LowcoSports.com
A number of local high school sports standouts were honored last week with spots on LowcoSports.com’s All-Lowco teams for the fall season.
Beaufort High boys cross country stars Marlon Belden, Nash Mills, Joseph Patterson, and Gavin Moore all made the All-Lowco Cross Country Team presented by NexMove, while Beaufort’s Charlize Antia and Anna Brown and John Paul II’s Brady Mahoney joined them on the girls first team. Beaufort’s Charlie Bennett and Holden Starr and Holy Trinity’s Daniel Reedy earned honorable mention on the boys team, while Beaufort Academy’s Alyssa Lewis joined the Holy Trinity trio of Hannah Reedy, Ellie Schaub, and Anna Cate Gray in earning honorable mention on the girls team.
John Paul II eighth-grade phenom Trice McClure earned a spot on the All-Lowco Girls Tennis Team presented by PC Master, while Beaufort High eighth-grader Cypress Daniel earned honorable mention.
The All-Lowco Volleyball Team presented by NexMove included first-team honorees Hannah Merchant of Beaufort High and Chase Vaigneur of Beaufort Academy, while Battery Creek’s Laiani McCullough made the second team. Beaufort’s Olivia Giammona, Whale Branch standouts Erin Rivers and Trinity Heyward, Beaufort Academy’s Margaret Hiers and Mary Hanna Hiers, JPII’s Bella Termini, and Battery Creek’s Emonee Johnson and Caroline Malphrus all earned honorable mention.
LowcoSports.com will release All-Lowco Teams for the winter and spring seasons in the coming weeks.
Here’s a closer look at the first-team honorees from the fall:
Charlize Antia, BHS: Antia’s outstanding sophomore season peaked with a PR of 19:21 to finish third at the Region 7-4A meet. Don’t let a disappointing showing at the Class 4A state qualifier fool you – she should be a state championship contender for the next two years.
Anna Brown, BHS: The junior held down the No. 2 spot for the Eagles all season with her best performance coming at the Region 7-4A meet, where she cracked the top 10 with a season-best 20:43 time.
Brady Mahoney, JPII: The freshman showed massive improvement over the course of the season for the Golden Warriors, culminating with a sixth-place finish and a PR of 21:11 at the SCISA 2A state meet.
Marlon Belden, BHS: After missing most of the season while recovering from an offseason injury, the future Georgetown Hoya ran a season-best 16:26 to place fourth at the Class 4A state qualifier and led the Eagles with an 11th-place showing at the state meet to cap off an outstanding high school career.
Nash Mills, BHS: Mills earned the Region 7-4A title with a PR of 16:05, but he wasn’t at full strength for the state qualifier and championship meets. The disappointing marks at the end of the season should only prove to fuel the Eagles’ standout going into his senior season.
Joseph Patterson, BHS: Another strong underclassman for the Eagles, Patterson came on strong near the end of his sophomore season, running a PR of 17:02 at the Class 4A state qualifier to place 14th and following it up with 22nd place in the state meet.
Gavin Moore, BHS: The seventh-grade sensation has made a name for himself in the ultramarathon world, but he’s pretty good at this 5K thing, too, evidenced by a 16:49 PR and ninth-place finish at the Class 4A state qualifier and a solid 27th-place showing at the state meet.
Connor Eby, BHS: The highlight of Eby’s solid sophomore season came at the Region 7-4A meet, where his PR of 16:29 resulted in an impressive top-five finish and marked nearly a one-minute improvement and a sign of things to come the next two years.
Trice McClure, 8th, JPII: Sure, she’s only an eighth-grader, but McClure’s game is all grown up. She earned all-region honors in a competitive SCISA Region 4, sharpening herself against top competition in the No. 1 slot and even earning a thrilling three-set win over region Player of the Year Avery Brothers.
Hannah Merchant, BHS | Sr., MH/OH: It was a rough season for the Eagles, but Merchant was a monster with 194 kills, 185 digs, 17 blocks, and 17 aces, earning All-Region 7-4A honors.
Chase Vaigneur, BA | Sr., OH/S: The SCISA Region 4 Player of the Year racked up 184 kills, 141 assists, 91 digs, and 51 aces in just 12 games and will take her talents to NCAA Division II Young Harris College next season.
Laiani McCullough, BCHS | Sr., OH/S: The leader of a solid Battery Creek squad, McCullough led the Dolphins with 101 kills, 56 blocks, 74 aces, 79 assists, and 61 digs in a well-rounded effort.
