New swim coach at SHS
Salem High has a new swim coach, as former coach Jacob Van Roekel has taken a job at James Madison University.
Marianne Fleenor will replace Van Roekel, who informed Salem just last week he was taking the job at JMU. Fleenor has been assisting Jake and has a lot of coaching experience, including time with the Stonegate Swim Club in the summer. Van Roekel also coached the Gators the past two summers.
Leaving with Jake will be his wife Emily, who was an assistant for the Glenvar volleyball team. The former Emily Richardson is a Salem grad who was a standout volleyball player for the Spartans.
“I hate to see her go, she did a great job,” said Glenvar coach Basil Conner. “If they ever decide to return we’d be glad to take her back.”
REMEMBER MONDAY
Mark O’Connell, the author of the book “The Team the Titans Remember,” will be at the Salem Museum Monday for an author’s presentation and book signing.
Mark will be at the Museum, next to Oakey Field if you’re not familiar, beginning at 7:30 pm. He’ll have a supply of paperback books he’s bringing along for purchase.
The book “The Team the Titans Remember,” is about the glory days of Andrew Lewis football in the ‘60s under coach Eddie Joyce, culminating with the state championship game against T.C. Williams in 1971. That game was immortalized in the movie “Remember the Titans,” although Andrew Lewis High School is ever mentioned by name.
CIAA
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association(CIAA) cross country championships were held at Green Hill Park in Roanoke County last Thursday, October 26. The Virginia State University men and the Fayetteville State University women won titles on a beautiful day in southwest Virginia.
The Trojans placed four athletes in the Top 10 for a total of 39 team points to run away from Virginia Union University (84 points) and Saint Augustine’s University (103) in the men’s race. In the women’s race Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State went head-to-head, but the Broncos held the Rams off to place four runners in the Top 10 and win their first women’s league crown.
The CIAA football championship is the next conference event scheduled for Salem, to be held at Salem Stadium on Saturday, November 11. The city recently signed a three year contract with the CIAA to bring the game here. The 2016 game was played in Salem after it was moved from North Carolina due to their transgender bathroom law, and it was such a success the CIAA decided to come back.
“The 2016 game was a great experience for local fans and Salem is honored and privileged to host the CIAA football championship for an additional three years,” says Salem Mayor Randy Foley. “We have worked extremely hard over the years to earn the name ‘Virginia’s Championship City’ and we’re excited that the CIAA will now be an important part of our championship legacy.”
Virginia State is currently atop the CIAA standings with a 6-0 conference record and an 8-0 overall record. Winston-Salem State won last year’s championship game, 43-33, over Bowie State in an exciting game in Salem.
LOOK/MORAN
Salem’s Ellie Look ran for the Radford University team in the Big South Championship race last Saturday and placed 55th out of 74, helping the Highlanders to a fifth place finish. She’s a freshman.
Hannah Moran, another freshman from Salem, competed for the University of Virginia in the ACC Championship race on Friday and placed 45th out of 129. She had the third best time among the Cavaliers.
ICE HOCKEY
If you’re a fan of ice hockey this is a great weekend for you. There will be four games in the space of three days at the Berglund Center in Roanoke.
On Friday night, for those of you who don’t go to high school football, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs will host the Evansville Thunderbolts in an SPHL game at 7:05 pm.
On Saturday at 2 pm the Virginia Tech hockey team will be hosting Stevenson at 2 pm, followed by a Rail Yard Dawgs game with Evansville at 7:05 pm. Then, on Sunday, Tech will play host to James Madison University at 2 pm.
Cost for the Tech games is $5, or $2 if you’re a Tech student or faculty member with an ID. The Hokies are 6-4-1 after splitting two games with Temple University in Philadelphia last weekend.
The Dawgs are just 1-1 but their schedule picks up as they play nine games through Thanksgiving weekend, including the next seven straight at home.
