Championship season begins in high school track and field

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro High School track teams like to say the annual Randolph County Track Meet is the beginning of the Championship Season. 

The county meet, which was held last week at South Asheboro Middle School, is followed by the Triad Area Athletic Conference Meet, the Regional Meet and then the State Meet.

So, added emphasis is put on the county meet as the AHS student-athletes, much like every participant, strive to be hitting their peak at this time. The Blue Comets certainly seem to be once again reaching their peak at the right time.

The AHS girls and boys captured the meet, with the Asheboro girls registering 134 points. Wheatmore was second with 105, Providence Grove third with 93, Southwestern Randolph and Trinity tied for fourth with 55 points and Eastern Randolph was sixth with 42 points. Randleman placed seventh with 36 points and Uwharrie Charter Academy finished eighth with 31 points.

The Asheboro boys continued their domination of the event as the Blue Comets finished with 198 points, 81 points better than second place Randleman, which finished with 117 points. Wheatmore was third (98), SWR fourth (43), ER fifth (31), Trinity sixth (28), PG seventh (28) and UCA eighth (9).

AHS’ Michael Mark was named the top performer for track events and AHS’ Aaron Tyson was the top performer in the field events.

For the girls’ meet, AHS’ Jalaya Showers was the top performer in the track events and ER’s Mirianna Corea was the top performer in the field events.

The AHS girls, who competed in the TAAC Meet Tuesday, got a jolt of confidence after another county victory.

“We kind of use this meet as the start of championship season,” AHS girls track coach Vincent Cable said. “We like to have phases. Non-conference, conference and championship season. All our athletes should be peaking out. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but things are going to plan this year.”

They have been for Showers. She won the 100-meter dash (11.93), the 200-meter dash (25.71) and was second in the 400-meter run (1:04.22). 

AHS’ Nyla Price won the 100-meter hurdles, the 300-meter hurdles, was a member of the second place 4x100 relay team and placed second in the triple jump (31-03.00).

“They have been solid throughout their whole careers,” Cable said of Showers and Price.

Other winners included the PG 4x800-meter relay team, THS in the 4x200-meter relay, Scarlett Hildreth in the 1,600-meter run (5:29.10), where she defeated PG’s Laurel Bernhardt by just 2.5 seconds, and the SWR 4x100-meter relay team. THS’ Kayla Franklin won the 400-meter run (1:03.71) and the triple jump (31-06) and PG’s Bernhardt won the 800-meter run (2.28.22), besting WHS’ Hildreth by 1.45 seconds. WHS’ Hildreth won the 3,200-meter run (13:38.65) and PG captured the 4x400-meter relay event.

ER’s Roxanne Davis won the high jump (5-04), WHS’ Kyln Surratt won the pole vault and RHS’ Janiah Brooks won the long jump (14-06). ER’s Corea was a double winner as she placed first in the shot put (38-01.75) and the discus (122-0), besting everyone by nearly 34 feet.

“We get to gauge where our kids are whenever they come to a competition. and when you come to meets like this you want to win, but there is some serious talent in this county,” Cable said. “The kids are kind of getting the idea it’s championship season.”

Mark and Tyson led another strong showing for the boys, who are believed to have won every meet except one, that one coming back in the 1980s. Mark won the 110-high hurdles (14.98), was a member of the winning 4x100-meter relay team (44.41), won the 300-meter hurdles (40.74) and won the 200-meter dash (22.88). 

Tyson won the pole vault (12-0), won the long jump (22-02) and won the triple jump (43-08) and finished fourth in the high jump.

AHS’ Luke Brumley had an impressive meet as he won the 100-meter dash (11.23), was a member of the 4x200-me-ter relay team that took second, was a member of the 4x100-meter relay team that won and was second in the 200-meter dash.

“That’s the focus, take care of the county first and prepare for the conference,” AHS boys track coach DeNeal McNair said. “This is a good tuneup for the stretch run through the conference and the regionals and have a good showing in the state meet. A lot of kids are peaking at the right time. We’re going to have a few kids compete well at the state level.”

Other winners in the boys’ meet included WHS in the 4x800-meter relay, RHS in the 4x200-meter relay, WHS’ Ayden Fitzgerald in the 1600-meter run (4:51.75) and the 3200-meter run (11:08.49), RHS’ Bryson Nall in the 400-meter dash (51.68) and the 800-meter run (2:14.38) and the SWR 4x400 relay team.

ER’s Caden Revelle won the high jump (6-0), RHS’ Izaiah Troxler won the shot put (44-07.25) and AHS’ Juan Pablo Munoz won the discus (135-07).

AHS will host the 6-A track and field regional meet on Saturday, May 9.