Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 27, 1990 TAG: 9004270263
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The answer, almost certainly, is no one.
This will be the 25th year of the Cosmo, which kicks into high gear Saturday at Salem High. (Trials for high schools and junior high schools will be held today.) The Fleming boys haven't lost the championship since 1971.
The only blemish for the Colonels was 1982, when Salem shared the crown. So, if Fleming wins the Cosmo, it will mark three decades of championships for the Colonels.
But Fleming has a bigger goal than that.
"This is a good team and we have a chance to win the state," said coach Rudy Dillard, whose Colonels tied for second in the Group AAA meet during the winter. "But it depends on how we perform. We have better depth than last year, and our middle-distance people have come on strong."
One athlete to watch is Mike Wheatley who leads a group of fast Fleming sprinters.
The Colonels' Chris Robinson is the defending Group AAA Northwestern Region champion in the long jump and finished third in the state in this year's indoor meet. Robinson, also an excellent runner, faces stiff competition from Northside junior Curtis Ballard.
In the girls' division, Fleming is a slight favorite but faces challenges from Cave Spring and Patrick Henry. The Colonels edged PH by seven points in a dual meet Tuesday.
Some of the most interesting competition should come in the distance events. Among the boys, Cave Spring's John Hawthorne and Jay Gentry and Glenvar's Joey Soltis will renew their rivalry in the 3,200 meters.
Hawthorne, Gentry and Soltis finished 1-2-3 in the Metro cross country meet. A year ago, Hawthorne beat Soltis in the Cosmo 3,200. Soltis later won the Group A championship.
Among the girls' entrants, Salem's Lori Archer will battle Cave Spring's Jenny Sheets in the 1,600 and 3,200. Archer and Sheets finished 1-2 in Metro cross country.
Northside's Patti Fisher, who won five Blue Ridge District girls' events last year, won't participate in the Cosmo because of a conflict with softball.
In high school action Thursday:
\ BASEBALL: North Cross scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Massanutten Military Academy 6-5. Aaron Lange had an RBI single, Jason Beheler had a bases-loaded double and Mark Shaver's suicide squeeze scored the winning run in the inning.
Cris Coffey was 2-for-4 and and drove in two runs to lead William Fleming past visiting Staunton River 3-1.
At Fairfield, Craig County topped Rockbridge 3-1 in a game shortened to three innings because of darkness, giving the Rockets a split of the teams' doubleheader. Rockbridge (5-6 in the Pioneer District, 5-7 overall) won the first game 10-5 behind home runs by Kris Whitesell and Kevin Alestock.
Whitesell was 5-for-5 for the day. For Craig County, Craig Hannah hit two homers in the first game, driving in all of his team's runs.
At Lynchburg, Kevin Brady struck out 16 and doubled in two runs with Holy Cross' only hit to lead the Gaels to a 3-0 victory over Roanoke Valley Christian (2-8).
\ SOFTBALL: At Buena Vista, Jenny Williams won for the 11th time this season as Parry McCluer defeated James River 5-2 in the Pioneer District. Williams (11-1) struck out five and did not walk a batter for the Fighting Blues (8-0, 11-1).
Margaret Rosemond had a home run and a double to drive in four runs and lead North Cross (8-1) to a 17-9 victory over visiting Timberlake Christian.
Nikki Hall had a home run and a double to lead Glenvar past Bath County 11-3. The hosts improved their record to 6-1 in the Pioneer District, 9-3 overall.
\ BOYS' SOCCER: At Rocky Mount, Jay Higginbotham scored three goals and Lewyn Poage had two assists as Franklin County blanked William Fleming 4-0 in the Roanoke Valley District.
by CNB