Two Lincoln County athletes claim state titles

East Lincoln's Marcus "Bubba" McDowell and North Lincoln's Allie Castro both won individual state championships at last weekend's 2A track and field meet.

McDowell, a senior, won the 400-meter title with a 48.72. Castro's 11:18.62 time in the 3,200 meters allowed her to claim her state title. She was more than eight seconds faster than the state runner-up.

North Lincoln's Andrew Fea was second in the 1,600 meter run with a 4:27.80, while Ryan Shannon was third in the 3,200 meters (9:54.30).

Lake Norman Charter participated in the 1A state meet, where they were led by Stephanie Zaino's third place finish in the 3,200 meters as well as the boys' 4x800 meter relay team (Michael Westbay, Nathan Farber, Stephen Hack, Chris Hack) that finished as state runner-up. Here are the full 1A results.

South Iredell tennis player is state runner-up

South Iredell’s Patrick Hensley had a good weekend at the 2A boys’ tennis state championships, winning three matches to reach the state final match.

Hensley, a senior, defeated Central Davidson’s Levi Bruff 6-3, 6-1 in the first round before coming back from behind to beat Hillsborough Cedar Ridge’s Zac Marion 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

On the second day of the tournament, Hensley defeated Eben Wells (Kill Devil Hills First Flight) 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinal before losing to Salisbury freshman Michael Ogden 6-4, 6-0 for the state championship.

Hensley was state runner-up for a second year in a row.

Other Lake Norman area players didn't fare as well.

Jake Combs (Mooresville) dropped his first-round match 6-1, 6-0 to Greensboro Page’s Austin Ansari, while Greensboro Grimsley’s Will Albright and Graham Pearson defeated Ryan Wydra-Collin Black (Hough) 6-1, 6-3 in the first round of doubles play.

Lake Norman playoff update (May 14)

This past weekend was a busy one in playoff action. Here is a recap of results (Lake Norman area teams in bold).

Baseball

1A

Lake Norman Charter def. North Moore 5-3

2A

East Rutherford def. North Lincoln 2-1

East Lincoln def. South Iredell 3-2

Bandys def. West Stokes 20-3

4A

Mooresville def. Olympic 7-3

Hough def. Porter Ridge 2-1

Lake Norman def. Sun Valley 3-0

Asheville Roberson def. Hopewell  6-5

Tuesday's second round games:

Lake Norman Charter at Hendersonville

Shelby at East Lincoln

Bandys at Wilkes Central

Lake Norman at Mallard Creek

Mooresville at Hough

Click here for full baseball brackets.

Softball

1A

Lincoln Charter def. East Montgomery 5-2

Lake Norman Charter def. Hiwassee Dam 5-3

2A

Chase def. East Lincoln 5-4

North Lincoln def. South Iredell 3-1

Bandys def. West Davidson 11-1

4A

Olympic def. Hopewell 10-1

Hough def. Sun Valley 5-4

Lake Norman def. Butler 13-0

Asheville Roberson def. Mooresville 22-2

Tuesday’s second-round games:

Lincoln Charter at North Moore

Lake Norman Charter vs. Cherokee/Mitchell

Polk County at North Lincoln

West Lincoln at Bandys

Hough at Olympic

Porter Ridge at Lake Norman

Click here for full softball brackets.

Girls' soccer

1A

Lake Norman Charter def. Union Academy 5-0

2A

Shelby def. Bandys 4-1

Polk County def. East Lincoln 3-2 OT

South Iredell def. Wheatmore 8-6 OT

4A

Lake Norman def. Olympic 4-1

Hough def. Sun Valley 3-1

Tuesday’s third-round games:

Central Academy at Lake Norman Charter

Polk County at South Iredell

Lake Norman at Asheville A.C. Reynolds

Hough at Asheville T.C. Roberson

Click here for full girls' soccer brackets.

Boys' lacrosse

Lake Norman's 18-3 win against Greensboro Grimsley Friday will send the Wildcats to the state semifinals against Myers Park.

Lake Norman (21-0) will host the Mustangs (17-3) Tuesday night. The winner of that  game will play for a state championship against either Raleigh Athens Drive or Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons.

Girls' lacrosse

Lake Norman dropped a 16-7 game to Marvin Ridge in the state quarterfinals Friday to end their quest for a state championship.

The Lady Wildcats finished the year 13-6 after being runners-up in Conference 7 to Myers Park, which dropped the other western quarterfinal to Charlotte Catholic. For a bracket, go here.

Lake Norman area athletes prepare for state's indoor meets

Five Lake Norman area teams will have athletes competing at Saturday's N.C. High School Athletic Association state indoor track and field meets at UNC Chapel Hill's Eddie Smith Field House.

North Lincoln and South Iredell will participate in the 1A/2A/3A meet, which kick off at 9 a.m., while Lake Norman, Mooresville and North Mecklenburg will compete in the 4A meet, which starts at 4 p.m.

Here is a list of the local athletes participating by school:

1A/2A/3A

North Lincoln: Allie Castro (girls’ 1,000-meter run, 1,600-meter run, 3,200-meter run), Savannah Fornshell (girls’ 3,200-meter run), Morgan Ellis (girls’ 3,200-meter run), Caitlin Potter (girls’ 1,000-meter run),  girls’ 4x800 relay, Andrew Fea (boys’ 3,200-meter run), Chris Boyle (boys’ 3,200-meter run), German Perez (boys’ 1,600-meter run), boys’ 4x800 relay.

South Iredell: Kevin Little (boys’ 55-meter hurdles).

4A

Lake Norman: Michael Rupinski (boys’ 500-meter dash 1,000-meter run), Patrick Sheehan (boys’ 3,200-meter run), Kelsie Rubino (girls’ 500-meter dash, 1,000-meter run, 1,600-meter run, 3,200-meter run), Taylor Sweet (girls’ 1,600-meter run)

Mooresville: Tyler Bell (boys’ 55-meter hurdles, triple jump), Kendrick Johnson (boys’ high jump), Elizabeth Rodes (girls’ pole vault).

North Mecklenburg:  Michael Parkins (boys’ 500-meter dash), Nicholas Lawson (boys’ 500-meter dash), Christopher Thompson (boys’ 55-meter dash), Terrance Clyburn (boys’ 55-meter dash), Morgan Anderson (boys’ 55-meter dash), Melissa Helms (girls’ 55-meter hurdles, 500-meter dash), Jhatanah Thomas (girls’ triple jump), Sabrina Moores (girls’ 55-meter dash, 300-meter dash), Trikeria Johnson (girls’ 500-meter dash),  girls’ 4x400 relay.

For more qualifiers, check out N.C. Runners' complete 1A/2A/3A and 4A entry lists.

Quick hits: May 16

I-Meck teams struggle early in baseball playoffs

Three of the five I-Meck Conference teams went through to the second round in the 4A baseball playoffs. Hopewell, Mallard Creek and Mooresville were the only conference teams moving on. The Titans (14-13) will play the Mavericks (21-6), while the Blue Devils (20-7) will travel to T.C. Roberson Tuesday.

Here are the first round scores:

Lake Norman 2 - Alexander Central 7

Mallard Creek 7 - Sun Valley 2

Hopewell 11 - West Meck 1

Mooresville 5 - South Caldwell 4

North Meck 0 - Porter Ridge 5

Knights, Mustangs also move on

Other local teams - Lake Norman Charter and East Lincoln - also won their first-round playoff games.

The Knights defeated Mooresboro Thomas Jefferson 6-1 Friday, while the Mustangs beat North Surry 6-1 Friday. Lake Norman Charter (17-4) will travel to Murphy, while East Lincoln (16-6) will face West Davidson for second-round play.

Hopewell boys finish second in state track and field meet

Behind sprinter Anthony Bynum's success, Hopewell finished as 4A track and field state runner-ups.

Bynum won the 200 meters, while finishing second in the 100 meters for the Titans. Hopewell's Brandon Dunford, who was second in the 800-meter race, and Tyriq Jackson, who finished seventh in the 110-meter hurdles, also made key contributions.

The Titans finished the meet Saturday with 38 points - 28 points behind state champions Knightdale.

Vance finished sixth and Mallard Creek was 34th. Mooresville (47th) and Lake Norman (57th) also had athletes place at the championships.

On the girls' side, Mallard Creek finished 18th and Hopewell was 37th. Vance (40th) and North Mecklenburg (49) also had representation at the meet.

Softball brackets released

Six I-Meck softball teams made the NCHSAA 4A playoffs.

Hough at Porter Ridge

Mallard Creek at Lake Norman

Mooresville at Alexander Central

Hopewell at East Gaston

North Meck at Sun Valley

Here are the 4A West brackets.

Another local team, East Lincoln will host Forest Hills in the 2A playoffs. Here is the 2A West brackets.

Cannon named No. 1 seed in NCISAA softball playoffs

After a 15-2 year, the Cannon softball team claimed the private school 3A softball championships' top seed. Here are the brackets for the tournament, which kicks off today:

No. 1 Cannon School vs. No. 8 Charlotte Country Day

No. 5 Charlotte Latin vs. No. 4 Providence Day

No. 3 High Point Christian vs. No. 6 Wesleyan Christian

No. 7 Cary Academy vs. No. 2 Hickory Grove

Davidson Day athletic director to step down

Davidson Day announced that athletic director Tim Weir will be stepping down at the end of the school year for family reasons.

Weir along with his wife, Christina, who works as a second-grade teacher at Davidson Day, and their two children plan to move to New England to be closer to family.

"It's been a wonderful opportunity to work with such great people - the students, faculty, staff and parents," said Weir, who also serves as the Patriots' track and field coach, in a school release. "I know Davidson Day will be successful as it continues to grow and move forward in its athletics program."

Weir was hired at Davidson Day last May after a stint as associate dean of students at Leysin American School in Leysin, Switzerland. Weir served as an assistant track coach at UNC Charlotte in the 1990s.

Davidson Day also announced that it will undertake a national search for a new athletic director. Michael Smith, the head of Davidson Day's upper school, will serve as interim athletic director. He served in an AD position at Winston-Salem's Summit School for eight years. Catherine Fulton, a physical education teacher and the Patriots' volleyball coach, will serve as interim assistant athletic director.

Bynum, Gulley win I-Meck track MVP honors

Hopewell's Cheyenne Hutchinson (center) won the girls'
100-meter hurdles at Friday's I-Meck track and field championships
held at Mallard Creek High. Deidra Laird - dlaird@charlotteobserver.com

The I-Meck track and field championships were held Friday. Here are a few highlights:

Girls

• Lake Norman's Jenny Galligher won the 1,600-meter race. She also finished second in the 800- and 3,200-meter races.

• Mallard Creek's Lauren Gulley was named girls' MVP after winning the 400 meters and finishing second in the 200. She also helped her team to a first-place finish in the 4x100 relay.
• Kaitlyn Shetler, a Mallard Creek junior, won the 800- and 3,200-meter races while also finishing third in the 1,600.
• Hopewell's Cheyenne Hutchinson won the 100-meter hurdles.

Boys

• West Charlotte's Mark Blackmon won the 800- and 1600-meter races.
• Mallard Creek's Getisso Dentamo and Lake Norman's Michael Mashburn finished second and third respectively in the mile.
• Hopewell sprinter Anthony Bynum was named boys MVP. He won the 100- and 200- meters, while leading the Titans to a 4x400 relay victory.
• Tyriq Jackson, Hopewell, won the 110-meter hurdles. His teammate, Michael Bankhead, finished second.
  

For more, check out freelance writer Herb White's article from Saturday's Observer and a picture slideshow.