Sports

RED OAK -- One of the area's top baseball players pledged his collegiate commitment on January 29 as Brady Jenkins of Northern Nash signed his letter-of-intent to attend Barton College just over one month ahead of kicking off his senior campaign.
Jenkins has been a three-sport star throughout his time at Northern, showcasing his skills not just on the baseball diamond but on the football field and soccer pitch as well.

RED OAK -- Northern Nash has enjoyed its share of dominance in the Big East Conference boys basketball standings through the years, but hat the Knights are accomplishing this winter is rather unprecedented.
Heading into Friday's regular season finale on the road at rival Rocky Mount, the Fighting Knights are 11-0 in Big East play -- and not a single outing has even been close.

STANHOPE -- If you're a fan of Southern Nash High School athletics, mark your calendars for April 12. It's an evening that will certainly be a memorable one.
That's when SNHS will host its inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony at the SNHS Gymnasium.
Eight Firebirds' legends will comprise the initial class -- four athletes and four coaches.

RED OAK -- It's been a year of streaks for Northern Nash's girls basketball team, as the Lady Knights lost their third straight matchup on Monday night to arch rival Rocky Mount.
Due to weather issues earlier in the season, Monday night's contest between the Lady Knights and Lady Gryphons was the first meeting between the two foes this season, with Rocky Mount dropping Northern in dominant fashion, 57-16.

CARY -- Nash Central's star-studded senior swim class went out in style following strong performances at the Class 2-A East Regional and Class 2-A State Championships, both of which were held recently at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Wake County.
At the states, the NCHS girls squad took 27th place overall with 21 points, while the boys closed in the 29th position at 19 markers.
Central even boasted a medalist as senior standout Maddie Hart closed out her prolific career by taking fourth place in the Girls 50 Freestyle with a time of 24.98.

RED OAK -- Northern Nash's boys wrestling program has been trending upward over the past several campaigns -- and that ascent continued with a strong 2024-24 season for the Fighting Knights.
Northern Nash claimed the top seed out of the Big East Conference for the Class 3-A State Playoffs, which meant a trip to Union Pines on February 1 for the first and second round of the postseason.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The North Carolina Wesleyan University men's basketball team put on an offensive clinic last Saturday afternoon, rolling past Greensboro 107-63 in a dominant USA South Conference victory.
The Bishops scored over 50 points in both halves, never trailing as NCWU won its sixth conference contest.

RALEIGH -- One of the top student-athletes in Nash Central High School history is making waves at the next level, having just broken a near seven-year Atlantic Coast Conference record while competing on the men's swimming team at North Carolina State University.
That, of course , is Lance Norris, a Nash Central and Nash Rec legend in the pool who has shined as a member of the Wolfpack squad -- a team that is currently ranked fifth nationally and has won three straight ACC Championships.