Sports

Thanks to the quick work of the National Wild Turkey Federation and C&W Contracting, county residents and visitors now have a safer way to travel the 0.3-mile trail to Yellow Creek Falls. Photo courtesy of Cody Carpenter/Contributing Photographer

Yellow Creek Falls trail gets new footbridge

Marshall McClung

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Tapoco – The Yellow Creek Falls Trail now has a new footbridge, which replaced the old one that had fallen into disrepair and had become unsafe. Hoot Gibbs – who does volunteer maintenance on the trail – had become concerned about the condition of the bridge.

For the first time in North Carolina history, a pair of siblings have won an individual state championship in both the same sport and the same calendar year. Robbinsville’s Aynsley and Kyle Fink reached the pinnacle in wrestling this season. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Wonder twin powers, activate

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Robbinsville – Leave it to “The ‘Ville” to be trendsetters yet again. For the first time in North Carolina history, a pair of siblings have won individual, high-school state titles in not only the same sport, but the same season.

Rossi Wachacha (seated, center) signed his letter of intent to play college football at Lenoir-Rhyne University on June 30. Front row (from left) are father Jeremy Wachacha, Rossi, brother Jace Smith, mother Melissa Smith and sister Jaxtyn Bark. Standing in back (from left) are Rossi' girlfriend Tishara Sneed, friend Court Carpenter, aunt Jennifer Wachacha, cousin Cannon Gross, aunt Paige Gross, grandfather Wayne Wachacha and cousin Dasan Gross. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Wachacha signs with Lenoir-Rhyne

Kevin Hensley

Saturday, July 10, 2021

Robbinsville – It was quite fitting that Rossi Wachacha signed to play college football on the same field where he made a name for himself.

Brock Adams (right) bested North Rowan’s Tsion Delaney by 0.10 seconds to win the 110-meter hurdles state championship Friday at N.C. A&T University in Greensboro. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Clearing the hurdle

Kevin Hensley

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Greensboro – It took just 16.35 seconds for Brock Adams to etch his name into the record books. At Friday’s 1A state track meet, Adams crossed the finish line of the boys 110-meter hurdles in first place, edging out North Rowan’s Tsion Delaney by just .10 of a second.

The Robbinsville Black Knights crowned five state champions at Saturday’s 1A Men’s Invitational in Asheboro. From left are Luke Wilson (106 pounds), Kage Williams (182), Kyle Fink (195), Jayden Nowell (126) and Ben Wachacha (220). Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Presenting the Fantastic Five

Kevin Hensley

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Asheboro – It was a night to remember. Seven Robbinsville wrestlers made the 264-mile trek to Uwharrie Charter Academy in Asheboro on Saturday – a last-minute host for the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 1A Men’s Invitational.

The Robbinsville track program qualified 10 athletes for Friday's 1A state track meet. Kneeling in front are Hayden Stewart (left) and Cutler Adams. Standing in back are Zoie Shuler, Keylie Jordan, Lina Pagan, Haize Moore, Kensley Phillips and Caylin Lunsford. Not pictured are Brock Adams and Delaney Brooms. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

And then, there were 10

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, June 24, 2021

* State track meet preview Cherokee – When the 1A state track meet takes place Friday at N.C. A&T in Greensboro, Robbinsville will be scattered across several events.

Aynsley Fink shows off a battle wound Saturday, moments after capturing the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 106-pound championship at the Women’s Invitational in Kernersville. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Blood Sport

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Kernersville – Nobody stood a chance. Aynsley Fink mowed down three competitors Saturday at the N.C. High School Athletic Association Women’s Invitational, capturing the 106-pound state title with three decisive pinfall victories.

Aynsley Fink was all smiles June 10, moments after being named the Most Valuable Wrestler of the 2020-21 Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament. Fink became the first female to win a Smoky Mountain Conference tournament championship. Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

History in the making

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Robbinsville – It seems that every time Aynsley Fink steps on the mat, another chapter is added to the annals of North Carolina High School women’s wrestling history.

The Robbinsville Black Knights won nine of the 14 weight classes contested in June 10’s Smoky Mountain Conference tournament. All names are listed from left. Kneeling in front are Jaret Panama (152 pounds), Luke Wilson (113), Aynsley Fink (106) and Jayden Nowell (126). Standing in back are Kage Williams, Wade Hamilton, Ben Wachacha, Kyle Fink and Carlos Wesley. Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

14 divisions, 9 champions

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Robbinsville – Another year, another thumping. For the fifth consecutive season, the Robbinsville Black Knights have laid claim to the Smoky Mountain Conference championship, after running up a team score of 230.5 points at June 10’s tournament.

One family, two awards, 30 years apart: Zoie Shuler (left) was named the Most Outstanding Female Track and Field Athlete of the Smoky Mountain Conference championship meet June 9. Her father Michael received the distinction of Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete in both 1991 and 1992. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Family tradition

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Cherokee – The sudden emergence of a Robbinsville freshman over the last month has shaken up the hopes of many girls track and field athletes who were hoping for a state championship bid. And the success is coming exactly 30 years after her father made waves of his own.