Pirates dominate 2-A meet

 SWANSBORO - All season long John Liles has stressed the importance of depth to his Swansboro High girls track and field squad.

Yet the Pirates head coach pointed that it wasn't necessarily quantity, rather quality, that propelled Swansboro to first place Saturday in the NCHSAA 2-A Eastern Regional championships.

"We have 15 athletes and all of them were strong," he said. "As a team everybody did what they needed to do."

The Swansboro ladies won five individual events as well as the 3,200 relay while, according to Liles, the Pirates' Cornelius Watkins recorded the state's best discus throw this season at 186 feet, 10 inches in the boys competition.

Samantha Hammonds swept the hurdle events in helping her team tally 153 points, 93 better than second-place Red Springs. Northside was third, followed by South Brunswick, First Flight, Southwest Onslow and Croatan. This marked Swansboro's ninth Eastern girls title in 10 years and the Pirates look to continue their momentum on Friday in the state championships on the campus of University of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro.

The top four regional clubs advance to the state.

"Going in we had hopes of finishing at least third or fourth," Liles said. "We just have a tradition for the girls team to be strong and when new people come out the older girls take them under their wing and teach them the ins and outs of track and field."

Hammonds seized the 100 hurdles in 16.7 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 49.8 seconds. Carrie Dail won the 400-meter dash in 1 minute, 1.6 seconds, Natalie Oshita conquered the 1,600 in 5:39 and Sydney Sutherland won the pole vault at 8 feet. The 3,200 relay unit of Oshita, Brooke Kinsey, Kelly Sparr and Lindsey Yingling won in 10:33.

But while first-place performances are nice, it's typically a well-balanced squad that finds success. Hammonds was third in the high jump, Dail was third in the long jump and fourth in the 100, Oshita was second in the 800 and Swansboro's lone senior C.C. O'Sullivan was third in the discuss.

Both SHS programs combined for six first and second places, five thirds, one fourth, fourth fifths and three sixths.

"Most of the girls are self-motivated and we love them because they are good girls," said Liles. "They give 100 percent each time they go out on the track."

Northside's Danielle Adams won a pair of events, claiming the triple jump in 34-6 and the high jump in 5-10. Southwest's 400 relay team of Corozone Morgan, Brianna Torres, Iesha Hayes and Brittany Murphy won in 51.7.

Meanwhile, Watkins' discus throw was one of the highlights for the third-place Swansboro boys. The reigning event state champion proved he will again be a force in next week's meet after throwing over 186 feet. The NCHSAA Web site lists 182 from Providence's Ben Huff in 1993 as the state record, but Watkins was not credited with a new milestone because it did not happen in the state championship.

Nonetheless, his score was obviously impressive.

"I went to Cornelius in practice this week and told him that this meet would have a 164 guy and a 161 guy and that he would not be able to mess around," recalled Liles. "He said ‘I figure I have to throw 180' and that's what he did five times this week."

Liles recognized what makes Watkins a strong discus thrower.

"Cornelius is one of the hardest workers we have," he said. "He is a man of few words, he leads by example, and if he can throw as he is capable of throwing we can repeat."

The Pirates' Larry Franklin won the triple jump at 43-5 while Swansboro's 3,200 relay team of Mario Colon, Thomas Dial, Andrew Snyder and Ben Sterett won in 8:28.

East Duplin's Ronnie Sturgill won the 1,600 in 4:38 and the 3,200 in 10:24 while teammate Tyreck McFadden won the long jump at 21-2. Southwest's Jamaal S. Williams won the 100 in 10.82 and joined Josh Jacobs, David Hudson and DeJavon Torres in the first-place 800 relay team that clocked a 1:30.2.

Northside's 1,600 relay of Austin Baggett, Raul Delarosa, Tim Strand and Adrian Scott won in 3:30.9.

GIRLS

TEAM: Swansboro 153, Red Springs 60, Northside 58, South Brunswick 50, First Flight 39, Southwest 32, Croatan 31, St. Paul 26, Northeastern 23, South Lenoir 21, West Bladen 19, East Duplin 18, Pasquotank 8, North Brunswick 7, Richlands 2

INDIVIDUAL: Shot put: Shea Gardner (SL) 33-7; Discus: Gardner (SL) 103-7; Long jump: Courtney Bower (Red Springs) 17-3; Triple jump: Adams (NS) 34-6; High jump: Adams (NS) 5-10; Pole vault: Sutherland (Swans) 8-0; 100 meters: Courtney Bower (Red Springs) 13.1; 200 meters: Morgan McEachin (Red Springs) 26.8; 400 meters: Dail (Swans) 1:01.6; 100 hurdles: Hammonds (Swans) 16.7; 300 hurdles: Hammonds (Swans) 49.8; 800 meters: Susan Costello (South Brunswick) 2:34; 1,600 meters: Oshita (Swans) 5:39; 3,200 meters: Alex Tavenier (Northeastern) 12:55; 400 relay: Southwest Onslow 51.7; 800 relay: Red Springs 1:50.5; 1,600 relay: First Flight 4:21; 3,200 relay: Swansboro 10:33.

BOYS

TEAM: North Brunswick 107, South Lenoir 72, Swansboro 69.5, St. Paul 57, East Duplin 54.5, Southwest 45, Northside 44, Croatan 35, First Flight 26, South brunswick 15, Richlands 12, Red Springs 8, West Bladen 8, Pasquotank 4, Edenton Holmes 1.

INDIVIDUAL: Shot put: Josh Balloon (North Brunswick) 53-4; Discus: Watkins (Swans) 186-10; Long jump: McFadden (ED) 21-2; Triple jump: Franklin (Swans) 43-5; High jump: Shawn Sanders (North Brunswick) 6-4; Pole vault: Bobby Howard (North Brunswick) 12-6; 100 meters: J.S. Williams (Southwest) 10.82; 200 meters: Thomas Dove (SL) 22.79; 400 meters: Kavon Sutton (North Brunswick) 51.6; 110 hurdles: David Shaw (St. Paul) 15.1; 300 hurdles: David Shaw (St. Pauls) 40.9; 800 meters: Troy Smith (SL) 2:04; 1,600 meters: Sturgill (East Duplin) 4:38; 3,200 meters: Sturgill (East Duplin) 10:24; 400 relay: South Lenior 43.6; 800 relay: Southwest 1:30.2 ; 1,600 relay: Northside 3:30.9; 3,200 relay: Swansboro 8:28.