Louisville sophomore KJ Byrd, an East Burke High School 2024 graduate, on June 26 was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) field athlete of the year for the sport of outdoor men’s track and field.
That honor followed Byrd on June 18 being named the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional men’s field athlete of the year by the U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Byrd
After being named the men’s field athlete of the year during the indoor season, Byrd becomes only the third athlete ever to sweep the award in the Southeast Regional in the same season.
Byrd set a new Louisville and ACC record with 8,160 points as he finished runner-up in the decathlon at last month’s NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Byrd also holds program records in the heptathlon and pole vault and won the ACC title in the pole vault.
Already a four-time All-American with the Cardinals (indoor and outdoor, both seasons) after being named a prep All-American as an EBHS senior, Byrd is also a former ACC indoor freshman of the year.
He was joined in awards season by Louisville teammates Geoffrey Kirwa, who was ACC and Southeast Regional men’s track athlete of the year, Elsingi Kipruto, the ACC men’s freshman of the year, and Baylee Mires, the Southeast Regional men’s coach of the year.
Byrd was a 19-time medalist and 10-time gold medalist in track with the Cavaliers, also representing the U.S. at the international level.
NCSSM-M wins 1A Wells Fargo Cup
NCSSM-Morganton is officially the top 1A school in the state spanning all athletics after winning the 2025-26 1A Wells Fargo State Cup, the NCHSAA recently announced.
NCSSM-M earned 572.5 points, finishing ahead of conference foe Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, who was runner-up with 537.5 points.
The Wells Fargo Cup since 1980 has annually recognized schools that achieve the best overall interscholastic athletic performance within each of the state’s classifications. State cup points are earned for top-eight finishes and playoffs qualifications relative to a school’s own classification.
After state championships in girls tennis and girls cross country coupled with a state semifinal appearance in boys soccer in the fall semester, the Dragons this spring reached the state semifinals as a team in boys tennis, and the girls track team finished third in the state.
The other 2025-26 state winners were Hoggard (8A), Cardinal Gibbons (7A), Charlotte Catholic (6A), North Lincoln (5A), Lake Norman Charter (4A), Pine Lake Prep (3A), and the Community School of Davidson (2A).
Draughn’s Helton
named district POY
Helton
A total of 15 Burke County high school student-athletes were recently honored on two end-of-season awards lists as the N.C. Softball Coaches Association named its all-district teams and the N.C. Boys Volleyball Coaches Association released its all-state teams, both for the spring of 2026.
In softball, most notably, Draughn senior Avie Helton earned District 7 3A pitcher of the year honors. Also named the Burke County pitcher of the year, Helton claimed a program-record 20 wins from the circle, striking out 112 batters in 144 2/3 innings with a 1.65 ERA as the Lady Wildcats reached the NCHSAA 3A West Regional championship series.
Six of Helton’s DHS teammates were also named to the 3A all-district team. They included senior outfielders Ava Aldridge, Cydnee Deal, and Maria Medrano, junior third baseman Braylen Clontz, junior catcher Lindsey Hensley, and sophomore second baseman Bailey Winkler.
East Burke senior third baseman Hermione Garro and junior catcher Amanda McLean were named to the 4A all-district team, and Freedom senior outfielders Abigayle Gibson and Kaylee Skinner, senior catcher Rhiley Buchanan, and sophomore pitcher Madelyn LeMaster were named to the 6A all-district team.
And in boys volleyball, East Burke’s Noah Ramsey was a second-team selection and NCSSM-Morganton’s Greysen Bristol was an honorable-mention selection to the 4A-1A all-state squad.
EB’s Cook commits
to Milligan track
Cook
Recent 2026 East Burke graduate Kendale Cook will participate in men’s track and field at Milligan University in Elizabethton, Tenn., starting this winter, he announced on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
Cook, the Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference boys sprinter of the year and overall MVP, thanked God as well as his coaches, teachers, family, friends, and teammates in the post announcing his decision.
“I am beyond honored and excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Milligan University,” Cook wrote. “Thank you to Coach Fabio Palmieri for believing in me, investing in me, and giving me this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to get to work.
“Competing at the collegiate level has been a dream of mine ever since I started this sport, and to finally see that dream become a reality is something I will never take for granted.”
Cook, who was also a first team all-county selection as a defensive back in football as a Cavaliers senior, won the WPC titles in the 110-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, and 200 meters before winning both hurdle events and placing second in the 200 at regionals.
At the state level, he was fourth in the 110 hurdles (15.27), fifth in the 300 hurdles (39.69), and 10th in the 200 after having been part of a third-place finish in the boys 4x200-meter relay at state in the indoor season, when he also placed fifth in the 500 meters and 10th in the 300 meters.
Draughn volleyball alumni game
The second annual Draughn High School volleyball alumni game will be held Aug. 1 at noon at the DHS main gymnasium. All DHS graduates who played volleyball are welcomed back, even if not interested in playing in the game.
Those interested in playing for the alumni team, which will take on this year’s version of the Lady Wildcats, can register online now at shorturl.at/IXOeV.
For more information, contact Lady Wildcats head coach Triniti Lambert at 828-409-3275 or trinitlambert@burke.k12.nc.us
East Burke season tickets on sale
East Burke High School recently announced pricing information and other details on 2026-27 season sports passes.
An athletic family pass for four runs $350, with add-ons available at $60 each. An all-sports individual athletic pass is available for $150, with add-ons available at $75 each. An EBHS student athletic pass is $75 for the school year (or $25 per sports season).
A football-only, soccer-only, or volleyball-only individual pass is $75, with add-ons available for each sport at $30 each. And A senior all-sports athletic pass for ages 50 and older is available for $50. (Winter passes go on sale in October, and spring sports passes are available starting next February.)
Single-game admission is $8 per person. Passes do not cover state playoffs, holiday tournaments, or preseason scrimmages. Cash or checks (made payable to EBHS Athletics) will be accepted.
Tickets will be available for purchase at the school office on Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting on July 20.
Morganton Rec trying girls flag football
The Morganton Recreation Department recently announced that with the NCHSAA’s recent sanctioning of girls flag football as a high school varsity sport, it will be exploring a female-only youth league for the first time ever this fall.
The interest meeting for the sport will be held July 14 at 6 p.m. at the Collett Street Recreation Center.
Registration for flag football (boys and girls divisions) will be held online until Aug. 5. The city has offered co-ed flag football for over a decade now in three different age groups (5-7, 8-10, and 11-13). Games this fall will be played at Shuey Park.
The city also announced that youth outdoor soccer signups for ages 4-10 are underway through Aug. 5. Registration for both sports is available at shorturl.at/JCY27.
For more information on either league, contact Jesse Bunton at 828-438-5371 or jbunton@morgantonnc.gov.
Weaver, Webb win Mimosa member-guest
The two-man team of Pearce Weaver and John Webb survived a 10-team flight winners shootout to claim the title at Mimosa Hills Golf Club’s 2026 member-guest tournament from June 11-13.
Weaver and Webb, the ninth-flight champions, topped third-flight champions Chris Brittain and Shaun Cline on the third hole of the shootout.
Other flight champs at the tourney were Richard Robarge and Nathan Bowman (first), Geoff Messenheimer and Dax Bostian (second), Patrick Powers and Derrick Jackson (fourth), Wade Benfield and Tyler Holtsclaw (fifth), Mark and Chad Ayers (sixth) — who posted a tournament-high 27.5 points won in flight matches — Jeff Morse and David McGee (seventh), David Pollard and Brandon Burleson (eighth), and Mike and Matthew Imboden (10th).
Legault off to youth climbing nationals
Bigfoot Climbing Gym of Morganton climbing team member Mason Legault qualified to compete in the Under-19 category of this week’s USA Climbing national climbing competition in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Legault participated in the bouldering portion and was set to climb his opening portions of the event on Tuesday, with the semifinals and finals set for Wednesday.
Qualifying for the event included regional, then divisional competitions. Athletes must rank in the top six of their division to be eligible for the national event.
“Last year, Mason also qualified for nationals and finished the event in ninth place,” said Dustin Huber, head coach of the Bigfoot climbing team. “He has worked very hard this year, and we are hoping to see him finish even better than last year. This is a very elite competition, so I’m proud of his effort and dedication to get here.”
