DATE: Friday, September 12, 1997            TAG: 9709100218

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BRIAN J. FRENCH, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   93 lines

WESTERN BRANCH'S 7 RETURNEES GIVE IT THE EARLY FAVORITE'S ROLE

NANSEMOND RIVER girls cross country coach Tanya Reed has come up with a tactful way of getting around the question of who's the team to beat in the Southeastern District. In the blank provided for predicted district champion on The Virginian-Pilot preseason form, Reed filled it in with ``all.''

Diplomacy aside, Western Branch has emerged as the closest thing to a consensus in the Southeastern. The Bruins return seven starters from last season's 7-2 squad, and with seven newcomers Western Branch will likely be the deepest team in the district.

``On paper, we have an excellent chance to possibly win the district and place in the top four in the region,'' Bruins coach Bill Volkman said. ``If the girls can stay healthy, keep working hard and stay focused we should go to state as a team.''

Defending champion Great Bridge should be Western Branch's main competition. The Wildcats bring back five starters, including district champion Tracey O'Neal.

Hickory lost its top two runners from last year but should stay in the first division with an influx of new talent (four newcomers). Indian River returns seven starters from last season's fourth-place team, giving the Braves a shot at moving up in the district.

Nansemond River looks to rebound from a winless first season, but inexperience could hurt.

Lakeland did not field a full team last season and it appears it won't this season, but senior Janet Chapman has been all-district the past three years in two different districts (Southeastern, Group AA Bay Rivers).

Editor's note: Deep Creek and Oscar Smith did not provide information for this preview.

WESTERN BRANCH

Coach: Bill Volkman

Top runners: Angela Cusick, Emily Thomas, Valarie Wong, Melissa McManus, Renee Ferguson

Outlook: Pretty rosy for the Bruins. Seniors Cusick and Thomas are Western Branch's top two runners, and Wong has the potential to be a district champion in this season and seasons to come. Volkman is particularly high on newcomers Jenny Bevan and Tiquila Williams; both ``have a lot of potential.''

GREAT BRIDGE

Coach: J.P. Banks

Top runners: Tracey O'Neal, Heather Hoffman, Megan Ulanich, Erin Nickerson

Outlook: Rarely does a team with five returning starters from a district championship season find itself as anything other than overwhelming favorite the next year, but the Wildcats will have a fight on their hands with Western Branch in their attempt to repeat. Banks said that with the exception of one runner who chose not to return to the team, this is generally the same team as last year's.

INDIAN RIVER

Coach: Timothy Wolf

Top runners: Sara Jones, Amanda Hurst, Syreena Boddie, Kameka Downing

Outlook: After nearly making regionals in 1996, the Braves return seven starters and could be a darkhorse. Hurst qualified for regionals as a freshman last year, and Wolf has high expectations for senior Jones.

HICKORY

Coach: Matthew Puryear

Top runners: Jessica Scott, Karen Holden, Kelly Fisher, Amber Eakes

Outlook: Three starters return for the Hawks, but Christy Walsh isn't one of them. Walsh - the team's top runner as a freshman last season - left the school due to a military transfer. Scott moves from third to first on the depth chart. Three of the top six runners are sophomores. Holden was a regional 3200 meter qualifier last year in the outdoor track season.

NANSEMOND RIVER

Coach: Tanya Reed

Top runners: Angelina Roybal, Danita Trotter

Outlook: Still in the rebuilding stages. Roybal is the only returning starter and Trotter is the only senior. Nova Glass competes under unique circumstances; she runs on a prosthetic leg.

LAKELAND

Coach: David Wessel

Top runners: Janet Chapman, Carolyn Camacho

Outlook: Won't field a full team. Chapman will attempt to make an all-district team for the fourth straight year. MEMO: Editor's note: Deep Creek and Oscar Smith did not provide

information for this preview. ILLUSTRATION: Staff file photo by GARY C. KNAPP

Great Bridge brings back five starters, including district champion

Tracey O'Neal, left. KEYWORDS: SOUTHSEATEN DISTRICT GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

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