By Eric Lusk
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com

Starmount track and field standouts Antonio McClelland and Aaron Combs came into the 2010 season with goals of winning state championships.

Both young men realized their dreams Saturday with career performances on the biggest stage of the spring.

McClelland won 2A state titles in the long jump and triple jump at N.C. A&T University in Greensboro. Combs blazed to gold in the 800 meters.

McClelland repeated as long jump champ and also finished third in a highly competitive high jump final. Combs likely could have scored points in other events like the 400 or 1,600 but chose to concentrate on his favorite event.

Buoyed by their superstars, Starmount tied for third place in the 2A boys team standings, one of the best track showings in school history.

“It was an awesome day,” said Rams coach Kristi Gaddis, whose boys team finished the regular season unbeaten and won the conference championship. “I was proud of every athlete.”

McClelland has distance, endurance

It was newsworthy a couple of weeks ago when McClelland didn’t win conference titles in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. He just doesn’t finish out of first place very often in those events.

But Gaddis said then she believed that McClelland’s conference disappointments would only add to his motivation for the region and state competitions. She was correct.

McClelland won Saturday’s long jump with a leap of 22 feet, seven inches, eclipsing his regional distance by 6.5 inches. He beat his nearest challenger, East Burke’s Josh Debro, by three inches.

McClelland didn’t match his regional distance in the triple jump but didn’t need to, winning that event with a leap of 45 feet, 8.5 inches. Tyrell Beasley of Pasquotank placed second with a jump of 45-1.

The heat seemed to bother McClelland in last year’s state meet but was much less of a factor this time around.

“Antonio was prepared mentally to do what he needed to do,” Gaddis said. “He commanded the lead in the long and triple during the prelims, leaving no worries for the finals.”

A high jump of 6-6 would win a lot of 2A level meets, but McClelland tied for third in that event on Saturday after tying his career best height. It was the first time, though, that he cleared every bar on the first try going up to 6-6.

The gold medalist, Tanner Anderson of East Burke, broke an all-classifications state record when he crossed the bar successfully at seven feet, 2.5 inches. The previous state mark was 7-2. The former 2A state record of six feet, 10.25 inches had stood since 1993.

Silver medalist Darien Rankin of Salisbury jumped 6-8. Two others tied with McClelland by reaching 6-6.

“He knew that his competition in high was unlike any he had ever seen, yet he showed up and did everything he could physically do,” Gaddis said.

McClelland barely missed qualifying for finals in a fourth event, the 300 meter hurdles. He had the seventh-fastest time during the preliminaries, but he wasn’t top four in his heat, thus couldn’t advance.

McClelland’s prelim time would have given him fifth place had he run that in the championship heat.

Gaddis said track coaches were looking at changing the rules so that the top two finishers in each heat, plus the remaining four fastest times, would advance to the finals. In that scenario, McClelland would have made finals Saturday.

“The 300 was a bit disappointing but he was very satisfied with his performances overall,” Gaddis said.

Combs turns silver into gold

The Starmount senior ran a career race last May en route to the silver medal in the 800 meters, dropping significant time off her personal record. From that moment forward, Combs set his sights on running even faster and turning silver into gold this season.

With the 2009 gold medalist, John Schilkowski of Patton, running in the 3A classification this year, Combs emerged as a favorite early on. He won conference and then cruised to a regional title.

His biggest competition this weekend looked to be John Wolfe of Polk County, an NC State signee.

But Combs had no equal once the gun sounded. He charged around the track in the first lap in a little over 55 seconds, then extended his lead over the second lap.

Combs crossed in 1:53.40, beating silver medalist Nick Summers of Salisbury (1:58.01) with ease. Wolfe pulled up and did not finish.

Combs ran a 1:54.79 in the 800 last spring. His time Saturday was both a personal best and a new Starmount record. He was within a second or so of the 2A state mark.

“He now feels complete,” Gaddis said. “He finally won his state title.”

With his much coveted gold medal in hand, Combs now will turn his attention to graduation and getting ready to run for Guilford College starting this fall.

More state headlines

Combs and McClelland weren’t alone in generating headlines from Yadkin County at this weekend’s state meets.

Starmount’s Savannah Daye crossed 8-6 to earn third place in the pole vault. The senior struggled in the conference meet a few weeks ago, but rebounded to win a region gold and a state bronze. She reached a season’s best in her final competition.

“I was very impressed with her composure and determination,” Gaddis said.

Garrett Johnson placed seventh in the long jump and 14th in the triple for the Rams, adding points to the team scoring. Christian Hurt was 12th in the triple. MJ Bryant finished 16th in the shot put.

Elkin senior Justin Strickland, who is from Yadkinville, concluded his high school career by earning bronze in the triple jump at Friday’s 1A state meet. He also was 10th in the long jump. Strickland, who will jump for Western Carolina next season, is the athlete who beat out McClelland for gold in the jumps at conference a few weeks ago.

“I’m going to miss him. He scored a lot of points for us over the years,” Elkin coach Scott Wood said.

Forbush’s boys 4x200 relay of Hunter Carter, Casey Evans, Cody Evans and J.R. Evans placed 12th. Casey Evans ran in the open 200 meters and posted the 10th fastest time in the preliminaries, just a couple of spots out of making finals.

Tyler Black finished 15th in the shot put.

Laken Renegar became the first Forbush girls track athlete to qualify for state since 2006. She was seventh in her heat in the 200 meter preliminaries. Her time of 27.71 was just a few hundredths off of what she ran at regionals the weekend before.

Salisbury won the 2A boys competition with 58 points, followed by Kinston 41, Starmount 37, Berry Academy 37 and East Burke 32. Burlington Cummings cruised to the 2A girls title over Salisbury. Starmount’s girls could not accumulate team points because only Daye qualified for the meet.

NCHSAA State 2A Track & Field

Championships

Saturday • at N.C. A&T University, Greensboro

BOYS

Team Scores

1. Salisbury 58, 2. Kinston 41, T-3. Starmount 37, T-3 Berry Academy 37, 5. East Burke 32, 6. Swansboro 26, T-7. Wilkes Central 22, T-7. Tarboro 22, 9. T.W. Andrews 21, 10. St. Pauls … 38. Surry Central 4

Area Individuals

Antonio McClelland (Starmount): 1st in long jump (22-7), 1st in triple jump (45-8.5), 3rd in high jump (6-6), 7th in 300 hurdles preliminaries (41.40 - sixth in his heat)

Aaron Combs (Starmount): 1st in 800 meters (1:53.40)

Garrett Johnson (Starmount): 7th in long jump (20-11), 14th in triple jump (41-8)

Casey Evans (Forbush): 10th in 200 meters preliminaries, 6th in his heat (22.93)

Christian Hurt (Starmount): 12th in triple jump (41-11.5)

Tyler Black (Forbush): 15th in shot put (39-1)

M.J. Bryant (Starmount): 16th in shot put (38-9.5)

Forbush 4x100 Relay (Hunter Carter, Casey Evans, Mario Detomas, J.R. Evans): 16th place in 45.07

Forbush 4x200 Relay (Hunter Carter, Casey Evans, Cody Evans, JR Evans): 12th place in 1:33.75

GIRLS

Team Scores

1. Cummings 80, 2. Salisbury 52.5, 3. Kinston 48, T-4. T.W. Andrews 41, T-4. Carrboro 41, 6. Cedar Ridge, 7. Polk County 29.5, 8 Madison 22, 9. Swansboro 21.5, 10. St. Pauls 20 … T-22. North Surry 6, T-22. Wilkes Central 6 … 38. Surry Central 2.25

Area Individuals

Savannah Daye (Starmount): 3rd in pole vault (8-6)

Laken Renegar (Forbush): 15th in 200 meters preliminaries, 7th in her heat (27.71)