The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), in conjunction with Wells Fargo, has announced the final standings in the Wells Fargo Conference Cup competitions for the 2018-2019 sports season. The Wells Fargo Cup award, sponsored by Wells Fargo and the NCHSAA, recognizes the schools that achieve the best overall interscholastic athletic performance within each of the state’s four competitive classifications.

The Wells Fargo Conference Cup is a companion to the Wells Fargo Cup and recognizes schools with the best overall interscholastic athletic performances within individual conferences. Wachovia, and now Wells Fargo, has sponsored the conference awards program since 1980. In most conferences, points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points. From our area conferences:

Northwestern Foothills 2A: With championships in men’s tennis, softball, baseball, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s track during the spring, Fred T. Foard came in first place. Patton finished second, posting a second-place finish in women’s track, third-place finishes in women’s soccer and women’s golf and a tied third-place finish in baseball during the spring. Draughn finished in third place with a men’s golf championship, a second-place finish in softball and a third-place finish in men’s track. Conference Standings: Fred T. Foard 840, Patton 692.5, Draughn 672.5, Hibriten 665, West Iredell 625, East Burke 592.5, Bunker Hill 502.5.

South Fork Athletic 2A: East Lincoln is the Conference Cup Champion after a very close race thanks to a men’s tennis championship and second-place finishes in softball and women’s soccer. In second place was North Lincoln with a tied first-place finish in baseball and a men’s track championship. Lake Norman Charter finished in third place with a women’s soccer championship to highlight their spring. Conference Standings: East Lincoln 119, North Lincoln 117, Lake Norman Charter 116, Maiden 93, West Lincoln 86, Bandys 80, Newton-Conover 72, Lincolnton 57.

Northwestern Athletic 3A/4A: Watauga claimed the Conference Cup, pushing through the spring with championships in women’s track and women’s soccer along with a second-place finish in men’s track. Alexander Central was second, completing the year with a men’s track championship and a second-place finish in softball. Hickory was in third place, finishing the year with a tied first-place finish in women’s soccer along with a second-place finish in men’s tennis. Conference Standings: Watauga 210, Alexander Central 196.5, Hickory 195, Freedom 190.5, South Caldwell 178.5, St. Stephens 169.5, McDowell 137.5, West Caldwell 113.5.

The rest of the state:
Class 1A Conference Results
Albemarle Athletic 1A: John A. Holmes finished on top of the conference thanks to championships in baseball and men’s tennis along with second-place finishes in women’s soccer, women’s track and men’s golf. In second place was Manteo with championships in women’s soccer, men’s golf, and men’s track along with a second-place finish in men’s tennis and fourth-place finishes in baseball, softball and women’s track. Camden County was in third place with championships in softball and women’s track along with a second-place finish in men’s track. Conference Standings: John A. Holmes 58, Manteo 53, Camden County 46, Gates County 36, Perquimans 31, Washington County 20.

Atlantic 1A: Bear Grass Charter won the Conference Cup with championships in baseball and softball along with a tied first-place finish in women’s soccer. In second place was Cape Hatteras finishing tied for first-place finish in women’s soccer, a second-place finish in softball, and a tied second-place finish in baseball. In third place was Columbia, finishing tied second-place finish in baseball and a third-place finish in softball. Conference Standings: Bear Grass Charter 295, Cape Hatteras 285, Columbia 190, Mattamuskeet 150, Ocracoke 125.

Carolina 1A: Princeton won the Conference Cup thanks to championships in softball, men’s golf and men’s and women’s track. Rosewood finished in second with a baseball championship and second-place finishes in softball, men’s golf and men’s and women’s track. Hobbton came in third place with a second-place finish in baseball added to their total during the spring season. Conference Standings: Princeton 92.5, Rosewood 85.5, Hobbton 62, Lakewood 61, Neuse Charter 42, North Duplin 39.5, Union 21.5.

Central Tar Heel 1A: Raleigh Charter came out on top after the spring sports season thanks to championships in women’s soccer and men’s golf along with second-place finishes in women’s track and men’s tennis. Research Triangle finished in second with championships in men’s and women’s track and men’s tennis along with a second-place finish in women’s soccer. Chatham Central came in third place with championships in baseball and softball. Conference Standings: Raleigh Charter 73.5, Research Triangle 60.5, Chatham Central 56, Cornerstone Charter Academy 45, River Mill Academy 35.5, Chatham Charter 32.5, Woods Charter 30, Clover Garden 18.

Coastal Plains 1A: With championships in baseball and men’s golf, Riverside-Martin finished first place. In second place was Pamlico County with a second-place finish in baseball. Southside was third place with championships in men’s and women’s track. Conference Standings: Riverside-Martin 507.5, Pamlico County 492.5, Southside 420, Tarboro 385, Northside-Pinetown 370, South Creek 310, Jones Senior 195.

North Central Athletic Conference 1A: Franklin Academy came out on top after the spring sports season thanks to championships in women’s soccer, men’s golf and men’s and women’s track. Voyager Academy was second with a men’s tennis championship, a second-place finish in men’s track and a third-place finish in baseball. Roxboro Community finished in third place with a softball championship and second-place finishes in baseball and women’s soccer. Conference Standings: Franklin Academy 76, Voyager Academy 65, Roxboro Community 56, Falls Lake Academy 59, Vance Charter 44, East Wake Academy 37, Oxford Preparatory 36, Henderson Collegiate 29.

Northwest 1A: East Surry was the conference champion after the spring sports season thanks to championships in baseball, men’s golf and men’s track. Bishop McGuinness came in second place with a men’s tennis championship and a second-place finish in women’s soccer. Mount Airy finished third with second-place finishes in men’s track, men’s golf and men’s tennis. Conference Standings: East Surry 94, Bishop McGuinness 83.5, Mount Airy 80, South Stokes 63, North Stokes 49, Winston-Salem Preparatory 30.5.

PAC 7 1A: Pine Lake Preparatory finished in first place after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s golf, women’s track and men’s tennis along with second-place finishes in men’s track, softball and baseball. Community School of Davidson came in second with second-place finishes in women’s soccer and men’s tennis along with third-place finishes in men’s and women’s track and men’s golf. Mountain Island Charter was in third place with championships in softball and men’s track along with second-place finishes in baseball and women’s track. Conference Standings: Pine Lake Preparatory 193, Community School of Davidson 181, Mountain Island Charter 180, Union Academy 178, Queen’s Grant 129, Bradford Preparatory 121, Langtree Charter Academy 94, Carolina International School 71.

Smoky Mountain 1A: Murphy was the victor after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s and women’s track along with a tied first-place finish in softball. Swain County finished in second place with a women’s soccer championship and a second-place finish in women’s track. Hayesville came in third with a tied second-place finish in baseball and a third-place finish in women’s track. Conference Standings: Murphy 163, Swain County 142, Hayesville 135.5, Robbinsville 119, Cherokee 112, Rosman 82.5, Andrews 79, Highlands 70, Hiwassee Dam 63, Blue Ridge 62, Tri County Early College 41, Nantahala 25.

Southern Piedmont 1A: Lincoln Charter took home the Conference Cup thanks to championships in men’s tennis, men’s golf, women’s soccer and men’s track. In second place was Highland Tech with a women’s track championship. Thomas Jefferson came in third place with second-place finishes in men’s golf and men’s tennis. Conference Standings: Lincoln Charter 133, Highland Tech 124, Thomas Jefferson 123, Cherryville 104, Bessemer City 92, Piedmont Charter 59.

Tar Roanoke 1A: Northampton County was the top finisher after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s and women’s track along with a second-place finish in baseball. KIPP Pride was second with second-place finishes in men’s and women’s track and softball. North Edgecombe came in third place with fourth-place finishes in men’s track and softball. Conference Standings: Northampton County 445, KIPP Pride 395, North Edgecombe 365, Weldon 365, Rocky Mount Preparatory 365, Northwest Halifax 290, Southeast Halifax 260.

Yadkin Valley 1A: With championships in baseball and women’s track along with a third-place finish in softball, North Stanly finished in first place. Gray Stone Day was second with championships in women’s soccer and men’s tennis. South Stanly came in third place with a softball championship and a second-place finish in men’s tennis. Conference Standings: North Stanly 810, Gray Stone Day 712.5, South Stanly 680, North Moore 630, West Montgomery 547.5, South Davidson 542.5, Albemarle 485, Uwharrie Charter 437.5, North Rowan 415.

Class 1A/2A Conference Results
Coastal 8 1A/2A: Croatan jumps to the front of the competition after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s tennis, men’s golf, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s track. Southwest Onslow finished second with a third-place finish in baseball. Richlands was in third place with a softball championship and a second-place finish in men’s tennis. Conference Standings: Croatan 159, Southwest Onslow 109, Richlands 102, East Carteret 93.5, Dixon 92.5, Lejeune 87.5, Pender 84, Heide Trask 83.

Mountain Valley 1A/2A: After a close race for first place, Wilkes Central pulled ahead with championships in women’s soccer and men’s golf along with a second-place finish in baseball and third-place finishes in men’s and women’s track. Ashe County finished in second place with championships in men’s and women’s track and third-place finishes in men’s tennis, women’s soccer and baseball. West Wilkes was third with championships in softball and baseball. Conference Standings: Wilkes Central 107, Ashe County 106.5, West Wilkes 88, East Wilkes 81, Elkin 80.5, Starmount 76.5, Alleghany 68, North Wilkes 66.5.

Northern Carolina 1A/2A: Roanoke Rapids finished first thanks to a strong spring season with championships in baseball, men’s golf and men’s tennis. South Granville came in second with a softball championship. Granville Central was in third place with championships in men’s and women’s track. Conference Standings: Roanoke Rapids 96, South Granville 88.5, Granville Central 77.5, Bunn 73, Louisburg 62, Vance County 58.5, J.F. Webb 42, Warren County 23.5.

Three Rivers 1A/2A: Whiteville finished on top after the spring sports season thanks to championships in baseball, softball, and men’s tennis along with a tied first-place finish in women’s soccer. East Bladen was second as they wrapped up the spring with a tied first-place finish in women’s soccer and a second-place finish in baseball. St. Pauls was in third place with championships in men’s and women’s track. Conference Standings: Whiteville 127.5, East Bladen 103.5, St. Pauls 96.5, South Columbus 93.5, West Bladen 75, Red Springs 67, Fairmont 60.5, West Columbus 59, East Columbus 46, South Robeson 33.5.

Western Highlands 1A/2A: Polk County is the Conference Cup Champion after the spring sports season thanks to championships in baseball and men’s and women’s track along with a tied first-place finish in men’s tennis. Mountain Heritage was second with a second-place finish in softball and third-place finishes in men’s track and men’s tennis. Owen came in third place with a women’s soccer championship and a tied first-place finish in men’s tennis. Conference Standings: Polk County 154.5, Mountain Heritage 140, Owen 139.5, Avery County 135, Madison 105.5, Mitchell 103.5.

Class 2A Conference Results:
Central Carolina 2A: Ledford is the Conference Cup Champion after the spring sports season thanks to championships in women’s track and baseball and a second-place finish in men’s tennis. North Davidson finished second with championships in softball and men’s track along with a second-place finish in baseball. Salisbury came in third place with championships in women’s soccer and men’s tennis. Conference Standings: Ledford 182.5, North Davidson 178, Salisbury 153.5, Oak Grove 151.5, West Davidson 150.5, Central Davidson 149.5, South Rowan 132, East Davidson 119.5, Lexington 98.5, Thomasville 72.5.

East Central 2A: East Duplin finished in first place with a men’s track championship and second-place finishes in women’s soccer, softball, baseball, men’s tennis and men’s golf. Clinton was second with championships in women’s soccer, men’s tennis and women’s track. Goldsboro came in third place with a second-place finish in women’s track. Conference Standings: East Duplin 91, Clinton 84, Goldsboro 80, Midway 70, Spring Creek 47, Wallace-Rose Hill 43, James Kenan 36.

Eastern Carolina 2A: Washington is the Conference Cup Champion after the spring sports season thanks to championships in softball, women’s soccer, women’s track, baseball and men’s golf. Ayden-Grifton wrapped up the year in second thanks to strong spring results posting a second-place finish in women’s track and a third-place finish in softball. South Lenoir and North Lenoir are tied for third place overall. North Lenoir finished the season with second-place finishes in baseball and men’s tennis. South Lenoir finished the season with second-place finishes in softball and women’s soccer along with a third-place finish in men’s track. Conference Standings: Washington 750, Ayden-Grifton 522.5, South Lenoir 507.5, North Lenoir 507.5, Greene Central 505, West Craven 487.5, Kinston 395.

Eastern Plains 2A: Nash Central came out on top after the spring sports season thanks to championships in women’s track, men’s golf and baseball. North Johnston finished in second with a nice spring season that saw them post championships in men’s tennis and softball. Farmville Central was in third place with a women’s soccer championship and a second-place finish in softball. Conference Standings: Nash Central 66, North Johnston 62.5, Farmville Central 60.5, Beddingfield 57.5, Southwest Edgecombe 54, North Pitt 48.5.

Mid-State 2A: North Carolina School of Science and Math claims the Conference Cup with championships in baseball and men’s tennis along with a second-place finish in men’s golf and a tied second-place finish in women’s soccer during the spring. Carrboro came in second place with a women’s soccer championship and second-place finishes in men’s track and men’s tennis along with a tied second-place finish in softball. Durham School of the Arts was in third place with championships in men’s and women’s track and a tied second-place finish in women’s soccer. Conference Standings: North Carolina School of Science and Math 109.5, Carrboro 106, Durham School of the Arts 84.5, Reidsville 75, Bartlett Yancey 54, Cummings 49.5, Graham 34.5.

Mountain Six 2A: After a close race for first, Hendersonville came out on top thanks to championships in women’s track, women’s soccer and men’s golf. Brevard finished second with a men’s tennis championship and second-place finishes in men’s and women’s track to highlight their spring season. Franklin was in third place with championships in men’s track, baseball and softball during the spring. Conference Standings: Hendersonville 76, Brevard 73.5, Franklin 73, Pisgah 66.5, Smoky Mountain 60, East Henderson 43.5.

Northeastern Coastal 2A: First Flight is the top finisher this year thanks to championships in men’s tennis, softball and men’s track along with a second-place finish in baseball during the spring. Currituck County came in second place with championships in baseball, softball and women’s track along with second-place finishes in men’s tennis and women’s soccer. In third place was Northeastern with a second-place finish in men’s track. Conference Standings: First Flight 91, Currituck County 79, Northeastern 53, Hertford County 47, Pasquotank County 37, Bertie 30.

PAC 7 2A: Wheatmore is the Conference Cup Champion after the spring sports season thanks to a men’s golf championship, a second-place finish in women’s soccer and a third-place finish in men’s tennis. Randleman came in second place thanks to a women’s track championship, a tied first-place finish in baseball and second-place finishes in softball and men’s track during the spring. In third place was Providence Grove with a tied first-place finish in baseball and second-place finishes in men’s tennis and men’s golf. Conference Standings: Wheatmore 97.5, Randleman 96.5, Providence Grove 78, Trinity 70, Jordan-Matthews 59.5, Eastern Randolph 57.5, T.W. Andrews 30.

Rocky River 2A: West Stanly finished first after the spring sports season thanks to championships in softball, men’s and women’s track along with second-place finishes in men’s golf and baseball. In second place was Mount Pleasant with championships in baseball and men’s tennis along with a second-place finish in softball. Central Academy came in third place with championships in women’s soccer and men’s golf along with second-place finishes in men’s track and men’s tennis. Conference Standings: West Stanly 98, Mount Pleasant 82.5, Central Academy 77.5, Forest Hills 63, Anson County 45.5, East Montgomery 43.5.

Southwestern Athletic 2A: R.S. Central finished on top after the spring sports season thanks to a men’s golf championship, a tied first-place finish for softball and a tied second-place finish for women’s soccer. In second place was South Point with a women’s soccer championship and a second-place finish in men’s tennis to highlight the spring. Shelby was in third place with a men’s tennis championship and a tied second-place finish in women’s soccer. Conference Standings: R.S. Central 78, South Point, 77.5, Shelby 74, East Rutherford 54.5, East Gaston 47.5, Chase 38.5.

Western Piedmont Athletic 2A: Surry Central claimed the Conference Cup Championship with a women’s track championship to highlight their spring. In second place was West Stokes with second-place finishes in women’s soccer and softball. In third place was Forbush with championships in men’s golf, women’s soccer, softball and baseball. Conference Standings: Surry Central 110, West Stokes 108.5, Forbush 96.5, Atkins 94, North Surry 80, Walkertown 53, Carver 27.

Class 3A Conference Results
Big 8 3A: With championships in men’s track and men’s tennis along with second-place finishes in women’s soccer, women’s track and men’s and women’s lacrosse, Chapel Hill came in first place. In second place was East Chapel Hill with championships in baseball, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s lacrosse. Northwood finished in third place with a men’s golf championship and a tied second-place finish in baseball. Conference Standings: Chapel Hill 112.5, East Chapel Hill 100.5, Northwood 95, Orange 83, Northern Durham 71.5, Cedar Ridge 63, Hillside 52, Southern Durham 36.5.

Big East 3A: Fike captures the Conference Cup finishing the sports season with championships in baseball and men’s golf along with a second-place finish in women’s soccer. In second place was Hunt with a women’s soccer championship and second-place finishes in men’s golf and baseball. Southern Nash came in third place with a softball championship, a tied first-place finish in men’s tennis and a second-place finish in men’s track. Conference Standings: Fike 191, Hunt 187.5, Southern Nash 176.5, Franklinton 171, Northern Nash 170, Rocky Mount 169.

Big South 3A: Kings Mountain won the Conference Cup after the spring sports season thanks to a women’s soccer championship and second-place finishes in softball and men’s and women’s track. Forestview was in second with championships in men’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s track along with a tied second-place finish in women’s soccer. Stuart Cramer came in third place with third-place finishes in men’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s track. Conference Standings: Kings Mountain 210, Forestview 204, Stuart Cramer 190, Crest 188.5, North Gaston 169.5, Ashbrook 169, Hunter Huss 141.5, Burns 117.5.

Coastal 3A: West Carteret was the victor after the spring sports season thanks to championships in softball, men’s golf and women’s track. Jacksonville finished second with men’s track championship and a tied first-place finish in baseball. Swansboro came in third place with third-place finishes in baseball and men’s track. Conference Standings: West Carteret 109.5, Jacksonville 95.5, Swansboro 73.5, White Oak 69.5, Havelock 45.5, Northside-Jacksonville 38.5.

Greater Neuse 3A: Clayton claimed the title after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s tennis, men’s golf and women’s soccer. Cleveland came in second place with championships in women’s track and softball. West Johnston was third, finishing the sports year with a baseball championship. Conference Standings: Clayton 233.5, Cleveland 225, West Johnston 172, South Johnston 153, East Wake 143, Smithfield-Selma 140.

Mid Piedmont 3A: After the spring sports season, Southeast Guilford came in first place with championships in baseball and men’s and women’s track along with a second-place finish in women’s soccer. Asheboro was second with a women’s soccer championship, a tied first-place finish in softball and a second-place finish in men’s golf. Southern Alamance came in third place with a tied first-place finish in softball. Conference Standings: Southeast Guilford 105, Asheboro 99.5, Southern Alamance 91.5, Williams 84, Southwestern Randolph 68, Eastern Guilford 57, Southern Guilford 29.5.

Mid-State Athletic 3A: Northern Guilford was the conference leader after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s tennis, women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s track along with a tied first-place finish in baseball. Eastern Alamance came in second place with championships in softball and men’s golf along with second-place finishes in men’s and women’s track and women’s soccer. Western Alamance was third, finishing the spring with second-place finishes in men’s golf and men’s tennis, a third-place finish in women’s soccer and tied third-place finishes in baseball and softball. Conference Standings: Northern Guilford 340.5, Eastern Alamance 320, Western Alamance 306.5, Rockingham County 298, Morehead 278, McMichael 274, Person 263, Northeast Guilford 227.

North Piedmont 3A: Jesse Carson took the Conference Cup after the spring sports season thanks to championships in baseball and women’s track along with a second-place finish in softball. South Iredell was second with championships in men’s tennis and women’s soccer. West Rowan came in third place with championships in men’s track and softball during the spring. Conference Standings: Jesse Carson 807.5, South Iredell 780, West Rowan 750, East Rowan 662.5, North Iredell 645, Statesville 630.

Piedmont Triad 3A: With championships in men’s tennis and men’s track along with second-place finishes in women’s soccer, women’s track and men’s golf, Mount Tabor finished the season strong and in first place. Southwest Guilford was second, completing the spring with championships in baseball, softball, women’s soccer and men’s golf along with second-place finishes in men’s track and men’s tennis. Parkland and Western Guilford tied for third place. Parkland finished the season with a women’s track championship and a second-place finish in softball. Western Guilford finished the season with a second-place finish in baseball and third-place finishes in women’s soccer, men’s tennis and men’s golf. Conference Standings: Mount Tabor 97.5, Southwest Guilford 93.5, Parkland 60, Western Guilford 60, Dudley 40.5, North Forsyth 36.5, Ben L. Smith 27.

South Piedmont 3A: Cox Mill jumped to the front of the competition with championships in women’s soccer, women’s track and baseball. Central Cabarrus came in second place with a softball championship and a third-place finish in baseball. In third place was Northwest Cabarrus with second-place finishes in baseball and women’s track. Conference Standings: Cox Mill 902.5, Central Cabarrus 710, Northwest Cabarrus 700, Concord 675, A.L. Brown 662.5, Jay M. Robinson 624.

Southern Carolina 3A: Marvin Ridge was the victor after the spring sports season thanks to championships in softball and men’s tennis along with tied first-place finishes in baseball and women’s soccer. Cuthbertson was second, finishing the spring with a women’s track championship and a second-place finish in men’s track. Weddington came in third place and had a strong spring with a men’s track championship, a tied first-place finish in baseball and third-place finishes in men’s tennis and women’s track. Conference Standings: Marvin Ridge 325, Cuthbertson 277.5, Weddington 267.5, Charlotte Catholic 252.5, Sun Valley195, Piedmont190, Parkwood 187.5, Monroe 85.

Tri-County 6 3A: Union Pines was in first place after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s tennis, men’s golf, women’s soccer and women’s track. Harnett Central was second, wrapping up the year with a softball championship and a second-place finish in women’s track. Lee County came in third place, completing a nice year with a tied second-place finish in women’s soccer and third-place finishes in softball and men’s golf. Conference Standings: Union Pines 97.5, Harnett Central 72.5, Lee County 64.5, Triton 58, Southern Lee 57.5, Western Harnett 50.

Western Mountain Athletic 3A: T.C. Roberson came out on top after the spring sports season thanks to championships in women’s soccer and women’s track along with a tied first-place finish in baseball. Asheville was second, wrapping up the year with championships in men’s tennis and men’s track along with a tied first-place finish in baseball. A.C. Reynolds came in third place after a spring that saw a second-place finish in women’s soccer. Conference Standings: T.C. Roberson 278, Asheville 246, A.C. Reynolds 244, West Henderson 194, North Buncombe 184, Enka 161, Tuscola 150, Erwin 117, North Henderson 101.

Class 3A/4A Conference Results
Eastern Carolina 3A/4A: With championships in women’s soccer, baseball and softball along with a second-place finish in men’s track, D.H. Conley cruised to first place. J.H. Rose finished second, completing the year with second-place finishes in women’s track and men’s golf. South Central was in third place with spring championships in men’s and women’s track. Conference Standings: D.H. Conley 118, J.H. Rose 92.5, South Central 90.5, New Bern 83, C.B. Aycock 68.5, Eastern Wayne 53.5, Southern Wayne 43.

Mideastern 3A/4A: Hoggard was in the lead after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer and men’s track. Laney was second wrapping up the year with a women’s track championship and second-place finishes in men’s lacrosse and women’s soccer. Topsail came in third place finishing the year with a softball championship and a second-place finish in men’s golf. Conference Standings: Hoggard 145, Laney 128.5, Topsail 109.5, Ashley 106, New Hanover 103.5, South Brunswick 74, West Brunswick 70, North Brunswick 49.5.

Patriot Athletic 3A/4A: Cape Fear came in first place thanks to championships in softball and men’s golf along with second-place finishes in men’s tennis and men’s track. Terry Sanford was second finishing the year with championships in women’s soccer, baseball and men’s tennis along with a second-place finish in women’s track. Pine Forest came in third place with a spring highlighted by second-place finishes in women’s track, women’s soccer and men’s golf. Conference Standings: Cape Fear 150.5, Terry Sanford 145.5, Pine Forest 132, Gray’s Creek 128.5, South View 125, Overhills 99, E. E. Smith 57.5, Westover 53.5, Douglas Byrd 32.5.

Class 4A Conference Results
Cap 7 4A: Cardinal Gibbons was the Conference Cup winner after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s and women’s lacrosse, baseball and men’s tennis. Leesville Road finished second, highlighting their spring with a women’s soccer championship and second-place finishes in baseball and softball. Broughton was in third place after the season with a men’s golf championship and second-place finishes in women’s lacrosse and men’s tennis. Conference Standings: Cardinal Gibbons 127, Leesville Road 115.5, Broughton 94.5, Millbrook 90.5, Sanderson 72, Enloe 68, Southeast Raleigh 71.5.

Central Piedmont 4A: West Forsyth came out on top after the spring sports season thanks to championships in softball and women’s soccer along with second-place finishes in men’s track, women’s lacrosse and men’s golf. Reagan was in second place with championships in men’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track along with second-place finishes in men’s lacrosse and baseball. R.J. Reynolds came in third place with championships in men’s and women’s lacrosse and men’s golf. Conference Standings: West Forsyth 92.5, Reagan 91, R.J. Reynolds 80, Davie 70, East Forsyth 66.5, Glenn 39.

I-Meck 4A: Hough claimed the Conference Cup, thanks to a strong spring sports season that saw championships in baseball, men’s golf, women’s soccer, and men’s tennis. Mooresville came in second thanks to spring championship highlights in baseball, softball and men’s track. Lake Norman came in third place, wrapping the year with second-place finishes in softball, women’s soccer and men’s golf. Conference Standings: Hough 127, Mooresville 113, Lake Norman 105, Mallard Creek 91, Hopewell 77, North Mecklenburg 67.5, Vance 52.5, West Charlotte 27.

Metro 4A: Northwest Guilford was the victor after the spring sports season thanks to championships with baseball, softball, men’s golf and men’s lacrosse. Page came in second thanks to a spring highlighted by a women’s soccer championship, tied second-place finishes in baseball and men’s tennis, and second-place finishes in men’s golf and men’s lacrosse. Grimsley was in third place, capping off the year with championships in men’s tennis and women’s track along with a tied second-place finish in baseball and a second-place finish in men’s track. Conference Standings: Northwest Guilford 86, Page 73.5, Grimsley 65.5, Ragsdale 53, High Point Central 37.

Northern Athletic 4A: Heritage and Wake Forest tied for first place. Heritage finished the year with championships in softball and women’s soccer along with second-place finishes in baseball and men’s lacrosse. Wake Forest capped the season with second-place finishes in men’s golf, men’s tennis, softball and women’s track. In third place was Wakefield with championships in men’s lacrosse and men’s tennis along with second-place finishes in men’s track and women’s soccer. Conference Standings: Heritage 96, Wake Forest 96, Wakefield 95, Corinth Holders 74, Rolesville 66, Knightdale 31.

Sandhills Athletic 4A: With championships in men’s and women’s track and baseball, Pinecrest captured the Conference Cup. Jack Britt finished second, highlighting the spring with a men’s tennis championship and a second-place finish in softball. Richmond County was in third place thanks to a strong spring on the diamond with a softball championship and a second-place finish in baseball. Conference Standings: Pinecrest 138.5, Jack Britt 118.5, Richmond County 103.5, Lumberton 73, Scotland County 73, Hoke County 64.5, Purnell Swett 48.5, Seventy-First 43.

South Meck 7 4A: Ardrey Kell is the Conference Cup winner after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s and women’s track and men’s tennis along with a second-place finish in men’s golf. Providence finished second, capping the year with championships in baseball, softball, women’s soccer, and men’s golf along with second-place finishes in men’s tennis and women’s track. South Mecklenburg was in third place, highlighting the spring with a second-place finish in baseball. Conference Standings: Ardrey Kell 118.5, Providence 113, South Mecklenburg 87.5, Olympic 78, Berry Academy 52, West Mecklenburg 39, Harding University 28.5.

South Wake Athletic 4A: Holly Springs came out on top after the spring sports season thanks to championships in baseball and women’s soccer along with a tied first-place finish in softball. Apex Friendship was second, wrapping the year with championships in men’s golf and women’s track. Apex finished in third place, highlighting the year with championships in men’s tennis and men’s track along with second-place finishes in women’s track and men’s and women’s lacrosse. Conference Standings: Holly Springs 125.5, Apex Friendship 123, Apex 115, Middle Creek 105, Fuquay Varina 78, Garner 70, South Garner 16.5.

Southwestern 4A: Myers Park came in first place after the spring sports season thanks to championships in baseball, men’s tennis, men’s golf, women’s track and women’s soccer. Hickory Ridge came in second place with championships in softball and women’s track. Porter Ridge was third thanks to second-place finishes in men’s golf and men’s tennis to finish the year. Conference Standings: Myers Park 136, Hickory Ridge 117.5, Porter Ridge 101, Butler 93, Independence 86, East Mecklenburg 67.5, Rocky River 33, Garinger 22.

Triangle 6 4A: Green Hope took the Conference Cup after the spring sports season thanks to championships in men’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s soccer. Panther Creek was second with spring championships in women’s track and softball. Jordan was in third place, capping the year with championships in men’s lacrosse and baseball. Conference Standings: Green Hope 108, Panther Creek 100, Jordan 71.5, Cary 70.5, Athens Drive 66.5, Riverside-Durham 46.

The Hickory Crawdads fell on the road to the Greensboro Grasshoppers Monday night, 5-2 in a seven-inning game.

The Grasshoppers started off quickly with two runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Hickory would respond in the top half of the second however. Melvin Novoa would be issued a walk. However, he was thrown out after a force out by Pedro Gonzalez. Gonzalez would get to second base on a wild pitch before Jose Almonte his his third home run of the season to left field.

The Grasshoppers would respond with two more runs in the bottom of the second and tack on an insurance run in the fourth for the final 5-2 score.

The Crawdads managed only three hits on the night, with Miguel Aparicio and Curtis Terry registering the hits along with Almonte's home run. Cole Winn took the loss as the starter for Hickory. He went four innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, three of which were earned while striking out one. Ronny Henriquez pitched the final two innings, giving up two hits and striking out one.

The Crawdads drop to 38-23 on the first half of the season. Hickory will stay on the road at Greensboro through Wednesday, and end the first half of the season on the road at division leading Delmarva.

The North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) announced its selections for the 2019 University Division All-State Softball Teams on Monday, June 10. A total of 24 student-athletes from seven different North Carolina schools, including three from Appalachian State, were named to the first and second teams. Infielder Keri White and pitcher Kenzie Longanecker were both named to the first team, while outfielder Megan Walker was tabbed second team all-state.

White ended the 2019 regular season with a team-high .347 batting average and .474 slugging percentage. The third baseman tallied 66 hits, three home runs and 23 RBI. White's 66 hits were good for fifth in the Sun Belt this season and second in App State history.

Along with hits, White led the Mountaineers with 190 at bats, 38 runs, 11 doubles, and two triples. She was also a perfect 13-13 in stolen bases this season. White's 182 regular season at bats were good for fifth in the Sun Belt this season as well as sixth-most in a single-season in App State history.

A pitcher from Sanford, Fla., Longanecker became the first Mountaineer ever to be named to the All-Sun Belt first team since App State joined the conference in 2014. She was one of only three pitchers chosen to the first team.

Longanecker was consistently ranked a top pitcher in the Sun Belt all season after posting a 2.40 ERA with a 14-9 record and 95 strikeouts. Her 14 wins are tied for second-most wins in a single season in program history. Against Louisiana this season, Longanecker picked up her 300th career strikeout, becoming only the fourth pitcher in App State history to do so. Along the way, she has tallied 31 wins in her career, tied for second all-time.

Walker started all 56 games in the outfield this season for the Black and Gold. She batted a perfect 7-7 in the first two games of the conference opener against Georgia Southern and finished the weekend going 8-11, including two doubles and three RBI.

The outfielder accumulated 121 hits in her career, including 36 in 2019. She also finished seventh in App State history with four career triples. Walker now sits at eighth in program history after playing in 200 total games as a Mountaineer.

Campbell University led the way with four athletes on the all-state first team, including sophomore Kayla Fredendall who was the lone player to receive unanimous first team votes. Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb tied for second with two players each on the first team, while North Carolina Central, Western Carolina, Elon, and North Carolina A&T each had one athlete placed on the all-state first team.

Nominations were submitted by North Carolina sports information professionals and voted on by NCCSIA members.

Founded in 2002, the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) is comprised of sports information professionals from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions from the state of North Carolina. The purpose of the organization is to promote collegiate athletics at all schools. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina, and whose area of responsibility lies within sports information.

Appalachian State Director of Athletics Doug Gillin has announced that Jon Mitchell has been promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Health and Well-Being.

Mitchell will oversee student-athlete health and well-being units, which include athletic training, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, sports psychology and App State's strategic partnership with AppOrtho. He will also serve on the athletics department's executive team.

"As we continue our focus on the health and well-being of Appalachian student-athletes, we have added several professional staff, enhanced our collaboration with our university partners and added strategic partnerships to enable us to better care for our student-athletes," Gillin said. "Jon has been a vital part of these efforts, and I look forward to his leadership in structuring these areas to continue to enhance the health and well-being of our student-athletes."

Since Mitchell joined the App State staff in 2014, he has worked as the athletic trainer for men's basketball for four seasons, while overseeing the athletic training department. He was named Associate A.D. for Student-Athlete Health and Well-Being during the 2017-18 school year.

"I want to thank Doug Gillin and Appalachian State University," said Mitchell. "I am excited to continue our growth and development in the area of student-athlete health and well-being. This is an important part of keeping everyone healthy. As a department, we will continue to identify ways to better serve our student-athletes in physical, emotional and mental health."

Under Mitchell's leadership, App State student-athletes have seen growth in health and well-being initiatives. The department hired its first full-time dietitian, hired a full-time psychologist, maintains a relationship with AppOrtho for physician care and entered into a partnership with sports performance psychologist Dr. Desaree Festa. In addition, the strength and conditioning department saw the addition of renowned coach Anthony Glass and football director of athletic performance Jeff Jones, and athletic training has seen an increase in staff support and the latest methods to keep student-athletes healthy.

He recently earned his Doctorate of Education in global sports leadership from East Tennessee State and is a 1996 graduate of Mars Hill College (bachelor's) and 1998 graduate of Gardner-Webb University (master's). Mitchell came to App State after 15 years in athletic training at Gardner-Webb. He and his wife, Stephanie, have two sons, Payton and Camden.

Appalachian State University women's tennis head coach Blake Mosley is excited to announce the signing of Cassie McLay (Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton Community High School) to the 2019 recruiting class.

McLay will join Virginia Poggi and recently-signed Utah State transfer, Sasha Pisareva. The trio will join a Mountaineer squad that just came off its best season in program history with a 15-6 mark and the first women's tennis conference title in after capturing the outright Sun Belt regular-season championship.

"We're extremely happy to have Cassie join our team this fall", Mosley said. "Cassie has had some great junior results, and her attacking style will fit in perfectly with our team's identity."

A native of Boca Raton, Fla., McLay earned four varsity letters at Boca Raton Community High School. She is currently a 10 in singles and doubles on the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) scale, posting a 16-10 mark in singles action and a 7-4 showing in doubles.

Dating back to June of 2018, McLay participated in nine singles tournaments and five doubles events. She posted a 3-0 mark in singles action at the United State Tennis Association (USTA) Florida Level 4 Summer Smash Sectional Championships in the summer of 2018. She also went 4-1 at the IMRecruitable College Tennis Showcase, highlighted by three straight victories. In her most recent outing, she picked up a pair of wins at the USTA National Winter Championships in December.

App State returns four student-athletes from last season in all-Sun Belt selection Teodora Sevo, Kate Earnhardt, María José Zacarias, and Sandra Anglesjö.

Lenoir-Rhyne softball's Talon LaClair, Kylee Leonhardt and Savannah Moorefield were named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association 2019 College Division All-State Softball Teams. LaClair was a first team selection while Leonhardt and Moorefield were second team honorees.

LaClair finished her sophomore campaign with a team-high .414 batting average, including a conference-best .507 batting average in league play. She recorded a hit in nine straight at bats and she finished in the top ten in five offensive categories. LaClair led the team with 44 RBIs and had 15 multi-hit games. She was also named second team all-conference in the South Atlantic Conference, second team all-southeast region and earned third team academic all-American status as well. Last season, LaClair was a second team all-state receipient from the NCCSIA.

Leonhardt, last year's SAC Freshman of the Year, earned her first career All-Region selection earlier this season and the catcher was a First Team All-Conference performer in her second season in Hickory. She finished her sophomore campaign with a .338 batting average, eight home runs, 33 RBIs and a .435 on-base percentage.

Moorefield led the South Atlantic Conference with 51 runs scored, five more than any other player in the league. Moorefield also stole 13 bases and posted a .385 batting average and .464 on-base percentage. The sophomore had six doubles, three trips and seven home runs in her 44 games. She was named to the second team all-conference this season.

Nominations were submitted by North Carolina sports information professionals and voted on by NCCSIA members.

NCCSIA selects all-state teams in the University (Division I) and College (Division II, III, NAIA) divisions for men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball.

Sunday's Hickory Crawdads games have been cancelled due to storms. The Crawdads and Fireflies were scheduled to resume Saturday night's suspended game and play their originally scheduled game this afternoon. The games will not be made up on the schedule since the teams do not meet again until the second half when standings reset.

Tickets for Sunday's game can be redeemed for any other Crawdads regular season home game during the 2019 season. An upgrade is required for July 4th and the Christian Concert on July 27th.

The 'Dads will hit the road for seven games as they take on Greensboro and Delmarva. They will return home to open the second half on Thursday, June 20th as the 'Dads pay homage to the TV show Riverdale. It is also Thirsty Thursday.

The Catawba Valley Community College softball program announces the signing of South Caldwell standout Katie Wright on Friday.

“Katie brings a ton of big game experience and knowing how to win to our team,” said CVCC head softball coach Josh Bumgarner. “She’s a solid first basemen who carries a big bat. We are very excited to have her coming to the Valley.”

A senior utility player for the 2019 4A state champion Spartans, Wright scored 20 runs and drove in 18 RBI during her senior campaign, posting a .309 on-base percentage.

She finished her South Caldwell softball career with 88 games played, 73 hits (11 doubles, one triple, five home runs), 49 runs scored and 70 RBI, while posting a .308 career batting average.

During her time with the Spartans, Wright was part of teams that went 46-12 during her two seasons, including a state championship this spring and a state runner-up as a junior in 2018.

An All-Northwestern 3A/4A performer this spring on the diamond, Wright is a two-sport athlete who also participated in volleyball at South Caldwell.

Wright joins a group of 15 signees for the inaugural season of Red Hawk softball, which starts championship contention in the spring of 2020.

Saturday's Hickory Crawdads game against the Columbia Fireflies has been suspended due to storms in the area.

The game will resume in the bottom of the second inning Sunday at 1pm with Sunday's originally scheduled game beginning 30 minutes following the end of the suspended game. Both games will be seven innings. The second game slated for Saturday night has been cancelled and will not be made up.

Tickets for Saturday's game can be redeemed for any other Crawdads regular season home game during the 2019 season. An upgrade will be required for July 4th and the Christian Concert on July 27th.

Friday night's Hickory Crawdads game has been postponed due to weather. The game will be made up in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon with the first game starting at 4pm. The second game will start no earlier than 6:30pm. Gates will open at 3pm.

Tickets for Friday's game can be redeemed for any other Crawdads regular season home game during the 2019 season. An upgrade will be required for July 4th and Christian Concert on July 27th.

Saturday night will be a giveaway of Conrad riding a Llama bobblehead to the first 1,000 fans. Following the game there will also be post-game autographs from Crawdads players.

Appalachian State has been selected to host the 2020 Sun Belt Volleyball Championship, the league announced Friday.

This marks the first time the Mountaineer volleyball program will host the Sun Belt Championship since joining the league. The tournament will take place in the Holmes Center.

"We are excited to have been chosen to host the 2020 Sun Belt Volleyball Championship," said head coach Matt Ginipro. "While they are focused on the upcoming 2019 season, I know our players will be fired up for the opportunity to play for a conference title in Boone next year. It will be a great experience for the App Nation."

App State most recently hosted the 2018 Sun Belt Football Championship game and the 2017 Sun Belt Cross Country Championships. The Black and Gold will also host the 2019 Sun Belt Men's Soccer Championship.
2019-20 Sun Belt Championship Sites
Cross Country: Hampton, Ga. (Host: Georgia State)
Women's Soccer: Foley, Ala. (Foley Sports Tourism Complex)
Men's Soccer: Boone, N.C. (Host: Appalachian State)
Volleyball: San Marcos, Texas (Host: Texas State)
Football: Campus Site (TBD)
Basketball: Campus Sites/New Orleans, La. (Campus/Smoothie King Center)
Indoor Track and Field: Birmingham, Ala. (Birmingham CrossPlex)
Women's Golf: Daytona Beach, Fla. (LPGA International)
Men's Golf: TBD
Men's Tennis: Peachtree City, Ga. (Peachtree City Tennis Complex)
Women's Tennis: Peachtree City, Ga. (Peachtree City Tennis Complex)
Outdoor Track and Field: Lafayette, La. (Host: Louisiana)
Softball: Atlanta, Ga. (Host: Georgia State)
Baseball: Montgomery, Ala. (Riverwalk Stadium)

2020-21 Sun Belt Championship Sites
Cross Country: Arlington, Texas (Host: UT Arlington)
Women's Soccer: TBD
Men's Soccer: Atlanta, Ga. (Host: Georgia State)
Volleyball: Boone, N.C. (Host: Appalachian State)
Football: Campus Site (TBD)
Basketball: Sun Belt Conference (TBD)
Indoor Track and Field: Birmingham, Ala. (Birmingham CrossPlex)
Women's Golf: TBD
Men's Golf: TBD
Men's Tennis: Peachtree City, Ga. (Peachtree City Tennis Complex)
Women's Tennis: Peachtree City, Ga. (Peachtree City Tennis Complex)
Outdoor Track and Field: Mobile, Ala. (Host: South Alabama)
Softball: Troy, Ala. (Host: Troy)
Baseball: Montgomery, Ala. (Riverwalk Stadium)

The Catawba Valley Community College softball has announced the addition of two more softball players to its first-ever recruiting class.

Joining the Red Hawks starting this fall will be T.C. Roberson’s Hayley Morrow and Owen’s Destiny Karber.

Morrow, who plays second base and shortstop, finished her four-year career at T.C. Roberson with 72 hits in 75 games, including 13 doubles. She drove in 24 RBI, scored 65 runs and tallied a .338 batting average.

As a senior, Morrow was part of a Rams squad that went 19-3 overall, including 14-2 in Western Mountain 3A conference play.

“Hayley is a player we are thrilled to be signing here at CVCC,” said Red Hawks head softball coach Josh Bumgarner. “She is tough, fast and never quits. Her bat and glove will both be big assets to our program.”

An outfielder, Karber was part of a Warlassies program that won 46 games during her four seasons on the team, including 34 victories in conference play.

“We are excited to be adding Destiny to our team,” Bumgarner said. “She is a hard worker with a team first mentality and a smart outfielder that does little things right that often go unnoticed.”

Karber and Morrow join a CVCC softball program that officially starts this fall and will be immediately eligible for championship contention in the spring of 2020.

The Crawdads took game one against the Columbia Fireflies 4-3 on Thursday night, overcoming a deficit in the bottom of the ninth before Melvin Novoa delivered a walk-off double.

Columbia took an early lead with a run in the first to put the 'Dads behind 1-0.

The 'Dads tied things up in the bottom of third. Kole Enright and Miguel Aparicio recorded back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners for Sherten Apostel. Apostel delivered a sac fly to score Enright from third.

The Crawdads added on another run in the fourth to pull ahead 2-1. Matt Whatley drew a walk and advanced to second on his fourteenth stolen base of the year. A wild pitch allowed Whatley to take third. Almonte singled on a line drive to left to bring Whatley in.

The Fireflies tied the game in the sixth and added on a run in the eighth to take a 3-2 lead.

Sherten Apostel led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo homerun to tie the game up at three. Pedro Gonzalez was hit by a pitch in the next at bat and advanced to second on a single by Whatley. Melvin Novoa drove a double to left to bring Gonzalez home give the 'Dads a 4-3 victory.

The series continues tomorrow night as the Crawdads debut their Llamas de Hickory identity as part of Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversion ("Fun Cup") presented by Catawba County Partnership for Children and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The team will wear specialty jerseys and hats throughout the weekend against Columbia, who will also be wearing their Copa uniforms (Los Chicharrones de Columbia). Live Llamas will be at the stadium as part of tomorrow's festivities. The first Most Improved Students night of the season is slated for tomorrow as the 'Dads welcome nominated students from local schools. It is also Catawba Science Center Night and members can up to four free tickets to the game when they show their membership card at the K&L Dunrite Ticket Office. Following the game, the 'Dads will shoot off fireworks.

The Catawba Valley Community College Athletic Department has released its academic honors for the spring 2019 semester with 36 Red Hawks being honored.

A total of 10 student-athletes have been named to the President’s List for achieving a 3.75 GPA or higher. Of those 10 student-athletes, seven of them achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

Also receiving honors are 26 student-athletes who were named to the Athletic Director’s List, which is for those student athletes who achieved a 3.74 to 3.2 GPA.

A total of 18 baseball players, nine volleyball players, six women’s basketball players and three men’s basketball players received academic awards for the spring.

Overall, Catawba Valley Community College student athletes posted a 3.058 cumulative GPA for the 2018-19 school year.

“We are excited to have another great year in the classroom for the Red Hawk student-athletes,” said Catawba Valley Athletic Director Nick Schroeder. “Through the support of our administration, faculty and academic services we have been able to create an environment at CVCC that promotes and expects excellence in the classroom.”

Below is a list of the President’s List and Athletic Director’s List recipients:

President's List (3.75 GPA or higher) - 10
R.J. Conner, baseball (4.0)
Vinny Consolo, baseball (4.0)
Abigail Gordon, volleyball (4.0)
Sage Harrington, volleyball (4.0)
Storm Mace, baseball (4.0)
Andrew Patrick, baseball (4.0)
Cody Strain, baseball (4.0)
Mac Beam, baseball
Austin Blevins, baseball
Jackson Brown, baseball

Athletic Director's List (3.74 to 3.2 GPA) - 26
Chris Banks, baseball
Logan Bender, baseball
Madi Bolch, volleyball
Sophie Brennan, volleyball
Cole Chapman, baseball
Anna Clarke, volleyball
Zach De La Cruz, men’s basketball
Rachel Delcamp, volleyball
Noah Eaker, baseball
Milequa Eason, women’s basketball
Ivy Eller, women’s basketball
Kevin Gonzalez, baseball
Willie Gordon, baseball
Tazah Hardin, women’s basketball
Ryan Healy, baseball
Cole Johnson, men’s basketball
Trent Jones, baseball
Drew Latham, baseball
Chesney Milsaps, volleyball
George Paul, men’s basketball
Macy Pope, volleyball
Deja Ross, women’s basketball
Paige Sizemore, volleyball
Diamond Steward, women’s basketball
Aniya Taylor, women’s basketball
Jacob Thompson, baseball

Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore shortstop Talon LaClair has been named CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-American Third Team as announced by the organization. LaClair earned a 4.0 GPA and was also named NFCA Second Team All-Region.

On top of leading the Bears in numerous offensive categories, LaClair is also a star in the classroom. The math major has been named to the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll, earned a spot on the President's List, became a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and spends a lot of her time volunteering with various organizations.

On the field, LaClair was named to the Second Team All-Conference as well as Second Team All-Southeast Region. She finished her sophomore campaign with a team-high .414 batting average, including a conference-best .507 batting average in league play. The Statesville native recorded a hit in nine straight at bats and she finished in the top ten in five offensive categories. LaClair led the team with 44 RBIs and had 15 multi-hit games.

Appalachian State men's basketball head coach Dustin Kerns has announced the signing of R.J. Wilson (Raleigh, N.C./Leesville Road High School).

"We are super excited about adding R.J. to our basketball family," said Kerns. "He is a skilled big who is versatile and has great size combined with the skillset of a guard with his ability to pass and handle the ball."

Wilson (6-6, 240, F) earned four letters at Leesville Road High School. During his career, he scored over 1,000 points and pulled down over 1,000 rebounds. During his senior season, he was named First Team All-Cap 7 Conference and Third Team All-District.

"R.J. is a first class person and is a great addition to our program on many levels," added Kerns. "He comes from a wonderful mother in Pamela Harris. He played for a very good high school coach in Russ Frazier and the highly renowned AAU program in Garner Road. He is a great fit for App State, our program and the Boone community. R.J. is an exciting player we cannot wait to get him on campus. Please join us in welcoming R.J. and his mother Pamela to the Mountaineer family!"

Wilson joins Donovan Gregory, J.C. Tharrington and Kendall Lewis as newcomers for the 2019-20 season. App State will officially tip its season in November.

Quote from Russ Frazier – Head Coach at Leesville Road
"R.J. Wilson is a winner and a worker! He is a dedicated student-athlete who loves to compete. He has no ceiling and is going to continue to get better. App State is getting a big time player and an even better young man."

The Hickory Crawdads powered past West Virginia 5-1 on Wednesday to take the series two games to one.

Crawdads starter Tyree Thompson held the Power scoreless until the fifth inning when he gave up a solo homerun to put the 'Dads behind 1-0.

The 'Dads answered in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs. Jose Almonte hit his second homerun of the season for the inning's first run. Kole Enright gave the 'Dads ahead with a solo homerun of his own.

Thompson finished the afternoon after six innings pitched. He gave up two hits, walked three, and struck out six.

The 'Dads pushed their lead to four with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Whatley reached first on a throwing error. Jose Almonte drove him in with a double, his twelfth double of the season. Jax Biggers singled to bring Almonte around to score. Kole Enright hit another double to advance Biggers to third. Miguel Aparicio grounded out to second but Biggers dashed home to score the inning's third run as the Power recorded the force out at first.

The Crawdads start a four-game series against the Columbia Fireflies tomorrow night at 7pm. The 'Dads will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Woodstock with themed on-fields and music throughout the night. Fans who dress up in 1960s attire can get a discounted $5 ticket. It is also Thirsty Thursday presented by Sheetz and Focus News which means draft beers and Pepsi products will be on special.

Head men's soccer coach Jason O'Keefe and his staff have added one more to their 2019 signing class. A native of Ormond Beach, Fla., Hunter Sweat will join the Mountaineers this fall.

"Hunter is a versatile and athletic player with a high soccer IQ. He can play in the back line or midfield and is a winner," O'Keefe said. "His training through the years will make his transition very smooth. We expect Hunter to be an impact player during his time here in Boone and will continue to raise the level of our program."

A three-year letterwinner at Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Sweat was named first-team all-conference as a sophomore. In addition to soccer, Sweat earned all-state football honors and was a member of the cross country and track & field teams, as well as the basketball team.

The defender played for the Florida Elite Soccer Academy under head coach Mike Johnson, and plans to study business while at Appalachian State. Sweat is the son of Kevin and Michelle Sweat.

The Mountaineers return to the pitch this fall after ending the 2018 season as the conference's top defensive team with 7 shutouts. The Black and Gold posted its highest finish in the Sun Belt and tallied seven All-Sun Belt selections The Mountaineers finished 8-5-3 in the regular season, marking O'Keefe's best record since joining the squad in 2016.

Appalachian State second baseman Luke Drumheller has received another prestigious national accolade.

Drumheller, who hit .337 with a team-leading 37 RBIs and 15 doubles in his first college season, was named to the 2019 Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American Team on Wednesday.

Drumheller is the fifth App State player to be a Freshman All-American, joining Hector Crespo (2010), Jamie Nunn (2012), Jaylin Davis (2013) and Tanner Mann-Fix (2016). Collegiate Baseball’s 2019 team, powered by Diamond, included two other Sun Belt Conference players.

A left-handed-hitting freshman from Olympic High School in Charlotte, Drumheller started in 50 of his 51 appearances, had 21 multi-hit games and earned an invitation to play this summer for the Wareham (Mass.) Gatemen of the Cape Cod League, which begins its schedule Monday. He tied an NCAA record while breaking school/league records against Furman on March 10 with a five-double game, which was voted the national Performance of the Week by the Golden Spikes Award.

Drumheller led the Sun Belt in hitting and ranked in the top five nationally among Division I freshmen for most of the year, as his average stood at .379 at the end of April. His average peaked at .468 following the record-setting Furman win 13 games into the season and was still at .400 after 29 games. In addition to his 15 doubles, he had two home runs and a team-best .401 on-base percentage.

Drumheller also came through in the clutch, as he delivered a two-run single in the ninth inning to turn a 5-4 deficit into a one-run lead in a 6-5 road win against Louisiana one night after scoring the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning of a 6-5 victory to open that important Sun Belt series. With series wins against the two Louisiana schools, a home sweep of then-first-place UTA and an 18-6 win at Coastal Carolina, the Mountaineers posted a program-record 13 Sun Belt victories and appeared in the Sun Belt Championship tournament for the first time.

Lenoir-Rhyne Director of Athletics Kim Pate has announced that Chris Ramirez has accepted the position of head baseball coach. Ramirez comes to Hickory from the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), where he was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II National Coach of the Year in 2018. He will become the 20th head coach in Lenoir-Rhyne baseball history.

At UIS, Ramirez inherited a program that won 30 games in the three years prior to him taking over and built it into one of the top programs in the nation. The Prairie Stars reached back-to-back NCAA Division II Regionals and secured a spot in the Super Regional this year. The 2018 team was ranked as high as fourth in the nation and its 47-9 mark was the best in team history. In 2019, the Prairie Stars were ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation and LHP Austin Dean became the programs fifth All-American in the past three seasons. In his final three years at UIS, Ramirez posted a 121-47-1 record, including a 29-game winning streak in 2018. He leaves UIS with 199 wins, the most in program history.

"I couldn't be more excited for Chris Ramirez to join our Bears family and head up our LR baseball program," said Pate, who hired Ramirez while she was the Director of Athletics at UIS. "It's certainly a unique and rare opportunity to get to work with a talented coach like Chris not just once but twice. I had the special privilege of watching Chris develop a program from its infancy to a national contender. Chris is an incredible coach, visionary leader, and most importantly will build a program of character that our players, faculty, alumni, and community will take great pride in. What excites me the most is the opportunity for our players to experience a coach who is going to develop them, inspire them, and help them to be successful both on and off the field."

"I'd like to thank President Dr. Fred Whitt and Athletic Director Kim Pate for the incredible opportunity to be the head baseball coach at Lenoir Rhyne," said Ramirez. "Their commitment to do what it takes to be one of the best athletic departments in the country is undeniable and it shows by the energy surrounding every team and coach on campus. I'm truly honored and extremely excited to lead this program. My family and I are looking forward to joining the LR Family as well as the Hickory community."

Ramirez led UIS to countless program milestones, including winning the first Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Division Championship Title in 2018, contending for a GLVC Tournament Championship in 2019, hosting NCAA Regionals in both 2018 and 2019, garnering the programs first All-American honors, and posting the first national ranking for the program.

Coming into the 2019 season, Ramirez coached 29 all-conference players, including 13 first team selections, eight all-region performers and four All-Americans. His 2018 team boasted the best offense in the country, leading Division II with 1.86 home runs per game, a .581 slugging percentage and 9.4 runs per game. Additionally, they led the nation in hits allowed per nine innings and led the GLVC in ERA, strikeouts per nine innings and strikeouts-to-walks ratio.

On top of his National Coach of the Year, Ramirez was awarded Conference and Regional Coach of the Year honors. In addition, Ramirez coached Cole Taylor who went on to sign with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, becoming the first UIS player to sign with an MLB-affiliated organization.

Along with success on the field, Ramirez was instrumental in developing the UIS Baseball stadium into one of the best in the region. Prior to Ramirez's watch, the team competed at local high schools and community parks. Within the first year, Ramirez spearheaded an initiative to develop an on-campus facility that eventually expanded to include new dugouts, a new backstop, scoreboard, state-of-the-art batting cages and a turf infield.

Prior to UIS, Ramirez spent six seasons as a Division I assistant coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. He served as the recruiting coordinator and ran the offense as the third base coach and helped turn the program around. The Islanders made their first-ever Southland Conference Tournament in their first season as a program and Ramirez coached two freshmen All-Americans and 10 of his recruits were selected in the MLB Draft.

Ramirez played at the Division I level, spending two seasons as an outfielder at High Point University and earning a spot on the Big South All-Academic Team in 2005. Ramirez graduated from High Point in 2005 with a degree in business administration.