By Bret Strelow for App State Sports. BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — No. 19 App State took eight of 10 matches Jan. 30, and posted a 32-6 win at Gardner-Webb to remain unbeaten in Southern Conference wrestling duals.
The Mountaineers (8-2, 4-0) are one of three SoCon teams without a league loss, joined by annual contenders Chattanooga and Campbell, who are also 4-0 in the league. App State hosts Chattanooga on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. and then hosts Campbell to open a SoCon tripleheader in Varsity Gym on Sunday, Feb. 19.
In addition to a six-point win by forfeit for Jon Jon Millner at 149 pounds, the Mountaineers received bonus points in victories at 125, 157 and 174 pounds. In the only matchup of ranked wrestlers, 26th-ranked Will Formato won a 2-1 decision against 24th-ranked RJ Mosley in their seventh career meeting.
After a scoreless first period between the fourth-year starters, Formato stayed on top for the first 1:10 of the second period before allowing an escape. Formato needed only seven seconds to post a tying escape to begin the third period, and by maintaining more than a minute advantage in riding time, the lack of any third-period takedowns gave him the bonus point for a 2-1 victory.
Caleb Smith gave up the first takedown against Drew West, who had a 7-0 dual record. Smith turned a 3-2 lead entering the third into a 16-4 major decision against the Bulldogs (4-8, 2-2).
Ethan Oakley also allowed the first takedown at 133, but he used a takedown with 47 seconds left in the second period to break a 2-2 tie in his 8-3 win against Todd Carter, who was 6-1 in duals.
After Gardner-Webb pulled out a 3-2 win at 141 and the forfeit at 149, Tommy Askey recorded nine takedowns in a 23-7 tech fall at 157. Formato’s tight win pushed the lead to 21-3, and Will Miller had nine more takedowns in his 22-7 tech fall at 174.
Gardner-Webb’s Jha’Quan Anderson, previously an NCAA qualifier, used a Sudden Victory takedown to win a 3-1 overtime decision at 184, but App State’s Carson Floyd followed that with a 6-2 decision at 197. The score was tied at 2-2 entering the third against Sam Mora, but Floyd had 2:13 in riding time, and his takedown with 1:09 left created helpful separation.
Making his third career dual start at heavyweight, and coming off a title at this past weekend’s Appalachian Open, Jacob Sartorio built a 7-0 lead in his 7-2 win to close the dual.
The 2022-23 season is presented by Hungry Howie’s and Penn Station. App State has its highest-ever ranking in the NWCA Coaches. It has been as high as No. 16 in InterMat’s rankings, back in 2016-17.
No. 19 App State 32, Gardner-Webb 6
125: #11 Caleb Smith (APP) def. Drew West (GWU), 16-4 maj. dec.
133: Ethan Oakley (APP) def. Todd Carter (GWU), 8-3 dec.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Balanced. That seems a good descriptor for the Appalachian State men’s basketball team’s 63-51 win over Arkansas State on Jan. 28.
It was the Mountaineers’ third straight victory over a Sun Belt Conference foe, following earlier recent wins over Old Dominion and Georgia State, and they did it in front of 3,487 fans at the Holmes Convocation Center.
Even more remarkable is that App State won vs. Georgia State on Jan. 26 and against Arkansas State two days later from start to finish. According to the school’s strategic communications statisticians, the Mountaineers have not trailed for the last 113 minutes of court time, dating back to their win over the Monarchs of Old Dominion. Against Arkansas State, the Mountaineers were tied with the Red Wolves for just the first 30 seconds of play before 6-11 junior forward C J Huntley drew first blood for the Mountaineers with a 3-pointer, the first of his 10 first half points.
Xavion Brown floats to the rim on Jan. 28 vs. Arkansas State. Photographic image by David Rogers
“I am proud of our guys for this weekend, leading for 80 minutes (across two full games) in Sun Belt Conference play, which is really hard to do,” said App State head coach Dustin Kerns in opening his post-game press conference with media. “I thought we were really tough. We got some big stops down the stretch and extended our run. Thirteen assists vs. only eight turnovers was big. We had a lot of balance. Overall, it was a great win.”
Kerns noted that Arkansas State is one of the top teams in the Sun Belt in defending against 3-point shots, which at least in part explains why the Mountaineers only had 14 attempts from behind the arc compared to a season average closer to 25 attempts.
“It is just the way it played out,” said Kerns, noting that the reduced number of long distance attempts was not intentional.
App State’s Christopher Mantis (2) scores 2 of his 9 points against Arkansas State on Jan. 28. Photographic image by David Rogers
Sophomore guard Terence Harcum was slow getting started, going 1-for-6 from the field in the first half before hitting on 5-for-8 after intermission. He finished with a game-high 15 points on the night.
Huntley and freshman forward Justin Abson arguably had the most balanced individual performances against the Red Wolves. Huntley tallied 13 points and 9 rebounds. He was good on 4-of-5 shots from the field, including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and made 3-of-4 attempts from the charity stripe, with three blocked shots.
Abson was also in double figures with an even 10 points, while collecting 7 rebounds. The freshman also had three blocked shots, bringing his total to 50 blocks for the season and moving him up into a tie for 11th place, nationally.
Donovan Gregory (11) is going to beat the Arkansas State defender to the hoop on this second half play, Jan. 28. Photographic image by David Rogers
According to the NCAA website, out of 352 Division I basketball programs, App State is No. 41 in the average number of bench points scored per game through Jan. 27 results, averaging 25.91. Only Coastal Carolina, at No. 39 (25.95) is ranked higher in the Sun Belt. It is a statistic that speaks volumes to the Mountaineers’ productivity from the non-starters.
Through the Jan. 28 results and in Sun Belt Conference games only, the 6-4 Mountaineers are No. 7 in scoring, averaging 67.0 points per game, and No. 3 in scoring defense, allowing just 65.2 points per game.
App State’s next opponent (Thursday, Feb. 3), Marshall, is the Sun Belt’s scoring leader, averaging 81.7 points per game.
At 6-4 in conference, the Mountaineers are now tied for No. 4 in the league standings with James Madison and Louisiana-Monroe, behind Southern Miss and Louisiana (8-2) and Marshall (7-3).
OTHER GAME NOTES OF INTEREST
App State held an opponent to under 60 points for the fourth time in the last five games.
Mountaineer freshman Justin Abson has blocked three or more opponents’ shots in 11 of his first 23 collegiate games.
App State’s 12 fouls lowered its previous season average of 14, which is in the nation’s “top 20” for the fewest fouls.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — From start to finish, it was a balanced scoring night for the Watauga men’s basketball team in a resounding, 65-45 win over South Caldwell at Lentz Eggers Gym on Jan. 27.
Pioneer point guard Maddox Greene poured in a game-high 17 points, including 7-of-8 shooting from the foul line, and forward Grant Morrison added 14 to lead Watauga.
Watauga’s Josiah Railey finishes a fast break on Jan. 27 against South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers
In front of packed grandstands, the Pioneers had a 27-24 edge over the Spartans at halftime, but Wyatt Keller’s three, 3-pointers in the third quarter helped Watauga jump out to a 21-11 run as Watauga clamped down on South Caldwell, defensively, after intermission. A 17-10 fourth quarter was icing on the proverbial cake.
“It was a hard fought win,” said Pioneer head coach Bryson Payne afterwards. “Both teams played hard and the officials let us play, so it was a physical game. Ultimately, I was proud of the way our guys played and held their composure. We were able to finish in the second half by moving the ball in transition and pushing the tempo.”
Grant Morrison had two 3-pointers on Jan. 27 against South Caldwell, on his way to 14 points scored. Photographic image by David Rogers
That the team’s scoring was spread around the roster was not lost on Payne.
“We want to be unselfish. We talk about it a lot. In fact, the stats we care the most about are assists and even pass to assist,” said Payne. “We have a lot of guys who can score the basketball. On any given night, we want to get as many guys as possible into double digits. It makes us hard to play against when so many can score on any given night.”
While Greene was the team leader in points scored, he also recorded a team-high nine assists. Keller and point guard coming off the bench, Cole Horine, led the team with three steals each.
Maddox Greene completes an acrobatic drive to the basket on Jan. 27 vs. South Caldwell at Lentz Eggers Gym. Photographic image by David Rogers
Critical to the Pioneers’ ability to get second chance points were the 13 offensive rebounds, nine by junior forward Jackson Pryor and four pulled down by Wyatt Kohout.
On the other end of the court, Keller cleared the glass for seven defensive rebounds, while Greene hauled in five defensive boards and Pryor four defensive rebounds.
On Jan. 31, the Watauga men will host Alexander Central, looking to reverse their fortune after a 66-47 loss to the Cougars in Taylorsville on Jan. 10. Then the Pioneers will travel to Lenoir on Feb. 3, to face Hibriten. Watauga has won three of four games since taking down the Panthers, 70-63, on Jan. 12.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a game within a game, of sorts. Kate Sears’ 16 points in just the third quarter would have tied for game-high scoring honors, but Watauga’s sophomore point guard had even more to say about the outcome of the Pioneers’ rematch with South Caldwell on Jan. 27.
When the dust had settled on this Northwestern Conference 4A duel, Sears had poured in 38 points across the full four quarters of play while she and her teammates ratcheted down defensively on the Spartans, en route to a dominating, 73-30 win.
According to MaxPreps.com, South Caldwell’s Lillie Bumgarner averages 16.4 points per game. Her 16 points scored against the Pioneers matched that season average but that was just about all the offense the Spartans could put together. South Caldwell guards Addison Edwards (7 points) and Kaylee Anderson (5 points) each had a 3-pointer on the night, both in the third quarter, but the lasses from Hudson could not keep up with the Sears-driven Pioneers.
Charlotte Torgerson (33) had four 3-pointers against South Caldwell on Jan. 27, but here maneuvers up top, looking to create space for a teammate. Photographic image by David Rogers
Watauga simply shot the proverbial lights out at Lentz Eggers Gym in front of a packed house on both sides of the gym floor, including a whopping 14 made shots from behind the 3-point arc, six by Sears and four by another Pioneer sharpshooter, Charlotte Torgerson (12 points on the night). Meanwhile, senior forwards Caroline Farthing (9 points) and Brooke Scheffler (7) added three and one shots, respectively, from long distance.
“It was great to watch our kids shoot like that,” said Pioneer head coach Laura Barry after the game. Our defense was staunch, which is what we have been working on and it was great to see. And when you are hitting three-pointers like that, it is hard to beat.”
Barry and the Pioneers knew that their biggest threat from the Spartans was in Bumgarner.
“She had a big third quarter and we made some adjustments,” said Barry. “Overall, our ball movement was really good. Our play in transition was really good. There are games when we are not shooting as well that we don’t look very good. In the first quarter tonight, we scored 14, which is OK, but as a team we had much better second and fourth quarters and Kate (Sears), of course, had that really big third quarter. Sixteen points is a good complete game for any player.”
What was most remarkable about the Pioneers’ performance on the night, other than their shooting, was the defensive effort. Sears and Julie Matheson each had blocked shots against Bumgarner, while Scheffler, Farthing and Laurel Kiker, along with Sears, were consistently effective in disrupting Spartan possessions.
Watauga’s Pacers had a lot to smile about during the women’s basketball team’s dominating, 73-30 win over South Caldwell on Jan. 27. Photographic image by David Rogers
Late in the game with the commanding lead, the only starter on the court was Sears, the rest Pioneer players coming off the bench.
“It is important for us to get our bench players in,” Barry said, “but we wanted to leave one point guard on the court. That was either going to be Sears or Torgerson and we just decided to leave Kate in there. It could have been either one of them and I think they all played well.”
Now 15-5 overall and 5-1 in Northwestern Conference play, next up for the Watauga women’s team is a home date vs. Alexander Central on Jan. 31 and then a rematch with Hibriten on Feb. 3.
“We beat Alexander Central (Jan. 10, 38-25) down in Taylorsville. It was a close, defensive game without a lot of scoring. Then we suffered our only conference loss here in Boone to Hibriten (Jan. 12, 48-45). I think we will do a lot better. That was the night of the fire here at the school. We didn’t shoot well. There was a lot going on.”
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a tale of two basketball teams. One couldn’t miss. The other couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
That is the way it was, at least in the first half on Jan. 26 when Appalachian State men’s basketball jumped out to a 42-27 halftime lead, then maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second half to win, 71-59.
Terence Harcum floats to the basket in the first half of App State’s 71-59 win over Georgia State. Harcum had a game-high 21 points. Photographic image by David Rogers
Appalachian State never trailed in this game, played before an announced attendance of 2,559 at the Holmes Convocation Center. The Mountaineers jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the opening minutes and let the Panthers pull to within three points (11-8) with just under 14 minutes remaining in the first half, then went on a 15-2 run from which Georgia State could never recover. On the run, the Mountaineer scoring came from all corners, including buckets by Christopher Mantis, Terence Harcum, Donovan Gregory and Dibaji Walker. There were 3-pointers from long range, pullup and stepback jumpers, driving layups… the Mountaineers couldn’t seem to miss on every opportunity.
Technically, Georgia State “won” the second half, 32-29, but there were still few hiccups in the App State offensive effort nor in their disruptive defensive play.
For the game, almost a third (30 percent) of Appalachian’s points came from behind the 3-point arc. Eleven percent of the points came on the team’s whopping eight slam dunks. And 37 percent of the Mountaineer points came from inside the paint, while 23 percent were contributed by Mantis and Walker coming off the bench.
Harcum’s 21 points earned game-high scoring honors, with heady contributions from Donovan Gregory (16), Mantis (14), and Xavion Brown (8).
Brown tied with two Panther players for game-high honors in rebounds, with eight, but five of those were offensive boards that gave the Mountaineers valuable second chance opportunities — and they recorded 15 second chance points. App State also got strong rebounding efforts from Gregory (7), C J Huntley (7), Justin Abson (5), and Harcum (5).
Xavion Brown (0) fell hard to the hardwoods on Jan. 26 in the first half, but recovered to have a solid performance with 8 points to go with 8 rebounds. Photographic image by David Rogers
True to his season form, Abson blocked four Georgia State shots. The freshman now has 47 for the season, good enough for No. 4 in the Sun Belt Conference when calculating from all games played. Thursday night’s four blocks by Abson should move the freshman up the NCAA Division I leaderboard from No. 18 to No. 14 when all games nationally are entered into the database.
At 5-4 in Sun Belt Conference play and 12-10 overall, the Mountaineers are in a four-way tie for fifth place in the standings. Also at 5-4 are Georgia Southern, James Madison and Troy. At 7-2 in conference play, Southern Miss and Louisiana are tied at the top, while Marshall and Louisiana-Monroe, both 6-3, are knotted in third place.
Closing in on the end of the regular season, App State has nine games remaining, including the next three home games against Arkansas State (Jan. 28), Marshall (Feb. 2) and James Madison (Feb. 4). After that, four of the next six contests are on the road.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Record-breaking performances highlighted the 2023 3A/4A Northwestern Conference Swimming Championships on Jan. 25, hosted by the Watauga Community Recreation Center, even if league records are somewhat of a moving target given periodic conference realignment.
Under the new conference alignment that now includes Watauga, South Caldwell, Ashe County, Freedom, Hibriten and Alexander Central, the Pioneers own 15 records among the 24 men’s and women’s events. Eight of those were either established or lowered in the 2023 conference meet.
Watauga junior Lauren Patterson is part of six of those record-setting performances after lowering her own record in the Women’s 100 Yard Butterfly and the Women’s 100 Yard Backstroke in Wednesday’s competition. Looking at the Northwestern Conference historical performances and not adjusting for realignment, Patterson still owns four individual NWC records and is part of two record-setting relay performances, both set at the 2022 Northwestern Conference meet.
Other noteworthy performances that set records under the new conference alignment were Virginia St. Clair (WATAUGA, Women’s 200 Freestyle, Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay), Maggie Cheves (WATAUGA, Women’s 200 IM, Women’s 500 Freestyle, Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay), Ryan Wood (WATAUGA, Men’s 200 IM), and Avery Annas (S. CALDWELL, Men’s 100 Breaststroke).
WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES
Watauga (386)
Hibriten (236)
South Caldwell (214)
Freedom (139)
Alexander Central (126)
Ashe County (23)
MEN’S TEAM RESULTS
Watauga (351)
South Caldwell (235)
Freedom (193)
Hibriten (117)
Alexander Central (68)
Ashe County (28)
RESULTS FROM THE 2023 NWC CHAMPIONSHIPS (top 3 places)
Women’s 200 Yard Medley Relay (7 entries)
Watauga A (1:57.02), team comprised of Maggie Cheves, Lauren Patterson, Elise Rasco, Athena Elliott
South Caldwell A (2:17.04), team comprised of Chloe Bolick, Zoe Annas, Jade Moyer, Kaylee Moore
Hibriten A (2:19.48), team comprised of Laci McPeak, Anslie Norris, Addison Brookeshire, Scout Spencer
Men’s 200 Yard Medley Relay (5 entries)
Watauga A (1:50.74), team comprised of Anson Ross, Ryan Wood, Michael Madkad, Vaughn Ladd
South Caldwell A (1:52.41), team comprised of Sawyer Thompson, Skyler Shew, Avery Annas, Owen Griffith
Hibriten A (2:24.36), team comprised of Richard Hedrick, Patrick Anders, Aedon Stevens, Nathan Mull
Women’s 200 Yard Freestyle (18 entries)
WATAUGA – Virginia St. Clair (2:03.63)
HIBRITEN – Elettra Dalcerri (2:05.69)
FREEDOM – Maria Perez-Rodriguez (2:27.49)
Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle (16 entries)
S. CALDWELL – Avery Annas (1:54.66)
FREEDOM – Emerson Miller (2:00.11)
WATAUGA – Michael Makdad (2:07.27)
Women’s 200 Yard Individual Medley (12 entries)
WATAUGA – Maggie Cheves (1:18.91)
WATAUGA – Elise Rasco (2:33.62)
WATAUGA – Annabelle Stewart (2:46.73)
Men’s 200 Yard Individual Medley (5 entries)
WATAUGA – Ryan Wood (2:17.19)
WATAUGA – Wesley Coatney (2:28.63)
ALEXANDER CENTRAL – George Bynon ( 2:41.34)
Women’s 50 Yard Freestyle (27 entries)
WATAUGA – Athena Elliott (26.33)
S. CALDWELL – Chloe Bolick (28.59)
WATAUGA – Macie Kent (28.78)
Men’s 50 Yard Freestyle (34 entries)
S. CALDWELL – Owen Griffith (24.50)
WATAUGA – Vaughn Ladd (24.55)
FREEDOM – Nate Carswell (25.38)
Women’s 100 Yard Butterfly (11 entries)
WATAUGA – Lauren Patterson ((57.15)
HIBRITEN – Elettra Dalcerri (1:02.99)
WATAUGA – Athena Elliott (1:06.59)
Men’s 100 Yard Butterfly (6 entries)
WATAUGA – Anson Ross (102.30)
WATAUGA – Vaughn Ladd (1:02.71)
FREEDOM – Caelan Houpe (1:14.42)
Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle (22 entries)
WATAUGA – Virginia St. Clair (56.01)
WATAUGA – Lola Herring (1:00.08)
S.CALDWELL – Chloe Bolick (1:05.07)
Men’s 100 Yard Freestyle (24 entries)
FREEDOM – Emerson Miller (51.97)
WATAUGA – Ryan Wood (51.98)
S. CALDWELL – Owen Griffith (56.08)
Women’s 500 Yard Freestyle (16 entries)
WATAUGA – Maggie Cheves (5:43.92)
WATAUGA – Annabelle Stewart (6:28.91)
FREEDOM – Maria Perez-Rodriguez (6:51.13)
Men’s 500 Yard Freestyle (11 entries)
WATAUGA – Wesley Coatney (6:12.31)
HIBRITEN – Garrett Goudas (6:17.86)
FREEDOM – Trey Truitt (6:43.89)
Women’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay (6 entries)
WATAUGA A (1:45.49), team comprised of Lauren Patterson, Lola Herring, Athena Elliott, Virginia St. Clair
HIBRITEN A (1:57.66), team comprised of Acacia Felmlee, Anslie Norris, Darby Keen, Elettra Dalcerri
ALEXANDER CENTRAL A (2:00.62), team comprised of Grace Bass, Mariana Pastor, Monabella Rex, Isabella Sturgill
Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay (6 entries)
WATAUGA A (1:41.56), team comprised of Paul Gamiel, Wesley Coatney, Anson Ross, Vaughn Ladd
FREEDOM A (1:42.77), team comprised of Caelan Houpe, Asher Ellis, Trey Truitt, Emerson Miller
HIBRITEN A (1:54.42), team comprised of Richard Hedrick, Matt Land, Jesse Tester, Nathan Mull
Women’s 100 Yard Backstroke (17 entries)
WATAUGA – Lauren Patterson (58.10)
WATAUGA – Lola Herring (1:06.76)
WATAUGA – Macie Kent (1:17.09)
Men’s 100 Yard Backstroke (13 entries)
WATAUGA – Michael Makdad (1:04.07)
WATAUGA – Anson Ross (1:04.34)
FREEDOM – Nate Carswell (1:05.46)
Women’s 100 Yard Breaststroke (13 entries)
WATAUGA – MK Riddle (1:22.20)
HIBRITEN – Anslie Norris (1:27.69)
S. CALDWELL – Taylor Guzman (1:29.47)
Men’s 100 Yard Breaststroke (13 entries)
S. CALDWELL – Avery Annas (1:05.04)
WATAUGA – Paul Gamiel (1:14.56)
FREEDOM – Caelan Houpe (1:18.60)
Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay (5 entries)
WATAUGA A (4:01.31), team comprised of Elise Rasco, Lola Herring, Maggie Cheves, Virginia St. Clair
HIBRITEN A (4:29.47), team comprised of Darby Keen, Acacia Felmlee, Laci McPeak, Elettra Dalcerri
S. CALDWELL A (4:37.93), team comprised of Makayla Felts, Jade Moyer, Kaylee Moore, Chloe Bolick
Men’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay (5 entries)
WATAUGA A (3:47.83), team comprised of Ben Parker, Wesley Coatney, Michael Makdad, Ryan Wood
S. CALDWELL A (3:51.75), team comprised of Owen Griffith, Sawyer Thompson, Skyler Shew, Avery Annas
FREEDOM A (3:51.97), team comprised of Trey Truitt, Asher Ellis, Nate Carswell, Emerson Miller
By David Rogers. WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — A sigh of relief and “super excited to have the opportunity” is the way Hogan Windish described the moment he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft this past July. He spoke with High Country Sports on Jan. 20, after being recognized at halftime of the Ashe County-Watauga men’s basketball game for his accomplishments on and off the field.
A graduate of Ashe County High School and University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Windish was introduced to the halftime crowd by ACHS athletic director Brian Hampton who said, “While a student at Ashe County, Hogan was a 4-time letter winner, a 3-time first team All-Conference player and, as a senior, earned All-State recognition. As a student, he was a member of the Honor Roll all four years at Ashe County and he achieved membership in the National Beta Club and the National Technical Honor Society.”
Hampton added that Windish earned a baseball scholarship to UNCG and over four years started 169 games. His college statistics included a career batting average of .308, with 34 home runs and 145 runs batted in.
“As a senior at UNCG,” said Hampton, “Hogan was voted as the Southern Conference ‘Player of the Year’ and was just the fifth (UNCG) Spartan in program history to be named to the All-American team… Hogan is a true example of hard work and dedication paying off. We are so proud of everything he has accomplished.”
In speaking with High Country Sports, Windish was quick to credit his father, Mike Windish (currently head baseball coach at Watauga High School), as a major influence on his life and career.
“My father was my coach all the way up through high school,” said Windish. “Really, since T-Ball and travel ball. He was always there and taught me almost everything I know. I wouldn’t be as good as I am without him constantly pushing me to test my boundaries.”
Windish thrives as a second baseman.
“I grew up as an infielder,” said Windish. “I played some shortstop in high school and then went I went to college I moved to second base. I love hitting.”
Upon being drafted, Windish was initially assigned by the Seattle Mariners to the Arizona Complex Mariners, a team primarily comprised of players in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents. He played just three games for the ACL Mariners before being promoted to the Modesto Nuts, a low-A affiliate of the Mariners in the San Joaquin Valley of California. For the 2022 season, according to MILB.com (the Minor League Baseball website), Windish played in 30 games for the Nuts and had 119 at-bats. He had 43 hits, scored 31 runs, including 13 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He also recorded four stolen bases. His batting average was .336, had an on base percentage of .438, and a slugging percentage of .496.
“This next season I think I will either be in Modesto or possibly in Everett, Washington, with the High A team,” Windish said.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Putting the pedal to the metal and not letting up until the end was a goal for Appalachian State Wrestling against Duke University on Jan. 24. Mission accomplished.
As the referee gets down for a closer look, 125 pounder Caleb Smith of App State prepares to pin Duke’s Ethan Grimminger on Jan. 24. Photographic image by David Rogers.
Winning the first five matches by fall, technical fall, major decision, or by a comfortable margin established ample momentum for the Mountaineers to secure a dominating, 42-3 win in the team’s last non-conference dual meet of the 2022-23 season. The win against Duke is App State’s fourth encounter with an ACC team this season, the others being a win over then-No. 21 North Carolina and competitive losses against No. 7 Virginia Tech and No. 8 North Carolina State. Those ACC defeats are the only dual meet losses of the season for the Mountaineers, who improve to 7-2 on the season with their Tuesday night pounding of Duke.
Calling Grandma and praying with her before every wrestling match, then “dancing to get loose,” as 125-pounder Caleb Smith described his pre-match routine is proving to be pretty effective for the Appalachian State redshirt sophomore, currently ranked No. 11 in the nation. It took Smith less than five minutes to dispatch Duke University freshman Ethan Grimminger, pinning him in 4:40 and set the tone for his teammates to follow.
Redshirt freshman Ethan Oakley is declared winner on Jan. 24 over Duke opponent, Logan Agin at 133 pounds. Photographic image by David Rogers
Stepping in at 133 lbs. was redshirt freshman Ethan Oakley, who mastered Duke’s Logan Agin with a 13-3 major decision.
In one of only three relatively close matches of the evening, sophomore Heath Gonyer worked his way past Duke graduate student Jarred Papcsy to earn a 5-1 decision.
Now a redshirt senior, No. 9-ranked Jon Jon Millner showed little mercy at 149 lbs., defeating the Blue Devils’ Patrick Rowland, 21-4, by technical fall.
At 149 lbs., Jon Jon Millner scored a 21-4 technical fall over his Duke opponent, Patrick Rowland, on Jan. 24 in Varsity Gym. Photographic image by David Rogers
The 157 lb. class was the last match before intermission and saw sophomore Tommy Askey, ranked No. 28 in the nation, pin his Duke opponent, Logan Ferrero, in just 3:31.
For the overflow crowd of nearly 1,000 collegiate wrestling fans in attendance, intermission was about entertainment — three different youth dance groups — and honor, as several members of the App State faculty were recognized as supporters of App State Wrestling, each nominated by individual members of the App State team.
Will Formato recorded a 13-0 major decision against Duke’s Gabe Dinette at 165 lbs. on Jan. 24, with multiple near falls like this one. Photographic image by David Rogers
After the break, the Mountaineers picked up right where they left off. It began with No. 26-ranked Will Formato’s 13-0 major decision over the Blue Devils’ redshirt senior Gabe Dinette at 165 lbs., before sophomore Will Miller (ranked No. 27) won by forfeit at 174 lbs.
Then, in a battle of “Lukes,” Luke Ulliano defeated Duke’s Luke Chakonis at 184 lbs., an 11-1 major decision. Having a little fun, what started as a sort of murmur evolved into more of a roar as they started chanting, “Let’s go Luke!”
At 197-pounds, Carson Floyd kept things going with an 11-2 major decision vs. Duke senior Vincent Baker.
App State’s Carson Floyd is about to score a reversal against Duke senior Vincent Baker on Jan. 24 in Varsity Gym. Photographic image by David Rogers
The only loss of the night for the Mountaineers was in the Heavyweight class, where redshirt freshman Triston Norris lost a hard-fought match to the No. 20-ranked Duke big man, Jonah Niesenbaum, 5-1, to close the evening and, for Duke, avoid a team shutout.
After the evening’s slate of individual matches was over, High Country Sports spoke with several of the Mountaineers and found a common theme: they rarely study an upcoming opponent’s strengths or tendencies. Instead, they look at each foe as just another opponent and trust their own skills and preparations.
Things are ‘up in the air’ before App State’s Heath Gonyer defeated Duke’s Jarred Papscy, 5-1, at 141 lbs. on Jan. 24. Photographic image by David Rogers
The win over Duke was Mountaineer head coach JohnMark Bentley’s tenth over a so-called “Power 5” program since he took command of the team some 14 years ago, during which the team is 126-75-1.
“Duke is very well-coached and they have a couple of guys who are pretty tough,” said Bentley in assessing the evening’s competition. “We took control of a lot of those matches which made the team score a little lopsided. We kept the pressure on throughout. I am really proud of our guys tonight. They scored a lot of points and wrestled with a lot of energy. I was proud of our effort. Any time you can beat an ACC school like that, it is always a good feeling.”
Appalachian State head coach JohnMark Bentley watches from the side on Jan. 24, as his team pummels Duke, 42-3. Photographic image by David Rogers
In evaluating individual performances, Bentley complimented Askey at 157 for his transition work and described Formato’s performance at 165 as “really dominating.”
“Formato is looking better than I have seen him look in the last three years,” said Bentley. “He wrestled that same Duke wrestler a year ago and it was a one- or two-point match. Tonight he beat the same guy by a 13-0 major decision. And in the 197-pound weight class, our Carson Floyd picked up a win over a Duke opponent who recently had a win over a nationally ranked wrestler from North Carolina, so that was a good win, too.
“It was a great crowd here tonight,” Bentley added. “We want to keep that same energy and keep those fans coming back. At intermission, I just told our guys to make sure we finish strong.”
Competing in the Southern Conference since the Sun Belt Conference does not have wrestling among its many sports, App State Wrestling hosts the Appalachian Open on Saturday, Jan. 28, then takes a 3-0 SoCon record into its league dual against Gardner Webb University on Monday, Jan. 30, in Boiling Springs, N.C.
MATCH SUMMARY: App State 42, Duke University 3
125: #11 Caleb Smith (APP) def. Ethan Grimminger (DU), fall (4:40)
133: Ethan Oakley (APP) def. Logan Agin (DU), 13-3 maj. dec.
141: Heath Gonyer (APP) def. Jarred Papscy (DU), 5-1 dec.
149: #9 Jon Jon Millner (APP) def. Patrick Rowland (DU), 21-4 tech fall
157: #28 Tommy Askey (APP) def. Logan Ferrero (DU), fall (3:31)
165: #26 Will Formato (APP) def. Gabe Dinette (DU), 13-0 maj. dec.
174: #27 Will Miller (APP) won by forfeit
184: Luke Uliano (APP) def. Luke Chakonis (DU), 11-1 maj. dec.
197: Carson Floyd (APP) def. Vincent Baker (DU), 11-2 maj. dec.
Hwt: #20 Jonah Niesenbaum (DU) def. Triston Norris (APP), 3-2 dec.
Extra match
141: Riley Edwards (APP) def. Christian Colman (DU), 4-0 dec.