As the fall sports seasons wrap up, the
Cross Country:
Last Wednesday October 21st the Avery Vikings cross country team traveled to Jackson Park in
In girls competition, the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats captured the team title, as the host school had four girls, including meet winner Kristen Stout, finish in the top ten.
Avery junior Mary Chesnut Smith was the lone Lady Viking to garner All-Conference honors with a top 10 finish at the conference meet, finishing the course at a time of 21:57.26 to finish fifth overall despite battling recent illness and injury.
Other Avery ladies who ran in last week’s meet included seniors Caroline Crenshaw (24th overall) and Taylor Lacey (39th), as well as Arizona Clawson (57th place), and Arden Stanley (73rd).
“The ladies all ran a gutsy race. Chesnut was still battling congestion which has been hampering, but competed hard,” Avery cross country coach Reggie Oakes said following the meet. “Caroline Crenshaw, Taylor Lacey, and Arizona Clawson always give their best effort and are continuing to progress. Arden Stanley ran for the first time all year and turned in a gutsy performance on a gimpy ankle.”
The five ladies, with the addition of senior Elyse Perry, are scheduled to compete in this weekend’s 1A regional meet, hosted by 
at the same Jackson Park in
Hendersonville
Avery’s boys team was unable to qualify a runner for All-Conference runners, but they continue to show signs of improving both individually and as a team.
“The guys’ times were still not where we want them to be, but they are working hard for improvement,” Coach Oakes said. “I was proud of the effort at the conference meet, as all their times have improved.”
Avery runners scheduled to compete at this weekend’s conference meet include freshman Heraclio Flores, freshman Justin Gragg, junior Mark Polsgrove, junior Joey Potter, sophomore Gary McFee, junior Dustin Clarke, and sophomore Timmy Stewart.
Volleyball:
On Tuesday, October 21st, the Avery Lady Vikings played its final regular season match, traveling to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers. It was Senior Night for the home team, as emotions and the desire to win were high.
Avery battled through the drama of the evening and remained focus on the task of ending the regular season with a win.
The Avery junior varsity team started the night with a three-set win over the Lady Mountaineers by scores of 15-25, 26-24, and 25-16, respectively.
The varsity team came out looking for a season sweep over Mitchell, opening the match winning eight of the first nine points en route to winning the first set by a dominant score of 25-14.
Avery held a 7-2 lead to open the second set of the match, but Mitchell battled back with an 8-1 scoring run in the second set to tie the set. The teams went back and forth with winners and solid defense, but Mitchell prevailed to tie the match at a set apiece, winning 25-21.
Avery was not to be denied on the evening, pulling away from an even 5-5 start with an 11-2 scoring run to pull away for a set three win by a final score of 25-13.
The fourth and final game began as a close affair. Mitchell cut a five-point Avery lead to within a single point at 13-12, but Avery rebuilt its lead with a number of kills and Mountaineer errors to 19-13. The Big Red pulled away with six of the final eight points in the match to win the final set 25-16 and take the Western Highlands Conference victory.
"It is always great to beat Mitchell, and to know that secured us a playoff game at home was even better," Avery Lady Vikings head coach Kim Hayes remarked. "Our record did not show it but we were the second best team in the 1A."
The win was Avery’s fourth on the season, qualifying the Big Red for the 1A state volleyball tournament. Awaiting the Lady Vikings in the brackets was the Lady Black Hawks from
West had defeated Avery in straight sets in two prior meetings earlier this season, but the Lady Vikings turned in one of its strongest efforts of the year last Saturday afternoon at Viking Gym.
The first set was a close contest, as Avery utilize the knowledge learned from its previous matchups with the Black Hawks. Late in the set, West regrouped to pad a slim advantage and take a 25-18 victory.
In the second set, the Vikings captured early momentum using some stellar defensive digs and error-free volleyball to build an 11-8 win and force a West Wilkes timeout. Avery’s Johanna Pittman had a strong service game in the set, as she contributed to nine consecutive points scored by the Lady Vikings. The run helped propel Avery to a 25-18 win to tie the match at a set each.
West Wilkes rebounded from its first set loss to Avery this season with a hard fought 25-20 win in set three. Neither team held greater than a three-to-four point edge in the set, but West relied on its tall front line to generate enough offense late to take the two-sets-to-one advantage.
In the fourth and final set of the match, the trend of close sets continued, as West held a slip 14-13 lead over midway through the set. The teams battled one another to a 22-22 tie late in the set. Avery staved off match point on a couple of occasions to tie the match at 24-24, but West scored the final two points of the set to capture a 26-24 win and advance to the second round of the state playoffs.
"I thought that was by far the best game all season. No one likes to lose, but I totally was okay with that," Coach Hayes said following the match. "We ended the season with an awesome, awesome game, which makes it exciting for next year. I told the girls next season that is how we should start of the season and get better from there."
The young Lady Vikings will return its entire roster from this season, making the team both an early conference favorite in 2010 and a force to be reckoned with throughout the region.
"Honestly, this is my ninth season of being a head coach. This is by far the best, the best, from oldest to youngest group of girls I have ever had. The parents have been totally awesome!" Coach Hayes added. "It was a very frustrating season because I do not like to lose. It is just my nature. as I am very competitive. But the girls were able to handle me and except it. My hats go off to all of them and their parents."
