NCHSAA 1A State Meet Preview

Jeff George

NCHSAA 1A Girls Preview 

Athletes to Watch

Desire Brown (Heide Trask) is the heavy favorite in the 200, having run half a second faster than anyone else in the field.  She is also entered in the 100 and the 400 (and she hasn't been pushed in the latter event).  Can she come out with multiple titles, or will the more competitive 400 at the state meet wear her down for her favorite event, which comes last of the three?  Brown will have to get past Maleeah Langstaff (Swain) if she wants to win the 400.

With the graduation of multiple champion Malia Ellington, who will inherit her distance titles?  Shawnda Martin (Robbinsville) is the most likely candidate, having posted the top times on the season in all three races.  She did not compete in the 800 at the regional, choosing to focus on the longer races where she is strongest.  Jo Snow (Mt. Airy) also put all of her eggs into the 1600 basket, dropping the 800 at the regional level, and she will be the chief competition in the mile along with Hannah Cranford (South Davidson).  Martin will have one last showdown with longtime competitor Blakely Moore (Highlands), who passed Martin in the last 150 meters to take the cross country title last fall.  Caitlin Burkett (Franklin Academy) could play the role of the young upstart freshman that takes the championship away from the two seniors if they aren't careful.  If Martin can approach her PR from last year, 11:29, she will likely be able to power away from the competition and claim her first-ever 1A individual title.

Ashya Smith (Winston-Salem Prep) has the best time on the season in the 100 Hurdles, but Asia Henry (Union) ran 15.77 last weekend to establish herself as a strong challenger. Expect a two-girl race in the finals, as they should be in separate prelim heats.  Avianna Hopkins (Queens Grant) is the prohibitive favorite in the girls discus, as her season best is 4 feet beyond anyone else (and 11 feet better than any other regional performance).  Emma Frye (North Stokes) will be in a dogfight in the long jump, but she has the potential to dominate the triple, with a season best that exceeds the next competitor by 20 inches.  Montana McElroy (Highlands) is the lone high jumper in the meet to have cleared 5' 2" this season, but there are at least 7 girls that have been over 5 feet even this season.  Sarah Hyatt (Swain) holds a similar position in the pole vault, where she is the only competitor to have cleared 8' 6" ahead of a group of four at 8 feet.


Events to Watch

The 100 Dash appears to be wide open this year, with several closely-matched candidates for the title.  Sydney McCoy (Camden) has the best time on the season at 12.26, with Jessica Norman (Northwest Halifax) just 0.01 back.  Brown will also be in contention with her season best of 12.35.

With Martin and Snow having opted out of the 800 Run, it could be a real barn-burner for two laps!  Emma Pindur (Swain) is the top seed in a field with 6 girls that ran between 2:26 and 2:30 last weekend!  Karley Jessup (North Stokes) should be the main challenger, but there will be several others close enough to reach for a gold medal in this race.

Likewise for the 300 Hurdles, which also lacks a clear favorite.  Zoriah McDonald (Whiteville) leads the field with her 48.10 from her regional meet, but there are 5 more girls that have season bests within two seconds of that time!  Smith was the only other athlete to run under 49 last weekend, but if someone hits their rhythm down the final stretch, we could have a surprise winner here.

In the Shot Put, there are 5 girls who have thrown over 38 feet this season, which is incredibly competitive for such a small classification.  Tiffany Holloway (Andrews) has a best of 41' 6" this season, and if she goes over 40 feet on Friday she will likely win.  However, she did not have the best mark of the regional weekend; that honor goes to Tanazsa Simpson (Pender), who hit 39' 5.5". Kimonta Loyd (Hayesville) and Breasia Williams (Louisburg) should also be in the hunt for a podium finish.

The Long Jump should also be highly competitive, with four jumpers that have gone between 17 and 17' 6" this season.  Frye will have the top seed, but Eminey Redmond (Southside) is the one with the best mark on the season.  De'ja Reid (Winston-Salem Prep) and McCoy should also be in the mix, and there are two other jumpers in the high 16's that could contend with a strong performance.


Teams to Watch

Winston-Salem Prep had the top regional 4x100 and 4x200 times, although Pamlico has the best 4x1 mark for the whole season and they are also a threat in the 4x2.  Swain is close in the 4x2 as well, and holds the top seed in the 4x400 to boot (and with the disqualification of Mt. Airy at their regional, it's the Maroon Devils' race to lose now).  Swain is also the only 4x800 squad to go under 10 minutes in the 1A classification, which makes them the heavy favorite this weekend.

Due in part to that relay strength. Swain appears to be the favorite in overall team scoring.  Mount Airy, North Stokes, and Winston-Salem Prep are all within striking range, but those three could end up battling for second place if the Maroon Devils are on their game Friday.


More NCHSAA 1A State Meet Coverage