NCHSAA 4A State Meet Preview

Jeff George

Boys Field Events


You don't often see someone listed as the top seed in both the high jump and the pole vault, but that's the case with Keon Howe (Mallard Creek, above). He is definitely the favorite in the first event, where his PR of 6' 10" puts him ahead of chief contenders Jordan Dale (NW Guilford), Mykol Branch (Laney), and Steve Fossi-Noue (Mallard Creek), who have all been over 6' 8". Howe is not the favorite in the pole vault, but given his improvement there and the unpredictable nature of that event, who knows? Drew Pedersen (Apex) has cleared 16' 5" this season, and teammate Michael Utecht 15' 6".

If any one athlete is able to win both the horizontal jumps, it will be Markel Dalton (Jay M. Robinson). He is seeded second in the long jump, but Jamie Brown (Knightdale) and Joshua McGowen (Overhills) have been over 23 feet this season. Interestingly, nobody jumped farther than 22' 4" at any of the regionals, which allowed Tevin Quick (Ragsdale) to slip into the top seed - and he has jumped 23' in the past, too. Dalton is also the top seed in the triple, although Darryl Shaw (Jack Britt) can actually be considered the favorite with his 49' 2", which is US #8 right now, and you can never count out Marcus Krah (Hillside) in either the long or the triple.

Ryan Davis (Pine Forest) holds the top seed in both throws, and he is definitely the favorite in the shot put - the only thrower close to him there is Terrell Adams (Middle Creek). In the discus, however, Iyin Battle (East Chapel Hill) has the best mark on the season, making him a real threat to prevent Davis from getting dual titles.


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