GRANITE QUARRY — All-American LaTasha Pharr and North Rowan recaptured the Rowan County championship in the annual track and field meet here Tuesday.
Pharr, battling a hamstring injury, won all three of her events — the long jump, triple jump and 100-meter hurdles — as North’s girls won their third county title in four years.
East Rowan’s championship at North last year kept North from winning in all four of Pharr’s seasons.
“We’re real happy to have her back,” said North coach Brian Mills, who had rested the senior star in the North Rowan Classic on Saturday. “It was the competitor in her. We had a track meet, and she wanted to be there. As a senior, she wanted to win the county meet one more time.”
North, helped by Pharr’s 24 points, finished with 103 to runner-up South Rowan’s 77. West Rowan was third with 75, followed by 2000 champion East with 62 and Salisbury with 54.
Without Pharr, South and West would have each finished within a few points of the Cavaliers.
“It would have been a bit tighter than it was,” said Mills. “We’re just worried about her health, her injury right now. This is her first meet doing three events since the Burlington meet, about three weeks ago.”
Pharr broke her own meet record in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.98 seconds, long jumped 17 feet, 8 inches, and triple jumped 37-10 12. She has won 11 first places in 11 tries in her four years of county meets.
Teammate Moriah Jones, who has also been out with a hamstring injury, won the 100 in 12.93 and 200 in 26.71 plus anchoring the 400 relay team to a meet record 50.37 time. Elizabeth Alexander, Mauria Turner and Tiffany Mack ran with her.
Other first places for North were by Garette Hunter with a shot put of 35-7 and Timika Peterson with a time of 2:38.02 in the 800.
“Overall, as a team, we did real well. A lot of girls stepped up today. It was a team effort, and I was glad to see that,” said Mills. “I’m not surprised. I knew it was going to be tight. I was hoping that we would win.”
Most valuable participant awards went to Jones in sprints, Pharr in field events and South Rowan freshman Rachel Hinshaw in distance events. Hinshaw won the 3200 in 13:11.26, finished second in the 1600 and ran on relay teams that finished second and fourth.
East’s Mikal Ann Fesperman broke another meet record by a foot when she pole vaulted 9-6.
Other first places were by South’s Brittney Gaddy with a discus toss of 108-3; East’s Allison Troutman with a high jump of 5-2, Brianna Mundy with a 400 time of 1:01.6, and the 1600 relay team of Kami Wilson,Korri Smith, Haley Shaw and Mundy in 4:25.41; Salisbury’s Anna Griffis with a time of 5:50.08 in the 1600 and the 3200 relay unit of Maria Mendez, Hannah Thompson, Meredyth Martin and Anna Cunningham in 11:22.76; and West’s Steele with a 48.07 clocking in the 300 hurdles and Keisha Peek, Nakia Scott, Amanda Brown and Shatara Griffin with a time of 1:51.22 in the 1600 relay.
Today's News