Area briefs: Local AAU track athletes qualify for national meet

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 15, 2008

From staff reports
North Rowan’s AAU track program qualified three athletes for the AAU National Championships that will be held in Detroit.
Top-four finishers advanced from the regional meet held at the University of Tennessee over the weekend.
Teaunna Cuthbertson finished first in the youth division long jump at 17 feet, 2 3/4 inches and also took first in the 100 hurdles in 14.64 seconds.
Daishion Barger won the 110 hurdles in the intermediate division and placed second in the 200 in 22.44.
Barger was also eighth in the long jump (19-1) and sixth in the triple jump (40-7).
Ysarian Bush was second in the youth division in the long jump with a leap of 16-51/4 and fourth in the 200 in 26.64.
Bush also was sixth in the 100 in 12.93.
Tiffany Brown was seventh in the 100 hurdles in 19.12.
n The Salisbury Speedsters track and field club had 16 athletes qualify for the regional.
National qualifiers are Justin Avery, Kahlia Hall and Marquez McCain (Cleveland), Wanita Leto (Concord), Dasia McGill, Shatiya Bost, Alicia Bradshaw and Andrea Godfrey (Salisbury) and Jalessa Smoot (Granite Quarry).
Regional qualifiers were Mark Barbara (Statesville), Robert Pinkston Jr. (Kannapolis), Taylor Godfrey, Darious Wallace and Jared Wallace (Salisbury), Cameron Dunlap (China Grove) and Summer Taylor (Granite Quarry).
Dillion Roberson (Kannapolis) and Jeffrey Avery (Cleveland) were state qualifiers.
Coaches are Tim Dunlap from China Grove and Todd Allen and Erica Carter from Salisbury.
Anyone wishing to help these athletes with travel and housing can reach Coach Carter at (704) 267-4129 or ecarter@ci.albemarle.nc.us or North coach Robert Steele at 704-637-9552.
– Shoaf is hired
Patton High in Burke County has officially hired former Salisbury coach Jennifer Shoaf to lead its girls basketball program.
As a first-year 2A school last season, Patton was 1-23. After one more season in 2A, the school will move up to the 3A ranks.
Shoaf coached Salisbury to the 2A state championship and a 31-0 record in 2004 and was 80-10 over the next three seasons. She took teams to the regionals five straight seasons from 2003-07.
Patton athletic director Rich Linens told the Hickory Daily Record that “her resume speaks for itself and her experience speaks for itself. We’re tickled to have her.”
Shoaf will be formally introduced at a press conference at the school at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
– Intimidators baseball
The Kannapolis Intimidators lost a doubleheader at Rome on Monday, falling 2-1 and 3-0 to drop to 14-10 for the second half of the season.
The Intimidators had only eight hits in the twin bill and left the bases loaded twice in the nightcap.
The Intimidators are off today and open an eight-game homestand Wednesday against Savannah.
– Palomino baseball
Salisbury defeated Carson 11-7 on Sunday in Palomino League baseball.
Carson used four walks and hits by Tyler Freeze and Matt Smith to take a 4-0 lead, and went up 5-2 on a triple by Zach Grkman and a single by Julio Zubillaga.
Salisbury (11-2) took its first lead at 6-5 in the fifth on key hits by Anthony Ijames, Dakota Brown and Ben Ijames.
Brown and Ben Ijames again delivered RBI hits to put Salisbury ahead 9-5 in the sixth, and David Ijames’ two-run double in the seventh made it 11-5.
Gunnar Hogan and Kenny Karriker knocked in runs for Carson in the bottom of the seventh.
Ben Ijames was the winning pitcher in relief. Jeremy Mullis took the loss.
“We couldn’t find the plate early, walking four hitters in the first inning and Carson made us pay, but Ben came in and calmed the storm,” Salisbury coach Scott Maddox said.
“He did a great job on the mound for us, and Anthony Ijames had what I think is his best game since coming to Salisbury. He was on base four times and every at-bat was a good one. He also made some real heads up plays defensively.”
Salisbury used a 15-hit attack to pick up the win. Robbie and David Ijames had three hits each.
Salisbury has home doubleheaders at 6 and 8 today and Thursday.
– Baseball signings
Carson’s Jeremy Mullis, Salisbury’s Ben Ijames and South Rowan’s Michael Morgan are headed to Wilkes Community College.
Mullis is an infielder/pitcher, Ijames is a second baseman/pitcher, and Morgan is a pitcher/outfielder.
* Northwest Cabarrus third baseman Hunter Pate and lefty pitcher Matt Mariano are headed to Erskine on baseball scholarships. They’ll join Kannapolis Legion teammate Jacob Wright.
– Minor leagues
Vancouver’s David Thomas (Catawba) had RBI doubles on Sunday and Monday and is batting .293.
* Billings’ Brett Bartles (A.L. Brown) had an RBI double Sunday and is batting .260.
* Garrett Sherrill (A.L. Brown) pitched a scoreless inning for Helena on Saturday.
* Binghamton pitcher Bobby Parnell (East Rowan) was named to participate in the Eastern League All-Star Game in Manchester, N.H., on Wednesday.
– Coastal Plain league
Daniel Wagner (South Rowan), Ryan Query (A.L. Brown, Catawba) and Chris Ahearn (Catawba) had two hits each for Asheboro in a 4-1 victory over Wilmington on Saturday. Query homered for the Copperheads.
* Asheboro’s Alex Fairweather (Catawba) was the losing pitcher in an 8-2 setback against Thomasville on Monday. Fairweather struck out 11 and walked none. Only three of the runs he allowed were earned.
– Rowan Amateur
Defending champion Keith Dorsett will face Chris Sifford and qualifying medalist Stan Honeycutt will meet Jeff Quan in the opening round of the 30th annual Horace Billings Rowan Amateur Championship Golf Tournament Friday at Corbin Hills.
Action begins at 2:46 and continues until 16 first-round matches are completed.
Winners advance to the second round on Saturday at 8:06 a.m., and the third round will be played Saturday afternoon, starting at 2:30 p.m.
The four survivors of Saturday’s two rounds will meet in matches to decide the championship on Sunday.
Among the top winners in the field are Gary Miller, who has won the title six times, and Randy Bingham, who has four wins.
Honeycutt, winner of the recent Salisbury Country Club tourney, won the qualifying medal with a 3-under 69. Dusty Holder was second with a 71.
The amateur event was launched in 1979, and Mallory McDaniel took the crown.
Friday’s pairings: 2:46 ó Keith Dorsett vs. Chris Sifford; Joe Harrell vs. Dwayne McIntyre
2:54 ó Roy Dixon vs. Rich Pendarvis; Michael Dorsett vs. Chad Ballard 3:02 ó David Boger vs. Clark Corriher; Rick Adams vs. Terry Mulkey
3:10 ó Derek Lipe vs. David May; Randy Bingham vs. Matt Graham
3:18 ó Stan Honeycutt vs. Jeff Quan; Gary Miller vs. Robert Jordan
3:26 ó Ronnie Eidson vs. Jerry Julian; Mallory McDaniel vs. Sean Kramer
3:34 ó Dusty Holder vs. Barry Curlee; Alfred Galang vs. Max Galang
3:42 ó Steve Gegorek vs. Grey Medinger; Glenn Dixon vs. David Dorsett
– GARS event
Seventy-eight members played the second of four rounds of the annual GARS tournament at Warrior on Monday.
Low ‘A’ flight winner was Jay Boyce with a net of 58.63. Low ‘B’ golfer was Dick Hatoway with a net of 62.96.
Low ‘C’ player with a net of 61.49 was Ralph Luther. Low ‘D’ player with a net of 64.67 was Harry Hammer.
– Junior golf
Local golfer Alex Nianouris fired rounds of 82-76 ó 158 to tie for fourth in the 14-under age group in the NC Big I Junior championship held over the weekend at Mid Pines.
The girls division was played at Pine Needles. Allison Lee shot 80-76 ó 156 to tie for 16th.