Williamsburg track star Gunner Hammett, who was featured in the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot in March, added two more world records for 12-year-olds to his résumé last week.
He ran 2 minutes, 1.01 seconds, to finish fifth in the 800 meters against some of the nation’s top eighth-graders at the Brooks Invitational in Seattle. He was named the meet’s MVP.
Three days later, he ran a personal-best 2:00.39 to win the race and break the meet record by three seconds at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Philadelphia.
Hammett, who is 12 years old, is the first sixth-grader to win the 800 at the meet.
Hammett, who is heading to seventh grade at Queens Lake Middle School in York County, now has four age-group track and field world records.
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Western Branch’s Biernot named Class 6 Player of Year in baseball
Western Branch senior pitcher Gavin Biernot is the Class 6 Player of the Year.
Biernot, a 6-foot-4 left-hander, was 8-0 with a 0.89 ERA and 92 strikeouts. The VMI signee gave up 49 hits and allowed just 10 earned runs, with opponents batting .175 against him.
Grassfield senior pitcher Bradley Zayac was selected to the second team.
South Lakes coach Morgan Spencer, whose team finished as the state runner-up, was named the Class 6 Coach of the Year.
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Lafayette, Tabb girls soccer players gain state honors
Lafayette junior forward Taylor Walker, senior forward Lexi King, junior midfielder Ceci Riggs and junior defender Kira Moore all made the Class 3 all-state team.
The second team included Lafayette freshman Shea Mansisidor, sophom*ore midfielder Riley Bennett and junior defender Mandi Lynch, plus Tabb senior midfielder Janie Qing and senior defender Ella Brown.
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Two Gloucester softball players capture state awards
Gloucester freshman pitcher Autumn Cookson and sophom*ore catcher Cameron Palas made the Class 4 all-state second team.
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CNU baseball ranked 12th, 15th in final polls
Christopher Newport (29-12) finished No. 12 in the d3baseball.com poll and 15th in the Division III coaches’ poll. The Captains won a regional before falling in a super regional to eventual national champion Misericordia of Pennsylvania.
In the d3baseball.com poll, 2023 champion Lynchburg was fifth and Randolph-Macon 10th. In the coaches’ poll, Lynchburg was sixth and R-MC 11th.
It was CNU’s highest final ranking since 2012 in the d3baseball.com survey and since 2018 in the coaches’ poll.
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UVA football coach Tony Elliott reveals newcomers
Virginia coach Tony Elliott announced the addition of three transfer players and nine preferred walk-on players to the Cavaliers’ roster. All 12 of them arrived at UVA last weekend to start classes during UVA’s Summer Session II.
The transfers are linebacker Dorian Jones from Cincinnati, offensive lineman Ethan Sipe from Dartmouth and long snapper Payton Bunch from Coastal Carolina.
The walk-ons include quarterbacks Alexander Brady and Boone Lourd, linebacker Cayden Cook-Cash, safety Armstrong Jones, defensive end Billy Koudelka, wide receiver Trevor Ladd, tight end Henry Omohundro, place-kicker Max Prozny and offensive lineman Alex Reisig.
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UVA golf players honored for academics
Five Virginia women’s players were named to the All-ACC Academic Team: juniors Megan Propeck and Amanda Sambach, senior Rebecca Skoler, graduate student Celeste Valinho and freshman Jaclyn LaHa.
Valinho was named to the squad for the fourth consecutive year, while Sambach was a three-time selection and Propeck and Skoler were honored for the second time.
UVA men’s players Bryan Lee, Paul Chang, Chris Fosdick and Josh Duangmanee were named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
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CNU men’s lacrosse players earn all-region awards
Six Christopher Newport players hauled in all-region honors, which were announced by the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association on Monday.
Alex Brendes, Warner Cabaniss, Andrew Cook and Ryan Young secured first-team accolades. Drew Miller earned second-team honors, and Coby Auslander received honorable mention.
Auslander, Cook and Cabaniss became the program’s first three-time all-region selections.
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VBCFC falls to Virginia Dream FC
Virginia Dream FC held off Virginia Beach City FC 4-3 Sunday night in a National Premier Soccer League Mid-Atlantic Conference match at Powhatan Field in Norfolk.
The visitors, from Falls Church, went ahead 3-0 in the first 31 minutes on a goal by James Filerman and a pair by Angel Chavez. Team captain Joel Albritton cut VBCFC’s deficit to 3-1 in the 40th minute, then netted a penalty kick early in the second half to make it 3-2.
Malcolm McAllister’s goal gave Dream (3-1-2) a 4-2 edge, and despite reserve Riley Usher’s penalty kick for the night’s final goal, VBCFC (1-6) couldn’t draw even.
