Asheville High’s Noah Shore is the Citizen-Times All-WNC Boys Track Athlete of the Year.
The All-WNC track team is in Sunday’s print edition of the Citizen-Times.
BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR
Dan Jystad
North Henderson
Jystad and the Knights won the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference meet by more than 30 points and were also the Henderson County and Western Carolina University Invitational champs. Trevor Craft was an individual All-WNCAC selection and North Henderson had a pair of first-place relay teams at the conference meet (400 and 3,200 meters).
BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Noah Shore
Asheville
Senior
Shore was the NCHSAA 3-A, 3-A Western Regional, Mountain Athletic Conference and Buncombe County champion in the 800-meter run and 1,600-meter run. He was named the 3-A state meet’s most valuable performer. Shore’s personal-record in the 1,600 (4 minutes, 14.48 seconds) was the best by any runner in any NCHSAA or NCISAA classification this spring. His PR in the 800 meters is 1:53. Shore has signed to run college cross country and track for North Carolina.
ALL-WNC TEAM
SPRINTERS
Kokayi Cobb
Christ School
Junior
Cobb was the Buncombe County runner-up in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. He ran the area’s fastest time in the 400-meter dash (50.22 seconds).
James McGee
Reynolds
Junior
McGee was the Buncombe County and Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. His best times for those two races were 10.95 seconds and 21.91, respectively. McGee led all area sprinters in the 200 and placed fourth at the 3-A Western Regional meet.
Brian Smith
Hayesville
Sophomore
Smith was the Smoky Mountain Conference champion in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. He was the runner-up in the 100 meters at the 1-A Western Regional meet and recorded WNC’s fastest time in that sprint (10.84 seconds).
HURDLERS
Grant Lindsay
Murphy
Junior
Lindsay was the 1-A Western Regional and Smoky Mountain Conference champion in the 300-meter hurdles and recorded a WNC-best time of 40.38 seconds. Lindsay won his conference and regional titles by more than two seconds. He placed eighth at the NCHSAA 1-A meet, even after stumbling over the last hurdle.
Connor Moore
Smoky Mountain
Junior
Moore was the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference champion in the 110-meter hurdles and ran a school record of 15.23 seconds. It was the fastest reported time in WNC. He placed fourth at the 2-A Western Regional meet and fifth at the NCHSAA 2-A meet.
MIDDLE DISTANCE, DISTANCE
Samuel Goldstein
Asheville School
Senior
Goldstein was the NCISAA 3-A champion in the 800-meter run and 1,600-meter run with personal-record times of 1 minute, 56.46 seconds and 4:19.65, respectively. He was also a leg on the Blues’ second-place team in the 1,600-meter relay (3:28.75).
Noah Graham
Brevard
Junior
Graham was the NCHSAA 2-A champion in the 1,600-meter run and 3,200-meter run. His personal-best times were school records of 4:25.94 and 9:31.44, respectively. Graham improved on his 1,600-meter run performance with a 4:17.43 race at the postseason NCRunners Elite Tune-Up. Graham recorded a season-best time of 1:57.20 and came in third at the NCHSAA 2-A meet. Graham was the WNC Athletic Conference champion in the 800-meter run and 1,600-meter run.
THROWERS
Cameron Debty
Andrews
Senior
Debty was the 1-A Western Regional and Smoky Mountain Conference champion in the shot put after going undefeated in all his regular-season meets. He placed third at the NCHSAA 1-A meet with a personal-record and WNC-best throw of 48-3.25.
Pete Szelwach
Roberson
Junior
Szelwach was the Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the discus and shot put. He was the Buncombe County champ in the discus and threw an area-best 160 feet, 10 inches.
JUMPERS
Sean Jones
Reynolds
Junior
Jones was the 3-A Western Regional champion in the long jump and placed fourth in the high jump at the NCHSAA 3-A meet. His best high jump was 6-2, and Jones’ top performance in the long jump was 22-1.5.
Jacob Lewis
Robbinsville
Senior
Lewis won the NCHSAA 1-A championship with a personal-best height of 6 feet, 4 inches on the heels of other titles at the 1-A Western Regional, Smoky Mountain Conference and Blue Ridge Classic meets. Lewis was undefeated in regular-season meets for the Black Knights, as well.
Satorrius Uddyback
Asheville
Senior
Uddyback was the 3-A Western Regional, Mountain Athletic Conference and Buncombe County champion in the triple jump. His season-best performance was 44 feet, 10 inches.
POLE VAULTER
Jacob Davis
Roberson
Senior
Davis was the Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the pole vault and finished tied for the best height in WNC (14 feet). He has signed with Charlotte.
HONORABLE MENTION
Asheville: Haven Honeycutt, Terry Young and Davis Turner.
Asheville School: Elliott Schenker, Moss Rerkpattanapipat, Nathan Alleyne and Austin Letson.
Avery County: Steven Sanchez, Van McCollum, Jaxon Roberts and James Eury.
Brevard: Andrew Robinson.
Christ School: Kevin Snyder, Noah Gminski and Payton Lange.
East Henderson: Nick Lyons, Josh Glynn and Drew Winn.
Hendersonville: Ethan Berry, Michael Cook, Joseph DeLuca, Luke Hollingsworth, Hakeem Jenkins, Justin Starnes and Fletcher Talley.
Mitchell: Myles Heavlin.
Murphy: Ethan Murray and Dalton Kent.
North Henderson: Hunter White, Kalin Ensley, Miquel Lammons, Trevor Craft, Darien Pachacos, Jose Robles, Raul Ortiz and Hunter King.
Owen: Garret Welsh, Brandon Kilgo, Jacob Robinson and Sidney Gibbs.
Polk County: Sean Doyle, Jacob Wolfe, Mitchell Brown, Nate Smart, Troy Lieberman and Jake Justice.
Reynolds: Patrick Johnston, Garrett Fentzlaff and Spencer Shade.
Roberson: E.J. King, Blake Mead, Philip Schehtman, Cole Draper, Sean McDowell and Matt Smith.
Smoky Mountain: Josh Logan, Montrel Turner, Jared Hughes and Bradley Parker.
Swain County: Cooper Reinert and Caleb Woodard.
Tuscola: Joe Napert, Caleb Ferguson and Jacob Franklin.
West Henderson: Dylan Shamburger and Bradley Barham.
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR
Ian Roper
Swain County
Roper and the Maroon Devils captured their first state championship on May 20, winning the NCHSAA 1-A meet in Greensboro with 65 points. Across all sports, it is only the second female team state championship in Swain County history. Sarah Hyatt (pole vault) and Emma Pindur (800-meter run) won their individual events, and the Maroon Devils had the first-place 1,600-meter relay team, which consisted of Pindur, Lynsey Hicks, Maleeah Langstaff and Maggie Burns. Swain County also won the 1-A Western Regional and Smoky Mountain Conference meets.
GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Anna Vess
Reynolds
Senior
Vess is the All-WNC Girls Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive year and graduated as an 11-time state champion in cross-country, indoor and outdoor track. That number of NCHSAA championships is a Reynolds record in all sports. Vess was named the NCHSAA 3-A meet’s most valuable performer after winning the 800-meter run, 1,600-meter run and 3,200-meter run as well as anchoring the fifth-place team in the 3,200-meter relay. Vess recorded WNC’s fastest times this spring in the 800 (2:13.28), 1,600 (5:00.09) and 3,200 (10:56.48). Vess has signed to run cross country and track for N.C. State.
SPRINTERS
Maleeah Langstaff
Swain County
Junior
Langstaff was the 1-A Western Regional champion and named a most valuable performer following the Smoky Mountain Conference meet. She ran a season-best time of 58.85 seconds in the 400-meter dash. Langstaff was part of two state-championship relays at the NCHSAA 1-A meet. Those teams were the 1,600 and 3,200-meter relays.
Callie Rhea
North Buncombe
Junior
Rhea was the Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the 100-meter dash and her WNC-best time of 12.67 seconds was a school record. She was also a leg on the Black Hawks’ school-record team in the 400-meter relay (51.54).
Melena Robinson
West Henderson
Junior
Robinson was the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference champion in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. She ran a season-best time of 12.81 seconds in the 100-meter dash and was a leg on the 400-meter relay that came in ninth at the NCHSAA 3-A meet with a school record of 50.70.
HURDLERS
Gabi Davis
Asheville School
Senior
Davis was the Buncombe County and Carolinas Athletic Association champion in the 100-meter hurdles and ran the fastest time in WNC (15.69 seconds). She was the NCISAA 3-A runner-up. Davis won the CAA championship in the long jump and came in fourth at the state meet. She jumped a school record of 16 feet, 9.25 inches. Davis has signed with Emory (Ga.).
Rylee Williamson
Pisgah
Sophomore
Williamson was the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference champion in the 300-meter hurdles and came in second at the 3-A Western Regional meet with an area-best time of 48.58 seconds. She was also the WNCAC runner-up in the pole vault and a leg on the second-place team in the 1,600-meter relay.
MIDDLE DISTANCE, DISTANCE
Naomi Cartier
Asheville
Senior
Cartier placed third in the 800-meter run at the NCHSAA 3-A meet and ran a season-best time of 2 minutes, 14.89 seconds. She has signed to run cross country and track for Boston College.
Brooke Turner
Tuscola
Senior
Turner placed fourth in the 800-meter run and the 1,600-meter run at the NCHSAA 3-A meet with season-best times of 2 minutes, 15.65 seconds and 5:01.52, respectively. She was the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference champion in both events and the meet’s most valuable performer for track events. Turner was the runner-up in the 800 and 1,600 at the 3-A Western Regional meet. She has signed to run cross country and track for Liberty.
THROWERS
Halei Gillis
Carolina Day
Junior
Gillis was the NCISAA 2-A champion and Carolinas Athletic Association champion in the discus. She recorded an area-best throw of 124 feet, 6 inches. She was also the runner-up to teammate Mikayla Ray in the shot put (36-3) at their state meet.
LesLeigh Tabor
Franklin
Junior
Tabor was the NCHSAA 2-A, Western North Carolina Athletic Conference champion and Blue Ridge Classic champion in the shot put. Her best throw was 40 feet, 9 inches.
JUMPERS
Michelle Cobb
Roberson
Junior
Cobb was the NCHSAA 4-A champion in the triple jump and also won the field event at the 4-A Western Regional and Mountain Athletic Conference meets. She recorded a personal best of 38 feet, 8 inches. Cobb placed eighth in the long jump at the 4-A state meet. She was named the most valuable performer for field events at the Buncombe County and MAC meets.
Elyse King
Roberson
Junior
King was the Buncombe County and Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the long jump. Her personal best is a Roberson record. King placed third in the long jump and eighth in the triple jump at the NCHSAA 4-A meet.
Rebecca Schlotterbeck
Reynolds
Senior
Schlotterbeck was the 3-A Western Regional champion in the triple jump and placed fifth in the long jump and the triple jump at the NCHSAA 3-A meet. Her personal-best jumps were 36 feet, 6.25 inches (triple jump) and 17-10 (long jump).
POLE VAULTER
Chesley Krug
Roberson
Senior
Krug was the 4-A Western Regional and Mountain Athletic Conference champion and placed third in the pole vault at the NCHSAA 4-A meet. Her personal-best height of 11 feet, 6 inches is a school record. Krug also ran a leg on the Rams’ fifth-place 3,200-meter relay team at the 4-A state meet. She has signed with Navy.
HONORABLE MENTION
Andrews: Tiffany Holloway, Erika Griggs and Morgan Mashburn.
Asheville Christian Academy: Brittainy Crisp.
Asheville School: Alex Blom, Azana Green and Nicole Alleyne.
Brevard: Eliza Witherspoon.
Carolina Day: Ralene Kwiatkowski, Kathleen Norton, Olivia Sutter, Mikayla Ray and Tess Harris.
East Henderson: Samantha Ward, Sydney Morgan and Lilly Blankenship.
Franklin: Kennedy Conner.
Hendersonville: Kaelah Avery, Keayla Beddingfield, Gina Clayton, Micaiah Darity, Natesha Evans, Evan Goff, Samantha Hess, Emma Laughter, Avion Williams and Amy Yarborough.
Murphy: Emma Stroup, Elizabeth Cambranis, Cameron Rice, Taryn Farmer, Peyton Wood, Le-Ann Wheaton, Kaitlynn Wheaton, Katlyn Stiles, Kelsey Fulgham and Emily Reid.
North Henderson: Odyssey Gaines.
Owen: Chesney Gardner, Anissa Avila, Lindsey Banks, Grace Drummond and Kristyl Keeter.
Pisgah: Colbie Williamson and Taylor Osborne.
Polk County: Emma Wagoner, Savannah Robbins, India Godlock, Mariah Overholt and Michaela Nelon.
Reynolds: Anu Frempong, Samantha Boeshore, Emma Himelein-Wachowiak, Marjani Smith and Shelby Voss.
Smoky Mountain: Shay Tisho, Madison Polyasko, Rebecca Fox, Kaitlyn Wood, Deojanae Shoate, Xzavia Shoate and Shea Sutton.
Swain County: Emma Pindur, Sarah Hyatt, Kathryn Brown, Lynsey Hicks, Ashley Winchester and Grace Cabe.
West Henderson: Taylor Meadows, Gracie Tate, Madison Connor, Rylee Dean, Kendall Gilliam and Olivia Hogan.
ABOUT THE ALL-WNC TEAMS
The Citizen-Times All-WNC teams are compiled by staff writer Andrew Pearson after nominations are requested from area coaches.
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