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Girls

Sprints & Hurdles

Tori Elliot (Cox Mill) and Nyshedra Brown (West Craven) are set to battle it out in the short sprints, as each one holds a #1 ranking in one event and a #2 in the other. In the 400, Naomi Alston (Douglas Byrd) and Sage Proffitt (North Buncombe) both ran under 57 last spring, and that could set up a great duel on May 18th. The hurdles are fairly wide open: Washington's Janell Griffin and South Central's Jasmine Morrow lead the 100 list, while Franklin's Rikki Jay and Northern Guilford's Anna Smith are on top of the 300 rankings.

Distance

The 3A girls group of distance runners is loaded with talent. Although Megan Kunkel (Cardinal Gibbons) has the best returning time in the 800, it's hard to count out Blake Dodge (West Carteret, right) either in this event or the 1600. Dodge's new teammate Katie Cease (transfer from Utah) also has a chance to shake up the rankings, especially after a very successful winter season. Jentzen Jones (Fike) leads 6 returning girls who went under 5:20 in this classification last spring, while Carmen Hilliard (South Brunswick) has the #2 time. Dodge and Hilliard both broke 5:10 this winter in going 1-2 at the indoor state meet. Mallary Price (Weddington) and Tristin Van Ord (Chapel Hill) lead the list of returners in the 3200, but Hilliard's best from the winter puts her right in the mix. Event selection by the top 5 girls could have a huge impact on the way the state meet unfolds.

Field Events

Whitney Williams (South Johnston) is the top returner in the shot put, and she threw like it this winter. Lexus Hankins (South Brunswick) leads the discus list and is ranked #2 in the shot put, while Lyssa Wallace-O'neill (Jacksonville) trails just behind her in both events. Cox Mill's Elliot (left), the returning 3A MVP, also leads the long jump list; only she and Onya Edwards (Charlotte Catholic) went further than 17 feet last spring, although Courtney Crawford (McMichael) popped an 18-footer during the winter. There are 3 girls within 2.5 inches of each other on the preseason triple jump list: Edwards, Keisha Corpening (Hibriten), and Danaisha Pitchford (Nash Central). Harding's Latrondra Morrow and Westover's Qizeah Jackson both soared over 5' 6" last spring, while North Buncombe's Proffitt cleared 12' 4" this winter in the vault. In most years, Elizabeth Ambler (Northern Guilford) would be a heavy favorite with her vault of 11' 7" this winter, while sophomore Danielle Brown (Franklin) represents the future in that event.

Teams to Watch

It's impossible to label a favorite going into this year, with several teams essentially even right now. The virtual meet identifies Cox Mill, North Buncombe, South Brunswick, Charlotte Catholic, Hibriten, and Fike as being within 3 points of each other, and that doesn't include West Carteret, who should also be in the mix. That means we still have a lot of fun competition to get through before things get sorted out a bit!

Virtual Meet: Returning Girls

(Subscribers only, using 2011 performances in the MileSplit database)

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Boys

Sprints & Hurdles

Kedrick Davis (Berry Academy, above) is the top returner from any classification in the 100 dash, although his teammate Cameron Hudson ran very well in both the 55 and the 200 this winter. Germone Hopper makes it three top sprinters for Berry, while Harvey McSwain II (Crest) holds the top returning 200 time. Had enough Berry Academy yet? Too bad, because Larry Gibson leads the list of returners in the 400, the only returner who broke 50. Demonte Wilson (Crest, right) leads both the 110 and 300 hurdle lists, with Wesley Tucker (Jacksonville) and Will England (Northwest Cabarrus) the main challengers.

Distance

The boys 800 looks to be a very interesting battle between Chase Helton (Douglas Byrd), Paul Lilley (Rocky Mount), and Cole Honeycutt (East Rowan), all of whom broke 1:57 last year. Lilley also established himself as a force in the 1600 by winning the indoor state title, but he will face strong competition in that event From Tommy Schotzinger (Cardinal Gibbons) and teammates Mitch McLeod and Chris Reeder (Chapel Hill). McLeod is also the top returner in the 3200, but don't count out cross country state champ Steven Phillips (Cardinal Gibbons) or Weddington's Jonathan Bivens.

Field Events

Neshawn Dingle (Jay M Robinson) is a heavy favorite in the shot put, and he also holds a narrow lead in the discus list. Thomas Evans (Franklin) is the top challenger in the shot, while Demetrius Benton (Hickory Ridge) is in the hunt for the discus title. There are eight boys in this classification who have thrown over 50 feet! Berry Academy's Hudson jumped consistently in the upper 23's during the winter season, putting him on even footing with Frank Quarles (Douglas Byrd). Jordan Warren (Hickory Ridge) is the top returner in the triple jump, with Matt Colvin (Southern Guilford) right on his heels after a strong winter season (and three other boys jumped over 44 feet last year in what could be a very tight event). Spencer Walden (Union Pines) and Cole Finch (Weddington) have dueled in the high jump already this winter, and with them separated by only one inch that shows no sign of stopping this spring. The boys' vault is pretty wide open: Ronny Franklin (Marvin Ridge) jumped 14 feet this winter, and Jose San Miguel (Cardinal Gibbons) just cleared that height last week, while three jumpers have cleared 13' 6".

Teams to Watch

After dominating the 2A level last year, Berry Academy is set to attempt one of the rarest of feats: back-to-back state championships while moving up a class after the first. They look like a big favorite right now, and the rankings don't even factor in the sprint relays, but a lot can happen between now and May. Douglas Byrd, Crest, and Cardinal Gibbons all have the potential to reach the team podium.