By Staff
Washington, Northside, Southside competing in regionals
By KEVIN TRAVIS
Sports Editor
Area track athletes are one step away from reaching the state meet.
Washington Pam Pack coach Jon Blank is bringing a strong contingency of athletes to today’s N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A East Regional meet. Northside Panthers coach Charlie Woolard is doing the same in the 1-A East Regional meet, where the Panthers will be joined by athletes from Southside and Williamston.
The Pam Pack will participate in the regional meet in Swansboro. White Oak is the host school.
Melvin Spruill will be participating in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. Spruill’s time of 50.03 in the 400 is listed as the best regional-qualifying time.
Anthony Ward will be competing in the 100-meter dash.
Mike Moore is participating in the long jump and 300-meter hurdles, while Michael Godley will join Moore in the 300-meter hurdle event.
The Pack quartet of Raheam Patterson, William Ellegor, Ward and Darius Sneed will race in the 400-meter relay.
Spruill, Ellegor, Raphael Gibbs and Patterson make up the 800-meter relay qualifying team.
The 1,600-meter relay regional-qualifying team is made up of Brandon Sulc, Spruill, Gibbs and Patterson.
Making up the regional-qualifying 3,200-meter relay team is Dylan Mizelle, Desmond Griffin, Sulc and Gibbs.
On the girls side, Sharita Grice will be competing in the discus and shot put. Her throw of 121 feet, 1 inch is the top throw among the regional qualifiers, while her 35-foot heave in the shot ranks second.
Christol Carroll will also compete in the discus event, while Grice will be joined by TeAmber Burke in the shot put event.
Alexus Spencer qualified in the 100-meter hurdles.
Vantashia Palmer and Janell Griffin qualified in the 300-meter hurdles.
Washington’s foursome of Akida Spencer, Shiquana Rascoe, Shakillya Williams and Yasmine Horton will run in the 400-meter relay.
The Lady Pack quartet of Haley Hiatt, Palmer, Shakillya Williams and Datisha Redmond qualified in the 800-meter relay.
Elizabeth Tanner, Hiatt, Palmer and Jordan Cantrell comprise the reqional-qualifying 1,600-meter relay team.
The 1-A meet will be held at Pamlico High School. Action begins at 10 a.m.
Northside will be represented on the boys side by Kenneth Jenkins (high jump, long jump), Billy Murray (long jump, high jump), Rashem Cooper (high jump, triple jump), Seth Boyd (shot), Calvin Cox (shot), Trenton Midgette (triple jump), Tony Thigpen (200-meter dash), Tyvaughn McCullor (200-meter dash), Bryant Fletcher (1,600-meter run, 3,200-meter run), Alexander Cutler (1,600-meter run), the 3,200-meter relay team
Jenkins enters the regionals with the top mark in the high jump at 6 feet, 6 inches.
Representing the Northside girls are Ashley Clayton (triple jump, 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles), Rebekah Bonney (discus, shot), Bernadette Martin (long jump, 100-meter hurdles), Orianna Phillips (high jump), Kayla Cerny (high jump, 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles), Ashley Ratcliffe (high jump), Katie Bowen (1,600-meter run), the 3,200-meter relay team
Clayton has the best time (49.94 seconds) among all regional qualifiers.
Athletes from Southside competing in today’s regional meet on the boys side are Tony Grice (long jump, triple jump, 400-meter dash), James Jones (shot), Teon Aaron (shot), Brandon Jordan (300-meter hurdles), Chuck Guard (1,600-meter run), Terrence Windley (800-meter run), the 3,200-meter relay team, the 800-meter relay team and the 1,600-meter relay team.
Grice enters the regionals with the top mark in the long jump at 21 feet, 7 inches.
The Southside girls are represented by Megan Stanbridge (discus), Renihia Hodges (400-meter dash, 800-meter run), Valerie Ruffin (400-meter dash, 800-meter run), Tiffany Harrell (400-meter dash), Atyana Starkie (800-meter run), the 800-meter relay team and the 1,600-meter relay team, which holds the top qualifying time.
Regional qualifiers from Williamston’s boys are Jermaine Mcghee (long jump, 100-meter dash), Darik Cox (shot), Eric Cox (shot, discus), Kylan Harrell (triple jump, 400-meter dash), Dennis Little (discus), Michael Lawrence (discus), Clarence Pointe (400-meter dash), Marquise Staton (regional-qualifying best time in 300-meter hurdles), Quinton Lawrence (300-meter hurdles), Stephen Silverthorne (1,600-meter run), the 800-meter relay team and the 1,600-meter relay team.
Regional qualifiers from Williamston’s girls are Shakenna Bass (triple jump, 100-meter hurdles), Rafailia Vogaitzis (triple jump, 800-meter run), Lynn Davis (discus, shot), Anna Auton (discus), Stankija Purvis (long jump, 100-meter dash), Quashonna Smith (long jump, 200-meter dash), Lyanne Gonzalez (100-meter hurdles), Jakela Bryant (400-meter dash), Allison Hagen (400-meter dash), Sha’Tori Brown (200-meter dash), Krista Campbell (1,600-meter run, 3,200-meter run), the 3,200-meter relay team, the 800-meter relay team, the 400-meter relay team and the 1,600-meter relay team.
The 1-A state championships will be held May 15, while the 3-A state championships will take place May 16. Both championships will be held at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro.