Watauga Lady Pioneers soccer fell to Jacksonville 1-0 Friday night in the opening round of the Brittany Willis Invitational in Wilson NC. On Saturday, the Pioneers were up 1-0, but Laney came from behind to take the round two win 2-1. Watauga's Kendall Conner was honored with the event's sportsmanship award. Lady Pioneer soccer vs Ashe on Monday has been rescheduled for April 9th, to allow the Lady Huskies to make up a conference game.
Watauga's Friday baseball game vs Alexander Central was postponed to Monday evening. The Saturday baseball game against Mount Tabor was also washed out and has been rescheduled for Tuesday night.
Lady Pioneer softball played their twice-rained-out game with Alexander Central on Saturday morning, and was defeated by Central 13-1, the softball games that were previously scheduled for Saturday at Shuey Park in Morganton were rained out and won't be rescheduled.
March 2009 Archives
ASU football players and coaches received their 2008 Southern Conference championship rings in a packed house at ASU's SoCon championship banquet Saturday evening at the Holmes Center. Former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne delivered the banquet's keynote speech. The 2008 championship rings are silver with diamonds surrounding a gold A on the face. One side commemorates Appalachian's 11-3 record in 2008 with each player's name and number while the other side recognizes the Mountaineers' 50 overall wins and 13 playoff victories over the past four seasons. In addition to the SoCon championship hardware, a number of individual awards were distributed, including a very special award that honored linebacker Pierre Banks for the NCAA-record 62 games that he played in as a Mountaineer.
Mountaineer baseball was only able to get in two of its three scheduled games at Davidson this weekend. The Apps fell to the Wildcats 8-9 on in game one, but came back big in game two to take a 15-5 victory. Chris Alessandria drove in five runs and Isaac Harrow had a career-high-tying five hits and scored four runs to lead the Mountaineers in the game two win. Appalachian scored in six of the game's first seven innings. Game one, which was started on Saturday and finished on Sunday, was tied 8-8 until the bottom of the ninth when ASU closer Zach Quate gave up a solo homer, the first allowed by Quate all season while the earned run was only his second of the year. The Mountaineer's record now stands at 9-15, 3-10 in the SoCon. Appalachian closes a four-game road stand on Tuesday when it visits UNC Asheville. The Apps will be back in Boone Wednesday to host High Point at Smith Stadium in a non-conference game.
ASU Softball fell in game one to UNC Greensboro by a score of 2-1, but came back in game two and ripped a 7-0 shutout of the Spartans in Greensboro. Michelle Lighton went 3-for-4 in the contest, including an RBI double. Ashley Stubbs threw a complete game six-hitter for the Mountaineers' to pick up her sixth win of the season. In game one, Lighton led off the third with her fourth home run of the year to make it 2-1, but that was all the Apps could get. Kayla Richardson took the loss falling to 8-9 on the year.
Mountaineer men's tennis fell to UNC-Greensboro 4-3 Sunday afternoon at Grandfather Golf and Country Club. Three singles matches went to three sets but the Apps were only able to notch two wins. Trent Constance and Peter Jacobs came up big at the number two doubles winning 8-5, while Philip Kloc and Britton Webb fought their opponents to a tie, but UNCG reeled off four straight points to steal the win 9-8. Bobby Lake and Lee Floyd were dropped at number one doubles. Lake was able to push his singles match to three sets, but could not pull off the win. Freshman Philip Kloc and Alain Humblet gave Appalachian its lone wins in singles play, as each handily defeated their opponents in two sets. The Mountaineers drop to 11-7 on the season and 3-4 in SoCon play. Those numbers include ASU's 4-3 win over Wofford on Friday. The Mountaineers won all the doubles matches and three singles matches for the conference win. ASU traveld to Radford Virginia Monday for non-conference action against the number 56 Highlanders.
The No. 39 Bobcats men's tennis team remains unbeaten in the conference with a 5-4 come-from-behind upset win over the No. 17 Anderson Trojans Saturday at the LMC Tennis Center. After falling behind 2-1 after the doubles matches, Lees-McRae had to rally to pull the upset. Anderson took a 3-1 lead with a win at number two, but Shawn Sumner controlled his match at number three with a 6-0, 6-1 win to cut the led to 3-2. At the four position Anderson squeaked out a point in the tiebreak to make it 4-2. With the match on the line, Nandor Solymosi defeated No. 7 Phillip Pakebusch in three sets, a very big win. Tyler Grove took the win at number five, 6-1, 6-4, to tie the match at four. And Bobcat freshman Steve Karendal at the number six position decided the day, for the third time this season, with an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win to seal the upset and the win. Bobcat tennis coach Paul Goode says that you cannot overstate how big a win this was for his team. With the win, the Bobcats snap Anderson's 43 straight conference win streak, giving the Bobcats their first win over Anderson since 2003, and improving to 6-0 in the conference and 11-5 overall.
The Lady Bobcats also got the win over Anderson, defeating the Lady Trojans 8-1 Saturday at the Grandfather Mountain Golf and Country Club. The Lady Bobcats jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead winning all three doubles matches, then won the first two singles matches to seal the win. They topped it off taking five of the six singles matches on the day. With the win, the Lady Bobcats improve to 8-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference. Bobcat men's and women's tennis will host Limestone in Banner Elk on Tuesday.
The Conference Carolinas softball doubleheader Sunday between Lees-McRae and Queens was postponed. No make up date announced yet. Sunday's Bobcat mens lacrosse game against St Leo also was cancelled. The Bobcats next match is April 4th against Belmont Abbey in conference play.
Lady Bobcats lacrosse did get their game in Sunday, but lost 19-4 to St Andrews, who posted 11 first half goals while shutting out Lees-McRae. The Lady Bobcats will host Belmont Abbey this Saturday in Banner Elk.
Wednesday's rain washed out the Watauga Pioneers home track meet, men's tennis in Hickory, and a softball game at Alexeander Central. The track meet has been tentatively rescheduled for Friday weather permitting. No make up date yet for the Hickory tennis match, but men's tennis match scheduled for Thursday at South Caldwell has been rescheduled for Monday April 20th. The Lady Pioneer softball game against Alexander Central has been rescheduled as a varsity only contest Friday weather permitting. The Pioneer baseball team will travel to Alexander Central Friday, and then go to Mt Tabor for a game on Saturday. The Pioneers are currently in first place in the Northwestern Conference. Lady Pioneer soccer will participate at the Brittaney in Wilson NC, against Jacksonville, in a varsity only match. On Saturday the Lady Pioneers will take on Laney on day two of the Brittaney, also a varsity only contest.
Avery Lady Vikings soccer was also rained out Wednesday. It was a conference game at Polk that will be made up near the end of the regular season. Their next scheduled match is Monday when they host Madison. There have been some other schedule changes for the Lady Vikings soccer team, The McDowell match scheduled in early May has been cancelled, The Owen home match that was originally scheduled for Friday, April 10th has been moved up two days to Wednesday, April 8th, The Avery/Mitchell match scheduled for April 29th has been moved up one day to April 28th.
Avery Middle School softball was rained out as well. The Lady Panthers will play Cranberry in a double header on Monday.
The Lady Vikings softball team shut out Asheville Christian Academy on Tuesday. Avery won it 15-0. The Lady Vikings came out on fire, scoring 10 runs in the first inning. Morgan Yackey struck out seven batters in five innings, 1 hit, no walks. Yackey, Sara Singleton, and Samantha Shook combined for nine hits in the game, five runs scored and four RBIs. The Lady Vikings are scheduled to play at Hendersonville on Friday.
Mountaineer baseball vs Radford was rained out Wednesday, and no make up date has been determined as yet. Appalachian returns to action this weekend at Southern Conference-rival Davidson. Game times for the three-game series are 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Wilson Field in Davidson.
ASU Track and Field's outdoor season began last weekend with the Wake Forest Invitationals. Amoung the top finishing men, freshman Darius Purcell captured first place in the high jump, and Mark Sturgis earned a first place finish in the triple jump. Malcolm Styers earned a second place finish in the shot put. Daniel Neal took third in the 110 meter hurdles. Matt Boruff was third in the B pole vault. The Mountaineer women had two first place finishes as well. In the triple jump, junior Danielle Thorpe captured first place, and Rebecca Hazeltine finished first in the high hump. Jeniffer Povick came in third in the 1500 meters. Shea Snow was third in the A pole vault, and Meg Irwin took third in the B pole vault. Kiara Crutchfield was third in the long jump. The Mountaineers compete this weekend in the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh.
Lees-McRae Lady Bobcat softball was also rained out Wednesday. The non-conference match up at Mars Hill has been rescheduled for Monday, April 13th.
Lady Bobcat Lacrosse hosts Queens on Friday, and Lady Bobcat Soccer will come to Boone to play ASU on Friday at 4. Now do keep in mind that Friday's forecast also calls for rain, so check goasu.com and bobcatsports.lmc.edu for schedule updates.
The Lees-McRae Bobcats participated in the Wake Forest Invitationals last weekend, and pole vaulters John Arthur and Ryan Oakes led the Bobcat men with a second and a fifth place finish respectively. April Harris' ninth place finish in the steeple chase led the Lady Bobcats. The Bobcat men and women will compete in the Milligan Relays this weekend in Milligan Tennessee. After Milligan, the Bobcats will compete in the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational in Hickory April 11th, then one week after that, Lees-McRae will host the Conference Carolinas Championships April 17th and 18th. The Conference Championship meet is the only home event for Bobcat Track and Field this spring.
Bobcat men's volleyball will host King College at Williams Gym on Friday, its a 7pm start. The Bobcats are 17-5 this season.
Watauga Pioneer baseball defeated East Burke 1-0 Tuesday in 9 innings. Jon Sharpe got the complete game win on a 1-hitter day on the mound. Phil Gordon's RBI double scored the one run int the game in the 9th to give the Pioneers the win. Watauga improves to 7-2 overall, 4-1 in Northwestern Conference play. Pioneer JVs won also, 12-0. Watauga Softball downed East Burke 7-6, JV softball fell to East 8-7. Watauga Varsity softball did play at Alexander Central Wednesday, but the JV game was canceled. Lady Pioneers soccer shut out East Burke Tuesday by a score of 9-0.
Wednesday's Northwestern Conference Track Relay meet at Watauga was rained out, it is tentatively rescheduled for Friday afternoon. Watauga tennis at Hickory has been postponed, but no make up date has been announced.
Avery Vikings varsity baseball lost a close one Monday to Freedom down in Morganton, falling 6-5 in the non-conference game. Steven Daniels finished the game 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs, and Brooks Oakley was 2 for 4 with a run scored. The Vikings took on Cloudland on Tuesday and easily handled the Highlanders at Roan Mountain, winning 12-1 in five innings. The Vikings next contest is also on the road, at Hendersonville on Friday.
ASU baseball broke out of its recent offensive slump in a big way Tuesday, setting season highs for hits and runs in a 19-6 win over North Carolina A&T at Smith Stadium. The Apps have been getting only three-and-a-half runs a game over its last seven games, but made up for that big time against the Aggies, scoring in each of the first seven innings of the game, and getting the 19 runs off 20 hits, both highs for the year. The Mountaineers scored a run in the first inning, four in the second and two in the third before A&T could put a guy on base. A&T got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth, but ASU answered with five in the bottom of the stanza to make it 12-1. Then ASU put together a three run sixth inning to stretch the lead to 16-2. The Aggies got two in the 7th and two in the 8th and then ASU got three more in the bottom of the seventh. Nine different players recorded hits for Appalachian, led by a 4-for-5, three-RBI, three-run effort by Isaac Harrow. ASU starter Ryan Arrowood held A&T to two runs on four hits over six innings of work. He struck out three and needed only 58 pitches to earn his first-career win. The Mountaineers are 8-14 overall, and that will hold for a bit, as the Radford game scheduled for Wednesday was rained out. The Mountaineers will head south for conference action this weekend, as they head to Davidson for a three game series at Wilson Field.
ASU softball let a four-run seventh inning lead slip away falling 9-8 to Gardner Webb in game two of a doubleheader Tuesday. GW won the first game 3-2. The Mountaineers led game two 8-4 in the seventh inning when GW scored on a sinlge, then a hit out to left field tipped off the left fielder's glove and went over the wall, resulting in a game winning grand slam. The losses drop ASU to 13-16 overall, with a return to SoCon play this weekend, when the Mountaineers travel to UNC Greensboro.
Jordan Kreuter and Brooke DeHart each shot an 81 on Tuesday as Appalachian State University women's golf finished in 12th place at UNC Wilmington's Lady Seahawk Classic. Altogether, the Mountaineers shot 335 on Tuesday, and finished the competition with a three day team score of 995. Leading the way for ASU, Jordon Kreuter finished 54th with a 245, 29 over. The Mountaineers return to action on April 4 at the University Cup at Morganton's Mimosa Hills Golf Club.
After a weekend break, Appalachian State University football resumed spring practice with its fifth and sixth workouts of the spring on Monday and Tuesday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Also on Tuesday, Appalachian held its annual Pro Day workout for former Mountaineers aspiring to continue their playing careers as professionals. Former Apps Pierre Banks, Jonathan Bieschke, T.J. Courman, Anthony Cruver, Josh Davis, James Hill, Kevin Richardson, Justin Woazeah and Neil Young all took part in the workout, which was observed by an area scout from the Carolina Panthers, who will share the results with scouts from organizations throughout the professional ranks. The Mountaineers continue spring drills through the week. While practices are CLOSED to the public due to ongoing construction at Kidd Brewer Stadium, regular reports from the practice field can be found at GoASU.com.
Lees-McRae Tennis continues to play strong, defeating King College Tuesday. The Bobcat men were 8-1 winners over King, taking all three doubles matches and five of six singles matches. The 39th ranked Bobcat men improve to 10-5 overall this season. The Lady Bobcats shut out an opponent for the second time in two matches, taking a 9-0 win over King. Ashley Mayers continues her six-match win streak with her 6-0, 6-2 win at the number three spot. The senior is 9-2 on the season and 3-0 after moving to the three position. MTN's Len Murphy was at Monday's match against JC Smith and had a chance to talk to Bobcat Tennis Coach Paul Goode about how well his team is doing, and their next tough match this Saturday.
With the 22-4 win over the Converse College Valkyries, the Lees-McRae College Lady Bobcats women's lacrosse team has doubled the wins from the previous three seasons combined; head coach Amanda Chase has her ladies at 6-4 overall with seven games remaining in the season. Of the 22 goals, 16 were assisted, the highest assist total for the season. Nine of the 14 Lady Bobcat field players scored in the game, and six players scored multiple goals. Ten of the 14 position players recorded an assist in the game. The Lady Bobcats will host Queens University Friday in Banner Elk, starting at 5.
Bobcat softball scheduled for Wednesday against Mars Hill were rained out, and has been rescheduled for April 13.
Due to a potentially wet weather forecast, Watauga Pioneer softball has flipped its Wednesday schedule. The softball games at Alexander Central are on, but backwards, the Varsity will play first at 4:30 and the JV will play after if field conditions permit.
Pioneer mens tennis fell to Newton Conover Monday, dropping all three doubles matches, and winning only 4 singles matches. Watauga falls to 9-2 overall, and takes on Hickory Wednesday.
Watauga Track and Field competed at the Elon Invitaional over the weekend. The Lady Pioneers finished 8th out of 40 teams, while the Pioneer boys finished 13th out of 36 teams. Watauga is scheduled to host a meet Wednesday at 4:30.
Pioneer softball, baseball and womens soccer all host East Burke Tuesday, we'll have results Wednesday night.
Avery Lady Viking soccer fell on the road to Hendersonville in Western Highlands conference action Monday, coming up short 3-1. Hayley Pyatte scored a goal for Avery in the 28th minute that tied the contest at 1 each, assisted by Emily Banner, but that would prove to be all the Lady Vikings could muster. Mary Chesnut Smith was double teamed or more throughout most of the match, and was held at bay. The Lady Vikings travel to take on Polk Wednesday, another top 10 1A program.
The Avery Middle School Girls softball team hosted Cane River Middle School from Yancey County on Monday afternoon. Avery, coming off 2 straight exciting wins last week, were looking to make it 3 wins in a row, but the Cane River Rebels had other ideas. The Avery Girls battled hard, played tough defense, and got several runners on base, including a big hit from Nikki Wright, but Avery was unable to get any runners across the plate. Cane River, one of the top teams in the Toe River Conference, were not to be denied, and the Rebels went on to the win. Avery hosted 1st place East Yancey in a doubleheader Tuesday. We'll have the report Wednesday.
Cranberry Middle School girls softball hosted Bowman Middle School on Monday afternoon also. The Cranberry girls played their best game of the season as they continue to get better with every game. Bowman jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in the 1st inning, but the Cranberry girls turned this great pitcher to 1st baseman to catcher double play to get out of the inning. The Cranberry bats then came out strong in the bottom of the 1st inning, pushing 3 runs across to plate to cut the Bowman lead to 8-3. But Bowman was too strong, and went on to the victory. Cranberry getting in some make-up games this week, and will play cross-county friendly rival Avery Middle School on Thursday.
Mountaineer baseball hopes to ride the momentum of Sunday's 3-1 win over Georgia Southern into a pair of non-conference match-ups this week. Appalachian closes a four-game home stand Tuesday versus North Carolina A&T and travels to Radford on Wednesday. ASU is 7-14 overall, 2-9 in the conference, while Fifteen of ASU's first 21 games were against opponents currently ranked among the nation's top 100 in the latest RPI rankings. With the tough, first month now behind them, the Mountaineers are looking to put repeat last year, when they won 16 of their final 24 games, including 13 of their last 17 in Southern Conference play. North Carolina A&T at 5-13, has won two in a row. Wednesday, Appalachian makes its first trip to Radford in 11 years. ASU and RU have met only 14 times and the last two were in Boone. ASU has not lost to Radford since the last time they played there, back in 98.
ASU men's tennis fell in a heartbreaker Sunday afternoon, as the Apps were unable to eek out a win over non-conference foe Tennesse Tech, falling 4-3. The Mountaineers started off strong by winning the early doubles point, while in singles play, Philip Kloc won 6-3, 6-2 at the number five spot and the Apps were up 2-0, but Alain Humblet at number six was the only other singles win for the Apps. With the loss, Appalachian drops to 10-6 on the season and returns home Friday to take on Wofford at 2 p.m. at the ASU Tennis Courts.
ASU women's cross country has been named one of the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association 2008 All-Academic Teams. To recieve the honor, a team must have a minimum 3.00 team cumulative grade point average and have competed and compiled a score at an NCAA regional meet. The Mountaineers boast an impressive 3.423 team gpa. The Apps finished 22nd at the NCAA Regional Meet and grabbed a fourth place finish at the 2008 Southern Conference Championships. The Mountaineers also had four women that were named to the Southern Conference fall academic all-conference team.
ASU women's golf stands in 12th place after two rounds of the 9th UNCW Lady Seahawk Golf Classic at River Landing Golf Club in Wilmington. The Mountaineers were led by Kerri Dice, who shot 79-82-161 (+17) in a tie for 50th. The final round of the 54-hole event was held earlier Tuesday, we'll have results on Wednesday night.
Lees-McRae Bobcat men's tennis reeled off its sixth straight win in a 9-0 rout of JC Smith Monday afternoon at the Lees-McRae Tennis Center. With the win, Lees-McRae improves to 9-5 overall. The Bobcats streak has lasted just two days shy of a month without a loss.
Lady Bobcat tennis snapped their two-match skid with a 9-0 shutout of JC Smith also, improving to 6-4 on the season. Both Bobcat teams took on King College Tuesday, we'll have results on Wednesday night.
Mountaineer track and field recently picked up another SoCon Championship in both mens and womens competition, and in the process, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Coach John Weaver picked up more Conference Coach of the Year Honors. The Mens team knocked off Western Carolina to pick up their 16th conference indoor title in school history. The womens team won their 15th Southern Conference indoor title. The outdoor season begins this weekend at the Wake Forest Invitational in Winston Salem. MTN will show the entire interview with Coach Weaver Friday on MTN Morning and it will be part of our MTN Weekend so be sure to catch it.
The Avery Middle School Girls Softball Team played their first home game of the season on Tuesday, hosting Bowman Middle School in Newland. Avery came out on fire with their bats, scoring three runs in the 1st inning, 3 runs in the second inning, 2 runs in the 3rd inning, and 1 run in the 4th inning. Throughout this entire time, Avery held Bowman scoreless with excellent pitching from Paige Henderson, and great defensive plays behind her from the Avery players. So going into the 5th inning, Avery was cruising by the score of 9 - 0. But then the whole game changed in the 5th. The Bowman bats got hot, and Avery was unable to get an out. Bowman scored 8 runs and still had the bases loaded. Avery shortstop Shannon Smith came in to pitch with the bases loaded and no one out, and she pitched outstandingly, as she struck out the Bowman side to keep the slim 1-run lead. The story was exactly the same in the 6th and 7th innings, as Avery was unable to score, and so the Avery girls had to go out and defend their slim 9 -8 lead in both the 6th and the 7th. But Shannon continued to dominate from the mound, striking out 2 and catching a pop-up herself for the 3 outs in the 6th, and striking out all three Bowman batters in the 7th to save the Avery win. In total, Shannon pitched 3 innings without giving up a run, and she struck out 8 of the 9 batters she retired to get the save. The Avery girls were happy about their exciting win, and Head Coach Luke Henderson was very proud of all his players. The Avery girls continue to improve with every game, and they are definitely going to be a strong force in the Conference for the rest of the season.
The Watauga Pioneers came up on the short end against McDowell on Tuesday, falling 5-4 in a Northwestern conference game. The two teams entered the contest without a conference loss. McDowell's Trey Young belted a three-run home run and an RBI single to help McDowell to the win down in Marion and take first place in the conference. The Pioneers got 9 hits in the game and left 11 runners on base, David Martin had a 2 run homer for Watauga. Jon Sharpe took the loss for Watautga. The Pioneers fall to 3-2 overall, 1-1 in the conference and took on West Wilkes Wednesday. The Pioneers next conference game is Friday when AC Reynolds comes to Boone.
Pioneer JV Baseball played to an 8-all tie in 7 innings. Pioneer Soccer fell to McDowell Wednesday 3-0.
Mountaineer baseball could manage only six hits in its 3-1 loss to Wake Forest at Smith Stadium Tuesday. The Mountaineers got a strong effort from five pitchers, but could only get one run from a Nick DeRose RBI single in the third inning that put them up 1-0. Wake Forest evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly and took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on what turned out to be a game-winning home run. WFU added an insurance run in the eighth to account for the scoring. Seth Grant, Nick Daniels, Chris Patterson, Will Helms and Andrew Webster held the Deacons to those three runs on eight hits. Quite a feat when you consider that Wake came into the contest averaging seven runs a game. Daniels suffered the tough-luck loss after allowing a run on two hits in 2.2 innings of work. The Mountaineers fall to 6-11, and have lost six straight, App's longest losing streak since it dropped 10 in a row early in 2006. ASU had a non-conference date with East Tennessee State in Johnson City Wednesday night, we'll have results Thursday.
Mountaineer mens tennis played their first outdoor home match against Furman Wednesday afternoon. The Mountaineers are 9-4 overall, 1-2 in SoCon play. Furman is 9-7 on the season after playing 6 nationally ranked teams. The Mountaineers then head to Birmingham Alabama to take on Samford Saturday.
ASU softball hosts Charlotte in a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday, hoping to reverse the trend of three straight losses at Georgia Southern. The Mountaineers are 9-11. Appalachian travels to North Carolina A&T on Thursday then comes back to Boone for a weekend series against Elon.
GoASU.com reports that ASU mens basketball head coach Houston Fancher resigned Monday evening, effective immediately. The website says that Fancher will be paid the remainder of his contract which runs through next March. In nine seasons at the helm of the program, the 43 year old Fancher posted a 137-136 overall record, which included three Southern Conference North Division championships (2002-03, 2006-07 and 2007-08). In 2006-07, he led Appalachian to a school-record 25 wins, the San Juan Shootout championship and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. He was named the SoCon Coach of the Year in 2002-03 after winning the first of his three North Division titles. In addition to the success on the court, the NCAA presented Fancher's squads with NCAA Public Recognition Awards in 2005-06 and 2006-07, that honor programs that rank among the nation's top 10 percent in their sport in Academic Progress Rate scores. ASU men's basketball fell just hundredths of a percentage point shy of receiving the recognition for a third-consecutive year in 2007-08. Prior to taking the reins as head coach in 2000, Fancher spent two seasons as an assistant coach and two as associate head coach at ASU under Buzz Peterson. A nationwide search for the 15th head coach in Appalachian men's basketball history will begin immediately.
The Odessa Roughnecks of the Indoor Football League, announced last Thursday that the team has acquired former Appalachian State DL Daniel Orlebar. A member of the 05 and 06 National Championship teams, Orlebar finished his senior year 2006 with 65 total tackles, two sacks, five quarterback hurries, and two fumble recoveries. In 2005, Orlebar appeared in 14 games mainly as a reserved defensive tackle. Orlebar was named to ASU's academic honor roll and was a academic All-Southern Conference honoree. His Indoor Football League season begins March 30. He's been working as assistant strength coach with Dynamic Sports Performance.
ASU football began spring practice on a rather spring like day Tuesday. This was the first of 15 practices allowed by the NCAA over the next 30 days. The first three are in helmets and shorts, then four days in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts, and full contact can begin on the eighth day of practice. A total of 29 players are participating in their first spring practice at ASU. The Mountaineers also return to the field defensive back Dominique McDuffie, running back Devon Moore and defensive lineman Tony Robertson, all cleared to return to full action after recovering from injuries that red-shirted them last season. Walter Payton Award-winning quarterback Armanti Edwards has also been cleared for practice but the coaching staff will give sophomore DeAndre Presley the majority of the snaps during spring. There are also some new coaches on the sidelines this season, Brad Glenn, who spent the previous four seasons on the ASU staff, is replacing Scott Satterfield at offensive coordinator, Lance Taylor, who spent last season as a graduate assistant at Alabama, takes over as wide receivers coach, and former Mountaineer player and assistant Jason Blalock - a three year starter for the Apps as a defensive lineman from 2000-03 and a defensive assistant from 2004-06. Blalock will be the defensive tackles coach.
The Avery Lady Vikings soccer team were 4-3 winners over the Ashe Lady Huskies at McDonald Stadium in Newland Friday. Avery led 2-0 at halftime, but Ashe scored 3 unanswered goals before Avery's Emily Banner got the tying goal in the 73rd minute, and then got the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute to give Avery the win. It was Banner's fifth goal of the season. The Lady Vikings improve to 3-0-1 on the season.
Watauga Pioneer baseball was scheduled to play at West Wilkes on Saturday but was rained out. The game has been rescheduled for Wednesday. Thursday's Pioneer soccer match vs Mt. Tabor was also postponed, and has been rescheduled for April 29th. The next Pioneer baseball game is Tuesday at McDowell. Softball and Lady Pioneer soccer will also compate at McDowell on Tuesday. Pioneer mens tennis will be at East Burke and Lady Pioneer JV Soccer at East Rutherford. Watauga Softball travels to South Caldwell and Mens Tennis hosts AC Reynolds on Wednesday.
Mouintaineer baseball lost two of three against the Citadel over the weekend. The Apps were able to get Friday's game in as scheduled, taking that one 10-6. The Saturday game was postponed to Sunday due to the weather, and the Mountaineers lost both of the Sunday games, falling 12-3 in the early game, and losing 19-2 in the second. Appalachian never led in either game, although game one was tight through six innings, 4-3, but the Citadel scored 3 runs in the seventh and five more in the eighth. Game two was a rout from the beginning, the Bulldogs plated seven runs in the top of the first and went on to score in seven of the game's nine innings. Aubrey Edens suffered the loss on the mound for the Apps in game one, Taylor Miller took the loss in game two. The highlight of the day was Nick DeRose, who took three of the Apps seven hits in game two. Chris Alessandria had two of ASU's five hits in the early game. With the losses, Appalachian suffered its third-straight series setback to open Southern Conference play. The Mountaineers return to action Tuesday afternoon hosting the ACC's Wake Forest at Smith Stadium. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Mountaineer softball was swept by Georgia Southern in Statesboro this weekend, falling 5-4 in the first game Saturday, dropping the nightcap 2-0, and coming up short on Sunday 3-2. ASU falls to 9-11 overall and 3-3 in the SoCon. They return to Boone to host Charlotte on Wednesday in a non-conference double header beginning at 4.
Taylor Hines shot a three-day total of 225 and finished tied for fourth to lead Mountaineer men's golf to a fourth place finish at the Geico Intercollegiate in Savanah Georgia. Hines was consistent throughout the entire tournament, shooting a 76, 74 and 75. Casey Johnson finished tied for 10th with a 227, and shot a team-best round of 68 the second day of the tournament. The men play in the Furman Invitational March 27-29.
For the Mountaineer women, Kerri Dice shot a day-two 78 and tied for 28th at the NIU Snowbird Invitational in Tampa Florida, and the Mountaineers finished 6th. The Mountaineer women head to Wilmington next Monday and Tuesday for the Lady Seahawk Classic.
ASU womens tennis dropped their second SoCon match to College of Charleston on Friday, 6-1. The Cougars won all three doubles matches on the afernoon. Junior Caroline Mauch got Appalachian's lone win in singles play at the number four spot, in three sets. Mountaineer womens tennis takes on Charlotte down there on Wednesday. College of Charleston's mens team ended ASU's five match winning streak and gave the Mountaineers their worst loss of the season, falling 7-0 to the Cougars and dropping their second SoCon match of the season. The Apps drop to 9-4 on the season and 1-2 in SoCon play. Just like the women, the men dropped all three doubles matches, as well as all the singles matches. The men will host Furman at the ASU Tennis courts on Wednesday.
The Lees-McRae Lady Bobcats softball games against St Andrews set for Saturday were rained out and rescheduled for Saturday, March 28th.
Chad Mercado recorded a match high 24 kills to boost Bobcat men's volleyball to a 3-2 win over St. Ambrose in their first game on the West Coast. Mercado was the only player in the match with twenty plus kills. Ryan Black was the only other Bobcat in double digit kills with 11. The Bobcats play against California Baptist Tuesday.
Bobcat mens lacrosse fell to Wingate 20-4 on the road Saturday. The Bobcats are still looking for their first win, and hope to get it against Wheeling Jesuit this Thursday in West Virginia.
Lady Bobcat lacrosse dominated Erskine in Saturday's home opener, winning 21-3 in a match that saw all Lady Bobcats but goalkeeper Martha Peacock registered a goal. It was really no contest, as the Lady Bobcats held a 15-1 lead at the half. The Lady Bobcats are 4-3 overall and 2-3 in Conference Carolinas play, and were scheduled to host Pfieffer on Sunday, but that game was postponed, no make up date has been set yet. MTN's Len Murphy will have more on the Lady Bobcat's win over Erskine, including highlights and player interviews, on Tuesday night.
So how did your teams fair in the NCAA tournament pairings and the NIT pairings? SoCon mens champion Chattanooga is in the west region as the number 16 seed and will face UConn, the top seed. The Davidson Wildcats got a bid into the NIT, and will play South Carolina Tuesday night. Those two are the only SoCon teams in post season play. The Lady Catamounts of Western Carolina, the SoCon womens champ, will find out where and who when the Womens selections are annouced Monday night.
Avery High School Lady Viking basketball stand out Katie Ellis will join a number of other Western North Carolina Seniors in the annual Blue White All Star Games March 20th at TC Roberson High in Asheville. In addition to Katie Ellis, there are a number of Western Highland Conference players and coaches that will participate in the annual event. From Mitchel High, Austin Burleson is on the Blue team, and Mitchell Coach Daron Williams will be the Coach of the Boys Blue team. From Madison, Ramsey Elsayed, on the Boys Blue team, and Heather Jenkins and Torri Whitaker on the Girls Blue team. Polk County's Kamron Kerr will also play on the Boys Blue Squad. McDowell's Molly Brooks and Courtney Huskins from Mountain Heritage will play on the Girls Blue team, and Hendersonville's Tori Sitton will play on the Boys White Team. Hendersonville Coach Robert Strong will lead the Boys White team in the Blue White All Star games, that benefit Asheville area children with developmental disabilities. Tickets will be available at the door.
The Avery Middle School Girls Softball traveled to Mitchell County to play Harris Middle School. The Avery girls, playing their second game of the season, put together a very strong performance. Avery jumped out to a first inning 2-0 lead when Shannon Smith and Paige Henderson scored. Avery held Harris Middle scoreless in the bottom of the first, but Harris broke through with a two-out rally in the 2nd inning to score 7 runs and take a 7-2 lead. This score held up until the 4th inning when Avery scored 1 run to close the gap to 7-3. Paige Henderson came on and pitched an outstanding final 2 1/3 innings, holding Harris scoreless, as Avery continued to battle back. In the 5th and final inning, and Avery rallied to score 2 more runs, and got another baserunner to 3rd with 2 outs, but Harris played well defensively to get the final out, and Avery fell by a final score of 7-5. After all the snow last week that limited practice time, it was an excellent early season effort by the Avery girls, and they look forward to an exciting season.
Lees-McRae Bobcat Tennis is off to a very strong start this season, especially the men's team, who've knocked off two nationally ranked programs early in the season, and are ranked themselves coming into the season. The Bobcat men entered competition ranked 39th in the nation, and proceeded to defeat 36th ranked Queens after upsetting number 21 Augusta State. While Bobcat Shaun Sumner lost both his singles and his doubles match against Augusta State, he won his singles match against Queens, and he and partner Travis VanHoy won in the doubles match. He was also a straight set winner in singles and doubles play against Barton. Sumner says that while there have been some losses, they have mostly been against Division I teams Gabriela Celi of the Lady Bobcats team said that while they are not ranked right now, the team is playing very well right now and are working together as a team <<>>
Bobcat tennis coach Paule Goode, is in his 4th season at the helm, and see's his team getting stronger, hopeful of moving up in the rankings after these recent upsets. <<<>>> The Bobcat men are undefeated in Conference Carolinas play at 4-0, and are 7-5 overall, they travel to Radford on Sunday, then Mount Olive the 21st. The Lady Bobcats are 3-0 in conference play, 5-2 overall. They host Converse on Tuesday, and join the Bobcat men in Mount Olive on the 21st.
ASU Mountaineer wrestler Frank Cellorio stayed undefeated against SoCon opponents this season, defeating Chattanooga's Josh Statum 7-1 to win the Southern Conference Championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. With Celorrio's championship, it is the third-straight year ASU has a conference champion and the 16th time this decade. Celorrio finishes the year 7-0 against SoCon opponents and will compete in the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo. March 19-21.
Southern Confernce Basketball has its Tournament Champions, and they are not the number 1 seed Davidson men nor the number 1 seed Chattanooga women. In a very exciting womens tournament final, Western Carolina defeated College of Charleston 101-87 in triple overtime. Western outscored Charleston 16-2 in the third overtime to pull away and take the crown. The tournament title is the second for Western Carolina, and acquired in a similar fashion. The Catamounts won in double overtime in 2005, also in Chattanooga. Brooke Johnson scored 21 for Western, who had five players in double figures, and a sixth player just missed with 9 points.
The Chattanooga Men began their season with more losses than wins, and some thought them out of the running, but despite the slow start, the Mocs won their record-tying 10th SoCon title Monday, 80-69 over College of Charleston. The team that defeated Davidson in the semifinal may have run out of steam in their fourth game of the tournament. The score was tied 35 all at the half, and the Mocs opened the second with a 20-0 run. Charleston countered with a 14-0 run of their own, and with 8 and a half minutes to go, was within five points, but the Mocs pulled away down the stretch to punch their ticket to the big dance. Keyron Sheard led the Mocs with 18. Charlestons Tony White Jr scored 31 in the losing cause.
Lees-McRae Lady Bobcats tennis shut out Queens 9-0, Friday afternoon in Conference Carolinas action. Then on Saturday the Lady Bobcats took an 8-1 win over Barton. With these wins, the Lady Bobcats improve to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference.
For the second consecutive match, the Bobcat men have pulled an upset; this time a 9-0 rout of number 36th ranked Queens. The Bobcats then went on to defeat Barton on Saturday 7-2, With the wins, Lees-McRae improves to 7-5 overall and 4-0 in the conference. The Bobcats expect to move up from their 39th national rankings in the next release.
Bobcats men's volleyball won their first match of the day Saturday over Stevenson University, 3-1 that extended their match win streak to ten matches, but in their second match the streak was snapped in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia Biblical University. The Bobcats travel to Eastern Mennonite Wednesday.
Lady Bobcat Softball got two wins on Saturday, a 2-1 victory over Mercy College, followed by a 4-1 win over Dakota Weslyan in the Cocoa Expo Tournament. The Bobcats play next on Friday the 13th at Mount Olive.
ASU men's tennis ended a three-match losing skid Sunday and notched their fifth win of the season, defeating Flagler 6-1 at the Flagler Tennis Center. With the win the Apps improve to 5-3 on the season.
Mountaineer women's tennis dropped a 7-0 decision to SoCon foe Georgia Southern Saturday. The Black and Gold fall to 2-6 on the season and 0-1 in SoCon play.
Jordan Kreuter tied for 29th overall for Appalachian women's golf, shooting a team best 170 over the weekend at the Low Country Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, S.C. Kerri Dice and Kreuter led ASU after day one as each shot an 88. Mary Kate Bowman was six shots behind with a 94.
Mountaineer softball got a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth from Michelle Lighton to lift Appalachian softball over Samford 4-2 in the final game of the series Sunday afternoon in Boone. The Apps swept the weekend series from the Bulldogs and improve to 7-8 overall, 3-0 in SoCon play. The Mountaineers travel to Presbyterian Wednesday for a mid-week doubleheader.
ASU Mountaineer baseball suffered a series of bad breaks in the final three innings to drop Sunday's finale of a three-game Southern Conference series to Western Carolina, 4-3. Isaac Harrow led the way for the Apps, going 3-for-4 with a run to up his batting average to .408 on the season. Chris Alessandria drove in the other two ASU runs. The Mountaineers fell 4-0 in the first game, and came up short 14-11 in the second game. Tuesday and Wednesday, the Mountaineers travel to Chapel Hill to take on UNC for two games. SoCon play will resume this weekend, the Apps will host The Citadel in Boone, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
In High School basketball playoffs, the Western Regional Finals were played Saturday in Greensboro:
1-A girls: Bishop McGuinness 61, East Surry 38
1-A boys: Bishop McGuinness 73, Cherryville 72
2-A girls: Salisbury 26, East Davidson 24
2-A boys: Shelby 53, East Lincoln 45
3-A girls: Gastonia Forestview 66, Asheville Roberson 57
3-A boys: Gastonia Forestview 70, Concord 68
4-A girls: West Charlotte 66, Matthews Butler 64
4-A boys: Mount Tabor 67, Huntersville Hopewell 51
In the women's tournament, as we reported last week, the Mountaineer women were winners on Thursday in opening round play, defeating Furman 63-60, only to fall to the number one seed Chattanooga on Friday 88-53. But just like in the Men's tournament, number one couldn't advance. Deidra Jones hit a layup with 3.5 seconds remaining in the game as College of Charleston upset the No. 1 seeded Chattanooga Lady Mocs, 53-51, in one semifinal. In the other, Brooke Johnson powered Western Carolina to a 66-53 win over Samford in McKenzie Arena. Johnson scored 17 of her game-high 25 points in the second half in leading a comeback from a first half deficit. The third-seeded Catamounts move on to the finals to face fourth-seeded College of Charleston Monday afternoon for the title
Donald Sims scored 29 points and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line, but Appalachian men's basketball saw its season come to an end in a hard-fought 84-68 setback against Davidson on Saturday. The Mountaineers trailed by 10 at the half, 44-34, but came out strong after the intermission and scored the first four points of the frame. Three Sims free throws pulled the Apps within one, 56-55 with 10 minutes to play before a 10-point Davidson run closed the door on the potential upset. It took more than eight minutes for a player not named Stephen Curry to score for the Wildcats in the second half. The league's Player of the Year outscored his teammates 43-41 in the game. The Apps held a 44-33 rebounding advantage in the contest, led by nine boards from Andre Williamson. The freshman played 19 minutes off the bench and added two points and two of ASU's four blocks. Josh Hunter collected seven rebounds of his own to go along with 13 points and a steal. The junior made 4-of-9 shots and five free throws. Fellow starting big man Isaac Butts added six points and six rebounds on 3-for-4 shooting. Five different players dished out a pair of assists for the Apps and freshman Marcus Wright swiped two of the squad's four steals. As a team, ASU shot 83.3 percent from the charity stripe, as Sims' 12 free throws tied a school tournament game record. Davidson made 23-of-33 foul shots for 69.7 percent. In a heated and physical first half, the teams combined for 22 personal fouls, and each coach was called for a technical foul as well. The loss ends Appalachian's season with a record of 13-18, and 37-36 all-time in SoCon Tournament play.
Then, the next day, Bobby Cremins and the College of Charleston took Davidson out of the tournament, Charleston opened the second half on a 20-4 run and Tony White Jr. scored a team-best 17 points as the Cougars knocked off three-time defending champion Davidson, and held Curry to just 20 points, hitting only five of his 18 attempts, including a 2-for-11 from behind the 3-point arc. In the other semi, Chattanooga's Stephen McDowell tallied a game-high 32 points and the Mocs connected on 48 percent of their 3-point shots en route to a 81-70 victory over Samford. Chattanooga will face College of Charleston in the championship game Monday night.
The number ten seed Lady Bobcats basketball season ended in the second round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament with a 53-35 loss to number two seed Mount Olive Wednesday night. A day after upsetting Limestone, the Lady Bobcats were held to their lowest point total of the season. Mount Olive used a 14-2 run in the first half and a 10-3 run over the first six minutes of the second half to take a commanding lead, and held an 18-point lead over the Lady Bobcats the rest of the way. Courtney Furr was the only Lady Bobcat in double figures, scoring 11 points on the night, plus seven rebounds. Lauren Casey and Ashley Holland added eight points apiece. The Lady Bobcats fall to 9-20 overall and end the season 6-16 in the conference.
In other Lees-McRae action, Bobcats men's tennis upset the number 21st ranked Augusta State Jaguars men's tennis team 5-4 Wednesday afternoon in nonconference action. The Bobcats took two of the first three doubles matches, before getting three singles wins.
Lady Bobcat Lacrosse won their third straight with a 23-11 win over he Edinboro Fighting Scots. With the win the Lady Bobcats improve to 3-2 overall.
ASU men's track and field standout Matt Boruff was named the Southern Conference's Student-Athlete of the Week this week. Just the third time a Mountaineer has earned the honor during the 2008-09 season.
Boruff helped the ASU men's track and field team capture their 16th Southern Conference title in school history over the weekend, winning the heptathlon for the second consecutive year, finished sixth in the 60m hurdles. Boruff also took home fifth in the high jump. The junior holds a 3.68 GPA and is majoring in marketing and management.
Seven Mountaineer relievers combined to hold High Point scoreless over the final seven innings in Appalachian's 7-2 win Wednesday evening at wintry Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. Members of ASU's physical plant as well as Mountaineer players and coaches worked tirelessly until minutes before first pitch to remove a foot of snow from the field. Thanks to their efforts and Beaver Field's FieldTurf playing surface, Smith Stadium was one of the few venues in the state capable of hosting a game 72 hours after Sunday's winter storm. Out of sight was not out of mind however, as it still felt a lot like winter with the temperatures falling from 34 degrees at first pitch into the high 20s by game's end. Appalachian (5-3) evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the second on a two-run home run by freshman Ryan Arrowood. The homer was his second in as many collegiate at-bats. It remained 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth when the Mountaineers grabbed a 4-2 advantage. The Apps scored twice more in the sixth and added an insurance run in the seventh. Despite the offensive output in the middle innings, the story of the evening was the ASU bullpen. Relievers Josh Dowdy, Ryan Arrowood, Andrew Webster, Nick Daniels, Chris Patterson, Taylor Miller and Zach Quate limited High Point to just five hits over seven scoreless innings to close out the ballgame. Appalachian returns to action on Friday when it opens a three-game Southern Conference series at archrival Western Carolina.
The 2009 Southern Conference Women's Basketball Championship began Thursday afternoon in Chattanooga, and UTC's McKenzie Arena. Eighth-seeded Appalachian State faced No. 9 seed Furman in first round action, we'll have results Friday. The Mountaineer men will open against Georgia Southern on Friday afternoon. Should both teams win their first round games, they will each have the task of facing the top team in second round action.
In addition to Canesha Edwards and Sade Means making the SoCon All Freshman Team, Mountaineer unior guard Kellen Brand has made the Southern Conference Sports Media Association's all-conference second team. It is the first postseason honor for the High Point, N.C. native, who leads the team and ranks eighth in the SoCon with 15.0 points per game. He shoots 49.5 percent from the field, good for 13th in the conference. He has scored 20 or more points nine times this season and averaged 22.2 points over six televised games in the regular season, with a career-best 31 points against Western Carolina. KB is the only Mountaineer to make honor list.
High School basketball playoffs got underway Wednesday after the one day delay. East Surry put away Hiwassee Dam 52-36 in Girls 1-A Western semifinal action at UNC Greensboro. The Cardinals led 32-31 entering the fourth quarter, but used a 20-5 run to win it going away.
Bishop McGuinness took a 54-29 win over Robbinsville in the other 1A girls semi. A 19-14 McGuiness lead became 32-19 at the half, and McGuinness held Robbinsville to three points in the third quarter, 10 points in the second half to take the win. McGuniess and East Surry will decide the Girls 1A Western Regional Championship Saturday.
East Davidson was a 53-33 winner over Smoky Mountain in Girls 2-A Regional semifinal. Smoky Mountain trailed 32-10 at the half, and actually outscored East Davidson 23-21 in the second half, but by then it was too late.
Salisbury defeated Mitchell 64-62, so Salisbury and East Davidson will decide the Girls 2-A West Championship.
Wednesday's boys games were the 3-A Western Semifinals, Concord defeated Charlotte Catholic 76-62, and Gastonia Forestview over High Point Andrews 60-54, Concord and Forestview will play for the 3-A Boys Western title.
In Thursday's games, 2-A Boys Western semis will pit the Ashe Huskies, at 25-3, against East Lincoln at 26-4. The game is set for 530 at UNC Greensboro's Flemming Gym.
West Caldwell will take their 22-6 record against Shelby in the other 2A semi.
In 4-A Boys its Mount Tabor (28-1) vs. Charlotte Myers Park (24-6), and Huntersville Hopewell (27-0) vs. Charlotte Ardrey Kell (21-8), also at UNCG.
1-A Boys action will see Bishop McGuinness (28-2) vs. Hendersonville (17-9), and Cherryville (22-8) vs. South Stokes (12-15), at UNCG.
Class 3-A Girls will play at Greensboro Coliseum's Special Events Center, Statesville (26-3) vs. Asheville Roberson (25-4), and Gastonia Forestview (25-4) vs. Concord (26-4).
4-A Girls Semis have Matthews Butler (29-1) vs. Charlotte Mallard Creek (22-6), and West Charlotte (25-3) vs. East Mecklenburg (25-4).
Bobcat Lacrosse player Andy Nesdill has been selected as the Conference Carolinas men's lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week for week number 2. The sophomore goalkeeper led the Bobcats this week with his career high save performance between the pipes. Despite the 9-8 double overtime loss to Pfeiffer, Nesdill faced 42 total shots, 32 shots on goal, and made 23 saves. He started off the game with 15 shots in the first period and made 10 saves. In the second half he faced 22 shots and made 10 saves Twenty-two of the 23 saves came in regulation. In the first overtime period Nesdill saved the only shot he faced to send the game into double overtime. Nesdill's effort puts him in second place in Lees-McRae College record books for saves in a single game with 23.
It took a couple of days to actually get the game played because of the snow storm, but when it finally happened, it had a happy ending for Lees-McRae. The Lady Bobcats upset seventh seeded Limestone 64-62 on the Lady Saints home floor in the first round of the 2009 Conference Carolinas Tournament. Despite early foul trouble, Lauren Casey scored 20 points, including four points with less than two minutes left on back-to-back possessions that sealed the win. With 2:06 remaining and the Lady Bobcats up 56-53, Casey split two defenders on a spin move to find the basket to make it 58-53. After Limestone responded with a bucket, Casey again split a double team with a one-handed layup to push the lead back to five, 60-55. After a defensive stop, Ashley Holland made a layup to make it 62-56, but back-to-back buckets by Limestone closed the lead right back to three, 62-59. Two free throws by Amber Coleman with 33 seconds left proved to be the game winners. Limestone canned a three to make it 64-62, but Lees-McRae was able to run out the clock to advance. The Lady Bobcats held the lead the entire game, and were up by 16 at one point early in the second half when they went on an 11-0 run, holding Limestone scoreless for the first seven minutes of the second. This was Casey's third consecutive 20 point performance. Coleman's 13 points was the only other Bobcat double figure scorer. With the win, the Lady Bobcats travel to the second seeded Mount Olive for round two of the tournament Wednesday night. The Lady Bobcats lost a close one to Mount Olive in Banner Elk in January, and lost big at Mount Olive in February. Best of luck to the Lady Bobcats.
ASU men's and women's basketball travel to Chattanooga for the Southern Conference Tournament. The Mountaineer women are the number 8 seed and play 9th seed Furman Thursday afternoon, and the Mountaineer men take on Georgia Southern Friday afternoon. We had a visit from Associate Athletics Director/Public Affairs David Jackson, you know him better as the voice of the Mountaineers on the Appalachian ISP Network, who gave us a bit of a preview of this weekends tournament. Both teams have a winnable match up in the first round and if they advance, both will face the top team in the conference in the second.<<<David Jackson>>> Just like the men, the Mountaineer women's first round opponent is one they can beat, the Apps split the series in the regular season <<<David Jackson>>> The full interview with David can be seen on MTN Morning and will be part of our MTN Weekend program all weekend long.
As reported Tuesday, the Western Regional semifinal games were backed up a day because of the weekend snow storm and its affect on school schedules and travel. Wednesday's games will see East Davidson take on Smoky Mountain and Mitchell against Salisbury at UNC Greensboro in 2A girls action. Class 1-A girls play will have Hiwassee Dam versus East Surry at UNC Greensboro and Bishop McGuinness will play Robbinsville at Greensboro Coliseum. 3A boys semis pits Concord against Charlotte Catholic, and HP Andrews takes on Gastonia Forestview. In 2A boys, the Ashe Huskies will play on Thursday,
against East Lincoln at 5:30 at UNC Greensboro. The other 2A boys semi will have West Caldwell against Shelby. The 4A boys semis are at UNC Greensboro on Thursday, Huntersville Hopewell against Charlotte Ardrey Kell, Mount Tabor goes against Charlotte Myers Park. The 1A boys will also play at UNCG, Bishop McGuinness takes on Hendersonville, and Cherryville versus South Stokes. 4A girls semifinal action will be at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center and will put Matthews Butler against Charlotte Mallard Creek, and West Charlotte against East Mecklenburg.
One event that the snow did not put a damper on was the Appalachian Ski Mountain Shred for the Cup Rail Jam on Sunday. The Rail Jam was the third event of Appalachian Terrain Park's Shred for the Cup series, where riders compete for tons of prizes, as well as points for the entire series, which wraps up on March 21st with the Slopestyle Finals. The Rail Jam boasted a variety of features spread out over 2 knuckles for all ability levels. Each participant got three runs on these features, with their best run counting towards their final score. Five ski and five snowboard finalists were chosen by the judges for a 30 minute Jam session on the advanced setup. You can see more action and the current standings online at www.appterrainpark.com.
The snow and cold have postponed several Mountaineer activities. Tuesday's softball doubleheader and baseball's single contest scheduled against North Carolina A&T have all been postponed with no make up date as of yet. Mountaineer Softball will play their home opener this weekend against Samford, a doubleheader on Saturday and a single on Sunday. Baseball travels to Cullowhee for a weekend series.
Also, Tuesday's Mountaineer Reading Day at the University Bookstore was postponed. The annual event for area youth that features reading activities, snacks and giveaways, Yosef, and several ASU student-athletes, has been put off till furhter notice.
ASU women's basketball freshmen Sade Means and Canesha Edwards were named to the Southern Conference's Coaches All-Conference Freshman Team on Tuesday. A Newnan, Ga. native, Edwards is seventh in the country for freshman in rebounding hauling in an average of 7.5 boards per contest. She has recorded 217 boards on the season and ranks fifth in the SoCon in rebounding and first out of all freshman. Means has posted five double-figure scoring games against SoCon opponents, including 15 point performances against UNCG and Wofford. The Atlanta, Ga. Freshman has also has recorded nine blocks and 28 steals in league play.
And the awards just keep on comin'. Junior Wrestler Frank Celorrio was named first-team all-conference, and Mountaineers Kyle Blevins and Mike Kessler were named to the all-freshmen team by the Southern Conference Tuesday. A junior from Miami, Fla., Celorrio rolled through the conference at the 133-pound weight class with a 5-0 record. He recorded 18 wins on the season and from Jan. 3 through Feb. 15, had a 12 match winning streak and during the streak beat No. 26 ranked Sean Clair of Eastern Michigan. The honor is the first of his career. With Celorrio making the all-conference team, it is the 10th straight year ASU has had at least one wrestler on the all-conference team. Blevins had an outstanding rookie season wrestling at 165, leading the Mountaineers in wins with 22. He began the season winning six of his first seven matches before hitting a rough spot, but finished strong winning his last four matches of the season. He finished the conference season with a 4-1 record. Kessler, wrestling at 141, finished the season tied for fifth on the team with 14 wins with two pins and two major decisions. He finished 2-3 in conference action and five of his losses came against ranked opponents. The Mountaineers' return to action on March 7 when they compete in the Southern Conference Championships.
Mountaineer Senior Brittany Mixon has also been recognized. Mixon picked up her first career honors for her efforts during the 2008-09 season as the lone senior for the Black and Gold. She was named to the Southern Conference Sports Media Association (SCSMA) second team all-conference squad Monday.Mixon was the only Mountaineer to earn the honor and just one of ten SoCon players. The Altamonte Springs, Fla. native has scored in double-figures in 21 of 29 games during the year, scoring a career-high 25 points against Elon in the teams first SoCon win of the season. Mixon has recorded eight double-doubles during her senior year and the only 20 plus scoring outings of her career have come this season. She has also set career-highs in assists, steals and blocks. Appalachian's lone senior has posted 55 blocks on the season as well, giving her 100 in her four-years with the Mountaineers.
After helping her team to a nine point win over Georgia Southern Saturday in the regular season finale, ASU sophomore guard Brittney Spencer has been named the Southern Conference's women's basketball Player of the Week. Monday's award is the second for the Mountaineers this season and first for Spencer in her career. It is the first time since the 2006-07 campaign that more than one Mountaineer has earned the honor in a season. The Virginia Beach, Va. native poured in a career-high 20 points, including 16 in the second half against the Eagles over the weekend to help Appalachian capture its first win over Georgia Southern since 2007. Spencer went 6-11 from the field and a stout 7-8 from the charity stripe, including draining six clutch free throws down the stretch to lead the Apps to their seventh SoCon win of the season and clinch the No.8 seed in the SoCon Tournament. Along with posting a game-high 20 points, she also chipped in four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Spencer and the Mountaineers play in the Southern Conference Tournament against Furman in the first round on Thursday in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tip off is 3 p.m.
The N.C. High School Athletic Association postponed Tuesday night's semifinals of the Western Regional basketball tournament in Greensboro because of the winter storm that hit Sunday night. Because of the postponements, Class 1-A girls semifinals will now be played on Wednesday, and Class 2-A boys semifinals will be played on Thursday. The Class 1-A girls games were originally scheduled for Tuesday night at UNC Greensboro's Fleming Gymnasium. On Wednesday, Hiwassee Dam (28-5) will play East Surry (25-5) at UNCG, and Bishop McGuinness (26-4) will play Robbinsville (25-2) at the Greensboro Coliseum's Special Events Center, with both games starting at 5:30. Class 2-A boys games originally scheduled for Tuesday will be played Thursday, also at 5:30. Shelby (26-2) will play West Caldwell (22-6) at the Special Events Center, and Ashe County (25-3) will play East Lincoln (26-4) at UNCG.
The Lees McRae Bobcats men's basketball ended with a loss to Coker in the first round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament Saturday night. Early in the game, Lees-McRae held as much as a five point lead through the first 10 minutes of play, but the Cobras put together 12-3 run to end the half and take a nine point lead, 40-31, into the intermission. The Cobras began the second half on an 8-0 run, and the Bobcats could only scratch their way back to within 6 with just under 10 minutes to play, but could get no closer. Kyle Boardman and Sam Youse each had 14 points, while Aaron Woodacre had 13 and Jesse Hoots had 10.
The Lady Bobcats game at Limestone College was postponed due to the weather, that game will be played Monday night, we'll have results on Tuesday night.
Bobcat tennis and softball were also snowed and or rained out this weekend.
Appalachian State University men's and womens track and field teams secured SoCon Championships this weekend. The Mountaineer men ended their two-year Southern Conference indoor title drought Sunday, getting the 16th Indoor Championship in school history, and winning for the first time since 2007. The Mountaineer women won their 15th Southern Conference indoor title in school history and their first indoor crown since 2007. And head coach John Weaver was named the Southern Conference Indoor Coach of the Year for the ninth time in his career. The teams have only a short time to celebrate, because the outdoor season begins March 20th in Winston Salem at the Wake Forest Invitational.
The Mountaineer men needed not only a win against Samford, but a loss by Western Carolina to Chattanooga to get the second seed and the tournament bye. They got neither. Western Defeated Chattanooga, and the Mountaineers fell to the Bulldogs 73-62. Kellen Brand scored a game-high 21 points but Samford came out strong in the second-half to take the win. The Mountaineers held a five point halftime lead but Samford outscored App 45 to 31 in the second half, most of that advantage coming on a 23-4. The Mountaineers got back within seven points at 59-52 on a jumper by Donald Sims, but that was the closest ASU came as Samford made their final five free-throws to ice the game. Josh Hunter added his fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Sims added 10 points as well. Isaac Butts was held scoreless for just the second time this season. In his last game as a Mountaineers, senior Eduardo Bermudez made his 16th start of the season and scored five points with an assist and a rebound in 14 minutes on the floor. The SoCon Mens tournament begins Friday in River City and the Apps will be the number 4 seed and play the number 5 seed, either Georgia Southern or Furman -- at 2 p.m. on Friday.
Both ASU mens and womens teams had only one senior on the team this year, so with the youth and talent, and now, an entire season's experience for the freshmen who saw plenty of time on the court, both Mountaineer teams should be back strong next season.
ASU womens basketball closed out the regular season with a win Saturday afternoon at the Holmes Center, taking a 68-59 win over Georgia Southern and snapped a four game losing streak and generate a little momentum before SoCon Tournament play begins this week. Brittney Spencer had a career and game-high 20 points, to go along with four assists and two steals, getting 16 of her 20 points in the second half. Senior Brittany Mixon did well in her last home outing in the Black and Gold, scoring 14 points and hauling in five boards. Sam Ramierez put up 13 points and Canesha Edwards added 10. The Apps had a one point lead ad halftime, 28-27, and the score was tied at 51 late in the game, but seven straight points by the Mountaineers and eight made free throws in the final 53 seconds of play helped the Mountaineers secure the win and improve to 8-21 overall, 7-13 in SoCon play. The Tournament begins for the women Thursday in Chattanooga and ASU will take on Furman. The Apps split with Furman during the regular season, losing there and winning at home. Tip off is at 3pm.
The Ashe Huskies had four players in double figures as they defeated Marshville Forest Hills 70-61 in the 2-A West Sectional 1 championship game. Daniel Waln scored 20 points, including four 3 pointers, Tommy Spagnolo had 15 points and 11 blocks, Jordon Nichols had a big night with 13 points, and Tatum Lemly added 11 for Ashe. The Husky boys will be making their first trip to the Western Regional. The (25-3)Huskies will play 26-4 East Lincoln Tuesday night at 7 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. The Lady Huskies fell on Thursday in the sectional Semifinal.
The Avery Lady Vikings could not get past Robbinsville in the State Playoffs Friday night in Newland and their season comes to a close. Despite Katie Ellis scoring 18 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks and a steal; and Katelynn Eudy adding 14 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals and 3 assists, the Robbinsville Lady Knights begain to get the edge in the third quarter. At the half, the game was tied at 28 each, but Robbinsville began to gain the edge, taking their first lead in the third quarter and ending the period up 46-40. In the final stanza, the Lady Knights defense held Avery to only six points the rest of the way, and Robbinsville continued to score and went on to a 64-46 win and advance to regional play in Greensboro this week. Ellis and Eudy combined for 32 points, but the rest of the Avery squad could only contribute a total of 14. Despite the disappointing loss, the Lady Vikings finish a very successful season with a record of 19-11. Congratulations to the Lady Vikings on a great year.
