Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506060066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Obviously, Trish Nervo no longer is content to pick on folks her own age.
Already a six-time state champion in her three years at Glenvar High School, Nervo added to her long-distance resume Saturday by outrunning all comers in the women's 10-kilometer portion of the 11th First Union Festival Classic road races in downtown Roanoke.
With a powerful late kick, Nervo blew past five-time champion and race favorite Lori Taylor of Blacksburg en route to perhaps her most impressive victory.
``I didn't know it was Lori at first,'' Nervo said. ``All I know is that it sure feels good to beat somebody with a name like that.''
Taylor, 32, knew who Nervo was. But the Virginia Tech women's cross country coach couldn't do anything except watch the young redhead race by.
``She ran tough,'' Taylor said. ``She came up on me at about the four-mile mark. We were back and forth sort of feeling each other out. Then she made a little kick on the steep hill on Jefferson Street and she took off. She was gone.''
Nervo, who completed the 6.2-mile course in 38 minutes, 6 seconds, beat Taylor to the finish line by 19 seconds.
``I've heard a lot about [Taylor], but I'd never run against her,'' said Nervo, who owns Group A titles in cross country (three), the two-mile (two) and the mile (one). ``When I came up on her, I heard somebody yell, `Go Lori,' so I figured it must be her. When I heard that, I almost said, `Drop off and forget it.'''
But down the stretch, the only thing Nervo forgot was Taylor, leaving the older, more celebrated runner in her wake.
``I'm proud of her,'' Taylor said. ``It's good to see the young kids run well. For me, it just makes me more hungry.''
Nervo's upset prevented another Taylor-household Festival sweep. Lori's husband, Steve, smoked the men's 10K field, outdistancing his closest pursuer, Kenneth Monger, by 2 minutes, 28 seconds.
For Steve Taylor, the men's cross country coach at Tech, it was his ``fourth or fifth'' Festival triumph.
``It's probably five,'' said Taylor, 29. ``I can't remember. That's probably a sign that I'm getting old.''
Taylor's act has to be getting old for the men's field. As usual, he didn't have to break a sweat to win going away.
``It was a nice little run,'' said Taylor, who ran six ``cool-down'' miles after covering the course in 31:28.
``At times, yeah, you get a little lonely out there. But I've been in so many races where somebody is right beside you, so it's nice to be out there all by yourself for a change. There's no better feeling for a runner than to look back and see nobody there, believe me.''
Greg Cavaliere of Lynchburg and Gretchen Misslbeck, who lives at Smith Mountain Lake, won the men's and women's 5K events, respectively.
Cavaliere, 27, an assistant cross country coach at Lynchburg College, said he was surprised to come home first. He covered the 3.1 miles in 15:28, seven seconds quicker than former Tech runner Steve Hetherington.
``I've been sick the last couple days with a cold, so I thought this might be too tough,'' Cavaliere said. ``I'm just glad to be here. This is the first year I've run it. Usually, Lynchburg College is at the NCAA [Division III championship] this week, but this year we didn't go. That's bad, but this here is good.''
Misslbeck, who fell in love with running while in medical school at the University of Virginia, outdistanced her close friend Hetty Hoyt of Salem by 49 seconds. Minutes later, she had to run to work.
``This is my first win, I think,'' said Misslbeck, 35. ``I'm sort of surprised I beat Hetty. We're pretty close, but usually she beats me.''
Hoyt, last year's 5K winner, has cut back her training schedule because of a painful foot injury.
``I never felt the foot today,'' said Hoyt, refusing to offer an alibi. ``Gretchen was just too tough today. It finally reached a point where I knew I just had to let her go.''
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by CNB