CHAMP: Cherokee’s Isaiah Evans, junior, won the 1A West Regional title in the boys discus throw with a throw of 147-06, the top distance in 1A competition in the state so far this season. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
Cherokee hosted the 1A West Regional track and field meet on Saturday, May 12, and several Braves and Lady Braves qualified for the state meet as a result of their performance. The state meet is set for Friday, May 18 at N.C. A&T in Greensboro.
“We’re just having a great day,” said Eddie Swimmer, Cherokee head track and field coach. “I’m really proud of these kids. They’ve worked hard. All I can say is I’m proud of them, and we’re state-bound. They’re beautiful kids. They’re just awesome.”
This year’s team has the most state qualifiers of any team Swimmer has coached. He noted the Cherokee Braves 1A state championship football team has had an impact on all athletes at Cherokee High School, “Championship success breeds championship success.”
With the longest discus throw in 1A competition this season, Cherokee’s Isaiah Evans, junior, won the 1A West Regional title with a throw of 147-06.
“It feels good,” he commented. “With my first two throws being so bad, I was happy.”
He scratched on his first two throws before launching the winner. “I’ve just got to keep working.”
When asked about the upcoming state meet, Evans said “I’ve got to throw further. There’s going to be some tough competition.”
To put Evans’ performance into perspective, the winning discus throws in the other 1A Regional meets on Saturday were as follows: Matthew Swepson from Research Triangle posted a 133-03 in the 1A Mideast meet, Kavon Pittman from North Edgecombe threw a 124-06 in the 1A East meet, and Rylei Smith from North Stanly threw a 123-01 in the 1A Midwest meet.
Evans’ teammate, Joaquin Layno, also qualified for the state meet in the discus throw with a third place finish on Saturday with a 135-9 throw.
INTENSITY: Cherokee’s Tye Mintz (right) passes Hayesville’s Payton Krieger en route to a first place finish in the boys 100M dash with a time of 11:17.
Tye Mintz, Braves senior, won the boys 100M dash with a time of 11.17, and he was part of the Cherokee 4x100M Relay team that took second place with a time of 1:36.71. Other members of that team included Evans, Cade Mintz, and Blake Smith.
Murphy’s girls team won the team championship with a score of 140 followed by a tie for second between Swain County and Polk County with 80.5 points each. The boys team title was won by Polk County with 116 points followed by Murphy 65 and Mt. Island Charter 61. With 52 points, Cherokee’s boys team took fifth place overall.
Several other Cherokee athletes placed at the regional meet and qualified for the state meet. Hallah Panther took second place in the girls pole vault with a jump of 9-06. Cade Mintz took third place in the boys pole vault with a jump of 11-06.
Cherokee’s 4x800M relay team, consisting of Darius Lambert, Josiah Lossiah, Rocky Peebles, and Matthew Climbingbear, took fourth place and qualified for state with a school record-setting time of 8:31.84
SOARING: Cherokee’s Hallah Panther took second place in the girls pole vault with a jump of 9-06.
Results of Saturday’s regional meet, per ncmilesplit.com, are as follows:
Girls Team Overall Results
1 – Murphy 140
2 (tie) – Swain Co. 80.5
2 (tie) – Polk Co. 80.5
16 (tie) – Cherokee 10
Boys Team Overall Results
1 – Polk Co. 116
2 – Murphy 65.5
3 – Mt Island Charter 61
5 – Cherokee 52
Girls Shot Put
1 – Carly Hopkins, Murphy, 39-00
2 – Autumn Owen, Polk Co., 37-00.50
3 – Kaitlyn Teesateskie, Swain Co., 36-04.50
Boys Shot Put
1 – Abe Christensen, Andrews, 49-09.50
2 – Jonathon Hargro, Thomas Jefferson, 46-04.50
3 – Caleb Hicks, Avery Co., 45-11
10 – Joaquin Layno, Cherokee, 39-03.50
Girls Discus Throw
1 – Sarah Pullium, Murphy, 104-04
2 – Madi Crisler, Hayesville, 102-02
3 – Alyssa Key, Cherryville, 97-02
Boys Discus Throw
1 – Isaiah Evans, Cherokee, 147-06
2 – Abe Christensen, Andrews, 136-03
3 – Joaquin Layno, Cherokee, 135-09
Girls High Jump
1 – Lanie Stewart, Robbinsville, 4-10
2 – Ja’Elle Ross Brown, Highland Tech, 4-08
3 – She Li Lewis, Robbinsville, 4-08
Boys High Jump
1 – Eric Barnett, Robbinsville, 6-00
2 – David Horton, Polk Co., 5-10
3 – Demetrius Washington, Mt. Island Charter, 5-10
Girls Pole Vault
1 – Lauren Ketwitz, Polk Co., 10-00
2 – Hallah Panther, Cherokee, 9-06
3 – Brylee Parham, Robbinsville, 9-00
Boys Pole Vault
1 – Jake Justice, Polk Co., 14-00
2 – Tanner Wiggins, Swain Co., 12-06
3 – Cade Mintz, Cherokee, 11-06
Girls Long Jump
1 – Brianna Moore, Murphy, 16-11.75
2 – Brianne Davis, Bessemer City, 15-11
3 – Marissa Twitty, Polk Co., 15-10.50
Boys Long Jump
1 – Jake Justice, Polk Co., 21-03
2 – Micah Anderson, Hiwassee Dam, 20-09
3 – CJ Stephens, Mt. Island Charter, 20-05.50
Girls Triple Jump
1 – Lanie Stewart, Robbinsville, 33-05.25
2 – Karly Stoker, Alleghany, 32-02.25
3 – Harleigh Lane, Robbinsville, 32-01.75
Boys Triple Jump
1 – Jason Fox, Polk Co., 41-02
2 – Mason King, Mt. Island Charter, 40-11.25
3 – Kabe Ellis, Andrews, 40-10.75
Girls 4x800M Relay
1 – Murphy 10:16.24
2 – Swain Co. 10:32.64
3 – Lincoln Charter 10:38.94
Boys 4x800M Relay
1 – Lincoln Charter 8:18.94
2 – Rosman 8:24.59
3 – Polk Co. 8:26.05
4 – Cherokee 8:31.84
Girls 100M Hurdles
1 – Monica Riordan, Swain Co., 16.05
2 – Ja’Ciwa Guthrie, Bessemer City, 16.26
3 – Jessie Lohman, Swain Co., 16.65
Boys 110M Hurdles
1 – DeAndre Jackson, Murphy, 15.19
2 – Mason King, Mt. Island Charter, 15.31
3 – Devin Boykin, Hayesville, 15.73
8 – Jordan Grant, Cherokee, 18.74
Girls 100M Dash
1 – Izzy Jackson, Polk Co., 12.71
2 – Ashlyn Weaver, Hiwassee Dam, 13.05
3 – Kiazyia Degree, Bessemer City, 13.20
Boys 100M Dash
1 – Tye Mintz, Cherokee, 11.17
2 – Mitchell Yoder, Polk Co., 11.31
3 – Garrett Vernon, East Wilkes, 11.48
Girls 4x200M Relay
1 – Bessemer City 1:47.86
2 – Mt. Island Charter 1:50.37
3 – Polk Co. 1:50.53
Boys 4x200M Relay
1 – Mt. Island Charter 1:32.20
2 – Avery Co. 1:33.94
3 – Murphy 1:36.12
5 – Cherokee 1:36.71
Girls 1600M Run
1 – Brooklyn Pierce, Highland Tech, 5:39.59
2 – Cameron Rice, Murphy, 5:53.60
3 – Sydney Bolyard, Tri-County, 6:03.32
Boys 1600M Run
1 – Gavin Morgan, Hayesville, 4:40.82
2 – Caelan Anderson, Hiwassee Dam, 4:42.09
3 – Drew Zink, Lincoln Charter, 4:42.19
7 – Darius Lambert, Cherokee, 4:49.73
13 – Rocky Peebles, Cherokee, 5:18.04
Girls 4x100M Relay
1 – Mt. Island Charter 52.77
2 – Bessemer City 53.04
3 – Murphy 53.09
Boys 4x100M Relay
1 – Mt. Island Charter 44.61
2 – Cherokee 45.24
3 – Murphy 45.87
Girls 400M Dash
1 – Eden Phillips, Mitchell, 1:00.99
2 – Izzy Jackson, Polk Co., 1:02.13
3 – Marissa Twitty, Polk Co., 1:03.50
7 – Raylen Bark, Cherokee, 1:08.16
Boys 400M Dash
1 – Brody Smith, Mitchell, 50.96
2 – Jay Sadler, Bessemer City, 52.74
3 – Kenny Schild, Lincoln Charter, 52.93
Girls 300M Hurdles
1 – Payton Wood, Murphy, 49.57
2 – Monica Riordan, Swain Co., 50.65
3 – Jessie Lohman, Swain Co., 51.23
11 – Naomi Smith, Cherokee, 57.09
Boys 300M Hurdles
1 – Mason King, Mt. Island Charter, 42.48
2 – Angelo Scionti, Andrews, 43.14
3 – DeAndre Jackson, Murphy, 43.22
Girls 800M Run
1 – Brooklyn Pierce, Highland Tech, 2:28.40
2 – Emma Pindur, Swain Co., 2:36.76
3 – Morgan Dudley, Hayesville, 2:36.93
9 – Rosa Reyes, Cherokee, 2:49.28
13 – Maria Reyes, Cherokee, 2:53.25
Boys 800M Run
1 – Micah Smith, Lincoln Charter, 2:01.35
2 – Jack Derkach, Polk Co., 2:05.25
3 – Alex Haines, Murphy, 2:06.31
11 – Darius Lambert, Cherokee, 2:18
Girls 200M Dash
1 – Brianna Moore, Murphy, 26.91
2 – Ja’Ciya Guthrie, Bessemer City, 27.13
3 – Grace Nelson, Murphy, 27.46
Boys 200M Dash
1 – Brody Smith, Mitchell, 23.29
2 – Kenny Child, Lincoln Charter, 23.48
3 – Mitchell Yoder, Polk Co., 23.84
Girls 3200M Run
1 – Kilia Haste, Thomas Jefferson, 12:58.37
2 – Sydney Bolyard, Tri-County, 13:17.22
3 – Emma Lasarsky, Lincoln Charter, 13:25.95
Boys 3200M Run
1 – Gavin Morgan, Hayesville, 10:27.14
2 – Drew Zink, Lincoln Charter, 10:29.24
3 – Ryan Jenkins, Swain Co., 10:32.60
Girls 4x400M Relay
1 – Murphy 4:11.90
2 – Polk Co. 4:14.98
3 – Mitchell 4:19.93
Boys 4x400M Relay
1 – Avery Co. 3:34.36
2 – Polk Co. 3:37.61
3 – Lincoln Charter 3:39.58
