FOOTBALL

Salem grad leads Senior Bowl rushers

Indiana running back Kaelon Black (from Salem High), Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (Norview) and Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette (Norview) participated at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Black, who helped lead the Hoosiers to the national championship, finished with a game-high 45 yards on eight carries. He also caught two passes for 9 yards.

The Senior Bowl is annually played after the NCAA season. It is considered the most prominent college football all-star game in the United States and is one of the first stages in the NFL draft process.

TRACK AND FIELD

Hickory 4×800 relay takes 7th at Millrose Games

Hickory High seniors Zach Schubert, Tristan Fancher, Tyler Trago and Daniel Mudd finished seventh in the 4×800-meter relay at the prestigious Millrose Games in New York City on Sunday.

The Hawks ran a time of 7 minutes, 54.35 seconds in the Peter Diamond Boys 4×800 Invitational race. New Jersey’s Union Catholic won the event in a meet-record 7:37.96, the fastest time in the nation this season.

Sunday marked Hickory’s second-fastest time of the season. At the VA Showcase earlier this month, the Hawks ran 7:49.41, the fastest time in the state this season.

COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL

UVA’s De Ridder takes two ACC awards

Virginia’s Thijs De Ridder was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player and Rookie of the Week. In wins at Notre Dame and Boston College, he totaled 49 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, hitting 16 of 30 field-goal tries and 17 of 19 free throws. He had 32 points in a 100-97 triple-overtime win against the Fighting Irish.

Radford guard Jaylon Johnson shared Big South Player of the Week honors with Presbyterian’s Jonah Pierce.

Johnson combined for 41 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals in road victories against Charleston Southern and Presbyterian.

COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

NSU’s Kweti repeats MEAC defensive honor

Norfolk State’s Carmen Kweti was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive time.

In NSU’s loss Saturday at Howard, she had 12 points, five blocks, six rebounds and a steal.

VCU coach fired

VCU fired Beth O’Boyle, the Rams’ all-time winningest women’s basketball coach, with seven games remaining in her 12th regular season on Richmond’s Broad Street. Her teams were 191-168.

This year’s team, heavily impacted by injuries, is 8-15, 4-7 in the Atlantic 10. VCU assistant coach Kirk Crawford, who led the program much of last season while O’Boyle was on maternal leave, will serve as the interim coach. Athletic director Ed McLaughlin plans a national search.

Radford freshman honored by Big South

Radford forward Georgia Simonsen of Fairfax was named the Big South Freshman of the Week. She totaled 31 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in wins against USC Upstate and Winthrop. She was 11 of 21 from the field and 9 of 13 from the free-throw line.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

NSU picked 10th in conference

Norfolk State was picked 10th among 12 teams in the Northeast Conference coaches’ poll. Central Connecticut State was picked first and Long Island second.

The Spartans, 4-38 last season, are rebuilding under first-year coach M.L. Morgan and with Justin Journette, who had 15 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .331 batting average last season. They will open the season at home at 3 p.m. Feb. 13 against Towson.

VWU predicted ninth

Virginia Wesleyan was chosen ninth among 11 teams in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference coaches’ poll. Three-time defending champion Lynchburg headed the list, with Randolph-Macon second and Bridgewater third.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/02/02/salem-high-grad-from-indiana-leads-senior-bowl-in-rushing/