Bobby Dalbec hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, and Darwinzon Hernandez tossed five scoreless innings as the Greenville Drive topped the Hickory Crawdads 7-4 on Saturday.

Hickory had runners on first and second in the top of the ninth, but Leody Taveras grounded out to end the game.

The grand slam by Dalbec scored Santiago Espinal, Tyler Hill, and Roldani Baldwin to give the Drive a 7-3 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Hickory cut into the lead on a single by Charles Leblanc that scored Anderson Tejeda.

Hernandez allowed three hits while striking out five.

Matthew Gorst (5-3) got the win in relief while Joseph Kuzia (1-1) took the loss in the South Atlantic League game.

Greenville improved to 3-1 against Hickory this season.

Lenoir-Rhyne University recently entered into a partnership with the YMCA of Catawba Valley. Through this alliance, the tennis facilities at the Hickory Foundation YMCA will serve as the new home of the Lenoir-Rhyne University Tennis programs.

According to Nat Auten, President & CEO of the YMCA of Catawba Valley, the partnership will be mutually beneficial for Lenoir-Rhyne and the YMCA tennis community.

“Having the expertise of Lenoir-Rhyne’s tennis program on our YMCA campus makes our YMCA stronger, and enables us to serve more people. We are delighted to embark on this transformational relationship that will positively impact our community," said Auten.

“We are excited to announce this new partnership with the YMCA, and for the chance to train and compete in their top-notch facilities as the new home of LR Tennis. This partnership not only enhances the student-athlete experience, but it also fosters connections between our student-athletes and local youth. It is a win for everyone,” said Kim Pate, Director of Athletics for Lenoir-Rhyne University.

“The YMCA, just like LR, is dedicated to building and strengthening the communities where we live, work, and raise families. Through collaboration, we can reach more community members with our mission of putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy minds, bodies, and spirits,” added Auten.

Blaine Prescott had two hits and scored two runs, and Michael Matuella threw five scoreless innings as the Hickory Crawdads defeated the Asheville Tourists 6-3 on Friday.

C.D. Pelham got Brian Serven to fly out with runners on second and third to end the game for his fourth save of the season.

Matuella (1-5) allowed three hits while striking out four to get the win.

Hickory took the lead in the first when it put up four runs, including RBI singles by Brallan Perez and Alex Kowalczyk.

After Hickory added a run in the third on a single by Franklin Rollin, the Tourists cut into the deficit in the sixth inning when Willie Abreu hit an RBI single and Bobby Wernes drew a bases-loaded walk.

The Crawdads tacked on another run in the eighth when Perez hit an RBI single, bringing home Prescott.

Breiling Eusebio (1-1) went 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs and six hits in the South Atlantic League game. He also struck out one and walked four.

Appalachian State head softball coach Shelly Hoerner announced the hiring of Alex Hupp as the Mountaineers’ new softball assistant coach on Thursday.

At App State, Hupp will serve as the pitching coach and will also coach outfielders. She will also have a large hand in recruiting and assist in day-to-day operations.

“I'm excited to have Alex join our softball family here at App,” Hoerner said. “She brings great knowledge along with a sense of maturity which will be very beneficial to our staff. The rapport Alex has with the student-athletes she has worked with in the past is very impressive, and will aid greatly in re-establishing this program. She's a terrific recruiter and motivator who has a lot of passion and energy. Alex has the same goals and values as myself for this program. I look forward to bringing our vision together.”

"I would like to thank Coach Hoerner and the Appalachian State athletic department for this opportunity to join the Mountaineer family," Hupp said. "I believe in the culture and values that Coach Hoerner brings to the game, and I am excited to build a program alongside her and these talented, young women."

Hupp comes to App State after two seasons as an assistant coach at Troy University, following a stint as the top assistant at East Tennessee State University in 2015. Hupp also served on the coaching staff at South Dakota State University as an assistant coach in 2013, and interim head coach in 2014. Before her time at South Dakota State, Hupp helped lead Emporia State University as an assistant coach to a combined 84-27 record over two seasons, including back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Regionals.

An Olathe, Kansas native, Hupp graduated from University of Nebraska in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. As a softball student-athlete at Nebraska, Hupp was a pitcher and outfielder, amassing 58 total pitching appearances and 239 career at bats. In her sophomore season, Hupp emerged as Nebraska's No. 2 starter, logging 133 innings, while also tossing a no-hitter against the University of Northern Colorado.

Hupp had a standout career at Olathe East High School, posting a 69-1 career record in the circle. While earning First Team High All-America Honors in 2006, she was also named the 2005-06 Gatorade Softball Player of the Year for the state of Kansas. Hupp helped lead Olathe East to three consecutive Class 6A state championships from 2004-06.

The Asheville Tourists defeated the Hickory Crawdads 9-4 Thursday (July 13) in Asheville. Hickory fell behind 7-1 after five innings before plating three in the 6th. Asheville added two more runs in the 7th for the final 9-4 result.

Anderson Teheda had three hits and an RBI, Alex Kowalczyk and Charles Leblanc had two hits apiece, and Eric Jenkins homered for the Crawdads. With the loss, Hickory falls to 12-9 on the second half of the season, they remain tied for first place with Hagerstown in the South Atlantic League second half standings, 1-1/2 games ahead of Delmarva.

Hickory wraps up the series at 7:05 tonight (July 14) at Asheville before heading to Greenville for a three game series.

Catawba Valley Community College Athletic Director Nick Schroeder has been named the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 10 Women’s Director. Elected by his fellow Athletic Directors in the region, Schroeder will oversee all the women’s athletic programs in Region 10.

Region 10 is comprised of community and junior colleges in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, and it is currently the largest Region in the NJCAA with more than 35 participating institutions – sponsoring 15 different sports throughout three different divisions.

In the previous two years, Schroeder served as the assistant men’s director of Region 10 under the Region 10 Commissioner Lind Hartsell.

"Region 10 is very fortunate that Nick Schroeder has accepted the Region 10 Women's Director position,” Hartsell said. “He is highly qualified after serving as the men's assistant director and sports information director for the Region. Nick will continue his duties as the Region SID. CVCC's overall athletic success, especially in volleyball, is a direct reflection of his commitment to excellence. Women's athletics in Region 10 is in good hands."

Schroeder will replace previous Women’s Director Aaron Denton, of Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, N.C. Newly elected NJCAA Executive Director Dr. Christopher Parker had previously served as the Region 10 Women’s Director prior to Denton.

“I am truly honored to be elected by my peers for this positon,” Schroeder said. “Region 10 has become one of the more respected Regions in the country, and I hope to only add to this prestige and the advancement of women’s athletics in our Region.”

Schroeder will maintain his position at CVCC as the athletic director in conjunction to overseeing compliance, championships and communications for all Region 10 women’s athletic programs.

Schroeder starts his fifth year at CVCC heading into this fall. During his tenure, CVCC athletic teams have placed third and fourth in national tournaments, won six conference championships and five region championships, finished as region runner-up twice and claimed three district titles. All four Red Hawk athletic programs have also been ranked in national polls.

The Red Hawks have also had eight student-athletes named All-Americans, one National Player of the Year, six Region Players of the Year and more than 60 student-athletes named to the All-Region team. CVCC has also has seen an increase in student-athlete GPA, graduation rates and transfer rates.

Manuel Melendez tripled and singled twice as the Asheville Tourists defeated the Hickory Crawdads 8-4 on Wednesday.

Asheville started the scoring in the second inning when Jacob Bosiokovic hit a two-run triple.

Trailing 5-1, the Crawdads cut into the deficit with three runs in the fourth inning, including a solo home run by Alex Kowalczyk.

The Tourists later added a run in the fourth and two in the eighth. In the fourth, Melendez hit an RBI single, while Bosiokovic and Willie Abreu both drove in a run in the eighth.

Asheville right-hander Antonio Santos (5-8) picked up a quality start and the win after allowing four runs on eight hits over seven innings. Opposing starter Edgar Arredondo (5-4) took the loss in the South Atlantic League game after allowing six runs and eight hits over six innings.

With the win, Asheville improved to 4-1 against Hickory this season.

The Crawdads drop to 12-8 on the second half of the season. Hickory is at Asheville again tomorrow.

Lenoir-Rhyne University has announced the hiring of Lesley Atkins as graduate assistant for the Bears’ Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams.

Atkins, who graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with an area of concentration in fitness and sports industries, played three seasons on the Warhawks’ Women’s Golf squad. Atkins transferred to Louisiana-Monroe after lettering one year at Florida International University (2013-14) in University Park, Fla.

“I am very excited to have Lesley (Atkins) join the Men’s and Women’s Golf Programs at Lenoir-Rhyne,” said LR Head Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach Elliot Gealy. “She brings a wealth of high level experience on the prep and collegiate level that will be beneficial to both programs.”

“Lesley has a positive attitude and energy that will help our teams continue to build on the past success of the programs. I look forward to watching Lesley develop our student-athletes into complete young men and women on and off the golf course.”

During her prep career, Atkins was an outstanding player at the Loretto School in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was a member of the U18 Scottish National Team and was the Scottish Girls Individual Champion.

Three Appalachian State women’s golf student-athletes have been named All-American Scholars by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), the WGCA announced on Friday.

Senior Emily Stinson (Charlotte, N.C.), junior Savanna Wood (Boone, N.C.), and freshman Melany Chong (Mississauga, Ontario) were all recognized by the WGCA landing on the 2016-2017 WGCA All-American Scholar Team. The trio led a remarkable year for App State women’s golf in the classroom which included a team GPA of 3.41, the third-highest among App’s 18 programs and a perfect single-year and four-year APR score of 1,000.

Stinson, a senior, graduated with a degree in communications and public relations, while Wood is majoring in marketing, and Chong is an environmental professional major. Six women’s golf team members were named to the honor roll in the spring semester.

The trio was also part of a program-best finish to close out the year at the Sun Belt Championships. App State tied for third at the conference championships, the highest finish in program history. Chong finished 12th at the Sun Belt, her highest individual finish of the season in a team-event, carding a season-low 70 in the final round.

Stinson and Wood played every round for the Mountaineers last season. Stinson led the Apps in scoring and had three Top 20 finishes. Wood had two Top 10s in the fall, finishing a season-best sixth at the Terrier Invitational.

A total of 952 women’s collegiate golfers were recognized with this prestigious honor. The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.50.

The Women’s Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women’s collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents over 600 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.

Appalachian State University men's and women's cross country head coach Michael Curcio announced the schedule for both squads for the upcoming 2017 season on Tuesday.

The Mountaineers will again open the fall season by hosting the Covered Bridge Open on September 1 beginning at 5 p.m. Two weeks later, on September 16, App State will host its second meet of the season with the Mountains to Sea Duals beginning at 9 a.m. Both home meets will take place at the State Farm Fields and Don Kennedy Trails in Boone.

Following the home meets, Appalachian will travel to the USC Upstate Invitational in Spartanburg, S.C. (Sept. 30 – 9 a.m.) and the HPU VertCross Invitational in Kernersville, N.C. (Oct. 13 – 5 p.m.).

Appalachian will return to Boone to host the Sun Belt Conference Championships on October 28 with a 11 a.m. start as the App State women will look to defend their 2016 Sun Belt Cross Country Championship title.

The Three Stripe Invitational falls on November 4 at 9 a.m. in Cary, N.C. before the NCAA Southeast Regional (Nov. 10 – 11 a.m.) in Charlottesville, Va. and the NCAA National Championships (Nov. 27 – 1 p.m.) in Louisville, Ky. if App State qualifies.

Appalachian State field hockey’s inaugural season in the Mid-American Conference features six league matches as part of the 2017 schedule, Head Coach Meghan Dawson announced on Tuesday. The slate also includes four contests against NCAA Tournament teams from 2016 and features three ACC opponents.

App State field hockey announced its acceptance as an affiliate member of the MAC on July 5, 2016. The MAC consists of seven field hockey programs – five from full MAC membership (Ball State, Central Michigan, Kent State, Longwood, Miami, and Ohio) and two affiliate members (Appalachian State and Longwood).

“We are excited to start our journey within a competitive conference, as this will be the first time in two seasons that we will be able to compete for a conference championship,” Dawson said. “We are challenged with a hard schedule, but being in a conference is something the team and I are really looking forward to.”

Appalachian will play two exhibition matches prior to its season opener, including a trip to Winston-Salem to face Wake Forest on Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. App State will then host Davidson for its final exhibition match with a 7 p.m. start in Boone.

The Mountaineers will begin regular season play with road matches at LaSalle on Aug. 25 and at Georgetown on Aug. 27. That following weekend, the Apps will travel to James Madison for a tournament that includes a match against James Madison on Sept. 1 and against Lafayette on Sept. 2.

App kicks off a five-game homestead against Davidson on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. The Mountaineers will then host the NCAA runner-up, North Carolina for a 1 p.m. matchup on Thursday, Sept. 10.

In the first MAC contest at Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field, App State will play host to the 2016 Mid-American champion, Kent State on Sept. 15. Following that match, the Mountaineers will play three consecutive MAC opponents, with home matches against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 17 and Ohio on Sept. 23 before hitting the road for a matchup at Longwood on Sept. 30.

The following day, Oct. 1, the Apps will travel to Richmond, Virginia to face VCU at 1 p.m. Three days later, Wake Forest will come to Boone for a 7 p.m. matchup.

Appalachian will then take its longest trip of the season to Mount Pleasant, Michigan to play MAC foe, Central Michigan on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8. Both matches will be played at noon with just the first contest being a conference match.

After taking an 11-day break, the Mountaineers will host Saint Louis on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. App State will then close out Mid-American play at Ball State on Oct 21.

A week later, Appalachian will play back-to-back matches against teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament last season. On Oct. 28 at 1 p.m., the Mountaineers will head to Durham to play Duke before coming back up the mountain for a noon matchup against American on Oct. 29 at noon.

The Mountaineers will be competing for a spot in the Mid-American Conference Championships, which will be hosted at Kent State from Nov. 3-4.

2017 Applachian State Field Hockey Schedule

Date Time Opponent Location
Aug. 17 7 P.M. Wake Forest (EXHIBITION) Winston-Salem, N.C.
Aug. 21 7 P.M. Davidson (EXHIBITION) Boone, N.C.
Aug. 25 3 P.M. La Salle Philadelphia, Pa.
Aug. 27 1 P.M. Georgetown Washington, D.C.
Sept. 1 4 P.M. James Madison Harrisonburg, Va.
Sept. 2 2 P.M. Lafayette Harrisonburg, Va.
Sept. 8 7 P.M. Davidson Boone, N.C.
Sept. 10 1 P.M. North Carolina Boone, N.C.
Sept. 15 TBD Kent State* Boone, N.C.
Sept. 17 Noon Miami (OH)* Boone, N.C.
Sept. 23 TBD Ohio* Boone, N.C.
Sept. 30 Noon Longwood* Farmville, Va.
Oct. 1 1 P.M. Virginia Commonwealth Richmond, Va.
Oct. 4 7 P.M. Wake Forest Boone, N.C.
Oct. 7 Noon Central Michigan* Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Oct. 8 Noon Central Michigan Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Oct. 19 7 P.M. Saint Louis Boone, N.C.
Oct. 21 1 P.M. Ball State* Muncie, Ind.
Oct. 28 1 P.M. Duke Durham, N.C.
Oct. 29 Noon American Boone, N.C.
Nov. 3-4 MAC Championship Kent, Ohio
Home Games in BOLD
* Denotes MAC match

Hickory Crawdads infielder Blaine Prescott has been named South Atlantic League's Player of the Week for July 3rd -9th following his standout week at the plate that help the 'Dads take 5 of 7 games of the homestand and propel the team to 1st place in the Northern Division.

Prescott, 21, hit .367/.382/.833 for an OPS of 1.215. The Texas native clubbed four home runs and two doubles while driving in 7 runs, and also scoring 7 runs himself over the 7-game stretch.

A 28th round selection by the Rangers in the 2015 draft, Prescott is batting .255 on the year with 7 home runs and 14 RBI. His 7 dingers lead all current Crawdads players.

Prescott is now the fourth 'Dad to win an SAL Weekly Award, joining Kyle Cody (week 10), Yanio Perez (week 3), and Jonathan Hernandez (week 6).

The Hickory Crawdads rallied for two in the bottom of the eighth and dealt the Delmarva Shorebirds a 2-1 loss Monday afternoon at L.P. Frans Stadium.

With the Shorebirds up 1-0 in the eighth, Yohel Pozo led off and got hit by a pitch. Brallan Perez laid down a sac bunt to advance Pozo to second and bring up Elio Castillo. Castillo lined one up the middle past pitcher Matt Trowbridge and into center. Pozo raced home and got there at the same time as the throw from Cole Billingsley in center. On a bang-bang play, Pozo was called safe and the Crawdads tied the game.

Castillo went to second on the throw home and got to third on a wild pitch. After Eric Jenkins walked, Trowbridge got the hook and Steven Klimek came in from the 'pen. Blaine Prescott came up and ripped a sharp grounder to third. Collin Woody had trouble with the grounder and managed to get Prescott at first base, but Castillo came around to score and the Crawdads took a 2-1 lead.

Christian Torres (1-1) handled a 1-2-3 ninth for the win; he pitched two perfect innings in relief and struck out three. Trowbridge (1-3) blew his second save of the year, giving up two runs on a hit, a walk, a hit batsman, and a strikeout in the loss.

The Crawdads needed just three hits in the winning effort. Castillo led the way by going 1-for-3 with the game-tying RBI and game-winning run. On the day after he won it with a walkoff home run and minutes after being named SAL Player of the Week, Prescott picked up the game-winning RBI.

The first part of the game was a relentless pitchers' duel between the Shorebirds' Alex Wells and the Crawdads' Walker Weickel. Former first-rounder Weickel tossed seven innings of one-run, five hit ball while walking one and striking out six. The run in the fifth was the first he had given up in 18.1 innings.

Hickory improves to 12-7 on the second half of the season. The Crawdads will go on the road tomorrow to take on the Asheville Tourists.

Catawba Valley Community College Athletic Director Nick Schroeder announces the hiring of Cody Dalton as an Administrative Support for Athletics/Sports Information for the Red Hawks.

Dalton will serve as a media contact for all four of CVCC’s sports teams, including baseball, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, as well as manage the school’s athletic website, www.gocvcc.com.

“We’re excited to add Cody to our staff,” Schroeder said. “We look forward to him taking Red Hawks to the next level in sports information. We’ve had a lot of success athletically in the past few years, and we look forward to Cody adding to our winning team.”

Dalton comes to CVCC after a 6.5-year stint as the sports editor for The Observer News Enterprise newspaper in Newton, N.C. During his time at The O-N-E, Dalton was responsible for coverage of high school, college and professional sports.

He was a part of five North Carolina Press Association (NCPA) awards at The O-N-E, including two for his sports columns in 2014-15.

A 2008 graduate of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Dalton started his print journalism career with The Coalfield Progress in Norton, Va.

During his decade-plus involvement in journalism, Dalton also had stints at various news publications, including The Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Va., The News Messenger in Christiansburg, Va., The News Journal in Radford, Va. and The Southwest Times in Pulaski, Va.

A published author, Dalton also penned the book “Sideline Warriors: The Greatest Sports Coaches And Managers of All-Time” during his time in college.

“I’m excited to start the next chapter in my professional career at Catawba Valley Community College,” Dalton said. “I am extremely thankful to CVCC President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw and Athletic Director Nick Schroeder for this amazing opportunity. I look forward to working with the Red Hawks’ coaches and players in promoting their academic and athletic achievements and taking their programs to the next level.

The son of Thomas and Darlene Dalton and a native of Pulaski, Va., Dalton currently resides in Newton, N.C.

Lenoir-Rhyne University Head Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach Elliot Gealy has announced the addition of three players – Megan Robb, Dawson Walker and Nicholas Marchese – for the upcoming 2017-18 season.

Robb (Aberdeen, SCOTLAND) attended Aberdeen Grammar School in Northern Scotland. Robb, who carries a 3.1 grade point average, was captain of her high school squad and competed on the high school net ball team. Robb represented the Aberdeenshire County Ladies Team and won the 2016 County Open. In addition, Robb had several top ten finishes in the 2016 Scottish Girls Am and North of Scotland Girls Amateur.

“Megan (Robb) is a very solid player with the ability to overpower the golf course,” said Gealy. “She has a very competitive nature on the golf course and excels in tournament settings. Her game is developing every day and she will be a great addition to our women’s program. I am excited to watch Megan grow and compete for the Bears.”

Walker (Lenoir, N.C.), a graduate of Hibriten High School, was an honors student with a grade point average of 4.25. Walker was a four-time team Most Valuable Player, three-time all-region selection and two-time all-state honoree. Walker shot a career-low round of 67 (-5) at Cedar Rock Golf & Country Club. Extremely active in school, Walker was part of FCA, FBLA and the Beta Club.

“Dawson (Walker) has all the skills necessary to make an immediate impact on Lenoir-Rhyne Men’s Golf,” said Gealy. “He has an impressive game and a great demeanor on the golf course. I look forward to watch Dawson compete and have success for the Bears during his career.”

Marchese (Nobleton, Ontario, CANADA) graduated from St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Secondary School in June with a grade point average of 3.5 and was an honor student. During his prep career, Marchese garnered first-team all-region, all-county, all-conference, all-area and all-state accolades in both 2015 and 2016. Marchese was also a member of the school’s hockey and soccer teams.

“Nick (Marchese) had a very solid high school career and will be a great addition to our men’s golf program,” said Gealy. “He will add talent and depth to our experienced roster. I am excited to watch Nick’s game grow and become a solid contributor to our team.”

“I am really excited about the recruiting classes for both teams and the future of Lenoir-Rhyne Golf,” said Gealy about the signees. “I am extremely confident they will have success on and off the golf course and will have an immediate impact on the program. Our goal is to be competitive on the national stage and win championships and these three young players possess all the talent necessary to help us attain these standards.”

The Fall 2017 Season for the Lenoir-Rhyne Golf Teams begin on Monday, September 11, and Tuesday, September 12. The women’s team competes in the Ross Resorts Invitational at the Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., while the men’s squad plays in the Kiawah Island Invitational at the Osprey Point Golf Course in Kiawah Island, S.C. The Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Golf Team is the defending South Atlantic Conference Champions.

After two weeks off and a Saturday evening postponement the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series returned to action Sunday with K&N Engineering Day at the Races presented by Catawba Science Center. 

Leading off the afternoon would be the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Bojangles Late Models and the first of their Twin 40 lap features. Pole sitter Ryan Millington in the #76 would lead the field to the green flag but the #9 of Charlie Watson would use the high groove to take the early lead. Watson would hold the top spot until the #57 of Justin Carroll would move past for the lead. Carroll would hold on for the win with Watson in second and Millington finishing 3rd. Dirt competitor Ahnna Parkhurst would pilot the #23 home to a 4th place finish in her first asphalt NASCAR Whelen All American Series Bojangles Late Model race. Cole Glasson in the #5 would score another hard fought top five finish with the 5th finishing position.

Rolling off next would be the Catawba Realty & Insurance Classic Sportsmen and their 25 lap feature. Bill Lett in the #4 would start from the top spot with Eddie Gilbert in the #1 to his outside. Gilbert would take the early lead but Lett would patiently bide his time and get back to the point after a few laps. Lett would hang on to grab the win. 81 year old Bill Webb in the #16 would work his way through the field and wind up finishing 2nd. Gilbert would come home in 3rd, Larry Benz in the #95 would finish 4th, and Chris Werner in the #22 would finish out the top 5 in 5th.

The Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Models would roar to life and hit the track for 35 laps of side by side action. Jeremy Pelfrey in the #51 would start from the top spot and drive to the early lead. The battle would rage for 2nd on back as Mitch Walker in the #29, Stevie John's in the # 91, Mack Little in the #16, and Pat Rachels in the #34 all wanted the position. Pelfrey would go on to take the win and cut into the division points lead of Monty Cox in the #21. Rachels in the #34 would grab the 2nd spot with Little finishing in 3rd. Walker would finish 4th and Alex Reece in the #18 would grab the 5th spot.

Up next would be the Cosmo Motors Street Stocks for their 30 lap battle. Cody DeMarmels in the #18 would battle the #77 of Mark Whitten and the #03 of Kevin Eby early before taking the lead. DeMarmels would hold for the victory with Whitten finishing 2nd, Eby would finish 3rd, Marshall Sutton in the #64 would grab 4th, and Kyle DiVanna in the #71 would finish in 5th.

The 4-Cylinders would hit the track next for their 25 lap feature. Robert Trivette in the #11 would lead the field to the green flag after setting the fast lap in qualifying. Trivette would take the early lead with Curtis Pardue in the #17 close behind. Trivette would hold on for his first victory at America's Most Famous Short Track. Cody Combs in the #9 would finish 2nd and Brian Mundy in the #6 would finish 3rd. Rob Lewis in the #98 and Pardue would round out the top 5.

Closing out the day's racing action would be the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Bojangles Late Models for their second 40 lap feature. With the inversion from the first 40 lap race finish, Andrew Garcia in the #12 would start from the pole with the #29 of Mitch Walker to his outside. Garcia would take the early lead but see Cole Glasson in the #5 move around and to the point after several laps. Glasson's time at the front would also be short lived as the #76 of Ryan Millington would come rolling by to the top spot. Millington would do his best to maintain the lead, but the game of musical chairs at the front of the pack would continue when the winner of race #1, Justin Carroll in the #57 powering by to the front. Carroll would be the final leader of the day and grab the checkered flag, sweeping the Twin 40 lap features for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Bojangles Late Models. Millington would hold on for 2nd while Glasson would take the 3rd finishing spot. The #9 of Charlie Watson would finish 4th and the #23 of Ahnna Parkhurst would finish 5th, giving her a pair of top 5s in her first two asphalt races.

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will return to action next week with Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Night at the Races presented by Coca-Cola celebrating Hickory Motor Speedway's 67th Birthday featuring 100 laps for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Bojangles Late Models, Round 7 for the Paramount Kia 'Big 10' Chase for the Championship with 50 laps for the Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Models, 35 laps for the One Design Super Trucks, 30 laps for the Cosmo Motors Street Stocks, and 20 laps for the Renegades will all be in store for the evening.
Gates open at 5:00pm, Qualifying at 5:30pm, Autograph Session at 6:30pm, and Racing at 7:30pm.
Tickets are only $12.50 Adults, $10.50 Youth(11-19)/Seniors(60+), and Children 10 & under FREE!

For more info check us out at http://www.hickorymotorspeedway.com and on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.

Hickory Motor Speedway
Race Results for 7/9/2017

4-Cylinders - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 11 Robert Trivette Newton, NC
2 9 Cody Combs Lenoir, NC
3 6M Brian Mundy ,
4 98 Rob Lewis Morganton, NC
5 17 Curtis Pardue Hickory, NC
6 93 Rodney Trivette Newton, NC
7 59 Donn Wardo Harmony, NC

4-Cylinders - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 11 Robert Trivette Newton, NC
2 17 Curtis Pardue Hickory, NC
3 9 Cody Combs Lenoir, NC
4 6M Brian Mundy ,
5 59 Donn Wardo Harmony, NC DNS
6 93 Rodney Trivette Newton, NC DNS
7 98 Rob Lewis Morganton, NC DQ

Classic Sportsman Racing - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 4L Bill Lett Statesville, NC
2 16 Bill Webb Statesville, NC
3 1 Eddie Gilbert Newton, NC
4 95B Larry Benz Harrisburg, NC
5 22 Chris Werner Moorseville, NC
6 71P Bill Powell Newton, NC
7 90 Dennis Hinkle Hickory, NC

Classic Sportsman Racing - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 4L Bill Lett Statesville, NC
2 1 Eddie Gilbert Newton, NC
3 22 Chris Werner Moorseville, NC
4 16 Bill Webb Statesville, NC
5 95B Larry Benz Harrisburg, NC
6 71P Bill Powell Newton, NC
7 90 Dennis Hinkle Hickory, NC DNS

Late Model - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 76 Ryan Millington Statesville, NC
2 9W Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
3 57C Justin Carroll Concord, NC
4 5G Cole Glasson Rockwall, TX
5 23P Ahnna Parkhurst ,
6 12G Andrew Garcia Eagle Pass TX, NC
7 1T Thomas Beane Hudson, NC DNS
8 15O Omar Jurado Huntersville, NC DNS
9 5X Juan Gonzales , DNS
10 51P Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC DNS
11 29M Mitch Walker Newton, NC DNS
12 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC DNS
13 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC DNS
14 91 Stevie Johns Jr. Mooresville, NC DNS
15 7G Holden German York, NC DNS

Late Model - Twin I
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 57C Justin Carroll Concord, NC
2 9W Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
3 76 Ryan Millington Statesville, NC
4 23P Ahnna Parkhurst ,
5 5G Cole Glasson Rockwall, TX
6 29M Mitch Walker Newton, NC
7 12G Andrew Garcia Eagle Pass TX, NC
8 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC
9 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC
10 91 Stevie Johns Jr. Mooresville, NC
11 51P Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
12 1T Thomas Beane Hudson, NC
13 7G Holden German York, NC
14 5X Juan Gonzales , DNS
15 15O Omar Jurado Huntersville, NC DNS

Late Model - Twin II
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 57C Justin Carroll Concord, NC
2 76 Ryan Millington Statesville, NC
3 5G Cole Glasson Rockwall, TX
4 9W Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
5 23P Ahnna Parkhurst ,
6 12G Andrew Garcia Eagle Pass TX, NC
7 91 Stevie Johns Jr. Mooresville, NC
8 29M Mitch Walker Newton, NC
9 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC
10 51P Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
11 1T Thomas Beane Hudson, NC
12 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC DNS
13 7G Holden German York, NC DNS
14 5X Juan Gonzales , DNS
15 15O Omar Jurado Huntersville, NC DNS

Limited Late Model - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 51 Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
2 34 Pat Rachels China Grove, NC
3 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC
4 29 Mitch Walker Newton, NC
5 18R Alex Reece Granite Falls, NC
6 91 Stevie Johns Jr. Mooresville, NC
7 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC
8 55W Mitchell Wright China Grove, NC
9 77G Lexi Gay Canton, GA
10 7 Holden German York, NC DNS
11 3D Dylan Oliver Stanley, NC DNS

Limited Late Model - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 51 Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
2 91 Stevie Johns Jr. Mooresville, NC
3 29 Mitch Walker Newton, NC
4 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC
5 18R Alex Reece Granite Falls, NC
6 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC
7 34 Pat Rachels China Grove, NC
8 77G Lexi Gay Canton, GA
9 55W Mitchell Wright China Grove, NC
10 7 Holden German York, NC DNS
11 3D Dylan Oliver Stanley, NC DNS

Street Stocks - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 18D Cody DeMarmels Newton, NC
2 77P Mark Whitten Hogtown, VA, VA
3 3 Kevin Eby Lenoir, NC
4 64 Marshall Sutton Burnsville, NC
5 71K Kyle Divanna Statesville, NC
6 69 Trey Buff Hickory, NC
7 32H David Harrell Newton, NC
8 2J Ethan Johnson Hudson, NC
9 74 Kim Smith Lincolnton, NC

Street Stocks - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 18D Cody DeMarmels Newton, NC
2 77P Mark Whitten Hogtown, VA, VA
3 3 Kevin Eby Lenoir, NC
4 32H David Harrell Newton, NC
5 64 Marshall Sutton Burnsville, NC
6 71K Kyle Divanna Statesville, NC
7 69 Trey Buff Hickory, NC
8 2J Ethan Johnson Hudson, NC
9 74 Kim Smith Lincolnton, NC DNS

One athletic team and 10 student-athletes from Catawba Valley Community College have been honored by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for their performances in the classroom during the 2016-17 academic year.

The NJCAA announced its All-Academic Student-Athlete and Team honors on Friday.

“We take academics very seriously here at Catawba Valley Community College,” said CVCC Athletic Director Nick Schroeder. “I’d like to thank Tisha England, Tim Peeler and Jerry Sain for all of their dedication to our student-athletes. It’s a testament to their hard work and the hard work of our student-athletes that we were able to achieve so much success as an athletic program.”

Individual student-athletes are named to the All-Academic teams based on their grade point averages. First-team selections carry a 4.0 GPA or greater, second-team selections carry a 3.8 to 3.99 GPA and third-team selections carry a 3.6 to 3.79 GPA.

Teams are honored by the NJCAA for having a combined grade point average of 3.0 or greater. The teams with the highest GPA in each respective sport are named Academic Team of the Year, while the other qualifying teams receive honorable mention.

The CVCC women’s basketball program was one of 85 teams in the sport to receive honorable mention for their combined team GPA of 3.07.

Of the 10 individual Red Hawk student-athletes honored for their academics, six are members of the CVCC baseball program, including first-team selection Charles Hall.

Chandler Jenkins — the first National Player of the Year in school history — was named to the All-Academic third team along with teammates Daniel Brinegar, David Graves, James Marcelli and Tomas Goco.

The six NJCAA All-Academic team members for the Red Hawks baseball team are the most in program history.

Four CVCC volleyball players were also named to the NJCAA All-Academic teams, including three on the first team — Courtney Eckman, Jenna Dunsmore and Sabrina Pinard.

The Lady Red Hawks’ Regan Redmond was also honored with a third-team selection.

Appalachian State field hockey head coach Meghan Dawson announced the hiring of Emily Dinsmore as an assistant coach.

“I am extremely thrilled that Emily is joining our staff,” Dawson said. “She brings a different perspective that I believe the team and our coaching staff will be able to continue learning and growing from. Emily is a great person who will bring a good understanding of hockey as well as understanding how to help build a team from her experience as a player at Liberty. I am looking forward to having Emily join us and for our fall season to start!”

Dinsmore comes to Appalachian after two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Stevenson University, helping lead them to a second-place finish in the Middle Atlantic Conference in 2015. That same season, the team advanced to the conference tournament championship and the ECAC Division III Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey Championship final.

She completed her master’s degree in business technology management during her two-year stint at Stevenson. Working primarily with goalkeepers and defenders, Dinsmore also worked in recruiting and as an academic mentor.

A Chesapeake Beach, Md. native, Dinsmore graduated from Liberty University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. During her time at Liberty, she lettered in both field hockey and lacrosse. In her first season of field hockey, she helped lead the defense to three shutouts as she appeared in 15 of the Flames’ 17 games, making 13 starts.

On the lacrosse field, Dinsmore played in all 18 games in her first season, contributing six goals and three assists. In her second season, Dinsmore moved over to defense and recorded 17 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers.

Prior to her time at Liberty, Dinsmore started her career at Catholic University, where she played one season of field hockey. She was recruited out of Northern High School in Owings, Md., where she was a four-year letter winner in field hockey and lacrosse.

Blaine Prescott hit a walk-off solo homer in the 10th inning, as the Hickory Crawdads topped the Delmarva Shorebirds 4-3 on Sunday.

The Crawdads scored two runs in the eighth before Delmarva answered in the next half-inning when Jake Ring hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Alejandro Juvier to tie the game 3-3.

Hickory starter Kyle Cody struck out five and walked two while allowing three hits over seven scoreless innings. Joseph Kuzia (1-0) got the win in relief while Jake Bray (2-3) took the loss in the South Atlantic League game.

For the Shorebirds, Milton Ramos doubled and singled twice.

Shelby: 3
Taylorsville: 1
Shelby wins the series 3-1.