Eastern Wayne heads to state track meet

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on May 8, 2007 2:57 PM

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JACKSONVILLE --Eastern Wayne is carrying five relay squads and several individual competitors to the 2007 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A track and field meet on Saturday.

Sprinter Dwight Ulmer emerged the east regional champion in the 200-meter dash and finished runner-up in the 100 dash. He ran the anchor legs on the qualifying 400- and 800-meter relays.

Joining Ulmer on the 400 squad were Lamar Davis, Will White and Garrick Dawson. Corey Schley replaced White, a freshman, on the 800 relay.

Dawson, however, pulled his hamstring about halfway through the 800 relay. He managed to pass off the baton to Ulmer, who helped the Warriors post a time of 1 minute, 31.4 seconds.

"Several conference coaches said it was one of the most courageous things they've seen from a high school athlete," said Eastern Wayne head coach Steve Moats. "He would have probably also made the state championships in the 200 dash except for this."

Eastern Wayne ended up sixth overall in the team competition with 32 points.

On the girls' side, three Warrior relays will vie for gold medals on the Paul Derr Track at N.C. A&T State University. The 1,600-relay quartet of Yasmine Washington, Alysa Artis, Noelle Kelly and Genia Baker ended up third in the regional.

The 400 foursome of Kristen Alexander, Jazmine Middleton, Jasmine Neal and Eboni Reid took fourth. C'quanica Allen, Kelly, Artis and Baker comprise the 800 relay, which also placed fourth.

Kelly qualified individually in the 400 run, while teammate Richelle Butler settled for third in the shot put.

Charles B. Aycock's Crystal Lewis ended up third in the 300 hurdles.

Class 1-A

ROWLAND -- Jania Bogle and C.C. Sanders each emerged a regional champion in two individual events, and Princeton seized the team title during the 1-A Mideastern Regional contested Saturday at South Robeson High School.

Bogle crossed the line first in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Sanders excelled in the 100 hurdles and high jump. The duo helped the Dawgs, who also captured the 400-meter relay, compile 108 points.

James Kenan took second with 67 points. Hannah Evans paced the Tigers with a regional championship in the 800-meter run, and the 800-meter relay edged East Columbus by fourth-tenths of a second for first place. Melena Buckram recorded top-three times in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

Rosewood's Ashley Summerville and Erica Murray each secured a gold medal. Summerville edged Sanders for the triple jump crown, while Erica Murray bested teammate Casey Binda in the pole vault. Binda took fourth in the 800.

The Eagles' 1,600-meter relay grabbed a bronze medal and qualified for the state meet, which is scheduled for Friday at N.C. A&T State University. Coach Daniel Baynes' team finished fourth with 52 points.

North Duplin distance runner Rocio Alvarado placed third in the 1,600 and second in the 3,200 run. North Johnston's Elizabeth Baker took both events.

The Eagles' Bradly Mullens grabbed third-place honors in the 400 and pole vault. Teammate Chris Holmes showcased his speed with a third-place effort in the 110 hurdles and his leaping ability with a bronze-medal distance in the triple jump.

The Eagles wound up third in the 1,600-meter relay. Matt Lassiter turned in a fourth-place distance in the discus.

Princeton's Gerrell Bogle triumphed in the triple jump and wound up second in the 300 hurdles. Fellow Bulldog Josh Holmes prevailed in the pole vault.

Also qualifying in the triple jump were Princeton's Tyrone Smith (second) and T.J. Wilson (fourth). That gave the Carolina Conference a clean sweep in the event.

Editor's note: The top four finishers in each event qualify for the state meet.