AVONDALE — It was a successful day for Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA) athletics on Wednesday as numerous programs picked up statement wins.
The TJCA varsity softball team defeated Bessemer City 13-3 behind six strikeouts by Sierra Lipscomb and a grand slam off the bat of Keren Hargro. In addition, every single player scored at least one run on the day.
The Lady Gryphons will look to make it two wins in a row as they travel to Bessemer City on Friday.
The varsity men’s tennis team defeated Cherryville on Wednesday by a 7-2 score. Charlie Schweppe (6-0, 6-1), Aidan O’Reilly (6-0, 6-0), Hunter Plaster (6-3, 6-0), Tanner Richards (6-0, 6-0), and Canon Outten (6-0, 6-2) were all victorious in singles play for the Gryphons. In doubles play, Schweppe and Richards won 8-0, while O’Reilly and Plaster won 8-3.
The Gryphons will travel to Highland Tech today for a conference match. With a win, the Gryphons will capture the 1A/2A Southern Piedmont Conference Championship.
The middle school girls soccer team defeated Crest 4-0 on Wednesday, remaining unbeaten on the season. Sophia Bell scored three goals, while Emerson Taylor added one more to account for the final. With the win, the Lady Gryphons captured the top seed in the West division. TJCA will host East Rutherford on April 25.
The varsity women’s soccer team also earned a crucial victory over East Gaston, 2-0. The win avenged an earlier season loss to the Lady Warriors and catapulted the Lady Gryphons into first place in the conference. Selma McMurry and Kaitlyn Rowe each scored one goal in the victory.
The varsity baseball team gave Bessemer City everything they wanted on Wednesday, but ultimately fell 6-3.
Ben Skelton had a pair of hits to lead the way, while Kagan Boswell struck out three on the mound.
The Gryphons will return to action at Bessemer City on Friday.
The middle school track and field team competed at the Conference Championship meet on Wednesday and had several athletes perform well. The boys 4X200 relay team finished second with a time of 1:46.38. The girls 4X200 relay team claimed first place with a time of 2:01.71. The boys 4X100 relay team finished third with a time of 50.30. Stella Friedman placed first in the 1600 meter race, posting a time of 5:51.70, which was the only sub-6 time in the race. Friedman also finished first in the 400-meter run, recording a time of 1:02.89. Freidman also placed first in the 200-meter run with a time of 28.11. Natalie Aiello finished third in the hurdles with a time of 9.72