By Carey Phillips
Smoky Mountain’s Caleb Phillips won the 1,600-meter run at Friday’s 3-A Western Regional Track Meet at North Lincoln.
Phillips set a school record with a time of 4:26.86. That broke the mark of 4:30.35 set by Eric McManus in the State 3-A Track Meet 20 years ago.
Phillips will be competing in the state 3-A meet Friday in Greensboro, and he won’t be alone. Antonio Lorenzo qualified in the men’s shot put, while Caroline Spilliards (100 hurdles) and Lydia Norman (triple jump) qualified for the women.
“Things went great,” Coach Todd Davidson said. “A lot of the people who went were able to score points and achieve a lot.”
Lorenzo had a personal best mark of 49-5.5 in the shot put to place second.
Spilliards also came in second as she broke her own school record with a time of 15.83.
Norman finished fourth with a distance of 33-2.
The top four in each event at the four regionals advance to the state meet.
“There were a few that just barely missed going to state as well,” Davidson said.
Phillips won by .06 of a second. The coach said he led most of the 1,600 before falling slightly behind late in the race.
“The leader looked back over his right shoulder just as Caleb passed him on the left side,” Davidson said. “It kind of reminded me of how Roger Bannister beat John Landy back in the day.”
That 1954 race was the first time two runners posted times in the mile run of less than four minutes.
Franklin’s men and women won regional championships. The Mustang men were seventh, and the Lady Mustangs tied for 14th.
Phillips almost qualified in the 3,200 as he was fifth in 10:04.6.
Also coming in fifth and missing qualifying for the state meet one spot for the men were Carson Seagraves (110 hurdles, 15.85) and Caleb Borchelt (triple jump, 41-8).
Da’Mare Williams was eighth in the men’s 110 hurdles in 17.43.
The men’s 400 relay team of Jarek Jones, Sawyer Snider, Tanner Gerrety and Malachi McNeely was eighth in 45.12.
Norman was eighth in the women’s long jump at 15-7.
“I’m really excited,” Davidson said of the state meet. “These are people who have been working since indoor track and improving and are very detail oriented. They are really smart about their events. They are becoming veterans in their events. I’m looking forward to more improvement at state and hoping for the best.”
