East | Mideast | Midwest | West

NOTE: Virtual meets will only reflect results sent to NCRunners, and will not include unverified times entered by coaches.

East Regional

Boys Preview (Virtual Meet)

It is very difficult to predict this region, because it appears the majority of the regular-season results did not get sent in; in fact, in some events nearly all of the entries are unverified. John Crossley (West Carteret) could have been the top seed in 4 events had his coach chosen to enter all of them, but he wisely decided to stick to the 800 and 1600. That allows Crossley to anchor the Patriots' top-seede 4x4 and 4x8 relays. Tyshawn Siders (Jacksonville) has proven to be a legitimate contender in the sprints, but he might get a push from Deont'e Howard (South Central) in the 200. Damian Silver (Nash Central) has a chance to win both hurdle races (and he has FAT marks to back up his claim to the titles), but he will have to get past Taiquan Dixon (Cleveland) in the 300. Colin Minor (South Brunswick) is a monster in both throws, and is especially dominant in the shot put at this meet. One of the top vaulters in the state, Ian West (Fike), will be competing essentially against himself this weekend, tuning up for the state meet. The long jump, triple jump, and high jump look like they will be very competitive. The virtual meet predicts Cleveland as the champion, with their deep base of athletes in the sprints, hurdles, and jumps, but Nash Central will likely be in the mix.

Girls Preview (Virtual Meet)

Tayana Glasgow (Jacksonville) has the ability to win the 100, 200, and 400 at this meet, and she is helped by the removal of prelims in the longer sprints that the NCHSAA put in place last year. The distance races will likely be a Carteret vs. Brunswick affair, as Carmen Hilliard (South Brunswick) goes against Katie Cease and Blake Dodge (West Carteret). Cease has been particularly strong this spring, while Dodge is always a bit of a wild-card in May after soccer season. If they follow past tendencies, Hilliard will run the longer two races, while Dodge and Cease will stick to the mid-distances. The hurdles are pretty wide-open, especially the 300; Dominique Chandler (Jacksonville) holds the top seed in the high hurdles. The throws could be very interesting, with Lyssa Wallace-O'Neill (Jacksonville) holding a narrow lead over a number of good athletes in both the shot and the discus. Tonya Anding (White Oak) appears to be in line to win the long and triple, while the high jump does not have a clear favorite. Jacksonville has a ton of athletes and should be able to translate that into a title; West Carteret has depth in the distances and two strong relays, but their girls can't run everything they're listed in for the virtual meet, and that will limit their points a bit.

Mideast Regional

Boys Preview (Virtual Meet)

For a part-time track athlete who focuses on football most of the year, TJ Logan (Northern Guilford) is pretty good. He should have little trouble handling the field in the 100 and 200 (although Byrd's Frank Quarles is a very good 200 runner, too). There is some real talent in the 400, with Quincy Ridley (Overhills) set to battle the McGill brothers from Northeast Guilford, all of whom have gone under 50 (two of the under 49 this season). Chapel Hill and Northern Guilford will be duking it out in the distance races, with Chris Reeder (Chapel Hill) holding the top seed in all three. Jimmy Hollingsworth and Jon Knight (Northern Guilford) are both contenders in the 800 and 1600, and Nick Tyrey (Cardinal Gibbons) is no slouch, particularly in the 3200. North Forsyth can score big points by putting three guys into the top four of both the hurdles races, neither of which has a dominant favorite. Mateius Brown (Western Harnett) is one of the best throwers in the state, especially in the discus, where he most likely will not be challenged this weekend. Gary Woosley (Northeast Guilford) holds the top seed in the long and triple jumps, and is also a strong 400 runner; will they put him in the race, or keep him in two relays that might score next week? With six guys seeded at 6' 0" or 6' 1", nobody knows how the high jump will turn out; in the pole vault, on the other hand, JOse San Miguel is a big favorite, and he has been hitting his stride lately (at the right time of the year). In the team competition, it seems that Northern Guilford has too much depth for anyone to unseat them, but watch out for Northeast Guilford at the state meet.

Girls Preview (Virtual Meet)

If the Cardinal Gibbons girls were allowed to run all their qualifiers instead of just three girls per event, they would walk away with the regional title. As it is, the combination of Mary Grace Doggett and Sophie Ebihara, plus the depth they have, should give them a shot. Westover stands in the way as the favored team, powered by Qizeah Jackson; she is best known for being one of the top high jumpers in the state, but she is also a strong sprinter. Westover also has Kayla Jackson, a 9th-grader who holds the top spot in the 800, and three strong relays. Western Alamance sports two top athletes in Lydia Laws, the top seed in both hurdle races, and Alexis Dickerson, who is the #1 thrower in the region and one of the best shot putters in the state. Chapel Hill can put up Hannah Blackburn, a 36' triple jumper, plus distance runners Tristin Van Ord and Alexa Young. Brooke Shelton (Ledford) should dominate the pole vault, but the long jump looks extremely competitive. Keep an eye on Courtney Crawford (McMichael), who has a great pedigree but has not yet produced her top marks this spring.

Midwest Regional

Boys Preview (Virtual Meet)

The field events are strong in this region, with two potential double-winners that are among the best in the state. Jordan Warren (Hickory Ridge) hasn't fully hit his stride in the triple jump this spring, but he still holds the top seed there as well as in the high jump. Myquon Stout (Carson) was one throw away from winning the 3A state title in the shot put last spring, but in the discus he will face a strong three-man competition. Marvin Ridge has title hopes, and they could hinge on the 100 and 200; there is no clear favorite in either race, and the Mavericks have good sprinters. Traevin Drayton-Ferguson (Phillip O. Berry) is talented enough to win the 400 or the 800, but the double will be hard to pull off. This region is deep with solid distance runners, although injuries have thinned the ranks somewhat; look out for McCann Sheridan (Jay M. Robinson), who has quietly had a very strong spring season. If the Marvin Ridge squad does not reach its full potential, there is a cluster of three schools ready to try to steal the title: Robinson, A.L. Brown, and Berry (and they will battle for second if they don't get the shot at first).

Girls Preview (Virtual Meet)

Many people are familiar with the strength of the Phillip O. Berry Academy boys' team over the last few years, but less people seem to have noticed that their girls are getting good now, too. From Tayshondlyn Huntley (#1 seed in the triple jump) to Tatiana Mills (#1 seed in the 400) with 3 top-ranked relays in between, Berry is a legitimate favorite for the team title. A lot of that will hinge on the results of the 100 and 200, which again do not have a dominant individual; Maya Grier leads a solid group of sprinters that could secure the championship for their school. In the distance races, Maddie Lowe (Northwest Cabarrus) is the top seed in the 800 and 1600, although she will certainly be pushed in both. Natalie Andrejchak (Jay M. Robinson) is ranked first in the 3200, but Melanie Hussey (Marvin Ridge) will be right with her. Talvanisha Lawing (A.L. Brown) is the top seed in the 100 hurdles and the long jump, while Elizabeth Olesen (Hickory Ridge) is one of the best high-jumpers in the state. If Berry falters, it looks like Marvin Ridge is the team with the best chance to claim the gold trophy this weekend.

West Regional

Boys Preview (Virtual Meet)

Cameron Stinson (Hickory) is the star in this region, with his state-leading marks in the 100 dash and the long jump as well as a very strong 200 time. His brother Corey also leads the 400 list coming into the meet, but those two will probably not be enough to propel their team into contention for the top two spots. Fans of the field events will be in heaven here, as all of them are deep in talent and should be extremely competitive. Asheville is the favorite for the team title, with a squad built around jumpers Noah Tyson, Nathan Tyson, and Mekhi McGuyver. Asheville also has Brandon Washington, the top seed in both hurdle races, as well as four strong relays. East Henderson will not go down without a fight, though, and they have a balanced team that includes a distance runner (Tanis Baldwin), a jumper (Steffon Hill), a vaulter (Corey Ginley), and a thrower (Kyle Malone) that all hold the top seed in one event. Two distance runners to watch: Noah Green (Patton) in the 3200, and Andrew Crowell (Enka) in the 800 and 1600.

Girls Preview (Virtual Meet)

The sprinters are not elite in this region, but the races should be very competitive. Pia Mackie (Asheville) holds a narrow advantage in the seedings coming into the 200 and 400. Likewise for Brooke Turner (Tuscola), one of several talented 9th-graders in the region and the top-ranked 800/1600 athlete. Naomi Cartier (Asheville), another freshman, leads the 3200 list, but all of the distance races will be closely contested. Don't be too surprised if Katarina Ruehl (North Buncombe) moves up from her seeding in the 1600 or 3200, as she is now recovering from a series of training interruptions. Kaylah Ruff (Hickory) might be the most dominant athlete in girls' competition here, as she appears to have complete command of the hurdle races (she is also the top seed in the triple jump). It looks like Heidi Brickhouse (West Henderson) and Sarah Golden (Tuscola) will have a back-and-forth battle in the throws. There are four 10-foot vaulters in the region, which should make for very good competition if the weather conditions in Cullowhee allow for it. Although neither team has any huge stars, it appears that the depth of Tuscola and North Buncombe will put them into a two-team fight for the championship. Hickory and Asheville are close enough to take advantage if any doors open up for them.