By Katherine Jamtgaard. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Six Mountaineers represented App State at the NCAA East First Round in Jacksonville, Fla. this week, highlighted by freshman Lilly Nichols’ advancing to the NCAA Championships in the women’s pole vault.

Junior Ava Studney competed alongside Nichols in the women’s pole vault competition, while graduate student Patrick Freeman and sophomore Matthew Gray represented App State in the men’s pole vault. Sophomore Kendall Johnson redshirt senior Calbert Guest competed in the women’s 100 meters and men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively.

Nichols is the first App State women’s pole vaulter in program history to advance to the NCAA Championships. After a weather delay cut competition short on Thursday, Nichols returned to the track to compete on Friday, where she recorded a new school record and personal best clearance of 4.24m (13′ 11″). Nichols surpassed her previous program record of 4.16m (13′ 7.75″), which she set at the Sunday Night Qualifier on May 18 in Boone. She finished fourth in her flight and 11th overall in Friday’s event to punch her ticket to Eugene.

“I’m thrilled to have advanced to the NCAA Championships and to have achieved a season best, especially after overcoming a knee injury this indoor season,” Nichols said. “I’m hoping to set a new personal record in Eugene.”

The significance of Nichols’ accomplishment was not lost on her coaches.

“This is really exciting for Lilly and App State. Making the NCAA finals is impressive and doing it as a true freshman is especially impressive,” said pole vault coach Daniel Isaacs. “I think it’s a good sign of what’s to come in the future for the App State pole vault squad, as well as the entire track and field program as a whole.”

“This is a meet where self-motivation comes into play,” said director of track & field/cross country Damion McLean. “I’m very proud of the first timers and the seniors. They laid it all out for App State. I’m also extremely proud of Lilly and Coach Daniel Isaacs for punching their ticket to Eugene on their first try.”

The last Mountaineer to advance to the NCAA Championships was Jada Branch in 2023. Branch landed 12th in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 13.09m (42′ 11.5″) at the 2023 NCAA East Prelim, which was also hosted by North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.

Gray placed 15th in the men’s pole vault on Thursday after clearing a bar of 5.33m (17′ 5.75″). His clearance was 0.10 meters from his school and Randy Marion Track & Field Facility record of 5.43m (17′ 9.75″), which he set at the Sunday Night Qualifier.

On the track, Johnson stopped the clock at 11.36 in the women’s 100-meter quarterfinal on Saturday. She had placed 19th in the first round of the women’s 100 meters with a personal best of 11.31 to qualify for Saturday’s race. In the App State all-time list, she remains second overall.

In the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday, Guest placed eighth in his heat and 23rd overall with a time of 8:55.25. Guest broke the program record with a time of 8:42.01 at the Penn Relays this season. Additionally, he holds the App State record in the men’s 10,000 meters (29:12.85).

Freeman and Studney did not clear bars in the men’s and women’s pole vault competitions. Freeman entered the men’s competition ranked 19th in the NCAA East First Round qualifying list and caps his career in the Black and Gold ranked second in the App State all-time list with a clearance of 5.35m (17′ 6.5″). Studney entered the women’s competition ranked 43rd in the NCAA East First Round and closes out the season ranked second in the App State all-time list with a personal best clearance of 4.11m (13′ 5.75″).

Up Next

The NCAA Championships are slated for June 11-14 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The women’s pole vault is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. PT (7:35 p.m. ET) on Thursday, June 12.

Individual field events and the multi-events events will be available to stream on ESPN+ throughout the day. The meet will be available to watch on ESPN and ESPN2 starting at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET) on Wednesday and Thursday, at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) on Friday, and 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) on Saturday.

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — App State women’s basketball coach Alaura Sharp announced the addition of Marta Gutierrez to the 2025-26 roster on May 29. As the newest addition to the roster, Gutierrez joins fellow spring signees Emma Smith, Daisia Mitchell, Jada Burton, Jayden McBride, and Feryal Defne Atli.

Marta Gutierrez | 5′ 7″ | G | Dénia, Spain | IES Historiador Chabas | Vincennes

Gutierrez will join the Mountaineers as a guard after spending the 2024-25 season at Vincennes University. Last season, Gutierrez started 28 of the 30 games she appeared and collected NJCAA DI All-Region accolades for her efforts on the court. She helped the Trailblazers to a Region 24 semifinal appearance. Gutierrez averaged 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per contest last season. Additionally, she shot 47.3% from the field and 31.2% from beyond the arc. Gutierrez spent her freshman season at Ranger College. The Dénia, Spain native also competed on the Valencia Basket Club and Valencian’s Selection club teams.

While at App State, Gutierrez plans on studying psychology. She enjoys listening to music, skateboarding, and hanging out with friends.

Why Gutierrez Chose App State: “I chose App State because I want to win.”

Sharp on Gutierrez: “Marta is a welcomed addition to our roster. She gives us great security at the ball handling position and is also versatile enough to play off the ball. Her basketball IQ and defensive intensity really stood out to us. Marta plays with a ton of energy, which the fans will really love. We cannot wait for her arrival in Boone.”

By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — With a clearer picture of how the opening month of the 2025 season will look — highlighted by two national television appearances in September — the kickoff times and accompanying network designations for several App State football games this fall were announced May 29.

The Mountaineers’ first game under the direction of first-year head coach Dowell Loggains is a Friday opener, the Duke’s Mayo Classic against Charlotte in Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 29. It will kick off at 7 p.m. and be shown on ESPNU. The Duke’s Mayo Classic at the home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers is also the first game for a new-look coaching staff and a roster that includes 49 newcomers.

Fans can purchase tickets now for the Aug. 29 game against Charlotte. Ticket revenue received prior to Sunday stays with App State.

The home opener against Lindenwood on Sept. 6 will be a 3:30 p.m. game available on ESPN+, which will also be the platform for the Mountaineers’ Sun Belt Conference opener at Southern Miss on Sept. 13. That game will begin at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT).

Following a bye week, App State’s trip to Boise State and the blue turf of Albertsons Stadium on Sept. 27 is a meeting between the only two G5 programs with at least 100 victories since 2014, the Mountaineers’ first FBS season. The game will air nationally on either FOX, FS1 or FS2. The kickoff time has not been finalized, with that information and a specific network likely being announced on Monday, Sept. 15, in conjunction with the other TV selections that are publicized 12 days out from game day.

App State’s lone midweek contest — a nationally televised home game against Georgia Southern on Thursday, Nov. 6 — will kick off at either 7:30 or 8 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2.

A limited number of season tickets are available by calling the App State Athletics Ticket Office at 828-262-7733 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). More details are forthcoming for single-game tickets, which go on sale in June.

On Thursday, the league also announced that the 2025 Sun Belt Football Championship Game will move from Saturday to Friday, with the Dec. 5 title game having a 7 p.m. ET kickoff time and being televised on ESPN.

“We are excited to kick off conference championship weekend with the Sun Belt Football Championship Game on Friday, Dec. 5,” Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill said. “With primetime billing on ESPN, we look forward to showcasing our East and West Division champions as they vie for a conference title and a potential berth into the College Football Playoff.”

2025 App State Football Schedule

Fri., Aug. 29 vs. Charlotte (Bank of America Stadium)
Sat., Sept. 6 vs. Lindenwood (Family Weekend)
Sat., Sept. 13 at Southern Miss*
Sat., Sept. 27 at Boise State
Sat., Oct. 4 vs. Oregon State
Sat., Oct. 11 at Georgia State*
Sat., Oct. 18 vs. Coastal Carolina* (Homecoming)
Sat., Oct. 25 at Old Dominion*
Thurs., Nov. 6 vs. Georgia Southern*
Sat., Nov. 15 at James Madison*
Sat., Nov. 22 vs. Marshall* (Black Saturday, Heroes Day)
Sat., Nov. 29 vs. Arkansas State* (Senior Day)

* Sun Belt game
Home game in bold

By David Rogers. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (remote) — With a chance to compete in a race he watched growing up as a kid, Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance elite running team member Ryan Ford returned to his hometown on May 26 and won the historic Cotton Row Run 10K.

Although there were other elite professional athletes competing for the prize money among the 1,555 runners, including a sprinkling of international entrants, Ford blew away the field. His winning time of 29:04 for the 10K distance was about a minute and a half slower than his all-time best a year ago (27:40.80 at Parliament Fields in London, England) — but two minutes and a second faster than his nearest competitor on this day, Sam Chelanga (31:05) of Fayetteville, N.C.

“It may not have been his fastest 10K time,” said ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea after the race, “but as his first race following the Boston Marathon just over a month ago on April 21, it was an impressive result. And it made it just that much more special being in his hometown.”

The ZAP Endurance team will be busy in the coming weeks, hoping to qualify team members for July’s U.S. Championships in Eugene, Ore. While Amanda Vestri has already qualified in both the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters races, and plans to compete in both, she and teammate Tristin Colley have both entered the Mastercard New York Mini 10K in Central Park on June 7. Others, including Ford, Eric Van Der Els and Dan Schaffer will be trying to meet the qualifying standards on June 14-15, at the Portland (Ore.) Track Festival.

By David Rogers. CONCORD, N.C. — Charlotte native William Byron dominated most of the first three stages of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25 — and picked up the lion’s share of the available season championship points for the night by winning the first three stages and leading 283 laps — but the longest NASCAR’s Cup Series race and its excitement had only just begun.

With veteran Denny Hamlin and relative newcomer Carson Hocevar battling Byron for the lead toward the end of the third stage, a lot folks might have thought the fourth and final stage winner would come down to one of those three. Circumstances can change quickly, though, and it was Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain overcoming adversity to capture the coveted Coca-Cola 600 crown for 2025.

“Honor and Remember” was a major theme of the race, acknowledging and expressing gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice of military veterans who have lost their lives while serving in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or National Guard, their service making possible the freedoms we all enjoy.

There were storylines aplenty for this edition of the 600 mile marathon of a race, including:

• Chastain won the race despite having to start from the No. 40 position when he crashed in practice a day earlier and had to use a backup car that his Trackhouse Racing team was still assembling at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, he disclosed to reporters after the race.
• Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe started at the front, but quickly faded to the mid-pack and in Stage 3 was involved in a multi-car crash, but survived and rallied to finish No. 3, behind Byron, in the 40-car field.
• After crashing in the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the afternoon, Kyle Larson started on the front row of the Coca-Cola 600 and led 34 of the early laps. But he spun out on lap No. 43, then his day went from bad to worse when he was involved with the same Stage 3 crash with Briscoe, on lap 246. Larson’s early spin allowed Byron to take the lead and dominate the first three stages — and the 2025 Cup Series leader, Larson, could never recover.
• Hamlin and Byron exchanged the lead five times in Stage 3 and Stage 4.

Final Results

1. Ross Chastain
2. William Byron
3. Chase Briscoe
4. A J Allmendinger
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Chase Elliott
7. Michael McDowell
8. Christopher Bell
9. Ryan Preece
10. Noah Gragson
11. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
12. Josh Berry
13. Eric Jones
14. Shane Van Gisbergen
15. Kyle Busch
16. Denny Hamlin
17. Joey Logano
18. Todd Gilliland
19. Ty Dillon
20. Austin Dillon
21. Cole Custer
22. Christ Buescher
23. Connor Zilisch
24. Ty Gibbs
25. Cody Ware
26. Tyler Reddick
27. John Hunter Nemechek
28. Riley Herbst
29. Alex Bowman
30. Justin Haley
31. Austin Cindric
32. Derek Kraus
33. Josh Bilicki
34. Carson Hocevar
35. Bubba Wallace, Jr.
36. Daniel Suarez
37. Kyle Larson
38. Ryan Blaney
39. Zane Smith
40. Jimmie Johnson

By David Rogers. CONCORD, N.C. — The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is right around the corner and High Country Sports will be there once again.

Widely regarded as one of the five most prestigious NASCAR Cup Series races, one of the “Crown Jewel” events alongside the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 the Brickyard 400 and the NASCAR All-Star Race, the Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the year at 600 miles and the only one with four stages (100 laps each). It is a test of endurance, pit and tire strategy and driver willpower.

Winning the Coca-Cola 600 is a dream come true for those who have accomplished the feat and way up there on their respective bucket lists for those NASCAR drivers who haven’t won it.

Here’s what some of the sport’s biggest names had to say about the significance of winning the Coca-Cola 600, courtesy of Speedway Motorsports interviews:

Ross Chastain, No. 1, Trackhouse Racing

“I do not have the words to describe it. That race has just been such a staple of our sport for so long and just the extra 100 miles, looking back, how it’s changed the outcome of who was leading at 500 and who won the race, and the dynamic of the race.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3, Richard Childress Racing

“You know, any time you go to Victory Lane at the (NASCAR) Cup (Series) level, it’s special. That was my first race ever in the (NASCAR) Cup Series, winning and tracking down Jimmie Johnson, who was probably the best at Charlotte Motor Speedway at the time on a fuel mileage race and it was pretty dramatic and, it was awesome being at our hometown track, it feels like a home win.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8, Richard Childress Racing

“You know, winning at Charlotte Motor Speedway is special because it is the Coca-Cola 600. It is man versus machine, the longest race of the year and it’s one of the Crown Jewels of our sport, so obviously you want to take home that race. For me, I was finally able to accomplish that a few years ago, and it felt really good.”

Denny Hamlin, No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing

“Knowing that you’ve got so many friends and family there watching, it’s always just special winning, in that backyard. It was really great to do the champagne toast afterward in the suite. You got members there that have been part of the Speedway Club for decades and to have that moment with them after they just watched you do some work and come out on top is a special moment.”

Chase Briscoe, No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing

“It would mean a ton. That is definitely a Crown Jewel race. It was one I was super close to, two or three years ago, and I kind of made a huge mistake with three laps to go and it’s one that has stung ever since. So, it’s a race that would be super, super special to win. Just all the pageantry that comes with that race, the ring, the jacket, going up after the race, there’s just a ton of things about that race that make it so special. To be able to win that race would mean a lot to me for sure.”

Joey Logano, No. 22, Team Penske

“That has haunted me for a long time. The Coke 600 is definitely really high on my list of races I want to win. As a Coca-Cola racing family driver for my whole career, that’s one we gotta get done. Whether it’s because I’m part of the family or the really cool Coca-Cola fridge that they give away, or the fact that it’s just the Coca-Cola 600 and what that means to your career, all those are plenty of reasons to want it really bad.”

John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42, Legacy Motor Club

“Winning the Coke 600? I don’t know if there are words to necessarily describe it. It’s a Crown Jewel Race. So much history, probably one of the hardest races to win, in my opinion. The track changes so much over the 600 miles, starting in the day, falling to nighttime, trying to keep up with the race track adjustments with your race car. Where the lines are moving on the race track. There’s so much that goes into it. You have to be flawless. Drivers have to be flawless for 600 miles, in the longest race of the year that we run. It would definitely mean a lot.”

Ricky Stenhouse, No. 47, HYAK Motorsports

“It would be huge for us to win the Coke 600. It’s one that feels like we’ve had really good cars that’s finished in the top five, top ten, a few times, and it’s one of my favorite mile-and-a-half racetracks we go to. So, if we could win there, going back to my first ever Cup race I went to, that’d be pretty special.”

Daniel Suárez , No. 99, Trackhouse Racing

“The Coke 600 is definitely one of those races on my bucket list. It’s such an amazing, special race, and I hope that I can win the race, hopefully every time.”

TICKETS:

Fans can purchase Coca-Cola 600 weekend tickets, online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or call 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on X and Instagram, or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — Six Mountaineers have advanced to the NCAA East First Round, as announced on the NCAA website on Thursday. Graduate student Patrick Freeman, redshirt senior Calbert Guest, junior Ava Studney, sophomores Matthew Gray and Kendall Johnson and freshman Lilly Nichols have been accepted into the competition.

The NCAA East First Round will be hosted by the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 28-31. The meet will be available to stream on ESPN+.

A trio of Mountaineers will be making their second appearance at the NCAA East First Round, having qualified in previous years. Both Gray and Studney will make their second consecutive appearances in the meet, as the pair previously qualified in the men’s and women’s pole vault categories in 2024. Guest will make his return to the Jax Track at Hodges Stadium, where he made his previous appearance in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2023.

Freeman and Gray will start the Mountaineers off on Wednesday with the men’s pole vault, which is slated to start at 5:30 p.m. The duo had broken the school record at the App State Open (April 18-19) with matching clearances of 5.35m (17′ 6.5″). Gray went on to surpass the record on two more occasions, first clearing a bar of 5.38m (17′ 7.75″) at the Sun Belt Championships to secure silver and Second Team All-Sun Belt honors, before recording a clearance of 5.43m (17′ 9.75″) in front of a home crowd at the Sunday Night Qualifier on May 18. Gray and Freeman enter the competition ranked 14th and 19th, respectively, in the final NCAA East First Round Qualifying List.

Johnson, Nichols and Studney will each compete on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Nichols and Studney will compete in the women’s pole vault and enter the competition ranked 34th and 43rd, respectively, in the qualifying list. Nichols broke the women’s pole vault program record twice this spring, first at the Sun Belt Championships (May 8-10) with a clearance of 4.11m (13′ 5.75″), and then with a clearance of 4.16m (13′ 7.75″) at the Sunday Night Qualifier (May 18). Nichols secured silver and Second Team All-SBC honors for her performance at the SBC Championships and now holds the women’s indoor and outdoor pole vault program records. Studney recorded a personal best clearance of 4.11m (13′ 5.75″) at the Sunday Night Qualifier and stands second in the App State all-time list for her performance.

At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Johnson will race in the first round of the women’s 100 meters. The top 24 finishers will advance to Saturday’s 6:35 p.m. women’s 100-meter quarterfinal. Johnson rounds out the qualifying list’s top 25 after she stopped the clock at 11.33 in the women’s 100 meters at the Sun Belt Championships (May 8-10). Her time launched her to second in the App State all-time list, just shy of the program record of 11.22, which Lamonda Miller set in 1989.

Friday’s action will feature Guest in the 5:40 p.m. men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase competition. Guest stands 17th in the qualifying list after he stopped the clock at 8:42.01 to break the program record in the event at the Penn Relays (April 24-26). Guest earned Sun Belt Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors for his efforts.

The top 12 finishers in each individual event and 12 teams from each relay event from the NCAA East First Round will advance to the NCAA Championships. The NCAA Championships will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on June 5-8.

MEET SCHEDULE: click HERE

LIVE RESULTS: click HERE