By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – Entering year five of his tenure as the athletic director at North Myrtle Beach High , Anthony Heilbronn feels his program is on the verge of big things. Recent facility improvements have inspired strong commitment from the athletes and a strong group of coaches is making the most of their opportunities to compete at the highest level. “I think the coaching staff we have is one of the best in the Grand Strand area,” Heilbronn said. “Collectively, I would put them up against any other staff as they work hard and do the best they can to bring out the best in our kids. I love our coaches and am excited to see what they can do this upcoming season.” There will be a new wrestling coach this winter but that person has not been named yet. The rest of the coaching staff should return intact. Girls volleyball head coach Jenn Loeswick guided her program to a state title in her first season as head coach. Loeswick is a former assistant in the program. Greg Hill is back for his fourth season as head football coach. Brian Alderson is returns as the varsity baseball coach. Alderson led the Chiefs to back-to-back appearances in the AAAA Lower State finals om 2023 and 2024. Krystal Mante is back for her second season as the head softball coach. Ryan Walker is set to return as the varsity boys basketball coach while Heather Kearney will return for year three with the girls basketball program. The Lady Chiefs advanced to the state finals this past season. Alex Booth coaches cross country and track and Miranda Ruppe coaches cross country as well. Ryan Dinnant will coach boys track in the spring. Kyle Cavallini will be the boys golf coach and Wendy Hilburn coaches the girls golf team. Zach Lytle (boys) and Danielle Lowrimore (girls) will coach the lacrosse teams. Joel Schmaltz and Kristen Henley are the swim coaches and Brian Patterson is the coach in boys and girls tennis. Dru Brooks coaches the boys volleyball team. Zach Brittain is the boys soccer coach and Kelsey Winkler is the girls soccer coach. Overall, the athletic department has seen significant upgrades in facilities over the last few years. Thanks to the Horry County school district, North Myrtle Beach has had about two million dollars of facility improvement, namely the football stadium and track since 2022. The district, as part of a county-wide upgrade of area schools facilities, refurbished the track and installed artificial turf on the football field. The track was completed in the spring of 2022 and the football field was ready by the start of that season. The turf cost is estimated at $1.2 million while the track upgrade cost about $800,000 dollars. The stadium also has a new lighting system and also has a new video board. The softball and baseball facilities have the best playing surfaces around and new scoreboards. “It’s a joy to work here with so many great people,” said Heilbronn. “A lot of great things have happened over the last few years and we continue to make improvements where we can. We had a good year overall in terms of our teams competing in the region and getting playoff opportunities, Now, the goal is to do even better.” With the reclassification of schools by the South Carolina High School League last winter, North Myrtle Beach moved up from AAAA to Class AAAAA for the 2024-26 school year. They also now compete placed in a new region with the region comprised of Horry County schools. Once the state playoffs begin, all Chiefs teams compete in the Division II-AAAAA state playoffs with schools closer to their own enrollment figures. The larger classification did not adversely affect the success rate for North Myrtle Beach, according to Heilbronn. “The past season was a successful one for us as we won two state championships (girls volleyball and individual girls shot put) and seven region championships in our first year in AAAAA, Heilbronn said. “We put a lot of kids on the all-region and all-state teams that come back (this year), so hopefully we can build upon last year's successes and push even farther this year.”

 By David Shelton Senior Writer Myrtle Beach – For the most part, the varsity sports head coaching roster at Myrtle Beach High will return intact for the 2025-26 school year. However, two varsity sports will have new leaders when the new year begins as athletic director John Cahill hires new head coaches in volleyball and girls soccer. Taking over the girls volleyball program will be Emma Ann Lay , a former all-region performer and recent graduate of Winthrop University, where she was a member of the volleyball program. In girls soccer, the new head coach will be Levi Gray , who brings a wealth of experience as a club coach and player development director. As for the rest of the varsity staff, returning coaches will again take the reins of their respective programs. Mickey Wilson is set to return for his 17 th season as the head football coach. Wilson has guided the Seahawks to three state championships (2010, 2013, 2018) and two state runner-up finishes (2009, 2019). Wilson has averaged 10 wins per season and 2022 was his first losing season as the Seahawks finished with a 5-7 record. Myrtle Beach has won 10 or more games nine times under Wilson’s guidance. The most successful athletic program, in terms of state championships, at Myrtle Beach is the boys tennis program. The Seahawks won the 2023 state title, going back-to-back with championships. Their bid for a three-peat came up short in a finals loss to Riverside last spring but the Seahawks bounced back with a state title in AAAAA Division II this spring. It was the 13 th state championship for the program. Jeremy Howard is the head coach of the boys tennis team. Susan Sparks is set to return as the girls tennis coach this fall while Meredith Jiorle returns as the girls cross country coach. Jiorle also is the varsity softball coach in the spring. Also in the fall, Katherine Detlaff returns to head up the boys swim program while Kaitlyn Holmes will again coach the girls swim team. Lowell Counce will again coach the girls golf team in the fall as well as the boys golf team in the spring. In basketball, Jennifer Dennison returns as the girls varsity coach, and Eric Lyons returns for his fourth season as the boys coach. Veteran Ken MacIver will continue his efforts with the wrestling program. Veteran Tim Christy is set to return as the head baseball coach next spring. Jason Himmelsbach heads up the boys soccer team. Stephen Nickerson is the boys lacrosse coach. John Sedeska (boys) and Leandra Walcott (girls) will handle track and field.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – The track and field program at North Myrtle Beach High is one of the more competitive programs in the Lower State. That fact is evidenced by the number of athletes that qualify for the state championship meet each season. The 2025 track season was representative of the competitive level of the Chiefs’ program as nearly two dozen athletes qualified for and participated in the 2025 AAAAA Division II state meet in Columbia. The girls program produced an individual state champion as Destinee Vereen won the gold medal in the shot put. The top finisher in the boys meet was Dylan Kempf, who finished second in the pole vault competition. Elijah Lewis finished fourth in the 400 meter dash and Ny’Ray Hannah finished fourth in the 400 meter hurdles. Jerell Bellamy finished fifth in the 400 hurdles. Other top performers from the girls team included Janiyah Bragg (fifth in 100 meter dash), Madison Vereen (sixth in 400), Halle Morris (8 th in 400 hurdles) and Lucy Stalvey (6 th in pole vault). Jakira McCullum placed sixth in the long jump and seventh in the high jump and Zoe Green was 10 th in the 100 meter dash. Israfel Thomason was 10 th in the 100 meter hurdles. Baseball, softball teams finish seasons in playoffs Both the baseball and softball teams enjoyed successful seasons this spring, each earning a spot in the AAAAA Division II playoffs.  The softball finished with a 17-12 overall record. They lost to Berkeley, 2-0, in the district finals. Junior Sadie Olson led the team with a .410 batting average and had 20 RBIs, while senior Kiera Olson hit .375 with 12 RBIs. Junior Lilly Carney hit .333 and junior Isabelle Bruno hit .337 with 16 RBIs. Senior Natalie Lockner finished at .295 and had 20 RBIs. Lockner also had six wins as a pitcher, posting a 2.13 earned run average. Junior Sierra Bendik had eight wins with a 2.63 earned run average. The baseball team finished with a 20-8 record, including a 14-3 record in region play. They were eliminated by Berkeley in the district finals. Berkeley went on to win the state championship. “I’m very proud of the fact that we won three straight region titles,” coach Brian Alderson said. “But, our goal will always be to win the district and advance in the playoffs. We had a helluva regular season and I’m real proud of the effort from our players.” The Chiefs won this season with pitching and defense this season and a lack of consistent hitting proved to be to their detriment in the playoffs. Senior catcher CJ Oxendine finished as the team’s leading hitter with a .369 batting average and 17 RBIs. Kaden Lank hit .359 and Brown Reaves hit .312 with 26 RBIs. On the mound, junior Sawyer Smith had five wins and a 0.85 earned run average. Junior Gabe Priest had eight wins with a 1.40 earned run average. Priest also had 21 RBIs at the plate. Jake Frick had three pitching wins and a 1.48 earned run average. The girls soccer team finished its season with an 11-6 record. The Lady Chiefs earned a playoff win over White Knoll before losing 2-1 to St. James in the second round. The boys team finished 8-11 and lost to Irmo, 3-2, in the playoffs.

NMB softball competing well under new coach By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – Though it has been a little bit of a roller coaster ride, the 2025 North Myrtle Beach High softball team is competing pretty well overall under new head coach Krystal Mante .  Entering play on April 14, the Lady Chiefs were 9-8 overall and 6-5 in region 6-AAAAA. They will be headed to the Class AAAAA Division II state playoffs in early May but have seven games remaining in the regular season. Mante likes the effort her team has given this spring and says the transition to a new coach has gone well. The coach has a handful of seniors that she relies on for team leadership, but also has a solid group of underclassmen that can build the foundation for the future. One of the key seniors is centerfielder Kiera Olson , who is hitting .395 with nine runs batted in this spring. Senior Nealy Lockner is one of two primary pitchers, posting a 1.91 earned run average over her first 40 innings. Two other seniors are outfielder Taylor Alberti and backup pitcher Kirali Altena . The other primary pitcher is junior Sierra Bendik , who has a 2.86 earned run average in 44 innings inside the circle. Also an outfielder, Bendik has 12 runs batted in. Junior shortstop Hadley Leonhardt is hitting .273 with eight RBIs and junior third baseman Izzy Bruno is hitting .325 this season. Behind the plate is junior Sadie Olson , who is hitting .393 with six RBIs through 17 games. Junior first baseman Lilly Carney is hitting .333 with a team-high 12 RBIs. Other juniors getting work in the outfield include Emma Bellamy and Chloe Butler , who also catches. Freshmen infielders Malread Olson and Katy Beth Currie round out the roster. The baseball team sits in good position to win a region title. As of April 13, the Chiefs are 12-4 overall and 9-2 in region 6-AAAAA. They hold a one-game lead on Carolina Forest and split two games with the Panthers. Despite losing four quality pitchers from last year, pitching has again been a strength this spring. Junior Gabriel Priest has a 1.04 earned run average in 32 innings of work. He has recorded five wins. Priest also has contributed at the plate with 13 RBIs. Junior shortstop Sawyer Smith has logged 24 innings on the mound, posting a 0.24 earned run average. “Both can pitch and pitch well,” coach Brian Alderson said. “We didn’t them as much last year but we need them to produce for us.” Jake Finch and Fisher Nichols also have been productive as pitchers. Offensively, senior catcher CJ Oxendine started slow but has picked up the pace of late. He is hitting .425 with 11 RBIs after 16 games. Second baseman Asa Board is hitting .318 and outfielder Brown Reaves is hitting .310 with a team-leading 16 RBIs. Kaden Lank is hitting .357 and Porter Anglin has eight RBIs. Sophomore Payton Gallup mans third base. Working in the outfield are Gabe Kuznik and Carter Helmicki. Other team members who will fill various roles include Fisher Nichols, Luke Breeden, Nate O’Connor, Noah Nance, Campbell Kingston, Trevor Mitchell, Andrew Muncy and Espen Thomas.

Spring sports hit final phase for Myrtle Beach athletes By David Shelton Senior Writer Myrtle Beach – With state playoff competition looming at the end of the month, the spring sports teams at Myrtle Beach High are aiming for a strong regular season finish. Myrtle Beach has entered the final phase of the region 6-AAAAA schedule and it is likely every team will have a postseason opportunity. Myrtle Beach is classified as a Division II team in AAAAA and will participate in those brackets if they qualify. The baseball team has lacked consistency in the regular season but has shown they can compete. The region is very strong with teams like St. James, North Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest and Conway. The Seahawks entered play on April 7 with a 6-10 overall record and a 3-6 mark in region play. Some of the top performers through16 games include sophomore Rand Thomas , who batted .351 with six runs batted in during that stretch. Junior Sinclair Bolick batted .306 in the first 16 games while senior Jacob Edwards hit .308 with six RBI. Senior Julian Neagles hit .296 with six RBI while senior Gibson Goodroe and sophomore Garrett Mays each had seven RBI early on. Bolick and senior Andy Wells have done most of the heavy lifting on the mound. Bolick has a 3.79 earned run average in 29 innings while Wells has a 1.62 ERA in 22 innings of work. Neagles also gets time on the mound with a 2.15 ERA in 15 innings of work. The softball team won four of its first 13 games with a 2-8 start in region play. Lilly Langway is pacing the team at the plate with a .486 average and eight RBI. Shianne Neagle is hitting .361 with seven RBI, and Trinity King batted .286 with six RBI through the first 12 games, Madison Ashmore is hitting ,306 with six RBI as well. The boys soccer team went 6-7 overall and 3-3 in region play heading into spring break. Senior Juan Rivera has been a key offensive player with 10 goals. Sophomore Yarin Bouskila scored three goals early and senior Matt Moreira had three assists. The girls soccer team has had some tough luck this season, losing four contests by one goal. The team was 2-7-1 overall and 1-4 in region play midway through the schedule.  Senior Hannah Weidner has been a leader this spring with four goals while postig 64 saves as the keeper. Senior Tia Boatwright leads the team in goals with six tallies while freshman Brooke Bary has five goals.

Powedersville's Landon Fowler

 By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – While it is true that the North Myrtle Beach baseball program lost a huge chunk of production from last year’s 26-4 team, veteran head coach Brian Alderson fully expects his 2025 team to be very competitive. Tradition, as they say, never graduates and Alderson has established a winning culture within the program. Alderson entered this season with 176 wins since taking over the program in 2015.The Chiefs have been among the top teams in AAAA the last two seasons, posting 48 wins. “The hope is that our success will carry over with the new, younger guys,” Alderson said. “I think we’re to a point where we can always expect to be competitive against any team we play. But this team is inexperienced in a few areas and we need to grow and develop as we go. But it’s a hard-working group and they have some pride.” Two key returning players this spring are senior catcher CJ Oxendine and junior shortstop Sawyer Smith . Oxendine, a Virginia Tech commit, is a tremendous offensive threat while also rating as one of the top defensive catchers in the state. He hit .545 a year ago and has picked up the same pace in the early part of this season. “He’s our dude,” Alderson says. “Brings it all in every single game, He loves to play and he’s a real competitor.” Smith is a third-year starter at short and verbally committed to North Carolina as a freshman. He is very sound defensively and should be a consistent hitter. He also will see time on the mound. On the mound is where the Chiefs were hit hardest. None of the top four arms are back this spring so there will be a host of new performers getting their shot. In addition to Smith, junior left-hander Gabriel Priest will be a frontline starter. “Both can pitch and pitch well,” Alderson said. “We just didn’t need them as much last year because of who we had. We will need them to produce for us this year. We have some others who will need to step up and fill various roles as well.” Joining Smith as a returner in the middle infield is senior second baseman Asa Board , who is off to a good start offensively this season. Priest will be working at first base while Sophomore Payton Gallup is working at third. Gallup also has gotten off to a solid start at the plate. Gabe Kuznik and Connor Helmicki are slated to start in the outfield. Other team members who will fill various roles include Fisher Nichols, Luke Breeden, Nate O’Connor, Kaden Lank, Noah Nance, Campbell Kingston, Porter Anglin, Jake Frick, Trevor Mitchell, Brown Reaves, Andrew Muncy and Espen Thomas. Alderson says this year’s offensive approach will have to be disciplined and must execute. “We have to manufacture our runs, move runners, steal bases, play small ball,” the coach says. “We have some that are capable hitters but overall that won’t be a strength. We have to be creative in our approach. If we pitch and play defense, we will have enough offense to give us a chance to compete.” With a move up to AAAAA, things will be a little different this spring but the region will consist of all Myrtle Beach area schools. St. James, Carolina Forest and Conway have been two of the better teams in AAAAA and will be in the new region as well, along with Myrtle Beach and Socastee. “We have played a lot of them in the past so we know the competition will be heavy every night,” Alderson said.

Berkeley junior Aiyanna Moses launches a three point shot.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – Despite some back-and-forth coaching changes in recent years, the girls volleyball program at North Myrtle Beach High School has remained a state championship contender. The program has three state titles in recent years and has yet another new coach in 2024 as Jenn Loeswick takes the helm. The Chiefs have not missed a beat and has positioned themselves to capture the region 6-AAAAA championship. Entering play on Oct. 7, North Myrtle Beach was 19-6 overall and 8-0 in region play. The need a win over rival Myrtle Beach on Oct. 10 to secure the region title. They beat Myrtle Beach in an earlier meeting. What makes the season even more impressive, according to Loeswick, is that the team has been without its best player, senior Olivia Borgman, who is injured. “She has been the region player of the year so it’s a big loss,” the coach said. “But this team has continued to grow and improve throughout the season.” Even without Borgman, the lineup is quite formidable. Senior Bella Loeswick is the starting setter and runs the show. She has 544 assists, 30 aces and 146 defensive digs. The power supply comes from junior outside hitter Clara Cloninger , who is over 268 kills with 200 digs and 46 service aces. Sophomore Lilly Loeswick is a starter on the outside and is over 200 kills and 200 digs. Junior Raphaella Nunes is a starter in the middle, along with sophomore Madison Johnson . Senior Addison Leonard works as an opposite and junior Katlyn Powers is the libero. The team has loads of depth with a bevy of players getting their turn on the floor. Senior Kiera Olson works as a defensive specialist while senior Anna Hutton can play setter and defense. Sophomore Harlow Horton and junior Ah’Layia Clarida sub in the middle of the net. “This team has exceeded expectations,” Loeswick said. “Our motto this season is ‘Nobody Cares. Work.’ That is who we are this year. We’ve talked a lot about the process of the game and how that is how we get better. You can play with confidence when you’ve put in the work. “One of our strengths is that they are a true team. They all respect and support and want the best for each other. It has been really fun to see and be a part of. Our goal is simple. To be the best we can be. Let’s put in the work and see what we can do.” Remaining members of the 2024 team include senior defensive specialist Ella Joyner , senior outside hitter Sidney Palmerico , and junior defender Kylee Rollings . A bigger challenge awaits the Chiefs in the upcoming state playoffs. North Myrtle Beach is competing in Class AAAAA this fall, which means a step up in competition. However, the Chiefs have played a competitive non-region slate and have taken on a host of AAAAA programs in the process. Football Update After a tough 0-4 start to the 2024 season, the football team opened region play with a win over Conway . The Chiefs look to build confidence as they go through the region with games upcoming against Socastee , Myrtle Beach , St. James and Carolina Forest . Quarterback Landon Cloninger has thrown for more than 800 yards in five games, with Kaden Gore and Andrew Kreider working as his top targets. Drew Prince is the leading rusher with nearly 400 yards, averaging better than six yards per carry. Among the early defensive leaders are Sloan McIntyre , Bricey Gore , LaMontae Smith and DJ Gause . Gause leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss.