Adams, Shuler win regional crowns
Valdese – There is just one more obstacle standing between six Robbinsville athletes and statewide immortality.
A top-4 finish (or better) meant Brock Adams, Cuttler Adams, Claire Barlow, Kadence Howell, Kensley Phillips and Zoie Shuler all punched their tickets to the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 1A state championship meet – which will be held in conjunction with the 3A title event Friday, May 19 at N.C. A&T University’s Aggie Stadium in Greensboro – at Friday’s Western Regional showcase, held at Draughn High School in Valdese.
“The regional track meet was an overall great effort by all our Robbinsville athletes, from PRs (personal records) in multiple events, to medals and state qualifiers,” said head coach Kaitlyn Carringer-Adams.
In the case of both Brock Adams and Shuler, the formidable duo both carried a pair of regional championships back to Graham County.
A senior, Brock has a combined three state championships in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles (two have came in the 110) and is looking to finish his career as a Black Knight with two more. He finished 0.28 seconds ahead of Swain County’s Austin Jenkins to win the 110-meter regional crown Friday – logging a time of 15.22 – and bested Mountain Island Charter’s Reggie Daniel (41.14 seconds) by clocking in at the 40.97 mark.
Shuler has more than made up for the state crowns that seemed to slip away throughout her freshman campaign, attaining four in the long and triple jump between both indoor and outdoor track across her sophomore and junior campaigns. Shuler leapt exactly two feet further than Andrews’ Kylie Donaldson in the long jump – posting a distance of 17 feet, 9 ¼ inches – and left Hayesville’s Ella Matheson (33 feet, 8 ¼ inches) to reassess her event schedule by recording a mark of 37 feet, 6 inches in the triple jump.
Both competed in the high jump as well at Valdese, taking second in the girls’ (Shuler leapt 5 feet, 2 inches) and boys’ (Brock matched his personal record of 6 feet, 2 inches) competitions. Shuler was bested by just 1.24 seconds in the 200-meter dash by Mountain Island Charter’s Jaida McGrew.
Other qualifiers
Cuttler Adams was the only other Black Knight to qualify for state, as the junior turned in second-place finishes for Robbinsville in both the long jump (20 feet, 10 ¼ inches) and 100-meter dash (11.21 seconds). Cuttler just missed the regional title in the dash – with Mountain Island Charter’s Benjamin Patton squeaking by at 11.20 – while his long-jump distance was a foot and a half shy of Draughn’s Elijah Tillery (20 feet, 11 ¾ inches).
The Lady Knights seized fourth place in the region, accumulating 60 team points. Aside from Shuler, Barlow, Howell and Phillips all proved to be difference makers.
Barlow stamped her pass to Greensboro with third-place leaps of 15 feet, 6 ½ inches and 33 feet, 5 inches in both the long and triple jumps.
Phillips matched Barlow’s distance in the long jump, while Howell dug deep and unleashed a discus throw of 100 feet, 10 inches – shattering her personal record by 20 feet and coming a mere 11 inches of tying the school standard (Staci Knighton hit 101 feet, 9 inches in 2014).
“At the state meet – if our kids compete like they did at regionals and how we’ve seen them practice – they all have a good chance of earning All-State in their events, as well as some podium finishes and state-champion titles,” Carringer-Adams noted.
More compete
All told, Robbinsville had 18 different athletes take part in the regional festivities.
Aubrie Wachacha placed seventh in the shot put (29 feet, 10 ½ inches) and 14th in discus throw (80 feet, 6 inches).
Carringer-Adams was pleasantly surprised by the showing from Donovin Hall. He placed 10th in the shot put (38 feet, 10 ½ inches), but was able to help the Black Knights in more ways than one.
“Carson Lovin gave it his all, despite unfortunately getting injured,” Carringer-Adams said of an unfortunate miscue in the boys’ 4x200 relay. “Donovin Hall stepped up in Carson’s place in the 4x100 and helped the relay earn a higher placement than what they were originally seeded, as well as run their fastest time all season.
“We coaches could not be prouder of these two athletes.”
Elsewhere, Cooper Adams turned in an 8th-place distance of 18 feet, 9 ¾ inches in the long jump and a 12th-place time of 56.48 in the 400-meter dash. Tytan Teesateskie finished ninth in the discus throw (115 feet, 4 inches) and 13th in the shot put (37 feet, 4 ¾ inches). Caden Lail and Tillman Adams wrapped up sixth and seventh place in the pole vault, clearing respective heights of 10 feet, 6 inches and 10 feet flat.
Senior Caleb Draper posted a leap of 39 feet, 1 ¼ inches in the triple jump – good for 7th place – and ninth in the long jump (17 feet, 11 ½ inches), while classmate William Cable ended his Black Knights career by finishing 10th in the 800-meter run (2:14.92) and 11th in the 1,600-meter run (5:08.65). He has signed to run at Carson-Newman University next year.
In relay events, the 4x800 tandem of Xander Wachacha, Albert Avella, Zeb Stewart and Cable finished 10th (9:22.67); Brock Adams, Lovin, Cooper Adams and Cuttler Adams) placed ninth in the 4x200 relay (1:35.78); and Hall, Cooper Adams, Lail and Cuttler Adams combined for a 7th-place time of 46.01 in the 4x100.
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