By David Rogers. PENSACOLA, Fla. — Leading the game for almost 25 of the 40 minutes, No. 6 seeded App State men’s basketball nonetheless faded in the end, upset by No. 10 Old Dominion, 61-56.

In this game, just when it looked like one of the Sun Belt Conference adversaries would gain separation, the other came clawing back to take the lead, the largest of which for ODU was just five points at the end. The largest lead for App State was 6 points, at the end of the first half, 36-30.

The Mountaineers had a five-point lead with 8:48 remaining, but scored just five points for the rest of the contest. App State missed 10 of 11 shots from the 8:48 mark until the end of the game, allowing Old Dominion (15-19) to go on a 9-0 scoring run. It was a lead they would never relinquish.

SELECTED TEAM STATS

• Field Goal % – ODU 40% (22-55), APP 35% (18-52)
• 3-Point % – ODU 30% (7-23), APP 30% (7-23)
• Free Throw % – ODU 91% (10-11), APP 76% (13-17)
• Turnovers – ODU 9, APP 8
• Points off Turnovers – ODU 11, APP 7
• Total Rebounds – ODU 38, APP 31
• 2nd Chance Points – ODU 17, APP 8
• Bench Points – ODU 3, APP 14
• Points in Paint – ODU 22, APP 22
• Fast Break Points – ODU 8, APP 0
• Blocks – ODU 7, APP 3
• Steals – ODU 3, APP 6
• Assists – ODU 9, APP 7
• Time Leading – ODU 13:20, APP 24:38

KEY PERFORMERS

• APP – CJ Huntley: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
• APP – Myles Tate: 7 points, 2 steals, 3 rebounds
• APP – Jamil Muttilib: 12 points, 1 block
• APP – Alonzo Dodd: 5 assists, 1 steal, 3 rebounds, 2 points
• ODU – Sean Durugordon: 21 points 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists
• ODU – Robert Davis, Jr.: 18 points, 4 rebounds
• ODU – R.J. Blakney: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block
• ODU – Caelum Swanton-Rodger: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks

By David Rogers. PENSACOLA, Fla. — Down 19 points with 7:29 left in the women’s basketball game vs. Marshall, for App State it was “Carver time.” In the space of three minutes, Mountaineer senior Emily Carver knocked in three, 3-pointers and added an acrobatic layup and a free throw to help shrink the deficit to 10 points before fouling out.

With Carver gone, senior guard Mara Neira picked up the slack with four quick 3-pointers of her own. But the clock was winding down and the Mountaineers were forced to foul in hopes of getting the ball back on Marshall misses at the charity stripe. Unfortunately for the favored High Country athletes, the No. 11-seeded Marshall players made good on their free throws and kept No. 6 App State at a distance to win, 75-66.

The Thundering Herd began to get separation on the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter, then expanded the deficit to nine points (35-26) by intermission. Led by starting guard Aislynn Hayes’ nine points in the third period, Marshall built on the lead to sport a commanding, 14-point advantage at the start of the final period (55-41).

Still, with  Carver and Neira doing most of the late scoring, the Mountaineers tried to make it interesting at the end.

In speaking with reporters later, App State head coach Alaura Sharp acknowledged both the opponent as well as the “fight” of her Mountaineers.

“Obviously, I want to give a lot of credit to Marshall. They are rolling right now and playing very well at a high level. It’s amazing what they’ve done all these games in a row,” said Sharp.

“I feel like our team could have thrown in the towel down 19, but that fight, that grit, that stick with it (attitude) shows a lot about the character of our (team). I’ve had a lot of fun coaching this group.” Sharp added.

KEY APP STATE PERFORMANCES

• Emily Carver – 23 points (4-of-7 3FG), 5-of-6 free throws, 2 steals
• Mara Neira – 23 points (7-of-15 3FG), 4 rebounds, 2 assists
• Elena Pericic – 7 rebounds, 7 points, 1 block, 2 assists

KEY MARSHALL PERFORMANCES

• CC Mays – 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
• Blessing King – 5 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals
• Aislynn Hayes – 15 points, 4 assists, 3 steals
• Peyton Ilderton – 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
• Meredith Maier – 12 points, 2 blocks

SELECTED TEAM STATS

• Field Goal % – MAR 49% (23-47), APP 39% (22-56)
• 3-Point % – MAR 38% (9-24), APP 42% (13-31)
• Free Throw % – MAR 74% (20-27), APP 64% (9-14)
• Turnovers – MAR 19, APP 15
• Points off Turnovers – MAR 16, APP 18
• Total Rebounds – MAR 36, APP 29
• 2nd Chance Points – MAR 14, APP 13
• Bench Points – MAR 32, APP 28
• Points in Paint – MAR 28, APP 14
• Fast Break Points – MAR 5, APP 4
• Blocks – MAR 5, APP 1
• Steals – MAR 11, APP 5
• Time Leading – MAR 35:46, APP 1:36

By David Rogers. HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — The No. 7-seeded Watauga men’s basketball season came to a close on March 7, losing to a very talented No. 3 North Mecklenburg in the Elite 8 round of the NCHSAA 4A Men’s Basketball Championships, 84-48.

A strong inside performance by the Vikings’ Chadlyn Traylor (28 points) along with long range contributions from a quartet of shooters in senior guard Carson Evans (23), junior guard Ashton Pierce (10), sophomore guard Alek Lewandowski (6) and senior guard Greg Murray (6) proved to be too much firepower for the Pioneers on this night. The Vikings Wilson Estwick also contributed seven points from close range.

Watauga was buoyed by a large contingent of High Country basketball fans and a large student section, but North Meck jumped out to 37-29 lead by halftime, then piled it on in the second half while using a stifling defense to keep the Pioneers’ usual scorers at bay.

Watauga’s leading scorer, junior combo guard Cade Keller, was limited to 11 points on the night, while senior guard Maddox Greene added 9. Senior guard/forward Josiah Railey scored all of his seven points before intermission.

North Meck extended its record of defeating opponents by 21 or more points to 21 games this season. They will face No. 13 seeded Chambers in the state playoffs’ semifinals and West bracket championship. The Cougars advanced with a 70-63 win over No. 9 Myers Park. Earlier in the week, Myers Park received a bye into the Elite Eight when the NCHSAA 4A West bracket’s No. 1 seed was reportedly disqualified for using an ineligible player.

SCORING SUMMARY

• WAT – Cade Keller (11 points)
• WAT – Maddox Greene (9)
• WAT – Josiah Railey (7)
• WAT – Jace Blocker (6)
• WAT – Landon Smith (5)
• WAT – Jackson Love (5)
• WAT – Paul Taylor (3)
• WAT – JT Cook (2)
• NMK – Chadlyn Traylor (28)
• NMK – Carson Evans (23)
• NMK – Wilson Estwick (7)
• NMK – Ashton Pierce (10)
• NMK – Alek Lewandowski (6)
• NMK – Greg Murray (6)
• NMK – Nick Estell (2)
• NMK – Mario Hays, Jr. (2)

BONUS PHOTOS

All photographic images by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

By David Rogers. MOORESVILLE, N.C. — How do you spell R-E-S-P-E-C-T?

A fast start by No. 3 seeded Watauga women’s basketball led to an early, 8-point lead over No. 2 Lake Norman in the Elite 8 round of the NCHSAA 4A Women’s Basketball Championships, but defensive adjustments by the host Wildcats — including respectful double- and triple-teaming of Pioneer point guard Kate Sears — proved to be too much for the High Country’s favorite daughters. Lake Norman took command in the second quarter and cruised to a convincing, 86-66 win and advance to the state playoffs’ Final Four.

Lake Norman will face No. 1 seeded McDowell in the West bracket’s championship match while the 4A East bracket No. 1, Hoggard, will meet No. 2 Wakefield in the other state semifinals encounter.

Against Watauga, Lake Norman’s strategy of double- and at times triple-teaming Sears proved effective. The Pioneers’ other shooters, Blair Haines, Julie Matheson and Izzy Torgerson, did their best to fill the void and keep Watauga within reach through the first half, but ultimately the loss of Sears’ prolific offensive production took its toll.

Sears finished with 18 points, well below her season average, while Haines used five 3-pointers to record a team-high 25 points on the night. Matheson added nine points and Torgerson eight points, including two from long distance.

“We got off to a great start,” said Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson after the game. We got up eight (points) and forced a timeout. We were scoring it well and getting some stops that kept them from getting into the best parts of their press.

“But the defense was what we expected,” added the second-year Pioneer head coach. “They face-guarded Kate and had another player behind her. Every time Kate caught it, they trapped her. Kate did an incredible job of continuing to work to get open and then connect on long passes. Her teammates did a great job executing in breaking to the spots they were supposed to be in. Blair Haines was one the players that really seized the opportunity of all of those double-teams on Kate. I thought she played her best game, shot it well, and her 25 points were obviously a huge part of what kept us in it.”

The Wildcats’ scoring outburst in the second quarter and beyond was led by junior shooting guard Kelsey Rhyne (game-high 29 points) and a pair of Shehan sisters, Samantha (14 points) and Alexis (23 points), both seniors. Rhyne’s scoring included five shots made from behind the 3-point arc.

For Watauga’s young squad, going up against Lake Norman’s senior laden roster with five athletes 5-10 or taller, including three over 6-0, was a stern test against an athletic team with a distinct height advantage.

“It was great to see how fearless our players were,” said Torgerson. “We didn’t look scared at all. The players were aggressive and made a lot of winning plays. It’s been a heck of run these seniors have given us. Their leadership is incredible, with how coachable they are and the effort and focus they give. Some of the underclassmen talked in the locker room after the game about all the different ways they lead from talking on the floor to creating a family atmosphere.”

Perhaps Watauga’s early energy was fueled by the large crowd of Pioneer supporters turning out for this important game on the road.

“It was another great crowd. Our side was full and I know the players loved it when they came running out for warm ups and were greeted by all of those cheers. The community has seen and appreciates what high character these young women show on the court — in their competitiveness, their perseverance, and their sportsmanship. When the community is rooting for the players, I think the players try to rise to that standard and make the community proud. They’ve done a tremendous job of representing our Watauga community well.”

SCORING SUMMARY

• WAT – Blair Haines (25 points)
• WAT – Kate Sears (18)
• WAT – Julie Matheson (9)
• WAT – Izzy Torgerson (8)
• WAT – Chloe Wilson (3)
• WAT – Kaitlyn Darner (3)
• LKN – Kelsey Rhyne (29)
• LKN – Alexis Shehan (23)
• LKN – Samantha Shehan (14)
• LKN – Rayana Minard (9)
• LKN – Adason Buoniconti (6)
• LKN – Aliya Williams (3)
• LKN – Addison Sirianni (2)

BONUS PHOTOS

All photographic images by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

By David Rogers. CLEMMONS, N.C. — Trailing by seven points late in the third quarter — in hostile territory — didn’t faze visiting Watauga on March 4. The Pioneers shrugged off the deficit, clamped down defensively and outscored host West Forsyth in the final stanza en route to a thrilling, 62-59, “Sweet 16” NCHSAA 4A Men’s Basketball Championship tournament win.

The No. 7 seeded Pioneers will go on the road again March 7, to Huntersville for an Elite 8 matchup against North Mecklenburg.

Taking care of business

Sometimes it is the little things that make a difference in basketball game outcomes, like making or missing free throws. Combined with a disruptive defensive effort by Watauga that limited the Titans to just 10 points in the fourth quarter, West Forsyth going a combined 2-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final stanza was instead a “gift” for Watauga.

A strong inside game by Watauga forward Jace Blocker kept the Pioneers within striking distance early on, even if trailing. Blocker ended up tying with guard Cade Keller for team-high and game-high scoring honors, with 18 points, but 14 of those points came in the first half when only senior guard Josiah Railey was also consistently finding the hoop. Railey finished with 16 points, 10 of them in the first half.

The Pioneers flipped the game script in the second half. The team’s leading scorer, Keller, was held in check by the Titans before intermission. He only managed two points prior to halftime thanks largely to the defensive attention from West Forsyth on the Pioneers’ high-scoring junior combination guard. Whatever adjustments made by Watauga’s coaching staff when the fans were refilling their popcorn buckets certainly worked, though, because Keller exploded for 16 of his tied-for-game-high 18 points in the third (9 points) and fourth (7) quarters.

Meanwhile, the versatile Railey continued his consistent contributions and junior forward Brady Lindenmuth came off the bench to score five points in the second half, four of them in the critical fourth quarter. Not necessarily known for his accuracy from the free throw line, the big man came through in the clutch, hitting 3-of-5 from the charity stripe in the second half, including 2-of-3 in the final period.

West Forsyth senior small forward Cale Lloyd tied with Watauga’s Keller and Blocker for game-high scoring honors, at 18 points. He nailed four 3-pointers along the way to lead the Titans’ offensive production. Jacari Brim (15 points) and Kamuari Manuel (12) also got into double figures.

Of note, Watauga’s Railey recorded another double-double in the game, with 10 rebounds to go with his 16 points.

Now 21-7, Watauga travels to Huntersville to face a 27-3 North Mecklenburg team that advanced with a convincing, 94-57 win over Weddington. In Round 1, the No. 3 seeded Vikings defeated Mallard Creek, 68-51, and in Round 2 thumped Davie, 90-50.

SCORING SUMMARY

• WAT – Cade Keller (18 points)
• WAT – Jace Blocker (18)
• WF – Cale Lloyd (18)
• WAT – Josiah Railey (16)
• WF – Jacari Brim (15)
• WF – Kamuari Manuel (12)
• WF – Jordan Tate (9)
• WAT – Brady Lindenmuth (5)
• WAT – Maddox Greene (5)
• WF – Max Stillman (3)
• WF – Princeton Scott (2)

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — One of the greatest reasons our culture so enthusiastically promotes young people’s participation in high school athletics are the “life lessons” learned along the way. Learning to adapt to a new set of circumstances could well explain the Watauga’s 74-55 women’s basketball win over Northern Guilford on March 4, in Lentz Eggers Gym.

Country music icon Dolly Parton is credited with saying, “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” Watauga found the “wind” blowing in the wrong direction in the first quarter, falling behind 16-8 at one point, but some key adjustments allowed the Pioneers to claw back and take a 32-25 lead at intermission. It was an advantage they steadily built on in the second half.

In Watauga’s earlier meeting with Northern Guilford on Dec. 21, in Greensboro, Pioneer head coach Bill Torgerson recalled that the Nighthawks’ point guard Leena McField got into early foul trouble and senior shooting guard Cara Trippett sprained an ankle early and hardly played. Both were healthy and available for the rematch with state playoffs implications.

Add an officiating crew that allowed a much more physical game than Watauga was used to seeing, and you had a perplexing set of new circumstances — with a lot on the line if the Pioneers were to advance.

Two of the visiting Nighthawks key offensive threats opened “hot” in the first quarter, McField and senior shooting guard Malena DeLisa each netting a pair of 3-pointers. Meanwhile, the Pioneers were mostly missing from long range and senior point guard Kate Sears stubbornly forced down-the-lane and baseline drives against stiff, physical defensive efforts by Northern Guilford defenders — and they most often resulted in shots gone awry and turnovers.

But throughout her playing career, Sears has become a master in making adjustments. As soon as she started opting for short jumpers, the lanes opened up for her drives. She even found the bottom of the net from long range a couple of times in the second half, en route to earning game-high honors with 32 points.

Sears’ success was contagious. Fellow senior guard Julie Matheson also finished in double figures for Watauga, with 18 points, and sophomore Blair Haines added eight more.

The Nighthawks also finished with two players in double figures: McField recorded a team-high 23 points and Trippett added 16.

With the win, No. 3-seeded Watauga (22-5 overall, 10-1 in Northwestern Conference) advances to the Elite 8 in the NCHSAA 4A Women’s Basketball Championship tournament. They will play at No. 2 Lake Norman on Friday, March 7. According to the NCHSAA 4A brackets, tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

• WAT – Kate Sears (32 points)
• NG – Leena McField (23)
• WAT – Julie Matheson (18)
• NG – Cara Trippett (16)
• WAT – Blair Haines (8)
• NG – Malena DeLisa (8)
• WAT – Kaitlyn Darner (6)
• WAT – Shelby Thompson (5)
• WAT – Izzy Torgerson (3)
• WAT – Chloe Wilson (2)
• NG – Olivia Bayer (2)
• NG – Kayla Graham (2)
• NG – Sarah Moore (2)
• NG – Malaysia Smith (2)

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Strong staff-day pitching and the first of two homers from Juan Correa enabled App State Baseball to take a one-run lead into the seventh inning against No. 15 Wake Forest, but the Demon Deacons moved ahead for the first time with a nine-run seventh and posted a 14-6 victory on Tuesday at Smith Stadium.

Igniting a five-RBI day, Correa hit a 411-foot, two-out homer to left with two runners aboard to produce a 3-0 advantage in the third inning. The Mountaineers (6-6) were still ahead 3-2 after six innings, but they trailed 11-4 by the time Correa stepped into the box and recorded his seventh homer of the season on a two-run, opposite-field shot that hit the pole down the right-field line in the eighth.

App State starting pitcher Cal Clark (five outs), Bradley Wilson (four outs) and Zach Lewis (scoreless inning in his season debut) combined to hold Wake Forest (11-3) without a run through four innings.

The Demon Deacons used a solo homer and a two-out RBI double to pull within 3-2 in the fifth before Cody Little, the third pitcher of the frame, took the mound with two aboard. He recorded a swinging strikeout with two runners in scoring position, then ended the next frame by getting a swinging strikeout on a 3-2 pitch with the tying run on second.

Wake Forest opened the seventh inning with four straight walks, including two on 3-2 offerings. The bases-loaded walk that tied the game preceded pinch-hitter Matt Scannell’s two-run double down the line in right.

The Demon Deacons followed a fielder’s choice that ended with an out at the plate by delivering an RBI single for a 6-3 advantage. The margin was still three runs in a two-out, bases-loaded situation when a Wake base runner going toward second beat a long, underhanded flip to the bag after a cleanly fielded grounder. One run scored on that potential inning-ending play, and the Demon Deacons used consecutive two-RBI hits to push the lead to 11-3.

App State made some late noise, cutting into its deficit on Graham Smiley’s 415-foot homer to left in the seventh and Correa’s two-run shot in the eighth, but Wake Forest scored three times in the top of the ninth.

By Jacob Plecker. NEW ORLEANS – App State Men’s Basketball standouts Myles Tate and CJ Huntley each garnered All-Sun Belt honors, the Sun Belt Conference announced Monday. Tate was named All-Sun Belt first team, becoming the fifth Mountaineer in the Dustin Kerns era to receive first-team distinction, while Huntley was named to the second team.

Tate’s first-team honor marks the second consecutive season that App State has had at least one player named to the All-Sun Belt first team. Additionally, two Mountaineers were named all-conference for the second straight year and the third time overall under Kerns (2023-24 and 2020-21). Tate and Huntley are also the 11th and 12th players to earn postseason All-Sun Belt distinctions in the Kerns era.

App State’s two All-Sun Belt honorees were tied for the most in the league.

Myles Tate | First Team All-Sun Belt

Tate, who was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt third team, earned his first career postseason all-conference honor after posting one of the best statistical seasons by an individual in the league this season. Tate finished the regular season by averaging 16.5 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per contest. Tate is currently the only player in the country to average at least 16 points, five assists, five rebounds and 1.9 steals a game. He has accounted for 12 20-point games this season, making him one of only two players in the conference with that distinction, along with Cesare Edwards of Georgia State.

The Spartanburg, S.C., native was KenPom’s Player of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference. He finished in the top 15 in the league in scoring (second), assists per game (first), field-goal percentage (12th), free-throw percentage (10th), 3-pointers made per game (T-12th), steals (second) and minutes per game (fourth). Additionally, the senior point guard carries top-50 marks nationally in assists, assists per game and steals.

Tate has scored 496 points this season and has dished out 162 assists. He sits just four points away from becoming the 24th member of the Mountaineers’ single-season 500-point club and currently owns the third-most assists in a season in program history. He is the only Mountaineer in the Sun Belt era with multiple 10-assist games in the same season, doing so against William & Mary (Nov. 24) and Southern Miss (Feb. 5). He also has two double-doubles this season, one with assists (William & Mary on Nov. 24) and one with rebounds (Coastal Carolina on Jan. 13). He is one of just two Sun Belt players to post at least one double-double with both assists and rebounds (Dezayne Mingo, Marshall).

“I am so happy for Myles,” Kerns said. “He has earned this recognition with his play and leadership. He has worked extremely hard, and being named first-team All-SBC is a big deal. Myles Tate is a winner, and this is another accolade that is well-deserved.”

CJ Huntley | Second Team All-Sun Belt

A second-team All-Sun Belt Preseason selection, Huntley earned the first postseason distinction of his five-year career. He has blossomed into a star in his fifth and final year as a Mountaineer, averaging career highs in scoring, 3-point percentage, rebounding and assists. He enters the Sun Belt Tournament in fifth place in the league in scoring at 15.6 points per game and is sixth in rebounding at 7.9 boards per game. He is one of five players in the conference to be in the top five in the league in both scoring and rebounding entering the Sun Belt Tournament.

Huntley posted a career-best nine 20-point games this season, which makes him one of seven players in the conference to boast at least nine 20-point games for the year. He has also recorded a team-best 10 double-doubles for the year, which is the third-highest total in the Sun Belt. He tallied his first career double-double on Jan. 4 against Texas State and recorded a double-double in 10 of his final 16 contests to close the regular season.

After hitting four 3-pointers and grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds against Coastal Carolina on Jan. 8, he became the first player in the country to tally 15 rebounds and four made 3s in the same game. He also became the first Mountaineer since Marshall Phillips in 1998 to post a 20-point, 15-rebound game. Huntley capped off a 20-point, 12-rebound contest against Southern Miss with a buzzer-beating dunk to beat the Golden Eagles on Feb. 5 and matched his career high of 27 points against Marshall on Senior Day.

“CJ has had an incredible season,” Kerns said. “He is among the league leaders in many statistics. I am really proud of all of the hard work CJ has put in, and his hard work has paid off. Being All-SBC is a huge honor, and this is another accolade that adds to his legacy at App State. He has certainly earned this with his consistent play and mindset. I am so happy for CJ.”

App State now turns its attention to the Sun Belt Tournament, which will be played at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla. App State earned the sixth seed and will play its first game of the tournament on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT). Due to the new tournament format, the Mountaineers will not know their opponent until the conclusion of Thursday’s matchup between No. 7 Texas State and either No. 10 Old Dominion, No. 11 Louisiana or No. 14 ULM at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT). All Sun Belt Tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+, with the championship game on March 10 also broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

2024-25 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Postseason Awards

Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year: Richie Riley, South Alabama

Player of the Year: Tayton Conerway, Troy

Defensive Player of the Year: Obinna Anochili-Killen, Marshall

Newcomer of the Year: Mark Freeman, James Madison

Freshman of the Year: Bryce Lindsay, James Madison

Sixth Man of the Year: Bryce Lindsay, James Madison

All-Sun Belt First Team

• Tayton Conerway, Troy
• Barry Dunning Jr., South Alabama
• Mark Freeman, James Madison
• Myles Tate, App State
• Taryn Todd, Arkansas State

All-Sun Belt Second Team

• Obinna Anochili-Killen, Marshall
• Cesare Edwards, Georgia State
• Denijay Harris, Southern Miss
• C.J. Huntley, App State
• Tylan Pope, Texas State

All-Sun Belt Third Team

• Myles Corey, South Alabama
• Sean Durugordon, Old Dominion
• Adante’ Holiman, Georgia Southern
• Bryce Lindsay, James Madison
• Izaiyah Nelson, Arkansas State

By David Rogers. ATLANTA, Ga. — A hard-charging Amanda Vestri, a member of Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance professional running team, surged past race favorite Weini Kelati of Flagstaff, Ariz. in the final two miles of the U.S. National Half Marathon Road Racing Championships on March 2, to capture third place and earn the final spot on the U.S. national team. The trio of Americans, led by No. 1 finisher Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State University alum now living in Durham, N.C.) and No. 2 Emma Grace Hurley (originally from Roswell, Ga., Furman University alum, now living in Indianapolis, Ind.) will compete in the 2025 World Athletics Road Running Championships to be hosted in San Diego, Calif., September 26-28.

The 24-yearold Roe completed the hilly course through downtown Atlanta in 1:07:22, followed by Hurley (age 27, 1:07:35) and Vestri (25, 1:08:17). ZAP Endurance teammate Tristin (Van Ord) Colley, a relative newcomer to the 13.1-mile distance, crossed the line at No. 16 (30, 1:11:50).

On the men’s side, ZAP Endurance veteran Andrew Colley ran in the lead pack for most of the race, even pressing to the lead about two-thirds of the way through. Another Oklahoma State alum, Alex Maier (24, Chapel Hill, N.C.) and veteran road racers Shadrack Kipchirchir (36, Colorado Springs, Colo.) and pre-race favorite Hillary Bor (35, Colorado Springs) broke away in the final miles to capture the top three spots to be selected for the World Athletics race in September, representing the U.S. Colley finished No. 5 (1:01:09), less than a minute off Maier’s winning time of 1:00:48. ZAP Endurance teammate Ryan Ford crossed the line No. 7, in 1:01:29.

“It was a really good weekend for ZAP Endurance,” said the team’s head coach Pete Rea after the race. “We are really proud to be represented by Amanda (Vestri) at the World Athletics championships. Plus, the performances of Tristin (Colley), Andrew and Ryan today were really top-notch in what were really deep fields this year. A lot of the country’s top runners were gunning for spots on the team that will represent the USA in San Diego.”

Rea noted that on Saturday, March 1, two more ZAP team members placed high in the Gate River Run 15k (a little more than 9 miles), in Jacksonville, Fla. Veteran marathoner Josh Izewski (34) finished No. 13, while ZAP teammate and middle distance specialist Daniel Schaffer (27) was right behind, at No. 14.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was “only” a spring non-conference volleyball exhibition with no one keeping track of game stats except the score, but the match between host App State and visiting North Carolina provided plenty of action — and loads of quality photographic moments.

The tight set scores reflect how entertaining this match was at the Holmes Convocation Center.

SET SCORES

• Set 1: UNC 26, App 24

• Set 2: UNC 25, App 18

• Set 3: App 25, UNC 20

• Set 4: App 25, UNC 23

• Set 5: UNC 15, App 12

All photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports.