Athletics Timeline

2024

A Devil of a state meet. If there were any doubts, Duke University recruit Dawson Reeves '24 proves himself to be a generational distance talent for Christ School – much like Rocky Hansen ’23 before him – with four championships at the NCISAA Division I meet in Cary, N.C. The future Blue Devil wins the 800-meter run (1:54.71), 1,600-meter run (4:12.21), and 3,200-meter run (9:12.31), teaming with younger brother Dallas '27, Luke Parrish '24, and Patrick Wang '24 to take first place in the 3,200-meter relay (7:58.36). As for the overall championship, the Greenies are considered a long shot, but return home as team champions with 124.5 points on Graduation Weekend. 

12 Forever. No one is sitting or not clapping when it is announced at Athletic Awards Night that Christ School lacrosse's most improved player award has been won by and named in memoriam for RJ Fox '25. The attacker/midfielder from Wilmette, Ill., was a beloved Greenie brother, scholar, and teammate who passed away in April of his junior year. RJ had not only impressed the coaching staff with his development on the field but was due to join the school's chapter of the National Honor Society. His mother, Sarah, accepts the most improved award in Mebane Field House.  In their first game without RJ, a motivated Greenies team matches his uniform number (12) with a 12-5 home win over Greater Atlanta Christian. Captains Lucas Little '24 and Parker Beiland '24 lead the team to the field each game carrying RJ's jersey and a 12 is painted on Christ School's game field, among many other tributes. 

"I'm Jamal Hutchison. I'm from Fletcher, North Carolina." The 2023 Christ School alumnus introduces himself to the golf world at large in a video shared across the PGA's social media. With the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, Jamal's playing partner for a practice round at the Quail Hollow Golf Course is Webb Simpson. Simpson, a winner of the 2012 U.S. Open and 2018 Players Championship, is an ambassador for the Wells Fargo Mentorship Program, which seeks to grow diversity in the game. At the time, Jamal has just finished his freshman year at N.C. Central University. 

A champion here. A champion there. A champion everywhere! Emanuel Richards ’23 and Longwood University basketball secure one of the first automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament. Emanuel scores six points in the championship game of the Big South Conference Tournament and the Lancers defeat UNC Asheville, 85-59, in High Point, N.C. Emanuel is named to the Big South All-Freshman team. 

Our state. Our year. Again. Cousins Mikey Wilkins '25 (17 points, nine rebounds) and Keenan Wilkins '24 (16) combine for 33 points in lifting Greenie basketball over Charlotte Providence Day, 56-45, for back-to-back NCISAA 4-A championships. The win in Raleigh is the 73rd in just three years under head coach Josh Coley. Furthermore, a run of eight state championships since 2005, all won at the highest level of the NCISAA, solidifies Christ School as the premier dynasty in western North Carolina basketball. 

Fifth-year senior Cayden Jones '24 enrolls early at the University of Alabama and has the distinction of being the first All-American football player in the history of Christ School's program. The Jan. 3 Under Armour Next All-American Game from Orlando is nationally-televised on ESPN, just weeks after Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban and two of his assistants make an in-home visit to Cayden and his family in Asheville. Cayden scores a pick-six touchdown from 41 yards out in the Under Armour game. Cayden concludes his career as a Greenie with 283 tackles and is a three-time all-state and three-time all-conference player. The linebacker is named the 2023 Western Football Conference Athlete of the Year.  

2023

It’s the ultimate double play for Pat James P'88. Already part of the Christ School Athletic Hall of Fame, Pat joins the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in September 2023. Coach James won a school record 294 games and 14 conference championships in 26 seasons with the Greenies – first from 1976 to 1995 and then a second stint from 2010 to 2016. Christ School went on a 43-game winning streak in the Carolinas Athletic Association from 1991 to 1995. He was also Athletic Director, coached basketball, and assisted with football. His basketball teams won 207 games and seven conference championships. One of Christ School’s year-end athletic awards is named in honor of Coach James.

Steady does it for Sidney Gibbs ’19, who sets the all-time rushing record for Shaw University football (3,186 yards) with 183 yards and two touchdowns in a road loss at Livingstone. Sidney is a college senior at the time. He had a relatively short career for Christ School, as Sidney was injured for much of his senior year. However, he still holds school records for single-season yardage (2,029), average yards per carry (14.2), and single-game yardage (337). 

Rocky Hansen '23 becomes the first boy in North Carolina history to run a mile in under 4 minutes (3:59.56), accomplishing the feat at the University of Virginia's High Performance meet on a Sunday evening in Charlottesville, Va. At the time of the race, Rocky is the only boy in the United States who has broken 4 minutes that track season, and only the 18th in U.S. history. Rocky goes on to graduate as a 10-time state champion, also a first for Christ School. 

Torrential rain is the only thing that prevents the Distance Medley Relay from setting a meet record at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Dawson Reeves '24 (1,200 meters), Brendan Regan '24 (400), Kahzi Sealey '23 (800), and Rocky Hansen '23 (1,600) instead run the second-best time in Penn history (9:58.16), breaking a North Carolina state record that had stood for 17 years. 

In the program's 100th year of existence, Christ School basketball topples favored Carmel Christian, 53-48, to win the NCISAA 4-A state championship, the seventh title in school history and first since 2011. Anthony Robinson '23 and Emanuel Richards '23 are named to the all-state team. Coach Josh Coley directs the team to 31 wins just two years after a 3-13 season and is named the Asheville Citizen-Times' All-Western North Carolina Coach of the Year. 

2022

Cross Country repeats as NCISAA 4-A champions with the lowest average time in North Carolina for its top-five runners (15:36.09) at a state meet, amongst all private and public schools. The Greenies were undefeated against every NCISAA team. Senior Rocky Hansen '23 is not only a two-time state champion, but the Gatorade Player of the Year for North Carolina, the Champs Sports South Regional winner, a Champs Sports All-American, and the all-time state record-holder for the 5K distance (14:40.06). 

Rocky Hansen ’23 sets North Carolina high school track’s all-time state records in the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters, part of a breakout season in which he also wins three national championships and four titles in NCISAA track.

2021

Waves crash all around the Christ School cross country team as the runners pose in the Atlantic Ocean with the school's first-ever state championship in the sport. Rocky Hansen ’23 (15 minutes, 21.80 seconds), Dawson Reeves ’24 (15:47.10), and Jackson Burch ’22 (16:07.90) take the top-three places individually and scoring for the Greenies (35 points) in the NCISAA 4-A meet is rounded out by Jack Cross ’22 (11th place, 16:27.90) and Eyob Gill ’24 (18th, 16:54.00). The meet is held on the opposite end of North Carolina at Wilmington's Olsen Park, hence the postrace photo shoot on the beach. 

Coming out of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the installation of lights allows for the first night games in school history for baseball, lacrosse, and soccer.

2020

After nine state runner-up seasons, Greenie football finally captures its first-ever championship with a convincing 55-21 home win over Harrells Christian Academy in the NCISAA Division II title game. A.J. Simpkins ’22 and Tray Mauney ’23 combine to throw five touchdowns – two each to Cade Mintz '21 and Zack Myers ’23 – and one to Painter Richards-Baker ’21 (83 yards). Bryce Sain ’22 rushes for touchdowns of 8 and 18 yards, while Cade breaks another for 58 yards.

The Spring Sports season is cancelled in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Greenie lacrosse is 4-0 at the time and a prohibitive favorite to win the team's fourth consecutive state championship. 

Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Camrin Opp '14 agrees to a minor-league contract with the New York Mets. The left-hander rises through the farm system to Double-A Binghamton and even pitches for Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 

2019

Andrew Hammel ’20 wins the NCISAA 4-A state cross country meet. He graduates as a three-time Buncombe County champion and three-time Asheville Citizen-Times All-Western North Carolina Runner of the Year.

Lacrosse wins its third consecutive state championship in a suspenseful 7-6 home game with Charlotte Country Day. Jack Harrison '19 scores the game-winning goal off an assist from Davis Lindsey '20 with two minutes to go. Prior to the game, the new press box is dedicated to departing coach Jeff Miles. 

Track wins back-to-back state championships as a team, Kevin Snyder ’19 concludes his career as a six-time individual state champ. 

Navy Shuler ’20 sets Western North Carolina records for career passing yards (6,541) and all-purpose yards (7,591) in his final football season as a Greenie.

2018

A family tradition. Like his father before him, Navy Shuler '20 is named the Western North Carolina Football Player of the Year by the Asheville Citizen-Times. Navy (4,112 yards) is the first WNC quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season, averaging 342 yards per game. Heath Shuler P'20 was the 1990 WNC Player of the Year as a senior quarterback at Swain County High School. 

The Close-Krieger Athletic Center is dedicated during Alumni Weekend to Derick Close '77 and former Headmaster Paul Krieger, one month after opening. Features include a standalone Hall of Fame wing, a new, expanded weight room, and artificial turf practice field.  

Track wins the NCISAA Division I state meet, the first of four state-championship teams helmed by head coach Randy Ashley (2017 and 2018 track and 2021 and 2022 cross country). 

Hunter Vines '18 has a hat trick by the end of the first quarter and ends up with seven goals in his last high school lacrosse game - a 18-9 home win over Charlotte Providence Day in the NCISAA 3-A championship finals. Davis Lindsey '20 also has a hat trick (three or more goals) and Zack Grinde '19 gives out five assists for the Greenies (17-3). 

Jason Weber ’13 becomes the first professional lacrosse player in school history, signing to play goaltender for Major League Lacrosse’s Atlanta Blaze.

2017

"Leave No Doubt" becomes the theme for the 2017 lacrosse season - inspired by a bitter loss in the previous year's NCISAA Division I state finals. The Greenies (16-5) do as they say, going undefeated against North Carolina competition (10-0) en route to their first state championship in the sport. They receive an invitation to the postseason GEICO Nationals tournament. Riley Smith '17, Hunter Vines '18, and Will Iorio '17 are named All-Americans, with the trio joined on the all-state team by Jonah Roberts '17. Joey Cinque '17 sets school records for single-season goals (80) and career goals (176). 

A 51-yard touchdown run by Sidney Gibbs '19 against Rabun Gap (Ga.) is shown on ESPN's SportsCenter and goes viral with more than 3 million views through Instagram during a time of incredible growth for Greenie football under former head coach Mark Moroz. 

Christ School wrestlers Connor Hall '20 (fourth place, 120 pounds), James Turley '17 (third place, 195 pounds), and Thomas Bolick '20 (fourth place, heavyweight) place in the NCISAA state tournament. Wrestling is discontinued following the 2016-17 season with the wrestling room converted into an indoor practice facility for baseball. 

Mebane Field House sells out quickly for a rare ticketed basketball game, in November no less. The main attraction is Spartanburg Day (S.C.) senior Zion Williamson, who scores 46 points in a 70-62 loss to the Greenies. Jalen Lecque '18 leads Christ School with 23 points. Williamson goes on to be the No. 1 pick of the 2019 NBA Draft after one college season at Duke University.  

2016

Go east, young men. It is a time of transition for basketball, which is led by John Fulkerson '16 and Matt Halvorsen '17 from Kingsport, Tenn. John increases the program's single-season record for blocked shots to 113, a mark which was previously held by McDonald's All-American Marshall Plumlee '11 (101), and signs with the University of Tennessee. The charismatic forward goes on to be one of the most beloved Volunteer players in recent years. Matt continues his career at Western Carolina University and later Florida Gulf Coast after setting career (285) and single-season (111) records for 3-pointers made. 

2015

Voila! Just in time for the 2015 Asheville School football game, a new logo for athletics is unveiled. Former Headmaster Paul Krieger states that the logo - in green, gold, yellow, and grey, with its suggestion of movement and abstract formations of a C, S, and G - captures the progress and vitality of Christ School. “The boys have been eager for a symbol representing their efforts; this logo will add some life and school spirit to our community,” Mr. Krieger says at the time.  

Three brothers, three rings. Marshall Plumlee '11 and Duke University basketball defeat Wisconsin, 68-63, in the finals of the NCAA Tournament, five years after his older brothers Miles '08 and Mason '09 were part of a national championship run by the Blue Devils. 

A nine-hole disc golf course is built on the back side of campus, offering a new outlet to boys in the Outdoor Program. 

2014

Subdivision comes to the NCISAA football playoffs and one of the byproducts is an unprecedented rematch. Sage Holley '17 rushes for 266 yards and six touchdowns as the Greenies end visiting Asheville School's season in the Division II quarterfinals, 52-20. It is the first time that the rivals have played twice in one season over the course of the 100-plus year history of the rivalry. 

Golf gets it done again. The Greenies return home from Greensboro with their third NCISAA 3-A state championship in five years. Clemson recruit Jonathan Rector '15 places third individually with a 36-hole score of 141 (71-70). He and Chris Akers '16 lead the team to wins at the Buncombe County and Carolinas Athletic Association tournaments as well. David Gaines '84 is named the Asheville Citizen-Times Western North Carolina Coach of the Year following his final season with the program. 

2013

The New York Mets select Jervis "Champ" Stuart '10 out of Brevard College with the 176th overall pick (sixth round) of the Major League Baseball draft. He reaches the Double-A level of the team's farm system in his five-year professional career and is the first of three Greenies to go pro in the 2000s, preceding Camrin Opp '14 (New York Mets) and William Fleming '17 (Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals). 

2012

"Friday Night Lights" become a reality for football with the addition of permanent lighting to Fayssoux Field. The first night home game in 87 years is played on Aug. 25, 2012. Seniors Christian Jewkes '13 (128 passing yards) and Mikey Dumaine '13 (115 rushing yards) combine for 243 yards and junior Ellis Pace '14 scores three touchdowns in a 47-10 win over Union Academy out of Monroe, N.C. 

No two state championships are the same. Golf wins the NCISAA 3-A tournament for the second time and with plenty of wiggle room. The Greenies are eight shots better than runner-up Forsyth Country Day over the course of two days in Greensboro, N.C. The 2012 season includes the lowest score in school history (276 at Waynesville Country Club) and unprecedented recognition from local media. Western North Carolina Player of the Year Jeff Krieger '12, Rhyne Jones '13, Jonathan Rector '15, Cory Sciupider '12, and McKay Tye '12 make the Asheville Citizen-Times All-WNC Team and David Gaines '84 is named WNC Coach of the Year. 

2011

Keeping it in the family. Marshall Plumlee '11 graces the national stage as a McDonald's All-American in basketball, just like Mason Plumlee '10 before him. The parallels hardly end there. Marshall is the centerpiece of a 32-5 Greenies' state-championship team as a senior and signs with Duke University. He is the first Greenie in any sport to be named a Gatorade Player of the Year. Christ School is the first boys basketball program in western North Carolina, private or public schools, to win five consecutive state championships. 

2010

A three-foot downhill putt in sudden death by Charlie Martin '10 seals the deal as golf nips Forsyth Country Day for its first state championship. Both teams entered the playoff in Greensboro, N.C., with a score of 588. Christ School's win in the NCISAA 3-A tournament allows the team to complete a 41-0 season. Golf goes on to win three state championships in four years, with the other two occurring in 2012 and 2014. 

Basketball plays on national television for the first time, an April 1 game at the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational in Baltimore. An 82-72 loss to Winter Park (Fla.) is broadcast live on ESPNU. The Greenies end the 2009-10 season with a 37-2 record, having won 31 of their final 32 games, and a national record for made 3-pointers in a season (392). Christ School receives a second national TV game in February 2011, a loss to Oak Hill Academy (Va.) that is shown on ESPN2 from Duke University's Cameron Indoor Stadium. 

Miles Plumlee '08 and Mason Plumlee '09 are on the same roster for Duke University's fourth national basketball championship. And nothing is more apropos than the Blue Devils getting the job done in the brothers' home state of Indiana, edging Butler by a 61-59 score for the title. 

2009

Duke University recruit Mason Plumlee '09 posts a school-record 20 double doubles in leading the Greenies to their third consecutive NCISAA 3-A state basketball championship. He leads in three statistical categories - scoring (15.3 points per game), rebounds (10.1 rpg.), and blocks (2.5 bpg.) - for a 36-2 team that earns national rankings for the first time from ESPN and USA TODAY. Mason becomes the first-ever Greenie to play in the McDonald's All-American Game and is the Asheville Citizen-Times All-Western North Carolina Player of the Year for the western North Carolina region. 

Who can tell them apart, especially when they score at this rate? Chavis Holmes '05 (2,065 points) and Travis Holmes '05 (1,733) finish their college basketball careers at VMI as the highest-scoring pair of twins in NCAA history. The Holmes twins also rank 1-2 in all-time steals among Keydet players (Travis makes 309 career steals compared to 304 for Chavis). 

2008

"This is the greatest team Christ School has ever had," head coach David Gaines '84 proclaims in his postgame comments. And he's not wrong, at the time. Basketball wins a school record 34 games (a record which would be surpassed a year later), none bigger than beating Greensboro Day, 50-41, for the NCISAA 3-A state championship in Raleigh. The Greenies roll through their quarterfinal and semifinal games by a combined 36 points. Miles Plumlee '08 (15.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game), Lakeem Jackson '09 (15.4 ppg. and 5.5 rpg.), and Mason Plumlee '09 (12.8 ppg. and 10.5 rpg.) average double figures in scoring for the season. 

Rock and roll. Greenie football christens the new Spirit Rock outside Pingree Auditorium with a 23-7 home win over Asheville School. The rock is made possible by the family of Brien Peterkin '09. While not exclusive to athletics, the rock is often painted for major events, including "The Game."

Christ School's new Sports Pavilion is dedicated on Oct. 1, 2008. The facility provides permanent restrooms and a concession stand for Greenie home events in baseball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, and track. In addition, bleachers are added to a second side of Mebane Field House, increasing its seating capacity to about 1,000. 

2007

Civil disobedience for a Green cause. The Greenie student section ignores multiple warnings from the Asheville School public-address announcer not to storm the court, but all is forgiven after Christ School upsets Greensboro Day, 53-49, in the NCISAA 3-A state championship game. The Greenies (29-4) avenge two regular-season losses to the Bengals, who were in the same conference at the time (Piedmont Athletic Conference of Independent Schools). Miles Plumlee '08 scores a game-high 23 points and Malik Cooke '07 adds 10. The senior from Charlotte establishes the school's career record for scoring (1,375 points), which has yet to be broken. 

A repeat for Rett. Senior Rett English '08 successfully defends his state championship in NCISAA 3-A cross country on a muddy day at Charlotte's McAlpine Greenway Park. Rett (16 minutes, 13 seconds) beats the nearest runner by 18 seconds. 

As the Athletic Program continues to grow, so does its space. Bulldozers clear the land beneath the lacrosse/soccer field and track for what will become the Steve Young '82 Athletic Fields. True to Christ School's ethos, students collect leftover rocks in buckets to smooth the field before sod is laid down. The Young Fields have been primary used since then for practice and JV games. 

2006

Miles '08, Mason '09, and Marshall '11 Plumlee enroll at Christ School. The three brothers from Indiana go on to lead basketball to five consecutive state championships, play at Duke University, and ultimately in the NBA. Mason and Marshall are the school's first McDonald's All-Americans. 

Stephen Curry might be a first ballot NBA hall of famer. But on the evening of Jan. 13, 2006, he and his previously-unbeaten Charlotte Christian basketball team (18-1) are outplayed by Malik Cooke '07 and the Greenies. Malik pours in a game-high 27 points and grabs nine rebounds to lift Christ School to an 81-78 win in the Greenie Dome. Rochard Gibson '07 (16 points) and Sean Scott '08 (15) combine for 31 points. 

2005

Going out on top, unselfishly. Senior point guard Filmon Dawkins '05 dishes out nine assists and holds Ravenscroft point guard Marc Campbell scoreless with his defense in the NCISAA 3-A state championship game. The result is a 77-56 win and the first of seven state titles for basketball, six of them with David Gaines '84 as head coach. Seniors Travis Holmes '05 and Alvin Hudgins '05 score 24 points and 21 points, respectively, in their final high school games. 

Barbados native Sean Edey '05 chips in for birdie on the final hole of the NCISAA 3-A tournament to become Christ School's first individual state champion in golf. Sean had seven birdies in his final round of 68 and shot 141 over the course of two days at Bryan Park in Greensboro. Two more Greenies will win state championships in the next 10 years - Jeff Krieger '12 and Jonathan Rector '15. 

2003

Basketball begins to ramp up with the arrival of the Holmes twins from Charlotte (Chavis '05 and Travis '05) and $150,000 worth of refurbishments to Mebane Field House, which include a new Tasmanian Oak court. South Carolina center Hiram Carolina '04 (14.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per game) will go on to be the 2004 Carolinas Athletic Association Player of the Year and lead the Greenies (27-6) to a runner-up finish in the NCISAA 3-A state tournament, setting the stage for a championship breakthrough one year later. 

2002

Lacrosse debuts, with the Greenies going 0-6 in their inaugural season, but laying the foundation for one of Christ School's most successful programs at the state level. Lacrosse had been an intramural sport at Christ School since the winter of the 1994-95 school year. Coach Jeff Miles oversees a roster of 21 boys in his first season and the team's only home game (vs. Bishop McGuinness) is the first high school lacrosse game to ever be played in western North Carolina. 

Every streak starts somewhere. Basketball goes 10-0 in the Carolinas Athletic Association's 2001-02 regular season and won't lose a conference game prior to the CAA Tournament until 2014. 

2001

Ben Rowland '02 captures the first and only state swimming championship in school history, winning the 100-yard breaststroke at the NCISAA meet. He never loses a breaststroke race in his four-year career and signs with Duke University. 

2000

Antonio Myers '01 completes his high school soccer career with Christ School scoring records that still stand to this day - all-time points (266), goals (110), and assists (46).  

1999

The Christ School Sports Camp debuts in the summer of 1999, offering boys ages 9-13 a two-week crash course in sports, outdoor activities, and other special trips. On-campus summer camps under the Christ School banner are a new concept at the time and part of an overall effort by the school to make a deeper commitment to athletics. This is also the first year that N.C. State's All-American Cross Country Camp comes to Arden under the direction of longtime coach Rollie Geiger. 

1998

Don Beaver P'98 digs a ceremonial shovel into the earth at the far side of Fayssoux Field, breaking ground on the Patrick Beaver Student Center. While intended to be a communal space for all, the student center includes assets such as a snack bar that will be utilized during athletic events. On the same day as the groundbreaking (May 23, 1998), a Patrick Beaver '98 Memorial Garden is dedicated by the baseball field. It includes the flagpole that is used for the National Anthem before baseball, lacrosse, and soccer games.  

A short-lived boxing team is started in the winter of 1998-99 under founding coach Ray Campbell. 

1997

The charter class of the Athletic Hall of Fame is made up of 12 larger-than-life Greenies: Richard Fayssoux '1916, Manly Whisnant '1922, Charlie Shuford '1922, David Murray '49, Jim Martin '57, Bill Sewell '57, Craig Wardlaw '62, Chad Drayton '66, John Hine '67, Tino Swanson '71, Anthony Howard '84, and David Gaines '84. More than 150 people attend the induction with Dick Fayssoux '45 calling it "one of the most special and moving events in school history."

1996

First things first. Golf wins the inaugural Buncombe County Tournament, beating out nine other private and public high schools with a composite score of 312. The team coached by David Gaines '84 consists of Brandon Brookshire '97, Franklin Adams '96, Josh Dodd '97, Chris Wilson '97, Brett Bornfeld '97, Gabe Goldstein '97, Tim Sheehan '99, and Cameron Whitten '99. 

1994

Manuel Garcia '94 cements his status as the top wrestler in Christ School history with his third consecutive state championship, the first at 140 pounds and the last two at 152. He signs with Purdue University after representing his home country, Puerto Rico, in the Pan Am Games. Evans Macomber '95 is an individual state champion as well for the Greenies (14-7-1), who win the NCISAA dual team tournament under coach Leigh Harris. 

1989

A legacy justly rewarded. Richard Fayssoux '1926 is posthumously inducted into the Western North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. The patriarch of Christ School athletics won 723 career games in baseball, basketball, and football between 1920 and 1966, all while performing in his role as Athletic Director. 

Christ School begins accepting day students for the first time in more than 60 years. Incoming eighth grader Gaines Myer '24 from Asheville is the first such student, fulfilling his dream to be a Greenie after his father Tommy '69. Enrollment is only 145 boys at the time and the school starts to make a concerted effort to increase its international reach. Among the five students from Japan in 1989 are football players Atsuyoshi Toyomura '91 and Kiyosei Morota '91. 

Off to the races. Construction of the six-lane James and Grace Darsie Memorial Track is completed with a dedication to the longtime coach and his wife. The track will be rubberized to bring it up to modern standards 14 years later.  

1988 

Three-time college All-American Carter Wiley '82 signs with the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the second professional football player in school history. Carter played safety at Virginia Tech from 1984 to 1987 and was instrumental to the Hokies winning the 1986 Peach Bowl. He wasn't even a starter to begin his senior season at Christ School and attended Episcopal (Va.), and then Flagler College (Fla.), before getting an opportunity in Blacksburg, Va. 

Ten of Christ School's top-12 tennis players return for the 1988 season, the first played on the six new Betsy McCullough courts. 

1987

U.S. Senator Terry Sanford P'71 visits in May 1987 for the dedication of Mebane Field House and six new tennis courts. Mebane (the present-day facility for Greenie basketball) is the first new building on campus in 17 years. The facilities upgrade is the result of a $1.8 million fundraising drive and the dedication doubles as a tribute to outgoing Headmaster Henry Hutson. While often referred to as "the Greenie Dome," Mebane's namesake is Allen Mebane '48. He helped lead the school's first capital fundraising drive in 1972 and the push for athletic upgrades in the late 1980s. The tennis courts are named for Betsy Harris McCullough, the daughter of former Headmaster Dave Harris and wife to Joe McCullough '42. 

1986

From late bloomer to state champion. Three-sport athlete Andy Taylor '87 matriculates at Christ School from Wilmington, N.C., and doesn't take up cross country until his sophomore year. He wins the Carolinas Athletic Association meet and then NCISAA state meet in October 1986 (with just a second of separation between himself and runner-up Peter Schworm of Durham Academy). Andy also played baseball and basketball for the Greenies. 

1985

Yorke Pharr '66 remembers his old roommate as "the ultimate teammate" at the dedication of the Tripp Bourne '66 Memorial Field, home to Greenie baseball. During his time at Christ School, Tripp played three varsity sports. "Teamwork, devotion, friendship, faithfulness, and concern for others will always be the mark of real winners on the Tripp Bourne Field," Yorke says at the time. 

1984

David Gaines '84 is named the Asheville Citizen-Times Buncombe County Player of the Year for basketball on the heels of a senior season in which he averages a county-best 24.1 points per game. David finishes with 1,091 career points as a point guard. He is named to the Citizen-Times' All-Western North Carolina basketball and football teams in his final year as a Greenie student-athlete, with 2,168 career passing yards in the latter. David will later go on to distinguish himself further as a nine-time state championship coach at Christ School in basketball (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) and golf (2010, 2012, and 2014). 

The Carolinas Athletic Association becomes the guinea pig for the rest of North Carolina high school basketball in the 1984-85 season as a 19-foot 3-point line is introduced, but only for conference games. The CAA is the Tar Heel state's first conference, private or public schools, to have a 3-point line. Greenies coach Pat James is less than enthusiastic about the experiment, telling the Asheville Citizen-Times, "It's there, but I'm just not sure about it. I'm basically ignoring it in practice. We may take some shots from there, but it won't be planned."

1980 

Soccer makes a permanent move to the fall season, with the Greenies part of a Carolinas Athletic Association conference that includes Ben Lippen, Asheville Day, Asheville School, and Asheville Christian Academy. Elliott Hutson '83 stands out as the team's best player and the season includes an upset of local power A.C. Reynolds. 

No pool, no problem. Christ School's swimming program starts up in the winter of 1979-80. Participation triples to 15 swimmers for the 1980-81 season. The first coach is Vance Brown, who will work with the team for the better part of 33 years. 

1978

Not quite Outdoor yet, but close. The genesis of Christ School's Outdoor Program can be found in the Outing Club and Multiple Sports Club combining forces in the 1978-79 school year. Rock-climbing and canoeing are some of the activities offered, including traditional sports such as basketball. 

1977

Track wins its first NCISAA state championship under coaches Ben Crabtree and Reed Finlay. It is the first state championship for Christ School athletics in any sport. The top athletes for the team are Anthony Howard '78 in the sprints and discus and Robert Zach '79 in the hurdles. 

Colley Bell '78 strides through the three-mile course at Durham Academy in 16 minutes, 26 seconds to win Christ School's first individual state championship in NCISAA cross country. The Greenies place second as a team, aided by top-10 runs two from other runners: Shannon Allison '79 (seventh place) and Chris Holroyd (eighth). 

Team captain John Mayer '77 (167 pounds) and Chuck Mann '78 (132 pounds) win their weight classes in the first-ever wrestling tournament hosted on campus. The Greenies place second in a five-team field that includes Edneyville, Andrews, Carmel Academy, and Cherokee. 

1973

After six years of dormancy, cross country is reintroduced as a sport and gains some traction thanks to Hall of Fame coach Reed Finlay ’58, or “Big R” as he was known to his runners.

1972

Fayssoux Field is dedicated to Richard Fayssoux '1916. It will host only day games for 40 years before lights are finally installed in 2012. 

1971

The Fayssoux-Arbogast Trophy becomes the annual prize to the winner of the Christ School-Asheville School football rivalry in tribute to former athletic directors and coaches Richard Fayssoux '1916 and B.H. Hop Arbogast. 

1969

The Carolinas Athletic Association is formed with eight charter members - Christ School, Asheville Catholic, Asheville Country Day, Asheville School, Ben Lippen, Charlotte Country Day, Patterson School, and Spartanburg (S.C.) Day. Christ School's conference had simply been called "Prep School" competitions in the past. 

University of Tennessee basketball coach Ray Mears brings his South's Basketball Camp of Champions to Christ School in the summer of 1969. It is one of the first but certainly not the last sports camps to make use of the 500-acre campus in Arden. For example, N.C. State's All-American Cross Country Camp started in 1980 but makes Christ School its permanent home in 1999. 

1968

Dave Harris retires after 45 years at Christ School, all except seven as Headmaster. Under his direction, the school built Memorial Gym, an administration building, four dorms, nine faculty homes, a dining hall, laundry room, and shop. "Mr. Dave" coached three Greenie tennis teams to undefeated seasons.  

1967

Thirty-seven years was a good run, but Christ School basketball's single-game record for scoring has endured even longer in the possession of Tom Suiter '67. Before the advent of the 3-point line, the 5-foot-10 guard sinks 19 field goals and 10 free throws to finish with 48 points in an 87-47 home win over Rosman. The old school record (42 points) had been set in 1930 by Jack Troutman '1928. Tom averaged 25.0 points per game his senior year. 

1966

Christ School football's third undefeated season is fueled by the defense once again. The Greenies only allow 27 points in eight games and finish with five shutouts, matching the 1965 team. Opponents averaged only five first downs per game. Jerry Hess is the team's first-year coach, taking over for Richard Fayssoux '1916. 

The best season in the history of Christ School wrestling - the Greenies win all 11 of their dual team matches - comes in only the fifth year for the program. 

1965

As if Hollywood scripted it, the 46th and final football season for Coach Richard Fayssoux '1916 is the first undefeated, untied season in school history. The Greenies (8-0) cap things off with a dramatic, come-from-behind 21-18 win over Asheville School. Larry Miller '66 makes an interception deep in Christ School territory in the closing moments to ice the game and assure an undefeated season. 

1963

Eleven boys make up the first competitive wrestling team for Christ School, which goes 4-3 in matches held in the winter of 1963-64. The coach is Edwin Strickland. The program began in 1962 as an intramural sport. 

The first year of the cross country program is understated. The team does not even appear in the 1964 Angelus yearbook. A year later, Lyston Peebles '65 is the captain for the 1964 team, which is a 10-man squad. 

1961

Christ School hosts the first-ever Buncombe County track meet on a Saturday afternoon, with a field consisting of more than 100 athletes from the Greenies, Erwin, Enka, North Buncombe, Owen, and Reynolds. Meet winner Owen takes first place in seven of the 13 events. 

1956

In a contentious turn of events, Christ School, Asheville School, and Ben Lippen are forced to leave the Blue Ridge Conference, with the majority of its remaining members (all public schools) citing North Carolina's eight-semester rule for athlete eligibility. The rule had been adopted by the conference seven years earlier, but not enforced. Former Headmaster Dave Harris and Athletic Director Richard Fayssoux argue on the Greenies' behalf that the stricter academic standards of the private schools lead to more students repeating grades. A splintered Blue Ridge Conference will now be made up of A.C. Reynolds, Bethel, Brevard, Canton, Enka, Erwin, Hendersonville, North Buncombe, Owen, and Waynesville. 

1953

Construction of Memorial Gym is completed and the old gym is torn down. Memorial Gym had heat provided by a coal furnace, storage, lockers, showers, an office, a training room, tumbling equipment, basketball court, and a room for weight-lifting and wrestling practice. The gym is dedicated to Christ School students who died in any American wars. Christ School basketball beats Flat Rock, 45-41, in December for its first win in the gym. 

1947

Soccer begins as an intramural sport under coach Jim Heinold. The Greenies work up to playing their first game a year later (a loss to Asheville School), and under Coach Heinold, go on to win the Blue Ridge Conference with a 6-0-1 record in 1950. They outscore opponents, 31-2, in the program's first undefeated season. 

1944

Track is reintroduced after 10 years of dormancy with athletes using a cinder track around the football field. It does not become a varsity sport again until the spring of 1947. 

1938

Auburn University football recruit and three-sport athlete James Pickelsimer '38 becomes the first recipient of the Senior Athletic Cup. He scored 12 touchdowns as a halfback in the 1937 football season and was a team captain, but also led the basketball team in scoring and starred as an outfielder for the baseball team. 

1934

Students Robert Morgan '36 and Frank Zimmerman organize the first varsity tennis team. Robert would go on to pilot the Memphis Belle in World War II and Christ School's aviation program is named in his honor.

1928

Christ School's athletic teams first begin using the "Greenies" as a mascot name. It is popularized at the time as an unofficial nickname for Tulane University's Green Wave. That same year, Christ School becomes an all-boys school, the result of availability of local public education with the opening of Valley Springs School in 1926. 

Looking or swinging, no one can touch Dick Jones '1928. The right-hander strikes out 134 batters in one season to equal the western North Carolina record set four years earlier by C.P. Houston '1924. The baseball team finishes with a 17-2 record and the Greenies win 46 of their 52 games in all sports for the 1927-28 school year. 

1927

Former Christ School outfielder William Corn continues his professional baseball career by signing a deal with the Asheville Tourists. Baltimore was a Triple-A franchise from 1903-1953 and William briefly played for the Orioles before returning to the Asheville area, where he lived until 1991. He owned and operated Corn's Grocery in Avery Creek, N.C., from 1931 to 1959. 

1926

Christ School football defeats Asheville School for the first time, 26-13, in the sixth official meeting between the two programs. The star of the game is quarterback/defensive C.B. Nettles, who scores three touchdowns and has big yardage on kick returns. At the time, Christ School's mascot is the "Warriors" in reporting by the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper.  

1925

Former Christ School Headmaster Reuben Rivers Harris is elected president of the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference of Secondary Schools. The 18-school conference is made up of private and public high schools and is one of the earliest attempts to organize the region's teams. 

Christ School's first gym is built to accommodate the new basketball program led by Richard Fayssoux '1916, but is not a permanent structure. Often games were postponed due to rain and ice because the building had no heating capacity and a tin roof. Visiting coaches bundled up before coming to games. The gym was torn down in 1953. 

1920

Richard Fayssoux '1916 becomes Athletic Director, the start of a 47-year career in administration and coaching that is unparalleled in Christ School's history. 

1917

Christ School baseball defeats Bingham Military Academy, 2-1, to win the Western North Carolina championship. The team's reward are new green uniforms, replacing the hand-me-downs from other schools. This moment and some inspiration from Tulane University prove to be the origin of the "Greenies" nickname adopted for all Christ School teams 11 years later. 

The first documented win for Christ School football is a 25-0 home shutout of Asheville High School on Nov. 3, 1917. A rematch later that month is canceled due to widespread Christ School injuries. No other records of 1917 games can be found in the Asheville Citizen-Times archive. 

1911

Football begins under head coach George Dobson as a pickup team. Christ School loses the first game of its rivalry series with Asheville School, 84-0. The team plays its first organized season four years later with Richard Fayssoux '1916 at quarterback. He is only 128 pounds. The 1915 team lost twice to Asheville High School, twice to Blue Ridge School, and once to Asheville School.

1905

The first students graduate from Christ School in May 1905. They are Robert Sumner '1905, who goes on to be a doctor practicing in Fletcher and Samuel Stroup '1905, who became a priest. 

1900

Baseball is the first organized sport at Christ School and credited with the first win of any kind - a 10-8 victory over an unaffiliated team from Arden. The milestone occurs three weeks after Christ School has opened.