East | Mideast | Midwest | West

East Regional

Girls Preview (Virtual Meet)

The Glover sisters, Tia and Timira, give St. Paul's an interesting 1-2 punch in the sprints (if they can live up to their hand-timed entries). Their squad is seeded first in the 4x1 and 4x2, and they hold identical top seeds the 100, plus the top 2 times in the 200. Caroline Jones (South Lenoir) is ranked first in the 1600 and 800, both of which look like two-girl races at the front. Savannah Pugh (Croatan) leads the 3200 list and ranks second in the 1600, while Kierstyn Horton (Swansboro) will be gunning for the 800 title. According to our virtual meet, Swansboro is an overwhelming favorite in this meet, but often teams cannot enter all the events that they get credit for in that report. Beddingfield and Croatan also have strong teams.

Boys Preview (Virtual Meet)

James Rowland (Jacksonville Northside) has dominating marks in the shot put and discus, and should win both events. The long jump looks intensely competitive, with 5 athletes seeded within only 3 inches of each other at the top of the leaderboard. Tevin Bates (Greene Central), who leads the long jump coming into the meet, also holds the #1 spot in the high jump. How's this for a statistical anomaly: a whopping 28 boys "met" the qualifying standard for the 100 in this region. The question is, how many will meet the standard again under the gaze of the computer timing system? Mick Stanovsek (First Flight) holds the top seed in the 1600 and 800, though it is a narrow lead in both; he also ranks fifth in the 3200. Swansboro, Beddingfield, and North Brunswick grade out almost equal in the virtual meet.

Mideast Regional

Girls Preview (Virtual Meet)

This regional has recently been the home of a preposterous amount of sprint talent, and though that has tailed off a bit, there is still a lot to like about the athletes here. Ro'Daijah Faucette (Cummings) and Nora McKiver (TW Andrews) are both top-notch hurdlers; Faucette runs the 100, while McKiver runs both (and she is the state leader in the 300). Faucette is also the top seed in the 400, 200, and triple jump, making her an MVP candidate. Kacia Vines (Cedar Ridge) is one of the few 18-foot long-jumpers in the state, and if she jumps well she should win the event. In contrast, the high jump features three 5' 4" jumpers that will have to watch their early misses to have a chance to win. Carrboro's girls are within striking distance of sweeping the top three places in all three distance races behind mutliple-time state champ Grace Morken. The only two girls that appear to have a chance to break up the Carrboro runners are Hana Ratcliffe (Durham School of the Arts) and Arden Vessie (Corinth Holders). Keep an eye on Paisley Simmons (TW Andrews), who is the defending state champion in the 100 and 200, despite her lower seeding this year. Carrboro enters the meet as the favorite, and it looks like Swansboro, Cummings, Corinth Holders, and TW Andrews could all end up battling for second place.

Boys Preview (Virtual Meet)

Three big stars dominate the performance list here. Isaiah Moore (Cummings) is always a threat to win three events, although his own teammate - Thomas Jones II - could be the athlete that gets in his way by taking the hurdle races. Moore is the top seed in the long jump and high jump in addition to the hurdles. AJ Tucker (Cedar Ridge) has the top time in the 1600 and 3200, and he won a state title in the second event indoors. His teammate Ethan Smith has the best mark in the state among vaulters, and if he jumps well he should win handily. Also worth watching is Scott Peretin (Carrboro), who might not be as well-known as some of the other top throwers in the state, but is very strong (especially in the discus). Cedar Ridge has depth to go with its two stars, and has to be considered the favorite for a team title. Carrboro and Cummings are both very good, and they might end up in a close battle for the silver trophy.

Midwest Regional

Girls Preview (Virtual Meet)

The Cuthbertson girls are heavy favorites here, led by Nikolete Hurrinus and the top three vaulters in the region. Hurrinus sits atop the leaderboard for the 200 and 400 (plus she's second in the 100), but it won't be a cakewalk for her with Jaleesa Smoot (Salisbury) around in all three races. Erin Bingham (Ashe) has the top seed in both hurdle races, although she will have quite a race on her hands in the 300. Laney Browder (Wilkes Central), formerly known more for her long-distance talents, has expanded her range into the 800 more this season, and the reward is the inside lane for that race. Browder might be able to hold off Callie Wynn (West Davidson) at that distance, but Wynn is a big favorite in the 1600 and 3200 and might scratch the 800 to focus on those. Hunter Welborn (Starmount) has as good a claim to the title of best female high jumper as anyone else in the state, having cleared 6' 6" this season. Mikaela Siebert (Cuthbertson) has dominant seed marks in the long and triple, and the same goes for Alex Cooke (North Surry) in the shot put. It looks like West Davidson and Ashe County could find themselves in contention for second place in the team scores.

Boys Preview (Virtual Meet)

James Drummond (Lexington) is the big name in the sprints, but he isn't the top seed in the 100; that honor belongs to Juwan Crowder (Forest Hills). Nonetheless, don't expect Drummond to go down without a fight, and he has the top seed in the 200. Here's another interesting tidbit: Drummond is entered in the 400, and he might be angling for a run at a triple here. Brock Reynolds (West Stokes) leads the entry list in that event, and also in the high jump. Jason Barber (West Stokes) has had a quiet season, but he looks like a big favorite in the 1600 here, and also has the #1 spot in the 800 and #2 in the 3200. Rasean Bledsoe (Salisbury) is one of the best triple jumpers in the state. This could turn out to be the closest boys' team score of all the regionals: our virtual meet scores West Stokes at 102, with Cuthbertson and Forest Hills both earning 100! Can't wait to see how that turns out on Saturday.

West Regional

Girls Preview (Virtual Meet)

Zariya Moss (Newton-Conover) is becoming well-known in this area of the state, and she enters the meet as the favorite in the long jump, 100, and 200. Ashley Parker (Draughn) leads all qualifiers in the triple jump and the high jump. Allie Castro (North Lincoln) has had an up-and-down season, but if she hits her stride the next few weeks, look out: she showed her potential with an 11:14 in the 3200 in late March, and she is also the prohibitive favorite in the 1600. Her teammate, Caitlin Potter, has emerged as the best 800 runner in the region this spring. Finally, Elizabeth Easter (South Iredell) has a legitimate chance to win both hurdle races. In terms of team scores, this could be the lowest-scoring of the four girls regionals, and that opens the door to several teams. South Iredell looks the strongest on paper, but don't be surprised if Draughn or North Lincoln makes a run at the title.

Boys Preview (Virtual Meet)

North Lincoln's boys are as good a group of distance runners as just about any in the state, and they can rack up big points in only four events. Ryan Shannon (3200) and Andrew Fea (1600/800) hold the top seeds for the Knights, but they have depth in each event. Tommy Connell (Brevard) has the best chance to pull a gold medal away from those guys, especially if he skips the 1600 to focus on the 800. Jesse Earnhardt (East Lincoln) is the top sprinter in the region, with strong times in both the 100 and 200, although he will be challenged in both races. Donte' Dorsey (Shelby) is the top seed for both hurdle races, although he shares the same entry time in the 110's as Jalen Wilson (Bunker Hill). It looks like North Lincoln, Shelby, and East Lincoln all have legitimate title hopes coming into the meet, although North Lincoln could lock it up with strong performances from their #2 and #3 distance runners in each race.