The Belmont Abbey men’s soccer team opened its 2021 season at Limestone.  The Saints won the contest 3-0. How It Happened - In the 17th minute, Kevin Daly took the first shot of the year for the Crusaders. Limestone took the lead in the 13th minute, and held the 1-0 advantage at halftime.  The defense was strong throughout the half, limiting the Saints to just three shots in the period. The Saints scored in the 63rd and 65th minutes to take a 3-0 lead. Ben Knust made four saves in goal.     Belmont Abbey photo
 

Former Belmont Abbey cyclist Nat Worcester has been named as the Crusaders’ new head coach, Vice President and Director of Athletics announced today. Worcester begins his duties immediately.
“We are thrilled to name Nat Worcester as our new Head Cycling Coach at Belmont Abbey College,” Vice-President and Director of Athletics Stephen Miss said. “As an alumnus of our college and cycling program, as well as a recent convert to Catholicism, Coach Worcester is the ideal individual to form and develop our students, maintain continuity and build upon the foundation established during his athletic career.”
A 2020 graduate of The Abbey, Worcester returns to his alma mater where he was a four-year letterman and team captain, participating in the disciplines of track and road. Since graduation, he has been working at the Giordana Velodrome as a Track Assistant, providing instruction in the rider certification program, ensuring operational safety at the track and supervising equipment. He also has served as Director of the DDP Cycling Team, coordinating logistics for races and planning and implementing race strategies.
He holds a Level 3 coaching license from USA Cycling.
“I am extremely honored and grateful to Abbot Placid Solari, O.S.B., President Thierfelder and Stephen Miss for the opportunity to return to my alma mater and lead a program that I helped form in its early years,” Worcester said. “Belmont Abbey is a special place with a growing cycling tradition. I am fully committed to continuing the successes of this program.”
Worcester earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a minor in sport management. He is currently working towards a master’s in psychology with a specialization in sports psychology.

This summer Belmont Parks and Recreation brought the fun to you! Our 2021 Mobile Recreation program allowed us to serve communities around the entire City of Belmont.
We hit the road with our trailer stocked full of games, activities, crafts, and sno-cones. The sidewalks were covered in art, and the air was filled with laughter.
Our mission to give back to our local families and friends by providing this free program was more than fulfilling.
By traveling to different parks, we were able to encourage all populations to get outside, make new connections, and stay active.
The Mobile Rec program stimulated growth in less frequented parks by drawing families to each event. Our trailer went to six different parks and served over 100 children.
It is safe to say our sno-cones and bubble machine were the main attractions.
Nichols Food Store of Belmont had our backs by providing us all the ice we needed to keep sno-cones coming.
 At our final stop in downtown Stowe Park we succeeded our goals with the back-to-School Bash event which provided bookbags for 100 students thanks to funding from CaroMont Health.
The support that we had to make each event special was uncanny.  While we are sad to see summer come and go, we know this is just the beginning Mobile Recreation here at Belmont, NC.

The Belmont Abbey College Men’s and Women’s Soccer Program players/staff met up with Belmont Parks and Rec soccer volunteers on Sunday August 8th for their pre-season coaches clinic.  The clinic, held at the Ebb Gantt Soccer Complex, covered several key points for both new and former volunteers which helped addressed ways coaches could better serve their players and effectively navigate drills that could benefit particular age groups.
Coaches were divided up into two smaller groups and were shown age specific drills and techniques that could give them better success with their soccer teams for the upcoming season.
Brian McGonagle, Belmont Parks and Recreation Athletic Director indicated that the partnership with the local college team has been a real blessing over the years.
“It’s critical to our success,” added McGonagle. “We as a department want to ensure each volunteer has the very best knowledge and guidance when managing their team players.”
According to statistics, most kids quit sports due to the coaching experience.
“I’m very grateful to the coaches and players from Belmont Abbey College,” concluded McGonagle.
“Having such a large program, partnerships are key and we are happy to have the ability to have such an asset like the Abbey so close to home.”
Belmont currently will be fielding 37 soccer teams for the fall season and volunteers are always welcome. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer coach for the City of Belmont Parks and Recreation you can reach the parks and recreation office at (704) 825-8191.

By Kathy Blake
No Time to Lose
East Gaston wrestling doesn’t let change interfere with State title 
The year is 1992.
The Olympic Games are in Barcelona, Spain. Bill Clinton is elected president. Jay Leno debuts on “The Tonight Show,” and IBM introduces a laptop, the ThinkPad 700C.
“Barney & Friends” premiers on TV and, in better news, the Chicago Bulls win their second consecutive NBA title.
In Mount Holly, the East Gaston High School wrestling team – which graduated six members, including four 1991 state finalists and underwent a coaching change – patches its pieces together and wins another Class 4A state championship.
“It was one of those things we wanted to continue and defend that title,” says Cain Beard, a junior 112-pounder. “We had a legendary coach (Doug Smith) retire, and we were young and had to kind of mesh together. It took a lot of adjustment, because of our having been used to doing things a certain way. And this new coach comes in, and we had to get to know each other and figure it out.”
The new coach was Bryan Lingerfelt, who at 23 was on the borderline of being a peer vs. being authority. And Smith, who led the team to a 22-0 record and Class 4A state title the year before and had coached for 13 seasons, was still in the building, down the hall.
“I was just a young coach that was hoping to help young men and East Gaston,” Lingerfelt says. “I saw it as an opportunity to help. The success we had I’m sure was unexpected, but that is what made it so special and what made these young men special that season.”
“Coach Smith was still teaching at the school, and all of us would go talk to him about strategy, but it was awkward for us,” says Beard, who coached as several high schools before taking his current role in 2008 as head coach at Rock Hill High School. “It was an awkward situation (for Lingerfelt) to follow a legend. When I got to Rock Hill, I heard about how great the teams were in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and I kind of get the feeling of what Bryan must have felt. I know Bryan heard it from us: ‘That’s not how it was done!’ And I heard it at Rock Hill.”
Lingerfelt was a student-teacher as East Gaston in 1990 and helped coach football. He was hired at Surry Central High School after graduation from Appalachian State University in Boone, then was asked to return to East Gaston to coach wrestling for 1991-92.
For what it accomplished in 1992, the wrestling team is inducted into the Mount Holly Sports Hall of Fame.
The group went 14-1, the only loss coming at Ashbrook in the regular season – an outcome that was reversed in the state finals.
“Ashbrook and us, at the time, were the two premier programs in the area, and we went to their place and had to deal with some lineup issues – I don’t remember what it was – and we took a loss,” Beard says. “And sometimes a loss is a good thing. I’ve always said as a coach, if you go undefeated I need to make the schedule tougher.”
On the bus ride home, he says, the team pondered how to use the loss to their advantage. “Our goal as a team was not so much to avenge the loss but to put yourself in a position to win a state title. And we had done that, that night. We were going for our third state title.”
“I remember that bus ride as being quiet. I remember some guys crying,” says Brent Harrelson, a junior who wrestled at 171. “Whether we wanted to admit it nor not, Ashbrook was a very tough match. They were our rivals, and there was mutual respect, whether we wanted to admit it or not. It was important to beat those guys, then all of a sudden we had this mark on our record and we thought, we can’t do this.”
“The loss did bring the team together,” Lingerfelt says. “I believe Bart Davis may have said something to rally the guys. Losing to Ashbrook hurt their feelings, and they could have gone the other way as well, but they had a ‘tradition’ they wanted to continue.”
The Warriors beat Ashbrook 47-13 in the state Western final on February 6 to advance to the 4A dual-team title. It was Ashbrook’s first loss of the season.
On the night of the state final title match vs. Eastern winner Orange High (23-2), from Hillsborough, Beard says the term “three-peat” was “being thrown around. The (Chicago) Bulls didn’t do theirs until the next year, but the term was out there. And it was on our mind.”
“There was a certain standard we held ourselves to,” Beard says. “It’s about putting ourselves in a position to win a state title. That’s what we do. All of us understood how we had to do it, getting everyone mentally prepared and on the same page to be in that situation.”
East Gaston won 30-25.
“Before the match, we said don’t let anybody come in here and take it from us,” Lingerfelt said after the win. “That’s all I tried to do, keep the tradition of the program going. I just tried to guide it along.”
Following Harrelson’s pin at to give East Gaston the lead, Bart Davis (189) clinched the victory with one match remaining with a 10-5 win, making an Orange comeback mathematically impossible.
“Wrestling at a higher weight, especially toward the end of a match, is especially stressful when it’s close,” Harrelson says, “and all you can think of is, don’t let your nerves get in the way of what you’re trying to do. And that’s what it was.”
Orange took a 6-0 lead early, but decisions by Beard, Darrell Stewart (125) and Jody Chery (119) gave East Gaston a 10-6 lead. After Orange tied it at 12, Brian Stewart (140) won his match by pin and Shelton Camp (152) won 2-1 to improve his record to 27-0-1.
Harrelson, 45 now, says winning the championship was “surreal.”
“It was awesome. We were happy,” he says. “I can’t tell you how cool that was.”

BY THE NUMBERS
East Gaston 1992 Wresting Team: David Laws (103), Caine Beard (112), Jody Cherry (119), Darrell Steward (125), Tim Hawkins (130), Brian Anderson (135), Brian Stewart (140), Sean Anderson (145), Shelton Camp (152), Steven Carpenter (160), Brent Harrelson (171), Bart Davis and Jeremiah Brunson (189), Nicer Young (Hwt).
Season record: 14-1
After having had to cancel the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mount Holly Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to announce that the 2021 event will be held on August 21,2021 at the Mount Holly Municipal Complex at 6pm. Tickets are available for $20 at Moose’s Pharmacy and David’s Detailing.

By Kathy Blake
Think fast… 
Got a second? This wrestling match is over
There is a word used in the South for the act of shoving work and responsibilities aside in favor of freely and nonchalantly being idle with time.
The word is “loafering,” a version of “loafing,” which simply means going slowly at one’s own pace, elsewhere, with no regard for obligations, or clocks.
Scottie Holden, as an athlete, was not one for loafering. A wrestler at Stanley Middle School and East Gaston High School in the mid-1980s, he was quick – sometimes excessively quick – and left opponents pinned before they had time to get their strategy adjusted. On your mark, set…match over.
During Holden’s junior year in 1984, East Gaston Coach Doug Smith complained about, of all things, how fast he finished his matches and got back to the bench. “He got on to me, because my first 22 matches was first-period pin. And he kept telling me I needed to go into the second or third round, because when I got to State it was going to go longer,” Holden says. “So my State final that I won, I did it in 1 minute 38 seconds.”
Smith coached East Gaston from 1978 through 1991, a year that ended in a state title. He knows a bit about timing.
“He was one of the most physical wrestlers I ever coached,” Smith says. “He physically beat up everyone he wrestled. He pinned three out of four at the State Championships, and he pinned a kid in the finals who was about as physical and tough as you’d see.”
Holden wrestled before North Carolina high schools were divided by attendance size. There wasn’t any 1A, 2A, and so on. Everyone was in the same batch. “In later years, they split schools into four classifications, but with him, there was only one state champ in each weight class. Back in that day, you had to go through everybody to win, and he was the first to do that.”
Holden won his state title at 108 pounds.
Being quick, and athletic, helps when you’re the little guy.
“I got started in wrestling with my brother, who was a year and three months older than me,” Holden says. “And, don’t laugh, but we were both small-framed and we played Little League baseball, him as a left-handed pitcher and me as a catcher. And when we got to middle school our stature for being ball players was not equivalent to what was needed.”
So Scottie and Jerry joined the wrestling team. “I won the county championship all three years,” Scottie Holden says. “Seventh, eighth and ninth grade, I won every year. My brother was close to the same weight class, and we pushed each other; we drove each other hard.”
Having a brother along helps in transitioning to high school, too. “When you go from middle school to high school, you’re already nervous and scared, and when you’re on the starting (wrestling) team as a ninth-grader, and you’re competing against 11th- and 12th-graders, it’s definitely a challenge. He was my motivator. We pushed each other.”
Holden’s accomplishments as an athlete and later as a coach led to his induction in the Mount Holly Sports Hall of Fame. “I never even thought of it before,” he says. “I never looked for any publicity. I’m just me. Worked hard all my life.”
That junior year, 1984, was a year for work. Holden says he’s the only East Gaston wrestler to win a true state championship, when all state schools competed without divisions. “There were 15 weight classes, but you had 25 or 30 people on a team. If your record didn’t allow you to qualify for Sectionals at the end of the season, you didn’t go,” he says. “The first round, there were 16 in each weight class and if you got beat you was done.”
Holden was quick away from the matt, too. If making weight was an issue, he could drop it like … now.
“When it was needed to lose 10 pounds during school, I had gotten out of class to lose weight… back in the day,” he says. “I could lose 10 pounds in a school day to compete. The plastic bags, the sweats… I’m glad they don’t allow that now.”
Holden’s senior year, 1985, didn’t go as planned. “I got sick and I had ruptured a blood vessel in my stomach, but I still made it to State,” he says. “My doctor advised me not to go, but I went anyway. I was too weak, and I lost out.” Still, colleges took notice. Chattanooga, Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, and he thought a long time about making the move to Tennessee.
“But I didn’t go,” he says. “I think that, in a way, if your mindset and heart isn’t in it, don’t do it. That is not a sport where you can get help, like have someone tackle someone or whatever. It’s a team sport, but it’s individual. So if your mind and heart is not in it, don’t pursue it.”
Holden pursued coaching, instead.
He was an assistant at Stanley Middle before he coached Mount Holly Middle School in 2002 and 2003, first as an assistant then as head coach. “I led them to their first championship title for Gaston County. Mount Holly had a team for 17 years and had never won,” he says. “I just wanted to work with the kids. I wasn’t interested in being in front of anybody. There’s a lot of kids I’ve coached through the years in Mount Holly, good kids.”
His son, Scottie Holden Jr., took over competition duties for his dad. “My oldest son went through Mount Holly and never had one point scored against him. I was amazed,” he says. “Never seen that before in my life. To see anyone in middle school never get one point scored on them.
“We won some matches 96-0, a perfect score. I told my team, I didn’t think that had ever been done in history. And the second year I coached, we beat another team 96-0.
“Scottie was a born-and-bred wrestler and started in the fifth grade, and we were actually invited to a tournament in Randolph County, and they invited our AAU team in Mount Holly,” Holden says. “My son was in sixth grade and beat an eighth-grader for the 80-pound weight class, and he only weighed 68 pounds. The kid from Randolph, his daddy was the head coach, and they had won the championship in that county for the last three years. But Scottie was 10 to 12 pounds lighter, and he beat him by decision.
“It was a big upset. I ran out on the matt and picked him up and hugged him. I didn’t care if I was disqualified or not. He also won a championship in seventh and eighth grade and was MVP for the Gaston County tournament.”
Looking back, Holden credits his parents – Jerry Holden Sr. and Helen Holden – and his children, his girls Tiffany and Carmen and sons Scottie and Calen. And his brother, Jerry. And Kirk Wells, the East Gaston assistant coach. “He was great with kids, and he pushed us more in a way like a comedy-type coach,” he says. “He made practices great.”
Holden left the sport for a role with Hoechst Celanese’s Mount Holly facility, mostly working with Oil of Olay production that sent bulk product to Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati. He says he put in “29.83 years, and retired and built a big shop behind my house.”
He can be found, most days, out back in that shop, working on a FedEx truck for Mutschler, Inc., which contracts throughout the southeast for FedEx Ground. He’ll do the maintenance, change out a transmission, service the vehicles. He’s quick to solve issues and take care of business.
But if he’s not there… he may have gone wandering to reminisce about how he’s worked hard all his life.
He’ll be back soon. He’s just off somewhere loafering.
BY THE NUMBERS
County Middle School Champion – 1980-1982 (7th, 8th and 9th grade)
State Tournament qualifier – 1983-1985 (10th, 11th, 12th grade)
State Champion, 108-pound class – 1984 (junior year)
Coach, Stanley Middle school
Assistant coach and coach, Mount Holly Middle School, 2002-2003
Won State title with MHMS
After having had to cancel the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mount Holly Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to announce that the 2021 event will be held on August 21, 2021 at the Mount Holly Municipal Complex at 6pm. Tickets are available for $20 at Moose’s Pharmacy and David’s Detailing.

Congratulations to two current high school athletic directors and one retired athletic director for receiving awards earlier this week at a North Carolina Athletic Directors Association luncheon. 
Scott Harrill of Cherryville High School received the Region 6 Athletic Director of Excellence Award. In addition, East Gaston High School athletic director Ryan Resendez received the Region 6 Citation Award and retired Hunter Huss High School athletic director Steve Gardner received the Braveheart Award.                                                                Gaston Schools photos

The Gaston College Athletics Department has added two new members to its baseball coaching staff. Jacob Rand and Kenneth “KJ” McAllister, Jr., will join Head Baseball Coach Shohn Doty in the Gaston College’s athletics program that officially begins this fall.
Rand is the Recruiting Coordinator and an Assistant Coach for the Baseball team. He graduated in 2015 from Mars Hill University in North Carolina, where he was a four-year starter on their baseball team, playing in three positions: Catcher, Second Baseman, and Third Baseman. Prior to Gaston College, he was assistant Baseball Coach and Director of Operations at Wingate University in N.C. Wingate averaged more than 30 wins per season and appeared in two NCAA Regionals during Rand’s tenure there, and in April won the 2021 South Atlantic Conference tournament title.
He has worked with several traveling baseball organizations, including the Charlotte Megastars and the Pineville Pioneers/Southern Collegiate summer team, and was the Head Coach of the On Deck O’s inaugural senior team.
“This is an unprecedented time for Gaston College, and I am excited to be a part of the bright future of this athletics department,” said Rand. “I look forward to working with Coach Doty and Coach McAllister as we build a program in an always competitive Region 10.”
“Jacob is a relentless recruiter and is on the cutting edge with his hitting philosophies,” said Doty. “We are extremely excited to add him to our staff. He is coming from a program that has a tradition of winning and he will bring that culture with him.”
McAllister, who was the 2018 3A High School Baseball Coach of the Year at Jacksonville High School in N.C., is also an Assistant Coach at Gaston College. He is a graduate of Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina, where he had the all-time sixth highest batting average, and was an All-Conference player.
In 2013, McAllister was an All-Star in the Coastal Plain League, the nation’s premier collegiate summer baseball league, and he played professionally for the San Angelo (Texas) Colts in 2014. He served as Assistant Baseball Coach at North Carolina Central University prior to joining Gaston College.
“I’m excited to be able to work with a great coaching staff and help mold a great group of student athletes,” said McAllister. “I’m truly grateful for the opportunity and I am ready to get to work!”
“KJ has a unique presence and energy around him that I believe will translate to our players,” said Doty. “He will be a quality coach and his knowledge of infield play will be a huge asset.”
Gaston College has several players already committed to join the baseball team this fall. New recruits include several Division I transfers as well as high school graduates from various areas, including Canada. With the high level of baseball talent in the area more local commits are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

By Art Shoemaker

As July 4th is a day of celebration it was fitting that the Gaston Braves also celebrated with an opening game victory in a win over Post 29 from Caldwell County.
In a best three wins in a possible five game series the Braves opened with a win at Raider Field by the score of 12-9.
Ethan Simmons picked up the win on the hill for the G-Braves.  Greyson Thomas, Jake Bidoglio and Drew Wofford all worked in relief in this opening contest.
The Braves posted a run in the first frame and added two in the second and surged ahead in the sixth inning with six runners crossing the dish.  The team added three additional runs in the sixth inning.
A South Pointer, Jackson Risk, continued to shine on offense for the Braves.  Risk enjoyed a 2 for 3 night that produced five RBI’S for the Braves.  Liam Brady also enjoyed a productive night on offense in gathering three hits in his three plate appearances.  Jackson Risk, Caleb Burr and Daniel McClellan each racked up multiple hits for the Braves.
The Braves followed up this opening game win with another victory in game two in defeating Caldwell Co. by a 9-5 score.
After scoring two tallies in the fourth inning the Braves put the game away in the fifth frame with a four spot.  The Braves out hit the visitors by a 9 to 5 count.
Liam Brady was the winning pitcher for the Braves in relief.  Parker Agosta started on the mound giving way to Brady in the third inning.  Jake Bidoglio also pitched in relief.
Drew Wofford and Logan Agosta both had two hits for the Braves.  The Braves played errorless baseball in the game.
Caldwell Co. rebounded in a big way in game three.  Post 29 recorded a 15-6 victory in this contest.  Caldwell Co. led 10-6 after five innings of play but broke the game open by scoring five runs in the seventh inning.
Grayson Guy took the loss for the Braves.  Parker Agosta, Daniel McClellan, Logan Agosta, Caleb Burr and Drew Wofford all had hits in the game for the Braves.
The Braves traveled to Lenoir Wednesday to play game four.  In a rain delayed game the G-Braves closed out the series in winning by a 9-8 score.  The Braves could only muster five hits in the game but were aided by four Caldwell Co. errors.
The Braves posted five runs in the fifth inning and added four more in the sixth.
Ethan Simmons started on the hill for the Braves.  He was relieved by Cameron Cook who picked up the win.  Jake Bidoglio also worked in relief for the Braves.
Dylan Owensby had two of the Braves five hits in the game.  Ayden Ledford, Caleb Burr and Daniel McClellan each collected important RBI’s in the game.
The Braves will now play Rutherford County in their next play-off series.  Rutherford Co. advanced by defeating Gastonia Post 23.

Belmont Abbey women’s basketball players Maria Kuhlman and Allie Downing have been named Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the organization announced. Kuhlman was a first-team selection, while Downing earned second-team honors. Belmont Abbey was the only school with multiple selections on the 15-player team.
The players are only the fifth and sixth overall -- and first two females -- to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in school history.
Kuhlman, a May graduate from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., played in 107 career games at The Abbey, averaging 14.0 points, 4.2 rebound and 2.0 assists during that span. She was named Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s basketball and was the winner of the conference’s Murphy Osborne Award, significant of the top graduating senior in the league. She was a three-time first-team all-conference selection and finished the season as Division II’s active career leader in three-pointers made. She holds Belmont Abbey’s career threes record for both men and women and was on the 2021 Conference Carolinas and the NCAA Southeast Regional all-tournament teams, the latter as the Most Valuable Player. She finished with a 3.99 GPA in Theology.
Downing, from New Madison, Ohio, also graduated in May with a 3.98 grade-point average in accounting and business management. She appeared in 116 games for the Crusaders, averaging 13.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists during her career. A three-time All-Conference Carolinas selection, she was named to the all-tournament teams for the conference tournament and NCAA Southeast Regional.
Ten of the 15 members of the 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women’s Basketball teams have at least a 3.90 G.P.A., with four student-athletes maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA. The five members of the first team have an average GPA of 3.98.

If you have your eyes on this summer’s Olympics, you might want to be on the lookout for Kyndal Knight. She is competing  in the Olympic diving trials that are happening in Indianapolis. How awesome would it be to have an East Gaston High School graduate in Tokyo representing Team USA! While at East Gaston, Kyndal was a swimming and diving sensation, winning two regional titles and the 1A/2A state diving championship. She graduated in 2018 and went on to the University of Kentucky on a full-ride scholarship. Kyndal certainly knows what it takes to be a champion, and it is good to see that she is continuing to put forth a winning effort in everything she does! 

Belmont Abbey Athletics overcame unprecedented obstacles to enjoy unparalleled success during the 2020-21 academic year. The College’s motto of Excellence and Virtue played out in competitions, classrooms and with community service.
Crusader sport programs won six Conference Carolinas Tournament championships and three regular-season titles with several teams advancing to regional and national tournaments. Previously, the highest number of championship wins was seven. A record number of athletes were also recognized individually with conference, regional and national awards.
After limited competition during the fall semester, the winter sports seasons kicked off the year with a bang. Women’s Basketball repeated as regular-season champions and earned the right to host all rounds of the Conference Carolinas Tournament. A win over Barton in the final sent the team to the Southeast Regional as the top seed, where they again defeated Barton for the rights to cut down the nets and a spot in their first-ever Elite Eight. Men’s Basketball earned the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament, and after a pair of home wins, traveled to Emmanuel, where it upset the top-seeded Lions for an automatic bid to the Southeast Regional. The Crusaders then earned the No. 1 seed -- another program first -- but they bowed out in the regional semifinal.
Wrestling sent a pair of Crusaders to the national tournament with Mitch Dean winning the regional title and earning All-America honors after placing sixth. Benjamin Fielding finished second at the regional tournament earning his first NCAA national qualifier accolade.
Men’s Volleyball earned its first-ever conference tournament title and automatic bid, facing Penn State in the opening round of the NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship. The men’s lacrosse team also won the conference tournament as the No. 2 seed, but finished just outside the region’s top five. On the women’s side, the golf team captured its second Conference Carolinas Championship and participated in the NCAA South Regional.
The men’s tennis team captured a share of the league’s regular-season championship, advancing to the tournament final, while men’s soccer -- playing in the spring -- surprised everyone by upsetting its way to the tournament title as the No. 6 seed.
Cheerleading competed at the Can-Am Nationals in March and won the championship for the second time in three years.
Individually, women’s basketball player Maria Kuhlman earned the conference’s highest honor, the Murphy Osborne Award. It is given annually to the senior who is the most well-rounded in terms of athletics, academics and community service. Softball’s Payton Whitley and women’s lacrosse’s Kylie Eastman were named Player of the Year for their respective sports, while Chandler Baker (men’s basketball) and Andres Golindano (men’s tennis) were deemed best freshman in the league. A pair of coaches -- Jason Williams and Jason Gault were each honored by their peers as Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year.
A total of 76 athletes earned all-conference honors -- second-most in the league -- while 58 were named Player of the Week. The latter total is more than 50 percent higher than the next closest competitor.
Off the court, Belmont Abbey was chosen as Conference Carolinas representative and national runner-up for the NCAA Award of Excellence for its work on the Mr. Crusader Pageant. The annual event raised a record-total in donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, NCAA Division II’s national charity. More than 2,800 hours of community service were performed and recorded through Helper Helper, third-most among Division II schools.
Five programs (men’s and women’s cross country, men’s indoor track, acrobatics and tumbling and men’s volleyball) were recognized by the league with individual sport Messick Awards, significant of outstanding sportsmanship during their seasons.
In the classroom, 239 students were on the Conference Carolinas honor roll with 101 earning Academic All-Conference recognition. 28 student-athletes were on the President’s List with 258 earning a spot on the Dean’s List.

Registration is in person only at the C.B. Huss Recreation Complex - 8 Julian Street; Cramerton, NC 28032. The Recreation Center is open Monday - Friday from 8am - 5pm.  Due to the limited spots in these camps, registration forms are only available at the C.B. Huss Recreation Center.

EDUCATIONAL CAMPS
Nature Explorer Day- If getting messy and finding crawling things is your child’s jam, be sure to register for Nature Explorer camp.  Campers will explore our parks and streams learning about the local ecology.  Campers should wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty, bring a water bottle, sunscreen and bug spray.
Dates:  June 7-10
Ages: 8-13 years old
Time:  9am-12pm
Cost: $60 for Cramerton resident / $80 for non Cramerton resident
Art Camp- During this workshop we will be discussing the basics of acrylic paint and how to use it in a fun and creative way. We will be learning how to paint with a brush, a palette knife, and even just pouring it straight on to the canvas! This will be a great time for your child to learn in a creative environment while having a blast.
Dates:  July 19-22
Ages: 8-12 years old
Time:  9am-12pm
Cost: $60 for Cramerton resident / $80 for non Cramerton resident
Coding Camp- Chase boredom away – learn to code! Campers will create a “Chase” game or an animated story (their choice) during this session. Campers will need to bring a device with a keyboard (laptop, Chromebook, etc.). Scratch programming software will need to be installed on the device prior to the first class (installation instructions will be emailed the Friday before camp starts).
Dates:  July 26-29
Ages: Rising 4th graders - Rising 6th graders
Time: 6pm-7:30pm
Cost: $30 for Cramerton residents / $40 for non Cramerton residents
Race Day Camp- Build, race, break and fix.  Kids will build things that roll, fly or float, test them out and take them home!  Races will be indoor or outdoors so be sure to dress for the weather.  Bring water and sunscreen.
Dates:  August 2-5
Ages: 8 years old-12 years old
Time: 9am-12pm
Cost: $60 for Cramerton resident / $80 for non Cramerton resident

SPORTS CAMPS
Boys Basketball Camp
Dates: June 14-17
Ages: 8 years old-12 years old
Time: 8am-12pm
Cost: $60 for Cramerton residents / $80 for non Cramerton residents
Baseball Camp
Dates:  June 21-24
Ages: 8 years old-12 years old
Time: 9am-12pm
Cost: $60 for Cramerton resident / $80 for non Cramerton resident
Soccer Camp
Dates: June 28-July 1
Time: 9am-12pm
Cost: $60 for Cramerton residents / $80 for non Cramerton residents
Basketball Camp-
Girls Basketball Camp
Dates: July 5-8
Time: 9am-12pm
Cost: $60 for Cramerton residents / $80 for non Cramerton residents
Volleyball Camp- Dates & Ages:
7-9 years old: TBD in August
10-12 years old: TBD in August
13-15 years old: TBD in August
Time: 9am-12pm
Cost: $60 for Cramerton residents / $80 for non Cramerton residents

LIL’ SQUIRTS CAMPS
Lil Astronauts Day- Future astronauts will complete crafts and activities relating to space including making cosmic playdough, their own planet suncatchers and launching stomp rockets sky high! We will be both indoors and outdoors during this fun day of space play.
Date: June 19
Ages: 4-7 years old
Time:  9am-12pm
Cost: $20 for Cramerton resident / $30 for non Cramerton resident
Dino Day- Our paleontologists will explore dinosaurs hands on!  We will make molds of footprints, excavate fossils and do some din-inspired art too.  Campers should wear clothes that can get dirty along with their sense of adventure!
Date: June 26
Ages: 4-7 years old
Time:  9am-12pm
Cost: $20 for Cramerton resident / $30 for non Cramerton resident
Superhero Day- Engage your camper’s imagination as they transform into a superhero!  Supers will create their own costumes or wear one from home, complete feats of valor and solve crimes together!  While superhero knowledge is appreciated, it is definitely not required!
Date: July 24
Age: 4-7 years old
Time: 9am-12pm
Cost: $20 for Cramerton residents / $30 for non Cramerton residents
H2O Outdoors Day- Beat the heat at Cramerton Parks and Rec!  We will play a variety of games and activities involving water to stay cool.  Campers should wear bathing suits and shoes that they can run in and can get wet.  No crocs or flip flops and don’t forget a towel!
Date: July 31
Age: 4-7 years old
Time: 9am-12pm
Cost: $20 for Cramerton resident / $30 for non Cramerton resident