Staff report

GRANITE QUARRY — The Robert Steele Rowan County Track and Field Championships will be held on Thursday at East Rowan with a 4 p.m. start.

Rowan schools have strong male runners, Salisbury at just about every distance, while Carson and West Rowan have special distance groups.

Carson, led by middle distance and distance runners Jorge Clemente-Garcia and Eric Gillis, has won the last two boys championships.

Salisbury features Jordan Waller, who will be a threat to win a 2A state title in the 400. Jaylyn Smith is an elite sprinter, and the Hornets are really strong in the relays.

North Rowan is the toughest it’s been in a few years and has the top shot putter in KaMahri Feamster, who has topped 50 feet.

North won 18 of the 19 county meets held between 1988 and 2006, but the Cavaliers haven’t won the meet since 2011.

South and East will be looking for their first county crown since they tied for first in 2022. West last ruled the county in 2019.

East Rowan has Oliver Shank, who has been the county’s best pole vaulter.

Salisbury won 10 of 11 county championships from 1977-87, but hasn’t won a county meet since then. The Hornets have had the elite performers necessary to win regional and state titles, but depth — the meet normally scores eight places — usually decides county meets.

• On the girls side of things, South Rowan has won back-to-back county championships. Freshman distance runner Hope Julian is expected to be one of the meet’s top performers,

East Rowan looks like the girls favorite, as the Mustangs are deep in a lot of events. Hurdler/sprinter Sadie Featherstone has set a number of school records and could win three individual events while boosting a winning relay team.

Carson distance runner Kara Crotts was the Rowan-Salisbury Schools Athlete of the Month for March and has been putting up record-breaking times for the program.

East last won the girls meet in 2022, while Carson’s most recent victory was in 2021.

North’s girls haven’t won since 2016. The most recent win for Salisbury was in 2010, and West’s drought dates back to 2003.