By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Just like cattle form a herd, a grouping of owls is called a “parliament.” At the Holmes Convocation Center on Nov. 19, it was a parliament of Owls from visiting Kennesaw State that ruled the roost, defeating the Appalachian State men’s basketball team, 71-67.
With just over three minutes remaining, the Mountaineers led by seven points but they could not close out the Owls by game’s end. When the Owls’ Chris Youngblood finished a fast break with a slam dunk and 2:24 left on the clock, there was a sense of statement: Kennesaw State was not going quietly into the night without a fight.
Mountaineer guard Xavion Brown came off the bench to contribute 3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal on Nov. 19 vs. Kennesaw State at the Holmes Convocation Center. Photographic image by David Rogers
The second game in as many days of the 3-day, Mountaineer MTE Tournament with a 4-team, round robin format (the Mountaineers lost Friday’s game vs. Campbell, 58-63 and will play Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday, 2:30 p.m.), it provided much that the first game didn’t, namely scoring in the early goinng by both teams. And where App State trailed throughout its matchup with the Campbell Fighting Camels until late in the second half, the game against Kennesaw State was much more of a back and forth affair throughout. There were seven lead changes and the score was knotted eight times during the 40 minutes of play.
The Owls’ starting guard, Terrell Burden, captured the game’s high scoring honors with 19 points. Forward Demond Robinson chipped in 10 points for the visitors from suburban Atlanta, while guard Brandon Stroud added 12 points — but also pulled down 10 rebounds. App State’s Donovan Gregory and Terence Harcum shared team-high scoring honors, with 13 apiece.
Yosef was his normal entertaining self, delighting the young ‘uns on Nov. 19 at the Holmes Convocation Center during Appalachian State’s game against Kennesaw State. Photographic image by David Rogers
Tight Finish
With 37 seconds left, it was one of Stroud’s defensive rebounds on an errant Mountaineer shot that all but iced the game when he was immediately fouled. He made good on two free throws, pushing the Owls out to a two-possession, 5-point lead.
App State’s Terence Harcum drove to the basket for a layup and was fouled in the process. It turned into a 3-point play with the made basket and free throw, shrinking the deficit to 67-65, but the Mountaineers had to foul quickly to get the ball back with hopes that whoever they fouled would miss their free throws. That didn’t happen as first KSU’s Spencer Rodgers made both of his attempts and then Burden finished it off with a pair of free throws with just eight seconds remaining to put the Owls up by the final score.
App State’s Donovan Gregory (11) looks to drive the lane on Nov. 19 vs. Kennesaw State at the Holmes Convocation Center. Photographic image by David Rogers
After the game, Mountaineer head coach aptly described, “A tough ending to a hard fought game against Kennesaw State. They are very well coached and I think they are going to win a lot of games this year… I am disappointed in our execution down the stretch and not being able to finish that game out.”
He added that 17 turnovers and some of them at crucial moments in the game is “… not going to get it done.”
App State will try to redeem itself on Sunday (Nov. 20) in the third game of the weekend series against Southeastern Louisiana. In its first two games of the weekend format, the Lions lost on Friday, 72-68, to Kennesaw State before defeating Campbell on Saturday, 70-69. Kennesaw State and Campbell will play the curtain raiser on Sunday, with tipoff at 12 noon.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Baby, it was cold outside but hot, hot, hot inside Kidd Brewer Stadium on Nov. 19, as Appalachian State defeated new Sun Belt Conference East Division rival Old Dominion, 27-14.
Two fourth quarter touchdowns and PATs by the Monarchs made the game seem closer than it was as App State scored early and often to take a 24-0 lead into halftime.
The Mountaineer defense set the tone early, too, with a three-and-out defensive effort on Old Dominion’s opening drive. Faced with a 90-yard field upon taking possession, the App State offense wasted little time in shrugging off the challenge of bad field position when quarterback Chase Brice hit wide receiver Kaedin Robinson for a 57-yard aerial on the first play from scrimmage. Although good rushes by Nate Noel and Daetrich Harrington got the ball into the red zone, Harrington fumbled just before going out of bounds at the Monarch 6-yard line. It was recovered by lineman Cooper Hodges at the 9-yard line to keep possession with the Mountaineers, but the drive stalled and they had to settle for a 27-yard field goal.
Turnovers are often drive killers and a fumble by Old Dominion at the Mountaineer 20 spoiled a promising Monarch possession, recovered by App State’s Hansky Paillant.
Appalachian could not capitalize, but neither could Old Dominion get much done before turning the ball back over to the Mountaineer offense. This time Brice hit Robinson again for a 35-yard TD pass and, with a Michael Hughes PAT kick to go along with his earlier field goal, App State sported a 10-0 lead, still inside the first quarter.
For a team known for its powerful rushing attack and a deep running back room, Appalachian was quick to dispel any doubts about its ability to pass — or to go long. Early in the second quarter, Brice connected with Christian Wells for a 75-yard bomb, which made it 17-0 with Hughes’ PAT. Then, midway through the second quarter, sophomore transfer (from Wake Forest) ambled to the left side and to the end zone from 17 yards out. Again, Hughes’ PAT kick was successful, making the score 24-0 with more than seven minutes left in the first half. Hughes added a 40-yard field goal just five minutes into the second half, to make it 27-0, and that was the end of the Mountaineer scoring on the day.
Playing against several App State defensive reserves (getting valuable game experience), the Mountaineers gave up consecutive TD passes of 36 and 25 yards from ODU quarterback Hayden Wolff to wide receiver Javon Harvey in the 4th quarter.
With the win, App State is still in a must-win situation next week at Georgia Southern in order to become bowl eligible. Although they have six wins after their dominance of Old Dominion, two of those wins are against FCS opponents, The Citadel (Oct. 1, 49-0) and Robert Morris (Oct. 29, 42-3). Per bowl eligibility requirements, only one win may be against an FCS team and the other five must be against an FBS opponent. As if the rivalry contest against Georgia Southern wasn’t already a headliner for the Mountaineers’ regular season, now it takes on even greater significance.
By David Rogers. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Junior Charlotte Torgerson was perfect from the free throw line — and dropped in four cruise missiles from beyond the 3-point arc — while sophomore Kate Sears scored a game high 25 points (including 11-of-13 from the free throw line) as Watauga ran by Chambers High School (formerly Vance High School), 55-43, on Nov. 18.
Torgerson’s 20 and Sears’ 25 points accounted for all but 10 of the Pioneers’ offensive output, while Kaitlyn Darner added four points and Diane McGlamery, Brooke Scheffler, and Laurel Kiker added a bucket each to complete Watauga’s scoring.
Sears was obviously a focal point of the Pioneer offense in the fourth quarter as the Cougars fouled intentionally in the late minutes. Already with multiple college offers in her pocket (has not committed to any of them), Sears was good on 9-of-10 free throws in just the final stanza.
Opening the season 1-0, Watauga goes on the road again Wednesday, Nov. 23, at Shelby (3:30 p.m.) before another non-conference tilt at the Charlotte Hoops Challenge vs. Myers Park High School, 12:00 noon, on Saturday, Nov. 26, at Harding High School’s Eric T. Ward Athletic Center.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — When Appalachian State took its first lead against visiting Campbell University with roughly 7:06 remaining in the game, at 49-47, many of the 2,856 fans in attendance figured it had just been a matter of time for the Mountaineers to rally from being down by 10 points a few minutes earlier. Alas, for AppNation, the Fighting Camels had other plans in winning the game, 63-58.
Tyree Boykin of App State sets up the offense during the Mountaineers game vs. Campbell, Nov. 19. Photographic image by David Rogers
In the opening minutes of the contest, the first of three games the Mountaineers will play over the Nov. 18-20 weekend in a round robin, non-conference tournament format, App State could not buy a basket. Blocked shots, missed shots, and turnovers seemed to be the order of the day for the Mountaineers.
“Credit to Campbell,” said App State head coach Dustin Kerns, after the game. “They hadn’t played in a week and they were prepared.”
App State forward CJ Huntley was relative quiet on the night until this slam dunk in the second half of the Mountaineers game vs. Campbell University on Nov. 18. Photographic image by David Rogers
The Mountaineers had their moments, mostly in the first 13 minutes of the second half that allowed them to tie the game at 47, then take the lead. From a shooting standpoint, though, it was an off night for most of whatever quintet App State had on the floor.
Kerns dismissed the idea that the team might still be “hungover” from the emotional win over Louisville three nights earlier as well as the travel. “I thought our guys were ready to play. We had turned the page.”
Donovan Gregory of App State offers a floater to the rim on Nov. 18 vs. Campbell University. Photgraphic image by David Rogers
Kerns indicated that his charges created some good opportunities but, “We just didn’t execute.”
He also offered that Campbell having a week to prepare meant they were able to install some different looks and schemes that the coaches and players had not seen in studying film.
The Mountaineers, now 3-1 on the still young season, return to the Holmes Center on Saturday night, Nov. 19, to face the Kennesaw State Owls at 7 p.m., then Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m.
By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – App State women’s basketball coach Angel Elderkin announced the addition of three athletes to the 2023 signing class on Friday. Lexi Bugajski, MaKenzie Drout, and Anaya Harris will join the Mountaineers next season as true freshmen.
“It is with great excitement that we welcome MaKenzie Drout, Lexi Bugajski, and Anaya Harris to our App State Women’s Basketball program,” said Elderkin. “Each of these young ladies bring a passion for the game, as well as a commitment to excellence both on the court and in the classroom. I cannot wait to immerse them into our Boone Community.”
Lexi Bugajski | 6-0 | New Berlin, Wis. | New Berlin Eisenhower HS
Joining the Mountaineers for the 2023-24 season will be Bugajski. Bugajski hails from New Berlin, Wis. During her high school career, Bugajski was a team captain and nabbed Second-Team All-Conference and All-State Honorable Mention. She was also ranked in the top-10 on Prehoops. Bugajski was Waukesha Freeman All-Area, named Milwaukee Journal Player to Watch, and helped her team to a state semi-final appearance her sophomore year. The New Berlin, Wis. native competed for the Wisconsin Impact club basketball team under the direction of Scott Witt. With her club team, Bugajski also earned multiple All-Tournament nods. Aside from basketball, she also competed for the New Berlin Eisenhower high school volleyball team and Wisconsin Elite club volleyball team.
Bugajski has three siblings, including a twin. She enjoys reading, writing, baking, time with friends, and listening to music. At App State, Bugajski intends to major in biology.
Why Bugajski Chose App State: Bugajski chose App State because of the “beautiful campus, great people,coaches, and players. It’s isolated, but not lonely, and strong academically.”
Elderkin on Bugajski: “Lexi Bugajski is a superior athlete, that is the perfect fit for our positionless style of player. Her versatility will allow us to utilize her.”
MaKenzie Drout | G | Kimberly, Wis. | Kimberly HS
Also joining the Mountaineers from Wisconsin will be Drout. As a junior, Drout was named team MVP, First-Team All-FVA, First Team Post Crescent All-Area, and AP All-Wisconsin Honorable Mention. She was also a Northeast Wisconsin Basketball Player of the Year nominee and nabbed Fox 11 Second-Team All-Area honors. During her sophomore season, she helped the team to a Fox Valley Conference title and a trip to the 24-2 State quarterfinals. The Kimberly, Wis. native earned Second-Team All-FVA honors and received a D1 All-State honorable mention. Drout is currently ninth in the Kimberly girls basketball team career points list, with 883 and has made 428 rebounds over the course of her high school career. She also lettered all four years of high school and was a four-year Prephoop Wisconsin Class of 2023 Top-10 contender. Drout competed for the Let It Rain club team under the direction of Jason Drout and Ryan Antony.
Drout has two siblings and enjoys cooking, hiking, fishing, and music. Drout can juggle and loves the outdoors.
Why Drout Chose App State: “I chose App State because of the culture of the school and team, the athletic program, the coaches, the players and the community. I thought that the style of play fits my game and I’m really excited for their vision for the future of the team.”
Elderkin on Drout: “MaKenzie Drout is an exceptional guard with an ability to create shots for herself and her teammates. She brings us toughness around the rim with her ability to rebound, coupled with a natural ability to lead and elevate her teammates.”
Anaya Harris | G | Raleigh, N.C. | North Raleigh Christian Academy
Harris is joining the Mountaineers as a guard next season. Aside from her high school career, Harris competed for the Carolina Dream and Carolina Flames club teams.
Harris has two siblings and intends to major in sports medicine. She is the second person in her family to commit to a college and enjoys drawing and being with family.
Why Harris Chose App State: Harris chose App State because of “the loving feeling I felt I could never forget.”
Elderkin on Harris: “Anaya Harris is an excellent on-ball defender as well as someone who can attack the paint and create for herself and others. She has tremendous length and speed that will make an impact in our backcourt.”
By Matt Present for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — App State has announced its baseball schedule for the 2023 season.
Fans will get their first look at the Mountaineers February 17-19 when they play a three-game weekend series against Queens at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory.
Head coach Kermit Smith’s Mountaineers will play 28 home games this season at Beaver Field at Jim and Betty Smith Stadium, beginning February 25 when they take on North Carolina A&T.
“We are excited about our 2023 schedule,” Smith said. “We look forward to playing in front of our amazing fans in Boone, as well as in Hickory, Shelby and across the region. Playing quality opponents throughout the year is essential to preparing our team for the Sun Belt Conference and postseason play.”
The non-conference home schedule is highlighted by weekend series against Gardner-Webb (March 3-5) and Campbell (March 10-12).
Prior to the contest on Saturday, March 11, the Mountaineers will host their annual baseball brunch, in which they will honor the 50th anniversary of the 1973 conference championship squad. Registration information will be released at a later time.
App State will also host Big 12 foe West Virginia in a midweek two-game set March 14-15 and square off with the College of Charleston on March 21. The Black and Gold will also tangle with Wake Forest on April 11 and renew their rivalry with ETSU on May 2 at Smith Stadium.
Playing in one of the premier baseball conferences in the country, App State will host five weekend series in Sun Belt play this season, taking on Georgia State (March 24-26) and ULM (April 6-8) before battling newcomers Old Dominion (April 21-23) and James Madison (April 28-30). The Mountaineers with wrap up conference play with Arkansas State (May 12-14).
The Mountaineers’ road slate is highlighted by a meeting with Duke in non-conference play on March 7 in Durham. App State will also take on regional foes High Point, North Carolina A&T, UNC Asheville and Queens. The Mountaineers will also take on Wake Forest in Shelby, N.C. on April 26.
In Sun Belt play, the Black and Gold will travel to take on Marshall (March 17-19), Louisiana (March 31-April 2), Georgia Southern (April 14-16), Coastal Carolina (May 5-7) and Troy (May 18-19).
Five 2023 opponents made the NCAA tournament last year, including Sun Belt members Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina and Louisiana, as well as Campbell and Wake Forest.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Chase Watts didn’t play much for Parkway’s middle school boys team in the 4th quarter vs. Valle Crucis. That’s because he did quite enough in the first three periods, scoring a game-high 14 points with 8 in the first half and 6 in the third quarter as the Patriots ran away with this one, 37-5.
Parkway led 14-2 after the first stanza and it never got closer. They got 6 points each from Avery Tester, Chance Triplett, and Xander Law to round out the highest scoring contributors for the team.
Chance Triplett (5) of Parkway dribbles the ball downcourt after a steal on Nov. 17. Photo by David Rogers
Credit Valle Crucis for continuing to fight hard for possession and baskets all the way through the match.
The Valle Crucis girls fared only a little better, losing 25-9 to strong Parkway contingent that featured balanced scoring.
Dylan Buckwalter was credited with a team-high 5 points for Parkway, with 4 points each contributed by Callie Critcher and Ember Honeycutt. The Patriots had 6 players adding 2 points each to the scoring column, including Lindsay Wade, Caroline Childers, Mary Flynn Sevensky, Addin Hodges, Brynn Slagle, and Glo Lutz.
All of Valle Crucis’ points were tallied by Tessa Gragg (5) and Ava Carrington (4).
We will update this article with all of the Nov. 17 middle school scores as soon as they are available.
By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports.BOONE, N.C. — App State’s women’s basketball team led for more than 26 minutes on Nov. 17 against Norfolk State, which has followed a WNIT appearance with a strong start to November, and the Spartans used a late run to pull out a 70-65 win against the Mountaineers at the Holmes Center.
Janay Sanders went 11 of 13 from the line and tied her career high of 25 points to lead App State (1-3). She matched her single-game high from a home win nine months ago against Texas State.
Lauren Carter posted 12 points, seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks, while Faith Alston also reached double figures with 10 points in her season debut. Brooke Bigott secured a season-high nine rebounds against the Spartans, who improved to 3-1 on the heels of a 30-point win at College of Charleston, a six-point loss at Penn State and a 125-19 win to open the season.
App State, which led by as many as 15 points in the first half, took its final lead when Bigott drilled a 3-pointer for a 60-58 edge with 4:47 remaining. Norfolk State used an 8-0 run to carry a six-point lead into the final 20 seconds.
“I was really proud of our team’s effort tonight,” App State head coach Angel Elderkin said. “I think we took a step in the right direction. We obviously didn’t come out on top, but we showed a lot of toughness with some things we’ve really been dialing in on in practice in terms of winning loose balls and boxing out — little things I thought our team really brought to the table.
“Give credit to Norfolk State. They’re a very good program, a postseason team, a place we want to be. I thought they did a really good job of weathering the storm when we made the run.”
The Mountaineers trailed 22-18 early in the second quarter but responded with a 20-2 run over the next four minutes. Sanders scored eight points during that run, including a 3-pointer that followed 3s by Zada Porter and Carter.
Alston’s 3-pointer with 3:55 left in the half produced a 41-26 advantage, and a 27-point second quarter contributed to the Mountaineers taking a 45-36 lead into the break.
Norfolk State held App State to four third-quarter points to pull even, and the Spartans finally moved ahead on a layup with 5:01 left in the game. Bigott’s big long-range jumper 14 seconds later turned a one-point deficit into a two-point lead, and Norfolk State prevented the Mountaineers from scoring for the next four and a half minutes.
A 3-pointer from Sanders cut a six-point deficit in half with 17 seconds left, and Norfolk State went 4-for-4 at the line the rest of the way.
App State shot 16 of 21 from the line and scored 18 points off 14 turnovers from the Spartans.
UP NEXT
App State travels to Morgantown, W.Va., to face West Virginia (2-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A fast-paced opening to the 2022-23 high school swimming season was in the cards for Nov. 16, with swimmers from five high schools competing at the Watauga County Community Recreation Center.
In addition to host Watauga, the non-conference meet included swimmers from Draughn (Morganton), St. Stephens (Hickory), Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Avery County.
As the meet was getting under way, Pioneer head coach David Gragg told High Country Sports that the new Rec Center facility has created even more interest in competitive swimming in the region, now that Watauga has a home pool in which to train and host events.
And they’re off! The women’s 100 yard freestyle event on Nov. 16 during the five-school high school meet at the Watauga Rec Center. Photo by David Rogers
“I almost always had around 30 swimmers before the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gragg, “but after the Rec Center’s opening, our numbers have almost doubled. Last year, I had about 40, this year we have 55 on the team. I can’t cut anyone because the hardest working athletes are often the up and comers. Having numbers is a nice problem to have.”
In one of the most exciting races of the evening, Watauga’s Ryan Wood came from behind with a strong butterfly leg in 200 IM event to tie Science Hill, Nolan Hill with a time of 2:13.00. Wood trailed Hill by more than two seconds after the backstroke and breaststroke legs, but surged three-tenths of a second ahead after the butterfly leg. During the final freestyle portion of the race, Hill caught and turned slightly before Wood at the end of the first length of the pool, but Wood rallied in the final 10 yards to touch the wall at the same time.
Still only a junior, Wood was a key performer for the Watauga men’s team with his tie for No. 1 in the 200 IM, swimming the breaststroke leg of the Pioneers No. 2 placing in the 22 Yard Medley Relay, No. 2 in the 100 Yard Freestyle, and anchoring the team’s 400 Yard Freestyle Rely entry.
Athena Elliott competes in the 100 Yard Butterfly on Nov. 17 against other swimmers from Science Hill, Draughn, St. Stephens, Avery County and Watauga at the Community Recreation Center. Photo by David Rogers
On the Women’s side, a top performer for the Pioneers was junior Lauren Patterson, who swam the breaststroke leg of the team’s winning 200 Yard Medley Relay, place No. 1 in the 100 Yard Butterfly, led off the team’s first place entry in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, and finished No. 1 in the 100 Yard Breaststroke.
Another top performer in the women’s division was Virginia St. Clair, finishing No. 4 in the 200 Yard Freestyle, No. 2 in the 100 Yard Freestyle, anchored the Pioneers winning 200 Yard Freestyle Relay team, and anchored the winning Watauga team in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay.
TOP 5 IN EACH EVENT
Women’s 200-Yard Medley Relay (8 entries)
Watauga A 1:55.00 (Cheves, Patterson, Rasco, Elliott)
St. Stephens A 2:01.68 (Coburn, Caudle, Gruber, Parmenter)
Science Hill A 2:02.99 (Streitz, Miller, Williams, Collins)
Watauga B 2:17.22 (Smith, Riddle, Kent, Shuman)
Draughn A 2:18.39 (Reasoner, Mull, Wood, Auton)
Men’s 200 Yard Medley Relay (8 entries)
Science Hill A 1:46.94 (Huynh, Yepez, Hill, Burnette)
Watauga A 1:49.75 (Ross, Wood, Makdad, Ladd)
Science Hill B 1:56.03 (O’Connor, Kovac, Chandler, Gerard)
St. Stephens A 1:56.71 (J Broos, C Broos, Smith, Noah)
Science Hill C 2:04.09 (Jung, Zagolin, Shams, Swartzentruber)
Women’s 200 Yard Freestyle (10 entries)
Katie Parmenter, St. Stephens 2:00.49
Katelyn Williams, Science Hill 2:02.87
Lola Herring, Watauga, 2:08.23
Virginia St. Clair, Watauga, 2:10.86
Emma Teilhet, Science Hill, 2:18.32
Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle (11 entries)
Colin Burnette, Science Hill, 1:54.40
Cameron Broos, St. Stephens, 2:01.51
Hedrick Noah, St. Stephens, 2:04.02
Tyler Gerard, Science Hill 2:12.37
Bradu Gerard. Science Hill 2:16.45
Women’s 200 Yard IM (10 entries)
Deanna Miller, Science Hill, 2:23.75
Blake Streitz, Science Hill, 2:28.85
Riley Caudle, St. Stephens, 2:30.11
Zoe Coburn, St. Stephens, 2:30.22
Elise Rasco, Watauga, 2:33.13
Men’s 200 Yard IM (9 entries)
TIE – Ryan Wood, Watauga, 2:13.00
TIE – Nolan Hill, Science Hill, 2:13.00
Jackson Broos, St. Stephens, 2:20.40
Gabriel Yepez, Science Hill, 2:21.06
Cooper Wells, Science Hill, 2:23.55
Women’s 50 Yard Freestyle (43 entries)
Desi Collins, Science Hill, 27.35
Lola Herring, Watauga, 27.61
Ava Gruber, St. Stephens, 28.64
Annabelle Stewart, Watauga, 29.26
Abby Wood, Draughn, 29.38
Men’s 50 Yard Freestyle (34 entries)
Logan Smith, Science Hill, 23.37
Trey Jensen, Draughn, 23.58
Tyler Gerard, Science Hill, 24.71
Anson Ross, Watauga, 25:08
Wesley Coatney, Watauga, 25:41
Women’s 100 Yard Butterfly (7 entries)
Lauren Patterson, Watauga, 59.40
Annalee Price, Science Hill, 1:02.94
Elise Rasco, Watauga, 1:07.66)
Ava Gruber, St. Stephens, 1:08.96
Athena Elliott, Watauga, 1:09.49
Men’s 100 Yard Butterfly (8 entries)
Nolan Hill, Science Hill, 58.22
Daniel Huynh, Science Hill 59.06
Anson Ross, Watauga, 1:01.77
Michael Makdad, Watauga, 1:02.84
Emmet Chandler, Science Hill, 1:05.30
Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle (11 entries)
Katie Parmenter, St. Stephens 56.84
Virginia St. Clair, Watauga, 58.08
Blake Streitz, Science Hill, 1:00.11
Emma Teilhet, Science Hill, 1:05.53
MK Riddle, Watauga, 1:06.80
Men’s 100 Yard Freestyle (11 entries)
Logan Smith, Science Hill, 51.87
Ryan Wood, Watauga, 54.24
Vaughn Ladd, Watauga, 57.30
Gunner Smith, St. Stephens, 57.34
Wesley Coatney, Watauga, 57.58
Women’s 500 Yard Freestyle (7 entries
Katelyn Williams, Science Hill, 5:36.18
Maggie Cheves, Watauga, 5:54.60
Desi Collins, Science Hill, 5:56.46
Annabelle Stewart, Watauga, 6:23.74
Rhyannon Reasoner, Draughn, 6:30.35
Men’s 500 Yard Freestyle (6 entries)
Colin Burnette, Science Hill, 5:20.45
Cooper Wells, Science Hill, 5:51.03
Jack O’Connor, Science Hill, 6:06.39
Arden Jackson, Watauga, 7:42.72
Bryson Call, St. Stephens, 8:09.64
Women’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay (11 entries)
Watauga A, 1:45.93 (Patterson, Herring, Elliott, St. Clair)
Science Hill A, 1:51.34 (Price, Streitz, Culver, Miller)
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It is not even quite the holiday season and there was still lots of good cheer in the High Country on Nov. 16, literally. A total eight regional spirit squads graced Lentz Eggers Gym with performances for an enthusiastic audience.
Included in the event were the Watauga High School Pacers (dance team), the Appalachian State dance team, Avery County High School junior varsity cheerleaders, the Lees McRae College cheerleaders, the Watauga Middle School cheerleaders, Avery County varsity cheerleaders, Watauga High School cheerleaders, and the Appalachian State University cheerleaders.
The Lees McRae College cheerleaders had a very athletic performance, including many gymnastics and tumbling runs. Photo by David Rogers
The emcee for the event was Mason Morris, a former App State cheerleader and now affiliated with the Watauga team. Between each school’s performances, he interviewed one or more individuals from the teams, including Morgan Delgado, the head coach of Appalachian State’s team since 2014.
Asked about one of her most memorable moments as App State’s cheerleading coach, Delgado reflected back on the Mountaineer football team’s trip State College, Pa., to play Penn State in September of 2018.
Emcee Mason Morris interviews Morgan Delgado, head coach of the Appalachian State cheerleading team. Photo by David Rogers
“If you follow App State football, you will remember that it was a close game. At the end, as Appalachian State’s players were leaving the field, the Penn State fans gave the team a standing ovation for their performance that day. That was touching. That was special,” said Delgado in recalling that the underdog App State had taken the game into overtime before losing on an interception in the end zone.
Among the crowd of supporters and fans, Kim Soucek, mother of Watauga HS cheerleader Lucy Soucek, summed up the experience in telling High Country Sports, “This is a lot of fun to see what all the different schools are doing and all of the different levels, from big university to middle school. And the great thing is that they are all so supportive of each other, encouraging each other.”
Of the cheerleading team members, most said that what is most special about the experience is how close they get to their teammates and the “family” atmosphere that the team experience creates.
RANDOM IMAGES FROM THE NIGHT OF PERFORMANCES
All photos by David Rogers
To be thrown high into the air by teammates requires a corresponding high level of trust that you will be caught on the way down! Photo by David Rogers
