Adam Krohn: Cats look to 4-peat, Northwest Whitfield and Murray County in the mix

Published 5:08 pm Monday, April 20, 2009

The Region 7-4A boys track and field meet begins Friday at Dalton, and with the region expanding from seven to 15 teams this season, Catamounts coach Scott Thompson knows it will be difficult for his team to win its fourth consecutive region title.

Not only is Dalton playing without a talented 2008 senior class that accounted for 75 points in last year’s meet, but the competition from schools new to 7-4A such as Sequoyah and Hillgrove makes the goal of a four-peat that much harder to attain.

“We have a hard road to hoe to win it again,” Thompson said. “Looking at the times and distances of some of these kids in the region, it’s going to be difficult.”

Still, there are plenty of bright spots in Dalton’s lineup. Chas Thomason has the best mark in the high jump of anyone in the region at 6 feet, 6 inches. And Thompson expects Ahmed Farag (110 and 300 meter hurdlse), Andrew Bruner (800, 1600) and the 4×400 and 4×100 relay teams to be in the mix for qualification to the state meet.

And Thompson said he’s got a solid group of No. 2’s in Preston Pound (3200), Johnathon Fletcher (100, 200), Trae Washington (long jump) and Cody Patterson (discus) that, if they step up, could help the Cats make a serious push at this year’s region meet.

One of the teams that will be standing in Dalton’s way is area rival Northwest Whitfield. The Bruins have just about every key athlete returning from last year’s team save Nate Woodason.

“Yeah, but all he did was win a state championship and become the state record holder,” joked Northwest coach Jason Jackson, downplaying the significance of losing his pole vaulter, who set the state record in last year’s state meet by clearing 15 feet.

Despite losing Woodason, the Bruins are still expected to compete for a 1-2 finish in the pole vault for a second straight year. At last year’s region meet, Jake Bridges finished second behind Woodason. This year, Bridges and Nate’s younger brother Luke will try to repeat last year’s accomplishment.

“I think we’ve got a chance to do just as good as last year in the pole vault,” Jackson said.

Other Bruins expected to compete for a spot in the state meet are Cameron Griffin (110, 300 hurdles), Zac Baker (shot put), A.J. Meyer (800, 3200)

and Dean Haynes (triple jump, 200).

Jackson also said to look out for No. 2s Keonce Lovelace (100, 400) and Jordan Jones (800), a freshman whom Jackson calls “a tough kid that wants to win.”

Though, as is the case in most seasons, inclement weather led to the cancellation of a lot of regular season meets, the Dalton Rotary Invitational earlier this month served as a point of reference for how the region meet should play out. The Rotary Invite featured 16 schools and some top-notch competition from schools such as Parkview, McEachern and Martin Luther King.

Of the five 7-4A schools at the Rotary Invite, the Bruins finished the highest at third place overall, behind Carrollton (6-3A) and winner Parkview (8-5A). Dalton finished eighth and Murray County, who brought just a handful of competitors, finished 13th.

“That meet was a real good measuring stick,” Jackson said. “That has been one of the best meets in the state for awhile now. Good folks come to that meet.”

And although Murray County doesn’t quite possess the depth the other two area 7-4A schools do, they have Josh Stanley, who has a chance at qualifying for state in the 800 and the 3200.

Stanley, a past state qualifier in cross country, has centered his training this season around the 800, an event his coach, Sam Young, said he’s naturally excelled in.

“He will be competitive,” Young said. “He’s been posting some good times, but he still needs to get under two minutes, because the best times in the region are at that mark.”

Stanley’s best time this season is 2:01. He took first place in the event at both the Northwest Invitational and the Dalton Rotary Invite.

Others expected to provide a boost for the Indians are Rafael Pacheco (1600), Trey Miller (100, 4×100 relay) and Cody Howard (100, 200 and 4×100 relay).

Most of Friday’s events will serve as preliminaries, except the triple jump, high jump and shot put, as well as the 3200 and 1600, which will make up Day 1’s state qualifiers. The remaining events finals will take place on Monday.

“You’ve gotta have your athletes make it to Monday,” Thompson said. “That’s the key for any team.”

Adam Krohn is a sports writer for The Daily Citizen.