Courtney Miles (Beddingfield) is the top seed in the 200, the long jump, and the triple jump.
Alex Rodman (First Flight) has followed up a strong freshman cross country season with a solid track season, and she might not be fully tested this weekend.
Samantha Layko (Croatan) is a prohibitive favorite in the throws.
Joya Blackwell (Hertford) leads the region in the 100 Hurdles and the high jump, but she has close competitors in both.
Jayhlen Washington (North Brunswick) had to choose which events to contest - he could have been a contender in the 100 and 200, but he's focusing on his best 3 events. Washington is the top seed in the 110 Hurdles as well as the long and triple jump, and that leaves space for 1 relay, too.
Johnathan Shingleton (North Pitt) will most likely win the pole vault with his first jump, and then he can focus on getting a new season best.
Teams to Watch
It's deja vu from the indoor season: North Brunswick and North Pitt have the top 2 boys' teams, with the Scorpions in the driver's seat. Everyone else is likely battling for third.
Croatan's girls are the early favorites, but not by a large enough margin to feel comfortable. Beddingfield and Currituck are the main competitors, and if neither can get to first place then the battle for second could be intense.
Kayla Moore (Cummings) has been struggling to stay healthy an in rhythm, but when she is on her game she's tough to beat in the hurdles. The second seed in both races is a teammate, so even if she isn't perfect it doesn't really hurt the Cavaliers. Moore is also the top seed in the long jump, but she isn't competing in the triple.
Maysa Araba and Helen Morken (Carrboro) should dominate the distance races, with Araba the top seed in the 800 and 1600 while Morken holds down the 3200.
Magnus Herweyer (Carrboro) tops the rankings in both throws, but he is particularly strong in the discus throw.
Elliot Graves (Reidsville) has added a sub-22 200 time to his already-known excellence in both hurdle races, giving him the #1 slot in 3 events.
Malik Tarbell (Franklinton) is the top seed in the 100 and 200, but will his hand time in the shorter race hold up?
Amari Devaughn (T.W. Andrews) enters with a narrow lead in the 400, but that could be deceptive - he ran in the 48's last year.
Teams to Watch
It's not often that you see two teams predicted to score over 100 points at a region, and neither is the favorite. That's the case for Cummings and Durham School of the Arts, who trail Carrboro in the virtual meet. The Jaguars' points are a bit inflated there, due to the depth of their distance runners, so this could be a very interesting team championship battle.
Carrboro's boys are also favorites, and by a potentially more comfortable margin. It's enough that Franklinton, T.W. Andrews, and Reidsville could be fighting each other for the silver plaque.
Sykonza Evans (Carver) holds the top seed in the 100 and 200, but in the latter race she will have her hands full with Payton Russell (North Rowan).
We haven't heard much from Jaleesa Smoot (Salisbury) this year, but she has the potential to dominate the 400 (and probably take the 200, as well).
Brittany Stanley (Mt. Pleasant) is tough in the mid-distances, where she should be able to roll over the competition. Likewise for Kaitlyn Stone (West Stokes) in the 3200.
Brianna White (North Rowan) is the favorite in both hurdle races, and she also leads the high jump entries.
Olivia McGee is looking to continue the West Wilkes tradition of excellence in the field events by winning the long and triple jumps.
Juwan Crowder (Forest Hills) is healthy this year, and it's good to see him getting closer to his full potential. He has to watch out for Brian Sessoms, though, as the Carver senior does his best work when a championship is on the line.
Elijah Inuwa (Central Academy of Technology) is a bit underseeded in the 1600 - let's just say he might be able to run faster than his 4:38 entry time. He should dominate that race as well as the 800,
Keelan Goodwin (South Stokes) has a good chance to win 3 events: the 110 Hurdles, the long jump, and the triple jump.
Teams to Watch
Forest Hills and CATA are almost completely even in the virtual meet, so the team title could come down to a very small margin. Several other teams are close enough to threaten with a few favorable outcomes, including North Rowan.
Monroe has a pretty good streak of girls' regional titles going, but this year it could be North Rowan's turn. Mt. Pleasant is close to the two front-runners in the virtual meet, but that's with Stanley in 4 events.
Ashley Parker (Draughn) is the top seed in the long jump and the high jump, and also the second seed in the triple jump.
Mariah Howlett (Lake Norman Charter) leads the entries in the 1600 and 3200, but don't be surprised if Frances Massey (East Lincoln) sticks with her.
Blanton Gillespie (Shelby) and Corbin Boyles (Maiden) should have a very interesting race in the 3200, and Gillespie is also the top seed in the 1600.
Bunker Hill's J'Len Wilson is the favorite in both hurdle races, and his teammate Di'Joun Huitt is the top seed in the triple jump.
Damarius Valentine (East Lincoln) has a big long jump mark that he wants to repeat, and if he does he will win big.
Teams to Watch
Bunker Hill and Shelby are fairly evenly matched, and either team could win the boys' title. East Lincoln and Polk County both have the potential to challenge for one of the top two spots, but could also end up fighting for 3rd.
This region is clearly the closest of the four when it comes to girls' competition. The virtual meet places East Lincoln, Draughn, Hendersonville, and Stuart Cramer within striking distance of the team title.
