Hoke County’s spring sports seasons came to an end, as three individual athletes went as far as they could go in the championships of their respective sports.
Track and field
Hoke County sophomore William Leak brought a pair of individual honors home from the state 4A track meet, held at NC A&T’s Truist Stadium.
Leak, last week’s Athlete of the Week, followed up his dominant performance at the regional meet with a pair of top jumps in the state championships. His jump of 47 feet, 2 ½ inches was the best distance in the boys’ triple jump. He also topped all other athletes in the boys’ high jump, turning in a jump of 6 feet, 6 inches. Leak also added a long jump of 21 feet, 9 inches, which earned him a twelfth-place finish.
Boys’ golf
Hoke boys’ golf made its first-ever trip to states, competing in the NCHSAA 4A state meet at Pinehurst No. 9. Senior Robert Reedy and junior Jordan Palmer braved the pouring rain to turn in strong two-day performances. Reedy turned in scores of 78 and 75 for a total of 153, which tied for 42nd place. Palmer shot 81 and 85, for a total of 166, and finished 78th.
Racing
Hoke county resident Nicholas Bryant announced a milestone as he advances his NASCAR support team career. “I am thrilled to share that I have successfully completed multiple rigorous TIG welding tests and have been offered a position as a welder and fabricator at Hendrick Motorsports,” Bryant posted on his social media account. “It is truly a dream come true for me, a small-town boy, to be able to weld for the most successful team in NASCAR history.”
Bryant is also a top-level shooter who, in March, was named to the National Skeet Shooting Association’s All-American team.
