https://tessmcnally.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Tess McNallyenThu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-football-ins-and-out-of-the-transfer-portal/The App State football roster has gone through a serious transformation in the off-season, losing 40 players to the transfer portal while accepting 36 transfers to the High Country, according to 247Sports. Of the incoming players, 14 are coming from Power Five schools.   DAVION DOZIER The redshirt sophomore wide receiver three-star recruit Davion Dozier, who is transferring to North Carolina State University, goes into next season with 5 touchdowns and 448 receiving yards from just one season a...Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-football-ins-and-out-of-the-transfer-portal/https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-baseball-loses-series-2-1-against-south-alabama/Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-baseball-loses-series-2-1-against-south-alabama/https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-baseball-loses-series-2-1-against-south-alabama/Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-baseball-loses-series-2-1-against-south-alabama/https://theappalachianonline.com/kohls-breakout-game-ends-in-27-23-win-against-oregon-state/Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/kohls-breakout-game-ends-in-27-23-win-against-oregon-state/https://theappalachianonline.com/staff_name/tess-mcnally/Tess McNally (she/her) is a senior journalism major from Waxhaw, North Carolina. This is her third year writing for The Appalachian. Tess McNally (she/her) is a senior journalism major from Waxhaw, North Carolina. This is her third year writing for The Appalachian.Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/staff_name/tess-mcnally/https://theappalachianonline.com/mountaineers-womens-tennis-go-against-davidson-vcu-in-homestand-matches/App State women’s tennis defeated the Davidson College Wildcats Thursday in a home game 5-2, but suffered a close loss against the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams Friday 3-4. Their split weekend sets their season at 5-7.  Senior Savannah Dada-Mascoll won her ninth single match of the season against Wildcat senior Savanna Kollock 6-2, 6-2. Kollock and Dada-Mascoll saw each other shortly after in the doubles play where Dada-Mascoll and junior Taya Powell ended their match 3-4, and marked as...Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/mountaineers-womens-tennis-go-against-davidson-vcu-in-homestand-matches/https://theappalachianonline.com/bobcats-bite-late-in-series-finale-mountaineers-mens-basketball-loses-60-57/App State men’s basketball fell short against Texas State University in their regular season finale 60-57 Friday night.  Graduate student guard Jalen Tot was the first Mountaineer to score as he went 1-3 from the stripe after a foul was called on his attempted 3-pointer.  Just two minutes into the game, Tot followed suit with an explosive 3-pointer and was fouled on the way up, sending him to the line once again.  The fire started early as redshirt sophomore center Luke Wilson had a double-hande...Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/bobcats-bite-late-in-series-finale-mountaineers-mens-basketball-loses-60-57/https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-mens-basketball-grabs-seventh-straight-win-against-georgia-southern-81-65/App State faced off against the Georgia Southern University Eagles Wednesday night and continued their 7-game winning streak 81-65.    Graduate student guard Kasen Jennings nailed the Mountaineers’ first shot of the game from beyond the arc one minute into the game.  Just a minute later, senior guard Alonzo Dodd followed suit with his own 3-pointer.  Sophomore forward Michael Marcus Jr. recorded his first offensive rebound of the game just three minutes into the game.  Five minutes into the game...Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-mens-basketball-grabs-seventh-straight-win-against-georgia-southern-81-65/https://theappalachianonline.com/outside-the-club-realm-app-state-club-hockey-breaks-the-ice/At 4 a.m., Boone is asleep, but the App State club hockey team is just rolling into town after concluding its night of practice.  Once a week, players take the 114-mile drive to Greensboro to get on the ice just past midnight. Ninety minutes later, the team packs up and heads home, knowing their alarms will ring in just a few hours to begin classes. “It’s a busy life; there’s no stopping,” head coach Matt Mugno said.  Mugno grew up playing roller hockey and started youth coaching at the age of 1...Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/outside-the-club-realm-app-state-club-hockey-breaks-the-ice/https://theappalachianonline.com/tots-flow-state-carried-app-state-mens-basketball-to-70-63-win-over-golden-eagles/App State men’s basketball traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to take on the University of Southern Mississippi testing their luck against the Golden Eagles. The night ended in a 70-63 win.  Just 20 seconds after tip-off, graduate student guard Kasen Jennings received a pair of free throws after a foul was called on the Golden Eagles.  Thirty seconds later, graduate student guard Jalen Tot took his usual deep shot from behind the arc, giving the Mountaineers a 5-2 lead early.  In just six minu...Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/tots-flow-state-carried-app-state-mens-basketball-to-70-63-win-over-golden-eagles/https://theappalachianonline.com/monarchs-reign-over-mountaineers-womens-basketball-65-54/App State women’s basketball traveled to Norfolk, Virginia to take on the Old Dominion University Monarchs. They fell short Wednesday night 65-54. The Mountaineers got the scoring started after senior guard Emma Smith sank a 3-pointer from deep in response to a Monarch layup after tipoff.  A pair of turnovers on both sides of the ball gave the Monarchs one extra look, putting them up 5-8 with just under six minutes in the first quarter.  A 3-pointer made by senior guard Emily Hedge evened out th...Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/monarchs-reign-over-mountaineers-womens-basketball-65-54/https://theappalachianonline.com/mountaineers-mens-basketball-claw-past-panthers-52-50-on-the-road/App State men’s basketball took a trip down to Atlanta, Georgia to face off against the Georgia State University Panthers Thursday. The Mountaineers took home the victory 52-50. An unfamiliar starter, graduate student guard Jalen Tot, was the first Mountaineer to score off a steal after nearly two minutes of no action from either team.  Little to no movement continued for the next few minutes as the game remained tied at 2 with less than 16 minutes left in the first half. The Black and Gold dea...Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/mountaineers-mens-basketball-claw-past-panthers-52-50-on-the-road/https://theappalachianonline.com/mountaineers-rings-in-the-new-year-with-win-81-73-against-odu/App State men’s basketball traveled to Norfolk, Virginia for their fifth ever New Year’s Eve game Wednesday, challenging the Old Dominion University Monarchs. The Mountaineers started off their new year celebration with a 81-73 win. The Mountaineers started off the game with pure execution, losing the tipoff but gaining a steal and later a layup from senior guard Alonzo Dodd.  After a failed rebound attempt, junior guard Eren Banks was able to reclaim the ball which left graduate student guard K...Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/mountaineers-rings-in-the-new-year-with-win-81-73-against-odu/https://theappalachianonline.com/mountaineers-rings-in-the-new-year-with-win-81-73-against-odu/App State men’s basketball traveled to Norfolk, Virginia for their fifth ever New Year’s Eve game Wednesday, challenging the Old Dominion University Monarchs. The Mountaineers started off their new year celebration with a 81-73 win. The Mountaineers started off the game with pure execution, losing the tipoff but gaining a steal and later a layup from senior guard Alonzo Dodd.  After a failed rebound attempt, junior guard Eren Banks was able to reclaim the ball which left graduate student guard K...Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/mountaineers-rings-in-the-new-year-with-win-81-73-against-odu/https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-ships-off-ecu-pirates-in-67-54-victory/After an eight day rest period, App State men’s basketball traveled to Greenville, North Carolina to face off against the East Carolina University Pirates. Their last meeting came in 2019, a contest the Black and Gold won 68-62, and the Mountaineers carried that momentum into the 2025 season with a 67–54 victory.  Graduate student guard Kasen Jennings scored the first 3 points from the free throw line after being fouled from beyond the arc.  App State dominated the offensive glass as they pulled...Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-ships-off-ecu-pirates-in-67-54-victory/https://theappalachianonline.com/mercer-hands-app-state-mens-basketball-their-third-road-loss-75-67/A Thanksgiving-eve game sent App State men’s basketball to Macon, Georgia to play the Mercer University Bears. Mercer had a powerful second half, resulting in a 75-67 loss for the Mountaineers.  Redshirt sophomore center Luke Wilson got the scoring started with a swift layup but the Bears responded later with a 3-pointer to start the momentum.  A scoreless two minutes drew up  powerful defense from both sides. The Black and Gold led 8-5 with just under 14 minutes left in the first half.  An earl...Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/mercer-hands-app-state-mens-basketball-their-third-road-loss-75-67/https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-womens-basketball-gets-clawed-by-davidson-74-55/App State women’s basketball had its third consecutive home game, facing the Davidson College Wildcats. The Black and Gold went into the contest with an unbeaten 2-0 record. Their streak was spoiled Wednesday night by a loss of 74-55.  Junior guard Daisia Mitchell started the game off with a hard-fought layup, putting the Mountaineers on the board with just a minute played.  A scoreless three minutes for App State allowed the Wildcats to launch on an 11-0 run, which seemed to shake the Mountaine...Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-womens-basketball-gets-clawed-by-davidson-74-55/https://theappalachianonline.com/central-michigan-shuts-out-app-state-mens-basketball-in-first-game-of-the-season/App State men’s basketball traveled 698 miles to Mount Pleasant, Michigan to tip off their season opener against the Central Michigan University Chippewas. A back and forth game led to an 82-66 loss.   Senior guard Alonzo Dodd, junior guard Eren Banks, graduate student guard Kasen Jennings, junior forward Chad Moodie and sophomore forward Michael Marcus Jr. were named the Mountaineer starting five Monday.  The beginning of the game remained steady for App State until the nine minute mark. The Ch...Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/central-michigan-shuts-out-app-state-mens-basketball-in-first-game-of-the-season/https://theappalachianonline.com/after-coastal-chaos-mountaineer-football-looks-to-conquer-monarchs/App State football is looking to shape up against the Old Dominion Monarchs after suffering a 45-37 loss to Coastal Carolina University Saturday.  The Mountaineers will head into this game with a 4-3 record this season. The Mountaineers have dominated the series against ODU since 2015, holding a 4-1 record and only suffering one loss in 2023.  The Monarchs come into the game with an equal 4-3 record. However, one of their losses was against No. 2 Indiana University 27-14. They beat both Virginia...Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/after-coastal-chaos-mountaineer-football-looks-to-conquer-monarchs/https://theappalachianonline.com/the-panther-trap-app-state-looks-to-cage-georgia-state-on-the-road/App State football will travel down south to Atlanta, Georgia to face off against the Georgia State University Panthers for their sixth game of the season.  If the Mountaineers want another locker room celebration like last week’s against Oregon State University, they will have to step it up on both offense and defense. The defensive side of the ball shows more promise than in previous years. App State recorded 330 tackles so far this season, and redshirt sophomore linebacker Colton Phares recor...Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/the-panther-trap-app-state-looks-to-cage-georgia-state-on-the-road/https://theappalachianonline.com/dominic-de-freitas-kick-starts-his-mountaineer-legacy/It was a bone-chilling 18 degrees outside with snow on the ground and a freezing wind in the air. App State’s special teams coordinator, Jeff Crosby, made the long trip to NorthWood High School in Nappanee, Indiana.  “He went 14 of 15 field goals, and I knew right then, he was the guy,” Crosby said.  Freshman kicker Dominic De Freitas was the player of interest.  “I love it here; it’s definitely a new experience,” De Freitas said. “A lot to get used to.”  Crosby held an influential role in De Fr...Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/dominic-de-freitas-kick-starts-his-mountaineer-legacy/https://theappalachianonline.com/kohls-breakout-game-ends-in-27-23-win-against-oregon-state/App State football invited the Oregon State Beavers into Kidd Brewer Stadium for their second home game of the season and the Beavers’ first trip to Boone. After a back-and-forth game, the Mountaineers pulled off the win 27-23.  Redshirt sophomore quarterback JJ Kohl started for App State, playing his first full collegiate game.  “It was very emotional; it’s been a lot of seasons of waiting and times I have been praying to be right in this situation where I’m at,” Kohl said in a postgame press c...Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/kohls-breakout-game-ends-in-27-23-win-against-oregon-state/https://theappalachianonline.com/born-into-baseball-joseph-zamoras-home-away-from-home/From hot humid weather in Miami, Florida to the blistering cold climate in Boone, spring 2025 graduate infielder Joseph Zamora has made the High Country home.  “It was baseball once I was born, and I’ve been playing it since I was five,” Joseph Zamora said.  Joseph Zamora was born in a family full of athletes. He said his father — Freddy Zamora Sr. — and mother both played sports at an advanced level, with his father playing professional baseball in Nicaragua in the 1990s and his mother playing...Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/born-into-baseball-joseph-zamoras-home-away-from-home/https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-baseball-loses-series-2-1-against-south-alabama/App State baseball secured a win 12-2 in one game of a three game series against South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. Despite the win, it was not enough to clinch the series and App State lost 2-1. On Saturday, App State baseball showed promise in the first inning when senior first baseman Juan Correa got on base due to an error by the Jaguars, which left home plate clear for senior infielder Joseph Zamora to score.  Zamora’s run across the home plate would be the last time the Mountaineers put run...Wed, 14 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-baseball-loses-series-2-1-against-south-alabama/https://theappalachianonline.com/the-app-state-dance-team-shows-they-are-more-than-just-dance/Synchronized feet tap the floor, big smiles gleam off the court and adrenaline pumps through the pom-poms the App State dance team holds as they perform to the rhythms and music played on the sideline of games.  Previously known as the Appalettes, the App State dance team has been around for almost 40 years and is sometimes overlooked in its role in the App State spirit program. The team has 18 members, including the four captains, and currently operates without a coach. Head cheer coach Morgan...Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/the-app-state-dance-team-shows-they-are-more-than-just-dance/https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-baseball-gets-knocked-out-by-high-point-panthers-7-13/The Mountaineers traveled to Willard Stadium and fell short to the High Point Panthers Tuesday afternoon 7-13. Senior pitcher Cody Little opened the game for the Mountaineers. Little had a rough start letting the Panthers hit back-to-back homers with only one out on the field in the first inning.  The Black and Gold did not make any headway in the bottom of the first, ending the inning 3-0. App State was able to get two on base with one out but a well-executed double play shut out any scoring po...Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-baseball-gets-knocked-out-by-high-point-panthers-7-13/https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-mens-basketball-sends-the-panthers-back-to-georgia-with-a-loss/App State men’s basketball beat Georgia State in a close game Saturday afternoon, winning 80-76.  The Black and Gold had a tough time defensively in the first couple minutes, giving the Panthers the lead on a 6-0 run. It was clear from the start both teams were playing a quick offensive game, turning the ball over more times than anticipated.  The Mountaineer offense started to show some signs of life with a bounce pass assist from graduate student guard Jackson Threadgill to graduate student fo...Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-mens-basketball-sends-the-panthers-back-to-georgia-with-a-loss/https://theappalachianonline.com/2024-25-mens-basketball-season-has-fresh-faces-first-time-foes-and-renewed-rivalries/As the App State men’s basketball team prepares for the 2024-25 season, there are many storylines to follow. The schedule is headlined by multiple first-time matchups, along with games against perennial Big Ten contender Wisconsin and multiple conference regular-season champions.  The Sun Belt Conference is expected to be competitive once again, and there are plenty of new additions to the Mountaineers as they look to defend their regular-season title. Many fresh faces joined the Mountaineers th...Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/2024-25-mens-basketball-season-has-fresh-faces-first-time-foes-and-renewed-rivalries/https://theappalachianonline.com/hot-or-cold-the-appalachian-predicts-football-season/Clay Durban (Sports Editor) With many key players returning and a weaker conference schedule, the Mountaineers should be able to reclaim the Sun Belt Title in 2024. On the other hand, they also have non-conference matchups with two juggernauts, Liberty and Clemson, which on paper should both result in losses. In the end, they will give up a loss in a tough environment on the road in Marshall and to the Tigers and Flames. Prediction: 9-3 and Sun Belt Championship (Losses against Clemson, Liberty...Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://theappalachianonline.com/hot-or-cold-the-appalachian-predicts-football-season/https://theappalachianonline.com/kermit-smith-continues-to-push-mountaineer-legacy-forward/Kermit Smith holds the title of being one of the best App State baseball coaches of all time. Smith gets his experience as an encouraging coach from being a ball player himself in 2000 for Pfeiffer University. He played one season, then met former App State baseball coach and current Duke coach, Chris Pollard.  In 2000, Smith was an assistant coach for Belmont-Abbey for a year. After seeing his potential and expertise as an assistant, he went on to be head coach of the American Legion post. Eigh...Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://theappalachianonline.com/kermit-smith-continues-to-push-mountaineer-legacy-forward/