NCHSAA STATE 2-A TRACK AND FIELD
TUCKER LEADS CEDAR RIDGE TO MEN’S TITLE;MORKEN PACES CARRBORO TO THIRD STRAIGHT WOMEN’S CROWN
GREENSBORO— Senior A.J. Tucker of Hillsborough Cedar Ridge won both the 1600 and 3200 events to help lead his Red Wolves to their second consecutive men’s team championship in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A men’s track and field championships at the Irwin Belk Track at North Carolina A&T State University on Friday.
Hillsborough Cedar Ridge held on to edge Burlington Cummings in the team standings 63-59, followed by Carrboro (35), North Lincoln (34) and Greene Central (32). A total of 47 schools scored points in the men’s meet.
Isaiah Moore kept his Cummings team in the hunt all day and was selected as the Most Valuable Performer in the men’s championship. He was a double winner, taking top honors in the long jump and the 110 high hurdles, while finishing second in both the high jump and the 300 hurdles.
Carrboro senior Scott Peretin grabbed a pair of first-place finishes, winning both the shot and the discus, and senior James Drummond from Lexington set a new record in the 200 with a blistering time of 21.23 seconds.
In the women’s meet, Carrboro and High Point Andrews were tied for the team lead with 61 points entering the final two events, but the Jaguars pulled away to take the title for the third consecutive year. Carrboro finished with 77 to 61 for second place Andrews, followed by Waxhaw Cuthbertson (55.5), Cummings (45) and a tie for fifth between South Iredell and Swansboro at 31 apiece.
There were 49 schools scoring points in the women’s championship.
. Senior Grace Morken led the way for Carrboro, winning both the 800 and the 1600, setting a new state 2-A mark in the 800 at 2:16.71 and capturing first place the 1600 for the third consecutive year. She also anchored the winning four by 400 relay for the Jaguars.
The High Point Andrews four by 100 relay team set a new state record for the classification in a time of 48.27, breaking a nine-year old mark, and the meet MVP was a part of that quartet. Nora McKiver, a senior who ran a leg on the record-setting relay, also broke her own 2-A state record in the 300 hurdles in 42.70 in addition winning the 100 high hurdles and finishing second in the 200.
Senior Paisley Simmons ran anchor on that victorious 400 relay and also won a pair of individual championships for Andrews in the sprints, at 100 meters and 200 meters. Liz Wood of Cuthbertson tied the women’s 2-A pole vault record by clearing 10 feet, six inches.
West Davidson’s Callie Wynn broke the oldest existing 2-A mark, shattering the 3200 record by almost six seconds in 11:12.28. The old mark was held by Diana Henderson of North Henderson and set back in 1999.
Catherine Armstorng of SouthWest Edgecombe surpassed records in the shot put and discus for female wheelchair athletes, while Bryce Floyd of South Lenoir broke standards in the same events in the men’s competition in addition to the 200 meters.
The 4-A track and field championships are scheduled for Saturday.
COMPLETE RESULTS MAY BE FOUND AT CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS, UNDER TRACK
