THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 1997 TAG: 9701290643
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 55 lines
Succeeding as a freshman is one of the toughest challenges in wrestling.
Those who do are usually at the lower weights; witness Cox's Bobby Ingram, who is 27-0 and ranked No. 1 at 103.
He's also the only ranked freshman.
``Bobby's big advantage is that he's wrestled all over the country,'' Falcons coach Joe Boone said. ``When the big events come, he doesn't get nervous.''
Ingram is the class of his class, but he's not the only freshman who is wrestling well.
Hickory started seven freshmen last week against Great Bridge. Parker Crockford (16-4 at 140), Mike Basham (15-5 at 103), Chris Davis (14-8 at 171) and Brian Whitehurst (12-9 at 130) are the standouts.
Crockford, who started the season at 145, is 12-1 overall and 6-0 in the district at 140.
``Having freshmen is a great advantage if they're talented,'' Hawks coach Jud Stokes said. ``Unless a disaster happens, in the next couple of years we're going to be really good.''
Ocean Lakes is in a similar situation. The Dolphins start five freshmen and Jeremy Haskell (140) looks like a future champion.
Some other freshmen of note are Lake Taylor's Ernesto Vera (15-6 at 130), Oscar Smith's John Starks (16-8 at 125), Western Branch's P.J. Neumann (16-14 at 135) and Deep Creek's Rondell Barnes (12-14 at 130).
TCIS UPDATE: Norfolk Academy's Ryan Ingram seeks his third consecutive TCIS championship in Saturday's conference meet at Norfolk Collegiate. Ingram, a junior who wrestles at 112, is 72-3 in his varsity career.
Two of the losses were to Oscar Smith's Gary Lewis in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The other loss occurred by default after he lost a tooth and the match was stopped so he could be taken to a dentist.
Ingram is a cousin of Cox's Bobby Ingram.
``I claim no coaching credit for Ryan,'' Bulldogs' coach Dave Lindjhem said. ``He was a well-oiled machine when he came to us.''
Norfolk Academy has won the past four TCIS tournaments, but Lindjhem gives the Bulldogs only slim odds to hold off the host Oaks.
A TRIBUTE: Cox will honor long-time patron Dr. Doug Conkwright during Friday's match against Ocean Lakes. Conkwright has been a fixture with the Falcons since his sons Scott and Chris combined to win seven state championships between 1969 and 1975.
MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: Indian River's Luke Armagost meets Hickory's Parker Crockford tonight at 140. Armagost, a senior, is a two-time district runner-up and has pinned his last six opponents. Crockford, a freshman, is looking for his first victory over a ranked opponent. ILLUSTRATION: STANDINGS, RANKINGS
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