Grand slam lifts Morganton past National
After falling behind by nine runs, the Watauga National 11-12 year old Little League All-Star team looked like it would be run out of Optimist Park much quicker than it ever thought. Photo by Steve Behr

All-state pitcher
Watauga pitcher Nicole Reilly was named all state by the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association. Reilly finished with a 7-10 record this year with a 1.73 ERA. She had 142 strikeouts compared to just 33 walks in 113 innings pitched. Reilly also batted .265 with one home run and seven RBIs. She had an on-base percentage of .351 and stole five bases out of six attempts. “This is a huge accomplishment for Nicole as she closes out her high school career,” her coach, Brian Vannoy, said. “She did a tremendous job not only representing herself, but the high school and the softball program during her four-year career.” File photo

ASU alum wins Blood, Sweat

and Gears century trek
The 10th annual Blood Sweat and Gears event sponsored by the Watauga Chapter of the Red Cross enjoyed its most successful outing to date as more than 1,200 riders from as many as 27 states and three foreign countries partook in one of the two grueling courses around the outskirts of Watauga County. Photo by Mark Mitchell