Will Distance Races Steal the Show at Taco Bell? NC Preview

North Carolina Girls Preview: Taco Bell Classic

Did I mention that the distance races are loaded?  So much so that Anna Vess (A.C. Reynolds), sub-5 miler and defending 3A champion, is seeded third in both of her races.  Last year's 800 winner, Laurie Barton (Daniel SC), has her hands full with one of the top high school athletes in the nation, New York's Sammy Watson (Rush-Henrietta), and that should set a blistering pace up front.  The mile is no less stacked, with Foot Locker Finalist Lindsay Billings (Northview GA) and fellow Georgian Anna Marian Bloch both having national credentials.  Vess will be joined in both races by Melissa Zammitti (Davidson Day), who looked outstanding in the Raleigh Relays 3200 and clocked a 2:14 800 last spring.  Taylor Delaney (South View) will also be in both races;  Monzerad Creary (High Point Central) joins the festivities in the 800, while Sara Platek (Ragsdale) and Brittany Stanley (Mt Pleasant) will focus on the mile.  Logan Morris (Spartanburg Christian SC) will try to defend her home turf against Billings and Libby Davidson (EC Glass) in the 3200, while Isabel Zimmermann (Reagan) seeks her first sub-11 time after coming oh-so-close in her last attempt.  And don't forget about the 4x800, which includes Providence, Cardinal Gibbons, TC Roberson, and Weddington as well as Virginia power EC Glass and South Carolina cross country juggernaut Riverside.

Just because the distance races are more loaded than usual, don't let that fool you into thinking the sprints and hurdles are weaker.  Far from it: the usual high talent level is there, and as always it includes a bunch from the Tar Heel State.  Anna Cockrell (Providence Day) is the headliner, of course, and she should dominate the 100 Hurdles in her outdoor debut for that event.  The 400 Hurdles is a different story, however, due to the presence of Brandee Johnson (Nansemond River VA).  Cockrell and Johnson finished the 2015 season as the #2 and #3 returners in the nation in this event, in addition to being #4 and #5, respectively, in the 300H, so this should be an incredible duel.  Tamara Clark (High Point Central) will be the top North Carolina seed in the 100 and 200, where she will face Daloria Boone (John Milledge GA) and a handful of sub-24 girls.  Gracie Whelan (Providence Day) is primed for a breakout season in the 400 as evidenced by her 1:17 500 in limited action this winter, and Aaliyah Burton (Grimsley) could become a star this spring after running 56.01 during the 2015 summer track season.  If they can get in a section with someone like Watson, who has run in the 52's, or Sterling Lester (Marietta GA), this could be the chance for either runner to rocket up the rankings.  Put Whelan and Cockrell on the same 4x4 and you have definite sub-4 potential for Providence Day, plus High Point Central is always strong in that relay as well as the 4x1.

The field events are a little thinner this year when it comes to North Carolina talent, but there are still some highlights waiting to happen. US #4 Kenya Livingston (Rocky River) and returning co-NC #1 Kayla Nesbitt-McEwen (High Point Central) will face off in the high jump, and they should also be pushed by at least 4 athletes that are capable of clearing 5' 6".  Khayla Dawson (Olympic) holds the top seed in both the shot put and the discus, and rising star Kayla Beasley (Hillside) will try to make the podium in the former event as well.  Chesney Ward (Ragsdale) gets to face familiar foes Carson Dingler (First Presbyterian Day GA) and Amanda Barnes (Beaufort SC) in an exciting pole vault match-up, and Jada Woods (Hopewell) should be in contention for a triple jump medal. Our state doesn't have any girls seeded in the top 10 in the long jump this weekend, but you might still want to watch: there are 4 girls with legitimate 19-foot credentials entered, including one 20-footer (Georgia's Boone).