High Country Sports

Author: David

  • App State Baseball launches three homers in loss to Texas State, 17-7

    By Matt Present. SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – App State grabbed a 4-0 advantage early, but were unable to keep pace with the offense of Texas State on Saturday, falling 17-7 in seven innings at Bobcat Ballpark.

    Leading 2-0 in the second inning, Austin St. Laurent and Xavier Moronta hit back-to-back home runs to push the App State advantage to 4-0. CJ Boyd later added his seventh home run of the season, but all three long balls from the Mountaineers (11-6, 0-2) were solo shots.

    Batting one through three in the Mountaineers’ order, Boyd, St. Laurent and Moronta combined to tally six hits, score five runs and drive in five runs for the App State offense.

    All three Mountaineer long balls were solo shots.

    Meanwhile, Texas State (11-8, 2-0) responded with three home runs in an eight-run bottom of the second inning. Daylan Pena homered twice in the inning and blasted three home runs in the ballgame for the Bobcats. Texas State finished the contest with 17 hits, including four round-trippers.

    Texas State scored at least a run in every inning after the first, ultimately securing a run rule walk-off win on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh.

    App State will look to salvage the finale of the series on Sunday, as Dante Chirico will make the start, in a contest slated for 2 p.m. ET.

    BOX SCORE: HERE

  • Texas State rallies late to take series opener vs. App State, 3-2

    By Matt Present. SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – In a ballgame that was scoreless through six innings of play, App State put the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth inning, before falling 3-2 at Texas State on Friday at Bobcat Ballpark.

    Bradley Wilson was outstanding for the Mountaineers in his first start of Sun Belt play. The right-hander allowed just one hit, and struck out six, in six scoreless innings of work.

    Wilson escaped a bases loaded jam in the second, after a walk, an infield single and a fielder’s choice gave Texas State a marquee scoring opportunity early. Wilson struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning unscathed, and went on to retire the final eight batters he faced in the ballgame. Wilson commanded all of his pitches, running his fastball up to 97 miles-per-hour on the night.

    Holderbach has reached base in all 16 games this season.

    In a game that saw just one runner reach third base in the first six innings of play, the Mountaineers (11-5, 0-1) jumped on the scoreboard first in the seventh. Xavier Moronta was hit by a pitch with one away, and then after a two-out free pass to Braxton Church, Drew Hoderbach singled up the middle to give the visitors a 1-0 edge. Holderbach has now reached base in all 16 games this season.

    Texas State (10-8, 1-0) responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to go in front for the first time in the ballgame, and then added an insurance run in the eighth on a wild pitch to pull in front 3-1.

    With App State down to its final out in the ninth, Banks Tolley lined a home run over the left field wall, his seventh of the season, to bring the deficit to just one run. Church then walked and Holderbach singled to left, but the Mountaineers were unable to extend the rally any further, stranding the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run on base.

    The two teams combined for only seven hits in the ballgame, with Austin Eaton allowing just one run over seven innings in his start for the Bobcats.

    The teams will play game two of the series on Saturday, with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m. ET.

  • Haywood inked to contract extension

    By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. – Following the best conference finish in program history last fall, App State head soccer coach Aimee Haywood has signed a contract extension that runs through the 2027 season, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin announced Friday. The extension was approved by Chancellor Sheri Everts and the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees.

    “We are extremely excited about the direction of App State Soccer under Aimee,” Gillin said. “After achieving the best conference finish in program history, we look forward to our soccer student-athletes’ continued pursuit of excellence in the classroom, in the community and in competition.”

    App State’s 15 wins under Haywood are the most in a head coach’s first two years leading the program.

    In 2023, Haywood led the Mountaineers to their most overall and conference wins since 2018, and recorded a program-record third place conference finish. The team tallied a program-best eight shutouts in the process, conceding just 16 goals on the season, the fewest in a year in program history. App State finished with its best RPI since 2015.

    App State’s 15 wins under Haywood are the most in a head coach’s first two years leading the program.

    “I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Everts, Doug Gillin and Jonathan Reeder for their continued trust in my leadership of this program,” Haywood said. “I am grateful to each of them for their work and leadership in providing the resources and opportunities necessary for this program to grow over the last two years and years to come.

    “There is a lot of momentum on this mountain for our soccer program and the University as a whole and I’m incredibly grateful and excited to be a part of it. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my team and my staff for the hard work they put in every single day to elevate themselves and our program.”

    Since taking over the program in December 2021, Haywood’s Mountaineers have far exceeded expectations. Picked 13th in the Sun Belt in 2022, App State finished seventh in the league standings, and then achieved their third-place finish in 2023 despite being tabbed eighth in the league preseason poll.

    Under Haywood’s tutelage, senior forward Izzi Wood earned All-Sun Belt honors in 2023, becoming the first Mountaineer to earn that distinction since 2018. Haywood’s first recruiting class also saw Summer Bowman notch four goals and three assists in 15 games, while Olivia Simon recorded four goals and one assist in 18 games, including the first hat trick by an App State player since 2014.

    Off the field, Haywood has demonstrated a commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes by incorporating “mind gym” and “culture class” as ongoing team initiatives. App State soccer student-athletes have excelled in the classroom as well, with 11 team members earning Chancellor’s List recognition and seven earning Dean’s List honors this past fall. The team has maintained at least a 3.45 cumulative GPA throughout her tenure.

    Haywood and her team will be hosting a trio of spring matches in Boone over the coming weeks. On Sunday, March 24, App State will play matches against Western Carolina at 1 p.m. and Lees-McRae at 3:40 p.m. Then, on Wednesday, April 3, App State will host North Carolina, which has made the NCAA tournament each of the last 42 seasons and won 21 national championships.

  • Dinsmore earns contract extension

    By Ethan Bumgarner. BOONE, N.C. — On the heels of leading App State to its first Mid-American Conference championship, field hockey head coach Emily Dinsmore has signed a contract extension that runs through the 2027 season, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin announced Friday. The extension was approved by Chancellor Sheri Everts and the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees.

    “We are extremely excited about the trajectory of App State Field Hockey under Emily’s direction,” Gillin said. “Leading the team to a conference championship and being named MAC Coach of the Year in her first year as a head coach is a tremendous accomplishment. We look forward to supporting our field hockey student-athletes’ continued pursuit of excellence academically, socially and competitively.”

    In her first season as head coach following a six-year stint as an assistant coach, Dinsmore led the Mountaineers to a MAC regular-season title for the first time and a program record-tying 14 wins on her way to MAC Co-Coach of the Year honors. App State also took down No. 8 Louisville on the road for the program’s first win over a top-10 opponent.

    “It is such a blessing to be the head coach of this incredible program,” Dinsmore said. “Thank you to the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Everts, Doug Gillin and Erika Cheung for continuing to believe in me, our staff and our student-athletes. As a program, we want to continue building on the success from this season and we are looking forward to competing for a MAC Championship in the fall. There is something special happening here on the mountain and I’m excited for the years to come.”

    Dinsmore’s squad went 6-1 in the MAC for their best conference record since joining the league in 2017. They closed the regular season on a nine-game winning streak, the third-longest streak in program history.

    Five Mountaineers earned All-MAC honors in 2023, led by Addie Clark being named MAC Goalkeeper of the Year and a first-team selection. Lise Boekaar also earned first-team honors, while Charlotte Bosma, Grace Ball and Sophia Baxter were named to the second team. Florine Koopman and Baxter made the All-MAC Freshman team.

    In the classroom, the field hockey team boasts a 3.49 cumulative GPA. App State had 11 student-athletes named to the 2023 NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad (3.5+ GPA during fall semester) and three earn NFHCA Division I Scholar of Distinction accolades (3.9+ GPA during fall semester). Also in the fall, there were four field hockey student-athletes named to the Chancellor’s List and 13 who made the Dean’s List.

  • Storybook season ends, Watauga WBB falls to Charlotte Catholic in 4A West Championship, 61-55

    By David Rogers. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — After falling behind by as many as 11 points in the first half of the NCHSAA 4A West Regional Championship game on March 14, Watauga clawed back to tie Charlotte Catholic at 34-34 early in the second half and even led at 39-38. Unfortunately, the Cougars’ adept 3-point shooting and strong inside play around post player Blanca Thomas kept the Pioneers from extending their momentum. CCHS won, 61-55, at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Wake Forest University.

    BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article

    In some respects, this was a battle between one dominant player on each team: Thomas had a team-high 27 points for CCHS while Kate Sears poured in a game-high 38 points for the Pioneers.  No other players on either team scored in double figures but the Cougars had just a little more scoring from players not having a last name of Thomas than the Watauga support players not named Sears.

    School holiday? The Pioneers had a monster student section on March 14 vs. Charlotte Catholic at LJVMC on the campus of Wake Forest University. Photographic image by David Rogers

    Case in point: Charlotte Catholic was good on 7-of-18 shots (39 percent) from beyond the arc, compared to Watauga’s paltry 4-of-22 (18 percent) from 3-point land. Freshman sharpshooter Blair Haines was 2-for-2 from long distance to account for half of her team’s made threes.  The rest of the team was 2-for-20.

    Especially against opponents with a significant size advantage such as Charlotte Catholic had on the court that can dominate inside the paint, Watauga thrives — or not — from beyond the arc. This was one of those “not” encounters.

    The High Country community came out in force to support the Pioneers’ historic berth in the NCHSAA 4A West Regional Championship Game. Photographic image by David Rogers

    Reflecting that dominance inside, Charlotte Catholic outrebounded Watauga, 38-20, through the course of the game, including 15 offensive boards that provided the Cougars with an ample number of second chance opportunities and 23 defensive rebounds that denied the Pioneers of second chance shots.

    One area that allowed Watauga to keep the game close was in free throw shooting. The Pioneers made good on 17-of-21 (81 percent) from the charity stripe while Charlotte Catholic struggled at the line, 12-of-20 (60 percent).

    One of the ways Watauga kept the NCHSAA 4A West Regional Championship vs. Charlotte Catholic close was because of pesky, close defense like Blair Haines in this photo. Photographic image by David Rogers

    With seven seniors on the Cougars’ roster, the Charlotte contingent was just a little bit deeper than the Pioneers. CCHS had six players who were on the court at least 19 minutes or longer, Watauga also had six players in double-digit minutes played, but Sears (31 minutes), Laney Shook (23), Kaitlyn Darner (28) and Charlotte Torgerson (30) were the only ones on the court for 23 minutes or more. Julie Matheson (16) and Haines (17) saw significant time on the floor, too.

    With the win, Charlotte Catholic advances to the 4A Championship game on March 16, also to be played at LJVMC. They will face the Rolesville Rams, who defeated the Hoggard Vikings in the 4A East Regional Championship.

    With the loss, Watauga’s historic season comes to a close.

    TOP PERFORMERS

    • WAT – Kate Sears: 38 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals
    • CC – Blanca Thomas: 27 points, 18 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 2 steals
    • CC – Olivia Fava: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
    • CC – Gracyn Gough: 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
    • CC – Maggie Kernodle: 9 points, 3 assists
    • WAT – Blair Haines: 6 points, 1 rebound
    • WAT – Julie Matheson: 5 points
    • WAT – Charlotte Torgerson: 4 points, 1 assist, 1 steal
    • WAT – Kaitlyn Darner: 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

    BONUS PHOTOS

    All photos by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    Watauga’s Kate Sears poured in a game-high 38 points in the NCHSAA 4A West Regional Championship game before seeing the Pioneers fall to Charlotte Catholic, 61-55. Photographic image by David Rogers
    One of the ways Watauga kept the NCHSAA 4A West Regional Championship vs. Charlotte Catholic close was because of pesky, close defense like Blair Haines in this photo. Photographic image by David Rogers

    School holiday? The Pioneers had a monster student section on March 14 vs. Charlotte Catholic at LJVMC on the campus of Wake Forest University. Photographic image by David Rogers

    The High Country community came out in force to support the Pioneers’ historic berth in the NCHSAA 4A West Regional Championship Game. Photographic image by David Rogers

  • SNAPSHOT: Logano, Byron, Gibbs test new Goodyear tires on N. Wilkesboro’s new pavement

    By David Rogers. NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — With the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race weekend just two months away (May 19) and having had the North Wilkesboro track recently repaved, NASCAR, Speedway Motorsports and North Wilkesboro got together with Goodyear for some good, old fashioned tire testing on March 12, 13, and 14.

    The March 12 testing sessions focused on the Truck Series, while March 13 and 14 are focused on the Cup Series.

    William Byron and his No. 24 car passes by the iconic North Wilkesboro Speedway sign on March 13, during the Goodyear tire test. Photographi image by David Rogers

    It was a picture perfect day for racing, as well as for tire testing on March 13. Temperatures hovered in the high 70s, the skies were clear, and only the slightest breeze kept the American flag in the middle of the mostly empty track infield from dropping against the flag pole, motionless.

    Scott Cooper, Senior Vice President for Communications at Charlotte-based Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns North Wilkesboro Speedway, explained to High Country Sports that a driver from each of the three major car manufacturers were invited to participate, with members of their support teams. The mission is to allow Goodyear to select the perfect tire for the new pavement, to be supplied to the Cup teams who will compete in the All-Star event.

    Ty Gibbs speaks to invited media after the March 13 tire tests at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Photographic image by David Rogers

    For the March 13 testing, three of NASCAR’s young stars represented the manufacturers: Joey Logano (Penske Racing, Ford), William Byron (Hendrick, Chevrolet) and Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota).

    The grip of the tire on the race track and how it performs during acceleration and braking are among the characteristics being evaluated by the race teams and Goodyear.

    All three drivers offered high praise for the new paving vs. what they experienced a year ago. Logano said there were still some idiosyncrasies in turn No. 1 and that a bump in turn No. 4 is still there, noting that “… they give the race track character.”

    The NASCAR All-Star Race is slated for May 19 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

    BONUS PHOTOS

    William Byron contemplates an answer to a reporter’s question after participating in a Goodyear tire test on March 13 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Photographic image by David Rogers
    Joey Logano acknowleged beingin a slump of late, but felt confident things are turning around. ‘In 15 years here now, I’ve been through other cycles.” Photographic image by David Rogers
    Ty Gibbs speaks to invited media after the March 13 tire tests at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Photographic image by David Rogers
    Senior Vice President of Communications Scott Cooper addresses the media before player interviews on March 13, where William Byron, Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs and their teams had tested several Goodyear tire compounds in advance of the All Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Photographic image by David Rogers

    William Byron and his No. 24 car passes by the iconic North Wilkesboro Speedway sign on March 13, during the Goodyear tire test. Photographi image by David Rogers
    Crew members work on Joey Logano’s No. 22 car on March 13 during a tire test at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Photographic image by David Rogers

  • Watauga WSOC extends early season record to 4-0 with 2-0 shutout vs. Foard

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Against NCHSAA 2A power Fred T. Foard High School, Watauga women’s soccer face one of the best coached and better prepared teams they will face in the non-conference schedule. Thanks to persistent defense and an adept “small ball” offensive attack, the Pioneers prevailed, 2-0.

    Pioneer senior forward Katie Durham recorded a first half goal, the assist credited to Morgan Flynt. The final goal came midway through the second half, by Charlotte Cuthbert and the assist credited to Savanna Rogers.

    Watauga’s Katie Durham (15) threatens to score in the first half vs. Fred T. Foard on March 13. Photographic image by David Rogers

    “Morgan gave a really good through-ball,” said Durham in recalling her first half goal. “I was just able to get to it before the goalkeeper.”

    Cuthbert said her goal resulted from a cross kick pass from Rogers. In terms of the Pioneers’ expectations in meeting Foard, Cuthbert added, “We know from past games in which we have played them, in previous seasons, they always come pretty aggressive. They come out strong. They have a consistency in their strength throughout the game.”

    “We knew that most of Foard’s games are on fields that are much smaller than ours,” said Durham. “So we wanted to really make them run, maybe make them tire. We have the biggest field in our conference and one of the biggest in the region.”

    Savannah Rogers (22) pounds a crossing kick from the right sideline to in front of the Watauga goal on March 13 vs. Fred T. Foard HS. Photographic image by David Rogers

    Watauga head coach Chris Tarnowski was quick to express appreciation for Foard and the stiff opposition they provided.

    “We have to give a lot of credit to Foard,” said Tarnowski about Watauga’s March 13 opponent. “They are an extremely well-coached team and they have one of the highest strength of schedules in the entire West region. After losing their opening match to one of our Northwestern Conference rivals, Hibriten, by the same score we beat them today (2-0), Foard came into this match with three straight wins over Maiden (6-0), Bandys (3-1) and Crest (4-3). They came out to play tonight and are probably among the most solid defensive teams we will face all year.”

    Analyzing his own team’s performance, gave another nod to Foard’s defense.

    “We had a little bit of trouble in the first half moving the ball the way we like,” said Tarnowski. “We just needed to settle down. We did that and put together some small passes in the middle that really fuels our entire offense. We have the players to connect quick, small passes when they are on it. It just takes some minutes playing together to get that chemistry down and that confidence in one another. That’s why we schedule these early season tough games. We want to build off of these Foard type matches.

    Watauga senior forward Georgia Parker (9) fights for possession on March 13 vs. Fred T. Foard High School. Photographic image by David Rogers

    “Those quick short passes is the way we think the game should be played,” Tarnowski added. “It is a style that makes sure all of the players on the field get involved. Foard plays the same way and that is one of the reasons this game was so close. You had two really good teams playing good soccer.”

    Tarnowski acknowledged that Watauga has some new faces on the field this season and it takes minutes playing together to establish the kind of chemistry required.

    “Our new players and others playing in new roles are doing really, really well,” he said. “They will get even better with the minutes playing together.”

    Now 4-0 in the young season with non-conference wins over St. Stephens (5-1), Wilkes Central (5-1), East Forsyth (4-1), and now Foard (2-0). The Pioneers are halfway through their non-conference schedule with four more tough assignments on March 15 @ Forbush (Yadkinville), March 18 @ Asheville, March 22 vs. Lincoln Charter, and March 28 @ Abingdon. They open Northwestern Conference play on April 9 @ South Caldwell and April 12 @ Alexander Central.

  • Heartbreak buzzer-beater sinks App State’s hopes for Sun Belt tourney title

    By David Rogers. PENSACOLA, Fla. — A Freddy Hicks buzzer-beater at the end of regulation thrust No. 4 seeded Arkansas State into the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament Final on March 11, upsetting heavily favored, No. 1 seeded Appalachian State, 67-65.

    The underdog Red Wolves used a smaller, four-guard set against the Mountaineers, known for their dominance inside the paint with sometimes three big men on the floor at the same time. Even so, the ball seemed to bounce Arkansas State’s way, especially on the offensive end where they collected 14 offensive boards leading to 13 second chance points. Altogether, the Red Wolves out-rebounded App State, 36-27.

    Head coach Dustin Kerns gives his players encouragement and instructions in the waning minutes of the Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinal vs. Arkansas State. Photographic image by David Rogers

    Improving on their turnovers from the quarterfinal game vs. Georgia Southern, five against Arkansas State compared to 17 against the Eagles, did not seem to help App State in this game. Even a 21-3 advantage in bench points faded in comparison to the Red Wolves tenacious and disruptive defensive effort, overall.

    In the press conference after the game, Arkansas State head coach Bryan Hodgson acknowledged the imposing inside presence of the Mountaineers’ big men, but calculated that the App State perimeter shooting left them vulnerable to his sharpshooting guards.

    The strategy worked in the first half, the Red Wolves taking a 10-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Mountaineer head coach Dustin Kerns revealed that the App State halftime adjustments included going to a four-guard set. It worked, as the Mountaineers clawed their way back to take the lead at 62-61 with just over four minutes remaining.

    Mountaineer forward Justin Abson finishes a shot from inside the paint against Arkansas State on March 10. Photographic image by David Rogers

    The Mountaineers’ last lead was 65-63 on a 3-point jumper off the hands of Myles Tate at the 2:33 mark but Arkansas State was able to tie the game on a layup by guard Caleb Fields with 2:16 left on the clock. That’s where the score stood, 65-65, until the last gasp buzzer beater by  Hicks.

    Arkansas State now advances to Monday’s tournament championship game against the winner of the other semifinal between James Madison and Texas State.

    App State’s 2023-24 season hangs in the balance, pending a potential NCAA bid based on the Sun Belt regular season championship and 27-win season.

    CLICK HERE for Box Score

  • Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance sweeps top spots in Oskar Blues 4-Miler

    By David Rogers. BREVARD, N.C. — Thanks to a well-conditioned contingent from ZAP Endurance, Blowing Rock captured four of the top nine finishes overall on March 9, including a sweep of Nos. 1 and 2 in BOTH the men’s and women’s divisions of the Oskar Blues 4-Mile Run.

    Andrew Colley (No. 1, 18:04) set a new course record in the men’s division, followed by ZAP Endurance teammate Eric Van Der Els (No. 2, 18:36). Ryan Drew of Greenville, S.C. finished in the No. 3 position, in 18:49. Colley’s winning time was a 4:31 mile pace over the four miles’ distance.

    ZAP Endurance’s newest team member, Amanda Vestri, set a new course record in the Women’s Division by finishing No. 1, in 20:30, outpacing ZAP teammate Annmarie Tuxbury at No. 2, in 22:07. Well off the winning pace at No. 3 was Jessica Payne of Brevard, in 25:28.

    More than 200 runners competed in the race. The race course is described as “fast and flat”, even if running in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The start and finish are both at the Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard.

  • Mountaineer Wrestling clinches SoCon title with 5 NCAA auto-qualifiers

    By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — When the last-second call was upheld, an emotional Ethan Oakley rocked his neck back and covered his face with both hands.

    When he dropped his hands, tears were visible in his eyes.

    The drama was just starting, even with App State Wrestling well on its way to a dominant victory at the SoCon Championship tournament Saturday in the Holmes Center.

    The Mountaineers repeated as tourney champs with five individual champions among the 10 weight classes, highlighted by final-second victories from Oakley at 133 pounds and true freshman Tomas Brooker at 184 pounds. Cody Bond (149 pounds), Tommy Askey (157 pounds) and Will Miller (165 pounds) also won individual titles to clinch automatic NCAA Championships bids for Kansas City as every App State starter posted a top-four finish.

    Whether it was a combined nine pins and several other decisive wins leading to bonus points, or determined efforts in consolation brackets, it was a total team effort from the five champions, fellow finalist Jacob Sartorio, a pair of third-place finishers in Luke Uliano and Carson Floyd, plus fourth-place finishers Chad Bellis and Ike Byers.

    The 24th-ranked Mountaineers totaled 114.0 points, 16.5 more than runner-up Campbell, which also had six finalists. SoCon Coach of the Year JohnMark Bentley guided App State to a fourth conference tournament title and an 11th league title overall, counting regular season races.

    The second-seeded Oakley trailed 4-2 against top-seeded Dom Zaccone from Campbell in the closing moments before getting in on a shot with 25 seconds remaining and completing the takedown with one second left in a 5-4 victory.

    His victory followed Bond’s 2-0 finals victory against The Citadel’s Jeff Boyd (to give the seventh-year senior his second career SoCon title) and Miller’s 8-3 decision against Campbell’s Dom Baker. Askey repeated as a SoCon champ with a 9-2 decision against Davidson’s Tanner Peake.

    App State had clinched the team title by the time Brooker, a true freshman, took the mat against Campbell’s Caleb Hopkins, a three-time SoCon champion who had quickly pinned Brooker in their regular season meeting.

    Starting the third period from a top position while facing a 3-0 deficit, Brooker was still on top when Hopkins was penalized a stalling point for the first time with 26 seconds remaining. Brooker tried to cut him loose immediately but brought him back down too quickly for an escape/takedown combo to be scored. Hopkins refused to return to his feet as Brooker tried to cut him loose again and was penalized again for stalling with five seconds left to make the score 3-2.

    Hopkins returned to his feet, finally recording an escape 115 seconds into the period, and Brooker immediately went in for a takedown that he finished in the final second for an improbable victory. When the win was confirmed, Brooker walked to his corner and was lifted off his feet by assistant coach Randall Diabe while Bentley enthusiastically patted the unlikely champion on the back.

    It was App State’s final victory in a day full of them.

    App State went 9-1 in the quarterfinal round with four major decisions, one tech fall and four pins — from Bellis, Oakley, Askey and Floyd.

    The Mountaineers then went 6-3 in their semifinal matches with one pin from Brooker, who followed a quarterfinal tech fall with a fall against Presbyterian’s Caleb Roe, who had an opening-round pin to stun second-seeded Jha’Quan Anderson from Gardner-Webb.

    Oakley trailed 4-2 in a ranked semifinal against Chattanooga’s Blake Boarman before taking the lead on a takedown with 46 seconds left and finishing on top in a 5-4 victory. Bond turned defense to offense on a tiebreaking takedown with 1:25 left and finished on top, getting two back points in the process, to prevail 7-1 against Campbell’s Justin Rivera in their semifinal showdown.

    Wrestling for the first time since hurting his knee significantly during an injury default on Feb. 18, Sartorio reached the heavyweight final with a pair of major decisions before losing to top-10 opponent Taye Ghadiali in the championship round.

    Once the consolation rounds began, the quartet of Byers, Bellis, Uliano and Floyd went a combined 5-0 (with three pins) in the consolation first round and consolation semifinal matches. Bellis, Uliano and Floyd advanced to third-place matches with pins, while Byers followed a major decision with a big 4-3 overtime win against Campbell’s Wynton Denkins.

    The match went to overtime at 2-all thanks to matching escapes and third-period point penalties for stalling. Both wrestlers got escapes in the 30-second TB-1 periods, but Byers had to be aggressive after taking longer to escape, and he was able to push Denkins out for a second stalling point.

    Floyd and Uliano then came through with pivotal wins in their third-place matches, with Uliano recording this second straight pin and App State’s ninth pin of the day to help App State lead 99.0 to 84.5 over Campbell going into a finals session in which each team had six entries — with the Camels as considerable favorites at the heavier weights.

    Like in his low-scoring regular season matchup with Boyd, Bond wasn’t able to finish any takedowns, but a second-period rideout and third-period escape were enough to post his 2-0 victory in the 149-pound final. Bond used some strong defense in the third period to clinch his second automatic NCAA Championships berth — the seventh-year redshirt senior won a SoCon title at 157 pounds in 2021.

    Miller used a three-point takedown, followed by three near-fall points, in the last 15 seconds of the first period to move ahead 6-0 in an 8-3 victory during the 165 final. Miller rode out the second period and allowed a late takedown while attempting o secure a bonus-point victory.

    He will head to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year, after being an automatic qualifier as the SoCon runner-up at 174 pounds during his first year as a starter in 2023.

    The NCAAs run from March 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo. The 2023-24 season is presented by Hungry Howie’s and Penn Station.

    125: #2 Chad Bellis, App State
    QF: W (Fall, 0:52) vs. #7 Enis Ljikovic, Davidson
    SF: L, (Dec, 5-2) vs. #3 Brayden Palmer, Chattanooga
    Conso semi: W (Fall, 1:21) vs. #Malik Hardy, The Citadel
    3rd-place match: L (Dec, 14-10) vs. #1 Anthony Molton, Campbell

    133: #2 Ethan Oakley, App State
    QF: W (Fall, 5:48) vs. #7 Hale Robinson, Davidson
    SF: W (Dec, 5-4) vs. #3 Blake Boarman, Chattanooga
    Final: W (Dec, 5-4) vs. #1 Dom Zaccone, Campbell

    141: #3 Ike Byers, App State
    QF: L (Dec, 4-2) vs. #6 Patrick Jordon, VMI
    Conso: W (MD, 17-4) vs. #7 Joshua Viarengo, Davidson
    Conso semi: W (Dec, 4-3 in TB-1 OT) vs. #4 Wynton Denkins, Campbell
    3rd-place match: L (Dec, 5-2) vs. #4 Jacob Silka, The Citadel

    149: #1 Cody Bond, App State
    QF: W (MD, 13-1) vs. #8 Trenton Donahue, Presbyterian
    SF: W (Dec, 7-1) vs. #4 Justin Rivera, Campbell
    Final: W (Dec, 2-0) vs. #2 Jeff Boyd, The Citadel

    157: #1 Tommy Askey, App State
    QF: W (Fall, 4:06) vs. #8 Josh Yost, VMI
    SF: W (Dec, 8-2) vs. #4 Lincoln Heck, Chattanooga
    Final: W (Dec, 9-2) vs. #2 Tanner Peake, Davidson

    165: #1 Will Miller, App State
    QF: W (MD, 17-4) vs. #8 Caleb Chandler, VMI
    SF: W (MD, 12-3) vs. #4 Bryce Sanderlin, Davidson
    Final: W (Dec, 8-3) vs. #2 Dom Baker, Campbell

    174: #4 Luke Uliano, App State
    QF: W (MD, 12-2) vs. #5 Brodie Porter, The Citadel
    SF: L (Dec, 10-8) vs. #1 Austin Murphy, Campbell
    Conso semi: W (Fall, 5:38) vs. #7 Samuel Mora, Gardner-Webb
    3rd-place match: W (Fall, 5:22) vs. #2 Braxton Lewis, VMI

    184: #3 Tomas Brooker, App State
    QF: W (TF, 19-4) vs. #6 Toby Schoffstall, VMI
    SF: W (Fall, 6:19) vs. #7 Caleb Roe, Presbyterian
    Final: W (Dec, 5-4) vs. #1 Caleb Hopkins, Campbell

    197: #2 Carson Floyd, App State (Third place)
    QF: W (Fall, 5:45) vs. #7 Josh Evans, VMI
    SF: L (Dec, 14-10) vs. #3 Patrick Brophy, The Citadel
    Conso semi: W (Fall, 2:00) vs. #5 David Harper, Chattanooga
    3rd-place match: W (MD, 12-3) vs. #7 Josh Evans, VMI

    HWT: #2 Jacob Sartorio, App State
    QF: W (MD, 13-1) vs #7 Morvens Saint-Jean, Presbyterian
    SF: W (MD, 11-3) vs. #3 Ben Stemmet, The Citadel
    Final: L (Fall, 5:40) vs. #1 Taye Ghadiali, Campbell

    Team standings
    1. App State – 114.0
    2. Campbell – 97.5
    3. Chattanooga – 63.5
    4. Gardner-Webb – 49.5
    5. The Citadel – 44.5
    6. Davidson – 23.0
    7. VMI – 18.0
    8. Presbyterian – 5.5

    Individual champions/NCAA qualifiers
    125 – Brayden Palmer , Chattanooga
    133 – Ethan Oakley, App State
    141 – Isaiah Powe, Chattanooga
    149 – Cody Bond, App State
    157 – Tommy Askey, App State
    165 – Will Miller, App State
    174 – Austin Murphy, Campbell
    184 – Tomas Brooker, App State
    197 – Levi Hopkins, Campbell
    HWT – Taye Ghadiali, Campbell

    Additional NCAA allocations
    133 – Domenic Zaccone, Campbell
    133 – Dyson Dunham, Campbell
    149 – Jeffrey Boyd, The Citadel
    165 – Domonic Baker, Campbell

    Southern Conference Coach of the Year
    JohnMark Bentley, App State

    Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler
    Taye Ghadiali, 285, Campbell

    Pinnacle Award (student-athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team)
    Cody Bond, Sr., App State

    Print Friendly Version
    PLAYERS MENTIONED
    Tommy Askey
    157 Junior Fourth-Year Junior
    Chad Bellis
    125 Junior Junior
    Cody Bond
    149 Redshirt Senior Seventh-Year Redshirt Senior
    Ike Byers
    141 Redshirt Junior Fifth-Year Redshirt Junior
    Carson Floyd
    197 Sophomore Sophomore
    Will Miller
    165 Junior Junior
    Ethan Oakley
    133 Redshirt Sophomore Fourth-Year Redshirt Sophomore
    Jacob Sartorio
    HWT Senior Fifth-Year Senior
    Luke Uliano
    174 Redshirt Sophomore Redshirt Sophomore
    Tomas Brooker
    184 Freshman Freshman
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