Connor Tepatti is a senior for the Pinecrest baseball team. He played a role in both of the Patriots’ wins last week. Tepatti threw four scoreless innings in a win over East Bladen and helped his cause at the plate by going 1-for-2 with 2 runs scored. He also went 2-for-4 in Pinecrest’s win over Heritage. Tepatti leads Pinecrest in batting average, on-base percentage, runs, hits, doubles and slugging.

Natalie Auman is a senior for the Union Pines softball team. She was also the top three-point shooter on the Vikings’ girls’ basketball team in the winter. Union Pines split two games last week, and Auman had big games in both outings. In a win over Greenbrier East, she went 4-for-5 with 2 runs scored and 3 driven in while adding a double and a stolen base. Against James Madison, she went 3-for-3 with 3 runs scored and a pair of steals.

Grace Queen is a junior striker and midfielder for the Union Pines girls’ soccer team. The Vikings won both games last week, and Queen had a couple of huge games. Against Scotland, she scored four goals in five shots to lead a 12-0 shutout. Against Terry Sanford, she added another two goals, as well as an assist, in a 8-0 win. Queen is now second on the team in goals and leads in shots.

Nicole Norman is a senior catcher and outfielder for the Union Pines softball team. The Vikings are 5-1 on the year and went 1-1 last week. Norman, who will be playing in college at Barton next season, leads Union Pines in batting, on-base percentage, slugging and hits. She’s tied for the lead in homers and doubles and is second on the Vikings in RBIs. Last week, she went 2-for-3 with a run, 2 doubles and 2 RBIs in a win over Richmond.

Pinecrest, baseball RJ Sales is an alum of the Pinecrest baseball team who is currently pitching for UNC Wilmington. Sales led Pinecrest to a Sandhills Conference title in his senior season of 2021, winning conference player of the year honors. Now a redshirt sophomore with the Seahawks, Sales is off to a dominating start to the season, posting a 3-0 record. In his most recent start, he struck out six in seven one-hit innings to win on the road at South Alabama. Sales has a 0.92 ERA and is has a WHIP (walks and hits per innin) of 0.56. Opponents…

Union Pines, track & field Christian Hackett is a senior for the Union Pines track & field team. The Vikings finished fifth in the boys’ indoor track state championships last week, and Hackett led the way in field events. His high jump of 6 feet, 8.0 inches was good for the state title, four inches higher than the next closest competitor. He also finished ninth in the triple jump with a leap of 40 feet, 5.5 inches. Hackett is a three-sport athlete who is also a forward on the boys’ basketball team and has played safety and wide receiver for…

Brock Sullivan is a junior for the Union Pines wrestling team. Sullivan rose to the top spot in the state 3A rankings at 175 pounds, and won the championships in the Sandhills Conference meet, as well as the PJ Smith Memorial, Bob Mauldin Classic, Union Pines Round Robin, Tiger Holiday Classic, Cold Turkey Invitational and Viking Invitational. As the postseason opens, he appears ready to add to his impressive accomplishments. Union Pines, the top seed in the 3A East region, swept through the first two rounds of the state Dual-Team playoffs, beating No. 16 South Johnston, 51-24, and No. 8…

Calissa Clendenin is a junior center/forward for the North Moore girls’ basketball team. The Mustangs dropped both games this week, against Chatham Central and Northwood. Clendenin did her part to keep North Moore in the game, however. Against Chatham Central, she hit 5-of-7 shots, including a pair of three-pointers in three attempts, for a team-high 12 points. She also led the way on the Mustangs with 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks. For the season, Clendenin leads North Moore in rebounding, shooting, assists and blocks and is second in scoring.

Elijah Melton is a junior forward for the Pinecrest boys’ basketball team. Melton, who also starred for the Patriots’ football team in the fall, came up big in Pinecrest’s 62-58 win over Lee County last week. Melton hit 6-of-12 from the field for 13 points, with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Melton leads Pinecrest in scoring (13.3 ppg), shooting (63%), rebounding (5.2 rpg) and blocks. He ranks third in the Sandhills conference in double-doubles.

Jaylen Kyle is a junior guard for the Union Pines basketball team. The Vikings won their conference opener last week at Lee County, beating the Yellow Jackets 79-71. Kyle was the game’s leading scorer, hitting 10 of 13 shots from the field for 23 points. He added a team-high 9 rebounds, 5 of them on the offensive boards. He also led Union Pines with 6 steals and threw in a blocked shot and a pair of assists. For the season, Kyle leads the Vikings in shooting percentage, is second in scoring and third in blocks and steals. ‌