Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN)- The Winter sports season is in full swing and promises to be a busy one. Cherryville High School student-athletes have quite a few options to compete in over the winter months. Basketball tipped off last week, as well as wrestling and swimming. Beginning soon will be winter guard, concert band, and cheerleading will continue too.
Many of the Ironmen student body participate in multiple sports throughout the year, and a big thank you is extended to each coach, director, booster, and advisor who provides these opportunities. WNN will strive to cover as many of these games, meets, and events as possible.
The Ironmen wrestling team has been hitting the mat often this season and have turned in some quality performances. If the early meets are any indication, it should be a rewarding season for these young men. November 13th was the first meet of 2025-26 with Cherryville, Maiden, and North Carolina School of the Deaf competing.
Maiden finished first, followed by Cherryville and NCSD. Saturday, November 15th, Cherryville hosted the Ironman Open Tournament. The ten schools participating in this event included Lincolnton, Shelby, Cherryville, Patton, Hilbrighton, Ashbrook, South Point, Hunter Huss, Forestview, and Bessemer City. As a team, CHS finished 8th with Lincolnton being the overall winner. Two Ironmen placed on the podium (top three finishers), Mason Powers placed 3rd in the 138 lb. class, and Kaleb Pendelton had a 3rd place finish in the 157 lb. class.
Ironmen Open Tournament Results
Cherryville Ironmen Athletics
A quad meet was held in Cherryville on November 20th. Teams competing were Cherryville, Bradford Prep, East Rutherford, and Forestview. The team traveled to Allegheny High School for a meet on November 22nd. Thirteen teams competed in the Danny Linker Memorial Tournament, and Cherryville had an outstanding day, finishing 7th as a team.
Ironmen Wrestling Match Day Poster
Cherryville Ironmen Athletics
Individual matches saw two Ironmen take the podium to receive gold medals. Geo Martinez took first place in the 106 lbs. classification, and Kaleb Pendleton also took first place in the 157 lbs. classification. Next up will be a trip to Ashbrook High School on Wednesday, November 26th.
Swimming might not be the first thing that comes to mind as you scrape frost off the windshield or when getting cozy by the fireplace. Thanks to indoor heated pools, swimming is a winter sport. Cherryville doesn’t have a swimming team per se; however, one individual still represents Cherryville High School in the sport.
That one-man team is Steven Wyatt. If his name sounds familiar, it is because he is one of the outstanding Ironmen runners. The 17-year-old senior recently earned all-conference honors in cross-country, qualifying for both the regional and state meets. Running is not his only sport. Swimming is another one of his passions. He has been swimming for the Sharks Aquatic Club in Shelby, NC, for six years. This experience has helped him to represent his school well. As an individual swimmer, there is no chance to have a very high “team” score, yet that doesn’t stop this talented young man from making a splash.
Shelby High School’s natatorium was the scene of the first meet of the season on November 18th. Teams competing were Shelby, Burns, Cherryville, Highland Tech, and West Lincoln. This young man made the most of his opportunity by placing on the podium not once, but twice with two golds. He took first place in both the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle events. He earned 40 points for his victories. His times in both events earned him a 123-A Qal, which means he qualifies for future higher-level competition. His times were: Men’s 200 Meter SC Freestyle 2:07.96 (s), 2:10.52 (L), and 1:55.28(y). Men’s 400 Meter SC Freestyle 4:24.84 (s), 4:30.14 (L), and 3:58.59 (y).
Shelby High School Natatorium
Swimcloud.com
These events are considered a short course, and the letters after the results indicate the times with the number of turns factored in. “S” indicates short course in meters, usually 25 meters, the “L” stands for long course, which is normally 50 meters, and “y” refers to yards. Timing can be a little confusing for the casual fan, yet it is vital in keeping track of qualifiers and records. The next swim meet for Steven will be on December 4th.
The transition from marching band to concert band performance might have just begun; however, that does not mean the students have not been busy. Competitions for the band are still several weeks away, but they have been preparing daily for concert season. Opportunities still exist in the meantime for students to showcase their talents.
The Cherryville High School Band performing on stage.
Cherryville High School Band
Two of the members were recently selected to participate in the Winthrop University Invitational Band Clinic. Daniel Bredin and Tucker Gilbert shared this experience. Over the course of just 1 ½ days of rehearsal time, they were tasked with learning and then performing in concert five difficult pieces of music. Congratulations to these two young performers for a job well done.
Daniel Bredin and Tucker Gilbert
Cherryville High School Band
New to the scene for Cherryville this year is winter guard. Bessemer City and Cherryville will be combining efforts this season as they compete as one unit. There are similarities and differences both from color guard to winter guard.
The 2025-2026 Cherryville Iron Winterguard Cast
Cherryville High School Band
During marching band season, color guard units perform along with the band, normally using flags and rifles. Winter guard is performed indoors in gymnasiums using recorded music and incorporates props, such as rifles, flags, sabers, etc. The competitive season includes local and regional events, usually followed by championships.
An added element to winter guard is the inclusion of visual storytelling that might incorporate more choreography through highly visible storytelling, costumes, and a high-energy routine is presented. At press time, no performance/competition schedule was available. Once those are announced this should be an interesting group to support.
Scheduled events for winter sports and performances will be sporadic throughout the holiday season, due to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s school breaks. A more predictable schedule will be in place after the first of the year. We will do our best to keep you informed of upcoming events and performances, as well as recapping the results for each.
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