Spring Sports in Full Spring as Woodruff Athletes Compete for Region Championships
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
Seasons for Woodruff High’s seven spring sports programs are in full swing. One spring sports team is looking to repeat as state champions, another aims to keep one of the state’s longest streaks of region championships alive, while others are continuing to build toward sustained success. It is the busiest time of the year for Woodruff sports, and with the school year quickly coming to a close, the Wolverines are working hard to leave a lasting and positive mark on their school’s athletic program.
Can you Repeat that?
Defending a championship is never easy, but the Woodruff golf team may be on track to do just that. The Wolverines, defending class 3A state champions, are off to an undefeated start with a 3-0 record and 2-0 mark in Region III-3A competition. Ben McKinney has assumed the role as one of the team’s captains and has led Woodruff to a dominant start. The Wolverines finished fourth overall in the county tournament, the highest among 3A teams. That performance was followed by a 10 under par finish in a tri-match against Byrnes and Union County, which is being verified as a school record for a match. Keep an eye on the Wolverine golfers to possibly bring home some more hardware in the next couple of months.
We got Next
The Lady Wolverine soccer team is a stingy group. The program has claimed the last 19 region championships dating back to 2003, and with the Lady Wolverines’ start in 2022, confidence is high that these ladies will make it an even 20. The Lady Wolverines started the season with a 5-5 record but played a murderer’s row schedule that included some of the state’s best 4A and 5A teams. Woodruff demolished Union County and Emerald in their first two region contests by a combined score of 11-1, and these Lady Wolverines are primed to be the next team to continue a long linage of winning.
Playing on Repeat
The boys’ soccer program won just its second region title in school history last season, and with the core of the team back, the Wolverines are looking to repeat that feat. Just as with the girls’ program, Woodruff has run a gauntlet during non-conference play, and also like the ladies’ team, the Wolverines have started conference play 2-0. Through their first nine games, Woodruff recorded only three wins, but that record is very much deceiving. Woodruff crushed Union County and Emerald by scores of 5-0 and 4-0 respectively. There is a lot of work and tough opponents ahead, but so far so good for the Wolverines in their defense of a region championship.
Finding Ways to Finish
Do not let their record fool you. The Woodruff High baseball team has played far better than their 1-8 mark out of the gate. The Wolverines are a still-young team, but with an improved offense and pitching, the Wolverines have been locked in many close games that only slipped away late. A late March hot streak saw Woodruff club home runs in three straight games. Stetson Schubach went deep against Chapman and Zach Aylor clubbed two long balls against Union County and Laurens. If the Wolverines can close out their close games, Woodruff will present a challenge for Region III-3A the second time through the conference schedule.
Weathering the Storm
The Lady Wolverine softball program has spent a part of their season dodging the rain and enduring inclement weather postponements, but at times bringing a downpour themselves. Woodruff softball is one of the youngest rosters in the athletic department, but also a team with one of the highest ceilings now and in the years to come. That brilliance has shone through the clouds of growing pains at times, such as an offensive explosion against 5A Greenwood that resulted in a 20-run outburst. A 9-7 victory over Chapman in an early-season tournament provided a spark as well. Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Jackson has been on fire at the plate as well, batting .667 on the season with two home runs, four doubles, and seven runs batted in. The future certainly starts now for Woodruff softball.
Heart (and tie) breakers
The Woodruff boys’ tennis team has endured a ton of bad luck if they have had any luck at all. Despite looking for their first win after the season’s first seven matches, many of those defeats have been down to the wire and with several decided by tiebreaker matches. While it is hard to fight frustration, there is much up-and-coming talent on the team. Cohen Lyda, in his first varsity season, has a number of victories at number five singles. Jackson West leads the team with individual and doubles victories at number two singles and one doubles. The number two doubles duo of Thomas Vallincourt and Chris Burden have also been a successful pairing.
Record Breaker
The girls’ track team has a plethora of strong performers. Freshman Rylie Sloan has been a top performer in the pole vault and high jump, sophomore Erin McCallion has emerged as a star distance runner, and sophomore Alicia Vasquez has set personal-best marks in the 100-meter spring. Then there is senior Chasity Hines who is having a track and field season for the record books. Chasity is now the holder of two Woodruff High School records. Hines eclipsed her own school record in the javelin throw with a new mark of 117 feet and three inches. Chasity then brought down the long-standing discus throw record which was set previously in 1990 with a throw of 117 feet and 8 inches. She received the gold medal for finishing first in the discus throw in the Foothills Track Classic earlier in March.
Junior Statesmen
The boys’ track team has found leadership in its junior class this season. The Wolverines are a young team with a number of emerging track and field stars, but a quartet of eleventh graders have been stealing the show. Grayson Fulmer competes in the maximum number of events allowed at each meet, but shines as a pole vaulter and distance runner and has set multiple personal bests in those events this season. Serghei Ungurean has also made a big impression. Ungurean, described by head coach Duane Thompson as a potential Division 1 college prospect, competes in the javelin and discus throws, shot put, and high jump. He set the new school record in the javelin throw earlier in the season with a throw of 164 feet and five inches while setting personal bests in his other events. Sprinter, jumper, and javelin thrower Eastin Burch and distance runner Jayden Johnson have also made big contributions as the boys’ track team continue to get better every day.
