SouthLake Christian presents fall sports awards

SouthLake Christian Academy recently honored its top athletes in fall sports. The award winners were:

• Boys cross country: Sam Orr, Outstanding Team Contribution; James Roinick, Most Improved; Andrew Rikard, Christian Character Award; Nick Wilson, Heart and Hustle Award; and Andrew Rikard, Scholar Athlete Award

• Girls cross country: Anna Landis, Outstanding Team Contribution; Hannah Sexton, Most Improved; Sammi Sharp, Christian Character; Holly Wilson, Heart and Hustle;  Anna Landis, Scholar Athlete

• Boys soccer: Christian McArthur, Outstanding Team Contribution; Austin McEntire, Most Improved; Ben Hammill, Christian Character; Cameron Brown, Heart and Hustle; David Corley, Scholar Athlete

• Football: Demitri Allison, Outstanding Team Contribution; Connor Rutkai, Most Improved; Patch Robertson, Christian Character; Micah Nelson, Heart and Hustle; Patch Robertson, Scholar Athlete

• Volleyball: Katie Schoenrock, Outstanding Team Contribution; Molly Crawford, Most Improved; Hannah Croom, Christian Character; Olivia Loeffler, Heart and Hustle; Hannah Croom, Scholar Athlete

• Girls tennis: Alex Weber, Outstanding Team Contribution; Carolina Kiser, Most Improved; Katie Merrill, Christian Character; Carmen Dupree, Heart and Hustle; Katie Merrill, Scholar Athlete

• Cheerleading: Kristen Weakley, Outstanding Team Contribution; Emily Giordano, Most Improved; Mary Beth Rhyne, Christian Character; Haley Jeffries, Heart and Hustle; Kristen Weakley, Scholar Athlete

Everest Gymnastics produces state champions

Huntersville-based Everest Gymnastics Training Center finished second in the team competition at the Level 4 State Championship last weekend in Arden.

Everest had several individual state champions, including Olivia Harper (beam, all-around), Isabelle Schaefer (vault, beam, all-around), Arianna Pretty (bars, beam, floor, all-around), Joie Janes (beam, floor, all-around), Dannette Dunavent (beam) and Morgan Fijalkowski (beam).

The aforementioned gymnasts also placed in other categories.

Harper was second in bars, third in vault and third in floor. Schaefer was second in bars and floor. Pretty was third in vault. Janes was second in vault and bars. Dunavent was fourth in vault, fifth in bars and floor, and second in all-around. Fijalkowski was fourth in vault, third in bars, ninth in floor and third in all-around.

Other Everest performers include Laney Grief, who was sixth in vault, third in bars, fourth in beam, sixth in floor and fourth all-around; Peyton Graham was fourth in vault, sixth in bars, seventh in beam, 10th in floor and eighth all-around; Alaina Kwiatkowski was sixth in vault, seventh in bars, ninth in beam, seventh in floor and eighth all-around; Addison Lawrence was 15th in vault, 11th in bars, 10th in beam, 14th in floor and 13th all-around; and Emma Hyso was 14th in vault, 10th in bars, 15th in beam, 13th in floor and 15th all-around.

Start Smart basketball beginning

The Huntersville Parks and Recreation Department is accepting registration for its Winter Start Smart programs that begin in January.

Children can enjoy learning the fundamental skills required for basketball.  Registration will close Jan. 3.

Start Smart basketball is for youths ages 3 to 5. The cost is $55 for residents and $65 for non-residents. The Tuesday program will run from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., from Jan. 10 to Feb. 14. The Wednesday program, also 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., will run from Jan. 11 to Feb. 15.

For more information, call the Huntersville Parks and Recreation Department at 704-766-2220 or send an e-mail to jbrock@huntersville.org.

Sign up for spring lacrosse

The Huntersville Parks and Recreation Department has partnered with Top Tier Lacrosse to run its lacrosse program. Registration for the spring 2012 season is open, and there are offerings for players of all skill levels.

To register, visit www.t2lax.com. For questions, contact Josh Brock at jbrock@huntersville.org.

QCAA to hold AAU hoops tryouts

The Queen City Athletic Association will hold the first of three AAU boys basketball tryouts on Sunday, Dec. 11, at Charlotte’s Kennedy Charter School, located at 1717 Sharon Road West.

Tryouts for the fourth-grade team are 1 to 2:30 p.m.; fifth-grade tryouts are 2:30 to 4 p.m.; sixth-grade tryouts are 4 to 4:30 p.m.; and the seventh-grade tryouts are 5:30 to 7 p.m.

The other two rounds of tryouts will be in January.

Last season, QCAA teams won a state championship, a United States Basketball Association national championship and had a top-16 finish at the AAU Division I nationals, a best for North and South Charlotte teams in the 11-and-under (fifth-grade) age group.

For more information, call Edward Addie at 704-488-9878 or send an e-mail to coachaddie@qcaabasketball.com.











Winning means shaving for North Meck coach

North Mecklenburg High wrestling coach Sean Finkbeiner wasted little time paying off his friendly bet with his team.

Finkbeiner had vowed to not shave his mustache until the Vikings won a dual-team match, and the wrestlers could shave it when they won. North Meck lost its first two matches, which allowed Finkebeiner’s mustache to grow into a thick, itchy souvenir. The Vikings then beat East Meckenburg, 46-33, on Dec. 1.

The next day, at 6:55 a.m., the wrestlers gathered in the cafeteria to make their coach clean-shaven again.

Charlotte Eagles hold open tryout

The Charlotte Eagles, members of the USL PRO League, will be hosting their open tryouts for the 2012 season March 2-3. The tryouts are an opportunity for any free agents, college seniors and other amateurs hoping to make the jump to the professional level.

The players attending tryouts will be assessed by the Charlotte Eagles coaching staff led by longtime coach Mark Steffens who, according to an Eagles press release said, “We are very excited to hold open tryouts this year. I expect there will be quite a few strong players that we don’t know about. It would be great to find a few impact players that could immediately help the Eagles in 2012.”

The tryout will consist mainly of 11-on-11 matches. On the first day of tryouts players will be competing for an opportunity to come back on the second day to be evaluated by the coaching staff.

There will be a $100 non-refundable registration fee, which will change to $125 after February 15. The walk-up registration fee will be $150. If a player should make the team, the registration fee will be reimbursed.

For more information, visit www.charlotteeagles.com.