East Rowan’s Karleigh Wike is a nominee for the McDonald’s All-America basketball game.
The senior has signed with Richmond and recently scorer her 1,000th career point.
the 6-foot-4 Wike averages 12.5 points, 14.6 rebounds and 3.8 blocks for the Mustangs, who are in first place in the South Piedmont Conference.
Albemarle’s Akela Branch also is a nominee for the girls game.
Concord standout Connor Burchfield was nominated for the McDonald’s boys game.
There were 22 nominees (counting boys and girls) from North Carolina and almost 1,000 nationwide.
Ohio had the most nominees with 121. Texas had 97.
Twenty-four boys and 24 girls will be chosen to play in the games that will be held in Chicago on April 2.
Catawba’s baseball team was voted the preseason favorite by SAC coaches in a poll that was released Monday.
Catawba got nine of 11 first-place votes.
Tusculum and Wingate tied for second in the voting, although Catawba coach Jim Gantt said that Newberry, which got two first-place votes, new league member Coker, and Lincoln Memorial, which finished last season with a bang, are all threats to finish on top.
“There are a lot of good coaches in the league,” Gantt said. “And there will be a lot of good teams.”
Catawba was well-represented on the preseason All-SAC team.
Second baseman Julio Zubillaga (Carson) and outfielder Keaton Hawks were first-team picks. Zubillaga has been the league’s Gold Glove winner at second three straight seasons and batted .328 last season. Hawks batted .346 and was all-region.
Paul Kronenfeld was a second-team pick for the outfield, although he’s expected to play first base this season for the Indians. a transfer from Georgia Tech, he drove in 50 runs for Catawba in 2013. Also second-team were center fielder Blake Houston (South Rowan), who batted .391, and pitcher John J. Tuttle (A.L. Brown), who won 10 games last season and was dominating in a summer wood-bat league.
The Catawba preseason report is scheduled for Friday’s edition.
Larry Fite made a hole-in-one on No. 16 at Corbin Hills on Monday.
Fite was playing the gold tees and aced the 142-yard hole with a hybrid club.
Witnessing the feat were Ted West, Jim Lockwood and David Buckley.
The seventh-grade basketball season is under way.
Scores, standout players (five or more points, rebounds, assists or steals) and the team’s next game can be emailed to sports@salisburypost for publication.
West Rowan Middle’s girls beat North Rowan Middle 36-29.
Kia Pharr had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for the Bulldogs. Chantal Robinson scored nine points, and Hanna Pratt had seven.
Bil’Lizah Connor scored 21 for the Mavericks in the opener for both teams.
• Erwin’s boys won 35-12 against Corriher-Lipe.
Christian Bennett scored 13 points and Gabe Hinceman had 10 to lead the Eagles.
Blaise Bumgarner scored five for the Yellow Jackets.
Erwin plays at West Middle on Thursday.
• China Grove’s girls edged Southeast 21-20.
Katie Jewell scored eight for the Red Devils.
Katlyn Honeycut scored six for the Patriots, and Nancy Gamewell scored five.
• China Grove’s boys won 37-28 against Southeast.
Davis Tadlock scored 10 points for the Red Devils. Jarius Bates scored nine, Dylan Johnson had eight, and Jaff Bramblett added seven.
Josh Lee scored 14 for Southeast, and Deondre Banner had six.
Sacred Heart’s jayvee boys won 42-35 against Concordia Lutheran.
Blaine Shellhorn led the Dolphins with 19 points, and Julian Malnar scored 16.
Patrick Taylor had 12 assists. William Austin, Zach Proctor and Juan Salazar led the defense, while Jimmy Sentilles and Barney Malloy combined for 14 rebounds.
• In a 32-23 win against Hickory Christian, Malnar scored 15 points, and Shellhorn had six. Sentilles blocked nineshots, and Malloy had 11 rebounds.
Other standouts were Camden Beerbajan and Sean Archer.
The team finishes off the season with the conference tournament this Saturday.
Sacred Heart and Salisbury Academy are the tournament hosts.
• Sacred Heart’s varsity girls won 28-26 against Hickory Christian.
Julia Honeycutt had 13 points, five steals and three assists. Leah Wyrick had 10 rebounds. Wyrick, Sara Nyugen, Mary McCullough, Mary Sobataka and Olivia Dagenhart contributed points.
• Sacred Heart’s varsity boys (14-3) lost to Hickory Christian 40-39 on a late free throw. Jack Fisher led the Dolphins with 17 pts and seven rebounds. Will Taylor scored 11, and Michael Childress had five. Eric Turnbull and Melvin Bonilla also scored.
Sacred Heart is home against Statesville Christian today with games at 4 (girls) and 5:15 (boys). Eighth-grade athletes will be recognized between games.