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. ‌

Colby Pennington is a junior for the North Moore basketball team … among other things. Pennington just finished a football season that saw him earn first-team All-Conference honors after finishing as the leading receiver and second leading scorer for the Mustangs. He’s stepped things up on the hardwood, leading North Moore in scoring and rebounding so far this season. Last week, he was top scorer in all three of the Mustangs’ games. He scored 21 against Grey Stone Day, 16 of the team’s 30 points in a loss to Northwood and 30 points, including 4-of-6 from three, against South Stanly.…

Justin Travers is a senior in the 132 lb. weight class for the Pinecrest Patriots wrestling team. Justin posted a big win during Pinecrest’s senior night win over Fuquay Varina last week. He recorded a win by pinfall during his match. (He’s shown with his family during senior night ceremonies in the photo above.) It was part of a hot streak on the mat for Travers who recorded three wins, two by fall and one by decision, during the Mason Wagner Memorial Duals over the weekend. He also recorded four wins, all by fall, at the Pirate Round Robin in…

Nathaniel Dyer (4) is a senior quarterback and free safety for North Moore’s football team. The Mustangs saw their season end in a loss to Wilson Prep on Friday, but Dyer led North Moore to a conference title and into the NCHSAA playoffs’ third round. In addition to quarterbacking the team and leading the North Moore offense, Dyer was also a big play contributor on defense and special teams. He had a pass defense and fumble recovery during the regular season, and he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone against Wilson Prep to cut the deficit to seven…

Pinecrest, football William Miller is a junior kicker and defensive back on the Pinecrest football team. Pinecrest saw its undefeated season end after 11 straight wins with a loss to Clayton in the second round of the playoffs on Friday, but Miller did a bit of everything to try to carry his team into round three. Miller kicked a 30-yard field goal to move Pinecrest within one score of the lead, while also adding an extra point. On defense, he added an interception, returning it 29 yards. Miller led Pinecrest in interceptions this year and was third on the team…

Christopher Betancourt is a sophomore on the North Moore men’s soccer team. The younger brother of previous Athlete of the Week Ricky Betancourt, the duo has been the offensive spark for the Mustangs this season. Christopher ranks near the top of the team in goals and assists. His penalty kick goal gave North Moore the early lead in 4-1 win over Vance Charter in the second round of the state playoffs. The 3-seed Mustangs played Southside after press time for a berth in the round of 8.