BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR
Henry Weaver
Asheville Christian
AcademyIn his first year at ACA, Weaver produced a pair of individual state champions at the NCISAA 1-A/2-A meet -- Josh Thornburg (800-meter run) and Sully Pierce (high jump) -- and the Lions came in third as a team with 89 points. Isaac Bereba (triple jump), Gabe Bryson (110-meter hurdles) and Coulter Pierce (pole vault) came in second in their events.
BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Kris Lordman
Asheville
Junior
Sprints
Lordman became a first-time state champion during the NCHSAA indoor season and carried the momentum to outdoor track. He recorded WNC's fastest reported times in the 100-meter dash (10.68), 200-meter dash (21.85) and 400-meter dash (48.94). He was the 3-A Western Regional champion in the 400 meters and broke the 49-second barrier twice. Lordman was the Mountain Athletic Conference meet's most valuable performer for track events.
ALL-WNC BOYS TEAM
SPRINTERS
Tristen Endaya
Hendersonville
Senior
Endaya was the Henderson County and 1-A Western Regional champion in the 200-meter dash and ran the second-fastest 100-meter dash (10.88) in WNC. He was part of the Bearcats' Western Highlands Conference championship 400-meter and 800-meter relays. Endaya also was a leg on their third-place 1,600-meter relay at the NCHSAA 1-A meet. Endaya has signed to play college football for Carson-Newman.
Tyler Jones
Roberson
Senior
Jones was the Buncombe County champion in the 200-meter dash and ran the second-fastest time in WNC in that sprint (22.40). He came in fifth at the 4-A Western Regional meet in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.40.
HURDLERS
Justin D'Angelo
Roberson
Senior
D'Angelo was the Buncombe County and Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the 110-meter hurdles and placed third at the 4-A Western Regional meet. He ran the fastest 110-meter hurdle time in WNC (14.70).
Brandon Washington
Asheville
Junior
Washington came in third at the NCHSAA 3-A meet in the 300-meter hurdles and was the 3-A Western Regional champion. His personal-record of 39.66 was the best locally, and he broke the 40-second mark three times.
MIDDLE DISTANCE, DISTANCE
Ben Fiedler
Asheville School
Junior
Fiedler was the Carolinas Athletic Association champion in the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs along with the Buncombe County champ in the 1,600. He ran WNC's best time (4:26.11) at that distance and set a school record in the 3,200-meter run (9:26.43). Fiedler also anchored the school-record 3,200-meter relay (8:09.74).
Trevor Sleight
Carolina Day
Junior
Sleight was the NCISAA 1-A/2-A champion in the 3,200-meter run and was second in the 1,600-meter run. He ran the fastest 3,200-meter time (9:22.40) in WNC.
Josh Thornburg
Asheville Christian
Academy Junior
Thornburg was the NCISAA 1-A/2-A champion in the 800-meter run and recorded the best time in WNC (1:57.77) this spring. He was the Carolinas Athletic Association champion in the two-lap event and anchored the CAA championship 3,200-meter relay.
THROWERS
Chris Cubra
Reynolds
Junior
Cubra was the Mountain Athletic Conference champion in both throws and went on to win a 4-A Western Regional championship in the shot put. He recorded the best discus throw in WNC (154-7) and the second-best shot distance (54-0).
Thomas Evans
Franklin
Senior
Evans was undefeated in the shot put before the 3-A Western Regional meet, where he came in second place. Evans' throw of 55-4 was the best in WNC. He came in fifth at the NCHSAA 3-A meet.
JUMPERS
Steffon Hill
East Henderson
Junior
Hill set a school record in the triple jump (46-1.5), which was also the best jump in WNC. He was the Henderson County, Western North Carolina Athletic Conference and 3-A Western Regional champion in the field event. Hill was the WNCAC's most valuable field events athlete.
Saban Nuw
West Henderson
Junior
Nuw was the Henderson County champion in the long jump and set a school record with his season-best effort of 22-0.5. Nuw qualified for the 3-A Western Regional meet in four events.
Grant Rivers
Hendersonville
Junior
Rivers qualified for the NCHSAA 1-A meet in all three jumps and repeated as a state champion in the high jump. His best height (6-8) was four inches better than any other WNC athlete in the field event. Rivers was also the Henderson County, Western Highlands Conference and 1-A Western Regional champ in the high jump.
POLE VAULTER
Lucas Perrine
North Buncombe
Senior
Perrine was the 3-A Western Regional champion and cleared a season-best height of 13-0.
HONORABLE MENTION
Asheville Christian Academy:Sully Pierce, Issac Pereda, Coulter Pierce, Derek Long, Clayton Barker and Evan Schmidt.
Asheville School: Gabe O'Friel, Will DuBose and Paul Jordan.
Carolina Day: Ross Marnock.
Christ School: Dalton Friel, Ellis Pace and Kyle Husslein.
East Henderson: Kyle Malone, Corey Ginley, Tanis Baldwin and Heath Kidd.
Mitchell: Chase Stevens, Brandon King and Zach Boone.
North Buncombe: Eli Clevenger.
North Henderson: Kaleb Barner.
Owen: Travis Frizsell, Jager Gardner, Tyler White, Keith Williams, Jordan Littlejohn and Quentin Carver.
Polk County: Andy Conner, Cary Littlejohn, Kyle Whitson, Mason Umlauf, Markece Cunningham and Jay Sutton.
Reynolds: Matt Johnson, Tommy Burns, John Bolden, Jacob Baldwin, Robby Boneque and Brian Wurtz.
Robbinsville: Greg Burchfield.
Roberson: Drew Barker, Jacob Deaton, Zach Dollinger, Tyler Chazotte, Jeff DeLeon, River Gordon, Ben Jones, Paul Kovach, Jonah Lierz, Raheem Royall, Jacob Stroud, Alex Zorich, Tyler Jones, Robert Kovach, Tucker Matthews, Cole Rains and Ryan Scales.
Swain County: Lee Pattillo, Tyler Wike, Alex Cook, Greg Tisho and Cody Ellis.
West Henderson: Zach Bryant, Sean Rapp, Jacob Creasman, Saban Nuw, Conor Kennedy, Joe Chapman, Landon Siske, Corey Fisher, Evan Williams, Tyler Pederson and Kyle Vale.
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR
Dean Duncan
North Buncombe
Duncan and the Black Hawks became the first sports team in school history to win a NCHSAA championship on May 18 at the 3-A state meet in Greensboro. North Buncombe (34 points) edged Westover (30), and senior Sage Proffitt was named the meet's most valuable performer. The Black Hawks' 3-A Western Regional championship was their sixth in three years in either track or cros- country.
GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Sage Proffitt
North Buncombe Senior
Pole vault/sprints/distance
Proffitt was part of 11 individual or relay school records for the Black Hawks and helped them become the first girls sports team in school history to win a NCHSAA 3-A championship. She won seven state championships, and her personal-record height in the pole vault (12-6) is the best in WNC history. Proffitt was the 3-A state meet's most valuable performer and led the area this spring in the pole vault, 400-meter dash (58.58) and 800-meter run (2:20.12). Proffitt has signed with Georgia.
ALL-WNC GIRLS TEAM
SPRINTERS
Rebecca Elliott
Polk County
Senior
Elliott was the Western Highlands Conference champion in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run. She recorded the second-fastest 400-meter time in WNC (59.16) and was the third-fastest in the 800-meter run (2:22.91). Elliott also ran a leg on the Wolverines' NCHSAA 2-A championship 1,600-meter relay (4:02.37).
Cierra McKendrick
Roberson
Senior
McKendrick qualified for the 4-A Western Regional championship meet in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash and was part of two relay teams that set school records -- the 400-meter relay (48.15) and 800-meter relay (1:41.80).
Arianna Whiteside
Roberson
Sophomore
Whiteside was the Buncombe County and Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. She also ran WNC's fastest-reported times in the 100 (12.50) and 200 (25.02), the latter of which was a school record. Whiteside was part of three relays (400, 800 and 1,600-meter) that were undefeated in WNC.
HURDLERS
Rikki Jay
Franklin
Senior
Jay was the WNCAC and 3-A western regional champ in the 300-meter hurdles and was fifth at the NCHSAA 3-A meet. Jay ran the second-fastest 300 hurdles time in WNC (46.62) and the third-fastest time in the 100 (16.17).
Megan McDonald
Roberson
Senior
McDonald was the Buncombe County and Mountain Athletic Conference champion in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. She ran WNC's fastest-reported times in the 100 hurdles (15.10) and 300 hurdles (44.24), both school records. She qualified for the 4-A Western Regional meet in five individual events and three relays. McDonald has committed to Johns Hopkins.
MIDDLE DISTANCE, DISTANCE
Nancy Ford
Smoky Mountain
Senior
Ford was the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference meet's most valuable performer for track events after winning the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs. She ran WNC's second-fastest 1,600-meter time (5:15.90). She has signed with Wofford.
Brooke Gordon
Roberson
Junior
Gordon placed sixth at the NCHSAA 4-A meet in the 1,600-meter run and recorded WNC's fastest time (5:05.13) in that event and the 3,200-meter run (10:59.46). She ranked second among local athletes in the 800-meter run (2:22.86) and was part of the area's fastest 3,200-meter relay (9:23.75).
Katarina Ruehl
North Buncombe
Junior
Ruehl ran the second-fastest 3,200-meter time in WNC (11:40.38) and the third-fastest 1,600 meters (5:22.78). She was a 3-A Western Regional champion in both events.
THROWERS
Heidi Brickhouse
West Henderson
Junior
Brickhouse was the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference and 3-A Western Regional champion in the shot put. Her best throw (36-1) was a school record.
Hailey Cook
Hendersonville
Junior
Cook won her sixth and seventh career state championships in the discus and shot put at the NCHSAA 1-A meet. She was undefeated this spring and finished with the top WNC throws in the discus (137-2) and shot (42-11.75). Cook was the Henderson County meet's most valuable performer and MVP of field events at the Western Highlands Conference meet.
JUMPERS
Callen Burril
Reynolds
Senior
Burril was voted the Rockets' most valuable field athlete for the third straight year and received the same honor at the Blue Ridge Classic, Buncombe County and Mountain Athletic Conference meets. Burril's best marks were 16-8 (long jump), 36-2 (triple jump) and 10-6 (pole vault).
Emily Kimble
Owen
Senior
Kimble was the 2-A Western Regional champion in the high jump with a meet record and WNC-best height of 5-6. She won the high jump and the 100-meter hurdles at the Western Highlands Conference meet. Kimble has signed with UNC Wilmington.
Katie Williams
Robbinsville
Senior
Williams was named the Smoky Mountain Conference meet's most valuable performer after winning the 100-meter dash, 400-meter dash, long jump and triple jump. She was the top WNC athlete in the long jump (17-7.5) and the triple jump (37-7.75) and came in third place in both field events at the NCHSAA 1-A meet.
HONORABLE MENTION
Asheville:Alix Theodossiou, Melissa Haun and Mariah Lee.
Asheville Christian Academy: Claire Burlingham, Hannah Hosey, Kelby Ledford, Savannah Hightower, Ruth Barker, Taylor Robinson, Hannah Thornburg, Kate Anderson and Carrie Tye.
Asheville School: Brennan Harlan.
Carolina Day: Megan McGufficke.
Cherokee: Kendall Toineeta.
East Henderson: Ashley Culbertson and Mariah Rock.
Franklin: Danielle Brown.
Hendersonville: Elizabeth Lackey, Erin Brooks, Heather Eddy, Blaire Hawkins and Cora Wenzel.
Mitchell: Samantha Huskey and Virginia Lipps.
North Henderson: Daphne Hill, Catie Byrd, Sommer Green and Najah Underwood.
Owen: Imani Stewart and Tamara Groce.
Pisgah: Mackenzie Galyean, Hannah Warren, Sierra Southerland, Sarah Johnson, Mariah Lewis and Brooklyn Galyean.
Polk County: Casey McDowell, Mary Kate Christiansen, Autumn Miller, Shelby Wells and Charlie Bullock.
Reynolds: Shakinah Brooks, Larissa Wood and Chenell Bryan.
Robbinsville: Kadey Phillips, Cheyenne Orr, Madison Cole and Ashton Orr.
Roberson: Anisia Starege, Cierra McKendrick, Casey Greenwalt, Anastasia Soule, Lauren Cook and Kiana Koon.
Swain County: Morgan Lowe.
Tuscola: Sarah Golden, Morgan McClure, Maggie Rogers and Taylor Gibson.
West Henderson: Angela Gross and Melissa White.
ABOUT THE ALL-WNC TEAMS:The Citizen-Times All-WNC teams are compiled by staff writer Andrew Pearson after nominations are requested from area coaches. Athletes who were not nominated were not eligible for the teams.
