ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, November 1, 1996 TAG: 9611010021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN THE REGION
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Missing two games because of knee surgery hasn't hurt Virginia Tech All-American Cornell Brown's chances of winning the Lombardi Award.
Brown, who will return to Tech's lineup Saturday against Southwestern Louisiana, was one of four finalists announced Thursday for the award given annually to the top lineman in college football.
The other finalists chosen from a group of 12 semifinalists included last year's winner, offensive tackle Orlando Pace of Ohio State, Arizona State offensive tackle Juan Roque and defensive end Jared Tomich of Nebraska.
Brown will join the other finalists Dec.4-5 in Houston for a banquet and presentation of the trophy, which is named in honor of legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi.
In other sports news in the region:
* Virginia football players Tiki Barber and Jamie Sharper are semifinalists for The Football News' offensive and defensive players of the year.
Sharper is also one of 23 players being considered as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the collegiate defensive player of the year.
* Charlie Turner holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff to lift Hidden Valley Country Club to victory in the first Hall of Fame Professional-Amateur golf tournament in Penhook.
Hidden Valley and host club Water's Edge finished regulation tied at 15-under-par 129.
The modified scramble tournament included four-member teams - club pro and reigning men's, women's and senior champions at each club - from the 11 competing Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame courses.
Besides Turner, Hidden Valley's winning team included pro Tim Holbrook, Barry Graham and Dot Bolling. The Water's Edge quartet was composed of pro John Snyder, Tom Mortenson, Dave Snyder and Ann Kite.
Countryside finished five shots back in third place at 134. Ole Monterey (135), Roanoke Country Club (136), Hunting Hills (139), Blue Hills (140), Botetourt Country Club (143), Waterfront (145), Westlake (145) and Hanging Rock (149) rounded out the field.
* Hanging Rock's Chip Sullivan shot a 71 for a three-round total of two-under 214 and is tied for fourth place in the PGA Assistant Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club at The Reserve in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Jim Schuman of Janesville, Wis., shot a 65 for a 208 total and a three-stroke lead heading into today's final round.
* The Virginia Tech women's basketball team will hold its annual maroon-orange scrimmage at 3 p.m. Sunday at Cassell Coliseum.
The Tech coaching staff and team will hold a clinic for youngsters ages 13 and under from 1-2:30 p.m. The team will be available for pictures and autographs after the clinic.
* The Radford women's basketball team will play its first exhibition game at 7 p.m. Saturday against the Maryland Elite AAU touring team at the Dedmon Center. Admission is free.
* The Virginia Tech men's and women's cross country teams will be among the favorites Saturday at the Atlantic 10 Conference championships at Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y.
Tech's men enter the event ranked second in the A-10 coaches' poll behind St. Joseph's. The Hokies, who were ranked No.1 much of the season, finished second to Massachusetts in last year's league championship.
In the women's event, UMass, rated No.1 among the league's coaches, will attempt to defend its title.
* Glenvar's John Nervo won the Region C boys' cross country championship in 15 minutes, 41 seconds and will advance to next week's Group A championships. Jamar Bryson and Brent Young from Galax finished second and third among the individual competitors.
Galax captured the boys' team title with 63 points, four better than runner-up Glenvar and 15 better than third-place Floyd County.
In the girls' competition, Floyd County's Johanna Neumann took individual honors with a time of 19:01. Bonni Willet of Glenvar finished third.
Patrick Henry-Glade Spring won the girls' team title, followed by George Wythe and Glenvar.
* Woodbridge swept the Northwest Region boys' and girls' cross country team titles, finishing the boys' competition with 42 points, six better than second-place Stafford, and the girls' meet with 65 points, 21 ahead of C.D. Hylton.
Cave Spring finished tops among Timesland-area boys' squads, placing seventh (177 points). Potomac's Gerard Perminter took individual honors, completing the 5,000-meter course in 16:08. Cave Spring's Benjamin Dowdy was 10th, 47 seconds off the pace.
Lory Gray of Culpeper won the girls' individual title in 19:27. Cave Spring's Kathryn Hooker was the top Timesland-area runner, finishing 30th.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 linesby CNB