Small Schools

Two football leagues are better than one. That is what Catholic League principals decided yesterday when they voted to split the league into two divisions, composed of big schools and small schools, next season. By a 15-2 vote, the principals accepted a recommendation by athletic directors to divide the league based on male enrollment. A champion will be crowned in each division. The composition of the two divisions won't change for two years, at which time teams could switch, based on enrollment.

Imagine working at a company that has more than 1,000 employees, and where you have had eight bosses in the last six years. Imagine that many of those who direct your work are inexperienced and lack training, and may not even know your name. And imagine fearing for your safety inside your antiquated office building and during the commute. Now you have a sense of what many young people endure each day in Philadelphia's comprehensive public high schools. In such environments, it is no wonder that more than 20 percent of the students are absent each day or that fewer than half of all ninth graders stay four years through graduation.

The West Catholic girls' track team is one of the biggest uncertainties heading into the 112th running of the Penn Relays. Are the Burrs capable of advancing to a fourth consecutive high school girls' Championship of America 4x400 appearance? Can they sweep the small schools and Tri-State 4x100 titles for a third straight season? "I think we will be OK," said Burrs coach Lenny Jordan. "We are not going to back down from anybody. " Jordan's squad will get a better idea of where it stands after today's action.

Last week, they ran with the entire state. This week, it gets a little more personal. In a bit of a sectional preview, cross-country runners will gather for the South Jersey Open tomorrow at Kingsway. The first of six varsity races will start at 2:50 p.m. There are a few key differences between the South Jersey Open and the sectionals. First, this week's meet is divided into three groups. Sectionals are raced in four groups. Second, some of the top teams and top runners will take this weekend off or go elsewhere.

You are permitted to exhale. Realignment based on enrollment for Catholic League football is totally, completely, firmly in place. Yesterday, by a large majority, the league's principals voted to accept a plan that had been formulated last month and approved by the athletic directors. Joanne Walls, president of the principals' group, said the vote was 15-2. Realignment will begin with the 1999 season and will result in the crowning of two champions. There will be no playoff mixing between large and small schools.

Despite yesterday's early rain, the runners at the West Deptford Relays for girls took their marks and never looked back. Ocean City, powered by Megan Hartman, Mary Beth Wendorf and Shelly Solheim, captured the Division II team championship as the Red Raiders showed why they remain a Cape-Atlantic League powerhouse. "We practice in the wind and the rain all the time at the Shore," Ocean City coach Mike Naples said, "and we think that that prepares us well for these kinds of days.

Sandra Ruffin-Pearson picked up a disturbing rumor last December from her students at Vaux High in North Philadelphia: A local gang was planning some kind of trouble and possibly targeting Vaux. It helped that the veteran principal knew every one of her students by name. " 'Keep it out of my school,' " she remembers telling a group of the housing-project tenants, some former students. " 'Do whatever you need to do, but do not bring it into the building.' They said, 'All right, Ms. Pearson.

You could say that Marple Newtown swimmer Lisa Herbster likes to be colorful. She demonstrated that trait at the PIAA swimming championships Friday and Saturday at Penn State. She also had a message for her school's officials. The Tigers' junior made two trips to the awards podium. She went in orange leggings and a tie-dyed T-shirt after she took third place in the Class AA 100-yard backstroke, then as a gold-medal winner in the Class AA 100-yard butterfly. Her time of 58.37 seconds in winning the fly on Friday will stand as an AA record since this was the first year of Class AA (small schools)

When one of the best girls' tennis players in Chester County had to miss a meet, her coach didn't panic. West Chester Henderson coach David Sok wasn't even concerned. Standout Ali Goldberg couldn't play first singles against Springfield (Delco) Friday because she had to see a doctor about her right wrist. So Sok simply moved all his other singles players up one spot, and watched as they led the Warriors to a 7-0 victory. According to Sok, he never worried about second singles player Jen Dockery's ability to step up to the top position.

A small but earnest group of student leaders at West Philadelphia High School spoke out yesterday, calling for an end to "an overall culture of disrespect" at their embattled school. At an after-classes news conference in front of the high school, about 15 students announced a petition drive to pledge better behavior among students and to call for other changes to quell the recent unrest at the school. Seven West Philadelphia staffers were assaulted over a two-week period this month, and numerous fires have been set. On March 7, two new principals were installed at the school, one to oversee safety; the other, curriculum.