Markell Lotharp was rewarded for his efforts in helping the Sandhills Community College basketball team win the Region X tournament last weekend by being named the NJCAA Division III Player of the Week.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore forward scored 16 points in Saturday’s victory over Caldwell Community and Technical College. He added 22 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday, as the Flyers whipped Davidson County CC 104-82 in the championship game played at Rockingham CC in Wentworth.

The product of Forest Hills High School leads the team with a scoring average of 16.6 points per game.

The Flyers, now 25-6, moved up to No. 6 in the NJCAA rankings. As Region X champions, they advance to the District 7 tournament that is also being played at Rockingham CC. Tonight at 7 p.m. they meet Anne Arundel CC of Arnold, Md., (16-15). Prince George’s CC (21-9) of Largo, Md., meets West Georgia Technical College (15-13) at 5 p.m.

Friday’s winners vie for the ­district title at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The district champion becomes one of eight teams that will ­compete for the national championship the following weekend at Sullivan County CC in New York.

Flyer stat leaders

Points per game – Lotharp 16.6, Daquain Towns 14.8, Raheem Jolliffe 14.2, Louis Craft 8.8, Raheem Washington 7.1, Dre Huntley 6.9, Michael Collins 6.7, Erick Ewing 6.2; Rebounds per game – Craft 7.5, Lotharp 7.0, Tramaine Pride 5.6, Towns 5.3; Ewing 4.5, Washington 4.2; Assists per game – Huntley 5.5, Towns 2.9, Trevor Cole 2.3; Steals per game – Huntley 2.0, Towns 1.4, Blocks – Craft 2.5, Ewing 1.7.

Four Heading to NYC Four local high school athletes will be competing at the New Balance Indoor Nationals track and field meet this weekend held at the 168th Street Armory in New York City. Jennie Cunningham, a junior at Pinecrest, won the 800-meter run in the emerging elite class at the event last year. She returns to compete in the senior division of the same race. Hannah Hensley, another Patriot junior, is entered in both the high jump and the pentathlon. The five events of the pentathlon are the high jump, long jump, 60-meter hurdles, 800 run and shot put. Union Pines senior Spencer Walden is entered in the emerging elite division of the high jump event. Austin Puleo, a senior at The O’Neal School, will compete in the 400-meter dash, also in the emerging elite division. Falcon Nine Open With Win The O’Neal School Falcons opened their 2012 baseball season Tuesday with a convincing 17-5 win over visiting St. David’s of Raleigh. Two-time all conference senior Jordan Hunt picked up the victory in relief while reaching base four times and scoring three runs. Leadoff batter Joseph Taylor had four hits and scored three times and assisted on the game’s final out with a strong throw from his shortstop position. Credited with the putout at first base on the play was Carson Bolduc, who had a double and single, as well as playing error-free defense in his first start for O’Neal. The Falcons are scheduled to play Flora MacDonald Academy at home today, beginning at 3:30 p.m.

O’Neal Falls in Boys’ Tennis

The O’Neal School varsity boys’ tennis team dropped its’ opener to visiting St. David’s by an 8-1 score.

Junior Garrett Klumpar picked up the only Falcon win, stopping Jacob Munster 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.

In other singles action, Evan Davies lost 6-2, 6-2 to Will Sinden, Crawford Liner lost to Brett Griffith 6-0, 6-0, Ryan Williams lost to Carson Welch 6-1, 6-2, John Ronalter lost to Jamie Tyler 6-1, 6-2 and Chinchu Singh lost to Barron Chavez 6-2, 6-3.

In doubles, Munster and Griffith defeated Klumpar and Davies 8-2, Sinden and Welch defeated Liner and Williams 8-2 and John Luck and Davis Humphries defeated Caleb Wood and Dylan Swartz 8-5.

In exhibition matches, Ronalter and Singh lost to Tyler and Joiner 8-6 and O’Neal’s Parker Fisher lost 8-5 to Graves Joiner.

The Falcons (0-1) travel to Durham Thursday to play Carolina Friends.