LOCALS IN COLLEGE NOTEBOOK: Graves competes in NCAA national meet

Syracuse University sophomore Griff Graves got a chance to compete on college cross country’s biggest stage on Monday afternoon.

The Abingdon High School graduate finished 165th out of 250 runners at the NCAA Division I national championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Graves completed the 10K men’s race in 31 minutes, 28.9 seconds.

It wrapped up an exceptional season for Graves, who won the Colgate Invitational and earned All-Northeast Region honors.

Syracuse, the Big East Conference champions, finished 14th in the team standings at the national meet.

McKinney makes tackles
Patrick McKinney put the final touches on his solid college football career at Virginia Military Institute on Saturday afternoon. The former Powell Valley High School standout assisted on two tackles in VMI’s 42-35 loss to Old Dominion.

McKinney appeared in 44 games during his four years at VMI and racked up 214 tackles, while spending time at linebacker and defensive end for the Keydets.

Playoff time
Former Tennessee High standouts Miles Hite and Thomas Turnbull both saw time for Carson-Newman College on Saturday in the Eagles’ 59-41 victory over West Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Division II football playoffs.

Shortridge still shooting
Former Twin Valley High School star Logan Shortridge had a strong debut for the Bluefield State (W.Va.) men’s basketball team on Nov. 17.
Shortridge scored eight points and dished out four assists in Bluefield State’s 92-58 setback to Johnson C. Smith.

Local at Lees-McRae
Freshman Corey Young (Tennessee High) has appeared in two games for the Lees-McRae College men’s basketball team and has totaled two points, two rebounds and two steals.
LMC is coached by former King College head coach Scott Polsgrove.

Ex-Titan shines, Part I
Twin Springs High School graduate Tyler Webb has played in four games for the Appalachian State University men’s basketball team and is averaging 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest.

Ex-Titan shines, Part II
Webb’s former Twin Springs teammate, guard Keith Warner, is averaging 4.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest through four games for Alice Lloyd College.

Samuels soars
High Point University post player Ashlee Samuels (George Wythe) scored three points and hauled down six rebounds on Saturday in the Panthers’ 75-63 women’s basketball victory over UNC Greensboro.
Samuels is averaging 3.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game through the first three contests of the season.