University of Virginia Library

Meyer, Solotorovsky Pace Trackmen,
Pirates Invade For Saturday Opener

By FLETCHER THOMPSON

"Fair to middlin'," is track
Coach Lou Onesty's
description of his team's
prospects for the coming
season, which gets underway at
1:30 tomorrow afternoon with
a Lannigan Field get-together
with East Carolina.

"We could be real good if
our field events come through
for us," claims Onesdy, who, in
his 19th year, is one of the
athletic department's elder
statesmen. "If not, we may be
in trouble," he admits,
pointing out that all his
competitors give track
scholarships.

Optimism, though, seems to
characterize Onesty's view of
his biggest question mark.
Several potential
record-breakers will be suiting
up for the Cavs in the field
events, he believes.

One of the foremost of this
group is pole vaulter Jim
McClurg, who holds the school
indorr mark at 14'4" this
spring. Depth, however, is not
one of the strong points of this
department as McClurg is
Onesty's sole vaulter.

Tom Freshwater also
figures to give Onesty a few
happy moments this spring
with his triple-jumping. The
first-year man has already
hopped his way over 49, a
more than respectable mark.

Pushing him will be Gary
Ham, who rates high on
Onesty's list of hopeful and
Steve Romanella. Saturday, the
trio will get its baptism of fire
against ECU's Walter
Davenport, whose 53' efforts
put him among the nation's
top ten.

High jumpers have come
out in droves to Lannigan Field
this spring and Onesty feels he
has corralled several possible
stars.

JV basketballer John Pirko,
who at 6-7 will be one of the
ACC's best if he can jump as
high as he is tall, twins Chris
and Tom Morris and Mike
Moorman are all given chances
to clear the school's record of
6'5 5/8".

Weight events shape up as
one of the problem areas for
Onesty. Shot putters are a
scarce commodity in
Charlottesville and Onesty has
even resorted to advertising to
fill the position. He feels he
may have found his man in
recently recruited Robert
Gehring.

Discus outlook is a little
brighter as Sam Bulbin, whose
heaves go up to 150', Andy Jay
and Tom Talbot have been
vigorously preparing for
competition. In javelin,
assistant Chad Fald is
instructing several prospects in
the ancient art.

Track events still figure to
bring in the most points for
Onesty.

Football star Kent Merritt,
the Outstanding Performer in
the ACC track championships
last year, again looks ready to
blaze his way through the
spring.

Merritt is coming off what
Onesty says is his finest winter
season and is currently turning
in 9.5 clockings in the 100.
The school mark of 9.4, the
oldest standing mark next to
the high jump, could very well
take a dive in the next two
months.

Merritt doubles as the
squad's premier 220 man,
covering that distance in about
21.4. Sam Jesse and Beecher
Halsey provide help in the 220
while Ernest Lyons backs him
up in the 100.

Co-captain Julian
Solotorovsky heads a trio of
quarter-milers, turning in times
of just over 49, Beecher Halsey
and Bruce Rrey aren't too far
behind.

Five men swell the half-mile
ranks. Gerard Hart who set the
school's indoor mark at 1:56
will be hot in pursuit of the
outdoor record of 1:53. Tom
Polonsky should join him in
the chase.

Cross country star and
co-captain Phil Meyer also will
be after the school mile
standard of 4:14 after
establishing an indoor record
of 4:15.1 over the winter.
Onesty doesn't anticipate any
trouble in that category but a
Pirate who checks in at 4:11
may be bothersome.