By Bret Strelow
bstrelow@salisburypost.com
Daishion Barger didn’t know what to expect when he arrived at East Rowan.
As a member of North Rowan’s track team last year, Barger showed off sprinter’s speed while excelling as a hurdler.
East often produces standout distance runners, vaulters and throwers.
“I thought they might end up making me try to run distance,” Barger said with a laugh.
That was never a consideration, and he has continued to thrive in his second season of varsity competition.
The 3A state meet will be held today at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, and Barger will participate in two events: the 110-meter hurdles and 200 dash.
Barger, who transferred to East in the fall, represented North at the 2A state meet in 2008. He missed the final in the 110 hurdles, his best event, because he stumbled and fell while in second place near the end of his preliminary heat.
Kevin McKenzie had held the East record in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.7 seconds set in 1975, and Barger broke it with a 14.42 in his first meet with the Mustangs on March 10.
“He pulled up at the end and didn’t even run hard,” East coach Rick Roseman said.
Two days after establishing a new mark, Barger ran a 14.03. He broke the school record again with a 14.0 clocking in late March during a meet at Lake Norman.
Barger won the West Regional title with a time of 14.85 that makes him the No. 5 seed today.
“Breaking the school record a couple times, that motivated me to keep on going and trying to get faster and faster,” Barger said.
Barger is seeded ninth in the 200 (22.78). He also qualified in the 100 but will forego that event in order to focus on the other two.