From staff reports
Cristy Earnhardt McKinney was named as Elon’s top assistant coach on Monday.
McKinney was head coach at Rice, directing 216 victories in 12 seasons, and won 58 games in five seasons as head coach at Clemson.
The first female inductee into the Salisbury-Rowan Hall of Fame in 2001, McKinney starred at East Rowan from 1972-75, averaging 14.4 points as a sophomore, 16.7 as a junior when the Mustangs won the WNCHSAA title, and 20.2 as a senior.
She had four 30-point games — highly unusual in that era — and finished her prep career with 1,151 points and 1,012 rebounds.
McKinney is still second on East’s all-time list for scoring average per game and ranks fifth all-time in points scored.
McKinney nearly signed with Elon out of high school because the coach there was Kay Yow. McKinney instead signed with N.C. State after the Wolfpack hired Yow.
McKinney graduated from N.C. State in 1979 with a math degree after scoring 1,359 points and grabbing 600 rebounds. She played on the Wolfpack’s first ACC regular-season championship team.
Youth track and field
Sprinters Jaleesa Smoot and Payton Russell shined for the Salisbury Speedsters in the Russell Blount East Coast Invitational held in Durham.
Smoot was second in the 100 (12.47 seconds) and won the 200 (25.70) and 400 (57.35) in the youth girls division.
Russell took the 100 (12.98) and 200 (26.79) in the midget girls division.
Jabari Dalton placed third (13.97) in the 100 in the boys bantam division.
Andrew Burgess was second in the boys midget division in the 3000 meters (11:36.99).
Alex Crook was third (4:38.62) in the 1500 in the boys youth division.
Salisbury High graduate Alisha Bradshaw competed for Higher Power and won the shot (40 feet, 4 inches) and discus (136-5) in the young women’s division in the meet in Durham.
Youth baseball
East Rowan Diamond Sports 10U all-stars placed third in the Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth state tournament in Matthews. The team now will play in the Southeast Regional tournament in New Bern.
Those wishing to support the team’s trip should eat at East Coast Wings on the evening of Monday, July 25. Mention your are eating to support the East Rowan 10U trip and East Coast Wings will make a donation.
Local golf
Michael Childress 11, Bryson Sprinkle 11, and Ben Childress 7, played in the National Junior Golf Tour event at Cabarrus Country Club on Monday.
Ben Childress shot 37-41-78, including an eagle, to win his age group. Michael Childress shot 46-36-82, including 10 pars to finish his round, to win his age group.
Sprinkle shot 43-45-88 to finish second in the 11U age group. n Phil Miller shot 69-73 — 142 to win the recent Country Club of Salisbury club championship tournament.
Michael Holshouser (70-73 — 143), Corey Basinger (70-75 — 145) and Blake Wray (72-73 — 145) followed.
In the men’s open division, Jason Sparger was the net winner at 131. Next were Jerry Wright (135) and Jim McDermott (137).
Jerry Wright (147) was the gross winner in the men’s open division. Next were Andre Resner (151) and Chuck Valley (152).
Victor Wallace’s 135 won the net competition in the men’s senior open division. Next were Ken Reid (138), Sam Moser (139) and Bob Oswald (139). Moser’s 149 won the gross competition in the men’s senior open division. Next were Wallace (151) and Jon Post (154).
Jim Hayes won net in the men’s super senior division with 128. Carl Repsher (138) and Ty Cobb (139) followed.
Gus Andrews won gross in the men’s super senior division at 154. Jim Hayes (162) and Harold Deal (163) followed.n Susan Morris shot 176 to win the women’s club championship. Patti Glassgow was second at 185.
John Murphy III won the Junior club championship, while Spencer Storey was second.
American Legion
Wayne County beat Wilmington 8-2 in an elimination game played on Monday afternoon and will oppose Cherryville in today’s championship game (or games) in Morehead City.
With Cherryville still unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament, Wayne County would have to beat six-time champion Cherryville twice today in order to win its first state title.
Major leagues
New York Mets reliever Bobby Parnell (East Rowan) bounced back from a tough Sunday outing to help the Mets beat the Reds 4-2 on Monday.
Parnell again pitched the eighth and worked a scoreless frame to protect a two-run lead against some tough hitters.
He struck out Brandon Phillips, walked Fred Lewis, got pinch-hitter Joey Votto on a flyball and got a groundball off the bat of rookie Todd Frazier.
Veteran Jason Isringhausen came in for the ninth and picked up the save.
Minor leagues
The Kannapolis Intimidators were rained out on Monday at Rome, Ga.
It’s been a tough season for Wade Moore (West Rowan, Catawba), but it’s getting better.
Hagerstown’s Moore had two more hits, including his 11th double, on Tuesday in a 6-4 South Atlantic League loss to Greenville.
Now batting .197, Moore is at close to .200 as he’s been in a long time. He’s batted .323 in his last 10 games.
Winston-Salem put Daniel Wagner (South Rowan) in the leadoff spot on Monday and he had a nice game in a 5-3 win against Kinston.
Wagner had one hit, two walks and scored a run.
His batting average in the Carolina League is a modest .236, but he’s hit .286 in his last 10 outings.
Hudson Valley’s Craige Lyerly (East Rowan, Catawba) is starting to surge in the New York-Penn League after a slow start.
Lyerly stole two bases on Monday and went 1-for-3 in a 2-0 victory against Mahoning Valley.
Lyerly was under .200 coming into the week but is now at .233.
Spencer Steedley (East) had a strong relief outing for Double A New Britain on Monday in a 6-5, 13-inning win against New Hampshire.
The Minnesota farmhand zipped through the fifth and sixth innings with no runs, no hits, one walk and three strikeouts.
Ryan Query (A.L. Brown, Catawba) has been assigned by the Braves to the Rome team in the Class A South Atlantic League.
Even the CIA would have a hard time keeping track of Query this season. This is his fourth stop in the Braves’ system.
He’s also played at short-season Danville, advanced A Lynchburg and Double A Mississippi.
Query has done well when he’s gotten chances to play this season — batting .364 in 17 games, 11 at Danville, five at Mississippi and one in Lynchburg.