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Games update: Taming the Grizzly

 A Charlotte cyclist beat last year's record by 6 seconds in the Grizzly Metric Century Bike Ride on Friday at the foot of Grandfather Mountain during the 53rd annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Mark Willis finished the 65-mile trek in 3:04.18, beating the 2007 record set by Andy micheltree of 3:10. Just behind Willis’ rear wheel finished two Boone residents — Noah Niwinski at 3:04.43 and Ross Bowden at 3:04.49. Beth Frye won the women's division, beating fellow Boone resident Heidi Campbell at 3:22. — By Jason Reagan

Bearing it all

The weather was accommodating for the fourteenth annual running of the Bear. Parting clouds and rolling fog proved to be just the trick for runner Ryan Woods, 29, of Boone, NC. Woods finished first with a time of 31 minutes and 44.58 seconds, leading the field of 892 runners on Thursday. Photo by Mark Mitchell

Grin and bear it

The 892 runners participating in the fourteenth running of the Bear make their way up the switchbacks at Grandfather Mountain. The race, that is part of the Highland Games, starts in the town of Linville and winds its way up five miles to the Swinging Bridge parking lot. Photo by Helen Hopper

Hitting the homestretch
And then there were two. Just two youth baseball teams are still playing in District 7 all-star games going into this weekend. Watauga’s Junior League 13-14 year old team hosts Lenoir Thursday at 8 p.m. at Optimist Park. Photo by Mark Mitchell

Watauga pulls away from Morganton
It seems like a long time ago when Watauga’s 11-12 year old Little League softball team lost its first round District 7 game. Photo by Mark Mitchell

Storm under-11s win

state crown
CHARLOTTE — The Watauga Storm under-11 girls’ AAU basketball team won the Division II state championship in Charlotte.  Photo submitted