By Bret Strelow
bstrelow@salisburypost.com
North Rowan freshman Teaunna Cuthbertson won three individual titles and contributed to a first-place relay at the Midwest Regional.
With Sherice Walker leading the girls team from Burlington Cummings, Cuthbertson will face even stiffer competition today at the 2A state championship meet in Greensboro.
Cuthbertson ó who joined Yasarian Bush, Akevia Charleston and Tatiana Banks on the victorious 4×200 team (1:45.60) last weekend ó also took first in the long jump (18-11), triple jump (36-101/2) and 100 hurdles (15.63).
Walker won four events (long jump, triple jump, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles) at last year’s state meet, but Cuthbertson is seeded first in the long jump today at North Carolina A&T.
Walker, a senior who has signed with A&T, had a long jump of 18-7 at her regional. Cummings athletes are also seeded third and fourth in the event.
Cuthbertson is seeded second in the 100 hurdles behind Walker, who ran a 14.41 in the regional round. Cuthbertson is the No. 3 seed in the triple jump after Holmes’ Gerrisha Moore (37-71/4) and Walker (36-111/2).
North’s 4×200 team is seeded second behind Cedar Ridge (1:44.36).
Walker and Cuthbertson competed together at the 1A/2A/3A state indoor meet in February. Cuthbertson finished second in the 55 hurdles and third in the long jump. Walker won both events.
North’s girls will also be represented at the state meet by regional champions in the 200 (Bush), the 4×100 relay (Charleston, Bush, Corbin Bennett and Abril Ellis) and the 4×400 relay (Charleston, Banks, Shaquille Bagley and Tenesha Dickerson). All three entries are No. 2 seeds today.
Salisbury’s Alisha Bradshaw won regional titles in the discus (114-11) and shot put (37-21/2). She’s seeded second behind Southern Vance’s Tremonisha Taylor (125-0) in the discus and East Rutherford’s Gayshawna Watkins (40-41/4) in the shot put.
The 4×800 team of Katherine Shields, Emily Shields, Brooke Johnson and Katelyn Horning is seeded fifth after winning the regional with a time of 10:22. They ran a 10:40 at the CCC championship meet.
“They get better every time,” Salisbury coach Mike Allen said.
Emily Shields is seeded second in the 800 (2:26), and Katherine Shields is seeded fourth in the 1,600.
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In the boys competition, Salisbury’s Romar Morris is seeded first in the 100 (10.80) and 200 (21.90). He’s part of a fourth-seeded 4×100 team with A.J. Ford, Joseph Figueroa and Hanson Saryee.
Nick Summers, a distance standout along with Philip Tonseth, is seeded fourth in the 1,600 with a time of 4:40.57. Summers started his finishing kick with 150 meters remaining at the regional and won the title by 0.28 seconds.
“He just outkicked everybody,” Allen said. “He runs smart; he’s a very perceptive distance runner. He’ll get in the pack, and it doesn’t bother him if he’s in eighth place when they’re all close because he’s real confident that when he’s coming the last 150 meters he’s going to outsprint everybody.”
North Rowan’s Samuel Starks and Titus King, who took the top two spots in the 110 hurdles at the regional, are seeded 10th and 12th, respectively, for the 2A meet.
The 4×200 team of Starks, King, Cameron Mallett and Lathan Charleston also won a regional title. They are seeded fifth today.
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Local entries are listed in Scoreboard.