-
Lady Devil Emily Ulaner hands off to Amaya Hicks in the 4x400 relay at regionals.
Summer vacation has done nothing to diminish the focus of the Swain girl’s track and field team. The Lady Devils won the regional championship on Friday, June 18 in resounding fashion, topping second-place Murphy by nearly 50 points. Thirteen Lady Devils qualified for the state meet, where the goal is a second trophy in as many weeks.
“They came into the season knowing that we had the opportunity to do great things,” said head coach Ian Roper of the girls’ team. “You don’t get a chance to compete for a state championship every year, and they knew that was within the realm of possibility this year.”
Roper said that the success of this year’s team is largely due to the leadership from within the roster.
“If I had to point to one thing as far as the leadership goes, I would point to Jenna Marr,” he said. “She’s a senior in the program, and she is sort of the glue right now that has stuck all those girls together and kept them internally focused. We are going to do our part as coaches, but leadership in a team setting has to come from within the ranks of the kids, and she has really stepped up an embraced that and gotten the other girls to buy into it. She’s been a special part of what we have done this year.”
Marr was part of the 4x200 and 4x400 relays that placed first on Friday. Joining her in the 4x200 were Mazie Helpman, Monica Riordan, and Jessica Lohmann. Lohmann, Amaya Hicks, and Emily Ulaner teamed with Marr in the 4x400. Swain also claimed the 4x800 relay thanks to Hicks, Ulaner, Lily Bjerkness, and Gracie Monteith. Roper said that the team’s depth in the relay events has been pivotal to the program’s success this year.
“A real strength of this team, and again it goes back to the team aspect, is that we are ranked in the top-four in the state in all four relays,” he said. “That will go a long way towards accomplishing our goal. We don’t need superhuman efforts to get what we want this week, they just need to be sharp and focused. They just need to do what they do and the rest will take care of itself.”
Boys cross at fourth
The Maroon Devils placed fourth at the regional meet. Like the girls, the boys will also send 13 athletes to the state meet.
Freshman Dawson Cody claimed and individual regional championship in the triple jump, and sophomore Matthew Gray won the pole vault, setting a new personal best of 14 feet.
“This is actually only Matthew’s second year vaulting,” said Roper. “He started last year as a freshman and had an indoor season. But then the spring season was truncated. I think we only got one meet in. He has really bought into vault, though—both he and his family. Matthew is willing to do extra and go beyond just what he is going to get in the high school season. He will travel down and do meets at High Point and Mooresville where there are a couple of vaulting places. Even though our seasons are limited in what we have been able to offer, he is working on it year-round.”
The state meet will take place on Friday morning, June 25 at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro.