News
Ferris ends his career in style
East Forsyth track star wins two titles
Journal Photo by Bruce Chapman
East Forsyth’s Dylan Ferris holds off Alex Taylor of Providence to win the 1,600 meters at N.C. A&T.
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Published: May 11, 2008
Updated: 05/11/2008 12:29 am
GREENSBORO
East Forsyth's Dylan Ferris didn't just want to win state titles yesterday in the NCHSAA 4-A track-and-field championships at N.C. A&T. He also wanted to set records.
But with steady winds and temperatures near 80 degrees creating small impediments for runners, Ferris simply didn't have enough in the tank to accomplish all of his goals.
Ferris came up short in his bid to set a state-meet record in the 800 meters, but he still won the 800 for the third straight season. He also repeated as the state champion in the 1,600 meters and was selected the boys MVP, capping a career that was among the best ever for athletes from Northwest North Carolina.
Pole-vaulters Scott Houston of Northwest Guilford and Taylor Cook of Watauga and the Mount Tabor girls 4x400 team also won state championships, and there were other athletes from area schools with high finishes.
Ferris, who also ran on East's second-place 4x800 team yesterday morning, appeared to have a shot at the 800-meter record of 1:51.39 as he legged his way into the final 200. But he hit a wall down the stretch and finished in 1:52.32.
"I was trying, I just couldn't finish it," said Ferris, who was nursing a blister on his left heel. "I can't really be too disappointed because I ran too much anyway today, but it's kind of disappointing my senior year, trying to do things big, but whatever. I can't complain. You can't complain after you win.
"You just want to do things big, but it didn't work out, but I am all right. The last 200, I was just so tired. I didn't think I would ever do what I am doing now in ninth grade. I just wanted to beat two minutes. Now I want to lead the nation. I never saw myself being an eight-time state champion (indoors and outdoors)."
Coach Michael Riley of East said that Ferris probably had too busy of a day to set the record.
"That backstretch is a little tough today," Riley said. "The wind is directly into them, and it beats them up a little coming into it. He had the lead the whole time, so he kind of paid the price that last 200 meters. He's not the smallest guy in the world. He just had a busy day. He ran a great leg in our 4x800, I had him at 1:50 split, and some others had him at 1:49."
Ferris sat back in the 1,600, then charged into the lead with 1½ laps left and had plenty in the tank to sprint through the final stretch and finish in 4:17.96.
Mount Tabor's girls went into 4x400 seeded No. 1, and the team of Taylor Dewberry, Andrea Beck, Caitlin Brown and Shenita Martin won in 3:53.40, shaving more than four seconds from their season-best time.
Northwest's Guilford's Houston set an all-classifications state-meet record by clearing 16 feet in the pole vault and repeated as the state champ. He surpassed his own 4-A meet record of 15-5, set last season. Aaron Zakula of East Forsyth, who beat Houston in last weekend's regional, cleared 15-0 to finish second.
In the girls pole vault, Watauga's Cook cleared 11-0 to win.
The East Forsyth boys 4x800 team -- Ferris, Tyler Gordon, James Grinold and John Teeter -- ran a season-best 7:51.97 but couldn't catch New Bern, which won in 7:46.12 and missed the meet record by less than a second. East Forsyth cut eight seconds from its previous best.
Hunter Furr of Mount Tabor -- a junior and former independent-schools star at Forsyth Country Day -- showed well in his first NCHSAA 4-A meet, but his day was tinged with a minor disappointment.
Furr ran the second-fastest qualifying time in the 100 meters (10.55 second) but false-started in the final.
He took second in the 200 (21.21), and both of his sprint times were personal records.
"I am more than happy with my performance today," said Furr, who won NCISAA titles in the 100 and 200 in 2006 and 2007. "I got a little antsy in the blocks (in the 100), but that will come with work and experience. I was a little mad, but I just channeled that anger into the 200.
"The general level of competition is a lot better (than at the NCISAA meet). Everyone is a lot more competitive, and the times are faster."
Erika Ivey of North Davidson had a second-place finish in the triple jump (38-1½), and Mount Tabor's Margaret Leak took third in the 1,600 (5:15.67). Leak, the only freshman in the 1,600, stuck with veterans Kim Spano of North Mecklenburg and Andie Cozzarelli of Apex for most of the race before falling back in the final 300 meters. Still finished in 5:15.67, a personal best.
"I wish I could have done better on the last stretch, but I didn't have anything left," Leak said. "I am too dead. I am tired. But third, second or first would have been good. I wanted to be first, but I didn't mind being behind them. They are two, three years older than I am."
Northwest Guilford's team of Anna Gillespie, Chelsea Hollingsworth, Jassica Kaat and Victoria Dounoucos was third in the 4x800 (9:40.08).
In other field events, North Davidson's Jonquil Yokley was fifth in the boys high jump (6-4) and triple jump (45-1½), and Karmen Dais of West Forsyth was fifth in the girls shot put (37-0).
New Bern (boys) and Matthews Butler (girls) won the team titles, and the East Forsyth boys had the highest finish among area teams, taking fourth place.
■ Mason Linker can be reached at 727-7324 or at mlinker@wsjournal.com
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N.C. Politics
Federal Politics
The Downtown Summer Music Series will begin on Thursday. Ed Bumgardner talks to some of the organizers of the Downtown Jazz lineup, in which a form of music known as "smooth jazz" will play a more prominent role this year.
Thursday's relish stories will appear in the Entertainment section.
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