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Watauga rallies falter, South Caldwell advances, 7-2

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Watauga rallies falter, South Caldwell advances, 7-2

By David Rogers. HUDSON, N.C. — In spite of two late inning threats where they loaded the bases — even with nobody out in the decisive 7th inning — No. 18-seeded Watauga was unable to capitalize and fell to No. 2-seeded South Caldwell on May 9, 7-2, in the second round of the North Carolina 4A state baseball playoffs.

The Pioneers didn’t waste any time in validating they belonged in the playoffs. Senior shortstop Maddox Greene was the second batter up in the first inning and promptly knocked the ball out of the park, giving Watauga the early, but still tenuous, 1-run lead.

South Caldwell turned things around in the bottom of the third with a 6-run outburst. Senior Bryson Genwright served up the big blow of the inning with a 2-run home run, following a double by fellow senior Walker Hartley to get things started.

But the Spartans were hardly done. South Caldwell continued to rough up Pioneer starting pitcher Everett Gryder. Consecutive singles by John Paul Smith and Chase Johnson, followed by a walk issued to Luke Williams, loaded the bases for the Hudson crowd. A single by Nate Hall scored a run and a sacrifice fly by junior Chase Cardwell added another. Then senior Carter Bley ripped a double through a gap in center, scoring the final two runs of the inning.

At 6-1, it proved a lead the Pioneers could not overcome. They loaded the bases in each of the final two innings, including with nobody out in the 7th, but South Caldwell was able to wiggle its way out of trouble with good pitching and stellar defense. By game’s end, Watauga had left nine runners on base during the contest.

While Watauga’s often magical season comes to an end, South Caldwell advances to Round 3 in the 4A West bracket, where they will face No. 10-seeded Marvin Ridge, a 9-3 upset winner over No. 7 Hough High School. South Caldwell is 25-2 for the 2025 season — one of those losses coming to Watauga on May 1, 10-8, in the Northwestern Conference tournament championship.

KEY PERFORMERS

  • WAT – Maddox Greene: 1-2, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, HR, 2 walks
  • WAT – Evan Burroughs: 1-3, 1 run scored, double, walk, 2 stolen bases
  • SC – Bryson Genwright: 2-4, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, HR
  • SC – Nate Hall: 6 innings pitched, 1 run on 4 hits, 1-2 batting, 1 run scored, 1 RBI
  • SC – Carter Bley: 1-2, 2 RBIs, double, walk

4A WEST SCORES IN ROUND 2

  • No. 1 Cuthbertson 9, No. 16 Sun Valley 8
  • No. 9 Myers Park 7, No. 8 Mooresville 0
  • No. 5 West Forsyth 5, No. 12 Reagan 4
  • No. 20 South Iredell, No. 4 Grimsley 1
  • No. 3 TC Roberson vs. No. 14 Charlotte Catholic, delayed until Sat., May 10
  • No. 6 Providence 3, No. 11 Weddington 2
  • No. 10 Marvin Ridge 9, No. 7 Hough 3
  • No. 2 South Caldwell 7, No. 18 Watauga 2

OTHER SCORES OF INTEREST

  • 3A West – No. 6 AC Reynolds 3, No. 11 West Rowan 2
  • 3A West – No. 7 North Davidson 10, No. 23 St. Stephens 5
  • 2A West – No. 4 Burns 9, No. 13 Pine Lake 0
  • 1A West – No. 26 Mountain Heritage 15, No. 23 Swain County 0

 

 

 

Watauga prevails in Round 1 @ Ragsdale, 6-4

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Watauga prevails in Round 1 @ Ragsdale, 6-4

By David Rogers. JAMESTOWN, N.C. — Wriggling out of trouble in the bottom of the 7th inning with the game tied at 4-4, nobody out and the bases loaded, No. 18-seeded Watauga scored two more “small ball” runs in the top of the 8th against No. 15 Ragsdale. That was all the visitors needed. In the bottom half of the 8th inning relief pitcher Evan Burroughs got the first two Tiger batters to ground out, then struck out Ragsdale’s final hope to secure the Round 1 win, 6-4, in the the North Carolina 4A state baseball playoffs.

With the win, the Pioneers advance to Round 2 where they will face Northwestern Conference rival and No. 2-seeded South Caldwell, in Hudson. The Spartans dispatched No. 31 seeded Southeast Guilford, 7-5.

How It Happened

Watauga scored first in the top of the second inning when Dillon Zaragoza ripped a line drive to the left field fence for a double, then raced home on a hard ground ball through the infield to left.

Ragsdale, though, roughed up Watauga’s starting pitcher, Everett Gryder, for three runs in the bottom of the 2nd, aided by a double to left off the bat of sophomore infielder Thristen Figueroa, followed by a single, two hit batters and two walks as Gryder ran into some control problems.

Both teams got through the third and fourth innings without allowing a run, but in the top of the 5th inning, a single by Pioneer centerfielder Jake Blanton brought home Maddox Greene and Evan Burroughs to tie the game at 3-3. But with only one out, Watauga wasn’t done. Blanton made it all the way to third base on the play, which included a fielding error charged to Tiger right fielder, junior Braylon Louis. Cade Keller hit a difficult-to-handle grounder to shortstop, with Blanton scoring on the fielder’s choice throw to first.

The run gave Watauga a 4-3 lead, which they kept until Ragsdale scored a run in the bottom of the 7th inning to tie the contest.

Watauga’s Daniel Jones came on in relief of Gryder in the bottom of the third inning and pitched masterfully in the middle innings, aided by a double play in the sixth inning to quell any thoughts of a Tiger threat. A ground ball to second baseman Evan Burroughs was flipped to shortstop Maddox Greene, who then whistled the ball to a stretching first baseman, JT Cook, to just nip batter-turned-runner Camden McGill at the bag.

In the top of the 7th, Watauga nearly picked up a go-ahead run when Greene walked, stole second, then made it to third base on a Keller ground-out to second. But Watauga’s senior shortstop got caught rounding the base too far and was picked off in a rundown by Ragsdale catcher Dillon Bullard and third baseman Figueroa.

Jones encountered control problems to open the bottom of the 7th inning, giving up consecutive walks. With nobody out and runners on first and second, Burroughs came to the mound in relief. A sacrifice bunt by Ragsdale’s Bullard, combined with a fielding error by Keller on the play, resulted in the bases loaded with Tigers and nobody out. Burroughs didn’t help his cause any by hitting the next batter, forcing a run in and tying the game at 4-4 — and the bases were still loaded with nobody out.

The baseball gods smiled on Watauga on this evening. A liner to short left field couldn’t advance the runners and secured the first out of the inning. A popup to shortstop didn’t do the trick, either, for the second out. Then Burroughs got the next batter to ground out to shortstop, sending the game into extra innings.

Watauga took a “small ball” approach in their half of the 8th inning. First baseman JT Cook worked the count to full, then took ball four to leadoff the frame with a walk. Zaragoza laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Cook. Miller Hankins came on as a pinch runner for Cook, then scored the go-ahead run when Ragsdale’s first baseman mishandled a grounder by JJ Everett. When Pioneer catcher Chase Gillin singled deep to center, Everett came around to score an insurance run.

Ragsdale was able to escape the inning with no more damage but the Pioneers had jumped out to a 6-4 lead. With stellar defensive play by the infield and effective pitching by Burroughs, Watauga secured the win with a three-up, three-down bottom of the 8th.

With the win, Watauga advances to face No. 2-seeded  South Caldwell in Hudson, currently scheduled for Friday, May 9, time to be determined.

4A West Round 1 Scores

  • No. 1 Cuthbertson 11, No. 32 Glenn 0
  • No. 16 Sun Valley 8, No. 17 Alexander Central 1
  • No. 8 Mooresville 4, No. 25 Lake Norman 3
  • No. 9 Myers Park 2, No. 24 Porter Ridge 1
  • No. 5 West Forsyth 4, No. 28 Ardrey Kell 3
  • No. 12 Reagan 10, No. 21 Hickory Ridge 0
  • No. 20 South Iredell 7, No. 13 Asheville 6 (game not completed at press time)
  • No. 4 Grimsley 11, No. 29 Davie 0
  • No. 3 TC Robertson 14, No. 30 Northwest Guilford 5
  • No. 14 Charlotte Catholic 8, No. 19 East Forsyth 4
  • No. 6 Providence 5, No. 27 Southwest Guilford 1
  • No. 11 Weddington 2, No. 22 South Mecklenburg 0
  • No. 7 Hough 11, No. 26 Hopewell 2
  • No. 10 Marvin Ridge 3, No. 23 Northern Guilford 2
  • No. 18 Watauga 6, No. 15 Ragsdale 4
  • No. 2 South Caldwell 7, No. 31 Southeast Guilford 5

3A West Games of Interest

  • No. 25 Lake Norman Charter 3, Hibriten 0
  • No. 3 Tuscola 10, Ashe County 0
  • No. 6 AC Reynolds 9, No. 27 Pisgah 8
  • No. 23 St. Stephens 17, No. 10 West Mecklenburg 3
  • No. 21 Hickory was trailing No. 12 North Iredell, 3-1 (game not completed at press time)

2A West Games of Interest

  • No. 24 Community School of Davidson 3, Maiden 0
  • No. 4 Burns 6, No. 29 Newton-Conover 1

1A West Games of Interest

  • No. 1 Cherryville 11, No. 32 Bradford 1
  • No. 12 East Wilkes 8, No. 21 South Stokes 6
  • No. 2 South Stanly 13, No. 31 Elkin 3

PHOTOS: Watauga Middle School at NC State Meet, May 3

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PHOTOS: Watauga Middle School at NC State Meet, May 3

CONCORD, N.C. — More than 30 Watauga middle school athletes competed at the North Carolina Middle School State Meet on May 3. High Country Sports photographer Jared Everett was there to capture some of the action.

All photos by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

Watauga middle school track sends large team to state meet

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Watauga middle school track sends large team to state meet

By David Rogers. CONCORD, N.C. — Considering that many of the events had well over 100 entries, Watauga’s middle school team did pretty well, even if capturing no first place medals in the North Carolina Middle School State Meet at Robinson High School on May 3, with athletes from 100 North Carolina middle schools from across the state.

A few Watauga highlights:

  • Vivian Hans placed No. 24 out of 115 in the Girls 100 Meters and No. 15 out of 106 participants in the Girls 400 Meters.
  • Ember Honeycutt placed no. 10 out of 41 athletes in the Girls High Jump
  • Ellie Helms was No. 6 in the Girls Discus and No. 5 in the Girls Shot Put out of 52 and 51 entries, respectively
  • Sawyer Blackburn finished No. 17 in the Boys 400 out of 127 entries
  • Sean Rea placed No. 18 in the Boys 1600 among 116 entries
  • David Ballenger-Peters was No. 3 in the Boys 110 Hurdles out of 54 entries and No. 3 in the Boys 300 Hurdles out of 46 entries

Although the state meet was shortened somewhat because of inclement weather, to provide a perspective of Watauga accomplishments vs. the number of entries in each event, we offer the following.

The Watauga team was comprised of 15 girls and 16 boys, most competing in multiple events.

No. of Entries:

  • BOYS 100 – 127 entries
  • GIRLS 100 – 115 entries
  • BOYS 200 – 118 entries
  • GIRLS 200 – 120 entries
  • BOYS 400 – 127 entries
  • GIRLS 400 – 106 entries
  • BOYS 800 – 117 entries
  • GIRLS 800 – 116 entries
  • BOYS 1600 – 116 entries
  • GIRLs 1600 – 114 entries
  • BOYS 3200 – 41 entries
  • GIRLS 3200 – 39 entries
  • BOYS 110 Meter Hurdles – 54 entries
  • GIRLS 100 Meter Hurdles – 65 entries
  • BOYS 300 Meter Hurdles – 46 entries
  • GIRLS 300 Meter Hurdles – 47 entries
  • BOYS 4×100 Relay – 25 entries
  • GIRLS 4×100 Relay – 23 entries
  • BOYS 4×200 Relay – 24 entries
  • GIRLS 4×200 Relay – 30 entries
  • BOYS 4×400 Relay – 26 entries
  • GIRLS 4×400 Relay – 23 entries
  • BOYS 4×800 Relay – 16 entries
  • GIRLS 4×800 Relay – 14 entries
  • BOYS High Jump – 47 entries
  • GIRLS High Jump – 41 entries
  • BOYS Pole Vault – 9 entries
  • GIRLS Pole Vault – 12 entries
  • BOYS Long Jump – 49 entries
  • GIRLS Long Jump – 49 entries
  • BOYS Triple Jump – 33 entries
  • GIRLS Triple Jump – 31 entries
  • BOYS Shot Put – 53 entries
  • GIRLS Shot Put – 52 entries
  • BOYS Discus – 54 entries
  • GIRLS Discus – 51 entries

WATAUGA RESULTS

Watauga draws No. 18 seed, goes on the road in Round 1 @ Ragsdale

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Watauga draws No. 18 seed, goes on the road in Round 1 @ Ragsdale

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Fresh off the team’s Northwestern Conference tournament championship over top-seeded South Caldwell, Watauga High School was awarded the No. 18 seed in the 32-team, 4A West bracket for the North Carolina state playoffs. The Pioneers will go on the road to face No. 15 Ragsdale High School, in Jamestown, N.C., a southwestern suburb of Greensboro, with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.

On the strength of their 23-2 overall record, 10-0 in regular season Northwestern Conference play, South Caldwell earned the No. 2 seed and will face No. 31 Southeast Guilford. The winner of that Round 1 pairing will face the winner of Ragsdale and Watauga in Round 2.

In other 4A West bracket pairings of interest:

  • No. 1 Cuthbertson will face No. 32 Glenn High School
  • No. 17 Alexander Central travels to No. 16 Sun Valley
  • No. 12 Reagan HS hosts No. 21 Hickory Ridge
  • No. 13 Asheville faces No. 20 South Iredell
  • No. 3 TC Roberson goes against No. 30 Northwest Guilford
  • No. 14 Charlotte Catholic will be challenged by No. 19 East Forsyth

In 3A West pairings of interest:

  • No. 8 Hibriten vs. No. 25 Lake Norman Charter School
  • No. 21 Hickory travels to No. 12 North Iredell
  • No. 3 Tuscola hosts No. 30 Ashe County
  • No. 6 AC Reynolds vs. No. 27 Pisgah HS
  • No. 23 St. Stephens is on the road @ No. 10 West Mecklenburg

In 2A West pairings of interest:

  • No. 9 Maiden vs. No. 24 Community School of Davidson
  • No. 5 Lincoln Charter School vs. No. 28 West Wilkes
  • No. 4 Burns vs. No. 29 Newton-Conover

In 1A West pairings of interest:

  • No. 25 Mitchell will be at No. 8 Hayesville
  • No 12 East Wilkes vs. No. 21 South Stokes
  • No. 31 Elkin @ No. 2 South Stanly

Coastal sweeps Mountaineers but Correa pounds out No. 14

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Coastal sweeps Mountaineers but Correa pounds out No. 14

By Matt Present. CONWAY, S.C. — Senior first baseman Juan Correa hit his 14th home run of the season, but App State Baseball was unable to climb out of an early hole in a 10-1 loss at No. 19 Coastal Carolina in the series finale.

Correa tied Austin St. Laurent (2024) for the ninth-most home runs hit in a single season. His solo blast in the seventh inning accounted for the Mountaineers’ lone run of the ballgame.

App State (21-26, 11-13) was outhit 13-6 in the contest despite a three-hit effort from Jonathan Xuereb.

Coastal Carolina (37-11, 20-4) scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back on its way to a 12th consecutive Sun Belt Conference win. The Chanticleers added two runs in the third, four in the sixth and two in the eighth.

The two teams had to wait out a two-hour rain delay in the middle of the third inning.

App State deployed seven different pitchers in the contest, with Reyn Watson, Carter Boyd and Max Tramontana all recording scoreless outings. App State was able to minimize damage much of the afternoon, stranding 15 Coastal Carolina runners on base, including the bases loaded on three different occasions.

App State will return to action on Friday in Mobile, Ala., when the team begins a three-game series against South Alabama.

Colley finishes No. 5, top American in historic Prague Marathon

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Colley finishes No. 5, top American in historic Prague Marathon

By David Rogers (remotely). PRAGUE, The Czech Republic. — An Ethiopian distance runner, Lemi Berhanu Hayle won the Orlen Prague Marathon for the second straight year, overcoming an early challenge by Felix Kipkoech of Kenya, but the talk of the town might well have been the long, flowing locks of Andrew Colley. A member of the Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance team of elite professional distance runners, Colley was No. 5 (out of 4,677 male athletes and close to 6,000 total) to cross the finish line — and the top American in the race.

Hayle pulled away from Kipkoech near the 18-mile mark to finish unchallenged the rest of the 26.2 mile distance, breaking the tape in 2:05:14. The Kenyan was a full two minutes later, in 2:07:19, followed by Tetsuya Yoroizaka of Japan at No. 3 (2:09:10), Ethiopia’s Andualem Belay Shiferaw at No. 4 (2:09:35), then Colley at No. 5, just 11 seconds later at 2:09:46.

Prague Marathon course map. Courtesy of RunCzech.

Following Colley was a potpourri of top athletes from Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Kenya, The Czech Republic, Morocco, Luxemburg, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Poland, Australia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Georgia before the next USA athlete at No. 121, Isaac Mirti (2:49:18).

The marathon course on the streets of Prague, the capital and the largest city of The Czech Republic, ran up and down the sides of the Vltava River, as well as across picturesque bridges over the city’s main waterway. The event was first staged in 1994 and, according to the RunCzech website, came about as two friends were talking over a pint of beer:

“Like so many things in the Czech Republic, the idea of staging an international marathon in Prague came over a pint of beer (pivo). It was a fine autumn Saturday in November 1994, and Carlo Capalbo was sitting in a small bar with his friends and fellow Italians Francesco Alzati, Maria Vittoria Mastrostefano and Gelindo Bordin, winner of the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. They decide to ask the famous Emil Zátopek who won three gold medals holder from the Summer Olympics in Helsinki in 1952, for his support and advice.”

The Czech Republic, as Czechoslovakia, was one of the former Soviet republics and part of the USSR. On Aug. 20, 1968, the Soviet Union and other Warsaw pact nations invaded Czechoslovakia to suppress the Prague Spring, a period of liberalization under First Secretary Alexander Dubček. The invasion, known as “Operation Danube,” involved hundreds of thousands of troops and was aimed at halting reform efforts and restoring hard-line communist rule. 

Fast forward a mere quarter century, to 1994, and the fall of the Soviet Union resulting in many former Soviet bloc countries’ gaining self-rule brought about creative thoughts of how to make life better for the residents and businesses. Having 10,000 runners traversing the streets of Prague must engender poignant memories among the longtime residents who witnessed lines of Soviet tanks rumbling into the heart of Prague, destroying everything in their path.

A Soviet tank runs over a city bus in Prague during the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. Photo courtesy of The Czech Center New York.

 

High Country’s Izewski captures Broad Street 10-Mile Run in Philadelphia

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High Country’s Izewski captures Broad Street 10-Mile Run in Philadelphia

By David Rogers (remotely). PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — For Josh Izewski, the Independence Broad Street 10-Mile Run was a homecoming of sorts. Originally from a Philadelphia suburb, Doylestown, Pa., Izewski was all smiles at the end of the race on May 4, crossing the finish line  No. 1 by more than two minutes over the next runner.

Izewski, 35, is now one of the top marathoners based in Blowing Rock, a member of the ZAP Endurance elite professional running team. The former University of Florida track star finished the 10 miles in 46:14, well ahead of the No. 2 finisher, Taonga Mbambo, 24, of Line Lexington, Pa.

The Independence Broad Street 10-Miler has become a fixture in Philadelphia, staged continuously for more than 40 years, according to the event’s historical documents. From its modest beginnings in providing athletes with an opportunity to run through diverse Philadelphia neighborhoods and communities along Broad Street, the event has grown to include more than 40,000 runners embracing charitable causes in and around The “City of Brotherly Love.”

Izewski, who is training to run in July’s Gold Coast Marathon in Australia, was just one of several elite or professional runners in this year’s race.

TOP FINISHERS, MEN’S DIVISION

  1. Josh Izewski, 35, Blowing Rock, N.C. 46:14
  2. Taonga Mbambo, 24, Line Lexington, Pa., 48:41
  3. Cameron Miller, 30, Washington, D.C., 48:41
  4. Jack Whetstone, 25, Washington, D.C., 50:15
  5. Neil Saddler, 28, Washington, D.C., 50:44
  6. Gregory Jaindl, 27, Macungie, Pa., 51:02
  7. Ben Szuhaj, 27, Washington, D.C., 51:12
  8. Mike Durkin, 27, Cambridge, Mass. 51:23
  9. Stephen Paddock, 30, Raleigh, N.C., 51:26
  10. Jonah Bird, 25, Knoxville, Tenn., 51:39

 

ZAP Endurance’s Van Der Els, Schaffer among top finishers in USATF 5K Nationals

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ZAP Endurance’s Van Der Els, Schaffer among top finishers in USATF 5K Nationals

By David Rogers. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — In just his first professional race back following knee surgery in December, Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance team member Eric Van Der Els finished No. 8 among 51 professional runners competing in the U.S. Track and Field National 5K race on May 3.

Van Der Els’ ZAP Endurance teammate Daniel Schaffer finished one place out of the money list, at No. 11, giving the High Country’s leading elite distance running team two athletes among the top finishers in yet another national championship competition.

Olin Hacker, 27, of Flagstaff, Ariz. finished No.1 in 13:31.93. Van Der Els was just over 12 seconds behind, in 13:44.60, while Schaffer stopped the clock at 13:56.31.

“It was a good day for ZAP Endurance,” said the team’s head coach, Pete Rea. “Both of our runners finished among the leaders and Eric’s (Van Der Els) performance was especially constructive since it was his first race back since surgery this past December.

ZAP Endurance has two team member running on May 4, including Andrew Colley in the Prague Marathon (in Prague, The Czech Republic) and Josh Izewski in the Independence Broad Street 10-Mile Run (in Philadelphia, Pa.).

TOP 25 FINISHERS, USATF National 5K Championship

  1. Olin Hacker, 27, Flagstaff, Ariz., 13:32 (4:21 mile pace)
  2. Casey Clinger, 26, Provo, Utah, 13:34
  3. Ahmed Muhumed, 27, Beaverton, Ore., 13:37
  4. Kirubel Erassa, 31, Fortville, Ind., 13:42
  5. Skylar Stidam, 24, Floyds Knobs, Ind. 13:43
  6. Kasey Knevelbaard, 28, Flagstaff, Ariz. 13:43
  7. Brian Barraza, 29, Boulder, Colo., 13:44
  8. Eric Van Der Els, 26, Blowing Rock, N.C., 13:45
  9. Dillon Maggard, 29, Seattle, Wash., 13:46
  10. Anthony Camerieri, 25, Brecksville, Ohio, 13:51
  11. Daniel Schaffer, 27, Blowing Rock, N.C., 13:57
  12. Tanner Chada, 26, Grand Rapids, Mich., 13:58
  13. Nick Foster, 24, Ann Arbor, Mich., 14:02
  14. Silas Winders, 23, Ames, Iowa, 14:04
  15. James Mwaura, 26, Tacoma, Wash., 14:05
  16. Nick Randazzo, 25, Ventura, Calif., 14:21
  17. Clayton Duchatschek, 26, Minnetonka, Minn., 14:21
  18. Caleb Webb, 27, Flagstaff, Ariz., 14:29
  19. Andrew Whitinger, 24, New Castle, Ind., 14:31
  20. Paul Chelimo, 34, Colorado Springs, Colo., 14:33
  21. Jack Kelke, 22, Romeo, Mich., 14:37
  22. Mason Tope, 29, Las Vegas, Nev., 14:39
  23. Titus Winders, 25, Minnetonka, Minn., 14:43
  24. Ryan Witters, 36, Falls Church, Va., 14:53
  25. Josette Andrews, 29, Boulder, Colo. 15:06

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Special Report from App State Athletics. BOONE, N.C. – App State celebrated a year of student-athlete and athletic achievements with the 2025 APPSPY Awards this week.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized the event, with Samantha LaFon (women’s basketball) and Tucker Sangster (men’s cross country/track & field) being the lead emcees. SAAC members, coaches and staff members from App State Athletics voted on various awards, which resulted primarily from accomplishments during the 2024 spring, fall and winter seasons.

  • Myles Tate (men’s basketball) won Male Athlete of the Year, while Jasmine Donohue (women’s cross country/track & field) and Savannah Dada-Mascoll (tennis) were named Female Athletes of the Year.
    • Tate was named a first-team All-Sun Belt and second-team all-district performer after leading the Mountaineers in scoring, assists and steals while ranking second on the team in rebounding. He was the only Division I player in the country to average at least 16 points, five assists, five rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
    • In alphabetical order, the other finalists were Ethan Lipham (cross country/track & field), Will Miller (wrestling), Kaedin Robinson (football) and Banks Tolley (baseball).
    • Donohue’s third-place individual finish helped lead App State to a Sun Belt Championship in women’s cross country, and she was the top individual scorer at the Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships by placing first in the 5,000 meters, second in the 3,000 meters and third in the mile.
    • Dada-Mascoll, meanwhile, had a 17-2 singles record at the No. 1 spot following a Sun Belt tournament in which she helped lead the Mountaineers to a No. 2 seed. She became the first App State player selected to play in ITA All-American Championships and was part of App State’s first doubles team to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship.
    • In alphabetical order, the other finalists were Lise Boekaar (field hockey), Kayt Houston (softball), Maya Winterhoff (volleyball) and Izzi Wood (soccer).
  • Coach of the Year honors went to Brad Herbster (men’s cross country) and Annie Richards (women’s cross country). The Mountaineers swept those Sun Belt titles, with the men repeating as champions and the women prevailing for the first time since 2018. It was App State’s first league sweep since 2012.
  • There were two Most Exciting Win recipients, with the Sun Belt cross country sweep being recognized along with freshman heavyweight wrestler Stephan Monchery’s last-match victory that secured a third straight SoCon Championship tournament team title for App State.
  • The inaugural Mountaineer Cup went to field hockey, which won a MAC regular season title, while CJ Huntley (men’s basketball) was named Mr. Yosef and Grace Ball (field hockey) was named Ms. Yosef. Huntley and Ball each played five seasons for the Mountaineers.
  • The festivities also included the addition of Comeback Player of the Year awards, with those going to Bryson Terrell (wrestling) and Sarah Widderich (soccer). They both were starters who came back strong from ailments or injuries earlier in their careers.
  • Thornton Gentry (football) won the prestigious Brakefield Award. Established by legendary App State football coach Jim Brakefield and his wife, Eloise, this award is given to a graduating student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average among all student-athletes.
  • Dianna Boykin (women’s track & field) received the Goodyear Family Athletic Scholarship. George and Anne Goodyear founded the scholarship in 1994 for a rising junior who has a minimum GPA of 2.0 and demonstrates strength of character in all that he or she does.
  • The Rick Edmundson Memorial Scholarship was presented to Sarah Callery (field hockey). That scholarship is awarded annually to a rising junior or senior who has exhibited loyalty and dedication to App State. Candidates give evidence of leadership potential and intelligence, exhibit sound and purposeful ambition, are vigorous and diligent in pursuit of duty and show compassion for others.
  • The Team Academic Excellence Awards went to women’s golf (cumulative GPA of 3.75 following the 2024 fall) and men’s cross country (cumulative GPA of 3.42 following the 2024 fall), while cheerleaders Shi Barnhardt and Andrew Mehringer won Julia Adams Scholarships.
  • Women’s track & field/cross country won the Mountaineer Moves Community Service Award, Jordan Tomberlin was the winner of the Ron “Doc” Kanoy Award and Scott Crothers received the Jack Branch Award.

Along with SAAC members presenting awards, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin provided opening remarks.

All for App Awards:

Baseball — Braxton Church
Field Hockey — Sarah Perkins
Football — Ethan Johnson
Men’s Cross Country — Calbert Guest
Men’s Basketball — CJ Huntley
Men’s Golf — Colin Browning
Men’s Track & Field — Patrick Freeman
Soccer — Gracie Giacoletto
Softball — Summer Simpson
Spirit — Ashley Macom
Tennis — Naledi Manyube
Women’s Basketball — Samantha LaFon
Women’s Cross Country — Lauren Johnston
Women’s Golf — Jacquelyn Taylor
Women’s Track & Field — Jasmine Donohue
Wrestling — Will Miller
Volleyball — Maya Winterhoff

Weight Room Warrior Awards:

Baseball — Zach Lewis
Field Hockey — Sarah Perkins
Football — Jaylon Calhoun/Kanye Roberts
Men’s Cross Country — Tucker Sangster
Men’s Basketball — Luke Wilson
Men’s Golf — Alex Martin
Men’s Track & Field — Parker Kinney
Soccer — Marley Kahle
Softball — Olivia Cook
Spirit — Gina Gallo/Alex Locklear
Tennis — Savannah Dada-Mascoll
Women’s Basketball — Zoë McCrary
Women’s Cross Country — Rhys Ammon
Women’s Golf — Salem Lee
Women’s Track & Field — Emily Edwards
Wrestling — Gunnar Pool
Volleyball — Akila Hardie

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