Cavs win opening track meet

Icard- The East Burke boys track & field team made their name known by winning the winter NCHSAA 1A/2A indoor track state championship.

In Thursday's first home meet for the 2023 spring season, the Cavaliers continued to build substantial credibility to be a state championship contender by scoring 213.5 points to place first among seven teams.

Avery Fraley (100 meters: 11.39, 200 meters: 22.77, high jump: 6-0, long jump: 21-00), KJ Byrd (110 hurdles: 15.94, pole vault: 13-00), and Brady Bostain (shot put: 43-07.50, discus: 130-00) all combined for eight East Burke first-place wins.

In addition, Byrd (110 hurdles, pole vault), Fraley (200 meters, long jump), and Bostain (discus) met 2A regional qualifier marks.

Other first-place Cavalier wins came from Jaccob Fair (300 hurdles: 43.59) and Ian Cox (high jump: 6-0).

Fair (110 hurdles: 3rd), Cox (long jump: 4th), Kolby Byrd (shot put/discus: 2nd), Michael Hathcock (shot put: 3rd, discus: 6th), Luke Wilson (discus: 3rd, shot put: 7th), Kolton Poarch (high jump: 4th), Jessie Ramos (shot put/discus: 4th), Nathan Rees (300 hurdles: 5th), Shamus O'Toole (200 meters/triple jump: 5th), and Diego Ramos (shot put: 5th) were other top individual East Burke finishers.

The Cavaliers also gained top finishes in the 4x400 relay compiling of Fair, Rees, Jackson Spencer, Travis Craig gained a runner-up finish.

Draughn (88) and East Burke (86.5) girls teams finished in a tight race for third and fourth place.

Lainey Profitt gained the lone first-place win for the Lady Wildcats in the pole vault (8-6) with other top finishes from Lyrical Edwards (triple jump: 3rd, shot put: 5th, discus: 6th), Ally Auton (pole vault: 2nd, 400 meters: 4th), Georgina Cisneros-Rivera (800 run: 3rd, 1600 run: 6th), Bella Williams (high jump: 2nd), and the 4x800 relay (2nd).

East Burke was led by first-place wins from Taylor Bostain (shot put: 30-00, discus: 93-00), Hannah Parker (100 hurdles: 19.63), Meah Walsh (800 run: 2:39.34), and the 4x800 relay (11:52.44) compiled of Walsh, Piper Strong, Cadence Willis, and Lacie Forino.

Walsh added a runner-up finish in the 1600 run with Emmoine Haith (200 meters: 2nd), Willis (1600 run: 3rd), Strong (1600 run: 4th), and Michelle Cook (high jump: 5th).

"I'm super proud of the effort and results from both of our teams," said East Burke track & field coach Joshua Martin. 

"We had lots of first place and high placing results in addition to many of our athletes achieving new PRs. The success results from the students' commitment to working hard at practice and embracing our mantra of 'One More'. The season is just getting started."

The Draughn boys finished sixth (50) with gaining third place finishes from the 4x400 and 4x800 relays along with Ben Thao (400 meters) and Ryan Williams (800 run) along with Tray Powell finishing fourth in the 3200 run.

Draughn and East Burke are back on the track next Thursday with the Wildcats traveling to Avery County and the Cavaliers visiting Maiden.