VALENCIA'S COACH POSSESSES AN OLYMPIAN PRESENCE HOWARD WON GOLD AT '84 L.A. GAMES.Byline: KEVIN CONNELLY Kevin Connelly was born in Middlesbrough, England. He is an impressionist comedian, and after dinner speaker and is probably most famous for his role on the popular BBC television programme 'Dead Ringers'. Special to the Daily News It takes many first-year coaches time to gain the respect of their team. When Sherri Howard Sherri Howard (born June 1 1962). is a former American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. She competed for the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, U.S. signed on to coach Valencia High's track and field team this season, her credentials might have expediated that process a bit. In 1984, a few years before the oldest members of the Vikings team were born, Howard won an Olympic gold Olympic Gold is the official video game of the XXV Olympic Summer Games, hosted by Barcelona, Spain in 1992. It was released for the Sega consoles, Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System, and Sega's handheld, Game Gear. medal in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. as a member of the U.S. 1,600-meter relay team. Fiery and passionate by nature, Howard speaks, and her top athletes listen, hoping to achieve just an iota of her success. ``We're all very fortunate to have her here,'' said junior sprinter Virgil Hill Virgil Eugene Hill (born January 18, 1964 Clinton, Missouri) is a Joplin, Missouri fighter partly of Native American heritage, who forged a solid connection between the state of North Dakota and the sport of boxing. , whose mother was on the 1984 U.S. team. ``We're high school athletes. To have a coach with Olympic experience is crazy.'' Howard acknowledges her resume helps her. ``Of course, the kids look up to me a bit because of my past,'' she said. ``I want to be a role model to them. I've been blessed in my life with talent, and I want to use my experience to help others. I would love to pass some of my passion for track and field on to others.''The early results seem promising. Valencia's boys (5-1 overall and Foothill) finished second place in the Foothill League. They faced five-time dual-meet champion Canyon (6-0, 6-0) in the final meet with a legitimate chance of capturing the crown. The Cowboys won 78-58 to entend their dual-meet winning streak Noun 1. winning streak - a streak of wins streak, run - an unbroken series of events; "had a streak of bad luck"; "Nicklaus had a run of birdies" to 35. ``Canyon has built a great program over the years,'' Howard said. ``We want to emulate that success here at Valencia. We're starting to develop some depth. I definitely think this is a program on the rise. ``But our recent success has very little to do with me. All coaches need talent to win, and we have track and field talent here. These kids are like sponges. They're the ones making me look good, and not the other way around.'' The Vikings will compete in the league individual finals Friday at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. , where Hill and junior standout Shane Vereen are expected to challenge in the sprinting and relay events. Said Vereen: ``Sherri's experience is priceless. You can't get any better than an Olympic gold medal. I feel like I've improved so much under her.'' kevin.connelly(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 |
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