DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710230727

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   41 lines

RHUE, EDWARDS WIN BEACH CROSS CROUNTRY TITLES

On Tuesday night Kevin Rhue walked the 3.1-mile cross country course at Mount Trashmore. And on Wednesday afternoon the Princess Anne junior ran it in 16 minutes, 50 seconds to win the Beach District championship.

Pam Edwards of Tallwood won the girls crown in 18:58. It was the first for the junior, who has won back-to-back regional titles.

Regular season champions Cox (boys) and Kempsville (girls) won the team titles. The Falcons had 47 points to runner-up Kellam's 77. The Chief girls tallied 36 points to second-place Kellam's 66. The top 15 runners and first four teams advance to next Thursday's Eastern Regional at Newport News Park.

Rhue and Kellam's Ralph Denton emerged as the leaders after two miles, but Denton's legs gave out coming down the hill 300 meters from the finish line. The senior had similar problems last year at districts when he came in 30th.

``It's a thrill, finally winning a championship,'' said Rhue, third last season. ``I've come so close a couple of times.''

Cox's Brad Sorgen was second, leading the Falcons runners who placed 2-6-8-9-22. Sorgen stumbled at last year's district race, suffering a stress fracture. Covered by green magic marker graffiti that included ``Brad rulz'' and ``Don't trip,'' written on his stomach, he finished Wednesday's race in 17:08, three seconds ahead of Kempsville's Nathan Haddaway.

``All of this helped,'' said Sorgen, pointing to his colored arms. ``It's going to take me three hours to wash it off.''

The Falcons won despite losing their No. 5 guy, Brannon Thomas, to a torn ACL two weeks ago. Jon Mechling filled in, and coach Tim Webb pronounced it the best team he has coached in any sport.

In the girls race, Edwards was 38 seconds ahead of Erin Holmes of Kempsville, who finished in 19:36. The Chiefs showed off their enviable depth, placing six runners in the top 15. Sally Harrison was fifth followed by Marcie Anderson (7), Kelly Lawver (10), Meredith Lowrance (12) and Katie Hirsch (13).

``All season long coach (Kendall) Tata has said practice is like putting money in the bank and today is our paycheck,'' Holmes said.

The other boys teams qualifying for regionals are Salem and Kempsville. The girls teams from Cox and Ocean Lakes also advanced.

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