High Country Sports

Author: David

  • Lipham, Russum headline Sun Belt all-conference awards

    By Katherine Jamtgaard. NEW ORLEANS, La. — App State senior Emma Russum was named the Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Newcomer of the Year and was one of 10 Mountaineers who earned all-conference accolades, the league announced Thursday.

    Russum clinched the Sun Belt crown in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:36.27 and secured silver in the women’s 5,000 meters with a time of 16:53.59. She garnered First Team All-SBC honors for her efforts on the track. In the App State all-time list, Russum ranks second in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and women’s 10,000 meters, as well as fourth in the women’s 5,000 meters. Over the course of the season, Russum led the league in the women’s 5,000 meters (16:30.30, PR), women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:34.13, PR), and women’s 10,000 meters (34:41.91, PR). Russum also ranks among the NCAA Southeast Region’s top-25 in the women’s 10,000 meters and women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase categories.

    Ethan Lipham

    Junior Ethan Lipham also collected First Team All-SBC honors in the Men’s Division and was one of the leagues’ top scorers at the SBC Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet. Individually, Lipham scored 20 points for the Mountaineers after clinching the titles for the men’s 1,500 meters and men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Lipham defended his men’s 1,500-meter title from 2024, after stopping the clock at 3:50.83. He was four seconds shy of his personal best of 3:46.82, which he set at the Penn Relays (April 24). With a personal best of 8:58.49, Lipham clinched the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase crown. The Largo, Fla. native currently stands fourth in the App State all-time list in the men’s 1,500 meters and sixth all-time in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

    And More Honors, Too

    Sophomore Matthew Gray, freshman Lilly Nichols, and graduate student Ethan Turner earned Second Team All-SBC accolades for their performances. Gray broke the App State men’s pole vault record with a clearance of 5.38m (17′ 7.75″). The previous school record, which Gray shared with Patrick Freeman, was 5.35m (17′ 6.5″). In just two seasons with the Mountaineers, Gray has reset the program record on four occasions. Nichols also broke the App State women’s pole vault record with a clearance of 4.11m (13′ 5.75″) and now holds the program’s indoor and outdoor women’s pole vault records. The previous record was 4.04m (13′ 3″), which was set in 2024 by Ava Studney. In the men’s 10,000 meters, Turner stopped the clock at 30:07.94 to place second. Turner also moved to ninth in the program all-time list.

    Freshman Thomas Wlazlowski had joined Lipham on the podium for his performance in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, where he finished third with a personal best of 9:03.65. Wlazlowski moved to 10th in the App State all-time list after the race. The men’s 4×100-meter quartet of freshman Brandon Parker, sophomore Armonté Ferguson, freshman Jonathan Wilson, and junior Ray Lee also earned Third Team All-SBC honors after stopping the clock at 40.01. The quartet was one second shy of the program record of 39.70, which was set at the 2012 NCAA Championships.

    App State is set to host the Sunday Night Qualifier on May 18 at the Randy Marion Track & Field Facility in Boone, N.C.

    The NCAA East Preliminary Round is slated for May 28-31 and will be hosted by North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The meet will be available to stream on ESPN+.

    Special Awards

    Women’s Track Performer of the Year: Abigail Parra, Texas State
    Women’s Field Performer of the Year: Imani Moore, Georgia Southern
    Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Emma Russum, App State
    Women’s Freshman of the Year: Charlize Goody, Texas State
    Women’s Coach of the Year: John Frazier, Texas State
    Women’s Elite Award: Lara Roberts, Texas State

    Men’s Track Performer of the Year: Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State
    Men’s Field Performer of the Year: Aiden Hayes, Texas State
    Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Drew Donley, Texas State
    Men’s Freshman of the Year: Lawson Jacobs, Louisiana
    Men’s Coach of the Year: John Frazier, Texas State
    Men’s Elite Award: Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State

    2025 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team

    • Ethan Lipham, App State
    • Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State
    • Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State
    • Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State
    • Menachem Chen, Arkansas State
    • Noa Isaia, Arkansas State
    • Mark Daley, Louisiana
    • Jonathan Gamarra, Louisiana
    • Chris Gravois, Louisiana
    • Camren Hardy, Louisiana
    • Jeremy Nelson, Louisiana
    • Lawson Jacobs, Louisiana
    • Joseph Patterson, Louisiana
    • Caemon Scott, Louisiana
    • Hunter Ullrich, Louisiana
    • Reuben Booysen, South Alabama
    • Kendal White, South Alabama
    • Piers Cameron, Southern Miss
    • Drew Donley, Texas State
    • Aiden Hayes, Texas State
    • Chris Preddie, Texas State
    • Easton Hammond, Texas State
    • Tydreke Thomas, Troy

    2025 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Second Team

    • Matthew Gray, App State
    • Ethan Turner, App State
    • Brandon Williams, Arkansas State
    • Terrique Webb, Coastal Carolina
    • Samuel Mika, South Alabama
    • Sacha Perrier, South Alabama
    • Javel Fullerton, Southern Miss
    • Conner Mozee, Southern Miss
    • Kelsey Singleton, Southern Miss
    • Connor Warzecha, Texas State
    • Michael Hermes, Texas State
    • Shedrack Akpeki, Texas State
    • Daniel Harrold, Texas State
    • Kason O’Riley, Texas State
    • Altwayne Bedward, Troy
    • Evan Brown, Troy
    • Michael Eady, Troy
    • Keylan Hicks, Troy
    • Imani Coleman, ULM
    • Matthew Malcolm, ULM
    • Santana Richardson, ULM
    • Stafon Roach, ULM
    • J’Marcus Sewell, ULM

    2025 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Third Team

    • Armonté Ferguson, App State
    • Ray Lee, App State
    • Brandon Parker, App State
    • Jonathan Wilson, App State
    • Thomas Wlazlowski, App State
    • Kamil Przybyla, Arkansas State
    • Trey Kraimer, Coastal Carolina
    • Adam Groves, Coastal Carolina
    • William Howard, Louisiana
    • Federico Bovo, Louisiana
    • Teodor Borgius, Louisiana
    • Dallas Beck, South Alabama
    • Javon Glen, South Alabama
    • Bobby Gray, South Alabama
    • Tre Hill, South Alabama
    • Marlon Miller, South Alabama
    • Jordan Morrison, South Alabama
    • Zayne Palomino, Southern Miss
    • De’Aundre Ward, Southern Miss
    • Mihajlo Katanic, Texas State
    • Daniel Strooh, Texas State
    • Carlo Martinez-Jaramillo, ULM
    • Devin Bilbo, ULM

    2025 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team

    • Emma Russum, App State
    • Carly Pujol, Arkansas State
    • Molly Jones, Coastal Carolina
    • Amanda Kinloch, Coastal Carolina
    • Shatalya Dorsett, Georgia Southern
    • Emani George, Georgia Southern
    • Imani Moore, Georgia Southern
    • Devine Parker, Georgia Southern
    • NaJ Watson, Georgia Southern
    • Kimola Hines, Louisiana
    • Isabelle Russell, Louisiana
    • Jaellene Burgess, Southern Miss
    • Taliyah Lindsey, Southern Miss
    • Addison McLaurin, Southern Miss
    • Kennedi Sanders, Southern Miss
    • Alana Simon, Southern Miss
    • Abigail Parra, Texas State
    • Melanie Duron, Texas State
    • Lara Roberts, Texas State
    • Charlize Goody, Texas State
    • Savanna Lawson, ULM
    • Katerina Natsiopoulou, ULM

    2025 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Second Team

    • Lilly Nichols, App State
    • Miranda Burgett, Arkansas State
    • Michelle Ogbemudia, Arkansas State
    • Kennedy Hood, Georgia Southern
    • Leonaya Knox, Georgia Southern
    • Holly Mpassy, James Madison
    • Amairi Ashford, Louisiana
    • Alaysha Veal, Louisiana
    • Destiny Berryman, Marshall
    • Iyana Johnson, South Alabama
    • Calli Stokes, South Alabama
    • Joidon Boddie, Southern Miss
    • Cadence Lapp, Southern Miss
    • Tacherria Lawson, Southern Miss
    • Valencia Watson, Southern Miss
    • Jasmine Jimenez, Troy
    • Aaliyah Murphy, Troy
    • Kady Schwietz, Troy
    • Haley Wilson, Troy

    2025 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Third Team

    • Tyra Nabors, Arkansas State
    • Amilia Wise-Sweat, Coastal Carolina
    • Christine Fitzgerald, James Madison
    • Esther Germain, James Madison
    • Erica Moolman, James Madison
    • Kadence Wilson, James Madison
    • Lily Murray, Louisiana
    • Quincy Simon, Louisiana
    • Reem Tammam, Louisiana
    • Jaala Thymes, Louisiana
    • Chaniqua Tonge, Louisiana
    • Shenell Tucker, Louisiana
    • Hannah Wyler, Marshall
    • Taylor Spencer, Marshall
    • Charleen Elizondo, South Alabama
    • Ava Wheaton, South Alabama
    • Jelese Alexander, Southern Miss
    • Sophia Haberer, Texas State
    • Shanyah Washington, Troy
    • Alice Hultberg, ULM

  • Lipham, Russum lead App State performances in Sun Belt Conference Track & Field Championships

    By David Rogers. HARRISONBURG, Va. (remote) — Winning only by a proverbial “nose” in the Men’s 1500 Meters, App State junior Ethan Lipham sprinted to the lead with under 200 meters to go on May 11, then held off a late charging Joseph Patterson, a Louisiana senior, to capture his second Sun Belt Conference championship in as many days while defending the 1500-Meter title he won a year ago as a sophomore.

    In the 1500, Lipham (No. 1, 3:50.83) led a quartet of App State middle distance runners who qualified for the finals out of the preliminary heats. They included freshman Rowan Gwin (No. 5, 3:52.48), junior Steven Smith (No. 8, 3:55.84), and junior Rylan Haskett (No. 9, 3:56.09). Declared the No. 2 finisher, Patterson of Louisiana was credited with a time of 3:50.85, just two one-hundredths of a second behind Lipham.

    With a surprise move a day earlier, Lipham (8:58.49) rallied in the final 200 meters of the 3,000-Meter Steeplechase to claim the Sun Belt Conference title, again leading a quartet of Mountaineers, this time all finishing among the top seven runners. The event’s defending champion, App State senior Calbert Guest (9:06.29) fell down three times during the race and still salvaged a No. 4 finish. Mountaineer freshman Thomas Wlazlowski (8:03.65) was at No. 3. South Alabama senior Sacha Perrier (8:59.51) snuck into the No. 2 spot, effectively disrupting the App State sweep. The Mountaineers’ Steven Smith completed the grueling steeplechase race in the No. 7 position (9:12.88).

    Mountaineer senior Emma Russum captured the Women’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase title, finishing No. 1 (10:36.27) at the Sun Belt Conference Track & Field Championships. Russum completed the course 14 seconds ahead of No. 2 finisher Cadence Lapp (10:50.99) of Southern Miss. App State senior Regan Hodge was No. 9 (11:12.05).

    Other App State Women’s Highlights

    • App State sophomore Nicole Wells finished just off the podium at No. 4 (55.48) in the Women’s 400 Meters. No. 1 (53.86) in the event was Holly Mpassy of James Madison.
    • Russum was just one second off becoming a double-winner, finishing No. 2 in the Women’s 5,000 Meters in 16:53.59. No. 1 went to Coastal Carolina’s Molly Jones (16:52.56, her season’s best).
    • App State put two athletes in the Women’s Pole Vault’s top five, including No. 2, freshman Lilly Nichols (13-5.75, a personal best) and No. 5, junior Ava Studney (12-10). Arkansas State junior Carly Pujol recorded a personal best of 14-1.75 to capture the No. 1 spot.

    Other App State Women’s Highlights:

    • Parker Kinney (junior), No. 5 in the Men’s 400 Meters (47.17). The event was won by Louisiana freshman Lawson Jacobs (45.57).
    • In the Men’s 5000-Meter race, Arkansas State senior Jacob Pyeatt was No. 1, setting a Sun Belt meet record at 13:50.83, but App State had a good showing with No. 4 senior Calbert Guest (14:27.33), No. 5 freshman Henry Stark (14:28.82), and No. 6 freshman Thomas Wlazlowski (14:29.50). Also in the mix were junior Ethan Turner (No. 10, 14:39.56), No. 13 senior Oliver Wilson-Cook (14:45.70) and No. 15 junior Chase Burrell (14:52.24), out of the 45 athletes competing in the race.
    • App State also fared well at the 10,000-Meters’ distance, with four runners in the top seven out of 19 athletes competing. Arkansas State senior Jacob Pyeatt (29:54.18) matched Lipham’s double-win by adding the 10,000-Meters title to his weekend performance. Mountaineer top finishers included No. 2 Ethan Turner (30:07.94), No. 4 Chase Burrell (30:25.19), No. 5 Memphis Rich (30:27.98) and No. 7 Oliver Wilson-Cook (30:32.77).
    • App State was No. 3 in the 4×100 Meter Relay (40.01), behind No. 1 Louisiana (39.55) and No. 2 Troy (39.79), in one of the tightest finishes of the day among the relays.
    • App State sophomore Matthew Gray was No. 2 in the Pole Vault (17-7.75), behind No. 1 Bradley Jelmert of Arkansas State (17-11.75).
    • Recording a personal best, App State freshman Chris Stewart finished the Shot Put at No. 5 (56-4.75). The No. 1 performance was by Southern Miss junior Piers Cameron, with a personal best of 63-9.75.

    WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES

    1. Texas State – 119
    2. Louisiana – 108
    3. Southern Miss – 97
    4. Georgia Southern – 91
    5. Arkansas State – 69
    6. South Alabama – 68
    7. Coastal Carolina – 63
    8. App State – 50
    9. Troy – 43
    10. Marshall – 36
    11. ULM – 30
    12. James Madison – 30
    13. Georgia State – 15

    MEN’S TEAM SCORES

    1. Texas State – 145
    2. Arkansas State – 126
    3. Louisiana – 114
    4. South Alabama – 108
    5. App State – 97
    6. Southern Miss – 72
    7. ULM – 67
    8. Troy – 40
    9. Coastal Carolina – 36
    10. Marshall – 9

  • App State rebounds for 12-2 win at South Alabama

    By David Rogers. MOBILE, Ala. (remote) — Just one day after suffering a doubleheader sweep at the hands of South Alabama, App State stormed back with a vengeance on May 11 to win the final game of the 3-game weekend series, 12-2.

    The Jaguars and the Mountaineers matched each other’s offensive production in the first inning, completing the frame at 2-2, but those were the only runs allowed by App State pitchers (and defense in the field) for the rest of the contest.

    Meanwhile, the Mountaineers added two more in the second inning, exploded for five runs in the fourth frame and just for good measure brought three more runs home in innings No. 8 and No. 9.

    Hitting from the No. 9 spot in the Mountaineers’ batting order, left fielder Riley Luft led off the top half of the big fourth inning with a double down the left field line, into the corner. The Jaguars pitcher, Zach Willingham, retired the next two batters, Tanner McCammon on grounder to third and striking out Tyler Lichtenberger, but issued 2-out walks to 2B Joseph Zamora and DH Kameron Miller to load the bases.

    That set the stage for one of App State’s power hitters and Juan Correa delivered. With the bases loaded, Willingham was forced to hurl strikes at the Mountaineer first baseman or have a run forced home with a walk. It was as if Correa, the senior transfer from Charlotte was salivating at the prospect of getting pitches he could hit. He got the meat of his bat on the very first pitch, pounding it out of the park over the left centerfield fence for a grand slam home run.

    That earned Willingham a ticket to the showers and the Jaguars brought Tyler Smith to the mound — but App State wasn’t quite done in the inning. Catcher Braxton Church promptly doubled down the left field line, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Shortstop Tyler Figueroa worked the count to 2-2 before slapping an RBI single to left center, scoring Church for App State’s final run of the inning.

    In the first inning, McCammon opened the game with a leadoff double, but was thrown out at home trying to score on Lichtenberger’s follow-up single to center. Undeterred, the Mountaineers loaded the bases a first time for Correa, who ripped a single to left, scoring Zamora and Lichtenberger ahead of him for his initial RBIs for the day.

    Those two RBIs, combined with the grand slam HR (4 RBIs) and another, 2-run home run in the top of the 8th inning, gave Correa 8 RBIs for the afternoon, the most for any Mountaineer since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014. It was also the Weston, Fla. native’s fourth, multi-homer game of the 2025 season.

    Three Mountaineer pitchers combined to hold the Jaguars scoreless over the final eight and two-thirds innings, giving up just four hits while backed by a stellar defensive effort in the field. Out of 35 batters faced by the trio, they forced 10 ground outs, including two double plays. Cal Clark, a 6-4, 223 lb. righthander, did yeoman’s work in pitching the middle four innings. He was highly efficient, with 30 of his 54 pitches going for strikes.

    App State returns to the friendly confines of Smith Field on Thursday, May 15, for its final 3-game series of the regular season, vs. Georgia State. First pitch on May 15 and 16 is scheduled for 6 p.m, and 1 p.m. for the final home game on Saturday.

    Georgia State brings an overall record of 24-29, 9-18 in Sun Belt play. App State is now 22-28 overall, 12-15 in the Sun Belt — and currently clinging to the No. 10 spot in the SBC standings. Only the top 10 earn trips to Montgomery, Ala., May 20-25, to play in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament at Riverwalk Stadium.

    KEY PERFORMERS

    • APP – Juan Correa: 3-4, 2 runs scored, 8 RBIs, 2 HRs, walk
    • APP – Joseph Zamora: 3-5, 3 runs scored
    • APP – Kameron Miller: 1-4, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, walk
    • APP – Tyler Lichtenberger: 1-5, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, walk
    • APP – Tyler Figueroa: 1-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI

  • 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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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.