From staff reports

CHARLOTTE  – Augusta University   senior Keshun Sherrill (West Rowan) became the all-time leading scorer in Peach Belt Conference history Saturday night as the fifth-seeded Jaguars crushed  fourth-seeded Columbus State 102-68 in the first round of the NCAA D-II Tournament in The Levine Center.

For the fourth time this season and the second time in the last three games, Augusta (24-7) broke the 100-point mark. Augusta  avenged a regular season and conference-tourney loss to Columbus State (20-10).

Augusta faces top-seeded Queens (29-3) on its  home floor tonight at 7:30 p.m.

In the other regional  semifinal, Lincoln Memorial will take on Limestone.

Lincoln Memorial beat Pfeiffer 111-86 on Saturday, while Limestone  kocked out UNC Pembroke, 100-85.

Sherrill needed 20 points to break the PBC all-time scoring record and  finished the contest with 22 points, four rebounds, and three assists. He had 19 points at halftime.

College baseball

Catawba got some help on Saturday from Mars Hill, which beat Wingate in a doubleheader.

Mars Hill’s Matt Honeycutt (South Rowan) went 3-for-3 with three RBIs in a 14-0 victory over the Bulldogs. He lifted his batting average to .351.

Catawba moved into first place in the SAC.

College softball

Catawba and visiting Southern Wesleyan split a   doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Whitley Field.

The Warriors took the opener 15-7, but the Catawba Indians fought back to take Game 2 8-1.

Catawba (7-22)  broke open a close second game with a four-run third inning. Grace Holland doubled home two runs and Ashley Wagoner  singled home a run. Monica Taylor   capped the inning with a run-scoring  double.

Kaylee Cook (A.L. Brown) hurled a complete game for her second win of the season. She allowed one run on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

Catawba banged out 11 hits, with Holland, Kristen Stinnard and Taylor Martin (West Rowan) getting two apiece.

  Lizzie Fela swatted two homers for the visitors in the first game. Katherine Shumaker   had a pair of home runs in a losing effort for Catawba and collected four RBIs. Stinnard and Leah Higgins   also had two hits.

Catawba travels to Brevard next Saturday to open SAC play.

Cox Mill wins title

CHAPEL HILL — Cox Mill’s boys never trailed and held off   Eastern Guilford, 70-66, to win the 3A state championship on Saturday at the Smith Center.

Sophomore  Wendell Moore Jr. was dynamic  for the Chargers with 29 points and 12 rebounds. He also had three assists and three blocks  on his way to being named the Charlie Adams Most Valuable Player.

The only other Cox Mill player in double-figures was Caleb Stone-Carrawell,  who  had 13  points and seven rebounds.

Stone-Carrawell was named the   Most Outstanding Player for the Chargers.

Cox Mill led by 13 with 6:35 left, but  Eastern Guilford pushed within three with 38 seconds left.

Jaylen Alston finished   with 25 points and five rebounds  and was named the Most Outstanding Player for Eastern Guilford.

Cox Mill (27-6) dominated the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats by a 40-23 margin, but the Chargers couldn’t pull away because they turned the ball over 24 times.

  SPC champion Cox Mill was playing in the championship game for the first time.

HR Bulls fall in final

CHAPEL HILL – Northern Guilford returned to the 3A state championship game for the second year in a row and held on to beat Hickory Ridge, 66-64, reversing the heartbreak of a year ago and claiming the school’s first girls basketball crown.

Hickory Ridge shot  very well early and built a 12-point lead. The Bulls still led by eight points at halftime.

Northern Guilford regrouped at the half and got a great performance from Elissa Cunane who scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Cunane was named the Kay Yow Most Valuable Player. She was one block shy of a triple-double  when she fouled out with 1:30 to go and the Nighthawks up 63-54.

Hickory Ridge rallied and was down three points when Nia Daniel was fouled with two seconds left.

Daniel made the first free throw before missing the second intentionally. Hickory Ridge got the rebound in a scramble but couldn’t get a shot off.

Mercedes Wampler was named Northern Guilford’s Most Outstanding Performer.

SPC champ Hickory Ridge (31-1) had three players in double figures with Gabby Smith leading the way with 15 points and four steals. Daniel added 13  points and nine rebounds. Jiera Shears scored 12 points.

Hickory Ridge was in the title game for the first time.

Prep basketball

North Surry’s boys lost to Northside Jacksonville 86-67  in the 2A boys championship game played on Saturday in Raleigh.

Catawba signee Carter Phillips had 26 points and eight rebounds and was named  North Surry’s Most Outstanding Player.

Pro baseball

Former Catawba star Jerry Sands has signed a contract with the Somerset Patriots, an independent team in the Atlantic League.

Prep softball

Rylie Stewart pitched a shutout for Carson in Friday’s 10-0  SPC win at Robinson.

Stewart struck out six and walked one.

Madison Barnhardt, Katie Jewell, Kaitlyn Stout and Kaitlyn Honeycutt had three hits each to lead a 16-hit attack.

Stewart drove in three runs.

Barnhardt boosted her batting average to .692.

  

Echols Award

The Echols Athletic Excellence Award is  a competition measuring overall athletic success.

Standings after winter sports in the South Atlantic Conference:

Rank     School                          Total

1.           Wingate                       682

2.           Lincoln Memorial       505

3.           Queens                        500.25

4.           Catawba                       497.5

5.           Lenoir-Rhyne              486.49

6.           Anderson                    449.5

7.           Carson-Newman         406.66

8.           Newberry                    400

9.           Tusculum                     388.24

10.        Mars Hill                       359.08

11.        Coker                            188.25

12.        Brevard                         150

Wells Fargo Cup

The Wells Fargo Cup competition is a measure of overall athletic excellence. Points are awarded based on the conference standings in every sport.

Standings after winter sports:

Uwharrie 1A

North Stanly 262.5, Gray Stone Day 227.5, Union Academy 190, South Stanly 187.5, Queens Grant 125, Albemarle 122.5.

Central Carolina 2A

Salisbury 110.5, East Davidson 96, West Davidson 92, Lexington 86.5, Thomasville 69, North Rowan 54.

South Piedmont 3A

Hickory Ridge 490, Cox Mill 460, Jay M. Robinson 357.5, Carson 345, Concord 317.5, West Rowan 302.5, Northwest Cabarrus 272.5, Central Cabarrus 257.5, East Rowan 242.5, South Rowan 240.

Central Piedmont 4A

Mount Tabor 480, Ronald Reagan 477.5, West Forsyth 477.5, R.J. Reynolds 442.5, Davie 385, North Davidson 377.5, Parkland 260.

MeCKa 4A

W.A. Hough 75.5, Mallard Creek 64, North Mecklenburg 45, Hopewell 41.5, A.L. Brown 38.5, Zebulon Vance 26.5, West Charlotte 17.

Prep track and field

In a six-team track meet hosted by Hopewell, A.L. Brown’s boys finished first, while the girls finished third behind Hough and South Meck.

Winning for A.L. Brown’s girls were Akeena Maxwell in the 200 (26.0) and Ajianna Britt in the shot (31 feet, 11 inches) and discus (107-9).

Winning for the A.L. Brown boys were Brandon Hernandez in the 3200 (9:39) and 1600 (4:28.9), Jaquerius Bost in the 100 (10.8), Kevon Jacobs in the 110 hurdles (15.7) and Josh Parks in the 400 (51.0) and triple jump (40-7).

•••

In a four-team meet at East Rowan, East’s boys won easily, with Central Davidson second, South Rowan third, and North Stanly fourth.

East winners were Sam Wall in the 200 (24.62) and triple jump (42-9 1/2), Chase Whitley in the 400 (54.84), Ross Alexander in the 800 (2:16.40), Sean Incardona in the 1600 (4:50.53), Adam Whitley in the 3200 (12:03), Johnathan Brindle in the 300 hurdles (50.53) and Lee Sharum in the pole vault (12-6).

East swept the four relay events.

South Rowan’s Scott Stephens won the 100 (11.84).

•••

The girls meet at East was close, with the Mustangs edging South Rowan, 88.5 to 85.

Winning for East were Adalie Harrison in the 1600 (6:08.23), Faith Faller in the 3200 (12:35), Katleyn Sprinkle in the 100 hurdles (17.46) and Katie Barnes in the 300 hurdles (53.98).

East’s Iyahnna Neal won the shot put (28-6) and the discus (71-9).

South’s Tazah “Z” Hardin won the 100 (13.49) and 200 (28.13).

South’s Janiya Downs won the high jump (4-10) and long jump (15-1).

South won three relays and also got wins from Madilyn Jones in the 400 (1:07.45) and Makina Toler in the triple jump (30-2 1/2).

Prep wrestling

Davie wrestlers making the All-Central Piedmont Conference team were Josh Shore (106), Hunter Smith (113), Nick Gillis (120), Tommy Trader (126), David Sigmon (132),  Will Allen (138), Joseph Myers (145),  Hunter Strickland (152), Crayton Wise (160),  Kyle McCune (170), Bryson Hunter (182), Jesse Carter (195), Jesus Olmedo (225) and Anthony Olmedo (285).

Men’s lacrosse

Reid Lichtenberger  capped a fourth-quarter rally on his goal with 1:55 to play as Catawba (4-4, 1-1)  topped visiting Lincoln Memorial 13-12 in South Atlantic Conference men’s lacrosse action on Saturday afternoon at Shuford Stadium.

Women’s lacrosse

Nicolette Salay scored twice in the final 30 seconds as Catawba (5-2, 1-1) rallied for a 17-16 win over visiting Lincoln Memorial in South Atlantic Conference women’s lacrosse.

  action on Saturday afternoon at Shuford Stadium.

The J.F. Hurley is Now Taking Registrations for the Following Sports.

Girls Volleyball

Registration: February 1st – March 13th

Girls in grades 4th-8th

Cost: Y Members- $42 Potential Members- $70

SPRING SOCCER

Registration:  February 6th – April 3rd

Boys and girls in grades Pre-K – 8th

Cost:  Y Members – $42    Potential Members – $70

FLAG FOOTBALL

Registration:  February 6th – April 3rd

Boys and girls in grades Pre-K – 8th

Cost:  Y Members – $42   Potential Members – $70

Our program’s success relies on its volunteers. Sign up today to become a volunteer coach, assistant coach, or official.

VOLUNTEER TO BE A COACH TODAY AND CHANGE A CHILD’S LIFE TOMORROW!

Register at the J.F. Hurley YMCA or online at www.rowanymca.org

For more information contact Jesse Byrd at 704-636-0111 or Jbyrd@rowanymca.org

The Rowan Wildcats High School Boys Travel Basketball Team has two roster spots open for boys in grades 9th-12th.  Only $200 to play with payment plans available.  If interested please contact Coach Matt Randolph at RowanWildcats@yahoo.com or (470) 313-4278 call or text.

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association

March 9, 2017

Birmingham, AL – Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) student-athletes begin competition today for the 2017 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship. Events begin today at 12:00 p.m. and will extend through Saturday, March 11 at the Birmingham Crossplex, as part of the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival.