DATE: Friday, June 6, 1997                  TAG: 9706040141

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: SPORTS EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK 

SOURCE: Paul White 

                                            LENGTH:   62 lines

NORCOM SHOULD HONOR MISSY BANKS BY NAMING ITS HIGHEST AWARD FOR HER

It took place on an auxiliary field outside Darling Stadium on Saturday, away from the gaze of the nearly 3,000 fans who were attending the Group AAA state track and field meet - indeed, it was in the late morning, before many had even shown up.

Hardly a fitting stage for the final high school performance of shot-putter Missy Banks, the greatest female athlete in Norcom High School.

Most greatest-of-all-time debates are entertaining, but ultimately fruitless. Wilt vs. Russell? Montana vs. Unitas? Who can say for sure?

But Norcom's history of female athletes, save for a few Division I college-caliber basketball types, is hardly the most illustrious on record. And Banks has consistently achieved at a level that would make her stand out at any school. So the case of who's the all-time best female Greyhound, it says here, takes about two minutes to open and shut:

The most district titles in school history? Missy Banks (seven).

The most regional titles? Banks again (six).

Most state titles? The only girl to ever win a state title at Norcom? You guessed it. She's won three.

Saturday's state shot-put event, save for the outcome, didn't feature vintage Banks. Despite a mildly surprising victory in the discus the day before - Banks had placed second to Great Bridge's Charndra Lewis at regionals - the Greyhounds senior was wound up so tight she scratched on her first throw.

``You should be throwing 45-50 feet, no problem,'' one onlooker told Banks during a break.

``Watch it, now,'' Banks replied.

``You mad? You mad? Good. Now take that anger and put it into your next throw.''

On this day, no amount of cajoling would get Banks anywhere near her personal best. But at no time during the competition would Banks concern herself with not winning. Like anyone who bothered to get a program, she knew no one in the field was capable of matching even an average Banks throw. So when she uncorked an effort of 41-10, the rest of the field commenced scrambling for second.

In victory, Banks, who hasn't decided whether she'll attend college, wore the expression of a person who'd just lost her best friend.

``Forty-one feet?'' Banks said of a distance she mastered as a sophomore. ``I can throw that on a bad day.''

In other words, even on a so-called ``bad day,'' Banks is still significantly better than anyone else in Virginia.

But Banks also wasn't about to sneer at a state title. Despite her regional dominance, prior to her senior outdoor season, she'd never won one. Monday, she wore her championship medals to school.

Each year, Norcom names an outstanding female athlete. Banks, of course, knows this better than anyone, since she's won it three years running. Here's hoping the Greyhounds consider naming this award after Banks. Such a move would allow the school to honor the top female athlete in a given year, while continuing to pay tribute to its top female athlete of all time. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT

There is no disputing the undeniable truth - Missy Banks is the

greatest female athlete ever to attend Norcom High School.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu