Pioneers deserve accolades
By Bill Cain

GREENSBORO — Track and field may not get many accolades these days when in the company of more popular and commercial sports, but today is a day to stand up and applaud seven track and field athletes who went to Greensboro Saturday with “Watauga” scrawled across their chests to represent their home in the company of the best.

• It took six grown men, a mix of officials and coaches, about 15 minutes to verify the height of the bar for Sallie Gurganus’ attempt at the state record in the pole vault Saturday. It took Gurganus one attempt to set them back to work. Move it up to 12-1, she said. This time they moved a little faster and had it ready in a few minutes.

Gurganus didn’t break the 12-foot mark, but she did set a new state record, 4-A and overall, of 11 feet, eight inches. Oh, and she won another state title in the event. Her third in as many seasons between outdoor and indoor competition.

• Julie Ward did what her coaches always knew she could, even if she was unsure before Saturday. She pole vaulted over the 10-foot-high pole that had served as an unbreakable barrier until now.

Ward also flew up and over a 5-2 bar without the aid of a pole for another personal best in the high jump. She placed in both events, tying for third in the pole vault and fifth in the high jump to score points in both.

• Anna Mae Flynn had the chips stacked against her in the 3,200-meter run — she was forced to start at the head of the pack. Flynn longs for the chase and prefers to be the underdog before passing everyone for the win.

Flynn had nobody to follow until a good 800 runner took the lead with about 800 meters to go and held it. But Flynn found the energy and determination to knock some time off her personal record and finish in 11:16.50, less than a second behind Brittany Johnson of Green Hope.

• Taking a cue from Flynn, Danielle Cullen knocked time off her top time, finishing fifth in 11:41.09. Cullen has excelled late in the season, finishing under 12 minutes in each of the last three competitions of her high school career. After finishing eighth in her last two trips to the state meet, her finish in fifth was another great improvement.

• Macey Ruble said he thinks he is afraid of heights. What better way to get over a fear than by confronting it?

That’s exactly what he did Saturday when he got over whatever mental blockade was keeping him at 12 feet in the pole vault. First, he topped 12-6 on his second attempt, then 13-0 on his second attempt. On his third attempt at 13-6, he managed to get his feet up to the bar, but had no luck getting over. Perhaps with a longer pole (the one he was using was longest Watauga has) he will be able to go higher, but for now, the three feet he has improved since the indoor season will do.

• Last season in regionals, Daniel Corriher threw 48-10 and he threw 50-9 in indoor this year, but before Saturday he had been stuck right around 48 feet. His seed mark for the meet was 48-1. Corriher managed a 47-10 in the prelims and was eighth entering the finals.

His 48-8 in the finals moved him up another spot, but he knows that had he maintained the proper technique, he would have been throwing into the 50s. The seventh place finish is his first in the points at states as he finished ninth last year.

• In his first trip to states, Andrew Salzano came in as the 10th seed. His personal best was 148 and change, but he was held to 133-10 in the prelims. He knows his technique was lacking just enough to keep him out of finals Saturday, where his 148 would have been good for fifth. Still, Salzano took some comfort from just being there among the best in the state.

Back when the first games were held, the Olympic Games, being given the honor to participate was more important to most than winning. Here are seven individuals who were not given that honor, but earned it by being among the elite in North Carolina.

Though it may be seen by some as “just running,” “just throwing” or the like, these athletes have done what very few, if any, of us could. On top of that, they’ve done it better than most of their peers across the entire state.

Give these athletes their due. Otherwise, try to match them at just running, just throwing or just jumping.

You won’t. Better have tried and few have succeeded.