Both East Burke teams win WPC 3A/4A track titles

The East Burke track and field teams put on a show for the home crowd on Wednesday in Icard, sweeping their way to both the boys and girls titles at the Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference championship meets.

Cavaliers senior Kendale Cook and junior Kendall McFalls won three events each to lead the boys and girls teams, respectively, while sophomore Gracie Smith added two individual wins for the EB girls.

Cook claimed the WPC titles in the 110-meter hurdles (14.65), 300 hurdles (38.96), and 200 meters (22.19), winning three individual events for a third straight meet. McFalls, meanwhile, swept the 100 meters (12.59), 200 meters (26.05), and 400 meters (1:00.94), winning those three events for a second time in her last three meets.

McFalls had won the 200 and 400 league titles last year and Cook the 110 hurdles when both EB teams finished runners up in their previous conference.

Smith swept the hurdles, winning the 100-meter distance in a time of 17.77 and completing the 300 in a 51.18 clocking.

Other EB conference champs included Sarabeth Bradley (girls triple jump, 33’2”), Jesiah Rees (boys 100 meters, 11.05), Elijah Baker (boys 3200 meters, 11:38.98), Nathan Oyola (boys high jump, 6’1”), Josh Hicks (boys triple jump, 43’9½”), Alex Hernandez (boys discus, 136’8”), and Bryson Church (boys shot put, 47’4”).

Both Cavalier 4x200-meter relay teams also won conference titles, and EB athletes also nabbed 13 total runner-up finishes, led by two apiece from Hicks (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles) and Juleighanah Parker (girls 200, 400 meters).

Also at the meet, the Draughn girls placed fourth and the boys were sixth, while the Patton girls finished sixth and the boys seventh.

Patton junior Hannah Huggins won the girls long jump (16’), freshman Julia Niehoff won the girls 3200 meters (13:42.86), and sophomore Nora Wykle placed second in both the girls 1600 and 3200 meters.

Draughn got wins from both Adelei Morrow (girls high jump, 5’) and Anna Cape (girls pole vault, 8’1”).

The day before, NCSSM-Morganton athletes participated in the Catawba River 1A/2A/3A Conference championship meet at Mountain Island Charter School in Mount Holly, with the Dragon boys placing second and the girls team third.

NCSSM-M senior Stella Friedman led the way with wins in the girls 800 meters (2:29.05), 1600 meters (5:48.95), and 3200 meters (12:39.42), while Brayden Tody (800 meters, 2:06.38) and Max Vaughan (3200 meters, 10:07.74) won one boys event each.

The Dragons’ Vaughan (1600 meters), Lola Wilson (girls high jump), Emery Miller (girls pole vault), and girls 4x800 relay each placed second.

And Freedom’s boys placed fourth and the girls finished fifth on Wednesday at the Northwestern 6A/7A Conference championship meet at Alexander Central.

No Patriots athletes won events, with the team led by sophomore Micah Phasiname’s two runner-up finishes, in the boys long jump and triple jump. Phasiname also placed third in the high jump.

Other FHS third-place finishers at the meet were Trent Davis (boys 100, 200 meters), Jusian Perkins (boys long jump), Cynica Caldwell (girls 100 meters), Ava Cooke (girls 400 meters), and the girls 4x100 and 4x200 relays.

Two FHS athletes were also recently in action at the West Caldwell Last Chance meet on Monday, with Jolaina Operato (7’) and Abigail Call (6’6”) taking first and second place in the girls pole vault.

And Draughn, Patton, and NCSSM-M attended EBHS for a nine-team April 23 meet that was also owned by the hosts.

Cook won the boys 110 hurdles (14.95), 200 meters (22.06), and 400 meters (50.74), while Smith won the girls 100 (17.62) and 300 hurdles (53.71).

Other EB winners were: McFalls (girls 100 meters, 12.61), Emmonie Haith (girls 200 meters, 27.28), Parker (girls 400 meters, 1:03.21), Jordan Auldredge (girls pole vault, 8’), Rees (boys 100 meters, 11.06), Baker (boys 1600 meters, 4:49.89), Hernandez (boys discus, 141’11”), Church (boys shot put, 48’10”), and the girls 4x200 and 4x800 and boys 4x100 and 4x800 relays.

Rees also placed runner-up in the 200, Baker was runner-up in the 1600, and Bradley took second in three girls events: the 100 and 300 hurdles as well as the triple jump.

Patton was led by Elise Sawdy’s wins in the girls 800 meters (2:24.45) and 3200 meters (11:48.96), while Huggins won the long jump (16’), Niehoff placed second in the girls 3200 meters, and Layla McGuire was second in the girls 800 meters.

Noah Tallent (800, 1600 meters) and Jet Chatman (100 meters) led the PHS boys with fourth-place finishes.

Draughn got wins from Morrow (girls high jump, 4’10”) and Cape (girls pole vault, 8’), with Audrey Pace placing second in the girls long jump and Jerome Ramseur leading the Wildcat with a runner-up mark in the boys 110 hurdles. And NCSSM-M’s Owen Howard won the boys pole vault (10’6”).

GIRLS SOCCER

Three Morganton teams each nab wins

Freedom and NCSSM-Morganton each rattled off win streaks over the past week, and Patton also won once despite slipping down to third place in the league standings late last week.

The Lady Patriots (5-13-1, 2-7 NWC) and Lady Dragons (8-6, 7-4 CRC) held their senior days jointly at FHS in a contest on April 23, with NCSSM-M winning the teams’ only meeting of the season, 5-0.

Hannah Xu supplied two goals and two assists for the Dragons, while Ennis Marcus also scored twice and added one assist, Nicole Taylor had a goal and an assist, Amelia Fleury scored a goal, and Elyse Rae notched one assist.

Freedom then got hot on the road versus two old rivals, blanking McDowell by a 4-0 margin on April 24 before gaining a 5-0 triumph over East Burke on Monday.

Dulce Rodriguez led the Lady Patriots with two goals in Marion, and teammates Jessielen Morales-Becerra and Yoselin Rodriguez both found the back of the net once, with Aura Andres (two), Yoselin Rodriguez, and Leighton Beck supplying assists and goalkeeper Finley Toner recording her second shutout of the season.

Morales-Becerra scored twice in Icard, and Jessenia Chavez, Yoselin Rodriguez, and Drew Rogers scored once apiece, with Toner notching the clean sheet for a second straight game.

The Lady Patriots then fell 5-1 at league-leading St. Stephens on Tuesday. Freedom ended its regular season late Thursday at South Caldwell.

NCSSM-M gained a 1-0 home league win over Piedmont Community Charter on Monday as Xu assisted Taylor in scoring the game’s lone goal. The Lady Dragons were back in action Wednesday, hosting league-leading Mountain Island Charter but falling, 6-0.

Patton (13-3-1, 8-3-1 WPC) fell 2-0 at unbeaten league leader Hibriten on April 24 but rebounded to trounce East Burke on the road Tuesday, 8-1.

Ana Sic (assist) and Jaxyn Nolen scored two goals apiece during Tuesday’s Lady Panther win, while Katrina Vu, Brenda Lopez-Ortiz, Nora Conley, and Carlie Harris added one goal each and Kacey Mendoza chipped in with one assist.

East Burke (4-11-1, 4-8 WPC) also lost 4-0 at East Rutherford on April 24 as part of its current three-game skid after having won four of six.

And Draughn (1-9-5, 0-8-3 WPC) remained winless in league action, falling 8-0 at R-S Central on Tuesday following a narrow 2-1 defeat at Chase on April 23, in which Taylor Holder supplied the Lady Wildcats’ goal.

BOYS TENNIS

EB, Patton, NCSSM-M each into round 3

No. 3 seed East Burke (14-0) kept its dream season intact on Tuesday in Icard, downing No. 19 seed Bandys by a 5-1 margin in the teams’ NCHSAA 4A dual-team state playoff second-round contest to remain undefeated and gain what is believed to be EBHS’ first all-time playoff triumph.

The Cavaliers — who received a first-round bye — nearly swept the day’s singles action, ending the match with the clinching point before doubles play was necessary.

The hosts’ only loss came via No. 4 singles player Noah Ramsey, who suffered his first singles setback of the spring in a three-setter, 6-7, 6-3, 3-10.

It was all EB otherwise, as No. 1 Luke Borders (6-0, 6-0), No. 2 Braxton Kirkland (6-2, 6-0), No. 3 Haiden Dale (6-1, 6-1), No. 5 Kevin Lee (6-4, 6-2), and No. 6 Yingchi Yang (6-1, 6-1) each cruised to straight-set wins.

In other dual-team playoff action this week, No. 5 seed Patton (7-4) and No. 7 seed NCSSM-Morganton (9-4) survived and advanced through second-round home matches on Wednesday in the 3A and 1A-2A brackets, respectively.

The Panthers defeated No. 12 West Lincoln, 7-2, in their first taste of team postseason success since a third-round run in 2010. Patton claimed the Nos. 1 through 3 singles matches as steady senior Bryant Arrowood won, 6-4, 6-1, before both Ethan Beall (2-6, 6-2, 10-8) and Carter Johnson (4-6, 6-2, 10-1) rallied from a set down.

Shiv Patel claimed a forfeit win on the No. 6 line and trailing 4-2 and without a sixth player and third doubles team, the Rebels forfeited the entirety of doubles to result in the final score.

The Dragons swept No. 10 Starmount, 6-0, to claim a playoff win for a third consecutive season in a match that also needed only singles to determine the outcome.

NCSSM-M winners were: No. 1 Andy Quach (6-0, 7-6), No. 2 Nash Taylor (6-2, 2-6, 10-7), No. 3 Aneel Gupta (6-0, 6-1), No. 4 Akarsh Kadapi (6-2, 6-2), No. 5 Aarav Patel (6-0, 6-1), and No. 6 Quincy Stanley (6-0, 6-2).

And No. 16 Freedom (2-9) fell in round one in the 6A West bracket at home against No. 17 Mount Tabor on Monday, 9-0. No match scores were available.

Round three of the playoffs is set for Monday, May 4, when county matchups will include EB hosting the Cramer/Tuscola winner, Patton visiting No. 4 North Stanly (13-3), and NCSSM-M visiting No. 2 Highland Tech (12-1).

Before then, EB, Patton, and NCSSM-M have a combined total of 14 qualifiers who this weekend are in action at the NCHSAA West Regional individual tournaments hosted by Brevard College (4A), Gardner-Webb University (3A), and Elkin Municipal Park (1A/2A).

BOYS GOLF

Several individuals go low down the stretch

The past week on the local prep links has been highlighted by a handful of impressive individual performances.

Draughn golfers Ethan Cline and Cash Baker, East Burke’s Trevor Fraley, and Freedom’s Greyson Snipes each recently recorded career-best scores in finishes of third place or better.

On April 23, Draughn faced West Caldwell and Hibriten in a nine-hole match at Lenoir Golf Club, with the freshman Cline (39) earning medalist honors at an event for a second time in three weeks. Baker shot 40 and tied for second, and Daniel Spottswood shot 48 and Walker Bowman added a 58 to complete the team scoring for the second-place Wildcats (185).

Baker then shot 76 to place a county-best third individually in a WPC 3A/4A match at Dogwood Valley Golf Course in Rutherford County on Monday.

Patton (341) placed fourth as a county-best team that day, fueled by Matthew Piercy (80), Marshall Keathley (84), Mason Brown (86), and Jackson Zook (91). East Burke (354) was fifth, with Blake Turner and Conner Kerley shooting matching 87s, Cash Wittenberg adding an 89, and Brody Simpson shooting 91.

Aside from Baker, eighth-place Draughn (372) got its other contributing scores via Cline (85), Noah Hoyle (105), and Bowman (106).

Also on Monday, Freedom played in its NWC 6A/7A finale at Boone Golf Club, led by Snipes’ sizzling 73 as he tied for second place. The Patriots’ Timothy Cope shot 80, Charlie Walker posted an 89, and Cooper Price carded a 91, while Trenton Smith added a 93.

Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, East Burke faced off in head-to-head nine-hole matches versus Draughn and NCSSM-Morganton at Silver Creek Golf Club, winning twice.

The Cavs (182) topped the Wildcats (192) despite Baker (40) again earning medalist honors and Cline (41) tying EB’s Simpson for second place. EB also got scores of 42 from Turner, 49 from Kerley, and 50 from Trevor Fraley. DHS’ Spottswood added a 55, and Hoyle shot 56.

And on Wednesday, Fraley (39) went a career-low for his first medalist honor as the Cavs (176) won by eight strokes. Kerley shot 43, Turner shot 44, and Simpson added a 50.

Davis McColley led the Dragons with a 42, while Arti Phoncharoensri posted a 46 and Lance Morgan and Will Thompson carded matching 48s.

LACROSSE

Both Patton teams fall at home twice

The Patton lacrosse teams hosted Asheville on April 23 and Hickory on Tuesday, both in conference action.

Both Panthers squads lost both contests, with the Patton girls (1-12, 1-10) falling 20-4 against Asheville and 15-4 against Hickory and the PHS boys (1-12, 0-11) losing 16-4 and 12-4, respectively. No Patton boys or girls individual statistics were available from either day.

The Patton girls team ended the regular season at North Lincoln late Thursday, while the boys also played at Mountain Island Charter in nonconference play late Friday.