North Carolina Tar Heels - Randolph Record

23 Mar

Wheatmore alum Oakley wins one match in NCAAs

Randolph RecordSportsCollege wrestling, Ethan Oakley, NCAA Tournament, North Carolina Tar Heels, Wheatmore athletics

PHILADELPHIA — North Carolina wrestler Ethan Oakley, a Wheatmore alum, went 1-2 in the NCAA championships and didn’t place in the tournament at Wells Fargo Center last week. Oakley, seeded 12th, fell to No. 21 seed Angelo Rini of Indiana by 7-1 in the first round. Oakley responded to defeated Edinboro’s Colton Camacho 15-11 in a consolation matchup. In the second consolation round, Oakley was eliminated with an 8-4 loss to Iowa State’s Evan Frost. Oakley, a transfer from Appalachian State who has a year of eligibility remaining, finished the season with a 22-7 record. Stanford’s Tyler Knox, who lost…

10 Mar

Wheatmore alum Oakley qualifies for NCAAs with new team

Bob SuttonSportsACC Championship, ACC Tournament, College wrestling, Ethan Oakley, NCAA Tournament, North Carolina Tar Heels, Wheatmore Warriors

North Carolina’s Ethan Oakley went 2-1 in the ACC Tournament to advance to the NCAAs. (University of North Carolina photo) DURHAM — It didn’t go exactly how Ethan Oakley planned, but the former Wheatmore wrestler earned a spot back in the NCAA championships. In his first year competing for North Carolina, Oakley placed third in the 133-pound division in Sunday’s Athletic Coast Conference Tournament at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium. “At least I finished strong, so that was good,” Oakley said. After reaching the NCAAs twice while at Appalachian State, Oakley sought a change of scenery and landed in Chapel Hill.…

06 Feb

Southwestern Randolph grad Coleman picked to All-ACC preseason softball team

Randolph RecordSportsAlex Coleman, Asheboro Zookeepers, College softball, North Carolina Tar Heels, Southwestern Randolph Cougars

North Carolina outfielder Alex Coleman, a Southwestern Randolph graduate, was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference preseason softball team. Coleman, a senior, will be in her second season with the Tar Heels after transferring from Marshall. Last year, she led the ACC with a .436 batting average. She also had a team-leading 44 runs scored, 20 stolen bases and 18 multi-hit games. Coleman’s batting average was the best for a North Carolina player since 1996. The Tar Heels were selected for a ninth-place finish in the coaches’ poll. Duke was picked first. North Carolina opens the season Friday in the…

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…

02 Apr

College notes: Coleman leads ACC in softball batting; Oakley wins two bouts in NCAAs

Bob SuttonSportsAlex Coleman, Appalachian State, College softball, College wrestling, Ethan Oakley, North Carolina Tar Heels

Alex Coleman (Courtesy photo) Southwestern Randolph alum Alex Coleman, an outfielder for North Carolina’s softball team, is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading batter more than halfway through the season. Coleman checked at .495 entering this week. Her numbers reflect a conference-leading 53 hits in 107 official at-bats with three doubles. The Tar Heels leadoff batter also has drawn 14 walks with only eight strikeouts. Behind Coleman in batting average is Florida State’s Jaysoni Beachum at .470. Coleman’s 37 runs scored rate second in the ACC. She’s also 20-for-21 on stolen-base attempts to rank tied for second…

23 Dec

Norwood begins journey with Tar Heels

Bob SuttonSportscollege football, college recruiting, Eastern Randolph athletics, Eastern Randolph football, Jani Norwood, North Carolina Tar Heels, prep football

Jani Norwood (Courtesy photo) RAMSEUR – Jani Norwood of Eastern Randolph officially became a member of the signing class for the North Carolina football team this week. The senior lineman was a four-year starter on the offensive line. This year, he was named the Piedmont Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year for his work on the defensive front for the Wildcats, who won their third consecutive conference championship. Twenty of North Carolina’s 27 signees, including Norwood, are listed as early enrollees and another comes as a junior college transfer. That explains why Norwood isn’t a member of Eastern Randolph’s…

15 Aug

Norwood eyes big impact in final season for Eastern Randolph Wildcats

Bob SuttonSportsBurton Cates, Eastern Randolph athletics, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Jani Norwood, North Carolina Tar Heels, prep football

Eastern Randolph’s Jani Norwood is set for his senior season. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) North Carolina football commit excels as Eastern Randolph lineman RAMSEUR – Jani Norwood’s goal is to take care of business on the football field for Eastern Randolph in the coming months. The focus became clear after he made a college commitment in the spring. The offensive lineman chose North Carolina for his college destination. “I wanted to do it before the start of my senior season,” Norwood said. “UNC felt like the most home to me.” Eastern Randolph, the two-time defending Piedmont Athletic Conference champion, opens the…

02 Jul

Southwestern Randolph grad Coleman transfers to North Carolina for softball

Bob SuttonSportsAlex Coleman, College softball, North Carolina Tar Heels, Southwestern Randolph Cougars

Southwestern Randolph graduate Alex Coleman has joined North Carolina’s softball team. (Courtesy photo) Former Southwestern Randolph player follows college coach Alex Coleman said she relished her time as a college softball player at Marshall. She said she’s hoping for something even more as she follows her coach to North Carolina. The former Southwestern Randolph standout has become a Tar Heel. “I kind of made a decision to enter the (transfer) portal and it was a really hard decision,” Coleman said. Megan Smith Lyon left her position as Marshall’s coach to take the position at North Carolina, her alma mater. The…