4A Girls
Teams to Watch:
Wakefield is the defending champion as well as this year’s Winter Super Meet winner. Scary thought number one: the Wolverines seem to have taken a big step forward from last year. Scary thought number two: they have very few seniors on their team. Ariah Graham broke the all-time state record in the 300 this winter (at Virginia Tech) and won the long jump at the state meet as well. Will she look to add a title in the 200 or 400 (or both) this spring? Olicia Sharp leads all returners in the 100 and will contend in the 200, too. Michaela Birek is the #2 returner in the 300 hurdes, and Wakefield has two returning vaulters over 10 feet. And oh, yes, let's not forget those relays! The Wolverines hold indoor national rankings in the 4x200 (#3) and 4x400 (#4) going into the New Balance Nationals.
Clayton has two superstars of their own in Keni Harrison (#1 returner and defending champ in both hurdles, winter 500 champion) and Mollie Williams (#3 in both hurdle races). Catie Simmons cleared 11 feet in the vault last year. Harrison has shown she can contend in the sprints as well as the hurdles, giving the comets more flexibility when they prepare for the state meet.
Southeast Raleigh has star power and normally has a number of good athletes. Auburn signee Dannielle Davis is the #2 returner in the 100 hurdles, but she currently stands #2 in the nation in the 55 hurdles! She is also a top-flight long jumper. Will she add another individual event this spring, or possibly focus on the relays? The Bulldogs also have Jaleah Wilder, the second-fastest returner in the 400.
Green Hope has a fleet of distance runners, including Lauren Colberg (1600 state champ this winter) and Maura McDonnell (#2 in the 1000 this winter). The Falcons edged the Pioneers of Watauga for second place behind Wakefield in the Winter Super Meet, and both teams will be part of a tremendous group of 4x800 relays (see below).
Watauga has developed rapidly in the distances since last spring, led by the development of Darby Middlebrook (cross country state champion, second in the winter 3200). Sydney Cook is a contender in the high jump (see below) and also a solid vaulter.
Lumberton could sneak into the top 5 teams based solely on the strength of a trio of throwers. Nicole Chavis (#1 SP, #3 DT), Carthenia Brown (#2 SP), and Jaynele Brown (#4 SP) have got to be one of the best groups of weight athletes we've seen at one school!
Other Athletes to Watch:
What a field of jumpers! In addition to Graham and Davis (listed above), Hannah Hensley (Pinecrest) and Alexis Hall (Page) have both jumped over 18 feet. Hall will also battle Shemiah Brooks (Southwest Guilford), the returning leader and defending champ in the triple jump and a legitimate threat to reach 40 feet. Hensley leads a field of high jumpers that includes FIVE jumpers who have cleared 5-6, including Sarah Graham (Wake Forest-Rolesville), Cassidie Cierra Burdick (Butler) as well as Alexis Perry (Jordan) and Cook (listed above). Hensley and Sarah Graham are both contenders in the 100 hurdles, as well!
Millbrook welcomes back distance star Samantha George, who leads the returning 1600 and 3200 lists and is ranked third in the 800. She did not compete this winter, but now rejoins her teammate, vaulter Lilian Wyss, for the spring season. If Samantha chooses to move down to the 800, she'll find Jennie Cunningham (Pinecrest) and Sophie Capshaw-Mack (RJ Reynolds) battling with McDonnell (listed above). Margaret Leak will try to finish a fantastic career by fighting for a title in the 1600 and/or 800; she is the #2 returner in both and currently leads the state with an early 2:17 in the 800. Cary's girls 4x800 will be trying to cap a dominant past two years with one more title. With deep and strong distance crews like Green Hope and Watauga around, plus Providence and Millbrook both returning most or all of their relay from last year, this will be a tremendous competition!
Sequoia Watkins is the top returner in the discus, where she looks to threaten the state record. She wants to add an outdoor shot title to her resume, but she'll have to get through Lumberton's group.. Dominique Weathers (Vance), Gabrielle Gray (High Point Central), and Sarah Justice (Ragsdale) are all contenders in the 100 or 200, while T'Shelia Mungo (Independence) is the top returner in the 400. Sydney White (East Forsyth) is the leader in the vault and has been very strong this winter, while Audrey Diener (Apex) will be a primary challenger in that event.
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(Based on returning performances from the Milesplit database)
4A Boys
Teams to Watch:
Knightdale is flat-out loaded, and their senior-heavy squad is driven to bring home a second state title (to go with their winter championship) before they graduate. Mar-Keo Jones leads all returners in the 200 and will contend in the 100 after winning the winter 55. Joshua Dunston won the Winter Super Meet long jump and also competes in the hurdles, where he is joined by this year's 55H champ Timothy Hardy. Burkheart Ellis, ir, and Devin Johnson provide valuable depth in the sprints and sprint relays (especially the 4x4). It looks like Da'Quan Smalls, formerly of Clayton, is at Knightdale now, too (he is ranked in the top 3 returners in the 100).
Wakefield doesn't look great on the returning list, but they DID look great at the Winter Super Meet. Aaron Covington was the MVP there after wins in the 300 and 500, and teammate Denzel Brown was the runner up in the 300. With Mitch Mallory a contender in the 1600 and 3200, the Bulldogs will definitely be in the fight.
Sanderson has Carl Marant (#1 returner in the TJ, #4 returner in the LJ) as well as Chris Lampkins (#2 300H). The Spartans might miss last year's strong group of distance runners, though.
Other Athletes to Watch:
The absence of Forrest Lyerly hurt Reagan’s chances for a 4x800 title, but Craig Engels has capitalized on his opportunity to step up. Craig currently leads the state in the 800, but he will be joining a field with 8 returners under 1:58, led by Clyde Wilson IV (Jack Britt) and Getisso Dentamo (Mallard Creek). Blake Williams (Northern Durham) is one of those 8, and he is also the favorite in the 1600 and 3200. Ryan Walling (Green Hope), Chris Garrett (West Johnston), and Mallory (listed above) will also be contenders in the distance races.
Jarrett Samuels (formerly of Vance) transferred to a private school, and that leaves some big openings as he was ranked #1 in the 400, #1 in the long jump, and #2 in the 200. Anthony Bynum (Hopewell) will try to rise to that challenge in the 200 (and may also contend in the 100), and Demari Boswell is now the top 4A returner in the 400 as well as a top 200 contender. Wakefield's Covington and Brown should be in the mix for the long sprints, as well as Kway Taylor-Green (Cary) and Xavier Jones (Ragsdale). With 5 guys under 35 in the winter 300, and 4 guys under 1:07 in the 500, this field is loaded and should produce amazing results all year!
Stanley Broaden (Ashley) is the top returner in a wide-open field of hurdlers with no clear favorite. Sherman Ragland III (Southern Durham), Malik Hayes (Apex), Seyyan Moody (Scotland), Lampkins, three Knightdale hurdlers...any of these guys has a legitimate shot at one of the hurdles titles. In the throws, Shaun Underwood of Fuquay-Varina leads all returners in the shot, closely followed by Nick Sansotta of Butler (the winter state champion). Courtland Clavette (AC Reynolds) is by far the best returner in the discus, and Josh McClam (Holly Springs) is the top returner in the long jump (second in the winter to Dunston). Tyreek Sparks (High Point Central) is the #2 returner in the triple jump, and Desmond Stearns is third in both the long and triple. The high jump looks to be wide open, with the top returners all at 6' 6" last year, but Alex Louden (East Wake) went 6' 8" to win this year's winter title. Two Forsyth County vaulters will vie for the aerial title: Austin Vegas (East Forsyth) and Jaie Maness (Glenn). Maness might have the edge right now with his jump of 15' 2.5" last weekend at the AAU Southern Indoor meet.
Subscribers: CLICK HERE for a virtual 4A Boys state meet! (NOTE: some returners still listed at their old schools)
(Based on returning performances from the Milesplit database)