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GROUP AA

Tuesday, June 2

Quarterfinals
Grafton at Potomac Falls
Broad Run at Jamestown
Harrisonburg at Blacksburg
Martinsville at Jefferson Forest

Friday, June 5

At Radford University
Semifinals
Potomac Falls-Grafton winner vs. Jamestown-Broad Run winner, 2 p.m.
Blacksburg-Harrisonburg winner vs. Jefferson Forest-Martinsville winner, 4 p.m.

Saturday, June 6

At Radford University
Championship
Semifinal winners, noon.

After winning Region C championships over the weekend, both the Radford boys and girls soccer teams will be playing for state titles this week in their hometown. Here are the pairings:

Boys Soccer

Tuesday, June 2

Quarterfinals
Mathews at George Mason
Stonewall Jackson at Northampton
James River at Virginia High
John Battle at Radford

Friday, June 5

At Radford University
Semifinals
George Mason-Mathews winner vs. Northampton-Stonewall Jackson winner, 2 p.m.
Virginia High-James River winner vs. Radford-John Battle winner, 4 p.m.

Saturday, June 6

At Radford University
Championship
Semifinal winners, noon.

Girls Soccer

Tuesday, June 2

Quarterfinals
Washington & Lee at George Mason
Wilson Memorial at Northumberland
James River at Virginia High
Gate City at Radford

Friday, June 5

At Radford University
Semifinals
George Mason-Washington & Lee winner vs. Northumberland-Wilson Memorial winner, 10 a.m.
Virginia High-James River winner vs. Radford-Gate City winner, noon

Saturday, June 6

At Radford University
Championship
Semifinal winners, 10 a.m.

The Radford High School boys and girls tennis teams will be taking the court in search for Group A state titles this week at Radford University. And the Radford boys top two players will be playing for an individual accolades. Here are the pairings:

Boys Tennis

Thursday, June 4

Singles semifinals
Malik Mubeen (Radford) vs. Region A champion, 9 a.m.
Perry Lowder (Appomattox Regional Governor's School) vs. Tim Sheppard (Gate City), 9 a.m.
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.

Friday, June 5

Team semifinals
George Mason vs. Region A champion, 1 p.m.
Gate City vs. Radford, 1 p.m.

Doubles semifinals
Dalton Moore and J.T. McConnell (Gate City) vs. Perry Lowder and Matthew Cody (Appomattox Regional Governor's School), 3 p.m.
Malik Mubeen and Sanjay Kishore (Radford) vs. Brian Sham and Tim Goetz (George Mason), 3 p.m.

Saturday, June 6

Team championship
Semifinal winners, TBA
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, TBA

Girls Tennis

Friday, June 5

Team semifinals
Wilson Memorial vs. Middlesex, 9 a.m.
Gate City vs. Radford, 9 a.m.

Saturday, June 6

Team championship
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.

Radford's Jon Thompson won the 100-meter dash today at Radford University in the Group A championships. He also won the 200 meters. Photo by Shaozhuo Cui | The Roanoke Times.

Radford's Jon Thompson took the 100- and 200-meter events today at the Group A track and field championships at Radford University.

The Bobcats went on to finish fifth, while the Radford girls finished 13th.

Photo by Roanoke Times staffer from Radford's 2-0 win over Galax on Thursday night.

Once again, the folks over in the TRT sports department share this good news for Radford High School fans: the Bobcats have won the Region C title with a win over James River decided by penalty kicks. The game was scoreless.

Radford is 9-0-1 in its last 10 games and has not allowed a goal in these playoffs (five matches).

The Bobcats join the school's girls team as Region C champions heading into next week's state tournament at Radford University.

According to my friends in The Roanoke Times sports department, the Blacksburg girls track and field team won the Group AA state track meet today in Harrisonburg.

The Bruins claimed the a complete sweep of the state cross country, indoor track and outdoor track championships for 2008-09.

Here are the other New River Valley Group AA individual champions:

BOYS
Friday
3,200 relay — Blacksburg, 7:59.60
Saturday
High jump — Travis Hudson, Christiansburg, 6-8
1,600 relay — Blacksburg, 3:22.84

GIRLS
Friday
3,200 relay — Blacksburg 9:26.27
3,200 — Joanna Stevens, Blacksburg, 10:55.48
Saturday
100 hurdles — Amber Church, Pulaski County, 14.95
1,600 — Joanna Stevens, Blacksburg, 5:05.37

A photo taken by a Roanoke Times staffer at a win over Bath earlier this week in the Region C tournament.

The Radford High School girls soccer team left no doubt which was the best team in Region C, outscoring three opponents by a total score of 32-2. On Friday evening, the Bobcats defeated James River 11-0 to wrap up the Region C tournament title. Both teams advance to next week's state quarterfinals at Radford University.

Here is a wrap-up from Friday's game:

WYTHEVILLE -- Mary Wiley scored five goals to lead the Bobcats to the decisive victory in the Region C girls soccer final.

Conner Fowler and Anna Witkowski both added a pair of goals for Radford (19-2).

Haley Baker scored for James River (10-9).

Samantha McNeil spotted some unusual clouds over Christiansburg on May 22. “I’d never seen anything quite like this before,” she says. “Usually these things disappear within a matter of moments, but this one stuck around for quite some time.”

You can view her photos in the slideshow above or in this photo gallery.

We asked our weather columnist, Kevin Myatt, what he makes of these. Here's what he told us: "It appears to be solar refraction in high ice-crystal clouds ... like light going through a prism. Some of these photos even appear to be show a full solar halo, similar to the more familiar lunar halo or "ring around the moon." If only a spot or two of the halo appears, it is commonly called a "sun dog."

Here's a previous post Kevin had about "sun dogs."

Do you have news or photos to share involving people or events (in the sky or on the ground) around the New River Valley? If so, you can share at newriver@roanoke.com just like Samantha did.

Stephanie Craig of Radford High School accepts the trophy for 1st place in the Region C Championship at Virginia Tech on Thursday. Also pictured is Coach Cecil Hickam (Region C Coach of the Year), Hannah Colley, Liz Howard, and Lindsey Smith.

Below is a team photo of Radford girls tennis.

Submitted by John Craig

Do you have photos involving people or events in the New River Valley? If so, you can share at newriver@roanoke.com the way John did.

OTHER RECENT PHOTOS OF RADFORD HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS:
* May 29: Photos of Radford track at regionals
* May 29: More photos from Radford-Bath girls soccer
* May 29: Photos of Radford tennis
* May 27: Photos of Radford girls soccer in regionals
* May 23: Photos of Radford-Giles boys soccer
* May 22: Photo: Radford's Scott Hendricks signs with Virginia Intermont

Two Bluefield College students from the New River Valley recently participated in the school's annual fund drive.

One was Kim Carroll of Pearisburg (that's her in the foreground.

The other was Daniel Schroeder of Blacksburg.

Here's the full release from Bluefield College:

Bluefield College recently completed its spring 2009 Annual Fund Phonathon, and alumni and friends of the college pledged more than $42,000 to the effort -- the highest pledge total in BC Phonathon history.
For three straight weeks this spring, 17 current Bluefield College students, joined by two former BC students, phoned some 4,259 alumni soliciting support for the BC Fund for Scholarships.
More than 5,000 alumni were contacted in an advance Phonathon mailing.
The advance mailer generated $16,256 in gifts from 94 donors, while solicitations from students by phone produced $25,919 in gifts and pledges from 443 donors for a total of $42,175 in gifts and pledges to date.
Proceeds from Phonathon, coordinated annually by BC's Betty Carroll, director of annual giving, go directly to the BC Fund for Scholarships, which is the primary financial resource for institutional financial aid for students. More than 90 percent of BC students depend on financial aid to be able to afford their college experience.
³Last year was a record year for us,² said Carroll, who¹s been a BC fundraiser since 1999. ³It was the highest since I have been here. We¹re thankful to have reached $40,000 this year, because [President David] Olive promised the callers a special treat, if they hit that benchmark.²
The Phonathon also brought out the competitive nature of the student callers. Each was in competition to walk away with prizes each night for the most money solicited and the most new donors. And, while soliciting support from former students was the primary goal, Carroll said the school and its current students benefit in so many other ways.
³One of my favorite parts is getting to interact with current students,² said Carroll. ³They learn so much about the importance of giving to the school, and hopefully realize why we¹ll be calling them year after year after they graduate.²
Post-event calculations indicate that the average gift or pledge to this year's Phonathan was $78 per donor. In addition, of the 537 donors who pledged or gave to date this year, 99, or about 18 percent, were new or first-time givers.
Current Bluefield College students who participated in the Phonathon this spring included Kayla Bales of Princeton, West Virginia; Crystal Barber of Amherst, Virginia; Kim Carroll of Pearisburg, Virginia; Jennifer Cook of Front Royal, Virginia; Katilyn Duggins of Waynesboro, Virginia; Will Hanna of Chesapeake, Virginia; Jorden Herald of Salem, Virginia; Caleigh Keith of Roanoke, Virginia; Andrew McKinney of Elk Creek, Virginia; Renae Meadows of Peterstown, West Virginia; Keenan Rainer of Warrensville Heights, Ohio; Rachel Russo of Ararat, Virginia; Le¹Andra Sabatino of Parksley, Virginia; Daniel Schroeder of Blacksburg, Virginia; Emily Sears of Hinton, West Virginia; Kara Woodward of Bluefield, West Virginia; and Derek Wright of Tazewell, Virginia.
The two alumni who joined the current students in calling were Vickie Blankenship and Bryan Wohlford.
Local businesses joined the effort, as well, donating prizes for the students, which included tickets to Barter Theatre, Dollywood, Emerald Isle, Wolfhart Haus, a DVD player, and a digital camera.
³The alumni really enjoy speaking to the students,² added Carroll.
³They ask what is going on with the college -- the status of the new community center and new dorm -- and what they personally are doing at Bluefield. Some will even tell stories about their experiences when they attended the college. We have wonderful alumni who participate. Their generosity makes Bluefield College¹s Phonathon program a great success.²