Thursday, May 18, 2006
Barbers named to Virginia prep hall
A readin goes here and here and here four decks.
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Fifteen years have passed since a former athlete from a Timesland high school was selected to the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.
The drought is over.
NFL stars Tiki and Ronde Barber -- the famed twins who graduated from Cave Spring in 1993 -- are among eight individuals who will be inducted into the hall of fame during a ceremony Oct. 17 in Charlottesville.
The addition of the Barbers, who were football stars at Virginia, instantly triples the number of ex-Timesland athletes in the state shrine. Former Blacksburg football and basketball star Sidney Snell is the only current member of the hall of fame who was selected as an athlete based on his career at a Timesland school.
Athletes are eligible for the state high school hall 10 years after completion of their high school careers. Judging is based primarily on their prep accomplishments.
The Barber twins combined for eight individual Group AAA championships in indoor and outdoor track and field at Cave Spring.
Ronde Barber won the 110-meter hurdles in 1991 and '92 and the 55-meter hurdles indoors in 1992 and 1993. He finished first in the 55 hurdles in a 1993 national indoor meet in 7.19 seconds, the fourth-fastest high school clocking recorded at that time. He also was a first-team All-Group AAA football player.
Tiki Barber swept the long jump and triple jump in the 1993 Group AAA outdoor meet after winning the indoor and outdoor long jump titles in 1992. He ran for 3,608 yards in his Cave Spring football career.
The twins shared the Timesland male athlete of the year award in 1992; Tiki won the honor by himself the next year.
At UVa, Ronde Barber set a single-season school record for interceptions with 11. He is a two-time All-Pro defensive back in the NFL with Tampa Bay, helping the Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII.
Tiki Barber was the 1996 ACC player of the year. He was an All-Pro tailback last year for the New York Giants. Barber played for the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV where they lost to Baltimore 34-7.
The Barbers are the only members of this year's hall of fame class entering as athletes.
Inducted as coaches will be former Wilson Memorial baseball coach Bo Bowers and ex- Harrisonburg girls' track coach J.J. Updike.
Three other individuals -- former UVa athletic trainer Joe Gieck, Fairfax County administrator Donna King and Prince Edward debate coach Nancy Phaup -- also will be inducted.
Creasy wins Group AA award
Christiansburg's Hope Creasy is very busy in the spring. Monday she had to take time out for a trip to Richmond where she received a VHSL Achievement Award as the state's top Group AA senior girls' athlete.
Creasy, who stars in softball as well as track and field, earned a $1,000 scholarship from the Virginia Farm Bureau, the sponsor of the award. Creasy has signed a softball scholarship with Radford University.
The VHSL award is based on a combination of athletics, academics and citizenship. Creasy once donated 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love, a program that provides hairpieces to needy children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
Creasy won the Group AA indoor championship in the shot put and is ranked No. 1 in Timesland in the outdoor season.
Winners of the VHSL award in other classifications were Kristen Kenny of E.C. Glass (AAA girls), Ashley Stroehlin of Council (A girls), Roger Bothe of Thomas Dale (AAA boys), William Jacobs of James Monroe (AA boys) and Travis Brannon of PH-Glade Spring (A boys).
Clary to sign with Radford
Lauren Clary, who helped lead Cave Spring to the Group AA volleyball championship in November, will sign a scholarship today with Radford.
Clary, a first-team All-Group AA and All-Timesland selection, picked Radford over an offer from Division II Mars Hill (N.C.), according to Cave Spring coach Tamalyn Tanis.
Radford is currently without a head coach after the resignation of Jerry Pruitt, who stepped down due to increased complications from Crohn's disease.
Clary will join former Cave Spring teammate Stacey Craighead in the Division I ranks. Craighead signed with Seton Hall. Tanis said that a third All-Timesland pick from Cave Spring, setter Caitlyn Long, will play at Roanoke College.
2 facilities to get new names
William Byrd will rename its baseball field in honor of former Terriers coach Gary Walthall during a ceremony prior to today's Blue Ridge District home game against Lord Botetourt.
The field will be known as Gary Walthall Park at Terrier Field.
Walthall was Byrd's head coach for 10 seasons, stepping down in 1992. He will retire after five years as Byrd's athletic director at the end of the school year.
n A renovated track at Andrew Lewis Middle School in Salem will be renamed in honor of Ray Bussard in a ceremony at noon Saturday.
Bussard won eight Southeastern Conference titles and one NCAA championship as the University of Tennessee's men's swim coach. He coached several sports at old Andrew Lewis High School from 1956-59, leading the Wolverines to two indoor state track titles, one outdoor championship and one cross country crown.
