The 3A state meet will begin at 10 AM on Friday at North Carolina A&T's Belk Track, and despite the forecast it looks like there might be some of the most exciting action of all four state meets! Let's take a look at some of the questions and storylines:
Girls:
Can Sarah Rapp blow us away one more time? The multi-time state champion is entered in four events, and she has a chance to cement her legacy here. Her performances between Raleigh Relays and the Mideast Regional were underwhelming, but that could be simply an indication of hard training. The smart money always goes on Rapp, even when she isn't the top seed!
Who could step up and take a title away from Rapp? The best chance seems to be in the 800, where Alexa Young of Chapel Hill is the #1 seed (and Rapp is #7). That race is crowded with contenders and could turn into a free-for-all down the stretch! If Sarah can't pull away early, could Young or one of the other contenders outkick her for the title? Noteworthy here is Blake Dodge (West Carteret), a 9th-grader with the #2 seed. Jentzen Jones (Fike) is the top challenger in the 1600, and Tristan van Ord (Chapel Hill) will give Rapp a run in the 3200. And let's not forget the 4x800, where Cardinal Gibbons is the 3rd seed behind Charlotte Catholic and Weddington.
Is this the last hurrah for South Central? These girls are the clear favorite, but their three key athletes are all seniors. Danielle Butts, Amber Clark, and Bryana Wyatt have powered the Falcons to the top of the state and some national attention; can anyone step up to continue their tradition of success when they have moved on? In the meantime, if you enjoy good execution in the sprint relays, enjoy South Central on Friday!
Who will emerge as the sprint star of this meet? The sprint fields seem pretty wide open, without a dominant performer in any event, which could lead to some exciting finals. Wyatt is a contender, and so are Tori Elliott (Cox Mill), Nyshedra Brown (West Craven), and Zikeena Parker (Rocky Mount). The 400 looks like it could be a huge battle unless someone has been saving up: Maya Evans (Fike) leads the qualifiers, but there are several girls who could challenge. If you look at the hurdles, you see Xaviera Bass (Nash Central) on top of the 100 list, but Juanita Leto (Concord) ranks high in both races.
Will there be a throws double? Kayla Padgett (West Brunswick) is seeded #2 in the shot put and #1 in the discus. She'll have to overcome South Johnson's Whitney Williams and South Brunswick's Lexus Hankins to bring home the double and a shot at MVP consideration.
Can Cox Mill finish second with only two athletes and a relay? In addition to Elliott, they also have Ameenah Bay-Shaw to contend in two jumps, plus a strong 4x100. Bay-Shaw is the top seed in the triple jump, where she faces a tough battle against Butts and Clark of South Central. Bay-Shaw and Butts will also go head-to-head in the high jump, with three other girls in contention as well, having cleared 5-2 last weekend. Clark looks like the class of the long jump field, but you never know what happens on state meet day!
How high will Proffitt go? With a PR of 12-6 this year, Sage Proffitt has the potential to challenge the 3A meet record and the overall state meet record. However, she also loves the 400 and is a top contender there; could that interfere with her vaulting? Let's hope the timing works out well and Sage can really concentrate on flying!
NC Runners Prediction: South Central wins over Cardinal Gibbons, and Rapp goes out with 3 more titles!
Boys:
Which sprints/hurdles/jumps squad will survive? Douglas Byrd, Crest, Rocky Mount, and White Oak will be going head-to-head so many times this meet, there's no telling who will emerge as the top squad! Crest is missing Kendall Kee, which hurts their chances of dominating the power events, but they still have Demonte Wilson in the hurdles and Harvey McSwain II in the 200, plus a top-seeded 4x100. Douglas Byrd relies on Eric Winfrey in the 200 and 400, but don't forget about Frank Quarles in the 400 and LJ, and Byrd has top-flight 4x2 and 4x4 relays. Quarles will face a challenge from White Oak's Darren Thompson in the LJ, and Thompson is also a contender in the TJ and HJ. White Oak also has Cobe Scott in the 400 and a strong 4x400. Rocky Mount is powered by Exzavier Cooper in the 200 and 110 hurdles, and the Gryphons have the top-ranked 4x200. Did you get all that? If these teams trade blows, it might open the door for our next question:
Can a distance-oriented squad "steal" the team title from the power-event teams? Chapel Hill may have athletes in only four events, but they have a legitimate shot at the title. They have the top-ranked 4x800 and the #1 and #3 seeds in the 3200 in Mitch McLeod and Will Bunch. If they can get enough points from crowded fields in the 1600 and 800, the Tigers could be the champs! Tevin Richardson (Nash Central) leads all qualifiers in the 800, and Braedon Koerwitz (Jay M. Robinson) is the top seed in the 1600. Marvin Ridge is also a team-title contender, driven by Chris Colo in the 1600 and 3200 and their strong 4x800. The absence of Will Bass (Nash Central) due to injury makes the distance fields pretty wide open! Of note here is the fact that Rocky Mount has a strong 800 runner and a 4x800 relay in the meet, which could be their "secret weapon" against the speed powers.
Could the meet MVP come from the field events? With the sprinters beating each other up and nobody really set up for a distance double, Ryan Minor (South Brunswick) might end up being the top performer in the meet. He has a commanding advantage in the shot put, but will have to get by Jacksonville's Ahmad Norman to win the discus. White Oak's Thompson has the potential to score high in three field events and could actually win MVP without winning an individual event! Standing in the way are Tim Hines (Kings Mountain, LJ), Jordan Warren (Hickory Ridge, TJ), Daisaun White (Asheville, TJ), Maurice Morgan (North Lenoir, HJ), and Cole Finch (Weddington, HJ), any of whom could win their event and steal the glory!
Who will fly the highest? The pole vault is a crowded field, led by Taylor Bowers (Robinson) and Josh Marco (Northwest Cabarrus) at 13'. With 5 more guys having cleared 12' 6", this is a wide-open event that could come down to consistency at the lower heights. If you want to enjoy this event, pay close attention throughout!