Four of the five Burke County high school indoor track and field teams participated in Wednesday’s Warrior Polar Bear meet hosted by West Iredell, with the East Burke boys stealing the show by finishing first place out of 13 total teams.
The Cavaliers got two wins from senior Kendale Cook, who posted a school-record time of 1:10.78 en route to winning the 500 meters and also claimed the 55-meter hurdles (8.02) and finished second in the 300 meters.
EB’s Josh Hicks won the triple jump (40’3”) and took third in the long jump, Elijah Baker placed second in the 3200 meters in a school-record 10:53.94, and Ossie Burkeen finished as runner-up in both the 55 hurdles and long jump.
The EB girls placed third out of 14 teams, led by junior Kendall McFalls winning both the 55 meters (7.73) and 300 meters (school-record 43.67).
Emmonie Haith finished second in the 55 meters and third in the 300 meters, Gracie Smith was second in the 55 hurdles, and the Lady Cavaliers’ 4x400-meter relay of Lacie Forino, Cadence Mauldin, Delanie Davis, and Melanie Smith also took runner-up honors.
NCSSM-Morganton senior Stella Friedman won both the girls 1600 meters (5:25.98) and 3200 meters (11:50.39), and teammate Amelia Fleury won the 1000 meters (3:32.89) and was second in the 1600.
The Dragons’ Will Evans won the boys 3200 meters (10:45.38), and Max Vaughan placed second in the 1600, while NCSSM-M’s boys won the 4x400 relay and took second in the 4x800 relay.
Draughn was led by Anna Cape’s win in the girls pole vault (7’6”), while Audrey Pace took second in the girls triple jump. Maria Medrano placed third in the girls long jump, Kealan Metcalf was third in the boys shot put, Adelei Morrow (girls 1000, 1600) was fourth in two events, and Jerome Ramseur was third in the boys 55 meters and fourth in both the 55 hurdles and long jump.
Patton’s lone participant, Nora Wykle, finished third in both the girls 1000 and 1600 meters.
WRESTLING
Two Freedom girls win Enka tourney
A pair of Freedom girls wrestlers won weight-class titles at the Jet Invitational tournament hosted by Enka on Nov. 26, with sophomore Josephine Moore improving to 5-1 this season after nabbing the 138 title and junior Andrea Cisneros moving to 4-1 by winning at 185.
Moore earned two first-period pins before a second-period pin (3:42) in the championship match, and Cisneros claimed the title by virtue of a second-period pin in the semifinals before a first-period pin (1:10) in the final.
The Patriot boys also wrestled in the Enka tourney, led by Ethan Yang’s third-place finish at 113. Yang collected two first-period pins and a 20-1 tech fall to battle back after a first-round loss.
Kayden Bowman (175) was fourth, winning by second-period pin and decision, while Zenen Sigmon (106; sudden victory, tech fall) and Izick Thao (144; two third-period pins, tech fall) each placed fifth and Xander Vue (120) and Oliver Salvatiera (285) each won once via pin and placed sixth.
Seniors Vue and Thao share team-high honors with eight wins to date.
This week saw the other four county teams in duals action, and while some wrestlers continued individual success, all 14 boys or girls matches ended in defeats for the Burke County squads.
The Draughn boys (1-6) lost 59-23 to host McDowell and 48-36 to Mitchell in a tri match Wednesday, with the Lady Wildcats (1-4) falling 19-18 to Mitchell on criteria and 30-6 to McDowell.
The Wildcats’ Joseph Yang (106; forfeit, tech fall), Jayson Yang (113; two forfeits), Gaston Garrison (132; pin, forfeit), and Zayne Walton (215; two pins) each won twice, and Lawrence Sarver (157; second-period pin) and Cayman Lewis (165; forfeit) won once apiece.
Diamond Vasquez (165; two pins) was DHS’ only girls double winner, with Azalynn Rutherford (120; forfeit) and Alisa Shuping (126; second-period pin) winning once on the evening.
The East Burke boys (0-5) suffered a 63-12 loss Wednesday at Avery County as Nathan Martin (144) and Daniel Cook (150) won by forfeit.
The Patton boys (0-8) lost 60-15 at West Caldwell on Tuesday as Cavan Sullivano (165; decision), Richard Snyder (175; forfeit), and Brady Christian (285; first-period pin) each won. Sullivano sports a team-best 8-2 record to date.
The Patton girls (3-3) also fell Tuesday in Gamewell, 36-18, despite Taylor Baker (107), Desirae Smith (120), and Madeline Perez (145) all winning by forfeit.
The North Carolina School for the Deaf girls (0-4) were swept at a quad hosted by Hendersonville on Wednesday, falling 24-12 to T.C. Roberson and being shut out 54-0 by Hendersonville and 48-0 by Brevard. The Lady Bears’ Harmonii Pearson (126; forfeit) and Violeta Cortes (145; third-period pin) won once each.
And the NCSD boys (0-8) lost 59-0 at Thomas Jefferson on Monday and 60-6 to Brevard, 72-0 to Hendersonville, and 77-0 to T.C. Roberson two nights later. Hunter Riddle (285, forfeit) claimed NCSD’s lone win in that span.
SWIMMING
Patriots, Panthers each host meets
Freedom and Patton each hosted recent meets at the Morganton Aquatic Center, while East Burke got last week started on Tuesday in a three-team meet hosted by South Caldwell at the Lenoir Aquatic Center.
The Cavaliers sported two runner-up relay squads at the meet, from which overall team scores were not available.
The EB boys 200 medley relay of Haiden Dale, Gage Allen, Noah Ramsey, and Joseph Acuna placed second in an automatic 4A regional-qualifying time of 2:09.17, while the boys 200 freestyle relay of the same four swimmers earned a regional consideration time of 1:52.89.
Dale (100 free; 55.91) and Ramsey (100 backstroke; 1:17.87) also earned third-place finishes in individual events with regional consideration times.
Freedom hosted Alexander Central and McDowell on Nov. 25, winning 15 events. Team scores were not available.
Philomena Miguel won both the girls 50 free (29.41) and 100 butterfly (1:12.94), while Britta Ruechel (200 free, 2:35.75), Neyli Lopez-Rodriguez (500 free, 7:39.65), Gracie Farris (100 back, 1:16.57), and Leighton Beck (100 breaststroke, 1:25.15) won once each.
Freedom swept the girls relays, with Farris, Beck, Miguel, and Lucy Jones winning the 200 medley (2:13.94), Ruechel, Beck, Miguel, and Jones winning the 200 free (2:10.97), and Farris, Ruechel, Lopez-Rodriguez, and Aida Ruechel winning the 400 free (4:59.34).
The Patriot boys won two relays as Sean Causby, Brayden Cullen, Nicholas Chiota, and Jeffrey Gomez-Andres won both the 200 medley (1:55.95) and 200 free (1:44.03) team events.
Cullen (200 free, 2:21.87), Gomez-Andres (200 individual medley, 2:34.03), Chiota (100 fly, 1:03.29), and Rex Jones (500 free, 6:52.98) each won once individually for the boys.
And Patton hosted Chase, East Rutherford, and R-S Central on Wednesday, placing second on the boys side and third in girls (two points behind second-place Chase) as East Rutherford won both.
Individually, Jolann Buff (girls 200 free, 2:44.90), Blake Peahuff (boys 200 IM, 2:49.73), and Carter Phillips (boys 100 back, 1:12.83) won once each for the Panthers, who also claimed the boys 400 free relay as Oliver Olson, Beckham Welch, Henry Carlson, and Dominick Curtis posted a 4:36.88 clocking.
PHS runners up included Phillips (boys 100 fly), Buff (girls 500 free), Olson (boys 100 back),Ana Sic (girls 200 IM, 100 fly), and both the boys and girls 200 medley relay squads.
Paul Schenkel can be reached at 828-445-8595 or paul@thepaper.media.
