THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506040185
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER AND ED MILLER, STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Norcom state champion LeVar Bowers had a most unusual feeling when he had the winning throw in the boys discus at the annual Group AAA state track meet.
He was bitterly disappointed.
Minutes later, however, Bowers thrust his arm in the air and celebrated Saturday in the two-day competition at Todd Field.
When Bowers' throw of 160 feet, 8 inches was announced on his final attempt, he thought it was two inches shy of an earlier mark posted by John St. Claire of William Fleming.
Instead he beat St. Claire by five inches.
It was a happy finish of a frustrating day for the 6-4, 235-pound Bowers.
Upon his arrival for certification, he was told that he would be unable to use his usual discus.
``That's a new $275 discus which LeVar feels very comfortable with,'' said Norcom coach Joe Langston.
The disc had a small dent after hitting a fence at the Southeastern District championship two weeks earlier. It was approved for use at the Eastern Region meet last week, but state officials tried to disallow it Saturday.
But Great Bridge coach Pat Banks interceded on Norcom's behalf and the decision was made to allow Bowers to use the discus.
On his final toss, Bowers bettered St. Claire, who had thrown 160-3, by five inches.
``I wasn't nervous,'' Bowers said. `` I've thrown over 160 a lot of times and I knew I could do it.''
A GOAL ATTAINED: All year long, Salem triple jumper Sherlane Armstrong had been chasing 40 feet, without success. Then, all of a sudden, she went nearly 41.
Jumping in a light rain, the Salem senior uncorked a career-best jump of 40-feet-8 inches Saturday, enough to win the state title. She put icing on the cake by following it with a 40-foot-10 effort, winning by a full two feet.
TWO IN A ROW: Green Run won the state title in the 4x100 relay for the second straight year, and did it with a different quartet than the foursome that won the Eastern Region title.
Glenwood Ferebee, Plaxico Burress, Sevend Mason and Cedric Warren got the baton around in 41.63 seconds, .06 off the state record.
Will Brooks ran for Burress last week, but coach Elisha ``Cadillac'' Harris said Burress beat Brooks in a run-off in practice this week.
BOYS TEAM: Great Bridge got big days from Melvin Bates, who was second in the 400, and Jason Buckley, who was fourth in the 800, to cruise into third place with 29 points. Western Branch was four points behind, with 25. The Bruins got 10 points from Tony Smith, who won the 300 hurdles going away, in 37.58, after stumbling over the third hurdle. The Bruins' Donald Taylor was fourth in the 400, and the 4x400 relay team was second, behind Hampton.
WRAPPING UP: Churchland's Greg Boothe was second in the 100 and third in the 200, spending his day chasing Ian Winston of Hayfield, who won both events.
``I had a bad start, and I had to catch him,'' Boothe said after the 100, an event he had not lost all year.
Norcom's Missy Banks was third in the shot put at 38-2. She had been over 40 feet regularly but was bothered by a wrist she hurt last week.
Other South Hampton Roads athletes placing were Jason Waters of Deep Creek (3rd, 110 hurdles); Jarmon Mayes of Churchland (3rd, 300 hurdles); Brian Mackey of Green Run (4th, discus); Jamie Kollar of First Colonial (5th, shot put); Shnaka Walker of Lake Taylor (5th, triple jump); Adrienne Parker of Kempsville (5th, 1,600 meters); Charlette Fayton of Kempsville (5th, 100 hurdles); Dan Baxley of First Colonial (5th, 800 meters); Mike Donnelly of Great Bridge (5th, 1,600 meters); Cedric Warren of Green Run (5th, 200 meters and 6th, 100 meters); Mark Felton of Salem (6th, 110 hurdles); Malik Cook of Western Branch (6th, 200 meters); Jamie Cornish of Kellam (6th, 3,200 meters); and Charndra Lewis of Great Bridge (6th, discus). ILLUSTRATION: Photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Churchland's Greg Boothe, left, falls short in the 100 as Hayfield's
Ian Winston took a repeat win.
by CNB