Elkin distance runner inks with UNC Pembroke

Zach Millsaps was simply looking for something to do in the spring after his freshman season of playing basketball for Elkin High School. “I wasn’t real big on baseball so I went out for track,” Millsaps said. “I liked it and I was pretty good at it so I stuck with it through the summer.”

Northwest 1A/2A announces all-conference teams

The Northwest 1A/2A Conference released its all-conference teams for fall sports today. Here are the top athletes in football, girls golf, cross country, girls tennis, boys soccer and volleyball.

Starmount alum wins college race at ASU

A former state champion runner from Starmount won an event for Appalachian State University at the ASU Indoor Invitational on Saturday. Freshman Aaron Combs crossed the finish line first in the 800 meters with a time of 1:55.27. The ASU Indoor Invitational featured 16 different teams. Combs started his college career at Guilford College but transferred to Appalachian State for the fall semester.

Elkin’s Millsaps makes all-state run in XC finale

The course was wet, the breeze was steady, the temperature was chilly, and the competition stiff, but nothing could deny Elkin senior Zach Millsaps from earning all-state honors at Saturday’s NCHSAA 1A Cross Country State Championships. Knowing the bitter taste of missing all-state honors last year by one place, he vowed not to miss being on the podium this year.

Runner profile: Mount Airy’s Jordan Hiatt

Jordan Hiatt is a star for Mount Airy’s girls basketball program. But she’s stellar on the cross country trails as well. She finished second in this year’s Northwest 1A/2A Conference championships behind teammate Kirsten Parries and placed third in last weekend’s 1A Midwest Region meet. Hiatt will race for the final time as a Bear on Saturday at the 1A state championships in Kernersville. Hiatt filled out a YadkinValleySports.com profile questionnaire at the beginning of this season. Here are her responses:

Championship weekend for several sports

The football and boys soccer playoffs are just getting going, but it’s championship weekend for high school sports like cross country, girls tennis and volleyball. Also Sertoma youth football champions will be crowned in the Junior Pee Wees and Pee Wees division. Here are things to watch for this weekend, one of the busiest of the fall season:

Parries wins region, Elkin XC teams make state

Mount Airy sophomore Kirsten Parries followed up her conference championship with a region title in 1A girls cross country over the weekend. Parries outpaced the rest of the field in the 1A Midwest Regional, held at Beeson Park in Kernersville. Her time of 19:53 beat the nearest challenger, Bishop McGuinness sophomore Carly Kreber, by eight seconds.

Cross country runners ready for regional meets

In August of 2010, Mount Airy’s Kirsten Parries had to stop and rest during her first meet as a high school cross country runner. Fast forward to October 2011, and Parries – a sophomore – now wears the mantle of runner of the year in the Northwest 1A/2A Conference. She’s also one of the fastest girls in the state at the 1A level over 5K.

Elkin cross country teams ranked in state top 10

Elkin’s boys and girls cross country teams find themselves in the Class 1A top 10 in weekly state rankings posted by NCRunners.com. West Wilkes, Mount Airy and North Stokes also have teams listed among the state’s cross country elite.

This week in sports: Oct. 3-8

Here is what’s on the sports calendar for the Yadkin Valley tis week. Please send corrections and additions to Eric Lusk (eric@yadkinvalleysports.com) or post on our Facebook page.

Fisher River Park will host big XC meet Saturday

Nearly 400 runners will take to the trails at Fisher River Park in Dobson on Saturday morning, continuing to build the annual River River Invitational as one of the premiere mid-September meets in this part of the state. This will be the fifth consecutive year for the event, according to North Stokes coach Rodney King. The high school varsity boys race will start at 10 a.m., with the varsity girls to follow at 10:30.

Elkin edges Davie in boys cross country meet

Elkin High’s boys cross country team won its first meet of the season earlier this week, nipping 4A Davie County by a point and racing past Forbush, North Iredell and Wilkes Central comfortably. In a sport where lowest score wins, the Buckin’ Elks finished with 38 team points, followed by Davie 39, Forbush 94, North Iredell 109 and Wilkes Central 117.

Cross country profile: Kirsten Parries

Today’s Yadkin Valley Sports athlete profile introduces you to a budding cross country standout from Mount Airy. Kirsten Parries went from having to stop and rest in her first cross country race last season to finishing the year as a 1A all-state competitor.

Elkin’s Millsaps wins 5K race in Valdese

Two runners from Elkin’s Wings of the Wind Road Runners track club pulled away from the pack and claimed top honors in the 37th annual Great Waldensian 5K Road Race on Saturday. Zach Millsaps, a rising senior at Elkin High School, won the race in 16:26 — one of the fastest times in the history of the 5K event and the quickest time in the last 10 years.

Runners shine under Morganton street lights

Cooler temperatures and a unique night-time course illuminated by street lights in downtown Morganton brought out the best in members of Elkin’s Wings of the Wind Roadrunners track club on Saturday. Six racers from the local club competed in the 17th annual Street Light 5K. Four placed in the overall top 10.

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