Tag Archive for: #oxfordprep

SportsTalk: Jon Juntunen Named New AD at Oxford Prep

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– From Oxford Prep Executive Director, Andrew Swanner, EdS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7/29/26

Oxford Preparatory School Announces New Athletic Director

Oxford Preparatory School is pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Juntunen as its new Athletic Director. Juntunen, a highly respected internal leader and Physical Education/Health teacher at Oxford Prep since 2016, was approved by the Oxford Preparatory School Board of Directors following a competitive interview process.

In addition to his professional role, Juntunen has been deeply invested in the OPS community as a long‐time parent. Two of his children are Oxford Prep alumni and were standout student‐athletes during their time as Griffins, his third child is currently a senior student‐athlete, and his youngest is a ninth‐grade student at OPS. His dual perspective as educator, coach, and parent gives him a unique understanding of the school’s mission and the needs of OPS families, and it reflects his longstanding commitment to the growth and success of Oxford Prep.

Juntunen brings to the role a deep understanding of Oxford Prep’s mission and community, along with extensive experience in coaching, student-athlete development, and program leadership. A former collegiate athlete at Morehead State University, United States Marine Corps Sergeant, and Firefighter-Paramedic, he is known for his commitment to discipline, resilience, and mentoring students to perform at their highest level on and off the court. At Oxford Prep, he has developed and implemented engaging physical education curriculum aligned to state standards, organized practices and game schedules, and emphasized sportsmanship and leadership in all athletic programming.

Within the OPS community, Juntunen has been recognized as Oxford Prep Upper School Teacher of the Year (2024) and TNAC Varsity Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year (2022), underscoring his impact in the classroom and on the sidelines. His background in safety and risk management, combined with his inclusive, team-focused leadership style, uniquely positions him to guide Oxford Prep’s athletic department into its next phase of growth.

Juntunen steps into the Athletic Director role at an exciting time for Oxford Prep athletics. The school is actively investing in its facilities with the construction of Innovation Hall on the Landis Road campus, which will feature a larger gymnasium and weight room and is scheduled for completion in July 2027. In addition, OPS has acquired adjacent land with plans to develop an on-campus baseball field, expanding opportunities for student-athletes and the broader school community.

“We are thrilled to have Jon step into this leadership role,” said Executive Director, Andrew Swanner. “His proven dedication to our students, his experience building strong teams, and his alignment with Oxford Prep’s values make him the ideal person to lead our athletic program as we expand facilities and deepen opportunities for all Griffin student-athletes.”

Oxford Preparatory School looks forward to the continued growth of its athletic offerings under Juntunen’s leadership and to the enhanced experiences that Innovation Hall and the new baseball facilities will bring to OPS students and families.

Oxford Preparatory School
Andrew Swanner (919)690-0360 swannerab@oxfordprep.org

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SportsTalk: NCHSAA Concludes Spring Board Meeting

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John Hammett, Athletic Director at Oxford Prep, joins SportsTalk with George Hoyle and Scout Hughes to recap the NCHSAA Spring Board Meeting that they had on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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High School Baseball Playoffs – 2nd Round

NCHSAA

1A

  • 6Oxford Prep @ 3Northside-Pinetown
  • 1Falls Lake vs. 9Cape Hatteras

2A

  • 8Warren County vs. 9East Wake Academy

3A

  • 12Wake Prep @ 5West Bladen

4A

  • 1Bunn vs. 17Ledford

5A

  • 15South Granville @ 2Cedar Ridge

6A

  • 17Franklinton @ 1J.H. Rose

NCISAA

1A

  • 1Crossroads Christian vs. 8Halifax Academy

High School Softball Playoffs – 2nd Round

NCHSAA

1A

  • 5Vance Charter @ 4Hobgood Charter
  • 2Oxford Prep vs. 7Chatham Charter
  • 5Falls Lake @ 4Clover Garden

2A

  • 6Warren County vs. 11Pamlico County

4A

  • 5Bunn vs. 12Uwharrie Charter

MiLB Scores:

Wednesday

  • Durham Bulls 3 Round Rock 2
  • Jacksonville 7 Charlotte 6
  • Asheville vs. Rome 
  • Greensboro 13 Greenville 12
  • Hudson Valley 11 Winston-Salem 1
  • Kannapolis 6 Columbia 2
  • Hickory 4 Myrtle Beach 2
  • Wilson 5 Fayetteville 3

College Baseball Scores:

Thursday

  • Louisburg College vs. Brunswick CC

MiLB Scores:

Thursday

  • Durham Bulls vs. Round Rock 
  • Charlotte @ Jacksonville 
  • Asheville vs. Rome 
  • Greensboro vs. Greenville 
  • Winston-Salem @ Hudson Valley 
  • Kannapolis vs. Columbia  
  • Hickory vs. Myrtle Beach  
  • Fayetteville vs. Wilson

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep’s Egan Tyler Signs with Hampden–Sydney

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Egan Tyler, a senior at Oxford Prep, signs his National Letter of Intent to play men’s soccer at Hampden-Sydney College.

Egan Tyler (middle) signs his letter of intent to play soccer at Hampden-Sydney

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SportsTalk: High School Basketball Recap

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Scout Hughes and Steve Lewis recap the weekend that was in High School Basketball. The guys also talk about the NFL Championship between the Seahawks and the Patriots.

Games on Friday – Boys

  • Excelsior 66 Oxford Prep 63 OT

Games on Friday – Girls

  • Oxford Prep 45 Excelsior 8

College Basketball on Friday – Men

  • Fayetteville Tech 97 Louisburg College 82

Games on Tuesday – Boys

  • Vance Charter @ Excelsior
  • Kerr-Vance @ Ridgecroft
  • Oxford Prep @ Falls Lake
  • South Granville vs. Orange
  • Franklinton vs. Heritage
  • Louisburg vs. Nash Central
  • Bunn vs. ALA-Johnston
  • Wake Prep @ Roanoke Rapids
  • Mecklenburg County, VA @ GW-Danville

Games on Tuesday – Girls

  • Vance Charter @ Excelsior
  • Henderson Collegiate vs. Emerson Waldorf
  • Kerr-Vance @ Ridgecroft
  • Oxford Prep @ Falls Lake
  • South Granville vs. Orange
  • Franklinton vs. Heritage
  • Louisburg vs. Nash Central
  • Bunn vs. ALA-Johnston
  • Wake Prep @ Roanoke Rapids
  • Mecklenburg County, VA vs. GW-Danville

College Basketball on Tuesday – Men

  • Louisburg College @ Catawba Valley CC

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SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Winds Down Bowling Season

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John Hammett, Athletic Director at Oxford Prep, joins SportsTalk with Scout Hughes and George Hoyle to talk about how the Triangle North Bowling League came about. The guys also talk about the future of Oxford Prep with expansion to its school.

High School Basketball Games on Wednesday – Boys

  • Vance Charter @ South Granville
  • Henderson Collegiate vs. Excelsior
  • Falls Lake vs. Bunn
  • Franklinton vs. Wake Forest
  • Wake Prep vs. Nash Central

High School Basketball Games on Wednesday – Girls

  • Vance Charter @ South Granville
  • Falls Lake vs. Bunn
  • Franklinton vs. Wake Forest
  • Wake Prep vs. Nash Central

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SportsTalk: NFL Draft Preview with Picks

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Scout Hughes and Doc Ayscue talk about the NFL Draft coming up and some of the players that they think will get picked in the first round. Right here on SportsTalk!

Congratulations to Oxford Prep for winning the Vance Charter Easter Tournament at the GAP!

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SportsTalk: Realignment through the Eyes of an Athletic Director

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th 

Oxford Prep Athletic Director John Hammett joins George Hoyle and Scout Hughes to talk about what goes into conference realignment as well as the things happening at Oxford Prep with the spring sports season upon us. That and much more on SportsTalk!

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Oxford Prep School

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Prepares For Fall Sports

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The start of high school sports for the 2024-25 athletic year is officially upon us here in Kerr-Lake Country. Oxford Prep Athletic Director John Hammett joins SportsTalk with Bill Harris and George Hoyle on Thursday to talk all about it. In regards to the season itself, Oxford Prep athletics starts August 12 when volleyball scrimmages at South Granville. That same day, soccer with travel to Granville Central but Hamett says that they will scrimmage against three other schools that day.

Oxford Prep opens its doors for the academic year this upcoming Wednesday, August 7th. This may seem like a quick turnaround for Oxford Prep but Hammett isn’t as concerned about that, “Most all of our team workout in the summer with voluntary workouts…”. What Hammett is worried about though is that the seasons are extended so much, “I think the seasons are too long. I think they should reduce them back to 20 instead of 23, so we wouldn’t have the overlap.” This overlap is referring to fall sports interfering with winter sports and winter sports with spring sports.

George asks a tough question about NIL (Name, Image, & Likeness) in North Carolina High School Sports. Hammett says, “The State School Board now has authority over athletics from the legislature and they decided that we would not have NIL in publics (public schools). But then the private school association decided that they would allow it…the number one tight end in the country is at Reidsville (NC) and transferred to a private school in Charlotte, and he’s gonna get a big NIL deal.”

 

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Oxford Prep School

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Looking For Playoff Success

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High school teams from all across our area are now in the state playoffs, and Oxford Prep is no exception.  The school’s athletic director, John Hammett, was on SportsTalk Thursday to discuss how his school is doing.  “Our baseball team is young,” he said.  Despite the youthfulness of the squad, Oxford Prep came from behind in the seventh inning to secure an 8-7 win over Clover Garden earlier this week to afford them the opportunity to go on the road to take on Pinetops. “Pinetops is an athletic school that does well in all sports,” Hammett said.

Meanwhile, the softball team is also on the road but with a much shorter trip as they will play Vance Charter at Oxford Park Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.  Oxford Prep is coming off a convincing 16-0 win in three innings this week at Northwest Halifax.  The Vance Charter game is a huge rivalry.  “Everybody knows everybody.  Vance Charter plays hard and hits the ball well,” Hammett said.  Expect a huge turnout in Oxford for that game Friday afternoon.

 

Oxford Prep School

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Softball Looking For Back To Back Championships

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It’s never easy to repeat as a champion, but Oxford Prep Softball Coach Tommy Anstead feels as though his team has a pretty good chance to win a conference championship in 2024.  “We have 12 or 13 girls returning including all of our starters except one,” Anstead said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.

The team is counting on another strong performance from pitcher Addison Faucette.  Last season, as a freshman, Faucette was 16-3 on the year with an earned run average of 1.79.   Oxford Prep can hit the ball too.  “We had seven players with a batting average of over .300 and of the seven, four were over .400,” Anstead said.

Anstead expects tough competition this season citing Roxboro and Vance Charter as teams that could cause problems for Oxford Prep this season. Anstead also says the team has a tougher schedule this season.  Oxford Prep opens the season on March 1st against county rival J.F. Webb.

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