Fort Mill High School claimed the Carlisle Cup as the top 5A Division II athletic program in South Carolina for 2025-2026. The Yellow Jackets finished with 1,130 points, beating second-place Chapin by 110, powered by five team state championships.
The Fort Mill School Board formally recognized those achievements at its Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting, according to the Fort Mill Sun. The board also honored Athletic Director Dwayne Hartsoe for his induction into the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) Hall of Fame.
Five titles, one cup
The Yellow Jackets won state championships in boys and girls cross country, boys and girls track and field, and boys wrestling during the 2025-2026 season. Each title contributed 100 points toward the Carlisle Cup total.
Fort Mill also finished as state runner-up in boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, boys swimming and girls swimming. The school secured 12 region championships, and all but one varsity team qualified for the SCHSL state playoffs, according to Fort Mill Prep Sports.
It is only the second in school history. Fort Mill previously won the award, which recognizes the best overall athletic department at the 5A Division II level, in the 2007-2008 school year.
"Great accomplishment for our entire athletic family … To be recognized as the overall best athletic department in our 5A Division II in the entire state is amazing," Hartsoe told Fort Mill Prep Sports in July when the cup was announced.
Track standouts
The boys and girls track and field teams swept the SCHSL 5A Division II state championships in spring 2026. Individual state champions included Mia Williams in the 100 meters and triple jump, Wyatt Gremillion in the 800 meters and Connor Demmerle in the 1,600 meters, according to the Fort Mill School District. The boys and girls 4x800-meter relay teams also won state titles.
Hartsoe enters Hall of Fame
Hartsoe was inducted into the SCBCA Hall of Fame on Thursday, July 23, in Greenville. He was one of four coaches in the Class of 2026, alongside Sharon Dillon of Broome and Spartanburg, Tim Morris of Woodmont and the late Jimmy Towe of Calhoun Falls, Seneca and Woodmont, according to Fort Mill Prep Sports.
Hartsoe coached basketball for more than 30 years, including 12 seasons at Fort Mill High School, where he became the school's all-time winningest coach. He retired from coaching after the 2022-2023 season with a 444-308 career record to focus on his athletic director duties. His teams made the playoffs 27 times and won 10 region titles.
In 1995, he guided Williston-Elko to a 1A state championship.
The board meeting also included the 2025-2026 FMSD Athletics Coach Awards, the Superintendent's Red Nose Award and recognition of staff members marking 25 and 30 years of service with the district.
