By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A bases-loaded single by pinch-hitter David Ayers in the top of the 8th inning scored two runs for the Martinsville Mustangs, jumpstarting a late innings rally by the visitors and an eventual 7-5 victory over the host Boone Bigfoots at Smith Stadium on June 20.
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With a pitching collapse in the final two frames, the Bigfoots wasted an early power surge by leftfielder Michael Young (HR, 2B, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored) and a respectable pitching effort by starter Trey Sanders (Columbus, Ga., Samford University), who gave up only two runs in 4.1 innings of work on the mound.
Trey Sanders, a rising redshirt senior at Samford University, was the starting pitcher for the Boone Bigfoots on June 20, vs. the Martinsville Mustangs at Smith Stadium. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Ayers’ 2-run single in the 8th inning closed the Mustangs’ deficit to 5-4 and Boone reliever Jacob Haley (Huntsville, Ala., University of South Alabama) came on to get the final two outs in the 8th inning, but Martinsville wasted little time in jumping on USA’s rising junior pitcher for three runs in the top of the 9th to take the lead and the win.
The Mustangs’ Enrique Wood (North Carolina A&T) led off the top of the 9th inning with a single, then came home on a wild pitch to knot the score at 5-5. Two batters later, a wild pitch put runners at 2nd and 3rd for the Mustangs and leftfielder Hayden Friese (Western Carolina University) drove them home with a single to left, completing the visitors’ comeback for the win.
Boone Bigfoots’ centerfielder Kenan Bowman (Upstate University) makes contact in the early innings of the June 20 game vs. the Martinsville Mustangs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The Bigfoots go on an eastern road trip over the weekend, at Wilmington (Sharks) on Saturday, June 21, and at Wilson (Tobs) on Sunday, June 22, before a Tuesday, June 24 home tilt vs. the Forest City Owls.
KEY PERFORMERS
BOONE BIGFOOTS
Michael Young (LF): 2-4, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, HR, 2B, Sacrifice Fly
By David Rogers. PORTLAND, Ore. — A fall with 600 meters to go in Paul Banta Memorial Men’s 5,000 Meters in the Portland Track Festival on June 15 didn’t stop ZAP Endurance’s Eric Van der Els from picking himself up for a strong finish, nonetheless. The High Country-based elite professional distance runner rallied to a No. 7 finish and season best, 13:25.00.
It was a special Father’s Day performance for race winner, Andrew Hunter (Asics), a father of two. Amon Kemboi (Puma Elite Running) and Thomas Ratcliffe (Nike Swoosh TC) overtook Hunter with a little more than a lap to go, with Kemboi surging ahead to open up a significant gap. But Hunter rallied past Ratcliffe, then drew even with Kemboi at the top of the final straightaway. The pair battled side-by-side before Hunter inched ahead in the final 10 meters to take the No. 1 spot in 13:14.95. Kemboi was the runner-up in 13:15.22.
There were 17 elite athletes competing in what race organizers called, “The Hot Window” section of the Men’s 5000 in the massive Portland Track Festival event. ZAP Endurance qualified a second team member in the Hot Window section, but Ryan Ford faded to No. 14 (13:41.72).
Earlier, in the High Performance section of the Men’s 5000, ZAP Endurance team member Dan Schaffer finished No. 4, crossing the line at 13:36.77 in the 43-man field split into two heats.
“Eric ran a fabulous race,” said ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea after the event. “His fall with 600 meters to go was a rough break but he got up and rallied for his second fastest 5,000 meters ever. I have little doubt that he will run 13:10 to 13:15 in Los Angeles later on in July, in the Sunset Tour meet.”
Ford, who is largely transitioning from middle- and long-distance events while in college to a primary focus on the marathon with ZAP Endurance, used the Portland Track Festival to get reacquainted with racing on the track.
“This was Ryan’s first track race since the 2024 Olympic Trials, so I’ll call it a ‘rust buster’ for him,” said Rea. “Less than two months removed from his stellar run in the Boston Marathon, the Portland 5K race serves as a great springboard for the USATF national championships in Eugene (Oregon), in July, where he will compete at the longer, 10,000 meters’ distance.”
Schaffer, like Ford, was an accomplished middle distance athlete in college but eventually aiming to compete in the marathon with ZAP Endurance.
“Dan ran well in this Portland race, but not quite well enough to qualify for the U.S. championships in Eugene,” said Rea. “He’ll have a few road opportunities before the buildup for his marathon debut later this year, in the fall.”
By David Rogers. PEORIA, Ill. — Only one familiar foe separated the High Country-based Amanda Vestri from the top of the awards podium on June 14 in the 2025 Steamboat Classic, run this year as the United States Track & Field Federation’s 4-Mile National Championship.
Oklahoma State alum Taylor Roe, running for Puma Elite Running, crossed the finish line in 19:40, with ZAP Endurance team member Vestri, representing Brooks Running Shoes, just 22 seconds behind in 20:02 and another Puma Elite athlete, Molly Born finishing No. 3 in 20:11.
Both Roe and Vestri are only a week removed from leaderboard finishes in the Mastercard New York Mini 10K on the streets of midtown Manhattan and Central Park. Roe finished that race as the No. 3 runner and Vestri at No. 6 out of almost 10,000 women competing.
For Vestri, the Steamboat Classic and USATF 4-Mile National Championship performance was just another step in her progression to national prominence in distance running, aiming to be a top marathoner.
Vestri ran the first mile in a commendable 5 minutes, 16 seconds (5:16), then picked up the pace for the second (5:00) and third (5:01) miles before blistering the fourth mile in 4:47.
“Amanda ran an amazing Steamboat race,” said Pete Rea, her Blowing Rock-based, ZAP Endurance head coach. “Bit by bit, she has made herself a force on the U.S. distance running circuit. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for her at the USATF Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., in July and August, where she will double at the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters distances.”
By David Rogers. PLUM, Pa. — I once played the Red Tail golf course near Mountain City, Tenn., when it was still an 18-hole course with much of it through mountainous woods. That front nine up and down the mountains and through the trees made it one of the most scenic and enjoyable, if very challenging, courses anyone could play.
There was one hole where the cup seemed to be on top of a church steeple. The surrounding slopes were fierce. I chipped on from just off the green and my ball landed very softly, less than six inches from the hole.
But my adventure was just beginning. The ball didn’t stop, but kept rolling and rolling and rolling down the back slope, off the green and some 40 feet into the woods onto what I recall was bed of leaves and pine straw. My attempts to get back up and onto the green — and into the hole — were similarly futile. I finally gave up in frustration, “giving” myself a 10 on the par-4.
If only I could…
Memories of my Red Tail experience came flooding back while reading about the 2025 U.S. Open to be played this weekend by the world’s best golfers at Oakmont Country Club, on the northeastern outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pa. The course has played host to the U.S. Open more than any other golf course. This weekend will be the tenth time for what many in the golf community describe as one of the most difficult golf courses, anywhere.
It is challenging, in part, because of the extremely fast, undulating greens, often with steep slopes. Then there are the narrow fairways – and the deep rough should your ball not fly true. Not just the deep rough, but strategically placed bunkers and ditches punish golfers for errant shots, too. On holes No. 3 and No. 4, a defining feature of the Oakmont experience is the “Church Pews” bunker between the two fairways. As sand traps go, the Church Pew is quite large, nearly two-thirds of an acre, with a series of 13 grassy ridges across the expanse of white sand, according to Golfweek magazine’s account.
Oakmont also enjoyed its share of controversy over the years, most notably because some 10,000 trees were removed between 2000 and 2016.
Without knowing the course’s origins and history, those with an ecological bent might be aghast at removing so many trees. The course was established 122 years ago, in 1903, designed by Henry Fownes on old, open farmland (hardly a tree to be found).
According to the U.S. Golf Association website’s description of Oakmont, Fownes intended for his course to be “links-style,” such as we see in Scotland and England. They are open courses, almost devoid of trees. Open farmland with little in the way of water hazards was a good starting point for a links-style course in 1903.
“An open course does not mean it is an easy course,” said Blowing Rock-based golf course architect Ron Cutlip in a conversation with High Country Sports.
Ron Cutlip playing his latest course design in Narragansett, Rhode Island, South Shore Golf Course As an accomplished golf course architect, Cutlip values trees on a course, but only if they are done right, strategically. Adding trees without understanding their role in the play of a golf course can result in disaster, as was decided at Oakmont by the club’s hierarchy in the late 1990s. Photographic image by David Rogers
Nor was it Fownes’ intention for Oakmont to be easy. He was quoted as once saying, “A shot poorly played should be a shot irrevocably lost.”
In fact, reports the USGA, Fownes had more than 330 bunkers populating the near-treeless Oakmont course at one point. Today, it has “only” 175. Without question, Oakmont is a course aiming to identify a world champion golfer.
For an ecologically sensitive American society, though, the relative absence of trees on the open links layout was problematic. So was noise from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which divided the course almost evenly, seven holes on one side and 11 holes on the other. And when a young Johnny Miller blistered the course by shooting a 63 in the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 1973, any movement toward planting more trees gained traction. Trees are “pretty.” Trees create a sound buffer for the noise coming from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Trees can make the course even more difficult — at least that was the thinking at the time.
In 1953, sportswriter and golf critic Herbert Warren Wind of The New Yorker magazine opined that Oakmont was, “… an ugly brute of a course.” According to the USGA, that description prompted the club’s post-Fownes hierarchy to start planting more trees. In Oakmont’s published history, after Wind’s critique it was decided to “beautify” the course with some 5,000 trees, planted up and down the fairways and behind the greens. With even more trees added over the years that followed, the course was no longer the original links-style course, but evolving to what is more commonly known as an American-style “parkland” course.
Unintended Consequences
But by the late 1990s, those now mature trees were overgrown, including some tree roots’ intrusion into the fairways as well as overhanging canopies that didn’t allow fairway grass to get sufficient sunlight, leaving fairways bare in places.
So, beginning near the turn of the 21st century, the Oakmont hierarchy started removing trees. By 2016, between 10,000 to 15,000 trees were removed, according to USGA reports.
In a preview of the 2025 U.S. Open found on YouTube, longtime Oakmont golf professional Bob Ford recalled that the first 1,000 trees were removed in the dead of night, before 4:30 a.m., with even the sawdust removed by morning. Apparently, the club hierarchy knew that removing the trees would create a bit of backlash among some country club members, but they wanted to get the process started toward returning the course to its original, links-style design, which is where it is today.
“Trees can be an important feature of a golf course design,” Cutlip explained, “but they have to be introduced correctly. You can’t plant them willy-nilly just to beautify a course, which is apparently what happened at Oakmont.
“On its own, a golf course design can be made easy or extremely difficult, with or without trees,” said Cutlip. “And the challenges of the original links-style design in 1903 really underline that thought. With its steep, undulating greens, penal bunkers and ditches, narrow fairways and deep rough, Oakmont was a links-style course to challenge the very best even before they planted the trees.”
As a golf course architect who likes to work with a property’s history, as well as its natural contours, Cutlip applauds Oakmont’s restoring the course to its original design.
“Just like every parkland style course can’t be easily or effectively transformed into an open links-style course, you can’t really convert a links-style course into a parkland course without changing the very nature and personality of the golfing platform,” said Cutlip.
Let the fun begin
Local knowledge of a course offers any player a leg up on the competition at just about every golf course, but that will be especially true in the 2025 U.S. Open.
“With Oakmont’s many quirks, I suggest that by Sunday the real heroes may be the caddies of the guys at the top of the leaderboard. And that might even be one of Oakmont’s own caddies carrying the bag for one or more of the pros,” said Cutlip. “The greens are likely to be cut to something like 3/32 of an inch. On a relatively dry day, they will be fast and unforgiving. The caddie can tell the player how much to slow down his putts and where to put his approach shots from different parts of the fairway, even how much backspin to put on the ball. For a well-placed approach shot, you want the ball to stop when it hits the ground. You don’t want it to keep rolling on those greens because they just might roll the golfer out of contention.”
Just like my soft chip shot at Red Tail, the ball could keep rolling and rolling and rolling. If there is a silver lining, at least on an Oakmont course with the trees removed the ball is less likely to stop in the woods.
By David Rogers. NEW YORK, N.Y. (remote) — High Country-based professional athlete Amanda Vestri was at the front for most of the 2025 Mastercard New York Mini 10k on June 7, leading 9,962 women and girls in winding through the ups and downs of Midtown Manhattan and Central Park. It was Kenya’s Helen Obiri and Weini Kelati, though, who surged ahead in the final two miles to capture the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, just five seconds separating the two. Obiri broke the tape in 30:44, with Kelati close behind in 30:49.
Vestri fought hard to stay in contention, but faded to No. 6, only 36 seconds behind Obiri in 31:20. A member of Blowing Rock’s ZAP Endurance elite running team, Vestri was the second American to cross the finish line, just 21 seconds behind Taylor Roe, the former Oklahoma State University track and cross country star now hailing from Raleigh, N.C.
Boone and Blowing Rock’s Amanda Vestri ran at the front of the lead pack for most of the Mastercard New York Mini 10K road race on June 7. Photo by Janet Klutch, courtesy of ZAP Endurance
Vestri was the top American finisher in 2024, No. 4 overall (31:17).
“Amanda ran an exceptional race, banging heads with some of the best women on the pro circuit,” said ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea. “This performance sets her up well for next weekend’s U.S. 4-Mile Championship, on June 14 in Peoria, Illinois.”
Roe was making her Mastercard Mini debut after recently breaking the women-only 10-mile world road race record in 49:53, in Washington, D.C. on April 6. Her 30:58 in the Mastercard Mini is a new personal best at the 10K road distance.
The High Country was well represented in this race around Central Park and beyond. Another ZAP Endurance team member, Tristin (Van Ord) Colley, finished at No. 25 (33:34), her first race since the iconic Boston Marathon on April 21, where she finished No. 19 among the 12,210 women competing over the 26.2 miles of Beantown streets.
“Tristin had a good, solid run for her first race coming off the Boston Marathon in April. The summer is looking good for her on the U.S. road racing scene.”
Former App State track and cross country star Tristin (Van Ord) Colley works hard toward the finish of the Mastercard New York Mini 10K road race on June 7, 2025, in Central Park. Photo by Janet Klutch, courtesy of ZAP Endurance
The Mastercard New York Mini 10K is the world’s original, women-only race to feature Olympians and World Championship medalists. The race was first organized in 1972, by the New York Road Runners, as a way to promote women’s distance running, generally. The race’s inaugural sponsor was Johnson Wax, promoting a women’s shaving gel called, “Crazylegs.” Only 78 runners competed in the first race, but in the last 50 years it has grown to be both an elite running event as well as a “fun run” for many female athletes.
The 1972 first race was won by Jacqueline Dixon of the U.S., in 37:17. The course record is 30:12, set in 2023 by Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia.
The course of the road race begins near 61st Street on Central Park West and heads north, entering Central Park at West 90th Street. The route loops in a clockwise direction, turning southwards at Harlem Meer around the 3-mile (5-kilometre) mark. It continues south past the Central Park Reservoir and the Guggenheim Museum. Runners continue southwards until they come towards the park’s limits near Wollman Rink at which point it heads to the west and turns north to the finishing point near the Tavern on the Green and Sheep Meadow.
Of the almost 10,000 runners, 7,169 of them were from one of the five New York boroughs, with 2,804 coming from outside of NYC.
Manhattan: 3,892
The Bronx: 312
Brooklyn: 1,605
Queens: 1,240
Staten Island: 120
The youngest finisher was 3-yearold Oliver Marks, in 57:57. The oldest was Ulrike Klopfer, in 1:55:06, according to the New York Road Runners.
GENEVA, Ohio — By placing eighth in the 65 kg division of the U23 Freestyle Nationals, App State’s Jarvis Little became the seventh USA Wrestling All-American in the last four years from Boone RTC.
Little, who redshirted as a true freshman at App State during the 2024-25 season, won six of his first seven matches in Ohio and finished 6-3 in the event.
After going 4-1 on the opening day, Little reached the final 12 in his bracket with a 5-4 victory over Gable Porter from Virginia. Porter recorded a tying takedown with 12 seconds left in the final period, but Little broke the tie with a reversal two seconds later and stayed on top to finish the match.
Little then clinched All-America recognition and a top-eight finish by advancing over an opponent who had been disqualified from a quarterfinal match in the previous round.
Little won his first three matches in decisive fashion before dropping into the consolation bracket with a 7-2 loss. After clinching a top-eight finish, he dropped a 9-6 decision against Northern Iowa’s Connor Thorpe to set up a match for seventh place against Noah Tolentino from Oregon State. Little jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Tolentino rallied for a 5-4 victory.
Boone RTC had three wrestlers reach the final 24 in their brackets before being eliminated with a second loss: Colby McBride (57 kg), App State newcomer Joe Fongaro (65kg) and Joe Zovistoski (79kg).
McBride reached the Round of 16 with a 2-0 start before dropping his next two matches. Fongaro started 2-0 and was 4-1 before falling against Little, while Zovistoski followed an opening loss with five straight victories before finishing 5-2.
Kaden Keiser (four wins), Logan Eller (four wins), Bryson Terrell (two wins) and Anthony Conetta (two wins) all prevailed in Consolation Round 4 matches before being eliminated. Brayden Fahrbach, Alex Hopper and Stephan Monchery also won at least two matches.
Jarvis Little’s results
Champ. Round 1: Jarvis Little, BORT over Donnie Morton, PVWC (TF 10-0 (1:47) )
Champ. Round 2: Jarvis Little, BORT over Kayd Craig, BRUV (Dec 8-2 )
Champ. Round 3: Jarvis Little, BORT over Ethan Qureshi, SCRT (Dec 10-4 )
Champ. Round 4: Nash Singleton, BDWR over Jarvis Little, BORT (Dec 7-2 )
Cons. Round 6: Jarvis Little, BORT over Joe Fongaro, BORT (TF 10-0 (1:11) )
Cons. Round 7: Jarvis Little, BORT over Gable Porter, CWC (Dec 5-4 )
Cons. Round 8: Jarvis Little, BORT over Jager Eisch, MIRT (DQ )
Cons. Round 9: Connor Thorpe, PWCR over Jarvis Little, BORT (Dec 9-6 )
7th Place Match: Noah Tolentino, BDWR over Jarvis Little, BORT (Dec 5-4 )
By Katherine Jamtgaard. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Six Mountaineers represented App State at the NCAA East First Round in Jacksonville, Fla. this week, highlighted by freshman Lilly Nichols’ advancing to the NCAA Championships in the women’s pole vault.
Junior Ava Studney competed alongside Nichols in the women’s pole vault competition, while graduate student Patrick Freeman and sophomore Matthew Gray represented App State in the men’s pole vault. Sophomore Kendall Johnson redshirt senior Calbert Guest competed in the women’s 100 meters and men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively.
Nichols is the first App State women’s pole vaulter in program history to advance to the NCAA Championships. After a weather delay cut competition short on Thursday, Nichols returned to the track to compete on Friday, where she recorded a new school record and personal best clearance of 4.24m (13′ 11″). Nichols surpassed her previous program record of 4.16m (13′ 7.75″), which she set at the Sunday Night Qualifier on May 18 in Boone. She finished fourth in her flight and 11th overall in Friday’s event to punch her ticket to Eugene.
“I’m thrilled to have advanced to the NCAA Championships and to have achieved a season best, especially after overcoming a knee injury this indoor season,” Nichols said. “I’m hoping to set a new personal record in Eugene.”
The significance of Nichols’ accomplishment was not lost on her coaches.
“This is really exciting for Lilly and App State. Making the NCAA finals is impressive and doing it as a true freshman is especially impressive,” said pole vault coach Daniel Isaacs. “I think it’s a good sign of what’s to come in the future for the App State pole vault squad, as well as the entire track and field program as a whole.”
“This is a meet where self-motivation comes into play,” said director of track & field/cross country Damion McLean. “I’m very proud of the first timers and the seniors. They laid it all out for App State. I’m also extremely proud of Lilly and Coach Daniel Isaacs for punching their ticket to Eugene on their first try.”
The last Mountaineer to advance to the NCAA Championships was Jada Branch in 2023. Branch landed 12th in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 13.09m (42′ 11.5″) at the 2023 NCAA East Prelim, which was also hosted by North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.
Gray placed 15th in the men’s pole vault on Thursday after clearing a bar of 5.33m (17′ 5.75″). His clearance was 0.10 meters from his school and Randy Marion Track & Field Facility record of 5.43m (17′ 9.75″), which he set at the Sunday Night Qualifier.
On the track, Johnson stopped the clock at 11.36 in the women’s 100-meter quarterfinal on Saturday. She had placed 19th in the first round of the women’s 100 meters with a personal best of 11.31 to qualify for Saturday’s race. In the App State all-time list, she remains second overall.
In the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday, Guest placed eighth in his heat and 23rd overall with a time of 8:55.25. Guest broke the program record with a time of 8:42.01 at the Penn Relays this season. Additionally, he holds the App State record in the men’s 10,000 meters (29:12.85).
Freeman and Studney did not clear bars in the men’s and women’s pole vault competitions. Freeman entered the men’s competition ranked 19th in the NCAA East First Round qualifying list and caps his career in the Black and Gold ranked second in the App State all-time list with a clearance of 5.35m (17′ 6.5″). Studney entered the women’s competition ranked 43rd in the NCAA East First Round and closes out the season ranked second in the App State all-time list with a personal best clearance of 4.11m (13′ 5.75″).
Up Next
The NCAA Championships are slated for June 11-14 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The women’s pole vault is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. PT (7:35 p.m. ET) on Thursday, June 12.
Individual field events and the multi-events events will be available to stream on ESPN+ throughout the day. The meet will be available to watch on ESPN and ESPN2 starting at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET) on Wednesday and Thursday, at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) on Friday, and 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) on Saturday.
By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — App State women’s basketball coach Alaura Sharp announced the addition of Marta Gutierrez to the 2025-26 roster on May 29. As the newest addition to the roster, Gutierrez joins fellow spring signees Emma Smith, Daisia Mitchell, Jada Burton, Jayden McBride, and Feryal Defne Atli.
Marta Gutierrez | 5′ 7″ | G | Dénia, Spain | IES Historiador Chabas | Vincennes
Gutierrez will join the Mountaineers as a guard after spending the 2024-25 season at Vincennes University. Last season, Gutierrez started 28 of the 30 games she appeared and collected NJCAA DI All-Region accolades for her efforts on the court. She helped the Trailblazers to a Region 24 semifinal appearance. Gutierrez averaged 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per contest last season. Additionally, she shot 47.3% from the field and 31.2% from beyond the arc. Gutierrez spent her freshman season at Ranger College. The Dénia, Spain native also competed on the Valencia Basket Club and Valencian’s Selection club teams.
While at App State, Gutierrez plans on studying psychology. She enjoys listening to music, skateboarding, and hanging out with friends.
Why Gutierrez Chose App State: “I chose App State because I want to win.”
Sharp on Gutierrez: “Marta is a welcomed addition to our roster. She gives us great security at the ball handling position and is also versatile enough to play off the ball. Her basketball IQ and defensive intensity really stood out to us. Marta plays with a ton of energy, which the fans will really love. We cannot wait for her arrival in Boone.”
By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — With a clearer picture of how the opening month of the 2025 season will look — highlighted by two national television appearances in September — the kickoff times and accompanying network designations for several App State football games this fall were announced May 29.
The Mountaineers’ first game under the direction of first-year head coach Dowell Loggains is a Friday opener, the Duke’s Mayo Classic against Charlotte in Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 29. It will kick off at 7 p.m. and be shown on ESPNU. The Duke’s Mayo Classic at the home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers is also the first game for a new-look coaching staff and a roster that includes 49 newcomers.
Fans can purchase tickets now for the Aug. 29 game against Charlotte. Ticket revenue received prior to Sunday stays with App State.
The home opener against Lindenwood on Sept. 6 will be a 3:30 p.m. game available on ESPN+, which will also be the platform for the Mountaineers’ Sun Belt Conference opener at Southern Miss on Sept. 13. That game will begin at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT).
Following a bye week, App State’s trip to Boise State and the blue turf of Albertsons Stadium on Sept. 27 is a meeting between the only two G5 programs with at least 100 victories since 2014, the Mountaineers’ first FBS season. The game will air nationally on either FOX, FS1 or FS2. The kickoff time has not been finalized, with that information and a specific network likely being announced on Monday, Sept. 15, in conjunction with the other TV selections that are publicized 12 days out from game day.
App State’s lone midweek contest — a nationally televised home game against Georgia Southern on Thursday, Nov. 6 — will kick off at either 7:30 or 8 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2.
A limited number of season tickets are available by calling the App State Athletics Ticket Office at 828-262-7733 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). More details are forthcoming for single-game tickets, which go on sale in June.
On Thursday, the league also announced that the 2025 Sun Belt Football Championship Game will move from Saturday to Friday, with the Dec. 5 title game having a 7 p.m. ET kickoff time and being televised on ESPN.
“We are excited to kick off conference championship weekend with the Sun Belt Football Championship Game on Friday, Dec. 5,” Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill said. “With primetime billing on ESPN, we look forward to showcasing our East and West Division champions as they vie for a conference title and a potential berth into the College Football Playoff.”
2025 App State Football Schedule
Fri., Aug. 29 vs. Charlotte (Bank of America Stadium) Sat., Sept. 6 vs. Lindenwood (Family Weekend)
Sat., Sept. 13 at Southern Miss*
Sat., Sept. 27 at Boise State Sat., Oct. 4 vs. Oregon State
Sat., Oct. 11 at Georgia State* Sat., Oct. 18 vs. Coastal Carolina* (Homecoming)
Sat., Oct. 25 at Old Dominion* Thurs., Nov. 6 vs. Georgia Southern*
Sat., Nov. 15 at James Madison* Sat., Nov. 22 vs. Marshall* (Black Saturday, Heroes Day) Sat., Nov. 29 vs. Arkansas State* (Senior Day)
By David Rogers. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (remote) — With a chance to compete in a race he watched growing up as a kid, Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance elite running team member Ryan Ford returned to his hometown on May 26 and won the historic Cotton Row Run 10K.
Although there were other elite professional athletes competing for the prize money among the 1,555 runners, including a sprinkling of international entrants, Ford blew away the field. His winning time of 29:04 for the 10K distance was about a minute and a half slower than his all-time best a year ago (27:40.80 at Parliament Fields in London, England) — but two minutes and a second faster than his nearest competitor on this day, Sam Chelanga (31:05) of Fayetteville, N.C.
“It may not have been his fastest 10K time,” said ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea after the race, “but as his first race following the Boston Marathon just over a month ago on April 21, it was an impressive result. And it made it just that much more special being in his hometown.”
The ZAP Endurance team will be busy in the coming weeks, hoping to qualify team members for July’s U.S. Championships in Eugene, Ore. While Amanda Vestri has already qualified in both the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters races, and plans to compete in both, she and teammate Tristin Colley have both entered the Mastercard New York Mini 10K in Central Park on June 7. Others, including Ford, Eric Van Der Els and Dan Schaffer will be trying to meet the qualifying standards on June 14-15, at the Portland (Ore.) Track Festival.
