Elkin runners shine in 1A region meet

DANBURY — Senior Zach Millsaps won three gold medals, and Elkin’s boys track team finished third overall in the 1A Midwest Region track and field championships, held Saturday at North Stokes High School.

Millsaps crossed first in his signature event, the 800 meters, and won a rainy 3,200 meters. The UNC Pembroke signee also anchored the Buckin’ Elks’ 4×800 relay, which won gold by more than two seconds over the runner-up squad from Central Academy.

Brandon Welborn, Aaron DeFreitas and Cuauthli Lozada joined Millsaps on the 4×800 team.

This is one of Elkin’s best team showings in recent memory in a region track meet. The Buckin’ Elks finished ninth a year ago.

Millsaps’ winning time in the 800 meters was 2:00.24. He enjoyed a comfortable victory margin of nearly three seconds in the two-lap event.

Millsaps ran the fastest 800 time of any in the four 1A regionals held Saturday. The champion out of the West, Levy Floyd of Thomas Jefferson Academy, won with a time of 2:01.98. Two runners from the N.C. School of Science & Math – seniors Levi Rolles and Robert Baraldi – have posted times in the 2:01 range this season but both ran several seconds slower in the Mideast Regional.

Millsaps and Lozada gave Elkin a 1-3 finish in the 3,200 meters. Millsaps won in 10:14.60. Lozada’s time was 10:29.02. Abram Logan of East Wilkes placed fourth, nipping at Lozada’s heels with a time of 10:30.19.

Elkin’s 4×800 team cruised to the finish with a time of 8:29.12. Central Academy took the silver in 8:31.59.

The Buckin’ Elks ran the second-fastest 4×800 of any 1A regional on Saturday. The gold medalists in the 1A Mideast Region, from the N.C. School of Science and Math, blazed the track in 8:15.38. A foursome from Lake Norman Charter won the 1A West in 8:29.77, just a few tenths slower than Elkin’s winning time in the Midwest.

Elkin’s Tre King also enjoyed a gold-medal moment Saturday. He won the high jump with a leap of 6-2.

The top four placers in each individual event and relay earned a spot in this weekend’s 1A state championships in Greensboro.

Other state qualifiers from Elkin included senior Samantha Dimmette, senior Sarah Snow and freshman Madeline Carter.

Dimmette placed second in the shot put and third in the discus. Snow was fourth in two events, the 100 hurdles and the triple jump. Carter rallied over the last lap to grab fourth in the 3,200 meters.

“(Carter) ran a gusty race,” Elkin distance coach Dan Merritt wrote on his Facebook page this weekend. “Being in fifth place most of the race she put on a burst of speed the last lap that secured the last qualifying spot and come within less than two seconds from capturing second place.”

Stellar performances abounded for athletes from Surry, Wilkes and Stokes counties.

Makayla Roten of West Wilkes went to the medals podium three times for individual events. She won the high jump (5-2), was second in the triple and placed fourth in the pole vault. Roten also grabbed a gold medal, along with teammates Erin Dancy, Courtney Dancy and Olivia McGee, in the 4×400 relay. The Blackhawks’ winning time was 4:16.97.

Mount Airy’s Kirsten Parries – a state champion this past fall in 1A cross country – won a region title in the 3,200 meters (12:20.24) and was fourth in the 1,600.

Tess Rogers of North Stokes won the pole vault (10-6) and placed third in the 300 hurdles.

Monroe won the girls meet going away, with 131 points. The North Stokes girls placed second with 67, while West Wilkes was third with 50. South Stokes came in seventh with 40 points. The Elkin girls were 10th with 29 points.

Matt Layne of West Wilkes used a leap of 13-0 to win the pole vault on the boys side. Mount Airy’s Joktan Moore earned a region title in the triple jump (46-2.5), placed second in the long jump and was third in the 300 hurdles.

Aaron Pentasuglia of South Stokes topped the leaderboard in the discus (136-3).

North Rowan was the boys team winner with 134 points, Monroe was second with 76, followed by Elkin 48, South Stokes 45, Mount Airy 36 and North Stokes 28. A total of 19 schools earned team points in the boys meet.

The 1A state meet will be held Saturday at N.C. A&T University in Greensboro.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS FROM THE 1A MIDWEST REGION

Below are highlights from the region meet involving schools in the Mountain Valley and Northwest 1A/2A conferences, including team scores and top-six finishers.

Midwest 1A Regional Track Championships

Saturday * at North Stokes High

GIRLS

Team Scores
Monroe 131, North Stokes 67, West Wilkes 50, North Rowan 48, Gray Stone Day 44, Winston-Salem Prep 42, South Stokes 40, Mount Airy 34, Bishop McGuinness 31, Elkin 29, North Wilkes 13, Albemarle 10, South Davidson 8, North Moore 8, East Surry 1, Chatham Central 1.

Top Six Individual Finishers
Tess Rogers (North Stokes): 1st in pole vault (10-6), 3rd in 300 hurdles
Tylesha Goolsby (South Stokes): 1st in discus, 3rd in shot put
Makayla Roten (West Wilkes): 1st in high jump (5-2), 2nd in triple jump, 4th in pole vault
Kirsten Parries (Mount Airy): 1st in 3,200 meters (12:20.24), 4th in 1,600 meters
Samantha Dimmette (Elkin): 2nd in shot put, 3rd in discus
Hannah McBride (North Stokes): 2nd in 1,600 meters, 3rd in 3,200 meters
Jordan Amos (North Stokes): 2nd in 3,200 meters, 5th in 1,600 meters
Allison Perrell (South Stokes): 2nd in high jump, 5th in 300 hurdles
Jackie Denny (North Wilkes): 2nd in 400 meters, 6th in 200 meters
Courtney Dancy (West Wilkes): 2nd in 800 meters
Megan Breden (West Wilkes): 2nd in pole vault
Micayla Mitchell (North Stokes): 3rd in 100 hurdles, 6th in 300 hurdles
Davi Barbour (Mount Airy): 3rd in 800 meters
Danielle Jessup (South Stokes): 3rd in triple jump
Moriah Boyette (North Stokes): 3rd in pole vault
Sarah Snow (Elkin): 4th in 100 hurdles, 4th in triple jump
Jordan Hiatt (Mount Airy): 4th in 400 meters
Madeline Carter (Elkin): 4th in 3,200 meters
Briana Blevins (North Stokes): 4th in discus
Shalynn Brown (North Stokes): 5th in triple jump, 6th in long jump
Heather Davis (South Stokes): 5th in 200 meters
Allison Tilley (South Stokes): 5th in shot put
Marley Bollman (North Stokes): 5th in pole vault
Elizabeth Klapmeyer (North Stokes): 6th in 800 meters
Madison Durham (Elkin): 6th in 1,600 meters
Erin Dancy (West Wilkes): 6th in pole vault
Kirstyn Shew (West Wilkes): 6th in discus

Top Six Relays
West Wilkes 4×400 (Makayla Roten, Erin Dancy, Courtney Dancy, Olivia McGee): 1st place in 4:16.97
Mount Airy 4×800 (Jordan Hiatt, Alex Mayes, Kirsten Parries, Davi Barbour): 2nd place
North Stokes 4×800 (Elizabeth Klapmeyer, Taylor Mabe, Jordan Amos, Hannah McBride): 3rd place
South Stokes 4×100 (Katee Moore, Taylor Anderson, Heather Davis, Danielle Jessup): 5th place
South Stokes 4×200 (Courtney Nelson, Samantha Pulliam, Heather Davis, Danielle Jessup): 5th place
Mount Airy 4×400 (Jordan Hiatt, Alex Mayes, Davi Barbour, Micaela Tumbarello): 5th place
East Surry 4×100 (Jaleia Hargrave, Destiny Edmonds, Charity Edmonds, Abby Kish): 6th place
Elkin 4×800 (Kelsey Nicholson, Carrie Brown, Madeline Carter, Madison Durham): 5th place
South Stokes 4×400 (Leah Rivas, Samantha Pulliam, Taylor Anderson, Heather Davis): 6th place
South Stokes 4×800 (Leah Rivas, Courtney Nelson, Gina Rutledge, Jackie Alonzo): 6th place

BOYS

Team Scores
North Rowan 134, Monroe 76, Elkin 48, South Stokes 45, Mount Airy 36, North Stokes 28, West Montgomery 26.5, Chatham Central 22, West Wilkes 22, Central Academy of Tech 20, East Surry 17, Bishop McGuinness 16, North Wilkes 13.5, Union Academy 12.5, East Wilkes 12, South Stanly 11.5, Winston-Salem Prep 10, Albemarle 7, North Moore 1.

Top Six Individual Finishers
Zach Millsaps (Elkin): 1st in 800 meters (2:00.24), 1st in 3,200 meters (10:14.60)
Tre King (Elkin): 1st place in high jump (6-2)
Matt Layne (West Wilkes): 1st in pole vault (13-0)
Aaron Pentasuglia (South Stokes): 1st in discus (136-3)
Joktan Moore (Mount Airy): 1st in triple jump (46-2.5), 2nd in long jump, 3rd in 300 hurdles
Abram Logan (East Wilkes): 2nd in 1,600 meters, 4th in 3,200 meters
Corey Valentine (Mount Airy): 2nd in 400 meters, 5th in high jump
Jared Dimmette (North Wilkes): 2nd in 300 hurdles, 6th in 110 hurdles
Garrett Wood (North Stokes): 2nd in pole vault
Austin Mabe (North Stokes): 2nd in shot put, 6th in discus
Ryan Simmons (East Surry): T-2 in high jump
Jerry Galloway (East Surry): 3rd in 400 meters
Justin Nelson (South Stokes): 3rd in 1,600 meters
Cuauthli Lozada (Elkin): 3rd in 3,200 meters
Chris Cornelius (South Stokes): 3rd in pole vault
Justin Rogers (South Stokes): 3rd in discus
Curtis Welch (South Stokes): 4th in 110 hurdles, 4th in 300 hurdles
Tyler Woods (West Wilkes): 4th in 100 meters
Samuel Allen (West Wilkes): 4th in high jump
Andy Kopp (North Stokes): 4th in pole vault
Parley Gentry (Mount Airy): 5th in discus
Josh Martin (North Wilkes): T-6th in 400 meters

Top Six Relays
Elkin 4×800 (Brandon Welborn, Aaron DeFreitas, Cuauthli Lozada, Zach Millsaps): 1st place (8:29.12)
South Stokes 4×200 (Ivory Blue, Daniel Millikan, Jacquan Martin, Damien Martin): 3rd place
East Surry 4×100 (Lamar Shuff, Rayshawn Moore, Justin Fields, Jerry Galloway): 4th place
North Wilkes 4×200 (Chris Eaton, Jared Dimmette, Ethan Wingler, Austin Woodruff): 4th place
North Stokes 4×400 (Austin Barefoot, Garrett Wood, Cody Bennett, Matthew Hopkins): 4th place
West Wilkes 4×800 (Daniel Jones, Colby Shell, Joshua Englebert, Connor Pate): 4th place
South Stokes 4×100 (Daniel Millikan, Jacquan Martin, Damien Martin, Chris Cornelius): 5th place
North Stokes 4×200 (Dillon Rogers, Shane Shelton, Cody Bennett, Matthew Hopkins): 5th place
Elkin 4×400 (Cody King, Brandon Welborn, Aaron DeFreitas, Zach Millsaps): 5th place
South Stokes 4×400 (Curtis Welch, Ivory Blue, Daniel Millikan, Sam Cooper): 6th place
North Stokes 4×800 (Travis Sexton, Sean Condon, Casey Kopp, Justin Kenard): 6th place