
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 14, 1993                   TAG: 9310140144
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-11   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

4 HIGH SCHOOLS CITED FOR EXCELLENCE

Four high schools in the New River Valley have been cited by the Virginia High School League and Central Fidelity Bank as among the top 10 statewide in their groups for athletics and academics during the 1992-93 school year.

Blacksburg High was sixth among state Group AA schools in academic standings in Virginia, and Radford High was ninth.

Pulaski County High School was also ninth academically, among Group AAA schools.

In athletic standings, Blacksburg High was first and Christiansburg High was 10th in Group AA.

Three Roanoke Valley high schools were recognized in the Group AA athletic standings: Salem, third; William Bird, seventh; and Northside, ninth.

Other nearby high schools that made the rankings were Galax, fifth, and Rural Retreat, ninth, in Group A academic standings; Abingdon, first among Group AA in academic standings, and George Wythe and Franklin, tied for sixth in Group A athletic standings.

Central Fidelity Cup awards will go to Blacksburg and Abingdon, for ranking at the tops of Group AA schools, respectively, in athletics and academics. Six cups are presented annually, in each of the leagues' three classifications for both athletics and academics.

Rankings are decided on a points system, based on performance in VHSL competitions.

Athletic points are earned from 10 girls' and 10 boys' sports that compete statewide. Academic points are earned in creative writing, debate, drama, forensics and publications.

"Because the purpose of this award is to recognize overall excellence, it's a credit to the winning schools that they have developed broad-based programs," said VHSL Executive Director Earl Gillespie.

by CNB