Chowan junior Jaleel Nelson (Lakeland) scored a career-high 33 points on Saturday as the Hawks defeated Columbia Union 104-71. Nelson made 14 of 18 field goals. For the season, Nelson’s averaging 13.1 points per game, 58 percent field-goal shooting and 37 percent three-point shooting.

Also for the Hawks (12-9), Mark Brown (Nansemond River) is averaging 10.7 points per game. CU hosts Virginia St. on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.

The Apprentice School’s women’s basketball team won its eighth straight game with an 81-49 win at Columbia Union on Saturday.

The Lady Builders are 12-9 overall and 8-1 in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. Junior Shameka Warren (Nansemond River) and freshman Natarsha Whitworth (Lakeland) are on the Lady Builder squad. Apprentice plays at Chowan on Wednesday night at 6 p.m.

Chowan is coming off a historic win. The Lady Hawks defeated the University of the District of Columbia 70-52 on Saturday in Murfreesboro, N.C. UDC was No. 18 in NCAA Div. II. The win was the first for a Chowan women’s basketball team over a nationally-ranked team.

Freshman guard Ransheda Jennings (King’s Fork) started, played 25 minutes and had six points and two steals for Chowan (9-15).

On the track

Virginia Tech freshman Keith Ricks (King’s Fork) had top-five finishes in two events on Saturday at the VT Elite Meet in Blacksburg. Ricks was fifth in the 60-meter dash (6.85 seconds) and fourth in the 200 meters, invitational heat (21.72).

VMI sophomore James Alexander (King’s Fork) finished fourth out of 25 sprinters in the 55-meter dash (6.62 seconds) in a meet at Virginia Military on Saturday.

Norfolk State freshman Darryl Brickhouse (Nansemond River) was third out of 38 competitors in the 400 meters (50.12 seconds) at the Vince Brown Invitational at Christopher Newport on Saturday.

Hampton sophomore Predist Walker (Lakeland) is nationally-ranked for this season in the 60-meter hurdles. Walker’s best time in that event, 7.87 seconds, is 19th in the country.

Is it spring?

North Carolina St. senior Lauren Doughtie (Nansemond-Suffolk) finished seventh individually and N.C. St. was third of 16 schools as a team at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic last weekend. Doughtie shot rounds of 73-73-77 to finish seven-over par.

This coming weekend, NCSU goes to Miami for a three-day tournament.

St. Mary’s (Md.) sophomore pitcher Barrett Enix (Nansemond-Suffolk) got the first win of the baseball season for St. Mary’s. Enix pitched six innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five, as St. Mary’s defeated Randolph-Macon 6-4 on Sunday after RMC won the first two games of the series.

Chowan’s softball team is off to a 5-1 start after playing doubleheaders on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Sophomore Mindy Byrd (King’s Fork) totaled five runs and three RBI for the Lady Hawks through the first six games.

On Monday, Chowan defeated Fayetteville St. 10-8 and 9-1. Freshman Toni Gatling (King’s Fork) was in the starting lineup and playing centerfield in her first games for Fayetteville St. Gatling scored a run in each game against Chowan.