(From left) Lincoln Charter baseball players Hunter Dodson, Christian Hilty and David Scoggins guided the Eagles to a PCAC championship. (Aaron Burns/DW photo)

DENVER – Jeff McCrary’s Lincoln Charter baseball team set a simple goal for the 2012 season: win the Piedmont Charter Athletic Conference title.

Mission accomplished.

The Eagles nearly earned the PCAC crown and a Class 1A state playoff berth in 2011, but the team – full of underclassmen – fell just short.

“We made sure we got it this time,”

McCrary said. “We started off hot, got cold, then got hot again. The team came together, worked hard and started playing well.”

Sophomore Christian Hilty and juniors David Scoggins and Hunter Dodson helped the Eagles clinch the championship when they led Lincoln Charter to a 6-3 win over Mint Hill Queen’s Grant on May 4.

“We should’ve won it last year,” Scoggins said. “We had most of our guys coming back (this season) and some good freshmen coming up so we really felt like we had a good shot to win it.”

Dodson agreed.

“It was awesome,” Dodson said. “It felt great when that game was over and we knew we had it.”

McCrary called the victory the Eagles’ best performance all season, lofty praise for a team who won six games by nine or more runs.

“I had guys bleeding, I had guys going the whole game giving it everything they had,” McCrary said. “And (Queen’s Grant) is a lot bigger team, size-wise, than us. But we had several guys who just didn’t give up.

“David pitched well, Christian hit a home run and Hunter went 2-for-2. I can’t say enough for how well all the kids played. Nate Liska did a great job as well.”

The win earned Lincoln Charter a wild card bid to the Class 1A playoffs, where the Eagles fell to West Wilkes High 7-4 on May 11. The postseason bid, though short, was icing on the cake of a season Hilty called a success.

“We did what we wanted to do,” Hilty said. “We wanted the conference title and a trip to the playoffs and that’s what we got.”

The Eagles showed their potential early in the season. A 12-2 season-opening win over West Mecklenburg on Feb. 27 and a 9-6 victory over North Lincoln on March 1 pushed the Eagles’ record to 2-0. It upped players’ expectations. After all, this was the same team who started the 2011 season 6-0.

But a cold streak followed the North Lincoln game. The Eagles lost three of their next four contests. There weren’t many positive thoughts entering Eagles players’ minds when PCAC play began on March 16 against Pine Lake Prep.

Hilty – a transfer from East Lincoln High, a consistent Class 2A contender– didn’t know how his new team would react to a losing streak. He soon found out there was no need to worry.

Lincoln Charter handled the Pride 13-1. The Community School of Davidson couldn’t muster a single run in a 9-0 Eagles victory on March 20.

Again the Eagles got momentum on their side, but they squandered it in a 10-9 loss to Queen’s Grant on March 27.

“That did it,” McCrary said. “If losing a couple games before that wasn’t a wake-up call, losing that game did the trick.”

It was the Eagles’ only loss in PCAC play all season. Lincoln Charter breezed through its next three games. The Eagles beat SouthLake Christian, Community School of Davidson and Pine Lake Prep by a combined 46-8.

McCrary said that what set the Eagles apart from last year, in addition to bringing in Hilty, was experience – and a balanced lineup that hit .340 as a team.

“We’re solid just about one through nine in our order,” McCrary said. “We don’t have a lot of power as a team, but guys always made good contact and got on base. That won us a lot of games.”

Scoggins led the Eagles with a .471 batting average and a team-best 21 RBIs, while Hilty (.455, 16) and Dodson (.413, 13) finished close behind.

Hilty’s team-low 3.50 earned run average as a pitcher spoke volumes of his versatility.

“Adding Christian to the lineup gave us another good pitcher that we needed and a good bat too,” Scoggins said.

Hilty said he was just one of several big contributors for the Eagles. If they’re going to defend their title next year, it will take an even more impressive season.

“We’re confident,” Hilty said. “We know what it takes to do it now. And we’ll get ready to do it all again next year.”

North Lincoln High sophomore Allie Castro and East Lincoln High senior Bubba McDowell both made names for themselves in track and field this season.

The two can now call one another state champions, after successful trips to the Class 2A state track meet at North Carolina A&T on May 11.

Castro captured the state title in the girls 3,200-meter run, an event her father, Knights coach Jerry Castro, said she had focused on since the beginning of the season.

“We knew she had a shot to win it,” the elder Castro said. “Her plan was to go out and win. That’s what she wanted to do and she did it. She ran a perfect race.

“We wanted to help control the pace of the race, (and) make sure it was a fast pace. Allie was in third for the first six (of eight) laps, but that was by design.”

Castro’s final time – 11 minutes, 18.62 seconds – was almost identical to her time in the same event at a meet at N.C. State earlier in the year. It was unofficially the second-fastest time in the race in the past 32 years.

“If I had to go faster I probably could’ve, but I didn’t want to use up everything I had before it was time,” Allie Castro said. “I was just cruising until I needed to get by.”

She timed it perfectly.

As the two leaders, Wendell Corinth Holders’ Arden Vessie and Carrboro’s Helen Morken began to show signs of fatigue in the closing stages, Castro made her move and sped to victory by more than six seconds.

Castro said that the win was a punctuated a strong season by the entire North Lincoln team, but her biggest individual challenge is yet to come.

“The goal is to keep the title for the next two years,” Castro said. “It’s harder to keep it than win it the first time, but I’m going to stick to my running schedule over the summer and try to keep it when I (compete for it) again.”

Castro’s victory came after North Lincoln’s boys cross country team captured the Class 2A state championship in late 2011.

“It’s great for the program,” Jerry Castro said. “Our guys ran well too.”

McDowell found a way to outdo his cross-county opponents.

Known for his prowess as a running back for East Lincoln – McDowell holds the school rushing record and will play in the East-West All-Star game on July 18 in Greensboro – the track was just another site to showcase his speed.

McDowell’s 400-meter dash time of 48.72 seconds gave him the title by nearly a full second. It’s the sixth individual boys crown in school history. McDowell joins Nate McCall (2000), Thomas Huntley (2006), Brad Popple (2006), Spenser Sydney (2009) and Brather Cline (2011) as Mustang state champions.

“Bubba is hands down the hardest-working sprinter I have coached in my 14 years of coaching high school track,” Mustangs coach Alonzo Custer said.

“Our team did some crazy early-season workouts…(but) Bubba led by example and never complained. He knew what we do in March has a direct effect on what we achieve in May.”

North Lincoln High’s boys golf team nearly captured its third Class 2A state championship in the past four years when the Knights competed in the state tournament at Long Leaf Country Club in Southern Pines on May 14 and 15.

North Lincoln matched its 2011 result, as the Knights fell behind Salisbury in both rounds en route to a second-place finish.

Clemson signee Miller Capps paced North Lincoln in the tournament. Capps shot a first-round 71 that had him just one stroke out of the lead. But a final-round 74 dropped Capps into a three-way tie for fifth.

Alston Taylor carded a 151 total for the Knights, while Grant Studdard (155), Tanner Reynolds (161), Brandon Williams (162) and Sam Lawing (169) helped North Lincoln to its second consecutive runner-up result.

Mustangs baseball enters third round

DENVER – East Lincoln High’s baseball team stormed through the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference portion of their season, winning all 14 league games.

The Class 2A state playoffs offered little competition for the Mustangs in their first two postseason contests.

East Lincoln captured a first-round 3-2 victory over South Iredell on May 11, then dominated Shelby in a 12-2 win in the second round on  Tuesday, May 15.

The Mustangs entered their third round contest May 17 against the Central Carolina conference’s third-place team, East Davidson, with an eight-game winning streak.

Knights, Mustangs, Eagles fall in girls soccer playoffs

North Lincoln High’s girls soccer team dropped a tough 4-3 decision in overtime to Trinity Wheatmore on May 9 in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs, ending the Knights’ season with a 9-8-1 record.

The teams from Lincoln Charter and East Lincoln also fell by the wayside early in the postseason.

Lincoln Charter (11-5-2) won the Piedmont Charter Athletic Conference title, but lost to Lake Norman Charter 4-0 in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs on May 10.

East Lincoln was the only area team to win a postseason game. The Mustangs (14-6-4) defeated East Burke 2-0 in the first round on May 9. Polk County, the runner-up from the Western Highlands conference, upset East Lincoln 3-2 in overtime in the second round on Saturday, May 12.

East Lincoln hosts baseball camp

DENVER – East Lincoln High’s baseball team will host its annual baseball camp from June 25 to 28.

Camps are separated into four groups: ages 6-7, 8-9, 10-12, and 13 and older.

Members of the Mustangs’ Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference team will help conduct the camps.

The camp costs $75 per person. Camps run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day and are held at East Lincoln High.

For more information, email Chris Matile at cmatile@lincoln.k12.nc.us.

Youth soccer club schedules tryouts

DENVER – The Under-10 Boys and Girls Youth Academy and Under-12 Boys and Girls Challenge tryouts for the Lake Norman Soccer Club’s Piedmont Branch will be at East Lincoln High from May 21 to 22.

Tryouts run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. both days, and will be held on East Lincoln’s practice soccer field.

Cost for the Under-10 Academy is $450, while the Under-12 Challenge fee is $275.

Register online at www.lakenormansoccer.com in the Southern Piedmont Branch section.

Online registration is preferred, though walk-ups will be accepted.

Under-10 games will be in conjunction with Lake Norman Soccer Club Youth Academy games. Teams play two games each over the course of five Saturdays. Home events are at Mazeppa Park in Mooresville, while road games are in Charlotte, Concord, Lenoir, Hickory, Statesville and Mooresville.

Under-12 games are also at Mazzeppa Park. The team plays 7-10 regular season games and 2-3 tournaments.

Training sessions are at East Lincoln High School.

“Our goal is to provide the community with a competitive option for our young players right here in our area as opposed to having to travel long distances for quality training and a competitive environment,” said Southern Piedmont Branch director and East Lincoln High soccer coach Jason Dragoon.

For more information, email Dragoon at jdragoon@lincoln.k12.nc.us.

SouthLake baseball alumni to hold camp next month

HUNTERSVILLE – Former SouthLake Christian Academy baseball players Nathan Sharp, Jared Fortune and Palmer Coleman will hold the Soaring Eagles baseball camp in June.

The first session is for children ages 5 to 9 and runs from June 18 to 22. The second session is for children ages 9 to 12 and runs from June 25 to 29.

Registration for each camp costs $120. Register online at www.stewardsofthe
game.com.

Eagles softball enters third round

DENVER – Lincoln Charter’s softball team advanced to the third round of the Class 1A state playoffs thanks to an 8-3 win over North Moore High onTuesday, May 15.

Sarah Kenley led Lincoln Charter at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs.

Hanna Taylor added three hits and one RBI in the winning cause.

Eagles pitcher Josie Weber went the distance for Lincoln Charter, striking out five and allowing just four hits to take the win.

The Eagles won their first round contest against East Montgomery High 5-2 on May 11.

Lincoln Charter enters their third round game against South Stanly High on a 15-game winning streak.

– Compiled by Aaron Burns

From left, Lincoln Charter girls soccer players Tori Jackson, Caitlyn Miller and Courtney Miller, along with coach Dane Perry, have revitalized the Eagles’ program. (Aaron Burns/DW photo)

DENVER – Dane Perry has gotten the best out of his Lincoln Charter girls soccer team this season.

The Eagles were an uncompetitive bunch in 2011. They won two games and never scored more than three goals in a match.

“We lost focus early (last) season,” Eagles sophomore midfielder Tori Jackson said. “It was hard to keep up hope. Honestly, we entered games hoping to lose by three or less goals.”

That all changed when Perry, a former coach at Lake Norman High and Mallard Creek High, joined the program in June 2011.

A strong freshman class – led by Courtney Miller, Caitlyn Miller and Madelyn Holmes – helped instill a sense of confidence when practices started in February.

“We felt like we could surprise some people,” Perry said, “but we didn’t know what we were capable of doing when we started. We had an early goal of (a .500 record).”

The Eagles didn’t shock the world with their start. A 5-1 loss to North Lincoln on March 12 dropped their record to 1-5. Perry made his team watch a recording of the defeat, and it wasn’t pretty.

“We had a 1-0 lead and gave up five bad goals in 30 minutes,” Perry said.

Courtney Miller said she didn’t enjoy watching the team’s mistakes again, but the viewing party served its purpose.

“We didn’t want to have that happen to us again,” Courtney Miller said.

The Eagles never lost another regular season game. They finished the Piedmont Charter Athletic Conference portion of the season with a 5-0-1 record – good enough for the league championship.

Lincoln Charter’s numbers compared to last season are striking: 38 goals, versus 12 in 2011. The Eagles’ offense skyrocketed, but the defense has tightened up as well, allowing just 30 goals compared to 53 a year ago.

Jackson said the turnaround was satisfying, especially after being one of few bright spots on a two-win team.

“We just stayed confident (this season),” Jackson said. “With girls soccer, you never know what you can come out with, but we definitely accomplished what we wanted to (with the PCAC title). It’s (thanks to) that determination and confidence that you know you’ll go in and get the job done.”

Caitlyn Miller attributed that mind-set to Perry, whose technically sound coaching style focused on maximizing performance. Perry knew the transformation from PCAC doormat to Class 1A state playoff contender was complete when the Eagles coach had no more negative film sessions.

“At the beginning of the year, we went on the field hoping to compete,” Perry said. “At this point we go on the field expecting to win. There’s no fear.”

Fearless is a good way to describe this year’s Eagles team. They’re the new kids on the block – but not just in terms of acclaim.

Lincoln Charter’s roster is barely older than many junior varsity squads, with only five upperclassmen on the team.

“With this group of girls, as young as they are, we saw (promise) in the future,” Perry said. “We just didn’t necessarily expect for it to be this quick.”

Perry said the Eagles’ undefeated run to the PCAC title was gratifying. But a non-conference 2-2 tie against perennial Class 2A playoff contender East Lincoln on April 24 showed the Eagles could compete with anyone they meet on the field.

“We’re starting to show we can go outside the comfort zone of these small schools we traditionally play,” Perry said. “We had a shot on goal to win with 15 seconds left that was barely stopped. We could’ve won it.”

Jackson said the Eagles’ future is bright.

“It’s still been unreal to me, because last year was so challenging,” Jackson said. “But every game has been special.”

DENVER – Winning the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference regular season baseball championship wasn’t enough for East Lincoln High.

The Mustangs knocked off West Lincoln 8-3 to collect the SPC tournament crown Saturday, May 5, capping off an unbeaten run through league games this season.

East Lincoln’s celebration didn’t last long however, as the Mustangs prepared to host South Iredell in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs on Friday, May 11, at 7 p.m.

But any win over West Lincoln deserves accolades, Mustangs junior Danny Sullivan said.

“We’ve always had trouble getting hits against West Lincoln’s pitchers,” Sullivan said.

“They’re a rival, and they’re always tough to play. But we’ve got a solid senior class and a good group of guys and we were ready for them.”

The Mustangs (20-4, 14-0 SPC) beat West Lincoln thanks to strong pitching by Garrett Young and Nick Savoie.

Young went 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits, striking out two, before he gave way to Savoie with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.

Savoie rose to the occasion. He shut out the Rebels over the final 3 1/3 innings, striking out two and allowing just two hits.

Zac Rust (2-for-2, one RBI, one run), Addison Parrish (2-for-4, one run) and Clay Hodges (1-for-3, one RBI, two runs) led the Mustangs at the plate.

The SPC’s playoff structure forced East Lincoln to play three games in three days, but Mustangs coach Chris Matile said his players were up to the challenge.

“(I’m) very proud of our guys,” Matile said. “(It was) a long week, playing four games and three in a row … (we) got great performances throughout the week by our pitchers, and offensively, we were able to get some comfortable leads.”

Sullivan, who went 2-for-4 and scored a run, agreed.

“We were determined to win and we did what we had to do,” Sullivan said.

“We had some tough games but we felt like at the beginning of the year we could win the conference tournament. West Lincoln was tough and so was North Lincoln.”

The Mustangs beat North Lincoln 9-5 in the semifinal.

East Lincoln’s next test also promises to be difficult.

South Iredell finished the regular season with a 12-11 mark and an 8-6 record in Catawba Valley 2A/3A conference play.

The Vikings enter the contest with wins in three of their last four contests. South Iredell lost  6-5 to Valdese Draughn in the CVAC semifinal on May 4.

East Lincoln and South Iredell last met in a nonconference game on March 24, 2009, a game the Mustangs won, 15-5.

“Nicole will be a great assist to her new school,” North Lincoln coach Lynn Rhyne said.

(Front row, from left) Jeff Paysour, Nicole Paysour, Cindy Paysour. Back row, from left: Lynn Rhyne, Paulette Swink, Tracy Taylor. (Courtesy of Lynn Rhyne)

DENVER – Lincoln Charter’s softball team collected a 10-0 victory over Mint Hill Queen’s Grant on May 3 to capture the Piedmont Charter Athletic Conference championship.

Eagles freshman pitcher Emily Kenley no-hit Queen’s Grant, striking out 14 and walking three to get the win. Kenley’s performance pushed her record as a starter to 5-2 on the year.

Victoria Morgan and Josie Weber led the Eagles at the plate in the win over Queen’s Grant with two RBIs each.

After a 5-2 win over Class 4A opponent Olympic on May 8 the Eagles’ win streak ballooned to 13. They haven’t lost a game since a 7-2 setback to Maiden on March 6.

Lincoln Charter (14-2, 6-0 PCAC), a Class 1A school, upset Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference contender North Lincoln 6-4 in a nonconference game on May 2.

Because the PCAC is an unofficial conference, the Eagles need an at-large bid from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association to compete in the Class 1A state playoffs. The playoffs begin on Friday, May 11.

East Lincoln hosts baseball camp

DENVER – East Lincoln High’s baseball team will host its annual baseball camp from June 25-28.

Camps are separated into four groups: players aged 6 to 7, 8 to 9, 10 to 12, and 13 and older.

Members of the Mustangs’ Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference team will help conduct the camps.

The camp costs $75 per person. Camps run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day and are held at East Lincoln High.

For more information, email Chris
Matile at cmatile@lincoln.k12.nc.us.

Knights boys golf advances to Class 2A state tournament

North Lincoln High’s boys golf team has two Class 2A state championships, in 2009 and 2010.

The Knights will get a shot at capturing a third title very soon.

North Lincoln’s team advanced to the Class 2A state tournament, held from May 14-15 at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines.

On Monday, May 14, the Knights begin their quest for a third crown when senior Miller Capps, a Clemson signee and North Lincoln’s No. 1 player, tees off from the 10th tee at 8:20 a.m.

Freshman Alston Taylor starts at 8:30 a.m., followed by sophomore Tanner Reynolds (8:40 a.m.), senior Brandon Williams (8:50 a.m.), junior Sam Lawing (9 a.m.), and sophomore Grant Studdard (9:10 a.m.), all of whom also tee off from the 10th tee.

The Knights’ players will be paired on the first day with fellow state qualifiers from Carrboro High and West Davidson High.

Mustangs send track

stars to state meet

DENVER -– East Lincoln High’s boys track team finished second in the Class 2A West Regional track meet on Sunday, May 5, at Polk County High.

The Mustangs fell just short of a fourth straight regional championship, finishing 3.5 points behind Shelby High.

East Lincoln’s Jesse Earnhardt (long jump, 100-meter run, 200-meter run) and Bubba McDowell (100-meter run, 200-meter run, 400-meter run) will join the Mustangs’ 1,600- and 3,200-meter relay teams at the state meet at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro on Friday, May 11.

“During the meet, the guys consistently finished ahead of where they were seeded,” East Lincoln coach Alonzo Custer said. “While other teams were complaining about the heat, and not performing well, Bubba and the entire team kept improving with each race.”

McDowell’s time of 49.34 seconds in the 400-meter run set a new meet record.

SouthLake baseball alumni to hold camp

HUNTERSVILLE – Former SouthLake Christian Academy baseball players Nathan Sharp, Jared Fortune and Palmer Coleman will hold the Soaring Eagles baseball camp in June.

The first session is for children aged 5 to 9 and runs from June 18 to June 22. The second session is for children aged 9 to 12 and runs from June 25 to June 29.

The price per camp is $100 if you register before Tuesday, May 15. The price for registrations received afterward is $120.

Space is limited to 25 campers per session.

The camps are held at Huntersville Athletic Park. They begin at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. each day.

For more information, email Nathan Sharp at nasharp@presby.edu.

Sign up for Rodney Monroe

basketball camps

HUNTERSVILLE – SouthLake Christian Academy is hosting a pair of basketball camps during the summer.

The first session runs from June 25 to June 29, and the second starts July 23 and ends July 27.

Camps for players aged 6 to 9 run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and camps for players aged 10 to 15 run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The fee for either session is $125.

SouthLake Christian boys basketball coach and former NC State standout Rodney Monroe will lead the clinics.

To sign up, print off a registration form from rodneymonroebasketball.com or denverbasketballleague.com.

– Compiled by Aaron Burns

North Lincoln High’s Brian Lehman, left, and Evan Peaire teamed up to win the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference doubles championship. (Aaron Burns/DW photo)

LINCOLNTON – Evan Peaire and Brian Lehman decided early in North Lincoln High’s tennis season that second place was unacceptable.

The Knights’ top doubles pair finished second in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference’s tournaments in 2010 and 2011. Things had to be different the third time around.

“This year, we really figured out our playing styles,” Peaire said.

They also figured out how to win the league title.

Peaire and Lehman defeated Lincolnton High’s Ethan Miller and Alan Silva 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) on April 25 at North Lincoln.

“Finally winning (the title) was great,” Lehman said. “It wasn’t something I really expected.”

North Lincoln coach Jay Thomson was less surprised.

“Evan and Brian really worked on their games this year,” Thomson said. “I wouldn’t say we worked any harder (than last year), but we worked more specifically on things than last year. We focused on what all our guys needed to do to win. Evan and Brian were two who really did that well.

“Evan has every stroke there is. He can hit the ball. Where he’s focused is his mental game. (In the past) if he would lose a point he would try too hard and lose more. He’s gotten better at that. There’s still a ways to go and he knows that, but he’s getting there quickly.”

Lehman’s game is different than Peaire’s, but not just because he’s a superior server and Peaire has a better ground stroke. Lehman serves left-handed. But he plays right-handed during volleys. Lehman moves the racket to his left hand for any overhead shot. It adds a wrinkle to his game that Thomson said makes life tougher for him on the court. Opponents can plan for it and aim shots to make him change hands.

You might miss Lehman’s quick switch if you’re not looking for it. Many of Lehman’s opponents don’t even see it.

“It’s fun to watch him play,” Thomson said. “I’ll ask other coaches or players, ‘Was your opponent left-handed or right-handed?’ And they won’t know what to say. I’ve never seen anything like that from a player, but he makes it work.”

Peaire said it’s not had much affect on their doubles game because the two are used to playing alongside one another.

They’re also unselfish.

“We help each other out at the net whenever we have to,” Peaire said.

He and Lehman spend at least eight to 10 hours on the court together every week trying to get even more in sync.

Peaire said that’s what made the pair more successful in conference matches.

“We keep each other focused,” Peaire said. “We always adapt to whatever’s going on in a match and we play off each other’s strengths.”

Lehman said trust and experience make a difference, too.

“It’s easy to get along with your tennis partner when you trust him and you know him well,” Lehman said. “That helps.”

Peaire said that while he and Lehman played well in the league title match, it wasn’t their best effort.

The pair have plenty of confidence entering the Class 2A West Regional tournament in Brevard on Friday, May 4, after earning the conference champion title.

“It definitely helped us feel like we could do well (at regionals),” Peaire said of the conference title. “We both think if we keep playing at our best, we have a shot at states.”

Something will have to change for Peaire and Lehman to improve on their past two regional tournaments.

“We’ve gotten really tough draws in the past couple of years,” Peaire said. “Playing tough teams like Newton-Conover hasn’t been easy on us.”

North Lincoln High’s Stephanie Wooten, center, signs with Davis and Elkins (W.V.) University. (Courtesy of Lynn Rhyne)

North Lincoln High guard Stephanie Wooten signed a letter of intent April 25 to play basketball at Davis and Elkins (W.Va.) University.

Wooten won Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference Player of the Year honors in her senior season. She led the Knights in assists and guided the team to the SPC regular season and tournament championships.

North Lincoln coach Lynn Rhyne said Wooten “is a leader and an exceptional basketball player. She will excel at the college level.”

LINCOLNTON – North Lincoln High and East Lincoln High have fielded stellar track teams in the past.

This season was no different.

Both schools earned titles in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference meet at North Lincoln on April 25.

East Lincoln’s boys team swept the awards. Bubba McDowell was Track Event Most Valuable Player, Jai Thomas earned Field Event MVP and Mustangs coach Alonzo Custer was Coach of the Year.

The Mustangs captured wins in eight events and earned the boys conference title – their seventh in a row – with 238 points.

North Lincoln was second with 147.

“The guys did a great job,” Custer said. “(They) felt a sense of responsibility to keep the streak going. I challenged them early in the year, and this group responded with another strong season.”

McDowell captured the 100- and 200-meter dash races. He joined Jesse Earnhardt (long jump), Damirius Valentine (high jump), John Loukos (pole vault), Will Krehnbrink (110- and 300-meter hurdles) as individual winners.

Custer admitted the Mustangs’ seventh crown wasn’t their easiest.

“As a coach, it is great to see kids dig deep and push themselves to perform at a high level,” Custer said. “North Lincoln has a solid team and our kids knew they had to perform well to win the meet.”

North Lincoln’s Chase Stehling (shot put), Alex Leech (triple jump), Andrew Fea (1,600-meter run) and Ryan Shannon (3,200-meter run) earned individual boys wins.

The Knights turned the tables on the Mustangs in the girls meet.

North Lincoln’s Allie Castro took home Track Event MVP. Her times in the 1,600-meter run (5 minutes, 27.7 seconds) and 3,200 meter run (12 minutes, 5.8 seconds) set new school and conference records.

Knights coach Matt Reep, who won girls Coach of the Year honors, said Castro deserved the credit for her efforts.

“Allie is a phenomenal runner,” Reep said. “Her success comes from hard work and dedication from the end of cross country season to the beginning of track season.”

Castro also won the 800-meter run.

Gastonia Highland Tech’s Zoe Ellis earned Field Event MVP honors.

North Lincoln’s victories in the 4×400-meter relay and 4×800-meter relay helped the Knights clinch the girls conference championship with 134 points to second-place East Lincoln’s 119.

The Class 2A West Regional meet is Saturday, May 5 at Polk County High, and the Class 2A State meet will be May 11 at North Carolina A&T.