From staff reports
Salisbury track standout Jaleesa Smoot has received a certificate of recognition and an invitation to compete in Australia.
The sophomore was chosen to represent North Carolina on the East Central Conference Track and Field Team at next summer’s 13th annual Down Under International Games in Sydney.
Smoot is one of 300 athletes from the U.S. to be selected.
Her selection was based on rankings and times in outdoor meets.
Smoot is a contender for the 2013 World Youth Championshipsto be held in Ukraine. She’s currently 17th on ESPN’s list of prep girls in the 400. She has been clocked in 56.13 seconds in the 400.
Smoot is also strong in the 100 (12.25) and 200 (25.26).
In last spring’s 2A Championships. Smoot placed second in the 200 and 400 and fifth in the 100.
As far as returning 2A girls in the state, Smoot is ranked third in the 100 and 200 and first in the 400.
NCHSAA Hall of Fame
New members of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame will be honored at halftime of Saturday’s East Carolina-UNC game at Kenan Stadium.
The new inductees include Robert Steele, who coached numerous track and field state champions at North Rowan.
Prep tennis
Salisbury’s girls beat West Davidson 9-0 for the program’s 119th consecutive CCC win on Wednesday.
Coach Chris Myers’s team is well on its way to the program’s 10th straight CCC title and 15th in the last 16 seasons.
The Hornets (11-2, 5-0) got singles wins from Katelyn Storey, Alexandra Drye, Anna Flynn, Sallie Kate Meyerhoeffer, Kayla Honeycutt and Kathryn Rusher .
Storey-Flynn, Meyerhoeffer-Drye and Honeycutt-Grace Steinman were the doubles winners.
Salisbury’s rained-out match with Charlotte Catholic is rescheduled for Friday.
• Davie beat West Forsyth 8-1 in a CPC match on Wednesday. Nadia Gregory, Allie Billings, Laura Kinder, Leah Gryder and Tatum Edwards won in singles for the War Eagles.
Doubles winners were Gregory-Kinder, Billings-Jennifer Webster and Gryder-Edwards.
Local golf
In the first round of the eGolf Tour’s Cabarrus Classic at Cabarrus Country Club, Frank Adams III shot 69, five shots off the pace, and Will Collins shot 71.
Middle school tennis
Southeast’s girls won 5-4 against West Rowan Middle.
Brienne Leach, Keelee Morgan and Lindsay Elmore won singles matches for the Patriots.
Doubles winners for Southeast were Koontz-Leach and Morgan-Elmore.
8th-grade football
North Rowan Middle beat Erwin 30-20.
Malik Alford scored touchdowns on runs of 5 and 10 yards for the Mavericks.
Joseph Scott had a 65-yard scoring run. Terry Cathcart scored on a fumble return.
Corbin Smith passed to Scott and Zion Debose for conversions, and Javin Goodine ran for a conversion.
Defensive standouts for North were Cathcart, Spencer Bowler and Steven Thurston.
North is at Southeast next week.
7th-grade football
Montavio Rankin scored four touchdowns as Knox beat Southeast 34-0.
Rankin had scoring runs of 35, 78, 55 and 44 yards for the Trojans (2-0).
Issac Baker had a 42-yard scoring run and threw a two-point conversion pass to Troy Campbell.
Xavier Lowe ran for a conversion.
Opening holes for the Trojan backs were Joe Stienman, John Pruitt, Zarrek Barger, Tory James, Jordan Ward and Roger Chimney.
T.J. Gibson had 56 rushing yards.
Linebackers Rankin, Nimely Davis and Laderious Carter led Knox’s defense to its second straight shutout. Denver Venn had a sack and Lowe had an interception.
The Trojans host West Rowan next week.
Middle school soccer
Salisbury Academy’s jayvees won 5-4 against Sacred Heart.
George Fisher scored the winning goal on a direct kick with 1:05 left.
Mitch Jeter scored the first three goals for the Jaguars. Archie Dees scored the goal that tied the game at 4-all.
Charlie Barr, Walker Hartpence, and Hank Robbins were standouts for the Jaguars, and Marshall Overcash had four saves.
• Sacred Heart’s varsity romped 9-0 against Triad Baptist.
Sacred Heart was missing some players, but jayvee callups Juan Salazar and Patrick Taylor helped maintain the Dolphins’ winning streak.
Justin Boyd and Will Taylor scored two goals each.
William Austin, Melvyn Bonilla, Michael Childress, Rigo Salazar and Juan Salazar had one goal each.
Boyd, Austin, Taylor, Juan Salazar , Childress and Eric Turnbull had assists.
• Sacred Heart’s varsity beat Hickory Christian 4-0.
The Dolphins (5-0) did not allow a shot on goal.
Bonilla scored two goals, and Ceci Cardelle and Julia Honeycutt had one each. Honeycutt scored her first goal of the season.
Childress, Boyd, Elena Turnbull and Annie Habeeb contributed assists.
Middle school softball
West Rowan Middle beat Southeast 10-0 on Wednesday.
Mandy Timmerman struck out 16 and pitched a shutout.
Parker Greene had three hits, including a triple. Emy Spry and Khara Fesperman had two hits each. Savannah Cline, Mandy Timmerman and Leyna Pence had a hit apiece.
College women’s soccer
Catawba’s women’s soccer team lost 2-1 to Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday in Hickory.
The 25th-ranked Bears (5-1, 2-0) had 30 shots.
Angelica Pawlowski made 11 saves for the Indians. Juliana Conte scored to give Catawba (3-4, 0-2) a 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute.
Catawba is home Saturday against Newberry.
College men’s soccer
Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne fought to a 1-1 draw in men’s soccer on Wednesday in Hickory. The Bears (1-3-2, 0-1-1) scored first.
Catawba (3-2-2, 0-0-2) got the equalizer on a rebound goal by Luke Kooyman after a shot by Carson Smith.
Frankie Cardelle (Salisbury) made five saves for the Indians.
Catawba is at home against Newberry on Saturday.
College football
Over 50,000 tickets have already been sold for the Dr. Pepper ACC Football Championship Game.
The game has sold out each of its last two years in Charlotte. Ticket sales are pacing well ahead of both previous years.
College volleyball
Averett’s Nicole Barringer (South Rowan) had 35 assists and six digs in a sweep of Southern Virginia on Wednesday.
• In Guilford’s 3-2 win against Randolph on Wednesday, Taylor Whitley (Carson) had 38 assists and 10 digs.
• Shanna Stewart (Carson) had 16 kills as Johnson & Wales beat J.C. Smith 3-1 on Tuesday night.
ML Baseball
Bobby Parnell (East Rowan) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the New York Mets in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Parnell lowered his ERA to 2.87 and struck out two.
He has pitched in 66 games this season and has struck out 56 while walking 20.
His record is 4-4 and he has four saves.