JVs win in Greensboro tournament

The East Chapel Hill JV Field Hockey team won the 4th annual UNCG Center for Women's Health & Wellness JV Field Hockey Tournament in Greensboro. Each year the tournament raises awareness of women's health issues and this year the focus was on heart health with the funds raised going to the American Heart Association. Eight teams competed in the tournament; East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill High, West Forsyth, Providence Day, Greensboro Day School, Mt. Tabor, Carlisle School, and Salem Academy.

East Chapel Hill defeated Winston-Salem Mt. Tabor in the championship game, 1-0, with the game-winning goal coming from Sydney Holman.

In their opening game, the Wildcats defeated Providence Day, 2-0, with goals by Holman and Bailey DeMuth. East Chapel Hill then defeated West Forsyth, 2-1 in strokes, after remaining tied 1-1 after regulation and an overtime of 7-on-7. Holman scored the lone goal during regulation and Morganne Staring scored the winning goal on a stroke in overtime. East goalie Simone Leiro blocked the stroke attempt by West Forsyth.

Charger duo still undefeated in doubles

Northwood's No. 1 doubles team of Claire Pauley and Catherine Shachtman improved to 11-0 Saturday as the Chargers downed South Granville in a Carolina-Nine Conference tennis match. Pauley, Shachtman, Laura Sturdivant and Jacqi Mooren all won their singles matches 6-0, 6-0. Liana Lucier won her singles 6-1, 6-1, and senior made her debut in the top-six with a two-hour, 6-2, 7-5 win over Kelly Barry of South Granville to complete Northwood's sweep of singles matches. The Northwood doubles team of Kimberly Miskow and Ashleigh Caison won on court No. 3 to give the Chargers their final point.

New Orange County XC race will premier Saturday at Chapel Hill High School

Chapel Hill High School will host the first Orange County Championship meet this Saturday, with the 5Ks to start with the boys' and girls' varsities at 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively, followed by the two JV races at 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

East Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Cedar Ridge and Orange all are expected to take part along with host CHHS. Chapel Hill has hosted Orange County Track & Field Championships in the spring for several years. This marks the first fall running championship for the county.

The Tigers are coming off a good showing at the annual Wendys Invitational at Charlotte's McAlpine Park, where Paul Noah won the Boys 11-12 Individual Race in 16:48. CHHS teammate Scott Sutter (16:55) took second; Ryan Mumper recorded a personal best of 18:06, breaking 20 minutes for the first time.

Led by Tristin Van Ord's 19:17 (a personal record), CHHS finished seventh out of 31 teams in the Girls 11-12 Race. Ninth-grader Alexa Young (19:51, another PR), Meg Duffy (19:52), Ahna Weeks (20:25) and Chris Whitley (20:27) rounded out the CHHS scoring.

A ninth-grader again led the way for CHHS in the Boys Invitational, where Brad Viles ran a personal best of 16:06 to finish 12th and help the Tigers end up in third place behind Oakton and Trinity. Kyle Villemain (16:19), Danny Philips (16:28 PR) and Jacob Hoerger (16:29, another PR) followed in quick succession, then Nash Stapleton and Liam Stott (both at 16:52) and Will Bunch (16:54).

Shuyu Cao (4th, in 20:44) led CHHS runners in the Girls' Individual race for Grades 9-10, followed by Pasanig Perera (21:21), Erin McGibbon (21:28), Elle Weeks (22:06), Emily Williams (22:27), Julia Ganzi (23:14), Rachel Harrison (23:34), Margo Flewelling (23:36), Jess Young (24:15) and Courtney Vaughn (25:29).

CHHS sophomore Mitch McLeod (17:00) won the Boys' 9-10 Individual Race, followed immediately by Chris Reeder (17:01) and then Tima Karginov (5th, 17:30), Oskar Marzalek (6th, 17:31) and Adam Sutter (20th, 18:20, a PR). "If there had been a team score, the boys would have won by about 120 points," Coach Ron Olsen observed.

Tar Heel hockey tops Deacons, again

Senior captain Danielle Forword scored the game-winner in the 13th minute of play and the second-ranked North Carolina field hockey team went on to a 3-0 win at Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon at Kentner Stadium. UNC improved to 11-0 overall and 2-0 in ACC play with Carolina's eighth consecutive shutout. The fourth-ranked Demon Deacons fell to 7-3 overall, 1-2 in ACC play.

UNC, which previously beat Wake 4-1 in a game that didn't count in ACC play, returns to action Saturday at Francis E. Henry Stadium with an 11 a.m. game against ACC-rival Boston College.

On top of the ACC

Cameron Brown's 109th-minute header snapped a scoreless tie and sent No. 5 North Carolina to a 1-0 double-overtime win Friday over No. 12 Virginia at Fetzer Field. The Tar Heels (3-1-0 ACC) vaulted to the top of the ACC standings and their best league start since the 2001 national championship season.

On Tuesday, UNC's defense allowed just seven shots en route to its third straight shutout, and sophomore forward Billy Schuler provided all the scoring the Tar Heels would need in a 1-0 win over Liberty at Fetzer Field. Carolina (8-1-1) remained unbeaten on its home pitch with its ACC-best fifth shutout of the season. See www.newsobserver.com or the News & Observer for more.

A noble retreat for NCHSAA

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association held its fall 2009 Coach-Captain Retreat over the weekend, the 29th in the history of the event. Part of the Association's Student Services program, the retreat was held at the Radisson RTP and attracted students from all over North Carolina.

Retreat teams include student-athletes who will be captains or leaders of their athletic squads in the coming year, a coach from the school and a parent representative. They are designed to promote the concept of "teamwork." Issues such as leadership development, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, violence prevention strategies and academic success are addressed at these retreats, the first of which was held in the spring of 1995.

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