Brown takes 2nd in shot, 3rd in discus
By Steve Behr

sports@wataugademocrat.com

GREENSBORO — Watauga’s Paris Brown briefly threw the shot put and the discus while in eighth grade. In the ninth grade, she tried it again, but was hampered by injuries.

So Brown, a senior, was essentially in her rookie season throwing the two objects this season for the Watauga girls’ track and field team. After her performance at the state 4-A state track and field championships at North Carolina A&T Saturday, she could easily qualify as the Pioneers’ rookie of the year.

Brown finished second in the shot put and third in the discus Saturday. Her throw of 143-feet, 11-inches was a personal best and third to Kamorean Hayes of Harding (148-2) and Aslynn Halvorson of Butler (145-8).

In fact, after Brown made her throw, Halvorson and Hayes made their best throws of the afternoon.

“It’s been pretty good throwing the shot and disc,” Brown said. “I was really into it this year.”

Brown followed with a throw of 41-8 1/2 in the shot put. It took a record throw by Hayes of 51-3 1/2 to top Brown. Halvorson was third with a 39-5, giving the top three throwers in the Western 4-A Region the top three positions in the state meet.

“I was just focusing on me getting my (personal record) and everything,” Brown said. “I wasn’t focusing on anybody else out there.”

“Two more school records, you can’t beat that,” Watauga coach Randy McDonough added. “She has just realized how good she can be. The only difference between her and Hayes right now is the weight room and that she just started getting serious about this, while Kamorean has been serious since seventh grade.”

Brown was not the only member of the girls’ team to finish high in the overall standings. Brooke Miller finished second in the pole vault with a height of 10-6. Her teammate, sophomore Taylor Cook, also finished with a 10-6 and ended up in third place. Candace Corbin did not place in the top eight.

Joanna Wright of Winston-Salem Reynolds won the event with an 11-6.

“Joanna is a great vaulter,” McDonough said. “She’s been pretty dominant the whole year and we came in and did what we expected, second and third and Candace almost slipped in there. She got a (personal record) today. We’re very happy with the result.”

Miller also participated in the high jump, but did not place in the top eight. Watauga’s girls finished with 28 points, which was good enough for seventh overall. Harding won the meet with 79 points followed by Southeast Raleigh, who was led by meet MVP Gabby Mayo. Southeast Raleigh finished with 70 points, well ahead of third place Fayetteville Smith, which finished with 44.

Mayo cruised to victories in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She also won the 100-meter hurdles, giving Southeast Raleigh 30 points. Harding cleaned up on relays, winning the 400-, 800- and the 1,600-meter relays.

McDonough was happy with the performances of his athletes.

“We got everything we could have gotten,” McDonough said. “We almost got a point out of Candace and almost a point out of Brooke in the high jump, but we’ll take what we’ve got any time.”

Things were a bit more difficult on Watauga’s boys’ team. Macey Ruble was the lone Pioneer to score points, having picked up four by finishing sixth in the pole vault. Ruble was disappointed in his final height of 14-0.

The winner, Northwest Guilford’s Scott Houston, vaulted to a meet record of 15-5, well ahead of second place Stephen Hodapp of Butler, who vaulted to a 14-6.

“Macey was not far out of second place,” McDonough said. “He did not get 14-6 and that would have helped him a whole lot there. There was a logjam between second and sixth place and he was at the end of the logjam. He’s probably not happy with how he did, but he’s been doing it for three years and he’s done a real good job and I have no fault with what he’s done.”

Will Beasley did not reach the finals of the triple jump, placing 10th, and Chris Symonovicz finished 15th in the high jump. Beasley missed the finals by a 1/4 inch.

Brooks Forsyth settled for 10th place in the 1,600-meter run and Luke Nelson settled for 10th in the 3,200.
The two, with Adam Toney and Jordan Trivette, finished eighth in the 3,200-meter relay. The team turned in a time of 8:13.06.

McDonough said Forsyth was hurt by the pace of the 1,600. He said Forsyth is better at taking a quick lead and then holding on, then running falling behind and catching up.

“Brooks was hurt today by the way the race was run,” McDonough said. “Brooks had to have a fast first lap, but it went out pretty slow. It came through the half slower than his personal record. He’s not one who can go out slow and pick it up. It played right into the winner’s hand. He’s a sprinter and in the end, he took off from everybody.”

The meet MVP was West Charlotte’s Trent Guy Jr., who won the 100-meter dash and helped West Charlotte’s 400-meter dash team to a victory. However, Guy finished second to Antonio Sales of East Chapel Hill in arguably the most exciting race of the meet.

New Bern won the meet with 56 points, followed by West Charlotte with 53. Butler was third with 35 points followed by East Forsyth with 31.