The Hickory Crawdads are pleased to announce that Douglas Locascio has been promoted to Assistant General Manager. Locascio previously had served as the Executive Director of Sales and Merchandising.

As Assistant General Manager, Locascio will continue to oversee ticketing, merchandise, corporate sales, groups, and other game day operations.

"I am excited about this new chapter and am looking forward to the future with the Crawdads," Locascio said. "I have been privileged to be a part of this organization for a number of years and I would like to thank our General Manager Mark Seaman and the Texas Rangers for trusting me with this opportunity."

During his time in Hickory, Locascio has been an active member of the community. He is an ambassador to the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, serves on the Hickory Metro Sports Commission, Catawba County Partnership for Children, and Hickory Young Professionals. He was selected as one of HYP's Top 10 Under 40 in 2016.

Originally from the Tampa area, Locascio attended Campbell University where he earned a degree in Sports Management. Prior to joining the Crawdads, Locascio completed internships with the Wilmington Sharks baseball team and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Locascio joined the Crawdads organization in March 2010 as an interim Ticket Operations Manager but was hired on full-time following the season to become the Director of Ticket Operations and Merchandising. Following the 2014 season, he was promoted to Executive Director of Sales and Merchandising.

Outside of work Locascio enjoys spending time with his wife Lydia, and two children, Gracen and Sophia.

App State women's golf head coach Heather Brown announced the addition of two new members of the 2019-20 signing class Wednesday in Anna McDonald and Meghan Mitchell.

McDonald will arrive in Boone by way of nearby Hickory High School in Hickory, N.C. She has been crowned the Northwest 3A-4A Conference Champion four straight years from 2015-18. She has consistently finished top five at tournaments throughout her junior career as well as capturing the 2015 Jimmy Anderson and 2017 Peggy Kirk Bell Southwest Championship.

"I have been tracking Anna's success since her junior high school days," Brown said. "I am thrilled she chose App State over several other top offers. I love having local kids stay around and not only flourish at App, but also leave an impact on our program. Anna will bring tremendous work ethic and drive. She's not only a top golfer, but also a straight-A student."

McDonald was recently tabbed to captain the Tar Heel Cup West team, an event that features high school all-star golfers from across the state of North Carolina.

Mitchell will be traveling south from New Canaan, Conn., where she's played golf throughout her high school career. As a junior, she won the individual title in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference tournament with a score of 74, while she placed runner-up in the Connecticut High School State Championship.

Mitchell also claimed the 2018 Connecticut Women's Junior Championship title and has been a two-sport athlete and captain on both her field hockey and golf team at New Canaan High School.

"I am really looking forward to having Meg as a part of our team next season," Brown said. "She is going to add a lot to the table having been a two-sport athlete. These types of players bring the leadership and work ethic that I am looking for."

Head coach Bo Redman of the Appalachian State men's golf team on Thursday announced the signing of two prep golfers for the 2019-20 season in Addison Beam and Nick Sawyer.

Beam will continue his golf career in-state following his graduation from the Highland School of Technology in Gastonia, N.C. An all-conference performer as a junior, he is coming off an individual title in the 2018 1A State Championship. Outside of golf, Beam earned the rank of Eagle Scout last spring.

"We are very excited about having Addison play for us for the next four years," Redman said. "Not only is he one of the best golfers in the state of North Carolina, he is one of the best young men. We are looking for him to come in and have an immediate impact on the team."

Sawyer, who hails from Centre, Ala., earned six letters in golf at Cedar Bluff High School where he has been on the team since seventh grade.

This past season, he consistently posted scores in the low 70s during tournament play and won the 2018 1A-2A sub-state title and 2018 Alabama Junior Open Championship. He also boasts 37 other wins during his tenure, which helped him earn MVP honors of his team. Sawyer is the first person in the history of Cherokee County, Alabama, to earn a Division I golf scholarship.

"Nick is exactly the type of young man that we are looking for to play golf at Appalachian State University," Redman said. "I expect him to build on the successes that he has had as a junior golfer and am excited to be able to watch his game at the next level. His potential is unlimited."

The Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Basketball Team went on the road and took down the Coker College Cobras on Wednesday night, 75-64, in South Atlantic Conference play and extends its win streak to five games.

The four headed monster of Bertrand Awana, Djibril Diallo, R.J. Gunn and Cory Thomas led Lenoir-Rhyne in scoring with double digit performances of 14, 17, 10 and 20 points respectively.

Awana was dominant down low adding 12 rebounds to make it a double-double to go along with a steal, block and one assist.

The Bears had as much as a 23-point lead with just over nine minutes left in the second half before the Cobras made a run to bring the score to within five, 64-59, with 2:26 left to play.

Coker had three score in double figures, led by Kennedy Malcolm with 20 points, two rebounds, an assist, one steal and went 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.

The Bears recorded 44 points in the paint as opposed to the Cobras’ 38 on the night. The visitors shot 59.2 percent from the floor while Coker shot 39.0 percent.

This is the first double-digit victory for Lenoir-Rhyne since the road triumph at Carson-Newman on Dec. 5, 2018.

The senior duo of Diallo and Thomas have both scored in double-digits in 14 of the 16 games they have played in this season. Gunn has scored in double figures for the past three contests.

Awana’s double-double was his second of the season, the last since he posted 11 points and 15 rebounds at Belmont Abbey on Dec. 19, 2018.

After the win, Lenoir-Rhyne finds itself tied for second in the conference standings with Catawba, both holding identical overall and conference records. They are two games behind Queens for first place in the SAC.

LR improves to 13-3 overall and 6-2 in the South Atlantic Conference. The Bears are back in action on Saturday as they travel to Lincoln Memorial for a 4 p.m. contest.

Sophomore Kennedy Weigt and freshman Madeline Hardy led the Bears to a second consecutive win, topping Coker by a final score of 77-61. Weigt went off for a season-high 23 points on 5-of-9 shooting from long range and Hardy finished with her third career double-double with 20 points and 10 boards.

The duo of Weigt and Hardy combined for 43 of the Bears 77 points on the night. Hardy went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line, tying the record for best FT % in a single game.

The Bears went 24-for-28 from the free throw line for a percentage of 85.7, the eighth time LR shot higher than 85 percent from the line this season.

Coker held a 32-16 advantage in bench scoring thanks to a team-high 16 points from reserve Ashauntee Nelson.

While the Bears were terrific from the charity stripe, Coker was unable to take advantage of their opportunities. Coker made just 15-of-31 from the line, a 48.4 percent clip.

LR would pull away with a strong third quarter. The Bears outscored Coker 20-13.

Hardy has double-doubles in two straight and has scored in double figures in five of her past seven games.

The Bears have won five straight against Coker

The Bears improve to 9-7 overall and 4-4 in the South Atlantic Conference. L-R will close out the short two-game road swing on Saturday with a game at Lincoln Memorial.

Behind a total team effort, the Catawba Valley Community College men’s basketball team won its third-straight game on Wednesday night, defeating Vance Granville 97-77 at the Tarlton Complex.

Three Red Hawks recorded a double double in the contest, including Sal-Bey Young (12 points, 13 rebounds), Victor Tshiona (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Isayah Johnson (10 points, 10 rebounds).

Nine different CVCC men’s basketball players scored at least nine points in the contest, including a team-high 13 points from Zach De La Cruz, 12 from Malik Leach, 10 from Jordan Powell and nine from Jahleer Black and Byron Sanders.

Leading by as many as 14 points during the first half, the Red Hawks (13-4, 5-3 in Region X) grabbed a 47-37 halftime lead on the visiting Vanguard (3-9, 0-7). Johnson and Leach led the first half charge with eight points apiece.

Catawba Valley followed up a 30-rebound performance in the first half by continuing to crash the glass in the second half, recording 35 rebounds (17 offensive, 18 defensive) in the half, including 11 from Tshiona and eight from Young.

The Red Hawks shot 50 percent from the field (40-for-80) in Wednesday’s game and behind the combined team effort in both shooting and rebound the basketball, Catawba Valley closed out their fifth conference victory of the season.

The CVCC men’s basketball team tries to make it four wins in a row when it hits the road on Saturday to take on Lenoir Community College in Kinston, N.C. Tip off between the Red Hawks and Lancers is set for 3 p.m.

AFCA National Coach of the Year Drew Cronic has announced the addition of two defensive coaches to his staff along with title changes to a handful of returning coaches.

Joel Taylor takes over the title of Defensive Coordinator/Linebacker Coach after serving as the Defensive Passing Game Coordinator and Safeties Coach at The Citadel. Taylor went to The Citadel in 2014 from South Carolina State, and was part of a coaching staff that led the Bulldogs to Southern Conference titles in 2015 and 2016. He will be returning to LR where he previously coached linebackers in 2009.

Taylor, who played college ball at S.C. State, was instrumental in the development of Citadel standouts such as all-SoCon safety Aron Spann III and Kailik Williams, the SoCon Defensive Player of The Year in 2016.

Cronic will also be adding Delontae Amey as a Defensive Assistant. Amey played his college ball at the University of West Georgia as a Defensive Back. Amey earned his Master's in Health and Physical Education/Fitness from Georgia State University in 2018.

A few returning coaches who are adding titles include David Cole who will be Associate Head Coach. Jimmy Long is adding Defensive Run Game Coordinator and Tim Foster is adding the title of Passing Game Coordinator.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has announced the fall standings in the Wells Fargo Conference Cup competitions for the 2018 fall 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. Conferences are listed alphabetically by classification.

Class 3A/4A Conference Results:
Northwestern Athletic 3A/4A: With championships in football, volleyball and men’s cross country, Watauga is in first place. In second place is Hickory with a women’s tennis championship and a second-place finish in volleyball. Alexander Central is in third place with second-place finishes in men’s and women’s cross country. Conference Standings: Watauga 83.5, Hickory 79, Alexander Central 74.5, Freedom 69, St. Stephens 55, South Caldwell 54, McDowell 41, West Caldwell 29.

Northwestern Foothills 2A: After the fall sports season, Fred T. Foard is in first place thanks to championships in volleyball, women’s tennis and women’s cross country. In second place is Hibriten with championships in football, men’s soccer and women’s golf. Patton is in third place with a second-place finish in women’s cross country and third-place finishes in men’s soccer and football. Conference Standings: Fred T. Foard 302, Hibriten 255, Patton 247.5, Draughn 242.5, East Burke 237.5, West Iredell 230, Bunker Hill 180.

South Fork Athletic 2A: East Lincoln is the frontrunner after the fall sports season thanks to a championship in volleyball and second-place finishes in women’s tennis and men’s soccer. North Lincoln is in second place with a men’s cross country championship and a second-place finish in women’s cross country. Maiden is in third place with a women’s tennis championship and a second-place finish in volleyball. Conference Standings: East Lincoln 47, North Lincoln 45, Maiden 42, Lake Norman Charter 41, Bandys 35, West Lincoln 25, Newton-Conover 16, Lincolnton 12.

The Hickory Crawdads have unveiled their game times for the 2019 season.

For the seventh consecutive season, the Crawdads will have an earlier start time for select days of the week in the first half. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday contests will begin at 6:30 pm (all times EST) with Sunday games beginning at 3:00 pm for the first half of the season.

Beginning after the All Star break in June, all Monday - Saturday games will begin at 7:00 pm, while Sundays will revert to a 5:00 pm first pitch. Thursday and Friday night games are scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm throughout the year.

First half of the Season
Monday - Wednesday & Saturday: 6:30 pm
Thursday & Friday: 7:00 pm
Sunday: 3:00 pm

Second half of the Season
Monday - Saturday: 7:00 pm
Sunday: 5:00 pm

The Crawdads will once again host two Christian Concerts with a special 5:00 pm first pitch on both dates. The concerts are scheduled for Saturday, April 27th and Saturday, July 27th. The artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Crawdads will also have four day games at L.P. Frans Stadium in 2019, serving as Education Day, Senior Day, Business Person Lunch Special, and Summer Camp Day Games:
Wed. April 17th - 10:30 am
Mon. May 13th - 10:30 am
Wed. June 5th - 10:30 am
Wed. June 26th - 12:00 pm
The Crawdads will begin the 2019 season on the road with trips to Lakewood (New Jersey) and Greensboro. The first homestand is scheduled to kick off on Thursday, April 11th with a four-game series again Kannapolis followed by three games against Asheville. The Crawdads will also be home for Memorial Day and July 4th this season. The schedule will also feature 10 Thirsty Thursdays and 11 Fireworks Fridays.

Tickets for groups and the hospitality areas are currently available. Individual tickets will go on sale on March 23rd.

Girls basketball:
Northwestern 3A/4A Conference:
Watauga: 55
Hickory: 46

McDowell: 40
South Caldwell: 27

Non-conference:
West Caldwell: 50
Hibriten: 45 

Boys basketball:
Northwestern 3A/4A Conference:
Hickory: 66
Watauga: 57

McDowell: 87
South Caldwell: 56

Non-conference:
Hibriten: 54
West Caldwell: 49

Celebrating its 10th season, the Catawba Valley Community College baseball program will host its first-ever 'First Pitch Banquet' on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 at 6 p.m. This special evening and dinner will be an opportunity for Red Hawk baseball supporters to help kick off the 2019 season.

The event will be headlined by a special sit-down interview with MLB All-Star and coach Bryan Harvey, who played nine seasons with the California Angels and the Florida Marlins. Harvey was elected to the MLB All-Star Game twice — as a member of the American League in 1991 and in the National League in 1993. He led the American League with 46 saves in 1991. He finished second in the 1988 American League Rookie of the Year balloting and was named Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. Harvey currently owns and operates the Harvey Baseball Academy while serving as a special pitching coach for the Texas Rangers organization.

The 'First Pitch' dinner will start with a meet and greet with the current 2019 Red Hawk Baseball team at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner and program starting at 6:30 p.m. The dinner will take place in the West Wing Auditorium on the Catawba Valley Community College main campus.

To register for the event, please complete the online form. A check may be mailed to the program or may be paid online electronically at http://gocvcc.com/HawksHeroes. If paying online, please go to the bottom of the web page and select baseball and in the comment section put "First Pitch Banquet."

In 2018, P.J. Lotharp earned All-American status in the indoor championships for his time in the 60m Dash. In the first indoor meet of 2019, he ran a 6.81 in the same event, earning him Astroturf South Atlantic Conference Track Athlete of the Week in the indoor season for the time period between Jan. 7 through Jan. 13, as announced on Tuesday morning.

His performance was good for second place at the JDL January College Kickoff on Jan. 13, which qualified him for the NCAA Nationals and his time of 6.81 holds the No. 7 spot in all of Division II in the 60m Dash and is the fastest in the SAC.

As the second All-American in Indoor Track and Field's history, the junior looks to build on his unprecedented success going into the indoor season. This is his second AstroTurf SAC Track Athlete of the Week honor this season, his first coming on Dec. 4, 2018.

The Bears will travel to the Gamecock Inaugural in Columbia, S.C. on January 18-19 for their next Indoor meet.

Four members of the Lenoir-Rhyne Fooball Team have been named to the Don Hansen All-Region team as announced by the Football Gazette. Dan Louba and Jason Poe earned First Team honors and Kyle Dugger (Second Team) and T.J. Smith (Third Team) were also selected.

Poe won the South Atlantic Conference's Jacobs Blocking Trophy and was also named First Team All-Conference and D2CCA First Team All-Region. Poe played in all 14 games for the Bears, starting 13 times. He helped open up huge holes in the running game thanks to his ability to pull from the guard position.

Louba also garnered First Team All-Region honors as a defensive tackle. Louba finished the season with 62 total tackles, a fumble recovery and 11 tackles for loss. Louba's 7.5 sacks ranked fifth in the SAC and he was a major component of a rushing defense that never allowed an individual to run for 100 yards all season.

Dugger's selection to the Second Team came as a Return Specialist. Dugger broke the program records for punt return yardage (534) and most punt returns (31). Dugger was named the National Special Teams Player of the Week as he broke a single game record with two punt returns for touchdowns against Newberry.

Smith's standout senior season led the wideout to Third Team All-Region accolades. Smith tied a program record with three receiving touchdowns against Tusculum and his 1,059 receiving yards ranked third in team history. Smith, a team captain, also earned Second Team All-Conference honors.

The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen's Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.

The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2018 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be selected.

Super Region Two Offensive Player of the Year: Rogan Wells, SO, QB, Valdosta State
Super Region Two Defensive Player of the Year: Cardell Rawlings, SR, DE, Wingate
Super Region Two Special Teams Player of the Year: Cody Mills, SR, P, Delta State
Super Region Two Freshman of the Year: Jamar Thompkins, RB, Valdosta State
Super Region Two Coach of the Year: Kerwin Bell, Valdosta State


First Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Rogan Wells 6-3 220 SO Valdosta State Fort Mill, S.C.
FB Tiberias Lampkin 5-9 220 SR Mississippi College Sturgis, Miss.
RB Tyrell Freeman 6-1 210 JR Chowan Leonardtown, Md.
RB Detric Hawthorn 5-9 180 JR Mississippi College Collins, Miss.
RB Devontae Jackson 5-7 176 SR West Georgia Marietta, Ga.
WR Kevin Greenhow 6-3 205 JR Central State (Ohio) Columbus, Ohio
WR Romell Guerrier 5-10 184 SR Florida Tech Miami, Fla.
WR Craig Rucker 5-7 165 JR Mars Hill Orlando, Fla.
TE Qua Boyd 6-5 245 SR West Alabama Lafayette, Ala.
AP Tabyus Taylor 6-0 250 SO Virginia Union Hopewell, Va.
C Jeremy King 6-1 315 SR Valdosta State Macon, Ga.
OG LaVonne Gauthney 6-3 315 SR Valdosta State Reynoldsburg, Ohio
OG Jason Poe 6-2 250 SO Lenoir-Rhyne Fitzgerald, Ga.
OT Donald Boone 6-5 310 JR Chowan Hertford, N.C.
OT Quentin Stanford 6-4 312 SR West Georgia Warner Robins, Ga.
PK Jefferson Souza 6-1 185 SO Virginia Union Deerfield Beach, Fla.

First Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Cardell Rawlings 6-2 240 SR Wingate Smithfield, N.C.
DE Kameron Rogers 6-2 240 SR Clark Atlanta Washington, D.C.
DT Dan Louba 6-1 270 SO Lenoir-Rhyne Harrisburg, N.C.
DT Joshua Pryor 6-4 280 FR Bowie State Baltimore, Md.
LB Kailen Abrams 6-2 235 SO Central State (Ohio) Detroit, Mich.
LB J.T. Hassell 6-0 199 SR Florida Tech Titusville, Fla.
LB Austin Stephens 5-11 210 JR Miles Munford, Ala.
S Montrell Pardue 6-2 206 SR West Georgia Clarksville, Tenn.
S Daryus Skinner 5-11 175 JR Winston-Salem State Rockingham, N.C.
CB Traviontae Brown 6-0 170 JR Benedict Albany, Ga.
CB Aaron Watson 5-11 165 SO North Greenville (S.C.) Duncan, S.C.
P Cody Mills 5-7 190 SR Delta State Oxford, Miss.
RS LaPerion Perry 5-6 155 FR West Georgia LaGrange, Ga.

Second Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Amir Hall 6-4 195 SR Bowie State Bowie, Md.
RB Jamar Thompkins 5-11 190 FR Valdosta State Miami, Fla.
RB Antonio Wimbush 5-10 190 JR Carson-Newman Kingsland, Ga.
WR Torry Baker 6-0 185 SR Chowan Charlotte, N.C.
WR Lansana Sesay 6-4 175 SR Bowie State Bowie, Md.
WR J.T. Stokes 6-1 205 SR Wingate Juliette, Ga.
TE Jourdan Osinskie 6-3 230 SR Catawba Greensboro, N.C.
AP Terraris Saffold 6-0 180 JR Central State (Ohio) Hayneville, Ala.
C Jordan Seal 6-5 270 JR Carson-Newman Morristown, Tenn.
OG Jean Cyriaque 6-2 277 JR Morehouse Durham, N.C.
OG Phil McDowell 6-5 315 JR Carson-Newman Inman, S.C.
OG Quinzavious Sands 6-1 280 SR Catawba Douglasville, Ga.
OT Frank Ball 6-3 300 JR Virginia State Hampton, Va.
OT Marcus Campbell Jr. 6-4 266 SR Kentucky State Radcliff, Ky.
OT Brandon Anderson 6-3 287 JR West Alabama Bessemer, Ala.
PK Omar Cervantes 6-3 243 FR West Georgia Fort Valley, Ga.

Second Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Adonis Davis 6-3 260 SR Florida Tech Columbus, Ohio
DE Jamarcus Henderson 5-10 230 SR Newberry Union, S.C.
DE Tyler Hinton 6-2 230 SR North Carolina-Pembroke Fuquay-Varina, N.C.
DT Rickym Holmes 6-5 330 SR Benedict Baltimore, Md.
DT Montel Presley 6-0 290 JR Carson-Newman Bushnell, Fla.
LB Joe Blue 5-10 225 SR Newberry Dillon, S.C.
LB Devon Hunt 6-1 220 JR Shaw Hamlet, N.C.
LB Korie Rogers 6-2 231 JR West Georgia Buford, Ga.
LB Terry Samuel 6-2 193 SR West Alabama Brewton, Ala.
S Marvin Conley 5-10 190 SR West Florida Tampa, Fla.
S Joshua Simmons 6-3 205 GR Limestone Moncks Corner, S.C.
CB Darren Gardenhire 6-1 190 SR Delta State Los Angeles, Calif.
CB Davion Washington 6-1 195 JR Wingate Greenville, S.C.
P Chris Birozes 6-0 200 SR Wingate Suwanee, Ga.
P Shea Rodgers 6-0 185 JR Newberry Indian Land, S.C.
RS Kyle Dugger 6-2 215 JR Lenoir-Rhyne Fayetteville, Ga.
RS Brandon Smith 5-8 170 SO Fayetteville State Red Springs, N.C.

Third Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Willie Candler 6-1 186 JR West Georgia Atlanta, Ga.
QB Bryce Witt 6-4 225 SO Chowan Sutherland, Va.
RB Stevie Green 6-1 205 JR Fayetteville State Washington, N.C.
RB Nijere Peoples 5-9 210 FR Wingate Charlotte, N.C.
WR Markell Castle 5-10 180 SR Newberry York, S.C.
WR Lio'undre Gallimore 5-10 171 SO Valdosta State Miami Gardens, Fla.
WR T.J. Smith 6-0 180 SR Lenoir-Rhyne Charleston, S.C.
WR Leonard Tyree 5-10 165 SR Miles Tuscaloosa, Ala.
TE Ryan Edwards 6-3 240 SR Morehouse Atlanta, Ga.
TE Kevonta Moses 6-1 240 JR Shaw Fort Myer, Fla.
AP Santo Dunn 5-7 185 SO Morehouse Miami, Fla.
AP Kenyatta Greene 5-9 175 SR Catawba Edgewater Park, N.J.
C Call Dyer 6-4 357 JR West Alabama Gordo, Ala.
C Lee Humphrey 6-0 270 JR Morehouse Plano, Ill.
C Cordarius Smith 6-2 330 SR Tuskegee Columbus, Ga.
OG Rochelin Romain 6-5 320 JR Tuskegee Pompano Beach, Fla.
OG Adonis Sealey 6-3 295 JR Valdosta State Hamer, S.C.
OT Tyreek Bailey 6-2 305 SR Fayetteville State Hampton, Va.
OT Keveon Broadwater 6-4 315 JR Tusculum Gaffney, S.C.
OT Shamdu Nalls 6-4 330 SR Virginia Union Baltimore, Md.
PK Andrew Gray 6-0 165 SR Valdosta State Johns Creek, Ga.
PK McLean Robertson 5-11 195 SO Wingate Lexington, S.C.

Third Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Jordan Jones 6-2 234 JR West Alabama Lawrenceville, Ga.
DE Brayce McKenzie 6-2 240 SO Lane Geneva, Fla.
DT Solomon Bassett 6-3 250 SR Lincoln (Pa.) Fort Worth, Texas
DT Iseoluwapo Jegede 6-6 277 SR Valdosta State Lagos, Nigeria
DT Seth Laughter 6-2 287 SR North Greenville (S.C.) Debary, Fla.
DT Joseph Mozone 6-1 321 JR Valdosta State North Augusta, S.C.
LB Gavin Burford 6-2 230 SR West Florida Lewisville, Texas
LB Temoris Coats 5-11 205 SR Carson-Newman Greenwood, S.C.
LB Ivan Hogans 6-2 210 SO Tusculum Stockbridge, Ga.
LB Patrick Prosser 5-11 230 SR Virginia State Newport News, Va.
LB Davoris Thomas 5-10 190 JR Tuskegee Mobile, Ala.
S Malik Goodman 5-11 185 JR Tusculum Jacksonville, Fla.
S Sterling Hammond 6-1 210 JR Virginia Union Caret, Va.
S Camron Young 5-11 185 JR Fort Valley State Eastman, Ga.
CB Stephen Denmark 6-3 212 SR Valdosta State Tallahassee, Fla.
CB Desmond Fairell 6-0 185 JR Carson-Newman Miami, Fla.
CB George Parker 6-3 200 SR Chowan Richmond, Va.
CB Mandell Ray 6-4 200 SR Morehouse Lafayette, Ala.
P Thomas Cook 5-9 185 JR Limestone Moore, S.C.
P Isaac Parks 6-0 210 SO North Carolina-Pembroke Greensboro, N.C.
RS Tyeous Sharpe 5-10 185 SO Fayetteville State Winston-Salem, N.C.

Pins by De'Andre Swinson-Barr and Angel Najar led Appalachian State's wrestling team as eight of its nine wins produced bonus points in a 43-6 road victory against VMI on Sunday.

App State (4-5, 2-0) increased its winning streak in SoCon duals to 18 matches in advance of next Sunday's big home dual against Campbell at 3 p.m. in Varsity Gym.

Michael Elliott (165 pounds), Cary Miller (heavyweight), Codi Russell (133 pounds), and Matt Zovistoski (149 pounds) all won by technical fall, while Alan Clothier (184 pounds) and Randall Diabe (197 pounds) each had wins by major decision. Irvin Enriquez claimed a 7-1 decision at 141 pounds against Dominick Gallo, who entered with a 5-3 record in duals, and the lone win for VMI (2-8, 1-1) came on a pin from Neal Richards, who improved to 17-3 overall and 10-0 in duals.

Returning to App State's lineup at 125 pounds, Swinson-Barr recorded his first pin of the season after posting four against wrestlers from SoCon schools as a freshman. Swinson-Barr held an 8-2 lead after one period and took an 11-2 advantage into the third before closing out Clifton Conway.

Najar, who recorded his third pin of the season, built a 7-1 lead before Darren Ostrander used an escape and a takedown to cut his deficit to 7-4 in the second period. Najar executed a two-point reversal and then pinned his opponent.

Elliott finished his 15-0 shutout halfway through the second period, and Russell needed only 2:52 to build a 16-0 lead thanks to a pair of takedowns and a trio of four-point near falls.

Miller had seven takedowns and one four-point near fall in his 21-5 victory, and Zovistoski followed his 10th takedown with a four-point near fall in his 26-8 victory. As a team, App State totaled 37 takedowns and seven four-point near falls.

Campbell's third-place finish in the SoCon last season included an 18-12 home loss to App State, and the Camels are 2-0 this season with wins against Ohio and Franklin & Marshall. Tickets at $7 (adult) and $3 (youth) for the Campbell dual can be purchased by clicking HERE.

RESULTS
165: Michael Elliott (APP) def. Luke Nicksic (VMI), 15-0 tech. fall
174: Neal Richards (VMI) def. Thomas Flitz, fall, 1:07
184: Alan Clothier (APP) def. Max Gallahan (VMI), 13-5 maj. dec.
197: Randall Diabe (APP) def. Christopher Beck (VMI), 13-5 maj. dec.
HWT: Cary Miller (APP) def. Tre Momon (VMI), 21-5 tech. fall
125: De'Andre Swinson-Barr (APP) def. Clifton Conway (VMI), fall, 5:59
133: Codi Russell (APP) def. Derek Shockey (VMI), 16-0 tech. fall
141: Irvin Enriquez (APP) def. Dominick Gallo (VMI), 7-1 dec.
149: Matt Zovistoski (APP) def. Zach Schmitt (VMI), 26-8 tech. fall
157: Angel Najar (APP) def. Darren Ostrander (VMI), fall, 4:36

The Catawba Valley Community College men’s basketball team used a season-high performance from the 3-point line to pick up a 97-93 road conference victory against Fayetteville Tech on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Hawks (12-4, 4-3 in Region X) connected on 13 shots from 3-point territory, including five apiece from freshmen Cole Johnson and Zach De La Cruz.

Despite four 3-pointers each from Johnson and De La Cruz in the first half, CVCC trailed 52-50 to Fayetteville Tech at halftime. Tyler Lloyd scored 17 of his 24 points in the first half to lead the Trojans (9-6, 3-5 in Region X).

Catawba Valley trailed 68-64 with 14 minutes to go in the contest, but CVCC used a 23-9 run during an eight-minute stretch in the second half to pull ahead of Fayetteville Tech for good. After building a double-digit lead, the Red Hawks held off a late-game charge by the Trojans to secure the four-point conference victory.

Johnson scored a career-high 25 points to lead CVCC. Jordan Powell (16 points), De La Cruz (15 points) and Byron Sanders (11 points) also reached double figures in scoring for the Red Hawks.

Zach Boggs helped pace Fayetteville Tech with a team-high 33 points, including 18 of those points coming during the second half.

The CVCC men’s basketball team will try to stretch its win streak to three games on Wednesday with a home contest against Vance Granville Community College. Tip off between the Red Hawks and Vanguard is slated for 7 p.m. at the Tarlton Complex. Admission is free.

Appalachian State women's track & field won four events at the ETSU Track & Field Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

Phylissa Greeley won the 800-meter run by over five seconds from the second place finisher in 2:13.69. She also placed second in the one-mile run, bettering her personal best by nearly 11 seconds in 5:04.40.

App State took the top two spots in the pole vault. Hannah Emery captured first place by clearing 11-9.75 (3.60m) and Sofia San Miguel was right behind in second place with a mark of 11-5.75 (3.50m).

In the 5,000-meter run, Katelyn Butler crossed first overall with a time of 18:11.21 and Emily Fedders placed fifth in 18:52.44. App State also took first and fifth in the 400-meter run, with Jelonnie Smith finishing first in a season-best 58.13 seconds and Araybian Lilly placing fifth in 59.86 seconds.

The 3,000-meter run saw Hana Ratcliffe finish second in 9:58.72 and Izzy Evely cross fifth in 10:35.60. Ratcliffe's time now ranks as the ninth fastest time in the event in program history.

In the weight throw, Ashley Muschiatti took third with a mark of 54-8.25 (16.67m), while Victoria Wilform took fifth in the high jump with a mark 4-11.00 (1.50m).

Smith also earned a fourth place finish in the 200-meter dash in 25.26 seconds and Kylee Frady was fifth in the one-mile run in 5:15.66.

For the men, Tristian Shaver won the pole vault to lead the Appalachian State men's track & field team at the ETSU Track & Field Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

Shaver took first by nearly two feet. He cleared 16-0.75 (4.90m), with the second place finisher clearing 14-1.25 (4.30m).

App State had four runners place in the top-eight in the 5,000-meter run. Isaac Benz placed third in 15:20.72 and Ryan Brown was right behind in fourth with a time of 15:36.16. Luke Bennett was sixth in 15:41.85 and Ben Cignarale finished eighth with a time of 16:07.84.

The weight throw also saw multiple Mountaineers place in the top eight. Peter Kenn was third with a mark of 50-10.25 (15.50m), Zachary Weinstein was fourth with a PR mark of 50-2.50 (15.30m) and Michael Albert finished seventh with a distance of 49-2.25 (14.99m).

Michael Flanagan placed third in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:42.76 and Jabari Johnson crossed third in the 200-meter run in a season-best time of 21.83 seconds.

Sean Doyle placed eighth in the 800-meter run in 1:58.83 and Daniel Lauffenburger was seventh in the high jump clearing 6-2.75 (1.90m).

Appalachian State will return to competition on Jan. 26 at the VMI Team Challenge.

A dominating defensive performance by Appalachian State University women's basketball (8-7, 2-2 SBC) led to a 62-49 triumph over Texas State (8-8, 3-1 SBC) on Saturday afternoon at the Strahan Center.

After surrendering a season-high 99 points against UTA, the Mountaineers' defense stymied Texas State into a season-low 49 points and 30.5 percent shooting from the floor. It's the lowest scoring total at home for TXST in 27 games since the 2016-17 season against UTA when it scored 39 points.

The 49 points given up is also the fewest allowed this season and the first time allowing under 50 points since holding Georgia Southern to 48 in a 25-point win during the 2016-17 season.

A collective effort on the defensive side of the ball contributed to limiting the Sun Belt's leading scorer (18.6 ppg) and the nation's second-leading 3-point shooter (61 3's), Toshua Leavitt, to just 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting from the field.

Ashley Polacek (Ottawa, Canada/UCF) scored a game-high 16 points and tied a team-high with five assists. The Canadian point guard hit all five of her shots from beyond the arc, going 5-of-9 from 3-point land.

Madi Story (Maiden, N.C./Bandys) got back to her usual ways after fouling out in 14 minutes on Thursday, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven off the glass. Bayley Plummer (Thomasville, N.C./East Davidson) pulled down a game-best 14 rebounds and scored five points. Pre Stanley (Rockledge, Fla./Rockledge) had an all-around effort with seven points, six rebounds and a season-high five assists.

With the game being close and low scoring, the Apps gained separation in the final quarter outscoring the Bobcats, 18-9, and holding the visitors to 4-of-14 shooting on top of missing all four of their 3-point attempts.

Coming into the final period with a 44-40 lead, App went on a 15-3 run over the first 5:32 of the quarter. Appalachian hit four of shots five shots from outside the arc, which all came during the stretch.

Maya Calder (Landover, Md./National Christian Academy) got the run going with a pair of free throws before Polacek hit one from outside the arc to extend the lead to nine. Following another free throw from Plummer to make the lead 50-40, Leavitt hit a shot that cut the lead to single digits.

On Appalachian's next three possessions on offense, the Mountaineers came away with three trifectas, two of which came from Tierra Wilson (Winston-Salem, N.C./RJ Reynolds). The second 3-pointer for the Winston-Salem, N.C. native gave App a 59-43 advantage. Texas State never threatened Appalachian the rest of the contest, leading to the Black and Gold matching last season's win total and claiming its first conference road win of the season.

Texas State's largest lead of the game came on the first shot of the contest with Leavitt hitting a 3-pointer to give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead. App State responded with the next seven points thanks to Pre Stanley (Rockledge, Fla./Rockledge) having a hand in six of the points with three points and an assist to Polacek for a 3-pointer.

The hosts would retake the lead, 13-12, but five quick points highlighted by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Nicola Mathews (Adelaide, Australia/College of Central Florida) pushed the Mountaineers to a 17-13 edge at the end of the quarter.

Appalachian wouldn't relinquish the lead the rest of the way, jumping out to a 30-22 lead with a jumper from Story. Plummer's key tip-in with 1:32 left in the half gave the Mountaineers a 32-25 edge going into the locker room.

Texas State cut the gap to just one possession on multiple occasions in the third period. But on each trip, the Apps came away with key scores. The Bobcats had the lead down to two, 40-38, in the waning moments of the third. A jumper by Stanley and two free throws by Story extended the lead to four, 44-40, going into the dominating fourth quarter by App.

App State won the edge on the glass 46-35, while the 16 offensive rebounds led to a 17-9 favor in second-chance points.

Appalachian will look to build upon the impressive win over the Bobcats, as it will play the next three games at home, where the Apps are 6-1.

The Mountaineers are off on Thursday but will return to action on Saturday against Coastal Carolina at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday inside the Holmes Center.

Quotable
"Our team played with a great level of focus. I was proud of how they responded after Thursday's loss. Winning is hard, and we are still learning as the season continues."

Tip-Ins
- App State snaps a three-game skid against Texas State, improving to 4-5 in the series.
- Maya Calder led the team in plus/minus off the bench with a plus-16 in 18 minutes, scoring seven points with six rebounds.
- App State snaps a four-game road losing streak and an eight-game losing streak on the road in conference play.
- The 49 points are the fewest allowed on the road since 2013-14 against UNC Wilmington (W;54-47).
- Story is now 23rd all-time in scoring with 1,032-career points, passing Ashlen Dewart.
- App State is 5-0 this season when recording 15 or more second-chance points.
- The Mountaineers assisted on 14-of-22 field goals (63.6 percent).
- Appalachian is 5-2 this season when coming off a loss.

The Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Basketball Team wouldn't give in and outlasted Mars Hill in double overtime on Saturday evening inside Shuford Gym. Mars Hill had the ball with a chance to win at the end of regulation and the first overtime but LR got clutch defensive stops and eventually pulled away in the second overtime.

Mason Hawks hit one of the most clutch shots of the season as the sophomore guard connected on a game-tying 3-pointer from the corner with 20 seconds left in regulation to draw the Bears even at 69. A big defensive stand would send the game to its first OT.

Cory Thomas hit a triple on the first possession of overtime, three of his 13 points in the two overtime periods.

LR led by as many as four in the first OT but a 6-0 run gave Mars Hill a 79-77 advantage. With 14 seconds to go, Djibril Diallo drove to the bucket and evened the game. The Lions once again had a chance to win but Chris Barnette's 3-pointer misfired as a second OT was required.

Thomas scored the first seven points of double overtime for the Bears who would lead by as many as eight points.

Diallo had a team-high 23 points and added nine boards and six assists in the win. Thomas would add 18 points and eight rebounds and R.J. Gunn had 17.

Matthew Powell led the guests with 20 points and Barnette added 17 points.

The back-and-forth contest featured 20 lead changes and nine ties before the Bears would pull away late.

LR has won four straight games, the previous three each coming by three points.

LR improves to 12-3 overall and 5-2 in the South Atlantic Conference. The Bears are back in action on Wednesday as they travel to Coker for an 8 p.m. contest.

The Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball Team used two double-double performances and elite play in the paint to create separation and snap their three-game losing streak by defeating Mars Hill, 80-70, on Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference action.

Four Bears scored in double-digits, including Madi Suddreth with 26 points to go along with 11 boards. Freshman Madeline Hardy continued her high level of play, putting up a double-double of her own with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Hanna McClung put in 16 and Kennedy Weigt added 11 in the scoring column.

The Lions had two dominant scorers on the day, with Mariah Johnson putting up a game-high 30 and seven assists and Tatum Boggs scored 21.

The Bears separated themselves in the game with their elite play in the paint, outrebounding Mars Hill 49-34 and tripling their scoring production down low, 36-12.

Lenoir-Rhyne's second chances led to points more times than not, outscoring the Lions 20-7 in that category.

The Bears managed to go above .500 in their overall record and snap the three-game losing streak. LR now owns a winning 4-3 record on their home court.

Today marked Suddreth's fourth double-double of the season and the third in the last five games. Today's double-double for Hardy is her second in her first season as a Bear. She has also scored in double figures in four of the last six contests.

Lenoir-Rhyne has now won six-in-a-row against the Mars Hill Lions, last falling to their SAC foe, 55-52, on January, 16, 2016.

The Bears improve to 8-7 overall, 3-4 in South Atlanitc Conference play. The Bears hit the road for the start of a two-game road trip. The next match up will be with SAC foe Coker College on January 16 with tipoff set for 6 p.m.

Appalachian State head football coach Eliah Drinkwitz announced Friday the addition of defensive assistant Buddy Wyatt, who has worked in the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten and American Athletic conferences as a defensive coach during a highly respected career that's covered more than 25 years.

"Buddy Wyatt is a man of character and a football coach with a history of player development," Drinkwitz said. "He will work to enhance our defensive line play. I'm excited to welcome Buddy and his wife to the Appalachian Family."

Wyatt spent last season as a senior analyst at Kansas following a three-year stint as SMU's defensive line coach from 2015-17.

He also has a wealth of Power Five conference experience thanks to the knowledge he gained and the future NFL players he coached while working as a defensive line coach at Kansas (2010-14), Texas A&M (2008-09, 2000-02), Nebraska (2007), Alabama (2003-06), Colorado (1999), Northwestern (1997-98), Oklahoma State (1996) and Minnesota (1992-95).

"It's an honor to be part of the Appalachian Family," Wyatt said. "Everybody knows about the success that the football program at App State has had. It's great to be at a place that has a good football culture. I'm really impressed with Coach Drinkwitz and the type of person that he is and the staff that he's put together. I'm excited to get started."

At SMU in 2017, the Mustangs ranked 38th nationally with 31 sacks, including eight in one game, and 30th nationally with 90 tackles for loss. Defensive end Justin Lawler had 9.5 sacks and tied for the team lead with 15.5 tackles for loss as SMU reached a bowl game with 19 different players who made stops behind the line of scrimmage.

In also helping Texas A&M reach a bowl during his last season with the Aggies, they ranked 15th nationally with 35 sacks and 34th with 82.0 tackles for loss. Super Bowl MVP and NFL All-Pro Von Miller, who played on the defensive line and at linebacker during his college career, had 17.0 sacks that season. The Aggies ranked 10th nationally in total defense with Wyatt coaching the defensive linemen in 2001.

Wyatt also has worked with NFL players such as Ndamukong Suh (a five-time Pro Bowl selection and nose tackle who was the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft), Michael Bennett (a three-time Pro Bowl selection at defensive end and a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks), Jamal Williams (a three-time All-Pro at nose tackle from 2004-06), Adam Carriker (a first-round draft pick in 2007), Tyler Brayton (a first-round pick in 2003), Rocky Bernard (a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks), Ty Warren (a 2007 All-Pro at nose tackle and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots), Justin Bannon, Ronald Edwards and Ronald Flemons.

On the recruiting trail, when he coached at Alabama, Wyatt was the lead recruiter for two straight Mississippi High School Players of the Year who chose the Crimson Tide.

During his career, Wyatt has also been selected to the NCAA Expert Coaches Academy, a program that addresses the shortage of ethnic minorities in college football head coaching positions and raises awareness regarding the deep pool of talented, qualified coaching candidates.

Born in Victoria, Texas, Wyatt was a defensive lineman from 1986-89 at TCU, where he earned a degree in education in 1990 and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line in 1991. Wyatt and his wife, Andrea, have two children: Frederick and Ariel.