Staff report
West Rowan senior Justin Avery will attempt to go 4-for-4 in the 400 meters when the 3A state track meet begins today in Greensboro.
Avery ó who finished first in the 400 at the county, conference and regional level ó could challenge for a state title.
His regional-winning time of 50.67 seconds in Asheville puts him behind only Parkland’s Jarrell Elliott (48.94), Carver’s Brandon Hairston (49.24) and Waddell’s Sidney Crooms (50.28). Elliott, Hairston and Crooms took the first three spots at the regional in Kannapolis.
Avery has clocked in at 49.76 this year. He had a 50.15 in the regional prelims and edged Kings Mountain’s Tory Belcher by 0.22 seconds in the final.
Avery also qualified in the 200 meters, and he’s seeded seventh with a time of 22.70.
South Rowan’s Maverick Miles, East Rowan’s Nolan Stehr and Carson’s Daniel Yates are also top-five seeds in an event on the boys side.
Miles, another regional champion, is ranked first in the pole vault. East’s Wayne Parker, who competed in the regional after missing three weeks with an ankle injury, is seeded seventh.
Stehr is seeded third in the shot put thanks to a throw of 52 feet, 71/2 inches at the regional. He’s behind only Anson’s Kedrico Tanner (57-101/2) and Mooresville’s Jake Deaton (54-3). East teammate Nathan Robbins qualified in the discus.
Yates is seeded fifth in the long jump, and South’s B.J. Grant is slated to compete in the high jump.
Four county athletes qualified on the girls side. South’s Taylor May is seeded sixth in the discus, and teammate Olivia Jacobs made the field for the 1,600.
Courtney Cress (high jump) and Clarissa Beaty (shot put) are set to represent Carson.