Final Information and Schedule

Entry List

In one of the more interesting concepts for a meet that I've seen, JDL Fast Track will host the County Clash this weekend. The idea started as a battle between Guilford and Forsyth counties, and only teams from these counties will be scored (county vs. county rather than team vs. team). A few teams from other areas have also entered, which raises the possibility that the meet could grow to include Mecklenburg, Wake, and Durham counties in the future. Meet management has even expressed the ideas that smaller counties could be joined together to battle against the large urban districts! It's an intriguing concept, and it will be very interesting to see where the whole thing leads over the next few years.

Boys Events to Watch

Sprints & Hurdles

We haven't heard from Barry Harris (Southeast Guilford) in a few weeks--he was sick over the holidays, unfortunately--but he is back and ready to lead the Guilford County efforts in the 300 and 500. Levi Ricketts (Page) and Amari Devaughn (TW Andrews) will be looking to complete a sweep in the 500, while teammates Philip Bryant and Kenneth Eason (Northwest Guilford) will do the same in the 300. It will be up to Jakara King-Penn (Reagan) to stem the tide in the 55 dash, but it looks like the Guilford County numbers will be overwhelming in the sprints. Justin Johnson (High Point Central) could put the nail in the Forsyth County coffin with a strong race in the hurdles, although he is likely to be behind non-scorers Isaiah Moore and Thomas Jones of Cummings. One other non-scorer stands out: Aaron Tindall (Olympic) is back from a minor injury, and hopefull rounding into shape for a run at the state title in the 55. ADVANTAGE: Guilford

Distance

Forsyth County enjoys a strong advantage in the 3200, where Ian Milder (Mount Tabor), Dalton Nickel (Mount Tabor), and Alex Herron (Reagan) lead the list. Ariel Shores (Southeast Guilford) and Clayton Wilson (Greensboro Day) will try to even the score by controlling the 1600. The real battleground appears to be the 1000, where Shores and Wilson will take on Josiah Elliott (Parkland), Andrew Krivsky (Mount Tabor), and Steve Stowe (North Forsyth). ADVANTAGE: Even.

Field Events

It looks like a Reagan vs. Ragsdale battle in the shot put, as both teams have multiple 45-plus throwers. Youngster Chetney Taylor of Ragsdale could be the swing performance as veterans like Travis McGriff (Reagan) and Winston Craig (Ragsdale) cancel each other out. Guilford County rules the triple jump, however, led by Gary Woosley (Northeast Guilford). Woosley and Jamil Nesbitt (TW Andrews) will also try to control the long jump, although Reagan's Alex Martin will have something to say about that. The pole vault could be a Guilford sweep, with Thomas Popek (Ragsdale) and Thor Smith (Northern Guilford) leading the charge. Forsyth County will have to depend on the high jump to make up some points, with Chase Edwards (East Forsyth) their best bet. In addition to the county rivals, keep an eye on non-scorer Isaiah Moore. It was only a matter of time before the Cummings superstar tried his hand at the triple jump, and it looks like this is the day; he is also entered in the long jump and high jump, and a triple win would only add to his legend. ADVANTAGE: Guilford

Final Verdict: Superior talent and numbers in the sprints power Guilford County to a big win.

Girls Preview

Sprints & Hurdles

Guilford County is loaded in the hurdles, with Nora McKiver (TW Andrews), Hunter Roberts (Southwest Guilford), and Alyiah Riley (High Point Central); only Ebony Williams (Parkland) stands in the way of a complete sweep. Guilford also seems to have the edge in the 55, with Paisley Simmons (TW Andrews) and a host of Southeast/Southwest Guilford sprinters. Jocelyn Culbreath (Reagan) and Erin Morrison (Parkland) will try to defend the Forsyth County turf in the short sprint, but if not they could turn the tables in the 300. In that race, Culbreath and Williams have the advantage, although Simmons certainly has the potential to run well there. Culbreath is also the top girl in the 500, where she will face Mason Kepley (High Point Central) stepping down from her usual mid-distance races. Non-scorers Dejah Jones (Wakefield) and Ro'Daijah Faucette (Cummings) will also factor into the sprint races. If the meet comes down to the 4x400, then Parkland should be able to bring it home for the home county. ADVANTAGE: Even

Distance

Although normally you would give the heavy advantage to Forsyth County in the distance races, the presence of Gabby Merritt (Greensboro Day) evens things up a bit. She will run in the 1000, where she will face non-scorers Jones and Christina Nikolaou (Olympic), and the 1600, where Brittney Brinson (Reagan) and Hannah Moerk (East Forsyth) will try to outscore her. It looks like Forsyth will rule the 3200, though, with Kayla Montgomery (Mount Tabor), Emily Grimes (Reagan), and Ashley Smith (West Forsyth) on top of the seedings. ADVANTAGE: Forsyth

Field Events

Forsyth County has the advantage in the vertical jumps, with Gustell Preston (Mount Tabor) leading the high jump list and Rachel Neagle (East Forsyth) likely to dominate the vault. Teammates Dejah Hayes and Bre'Anna Warren (Western Guilford) could swing the field events to Guilford County, though: Hayes is the top seed in the long and triple jumps, while Warren controls the shot put. Ila Mumford (Parkland, jumps) and Jamese Lewis (Reagan, shot put) are the top challengers from Forsyth in those events. ADVANTAGE: Even

Final Verdict: distance runners power Forsyth County to a narrow victory.