Sports - Randolph Record

10 May

Wheatmore, UCA girls hold best seeds from area for soccer playoffs

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, class 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 3-A, piedmont athletic conference, prep soccer, Providence Grove athletics, Randleman Tigers, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, state playoffs, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics, Wheatmore athletics

Randleman’s Carolina Candelero, left, and Providence Grove’s Taryn Waugh contend for possession during a game last month. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Wheatmore has a challenging path to try to reach the Class 2-A state final for the third year in a row in girls’ soccer. The Warriors hold the No. 6 seed in the West Region based on seeds and pairings unveiled Friday. First-round games are Monday. Wheatmore, which was the 2022 state champion and last year’s runner-up, opens against No. 27 seed Lincoln Charter (4-10-2). The Warriors will be guaranteed another home game if they win. Wheatmore lost a Piedmont…

10 May

Former NASCAR driver Benson tests super modified car at Caraway Speedway

Randolph RecordSportsCaraway speedway, Johnny Benson, NASCAR, racing

A special testing session was held this week at Caraway Speedway. (Photo courtesy of Caraway Speedway) SOPHIA – A test session with former NASCAR driver Johnny Benson in a super modified car was held Tuesday afternoon at Caraway Speedway. Because of weather concerns, the session that had been scheduled for Monday was moved back a day. The testing of the big-blocked winged super modified was in advance of the North-South Shootout that’s about six months away – Nov. 8-9. Caraway Speedway officials are billing this as a throwback to early North-South Shootout days. These are open-wheel vehicles that produce approximately…

09 May

Everhart makes big jumps for Blue Comets

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Class 3-A, Lance Everhart, Mid-Piedmont Conference, prep track and field

Lance Everhart of Asheboro is a versatile track and field athlete with big goals. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) Asheboro senior sets high bar in field events ASHEBORO – Lance Everhart has found plenty of worthwhile events in track and field, but he knows what he likes best. “High jump, most definitely,” the Asheboro senior said. He has jumped into the conversation on a statewide level as one of the top leapers. The next phase of the postseason comes with Saturday’s Class 3-A Midwest Regional at Robinson High School in Concord. Everhart has a personal-best mark of 6 feet, 6 inches –…

09 May

Lincoln Memorial, Wingate to meet in SAC title series in Asheboro

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro, College baseball, McCrary Park, NCAA Division II, South Atlantic Conference

ASHEBORO – Lincoln Memorial and Wingate will meet in the South Atlantic Conference baseball championship series this week at McCrary Park in Asheboro. It’s a best-of-3 championship series to determine an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division II Tournament. The teams will meet in Game 1 at 4 p.m. Friday. Game 2 is at noon Saturday and, if necessary, Game 3 will follow. Lincoln Memorial upset host and top-seeded Catawba in the four-team bracket in Salisbury. The fifth-seeded Railsplitters defeated Catawba 8-3 on Sunday to conclude the double-elimination bracket. In Hartsville, S.C, third-seeded Wingate swept Newberry in two games Sunday,…

08 May

Hoogkamp leaves baseball post following Asheboro’s playoff loss (updated)

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Brett Hoogkamp, Class 3-A, Mid-Piedmont Conference, Prep baseball

Asheboro baseball coach Brett Hoogkamp makes a mound visit during a game this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Asheboro baseball coach Brett Hoogkamp has stepped down, but he’s bound to be involved in area athletics again. Hoogkamp announced his intentions to resign shortly after the Blue Comets lost in the first round of the Class 3-A state playoffs Tuesday night. He finished his eighth season in the position. “It has been a good eight years,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it. Once I got into coaching, it was kind of a dream of mine (to be a head coach) and I got…

08 May

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Ryan Marshall

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Class 2-A, nchsaa, Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament, Prep golf, Ryan Marshall, Wheatmore athletics, Wheatmore Warriors

Wheatmore, boys’ golf Ryan Marshall of Wheatmore was the Piedmont Athletic Conference champion by shooting 5-over-par 77 last week at Holly Ridge Golf Links. Marshall, a junior, shot sub-40 on both the front side and backside for a five-stroke edge on Trinity’s Bo Earnhardt. On Monday, Marshall placed third in the Class 2-A Midwest Regional to reserve a spot in next week’s state tournament. In the PAC Tournament, Wheatmore’s 345 team total was 10 shots better than runner-up Uwharrie Charter Academy, while Providence Grove (358) and Southwestern Randolph (360) also contended. The Warriors won the team title for the third…

07 May

Wheatmore girls add to success in soccer with another outright PAC crown

Randolph RecordSportsEllie Garrison, Natalie Bowman, piedmont athletic conference, prep soccer, Providence Grove Patriots, Taryn Waugh, Wheatmore Warriors

ASHEBORO – Wheatmore’s Ellie Garrison scored three goals and Bri Hill posted two goals as the Warriors clinched another outright Piedmont Athletic Conference championship in girls’ soccer, defeating visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy 5-4 on Monday night. UCA, which dropped out of a second-place tie, received two goals from Kendal Jarrell and another from Jazmin Palma. Also Monday, second-place Providence Grove zipped past host Eastern Randolph 9-0 with three goals apiece from Rylee Stover and Taryn Waugh. Garrison scored seven goals in Wheatmore’s 9-0 victory against host Southwestern Randolph last week. Natalie Bowman had one goal and three assists. Also last…

06 May

UCA teams seeded high for state playoffs in baseball, softball; Most area teams to start on road

Bob SuttonSportsclass 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 3-A, Prep baseball, Prep softball, state playoffs

Uwharrie Charter Academy softball and baseball teams have high seeds in the West Region for the state playoffs. The seeds, which were announced Monday by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, have both teams in line to play in regional finals in a couple of weeks. But there’s plenty of work to be done by then. The playoffs begin Tuesday, with potential second-round games Thursday or Friday. *** BASEBALL *** In Class 1-A, defending state champion UCA (20-5) is seeded No. 2, with a home game vs. No. 31 Bradford Prep (3-13). Eastern Randolph (9-16), which was a regional…

05 May

Asheboro, Providence Grove girls, Randleman boys claim league track titles

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Chase Farlow, Elijah Woodle, Gracie Beane, Jalaya Showers, Jensen Auman, Lance Everhart, Mid-Piedmont Conference, piedmont athletic conference, prep track and field, Providence Grove Patriots, Randleman Tigers, Ty Moton, Valentino Mark, Zach Hazelwood

Asheboro boys’ track and field coach DeNeal McNair’s team had a strong showing in the Mid-Piedmont Conference championships. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) TROY – Asheboro’s girls’ track and field team won the Mid-Piedmont Conference championship in a tight competition with Oak Grove last week. The Blue Comets racked up 133 points to Oak Grove’s 129, followed by host Montgomery Central (105), North Davidson (82), Central Davidson (63) and Ledford (42). Jalaya Showers led Asheboro by winning the 100 (12.43 seconds), 200 (25.28) and long jump (15 feet, 9½ inches). Asheboro’s Lia George and Rebecca Wilson placed first and second, respectively in…

04 May

Dunbar relishes dual roles with Asheboro ZooKeepers baseball team

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Korey Dunbar, McCrary Park, Melissa Godwin, North Carolina Tar Heels, summer college baseball

Here’s Asheboro ZooKeepers general manager/coach Korey Dunbar outside the new ticket booth at McCrary Park. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) Coach adds front-office duties for college summer team ASHEBORO – Korey Dunbar saw the advantages of adding the title of general manager with the Asheboro ZooKeepers. He’ll combine that role with his duties as the team’s second-year coach for the Coastal Plain League team, which begins play later this month. Melissa Godwin stepped away from the general manager’s role after one year in the position. Last fall, Dunbar became interested in an expanded role. “We talked through some things,” he said. “It…