South Rowan’s Eli Julian

 

Staff report

CONCORD — South Rowan’s Eli Julian won two events in Saturday’s 3A Midwest Regional Track and Field Meet held at Jay M. Robinson High.

Carson’s distance crew turned in another impressive day, including a victory in the 4×800.

Eight places were scored with a 10-8–6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system. Carson scored 36.5 points and was seventh in the team scoring to lead the four Rowan schools in the event. South scored 25 for 12th place, with Julian’s two wins accounting for 20.

East Rowan totaled 19 points, while West Rowan scored two.

Dudley ran away with the team championship with 193 points. Lake Norman Charter placed fourth with 45 points and led the South Piedmont Conference entries.

While every school has a goal of winning the regional, the primary purpose of the event is to qualify athletes for the upcoming 3A State Championships in Greensboro. The top four in each event advanced to state competition, as well as the top four teams in each relay.

Julian, a senior headed to Liberty University, ran 9:33 to win the 3200 and held off a strong field in the 1600 with a 4:21.6 clocking.

South’s other five points came from Grayson Cromer. He took fourth in the 800 in 1:57.73 to qualify for the state trip.

•••

Carson’s 4×800 unit of Connor Price, James Anderson, Jorge Clemente-Garcia and Bricen Burleson ran 8:06, made some history and edged CATA by less than a second.

Carson also had a number of individual state qualifiers. Burleson placed second in the 800 (1:57.84). Eric Gillis was third in the 3200 (9:43), while Clemente-Garcia (9:55) took fourth in that event.

Carson posted a number of times that ranked among the best in school history.

The 4×400 unit of Price, Carson Aman, Ethan Webb and Burleson didn’t qualify for the state meet, but scored three points with a sixth-place finish.

Carson got 3.5 points in the field events, as Damir Miller tied for fifth in the high jump.

•••

East Rowan had two state qualifiers.

Jacob Butler was second in the shot put (48-1), while Jordan Brooks was runner-up in the triple jump (43-2).

Kaleo Tolentino accounted for the Mustangs’ other three points with a sixth in the pole vault.

•••

Brennon Stevenson was seventh in the 400 to account for West Rowan’s two points.