County track athletes complete regular season

The Foothills Athletic Conference held its final three middle school track and field meets of the 2026 regular season this week, with Walter Johnson traveling to Heritage, Table Rock and Liberty visiting West McDowell, and East Burke hosting East McDowell, although Heritage and EB didn’t report any of their event winners.

The Yellow Jackets finished first in 14 events on Tuesday in Valdese, with nine of their victories coming on the boys side.

Ja’Zion Davidson-Burgess won the seventh-grade 100 meters for the Walter Johnson boys with a time of 13.47 seconds, and he also posted a first-place time of 27.05 in the 200 meters and teamed with Nasir Corpening, Noush Yang, and Zai’dyn Howell to win the 4x200-meter relay (1:49.62).

The aforementioned Corpening was also victorious in the 110-meter hurdles (time unavailable) and was one-fourth of Walter Johnson’s triumphant 4x400-meter relay squad (4:28), which also included Yang, Jace Jordan, and Howell.

Chris Hickman added first-place marks in the boys high jump (5 feet) as well as the discus throw (78 feet, 1 inch), Fisher Collinson won the 1600 meters (5:34), and Emilio Risso-Hemstreet tied for first with a Heritage competitor in the sixth/seventh-grade 800 meters (2:42).

On the girls side, Kaylee Bristol played a part in four of Walter Johnson’s five wins. She finished first in the sixth-grade 100 meters (14.36); tied for first in the high jump (4 feet, 4 inches); teamed with Toot Maxwell, Chyna Kelly, and Dakota Dolinger to win the 4x200-meter relay (2:03.83); and teamed with Maxwell, Kelly, and Kylee Jones to win the 4x400-meter relay (5:11).

In addition, Dolinger led the field in the 100-meter hurdles (time unavailable).

As for Wednesday’s meet at West McDowell, it saw Table Rock win 11 events — all on the boys side — while the Liberty girls picked up eight victories and the Liberty boys nabbed a pair of wins.

The Falcons’ Xander Summers finished first in the long jump (19 feet, 11 inches), the eighth-grade 100 meters (11.28), and the 200 meters (23.41). He also won the 4x200-meter relay alongside CJ Largent, Dayyan Rasheed, and Ayden Francis with a time of 1:41.70.

Kacen Powell added wins for Table Rock in the high jump (5 feet, 10 inches) and the seventh-grade 100 meters (12.25), while fellow Falcon Chasee Tucker took first in the 110-meter hurdles (16.00) and teamed with Jameson Smith, Dadrian Cottle, and Jayden Douglas to win the 4x400-meter relay (4:23). Furthermore, Myron Rutherford came in first in the sixth-grade 100 meters (13.89), Cottle won the 400 meters (1:00.72), and Smith led the field in the eighth-grade 800 meters (2:20).

Emilie Cosovan was a triple winner for the Lady Knights thanks to first-place times in the 100-meter hurdles (16.76), the eighth-grade 100 meters (13.40), and the 200 meters (27.90), with Presley Powell (6:07 in 1600 meters; 2:47 in sixth/seventh-grade 800 meters) and Emma Halliburton (25 feet in shot put; 64 feet, 3 inches in discus) notching two victories apiece to go with a first-place mark from Evelyn Hutchins in the high jump (4 feet, 2 inches).

And on the boys side, Liberty’s Mason Taylor (35 feet, 11 inches in shot put) and Easton Herron (2:29 in sixth/seventh-grade 800 meters) emerged victorious.

SOFTBALL

Liberty tops two more opponents; TR also adds a win

Liberty moved to 9-0 in FAC play this spring courtesy of road wins over Heritage and East McDowell on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.

In a 16-1 triumph over the Lady Eagles (2-6), the Lady Knights pounded out 18 hits as a team behind four hits from Malorie Messer (home run, double, two singles, five RBIs, four runs), three from Emma Fish (three singles, two RBIs, three runs), two each from Janiyah Benjamin (homer, double, two RBIs, run, SB), Finley Duvall (two singles, two RBIs, run, SB), Presley McCoy (two singles, RBI, two runs), Whitley Strange (two singles, RBI, two runs), and Serenity Waycaster (two singles, run, SB), and one from Lyrikah Bristol (double, RBI, run). Strange (4 IP) was also the winning pitcher after she combined with Messer (IP) to allow an unearned run and four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks, with Heritage’s hits coming from Piper Smith (RBI), Kendalyn Eckard (run), Marleigh Gidney, and Keagan Sigmon.

Then in an 11-6 victory over the Lady Trojans, Liberty got three singles and two RBIs from McCoy to go with a double, a single, and three runs scored from Duvall. The Lady Knights also received one hit apiece from Messer (single, two RBIs, run), Fish (double, RBI, three runs), Victoria Bollinger (double, RBI, run), and Strange (single, run).

Strange (4 1/3 IP, R, 5 H, BB, 3 K) was the winning pitcher again on Wednesday, while Messer (2 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K) also saw time in the pitcher’s circle.

Also on Monday, Table Rock (6-3) defeated East Burke (4-5) by an 11-6 final in Icard in a game that saw the Lady Falcons receive three hits each from SophiAnn Smith and Lily Thompson (team-high three RBIs) and two apiece from Megan Robinson (two SB), Emily Banner, and Maddie Gordon. Sophie Davis added a two-run inside-the-park homer for Table Rock, while Robinson (3 1/3 IP, ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 3 K) was the winning pitcher and Gordon appeared in relief.

The Lady Raiders’ Jaiden Bame had two hits and an RBI, with Addison Lowman (RBI) and Madison Richardson each drawing two walks to go with two stolen bases from Paisley Mooneyham.

In Monday’s remaining contest, Walter Johnson (0-8) lost by a 15-0 score at East McDowell.

BASEBALL

Falcons remain unbeaten; Knights win twice

Table Rock (8-0) kept its perfect FAC record intact on Monday in Icard, knocking off East Burke (3-6) by a 15-3 score thanks to three hits each from Luke Webb (double, two singles, two RBIs, two runs) and Jaxxon Williams (two doubles, single, RBI, three runs, two SB) and one apiece from Easton Tollison (homer, four RBIs, two runs), Werner Sahling (single, two RBIs), Ames Miller (single, run, SB), and James Miller (single, run).

James Miller (2 2/3 IP, R, H, 3 BB, K) earned the win on the mound, with Spencer Wall (1 1/3 IP, R, 2 BB, 2 K) and Webb (IP, R, 3 BB, 2 K) pitching in relief. Meanwhile, Colt Harrington had the Raiders’ lone hit and Hunter Huffman and Cassius Kershner each registered an RBI.

Liberty (6-3) traveled to Heritage (1-7) on Monday and came away with a 16-0 victory before slipping past East McDowell, 3-2, on Wednesday in Marion.

The Knights’ Jackson Puckett allowed no hits with six strikeouts and no walks in three innings on Monday, while Judson Wilson (3 IP, R, BB, 3 K) and AJ Duckworth (4 IP, R, H, 2 BB, 7 K) were the two pitchers used by the visitors against the Trojans.

Liberty’s offensive standouts against the Eagles included Edward Stoudenmire (double, single, three RBIs, three runs), Hank Ledford (two singles, three RBIs, run), Brody Lozano (double, single, RBI, two runs, SB), Puckett (double, two RBIs, two runs), Duckworth (single, RBI, two runs, two SB), Sawyer Cato (single, RBI, two runs), Cason Scott (single, RBI, run), and Wilson (single, RBI, SB), while Wednesday’s hitting leaders were Lozano (two singles), Stoudenmire (single, RBI), Ledford (triple, run), and Lincoln Greer (single).

Finally, Walter Johnson (0-8) suffered a 15-0 defeat at the hands of East McDowell on Monday in Marion.