Roundup: HPU men race past Lees-McRae in soccer opener

Feb. 16—HIGH POINT — High Point University scored in the first minute and raced past Lees-McRae 5-0 in its men's soccer season opener Sunday at Vert Stadium.

MD Myers scored twice for the Panthers (1-0), who reached the Big South Conference tournament championship in the fall of 2019. Sebastian Chalbaud, Alex Abril and Finn McRobb each added one goal.

Nick Phipps and Davis Biggerstaff each had two assists while Caco Fernandez for High Point, which scored three goals in the first half to lead comfortably over the Bobcats, who play in the Division II Conference Carolinas.

The Panthers, who are coached by former Southwest Guilford standout Zach Haines, outshot Lees-McRae 16-4 for the match — including 9-0 in the first half. They play again Sunday at home against Gardner-Webb to start conference play.

HPU WOMEN'S LACROSSE, MERCER

HIGH POINT — High Point University built a lead midway through the match and held on to beat Mercer 13-11 in nonconference women's lacrosse Sunday at Vert Stadium.

Ashley Britton scored four goals to lead the Panthers (1-1), who scored twice in the final 21/2 minutes of the first half to lead 7-5 and three times in the first 10 minutes of the second half to lead 10-5.

Abby Hormes added three goals, followed by Kaely Kyle with two goals. Emma Genovese, Rachel Foster, Nicole Pugh and Kay Rosselli each added one goal, while Mena Loescher had three assists and Megan Nerney and Brielle Prouty each had one

Mercer answered with five of the next six to pull within 11-10 with 91/2 minutes left. But the Panthers, who got four saves from Sarah Zeto in goal, scored twice to lead 10-13 with six minutes left and held on. High Point plays again Sunday at North Carolina.

CURRAN, WYATT EARN CONFERENCE AWARDS

HIGH POINT — High Point University's Skyler Curran was named the Big South Women's Basketball Player of the Week while teammate guard Claire Wyatt was the Freshman of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Curran averaged 22.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, shot 56% from the field and 53% from 3-point range in leading the Panthers to two Big South wins at Radford. She opened with a team-high 24 points in just 21 minutes in Friday's win and then tallied 20 points on Saturday. Curran made at least four 3s and 50% in both games and was also 5 for 5 from the free-throw line.

Wyatt had the first two 20-point games of her career in the series sweep at Radford and finished the two-game set with 21.0 points, shooting 66.7% from the floor and 73% from beyond the arc. She scored 20 points with three rebounds and made 4 of 6 from 3-point range Friday, then tallied a career-best 22 points in addition to six boards, three assists and two steals Saturday.

HPU TRACK & FIELD

LYNCHBURG, Va. — High Point University men's and women's indoor track and field teams set three school records and won three events during the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Liberty.

Terris Burton II broke the 16-year-old record in the 400-meter dash, taking fourth in 48.61, and set a new mark in the 500, finishing second in 1:103.46. Deron Dudley also set a new mark in the 60-meter dash, taking fifth in 6.89.

Winning events were: Daniel Bogle in the long jump (7.30m), Adam Craig in the pole vault (4.70m) and Jessica Keys in the pole vault (3.75m).

Top-five finishers for the men were: Zion Fearon (500m — fourth, 1:07.79), Freddie Allen III (long jump — second, 7:27m), Dekairi Brown (long jump — third, 7.15m), Larry Coaxum (triple jump — fourth, 14.04m), Kolt Byers (pole vault — third, 4.60m), Chris Van Niekerk (shot put — second, 16.56m; weight throw — third, 16.10m) and the 4x400 relay (fifth, 3:20.43).

Top-five finishers for the women were: Jordan Morrison (500m — second, 1:17.26; 400m — third, 57.84), Nyile Facey (60m hurdles — fourth, 8.78), Emma Grace (pole vault — fifth, 3.50m), Nathalie Elliott (pole vault invitational — fifth, 4.11m) and Alicia Dawson (long jump — 5.82m).

NCHSAA 4A SWIMMING & DIVING

CARY — Ragsdale posted three top-five finishes during the NCHSAA 4A swimming and diving state championship Friday in Raleigh and Saturday in Cary.

On Friday at the Pullen Aquatic Center, Bayleigh Cranford finished second in the girls 1-meter diving with a score of 406.15.

On Saturday at the Triangle Aquatic Center, Robert Tars took fourth in the boys 100-yard freestyle in 46.17 and third in the 100-yard backstroke in 50.40.

W.A. Hough won the girls championship, while Green Hope won the boys championship. Ardrey Kell's Teresa Ivan was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer on the girls side, and South Mecklenburg's Garrett Boone was selected on the boys side.

TRIAD ALL-STAR CLASSIC

Eight area players have been selected for next month's Triad High School All-Star Classic.

Bishop McGuinness' Noah Allred, Wesleyan Christian's Isaiah Ray and Kade Darr, High Point Christian's KJ Garrett, and Thomasville's Malcolm Knight have been chosen to the boys teams.

Ragsdale's Katarina Maros, Southwest Guilford's Kendall Shaw and Wesleyan Christian's Morgan Carter have been selected to the girls teams.

Bishop's Josh Thompson will also coach the boys West team.

The event will be March 19-20 at Shining Light Academy in Greensboro.