Area athletes update …

Western Carolina’s Alisha Bradshaw (Salisbury) won the weight throw at Clemson’s Purple & Orange Classic. The senior had a throw of 51 feet, 7 3/4 inches and was the only winner for the Catamounts. Bradshaw placed third in the shot put (43-5).

• Tennessee’s Tavis Bailey (A.L. Brown) placed second in the weight throw (67-4 1/4) and third in the shot put at the Purple & Orange Classic.

• Livingstone’s Garland Archie (North Rowan) was eighth in the shot put in the Wake Forest Invitational with an effort of 45-10.

College football

Kevin Parks (West Rowan) is currently ranked No. 17 among NFL running back prospects for the 2015 NFL draft.

Parks was a second team All-ACC pick by the league’s coaches. He was eighth in the ACC in rushing this season with 745 yards.

Parks  finished fifth on Virginia’s all-time rushing list with 3,219 yards.

• Averett junior cornerback Dontae Gilbert (Carson) was selected to the Roanoke Times All-State second team for Division II and III players in Virginia. Gilbert had a team-leading 71  tackles, four interceptions, seven pass breakups and two tackles for loss. Gilbert also blocked a kick.

• Junior DB Domonique Noble (West Rowan) played for Georgia Tech in a 49-34 win against Mississippi State in the  Orange Bowl.

College basketball

Mars Hill’s Isaiah Cuthbertson (West Rowan) scored eight points and pulled down 13 rebounds before fouling out in the Lion’s 108-100 overtime loss to Newberry on Saturday.

Cuthbertson, a 6-foot-6 senior, averages 10.1 points and 9.1 rebounds and will be one of the leaders for the Lions when they play at Catawba on Saturday.

• Seth Martin (West Rowan) scored 15 points for Catawba Valley Community College in the Redhawks’ 83-78 loss to Pitt CC.

• Alex Weant (Salisbury) is in his senior season at Roanoke and averages 4.1 points and 2.3 rebounds while playing about 10 minutes per game.

• Former Davie County player Cody Martin had six points and five assists in the 87-75 win against Duke.

Women’s basketball

Doreen Richardson (Salisbury) scored 23 points and had eight rebounds and four assists as Fayetteville State romped 81-56 against Bowie State on Monday. Richardson has made a big impact for the Broncos after transferring from Gardner-Webb.

• Kelly Dulkoski (Carson) made three 3-pointers and scored 11 points for Kennesaw State in a 54-44 loss to Mercer. Dulkoski made three 3-pointers.

• Olivia Rankin (Salisbury) had eight points and four rebounds for Charlotte in a 74-56 win against Marshall on Saturday. Ayanna Holmes (Salisbury) had six assists for the 49ers.

• Shay Steele (West Rowan) had 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for Morehead State in Saturday’s 99-70 loss to UT-Martin.

• Jessica Heilig (Salisbury) had 11 points and six rebounds for Gardner-Webb in Tuesday’s 75-74 loss to Campbell.

• Ayana Avery (West Rowan) made three 3-pointers and scored 13 points as Radford beat Winthrop 55-47 for its fifth straight win on Tuesday.

• Columbia’s Alison Sobataka (West Rowan) had eight points and 10 rebounds in a win against Montreat and scored 11 in a loss to Point (Ga.). Sobataka hit five 3-pointers in those two games.

• Shanequa Phifer (Salisbury) had four points and three assists for J.C. Smith in Monday’s 62-58 win against Virginia State.

Pro basketball

Carlos Dixon (South Rowan, Virginia Tech) is averaging 17.3 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Gunma Crane Thunders of the Japanese BJ League.

Dixon scored 30 to lead his team to an overtime win in his last outing before the holiday break. He’ll return to action Jan. 17.