DATE: Sunday, November 2, 1997              TAG: 9711011017

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK

                                            LENGTH:   76 lines

COLLEGE REPORT: KEEPING UP WITH S. HAMPTON ROADS GRADS AT COLLEGE

MENS GOLF

James Madison senior Bryan Jackson (Norfolk Collegiate) showed his teammates he still had some good golf in him following his victory in the Cavalier Payton Memorial in July.

Jackson shot 62 during the JMU team-qualifying round to set a course record at Staunton's Country Club in August.

``That really gave me a lot of confidence,'' Jackson said. ``Going into the Virginia State's, I felt really good about my game.''

So good that he shot 149 to win medalist honors at the Virginia Division I Intercollegiate Championship Sept. 29-30 to lead the Dukes to their second state team title in the past three seasons.

Jackson was second on JMU with a 75.5 stroke average last year but has lowered his numbers this season.

One of Jackson's teammate, freshman Matt Paulson (Cox), was expected to make his first appearance this weekend at the JMU Fall Classic.

WOMENS VOLLEYBALL

Washington & Lee's Hilary Martin (Norfolk Academy) had no logical reason to worry about having a down senior year. After all, she was a three-time first-team all-ODAC, including player of the year as a sophomore in 1995. Yet, she figured anything could happen.

``Senior year, you don't know if you're going to finish with a bang or fall off your stride,'' Martin said.

So far, Martin's senior campaign has been a smooth ride.

Early on, Martin recorded her 849th kill to break Virginia Yoerg's school record. She then went on to to become the first person in school history to reach the 1,000-career kills plateau.

Last weekend, Martin was pivotal in Washington & Lee (14-9) knocking off Averett in Newport News.

Martin had the match-ending kill as the Generals overcame a 14-11 deficit in the final set to win the game 16-14 and the match 3-2.

FOOTBALL

Three local freshman linebackers are getting their share of time for Virginia State this fall.

Kevin Parker (Deep Creek) and Raymond Martin (Granby) have each played in all seven games for the Trojans (5-2). Ohnja Bynum (Southampton) has appeared in five of VSU's games.

Parker is second on the team with 34 tackles including two for negative yardage and a pass deflection.

Martin, a first-team All-Tidewater lineman in 1995, and Bynum have each been credited with seven tackles.

Local players have also been accountable for a considerable amount of the Trojans' offense.

Damon McNair (Tallwood), who platoons with Antonio Hawkins, has thrown for 873 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions on 61 for 136 passing.

The team's top two receivers are Jovelle Tillman (Booker T. Washington) and Desmond Thornton (Granby).

Tillman has 732 yards and 10 touchdowns on 40 receptions including a 99-yard scoring pass in a 51-29 victory over Fayetteville State last month.

Thornton has 467 yards and one touchdown on 38 catches.

WOMENS TENNIS

In one weekend, Vassar's Carol Baker (Norfolk Collegiate) went from unseeded to unbeatable.

Baker went into the New York State Tennis Tournament with a 3-6 record and won four straight matches to capture the championship in No. 6 singles.

``She was very competitive all season long,'' Vassar coach Kathy Campbell said. ``A lot of the things we had been working on had come to fruition.''

The freshman won her opening round match and then defeated the No. 4 seed from Union College in the quarterfinals. She followed that upset by knocking off the No. 1 seed from the University of Rochester in the semifinals and the No. 3 seed from Skidmore in the final. Baker's performance helped Vassar to the third place finish in the tournament. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Bryan Jackson

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