By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
There should be several strong contenders from Alamance County in this week’s high school track and field regionals.
Based on recent conference championships, area athletes will be high seeds as they aim to qualify for the state meet later this month in Greensboro.
Regionals are set for Friday and Saturday depending on the site.
The Class 2-A Mideast Regional is Friday at Heide Trask. The Class 3-A Mideast Regional is Friday at UNC Pembroke.
Here’s a look at last week’s conference championships:
Central 3-A Conference
At Mebane, Western Alamance had the top sprinters, though Orange teams were overwhelming winners in the points standings.
For the boys, James Newton of Western won two races.
Newton nipped Orange’s King Purefoy-Farrington in a tight 100-meter finish (10.84 to 10.86 seconds). Newton had a narrow margin on teammate William Clinkscales to win the 200 (22.68 to 22.96) with Williams’ Jaxon Goforth (23.16) in third.
Lawrence Matkins of Williams claimed the 400 in 50.49 seconds.
Southern Alamance had the 110 hurdles winner in Thai Meeler in 15.72 seconds for a margin of more than 1½ seconds. The Patriots also had the top high jumper with Kristian Brown at 5 feet, 8 inches.
Jaeden Smith of Williams won the long jump by nearly 2 feet with a leap of 22-3.
Samual Raphael of host Eastern Alamance went from the long jump runner-up (20-6 ¼) to the champion in the triple jump with an effort of 45-8, winning by more than 3 feet.
Western won the 400 relay in 43.42 seconds and the 800 relay in 1 minute, 31.03 seconds.
Orange’s 154 points were enough for the team championship, with Western at 95 and Southern at 89 before Williams, Cedar Ridge, Eastern and Roxboro Person rounded out the scoring.
For the girls, Western’s Taliya Brown won the 100 in 12.54, edging teammate Jada Webb (12.76).
Webb later won the 200 in 26.29.
Williams prevailed in the 400 relay in 51.82.
The shot put winner was Southern’s Kenley Linens with a toss of 29-8. She was fourth in the discus at 82-7.
Orange’s girls racked up 208½ points to runner-up Cedar Ridge’s 78. Southern was third, followed by Roxboro Person, Western, Williams and Eastern.
Mid-Carolina Conference
In Burlington, D’Anna Cotton won four events as the host Cummings won the girls’ team competition.
Cotton edged teammate Kaili Payne (14.31 to 14.34) to win the 100 hurdles. The 300 hurdles were similar with Cotton first in 43.52 and Payne next in 45.79.
Cotton posted huge winning marks in the high jump (5-8) and triple jump (40-11).
Honesti Trollinger of Cummings was the 400 champion in 1:02.88.
Cummings went second, third and fourth in the long jump with Brooke Packingham (17-4), Diamond Moore (17-2¾) and Payne (16-8).
The Cavaliers compiled 144 points to runner-up Seaforth’s 117½ among nine schools. The rest of the standings went as follows: Northwood, Southeast Alamance, Jordan-Matthews, Bartlett Yancey, North Moore, Chatham Central and Graham.
Southeast’s Janay Pegram sprinted in the 100 to a first-place time of 12.60 seconds, with Trollinger the runner-up at 12.98.
It was the same order in the 200, with Pegram in 25.20 and Trollinger at 28.49.
Southeast had the champions in the 400 relay (51.19) and 800 relay (1:47.99).
For the boys, Marquis Burnette of Southeast won the 100 in 10.90 seconds and claimed second in the 200 in 23.06.
Southeast won the 400 relay in 44.56 seconds and was first in the 800 relay in 1:33.83.
Bartlett Yancey’s Dalleon Johnson won the long jump (22-3½) and triple jump (44-8½). He was second in the high jump (6-2).
Teammate Nijay Parker had the best shot put at 42-7.
Seaforth notched 168½ points for the team title, with Northwood next at 115 and Bartlett Yancey third with 108½. Southeast took fourth with 102½, followed by Jordan-Matthews, Cummings, Chatham Central, Graham and North Moore.
