RCHS, MHS send 10 to 3-A state track meet

By Steve Cannuli

Published: May 15, 2008

GREENSBORO — Today is the chance for all 3-A athletes to become a state champion in track and field. Rockingham County and Morehead will send a combined 10 athletes to compete at today’s NCHSAA 3-A Track and Field Championships.

Nine competitors from RCHS and one from MHS will look to become state champions – led by a pair of No. 2 seeds – Dusty Kenealy and Jacob Gunn of Rockingham County High School.

Kenealy, who was sixth at last year’s state championship, is seeded No. 2 in the boys’ high jump. Kenealy’s mark of 6-6 is second only to Derrick Ross of Union Pines, who qualified at 6-11.

Gunn is also a No. 2 seed in the boys’ discus after qualifying with a throw of 150-05. Jake Deaton of Mooresville is the discus’ top seed with a mark of 156-00. Gunn finished ninth at the 2007 meet.

The other returner from last year’s meet is Danielle Merriman, who finished 15th in the 2007 800-meter run. This season Merriman will team up with Jordan Loye, Nicole Soblesky and Kylie Keck to run the 4x800-meter relay. The foursome is seeded 15th after a qualifying time of 10:30.79 – nearly 47 seconds behind top-seeded T.C. Roberson, which is seeded first at 9:43.72.
Morehead’s Shenika Scales, who qualified for two events, is the No. 4 seed in the girls’ long jump with a qualifying mark of 16-11. Jessica Morgan of W-S Parkland is No. 1 at 18-02.

Scales will also compete in the girls’ high jump – seeded ninth. Her mark of 4-10 is eight inches off pace set by Jasmine Williams of Nash
Central (5-6).

Also competing for the Cougars are Justin Ward, who is seeded No. 16 in the boys’ shot put with a mark of 44-11, James Dunn, who is seeded 13th in the 400-meter dash at 51.64 seconds and Michael Dalton, who is a No. 13 seed in the boys’ 200-meter dash at 23.07.

Today’s event will be held at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T University.
Asheville (girls) and T.C. Roberson (boys) are the defending 3-A state champions.
The meet gets under way at 11 a.m.