The Huskies won 13 events and swept the team championships at the Southwest Virginia Invitational.
"We had a lot of fun," said Hough coach Tim Queen. "It gave us a chance to swim in a brand new pool and travel together. It was kinda a dry run for going to (the state championships in) Raleigh."
The Hough girls totaled 524 points to beat 23 teams and win by more than 226 points. Hough's boys had 445 points and won by 150 points, beating 26 teams.
Hough's boys winners included: Jack Manchester (200-yard freestyle, 1:42.25; 500 freestyle, 4:41.11), Peter Brumm (100 butterfly, 50.77), Andrew Botelho (100 breaststroke, 1:02.74) and Patrick Cowley (100 freestyle, 49.17). Hough's Heather Merritt (200 freestyle, 1:54.58; 100 backstroke, 58.07), Ally Dupay (200 individual medley, 2:11) and Katie O'Brien (100 butterfly, 59.93) won in girls' events.
Hough swept the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, with Manchester, Botelho, Brumm and Cowley winning the boys' competitions in 1:39.31 and 3:19.49, respectively. Merritt, Dupay, O'Brien and Payton Schrum won the girls' 200 medley relay in 1:50.57. Schrum, Dupay, Merritt and Shannon Bauer took first in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:41.17.
Hough also totaled 11 runner-up finishes.
Patino picks UNCW
Hough High senior soccer player Santiago Patino has committed to play at UNC-Wilmington next fall.
Patino scored 11 goals and had 10 assists this year for the Huskies, who won the I-Meck Conference title. Patino is an all-state selection by the state's coaches and is the latest in a line of local players to go to UNCW.
Fellow Hough all-state selection Nathaniel Goodwin committed to the Seahawks earlier this year, and he and Patino will join former Hopewell High standout Adama Wakai on the UNCW roster. Wakai just completed his sophomore season in Wilmington after playing as a freshman at Virginia Tech.
Hough seniors Allison Stearns, Lindsey Byrne and Morgan Byrne have committed to the UNCW women's program.
Gordon wins golf tourney in Pinehurst
Davidson resident William Gordon, of the Cannon School, won the fourth event of the 18th Annual Winternational Junior Tournament Series at Pinehurst last weekend.
Thirty-six holes weren't enough to determine a winner in the freshman and sophomore division, as Gordon and Alex Smalley of Wake Forest tied with a score of 148 after 18-hole rounds on Pinehurst's No. 1 and No. 2 courses. But a two-putt birdie by Gordon (77-71) on the par 5 17th of course No. 1 gave him the sudden-death playoff win.
Huntersville's Blake Fiest, who attends Lake Norman Charter, was third with a two-day score of 149.
Heath on winning North Carolina team
Hopewell High's Denzel Heath started at linebacker and posted five tackles during last Saturday's 75th Annual Shrine Bowl at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.
The first selection in school history, Heath registered two tackles for loss as the North Carolina team defeated South Carolina 26-19.
Maples 4th at WRAL
Hough High had three wrestlers place at last weekend's WRAL Invitational in Raleigh, led by 160-pounder Palmer Maples. He went 3-2 and took fourth in the individual tournament. Adam Nivens (2-3 at 126 pounds) and Tanner Russ (4-3 at 132) each took sixth.
Hopewell had four top-three finishers at the Al Kessie Tournament on Dec. 9-10. Wesley Petrick went 3-1 to take second at 120 pounds, while Austin Randall (113), Gore Vaughn (170) and Deshjion Whitlock (182) all went 5-1 to place third.
Wilson wins late model championship
Huntersville's Reid Wilson, age 15, is champion of the inaugural Carolina Competition Sports Late Model Sportsman Touring Series Championship.
The 12-race series wrapped up last month at Orange County Speedway, where Wilson finished second to secure the series title. Wilson won twice during the season and had seven other top-three finishes.
Wilson raced Bandolero cars earlier in his career and won multiple series championships. Billy Balliet is his crew chief.
Now in home school, Wilson formerly attended Huntersville Elementary and Bailey Middle schools.
Patriots playing in Charlotte this week
The Davidson Day boys' basketball team will play in next week's three-day Charlotte Sports Commission Hardwood Classic at Bojangles' Coliseum beginning Tuesday with an 8:30 p.m. game against First Assembly Christian.
The Patriots spent this week at the Augusta (Ga.) Christian Holiday Tournament and were to play in the finals of the event on Wednesday, after this edition's press time.
Davidson Day beat Westminster School (Ga.) 64-32 in the first round behind a 16-point, eight-rebound performance by Phillip Anglade. A D.J. Carnegie three-pointer at the final buzzer of Tuesday's game gave Davidson Day a 56-55 win over Florida's Father Lopez. Rashun Davis led the Patriots with 19 points, nine assists and five steals.
Titan teams at NWG
Hopewell's basketball teams were part of the first Kernersville Medical Center Holiday Classic at Northwest Guilford High, held Wednesday and Thursday of this week.
The Titan boys (4-6 overall, 2-1 I-Meck) had games scheduled against Chapel Hill and Northwest Guilford, while the Lady Titans (7-3, 3-0) were to play North Surry and Northwest Guilford.
Hopewell's teams swept Lake Norman last Friday in I-Meck Conference play. The Titan boys won 70-58 and had balanced scoring with nine players with at least six points and none in double figures.
The Lady Titans prevailed 66-60 behind 19 points from Tae Lynch.
— Staff
