Union Pines – Moore County Edition

Apr

13

2025

Athlete of the Week: Taryn Pekala

Sportsathlete of the week, Taryn Pekala, Union Pines, Union Pines girls' soccer, Union Pines soccer, Union Pines Vikings, Vikings

Union Pines girls’ soccer senior striker/midfielder Taryn Pekala is Athlete of the Week. She has also golfed and played basketball for the Vikings. The Vikings blew out Scotland last week, and Pekala led the way, scoring four goals against the Scots and needing just four shots on goal to do it. She also had a goal and an assist in an overtime win over Pinecrest two weeks ago that put Union Pines alone atop the Sandhills Conference standings. For the year, Pekala leads the team in goals per game and is tied for the lead in assists.

Mar

23

2025

By North State Journal staff

Athlete of the Week: Kileigh Cameron

Sportsathlete of the week, Kileigh Cameron, Union Pines, Union Pines High School, Union Pines softball, Union Pines Vikings

Union Pines junior catcher/first baseman Kileigh Cameron is Athlete of the Week. The Vikings won both games last week, and Cameron came up big at the plate. In a 5-4 win over Gray’s Creek, she went 3 for 4, stole a base and drove in a run. In a 19-2 blowout of Richmond, she went 4 for 4 with a run, three RBIs and three doubles. For the season, Cameron leads Union Pines in average, slugging, hits, homers and RBIs

Mar

03

2025

By North State Journal staff

Athlete of the Week: Liam Myles

Sportsathlete of the week, Liam Myles, Union Pines, Union Pines High School, union pines wrestling

Union Pines sophomore wrestler Liam Myles is Athlete of the Week. He’s also now one of three state champions on the mat for the Vikings. Myles entered the NCHSAA individual wrestling championships as a No. 3 seed at 106 pounds. He then went 4-0, winning his championship match by pinfall at 3:08. Union Pines won both the dual team and individual team state championships for class 3A. Myles finished the season with a record of 40-9.

Feb

22

2025

By North State Journal staff

Athlete of the Week: Jaydon Sterling

Sportsathlete of the week, Jaydon Sterling, Union Pines, Union Pines High School, Union Pines track and field

Union Pines track and field junior Jaydon Sterling is Athlete of the Week. The Vikings boys finished third in the NCHSAA Class 3A Indoor Track Championships, and Sterling scored nearly half of the team’s points, earning 23 of Union Pines’ 48 at the event. Sterling won the state title in the boys’ 300 with a time of 35.45. He also took second in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump. With a state title and two other top-five finishes, Sterling was named the NCHSAA’s Most Valuable Player for the 3A championships.

Feb

13

2025

By North State Journal staff

Athlete of the Week: Brock Sullivan

Sportsathlete of the week, Brock Sullivan, Union Pines, Union Pines High School, union pines wrestling

Union Pines senior wrestler Brock Sullivan is Athlete of the Week. The Vikings won the state dual team championship for class 3A with a 47-17 win over Pisgah. Sullivan recorded a 4-2 win at 215 pounds to cap off seven straight Union Pines wins to open the match. For his effort, Sullivan, who won an individual state championship last year, was named Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Dec

13

2024

By North State Journal staff

Athlete of the Week: Kingsley Donaldson

Sportsathlete of the week, Kingsley Donaldson, Union Pines, Union Pines basketball, Union Pines boys' basketball

Union Pines boys’ basketball post player Kingsley Donaldson is Athlete of the Week. Donaldson leads the Vikings in rebounding and is second in scoring and shooting percentage. He’s also second in blocks and third in steals. Donaldson had a huge game against Gray’s Creek, hitting 17 of 24 from the field, including 1 of 2 from deep. He also hit 3 of 6 from the free-throw line. When the dust cleared, he had 38 points, more than half of Union Pines’ 73 on the night. He also had a double-double, with a team-high 14 rebounds. Donaldson added four steals and…

Dec

01

2024

By North State Journal staff

Athlete of the Week: Tyne Ross

Sportsathlete of the week, North Carolina A&T, Tyne Ross, Union Pines

NC A&T volleyball freshman Tyne Ross is Athlete of the Week. Ross is a 2024 graduate of Union Pines, where she starred for the volleyball and tennis teams. She’s now a freshman on the NC A&T volleyball team. The Aggies entered the postseason with a 17-9 record, a significant turnaround from 8-18 last year. Ross is a big reason why. A&T won back-to-back games to close out the regular season, and Ross led the team in kills in both games, with 17 and 21. She also had a team-high seven digs in the season finale. Ross leads the team in…

Nov

16

2024

By North State Journal staff

Athlete of the Week: Kael Jahn

Sportsathlete of the week, Kael Jahn, Union Pines, Union Pines football, Union Pines soccer

Union Pines two-sport athlete Kael Jahn is Athlete of the Week. Plenty of athletes around the state are able to compete in two — or more — high school sports. Not many do so simultaneously, however. Jahn spent the fall playing goalkeeper for the Vikings boys’ soccer team while also kicking for the football team. Things went pretty well doing double duty, too. Jahn finished second in the Sandhills Conference in goals against average and shared the Sandhills Goalkeeper of the Year award. He also ranked No. 15 in the 3A level in goals against. Meanwhile, in American football, he…

Sep

26

2024

By North State Journal Staff

Union Pines gets milestone win

SportsMoore County sports, North Moore, Union Pines

Union Pines is having its most successful season in recent years, while North Moore is struggling more than it has in the past few campaigns. After a week off, Pinecrest will rejoin the football fray this week. Union Pines The Vikings bounced back from their first loss of the year in week four to get back on the winning track Friday night. Union Pines pulled out a 7-6 win in a defensive struggle at home against Lee County. The win was a milestone one or the Vikings. Union Pines has played Lee County every year since 2013 and had never…

Sep

23

2024

By North State Journal Staff

Athlete of the Week: Harley Moyer

SportsHarley Moyer, Moore County sports, Union Pines

Harley Moyer is a senior defensive back on the Union Pines football team. The Vikings are 4-1, and the defense is a big reason why. Union Pines shut out their first three opponents this season and held Lee County to just 6 points, their fewest in nine seasons. Moyer tied for the team high in tackles against Lee, with nine, including eight solo stops. He also recovered a fumble in the 7-6 victory. For the year, Moyer has four interceptions, which leads the Sandhills Conference and is third best in North Carolina Division 3A. He’s also recovered two fumbles and…