Mooresville upsets state powerhouses

PARTANBURG, S.C. - Hickory junior Ryan Hill did what was expected.

He won another big race on Saturday to add to his haul from last year, when he won the N.C. 3A title and various other invitationals, and the beginning of this year, when he won the WNC Carnival and Caldwell County Invitational.

However, the boys\' team champion at the Eye-Opener Invitational at the Milliken Research Center was a shock.

Mooresville, ranked No. 3 in the N.C. 3A coaches poll, upset two state powers: Rock Hill Northwestern, ranked No. 1 in the S.C. 4A poll and the two-time state champion, and Asheville Roberson, ranked No. 1 in the N.C. 3A poll and also a two-time state champion.

Mooresville won the meet, which featured 83 schools from the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee, with 156 points. Northwestern (172), Roberson (185), Dreher, S.C. (242) and Bluffton, S.C. (263) rounded out the top five.

Hill won the individual title easily, covering the 3.1-mile course in 15 minutes, 46 seconds. Jay Heller, last year\'s Georgia 5A runner-up and 13th at the Foot Locker South Regional, was second (16:01). Stuart McDaniel led Northwestern (8th, 16:35) and Providence\'s John Curtiss was 10th (16:42).

Scoring for Mooresville were senior Colin Davis (16th, 16:51); sophomore Joseph Newman (21st, 17:10); junior Patrick Campbell (40th, 17:30); freshman Josh Cox (43rd, 17:35) and sophomore Graham Sledge (64th, 17:57).

In the girls\' race, S.C. 3A No. 1 Daniel beat S.C. 4A No. 1 Mauldin, 107-118. Asheville Roberson, No. 1 in the N.C. 3A poll and a two-time state champion, was third (143). Providence Day was the top area team (eighth, 296).

Hopewell\'s Hannah Orders was the best area individual (ninth, 19:54).