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TRACK AND FIELD
Butler Track | Bulldogs work for improbable sweep
BRETT HONEYCUTT
bhoneycutt@charlotteobserver.com
Heading into Saturday's N.C. 4A track and field championships at N.C. A&T, Butler has a chance for a sweep of the boys' and girls' titles.
But to do that, both teams know they'll need their key point contributors to come up big, and also both teams will need some breaks.
The boys, which won the N.C. 4A West Regional last Saturday, will rely heavily on All-American Spencer Adams in the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, Robert Blanton in both hurdle races and the high jump and Stephen Hodapp in the pole vault.
Jeremy Johnson will run the 100 and 200 and will also team with Adams, Kenny Boulware, Alan Jackson and Marcel Sargent on two relays.
Adams, though, is key.
He is seeded No. 1 in the 300 hurdles and second in the 110 hurdles.
He ran the fastest time in N.C. history at last year's state championships to win the 300 hurdles (36.04 seconds) and knows he'll be a target.
"I'd rather be the underdog," Adams said. "But it's kind of nice knowing everybody wants to beat me, because it makes me work harder."
The girls' team is led by All-American thrower Aslynn Halvorson, who has the state's best shot put and discus performances, shot and discus thrower Clair Watkins, sprinter Vashti Bandy and several more sprinters on a relay.
"The thing about it is, we always focus on the things (we) can control," Butler coach Deb Bethay said.
"If we do what we need to do and come out on top, then great."
After that, each will hope that the heavy favorites, two-time champion New Bern in the boys and Myers Park in the girls, falter in some way.
A look at the seedings and performances from this season predicts both of those teams winning by double digits and Butler finishing runner-up in both.
But Bethay knows nothing is won on paper.
"If we can't win the whole thing, at least we want to win some individuals and some relays," Bethay said. "That's what we want to do, is take care of one event at a time."
