County schools well represented at states

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 18, 2018 7:38 AM

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GREENSBORO -- Their paths took them in different directions throughout the regular season and regional competition.

They all had the same destination -- Irwin Belk Track on the campus of N.C. A&T State University.

Runners and jumpers from four county schools begin their respective quests for individual state titles in the N.C. High School Athletic Association outdoor track and field championships.

Association officials announced Thursday afternoon that the 1-A and 3-A meets scheduled for today have been moved to Sunday due weather forecasts.

"It is always difficult to decide to postpone or delay a state championship event," NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker said. "However, with inclement weather in the forecast for much of the day on Friday, it became apparent that this decision is in the best interest of the 1-A and 3-A student-athletes who have worked so hard to reach this year's state championship meet.

The two meets start simultaneously at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Goldsboro competes in the 2-A finals, which commence at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The Cougars' lone entrant is the boys' 4x2 relay of Darius Rodgers, Jykeis McLean, Dorian Rodgers and Montayvius Joyner. The foursome placed second in last weekend's East regional with a time of 1 minute, 31.15 seconds.

According to Association records, Goldsboro last claimed a state title -- the 4-A 4x2 relay -- on the boys' side in 1973.

Across town, another relay -- Eastern Wayne's 4x2 relay -- is slated for competition in the 3-A finals. The Warriors' quartet of Marcus Rouse, Angus Dove, Junious Tyson and Will Smith took fourth in the East regional.

Isaac Crossland will step in for the injured Rouse.

"This year's relay team has branches of individual PRs [personal records] that have been fused group that will be underdogs going into the state championship meet," EW head coach Tavares Oates said.

Smith, who has signed with Catawba College, qualified for two individual events -- the 200-meter dash and triple jump. He claimed fourth in the 200 and emerged as the runner-up in the triple jump during the regional.

"[Smith] has been the most focused athlete on this year's squad," Oates said. "He accepted my coaching challenges which has put him in this position and as always I look forward to him standing on the podium this weekend."

The junior seeks to become the program's first individual champ since distance specialist Will Collins collected the "double" -- the 1,600 and 3,200 crowns -- in the 2005 state 3-A meet.

Quadrez Lassiter also seeks a state title.

The sophomore claimed runner-up accolades in the shot put with a throw of 48 feet, 2.75 inches in the regional.

"Quadrez has been the most consistent and most improving athlete I have on this team, increasing his strength in the weight room and practicing every day on his craft," Oates said.

"The future looks bright for him."

Charles B. Aycock enters as the No. 1 seed in heat 1 of the 4x1 relay. The group of Kamarion "K-Man" Graham, Jaylan Robinson, Rico Dawson and Alijuan Moore posted a school-record time of 43.3 seconds in the East regional.

They broke the old mark set in 2009.

Head coach Butch Bennett said the foursome must not only finish first in the slower heat, but "beat the clock" to move into some of the faster relays in heat 2.

"At the state level, especially in the 4x1, there is absolutely zero room for error," Bennett said. "One botched handoff and it's over."

Graham, who has committed to UNC Wilmington, qualified in the 100 dash. The senior battled through a severe hamstring pull in early spring.

Deshawn Owens goes after a medal in the 1,600.

Multi-sport athlete Arlanda Faulkner is seeded well below her PR and season best in the 100 hurdles.

Bennett anticipates the senior to produce a "clean" prelim and earn a spot on the medal podium.

"Like the 4x1, the 100 hurdles is unforgiving when it comes to errors," Bennett said. "Arlanda has outstanding form and speed, and should do well."

The Golden Falcons' last track champion was Courtney Warner, who picked up state titles in the 100 and 200 in both 2014 and 2015. She signed with East Carolina University.

Rosewood has three 4x4 boys' state titles to its credit, including back-to-back golds in 2015 and 2016.

Will it be four?

The Eagles' quartet of Jakeil Coley, Caden Reiss, Tyson McCoy and Devante Phillips won the Mideast 1-A championship in 3:33.48.

"We ran 11 seconds faster than our fastest time this year to win it," RHS head coach Robert Britt said. "Having a strong 4x4 team has become a standard for our program."