By Ryan Bisesi
rbisesi@salisburypost.com
LANDIS — East Rowan’s Cole Honeycutt wanted to collapse, having just won the 400 meter dash.
But he couldn’t. It was time for the 800.
So he went ahead and won that for good measure. Rest could come later. Now was time for glory.
“It’s tough and I’m about to fall over,” Honeycutt said. “I did the 400 and then it was like, ‘Let’s get up and go run the 800.’ I’ve done it one time this season. I just gritted my teeth and I wasn’t going to let the other guy get it.”
Honeycutt’s three first-place finishes guided East to it’s fifth county title in six years Tuesday at the Rowan County track meet at South Rowan. The senior gave the Mustangs 32.5 points by himself. Honeycutt also won the 1600 as the distance MVP. earning personal bests in the 1600 (4:37) and 400 (51.8).
East was first in eight events and earned points in everything except the high jump in its eighth county championship.
“It’s just trying to challenge every single event,” East coach Rick Roseman said. “We feel like we put three people in every event and all three go after points.”
East freshman Marshall Shank broke a freshman state record by jumping 13-feet, 7 inches in the pole vault. Shank won first place in his initial county meet. The previous record was 13-6.
“It’s awesome,” Shank said. “I knew coming in that this track was fast.”
East’s Drew Miller was second in the pole vault with a 13-foot jump.
The Mustangs finished with 164 points, well ahead of second-place Carson (129). East won the 4×800 and 4×100 relays while Raykwon Torrence (long jump) and Hakeem Gittens triple jump) won field events. The Mustangs were seeded fifth in the 4×100, but edged North Rowan by .06 seconds.
“That was a big turning point,” Roseman said. “It was a total team effort.”
Even when it didn’t win, the Mustangs still found ways to compile points. Brad Oden and Cal Myers finished 3-4 in the 3200 and Dalton Moose and Gittens were 3-4 in the 200.
“Our guys were just determined to win it,” Roseman said.
North’s Eric Gadson was the sprinting MVP after taking the 200 dash in 23.06 and the 100 in 11.23. North, third with 113 points, won the 4×200 and got Shareef Walker to take the 110 hurdles in 15.69.
Carson rose from a last-place finish last season with some solid performances. Jacob Fink and Kyle Gillis were 1-2 in the 3200 and the 4×400 relay team won in 3:35.
Salisbury’s William Brown and Carson’s Myquon Stout shared MVP honors in the field events. Stout won the shot put with a 48-7 throw. Brown was the high jump champion with a 6-6 leap. Salisbury’s Montana Harmon won the discus over second-place Stout.
The Hornets had Brown, Rasean Bledsoe and DeQuan Robertson 1-2-3 in the high jump.
Trey Cuthbertson starred for West Rowan with a 300 hurdles victory. Cuthbertson’s 40.88 edged Carson’s Rodney Richards and North’s Demiah Hawkins.