WPA girls looking for another high finish in 1-A championships

With just six team members, the Wilson Prep girls track and field team has defied the odds by finishing second in the Tigers’ last two meets — the 1-A Tar-Roanoke Athletic Conference championships and the NCHSAA 1-A East Regional meet at Wilson Prep last Saturday.

Can the Tigers do it again?

With some potential big points producers carrying the load, the Tigers are hoping to be contenders Monday at the NCHSAA 1-A championship meet that will run concurrently with the 3-A championship meet at North Carolina A&T State University’s Marcus T. Johnson Track in Greensboro. The meet was moved from Saturday due to heavy rain in the forecast for that day.

The Tiger girls boast the top time in the 4×200-meter relay at 1 minute, 45 seconds behind the regional-champion quartet of junior Ty’Nasia Emory, sophomore Janiya Johnson, senior Jakayla Whitehead and junior Rachel Key-White, who is a contender for Most Outstanding Performer. Key-White, who was the MOP at the Scott Jones Memorial Classic as presented by The Wilson Times on April 16 at Beddingfield, won the regional in high jump by clearing 5 foot, 4 inches, which ties her with Robbinsville’s Zoie Shuler for the top seed at the state 1-A meet. Key-White has a school-record 5-6 jump to her credit earlier this year the Adidas Indoor Nationals in Virginia.

Key-White has the fifth-fastest time in the 100 hurdles at 15.81 seconds with Bradford Prep freshman Zaria Holt setting the pace at 15 seconds flat. Key-White enters as the sixth seed in long jump at 16-5. Shuler is first with a West Regional-winning jump of 18-3.5.

Emory is seeded fifth in the girls 100 dash with a regional time of 12.57 while Elkin’s Aniya Edwards is the top seed at 12.12. Johnson has the eighth seed in the 200 at 26.03 while Emory is at 26.43.

The pair along with Whitehead and junior Aaliyah Jones comprise Wilson Prep’s 4×100 relay that is No. 3 in seeding with a regional time of 50.22. Bradford Prep Charter owns the fastest entry time at 48.76.

Whitehead also qualified for the girls 100 in 12.85, good for the 13th seed, while Johnson is in the 400 dash with an entry time of 1:03.18 that will put her in the first flight of the timed finals. Johnson was the only state qualifier last year for either Wilson Prep team, earning a spot in the 200 dash.

The Wilson Prep boys will be represented by Xavier Williams in shot put, Bobby Key in high jump and the 4×200 relay team of Taquan Whitaker, Jayden Jones, Emmanuel Mahone and Travon Usher.

Williams ranks ninth with a regional shot put of 46-2 while Key is 15th in high jump at 5-6. The 4×200 relay is also ninth at 1:33.11.

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