Category: College

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A South Carolina quartet of three freshmen and a sophomore earned the top four spots in the App State-hosted Covered Bridge Open on Aug. 30. Mountaineer senior Emma Russum spoiled the visitors’ sweep of the top five, crossing the finish line for the 5k run just under 18 minutes (17:59.51) to take the No. 5 position.

Teresa Cherotich, a USC freshman crosse the line No. 1 in 17:16.14, followed by another USC freshman, Mary Francis Iseman at No. 2 in 17:47.47. The two other top finishers for South Carolina were No. 3 Anya Arroyo (sophomore, 17:51.46) and No. 4 Cate Conklin (freshman, 17:58.90). South Carolina sophomore Emma Torbert put the finishing touches on her team’s No. 1 team victory for the event when she crossed the line just behind Russum, at No. 6 (18:04.85).

App State had two more harriers finish in the top 10, freshman Bre Budzinski (No. 8, 18:13.24) and Rhys Ammon (No. 9, 18:13.65).

More than 100 athletes were registered for the women’s division, representing nine colleges and universities. All five of App State’s scorers finished in the top 16, helping the Mountaineer harriers to a No. 2 team finish.

“Our team excelled today in their preparation, mindset, and how they paced themselves throughout the race,” said women’s distance coach Annie Richards. “They have big goals this season and have maintained a heavy workload throughout the last several weeks to build a foundation of strength to support these goals. Several women ran big workouts this weekend. They will join the pack and open their seasons at the Firetower Project in two weeks.”

Team Scores

1. South Carolina (16)
2. App State (51)
3. Mercer (91)
4. Montreat (117)
5. Western Carolina (147)
6. UNC-Asheville (168)
7. High Point (199)
8. Winthrop (229)
9. USC-Upstate (260)

UP NEXT

The Mountaineers will return to the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm on Sept. 13 for the Firetower Project Run. The men’s 8K is slated for 6 p.m. with the women’s 6K to follow at 6:40 p.m.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a 3-sweep for the App State men’s cross country team on Aug. 30 in the Covered Bridge Open, contested against seven other regional college programs. Junior Ethan Lipham topped the field in the 6k run, crossing the finish line in 18:14.72.

The Mountaineer harriers also captured five of the next 12 finishes in the 96-man field competing on the Don Kennedy Trails, including No. 2 (Calbert Guest, 18:19.59), No. 3 (Chase Burrell, 18:35.58), No. 5 (Aaron Kidd, 18:45.50), No. 8 (Rowan Gwin, 18:53.30) and No. 13 (Thomas Wlazlowski, 19:04.09)

App State clinched the team title with 19 points.

“We had positive results for the guys today,” said men’s distance coach Brad Herbster. “Trying out different race tactics and keeping the gap closed were all good things. Junior Ethan Lipham and redshirt senior Calbert Guest work together in the middle. Redshirt junior Chase Burrell being back is good and the freshmen (Aaron Kidd, Rowan Gwin, and Thomas Wlazlowski) all had good showings.”

TEAM SCORES:

1. App State (19)
2. Mercer (71)
3. Western Carolina (97)
4. App State – Unattached (105)
5. Montreat (109)
6. High Point (129)
7. USC-Upstate (191)
8. UNC-Asheville (229)
9. Winthrop (268)

UP NEXT

The Mountaineers will return to the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm on Sept. 13 for the Firetower Project Run. The men’s 8K is slated for 6 p.m. with the women’s 6K to follow at 6:40 p.m.

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Freshman Ellie Garrison netted a pair of goals in the final 15 minutes of the opening half — the first two tallies of her collegiate career — to lead the Mountaineers past Longwood 2-0 Thursday at The Valley.

The victory extends the Mountaineers’ (2-0-2) home unbeaten streak to 13 consecutive games.

After waiting out a two hour and 10-minute weather delay that went into effect less than four minutes into the match, Garrison put on a show for the fans who valiantly waited for the game to resume.

Her first goal came in the 30th minute of play. Off a corner kick from Shannon Studer, the ball deflected around in the box and landed on the right foot of Garrison who slotted it home into the top left corner of the net.

Then, less than five minutes before halftime, the Trinity, N.C. native was at it again. Garrison collected the ball near midfield, sprinted down the pitch and ripped a right footed shot just inside the near post to give the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead, which they would not relinquish.

For the third time in four games, redshirt freshman Sarah Wommack posted a shutout in goal. Wommack recorded four saves on the night.

Despite coming up empty on the score sheet, Izzi Wood put the pressure on the Longwood (0-3-1) defense throughout the match. Wood finished with seven shots and four on target, including a near-goal in the opening half that was foiled by a lunging Lancer defender after the goalkeeper came out to make the initial save on Walker Bristow’s shot attempt.

App State out-shot Longwood 14-7 for the match, including 7-4 in shots on target.

App State will put its unbeaten record to the test on Sunday, as the Mountaineers visit the 13th-ranked Auburn Tigers. First touch is set for 2 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast on SECN+.

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State men’s and women’s cross country teams are set to open the 2024 season on Friday with the Covered Bridge Open at the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm. Competition will start at 10 a.m. with the women’s 5K. The men’s 6K will follow at 10:40 a.m.

Joining the Mountaineers in the field of competition will be High Point, Mercer, Montreat, South Carolina, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate and Western Carolina.

Last Season

The App State men’s squad clinched its first Sun Belt title since 2019 last fall, totaling 28 points and recording four of the top six finishes, outpacing Arkansas State by 19 points. In his first season as the men’s distance coach, Brad Herbster was voted SBC Coach of the Year by his peers. On the women’s side, the Mountaineers finished fifth in the team standings with 125 points.

At the NCAA Southeast Regional, the men’s team recorded its best team finish since 2014, rounding out the top-10 with 332 points. The women’s squad was represented by Jasmine Donohue, who finished 92nd out of 243 runners.

Roster Review

Nine Mountaineers return on the men’s squad, including redshirt seniors Calbert Guest and Dwayne Lillie, who garnered First-Team All-SBC honors last fall. Joining Guest and Lillie for his senior season is Second-Team All-SBC selection Garrett Bivens. Ten newcomers will join the Mountaineers on the men’s side.

Twelve Mountaineers return on the women’s squad, including Donohue, who returns for her senior season after earning Second-Team All-SBC honors last year. Joining Donohue will be senior Karsyn Kane and sophomore Rhys Ammon, who finished among the top-25 at the conference meet. Eight newcomers join the women’s ranks this fall.

2024 Preseason Polls

In this season’s Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll, the men’s team was favored to defend its 2023 title with 80 points and eight first-place votes. The women’s team rose to fourth in the conference preseason poll with 127 points. In the USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings, the men’s squad was ranked 12th in the NCAA Southeast Region.

Up Next

The Mountaineers will host their second of three home meets, the Firetower Project Run, on Sept. 13 at the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm in Boone. The men’s 8K is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the women’s 6K to follow at 6:40 p.m.

Now No. 1, here are Anderson Castle photos wearing No. 7 and No. 44:

BOONE, N.C. – App State director of track & field/cross country Damion McLean has been chosen as the Sun Belt Conference Representative for the USTFCCCA Coaches Committee and will serve through December 2025.

McLean is entering his seventh season at the helm of the program and earned a contract extension that will run through the 2027-28 season. McLean oversaw the hiring of men’s distance coach Brad Herbster and women’s distance coach Annie Richards last fall. Herbster later guided the men’s team to its first Sun Belt title since 2019 and was named 2023 Sun Belt Coach of the Year.

Over the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track season, the Mountaineers broke eight program records, collected 24 All-SBC honors, and four Mountaineers totaled eight SBC Athlete of the Week accolades, including two three-time selections. McLean also coached the 2024 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year, Ashlee Osaji. App State sent seven Mountaineers to the NCAA East Preliminary Round, which is the most individual qualifiers the program has sent to the first round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships in program history.

The Mountaineers will open the 2024 cross country season on Friday with the Covered Bridge Open at the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm. The Women’s 5K is slated for a 10 a.m. start with the men’s 6K to follow at 10:40 a.m.

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — App State Soccer extended its home unbeaten streak to 12 consecutive games, and remains unbeaten on the season following a 1-1 draw against Charlotte, Sunday evening at The Valley.

The Mountaineers (1-0-2) opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. Ellie Garrison played the ball out wide to the right wing, and after one dribble, Stephanie Barbosa fired a pass to the center of the box, where Shannon Studer was waiting, and put it away with a right-footed finish. Studer has now scored in back-to-back games, also scoring the first App State goal in a 5-0 win over Wofford on Thursday.

Charlotte (0-3-1) evened the score in the 57th minute. Payton Patrick drilled a shot on goal that was saved by Sarah Wommack but the rebound bounced right to Macey Bader who was there for the finish. Wommack finished with a career-high six saves in the contest.

It was a high-tempo game from start-to-finish and even more so in the second half. Both teams finished with double-digit shots and combined to place 11 shots on target in a game that featured just two goals. The teams also combined for 18 fouls and four yellow cards.

Studer, Mumu Guisasola and Skyler Walk played all 90 minutes, while freshman Lauren Smith made her Mountaineer debut.

Prior to the match the Mountaineers hosted a Senior Day ceremony, where the team honored fourth year players Barbosa, Gracie Giacoletto, Walk and Sarah Widderich, as well as fifth-year players Guisasola and Izzi Wood.

App State will be back in action on Thursday when the team welcomes Longwood to Boone for a 6 p.m. matchup. The Lancers are 0-2-1, following a 2-2 draw with Western Carolina on Aug. 25. It will mark the first meeting between App State and Longwood since 2012. The match slated to be broadcast on ESPN+.

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — BOONE, N.C. – As the sound of vuvuzelas rang out through the High Country, the App State Soccer team fed off the energy and delivered a 5-0 victory over Wofford in its home opener at The Valley.

Dynamic duo gets things started

The Mountaineers (1-0-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 15 minutes of play, with the duo of Shannon Studer and Kaytan Kroboth working in tandem for a pair of tallies.

First it was Studer, who received the feed from Kroboth, used the outside of her right foot to slide the ball into space, before slotting it inside the near post in the ninth minute of play. Less than four minutes later, Studer repaid her helper – slicing through the defense before laying the ball off to Kroboth, who delivered a left-footed strike into the top left corner of the cage.

The goal was the first of Kroboth’s career, two games into her sophomore campaign. “It was great,” Kroboth said. “I’ve really been wanting one and really been waiting for it, I’ve been practicing it and I’m so glad I got to do it tonight at home with these girls.”

The Mountaineers kept the pressure on. In the 28th minute, sophomore Olivia Simon jumped a passing lane deep in the Terriers’ (1-2-0) end, and in one fell swoop booted a shot into the side netting to give the Mountaineers a 3-0 edge going into halftime.

More of the same in second half

App State forced another miscue less than eight minutes into the second half. Freshman Ellie Garrison fed a cross through the middle of the box, and while her pass was a stride behind Izzi Wood, a backtracking Wofford defender deflected it into the net for an own goal and a 4-0 lead.

Wood would find the net anyway, just 90 seconds later in heading home a Kyli Switalsi corner kick for her first tally of the season. The goal also marked the 16th of Wood’s career, moving her into sole possession of ninth place on the Mountaineers’ career scoring list.

The game was called with just under three minutes to play in regulation due to a severe head injury when two Wofford players collided.

Another clean sheet for Wommack

Goalkeeper Sarah Wommack posted four saves and a shutout for the second consecutive match. App State has now recorded 17 clean sheets in head coach Aimee Haywood’s tenure. The victory also extended the Mountaineers’ home unbeaten streak to 11 consecutive matches dating back to Oct. 14, 2022. The five goals were the most scored by the Mountaineers in a shutout since defeating UNC Asheville 6-0 Sept. 1, 2019.

The Mountaineers will celebrate senior day at home on Sunday as they play host to Charlotte. The senior day ceremony will begin at 4:15 p.m., ahead of a 5 p.m. tilt with the 49ers. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — With the fall semester beginning next week, App State Wrestling head coach JohnMark Bentley announced the addition of six Class of 2024 newcomers.

The six prep standouts combined for 17 individual state championships during their decorated high school careers.

Two members of the class are homegrown talents from North Carolina. The Mountaineers are also adding standouts from New Jersey, New York, South Dakota and Tennessee.

Class of 2024 newcomers (by projected weight class)

133 pounds: Charleston Baglio (Midland, N.C.; Central Cabarrus HS)
133 pounds: Jarvis Little (Spring Hill, Tenn.; Summit HS)
141 pounds: Brayden Fahrbach (Mount Sinai, N.Y.; Mount Sinai HS)
149 pounds: Grant Reece (Elk Park, N.C.; Avery County HS)
157 pounds: Ayson Rice (Harrisburg, S.D.; Canton HS)
Heavyweight: Stephan Monchery (Middletown, N.Y.; Middletown HS)

Full Bios (Alphabetical order)

Charleston Baglio — 133 pounds
Midland, N.C.; Central Cabarrus HS
High School: Three-time state champion in North Carolina in the 3-A classification, winning at 138 pounds as a senior (45-1 record), 126 pounds as a junior (50-2 record) and 106 pounds as a freshman (22-2 record) … Went 25-0 as a sophomore before an injury ended his season before the state championships … Career record of 142-5.

Brayden Fahrbach — 141 pounds
Mount Sinai, N.Y.; Mount Sinai HS
High School: Two-time state champion in New York with a 199-15 career record, winning at 138 pounds as a senior (43-0 record) and 132 pounds as a junior (38-0 record) … State runner-up at 126 pounds as a sophomore (42-3 record) after placing third as a freshman … Newsday’s Long Island Wrestler of the Year as a senior ended his career on a 81-match winning streak.

Jarvis Little — 133 pounds
Spring Hill, Tenn.; Summit HS
High School: Three-time state champion in Tennessee, winning at 132 pounds as a senior, 126 pounds as a junior and 120 pounds as a sophomore … State qualifier at 113 pounds as a freshman … Finished his senior season 55-5 and went 156-11 over his final three seasons, becoming Summit’s first state champion with his 2022 victory.

Stephan Monchery — Heavyweight
Middletown, N.Y.; Middletown HS
High School: State champion in New York as a senior who completed his final prep season with a 42-0 record after being a state runner-up as a junior … Won a national title at the National High School Coaches Association National Championships in Virginia Beach in April 2024 … Three-time Section IX champion and state placewinner, with a fifth-place finish at the state championships as a sophomore … Eastern States champion… Fargo Greco Roman All-American.

Ayson Rice — 157 pounds
Harrisburg, S.D.; Canton HS
High School: Four-time state champion in South Dakota, winning at 150 pounds as a senior (46-1 record), 145 pounds as a junior (52-3 record), 138 pounds as a sophomore and 120 pounds as a freshman (40-0 record) … As a senior, also helped Canton win its seventh straight state title as a team.

Grant Reece — 149 pounds
Elk Park, N.C.; Avery County HS
High School: Four-time state qualifier and two-time state champion in North Carolina at Avery County, winning at 132 pounds as a junior (44-2 record) and 126 pounds as a sophomore (47-10 record) … Career record of 167-22 … Went 49-6 as a senior, when he reached 100 career pins … State runner-up at 120 pounds during a 27-4 season as a freshman.

By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — App State senior quarterback Joey Aguilar has been named to the preseason watch lists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Manning Award.

Aguilar is one of 29 candidates for the Manning Award, which was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ postseason performances in its balloting.

Johnny Unitas, an 18-year veteran of the NFL, played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns.

Aguilar is also on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which recognizes the most outstanding player in college football, and the Davey O’Brien Award, which recognizes the nation’s top returning college quarterbacks.

Aguilar’s 33 touchdown passes during the 2023 regular season allowed him to rank fifth nationally for the entire season, which he finished with additional school records of 3,757 passing yards and 4,002 yards of total offense. He’s the nation’s only returning quarterback who had 33-plus touchdown passes and 3,700-plus passing yards in 2023.