VGCC holds Banquet to honor Student-Athletes

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Vance-Granville Community College celebrated Vanguard student-athletes at its annual Athletics Banquet, held on March 31 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus.

VGCC Coordinator of Student Activities & Athletics Jermiel Hargrove started the event by praising the students for their hard work, both on the court and in the classroom. He noted that the VGCC athletics program is growing, with the 2016 addition of the “Vanguard Spirit” cheerleading squad, while the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams have celebrated historic successes.

Serving as guest speaker for the event was Carlos Fields, a football standout at Northern Vance High School and Winston-Salem State University who is currently a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers. Fields spoke about his “idol,” his mother, Sheila Kearney, who was also an outstanding student-athlete and became an educator. “She motivated me to be a great athlete, but most of all, to give back to my community,” he said. Fields plans to go into coaching and teaching once his professional playing days come to an end. To the VGCC athletes, he emphasized the importance of character, “being coachable,” and working hard “while you wait to get your opportunity to excel.”

Hargrove started the presentations of awards by recognizing VGCC women’s volleyball players. He presented the award for Most Valuable Player to Kiyanna Kearney of Henderson, the Team Captain award to Jesse Edwards of Henderson and co-Freshman of the Year awards to Stormi Abernathy of Yanceyville and Hannah Arneth of Oxford.

Other volleyball team members recognized included Nicole Bowman of Oxford, Allyson Cash of Grassy Creek, Ashley Parker of Henderson, Katelynn Ray of Henderson, Madison Waddle of Kittrell and Hanna Williams of Oxford, along with assistant coach Rachel Thomas, a former VGCC student-athlete.

VGCC staff member Tina Ragland, who coaches the cheerleading squad, presented the Most Valuable Cheerleader Award to Latessa Wilkerson of Henderson, the Most Spirited Cheerleader award to Seniqua Turner of Henderson and the Most Versatile Cheerleader award to Stackia Burwell of Henderson.

Other cheerleaders recognized included Anaya Brown of Henderson, Sequoyah Jones of Oxford, Latia Thomas of Henderson, Chiatyra Turner of Ebony, Va., and Kaela Williams of Henderson.

Vanguards men’s basketball head coach DeMarcus Oliver presented awards to members of his team. He named TyQuon Reid of Goldsboro as MVP, Christopher Pernell of Raleigh as Teammate of the Year, and NiQuan Cousins of Raleigh as Freshman of the Year. In a first for the program, the coach also presented commemorative basketballs to Reid, for scoring the 1,000th point of his VGCC career on Feb. 22 and to Pernell for scoring his 100th career three-pointer on Feb. 9. Both set new records for the Vanguards program, the coach noted.

Other basketball players recognized included Antonio Adams of Raleigh, William Beck of Raleigh, Darius Buford of Cary, Kenneth Finley, Jr., of Raleigh, Lynn Henderson of Henderson, Jaylen Jones of Warrenton, Calvin Manley of Louisburg and Thomas McCaffity of Warrenton, along with assistant coach William Clements and team manager Mycal Elam, another former VGCC student-athlete.

Hargrove also recognized four students for their service as support staff for the VGCC athletics program this year: Micah Roberts of Stem, Daniel Reece of Henderson, Alana Towles of Oxford and Angelique Taylor of Macon.

In closing remarks, Stacey Carter-Coley, VGCC’s vice president of employee and public relations, congratulated the student-athletes on the past year and thanked their family members for their support.

Current or prospective students interested in participating in VGCC athletics during the 2017-18 year should contact Jermiel Hargrove at hargrovej@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3246.

–VGCC–

VGCC Men’s Basketball Tryouts set for April 19

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team will hold spring tryouts for the upcoming 2017-18 season on Wednesday, April 19, from 6-8 p.m., at Western Vance High School (2785 Poplar Creek Road, Henderson, NC 27537).

All participants must bring a current physical to the tryouts. Members of the basketball team must enroll as full-time VGCC students for the fall 2017 and spring 2018 semesters.

VGCC at UNC JV Mens Basketball
Photo by Mark Dolejs

For more information, contact VGCC Coordinator of Student Activities & Athletics Jermiel Hargrove at 252-738-3246 or hargrovej@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

Oxford Prep Golf Sweeps Tar Roanoke Athletic Conference Regular Season

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The Tar Roanoke Athletic Conference completed the regular season yesterday at the South Granville Country Club. There were two 9 hole matches yesterday and Oxford Preparatory School won both. Narrowly edging out Granville Central with a 180 to 181 win on the first match with Louisburg coming in at 208. OPS won the second match with a 186 to Louisburg’s 200 and Granville Central coming in at 203. With 2 wins yesterday OPS finished out the season with a sweep of all 6 conference matches for a season total of 1084, Granville Central 2nd with 1179, and Louisburg at 1206.

Top 6 Individual leaders for the TRAC going into the Conference Tournament are Reed Wheless – 206 (LHS), Jacob Bliss – 212 (OPS), Zack Currin – 214 (GCHS), Noah Greenway – 216 (OPS), Christian Rowe – 219 (LHS), and Brady Smith – 230 (GCHS). Nipping at the leaders heels are Adam Sizemore and Wesley Aiken that are 4 and 7 strokes out of the number 6 spot respectively.

The TRAC Team and Individual Conference Champions will be decided at the 18 hole Conference Tournament at Henderson Country Club on Monday, April 24th.

Rick Kenner, M.A.A.Ed.

Oxford Preparatory School

Drivers Not Sure What To Expect In First South Boston Night Race Of Season

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SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (April 6, 2017) – Like the difference between night and day. That’s what drivers are saying about South Boston Speedway’s new racing surface heading into Saturday’s night race … the first race under the lights this season.

The new surface debuted two weeks ago as an unknown to the teams and wound up producing record speeds and classic close racing. Drivers say questions abound headed into Saturday night’s Virginia State University Twin 75s presented by the Kappa League of Petersburg.

“I feel like there is going to be a big difference,” Bobby McCarty said of his expectations for Saturday night. “The track seems to be weather sensitive so I feel like it might be a little slick when the temperature drops. I’m also curious to see how it reacts to taking the rubber without the sun baking it.”

It will be the first time teams and fans alike have been under the track’s upgraded lighting system, part of the track’s $1 million capital improvement program.

When the season opened two weeks ago, track qualifying records fell in every division. Philip Morris, who wound up sweeping both ends of the Late Model Stock doubleheader, blew away the old track record with a time of 14.731 seconds around the .4 oval. The old track record was 15.314 seconds. His speed was 100.197 mph, the first time the 100-mph barrier had been broken in a Late Model. Half of the Late Model field broke the old mark in qualifying.

And even though drivers expect the track to be much different Saturday night under the lights, it doesn’t mean they believe speeds will drop.

“Honestly, I think the second groove should take rubber better at night,” said veteran driver Peyton Sellers, who finished 11th in the first 100-lapper in the season-opener but bounced back for a fourth in the second. “I think the track should be faster than the first race which is always good for the fans.”

Austin Thaxton, who had a pair of top-10 finishes in the opener, expecst to see a change in the track Saturday.

“I think it’s going to be a lot different at night,” said Thaxton. “Hopefully it will go in our favor.”

Regardless of track changes with the season’s first night race, McCarty is excited to be racing on new pavement this season.

“I’d like to say: ‘good job’ to everyone who had a hand in the repaving,” said McCarty, who had a third and a 10th on opening day and challenged for the win in the first 100-lapper. “The second groove really came in good as the day went on and it turned into some great side-by-side battles.”

South Boston Speedway will turn on the lights for the first time this season Saturday night for the Virginia State University Twin 75s presented by the Kappa League of Petersburg.

There will be twin 75-lap races for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division, a 50-lap Limited Sportsman race, a 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock race and a 15-lap Budweiser Hornets race.

Registration and pit gates open at 2:30 p.m. with practice from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Grandstand gates open at 5:30 p.m., qualifying is set for 6 p.m. and the green flag flies at 7 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 7-12. Kids ages six and under are admitted free with a paid adult.

VGCC to hold 33rd benefit golf tournament on May 2

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Vance-Granville Community College’s 33rd Annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, will be held at the Henderson Country Club on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. All event proceeds support the mission of the college, the Endowment Fund and student scholarships.

With the support of numerous golfers and sponsors, the annual event has raised more than $750,000 since its inception in 1985. The 2016 tournament alone generated a record-breaking $104,160.

This year’s morning and afternoon rounds will begin with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and at 1 p.m. The afternoon round is sold out, but there are openings in the morning round.

The format is four-person “Captain’s Choice Super Ball.” Golfers can form their own teams of four, or sign up and be put on a team. Teams will be handicapped based on handicaps supplied by each player. Trophies will be awarded for first net, second net and first gross. Other awards will be given for “closest to the pin” and “longest drive.”

A hole-in-one on Hole 9 will be rewarded with a 2017 Cadillac XT5, courtesy of Charles Boyd Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC. A player who hits a hole-in-one (with a $10 donation) on Hole 16 will win $5,000, while another $5,000 will be awarded to the VGCC Endowment Fund.

The cost for one golfer to enter the tournament is $150. In either round, that fee includes greens fees, cart, meals, gift bag and practice balls.

A light breakfast, lunch and dinner (immediately following the afternoon round) will be served in the HCC clubhouse. A silent auction and door prize drawings will be held in conjunction with dinner.

Businesses and individuals can take advantage of sponsorship opportunities at various levels. Businesses may also donate products or premium items featuring the company’s logo to be placed in golfers’ gift bags, or to be given as door prizes.

For more information, contact Kay Currin at currink@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3409.

–VGCC–

Chris Denny Captures Late Model Stock Win at Orange County Speedway

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Orange County Speedway would like to thank all the fans and race teams that came out Saturday night for the 4th Annual Sherry Love Johnson Memorial Race. These are the unofficial top three finishers in each division.

Mike Bledsole Mechanical Heating & Air Late Model Stock

1) Chris Denny (Pole)

2) Brandon Setzer

3) Terry Dease

Limited Sportsman

1) Ross “Boo Boo” Dalton

2) Gary Young, Jr.

3) Tracy Chambers

Pole-Daryl Carver

Pure Stock

1) Danny Winstead

2) Chase Sandefur (Pole)

3) Jared Gillis

Smokey Dave’s BBQ Mod 4’s

1) Dennis Capps

2) Harold Summey, Jr. (Pole)

3) Corey Purnell

Hill’s Complete Carpet Care Super Mini-Trucks

1) John Comstock (Pole)

2) Kiser Martin

3) Wesley Martin

Allison Legacy Series

1) Justin Taylor (Pole)

2) Kyle Campbell

3) Jake Garcia

Quality Collision Solutions Grand American Modifieds

1) Gary Young, Jr (Pole)

2) Todd Massey

3) Richard Thomas

Carolina Collector Auto Fest Vintage Sportsman

1) Dusty Wall

2) Wayne (the Flame) Smith

3) Jacob Clayton

Our next race at OCS will be Saturday, April 22nd as the CARS Tour returns!

Again special thanks to everyone coming out!

Cover photo courtesy of speed51.com, which is the premier source for short track racing news across the United States.

Baseball and Softball Opening Ceremonies

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Baseball and Softball Opening Ceremonies

ALERT!  ALERT! — Due to current forecast of a lot of rain today (Friday, March 31), the recreation department has decided to POSTPONE the Opening Ceremony to Sunday 4-2-17 at 3:00 p.m., according to Kendrick Vann, H-V Rec. and Parks Director.  Vann also provided the following information:

HENDERSON-VANCE PICTURE DAY SCHEDULE

The following chart will let you know when your team is scheduled for pictures.

Sunday, 4/2 2:00pm A’s
  2:00pm Astro’s
  2:25pm Royals
  2:25pm Braves
  3:00pm Opening Ceremony
  4:00pm Angels
  4:00pm Pirates
  4:30pm Phillies
  4:30pm White Sox
  5:00pm Golden Corral
  5:00pm Screen Master
  5:00pm Auto Connection
  5:30pm Deep South Tattoo
  5:30pm Carolina Cooling
  5:30pm CertainTeed
  6:00pm Advantage Ford BB
  6:00pm Kiwanis
     
Wed 4/5 6:00pm Hoyle’s Tire 10U SB
  6:00pm Steele Creek Marina
  6:30pm Hoyle’s Tire 12U SB
  6:30pm Rose Oil
  7:00pm Advantage Ford SB
  7:00pm Welcome Finance

New London’s Kevin Chandler Wins FLW Bass Fishing League Opener on Kerr Lake

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HENDERSON, N.C. (March 27, 2017) – Kevin Chandler of New London, North Carolina, weighed a 20-pound, 14-ounce, limit Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Piedmont Division opener on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics. For his win, Chandler earned $8,211.

Chandler said he split his day between fishing rocks in Grassy Creek, and docks and laydowns in the main-river channel. He said every fish he weighed in came on a ½-ounce green-pumpkin-colored Shooter Lures Jig.

“I flipped and made little underhand pitches with the jig because the fish were so shallow,” said Chandler, who logged his fifth career-win in BFL competition. “Every bite came in 1 to 4 feet of water. My medium-heavy Level rod was a big part of my success. It’s got the perfect tip for flipping. I could make soft presentations under everything I targeted.”

Chandler said he spent a lot of his day running, including making 30 to 40 stops in the afternoon.

“I didn’t catch very many fish in one spot,” said Chandler. “My biggest bass – a 6-pound, 4-ouncer – came out of the rocks early on, but I got more bites in the afternoon. The water warmed up a couple of degrees when the sun came up, which helped.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 20-14, $6,211 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

               2nd:         Ray Griffin, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 20-2, $4,001

               3rd:          Mike Miller, Trinity, N.C., five bass, 20-0, $2,101

               4th:          Todd Harris, Clemmons, N.C., five bass, 18-7, $1,403

               5th:          Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 17-12, $1,202

               6th:          Chris Daves, Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 16-11, $1,102

               7th:          George Lambeth, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $1,302

               8th:          Keith Roberts, Hurt, Va., five bass, 16-1, $902

               9th:          David Wright, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $802

               10th:        Scooter Lilley, Williamston, N.C., five bass, 15-13, $666

               10th:        Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-13, $666

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.  

Griffin caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $995.

Larry Freeman Jr. of La Crosse, Virginia, weighed in five bass totaling 14 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and the top prize of $3,006.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Larry Freeman Jr., La Crosse, Va., five bass, 14-11, $3,006

               2nd:         Derek Sewell, Forest, Va., four bass, 14-8, $1,503

               3rd:          Graham Burke, Clemmons, N.C., four bass, 13-0, $1,008

               4th:          Randy Ruffin, Norfolk, Va., four bass, 12-9, $1,198

               5th:          Bailey Hollingsworth, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 12-1, $601

               6th:          Jake Rowe, Selma, N.C., five bass, 11-11, $551

               7th:          Francis Andrews, Matoaca, Va., five bass, 11-8, $501

               8th:          Mark Whitman, Elon, N.C., five bass, 11-4, $651

               9th:          Scott Anderson, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 11-2, $401

               10th:        Chris Tucker, Albemarle, N.C., three bass, 10-12, $351

Ruffin caught the biggest bass among Co-angler Division anglers, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $497.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the James River in Williamsburg, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

About FLW

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

# # #

Duke’s Tatum to Enter NBA Draft

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Tatum to Enter NBA Draft

Courtesy: Duke Sports Information

March 22, 2017

DURHAM, N.C. – Following a freshman season in which he emerged as one of the nation’s top multi-dimensional players, Duke forward Jayson Tatum will enter the 2017 NBA Draft.

Tatum is the 10th Duke freshman to declare for the NBA Draft, joining Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Jabari Parker (2014), Tyus Jones (2015), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015) and Brandon Ingram (2016).

Each of the previous nine Duke freshman in the draft was a first-round selection, including eight lottery picks.

“I have absolutely loved coaching Jayson Tatum,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “His skill set and work ethic will make him a star in the NBA. Whichever team selects him will be getting a humble, thoughtful and talented young man whom we are proud to call a member of the Duke Basketball brotherhood.”

Tatum averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Blue Devils in 2016-17, ranking second on the team and among ACC freshmen in both categories. He shot .452 from the floor and .849 from the free throw line in 33.3 minutes per game.

The St. Louis native currently ranks fifth in the ACC in free throw percentage, 10th in rebound average and 12th in scoring.

“I’m excited to take the next step in pursuing my lifelong dream of playing basketball at the highest possible level,” Tatum said. “With that said, I’ve loved my time at Duke. The Brotherhood is a real thing and I’ll always be part of the bond between former, current and future Duke players. I want to thank my teammates, coaches, family and friends for the unwavering support I’ve received as I pursue my dream.”

The ultra-versatile Tatum set a Duke single-season record with six games of at least 10 points/5 rebounds/3 assists/2 steals/2 blocks; those six occasions are also the third-most in Duke history for a career. He is just the third Duke player under Coach K, alongside Parker and Okafor, to average 16+ points and 7+ rebounds as a freshman.

On Duke’s single-season freshman charts, Tatum ranks fourth in free throws made (118), fifth in free throw percentage (.849) and rebound average (7.3), seventh in scoring average (16.8), eighth in blocks per game (1.1) and 10th in steals (1.3) and minutes (33.3) per game.

Tatum’s 26 double-figure scoring game and seven 20-point games are also both the 10th-most in Duke history by a freshman.

A three-time ACC Freshman of the Week, Tatum was a third-team All-ACC selection and a member of the ACC All-Freshman Team. He is one of five final candidates for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, as well a USBWA All-District III honoree.

Duke has produced at least one first-round NBA Draft pick in each of the last six years. Coach K has mentored 32 first-round picks, including a draft-record 21 lottery selections.

#GoDuke

Northern Vance Baseball vs. Orange

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Northern Vance Baseball vs. Orange can be heard this Friday beginning at 4:30 p.m. on HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM.

NV played at Orange yesterday and fell 9-8.  There are multiple articles available on HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM.

Since WIZS 1450 cannot provide the game this Friday, due to several prior programming commitments including the UNC Tar Heels vs. Butler in the NCAA Tournament starting at 6 p.m., we are promoting the fact that Northern Vance and Vance County fans can hear the baseball game online, along with the regular HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM listeners.

In partnership with Jeff Hamlin of HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM, Kevin Bullock of WIZS will provide the live play by play and John Rose will be the analyst and engineer.  This partnership came about because both media entities were in a position to complete the broadcast by working together.  Both HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM and WIZS Radio are committed to providing professional local coverage of high school and local athletes.

(Orange Baseball Cover Photo Used With Permission)