Amherst, JF standouts earn all-state honors, and more

Charlton has racked up the accolades throughout her high school career. One year ago, she was named the Seminole District and Region 4D player of the year. This season, Charlton repeated as Seminole player of the year and also received a first-team all-Region 4D honor. 

The University of Georgia commit hit .523 this year with seven home runs, 13 additional extra-base hits and 39 RBIs. She also helped the Lancers to the Seminole District regular-season championship and to a 20-4 record. 

To view the complete all-state teams, scroll to the bottom of this report. 

Rustburg record holders shine at Adidas Nationals

Two weeks after setting a state record and winning the Class 3 state title in the 4×100 relay, Rustburg’s boys 4×100 team placed sixth at the highly competitive Adidas Outdoor Nationals, held on the campus of North Carolina A&T University on Friday and Saturday. 

Running in the Championship division of the 4×100 relay on Saturday, the team comprised of Jamier Flemming, Marshawn Rosser, Elijah Sherard and Kaydon Taylor ran a speedy 42.44. The  best time of the day belonged to a team from North Carolina-based Newman Athletic Academy, which ran a 41.65. 

Flemming, Rosser, Sherard and Taylor earned All-America status with their finish. Earlier this month, they won the Class 3 4×100 title with a time of 42.47, eclipsing the state record of 42.71 set by a quartet from Heritage High two years ago. It was the first time Rustburg had claimed a sprint state relay title since 2015. 

Sherard, who won the 200-meter dash state title earlier this month with a run of 22.04 and flirted with the state mark of 22.00, placed 10th at Nationals this weekend in that event with a time of 21.63. 

LCA 4×100 boys second at Nike Nationals

A relay quartet from Liberty Christian narrowly missed out on first place this weekend in the 4×100 event at Nike Outdoor Nationals, held Thursday through Saturday at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. 

Running in the Emerging Elite division on Saturday, LCA’s team of Samuel O’Regan, Nathaniel Tyree, Landon Hoy and Jeb Moon ran a 43.95 and finished as runner-up, slightly behind a team from Massachusetts (43.92). 

On Thursday, LCA’s team of Tyree, Sam Colletti, JD Murphy and Moon posted a season best in the 4×200 Emerging Elite relays and finished fifth with a 1:32.53. 

JF soccer standouts earn all-state honors

Jefferson Forest’s Tyler Beck, who made school history this season and helped his team into the Class 4 state tournament, was one of three boys to earn all-state honors when the VHSL released the Class 4 team Monday. Cavaliers standout midfielder Izzy Wedemeyer also was honored on the girls all-state teams. 

Beck, a junior, allowed just seven goals in 20 games, becoming third all-time in school history for the fewest goals allowed in a single season. He also registered more than 40 saves for his first-team all-state honor. 

Midfielder Chris Wiley also earned first-team accolades, after being named the Seminole District player of the year and a first-team selection in Region 4D. Wiley scored 19 goals and added 11 assists as a senior. 

JF junior Haisten Linn was a first-team selection on defense. Linn helped a JF defense that gave up just eight goals all season. The Cavs went 18-2 and advanced to the Class 4 state semifinals. The defense posted a whopping 13 shutouts. 

Wedemeyer, the girls Seminole District player of the year and a first-team all-region selection, led a JF team that went 13-3-2 and advanced to the region semifinals. She scored three goals and added an assist to help JF open the playoffs in the quarterfinal round. 

To view the all-state teams, scroll to the bottom of this report. 

Hillcats look to build on series win

Lynchburg’s hopes to clinch an early Carolina League playoff berth have been dashed, but the last several outings give the Hillcats reason for positivity as they head on the road looking for revenge.

After three straight series losses, Lynchburg bounced back with a 4-2 series win over Charleston. The ’Cats (29-34) wrapped the set with 6-3 and 3-2 victories Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Robert Lopez’s showing in the finale was the last in a string of impressive performances at the plate for Lynchburg. He went 2 for 4 and recorded all three of his team’s RBIs, extending his hit streak to eight games in the process. Lopez, a 19-year-old catcher, is batting in .357 June after hitting .174 in May, with nearly double the number of hits (15 to 8) across the 11 games in the latter stretch as he recorded in 12 appearances last month.

Zac Fascia also was hot against Charleston, going 7 for 17 with two doubles, two triples and five RBIs. And Jose Devers, in a rebound from a miserable previous two series, went 10 for 20 versus the RiverDogs.

In the nine games leading into the set with Charleston, Devers was 2 for 29. He had four multi-hit performances, including a three-hit Game 2 that included a walk-off single, in the last series.

The Hillcats are hitting .241 as a team (second in the Carolina League) with a league-best .353 on-base percentage. Lynchburg also leads in walks drawn (323), stolen bases (152) and runs scored (320).

On the mound, Braunny Munoz was the bright spot for the ’Cats against Charleston. Munoz, after beginning the season as a starter, has been the first arm out of the bullpen in his recent appearances. In that reliever role last week, he picked up his first two wins since the April 11 season opener.

After posting ERAs of 7.88 in April and 5.79 in May, that number across three appearances in June is at 2.70. He’s allowed nine hits and three earned runs, struck out 11 and walked one (he gave up three runs on six hits, walked one and fanned seven against Charleston). The 22-year-old right-hander also earned his second career save earlier this month, during his fifth season in the minors.

Lynchburg now travels to Zebulon, North Carolina, to begin a new six-game set with Carolina (33-28) at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Mudcats won five of six in Lynchburg from May 30 to June 4.

Carolina owns a 3.69 ERA as a team (to Lynchburg’s 4.63) and is batting .240. It was second in the league’s North Division in the first half.

Down East (36-24) won the first-half title in the North and earned one of two Carolina League playoff berths. Myrtle Beach (38-25) captured the first-half title in the South to claim the other spot. Winners of the second half from each division will claim the remaining spots.

Lynchburg was fifth of the six teams in the North in the first half.

First team: Pitcher — Emily Gillespie (Louisa), Julia Cuozzo (Hanover), Abby Greenwood (King George); Catcher —  Morgan Tucker (Dinwiddie); First Base — Mylia Knight (Spotsylvania) Second Base — Savannah Bragg (Louisa); Third Base — Quinn Thompson (Great Bridge); Shortstop — Tyah Charlton (Amherst); Outfielder — Shamya Hankins (Halifax), Kaileigh Byars (Hanover), Michayla Holley (Grafton); DP/Flex — Wintor Morris (Western Albemarle); At-Large — Kamryia Giggetts (Halifax), Lillie Woods (Tuscarora). 

Second team: Pitcher — Lindsey Mullen (Tuscarora), Cadence Rieg (James Wood), Parker Rowden (Great Bridge); Catcher — Sydney Omdorff (James Wood); First Base — Mary Hackman (Tuscarora); Second Base — Izzy McKee (James Wood); Third Base — Kendall Morgan (King George); Shortstop — Paige Headley (King George); Outfielder — Laci Garrett (Louisa), Abb Vadnais (Sherando), Lillian Scheivert (Tuscarora); DP/Flex — Jenna Shull (James Wood); At-Large — Lilly Parrish (Hanover), Ja’Chelle Mosley (Orange Co.). 

Player of the Year: Emily Gillespie, Louisa County

Coach of the Year: Susan Sharpe, Louisa County. 

First team: Forward — Ethan Frazier (Tuscarora), Onesime Muepu (Smithfield), Max Cooper (Jamestown), Edric Zhang (Blacksburg); Midfield — Connor Campbell (Loudoun County), Peyton Smith (Jamestown), Chris Wiley (Jefferson Forest), Matthew Guzman-Veizaga (Tuscarora); Defense — Jaylen Marble (Smithfield), Wyatt Simmons (Loudoun County), Diego Avelar (Tuscarora), Haisten Linn (Jefferson Forest); At-Large — Hunter House (Jamestown), Kai Feng (Blacksburg), Alex Keeton (Western Albemarle); Goalie — Tyler Beck (Jefferson Forest). 

Second team: Forward — Bryan Mora (Loudoun Co.), Isiah Chisolm (Grafton), Kyle Grant (Courtland), Eric Navarro Zelaya (Chancellor); Midfield — Anthony Panayiotou (Great Bridge), Andy Muepa (Smithfield), Will Apostolides (Atlee), Wyatt Eschenmann (Blacksburg); Defense — Carter Shaffer (Western Albemarle), Flether Waran (Hanover), Holden Kinsman (Great Bridge), Jackson Sample (King George); At-Large — Alex Ahedo (Loudoun Co.), Jamey Williamson (Western Albemarle), Ryan Carriaga (King George); Goalie — Fernando Saturno (Loudoun Co.). 

Player of the Year: Max Cooper, Jamestown

Coach of the Year: Jason Henderson, Smithfield. 

First team: Forward — Aubrey Orrock (Great Bridge), Olivia Woodson (Monacan), Lauren Mattingley (Tuscarora), Reese Mattern (Western Albemarle); Midfield — Katie Lutz (Smithfield), Ava Martin (Tuscarora), Mia Serna (Tuscarora), Phebe Ryan (Western Albemarle); Defense — Emma Forbes (Smithfield), Hannah Zaycek (Great Bridge), Hailey Gilchrest (Hanover), Sami Puterio (Tuscarora); At-Large — Sophia Branch (Great Bridge), Anne Marie Pritchett (Eastern View), McKenna Newcome (James Wood); Goalie — Sydney Schwartz (Smithfield). 

Second team: Forward — Kaitlyn Worrell (Smithfield), Samantha Krines (Hanover), Brooke Oswald (Dominion), Mia Santsaver-Jones (Blacksburg); Midfield — Brianna Curro (Smithfield), Lucy Harrington (Hanover), Grace Minton (Monacan), Izzy Wedemeyer (Jefferson Forest); Defense — Natalee Jones (Smithfield), Natalie Troupe (Monacan), Sloane Ferrebee (James Wood), Emily Mandell (Western Albemarle); At-Large — Lydia Jones (Smithfield), Callie Crook (Great Bridge), Sam Cupka (King George); Goalie — Elana Romesburg (Western Albemarle). 

Player of the Year: Mia Serna, Tuscarora

Coach of the Year: Dave Gryder, Tuscarora.