Will Woolever
sports@thefranklinpress.com
The FHS Track and Field Team has made an impression on the biggest stage.
After earning team championships in both men’s and women’s competition at the Mountain Six Conference Meet June 9, 23 Panther athletes turned their attention to the 2A West Regional Meet at East Burke High School June 18. On a hot, sunny day against the toughest competition from 26 other Western North Carolina schools, the Panthers ended the day with top-5 finishes by both teams.
“We left at five in the morning, but we were happy that we got home before dark,” said track and field head coach Melissa Ward. “It was a wonderful day. With the type of competition we were going against it was very difficult, and they just did an amazing job, especially with so many freshman going to Regionals and winning some of their events.”
Earning top-5 finishes in 14 events by Panthers up and down the roster, Franklin cemented its 2021 claim as one of the top track programs in the west. With female athletes from freshmen to seniors earning top-level finishes throughout the day, Franklin’s girls team nearly powered to a first-place finish.
“We had Rylee [Cassada] in the 4x400 relay that won as a freshman, and Hannah [Angel] had three wins in the high jump, 100-meter hurdles, and the 4x400,” said Ward. “In the 100-meter hurdles, Hannah and Isabelle [DuChemin] placed first and second, so for Isabelle to get second was really awesome. In the 300 hurdles, Anna Tastinger actually beat Isabelle, which is unusual for our team, so that was a big confidence boost for Anna coming in third place. Isabelle won’t go to State for 300 hurdles, but she will for the 100 hurdles, so it’s all good.”
With top-5 performances by Angel, DuChemin and Tastinger, as well as others like Dylan Garcia, Hope Smith and Olivia Owle, Franklin’s girls earned a 99-point second-place finish behind only perennial West Region powerhouse North Lincoln. While Panther faithful have come to expect such finishes from veterans like Garcia and Angel, the story of the day was Franklin’s underclassmen delivering when their team needed them the most.
“Rylee took the place of Hope Smith because Hope was feeling sick after running the 400,” said Ward of the women’s 4x400-meter relay. “She was pretty much heat-exhausted and had to go see the paramedics. She was OK, but they did not want her to run. Rylee went out and stood her ground pretty well. I think she was probably in third place in the lineup [after her leg], and Maria [Sgro] took the second leg and pulled them ahead. Then it got handed off to Hannah Angel who kept them ahead, and Dylan obviously gave it a little bit extra.”
In taking over for Smith with just 10 minutes’ notice after her fellow freshman placed 3rd in the 400-meter dash, Cassada helped the women’s 4x400 relay to an improbable 1st-place finish. Between the two freshmen and other underclassmen like Owle, DuChemin, shot putter Renae Younce and discus thrower Claire Ballard, Franklin’s girls team should have a rock-solid foundation for years to come.
On the men’s side, Franklin also made an impression, highlighted by two top-10 finishes in the 200-meter and 400-meter by breakout sprinting star Luis Torres. Senior distance runner Ethan Stamey will compete at State after finishing 3rd in the men’s 3,200-meter run, while the Panthers’ resident pole-vaulter also secured a spot at North Carolina A&T this Saturday.
“Colby made the cut on pole vault, so that was good,” said Ward. “I feel like it’s been a tough year for him – he usually can vault 12 feet, but he hasn’t made it past 11.”
With State-qualifying [top-4] finishes by Torres, Stamey and Hurst, as well as more that just missed the cut by Nathan Stamey, Isaiah Roots and Luke Vanhook, Franklin’s men’s team took home 5th place with 42 points on the day. With 17 Panthers earning top-4 finishes to qualify for State this weekend – far more than the 10 or so Ward expected before the season – the Panthers’ coach said preparations are well underway ahead of the team’s fast-approaching trip to Greensboro.
“We’ll probably throw in a little bit of speed [workouts] on Monday just to keep things active, and then taper off throughout the week,” said Ward. “We’ll try to keep them out of the sun, fully hydrated with active rest, and go all-out again on Saturday.”