WCDS athletes recognized for banner fall season

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 29, 2013 1:49 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Wayne Country Day's stellar fall season officially came to a close Sunday evening.

And what a start to the Chargers' 2013-14 sports season it's been.

Jennifer Potts earned the match-clinching point in singles, lifting WCDS past top-seeded Statesville, 5-4, in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1-A dual-team tennis championship Saturday afternoon.

The Chargers claimed the program's first state crown since 1997 and ended the Lions' nine-year reign as state champions. Head coach Joann Logan led WCDS to its seventh state title in program history overall.

"I was so pleased with the fight the girls had and they never quit," said Logan, who garnered CPIC coach-of-the-year honors. "Their sportsmanship ... it was so wonderful. Each girl supported the other when they were out on the court."

Taylor Willman earned a spot on the NCISAA all-state team and was named the CPIC player-of-the-year. Willman, Potts, Meredith Roethling and Mollie Catherine McDonald received all-Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A Conference accolades.

WCDS has won three straight CPIC regular-season titles.

A trio of all-state selections -- Miller Gerrard, Ramel Carpenter and Matt Kierski -- helped lead the Chargers to their first-ever CPIC regular-season championship in school history. Wayne Country Day finished 11-7-1 overall and lost to Ridgecroft in quarterfinal-round play of the NCISAA 1-A playoffs.

Gerrard was named the CPIC player-of-the-year. He was joined on the all-conference squad by Carpenter, Kierski, Corey Carpenter and Jacob Magera. Jacob Parks earned CPIC honorable mention recognition.

"As a captain, Miller led by example from preseason to the end of the final game Playing in a couple of different positions early on in the season and unfamiliar to him, he got on with the job, and did what was asked and needed," said second-year WCDS head coach Steve Ellis, who received the CPIC coach-of-the-year award.

"(Ramel's) pace and strength makes him difficult to contain for opponents. His confidence when he is on top of his game raises the rest of the team. Matt really started to play with confidence as we started our conference games. His speed and footwork really worried opponents each game (and) not only does he score important goals such as the Oakwood overtime game, he creates opportunities for other players on the team."

Here are the awards:

* Cross country: Best male time -- Jason Jones; Best female time -- Margaret Tanner; Coach's award -- Jackson Warren; All-CPIC -- Tanner, Sally Zhang; CPIC coach-of-the-year -- Joe Mitchell.

* Varsity volleyball: Coach's award -- Bailee Creger; Most improved -- Celeste Davis; Honorable mention -- Cheyenne Canuette; MVP -- Rachel Uzzell; CPIC all-conference -- Davis; CPIC all-conference honorable mention -- Uzzell, Creger and Sarah Crooks.

* Varsity soccer: Most improved -- Parker Smith; Coach's award -- Gerrard; Team award -- Parks.

* Girls' tennis: Coach's awards -- Meredith Roethling, Potts; Most improved -- McDonald; MVP -- Taylor Willman.

* Field hockey: Senior awards -- Karis Hawkins, Kennedy Dalton; Coach's award -- Laural Hinson; Most improved -- Natalie Brown; Defensive MVPs -- Hawkins and Dalton; Offensive MVP -- Kate Thompson.

* JV boys' soccer: Coach's award -- Zan Pittman; Most improved -- Marcus Metcalf; MVP -- Drew Barnes.

* JV volleyball: Coach's awards -- Jessie Watson and Olivia Dively; Most improved -- Hannah Neal.

* Middle school volleyball: Coach's award -- Kyara Drew; Most improved -- Isabel Vigneault.