Locals enter regionals as favorites

News-Topic Sports Staff

Spots in next week's state track and field championships will be on the line Saturday for athletes in the 2-A and 4-A classifications. The top four finishers at each of the four regions per classification qualify for next weekend's state championships in Greensboro.

And among those competing during Saturday's regional meets will be athletes from Caldwell County's three high schools. It's likely a few will earn state berths.

Seven local individuals or relay teams enter the 2-A Midwest Regional in Thomasville (Ledford High, 10 a.m.) as favorites. Three Hibriten girls relay teams enter with the best qualifying time in the meet. The 4x200 meter team of Quiasiah Stinson, Hannah Dula, Brooklyn Chandler and Amara Isbell (1:45.95) enters as a top seed, as does the 4x400 team of the same athletes (4:20.09). The 4x100 team of Stinson, Chandler, Isbell and Ashleigh Patterson (50.43) also enters with the best time.

Chandler has the best triple jump distance posted among competitors, entering with a mark of 34 feet, nine inches, 1-08 more than second-best Dasia McGill of Salisbury.

Isbell has the top time in the 200 dash (26.38) and is followed narrowly by Stinson (26.50), who qualified second.

West Caldwell's Justin Gragg posted the top qualifying time in two events. The successful distance runner is first in the 1,600 run (4:38.34) and the 3,200 (10:21.54). Gragg is second in the 800 (2:05.08). Other area male athletes qualifying in the top four include Hibriten's Darius Lipford in the high jump (6-04), Hibriten's 4x800 relay (8:43.70), West Caldwell's Chris Corpening in the 200 (51.48) and Warrior Tyler Bentley in the 300 hurdles (40.67).

Other top four qualifiers in the girls meet include Dula in the high jump (5-00) and 400 (1:02.42), Hibriten's Ashton Kirby in the pole vault (7-06), and Panther Savannah Tester in the 800 (2:38.10).

South Caldwell will compete in the 4-A West Regional at Ardrey Kell High in Charlotte.

The Spartans are led into the meet by Jasmine Wilson, who qualified third in the shot put (37-02). Runner Tara Wilson is in the top four in the 1,600 (5:21.57) and 3,200 (11:53.85). Adrian Cooke qualified fourth in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles with times of 16.06 and 48.46, respectively. Mary Thomas (pole vault, 9-00) and Britney Bartle (400, 59.30) also had top-four qualifying marks.

Dustin Potter is the lone South Caldwell boy in the top four. His pole vault mark of 12-00 is fourth-best in the region.