Greater Neuse River 4A Winter All-Conference lists
There were plenty of conference championships to be had for Greater Neuse River Conference rivals Garner and Clayton as the two school combined to win six of the seven possible titles in the winter sports season and thusly were well represented in the end of season GNRC awards.
Garner’s Eddie Gray won Coach of the Year in the Greater Neuse in boys basketball as the Trojans went undefeated in conference play and compiled a 29-3 record, falling to Cary at the buzzer in the east regional final.
The Trojans claimed the conference title for the 15th time on Gray’s watch and the GNRC tournament crown for the third year in a row. The veteran coach now has 482 career victories under his belt.
Thomas Allen led the Trojans with 21.3 points and 5.6 assists per game and was named Player of the Year in the conference.
Allen led Garner to the 29 wins, which set a school record for the program, besting the previous record from the 28-1 state championship team from the season before.
Allen stepped up in the big games as his 35-point outburst in the GNRC championship game gave the Trojans the win against rival Clayton. Allen also poured in 32 points in the east regional final.
East Wake’s Angel Rizor, a University of Cincinnati recruit, helped lead the Warriors to a 24-5 record this year and second-place finish behind Southeast Raleigh in the GNRC to earn Player of the Year honors in girls basketball. The senior averaged 17.7 points and nine rebounds per game.
Rizor had 15 points in East Wake’s 52-46 win over Southeast Raleigh in January, the program’s first win over the Bulldogs in its last 13 tries.
The Warriors’ great run ended in the third round of the 4A NCHSAA state playoffs to eventual state champion Millbrook.
Knightdale’s Trent Bunn was named Coach of the Year in girls basketball. Bunn led the Knights to an 11-3 mark in the Greater Neuse and 18-7 overall.
Knightdale advanced to the second round of the state 4A playoffs before falling to Hillside.
In boys swimming, East Wake’s Ryan Worley was named Swimmer of the Year.
Worley, who will go on to swim at South Dakota State University, was the fastest at the GNRC championships in the butterfly, winning with a 53.53 time. Worley made the regional championships all three years before qualifying for the state championships this, his senior season.
Garner’s Tab Berube was named Coach of the Year. Berube saw his Trojans’ boys swim team win its third consecutive GNRC championship as it totaled 548.5 points to best Clayton.
Clayton’s Dominique Quintero, a 15-time Greater Neuse River 4A Conference event champion, was once again named Swimmer of the Year in the Greater Neuse in girls swimming.
Quintero, who will swim for the Naval Academy starting this fall, won the 50 free (25.13) and the breaststroke (1:09.08) at the GNRC championships and was a state qualifier in the 200 freestyle relay.
Clayton’s Lauren Zsoldas was named Coach of the Year in girls swimming as she led her Comets to a second place finish behind Garner. Quintero and Cara Martin were state qualifiers for a Clayton team this year that took home a total of eight wins at the GNRC championships.
Clayton swept the honors in wrestling with the GNRC champions boasting both the Wrestler of the Year in Michael Lines and the Coach of the Year in Cory Daker.
Lines had an impressive season in the 182-pound weight division where he advanced all the way to the individual wrestling championship match. Lines finished his season at 53-3 after losing to Southern Guilford’s Garrett Church 5-3 in the title bout.
The Comets had five state qualifiers on a 10-4 squad that fell to Riverside 36-33 in the first round of the 4A state dual team playoffs but that claimed its second consecutive GNRC title with seven individual conference champions.
The Clayton gymnastics team took home its third consecutive Greater Neuse River Conference title this season.
The Comets’ Jessica Joslyn was named Gymnast of the Year and Nick Brancheau was tagged with Coach of the Year honors.
Joslyn, a sophomore, won the GNRC individual all-around title with 37.05 points. She posted the highest score on the balance beam with 9.45 but also topped the nine-point mark in the bars, in the floor exercise and in the vault.
Brancheau’s team won the conference title with 110.95 points and swept the top three spots in the individual all-around.
In cheerleading, Knightdale’s Jada Melatt was named Cheerleader of the Year while Clayton’s Abigail Tucker was awarded Coach of the Year as the Comets took home the GNRC title.
Boys Basketball
Regular-Season and Tournament Champion: Garner
Player of the Year: Thomas Allen, Garner
Coach of the Year: Eddie Gray, Garner
All-Conference Team: Andrew Abrom (Garner), Thomas Allen (Garner), Tre Armstead (Clayton), John Baker IV (Southeast Raleigh), Drew Carroll (East Wake), Volante Carroll (Rolesville), Ricky Clemons (Rolesville), Dondre Griffin (Knightdale), Mason Harrell (East Wake), Ryan Holmes (West Johnston), Ian Jones (Harnett Central), Nick Kuhns (Garner), Alex Reed (Garner), Macaleb Robertson (Clayton), Jordan Shannon (Knightdale)
Sportsmanship Awards: Malik Bullock (Southeast Raleigh), Wade Eatmon (West Johnston), Kavon Galberth (Rolesville), Wellington Guzman (Garner), Alex Haberkorn (Clayton), Stanton Herman (Harnett Central), Terrell Jones (East Wake), Andrew Tauxama (Knightdale)
Girls Basketball
Regular-Season and Tournament Champion: Southeast Raleigh
Player of the Year: Angel Rizor, East Wake
Coach of the Year: Trent Bunn, Knightdale
All-Conference Team: Kia Abrams (Southeast Raleigh), Le’Zarea Bowens (Knightdale), Chloe Bryan (Harnett Central), Valencia Carroll (Rolesville), Brittany Clark (Harnett Central), Nia Jackson (Garner), Tamira Knuckles (East Wake), Jada McMillian (Southeast Raleigh), Mariah-Chanel Partin (Southeast Raleigh), Jaylin Powell (Rolesville), Angel Rizor (East Wake), Christian Sanders (West Johnston), Asia Todd (Clayton), Dajha Williams (East Wake), Mikaya Wilson (Knightdale)
Sportsmanship Awards: Kira Byrd (West Johnston), Jazmine Carter (Clayton), Nevaeh Haddock (Southeast Raleigh), Naomi Lockamy (Rolesville), Jessica Parker (Knightdale), Jasmine Reid (East Wake), Jordan Smith (Harnett Central)
Boys Swimming
Conference Champion: Garner
Swimmer of the Year: Ryan Worley, East Wake
Coach of the Year: Tab Berube, Garner
All-Conference Team: Scott Barbeau (Garner), Noel Buitrago (Garner), Cole Carlson (West Johnston), Teagan Dorsch (Southeast Raleigh), Dalton Forester (Garner), Liam Givens-Keatley (Knightdale), Andrew Green (Garner), Walter Karstens (Clayton), Zack Leischner (Garner), Braydon Miley (Garner), Abraham Matos (Clayton), Preston Propst (Rolesville), Garrett Stephens (West Johnston), Zak Stewart (Garner), Trenton Wallis (Harnett Central), Ryan Worley (East Wake), Hunter Young (Rolesville)
Sportsmanship Awards: Isaiah Barco (Southeast Raleigh), , Nate Bettinghans (Rolesville), Joshua Fink (West Johnston), Spencer Keefer (Clayton), Payton Nugent (Garner), Spencer Wallis (Harnett Central), Charlie Woodlief (Knightdale), Ryan Worley (East Wake)
Girls Swimming
Conference Champion: Garner
Swimmer of the Year: Dominique Quintero, Clayton
Coach of the Year: Lauren Zsoldos, Clayton
All-Conference Team: Grayson Averette (Rolesville), Lauren Bowman (Rolesville), Reese Buie (Harnett Central), Grayson Carey (Garner), Carrington Clack (Garner), Taylor Falk (Rolesville), Damaris Jackson (Rolesville), Peyton Leischner (Garner), Julianne Lee (West Johnston), Ashley Little (Garner), Tabytha Malloy (Clayton), Cara Martin (Clayton), Reagan Martin (Clayton), Kelly McCue (Knightdale), Hailey Phillips (Garner), Dominique Quintero (Clayton), Faith Raynor (Clayton), Jordan Reeves (Rolesville), Samantha Salgado (West Johnston), Katie Simpson (Clayton), Sophia Sweeney (Rolesville), Leila Tucker (Southeast Raleigh), Jade Williams (Rolesville), Makaila Williams (Rolesville)
Sportsmanship Awards: Kendall Baker (East Wake), Landry Connors (West Johnston), Taylor Falk (Rolesville), Claire Getz (Garner), Brenna Hardy (Knightdale), Maelani Johnson (Southeast Raleigh), Dominique McCormick (Harnett Central), Katie Swinson (Clayton)
Wrestling
Conference Champion: Clayton
Wrestler of the Year: Mike Lines, Clayton
Coach of the Year: Cory Daker, Clayton
All-Conference Team: Brandon Acklin (Rolesville), Edwin Adams (Harnett Central), Tyler Barbarsz (East Wake), Andrew Bardsley (Rolesville), Trevor Brenton (Rolesville), Nick Brown (Clayton), David Certan (Rolesville), Joe Clevenger (Rolesville), Austin Dailey (West Johnston), Conan Dharma (East Wake), Luke Foster (Clayton), Anthony Frie (Rolesville), Nick Garbarino (West Johnston), Davis Gleisner (Clayton), Jerry Harper (Southeast Raleigh), Matt Hicks (Garner), Brett Huggler (East Wake), Mason Hunt (Rolesville), Deondre James (Clayton), Cushan Jones (Garner), Jayden Jones (Clayton), Noah Johns (Clayton), Christian Lanier (West Johnston), Jordan Laurio (Rolesville), Mike Lines (Clayton), Trevor Loken (Clayton), Justin Lumpkin (West Johnston), Antwain Mercurius (Garner), Matthew Mims (Rolesville), Christian Prescott (Clayton), Charles Pumbu (Knightdale), Randy Quinteros (East Wake), Nolan Short (Clayton), Zach Williard (East Wake)
Sportsmanship Awards: Hunter Barbarsz (East Wake), Nick Brown (Clayton), Khalil Crudup (Rolesville), Nick Garbarino (West Johnston), Christian Kornegay (Southeast Raleigh), Zach Lynch (Harnett Central), Sanad Musafer (Garner), Eli Silver (Knightdale)
Gymnastics
Conference Champion: Clayton
Gymnast of the Year: Jessica Joslyn, Clayton
Coach of the Year: Nick Branchean, Clayton
All-Conference Team: Amelie Bryant (Harnett Central), Kaitlyn Cron (Clayton), Katie Dziepak (Clayton), Lauren Rogers (Garner), Tlylyn Ealey (Rolesville), Kelsie Hembrick (Southeast Raleigh), Jessica Joslyn (Clayton), Lauren Pernelle (Rolesville), Madyson Scott (Clayton)
Sportsmanship Awards: Amilie Bryant (Harnett Central), Brandy Hall (Garner), Kelsie Hembrick (Southeast Raleigh), Shayna Henley (Rolesville), Madyson Scott (Clayton)
Cheerleading
Conference Champion: Clayton
Cheerleader of the Year: Jada Melatt, Knightdale
Coach of the Year: Abigail Tucker, Clayton
All-Conference Team: Kimberly Boggs (Clayton), Abbie Bradley (Garner), Ashley Denning (Harnett Central), Ashley Dolin (West Johnston), Kelsie Hembrick (Southeast Raleigh), Ali Karbrich (Clayton), Kayla Keith (Knightdale), Taylor Kelly (West Johnston), Jodie Latham (Clayton), Ariah Pargo (Knightdale), Haley Rogers (East Wake), Audny Rowland (Southeast Raleigh), Ashton Sims (Garner), Alyssa Snipes (Harnett Central), Lilly Waters (East Wake), Bria Williams (Knightdale), Morganne Woods (Clayton)
Sportsmanship Awards: Reina Davis (Southeast Raleigh), Megan Frickle (Clayton), Emily Godwin (West Johnston), Alis Ellis (Knightdale), Cassidy Higgs (East Wake), Fallon Roberts (Garner), Emma Shewmaker (Harnett Central)
This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Greater Neuse River 4A Winter All-Conference lists."