Could South Carolina Have Two Prep Baseball Players Both Go In The First Round? (Highly Likely)

Billy Baker • May 23, 2026

Christ Church's senior SS/3B Bo Lowrance (6-5,200) with a 6.6 time in the sixty and he can move left or right with same dexterity plus he is currently batting .433 with 39 RBI’s, including 12 home runs and three triples.


By Billy G. Baker

Publisher



Moncks Corner—Two high school baseball programs, located 8 miles apart in the state of South Carolina, who are also region rivals in Class AAA, are expected to have their star senior players drafted in the first round of the July major league baseball draft, and if this happens it would be a first time in recent memory that two high school players, in the same region, went in the first round of the draft.


Have we got your attention? What does this verify about the high- level prep baseball talent within the Palmetto state?


First and foremost, we always pause to give a special thank you to Mark Grainger and the fine folks at Modern Turf in Irmo and Rembert for their sponsorship of this monthly recruiting feature page.


The two players who have an excellent chance of making prep baseball history in the Palmetto State are Southside Christian LHP Carson Boleman (6-4, 210) and Christ Church SS/3B Bo Lowrance (6-5,200).


Last month we ran a feature story on Boleman and in recent games he has continued to mow down batters at the rate of 17 to 18 strikeouts a game. In the Sabres 6-0 win over Chapman on May, 16 Boleman pitched all seven innings with 15 strikeouts, and he allowed just one hit.


There have been new developments that have come to the attention of the HSSR. We wanted to give some coverage to Lorance, a shortstop from Christ Church who is also projected as a first- round draft pick. We recently had 30-minute conversation with Lowrance, and we are very impressed with him, just like we are Boleman.


The ever popular and highly respected web site “The Athletic” released a first- round mock draft on May 14 that will certainly get the attention of those who follow the draft in the state of South Carolina.


Keith Law is a respected follower of baseball who compiled a list of potential mock first round draft picks for The Athletic web site that was published on May, 14. In no way do we always agree at HSSR with what any scout might say or report, about any professional prospect from the state of South Carolina. However, because our business has been covering high school sports in South Carolina, for the past 40 years, we will present our own opinions as well. On Law’s list Boleman drops to number 29 in the first round, (we strongly disagree with his evaluation) while Lawrence elevates to the number 20 pick of the first round and we are certainly excited to now find out the state could have two first round draft picks this year.


We still maintain that Boleman will be a top 10 pick in the first round, and we are delighted that Lowrance is moving into the first round with the highly respected Law, and other scouts.


This is what Mr. Law wrote about Boleman for The Athletic: “Bolemon was a little slow to ramp up this spring, so he’s no longer the top high school lefty on my board, but he’s still close and should get paid like a first rounder. He’s up to 96 with a four-pitch mix, with the velocity a tick lower this spring, and he gets good depth on his breaking pitches from a three-quarters slot. He already had an internal brace procedure when he was about 15. He’s committed to Wake Forest.”


Boleman is in no way injured, and the internal brace procedure has only had a positive impact on his performance, not a negative one. He is perfectly healthy according to his high school coach Scott Freeman. After his outstanding pitching performance on the big stage with Team USA last summer, he left that international competition considered the best pitching prospect, in either high school or college for the 2026 major league draft, which takes place this July. Nothing he has shown in recent mound duty, with his high school, suggests any downturn at all.


Perhaps on the advice of an advisory agent, and we do not know this for sure, Boleman (and his loving family) decided to rest his arm for most of the regular high school season, and he had not pitched but 10.1 innings this season at the time this reporter interviewed him in early April. He does play on a team with two other talented pitchers.


We hope that scouts, major league teams, and even baseball writers, do not hold his lack of time on the mound, earlier in the season, against him. On April,30 versus AAAAA River Bluff, Boleman pitched all seven innings, with 18 strikeouts, and only one walk in his team’s 1-0 win. Boleman has now pitched 30 innings this season with 68 strikeouts, an ERA of 0.23 and he has walked just seven of the 107 batters he has faced.


Boleman and Lowrance should both be invited to a traditional Top 60 to 80 high school and college skills camp, reserved for top 2026 prospects, with live games, held a few weeks before the draft down at a site in Florida. The HSSR predicts that both Boleman and Lawrence will leave that comparison skills camp as solid first round draft prospects.


Now let’s talk about Bo Lawrence, first through the eyes of his high school coach Brian Simpson.


“I came to Christ Church three seasons ago from JL Mann, and Bo was already a solid player in the program,” said Coach Simpson. “He really came on strong, with the scouts last summer, as a player on a highly respected elite travel team out of Charlotte.


“Bo has tremendous range as a short stop, and I have been amazed at some of balls he is able to get to,” said Coach Simpson. “The scouts love the fact he has equal dexterity from both the right and left side. He is 6-4, 200 pounds and runs a 6.6 sixty which is awesome for a kid his size.”


Lowrance is currently batting .433 with 39 RBI’s, including 12 home runs and three triples. He has a .624 on base percentage with a slugging percentage of 1.119. His fielding percentage is .922.


Lowrance had been committed to Virginia, but when their head coach (Corey Muscara) left to take over the program at Duke last summer, Lawrence flipped to Duke.


Shawn P. Kernahan is a baseball writer for Three Quarter Slot. This was Kernahan’s scouting report on Lowrance recently: “The offensive foundation is already in place, with a left-handed swing that shows balance, control, and an advanced sense of the zone. Lowrance uses his length effectively, creating leverage without sacrificing barrel accuracy. Most of the present damage comes to the opposite field, but there’s a growing understanding of how to turn on pitches when counts and locations allow. Swing decisions are a strength, and the hit tool gives him a stable floor even as the power is still coming.


Kernahan also wrote in talking about Lowrance: “Physical projection does a lot of the future work here. Strength gains should unlock considerably more pull-side impact, with raw power pointing toward a potential carrying tool as the body matures. Defensively, third base is the cleanest long-term fit, where the arm, hands, and body control line up, though continued physical growth could eventually test his mobility and push him to another corner. The profile leans more on projection than present production, but the combination of approach, barrel control, and physical upside give him a wide runway and a chance to develop into a true bat-driven corner piece.


Lowrance joined a national elite travel team out of Charlotte last summer, known at that time as the Charlotte Baseball Academy but it has since changed its name to the CBA Orioles Scout Team.


This elite team played in well scouted tournaments in Georgia, Florida, Jupiter, Florida and Cary, NC.


“It’s a pretty special situation to be in right now as a baseball player,” said Lowrance. “This time a year ago I did not think I would be in this position. I am humbled to be in consideration to be selected in the first round of the baseball draft. It would be a dream come true for sure.”


Lowrance said that 15 major league clubs have invited him in for personal workouts at their facility prior to the draft. He also said that he has yet to discuss sign ability with any major league team and he says going to Virginia and playing college baseball is still on the table. He said that he will address the issue of sign ability with any club interested in him in the very near future.


Lowrance is truly gifted to be 200 pounds with a 6.6 time in the sixty. His range at shortstop is off the charts and he can move left or right with same dexterity.


“I work out three days a week with my personal trainer, Glen Hunt, and we work on agility drills all the time,” said Lowrance. “We do a lot of side-to-side drills to improve foot work also. Carson has the same trainer I have.” 


Lowrance says that when he is on the field, on defense, he usually cheats over two feet against right-handed batters, and if they are left-handed, he moves to his left a couple steps. “I study batters and my goal is to get a good jump towards the ball and have good reflexes in making a play on the ball and having a strong delivery to first,” he said.


As a hitter, Lorance talks about his strengths.” I am able to hit a baseball to all fields, from down the line to both power alleys,’ said Lowrance. “Of the 12 home runs I have hit this high school season, half of them are backside.


“I trust my swing,” said Lowrance. “I feel like I am a good two-strike hitter and I tend to open my zone some with two strikes. I try not to change my mechanics much.”


When this year’s draft begins on July 11 in Philadelphia, Lowrance was aksked how he felt he might react to having his named called out in the first round. “It would be one of those states of shock moments in my life for sure,” he said. “But within three days I hope I am on a plane reporting to the club that drafted me. I am ready to get to work.


“I am ready to embrace the process of continued development and playing professional baseball has been my dream for a long time,” he said. “Honestly, I am not going to change at all if being drafted in the first round makes me a millionaire. I am just going to tuck it away, show my love and appreciation to my family for their support, and focus on being the best baseball player I can be.”


Lowrance said off the field he loves to fish and hunt. “I really like to catch large mouth bass,” he said. “I love to hunt deer. I even like to collect sharks teeth.”


Lowrance has had one significant sit-down meal with a scout. “We had a serious conversation over dinner about my goals in the game of baseball and it was a very educational meeting,” said Lowrance. “I enjoyed the experience very much.”


Lowrance said that he and Carson are good friends. “I don’t get to face many truly outstanding left-handed pitchers in high school, but I consider him the best left-handed pitcher I’ve faced so far,” said Lowrance. “If there is something I am still working to improve upon it would be doing a better job in the box when facing left-handed pitchers.”


All baseball fans in the Palmetto State should be proud of the fact that two teenage boys who play high school baseball at schools 8 miles apart are in Greenville and are highly likely to experience life changing moments within 30 minutes of each other on the night of July 11.


Also, the HSSR would like to extend a shout-out to James Island shortstop Tai Marchand who was recently named the Player of the Year in SC from all classifications by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association.


Marchand, an Ole Miss signee, is currently batting .513 with 40 RBI’s and 13 home runs. His high school team is heavily favored to defend the Div. I AAAAA state title he helped them win a year ago.


Marchand is projected as a late second round, to early third round draft pick, but it only takes one club to push him into the first round along with Boleman and Lowrance.


All three of these young men are special athletes and first class off the field also.

 


By Billy Baker May 23, 2026
Billy Baker's been on a 40-year pursuit to discover the South Carolina’s best high school athletes and recognize their achievements in this unique statewide prep sports only publication. 
By Larry Gamble May 23, 2026
Bennettsville — Lila English is a rising senior student athlete at Dillon Christian School, where she has been a cheerleader since the sixth grade. English has also been playing volleyball since the seventh grade, basketball since the grade, and plans to play again in her senior season. Not to mention that she is a sport over achiever, when she started playing soccer as a junior. She plans to enjoy her upcoming senior year, being a multiple sport athlete, while continuing to take NETC online classes to help prepare for college. English said her childhood dream was being a varsity cheerleader. Being a multiple sport athlete just adds to her enjoyment of her school experience. With all the demands of sports, high school academics and the NETC online courses, English says her “time management skills” improved by having to balance preparation for multiple classes, with practices and games each week. After high school, English plans to focus on her studies instead of playing sports at the next level. Currently, she is weighing her options of either attending Clemson University’s Agricultural Mechanization and Business Program , but she is also considering attending the Darla Moore Business School at USC. In the classroom, she carries a 4.2438 GPA and says the NETC courses, “Have opened doors to provide me college level work academic learning experiences that have given me a glimpse of what to expect in the future, when I am actually at college,” she said. For all her athletic and academic accomplishments, English has been chosen the “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month.” This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects that can be transferred to colleges, after a student’s high school graduation. The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Currently, English is enrolled in dual credit online courses offered by NETC. She started taking classes during her junior year and she completing classes that will fulfill basic requirements for her freshman year at college. She has taken US History, World History, and Medical Terminology to date. English looks forward to going to college and preparing for a career. When asked about the NETC experience, English said “NETC has been great,” she said. “I was worried about starting these courses because I had never done anything like it, but the layout is easy to understand, and my professors were always flexible, and willing to help when I needed it.” Considering she only has two semesters of classes completed, English commented “I haven't taken many classes yet, that could reduce my course load in college, but plan on taking some online courses this summer and again during my senior year.” As a high school student, playing sports year-round, and taking NETC online classes, English had this to say about that challenge. “I have to plan, so there is a balance in everything between school, sports, and life,” she said. “I put together a schedule that enables me to get all the course work completed, so I don’t have to give up on doing other things.  When asked if all this can be stressful, English summed it up this way: “Time management can be hard with multiple games, or assignments due, but pacing myself has always helped,” she said. “I try not to load myself down, and I try to space my work out throughout the week to avoid stressing myself out.” English reflected on favorite memories as a student athlete, “Some of my favorite sports memories happened at practices,” she said. “The hard work behind the scenes with all the fun, smiles, and laughs can’t be beat. A different type of bond is formed within a team where you are pushing others, and yourself to be better while also having fun doing it.”
By Larry Gamble May 23, 2026
Bennettsville — Reese Bracey is a senior three-sport athlete at the Dillon Christian School, where he participates in the sports of football, basketball and soccer. He readily admits that football is his favorite sport among the three. He started playing football in the fifth grade, and he has played multiple positions as a receiver, tight end, running back, and also at linebacker. In the eighth grade, he started playing basketball as a small forward. In the ninth grade, he started playing soccer. During his prep school career, he twice earned All-Region honors as a running back in football with over 1,000 all-purpose yards achieved. He has also earned All-Region honors in soccer. Bracey closes his high school athletics having played all three sports in his senior year. He says one lesson being a multi-sport athlete taught him is to be on time. “If you are late to practice, you will have some type of punishment,” he said. “This translates well to schoolwork, when it comes to scheduling, doing, and turning in assignments on time.” In the classroom, he carries a 5.2 GPA, while maintaining his online course load, and participating in sports. After graduation, he plans to attend USC and pursue a career in the medical field. For all his athletic and academic accomplishments, Reese Bracey has been chosen the “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month.”  This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects that can be transferred to colleges after a student’s high school graduation. The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Bracey is currently enrolled in dual credit courses offered by NETC. He has completed classes in Psychology, Public Speaking, English 101 and 102, plus History 101 and 102. By taking the online courses through the NETC, Bracey says, this, “Helps prepare me for the workload and schedule I can expect with college work once I get to college,” he said. It has taught me always to use any free time to complete assignments. I apply this lesson, whether that be at home, or at school.” When asked about a memorable moment in his sports career, Bracey said, “That was involved a play that I will never forget,” he said. “We made the football playoffs and with our first snap of the game, we scored a touchdown!”
By Neill Kirkpatrick May 23, 2026
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR  Columbia – Bamberg-Ehrhardt high school and Calhoun County high school are 33.9 miles apart on US-601 with a lot in common as they are two of the top Class A athletic programs in the state and now they share back-to-back class A track and field state championships. The Red Raiders beat the Governor’s School to capture the girls title while Calhoun County defeated Blackville-Hilda to win the boy’s title. “I felt if we did what we are capable of doing today we had a good chance to repeat,” said BE head coach Travis Wilson . “I want to make sure we to get the race, do our job and focus. Coach Wilson continued, “Motivation was a big thing coming into the year. Winning last year put us in the hunted role and so we tried to stress it is harder to repeat. The girls started picking it up at the region and lower state meets.” Calhoun County head coach Wayne Farmer is no stranger to back-to-back state championship as this is the third school that he has led to back-to-back class A state championships, the others being Allendale Fairfax and Scott’s Branch. It was also the 10 th state championship in his career. “Our focus was to come back and repeat. The challenge this year was that we became the hunted instead of the hunter. The biggest thing is the kids performed with no hick ups. We scheduled a lot of big meets to learn how to compete and it paid off today,” said coach Farmer. The girls meet started off perfect for the Red Raider as their 4x100 team of Zyasia Whiley, Carmyn Folk, Keyaunjanay Corbit and Daisha Etheridge blazed around the track in a season’s best of 50.38 to win gold in the day’s first running event. The 4x800 relay team also won gold in a time of 10:56.16. Kymyhia Jamison, Jayda Sanders, Nilayah Edwards and Rashida Quattara made up the team. Sanders picked up a silver medal when she finished second in the 800 meters. Ezariah Williams won a gold and silver medal for the Red Raiders in the Discus and shot put, respectively. She threw the discus 36.73 meters for a new personal record and set another personal best in the shot put with a put of 11.39 meters. Both events earned her Silver Elite performance. She also scored in the Javelin by finishing seventh. Briaunjenai McMillian won a bronze medal in the Javelin with a toss of 32.94. She also scored in the shot put finishing eighth. There were a few individual double gold medal winners. Bethune Bowman’ s Makiyah Johnson won the 100 and 200 meters. Her winning time in the 100 of 12.17 was a silver elite performance. “It feels great to win two gold medals. I want this for a long time. Last year I came in second in both events. I put in a lot of hard work and it paid off,” said Johnson. Riverwalk Academy’s Emme Herring won gold in both the 800 and 1600 meters while Blackville Hilda’s Breyanna Williams won gold in both hurdle events as well as winning a silver medal in the 200. The Saints were led by Wofford signee Kamari Kelly. Kelly won the 400 meters in a time of 48.56 and then won the 800 meters in 2:03.55. He ran the second leg of the gold medal winning 4x800 meter relay team. He also ran the second leg on the 4x400 meter relay team which won a silver medal. “These last couple of years to see all the hard work pay off. I very grateful for coaches and family and I just want to thank God,” Kelly said. Joining Kelly on the 4x800 meter relay team were Kamron Johnson, Traveon Baker, and V’Jay Thomas while Baker, Eddie Coleman and Thomas were on the 4x400 relay team with Kelly. Jamani Canty won two golds in the discus and shot put. His toss of 49.17 in the discus was a new personal best. Also winning medals for the Saints were St. Julian Johnson won two silver medals in the shot put and the Javelin. He set personal best in both events with a toss of 45.68 in the Javelin and he put the shot 14.22. Bringing home bronze medals were Kamron Kelly (800), Eddie Coleman (400 meter hurdles), and Darren Ben (Triple Jump). Ben also scored points in the high jump (4 th ) and in the long jump (8 th ). In the 100 and 200 Da’Shaun Albany of Ridgeland Secondary School and Camari Brown of Hardeeville Jr-Sr high finished one-two in each race with Albany winning the 100 and Brown taking the 200. Hunter Willis of Riverwalk Academy won gold in the 1600 and silver in the 800. Blackville-Hilda’s Da’Montray Allen was a double gold winner as he won the 110 hurdles in a time of 14.84 and the 400 hurdles in 58.16. Jordan Strong of Lewisville won two bronze medals in the long jump and high jump while capturing a gold in the triple jump
By Worthy Evans May 23, 2026
By WORTHY EVANS HSSR Contributing Writer  Columbia --Just after the AA state track and field meet in 2025, when the Philip Simmons girls dominated the field with 148 points, the boys were runners up to state champion Fairfield Central , Iron Horses track and field coaches Emma Santor and Ryan McCauley got married. Together, the couple packed the field with Philip Simmons runners and field athletes in the 2026 meet, and while the girls scored 159 points in their repeat victory, the boys scored 106.5 points and claimed their second state championship in three years. The girl’s total was 107.67 points higher than runner-up Landrum’s 51.33 points. “We have a huge team that’s full of depth, and we’ve got an amazing group of girls who are always willing to rally around each other, and they know when to show up when it’s time,” said Coach Emma McCauley. “They trust the training, they trust the process, and fortunately for us they all peaked at the right moment, and we were able to pull off another state title.” The boy’s team’s point total was 59.5 points higher than runner-up Fairfield Central’s 48, and that was after the Griffins 4x400 team of Jamie Brown , Brenton Mack , Kenyan Douglas , and Da’Qwan Kelly closed out the meet with a winning time of (320:41) “I think we had a little chip on our shoulder from last year and the boys really wanted it this year,” said Ryan McCauley. “The boys really showed up in big ways in multiple events.” The girls’ team led early and never looked back, just as the Iron Horses did last year. Sophomore distance runner Laura Perry took gold in the 1600 (5:11.73) and 3200 (5:11.73) runs. Behind Perry in the 1600 were teammates Flynn Taylor , second, Stella Wininger placed 5th, and Avah Mallek was 7 th . In the 3200, Wininger took 2 nd and Keziah Varner took 6 th .. “It’s actually insane, it’s like so much support,” Perry said about running events with teammates as opposed to running solo. “If there are so many people, it makes you feel like you’re so much better, and it pushes you to be better.” Taylor took gold in the 800 (2:16.30), and the 4x800 relay team of Taylor, Mallek, Varner, and Samantha Watson won gold in 9:47.92. Julia Reilly won the triple jump (10.91) meters 5 th in the long jump. Ashley Roush won the pole vault (3.8-meters). Averi Cable took 4 th . Roush was second in long jump and third in high jump. Other placers for the girls were Chloe Woods , Jordyn Washington - Spencer , and Cora Gabriel , who took 4 th , 5 th , and 6 th in the Javelin, respectively. Lilah May took 4 th in high jump. The 4x100 team of Madison Cobb , Roush, Reilly, and Ashlynn Johnson finished third, and so did the 4x400 team of Paris Harrison , Riley Payne , Elle Corbin , and Taylor . In the boy’s events, Philip Simmons won gold in just two events, but their depth often had two or three competitors earn points. Jeremiah Richardson took first in the 200 dash with a time of 21.79 and the 4x800 relay team of Brian Stanbaugh , Keaton Stuart , Gavin Conjurski and Stone Sweatman won gold with a time of 8:09.41. “I just wanted to put it all out for my team, especially the seniors,” said Richardson. “I was so proud of everybody who raced, all the coaches who helped us throughout the whole season.” The 4x100 team of Luke Chambers , Brady Cobb , Cameron Steed, and Richardson took second and the 4x400 team of Steed, Connor Roberts , Montrell Mungin , and Zack Venning took 6 th . In the rest of the events, several Iron Horse runners competed with one another. Richardson was 4 th 100, in front of Brady Cobb’s 5 th place finish. Luke Chambers took 8th place. Behind Richardson in the 200 dash were Cobb (second) and Chambers (seventh). Sweatman placed fourth in the 800 and Grady Castiglia was 7 th and Trent Manning (8 th ). Manning also took 4 th place in 1600, with Griffin Tollison just behind in 5 th ). Brian Stanbaugh placed 3 rd in the 3200, while Tollison was 4th and Castiglia was 6 th . Mungin took 2 nd in 400 hurdles. In field events, Omonte Taylor placed 4 th he high jump and Cole Tonon took eighth in the pole vault. In javelin Jack Robinson placed 3rd and Luke Robinson was 4 th . “We’re super fortunate to have two awesome middle school’s feeder programs that go into our school,” said Emma McCauley. “Every year we get around 40 middle schoolers that will come out and try out for the team. We’re returning a really strong junior class as well, which we’re excited about.”
By Dennis Brunson May 23, 2026
Mountain View Girls and Waccamaw Boys Earn SCHSL State Track & Field Titles.
By Staff Reports May 23, 2026
 Since the school was opened in 2005, South Pointe High School has been known as a football school, with eight state championships in nine appearances at the 3A and 4A classifications, most recently last December. On Thursday night at Richland Northeast, the Stallions added a boys track and field win, holding off a late charge from May River to win the 4A boys track and field state championship by a half a point. “Half a point winning the state championship? Can’t get no better than that,” South Pointe head coach Calvin McCullough said. South Pointe’s win came after an unfortunate injury. While qualifying in the 4x100 meter relay for the state meet last week, Devin Isley , one of the state’s top sprinters in any classification, got injured. “He tweaked something, so he didn’t run today,” McCollough said. “We were counting on winning the 100, 200, and 4x1. We came in fifth in the 4x1, but we only got one point in the 200.” Instead of counting on the sprinters for a high score, the Stallions turned to the crew of distance runners who just happened to claim the school’s boys 4A cross country title last fall. “We figured we were pretty good in the distance,” McCullough said. “They actually pulled through and got us not only the top points, but they also got some of the low-end points as well that kept added up.” South Pointe took the lead with strong distance-running finishes. Senior Keller Brown finished first in the 3200-meter run with a time of nine minutes, 21.13 seconds. Brown finished just over 10 seconds faster than May River’s Talan Farrington . Stallions sophomore Copeland Crawford finished seventh to give South Pointe 12 points in the event. Brown took second behind May River’s Jackson Wright’s 4:16.54 time in the 1600 run with a time of 4:16.71. Reece Adams and Luke Stralow finished fifth and sixth in the race as well to give South Pointe 15 points in the event. “The 1600 I was coming in with a PR (personal record) of 4:18 and it was a 4:11 guy (Wright),” Brown said. “I knew that one was going to be more tactical. I was going to have to work for that one. I felt really good about my execution and just got past him at the last second. I got beat by .2 seconds, so I felt pretty good about that. “But in the 3200 I ran it really well all season, I felt like I had the legs to just go and run hard and eventually people would drop off,” he added. Jayden Finney took fourth place in the 800 run for an additional five points. The team of Finney, Gray Shelton , Jett Shelton and Felix Cassidy took gold in the 4x800 relay with a time of 8:06.59, after the 4x100 team of Cash Truesdale , Ethan Howze , Jalen Davis , and Isley’s replacement took fifth place. South Pointe gained 14 points on those finishes. Houze was the only top finisher for South Pointe in the dashes, taking eighth in the 200 dash for one point. The Stallions picked up 14.5 points In field events. De’onta Watson took first in the long jump with an effort of 6.72 meters. Jalen Davis placed seventh and Cain Cousar eighth in the event. Jayden White tied with Darlington’s Donte McCray for seventh place in the high jump for the 1.5 points that clinched the win. South Pointe had all of its points with several track and field events still being contested. The Stallions led May River 48-42, then 60-50, and then with White’s high jump result posted, 61.5-50. The Sharks’ 4x400 team of Antonio Corvato , Daeton Z . Altacho , Braihilin Paylor and Brennan Chase finished second to boost the team score to 58. Zavier Polite’s sixth-place finish in the triple jump gave May River its total of 61 points. Earlier in the afternoon the Sharks got first-place finishes from Wright in the 800 run (1:56.88) and the 1600 run. Farrington took fourth place in the 1600 and second place in the 3200. In the dashes, Jeremiah Grant finished fourth in the 200 and Corvato placed eighth in the 400. The 4x100 team of Mason Sweigart , Edward Cooper , Chase, and Grant placed fourth, and the 4x800 team of Farrington, Altacho, Xavier Flores , and Polite took third. Hilton Head Girls win first title since 2017 On the strength of two golds in the relay races and distance runner Julia McKenna , who won gold in the 1600, second place in the 800 and fifth place in the 3200, the Hilton Head girls track and field team held off a late charge from Westside to claim its first state championship since 2017 and fifth in school history. Seahawks head coach Frank Holland credits McKenna as being a big help in boosting the middle distance and distance runners. “She is a dynamic runner,” Holland said of McKenna, who took a warm interest in track by her sophomore year but really got into the sport as a junior. “She fell in love with it and all of a sudden her times were incredible to a point where she couldn’t get enough running. She encouraged other girls to compete and train with her. She’s a big inspiration.” McKenna, a senior and University of Tampa signee, finished atop the field in the 1600 run with a time of 5:00.96. With her finishes in the 800 and 3200, she earned the Seahawks 22 points. Also finishing in the 800 for Hilton Head were Aly Saleme and Stella Morgan , who placed fourth and fifth respectively, to give the Seahawks an additional nine points in that event. McKenna was also part of the 4x800 team that took gold with a time of 9:41.33. Her teammates were Ava Pankuch , Saleme, and Autumn Pearson . “I felt like I did really well considering all four events even though it can get really tiring,” McKenna said. “I just wanted to end it in a really good way and that’s why I decided to do all four. I’m really happy about how my mile and 4x8 went.” The 4x400 team of Jourdyn Mootry , Pankuch, Saleme and Kyndal Cohen beat out second place Bishop England by less than two seconds with a time of 3:58.29. Cohen won the 400 dash with a time of 55.26. She also took eighth in the 100 dash. Mootry took eighth in the 200 dash. Helana Fister tied with May River’s Lily Gluck for fifth place in the pole vault for 2.5 points. The Seahawks totaled 65.5 points to the Rams 58 points. Hilton Head overtook host team Richland Northeast midway through the event, holding a 51.5 lead to the then-second place Cavaliers. Bishop England later vaulted into second place with 41 points to Hilton Head’s 55.5 points. Westside’s highest track finishers were Na’ima Jackson , who took fourth in the 100 hurdles, and the 4x100 relay team of Jamy’a Tucker , Ta’Nijah Speed , Gervonna Williams , and Amber Henry , which also placed fourth. Henry took sixth in the 100 dash. The Rams’ push for the title did not come until the field events scores started to fall onto the scorer’s table. Janilah Rhodes took gold in the long jump with an effort of 5.35 meters and won another gold in the triple jump with an 11.52-meter jump. Behind Rhodes in the long jump was Williams, who finished fifth, and in the triple jump Williams placed second and Brooke Bryant placed sixth. Bryant placed fourth in the high jump, and Rhodes took eighth in that event. Madison Richardson took fourth in the shot put. All tolled, 46 of Westside’s 58 points came from field events. While the Rams’ scores came late enough to bolt into second place, Hilton Head stockpiled enough points to have a 7-plus point cushion on the evening. “We all trained really hard as a team, probably like any other team, but we all really love each other as if we’re a family,” McKenna said. “We all support each other, the sprinters support the distance runners and the distance runners support the sprinters.” Holland said that while McKenna graduates, she has left a mark on the program. Among returners are Cohen, whom Holland noted broke three school records just as McKenna did this year, and Mootry, along with several underclassmen and seventh- and eighth-graders. “We’ve got some young athletes coming up as well, so we’ve got a pretty good solid future,” he said.
By Thomas Grant, Jr. May 23, 2026
By Thomas Grant Jr. Special to the HSSR Columbia - Harry Parone Stadium has served as a fitting site for the S.C. High School League track and field championships. The past four years has seen main resident Spring Valley and fellow Richland District Two schools Blythewood and Ridge View come away with Class 5A boys and girls’ titles. On Thursday, the Lady Bengals made it a 4-peat enroute to dominating the final Division I championship. Their 125 total points exceeded second place Dorman by 50 points and produced gold medals by sisters Peyton Hightower (400 meters) and senior Hayley Hightower (800 meters). This marked their second repeat title team up at the school. Back in March, they helped Blythewood win its second straight girls’ basketball title. “This journey has been really amazing,” said younger sister Peyton, who’s a junior. “I’m just blessed to share with my sister and run with the same track team. I really love her and I’m super proud we’re both state champions in our last year.” The Lady Bengals also won both the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays in building a large lead. Junior Alexis Jones placed second and third, respectively, in the long jump and high school and Brooks Bramlett (100-meter hurdles) and Romell Garway (triple jump) added to the point total with runner-up finishes. Head coach Aleshia Hawkins credited her team with maintaining their intensity and overcoming the pressure of a 4-peat. “Our girls are real committed,” Hawkins said. “The goal is to just always give something to our young girls to look up to and so, with the older girls and mid-age girls, they just keep coming.” While Dorman finished a distinct second place with 75 points, it did not a record-setter. Senior hurdler Rebecca Okebe became the first female at the S.C. High School League track and field championships to finish the 400-meter hurdles in under a minute. Her time of 56.70 seconds broke the previous mark by Summerville’s Imagine Patterson by four seconds. “I like it because it’s what I’ve been working on for the past four years of high school,” said Obebe, who also won the 110-meter hurdles. “Especially the previous two years and the summer, we’ve been working really hard to perfect my race and kindly get me the right things to work on alternating and staying consistent in my hurdles. So, I get to see all the hard work pay off.” Other multi-medalists were A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), Ella Nighbor (Clover) and Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg). The boys’ title quite literally came down to the final two field events. Wando had developed an early lead on defending champion Ridge View before winning by a small margin. The Blazers were looking to make it five straight years a Richland Two school was boys’ champion. Spring Valley had won champion from 2021-24. “It’s a battle to the end and we knew it was going to be that way coming into this meet,” head coach Jason Doorman said. “And it was awesome to see. We had pretty step up in places we didn’t expect. We had people just bring their ‘A’ game throughout the entire meet and it was an awesome finish. “Taking out Ridge View is something because they’re a very good team and they’ve been beating the state over and over and over. So, to be able to defeat them, hey that’s an honor to take them down and be able to be in the ranks there on top of the state.” Junior Dylan Carey was the lone individual champion for the Warriors in the 400 meters. Wando did have several medalists in the field events that helped in its points total. Multi-medalists in the boys’ division included Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes) and Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs). S.C. HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE CLASS 5A TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS (Top 5 Finishers) GIRLS 100 METERS 1. A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), 2. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman), 3. Trinity Jones (Summerville), 4. Oliver Taylor (Blythewood), 5. Ciara Williams (Lexington) 200 METERS 1. A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), 2. Ciara Williams (Lexington), 3. Kendell McFadden (Fort Dorchester), 4. Olivia Taylor (Blythewood), 5. Alexandra Francique (Blythewood) 400 METERS 1. Peyton Hightower (Blythewood), 2. Patience Grant (Stratford), 3. Olivia Taylor (Blythewood), 4. Akyra Webster (Spartanburg), 5. Zy’keyia Halley (Spring Valley) 800 METERS 1. Hayley Hightower (Blythewood), 2. Ana Laurient (Wando), 3. Rowyn Martens (Wando), 4. Gretchen Kale (Mauldin), 5. Marley Wall (Dutch Fork) 1600 METERS 1. Ella Nighbor (Clover), 2. Ava Jagielski (Clover), 3. Callie Rohm (Mauldin), 4. Kendra Miles (Lexington), 5. Taylor Blackwelder (Summerville) 3200 METERS 1. Ella Nighbor (Clover), 2. Taylor Blackwelder (Summerville), 3. Avery Griffith (Mauldin), 4. Anna Cavallon (Wando), 5. Anna Kelly (Blythewood) 110 METER HURDLES 1. Rebecca Okebe (Dorman), 2. Brooke Bramlett (Blythewood), 3. Gabrielle Cherry (Blythewood), 4. Romell Garway (Blythewood), 5. Sidra Berry (Ridge View) 400 METER HURDLES * 1. Rebecca Okebe (Dorman), 2. Katelyn McNeil (Spring Valley), 3. Arriana Dooley (Mauldin), 4. Tatiana Dooley (Mauldin), 5. Madison Ross (Blythewood) 4x100 METER RELAY 1. Blythewood, 2. Summerville, 3. Dorman, 4. Spartanburg, 5. Spring Valley 4x400 METER RELAY 1. Blythewood, 2. Spring Valley, 3. Dorman, 4. Ridge View, 5. Wando 4x800 METER RELAY 1. Wando, 2. Mauldin, 3. Blythewood, 4. Spartanburg, 5. Dorman HIGH JUMP 1. Miracle McLean (Carolina Forest), 2. Danabella Jackson (Sumter), 3. Alexis Jones (Blythewood), 4. Trinity Hall (Clover), 5. Oprah Tchuendem (River Bluff) LONG JUMP 1. Ciara Williams (Lexington), 2. Alexis Jones (Blythewood), 3. Alahna Valentine (Ridge View), 4. Simone Wells (Sumter), 5. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman) TRIPLE JUMP 1. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman), 2. Romell Garway (Blythewood), 3. Naadia Rampersant (James Island), 4. Miracle McLean (Carolina Forest), 5. Oprah Tchuendem (River Bluff) DISCUS THROW 1. Addilyn Elrod (Summerville), 2. Olivia Parker (Spartanburg), 3. Maddie Sanders (Mauldin), 4. Emmie Otto (Carolina Forest), 5. Darcy York (Rock Hill) POLE VAULT 1. Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg), 2. Skylar Singleton (James Island), 3. Emiya Victor (James Island), 4. Mattie Bandy (Dorman), 5. Harmoni Harris (Spartanburg) JAVELIN THROW 1. Elle Cocco (Wando), 2. Morgan Carter (Fort Dorchester), 3. Hailey Greatrex (Fort Dorchester), 4. Kyleigh Moore (Fort Dorchester), 5. Jaylyn Maley (Lexington) SHOT PUT 1. Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg), 2. Emiya Victor (James Island), 3. Harmoni Harris (Spartanburg), 4. Lainey Myers (Lexington) 5. Elle Cocco (Wando) TEAM SCORES (Top 10) 1. Blythewood (125), 2. Dorman (75), 3. Summerville (60), 4. Wando (59.50), 5. Spartanburg (53), 6. Lexington (45), 7. Mauldin (42), 8. Clover (36), 9. Spring Valley (33), 10 (tie). James Island and Fort Dorchester (30) * S.C. High School League record BOYS 100 METERS 1. Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes), 2. Grant Garrick (Lexington), 3. Jeremiah Calhoun (Boiling Springs), 4. Ke’Shon Tate (Spring Valley), 5. Thaddius Rush (Ridge View) 200 METERS 1. Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes), 2. Jeremiah Calhoun (Boiling Springs), 3. Grant Garrick (Lexington), 4. Devan Erby (Rock Hill), 5. Aidyn Wiggins (J.F. Byrnes) 400 METERS 1. Dylan Carey (Wando), 2. Larry Davis (Blythewood), 3. Jaderion Moore (Rock Hill), 4. Brody Johnson (Wando), 5. Jaden Davis (Wade Hampton) 800 METERS 1. Josh Voegele (Lexington), 2. Ari Laurient (Wando), 3. Wesley Heimbach (Lexington), 4. Joseph Robinson (Spring Valley), 5. Jack Butler (Wando) 1600 METERS 1. Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs), 2. Jacob Powers, 3. Joseph Robinson (Spring Valley), 4. Sammy Joudeh (J.L. Mann), 5. Evan DeMassi (Dutch Fork) 3200 METERS 1. Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs), 2. Jacob Powell (Blythewood), 3. Hudson Kennemore (J.L. Mann), 4. Ben Elliott (Mauldin), 5. Noah Taylor (Spring Valley) 110 METER HURDLES 1. Grayson Crowe (Boiling Springs), 2. Quency Grant (Ridge View), 3. Elijah White (Ridge View), 4. Justin Elliott (Mauldin) 400 METER HURDLES 1. Elijah White (Ridge View), 2. Quency White (Ridge View), 3. Justin Elliott (Mauldin), 4. Andy Metz (Spartanburg), 5. Grayson Crowe (Boiling Springs) 4x100 METER RELAY 1. J.F. Byrnes, 2. Spartanburg, 3. Ridge View, 4. Carolina Forest, 5. Ashley Ridge 4x400 METER RELAY 1. Ridge View, 2. Blythewood, 3. Wando, 4. Carolina Forest, 5. Spring Valley 4x800 METER RELAY 1. Lexington, 2. Wando, 3. Spring Valley, 4. Clover, 5. Summerville HIGH JUMP 1. Cameron Hughes (Spring Valley), 2. Evan McCullough-Bryant (Dorman), 3. Jamarius Brown (Dorman), 4. Jonathan Wilson (Carolina Forest), 5. Isiah Kennedy (Ridge View) LONG JUMP 1. Torrean Davis (Spartanburg), 2. Gage Stewart (Dutch Fork), 3. Jahmari Malone (Wando), 4. Jamier Gaston (Dorman), 5. Miles Williams (Carolina Forest) TRIPLE JUMP 1. Jamarius Brown (Dorman), 2. Jahmari Malone (Wando), 3. Torrean Davis (Spartanburg), 4. Amari Stevenson (Ridge View), 5. Jamier Gaston (Dorman) DISCUS THROW 1. Aiden Graham (Rock Hill), 2. Jaden Roberson (Dorman), 3. Jay Morris (James Island), 4. Collin Ash (River Bluff), 5. Preston Iagulli (Carolina Forest) POLE VAULT 1. Lukas Kowlok (Stratford), 2. Mayson Samuel (Cane Bay), 3. Caleb Berry (Mauldin), 4. Luke Lasher (James Island), 5. Walker Ferguson (Mauldin) JAVELIN THROW 1. Walker Ferguson (Mauldin), 2. Ben Eikenberry (Wando), 3. Gryson Greenberry (Summerville), 4. Zach Teachman (Wando), 5. Nate Dixon (Lexington) SHOT PUT 1. Aidan Graham (Rock Hill), 2. Henry Camps (Wando), 3. Collin Ash (River Bluff), 4. James Porter (Dorman), 5. Jimmy Jones (James Island) TEAM SCORES (Top 10) 1. Wando (84), 2. Ridge View (78), Dorman (52), 4. Lexington (50), 5. Spring Valley (48), 7. Mauldin (41), 8. J.F. Byrnes (40), 9. Blythewood (38), 10. Spartanburg (35.50)
By Gerald Doolittle May 23, 2026
Knights Baseball Champions 2026. (Photo WW King athletics).
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