NETC Student Athletes of the Month
Chesterfield Senior Kathryn Johnson is the NETC Female Student Athlete of the Month for August..
Chesterfield Junior OL, Marquan Blount is the August NETC Male Student Athlete of the Month.
Lake View’s Kaylynn Turner Named “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month Lake View — Kaylynn Turner is a senior who plays softball and volleyball at Lake View High School . Turner said she started playing volleyball in the seventh grade, but softball is her favorite sport, which she started playing in the 9 th grade. On the volleyball court, she played all around as a utility player and played left field in softball. Being a two-sport student athlete brought opportunities. Turner says this about team play, “My favorite part is being on a team with friends, forming new friendships, and the support from family.” In the classroom, she carries a 4.07 GPA, and she says that after high school she plans to major in Exercise Science with an end goal of a career in Occupational Therapy, or as an athletic trainer. While she has not ruled out continuing softball at the next level, if she gets that opportunity, her favorites teams are Coastal Carolina , USC , and Florence Darlington Tech . For all her athletic and academic accomplishments, Turner 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 2024-25 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Currently, Turner is enrolled in two dual credit online courses offered by NETC. She already completed many basic requirements for her freshman year of college. She has focused on taking key classes for her major, like Medical Terminology, History, and Spanish. She added that she “already took care of many first-year classes and hopefully this puts me a semester ahead when I start college.”. When asked about what NETC did to help her, Turner said it “helped her develop important time management skills, especially while playing sports, attending high school, and taking college level classes online through the NETC. “Dual-enrollment classes really taught me the difference between in-person classes, versus online classes which prepared me for what’s I should experience in in college,” said Turner. When asked about the online class experience, Turner said the experience was a “confidence boost” that enhanced her time management skills. “The online classes were doable when I thought they weren’t,” she said. “Before taking online classes, I was more of a procrastinator, and I learned to be more on top of my work.” Turner recalled her favorite time playing softball “In the first game of the lower state playoffs this past season, I played a long ball off the fence and I was able to throw it back to the infield and we got the lead runner out.”
Lake View’s Kason Herlong Named “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month Lake View — Kason Herlong is a senior two-sport athlete at Lake View High School , where he earned all-region honors in two seasons as the starting quarterback on the football team. He was recently named the Class A Baseball Player of the Year by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association and Herlong has signed a baseball scholarship to attend North Greenville College . He has also earned Class A all-state honors in baseball by the “The High School Sports Report” for the past three seasons. Herlong batted .418 with two home runs and 17 RBI’s this past season. On the mound he was 7-1 with 80 strike-outs in 50.1 innings of work. He had a .556 ERA also. Of the two sports, Herlong favors baseball. Baseball is a sport he has played since he was first enrolled in T-Ball. Herlong was also chosen to represent Lake View in the 2025 North-South all-star baseball game. He has a very bright future ahead of him in the sport of baseball. In the classroom he carries a 5.23 GPA. He has been taking dual credit online courses through the NETC since he started the ninth grade. Just a sample of his completed college course work includes College Algebra, Biology, English 1, English 2, Computing, and Economics. For all his athletic and academic accomplishments, Herlong 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 2024-25 school year to students in the three counties they serve. With his high diploma earned, and numerous college level courses completed with NETC, Herlong should start college as a sophomore when he reports to campus at the end of the summer. He plans to major in Accounting in college. “Taking NETC online courses had a huge impact, including being better at prioritizing my time,” said Herlong. “How you do one thing, is how you do everything. And it helps keep me focused on meeting priorities and deadlines in both academics and athletics,” said Herlong. When asked about the impact on starting his collegiate career, he commented, “By taking these online classes now, I’ve got extra credits completed to put me one step ahead. I’ve been very blessed to have this opportunity.” Herlong said that while baseball is his favorite sport, he also enjoyed playing football. As a two-sport athlete in high school, and dual enrolled for online college classes through the NETC, he feels better prepared to meet the challenges ahead of him as a student athlete at North Greenville University. Herlong has a favorite memory from his baseball career. ”This season, we won against Latta for the Lower State Championship,” he said. “Last season, we got beat by Latta for the lower state championship. We came back this season and turned that around by beating them twice on their field. Those two wins advanced the team to play for a State Championship.”
Ben Milligan is a senior two-sport athlete at Marlboro Academy.
Marlboro Academy’s rising senior Kate Leslie.
Chesterfield’s Marah Brock Named “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month Chesterfield — Marah Brock is a senior two-sport athlete at Chesterfield High, where she plays volleyball and softball. She was on their 2023 team that won the state title that season, but missed much of last season due to injury, and she is excited about this season. Brock said she that while she enjoys volleyball, softball is her favorite sport. “Playing both sports helped prepare me for the other sport, both mentally and physically,” she said. “ Another advantage of being a multi-sport athlete is that it keeps me a part of a team, working together, and having a schedule to maintain.” In the classroom, she carries a 4.0 GPA, and she says that after high school she doesn’t expect to have time for next level sports while pursuing a degree as a Registered Nurse at the University of South Carolina. For all her athletic and academic accomplishments, Brock 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 2024-25 school year to students in Marlboro County, Dillon County, and Chesterfield County, where they serve the academic needs of high school students. Currently, Brock is enrolled in two dual credit online courses offered by NETC. She already completed many basic requirements for freshman year and has taken key classes for her nursing major like Anatomy, Physiology, and Micro-Biology. Brock looks forward to college and becoming an RN. When asked about what NETC did to help her, Brock said she’s “taken classes since the ninth grade which keeps her busy with the extra schoolwork, but it also helps with keeping good study habits and not “slacking off.” “Overall, it was a good experience taking online courses through NETC,” said Brock. “Some courses were more challenging than others. It prepares you for what the college experience will be like, and what the set up will be like.” Another advantage of taking online courses through “NETC” has allowed Brock to be able to graduate from Chesterfield High with an Associate’s Degree in Science, and this has made her very proud indeed. She is also very proud of the value of her high school Diploma from Chesterfield High that qualifies her for advanced placement once she enrolls in college. As a high school student, playing two sports, Brock said being enrolled in NETC online classes, has helped her learn valuable time management skills. “It hones your time management skills, and there is no time to procrastinate,” she said. “This helps you focus, while building good study habits, and I have learned to allocate my time wisely.” Brock recalled her favorite time playing softball was in the state title game in 2023. “We were playing at the USC softball park in Columbia,” she said. “It was game three and we won to clinch the title. Being in a college stadium was an awesome experience.”
Chesterfield’s Xander Hamilton Named “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month Chesterfield — Xander Hamilton is a senior two-sport athlete at Chesterfield High, where he plays soccer while also participating on the Ram’s wrestling team. Soccer is his favorite sport of the two, and he has played on soccer teams since he was three years old. Hamilton has excelled in wrestling also; a sport he did not take up until he started high school. Hamilton has 98 career wins on his resume as a wrestler at Chesterfield High. After his high school career, he is looking to continue playing soccer as a walk-on at the next level. He is currently considering Coastal Carolina, UNC-Wilmington, and he has a visit to the University of South Carolina planned for April, 28. In the classroom, Hamilton carries a 3.8 GPA, while maintaining his online course load, and participating in two sports. Of the two sports he participates in, Hamilton has a strong desire to play soccer at the next level. For all his athletic and academic accomplishments, Hamilton 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 2024-25 school year to students in Marlboro County, Dillon County, and Chesterfield County, where they serve the academic needs of high school students. Xander is currently enrolled in dual credit online courses offered by NETC and will has earned enough credits for an associate’s degree. He is focused on completing all the required classes for the first year of college to give a head start on his college credits. For his education after high school, Xander has a strong desire to major in Marine Biology in college. By taking the online courses through the NETC, Xander says, when I graduate high school, I’ll also be awarded my Associate’s in Science degree. When asked the difficulty to enroll and take classes, he replied that “it was nice that courses were so easy to access and to complete the work.” “The NETC online work helped me prep for college by “improving my ability to communicate, that made it easier for me to interact better with my teachers and professors.” The other advantage Xander noted by taking college level classes in high school, “it will help take away some of the stress of my first year.” Hamilton said that enjoyed wrestling, but his favorite sport is soccer which he started playing when he was 3-years old. He is mainly a defensive player, and his goal is making the team as a walk once he gets in college if he does not get an offer up front.
Cheraw’s Reagan Freeman Named “NETC” Female Student Athlete Of the Month Cheraw—Reagan Freeman is a junior honor student at Cheraw High School, where she batted nearly .500 as a sophomore on the softball team, before suffering a season ending elbow injury. Very early in her junior season Freeman is batting .400 and she is completely recovered from the injury she sustained as a sophomore. She is also a very good defensive first baseman and rarely makes an error in the field. She was also a member of the volleyball team at Cheraw this past season. In the class room this honor student carries a 4.56 GPA, and to date she has benefitted from taking six online dual credit courses from the “NETC”, based in her home town of Cheraw. For all her athletic and academic accomplishments, Freeman 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 2024-25 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Freeman is currently taking Growth & Human Development along with Computer Programing as online dual credit courses offered by the “NETC.” As a sophomore she took dual credit online courses in Psychology 101, Sociology 101, Spanish 101 and Introduction to Criminal Justice offered by the “NETC.” “I enjoy taking online dual credit courses through the NETC because they are local, and my grades with the online courses helped improve my GPA for academic scholarships I am applying for,” said Freeman. “Taking online courses also teaches me the importance of time management and gives me an idea for what I will be preparing for, once I get to college. “The main difference in taking courses in a class room setting, versus online, is that you feel like in the class room setting your teacher seems to always be pushing you to learn as if you are up against a deadline,’ said Freeman. “With online courses it is much more self-paced, and you can work around your schedule to complete the courses you are taking online.” Freeman hopes to become an athletic trainer once she completes her college education. At the present time her top three college choices are Coastal Carolina , the University of North Carolina or Clemson . In travel softball, she played third base for the “Hot Shot’s” but she enjoys playing first base on her high school team. “My goals in softball are to help the team win, and I would like to improve my batting average and also make all-region,” said Freeman. “I enjoy playing softball at Cheraw High because my head coach Kevin Thurman is the best coach I have every played for, and he cares about his players.”
Cheraw’s Kadin Thomas Named “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month Cheraw — Kadin Thomas is a junior two-sport athlete at Cheraw High, where he earned all-region honors this past season as a quarterback on the football team. He is currently playing in the outfield for the AA state ranked Braves high school baseball team. He threw for over 2,000 yards on his football team with 17 passing touchdowns this past season. Thomas is currently being recruited by The Citadel , Charleston Southern and Elon for football . He will visit Charleston Southern on March , 29 th and The Citadel on April 5 th , In the class room he carries a 3.95 GPA and he has a strong desire to play football at the next level. For all his athletic and academic accomplishments, Thomas 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 2024-25 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Thomas is currently enrolled in two dual credit online courses offered by the :NETC.” They are Probability & Statistics along with Spanish 101. Thomas has a strong desire of majoring in Sports Management in college. “Taking online courses through the “NETC” I feel like I am being prepared for what my actual experiences could be once I get to college,” said Thomas. “I am really enjoying the two online courses I am involved with right now, and I plan on taking two more online courses from the “NETC” next semester. “Taking online courses through the “NETC” not only helps me bump up my GPA, that will help me with my college recruitment, but is teaches me how to manage my time better and learning time management is so important once you get to college,” said Thomas. Thomas said thar while football is his favorite sport he has been playing baseball since he was 8-years old. “Playing baseball helps me to be a better quarterback in many ways,” said Thomas. “For example, playing baseball, hip rotation is very important when you are batting, or running down a fly ball in the outfield, and good hip rotation is also vital to a quarterback,” said Thomas. “Playing baseball keeps me in shape for football and vice versa.” Thomas has a favorite play involving himself from this past football season. “We are at Barnwell in the third round of the play-offs and it is like two minutes left in the game,” said Thomas. “I am under pressure from the defense so I roll out of the pocket. On the dead run I threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to one of my receivers (Nick Gordan) in stride for a touchdown.” Although Cheraw lost the evenly matched game 28-27, Thomas was the star of the game for the Braves. He passed for 274 yards and two touchdowns and he added 63 yards rushing on the ground.