Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • 37

Hidjmonb Eimcs-JIispafd) SECTION Sports NBA NHL D2 I COLLEGES G4-5 SCOREBOARD DIO CLASSIFIED DU on pole SATURDAY FEBRUARY 26 200(i Wallace puts Ford tin set the previous record of 157885 mph (23189 seconds) on Feb 21 1997 Bobby Labonte qualified third with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon in the top five The rookie duo of Matt Kcnscth and Date Earnhardt Jr follow with Joe Ncmcchck Bill Elliott and Darrell Wallrip rounding out the top 10 tickled to said Elliott who qualified well for the second straight week On the weekend when Elliott kicks off his 25th season and Waltrip runs his last spring race at the track five fanner Winston Cup champions line up in the first five rows Wallace leads that pack On a weekend when four rookies are in danger of not making the race Earnhardt Jr and Kenseth start in the lead pack After a week of discussions about parity 11 Chevro-lets nine Fords and five Pontiacs have qualified for the race Rockingjiam trials: something old new BY REA McLEROY Tl MKS-DlHPATCI I STAFF WHITKH Rockingham NX There are veterans and rookies Fords and Chevrotets emerging stars and retiring legends A little of everything that is Winston Cup racing is represented The top-10 qualifiers for Dura-LubeKmart 400 at North Carolina Speedway offer a mix of past present and future glory Kicky Kudd newcomer to Robert Yates Racing almost gave crew chief Michael McSwain his first pole Rusty Wallace searching for his 50th career win surprised himself when he knocked Rudd out of the top spot with his record-setting 158035-mph 23167-second lap Mark Mar- Today: Busch Altai 200 1 pm TV: TNN Radio: WSVS (800) 12:45 Tomorrow: Winston Cup Dufa-LutWKmart 400 12-JO pm TV: TNN Radio: WRVA (1140) WSVS (800) noon THE ASSOCMTH) PRESS A bp of 158035 mph by Rutty Wrilace (above) brake Marie quafifying record pot me spring swnsiun tup race at isorai weroene epeenwey PLEASE SEE POLE PAGE D7 rtchmond Richmond at VCU 1 W- Today: 7:30 pm Radio: WRNL (910) WXGI (950) MediaOne (Ch 46) radio simulcast 7 After racing success eluded Genuine Risk Unlike the horses on which I always seem to bet during Kentucky Derby week time does not stand still Currently also being less than kind to vanishing family of equine stars Sea Hero the late Raul upset Derby winner of 1993 recently was sold to breeding interests in Turkey Apparently no one in Siberia was interested Lop-eared Pleasant Colony the Virginia-bred winner of the 1981 Derby and Preakness been keeping his breeding shed appointments this spring at age 22 The office at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky confirms the stallion is struggling with problems attributable to old age And Genuine Risk is back home Genuine Risk bred in Kentucky but owned by Virginians Bert and Diana Firestone was horse story of the year in 1980 To the surprise of almost everyone at Churchill Downs she outleggcd a fairly ordinary field of 3-year-old colts to win that Derby She was the second of three fillies to win the Derby and the first since 1915 More than that she was delicate of face and bone unmistakably a filly She was also the only Derby-winning female to be owned by a woman Her Derby always will be remembered as Day" The rest of the stay isn't quite so happy Genuine Risk was in position to win the Preakness until she came out second best in a second-turn bumping match with Codex the eventual winner Public outrage prompted a four-day ordeal of hearings and appeals but no change was made in the result That Preakness also was the first appearance on a major stage by trainer a big-talking former PtEASE SEE MARKON PAGE D7 VCU prizes seniors intangibles BY MIME HARRIS ages at 55 points and 51 rebounds IT Ks-I )ispat 1 1 STAFF Wiiitkr and that high (39 points two rebounds) this year But listing intangibles is something that would take considerably more time A soft-spoken German who speaks three languages and already has a degree Kodjoe long has served as the ultimate positive example Be it something away from the game like managing time and going to class to something technical like setting a proper screen to something intangible like playing with and working through pain Kodjoe has gotten it dime He says little and does a lot understands what we do offensively and defensively to a VCU coach Mack McCarthy said his experience you I1EASE SEE KODJOE PAGE D4 Senior-night festivities at Virginia Siegel Center will be rather brief tonight Patrick Kodjoe the only senior on either team will be in the starting lineup when the Rams (6-8 13-12) meet the University of Richmond Spiders (11-4 16-10) in 'a Cokmial Athletic Association game at 7 JO Limited by injuries much of the season appearance could be as short as the pregame ceremony Listing tangible contributions during his days as a Ram wouldn't take much time cither The 6-7 Kodjoe has been the ultimate role player content with his situation as a nonstar lie came into the season with career aver- STUART 1 WAGNETVT1MESOISMTCH VCtTs Patrick Kodjoe bads by example according to Rams coach Mack McCarthy District finals Collier Lancers build momentum with win boys Capital District Varina 65 Highland Springs 61 Central District Hopewell 59 Meadowbrook 56 Colonial District TJ 61 John Marshall 60 Dominion District Manchester 73 Wythe 60 ESPY Award caps glorious year BY JEFF WHITE 'IT MKS-I lISFATt I STAFF WHITKH Woixls I'm Michael Vick Pleased to meet you" Virginia precocious quarterback may have figured need to use such a line in Us Vegas last week As it turned out the lucky No 7 needed no introduction Not to Tiger Wixxls or Mark McGwire or Peyton Manning or Kurt Warner or Michael Irvin or Jeny Rice or any of the other stars Vick met at the ESPY Awards sliow at the MGM Grand hotel and casino fact that they knew me really surprised Vick said Thursday believe 1 was even hanging around those guys It was just a great Added Tech assistant sports information director Bryan Johnston who accompanied Vick to Vegas: think that was the part that blew Michael away More than once he said 'I believe these people know who I kit at them were like great to meet you You had a great year I enjoyed watching iieaseseeVICK page D7 GIRLS Capital District Henrico 78 Varina 67 Central District Meadowbrook 49 Petashug 35 Cokmial District Mills Godwin 53 JR Tucker 34 Dominion District Midlothian 95 James River 75 some momentum to cany with them They may have gotten at least a little bit with a 73-60 victory over George Wythe in the Dominion District tournament final last night at Manchester Wythe (17-6) which will play host to TTiomas Dale in the regionals handed Manchester its only loss seven games ago with a 78-65 drubbing Since then the Lancers overpowered teams the way they did earlier Eighth-seeded LC Bird took Manchester into double overtime before losing 113-104 in the district quarterfinals James River went down 86-78 in the semifinals really think we have more talent than a kit erf Manchester coach Chip McCoull said nEASE SEE LANCERS PAGE D8 BY TIM PEARBELL TTmks-Disi'atcii staff Wiiitkr Not that the Manchester High Sclwol boys basketball team has played poorly recently Shawn Collier says but they DOMINION DISTRICT BOYS FINAL ST a MANCHESTER 73 fi WYTHE 60 slowly getting luck to that peak we need to be Collier said think be ready when the time That would be Monday when the Lancers play host to Prince George in the first round of the Central Region tournament As odd as it sounds fir a club with a 22-1 record the Lancers needed BRYAN JOHNSTON INSIDE PREPS Complete coverage of Central Region finals Pages D8-9 Results from the Central Regon indoor track meet Paga D9 Results Worn the state Group AAA wrestl mg tournament Page D9 Michael Vick Deft) shared a moment with PGA superstar Tiger Woods at the ESPY Awards ceremony in Las Vegas Vick received an E5PY as the player of Hie year in college footbad INSIDE: VIRGINIA BASKETBALL PLAYER KEITH FRIEL IS SEEKING MORE TIME ON THE COURT D4 i.