By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — In the Rockets’ last middle school basketball home game of the 2022 season, Blowing Rock defeated Cove Creek, 28-11, in front of a raucous home crowd on hand for the occasion.
8th grade girls basketball player receives ‘8th Grade Night’ recognition from PE teacher Brittany Bolick and science teacher/assistant coach Liz Tincher on Nov. 29, during halftime of the Rockets’ game vs. Cove Creek. Photographic image by David Rogers
Susanna Goff put an exclamation point on her “8th grade night” by scoring a game-high 9 points, including five in the opening quarter to set the tone for the host Rockets. Anna Byrne was close behind with 8 points.
The game ebbed and flowed, but Blowing Rock built on their lead with every quarter. A narrow 5-3 lead at the end of the first quarter became 13-6 at halftime, 20-9 at the end of the third quarter, and then the 28-11 final result as the pestering Rockets’ defense clamped down on the Raiders.
A common occurrence in the Blowing Rock vs. Cove Creek girls basketball game on Nov.29: jump balls. Here, Blowing Rock’s Caroline Durham is surrounded by Cove Creek defenders after a rebound. Photographic image by David Rogers
Cove Creek’s Emily Morales Mendez recorded a team-high six points, accounting for more than half of the Raiders’ total by game’s end.
Additional Photos at Bottom
SCORING
BR Susanna Goff (9)
BR Anna Byrne (8)
CC Emily Morales Mendez (6)
BR Kate Rex (4)
BR Francis Davis (4)
BR Caroline Durham (2)
CC Payton Carter (2)
CC Elizabeth Cook (2)
BR Nara Westwood (1)
CC Addison Foster (1)
ALL WATAUGA MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS SCORES
@Blowing Rock 28, Cove Creek 11
@Parkway 12, Bethel 9 (overtime)
@Mabel 16, Valle Crucis 12
@Hardin Park 20, Green Valley 11
Watauga District Girls 32, @Liberty Bell-Morganton, 31
Watauga School Specific Girls Standings Through Nov. 29
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A 17-0 run to close a 16-point deficit and take a 5-point lead with six minutes remaining wasn’t enough for Appalachian State against former Southern Conference rival Furman on Nov. 29. Crediting some combination of stellar Paladin defense and Mountaineer woes on offense, App State only managed one field goal in the last six minutes before losing, 65-61, in front of 1,956 college basketball fans in the Holmes Convocation Center.
Just 11 seconds into the second half, the visiting Paladins took their biggest lead of the night, 16 points, 35-19. After the Mountaineers whittled down that deficit and took the lead for the first time with 7:10 remaining in the contest, 54-52, AppNation had hope for another come-from-behind victory.
But it didn’t happen. The Mountaineers couldn’t take advantage of multiple opportunities created by Furman turnovers and missed foul shots in the closing minute.
After the Mountaineers took the lead for the first time, they seemed to gain not only the upper hand but also offensive momentum while the Paladins appeared rattled, fouling repeatedly, giving the likes of Dibaji Walker and C J Huntley opportunities at the charity stripe. They expanded the App State lead to five points, 57-52.
But that Mountaineer momentum was short-circuited. Paladin guard Mike Bothwell, who poured in a game-high 23 points on the night, took charge as the visitors gathered themselves. Furman tied the game at 57-57, and expanded their advantage to 63-57 on free throws and a 3-pointer by Bothwell, along with an opportunistic play under the basket by forward Garrett Hien coming off the bench, with 2:03 left in the ball game.
App State’s versatile playmaker Donovan Gregory closed the gap to 63-61 with a driving layup and free throws after he was fouled on the play, but the Mountaineers otherwise took little advantage of Furman’s missed shots down the stretch. Forced to foul in the closing seconds and hope to get the ball back on a Paladin miss, Appalachian’s prospects dimmed darkly when Bothwell sank two free throws with just six seconds left on the clock.
App State’s 17-0 run in the second half to overcome the 16-point deficit, however, was impressive, with scoring contributions from Carvell Teasett, Terence Harcum, Christopher Mantis, C J Huntley, and Dibaji Walker.
After the game, Mountaineer head coach acknowledged the “fight” in his players but was obviously disappointed in the result.
“(That was) a tough finish against a really good team and a really good program,” said Kerns in his opening statement. “I am proud of our fight but disappointed in our play. Seven assists and 17 turnovers is not going to beat anybody. Disappointing.”
Of the game-changing momentum shift from a 17-0 run to failing to make but one field goal in the final six-minute stretch, Kerns said, “I thought that group did a tremendous job getting us back in the game, but they were absolutely exhausted. They were asking to be subbed. We subbed some guys in who should have helped us keep it going. We tried to run some stuff to give (certain) guys specific looks, but we missed a couple of quality looks. We got fouled, but at the end of the day we have to be able to sub with our depth, especially with who we sub. I credit that particular five for getting us back in it.”
The Mountaineers will be looking for a rebound on Friday, Dec. 2, when they play Charlotte in the Queen City’s Halton Arena, 7 p.m.
Noteworthy
With 22 blocks on the young season, including three against Furman, Mountaineer freshman Justin Abson is tied for fourth in the nation with John Broome (Auburn) and Joshua Morgan (Southern California), behind Western Kentucky’s 7-5 center Jamarion Sharp (34), Oral Roberts’ 7-3 forward Connor Vanover (28), and Oklahoma State’s 6-10 Moussa Cisse. The 6-9 Abson is one of only three freshmen in the top 40 of the blocked shots category.
Reflecting the team’s roster depth, offensively, App State is now ranked No. 57 in the NCAA’s Division I in bench points per game (29.75). Among other Sun Belt Conference members, James Madison is No. 3 (39.75) and Troy is No. 10 (36.25).
By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — Of the 13 girls on the Watauga District Middle School girls basketball team, 10 of them got on the board, all scoring points in the Pioneers’ 47-3 win over host Table Rock on Nov. 28.
Watauga’s Blair Haines poured in six of the visitors’ 13 points in the third quarter, then added seven more in the the second and third quarters before sitting for most of the final frame. Izzy Mohr recorded all six of her points in the third quarter, including a pair of baskets and two free throws. Quinn Haines and Stephanie Morales Mendez added six and five points, respectively, for the contest.
Also getting on the scorebook for the Pioneers was Emma McGuire (4), Charlie Maddox (4), Paige Shuman (3), as well as Charlotte Moretz, Lilly Wilson and Peyton Isaacs with two each.
Watauga’s disruptive defense led to a whopping 28 steals on the night, led by Quinn Haines (6), Blair Haines (6) and Izzy Mohr (5). Emma McGuire recorded a blocked shot. Mendez-Morales and Moretz led the team in rebounding, with 5 and 4, respectively.
While Table Rock continued to battle throughout, they were shut out in the first half by a disruptive Watauga defense. Simone Wright accounted for all three of Table Rock’s points on the night, all in the third quarter.
Since losing its first game of the 2022 campaign to West Alexander on Nov. 3, Watauga has now reeled off five straight wins, sporting a 5-1 record.
The next action for the District girls team will come quickly, on Nov. 29 at Liberty Bell Middle School, also in Morganton, with a 5 p.m. tip off time.
Watauga’s District boys team lost to Table Rock, 41-29. Hunter Townsend had nine points for the Pioneers.
The District boys team travels to Asheville on Nov. 29 to face Carolina Day School, with a starting time scheduled for 4 p.m.
By Joey Jones for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – Defensive coordinator Dale Jones has left the program, App State announced Monday.
Dale Jones. Photo courtesy of App State Sports
Jones coached for 26 seasons as an App State assistant and was part of 237 Mountaineer wins. He coached in Boone 26 of the last 27 years, including the last three as defensive coordinator.
Mountaineer teams won 11 conference championships, three Division I-AA/FCS national championships and five bowl championships during Jones’ time on staff. In his eight FBS seasons as a defensive coach at App State, the Mountaineers had 51 games allowing 17 points or less and 24 games allowing single-digit points.
Among the program’s signature regular-season wins was this year’s 17-14 road victory at No. 6 Texas A&M in which the Mountaineers allowed just one offensive score and 186 total yards to the Aggies.
By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – The App State women’s basketball team defeated Davidson, 84-82, in Sunday’s matinee game at the Holmes Convocation Center.
“It was a fun game. Generally, when we compete against Davidson it always is a high-paced, high-scoring game,” said head coach Angel Elderkin. “There’s similar styles in terms of how we like to play. However, they obviously have a dominant post and she had a heck of a game.”
“This week we were finally able to get back and practice with our team and we focused a lot on ball movement. The stat that really stands out to me is the 17 assists to our 30 field goals with only seven turnovers, so I feel like our team really made a huge step there with moving the ball.”
Redshirt senior Janay Sanders led the Mountaineers, netting 24 points, which was one point off from her career and season single-game high 25 points. Sanders shot 3-of-5 from the 3-point line and 5-of-8 from the charity stripe. Sanders also tallied three steals and three rebounds on the day. Junior Faith Alston posted the second-most points against the Wildcats (18) for a new season single-game high. Alston also recorded the team-high six assists. Sophomore Emily Carver pulled down a team-high five rebounds.
The Mountaineers tallied 17 points off turnovers, 10 off the bench, and nine off fast breaks. The team totaled 24 rebounds and 17 assists, only turning over the ball seven times compared to Davidson’s 15 turnovers.
After trailing Davidson, 25-19, in the first quarter, the Mountaineers got hot as Carver and sophomore Mariah Frazier combined for eight points early in the second to push App State to a 27-25 lead. The Black and Gold continued to build off its slight edge with a Frazier 3-pointer and layup from redshirt-junior A’Lea Gilbert. The Mountaineers went on a 6-0 run to take a 41-31 lead as graduate student Brooke Bigott and Sanders drained a pair of treys.
Davidson steadily chipped away at the Mountaineers’ lead in the third quarter, coming within two late in the quarter at 66-64. A layup in the paint from Bigott distanced App State slightly, putting the Mountaineers ahead 68-64 to end the quarter.
The Wildcats cut the Black and Gold’s lead to one (82-81) late in the fourth, but a free throw from Sanders kept App State ahead. A free throw from Carver put App State up 84-81, and the Mountaineers were able to hold on for the 84-82 victory.
UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will head to Spartanburg, S.C. to take on Wofford on Dec. 3. App State will then host Johnson C. Smith on Dec. 10 at the Holmes Convocation Center. Both games are set for 2 p.m. tipoffs and will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
By David Rogers. STATESBORO, Ga. — As regular season college rivalry football games (with a lot on the line) go, it doesn’t get much more intense than the 2022 edition of Appalachian State at Georgia Southern — unless, of course, you are looking for a defensive nail biter. A 25-yard touchdown pass from Eagle quarterback Kyle Vantrease to wide receiver Ezrah Archie won the game for GSU in double overtime, 51-48. The final result means the Eagles have qualified for a bowl game while the Mountaineers’ season comes to an end — and all but ends their record-breaking series of seven straight bowl game appearances since joining the FBS level.
This was a make or break game, both teams needing a win over the other to become bowl eligible, and they played like it. The two longtime adversaries’ rivalry has been described as “deeper than hate,” dating back to when they competed in the Southern Conference before both joined the Sun Belt in 2014. In the 2022 regular season finale, they traded touchdowns and field goals, one leading, then the other. Neither had more than a four point lead the entire game even though they tallied a total of 99 points combined.
On the surface, looking at the stats suggests App State should have won the game. The Mountaineers rolled up 629 yards of total offense vs. 487 by the Eagles. App State’s offensive production was relatively balanced, including 253 yards gained passing and 376 rushing. Moreover, Georgia Southern suffered two turnovers, a lost fumble and an interception, while the Mountaineers committed nary a one.
The problem is that App State could not capitalize. It scored just three points (a field goal) after forcing the two turnovers. Out of eight red zone opportunities, getting the ball inside the GSU 20-yard line, it scored on only six of them. And the Mountaineers were flagged six times for 61 penalty yards, compared to three times for 38 yards by the Eagles.
App State’s Nate Noel, Ahmani Marshall, and Daetrich Harrington did their part in racking up rushing yards and TDs. In taking advantage of the Mountaineers’ outside zone blocking scheme, Noel ran for 171 yards and three TDs, Marshall for 91 yards and a TD, and Harrington 74 yards and a TD.
Noteworthy is that App State’s rushing production complemented quarterback Chase Brice passing for 253 yards, including aerials to four different receivers over or near 50 yards gained. That included third-year sophomore Christan Horn’s two catches for 55 yards, Dalton Stroman’s one reception for 53 yards, Kaedin Robinson’s five collections for 49 yards, and senior tight end Henry Pearson’s two critical catches for 47 yards.
Except for the two turnovers, Georgia Southern was simply more efficient with its time of possession. App State controlled the ball for 32:33, GSU for 27:27. The Eagles’ Kyle Vantrease completed 34 of 51 pass attempts for 385 yards and three passing TDs vs. the one interception.
With its possessions, Georgia Southern scored seven touchdowns and 1 field goal. App State scored five TDs and four FGs. The Mountaineers had more BIG plays, but couldn’t get as much out of them in terms of point production.
That said, one more field goal could have won the game.
After Vantrease tied the game at 38-38 (including a successful PAT kick), App State got the ball back with 4:22 remaining on the clock, Brice taking command of the Mountaineer offense on their own 25. The drive lost momentum at the Eagles’ 26 yard line, with 1:44 left on the clock. Rather than attempt a field goal that was clearly within the Mountaineer kicker’s (Michael Hughes) range, head coach Shawn Clark elected to “go for it” on 4th-and-1, aiming to put the game away.
It was an interesting game strategy call. Make the field goal and you have a 3-point lead, but Georgia Southern would have roughly 1:40 left to either tie the game with a field goal or score a TD and probably win the game with little or no time remaining. And if Hughes did not make the field goal, GSU would still have 1:40 left and either a TD or FG would likely win the game for the Eagles.
The odds for converting the fourth down with one yard to go were in Clark’s favor, the way the Mountaineers’ rushing attack had been successful. And if it had been successful, the Mountaineers would probably have indeed put the game away, running out most if not all of the clock in regular time.
But running back Ahmani Marshall ran up the middle into a brick wall, for only a few inches instead of the necessary yard, giving Georgia Southern the ball back with 1:40 remaining. App State’s defense did its job by turning away the Vantrease-led Eagle offense and forcing them to punt on the Broncos’ ensuing possession. Kaedin Robinson’s fair catch at the Appalachian 28 gave the Mountaineers’ one more opportunity to win the game with 41 seconds remaining.
AppNation knew that the Mountaineers had been in similar situations before, including earlier in the season at home against Troy with the immaculate “Hail Mary” reception and TD by Christan Horn.
When Brice hit Horn down the right sideline for a 45-yard passing gain on the possession’s third play, it sparked hope for yet another miracle in the last minute of the contest.
Unfortunately, the drive stalled and Hughes’ 30-yard field goal attempt started inside the left upright, but veered outside, no good, as time expired in regulation and sending the game into overtime.
The teams traded TDs in the first overtime but the Eagles’ defense stiffened and held the Mountaineers to a 33-yard Hughes field goal. That led to the decisive, Vantrease to Archie aerial that brought things to an end.
By David Rogers. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Resilience is a common characteristic of winning sports teams, whether after a game or during a competition. Watauga women’s basketball team exhibited both on Nov. 26, coming from behind to defeat Charlotte area power Myers Park, 53-41, in the Charlotte Hoops Challenge at the Eric T. Ward Athletic Center on the campus of Harding University High School.
After losing a close, pre-Thanksgiving contest on Nov. 23 at Shelby High School, 39-36, there were questions about what Watauga’s performance against Myers Park would look like against the highly ranked Charlotte area team. So when the first quarter ended 17-7 in favor of the Mustangs, some of the Pioneer fans suspected that Myers Park’s 80-17 domination of Richmond earlier in the week was hardly a fluke.
Watauga head coach Laura Barry talks to her players on the floor in the fourth quarter about strategy with a 13-point lead and three minutes to go in the game. Photo by David Rogers, courtesy of Charlotte Hoops Challenge
Watauga head coach Laura Barry said that her Pioneers started the game a little “shell-shocked.” Myers Park often uses a ferocious, pressing defense and just as the Mustangs intended, it bothered the Watauga players in the first quarter. It’s not as if there weren’t opportunities, but errant passes led to several early turnovers and most shots at the basket felt rushed — so of course clanged off the rim and backboard without going through the net. Missed shots, especially when they are rebounded by an opponent, are turnovers of another form, even if not identified by the scorekeeper as such.
Fast forward to the end of the first half and Watauga had shaken off early jitters, rallied and took a 28-25 lead into intermission. In short, they turned the tables on Myers Park and the closest the Mustangs ever got from the start of the second half to the end of the game was a 2-point deficit. The Pioneers outscored Myers Park 21-9 in the second quarter and matched that output in the third quarter, to take a 49-35 lead into the final stanza and boasted a 16-point advantage with just over six minutes remaining in the game.
Led by Kate Sears and Laurel Kiker getting into double figures, scoring with 25 and 10 points, respectively, Watauga augmented its strong offensive output with disruptive defense. The Pioneers poached eight steals on the afternoon, two each by Sears, Kiker and Kaitlyn Darner, while power forward Brooke Scheffler added two blocked shots, defensively.
Brooke Scheffler finds herself alone under the basket against Myers Park on Nov. 26. Photo by David Rogers, courtesy of the Charlotte Hoops Challenge
Both teams were strong on the boards, and the numbers reflect it with each pulling down 23 rebounds. Sears (6), Caroline Farthing (5), Kiker (3) and Scheffler (3) were the Pioneers’ top performers in clearing the boards. Watauga overcame the challenge of Myers Park’s height advantage, with an 18-10 advantage in points inside the paint and poured in 21 points from 3-point range.
Myers Park was led in scoring by Raven LeXander (12) and Reese Wilson (12), but it was Jerin Truesdale coming off the bench who recorded a game-high seven rebounds.
“We started the game a little shellshocked and challenged on their toughness,” said Barry. “We were rebounding the ball and then getting it ripped away from us and making bad passes. All this pressure is coming and we are just throwing the ball in the air. I think we settled down quickly and had some big plays in big minutes in the first half, Laurel Kiker, Julie Matheson, notably. We got into a methodical style of attack, which is how we want to play. And that was for the rest of the game. We pressured well. We attacked in the half court for made shots. And we did our jobs tremendously on defense. That is a good Myers Park team and Laurel and Caroline did great on the point of our zone. It was fun to watch today and we learned a lot on the floor today.”
Caroline Farthing mixes it up inside for Watauga, drawing a foul on Nov. 26 against Myers Park. Photo by David Rogers, courtesy of Charlotte Hoops Challenge
There is a sense in watching Sears that she makes everyone else on the team better.
“Yes, you saw that last year as a freshman. She elevated everyone with her addition to the team,” said Barry. “This team does not revolve around Kate, though. We aim to be a very good team with a fabulous player on it. And with this afternoon’s performance, I think this team is realizing that they can be that. Today, you saw us realize who we want to be.”
Now in its 13th year, the Charlotte Hoops Challenge has become a special high school basketball event. High Country Sports sat down with organizers Jermaine Walker and Cristie Mitchell to learn more about it.
Pioneer point guard Kate Sears drives to the basket before kicking out to a teammate on Nov. 26 vs. Myers Park. Photo by David Rogers, courtesy of Charlotte Hoops Challenge
Mitchell typically organizes the women’s side of the event and Walker the men’s side. From the sounds of it, there is a well-researched effort to match some of the best teams of both genders.
“I look at the rosters of some of the previous year’s best performing teams and try to determine who and how many (of the players) are coming back. I want to get the top teams in the area,” said Mitchell. “That is why Watauga was invited and they just had a big win against Myers Park. We also try to match public and private schools because they frequently don’t get to play each other during any given season. Often we match a 2A state champ against a 3A state champ or a 3A champ vs. a 4A champ. The goal is to create high levels of competition and great basketball games. And you just saw a very entertaining women’s game between Myers Park and Watauga.”
Mitchell reported that this is Watauga’s first year in the Charlotte Hoops Challenge and, she said, the Pioneers came from the furthest away this year.
Mitchell said that while they have never had a title sponsor, the event costs roughly $22,000 each year to put it on. Any proceeds go in the bank to help defray the next year’s costs.
Kaitlyn Darner takes aim from long range on Nov. 26 in Watauga’s game vs. Myers Park. Photo by David Rogers, courtesy of Charlotte Hoops Challenge
“We would love to have a banner sponsor, a major sponsor to come in and help us run it,” said Mitchell, “but we have been able to run it successfully for 13 years without one.”
Walker noted that in the men’s division there is an actual tournament within the larger event, involving four teams this year.
“The goal is to make that more of a national tournament. The winner gets a big trophy,” said Walker. “We would love to have one of these tournaments on the women’s side, but right now it is just the guys.”
Mitchell added that the entire event involves 36 teams this year.
“So, technically, we are the largest Thanksgiving weekend event on the East Coast and one of the largest in the country for high school sports,” said Mitchell.
While Watauga came from the furthest away this year, other teams have come from even farther away in previous years, including Canada. And the basketball talent playing in their event is undeniable.
“To date, in those previous 12 years, at last count we have had 14 or 15 players who later competed in the NBA,” said Mitchell.
By David Rogers. MANCHESTER, Conn. — In elite distance running’s lingo, the 2022 Manchester Road Race saw a “brawling” finish on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24. Only three seconds separated Provo, Utah’s Connor Mantz, who crossed the line first in 21:04 and Blowing Rock, N.C.’s Andrew Colley, fourth in 21:07 — all after running 4.748 miles with a few elevation changes between the start and finish.
In between Mantz and Colley were Morgan Beadlescomb of Boston, Mass. (No. 2, 21:05) and Wesley Kiptoo of Flagstaff, Ariz. (No. 3, 21:06). It was the 86th running of the Manchester Road Race, which was first held in 1927, when only 12 athletes competed.
On Thanksgiving Day in 2022, more than 10,000 entries ran or walked in support of muscular dystrophy research and various local charities. “Manchester,” as the race is commonly called and staged in a town of just over 35,000 in population, is believed to be the nation’s second-oldest competitive road racing event (after the Boston Marathon).
From the mass of humanity that started the race, the lead pack quickly narrowed down to approximately 50 runners before being narrowed down even more, to around 20 halfway through. By the last mile, that lead group was down to seven, including Colley, before Mantz took charge with his patented kick. The former Brigham Young University cross country star won back to back titles in the 2020 and 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Earlier this year, Mantz won the USATF 20k Championships in New Haven, Conn., and placed second in the USATF 8k Championships in Kingsport, Tenn. That is how formidable this field of athletes was.
This year’s Manchester race may have been described as “brawling,” but there were no fisticuffs at the end, only panting smiles, handshakes and a couple of hugs or leaning against one another for support. The top five finishers in the Men’s Division broke the course record of 21:16 set in 2018, by Edward Cheserek of Kenya.
Colley, who is a member of the Blowing Rock-based ON/ZAP Endurance elite running team, was joined on the day by teammates Ryan Ford (who finished No. 12, 21:38), Dan Schaffer (No. 14, 21:50) and Eric van der Els (No. 16, 21:56).
While Mantz was the overall winner and the top finisher in the Men’s 19-29 age category, Colley captured first place honors in the 30-39 age group, according to the race results website.
The top female finisher for the race also traveled to Connecticut from the High Country region. That was Weini Kelati of Johnson City, Tenn., in 23:39, slightly slower than her winning time a year earlier, in 22:55.
Joining the ZAP Endurance team just a few months ago seems to be working for van der Els, who ran the Manchester Road Race in 2021, 21 seconds slower than this year’s finishing time. Having competed collegiately for the University of Connecticut, he has ties to the area.
Schaffer is similarly familiar with the Northeast U.S., having competed at Binghamton University in New York, roughly 175 miles directly west of Manchester. Before joining ZAP, Ford competed for the University of Tennessee-Martin and Iowa State University. Colley was a 5-time All-American and 11-time All-ACC athlete while competing for North Carolina State University, from where he graduated in 2014 and joined the ZAP team the same year.
The top 25 finishers in each of Manchester’s Male and Female divisions won cash awards, including $7,000 for first place. Colley’s fourth place finish earned him $2,000, while Ford at No. 12 took home $300, Schaffer at No. 14, $200, and van der Els at No. 16, $150.
Ford, Schaffer and van der Els are all first year members of the ON/ZAP Endurance team and were running their second professional event after debuting in the USATF Men’s 5k Road Championship in New York City on Nov. 5.
“I am really proud of our guys’ performances and especially pleased for Andrew Colley and his progression since injuries plagued him in 2016-17,” said ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea. “When you consider that more than 10,000 runners competed in this race and that included maybe two dozen world class runners and potential Olympians in the men’s division, for ZAP, Blowing Rock and the High Country to have four of the top 16 finishers in this historic race is pretty special. And that five of the runners finished ahead of the course record well, that is astonishing.”
By David Rogers. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Led by senior Gwen Anderson, Watauga’s women’s indoor track team dominated the distance events on Nov. 22, in the Turkey Invitational at the JDL Fast Track indoor track and field arena. Overall, it was a good showing by both Watauga squads, the women capturing 2nd and the men 5th out of 14 teams entered in the meet.
In addition to Watauga, the schools competing included Albemarle, Ashe County, Atkins, Ben L. Smith, Davie, Dudley, Glenn, Hibriten, Millennium, North Rowan, Parkland, Patrick County (Va.), Reagan, South Garner, and West Stokes.
In the Women’s 3200 Meters at the Turkey Invitational on Nov. 22, right to left (1st place to 4th place) are Watauga distance runners Sydney Cate Townsend, Gwen Anderson, Janie Beach-Verhay, and Bailey Collins. All but Anderson, a senior, are freshman. Photographic image courtesy of Scott Townsend.
In the Women’s Division, the Pioneers took three of the top five places in the 1600 meters, with Anderson taking the title and followed by freshman Jane Beach-Verhay in 3rd and sophomore Mia Llibre.
Anderson also won the Women’s 3200 meters event, but Beach-Verhay (3rd) was among a trio of Pioneer freshman who also took 2nd (Sydney Townsend) and 4th (Bailey Collins).
Townsend anchored Watauga’s first place entry in the 4×800 relay, led off by Caroline-Beach Verhay, Anderson, and Jane Beach-Verhay.
Out of 29 athletes competing in the Women’s 500 Meters, Pioneer freshman Hannah Graham finished a respectable tenth.
In the Women’s 1000 Meter Run, Watauga senior Caroline Beach-Verhay, freshman Anna Norris, and sophomore Hadley Carpenter finished No. 6, No. 7, and No. 8 to pick up valuable team points, with 21 athletes competing.
Pioneer junior Olivia Burroughs brought home the pole vault title, while Northwestern Conference rival Myra Capula of Hibriten finished second.
Women’s Team Scores
1. Dudley (110)
T2. Watauga (88)
T2. Parkland (88)
4. Reagan (58)
5. Ashe County (41)
6. Atkins (37)
7. North Rowan (29)
8. Albemarle (20)
9. Ben L. Smith (19)
10. Hibriten (13)
11. Davie (10)
T12. Patrick County (5)
T12. West Stokes (5)
14. South Garner (4)
Hamilton, Sibaja lead Pioneer men
In the Men’s Division, Watauga senior Joshua Hamilton finished just five seconds behind first place winner Justin Powell of Parkland to earn a fourth place finish in the Men’s 500 Meters, with 43 entries competing. Meanwhile the Pioneers finished with two athletes in the top 10 of the 1000 Meter Run, junior Roman Sibaja (5th) and sophomore Jonah Norris (8th), out of 33 athletes in the race. Sibaja also secured a 7th place finish in the 1600 Meter Run.
The Watauga men also showed up well in the 3200 Meters, getting three Pioneers in the top 7, including Elijah Healy (No. 5), Sebastian Afanador (No. 6), and Elias Holland.
Clayo Kulczyk contributed a third place finish in the Pole Vault for to the Pioneer men’s team total.
Men’s Team Scores
Parkland (106.5)
Reagan (93)
Dudley (88)
Davie (56)
Watauga (48.5)
West Stokes (39)
Atkins (31)
South Garner (25)
Glenn (20)
Hibriten (17)
Patrick County (14)
Albemarle (12)
Ashe County (10)
North Rowan (3)
The Nov. 22 event was the Watauga Indoor team’s first event of the winter season. The team’s coaches include:
 Head Coach/Jumps: Michael Neff (1st Year)
Sprints Coach: Kim Kop
Sprints Asst.: Matt Anderson
Throws Coach: Adam Gilbert
Hurdles/Pole Vault Coach: Thomas McDonough
Distance Coach: Scott Townsend
Distance coach Scott Townsend pointed to Watauga’s youth as representing a lot of promise as the season progresses.
“The season is still very young. We just started training two weeks ago and the Turkey Invitation was our first meet,” said Townsend. “What makes this first meet’s performance particularly interesting is how young so many of our team members are. Two-thirds of the student-athletes competing on our team are underclassmen. And look at all the freshmen. Our top two female sprinters, Leah Gaydon and Ava Doty, are freshmen. Some of our top middle distance runners, Jane Beach-Verhay, Hannah Graham and Anna Norris are freshmen. After senior Gwen Anderson in the 3200, the next three distance runners in the 3200 are freshmen. Anna Koontz is a freshman up and comer in the hurdles. All three of our long jumpers in this meet, Graham, Rylee Mitchell and Lilly Stough are freshmen. Our top triple jump and shot put competitor, Emma Pastusic, is a freshman and she is just making the transition from volleyball. And that is just our Women’s team.
“On the Men’s side, Kees Greene and Evan Burroughs are freshmen showing promise in the sprints. triple jump and the long jump. Greene As he grows into the event, Mason Harris — also a freshman — may become a factor in the longer sprints. For his first 1600 and 3200 meter races as a high school freshman, Elijah Healy did quite well,” added Townsend. “And that youth movement is not even considering our sophomores.”
All of the Watauga Indoor Track and Field team events this winter are on different days at the JDL Fast Dash facility in Winston-Salem. Their next event is Thursday, Dec. 1, the Titan 1 Indoor Meet, 5 p.m. That will be followed by the Dec. 9 (5 p.m.) HOT Santa event, then the Dec. 12 Millennium Charter Invitational and the Dec. 15 DD Holiday Invitational. The team will take almost a month off for the holidays, starting the new year on Jan. 10 with the Spartan Classi.
By Bret Strelow for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — Running his record to 10-0 this season and 102-21 for his career, App State’s Jon Jon Millner has been named the SoCon Wrestler of the Week following his 149-pound title at the Keystone Classic.
A consensus top-five wrestler in his weight class, with a ranking as high as No. 2, Millner went 5-0 in a bracket that included four top-15 wrestlers in Philadelphia. He used takedowns in the first and third periods to secure a 5-2 decision in the final against 15th-ranked Doug Zapf, a two-time NCAA qualifier from Penn.
Millner opened the event with two first-period pins and two major decisions by a combined score of 24-2, including a 9-1 major decision against 13th-ranked Quinn Kinner from Rider in the semifinal round.
Millner became the seventh App State wrestler to record 100-plus career wins and is now at No. 6 on the program’s career wins list. He is the second SoCon Wrestler of the Week from App State this season, joining Sean Carter, who was recognized following a season-opening dual win against NC State.
