By Ronnie Gallagher
rgallagher@salisburypost.com
SPENCER — North Rowan swept the boys and girls Yadkin Valley Conference track meets Thursday so you’d think Cavaliers coach Robert Steele would be one happy man.
Uh, no.
“I’m not real happy,” Steele said with four events still remaining. “Matter of fact, I’m sort of frustrated.”
With the boys or the girls?
“Both. We don’t look sharp. We don’t look polished.”
So how much better than the rest of the YVC are the Cavs even on an off day? The boys won handily with 229 points while the girls weren’t challenged.
As usual, North was led by Meloney Ramos and Johnny Oglesby.
Oglesby won the 110 hurdles (14.03), the long jump (22-6) and the 300 hurdles (39.44) — and accomplished it all while limping around.
“My knee’s messed up a little,” Oglesby said. “But I’m still going to work to the best of my ability. We’ve only got two more weeks until the big dance and we’ve gotta suck it up.”
North’s boys got off to a quick start, thanks to the big men in the shot-put circle. Garland Archie, Javon Hargrave and Darius Jackson were 1-2-3 in that event with Archie throwing 50-6, Hargrave 44-2 and Jackson 43-7.
Archie also won the discus (154-100).
Khandier Kimber won the high jump.
North also dominated the relays winning the 4×200 (Titus King, Jackson, Daylon Gray and Sam Starks in 1:30.13) and the 4×800 (Witt Alexander, Terrese Barber, Neegbeah Reeves and Patrick Imes in 8:52.59). The Cavs were second in the 4×100 to Albemarle.
Starks was second to Oglesby in the 110 hurdles and the long jump but beat him in the triple jump, 45-0 to Oglesby’s 43-3.
Reeves was beaten at the finish line by West Montgomery’s Christian Bradley in the mile but he bounced back to win the 3200 (10:54.38). Cameron Mallett and Kelley were 3-4 in the 100 meters and Mallet was third in the 200.
•
Ramos dominated the girls meet, winning four events: the long jump (17-9), the 100 hurdles (14.8), the 300 hurdles (47.2) and the triple jump (39-0).
“I had a mind frame just like the county meet,” she said. “Just go for it all. I got the MVP (at the county). I’m trying to get something out here.”
Like Oglesby, Ramos was hurting.
“The jumps were kinda hard with my legs messed up,” she said. “I’ve got tendinitis and a cyst on the back of my knee. In the 100 hurdles, I banged my knee. The long jump irritated me but I fought through it.”
Steele said, “It’s just that time of year. You have to work through some of those things.”
The girls 4×100 (Christen Jones, Tameisha Allen, Tianka White and Chastity Byrd) and 4×200 team (Jones, Akevia Charleston, Yasarian Bush and Allen) weren’t challenged.
Bush was also second in the 200. Sabrina Vann was second in the discus (102-11).
•
Despite his success and North’s large margin of victory, Oglesby understood his coach’s dismay.
“Basically, we’re in a comfort zone,” he said. “We think we’re going to beat everybody. We can’t be like that. There’s going to be people who can push you.”
“I think we think we’re a lot better than we are. I’ve been telling them that,” Steele added. “If we were playing a game of marbles and we were not at our best, I would not be satisfied.”
Expect the Cavaliers to be at their “Mean Green” best next Saturday in the regional at Monroe. Steele will stress focus in practice.
“Next week, we go back to work and try to make it better,” Steele said.
•
NOTES: Teaunna Cuthbertson didn’t run Friday. “I decided to give her a break,” Steele said. … The Cav boys won a whopping 92 points over second-place West Montgomery. … Gray Stone’s Hunter Latimer of Salisbury won the 1600 and 3200, each by one second.