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Trinity baseball Jake Little from May2022 NEW CROP

Check on college-bound athletes from area schools

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Jake Little of Trinity made a big impact in baseball for the Bulldogs and he’ll continue playing in 2024. (File photo)

Here’s a check on some of Randolph County’s top athletes from the Class of 2023 with their college intentions:

** Asheboro’s Nicolas Chavez signed to go to UNC Asheville for men’s track and field. He was a hurdler and pole vaulter for the Blue Comets.

** Katelyn Thomas of Asheboro is headed to Anderson (S.C.) University to play women’s tennis. She has been on the Mid-Piedmont Conference all-conference team the past two years.

** Diego Gutierrez of Asheboro is going to Carolina University for men’s soccer. He also was a wrestling standout for the Blue Comets.

Edwin Perez is slated to play men’s soccer at Chowan, which is the same destination for Asheboro teammate Calvin Smith. Smith was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Mid-Piedmont Conference, while Gutierrez and Perez were all-conference choices.

** Trinity’s baseball team had several players pegged to extend their playing careers. A trio of All-Piedmont Athletic Conference players will make stops in junior college.

Pitcher and outfielder Jake Little is going to Florence-Darlington Tech in Florence, S.C., to play for the Stingers, who’ve been a regional power. Pitcher Cade Hill is heading to Rockingham Community College. Jaxson Coble, who also played football for the Bulldogs, is going to Guilford Tech after being dubbed the Bulldogs’ top offensive player in 2023.

** Three-sport standout Dylan Hodges of Trinity is set to play men’s basketball at Division III Pfeiffer.

Hodges was a high-flying swingman, averaging 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and a team-best 2.5 steals per game as a senior. Hodges was also a receiver for the football team, while he excelled as a high jumper and sprinter in track and field.

** From Providence Grove, Caroline Wright is going to Pfeiffer to play women’s golf. She was last year’s Player of the Year in the Piedmont Athletic Conference for girls’ golf.

Previous stories have documented intended destinations for many other Class of 2023 athletes from Randolph County.

Asheboro boys Jerquarius Stanback at Ledford

Asheboro athletes rank high on Mid-Piedmont Conference lists

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Jerquarius Stanback of Asheboro takes a shot during a boys’ basketball game at Ledford in the Mid-Piedmont Conference. He was named the league’s Player of the Year. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Here’s a list of the Mid-Piedmont Conference’s major award winners plus Asheboro’s all-conference selections for winter sports:

Boys’ basketball

Player of the Year: Jerquarius Stanback (Asheboro)

Defensive Player of the Year: Tanner Marsh (Asheboro)

Coach of the Year: Brian Nance (Asheboro

Asheboro: Jerquarius Stanback, Tanner Marsh, Hakeeme Butler, D.J. Headen.

 

Girls’ basketball

Player of the Year: Trista Charles Stanback (Oak Grove)

Defensive Player of the Year: Haley Long (Oak Grove)

Coach of the Year: Sissy Rauch (Oak Grove)

Asheboro: Sion Murrain

 

Boys’ swimming

Swimmer of the Year: Connor Cayer (Central Davidson)

Co-Coaches of the Year: Jennifer Brinkley (North Davidson), Brian Thoma (Ledford)

Asheboro: Tyler Smith

 

Girls’ swimming

Swimmer of the Year: Jenna Koh (Ledford)

Coach of the Year: Rachel Greene (Oak Grove)

Asheboro: Megan Becker, Maci Columbia, Madison Burnette, Fiona Wolfe-Roberts

 

Wrestling

Wrestler of the Year: Diego Gutierrez (Asheboro)

Coach of the Year: Jake Berrier (Asheboro)

Asheboro: Diego Gutierrez, Bearik Bigelow, Xavier Santos, Sammy Salinas, Michael Brady, Eddie Soto

NCHSAA logo

Prep wrestling: UCA duo, Southwestern Randolph’s Flores secure state titles

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GREENSBORO – Senior wrestler Aldo Hernandez became a three-time state champion, including two seasons in a row for Uwharrie Charter Academy, and two underclassmen from Randolph County schools also won state championships.

Hernandez captured the Class 1-A title at 138 pounds with a dominating performance across two days at the Greensboro Coliseum. Freshman teammate Lorenzo Alston won at 145 pounds.

In Class 2-A, it was a three-day meet, capped for Southwestern Randolph 220-pound sophomore Jose Flores with Saturday night’s championship.

UCA had three runners-up, and finished third in the Class 1-A team standings.

Hernandez, who nabbed a state title in 2021 for Montgomery Central, finished his final prep season with a 52-2 record. In the state tournament, he had a pin, a 10-3 decision and then dominated Alleghany’s Cameron Worrick for a second-period technical fall in the final.

Alston’s first season resulted in a 54-2 record. He was efficient in the tournament with a pin and two major decisions, the latter coming by 11-3 against Robbinsville’s Willie Riddle in the championship match.

UCA junior Ethan Hines (106), senior Grayson Roberts (170) and junior Jaden Maness (195) were runners-up.

Hines dropped a 1-0 decision to Avery County’s Cooper Foster in the title bout.

Roberts, the 2022 champion at 160, lost a 1-0 decision to Avery County freshman Cael Dunn after recording a pair of pins in the tournament. Roberts ended his last season with a 50-5 record.

In the 195 final, Avery County’s Seth Blackledge pinned Maness in 1:33.

Third place for the Eagles went to Carson Robinson (160), while teammate Alec Millikan (152) was fourth. Eastern Randolph’s Adrian Lopez (126) placed third.

Class 2-A

Flores capped a 30-2 season by defeating Mt. Pleasant’s Colt Kluttz 3-0. He won three earlier matches by decision, including a 12-11 outcome against Walkertown J’Lynn Sheff in the semifinals.

Trinity’s Spencer May was the runner-up at 120, dropping 7-5 sudden-victory decision in the final to Eden Morehead’s Jared Thomas. May had three pins to reach the final, with two of those coming in first periods.

Providence Grove senior Colton Wood was a repeat place winner, taking third at 285 pounds. His only loss was a one-point loss that went to overtime to Maiden’s DJ Spring, the eventual champion. He was sixth last year.

Trinity had a solid showing with Brayden Hall (113), Joey Smith (220) in fourth place and Levi Dennis (126) in fifth place.

Wheatmore had Trey Swaney (132) and Dominic Hittepole (160) both in fourth place.

Luke White (138) of Southwestern Randolph finished sixth.

Class 3-A

Asheboro senior Diego Gutierrez was the only one of the four Blue Comets entrants to win a bout in the tournament. He placed third at 120 with a 4-1 record to complete the season with a 41-2.

His only loss in the tournament came in a 4-3 decision to East Henderson’s Gunner Marshall in the semifinals. Marshall was the eventual runner-up.

GutierrezAthelete-of-the-WeekRectangle

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Diego Gutierrez

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Asheboro, wrestling

Gutierrez is making his senior season a special one as he heads to the state tournament.

He’s coming off the Class 3-A Midwest Regional championship at 120 pounds.

During the two-day meet at North Davidson, Gutierrez won all four matches. That included a 5-2 decision against Mark Truman of West Rowan in the title bout.

He began the regional with a first-period pin of Peyton Hinson of South Rowan. Then came an 8-6 decision against North Iredell’s Andrew Cockerham and a 3-1 decision against Takota Tala of Parkwood in the semifinal.

Gutierrez, who was a state qualifier at 126 pounds last year, enters the state tournament with a 37-1 record this season.

He was an all-conference selection for boys’ soccer in the Mid-Piedmont Conference in the fall.

UCA wrestling Carson Robinson v ER Bryce Foland Feb2023

Prep wrestling: UCA sends 10 to state tournament

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Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Carson Robinson, top, works on Eastern Randolph’s Bryce Foland during the 160-pound final in the Class 1-A East Regional. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Five county schools have regional champions

ASHEBORO – Aldo Hernandez and Grayson Roberts will try to repeat as state champions as Uwharrie Charter Academy will send 10 wrestlers to the state tournament.

UCA, as the host school, rolled through Friday and Saturday’s Class 1-A East Regional.

Hernandez at 138 pounds and Roberts at 170 pounds were regional champions, joining 106-pounder Ethan Hines, 145-pounder Lorenzo Alston, 160-pounder Carson Robinson and 195-pounder Jaden Maness with those first-place spots.

The Eagles were overwhelming team champions with 251 points compared to runner-up North East Carolina Prep’s 152. Eastern Randolph was sixth with 115½.

The multi-day state tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum begins Thursday for Class 2-A, Class 3-A and Class 4-A, while Class 1-A starts Friday. Finals are slated for Saturday night.

Hernandez, who won in the 2021 states for Montgomery Central, and Roberts both moved up one weight class since last season.

Robinson won by a first-period injury default against Eastern Randolph’s Bryce Foland in the final.

The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for states.

UCA will also send regional runners-up Brandon Jordan (126), Jack McArthur (132) and Corbin Grissom (182) along with third-place finisher Alec Millikan (152). The Eagles will have entrants in 10 of the 14 weight classes.

Other than Foland, Eastern Randolph’s qualifiers are Jamie Crabtree (third at 106), Adrian Lopez (third at 126), Ian Moore (third at 220) and Carter Self (fourth at 120).

Class 2-A

At Bunn, Spencer May of Trinity, Dominic Hittepole of Wheatmore and Jose Flores of Southwestern Randolph won titles in the Mideast Regional.

May won at 120, Hittepole at 160 and Flores at 220.

Trinity was team runner-up behind Eden Morehead. Southwestern Randolph was fourth.

Trinity’s contingent at the state tournament also will include Brayden Hall (second at 113), Gavin Hardister (second at 182), Levi Dennis (third at 126), Joey Smith (third at 220) and Baron Justice (fourth at 138).

Wheatmore is sending Hittepole, Trey Swaney (second at 132) and Randy Spencer (fourth at 195).

Aside from Flores, Southwestern Randolph’s state qualifiers are Luke White (third at 138), Mason Leonard (third at 145) and Janaksel Perez (fourth at 106).

Providence Grove’s Colton Wood (285) heads back to the states after a runner-up spot in the regional. Teammate Mitchell Freeman was fourth at 152.

Randleman’s Braxton Walker (second at 195) and Kaelob Pearce (fourth at 132) advanced to states.

Class 3-A

At Lexington, Diego Gutierrez of Asheboro won at 120 pounds in the Midwest Regional at North Davidson to lead four Blue Comets into the state tournament.

Gutierrez went 4-0 to improve to 37-1.

Xavier Santos (113), who was a state qualifier last year, Christian Diaz (160) and Eddie Soto (195) also moved on with fourth-place regional finishes.