All of the local teams that qualified for last week's opening round of the NCHSAA boys basketball tournaments had something in common: the NC Gaters. Each team had at least one player who was an alum of last year's 17U Gaters, which won an age-group championships last year in AAU play.

East Chapel Hill's Aaron Law was the Gaters' starting point guard. Trai Clark of Cedar Ridge was the "off" or shooting guard. Alberto Muñoz of Cardinal Gibbons and Chapel Hill High School's James Manor played in the frontcourt, along with Orange High's Donald Mc- Iver. East Chapel Hill's Ross Whisenant and Jordan Lawson of Durham Academy also are Gaters alumni who helped their teams into post-season play.

The Gaters are one of the state's most prominent basketball clubs, with a noticeably large gym in Greensboro, North Carolina's "Gate City," whence comes the team name.

Skip Clark, the top-flight former quarterback for Chapel Hill High in the '80s and the son of famed singer and bandleader Doug Clark, coached these Gaters

The Tar Heel 10-miler is turning into a monster. Registration for the road race on April 10 in Chapel Hill is reportedly going through the roof.

Organizers at Endurance Magazine scored a coup when they secured access to Kenan Stadium for the finish line and awards site. The race, and its companion Fleet Feet 4-miler, will run through downtown Chapel Hill and then end inside Kenan Stadium by mid-morning. Carolina football will then kick off its annual Blue-White spring game at 3 p.m., and that's going to be televised on ESPN.

The nexus of thousands of runners and fans, in the town's biggest venue, and on television is simply too much for people to resist. Wachovia has signed on a sponsor, and the event is now officially known as the Wachovia Tar Heel 10-Miler and Fleet Feet Sports 4 Mile Run.

All local high school baseball teams are struggling to get into play. A few days of sun have helped dry out the fields ... some. But they remain sodden for the most part.

Cold winds last week helped dry the turf a bit, but don't help players or coaches feel like "boys of summer."

East Chapel Hill called off a couple of preseason scrimmages, preferring to use the time instead to work on conditioning and batting practice. Carrboro and Chapel Hill were scheduled to get together for a scrimmage on Saturday, their first time in any sort of actual game.

Of all the excellent basketball being played this month, none has been much better than that of Northwood High in Pittsboro. The Chargers battled throughout the home stretch of the regular season with Cedar Ridge, which ended up undefeated in the Carolina-9 Conference. The Red Wolves undoubtedly had one of their finest teams ever.

Despite ending up as the league's No. 2 seed, Northwood proved 2009 was no fluke. Ridge Smith, A.J. Farmer and Harold Baldwin supplied plenty of experience from last year's 2-A state finalists. But what's most remarkable about this group is that they are far better known to most college recruiters for playing on the area's best high school football team.

East Chapel Hill track and field throwers are planning a fundraiser for new uniforms. The shot putters and discus athletes say they're often considered the "grungiest guys" at any track meet, clad in sweatshirts and old shoes (with worn, slicker soles for pivoting,) while the sprinters and distance runners look sleek in their silky looking all-black uniforms.

The Wildcat field athletes are seeking pledges for a "throw-a-thon" of sorts. Donors would pledge X amount for each foot a thrower gets in competition at this spring's Orange County Championships. (For example, a pledge of 10 cents a foot for an athlete who totals 300 feet on three discus throws would result in a donation of $30.)

For more information on how to donate, contact head coach Stephen Marquis at smarquis@chccs.k12.nc.us.