Swain Edge Cummings For Third Straight 1A/2A Team Title

Winston-Salem, NC - Swain County HS got the job done once again as the Maroon Devils won their third straight NCHSAA 1A/2A Indoor State Championship on the girl's side.  This goes alongside three NCHSAA 1A Cross Country and three straight NCHSAA 1A Outdoor team titles with #4 pending for the spring season.

Distance star in junior Arizona Blankenship led the way in the team's scoring picking up 18 points by winning the 1600m and finishing as runner-up in the 3200m.  She'd also run a leg on their winning 4x800m relay that kicked off the meet with a win running 9:52.  

Sophomore Annie Lewis picked up an individual win as well as was a part of the 4x800m relay running 3:05.56 for what was her first individual state championship.

Sophomore Angelina Lomelli scored a fourth-place finish in both the 1600m and 3200m running 5:17 and 11:22.

They'd pick up 10 points in the Pole Vault with Alden Thomas clearing 9-6 for second overall and Carden Oetting 8-6 for 7th overall.  

Samantha Woodard and Carley Teesateski would place 5th and 8th overall in the Shot Put for 5 points throwing 32-11.75 and 30-11.75 respectively.  

Gracie Sutton would score 6 points in the high jump placing third overall at 5-2.

Despite what is normally enough points to win a state championship, Swain sat at 69 points, two back of Cummings who had a faster 4x400m seeded.  

Cummings would not have enough girls left to compete in the 4x400m choosing to focus on the 4x200m and individual events to score more points than the 4x400m, so they DNS the fast section, but was planned.

Not knowing this going into the slower heat, Swain needed to place well to jump Cummings.  Even with two girls doubling back from the 3200m, Swain got the job done placing 5th overall in 4:24.00 to score four more points and jump Cummings for the team title.

Swain County HS has just over 500 students in the school.  They have 42 on their indoor track team and 28 of those qualified for the NCHSAA 1A/2A Indoor State Championships, the most of any 1A/2A school.  Coach Keith Payne and Ian Roper talked below about the program and how the small school from Bryson City has built a dynasty that doesn't look to be ending anytime soon.