Area Athletes Update:

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 6, 2014

Lenoir-Rhyne fullback Ike Whitaker (Salisbury) was one of eight Bears named to the Don Hansen all-region team. Whitaker rushed for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
The Bears finished second on the field and in the final poll in Division II.
L-R coach Mike Houston is meeting witInh The Citadel today and is a candidate for the head-coaching opening there. He’s reportedly one of three finalists.

College men’s hoops
Former A.L. Brown star Derrick Copeland has transferred from Emory & Henry and will play at D-I Gardner-Webb.
• Brothers K.J. and Keshun Sherrill (West Rowan) helped Augusta coach Dip Metress win his 350th college game on Sunday. Augusta won 76-72 at home againts UNC Pembroke.
K.J. had eight points and six rebounds, while Keshun had four points, four rebounds and three assists.
Augusta has used a lot of combinations but both former Falcons started on Sunday.
Metress was a college roommate of West Rowan coach Mike Gurley when they played at Belmon Abbey.
• In Brevard’s 108-80 SAC loss at Coker on Saturday, Darius Moose (Carson) scored 26 points for the Tornados. Moose shot 11-for-19 from the field and 3-for-3 on 3-pointers. He had seven rebounds and three assists.
• Mars Hill lost to Queens 82-73 in SAC action on Saturday despite another double-double by the Lions’ Isaiah Cuthbertson (West). Cuthbertson had 11 points and 14 rebounds.
• Teven Jones (A.L. Brown) played five minutes in Virginia’s 62-50 win at Florida State on Saturday. Virginia (10-4) won in Tallahassee for the first time in 12 years.

College women’s hoops
Three former Rowan County players were involved in a D-I game between Radford and Gardner-Webb last week.
Jessica Heilig (Salisbury) had 17 points and nine rebounds in Gardner-Webb’s 71-57 victory. Doreen Richardson (Salisbury) had five points and two steals for the Bulldogs.
Ayana Avery (West) led Radford with four 3-pointers and 18 points.
Heilig had 10 points and seven rebounds Saturday as G-W beat Winthrop 69-56 to move into a tie for first place in the Big South.
Avery had three 3s and 15 points in a 70-45 loss to Presbyterian on Saturday.
• Freshman Shay Steele (West) played well for Morehead State in wins against Southern Illinois and Eastern Illinois.
Steele had 10 points and six rebounds against Southern Illinois and nine rebounds against Eastern Illinois.
• Ayanna Holmes (Salisbury) had four assists and Olivia Rankin (Salisbury) scored two points to help Charlotte beat UNC Wilmington 78-57.
• Ashia Holmes (Salisbury) had four points, four rebounds and five assists to help Belmont Abbey beat Lees-McRae 77-66 on Saturday.
• Shi-Heria Shipp (Salisbury) had 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in Temple’s 75-54 win against Central Florida on Saturday.
• Alison Sobataka (West) scored 11 points for Columbia, but the Koalas lost 81-73 to Union.
• Amy Steller (Davie) had 10 points and four rebounds in Pfeiffer’s 67-62 to win over Conference Carolinas leader King.
College volleyball
Nicole Barringer (South Rowan) and her Averett teammates headed to Costa Rica today to play several games, and Barringer will head to San Diego when she returns as part of her involvement with the National Student Athlete Advisory Committee.