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School Sports
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Monday, May 12, 2008, 11:08 AM
Disappointing day for area girls at 3-A regional meet By Tom Ham | Senior Staff Writer ROCKY MOUNT -- Star Southern Nash High senior jumper Laura Langley, as expected, qualified in three events for next weekend's N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A Championship girls track meet during Saturday's East Regional at Nash Central High School. However, Langley, the 2007 3-A high jump champion, reviewed her performance with disappointment. Yet, the disappointment was temporary. "I was a little disappointed," she said, "but you have those bad days. But maybe I will be doing good at the state." Langley's "bad day" consisted of a runner-up finish in the high jump, third place in the pole vault and fourth place in the triple jump. The top four finishers in each event claimed state berths. Neither did the regional unfold according to early-season projections for another Laura -- Fike senior Laura Hanson. Despite a stress fracture in a leg, Hanson competed in the 3,200-meter run and finished sixth with a time of 12 minutes, 30 seconds. At the outset of 2008, Hanson ranked among the East's top female performers in the 1,600 and 3,200. She elected to not to run in the regional 1,600. Jacksonville of the 3-A/4-A Mideastern Conference dominated with 127 points, followed by its archrival, White Oak, with 64 points, Havelock (56), Rocky Mount (47) and South Central (45). SouthWest Edgecombe wound up 11th with 14 points, while 13th-place Charles B. Aycock managed 14 points. Hunt, in the 15th spot, had 6.5 points, while Hanson collected Fike's only point. Southern Nash's Johnson, a senior, emerged a state qualifier with a fourth-place time of 5 minutes, 38 seconds in the 1,600. Coleman is state-bound after taking third in the triple jump (34 feet, 8 inches). Other state qualifiers from The Daily Times readership area were Hunt junior Allison Ray, fourth in the discus (93-07); SouthWest Edgecombe's junior Denise Harrison, third in the discus (96-09) and sophomore Ny'Neka Euwell, third in the long jump (16-04); and CBA senior Chantel Gaines, fourth in the 400 (1:01.50). Harrison also placed fifth in the shot put, while Fike freshman Elizabeth Hanson was seventh in the 1,600 and 3,200. Hunt got a fifth-place effort in the pole vault from freshman Caroline Tippett and sixth place from sophomore Vicky White in the high jump. Langley, hampered by a turned ankle, cleared 5-4 in the high jump and 8-6 in the pole vault. She triple-jumped 34-07.5. "I planned on winning the high jump," she flatly admitted. Instead, she was surpassed by Nash Central sophomore Jasmine Williams at 5-6. "I basically taught Jasmine how to high jump," Langley pointed out. "But I am happy for her." Langley added that she was used to the wind, but declared: "It was kind of blowing. I was a little tired in doing three events at the same time. "The pole vault was pretty good but, in the triple jump, I actually never really got but one run-through (because of competing in other events). I got too high on my first phase (of her final attempt) and that ruined all the other phases." "She did pretty good," Southern Nash coach Crystal Joyner said of Langley. "She's had ankle problems. In the high jump, she could have done a little better. In the pole vault, she tied her best. Jasmine just had a better performance in the high jump. We'll see what happens at the state." Langley has not decided whether she will enter all three events in the state meet. Of Laura Hanson's day, Tom Griffith, who coached her in cross country, assured: "That's not the way we envisioned her going out. But it might be a blessing because, now, she can concentrate on getting healthy. Still, she ran eight laps with a stress fracture -- that's pretty admirable." Hunt's Ray realized her season's goal. "I wanted to make it to the state this year," she revealed. "I'm pleased with that. I was the seventh seed (finished fourth) and I was pretty nervous when that came up. "But I guess good things happen to those who work hard." hammer@wilsontimes.com | 265-7809
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