By Zach Smith. MAIDEN, N.C. — The last time Watauga visited Maiden, the Blue Devils won handily in a 47-0 shutout. This time, the Pioneers, led by star two-way players in junior Maddox Greene and senior Jackson Pryor, looked to flip the script.
Watauga entered Friday night’s contest on a 2-0 run featuring a tight, one-point victory over T.C. Roberson on Aug. 18 and a much more dominant showing against Avery County a week ago (Aug. 25). Maiden also entered the much anticipated matchup undefeated, winning convincingly against Foard before resting during their Week 2 bye.
The Pioneers wasted no time scoring, taking just five plays en route to the opening touchdown via a 28-yard connection from Greene to Pryor. Maiden quickly responded with a score of their own before Watauga posted three unanswered touchdowns. The Pioneers never relinquished their lead again, powering past Maiden in a crucial non-conference win.
Greene placed himself all over the stat sheet, throwing for nearly 170 yards while tacking on more than 60 rushing. For good measure, the multi-sport athlete added an interception and a fumble recovery on defense.
Pryor’s performance sparkled, too, hauling in four passes for 98 yards and two scores, as well as a forced fumble that was recovered by Greene.
Watauga head coach Ryan Habich spoke on how the staff manages their players who play on both sides of the ball.
“I think as they play more right now, they get in better shape,” Habich said. “But we do have to find ways to have more depth.”
Habich also mentioned how important it is for players like Greene to play both ways, both for the team and for the individual athletes.
“Maddox [Greene] has the potential to play in college as a defensive back,” said Habich. “They had a really dynamic wide receiver… that’s really good film for Maddox. I think it’s a win-win for him as a player-athlete, that you want to put him in positions where he can show what he can do for college scouts.”
The Pioneers remain undefeated, notching their third victory as they continue their road trip over the next two weeks. Watauga travels to Asheville next week to face off against A.C. Reynolds at 7:30p.m. Friday. The game, along with all other matchups for the season, can be streamed on the NFHS Network with a subscription.
By Jared Plecker for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – In front of a packed house at Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field, the App State Mountaineers (2-1) dropped their first contest in the Emily Dinsmore era against the Drexel Dragons (2-1) 3-0 on Sept. 1.
App State’s offense sputtered in today’s contest. The team attempted just two shots for the first three quarters in Friday night’s action. Drexel netted an early goal just minutes into the third quarter to secure the win.
Goalkeeper Addie Clark saved five shots in today’s contest. She has saved 14 shots so far this season to give her 219 for her career. Clark and the Mountaineer defense held the Dragons scoreless in the first half, while only allowing one shot.
Sophomore Bridget Donovan attempted two shots in today’s game to lead the Mountaineer offensive attack. Both shots were saved by the Dragon goalkeeper. App State was very aggressive in the attacking 25 all night, outshooting Drexel in the first half and the fourth quarter.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Quarter
Drexel defender Pien Elsen got things started with a shot just 25 seconds into play today. The shot was saved by Addie Clark, giving her her first save of the evening.
Bridget Donovan tallied App State’s first shot, firing one on goal but had it blocked by the Dragon goalkeeper. Donovan fired her second shot of the contest just a minute later, but also had that shot blocked.
Both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter.
2nd Quarter
The second quarter did not see any offensive action from either side. After 30 minutes of play, the game was scoreless.
Mountaineer goalkeeper Addie Clark has now held the opposition scoreless in three halves this season.
3rd Quarter
Drexel scored the game’s first goal off a corner kick just over a minute into the second half. Pien Elsen slid a shot past Clark to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead in the third.
The Mountaineers were aggressive in the third quarter on offense, but the Drexel defense held firm, holding the Mountaineers shotless for the second consecutive quarter.
With 26 seconds to go in the period, Drexel found the net again to give them a 2-0 lead. Val Van Hellemont was responsible for this goal, her second of the season.
4th Quarter
App State put four shots in the direction of the goalkeeper in the fourth quarter. Henriette Stegen slapped her second shot of the season at Dragon goalkeeper Megan Hadfield, but had it blocked.
In the late stages of the quarter, the Mountaineers attempted three shots within a minute of each other, but Hadfield stood firm between the posts.
The Dragons notched their third goal of the contest with 10 minutes of play to give them their third and final goal of the game to secure the win.
App State will return to Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field to cap off the weekend with the Davidson Wildcats on Sept. 3 to renew the longest series in program history. First touch is slated for 3 p.m. and can be streamed on Twitch, YouTube and the App State Field Hockey Facebook page.
By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. GREENVILLE, N.C. — The App State volleyball team swept Bethune-Cookman, 3-0 (25-11, 25-17, 25-16), and came out victorious from a five-set thriller against Campbell, 3-2 (28-30, 21-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-9), at the ECU Tournament on Friday.
Due to statistics-related issues during the App State vs. Campbell match, a full box score is not available at this time.
App State 3, Bethune-Cookman 0
Freshman Delanie Grevengoed tallied a career and team high 11 kills, while redshirt freshman Katie Cruise posted a career high and team high 22 assists. Sophomore Kenady Roper led the Mountaineers in the digs category with 10, while junior Lily Harvey totaled a team-high four blocks. Fifth-year senior McCall Denny, junior Alexis Hardison, sophomore Alyssa McBean, Roper and Cruise each posted an ace on the morning.
The Mountaineers outpaced the Wildcats in points (56-24), kills (44-21), aces (5-0), blocks (7-3), assists (41-19), and digs (33-26). Eighteen of 20 Mountaineers saw playing time against the Wildcats in Friday’s morning session.
App State held Bethune-Cookman to a mere 11 points in the first set after jumping ahead 4-0 early with kills from junior Lauren Pledger, Denny, and Grevengoed. The Mountaineers steadily built on their lead with three more 3-0 scoring runs, which eventually brought the Mountaineers to a 19-8 lead.
A kill from freshman Ava Leahy, block from Leahy/Pledger, and pair of errors from the Wildcats extended the Black & Gold’s lead to 23-9. Leahy and junior Lulu Ambrose closed out the first set with a pair of kills for a score of 25-11.
The second set started with a pair of blocks from Grevengoed/Harvey and Harvey/Denny as well as an ace from McBean. Leading 3-2, the Mountaineers extended their commanding lead with a 5-0 scoring run as well as a pair of 4-0 runs (21-13). App State took the second set 25-17 after another set-closing kill from Ambrose. Bethune-Cookman scored the first point of the final set and went point-for-point with the Mountaineers until a pair of Wildcat errors and an ace from Denny gave App State a 6-3 edge.
The Mountaineers continued to break away with another pair of 3-0 runs to take a 12-5 lead. A pair of back-to-back kills from Grevengoed, a kill from senior Cierra Huntley, and BCU error, put App State up 17-7. Kills from Huntley, Winterhoff, Ambrose, an ace from junior Alexis Hardison, and block from Harvey/senior Madison Baldridge brought the Mountaineers to set and match point. The Mountaineers secured the set 25-16, and the match 3-0.
App State 3, Campbell 2
Ambrose, Denny, and Winterhoff each recorded double-digit kills against the Camels. Denny also recorded the Mountaineers’ first double-double on the season with double-digit kills and digs.
The Mountaineers and Camels battled through a tight first set, pushing the score to 30-28 in favor of Campbell. Another point-for-point set brought Campbell into a 2-0 lead as they took the second set, 25-21, but App State was undeterred. The Black and Gold found its momentum in the third set, building off a 6-4 lead to leap ahead, 21-16. Taking the third set, 25-19, App State jumped to an immediate 10-0 lead in the fourth, building off aces from Roper and kills from Winterhoff, and Grevengoed. The Mountaineers held the Camels to 16 points in the fourth set, tying up the match at two sets apiece. App State clinched the five-set thriller, 3-2 after taking the fifth and final set, 15-9.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will close out competition at the ECU Tournament with a 3 p.m. match against the host, East Carolina. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+.
By David Rogers. NEWTON, N.C. — For an early season non-conference test, a four-set thriller was just what Foard head coach Meredith Lombardi and Watauga head coach Kim Pryor wanted, whoever won. Mission accomplished on Aug. 31 with the Pioneers pulling off the win, 3-1 (28-26, 20-25, 25-18. 25-17).
BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE
Given the intensity of the first two sets, which the two longtime friendly adversaries split, many in the well-populated grandstands thought that surely the match would go the distance, to five sets. The long, extended rallies throughout the evening featured powerful kill shots, stunning digs and dramatic saves to keep the ball in play only underlining the skillful, evenly-matched play of the rivalry.
Photographic image by David Rogers
The first set did not start out so promising for the visiting Pioneers, who dug themselves a proverbial hole at the start, with a six-point deficit. Pryor noted afterwards, “Resilience has been a mainstay of this team from the beginning.”
The Pioneers used that resilience to take the lead at 8-7 but could never quite gain separation from the Tigers. The lead changed hands several times, even though one or the other side jumped out to three- and four-point advantages. When Foard tied Watauga at 24-24, everyone in the building knew that first set was going to overtime — the Pioneers eventually prevailing, 28-26.
Sara Marlowe (10) watches Brooklyn Stanbery (12) keep the ball in play with a dig on Aug. 31 at Foard High School. Photographic image by David Rogers
Curiously, after Watauga had so valiantly rallied and persevered to win the first set, the Pioneers stumbled in the second set — and the Tigers got their well-polished “mojo” back, even featuring some forceful kill shots by senior outside hitter Taylor Ramseur. Although Watauga rallied back to close the deficit late in the set, Foard seemed very much in control throughout and won, 25-20.
The third and fourth sets saw Foard beginning to tire and the Pioneers relentless in keeping up the pressure. Even so, some of the best and longest rallies of the evening were to be had, the scrappy Tigers refusing to go quietly into the night without a fight.
.Birthday Girl’ Madi Combs (4) wets the ball for an outside hitter on Aug. 31 vs. Fred T. Foard. Photographic image by David Rogers
Foard’s head mentor, Lombardi spoke to the history of this rivalry after the final whistle had blown.
“I always look forward to these teams playing each other. Foard vs. Watauga is always going to be a solid match,” said Lombardi. “It is a great competition for us to get ready for our conference play and, hopefully, in the state playoffs. Watauga is always ready. Tonight, we expected Watauga to be big and they were. They were quick and they were big.
“Watauga’s defense is very hard to score on,” Lombardi added. “Their libero (Evie Robbins)… was all over the floor to keep the ball in play. And their setters did a great job of setting up their hitters.”
Watauga libero Evie Robbins collects a dig during the Pioneers’ 3-1 win over Foard on Aug. 31. Photographic image by David Rogers
Not surprisingly, Watauga’s Pryor had post-game comments that mirrored her Foard counterpart’s.
“Foard is always really, really scrappy and is really good on defense. No matter what we brought, we knew we would have to be ready because they would have an equal amount of digs and great plays on that side of the net,” said Pryor. “We started slow, but over and over again this team has been resilient. No matter what, they know they are in this game.”
Kasey Gragg (15) gets in a dig on Aug. 31 during Watauga’s 4-set win over host Foard. Photographic image by David Rogers
It was senior designator setter Madi Combs’ birthday on Aug. 31, so this win was particularly special for her.
“Coming in, we knew Foard was a really scrappy team and that we would have to be just as scrappy to keep the ball from hitting the floor,” said Combs just before revealing that she had special motivation because it was her birthday. “I knew I had to set our outside hitters because they are really strong. In particular, our senior, Brooklyn Stanbery is really smart with the ball and hits around many of the blocks.”
Stanbery noted that her team’s energy was a difference maker in jumpstarting their early comeback rally.
“The thing about our team is our energy goes a long way,” said Stanbery. “What I mean by that is if we are not talking or hearing, then we just won’t play good. We have to cheer each other on, support each other. I know that sounds simple, but it makes a difference.”
The Pioneers have two more non-conference games before starting their Northwestern Conference slate on Sept. 13 at home vs. South Caldwell. On Sept. 5, the host Cuthbertson at Lentz Eggers Gym in a rematch after last week’s 3-0 sweep of the Cavaliers in Waxhaw. A day later (Sept. 6), Watauga goes on the road for another early season rematch, at Hickory, whom the Pioneers fought in a 5-set thriller on Aug. 22, before winning, 3-2.
By David Rogers. NEWTON, N.C. — It required 40 digs scattered among 10 Watauga junior varsity players to turn back the Foard JVs on Aug. 31, before the Pioneers pulled out a 2-1 thriller (25-22, 20-25, 15-8).
BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE
Watauga sophomore Lilli Combs’ 14 digs accounted for much of the Pioneers defensive effort but her 12 assists were also a team high in setting up outside hitters Athena Elliott (8 kills), Gracyn Blanton (7 kills) and Rylee Mitchell (6 kills, 2 service aces). Setter Ava Zaragoza registered two service aces and contributed 8 assists to complete the statistical highlights of the match.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — For an early season middle school football game, the Watauga Wolverines were not just talented, but well-prepared and disciplined in running over their Ashe County counterparts, 44-0, on Aug. 29 at Jack Groce Stadium.
BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE
Featuring a run-oriented offense that somewhat mirrors the Pioneers’ high school team, the Wolverines got after the Huskies early and often. When the Huskies weren’t suffering from mental mistakes (AKA penalties such as false starts and offsides), they shot themselves in the proverbial foot with drive-killing fumbles, some lost as turnovers.
Luke Everett sprints through a gap for a 2-point conversion on Aug. 29, vs. Ashe County. Photographic image by David Rogers
Watauga wingback Coy Greer carried the ball six times for 130 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 2-point conversion. After the game, he deflected any praise, crediting his offensive linemen for creating the gaps and their blocking.
The Wolverines also saw rushing TDs from Garvin Chauncey (3 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD), quarterback Chase Watts (5 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD, 1-1 passing for -1 yard), and Michael Morgan (4 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD). Also out of the Wolverine backfield, Luke Everett tallied a 2-point conversion with a sweep around the left side.
Coy Greer crosses the goal line for one of three TDS scored on behalf of the Wolverines vs. Ashe County on Aug. 29. Photographic image by David Rogers
“I went a little too far outside,” said Everett later in recalling the designed play, “then saw the gap open inside and cut back in. If I had continued going outside, I probably wouldn’t have made it across the goal line.”
What Watauga accomplished on offense, they also did on defense. John Wilson Mills of Blowing Rock was arguably the star of the Wolverines’ defensive show on this day, flying around the field with a mission of stopping Ashe County dead in its tracks, even on special teams. The authority with which he med the Husky playmakers resonated throughout the packed grandstands.
Watauga middle school cheerleader coach Alex Vines recalled of a Mills “pancake” tackle in the first half, “One of my girls wasn’t looking a the field and heard the smack of body hitting body. She said, ‘What was THAT?’ I replied, ‘That was a John Wilson Mills hit.'”
Watauga Wolverines’ middle school cheerleaders. Photographic image by David Rogers
Mills wasn’t alone. Watts was playing both ways and also was main contributor on defense, individually, while the defensive line kept consistent pressure on the Husky quarterback, Kaedon Cook.
Offensively, Husky running back Haylon Cox carried the ball seven times for 18 yards, while Cook was limited to just one yard on five carries. He was 0-3 passing, with one interception — by John Wilson Mills.
“I was excited,” said Wolverine head coach Michael Neff. “On Saturday we got to scrimmage against Chestnut Grove Middle School in Stokes County. Based on what we saw, we knew our defense was going to be tough and we felt our offense was going to be able to score some points. We have been excited for the last 72 hours to see what we could do against an official opponent, not just in a scrimmage. Our kids definitely came to play. Football is about running, blocking and tackling, and we did all of that in all phases.”
Neff singled out John Wilson Mills as one of the Watauga players who is making a difference.
Ashe County quarterback Kaedon Cook (2) was frequently under pressure by the Watauga defensive line even before handing off to running back Haylon Cox ((4). Photographic image by David Rogers
“Mills is a player. He flies around, getting after it and making plays. He truly loves the game of football and we have a number of guys on the team that feel the same way.”
While dominant, the Wolverines’ performance was far from perfect.
“I know it seemed as if everything was going right,” said Neff, “but we missed some blocks. We missed some tackles. We will start working again tomorrow and correct some things, getting ready for West Alexander next week because they are going to be tough.”
The Wolverines meet West Alexander on Sept. 6, with kickoff at Jack Groce Stadium scheduled for 5 p.m. They play at East Alexander a week later.
BONUS PHOTOS
Watauga Middle Schools’ cheerleader coach Alex Vines speaks to her 20-girl team on Aug. 29 at Jack Groce Stadium during the Wolverines; game vs. Ashe County. Photographic image by David Rogers
Luke Everett sprints through a gap for a 2-point conversion on Aug. 29, vs. Ashe County. Photographic image by David Rogers
Watauga Wolverines’ middle school cheerleaders. Photographic image by David Rogers
Watauga middle school defensive back John Wilson Mills intercepts an Ashe County pass inthe first half of the Wolverines’ 44-0 win vs. Ashe County. Photographic image by David RogersWatauga’s John Wilson Mills (11) sacks the Ashe County QB on Aug. 29. Photographic image by David RogersCoy Greer crosses the goal line for one of three TDS scored on behalf of the Wolverines vs. Ashe County on Aug. 29. Photographic image by David Rogers
By David Rogers. WAXHAW, N.C. — A road match two hours from home at Cutherbertson, a perennially strong contender in the Southern Carolina 4A Conference, hardly fazed the Watauga women’s volleyball team on Aug. 28. The Pioneers manufactured sweeps of both the varsity and junior matchups with the host Cavaliers.
Watauga’s 3-0 varsity performance (25-23, 25-13. 25-22) was highlighted by 13 and 10 kills, respectively, off the arms of Emma Pastusic and Brooklyn Stanbery, on offense. Defensively, Evie Robbins (16 digs). Lainey Gragg (9 digs) and Stanbery (9 digs) led the Pioneer effort, along with stuff blocks featuring Kora Knight (5), Grace Twillery (2), Kasey Gragg (2), and Kate McCullough (1).
The Watauga JVs’ 2-0 sweep (25-18. 25-16) featured kills by Gracyn Blanton (4) and Athena Elliott (2), while Bella Wade’s 8 digs led a balanced defensive effort from the junior Pioneers. Notably, Watauga was strong at the service line in keeping the Pioneers in front, with service aces from Bella Wade (5), Rylee Mitchell (2), and Lilli Combs (2).
By Jacob Plecker for App State Sports. TOWSON, Md. — Three goals within five minutes in the third quarter propelled the App State Mountaineers (2-0) to a 4-1 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas (0-2) and capped off an undefeated opening weekend.
Sunday was a day full of firsts for the Mountaineers.. Sophia Baxter and Florine Koopman notched their first career goals, while Noa Ginjaume Matas was credited with her first two career assists on the day.
Baxter also recorded her first career multi-goal game in Sunday’s win. The freshman midfielder scored the first goal with 10 minutes to play in the third quarter. She then slapped her second career goal into the back of the cage just over five minutes later off a penalty corner, extending the App State lead to four.
The Mountaineers were efficient with the shots they took in the contest. Of the 11 shots that were attempted by App State, seven of them were on goal. They applied constant pressure on the Hoya defense and found the back of the cage four times, recording the most goals the team has scored in a game since Oct. 23, 2022.
With the April 27 win, the Mountaineers have started the season 2-0 for the second straight year. More firsts: Emily Dinsmore won her first two games as a head coach, which is the first time that feat has been accomplished by a Mountaineer head coach since Mandy Latz won her first two games in 2003.
How it Happened
1st Quarter:
The Mountaineers started Sunday’s contest off almost identical to Friday’s win. Off an insert by Florine Koopman on a penalty corner, Sarah Perkins left the ball for Charlotte Bosma who then fired the ball past the Georgetown defense and into the back of the cage to give the Mountaineers an early lead.
Georgetown led the quarter in shots attempted but none were on target, allowing the Mountaineers to take a one goal lead into the second quarter.
2nd Quarter:
The second quarter saw several chances for the Hoyas to tie the game. Georgetown drew one penalty corner and attempted four shots, but Addie Clark continued her great play between the posts and recorded two more saves.
App State did not attempt a shot in the second quarter but the defense held firm as Bosma’s goal preserved the Mountaineers’ 1-0 lead after one half of play.
3rd Quarter:
App State immediately took control of the game coming out of the halftime break, scoring three goals in the quarter and breaking the game wide open.
Sophia Baxter netted her first career goal after App State drew its third penalty corner of the game. Baxter took the pass from Sarah Farrell and smacked the ball past the Hoya goalkeeper to make the score 2-0. Farrell’s assist was her first of the season and sixth of her career.
30 seconds later, App State found the back of the cage for the third time of the day. Florine Koopman scored her first career goal off a redirect to give App State a 3-0 lead. Both Grace Ball and Noa Ginjaume Matas were credited with assists on Koopman’s goal. The assist by Ginjaume Matas was her first career assist.
With five minutes to play in the third quarter, Baxter scored her second career goal and second of the day off yet another App State penalty corner. Ball and Ginjaume Matas were credited with the assists, giving them both two for the day.
App State applied pressure on the Hoya defense throughout the quarter, outshooting them 7-2 in the third.
4th Quarter:
The Hoyas scored their lone goal of the day just three minutes into the fourth quarter on Sunday. Lois Lekawael was responsible for this goal, with assists credited to Julia Hall and Sophie Towne.
But it was too little, too late for the Hoyas as a monster third quarter by the Mountaineers put the game out of reach and propelled the team to its second consecutive 2-0 start.
The Mountaineers return to the High Country for their first home game on Friday, Sep. 1, where they will take on the Drexel Dragons. First touch from Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field is set for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on Twitch, YouTube and the team’s Facebook page.
By David Rogers. BRISTOL, Tenn. — With almost half of the top 15 girls competing in the 2023 Run for the Hills middle school girls cross country race wearing Pioneer colors, including four in the Top 10, Watauga ran away with the team title on Aug. 26.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS 2400-METER FINAL (252 runners competing)
No. 1 – Cali Townsend (8th Grade)
No. 5. – Kate James Moore (6th Grade)
No. 10 – Maia Carter (6th Grade)
No. 11 – Ayla Tunstill (7th Grade)
No. 12 – Lillian Kimbrough (8th Grade)
No. 13 – Sophia Stull (7th Grade)
No. 22 – Eva Hannon (7th Grade)
No. 23 – Grace Scantlin (8th Grade)
TEAM SCORES
No. 1 – Watauga Middle School
No. 2 – Liberty Bell Middle School
No. 3 – Indian Trail Middle School
“What can you say about our girls except they are terrific competitors?” said Watauga Middle School cross country head coach Scott Townsend. “We won this meet as a team for the third year in a row, with a first place score of 19 points (15 points is perfect). Moreover, our entire girls team finished ahead of 99 other athletes. Out of 299 runners in the race, placing all of our top scoring five in the top 12 is pretty remarkable.”
Townsend also noted that his daughter, Cali Townsend, set an all grades course record by three seconds, a record previously set by current University of North Carolina runner Sasha Neglia. He also reported that Watauga 6th grader Kate James Moore now holds the course record previous held by… Cali Townsend… beating the former mark by 10 seconds.
MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS 2400-METER FINAL (300 runners competing)
On any other day, a Sean Rea’s No. 34 finish in the Run for the Hills middle school boys cross country race might go unnoticed. But considering the Blowing Rock 7th grader was No. 34 out of 300 runners in the race and on an unfamiliar course, Rea’s finish is noteworthy.
And although he beat the Watauga Middle School team record, Rea wasn’t even the best Watauga runner to finish the race. That honor goes to fellow 7th grader Jonah Pearson, who finished No. 15.
No. 15 – Jonah Pearson (7th Grade)
No. 34 – Sean Rea (7th Grade)
No. 91 – Asa Freed (6th Grade)
No. 95 – Caleb Duvall (7th Grade)
As a team, Watauga finshed No. 9 out of 21 teams.
“Our kids came out like prizefighters today, looking to cause some serious hurt!” said Townsend after the race. “Our boys are growing and getting better each week. The difference in scoring positions for the No. 1 boy runner and the No. 5 has been cut in half. Every single one of our boys improved on their mile pace from last week.”
By David Rogers. DOBSON, N.C. — Several Watauga runners finished at or near the top of various race classifications on Aug. 26 at Fisher River Park. The Pioneer performances were led by Will Bradbury, Janie Beach-Verhay and Elliott Taft.
Highlights, as reported by NCMileSplit
High School Men’s 5K Championship (112 runners competing)
No. 1 – Will Bradbury (Junior)
No. 9 – Sam Nixon (Senior)
No. 10 – Calvin Zwetsloot (Sophomore)
No. 15 – Zeke Walker (Sophomore)
No. 16 – Sam Rex (Junior)
No. 17 – Grady Gates (Freshman)
No. 18 – Davis Crymes (Senior)
No. 19 – Haines Heistand (Junior)
TEAM RESULTS
No. 1 – Grimsley
No. 2 – Watauga
No. 3 – Calvary Baptist Day School
High School Women’s 5K Championship (70 runners competing)
No. 4 – Janie Beach-Verhay (Sophomore)
No. 7 – Rachel Cathey (Senior)
No. 9 – Maggie Visser (Freshman)
No. 11 – Sydney Cate Townsend (Sophomore)
No. 15 – Winter Shaw (Freshman)
No. 18 – Lainey Johnston (Freshman)
TEAM RESULTS
No. 1 – Watauga
No. 2 – Grimsley
No. 3 – Northwest Cabarrus
High School Girls and Boys 2-Mile (119 runners competing)
