra Barrett, Cox High School.
Merit winners ($25) - Katrina Howard, The American School; Isabel
Hendrix, Cox High School and the Governor's School for the Arts; Hafeeza
Sawyer, Cox High School; Stephanie Green, Cox High School and the
Governor's School for the Arts; Bobby Wahrenburg, Wilson High School
and the Governor's School for the Arts; Kendra Sandsmark, Maury High
School and the Governor's School for the Arts; Donald Robinson,
Kempsville High School; Grace Hsiu, Cox High School; Erin Balch, Salem
High School; Rachel Moyle, Cox High School.
Honorable mention ($15) - Gwenavear Dong, Maury High School; Jennifer
Lemmon, Princess Anne High School; Ryan Piraneo, Cox High School; Mike
Campagna, Salem High School; Rob Choi, Cox High School; Joel Wyer,
Princess Anne High School; Angela Anglin, Kempsville High School; Cary
Shurtz, Cox High School; Justin Arab, Tallwood High School; Karen
Cummings, Kempsville High School.
Special Achievement (ribbon) - Ian Hofler, Kempsville High School;
Jennifer Ealy, Salem High School; Whitney Waller, Ocean Lakes High
School; Keith Hunt, Governor's School for the Arts; Matt Joy, Cox High
School and the Governor's School for the Arts.
PARADE
Bands - (class AAA) Salem High School, first, Princess Anne High
School, second; (class AA) Green Run High School, first, Ocean Lakes
High School, second.
Marching units - best overall civilian unit Mayor's Award,
Falconettes; most original unit Kings Crown Award, 3rd U.S. Infantry
Drum & Fife Corps; best overall military unit King Neptune's Award,
309th Transportation Company Platoon.
Floats - best float Mayor's Award, Hermie Serna School of Music &
Dance; best interpretation of theme King Neptune's Award, Virginia Beach
Shag Club.
CHEERLEADING
6-to-8-year-olds - Larkspur-Salem Raiders, first; Larkspur-Salem
Lions, second
9-to-10-year-olds - Spirit Xplosion, first; Larkspur-Salem
Stingrays, second
11-to-12-year-olds - South Beach Neptunes and North Beach Cats, first
(tie); Woodstock Rams, third
13-to-15-year-olds - Plaza Raiders, first; Power Xplosion, second
16-to-18-year-olds - North Beach Cats
Open division - Woodstock Rams
Youth all-stars - Woodstock Steelers
Junior all-stars - Peninsula Hurricanes, first; Atlantic Cheer
Extreme, second;
Senior all-stars - Spirit Xplosion, first; South Shore Wolfpack,
second
High school junior varsity - Catholic High
High School varsity - Ocean Lakes High School, first; Lake Taylor
High School, second
8K RUN
Male overall - Juan Vargas, Norfolk, 26:25; Kevin Martin-Gayle,
Virginia Beach, 26:41; Female overall - Barbara Fallon, Norfolk, 28:46;
Claudia Kasen, Williamsburg, 29:10
Male 19 and under - Curtis Adams, Virginia Beach, 30:30; Roger
Gallup, Virginia Beach, 32:38; Female 19 and under - Tanyra Stecemann,
Virginia Beach, 35:19; Aspen Foster, Virginia Beach, 35:19
Male 20 to 24 - Robert Kramer, Chesapeake, 29:14; Max Stevens,
Norfolk, 29:23; Female 20 to 24 - Jacinda Raiche, Norfolk, 31:13;
Stephanie Baur, Virginia Beach, 36:45
Male 25 to 29 - John Lomogda, Virginia Beach, 26:47; Mike Raney,
Virginia Beach, 27:29; Female 25 to 29 - Ann Marie Welch, Nags Head,
N.C., 31:02; Amy Chadwick, Virginia Beach, 33:38
Male 30 to 34 - Bryan Mordecai, Virginia Beach, 27:12; John Dill,
Norfolk, 28:25; Female 30 to 34 - Maria Young, Virginia Beach, 33:18;
Laura Booth, Virginia Beach, 33:41
Male 35 to 39 - George Murrell, Virginia Beach, 27:31; Donald
Charlton, Virginia Beach, 28:25; Female 35 to 39 - Monica Allard,
Virginia Beach, 29:46; Valerie Plyer, Newport News, 31:10
Male 40 to 44 - Raymond Benthin, Norfolk, 29:23; Richard Morris,
Colonial Heights, 29:49; Female 40 to 44 - Sharon White, Langley Air
Force Base, 31:32; Joey Hallock, Virginia Beach, 32:49
Male 45 to 49 - Doc Weiss, Staffordsville, 30:01; Larry Coley,
Chesapeake, 30:04; Female 45 to 49 - Barbara Mathewson, Virginia Beach,
33:04; Jeanne Kruger, Norfolk, 34:37
Male 50 to 54 - Bruce Hubbard, Newark, Del., 32:28; Ron Canaway,
Curwensville, 32:40; Female 50 to 54 - Suzanne Stansfield, Virginia
Beach, 35:18; Lynne Richards, Warren, Ohio, 39:28
Male 55 to 59 - Ed Brinkley, Virginia Beach, 32:16; John Munday,
Chesapeake, 33:29; Female 55 and over - Joan Coven, Williamsburg, 41:36;
Betty Munden, Norfolk, 42:02
Male 60 to 64 - Bill Spruill, Virginia Beach, 34:08; Chris Catoe,
Virginia Beach, 35:41
Male 65 and over - John Cholish Jr., Chesapeake, 39:40; Cokey Daman,
Virginia Beach, 39:46
Male wheelchair - Anthony Russo, Virginia Beach, 27:10; Jody
Shiflett, Virginia Beach, 29:15; Female wheelchair - Tara Chandler,
Virginia Beach, 34:41; Betsy Bondurant, Virginia Beach, 47:53.
Corporate team - Cigna, 1:44:31; NNSY Pacers A, 1:45:04
Military team - Fleet of Feet 1, 1:40:08; Fleet of Feet 2, 1:41:05
VOLLEYBALL
Women's B - Ginger Swartworth and Jane Frye, first; Miryah Bice and
Jennifer Ammann, second; Men's B - Nick Nagurney and Travis Campbell,
first; David Libel and Aubrey Collier, second
Women's BB - Megan Bickerstaff and Deeanne Wardman, first; Sandy
Platt and Louanne Roberts, second; Men's BB - Tim Brown and Chris Abell,
first; Rich Mroch and Jamie Iles, second
Women's A - Michelle Lee and Carol Roper-Tuckey, first; Brenda
Larimer, second; Men's A - Steve Brady and Bill Krouse, first; Raymon
Cabrera and Marco Vallejo, second
Women's open - Anne Traxler and Sarah Brennen, first; Karen Hoydt and
Mary Holland, second; Men's open - George Fulcher and Shawn Murphy,
first; Felix Kambou and Phil Rose, second
Men's AA - Jeff Ernsberger and Dave Aubaugh, first; Richard Welch and
Cory Godwin, second
Coed B - Joyce Willis and Greg Ciambruschini, first; Marion Tiongson
and Mike Wright, second
Coed BB - Kim Roberson and Kevin Thompson, first; Travis Lynch and
Megan Bickerstaff, second
Coed A - Wayne Barrack and Chris Wessner, first; David Cascio and
Linda Cascio, second
Coed open - John Ek and Holly Yager, first; Larry Vischokil and
Stacey Woodgeard, second.
SURFING
Menehune - Steve Owens, first; Nathan Evans, second
Senior men - Grey Martin, first; Todd Doyle, second
Menehune longboard - Brendan Petticrew, first; Granger Clark, second
Boys - Brendan Petticrew, first; Mike Midgett, second
Masters - Stephan Michaels, first; Shawn Miller, second
Junior longboard - Ian Seymour, first; Aaron Remley, second
Junior men - Andrew Meyer, first; Cam Powell, second
Grand masters - Bobby Holland, first; Jim Provo, second
Master longboard - Grey Martin, first; Bart Bridges, second
Men - Brad Harrell, first; Fleet Martinette, second
Girls - Meredith Hodges, first; Candace Evans, second
Senior longboard - Bobby Holland, first; Bobby Chenman, second
Women - Michelle Trent, first; Myra Chambers, second
Women's longboard - Marion Purkey, first; Jane Seymour, second
Menehune bodyboard - T.J. Bonanno, first; Brendan Petticrew, second
Junior bodyboard - Jeff Moody, first; Ricky Miller, second
Senior bodyboard - Brian Myers, first; Frankie Collins, second
Women's bodyboard - Amber Thompson, first; Ainslee Wallace, second ILLUSTRATION: Photos, including color cover, by L. TODD SPENCER
Girls from the Atlantic Cheer Extreme squad - the ACES - bring their
high-energy routine to the stage during the Junior all-stars
competition. They finished second.
Batt Basham of Mineral, Va., an apprentice at Aloe Tinnery, turns
cans into pieces of art as spectators watch the arts and craft
competition on the Boardwalk.
Above photo by GARY KNAPP; left photo by L. TODD SPENCER
ABOVE: A giant octopus floats in at Sunday's Neptune Festival
parade.
LEFT: Sabrina Simpson, center, 13, of Richmond and her mother Wanda,
left, take off at the start of Saturday's sand treasure hunt. by CNB