Jim McGrath's "Writing on the Wall," featuring Virginia Peninsula Sports

#3 Phoebus Throttles Denbigh 49-7 in Season Opener

2025-09-18T08:03:00.003-04:00

#3 PHOEBUS 49, DENBIGH 7

(as seen in the Daily Press and Virginian-Pilot)

NEWPORT NEWS --- For those who had doubts, don’t worry, the Phoebus football team is just fine, thank you very much.

In the highly anticipated season opener, the Phantoms raced to their 50th consecutive victory, with a 49-7 defeat over a pesky Denbigh squad on Friday night at Todd Stadium.

The victory also marked the 67th straight Peninsula District win for coach Jeremy Blunt and his gridiron crew, which is seeking a fifth consecutive state title. The 50 wins is just two shy of a VHSL state record which they initially earned with 52, before it was equaled by Class 1 Riverheads HS of Staunton, whose streak ended in 2022.

Tyree Diggs led the visitors with 130 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first half. After losing 31 seniors to graduation last year, coupled with their late start (Friday was their first game), there was a veiled cloud of concern over how good the Phantoms would be in their first matchup against the Patriots, who were picked to finish in the top half of the Peninsula District.

Diggs finished with 150 yards on 14 carries.

Maurikus Banks and Jayden Javier silenced the naysayers early. After Phoebus recovered a Patriot fumble on the opening kickoff, they failed to score. However, on their next possession, Banks connected with Javier on a flare pass to the left, and the 5’8” 160-pound sophomore receiver outran the defense to the end zone to give the Phantoms a 6-0 lead, enhanced by one point with Jayden Williams’ conversion kick.

Banks threw and ran for touchdowns, while Rashaun Alston-Parrott and Mikhail Georges added second half ground scores. Banks rushing TD was set up by back Isiah Blackwell who carried the ball three times for 37 yards.

Diggs scored his three touchdowns on runs of two, five and one yard. On the second drive, Diggs carried the ball six times for 58 yards, accounting for all but 26 yards of the drive.

Between the second and third Diggs score, Denbigh showed off some of its own firepower, with quarterback Kevin Parker hitting Jyran Evans for a 63-yard scoring pass. Parker was on target for several long bombs and totaled over 150 passing yards in the first half.

Phoebus (1-0) 14,14, 14, 7 -- 49

Denbigh (1-2) 0, 7, 0, 0 -- 7

P – Jayden Javier 53 pass from Maurikus Banks (Jayden Williams kick)

P – Tyree Diggs 2 run (J. Williams kick)

P – Diggs 5 run (J. Williams kick)

D – Jyran Evans 63 pass from Kevin Parker (David Garcia-Ramos kick)

P – Diggs 1 run (J. Williams kick)

P – Rashaun Alston-Parrott 26 run (J. Williams kick)

P – Banks 6 run (J. Williams kick)

P – Mikhail Georges 3 run (J. Williams kick)

#10 Lafayette Rattles Warhill

2025-09-10T21:02:00.007-04:00

#10 LAFAYETTE 24, WARHILL 6

JAMES CITY --- A week after dismantling Grafton, the Warhill Lions were dealt a toxic shot of reality, losing to perennial Bay Rivers District powerhouse Lafayette 24-6 on Friday at Wanner Stadium.

Lafayette jumped on the “visiting” Warhill team, gaining an early 14-0 lead in the first eight minutes of play, but struggling for the rest of the first half. While they gained 210 yards on the ground, their brutal running attack took its best shape on the Rams’ final drive, as Breon Stokes (14 carries, 97 yards) toted the rock five times for 42 yards, setting up a three-yard rushing score by Izaiyah Gray.

The Lions had a chance to even the game, marching to the Ram 27 midway through the second quarter and trailing 14-6. The Lafayette defense held tough, holding Warhill to three incomplete passes and regaining possession. Their own ensuing drive covered 55 yards, but Aidan Gerda’s 35-yard field goal attempt turned into an incomplete pass right back to the kicker after an errant snap.

Gerda would provide a 40-yarder in the third quarter to nudge the Rams to an 11-point lead.

Two Jael Love interceptions kept the Lions at bay in the third quarter, while Warhill’s Elijah White picked off a pass, and scored on a 25-yard pass from Carson Strickland to put Warhill on the board. White showed a great open field running display on his touchdown, weaving through four Lafayette defenders for the score.

The game was evenly matched in the first half, with the difference being a 67-yard pass from Talen Leach to Cyler Brooks. Stokes added a ten-yard rushing TD on a jet sweep to the left to complete the first quarter scoring.

Warhill (1-1) 0, 6, 0, 0 -- 6

Lafayette (2-0) 14, 0, 3, 7 -- 24

L – Cyler Brooks 67 pass from Talen Leach (Aidan Gerda kick)

L – Breon Stokes 10 run (Gerda kick)

W – Elijah White 25 pass from Carson Strickland (kick failed)

L – Gerda 40 FG

L – Izaiyah Gray 3 run (Gerda kick)

W L

1st Downs 8, 12

Rush – Yds 21-89, 43-210

Pass Yds. 121, 67

C- A–I 11-32-2, 1-5-0

Punts – Avg. 3-22, 2-42

Pen. Yds. 8-48, 10-80

Fumb – Lost 1-1, 1-1

2025 Hampton Roads Girls Volleyball Preview

2025-08-31T16:12:00.003-04:00

What to Watch For

1) New Coaches – several new coaches will look to make an immediate impact in Hampton Roads. At Smithfield, Kristina Villanueva adds five freshmen to a young and talented, but unproven team. Sarah Heck will bring a strong returning squad to Grassfield, as they try to gain another Class 6 state playoff berth. Hannah Hislop will begin the rebuilding process at Hampton Roads Academy, as will Sinisa Momic and Emily Hatcher at TCIS rivals Norfolk Collegiate and Norfolk Christian. George Marino is now in charge of the Catholic squad, and Monique Holland will take over the reins at Lakeland. Finally, in a late addition, Gateway Christian Academy athletic director Anna Moreno-Alison double as the new coach.

2) Can Kellam Sustain – the Knights were ranked outside of the top 15 as a “Team to Watch,” in the final 2024 volleyball poll, but rambled all the way to Richmond, winning the Region 5A title and reaching the Class 5 state final before their Cinderella run was ended by Riverside. Will the dynamic duo of Barnes and Erwin come through again?

3) Battle in the Bay Rivers – Grafton looks to be the favorite in the BRD, but there is a glut of honorable foes. Bruton finished third, but lost the Faw twins to graduation, which leaves a gap in the lineup for the Class 2 Panthers. However, Jamestown (15-11-1 in 2024), Tabb and Poquoson were 4-5-6 in the Bay Rivers last season, and one may be primed to move forward. Jamestown, which lost only three seniors from last year, might be that team.

4) Who Will Reign in the Preps? Norfolk Academy is the highest ranked team among the private schools, but there are a number of contenders. StoneBridge is a perennial force in the Virginia Independent Schools Division 3 and usually leads the 757 area teams in wins, as the Cavaliers play about 35 matches per season. Greenbrier Christian could make noise, and Catholic has won its first two games of this season.

5) Grafton Makes Ninth Try in Higher Class – the award for persistency goes to the Clippers. In 2025, they will make a bid to reach a ninth consecutive state final. Unfortunately, they have yet to win, and this season Coacher David Keeter’s team and Grafton are bumped back up to Class 4. The good news – no more running into the Hidden Valley dynasty. But can they overcome a trio of Class 4 state opponents such as Atlee, James Wood and Courtland to walk off with the tallest trophy at Virginia States on November 22nd. “They’re hungry, and have put in the work all summer,” says Keeter.

Eyeing The Magnificent Seven

1) Santina Martcheva – Ocean Lakes senior outside hitter – First team All-State selection, Martcheva is the top returning player in Class 5 and will lead the Dolphins, as they aim to overcome a formidable trio of rivals to claim the Beach District.

2) Sophia Barnes – Kellam senior outside hitter – Barnes was second on the Kellam team with 241 kills last season, while earning first-team 757Teamz honors, to go with second-team Class 5 honors.

3) Riley Erwin – Kellam senior setter/outside hitter – scored 238 kills, 486 assists and a team leading 55 aces in 2024, while earning a Class 5 first team Al-State nod.

3) Kenzie Smith, Grafton senior middle hitter – led Class 3 in blocks last season.

4) Benisa Moore, Grassfield junior outside hitter – the youngest among the seven was a second-team 757Teamz selection in 2024.

5) Ally Burke, Grafton senior libero – Burke led last year’s team with 71 aces, and the All-State player added 504 digs and led the Clippers in returns.

6) Chloe Schall, Smithfield senior outside hitter – Schall led the Packers in kills, aces and digs.

7) Caroline Clements, Menchville – Clements is a multi-positional threat who earned second team Class 5 honors in 2024. She had 135 kills and 73 aces to help the Monarchs to a 24-3 mark.

Top 15 Teams (last year’s final record)

1. Cox (21-4) – The Falcons launched an impressive run last season, winning the Beach District with a 15-1 mark. This year, Cox loses Olivia Fortier, but returns everyone else, including junior 6-foot outside hitter Avery Osler, who led the unit in kills (244), junior June Culicerto, who topped the squad in digs (288) and returns, senior OH/OPP Camdyn Milisitz, senior outside hitter Kathleen Grosz, junior libero Brooke Horn, junior middle backer Kiley Frostad, and senior middle backer Lucille Tignor. This team is loaded and primed to claim the top spot in the region and state.

2. Kellam (19-10) – The Knights were 13-9 at the end of the regular season, barely missing the final 757Teamz.com Top 15 poll, which was followed by a six-game streak through the region and state playoffs, all the way to center court at VCU’s Siegel Center. Along with Barnes and Erwin, look for junior setter Emmie Irving (457 assists) , who is also a key ball handler, while libero Giulia Alison will keep the team together.

3. First Colonial (20-8) – The Patriots eliminated Cox in the playoffs last season and are always a threat. The loss of Class 5 first-team All-Stater Helen Murray, leading scorer Gabby Taylor, and three other key seniors will keep FC out of the top spot, but the cupboard is hardly bare for coach Edie Magula. Senior Teagan Emdadi (OH) a six-rotation player; will lead the attack this season. Sophomore middle hitter Reese Parker has made big gains as a hitter and blocker. Senior Alayna Cole finished last season as the starting setter and will return, along with seniors Grace Davies-Hackenberg and Maddie Stroud, who will share OH duties opposite Emdadi. And junior Sophie Buddenhagen returns as a starting middle hitter. A strong group of freshmen waits in the wings.

4. Grafton (26-3) – Quite a few familiar names on the roster, led by two-time All-State first teamer Burke, the Clipper senior libero. She is joined by Smith, who at 6-1 will dominate the middle. Second-team All-State junior middle/outside hitter Ana Breckens will be joined by her younger sister, freshman OH Alivia, who coach David Keeter calls “an impact player.” Senior Olivia de la Cruz will be the first setter, and senior Arianna Christian and sophomore Emma DeLaHunt will keep the ball controlled for Grafton.

5. Norfolk Academy (22-5) - Coach Trish Hopkins lost 757Teamz Player of the Year Peyton McGee but returns a quintet of seniors who should help the team to another Virginia Independent School Division I playoff berth. The Fab Five include Vivi Deams (middle backer), outside hitters Sydney Petersen and Charleston Hart, along with right side hitters Audrey Lipps and Kirtley Taylor. Setter Allie Wight and third-year starter Michaela Betancourt will run the offense, with Alex Marino taking over libero duties. “Defense will be key,” according to Hopkins.

6. Ocean Lakes (20-5) – Complimenting Martcheva will be returnees Carmela Mendoza (senior setter), juniors Lyla Shannon (middle backer) and Sienna Carr (outside hitter). Coach Chrsitina Barnhart, in her sixth year at the Dolphin helm, with rely on these four to bring experience and leadership back to the OL lineup.

7. Menchville (24-3) – Clements, Kamryn Eccleston, Jordein Holder, and Emma Wade form the core of the returning Monarch team, which steamrolled through the Peninsula District last year with an undefeated (18-0) record.

8. Hickory (18-4) – The Hawks return several players from last season’s Southeastern District championship squad.

9. Woodside (17-3) – Menchville’s strongest competition for the Peninsula crown.

10. Grassfield (16-8) – With Moore leading the way, the Grizzlies look to improve on las season’s state quarterfinal appearance. Says Heck after inspecting her new troops, “We have a strong team this year with a lot of returners, as well as some impressive new sophomore faces. We have a lot of height and should have an impressive offense this season. We also have very talented defenders on the roster as well. I am excited to see how far this team goes.” Players to keep an eyeball on include senior middle blockers Emery Stahl and Mckenzie Johnson, and their two liberos, senior Ellieynn Rock and junior Ryann Bothof, who is already committed to Ole Miss.

11. Greenbrier Christian Academy (28-6) – the Gators will contend for the TCIS crown behind junior Katelyn Balka (135 kills, 45 aces in 2024) and senior libero Vivianne Tucker (409 digs).

12. StoneBridge (31-4) – The Cavaliers are solid again behind three clutch returners. Junior libero Libbie Plumlee was responsible for 214 kills, 60 aces, and 230 digs last season, and leads the senior-less team. Maddy Wartick is a junior outside hitter who is new to StoneBridge, but her tall ad athletic presence “has already been felt,” according to coach Eric Plumlee (124-12 in four years at SB). Sophomore Payton Weatherford suffered an ACL tear at the end of last year, but the six rotation outside hitter will return.

13. Maury (19-6) – The Commodores should battle with Granby for Eastern District supremacy.

14. Bethel (15-5) – The Bruins, fresh off a Region 5B semifinal appearance, hope to topple Menchville and Woodside to rule the Peninsula District.

15. Indian River (16-7) – The Braves, another third-place district finisher, hope to vault past Grassfield and Hickory, while avoiding aa first-round playoff loss in Region 5A.

Others to Watch - Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (17-7), Cape Henry (17-8), Bruton (21-6), Western Branch (16-6), Jamestown (15-11-1), Granby (16-8)

2025 Hampton Roads Boys Volleyball Preview

2025-08-31T16:09:00.001-04:00

What to Watch For

1) Beach Baby – The top three teams are from the Beach District, and almost in the same order as at the end of 2024. Kellam, with 2024 757Teamz Player of the Year Joel Eanes, Austin Makovec, and a host of key contributors, won the Class 6 state title at VCU last season. However, they lost six seniors, including Eanes and Makovec. Yet after a sweep at last weekend’s Jamboree, hosted by Great Bridge, they will retain the top slot. First Colonial returns 16 players, including last year’s first team selection Bo Sawyer, and kill specialist Zia Peterson, and will begin the season at the second spot. Kempsville, with Wyatt Strawbridge coming back, fills the #3 spot.

2) Heritage and the Peninsula District – The top four teams were 11-5 out-of-district last season, including the state playoffs. With Heritage leading the way, the PD looks to become more of a force among the Hampton Roads elite. The Hurricanes, and Denbigh Patriots qualified for the Class 1-4 state tournament (as did Lakeland and Churchland). Churchland knocked out Denbigh with a 3-1 win in the semis, but Heritage captured the East Region, knocking off the Truckers in the region final with a 3-0 sweep.

3) Private influence – In 2024, only Catholic (8-4) stood in the final 757Teamz rankings, and that was as a “Team to Watch,” heading into the playoffs. Can a Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS) break into the rankings?

4) Jamboree – the season started in rare form, with Friday’s Jamboree, held in Chesapeake. Great Bridge coach Bryan Stambaugh got the idea from Denbigh, who held a similar tournament up until 2018. After it dissolved, Stambaugh got together with GB athletic director Matthew Small to revive the concept of a top-tier tournament every August. Now in its third year, the Jamboree saw eight of the top teams in the 757 region do battle against each other in four two-set matches with Kellam, the area’s top-ranked team, going 4-0 and winning all eight sets to prove themselves as the cream of the crop team in late August.

5) State rankings – Speaking of the Knights, one season after Kellam was the nation’s top-ranked team, it will be interesting to see who is included this year. First Colonial finished at #26, Granby at #29, Kempsville at #34, and Grassfield at #49 to round out the Hampton Roads squads in the Top 50.

The Fabulous Five

1) Wyatt Strawbridge – Kempsville senior setter – Strawbridge tallied 186 kills, 92 aces, 289 assists, 44 blocks and 112 digs for the Chiefs, while earning All-Class 6 and All-Region A first team selections.

2) Bo Sawyer – First Colonial senior outside hitter – Sawyer was also a first team selection for All-Class 6 and All-Region A. The Patriot captain nailed 376 kills to lead Kempsville to a Top 5 ranking in last year’s final 757Teamz poll.

3) Gabe Sol – Granby senior middle blocker – Sol has been a force for the Comets over the past two seasons, and with the graduation of AJ Angeles, he will take over the leadership role for Granby. On the side, he is also the top runner for the cross-country team this fall.

4) Andrew Burke – Grassfield senior outside hitter – Burke led the Grizzlies with 205 kills and 45 aces while earning All-Region and Second Team All-State honors.

5) Marcus Dozier – Heritage – The 6-foot-1 outside hitter scored more than 240 kills last season to highlight the Hurricanes surge. The reigning 2024 Region 4 East Player of the Year is a prime example of an outstanding athlete who happens to play volleyball, as the senior also plays basketball and was an outdoor Class 4 All-State track standout with bests of 6’5” in the high jump and 22’8” in the long jump.

Top 15 Teams (last season’s record)

1. Kellam (28-1) – The reigning Class 6 champion and national #1 team (according to MaxPreps) lost 757Teamz Player of the Year Joel Eanes, Austin Makovec and a host of seniors, but the Knights appear to be rolling along just fine. Junior Dylan Calkins (OH, MH) had 118 kills and 36 aces on last year’s team, and with the Pyka brothers, Nathan and Bennett, make for the core of a solid Kellam unit. Nathan led the team in digs (169) last year, while Bennett totaled an astounding 905 assists to lead coach Aaron Campbell’s team, which has started 4-0 after the Jamboree.

2. Kempsville (23-4) – Strawbridge stirs the drink for the Chiefs, but he has ample help. Junior Trent Beeson is a force as the outside hitter, with 175 kills in 2024. The cross-court lob for kill from Strawbridge to Beeson could be one of the most important combinations in Hampton Roads. Senior Rylan Patterson is a strong defensive setter who gets the ball to the front for the Chief combo.

3. First Colonial (20-4) – With 16 returning players, and Bo Sawyer as the team captain, it’s hard to ignore the Patriots when considering the top boys’ team in Hampton Roads. Sawyer led last year’s team with 376 kills. “Every year he has gotten bigger, better, and stronger,” states coach Austin Mehl. Not far behind is junior outside hitter Zia Peterson, who is just an inch shorter than Sawyer at 6-2. Peterson scored 324 kills last year, and the two are confident and persistent around the net. Senior middle Brian Rizzi broke his ankle the day before the playoffs last year, and it hurt FC as they suffered a pair of losses to Indian River. Says Mehl, “This team is hungry for revenge. Senior libero Lucas Hills is a key three-year starter.

4. Granby (25-3) – Comet coach Michelle Neaves returns a good core of players from last year’s Class 6 state semi-finalists. Along with Sol, senior setter Will Findlay “has accepted and stepped into AJ Angeles role beautifully,” notes Neaves. Six-foot-five opposite hitter Andrew Hunter could be an All-State candidate and significant roles will be filled by seniors Alijah Lamp (OH), libero Davis Mendoza, and middle backer Brandon Layne.

5. Heritage (18-6) - under coach Nehemiah Carter, the Hurricanes improved from 11-12 to 18-6 last season, ending with a state playoff berth that was eventually ended by Mechanicsville. With two returning Class 4 All-State second teamers in Dozier and Isaac Ward-Payton, the Canes may be ready to take the next step – meaning a win or two in the Class 1-4 state volleyball finals, which will be held on November 22 at Virginia State University. Of his dynamic duo, Coach Carter says, “Ward-Payton, fresh off a season with 170-plus kills, provides a powerful complement to Dozier’s offensive game.”

6. Kecoughtan (19-2) – The team to challenge Heritage in the Peninsula District, as well as the defending PD champions. Key cogs look to be Gavin Holbrooks (Jr., OH/OPP), Isaiah Vette (Soph., OH) and senior setter Hunter Lively.

7. Grassfield (15-6) – Along with Burke, the Grizzlies return five important players from last season’s state playoff quarter finalists. Caedan Agustin led the team with 500 assists and was a first team All-Region 6A. Owen Griffiths has moved from defensive setter to libero. Sophomores Shayne Wallen and Marcus Berry will share time in the middle, replacing Colton Amerson, a junior who is moving to opposite hitter. Amerson had 41 kills and 17 blocks in 2024, marks that coach Paul Emler feels he will improve upon.

8. Warwick (16-7) – Another potential challenger at the top of the PD.

9. Maury (17-6) – Granby’s biggest threat in the Eastern District.

10. Menchville (18-4) – The last of four Peninsula teams crowding the top of the district standings. Could the Monarchs be the last PD team standing in Class 5 this November?

11. Hickory (14-7) – The Hawks pulled off a 5-3 record at the Jamboree and placed a surprising second, giving the Southeastern District a finalist among their Beach District brethren.

12. Western Branch (16-6) – The Bruins will rely on senior 757Teamz honorable mention players Elijah Quintana and Billy Marietta to bolster a potentially strong showing in the Southeastern District.

T-13. Indian River (13-11) and Great Bridge (13-10) – the Jamboree host Wildcats and Braves tied in their final match at last Friday’s tournament. Both teams finished 2-2 for the day, squaring off in a fifth-place match of two sets that saw each team win a set by two points. No separation yet.

15. Princess Anne (17-8) – Coach Jeff Kinzer lost most of his starting lineup from last year’s senior-laden team. It could be tough rowing for the Cavaliers, who had a rocky start at the Jamboree losing their first three matches before defeating Cox in the seventh-place game.

Others to Watch: Norview (9-5), Churchland (10-13), Denbigh (11-12), Catholic (8-4).

Shugart, Syrett Dominate at Fox Hill 5K

2025-06-21T20:02:00.005-04:00

(From Peninsula Track Club)

Cole Shugert and Megan Syrett won the men's and women's divisions at the annual Fox Hill 5K, held on the last day of May at the Langley Elementary School in Fox Hill.

Shugart, 27 of Richmond, VA won by over two minutes with a time of 15:47 (5:04 per mile pace). The second overall Male was Austin Hawes, 33 of Kodiak, AK finishing in 18:06. Alexey Popov, 42 of Newport News, VA placed third overall this year with a time of 18:27.

For the women, Megan Syrett, 42 of Yorktown, VA topped the field in 22:15 (7:09 pace). Second was Connie Glueck, 61 of Williamsburg, VA in 22:37, followed by Madison Whitlock, 23 of Hampton, VA with a time of 23:27 for third.

Six new age group records were set at the 12th Annual Fox Hill Community 5K.

Second place woman, Connie Glueck, 61 of Williamsburg News VA set a new age group record for Women 60-64 with a time of 22:37 beating the mark of 30:52 set bu Gail Lucado-Phelps in 2015.

Third place woman, Madison Whitlock, 23 of Hampton VA set a new age group record for Women 20-24 with a time of 23:27 besting the mark of 23:36 set by Jenna Napier in 2013.

Also, for women 70-74, Helen Worthington, 70 of Bena VA set a new age group record with a time of 28:28 beating the old mark of 31:38 set by Martha Gullo in 2024.

For the men, Bill Dancy, 71 of Smithfield VA set a new age group record for Men 70-74 with a time of 25:28 beating the old record of 25:45 set by Michael Poff in 2019.

For Men 80-84, John Wallace, 81 of Hampton VA established a new age group record with a time of 42:25.

Additionally, for Men 85-89, Joseph Polinski, 87 of Smithfield VA established a new age group record with a time of 47:46.

A copy of the results is attached to this e-mail both as text files (.txt) and as Word 2003 files (.doc).

The FoxHill5KWIN files contains the age group award winners for the 5K.

The full results for the 5K race can be found in the FoxHill5KALL files.

Full results, course records, links to pictures and information on other upcoming road

races are available on the Peninsula Track Club website:

www.peninsulatrackclub.com.

Bruce Davis

Peninsula Track Club

email: weatherwizard1@juno.com

=====================================

12th ANNUAL FOX HILL COMMUNITY 5K

Gosnold's Hope Park, Hampton, VA

Saturday, May 31, 2025 8:30 AM

A PENINSULA TRACK CLUB EVENT

Place O'All Name Age City State Time Pace

===== ===== ======================== === =================== ===== ====

TOP OVERALL MEN

1 1 COLE SHUGART 27 RICHMOND VA 15:47 5:04

2 2 AUSTIN HAWES 33 KODIAK AK 18:06 5:49

3 3 ALEXEY POPOV 42 NEWPORT NEWS VA 18:27 5:56

TOP OVERALL WOMEN

1 11 MEGAN SYRETT 42 YORKTOWN VA 22:15 7:09 *

2 13 CONNIE GLUECK 61 WILLIAMSBURG VA 22:37 7:16 *

3 14 MADISON WHITLOCK 23 HAMPTON VA 23:27 7:32

MEN: 13 AND UNDER

1 29 JOSHUA JAFFEUX 11 HAMPTON VA 25:56 8:20

2 41 JACOB MANNOR 11 HAMPTON VA 26:59 8:40

3 52 TANNER BOWEN 8 HAMPTON VA 28:41 9:13

MEN: 14 - 19

1 16 CHRISTIAN BRYANT 17 HAMPTON VA 23:46 7:38

MEN: 20 - 24

1 12 EDDIE FIOCCA 23 YORKTOWN VA 22:18 7:10

2 33 ANDREW FIOCCA 21 YORKTOWN VA 26:23 8:29

3 46 STEPHEN JAMBAZIAN 22 HAMPTON VA 27:21 8:47

MEN: 25 - 29

1 4 NICHOLAS TEETER 27 POQUOSON VA 18:34 5:58

2 10 SAMUEL SCARBOROUGH 27 HAMPTON VA 21:40 6:58

3 82 JIMMY FIOCCA 25 RICHMOND VA 34:39 11:08

MEN: 30 - 34

1 18 CALEB JENNINJGS 31 NEWPORT NEWS VA 24:01 7:43

2 21 AUSTIN SMITH 32 HAMPTON VA 24:52 7:59

3 34 BRADLEY ROLLYSON 33 HAMPTON VA 26:24 8:29

MEN: 35 - 39

1 7 JOSHUA CARPENTER 37 SMITHFIELD VA 20:19 6:32

2 38 CURTIS OTTO 36 HAMPTON VA 26:39 8:34

3 39 ALAN MALLORY 36 HAMPTON VA 26:44 8:36

MEN: 40 - 44

1 8 TRISTAN STEWART 43 HAMPTON VA 20:54 6:43

2 67 BRIAN EUBANK 41 HAMPTON VA 31:19 10:04

MEN: 45 - 49

1 15 ERNEST PARKER 47 HAMPTON VA 23:27 7:32

2 58 MARK MOZOL 49 NEWPORT NEWS VA 30:01 9:39 *

MEN: 50 - 54

1 5 TOBY WORM 52 SMITHFIELD VA 19:05 6:08

2 32 JUSTIN FERGUSON 51 SUFFOLK VA 26:21 8:28

3 118 KRIS TODD 51 HAMPTON VA 48:56 15:43

MEN: 55 - 59

1 9 SCOTT WELLS 57 HAMPTON VA 21:29 6:54

2 22 JEFFREY HOUCK 57 MYRTLE BEACH SC 24:53 8:00

3 77 PAUL CLARK 56 HAMPTON VA 33:21 10:43

MEN: 60 - 64

1 6 KELVIN ANDERSON 64 NEWPORT NEWS VA 19:32 6:17 *

2 37 ROBERT HATCHER 62 HAMPTON VA 26:37 8:33

3 47 IRA HAYNIE 60 NEWPORT NEWS VA 28:02 9:00

MEN: 65 AND OVER

1 25 BILL DANCY 71 SMITHFIELD VA 25:28 8:11 *

2 70 THOMAS MCANULTY 72 NORFOLK VA 32:01 10:17 *

3 86 JOSEPH VERDIRAME 75 SUFFOLK VA 35:43 11:28 *

WOMEN: 13 AND UNDER

1 75 PAIGE SOPKO 11 YORKTOWN NH 32:43 10:31

2 76 JAYNE TEMPLE 10 YORKTOWN VA 32:45 10:31

WOMEN: 14 - 19

NONE

WOMEN: 20 - 24

1 51 MAYA ELLIOTT 24 SUFFOLK VA 28:36 9:11

2 81 ALLISON M CONNOLE 23 RICHMOND VA 34:38 11:08

WOMEN: 25 - 29

1 40 ABIGAIL TOPPING 29 YORKTOWN VA 26:46 8:36

2 43 SIMONE CAMPBELL 25 YORKTOWN VA 27:08 8:43

3 63 KHRISTAL HARDEN 28 HAMPTON VA 30:31 9:48

WOMEN: 30 - 34

1 17 CIARA LEAPHART 30 HAMPTON VA 23:52 7:40

2 20 JENNA SMITH 32 HAMPTON VA 24:51 7:59

3 65 ALISON HARMATZ 30 HAMPTON VA 30:52 9:55

WOMEN: 35 - 39

1 26 COURTNEY OTTO 38 HAMPTON VA 25:40 8:15

2 30 JENNIFER MANNOR 36 HAMPTON VA 26:03 8:22

3 35 NATALIE BENNETT 39 HAMPTON VA 26:25 8:29

WOMEN: 40 - 44

1 19 TERESA COOPER 41 HAMPTON VA 24:03 7:44

2 23 CHANEL WRIGHT 44 HAMPTON VA 25:09 8:05

3 27 JENNIFER PARKER 41 HAMPTON VA 25:46 8:17

WOMEN: 45 - 49

1 24 CATHERINE HOLBROOKS 49 HAMPTON VA 25:13 8:06

2 28 MAY CARLSON 49 HAMPTON VA 25:53 8:19

3 31 JOSELYN JACOBS 49 HAMPTON VA 26:10 8:25

WOMEN: 50 - 54

1 36 PEGGY TODD 50 HAMPTON VA 26:28 8:30

2 45 JEANNE FIOCCA 53 YORKTOWN VA 27:15 8:46 *

3 131 AMANDA LEVY 54 HAMPTON VA 56:24 18:07

WOMEN: 55 - 59

1 98 TARA DRESS 57 NEWPORT NEWS VA 40:22 12:58

2 135 MADDY BAILEY 57 NEWPORT NEWS VA 56:57 18:18

WOMEN: 60 - 64

1 56 VALOR FOY JONES 61 NEWPORT NEWS VA 29:07 9:21 *

2 66 LYNNE BUGGY 61 HAMPTON VA 31:07 10:00

WOMEN: 65 AND OVER

1 49 HELEN WORTHINGTON 70 BENA VA 28:28 9:09 *

2 61 CAROL HANSEN-VESSA 70 WILLIAMSBURG VA 30:29 9:48 *

3 90 VIRGINIA DAVIS 75 SUFFOLK VA 37:14 11:58

WALK - MEN:

1 104 RICK WEBB 67 YORKTOWN VA 44:05 14:10 *

2 105 PETER NAVIN 70 HAMPTON VA 44:15 14:13 *

3 123 ROBERT QUANDAHL 62 HAMPTON VA 51:23 16:31

WALK - WOMEN:

1 89 DENEEN VENTERS 61 NEWPORT NEWS VA 36:59 11:53 *

2 95 PAMELA WILKERSON 67 SMITHFIELD VA 39:44 12:46

3 103 JUDY HENDRICKSON 59 HAMPTON VA 43:45 14:03

Taylor, Spector Win at Yorktown Freedom Run 8K

2025-05-26T18:06:00.002-04:00

From Bruce Davis and the Peninsula Track Club

The 2025 edition of the Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K was held under overcast and somewhat humid conditions with a temperature of 64 degrees at race start and occasional light rain during the race. A total of 183 runners entered the Yorktown Freedom Runs with 150 completing the 8K loop course on the scenic Yorktown Battlefield while 12 runners and walkers ran and finished the accompanying 5K fun run. There were no awards for the fun run. At the 2025 Yorktown Freedom Run Memorial Day 8K on a day that was almost perfect for running, one Overall 8K Course record was set as were nine new 8K age group course records.

First Woman Overall, Bethany Spector, 35 of Yorktown VA set the overall course record for women with a time of 29:39 beating the previous record of 30:15 that Bethany herself ran in 2023. The 30:15 mark set by Bethany in 2023 remains the age group record for Women 30-34.

Spector's time of 29:39 also set an age group record for Women 35-39 beating the previous mark of 30:58 set by Sabrina Little in 2023.

First Overall Male, Andrew Taylor, 25 of Hillard OH set a new age group record for Men 25-29 with a time of 26:16 beating the previous mark of 26:33 set by Zachary Helm in 2022.

Second Male Overall, Adam Otstot, 43 of Williamsburg VA set a new age group record for Men 40-44 with a time of 26:30 beating the previous mark of 26:33 that Adam himself set in 2024.

Third Woman Overall, Isabella Strumke, 11 of Toano VA set a new age group record for Women 10-14 with a time of 33:24 beating the previous mark of 43:24 set by Emily Lopez in 2016.

First Master Woman, Tamara Pelletier, 50 of Yorktown VA set a new age group record for Women 50-54 with a time of 33:58 beating the old mark of 34:04 set by Karla Havens in 2015.

Second Master Woman, Tricia Murphy, 44 of Williamsburg VA set a new age group record for Women 40-44 with a time of 34:23 beating the previous mark of 35:12 set by Megan Syrett in 2023.

For Men 70-74, Richard Grant, 71 of Suffolk VA set a new age group record with a time of 36:50 beating the previous time of 37:22 set by Jim Duffy in 2022.

For Men 80-84, Ron Worthington, 81 of Bena VA set a new age group record with a time of 49:27 beating the time of 51:19 that Ron himself set in 2024.

For Women 60-64, Melanie Hennis, 62 of Portsmouth VA set a new age group record with a time of 37:02 beating the previous mark of 40:25 set by Becky Upton in 2023.

===============2025 YORKTOWN FREEDOM RUN MEMORIAL DAY 8K

Yorktown Battlefield, Yorktown, VA Memorial Day, Monday May 26, 2025 8:00 AM

Sponsored by the Yorktown Rotary Club A PENINSULA TRACK CLUB and HAMPTON ROADS SUPER GRAND PRIX EVENT USATF CERT# VA16022RT

Place O'All Name Age City State Time Pace PTC ===== ===== ========================== === =================== ====== ===== ===

TOP OVERALL MEN

1 1 ANDREW TAYLOR 25 HILLARD OH 26:16 5:17

2 2 ADAM OTSTOT 43 WILLIAMSBURG VA 26:30 5:20

3 3 WILLIAM CHRISTIAN 41 CHESAPEAKE VA 26:41 5:23

TOP OVERALL WOMEN

1 8 BETHANY SPECTOR 35 YORKTOWN VA 29:39 5:58 *

2 11 EMILY HONEYCUTT 34 NEWPORT NEWS VA 31:18 6:18

3 16 ISABELLA STRUMKE 11 TOANO VA 33:24 6:44

TOP MASTERS MEN

1 4 SCOTT ICKES 43 WILLIAMSBURG VA 28:06 5:40

2 5 FOREST BRADEN 42 WILLIAMSBURG VA 28:13 5:41

3 6 THOMAS HICKS 53 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 28:26 5:44 *

TOP MASTERS WOMEN

1 19 TAMARA PELLETIER 50 YORKTOWN VA 33:58 6:50 *

2 20 TRICIA MURPHY 44 WILLIAMSBURG VA 34:23 6:55

3 22 AIMEE GIANOUKOS 49 WILLIAMSBURG VA 34:41 6:59

MEN: 12 AND UNDER

1 62 LEE BURROUGHS 9 HUDGINS VA 44:23 8:56

2 65 BOSTON LEE 10 QUINTON VA 44:37 8:59 *

3 114 BRYTON LEE 12 QUINTON VA 54:32 10:59 *

MEN: 13 - 19

1 10 BRAXTON LEE 15 QUINTON VA 30:50 6:13 *

2 13 JACK STRUMKE 15 TOANO VA 32:51 6:37

3 15 LUKE GALINDO 17 WILLIAMSBURG VA 32:57 6:38

MEN: 20 - 24 NONE

MEN: 25 - 29

1 21 STEVEN ROLL 29 CHESAPEAKE VA 34:29 6:57

2 36 DAVID BRAKMAN 28 NEWPORT NEWS VA 38:32 7:46

MEN: 30 - 34 NONE

MEN: 35 - 39

1 7 JORDAN SPECTOR 38 YORKTOWN VA 28:57 5:50 *

2 12 JONATHAN TORRES 35 NEWPORT NEWS VA 31:21 6:19

3 28 DARIN STIEFVATER 36 WILLIAMSBURG VA 36:14 7:18

MEN: 40 - 44

1 9 RUSSELL HALLER 42 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 30:27 6:08

2 14 FRANK LEONE 40 NEWPORT NEWS VA 32:56 6:38 *

3 23 JOSEPH KISTNER 43 COLONIAL HEIGHTS V 34:56 7:02

MEN: 45 - 49

1 35 RICHARD RIVERA 45 YORKTOWN VA 38:31 7:45

2 74 ELIJAH WARD 46 POQUOSON VA 45:33 9:10

MEN: 50 - 54

1 34 CARLTON NOLL 52 QUINTON VA 38:22 7:43

2 49 AVINASH KELLEY 53 CHESAPEAKE VA 42:41 8:36

3 66 AARON HARGIS 54 NORFOLK VA 44:40 9:00

MEN: 55 - 59

1 18 DAVID ANDERSON 55 WILLIAMSBURG VA 33:51 6:49 *

2 24 PAUL PELLETIER 59 WILLIAMSBURG VA 35:11 7:05 *

3 25 CHAD SIMPSON 57 CHESAPEAKE VA 35:22 7:07

MEN: 60 - 64

1 27 JON LEIDING 62 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 35:56 7:14

2 29 ORLANDO PEREZ 63 NEWPORT NEWS VA 36:42 7:23

3 52 MATTHEW BICKLEY 63 SEAFORD VA 43:08 8:41 *

MEN: 65 - 69

1 26 JAMES BATES 69 HAMPTON VA 35:44 7:12

2 43 TIMOTHY HODGE 65 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 41:15 8:18 *

3 51 BILL PRICE 65 CHESAPEAKE VA 42:53 8:38 *

MEN: 70 AND OVER

1 31 RICHARD GRANT 71 SUFFOLK VA 36:50 7:25

2 38 JIM DUFFY 73 POQUOSON VA 38:51 7:49 *

3 45 JIM GULLO 70 WILLIAMSBURG VA 41:45 8:24 *

WOMEN: 12 AND UNDER

NONE

WOMEN: 13 - 19

1 105 MEGHAN MCKAY 14 LANEXA VA 52:06 10:29

WOMEN: 20 - 24 NONE

WOMEN: 25 - 29

1 73 HANNAH DUN 29 GLOUCESTER VA 45:28 9:09

2 128 TYLEISHA LOPER 29 YORKTOWN VA 1:01:05 12:18

WOMEN: 30 - 34

1 30 JACINDA FLEMING 34 TOANO VA 36:45 7:24

2 42 DANIELLE NEWTON 32 HAYES VA 41:08 8:17

3 81 ISABELLA BERROSPI 31 YORKTOWN VA 46:45 9:25

WOMEN: 35 - 39

1 17 JAYME JOHNSON 35 YORKTOWN VA 33:32 6:45

2 53 SARAH BERRY 37 WILLIAMSBURG VA 43:12 8:42

3 71 KATE UPTMOR 35 WILLIAMSBURG VA 45:04 9:04

WOMEN: 40 - 44

1 33 MEGAN SYRETT 42 YORKTOWN VA 37:27 7:32 *

2 40 MARCELLA THUMM 40 WILLIAMSBURG VA 40:33 8:10

3 47 KRISTIN BARRON 43 TOANO VA 42:04 8:28

WOMEN: 45 - 49

1 78 AMANDA WHITE 49 NEWPORT NEWS VA 46:29 9:21 *

2 80 MARY HANLIN 45 NORFOLK VA 46:33 9:22

3 94 JUDY EMANUEL 49 COBBS CREEK VA 49:54 10:03

WOMEN: 50 - 54

1 69 SUSAN HAGEL 52 NORFOLK VA 44:58 9:03 *

2 82 CRYSTAL DAVENPORT 50 YORKTOWN VA 47:11 9:30 *

3 119 THERESA MCKAY 54 LANEXA VA 57:01 11:28

WOMEN: 55 - 59

1 50 KIRSTEN KELLY 55 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 42:45 8:36

2 83 JULIE MCDERMOTT 58 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 47:26 9:33

3 102 CRIZTINA JEAN 56 WILLIAMSBURG VA 51:14 10:19 *

WOMEN: 60 - 64

1 32 MELANIE HENNIS 62 PORTSMOUTH VA 37:02 7:27

2 37 CONNIE GLUECK 61 WILLIAMSBURG VA 38:50 7:49 *

3 61 TAMMI CLARKE 64 NORFOLK VA 44:15 8:54

WOMEN: 65 - 69

1 99 GAIL BIERMANN 67 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 50:46 10:13

2 111 SHIRLEY STEPHENS 68 WILLIAMSBURG VA 53:48 10:50 *

3 132 KATHY GALLO 69 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:02:02 12:29 *

WOMEN: 70 AND OVER

1 89 CAROL HANSEN-VESSA 70 WILLIAMSBURG VA 48:41 9:48 *

2 92 HELEN WORTHINGTON 70 BENA VA 49:22 9:56 *

3 113 PATRICIA TRAVIS 74 WILLIAMSBURG VA 54:04 10:53 *

* denotes PTC member

Poquoson Wrestling Reclaims Class 2 State Title

2025-03-05T16:43:00.002-05:00

BRISTOL -- Poquoson reclaimed the Class 2 Virginia state wrestling championship which had eluded them for the past three seasons, leaving no doubt as the Islanders cruised to a decisive victory at the top of the 38-team field in Saturday’s final at Virginia High.

For Poquoson, it marked a return to the state champion form that the team previously enjoyed, as they won in the four seasons from 2018-2021. The Islanders totaled 242.5 points, far ahead of Strasburg, who was runner-up with 173. Central, from King and Queen County, placed third with 114.

Overcoming the contingent of wrestlers from Strasburg High, who had won the championship for the past three years was supposed to be team’s biggest obstacle heading into the competition. But with the recent outburst of snow to the southeast Virginia region, all six of the class finals were forced to break arrangements with their previous sites and find a capable high school to host their tournament. For Poquoson, this resulted in a relocation of their meet from Salem (260 miles away) to the Virginia/Tennessee border town of Bristol (394 miles), nearly a six-hour drive from Bull Island, according to Google Maps.

An early arrival to Bristol allowed the 13 Poquoson wrestlers time to stretch, rest and acclimate to their rustic surroundings. But placing nine wrestlers in the finals and building a 74-point lead over their cross-state rival was just as beneficial, and Strasburg had only three grapplers in the championship round, effectively clinching the title for the Islanders before the final series of matches.

Kam Harrell won Poquoson’s first individual title in the first bout, at 106 pounds, with a 12-0 major decision over Riverheads’ Mason Wood. At 113, Brayden Bunting, who won the region final, was on the short end of a 12-3 major decision to Xaiden Wynn of James River, who improved his season mark to 40-1.

Logan Keese, a finalist last season, fell just short again, dropping an 8-3 decision to Nandua’s Dylan Padgett (27-3 on the season) in the 120-lb. final.

However, the Islanders’ three returning champions were up next for coach Eric Decker’s team. At 132, Jared Goodson (37-4) was victorious in his bout over Central’s Brayden Owsley, who entered with a 35-1 season record. For Goodson, it is his third straight Class 2 championship, after winning at 113 and 126 pounds in his freshman and sophomore campaigns.

Bryan Latta captured the 144-lb. bracket with an 8-0 major decision over Peyton Dean of Strasburg, marking the proverbial “nail in the coffin” for Poquoson as they crossed the 240-point plateau. Last year, Latta won the 138-lb. crown.

Reed Booth (35-3) also topped his Strasburg opponent in the 150-lb. final, scoring a 17-2 technical fall over Lucas Martinez. Booth was also a returnee to the championship match, wrestling at 157 last year.

A near win came in the 157-lb. match as Islander Christian Leonard built up a 6-2 lead early in the third and final period, only to have Ian Ray of Lebanon earn two three-point takedowns in 90 seconds and eke out a 9-7 victory.

By now, time became another factor for the wrestlers as the clock rolled past midnight, a result of having Class 1 and 2 compete together on the same day, making it the only Virginia championship to bundle its competitions.

In the Islanders other two final matches, at 175, Nathaniel Quiroz fell to Radford’s Cole Martin in a 10-0 major decision, while at 190, Austin Conley was defeated in a 16-1 technical fall loss to Chase Miller of Glenvar.

Other top four finishers for Poquoson included Brayden Agnese (3rd - 215) and Darek Kennedy (4th – 165)

Bruton also represented the Hampton Roads region and placed 32nd with seven points. Cre-Shawn Keitt (215) reached the quarterfinals but lost and finished in the consolation round. Keitt recorded two falls before being eliminated by Agnese. Freshman Jamin Davidson (106) also finished in the consolation round after dropping his opening bout.

Hampton Track Women win Pirates First-Ever CAA Title

2025-03-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (February 27, 2025) … The Hampton University women's indoor track and field team put together a day for the record books on Thursday, capturing the first Coastal Athletic Association title in school history by winning the 2025 Indoor Track and Field title at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex.

(From HamptonPirates.com)

Hampton put together two first-place finishes and five second-place finishes on Thursday to help total 110 points and edge out Elon with 107.5 points. Defending champion Northeastern took third with 94.5 points out of 12 teams.

"I am so excited for my women's team. Today was a day of pure heart and desire. Our ladies fought hard and were determined to bring the trophy back to campus. This is what happens when we believe in each other," said Hampton University Head Coach Maurice Pierce.

"I'd like to thank President Darrell K. Williams, AD Henderson, my staff and everyone at Hampton who continues to support us," he added.

It all came down to the 4x400 relay as Hampton entered that event trailing Elon 104.5 to 102 in the team standings. The Pirates were sitting fourth heading into the final leg of the relay, and Brianna Charles came through with a blistering 53.28 anchor leg to help push Hampton to second in 3:43.29 to lock up the team crown. Joining her on that 4x400 team were Arriah Gilmer, Morgan Pruitt, and Carmen PenaSoto.

"Our 4x400 anchor leg, Brianna Charles, ran with an attitude and was determined to keep our relay team in the top two to take the title," Pierce said.

Peninah Mutisya finished off the 3,000/5,000-meter double by winning the 3,000-meters on Thursday with a meet record of 9:16.47. This follows her meet record in the 5,000 meters on Wednesday.

Charles had a busy day as she took second in the 60-meter dash, running 7.44 and in the 200 meters in 23.63. Jordan Mozie took second in the 800 meters in 2:09.70, while Rochele Solmon took second in the shot put with a toss of 15.30 meters (50-2.5).

The 4x800 meter relay team of Mekayla Wilson, Kayla Spencer, Kylee King, and Mozie took first running 9:02.14.

Other Pirates earning points on Thursday included:

60 hurdles - Saniyah Evans –fifth place – 8.82
400 meters - Morgan Pruitt – seventh place – 56.17
200 meters - Morgan Pruitt – eighth place - 24.67
High Jump - Emmani Shaw – fifth place – 1.75m (5-8.75)
Shot Put - Nya Harmon – seventh place – 14.18m (46-6.25)
Triple Jump - Danielle James – fourth place – 11.98m (39-3.75)

Poquoson, New Kent, Grassfield, Granby Win Region Wrestling Titles

2025-02-19T14:40:00.008-05:00

CHESAPEAKE – After finishing runner-up in the past two Region 6A tournaments, Grassfield entered the 2024-25 season on a mission to return to the form of the team which won the region championship in 2022 and then placed third at the Class 6 state finals, the highest in school history.

After Saturday’s convincing win at this year’s regionals, held on the mats at Oscar Smith High, their updated mission will now include a first-ever team state championship.

Grassfield had eight wrestlers win individual titles, en route to a 100-point win over runner-up Landstown. In the process, the Grizzlies, who scored 328 team points, qualified all 14 wrestlers for the state finals, which will be held next weekend at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.

“Chantilly, who may be our toughest competition, probably had 11 wrestlers qualify,” said coach Patrick Shuler, whose team is undefeated at 18-0 against in-state competition. “A couple of others have nine or ten, so we’re expecting everybody to score.”

He credited the first finals match as one of the most important for the team, as Nolan Mather led off with a win by fall (2:44) over Landstown’s Lucas Bundy.

“That was big,” said Shuler, adding that the two grapplers had traded wins in their first two bouts of the season.

Leland Mendez followed with a win by fall at 113. Grassfield would strike heavily in the mid-weights, winning four straight final bouts with Simeon Barrett (144), Hunter Johnson (150), Nick Moore (157) and Nate Moore (165) each winning their weight class, effectively cementing the team win.

“Nick and Nate did what they were supposed to do. They continued to dominate. Simeon and Hunter were impressive.”

Grassfield also won the two heaviest divisions with Chase Burns (215) and Chris Funches (285) winning their brackets. “That was big for us,” added Shuler.

Landstown wrestlers won three individual titles in consecutive order. Hayato Otero defeated Carl Andrade 14-8 at 126, and the Phoutasen brothers – Elijah and Michael – defeated Grassfield wrestlers to win the 132 and 138-lb. classes. The Eagles totaled 238.5 points in a runner-up effort to also qualify for states.

Oscar Smith placed only one wrestler in the finals with Cameren Holley-Wingfield reaching the 144-lb. final against Barrett. However, the Tigers scored wrestlers in the top six for the final 12 weight classes and finished third with 154.5, to reach the state finals.

Western Branch’s Brandon Cynar extended his perfect season record to 44-0, winning at 120 pounds with a win by fall (5:12) over Jaymar Custodio of Landstown. Bruin teammate Kyler Swensen won the 175-pound class to raise his season mark to 41-2.

The Islanders placed ten wrestlers on the gold medal podium, dominating the 113 to 190-pound weight classes, to win easily on their home mats at Poquoson.

In all, the Bull Islanders scored 318.5 points, 140 ahead of second-place Nandua. Bruton was seventh with 78 points.

Winning for Poquoson was Brayden Bunting (113) and Logan Keese (120). At one point Poquoson had eight titlists in a row with Jared Goodson (132), Keegan Webb (138), Bryan Latta (144), Reed Booth (150), Christian Leonard (157), Darek Kennedy (165), Nathaniel Quiroz (175), and Austin Conley (190) each capturing their weight class.

Cre’Shawn Keitt (19-4 record on the season) was the lone Bruton wrestler to reach the finals, dropping a hard-fought 18-14 decision to Tre Wheeler of Randolph Henry of Carroll County. Freshman Jamin Davidson (18-6) scored well for Bruton with a third-place finish at 106.

New Kent scored eight first place finishes and the Trojans easily won their region championship, scoring 283 points at the Region 3A tournament, hosted by the winning team.

Bay Rivers District teams placed 1-2-3 and advanced to next week’s state tournament.

Grafton was second with 183 points. For the Clippers, Sebastian Campbell (35-4 this season) won the 144-lb weight class with a win by fall at 2:47 over Lafayette’s Hunter Tifft. Amauri Lymon also made the final bout at 175.

Tabb was third with 174 points. Their two individual championships were won in back-to-back weight classes as Jayden Wright (126) won by fall over Nathan Powell of Hopewell, followed by Alijah Franklin’s surprising win over LeVontae Johnson from Lake Taylor. Tabb’s Jayden Crotty (26-3), one of the state’s top female wrestlers, advanced to the finals at 106, but fell 11-0 to Carter Roy of New Kent.

Granby withheld a strong charge by Nansemond River to win the Region 5B tournament held at the victor’s mats in Norfolk on Saturday. The Comets totaled 261 points, while the Warriors scored 235.5.

Led by their three undefeated grapplers – Keith Fernandez, Alex Rippel and Joseph McAuliffe - the Comets held a narrow edge from start to finish and pulled away from their Southeastern District opponent with final wins by Rippel (157) and McAuliffe (175).

The Comets and Warriors both had wrestlers in four straight final bouts, between 113 and 132 pounds, which directly affected the outcome as Granby entered the final round with a 12.5-point lead. While the teams split the four bouts 2-2, Granby pulled away as Rippel (29-0) narrowly escaped Carmen McDaniel of Woodside 3-2 in their final. Two bouts later, McAuliffe (21-0) won by fall at 57 seconds over Bless Marshall of Norview.

Jaylan Hughes of Granby also placed first, winning the 126-lb. class, with a 15-3 major decision over Anthony Thompkins of Nansemond River. Brayden Galicia was the other NR champ, winning by fall at 1:49 over Granby’s Trazonte Towns.

Third-place Warwick (181.5 points) had two champions, Joshua Barnhart at 144 and Robert Tucker, who won the 165-lb. category.

Other Peninsula District wrestlers to win region championships included Zachariah King (138) and Carnell Sheriff (285) of Bethel, and Nehemiah Mix of Woodside, who won a 12-10 tiebreaker over Warwick’s Jackson Robbins. Bethel qualified for states with their fourth-place finish with 164.5 points.

Kings Fork was represented in the winners’ bracket by Zymihr Dabbs, who won at 150, while Breon Epps of Norview claimed the 215-lb. crown.

VISAA

Two Hampton Roads won their weight class at the Virginia Independent School (VISAA) tournament, held at the Potomac School in McLean.

Luke Murray of Peninsula Catholic (48-2 this season) topped Ryan Barone of Fishburne Military Academy 7-0 to claim the 165-lb. class. Townsend Winans from Cape Henry won by fall (at 1:32) over Hunter Wagner, also of Fishburne to win the 175-lb bracket. Their respective teammates Connor Walck (CHC) and Thomas Montgomery (PC) also advanced to the finals, at 132 and 157 pounds.

Peninsula Catholic placed highest of the area squads, finishing fourth with 201.5 points. Cape Henry was fifth, tallying 155. Richmond’s St. Christopher’s won with 358.5.

Poquoson Among Region Wrestling Favorites This Weekend; Tabb, Heritage Look to Advance In Region 3A

2025-02-15T11:18:00.002-05:00

The second weekend of regional championship wrestling will be chock full of matches all over Hampton Roads as four team champions will be crowned in different Virginia classifications, while 16 grapplers in each of 14 weight classes will also advance to one of two state finals at Salem Civic Center (Classes 1-3) or Virginia Beach Sports Center (Classes 4-6), which will take place next weekend.

All four tournaments will take place on Saturday.

Region 6A (at Oscar Smith HS)

Four teams will be represented here, including 757Teamz.com's top-ranked Grassfield. The Grizzlies finished the regular season with dual-match victories over Cox and Kellam, and they are undefeated (18-0) against Virginia opponents this season. Still, as coach Patrick Shuler points out, “The job is not done.” The Moore brothers, Nick and Nate, provide a boost for the Grizzlies with a combined 67-12 record at 157 and 165. They are bookended in the Grassfield lineup by juniors Simeon Barrett (25-8 at 144), Hunter Johnson (31-7 at 150) and Brady Greene (28-9 at 175).

#7 Landstown has its own pair of brothers wrestling back-to-back, with sophomore Elijah Phoutasen sporting a 29-7 record at 132, and Michael following with a 24-4 mark at 138. They follow Hayato Otero in the lineup, with Otero claiming the team’s best record at 28-3 in the 126-lb. division. Freshman Lucas Bundy (29-7) should travel deep into the 106-lb. bracket.

#11 Western Branch counters with their lone undefeated wrestler as Brandon Cynar has dominated in the 120-lb class, winning all 41 of his bouts. Kyler Swenson (37-2 at 175) and sophomore Ben Viola (27-3 at 106) should also place high on the podium.

Host Oscar Smith (ranked #12 by 757Teamz) brings plenty of senior experience to their lineup, headed by six wrestlers with at least a 64 percent win record, including Amir Elliott (21-3 at 215) and Cameren Holley-Wingfield (19-4 at 144). Junior Johntae Moye is 18-4 in the 132-lb. class.

Region 2A (at Poquoson HS)

#4 Poquoson and Bruton are the two local entries, with the Islanders favored to win.

The Islanders scored seven champions at the Bay Rivers District tournament two weeks ago. Kam Harrell (106), Brayden Bunting (113), Logan Keese (120), Jared Goodson (132), Reed Booth (150), Christian Leonard (157), Nathaniel Quiroz (175) all reached the top of the podium and most are expected to do the same on Saturday.

Bruton’s Cre’Shawn Keitt was the only gold medalist for the Panthers, but with a 19-3 record, mostly against high class competition, he will be a tough out at 215. Freshman Jamin Davidson (14-6) has had a strong rookie campaign in the 106-lb. division and should also advance to states.

Region 5B (at Granby HS)

#6 Granby, with three undefeated wrestlers – Keith Fernandez (25-0 at 113), senior Alex Rippel (25-0 at 157), and Joseph McAuliffe (18-0 at 175) , as well as Jonah Burrus (19-1 at 138) are the favorites. They should be challenged by Nansemond River, Warwick and Bethel.

The Warriors are strong throughout the lineup, with six potential champions, including the Falkenstein brothers, William (29-6) and Charles (27-6), who like their Moore counterparts at Grassfield wrestle 157 and 165. Warwick is led by Erick Marentes (17-3 at 113), Joshua Barnhart (25-3 at 144), senior Robert Tucker (23-4 at 165), and Jackson Robbins (23-4 at 190). Bethel should see state qualifiers with Zachariah King (31-4 at 138), Mharcelus Van Horsten (29-7 at 215) and Austin Nguyen (21-8 at 106).

Other squads with potential state advancers include Maury, who bring 106-lb. ace Arturo Luna to the mat with a 17-1 record, and freshman Kostek Trochanowski (15-5 at 132), Menchville’s Kirshaun Davis and Norview’s Bliss Marshall (both at 175), and Woodside’s Carmine McDaniel, who is 26-2 this season.

Region 3A (at New Kent HS)

The host Trojans will be the favorite to win. This is one of the more diverse regions, with schools from Norfolk uniting with teams from as far as Petersburg.

Locally, the Bay Rivers District has five entries, but teams from the Peninsula (Heritage), Eastern (Norcom, Booker T. Washington, Lake Taylor) and Southeastern (Lakeland) Districts will also field squads.

Heritage, with entries in all 14 weight classes could be tough. Seniors Joshua Ray (150) and Ajontane Morrison (215), along with freshman Jefferey Hunt (120) lead the Hurricanes. Lakeland, powered by Jayden Smith (190), Jamari Baker (132), and Brayden Lucero will make a run for a state berth, as will Tabb, led by Jayden Crotty, a female wrestler who was sixth in the boys Class 3 state finals last season and has gone 24-2 this year. Freshman Jayden Wright (24-4 at 126) and sophomore Amauri Lymon (28-4 at 175) will also score heave points for the Tigers.

Other wrestlers to watch will be Chris McCorkle of Booker T. Washington (14-1 at 175), the Campbell brothers of Grafton, Gregory (32-6 at 138) and Sebastian (32-4 at 144), Charles Rumble from Norcom (18-3 at 190), Josh Baum (165) and Lucas Chadwick (175) of Lafayette. Kai Smith (14-3 at 113) has been a standout in his freshman year with York.

Positive Athlete Opens Nominations in Virginia for 2024-25 School Year

2025-02-12T18:32:00.005-05:00

RICHMOND, VA (February 12, 2025) – Positive Athlete, a national organization celebrating high-character student-athletes, is thrilled to announce the opening of nominations for the “Most Positive” high school student-athletes in Virginia. This marks an exciting expansion as Positive Athlete continues to grow beyond its Georgia roots.

All 9th–12th grade student-athletes in Virginia are eligible to be nominated by parents, coaches, teachers, administrators, and fans. Nominations are now open and will be accepted through May 9, 2025, via the Positive Athlete website: www.positiveathlete.org. Nominees from Virginia are immediately eligible for local scholarships available through the program.

Since its inception, Positive Athlete has recognized over 50,000 high school student-athletes and coaches who exemplify resilience, leadership, and a commitment to their communities. The program has also awarded over $550,000 in college scholarships to student-athletes who make a difference both on and off the field.

“We are excited to bring Positive Athlete to Virginia and recognize young athletes who inspire others through their attitude and actions,” said Positive Athlete CEO Scott Pederson. “Athletic ability is often celebrated, but we believe character, perseverance, and community impact deserve equal recognition.”

Adding to the excitement, NFL Hall of Famer Champ Bailey has joined Positive Athlete as the program’s lead spokesperson. His dedication to youth development and leadership makes him the perfect advocate for Positive Athlete’s mission.

Student-athletes across Virginia who demonstrate positivity in the face of adversity, give back to their schools and communities, or uplift their teammates are encouraged to be nominated. Winners will be recognized later this year through Positive Athlete’s statewide awards program.

For more information or to submit a nomination, visit www.positiveathlete.org.

About Positive Athlete

Positive Athlete, Inc. is a national organization dedicated to promoting positivity in youth athletics through awards, scholarships, and leadership opportunities. The program highlights student-athletes who inspire through their character, commitment, and resilience.

CNU Clobbers Hampden-Sydney 24-8 in Men's Lacrosse Opener

2025-02-11T18:00:00.006-05:00

(From the Christopher Newport Uniersity Sports Information Office)

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Rewriting the record books with one of the finest single-game performances in school history, Kevin Miller established new program standards for points and assists while leading the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team to a 24-8 victory over Hampden-Sydney in the season opener on a soggy Saturday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Kicking off his sophomore campaign with a remarkable effort, Miller collected 13 points after notching five goals and eight assists. His 13 points topped the previous record of 11, which was set by current teammate Brett Jackson against Catholic on March 4, 2023. Meanwhile, his eight assists eclipsed the old standard of seven, which was established by John Thompson against FDU-Florham on March 11, 2013 and matched by Coby Auslander in the same game in which Jackson set the points record.

Along with Miller, Jamie Smith erupted for eight goals, which equaled the third-highest total in program history. Meanwhile, Jackson also had six points, including four strikes, to round out the high-volume scorers.

While the offense was lighting up the Tigers, the defense was equally impressive. Making his first career start, sophomore Brett Kelley forced six turnovers, which tied the seventh-most by a Captain. Fellow defensemen Colin DeGrassi and Mark Davison also had two strips apiece, while AJ Rosacker added a pair of takeaways from his perch as a long-stick midfielder.

Christopher Newport also controlled possession throughout the contest, winning 26 of the 36 faceoffs. Three-time All-American Warner Cabaniss went 16-for-23 at the dot, while Grant Giunchi was 7-for-8. The two faceoff specialists also combined for 11 total ground balls.

On the back end, Mason Bellinger recorded his first career victory after finishing the contest with five saves in 48 minutes of action.

From the very beginning, Miller made his presence felt as the Preseason All-American scored the squad's first three goals. After dunking a pair along the right post, he completed his hat-trick by barreling through a defender who attempted to tie him up in the right corner. Eventually, he dipped underneath, ran right through the stick-check, and completed the play with a fake-and-finish along the crease.

After flashing his finishing skills, Miller came back with an assist on Smith's first goal. Moments later, in the 10th minute, Smith added a highlight-reel tally. Putting a defender in a blender, he spun through traffic in the right corner before bouncing a shot off a second defender that pin-balled into the cage for a 5-1 advantage.

Less than a minute later, after a clean faceoff win by Cabaniss, Jackson joined the party. Dodging a defender in the right wing, he sent the Tiger spinning to the turf before snapping off a sidewinder in the center of the zone for his first strike.

Continuing the onslaught in the 13th minute, Jackson Platner faked a pass to his right before splitting a pair of defenders with a dime down low to Smith. Polishing off his own first-quarter hat-trick, the third-year star sank a turnaround tracer to snatch a 7-1 edge.

With seconds remaining on the clock, the Captains came back for more. On a clear attempt, a Tiger attempted a swim move to slip past Kelley, but the sophomore ate up the play with a gorgeous stick-lift near midfield. Eventually, Miller snatched the loose ball and kick-started a fast-break.

Looking to beat the horn, he cut around a defender and found Smith streaking towards the cage for the squad's eighth goal of the opening period.

Although the visitors found a little rhythm in the second quarter and scored four goals during the stanza, Christopher Newport had an answer each time. Jackson unloaded a high-rising rocket just inside the left post before Ethan Slusher put a little English on a missile that bounced through the wickets of the HSC keeper for his first goal of the year. Later, Miller found Platner crashing down the center of the zone during a man-up situation before adding his fourth goal after spinning around the right pipe.

Then, in the final minutes of the first half, Christopher Newport's last goal of the period was set-up by another tremendous effort on the defensive end.

On a clear attempt, Miller stayed in the face of Hampden-Sydney's goalie to prevent a clean look from the crease. Eventually, the keeper lofted a rainbow towards midfield, but Gabe Montognese intercepted the feed and shoveled a pass to Jackson, who sniped a one-timer from the wing for a 13-5 lead.

After the break, Christopher Newport set the tone on the defensive end. Rosacker punched a ball loose along the left sideline while running stride-for-stride with a Tiger on a clear. Later, Ryan Almassian de-twigged a midfielder with a huge check in the center of the turf, while Davison helped win possession of a Hail Mary heave down the right boundary.

Meanwhile, the attack never lost its footing. Fred Fulkerson found a one-on-one, split to his right, and absorbed a bruising hit while sinking his first strike of the contest. Minutes later, Miller showed fantastic vision as he was swarmed by three defenders along the right pipe. Trying to sidestep through traffic, he eventually gained a little space before spinning the ball across the crease to Smith, who slammed home another bullet along the left post.

Continuing to attack, Daniel Siaton absolutely stripped a Tiger on the defensive side, burst up the left sideline, and lofted a feed towards the center of the zone. Incredibly, the ball deflected off a stick before bouncing up to Miller, who snatched the roller and sank his final goal of the contest.

After landing his fifth strike, Miller went back to work setting up his teammates. At the end of the third period, he connected with Jackson and Smith on back-to-back darts, which helped the hosts steal an 18-6 lead entering the final 15 minutes of regulation.

Coming into the fourth quarter with 11 points, Miller quickly broke the single-game standard less than a minute into the new period. Fittingly, his historic play was aided by the man whose record he broke.

In the 46th minute, Hampden-Sydney attempted to pass the ball back towards the center of the turf. Holding his position just across midfield, Jackson boxed out a Tiger from gaining control of the loose ball. Eventually, the fourth-year phenom punched the roller past two other defenders before Miller picked it up and found himself on a 2-on-1 breakaway.

With Smith flanked out towards the left wing, the sophomore fed his teammate, who quickly scored along the crease to give Miller his record-breaking 12th point of the contest.

After Fulkerson came back with his second goal, Miller added one last highlight. During a man-up situation in the 54th minute, he dished another perfect feed to Smith, who capped off the play with his eighth tally.

Marching towards the end of regulation, Jack Martinez threaded a pass into a tight window to Joey Fantinato, who escaped the pressure before connecting on his first collegiate goal. Later, Luke Solomon capitalized on a rebound in traffic before unleashing a skip pass to Ryan Cammarata, who punctuated the festivities with a rip from the right wing.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 66-25 advantage in shots and a 47-25 lead in ground balls. Will Cramp collected five rollers and forced a turnover for the victors, while Siaton added four ground balls to go along with his assist and takeaway.

CNU will return to action next Saturday when the Captains host Adrian at 1 p.m.

Race Results - 13th Annual Run for the HEART 10 Miler (submitted by the Peninsula Track Club)

2025-02-10T13:57:00.005-05:00

The 13th Annual 10-Mile Run for the HEART was held on the tour roads of the Yorktown Battlefield on Saturday morning, February 8, 2025. The race was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 5480 with proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association.

Held under less than perfect running conditions, 78 runners competed with 64 completing the 10 Mile course on the scenic Yorktown Battlefield roads.

Both courses started and finished near Surrender Field on the Yorktown Battlefield. The 10 Mile course is USATF certified #VA23002RT and was run correctly by the runners.

Three new course age group records for the 10-Mile Run for the Heart were set on Saturday, including a new overall course record.

The winner, Jordan Spector, of Yorktown, VA set a new age group for Men 35-39 with a time of 58:29. beating the old record of 1:01:19 set by Douglas Marshall in 2013.

Not to be outdone, the top woman (and 3rd place runner) Bethany Spector, 35 of Virginia Beach, VA set a new Women's Overall course record with a time of 1:02:49, breaking the previous Women's overall time of 1:04:41 set by Saki Wilson in 2020 as well as the Women's 35-39 record of 1:08:55 set by Jessica Riggs in 2016.

Additionally, Carol Hansen-Vessa, 70 of Reston, VA set a new age group record for women 70-74 with a time of 1:36:07, besting the old record of 1:43:23 set by Patricia Travis in 2022.

Final 757Teamz Wrestling Top-15 Rankings

2025-02-06T14:02:00.002-05:00

Three events from the previous week have solidified the top of this week’s rankings, even if the changes are minimal.

On Wednesday, #2 Great Bridge (16-2) toppled the defending state champion #3 Cox 38-32 in their regular season finale. Wildcat victors included Vince Von Bernewitz (106 pounds by decision), Xavier Kovacs (113 by pin), Tom Egley (120 by pin), Beau Lewis (157 by pin), Ayden Christian (157 by major decision), Dylan Davies (175 by technical fall), Caleb Neal (190 by technical fall) and Jayden Cuevas (285 by decision). This rivalry, considered “the best in Hampton Roads” by Great Bridge coach Steve Martin, will continue this weekend as both teams contend for the Region 5A championship at Cox High.

Lewis and Neal have been nationally ranked for most of this season, and Neal will attempt to make VHSL history later this month as he chases down his fourth consecutive state title at the Class 5 Championships at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex.

“With regionals just around the corner, this win proves that our guys are enjoying the aspect of competing at a high level and having fun with the sport. Proud of our wrestlers for leaving it all on the mat tonight,” said Martin, after the Cox win.

Two district championships have been completed. In the Bay Rivers District, #4 Poquoson got past long-time rival New Kent 282-254 to win the team championship.

In the process, the Islanders won eight weight classes. Kam Harrell won the 106-lb division by technical fall, and Brayden Bunting followed with a 9-7 decision, both over New Kent wrestlers.

Logan Keese captured the 120-lb weight class with a fall (2:42) over Isaac Drummond of Warhill. Jared Goodson, the outstanding wrestler of the year, won by fall (:58) over Xavier Hurley of Lafayette. Reed Booth claimed the 150 title with a fall over Grafton’s Harrison Kent.

Christian Leonard won by fall (4:20) over Gabriel Crowe-Aguilar of Grafton and Nathaniel Quiroz nipped Tabb’s Amauri Lymon of Tabb in a 4-3 decision.

Other local winners included Jayden Wright of Tabb, who won by technical fall at 126 and Cre’Shawn Keitt (Bruton) who took the 215 title with a win by fall.

#6 Granby (18-3) finished its regular season with wins over Churchland (69-6), Norview (71-6), and Maury (66-16), and then won its fourth consecutive Eastern District championship with the Comets’ 215-pounder Tijuan Powell scored perhaps the meet’s most notable victory. Granby will next wrestle at the Region 5B championships.

The Region 4A championship will also be held this Saturday at Churchland High.

Rank, Team, (Last Week)

1. Grassfield (1)

2. Great Bridge (2)

3. Cox (3)

4. Poquoson (4)

5. Kellam (5)

6. Granby (8)

7. Landstown (6)

8. Ocean Lakes (7)

9. Cape Henry (9)

10. Norfolk Academy (10)

11. Western Branch (11)

12. Oscar Smith (12)

13. Tallwood (13)

14. Deep Creek (15)

15. Tabb (NR)

Teams to Watch: First Colonial, Peninsula Catholic, Nansemond River, Warwick, Warhill, Maury

Tribe B-Ball Sneaks Past HU Pirates 67-64

2025-01-21T20:29:00.004-05:00

WILLIAM AND MARY 67, HAMPTON 64

HAMPTON – The score may not have indicated it, but two things are certain after William and Mary’s 67-64 victory over Hampton last night at the HU Convocation Center.

First, Hampton is better than the team that dropped its conference opener 94-67 on January 2nd to the College of Charleston.

Second, the Tribe is the top team in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), and with an 11-7 record and 5-0 in the conference, they are in sole possession of the top spot with a one-game cushion to spare.

Given the combination, yesterday may have been a positive learning experience for both teams.

For Hampton, still feeling the aftereffects of a flu bug which affected eight team members, the team is still working back to full strength. Last night, they saw the return of leading scorer Noah Farrakhan, who had missed the last two games, a loss to Campbell and win over Delaware. Still feeling groggy, Farrakhan entered the game after six minutes, and was a slow mover at first but would end up leading the squad with 15 points before turning an ankle in the game’s final 1:41.

However, his team carried the load well in his one week absence. As Farrakhan said after the game, “The standard is set, whether I’m there or not.”

The Pirates struck first, scoring the game’s first nine points, including a three-pointer from the right wing by junior forward Zxavier Long.

However, the hosts fell victim to a 3-16 shooting slump, which allowed the Tribe to climb back into the game. Gabe Dorsey drained a fadeaway trey from 25 feet. A layup from Matteus Case followed, and finally, a three-pointer from the left wing by Kyle Pulliam tightened the lead to 18-17 with 5:09 remaining in the first half. While Long’s layup on the ensuing possession gave HU a short break of relief, the Tribe’s Keller Boothby followed with a long three-pointer to knot the game at 20.

Malachi Ndur’s long floater from the top of the key gave William and Mary its first lead at 23-20, and a second three from Pulliam doubled the lead to six, as the visitors took a 27-22 lead into intermission.

The shooting slump extended into the second half, and at one point, the Pirates connected just five of 26 shots from when they held the 9-0 lead, and William and Mary gained a 34-25 lead in the process, hardly making the game a runaway.

How? Said Hampton coach Ivan Thomas, “We’re going to play defense.” William and Mary ended up converting 22 of 43 field goals, but their two leading producers on Thursday, Case (6-6, 18 points) and Kyle Pulliam (5-6, 13 points) served as outliers. The Tribe had trouble finding open shots all night.

The Pirates held their composure and whittled away at the lead. Eventually, before the final media timeout with 3:55 left, a Farrakhan drive tied the game at 54. Another three from the top of the key put the Pirates on top 59-58 with 2:39 to go. As the clock ran under a minute, Case completed an underhand arm-whirling layup that drew a foul, and the converted free throw put the Tribe ahead 66-62 with 51.5 seconds to play.

“They play hard defense,” said William and Mary coach Brian Earl, enjoying a successful first year. “They did a lot of things. There are no easy games in this conference. It was fun to an extent.”

1 2 F

W&M (11-7, 5-0 CAA) 27 40 - 67

HAMPTON (9-9), 2-4 CAA) 22 42 - 64

Campbell Catches Up to Beat Hampton 66-55

2025-01-15T20:44:00.001-05:00

HAMPTON – Looking to kickstart the New Year after a pair of losses to conference opponents Charleston

and Elon last week, the Pirates found themselves at an immediate disadvantage, courtesy of a flu bug

which decimated the team, and kept five players out of action.

Despite opening a sizable lead in the first half, Hampton unraveled in the second half, as the visiting Campbell Camels outscored the Pirates 46-25, enroute to a 66-55 win at Convocation Hall.

“We got off to a good start, but didn’t get it done in the second half,” said Pirate coach Ivan Thomas, whose team’s record is now even at 8-8 (1-3 in the CAA). Despite the sickness which has overcome his team, Thomas was clear not to make excuses. “(Missing players) does not excuse our performance. We had them under control, but our effort, enthusiasm, and toughness were tested, and we came up soft. We did not protect our home court, which is our goal.”

Leading scorer Noah Farrakhan (13.1 ppg) was among the group of ailing warriors, and the Pirates were only able to suit up ten players. But a pair of scoring runs put the hosts in the lead, and then in early control of the game.

The first splurge started with Hampton down 9-8. A rebound and bank shot by Daniel Johnson started an 8-0 stretch which was highlighted by a hard-fought turnaround fade jumper by Kyrese Mullin to push the Pirate lead to five. Another Mullen score punctuated the drive and extended the margin to 16-9.

A three-point jumper by Campbell’s Jasin Sinani and layup by Colby Duggan in the paint closed the lead to 16-14. But Hampton’s next avalanche of points, eleven in all, put the Pirates firmly in control of the game at 27-14. Five different players scored, indicative of the even ball distribution employed by Coach Ivan Thomas’ team, as Tyler Rice, Wayne Bristol Jr., and Mullen each led Hampton with six points at the intermission.

But the game’s final result may have been foreshadowed at the end of the first half as the Camels scored a pair of baskets off turnovers to close the lead to 30-20 at the break.

Hampton came out flat in the second half, notching three turnovers, each resulting in a Campbell layup and score to put the visitors down by four at 30-26. Later, a three point from the right wing by Jasin Sinani tied the contest at 34. Campbell then went on a 10-2 run, marked by three-pointers from Sinani (21 pts.) and Nolan Dorsey. Now leading 44-36, the Camels found an extra gear and cruised to the victory. All five Campbell starters finished in double figures in scoring, helping the Camels improve to 7-8, with a 2-1 mark in the CAA.

George Beale Jr. led the Pirates with 15 points. Hampton will have only one day of rest before hosting Delaware on Saturday at 2 PM.

Bishop McNamara vs Bishop Ireton High School Girls' Varsity Basketball

2025-01-12T14:11:00.002-05:00

Stay Tuned for 2024 757teamz.com Boys and Girls Volleyball All-Stars

2024-12-31T21:42:00.000-05:00

COMING NEXT WEEK!!

See it first in the Virginian Pilot and Daily Press

2024-2025 Hampton Roads High School Wrestling Preview

2024-12-27T20:39:00.002-05:00

As seen in the Daily Press and Virginian-Pilot, and at 757Teamz.com. Feature several teams from the Bay Rivers, Peninsula Districts, as well as the TCIS (Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools)

Storylines

Cox chasing another ring

The Falcons, under the whistle of coach Dalton Head, won their first Class 5 title ever and gained the top spot for the first time since capturing the AAA crown in 2010. By outpointing Independence 171-142 for the championship, Cox leaves little room for error to reclaim the throne, but bringing back three state gold medalists, along with a state runner-up (Karl Ludwig at 144) and third place finisher (Ethan Merullo – 175) should give the Beach District grapplers a leg up on their opponents. The Falcons had been the last Beach team to win the state tournament, can they be the next in a repeat performance?

Great Bridge Bouncing Back

Not if the Wildcats have anything to say about it. Coach Steve Martin’s team won the Class 4 championship in 2022 and 2023 but were moved up to Class 5 last season and ended up placing third behind the aforementioned squads. At 128 points, Great Bridge was in the mix of team contenders.

And like the Cox Falcons, the Wildcats will also be returning three state champions to their lineup this winter. While we won’t get to see Cox and Great Bridge square off in a district meet, the Region 5A and Class 5 state tournament should be barnburners. Last year, Cox also won the region with 93 points, and Great Bridge placed third with 67.5.

Poquoson is loaded with juniors at Class 2

The Islanders placed in the runner-up position at the state tournament for the second time in three years, this after running off four consecutive wins from 2019 to 2022. For now, Strasburg has taken over as the team to beat in Class 2.

But Eric Decker’s bunch has gained another year of experience, and five super sophs, three of whom won their division brackets at state last year, will return. With all five coming from weight classes of 144 and under, the Bull Islanders may be clinching victorious matches before getting to the back half of their lineup. They will return a senior, Christian Leonard, who placed third in the 150-lb. class at States and boasted an individual record of 28-10 last season.

Private Eyes Are Watching

The bulk of strong private school teams will come from the Tidewater Conference, as Peninsula Catholic and Norfolk Academy report a strong group of returnees, while Catholic and Cape Henry usually maintain a group worthy of contending for the TCIS title on an annual basis.

Luke Murray of Peninsula Catholic is a senior at 165-lb. who could be the best of the bunch. Murray was 58-2 last season, while winning his weight class at the Virginia Independent (VISAA) championships and also earning Prep All-American status. He joins three teammates who placed in the top six at VISAA to fuel the Knights, who were 16-5 with a fourth place showing at states.

Norfolk Academy brings back five state place winners, with senior Kaleb Gibson (285) and freshman Matteo DeFilippo (126) showing the most potential to win gold at the conference and state tourneys.

Cullen Norton of Catholic (113) is a returning TCIS champ, the first Crusader to win gold as a frosh. He joins a young team with 15 sophomores, including the Cochran brothers, Niko (132) and Penn (165) who finished in the round of 12 at VISAA last year.

New Generation of Female Wrestlers

Four state finalists, including champion Jordyn Anderson of Woodside graduated in June, leaving a chasm in the local rankings that is ready to be filled by newer grapplers, as girls wrestling continues to grow in numbers and ability throughout Hampton Roads, mirroring a nationwide trend.

Five wrestlers are ready to make the top step of the state podium at the VHSL girls’ tournament, which will be held on February 26-27 at the Henrico Sports and Events Center. Included are sophomores Jayden Crotty of Tabb, who sported a 34-8 record while placing fourth at States and Great Bridge’s Gwendolyn Hall (152) who went 20-8 and placed second as a freshman. Crotty placed sixth in the boys state Class 3 at 106 pounds.

Junior Tatiana Denig of Tallwood was also a state runner-up at 138 and went 12-3. There are two seniors – Ariyanah Brown of Kings Fork (second at State 132 with a 24-12 record) and Jamestown’s Riley Lynch, who took sixth in the 138-lb. class.

Five Wrestlers to Watch

1) Caleb Neal (Great Bridge) - The Wildcat senior is a three-time state champion, and will mobilize Martin’s team from the 175-lb. slot. Neal is ranked #11 nationally and went 29-7 last season. He will continue his grappling career at Southern Illinois University.

2) Beau Lewis (Great Bridge) - Lewis, a VMI commit, won the 144-lb. state championship and will ply his trade at 150 this season. He had the best individual mark for the Wildcats last season at 40-3.

3) Brandon Cynar (Western Branch) - Cynar, a junior, is one of the area’s top lightweights, along with Cox’s Seth Pringle (106), Xavier Kovacs (106) of Great Bridge and Keith Fernandez (106) of Granby. Posted the highest win percentage of returning area wrestlers last year at 38-2 (.950).

4) Rudy Wagner (Cox) - Cox was one of the three Falcon state champs who will return this season. The 190-pounder went 31-4 last season.

5) Jared Goodson (Poquoson) - If the Islanders are young and hungry, Goodson may be most in need of a meal. Goodson dominated the 126-pound division to claim the Class 2 championship, and he heads a group with six potential state title winners on coach Eric Decker’s team. Goodson was 35-5 as a sophomore.

Top 15 Teams

1) Cox - The defending Class 5 state champions return a veteran lineup.

2) Great Bridge - The Wildcats will be the chief threat to Cox all season long. Along with Neal and Lewis, they sport three state placers with Tre Egley and soph Xavier Kovacs, both at 113, and Jayden Cuevas (285). Martin has won 14 state titles as a high school coach (along with nationally ranked teams at ODU), which is only two less than his total of dual meets lost in 16 years (241-16).

3) Poquoson - With six top-6 state wrestlers back on board, the Islanders should dominate Class 2. Joining Goodsen on the quintet of junior standouts are Kam Harrell (31-5 as a state runner-up at 106), Logan Keesee (runner-up at 113 in 2023-24), Bryan Latta (state champ at 138), and Read Booth (Class 2 winner at 144).

4) Grassfield - Coach Patrick Shuler welcomes back several state placers to a Grizzly team that finished second in Region 6A last season. Leland Mendez (29-8 at 113), Corey Fazekus (52-5 at 138), Nick and Nate Moore (state placers at 157 and 165) and Chris Funches (ranked #1 at 285 for Class 6) will be joined by solid teammates at each weight, including newcomer Denny Bruin, a freshman who was a 2x middle school VAWA state champ.

5) Landstown - According to coach James Sanderlin, “we have a good mix of experienced returners and young freshmen who look to contribute right away.” Jaymar Custodio (sixth in state at 120), Hayden Otero (5th in state for 126), and Mekhi Ferguson (6th in state at 165) will be looked upon to help defending state champ Michael Phoutasen (138/144).

6) Granby - The Comets first dual meet win will be coach Keith Goff’s 300th. They will aim to be undefeated in the Eastern District again, as well as wreaking havoc in Region 5B. Junior Keith Fernandez was a state runner-up at 106 pounds last winter.

7) Ocean Lakes - Dolphins were 18-4 last season and return three state qualifiers, including Maxson DeAngelo, who was fourth at Class 5 for 144 lbs.

8) Nansemond River - Terryl Wright (120) and Matthew Shodunke (138) are returning 5A region champions and lead a group of six Warriors who placed in the top-three.

9) Western Branch - Cynar, the 6A returning state runner-up at 120, joins Kyler Swensen (165) and Cole Butler (150) as the top Bruin wrestlers. Keep an eye on sophomore Ben Viola (106), who was 28-11 last year.

10) Princess Anne - Five starters return from last year, including state qualifiers Dawson Bowden, Ethan Van Nostrand, and Jeremy Feemster.

11) Warwick - Heavyweight Christian Corbin (Class 5B Region Champ at 285) and senior Joshua Barnhart (138) lead the Raiders, who were 14-3 (7-2 in the Peninsula District) in 2023-24.

12) Grafton - The talent pool will be senior-laden with Greg Campbell (138), Sebastian Campbell (144) and Charles Noble (157) standing as the returning state qualifiers. Sebastian Campbell placed fourth at Class 3.

13) Tabb - Along with Crotty, seniors Will Henderson (120) and Liam Warren (159) are former state qualifiers, while freshmen Blake Hunter (113), Jayden Wright and Zion Atkins won All-American honors as middle schoolers.

14) Peninsula Catholic - Roman Rossi (132) is a sophomore who went 22-7 last year with a third place at VISAA states. Jacob Steward (132), Owen Whitehead (138) and Thomas Montgomery (144) should give coach Marshall Robinson some mix and match options in the lower midweights.

15) Norfolk Academy - Senior Josue Perez-Rosario (144), junior Davis McNulty (132), and sophomore Noah Knittig (120) will keep the Bulldogs bountiful with bout points between DeFilippo and Gibson as NA looks to improve on last season’s 10-6 record.

Others to Watch - Kings Fork, First Colonial, Catholic, Kempsville, Cape Henry

Phoebus Rocks Sherando 34-0 to Reach State Final; Win Streak Now at 48

2024-12-15T08:42:00.004-05:00

PHOEBUS 34, SHERANDO 0

Sherando (12-2) 0, 0, 0, 0 -- 0

Phoebus (13-0) 7, 13, 7, 7 -- 34

HAMPTON – Aiming to defend its Class 4 state championship, to go along with a pair of Class 3 titles in 2021 and 2022, the Phoebus Phantoms used the arm of Maurikus Banks and legs of Davion Roberts to whitewash the Warriors of Sherando High 34-0 on Saturday afternoon at Darling Stadium.

The Phantoms, who extended their win streak to a state-leading 48, will face the Varina Blue Devils for the state title next Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium on the campus of JMU in Harrisonburg.

Sophomore Maurikus Banks was on fire in the game’s first 20 minutes, completing his first twelve passes for 149 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown throw on a textbook post pattern to Noah Jefferson, just one play after a 15-yard gainer from Jefferson was negated by a Phoebus penalty. Banks, who threw four touchdown passes in the first half of last week’s Region 4A win over Hampton, completed 23 of 28 passes for 251 yards and the pair of scoring tosses to Jefferson.

Romeir Smith, who caught four balls for 107 yards, explained the strategy. “We’re opening up the playbook. Today we went pass heavy. We brought them down with hitches and compromised with the deep ball.” Jefferson finished with six receptions for 62 yards and a second touchdown, while Brandon Diggs was a beneficiary of the hitch passes, grabbing five catches for 35 yards, including a pair of receptions on the Phantoms first two plays to earn the game’s initial first down.

Roberts was tough to stop, often requiring three and four Warriors to pull him down. The senior totaled 137 yards on 23 carries with three scores, but it was the ability to avoid losses by keeping himself in motion and driving for extra yardage that was most notable.

The defense pitched its third shutout of the playoffs, and Phoebus has outscored its playoff opponents 114-0. The Phantoms held Sherando (12-2), who hail from the Northwestern District and Stephens City, to 93 yards, 38 of which came on a breakaway pass to Ben Taylor in the game’s last minute. The Warriors entered the contest averaging just over 37 points per game, but coach Jeremy Blunt and staff had their plan ready. On Saturday, Sherando could only muster two first downs.

“They’re a run to pass team, so we had to key on the run, and also to be ready for their false reads,” said Blunt, who is aiming for his fourth state crown as the Phoebus coach. The ground game never surfaced for the Warriors, who rushed for 26 yards on 19 carries, while chasing quarterback Micah Carlson, who spent most of the game running away from defenders, while completing five of 16 passes while being intercepted by Brenden Thompson and Isaac Lipkins. Kaleb Tillery added a fumble recovery.

P – Davion Roberts 3 run (Farriss Knight kick)

P – Roberts 1 run (Knight kick)

P – Noah Jefferson 24 pass from Maurikus Banks (kick failed)

P – Jefferson 12 pass from Banks (Knight kick)

P – Roberts 6 run (Knight kick)

S P

1st Downs 2, 16

Rush-Yards 19-26, 37-140

Pass Yards 67, 251

C – A – I 5-16-2, 23-28-1

Pen-Yards 4-40, 8-64

Punt-Avg. 5-46, 2-32

Fumb-Lost 1-1, 1-0

Lafayette Topples Norcom to Win 3A Crown

2024-12-09T16:58:00.004-05:00

JAMES CITY --- Lafayette broke open a tight defensive battle in the second half and cruised to a 33-6 win over I.C. Norcom to capture the Region 3A championship on Friday evening at Wanner Stadium.

With the win, the Rams (13-0) will face Kettle Run of Culpeper in a Class 3 state semifinal next weekend.

As Coach Andy Linn explained after his team scored 27 points in the second half to run away with the victory, “This was the best game we have played this year.”

It may have also been one of the riskier ones. Leading 6-0 to open the second half, the Rams marched down the field behind the legs of backup fullback Tyree Wilson, who gained 241 yards on 26 carries in place of Breon Stokes. A 35-yard run by Wilson gave Lafayette a first-and-goal from the Norcom 8. Three rushing attempts pushed the ball to the 1, but also set up a fourth down.

The Rams could have kicked the safe 18-yard field goal to take a nine-point lead and allow a defense which has given up just 5.5 points per game to hold Norcom’s offense at bay. Or they could go for the touchdown.

They went for the touchdown.

Said Linn, “I asked the kids (during a timeout) what they wanted to do. They wanted to go.”

Baum Hogge was stopped at the goal line, but the Rams had been called for an illegal shift anyhow, ending the drive.

However, the risk was minimal as Lafayette tackled the Norcom punter after a muffed snap and regained possession of the ball at the Greyhound 29. Wilson and Brayden Smalls (12 rushes, 95 yards) would alternate carries with Smalls scoring on a six-yard run.

Matthew Outten immediately cut the lead in half to 12-6 with a 58-yard scamper from the Wildcat position, breaking at least four tackles before spinning off the last defender and sprinting the last 30 yards to the end zone.

The Rams would answer again, needing only two plays, as Wilson ran for 21, and then Smalls broke right and back to the middle for a 42-yard score, pushing the margin to 19-6. Wilson would follow up a 42-yard run to the Norcom 2 with a short touchdown, and Daniel Jackson caught a 10-yard pass in the flat to score Lafayette’s last touchdown.

Norcom came out ready for smashmouth football, with senior back Outten (13 carries, 133 yards, TD) leading the charge. The Penn State commit’s first carry went for just two yards and was squashed by a holding penalty on the Greyhounds, but Outten would break off first down runs of 25 and 17 yards, eventually rushing seven times for 57 yards. However, another holding penalty pushed Norcom back to the Ram 29, and was soon followed by a Sebastian Nix interception which gave Lafayette the ball and the momentum. Nix would later recover a fumble in the second quarter to end another Norcom possession.

The Rams would embark on an extended drive, hanging on to the ball for the rest of the opening quarter and then using three minutes of the second quarter to complete their monstrous 18-play, 88-yard drive with a 24-yard field goal by Aidan Gerda.

Norcom (8-5) 0, 0, 0, 6, ---- 6

Lafayette (13-0) 0, 6, 6, 21 ---- 33

L – Aidan Gerda 24 FG

L – Gerda 28 FG

L – Brayden Smalls 6 run (run failed)

N – Matthew Outten 58 run (run failed)

L – Smalls 42 run (Gerda kick)

L – Najee Wilson 2 run (Gerda kick)

L – Daniel Jackson 10 pass from Baum Hogge (Gerda kick)

N L

1st Downs 10, 16

Rush – Yds 29-174, 48-360

Pass Yds. 41, 21

C- A–I 2-10-1, 4-7-0

Punts – Avg. 0-0, 0-0

Pen. Yds. 4-45, 6-60

Fumb – Lost 2-1, 0-0

Grafton Girls Volleyball Wins Region 3A 3-2 Over Rival New Kent

2024-11-17T18:01:00.005-05:00

Rematch in Class 3 state semifinals set for Tuesday

YORK – The Grafton girls volleyball team survived its first scare from a local team this season but used a late surge to come back and defeat New Kent 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 15-9) and win the Region 3A championship on Tuesday night at their home gym.

With the win, the Clippers (24-2) will begin the state Class 3 quarterfinals on Saturday at home against Warren County, the Region 3B runner-up. However, New Kent (22-3) will face 3B champion Kettle Run, and if they win, the next game will be a rematch of Tuesday’s 3A championship – a match that the Trojans could have won.

New Kent gained momentum quickly, building an early seven-point lead as the Clippers committed one unforced error after another. Leah Rounds made her presence known with an early ace, and seniors Kendall White, Mackenzie Loveland, and Fallon Greenawalt eased into their positions as the visitors raced to a 25-18 first set victory.

In spite of losing their previous two matches to Grafton 3-0 and 3-1, the Trojans were ready. And this was no accident, according to New Kent coach Stuart Burnett, who with his wife Cynthia have coached the team for 37 years.

“We had two weeks off after the Bay Rivers schedule,” said Burnett “and our four senior captains looked at a lot of tape of Grafton, especially from their match against York. We found out how to build our strengths and minimize theirs.”

Their strategy worked. A series of kills from Grafton’s Kenzie Smith, Alana Washington, and sophomore Ana Breckons helped the Clippers win the second set by four, but New Kent charged back with their variety of heavy hitters to claim the third set 25-21. Their momentum carried into the fourth set as they were ahead 9-3, and then 18-11, putting them on the verge of winning the match and regional title.

But the hosts stormed back. A kill by Smith started an 11-4 run highlighted by key shots from Washington, who stretched her 5’7” frame far above the net to land several clean kills, along with a couple of push shots by Breckons, the second of which closed the lead to 20-18. A return by Peyton Hall dropped in front of the right-side player for New Kent, and Smith’s return tied the score at 22. Another New Kent return slammed into the net giving Grafton its first lead of the set at 24-23 and they won the match point to tie the contest at two games each.

Asked about being on the brink of losing to a Bay Rivers opponent for the first time this season, the responses were similar.

“It was crazy. It was kind of stressful, but we all had jobs to do and we did them,” said Breckons.

Added Washington, the senior who delivered numerous clutch shots in the fourth set, “It was super stressful, but we knew we could come back and win, and we did.”

Fellow senior Kaylie Klemm noted, “This was the first team that has put up a fight.” Note – the Clipper losses were best-of-three matches to Bishop O’Connell of the prestigious Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, and Northwest Bilingual Academy of DC at the Endless Summer tournament on September 14.

Smith finished with 19 kills, while Washington added 16. Ally Burke scooped 36 digs. Olivia De La Cruz led the squad with 22 assists and Klemm finished with 17. For New Kent, Rounds led the team with 17 kills while Loveland dispensed 40 assists to go with 12 digs.

Yorktown 10 Miler - Osborne Nips Hopper at the Line

2024-11-10T16:06:00.006-05:00

Submitted by Bruce Davis - Peninsula Track Club

Below and attached are the award winners and full results for the 31st Annual Yorktown Battlefield 10-Mile & 5K Runs held on the tour roads of the Yorktown Battlefield on Saturday morning, November 9, 2024. The race was sponsored by the Yorktown Lions Club.

The 10-Mile course started and finished near Surrender Field on the Yorktown Battlefield. The 10 Mile course is USATF certified #VA23002RT and was followed correctly by the runners. The Yorktown Battlefield 10 Miler is the tenth race of the 11-race 2024 Peninsula Track Club Grand Prix race series as well as a Hampton Roads Super Grand Prix event.

The 5K course started and finished near Surrender Field on the Yorktown Battlefield with a turn-around near the Washington's Headquarters loop. The 5K course is not certified.

The 2024 edition of the Yorktown Battlefield 10-Mile Run was held under good running conditions: clear, sunny and breezy, with a temperature of 56 at race start. A total of 136 runners entered the races (88 in the 10-Mile Run and 48 in the 5K) with 131 finishing (85 in the 10-Mile Run and 46 in the 5K) on the scenic Yorktown Battlefield tour roads.

One new age group course record for the Yorktown Battlefield 10-Mile Run was set today, and it is also a new Virginia State age group record in the 10 Mile distance.

The Yorktown Battlefield 10 Miler is no stranger to Virginia state records. Eight of the current Virginia 10 Mile road race state records were set at one of the previous Yorktown Battlefield 10 Milers over its 31 year history: Tom Ray (1:13:55 for M70-74 in 2003); Barbara Mathewson (1:10:32 for F55-59 in 2004); Rose Crist (1:16:01 for F60-64 in 2017); Betty Brothers (1:22:59 for F70-74 in 2017); Ben Dyer (1:25:52 for M75-79 in 2018); Joey Hallock for F65-69 in 2020); Isabella Strumke (1:19:18 for F-9&under in 2022) and Pete Gibson (1:03:57 for M65-69 in 2023).

In 2024, Bill Hart, 75 of Virginia Beach, VA set a new age group course record for Men 75-79 with a time of 1:20:31 besting the previous course record of 1:25:52 set by Ben Dyer in 2018 which is also the current Virginia State 10 Mile record for Men 75-79. Thus, Bill Hart sets a new Virginia State 10 Mile record with the time of 1:20:31.

Finish line and results services were provided by the Peninsula Track Club. A copy of the results, links to pictures from the race and listings for future road races can be found on the PTC website: www.peninsulatrackclub.com.

31st Annual YORKTOWN BATTLEFIELD 10 MILE & 5K RUNS

Yorktown Battlefield, Yorktown, VA

Saturday, November 9, 2024, 9:00 AM (10 Miler)

A PENINSULA TRACK CLUB GRAND and HAMPTON ROADS SUPER PRIX EVENT

USATF cert. VA23002RT (10 Miler)

10 MILER RESULTS

Place O'All Name Age City State Time Pace
===== ===== ======================== === =================== ===== ===

TOP OVERALL MEN
1 1 ANDREW OSBORNE 30 YORKTOWN VA 53:44 5:23
2 2 ROGER HOPPER 33 CHESAPEAKE VA 55:45 5:35
3 3 JORDAN SPECTOR 37 YORKTOWN VA 1:01:56 6:12 *

TOP OVERALL WOMEN
1 5 BETHANY SPECTOR 35 YORKTOWN VA 1:02:49 6:17 *
2 17 CATHERINE ENGLAND 35 YORKTOWN VA 1:18:48 7:53
3 19 KIRSTEN KELLY 54 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:20:16 8:02

TOP MASTERS MEN
1 4 DANIEL SHEAN 41 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:01:57 6:12

TOP MASTERS WOMEN
1 22 SHEILA SCOTTI 41 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:21:21 8:09 *

MEN: 19 AND UNDER
1 8 BRAXTON LEE 15 QUINTON VA 1:09:04 6:55 *
2 74 MAGNUS CHILES 18 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:55:04 11:31
MEN: 20 - 24
NONE
MEN: 25 - 29
1 24 FELIX RIVERA 29 HAMPTON VA 1:24:25 8:27
2 44 SHAWN HANRAHAN 27 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:34:38 9:28
MEN: 30 - 34
1 18 BLAKE BILL 32 WILLIAMSBURG VA 1:19:49 7:59
2 53 WESLEY HAGEDORN 31 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:38:48 9:53
MEN: 35 - 39
1 6 MATTHEW ARMENTA 37 HAMPTON VA 1:04:03 6:25
2 12 BRIAN FRIES 36 YORKTOWN VA 1:15:49 7:35
3 13 STEPHEN MOSTELLA II 37 BOYCE VA 1:15:59 7:36
MEN: 40 - 44
1 7 CHRIS NOVAKOSKI 43 CHESAPEAKE VA 1:06:42 6:41
2 15 DARREN LESLIE 42 POQUOSON VA 1:17:17 7:44
3 26 MICHAEL THOMPSON 41 HAMPTON VA 1:25:24 8:33
MEN: 45 - 49
1 25 JOHN BUTLER 45 NORFOLK VA 1:25:21 8:33
2 33 BRAD CODY 48 NORFOLK VA 1:28:47 8:53
3 79 LAMARR GRAZIONALE 46 YORKTOWN VA 1:59:28 11:57
MEN: 50 - 54
1 11 WILLIAM HUFF 54 WILLIAMSBURG VA 1:14:22 7:27
2 16 CARLTON NOLL 51 QUINTON VA 1:17:36 7:46
3 28 SCOTT SPENCER 52 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:26:05 8:37
MEN: 55 - 59
1 40 JOE BUCK 59 CHESAPEAKE VA 1:33:43 9:23
2 57 MARK SWARRINGIM 57 LANEXA VA 1:43:13 10:20
MEN: 60 - 64
1 9 KELVIN ANDERSON 63 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:10:03 7:01 *
2 10 JON LEIDING 62 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:13:41 7:23
3 14 ORLANDO PEREZ 62 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:16:16 7:38
MEN: 65 - 69
1 32 TIMOTHY HODGE 65 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:28:39 8:52 *
2 35 BILL PRICE 65 CHESAPEAKE VA 1:30:33 9:04 *
3 37 DOYLE GAGE 69 WILLIAMSBURG VA 1:31:31 9:10
MEN: 70 AND OVER
1 20 JIM DUFFY 72 POQUOSON VA 1:20:21 8:03 *
2 21 BILL HART 75 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:20:31 8:04
3 34 TOM PICKEREL 74 GENOA OH 1:30:14 9:02

WOMEN: 19 AND UNDER
NONE
WOMEN: 20 - 24
1 65 ZOE GAUTHIER 20 YORKTOWN VA 1:45:33 10:34
WOMEN: 25 - 29
1 41 HEIDI RUSE 28 DELTAVILLE VA 1:33:59 9:24
2 43 LAURA BRANSFORD 29 HAMPTON VA 1:34:16 9:26
3 45 ABIGAIL TOPPING 28 YORKTOWN VA 1:34:50 9:29
WOMEN: 30 - 34
1 27 CHRISTINA SHOCKLEY 32 YORKTOWN VA 1:25:53 8:36
2 52 MOLLIE HAGEDORN 33 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:38:48 9:53
3 75 APRIL COOLEY 32 CHESAPEAKE VA 1:57:32 11:46
WOMEN: 35 - 39
1 38 CRYSTAL WITTE 39 YORKTOWN VA 1:31:45 9:11 *
2 42 JILLIAN SIMMS 38 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:34:12 9:26
3 54 KERIN COATES 39 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:39:55 10:00
WOMEN: 40 - 44
1 29 NICOLE VINOGROSKI 40 WILLIAMSBURG VA 1:26:13 8:38
2 30 ANGELA WEATHERHEAD 40 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:28:04 8:49
3 31 ADELINE SMITH 40 YORKTOWN VA 1:28:35 8:52
WOMEN: 45 - 49
1 23 ANGELA RIBARSZKY 45 POQUOSON VA 1:22:20 8:14
2 47 MAURA RUST 45 POQUOSON VA 1:35:51 9:36
3 66 SHANTELL LUCAS 49 ASHTABULA OH 1:46:55 10:42
WOMEN: 50 - 54
1 49 LYNETTE MASON 53 NORFOLK VA 1:36:56 9:42
2 55 SUSAN HAGEL 51 NORFOLK VA 1:41:14 10:08 *
3 76 KRISTI CHILES 53 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:57:34 11:46
WOMEN: 55 - 59
1 61 CRIZTINA JEAN 56 WILLIAMSBURG VA 1:44:44 10:29 *
2 77 DAWN PURDY 57 YORKTOWN VA 1:59:00 11:54
WOMEN: 60 - 64
1 67 VALOR FOY JONES 61 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:47:53 10:48 *
2 68 CHRISTINE WILLIAMS 62 POQUOSON VA 1:47:54 10:48 *
3 73 DENEEN VENTERS 60 NEWPORT NEWS VA 1:53:38 11:22 *
WOMEN: 65 - 69
1 59 GAIL BIERMANN 66 VIRGINIA BEACH VA 1:44:34 10:28 *
2 72 LORI WISNIEWSKI 67 WILLIAMSBURG VA 1:51:21 11:09
3 78 THEA GANOE 66 HAMPTON VA 1:59:14 11:56 *
WOMEN: 70 AND OVER
1 51 CAROL HANSEN-VESSA 70 RESTON VA 1:37:57 9:48 *

William and Mary Sneaks Past Campbell 35-28

2024-10-29T19:31:00.008-04:00

#15/16 WILLIAM AND MARY 35, CAMPBELL 28

Campbell (2-5, 0-3 CAA) - 7, 7, 7, 7 -- 28

W&M (5-2, 2-1 CAA) – 14, 7, 0, 7 -- 35

Williamsburg – A pair of fourth quarter rushing touchdowns catapulted the William and Mary Tribe to a 35-28 victory over Campbell for its Homecoming game on Saturday afternoon at Zable Stadium.

The win put W&M into the top six (of 16 teams) in the CAA standings, with a current 2-1 conference record, and 5-2 overall.

The Camels (2-5, 0-3 CAA) had tied the game at 21 late in the third quarter as receiver JJ Cowan caught a dump pass from quarterback Chad Mascoe, Jr. and weaved 19 yards into the end zone. Rushing touchdowns from Bronson Yoder and Hollis Mathis helped the Tribe to pull away from their scrappy competitors from Buies Creek, NC in the final quarter.

The Tribe was aided by several costly penalties on Campbell. In one sequence, runs of 24 and three yards from Malachi Imoh (12 carries, 122 yards, TD; three receptions, 52 yds.) were extended by 30, with the help of two personal fouls on the Camel defense. This led to Yoder’s touchdown.

The Tribe's opening drive went 75 yards in ten plays, consuming 3:45 of the clock. Yoder (24 carries, 131 yds., TD) led the opening charge with five carries for 25 yards, while Imoh finished the drive with a 14-yard scoring run.

On their next drive, with fourth-and-goal from the 1, W&M QB Darius Wilson faked inside, then called his number to the outside and ran untouched into the end zone. Eric Bernstein’s extra point put the hosts ahead 14-0.

Campbell found its aerial attack, and Camel quarterback Chad Mascoe (30-39, 320 yards, 4 TD, int.) went to work on the visitor’s next drive, with VJ Wilkins cutting the lead in half on a 35-yard TD reception from Mascoe, pulling the Camels into the game and the scoring column. Connor Lytton’s conversion was good and Campbell closed the lead to 14-7 to end the opening quarter.

W&M safety TJ McGill was disqualified from the game after being called for "targeting" Mascoe after he slid to end a scramble and was hit. The redshirt sophomore signal caller was out for four plays, replaced by Mike Chandler. However, the Camels lost a fumble and couldn’t take advantage of the costly penalty.

Mascoe did get the offense in gear on the next drive, leading the Camels down to the Tribe 10. However, his fourth down pass to the end zone was broken up by W&M cornerback Jalen Jones, preventing a scare. In the second half, Jones (Deep Creek HS) would stop another drive, ending a Camel drive with just under four minutes remaining in the game.

With the defense fending off the tying score, the Tribe offense went back to work, and Yoder galloped 30 yards for a Tribe first down. The defensive stop by W&M became more important as the Tribe scored again with Darius Wilson drilling a 11-yard TD dart through the middle of the field to JT Mayo. With the extra point, William and Mary gained a 14-point lead with 4:22 remaining in the first half.

Campbell refused to go away, and put together a 13-play, 75-yard drive, ending with the second Mascoe-to-Wilkins passing touchdown, this one on a two-yard fade route, which closed the W&M lead to 21-14 at halftime.

Campbell tied the game to start the second half. After the Camels converted on third-and-nine from the 30 (a 16-yard pass to Sincere Brown), Mascoe dumped a pass to JJ Cowan and the freshman RB weaved through Tribe traffic into the end zone, knotting the contest at 21.

Mathis rolled right and into the end zone from the 6 for what was the game-clinching TD for William and Mary.

W&M –Malachi Imoh 34 run (Eric Bernstein kick)

W&M – Darius Wilson 1 run (Bernstein kick)

Camp – VJ Wilkins 35 pass from Chad Mascoe (Connor Lytton kick)

W&M – JT Mayo 11 pass from Wilson (Bernstein kick)

Camp – Wilkins 2 pass from Mascoe (Lytton kick)

Camp – JJ Cowan 19 pass from Mascoe (Lytton kick)

W&M – Bronson Yoder 6 run (Bernstein kick)

W&M – Hollis Mathis 6 run (Bernstein kick)

Camp – Sincere Brown 11 pass from Mascoe (Lytton kick)

Camp W&M

First Downs 22, 28

Rush-Yards 24-103, 57-355

Passing Yards 320, 109

C-A-I 30-39-1, 11-17-1

Pen.-Yards 10-106, 6-65

Fumbles-Lost 1-1, 1-1

#8 Lafayette Tops Warhill 33-6

2024-10-26T11:00:00.004-04:00

WARHILL (2-4) -- 0, 0, 0, 6 -- 6

LAFAYETTE (6-0) – 13, 0, 13, 7 -- 33

In early October, Lafayette kept its share of the Bay Rivers District and undefeated record intact, outslugging the Lions of Warhill 33-6 on Friday evening at Wanner Stadium.

Breon Stokes rushed for three touchdowns in the second half as the eighth-ranked Rams improved to 6-0.

Stokes finished the night with 145 yards on 13 carries. Brayden Smalls added 96 and the hosts totaled 356 yards on the ground.

The Rams offense was fueled by a collection of runners, two of who scored in the opening half. On their initial drive, Lafayette pounded for 70 yards on 11 rushes, headed by senior standout Smalls, who capped the sequence with a 12-yard rush, which started as a jet sweep to the right before Smalls turned up field, ran through the middle of his line and into the end zone. For the drive, Lafayette’s leading rusher tallied six carries for 42 yards, finishing with his 11th TD of the season.

Josh Simpson had the longest carry of the game for the Rams. On their next drive, at their own 26, the junior, listed as a wide receiver, took the handoff from quarterback Baum Hogge and hauled down the right sideline, outrunning the Lion defense for a 74-yard score. Lafayette managed 148 yards of rushing on 13 carries with their first two possessions and carried a 13-0 lead into halftime.

Warhill scored its lone touchdown after the offense sustained its longest drive of the night, totaling 13 plays, with freshman quarterback Devon Price sneaking the ball into the end zone from the Ram 2. Senior running back Eric Crane tallied 40 of the drive’s 51 yards with six rushes and a reception while finishing with 104 on 15 carries.

L – Brayden Smalls 12 run (Aidan Gerda kick)

L – Josh Simpson 74 run (kick failed)

L – Breon Stokes 35 run (Gerda kick)

L – Stokes 64 run (run failed)

L – Stokes 3 run (Gerda kick)

W L

1st Downs 13, 15

Rush-Yards 33-130, 39-356

Pass Yards 87, 54

C – A – I 11-23-0, 2-3-0

Pen-Yards 10-75, 7-73

Punt-Avg. 3-32, 0-0

Fumb-Lost 0-0, 2-1