Three state wrestling champs among honorees at Sports Breakfast

Star Staff Report

WINCHESTER — Three high school state wrestling champions will be among the nine high school and college athletes honored at the 90th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival’s Partlow Insurance Sports Breakfast, to be held at 8 a.m. on May 6 at the Winchester Moose Family Center at 215 East Cork St.

James Wood’s Aaron Black, the Group 4A 126-pound champion, Clarke County’s Bayne Gordon, the Group 2A 132-pound champion, and Sherando’s John Borst, the Group 4A 195-pound champion, are among those to be recognized at the annual breakfast, which is headlined this year by Pittsburgh Steelers great Hines Ward, Virginia Tech football coach Justin Fuente and Shepherd football coach Monte Cater.

Joining those three are Millbrook’s P.K. Kier, Handley’s Mya Mintschenko, Legacy Christian Academy’s Cody Robertson, Mountain View Christian Academy’s Kolton Anderson, Shenandoah Valley Christian Academy’s Eldar Hotic and Shenandoah University’s Stephen LaTona.

The recognitions are presented each year to students who achieve success both on the playing field and in the classroom and exhibit qualities of leadership.

Bayne Gordon

Gordon, the son of Teri and Bud Gordon, became the area’s first four-time state wrestling champion, having won Group 2A titles at 106, 120, 126 and 132 pounds over his career. He broke the state mark for career wins, finishing 217-23, after going 55-3 this past season.

He is a member of the Virginia Wrestling Association National Team and has competed in national events in folk-style, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling the past three seasons. He is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes Wrestling and helps coach and train youth wrestlers with many local clubs. He also is an active volunteer with the Clarke County Fair and serves on multiple committees. He raises goats and poultry on his family farm. He has a 4.15 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society.

He was honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Virginia Chapter as the 1A-2A student athlete of the year on April 22.

Gordon will wrestle at George Mason University.

John Borst

Borst, the son of Liz and John Borst, is a three-time state champion, having won at 170, 182 and 195. Borst was 62-1 this year and 211-18 for his career, with a whopping 164 career pins.

At a national level, this year Borst claimed the championship belt at the Super 32 Tournament in North Carolina and became the first area wrestler to win the prestigious Beast of the East tournament at the University of Delaware.

Borst ended the year ranked as the state’s No. 1 pound-for-pound wrestler by the Virginia Wrestling Association and the nation’s fourth-ranked 195-pounder by both Intermat and FloWrestling. He was honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Virginia Chapter as the 3A-4A student athlete of the year on April 22.

Borst teaches youth wrestlers as part of his team “Borst’s Beasts.”

Borst will wrestle and major in kinesiology at Virginia Tech.

Aaron Black

Black, the son of Pamela Simpson and Charles Black, is a two-time state champion at 106 and 120 pounds and two-time state runner-up. He finished with a 33-1 record this past season to improve to 181-13 all-time (third in career wins at James Wood).

Black carries a 3.80 GPA. He will study computer science in college.

P. K. Kier

Kier, the son of April and Pede Kier, was a four-year starter at running back for the Pioneers, who had their best season ever at 10-2.

As a senior, Kier carried the ball 139 times for 1,210 yards (8.7 average) and 15 TDs while being named second team 4A West Region and first team Conference 21 West this season. He was all-state his junior year with 1,351 yards and 17 TDs and leaves with Millbrook’s career records in rushing yardage (3,582), rushing TDs (43) and points (300).

He has also been a part of Winchester Rising Stars AAU Basketball, Childhood Cancer charity golf events and feeding the homeless among other work for various non-profits. He is a member of DECA and interns with a local attorney’s office.

He carries a 3.8 GPA. He will play football and major in kinesiology at the University of Virginia.

Mya Mintschenko

Mintschenko, the daughter of Elaine and Matt Mintschenko, has been a standout at volleyball and track at Handley.

She is a four-year letter-winner and team captain in volleyball, earning first team All-Conference 21 West honors this past season. She holds the school record with 1,484 assists.

She also won All-Conference, All-Regional and All-State honors as a high jumper and is among the area leaders this season in the 200 and 400 meters.

Mintschenko will play volleyball at Davis and Elkins College.

Cody Robertson

Robertson, the son of Vicki and Barry Robertson, participated in soccer, basketball and baseball at Legacy.

A goalie in soccer, he was his school’s 2016 Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Player. He also made the NACA National Tournament Team. In basketball, he was Outstanding Player of the Year as a senior. In baseball, he was Outstanding Player of the Year in 2015 and Most Valuable Player in 2016.

Robertson carries a 3.0 GPA and plans to attend Lord Fairfax Community College in the fall.

Kolton Anderson

Anderson, the son of Ginger and Kevin Anderson, has received various awards for both athletics and academics, including MCVA’s sportsmanship and leadership awards. He has played on both the baseball and basketball teams.

He has a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. He plans to major in biology at Shenandoah University.

Eldar Hotic

Hotic, the son of Ekrim and Melissa Hotic, is a foreign exchange student from Bosnia, who captained the SVCA basketball team for the past two seasons. His guardians here are Phil and Cari Combs of Winchester.

Hotic averaged 14.6 points and 9.0 rebounds and was a second team All-Area pick by The Winchester Star.

He hopes to play basketball at the college level.

Stephen LaTona

LaTona, the son of Alix and Tom LaTona, is the Hornets’ career leader for career goals and points. He has twice been a Third Team All-ODAC selection and has won conference honors for academics and sportsmanship.