From staff reports

Carson’s girls won the Pfeiffer High School Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, placing five runners in the top 13.

Taylor Conrad was second in 20:46; Taylor Wiggins was fourth in 21:07; Olivia Gabriel was 10th in 23:18; Jessie Nichols was 12th in 23:26, and freshman Lani Isley was 13th in 23:35.

South Rowan’s Madison Lowery took third place in 20:54 and led the Raiders to a sixth-place finish.

East Rowan finished seventh, with Grace Faller (25th, 24:36) leading the way.

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Carson’s jayvee girls placed third. Carson’s Dezirae Lakey was second individually.

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A.L. Brown’s Brandon Hernandez won the varsity boys race in 16:12 and led the Wonders to a fourth-place finish.

Sean Incardona (5th, 17:27) and Ross Alexander (8th, 17:51) led East Rowan to third place.

South Rowan freshman Noah Julian ran 17:44 for seventh place and helped South Rowan finish ninth.

Zac Barbee ran 17:53. He was ninth and led Carson to fifth place.

Gray Stone finished eighth.

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In the jayve boys race,  A.L. Brown was second, and East Rowan was third.

East’s Noah Wiles placed fifth in 20:24.

Coll. cross country

In the William & Mary Invitational in Williamsburg, Va., Zachary Marchinko (Carson) finished third in the 6000 meter race in 18:31 and helped Charlotte’s men finish first.

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Lenoir-Rhyne freshman Faith Faller (East Rowan) finished 14th in 20:23 in the L-R Invitational.

College tennis

The N.C. State doubles team of Georgly Malyshev/Michael Ogden (Salisbury) reached the semifinals of the  James Bonk Invitational in Cary before losing to a team from Duke.

College golf

In Richmond’s season-opening match, Isabella Rusher (Salisbury) shot 76-73-75 — 224. She was 8-over, tied for fourth,  and helped the Spiders win the Navy Fall Invite.

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In the opening match for the UNC Greensboro men in Durham, freshman Nick Lyerly (East Rowan) shot even par  in the Rod Myers Invitational with rounds of 74-71-71 — 216. Lyerly tied for 21st.

College football

Appalalachian State’s Myquon Stout (Carson) had four tackles, including a sack for an 8-yard loss, in a win against Texas State on Saturday.

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Freshman Kortez Weeks (West Rowan) had three catches for 71 yards and a touchdown as Elon edged Charleston Southern.

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Jayln Cagle (A.L. Brown) rushed seven times for 25 yards for Gardner-Webb in Saturday’s loss to Western Carolina.

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Wingate won the first night game in Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field history on Satuday, beating Carson-Newman, 31-27.

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Sewanee, which entered the season with a 19-game losing streak, is 2-1 this yaear. Freshman DB Wesley Porter (East Rowan) has helped. He made his second interception in a win on Saturday.

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In the California junior college ranks, Feather River’s Alexis Archie (North Rowan) completed three passes for 27 yards in a loss to Laney.

College soccer

Catawba’s women (2-2, 1-0 SAC)  got a pair of goals from freshman Jovana Sanchez and topped visiting Mars Hill, 4-0, Saturday night at Frock Field.

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Catawba’s men (0-4, 0-1 SAC) lost, 1-0, to Mars Hill on Saturday. Derek Kaple scored for the Lions.

NFL

Cincinatti’s Chris Smith (West Rowan) had six tackles, including a sack, in Thursday’s 13-9 loss to the Houston Texans.

College volleyball

Lynsey Corriher (South Rowan) had 18 kills, four  blocks and four digs as Averett (10-2) won three weekend matches.

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Hannah Elmore (Carson) had 11 kills in Brevard’s win over Emory & Henry on Saturday. She had 10 kills against Salem earlier in the week.

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Makala Lytton (North Rowan) had 20 digs as Winston-Salem State swept Lincoln and Chowan on Saturday.

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Michaela White (Carson) had 20 assists and 15 digs as UNC Wilmington beat Western Michigan, 3-2, on Saturday.

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In the SAC, Catawba won 3-1 at Mars Hill on Friday, but lost to Tusculum, 3-2, at home on Saturday.

Morgan Hester (Carson) had 10 assists and 20 digs in the two matches.

Pro baseball

The Greenville Drive won their first South Atlantic League Championship in franchise history on Friday when they beat Kannapolis, 8-3.

The key blow was a three-run double by former Charlotte 49ers second baseman Brett Netzer.

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Relief pitcher Bryan Blanton (Catawba) posted a 1.06  ERA in his first pro season and had five saves. Picked on the 21st round by the New York Yankees, Blanton struck out 20 and walked two.

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Catcher Zac Almond (Catawba) batted .260 in 19 games after recovering from a hand injury. Almond was a 35th-round pick by Arizona.

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Relief pitcher Craig Brooks (Catawba) had some struggles late in the season but still finished with a 1-1 record and 10 saves in 13 opportunities.

Brooks struck out 88 batters in 60 2/3 innings and posted an ERA of 3.12.

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Colton Laws (Carson, Charlotte), a seventh-round pick by Toronto, was 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA. Laws struck out 15 and walked one in 15 innings.

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Jerry Sands (Catawba) batted .298 in 64 games with Richmond and had 26 extra-base hits, 38 walks and 28 RBIs. Sands’ on-base percentage was a strong .402.

Salisbury Academy

Salisbury Academy’s girls tennis team won against Forsyth Country Day, 7-2.

  Margaret Thurman, Sydney Hlavacek, Millie Wymbs, Lucy Barr and Ellison Frick were singles winners.

Barr/Wymbs and Frick/Madelyne Lawrence won in doubles.

The next match is at the Country Club against Knox at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Local golf

The team of Yvonne Carver, Alex Shaver, Ralph and Pam Carver led the field in Sunday’s McCanless Couples play.

They edged out the team of Walt Kincaid, Harry Owens, Calvin Smith, Bev Cobb and Susan Wydner.

Wydner had the longest putt and Cobb won closest to the pin.