Girls NCISAA 3A Preview
NOTE: This preview is based on our virtual meet of season bests. The performance list for the meet has not been released publicly, and we do not have all NCISAA results in our database, so our guesses as to the events in which an athlete will compete may not be accurate.
Athletes to Watch
Well, there's this girl called Anna Cockrell who runs for Providence Day, and I hear she's pretty good. In fact, she would be the dominant favorite in 5 individual races, were she allowed to compete in all of them. You can count on her being in the two hurdle races, where she is currently ranked US #8 (100H) and US #3 (300H) - and she already holds the all-time North Carolina record in both. Last year she also ran the 200 Dash, leaving her a spot on the 4x400 for her fourth event. Will Providence Day add her to the 100, or go with last year's schedule? Either way, this is Cockrell's last state championship, and she will close out her career as quite possibly the best female athlete ever from North Carolina.
Assuming Cockrell does not run the 400 (which would be a ridiculously difficult schedule for her), her teammate Gracie Whelan will be the top seed in that event, having run 56.37. Whelan also has the second-best 200 time in the classification. Cha'Mia Rothwell (Durham Academy) would be the top seed in the 100 without Cockrell, and she can also contend for a medal in the 200. A great high jumper in years past, Rothwell has shifted her focus to the long jump this year, and it has paid off with a 19' 2.25" mark that leads the state (all classifications) right now. She has also run in the 14's in the 100 Hurdles, and that means she could rack up significant points over the course of 4 individual events.
Jena Metwalli (Cannon School) continues to impress in the 800, where her season best is 2:17 and her PR is under 2:15. Sarah Bodmer (Cary Academy) is capable of running away with the 3200, and the two will collide in what should be an exciting 1600 (see below).
Feyi Bada (Providence Day) has the top mark in the shot put, although Kallaway Tuttle (Charlotte Latin) is close enough to have a good chance to take the title. In the discus, it's Caroline Walters (Metrolina Christian) that sits in the #1 spot.
Emerson Porter (Providence Day) is the only athlete over 10 feet in the pole vault, although Madi Rockett (Cary Academy) has cleared 9' 9", and she has an awesome name for a vaulter. Sydney Scott (Charlotte Latin) is the second seed in the long jump behind Rothwell, but she is the girl to beat in the triple. She is one of only two girls in the classification that has jumped beyond 35 feet - the other is Emily Evans (Forsyth Country Day).
Events to Watch
Five 3A girls have run under 5:20 in the 1600 Run, with Metwalli and Bodmer holding the only two sub-5:15 times. Behind them is a cluster of three runners that hope to benefit from a fast pace up front: Lindsey Ickes (Forsyth Country Day) plus Cary Academy teammates Olivia Frazier and Emily Lane.
Behind the force of nature Cockrell in the 300 Hurdles, the race for second should be intense. Caroline McNeer (Forsyth Country Day) and Zoe Scheitman (Cary Academy) have both run just under 50 seconds, and there are two more athletes just above that mark.
Although there is not a single girl in the classification that has a 5-foot or better High Jump in our database this season, there are no less than 6 girls who have cleared 4' 10". That will make for a very exciting competition (and also for a detailed scoring by the meet officials, as it very well could come down to misses).
Teams to Watch
Providence Day has the top times in both the 4x200 and 4x400, but Anna Cockrell ran on those squads and she can't run both at this meet. The Chargers could put her on the 4x2, as their 4x4 has a bigger cushion - they are an astounding 22 seconds faster than the next-best team on the season. If Cockrell runs the 4x4, then Charlotte Latin could be in range to score a sprint relay double, as they hold the top mark in the 4x100. Cary Academy leads the 4x800 rankings, with only Providence Day close enough to threaten.
Providence Day is the overwhelming favorite to bring home a fourth consecutive team championship. The battle for the second-place trophy, however, should be intriguing: Cary Academy, Charlotte Latin, and Cannon School are all clustered within 14 points of each other.