The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia • 14

I The Roanoke Times Saturday August 3 1 996 entennial centennial centennial OLYMPIC GAMES OLYMPIC GAMES OLYMPIC GAMES Russian diver wins the gold I DMITRY SAUTIN BREAKS a i pattern that had seen the Chinese win all the other! diving events 1 I Associated Press ATLANTA A disappointing ii Olympic diving meet for the Unitedi States came to an end riday night ij with the US shut out of the I 10 meter platform for the first time since 1912 I With the exception of 1980 i when the United States didn't take part the US had taken at least one medal on the platform in each of the last 16 Olympics i It a pretty performancei but it was in keeping with the rest of the meet which yielded the United States just two bronze medals to Mary Ellen Clark in the women's platform and Mark Lenzi in the 3 meter springboard The US team was caught 'between two extremes in Atlanta bringing a group of divers either too 'Oj'Oiing to compete effectively or too 5 old The brightest note from the competition might be the fourth place finish of 18 year old Becky Ruehl on platform Dmitry Sautin of Russia was the gold medalist riday night easily holding off challenges from Jan Hempel of Germany the silver medalist and Xiao Hailiang and Tian Liang of China Xiao won the bronze American divers David Pichler and Patrick Jeffrey finished sixth and ninth respectively Jeffrey 31 a 1988 Olympian who finished 12th in Seoul was happy to have made a comeback and reached the Games again Pichler 27 a 1995 national champion has hopes of returning to the Olympics Sautin 22 the springboard bronze medalist in Barcelona in 1992 but a disappointing fifth in that event here took the lead with the first dive of the finals a forward 3 somersault and held it He built a 30 point lead with three dives to go and never faltered He finished with a flair a back 1 'i somefsault with 3': twists that earned him high scores Jump hi'ht'I fjjOM PAGE B1 four will Hunt said The US 1600 meter relay feam lost its anchor Michael Johnson but still advanced to the fipal Johnson pulled out before theraBe riday with hamstring tight which he first felt at the end of world record run of 1932 sec "jSnfls in Thursday 200 ftb But it many ways it was Joyner night Coming into fourth Olympics she had won three gold medals a silver and a bronze in her two signature events not to mention four titles at the world championships In recent years though age and aches began to take their toll She would have retired after the world championships except that these Olympics were in her home country Joyner Kersee will be remem bered as the greatest female athlete of her generation Maybe it would be more appropriate to call her one of the greatest athletes period UVa ROM PAGE B1 'vyfej tr Greisinger and four home runsave the United States its medal in a 10 victory Spotted a 4 0 lead on two first inning homers the UVa 7St3f headed for the Detroit farm sys "tem gave up three runs on two hits 'fn was gold When the first two Nicaraguan filers reached base US coachjSkt'p Bertman taking no chances in medal game already had RA Dickey up in the Greisinger sat him and Tiyaragua down After Nicaragua had cut the MSlead to 4 3 Greisinger faced only one more than the minimum if was a privilege for li me to be part of thisi am whether I much or was a I' 0 Seth GreisingerI pitching standout i number of hitters through the sev 1 enth before Braden Looper came in i from the bullpen to finish Only two runners reached basef off the US ace after the first One who reached on an error when Gre i isinger field a bunt wasi erased on a double play Another '(reached via a wild pitch on a strikeout lost the one game we really needed to win over two said (Greisinger of Team USA which he joined this spring after a sensational i junior year with the NCAA Tournament bound Cavaliers been a long road for me too from 1 where I was just happy to play on the Olympic team and get a medgjj amazing the amount of disappointment in some of the guys and we probably might never be able to pbt it behind us I still feel it It go away But you have to have pride and go out and In an Olympic tournament i dominated by runs and home runs Greisinger gave the Americans and I a crowd of 41002 something fans i had 'seen little of in the past two i weeks good pitching What Nicaragua needed was its I Olympic pitching coach formermajor leaguer Luis Tiant on the mound The United Slates did to the i Central Americans what Japan did I If to the US team less than 24 hours earlier used power to win Eight of the 11 US hits went for extra bases including homers by Travis Lee Matt LeCroy Jason Williams and Troy Glaus was really nervous at the Greisinger said knew what it meant and I was trying to be perfect and 1 was bouncing a lot of fastballs I couldn't find my curveball Jerry Weinstein the US pitching coach told me to for get the curve I was just throwing fastballs over and hoping hit them to someone They did 1 was pretty much fastball changeup the whole Perhaps what happened the night before have been so shocking The past three American losses in Olympic baseball in final games have been to Japan Wednesday night in the bronze game in Barcelona and in the gold medal game in Los Angeles The United States won the Seoul gold medal the last time the diamond game was a demonstration sport So the Atlanta medal is the first one for the national birth nation The United States went 7 2 in the Games with Greisinger 3 0 The No 6 pick in the June draft also had another singular achievement in the US national team program With victory Greis ingcr became the first US pitcher to go 9 0 in a Team USA season eclipsing the eight victories by Jim Abbott and Ben McDonald among others Between his UVa and Olym pic team seasons the tall right hander was 21 2 pitched said Bert man head coach at Louisiana State "1 told the boys this has been a great journey We can't let one game where Japan played perfect and we weren't as good as we could have been spoil the journey was spectacular We won 71 and lost 1 1 over two years and I think this is the best USA Baseball team ever When Looper coaxed the final groundout the US players high fived one another and later lifted the stars and stripes and shot a team photo but there was none of the unbridled emotion that would have accompanied a gold medal That flew out of the park with five Japan homers a night earlier "Some guys stayed up all Greisinger said went to bed because 1 had to pitch but it was a tough night a long night we played in the Olym pics Not many people can say that It was a privilege for me to be part of this team whether I play much or was a Tennis star plays By DOUG DOUGHTY STA WRITER Karin look hasn't changed much since her first visit to Roanoke three years ago Her outlook has Miller still has 10 rings in the lobe of her right ear and nine in her left and she recently has been wearing a diamond in her nose But no longer a little 15 year old tennis prodigy with Results in Scoreboard B7 hardly a care in the world Miller who had contemplated turning pro is waiting to hear if her recent application to Duke University has been accepted I'm doing well in a tournament like I should do Miller said riday after defeating Kori Davidson Karsay 6 3 3 6 7 5 in the third round of the US Tennis Associ ation Challenger of Roanoke then if out of town and you lose in the first round like 1 hard It goes back and forth but right now made a commitment to go to school" Many of the players in the Roanoke tourna ment particularly the American born players have been to college Only a handful most nota bly Miller and would be Duke teammate Vanessa Webb will be in school in the fall options were to take a year off and stay amateur just go ahead and turn pro or try to go to school in the said Miller 18 the salu tatorian of her graduating class in Bradenton la Miller wins match ponders her future keeps my options open I absolutely hate it come out and play If I like it who knows what be doing in four She could be playing tennis Duke won the ACC tennis championship and has a program ranked among the top 10 in the country At 22 she be any older than Davidson Karsay a former collegiate star who is married to former Oakland Athletics pitcher Steve Karsay Miller has every right to feel like a veteran however She has been on fast track since age 8 when she moved to Bradenton from Tren ton NJ to enroll in a tennis academy operated by Nick Bollettieri who has coached Andre Agassi and Monica Seles among others had noticed me at a tournament in Bradenton and offered me a scholarship for a she said Miller spent five years at acade my but actually enjoyed her greatest success after leaving his tutelage when she was No 2 in the country in the under 18 rankings in 1993 was time to she said of the break with Bollettieri were just too many people there and I needed more individual attention I think meant to stay there together was good for me I got a lot of court time in go to school in the morning and play four or it by ear five hours in the afternoon But after five yfafof that had enough I needed more quality than quantity" Miller beaten in the first round at Hunting Hills in 1994 came back from a one set deficit Thursday to defeat Audra Keller in the second found then went three hours with Davidson Karsay on riday mind being out there a couple Of Miller said that goes long'is good for Miller who is a shade over 5 feet the most powerful player competing at Hunting! Hills Country Club However she makes few 'errors and is almost impossible to pass size limits me in reach and maybe a little bit in she said "but good because I can get to a lot of balls My feet are my feet may be her weapon but it is Iter ears and nose that get the most attention Thereus no therapeutic value to the earrings ith which Miller has become so comfortable that she does not remove them to sleep just take them out to clean said the tournament's third seed behind Maria Jose Gaid ano and Rachel Viollet had them for two or three years It was just a fetish that I had People want to know many do you have? Does it hurt? Did you do it A few girls have tattoos I But Ithink the only one with the ears and the nose 1 wear anything on my wrists or necklaces The nose I just added last weekend but had itpierced Miller said do it for rhe mo one else 1 just like IN SPORTS Buick Open is getting better with time rom Associated Press reports Justin Leonard seeking his first professional golf victory shot an 8 under par 64 on riday to take a two stroke lead over Rick ehr after the second round of the Buick Open in Grand Blanc Mich Leonard who began the round a stroke behind ehr had a 15 under 129 total on the Warwick Hills course ehr followed his opening 64 with a 67 been awhile since led at the halfway said Leonard the 1992 US Amateur champion and 1994 NCAA winner at the University of Texas played in the last group a couple of times but 1 have the Leonard who lost in a playoff to Phil Mickelson in the Phoenix Open in January started on the back nine and birdied three of the first five holes His only mistake came at the 431 yard par 4 sec ond when he pushed his drivp between the nearby 1 1th green and a television stand After a drop Leonard hit a tree and settled for his only bogey of the round But birdied two of the next three holes then finished with three straight birdies rolling in putts of 10 40 and 12 feet In other golf: Kanie Webb of Australia shook off two early bogeys to shoot a 68 and expand her lead to four shots in the $1 million du Maurier Classic in Edmonton Alberta the last of the major championships for women Webb 21 completed two rounds at 133 11 strokes under par for the 6324 yard Edmonton Country Club course Meg Mallon shot a 65 riday matching Webb's opening round score and was at 1 37 after 36 holes Dana Dormann who is married to Mallon's caddy John Dormann was at 5 under 139 after a round of 70 Joining her were Nancy Lopez who rallied after an early struggle to shoot 71 and Pat Hurst Annika Sorenstam of Sweden the two time US Open champion was at 5 under for the tournament and 4 under for the day after 17 holes when play was suspended because of a thunderstorm Dave Eichelberger saved par with a 20 foot chip on the final hole for a 6 under par 64 and a one stroke lead after the first round of the VW Seniors Championship in Belton Mo Eichelberger 59th on Ute money list with $127361 in 23 starts had six birdies and 12 pars on the Loch Lloyd course for his best round of the year "It's been a real struggle for said Eichelberger 52 who won the 1994 Quicksilver Classic "My best round before today was a 68 or 69 This was the best round had in quite Jim Colbert the tournament winner in 1991 and 1994 and runner up in 1992 and 1995 was a stroke back along with rank Conner ETC New York slaps Bowe camp New athletic commission has imposed what amounts to a $1 million fine on boxer Riddick Bowe because of his han actions during a July 1 1 post figh brawl at Madison Square Garden The commission saia Bowe's manager Rock Newman and his employees "initiated contributed to and exacerbated" the riot that erupted after fight with Andrew Golota In addition license and that of Lou Duva who manages Golota have been suspended commission spokes woman Gwenn Lee said The commission is recommending a permanent suspension but Bowe Newman and Duva have 20 days to request an appeal hearing Lee said the action will not preclude Bowe a Brooklyn native from fighting again in New York state The athletic commission had temporarily withheld Bowe's $5 million purse to encourage his camp's cooperation in investi gating the incident The commission has since released $4 million "The commission felt that the $1 million forfeiture will really make him think twice about the type of company he keeps" Lee said Dennis Rodman the NBA rebounding leader who threat ened to take his drag and dye job act out of basketball decided to return to the Chicago Bulls next season Rodman agreed to a one year contract with the NBA cham pions agent Dwight Manley said Rodman joined Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson in returning to the Bulls Manley said the deal was worth significantly more than the $6 million the Bulls had offered and slightly less than the $10 million Rodman had said he would need to preclude retirement Rodman needs to pass a physical before he signs the con tract probably Sunday Manley said The Boston Celtics signed top draft pick Antoine Walker and also worked out a deal to keep free agent Greg Minor with the team Terms of Minor's deal were not released but the rookie 'sal ary scale entitles Walker to $4660200 over three years includ ing $1350800 this season $1553400 in 1997 98 and $1756000 in 1998 99 Walker was the sixth player chosen in the June draft having left Kentucky after his sophomore season when the Wildcats won the NCAA championship The 6 foot 9 225 pound forward was Boston's highest draft pick since it took Len Bias with the No 2 pick in 1986 Heat wave headed for North Carolina 1 THE VINTON heat has what it takes to succeed at the Dixie Belles Youth Softball 13 15 World Series in Cape ear NC By DANIEL UTHMAN STA WRITER The Vinton Heat 13 to 15 year old softball team has all the attributes of a champion The Heat has great leadership has survived rallies for dramatic victories and has overcome much adversity But what kind of adversity does a team making its fourth trip to the Dixie Belles Youth Softball World Series in the past five years actually face? said Kristin Shimp a three time world series partici pant of the teams in the state have the pitching we Good pitching was one of the big gest reasons the Heat won the state championship two weeks ago The squad is hoping to combine it with some timely hitting and excellent speed to make a run at the Dixie title The world series runs today through Thursday in Cape ear NC with a field of 12 teams from 1 1 Southeastern states Cape ear eliminated Vinton 7 6 in last tournament had one of the best pitching staffs said Bob Cookston the coach Vinton has quite a staff this season The Heat has the luxury of using five pitchers and sets a goal of having no more than two walks or two errors per seven innings It almost always has met those standards That the Heat is advanced in its skills is understandable Cookston holds workouts twice a week in the fall and in the winter many of the girls build up their pitching arms by throwing at mat tresses in their basements Cookston offered his daughter Meaghan $100 if she could wear a hole in an old family mattress She went into summer vacation with some spending money The secret of the team's young ace eighth grader Erin Smith is a contrap tion she calls on a It's a red brick linked to a 1 inch thick dowel by a cable She holds her arms out straight? and twirls it in her palms to strengthen her forearms guarantee my daughter can do that more times than said father 'i assistant coach Bob Smith 1 The 13 players on the Heat roster have been to the world series a combined ii 1 Vinton has quite a staff this' season The Heat has the luxury of using five and sets a goal of having no more than two walks op' two errors per seven innings It almost always has met those standards 15 times Shimp Meaghan Cookstort and Erica Thomas each have appearances to their credit That experi ence plus an 1 1 10 seventh inning state1 championship victory over Halifax County should serve the Heat well Of course just as important is the i Vinton musical taste They insist i on playing during each infield practice The only loss jn the postseason a 3 2 defeat at the handst of Halifax came the one time they neglected to play Air Love Out of Nothing at Obviously winning only tradition you get a couple years it falls I Bob Cookston said an RiverDawgs ousted or the first 83 minutes the Roanoke RiverDawgs seemed to have their first United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues playoff game in the bag Roanoke was running circles around the Nashville' (Tenn) Metros in front of a franchise high crowd of 1010 on riday night at Victory Stadium Suddenly the tables turned Nashville scored two unanswered goals grabbing a 2 1 victory in sudden death over time As a result the Metros (8 7 Premier: League) will face the Orlando Lions on Aug 9 in the Eastern Conference finals in Jackson Miss Meanwhile the RiverDawgs (10 5) can only think about the game that slipped threw their fingers and feet now I feel a little said Ian Spooner a RiverDawg forward could have won this game We had our chances And the Metros put it away But we had more chances than right During regulation Roanoke had 12 shots on goal compared to nine And on at least six occasions the RiverDawgs had Metro goalie Jonathan Busch beat But they missed the goal completely "We had a handful of missed opportuni said Ed McMichael coach really had a couple in the first half We By KEITH POMPEY STA WRITER kept getting the ball deep in their territory and came out with Roanoke's first missed opportunity carrie early in the game Spooner streaked past Busch only to have the ball sail wide left' Waughn Hughes had another open shot but the ball sailed over the net Next teammatd Nathan shot went wide right will) 10 minutes left in the half I In the second half Roanoke started to look like a completely different team olr minutes after intermission goal gave the RiverDawgs a 1 0 lead RoanokI wouldn't let the ball get out of Nashville territory 3 With seven minutes left in regulation however Ken Hoey tied the scofl at 1 1 Nashville scored the winning goal its only shot in overtime as Doug SchenkqJ headed the ball into the net first goal I got kind of shielded said Aaron Ewert goalie had to react on the last minute and it was too late the second goal there was nothing I could It was a quick reaction He was only three yards away from from me He got it by But despite the loss McMichael said was proud of his overall performance this season is a blue collar team" he saich have really worked hard this No one expected us to get this far This hll been a great season We are 100 percent bettej than we were last year".