THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 18, 1995 TAG: 9506160191
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
TWO COLLEGE-BOUND seniors, Norcom's LeVar Bowers and Churchland's Summer Speidell, have been selected by Currents as Athletes of the Year in area high schools for the 1994-95 season.
Both are versatile performers and blossomed in their final high school year.
The 6-4, 235-pound Bowers won the state championship in the discus throw in outdoor track with a toss of 160 feet, 8 inches.
Bowers, 18, also was named to the All-Southeastern District football team as a defensive lineman.
He has received a football scholarship to Virginia Union, where he expects to be a defensive end. He plans to major in psychology.
Speidell, 18, was a multi-sport standout at Churchland and a starter in three sports.
An acknowledged leader, she served as captain of the girls basketball, volleyball and softball teams. She also was president of the senior class and is an honor graduate.
Speidell was the playmaker on Churchland's district championship basketball team and gained second-team All-Portsmouth honors. She was a second-team all-city softball player as a second baseman. In volleyball, she was an honorable mention all-district selection.
The past week she was selected as a state winner in the WAVE student-athlete scholarship program. As the winning student-athlete in Virginia, she received a scholarship grant.
She will attend Mary Washington College, where she will play basketball and possibly softball. Her major will be communications.
Runnerup for the boys award was Mike Holland of Churchland, quarterback of the football team and point guard on the district championship basketball team. He is a senior.
Other leading contenders included Norcom's Rod Richardson, Wilson's Perez Bottoms and Darrius Edwards and Churchland's David Tynch and Greg Boothe.
The girls runner-up was Wilson's LaToya Owens, a three-sport standout who is a senior.
The other contender was Churchland's Courtney Hundley.
The Athletes of the Year in 1994 were Wilson's LaTasha Colander and Norcom's Jay Clarke.
The winners in 1993 were Churchland's Amy Cross and Norcom's O'Neal Sykes. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
Churchland's Summer Speidell and Norcom's LeVar Bowers are the
Currents' picks for Athlete of the Year. Speidell was tops in
basketball, volleyball and softball; Bowers was outstanding in track
and football.
by CNB